Field Notes: The Year of Intention ✏️

Today is January 31st, but it really is January 30,000th. It feels like it’s been at least three months packed into one, and everyone seems to share this sentiment. On a brighter note, since it’s still the beginning of the year and we’re hopefully still bright-eyed about what’s to come, I’m trying to make 2025 my year of intention. This means that I’m trying to ask myself honest questions more frequently about 1) what’s working, 2) what’s bringing me joy, and 3) what I can cut out of my life to enable more of #1 and #2. In order to do this, I leaned on my studious assistant, Chat GPT, to help me come up with questions that I can ask myself at the end of each month to create a mini-life audit.

These are the 3 questions that I’ll be asking myself at the end of each month:

1) What moments, habits, or decisions this month made me feel the most energized, fulfilled, or aligned with my goals?

2) What drained me—physically, mentally, or emotionally— that I can eliminate, delegate or shift moving forward?

3) What’s small change can I make next month that will have an outsized impact on my happiness?

For what it’s worth, I’m planning on answering these questions in the Notes app on my phone, so I can easily look back over the year and see how my answers are changing. I’m going to be completely honest with myself so I can see if this type of check-in over the year is valuable. I’ll keep you all posted with how it goes, and if you’re planning on doing this too (or something like it), let me know! -Sammi

Business, Economy & Culture🛍️📈💸

Starbucks Earnings and Store Sales Fall, But CEO Upbeat on Turnaround Starbucks has been slumpin’. Last year, U.S. transactions sank by some of the steepest levels since 2020. CEO Brian Niccol took over in September 2024, and he’s been trying to turn the ship around ever since he started. He’s optimistic about the company’s new ‘Back to Starbucks’ campaign, so we’ll see what else he has up his sleeve. ☕️📈 (wsj)

How Tech Helped Levi’s Ride the ‘Baggy Jeans’ Trend Levi Strauss & Co. leveraged data analytics through a partnership with Google Cloud to identify the rising popularity of baggy jeans across various demographics. This insight led to targeted marketing campaigns like the “Live Loose” campaign and design adjustments, resulting in a 15% increase in looser fits in the last quarter. 👖📊 (wsj)

New Spotify and UMG Deal Could Create Pricier ‘Superfan’ Subscription Spotify and Universal Music Group have announced a new multi-year agreement that could introduce tiered subscription services targeting "superfans.” This approach may offer perks such as early access to music, exclusive deluxe editions, hi-res audio, and artist Q&As. 🎵🤝(the verge)

Your Starbucks Coffee May Soon Come with Inspirational Messages. Read the Full Memo to Store Staff  Starbucks is encouraging baristas to add handwritten names, smiley faces, and inspirational messages on cups to enhance customer experience and foster a more personalized atmosphere in their stores. In my “downfall of Starbucks” video, people really went off in the comments about the handwritten notes. ☕😊 (business insider)

Frontier Airlines Offers to Buy Spirit Airlines, Again Frontier Airlines made another bid to acquire Spirit Airlines. This comes after a failed merger attempt in 2022, which saw Spirit choose JetBlue instead—only for that deal to be blocked by regulators. Spirit initially rejected this offer, but signaled that they’re willing to negotiate and continue the talks. ✈️💰🚀 (nyt)

Substack Advertising Is Turning Writers Into Part-Time Sales Reps As advertising becomes more prevalent on Substack, writers are become part time media-sellers, adopting DIY methods to manage ad sales to monetize their newsletters. 📝💼 (wsj)

The ‘Sephora Kids’ Aren’t Going Anywhere The "Sephora Kids" trend—tweens splurging on luxury beauty products—is booming. Fueled by social media, brands are adapting to youth-friendly marketing and products. While some see it as self-care for kids, others worry about the psychological impact when they use these products at such a young age. 🤔🚨 (vogue business)

New CVS App Lets Customers Unlock Cabinets to Pick Up Products CVS Health is testing a revamped app designed to reduce waiting times and enhance customer experience. Features include a barcode for quick prescription lookup and payment, real-time prescription status, and the ability to unlock product cabinets via smartphone in select stores. 🏥📱 (nyt)

Aritzia: Redefining Shopping One Store at a Time Aritzia, once a modest womenswear brand, has evolved into a major retail powerhouse by offering elevated workwear staples, trend-driven essentials, and premium in-house labels. Through strategic store expansions, immersive shopping experiences, and a strong focus on quality and design, the brand has successfully redefined modern retail while cultivating a loyal customer base. 👗🏬 (bof)

Quince is Expanding into Fragrance, Wellness & Men’s Shoes Quince is expanding beyond fashion into fragrance, wellness, and men’s footwear, reinforcing its commitment to affordable luxury. With a focus on high-quality materials and direct-to-consumer pricing, the brand aims to disrupt these new categories just as it has with apparel. 🛍️👞 (modern retail)

The Live Shopping Boom Doesn’t Stop with TikTok Live shopping is gaining momentum beyond TikTok, with platforms like Whatnot raising significant funds to popularize live-stream shopping in the West. This trend merges entertainment with commerce, aiming to build trust and community among consumers. 📺🛒 (bof)

