Hi all,

Ready to be inspired? Us too. One chat with Carmen Graham, former Frida marketer and new CMO of Genexa, did just the thing.

This episode is about challenger energy, leadership inside regulated categories, motherhood, and how trust actually gets built when the stakes are high.

If you’re managing up, this episode has got tips for you. If you’re new to, or considering a new category, it has great advice. If you’re a leader who needs a jolt of ‘YES!’, it has that too. And if you’re a working mom, hold onto your seat. It’s thoughtful, funny, and very human.

Enjoy!

Meet Carmen Graham

Carmen Graham is the CMO of Genexa and one of the most grounded, lovely, and culture-literate marketing people you’ll have the pleasure of meeting.

Having spent the last 15 years working publisher, agency, and brand-side, Carmen’s career spans Complex, Verizon, agency life, and most recently Frida, where she helped define a new tone for modern parenthood brands.

She’s also a mom of three, outspoken about motherhood and leadership. And must-follow on LinkedIn because of it.

I can’t wait for you to meet her, truly.

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

01:29 — NEW ROLE, REAL MOMENT // Why Carmen took the Genexa job and what drew her to the brand.

04:01 — FROM FRIDA TO HEALTHCARE // Bringing challenger brand energy into a highly regulated category.

08:35 — SHAKING THE TREE // How Genexa’s first campaign landed internally and why that mattered more than metrics.

10:49 — TRYING AGAIN AS A CULTURE // Why being willing to experiment, even when things don’t work the first time, is a rare but wonderful instinct to build.

15:02 — GENERIC MOM ADS ARE DEAD // Why reality beats perfection. And why being polarizing is better than not speaking to anyone at all.

18:24 — THE MOM GROUP CHAT // Turning real parental behavior into insights.

22:30 — WHAT ‘CHALLENGER’ REALLY MEANS // Disrupting a 70-year-old category without losing credibility.

26:12 — MAHA AND AGENCY // We went there.

31:21 — TRUST IS THE MOAT // Why Genexa is playing the long game in healthcare.

34:35 — MOTHERHOOD ON LINKEDIN // Why visibility, honesty, and sharing logistics actually matter.

39:10 — HOW CARMEN LEADS // Transparency, calendars, and building a team culture that works and lets you be your best.

43:02 — UNCONVENTIONAL LEADERSHIP // Breaking silos and bringing teams along for the ride.

45:24 — QUICK FIRE // The rapid hits on brand, leadership, and instinct.

* 3 things every brand should do?

“They should leverage social as the first place for their insights...Care about how you look. Care about the aesthetics…And take care of your people.”

* What’s your biggest learning / what would you do differently?

“I would never sacrifice my integrity for work. And I would never sacrifice the integrity of the work for one piece of feedback. Stick to your guns.”

* If you could collaborate with one other brand on something, who would it be and why?

“I would love to collaborate with Poppi. Wash it down.”

* If there were one celebrity spokesperson for the brand, who could it be?

“The Foster Sisters.”

* One word that sums up your brand?

“Relief. Feeling better.”

Huge thanks to Carmen for chatting. And if you’re building a brand, new or established, and pushing things. Reach out! [email protected]

That’s all, folx.– Chris

If you listened/read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.

PS. If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, you can listen there too.

Welcome to the 2026 Predictions, guest edition!

In case it’s not abundantly clear, this Substack is based on my love of reading a borderline insane amount of just about everything. And nothing gives me more pleasure than reading those with perspectives as strong as my own. I asked some of those I admire and read most to share their thoughts on the year ahead. I’m genuinely humbled by the caliber of people who agreed.

And finally, a quick reminder that we put all this goodness into a fun stand-alone site for you to share, devour, and explore. Check it out here (use your Substack email for the email section, and it won’t duplicate you.)

As always, the lens of this letter & pod is a best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What I’m dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands.

Enjoy!

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy!

05:00 — CULTURE

ANU LINGALA

ANU : Connecting dots and building a world-class trends library.

ASPIRATIONAL HUMANITY // We’ll see the continued acceleration of Aspirational Humanity — as artificial intelligence hyper-flattens mass culture, anything denoting evidence of humanity becomes exceptionally desirable. And as a consequence, we’ll begin to see the emergence of a Hierarchy of Humanness.

* Human-created cultural products positioned as most valuable, and priced accordingly

* Elevated synthetic content that is “humanwashed” to recreate a semblance of humanness — the new “premium mediocre.”

* Synthetic slop for the masses, akin to ultra-processed food and fast fashion

I’m hopeful that 2026 will see the rise of Subversive Sincerity, or a version of progressivism that is less ‘cringe’ and channels a more rebellious energy. This would manifest primarily in subcultural spaces that intentionally evade the algorithm. But some of mainstream cultural indicators would include the resurgence of rock music and a revival/remix of punk, goth, and grunge aesthetics in fashion.

MATT KLEIN

ZINE : You know him. You love him. Culture interpreter extraordinaire.

NUANCE BECOMES THE ANTIDOTE // In 2026, our planetary crises and personal conflicts will increasingly stem from a culture that has abandoned complex, ambiguous, grey-area thinking. Strengthening this atrophied capacity for nuance is mission critical.

MICHELLE BLASER

The Pollinatr : An expert observer, tracking things coast to coast.

SOUTH > COASTS // The coasts are out and the South is in. Visa’s data shows the South is now growing faster in population and GDP than any other region, and it’s expected to keep outspending the rest of the country through 2026. The old “undereducated redneck” stereotype is dead. Southerners have real buying power, and they want brands that speak to their culture, not around it. YETI, Dr. Pepper, and Tecovas get it. The rest of the industry needs to catch up.

VICTORIA MONTGOMERY

Women in Brand : A woman putting words to culture. And connecting women in brand worldwide.

NOSTALGIA FOR HUMAN KIND // Well, the world’s a bit rubbish, isn’t it? In 2026, brands will compete for ‘culture shaper’. With the 2025 AI avalanche making us so co-dependent we ask Chat to remind us of our own name, brands will tap into smaller communities to build trust, champion human connection, and find extraordinary in the ordinary (with a conversion KPI). Think Claude pop-ups and AmEx live, but the onus on unique experiences that spread joy.

We’ll see human-crafted content win - though the jury’s still out on whether that’s perfection in imperfection (the ultimate UGC), or polishing the slop with quality craftsmanship and big budgets (more Apple mnemonic).

OCHUKO AKPOVBOVBO

as seen on : Wise, always on point, and giving it to us from the Gen Z perspective.

NEW LOOK // There’s going to be a shift away from the “glossier-fication” of everything towards a design language that is sexier and more mature, particularly in beauty and wellness.

MARIE DOLLÉ

Marie Dollé : A modern-day philosopher bringing the best perspectives to your inbox.

NONSENSE COMMUNITIES // Dictionary.com named “6-7” as word of the year. What does it mean? Nothing, really. It’s just a meme that lots of people repeat whenever they get the chance. Some teens shout “six-seveeeeen” because they think it’s funny. And others do it because they think it’s cool to say. While it may seem trivial, I think, in fact, that it illustrates a broader sociotechnical trend in which meaning is deliberately erased to create tighter human bonds. Think about it: AI can repeat “6-7,” map its spread, or generate infinite variants, but it cannot belong, because it has no playground, no fear of exclusion, no thrill of a joke whispered behind the teacher’s back.

