Happy almost-March!

I was supposed to fly out to Puerto Vallarta this week for a lil' birthday vacation, but, um... (gestures to Mexican cartel assassination and subsequent unrest).

So, I'm staycationing instead. Which means extra naps, extra think pieces, and no turbulence!

In this newsletter:

• Navigating the chill
• Social post of the week

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—Nick

Navigating the chill

From job layoffs to chaotic politics to literal snowstorms every other weekend, it's been a cold start to 2026.

AI is doing all kinds of funky shit this year. This technology is rapidly transforming both our professional and personal lives. I finally got around to reading that ​viral Matt Shumer essay​. Seems like we're at a moment where the AIs can self-improve, which is a milestone.

I admit that ​Claude Cowork​ makes me feel some type of way. I haven't had this kind of future shock since I tried a Waymo in West Hollywood on a Saturday night, and the driverless vehicle handled the hordes of sloppy-drunk gays like a champ. Better than me, at least! (honks horn in introvert)

And while AI fever might be leading to downsize decisions, some of that is media spin, as my author-crush Cal Newport ​pointed out​ this week. Concurrent to AI rollout was all this pandemic quarantine-era overhiring and a power dynamic in which employers had to yield to workers, a stance that has softened more recently.

Separately, queer publishers and nonprofits continue to feel the sting from various funding pullbacks. (​I interviewed Pride organizers about this last year​ for Out magazine.) Campaigns and workforces are being downsized. People are having to dust off their freelance tools and lean into network more than ever before.

The survivalism vibes are vibing. It's a challenging time for many groups of people, for many reasons.

My encouragement in these moments is to get back to basics with three things: your money, your skill set, and your learning journey.

Your money

Budget--remember her?! Focus on what you can control.

When we use budget as a verb, it almost always means "cut back." I prefer an interpretation that is about intention. You're spending this on this and that on that, because... [Insert grand vision here].

This approach reveals what to cut, but also what to keep.

Budget your resources. That means money, but also time, attention, and energy. Deploy them on what matters.

Your skill set

Money Proud has a chapter on the basics of entrepreneurship, framed as a way to increase income. It gets very essential about value exchange. What skills do you offer? Who would find that valuable? Why?

Your skills are probably more portable and transmutable than you think. (points thumbs to self) You're lookin' at a dude with two college degrees in classical French horn. Niche AF, and yet I still use a lot of those skills in my current career.

Be industry-fluid and offer-fluid.

Your learning journey

Three years ago, I took a class at UCLA on Final Cut Pro. Fast-forward to today, and video is the majority of what I'm creating and publishing each week. My background as a writer and editor informs how I approach video, and makes me a stronger video creator, imo.

Yes, there are new technologies and new circumstances. Yes, you're probably going to have to shake up your routine, which will suck at first. But too much routine makes you inflexible. Learning and practice are what help me find my way (it's the musician in me), and perhaps that's true for you as well.

• Consume history to draw insights and courage from the past.
• Be thoughtful about both money and resources so you don't miss out on opportunities in the present.
• Stay curious about technology so you can form nuanced perspectives about the future.

Lavender lad

It's rather cosmic timing that, the day after I put up a queer history video about postal service discrimination, the Supreme Court ruled that ​the postal service can't be sued​ if they intentionally decide to not deliver your mail. Oy!

No I don't have insider intel, and even if I did, I definitely wouldn't be trading on it on Kalshi like ​this dumbass​ Mr. Beast employee.

It's spooky times, so I'm focused on finding the light without dismissing our current situation. And there aren't a lot of people doing LGBTQ+ finance creatorship, so we're already building the plane a bit as we go. It's fun!

I'm leading with style and service — a post-ChatGPT pivot I landed on after first having a three-year existential crisis about GenAI that shockingly delivered no results — and that's been working so far. History doesn't change, so by showcasing how I talk about it, people can focus on delivery and decide if I'm their flavor or not.

Lift your spirits a bit by watching on ​TikTok​, ​YouTube​, or ​Instagram​.