#ThirstyThursday Issue #245

🎯 You can learn 80% of Claude Cowork in under twenty minutes.

😬 Am I being unfair about my incompetent coworker? A boss weighs in.

✈️ 10 European spots that still have room to breathe this summer.

💄 Super-simple makeup tricks that changed people’s whole routine.

Takeaways:

• Gemini works best when you give it structure instead of one-line prompts. Try using frameworks, assigning it a role, asking it to debate ideas, or having it explain concepts step by step to get more useful responses.
• It’s more than a writing tool. Try prompts like “Simulate customer objections,” “Create a SWOT analysis and action plan,” or “Break this marketing funnel into top, middle, and bottom of funnel.” Gemini can help with strategy, marketing, business planning, and decision-making.
• If you use Google’s ecosystem, Gemini becomes even more powerful. For example, ask it to “Optimize these Google Ads headlines (short + punchy),” or “Explain these GA4 insights like a consultant.” It integrates with Google Workspace to help you analyze data, create content, and collaborate more efficiently.

Catch the other 96 tips on IG.

No one warned you gifting meant memorizing everyone’s shirt size.

And yet here you are, three tabs open, one spreadsheet away from madness, trying to remember if Alex is a Large or “kinda between.”

Employee gifting should take 20 minutes. Somehow it always takes 20 days.

Swag.com exists for the person who just sighed reading that. You order, store, and send branded gifts from one platform, so you build the kit once and send it anytime without redoing the whole process from scratch.

Use it for:

• Onboarding kits that make Day 1 feel like a warm welcome, not a login scavenger hunt
• Promotions and milestones that deserve more than “👏👏👏” in Slack
• Event swag without turning your office into a shipping warehouse
• Client and manager gifts that feel thoughtful, not last-minute

One great item beats five forgettable ones. A ready-to-send kit you can deploy in two clicks is the real perk.

👉 Explore Swag.com here.

Takeaways:

• Don’t just search job boards. Many recruiters and hiring managers post open roles directly on LinkedIn before, or alongside, traditional job listings.
• To find the newest opportunities, search “hiring” on LinkedIn, filter by Posts, then sort by Latest. You’ll often see fresh openings from recruiters just minutes after they’re posted.
• This approach can help you discover roles that haven’t gained hundreds of applicants yet, giving you a better chance to connect directly with the hiring manager or recruiter early in the process.

Try the full search method on LinkedIn.

Takeaways:

• Start with “This Is How Kids Should Be Learning with AI” by Priya Lakhani. Although it’s framed around education, the real lesson is for everyone using AI. Priya explains how to use AI as a thinking partner that strengthens your learning instead of replacing your ability to think.
• Next, watch “How to Build Your Dream Life with AI” by Ngozi Elobuike. Rather than focusing on the technology itself, it shows how AI can help you move faster on your ideas, automate repetitive work, and create more time to build the life and career you actually want.
• Finish with “AI Is Coming for Your Job. Now What?” by Vlad Tenev. Despite the alarming title, it’s an optimistic look at the future of work, arguing that AI will create entirely new kinds of jobs and shift people toward more creative, flexible work rather than simply replacing everyone.

See more on IG.

If you’ve ever tried to run a brainstorm inside a Google Doc, you know the drill. It works, sort of, but it also kills the energy in the room. Ideas don’t sit still in bullet points. They want to spread out, bump into each other, and turn into something real.

Miro hands your team one shared canvas instead. Remote, hybrid, or all packed into a conference room checking Slack. Everyone’s working off the same board, live. Strategy sessions, sprint planning, workshops, and retros all make more sense once you can actually see it.

Three things worth bookmarking:

• 📋 Project Management: timelines, task tracking, and team alignment in one spot. Skip the spreadsheet entirely.
• ✨ Miro AI: takes a wall of sticky notes and half-baked ideas and hands you back an actual plan, no extra tool needed.
• 🗓 Schedule Template: lay out sprints, content calendars, or team timelines at a glance.

Sign up free and run your next session on Miro.

Takeaways:

• Upgrade the seasoning before you upgrade the meat. A sprinkle of rosemary sea salt adds an herby, savory finish that instantly makes a simple burger taste more gourmet.
• Swap standard toppings for more flavorful ingredients. Instead of American cheese and ketchup, try creamy goat cheese with cranberry ketchup or Beachcomber mustard for a burger that feels restaurant-worthy.
• Experiment with cheeses and condiments to create different flavor profiles. Aged cheddar, gouda, blue cheese, or brie paired with specialty mustards, aiolis, or fruit-forward sauces can completely transform the same backyard burger into something memorable.

Hear the tips on IG.

🤖 AI spend can quickly skyrocket. Learn how to manage AI spend without cutting off innovation on 7/29.

👗 This ribbed square-neck tank looks more polished than your usual nude basic.

✨ Obsessed with this cranberry blueberry masque (your skin and nose will thank you).

📧 Mindstream lands daily with AI tools and workflows that actually stick, in 5 minutes.

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• Fri 7/24 @ 7AM PT: AI Workflow Implementation Sprint: Week 4 Live Session (AI Cohort Only)
• Fri 7/31 @ 8:30AM PT: Watch Me Work: Vibe Code a Portfolio in Real Time with Joanna (SGS Only* | Join the waitlist)

* Smart Girl Society is our private community for women who want deeper conversations, accountability, and tools that actually make life easier. Join the waitlist to get in the next round.

 Browse our job board here.

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