✅ Today’s Checklist:
- The power of a real thank-you
- How to stop scattering your growth
- A reminder you’re more than your job
🤔 Riddle me this: I start with “e,” end with “e,” and usually contain one letter. What am I? (Find the answer on the bottom).
QUICK LINKS
👂 Turn feedback into fuel with 360° tools that help teams grow.
🚫 A clean-beauty cheat sheet for ingredients worth avoiding.
🔮 Your star sign might explain your meeting style.
💼 How to deal with a micromanager without losing your cool.
CAREER GROWTH
Post-Interview Thank Yous: Yay or Neigh?
A close friend recently told me he’d been interviewing for new roles. Naturally, I asked, “Did you send a thank you?”
He looked at me like I’d asked if he’d faxed his résumé.
“Wait…that’s still a thing?”
Oh, it’s still a thing. And honestly, it might be a big part of why I landed one of my favorite jobs.
Years ago, I interviewed for a role with the Cleveland Orchestra—Associate House Manager. I’d been working in concerts and events for years, so it felt like a good fit. A former employee had referred me (huge), and I was one of three finalists.
After the interviews, I went a little detective mode. Let’s call it “light research.” I found the HR manager on Facebook and saw she was an avid horse rider. So I decided to make my thank-you note a little more memorable.
Target had no horse-themed cards (rude), so I grabbed a plain one and a pack of horse stickers. I crafted my own version (read: scrappy but cute) and wrote a handwritten note thanking her for the opportunity. Then I mailed it to Severance Hall.
I didn’t get the job 😭.
But a few months later, when the Orchestra opened a new role, Associate Manager for Concerts & Events (way more my lane), I didn’t even have to apply. They reached out to me*.*
When I started, that same HR manager told me she’d kept my card. She said it was original and personal (and while she didn’t say it out loud, I’m pretty sure she also meant “delightfully weird”). It stood out in a sea of LinkedIn follow-ups and copy-paste emails.
So no, the post-interview thank-you isn’t dead. It’s just gotten a little…forgettable.
An original, thoughtful gesture, especially one that shows real effort and personality, can outlast your interview notes by months (or years).
When the job really matters, go the extra mile. You never know who’s still got your card sitting on their desk.
Joanna (TA Co-Founder)
RETHINK YOUR BROWSING
How We’re Dodging Ad Attacks (and Winning)
You know that moment when you’re just trying to pull up a recipe and suddenly you’re fighting off a swarm of pop-ups, autoplay videos, coupon widgets, and an ad that somehow knows you Googled “best jeans for short torsos” at 2 a.m.?
Yeah. Hard pass.
Most websites are stuffed with third-party code tracking your every scroll. It slows you down, creeps you out, and makes browsing feel like a full-contact sport.
CleanWeb by Surfshark stops all that nonsense before it even loads.
It blocks ads, trackers, malware, and those “wait… how did you know?” targeted pop-ups, so your internet actually feels usable.
The perks:
- Faster pages (finally)
- Less tracking watching your every move
- Way fewer distractions when you’re trying to get things done
It installs in minutes and costs just $1.99/month (plus 3 free extra months).
BIGGEST CHALLENGE
When Your Growth Goals Start Competing With Each Other
“My biggest challenge is allocating priority and time to many different growth focuses. I’ve identified several things I want to learn, change, or improve now or in the very near future. I feel like a ping pong ball bouncing back and forth between them. How do I be most effective and efficient to meet my self-improvement goals the quickest?” — Donna Mosley
Donna, you’re describing something a lot of high performers hit: You finally have clarity on what you want to improve…and the list shows up like a swarm.
It’s not a motivation problem.
It’s not a discipline problem.
It’s a decision-making problem, and the good news is, that’s solvable.
Here’s how to move forward without feeling like you’re ricocheting between five “top priorities.”
1. Figure out which growth area changes the most things downstream
When everything feels equally important, ask:
“If I improved only one of these, which one would make the rest easier?”
There’s always a keystone skill:
- better boundaries unlock time
- clearer communication reduces conflict
- sharper systems free mental bandwidth
- one technical skill accelerates multiple goals
Choose the one with the widest ripple effect.
That becomes your focus—not forever, just first.
2. Decide how much of your life it’s allowed to take up
People get stuck because they try to give every goal “full energy.”
You only need one to get that treatment.
Give your main goal a set container:
15 minutes a day, one deep hour a week, a standing calendar block, whatever matches your real life.
Everything else drops to “maintenance mode.”
(Not abandoned. Just not competing.)
This alone kills the ping-pong feeling.
3. Remove one energy drain before adding new effort
You can’t grow efficiently if you’re leaking energy everywhere.
Ask:
“What’s one habit, task, or expectation I can stop carrying?”
Eliminating a drain creates more capacity than adding motivation ever will.
4. Look for skill pairings instead of juggling five separate goals
Some growth areas naturally stack: leadership + communication, confidence + visibility, systems + time management.
If two goals reinforce each other, treat them like one project.
You’ll make double progress without double effort.
5. Redefine “quickest” as “least scattered”
Pick your direction and stay with it long enough for the work to actually stick. Most people never make progress because they keep switching lanes. Staying with one priority, longer than feels comfortable, is what finally moves things forward.
Your next move (the real answer to your question)
Pick the one growth area with the biggest downstream impact.
Give it a real home in your schedule.
Reduce one drain.
Let the rest wait their turn.
This is how you stay effective, efficient, and steady—without bouncing between goals like a human ping-pong ball.
THE YEAR AHEAD
The 2026 Forecast You’ll Actually Want to Hear
Scott Galloway is back with his annual predictions session, and if history is any indicator, it’s worth paying attention.
Join Section on December 4 (12–1pm ET) for a fast, insightful breakdown of what’s coming in 2026 told in the way only Scott can: blunt, data-driven, and occasionally savage.
He called 2025 the year of OpenAI + Nvidia (nailed it).
He flagged “Service-as-a-Software” as the next wave (it’s forming).
Now he’s ready to map out the next 12 months.
Expect clear takeaways for anyone leading teams, shaping strategy, or simply trying to stay ahead of the curve.
SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT
You’re More Than Your Title
“Always have a life outside of work, a project, a passion. Don’t associate your worth to your career.”
— Lina M. (Marketing Professional)
STAFF PICKS
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JUST FOR FUN
JOB LEADS
Your Next Gig = One Click Away
- Adecco is hiring for Executive Assistant (New York, NY).
- Schaeffler is hiring for Executive Assistant (Wooster, OH).
- Morgan Hunter is hiring for HR Onboarding Assistant (Kansas City, MO).
- Gallagher is hiring for Account Manager (Ames, IA).
- Einheit Electric Construction Co. is hiring for Project Manager (Cleveland, OH).
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