All I Want For Christmas...

Dear Santa,

I’ve been really good this year. Like really good.

I didn’t fire any clients (that I can remember). I exercised patience with myself and others…even when a client ghosted me for four weeks. I took almost every Friday off to give my brain a break. I even did some pro-bono work for a non-profit I love.

I hope you’ll consider all the good I’ve done when deciding what to gift me this Christmas. My list is short because there are only a few things I really want:

1. Emails that get straight to the point—no more “I hope this finds you well” intros (we both know it doesn’t).

2. Fewer cold LinkedIn requests claiming we “have a lot in common.” We don’t.

3. A dramatic reduction in comments from LinkedIn Mansplainers.

4. Fewer cold intros. Let’s make consent mandatory before looping me into a conversation with a stranger.

5. An inbox that magically sorts itself into “urgent,” “probably fine,” and “delete immediately.”

6. Proposals responded to within 24 hours—ideally with, “Yes, let’s do this!”

Like I said, it’s not a lot, but it will really help me out in the New Year.

Yours truly,

Jamie

Brand Burnout 🔥 Holiday Edition Playlist is here!

I’ve never been one for Christmas music. Honestly, I’ve never been one for Christmas. The moment I put up my tree, I feel a wave of dread about taking it down in January. Cue the spiral: January…February…cold…wet…bah humbug!

But when my husband and I spent our first Christmas “together” (which, fun fact, was mostly apart—we dated long-distance for four years and only lived in the same city after getting married, but I digress), the Christmas music was nonstop.

But it wasn’t the same old tunes I’d grown to dread—no “Jingle Bells,” no “Frosty the Snowman,” no Bing Crosby. Instead, it was fun, rock-and-roll, and sometimes delightfully tongue-in-cheek.

Wouldn’t you know it? Other folks think Christmas can be kind of a racket, too!

This playlist is a compilation of those songs, plus tracks our friends have made over the years. Is it also a love letter to my husband? Maybe. I’ll let you decide.

Psst… Subscribers get exclusive access to this playlist, along with other curated content I’ve been saving for just this moment. Join me on the other side of the paywall for some holiday fun and rebellion.

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