Here’s What’s Been Playing In Our Office This Week 🎧

By unanimous consensus in our office, ROADRUNNER by Dustin Conrad gets the buzzer beater for Album of The Summer.

Some Links We’ve Been Clicking On 🔗

We are so into this new content series by Figma called Source Material. The premise is simple – who’s your favorite artist’s favorite artist? No gatekeeping found here, and the first episode is a special one featuring Thom Bettridge, the Editor-in-Chief of i-D Magazine.

TE favorite Ms. Lauryn Hill is proving that in an era when celebrities are expected to turn themselves into brands, the most powerful form of cultural currency might be refusing to play the game. Citizen Mag looks at how Hill has spent decades protecting her voice, choosing message and meaning over media exposure and commercial opportunity, and how that uncompromising approach has ultimately made her more culturally resonant, not less.

Can a brand actually have taste? Rachel Karten talks to cyberethnographer Ruby Justice Thelot about why brands chasing algorithms, trends, and “relatability” can end up feeling culturally interchangeable and why having a distinct point of view may matter more than having a perfectly optimized feed designed for clicks and engagement.

IRL Happenings This September 📅

Japanese City Pop legend Haruomi Hosono is touring his 26th(!!!) album at Radio City Music Hall on September 16th with Toro Y Moi, another legend in his own right.

It’s without a doubt one of the best days in NYC all year – the West Indian Day Parade. Catch us there on Labor Day. Festivities start at 6 AM or J’Ouvert (Daybreak) for those really looking to go all out all day.

NYC normally isn’t seen as a car town, but this month, motorheads can get their fix at the Sohotel for a Cars, Models, and Coffee meetup happening Sunday morning on September 16th.

And last one is for the bookworms! The Brooklyn Book Festival is happening the week of September 20th with events happening all across the borough but if you want to find your next favorite read, head to Borough Hall where there will be over 250 independent and major book publishers setting up shop.

5-UP: 5 Images That Our Team Has Been Inspired By 📸

Before QR codes or the AI menu template took over restaurants, menus were once seen as another medium of expression for an establishment’s brand. Some restaurants even went above and beyond to commission world-famous artists to design them. The iconic artist David Hockney was often tapped to hand-draw menus for dining spots across the world. Here are five of our favorites from him…

Did we miss anything for Septemeber? Let us know in the comments! We’ll see you outside!

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Coming off a summer filled with Knicks Mania and World Cup Unity, we’re stepping into a Fall with a new LeBron era and NFL drama already in full swing. Here at Team Epiphany, we’ve got sports always on the brain. But, more specifically, we now find ourselves wondering about the ways we participate in the spectacle and fandom of the leagues we dedicate ourselves to. So, this August, we’re wondering…

DO YOU FOLLOW TEAMS OR PLAYERS?

“I personally follow players just because a lot of the players… have connections to me and my upbringing, my roots. Like LeBron James. I was really attached to him growing up while he was at Cleveland. And it’s like I got to watch him grow up. He was a hero for me… Same with Kobe. They have these personal narratives that I believe are very compelling and also inspiring.” Walter, Accounts

“I definitely follow more teams than players per say. I come from Brazil and I think that we have a very strong heritage of just early on affiliating to a club. We actually say that the club chooses us, not us choosing the club. So from a very young age, I’ve been following the same clubs and I’m very loyal to them.” Karen, Strategy

“You gotta follow the team. I feel like following the player is too much bandwagoning and too much fan-camming… People’s obsession with the single entity and not the team stems from not having any sort of sense of individuality. I think there’s something about following the team when your team sucks that builds character. You can’t just ride the wave. You gotta stay with the ship, man.” Ty, Content

“Definitely more so teams because I grew up in a smallish kind of Midwestern city, more specifically Cincinnati. And there’s definitely a lot of local pride to the team that you support there. It’s always kind of seen as the main mascot or representative where you grew up in… But I think for more of the sports that I follow a little less closely – I always pick a player to kind of get me more into it or to keep me up to date with certain things.” Cullen, Strategy

“I prefer teams. I’m very team [and] city loyal, being from the DMV. My mom [was] born and raised in D.C., so we have always been straight D.C. teams across Commanders, Washington Wizards, Washington Nationals for baseball, Washington Capitals hockey. Football is definitely my favorite, so I’m super excited for the new season. Jaden Daniels leading us. So I know players based off of my teams, but my heart is definitely very much, like, team first.” Devin, New Business

“I’d have to say players. I admire the individuality of it all. For example, LeBron. I’ve watched him since I was a kid take his talents from Cleveland to Miami to L.A., and now to Philly. He can shine wherever he goes, no matter where he is. I would say players.” CJ, Production

“Teams. I was born outside Chicago, so Chicago all day. Da Bears!” Hannah, Accounts

“I’m always backing a team because it’s about more than pledging allegiance to the current players on the field or supporting an organization simply for the sake of it. It’s about legacy and history. I come from a family that has invested generations of time, energy, and focus into the San Francisco 49ers. And it’s taught me a lot about loyalty, dedication, and how to be a passionate person.” Noe, Social

“I follow teams primarily, but there is this adage: once a Knick, always a Knick. Carmelo Anthony, he goes to the Lakers, I’m still a Carmelo fan. If Eli Manning were to ever play anywhere but the Giants, I’d probably still be an Eli fan. Same thing goes for Odell, but he’s back now. It really starts with the team. I think it starts with the team. It really does, because if they play for your team, you’ll be a fan of them forever. So you’ll be a fan of the player after they play for your team.” Miles, Strategy

“I definitely follow teams. The Knicks, all New York sports in general. I feel like because I follow a team, there’s more of that sense of community and being grounded, and that sense of having people with like-minded values or goals. I know that sounds super meta, but just think about it. Being at a bar, you’ll be with strangers, and you guys are all rooting for the same thing or angry at the same thing. Versus if I follow a player, especially in the sense of basketball, am I going to start rooting for the 76ers now that LeBron’s on that team? That wouldn’t make sense, being from New York. I just think it really depends on where you are and what team is in your vicinity. ” Joël, Creative

“Neither. I’m about the city. Players don’t stay on teams. Teams don’t keep players. You know, teams take advantage of the city. So I’m about the city. I’m a New Yorker. I got all my New York teams. The Knicks, Brooklyn, Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Liberty, Red Bulls, NYFC, all of the teams. I’m about the city, not the teams nor the players. That’s my final answer. ” KP, Talent

You’ve read our thoughts on Teams or Players, now let’s see yours in the comments. Catch you in September for the next ConTExt Question!

NOT EVERYTHING IS FOR YOU

SPOTLIGHT: Sarah’s Take

I’m sure I’m not the only one whose group chat went into full debate around Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey. One friend texted us as soon as she walked out of the theater: “Was that a joke?” Another mentioned she refuses to see it at all, pointing to the hyper-stacked A-list cast as the reason for her immediate dismissal (something she likes to refer to as her “actor-ick.”)

In the midst of the internet (and non-internet) noise around this movie in particular, one thing is starting to become increasingly clear: these days, people are quick to label something as “bad” without putting more thought into what its purpose might be. They’ll write it off entirely before considering that maybe it still has value, they just aren’t the target audience.

We’ve been down the “everyone has an opinion” road before, but since social media has flattened the distance between audience and creator, every new release turns into an open forum where everyone thinks they have equal rights to someone else’s creative decisions. We’re starting to mistake universal access to culture for universal ownership of it. From TikToks to Substacks, everyone’s throwing their POV into the ring on whatever is top-of-mind at the moment, but they’re often not giving much thought to the opinion they’re putting out there.

Just because something crosses your feed doesn’t mean it was made with you in mind. And I’d argue there’s value in sitting with that before rushing to judgement. We can learn to appreciate the things that aren’t for us, but might resonate deeply with someone else. We can do a little work to understand the craft, the effort, or the intention behind a creative choice, even if it isn’t tailored to our personal tastes.

Culture needs specificity to have depth. We need niche, weird and not-for-you. When directors, artists, designers, and brands can make their own choices without requiring the general public to cosign them, we build a richer tapestry. You don’t have to agree with every creative decision to appreciate why it was made. There’s an audience out there that does agree with it, and probably really likes it too.

HORROR IS GIVING AUDIENCES THE ORIGINALITY HOLLYWOOD KEEPS PROMISING

Colleen’s Take

For years, audiences have complained that movies and TV are overrun with remakes, sequels, franchises, and formulas. Meanwhile, horror—often dismissed as nothing more than blood, guts, and jump scares—has quietly become one of the most inventive corners of entertainment, reflecting social conflicts and human desires on both conscious and subconscious levels.

What makes horror compelling is its willingness to bend its own rules. The genre creates room for social commentary, uncomfortable truths, cultural nuance, and fears we’re often only willing to confront through fiction. Sinners wraps vampirism around the rich cultural history of the Mississippi Delta, while Obsession explores the darker side of human desire and the consequences of letting it consume us. Backrooms takes an internet-born concept rooted in an oddly specific fear and brings it to the big screen.

The experimentation extends to television, too. AMC’s Interview with the Vampire reimagines Anne Rice’s gothic world through a contemporary social lens. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities embraces horror’s slower, stranger, atmospheric side. Widows Bay leans into comedic timing and suspense, proving that familiar horror tropes can create unexpected ways to keep audiences guessing.

Even horror franchises like Scream and Final Destination prove that marketability doesn’t have to mean sacrificing creativity. As algorithms and AI threaten to make entertainment predictable and palatable, horror continues to thrive by doing the opposite.

Horror is telling Hollywood, “If I gotta do it myself, then so be it.”

Give horror a try. It’s waiting for you on the other side.

WE LOST THE ART OF BEING A BEGINNER

Karen & Chelsea’s Take

When was the last time you let yourself be terrible at something?

This past week I came across a beautiful watercolor painting tutorial. It seemed so light and effortlessly delicate, I decided to try out a new hobby.

Excitement quickly turned into frustration. To my surprise, taking on something for the very first time can be very difficult. (And how could it not be?) Even more challenging than that, was the frustration I had to deal with failing at first, which was as chaotic as my drawing.

That got me thinking: why do we feel like we must succeed at everything at first? When did we start ignoring the process and learning curve when mastering something new? The truth is we have lost the true art of being a beginner.

We live in a world with infinite tutorial videos or access to AI whenever we want something done. The use of that resource has become so abusive, that we perhaps forget that we are only human. There is no tolerance anymore for simply doing what we are supposed to do: sit, process, and learn.

The whole process has been swallowed by the urgency of an immediate action, which is quite frankly, unreal. We’ve become unable to deal with the embarrassment of not knowing, when we should be able to embrace it. Maybe, we are intimidated by the expectations we put upon ourselves. Our social media algorithms tend to steer us to perfection. What we see online many times is the final product, but hardly ever it’s the first try.

