Field Notes: New Month, New Manifesto✏️

A new month hates to see me coming… I’m such a sucker for a fresh start. Obviously this means that I’m all fired up with my goals for the month of March. Having a brand new month ahead means that I can be extra intentional about trying out new things, and any new goal I set somehow seems more attainable if I start from the beginning of the month.

Recently, I stumbled across this piece from Sahil Bloom about trying something for 30 minutes each day for 30 days straight. It’s quite simple in concept, but harder to do in execution. The idea is that by the end of the month, you’re going to see serious results due to the daily consistency.

Back in January when the whole TikTok ban saga happened, I promised myself that I’d learn Adobe Premiere so that I still had access to a really great editing tool that wasn’t CapCut. I know that there are lots of great editing tools out there (and many that are less complex), but I’ve always wanted to learn Premiere, so I’m going for it. I’ve mostly procrastinated on diving in to learn this program, but March is the month that I really want to dedicate more time to it. On the newsletter that comes out a month from now, the one closest to April 1st, I’ll provide an update to you all about my 30 minutes for 30 days. As always, I promise to be super honest about how it went. Cheers to new beginnings. -Sammi

Business, Economy & Culture🛍️📈💸

🖇️ Diet Coke is a Symbol of Modern Office Culture Diet Coke has been having a moment. It’s become more than just a beverage—it’s an office essential, embodying the fast-paced, caffeine-fueled grind of modern work culture. Its association with productivity, diet consciousness, and even corporate identity makes it the unofficial drink of the white-collar workforce. ☕💻 (financial times) 

🛍️ Wayfair Launches AI-powered ‘Inspiration Tool’ to Drive Online Shopping Wayfair is betting on AI with a new tool designed to help shoppers effortlessly find home decor inspiration. By analyzing preferences and trends, the feature aims to make e-commerce feel more like an intuitive, personalized showroom rather than a scroll-heavy search. 🏡🤖 (retail brew)

🏠 Mango to Open First Dedicated Homeware Store in April Mango is expanding beyond fashion with its first-ever standalone homeware store, signaling a move into the competitive lifestyle market. With a focus on Mediterranean-inspired interiors, the retailer aims to blend fashion and home decor seamlessly. 🛋️✨ (fashion united)

💼 How LinkedIn Became Luxury Fashion’s Newest Runway Brands like Prada and Gucci are leveraging LinkedIn to showcase their live fashion shows. As we have seen over the past year, LinkedIn is diving headfirst into video content (I now post all of my videos there) and fashion houses are trying to jump on the LinkedIn bandwagon now too. 👠📊 (fast company)

🌿Once a Novelty, Aluminum-free Deodorant Brands are Taking Over Mass Retail What started as a niche wellness trend is now mainstream—aluminum-free deodorants are dominating the personal care aisle. With consumers prioritizing clean ingredients and sustainability, brands like Native and Schmidt’s are redefining what fresh smells like. 🌱🛒 (modern retail)

⛷️ Zara, Kiehl’s, Jacquemus: Why Skiing Is Bigger Than Ever for Brands Luxury brands are hitting the slopes, tapping into the ski culture boom to sell high-end winter gear and après-ski fashion. ❄️🎿(bof)

🍏 Apple’s $500 Billion U.S. Investment Is Mostly Already in the Book Apple’s massive $500 billion pledge toward U.S. investment sounds groundbreaking, but most of it has already been accounted for in existing plans. While the tech giant continues to grow, this announcement is more about reinforcing past commitments than breaking new ground. 💰📱(wsj)

👕 Oh, This Old, Tattered, Moth-Eaten Thing? Embracing wear and tear, frayed edges, and faded fabric, today’s style-savvy consumers see aged clothing as a flex, not a flaw. The more worn-in, the better. 🏷️🧵(nyt)

💉Med Spas Boom With Botox, Lip Filler, Weight-Loss Drugs in Demand From Botox to Ozempic, the med spa industry is thriving as consumers seek out beauty and weight-loss treatments in higher numbers than ever before. 💄💉(bloomberg)

🎬 Movie Theaters Need Saving. Small Towns Have Figured Out a Fix. While big chains struggle, small-town theaters are finding creative ways to stay alive—whether through community-driven funding, local events, or unique viewing experiences. The silver screen is far from dead, at least in these towns. 🍿🎥  (nyt)

💩 The Dude Who Used Poop Jokes to Turn Toilet Wipes Into a $200 Million Business Toilet humor turned into serious cash—this entrepreneur leveraged cheeky branding and viral marketing to disrupt the hygiene industry. Now, his once-novel toilet wipes are a multi-million-dollar empire. 🚽😂  (wsj)

