 |
|
|
|||||
The Lacoste crocodile logo was made in honor of founder René Lacoste’s nickname as a tennis player, and the French apparel brand’s codes prohibits it from being messed with. For the U.S. Open, though, Lacoste is making an exception. For a five-piece capsule collection for Novak Djokovic, the green embroidered crocodile logo has been replaced with a goat. The Paris-born Lacoste, known as “le Crocodile,” won 10 major titles and was the first foreign player to win the U.S. championship twice, in 1926 and 1927. After hanging up the racket, he founded an apparel company that embroidered a crocodile on its polos. It caught on. The company has grown over the last centuryin 2024, Lacoste had $3 billion in revenue, and increased sales 8% from 2023. In a 1973 interview with the Associated Press, Lacoste said he didn’t understand the logo’s popularity, but he wondered if it might have to do with a crocodile not coming across as friendly. “There are kinds of things that just don’t have any good explanation,” he said. “I suppose you could say that if it had been a really nice animal, something sympathetic, then maybe nothing would have happened.” [Photo: Lacoste] So what about a goat? Lacoste announced their new capsule in time for the U.S. Open to pay tribute to Djokovic, a Lacoste brand ambassador who it says is the greatest of all time, or GOAT. Though the animal is more cuddly than a crocodile, the meaning behind the goat is the same as the meaning behind Lacoste’s nickname as a player. It’s about tenacity, winning, and on-court excellence. [Photo: Lacoste] Who’s a GOAT? The greatest-of-all-time acronym has an entry on Urban Dictionary as far back as 2010 that names Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Willie Mays, Pelé, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods the GOATs of their sports, but the term has since crossed over to the mainstream. Now it’s the logo on a polo, T-shirt, tracksuit, jacket, cap, and trousers to honor Djokovic, who with 24 Grand Slam titles to his name holds the record for male players. “Novak Djokovic has been part of the Lacoste family for over eight years,” Lacoste CEO Thierry Guibert said in a statement. “Together, we have shared an exceptional period, during which he won 12 Grand Slam titleshalf of his career total. Beyond the extraordinary player, his tenacity, mindset and values have contributed to elevating and amplifying the brand.” [Photo: Lacoste] The designers behind Lacoste’s goat logo managed to reinterpret visual elements from the crocodile mark for the new emblem. The goat looks up and is facing right, giving it a similar sense of direction as the crocodile mark, and the tiny triangles that give the crocodile the look of a textured, scaly back are used to decorate the goat’s chest. Lacoste previously replaced its crocodiles with 10 threatened animals for the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2018. “This initiative reflects our ability to reinvent our codes while staying true to René Lacostes heritage. Guibert said. Like Nike turning its Swoosh on its head for soccer jerseys, Lacoste’s goat logo is an example of breaking brand guidelines to make a larger point. For Lacoste, that point is Djokovic’s icon status. Promotional material for the collection use the logos like emoji to write out the copy “From a crocodile to the goat.” Djokovic is an athlete worth breaking brand guidelines for, and Lacoste managed to pull it off in a way that’s memorable and fun. This a limited-run, once-in-a-century rebrand for a one-in-a-century athlete.