The biggest barrier to entry isn’t talent—it’s the perception of what it means to get started. Many skills and crafts are framed through social media as luxuries or inaccessible because we’ve tied learning to having the perfect setup, the most expensive gear, the right certifications, or a certain aesthetic. Leading to the assumption that you need to spend big before you can learn a new skill. This keeps people from exploring their interests and being comfortable with being a beginner.

What if the real challenge is rethinking what it takes to begin?

Curiosity should trump perfection. There is something almost childlike about being a beginner. Letting go of your comfort and showing a more raw and tender side of yours. Knowledge is and has always been valuable and timeless, but there’s something about learning that is just uniquely human.

The era of “practice makes perfect” may be long gone. But perhaps we can (and should) bring back a truer idea: that the perfect part was the process all along, the one each of us has to go through ourselves.

COFFEE HAS QUIETLY BECOME FASHION’S MOST FUNCTIONAL ACCESSORY

Jamb’s Take

Somewhere between our first sip and our fifth “day in the life” vlog, coffee stopped being just a drink and became part of the outfit. Whether it’s coffee, matcha, or whatever beverage gets crowned next, we carry it like a handbag, style it into our morning routines, pose with it on sidewalks, and use it to communicate something about who we are before we ever take a sip.

And lately, the cup itself is getting dressed up too. We’re bedazzling cups, adding charms and bows, topping drinks with sprinkles, and choosing colorful concoctions that complement an aesthetic as much as a craving. Coffee has gone from something we consume to something we quite literally accessorize. Meanwhile, specialty coffee consumption continues to sit at record highs, driven largely by younger adults who increasingly value not just the coffee, but the experience surrounding it.

Maybe we aren’t addicted to coffee as much as we’re addicted to everything it represents: ambition, routine, community, taste, and identity. The neighborhood coffee run is a ritual. The cup is a prop. The café is a third space. And the actual coffee? Well, sometimes it feels like a supporting character in its own story.

So, as our drinks become increasingly customizable, photographable, and wearable, I have to wonder: are we choosing our drinks based on what we like, or who we like being while drinking them?

WE’VE OPTIMIZED SERENDIPITY OUT OF OUR LIVES

Melissa’s Take

Once upon a time, trying a new restaurant meant walking in without knowing the best thing on the menu. Vacations included places you hadn’t already seen from twelve different angles. Even meeting someone new (dating app or not) meant actually having to get to know them.

Now, we rarely go into anything blind.

Before we eat somewhere, we check the reviews, inspect the menu, and already know what we’re ordering. Before we travel, we watch hotel room tours and countless videos recapping the same must-see attractions. We can check how crowded somewhere is before leaving the house, track exactly how many minutes away our Uber is, and vet a date’s entire digital footprint before ever sitting across from them.

None of this is inherently bad. In fact, most of it makes life easier. But somewhere in our pursuit of the perfect experience, we started experiencing everything before it actually happened.

We’ve become so good at eliminating uncertainty that genuine surprise is becoming harder to come by.

And now, ironically, we’re paying to put it back.

Blind boxes turn not knowing what you bought into the entire reason to buy it. Chef’s tasting menus ask us to surrender the decision-making and let someone else determine what comes next. Mystery vacations are gaining attention by selling travelers a trip without revealing the destination upfront. The less naturally uncertainty shows up in our lives, the more appealing experiences that manufacture it seem to become.

Maybe that’s because serendipity requires something optimization culture has taught us to avoid: the possibility that things might not go exactly as planned.

You might order the wrong thing. End up somewhere you wouldn’t have chosen. Discover something you never would have searched for. But discovery has always required leaving enough unknown for something unexpected to happen.

We don’t need to stop reading reviews or delete Google Maps. But maybe the best experience isn’t always the one we researched enough to guarantee. Sometimes, not knowing is the point.

WE HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO LIVE WELL WITH STRANGERS

Raechelle’s Take

There are certain unspoken rules of being in public that I thought we all understood:

You let people off the train before you get on. You don’t walk four across on a crowded sidewalk. You move your shopping cart out of the way. If someone is walking through a door behind you, you hold it for an extra second.

Screaming into the void that none of this is groundbreaking. It’s honestly basic acknowledgment that other people exist.

But lately, it feels like we’re moving through shared spaces as if they aren’t actually shared.

And apparently, I’m not the only one noticing. Nearly half of Americans say people have gotten ruder since the pandemic. But I think what we’re experiencing is bigger than bad manners.

We’ve gotten really good at building lives that require less interaction with people we don’t know. We order ahead. Get groceries delivered. Work from home. Put our headphones on before we leave the house. Even when we are surrounded by people, it’s easier than ever to exist completely within our own worlds.

Convenience isn’t inherently bad. But the less we have to interact with strangers, the less practice we get at simply existing alongside them.

And that matters because community isn’t only your friends, family, or group chat. It’s also the people you didn’t choose.

Think about your neighbor, the person standing next to you on the train, or the cashier you see every week. These interactions seem insignificant, but collectively they create the connective tissue of public life.

Maybe that’s why connection has become such valuable currency. We’re seeing people seek out run clubs, third spaces, IRL experiences and communities built around shared interests. Brands want in, too. In fact, 76% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from brands that foster strong communities.

But the opportunity isn’t to slap “community” onto a campaign. It’s to create genuine reasons for people to interact, participate and connect with one another.

The more disconnected everyday life becomes, the more valuable real connection feels.

Maybe we don’t need more places to consume. We might just need more places to belong.

You’ve read our August Takes, now let see yours. Catch you for the Vol. 008!

Halfway through the summer, we want to know what the season is looking like. While we move as a unit between projects, everyone is curating their out of office hours to match their pace, vibe, and goals. So we’re not just posing one question this month. Instead, it’s a…

RAPID FIRE SUMMER QUESTIONS

What is your drink of the summer?

A spicy marg always. (Ally, Studio)

[My] drink of the summer has to be the Hugo Spritz. (CJ, Production)

My drink of the summer is a strawberry spritz. I just found this new aperitif down at Printemps. Shout out to them. So I’ve been making a strawberry spritz with a little mint and basil. Chef’s kiss. (Hannah, Accounts)

A mocktail I’ve been into iced London Fogs… And then cocktail wise a gin and tonic because we could get it anywhere. We could get it at the airport. We could get it at the club. It doesn’t make you hungover. It’s an amazing drink. (Gabby, Talent)

What is your song of the summer?

Song of the summer is going to be “Saturday Love” [by Cherrelle], which is a throwback. If you know oldies, you’ll definitely appreciate that one. (Janay)

Young Miami, “Spend That.” (CJ)

I’ve been in [my] Kacey era, so “Mexico Honey” by KC Musgraves is like my jam right now. (Hannah)

“Whisper My Name” by Drake. Drake’s the greatest artist of all time. (Fritz)

What is your fashion staple of the summer?

Knicks gear. (Noel)

Sheer and layers keeps you cool, but you can still kind of show some cool style. (Ally)

My outfit staple is going to be a maxi skirt. I’ve bought a bunch more and will be purchasing even more for the summer, but I definitely want to feel easy and breezy this summer. (Janay)

Well, the weather is really weird this summer, so I’m definitely going to be incorporating some hoodies with some shorts and my favorite shoe of the week. (CJ)

What is your movie/show of the summer?

Off Campus. I love a little rom-com and I love a man written by a woman…Take notes, men. Take notes. (Hannah)

“Dirty Dancing.” I’m a big throwback girl, I don’t really watch anything brand new. Or “Can’t Buy Me Love.” I just love a young Patrick Dempsey, okay? Like, he just makes my heart sing. (Gabby)

I low key need to tap into “The Sopranos”… I heard it is goated. And I got to finish “The Boys” too, for sure. (Fritz)

I like to watch classics. I think my movie of the summer that makes me feel like it’s summer is “Crooklyn” by Spike Lee. (CJ)

What’s your Summer ‘26 looking like? Comment your answers to our medley and put us on.

Here’s What’s Been Playing In Our Office This Week 🎧

We’re throwing it back to the 90s with a mini-playlist of some house tracks. Perfect for locking in on working sessions as well as outdoor happy hours after you shut the laptop.

Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here (Hex Hector Club Mix) // Deborah Cox

You’re In My System (Kerri Chandler Atmospheric Vocal Mix) // The System

Dan Jones - Pharoah Beats

Some Links We’ve Been Clicking On 🔗

Welcome To The See-And–Be-Seen Surveillance Society

We are on the cusp of having tech wearables, more specifically, smart-glasses enter the zeitgeist beyond the influencer and content-creator demographics. Substacker Grace Weinstein breaks down what brands like Meta are doing to have this eerie piece of consumer surveillance tech become ubiquitous in our everyday lives.

‘It’d Take a Lot of Lipstick to Make That Pig Work’ Veteran wedding planners on transforming MSG for Taylor Swift’s big day

If you’re also scratching your head on why America’s most popular newlyweds decided to get married at the historic, but quite derelict Madison Square Garden, so are we. Curbed interviewed a number of veteran NYC wedding planners on how they would salvage this venue for Travis and Taylor.

8 Fun Restaurants in NYC and NJ

Sometimes you need to break free from the clutches Resy and Opentable have on NYC and uncover the places that remind you why this city has the most eclectic and iconic dining scene in the world. Veteran NYC food writer Robert Sistema shows us 8 restaurants where you go to have just some plain good summer fun.

The US That World Cup Fans Didn’t Expect To Love

There has certainly been a fair share of ups and downs during this year’s World Cup, but while Americans initially clenched their jaws at the prospect of endless criticism from international visitors, they were met with awe and enthusiasm of the culture and hospitality, especially inside the Americana parts of the country.

IRL Happenings This July 📅

Devonte Hynes @ Storm King Art Center

Devonté Hynes (aka Blood Orange) is taking his ensemble upstate to play a sunset show at the Storm King Art center this Saturday, July 11.

Tarot Readings @ The Morgan Library and Museum

For the Astrology lover in your life: The Morgan Library and Museum is holding tarot readings inside one of the library’s historic rooms on Friday, July 17.

Adult Spelling Bee @ Book Club Bar

If you want to relive your glory days as a grade school spelling bee champion (while getting a little in the process), the Book Club Bar is holding an “adult spelling bee” on Tuesday, July 11th.

5-Up: 5 Images That Our TEam Has Been Inspired By This Week 📸

If you stepped outside at all this past fourth of July weekend you know that it was HOT out there. While NYC in these conditions can make you feel like you’re trapped inside an oven, there are some traditional and not so traditional ways this city cools off. Below are a couple of ways we do so…

Enter ConTExt Questions: our monthly question series where we pose one timely question to the TEam to get some real (and timely) answers.

This June, we’re focusing on how people are living. In a season where the days are longer, the streets are filled, and the people are moving, we can’t help but wonder what are TEam is up to. Which leads us to ask…

WHAT DOES BEING OUTSIDE LOOK LIKE FOR SUMMER 2026?

