What's on Your Mind?

Let’s face it: The workplace is pretty much an extrovert’s world, with all those meetings and open work spaces. It’s not always easy for introverts and people who prefer a quieter setting to be at the top of their game, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be productive in an office and have a really successful career. The trick is finding the right job fit. Resume Genius, a website for job seekers, recently released its curated list of introvert-friendly well-paying jobs for 2025. Jobs were ranked based on four factors: autonomy, amount of social interaction, minimum median salary of $48,000 a year, and high job-growth potential. The researchers compiled their results …

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. I like thinking on paper. That’s why I’ve got a box under my desk with 27 old idea notebooks. But when I’m looking for a specific note scrawled early in 2020, digital notes are helpfully searchable. Given that paper and digital have distinct advantages, I’ve been experimenting lately with hybrid approaches. Read on for what I’ve found to be most useful. My current notebook of choice: The reMarkable Paper Pro What it is: A specialized paper tablet originating from Oslo, Norway that feels like a cross between a Ki…

Two powerful forces are dramatically reshaping the current world of work—artificial intelligence and an aging workforce. While we can see that the way we work is changing, we need to move quickly to effectively cope with both. Currently, AI, machine learning, digitization, automation, and other technology shifts are continuing to drive big changes in how we work and evolving the skills we need. In fact, new Workday research into the AI skills revolution shows that 81% of workers globally recognize that AI is changing the skills needed for their jobs. At the same time, throughout most countries, midcareer and older workers (people aged 45-64) make up a growing po…

With the advent of generative AI and other advanced technologies like quantum computing, we are entering a period of massive innovation. It is likely we are about to see more future-facing products and services than we witnessed in the past 25 years. These companies will disrupt current industries and change the way we work, live, and play. This creates a new paradigm in how companies identify the best opportunities and how those ideas are developed, branded, and activated. For the past 40 years, I have had a front row seat to some of the world’s most valuable brands’ early days. Lexicon Branding played a role in developing names for hundreds of iconic brands and prod…

In B2B marketing, content syndication has long been a staple for reaching decision makers, filling the sales pipeline, and accelerating leads. But in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape, relying solely on a single channel strategy could mean missing out on other high-impact channels. Today’s buyers are consuming content in new and varying ways—they’re tuning in to podcasts during commutes, streaming their favorite shows via connected TV, and gaining business news from social media platforms. To engage prospects effectively, marketers need to test and expand their digital toolkit with a diversified channel mix that can be anchored in tried and true syndication but…

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel that external circumstances dictate our existence. We attribute success and failure to factors beyond our control—the economy, the government, societal expectations, or unforeseen events. But here’s the thing: Blaming externalities diminishes our sense of agency and hinders our growth and fulfillment. The opposite is also true. Choosing personal sovereignty—claiming our power as the ultimate architects of our life experience—leads to a more empowered and authentic existence. The illusion of control From a young age, we are conditioned to seek validation and direction from external sources. Society’s norms, cultura…

Within three months of becoming CEO of the Honest Company in 2023, Carla Vernón slashed 25% of its eco-friendly goods. That seems tame in comparison to what happened when Brad Charron joined Aloha as CEO in 2017: He killed off every product category. Now on the other side of major rebrands and company pivots, these CEOs say there wasn’t necessarily a playbook to follow when they joined their respective companies as outsiders. While assuming the role of turnaround CEO proved difficult—and not one either would like to undertake again—there are many lessons learned, which they shared during a discussion at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW. When Charron was initially ap…

Some “copycat” versions of popular weight-loss drugs will soon be restricted in the U.S. The change comes as a federal judge declined an injunction that would’ve allowed compounding pharmacies to keep making more affordable versions. In a Good Morning America segment, Dr. Tara Narula, ABC News chief medical correspondent, explained how compound-drug creation works to meet demand. “When a drug is in short supply, the FDA allows these compounding pharmacies to essentially create copycat drugs. But when the drug companies say, ‘we are able to meet the demand,’ then those compounding pharmacies can no longer sell those drugs,” Narula said. The U.S. Food and Drug Adm…

