I’ve spent my career helping brands tell their stories. What I didn’t expect was how often I’d have to renegotiate my own. To be a designer, consultant, and storyteller today is to stand in the middle of a persistent ethical storm. We’re asked to create meaning in a world oversaturated with message. Our work builds…

Third spaces have long offered vital opportunities for genuine human connection. Coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, the term “third space” describes informal, communal environments distinct from home (the first place) and work (the second place). Cafés, libraries, parks, and barber shops exemplify these spaces, where community emerges organically. But as brands co-opt the language of…