Field Notes: Three Weeks of Vacation Can Do a World of Good. My Revelations on Clarity & Purpose.

Hello, hello my angel newsletter readers! I’ve missed you all dearly. This week was my first week back after a three week (very, very) delayed honeymoon in Bali. I spent the time away actively not consuming social media, and focusing on being in the moment. As someone who is chronically online when I’m home in LA, this was quite a transition (both physical and mental), but it couldn’t have been more needed. In full transparency, before I left for the trip, I was terrified to take that much time off from my business. Social media NEVER sleeps and the thought of being away for so long brought up all sorts of fears about how I would stay relevant (would my followers forget about me? will the algorithm stop pushing out my content when I get back? will it be harder to get started again after I’ve been away for a few weeks?). But I also knew that I desperately needed a honeymoon with my husband since we had put it off for 1.5 years, and as a chronic overworker, I knew deep down that I needed to step away for a few weeks to see things more clearly.

As you’re likely aware, the past few months have been pretty chaotic for me. I quit my cushy job in tech in June and went all-in on building my business. It’s been terrifying and exhilarating. However, the thing about being in the trenches of a massive life transition is that it’s hard to see the forest from the trees. I knew deep down that I wasn’t able to think strategically, or think longer-term about the next stages of my business because I was so in the weeds. In the weeks leading up to my trip, I felt like I was barely treading above water.

The time off was the exact shift that I needed. The time away allowed me to think critically about what I want this business to become, what I want the next 6 months-1 year to look like, and the type of impact I want to have. There were many revelations: some small tweaks that I need to make in order to continue to build without burnout, and others were bigger picture, more thematic reminders. For one, I’ve become crystal clear on the way that I want to shape Social Currency over the next year. In the past, I’ve struggled with this idea of needing to position my content as “influencer” vs “media platform.” Now, I’ve realized that in the pursuit of creating the highest-quality content that truly informs my audience (in a fun way, of course), I’m doing everything that I need to do in order to grow this business and brand. Everything else will take care of itself if I focus on presenting content that has the maximum value. I don’t need to worry about chasing trends or being anyone other than me. That’s really my superpower - I have a pulse on what types of content and information that my audience cares about and wants to see more of, and I’m able to distill the info down in an entertaining yet insightful way. And this strategy will be the reason that I continue to grow the business. Now, this revelation isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but I needed the time away to actually confidently feel that this is my path forward.

And because I must subconsciously thrive on chaos, I chose to interview the CEO of Pinterest, Bill Ready, for the podcast two days after I got back from Bali. This episode is the biggest thing to happen to me in my career so far, and this episode comes out on September 2nd. The interview is juicy (per usual), and I am so freaking proud of how it came out. As I’m coming back into the throws of daily work, I’ve never been more certain that this is what I’m meant to do with my life.

My last thought for today’s newsletter comes back to you. It always comes back to you. I wouldn’t be here, writing this newsletter on a Friday night, or speaking with the CEO of a $25 billion company, if it weren’t for you. I’m grateful for every single one of you- especially if you’re reading this newsletter because that means you’re a ride or die follower. Thank you all for literally being the reason that I get to go after my crazy dreams. I promise to keep bringing my A-game, and the way I see it, we really are building this together. -Sammi

Business, Economy & Culture🛍️📈💸

🧑‍💻 MIT Study on AI Profits Rattles Tech Investors Wall Street's biggest fear was validated by a recent MIT study indicating that 95% of organizations studied get zero return on their AI investment. Why this is a big deal: Investors have put up with record-high AI spend from companies because they expect record returns. This study calls those returns into question, which could be an existential risk for a tech market that's overly tied to the AI narrative. (axios)

💰️ Dow Notches Record High as Wall Street Cheers U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted at a near-term interest-rate cut. His commentary paved the way for a potential rate cut at the Fed's September meeting, although Powell stressed the importance of jobs and inflation data due before then. (reuters)

🍃AG1 Launches Their First New Product in Over 15 Years If AG1 is supposed to be your morning routine staple, the company now wants to add a secondary staple to bookend your day. The new product, called AGZ, is what they’re calling a “nightly drink for winding down and resting up.” Ever since Kat Cole officially took over as CEO, I knew that there would be something in the works re: a product expansion. I’m not an AG1 drinker, but I am curious to give AGZ a try. (ag1)

👙This Company Designed a High-Tech Bra. Then Taylor Swift Made It Famous Taylor Swift wore Forme Science’s posture‑correcting Power Bra during Eras Tour rehearsals, catapulting its sales by a whopping 400 %. This FDA‑registered bra leverages smart fabric panels—not straps—to align the shoulders and spine, easing back discomfort while enhancing posture. Swift’s viral influence became its secret superpower. (Inc)

