Strands of Genius: Creative Monsters & Myths, Energizers & Icebreakers, QAnon & MLMs
plus our thoughts on: QAnon & MLMs and a recipe for Banh Mi Salad
WRITING FROM | Greenville, SC
WORKING ON | workshop development and pitching
LOOKING AHEAD
Jan 28-Feb 4: Greenville, SC
Feb 4-11: Clayton, GA
Feb 11-15: Nashville, TN
Feb 15-April 15: Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic*
(*TBD! But if you or anyone you know has been there, please hit us up!)
:: WHAT’S NEW & WEEKLY GRATITUDE ::
On the road again… Just can’t wait to be on the road again…
Last week we found ourselves driving into a rising wolf moon, as we crossed the border from Tennessee into North Carolina. The movement, simply crossing state lines, brought an excitement, an energy. And with it, a reminder of just how much a change in scenery can help bring new feelings to the surface. In this case, the feelings of the past that we’ve been longing for.
This week, we’re especially thankful for:
the gorgeous wolf moon driving into Asheville, Rachel&Mike, Stella&Chase, MarioKart, Rocket League, Liz&Rob, Patrick&Jen, fire pits and deviled eggs, getting to smash loads of breakable things at the RAGE ROOM, pimento cheese pizza, banh mi salad, WandaVision, Broadchurch, Miro & you :)
Enroll at http://schoolofstolengeni.us | Redeem a session-specific coupon code here.
:: THE LINKS ::
ENERGIZERS & ICEBREAKERS TO MAKE YOUR NEXT ZOOM MEETING A LITTLE LESS BORING
Last year, we asked each of our guest curators to share a favorite icebreaker or energizer — because we believe that the start of a meeting can make or break what happens afterwards. Some energizers translate better to the remote setting than others, and it was helpful to hear from others in terms of how this was coming to life for them. The full deck is available to all members of the School of Stolen Genius, and we’ve got a teaser for those who aren’t a part of SOSG. (Google Docs)
CREATIVE MONSTERS AND MYTHS
We had a lovely time with Andrew Vorster talking about two myths and a monster. The two myths? Personalized advertising and originality. The monster? Your inner critic. Hear what we have to say on S2 E10! (Monsters & Myths)
THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE:
WHY THE GRANDIOSE PROMISES OF MULTILEVEL MARKETING AND QANON CONSPIRACY THEORIES GO HAND IN HAND
This article is part of “Shadowland,” a project from The Atlantic about conspiracy thinking in America. It touches on how those selling essential oils have become Pastel QAnons, promoting their essential oils as cures for Ebola and COVID, while also fighting a secret sex trafficking ring.
Strands of Genius is currently read by 12,000 subscribers. Support us by sponsoring an issue, becoming a member of The School of Stolen Genius, or encouraging friends or colleagues to subscribe.
:: WHAT WE’RE THINKING ABOUT: MLMs & Q ANON ::
If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you’ll know that MLMs like Young Living, Rodan & Fields, Plexus and the rest of the lot are more than just a pet peeve for me (Rosie); they make me want to re-visit the rage room.
They boast large member groups that are predominantly female, who “invest” to become part of an “upline”, to buy products at “wholesale prices” (which happen to be much higher than actual wholesale), where the big money to be made is not from sales, but from recruiting other sellers. Of course, as the FTC has showed, 99% of the people involved in MLM (remember, mostly women sign up for these) lose money.
It’s distressing to see people get sucked into this world, and equally distressing to know that many women are happy to be a part of the 1%, with their income coming from the 99% who lose money.
Those who are in the 1% are put on pedestals by the MLMs and their members, and what they say goes. Which means, structurally, MLMs are particularly conducive to conspiracy theories. Because one of the ways that MLMs have trapped women is by telling us that we have potential that’s been hidden away, and that they’re here to help us unlock it. Unsurprisingly, people at the bottom, want to be like those at the top. They want the piles of cash, and the surprise Cadillac, and to be fulfilled. And so they follow the words of their fearless leaders. In between #bossbabe posts on Instagram, these women are spouting QAnon nonsense. Except it’s often coded.
