The Deep Cut 001: Wild authenticity

Let’s start with some truth: the economy’s giving late-stage capitalism in crisis cosplay, burnout is trending like it’s a lifestyle, and summer’s around the corner, so I’m currently in a toxic relationship with the leftover Easter candy.

But this week something cracked open.

After speaking on a panel about burnout last week on The Agile Network, I got a message from an attendee that stuck with me:

“Being vulnerable in front of total strangers is a superpower, and a true testament of being genuinely yourself.”

Who, me? Wow, it's working. Lately, I’ve been feeling more like myself—confident, clear, and spicy AF. So getting that feedback? It landed. I didn’t water anything down. I showed up. I said the things. I tried to be funny. I think I was funny? Honestly, it felt good.

That energy—that messy, joyful, honest-to-Gaga you-ness—is what’s running through this week’s mix.

That’s the deep cut. Wild authenticity.
Let’s get into it.

🎧 Listening

Lady Gaga – “Don’t Call Tonight”
I’m suddenly all in on Gaga again and I don’t even care. MAYHEM is pop at its best—chaotic, theatrical, and making me want to move my body in ways that aren’t always gym-appropriate. This track is the deep cut that sticks. Gorgeous. Haunting. Raw. Spoiler: you’re not fine, and neither is she. (And neither are the people in the gym who had to watch me dance to this as I lifted weights this morning. Sorry, not sorry.)

It’s unhinged, emotional, and unapologetically extra—which is exactly the kind of authenticity I’m leaning into this week.

📺 Watching

The Studio (Apple TV+)
I’ll pretty much watch anything Seth Rogen touches. Freaks and Geeks still holds up—I revisit it every once in a while and it’s still great. His new show The Studio is a sharp, well-written satire about a studio exec turned studio head who thinks he’s a creative genius... but he’s really just the business guy pissing off actual creatives.

As someone who’s managed creatives for years—and secretly has a little flair myself—I felt this. Authenticity check: knowing your lane and staying in it. Or at least not burning it down with ego.

Sinners (in theaters)
I saw this in the theater, and at first I thought it felt like a filmmaker said, “Let’s make a historical crime drama,” and a studio exec jumped in with, “But with more vampires.” (Honestly, it kind of felt like something The Studio would greenlight.) But here’s the twist: it actually worked. The music hit. The performances were grounded. And the story? Surprisingly thoughtful. It leaned all the way into its weirdness without trying to apologize for it. A good reminder that sometimes wild authenticity means committing to the bit—and doing it well.

📖 Reading (and Listening)

Harriett Tubman: Live in Concert: A Novel – Bob the Drag Queen
I’m listening to this on Spotify, where Bob narrates the whole absurd, brilliant thing—and yes, I’m waiting to hear the two songs at the end that she recorded. This novel reimagines Harriett Tubman as a queer icon headlining a world tour. It’s camp. It’s satire. It’s deeply smart.

We happened to watch Bob’s winning Drag Race season with our daughters, so I thought I knew what I was in for. I did not! It’s the kind of authentic storytelling that wears glitter and hits on historic detail in a way I'd never thought was possible. And honestly? It needs to be a movie. I’ll be first in line.

How Gen X Found a Way to Keep Being Creative – NYT
This article hit me like a glitter bomb packed with existential dread and career flashbacks. It nails what it feels like to be a Gen Xer in the creative industry right now—watching your relevance get slowly repackaged by algorithms while your identity clings to work that used to mean something.

I’m not just reading this—I’m living it. Standing at the edge of a career cliff, wondering if being fully, brutally authentic is my parachute… or just the reinvention I didn’t see coming.

💅 Buying

Defend the Parks Bear Pocket Tee – Parks Project
What’s happening to our National Parks right now is a disgrace—and it’s the result of greed, plain and simple. The Trump administration slashed the National Park Service budget by 6%, gutting $210 million in funding and cutting more than 1,000 permanent jobs. They even rescinded thousands of seasonal hires right before peak season. Why? Because the people in charge care more about corporate interests than protecting public lands.

These parks are the best part of this country—stunning, sacred, and still somehow free. We have to keep them intact. We have to fight for them.

So yes, I’m doing my part. I bought this bear tee from Parks Project and I’ll be wearing it on every hike and camping trip this summer. Rage can be real, righteous, and wearable—especially when it’s screen-printed, ethically sourced, and designed to piss off the right people.

💽 Spinning (from the vinyl collection)

Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
Let’s talk about it. Katy’s been catching heat lately—the cringey Blue Origin stunt, the unfortunate tour flop, the low-energy performance clips. Yeah, the old Katy’s gone. But this album? Teenage Dream still hits, track after track.

It reminds me of when my daughters were tiny—singing and dancing to “Firework” in their car seats, wide-eyed and joyful. We even took them to see her for their first concert. Pure magic. We still have the vinyl. I put it on this week. They didn’t listen. “Katy’s over,” they said.

So I played it louder.
For Katy.
For me.
For anyone still reconnecting with the wildly authentic parts of themselves that got buried under deadlines, emails, and expectations.

🙌 Admiring

Greg Storey – Leader, designer, writer, human high five machine
This one’s personal. My friend and business partner Greg Storey has been on fire—not just with the work we’re building together at Same Team Partners, but with his writing over at brilliantcrank.com. His new series Eject Disk is bold, clear, and so deeply him.

It’s vulnerable without being saccharine. Sharp without being cruel. Authentic without a personal brand manager whispering in the wings.

Read it. And remind yourself that showing up as your full self is a leadership skill.

💥 TL;DR

This week’s mix is for the honest ones. The try-hards. The burnt-out creatives who are still finding ways to make something new. It’s for the people who post the reel before they talk themselves out of it. Who scream-sing in the car. Who write the thing, even if no one claps.

Wild authenticity means being willing to feel it all out loud.
No filter. No neat ending. Just real, joyful, glorious mess.
See you next week.