There are, of course, plenty of different reasons why a worker choses to seek employment at a particular company — everything from life goals, pay, perks, location, future prospects and a host of other subtle factors. But a new report from corporate culture and worker engagement outfit United Culture suggests that your company’s reputation and culture may actually matter more than you may have previously thought it did.
In fact, a full 87 percent (nearly nine in 10) U.S. employees surveyed said that their employer’s reputation influenced their choice to apply for work there. This is the highest proportion of all the different countries surveyed, industry news site HRDive notes. More interestingly, half of the U.S. workers in the survey said their company didn’t just talk the talk, it also walked the walk, and demonstrated its reputation and cultural values in a visible way every day. In the U.K., contrastingly, just 31 percent of workers said the same, and across Western Europe an average of 39 percent said their company demonstrated its values on a daily basis.
Another interesting section of the survey concerns attitudes about what happens when a worker doesn’t properly uphold company values: nearly half of the American workers United Culture surveyed said that people only faced consequences “sometimes,” and about 10 percent said there were never any consequences.
Trusting and openly communicative workplace culture, the survey data suggest, is created and supported by leadership choices — 44 percent of survey respondents said that open communication was a great way for leaders to build trust. Meanwhile 40 percent said if leaders showed genuine concern for their workers’ well-being and their career development it supported a good reputation for the company. That statistic was much lower for French and German workers—at just 30 percent — which HRDive notes implies a strong preference for this leadership quality in the American workforce. U.S. workers also noted that they feel they do their best work when their managers and leaders have an open, honest communication style and also share information frequently.
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This tallies with a recent report that highlighted the pivotal role that middle-level managers play in intra-company communications. San Francisco-based workplace communications outfit Firstup found that 86 percent of people surveyed said managers were critical for “translating” higher-level leadership updates into meaningful instructions and advice for frontline workers. This, combined with the new data, may imply that the current trend for pursuing “flatter” management structures may have a knock-on effect of impacting company culture and reputation in a bad way.
What’s the take-away from this for your own company?
Firstly, accurately conveying a realistic picture of your company culture and reputation to job candidates during the recruitment process may be more important than you may think. The job market is strained, and changing fast as technology like AI sweeps in and as Gen-Z workers enter the workforce, and under these conditions workers seem to be particularly choosy as to the companies they want to work for.
Secondly, building a good workplace reputation starts at the top, with company leadership. Job seekers are looking for strong, clear and open communication—this builds a culture of trust, as opposed to an office culture built on gossip or distrust (as many “toxic” workplaces may demonstrate). They’re also looking for a company that has a promising future: 28 percent of the workers surveyed said that brand financial stability was the most important factor when they were applying for work.
Taylor Swift’s new album is set to be released next month, and you could buy it right here in New Hampshire. Target says select stores across the US will open at midnight on Friday, October 3rd. That’s when you could be the first to get 3 Target exclusive CDs of the life of *** showgirl. The participating locations in New Hampshire are in Concord, Nashua, and Somersworth. You can bet there will be long lines for that.
Who is Taylor Swift’s heir apparent? Her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” offers an answer. It’s Taylor Swift.Her last album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” ended with the cautionary “Clara Bow,” an allegory that seemed to suggest her tenure atop the cultural mainstream was inherited from stars of the past, like the namechecked Stevie Nicks — and that a new generation of younger, elastic female pop performers could soon take her place. In 2025, there are many to choose from: Consider Chappell Roan’s full-throated theatrics, Olivia Rodrigo’s fiery punk-pop feminism, Sabrina Carpenter’s cheeky sexuality. In the knotty themes of Friday’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” best illustrated in the title track, Swift asserts that the baton hasn’t been passed, but rather shared. Because she isn’t going anywhere.Video above: Taylor Swift album released “And all the headshots on the walls / Of the dance halls are of the b—— / Who wish I’d hurry up and die,” she sings with a wink, “But I’m immortal now, baby dolls / I couldn’t if I tried.” Notably, if she has a chosen successor in someone else, it’s the album’s sole feature: Carpenter, who sings on the stomp-clap closer in her newly adopted twang. The mournful glissando of lap steel — the album’s most country moment — arrives only with Carpenter’s introduction. The western genre is Swift’s past and Carpenter’s future.Suggestive bangers and a ‘New Heights’ namecheckIf Swift is co-signing Carpenter, she’s also learning from her. Carpenter has cornered the market on tight pop songs with pert, provocative messages; Swift does the same with the manspreading swagger of the George Michael-interpolating “Father Figure,” which mentions a protege, and the funky “Wood.” (A carefully veiled PG-13 lyric: “His love was the key / That opened my thighs,” she sings. “Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet / To know a hard rock is on the way.”) Interwoven are suggestive, sensual ad-libs … and a direct reference to fiance Travis Kelce’s podcast.Across a brisk 12 tracks — Swift’s tendency toward abundance doesn’t manifest itself in a double album this time around, but instead in her endless vinyl variants — “The Life of a Showgirl” mostly delivers on its promise of up-tempo pop “bangers,” to borrow her own vernacular. Fans need not wait up for the long-anticipated “Reputation (Taylor’s Version),” because “The Life of a Showgirl” pulls from its essence. But this time, with a lot of affection, like a truer “Lover” era.Swift has long internalized criticisms and responded to them in her art, most directly in 2017’s “Reputation.” Here, she is once again concerned with her perception, articulated over booming, lush production on “CANCELLED!” or “Elizabeth Taylor.” On the latter, she sings, “Hollywood hates me / You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby.” Except this time, her love acts as an anchor. “I can’t have fun if I can’t have you,” she flirts.Welcome (back) to SwedenFor “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift enlisted Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, the hitmaking duo she collaborated with on 2012’s “Red,” 2014’s “1989” and, of course, “Reputation.” Notably absent is her frequent producing partner Jack Antonoff. It’s a wise decision: In years past, Swift, Shellback and Martin’s pop experiments shifted not only her career trajectory but the genre itself. Before “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” an EDM drop in the middle of a radio pop hit was unimaginable. After, the style would dominate for half the decade.