One Thing

I found this very simple app called One Thing over at 512 Pixels a few weeks back. It does just what it says, allows you to post one sentence in the menu bar of your Mac.

I opted for a quote from Seneca that feels especially appropriate right now. I appreciate the simplicity of this and thought you might too. Check it out here on the Mac App Store.

Weekly Quote: Be a Propeller

A sort of flow state comes along when what Adam Grant references in this week’s quote occurs. When I’ve experienced an argument like this, there is a sense of mutual respect, a desire to grow an idea through disagreement, and even excitement as the interested parties discuss concepts and find a path to come closer together on a resolution.

In situations like this, our ideas are collectively improved because of the outcome. Even if the argument doesn’t begin in this spirit, we are empowered to help find its way to something that can take flight.

If you haven’t read Think Again yet, you should. It’s one of my favorite books from 2021, and I’ll be writing more about my takeaways in the coming months.

Remember that it’s never too late to be the propeller.

Starbucks is a Bank that Sells Coffee

I came across this video (embedded below) from The Wall Street Journal recently. It’s a part of their series entitled The Economics of. I’ve always found Starbucks interesting from an operational perspective, so this was insightful, and I wanted to share.

A few takeaways and highlights:

• Starbucks, in the fourth quarter of 2021, loaded about 3 billion dollars onto gift cards and mobile. If Starbucks were a bank, they’d rank as the 385th largest in the country. That’s a LOT of Pumpkin Spice!

• 
As stated in the video, that 3 billion is immediate revenue. Yes, it does turn into a liability when someone comes in and orders their Grande Flat White, but as the video mentions, not everyone who loads a gift card actually uses it. I know I have some that are hanging around that will likely never get used, you’re welcome JCPenney!

• Starbucks launched the pay-by-app program in 2009, that’s pretty early on for such an integrated use of technology. By the end of 2021, 24% of transactions were done on mobile. I go to Starbucks several times a month, and I cannot recall the last time I used anything but my phone to order and pay. It’s incredibly convenient, and works as intended every time.

• The relationship between Starbucks and its partners is changing, as are so many relationships in the workplace these days.

The Starbucks mobile app is an example of seamless tech that works well. In contrast, I attempted to return an order to an online retailer a few days ago. I printed the label out, attached it to the package, and then went through several failed attempts requesting a package pickup with a courier because their website wouldn’t function properly.

I know Amazon has spoiled us with the ability to return via QR code at Kohls or Whole Foods, but when the vendor’s website doesn’t even work, that’s next level. It was frustrating and the exact opposite of walking into a coffee shop and scanning my phone. Starbucks is much better at gaining repeat business by reducing friction between our money and those cake pops that are for the kids. Sure, for the kids, right?

*Yes, that’s what I’ve been ordering lately. My daily coffee is prepared at home, with a Bodum burr grinder and Melitta pour-over.

Weekly Quote: Go Outside

This week’s quote from The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul. Despite still being some two months until the end of winter here in Massachusetts, the sun feels a little brighter now and is gracing us with its presence for a few more minutes each afternoon. As my mind turns hopefully to spring, I’m looking forward to more frequent and comfortable walks in the nearby park and time spent at the playground with my family.

I spent many years in windowless offices, and I learned firsthand how meaningful sunshine and fresh air are. If you are at your desk, get up and go outside, even for just a few minutes. Take it in. It’s good for you

Site News: RSS Feed

I’ve added a link to the RSS in the navigation on this site. The feed looks pretty good from my testing in NetNewsWire, aside from a missing embedded YouTube video. I’m going to look into how to handle that in the future.. Let me know if you run into any issues or have any suggestions on how to make the RSS feed a better experience.

Podcast Recommendation: Make Me Smart

Let me set the scene. It's 7 am. I'm driving West on a nearly deserted Massachusetts Turnpike heading to work. Because I was considered an "essential employee" and provided onsite operations leadership, I was on my way to the office. There were almost no other cars on the road. I had a LOT on my mind. I needed to keep my team's morale up and keep people safe. I had to assist another leader in showing a group of sixteen and seventeen-year-olds about proper mask usage, something they probably weren't thinking much about in the months prior. I had to help procure PPE. The list went on.

