PROGRESS REPORT

ISSUE #142

Emy Takes Over

Hey, I’m Emy, a strategist based in Amsterdam, though I’ve lived everywhere from Chicago to London to SF before landing here. I straddle strategy and spirituality, equally at ease with a framework as I am with a tarot deck. On a typical weekend, you’ll find me exploring a new movement practice, sipping a coconut cappuccino while dog-watching, or burning my hand on my latest jewelry project.

An artist or thinker worth following.

@seasoned_dialogue, aka Lisa Marie Lovett.

I used to think poetry wasn't for me—too abstract, too removed from real life. Then I found spoken word poets, like Lisa Marie Lovett, who write like they speak. Her pieces feel like artful conversations, not performances. When I found her work a few years ago, she inspired me to write my own poetry as a way to express what I couldn’t otherwise say. And honestly, when a poem nails a feeling we've all had but couldn't name…it’s the most satisfying mic drop moment.

A tool or framework worth implementing.

The Life Brief by Bonnie Wan.

Years ago, I worked in advertising and Bonnie Wan was the Head of Strategy at my company. She ran workshops that translated the act of writing a "creative brief" for clients into writing a "life brief" for yourself—a tool for anyone at an inflection point or seeking clarity on their path forward.

She’s since written a book and built a full framework around this approach, broken into three phases:

• Get Messy prompts you to break through limiting beliefs and false assumptions about what’s possible.

• Get Clear guides you to crystal clarity so you can declare what you truly, deeply want.

• Get Active catapults you into the steps to making your desires real.

What I love about this approach is that it’s iterative. Just like a creative brief in advertising, your life brief can and should change as circumstances change. You can rewrite the brief whenever you need to shift or even use it to kick off each new year.

Advice that’s changed the way I think or work.

You don’t need to intellectualize everything.

When you’re feeling down, frustrated, or anxious, asking “why?” in the moment isn’t always the best course forward. I know—weird advice from a strategist whose whole job is to understand the ‘why.’ But for a long time, I applied the same analytical lens from work to my emotional life, and it backfired. It felt like I was searching for a logical explanation for what I was feeling, and when I couldn’t find one that seemed “valid enough,” I’d dismiss the emotion entirely or create a story to justify it.

Now, rather than asking “Why am I feeling this?”, I start by asking “What am I feeling?” or “Where do I feel this?”, and it keeps me present with what’s happening.

Feel first, analyze later.

News that has given me pause lately, and what I'm doing about it.

Changes to Dutch citizenship requirements.

Recently, the Dutch cabinet approved a proposal to double the citizenship requirement from 5 to 10 years—meaning anyone wanting Dutch citizenship would need to live legally and continuously in the Netherlands for a full decade and demonstrate they're "fully integrated."

As an expat, it makes me question what it really means to belong somewhere—and empathize with all of the foreigners who wrestle with this challenge of integration. For me, a sense of belonging doesn’t come with time—it comes with connection and community.

News that has given me hope lately, and what I'm doing about it.

Fungi research keeps delivering good news.

I’ve long had a fascination with fungi—learning about its intricate mycelium networks and its healing properties. Recently, it feels like every day I see more research unpacking what fungi—particularly psilocybin—can do.

Just in the last year…

• Scientists just discovered two distantly related mushroom species independently evolved to produce psilocybin, opening up new pathways to synthesize it for research and therapies.

• Studies reveal lasting improvements for cancer patients' anxiety and distress.

• An early preliminary study suggests it may even extend cellular lifespan and delay aging.

I'm fortunate to live in the Netherlands where psilocybin truffles are legal, making it easier to see its therapeutic potential in action. But watching the research momentum build worldwide tells me we're just scratching the surface of what these organisms can truly offer.

A skill or practice I’m currently learning and why.

Weekly Balancing

I don’t do well with rigid schedules, but I also need to make space for the different parts of me. So I practice something I call Weekly Balancing: using counterbalances for my time throughout the week.

If my workday was intellectually demanding—with hours of critical thinking and problem solving—I try to spend my evening doing something physical where I don’t have to think at all. If Saturday was full of social energy and friend time, Sunday becomes quiet and creative: jewelry-making, writing, or something solo that gets me into a flow state.

It’s less about planning every hour of my week and more about having go-to outlets to respond to what I need.

About Progress Report

Progress Report is a bi-weekly newsletter of business considerations, cultural conversations, and fun recommendations from around the world and web.