“The Life of a Showgirl” isn’t as seismic, but there are addictive and idiosyncratic Swiftisms here: acerbic wit and thick literary references in glassy pop hooks. Where a song like “Opalite,” if attempted by another other performer, would lose its weightlessness under its voluble aspirations, Swift manages to swoon. Stacked, opalescent harmonies and a vintage swing give the song, fittingly, an almost iridescent quality.Video below: 95-year-old local retirement home resident starts his own Taylor Swift fan clubAnd there are bops, like the undeniable opener “The Fate of Ophelia” with its 1980s-via-Robyn synth-pop and momentary “Summertime Sadness” vocal delivery.There’s a treasure trove of deliciously quotable lines, too, as expected. “Please God bring me a best friend who I think is hot,” she manages to make effortless in the “Midnights”-esque “Wi$h Li$t,” a lovely song about the mundanity of romance and the suburban fantasy of “a couple kids … a driveway with a basketball hoop.”The dictionary of a showgirlSwift’s dense vocabulary is on full display, often full of charm. But it is sometimes unwieldy, a common criticism of “The Tortured Poets Department,” like when she overstuffs “Our thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition on foolish decisions which led to misguided visions” into “Father Figure,” momentarily overvaluing clever writing over clever cadence.Or she is too modish. The colloquial “Eldest Daughter,” for example, mentions “trolling,” “memes” and “comments,” immediately dating itself. But sonically, it is a thoughtful acoustic ballad with emo movement, in which Swift contends with her “terminal uniqueness” and deep dedication to a loved one. It juxtaposes nicely with something like the casually cruel, pop-punk affected “Actually Romantic.” It’s hard not to hear some brief Hayley Williams in the distorted speakerphone vocals in the song’s coda or boygenius in its harmonies: another example of Swift pulling from those she’s influenced — and enlisted on her tours. Swift has said “The Life of a Showgirl” is meant to embody her “Eras Tour” — a singular global phenomenon, a canonical event in the history of pop performance that, in its over three-hour runtime, was a sensory explosion. On these 12 tracks, she’s approximating glitz and glamour with humanity and humor. She spends no time waiting in the wings. So let the show begin.
Her last album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” ended with the cautionary “Clara Bow,” an allegory that seemed to suggest her tenure atop the cultural mainstream was inherited from stars of the past, like the namechecked Stevie Nicks — and that a new generation of younger, elastic female pop performers could soon take her place. In 2025, there are many to choose from: Consider Chappell Roan’s full-throated theatrics, Olivia Rodrigo’s fiery punk-pop feminism, Sabrina Carpenter’s cheeky sexuality. In the knotty themes of Friday’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” best illustrated in the title track, Swift asserts that the baton hasn’t been passed, but rather shared. Because she isn’t going anywhere.
Video above: Taylor Swift album released
“And all the headshots on the walls / Of the dance halls are of the b—— / Who wish I’d hurry up and die,” she sings with a wink, “But I’m immortal now, baby dolls / I couldn’t if I tried.” Notably, if she has a chosen successor in someone else, it’s the album’s sole feature: Carpenter, who sings on the stomp-clap closer in her newly adopted twang. The mournful glissando of lap steel — the album’s most country moment — arrives only with Carpenter’s introduction. The western genre is Swift’s past and Carpenter’s future.
Suggestive bangers and a ‘New Heights’ namecheck
If Swift is co-signing Carpenter, she’s also learning from her. Carpenter has cornered the market on tight pop songs with pert, provocative messages; Swift does the same with the manspreading swagger of the George Michael-interpolating “Father Figure,” which mentions a protege, and the funky “Wood.” (A carefully veiled PG-13 lyric: “His love was the key / That opened my thighs,” she sings. “Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet / To know a hard rock is on the way.”) Interwoven are suggestive, sensual ad-libs … and a direct reference to fiance Travis Kelce’s podcast.
Republic Records via AP
This album cover image released by Republic Records shows “The Life of a Showgirl” by Taylor Swift.
Across a brisk 12 tracks — Swift’s tendency toward abundance doesn’t manifest itself in a double album this time around, but instead in her endless vinyl variants — “The Life of a Showgirl” mostly delivers on its promise of up-tempo pop “bangers,” to borrow her own vernacular. Fans need not wait up for the long-anticipated “Reputation (Taylor’s Version),” because “The Life of a Showgirl” pulls from its essence. But this time, with a lot of affection, like a truer “Lover” era.
Swift has long internalized criticisms and responded to them in her art, most directly in 2017’s “Reputation.” Here, she is once again concerned with her perception, articulated over booming, lush production on “CANCELLED!” or “Elizabeth Taylor.” On the latter, she sings, “Hollywood hates me / You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby.” Except this time, her love acts as an anchor. “I can’t have fun if I can’t have you,” she flirts.
Welcome (back) to Sweden
For “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift enlisted Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, the hitmaking duo she collaborated with on 2012’s “Red,” 2014’s “1989” and, of course, “Reputation.” Notably absent is her frequent producing partner Jack Antonoff. It’s a wise decision: In years past, Swift, Shellback and Martin’s pop experiments shifted not only her career trajectory but the genre itself. Before “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” an EDM drop in the middle of a radio pop hit was unimaginable. After, the style would dominate for half the decade.
“The Life of a Showgirl” isn’t as seismic, but there are addictive and idiosyncratic Swiftisms here: acerbic wit and thick literary references in glassy pop hooks. Where a song like “Opalite,” if attempted by another other performer, would lose its weightlessness under its voluble aspirations, Swift manages to swoon. Stacked, opalescent harmonies and a vintage swing give the song, fittingly, an almost iridescent quality.
Video below: 95-year-old local retirement home resident starts his own Taylor Swift fan club
And there are bops, like the undeniable opener “The Fate of Ophelia” with its 1980s-via-Robyn synth-pop and momentary “Summertime Sadness” vocal delivery.