It was mid-spring, 2020. We ALL know what was going on then. The pandemic was hitting hard, and it was a scary and overwhelming time. I was looking for information, a way to keep up on what was happening as a first in 100-year pandemic swept our globe.


Enter Make Me Smart, which had just begun doing daily short episodes to keep up with the news and make sense of what was going on. The previously once-weekly podcast, launched in 2017 and hosted by Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood, was one of those lifelines that I looked forward to every weekday morning. They didn’t always have the answers, but they were measured, well researched, and, sometimes most importantly, human. Both Kai and Molly had moments of sadness, grief, and anger during the height of the pandemic, and hearing their emotions truly helped me handle mine. Additionally, both found time for moments of levity and even humor (Banana Pants! Hollowed out shell Thursday If you know, you know).

My favorite feature right now is Economics on Tap, something they do on Friday to unwind a little. The hosts have a drink of their choice, and the show is usually lighter. It feels like getting a drink with colleagues or friends at the end of a hard week. The Friday show used to be live-streamed on Youtube but hasn't happened lately. Nevertheless, it was a fun watch, so I hope they bring that back.

Molly did leave the show at the end of November and is now working with the VC firm Launch. However, she is still podcasting, so we can continue to enjoy her perspective.

I enjoy the Make Me Smart newsletter too. It’s delivered Friday morning and provides more insight and feedback from listeners. If you like newsletters, it’s worth checking out too.

Is there a podcast you enjoy? Let me know.

Weekly Quote: Make a Plan, and Watch it Change

I had plans for the week, and I bet you did too. Of course, sometimes, pretty frequently actually, those plans change. Sometimes, it’s a minor course correction. Sometimes, the entire plan is, as Eisenhower said in the well-known quote above, useless.

I know how empowering planning can be, both personally and professionally. As a parent, having a plan helps keep my kids on track and helps to keep my wife and me somewhat sane and just barely rested. As a leader, having a plan is vital. In some situations, the plan may be a starting point to help everyone in the room see the vision and catch some confidence to know there is a direction for the team to move in. Other times, it may be fully formed and ready for buy-in and implementation. In just about any situation, a plan is ideal, even if you don’t end up using it.

Look, I’m not trying to help the Allies win World War II or serve as the 34th President of The United States. I still think this quote is a universal truth, and that's part of the reason why it’s so popular. For me, reality this week is different than what I planned, and I am making the best of it.

How is your week going? Are you on target or chasing the weekend to regroup? Send me a note and let me know.

Pure Focus

As I’ve been working on this site, I’ve been looking for a wider variety of music, particularly in the form of curated playlists that I can enjoy while I write and edit posts. With that spirit, I started exploring what Apple Music has to offer and found Pure Focus.

The playlist comprises some really beautiful and moody songs, which Apple refers to as “electronic soundscapes.” That description is apt because each piece does evoke a different sense of feeling and place. Of course, some more than others. Right now, Snowfall by Gideon Matthew connects with me. There is something hopeful and yet wistful in the composition; it’s beautiful. The playlist is also updated, so new surprises await.

As we enter the weekend, I encourage you to listen to something new. Ask a friend or colleague or your kids what speaks to them. Experience it with an open mind and an open heart. It may not click, or you may come away delighted and more deeply connected with those around you and have something new that brings you joy.

Be Creative

David Sparks over at MacSparky posted about this Bloomberg article that suggests new entries into the podcast market are happening faster than the growth of the audience, which may cause issues for new shows as they try to reach new listeners. I received the link in today’s Morning Brew and read it in the quiet moments after I dropped my daughter off at daycare, and immediately thought it was a bit of a pessimistic take on the situation.