Category:
E-Commerce
Sometimes, when a friend from high school finds out that I write about money, they will tell me their retirement plan is to assume they wont survive the inevitable climate apocalypse. This is always said with an ironic smile, and often followed up with, Its not like Social Security is gonna be there for us, either. These dark comments dont surprise me, considering Im also a member of the generation that adopted Oh well, whatever, never mind as a rallying cry. I was born at the tail-end of Gen X, but I was card-carrying a latchkey kid who didnt trust authority, consistently prepared myself for disappointment, and wore a mask of ironic detachment that has served me well throughout my life. In fact, until I was asked to literally write the book on Social Security in 2015, I too believed that there would be no benefits available for me when I retired. It was what Id been told, and it fit my skeptical worldview. The truth is, our Social Security benefits may be in danger, but not in the way we Gen Xers have braced ourselves for. We need to recognize whats going right with this program so we can understand what might go wrongand then we can fight for the right to have a retirement party! Distrust for the trust fund Every few months, a new article will raise the alarm about the imminent depletion of the Social Security trust fund. According to current projections, the trust fund will be completely wiped out sometime around the year 2033. Such articles are 100% factually correctand completely beside the point. Because the trust fund isnt really a trust fund and it doesnt really matter if its empty. Heres why: The trust fund that isnt Social Security is designed as a direct transfer of funds from current workers to current beneficiaries. In the early days of the program, when the Social Security Administration (SSA) collected more in taxes than was owed in current benefits, the law specified that the overage would be invested in government debt (like Treasury bonds) at a guaranteed minimum interest rate of 3%. This is both the safest possible investment for government funds and the most responsible use of excess Social Security taxes, since such large amounts of money cannot sit around as cash. However, even in the 1930s, there were critics who accused President Roosevelt and the new Social Security Administration of embezzling those excess taxes. To end the controversy, the government created the Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund at the Treasury in 1939. But the OASI is not actually a trust fund since it doesnt have trustees with legal title or beneficiaries with an enforceable legal right to the property in trust. Its just another account in the U.S. Treasury that FDR called a trust fund to get his critics off his back. The trust funds bottom dollar Semantics aside, the trust fund is on track to run out of money in about eight years. (This is the moment when most Gen Xers would put on Exile in Guyville and think about why righteous rage feels better than hope.) What you need to remember is that the trust fund is not the primary source of benefits. Once it has been depleted, the SSA can afford to pay 77% of promised benefits. At that point, all funds will come from direct handover from current workers to current beneficiaries. No one would claim that 77% of promised benefits is ideal, but its definitely not nothing. Another important point to remember is that weve been here before. Back in 1983, Social Security faced a shortfall that was mere months away. The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act ensured the trust fund operated with a surplus from 1984 to 2009. Unfortunately, Congress in the 1970s (and earlier) knew the shortfall was coming in 1983. The U.S. government uses 75-year projections for its social insurance program, unlike any other country in the world. But if history is any guide, we may see Congress wait until the last minute to do anything, just like their predecessors in the early 80s did. What could keep Gen X from collecting Social Security The trust fund insolvency issue can be fixed by Congressional action, but thats rarely mentioned in articles discussing the imminent shortfall. There is nothing stopping Congress from acting to fix this shortfall. While the dwindling trust fund is a problem, its a workable one, provided Congress quits twiddling its thumbs. However, there are potential problems that could keep Social Security benefits out of Gen X hands. (And millennial, Gen Z, etc., if were interested in protecting the whippersnappers, too). Recognizing the actual potential disasters can help us put our considerable take-no-prisoners energy where it belongs. Worker-to-beneficiary ratio There has been quite a lot of ink spilled about lowered birth rates in America. Other than breaking a number of would-be grandparents hearts, this may seem to have nothing to do with Social Securitybut a country with a lower birth rate and an aging population will have fewer workers to pay into its social insurance program. While the current administration has suggested some pronatalist policy proposals to reverse our declining birth ratesincluding offering a $5,000 baby bonus to new mothersthere are better and more effective alternatives. Specifically, immigration is a huge net benefit to the worker-to-beneficiary ratio for Social Security. Noncitizens who are eligible to work in the United States receive a Social Security numberand they payinto the Social Security systembut they are not eligible for benefits. And new immigrants who become citizens help lower the age of the population, skewing the ratio