THE CIRCUIT

LEADING AUTHORITIES' ROUND UP OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, TRENDS, AND PERSONALITIES ON THE SPEAKING CIRCUIT

You ever have that kind of day when nothing comes easy? When there seems to be an obstacle in front of every project or objective? This week’s Circuit content can identify. From general frustrations like fighting to get credit for your work, and bouncing back from mistakes, to really specific barriers like gender inequality and blindness, the ways our speakers are tackling obstacles in these pieces are incredibly inspiring. I hope you get a minute to watch, listen, or read a few of these today and enjoy them as much as I did.

WHEN YOU DO THE WORK BUT DON’T GET THE CREDIT

Good job Instagram, but can you get paid? “Instagram is a place where you discover new things, brands, destinations for travel and furniture,” says Jonah Berger, a marketing and social influence expert at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Referring to the shopping tools the platform offers users to click through to buying sites, Berger adds, "The challenge at the moment is that discovery is happening, but Instagram isn't necessarily getting credit.” This CNN article details the shift in buying behaviors and how social platforms are trying to monetize posts through a new model.

SHOULDN’T YOU TRAIN WOMEN TO BE AWESOME TOO?

US Army Reservist and Ranger School Graduate Lisa Jaster asks pressing questions like “Why do we have different expectations for boys and girls?” in her latest podcast appearance. She goes on to talk about her experience recycling through (or re-doing, in laymen’s terms) stages of Ranger School, while changing minds and opinions along the way. Her motivational story about never quitting despite the odds (she was 37 and the third women ever to complete the program when she graduated Ranger school – the average age is 22) is both funny, heart-wrenching, and inspiring at every turn.

SEEING THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE’S EYES

What if your world suddenly went dark? And then, a voice in your ear described everything around you and guided your every step? A new innovation for the blind is marrying AI, personal agents, and more, to provide this amazing, critical service. Blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer has been testing Aira out and demonstrates how this new technology is breaking barriers. Watch it here.

MAKE MISTAKES AND TRY AGAIN

Former Nike and Gatorade executive and current CEO of Flywheel Sports Sarah Robb O’Hagan interviewed Serena Williams earlier this week. They talked gender equality, coaching feedback, and standing up for yourself. Williams encouraged others to see the good in their worst moments, saying, "You don’t build tenacity [and] you don’t build work ethic unless you make mistakes and try again. It makes you grittier.” O’Hagan zeroed in on the importance of embracing difficult feedback from mentors, adding, “It keeps you ahead of the people chasing you from behind!”