Strands of Genius: Transitions, Faris' Vision Pro Prediction, Psychology's Loss
Plus: Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs at the Grammy's
WRITING FROM | Chattanooga, TN
WORKING ON | an agency positioning + three proposals
LOOKING AHEAD
Jan 22 - Feb 10 | Chattanooga, TN
Feb 10 - 12 | Atlanta, GA
Feb 12 - 15 | Chattanooga, TN
Feb 15 - 17 | Atlanta, GA
Feb 17 - 23 | Seattle, WA
Feb 23 - 25 | Los Angeles, CA
Feb 25 - 26 | Atlanta, GA
Feb 27 - April 4 | Chattanooga, TN
:: WHAT’S NEW & WEEKLY GRATITUDE ::
Our hearts are feeling especially full after a weekend where Rosie’s mom visited and we hosted a neighbors hang — which we thought would be from 4-7p, but which actually went on until after midnight. Because I’ve been over on Instagram talking about all the birds (I’m ready for my transition to Snow White!), one of our neighbors even brought over a special bird seed for me, and gave me some advice on how to attract the finches. Spoiler alert: You do not go buy finches and release them into your backyard. (LOL.) Instead, you buy thistle seed and specific bird feeders, and I’ve already told Faris that if we finish work early, we’re going to Wild Birds Unlimited to check out the supplies they’ve got. (Faris was originally unsure about this field trip but my level of enthusiasm pushed him to want to join.)
On the work front, we’re pushing a large agency positioning forward, while also in that time of year filled with introductory calls and proposal-writing. We’ve been having a lot of fun working with one team, but the work we’re doing is still super top secret! We hope that we’ll be able to share it with you soon, but in the meantime we are also reminded of just how much we enjoy positioning work, especially for agencies.
The whole ‘cobblers kids have no shoes’ statement is one that comes to mind. So many agencies offer positioning for brands, but then fail to apply the strategic thinking and frameworks back to their companies. It gets de-prioritized because it’s treated as a ‘cost’ instead of an investment. And yet when we talk to brands about positioning, we often refer to it as the foundation. It’s funny (but in an awkward way) how plenty of agency leaders are happy to go foundation-less themselves, but insist on it for the brands they work with. No more of that! Here’s one of our favorite testimonials, from an agency we worked with on their positioning:
“We needed to reposition and rebrand our company – essentially we were looking for a cutting edge, disruptive, f*ck off call to arms that we could rally the business around and blow clients minds. And working with Genius Steals, we got one, and not only that, they kept the core team engaged and motivated all along the way. It was very clear early on that Faris and Rosie ‘got’ us and spoke our language which combined with their undoubted brains, meant they were respected and the team quickly bought in to their methods and output. They also worked very collaboratively with the design agency that we brought in for the executional phase – no land-grabs or ego battle on either side; a textbook example of a ‘team of all the talents’ in action. We had really high expectations from the outset – and they were more than met.”
If you’re looking for some positioning work, please don’t hesitate to hit reply and reach out.
This week, we’re especially thankful for:
PaperMate Flair pens, the tufted titmouse, all of the cardinals, a 7.5 mile walk along the Riverpark, Rosie’s mom, all of our neighbors, Bubbles the hot tub, fresh flowers, Instax cameras, Zoom working sessions, soft close drawers, blood oranges, new recipes, the Six Seasons cook book & YOU.
:: THE LINKS ::
HOW TO TRANSITION BETWEEN WORK AND PERSONAL TIME
In an age of constant connectivity, cultivating mental presence is essential for overall well-being. The article advocates for intentional efforts to establish both starting-up and wrapping-up routines in order to fully disconnect from work, something you do the same way each day in order to give your mind & body the specific triggers to form a habit. Saunders suggests we can alleviate the stress of unfinished tasks lingering over our personal time, which will allow us to be fully present and engaged in both professional and personal spheres. (Harvard Business Review)
THE INVISIBLE WEB
Way back in prehistoric 2008, Faris wrote this piece about the convergence points of the mobile technologies that were emerging at the time and it has finally become relevant thanks to all the videos of people walking around with the Apple Vision Pro strapped to their face. "Now imagine all that and take away the phone. The screen is sitting inside a pair of glasses.” It’s weird that this all seemed obvious even 15 years ago. It’s a reminder that everything takes longer than you think. The roadmap seems less clear now, probably because we are at the tail of end of the mobile S-Curve that started in 2007. (Campaign UK)
PSYCHOLOGY’S LOSS
Delving into the heart of psychological research from , this article critiques prevailing paradigms (ahem and perhaps exposes a sordid underbelly of academia) and their impact on scientific advancement. Spotlighting allegations of fraud surrounding Harvard Business School's Francesca Gino and Duke professor Dan Ariely, two of the fields more prominent pop psychologists, these scandalous revelations cast a harsh light on the field's prevailing paradigms, from the exhausted cognitive bias craze to the tired "situations matter" mantra. With the "pick a noun and study it" approach churning out papers faster than a malfunctioning printer, it's no wonder psychology finds itself at a crossroads. It’s pop psychology that falls short in delivering transformative insights. While the drama unfolds, one can't help but wonder: amidst the chaos of scandals and replication woes, where are the real breakthroughs? It seems the hunt for genuine scientific progress is as elusive as Ariely's missing integrity data. (Experimental History)
Got any questions about nomad living?
:: ICYMI : TRACY CHAPMAN & LUKE COMBS AT THE GRAMMY’S ::
Yeah yeah yeah, it’s true, Substack and Twitter no longer play nice with each other, which means I can’t embed the tweet/video for you. But it’s worth clicking on through. Eve though yes we are sending you to the dumpster fire that is Twitter, you don’t have to look at anything else besides this lovely performance.
Both Chapman and Combs kill the vocals, but what I also love is the beaming smile that plays across Chapman’s face for the whole song. You can’t help but feel like she knows she deserves to be here, she’s happy to share the spotlight, and yes, she knows just how great her voice sounds. She had that “I’m nailing it without even trying” vibe, and it was just so beautiful to watch. Also a fun fact: Shortly after the performance, “Fast Car” shot to No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart. Her 1988 debut album, Tracy Chapman, also sat at No. 1.
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 in Tennessee where our company is registered, our admin extraordinaire is based in Playa del Carmen, 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.
Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)