Okay — I’ll concede that “There she is … Miss Army Reserve Communications Specialist/Idaho” doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily as this version (which, in my opinion, is a pretty cool treatment of the song):
However, there’s a reason the song is on my mind. As we look at my favorite stories of July (along with the most-clicked stories), I’ll start with ROA, the Reserve Officers Association, and explain my rationale.
Reserve Officers Association
I think this has been the first time since I started adding the most-clicked story to these wrapup posts that my top story matched the readers’. This story was my favorite and got the most clicks in the ROA newsletter last month.
Say what you will about pageants (and I definitely have opinions). But if they’re going to stay around, hopefully they’ll have lots more women like Ayriss Torres. Torres is in the Army Reserve. Two other service members will also be in the Miss America pageant. Torres has been in the Reserves since she was 19. “We [military women] are going to do amazing things and show how much we love and care for our country,” says Torres. I believe her. Check out her Instagram account to learn more.
“I’m human. I make mistakes. I’m opinionated. I’m passionate.
I’m a soldier, and a Miss America Candidate.”
The next-most-clicked was: 31 states mull laws to keep Guard out of undeclared wars
BoardSource
I am a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda and all things Hamilton (just wait to see how big of a fan I am once I finally get to see it in New York City!). I agree with him that “philanthropy and artistic inspiration kind of come from the same place.” I respect the way he responded to critics of “In the Heights” who said his casting didn’t honor dark-skinned Afro-Latino people enough. I believe him when he says he will “do better in my future projects.”
Top July story: Ask these 16 questions to learn what employees need
Business Transformation SmartBrief
It’s too bad I only had room to include the title of this article in the newsletter rather than a two-sentence summary. It had some general ideas about preparing for the work world post-pandemic, but here’s what stood out to me:
“…don’t look for people who fit your culture – look for people who stretch your culture. ‘That’s the key to building a diverse team and then you make it an inclusive environment where everyone feels that their view is heard.'”
It’s so true. It’s so easy for all of us to get comfortable with an environment that feels familiar (even those of us working remotely). We need to value those who “stretch the culture.” It’s not easy, but hasn’t the world shown us over the last year or so that the only way to grow is to stretch?
Top July story: What research says about the 4-day workweek
International City/County Management Association
Tucson, Ariz., has a lot of plans for its landfill, which it plans to convert into a sustainability campus. Here are a few: Provide a place for composting food waste, make it possible to filter recyclable materials out of the landfill, send plastic to a waste-to-energy facility where it can be turned into fuel and electricity, build sports fields and trails, provide community space for education, start a tree nursery and more. A long list, but maybe it will help Tucson achieve its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.
Top July story: 3 types of conflict your workplace might be ignoring
National Emergency Number Association
I love reading about dispatchers’ career paths. This story is great because Brandy Watts is open to trying so many new things. I really wavered regarding whether or not to include her experience with cancer. On the one hand, she clearly had authorized it being in the story, so perhaps it is important to her to share. On the other hand, I think a lot about how we represent people these days (because I’m working on my company’s style guide disability section). What really got my attention, though, was the fact that she left dispatching for a different career, then decided she really needed to return to the headset. Sometimes, we just have to try — there’s no shame in coming back and knowing what we really want.
Top July story: Coronavirus outbreak hits 9-1-1 center in Orlando, Fla.
Sigma Xi, the Scientific Honorary Society
It took from 2012 through 2021 for work that involved observations by the Green Bank Observatory to yield findings about an enormous galactic structure within the Milky Way. I was really touched to read that the colleagues of lead researcher Ron Allen, who died in 2020 when the research was starting to be drafted, finished it and got it published in a scientific journal.
“Ron was an incredible mentor, a brilliant astronomer, and a great friend to me … I will miss him dearly,” said Michael Busch, one of the researchers who completed the work. We should all be so fortunate to have brilliance and friendship at work.
Top July story: Juno images offer close-up views of Ganymede, Jupiter
UN Wire
This is another one where it’s unfortunate we didn’t have room to share the whole story. The World Food Programme is distributing food rations to Venezuelan children who are in dire need of food. They’re giving them rice, lentils, salt and oil. I just finished the Ration Challenge in June. Having eaten basically rice, lentils, salt and oil (and a few other things) for a week, I would picture these families, trying to stretch these rations. They’ll be in my thoughts for a long time.
Top July story: COVID-19 cases rising in most regions, WHO expert says
I’ve saved NASW for last to mention a special milestone …
National Association of Social Workers
This article was informative about orthorexia (an unhealthy focus on eating in a healthy way). What earned it this spot in the wrapup, though, is the way it explained how difficult it is to get treatment for eating disorders of several types. “When I finally did call my doctor and a myriad of local therapists to ask for help, I was repeatedly turned away,” writes Jessica Teich.
I celebrated my 3rd anniversary of editing this brief on July 23. Of the eight I talk about every month, it’s the one I’ve had responsibility for the longest. I’m so grateful to be trusted with this newsletter, and to have the chance to edit/write about mental health every day.
Top July story: How Brene Brown learned to rethink performance pressure
Other notes about July
Summer is always an adventure at SmartBrief. In addition to the eight newsletters I edit, I also had an opportunity to get involved in newsletters covering leadership (my favorite), finance and more finance, property and casualty insurance (also a favorite — maybe I’m drawn to disaster?), diversity in advertising and higher education.
I also edited the “While You Were Working” afternoon newsletter twice. Sometimes, it can be difficult to get good images for the “Enjoy the View” section of WYWW, but two friends helped me out this month.
Check out this rainbow over Disney Springs:
and a vicarious trip the readers and I took to Santorini:
About careers at SmartBrief/Future
Each month, I share the open positions at SmartBrief and Future for anyone who is interested in being a part of finding and sharing stories through newsletters and Future’s other enterprises.
All open positions at SmartBrief and Future plc can be found at this link. Here are a few highlights (listed in order of least recent posting date (7/20/21) to most recent (7/27/21)):
Digital Sales Associate – (B2B/Higher Education) – DC
Digital Ad Operations Associate – DC
If you are interested in applying and have questions, please email me so we can discuss further.
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Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
I’m so sad about the public reaction to Ms. Torres. How pathetic is that?!
Me too, Diane. I don’t know what’s wrong with people.