There’s a treasure trove of deliciously quotable lines, too, as expected. “Please God bring me a best friend who I think is hot,” she manages to make effortless in the “Midnights”-esque “Wi$h Li$t,” a lovely song about the mundanity of romance and the suburban fantasy of “a couple kids … a driveway with a basketball hoop.”
The dictionary of a showgirl
Swift’s dense vocabulary is on full display, often full of charm. But it is sometimes unwieldy, a common criticism of “The Tortured Poets Department,” like when she overstuffs “Our thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition on foolish decisions which led to misguided visions” into “Father Figure,” momentarily overvaluing clever writing over clever cadence.
Or she is too modish. The colloquial “Eldest Daughter,” for example, mentions “trolling,” “memes” and “comments,” immediately dating itself. But sonically, it is a thoughtful acoustic ballad with emo movement, in which Swift contends with her “terminal uniqueness” and deep dedication to a loved one. It juxtaposes nicely with something like the casually cruel, pop-punk affected “Actually Romantic.” It’s hard not to hear some brief Hayley Williams in the distorted speakerphone vocals in the song’s coda or boygenius in its harmonies: another example of Swift pulling from those she’s influenced — and enlisted on her tours.
Swift has said “The Life of a Showgirl” is meant to embody her “Eras Tour” — a singular global phenomenon, a canonical event in the history of pop performance that, in its over three-hour runtime, was a sensory explosion. On these 12 tracks, she’s approximating glitz and glamour with humanity and humor. She spends no time waiting in the wings. So let the show begin.
Last fall, a group of key UNC-Chapel Hill stakeholders gave interviews to an external public relations firm, hired by the university, and described their thoughts on the school and its reputation.
Part of the firm’s findings from those interviews: “Carolina has lost its ‘Way.’”
“Over the last 10 years, there’s been a degradation of what UNC stands for,” said one interviewee. The quote is not attributed, but the 21 stakeholders who were interviewed included a host of top university officials, deans, faculty and communications professionals.
The findings are detailed in a report by the Brunswick Group, which The News & Observer obtained through a public records request.
UNC has been working with the global PR company for more than a year, additional records obtained by The N&O show, with efforts largely aimed at revamping the university’s communications, marketing and branding. The firm is also tasked with providing “advice and counsel” to Chancellor Lee Roberts and other senior university leaders, and its work for the university remains ongoing.
All told, the university has paid Brunswick nearly $908,000 since first contracting with the firm in July 2024, according to invoices obtained and tallied by The N&O. The funds came from the UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation,a pool of philanthropic donations to the university, and did not include taxpayer dollars, UNC spokesperson Kevin Best told The N&O.
“The University contracted the Brunswick Group to review the structure and operations of the communications and marketing functions of the University and to provide strategic communications counsel during a period of leadership transition starting in July 2024,” Best said in a statement. “The Brunswick Group supported a wide variety of topics and projects impacting the University’s messaging and brand reputation.”
Records show the firm also played a key role in the search for a new leader of the university’s communications operations, and that it briefly stepped in to help campus officials with monitoring the media coverage of Bill Belichick’s hiring as UNC’s football coach, among other work.
After a “decade of crisis and leadership changes,” as the October 2024 report described it, the records pertaining to Brunswick’s work for UNC peel back the curtain on the efforts, and money, the university is expending to bolster its reputation.
UNC System president Peter Hans (right) installs new UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts during a ceremony on campus Oct. 11, 2024. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com
Teresa Valerio Parrot, a higher education communications professional who runs her own consulting firm, said it’s not unusual for a university to bring in outside help for “additional hands” during a transitional period.
“They bring additional skill sets and can sometimes provide honest truth and constructive feedback to leaders in ways that those who are currently on staff may not feel comfortable, or may not be in positions to provide that kind of direct and, sometimes, blunt perspective,” Valerio Parrot said.
“In a transition,” she added, “that type of honest critique may be necessary to help refine how a new leader is presenting themselves and presenting the messaging for the institution, so that they better resonate, internally and externally, with key audiences.”
Brunswick Group partner Michael Schoenfeld, a former chief communications officer at Duke University, and senior partner Don Baer, a former White House communications director under President Bill Clinton, are among those leading the firm’s work at UNC.
Schoenfeld and Baer declined to comment on their work for the university when asked by The N&O.
Conducting a SWOT analysis
The university’s initial contract with Brunswick covered a two-month period and listed a total fee of $200,000 for the work. However, invoices obtained by The N&O show Brunswick’s work on “communications organizational assessment and strategic advisory services” continued for four months, through November, with the firm charging $125,000 for each month of the work.
The contract stated the firm would, among other tasks, “analyze media, social media and other measures in several key areas” of the university, including research, athletics, health care and fundraising, “to assess UNC’s current reputation and positioning.”
The firm also agreed to conduct SWOT — strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats — analyses of the university’s “public statements and positioning.” The findings of that exercise are listed in the October 2024 report.
This slide from an Oct. 16, 2024, report shows a SWOT analysis the Brunswick Group conducted about UNC-Chapel Hill. Screengrab; report obtained via public records request
“Carolina has [a] strong reputation, passionate supporters and internal and external challenges,” reads a top-line description of the analysis.
The university’s strengths, Brunswick found, are that it is a “transformational leader in education, research, technology, finance, athletics and healthcare” and that it has “growing demand, passionate stakeholders and high national rankings,” among others.
As both an opportunity and a threat, Brunswick found the university has an “ambitious agenda that will require both difficult decisions and close coordination among many units.” Also included as a threat is that the university is facing a “polarized” environment at the state and national levels.
The report also listed several weaknesses of the university:
“Decentralized organization with diffuse priorities and cumbersome decision-making;”
“Highly visible academic freedom issues;”
“Governance controversies and executive turnover has eroded confidence in the quality and effectiveness of central University communications;
and “erosion in identity of values, missions and impact.”