“Being outside in 2026 looks like just getting out of your comfort zone, trying new experiences, being the dumbest person in the room or at the park, or whatever the outside setting is. And yeah, just completely opening yourself up to the unexpected.” Cullen, Strategy

“I am going to be outdoors all the time… hitting the Zoom meeting from the fire escape, hitting the Zoom meeting from the park, hitting the Zoom meeting from the coffee shop. We’re going out. It’s going to be bus, club, another bus, train, back to work, back out to the club, back to work, back to the club, period.” Gabby, Talent

“For me, it’s either a nice little patio with a spritz, a nice latte with my dog sitting next to me, or just a day at the dog park.” Hannah, Accounts

“Being outside in 2026 this summer for me means hikes, being by water, and going to the beach. I don’t plan on doing too much partying and clubbing. I want to be really outside with nature, with my family and friends. That’s what outside is going to be for me this year.” CJ, Production

“I think that for me, being outside in 2026 is just taking advantage of everything that’s happening around the city… brands are engaging in numerous activations and collaborations, so it’s essential to ensure you hit those RSVPs. I think that here in New York, there’s a lot of stuff going on too, like the World Cup, you know, hoping that the Knicks win this final. Also, just taking care of yourself. I’m a very outdoorsy person, so a bike ride throughout the city, hitting a class in the city, so you can get some physical activity going on. I think that’s what outside looks like for me.” Noel, Production

“Being outside in 2026 looks like hanging with friends, spending time going to new events, pop-up shops, and curating conversations through my event series — helping other people build community.” Janay, Accounts

“This summer, we’re enjoying the sun. We’re sitting in parks reading. We’re making friendship bracelets on the beach. We’re putting on sunscreen and spending much-needed time outside to tap back into our community.” Noe, Social

“Being outside is having organized activities with your friends, whether it’s a picnic, a little friendly competition, or a bar crawl. We’re organizing, and we have an agenda.” Ally, Creative

“Shout out to the Knicks. I’m going to be outside. It’s going to be wild. I got mad people pulling up to New York. I’m trying to link with hella heads, trying to get hella active…It’s going to be lit.” Fritz, Intern

You’ve read our thoughts, now give us yours. Drop your answers to us so we can keep these conversations going.

Have a read, bring your disagreements, and don’t be a lurker about it — drop your take in the comments. The hive mind is not invited, but you are.

1. THE DEATH OF NONCHALANCE SIGNALS A HUNGER FOR CONVICTION

Melissa’s Take

For years, cultural capital came from appearing unbothered. In dating, we were told not to double text. At work, ambition was best disguised as effortless success. Online, irony became a shield against caring too much. To want something badly was to risk looking desperate, cringe, or uncool.

But lately, culture seems to be rewarding the opposite.

One of the most talked-about moments from awards season wasn’t a performance or red carpet look. It was the polarizing conversation around Timothée Chalamet openly declaring that he wanted to be considered one of the greats. A few months later, Victor Wembanyama went viral in a post-game interview after defeating OKC (and arguably the king of nonchalance, Shai), telling reporters, “It’s like my life depends on it.” Rather than mocking him for the vulnerability, people admired him for it.

Even Love Island, one of the biggest cultural obsessions of the summer, runs on emotional transparency. Contestants fall hard, get rejected publicly, embarrass themselves, and keep trying anyway. We don’t tune in despite their sincerity. We tune in because of it.

As life feels increasingly uncertain, people are gravitating toward those who are clear about what they want and willing to pursue it. In a world dominated by irony, endless options, and emotional self-protection, conviction feels refreshing.

For years, the coolest person in the room was the one who cared the least. Today, the people capturing our attention have one thing in common: they’re unapologetically all in.

2. BUILDING COMMUNITY IS THE LATEST & GREATEST HUSTLE

Kylah’s Take

Almost every special-interest group, event series, and founder-led gathering has a similar mission: to help [insert target audience] build community. Then comes the Posh link with a $60 last-minute ticket.

As a society, we’ve collectively recognized the importance of human connection, friendships, and belonging; But some have also recognized the earning potential in that— and they’re cashing in.

Community is inherently rooted in belonging, shared identity, and/or shared interests. And no, that doesn’t necessarily mean free. Event organizers have real costs, often fronting their own money and taking on financial risk that attendees never see. But somewhere along the way, “building community” became the buzzword. Now, people are actively searching for the community, but we’re increasingly conflating community with club. The “community” in question is actually just an aesthetic, a vibe, an association, and access to a certain crowd. Which isn’t really building community at all.

The outrageously-priced ticket tiers, the inflated party costs (where did drink tickets go?), the five “free RSVPs” that disappear in seconds. All signs point to the hustle we’ve seen all along.

Truth is, people are willing to pay for proximity. We’ll invest in the spaces, networks, and experiences we want access to. But let’s at least be honest about the intention. You’re not always “building community”; Sometimes, you’re just building another stream of income.

3. CONSUMING LONELINESS IS RUINING OUR BRAINS

Noe’s Take

Loneliness content is on the rise, with influencers now dedicating themselves to this emerging social media genre depicting people in accepted isolation as they glorify the modern day hermit lifestyle, giving chronically online youth another misguided aspiration.

We’re all victims of consuming Seclusion Core. Whether it’s someone going through their solo Friday night routine, overemphasizing their life as a single and childless person, or even watching a guest-less stream, you’ve witnessed the subtle celebration of isolation.

While we may not realize it at the emergence of this content subgenre, it’s becoming more and more clear that it may be influencing how we deprioritize socialization and community in real life. Fewer people are seeking new ways of engaging with their communities in this post-pandemic world and are instead settling for the loneliness that tends to come with young adult adjustment periods. It’s the latest example of unrealistic depictions of life (that creators often aren’t being completely transparent about) threatening to have us comply until the loneliness epidemic has permanent mass effects.

The biggest consequence isn’t emotionally feeling isolated; it’s the beginning of real neurological effects that could ultimately lead to cognitive decline. To put it plainly, when we constantly choose to be alone, we’re corroding our brains, risking even its most simple functions and potentially driving us to early deaths. We could literally lose our minds.

Influence is inescapable. And, for the most part, it helps expand our knowledge and perspective. But, when it comes to content persuading us to accept solitary defeat, we cannot let it consume us and, ultimately, plague us with irreversible damage and regret.

4.ADULTHOOD IS LOSING ITS RITES OF PASSAGE

Raechelle’s Take

There used to be a script: you graduate, get the job, get married, buy the house, have the kids. For earlier generations, life felt like Jagged Edge’s Let’s Get Married – maybe even Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together if you were really doing it… And then it didn’t anymore.

The milestones haven’t disappeared though. They’ve just gotten less attainable or a lot easier to skip. The typical first-time homebuyer is now 38 years old. In 1975, nearly half of young adults had moved out, gotten married, found jobs, and had kids by 25-34. Today, less than a quarter have. The ladder’s still there; it’s just been priced out of reach for most people still trying to find the first rung.

So what happens when the traditional markers of adulthood become either inaccessible or optional?

People invent new ones.

The 26.2 sticker on the car. The solo trip abroad at 29. The “I finally went to therapy” era. The wellness retreat that’s less vacation, more vision quest. The apartment that’s entirely yours with no compromises, no one else’s furniture or opinion. These aren’t consolation prizes. They’re a generation doing the quiet work of building their own ceremonies for a life that stopped handing them out.

The challenge isn’t that people are creating new definitions of progress. It’s that the old ones came with witnesses. A wedding got you a reception. A new house got you a housewarming. Community showed up, raised a glass, and told you that you’d made it. But when those transitions become increasingly private and self-defined, the social fabric of adulthood frays a little.

You can still feel proud. You just feel it alone more often.

Adulthood used to be a destination. Now it’s a philosophy. And more people are figuring out, one self-made milestone at a time, what it actually means to them.

5. WE’RE UNDERESTIMATING OLD PEOPLE

Sarah’s Take

Our industry fetishizes youth as the source of creativity, relevance, and fresh thinking. But creativity is not owned by Gen Z or Gen Alpha. There’s a well of ideas, knowledge, and perspective we rarely tap into.

We talk a lot about honoring older people, but rarely about actively involving them in the culture of now. Too often, we turn to them as historians rather than contributors.We tend to position them as observers of change rather than participants in it. In doing so, we overlook a generation sitting on decades of perspective, taste, problem-solving, reinvention, and lived experience.

We’re constantly chasing what’s next while ignoring people who have already lived through multiple cycles of “new.” People who have seen trends rise and fall, technologies transform the way we live, and culture reinvent itself again and again. Their value isn’t just in what they remember. It’s in what they recognize.

People are living longer than ever, yet we still treat aging like an exit ramp for creativity and contribution. We assume innovation belongs to the young and experience belongs to everyone else. But the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Experience isn’t the opposite of innovation. More often, it’s the thing that makes innovation better. The most valuable perspective in the room may not come from someone seeing the future for the first time. It may come from someone who has seen enough of the past to recognize where the future is headed.

This week, we dig into the mahjong craze, the current state of the album as an artform, and Complex’s new Hip Hop Media Power Rankings. We want to know what’s been on your radar as well, so drop a comment down below to show us what you’ve been reading, listening, or frequenting lately. Happy scrolling!

Here’s What’s Been Playing In Our Office This Week

Kehlani is back with her fifth studio album – this one being self-titled. Her vocals and production remain unmatched, but we’re especially excited about the features on this one. Brandy? Clipse? MISSY ELLIOT?? Say less.

Some Editorial Bits and Pieces That We’ve Clicked On

The Gift of Getting Weirder With Age

We’ve all heard getting wiser is what comes with age, but there’s one other virtue that develops each year we go around the sun: getting weirder. Could it be a return to our inner child? Or a final development of our true inner character? Writer Jancee Dunn says, “Often, when we’re younger, “we’re still trying to find ourselves,” said Dr. Ebony Dix, a geriatric psychiatrist at the Yale School of Medicine. That journey can mean exploring different identities and spending energy trying to “convince everybody of the person we wish we were.” But older people have had many decades to get clear about who they are and who they aren’t,

Is The Album Dead?

Tl;dr: it’s not. While streaming remains king, and even it’s predecessor of itunes and MP3 files have taken jabs at the long-play, Chris Dalla Riva argues that if you truly want to carve out a successful, longstanding music career – you need to make good albums. Great albums sell out tours. Sold out tours sell merch and vinyl.

What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat

A sobering portrait on how nihilistic the most powerful people in the world have become. Noah Hawley writes a chronicle on how him and his family were invited to Jeff Bezos’s Campfire retreat and the lack of humane and empathetic events that followed as the ultra-wealthy have completely detached themselves from reality.

Complex’s Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking: The 2026 Edition

This list is going to ruffle some feathers…If you’re wondering how they ranked these media moguls, Complex said “To make this list, a platform or person has to regularly address issues and topics related to hip-hop; they have to be a place where news gets broken or where rappers want to appear. Another way to describe power is cultural influence: the ability to start conversations, move those conversations in other directions, and dominate headlines. These are the figures whose moments of hip-hop coverage consistently go viral and shape the broader discourse.”

