Hello from The Baarsjes in Amsterdam!
As the uncertainty of this era ushered by the novel coronavirus continues to unfold around the world, I (like most people) am trying to make sense of it through the lens of my work, my family and myself.
So, when an email from Monday and Partners came through this week with the subject line 'What's on your mind?' & title text: 'Musings on the New Normal', I was keen to read it.
I've known Monday and Partners' founder, Dylan DiBona, since 2012 via his SF based cycling club, Mission Cycling but we've yet to actually ride together! Well, Dylan is offering 45min brainstorm sessions not unlike the one the Twotone team and I did with Ashley Usiskin recently.
So, what did Dylan's 'on your mind' email about the 'new normal' entail? Check it out:
01: ADAPT > PANIC
Pretty much everything in our world has changed in just a few short weeks. Some of this change is permanent, some of it not, but all of it demands that everyone involved in connecting brands with customers change, too. That’s okay. Done correctly, change is fun. Change is effective. Change is never dull.
02: REMOTE WORK IS NOT A FAD
Remote working is a remarkably effective way to do business, and while it’s pretty much the only way now, you can bet it’s going to remain a big part of our day-to-day lives in the future.
03: CREATIVITY CAN’T BE QUARANTINED
If necessity is the mother of invention, then crisis is her crazy ex-husband who no one likes but still gets invited to family gatherings just for the stories. That’s our polite way of suggesting that if anyone is telling you it’s impossible to create good content in the midst of a pandemic, that person is just not trying hard enough. Safety comes first, like Mom always said, but finding creative ways to address creative challenges runs a very close second.
04: THE TIME IS RIGHT TO HIT RESET
Change reveals what is working with a brand and what’s broken. It’s also great for revealing the importance of those projects we’ve always been meaning to get to but just couldn’t find the time.
I found these 4 corona era axioms as a solid combination of optimism, call to action and inspiration for us all to find a way to prevail. Thank you for helping me stay positive, Dylan!
As we're all grappling with Zoom gloom (read about this phenomenon below), what unique obstacles, unexpected achievements and other new realities now loom on the horizon for you & yours?
As alway, thank you for reading!
stay true & stay safe,
Jon
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The Bike | What, how and why do we ride?
Tim Krabbé - RIDING
Tim Krabbé -- Riding (2014) is an intimate portrait about Dutch writer and cyclist Tim Krabbé (Amsterdam, 1943). If you're a cyclist and know of Tim (or even more, if you don't) take a moment to view this now 6 year old short film.
You'll get goosebumps recalling why you and we all ever fell in love with cycling to begin with.
Time Out: What Quarantine Can Teach Us
here
These photos, notions and lessons from Lian & Jelle are worth a few minutes of your time.
Flanders Alternative — LSRF
Our friends Laurens & Paul along with Live Slow, Ride Fast podcast c0-host, Stefan Bolt did a bike-packing trip Flanders-style through the former battle fields of Belgium: Oudenaarde-Ieper-Oudenaarde. Click through for a gravel adventure following some of the greatest highlights of Flemish (cycling) history.
The Work | How Twotone & others are working
Chris King Precision Components, a certified B Corporation
Since Chris founded the company in 1976 we have operated with two goals in mind; manufacture high quality bike parts in an environmentally responsible manner, and have those parts outperform and outlast the competition, staying on bikes and out of the landfill. - chrisking.com
Chris King components have always been the benchmark for quality and craftsmanship in the cycling world. Now, they're setting the bar for social responsibility too. Congratulations to the whole team in Portland!
More about what it means to be B Corp Certified:
"B Corp Certification is the only certification that measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance. The B Impact Assessment evaluates how your company’s operations and business model impact your workers, community, environment, and customers." - bcorporation.net/certification
COVID-19 and its impact on the cycling industry
The outbreak of COVID-19 has sent shockwaves through the cycling industry. The mostly UK-centric article offers some insights. We're working on some research within the Twotone team right now concerning our current and past clients to learn more too.
Let me know if that's interesting to you!
The Thin Air Gear Show in June
I've seen a number of interactive tradeshows popping up over the past few weeks but haven't really had a chance to participate yet.
When Jenna Celmer got in touch about The Thin Air Gear Show, I took a closer look.
As Twotone's clients grapple with the broad swatch of all the shows, events and rides we relied on to bring people together, I gave virtual shows some thought.
What's your take? Will these online replacements be a temporary fix or offer a durable alternative?
The World | How life is changing around the 🌎
‘Zoom fatigue’ is taxing the brain.
Here's why Zoom gloom happens.
All these video calls are wearing us out, this is why.
The Importance of Uncertainty
What happens when you’re all cooped up and can’t be your productive self?
Key takeaways from this conversation:
- How the pandemic is interrupting (and aggravating) our identities as “productive” people
- The importance of resting with uncertainty and how it challenges our notions of the self
- How meditation can bring hidden thoughts to life & give us more choice about what we’re thinking
- Why this moment is asking us to reckon with the impact our behavior has on the world
Opinion: Coronavirus shutdowns are making it undeniably clear how toxic our car culture is
There is no herd immunity from the damage caused by millions of personal automobiles roaming city streets at all hours.
That's from The LA Times and here in Europe: Cars Not Welcome In Europe’s Cities When Lockdowns End. Dave Keating's Forbes article mentions Brussels, Milan and Berlin. How is or may transit swing toward cycling where you leave?
The Radness
Telecast - #021 - Special Edition
This special Telecast stems from a desire to listen to and work with different music:
As we sit at home, we find ourselves anew and see things in a new light. So did I. Inspired by numerous sets out there, I’ve been going into my own musical history to find forgotten gems of my youth (Mark Knopfler & Pete Philly & Perquisite), new artists I fell in love with (J.J. Cale & Kevin Morby), timeless classics (Nina Simone & George Harrison), and music with Dutch lyrics (Spinvis & Wim de Craene). - Guy of Space Kadett
Earlier this month, I wondered Why Do We Even Listen to New Music?
It's something I often actively look for but also found myself returning to lots of nostalgic records too.
So, if you're keen on some familiar rhythms, entirely new tracks and ultimately a different spin on what Space Kadett typically shares, take a listen here.