The top themes that emerged from Brunswick’s interviews with stakeholders are also included in the report. The findings included concerns about “ongoing controversies and leadership changes” at the university and a “weakened ability to project a positive image,” as well as how campus officials were equipped to handle and respond to those issues. Among other suggestions, interview subjects identified a need to highlight the benefits UNC offers to the state.
Ever since Republicans took control of the state legislature in 2011, and especially since they seized more appointment powers from the governor in 2016, faculty groups, Democrats and others have criticized what they see as political interference and conservative leanings on university boards. Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper blamed “meddling from legislative appointees” for the departure of Roberts’ predecessor last year to become president of Michigan State University. That chancellor, Kevin Guskiewicz, had told faculty at Michigan State that he would only take the job there if there was no “undue interference” from the university board.
To address its findings, Brunswick suggested revamping the university’s vice chancellor for communications role and enhancing communications to “amplify” the priorities of Roberts and the broader university.
This slide from an Oct. 16, 2024, report shows key themes from stakeholder interviews the Brunswick Group conducted about UNC-Chapel Hill. Screengrab; report obtained via public records request
Consulting on leadership communications
After the parties’ initial agreement expired, UNC signed a new contract with Brunswick beginning this January and running through June, records show. The monthly retainer fee was $60,000 per month during that period.
Under the new agreement, Brunswick was tasked with providing “guidance on strategic communications and media plans and inbound media inquiries” and “advice and counsel to the Chancellor and senior leadership.”
Brunswick in the October report suggested the university’s efforts to develop “leadership communications” should include — among other tactics — “building a state, national and global platform” and becoming a “leader in higher education policy and advocacy, with particular focus on the impact of flagship public research universities like Carolina.”
Valerio Parrot, who noted she didn’t know specific details about the relationship between Brunswick and UNC, said it’s common for firms to focus on such work for campus leaders.
“They focus on a portfolio that is much broader than just words on a page or talking points,” she said. “They really work on leadership topics, and they focus on the relationship and in the intersection of leadership and communications.”
In late February of this year, Brunswick associate Katie Dominick emailed Lucy Dunderdale Cate, Roberts’ deputy chief of staff, and Beth Keith, senior associate vice chancellor of communications, a list of nine “potential in-person events to consider for Chancellor Roberts to target in the coming years.” The events included the Forbes Global CEO Conference, SXSW EDU and the World Economic Forum.
“As we work with you to build out the Chancellor’s communications strategy, we can adjust as needed,” Dominick wrote.
“In addition to speaking or attending, we would be interested in hosting meet ups for Carolina alumni at some of these,” Keith wrote.
UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts speaks at an event honoring university employees on Oct. 9, 2024, in Chapel Hill. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com
Brunswick associate Katie Dominick responded: “… we will work on building out these events and opportunities.”
In early March, Schoenfeld sent an email to Keith and Dunderdale Cate identifying a “potential high value target” for the chancellor to consider: an interview with a journalist — an “old friend” of Schoenfeld’s, he wrote — from the Financial Times.
“He’d be interested in talking with Lee at some point about leading a public university through the current national political turmoil,” Schoenfeld wrote.
Dunderdale Cate called the possibility “exciting” in her reply and said she’d like to discuss it more.
Finding a new communications leader
The university also paid Brunswick $70,000 to support the search for a new vice chancellor for communications. Among other tasks, the firm’s work on the search included advising campus officials on the job description before it was posted and leading some candidate interviews, email records on the topic show.
Kamrhan Farwell, who became vice chancellor in 2022, left UNC in April for a similar role at Boston University.
Previously, as detailed in the October report, Brunswick suggested a plan for “realigning” the position to be the university’s “principal communications, marketing and reputation officer.”
In late April, ahead of interviews for the revamped position, Dunderdale Cate provided this statement for campus human resources staff to send candidates: “The Brunswick Group has worked with UNC-Chapel Hill in supporting the chancellor’s communications and has been assisting the committee in this search. They will interview the candidate and also share their perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the university.”
The search resulted in the hiring of Dean Stoyer, a communications executive whose experience comes primarily from the athletic sector, having worked for Nike, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and a NASCAR team.
Dean Stoyer, vice chancellor for communications and marketing at UNC-Chapel Hill. UNC
The university often uses external groups when conducting searches for new officials. To conduct the search that resulted in Roberts’ hiring as chancellor, for instance, the university hired Parker Executive Search of Atlanta for $250,000, according to records previously obtained by The N&O. NC State University later used the same firm to hire its new chancellor, Kevin Howell.
Asked about Brunswick’s work for UNC by The N&O last month, Roberts noted the university uses “a range of third-party firms whether it’s for legal services or consulting services or PR services.”
“We try to be judicious about that. We try and use internal resources wherever we can. But I think, like all of our peers, there are times when we feel the need to add third-party help,” he said.
Best said Brunswick will continue providing its services to UNC “at a 50% reduced monthly retainer” through 2025. By the end of the year, then, the university is likely to have paid more than $1 million for the firm’s work.
Reporters Shelby Swanson and Jadyn Watson-Fisher contributed.
Korie Dean covers higher education in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer, where she is also part of the state government and politics team. She is a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC-Chapel Hill and a lifelong North Carolinian.
The infamous viral video that featured Andy Byron, the then-CEO of the small New York-based data platform Astronomer, on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert in a seemingly intimate embrace with his chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, went global earlier this year. Both parties were married to other people, so Byron quickly took the fall and resigned, with Cabot following shortly after.
Given the worldwide attention the clip gained, their resignations were all but inevitable. But new research suggests that a scandal of a personal nature like this is much more harmful to CEOs than you might think — no rock band kiss cam necessary. In fact, if a CEO is caught committing fraud, it’s far less harmful to their future than becoming embroiled in a more personal scandal.