“Now that social platforms have done serious work to remove the most obvious and most violent QAnon discussions, “Pastel QAnon” is perhaps the group with the largest, most uncontrolled reach. Many of the women you could sort into this category never explicitly use the word QAnon, or acknowledge where the information they’re parroting is coming from, and they are professionally trained to understand that the way they present themselves online is visible for broad scrutiny.”
Equally, there's philosophical overlap.
“Unfortunately, their popularity and shared sympathy make some sense,” said William Keep, a marketing professor at the College of New Jersey. The industry has been at odds with governments “literally for decades,” Keep said. It loathes oversight and regulation. It loves a direct sales pitch. Many multilevel-marketing companies have had close ties to conservative politics, and many have antagonistic relationships with bodies like the FDA, or the idea of authority in general, in cases where products are marketed in ways that flout scientific consensus or medical expertise.”
But it makes sense that there’s overlap in the thinking, because: “As with much conspiracy thinking, the spread of QAnon in these networks is not just dangerous, but also deeply sad. The grandiose promises of the QAnon worldview are mirrored and illuminated by the similar promises of multilevel marketing: equally false, and equally predicated on a desperate search for meaning and stability.” (The Atlantic)
It makes sense, but not in the way I want it to. I’m still percolating on these thoughts. Where’s your head in all of this?
:: AND NOW… THIS BANH MI PORK SALAD IS TOO LEGIT TO QUIT::
This Banh Mi Pork Salad is all the rage over at the Yakob household these days. Serves 4 people in under 45 minutes. It’s Whole 30 friendly if you use W30 compliant mayo and sriracha. Or a Half 30/Still Healthy option even if you cheat. In the picture below, I added chickpeas to my quick pickled mix and it was delish!
Make the quick pickled vegetables
In a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber, 1 cup shaved carrots and 1tsp salt. Place the 6 cloves of smashed garlic, 2” peeled ginger (or 2 Tbsp squeeze ginger) and 2tsp peppercorns in cheesecloth; tie closed with cotton string and place in the bowl. If you aren't using a piece of ginger and squeeze ginger instead, stir it into the vegetable mixture.
In a small saucepan, combine the 1.5 cups of rice vinegar and 1.5 cups of pineapple juice. (I buy chunks of pineapple in juice with no sugar added, and use the liquid from that.) Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the veg mixture. Place the bowl in the freezer to cool the vegetables while preparing the cabbage and pork.
Make the cabbage
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. If you haven't already, cut a small to medium sized green cabbage into wedges. Try to keep the core intact as this makes it easier to get an even char. Otherwise, the cabbage falls apart in the pan. It will still work, but the charred flavor really adds to the flavor profile. Brush the cabbage wedges with 1Tbs of EVOO and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook the cabbage, until charred all over, about 15 minutes or so. (I did about two min per side, and kept turning.) Let the cabbage cool slightly, remove the core, and coarsely chop.
Make the pork
In the same pan, heat 1T EVOO on medium high heat. Season your pork with salt and pepper on both sides. (We’ve used pork chops, pork loin, and pork tenderloin - so it’s up to you what you’ve got on hand, though with thicker meats, you’ll want to slice first!) Cook until there's an internal temp of 145F - about 4-6min per side if you're using pork chops; cook time will be less if you've cut pork tenderloin into bite sized pieces.
Make the dressing
While the pork is resting, whisk together 1/3 cup of mayo and 3 teaspoons of sriracha.
Drain the pickled vegetables in a colander and discard the cheese cloth packet.
Plating
Place the chopped cabbage on a large platter. Arrange sliced pork, pickled veg, and add sliced, seeded jalapeño, and 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro per person on top. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
rockON,
faris & rosie & ashley | your friends over at geniussteals.co
@faris is always tweeting
@rosieyakob hangs out on instagram
@ashley also writes for deaf, tattooed & employed
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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.
Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.
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