This logic appears elsewhere, from children banned from social media who end up building an entire social network inside a shared Google Doc, to the rise of algospeak in 2022, when users on TikTok and YouTube invented coded language to evade automated moderation, turning nonsense, euphemisms, and emojis into a shared dialect. Across these cases, humans exploit ambiguity and absurdity as a feature. How so? By creating communication systems that are illegible to machines and outsiders. The point is to produce a sense of community rooted in the deep pleasure of co-created secrecy and belonging.

What brands could leverage: Instead of chasing clarity or viral simplicity, brands can create cultural magnetism by designing spaces where audiences shape the meaning with micro-languages, evolving symbols, playful rituals, or ambiguous signals that reward participation over passive consumption. It’s a great way to cultivate singularity, insider affinity, generate culturally resilient engagement, and occupy a space algorithms, and competitors, cannot easily imitate or infiltrate.

23:33 — F&B

FRED HART

@fredwhart : LinkedIn’s and my favorite expert on all things F&B

EMBRACE THE ANALOG // As AI flattens culture into frictionless sameness, drowning out the authentic voice and dulling our senses with visual slop, more value shifts to the unmistakably human and the art of craft, taste and principles. While Coke catches flak for its second AI-generated Christmas ad, Apple has skipped CGI and used hand-cut glass in its latest ad. Lay’s global redesign uses real potato-stamping patterns, Polaroid is rejecting screens, and Radford Beauty used nothing more than the founders’ handwriting and sketches to create a category-shaking brand identity. In a world obsessed with automation, human inefficiencies are becoming the competitive moat. All hail the analog.

26:27 — SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS

EINAT ISRAELI

@einatisraeli : A lover and champion of all things Silvers and longevity.

MIDLIFE SPOTLIGHT // Midlife is about to steal the cultural spotlight. We’ve spent years idolizing youth as the engine of culture, but the real disruption is coming from people 45–65 - the ones rebuilding careers, bodies, identity, and relationships, and for women, navigating menopause with a new kind of confidence. In 2026, midlife emerges stronger as a cultural force, influencing wellness, work, style, and the way we imagine the 100-year life.

BEN VARQUEZ

@benvarquez : A man on the ground with Gen Zs on campus.

REAL COMMUNITY // When it comes to Gen-Z/Gen-Alpha, influencers will take a back seat to community. There’s been a lot of recent backlash for over-consumerism and being out of touch with the general state of the economy (see: Jaclyn Hill), so we’d love to see more brands do PR trips with regular consumers they gather through public UGC instead of paid creators.

33:00 — FASHION & RETAIL

MICHAEL ABATA

@michaelabata : A retail expert with killer observations and a heart of gold.

AUTOMATED AND POP-UP RETAIL KEEP GROWING // Staffing challenges + the mall declines + “I just want it now” = more automated and pop-up retail. From airports to college campuses, more brands and retailers will explore automated and pop-up retail moments in high traffic areas. In 2025 we saw Amazon, Chick-fil-a, Bath & Body Works, Lululemon, Auntie Anne’s, Funko and Pokemon expand into these retail quick solutions. Who will be next? Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4 Link 5 Link 6

MORE LUXURY GOES HOSPITALITY // From Coach to Ralph Lauren, luxury brands will continue to lean into hospitality to expand their brand presence and create deeper emotional connections with consumers. I suspect we’ll see unexpected brands jump into hospitality in 2026. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Alo, Beis, Tiffany & Co or Rivian jump in. Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4 Link 5

QSRS JUMP INTO THE BEVERAGE CATEGORY // McDonald’s tried it with CosMc’s. Now Chick-fil-a and Taco Bell are in on the hot hot hot coffee and beverage growth as consumers are spending money on little luxuries and Starbucks loses significant share. New competitors like 7Brew and Dutch Bros have lit a fire under traditional QSRs. Who will be next in 2026? My bet is on Chipotle or Cava taking an agua fresca approach. Or perhaps we’ll see another unexpected player like Shake Shack spin something up? Link 1 Link 2 Link 3

38:17 — TECH

DANIELLE GREENBERG

@danielle-greenberg : No one knows more about where AI is headed than this woman. And she’ll teach you everything.

PERSONAL TOOLBOX // AI use will shift from choosing one assistant to assembling a personal toolkit. I already use ChatGPT for personal tasks, Gemini for analytical or visual work, and Claude for creative thinking. This kind of deliberate, purpose-driven use will define mainstream behavior next year. Example here.

BRANDS, PLURAL // Brands have already started moving away from mass appeal, and 2026 is the year this becomes the norm. They will design for people as they truly are: contradictory, plural, and complex. The brands that respect that complexity will outperform the ones still chasing a single story.

MICRO MADE // Micro-apps will become the default way people interact with technology. Instead of adopting long-term tools, people will build momentary apps for precise needs, use them once, and move on. Software becomes transient and strictly purpose driven, where utility wins over attachment.

44:32 — SPORT

VICTORIA BUCHANAN

Non-Sweat : Looking at the fringes of sports and culture and making it make sense for now.

OBSESSION BECOMES CULTURAL CAPITAL // A pivot away from viral performance toward high-fidelity skills, real knowledge, and uncompressible mastery. People are choosing things that fight back; books you have to wrestle with, music that demands presence and pursuits you can’t shortcut with AI. The new flex is simple: prove you care enough to go deep.

47:26 — WELLNESS & BEAUTY

JAMIE ROSEN

Office of the Surface : The person you turn to for all the best hidden wellness spots.

COLLABS SHALL DIE // Because everyone is in their own little content bubbles, it’s harder than ever to create impactful cultural moments. Up until now, collaborations have been a smart way to speak to two audiences you didn’t know could intersect. But there is a very real fatigue for them in the market. The consumer has become so very savvy, and they are getting inundated with content and partnerships on repeat. Instead, the brands who use their own cultural lens as both gut-check and filter can continue to stay interesting while generating fresh storytelling and constant world-building.

JENNY EVANS

Lit From Within : My go-to for the future of health, skin, and inner wisdom.

LONGEVITY OVERDRIVE // In 2026, longevity is about to become the new “microbiome”—the buzzword every wellness and skincare brand will be screaming from the rooftops. But this time, the hype is backed by real mitochondrial science. Brands like Timeless are already leading with research-driven supplements and activities that boost cellular energy and spark true regeneration. And you know I’m not a filler girl—I’ll take injecting peptides any day—but I am surprisingly obsessed with Sunekos, the only bio-stimulating injectable I can stand behind. And of course, my favorite beauty biohack of all time? Red light + methylene blue. It’s mitochondria magic, and trust me—2026 is the year everyone else finally catches up.

52:06 — TRAVEL

TORI SIMOKOV

Window Seat : Who knows all the best hotels and how to get there in business class.

AIRPORT TOURISM IS COMING // Terminals like LGA’s TC, Changi’s T3, and Hamad’s indoor garden are turning airports into micro-cities of sensory delight. We’re approaching a world where people book flights to or from these airports just to spend time in them.

DEVI RHODES

Well Done: Wisely advising hospitality brands on how to get it right.