The actual figure is surprising: CEOs are five times more likely to survive fraud-related scandals than they are if they get caught in inappropriate relationships, issues like drug or alcohol abuse, violence or inappropriate speech, Phys.org reports. The study leader, Aaron Hill, an associate professor from the University of Florida Warrington College of Business, told the news outlet that in an instance of financial fraud, a CEO “can easily say, ‘Hey, it wasn’t me,’” but for the other sorts of scandal, like “personal misconduct, there’s no excuse,” because it’s harder to evade accusations of direct involvement in the problem.
The researchers also found company boards act decisively when a leader’s personal scandals become known, but recent company performance has more of an impact on how they react to a leader’s involvement in a financial scandal. If the company is doing well, the CEO is more likely to be allowed to remain at their post, possibly because company directors may have “plausible deniability” about absolute blame, and little incentive to disrupt the company’s success.
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And when a leader does get fired when their personal misbehavior goes public, the researchers found boards are more likely to promote an insider into the role. it’s a “signalling move,” according to Hill, implying the company is fine, and the behavior of one bad apple has been addressed. “Stick with an insider after a personal scandal, and it says the organization itself is sound,” Hill said. He added that if it’s fraud, it’s better to reassure markets and clients by hiring an outsider. This is exactly what Astronomer did, in the wake of the Coldplay video scandal, by promoting Pete DeJoy, a co-founder, into an interim CEO position while looking for a replacement.
CEOs, of course, hold massive authority over their companies, and their public image may be tightly bound up with that of the firm itself. Recent data show exactly how influential CEOs have become, with the average leaders’ pay rising nearly 6 percent in 2024, so they now make 281 times the salary of the average worker, the Economic Policy Institute showed.
Acting swiftly to remove a scandal-tangled CEO thus makes economic sense as well as protecting the company from reputational harm. This is something Hill also highlighted, noting that firing a CEO after a scandal is nearly always motivated by finances. Meanwhile if a company leaves a CEO in post, it can simply send “the wrong message — to employees, to investors and to the public,” Hill noted.
What can you take away from this for your own company?
You might think that in your smaller, more family-like atmosphere none of these issues are likely to raise their ugly heads. And hopefully you’re right. But remember that recent data show one in three U.S. workers has had a relationship with their manager, and 91 percent of the people surveyed said they’d used flirting or charm to boost their position with leadership.
The one lesson you can learn from this is that a scandal really can impact your company unless it’s handled right, and one of a personal nature (instead of, say, fraud) can be even more damaging for the executives involved.
SACRAMENTO — A Riverside County lawmaker accused of driving drunk after a car crash, but cleared by a blood test, took the first step Monday toward suing the Sacramento Police Department, saying officers had tarnished her reputation.
After Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) was broadsided by an SUV near the Capitol in May, Sacramento police interviewed the 37-year-old lawmaker for hours at a Kaiser Permanente hospital before citing her on suspicion of driving under the influence. Prosecutors declined to file charges after the toxicology results of a blood test revealed no “measurable amount of alcohol or drugs.”
In an 11-page filing Monday, Cervantes alleged that officers had retaliated against her over a bill that would sharply curtail how police can store data gathered by automated license plate readers, a proposal opposed by more than a dozen law enforcement agencies.
The filing also alleges that the police treated Cervantes, who is gay and Latina, differently than the white woman driver who ran a stop sign and broadsided her car.
“This is not only about what happened to me — it’s about accountability,” Cervantes said in a prepared statement. “No Californian should be falsely arrested, defamed, or retaliated against because of who they are or what they stand for.”
Cervantes, a first-year state senator, has said since the crash that she did nothing wrong. She represents the 31st Senate District, which covers portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and chairs the Senate elections committee.
Cervantes’ lawyer, James Quadra, said the Sacramento police had tried to “destroy the reputation of an exemplary member of the state Senate,” and that the department’s “egregious misconduct” includes false arrest, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation.
A representative for the Sacramento Police Department declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
After news broke of the crash, the Sacramento Police Department told reporters that they had “observed objective signs of intoxication” after speaking to Cervantes at the hospital. She said in her filing that the police had asked her to conduct a test gauging her eyes’ reaction to stimulus, a “less accurate and subjective test” than the blood test she requested.
The toxicology screen had “completely exonerated” Cervantes, the filing said, but the police department had already “released false information to the press claiming that Senator Cervantes had driven while under the influence of drugs.”
The filing alleges that one police officer turned off his body camera for about five minutes while answering a call on his cell phone. The filing also said that the department failed to produce body camera footage from a sergeant who also came to the hospital.
A Falls Church, Virginia, jeweler is sleuthing in hopes of confirming whether Taylor Swift was wearing a necklace she tried to gift her — or simply a look-alike — last month.
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A Virginia jeweler’s quest to find out if Taylor Swift wore her necklace
A Falls Church, Virginia, jeweler is sleuthing in hopes of confirming whether Taylor Swift was wearing a necklace she tried to gift her — or simply a look-alike — last month.
“I feel like I’m on cloud nine right now,” Harrison told WTOP.
Harrison has been running the online jeweler Au.RUM DAWN for about a year. In an effort to get the word out about her new business, she reached out to influencers and celebrities, such as Olivia Rodrigo.
“I actually reached out to a good friend of Taylor Swift, who has a following and is an influencer herself, and she happened to respond to my request,” Harrison said. WTOP isn’t naming that celebrity in order to maintain her privacy.
She ended up mailing an order to that celebrity and slipped a necklace and a note for Swift inside the package in late April.
Over direct message on Instagram, Harrison asked the influencer to pass along the gift to Swift on April 26.
WTOP wanted to call Swift up to get an answer to Harrison’s question. Swift’s management firm hasn’t commented whether Harrison’s necklace was worn by the pop star. But that hasn’t stopped Harrison from investigating.
Could it be the one?
The necklaces do appear to have some similarities. Harrison’s design includes a double bail (most necklaces have just one), which impacts how the necklace sits.
“When Taylor Swift is wearing her necklace too, it kind of hangs in the same way,” she said.
The necklace Harrison mailed is meant to be a nod to Swift’s 2017 album, “Reputation.”
