In the five years since 2020 began, we've navigated a rollercoaster of emotions—most of them on the spectrum between challenging and devastating. Rather than take you on a tour of those dark journeys, we thought we'd share some of the bright spots of 2020—the stuff that got us through, made us laugh, or provided just the distraction we needed.
(We've also collected our most-played music for our annual Spotify playlist, and we've compiled our poems of the month...which provide a strange and fascinating window into the collective consciousness of our small team.)
Without further ado...the silver linings:
Ever wonder what fuels our creativity and keeps us buzzing at Good & Gold? Here's a glimpse into what lights our fires. This month, we're pulling back the curtain to share the latest and greatest in our team's reading and listening favorites. From thought-provoking books to energizing tunes, discover what our employees are currently into and maybe find your next favorite read or listen!
Reading - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - I picked this book up to read while on vacation and could not put it down. The unique narrative style and poignant character development made me feel intimately connected to the web of emotions and experiences - Creativity, friendship, love, ambition, and self discovery.
Listening - I'm listening to Tycho, Maribou State, and Khruangbin, whose dreamy, soulful, surfy, and world-traveling vibes are setting the perfect stage for my summer mood.
Reading - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - earlier this year, I read my first Kristin Hannah Book, The Great Alone. It quickly became my all-time favorite read. I’m only a few chapters into The Nightingale, but it’s good so far, and I’ve heard it’s a tear-jerker!
Listening - Caamp, Noah Kahan, Lizzie McAlpine… all things folky and acoustic and easy listening for the summer.
Reading - All Fours by Miranda July - My book club, a group of 30-45 year old moms, dove head first into this thought-provoking, conversation-sparking and memorable read. The conversations about this book seem to never end!
Listening - LEON, Miguel, BEYONCE - I’m all about artists with rich musical vibes - introspective and dreamy to bold and dancy.
Reading - The Measure by Nikky Erlick - I got this book as a present and I must admit it has made me ponder about the purpose and meaning of life and how we can easily lose sight that life is short and that we need to make the most of every day and moment.
Listening - I am listening to Just one Thing with Michael Mosley. The above book made me look in the direction of generally having a better health and wellbeing approach. “If time is tight, what’s the one thing you should be doing to improve your health and wellbeing?”
Reading - The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - I had heard people talking about this book here and there and finally picked it up and dove in this summer. Written in a unique, simple format, I was immediately intrigued. This book expands upon four broad concepts that basically allow you to gain more freedom within your life and is really just a simple method to being happy.
Listening - My most recent playlist is filled with Vieux Farka Touré, Carole King, Thee Sacred Souls, Cocteau Twins, Charley Crockett, and Qendresa. A podcast I’ve been loving lately is called Otherworld. It tells real stories by people who have experienced something paranormal or unexplainable. It’s slightly spooky without being scary, and is such an intriguing listen!
Reading - Life Ceremony: Stories by Sayaka Murata - A compelling collection that invites readers into a world where societal norms are turned on their head. Through surreal storytelling, Murata examines the essence of human connections in a rapidly changing world, addressing themes of love, death, and societal expectations with a bold, unconventional flair. I particularly enjoyed how the stories often blurred the lines between the grotesque and the beautiful, and pushed me to consider the bizarre as potentially normal. A great read for fans of speculative fiction and those intrigued by the quirks of human nature.
Listening - Challengers [MIXED] by Boys Noize, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This album from the recently released film Challengers is full of energetic, playful house beats that are great for working out, dancing, or stumbling through a contentious polyamorous relationship.
Reading - The Hike - a book that’s very similar to Stephen King’s Fairy Tale. The story follows a man who goes for a hike one day while on a work trip and finds himself in a land where he must face his inner demons and grow in order to escape.
Listening - Lore - A great but slightly dark podcast that “explores the mysterious creatures, tragic events and unusual places that fill the pages of history.”
Reading - Samsung Rising: Geoffrey Cain - An inspiring and detailed account of Samsung’s rise to power across several industries and its fight against Apple. This book explores Samsung’s tumultuous beginning, unique corporate culture, and desire to bring South Korea onto the global stage with constant competition and innovation. Samsung’s ebbs and flows in wins, losses, and leadership make this a compelling read that gives deep insight to a lesser known part of our daily world.
