As a parent, one of the best tools I learned was that if a child is complaining, you can say: “Do you want me to get involved, offer advice, or just listen to you?”

80% of the time my kids just want someone to listen. (20% of the time the problem can be solved with a Band-Aid. No matter the problem.)

I recently started using this tool at work, too. I’d say the percentage of times a client just wants someone to listen — to really care — about them is 90%, or maybe higher.

So, my to do list recently has been much shorter and my relationships are much stronger. Win win.

A Resource

Shopify tip incoming! Shopify released 100+ updates last week as part of the Summer ‘23 Edition (sidebar: how gorgeous is that website — oof, Shopify does campaigns right!).

One of my favorite features is that you can create bundles now without an app. The bundles are made up of existing products, and so when they sell, inventory can still be tracked back to the component level.

Honestly, it's a big deal for a lot of our clients. It still is not as fully featured as some many apps, like PickyStory, or custom options like this cool bundle builder for Deux... but it's really nice to see the native ecosystem evolving and responding at a faster clip. And speaking of a fast clip: we're setting up our first client with Shopify Bundles this week!

Random Roundup

Barbenheimer: I saw Oppenheimer last week. Sadly, I couldn't talk my husband or my babysitter into seeing it back-to-back with Barbie, but I loved this piece on how they weirdly makes for a perfect double-feature, two halves of a single thematic whole.
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Conspiracy Theories: I've shown the first minute of this comedy clip to 5-7 different people this week, and it still makes me LOL every single time.
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The Perfect Host: Last week, I hosted friends at our house three (!!!) times. At one gathering, we sat outside and drank Costco prosecco until our back sweat was so unbearable we couldn't take it. On Friday, we made homemade pizza and left all the dishes piled high in the sink until Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, I invited our neighbors over for a salad, featuring leftover rotisserie chicken and a pan of burnt brownies. It was so perfectly imperfect, and has me curious to find other places in life where I can let go as a way to let more in.

Have a great week!

Ashli