We're Back, We're Refreshed + We're Giving Away Whitelist Spots!
Hello friends! It’s good to be back. Sending you all sunshine. ☀️
I’m still feeling that post-vacation glow and haven’t dove back into the hustle just yet. Maybe I won’t entirely. I really like this balance thing.
Though I have a secret…
While I was out of the office, my brain did come back to my desk a bit.
One of the things I pondered as I closed my eyes under that Florida sun was my goals of this newsletter, what’s sustainable and what’s not, what lights me up about it. TBH – I’m still pondering it all.
If you’ve heard my backstory about how this newsletter, podcast and brand came to be, then you know it started as simply documenting my journey into Web3… seeking ways to combine my day job of tech recruiting and night job of painting… and it has truly snowballed!
With that, I do know I love the art of it all. And the connection. The learning. And the writing and musing and meeting people in this space. So maybe I’ll start sharing more in-depth conversations here, like yesterday’s QOTD.
I also know I really love helping people find work. Because to me, your job isn’t just your job. Even if you say it is or think it is.
When you spend at least 8 hours of your day doing something specific, with certain people, thinking about something for that long – it impacts your entire being. Which then impacts the people around you.
So I like helping people find a job that works for their dream and their lifestyle. Something that uplevels them. Maybe that’s a big salary bump, maybe that’s a more flexible schedule to take their kids to the bus stop, maybe it’s more creative freedom… it’s different for everybody.
But I believe that everyone can find a job they enjoy. I’m living proof. I’ve switched industries and careers enough to test that theory. And – in relation to Web3, people talk about this world being like the quantum realm…
Well, in that realm, anything is possible.
Lastly, I’ve recognized and listened to feedback on a need to focus on bringing more women into Web3 in the Nashville community where I work. So I want to help champion that.
In sum: I want to try to reflect all ^^ of that in this newsletter. I don’t know what it will turn into, and I know every week it looks a bit different, so really what I’m saying is…
Thanks for being along on the ride.
I’m always open to feedback, so tell me what you like! What you don’t like. What you want to see. What you want to share.
And we’ll go from there :)
💼 Web3 @ Work: Opportunities + News
Check out these 10 crypto jobs of the week – from an internship to blockchain engineer to smart contract engineer… or a technical product manager or co-founder… there are jobs out there for those who want to get in, even despite the market downturn and how some places like Coinbase have slowed hiring.
You know we love a Job Story at WELD. This one is about a full stack developer – and how he transitioned to becoming a Web3 dev in just 7 days.
Are you in the Nashville area? Do you work in tech? Do you have a mission or project that you’re trying to drive forward? I know I’ve personally met with so many leaders who fit this bill. They’re awesome and they’re bringing something entirely new to the city – whether that’s TIKI and their quest for data ownership through NFTs and blockchain technology or the NFT Nashville crew who’s working on a major festival or Derek Brown who actually wrote the state’s DAO legislation. Anyhow, if you also fit the bill and are interested in peer-to-peer learning and executive mentorship on how to grow your skills as a leader in tech, this free 3-month program is for you.
Web2 bootcamps: we know ‘em, we love 'em. Hack Reactor, General Assembly, Fullstack… but are there any bootcamps yet for Web3? Encode Club is working on that answer, and just raised $5M to do so.
Speaking of Web2 vs. Web3… how would you prefer to onboard to a new job: Through PowerPoints or Slack or setting up your Microsoft Outlook? OR diving into the metaverse?
🎶 When Music & NFTs Collide: Lots of News This Week!
Working in Music City, I couldn’t ignore all of the news about the integration of NFTs with music this week, especially after my daily DJ, Spotify, announced they’re testing NFT galleries to live on artist pages.
Music Row had some big news of their own: Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and his wife Brittney announced their limited NFT collection will drop next month. Meet me at the Chill Cowboy Country Club (CCCC)?
“Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy me a boat.” #facts – Chris Janson, a country singer probably best known for his song ‘Buy Me a Boat,’ launched a new album with FREE NFTs for his fans. With them, you get a chance to win a meet-n-greet with Chris, tickets to one of his shows of your choice, a signed harmonica and more. (I mean heck, you don’t even need money to get this kind of happiness? Sign me up.)
On the topic of FREE – did anyone catch the Billboard Music Award show last Sunday? It wasn’t your usual show: it was the first-ever live minting experience, complete with free NFTs tied to each award.
