We’re thrilled to present the latest addition to Afluencer’s content lineup – our podcast series featuring insightful conversations with influential brand owners. In this inaugural article, we have the privilege of introducing Thomas Ervin, the visionary founder of Noni Digital, as our esteemed guest.
Meet Thomas Ervin: The Mind Behind Noni Digital
Thomas Ervin, the innovative mind driving Noni Digital, takes center stage in the Afluencer podcast series. With a wealth of experience in the world of influencer marketing, Thomas shares captivating insights, challenges, and triumphs that have shaped his brand’s journey.
Podcast Premiere: Delving into the Noni Digital Universe
Join us in exploring the enchanting world of Noni Digital through the eyes of Thomas Ervin himself. We’ve embedded the riveting YouTube podcast video below, offering an exclusive glimpse into the transformative power of influencer marketing.
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Key Takeaways
00:43 💻 Digital assets include everything from cell phones to online accounts, forming your digital legacy.
02:48 ⚰️ Non Digital was born from witnessing insensitivity towards deceased individuals’ digital presence.
05:33 💡 Digital assets must be considered in estate planning due to their critical nature in today’s society.
06:00 💼 Digital estate planning is distinct from traditional wills, focusing solely on digital assets.
06:28 🔒 Non Digital offers a secure service to manage and distribute digital assets in case of incapacitation or death.
07:38 📜 Verification of event triggers distribution of digital assets to chosen fiduciaries or loved ones.
09:19 💵 Non Digital offers annual and lifetime subscription models, priced at $179 and $579 respectively.
11:12 🎯 Parenting, financial, and legal influencers are ideal for promoting digital estate planning.
12:58 🌐 Over 100 million Americans lack a plan for their digital assets, highlighting a broad market for digital estate planning.
13:52 🌹 The name “Non Digital” pays tribute to a co-founder’s late sister, nicknamed “Non.”
Transcription Insight: A Peek into the Conversation
Gain an insider’s perspective as we burrow into the transcription of our engaging conversation with Thomas Ervin. Discover the strategies, anecdotes, and wisdom that have fueled Noni Digital’ success, all captured in this in-depth transcription.
In Conversation with Thomas Ervin, Founder of Noni Digital:
Brett:
Welcome to today’s Affluence podcast, where we’re going to learn about digital assets, something that I personally need in terms of a plan and I don’t. So we’ve invited Tom Ervin on. Tom’s a founder of Ngoni Digital, a company that helps in terms of digital asset estate planning. We’re going to learn what that is. We’re going to learn what opportunities there are for influencers to promote Ngoni digital in terms of other parents like me, or just general business influencers, people who can help get the word out about this.
But first, we’re going to dig into it. So Tom Well, first of all, welcome to the podcast. And can you tell me a little bit about Ngoni Digital?
Thomas:
Yeah, thanks for having us. So have you ever thought about what would happen to your digital assets if something unexpectedly happened to you? So I’m talking about things like your cell phone, your laptop, electronic files that you may have, like your photos in the iCloud and all of your online accounts from banking apps to social media. For most people, these digital assets are private.
Most are intangible, and they are only accessible by them and for a very good reason. These items make up your digital legacy. It’s also known as your digital estate. Ngoni is a service to help consumers plan and protect their digital estate in case something unexpectedly happens to them.
Brett:
Makes sense. I always I have thought about it. I try not.
To. I always hope that the bus that hit me would run over everything at once. But I guess it’s.
Probably.
Unlikely, especially with the cloud storing things as you had mentioned, right? You just help like, Hey, if I’m going to go do something, just detonate everything associated with me and we’ll just never speak of it again. We’ll have to worry about it before we fly. Have to worry about all this companies and all this digital stuff out there, right?
Crazy. So it’s yeah, it’s it’s a it’s a great need. How did you come up with the.
Idea then, Tom? For Noni.
Thomas:
Yeah. So, no, no, he was born out of a problem that we witnessed that was created because a former colleague didn’t have a digital estate plan. So he had passed away from cancer about eight years ago. And a few years after that, I noticed that LinkedIn was sending out a blast to all of his connections, congratulating him for his 50th anniversary, his company, which was really cross.
I mean.
Brett:
Yeah.
Thomas:
He already had a memorial fund by that time. And it but it wasn’t LinkedIn’s fault. They didn’t know he had passed away, but it was insensitive all the same and and not cool for his family. Then we saw the same email come out again to the day, the following year and the year after that. So we decided to research and figure out what’s causing the problem.
And that’s sort of when no name was born.
Brett:
Yeah, I’m a similar experienced friend who passed away and he was very young and it’s weird cause you sell a Facebook account out there and he was a single guy, so nobody there was no one there to manage it or take it down or anything. So just kind of it’s kind of spooky, right? It’s kind of that everything And like you said, the LinkedIn reminders, that’s something you we want to just stop.
But that’s a tough one.
So what is the what’s your research find in terms of the router getting ahead, all this stuff? Because I know from a logging standpoint and I was just talking to my wife.
