| | | | | |  Mark Wang | | IN THIS ISSUE | The YouTuber who built her own Tesla | Breaking things off with a co-worker | What to do with stolen artifacts | | | | Good morning. I'm at the stage in my life where many of the people I knew when we were just kids are now recent parents of their own. And I can tell you it's one of the most beautiful things to see those women become strong, loving, caring mothers of some adorable little humans. It doesn't bother me at all that their first word wasn't "Neal." Not a bit. Whether it's your first year as a mother or, in my own mom's case, your 30th, Happy Mother's Day. —Neal Freyman | | | | | | | | | Simone Giertz Simone Giertz is a Swedish inventor and product designer who's created highly impractical robots, built her very own Tesla truck ("Truckla"), and decided to sell a solid white puzzle that is intentionally missing a piece. For the last seven years, she's been documenting it all—even a brain tumor—on YouTube for her loyal 2.6 million subscribers. We chatted with Giertz while she finished assembling what, to us, sounds like the most frustrating puzzle in existence. What's an upcoming project that you're excited about? For YouTube, I'm building a Bubble Wrap music box. So you know a small music box with a barrel? Imagine that it's a lot bigger. And instead of little spikes hitting prongs and playing different notes, you feed in a sheet of bubble wrap, and there are different spikes that pop different bubbles. Then the bubbles resonate in different length tubes, and it can actually play a melody. But what's been eating up almost all of my time is this product business. I've been building things on YouTube for the last seven years, And I was like, okay, I should turn my YouTube channel into an R&D department. It's been an interesting way to see what's the next step for me in my career. Because I think the industry of creators and influencers is so young that you haven't really seen what the end [of a career] is like. What have you learned by building and launching actual products? I'm exchanging one of the easiest business models, which is influencing—money in from brands, and content out—for one of the most complex and antagonizing business models you could possibly have. Why am I doing this? I'm in such a sweet spot. But I'm stoked. I see a lot of people who are still doing the same thing that they did five years ago, and you can tell that they're not that interested in it. And I never want to overstay my welcome. What is your YouTube search history? Oh, no. This is all embarrassing. I want to talk to my lawyer. It's rewatching a section of one of my old videos, then it's a gossip video, some girl I went to high school with who started a YouTube channel, a trailer for a premiere that I was invited to but didn't end up going to, a video about Lindsay Lohan, and a TED Talk about orgasms. Would you build another car? I would love to. But my Tesla pickup truck, Truckla, is such a tough act to follow. I don't know what to do. And it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime project. It's such a weird world—to be invited to car events when you're like, "I got my driver's license two years ago. I don't know what I'm doing here. But I guess I'm a truck influencer now!" This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. | | | | | | Because the self-proclaimed ~kings of denim~ are back, and this season they're dropping some of the hottest swim patterns pools have ever seen. We all know by now that Mugsy jeans are perfect for work and play. Their patented stretch denim feels just like sweatpants—soft and cozy 24/7, but never lacking in style. And when you're ready to make a splash, Mugsy's limited-edition swim trunks are all you'll need. They're ultra flexible and water repellent, and have a smooth yet snug inner liner to keep everything in, ahem, place—and they come in 10 new patterns in multiple inseams. Get 10% off your Mugsy order with code BREW10. | | | | Each week, our workplace whisperer Shane Loughnane answers a reader-submitted question about problems at work. Anything nagging at you? Ask Shane here. About a year ago, I really hit it off with a co-worker in a virtual mixer event, so we decided to keep a recurring monthly invite for us to catch up. However, it turns out only that first conversation was fruitful. I can't take how condescending he is anymore, and it turns out we had less in common than we originally thought, so it feels like a waste of time. I'm out of excuses to cancel or be late, so how do I break it off while still being cordial?—Anonymous Whether it's that pesky monthly charge or an ongoing health complaint, it seems to me that the word "recurring" is most often followed by something unpleasant. And while I'm not suggesting we abolish all standing engagements per se, it's safe to say that the wrong recurring character(s) can quickly turn your recurring meeting into a recurring nightmare. It sounds like this breakup is inevitable, so I think it really comes down to how direct you're inclined to be with your co-worker. Can you be blunt and remain cordial? Sure, but it's a tougher needle to thread. In any case, as a professional acquaintance, I'm not certain it's your place to give him feedback that might feel very personal. So while it's usually best to be honest, it's worth considering if you can get the outcome you desire without hurting any feelings. This seems like a good spot to employ the old, "It's not you, it's me" routine (though, given his proclivity for condescension, your colleague may well insist that if it's anyone, it's him). I think you can take this approach without being too disingenuous. Perhaps your workload has also changed, for example. Whatever the case, let him know that you just can't commit to this time block anymore. The fact that you've been late/had to cancel prior meetings would seem to suggest as much, after all. To borrow an old credo from the Networkers and Bakers' alliance: It's better to have mixed and separated, than to never have mixed at all. At least you'll always have that first fruitful conversation. Share your workplace conundrum with Make It Work here. | | | Claudiodivizia/Getty Images The Smithsonian recently announced it'll return items that it acquired under unethical circumstances. The policy shift may sound small, but it's actually a BFD for artifact-collecting institutions like museums—which have traditionally kept questionable items they've procured, regardless of their murky backstories. The debate over ill-gotten artifacts has been brewing for decades: In 1991, South Korean antiques dealer Kim Soo-hong stole nine porcelains from Japanese collector Kenichi Higasa. Soo-hong said they were stolen by Japanese authorities during their occupation of Korea, but Higasa's family insisted they had fairly acquired them in private transactions. Both stories could be true in the eyes of the law, but Higasa's claim to ownership is the status quo: Even in cases where the items were originally stolen, if the current owners acquired them lawfully, those owners generally kept them. In other words, finders keepers, losers weepers. That's how the Smithsonian treated its artifacts prior to its policy shift, too. But now, individual museums under the Smithsonian's umbrella (including the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American History) can individually decide to return artifacts, even when their hand isn't forced by the law. Though their hand may not be forced, it has been repeatedly nudged For instance… - Activists led "Stolen Goods" tours of the British Museum in 2018 and 2019, exploring items such as the Gweagal Shield, which was stolen from Indigenous Australians in 1770.
