Hello Friends, When did "authentic" start meaning "your face, on camera, three times a week"? Two French music producers built one of the most commercially and critically successful careers in modern music without the public knowing what either of them looked like for the better part of two decades. Nobody accused them of hiding. If anything, the mystery is the reason people still talk about them. This issue is for the founder being told growth requires becoming a personal brand β and who...
12 days agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Hello Friends, Have you gone to the cinemas to watch The Odyssey? I haven't. All this Odyssey promotion has gotten me curious about Matt Damon - not about his fitness regime but his long career. His motivations, beliefs and values. How they steer him in the creation of a decorated IMDB page - with TV appearances and movies that showcase his range and versatility. Instead of tackling 1 scenario in this issue, we'll going to cover 1 person. Matt Damon. If you want your issue to be considered...
26 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hello Friends, Signing on a major client is mostly good news - bigger paycheck, consistency of revenue, increased credibility etc. The downside may be having to interface with more layers in their corporate structure. What's wrong with more layers you ask? Let's explore Eliza's situation below. If you want your issue to be considered for an upcoming Newsletter, just fill out this anonymous form. The Situation: Eliza is psyched about having a major brand commit to a big order for her...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Hello Friends, Have you ever been in a group chat and wondered how someone can be so clueless and helpless? The questions they ask. The obliviousness that they show. The inability to understand social cues and read the room. It seems that this has been witnessed in many a friend and peer group. Let's dive in. If you want your issue to be considered for an upcoming Newsletter, just fill out this anonymous form. The Situation: Lizzie is in a founder mastermind group where a group of business...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Hello Friends, As a business owner, your dream team consists of people with great skills, work ethic and ideally a personality that makes you look forward to interacting with them. Can you have it all? We explore situations with team members who aren't entirely bad and how anticipatory management can be an energy drain. If you want your issue to be considered for an upcoming Newsletter, just fill out this anonymous form. The Situation: Rupert has a team member, Declan who is exceptional at...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Hello Friends, If youβve been a founder for more than five minutes, youβve been given the "Stay in Your Lane" lecture. It is the dogma of the startup world: Focus. Narrow your niche. If it isnβt directly scaling your core revenue, it is a distraction. Today, I want to talk about how "staying in your lane" can become a cage. Iβve been obsessed lately with the list of legendary film directors who directed Michael Jacksonβs iconic music videos. Weβre talking about Martin Scorsese (Bad), David...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Hello Friends, Have you ever walked away from an interaction with someone who felt incredibly important, only to realize an hour later that they didn't actually say anything of substance? Lately, Iβve been rewatching the Hulu series The Dropout, which charts the spectacular rise and criminal fall of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Itβs a chilling reminder of how easily usually wise people can be taken in by people who project an image of credibility and societal clout. It's funny how we give...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
Hello Friends, Justice for Baldoni has been on my mind since early April. The lawsuit that started in December 2024 is finally getting some meaningful action this April 2026. Back in mid-2025, I remember going hard on the assault bike in an exercise class fueled by the injustice I felt for Justin Baldoni. The good news for Baldoni is that 10 out of 13 claims have been dismissed and they'll meet in court to settle the rest. Source: Javier Mateo, BACKGRID Blake Lively's extremely wordy PGA tag...
5 months agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
Hello Friends, Taking pride in what you do is a wonderful feeling. When it becomes the thing you identify with, there may be ego-related complications. Today's issue is about a business owner who has the best systems and processes but can't seem to get her employee to follow them to a T. Thank you to Reader K for suggesting I include photos in the newsletter. :) If you want your issue to be considered for an upcoming Newsletter, just fill out this form. The Situation: Lin is an organized...
5 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read