Dear Reader, The chaos and greed of the World Cup are on full display as matches start today—and it's also the lead story in this week's newsletter. You'll also read the truth about how fast fashion is really made in China and the rising problem of haunted updates and software death. In bonus stories, we explore the future of BMW design, changes to the Instagram algorithm and the latest country to introduce a ban on social media for kids under 16 years old. Enjoy the stories and stay curious!...
13 days ago • 6 min read
Dear Reader, From West African mammies to what might be the world's most powerful silent keynote, this week's stories demonstrate how advertising can be a force for good and why one social media platform is so desperate to silence the author of a whistleblower book that she was forced to take the stage at a major conference NOT to speak. Also this week, some fascinating trend research around why the world has been steadily losing its color and a few bonus stories about retro products, the...
20 days ago • 6 min read
Dear Reader, It's been a week of writing on the new book for me and I'm thrilled to share the final cover for Future Words (coming in October). Starting next week, we will be announcing our program for early readers who want to go behind the scenes and read the book before anyone else ... but as a subscriber to the Non-Obvious Newsletter, you can join early and see progress on the book over the summer. JOIN THE LAUNCH TEAM >> Outside of the work on the new book, the stories this week continue...
27 days ago • 7 min read
Dear Reader, Greetings from sunny LA! It's been a travel week with talks for AT&T and Warner Brothers and some private gatherings as well - including a book launch event for my friend (and Ideapress author) Jamie Shapiro. In stories this week, you'll read about an emotional new museum opening, how one non-profit is trying to solve the mass discard problem on college campuses as students leave for the summer, and how Pizza Hut is bringing back retro restaurants. Enjoy this week's stories and...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Dear Reader, It seems we're in full pitch season right now, as I have had a flood of emails these past few weeks from authors pitching their book ideas, entrepreneurs promoting their startups, podcast hosts inviting me on their shows or job-seeking friends asking for connections. Some are pitches meant for me, some are just asking for advice to help their pitches land with the right person in my network. All week I've tried to respond because I know that asking for help is hard. I wish I...
about 1 month ago • 8 min read
Dear Reader, Last night I spent a memorable evening with a group of entrepreneurs in Chicago sharing their biggest challenges and victories from turning their passions into profitable businesses. Today I'll be sharing space with a group of senior marketers at the AMA Executive Marketer Summit where we will try to unpack some of the disruption facing the marketing industry and how leaders are preparing for that future. These sorts of discussions are one of the best arguments for why IRL events...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Dear Reader, What does it take to turn your passion into a business (and is that even a good idea)? It's one of those questions with lots of conflicting answers. Next week I'll be in Chicago for the AMA Executive Marketing Summit and the day before I will be co-hosting a very fun (and very free) gathering to share advice and experiences among creatives and founders on monetizing your creativity. We have limited spots, so register here if you can join us. In the coming months, I'll be...
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
Dear Reader, At a bar earlier this past Sunday, the evening local TV news happened to be on in the background and over the course of 15 minutes I saw stories about a shooting, a car accident, a building fire, an abducted child and the upcoming weather. Seeing the world from that perspective was all sensational and negative. I felt sorry for the people who choose to shape their perspective by watching that, and I kept thinking about the difference between watching "the news" versus actually...
2 months ago • 7 min read
Dear Reader, I'm at a coffee shop in Arizona this week just a few hours away from the Coachella Music Festival and reading about how this global phenomenon has ridden the wave of social media content to become more than just a big concert in the desert. This week, that's the lead story as we take a deep dive into some of the marketing from the festival that's getting the early buzz. In other stories this week, you read about how an enthusiastic grandson is on a quest to save his family's...
2 months ago • 7 min read