A portrait-cut moissanite stone frames the letter “T” — the font mimics the one used for the album’s cover art, she said.
“It looks like a beautiful picture frame with facets on the side,” Harrison said. “Behind that frame is the letter T.”
In photos of Swift, there appears to be a T-shaped reflection in the stone she’s wearing.
Easter eggs
The ordeal has Harrison wondering: Was it accidental? Or is Swift a mastermind?
Swift has been known to wear outfits that hint at what rerecorded album her fans can look forward to next. Harrison speculated that wearing her necklace — if it is the same one — could indicate that Swift is rerecording her sixth studio album, “Reputation,” next.
“She seemed to wear it on that night on the 21st of September, where she was also seen wearing reptile, snakelike boots,” Harrison said. “And she had the curly hair that she had all throughout her ‘Reputation’ era.”
Sleuthing
Harrison has been trying to figure out whether it’s the same necklace.
“I also sent out, like, a snail mail,” she said, sending a letter to the friend who she mailed the jewelry.
She’s also reached out to Swift’s stylist and management.
The Swiftie is not alone in thinking the necklaces look awfully similar. On Instagram, she posted a poll asking whether she was the foolish one or if her necklace could be the one.
Out of more than 100 replies, just three users voted that Harrison was delusional. The rest agreed that it looked to be the same necklace.
“Until there is a clearer photo, I guess one can’t know 100% for sure,” Harrison said. “I’m hoping that she is out and about photographed in it again. That would be best-case scenario.”
If Swift did receive and wear Harrison’s gift, she may have made this fan’s wildest dreams come true.
“I can attribute, like, almost every era of my life with her soundtrack, as well,” Harrison said. “It takes me back to silly high school heartbreaks and feelings of empowerment. … I feel very connected to her in that way, and so I wanted to share that with her.”
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We hail Taylor Swift for many things: her innate musical ability, her consistent chart-topping albums, her drive. And her personal life is something we’ve all been invested in for years, whether it’s her boyfriend Travis Kelce or even her private jet usage, people are obsessed with Swift.
And while the Eras Tour is all the rage right now, selling out in seconds and causing a outright siege on Ticketmaster, I’m not paying attention to surprise songs…or the teasing of the reputation (Taylor’s Version) re-release…I’m fully focused on Taylor Swift’s makeup.
You see, the woman has performed in rain, in the heat of the summer, dancing and charming, and belting out songs for hours upon hours…and her makeup doesn’t move. There’s not a single photo with Taylor’s mascara running down her face, her blush is still intact, it’s actually an anomaly.
Taylor Swift’s makeup routine may be one of the most sought-after recipes in the world. Why can’t we keep our faces in flawless condition, ready for any event or natural disaster that comes our way? It seems unfair.
Well, for one, we don’t have makeup artists and a team of stylists curating the best routine for our faces and skin tones. But, we can take a note from the artists and see what products they use.
Look, I’m not performing for hours on a stage for tens of thousands, but I am going out and sweating my makeup off night after night. And heaven forbid it rains. So, I need to prepare my makeup just like I’m on tour. It’s the only way.
Okay, I’ve done my research and I’m willing to share. If you want Taylor Swift’s makeup routine, here are the go-to Taylor Swift makeup products you need:
The Secret? It’s All Pat McGrath
Pat McGrath is similar to Patrick Ta: both celebrity makeup artists-turned-beauty-brand-gurus who make incredibly viral makeup. There’s a reason they’re two of the most in-demand names in the beauty industry right now.
Tons of celebrities are often seen wearing Pat McGrath thanks to its second skin-like finish and long-lasting wear. Fans have been asking for years for Taylor Swift’s routine, and while it’s never fully been confirmed…we have an idea thanks to some internet sleuths unearthing a number of hints.
Swift collaborated with legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath for the “Bejeweled” music video from her album, Midnights, where McGrath herself even makes a cameo. Not only that, but fans have figured out she’s a regular McGrath fan thanks to the likes of Deuxmoi.
Taylor Swift’s makeup routineDeuxmoi via Instagram
So, it’s safe to say that Taylor is exclusively using Pat McGrath makeup products. It makes sense, considering they’re luxurious, premium quality, and highly celebrated by makeup artists.
And while Pat McGrath may be on the pricier end of Sephora products, it’s well worth the money. When shopping for makeup, I use Girl Math. Sure, foundation can sometimes cost upwards of $50…but that’s $50 for six months of wear…or $10 per month! So cheap.
Now that we know the brand and some of the products that Taylor’s rumored to enjoy. Here are a few:
We’re all aware that Taylor opts for a bold red lip, it’s kind of her signature. But don’t be afraid to try the other shades in this collection. While LiquiLUST: Legendary Wear Matte is very Taylor, it’s also great to layer with a gloss.
Pricey, but well worth it. The Sublime Perfection Foundation sets in like a second skin while covering any imperfections or discoloration that you may have. It gives a subtle glow that we all love while remaining full coverage. Plus, it stays on the skin forever.
One of Taylor’s lyrics is literally “dry the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man” so you know when it comes to eyeliner Taylor doesn’t play. Pat McGrath Labs’ PERMA PRECISION liner is silky smooth to use and glides effortlessly over any lid…giving you an easy wing in no time.
What I love about the Skin Fetish Highlighter is that they’re easy to keep in your purse for on-the-go fixes. They pack a major punch when it comes to shine, and you can put it anywhere on your face, including your eyelids for a subtle glimmer look.
While I’m personally not a fan of primer in general, I can’t discount Taylor’s makeup regmen. It endures. It stays on her face through anything, so it’s got to be working. Plus, when you pair the same foundation, setting powder, and primer, it’s going to look cohesive.
I’ve spoken volumes about this palette. While it may be on the more expensive side, it’s definitely worth your money. First of all, consider how often you’re buying eyeshadow. Palettes last a long time, and this highly pigmented one is packed with color.
It’s buildable, blendable, and easy for beginners to use. Plus, the rose shades are amazing.