ANTI-RECOMMENDATION RISES // Anti-recommendation becomes the new hospitality currency. Hotels and restaurants stop pretending to be for everyone and start getting specific about who they’re actually for. “Perfect if you want to eat dinner at 5:30pm” or “Not for you if you need a gym.”In a landscape of infinite sameness, specificity becomes the only honest filter that works. Saying “we’re for people who hate brunch” doesn’t shrink your audience...it just finds the right one in multitudes. Turns out the middle-aged guy who wants a martini at 4pm and the 19-year-old who thinks bottle service is depressing have been waiting for the same brutally honest menu all along. “Not for everyone” takes the cake.

FUN FOR THE WEEK

If you got here and are thinking, what else?! I love your lunacy. Read my predictions here if you haven’t!

If you loved this, give it a like, but also make sure to hit subscribe/follow to all the amazing people above. Your inbox and your mind will not regret it.

ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +16K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack

Welcome to Year 2 of GOOD FUTURE. Everything you should be watching in 2026.

Unlike a typical issue, most of these links lead back to past GOOD THINKING issues, so you can dive deeper into each topic. It’s a rabbit-hole wonderland.

Each prediction comes with a counter-prediction: the pendulum swing. These two realities will live simultaneously, sometimes appealing to the same consumer. This email is long. It might be cut off. Read it in the app.

In the podcast episode, we dive deep into each of these, unpacking them more. It’s not just a reading of the list but a guide to help you understand each prediction more. Hit the titles to skip to the bits you fancy! And this year, we went even BIGGER. Now, if you’re eager to share this with your team, colleagues, boss, mom, bestie, or just want to be even more consumed, we made a site with all the predictions, pics, and examples, explainers and AMAZING guest predictions (that we’ll be discussing and sharing here in the new year!) from so many incredible contributors including Ochuko Akpovbovbo, Matt Klein, Michelle Blaser, ANU, Marie Dollé, Jamie Rosen | Beauty Notes, Devi Rhodes, Fred Hart, Michael Abata, Danielle Greenberg, Jenny Evans, Ben Varquez, Einat Israeli, Victoria Buchanan, and Women in Brand.

CHECK IT OUT!

Let’s dive in!

05:22 — CULTURE

INNER WORLDBUILDING // Culture is swinging inwards. As the constant availability of knowledge increases, we are reclaiming intuition, privacy, and unshared experience. In 2026, we place more boundaries. Protection from the prying eyes of strangers’ lenses, the near-invisible listening and recording devices that are always on, and AI sleuthing that allows anyone to know anything. This isn’t just about evasion. It’s about valuing your gut, keeping things for just you and your close friends. We’re building inner worlds.

* ‘Camouflage Culture’ rises. “The run you don’t track, the party you don’t post.”

* Group chats become a ‘channel.’

* ‘Algorithmic Evasion’ sounds sensible and not sci-fi.

* No-camera zones become standard practice.

* ‘Intuition’ regains validity. Improvisation is seen as a valued skill.

The pendulum swing?Radical spectacle rises. As inner worlds get gated, shared experiences get bigger. Brands build wonderlands to compete with AI for attention. Building brand in this era will be about showing up. And our expectation is brands go big or not come home with us.

13:13 — F&B

BIOLOGICAL DINING // Food becomes a protocol. Biology is replacing diet culture. Think: mitochondria health, hormone regulation, vitamin absorption, glucose-safe, recovery enhancing. We want our food to be working for us, not against us.

* ‘Deuterium-depleted’, ‘hydrogen-packed’, we get comfortable with scientific terms.

* Patented ingredients like low-absorption fats become power plays.

* Non-glucose-spiking becomes a strong position.

* Creatine-infused milks arrive from a major player, not just a niche brand.

* The wearables are everywhere, and smaller. Tooth-worn wearables aren’t extreme.

* DoorDash or [insert delivery brand here], powered by AI, allows you to customize biology-supporting meal delivery.

The pendulum swing?Food bites into entertainment experiences. As many brands turn to hard facts, other swing toward lore, play, and worldbuilding. Every surface and touchpoint is an opportunity. Character IP booms. Restaurants become cinematic extensions. Brand mythologies become an essential brand-building tool.

18:45 — DRUGS & BOOZE

HIGHLY USEFUL // Drugs will get rebranded as productivity and recovery tools. The stigma dissolves, and we shift our perception from escape to enhancement.

* Psychedelics get longevity framing.

* Ketamine is increasingly recognized as a focus/ADHD aid.

* More states fund Ibogaine trials for PTSD and more.

* ‘Clean’ nicotine mainstreams. It’s on the shelves in offices. And locker rooms.

* GABA gets more energy.

* Even cannabis is getting a more generous lens.

The pendulum swing?Let’s live a little makes a comeback. Vices regain popularity. A glass of wine, a late night, and a cheeky cigarette are no longer counter to your other lifestyle goals. Think: moderation in a more extreme way.

24:21 — SILVERS

POST-DEMO // Age and stage no longer map to behavior. Mindset > metadata.

* Brand books with age demos become laughable.

* Kids are sushi connoisseurs and edit like expert showrunners.

* Silvers are doing Hyrox competitions, gaming nightly, and cruising constantly. Retirement is a sport.

* Millennials and young Gen-X begin electing for part-time retirement as job cuts reframe careers. Fractional work is the new norm in this cohort.

* Senior sports get reinvented. Mixed-age teams and strategy-forward formats built for older bodies emerge and are welcomed.

The pendulum swing?Aging is assisted, but not in assisted living centers. Exoskeletons replace canes. AI lenses for vision makes bifocals history. Hearing gets truly augmented. Regular homes are transformed to allow for longer aging in place. Even advanced healthcare comes in-home as remote monitoring becomes easily accessible, and healthcare distrust/staffing shortages make patients feel safer with loved ones.

30:35 — ALPHAS & ZS

ALPHA AGENCY // Kids aren’t passive consumers anymore. They’re co-authors. Alphas gain real influence at home and in culture. Brands start designing for participation, not passivity.

* Tweens drive family viewing and large purchases.

* Kids focus on soft skills and learn to be persuasive.

* Cars, homes, tech, all have to appeal co-generationally.

* Participation expectations and tools explode. Alphas assume your IP is theirs to play with.

* Kids (and their parent) will craft their own versions of shows to fit their personal interests.

The pendulum swing?They embrace self-selected digital hermit-dom. Not completely, but often. As Alphas’ agency expands online, the countermove is retreat. Post-social media worlds emerge where teens make the rules away from prying eyes. And quiet, analog, real-time experiences and interests rise. They are doing it not for the feed but for the fun. Think long, slow experiences like movies, golf, chess, the list goes on. But don’t be fooled, they won’t be playing it in your old-school ways.

38:38 — RETAIL

FULL SPLIT // This trend is a full pendulum swing in and of itself. Shopping is going to split into two extremes: effortless automation or intentional effort. AI will handle transactions instantly. And, physical retail swings towards immersion and old-school brand building.

* For example: Car dealerships become about the experience and brand. Your AI agents handle the negotiations end-to-end.

* LLMs will get ads. And we learn to ignore them. Brand building is about to become paramount.

* Luxury goes full experiential. Planes, trains, boats, art galleries and hotels are the new retail store. But you can track the price of your purchase before you make it. Spas reach new heights. But AI-tailored treatments enter the chat.

* Vintage thrives (even in luxury) as provenance beats AI slop and tariff-induced cost-cutting measures lower quality to impossible-to-justify standards. Smart brands will take note.

