I love the humanness of voice notes. Except I think they’ve lost the charm of voicemails.
Essentially, they’re the same thing, but one has a “beep” at the beginning and a finite amount of time for you to share what’s up…the other doesn’t.
So, I’m going to start sending you “a burst of confetti” in the format of a voicemail right here on Substack…
Each voicemail will be designed to help you think differently, filled with encouragement to do the damn thing. 🎉
Early on in my career, while working with Seth Godin, I learned that if you’re recording something, you should never do a third take. If your first take isn’t good, you can do a second take. But after that, the third take is almost always bad. And, the 4th, 5th, 6th…even worse.
So, I promise that when I record these, I won't have a script, and I’ll always send you the first or second take.
The visual I want you to have while listening is me, with an old-school hamburger phone, twisting the wire around my finger. 🍔 That’s how cozy and personal I want these to feel—like I am truly leaving you a voicemail.
But, imagine my hamburger phone can travel, because (as you may have heard) I’m on a mission to spend less time on my devices. So, if inspiration strikes on the streets of New York or when I’m traveling, I might record on the go (like this first one!!).
If I’m sipping on something yummy while recording, or enjoying a new candle, or can sprinkle in another tiny detail to help you feel like you’re there with me, I pinky promise, I will.
Now, to the voicemail.
I think you should listen to it. Scroll up.
It’s for you if…you (like me!) believe in the power of ripple effects and are wondering what it might be like to design your week to spark more joy for yourself and others.
I reference a few projects…check out Hannah’s TED Talk and Brandon’s Strangers Project. And, here are some visuals, including my little joy bugs. 🐞
If there’s a project or a grant or a podcast episode or something else you think I need to know about to make my dream of doing this more come true, I’m all ears.
Send me the deets in a comment below! Maybe I’ll even link to it in the next newsletter for everyone else to enjoy too!!
ParTay favors
This is a collection of things I’ve picked up along the way—tiny delights, resources, and ideas I can’t help but share. I’ll include fresh ones every time I write. I hope they have ripple effects in your life far beyond what I could dream of.
a nudge to make an “I want” list (shoutout to Sweta for this inspo)
a reminder that you’ll never be able to fully grasp the impact you’re making
a morning gathering idea — make fancy yogurt bowls with friends using this brown-butter, maple granola (shoutout to Nikki)
inspiration to handwrite nametags every single time you host
a kick in the booty to stop waiting for someone else to create what you’re dreaming of, build it yourself
a project (by Mansi!) that helps people notice each other more - reading this was my sign to post this voicemail (I recorded it 2 weeks ago!!)
Cheers to spreading joy for the sake of it! I’m excited to see what comes from me planting this seed. 🌱 Thanks for reading.
Sending you a burst of confetti, 🎉
Taylor
Written with 🩷 while wearing a brand-new skirt and listening to a very loud blue jay on my terrace.
