Frequencies and Static
Workplace 2.0, Vo1. 1, Ed. 6: Tune into the right signal
I remember where I was on July 17, 1999. I woke up on my bestie, Sean’s, sofa in Chicago. We had gone out late on Friday, July 16. Probably Wicker Park. Maybe Red Dog or Double Door. It was late, so on Saturday we woke up likely closer to noonish. It was late enough that the news of JFK Jr. and CBK had already spread our way. Analogue style. I remember smoking the first morning’s cigarette, thinking about how crazy it was that this was true. At this point, they were just “missing.”
I have been deep in Love Story these past few weeks, watching the first four episodes twice through. Listening to the audiobook and also reading the book. Furiously texting friends about each detail. The soundtrack! I know the show doesn’t do either one of them justice, but it does do the 90s justice.
What I think about the most, revisiting that time, is the transition from analogue to digital. This was the beginning of the end in many ways. I can’t imagine the sheer hell CBK lived in being hounded by the media. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have story after story fabricated about who you are and feel a loss of control over that narrative.
I can’t imagine the mental gymnastics she had to do to keep her sense of self when the signals being sent out about her were at odds with who she actually was. What I have thought about most as I read more in depth is about signals. And the static that blocks those signals.
We live in a much noisier world. And though I don’t think anyone reading this lives at the level of public exposure as someone like CBK, I do think a lot about the amount of signals everyone receives on a daily basis in our digital world and how conflicting those signals can be, especially as an independent entrepreneur. You and you alone get to decide what matters to you, and that can be overwhelming and scary.
How do you choose what you tune into? What signals you choose to tune into can be a matter of progress or stagnation in almost every case. The loudest signals aren’t always the right signals for you. How you decide about what you hear through the static and what you tune into will dictate the experience you have of your business and the type of success you have.
In January, we had a workshop about what you’re going to measure in 2026 and that is fundamentally defined by your values, purpose, and vision. The signals you need to tune into are also aligned to your purpose, values, and vision. If you are taking revenue, subscriber counts, customers, and product launches as your foundational signals, it’s highly likely you’re missing the drivers that matter most to your business. Stagnation isn’t due to the market; it’s due to the static blocking your ability to tune into the signals that keep your momentum going. Revenue growth is due to attunement to the right signals for your business.
In the end, disorientation cost JFK Jr., CBK, and her sister their lives. It was tragic. The same goes for the loss and stall of creative visions due to static that blocks our true signals. Remember, when nothing means anything anymore, you and you alone decide how to bring meaning to what you do. Move through the static. Identify your signals. And tune out the noise. You will make it to your destination.
BOOK CLUB RETURNS!
In March, we will meet via Zoom to discuss our first book: Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth. I’ve started this! It’s dense but super thought-provoking. If you like Wendell Berry, this is your jam. The Atlantic referred to it as “cranky,” so naturally I’m intrigued.
Location: Zoom
Date: Thursday, March 19th, 12 pm-1 pm ET - on the cusp of the Spring Equinox
RSVP: This is a free event; please email me to register. I will send out the Zoom link the week of the event.