toward workers. This is why making immigration easier is one of the best ways to protect our Social Security benefits while we wait for Congress to get going on fixing the shortfall. Privatization of Social Security Twenty years ago, President Bush made waves when he suggested privatizing Social Security via voluntary personal retirement accounts. The public wasnt impressed, and the idea was quietly shelved. Until now. Recently, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that the newly created tax-deferred investment accounts that have been dubbed Trump accounts could serve as a backdoor to Social Security privatization, although the Treasury has since backed away from the comments. Proponents of privatization claim that it would be more fair than the current system, since it allows workers to control how much they put aside and where it is invested. But such proponents misunderstand the point of Social Securityits a safety net for our most vulnerable citizens. Social Security is a guaranteed source of income backed by the full faith and credit of the United States governmentwhich is as close to certainty as is possible to get in this world. Privatizing this program would change it into just another investment vehicle with zero guarantees. Privatization might sound like a good deal if you think youre gambling with something that may not be there. But Social Security is a sure thing, making privatization more like playing dice with a game you were guaranteed to win. Social Security has long been called the third rail of politics, as George Bush quickly learned in 2005 (and at the height of his popularity)! Its our job to ensure our representatives keep their hands off itor else get a nasty shock. Believe in life after Social Security Being the bomb-proof generation thats never surprised by disappointment is a double-edged sword. Weve learned to navigate a lot of crap with grace and gallows humor, but its also left us vulnerable to fixating on worst-case scenarios. After a lifetime of being told Social Security benefits would dry up before we retired, Gen X may be unprepared for the real disasters this important program might face. Yes, the trust fund is projected to run out of funds in less than a decade, at which point beneficiaries can only count on 77% of promised benefits. But thats not the real issue, because Congress can work to fix it anytime they want to get off their rear ends. One of the real dangers is the change in worker-to-beneficiary ratio as the American birth rate declines and the population ages. Making immigration easier is one of the most effective and efficient ways to improve this problem and is something Gen X can vote for locally and nationally. The suggestion of privatization is another potential danger, since it would trade the surety of guaranteed Social Security incomebacked by the full faith and credit of Uncle Samfor the risk of another investment vehicle. These dangers are more likely to occur if youre sure Social Security wont be there for you. Why do you think The Man has convinced you that you cant retire?
Category:
E-Commerce
If you visit your local librarys Instagram page, chances are good that youll find book drive announcements, event notices, and calls for volunteerslikely formatted akin to a pamphlet youd find at the front desk. When residents of Milwaukee check out their librarys social media accounts, it’s a different story. Theyre met with memes, thirst traps, and a multipart cinematic video series parodying the oeuvre of Wes Anderson. For the past three years, Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) has been diverging from the typically staid online presence of most public libraries by going full-send on TikTok trends and video-first content geared toward a younger generation. The librarys accounts look more like the social media-savvy pages of companies like Duolingo or Sour Patch Kidsand its working. [Screenshot: Milwaukee Public Library TikTok] MPLs current Instagram follower count is nearly 240,000an 1,497.5% increase since it began rolling out quirky videos in 2022. And, since starting on TikTok the same year, the library now has 150,000 followers on that platform. Its pretty obvious why a for-profit company like Duolingo might make social media engagement a priority, when it can directly drive product visibility and sales. But for an institution funded by taxpayer dollars, the goal of going viral on TikTok is a bit less clear. According to Melissa Howard, MPLs communications and community engagement director, embracing a TikTok-forward strategy has actually driven the librarys mission in a number of ways, including by opening the door to new community partnerships, boosting database use, and getting younger readers back into the library stacks. @milwaukeepubliclibrary When you’re around I got arrhythmia (literally). I’m on multiple medications for it. #Girlfriend #HemlockeSprings #OldPeople #Elderly #Manga #Comics #Anime #fyp #FlippingOff #Birdie #MiddleFinger #FlipTheBird girlfriend – hemlocke springs Is this my public library or a meme page? In the summer of 2022, MPL was struggling with a dip in patronage that started during the pandemic. Fawn Siemsen-Fuchs, the librarys volunteer coordinator, decided to test the waters with more experimental social content to draw in young readers from communities like BookTok and Bookstagram. MPLs first TikTok videoa parody centering around returning a book to the book droptook off almost immediately, notching over 3 million views and 500,000 likes. We were one of the first libraries to get on Tiktok, have some fun with video content, and not have that more commercial tone, Siemsen-Fuchs says. