Is it me or did the holidays creep up on us this year?
I guess they always do. The sprint from Labor Day to Turkey Day is a time to fire on all cylinders, and that’s exactly what I did. I landed back in New York last night and I’m staring down the barrel of what this weekend has become: a whirlwind of love and excitement.
It’s crazy to think that, because of Covid, we haven’t seen many loved ones in over 18 months. The Friendsgivings are going to be amazing this year and I’m thrilled to see official festivities returning. Welcome back, Macy’s Parade. You are on my bucket list.
Then there’s the shopping. What’s on your Black Friday list? And more importantly, who will be your Small Business Saturday go-to? Kudos to Amex for making this a priority for their brand ethos. Amex is one of my favorite brands in the world because of activations like this. In many ways, small businesses are the soul and spirit of our retail economy.
Sunday is the first night of Chanukah, so we can take a commercial break and dance the horah one time. Yes, I’m accepting airdrop NFTs! 🕎 😉 In all seriousness, with supply chains down, NFTs are going to have an awesome use case this holiday season. So be the hip uncle and give a gift that shows you care: tickets to a livestream show on Dreamstage (Andrea Bocelli,Josh Groban, The War on Drugs) or one of your favorite artists’ Web3 creations from One Of.
Cyber Monday is the real day to shop deals in my book. Even if Amazon is trolling your purchases and studying your habits, it’s still a 30-35% markdown.
Whatever you do Thursday through Monday, make sure you go big on Giving Tuesday. I’m counting my blessings, no doubt. If you care about empowerment and entrepreneurship, consider supporting the Global Resolution Project, where I sit on the board.
Here are some great artist initiatives to support as well:
Rihanna
Clara Lionel Foundation
- CLF supports and funds education initiatives and emergency responses to natural disasters, focusing on the effects of climate change and advocating for policies and systems to improve the quality of life for communities across the globe.
- Founded by Rihanna in 2012 CLF supports and funds groundbreaking, effective education and emergency response programs around the world.
- Donate here
Lady Gaga
Born This Way Foundation
- Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, supports the mental health of young people and works with them to create a kinder and braver world. Through high impact programming, youth-led conversations and strategic, cross-sectoral partnerships, aims to make kindness cool, validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.
- Donate here
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes Foundation
- Founded by Shawn Mendes in 2019, the Shawn Mendes Foundation focuses on “youth-related causes” in areas like children’s healthcare, sustainability, mental health, human rights, anti-bullying and education. Provides Wonder Grants which are designed to help young activists with big ideas, but insufficient resources, launch or complete innovative projects across a range of fields including music, film, human rights, education, science, environment, and technology.
- Donate here
Miley Cyrus
Happy Hippie Foundation
- Founded by Miley Cyrus in 2014, the Happy Hippie Foundation’s mission is to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, and other vulnerable population
- Donate here
You know how it goes. By the time you blink, Christmas and New Years will be here. Enjoy this time, family.
Much love,
