Sick AF Today 🤧 Go read these instead.

5 things from the Who Do You Know? archives you should read while I am sick today.

Hey everyone I am currently fighting a really bad cold right now. I’ve been holed up in my apartment basically since Saturday.

I hate to admit that because appearing healthy and infallible is sort of my MO but it can’t always be like that.

I am staying hydrated, drinking immunity juices, eating soup, laying down, and postponing meetings and plans.

So don’t worry, I’ll probably be back tomorrow.

But in lieu of a new Who Do You Know? today I figured I’d just curate some reads from the archives (and some bonus stuff I am reading/listening to in bed)—

FROM THE ARCHIVES

1. Bella Hadid’s New Brand is a Tragedy. One of my most popular newsletters was my analyzation of Bella Hadid’s Orebella brand, and how I thought her team missed the mark. I ultimately compared it to the recent launch of Kelly Slater’s new SPF brand, which I thought nailed their launch with great branding and a website that educated the consumer in thoughtful ways.

2. Something Wild is Happening in the Equinox Locker Room. My breakdown of Equinox’s switch to Grown Alchemist. 3 weeks later, I am talking to more and more people complaining, including some who say its flaring up their nut allergies. I just talked to the sales associate at Aesop about is yesterday and she hooked me up with some travel size products I can take to Equinox myself in my dopp kit.

3. My interview with Juliana Goldman, founder of Potion PR. Juliana dropped some major gems on how she runs Potion, one of NYC’s most forward thinking PR companies. If you’re into branding, PR, and creative this is a must read.

4. What makes Monte’s Sauce so F*cking Good. I interviewed PJ Monte, founder of Monte’s Foods which makes some of the best pasta and sauce in the game. I just had some spicy tomato last night. Incredible discussion with a certified legend in NYC’s food, branding, and CPG space.

5. Meet Ooso: a sparkling tea inspired by natural wine. My most recent article covered Ooso, a new entry in the NA bev space and I had the privilege of trying it (its delicious) and interview their founder who shed light on the packaging, bringing a CPG beverage to market, and more tea. haha.

& now here are 5 great reads from my Substack brethren:

1. emily north
   ’s essay on why wearing merch is so embarrassing.

to me, the coolest thing you can do is not only identify that “thing” that makes you feel as you did when you were in middle school and discovered something that felt so proudly yours; but to also have the self-assurance to stand behind it when you see five people on orchard street with the exact same thing as you. wear your merch! find the things you actually like! smile at that person wearing the same shirt as you! laugh at the meme making fun of the mcnally jackson tote bag as you walk outside carrying it, and never be embarrassed for liking something!!!!!!!!!!

• Nikole Lubov Naloy
  ’s list of parties and events to hit this week.

Everyone who’s anyone is a host/dj at Gonzo’s Thursday night. Peter Vack (themasterofcum) is celebrating his novel, SILLYBOY, with Forever Mag and Cash 4 Gold. Dasha Nekrasova, Chloe Wise, Yung Nihilist, Nolita Dirtbag, and many many more are hosting. Ivy Wolk will be reading Sillyboy out loud. The Ion Pack, Crowd Surfers, Grey Hoffman, Peter Vack, and Chloe Cherry will be djing!

• Ochuko Akpovbovbo
  ’s news roundup for the day.

Estée Lauder acquired The Ordinary’s parent company, Deciem, for $1.7 billion. The Estée Lauder Cos. first invested in Deciem in 2017, increased its stake to become the majority owner in 2021, and recently exercised its option to purchase the remaining interests for an estimated $860 million. The total investment adds up to about $1.7 billion, net of cash. While Estée Lauder has struggled over the past year due to lower demand in China and the US , Deciem has remained the company’s main bright spot. I had this friend in college who had like 10 The Ordinary products at a time. She knew all the science behind them and had a very strict routine. She was so cool.

• Emily
  ’s energizing Moon Juice concoction.

A new concoction I’ve been hitting hard is Moon Juice’s Pomelo Mini Dew (does the same thing as your other hydration powders, minus the chemicals + sugars, plus minerals), squeeze of lemon, ice, and a spoonful of their Ting (which their site aptly describes as a “non-stim wake up call). It ends up being this charged version of G**orade – hydrating, energizing, sugar free, and it makes you feel like a chemist by dosing each powder out for yourself. I am a big fan of Moon Juice products because there is no filler or junk. Their products are sexy, have ingredients that your body can actually absorb so you can feel the benefits, and we have to respect how early they were in this whole supplement corner of the CPG market. Use EMILYS at checkout for 15% off.

• Sprezza
  ’s convo with the founder of Blackstock & Weber

Chris has long been ahead of the game. Since Blackstock & Weber’s (his first brand) inception, he’s played a big role in the loafer’s modern resurgence (visions of Ivy League students in chinos (still a hard fit) crossing between the commons to their next class come to mind).

He’s singlehandedly reintegrated the loaf into our wardrobes. Restructured the classic slip-on so they can fit into anyone's closet.

They do everything from tennis ball-material loafers to bold cheetah print and a classically elevated horse bit. And you look fresh as hell whether in a pair of sweats to the bodega or sporting them with a tux for a wedding — the duality is real.

and if you’re looking for a brand focused podcast to listen to, go check out friend of Who Do You Know?,

Emma Apple Chozick

, on the Future Commerce Podcast.

Wish me a speedy recovery. Bye!

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Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, and designer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content creation, branding, art direction, creative strategy, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio