News, Nuggets, and What’s Worth Knowing

🧂 A Dash of Industry Insights

📈 AI News: Apple design legend Jony Ive just joined forces with OpenAI in a multi-billion-dollar acquihire that could redefine the user experience in the AI space. This puts OpenAI miles ahead in the arms race. The man behind the iPhone is now helping design the next generation of AI interfaces. Read more.

📦 Tariff Whiplash: Ongoing tariff shifts are wreaking havoc on global supply chains. With a temporary 90-day reprieve, importers are scrambling—creating bottlenecks, price hikes, and freight nightmares. Promo suppliers are adapting fast, but expect turbulence ahead. Here’s what you need to know.

💎 Finding Hidden Talent: At Workhuman Live 2025, Adam Grant dropped gold on how to spot untapped potential. Full recap here.

👋 The Penny Drops: Say goodbye to pennies, for good. The U.S. Mint is phasing them out, saving taxpayers an estimated $56M a year. Here’s the scoop.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shoutout to Ronni Buntain, HR Manager at ASC Capacitors. She took home last week’s prize, a $50 shopping spree to our company store. Missed out? Don’t worry. There’s another fresh giveaway below 👀

Lights, Camera, Action

🎥 Ross's Video of the Week

Tony’s been in my ear for over a decade, and this new conversation with Chris Williamson is a powerful reminder why. It's packed with wisdom and worth your time. Are you a fan of Tony Robbins? If so, what’s the best lesson you learned from him?

The Culture Corner

💙 The Birthday Playbook

Ever forget an employee’s birthday? It costs more than you think…

We built a turnkey birthday recognition playbook for companies who want to make every employee feel seen.

The best part? It’s completely free to implement, only paying for what’s purchased.

Weekly Client Spotlight

Precision Walls

🤝 Meet Precision Walls

For nearly 50 years, Precision Walls has been a trusted name in the Southeast—specializing in interior and exterior commercial construction with a reputation for integrity, craftsmanship, and performance.

100% employee-owned and proudly recognized by Engineering News-Record as one of the top 10 wall and ceiling contractors in the U.S., they’ve built more than just walls—they’ve built lasting partnerships.

With 90% of their projects coming from repeat clients, Precision Walls continues to grow by staying true to their core values: empower your people, listen deeply, and deliver quality that speaks for itself.

Our Collaboration

Our ongoing partnership has evolved over the years but this summer they had one specific request: summer shirts designed for women. We curated a fresh collection of 15 styles—from cropped fits and v-necks to racerbacks, polos, and performance gear.

The big idea? Give your employees the gift of choice. There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all. Let them pick what they’ll actually wear (and love).

🤝 Partner with Precision Walls

Interested in learning more about Precision Walls? We'd be happy to make an introduction, reach out to [email protected]

🚀 Join the Precision Walls Team

Ready to work for a company that is ranked as the top 10 contractors in the US? Explore job opportunities here.

👕 Download The Deck

Thinking about fresh summer swag for your team? Check out the women’s shirt collection we curated for Precision Walls, designed for comfort, style, and choice. You can view the collection we put together for Precision Walls by downloading the deck below.

Weekly Giveaway

🎁 Weekly Giveaway: Junior Intern Hoodie

This week’s giveaway is for the kids! We’re hooking one lucky winner up with a custom Junior Intern hoodie, complete with your company’s logo. Perfect for "bring your kid to work" day… or just flexing corporate clout on the playground.

It’s cozy. It’s cheeky. It’s 100% intern-approved.

❗️To enter: Just reply to this email with your favorite clothing brand by Friday, May 30.

Weekend Update

Around the Water Cooler With Ross AKA The P.O.D. Guy

IRL Is the Future

Just a reminder to myself, and maybe to you too, that In Real Life (IRL) matters. A lot.

It's easy to tell ourselves we're too busy for coffee, lunch, or a quick happy hour. Too busy to meet with clients, potential clients, collaborators, or friends. I get it. I’ve never been busier in my life, juggling work, family, and everything in between. And lately, I caught myself falling into the trap of convenience: skipping coffee meetings, passing on networking events, staying glued to my desk.

But here’s the thing: every time I make the effort to show up IRL, I never regret it. There’s something energizing and powerful about connecting face-to-face. It sparks ideas, deepens relationships, and often leads to unexpected opportunities.

This week, a mutual friend connected me with Daniel Robin. Daniel texted and offered two options: meet in person or do a quick call. That moment was a test. I could’ve easily chosen the Zoom route, but I didn’t. I made the drive and met him at 11 a.m. And I’m glad I did. Daniel is not only incredibly smart but also a mensch. We hit it off, uncovered shared interests, and already exchanged a few referrals. None of that would’ve happened as easily over a call.

This week alone:

• I met with Daniel on Monday

• Attended a networking event Wednesday night

• Had a great coffee meeting on Thursday

So here’s my new commitment: at least twice a week, I’m getting out of the office to connect IRL. No excuses. Just showing up.

Maybe this is your nudge to do the same. That meeting you were going to cancel? Go. That coffee invite sitting in your inbox? Accept it. You never know where a real-life conversation might take you.

Cheers to human-to-human connection. It’s still the best kind.

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