In this Monday’s email we’re sharing:
6 articles you need to start your week — from Millennial Cringe making a comeback to hyper-productivity after work
In the full edition, available for members, we look at:
2 cultural gems you need to know — The NFL has been courting younger female fans for a long time and Taylor going on Travis's podcast is just the latest iteration of this, and TikTok’s uncertain future and how you can prepare
The state of the creator economy — Monica Khan breaks down how brands and creators can thrive in the “creator entrepreneur” era
Recent publications: 💎Privacy pitfalls on Instagram and how YouTube Shorts is stealing TikTok’s spotlight, 🌎 Mom life, abroad: how expat moms are growing audiences & businesses, The trends defining summer 2025—and what to do about them
💎cultural gems💎
🥁 Millennial nostalgia is back—Edward Sharpe’s 2009 hit Home is going viral again, sparking both cringe and fond memories of late‑2000s earnestness.
💪 “5-to-9 after the 9-5” TikTok videos are making free time feel like work, with users turning evenings into curated, hyper-productive routines.
🎶 Singer, Role Model, has made his tour interactive—every night a fan [and sometimes a celeb] is invited on stage to be Sally during his performance of Sally, When the Wine Runs Out, creating a viral moment with every show.
⚽️ Dick’s Sporting Goods is launching an entertainment studio. Why, you may ask? Today’s consumers don’t just want products—they want stories.
📚 The Boston Public Library is partnering with Open AI and Harvard to use AI to digitize their huge archive.
💚 MTD client GoFundMe is in the running to present 6 sessions at SXSW 2026. You can vote for them here if you feel inclined.
Deep dive: The state of the creator economy
We’re sharing 2 final cultural gems articles and a POV from Monica Khan, creator economy expert and Head of Digital at Strand Entertainment, on the creator economy and what she’s calling the “creator-entrepreneur” era, specifically:
How creators are expanding their revenue streams and building empires
3 tactics the strongest brand creator programs are employing
The brands and creators who are moving community engagement offline
The KPIs you should actually be focusing on
How smart creators are using AI as a tool for content creation
Why streamers [think Netflix and YouTube] are battling for creators
This Thursday we’re going to talk about the creator economy and all the opportunities for brands with Monica. Our full Q&A will dive into the biggest mistakes brands and creators make when working together and more. Stay tuned 👀