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Milwaukee Public Library (@milwaukeepubliclibrary) Since then, MPL has experimented with a broad range of social video under the umbrella of what Siemsen-Fuchs describes as its personal brand of unhinged, heartwarming content. That includes a sensual thirst trap to promote the librarys blood pressure machines; a video featuring a 90-year-old patron reading manga (with more than 3 million views across platforms); and, most recently, a five-part series inspired by Wes Andersons portfolio. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Milwaukee Public Library (@milwaukeepubliclibrary) This last project incorporates layers of lore, carefully thought-out artistic direction, and a cast of characters pulled from the librarys staff. Siemsen-Fuchs says its inspired many followers to become personally invested in the storyline. People are like, Oh, my favorite show is on, or theyre sending popcorn gifs, she says. I would say, in general, our viewership is just so kind and so supportive, and they love the library. @milwaukeepubliclibrary Try one or try them all #AEHolidayCard #LetsGo #IntuitTouchdownDance #LibraryTok #LibraryToks #LibraryTikTok #LibrariesForAll #LibrariesRock #BeautifulLibraries #BlackFriday #BlackFridayDeals #fyp #fyp – ‘this is how u get the youth to read’ MPL certainly isnt the only library thats dipped its toes into the TikTok universe: Columbus, Ohios Columbus Metropolitan Library runs its own Law & Order-inspired series on TikTok, and Australias City of Marion Libraries page stars Denise, an employee who has become a fan-favorite character. Still, its not exactly commonplace to see libraries leaning into internet humor so wholeheartedly. Its been our observation that many public institutions do face hurdles when it comes to building a social presence that resonates, whether its from risk-averse cultures, siloed teams that make it hard to tell a unified story, or simply not having enough staff to keep up with the pace of digital media, Howard says. Weve been able to break through by trusting our small, creative team to experiment, take smart risks, quickly jump on trends, and develop a clear vision and voice to connect with people who love the library as much as we do. And while MPL doesnt exactly have sales data to demonstrate the impact of its social accounts, Howard says there are a number of ways that the librarys online presence has boosted its goals. Several videos have correlated with spikes in database use, Hoopla checkouts (a digital book catalog), job applications, and merch sales. In fact, one reel promoting the librarys T-shirts led to its highest merch sale month ever, an 180% increase over the previous month. @milwaukeepubliclibrary #fyp #bookdrop original sound – Freddychase The accounts have also led to new partnerships and civic collaborations, including work with tourism boards, other libraries like the New York Public Library, local bookstores, magazines, and the mayor of Milwaukee. The social media team even earned a Peabody nomination in 2024 for promoting stories that matter. And, while Howard says readership has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic highs, it has increased in the last couple of yearsa change that she attributes, at least in part, to the social media accounts’ success. MPLs social media presence shows that theres plenty of opportunity for public institutions to carve out their own dedicated niches online. For those with the added benefit of baked-in goodwill, like the public library, its a move that makes even more sense. The overwhelmingly wholesome comments on MPLs pages are a case in point: Considering moving to Milwaukee for the library, one Instagram user wrote. Another added, this is how u get the youth to read.”
Category:
E-Commerce
Most leadership advice focuses on how to get promoted. But what happens after? Years ago, I moved from a role leading training and development in a large regional bank to a new position in product marketing. I had the luxury of staying in the organization, which gave me time to mentor my replacement. Carrie, my replacement, wanted the job and was fully qualified but filled with doubt. In our transition meetings, she admitted to me: I dont know if I can lead the training team like you. I only know this one area of training. The team loves you. Ill never be able to lead like that. A 2021 report by DDI reveals that 35% of internally promoted executives are considered failures. This failure rate escalates to 47% for executives hired externally. These numbers reflect the critical need for effective support during leadership transitions. If this sounds familiar, heres how leaders can coach someone up to replace them. COACH THEIR MINDSET AND NOT JUST THEIR SKILL SET When we hand off a role, we often default to knowledge transfer. We overemphasize tools, systems, and processes. But that is not where most leaders struggle. The deeper fear for most new leaders is internal: Will I ever be as good as you? Carrie kept comparing herself to me: My years of training experience, my understanding of facilitation, and my established role as the go-to expert. I had to give her permission to be different. In fact, she brought strengths I didnt: deeper business knowledge, stronger relationships across departments, and a leadership style that had already made her one of the most respected managers in the company. Helping her identify and leverage these strengths was far more important than teaching her how to plan a training calendar. During your transition period, try asking