Some IRL Happenings in the Month of May

Mahjong Nights at Land To Sea

Mahjong is another ancient boardgame having a cultural renaissance inside NYC. Beloved Williamsburg cafe, Land to Sea, is hosting open play nights throughout the month of May, with a beginner night happening on May 21st.

Your Year of Creativity: Building a Creative Practice

Here at Team Epiphany, we believe everyone has some creative streak in your body. If you’re reading this, you probably do too. But if you’re looking to discover or reclaim that creative streak, Recess Grove is hosting a creative practice workshop later this month – guiding you through prompts and intention setting while you play with paint, pencil, and polymer clay.

NYCxDesign Festival

It feels like Christmas for all the design nerds in New York City this week as the NYCxDesign Festival returns to the city. You’ll find hundreds of events throughout the city - from exhibits and trade shows to talks and tours. . As the city’s most influential design event, the festival provides a dynamic platform for diverse voices in design.

5-Up: 5 Images That Our TEam Has Been Inspired By This Week

We are one month away from the start of the World Cup. We compiled five of our favorite kits from tournaments past. Which ones did we miss? Shout ‘em out in the comments below…

Jamaica 1998

Nigeria 2018

France 2014

Croatia 1998

USA 2026

Catch us next month for another edition of ConTExt Clues. Until then, hit subscribe to read the TEam’s other cultural musings throughout the week.

We know y’all have some opinions on these takes, too. We want to hear ‘em. Take a read down below and let us know if you’re on board with these hot takes or if we need to do some soul searching.

1. CALL IT BRAIN ROT, BUT IT WORKS

Chelsea’s Take

The internet runs on nonsense that somehow makes perfect sense.

Only a few brands are bold enough to lean into its beautifully unhinged ecosystem—where memes mutate hourly, and absurdity becomes a shared language. Netizens don’t just consume content; they speak in layered references, warped aesthetics, and inside jokes. The brands that resonate don’t sanitize this—they participate in it.

But the risk is real. The second it feels forced, the illusion breaks. What was native becomes an ad, and suddenly the brand isn’t in on the joke—it is the joke.

So it’s not about whether brands should tap into the chaos, but whether they can do it without losing themselves.

“Brain rot” works because it’s fast, referential, and rewards attention. It turns information into something instantly digestible yet culturally rich. It’s built for the chronically online, but intriguing enough to pull others in.

This isn’t for every brand. It only works for those who are community-first, willing to participate, and comfortable trading control for relevance.

2. SELECTIVE RAGE MEANS THE DEATH OF ART AND ITS PURPOSE

Noe’s Take

Spoilers for The Drama gave people the option to be mad before they could even participate in the abundance of conversations it ignited. This isn’t the first time people have chosen when their rage excused them from being challenged.

Overexposure to news, think pieces, and guerilla content captures focused on the ugly decisions of others (wars, public policies, reality TV relationship spats) has given us a Cheesecake Factory-esque menu of things to be offended by. It’s gotten to the point where art that’s meant to provoke necessary conversations to then lead to impactful solutions is also up for unconstructive criticism.

Sometimes a movie will have us struggling with the nasty truths of our world. Not only is that okay, but it’s necessary for the preservation of our humanity.

We need to get back to a place where we acknowledge art as an interpretation of current events instead of an active display of what’s wrong with this world before we lose the weight of artistic expression as a whole.

3. WE NEED TO MOVE ON FROM “SAVING” TIME

Reggie’s Take

In 1930, John Keynes - yes, the Keynes from your Intro to Macro Economics class - predicted we’d work an average of 15 hours a week by 2030.

In 1965, a U.S Senate Subcommittee concluded that by the year 2000, the average American would only work 14 hours per week and have 7 weeks of vacation a year. Come 2000, the average American had 10-11 days of vacation. Just off by about six weeks.

The long arc of technological innovation has carried a consistent, implied promise: this shiny new thing will ultimately help you “save time.” Washing machines, microwaves, computers, email, smart phones, AI, and dozens more have been sold with convenience and getting time back as the Big Idea. The technology delivered…the time, not so much.

Just since 2004, men work slightly less and women work slightly more. Both are spending more time on childcare and domestic work. Since nearly 20 renditions of the iPhone, social media, and everything that’s come in the last 20+ years, we haven’t even gained a second of leisure time. My hot take? Let’s give it up, as marketers, brands, influencers, - we need to move on from selling people that we can save their time. Whether its the limits of our economy or time serving as our ultimate Thanos, the vision isn’t getting any clearer. New promises can welcome new innovations, such as – curing the US falling in happiness over the last 25 years.

No more using “saving time” to gaslight consumers…and ourselves.

4. WE’VE TURNED ORIGINALITY INTO A PERFORMANCE

Sarah’s Take

It was the week of April Fool’s Day when I asked my friends about their hot takes last week and we ended up in this half-hour thread about the death of originality. (which apparently resonated because my sister turned it into a Substack post.)

These days, it feels like almost everything being put out into the world is a direct copy of something else. I mean, I think we’re all in agreement that it’s way too early for new Harry Potter cast, and that maybe we’ve seen one too many Gochujang-Earl Grey-Chocolate Chip cookie recipes. Everything feels copy pasted, or like it’s trying really hard not to look like it is. In our scroll-addicted world, “originality” has turned into repetitiveness in a desperate search for engagement.

After surviving that whole week of branded April Fools’ jokes (the KFC pickle jacket stands out) think we all collectively felt something (or maybe just the group chat): none of it was made for an actual person. It was made for attention.

The problem isn’t that we’ve run out of ideas, it’s that we’ve swapped “will people love this?” for “will people share this?.” And the most annoying thing is, for the most part, it works.

5. IT’S ABOUT TIME THE “GOATs” FELL OFF THEIR PEDESTALS

Kylah’s Take

For decades, icons like LeBron, Jay-Z, Ye, Nicki Minaj, the list goes on, were treated like superheroes: invincible, untouchable, infallible.

But recent months have shown a flood of opinions dissecting their interviews, words, and actions. Between cancel culture and the long-overdue reckoning with the ways many celebrity figures choose to align—politically, socially, and otherwise—we, as a society, are collectively waking up.

Conversations around “celebrity” have existed for decades, challenging the notion that fame equates to moral authority. From Malcom X in 1963, to Kendrick Lamar’s “Savior” in 2022, the message has been consistent: Celebrities are not our saviors, and yes, that includes the GOATs.

Pedestalizing them doesn’t make them our moral compass. And despite their greatness, whether musical, athletic, or cultural, they aren’t our civil rights leaders…and that’s okay.

That’s where we find our ConTExt Questions: our monthly question series where we pose one timely question to the TEam to get some real (and extremely relatable) answers.

This April, our focus is on Reality TV. Amid a year where the juiciest betrayals, scandals, and, at times, crimes have come from these unscripted documentations of real life, it’s clear the show genre has reached a new era. But, when considering the wellness of both stars and spectators, boundaries of humanity, and societal sanity, we can’t help but wonder…

SHOULD REALITY TV BE CLIPPED?

“Absolutely not, reality shows are the backbone of American TV. We’re living in a hypermedia age, there are so many shows, so many movies. So we’re getting more variations of reality TV and all the different ways that Americans live. I’m not mad at it. I don’t watch it. I know someone does, you know, I’m sure at some point there will be something that’s even more appropriate for me in particular. I love Jersey Shore. I love Tila Tequila. I love Flavor of Love, Real Chance of Love. If you gave me a reissues of those, I’d be all in.” Miles, Strategy

“I think no, to be honest. I believe they really hold a mirror up to our own antics, behavior, humanity, empathy, and I think it’s needed to kind of have that reality check, so to speak. And I think we see representations of what a girl’s girl is. Paige Sorbo, for example. We see representations of what not a girl’s girl is, and just a mix of all of the different human experiences. So I think it’s very important to keep reality TV.” Devin, New Business

“I’m a huge reality TV girl. Been watching since literally the first thing I can remember… I do love some of the best people on our screens (aka Jax Taylor, New York, Gemma Collins, Dr. Will, let me also throw in there maybe Lisa Rinna and Brandi Glanville)... but all these people are incredibly mentally unwell sometimes. And watching it, I sometimes think, especially in older TV, it’s a cry for help rather than a [reason to] keep filming. So I think maybe we need to start really vetting people. That’s another thing, too. Casting directors, are you vetting folks? Here at Team Epiphany, we always vet our influencers… I do think it is time that we prioritize our mental health and prioritize the mental health of these other people so then we can just watch with a little less [of a therapist lens].” Gabby, Talent

“Reality TV serves as a proper breakaway from things that are highly curated, highly produced, and it gives people a true glimpse into what real life actually looks like and a true day-to-day from a variety of different perspectives. The only problem, I would say, is that typically they’re viewed in a negative connotation and typically it can get very messy, so perhaps we could have a shift away from that but still keep it still entertaining.” Walter, Accounts

“So, I feel like reality TV shouldn’t be clipped, but we just have to give the folks that are participating in these shows some more grace. They’re willing to put it all on front street when we’re not. So, I feel like holding them to a certain standard and not holding our friends and family to that same standard and taking away opportunities from them just because you saw something that you didn’t like that they did on the show. Yeah, I feel like we should ease up on them, and we shouldn’t cancel it, we shouldn’t clip it, because this is how people are making their ends meet. And I respect the hustle.” CJ, Production

“I think there just needs to be a serious reality check on reality TV. I think the past 15 or 20 years in the reality TV space has kind of brought upon our current political climate. I think it’s created unnecessary and unhealthy drama in the pop culture sphere. I think it’s given our society as a whole an unhealthy and parasocial relationship with celebrities and people who might not be healthily or actively contributing to culture in ways that I think we want our country and our society to do so. Instead of axing it completely, I think there needs to be an audit of reality TV and maybe what sort of parameters or rules we can take with reality TV moving forward if we want our culture as a country to move forward and grow healthily as well.” Cullen, Strategy

“This is a layered question for me only because I’m not the biggest reality TV fan, but I do enjoy certain types. So I think for the entertainment value and the fact that so many people love reality TV, no. Now, I will say my personal opinion is reality TV can be messy and not necessarily always representative of the truth or like actual realities, but, at the same time, it is an escape for some people and brings them joy. Give the people what they want. I personally don’t always watch reality TV, but I do have things that I also subscribe to, so I would say I’m 50/50, so not completely, but I do think some shows could be cut.” Janay, Accounts

“In my opinion, I think reality TV should be clipped just a little bit because I feel like it’s a little consuming for people. I feel like people spend a little too much time worrying about other people’s lives. And sometimes I feel like people get infatuated with thinking that could be their life instead of just appreciating their own life. So I don’t know. I feel like it sets unrealistic standards and I’m like, it’s not even real half the time, like a lot of it’s scripted. So I just think it’s not very healthy, especially with social media and how addicting it’s becoming.” Chazz, Talent

