Mixed Media 5/21/15

• Politics: Any student of history can tell you the rate at which Americans are changing their minds about major social issues is unprecedented. I love the graphical retelling of change on issues.
• Books: Creativity, Inc. is the smartest business book I've ever read. Some lessons felt like pure therapy.
• Music: My family is obsessed with Bob Seger and this article is just fantastic. Creating Bob Seger's Night Moves
• I love this list of things blogger Jamie Meares knows about herself on her birthday. Part of growing up is learning to accept the part of you that you can't change and love the parts of you that you should change but don't want to. 

Mixed Media 4/17/15

• TV: The cable industry shake-up is really getting underway with more TV channel announcing subscription models that are independent of cable companies. HBO is reaching out to consumers who have tweeted that they would pay for HBO. And they're going deep. Some of the tweets are from 2012. 
• Commerce: There is definitely a trend toward marketplaces that promote the goods of survivors. I've seen a couple on Shark Tank. Another example is To the Market. 
• Girl Power: A few body image quotes to cheer us all up. 
• Mental Health: Therapy gets a bad wrap but Kristen Bell* and Dax Shepherd have been in therapy since they started dating as a proactive measure. Appreciate their effort to break the stereotype. 

*Corrected.

Mixed Media 3/30/15

• Books: I'm almost ashamed to share because I should have read this years ago. All The King's Men is all the things I love. Southern, politics, scandal. Fantastic read.
• TV: I should be giddy because baseball is almost here. The truth is the Braves are going to be awful this year and it's pretty hard to get excited. Now, Tom Hart, the best Braves personality around, is leaving the team, too. It's too much to handle. 
• Blogs: So perhaps there is a bit of snark in me after all. For hilarious take on celebrity kids, you have to read Suri's Burn Book. 
• Videos: There's been a lotta news lately about people filming/taking pictures of themselves doing really stupid things. For a while, I've said the biggest thing my generation has to learn is that just because you can videotape something, doesn't mean you should. Also, this. 

Obsessed with something new and cool? Let's chat. @WhitneyGibbs

Mixed Media 3/26/15

• Blogs: Trying to revive the blog a bit with a format I really like from my favorite style blog Capitol Hill Style. Her "Workday Reading" format has become a favorite of mine, a great punch list on her thoughts, style suggestions and current events. I always feel better when I write. Maybe this will lead to a better cadence.
• Twitter: I attended a great Social Media Club Atlanta meeting last night with great insight from companies across the southeast. As could be expected, the tweet stream was very active. Shout out to my boss for knocking one of the park.
• Podcasts: If you haven't listened to Jonathon Fields' The Good Life Project you are missing out on a weekly dose of insight, intelligence and inspiration. I've been listening for probably two years and recommend it so often to family and friends. This interview with Gretchen Rubin on habits is by far my favorite. I'm an obliger and an abstainer, which does not make me crazy.
• TV: Are you watching Kimmy Schmidt?! The new Tina Fey show on Netflix has me hooked. Stop what you're doing right now and watch. Report back. 
• Apps: Layout is pretty cool.
• The News: My dad lives in a small sleepy town of Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Imagine my shock when I see them trending on Facebook yesterday. Yikes.

Obsessed with something new and cool? Let's chat. @WhitneyGibbs

Kimberly-Clark's Push for Women in Leadership

I enjoyed this article about the tactics Kimberly-Clark employed to make their senior leadership look more like their customers, make them women. Through generous maternity leave, flex schedules and a later start time, the company increased their staff retention rates and have seen an increase in female directors.

While these changes were enacted to gain more female leaders, I think we can all agree that it would improve work life for both genders, whether or not you have kids. I'm very blessed with a flexible team environment that values hard work and achievement over hours spent in house. Because of that, we probably spend more time in house than we intend, because we enjoy our team and our time there.

MSNBC vs. the Romney Family:: Snark vs. Love

Breaking News: Something stupid happened on cable news the other night.

I know, that's not breaking news. It seems like every day someone says Santa is white, calling on people to defecate in a public personality's mouth or the like. It happens on all the networks. Lucky for us, it now happens around the clock.

This week, the outrage machine is fired up over comments made on Melissa Harris-Perry's MSNBC show about Mitt Romney's adopted grandchild. While pointing out the obvious in an off-color political tone, they managed to offend a lot of people.

Let's point out the obvious: Yes, MSNBC isn't a fan of Mitt Romney. Yes, the latest edition to the Romney family is a bit different than the rest. Yes, cable news makes a mint off of attacking their political opponents.

Instead of lashing out over the latest political mishap when another is just around the corner, I'm going to take the opportunity to try something new.

In the age of Twitter, snark is the new black. Everything has to be witty, dry and a little mean. MSNBC, if nothing else, was definitely being trendy.

The Romney family was instead acting out of love. Christian love for each other, for the community. They are making the world a better place, one life at a time.

Let's take this opportunity to dial down the outrage and the snark, and instead operate out of love.

(And only a little snark.)

Friday Dance

What I learned this week: My title can be "Birthday Girl" on a legally binding document. NOLA birthday party, here we come!

Also, here is my Friday dance.