Late last year, everyone thought we were headed for a recession. But now we’re doing great. What’s going on? James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds and a Fast Company contributing writer, explains how “Bidenomics” is actually helping boost the economy.Courtney Tracy calls herself the truth doctor on TikTok. This came about after she’d dealt with a serious life event in 2019 and thought she needed to hide her struggle. She realized that if an up-and-coming licensed therapist was going to hide her mental health problems, what does that say about mental health overall? That we should hide it, be embarrassed about it . . . really? She was struggling, and she thought the world needed a therapist who was significantly struggling. So she called herself the truth doctor and, in fact, told the truth about her struggles to encourage other people to be honest with themselves and tell the truth about their struggles.And we’re sorry to hear about Britney’s divorce . . .Don’t forget to check out our upcoming Innovation Festival at: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23And apply for MIC! https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/most-innovative-companies

The Women’s World Cup is coming to an end this weekend! The international soccer championship is down to its final week in which Spain and England will be facing off in the final match. Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley and staff editor AJ Hess catch us up on the drama and break down what this tournament means for pro women’s sports.Also, SKIMS cofounder and CEO Jens Grede explains how Kim Kardashian is like the Michael Jordan of the influencer generation and why the pumpkin spice latte is so important.And Broadway’s back, baby! Our personal fave is Spamalot.Don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming Innovation Festival on September 18-21: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

It’s looking like the future won’t be spent in the office. Based on a recent Deloitte study, 66% of mid- to executive-level financial services professionals do not want to come back to the office full-time. Writer and journalist Shalene Gupta breaks down the numbers and explains the impact that this will have on future pathways toward leadership.And historically, financial advice has been “male, pale, and stale,” according to Vivian Tu. The popular FinTok influencer explains why she’s passionate about teaching financial literacy. In addition to her proprietary “STRIP” method for achieving financial independence, she recommends setting up a “money date” with a close friend. Find out how much they make and pay for rent, and what their various expenditures are, she suggests. Tu says we need to ask each other these questions so we can set realistic expectations. “That’s real intimacy. Get financially naked with your friends!”And then we chat about periods, because they’ve been a taboo subject for so long, and . . . mustard Skittles, because that’s a thing.Fast Company Innovation Festival is coming up! Check it out here: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23Find out more about Vivian Tu’s forthcoming book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735755/rich-af-by-vivian-tu/

The new visual platform, Spill, is not trying to become the next Twitter—it’s aiming to create an entirely new social media platform. Spill’s cofounder and CEO Alphonzo “Fonz” Terrell said he wants to create a fun, safer, and more rewarding space for its users, especially black, female, and queer folks. In order to create a safer and more inclusive community, Spill is building its algorithms based on specific data sets that will not just flag certain terms, but also look at who’s saying those terms. This will create a context-based model for content moderation. While the app is in its beta phase, it’s still invite-only; but since they’re moving at the “speed of culture,” Terrell said they’re aiming to scale up as soon as possible. There is already a vibrant kaleidoscope of diverse channels where “Spillionaires” are interacting and engaging with one another.Then we talk about the resale industry with Charles Gorra, founder and CEO of Rebag. He explains how the market has shifted and consumers have gotten past the “ick” factor of resale. Now it means you’re a smart shopper and you’re contributing to a circular economy: “It’s not consumption anymore, it’s investment.”And finally, we chatted about 46,000-year-old worms that may give researchers insight into how to “elongate” humans’ lives . . . maybe.Our show today was produced by Mariam Kiparoidze with help from Avery Miles and Blake Odom. And special thanks to Max Ufberg for stepping in to host this week!Mix and sound design by Tad Wadhams and our executive producer is Josh Christensen.

AI is poised to upend the music industry, and Fast Company Associate Editor David Salazar joins us to discuss what AI generative music is and how the music industry is combating it.Antidiabetic medication Ozempic is all over the news these days, but it's not as new as it seems. Beyond the TikTok trends and celebrity shout-outs, it's been used to treat diabetes for years. But now talk of this medication has reached a fever pitch.Found CEO Sarah Jones Simmer talks about how her company prioritizes comprehensive weight care management, the ongoing discussion about Ozempic, and the very complicated history of weight in this country. Basically, how do we thread the needle between self-acceptance and positive body image and the existing health challenges, like the skyrocketing rates of diabetes?Then we discuss Barbenheimer because, well, we have to.

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.

Louis Pouzin is a French academic who some experts say really invented the Arpanet. But is that true, and should any one person be given all the credit?

It’s the 1970s and both the government and academia are doing everything they can to spread the word of the Arpanet. But as the Arpanet gains popularity everywhere after its 1972 coming-out ball in Washington, D.C., through its new phone book, it also faces detractors who don’t want it to be available to all.

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