Adventures #37: Finding the Lost Connections
Adventures...
An email digest from the desk of me - Howard.
edition 037
Third Rail Coffee, East Village, NYC
Hi
Two days before Christmas, I walked into my local coffee shop. It was strangely deserted. The lone customer was a man sat in the corner reading a book.
On impulse, I mentioned to him that I recognised the title.
What followed over the next hour and a half was the type of conversation that can maybe only ever happen in New York’s East Village: covering global politics to local history; late-night bodegas to gentrification; jazz ensembles to the birth of punk rock; wild tales of touring... and growing older.
When we said our farewells I headed to another NYC institution, Strand Books.
On the third table from the door was the book. Exactly as he'd said. And there was just one copy left.
It was my last book of the decade, and quite possibly the most important.
Moving into a new year, if any words from the past 12 months have truly rung in my ears it’s these: we are all seeking.
We’re all seeking connection: with work; with nature; and most of all, with others.
I’ve seen it in my work running accelerator programs; being a coach and sounding board for entrepreneurs; running workshops with executives at big companies. I've felt myself yearning for connection when the path is unclear, or I just can't seem to get out of my own way.
So, what better time than the first month of a fresh decade for us to seek, find, and remake some of those lost connections ?
Thank you for reading, and always I'd love to hear what's got your attention right now.
Howard
www.howardgray.net | @howardgray
// CAREER FUEL
I'm really excited (and a little nervous) about this: a new way to help you share your expertise, convey your ideas, and connect with others.
Here's the kicker: donate to one of our nonprofit partners and you'll get access to the whole thing completely free of charge (it's usually $695)
This special edition starts in Feburary and you can register....now!
> Get started
The Ladders of Wealth Creation
Using four ladders to move from working hourly to building products, and putting forward the argument that making money is, in fact, a skill - like playing the drums or piano - that you can get better at over time.
> Read more
Also: How to operate and communicate as a Founder CEO
// TECHNOLOGY x CULTURE
This project takes player and team data from the 1950s until today and layers in a bunch of tidy 3D data visualisations.
While this kind of stuff still feels largely like toys for geeks, my bet is it'll show up in all sorts of places as more use cases and better storytelling emerge.
Also: The new influencer paradigm - it'll be interesting to see if and how these huge Chinese trends translate elsewhere in the world
// JUKEBOX
Watchmen: Volume 3
Ok, I haven't seen the show yet. But the music is good, and this is the Jukebox section after all.
I'm sensing soundtracks and the sub-culture around them are on the cusp of becoming a much bigger thing: there are lots of interesting areas to explore here, and when it comes to the creation side Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross are two of the very best around.
> Listen
> Spread the word: Who are 2 smart and curious people you know who would find this email interesting? I'd be delighted if you could forward it on to them.
// FOOTNOTES
Other things I've been up to this month:
- Running 'Hidden Networks' workshops for NBC Universal’s Lift Labs in NYC and Philllllly. I'll share some snippets in next month's edition.
- Enjoying Ricky Gervais’ Golden Globes monologue. Tough crowd.
- Getting back into improv. Tough gig.
This is an email digest from me - Howard. I'm an educator, coach and project builder based in NYC.
This monthly dispatch collates a few of the things I've found interesting across education, entrepreneurship, and entertainment.