Morning Brew - 🤝 Gather ’round

Time-saving tools and products we’re really into rn.

Do you wake up the middle of the night in a panic because you forgot to blow out your fancy self-care candle? Kind of defeats the point, right? Try a flameless candle warmer to keep the scented vibes ~zen~.

If you need to send a fax and don’t like to get involved with tech that should be obsolete, try Genius Fax. This app lets you send and receive faxes from an iOS device, proving that there really is an app for everything.

What is one simple thing that always brings you joy? NYT readers shared their wellness “non-negotiables,” or little rituals that get them through the day. Whether it’s popcorn, petting a cat, or reading Nancy Drew, there are some great simple pleasures on this list to keep you grounded in the present.

“I was 24 years old when we opened. And so you know that that energy is…I can only use the analogy of that first album energy. Where you just want the world so badly to know what you’re working on, and to see it and feel it and experience why you do what you do.”

Ryan Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of The Gathering Spot (TGS), a private networking community that serves as a hub for collaboration, connections, and experiences for its 12,000+ members. Ryan and his business partner opened TGS in Atlanta in 2016, and have since expanded with locations in DC and Los Angeles.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Kickoff: “I start my days really early. I’ve got two young children…my daughter’s two, my son is six months. And so I have found that, even before they were born, those couple of hours that you can catch in the morning in isolation are some of my more productive parts of the day.”

Starting TGS: “If you think about your high school or college experience…you had access to people who are doing different things from you, and studying different things, or just interested in different things [...] When you leave high school or college…you’re suddenly around people that are in [the same] industry as you. That didn’t make sense to us. So we started asking, ‘How do we create a community-based business where…we bring that same spirit [the thing that was special about college] back to our current day?”

Building: “[We got] 97 noes before the first person said yes… We spent two years not paying ourselves anything and being very scrappy to make ends meet as we grew. But I’ll say, because of those circumstances, we figured out a way to grow the business and be successful. I don’t regret any of it. But was it challenging? Absolutely.”

Leaving his law degree behind: “Basically, everyone coming out of Georgetown Law has an opportunity after graduation… I believe, at that time, [the starting salary at most firms] was about $160,000. And I declined my job opportunity and said I was going to be an entrepreneur and make no money. It was definitely extreme at the time because there was nobody else for me to be able to talk to about that.”

Dealing with the pandemic: “The biggest mistake when people talk about TGS, is they talk about the physical locations, and coworking, and restaurants, and events… But the real test to see if [TGS would work] was when Covid hit and all of those [in-person] things became unavailable. And the business grew…people didn’t leave the community. Because it was about the community and their relationship with one another and not about access to tables and chairs.”

Advice for young entrepreneurs: “[Your] idea matters, and it comes from somewhere, and it’s not random […] There’s a reason why that idea is keeping you up, and why you want to pursue it. And I think that you should listen to it and pursue it […] You can’t forget that the reason why you started is rooted in something. That’s what got us through all the hard moments in the business.”—MW

Your punch list for when you punch out.

Read: Lindsay Lohan is back and better than ever, this time on the cover of Cosmo to share details about her upcoming Christmas rom-com, her life in Dubai, and her secret for a pain-free laser treatment. This is the “Lohan-aissance” we need but do not deserve!

Listen: Doesn’t matter if you’re studying or working or cleaning your house, you need classical remixes of Bad Bunny in your life. Check out this playlist for instrumental versions of “Yo Perreo Sola,” “I Like It,” “Un Verano Sin Ti,” and other hits. Beethoven. Could. Never.

Drink: Tip Top Proper Cocktail’s newest canned creation is the always-exquisite espresso martini. The beverage brand’s version features beans from beloved coffee brand Counter Culture and will rival your favorite bartender’s best mix.

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Burning questions of our time.

True crime

This month, Sidekick is taking a deep dive into how podcasts get made, distributed, and consumed. For years, hosts and listeners rolled up their sleeves to dissect all things shocking and sinister in true crime podcasts. Shows like Serial and Crime Junkie pieced together evidence to speculate, theorize, and potentially solve unsolved crimes. But recently, people have called the ethics of true crime entertainment into question.

Do shows like these glamorize criminals and gloss over the lives of families? Do they interfere with due process? Is it ethical to listen to true crime podcasts? Should hosts remain objective, or is it OK for them to speculate? Is there a better way to consume this genre? What do you think? Hit Reply and let us know in the Inbox!—SS

And now, your thoughts on mandated vacations:

“In my ideal world, PTO would be unlimited and include a minimum amount of time off. Why? Because some people—like myself—feel guilty taking time off. When you enforce a reasonable minimum PTO (say, three weeks), so much pressure and burden shifts off the weight of the shoulders of the employee. When employees see executives and their managers taking at least three weeks off per year, it encourages the employee to do the same. And they don’t have to feel guilty about asking because it’s required!”—Wendy

“My unlimited PTO policy gives me anxiety. Am I taking too much? Not enough? A solid number would give me more confidence to take the time I need.”—Shelly