Last month, Julian Lennon performed a cover of his late father John Lennon’s “Imagine” as part of a campaign to support Ukraine. If you missed it, no worries – you now have the chance to buy it as an NFT that will benefit Ukrainian refugees.
Typically, artists keep the royalties for themselves, right? Not in this case. The Chainsmokers’ new album comes with an NFT giveaway that will give 5,000 fans a 1% cut of the royalties.
📰 Some Other News For The Week
I’m not quite sure what XR is yet (extended reality), but Middle Tennessee State University is set to be one of the first film schools to teach XR filmmaking. My question for any of you XR experts out there is, how will this change what we see on screen?
Dad is a #1 supporter of this newsletter and sent me this article on what NFTs need to achieve before they can be implemented in healthcare. Will patients soon have ownership over their records with blockchain, instead of the doctors? Wishful thinking, but could NFTs somehow simplify the headache of health insurance? What about trying to get prior authorization for a procedure or prescription? Who knows what we’ll see here – take Covheads for example. Whenever COVID cases go down, their NFT valuation goes up.
There’s a 38-year-old fried chicken restaurant out there. Interestingly enough, that’s not the news here. What the real scoop is: The owner is building a Web3 empire with NFTs that can be redeemed for food – and he’s gotten up to $350 for each! Hold the pickles, I need to fly to Taiwan and try this sandwich out myself. (Hattie B’s, looks like competition has arrived.)
I love a company that is working to make Web3 more accessible. Because right now, it ain’t. At all. So I want to celebrate Paper, who just received $9.3M from Polygon to keep moving forward with their plan to onboard NFT buyers via email and simplify the process of buying, using and holding NFTs.
There’s an Avalanche coming… in the form of another blockchain network. Yet this one, I might actually keep my eye on, considering who’s invested.
A free Udemy course changed this woman’s life. Nothing really to do with Web3 here, other than what I mentioned in the intro – how everyone is equating this new world to the quantum realm, and in that space, we’ve got all the more power to create our dream lives.
VaynerFund, Andreessen Horowitz, and more are all behind this product by Gesso Labs that is empowering NFT projects to “go beyond the drop.”
🔥 This week's hottest mint list: 400 Drums
Get in touch with me to get one of the last whitelist spots!
444 exclusive NFTs, minting this Sunday, May 22, 2022 with Indigenous handmade drums given out to lucky holders.
👯♀️ Women in Web3
I met Mel Hearts recently. She's awesome.
Here’s how Web3 changed her life: “A little over 4 years ago I was broken, recovering from a spinal fusion, diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and struggling to find new purpose…”
FemStreet knows women in Web3 do it different. So they made a place for companies to come and meet top female talent, not the other way around.
36 Women Revolutionizing Crypto
Lots of women on this list that I didn’t know about before reading! Who’s a revolutionary in your circle? Share with me!
NFTs: Why do I feel overwhelmed by Web3 at the moment?
Liya Dashkina covers exactly how I was feeling pre-vacation 😎 Can any other women in Web3 out there relate?
🎙 Who We're Talking To
In the latest Women In Web3 podcast, Samantha joins us to talk about:
How to move on from a rug pull with grace… which hopefully you never have to experience!
What you need to know (or don’t need to know) to jump into the NFT world
How the NFT and crypto world are like the Wild West
The importance of courage in not just the crypto space, but every industry
🎨 What I'm Working On: A Step-By-Step BTS Look At A Gal Trying To Make It With NFT Art
🗓 You're Gonna Want To Pencil These In...
VeeCon, it’s arrived. For the next 3 days, please don’t mind me while I deal with all my FOMO.
Permissionless: Honestly, I hadn’t heard about this one till this week. Now I’ve gotten asked about 7 times if I’m attending by various folks in the industry and have started to wonder if I was livin’ under a rock on this one?
John Kraski and NFT Thought Leaders started doing live events at Soho House LA. Placing this here to petition their next event to be at the new Soho Houseville Nashville.
Consensus is coming. Any chance to go to Austin, TX will have me say yes, but this one calls for a “Yaaassssss!”
Got an event recap? Photos? Want to give shout outs to your fave speaker? Get in touch and I’ll place it in next week’s issue!
That's all for now folks! It's good to be back. See you next week.
In the meantime, enjoy these gems 💎
Alexis SORET w/ the motivation for the week:
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 doubting yourself.
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 telling yourself that you don’t have enough experience.
Dare to step out of your comfort zone, you will 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 regret it.
I think I’ve learned more in 𝟓 months than in the last 𝟓 years.
This is just the beginning, let’s 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 it.