| | | | | |  Hoi Chan | | IN THIS ISSUE | Getting Gritty with Philly | Beeple talks NFTs | July 4th Origin Stories | | | | Good morning and Happy July 4th. I recently learned from Bloomberg editor David Shipley that the American citizenship test wasn't standardized until the 1950s, and before that aspiring citizens were quizzed on their understanding of American history by a judge. It was...pretty hard. Here are several questions you might've been asked to become an American citizen in 1944. How would you do? Answers at the bottom of the email. - Which of the following states seceded during the Civil War? Florida, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky
- Which of these cities has not been a capital of the US? NYC, Boston, Princeton, Philadelphia
- Where must all bills intended to raise revenue originate? Popular referendum, the House, the Senate, the president
- Which was not one of the original 13 colonies? South Carolina, Massachusetts, Georgia, Maine
—Neal Freyman | | | | | Stock Watch: Philadelphia Let's go back to the scene of the OG July Fourth crime for today's Stock Watch. 
| | | Icebreakers With...Beeple Brandon Todd/WENEW If you've read about non-fungible tokens at all this year, you're probably familiar with the person we interviewed this week: Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple. He made history and a million headlines when he sold an NFT of his digital art for $69 million at auction in March. It's still the most expensive NFT ever sold. We chatted with Winkelmann about NFT 101, the future of the technology, and his new platform, WENEW, which is currently auctioning its first NFT: the moment Andy Murray won Wimbledon in 2013. How would you describe NFTs to someone who doesn't understand them? It's a digital certificate of ownership that's backed by the blockchain. So you can prove that you are the true owner of something, the only owner of it. It can be applied to a bunch of different things: digital art, the collectibles that we're building with WENEW, and it can also be applied to physical objects to help prove ownership. Why do you think people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept? Because it's not a concept that we're used to on computers. We're used to being able to copy things infinitely, and all the copies are exactly the same and you have no idea where the original came from. There's no way to trace it back. An NFT is fundamentally different. The other thing that is tough for people to understand is that one of the main aspects of ownership with many things is being able to restrict access to that thing. And that's not a part of NFTs. What is the future of NFTs? You're going to see a bunch of use cases, and we're very, very early with this. It's analogous to the very early days of the internet when people were trying to figure out the best use cases for a webpage. Because a webpage is really just a blank page, and you can put whatever you want on it—some of those things are entertaining and some of those things are useful. This WENEW project is one new use case for NFTs. As more use cases come, more people will learn about this technology and see value in it for something that connects to their lives. Do you think NFTs will hold the general public's interest, or will they be more of a niche hobby? I think it will be somewhat analogous to email in that you won't choose whether you like it or not, or believe in it or not...NFTs will be part of your life, just because they'll be the easiest way to prove that you own things. They'll be attached to your car, your phone, your house, your diploma. They'll be attached to a bunch of different things that make it easy to prove that you are the one single person that has that thing. You've had quite a year, selling an NFT for $69 million. What's been the most exciting part? It's been really exciting to be a part of something that feels like it's the beginning. I actually asked Mark Cuban a few months ago, "Is this what it was like at the beginning of the internet?" And he's like, "This is literally exactly what it was like." Everybody's building things and everybody's pushing in different directions, and it gives you ideas for your projects. It's a super exciting time, and I feel very honored to be a part of that. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. | | | | | | | Each week, Morning Brew's Head of People Ops Kate Noel answers reader-submitted questions about work in 2021. Hey Kate, I recently discovered that I am being paid 25%–33% less than my male colleagues working in the same position with the same level of education and work experience. I am the only female in my role, so this has me feeling pretty uncomfortable and discouraged. Do you have any recommendations on how best to handle this situation?—Anita Anita, my advice would be to first do some deep digging on the source of the pay gap you've identified. Did the discrepancy originate when you joined the company? Is it because of inconsistencies from missing out on raises over the years? Once you're armed with this info, the next step is to speak up and raise the issue with your manager. But be conscious of timing. If your company has a promotion or a raise cycle, that would be a great time to bring this up. Another good time to talk about compensation is when you feel like you're crushing it at your job—for instance, right after the completion of a successful project you led. When you speak to your manager, they'll be expecting you to explain why you believe an increase in salary is merited at this point in time. Do market research of current salary ranges and create a loose script for yourself. Be clear, specific, and confident! If you don't get a positive response, maybe it's time to look for an employer that values your talents and experience. I hear many are hiring… Something bothering you at work? Ask Kate here. | | | Origin Stories: July Fourth's Favorite Companies Steven Ferdman/Getty Images Why is Nathan's the first name you think of when you picture a hot dog? What's up with the matching Old Navy shirts in every single one of our family pics? And why does beer taste better once you pour it into a red Solo cup? Since July 4th is all about celebrating history, let's go back in time and dive into the origin stories of the companies and products we most associate with the holiday. Red Solo Cup It's the early 1930s in Chicago, and disposable cups are all the rage after the city council banned the use of germy "common drinking cups" 20 years before. Leo Hulseman decides to leave his job as a salesman for the soon-to-be Dixie Cup Company to start his own business, Paper Container Manufacturing, selling paper drinking cones. Hulseman then made a big decision that would forever change the college party scene: He bought an automatic paper cone-making machine from George Method Merta, a Czechoslovakian immigrant and inventor, whose wife, Bozena Merta, suggested they call the single-use cups "solo" cups. It wasn't until the '70s that Leo's son, Robert, launched the plastic cup we know and love today with the original colors of red, blue, yellow, and peach. In 2012, Solo was acquired by Dart Container for $1 billion, and according to the company's website, fans now post 400,000+ photos with the iconic red cup every year. Nathan's Hot Dogs Yes, a guy named Nathan did actually start this company. In 1916, Nathan Handwerker began selling hot dogs in New York's Coney Island for five cents. In fact, you can still visit the original location and order a hot dog and fried frog legs, a staple on the menu since the 1950s. According to wiener lore, the July 4th hot dog-eating contest that bears Nathan's name was unofficially founded the same year the restaurant was founded in 1916, but the first official records put the competition's start date at 1967. The contest, where competitors have 10 minutes to inhale as many hot dogs as they can, has aired live on ESPN since 2004. - The defending men's champ is Joey Chestnut, who ate 75 dogs in 10 minutes last year, and the reigning women's champ is Miki Sudo, who downed 48.5.
