Nov 4, 2021 Sign Up

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"What you did in the past makes a good story. What you're doing now makes a difference."

Good morning! The US stock market is boomin' and crushed records for a fourth consecutive session after the Fed approved plans to start scaling back its bond-buying stimulus program. Tom Hanks revealed that he was invited to travel into space by Jeff Bezos before William Shatner but turned down the opportunity since Bezos asked him to pay. "It costs like 28 million bucks or something like that. I’m doing good... But I ain’t paying [28 million] bucks. You know what? We could simulate the experience of going to space right now. It’s about a 12-minute flight. Is that about it? We could all do it in our seats right here," Hanks said.

If you are a young professional in New York, apply to join the city’s hottest new social club, Shaka. They have a packed month of events in November: this week at White House Tavern (2nd oldest bar in NYC) and next week at Spritzenhaus33, with seasonal cocktails and a fireplace (what!)

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1. Story of the Day: Manicures to Retain Employees?

With American workers quitting left and right, some companies are getting creative to attract and retain employees.

Beef and pork giant JBS USA Holdings is helping to build homes for employees to buy. Levi Strauss & Co. is offering free computer coding classes. Retailers Target, Walmart and Amazon are offering to help pay for college tuition and books. 

Staffers at Chicago technology firm project44 can use a company-subsidized van—complete with a bed, a toilet and shower, and Wi-Fi—so they can combine work with family road trips. When the company opened up spots recently through the end of the year, dates were booked within five minutes. Employees can work from the van or use it for vacation. The company covers the cost of the rental.

David’s Bridal is inviting employees to model in its advertising. It didn't start out as a retention tool but more out of need when the company couldn't access professional models it turned to its 11k employees. Modeling proved so popular with employees that once the stores re-opened, the retailer continued using its staff, this time in professional photo shoots.

Employees get manicures and have their hair and makeup professionally done, services paid for by the company. They are trained to walk and pose for the camera.

David’s Bridal said employee engagement scores—which it says measure the connection employees have to the company—are up nearly 20% compared with pre-Covid levels.

Short Squeez Takeaway: It's refreshing to see companies giving their employees something more than rotten fruit baskets and allowing athleisure in the office. Now only if investment banks could do something for their employees besides raising salaries any time something goes wrong. (the van idea is dangerous tho, 1st year analysts ain't coming back from that trip lmao)

Source: WSJ

2. Markets Rundown

• The stock market reversed course to close at new highs Wednesday after the Fed said it would begin reducing its monthly bond purchases this month. The emergency support program was launched in response to the pandemic.

Movers & Shakers

• (+) Lyft ($LYFT) +8% after its better-than-expected quarterly report
• (+) CVS ($CVS) +6% after beating Wall Street expectations for third-quarter earnings and hiked its outlook for the year.
• (–) Zillow ($ZG) -23% after the company said on Tuesday that it’s shuttering its homebuying unit called Offers.

3. Top Reads

A Message from Polymarket: Bitcoin to the Moon?

Crypto prices have been soaring lately with Bitcoin and Ethereum hitting all time highs over the last few weeks. Even with the huge gains made by Bitcoin this year, many investors expect prices to continue climbing, with one crypto executive predicting the bitcoin price will hit $100,000 before the end of 2021.

Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, has predicted Bitcoin will hit $500,000 in 5 years, but will it be able to hit the $70k mark this month?

Will Bitcoin ($BTC) price reach $70,000 before November 15, 2021?

Polymarket traders are currently forecasting a 37% probability that Bitcoin will hit $70k by November 15th. Will there be another crypto crash or will Bitcoin hit another all time high? 

Trade now or follow the odds on Polymarket. Use code “OWS” to get reimbursed up to $100 on your first day of trading!

4. Book of the Day: The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions—both big and small—have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.

In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice—the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish—becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs—has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.

5. Short Squeez Picks

• If you are looking to invest in VC, check out Sweater Ventures, the first VC for the retail investor
• Tim Ranzetta talks with Carl Richards about how to explain financial topics to a wider audience Podcast
• "Big Ideas" with Cathie Wood, ARK Invest CEO
  

6. Daily Visual: Money Flows to DC Media

Source: Axios

7.  Daily Acumen: Rule of 4

“You're going to get the vast majority of your important work done in the four most productive hours of your day no matter what you do.

So build your time management decisions around this "Rule of 4." Don't try to extend your core working time; you can't. And don't try to stretch it over eight (or more) distracted hours; that won't work either. Instead, pick your four golden hours and protect them like a mama grizzly bear.

Focusing on your four core hours should help you get more done with less aggravation. It should also help you stop beating yourself up when your brain just won't produce any meaningful insights at 4 p.m. even though there are dozens more items on your to-do list.”

Source: Inc

8. Memes of the Day

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