In this podcast, Tom shares the topics of his second book, Digital Darwinism Surviving The New Age of Business Disruption - and he talks to Piers Fawkes about how we need to look at the basics when trying to solve business and professional challenges.

With his popular LinkedIn channel, Tom is known as an agitator in the advertising and marketing world. Within this conversation, it was interesting to hear him provide a word of warning about getting too distracted by shiny subjects like web3 and the metaverse, especially when more immediate opportunities should be focused on for personal success today.

Tom Goodwin’s Projects of Energy: Book | LinkedIn | Personal Site

I wanted to talk to Robbie Salter because from what I could recollect, he had a career that was doing great: he was working in the big city (NYC) at a company everyone knew (Medialink). He and his wife were also preparing for the arrival of their first child - so there was no need to rock the boat.

But Robbie had an itch - an itch that he really needed to scratch.

For many of us, we dream about changing things up, about doing something new but circumstances hold us back. Sometimes we think we don’t have the idea baked enough, sometimes we’re unsure how to make & sell a product, and sometimes life is just a little too good to risk it all.

Since I started my own business, I’ve met a lot of people with new ideas but few find a way to just get started. For a short while, Robbie seemed to be one of those - he had told me that he had been planning something and I waited…. but then the pandemic came and in the chaos he found the courage to launch the Jupiter haircare brand.

In this interview, he’ll share his story from corner office to DTC start up. He’ll talk about the moment he realized he needed to make a change, the motivations behind his new company Jupiter and why he thinks it’s an imperative that we all pursue projects of energy.

I hope you’ll find this story of invention and reinvention inspiring - Piers

Piers Fawkes

My PoE: PSFK | Retail Innovation Week | Wallkit | Project of Energy

Welcome to a refresh of my Distracted newsletter - an email I was sending to share positivity at a time when the sky was falling during the pandemic. Now I return to distract you again as I explore themes of positivity through invention and reinvention.

This isn’t really a new newsletter - but an introduction to a recorded conversation I had with Asmeret Berhe-Lumax about her One Love Community Fridge project and the community she founded. Like many people reading this, she started a small project that served the community during the pandemic. The fridge on the street project was initially organized by Asmeret, her children, her husband and close friends but it not only served food to her local community in Brooklyn - it also gave food for thought to a broader community of people around her.

You will hear on the podcast how the One Love Community Fridge project has grown to embrace a large community of supporters and volunteers who are involved in the feeding of New Yorkers and also the support of the community today. In the podcast, you'll hear about how Asmeret went about building a community organization, how she realized that aesthetics and beauty directly connects with notions of respect and how the fridge location is a place of pride and joy versus a place of needs.

“One Love Community Fridge works to empower & engage the community through education and providing access to fresh, healthy fruit & vegetables with no stigma.”One Love Community Fridge Website

When I challenge her that she's built a brand around the one love community fridge, Asmeret brings back the idea of collaboration and she connects this concept of a brand with a notion of exchange and this “exchange” is something I think is very fascinating and something for all of us in creative business to take away.

Hopefully by listening to this, you'll be inspired about how to invent by starting small and how to reinvent by engaging the people around you, including the people you serve to start. Do subscribe to this newsletter or the podcast to hear more stories like this.

Listen to the interview on Apple Podcast

Listen to the interview on Spotify

One Love Community Fridge

Pics by Malin Fezehai republished with kind permission. Fridge on street by Piers Fawkes

Some other news from Piers Fawkes

I’m hosting a free webinar on digital transformation on Tuesday at 12pm ET

I’m speaking at the Lead Innovation conference in Williamsburg, NY on Wednesday at 9.15am ET

My team just delivered a guide to help brands and retailers to engage Gen Alpha

I’m behind 2 other creative business newsletters that are sent each week to audiences of about 40,000 folks

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