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Gold has been having a very good year. That sentiment couldnt have been clearer on Tuesday, October 7, as the precious metal hit a new milestone: $4,000 an ounce. As of early Wednesday, gold was up over 53% year to date. That’s significantly higher than the growth seen by major stock indexes over the same period The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 9.93% this year, the S&P 500 is up 14.42%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 18.19% as of the market close on Tuesday. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}})}(); As a so-called safe-haven asset, gold has benefited from a few things this year, including a weakened dollar and an unpredictable economy. The latter has been especially true since the U.S. government shutdown on October 1. That Wednesday morning saw gold reach new all-time highs, with spot gold and U.S. gold futures reaching $3,894 and $3,922, respectively. Gold has continued to trend upward over the last week, reaching a high of $4,050 today. Yes, but will it last? Clearly the U.S. government shutdown has, at least so far, been a coup for gold, but for how much longer? Of course, theres no guarantee either way, especially with no end in sight for the shutdown. Financial experts have found themselves split on their predictions. Goldman Sachs has taken a bullish approach, raising its estimated gold forecast from $4,300 to $4,900 per ounce for December 2026. We see the risks to our upgraded gold price forecast as still skewed to the upside on net, because private sector diversification into the relatively small gold market may boost ETF holdings above our rates-implied estimate, Goldman stated during the Monday announcement, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Monday saw Bank of America take a much more bearish stance, Fortune reports. Bank of Americas technical strategist, Paul Ciana, warned of an elevated risk of correction. Ciana posited that factors like buying based on momentum and overbought signals mean that golds speedy rise could be coming to an end.
Category:
E-Commerce
In my old banking job, where I worked for 12 years, I found myself frustrated with the slow pace of the work, the layers of red tape and approvals to get anything done. After all, banking was a highly regulated industry, and while there were many rules to follow, they were just simply being a good bank by following them. I felt tired, drained, and lacked energysimilar symptoms to burnout. While the organization was frequently voted a best place to work, I couldnt figure out why my great job felt so bad. I wasnt overworking or spending endless evenings logging in, so the typical paths to burnout didnt make sense. What I was actually experiencing was rust out. A COSTLY CONDITION The literal definition of rust out is to decay and become unusable through the action of rust. Rust out is a type of burnout that comes from not using your unique skills and talents at work, lacking learning opportunities, and ultimately, dreading the repetitive tasks at work that sap your creativity. Not only is this costly to an employees peace and mental health, but its costly to employers, too. According to Gallups 2025 engagement report, the global percentage of engaged employees was 21% in 2024. Its even worse for leadership. For young managers (under 35), engagement dropped by 5%, and female manager engagement dropped by 7%. Here’s what to do if you suspect you may be experiencing rust out: CONDUCT AN ENERGY AUDIT One of the biggest contributors to rust out is spending your energy in places that dont align with your unique talents and skills. In my own experience, and in working with my clients, a simple way to uncover your unique talents is to notice your energy. I believe every work activity falls into one of three categories: energy suckers, energy stallers, and energy surgers. Energy suckers feel like they take heroic effort, even though the task wasnt all that large or difficult. Energy stallers are tricky because they throw your energy into neutral. You dont feel drained while doing them, but they dont ignite your energy either. Energy surgers are the sweet spot youre looking for. These projects bring a paradoxthey are challenging, but they make you feel amazing, in flow, and like your most creative self. When conducting an energy audit, assess what percentage of your time is spent on energy suckers, energy stallers, and energy surgers. DUMP, DELEGATE, OR OUTSOURCE After you conduct your energy audit, the next step is to ask yourself: What can I dump, delegate or outsource? You want to dump the things that drain your energy the most. They are likely tasks or projects that we said yes to months or years ago that we keep doing because were on autopilot. In my own experience, these were old reports I would review that no one was paying attention to. If you dont want or need to be there, and it doesnt align with your values and priorities, it may be time to dump it. If you cant dump it, can you delegate it? In a day of back-to-back meetings, I noticed that two of my team members were in there with me. They could handle the meeting and make the decisions, but