The pendulum swing?Invite-only aisles replace public browsing. Anti-algorithmic, ‘taste-driven’ platforms rise. Friend-vetted, invite-only/members-only, no-website stores become bigger. No digital or AI layering here.

46:58 — TECH

TRUST COLLAPSE // When everything looks real, nothing feels real. AI is making influencers indistinguishable from their digital twins. Trust becomes the word of the year.

* Brands generate perfect AI creators, ushering in a new era of character IP.

* Influencers outsource themselves to clones, and the industry collapses under the fakery.

* Students outsource their taste to AI.

* Human-made and the ‘evidence’ proving the fact becomes a point of pride and a needed standard.

* Brands that breach trust and plant seeds of doubt. A ‘made by humans’ stamp, like ‘Organic’ emerges. But much like the former, we don’t know what to believe.

* Ultra simple, human-focused content surges.

* Recommendations change venues. We trust our train AIs over influencers.

* Brands hire human experts to infuse humanity into robots and AI systems to make them more appealing.

The pendulum swing?Influence shifts to intimacy. IRL, face-to-face, local communities, real experts, and small groups where you know the person in front of you isn’t a clone go wild. Meet-ups, audience gatherings, niche communities (including on group chats that filter bots) get bigger. Disconnection has been predicted for years, but we’re demanding it now.

53:17 — SPORT

AMATEUR GLORY // Amateur sport becomes the main event. Creator leagues, street tournaments, and amateur leagues become the real entertainment. And snag major league ad deals and the glory.

* High-stakes peer leagues grow.

* Fan festivals become competition hubs.

* Neighborhood tournaments get elite-level branding and facilities.

* Everyday-athlete competitions surge, hosted in spectacular venues.

* Fan proximity expectations deepen.

* Fans become the media. Superstars become guests. Amateurs take the trophies and the revenue.

The pendulum swing?Recovery becomes a serious sport. Social saunas, no-workout-full-recovery gyms, and wellness dayclubs turn restoration into the main event. Brain massages, recovery treats, and plunge/bathing pop-ups spread. Smart mattresses and wearables turn recovery scores into status.

58:18 — WELLNESS & BEAUTY

EVERYDAY INTERVENTION // Wellness shifts from self-care to self-intervention. People treat their bodies like systems to tune, upgrade, and augment. Biohacking but commonplace, zero feelings of ‘that’s extreme.’ Self-diagnostics become routine and expected.

* Peptides on every corner, not just in whispers.

* NAD+ is everywhere, but injectables become the only acceptable format.

* Full-body scans, biomarkers and bloodwork become as standard as aspirin.

* Brain health becomes a daily score.

* Apps help people taper off meds as they take health into their own hands.

The pendulum swing?

A rise in ‘Wellness Anarchists’. People want quality without restriction and reject rigid protocols. Doing less grows (not just in wellness), valuing silence, pause, and boredom over optimized routines. And the highest flex becomes the run you don’t track. A move toward unlogged and unposted à la ‘Inner Worldbuilding’ but with a side of ‘f**k-around-and-find-out.’

01:02:02 — TRAVEL

POTENCY ON DEMAND // We’re more desperate to feel things. Travel becomes a way to dose intensity, not escape it. High-effort experiences meet zero-effort logistics. Extreme rituals, niche skills, experimental treatments, without any hassle.

* Extreme retreats go mainstream. Bridesmaids book themselves into darkness.

* Biohacked expeditions are the new extreme ‘travel hack.’

* Medical and cosmetic tourism accelerates. A new ‘Korea’ emerges, possibly stateside.

* ‘Temperament’ tourism begins. Prescribed trips for your well-being.

* Hotels offer unparalleled ‘best money can buy’ amenities, but they better be maximalist.

* AI concierges remove friction. Humans add the ‘human-tested adrenaline’ overtop.

The pendulum swing?Zero-intensity travel. Dead-zone escapes, phone-free spaces, and do-nothing itineraries gain cultural capital. Silence, boredom, and unstructured weekends become the ultimate luxury. Things like ‘knit and chat’ become a week-long affair. The trip where nothing happens on purpose—Bricked on arrival.

01:05:16 — FUN FOR THE YEAR

DISCOVERY SCRAMBLE // AI buries small businesses, but newsletters surface them. AI flattens search and pushes everything toward the same, or worse, aggregate answers. Niche brands and small businesses are harder to stumble upon. But newsletters become the new discovery engine.

MEDIA MUTATES (AGAIN) // Old media will die, and new media fractures more. Substack, newsletters, and creator-led journalism become the new power centers. Until they don’t. Big names want out from under platform fees and rules, causing things to splinter into a new version of the old guard.

HIGH-EFFORT EVERYTHING // Time to lean into: harder to make, harder to fake, harder to find, harder to follow. As AI floods the market with slop, high-effort output matters. People want the thing that took time, skill, taste, or pain to produce. Campaigns look different in this light. High production is no longer synonymous with effort. High creativity is. And don’t forget to document the process.

AI OVERRUN // Rapid AI adoption breaks the bubble (and the workforce). AI goes into overdrive: mass adoption, mass efficiency, and the very real possibility of a bubble popping. Brands confront the idea of doing more with fewer humans. But all is not lost. A new wave of solo entrepreneurs emerges. Think: 5x the Covid entrepreneur-boom, powered entirely by AI tools. 2-person shops become powerhouses.

ROBOT NORMALCY // Little bots are about to go mainstream. Not creepy humanoids but helpers. Tiny, non-threatening robots that water plants, deliver groceries, check inventory, guide guests, run errands, and quietly reshape expectations of convenience. Waymo becomes boring. Doorstep robots become standard.

REACTIVE TO RECOMMENDED // AI is about to flip the script. Fueled by your millions of late-night queries, access to your calendar/email, and your wearable, it will know what you need before you do. An anticipatory underlayer to your life. Gift for your daughter’s friend’s party next week? Ordered when you added it to the calendar. Midnight fever? Genexa at your door in the morning. Recommended is the new reaction.

See it with more detail! Click here.

That’s all, folx.

I can’t thank you enough for all the love, energy, and support you’ve given the letter this year. This year you’re enthusiasm has had us buzzing. Because of you, we’re speaking at SXSW 2026! Gave talks at Ollie, Brands & Culture and J.P. Morgan this year.

If you feel like giving me a gift this year, give this a share. And give us a vote for SXSW London 2026. And book us to speak at your next event or team offsite. Reach out! [email protected].

Drop any and all questions into the comments!

I can’t wait to be back in 2026, bigger and better than year. I’ll be back in your inbox early January.

Happy holidays and happy new year!

ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +16K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack

This one’s a little different.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking to so many people who suddenly find themselves on the job market. Friends. Former colleagues. Readers. People we admire. People who are exhausted. People who didn’t think it would happen to them.

December is supposed to be soft. A brain break. Instead, a lot of people are waking up to layoffs, restructures, or the quiet dread of not knowing what comes next. It sucks.

And while we don’t have all the answers, we do see patterns in the conversations we keep having. The same fears. The same pressure. But also some similar advice on how to get up and start again. Many folx are questioning if they should go it alone. Or not. We wanted to dig into all that.

Zoe Scaman said this this week, and it hit hard:

“Losing a job isn’t just losing income. It’s losing identity. It’s losing the structure that told you who you were and where you belonged. It’s waking up on a Monday with nowhere to be and feeling like the map has disappeared… But those skills you built, the instincts you honed, the ability to see patterns and make things that move people — none of that disappears because some holding company decided to please shareholders before year end. That stuff lives in you. It’s yours. You built it.”