- Art historians have rained down criticism on Berlin's Humboldt Forum, especially its Ethnology Museum, for its "colonial amnesia."
- Museums full of Parthenon Marbles taken from Greece and Benin Bronzes originally from Nigeria in particular have been pressured to return the historical pieces—including by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece.
Now, only *checks Gcal* thousands of years after the artifacts were stolen from their home countries, museums and collectors are seriously considering repatriation. Italy loaned back a fragment of the Parthenon Marbles (a goddess's foot) this year. Italy's move could put pressure on Britain to lose its marbles, too—which a UNESCO commission unanimously agreed it should do last year. Last month, museums in Glasgow returned 17 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, which was Scotland's largest restitution ever. And in the US, there have been ongoing efforts to return Native American artifacts: The Museum of Natural History has given back over 1,850 since 1998 to American Indigenous communities. Zoom out: Unlike in a game of Operation, just putting everything back where it came from may not be the best solution. Instead, more museums are opting to collaborate with objects' countries of origin to provide historically accurate context. Regarding the tussle over the South Korean porcelains in Japan, the director general of the National Museum of Korea at the time, Han Byong Sam, said, "It is clear there are great amounts of treasures [in Japan], but we don't even know who owns it or where it is. Our aim is not to get it all back, but to make certain it is preserved and displayed."—JW | | | Candid convos with industry icons. Hosted by Brew co-founder Alex Lieberman, the Imposters podcast delves deep into the personal and mental challenges some of the biggest names in biz have faced while reaching their most resounding achievements. Listen here. | | | Welcome to Open House, the only newsletter section that knows you need some distance from your kids. We'll give you a few facts about a listing and you try to guess the price.  JamesEditionToday's home is in Bosques de las Lomas, a neighborhood in the western part of Mexico City. It's an incredibly exclusive place to live (hence the sky-high privacy walls and trees). Don't even think about bringing your clearance Wayfair furniture into this 14,489 square-foot casa. Amenities include: - 4 beds, 3 baths
- Master bedroom on a different level than the rest of the bedrooms
- Two yards: one for kids and one for BBQin'
- Indoor pool so every day feels like a hotel day
How much to one-up all your friends who had soooo much fun at their Mexico City bachelor party? | | | - Ransomware attacks are part of the cost of doing business. (Morning Brew)
- Toronto's first family of cheese. (Toronto Life)
- This is what hi-res drone footage of a tornado looks like. (Reed Timmer)
- The problem with the internet that no one is talking about. (struthless)
- One family's experience of Vladimir Putin's invasion offers a path to the end of the war. (The Atlantic)
- Tokengated commerce. (Not Boring)
- The tale of a crypto executive who wasn't who he said he was. (New York Times)
- "This was not a surprise": How the pro-choice movement lost the battle for Roe. (ProPublica)
- How mothers have struggled to balance work and family in the US. (Money With Katie)
- How to resurrect a coral reef. (Recode)
Right on the money: The Brew's weekly Money With Katie newsletter dishes out a fresh approach to spending, investing, and tax strategies. Because finance bros are out—and accessible personal finance is in. Check it out here. | | | Welcome back to Morning Brew's Meme Competition, where we crown a single memelord every Sunday. Today's winner: Silas in Verde Valley, AZ  This week's challenge: You can find the new template here for next Sunday. Once you're done making your meme, submit it at this link for consideration. | | | | |  | Written by Neal Freyman, Jamie Wilde, Matty Merritt, Shane Loughnane, and Max Knoblauch Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here WANT MORE BREW? Industry news, with a sense of humor → - Emerging Tech Brew: AI, crypto, space, autonomous vehicles, and more
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