because I was in the meeting as their leader, people would defer to me anyway. I decided to delegate that meeting. And by asking myself, Where does my presence subtract value for fellow team members? I found more meetings I could delegate. And finally, if you cant dump it or delegate it, can you outsource it? In my years of working at technology and consulting firms, I discovered the power of outsourcing: from office snack delivery to marketing activities to contractors. ADVOCATE FOR YOUR TALENTS Once you are clear on what your energy surgers are, it is up to you to communicate clearly to your boss and peers what your strongest talents are and what type of work youd most like to take on. Leaders cant read minds, so the more you communicate the work you value and ask them to think of you when opportunities come up, the more likely they are to share your name and talents when you are not in the room. This may not happen overnight but through consistent conversations it can work. The good news is that several of my clients have stayed at a company they loved and redesigned their roles into something more enjoyable simply by having this energy and talents conversation with their leader. DECIDE IF A CAREER CHANGE IS NEEDED Sometimes, all of this reflection, advocacy, and self-awareness can bring us to an unexpected place: wondering if we are in the right career and if a change is needed to overcome rust out. While I always encourage folks to advocate and change their current environment so we dont bring the same issues into a new role, there are some questions you can ask to help you determine if its time to stay or go, such as: Does this organization align with my values? Do I agree with the way leadership makes decisions? How have I advocated for the changes I want? Have I set and communicated necessary boundaries for how I spend my time and energy? If you determine that there isnt values alignment and no changes have been made despite your advocacy, it might be time to look elsewhere. The results of beating rust out can boost an employeesand their employer’s peace, potential, and paychecks and profits through improved productivity, well-being, and engagement.
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E-Commerce
Libbie Bischoff didn’t set out to reinvent the signature. Really, she was just flipping through a vintage knitting magazine from the 1950s. The Minneapolis-based type designer collects the mags, partly because her grandmother taught her to knit, and partly because she finds incredible typography hidden within their pages. It was in one of these magazines that she found the casual, flowing script that would become one of Docusign’s new signature styles. Together with Lynne Yuna New York-based type designer, calligrapher, and founder of the studio Space TypeBischoff is responsible for the first major update to the platform’s signature options in more than 20 years. For Docusign, a company that has processed a billion-plus digital signatures, changing the look of a digital John Hancock is no small decision. Its a move that reflects a quiet but significant cultural shift: Cursive is fading, as is the traditional idea of what a signature should be. [insert paywall] Reviving history A Docusign survey found that only 51% of Gen Zers sign their name in cursive, compared to 80% of boomers. As a lover of cursive and calligraphy, I feel depressed when I read that, but facts are hard to dispute. As our most important life moments move online, its logical to expect that the digital signature would become a new form of self-expression. [Image: courtesy Docusign] Bischoff and Yun were tasked with injecting personality into a digital interaction that can often feel sterile. Their work explores how a signature can be authentically digital by moving beyond traditional cursive to reflect a user’s personality in an era when fewer people write by hand. [Image: Libbie Bischoff (design)/Docusign] For Bischoff, the process of creating the new signatures was an act of revival. She wanted to breathe digital life into historical handwriting. The script from the knitting magazine became “The Vintage Enthusiast,” a friendly, flowing cursive with printed, upright capital letters. [Image: courtesy Docusign] “The capitals are all printed, but then the cursive lowercase element of it is very fast and kind of casual and more similar to . . . how [somebody] would write their signature,” she tells me. The style carries a sentimental weight for her, evoking the era when her grandmother would have been knitting. [Image: Libbie Bischoff (design)/Docusign] Her other creation, “The Letter Writer,” came from an even older source: a beautifully inscribed book from 1916 she spotted in an antique store. Bischoff was so struck by the penmanship that she snapped a picture. From there, she built the complete typefacea clean, upright script with a professional feel, featuring bold caps and quirky lowercase letters. “The writing is very beautiful and just very professional,” she says. “That level of care going into a gift as simple as a book is, I dont know, I just thought that was so nice.” [Image: courtesy Docusign] Calligraphy for a digital age While Bischoff looked