🎬 How Sydney Sweeney Became the Most Talked-About Woman in Hollywood At just 27 years young, Sydney Sweeney has become a Hollywood powerhouse through her many strategic acting projects, and spicy (read: controversial) brand collaborations. She now aims to produce everything she stars in and to produce films where she’s just working behind the scenes (with no acting). She’s savvy and intentional about her career in a way that shows us she wants to be one of the greats of her generation. I think she will be. (wsj)

👗 Carrie Bradshaw’s Story May Be Over, But Her Clothes Live On Carrie Bradshaw’s style legacy continues to influence fashion—her iconic wardrobe from Sex and the City and its reboot endures as a potent cultural symbol. Per the article, “Ms. Parker negotiated into her contract that she would own almost all of Carrie’s outfits, allowing her to curate an archive that now lives in her storage closet.” The lore lives on. (nyt)

🏷️ How Brands Are Taking On Quince The explosive DTC brand doubled sales in 2024 by offering affordable alternatives to premium labels. Now valued at around $4.5 billion, competitors are fighting back by deepening brand storytelling, embracing unique design, and reinforcing identity to avoid being outduped. (bof)

🐝 Bumble Founder Biopic Swiped Restores Glory to the Girlboss Lily James stars as Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd in Swiped, a biopic that fixes the tarnished “girlboss” image through her trailblazing story—from battling sexism at Tinder to launching Bumble and becoming the youngest self-made female billionaire. You know I LOVE all things about the girlboss era- I have some thoughts on this one which I’ll be dissecting in a video over the next week. (bloomberg)

💎From Tennis to Baseball to the NFL, Jewelry Brands are Embracing Sports for Viral Growth Jewelry brands are partnering with athletes—from college basketball stars to NFL players—to tap into sports fandom and generate buzz. (glossy)

🛒 Target’s CEO is Stepping Down as Customers Turn Away Brian Cornell will step down as CEO of Target in February 2026. COO Michael Fiddelke—an internal veteran who literally started as an intern in 2003(!!!) —is stepping up to the CEO role to tackle declining sales, disorganized stores, and backlash over DEI rollbacks. The company faces intense competition and waning customer confidence. (cnn)

💼 The White-Collar Job Market is Frozen—Now Bartenders and Baristas are Seeing Bigger Wage Growth than Desk Workers The office job market is in deep freeze —hiring stalled with a flat rate for wage growth. Meanwhile, bartenders & baristas are cashing in: service wages have jumped ~30% since 2021, beating inflation and outpacing Gen Z desk jobs. (fortune)

🌐The ‘Womanosphere’ Is Booming. No Wonder Katie Miller Hopped Aboard. The “Womanosphere”—a rising digital space focused on women’s lifestyle, motherhood, wellness, and community—is booming, attracting creators like Katie Miller (wife of current White House deputy chief of staff- Stephen Miller) who are diving in to build connection, influence, and engagement within this growing ecosystem. (nyt)

🛍️ Walmart is Raising Prices Because of Tariffs. Customers are Still Flocking to Walmart Despite higher prices due to tariffs, Walmart continues to draw shoppers with strategic discounts, price rollbacks, and strong value messaging. Its Q2 sales rose 4.6 %, with e-commerce up 25 %, while competitors like Target struggle. (cnn)

💄 At $160 a Tube, Is This the Louis Vuitton Trunk of Lipstick? Louis Vuitton launched “La Beauté Louis Vuitton,” an ultra‑luxury beauty line featuring $160 lipsticks, $250 palette, and chic monogram refillable packaging—plus glamorous accessories like a ~$3,000 mini‑trunk. The move marks their venture into lifestyle retailtainment, appealing to aspirational luxury consumers. But is Louis Vuitton’s brand power enough to hold its own in the hyper-competitive makeup industry? (wsj)

🩳‘You’re a Boomer If You Wear Leggings’: The Rise of Big Workout Pants Athleisure trends are shifting—leggings are on the decline, especially among Gen Z, who favor baggy workout pants inspired by ’90s dance and early‑2000s pop icons. Comfort and style meet yet again- now, in the athleisure space. My take: leggings are now the skinny jeans of the workout world. (wsj)

🚗 Lyft Bets on Robotaxis to Drive Revenue Growth Lyft is doubling down on autonomous vehicles to boost revenue. It’s testing robotaxis in Atlanta and entering partnerships to expand in Dallas, Europe, and the U.K.—all while keeping human drivers in the mix as it scales. Its Q2 revenue rose 11 % to $1.59 billion. (wsj)

🧠 Idea of the Week: Dopamine Design

Consumers are craving micro-moments of joy in uncertain times. Brands can bake in small, repeatable dopamine hits—whether through playful packaging, surprise rewards, or gamified shopping experiences.

