Field Notes: March’s Goal Accountability & Podcast Updates ✏️

Accountability time: In my first-week-of-March newsletter, I proudly shared my goal with you that I wanted to double down on my Adobe Premiere skills and use daily 30 minute sessions to learn. In hindsight, this was more of an aspirational goal because plot twist… this did not happen. To give myself some credit, I did spend about 1 hour per week on it, but that’s a far cry from the 30 minutes per day that I was supposed to be spending.

Here’s the thing… I think it’s really important to make goals and to aspire to make them happen. However, when they don’t happen, I’m not too hard on myself. The best part about goals is to have something to work towards. It’s motivating and fun. But sometimes life gets in the way of actually achieving the goal milestones, and that’s ok!

In other life update news, this newsletter is going out a few days later than usual because I filmed my first solo podcast episode over the weekend (I’ve already filmed a bunch of the guest episodes already). The guest episodes have been fantastic so far, but I’m also incredibly excited about the solo episodes because I can go deep on topics (which I obviously love to do).

The solo videos are essentially a deeper dive of my videos that I’m currently posting on Instagram/TikTok. Think lots of juicy business breakdowns, my hot takes on various companies and industries, some personal stories and some trend forecasting. I started an incredibly special group on Instagram, I’m calling it my podcast focus group, where my followers can opt-in to get behind-the-scenes access. I’m asking you all the questions about my podcast thumbnail choices, different podcast topics, potential guests I should speak with, and more. Feel free to DM me on IG if you want to be included in my close-friends story to join the focus group, so you can help give your feedback and opinions on everything!

Clearly, there are many exciting updates coming down the pipeline. And as a result, you’ll likely see a few changes to this newsletter over the next few months. I’ll likely switch this newsletter to once every two weeks (instead of weekly) so that I can dedicate more time to the podcast launch. But once that launch is done, I’ll be switching this back to weekly. As always, thanks for following along on this journey. I’m beyond grateful. -Sammi

Business, Economy & Culture🛍️📈💸

💵 Charlie Javice Found Guilty of Defrauding JPMorgan of $175 Million Federal prosecutors convinced a jury that Ms. Javice, along with one of her executives, had faked much of her customer list before selling her start-up, Frank, to the bank. (nyt)

📖 The Conservative Women’s Magazine with Big Ambitions and Sex Tips for Wives This was a wild deep dive- I covered this story on my Instagram in this video here. The moral complexity of all things Evie, tradwife, and the dichotomy between building a multimillion dollar empire targeted to conservative women. (nyt)

📊 Goldman Sachs Sees Trump Tariffs Spiking Inflation In a note Sunday, the firm said “we continue to believe the risk from April 2 tariffs is greater than many market participants have previously assumed.” (cnbc)

🧬 23andMe Files for Bankruptcy, Anne Wojcicki Steps Down as CEO The DNA startup has crashed and CEO Anne Wojcicki steps down. There are lots of scary questions now looming over the platform’s genetic data. 🔬📉 (cnbc)

👖Why Are Women Drawn to These ‘Unflattering’ Pants? Baggy, awkward, and proudly anti-trend. Comfort is the new fashion flex. 👖🌀(nyt)

🎀 Celine Launches Impossibly Chic Pilates Collection Luxury brand Celine has introduced a stylish Pilates collection, blending high fashion with activewear. 👜🧘‍♀️✨ (harper’s bazaar) 

📦 Ulta Bets on Marketplace to Reclaim Lost Market Share as Amazon's Beauty Sales Grow  Ulta debuts its own marketplace to compete with Amazon’s beauty takeover. It’s a big bet to reclaim online market share.💄🛍️⚔️ (modern retail)

⌚Apple Explores Turning Watches Into Wearable AI Devices with Cameras  Apple is exploring turning its watches into AI-powered wearables. Think smart features, integrated cameras, and future-forward tech. ⌚🤖📸 (bloomberg)

🎥The Novelty of Aimee Lou Wood’s Natural Smile White Lotus’ Aimee Lou Wood’s natural smile is captivating fans and breaking molds. No veneers, just charm—tooth authenticity is having a moment. 😁🌟(nyt)

