Friends of Dave #91: It's That Time of Year
It's pumpkin spice, sweatshirt/shorts combo and yes, decorative gourd season.
I've been on a tear with these intros lately, so in honor of it being the first day of the autumnal equinox (and officially my favorite time of year), I'm going to get off the soapbox and give you all a break this week.
So go ahead and ditch the flip flops, dig out your favorite sweatshirt, go get yourself a Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte, and wish someone a Happy Decorative Gourd Season this weekend. And while you are at it, check out the gems I carefully curated for your reading pleasure.
Guarantee for this week only: if you don't learn something from any of the articles you take the time to click on and read, you can absolutely request your money back. Not sure if I will grant the request, but knock yourself out.
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
The urge to share news of our lives is neither new nor narcissistic Long before Facebook and Instagram, there were diaries and scrapbooks: the urge to share is neither new nor narcissistic
There’s an optimal time of day to give negative feedback
Our willingness to learn from criticism is intimately tied to our capacity for self-regulation—which varies throughout the day. You may be surprised as to when people are most receptive to hearing the critical words from others.
It’s OK if people don’t like you
Thought provoking piece on how to genuinely develop your best ideas through debate and a combination of ego and lack of ego.
For Your Day Job...
Twilight of the Terminal: The Disruption of Bloomberg L.P.
Great, comprehensive breakdown by CB Insights on how startups and industry players are trying to attack and disrupt the Bloomberg Terminal in the key areas of data, chat, news, research, and as a closed platform. Lots to learn here for anyone competing against a well established incumbent -- not just for those in FinTech.
John Hancock to sell only interactive life insurance
One of the oldest and largest North American life insurers will no longer underwrite traditional life insurance and instead sell only interactive policies that track fitness and health data through wearable devices and smartphones.
Placing your heart in the hands of an app is nothing new, but now mobile users can do the same with their money. Quick read -- also underscores the growing importance of customer experience for all businesses, not just retail. If your company does not have a proactive strategy around evolving your CX (and not just the technology that supports it, but the entire way you approach customer interaction, success, and experience), you should be worried.
#NikeBoycott Is Over. Why Retail Activism Rarely Changes Sales. The Nike ad featuring Colin Kaepernick divided American shoe buyers, with some calling for a boycott of the company and others vowing to buy more of its sneakers—but the activism is unlikely to last.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
How Two Buck Chuck revolutionized the wine industry
No snarky comments on this one -- you wine lovers will find this backstory fascinating.
There are now more $100 bills than $1 bills in the world
Somewhere inside the Dollar Tree Stores marketing department, someone is building a slide deck as we speak contemplating potential name changes....my vote is for "All About the Benjamins R US"....
Maine restaurant to get lobsters high off marijuana smoke before killing them
In related news, people in Maine are reporting that they are increasingly finding the crumbs of Funyons in lobster claws.
And The Last Word....
It’s Decorative Gourd Season, M*****F******s.
Carving orange pumpkins sounds like a pretty fitting way to ring in the season. You know what else does? Performing an all-gourd reenactment of an episode of Diff’rent StrokesÂ
This gem is almost 10 years old. Enjoy.