Yesterday about creating these passwords.
We hate when we get like, actually, I think it was LinkedIn she got lied out of and she’s got to get back into it. Or she had someone trying to hack her LinkedIn. She got to get back into it and she’s got to change the password.
Which is something you’ll never remember. And I.
I don’t write my passwords down because it’s insecure. So my solution is that I just create unique ones and then I never know.
What they are. So it’s it’s.
So it’s a mess in.
Terms of I mean, I can’t even get into my own accounts, let alone someone else.
So, yeah.
What is the what’s the answer there then.
Thomas:
Yeah. So, so the problem goes way beyond passwords. Right. But it’s actually a simple problem. The problem was created because over the past 30 years, we’ve migrated into the digital age, okay? We’ve moved from a paper society to a digital society, and as a result, a whole new category of assets have been created. Those are digital assets. As a result, a series of tactical challenges.
First, survivors have been created when someone passes away, like identifying the digital assets that are left behind, understanding and understanding how to access them, and then deciding what to do with them. So as an example, 30 years ago, pretty much all of your assets were tangible and they were easily accessible. So you might have precious photos. Well, they could be found in a family photo album in your home.
You had a mailbox, an important correspondence, arrived it in the form of a physical letter in a mailbox. Today, those photos are in the iCloud, secured with your Apple ID and only known probably to you. And most of your correspondence is delivered via email, typically only accessible by the user. In addition, new intent Apple assets exist today that didn’t exist 30 years ago, like Bitcoin and domains and nfts.
You’ve got business subscriptions, finance and investment apps and other digital records that are critical and vital to the ongoing continuity of your digital legacy and your family. So it’s clear today that digital assets must be considered when planning your estate. They can’t. They can no longer be an afterthought. All consumers in the digital age need a digital estate plan to to protect these assets if something unexpected happens to them.
Brett:
That makes sense. So humor me with this.
Questionnaire since I’m a newbie and I should have a will two kids and a wife, but I don’t. Is this the same as having a will?
Thomas:
Yeah. No. No. A digital estate plan is not the same as a will. It doesn’t replace your will. A digital estate plan simply serves as an extension of your will, but just for your digital assets.
Brett:
Okay. So is it possible then can you plan this.
As as part of the will, or is this something separate where I mean, when I decide to grow up one day, get my act together, I actually need a an estate plan, I need the will. But then I also need a digital asset plan.
Thomas:
Yeah. So basically money helps you, but it’s an easy to use service that helps you privately and securely direct, which should happen to each of your digital assets if you die or become incapacitated. Okay. It also helps you keep your plans current and private as your digital estate continues to evolve without having to update your will or estate plan in the case of your incapacitation or demise.
No. Any after notice verifies this event will distribute your your comprehensive instructions for your digital state to your chosen fiduciaries or loved ones. And then we also provide additional fiduciary services to help close online accounts so as to not burden your loved ones with that. And best of all, know he works with all existing wills and estate plans.
Or even if you don’t have a will, amazingly known. He allows our clients to rest easy, knowing that if something unexpectedly happens to them, their digital estate is going to be taken care of and their families aren’t going to be left in the dark.
Brett:
Yeah, yeah, it’s great. And I guess not to get too morbid with the example, but let’s pick on me.
And I got my dog here and let’s say we go out for a walk. I get hit by the proverbial bus because he’s okay. She’d get rescued, brought home all that.
What triggers the event? Let’s say I’ve got to know any plan then.
Is it the death certificate where I get carted to the coroner and then that’s.
Is that what triggers the event.
When I’m pronouncing his toast?
Thomas:
That’s correct. Your plan stays. Your plan stays private until there is an event. If and when there’s an event, once we’re notified, we have to verify that event just like a life insurance company would. We then have a process which securely distributes your chosen your instructions to your chosen fiduciary. So it could be, you know, your spouse could receive all your personal stuff.
You may have a business partner that has business subscriptions that your spouse would know what to do with. So that’s basically, in general, how it how it works, how the distribution process works.
Brett:
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I’ve got subscriptions. That would be a nightmare.
So I wouldn’t wish on anyone, let alone let alone my wife. So the idea then, Tom, I assume, since just because I’ve.
Been through this not starting a digital.
Estate.
Planning company, but just starting companies, you look for something and either don’t see that need being met in the market or you see flaws in the current offerings in and then get it. Guys like you and me say, okay, I’m going to make a company out of this, right? I’m going to make the product and we’re going to do this because there’s a gap there.
So is that what you saw with Ngoni where you’re looking around for digital estate planning, digital asset planning, and there was nothing you had as a solution.
Thomas:
So we started looking into the problem just because of the one experience that I that I had mentioned there. And you know, three or four years ago, if you Googled estate planning for digital assets, there really wasn’t a lot around. Okay. Today, if you Google estate planning for digital assets, you will find tons of blogs from insurance companies, from banks, from attorneys telling you that this is a real problem and you have to do something about it.
