Weekender #155

🎁 15 best gift ideas for Customer Service Teams for Customer Service week starting October 7th.

🚀 10 tips every early-stage entrepreneur needs to know.

⚠️ High cortisol could be wreaking havoc on your body.

🤖 This tool automatically trims video—even where there’s no dialogue.

October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month—a reminder that abuse can take many forms, including emotional abuse, which often hides in plain sight.

Earlier this year, one of my best friends from college (let’s call her Jane) visited Los Angeles. I expected her to arrive with her husband and their 7-month-old baby, but when she landed, she texted me saying she was alone. I didn’t think much of it until she broke the news: she was legally separating from her husband (let’s call him Chad, because, well, he’s an a-hole).

Over dinner, Jane opened up about the emotional abuse she endured during her pregnancy and postpartum. As she spoke, I found myself replaying old conversations. She had mentioned fights with Chad before, but always brushed them off—it was her way of coping, minimizing what was happening, and holding on to hope.

She told me about the times he gaslighted her, used their baby to manipulate her, and displayed covert narcissism—something she only understood once she returned to therapy. I talk to her almost every day, and yet I had no idea 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Signs to Look For: Emotional abuse isn’t always obvious—not to those outside the relationship, and sometimes not even to the person experiencing it. Gaslighting, isolation from friends and family, financial control, verbal put-downs, and using children as leverage are all powerful yet subtle tactics that often go unnoticed.

How to Support Someone Going Through It: If you suspect a loved one is in an emotionally abusive relationship, be there—without judgment or unsolicited advice. Let them know they’re not alone and be ready to listen when they’re ready to talk. Offering resources like the National Domestic Violence Hotline can also be helpful, but remember: leaving an abusive relationship is a complex, deeply personal decision.

When Jane shared her story, I felt terrible I hadn’t noticed sooner—but thanked her for trusting me. Now, as she navigates a brutal divorce and custody battle, I make myself available however I can, whenever I can. Sometimes, the best support is simply being there.

Joanna (Co-Founder of TA)

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📚 Read: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Get ready for a twisty ride with First Lie Wins. It’s packed with secrets, betrayals, and enough surprises to keep you hooked until the very end. If you’re into page-turning thrillers that keep you guessing, this one’s a winner.

📺 Watch: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Based on the bestselling novel, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows Pip, a high schooler determined to solve a five-year-old murder in her seemingly quiet town. But as she digs deeper, secrets unravel, and what started as a school project turns into a dangerous pursuit of the truth.

🎧 Listen: Diet Pepsi by Addison Rae

Diet Pepsi is giving all the late-night vibes. Sultry, smooth, and a bit edgy, Addison Rae’s latest track is a slow-burn anthem that belongs on your after-hours playlist.

Data breaches are happening everywhere, and weak passwords are often the culprit.

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Since her mom works from home, Penny is always up for a midday walk break and keeping her mom company during every work call and project.

Penny’s favorite place to nap is under the desk and sometimes her owner has to wake her up so her snoring isn’t audible during calls. 🤣 She is the best friend/furry coworker a girl could have.

P.S. Fill out this form to see your furry friend in our next issue.

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