🧦 These Socks Are Actually Shoes. And They’re $380. They look like socks, cost like sneakers. Minimalism with a luxury price tag.🧦👟💸 (wsj)

🧥 Can a French Department Store Make Wall Street Très Chic? A French department store Printemps is styling up Wall Street. 🇫🇷🏦👗(nyt) 

🌐 Google’s AI Search Overhaul: Racing ChatGPT for the Web’s Future Google’s revamping search to keep up with ChatGPT. The AI search race is officially on.🔍🤖⚡ (bloomberg)

👚 Lululemon is Promoting its Resale Program with Pilates Classes and Partnerships Lululemon is enhancing its resale program, 'Like New,' by hosting Pilates classes and forming partnerships to promote sustainable fashion choices. 🧘‍♀️♻️👚(modern retail)

🚗 As Tesla Protests Spread, Elon Musk Gets Ready to Enter the Restaurant Business Amid growing protests against Tesla, Elon Musk plans to open a futuristic diner and drive-in theater in Hollywood, integrating EV charging stations. 🚗🍽️ (nyt)

👜 Why Gen Z is Spending (a lot of) Time in Coach Stores Coach has become a hangout hub, not just a shopping spot—blending Y2K nostalgia, bold branding, and TikTok-worthy vibes. 🎒🪞🧃 (modern retail)

Concept of the Week: Negative Opt-Out🧠

Negative opt-out is a passive aggressive tactic that uses guilt-driven language to push users toward a desired action—like showing a decline button that says, “No, thanks. I like paying full price.” 

This type of messaging often appears in exit pop-ups, unsubscribe flows, or retention prompts, aiming to influence user decisions through shame rather than choice. It’s gross and I always cringe when I see this (which is often).

Venture Capital, Innovation & Entrepreneurship💰🌍💼

🎓 Netflix’s Reed Hastings Gives $50 Million to Bowdoin for A.I. Program Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings donates $50 million to Bowdoin College (his alma mater) to establish an AI program, aiming to advance education in artificial intelligence. 🎓🤖(nyt)

⚖️ Dropbox Faces Pressure From Activist Investor to End Co-Founder’s Control Activist investor Half Moon Capital urges Dropbox to eliminate its dual-class share structure, challenging CEO Drew Houston's significant voting control.📦⚖️ (wsj)

💻 Bolt’s Former CEO is Launching a New E-commerce Startup Ex-Bolt CEO, Maju Kuruvilla, who took over for Ryan Breslow (after Ryan left, but before Ryan came back) is introducing Spangle AI, a startup creating personalized landing pages using AI to enhance online shopping experiences. 🛒🚀 (tech crunch)

🌐 Napster Pioneered Music Sharing over 25 Years Ago. It Just Got Bought for $207 Million Over 25 years after revolutionizing music sharing, Napster is back—snapped up by Infinite Reality to become a 3D social music platform. Think virtual concerts, merch drops, and artist-fan hangouts in the metaverse. 🪩🌐🎧 (cnbc)

Resources/Links 🌶️🧥

✅ Build Products That Solve Real Problems With This Lightweight JTBD Framework A lightweight JTBD (Jobs-to-Be-Done) framework to help teams focus on what users actually need. 🧠✅ 

🧘‍♀️6 Yoga Exercises You Won’t Be Embarrassed to Do at Your Desk No mat, no sweat—these subtle poses ease tension without turning heads at the office. Stretch, breathe, repeat. 🙆‍♂️🪑 

🤝Google Rework Google’s platform for building better workplaces—with tools, research, and case studies to boost culture and performance. 📊🤝

🧴Eating Out With Food Allergies Is Exhausting. I Use These Items to Help Wherever I Go Navigating restaurants with allergies is tough—but smart tools like allergy cards, wipes, and portable snacks make it safer and easier. 🧴🍱✔️

💬AI as Your New Therapist: The Rise of Digital Emotional Support AI-powered chatbots and platforms are stepping into mental health spaces, offering instant emotional support—but can they truly replace human empathy? 🪄📱❤️‍🩹

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P.S. - If you see any typos in this newsletter, know that I did it on purpose just to make you giggle.

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