The Opening Act on Substack
When an idea pursues you. You need to listen.
I started this newsletter three times.
This time I decided to listen to my inner voice. The one that keeps showing up at 2am and taunts you with do your vision for Narrative Worth. Hence my word of the year in 2024 - DO - prompted me to get Now New Next flowing again in this newsletter format.
1. Why this, why now
In Feb 2022 - I wrote:
Our newsletter will provide you with the essential tools and information you need to help overcome your resistance and develop your narrative. Each section will deliver unique and specific insights.
Since then, I have designed strategic narratives for several companies and executives that took me on global journeys into Fintech, Worktech, Human Connection, Workplace Connectivity, Sportstech, Social Good, Neurodiversity, Catalysts and Innovation, Martech in the Digital Audio space as well as a new adventure into the land of Generative AI.
And, I decided to go to Ravenna, Italy to take a mosaic class to get my artist hands dirty. I have always view my work like designing a mosaic. It takes from the past archives, it digs deep into present activities and it “futurecasts” into forward looking scenarios.
All of which is to say, the diversity of playing across so many different fields and spaces led to insights and understandings of what makes us tick as a brand and or a person. Especially in this advanced sea of noise and uncertainty now shaping how we traverse the game of life.
There are many red threads that are universal. Yet, there are nuances and individuality that can be designed into points of differentiation. Be it a brand or a personal narrative.
These learnings continue to shape my thinking about Now New Next and how that vision seeded in 2007 is now upon us. We are accelerating into a spatial existence and what got us here is not going to be the same as what it will take to get us there going forward.
That said. We will need to develop a new kind of worth. Narrative worth. It will become one of the most important currencies you will own. Like investing, it will require a sense of mastery in order realize your highest earning potential.
And, like the ancient mosaics of the past who crafted their stories with available tesserae, we will march forward with our “digital tesserae” created everyday in the digital and soon to be virtual spheres.
2. Community
I want the Now New Next newsletter to attract curiosity seekers, growth mindsets, continuous learners, dreamers and those with a penchant for action. Designing your personal narrative or your company narrative takes investment and belief in developing for the future, while embracing your past and your living your present.
I will spare the superlatives of 10x this or that, revenue acronyms, and business jargon. I got caught up in that race over the course of my career, but today I am a bit more grounded, albeit I am forever curious about the dynamic shifts and changes brought forth by different perspectives.
Now New Next is one of my storytelling frameworks. It is designed to enable executives to speak in three dimensions as an individual as well as across the C-Suite.
3. Intentions
My intention is to produce a weekly newsletter on Substack. My ambition is to deliver it on Sunday pm in time for the week ahead. The free version will cover off on the Now (present day action), the New (intention for the next six to 12 months) and the Next (a future world vision).
The paid version will introduce micro lessons from a practitioner. Exercises that will help to create your personal and or brand narratives. Releases of secret sauce recipes that have been time tested and are in practice for clients who invest in my services. I am a voracious reader and dot connector…which prompts many “what if’s” for paid subscribers to test out. Including new GAI infused personas.
I am obsessed with mosaic art and the merger of digital tesserae and portraitures. I see a new way to resume. I am calling it Exponential Self Expression. How we present ourselves going forward will require a human touch to overcome the ATS hiring machines that commoditize our talents into keywords.
4. Use of AI
I will write my own material. That said, I will be using GAI to continuously experiment and push boundaries. I will denote where I use AI to maintain a sense of transparency and integrity in my words to you. Like this image below.
designed with Distillery
5. Thank You for Your Time
Your time is valuable and I will honor the trust and commitment you give me.