Adventures...

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Hi <<First Name>>

The start of the year can be a surprisingly tricky time for a lot of us.

That time for relaxation and reflection abruptly ends and we find ourselves thrust back into things without apology, and perhaps with a few resolutions already wavering.

I’ll level with you: I’ve had a tough past few weeks, but I'm taking quiet inspiration from this quote by Alex Klein in episode 1 of Tickets:

“When it seems the darkest and it seems the hardest that’s oftentimes the moment when, without knowing it, you’re creating that next great bolt out of the blue — that next great success”

I hope this month's updates grab your attention, and as always I'd love to hear where you're spending your time right now. Just hit reply.

Thanks for reading.

Howard

www.howardgray.net | @howardgray

From the desk of... me

'Tickets' Season 2 is go

4 episodes are now live, with 6 more to follow in the coming weeks.

Jump into conversations with the co-founder of Kano Computing, Duolingo's global head of community, the author of 'The Mom Test', and Betaworks' head of creative.

> Listen

7 Things I Learned in 2018

Some of the big themes for me over the past 12 months.

The value of lowercase Skills

Underrated for a long time, now growing in importance. What are yours?

Also from me this month:

> The Microscope & The Telescope (1 min read)
> I've updated my website so articles are easier to find (there's over 130 of them now)
> Introducing lowercase: a place for people taking non-linear career paths

Media & Entertainment

What Pornhub does with user data

These guys make Netflix look like amateurs when it comes to hardcore (data). A journey inside Pornhub's data science department.

> Read more

EDM DJs as Amazon Prime deliveries

A delicious skewering of our always-on culture and commercial dance DJs, through the lens of asset-light supply chains and drone drop-offs.

> Read more

Also: A good piece from Pete Paphides on why we shouldn't be dancing on HMV's grave

Career Fuel

How to run an annual life review

I tried out this guide from Steve Schlafman, and ended up making my own template to help with the process.

Give it a whirl, it's a really valuable exercise, looking both back and forward.

> Read more

Also:
- Navigating the shift towards a Portfolio Career >
- The Uncharity of College > (this is a long one, but very good)

Shout Outs

A few people I know who are doing good things. Let me know if you'd like to connect with them, or if you have something you'd like to share here.

> Nathan, Julia and all the crew at THAT - creating interactive magic and Dim Sum-powered demo nights

> Ajay Rajani - founder of Mural, and author of the aforementioned portfolio career article

Jukebox

Nicolas Jaar Essential Mix

Recently rediscovered, this was the soundtrack to the last of those crisp, atmospheric days just before Christmas.

It really is exceptional in how bold, emotive, and precocious it is... and whatever happened to Nikita Quasim?

> Listen

Footnotes

Other things I've been up to this month:

- Experiencing some big breakthroughs during coaching sessions, both as coach and client; hard to overstate how impactful this can be
- Digging into 'The Moment' podcast hosted by Brian Koppelman (co-creator of 'Billions')
- Cranking up a big new project for this year

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Howard Gray · 200 E 11th St · New York, NY 10003 · USA