If you’re a diehard Swiftie like us, your immediate reaction to learning the title of ‘Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?’ was probably “me, Taylor.” Which is totally understandable! We’ve been following along with the Eras Tour for over a year and she still finds new ways to surprise us. And the European leg is like a new show entirely, now that we have The Tortured Poets Department in our lives.
Let’s take a look at what changed throughout the show and its setlist, one era at a time! These changes are accurate as of the first night in Paris on May 9th, 2024.
Pre-Show Playlist
First off, the changes started before Taylor even took the stage! Taylor added three new songs to the playlist that echoes throughout the venue before she goes on.
The Intro
The nostalgic Eras Tour intro includes Taylor saying the name of each era, so naturally, she had to add in The Tortured Poets Department! Listen closely and you’ll hear her say the album name between the 1989 quote and Red album title.
Lover
At the first show in Paris, Taylor unveiled a new orange and magenta bodysuit with matching boots! Not much changed throughout this set, but we did lose ‘The Archer.’ We thank her for her service! The closing song is now ‘Lover’ with an extended outro.
Fearless
Thankfully, since the Fearless set is only three songs, Taylor didn’t rearrange anything! Again at the first Paris show, she revealed a new black, silver, and gold fringe dress that we think pays homage to the iconic fringe dress she wore on the 2009 Fearless Tour. We’re not crying, there’s just something sparkly in our eye.
Red
The first major change of the show is that the Red set is now the third era in line, instead of evermore! The setlist remained the same aside from the switch in its placement. We also got a new ‘22’ shirt saying “this isn’t Taylor’s Version,” which we’ll need for when we’re out in public and mumble under our breaths about how a store is playing the wrong version of her music.
Speak Now
Taylor really brought us back to the Speak Now World Tour with the refreshed version of the Speak Now set! Unfortunately, we’re back to it being only one song, but we can’t complain too much because we adore ‘Enchanted.’ Before Taylor takes the stage, the screens show updated visuals with stunning flowers, and the dancers come out to keep the crowd entertained.
reputation
At the opening night of the European leg in Paris, Taylor had the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever and give every era a new costume except reputation. And she did it! Nothing changed during this set – not even the red and black snake bodysuit – so all you fellow rep stans out there are safe.
folklore & evermore
The sets with the most change are folklore and evermore, which have been combined! But we did lose the ‘seven’ spoken interlude as a result. As Taylor explained it in Paris, she “reunited the sisters, combined them into one chapter.” Even the new Paris costume combined the eras, giving us the folklore style with a golden yellow color like the evermore dress. We think it makes perfect sense and we love getting to hear them together. Some sacrifices, though: ‘tis the damn season,’ ‘tolerate it,’ ‘invisible string’-slash-’the 1,’ and ‘the last great american dynasty.’
Check out the setlist for this section below:
‘cardigan’ (sitting on the cabin where she sang ‘invisible string’ and ‘the 1’)
‘betty’
‘champagne problems’
‘august’ x ‘illicit affairs’
‘my tears ricochet’
‘marjorie’
‘willow’
After ‘willow,’ Taylor disappears into the stage to get ready for the next era.
1989
The visuals between everlore/folkmore and 1989 have the same concept as the folklore–1989 transition from the first leg, but they go from a mountain scene to a bright city rather than centering around the folklore cabin. No setlist changes here, though we got a new costume combination! Taylor wore a glittery pink top with a blue skirt in Paris, complete with one pink boot and one blue boot. It honestly reminds us of the mix-and-match jackets and skirts she wore on the original 1989 Tour, and we’re so excited to see what combos she wears in the future.
For the first time ever, Taylor leaves the stage after the 1989 set instead of staying on for surprise songs!
The Tortured Poets Department
Welcome to the Eras Tour setlist, TTPD! We had our fingers crossed for you and you so delivered. The set starts with a screen visual that draws from the ‘Fortnight’ music video, complete with a road, cages, and even papers falling from the sky. There’s also a little snippet where she sings the “oh, oh, oh” from the chorus of ‘My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.’
Taylor described the album as “Female Rage: The Musical” in Paris, so it’s no surprise that this section is really theatrical. There’s even a skit before ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’ where she collapses on the floor, then has to get all dressed up in a new outfit to put on a show. And keep an eye on the visuals during ‘ICDIWABH,’ because there are nods to songs like ‘Peter.’
‘But Daddy I Love Him’
‘So High School’
‘Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?’ (with a moving platform!)
‘Down Bad’
‘Fortnight’
‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’
‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’
Surprise Songs
Surprise Song O’Clock got a little facelift in Paris with a new, all-pink dress, but it’s the same instruments and chaos as always! Paris Night 1 got ‘Paris’ on guitar, fittingly, and ‘loml’ on piano. Be sure to stay tuned and keep up with what pairings she gives us!
Midnights
We’re so excited that Midnights can still be the closing set of the Eras Tour! The setlist stayed the same, though Paris got a new blue bodysuit with cutouts. We couldn’t think of a better ending for the show, especially with this ‘Karma’ lyric:
“Ask me what I’ve learned from all those years Ask me what I’ve earned from all those tears Ask me why so many fade but I’m still here…”
What do you think of the new Eras Tour setlist? Did she cut any of your fave songs? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
This is a transcribed excerpt of the “Bitcoin Magazine Podcast,” hosted by P and Q. In this episode, they are joined by Knut Svanholm to talk about how Bitcoin can improve all facets of your life and the ways Bitcoin works as a weapon of peace.
Knut Svanholm: I realized yesterday while browsing YouTube, that Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” movie had a huge impact on how I view the world. I saw that when I was 16 and it was pretty profound. I thought it was pretty profound at the time. If you remember that movie, I like them because it was like no other movie. The storytelling is very different from a linear movie, but it starts with this guy whose father died in the war. And there’s a powerful line about, “That’s when Her Majesty’s Royal Command took my daddy from me. That’s so tough; some institution has the right to take someone else’s life and order them to die for a higher cost and what that does to the generations that follow. Of course after that, there’s the whole school system thing where you have this meat grinder factory mashing people together into voting cattle. So I think, in hindsight, that movie probably had a big impact on how I view the world and how I detest collectivism.
