The Who

Courier magazine needs no introduction, but I’m going to go ahead and do it anyway:  launched in 2013 and based in London, the magazine has quickly gained a global following with its comprehensive take on modern business and a booming startup culture, reporting, explaining and basically making a sense of the economical landscape today. What started as a free newspaper in London 6 years ago became a glossy bimonthly, as the magazine founded by Jeff Taylor has taken the world by storm, currently selling in over 25 markets and also in our beloved Edicola 518. Matter of factly, you can get it here – 

The What

We might as well just call it „living the dream in an ever changing economical and political landscape” or we might just be talking of the latest issue of Courier magazine. Because the London based magazine tackles a variety of tales, methods, numbers and subjects, zooming in and out on some of the most relevant projects, businesses and trends, all under one big dream umbrella: doing it your way, on your terms, in a world that’s speeding out of gear shifts. Stories of innovators, immigrants, of dos and donts, of failures and upsets, of rapidly growing trends or education tools from all over the world find their way brilliantly inside Courier’s 27th issue.

From CBD  (the non-psychoactive compound derived from hemp plants) to a wellness industry that walks, talks and at times screams luxury, biohacking (and other terms to update your millenial vocabulary with) or the people working their asses off to turn shit into gold (all puns intented, as we’re talking about bidet queen Miki Agrawal, whose portrait at p.55 is one of my favourite pieces), this issue has it all.

The Why

While most of us are already juggling multiple jobs and side-projects, an edition such as this one comes in more than handy: we’re talking a rough guide for millenials all over the place, with personal examples, relevant outtakes, all the numbers you need and, literally a 24-page guide for starting and growing your own business. Very hands-on, no funny business, with practical steps, tips and tricks. Most importantly, the personal stories of businesses and projects both big and small give you not only an insight into various markets from all over the world, but something way, way more valuable: the feeling that you’re not alone. Wether you’ll relate to the stories of first immigrants making it big in the US , to the Native-American run denim brand founded by two doctors in Portland or the artisan candle maker that works in a corporation by day, you’ll surely find a concise, well written piece on someone or something that strikes a chord. It’s definitely good to know that in the US and in the UK the percentage of people working on side-hustles and business plans in the little free time they have left is of 40%. It may be lonely at the top but it’s definitely not at start, so numbers, as collaborations and stories, do help. Not all superheroes wear capes, but most do have to struggle with a daytime job as well.

Takeaways

The portraits of first-generation founders are a breath of fresh air into an otherwise rather rotten narrative on immigrants these days: did you know that in the UK and the US immigrants are twice as likely to start a business as native-born citizens? Plus, the stories are great: from Nigerian Michelin star cooks, to Chinese hip-hop jewelers or, my personal favorite, mister Mohammed Ahmed, the Indian founder of Casa Magazines hosting over 2.000 titles in his go-to newsstand in New York, they all have a lesson or two to spare.

Emma Gannon’s piece on thinking your work life in chapters is also a necessary update to how we look at careers, offering a way out of the rather tired but still shiny story of young, fast success and a way in for celebrating long-standing workers and re-branders. It takes time, folks, not (just) Instagram followers.

Phoebe Lovatt also introduces us to AQ, which stands for Adaptability Quotient, because IQ and EQ are so yesterday. No need to panic, though, she also reminds us all that even though the pace is crazy, we’re hardwired as human beings to adapt to whatever comes our way. So let it come!

Listen to me

Dolly Parton’s song feels both old and, sadly, still relevant, but it’s also a good pick-me up for when you want to create another path for yourself and ditch that classic job: