Hi,

Feeling good about getting things done in a short week that started with Juneteenth and wraps up with my first-ever get away with my daughter since she started working full-time many moons ago. We’re doing a long weekend at the beach, and I’m really looking forward to it.

But before I head off, I wanted to share an assortment of reads for the left and the right side of your brain to help you lead your teams with compassion:

  • My pal Daniel Nestle (along with 35 other marketing experts) has a chapter in The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever, by Mark Schaefer and Friends (Dan is one of the friends). He wrote the chapter on Strategic Communications and was an editor/project manager, so I can’t wait to read my copy. Get yours here.
  • Looking for a better way to send yourself notes? Oasis might be the answer. This app goes beyond transcribing your voice messages into text. It uses AI to summarize your notes, eliminates ramblings, and more. BTW, I’m a sudden fan of Jeremy Caplan who has a business built around finding and helping you use cool apps. Check out his story on Oasis for Fast Company, and learn about his Wonder Tools business too.
  • If you’re the person who takes the insect outside rather than killing it, you may be earning a halo. Apparently, insects feel pain, so we have a new ethical situation upon us.
  • More on circadian rhythms, as in, resetting yours can help prevent cancer. Crazy? So was every other scientific discovery until more data showed up.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 National Civil Rights Museum 🌟

This week, we commemorated Juneteenth by supporting the National Civil Rights Museum. To push forward into a future of equality, we must take time to remember the past. The National Civil Rights Museum continues the legacy of sharing stories that changed our nation. Learn how you can help: National Civil Rights Museum.

Noteworthy 🖋
Healthy Roots Dolls

Absolutely inspiring! I cried at the story founder Yelitsa Jean-Charles told about getting a black Barbie. It wasn’t the story I expected to hear. She’s nothing short of amazing and so is her company, Healthy Roots Dolls. This toy company creates dolls and storybooks empowering young girls by representing the beauty of diversity. I love what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and how they’re doing it, and I can’t improve on the presentation of it all, so I’m going to suggest you check out the About section of the website and if you have a few tissues handy, listen to the TED Talk gave because the first few sentences are going to hit your heart, hard. And thanks to Natalie Lorenzo for telling me about this company and their work.

  • According to new research from Deloitte, GenZ workers are big fans of pay transparency. And they’re looking for stability, not excitement, eager for pay that is realistic in these inflationary times. Here’s a bit from the article: “According to Deloitte’s 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 35% of Gen Z selected cost of living as a top concern, 51% live paycheck to paycheck, and 46% have taken on a second job.” Great summary of the research with food for thought from Chief. Read it all here.

I hope you gleaned some new POVs from this week’s issue. Please take care of yourself so you can bring the best you to everything you do. Until we meet again…

Niki

Niki’s Notes for Better Workplaces

Weekly news and insights on the compassionate workplace movement with commentary, spotlights on innovative companies, and not-for-profits that deserve extra love! Edited by A Better Paradigm Founder, Niki.