Morning Brew - 📚 Bookworm

If you assume your Slack DMs exist on an island untouchable by managers or HR, well, friend, you are sorely mistaken.

A recent piece from Vox exposed just how much access your employer has to your account. Brad Harris, VP of the data preservation app Sanzo, told Vox: “Clearly, the adage of ‘Don’t write anything in an email that you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the Wall Street Journal’ applies to your use of Slack too.” 

Now, your boss probably isn’t spending her time parsing your Slack messages. Yet in the event that your name comes up during a work-related issue, the stuff you send via a company account, on a company laptop, is fair game.

But we all need to let off some steam now and then. So what can you do? While you must always vent at your own risk, these dos and don’ts will help limit the likelihood that you’ll be asked to read your DMs in front of a judge: 

• DO consider venting to one trusted person outside the company—like your best friend or partner—versus those who share a CEO with you. 
• DON’T complain in a public Slack channel, like these poor souls at Netflix did.
• DO take your vent to text. Even better, use voice memos, which expire after a few minutes. 
• DON’T name names. Harken back to your middle school crush days and use code names if you must, but it’s wise to unload about the situation rather than specific people.  

Lastly, read these tips from the American Psychological Association about properly dealing with work stress. 

How’s your summer reading going? These’ll get you back on track: 

• Of course Gwyneth Paltrow has a book curator, and of course his name is Thatcher Wine. But truly, the way you organize your bookshelf says a lot about you. (Hit reply and let us know how you organize your stacks. Bonus points if you include a picture.)
• For those of us who treat our books like best friends, writing in them is not an option. Use these transparent Post-its for note-taking instead. 
• You won’t worry about friends “borrowing” your books again with this personalized stamp that’s super popular on #booktok.
• Track your way to reading 100 books this year with a cool template from Notion.
• When your stomach sinks at the thought of not being able to bring David Sedaris’s entire canon on vacation, Libby connects you to thousands of popular digital titles once you add your library card. And they have audiobooks, for free!

• Read: We can’t stop thinking about this riveting bibliomystery taking over the publishing world. Wanted: the spine collector, not to be confused with the TikTok bone guy. 
• Listen: ICYMI recently dissected Bama Rush TikTok. Get schooled on everything from viral star Makayla Culpepper to the phrase “jewelry is normal.”
• Watch: We’re vibing with this YouTube channel of hip hop lo-fi beats exclusively set to Simpsons scenes. 

Don’t Pay a Fine for Fine Wine

Back in 2018, wine industry insiders and pals Gary Vaynerchuk, Jon Troutman, and Nate Scherotter decided to make high-quality wine accessible to everyone. And thus, Empathy Wines was born.

Why? Because the wine industry has a bunch of unnecessary “layers”—bottles go from winery → distributor → wine store → you. These three friends thought that formula should skip the middlemen and be shaved down to winery → you.

The result is Empathy Wines. The folks at Empathy partner with farmers across California who prioritize sustainable farming practices, and believe in radical transparency with customers about their supply chain.

Use code WELCOME for 20% off and shipping included on your first order.

• All future beverage stations must include these tear-off Hudson Grace cocktail napkins. They’re reusable, compostable, and look like fancy linen. 
• We’re soaking up every last ounce of summer with rosé from Avaline, Cameron Diaz’s organic wine brand. It’s dry but not too dry, light but not too light, and has hints of strawberry and melon. 
• Carry a bottle of Sauv Blanc to your friend’s housewarming party in Baggu’s wine tote, which ties up into a lil gift bag.
• These Union Square Café-inspired bar nuts from Smitten Kitchen will satisfy a room full of guests, even if your mother-in-law is there, too.