Sharing another collection of things that have influenced how I’m working, thinking, and living lately.
1. Listening: Fast Company’s By Design Podcast
Fast Company’s By Design podcast has been a longtime favorite listen. The episodes are usually a little over an hour long and are released roughly once a month, covering the intersection of design, business, branding, technology, and culture.
What I like most is the structure of the show. Each episode mixes industry news, opinionated commentary, deep-dive interviews, and lighter product and design critiques, making it feel informed without taking itself too seriously.
The latest episode featured discussion around Anthropic’s Claude Design rollout, branding and political optics, a rapid-fire “Hot or Not” segment, and a conversation with Samsung Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini about leadership, creativity, and designing at a global scale.
It’s a smart mix of strategic thinking, cultural observation, and design conversation that feels timely, opinionated, and fun to follow. The episode also marked Mark Wilson’s final appearance as a host before his move from Fast Company to Hark, where he will serve as Head Writer. I’m looking forward to hearing him return as a guest in the future to share what he’s been working on and how things are going at Hark.
2. Reading: Surf Shacks
Surf Shacks is an eclectic collection of surfers’ homes and the stories behind them. The series spans three editions, each filled with incredible photography, unique spaces, and personal perspectives on how people choose to live near the water.
The coffee table books sit somewhere between surf style, travel inspiration, interior design, architecture, and lifestyle documentation. Every home feels personal and reflective of the people who built it, layered with collections, objects, textures, and a strong sense of place.
It’s a great summer read. Something easy to leave out on a table, flip through slowly, and revisit often. Between the photography and locations, there’s inspiration everywhere, from home design ideas to future places to surf and travel.
3. Gear: Pakt Cero Backpack
If you’re planning summer travel and in the market for a new bag, I highly recommend the Pakt Cero Backpack. I’ve used it on years worth of trips and it’s become my favorite travel bag. Extremely lightweight, surprisingly spacious, and incredibly well designed for short trips and everyday movement.
Pakt founder Malcolm Fontier is a longtime friend and years ago Sprout collaborated with his team to launch the Pakt One travel bag. Since then, the lineup has continued to expand, with products that nail the balance between functionality, simplicity, and thoughtful details every single time.
Even with my larger-than-average clothes and shoes, I can comfortably pack for a two week trip using this single bag. It’s durable and water resistant, while still easy to carry all day without feeling bulky.
I usually default to black for bags, but went with olive green this time and have really liked the change. Clean, understated, and just enough personality without feeling loud.
4. Technology: 17-Inch LG gram Portable Monitor
I recently added a portable 17-inch dual screen setup to my laptop workflow and immediately wondered why I waited so long to get one. I tend to keep a pretty consistent daily carry setup, so it’s rare that something new actually earns a permanent spot in my bag. This did immediately.
For travel especially, it’s been a huge upgrade. Thin enough to fit easily into my laptop case, lightweight enough not to become annoying, and dramatically better for multitasking and organization while working remotely.
There are tons to choose from. I’ve been using the 17-inch LG gram with my MacBook.
A lot of productivity tools promise major transformation, but this is one of those rare additions that actually changes your day-to-day experience almost instantly. More screen space sounds simple, but once you start using it consistently, it’s difficult to imagine going back.
It’s also a reminder that sometimes the most impactful upgrades are the ones that quietly remove friction from how you already work.
5. Health & Wellness: Bioadvanced Medical Center
Last month, I spent a few days at Bioadvanced Medical Center in Tijuana, Mexico. After extensive research and recommendations from friends, I traveled there to receive stem cell treatment.
The trip is surprisingly accessible, just a 30-minute drive from the San Diego airport. The experience itself was excellent, from the facility and staff to the overall environment. Not to mention, the food was incredible.
The treatment focused on several areas that have accumulated wear over the years, including my back, shoulders, hips, and knees, along with a broader full-body restorative treatment. Almost immediately afterward, I noticed a meaningful reduction in the everyday joint pain and stiffness that had slowly become normalized over time.
Part of the recovery process required avoiding strenuous activity and exercise for two weeks, which would normally leave me feeling even stiffer than usual. Instead, I felt noticeably better and more mobile throughout the recovery window than I have in as long as I can remember.
What’s been most interesting so far is the recovery data afterward. After more than five years on WHOOP, I saw some of the strongest scores I’ve ever recorded immediately following treatment.
It’s obviously still early, and stem cell therapy is ultimately something you evaluate over time rather than overnight. The long-term effects remain to be seen, but the initial results have been encouraging enough that I’m very curious to see where things go from here.
We’re entering a period where restorative and regenerative approaches to health are becoming much more mainstream. At the same time, navigating traditional healthcare systems can often feel reactive, fragmented, and difficult to understand. As a result, more people are taking longevity, prevention, and overall wellness into their own hands, seeking out tools, treatments, and data that help them stay healthier for longer rather than waiting until something breaks. The intersection of recovery, performance, longevity, and data-driven health continues to evolve quickly, and it’s fascinating to watch, and participate in, in real time.
