How do we change the world?
Hi Love,
Are you tired? I am. I'm exhausted by the speed we are moving at. We won the House but not the Senate. We flipped many districts and retook the Governor's mansion in 7 previously Republican-held states, fingers crossed for two more with GA and FL. Our victory only puts Trump in a rage and the fight continues. I keep on reminding myself that incremental progress will lead to an avalanche and remake the world. While we keep at it with small changes the drip drip at times can feel like Chinese water torture.
I did a presentation on Hello Future to a class full of 10-year-olds at Trinity, a super-elite private school in NYC. Five minutes into the presentation, a girl raised her hand and asked how they could help. I turned the question back to them and asked them why they care? Why do they want to help refugee kids that are half-a-world away?
They instinctively knew. One girl said, "We are privileged to go to this school and we should use our privilege to help others." Another girl said that it is part of our Dharma, our social responsibility. Each and every one of them understood that we live in a world that is deeply connected
I was speechless. There might be hope for us all yet.
How do we make sure we keep these kids fire going and continue to foster their innate sense of social justice?! Do you guys think about this with your kids? What is your approach? Let me know. I'd love to get inside of your head.
Keep on keeping on,
Charlie
IDEAS YOU CAN STEAL
As part of any business strategy, target audience identification is a must. How do you know what to say to them if you don't know what they are interested in? However, we frequently assume the audience; a lot of guesswork goes into who we believe would care about what we do, what we sell, what we have to say. Rather than assume the target audience for Hello Future (liberal white women), we are testing our way into clarity. You can do this too. Our approach is a modest budget, lots of research and well calibrated Google Display Ads.
If you are interested in doing this for your business, and I can help, raise a flag and let me know.
WORTH A READ
How do we change the world is a question I've been asking myself for the last twenty years. This issue of Columbia's Journalism Review has some deep reflections on how the under-representation of people of color in newsrooms across the country hinders our progress, much like the under-representation in various branches of government. I'm convinced that Obama's Netflix deal is about less about the gobs of money they threw at him and more about culture change. Nothing moves the needle quite like pop-culture and we don't have to talk about politics to change perception, advocacy and voter turn out. Grant McCracken's book, Culturematic is a great read on this topic as well as Rebecca Solnit's Hope in the Dark.
WANDERLUST
Raise your hand if you've been to Patagonia. It's late in the season but we would love to head down to El Chalten and do a long distance trek. Love to know if you've been and your experience.
#HUMBLEBRAG
Side Hustle. Yeah that's a thing. I've never only had just one job. Forbes ran a story on side hustle this week and I was featured. What's your side hustle? Do you guard it like it's a deep dark secret? Or do you proudly share it with your network?
DON'T MISS
Bohemian Rhapsody. Go see it. Bryan Singer was a little light on the story but Rami Malek's performance is top notch. This is the closest you will get to a Queen's concert. And what a joy it is. Freddy Mercury changed the world. NO DOUBT. Can you think of another song that rallies and unit the way "We are the Champion" or "We will Rock You?" NOPE. I present you, Freddy Mercury, exhibit A of social change.
GOOD IDEA OR NOT SO MUCH?
WeCroak is an app that will randomly text you 5 times a day and remind you that you will die. It is inspired by a Bhutanese folk saying that to be a happy person one must contemplate death 5 times a day. Anyone wants to try it with me?
THE DR. IS IN
Week one of THE DR IS IN has been interesting. More ponderings than questions but that's alright. Tell me what you've been thinking, should I/shouldn't I, be it in business, art, the art business, travel, communications or even love, and I will do my best.
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