"Oh that's just Link-tastic!"
Exploring some of my favourite reads this month!
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Oh yes, this Blueprint’s a little different!
Opening on a slightly personal note: I’ve been experiencing a pretty intense bout of social media burnout these past few weeks, not necessarily as a creator, but as a consumer. My biggest gripe has been “everything is a short video or a 3 image carousel and I acutely hate it!”
To soothe this sore spot about video content specifically (yeah TikTok, Reels and Shorts can collectively kiss my ass!), I’ve been leaning more into reading and listening to things instead.
And as a special treat, I’ve collected a few of my favourite reads and listens from this month!
Business, Business Business!
To kick us off, here’s some of my favourite business and professional-related reads and listens from this month:
Inside Value - Value In Practice: Nompumelelo Moshoeshoe
Yes it is a shameless plug, but I genuinely had an amazing time chatting with that week’s guest, Nompumelelo Moshoeshoe!
She and I got to discuss how she uses her expertise as a strategic consultant in enterprise development and change management, and how she understands Value and Value creation as it relates to empowering businesses for long-term success.
Her insights are enlightening and simple to grasp and implement; buckle down for a good dose of knowledge!
You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube!
StartUp Legal - MKBHD vs. AskMKBHD: A Cautionary Tale
Since the very beginning of AI tools being developed, the prevailing concern has always been “is my intellectual property going to be used to train some tool some place, and what legal protections do I have?”
Earlier this month, a well-known tech reviewer and influencer ran into this exact issue, which of course sparked massive concerns among those of us who develop original insights, content and works (I certainly scowled at the notion of the Value Innovation methodology and Value Mapping framework that I tirelessly designed and iterated being snatched up by some overzealous tech-twat to be fed to their millionth AI tool!)
Mzuzukile Soni (founder at StartUp Legal) succinctly explained this reviewer’s situation as well as the legal recourses available should you also find yourself in a similar situation.
Go ahead and give the post a read here!
Mimi Kalinda - The Transformative Power of Storytelling in Corporate Culture
A consistent complaint in business, non-profit and corporate spaces is the cold, distant nature of these environments. People struggle to engage each other in meaningful ways, with everyone kind of feeling frayed and disconnected.
In her post, Mimi Kalinda reveals how storytelling has become a beautiful way for leaders in these spaces to bring humanity, live and personality back!
Read her insights into this powerful action for connection here.
All work? No play? Not on my watch!
There’s simply no realm of existence where I’m only reading or listening to business related content, and you’re probably also not as single minded either! So here’s my favourite non-business picks of the month:
An absolutely beautiful read from Nedra Glover Tawwab here on Substack!
In this post she highlights the importance of moving through our lives mindfully, and cutting ourselves some slack when it comes to completing our work. Not everything is a frenetic race to the finish line!
Definitely give this one a read, here!
Another post on moving through life with ease, a lovely read from Mansi Kwatra on Substack!
This post has a similar spirit to the one before, but I adore the practical steps she provides to keep your head on straight and take your foot off the gas!
Give it a read, here.
My all time favourite writer on Substack! Nobuhle N. Nyoni simply has a way about talking about life in general that makes you want to read every single thing she ever writes!
In this post, she covers the interminable agony of having to wait for seeds you’ve planted to bear fruit, for better or for worse. I found myself keenly identifying with a lot of what she wrote, and her insights into this experience? Chef’s kiss!
If you’ve ever felt the frustration of being forced to wait for any outcome in life, you’ll want to give this a read, over here!
These are just a few of my favourite things reads!
Give them a looksee and tell me how they were for you in the comments!
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I have so many questions around the AI story. I don't know what I would do if my work was used like that without my consent or MONEY!? No ways.
Also, thank you for seeing my work. I appreciate it. ❤️