It’s helpful to hear that David heard similar feedback when he started Mac Power Users some years ago, and I’m glad he didn’t listen to it. His attitude that more art is always welcome is one of the reasons why I’m a fan and supporter of his work. As he put it:

Nobody looked at a Picasso painting and said, “That’s it, folks. We’ve reached Peak Art. There is no point doing any more painting.” The fact is that everything is evolving and every new voice leaves its mark.

I struggled with the idea that my contribution to the blogging world was worthwhile, and I am thankful for those who support new voices. One of the subjects I plan to write about is building time and intention around creativity. I hadn’t prioritized it for years, and now that I am again, I feel more complete. I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer to launch this site and begin my journey, and I encourage you not to wait any longer either.

Conquer Resistance

I read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield about a month before I created this site. I had a lot of doubt that I’d be able to accomplish much of anything while we journeyed through life with a newborn baby who wasn’t big on sleeping. We also have a two-year-old and learning to keep everything in balance cast a shadow that I could do something that required regular creative attention.

That, my friends, was a textbook example of Resistance. As the quote suggests, fear is the fuel that feeds so much of our doubts and negative beliefs. We have the power to be our own worst enemies.

The same is true in all aspects of our lives. For example, we might tell ourselves that we shouldn’t take the risk of pushing for a new role at work. We don’t believe we’re good enough for that person who we like and have a connection. We don’t feel comfortable having that vital conversation with our children or spouse. That’s all based on fear, and it becomes a negative feedback loop that keeps you from moving ahead, from making connections, from growing.

Read The War of Art if you’re trying to do anything and feel that creeping sense of doubt about it. It’s a wonderfully written book that helped me realize that I could do this and still be a great father and husband. It helped me move past fear-based thinking, and I am better because of that.

David Bowie Knew the (Internet) Future in 1999

Recently, I came across an excerpt from this 1999 BBC Newsnight Interview featuring David Bowie chatting with Jeremy Paxman. I found the entire video and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I wanted to share a few thoughts:

• 1999 was 23 years ago. Yeah, 23 YEARS AGO!

• Bowie always had fantastic hair. I know it's required when you are a rock star, and he nailed it. He rocked the stilettos, too.

• There is some insightful talk about his career, creative process, sobriety, and, later, "Cool Britannia," which I had to look up.

• At 7:03, Bowie starts talking specifically about the Internet. Remember, this is the 1999 Internet; when the RIAA sued Napster, Microsoft was the tech giant, and dial-up was still the way most people connected.).

• At 7:19, Bowie says, "Forget about the Microsoft part; the monopolies don't have a monopoly." Now, social media companies (irony not lost on me that I likely saw this video initially on, I believe, Instagram) have a lot of the power, balanced by the likes of Apple and Google's app stores and their ability to de-platform an app.

• Bowie references how music and society will fragment even further than they had at this interview (he references Hip Hop and Girl Power as popular subgenres).

• At 10:46, he suggests that society hasn't yet seen the" tip of the iceberg" and says the "potential of what the internet is going to do to society is unimaginable."

Wow. So, yeah, David Bowie pretty had a good idea of what would happen to the Internet and how fragmented things could get.

I did not realize until I began researching that today is the sixth anniversary of Bowie's death. I think I'll reach out to a couple of friends who are much bigger Bowie fans than I am for some recommendations for a new playlist to celebrate his work.

The Great Resignation Continues

From The New York Times (subscription required), More quit jobs than ever, but most turnover is in low-wage work.

The Great Resignation continues. From the article:

More than 4.5 million people voluntarily left their jobs in November, the Labor Department said Tuesday. That was up from 4.2 million in October and was the most in the two decades that the government has been keeping track.

There are a lot of factors involved, and like so much of what we’re experiencing during the pandemic, it requires a closer look to understand better what’s motivating those who are making career changes.

This story is personal for me. I went on parental leave in October and made the difficult decision in December that I would be unable to return to my job. My life changed significantly during that time, and I suspect that’s happening to many others too. While I miss my former co-workers and the teams I managed, I am excited about the future and look forward to new opportunities.

