Strands of Genius is curated lovingly by Rosie & Faris, usually on Mondays & Thursdays, but occasionally you'll find it in your inbox other days too. They're unpredictable like that. They hope you read it, enjoy it, tweet it, share it -- and tell your mom ;)
February 4-6: Coca Cola Digital Summit | Atlanta, GA
April 27-30: Nashville, TN
May 20: Porto Alegre, Brazil
June 5-10: Sofia, Bulgaria
June 25-27: LearnFest, Lakes District, UK
THE WORD
(BRIEF BITS OF INBOX INSPIRATION BROUGHT TO YOU BY)
Every year the holidays come around, we're surprised. It feels like just the other day we were gearing up for 2018. Time flies when you're having fun, which possibly explains why this year was such a blur.
We meant to send this out last week, but then it snowed, and we doubled down on PJs and games in front of fireplaces. Alas, we're later than we hoped with this gift guide, but! There's some great stuff there!
We are sending these highlights with an accompanying list. Well, a few lists. We've got a games list. We've got a books list. We've got a nomad list. And then a couple more general gifts that didn't fit into those categories :)
This will be our last newsletter of the year, but we look forward to picking things back up in mid January! We're wishing you all the very, very best. We can't wait to catch up with you in 2019 and hear all about what you've got planned.
Dr. G Peeling Gel for those who glow : a brightening & hydrating gel
Where to start with this brightening gel?! It's magic, y'all. You apply a small dollop to your face, you massage it in, and then it exfoliates your skin, by literally um "sloughing it off" as one reviewer wrote. That said, it's got loads of good moisturizing stuff in there, and is perfect for sensitive skin. It's a cult favorite amongst Korean skin care bloggers, and it's cheap as chips. (Almost.)
Nockwood Tarot Cards for those the smarty pants in your life -- clients and colleagues
William Charnock was one of our favorite people we encountered in 2018. (To be fair, Faris knew him previously, but we reconnected at StratFest in NYC.) He's used 6 core human motivations and drivers along with alchemy and magic to create Tarot cards of his own. They're great for workshops -- for uncovering new perspectives and reflecting on your own.
We've spent hours and hours playing Camel Cup this year. It's a betting game, and what we call "strategy lite" -- Dice are involved, so you're mostly relying on luck. Plus, you can have up to 7 players. It's a German game, and the Germans, man. They're great at games. Thanks to our friends Antonia and Ronan who turned us onto this game in 2017. You might remember this from our gift guide last year. It's a repeat because we've doubled down on game time with the camels in 2018.
Stoicism is in, y'all. "Abandon all hope, ye who buy it," wrote the NY Times. "Cheeringly depressing," writes The Guardian. This Perpetual Disappointments Diary is perfect for those with a dry, or dark sense of humor.
These beautiful decanters are also cheeky -- Besides "Truth Serum," there's also "Hooch," "Booze," and "Liquid Courage." They're handblown glass, with gold lettering, and we've already snagged a few for Christmas gifts for friends.
truffle infused hot sauce for the foodies in your life
We're obsessed with this truffle-infused hot sauce. It is SO. FREAKING. TASTY. If you like truffles, that is. If you don't like truffles, or hot sauce, then you definitely shouldn't buy this.
Lauren writes, "This year, you can buy High Life (the Champagne of beers) in a CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE. Honestly, I think this is all you need to include in your gift guide because 1) High Life is glorious and 2) did I mentioned it's beer in a champagne bottle? 3) it will make your holiday party the classiest and 4) that is all."
Originally only available in vending machines, these packets -- designed to help you cultivate connection, imagination, spontaneity, and more -- are now available online. And, the creators were nice enough to give us a discount code we can share! Use IGDEC19 for 10% off.
Lisa suggests a membership to the Next Big Idea Club, "a book club started by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Daniel Pink and Susan Cain. You get a box (or electronic version) every quarter and content every week with author interviews, discussion guides, etc." Plus, for every subscription sold, the Next Big Idea Club donates 2 books to children in under-resourced communities.
BONUS: We do a ton of reading. Faris tends to recommend non-fiction books on Twitter, so we decided to put together a list of some of our favorite novels.
Last but certainly not least: 5 inspirational t-shirts for the women who rock your world. Rosie doesn't even really wear t-shirts, and she's already ordered three.
Thank you for reading, we so appreciate it. See you in the new year!
In March of 2013, Rosie & Faris left NYC. They've been #OutOfOffice for 5 years & counting. Want more on the nomad lifestyle? Check out Technomadix.co
Want to collaborate with Rosie and Faris? They are a husband and wife team that consult, speak, write, teach, strategize, facilitate & generally play well with others. You should definitely get in touch.
