Make Room For New Trails
When I moved to NYC over 13 years ago, I had a lot of new things to learn. I quickly discovered the difference between the uptown and downtown platforms on the subway, that you have to carry cash at all times, and that I would miss local radio because I no longer had a commute or a car in which to listen to it.
I also was working at a venture-backed start-up for the first time and realized this wasn't just another sales gig. My curiosity was at an all-time high. But, my 5th-floor walk-up apartment was so small I could flip pancakes while sitting on the toilet, so I had to get a coworking space. A pre-WeWork coworking space on Lafayette where I'd dutifully would go every day and stay as if I was Fred Flinstone waiting for the horn to sound at 5pm. During the day, I'd either pack my lunch or go out and get Chicken and Rice from a bodega or the street cart. As I opened up lunch, I'd log into what I called TedTalk University and follow the same routine every day:
- Log into YouTube.
- Go to the TED page.
- Sort videos by Most Viewed.
- Watch the next unwatched Most Viewed video.
- Take notes.
Over the course of my first few years in NYC, I watched hundreds, if not thousands of TED videos. They sent me down trails of my favorite presenters and favorite topics. I started trying to sequence them for others, "if you want to learn quickly about XYZ topic - here are the first 5 videos to watch."
I eventually would have the chance to represent my company in a brand partnership with Target at TED 2014 where I had lunch with Jeff Bezos and Al Gore in our booth. I would then give my first TEDx Talk in 2017 back on campus at Texas A&M University.
TED has been a through-line for me and I find myself asking mid-journal entry sometimes, "Is this an Idea Worth Spreading?"
And that's why this week is a fun week.
This week is the week where the first videos from TED 2023 start to hit the YouTube channel and a new set of curiosities are shared. The first few videos are all about AI but I know the best is yet to come.
Do you have a favorite TED talk? One that you remember exactly when you first watched it and know the impact that it has had on your understanding of the world?
Conversations I'm Excited To Have
Every month the paid Make Room members, The Roomies, have "office hours" and those are this Friday! We talk about new ideas, challenging times, and the best BBQ near their part of the world.
Want to riff on your latest and greatest idea? Join as a paid member and let's get have some fun.
The Quote More People Need To Hear
"There are three ways people will perceive you:
No matter what you do, they'll love you.
No matter what you do they'll hate you.
No matter what you do, they won't give a shit.
And if that is the case, you might as well be exactly who you are."
- Alanis Morissette, as a mentor on American Idol this week
The Necessary Evil I Know A Lot About
Concert I Am Excited To Go To
Harry Mack is bringing his freestyle experience to Irving Plaza at the end of May. And I can't wait.
If you have never had the chance to hear the genius of Harry Mack, I am really excited to be the one who introduces you to the greatest freestyle rapper in the history of the world. I've been following Harry for over 6 years, back when he had tens of thousands of followers on YouTube, not the millions he does now.
But thanks to his diligent work to build a community, there is now an entire genre of YouTube videos dedicated to "reacting to Harry Macks' latest." There is even a neuroscientist that chimes in and tries to explain how Harry's brain works.
His signature stunt through the pandemic was to go on Omegle, the latest in the Chat Roulette genre of randomized video chat sites, and ask random people for three words he could build a freestyle around. Person by person, rando by rando, he built an army of followers who tune in every Thursday for the latest genius flow of the dome (top of the head.)
My personal favorite is Omegle Bars 85. I have watched the final interaction over 20 times and it does not disappoint. Click on the link below to see this display of sheer wordsmithing genius for yourself. How on earth do you flow for 6 minutes using only "rambunctious" "genuflect" and "opportunity" as your inspiration? Harry does and he didn't even know what genuflecting was before he started rapping. Genuflect on that.
Restaurant I'd Go Back To Without Question
I was in Austin this past weekend and went to Emmer and Rye with my brother and sister-in-law. It was an incredible display of tastes and textures - and all sourced locally in Austin. Everything from the cocktails to the apps to the entrees had a story to tell and I can't wait to go back for story time.
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