As promised, today’s collection of goodness includes an interview of an important thought leader. Read to the end to get to Katherine Brodsky’s no-BS take on the current state of media and the internet.
She also shares some of her fave journalists and social media personalities to follow. I hope you love her read-between-the-lines words that are sure to stir a lil’ something up inside your mind (if not your gut).
Onto the goodies!
Smile-inducing:
An 8th grader saved a bus full of kids after the driver passed out. Someone give this kid a medal!
A Walmart deli worker is aiming to make the US Olympic team. I’m rooting for him!
Amid the chaos, a little bit of peace. We need more love in this world.
Cancer patient just won a $1.3B lotto jackpot. Can we all take a minute to be super happy for this guy?
Eye-opening:
An 1,800 year old Roman statue was found in a parking lot. The world is pretty weird and amazing.
Universal blood donations could be here sooner than expected. This would save a lot of lives.
A birthday card was delivered nearly 9 years late. Kid and his dad are both “gobsmacked.”
What I’m loving right now:
This Beekman 1802 face milk. Holy moly, it’s SO velvety and hydrating and somehow light at the same time. I love it.
This truffle salt tastes so damn good it’s outrageous. Popcorn, veggies—whatever. I’m on my third order already. No PR that I know of, so maybe that’s an opp for someone. Holy crap, I’m enthusiastic.
My silver waterproof Birks. Under $60, are basically impossible to ruin and are perfect for all the weird life tasks that shouldn’t require *real* shoes.
This easy-to-use jewelry cleaner. $10 and effortless. Makes just about everything sparkle like new.
How cute is this Bubs & Sass Mama necklace? Pretty much indestructible. I wear it to yoga every day and it’s still flawless.
Sales I’m shopping right now:
15% off these ADORABLE Mother’s Day cards. Free, fast shipping. Like really, beats a random CVS card by a mile.
This Stanley cup dupe is $23. Free shipping and a zillion colors. 10/10.
20% off It Cosmetics bestsellers. I like their SPF-inclusive products.
Birkenstock Gizeh sandals under $37. Free shipping. I like the classic style better, but these are def cute/good/too cheap to pass on.
27% off Kitchen-Aid stand mixers. Free shipping! It’s wedding season, so you can cross this off someone’s registry.
Chatting with Katherine Brodsky, writer and popular woman about the Internet
Extra Good: Tell us a little about your background as a writer
Katherine: I’ve been a journalist for many years, writing on topics like film, arts, culture, technology and travel. I’ve also done hundreds, if not thousands, of interviews over the years—which is my favorite part of my work because it allows me to learn about the world and different trades from people who are often masters of their craft.
My work has appeared in publications like Variety, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Wired, The Guardian, CNN Travel and many others. I’ve also written a book recently, my first—No Apologies: How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage—Lessons for the Silenced Majority
Extra Good: You've built a massive following online with major names supporting and amplifying your content. Why do you think your words resonate with so many, and if you have any secrets to your sauce... what would you say they are?
Katherine: In terms of my social media presence and writing on Substack, one thing that people have told me repeatedly is that I’m the “voice of reason.” I think because enough people said it, it’s probably fair to believe there’s something to it.
I don’t focus on the outrage—or rather, I don’t paddle in outrage. I’m merely trying to make sense of the world. At times, I take more challenging topics, but I approach them in a more stoic manner, and through logic and common sense, rather than emotion.
I try to make people think about things a little differently, and I tend to do that by walking them through my own thinking process. Even if they disagree with me—which is often the case—they at least understand where I’m coming from and I think they appreciate that. They also know that I’ll always be honest with my words, people tend to respect that.
Also, as a writer, I’ve always taken more complex stories and distilled it to a level that’s simple. The ideas may be complex, but I always look for the simplest and more precise way to express something.
Extra Good: Have you received push-back from publications for being so vocal on social media? Or grown?
Katherine: We live in funny times, unfortunately. There’s little doubt that my presence and outspoken voice has likely gotten on the radar of all sorts of potential employers, including editors at media outlets.
Some won’t care, or agree with me, or can appreciate that one is entitled to various opinions, even if they don’t always match up. But at the same time, I’m sure that a number of them do care. But if you’re passed over for a story, or a job—no one is going to blatantly say it.
So, while I have my suspicions in a few cases, and have a fair bit of evidence that might suggest that, I can’t know for sure. There are, of course, other media outlets who are more keen on my presence and it seems to factor in with me occasionally being approached to write something.
I also find myself amused whenever a reply of mine to some random post gets picked up by media and written about. What a world we live in when the story becomes what someone else said about something someone said!
Extra Good: Where do you see North American media heading in the second half of 2024? Anything you're particularly excited about? Or worried about?
Katherine: Sadly, I’m not so thrilled about the state of media. There are some things it does really well and many areas where it fails. To correct course, there needs to be a mass acknowledgement of that…but that doesn’t happen so often.
As result of media coverage biases, or faulty reporting, a lot of people no longer trust these institutions, which is a grave problem. Media plays an important role in figuring out and sharing what’s important and true in the world.
How else can we know what’s really going on? As result of this distrust, many have turned to alternatives—but they are often worse than the mainstream media. This concerns me a lot.
Extra Good: Your favorite thought leaders to follow? You manage to connect with some of the most innovative minds.
Katherine: I like @G_S_Bhogal – he also has a substack called The Prism:
He’s a clever chap, lovely person and his writing revolves around making sense of digital landscapes and how we consume information. I appreciate his ground, informed and logical approach.
Shayan Sardarizadeh, too. Not quite a thought leader, but he is a journalist at BBC Verify and I think he does a great service for all of us. "Factchecking" has gotten a dirty name, but when done well and without bias, it's incredibly valuable.
From what I've seen, he's been doing a great job dispelling conspiracy theories, disinformation, etc.
The Cultural Tutor is a great example of how not every “influencer” has to be toxic. He’s become quite popular, which means that audiences also crave beauty and knowledge. His account on X looks mostly at art, classical music, and architecture. He also sends out seven short lessons every Friday via his newsletter:
If you loved Katherine’s thoughts, befriend her on X or follow her Substack.
Musings:
Have a popular thought leader or celeb who’d love to be interviewed in the next Extra Good? Or just one you’d love to see featured? Comment below or send me an email.
For my PR friends, if you have ground-breaking products and sales Extra Good readers need to know about, holler. Will do my best to get ‘em in if they’re truly can’t-miss.
Do me a favor? Tell a friend or colleague about the Extra Good newsletter. Means a lot to me.
Talk soon, bubbeleh. <3
Reading definitely put a smile on my face, thank you Bryce! SO many great recos too - adding that truffle salt, jewelry cleaning and flower pop up card (such a fun idea) to cart now! xx
Thanks for this Extra Great newsletter, Bryce! Bought the Stanley Dupe bc my other dupe emotional support water bottle keeps getting delayed. Thanks for the recs :) Have a wonderful weekend!