Listening - Lex Fridman: An AI researcher, scientist, and podcast host known for his deep, insightful conversations with a diverse range of guests. His podcast, "The Lex Fridman Podcast," explores topics like artificial intelligence, technology, science, and the human condition, featuring thought leaders from various fields. Listening to his podcast offers a blend of intellectual stimulation and personal growth. He regularly has unique guests such as Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, Elon+Kimbal Musk, Bill Ackman, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Jimmy Wales, and Marc Andreessen.
Reading - The Illusion of Choice: 16 ½ Psychological Biases that Influence What We Buy" - This insightful book captivated me with its relevance to both my career and understanding general human behavior. It expertly distills complex decision-making biases into digestible principles and chapters. A must-read for those in marketing, advertising, or entrepreneurship, it offers practical applications for everyday decision-making, selling, and negotiation tactics. I found it to be a quick, simple, and useful read that has already started to influence my approach to work and personal decisions.
Listening - "Bass Boat" by Zach Bryan from his newest album "The Great American Bar Scene" - This song inspires a sense of nostalgia as it reminds me of the lake town I grew up in, watching bass boats glide by my parents' house on the lake. While the lyrics don’t completely align with my personal experience, the general sentiment, raw emotion, and melody evoke a sense of calmness and self-reflection. It captures the serene beauty of golden hour, and the moment the sun sets where you forget everything around you and are fully present. Life doesn’t always go the way you hope, with its twists, turns, and unforeseen events. This song is a reminder to be present, enjoy the little things and small moments, and cherish the people that bring you joy—those are the memories that will carry you through life.
Reading - I’m currently reading “Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love” by Marty Cagan. I’ve read several of his books, and he truly is an expert in building products and experiences that matter—with the customer always at the forefront. This book emphasizes the importance of avoiding biases that can lead us away from delivering the best possible product to the end user, whether it’s a tech product or any other offering. One concept that has really stuck with me is the idea of consistently and constantly delivering new value to the customer, even if it means revisiting old ideas. This principle goes beyond the tech industry and applies to e-commerce and any consumer-driven product. If you don’t live and breathe the goal of driving value at every level for your customers, you won’t achieve the growth you’re aiming for.
Listening - I’ve been rotating between music of my eclectic youth (90s grunge, Red Hot Chili Peppers, T-Pain, Usher, The Eagles, Lil Wayne—you get the idea) and discovering artists that I may have missed along the way. Some folks I have been jamming to lately have been The Teskey Brothers and the Guantanamo Bay Surf Club, both have been a great way to wind the evening down with some chill melodies and soulful voices.
This Earth Day, we're taking a moment to reflect on our personal connections to the planet we call home. At Good & Gold, we make a point to celebrate the beauty and importance of the Earth in our everyday lives. This Earth Day, we’ve asked each of our employees to give us a glimpse into their relationship with nature. Whether it’s through sustainable practices, efforts to better our environment, or simply reveling in nature, each of us has a unique way on how we connect with the Earth and the important role it plays in our life.
Carrie
For Earth Day, I conduct a household audit to identify areas where we can improve our environmental stewardship. This includes strategies for composting kitchen waste, reducing plastic use, and optimizing energy and water consumption. To connect with nature physically, I enjoy hiking in Forest Park or the Gorge. Additionally, I participate in neighborhood clean-ups, like this year's city-wide effort organized by We Believe in Portland.
Hannah
I spend as much of my time outdoors as I can, whether that’s daily walks in my neighborhood to recharge and take in the fresh air or going out to surf, snowboard, and camp. Mother nature provides us with such a huge playground and never fails to ground me! It’s important to me to do my part everyday in small ways, like biking more as transportation and growing my own vegetables, to keep the Earth happy so we can enjoy it for as long as possible.
Ryn
I generally take a walk everyday and watch the seasons as they change. I’ve been loving the long spring Portland gets and seeing all the trees and flowers bloom over the last couple of weeks has made me feel very connected to the springtime.
Parker
The trails by my house are serene and vibrant this time of year. It’s always good to see the foxes and deer out and about again, amongst many other animal populations. Trash pickup along this trail and the woods around it make for a fulfilling springtime and it shows in everyone’s uplifted spirits.
