The Hidden Forces Shaping What We Buy, Wear, and Talk About: with Culture Strategist Linda Ong (Cultique)

What is culture—and who gets to shape it? Danielle sits down with cultural strategist and Cultique cofounder Linda Ong for a conversation that will change the way you see the world around you. From brand identity to the rise of private clubs, from “trad wives” to TikTok aesthetics, and the future of luxury. Whether you're a brand builder, pop culture lover, or just want to understand the world a little better—this episode will give you the tools to read between the lines of what’s NEXT. In this episode, we explore:

•  How to identify emergent cultural signals before they hit the mainstream
• What culture really means in 2024—and why it’s changing faster than ever
•  Are we living through the decline of American society? Linda weighs in
•  The "Cultural Curve" and how to know if something is emerging, dominant, or done
• Why AI can’t replicate culture—and what makes human creativity irreplaceable
•  Why Gen Z is full of contradictions—and what that tells us about the future
•  How Linda turned her personal pain into cultural intuition (and career superpower)
•  The future of luxury and why it’s shifting from exclusivity to experience Why your personal and professional lives are not separate—and never were
• The difference between analyzing culture and predicting trends—and why the former matters more
• Why understanding your brand’s cultural DNA is more important than ever
• The real reason “collabs” went from cool to cliché—and what’s replacing themThe science of why horror movies are trending (hint: it’s emotional regulation)

Follow Linda Ong here. 

Follow Sarah Jane Dhall here.

Check out Cultique here.