“I don’t think so. I love reality TV. I definitely think there’s an issue with production and the parasocial relationships that are coming out of a lot of these reality shows. And so I just wish that production would be a lot less involved and we would amp up the good casting and just make that more of the focal point of our reality TV today.” Kylah, Strategy

“Do I think reality TV should be cut? No…but I do think that we could probably benefit from a bit of a reassess or a little bit of a reset for two reasons, honestly. I feel like one, which is lighter and sillier. I feel like we kind of have just lost the plot with some of the concepts in reality TV. I embarrassingly just finished Age of Attraction, which was super trashy and basically is just about age gap relationships where they’re not privy to each other’s age. But I think in something like that, it just feels silly. Maybe we just go back to the real-world type concept of it all. I find that perfectly entertaining as is. Rather than forcing something that’s so contrived for entertainment purposes. And then secondly, which is a little bit darker, I feel like a lot of reality TV has…benefited off of a lot of scandals. A lot of cheating scandals, jail sentences, divorces, all sorts of things. And I guess part of me wonders what comes first now. Whether it’s a reality star who wants to stay relevant, therefore is willing to kind of like get messier than they normally would in the real world. Or if all of that is really like deriving from their actual reality and their life, I think sometimes the two get a little blurry.” Shelby, Production

“Overall, not being a fan of reality TV, I do think it should be cut overall, but I also feel like there’s an opportunity to reframe it. I feel like a lot of times reality TV does not shape, or it’s not framed to best highlight the characters or cast members in the best light. So I think there’s an opportunity to reframe that to be actually reality and not stage. So there’s an opportunity here for, you know, a resurgence or renaissance. But right now, I don’t have faith in it, so cut it.” Daniel, PR

“I believe that reality shows that don’t show, I think, depth and true human experience should be… I think we get wrapped up in sort of the fantasy of it all and things that are really just inauthentic. I think where we find value in reality shows is getting insight into real people and finding humanity with them, versus splitting them apart.” Sarah, Strategy

You’ve read our thoughts, now give us yours. Drop your answers to us so we can keep these conversations going.

Below you’ll find a new album we’ve been playing around the office lately, the new rules of booze branding, and a mini anthology of Comme Des Garçons Perfume adverts. Happy scrolling!

🎧 Here’s been what’s playing in our office this week… 🎧

We’ve been loving the latest album, Tigray Funk from DMV-based rapper Sideshow. 32 songs clocking just over an hour, it’s the perfect record to soundtrack your lunch break as the weather gets warmer.

📰 And a few editorial bits and pieces that piqued our interest 📰

The 12 New Steps of Booze Branding

The entire alcohol industry is going through a major strategic overhaul as it shifts it focus to a sober-curious gen-z consumer. How they’re capturing this elusive drinker spans from bottle innovation to bringing back the irreverent ad campaigns we saw this category excel at in decades prior. Either way, these 12 steps show that the booze brands are pulling out all the stops to get gen z excited to drink again...

Why Tech Bros Are Now Obsessed With Taste

While AI has permeated and nearly optimized every facet of our professional and personal lives, it still has one last frontier to conquer: taste. Writer Kyle Chayka writes, “A.I. companies need to associate themselves with taste precisely because their tools are not very palatable, much less cool, to anyone outside of Silicon Valley. Many people view A.I. tools as a threat—to their livelihoods, to their futures, to their senses of self.”…

New Yorkers, Have You Found Your Microscene?

If you’ve lived in NYC long enough you know that certain scenes have their respective watering holes for food, drink, creativity, and just plain camaraderie. If you’re curious who some of these eccentric communities are and where they frequent, The New York Times Styles Magazine has just the piece for you. We absolutely cosign Wu’s Wonton King btw…

🚶‍♂️ Some IRL cultural happenings the month of April 🚶‍♀️

Earl Sweatshirt x MIKE x Surf Gang Secret Show (April 1)

Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, and Surf Gang are throwing a secret show on April 1st to celebrate the launch of their new album Pompeii // Utility coming out that Friday. Pigeons and Planes gave us directions on where to find the location…

Link To Post: HERE

Kipwani Kiwanga: BLEED @ Harlem Studio Museum

BLEED is a new commission by French and Canadian artist Kapwani Kiwanga. Recently installed in the Museum’s second-floor and on view from March 11, 2026, until April 1, 2027, BLEED draws inspiration from quilting traditions and the symbolism embedded in their intricate designs.

Link to Museum Tickets: HERE

Ubeland (April 4th)

As spring blossoms in NYC so do the food pop-ups and what better way to kick it off than at Ubeland. If you could guess by the name this is a celebration of the Philippino community’s favorite purple food - ube! Held at Broadway between 12th and 13th Street, expect to see 20+ unique ube vendors — from savory bites to sweet desserts.

Link to more info: HERE

📸 5-UP: Five images that our TEam has been inspired by this week 📸

An anthology of Comme Des Garçons Perfume adverts. The scents themselves were abstract and avant-garde, so the way to communicate about them must follow suit. Below you’ll find how this fashion house’s creative direction towards their scents created adverts that completely flipped the way this industry thought about marketing their product.

New season, fresh brains, spicy thoughts. Welcome back to another round of Strat Brat Hot Takes: a monthly series where personal perspective meets cultural critique—backed by receipts, research, and unapologetic conviction.

Have a read with your afternoon coffee and hop in with your opinion too. We’re putting these takes out to spark conversation and encourage thoughts detached from the hive mind. Give us your heat as the ice melts down on the East Coast, we’re only getting hotter as a legendary summer approaches.

1. YOUR OBSESSION WITH AESTHETIC IS COSTING YOU COMMUNITY

Kylah’s Hot Take

Society says we’re lonelier than ever, that third spaces are disappearing, and that connection is harder to find. But how much of that is self-inflicted?

In a world obsessed with optics, we’ve long valued aesthetics over substance. If it doesn’t photograph well, rack up followers, or elevate the feed, we’re suddenly uninterested.

We’ll bypass a local coffee shop unless it has 10K followers. Ignore our neighborhood library because there’s nothing “postable” about it. Skip Buy Nothing groups to keep our resale pages perfectly curated. Even simple generosity gets filtered through the lens of a video that’ll soon be posted to Reels.

They say, “inconvenience is the cost of community.” And yes, community requires effort. But most of what we avoid isn’t truly inconvenient; it’s just not glamorous or perfectly curated.

Real community is built in ordinary places, through small acts: showing up at the corner store regularly, sharing space with strangers instead of people you admire on social media, helping without the need for external applause. Building community shouldn’t be about how it looks on your feed or the ego boost of a well-crafted aesthetic. It’s about being a good neighbor when there’s no cultural currency to gain.

Strip away the vanity, and you may be surprised by the depth of connection — and the unexpected people — you actually find.

2. A LITTLE WHIMSY GOES A LONG WAY

Jambernice’s Hot Take

Once upon a time, joy didn’t need justification. We spun in circles just to see the world move differently. We named our stuffed animals, our cars, maybe even the moon. We made games out of grocery store runs and turned random Tuesdays into occasions simply because we could, but as adulthood crept in, whimsy slipped out.

In a world that feels increasingly heavy, chaotic, and urgent, whimsy can feel indulgent. There are deadlines to hit, headlines to process, and metrics to measure. Everything asks to be optimized. But small acts of whimsy aren’t distractions from reality, they’re protection from it.

Choosing playfulness on purpose, savoring your morning coffee like it’s ceremonial, plating dinner like a Michelin judge is watching, going to the movies on a random Tuesday, cutting your fruit in shapes, turns the ordinary into something magical. Naming your shoes. Talking to your plants. Wearing color on a gray day. None of it changes the world overnight, but it changes the texture of your day. And sometimes, that’s the difference between surviving and actually living.

At the end of each day, ask yourself: Was I whimsical today?If the answer is no, find one small way to romanticize your life and bring wonder back in. Because we deserve to create a world that is actually lived through, not survived. #staywhimsy

3. SIMPLIFYING OUR HOBBIES IS HOW WE SUCCEED IN PURSUING THEM

Noe’s Hot Take

2026 is proving to be the year where we all pour into off the clock fulfillment.

Whether it’s locking in on our fitness, exploring our artistic abilities, or taking over the kitchen, we’re building our identities and personal achievements. But with this new mission to develop our hobbies comes the looming challenge of consistency may be heightened by one thing: over-specification.

In this time of oversharing where social media encourages constant battles of one-upmanship, it’s become common to make the different components of our lives as unique as possible. With hyperspecificity as our currency of cool, getting too niche with our interests may be the reason why we can’t stick to them—not to mention too limiting.

While it’s essential for us to determine our own identities, we may be reaching a point where our proactivity nears aimless performativity. It’s okay for us to be dedicated to simple activities, as long as our passion is endless. The more we anchor ourselves to one extremely original craft, the more we isolate ourselves from community, fulfilment, and consistency.

So, yes, we should be finding ourselves beyond our 9-5s, putting energy into the practices and interests that will ultimately make us who we are. But when it comes to making them a solidified part of our lives, it’s time to embrace their unembellished forms.

TLDR: Our hobbies should be explained in 5 words or less to become real.

4. WE’RE LOCKING OUT OF LOVE

Reggie’s Hot Take

“Locking in” is a contender for phrase of the times — and it’s not hard to see why. Use of the term spiked 1,300% last summer as The Great Lock In turned into 75 Hards turned into Winter Arcs turned into a new system every season. The grind is the goal. The isolation is the method. And somewhere in the process, we’ve decided romance is a distraction we can’t afford.

Not-so-coincidentally, we’re in a romantic recession. We’re amidst record-high singleness and Americans spending more time alone than ever. We survived mandatory lockdown only to voluntarily re-create it in the name of self-improvement. Half of single people today don’t even want to date at the moment and the top reason for the disinterest is that “they’re currently too busy” (I too, am guilty)...are we happy? Okay? I’ll let you be the judge of that.

While our “seasons of singleness” may feel needed to become our best self, it’s worth asking if we’re focusing on the right things here. There’ll be those who hone in on themselves and find their ideal partners on the other end, but I can’t help to question if the larger cultural obsession with self-isolation as an ingredient to self-improvement is a stepping stone to even larger romantic ills down the road. So while we’ll inevitably continue to “lock-in,” question if we really need to be on love lockdown through the process.

Enter: ConTExt Questions. A monthly series where we tackle one timely question shaped by the moment we’re living in and how we perceive it. No right answers here. We’re looking for responses informed by real perspectives, lived experience, and an understanding that ConTExt is everything.

For February’s ConTExt Question, we’ve got award season on the brain. A time where the brightest stars in music, film, TV, and more are championed for their achievements. But with the celebration comes scrutiny. In an era where platforms thrive on engagement, critique has become both currency and content.