How to use it:

• Add “Easter eggs” 🥚 in product design or digital UX.

• Create streaks, badges, or progress markers to keep users hooked.

• Tap into sensory cues (sound, color, texture) that spark delight.

Why it matters: Products that deliver tiny but consistent dopamine boosts build loyalty faster than big one-off campaigns.

Venture Capital, Innovation & Entrepreneurship💰🌍💼

📡 Perplexity’s Bid for Google Chrome Could be Just the Beginning Perplexity AI stunned tech watchers with a $34.5 billion unsolicited cash bid to buy Google Chrome—more than twice its own valuation—framing it as a potential fix for Google’s antitrust woes while hyping its AI browser, Comet. Bold move or big PR flex? (tech crunch)

💻 SoftBank Agrees to Invest $2 Billion in Intel (INTC) as Part of US Push SoftBank agreed to invest $2 billion into Intel—acquiring roughly a 2 % stake—to support U.S. chipmaking revival. Intel’s stock climbed over 5 % following the announcement. This comes amid debates over U.S. government possibly acquiring its own stake. (bloomberg)

🤫 Harvard Dropouts to Launch 'Always On' AI Smart Glasses That Listen and Record Every Conversation Harvard dropouts are launching Halo X, $249 AI glasses that listen, transcribe, and pop answers right into your view using AI without cameras and external recording light. Privacy advocates warn it’s a stealth recorder in disguise. (tech crunch)

Brain Food- The Social Currency Podcast Roundup

In case you missed them, here are some recaps from the past four interview episodes from Social Currency😀:

Tyler Denk, CEO of Beehiiv: Tyler was one of the first hires at Morning Brew, and now is CEO of Beehiiv, the platform that’s powering some of your favorite newsletters (LIKE THIS ONE) and fueling a new wave of digital media empires. Tyler shares hard truths of being a founder, why he thinks being single is a startup superpower, and how he’s positioning Beehiiv to dominate in a creator economy flooded with tools. Plus, Tyler and Sammi dive into the role AI will (and won’t) play in the future of content.

Ariel Kaye, Founder of Parachute: Parachute is the cult-favorite home essentials brand that helped define the direct-to-consumer movement. Ariel shares the real story behind Parachute’s early days: from bootstrapping her first launch to navigating funding rounds, managing growing pains, and expanding from digital to retail. She opens up about the emotional toll of solo entrepreneurship, the importance of mentorship, and how she kept her business grounded in customer experience—even during the chaos of COVID.

James Reinhart, CEO of ThredUp: James Reinhart didn’t set out to change the way we shop—he just wanted to clean out his closet. But that simple idea turned into ThredUp, the giant and beloved resale marketplace. I sat down with James to unpack how he went from teaching in classrooms to disrupting closets. We talk about the bold bet that helped ThredUp outsmart competitors, why the “Clean Out Kit” became their secret weapon, and what most people get wrong about the secondhand economy. James also shares why partnerships with legacy retailers like Walmart and Macy’s matter, how AI is reshaping resale logistics, and his take on live shopping (he has a hot take here).

Emily Heyward, Co-Founder of Red Antler: Emily Heyward is the co-founder of Red Antler, the powerhouse creative agency behind some of the most iconic startups of the last decade. Emily shares how Red Antler went from a scrappy agency to the go-to partner for founders launching the next big thing. We dig into the real work of branding; how to create emotional connection, why a logo is never enough, and the mistakes even seasoned founders make when they treat branding as an afterthought. Emily also opens up about the founding of Red Antler’s VC arm, how her team vets investments, and why she thinks branding will always be human—even in the age of AI.

And it would mean the world to me if you could rate/review/comment on the podcast as this majorly helps to boost awareness of the podcast to new listeners. Thank you x 1000.

Resources/Links/Reads 🌶️🧥

✍️ Why You Should Send Thank You Notes (nyt) - editorial note: I’m working on sending a thank you note today. This will be a new ritual that I do once a month.

😉 A Good Rivalry Can Elevate Your Brand (hbr)

🍁 2025 Pinterest Fall Trend Report (pinterest)

📊 Consumer Trends Report Mid-Year 2025 (new consumer)

⚡ 10 Free Dopamine Boosts (money tips, money hacks)

💡 How to Successfully Drive Change When Everything Is Uncertain (hbr)

📜 What I'd Do If I Had to Start on Substack From Scratch (write build scale)

⏳ Live Like It's The Last Time (sahil bloom)

✨ Are Earplugs the Next Jewelery Play? (vogue business)

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P.S. - If you see any typos in this newsletter, know that I did it on purpose just like The New Yorker does via their style guide.

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✏️✍️ I’m always looking for new companies, people and stories to highlight. If you have any ideas for a future newsletter, please feel free to drop me a note