your successor questions like: What parts of this role feel most intimidating? and What strengths do you already have that could serve you here? Offer specific examples, where possible, of where their strengths or approach may provide different value to yours. IDENTIFY AND COACH TRANSFERABLE SKILLS When leaders overlook this step, they can unintentionally make successors feel like they are starting from scratch. Carrie didnt need training expertise on day one. She could learn that. What she needed was permission to lead in a way that reflected her own strengths. We spent time identifying her transferable skills, such as how she built trust, how she developed teams, how she navigated difficult personalities, and how to apply them to this new context. We explored how these new skills would show up in this context. To put this into practice, you can create a two-column chart with your successor. On one side, ask them to write down core demands of the role. On the other side, they can share examples from their previous roles that demonstrate those skills in action. PROVIDE EXPERTISE WITHOUT TAKING OVER When Carrie had to create a brand-new systems training, she immediately looked to me for answers. Instead of jumping in, I asked, When have you had to learn something new in the past? I encouraged her to reflect on her experience and based on her expertise, how she would design it to make it better. She didnt need me to give her the answers. She needed space to figure it out, with just enough support to build confidence. You should approach these moments like a coach, not a fixer. Ask for permission before offering feedback: Are you open to an observation? If your successor asks you to take over, get curious instead: What specifically feels uncomfortable? Is it a task or a relationship dynamic? COACH ON PEOPLE AND POLITICS (NOT JUST PROCESSES) While leadership is relational, most handovers solely focus on the workflows of systems. Instead of just handing over a road map, I asked my replacement to create an Influence Map: listing key colleagues across the organization shed need to partner with to succeed. We categorized each one: green for supporters, yellow for neutral or unknown relationships, and red for conflict or resistance. Influence doesnt come from pushing harder; it comes from navigating relationships with intention. If you choose to help your successor build a similar stakeholder map, try asking them questions like: Who can you build trust with? Who might you be avoiding? What past tensions need clearing? LET THEM JUMP IN BEFORE YOU STEP OUT Dont wait until your last day to start handing things over. During our three-week transition, I began redirecting tasks to Carrie right away. When deciding what to delegate, I had to ask myself, Do I still need to do this? Or is this a great opportunity for a handoff? The stakes were low and small mistakes were part of the learning. If the stakes are higher, you can still delegate, just partner differently. Let them shadow you, walk through your decision-making, or connect them with someone who can support them after youre gone. The earlier they step in, the more confident theyll be when you step out. To put this into action, ask yourself daily: What is one thing I can hand off today that builds their visibility or confidence? The earlier they practice, the more naturally they will lead after you are gone. Helping someone step into your old role requires letting go of control, nurturing a different style of leadership, and prioritizing long-term impact. Ultimately, the best leaders are not just good at their job; they are also good at ensuring that others are equipped to do it too.
Category:
E-Commerce
You know that moment when someone asks you a question in a meeting and your mind goes completely blank? Or when you’re sitting in a high-stakes presentation and you feel like you can’t move, can’t speak, can’t think? While it can feel like your mind and body are totally betraying you, what’s actually happening is that your nervous system is doing exactly what it’s designed to do when it perceives a threat. Picture this: It’s Monday morning, you’re in the quarterly review meeting, and your boss turns to you and says, “So, walk us through what went wrong with the Johnson project.” Your heart starts pounding, your breathing gets shallow, and suddenly it’s like your brain has been wrapped in cotton wool. You know the answeryou’ve been thinking about nothing but this project for weeksbut in that moment, nothing comes out. You just sit there, frozen, while everyone stares at you. Sound familiar? What’s Actually Happening When You Freeze What you just experienced is what researchers call the freeze response, and it’s one of the most misunderstood reactions our bodies have to stress. Most people have heard of fight or flight, but freeze? That’s the one we don’t talk about, even though it might be the most common response in workplace situations. Here’s what’s happening in your body: when your brain detects what it perceives as a threatand yes, an unexpected question from your boss absolutely counts as a threat to your nervous systemit triggers your body’s alarm system. Your amygdala, that little almond-shaped structure constantly scanning for danger, sends out a distress signal. In that split second, your body has to decide: do I fight this threat, do I run from it, or do I freeze and hope it goes away? And here’s the thing about workplace situations: you can’t exactly punch your boss or sprint out of the conference room. So freeze it is. Freezing looks different from fight/flight. When you freeze, your sympathetic nervous