for inspiration in found artifacts, Yun got deep into the craft of calligraphy itself, exploring how the human hand could be felt in a digital format. Her four typefaces for the Docusign project push the boundaries of what a signature can be. [Image: Lynne Yun (design)/Docusign] “The Overachiever” is a sharp, confident script born from Yun’s study of 20th-century Czech calligrapher Oldøich Menhart. Menhart’s work is characterized by earthy, bold, and expressive calligraphic forms. For Yun, his work was the inspiration she needed to craft a modern digital typeface that would bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary design. [Image: courtesy Docusign] As a calligrapher herself, she believes Menhart provided a foundation for a new style that feels personal and expressive without falling into the common traps of being either too gimmicky or overly formal. “I wanted to embody that era of calligraphy where it’s about personal expression, but you want to express yourself, like not in a way where it’s full-on goofy or full-on like Here is my crown, she tells me. [Image: Lynne Yun (design)/Docusign] For “The Renaissance Soul,” she took a more experimental approach. “If The Overachiever is like, Ooh, I cross my Ts . . . I think The Renaissance Soul is the other way, where I do what I want,” Yun says with a laugh. [Image: courtesy Docusign] She started by writing letters over and over with a calligraphy marker, then moved to a square brush and ink to explore how expressive the forms could get without losing legibility. The result is a bold, dramatic typeface with voluptuous curves and expressive, sculptural forms designed to command attention. Not all of Yun’s new typefaces are based on traditional script, though. For “The Curator,” a slanted, geometric sans serif, Yun says she wanted to create a hybrid that feels modern yet personal. The challenge was to infuse warmth into a typically clean and cool style. “I purposely wanted it to feel like a very modern version of handwriting, although it is nothing like handwriting at all because it is a very sans-serif feeling,” she explains. [Image: Lynne Yun (design)/Docusign] The creative process was about playing with perception. She started with “the structure of a modernist sans serif” and then worked to give it “warm, handwritten . . . vibes.” The key to this, she says, was creating the illusion of a connected script without actually connecting the letters. “It has that notion of like, ‘Oh, it would connect if it was like a handwritten scribble,’ but it’s not,” she tells me. Indeed, its clean-cut but still representative of a digital-native style rooted in a personal, human feeling. [Image: courtesy Docusign] Finally, “The Party Starter” is a bold, high-contrast typeface with a playful attitude, as Yun describes it, noting the inspiration for it began with a French specimen from Constantine in 1834 that she wanted to combine with the spirit of 19th-century American woodcut type. [Image: Lynne Yun (design)/Docusign] “I think that in mid-century America we had a lot of big personalities. No matter what they look like, that was the vibe I wanted to capture,” she says. Yun made initial sketches that were faithful to the historical source but then intentionally deviated for a more refined, modern feel. She says she identified the “inconsistencies and quirks in the original that worked against a harmonious texture and updated them for a modern aesthetic. The goal was to create something with a “slightly wilder, playful appearance” that wouldnt look out of place at a formal function. The result is a typeface defined by what Yun calls “huge contrast, like big, bold, bulk terminals”a visual representation of packing the biggest personality possible into a small space, which feels appropriate given how small signature spaces can be in so many documents. Beyond cursive I still question whether people are really ready to sign a legal document with something that doesn’t look like, well, a signature. Bischoff believes the reaction will be positive, if generational. “I think younger people dont care about cursive-style things. I think older people will gravitate maybe towards those,” she suggests. Which is why Docusign wanted this new generation of typefaces, of course. Yun sees it as a natural evolution. For years, the digital world was stuck between the “super formal” and gimmicky Comic-sansy “marker writing. This project, she feels, allows signatures to be “authentically digital” rather than just mimicking analog tools. “I think weve evolved past the point of wanting to fake pens in the digital space,” she says. “And now were just like, ‘Hey, this is a typeface and it has a personality. Docusign claims this is all about acknowledging that in a 99.9% digital world, your digital signature should still feel like you. Yun and Bischoff tell me that it was a chance to expand the definition of digital identity. To me, being neither a boomer nor a millennial or a Z but a Gen Xer, the answer to my rhetorical question is really much simpler: Sorry, Docusign, but your previous signatures really sucked. These new ones? They are pretty cool, even if I still hate the end of calligraphy and the actual bloody pen.