Handling Minor Adversity

Here’s a great reminder that how we handle the little things matter, whether at work with our teams or colleagues or at home with our kids, partners, or in-laws.

For leaders, the little things can be a big part of a given day, and minor adversity happens all the time. So remember this quote the next time it seems you can’t catch a break. How you react matters, and people are watching and listening to learn how you handle it and who you are.

Once they find out, they won’t forget.

Finding Focus: Saving My 3 AM Self With Wind Down and Sleep

Our second child, now three months old, is different from our firstborn toddler, who became a steady sleeper pretty early on (I hear that chorus of duh's, parents of the Internet!). He prefers feedings every few hours (as so many babies do), so none of us sleeps particularly well.

After a 3 am feeding that often begins with some pretty intense wailing from our hungry little guy, I sometimes find myself wound up and can't immediately find my way back to sleep, despite how much I desire it.

Being awake, I sometimes feel pulled to unlock my iPhone and meander around various forums, Instagram, NYTimes, or other social media that generally do not help me relax. I know it's not great for me, and it's something I've been trying to change. Thankfully, the tool that has been the most helpful for me is a feature that came out in iOS 14 as part of the Wind Down and Sleep features Apple implemented. And, it's only gotten better with iOS 15's new Focus mode.

Adding Shortcuts to my Wind Down and Sleep Focus screens, I've created a few choices that give me the chance to make a better decision, causing me to pause for a moment before doom scrolling the night away. I've limited these to a few input and output options, including Kindle for slowing my brain down by reading a book and the opportunity to create a new document in Drafts or a new entry in Day One.

I'll write more about how I'm managing this on my iPad soon. Right now, my iPad is my go-to for Kindle, and while the Sleep and Wind Down features aren't as robust there, I'll share how I manage distractions on there as well.

These options are perfect and save me from my own bad choices. Decision fatigue is legit, and it hits hard at the end of a long day. As a tired dad, my instincts should be to give my brain a peaceful place to unwind after putting my kiddo back to bed, and I need all the tools I can get to help set me in the right direction and remind me that the dopamine hit of social media posts or the latest news can wait.

I suspect many people have discovered this feature as part of the powerful new Focus tools in iOS, iPadOS 15, and Monterey. Is that you? How are you using Focus, and how has it helped you? Drop me a note; I'd love to hear more about it.

Welcome to 24 Letters

Hey everyone, and welcome to 24 Letters. I’m excited to be launching this new project as we enter 2022, and I appreciate you stopping by!

It’s been years since I had a blog, and I’m thrilled to be back at it! I will write about topics that I have a passion for, including technology, learning, team building, communication, productivity, and development. I’ll be looking at these subjects through the lens of apps, books, streaming, the web, podcasts, and other creative media that can help make us better and keep us learning and growing. I’ll also share what I’ve learned and developed in my career as well. Of course, there will be plenty of general nerdery too!

The Title, 24 Letters, comes from a quote attributed to Athenodorus Cananites, a stoic philosopher who advised and taught Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome. Athenodorus told Caesar the following:

Whenever you feel yourself get angry, Caesar, don’t say or do anything until you’ve repeated the 24 letters of the alphabet to yourself.

I found this quote in one of Ryan Holiday’s books or emails and see how much we all need to add time and space into our lives to think and reflect. I’ve found, particularly in the last half of 2021, that I was sorely lacking in this space. So, a goal in the new year is to practice this daily, and I’ll be writing more about how that goes in the coming months.

Right now, I’m a big fan of another quote attributed to Voltaire, which says, in part:

the best is the enemy of the good.

I’m taking that philosophy to get this site launched. Of course, I could tinker with the design, the font face, or any number of aspects forever, but I realize that I would never actually publish much of anything. So, with that in mind, here goes.

I welcome your feedback and thank you for taking this journey with me. Stay connected. I’m excited about the future!