That’s the spirit of this episode. Not a pity party. Not toxic optimism. Something closer to a rallying cry.

If you’re in the thick of it, we hope you feel a little less alone. If you’re steady right now, maybe this helps you support someone who isn’t.

If this is useful, tell us. We might make it a series.

And if you need us, truly, we mean it. We’re here. Hit reply.

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy.

00:00 — A DIFFERENT KIND OF EPISODE // Why we made this, who it’s for.

01:33 — WHAT WE’RE HEARING MOST // The same fears, the same questions, and the shift we’re sensing across the industry.

03:10 — YES, IT’S GRIM. BUT ALSO… ENERGY IS SHIFTING // Why we actually think there is more movement happening than the headlines tell you.

06:33 — THE QUESTIONS EVERYONE ASKS // “How do I get someone to give me a chance?” “How do I get hired for the thing I want to be doing?”

07:50 — THE PERMISSION TRAP // Stop waiting for someone to authorize your talent.

10:00 — THE CRINGE MOUNTAIN THEORY // Everything you want lives on the other side of the cringe. Posting, sharing, saying the thing. It’s daunting. But it works.

Side note: Just yesterday, in Lenny Rachitsky’s ‘How AI Works’ series, talking to a recruiter, they said this (read: LinkedIn is a thing):

“Michal’s recruiting automation succeeded because she asked the hiring team exactly what criteria they use: “Candidates must be from Israel or working at an Israeli company, active on LinkedIn within 3 months, and employed at their current job for over a year.” By codifying these specific requirements, she created an agent that found candidates the team had missed.”

12:14 — THE RED PLATE TRICK // A ritual for surviving the early days of putting yourself out there.

17:05 — HANDLING THE HATERS // Why negative comments hurt, how to process them, and when to delete without shame.

18:30 — “I WRITE A SUCCESSFUL NEWSLETTER.” // The GOOD THINKING bartender story. Fake-it-energy that actually matters.

20:07 — WHY COMMUNITY MATTERS MORE THAN EVER // Isolation, post-COVID connection gaps, and how to find your people again.

24:00 — PERSONAL BRAND REAL TALK // Why your resume isn’t enough anymore and what employers look for first.

30:00 — SHARE YOUR SECRET SAUCE // On originality, fear of being copied, and why sharing your thinking builds opportunity.

35:00 — FOLLOW THE FLOW, NOT THE PLAN // Letting go of the “it has to look like this” career mindset.

37:55 — SHOULD YOU GO OUT ON YOUR OWN? // The honest, unglamorous truth about entrepreneurship.

39:35 — WHY A PARTNER 10X’S EVERYTHING // The real reason IN GOOD CO works: energy, accountability, and not doing it alone.

42:00 — THE GRIEF OF LEAVING A JOB // Whether you quit or were laid off, there is a loss you have to feel before you move forward.

44:34 — IF YOU’RE STUCK IN A JOB YOU CAN’T LEAVE // Managing up, reading the room, and improving a situation that won’t change itself.

Thank you, as always, for being here. And if you’re one of the people this episode is for, we’re rooting for you.

ABOUT

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +16K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands |Follow her on Substack

We’re back with the GOOD THINKING gift guide. Year 2. We went bigger! And there’s also a ton of exclusive GOOD THINKING discount codes—thanks, brands!

Warning: this post is long and will get cut off. View it in a browser or the app. Categories include: CULTURE, F&B, DRUGS & BOOZE, SILVERS, ALPHAS, FASHION & RETAIL, TECH, SPORT, WELLNESS & BEAUTY, TRAVEL, and FUN FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

We gave it our best QVC energy.

Enjoy!

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

02:53 — CULTURE

ALICE // Chocolates that are half wellness, half treat. No actual drugs. Just functional goodness that work. If you struggle with being an introvert, I personally recc these. Take a square before an event and you’re somehow much more ready to be conversational.

OTHERSHIP // Contrast therapy, meets wellness, meets my favorite thing to do when I visit New York. If your person lives in New York or Toronto, gift them one of their guide ‘journeys’. I did the Self-Care one and the Sound Bath one and have wanted to go back ever since. Use code GOODTHINKING for 22% off single sessions and class packs in NY and Toronto through Feb 28, 2026 (one use per person).

GOHAR // Not sure what to say, these lemon squeezers are adorable. Do you need them no. Do you want them, absoultely yes. Get the set with the cute wrapping. I’m also after their ‘egg’ earrings. Love.

NEWSLETTERS // Obviously, newsletters are a love language. For one in almost every category read my Why is this interesting? Media Diet but top of the list:

* Puck for retail. Lauren Sherman and Sarah Shapiro / Line Sheet are indispensable. Use code HOLIDAYCD for 20% off.

* as seen on for culture generally.

* Feed Me a classic for an absolute reason.

* Link in Bio for everything social but staying up to date on marketing.

* Casey Lewis for all things Z and Alpha. Her Monday Digests are the best.

* Yaling Jiang for the china market.

* Plant Based for all things wellness.

* Window Seat for travel.

* Nadine @ The Stanza for hospitality.

12:50 — F&B

FISHWIFE // This was on the gift list last year and it’s so good we’re here again. The ultimate tinned fish gift set in a giant blue box is actually the ultimate gift. Use code GOODTHINKING10 for 10% off sitewide.

UNCLE’S // Love gifting small biz food gifts. This is mine for 2025. Thai green curry “blocks”that are freeze dried. Great for the friend who likes to cook but also likes shortcuts.

GEORG JENSEN // I love these boujie kettles. A kettle lives on the counter, so make it a good one. Tea lovers with love you. Pair it with PG Tips (classic and my life-long fave) or Cedar Hill’s Brain Fog tea or Wilden Detox tea if you’re EU-based.

17:21 — DRUGS & BOOZE

HIKE // Hopped edgy seltzer. Delicious and not average whatsoever. Great for NA drinkers or “one more but make it light” people. Perfect for the holiday table. Support small.

HELLER // Spotted this Asti ice bucket in NYC and it was perfect. Affordable. Cute. What’s not to love.

GHIA // This Monsieur Fizz bottle opener is part swag, part adorable. A little object of joy for anyone who takes their aperitivo ritual seriously—non-alc included.

AFTERDREAM // THC drink for your non-alc yet cali-sober design friends. Use code GOODTHINKING10 for 10% off.

ENGINE // Organic, Italian gin. Cool packaging. Actually tasty. Very giftable.

22:22 — SILVERS

RESTORE // Whether they’re healing (from a marathon, cancer, eye surgery, life—pick yours), hyperbaric oxygen therapy gift cards are an amazing gift. For the Silver in your life who’s into longevity, recovery, or just trying something new, this is awesome.

CADDIS // Readers that actually look cool. The “I refuse to age quietly” eyewear.

OMORPHO // Didn’t intend to add this to the list as it was here last year but they added an adjustable weight option and it really is the best around.

ADIPEAU // The website and the packaging don’t read this way but this is THE skincare for anyone perimenopausal and up. If they complain about ‘crepey skin’ this is your gift.

27:41 — ALPHAS & ZS

ABBODE // For the college kid or first-apartment person. Custom embroided gifts that are actually cool.