Category:
E-Commerce
Move over quiet quitting, bare minimum Mondays, and career cushioning. A new workplace behavior is on the rise: the self-aware underperformer. Contrary to hustle culture, these workers are knowingly underperforming and not doing anything about it. It used to be the delusional underperformerthe employee who thought they were doing a great jobthat gave HR headaches. The self-aware underperformer, on the other hand, is aware that theyre underperforming and not taking any actions to rectify it. As leaders, this isnt something you can afford to ignore. After all, underperformance doesnt just materialize. The culture has been brewing and cultivating on our watch. Unfortunately, far too many companies prioritize optics over results, turn to placating instead of coaching, and compensate instead of addressing. In some cases, theyve repurposed authenticity and transparency (both of which are positive attributes) to serve as convenient excuses. This dynamic leads to the self-aware underperformer. Many have hailed self-awareness as the holy grail of performance. Its often tied to superior decision-making, enhanced team dynamics, and thriving leadership behavior. Despite the admissions, true self-awareness appears to be in short supply. According to a 2018 article by Harvard Business Review, 95% of people think theyre self-aware, yet only 10% to 15% actually are. This is the confronting dilemma. The perceived claim of awareness without the change is a disguise for the underperformers illusion of responsibility. It feels like accountability. Yet when employees repeatedly demonstrate awareness, apologies, and empathy but fail to change, its no longer just their performance that suffers. Here are five signs you are working with a self-aware underperformer 1. Underperformance as an identity These employees wear their underperformance like a badge. They deliver the bare minimum. Previously, people would have seen their behavior as complacent. Now, theyve reframed it as a kind of delusional authenticity. “I know I might not be the best, but Im steady.” By leaning into this identity, they transform underperformance into their personal brand. As a leader, you need to separate awareness from accountability. Remember, awareness isnt a deliverable. A useful response is, “Thanks for raising that. Whats your plan to fix it this week?” This keeps the conversation future-focused and signals that its not enough for them to recognize theyre underperforming. 2. Self-deprecation Some employees deflect by making light of their shortcomings. They might say the following statement with a smile or a joke. “You know Im hopeless at numbers.” They disarm criticism. Managers might even laugh along. But six months later, the reports continue to be late. What feels like humility in the moment is a shield that protects a lackluster effort to improve. To address this, anchor evaluations to progress, not personality. Self-aware underperformers often rely on charm, humility, or likability. That means grounding assessments to measurable outcomes. What matters is not how self-aware they appear, but whether their output improves quarter to quarter. 3. Passively reframing underperformance as a moral issue They position self-awareness as a conscious decision to reject the hustle culture. They might make excuses like “why should I extend myself?” or “were not saving lives. They might champion underperformance as a moral cause. Tackling this attitude requires managers to raise the bar on that employees comfort zone. If someone openly settles for less, its on you as a leader to decide whether thats an acceptable plateau. In high-expectation roles and cultures, make clear that comfort is not a contract. Performance standards exist for a reason, and you cant suspend them simply because someone is candid about not aspiring higher. 4. Your narrative becomes theirs You want to be “that supportive manager.” In the beginning, you might be patient and give them the benefit of the doubt. “They are still coming up to speed,” or “they need more training, resources, and help.” But there comes a point when it becomes over-accommodating. You might find yourself allocating their work to others, extending deadlines, and making continual allowances. Before you know it, their performance is no longer their responsibility, but yours. You need to interrupt the rationalization loop. Shift the discussion from causes to choices. Ask, “Given these constraints, what can you still control and improve?” This reframes the narrative from circumstance to agency, which puts responsibility back in the employees hands. 5. An abundance of excuses Self-aware underperformers rarely run out of explanations: outdated systems, shifting market trends, and unclear mandates. These rationalizations are often factually correct, but function as shields. Rather than moving from problem to solution, employees stay stuck in the narrative of why things couldnt be done. When they appear to show empathy, it becomes harder to confront. “I know this must be frustrating for the team, and I really appreciate everyones patience.” Its a clever move because its a neat redirect away from the issue. Instead, redefine empathy as action. Empathy is valuable only when it translates into behavioural change. Encourage employees to pair recognition with repair. “Youve named the impact on the team, now lets agree on what youll do differently.” The real leadership test isnt spotting underperformance. As leaders, you need to see through the packaging of awareness without improvement. Awareness without change is simply underperformance in more eloquent clothing. The best leaders know how to thank people for their honesty, and then hold them to the change that honesty demands.