That leads us to beg the question…

WHO GETS TO BE A CRITIC?

"Anyone has the right to be a critic - that’s a deal an artist makes with the recipient. However, to be impactful critic, one must have deep empathy and knowledge of the artistic progress and strong sense of the medium being able to impact the audience in a substantial way.” Cullen, Strategy

“Access made everyone a commentator; judgment should be earned by those who understand the power of a platform, use it responsibly, and bring perspective, responsibility, and intent.” Madeline, PR

“Anyone online can be a critic and share their POV but a ‘REAL’ critic is someone who has in depth knowledge or experience on the topic.“ Val, President/Head of Accounts

“Being a critic should be reserved for those that are experts in that field and that’s it! Everyone has the right to their own opinion but not everyone needs to or wants to hear your input on something that has nothing to do with you.“ Sophia, Social

“Leave it to the professionals and the true thinkers. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, yet that doesn’t make it’s valid. Critical thought and genuine care of the subject matters when considering someone a ‘critic’.“ Kylah, Strategy

“Providers.” Tylan, Content Production

“Criticism should belong primarily to those who are actually in the work, not spectators grading from the stands. Roosevelt said it cleanest in ‘The Man in the Arena.’ Basically, a critic IMO should be someone with a little dust on their shoes.” Jeff, Design

“Everyone deserves a right to an opinion. Few deserve to be a voice of authority on a craft, especially when they have limited knowledge on or practice of it.“ Noe, Social

“In today’s world, everyone is positioned as a critic, we are all curators & savants with extravagant taste, but this is only enabled through access and proximity…The true critic is recognized through attentiveness. It’s about listening, not necessarily to the words, but it’s listening to the breaths in between them — ultimately the person who learns to articulate what most can only feel.” Walter, Accounts

“While everyone is entitled to an opinion as a consumer, real, meaningful critique requires industry context and comes from those who understand the nuances of the product and can clearly articulate and support their perspective with research.” Kaylin, Talent

“I mean... technically anyone. The real question is what voices and thoughts are worth listening to. At the end of the day the value placed on an individual’s opinion is quite literally subjective. So I think neophytes and experts alike have a voice to be heard. But who’s actually listening?” Miles, Strategy

You’ve read our thoughts, now let’s see yours. Drop your answers to us so we can keep these conversations going.

With that being said, we rounded up some of our favorite moments from an iconic 2025 - from monumental Team Epiphany projects to what shaped our personal lives beyond the screens. Everything we experienced this year turned into a personal epiphany that will make Team Epiphany even bolder in 2026. Enjoy!

🎉 Agency Superlatives 🎉

To kick off this year’s end of year recap, we asked the office to nominate others on what their 2025 superlative would be. Below are some of our favorite responses. IYKYK…

The Hostess With The Mostest // Janay Tyson

The Strategic Visionary // Miles DeSouza

Best Dressed…a 4-way tie! // Shelby Bylsma, Lidia Olveira, Sean McIntyre, Byron Stewart

Strat Brat Nepo Baby // Yemane Charles

The Smooth Talker // Reggie Singletary

🚀 Our Favorite Projects of the Year 🚀

This past year was nothing short of legendary for Team Epiphany. We took an airline to new heights at CES, made our way onto the Met Gala, and reimagined a timeless album through the lens of Ballet - just to name a few. Here are a few words from some of the TEam members that made these unforgettable projects come to life.

Grand Marnier // DS2 Remixed: The Ballet

“It was so fun to push the limits of what an experiential agency can do and challenge our entire team. We produced an entire dance performance!” Shelby, Production

HÉLÀ // Season 2 Launch

“ANTA stood out as my favorite project of the year because it paired thoughtful strategy with truly flawless, high-quality execution. We worked with a trusting, collaborative client and had the rare opportunity to create alongside a generational talent and global icon like Kyrie Irving.” Joe, Accounts

Delta // CES Centennial

“Few venues carry that level of scale and cultural weight. Activating there meant instant visibility and attention on the work. It was an uphill climb to pull off, technically and creatively, but the payoff matched the effort. High risk, High lift.... High reward. ” Jeff, Head of Creative

Wingstop // Met Gala Monday

“Wingstop at the Met Gala was 100% my favorite because their team definitely put trust in us to make often scrappy but rewarding pieces of content that are now some of my favorite moments during my TE career!” Noe, Social

lululemon // US Open Tennis Club

“I was lucky enough to attend the US Open this year, and seeing our team’s vision come to life on the grounds never gets old. The line to get into the Lululemon shop wrapped around the plaza! Seeing everyone having so much fun interacting with this iconic brand during such an iconic time in NYC was such an invaluable experience ” Cullen, Strategy

💬 2025: Overheard on Slack 💬

This year also gave us some unforgettable drama happening on the TEam Slack channel. We asked the entire team what was their favorite Slack moment from this past year, and responses were unanimous. Enter…

The Lunch Thief (October 2025)

Back in October, we thought there was a lunch thief prowling around the office stealing Factor plates…

And everyone stopped what they were doing to see how the drama unfolded…

Eventually we found the culprit (looking at you Sean) and it turned out to be a meal prep mixup from another fellow Factor user.

So what started as a classic inter-office whodunnit, turned in to a brand endorsement (please sponsor us Factor!)

🎧 Our Favorite Releases from 2025 🎬

At Team Epiphany, taking in the culture is just as important as shaping it, so we asked around the office what sights and sounds shaped their past year. The overwhelming consensus is that 2025 was the year of Olivia Dean and Sinners, full stop!

Our Favorite Songs of 2025

A Couple Of Minutes - Olivia Dean

My Old Ways - Tame Impala

You got time and I got money - Smerz

Yukon - Justin Bieber

Turnstile - Never Enough

Our Favorite Films of 2025

One Battle After Another

Bugonia

Sinners

Sentimental Value

Wicked: For Good

🤯 Our Favorite Experience of 2025 🤯

We know it’s hard to believe, but unforgettable experiences don’t just happen inside the walls of Team Epiphany, so we wanted to pay tribute to the most memorable thing that happened some of our TE family this year. Safe to say 2025 was a year for the books!

“The Jim Henson Exhibition at the Museum of Moving Image was very nostalgic!”

“The first event I attended for Lit Club NYC was an autumnal reading session in a private garden in the Upper West Side. Felt straight out of one of those fall moodboard TikTok’s.”

“Feel The Space: a phone-free, multi-sensory live music series in a new location every time. One of those unexpected “I needed this” moments when you first experience it, and a feeling you’ll keep chasing once you know.”

“My son being potty-trained…LOL”

“One of my proudest moments this year would be celebrating the one year anniversary of my collective, Curated Conversations, as well as working with my team to successfully execute multiple community events, sponsorships and partnerships.”

“Watching the Red Sox clinch a playoff berth on a walk-off at Fenway Park.”

🔮 Epiphanies for 2026 🔮

To round out our 2025 Recap, we asked the office what epiphanies they have for the year ahead. From balancing AI in our everyday lives, to seeking a more authentic sense of community, to color of the year backlash, Team Epiphany already has their finger on the pulse looking into the year ahead…

“The increase of third spaces to build community but even more niche based on specific interests and hobbies (I.e. Black girls who love anime, crocheting clubs, etc.)”

“After years without third spaces post-pandemic, everyone will have their home away from work and home. Could be a physical space or a community. Whatever form it comes in, everyone will have a better sense of fueled by the stability of authentic belonging.”

“Human-led creativity and hands on production over AI automation.”

“We’ve seen creep for a while, but as the world gets more digital than ever with AI, we’ll see a love for the tangible and physical things bigger than we’ve seen in decades. Next year is the Year of Objects.”

“The continuation of ‘phone free’ spaces and venues beyond NYC and Berlin.”

“With Pantone naming white as the Color of the Year, the pendulum is likely to swing hard in the opposite direction. Expect fashion to get brighter, bolder, and increasingly maximalist in a recession-driven era.”

Thank you to everyone who made 2025 a year to remember for Team Epiphany! You know who you are. We hope you are reading this in the company of your loved ones as we take the rest of the year off to recoup and recharge for 2026. We have such an exciting year ahead and we can’t wait to show you what’s in store. Peace! ✌️

Have a read, don’t be afraid to disagree—or agree. We’re putting these takes out to spark conversation and encourage thoughts detached from the hive mind. For our last hot takes of 2025, we wanted to get especially spicy…and invite you to match our energy!

1. THERE WILL BE NO MORE NOSTALGIA

Miles’ Hot Take

Speaking little even of the fact that culture today profits largely off of derivative ideas, we live in a society that immediately consumes itself, making meme, camp, and simulacrum of everything sacred past and not-so-sacred present. Cultural happenings are dwarfed by blitzes of commentary and coinage instead of allowing the life cycle of an idea to evolve naturally/without preconception (everything is instantly a “core”, a classic work, or reappropriated). Because there is such little time for phenomena to age and so much energy spent immediately spinning off these phenomena, when looking back at contemporary culture in 10 years we will be devoid of the sort of fondness that nostalgia typically brings.

“With the collapse of distance, no meaningful aesthetic, language, moment or movement can mature and stabilize. Immediate coinage, brand participation, monetization and outrage is always imminent.”

With cultural outputs today, just like a work of art or a hand in front of your face, you need time and distance between you and it in order to best understand it and more importantly, feel nostalgic towards it.

2. THE LOUVRE HEIST IS THE FIRST OF MANY ANALOG WINS

Melissa’s Hot Take

The viral obsession with the Louvre heist wasn’t really about stolen jewels or cinematic spectacle. It was about something much quieter and much more telling: a human beating a system that was supposed to be unbeatable.

In an era where AI feels inevitable and surveillance feels inescapable, moments like this land differently. We’re surrounded by technology designed to predict us, monitor us, and stay one step ahead. Algorithms tell us what to watch, where to go, and increasingly, how to behave. So, uncomfortable as it is to admit, watching someone slip through the cracks of that infrastructure feels better than watching the system work.

The Louvre heist offered proof that human ingenuity still matters. Not in a grand, world-changing way, but in a small, almost defiant one. It’s a reminder that intuition and unpredictability can still outmaneuver machinery built on logic and control. That’s the real allure. Not the art, but the breach. Outsmarting technology may not change the future. But right now, it’s one of the few things that still makes us feel human.

3. THE INTERNET IS SHRINKING OUR LANGUAGE

Chelsea’s Hot Take

From “67” to “Ragebating” becoming the words of 2025, are we building vocab or slowly losing our language?

Slang evolves fast, and usually that’s part of the fun—but the internet has transformed this evolution. Words continue to get flattened into acronyms, reactions compressed into emojis, and whole experiences get summed up with “mood,” “vibe,” or “I can’t.” We have traded typing efficiency and quickened communication for a cost. Reducing feelings to the same handful of phrases, and nuance starts slipping through the cracks. We lose the ability to comprehend and experience life as we dissociate from the weight of words.