system floods your body with stress hormones, but instead of mobilizing you to fight or flee, these chemicals essentially hit the pause button (parasympathetic override). Your muscles tense up, your breathing becomes shallow, and most critically, the blood flow to your prefrontal cortexyour thinking braingets reduced. That’s why you suddenly can’t access information you know perfectly well. It’s not that the information isn’t there; it’s that the pathways to reach it have temporarily shut down. The Science Behind the Response What we know from solid research is that the freeze response is characterized by reduced body movement, muscle tension, and what researchers call “tonic immobility,” basically, your body’s version of playing dead. This response evolved because sometimes, when you can’t fight and you can’t flee, your best survival strategy is to become very, very still and hope the predator loses interest. The problem is, your nervous system doesn’t distinguish between a saber-toothed tiger and a difficult question from your manager. To your ancient brain, both represent potential threats to your survival and status within the group. How Freeze Shows Up at Work The freeze response can show up in all kinds of ways. Maybe you procrastinate on important projects because the thought of starting them feels overwhelming. Maybe you go silent in brainstorming sessions even though you have great ideas. Maybe you avoid networking events or skip speaking up in team meetings. A client, James, was constantly passed over for promotions despite being technically excellent. When we dug into it, we discovered that he would freeze every time he was asked to share his opinions or defend his work. He’d shut down, give minimal responses, and essentially become invisible. His manager interpreted this as lack of engagement, when in reality, James was so overwhelmed by the perceived threat of judgment that his nervous system was protecting him by making him disappear. What You Can Do When You Freeze First, understand that you can’t just think your way out of a freeze response. This isn’t a cognitive problemit’s a physiological response that requires physiological interventions. When you notice yourself starting to freeze, the first thing you need to do is reconnect with your body. Try this: press your feet firmly into the floor. Feel the weight of your body in the chair. Take three slow, deep breaths, making your exhale longer than your inhale. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system and starts to bring you back into your body. Another technique that works incredibly well is what I call the grounding catalog. When you feel yourself freezing, mentally note five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This forces your attention back to the present moment. If you’re in a meeting and someone asks you a question that triggers your freeze response, buy yourself time. Say something like, “That’s a great question; let me think about that for a moment,” or “I want to make sure I give you a thorough answercan I come back to that in just a minute?” Building Long-Term Resilience The real work happens outside of the crisis moments. If you want to reduce your tendency to freeze in meetings, you need to work on increasing what researchers call your “window of tolerance,” or your capacity to handle stress without getting overwhelmed. This means taking care of your nervous system daily. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, good nutrition, and stress management practices aren’t just nice-to-haves: they’re essential for building resilience against the freeze response. It also means gradually exposing yourself to triggering situations in a controlled way. If speaking up in large meetings makes you freeze, practice speaking up in smaller groups first. If unexpected questions are your trigger, practice impromptu speaking with trusted colleagues. Preparation That Actually Works When you know you’re going into a potentially triggering situation, prepare your nervous system, not just your content. Before a challenging meeting, take a few minutes to do some breathing exercises or light stretching. Visualize yourself staying calm and grounded. Remind yourself that you belong in that room and that your perspective has value. Breaking the Shame Cycle When you freeze in a meeting, resist the urge to spend the rest of the day beating yourself up about it. This shame response actually makes you more likely to freeze in the future because now you’re dealing with both the original trigger and the fear of freezing again. Practice self-compassion. Talk to yourself the way you would talk to a good friend who was struggling. Remind yourself that freeze responses are normal, human, and actually quite common. Your Next Steps Your freezeresponse in meetings isn’t evidence that you don’t belong in leadership. It’s evidence that you have a nervous system that’s trying to protect you, sometimes in ways that aren’t helpful in modern workplace situations. The goal isn’t to never freeze againthat’s not realistic. The goal is to understand what’s happening, develop tools to work with your freeze response, and gradually expand your capacity to handle challenging situations. Start small. Pick one low-stakes situation this week where you can practice staying present when you feel the freeze response starting. Practice your grounding techniques. Give yourself permission to take up space. Remember that every time you interrupt the freeze response, you’re literally rewiring your nervous system.
Category:
E-Commerce
Sites : [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] next »