Morning Brew - 🍭 Fitted sheets

Things they don’t teach you in school: the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, how to assemble Ikea furniture, and how to present over Zoom. Public speaking is stressful enough in person (sweaty palms, shaky legs), and virtual presentations can add even more risk (a guest appearance from your 5-year-old, the doorbell, the dog). 

Darren Tay, along with six other champion public speakers, shared some tips with Entrepreneur.com. Tay’s #1 rule: Prep your audience ahead of time. Ask them to turn on their cameras, so you can feed off their energy and get a feel for the Zoom room. And if you’re using slides, note the difference between value-copy and value-add. Value-copy is when you read off the slides (a no-no), and value-add is when you share supplemental info that the audience wouldn’t know otherwise.

Once you’ve nailed down the structure, it’s time to workshop your storytelling techniques. And who better to learn from than Alex Lieberman, Morning Brew’s cofounder and CEO, who also hosts the Founder’s Journal podcast? Here are Alex’s four tips: 

1. Reference stories and analogies whenever possible, to connect theory to real life. 
2. Repeat your one key lesson/ask several times. People need to hear it more than once before they’ll remember it. 
3. Find your nervous equilibrium. If you’re not nervous enough, you won’t perform well. If you’re too nervous, it will impact your performance. Preparation and perspective are what allows you to strike that balance. 
4. The beginning and the end are the most important parts of your talk. People anchor their feelings and emotions there. 

Have any go-to public speaking advice? Hit reply, and let me know. 

• This day in the life of Chef Jane of Jeju Noodle Bar, the first Michelin-starred noodle bar in the US, will hold you over until season seven of Chef’s Table. 
• Shout out to The Folding Lady for teaching me how to properly fold my fitted sheets (been doing it wrong for years). 
• Watch 25+ SXSW shorts for free, and (if I have to pick one), check out Stuffed. It’s all about taxidermy-horror meets seedy musical, and it’s just...wow. 
• You can’t go wrong with a heaping bowl of garlic fried rice for dinner. The spring onion elevates it beyond a comfort food dish. Got any fave rice recipes? Please share.
• On the latest episode of the 2poc pod, friends Nabi and Nano openly chat about their childhoods and what/who shaped them into the women they are today. These ladiez are the real deal, and so fun to listen to. 

We’ve all tried to learn new hobbies as adults, but virtual cooking classes, a Duolingo subscription, and music lessons all add up. It’s not like you’re looking at your budget thinking, “You know what I need right now? A baby grand piano.”  

Research shows that playing an instrument can improve long-term memory and increases blood flow in your brain. And although we’re told time and time again that it’s easiest to start strumming the guitar when you’re a kiddo, there’s nothing holding you back from picking it up today. 

Taking lessons and purchasing an instrument is $$$, but the WSJ shared a few ways you can pick up a new instrument at home without an instructor. One is with Lumi Keys, aka Guitar Hero for the piano. With the smart keyboard and app, you can take a series of interactive lessons, and for $10/month, you can choose from a modern selection of songs, from “Hotel California” to “Don’t Start Now.” And if you’re a Hendrix wannabe, check out The Guitar Trainer by Jamstik, or John Mayer’s guitar tip for how to play his song “Neon.” 

Hungry? Your double helix can tell you how to eat.

As much as we wish DNA stood for Donuts, Nachos, and Apple pie, it actually stands for telling you how to eat for potential health benefits.

GenoPalate uses your DNA to help you discover which foods support your metabolism, nourish your body, and promote wellness.

Once you’re signed up and your DNA is analyzed, you’ll receive a list of foods, nutrient recommendations, and food sensitivities that can help you eat smarter.

Let your double helix guide you to healthier living. Get your nutrition plan from GenoPalate today.

• I’m quite picky when it comes to cream cheese. I like the real deal (thick and creamy), but Treeline’s plant-based cream cheese is the best dairy-free alternative I’ve tasted. All the spreads are made from cashews, and they’re not just for bagels. Call me weird, but I dip TJ’s sweet potato crackers in ’em. 
• Forget single-use plastic. Stasher bags are made of reusable silicone and can store leftovers, snacks, and even cosmetics. Plus, when they’re lined up in the fridge, it’s very colorful and aesthetically pleasing. 
• I got to hang with my new Blueland Clean Essentials Kit this past weekend, and I’m dubbing them the MVPs of spring cleaning season. You just drop a cleaning tablet in the corresponding recyclable bottle, add water, and voilà! The products clean super well, smell good, and save you space.