But they really don’t give much, much advice. It’s actionable. They just say, hey, write it down and keep it safe somewhere. You know, the problem with that is that your digital estate is constantly evolving and changing with new online new online accounts. And we’re changing credentials. You’ve got new files, so it’s a dynamic problem that has arisen that can’t be solved with a static solution, like writing it down somewhere.
And so that’s what we’ve we’ve brought to market is a dynamic solution to help you create your digital estate plan, to help you keep it up to date.
Brett:
Yeah, very cool. Very cool. Can you give me an idea about the costs.
In terms of range? I know it varies, but when I think of a will and I don’t know if this is a regular estate planning an Arab is accurate anymore or not, but I always had about $2,000 in my head for that will and that whole process and I’m sure it’s higher now. This is few years ago.
What does something like.
This cost in terms of just just range price range?
Thomas:
Yeah, well, we have two different models right now, two different subscriptions right now. One is just an annual subscription for 179. And you can also have a lifetime subscription for 579. But I think those can be purchased at a discount if you work through your trusted estate planner or financial Financial advisor.
Brett:
Yeah, very cool. And then I know you’re not a.
Tax professional and Neither am I. Just as a business.
It feels like the type of thing and everyone can check with their CPA. It feels like the type of thing that would be a write off. Or it could be a business expense potentially. Yeah.
Thomas:
Sure, sure. It could be a business expense, especially if you have assets that are business related.
Brett:
Absolutely right. I guess that’s what I’m thinking of. Yeah. Gotcha. Yeah.
So listeners, check check with your CPA another time to write.
Our tax professionals. But yeah, that feels like a conversation. Should we have to your accountant.
So let’s switch gears on the influencer side then. So this is the type of product, as you and I were chatting last week, I think it was when we connected and we’re kind of reviewing the landscape there. What types of influencers are we looking for to promote? I mean, there’s a wide range, right?
You can have your business people or you could have your your parenting influencers.
You kind of want people of that same ilk, but it’s different on the interest side, right? It feels a little wide. But what do you think?
Can apply to your collab for now?
Thomas:
Yeah, so, so before that I think, you know, just to, to talk a little bit about where we think our potential customers are there and that is really folks that are starting to plan families. Okay, so the parenting would be one, they are preparing, they’re, they’re saving for their future, they’re preparing for the good times. But they also know that they need to prepare for something that might happen unexpectedly.
So they’re buying life insurance. They’re getting a will, you know, and they’re taking care of business and protecting their families. So influencers that would have that sort of a following, maybe financial, financial advice, legal advice, parenting, that would be probably a good a good avenue. Great.
Brett:
Yeah. Makes sense. Which I would.
Add those influencers are might be in better shape.
But like we got known here as a solution. Any types of follower counts or platform preferences or anything like that that you’re looking for or kind of keeping it.
Open ended for a.
Thomas:
Good number for an open. Yeah.
Brett:
Yeah. I think that makes sense. So yeah, for our influencers, again, listening. I mean this is great, especially like Tom said, for the parenting business Focus. I know the overlap between these two as well. We think of like the young kids are getting ready to have the kids or could be like me with the young kids that almost aren’t young anymore and just need to get on stuff like this.
Thomas:
So I mean, just to just to put it in perspective. So today we think there’s over 100 million consumers in the US alone that have already prepared for the unexpected with life insurance and a will, but they have no plan at all for their digital assets. None. So it’s a very broad market.
Brett:
Yeah, feels that way. I mean, it feels like if you surveyed 100 people who should have something like this, zero would have it on a one. Right? It would be a very small percentage. And like you said, then, if you’re looking at the people who have had their other ducks in a row, the life insurance, the regular estate planning and and then they don’t have this right and that this is kind of a no brainer where especially you can walk them through and you’ve got this digital solution for which is excellent.
Yeah, it’s been great time. So we’ll put the link to your collab right under this. On the YouTube videos, our influencers can see the ladies and apply and I’ll get you out of here on this one time. We’re the name. I’m always interested were the name.
Come up with. We’re just come up with the name for Noni.
Thomas:
Yeah. So a few years ago, while we were deep in research, one of our co-founders sisters passed away and her family nickname was Ngoni. And so we found it fitting to name the brand after her and is from memory.
Brett:
Oh, that’s great. Yeah. It’s a nice tribute and it’s a great name. Very pretty name. And to get memorable and then. To get the four characters, that’s that’s gold these days. I’ve never I’ve never done less than eight. So getting out of four is excellent.
That’s great. Well, thank you, Tom. Appreciate you joining us. And we’ll stay on the Ngoni digital side and the influencer journey here. And then what it encourage our parenting business and related influencers to I mean, apply. It’s really great.
Product. And like we were saying, I mean, the key is just getting the word out about it because it’s a solution everyone needs. And then you have so we say people like me who are a little behind on this type of thing that need to be reached.
Thomas:
Thanks so much. We really appreciate it.
Brett:
All right. Well, thanks again to.
Thomas:
All right. Have a good one.
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Reflecting on a Journey of Innovation and Influence
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