Hi hi, Right now, I’m in Malta facilitating a workshop for 250 Senior HR professionals. The topic? How AI is transforming the way we learn, consume information, and build organizational culture. It’s a conversation that feels especially timely, considering Amazon’s recent announcement that they expect employees to return to the office five days a week. In many ways, this reflects a labor market that’s slowly tipping power back toward employers—a stark contrast to the autonomy workers enjoyed...
10 days ago • 11 min read
Hi friend, This week’s Dispatch is a bit of a departure from my usual focus on digital culture. But don’t worry—next week, I’ll be back with my annual Spooky Season watch list, a rant about Emily in Paris, updates on the latest AI models, and some news on some exciting upcoming projects! When my family immigrated to Canada in December 1989, we felt incredibly grateful for the opportunities—healthcare, education, safety. Like many newcomers, we viewed Canada as a land of possibility, but the...
18 days ago • 4 min read
Hi hi, Greetings from Australia, where I’m currently juggling some client work and prepping for a speaking engagement. But honestly, my mind keeps wandering back to this recent project I wrapped up on AI and Retail—an exploration that’s left me both fascinated and a little uneasy. I’ve been thinking a lot about how AI, TikTok, and fashion are colliding in ways that feel both revolutionary and deeply unsettling. It’s a story about more than just clothes; it’s about algorithms, influencer...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read
Hey you, We’re living in a time defined by overlapping crises—floods, wars, climate change, AI—where the constant state of stress doesn’t just weigh on our collective psyche but seeps into our personal lives, affecting how we connect with others. In this “perma-crisis,” (gag) mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, and PTSD can feel like wrecking balls in our relationships. Supportive friendships are crucial, but what happens when these very conditions cause us to retreat or lash...
about 2 months ago • 8 min read
Hi hi, Right on cue, I’ve entered the creativity phase of my holidays. This morning, instead of heading to the pool, I found myself drawn to the living room, settling in with Pixel by my side and my laptop open, words flowing effortlessly. There’s something intoxicating, even liberating, about creating outside of professional obligations. It’s a reminder of how essential rest and distance from work are—not just for our well-being, but for our creative vitality as well. For the first time in...
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
Hi hi, These days, it seems like everyone has an opinion about people who choose not to have kids. "Miserable cat ladies," as we've been recently called by JD Vance, "undeserving of participating in the democratic process." I prefer "delighted Dog Lady" personally. This hate isn't new, of course. The vitriol against childfree women has been simmering for years, occasionally boiling over into mainstream discourse. But lately, it feels like the lid has blown off completely. There's so much to...
about 2 months ago • 8 min read
Hi hi, As I settle into my annual month-long summer break, I find myself reflecting on my own rhythm of rest and creativity that has become essential to my work as a professional creative. This isn't just time off; it's a deliberate cycle of renewal, divided into three distinct phases that are crucial for sustaining my creative output and personal well-being. The first phase is what I fondly call "cocooning" — a term I much prefer to the judgmental "rotting" often used to describe this period...
2 months ago • 7 min read
Hi friend, I'm back on the farm, counting down the days before my annual summer holiday. Yes, I just returned from Turkey, but let's be real: that was less vacation and more of a much-needed mental health intervention. Sometimes, a change of scenery is all you need for clarity, grounding, and closure. Now I'm in the home stretch, wrapping up two mammoth client projects and gearing up for a final speaking gig in Palo Alto. Then it's curtains for Q2. (I know, I know—who closes their quarter in...
3 months ago • 10 min read
Hi Friend, In “Hustle and Float,” I explored a fundamental tension in our modern work lives: the systems of continuous, non-stop productivity that we’ve built are often at odds with the natural rhythms of our creative process. We’ve constructed a world that demands constant output, yet our most innovative ideas and profound insights tend to emerge during periods of rest and reflection. This disconnect is exacerbated by our culture of instant gratification. We’ve become accustomed to immediate...
3 months ago • 6 min read
