PROGRESS REPORT

Art: Yoon Joo Cho

Fadé Takes Over

I’m Fadé, a strategist at SYLVAIN. I’m an earth-green, first-born daughter and friend living in Brooklyn by way of Prince George’s County, Maryland. When I’m not working, you can find me perfecting my beauty routine, Facetiming a friend, or keeping up with some of my favorite choreographers.

An artist or thinker worth following.

Cristina Martinez (aka @sew_trill)

I started following her years ago after reading her story in a post by @humansofny. She spoke candidly about how losing her best friend and meeting her partner deeply impacted her creativity. Since then, I’ve really admired the way she channels grief into her work and encourages creative expression in her young children. Her art tells rich stories of sisterhood, Black and Brown identity, vulnerability, and healing—all through bold, eclectic paintings and mixed media portraits. It speaks to me!

A tool or framework worth implementing.

Bookmark it.

Create folders. Build moodboards. Be proactive in archiving the things that made you feel something. To me, tracing what moved me, what made me pause, or what made me want is an act beyond curation. It’s creative self-mapping. A way to be more aware of my gut instincts and hold onto a POV that feels like mine.

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

Pessimism is just as delusional as optimism.

In a lot of ways, cautious pessimism means hiding behind logic to avoid risks. But in reality, cautious pessimism can be just as misleading as blind optimism, which means thinking around risks and logic to see if you can’t come out on top.

When exploring possibility, taking a cautiously pessimistic approach can be equally as delusional as a fearlessly optimistic one—so why not lean into positive delusion? Actively challenging my mindset in these moments of doubt has been key. Because real results come from taking action instead of holding back.

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

Every year, about nine languages are silenced forever.

Even more alarming, experts say more than half of the world’s languages will vanish by the end of the century, with African languages dying at the fastest rate.

As a first-gen Nigerian in America, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a thriving African community in the DMV area and even in my brief stint living in Lagos. Still, I can’t help but feel disappointed that fluency in Yoruba was never a serious priority for me. But in a way, I love knowing so many diaspora kids are sounding the alarm. I feel pushed to take action seeing the rise of social clubs like Awujo in NYC and resources like The Language Sustainability Toolkit. It’s clear this generation is doing what they can to keep our different cultures and customs alive for as long as possible.

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

Former fangirls are owning their power.

Being a fangirl was fortunately and unfortunately a core part of my identity growing up (a foundational pillar of girlhood, if you ask me). Lately, I find myself reflecting on how this era led me to becoming….a strategist? Adminning stan accounts, authoring fan fiction (🥴), ushering community, and, probably most importantly, building friendships with girls from all around the country and the world.

To everyone around me, it seemed nonsensical or childish—in reality, the skills I use everyday at work are skills that were cultivated in the obsessive, deeply passionate fandoms I was consumed by. In my personal life and online, I’ve been seeing so many retired fangirls recognizing how this time in life was critical and formative. It taught us to lead with curiosity, build around passion, and show up unapologetically. Love that we’re doing alright!

Something that sparked my curiosity this month (and why it matters).

Mariah Carey’s Emancipation of Mimi 20th Anniversary.

This has always been one of my favorite albums, but back in 2005 I didn’t fully understand the power of her comeback. Listening to it now, the themes of resilience, freedom, and owning your own story just hit differently. Her reinterpretations of her work decades later made me think: how can we all find new meaning in stories from our past?

About Progress Report

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