July diary, the paradox of choice, heat rage, hybrid work & more.
What if what I want (to be left the fuck alone with no responsibilities on the beach) is not what is best for me (some sort of consistent obligation to or interaction with other human beings)?
As is almost always the case with my letters to you, this one will be best read in your browser or on the Substack app, the imagery and videos will get clipped or cut short if read in your email app.
I wrote a little reintroduction to myself in my last issue, ICYMI, along with a discount/coupon for new subscribers. Don’t forget to get me your questions for our upcoming interview with Sophie about Ozempic & the GLP-1/telehealth industry!
Business as usual: your questions about GLP-1s, a very weird brand collab, a clutch weeknight recipe, & more consumer oddities.
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Good morrow! Today’s newsletter is free, zippy, bullet point-y. (It’s also a little long, so you may need to read in your browser.) I’ve been writing a little less, I’ll share a bit more about why with paid subscribers in another issue or two this week. 🤍
Really liked this piece on working “in” your business or working “on” your business. I think the author could go even deeper. Most of the founders I see these days fall victim to working in the business— this was the biggest mistake I think I made, in the end. I became an employee instead of a strategic operator. I would never suggest you should hire another leader for your business too early, but this is one huge plus for having a detail-oriented co-founder, ops/CoS hire, or some other person who will keep the train on the tracks. You simply cannot get stuck working in the business, it will take you down. (Recognize that as a trade-off, some of your employees will likely perceive you as out of touch with their operational day to day and reality… c’est la vie, you can’t have everything!)
Wanting to try this recipe— and this one with simmered sungolds too!
I got my little goose a seashell mermaid collar for summer. She’s sooooo Ariel right now… the luscious red locks…
I related to this piece on being paralyzed by the fear of failing. I’ve written about this a bit here, my fear of being cancelled keeping me from taking big risks or swings, but Anna Mackenzie breaks it down nicely and with actual actionable tips or steps you can take.
I’ve been loving and seeing a lot of bag charms out in the world. Eliou has made a small capsule, I’ve seen Heather rocking one I like, and a few months ago my friend Emily went out and got some beads and made herself a cute, chunky, beaded red bag charm to affix to her woven leather tote.
A phone case strap I made with these adorable little murano glass octopus beads I found at a Michael's, my friend Sophie and I on my porch doing our crafts before our diner breakfast and beach sit on Sunday. I’ve mentioned my shell jewelry making journey here before (TLDR: I wasn’t going to spend hundreds of dollars to get the trend when I live 10 feet from the ocean where there are endless amounts of shells!), but that evolved into a bag charm making journey last weekend too! I also made a phone case strap inspired by the ones I love by Ossa.
Wooden beads, strawberry beads and some cool murano beads on the left, multicolored pearl loops in the middle and stacked geode-y puka shell-esque beads on the right. I’ve loved this craft journey. I almost always do something with my hands in the summer— it’s been friendship bracelet making, mostly— but being plopped on our perfect porch, working with my hands while I listen to an audiobook or a good playlist has felt like taking my brain out of its skull case and dipping it in the clean, cool ocean. Refreshing.
I will write about this in a forthcoming gargantuan letter I’m working on, but I listened to this podcast from Alison Cayne and I am obsessed with Lentiful. I have almost completely crushed the variety pack I got a week ago.
The business is genius, I wish I was Ben, I am rooting for Ben, go Ben.July has been very beautiful.
In this case, what if what I want (to be left the fuck alone with no responsibilities on the beach) is not what is best for me (some sort of consistent obligation to or interaction with other human beings in person a few times a week)?
July is the longest and worst month of summer. I think everyone knows that, there’s a reason they call it the dog days of summer— the mind plays tricks on you. The heat of summer no longer feels like a welcome respite from Spring showers as it did back in June, when every sunny day was a blessing. Instead the heat and summer-ness feels oppressive.
If you’re like me, you also feel the doom and gloom of summer’s passing, it’s almost ending! You should be enjoying every second of it! You should be outside! You are hot, you are sweaty, you are tired, you are lazy, you are a little depressed, and you are also plagued with the endless stream of shoulds pestering you to “make the most” of your summer, appreciate every second.
This has always been true for me, call it July rage, I suppose— but I find things get better in late August and September, when you feel summer slipping away, the heat breaks, and you come back to yourself.