“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”
― Malcolm X
The Syllabus
- Editor’s Note
- Optimism—It’s Ok!
- Ernest Goes To The Mailbox
- Around The World
1. EDITOR’S NOTE
We did it Joe. We migrated.
Welcome to our new 100% creator-owned site, newsletter, and interface.
It took us way longer (and was considerably harder) than intended, but let me tell you—freedom smells sweet.
Thank you again for sticking with us in spite of all our migration hiccups. We got a surprising lack of hate mail and/or unsubscribes. Gee whiz.
Speaking of subscriptions: For the month of July, ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS WILL FUNCTION AS PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS.
That means you’ll get access to all the content we have available, all the time.
In the next week or so we’ll unveil our new paid subscription options, so take some time to poke around the new site before we make some sections private—for paid-only subscribers—in August. Maybe you’ll want to become one!
And for those of you that still have your OG Substack paid subscriptions… hang on to them! Your billing info will automatically transfer over to our new interface. Also, we love you, and we’ll make the past dead month(s) up to you. Promise.
2. OPTIMISM—IT’S OK!
According to Twitter and the news, the future is going to be an unimaginable hellscape in which the worst-imaginable-case-scenario will not only come to pass, but will suck even more than you think it will.
I disagree with that notion.
It’s ridiculous to assume that bad things will happen. Yes, it is inevitable that SOMETHING bad will happen, but it’s also inevitable that good things will come from the future we’re headed towards.
I tend to lean towards optimism.
But instead of blindly believing, I like to find examples to back up my case.
This month, we’re going to present the evidence that the cultural industries and the people who work in them should be looking forward to the future. Instead of hiding our heads in the sand and pretending that how things were in the past is the “best way,” we’re going to prove that the future is worth getting excited about.
This July, Office Hours is looking forward to what’s coming next.
“Next”in this context doesn’t mean “in 6 months, these artists will be hitmakers” or “buy this stock now and it’ll pay off in the near future.” It means, “This stuff is going to change how we do our jobs and the cultural industries, in general.”
Change is the only constant we have. You might as well prepare for it.
3. ERNEST GOES TO THE MAILBOX
We’ve received a few e-mails recently asking for advice around certain topics around the cultural industries. Rather than keep the info to ourselves, we’re starting a new advice column. Currently, we don’t have a name other than “Ernest Goes To The Mailbox.” (So if you’ve got any ideas for a sick name… please… we need them.)
Question: I’m a dude who works in the music industry (surprise), helping artists and labels with marketing and branding. I recently turned 35 years old, and… I don’t really know what shirts to wear anymore? My go-to has always been a graphic tee, especially over the last year being in the house. Because of my clientele, I don’t want to give off a “suit” vibe, but I don’t want to come off as too casual either. And polo shirts are out of the question—I’m not my dad!
As the world opens up and I’ve started getting invites to in-person meetings and sessions, I’ve also developed severe sartorial anxiety. I need to kick my work-from-home uniform up a notch, but how? Ernest, what the hell do I wear in the real world?
Answer: Man. This one hits close to home as I, too am an Old in The Creative Industries. I feel like you have to maintain a level of professionalism, even in a ridiculously unprofessional industry like music.
I have a controversial opinion. I think you should treat creative work like you would a job fixing cars or building skyscrapers. Not because I believe that the labor is equal, but because I believe it does a good job of helping you focus on what actually matters: The Work. With rare exceptions, I have been wearing the same shirt every workday for the last 18 months: The Carhartt K87. The weight is similar to popular build and styles, is forgiving to those of us who may have eaten our way through the last year, comes in dozens of different colors and—the most important part—is no more than $20 per shirt, which a lot of popular brands can’t say. This might be a little dressed-down, but you’re also not going to give off the “Is this guy a cop?” vibe when you walk into a session, which is a vibe you don’t ever want to give off.
Want to get your product featured? Email us! Let’s talk.
4. AROUND THE WORLD
- ICYMI: I was interviewed in GQ recently!
- Emma Carmichael on Mina Kimes = all you need to know.
(EMMA PLEASE COME ON THE PODCAST) - Seth Rogan on Quinta Brunson? Yes please.
- The Soccer Revolution Is Upon Us! Mark Ingram Acquires Stake in DC United.
And as always…
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