Hey Reader - Actress and singer Cynthia Erivo has some pretty colorful tales about life before Wicked. In her early days, someone suggested that she train at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Cynthia found herself rotating through a series of small roles, which seemed odd. She had enough entertainment experience to have already secured an agent. And her talent was undeniable. But the tipping point over casting came when several women in a musical suddenly became ill. Normal...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader - My friend Alex upgraded his address and bought into a neighborhood which is kind of fancy. Alex and his wife had big plans for the yard, but between work and bad weather, those plans were delayed. They were surprised but pleased to come home one day to a freshly manicured lawn. He thought it might be a “welcome to the neighborhood” service from the Homeowner’s Association. But then the older couple across the street mentioned their landscapers had done the job because Alex and...
18 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader - You’ve probably heard of looksmaxxing, the trend in which young men believe that maximizing their appearance will help them with everything from social status to dating. But work is the opposite. Instead of looksmaxxing, gymmaxxing, or sleepmaxxing, you spend most days stressmaxxing! 🥵 Daily strain and pressure aren’t your imagination. They’ve become such a societal factor that Dr. David Spiegel, a psychologist at Stanford, has made it a focus of his research. His perspective is...
25 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader - There was a fiery debate at dinner a few weeks ago. My friends are attorneys, and their youngest son just landed his first internship at a prominent Los Angeles firm. His parents tried to warn him about the ups and downs of Big Law. The war stories kept rolling about last-minute briefs to be written, long nights researching legal precedents, and scrambling to please a partner. Their son listened intently and then laughed, “Thank heavens I have AI. I can crush those assignments...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader - In a recent dating clip, a woman wavered on the infamous stay-or-go decision. Her boyfriend wasn’t a terrible guy—she just wanted him to have that extra something, something. But the craziest part was that the woman couldn’t describe what was missing. Have you ever had a similar business relationship? The kind that started off well, but now you’re getting a little snappy, dreading interactions, and beginning to wonder if it’s time to cut the cord? In the June series, Constructive...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader - You have to give it to the new brass at CBS: They've given a masterclass in how to mess up what works! There's plenty of finger-pointing to go around, but the short version is that Bari Weiss and friends believed “60 Minutes” needed an overhaul before it went stale. In fairness, the “60 Minutes” team knew the network was in trouble. However, they hoped their new owner would bring a fresh outlook plus much-needed capital. They had plenty of reasons to be optimistic. The show was...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader - There’s good news and bad news about AI. The right prompt is a force multiplier, helping anyone instantly kick out dozens of videos, hundreds of social media blurbs, or a stack of contracts. But the downside is that AI-enabled productivity overdrive just leveled the playing field. The new differentiator is how you partner. But the secret sauce for healthy alliances may surprise you. It isn’t single-minded thinking. Instead, it’s the capacity for conflict resolution. So, in the...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader - A friend of mine has become the Queen of the Keep it Real Club. She’s such an astute communicator that she instantly sees flaws in AI-generated pitches. What hits the slush pile? Phrases repeated from her LinkedIn bio. Bland descriptions about her industry. And a final ask to partner that’s meant to be personal but is clearly cut and pasted from someone else’s email. AI may draft quickly, but no one ever promised it would enhance your professional standing. That’s because...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader - Are you frustrated because AI has sped up, not slowed, the pace at the office? Are you still waiting for all those high-profile, satisfying focus time projects? You’re not alone. UC Berkley’s Haas School placed researchers at a tech company two days a week from April to December 2025. Unfortunately, the results revealed considerable AI-related tension. On the one hand, AI had shifted the type of tasks performed. But the flip side was that intensity skyrocketed. For instance,...
2 months ago • 3 min read