⫹⫺ The Struggle
CMMN WLTH 121 - Cheat Codes for Creators, Makers & Doers
Hello my friends,
If you’re building a reading list for the new year I discovered a useful prompt for your AI of choice:
“Based on our interactions, what books or papers would I like that I probably haven’t heard of before.”
The perfect way to set yourself up for a creative 2025.
More below ↓
– Andy
In this week’s email:
Product - How to create a story brand.
People - Bring your work self to work.
Process - The hard thing about hard things.
Out of Office - A simple prescription for a long life.
*Product
Building Kith by Ronnie Fieg
The unfriendliness of streetwear stores at the time lit a fire.
Fieg started his career at 13 working at renowned New York shoe store, David Z. This early introduction to the world of retail gave him an acute understanding of consumer preference and desire.
Ideas rarely take a linear path. The Jerry Seinfeld campaign took over a year and significant negotiation to make reality.
Kith’s competitive advantage centers around excellence in combining product and content. Storytelling is what separates a good brand from a great brand.
*People
Bring Your Work Self to Work
“Work isn't owed all of you. Don't offer it”
Modern work culture no longer requires traditional workplace norms, such as formal attire and separate devices for work and personal use. The erosion of these symbolized boundaries has blurred lines which isn’t beneficial to a healthy workplace culture
Employees should bring a version of themselves to work that is courteous, professional, and focused on problem solving, but not their entire personal identity.
The “work self” is akin to the level of openness one might share with a kind stranger on a plane — authentic but reserved.
*Process
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
The Struggle is where greatness comes from.
— Ben Horowitz
In his book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz describes “The Struggle” - the point where you start to question everything and doubt sets in.
Facing adversity offers opportunity to build resilience.
Leaders should embrace challenges rather than avoid them. “Hard things” often don’t have easy solutions, persevering is the way to overcome them.
*Out of Office
The key to a long life?
According to Alex Hutchinson the formula may be a low-tech prescription ↓
"Take a moment to let that sink in: how much and how vigorously you move are more important than how old you are as a predictor of the years you’ve got left."
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