reading

Reading, Listening, and Watching—What I’m Loving Right Now

It’s always fun to share and hear from others what they’re reading, listening, and watching. But in the frenzy of launching new products, bringing on new staff, and all the other things that go into growing our businesses, who has the time, right?

Fortunately, as we wrap up loose ends on 2018 and (hopefully) find ourselves with a bit of downtime, we have the headspace to expand our minds. I’ve been gathering the resources for my reading, listening, and watching pleasure on flights and quiet evenings by the fire. As you do the same, I thought you’d find this list beneficial.

Here’s what I’m reaching for in these moments of productive downtime:

Reading

True Story: My husband calls my Kindle my “boyfriend” because it’s always with me—when I travel, when I treat myself to a quiet lunch, and before bed. It’s my go-to. But the truth is a few years back, I noticed my attention span was dramatically shorter. After a bit of introspection, I found that I had stopped reading long-form materials in favor of reading email newsletters, social media, and skimming news articles. I made a commitment to read more and it has brought such joy into my life. I read across the spectrum—fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, cookbooks…you name it, I’ll read it. What should be on my list for 2019?

reading listening watchingHere are some of my favorite books from 2018 (plus, my favorite daily must reads):

1. Bad Blood

Nope, Bad Blood is not the lyrics to that TSwift earworm (you’re welcome!), but a real-life thriller that charts the rise and collapse of Theranos, the multibillion-dollar biotech startup. Wrapped in a page-turning package, there are many lessons to be learned about the importance of leadership, the role of the Board of Directors in governance, and the importance of a moral compass in maintaining the soul of a company as we tread more and more deeply into technology.

And you don’t have to take my word for it. Bill Gates recommends Bad Blood too.

2. The Everything Store

I was a bit “late to the party” in reading this book. It was initially published in 2013. However, it remains an insightful look into how the Goliath, better known as Amazon, came to be. More importantly, it’s a incisive look into the mind of Jeff Bezos—what makes him tick, his management style, and how he has shaped Amazon’s culture and strategy. In a time when we spend a lot of time and spill a lot of ink thinking about Amazon’s unprecedented growth, The Everything Store provides an interesting perspective. I found the book incredibly eye-opening as an Amazon customer, a global citizen, and as a business owner.

3. The Hate U Give

“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” — The Hate U Give

Fun fact: My mom spent over 20 years as a children’s librarian and is an absolutely voracious reader, so when she recommends a book, I listen. The Hate U Give isn’t a kids’ book though. It will speak to your teenagers, but it should be required reading for all of us. Profoundly moving, The Hate U Give handles gun violence, income inequality, a history of segregation, activism, and police brutality, while also managing to build in relatable, real-life characters and cozy, quippy family banter. Fans of the signature banter of Aaron Sorkin (see also: The West Wing) will appreciate the crisp dialog. I experienced a full range of emotions while reading this book. It made me think about the role of community, government policies, and how we can all do more to build safe communities. (Full disclosure: I haven’t seen the movie that came out this fall. But, even if you have seen the movie, I strongly recommend reading the book.)

Daily reading: (Note: I am not affiliated with any of the following website or brands, nor am I a sponsor. I’m just a fan.)

  • Axios Newsletters: Bullet points, easy to read, well-researched and cited. A great way to hit the morning headlines from major publications punctuated with outstanding commentary and  insight (subscribe here).

I read these almost every day:

  • Axios AM
  • Axios Edge
  • Pro Rata
  • Axios Sneak Peek (Sunday)

Listening

I’m a HUGE podcast fan. I listen to podcasts almost exclusively while I run and while I’m walking around D.C. There is just something about a great story—fiction or non-fiction. Here are a few of my favorites. What are you listening to these days?

1. The Pitch

If you like Shark Tank, you’ll enjoy The Pitch.

The Pitch puts you inside the room of a live pitch and then shares the behind-the-scenes details of what folks “really” thought and what happens after the pitch. It’s great for entrepreneurs, anyone working with entrepreneurs, or anyone responsible for selling anything… including themselves.

2. Planet Money

Planet Money is an NPR podcast that helps to make sense of the complexities of economics and the economy. They often use creative examples and in-depth reporting. For example, they made a t-shirt and traced the supply chain around the world, launched a satellite (one of my favorite episodes—totally fed my space geek side), and built an algorithmic trading Twitter bot.

3. How I Built This

Another NPR show, How I Built This has gained legions of fans and I’m one of them. You’ll hear straight from the founders how their companies came to be…and sometimes almost didn’t! AirBnB, Burton Snowboards, Whole Foods, StitchFix, Lyft, DryBar—you’ll hear from companies that we interact with or read about regularly. And you’ll hear about the genesis of the idea for the company, how they grew, got funded, what worked and what *almost* pulled them under.

Audio Book:

The Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person

Stay with me here.

Yes, it has a very self-helpy title. It’s Okay. I promise. This is a super funny book. Don’t write it off. And…okay, technically, it is a book. But I listened to the audio version and I recommend that you do the same. Shonda Rhimes (the creator, head writer and executive producer—of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and several other shows) tells this compelling and laugh-out-loud funny story of how she stopped saying “no” to opportunities, started saying “yes,” and the changes that resulted. If you’ve ever felt like you needed a bit more “why not?” in your life, you will appreciate her story. And, if you have a commute this book will make your time on the road fly by.

Watching

Admittedly, I’m not great with television. I’ve watched my fair share of shows, but I’m not a good “binger” of television and I’m always behind on the latest and greatest. (Confession: I’ve never seen Breaking Bad…I think that might be a cultural crime at this point). But, I do have a few recommendations for shows that I found compelling this year. What did I miss?

1. Panic: The untold story of the 2008 financial crisis

With stellar reporting from the Vice team for HBO, this documentary tracks the financial crisis that took hold during the Fall of 2008 and provides real-talk about what caused the crisis and what happened behind the scenes as policy makers, legislators, and corporate titans attempted to avoid a global financial collapse. The creators managed to interview all of the key players in the 2008 financial crisis: Bernake, Paulson, Obama, Bush (W.), Dimon, Buffett, and many more. It’s well-researched, well-reported, watchable and very scary. This should be required viewing for all leaders and, especially, communicators. The lessons for crisis management and crisis communications are innumerable. Just watch it!  

2. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Seasons 1 and 2)

I’m addicted to this show. In an era of dystopian dramas (and yes, I’ve watched many of those too), this show manages to be funny, optimistic, and timely all at once. The dialog is snappy and on point and Tony Shalub plays a pitch perfect role, as always. If you need a break from the drama of real life The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a wonderful way to escape for a bit.

3. The Greatest Package Theft Revenge of All Time

If you’ve ever had a package stolen, you’ll appreciate the karmic justice in this short video. And, if you’ve never had a package stolen (lucky you!), you’ll appreciate the engineering that went into this project. If you’ve ever wondered what NASA engineers do in their spare time, this is a must watch!

As you enjoy some much deserved R&R over the next couple of weeks, I hope you’ll spend some time with some inspirational and fun content. And I’m always looking for recommendations, so if you have any must-read, must-listen-to, or must-watch suggestions for me, please send them my way.

Happy Holidays from Audacia Strategies!

Photo credit: Alexander Raths

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