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Hey Reader,

Cue trumpets 🎺

Please be upstanding and create a massive amount of noise for Tricia Nichols and her brand spanking new book The Currencies of Wellness, out now and available for pre-order!

I can never decide whether my favourite moment of working with someone to write their book is

a) when I see the light go on behind their eyes when they realise they have a good idea, they CAN write, and they really believe they can do this

or

b) when they message me to say “I’VE DONE IT!!!!” and then send me a copy of their book

Yesterday I got option B and I’m SO chuffed.

Tricia worked with me in MicroBook Magic Season 6, then afterwards for some private coaching because her MicroBook grew into a Big Book. She’s worked so hard on it. It’s been a couple of years in the growing and it’s finally out there in the world.

I am beyond proud.

The Currencies of Wellness is “A field guide to the surprising ways everyday life shapes how we feel — and how brands can help create more of what makes us well.”

It’s not a wellness book. It’s not a straight marketing book. It’s a really fascinating look at how brands can encourage people to live well outside of simply selling them more of their stuff.

If you are remotely interested in how marketing and business can be a force for good in the world, this is a really good read.

Pre-order your copy here:

And raise a mug to Tricia. Publishing your first book is a Big Deal!

If this book sparks something in you about writing your own, I’d love to help. I have a couple of spots opening in September.

And now for the Friday Goodie Bag. I’ve found all this for you to nibble on:

This amazingly odd school uniform

In a conversation with Sarah and Kelly yesterday, we got onto school uniforms and how it’s a relic of colonialism and other countries think we’re weird. I get it. It’s a weird thing and I have very mixed feelings about uniforms.

We were talking about the impact they had on us, though — how someone doesn’t wear green anymore because it reminds them too much of their school uniform. Then Kelly told us about this school near her — Christ’s Hospital School — which has this incredible uniform that has barely changed in centuries.

The most fascinating thing of all, though, is that every time school leaders ask the pupils if they want to change or scrap the uniform, they vote unanimously to keep it. They love it.

It’s a private school but the vast majority of students there are on scholarships and it exists to ensure kids from less affluent backgrounds get a top-notch education. Every child gets their uniform provided for free. How cool is that?

This podcast interview with The Onion’s Scott Dikkers

Listened to the How I Write podcast the other day (thanks for the heads up Sarah!) and David Perrell was interviewing Scott Dikkers of The Onion on how to be funny. It’s an absolute goldmine of treasure. Being funny isn’t really about jokes, it’s about seeing things differently.

This free masterclass on selling from stage without the ick

My friend Marnie, who is a shining star of a human who is friends with Sir Ian McKellan (I KNOW RIGHT) is running a free masterclass to help us turn our talks into cash. It’s on Wednesday September 16, 12-1.15pm, and you should definitely join. I won’t be there live because I’ll be at carpentry school but I’ll be watching the replay!

This interesting look at whether tech really makes less work for us

Something I’ve noticed recently — and there are plenty of people talking about this — is that tools that are supposed to make our lives easier actually often end up creating more work. Like email. It was supposed to streamline written communications. Now, I love email marketing, newsletters, all that kind of thing. But email as a general tool has definitely NOT made less work for me.

And now AI is here, with its promise to do All The Things We Don’t Want To Do… but the other day I wasted HOURS trying to automate something that actually only takes me a couple of minutes.

Anyway, I saw this post and the video that goes with it, and thought: hmmmmm.

This absolute masterclass on consent for young boys

I saw this a while ago and just thought it’s brilliant. The way the teachers demonstrate what a real yes looks like. The way the boys are so engaged and interested. The whole ethos behind it. I think a lot of grown-ass men could do with classes like these.

What I’m reading

Another cosy fantasy! The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacClean is most enjoyable. It’s about a modern world with smartphones and tech, but it’s not our world, and there are also magical creatures like unicorns, cockatrices, and — yes — phoenixes. The protagonist is an extremely awkward (autistic?) young woman named Aila who is more comfortable with her critically endangered phoenixes than with people (I can relate) and her programme to save their species. Plus a cute little romance in the background. Fun!

What I’m writing

I am working on my 15 minute set for the Birmingham Comedy Festival. So far, my notes consist of the following:

Things I am Very Interested in: dinosaurs. The Bible. Dinosaurs IN the Bible.

So… yeah.

Word of the week

salvo (n.)

A sudden burst of words, cheers, or action, like a quick, forceful opening move.

E.g. As soon as I walked in the door, his opening salvo was, “DID YOU REMEMBER THE CHICKEN FOOD?” I did not.

Quote of the week

Have a wonderful weekend. Happy September.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

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