September 28

Hi Gang,

I love this graph from Auren Hoffman (tech investor, CEO, and generally fascinating character):

So true. Except are adults seriously playing Fortnite? Is that what tech people do during conference calls? [Collective eyeroll…]

I hope you guys are doing OK out there. My last message hit your inbox minutes before the news of RBG’s death, which (politics aside) was especially sad news for women across the country. Fires are raging (again) all over California. The Presidential debates start tomorrow. I was trying to think of a yoga pose analog for what’s being asked of us right now and landed on this article. Lots of great options here… I’m thinking Wounded Peacock takes the prize. Although fair point at the end of the piece about Shavasana. I’m finding that VERY difficult right now. Inhale through the nose… exhale through the mouth…

News & Resources

Business, Leadership & Self

• How to Cope When Everything Keeps Changing

• CEO Leadership During a New Era . . . and How Executive Search Firms are Responding

• WSJ: The Science Behind WFH Dressing for Zoom

News of Interest

• Bruce Booth: Evolution Of The Biotech IPO Markets From Busted To Booming

• Covid could make New York and San Francisco affordable again

• FDA launches digital health-focused center of excellences

• Zoom face woes? As aesthetics procedures skyrocket post-lockdown, pharma rolls out campaigns

• United Airlines to offer COVID-19 testing, starting from SFO to Hawaii

Diversity & Inclusion

• HBR: How to Be a Better Ally to Your Black Colleagues

• HBR: Lots of Men Are Gender-Equality Allies in Private. Why Not in Public?

• Allyship - The Key To Unlocking The Power Of Diversity

• Allyship in the workplace: what promoting racial equality and inclusivity really requires

• 7 Examples of What Being an Ally at Work Really Looks Like

From the Community

• Last call/shameless plug for an event I’m hosting THIS Thursday called, Black Leaders in Biotech: A Conversation About Mentorship, Allyship & Career Management. Rick Winningham, Chairman & CEO of Theravance Biopharma, has served as a trusted advisor and ally to Erik Harris, EVP & CCO of Ultragenyx, for more than two decades. We will discuss the importance of these professional and personal relationships, how to find a committed mentor, how to make the most of a mentor, and some of the best advice Erik and Rick have received along the way. You can register here.

Food Fight – now featuring restaurant dishes… get out of the house, gang… patronize those businesses!

Today’s winner is the husband-wife duo, Eric Story and Ally Smith-Story, behind Smith Story Wines. Pay a visit to their Anderson Valley tasting room for a wine slushie! It’s as good as it looks. I may have had two…

OOO-hhh That’s a Good One!

NEW SEGMENT! I’m featuring awesome out-of-office (OOO) responses. Please send my way (will share anonymously)!

“I will be out of the country until 22th August in a place carefully selected for the limitations of its broadband and unreliable mobile signal. Should you need anything, please try [names redacted]. They have a small number of carrier pigeons in case of emergency.”

A Little Levity

• A squirrel malfunctions while eating nuts in the most 2020 mood – this is the craziest thing… he just FREEZES

• Have you seen this hysterical YouTube video of two women (I think Russian?) playing Rock/Paper/Scissors for some major stakes?! OMG… so funny

Be well,

Jackie