Good morning, friends!

We've kept this on the down-low for the last nine months to enjoy the process, but it's official now. I'm delighted to introduce you to my daughter and the youngest member of The Profile crew: Sofia Pompliano. She was born at 2:43 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Thank you all for sticking with me for the last few years — you've seen me leave my job in the middle of a pandemic, go full-time on The Profile, get married, and now, have a baby.

Although it never goes exactly how you plan it, the roller-coaster of life is pretty amazing. I appreciate you being part of this wild ride, and I'm excited to celebrate many more milestones alongside all of you.

I've talked a lot about the value of consistency and how I haven't missed sending a single Sunday newsletter edition since 2017. The truth is that this is one of those moments I will never get to do over, so in order to focus on this tiny human, I've figured out a way to be both consistent and take a break.

Starting next week, for the next four Sundays, I'll be publishing "The Best of The Profile," including some of my all-time favorite profiles, podcasts, documentaries, interviews, and podcasts. Although they may not be recently published, you can count on the fact that they will be really, really high-quality. The columns at the top will be new — I've worked ahead to write a few myself, but you can expect some stellar guest writers to make an appearance as well.

Of course, premium members will continue to receive fresh new Profile Dossiers every Wednesday morning. (You can become a premium member by signing up here.)

I'm looking forward to this new season of life, along with all the joys and lessons that it brings! In the meantime, Anthony and I would genuinely love and appreciate it if you guys shared your best parenting advice with us.

Reply to this email, and note that I might synthesize your collective wisdom (anonymously) in a future newsletter edition so we can all learn together. (Here's an example of how I did it with your marriage advice.)

See you soon!

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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 Matt Haig, the author who believes books can save your life. Read it below.

The Profile

The Profile Dossier: Matt Haig, the Author Who Believes Books Can Save Your Life

Matt Haig has been called a "genius storyteller" for good reason. His books may act as a mental escape, but the ideas and concepts stay with you long after you finish reading the last page. Haig has authored a number of books, including bestsellers Reasons to Stay Alive, The Midnight Library…

Read more

4 days ago · 3 likes · 2 comments · Polina Pompliano

PROFILES.

— The entrepreneur behind your favorite childhood toys [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The NBA's global star who wants it all
— The reality star who built a billion-dollar business
— The genetic detective solving crimes
— The deaf football team that remains undefeated
— The monster hiding in plain sight
— The auto giant that won the electric vehicle race

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The entrepreneur behind your favorite childhood toys: You've probably never heard of Al Kahn, but he's the entrepreneur who brought countless toys, games, and gizmos that have embedded themselves in your remembrance of things past. He's behind Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Cabbage Patch Kids. For more than 40 years, Kahn has been one of the world's great toy impresarios — founding and losing empires, making and losing fortunes. What a wild story. (Inc Magazine)

"I decided, I'm not going out this way. I wanna go out on top. I wanna be on top again."

The NBA's global star who wants it all: Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose nickname is "The Greek Freak," is becoming something of a legend inside the NBA. He put his head down and chased greatness for eight years. Then he won a championship. Now, he says, he is working on all the things greatness cost him. Peace of mind. Life outside of basketball. A family. That kind of thing. Here's how he's deciding what he intends to conquer next. (GQ)

The reality star who built a billion-dollar business: Kim Kardashian has spent 15 years in the public eye. What does she have to show for it? A shapewear company valued at a billion dollars, for one. At 41, Kardashian is shaping herself as the future chief executive not just of her own brands, but of a Kardashian-Jenner conglomerate—an empire built around the fashion, cosmetic, liquor and media enterprises that her family has launched, one by one, over the past decade or so. Here's what she's planning next. (Wall Street Journal)

“My days are completely micromanaged to the minute."

The genetic detective solving crimes: A homicide detective had been haunted by the murders of a young couple since 1987. And then a genetic genealogist found the murderer—in two hours on a Saturday. "Genetic detectives" like CeCe Moore are cracking cold cases and transforming policing. As DNA analysis redefines ancestry and anonymity, what knowledge should we be permitted to unlock? (The New Yorker)

“For thirty years, we couldn’t do a damn thing. And here comes this lady who says, ‘Hey, I know who did it!’"

The deaf football team that remains undefeated: The athletic program at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, has suffered its share of humiliations and harassment over the years. It did not help morale that the varsity football team, the Cubs, recently suffered seven straight losing seasons. But no one is disparaging the Cubs anymore. This season, they are undefeated — the highest-ranked team in their Southern California division. Through 11 games, they have not so much beaten their opponents as flattened them. (The New York Times)

“We can express ourselves completely. We can be leaders. We can be assertive.”

The monster hiding in plain sight: Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, was a provocative media darling for decades. Offstage, exes allege, he was an abuser who made their lives hell. In this disturbing investigation based on court documents and more than 55 new interviews, his multiple exes allege, that he inflicted repeated acts of mental, physical, and sexual abuse that have left them with crippling bouts of anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and PTSD. (Rolling Stone)

"He was willing to sacrifice who he was to become this character he created.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The auto giant that won the electric vehicle race: More than two years ago, Ford’s biggest rival, General Motors, was poised to make a critical investment in Rivian, the electric truck startup that just went public. But Ford managed to outmaneuver GM. This is the story of how Ford went on to slyly cut its own deal and transform itself into a major player in the electric-vehicle age. (Wall Street Journal)

“Just because you got engaged to someone doesn’t mean you need to marry them."

✨ 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.

James Clear on creating meaningful change: Atomic Habits author James Clear says your habits run your life — and over a long period of time, the results you see in your life tend to bend in the direction of those habits. Here's how he believes we can program our days to proactively change for the better. (Link available to premium members.)

Graham Duncan on being a time billionaire: In our society, we worship dollar billionaires. But have you ever thought about the fact that you could be a time billionaire? In this episode, investor Graham Duncan explains the idea that one million seconds is 11 days. One billion seconds is about 31 years. Think about Warren Buffett, who's 90 years old. What would he pay if he could take the next five years of someone’s 20-year-old healthy body and mind? And if you're the 20-year-old, how would you price the next 5 years of your life? This episode may really change your perspective. (Link available to premium members.)

VIDEOS TO SEE.

Taylor Swift on the most creative period of her life: In this rare longform interview, Taylor Swift explains how her songwriting process has evolved in the last few years. During the pandemic, she released two surprise albums. "It was a breakthrough moment of excitement and happiness," she says. "I have referred to writing these songs as a kind of flotation device because obviously, [2020] has been hell on earth for everyone." (Link available to premium members.)

Bryan Stevenson on the bias of the modern death penalty: Bryan Stevenson is the founder of human rights organization, Equal Justice Initiative. This documentary shares Stevenson’s experience with a criminal justice system that “treats you better if you’re rich and guilty than if you’re poor and innocent.” Stevenson believes that justice lies in the ugly details because they are “what might allow us to one day claim something really beautiful.” (Link available to premium members.)