Target Drops DEI Goals and Ends Program to Boost Black Suppliers Target is ending their workforce and supplier diversity programs, after paring back its Black- and LGBT-themed merchandise in 2023. Target joins a flood of companies retreating from their DEI policies. Trump issued a blitz of executive orders aimed at ending such programs across Corporate America. 🏪📛 (wsj)

Bad Bunny’s New Album Gives Plastic Monobloc Chair a Moment in the Sun Bad Bunny's latest album cover features the ubiquitous plastic monobloc chair, bringing attention to this often-overlooked piece of furniture and sparking discussions about its cultural significance across different countries. The song pays homage to the chairs as it reminds fans of their conversations with loved ones, near and afar. 🎶🪑 (washington post)

Hefty Sweaters for Heavy Times The evolution of women's knitwear and sweaters highlights a resurgence of cozy, oversized designs that combine comfort with style. In a time when women's bodily autonomy in America is under threat, sweaters that “conceal the body” can act as a form of protective “armor,” providing both comfort and a subtle statement of resistance and serve as a symbolic shield against societal and political pressures. 🧶🧥(nyt)

How Chinese Brand Anta Became the Fastest-Growing Sneaker on StockX Chinese sportswear brand Anta has rapidly gained popularity, becoming the fastest-growing sneaker on StockX. This surge is attributed to strategic collaborations, quality products, and effective marketing that resonate with consumers. 👟📈(modern retail)

Concept of the Week: Razor & Blade Model 🧠

The razor & blade model is a business strategy where a company offers a primary product at a low price (i.e.- a razor) or even at a loss to attract customers. This approach drives recurring sales of essential complementary products (i.e.- razor blades), which are sold at a higher profit margin, effectively creating customer dependency and ongoing revenue.

Real life application: The coffee machine company Keurig follows the razor & blade model by selling its coffee machines at a relatively low price to encourage customers to buy into their system. However, the real profit comes from the ongoing sale of K-Cups—the small, single-use coffee pods are essential for brewing coffee with a Keurig machine.

Venture Capital/Innovation & Entrepreneurship💰🌍💼

FDA Approves Nasal Spray for Depression The FDA has approved a new nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression, offering rapid relief for patients who haven’t found success with traditional medications. This innovation aims to change the approach to treating mental health, providing a faster and more effective alternative. 🌿💨(cnbc)

SoftBank in Talks to Invest Up to $25 Billion in OpenAI SoftBank is in advanced discussions to invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI, a deal that would significantly boost the AI company's financial backing. 🤖💰(nyt)

This Founder Was Worried about his Mother Slipping — So He Created Sensors to Detect Falls After worrying about his elderly mother's safety, a tech founder developed SafelyYou , a platform with fall detection sensors to provide real-time alerts in case of an accident. This innovation aims to increase elderly independence while ensuring timely assistance. 🚶‍♀️🛡️(tech crunch)

Ami’s Evolving Paris Attitude Ami, the Parisian fashion brand, is evolving its style to reflect a more relaxed and inclusive Parisian attitude. This shift aims to make the brand's offerings more accessible and relatable to a broader audience. 🎽👕 (bof)

Resources/Links 🌶️🧥

New Packaging from Cadbury Dairy Milk Rewards Cooks and Drivers Cadbury has redesigned its Dairy Milk bars to feature portions tailored for sharing during common activities like cooking and driving. This initiative aims to make sharing chocolate more convenient and acknowledges everyday helpful acts. (famous campaigns)

This Cat Tree Is Worthy of Your Living Room. It’s Also Wildly Expensive This is a chic, higher-end cat tree that’s designed to blend seamlessly with modern home decor. (nyt wirecutter)

The Best Eight Drinks Without Booze An exploration of non-alcoholic beverages that offer complex flavors and satisfying experiences, catering to those seeking alternatives to traditional alcoholic drinks even after dry January ends! The article provides a curated list of top options in this growing market. (bloomberg)

The Best and Worst Airlines of 2024 An analysis of major U.S. airlines, ranking them based on factors like customer service, on-time performance, and overall value. The article highlights the top-performing carriers and those that fell short in 2024. (wsj)

PostHog PostHog is an all-in-one platform designed for product analytics, feature flags, session replays, experiments, and surveys, built specifically for developers. It offers tools to help teams understand user behavior and improve product development.

Influencing Consumer Behavior With Music This article examines how background music can subconsciously affect consumers' moods and purchasing decisions. It discusses the impact of different tempos and genres on shopping behavior. (psychology today) 

What America's Tech Billionaires Really Bought When They Backed Donald Trump An investigation into the political contributions of America's tech billionaires to Donald Trump's campaign, exploring the potential motivations and expected returns on their investments. (bloomberg)

Forget ‘Founder Mode,’ What About Customer Mode? A podcast episode discussing the importance of adopting a customer-first approach in business, challenging the traditional 'founder mode' mindset. It emphasizes sustainability and long-term customer satisfaction over short-term growth. (equity podcast, spotify)

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