Category:
E-Commerce
Todays labor market may be stagnating, but its also uncertain. Candidates arent behaving as many leaders would expect. The dynamic is trending towards an employers market. As a result, employers expect that candidates will increase their job searches, accept lower pay increases, and accept new roles more eagerly. But in reality, job searching has actually declined, pay expectations remain high, and candidates are reluctant to move. And this has resulted in a critical talent supply shortage. According to research from Gartner, 29% of candidates spent more than five hours per week on active job searches in the second quarter of 2025. Thats down from 49% in the first quarter of 2023. Additionally, in a 2025 Gartner survey of nearly 3,000 candidates, 53% identified higher compensation as their top reason for accepting a job offer. Acceptances are also significantly down with 51% of candidates reporting they accepted their most recent offer in the second quarter of 2025, down from 75% in the first quarter of 2025. Candidates might expect more from jobs today, or they might be responding more to uncertainty than market stagnation. Whatever the reason may be, theyre willing to wait for jobs that meet their higher expectations. As a result, recruiters are feeling greater pressure to understand candidates’ wants and how to deliver on them. To compete successfully for critical talent today, organizations need to adopt an approach thats more consistent with a fluid labor market. Below are the things that leaders need to focus on if they want to hire the best and brightest. Engaging talent selectively Many leaders expect candidates to put more effort into their job search today. The reality is that job searching has sharply declined. To bridge the job search expectation gap, organizations need to focus on building deeper relationships with the right talent, just like they would in a more fluid market. HR can guide business leaders to narrow their hiring focus to roles with the greatest business impact or complexity. This is especially important in todays cost-constrained environment. HR should prioritize deploying recruiters who excel at building long-term candidate relationships. Automating hiring processes for less critical roles can also help free up resources. This allows recruiters to concentrate on attracting talent for the capabilities that matter most. Managing attribute mix Labor market observers may expect candidates to settle for modest pay increases. But many are holding out for the full employment deal they want. To close this expectation gap, its up to the organization to amplify the right mix of attributes for the talent theyre targeting. HR can help business leaders pinpoint the critical skills and experience levels that they need, then identify current employees who match those profiles. Running focus groups with those employees can uncover the attributes that differentiate the organization from the perspective of those specific employees. Enlisting current employees from target talent segments can also help craft powerful messaging. They can help shape the tone, emphasis, and content that will resonate most with the candidates that the organization wants to attract Mitigating career risks Seasoned HR leaders might expect candidates to be eager to accept offers in todays climate. In reality, candidates are hesitant to accept. Gartner research finds that candidate willingness to accept job offers peaked in the last quarter of 2023, at 87%. This fell significantly by mid-2024. By the second quarter of 2025, only 51% of candidates reported they had accepted a new job offer. To resolve this offer-acceptance expectation gap, organizations need to focus less on convincing candidates to move jobs and more on the risk of not moving in the first place. HR needs to equip recruiters to help candidates think through their options, weigh risks, and make confident decisions. When candidates feel supported by the organization, theyre more likely to move forward. Thats why its important to train recruiters to be able to have these types of conversations, so that theyre in a better position to build relationships Following this path, HR is not simply reapplying the playbook from a fluid market. In todays climate, if the primary hesitation among talent is a fear of being Last In, First Out, then recruiters need to shift the conversation from the risk of making the move to not making it. HR leaders today cant rely on traditional assumptions about candidate behavior in a stagnating market. Todays market may be stagnant, but its also uncertain. Candidates are responding less to stagnation and more to that uncertainty. Until that changes, organizations should adopt a candidate playbook that reflects a more fluid market. And thats a market that demands tighter positioning and greater assertiveness.
Category:
E-Commerce
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