Five Things I’ve Been Enjoying Lately

We’ve been busy on some wonderful client projects, and in January, I had such an amazing time attending the Tastemaker Conference in LA. It was so wonderful to meet many of our clients for the first time in person, and to connect with so many others that we’ve exchanged emails with over the years, and to sit down and spend time together in person. I’m already looking forward to going back next year.

I’ve also been working on some new ways to work together, which I’ll be sharing over the coming weeks.

Five things I’ve been enjoying lately:

1. Deep Questions with Cal Newport ​

I’m a big fan of Cal’s books, and his podcast is always very thoughtful about how to be a better thinker in this age of distraction. Highly recommend if you haven’t found it yet.

2. Best Laid Plans with Sarah Hart-Unger ​

I discovered this one through Cal’s podcast. What I love about Sarah’s approach to planning is that it’s not about being more productive. It’s about being more intentional with the limited hours we have. Her book of the same name is also great.

3. Belonging by Owen Eastwood ​

I was pleasantly surprised to find high-performance coach Owen Eastwood talking about the Maori concept of whakapapa, an unbreakable chain of people going back and forward in time, in the context of getting the best performance out of teams. The idea that people perform better when they know their history and their place in that chain, when they’re not at risk or needing to prove their worth, “you belong here,” is something that has really stayed with me.

4. The Missing Persons Guide

We recently worked with The Missed Foundation to redesign their Missing Persons Guide website. They’re doing incredible work supporting people whose loved ones go missing. The site uses trauma-informed design principles, which means designing specifically for people who are overwhelmed, distressed, or in crisis. That looks like stripping away distractions, using calm and clear language, and making it immediately obvious what the next step is, rather than leaving someone to figure it out. While it’s an Australian website, the information applies to all missing persons. I’m really proud of this one!

5. The Tongariro Crossing

Last month, we walked the 22km/14mi Tongariro Crossing as a family, regularly named one of the top three best one-day hikes in the world. If you have ever seen The Lord of the Rings, it’s Mordor. I’m so proud of my four kids for completing the challenge. Thinking while walking outside is actually one of Cal Newport’s recommended activities for building what he calls “cognitive fitness,” along with daily reading (check!), embracing rather than avoiding writing (check!), and not having your phone with you at all times (in progress!).

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