Featuring Fara Howard, Chief Marketing Officer, GoDaddy; Taylor Montgomery. Chief Marketing Officer, North America, Taco Bell and Dan Murphy, SVP, Marketing, Liquid Death. Moderated by Jeff Beer, Senior Staff Editor, Fast Company. Brands have a history of leaning into the unexpected to capture customers’ attention and cultivate loyal fan bases. But what’s the secret to properly executing such a campaign? And if the unconventional has become your calling card, how do you switch it up without losing your brand identity? Hear from executives navigating these questions and get insight into how you should approach your next marketing strategy. View the full article

Featuring Monica Dinsmore, Head of Esports, Electronic Arts; Joe Franzetta, Head of Sports, Roku and Tony Khan, Founder, CEO, GM, and Head of Creative, All Elite Wrestling. Moderated by Yasmin Gagne, Staff Editor, Fast Company. When it comes to sports entertainment, networks and streamers are in heated bidding wars for exclusive rights, new leagues are disrupting incumbents, and the “esports winter” is thawing out to create new opportunities for the massive industry. Hear how execs from Roku, All Elite Wrestling, and EA Sports are rewriting the rules of their industries and shaping the future of sports entertainment. View the full article

Featuring Elly Dembo, Global Head of Data and Intelligence, McCann and Daryl Lee, Global CEO, McCann. Moderated by Kc Ifeanyi, Executive Director of Editorial Programming, Fast Company. America feels more divided than ever. Seventy-two percent of Americans believe this is the most complicated time to be an American, and 76% feel like the country is eroding. But beyond the headlines, there are powerful forces still holding the nation together: shared values, cultural touchpoints, and the evolving American dream. Join McCann Truth Central for an exclusive discussion about their latest study, revealing the surprising ways the American dream is evolving and how brands can…

Featuring Matthew Prince, Cofounder and CEO, Cloudflare. Moderated by Brendan Vaughan, Editor in Chief, Fast Company. With a quarter of the global internet powered by Cloudflare—its network provides service to over 300 cities across more than 100 countries—the company is at the helm of delivering content and connecting millions. But as AI-powered bots grow at a prolific rate and cybersecurity risks become increasingly sophisticated, ensuring the safety of the internet requires innovative thinking. Join Cloudflare cofounder and CEO Matthew Prince for a one-on-one conversation on how the company plans to tackle the challenges of the future. View the full article

Featuring Andy Dunn, Founder and CEO, Pie; Mélanie Masarin, Founder and CEO, Ghia and Ev Williams, Cofounder, Mozi. Moderated by Max Ufberg, Senior Editor, Fast Company. Loneliness isn’t just a lingering by-product of COVID lockdowns. According to former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, it’s a public health crisis. Businesses have taken this diagnosis as a cue to step in, fill those cracks in our social fabric, and develop a cure. Join this panel to hear from leaders who are looking to address the loneliness epidemic by building technology that facilitates in-person connection, creating products that encourage us to rethink the ways we socialize, and more. View the…

Featuring Joon Choi, President, Weverse; Aron Levitz, President, Wattpad Webtoon Studios and Co-President, Wattpad and Gita Rebbapragada, Chief Operating Officer, Crunchyroll. Moderated by Tania Rahman, Social Media Director, Fast Company. Cultivating a loyal fan base is every brand’s dream. So why not take a page out of the book of companies that have made fandom the foundation of their business? Hear from execs at Weverse, Crunchyroll, and Wattpad to gain an understanding of how these companies cultivate and serve their diehard fandoms—and how you can apply that approach to your customers. View the full article

Featuring Alexis Garcia, Cofounder, Brass Knuckle Films and Robert Rodriguez, Cofounder, Brass Knuckle Films. Moderated by Kc Ifeanyi, Executive Director of Editorial Programming, Fast Company. Robert Rodriguez, film director and founder of production company Troublemaker Studios, has certainly made an impact in Hollywood with films including El Mariachi, From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids, Sin City, and many more. And now he’s looking to redirect that impact back to his home state. Rodriguez is part of a larger push to make Texas the film capital of the world—a bold proposition that’s not without its challenges. Find out how Rodriguez plans to make that goal a reality—and…