POK POK // Montessori-ish digital play that actually builds kids’ imagination versus drains it. Use code GOODTHINKING50 for 50% off an annual subscription on their site.

SHANA BLAKLEY // If you have 3 or 80 bags of your kid’s favorite drawings, or know someone who does, gift this class. I’m so excited to do this with Harry’s art. Use code GOODTHINKING for 20% off.

DRIZZLE BOARD GAME // Ice-cream-themed board game created by a 13-year-old. Cute, clever, and 100% inspirational.

MIND GAMES // After way too long on FragranceTok trying to understand why teen boys are obsessed with cologne, I’m no closer but know that this brand comes up a lot. But truly, all cologne seems like it’s the teen boy gift of the season.

TINY COTTONS // This is my go-to for baby/kids clothing gifts. Good patterns, high quality. I’m gifting this striped sherpa sweatshirt to all of Harry’s cousins so they match and will wear it again.

TRADER JOE’S // This 12-days of beauty advent calendar is a hit with our Alpha girls. Very over the shaming of kids and skincare. Have we all forgotten the strangle hold the Body Shop had on kids?

CHOMP SHOP // Pricey but lasting. Love this cardboard “table saw” and tools so kids can turn boxes into cities/castle/marble mazes/you-name-it. I have it on good authority it’s hair-pulling and tiny-fingers safe. On our list this year.

38:47 — FASHION & RETAIL

LE BONNET // Anyone who watched during the bad-haircut-era of the podcast knows that the passion for a good beanie here is strong. These have perfect proportions, every color, and are in all the ‘cool’ shops in Europe.

MARIMEKKO // A legacy brand that has not just maintained cool but has grown it. Love the pyjamas, shirts, and bed sheets. If you have a stripes/pattern person in your life, shop here.

AEYDE // The number if compliments I have received on these red shoes is insane. A Berlin-based shoe brand for the footwear obsessed person in your life..

KAS MARIA // This person makes small-batch clothing look better than anything you’ve ever seen. Personally on my gift list to self.

ELISA JOHNSON // Sunglasses that cause Kirsten to get stopped in the street constantly.

MEMO BOTTLE // Worst name, great product. Slim, high-quality water bottle that fits in a small purse.

GOOD QUALITY HUMAN // Trucker and corduroy hats that half of LA is now wearing. Made by incredible humans on a great mission. Use code INGOOD15 for 15% off.

45:16 — TECH

BRICK // A tech device that I’m actually using—rare. If you want to stop the mindless scrolling without shaming yourself, this is the move. A lovely gift for teams that you want to untether. You set your own rules, it removes the decision fatigue. Use code GOODTHINKING for 20% off..

NEURABLE // Gifted to me but I love these. Brain-sensing headphones that track your focus, suggest when to take breaks if you’re flagging, and the sound is great to boot. Use InGoodCODiscount50 for $50 off per item in your cart. Shipping in 2026 because demand is wild.

BIOMAT // For the bougie woo-woo lover in your life. Not a small gift but lasting. Heated crystal mat with PEMF. Kirsten has hers on her desk chair and adores it.

53:50 — SPORT

BANDIT // For the cool runner or workout girl/guy in your life. Rad, good quality, understated.

SAVANNAH BANANAS // If the Harlem Globe Trotters and baseball had a baby, we’d be here. And fams love it. Perfect for the sports enthusiast and the doesn’t-love-sports-but-lives-with-those-that-do in your life.

PENT FITNESS // Insanely expensive weights but they look like they belong in a gallery.

56:19 — WELLNESS & BEAUTY

FFERN // A limited-drop fragrance subscription. Excellent unboxing. Taking perfume to a better level.

MONASTERY // Adore the packaging and quality of the brand. The Everything Kit is a very special splurge gift. But the item on my list and everyone I know’s is the mask.

THE FLOSS // Fascia flossing isn’t huge yet but it will be. Mobility, nervous system work, and back-pain miracles might happen. It’s changed my ‘bad-ish back’ life. Use code INGOODFLOSS for 35% off your first month.

VICTORIA BECKHAM // The foundation drops and complexion duo are the heroes, they have Augustinus Bader infused and are lovely. Also love the cheek sticks.

ART OF ACCOMPLISHMENT // A meaningful gift for teams, or a person in your life that’s into self-developments. The description/brand doesn’t do the course justice. Trust.

ABEL // Clean fragrance that’s Jenny Evans approved. Personally have gifted with much success.

BEAUTYGRASS // Skincare made by Jenny Evans herself. The Moonlit is retinol without it. It’s all I use. Use code GOODTHINKING for 20% until Jan 10th.

BIODANCE // These are a go-to gift. Easy. Amazing. Korean sheet masks that actually do something.

65:51 — TRAVEL

KOLO // Amazing color-blocked slippers that are great for long plane rides or the house.

CLARE V // We’re unabashedly obsessed with this brand. The quality is great. Love their new travel cases that sit flat on the counter—amazing—, leather pouches and luggage tags. I also have their passport case on my list for myself—so cute. Use code GOODTHINKING for 15% off.

CALPAK // Packing cubes are a religion we joined 2 years ago. These are by far the best. So many good patterns. Pick one by family member. Have your life and theirs changed.

SLIP // The sleep mask in our lives. The thicker ones even work with fake eyelashes. Their pillow cases are also the best gift for curly girls in your life. I’d take about 12 more.

1:10:13 — FUN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

REMO // A new, more delightful version of an encyclopedia series. Artsy, nerdy, lovely.

RAM DASS // A Kirsten go-to gift. Be Here Now is never a bad choice.

LOUISE MADZIA // Likely on my list every year. The mugs you see on most shows. Huge. Perfect.

TINY ZAPS // Get a gift card for the perfect tiny tattoos. A great sibling or bestie gift. Go together. Have it forever.

MOLLY GODFREY // We mentioned LinkedIn classes but this has come up several times this year. If you’re building a ‘personal brand’ and need help getting over the cringe and figuring out this beast, this woman is who you talk to.

FREE PEOPLE MOVEMENT // No gift list is complete without socks. Thick, cozy, patterned perfection.

SAVOR // Beautiful, non-dairy bonbons we were gifted that look like tiny art pieces and taste great. Check them out.

That’s all, folx.

Have a lovely holiday weekend.

- Chris

If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.

PS. If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube you can listen there too.

Welcome to our top 20 brand campaigns of 2025

Not the biggest. Not the most awarded. Just the ones we loved.

We break down why each one worked, what it tapped into, and what every brand should learn from it.

Warning: the email will be cut off because I’ve added links to each of the campaigns. View it in the app for all 20 and hit the heart while you’re there.

And drop the ones we missed in the comments. I’m sure there are many.

Enjoy!

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

04:00 — FFERN // A fragrance brand you can fall in love with without ever touching it. Totally anti–fragrance tropes and pure ‘Instagram Premium’ energy.

09:30 — SALOMON // Loved this collab with the Gohar sisters. It nails where ads are right now: the campaign itself has to be the art piece. It takes the brand into the ‘fashion’ space perfectly.

13:00 — RAMP // B2B finally stopped being boring in 2025—amen. Fun campaign. And we love their Substack, Ramp Economics Lab too.

17:20 — BILT // A made-for-social TV show about NYC renters that didn’t even lead with the brand. Risky and smart.

20:35 — ARGOS // The UK’s equivalent of Sears turns its products into “art pieces” with five famous TikTok comedians. Funny and weirdly effective.

