Good morning, friends!

I’ve been thinking a lot about the significance of activism in the last few weeks.

For many of the Twitter “activists” we see on a weekly basis, here’s how the hype cycle of tragedy goes: They have an opinion, they share said opinion on social media, they sign a petition or donate money to the cause they support, and then suddenly that anger and fire and outrage goes *poof* and disappears overnight.

Each day, we open our phones and navigate a flood of useless opinions paired with very little action. As I’ve researched and studied hundreds of people through The Profile, the ones I’m most inspired by are those who understand that there is no one way to advocate for meaningful change. Those people do the work day in and day out to address the problem at the root, not opine about it on the internet.

I’ve recently discovered the work of war photojournalist Lynsey Addario. Over the past 15 years, Addario has covered every major conflict and humanitarian crisis on the planet including ones in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur, Lybia, Syria, Lebanon, South Sudan, and Somalia.

Although her work often spurs change, Addario is clear: She is not an activist. “I cover certain stories for a reason because I believe that if the public has access to the scenes that I’m seeing, they will have a visceral reaction,” she says. “I’m not an activist, but I am certainly a very active journalist, and I cover things that will hopefully open people’s eyes and educate people.”

She understands that a powerful photograph can make you feel emotion. It can move you not just emotionally — it can move you to act.

For instance, Addario went to a province in Sierra Leone where many women were dying during childbirth. One in 23 women faced a lifetime risk of maternal death, which was the highest in the world.

In 2010, Addario documented the tragic story of one woman’s journey from pregnancy to death, and her photographs captured the dire situation at play. Two years later, she received a call from Doctors Without Borders who told her they saw her work and they sent five ambulances, offered 24-hour obstetric emergency services, and equipped each small clinic in the villages with a radio.

Thanks to Addario’s story and Doctors Without Borders’ work, the maternal mortality rate was reduced by 60% in two years. Her work had an incredible, tangible impact that literally saved lives.

What I’ve noticed is people who are able to spur meaningful change don’t just do the work, they live it. They incorporate it into their professions, they align their actions to be consistent with their beliefs, and they create a model for others.

I’ll never forget how surprised I was when I learned about Dolly Parton’s philanthropic efforts. As the fourth of 12 siblings, Parton and her family lived in a tiny, one-bedroom log cabin in Sevierville, Tenn. She grew up with no electricity or running water.

Her dad didn't know how to read or write, and he carried great shame about it his entire life. One day, Parton told him: "Daddy, there are probably millions of people in the world who don’t know how to read or write, who didn’t get the opportunity. Don’t be ashamed of that, instead, let’s go do something special.”

That something special became Parton's Imagination Library, an organization she started in 1995 for the children within her home county. Today, her program spans five countries and gifts over 1 million free books each month to children around the world. In total, she has donated more than 140 million books to date. Again, tangible impact that addresses the root problem in many impoverished areas and gives kids exposure to books, ideas, and new ways of life.

And even though you probably won't see Parton in women's rights marches, it doesn't make her any less of a proponent for equal rights. “I still believe that women should get paid equal and should be treated with respect," she says. "I don’t have to preach. I write it. I sing it. I live it. If I’m not a good example of a woman in power, I don’t know who is."

In other words, there is no one way to advocate for meaningful change. While some people like to preach about it on the internet, others let their actions speak for themselves.

Remember, it takes more than a tweet to make a long-lasting difference.

It takes consistent learning paired with individual action. Few are willing to do the work, but those who are will change the world.

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THE PROFILE DOSSIER: On Wednesday, premium members received The Profile Dossier, a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. It featured Bobbi Brown, the beauty mogul preaching self-love. Become a premium member, and read it below.

The Profile

The Profile Dossier: Bobbi Brown, the Beauty Mogul Preaching Self-Love

Bobbi Brown is a beauty industry titan — and she built her empire on a simple premise: Makeup shouldn’t camouflage. It should enhance. “Beauty is something that comes from within,” she says. “It’s about having self-confidence and embracing who you are. I really believe that a woman is most beautiful when she looks like herself…

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4 days ago · 4 likes · Polina Pompliano

PROFILES.

