Last Week Today: Reputation Management
May 28, 2024 ✅
Welcome to my Substack where I share the best of my week. Think of this as a catch-up between friends with life hacks & advice sprinkled in. Grab your beverage of choice and let's get started ☕️
QOTD: Quote of the Day 💡
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” - Winston Churchill
Highlight of the Week🔥
In my GSB “Reputation Management” class, we had a meaningful assignment inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues. The assignment was to identify the top reputation pillars we want to live by. These pillars are meant to guide our actions, decisions, and interactions both professionally and personally.
It was an opportunity to think deeply about the values that are most important to me, why they matter, and how I can stand by them. I highly recommend that you take 30 minutes to write down what matters most to you—it’s a powerful exercise that can bring clarity and purpose into what you’re doing (and what you intentionally choose NOT to do) everyday.
Here my 6 pillars that came from my heart. Hopefully you understand what I value a little better by reading through them.
Buying Your First Car: What I wish I knew 🚘
I bought my first car over the summer. It’s a weird experience because there’s an information asymmetry. It’s a seller’s market because there’s way more demand for cars than there are cars available. Car dealers speak with dozens of people every day and they know what people are willing to pay for the car. They literally can make money from this information asymmetry because they just get way more repetitions in every single day.
I know buying a new car at the dealership can be intimidating. BUT, there is no need to bring your dad, your boyfriend, or your husband with you. Let’s break it down…
Do your own research. Go in with an idea of the car you want. Do you have a family? Like outdoor adventures? Find a car that has the features to support your lifestyle.
Compare cars side by side. Sites like Kelley Blue Book allow you to compare the expert rating, the fuel economy, and the safety features.
Understand the fair purchase price. You can see comps online of what you should pay for the car and what you could sell the car for in the future.
You have to go in prepared. You got this! ⭐
Achieving Your BIG Ideas with SMALL Steps
Start small and scrappy to stay flexible🫡 That's the venture mindset that Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor, Ilya Strebulaev, and I spoke about in his office hours.
👀 If you have a BIG idea, chances are there are also BIG opportunity costs. To test out your BIG idea in a lower cost way, start SMALL and iterate to learn quickly. Ilya says that in the beginning of new projects, there often needs to be more flexibility than commitment. What are some low cost ways you can test your hypothesis today?
For me, I have a BIG idea for my next content project. This week I'll be taking my mini microphones around town (low cost interviews) and start posting a mini series (iterate and validate my hypothesis) on my social media. By doing this consistently for the next few weeks, I'll gather enough qualitative and quantitative data to see if my BIG idea has legs.
Get out there and run some tests 🚀
iBanking and Private Equity Explained
Jennifer Hwang, ex-investment banker and growth equity investor, breaks down all of the business terms you need to know in this latest clip. Jenn is one of my best friends at Stanford and she’s my go-to person for all this so I’m glad you get to hear from her directly. Check out the video below and more clips on my YouTube page!
In Case You Missed It: What I posted on IG 💅🏻
✏️My unexpected favorite class at Stanford
💌Who they think they're emailing...
🤓6 Things I Learned at Stanford's Business School
🍕What Am I Going to Miss About Being A Student?
What I’m Reading 📚👀
🎓The class of 2024 is facing a tough job market. Here’s who’s hiring, according to LinkedIn
Happy graduation season, Class of 2024! While I still have a few more weeks of school, grad season is in full swing for lots of you. Graduation is such an exciting time and you should be so proud of all the hard work you put in! But if you’re still figuring out your next steps, know that you aren’t alone. I liked this article on growing industries and roles because it gives a macro-view of the entry-level job market. Know that your first job does NOT need to be what you do forever, but you’ll learn lots no matter where you go with the right people and the right attitude.
🧑💻OpenAI's flirty new GPT-4o is giving some people the ick
Have you heard the latest clips of GPT-4o? OpenAI’s latest announcement was their very own Alexa or Siri, but this one has some serious upgrades and sounds much more human. And part of that is it… flirts. Weird.
Virtual assistants — the Siris and Alexas of the world — have always defaulted to female voices and personas, but now with the sophistication and personality that GPT-4o has, it feels extra weird. What do you think?
📸 Grow Your Business With Influencers, but Not Like This
Did you know that the influencer economy in America is estimated to be more than $2.5 trillion? To put that in perspective, the entire U.S. automotive industry is just north of $100 billion. I know… that’s pretty mind-blowing.
But that’s not entirely what this last piece is about. This piece is all about the opportunities brands have to enter the content creator space, not through influencer partnerships and brand deals, but by making products that cater to creators. It’s pretty smart. Content creation is a young industry. More products and services geared toward content creators would help professionalize the field and create great opportunities.
Meme Tax
Have the best week, my friends!
Cherie