22:45 — NZ HERPES FOUNDATION // A nonprofit campaign done well. They leaned straight into stigma with elevated humor, not slapstick, and it worked.

25:10 — OURA // Silvers, sex, sports, longevity... all in one campaign. Give Us The Finger is edgy without trying too hard and completely reframes aging.

27:00 — REFY // Close-up lips, iconic older women, and zero “fixing.” Quiet, elegant, and genuinely aspirational aging.

28:45 — BOBBIE // Unexpected casting that makes total sense. And an amazing supporting cast of creators people have been following for years. This team keeps nailing it.

32:00 — MERCEDES-AMG // Highly social-friendly. Brilliantly shot. Cheeky and misbehaving at times. Entertaining always.

34:20 — ASTRONOMER // When the internet sets your brand on fire, you can hide, or you can shoot your shot. Making a moment of a moment can be a winning strategy.

36:05 — PALOMA WOOL // A mother of a campaign. Zero clichés. Not a Mother’s Day ad. Just great art direction.

37:50 — APPLE // A pop-up cubicle in Grand Central with the real cast of Severance, plus a fake self-help book. World-building so good it got people to watch the show.

40:05 — A24 // An 18-minute fake leaked Zoom call that tells you basically nothing about the movie. Funny because we’ve all been in that meeting. Great because the ad is a piece of culture in it’s own right.

44:45 — GAP // This brand remembered it could try again. A year of high-effort, optimism that seems to have woken up every CMO we talk to.

48:00 — BOTTEGA VENETA // Black-and-white hands, slow rollout, stunning photography. A simple idea, well executed.

49:55 — TOBLERONE // A staged airport tantrum that went viral. Triggering? Maybe. But interesting.

52:00 — DUOLINGO // The bird died, came back, and the internet broke. You remember it.

53:40 — YETI // A holiday campaign that makes both the outdoor-obsessed and their long-suffering partners feel deeply seen.

55:00 — TACO BELL // Letting people build the menu is risky. Letting them get voted onto billboards is even riskier. But love the participation.

All the campaign links can be found in Substack.

ABOUT

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +16K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack

Hi all,

What can 18 athleisure brands teach you about brand experience? A lot apparently.

And a very clear pattern emerged: clarity is rare. But when a brand has it, you feel it instantly, and it changes everything.

Whether you’re in retail or not, this episode is about the decisions that signal who you are and who you are for.

Warning, due to all the pics, this one will get cut off. If you want all 18, view in the app.

Enjoy!

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

04:00 — LULULEMON // A brand loses its power the moment it stops knowing who it’s for. The everything to everybody strategy is never the right move.

08:36 — NIKE X SKIMS // A huge launch means nothing if the store gives you no reason to care. The fixes are complicated, but they matter.

13:20 — BEYOND YOGA // If the space feels like a sample sale, the brand message is missing. Retail 101: If you remove the logo, you should still know where you are.

15:58 — ALO // When every detail reinforces the story, brand expansion looks effortless.

20:51 — WILSON // The unexpected star players. Lessons in updating legacy.

24:28 — ADIDAS // A store that feels like pickup instead of discovery leaves no memory behind. Where’s the brand we experience at every other touchpoint?

27:54 — VUORI // Soft fabric isn’t enough to carry you in this economy. It might be working but for how long?

31:20 — FREE PEOPLE MOVEMENT // Fun, energy, and stellar merchandising do a lot for desire.

34:59 — ON // Great product with no story around it creates a brand that feels unfinished. The product works, but the experience feels removed.

41:10 — AVIATOR NATION // A complex one. Dated from the beginning, but doing well in many other ways.

44:06 — ATHLETA // Windows are the first handshake, and this one missed that moment. And others. The zoning did work at least.

46:46 — BANDIT // A differentiated perspective in a very crowded market is refreshing.

49:25 — TRACKSMITH // Strong design choices can carry you far.

50:53 — HOKA // Hugely popular, a bit basic but working.

51:40 — LACOSTE // Retail as a signal for who you want to become.

52:58 — NEW BALANCE // They may have cultural heat, but the store feels lukewarm.

53:40 — GYMSHARK // When the fundamentals are sharp, the clarity is real. (no pics, sorry but many from the London store in this letter.)

54:09 — PSYCHO BUNNY // Mixed signals make everything confused.

That’s all, folx.

-Chris

If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.

PS. If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube you can listen there too.

Hi all,

We’re back with another edition of GOOD SIGNS—a monthly round-up of 4 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up.

Again, these aren’t trends. That’s way too heavy for a month’s worth of content. These are signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply what we’re finding interesting in the last month.

Enjoy! And let us know what you think.

Skip to the bits you fancy.

1.

01:00 — CULT WHITE COATS // The new status symbol isn’t who does your hair—it’s who does your bloodwork. Medical credibility has become the luxury signal of the moment. Doctors are now a brand asset.

Places it’s showing up:

* AG1 is signing NIL deals with doctors to build trust beyond the influencer set.

* Lanserhof raised $110M by centering its “doctor-led” longevity model.

* Canyon Ranch and Hotel del Coronado are turning clinical care into lifestyle design.

* Dr. Levine has become a household name.

Pendulum swing → AI is flattening the hierarchy. Platforms like Counsel and Fountain Life’s Zori AI use doctors purely as validators for machine-made diagnoses.

2.

05:41 — COLLAB HANGOVER // The culture of slapping logos together has hit the wall. And the fringes are cringing. The power move now is editing, not endlessly co-branding.

Places it’s showing up:

* Le Creuset’s meme-ification and limited-time fatigue.

* Wicked’s 90-plus tie-ins and the growing ick for gluttonous licensing.

* “Anti-update” energy around J.Press. Keep the soul. Skip the twist.

* Campbell’s x Cynthia Rowley reads odd, saved only by a clear donation mechanic.

Pendulum swing → Smart world-building still plays. Adidas’s “Believe That” awards and Augustinus Bader x Dua show extensions that deepen the story rather than dilute it.

3.

19:08 — POLISH IS POWER // Soft skills are surging. From finishing schools for founders to AI-free dining halls, polish has become a performance differentiator. It’s not about manners for manners’ sake—it’s social fluency as a trust-building tool in a noisy, automated economy.

Places it’s showing up:

* High Point University’s etiquette dinners as career prep.

* Alpha Schools selling “agency” as luxury education.

* Slow Ventures’ etiquette bootcamps for non-B-school AI founders.

* Allison Stadd 🥁 ’s excellent piece on life skills they don’t teach with $200K degrees.

Pendulum swing → No human involvement is being sold as a selling point. Meta’s “just give us your credit card” automation offers everything without any ‘human intelligence.’

4.

25:40 — THE MEMORY METRIC // The next wave of brand experience isn’t about virality. It’s recall. The most powerful marketing now lives as lived experience: something you can tell a story about, not just scroll past. Memories are becoming a business model.

Places it’s showing up:

* Moda Operandi’s gifting site is selling memory-making experiences.

* Malbon and Birdie Houses blending leisure, lodging, and lore.

* Damdam’s Explorations travel program as IRL brand immersion.

Pendulum swing → Memory building takes time, yet we’re addicted to immediacy. Instant resale offerings, AI shopping tools, and even healthcare shifting from ‘reactive to recommended’ shows how we’re not just in a hurry, we want you to read our minds and bodies. (This section deserves a whole separate podcast, honestly, we start to unpack it, but the implications are huge.)