— The brothers who built a $95 billion unicorn [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The world’s boldest climber tackling fatherhood
— The pregnant mom who fled a war-torn Ukraine
— The bank tracking its employees’ productivity
— The startup saving you from browser tab hell

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The brothers who built a $95 billion unicorn: Billionaire brothers John and Patrick Collison built Stripe into one of the world’s most-hyped, highest valued (and profitable) startups, worth some $95 billion. Now they must stave off going from disruptor to disrupted. Here’s how they plan to stay on top. (Forbes; reply to this email if you can’t access this article)

“We’re not a glamorous business, just an infrastructure company that hopefully we’ll be able to compound for a long time.”

The world’s boldest climber tackling fatherhood: Alex Honnold is the first and only person to ever climb the face of El Capitan in Yosemite without ropes. Because he is considered the ultimate risk-taker, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that scares him. “I don't know if it compares to bad situations in the mountains where you're like, ‘Oh, my God, I'm about to die,’” says Honnold, “but in a way it's worse, because it's the deep dread.” In this interview, he recounts the terrifying and dangerous birth his wife endured that brought his daughter into the world. (Fatherly)

“I was definitely surprised by how intense it all was. TI was definitely surprised by how intense it all was. To think that every one of us was born. That everyone has gone through this.”

The pregnant mom who fled a war-torn Ukraine: Anya Chernets Radomsky gave birth to her daughter after fleeing the country that she had called home for the last 23 years. Hers is one of the first babies born in the U.S. to a Ukrainian refugee of this war. In this heart-wrenching profile, we hear the story of Radomsky’s treacherous journey in the ninth month of her pregnancy. (Forbes)

“Uncertainty was killing all of us.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The bank tracking its employees’ productivity: From tracking time spent on Zoom and phone calls to seating arrangements and office attendance, JPMorgan's vast data-collection apparatus is fanning the flames of suspicion and 'paranoia' at America's biggest bank. The data filters into a proprietary system called the "Workforce Activity Data Utility," or WADU for short. JPMorgan is said to have begun building the data-management platform shortly before the coronavirus outbreak.

"It's fostered paranoia. It's fostered distrust. And, to be honest with you, it's fostered a lot of disrespect.”

The startup saving you from browser tab hell: Out-of-control browser tabs are the bane of every organized human’s existence. Enter tab management. A blandly named startup, the Browser Co. of New York Inc, has raised about $25 million from strategic investors such as Salesforce and big-name founder-CEOs including Stripe’s Patrick Collison and Zoom’s Eric Yuan to explore the possibility of simplifying your tab life. Here’s how the company is reimagining the entire browser experience. (Bloomberg; reply to this email if you can’t access this article)

“The center of gravity is moving back to the web.”

✨ This installment of The Profile is free for everyone. If you would like to get full access to all of the recommendations, including today’s audio and video sections, sign up below.

AUDIO TO HEAR.

Ted Weschler on driving serendipity: Imagine getting a call from Warren Buffett himself to ask you to lunch. Furthermore, imagine getting an unsolicited job offer at Berkshire Hathaway during said lunch. This is exactly what happened to Ted Weschler. Between his first job as a lowly financial analyst with no MBA and starting a private hedge fund worth $2B+, Weschler’s successful 42-year career is owed to painstaking effort. But he doesn’t focus on the ‘grind’. Instead, he highlights the pivotal moments in his life that came to be just by being in the right place at the right time—including being personally headhunted by Warren Buffett. (Link available to premium members.)

Nick Maggiulli on the non-polarity of debt:  Whether it’s credit card or student loan debt, we all get shivers down our spine when we hear the word ‘debt’. However, author and Ritholtz Wealth COO Nick Maggiulli points out that the four-letter word isn’t necessarily good or evil — it all depends on how it’s used. “The people who could best use debt are the people that don’t need it,” he says. “That’s really the truth.” (Link available to premium members.)

VIDEOS TO SEE.

Mel Robbins on the habit of procrastination: While procrastination is a concept that needs no introduction, few people truly understand why they engage in the behavioral pattern. “Procrastination has nothing to do with work,” says motivational speaker Mel Robbins. “It’s a form of stress relief.” In this short video, she uncovers the elusive reason why people procrastinate before offering practical steps on how to overcome it. (Link available to premium members.)

Wendy Suzuki on enhancing your memory: What if you could ensure you never lost your memory? Or at least, retain for the longest possible time? In this interview, NYU professor of neuroscience and psychology Wendy Suzuki not only reveals the exact exercises you can do to achieve that but also deconstructs—in plain terms—the brain structures vital to these processes. “The hippocampus defines who we are,” she says. “Because if we can’t remember what we’ve done, the information we’ve learned, or the events in our lives, then who are we?” (Link available to premium members.)