👖What’s behind fashion’s new uniform? Fashion’s new uniform is all about comfort, versatility, and practicality. Think timeless pieces like oversized blazers, tailored trousers, and smart casual essentials that blend function with fashion. This shift emphasizes the importance of wardrobe staples that can be mixed and matched, encouraging people to invest in quality, enduring designs. 🧥✨ (vogue business)

👟 Rothy's Store Fleet Helped Catapult the Brand to a Record $211M in Sales Rothy’s is proving that brick-and-mortar still matters, with its retail expansion fueling record-breaking sales. The sustainable footwear brand’s hybrid approach of online and physical stores is paying off big time. 🥿📈 (modern retail)

Concept of the Week: User Persona Development 🧠

With any product or service, it’s essential to deeply understand your user/audience. You need to be thinking backwards from who you’re serving before you develop the what you’re creating. Here are a few questions to get you thinking:

• Who is actually going to be using what I’m creating?

• What are their key goals?

• Why do they need the product or service that I’m creating?

When you create an archetype (or several) of the person who is interacting with what you’re creating, you’re able to create a better version of it. This is a fun exercise to do when you’re in the early stages of building something, or perhaps when you’re trying to figure out what type of company you’d like to build someday. I recommend checking out this Hotjar page which walks through the process to get you started.

Venture Capital, Innovation & Entrepreneurship💰🌍💼

🎥 YouTube Star MrBeast Is Raising Money at a $5 Billion Valuation MrBeast isn't just breaking YouTube records—he’s building one of the largest media empires. The viral creator is raising funds at a jaw-dropping $5 billion valuation, turning his stunts, snacks, and streaming success into the most dominant brand in creator-led digital entertainment. 🍔💪💸 (bloomberg)

📱Yope is Sparking Gen Z (and VC) Interest With an Instagram-like App for Private Groups Yope is shaking up social media by blending Instagram aesthetics with private group chats—think smaller circles, more intimacy, and no algorithm clutter. With Gen Z craving authentic digital spaces, VCs are lining up to fuel its community-driven vision. 💬🚀 (tech crunch)

💰Perplexity AI Launching $50 Million Venture Fund to Back Early-Stage Startups The search startup is launching a $50M venture fund to back early-stage AI companies, betting on the next wave of innovation while solidifying its place in the AI boom. 🤖📈 (cnbc)

🚗 How Porsche, Volvo and Rivian Are Injecting Unique Driving Styles Into Self-Driving Cars Porsche, Volvo, and Rivian are fine-tuning autonomous vehicles to mimic their signature driving styles—whether it's Porsche’s sportiness or Volvo’s smooth safety-first rides. ⚡(wsj)

🚢 DocUnlock Wants to Solve a Customs Bottleneck DocUnlock is breaking down one of the most frustrating global trade pain points—customs documentation delays. By using AI to streamline paperwork and verify compliance, the startup aims to cut through red tape and unlock smoother supply chains. 🔑📄(tech crunch)

Resources/Links 🌶️🧥

🚀 The CEO of e.l.f. Beauty on Maintaining a Startup Culture While Scaling The CEO of e.l.f. Beauty shares insights on how to preserve the brand's startup spirit, even as it grows into a beauty industry leader. The focus is on maintaining agility, creativity, and authenticity while scaling operations. 💡✨📈 (hbr)

✍️ These free state-specific guides to starting an LLC. In case this year is your year to start your side business or fulltime business.

⭐️ A Simple Guide to Preparing for a New Role Reading this is a great way to get into the right headspace before starting a new role.

🏢 Questions to Ask a Recruiter Before Accepting An Offer A good list of questions before you say “yes” to your next role.

🍳 Once Upon a Chef A site with delicious and easy recipes. The “easy” part is the most important to me

🎧 5 Podcasts About Beauty, Skin Care and Self-Care These five podcasts offer valuable tips on beauty routines, skincare, and self-care practices, helping listeners stay informed and inspired in their wellness journeys. 🎧💆‍♀️💖(nyt)

🍽️ The 9 Biggest and Best Kitchen Trends Now, According to Interior Design Pros Top interior designers reveal the latest kitchen trends, focusing on everything from sleek designs to functional spaces, creating kitchens that are as stylish as they are practical. 🍽️🏡✨(wsj)

📘 Almanack of Naval Ravikant The book distills Naval's philosophy into actionable insights, encouraging readers to find fulfillment and financial independence. It blends principles of entrepreneurship, personal development, and life philosophy into a guide for leading a meaningful, impactful life. 💡🚀

💡 Balsamiq With a range of UI components and easy sharing options, Balsamic streamlines the process of gathering feedback and aligning design teams. Ideal for creating functional prototypes with minimal effort. 💻

🎨 Dovetail Dovetail offers innovative solutions across various industries, focusing on craftsmanship and design excellence- turning calls, docs, and user feedback into insights.

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