Nathan's trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker NATH, and while its symbol definitely should have been HDOG, you can't argue with a 30% year-to-date increase. Old Navy It's hard to complete the Fourth of July look without the perfect, distressed flag T-shirt. In 1994, Old Navy opened its first stores in Northern California and stocked its shelves with low-priced graphic tees featuring the company's American flag design. It took a few years for the company to realize that people were buying the shirts for their families and scheduling family photos around them, but it probably contributed to the retailer's growth that shot up like an illegal roman candle. Old Navy became the first clothing company to reach $1 billion in sales in its first four years of business. In 2019, Old Navy owner Gap Inc. made a plan to spin it off as its own company. But it scrapped the spinoff in January 2020 following a few months of struggling sales at Old Navy and the departure of Gap CEO Art Peck, the plan's main architect. | | | | | | | Open House Welcome to Open House, the only newsletter section that wants you to feel like the fifth Jonas Brother (don't forget Frankie, the most important Jonas). We'll give you a few facts about a listing, and you try to guess the price. 
Redfin Funny enough, the sellers for today's property are Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner. Located in the Encino neighborhood of LA, this 15,000-square-foot home is situated on almost an acre of land and has three powder rooms, which is what rich people call the tiny bathroom you might have for guests and hiding during parties. Amenities include: - 9 beds, 9.5 baths
- A glass wall in the family room that opens to the backyard
- Twinkling donut chandelier in the master bedroom
- A kitchen island with precisely one million seats
How much to own a piece of Jo Bro history? Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter to find out. | | | Just Click It - The triumph of jorts. (The Why Axis)
- America's pot labs have a THC problem. (FiveThirtyEight)
- Lots and lots and lots and lots of great recipes. (Sidekick)
- Introducing Bistro Vibes, the throwback lifestyle for the happily washed. (GQ)
- The revival of stoicism. (Vice)
- A framework for the metaverse. (Matthew Ball)
- On birds, beauty, and finding your own way. (Conversations with Tyler)
- How a cofounder war led every employee to quit Instagram's trendiest cookware company. (Insider)
- The fall of the billionaire Gucci master. (Businessweek)
- Books from literally everywhere. (Rest of World)
Save $50 on the 4th. Splendid Spoon makes healthy plant-based meals, cooks them for you, and then delivers them frozen to your door. And now you can get $50 off your first order of nutritionally balanced, epically delicious food. Get this splendid deal here.* *This is sponsored advertising content | | | Meme Battle Welcome back to Morning Brew's Meme Battle, where we crown a single memelord every Sunday. Today's winner: Miller in Atlanta, GA 
This week's challenge: You can find the new meme template here for next Sunday. Once you're done making your meme, submit it at this link. We'll pick a new memelord for next week's Sunday Edition and provide you with another meme template to meme-ify. | | | Last Chance to Win Free Cookware When you share the Brew today and tomorrow, you'll be entered into a raffle to win one of 15 cookware sets from Caraway. Remember: The more people you refer, the more likely you'll be spending the summer impressing all your friends with your fancy kitchen setup. 1 referral = 1 entry. The contest ends Monday night, so start sharing today. Click here to share *US winners only. For more rules, see terms and conditions here.* | | | Open house: $16.75 million Citizenship test: 1) Florida seceded 2) Boston wasn't a capital 3) Bills to raise revenue must originate in the House 4) Maine wasn't an original colony
| | | ✢ A Note From AsomBroso Tequila CALIFORNIA TEQUILA, INC. IS TESTING THE WATERS UNDER TIER 2 OF REGULATION A. NO MONEY OR OTHER CONSIDERATION IS BEING SOLICITED, AND IF SENT IN RESPONSE, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. NO OFFER TO BUY THE SECURITIES CAN BE ACCEPTED AND NO PART OF THE PURCHASE PRICE CAN BE RECEIVED UNTIL THE OFFERING STATEMENT FILED BY THE COMPANY WITH THE SEC HAS BEEN QUALIFIED BY THE SEC. ANY SUCH OFFER MAY BE WITHDRAWN OR REVOKED, WITHOUT OBLIGATION OR COMMITMENT OF ANY KIND, AT ANY TIME BEFORE NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE GIVEN AFTER THE DATE OF QUALIFICATION. AN INDICATION OF INTEREST INVOLVES NO OBLIGATION OR COMMITMENT OF ANY KIND. "RESERVING" SECURITIES IS SIMPLY AN INDICATION OF INTEREST. |  | |
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