Soft Returns & Fresh Starts

We're officially back, and by back, I mean collectively staring at our inboxes like they personally offended us.

There's this weird pressure in the first weeks of January to hit the ground running, to prove you're already crushing it, to post the goals and the vision boards and the "new year, new me" energy. Meanwhile, most of us are still adjusting to the fact that we have to wear real pants again.

I've been thinking a lot about the return to work this week, probably because I'm living it in real time. The holidays gave us this brief permission slip to slow down, and now we're all supposed to just snap back? Pretend we didn't just spend two weeks remembering what it feels like to not be perpetually online?

Here's what I'm trying instead: easing in. Not performing productivity for the algorithm. Actually being intentional about what gets my energy this quarter versus saying yes to everything because it's a new year and new years mean new commitments (they don't have to).

If you're still in soft launch mode for 2026, you're not behind. You're just being a human.

Anyhowww, here's what's worth paying attention to this week.

The Fake It Till You Make It Economy Is Exhausting The advisor industrial complex is out of control, consultants charging $10k/month for advice you could find in a $20 e-book, "strategists" who ghost the second you ask for pre-GPT work samples. The market is flooded with performers, not builders.

Find My Friends: Digital Accountability or Toxic Surveillance? When did a safety app become our passive social surveillance system? Some of us are turning locations off, not because we're hiding anything, but because we want to share updates on our own terms.

The Ozempic Rebellion: Why Accepting Yourself Is the New Counterculture When size-two women are taking GLP-1s because they "don't feel like doing cardio," what does that say to the rest of us? The real rebellion is actually liking yourself in a culture designed to make that feel impossible.

Vogue Japan Gets a New Creative Boss Kazumi Asamura Hayashi is stepping in as Vogue Japan's new head of editorial content, bringing indie cred from launching i-D Japan. Anna Wintour called her "bold and intuitive," aka she's about to shake things up.

Primark's Reality Check The fast fashion giant just issued a profit warning after holiday sales came in below expectations. They're now repositioning as a "value leader," which feels like corporate speak for "we need a new strategy."

Holiday Ads Were Good, Now Back to Mediocrity Spicy AdWeek take: advertisers remember effectiveness during Christmas, then forget everything by January. Emotional ads and mass reach get abandoned for micro-targeting the second the decorations come down.

Millennial Mom Group Drama Ashley Tisdale wrote about leaving her "toxic" celebrity mom group, and Hilary Duff's husband clapped back calling her "the most self-obsessed tone deaf person on earth." High school never ends.

Your 2026 Movie Calendar Rolling Stone dropped their 50 most anticipated films of 2026. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, new Star Wars, Charli XCX's pop star portrait. Start budgeting now.

Hailey Bieber x Victoria's Secret The Rhode founder is fronting VS's Valentine's Day campaign with looks ranging from lace teddies to cozy cami sets. Something for every kind of February 14.

China vs. Meta China is investigating Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus, claiming it violated tech export laws. Same playbook as TikTok. The US-China tech cold war marches on.

Samsung's AI Glow Up Samsung's profits are set to TRIPLE to a record high thanks to the AI boom. 20 trillion won in Q4 versus 6.5 trillion last year. Chip makers are eating.

McKinsey's AI-Proof Skills McKinsey's boss says three skills still beat AI: aspiration, judgment, and true creativity. Also: show your GitHub, not your diploma.

In this episode, Makena Finger Zannini, a multi-time founder, gets real about the unsexy side of scaling. 

From survival mode to running multiple successful ventures, Makena opens up about the emotional weight of leadership, why operations is the thing that actually makes or breaks you, and her philosophy on hiring people who can thrive when everything's changing constantly. If you're juggling multiple ventures, questioning your pricing, or building while still working your day job, this one's for you.

Key takeaways:

Listen to the full episode: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

New year, same commitment to taking care of myself. Here's what I'm currently obsessed with:

Kitsch Ultra-Petite Satin Scrunchies – Softer than silk and won't leave that annoying crease in your hair. 

French Large Hair Claw Clips – The tortoise shell claw clip that actually holds thick hair. Chic and functional, as it should be.

Summer Fridays Light Aura Vitamin C + Peptide Eye Cream – For when your under-eyes are telling on you. Brightening, hydrating, and worth every penny.

ESARORA Ice Roller – Depuffing, migraine relief, and an instant wake-up call for your face. Keep it in the freezer and thank me later.

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask – The hydrating mask that lives up to the hype. Perfect for travel recovery or just a random Tuesday when your skin needs some love.

ICYMI: The Economics of the Kidult Era

Netflix dropped $72 billion to buy Warner Bros., and what they're actually purchasing isn't a streaming service or film studio; it's your childhood. The same week, Zootopia 2 crushed the Thanksgiving box office while we collectively spent record-breaking amounts on Black Friday (largely through Buy Now Pay Later), financing comfort in real-time installments. This is the kidult economy in full effect: corporations have figured out that when the real world feels like too much, we don't want art that challenges us, we want art that holds us. 

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