Office Hours #7: The "Fresh Start" Effect
Hi readers,
If your newsfeeds and inboxes are anything like ours, you’ve likely spent the last month-plus inundated with “New Year, New You”-adjacent content. And while we at JBC are always eager to pursue self-betterment in all its many forms, we find that the aforementioned “clean slate” and “starting over” philosophies miss the mark.
To prescribe to “New Year, New You” isn’t a bad thing, of course. After all, it’s a mindset that’s meant to inspire folks to pursue their goals on the backs of a calendar framework. If you haven’t already committed to drafting your business plans or swapping out your toxic cleaning products for more natural alternatives, January serves as a natural starting point, if only because a number or two on the calendar says so.
Psychologically, though, this is where people can run into a roadblock. According to research in the journal of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, “the vast majority of work looking at fresh start effects is limited to performance resets that come after a failure.” But what impact do fresh starts have for individuals who have already been performing well? As it turns out, researchers found that such resets actually hinder a person’s performance, if they are coming out of a period of relative success.
Which, well, you are!
Psychologically, the “New Year, New You” attitude infers a sense of failure, causing you to focus on your shortcomings and ultimately, making you less likely to succeed at the task at hand. A more effectual response to goal-setting, then, is to celebrate how far you’ve come. Make a list of everything you’ve already done to get you closer to where you want to be. Say you want to work toward a career pivot: What entrepreneurial skills have you adopted that can make your desired new profession a reality? Chances are, researchers say, that list will be longer than you think.
Regardless of what you’d like to accomplish in 2023, we’ve highlighted a few of recent stories from our brand partners that might just inspire you to take that fresh start, without disregarding all the work you’ve put in to get where you are today.
‘Til next time,
Jenny & Melissa
For those looking to adopt more sustainable daily habits…
Grove Collaborative x Nylon
Drew Barrymore talks New Year’s resolutions and how to make your holidays more sustainable
By Sophia June (@sophianjune)
Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week. To get consumers informed and empowered to cut back on waste at a time when it matters most, Grove Collaborative Sustainability Advocate Drew Barrymore sat down with NYLON to talk about easy steps we can all take to go a little greener.
For anyone angling for a big-time career shift…
Petite Plume x TZR
From the CIA to sleepwear, Emily Hikade discusses career and life changes
By Angela Melero (@missangmelero)
CIA officer-turned-brand founder Emily Hikade sat down with The Zoe Report as part of their “Scare-Fee Sundays” series, where industry leaders discuss the all-too-common weekend anxiety (aka “Sunday Scaries”) and share their tips on how to keep work stress at bay. The owner of luxury sleepwear brand Petite Plume — and mom of four! —discusses how the definition of stress has changed over the course of her fascinating career and the rules she abides by to overcome her own Sunday scaries and mentally prepare for the week ahead.
For those in need of a push to get that next step in their business…
Cabinet Health x INSIDER
Check out the 16-slide pitch deck the sustainable-healthtech startup Cabinet Health used to nab $17 million in new funding
By Samantha Stokes (@stokessamanthaj)
Cabinet Health, the first challenger brand to address the plastic crisis in medicine packaging, announced a bridge round of funding to further its 2023 expansion from digitally-native startup into retail and prescriptions. Co-founders Russ Gong and Achal Patel shared the 16-slide pitch deck with INSIDER that won over wallets from socially-conscious investors in a competitive funding landscape. The big bet? That consumers are already willing to shop sustainably when it comes to the pharmacy aisle, they just need an entry point.
For those of us looking to be more consistent in their self-care…
Loops Beauty x InStyle
Slugging never worked for me until I found this non-sticky solution from Camila Mendes’ skincare brand
By Kaelin Dodge (@kaelin_dodge)
Slugging has been a hot skincare trend for quite some time now but innovative Korean skincare brand LOOPS was the first-ever to tap into this viral skincare practice to create a revolutionary one-of-a-kind face mask. In January, LOOPS launched Dream Sleep and Instyle was one of the first to test and love the product. The product actually converted the writer who before was not a fan of slugging - now she turns to LOOPS for all of her slugging needs!
And for anyone who could use a little extra dose of childish joy…!
Sloomoo x Tamron Hall Show
These business owners are helping adults find their inner-child with slime!
Award-winning daytime TV host Tamron Hall isn’t afraid of a sticky subject. This January, Tamron hosted Sloomoo Institute co-founders Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller to discuss the big benefits of slime play not just for kids, but the kid in all of us.
(For more on how we’re embracing fresh starts ourselves, see our piece on JBC’s new chapter on Substack.)