Carrie Fox

The memory we carry in our pockets directly affects the memory in our heads—and that impacts how we communicate. So, what are you doing to protect that precious time you have … to think?

The most compelling stories for social change break stereotypes and build new ways for us to understand issues and each other. Start by looking for stereotypes in your communications, and then practice some reframing. As we learn this week, the story will be even better as a result.

Did you get that? Welcome to Season 8. Starting September 14, 2023.

In the fast-paced nature of time, where it’s all too easy to get caught up in what’s coming next (vs. what’s happening now), where we want to be (vs. where we are), and how we get there (vs. what we’ve accomplished to date), it’s good to pause and remember that life is fast, and it’s short. Wherever you are, may you find something wonderful worth holding onto in this present moment.

Earlier this month, I gathered with colleagues to review updates to a brand guide. We were deep in the language preferences section of the guide when the team came upon a point of tension. All agreed to capitalize racial, ethnic, and cultural identities such as Black, Asian, Latino, and Navajo. Still, there was disagreement among those who wished to capitalize White and those who wanted to lowercase white.

Last November, Apple released a short film titled “The Greatest,” which follows seven people throughout what is considered an average day, with an all-disabled cast, representing the authentic experiences of each cast member as they engage in various daily tasks, showcasing how Apple’s suite of accessibility tools enables them to, as Forbes writes, navigate a world that wasn’t designed with their needs in mind. It gives us a lot to thinking about.

You probably know the name Craig Newmark. You probably know his name as the founder of Craigslist, a web pioneer, a philanthropist, and—depending on your line of work—a staunch advocate on behalf of trustworthy journalism. But there’s one equally important part of his bio you may not know: Customer Service Representative.

A couple of years ago, a well-known and well-loved nonprofit organization contacted our team with a bit of a problem. The organization had been sustained by a loyal following of recurring donors, but their leadership had noticed a concerning trail off in contributions. They had lost some of their most important donors and they needed to figure out why.