Welcome to The Cool Kids Newsletter

Hello! This is the edition numero uno of The Cool Kids Newsletter, aka the monthly email I send family, friends, and future friends (hi!) Thanks for subscribing. 

P.S. Make sure you hit "Display Images Above" if you want cute pup pup pics.

Article of the Month (AotM):

What I learned after 7 years of working for free

There’s a lot of debate about the merits of working for free in exchange for experience and a foot in the door. Since the Black Swan lawsuit in 2011, Hollywood’s cracked down on their “internship” programs. More recently, free work is seen an unfair advantage of privileged (and parentally bankrolled) millennials. 

Yes, sometimes the younger workforce gets exploited. Yes, there’s a degree of privilege in being able to afford to work without compensation. 

But if you’re exploring your first career path (or looking to restart your current one), then free work is a powerful lever to make that change. 

Here’s what I learned after 7 years of free work

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Cool things I found in the last 30 days:

• The cutest pregnancy video - Serena and Alexis document ordinary moments and turn it into an amazing 2-minute clip.  

• The review that shut down an Asian restaurant - Not what you think. 

• The book you should read - I revisited Lauren Groff’sFates and Furies for the second time last month. It got better. 

• This Lady Gaga song - It reminds me of a 2001 Mandy Moore pop-ballad and I’ve been listening on repeat. She injects infectious power into every verse. 

• The woman that was a media company - Eleanor Roosevelt was a publishing powerhouse. 

Thanks for reading this month! 

Any questions, comments, or recommendations, feel free to reply directly to this email. 

- Chris Ming