Morning Brew - 🍰 Chip and dip

Career building with a dose of self-care 

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In this section we’ve covered virtual brainstorming, nonlinear career paths, and the morning person vs. night owl debate (which shouldn’t be a debate at all; you do you), but we haven’t touched on managing people. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, three behavioral scientists shared five common biases managers should be aware of—especially when working remotely—and how to overcome them.

We summarized those biases below. Read on, then check the article for evidence-backed ways to lead smarter. 

1. Confirmation bias: Seeking out info that supports your own views, versus keeping an open mind. 
2. Attribution bias: Assuming the behavior of others is due to personality flaws or weaknesses, rather than external factors out of their control. 
3. Groupthink: Letting the loudest voices dominate the discussion and distort decisions.
4. In-group effect: Difficulty assimilating to a new team. This can be especially tough when onboarding remotely, the authors say, because there’s less opportunity for casual, more personal convos. 
5. Peak-end effect: Judging an experience by how you feel at its peak or its end versus a well-rounded evaluation. 

Fun stuff to do outside work

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• You’re not the only one dreading communal office bathrooms and their one-ply TP. Sidekick readers got really real with us about their return-to-work feels. 
• A veggie frittata is my favorite way to make use of scraps when cleaning out my fridge. And because you’re varying the veggies and cheeses, it’s a flavor surprise every time.
• If you’re traveling this summer, check out this vacation rental kitchen checklist, featuring a sourdough starter culture for all your beach BLTs. 
• Remember the whole “Is it cake?” meme frenzy? Well, this is a REAL 12-layer geode cake. 
• Inside the economics of Ikea, aka the home of 300,000 square feet (6.25 football fields) of DIY furniture and Swedish meatballs.
• Feel less alone with The Lily’s 10 mental health podcast recs. 

Exploring new skills for the sake of personal growth

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“Every body is a bikini body” is a popular summer mantra, yet body shaming is still alive and well. 

Katie Sturino, founder of Megababe Beauty, has been a longtime advocate for body positivity, and she just published her first book, Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life. The part guide, part workbook is all about practicing self-love, ghosting body shaming, and dismantling the “Who wore it best?” attitude. 

In the latest episode of the Bad on Paper pod, Katie recounts a breakthrough moment when she went from striving for the perfect body to saying “f* that.” She realized all the women she thought were “ideal” weren’t even happy with their bodies. Which made her go: “What is the point of me being so hard on myself when once I get there, I still have to be hard on myself?”  

Katie added that it’s important to pay attention to how you speak to yourself. She channels the mantra, “You too are inherently worthy of love.” It sounds a lil cheesy, but if you keep saying it, you’ll believe it. Ultimately, what matters most is that you feel good about yourself on the inside. That’s what people react to—confidence. 

Products that just make life better 

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• There’s no reason to settle for one type of salsa when you can have 18. All of Casa Verde’s salsas are dairy-free, paleo, and made from avocado oil and 100% fresh tomatoes. From Salsa Mexicana to Salsa De Elote, each one is tasty and includes a heat check, so you’ll know if you need to have a glass of milk on hand.
• Next, level up your homemade guacamole game with a mortar and pestle. This kitchen tool has many uses (serving dish, pesto grinder, spice smasher) but most importantly, it’ll help you achieve that restaurant-style thicc and chunky guac consistency. 
• With porch hangouts and corn hole in full swing, this 2-piece chip and dip set is a stylish must-have. It separates your chips from the dip, so you don’t end up with soggy bottoms, and it’s on sale right now. It’s one of my most used kitchen pieces, and it even works for serving shrimp cocktail, veggies, or cupcakes.