Internet lingo is seeping so deeply into real life that it’s blurring meaning, dulling emotion, and quietly censoring how we share what’s real. We trade clarity for convenience, vulnerability for vibes. And at some point, the language meant to help us connect starts numbing the very things we’re trying to express – speaking faster than ever while saying less and less.

Chat, are we cooked?

4. IT’S TIME TO END THE TICKETMASTER WAR

Sophia’s Hot Take

We survived without Ticketmaster before, and we can absolutely do it again. When you’re 150,000th in line for a 20,000-seat venue and staring at nosebleeds priced like front-row seats, it becomes painfully clear that the system isn’t built to sell tickets, it’s built to squeeze fans. Dynamic pricing, endless fees, and impossible queues aren’t signs of a healthy marketplace; they’re symptoms of a monopoly that’s been allowed to grow unchecked. Fans shouldn’t need luck, bots, or a credit card with no limit just to experience the artists they love.

Maybe it’s time to stop treating this one company as an unavoidable gatekeeper and start reimagining what a fair, fan-centered ticket ecosystem could look like. Smaller platforms, venue-direct sales, transparent pricing, and limits on resellers could rebuild trust and put the focus back where it belongs: on the live music experience. If concerts are meant to bring people together, the journey shouldn’t begin with a battle you’re designed to lose. Live music deserves a system that supports community, not one that profits off frustration.

5. NOT EVERY VIRAL MOMENT NEEDS YOU TO COMMENT

Daniel’s Hot Take

Viral videos have become the internet’s great unifier—quick flashes of authentic chaos that somehow feel both outlandish and deeply relatable. They spread because they capture something real, something unpolished. These moments turn into shared cultural touchpoints people connect over naturally, no strategy deck required.

But once the comment section starts spiraling, the vibe shifts. It becomes this wild thread of jokes, theories, and storytelling—and that’s when brands usually parachute in. They spot the high-visibility and rush to earn forced attention, dropping microwaved one-liners just to hit engagement KPIs. Instead of adding to the fun, the corporate cameo often pulls the spotlight away from what made the clip special in the first place. The whole thing starts to feel less like the internet and more like a marketing sandbox.

This tendency exposes a deeper issue: brands somehow have endless time to comment on a goofy video but go quiet when it comes to the social or political realities their audiences actually care about. It’s a strategy that ultimately works against building a brand identity and true connection to consumers. Instead brands should focus on joining conversations that genuinely align with who they are—and creating spaces where consumers can expand on ideas that are relevant, resonant, and real. Brands can jump into viral comments sections all they want but at the very least make sure the content aligns with your values or service. In other words: not every viral moment needs a corporate punchline.

6. BRANDS NEED TO STOP TRADING IDENTITY FOR RELEVANCE

Shani’s Hot Take

In recent years, more and more brands are happily trading identity for relevance—choosing to embody trends they think will help them connect with new audiences even when those trends don’t align with who they truly are. Instead of investing time in defining and refining their core identity, many brands are just constantly chasing what’s new and shiny.

This past year, the flood of pickleball/tennis club/country club aesthetics is a good example of that: seen everywhere, yet rarely meaningful to a point that a consumer would even remember which brand is who. The result is branding that feels inauthentic, confusing and visually noisy, offering little value beyond letting consumers know they’re aware of what’s “cool” right now — and they’re not falling for it. 33% of consumers believe it’s embarrassing when brands chase trends and a notable amount only believe any particular trend is only relevant for a brand to step in within 24-48 hours of the trend’s lifespan. If short-term gains aren’t building long-term love and resonance, then what are we doing?

On the flip side, Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs campaign broke through the noise by sparking real conversation—proving that a brand can engage culture without abandoning its core by tapping into relevance through its own unique lens. The takeaway: brand relevance isn’t built through trend-chasing, but through a deep understanding of identity, expressed with clarity and intention.

Have a read, don’t be afraid to disagree—or agree. We’re putting these takes out to spark conversation and encourage thoughts detached from the hive mind.

1. THE DEATH OF TWEEN CULTURE KILLED THE RIGHT TO BE AWKWARD

Jambernice’s Hot Take

Once upon a time, being a tween meant being gloriously cringey. We layered three camisoles from Limited Too, collected lip gloss like currency, and begged our parents for concert tickets to see Mindless Behavior or whatever other teen artist that made our hearts stop at the time. We had Disney Channel dramas, Nickelodeon crossovers, and overly branded Aeropostale hoodies to grow into…and out of within that same year. Tweenhood wasn’t glamorous, but it was ours.

Somewhere along the way, that space evaporated. Now kids are fast-tracked into the adult gaze, replicating the latest Tiktok trends, chasing micro aesthetics, and skipping straight to “main character energy” before they even know who they are. The middle ground, where you could be awkward and in-between, has disappeared. They’re either “big kids” or “mini adults,” and neither comes with room to stumble.

We talk a lot about preserving childhood, but almost never about preserving tweenhood. The messy, in-between era that quietly shaped who we became. So here’s the question: do we keep creating through the lens of adulthood, or dare to rebuild a third space just for them? Maybe the future isn’t about making content for kids or for adults, but also creating cultural spaces, music, and entertainment, where all generations, especially the ones who never got to be awkward, can exist.

2. STOP HANDING OUT CREATIVE DIRECTOR TITLES LIKE CANDY

Byron’s Hot Take

Brands love slapping “Creative Director” on a celebrity and calling it innovation. But most of these roles are PR stunts—microwave wins that rarely last beyond the press release. The real creative directors of culture are already out there—builders, creators, and storytellers who’ve earned their influence by shaping how people dress, talk, and move online. Instead of chasing a quick splash, give them a seat at the table.

Take SZA and Vans. She’s one of the most beloved artists of this generation, with a cult following and an aesthetic that naturally blends, eclecticism, and cool. But naming her “Creative Director” felt less like a creative partnership and more like a marketing headline. The brand could’ve just celebrated the collaboration for what it was—a vibe alignment—without forcing a title that suggests she’s now steering design strategy or storytelling. Same goes for Jaden Smith at Louboutin. He’s a multi-hyphenate creative, no doubt, but the move felt symbolic, not structural. These celebrity partnerships don’t fail because the celebs lack talent, they fail because brands confuse influence with industry experience.

If we’re serious about culture-led creativity, then we have to make room for the people who’ve been grinding behind the scenes for years—the stylists, designers, editors, and social storytellers who actually move the needle. The ones who understand subcultures from the inside, not just as an aesthetic. These are the creative directors of the future: the individuals with the grit, lived experience, and point of view to evolve a brand’s story authentically.

3. RESERVATION CULTURE KILLED THE DINING EXPERIENCE

Cullen’s Hot Take

New York City is home to some of the greatest dining experiences in the world, but the price to experience them often goes beyond the wallet and into the realm of sheer willpower and your sanity. What are you willing to give up to get that 10 PM table at Carbone? $1000 for a fast pass inside? Countless futile Resy attempts? And don’t even think about walking unless you want to get laughed at. However, both NYC locals and tourists alike have gone to crazy lengths to reserve a table at the city’s hottest restaurants and in turn has created a monster of snobbish restaurants that thrive (albeit temporarily) off these impossible reservations, failing restaurants that depend once depended on them, and a black market that is cutting off some of the most unique dining experiences to 99% of the general population.

While there is absolutely a time and a place for hyper-exclusivity in dining, this ubiquitous reservation culture for new restaurants has become the de facto strategy for gaining any sort of buzz, where hype is the main course and the actual culinary experience is served as the side dish. If your restaurant doesn’t have a line wrapped around the block on week one or crossed-out timeslots on your Resy page months in advance, did you even open?

The solution to this problem is obviously multi-facated as it is becoming harder and harder to open and maintain a restaurant not only in NYC but across the country, however patrons can decide not to put up with the nonsense of this song and dance, and begin to frequent the thousands of establishments that are just as good and will happily seat you at the booth, free of charge, any day of the week.

4. IT’S TIME SEXY BECAME A KPI AGAIN (WITH A TWIST).

Reggie’s Hot Take

“Sex sells” has long been a foundational, yet controversial principle in advertising. For decades, making ads “sexy” was on the menu, often with success. From the common examples (Calvin Klein’s Marky Mark campaign creating an explosion in underwear sales) to even unsexy brands (Noxema’s 1973 “Take It All Off” campaign made shaving cream a national obsession), the intention to seduce was a goal within creative that wasn’t just memorable, but positively impacted the bottom line.

However, a great deal of this norm was over-the-top, sexist, and downright misogynistic. The mid-2010s saw many brands sanitize these approaches, stepping back from leading with sex at the top of the brief to harnessing safer feelings of relatability and authenticity. But maybe we lost the ability to create desire — many brands that embraced sex appeal in the past (Victoria’s Secret, GoDaddy, even Carl’s Jr) suffered in both edge and sales, while 93% of consumers are taking every chance to skip ads. Can bringing sexy back make people feel again?

In the meantime, sensuality has returned in full force from a different lens: the female gaze. Provocative women pop stars are the faces of culture, photographers like Renell Medrano stop feeds with seductive imagery, and you can’t escape stan edits on everything from Love Island stars to TV heartthrobs. Restoring magnetism, allure, and yes, sexiness in the outcomes of our creativity is an inspiring brief to work around, but we can lean into a new POV of whose gaze we’re building for.

5. BRING BACK (IRL) SHAME

Melissa’s Hot Take

The internet didn’t embolden people; it made them shameless. Outrage online (through reposts, stitches, and subtweets) gives us the illusion of accountability, but in practice, it rewards bad behavior with clicks and clout. Over time, this has numbed us to real consequences. What begins as performance online turns into permission offline, where people act without care because culture has taught them to “be unapologetic.”

The issue isn’t just influencers playing into controversy either—it’s ALL of us. Fake outrage has become a substitute for holding people accountable in real life. We punish parasocial strangers harder than we check ourselves, our peers, or our communities. So it doesn’t matter if you’re #TeamHuda or not; how about checking your friend who thinks being messy is a personality trait since she likely needs that guidance more?

This trade-off has created a culture where shamelessness thrives. We’ve mistaken silence for strength, and “being unapologetic” for empowerment when in reality, accountability is what keeps us human. To reset, we need less fake outrage online and real consequences in how we treat each other day to day.

Stadium lights, tailgates, full Saturdays and Sundays taken over by the TV, mixed emotions rolling into our office every Monday from the members of our TE Fantasy League.

But in recent seasons, the real story isn’t just the scores. While fall routinely kicks off the road to a Super Bowl that belongs as much to brands as it does teams, we now see a field where sports and marketing have collided more than ever before.

A Whole New Game

In 2004, when Team Epiphany was founded, the game was much different. Athletes were mostly limited to shoe deals and Gatorade commercials. The biggest names: Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and Peyton Manning were part of a rare few who crossed over into mainstream advertising. Everyone else was in the background. Reggie Bush, Diana Taurasi & Carmelo Anthony dominated college sports without being able to earn a dime. There was no social media to give these players a voice. Athletes were spokespeople, rarely true cultural leaders.

