Hit the Ground Running

Lego has been pushing its ambitious sustainability efforts for years . . . only to recently do an about-face (sort of) by telling us that it will continue manufacturing its blocks with petroleum-based ABS plastic. Even though the company promised to get rid of petroleum-based materials by 2030.“Fast Company” senior editor Liz Stinson breaks down Lego’s recent announcement, which was more like “an excuse” or kind of an apology. In its efforts to redesign its bricks by using recycled plastic material, Lego decided that a) this kind of plastic just wasn’t going to be as good as the current ABS plastic used for its iconic bricks, and b) it would be more carbon intensive to have to retool its entire manufacturing process to make that work. So . . .it’s not exactly greenwashing, but it’s also not not greenwashing—and it highlights the interesting tension between what companies promise and what they can (or will?) realistically deliver.And at the Innovation Festival last week, Yaz chatted with Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse; David Gordon Green, director of The Exorcist: Believer; and Emma Tammi, director of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Tammi discussed adapting a popular video game into a successful movie, how to balance her artistic vision with fans’ expectations, and producing a movie that could stand on its own. Blum explained how The Exorcist was the ‘riskiest’ undertaking of his life . . . and how he begrudgingly gave up the perfect release date of Friday, the13th, to Taylor Swift since her Eras Tour film is coming out that day.And speaking of movie production, we’ve also been following the WGA strike with its recent deal. 

So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,117 times the company’s median worker pay of $84,000 a year. ‘Fast Company’ deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel explains why CEO pay has increased exponentially over the years and discusses how that plays a significant role in overall income inequality.Want to find novelty in your desk job? Michelle Khare discusses trying out all kinds of different jobs on her YouTube channel’s ‘Challenge Accepted,’ which just won Show of the Year at this year’s Streamy Awards. Having gone to Butler Academy, clown school, and worked as a runway model, Michelle says she’s learned that challenge and failure can still lead to personal growth. Another takeaway: The best managers are those who have done the job firsthand: Management training is ‘something we collectively need to address across corporate America.’And check out the music video of ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lX2p_Uy9IFor more info on Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/90946788/out-of-control-ceo-pay-why-its-a-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rssFAST COMPANY INNOVATION IS NEXT WEEK! LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

The thing about the Barbie movie is that saying those three words together just seems inherently ridiculous. And one of the best things Mattel has done is really kind of lean into that. Starting with the Technicolor shots of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set to the colorful trailers that really churned up the enthusiasm for the movie, Mattel created the momentum that has led to a laundry list of product tie-ins, including the Xbox console that actually looks like a house or a makeup station. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer explains how this Blockbuster movie's marketing campaign stands out . . . and that having fun is at the core of the global brand's approach.Then to something more serious — Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan talks about how the organization is using technology to push back on misinformation and disinformation, and even how AI can benefit the organization in its investigations.

We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter?Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg is back to explain what Mark Zuckerberg’s newest platform is, the drama between the two companies, and how Threads' algorithms won't promote hard news or political discourse.And e.l.f CMO Kory Marchisotto talks about the company’s successful media strategy on TikTok . . . and why it decided to make a Chipotle-inspired, guac-themed eye-shadow palette.

When you have a chronic illness or debilitating condition, you start turning to alternatives for answers. This is what one of our colleagues did. Fast Company Video Producer and host of the new docuseries “Future Me,” Emma Wheylin, takes us through her biohacking journey. She tried out the Peak Brain Institute and the BallancerPro where she learned a lot about lymphatic drainage.Yaz chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran and Senior Editor Amy Farley about what the direct-to-consumer Daily Harvest’s recall and lawsuits reveal about how unregulated food startups are. They dove into how this resulted in several hospital visits, emergency surgeries, and thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. It came down to a novel ingredient called tara flour.Also, for more info about Fast Company premium, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/premium

Pedestrian and cyclist deaths have hit their highest levels in 40 years. There’s one major way we could bring those numbers down and that’s if we got rid of the law that allows drivers to turn right on red. Yaz spoke with Fast Company contributing writer David Zipper. David is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and he focuses on road safety, climate change, and the future of micromobility, among other things.And Fast Company Executive Editor Mike Hofman sat down with Jason Del Rey about his latest book, “Winner Takes All.” In it, he explores the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart and the traditional retail giant’s attempts to reinvent itself.For more on the right-on-red ban, you can read David's article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90908929/its-time-for-a-nationwide-ban-of-right-on-red?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

On today's episode, Yaz chats with Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan about what's happening with Apple these days. And we learn about the latest biotech research in menopause with Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris.

The presidential race is already heating up, and aside from the usual fanfare around frontrunners like Trump and Biden, there are long-shot candidates creating space for themselves on . . . podcasts, of all places. Yaz chatted with ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey to hear about his journey listening to some of these long-shot candidates on quite an array of podcasts.Harry’s Razors is arguably one of the first companies to pioneer the direct-to-consumer model. This year, the company is celebrating 10 years. Yaz sat down with Jeff Raider, cofounder and co-CEO, to hear his thoughts on how the industry has evolved since Harry’s first started.

Is AI coming for our jobs?? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg explains that it is . . . but that it’s not all bad news.And Yaz chatted with Loom CEO Joe Thomas—Loom is essentially TikTok for business, which sounds crazier than it is—about how video conferencing is here to stay.Also, a special thanks to Marfa Public Radio for helping us out with some recording on this episode! 

In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about the tradition of office holiday parties.