5.

36:35 — CRAVING CONNECTION // The power base has shifted from public platforms to private proximity. Influence is now measured in closeness. Not clout. The best brands and communities feel more like group chats than comment sections.

Places it’s showing up:

* Offball’s The Chat is using WhatsApp to make athletes feel like besties.

* HoYoverse measures success in cosplay density and fan edit velocity, not just revenue

* MSCHF is predicting that smaller experience will matter more than mass reactions.

Pendulum swing → But connection is getting calibrated. Instagram’s editable algorithm, Priceline’s “dead zone” predictions, phone-free bars, and the rise of “Bricking” show that while we might want togetherness, we want guardrails too.

The letters referenced in this episode:

* The Ordinary is deeply confused.

* The Row is giving Goop.

* Moda Operandi is crazy. But onto something.

* Campbell’s x Cynthia Rowley wasn’t on my bingo card.

* Adidas has already won the Super Bowl

That’s all, folx.

-Chris

If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.

PS. If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube you can listen there too.

This week, we chat with retail expert Michael Abata. In addition to being one of our favorite voices on LinkedIn, Michael is a lovely human and a complete brand experience / retail nerd—get ready for a lot of geeking out on this episode.

One thing we both love about Michael is his love of the little, mundane things brands do. He gets in the weeds. He talks about gas stations and pop-ups with the same enthusiasm most people reserve for flagships and flashy made-for-Cannes campaigns.

We talk Altar’d State, Spirit Halloween, Rivian, AI-powered fitting rooms, and why brands should be looking to middle America malls for inspiration, not just Tokyo or London.

Retail is moving again. Brand experiences are back. And Michael’s is great at showing what it looks like when brands stop chasing trends and start walking stores.

Michael has also written about just about everything, so I’ve added links throughout the show notes below. Rabbit holes galore if you want to dive deeper.

It’s a good one.

Enjoy!

Meet Michael Abata

Michael Abata has a passion for retail. With 20+ years of experience from Target, Shutterfly, CAMP, Made By Gather to his most recent gig bringing to life IRL Chewy Vet Care at Chewy. He also does a ton of side gig work with his agency Anahata, working with retailers, leaders, and startup founders. Most importantly, you’ll find Michael active on LinkedIn commenting, sharing, and posting about all things retail, culture, and experiences.

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

03:04 — WHY RETAIL STILL MATTERS // From Old Navy to Chewy Vet Care. And why gas stations and airport shops deserve more love.

→ More on gas stations: QT, Buccees, what’s happening in Europe.

08:01 — HALLOWEEN, BUT MAKE IT COMMERCE // Spirit Halloween has no right to be so good. But it is.

12:02 — REINVENTING THE MUNDANE // Rowan’s ear-piercing rebrand. A masterclass in experience-first thinking.

→ More on Rowan’s experience: Link

15:50 — THE NEW UNDERDOGS // Altar’d State is quietly outplaying the teen brands you used to know.

→ If you’re new to Altar’d State: Here’s a good walk-through. And this is their furniture brand.

19:13 — EXPERIENCE > AD SPEND // Rivian’s $100 deposit strategy. Plus: Joshua Tree outposts, Venice vibes, and a pile of dirt at SXSW.

→ More on Rivian’s experience here: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4.

23:17 — EATALY, SMALLER BUT STILL SEXY // What happens when a 60K sq ft brand gets smaller?

27:32 — DICK’S GETS IT RIGHT // House of Sport, Public Lands, and why families actually want to go.

→ More on Public Lands & Dick’s: Link 1, Link 2.

34:50 — WHEN TECH MAKES SHOPPING BETTER // Fitting rooms with screens, walkout tech, and the digital bits that actually help.

→ More on Amazon’s walk-out tech here: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3.

38:44 — MISSTEPS & MISSED MOMENTS // The surprising number of execs who’ve never walked their own stores.

46:05 — THEME PARK RETAIL & THE FUTURE OF EXPERIENCE // Mattel, Netflix House, Meow Wolf—and the return of the gift shop as IP engine.

→ More on theme parks: Universal, Netflix House, Netflix Bites, Cosm.

53:00 — RETAIL MEETS HOSPITALITY // Yowie, RH, and the return of the all-day store.

→ More on retail meets hospitality: Yowie, Ralph Lauren, Restoration Hardware, Louis Vuitton.

58:30 — THE ANTIDOTE TO AI // Why physical experience is still the brand moat that matters.

59:32 — QUICK FIRE // Three things every retail brand should do, one word that sums up Michael, and who he’d overhaul tomorrow.

ABOUT

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +15K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands |Follow her on Substack

While we were in LA and NYC together, we did a LOT of retail and brand touring. And it became pretty obvious that many of the retail 101 basics are missed by most. We’ve worked with dozens of retail brands over our careers, and too often, we also end up fixing the fundamentals. We love a great big campaign, and brave brand moves, but if you’re not getting the simple things right, it might be for nothing.

But before you think ‘retail’s not my thing’, this episode is not-so-secretly all about brand as experience. As we know, human IRL experiences are increasingly important today. Doing them well is often in the details.

Let’s dive in!

Hit the timestamp to skip to the bits you fancy

00:01 — RETAIL 101 // Why even the best brands forget the basics. And why this series exists.

03:30 — POSITIONING IS LOGOLESS // From Brandy Melville’s single-minded energy to Telfar and Clare V’s spot-on perspective, your positioning working can be summed up with one simple rule: if we wiped all the logos away, would we know it’s you?

08:00 — SERVICE SELLS // What Nordstrom taught the industry, how Bombas done oh-so-right, and why good service still shapes memory.

12:15 — STAFF MATTERS // Uniforms that hit (Massimo Dutti), attitude that fits (Aime Leon Dore), and when it feels like a mismatch (Psycho Bunny).

15:15 — SHOPPABILITY = SANITY // Why Sezanne’s sweater wall fails and what Gymshark, Alo, and COS nail re: flow, sizing, and color logic.

20:20 — DON’T MISS YOUR MOMENT // If you get them into the fitting room, you’re 80% of the way to purchase. We chat Kith’s missed moment, Everlane’s “find-my-size” screen, and Printemps’ fitting zones.

24:57 — PRETTY PACKAGING // Why Corso Como’s bags and packaging walls are so great, what’s smart about Marimekko’s graphic totes, what Clare V’s duster does, and why Officine Universelle Buly wrapping feels like part of the product itself.

27:31 — STORE DESIGN 101 // Doors, light, flow. From Alo’s “portal” entrance to Casper’s “prison-gate” mistake and Bon Marché’s zoning perfection.

33:37 — MERCH MAGIC // How Wilson and Buck Mason use storytelling, mannequins, and props to make you buy more, and why Gap still hasn’t quite nailed it.

39:17 — STREET VIEWS // Alex Mill and Anthropologie, and Reformation prove the little things still pull people in.

And yes, this episode is all physical experiences. We’ll get into digital and the cross-over/360 experience in another episode! We’re doing a few more as part of this retail series. Next up is a chat with Michael Abata about his favorite retail observations and what brands are getting right. After that, a look at the future of retail and an experiential deep dive. Stay tuned and tell us what you want covered next.

That’s all, folx.

– Chris

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