We onboarded two new clients in the last two weeks. Always nice to get contracts signed, send that first invoice, and dive into the actual work. There’s also the getting-to-know-you phase of new client work. Sometimes a new client doesn’t quite know what they want until they see the first round and they explain their criticism in a very nice and apologetic way, as if they’re worried our feelings might be hurt (reader: they are not).
Our magazine writer backgrounds makes us well-suited for handling feedback in a way that other agencies and studios aren’t. Reporters are told they are wrong and their work needs fixing on a daily basis—it’s a major part of the gig, also known as editing. Whereas folks in the larger creative world often don’t take kindly to feedback. We have thick skin and want to make good stuff for our clients. Just tell us how you really feel.
Onto the links.
A Project
We kicked off with 11VEN, an innovation collective for sustainable cities, last week. It’s a group of incredibly smart people working to, as we noted in the intro piece, “create lasting, positive change: a world where our economies thrive in harmony with society and our environment.” We’ll be doing a couple pieces of thought leadership for them each week through the end of the year. You can follow along on LinkedIn here.
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An Article
The Michigan Superfan Who Became a Michigan Coach—and the Center of a Michigan Scandal
My brain and my reading habits have been completely rewired by the incredibly stupid and esoteric scandal surrounding the University of Michigan’s football team. I can’t get enough useless information, baseless rumors, and hilarious anecdotes. Friend of the newsletter Ryan Felton worked on this fun profile of the low-level staffer at the center of the story, a man named—dead serious—Connor Stalions. Felton got a tip that Stalions was in a protracted HOA battle for running an Amazon used vacuum shop out of his home (I warned you it was stupid). All of the hilarious easter eggs from the Wall Street Journal are college football canon now, including this defensive bit from the HOA skirmish:
“I suspect that whoever has chosen to sue me either 1. doesn’t like the fact that I am a veteran; or 2. is a Michigan State fan and knows I am a Michigan football coach and wants to draw my attention away.” He had one Spartans fan in mind—“someone named Jeff” who lived down the street and had a son attending Michigan State.
Someone Named Jeff will be a popular t-shirt among undergrads next fall. My sincerest apologies for sharing all of this information with you, I had no choice.
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A Book
A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese)
Really lovely book from former Chicago Tribune restaurant critic Kevin Pang, his father Jeffrey, and America’s Test Kitchen. Thoroughly enjoyed the mapo tofu and hot and sour cabbage. Buy if you like: Szechuan food, recipes that involve 37 minutes of prep and eight minutes of cook time, leftovers.
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A Coffee Shop
Friend of the newsletter and recent TPF collaborator Pete Baker is opening a coffee shop in Ann Arbor. This is going to be my new satellite office.
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A Workout
My new favorite workout when I’m short on time is Zwift’s “No Nonsense,” a quick 36 minute ride with 3x6 minute intervals in the middle of it. I never played video games as a kid; Zwift is as close as I’ll ever get to Gamer Life.
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Winter is coming. And that’s good because we love skiing.