Hi,
This letter comes to you with an ultra-heavy heart. Kirsten, my business partner, is based in Venice (she’s ok), and I lived there for nearly a decade. We know these communities that have been destroyed, we have friends whose homes are gone.
To all our LA-based readers, we are holding you in our hearts.
I asked Kirsten if she wanted to do the podcast, and in typical fashion, she said yes. But before we dive in, I wanted to share some resources with you all.
If you’re looking for information on how to help this Mutual Aid spreadsheet is being updated constantly. It includes resources for those who have had to evacuate, places to donate supplies, animal shelters, and more.
Big shout out to brands like MUD/WTR, EveryTable, and others that are showing up for LA, offering space for evacuees and meals for those displaced. Hosts on Airbnb are also stepping up and offering free homestays. If you’re one of these hosts, kudos to you. Airbnb is covering the operating costs (Though they get an ‘F’ for how they communicated the program. This really could have been an opportunity for them to highlight their hosts, but they sadly missed the mark).
But now onto the programming.
We’re diving into the amazing gems in the ‘Big In 2025’ from Sunday’s letter.
It’s a fun one despite everything.
If you haven’t read this letter, it’s long but amazing. The list of experts who contributed is humbling.
And always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands of today.
Love to you all,
Chris
GOOD TAKES
02:27 // OUT-SMARTING AI AS A SERVICE
“What happens when an army of bots is unleashed? Humans retaliate. They build new bots to outwit the first. Daisy, that AI disguised as a clumsy grandmother, has already scammed the scammers. Here’s the key: if machines want to think, humans will teach them to think twice.” — Marie Dollé
Marie is spot on. It’s happening already. SpringBoards’ AI is an AI made specifically for creatives and agencies. It deliberately looks for variety versus the typical singular AI answer. If bots want to do one thing, and we want to do another, we’ll make it so.
As I said in my own 2025 predictions, I believe that ‘humanness’ is going to get a deeper look.
06:54 // THE YEAR OF THE AGENT
“If 2024 was the year of AI, 2025 will be the year of the AI agent…It will redefine what we expect from technology, setting a new standard for productivity, efficiency, and ease.” — Danielle Greenberg
I agree with Danielle, this evolution is coming in hot with examples like: AutoGPT, AgentGPT, and BabyAGI (pls connect me with any AI businesses and I’d love to fix the naming problem they all have.)
NVIDIA announced at CES this week that it’s building hardware to make GPTs work even faster. The implications are huge.
But it’s not just the tech that’s getting interesting, it’s the implementation.
Klarna stopped hiring last year, replacing many roles with AI. But, rather than pocketing the profit, they are distributing it. Sharing the gains by raising the salaries. Employees are now incentivized to look for more AI efficiencies, rather than fighting change. This, my friends, is how you build AI leaders.
11:23 // BIOHACKING YOUR BOTOX
“Peptides, peptides, peptides!… Some polypeptides used topically can mimic the effects of Botox. I expect to see a lot of ‘Argireline’ (acetyl hexapeptide-8) in our feeds.” — Jenny Evans
Jenny’s prediction is exciting because it points to a larger shift: bio-hacking your skincare. Rather than products like Botox, we’re seeing people trying to get their bodies to produce ‘the Botox’ themselves. Ultimately, I predict we’ll see med spas and new brands emerging to offer these bio-hacking injectables.
16:10 // EREWHON → POLITICAL PLAYGROUND
“What people choose to eat, where they shop for groceries, and the wellness practices they follow will be more politicized than ever.” — Ochuko Akpovbovbo
Ochuko, unsurprisingly is on the money. With the rising conversation around MAHA (Make America Healthy Again), this prediction is a shoo-in. Many brands are going to find themselves wading into political waters—many without wanting to. Consequently, we’ll see a rise in brand values mattering again.
PS. I laughed so hard learning that MAHA was actually a Sweetgreen tagline from 2016.
21:38 // THE FASHION & SPORT LOVE AFFAIR LIVES ON
“We're talking fashion brands that may have only been familiar to the fashion community stepping into the football arena which gave them great exposure while also making football clubs seem more attached to culture beyond sports. This is going to continue into bigger and more meaningful collaborations.” — BrandStrat, David Skilling
David’s right, and it’s not just soccer (or football!). With the Winter Olympics being held in Italy this year, expect a lot of luxury fashion to enter the sport/fashion/ski arena too. Plan your activations now (I’m here, down the road from the Dolomites, and ready to help.)
26:26 // BRANDS BEING BAD
“More brands "misbehaving". Mixing traditional mediums with unconventional content will become even bigger in 2025 as more brands feel the urge to break the mold.” — Fred Hart
Love Fred’s take. And what will also be exciting is the variety of brand vibes/aesthetics we’ll see in 2025. In past years, many new brands have hopped on trend-trains. (Millennial pink, blanding, maximalist, etc). But in 2025, more founders and brands are getting that variety is the spice of life. Misbehaving brands, puritanical brands, bold brands, quiet brands, funny brands, silly brands, serious brands, we want them all.
29:49 // ALL-IN ON LOW-TECH
“Analog and/or pared-down tech products will gain more interest… there's exhaustion around tech, speed, and constant information.” — Spencer Fried
Spencer is hitting on something here. The #1 gifted item this year according to After School by Casey Lewis? Digital Cameras. And Hatch Alarm Clocks were also on everyone’s wishlist. I myself gifted Kirsten’s kids these FOTO FOTO recyclable disposable cameras. And they were a hit!
33:32 // IS THE CLOCK TICKING ON TIKTOK?
“Maybe we will stop scrolling TikTok on January 19th, 2025 with a ban enforced. But I can't imagine that happening at the moment. I'm also paying attention to pricing - how expensive products get and how customers react to price increases.” — Sarah Shapiro
And finally, Sarah coming in with the question on every marketer’s lips right now: will TikTok get banned? My personal bet is no. And Rex Woodbury agrees so that has me even more confident. But only time will tell. Sarah’s also spot on that tariffs are going to be a bigger convo in 2025.
Such a fun issue to dive in deeper to! Hope you give the full thing a read.
And if you want all of my personal 2025 predictions, give this a listen (or read):
If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube you can listen there too.
That’s all, folx.
-Chris
If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.
PS. If anyone knows anyone at Substack who can push through a feature that will disable auto-play on podcast videos, put me in touch. You’ll have a forever friend in me.
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