Now? It’s flipped. Athletes don’t just sell things, they build them. This is about athletes as brand architects—not just for sports or apparel companies, but for non-competitive industries looking to tap into culture, community, or attention. This is about the polymath athlete, whose dominance on the courts or fields translates to IRL influence, now a widespread phenomenon.

The NIL Revolution Changed Everything

The sports landscape has completely changed several times over since 2004, but when college players won the right to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness in 2021, the game cracked wide open. Just since this past June, the College Sports Commission has approved $80 million worth of NIL deals. 8,300 contracts. 28,000 student athletes. At least a few parents reading this will pay some extra zeroes towards a one-on-one trainer for their 5-year-old future prodigy.

Anyways, marketers now have access to a new pool of trusted voices: authentic, engaged, and deeply connected to Gen Z audiences. And smart brands outside of sports already are starting to take notice, with a versatility reaching beyond just the commotion around College Gameday.

Athletes Are More Than Ambassadors

Today’s athletes aren’t just performers, they’re platforms. They build community, drive trends, and stand for something bigger than their stats. They’re not influencers in the traditional sense—they’re cultural translators. And with 75% of consumers believing that athletes are more authentic than traditional influencers, the stats speak for themselves, too.

That’s why non-competitive brands—from fintech to beauty to wellness—are starting to see the upside of athlete partnerships. A mental health start-up partnering with a WNBA player. A financial app working with a college quarterback. A skincare brand co-creating with a gymnast. These aren’t gimmicks, they’re cultural alignments.

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The Suite, Not Just the Set

But here’s where the real opportunity lies: not just putting athletes in your content, but bringing them into the marketing suite. Involve them early. Let them shape messaging, product ideas, and campaign narratives. Think of them as collaborators, not just “talent.”

Athletes bring lived insight, loyal audiences, and a perspective most marketers can’t replicate. We’ve seen two decades of stars like LeBron, Stephen Curry, & Serena become major players in many of the boardrooms they step into. Now Anthony Edwards & A’ja Wilson help co-craft the narratives for the basketball sneakers of the year. And for non-competitive brands, the lack of category overlap makes athlete partnerships clean, clear, and scalable.

From Endorsement to Ownership

The smartest brands are moving from transactions to equity-based relationships. Madison Reed’s partnership with UConn legends Azizi Fudd and Paige Bueckers is ahead of the times on a new generation of stars looking to own their narratives, with Fudd & Bueckers receiving mentorship, business opportunities, and equity from the deal. Brands like these are giving athletes a seat at the table, and in some cases, real stakes in the outcome. That shift builds loyalty, with a deeper emotional connection to fans alongside the authenticity they already feel.

The New Playbook

In 2004, the world we knew mostly used athletes to read lines someone else wrote. In 2025, they’re writing the script themselves and cashing in as creators, investors, and owners. One thing is clear: athletes aren’t just part of the culture, they are culture. And if your brand wants to stay relevant in the long run, now’s the time to bring them behind the X’s and O’s of your strategy.

The pinnacle of sports is back, and the playbook has changed. Are you rewriting yours?

- Coltrane Curtis, Partner/CEO

It’s the Hot Take™ – the fine art of cutting through popular opinion to say what really needs to be said.

And yes, we’ve got ours too. Introducing the Strat Brat Hot Takes: a monthly series where personal perspective meets cultural critique—backed by receipts, research, and unapologetic conviction.

Read them. Share them. Argue with them. Just don’t sit silent—because standing on business is highly encouraged.

1. NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO BE A GUEST ANYMORE–AND IT SHOWS.

Kylah’s Hot Take

The state of the houseguest is in shambles.

Fresh off the heels of the “protect your peace” era and low-maintenance friendships, basic decency has somehow become a big ask. The creep of unhealthy individualism and fading social skills is everywhere, from sloppy manners in public to poor etiquette in private, but nowhere is it more glaring than when someone’s a guest in your home.

Two-thirds of Americans have invited guests to “make themselves at home” only to regret it—and 42% say the biggest offenders are their own friends.

Ironically, just as at-home gatherings, dinner parties, and backyard BBQs are making a comeback, the art of being a good guest is fading fast.

Too many friends-turned-guests arrive at the function empty-handed, skip offering help, stay glued to their phones, and sneak out without so much as a thank you. What was once the bare minimum of thoughtful engagement has, for some, become a lost art—replaced by poor manners, constant faux pas, and dwindling social skills, even amongst friends.

Being a good guest isn’t that hard (see here), but at the rate we’re going, we might all want to start sending out detailed instructions with the invite.

2. CELEBRITIES DON'T NEED TO SAVE US (From Our Phone Addiction.)

Cullen’s Hot Take

Tyler The Creator’s new album Don’t Tap The Glass serves up the right sentiment - put away your phones and dance. But if we, as a society, really want to ditch the screen time to be in the moment, we won't collectively get there through celebrities throwing shade at their fanbase. Putting away our phones and living in the moment will come when we consciously decide that chronically scrolling and posting no longer becomes cool - which might come sooner than we think…

When we think about Tyler the Creator’s core audience - the younger Millenial/older Gen Z, they represent a subset of the population that grew up with a phone constantly in their hand. They grew up in a time when chronic scrolling, sharing, and posting were cool. It was something that all your friends, family, and favorite celebrities did, but the age of being “chronically online” might be going out of vogue.

Today’s teenagers are growing up in an online world that is inundated with paid ads, sponsored content, and shallow brand messaging to get you to click to a product site. This will unlikely be seen as “cool” to this generation. In fact, even posting their own lives on social media gives the modern day teen a sense of ennui.

The axiom for how generational culture shifts is that the younger generation will always rebel against what their elders are doing, and we’re already seeing that manifest in the younger generation’s online habits. So while Tyler the Creator might be speaking directly to his terminally online audience, the generations following them might be the ones telling Tyler to get off his phone and dance.

3. FRICTION IS CULTURE, EFFICIENCY IS NOT.

Miles’ Hot Take

The more we optimize our lives in the name of efficiency, the more we strip ourselves of the friction that creates true culture and entertainment.

Generative AI, “superapps for mealtime”, all-inclusive new development buildings and the constant gaggle of tech-fueled optimization tools keep us inside both literally and figuratively.

These advancements prey on our willingness to take shortcuts that seemingly make life easier, often keeping us from creatively thinking outside the box, from exploring the world around us and from developing taste. The result is that we’re culturally steered away from the frictions of life that create texture and identity— hacking away at necessity, the long-recognized mother of invention.

New tech says, instead of patronizing local fare or cuisines across your city, just visit one place that somehow (?) curates it all under one roof. New developers say, no need to leave these four walls, you can eat, exercise, work and live here and here alone. AI says, how else can I make your experience frictionless?

At what point do we stop optimizing for efficiency (a closed world problem) and decide that real joy is in optimizing for entertainment and uniqueness (an open world problem, unsolvable by technology)?

The NBA is asking itself the same question.

4. MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY IS RUINING GENUINE CONNECTIONS.

Helina’s Hot Take

“Main character energy” once meant self-love, confidence, and a promise to romanticize your life. Today, it’s looking more like cultural narcissism in a cute top. Everyone’s building their personal brand, “reclaiming their time” at the expense of community connection, and aesthetic-vetting friends like they’re accessories.

Group hangouts become solo-content ops. Vulnerable convos get mined for captions. Showing up for others comes with expected reciprocity.

We’ve glamorized individuality to the point that we’ve devalued emotional availability. Building community takes inconvenience. Lasting friendships take working through conflict to come to a resolution together. It is not selfishness masquerading as therapy-speak.

You’re not just “living your movie”, you’re treating your friends like background characters.

While Main Character Energy isn't inherently bad, consider for yourself: is this a fresh lease on life, or is this an attempt to mask unhealed traumas and insecurities as performative confidence?

Perhaps, to quote a close friend, “Your main character energy needs to be directed inward…preferably with a paid therapist.”

5. LABUBUS ARE RUINING US.

Noe’s Hot Take

The second coming of the Beanie Babies craze is here with Labubus—and, more than anything, it’s another large indicator of an individuality crisis. Families are being torn apart, the resale market is digging people into debt, and brawls are breaking out—all because these monster elves have gone viral. Worst of all: the hobby of collecting, with the primary purpose of expressing people’s unique interests and quirks, is being dominated by just one toy.

As Labubus continue to become symbols of elitism and fleeting cultural participation, we lose the desire to develop and nurture interests we curate for ourselves. In turn, an insatiable hunger to fulfill a trend takes place.

While these bag charm toys aren’t the first social media-driven trend to have people ridiculously obsessed, they demonstrate how far we actually are from the fostering of distinct identity. Labubus have plagued us with another pressure-driven status measurement, dictating how fashionable, affluent, and socially aware we are—and for what purpose?

Yes, you should be able to adorn your bags with cute trinkets. Sure, it’s fun to jump into trends. Of course collecting as a hobby is fulfilling. But, we need to start applying more caution to the fads we fuel on these excessively accessible channels.

If it hasn’t happened already, we’re one gremlin-induced angry mob away from a deeply concerning moment in late-stage capitalism…and one more trend from a mass extinction of self.

6. BRANDS SHOULDN’T DUCK THE SMOKE.

Byron’s Hot Take

In the attention economy, brands need to stop tiptoeing around the chaos. Astronomer didn’t just survive a scandal, they turned it into a spotlight. When the internet latched onto the viral Coldplay incident, they ditched the HR-approved damage control and answered with humor, tapping Gwyneth Paltrow (yes, Chris Martin’s ex-wife) to join the fun. The result? An awkward moment became human, relatable, and impossible to scroll past.

Not every controversy is a crisis. If culture’s already talking, step into the conversation. The smoke might sting, but play it right, it can work for you.

Viral PR Response

But here’s the thing: the ecosystem is shifting. Who gets to be seen? Who gets to shape the narrative? Who gets to benefit from the community that built the culture before it even hit the timeline?

That’s where this Substack comes in. ConTExt is moving from a one-time culture report to an ongoing cultural practice. A feed that doesn’t just scan the surface but digs at the tensions underneath. We’re here to track the signals, dissect the contradictions, and name the patterns before they calcify.

Because culture needs more than just coverage: it needs ConTExt.

What You’ll See Here

The in-between spaces of culture. Connecting the dots and making sense of the messiness. Some posts will read like essays. Others like signals or frameworks. Sometimes sharp, sometimes exploratory. Sometimes musings (we love to wax poetic every so often.) But always in conversation with the culture we live in and the culture we’re building toward.

Why This Matters

In a world that oftentimes likes to skip past the nuance, we’re here to put it front and center. Thought leadership that’s not sanitized. Provocations that are rooted in something real. That’s the lane ConTExt wants to hold.

And we’re glad you’re here with us.