Maggie
I stay connected to the Earth through gardening. I’ve found it so rewarding to learn how to compost, recycle seeds, and use organic materials to support an abundant garden. Gardening is very grounding, and has helped both my physical and mental health! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Jackson
Whenever I take time to quietly observe nature, whether in a dense forest or a city park, I start to understand the deep connections among all living things on Earth. These moments make me feel part of a larger, vibrant cycle of life that spans hundreds of millions of years. They also remind me of humanity's significant impact on other species and our environment, highlighting our greater responsibility as stewards of the Earth. These observations help me stay committed to reducing my ecological footprint by minimizing waste, using renewable energy at home, supporting conservation efforts, and engaging in land restoration projects.
Kyle
I love Earth. I enjoy spending my spare time surfing, snowboarding, and riding bikes on the fun playground Earth provides. I also enjoy the cute animals and interesting plants that you can find on land and in the ocean. Earth is pretty cool, I think everyone should do their part to protect it.
Alison
Most mornings I start the day with a bike ride. As the city wakes up - usually with a stunning sunrise - I’m pedaling through Portland’s parks, vibrant neighborhoods, and winding trails, giving me a feeling of abundant appreciation for this planet. The fresh air fills my lungs, and the sights and sounds of the environment become vividly alive, reminding us of the importance of preserving and cherishing our planet. Each turn of the pedal serves as a gentle reminder of our responsibility to protect and sustain the natural world for future generations.
Emily
A big focus for me is how to reduce my environmental footprint. This includes biking more often, using reusable items such as totes for shopping, and growing my food in my garden! This year I’m planning on a couple of new home projects focused on the environment as well, including raising chickens and starting a worm bin!
Iulia
Gardening and embarking on long bike rides through nature serve as my sacred rituals. In the garden, I nurture life from seed to fruition, grounding myself in the cycles of growth. Through these acts, I find solace and belonging, harmonizing with the natural world around me and fostering a profound sense of interconnectedness.
Happy holidays from the G&G team! This year our team chose a selection of great gift ideas from our clients. From bike panniers and specialty beverages to gift cards for local businesses, there’s something for everyone on your holiday shopping list.
Wishing you a warm & cozy holiday season and a happy new year! 🥂
Look no further for design inspiration for your holiday marketing campaigns! Our design team has rounded up their favorite trends and ideas for the 2023 holiday season. We’ve even included a simple checklist of tips for sprucing up your website for the holidays!
Go beyond the traditional red and green for your digital design this holiday. Use bright colors, rainbow palettes, and bold graphics to captivate your customers.
Bring the Bauhaus vibes! Pair bold and weighty graphic design and patterns with a simple, contrasting color palette.
Sparkles, metallics, starts, and yes, disco balls! Create a festive, non-denominational design thread that you can weave into your marketing from now until the New Year.
Leverage clever product photography and classic holiday shapes and colors to spark interest that subtly pulls shoppers into your campaigns and makes them want more!
Use fun fonts and enticing typographic layouts for your messaging to sleigh the season.
Dive into some archival ad campaigns to create a playful, vintage-inspired design vibe for your campaigns this year.
Holiday campaigns aren’t the only place to inject a little holiday cheer. Get your website ready for the holidays while creating a little seasonal whimsy with these digital design tips from our design team!
Add A Holiday-Themed Banner
Create a custom banner or header image that touts your exclusive holiday discounts, deals, or bundles. Use festive holiday elements in the banner design, like snowflakes, ornaments, or holiday colors.
Play With Color
Change up your website background colors or accent colors to reflect the season and spread cheer. Keep your brand identity in mind when choosing the hues to make everything feel unique to your brand.
Dress Up Your Logo & Iconography
Bring the Merry, Merry by adding a Santa hat, candy canes, a fir tree, or some holiday color to your logo for the season. Pepper in some seasonal iconography (we LOVE turning our icons into Christmas Ornaments) to really bring it home.
Let It Snow
Adding some subtle snowfall animation to your homepage is a delightful way to incorporate the holidays into your website.
Remember: Don’t Overdo It
Getting into the holiday spirit is a blast, but be wary of letting it take over your brand. You want to find the balance between leaning into the season and staying true to your brand identity. Try incorporating a few of your favorite tips from this list, and save the rest for next year!
Want some help getting your brand set up for the holidays? Our digital design services can get you there. Let’s talk!