And we’re back!

Toe be or not toe be, that is the question…

Before we jump in further…

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Deep(ish) Millennial Thought of the Week

I’m going to be brief with this one. If you take anything away from this week’s newsletter, it’s to always wear closed toe footwear when around heavy objects. But that’s a spoiler alert. And there is a lesson in everything.

Over the past few weeks, I became obsessed with building my own desk. Having suffered a shoulder injury that brought me into 3 months of intense physical therapy to rehab, I wanted to create an ergonomic haven for myself. All those months of sitting over a cramped desk had taken their toll on me. So, like any 37 year old who lacks a ton of experience in woodworking, I turned to YouTube and watched probably 15-20 hours worth of deskbuilding content, primarily focusing on how to turn a butcher block into an amazing sit-stand desk.

For weeks, I researched and prepped for this project. I gathered the right wood, stains, polyurethane, and brushes. Finally, when the temperatures were right and the humidity levels low enough not to dry out the wood, I went to work. Surprisingly, my research had paid off, as halfway through the project, the butcher block was coming out exactly how I wanted it to. I was feeling like Al Borland. And then 24 hours later, I pulled a Tim Taylor.

With only the final step of applying satin polyurethane onto my walnut stained butcher block left in the 48 hour process, I started the last phase of the DIY project wanting to be “one with nature” and as natural as I could be. Don’t worry, I still wore my recently-approved graphic t-shirt and shorts. But there was one item I chose not to wear - shoes. Perhaps my hubris got in the way. Perhaps I was rushing and didn’t want to go back inside to protect these little piggies. But quickly into the start of Day 2 of this DIY project, these little piggies did not go to the market. They took a sharp detour to the local urgent care after I dropped the 61 lb. behemoth of a desktop directly onto my naked big toe.

There’s no sugar coating this. I should have been wearing shoes. If I was, I likely would not be sitting here with ice on my swollen broken big toe. So what does this have to do with you?

Well, as we get older, I think it’s easy to become focused on trying to do something perfectly, while ignoring the basic details and common sense we have relied on to stop us from doing dumb things throughout our life. In the hours and hours of watching expert tips on how to perfectly apply wood stain, no one screamed out to me “And remember to wear shoes, ya knucklehead!”

I ended up finishing the desk on one foot like a maniac. It looks great. But this whole experience is an extremely humbling reminder that remembering the basics in life is more important than perfecting the unknown. Experience is a compass that can guide you through the present and the future.

I’m also looking for a shoe sponsor.

THE VERDICT: Common sense can’t always be taught or found on the internet. Utilize your MANY years of experience of life to protect yourself from preventable variables and challenges that may come your way.

Less Deep(ish) Millennial Stuff of the Week

• MILLENNIALS ARE QUITTERS. According to a new study from Ernst & Young, Millennials and employers do not see eye-to-eye on post pandemic worklife. (Fast Company)

• GEN Z DOESN’T EVEN GO TO WORK ANYMORE. They like concerts instead. (NME)

• I WON WEEK 1 OF MY FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE. I just had to tell somebody.

• MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z FIGHT ON TIKTOK ABOUT SUNGLASSES. Yeah, I dunno either. (Yahoo!)

• MILLENNIALS ARE BEING FORCED TO TALK LIKE GEN Z AT WORK. No cap. This is scary. (Essence)

Millennial Product Spotlight

I don’t think these would have necessarily protected me from my accident, but perhaps I could have jumped into orbit to avoid a falling piece of birch wood with Moon Shoes.

Moon Shoes were highly coveted in the early ‘90s and for literally no good reason as the highest you could go was 2-3 feet. I’m sure they also caused many trips to urgent care as well. That being said, the tune in the commercial linked above is catchy as hell and at least these plastic versions were a bit safer than the metal versions that attached onto one’s shoes in the ‘70s.

While you can still purchase these from Smyth Toys today, Moon Shoes really peaked in popularity after Nickelodeon came in and made them part of its merchandising efforts after they were featured on the hit show, Double Dare.

Will I be trying these out once my big toe is back to 100 percent? No, but I like knowing the option is still there. Plus, aliens are so hot right now, we might need these for interplanetary travel.

Millennial Album Spotlight

Alright, if you bought this CD, you probably signed up for an awful CD subscription plan that was wildly popular before we had Spotify. That being said, in a week where injury has knocked us down but we are trying to get back up again, Tubthumper by Chumbawamba gets the nod for this week’s spotlight.

The eighth album was the charm for Chumbawamba, quickly blasting up global charts in the late ‘90s with this feel good anthem that simply is just pub-infused fun. The success of the band’s “Tubthumping” is a testament that not only is being a one-hit wonder okay, but taking your time to get there is okay, too.

There’s not really much on the album itself, but hey, let’s toast to this anyway with a whisky drink or a vodka drink.

Listen here.

That’s all for this episode…

Before I go, a little about me:

I’ve been in omnichannel marketing, business development, sales and operations for startups and big brands alike for over 15 years now. If you’d like to talk with me about consulting, find me on LinkedIn, Twitter X and now Threads or reply to this email. You can also book some time with me on MentorPass. Or you can get creative, I know you have it in you!

Thanks for tuning in. Protect those piggies.