I don’t usually cover politics. I prefer to write about people and things that change the culture. Spring means commencement speeches, and often politicians pop up to give them, including Vice President Mike Pence. I love following college graduations because they offer a rare snap shot into what’s trending as...
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You Think You’re Self-Aware? Why Personas Are A Bigger Deal
These days, the concept of the persona is very real. Personas offer building blocks toward becoming a more whole person–as long as you know what they can, and can’t, do for you. The viral wonder boy band BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) recently kicked off a new album cycle for Map of the Soul:...
Envisioning a Way Forward—Trend Report 2019
Every year, I bury myself. Not literally. I burrow into consumer data and devour breaking research and corporate forecasts. I interview experts and focus group moderators. My desktop is a jumble of notes and Post-Its. But there’s a method to the madness. Tracking the tremors before they turn into trends...
The Inner Life of Trends: Meaning, Motivation and What’s Morphing in 2019
Since moving to the woods last year, I’ve picked up a mild obsession: Looking up words I can re-purpose to describe 21st-century situations. This has become an important part of my work as a hunter of social phenomena. I want to associate new trends with an existing word — awesomize,...
2019 Resolution: Break Free from the Work/Life Paradox Part 1
Wow, 2018 was a year of countless unforeseen changes. You too? Rising to each challenge proved to be wearing. I burnt out. What to do? Because the amount of complexity in our lives is not subsiding. The research reveals that failure to cope, if not adapt, will make us very...
What a Dominatrix Can Teach You about Love
While researching the #MeToo phenomenon, I discovered Kasia Urbaniak, a former Dominatrix. She was once paid $64,000 for a 10-minute session, a handsome fee that went toward her college tuition. Today, she teaches women-empowerment classes in New York. Her classes sell out. Soon she’ll be taking her training online including...
Home Front: To My Thoreau Delight
Sometime in 2017, my husband and I decided to look for a home in the woods. After months of fruitless searching, we nearly gave up. Shortly after we agreed to end the struggle, our realtor shot us a must-see listing. Yes! We made it ours. It’s a mid-century modern gem...
News: Trend Report will be a Video Series!
After 9 years, I’m excited to announce that beginning in January, the new format for our popular Trend Report will be a video series. Change is good. After all, does anyone really need a giant sheaf of written findings to add to their monstrous stack of things to read? We...
Trend Watch: The hidden story behind the wild popularity of the Handmaid’s Tale
Month after month, Amazon rated Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale in its top 10 most-purchased novels during 2017. Hulu’s gripping adaptation was a runaway hit generating countless blog posts. What does it mean? The tsunami of social media surrounding the women of Gilead, the dark dystopian society where the Handmaid’s Tale...