More than that, I grew up in the countryside with a liberty-minded father. I sailed the Seven Seas. I worked on a toll ship for eight years, and I saw a lot of different countries. Even when I was a kid, I lived abroad a couple of times: half a year in Mozambique when I was like 10 or 11 and in Tanzania and some other places. I guess I was less inclined to believe whatever national lies were around at the time.
Remember the 1980s in Sweden; we had no commercial TV channels and no commercial radio channels. It’s all state owned and it is still to this day, to a large extent. There’s a subsidy system that big media companies get the money from the state, and of course they don’t bite the hand that feeds them. So there’s that. But in the ‘80s, it was really cut off from the rest of the world. We got to watch cartoons once a year during Christmas Eve. That’s when we got to see Donald Duck once a year. So that’s how growing up in Sweden in the ‘80s was. It was pretty, pretty dark in hindsight. I guess all of those things influenced my thinking.
Q: I want to talk about time preference. For our audience members who maybe don’t understand this, could you help them understand what’s the difference between a high and low time preference?
Svanholm: A high time preference is when you prioritize quick satisfaction, when you don’t delay gratification. So if you’re robbed of everything you own, you adopt a high time preference because you need to, because you need food to survive and you need shelter to not — in most places — you need shelter not to freeze to death at night. So you become a high-time-preference individual that prioritizes short-term gains which also makes you prone to crime and bad decision making, short-term decision-making.
And a low time preference is the opposite of that. That’s when you think about the future and you think about forthcoming generations. You plan ahead and you build something for the future. I believe that a high time preference and a low time preference are on the same scale as fear and love because a high time preference to me is a fearful state of being. And what’s the opposite of fear? The opposite of fear is love. So adopting a lower time preference or being able to adopt a lower time preference because you have more capital and a more certain future that allows you to be more loving to not only your fellow human beings, but to yourself.
I think this is the killer app of Bitcoin, is that it makes us better human beings. It makes us friendlier to one another and also friendlier and more loving to ourselves. We can afford to take care of ourselves and take care of others to a larger extent. My talk was about this to a large extent.
It ties into something my grandfather said, which is, “That which you can do without, you own,” which is something that has been stuck in my mind ever since the first time I heard it. It’s the flip side of “Your possessions end up owning you.” Because if you can control your mind to the extent that you don’t crave things anymore, then you own those things that you don’t crave, in a sense. For instance, I would never buy a Lambo regardless of how much bitcoin I have or how wealthy I become. I don’t crave Lambos. In a sense, I own all the Lambos because I control my urges. I think Bitcoin is like a gateway drug to that insight.
Sooner or later Bitcoiners come to the realization that they don’t need that much shit in their life. Material things matter less and less the longer you are in Bitcoin. And it’s going to be very interesting to see how this plays out because in fiat land, as we know, in order to become rich or when you do become rich, you buy a load of shit lingling and crap that you don’t need, and I think this reverses on a post hyperbitcoinization. We’ll have an abundant future without over consumption because we won’t crave as much shit as we do now. I think that’s the real killer thing here.
Q: I wanna try to unpack that a little bit. There’s a question behind all of this, and I’ll start with a question, which is: Do you think people recognize that when they use fiat money, it inflates so regularly, so they need to be spending it constantly? Versus with bitcoin, I think all of us recognize the value proposition of spending our bitcoin today is far greater than if we were to hold it and then spend it in the future.
Svanholm: I don’t think they realize it on a conscious level, but that’s what it does to people. People who acquire assets and take on big loans win the fiat game. That’s how you win. You buy a ton of shit, including houses, for instance. Real estate is a shitcoin. I saw some metric from the U.S. that over half of the real estate bought in the U.S. last year was not for people to live in themselves, but for an Airbnb use.
So it’s becoming this, “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy” playing out in front of our eyes. But I prefer that “You’ll owe nothing and be happy” future of Bitcoin because just replace one letter and and you get the Bitcoin future, which is you accumulate capital first and then you consume — if you’re willing to part with your bitcoin. The longer you hold your bitcoin, the more you realize how valuable they really are.
That’s where I come to the second prediction about the future. I’ve experienced it even now because I’ve collaborated with a whole bunch of Bitcoiners and they’ve given me stuff. They’ve given me their services and physical stuff like FractalEncrypt’s art pieces, for instance. They’ve helped me with translations and proofreading and editing and animations and narration, you name it — all for free. We very rarely exchange satoshis with one another. That sort of leads me to the conclusion that us being nice to one another is just Gresham’s Law on a bitcoin standard because we find our stacks to be so valuable so we’re willing to stake our reputational capital instead. That is the less valuable coin if you compare the two. So I think there’s a connection there and that’s why I think that the necessity for money to exist at all goes down in a hyperbitcoinized world.
That’s the real scaling solution. Fewer transactions are necessary. Ironically, this “don’t trust, verify” attitude of Bitcoiners leads to a world in which we can trust one another more. If you compare it to how you interact with your friends and your family, you very rarely exchange money there, too. You help one another without even asking for it.
This is where I think Bitcoin is going or people in Bitcoin are going toward the state where we’re always incentivized to help one another. It’s not only the time-preference thing, but it’s also pumping our bags. We want Bitcoin to succeed, therefore, we want other Bitcoiners to succeed.
This is the main reason that we’re having this conversation right now. We all love Bitcoin and we want others to come on board and enjoy it too. And in the process, we enrich ourselves if we hold some bitcoin, so we’re incentivized to help one another and exchange favors for free.
The funny thing is that doesn’t go away just because we hyperbitcoinize; we still have that. The Bitcoin private key is a key to your heart, literally. We run this mathematical experiment in the back of our heads and we just become better people.
I just find that endlessly fascinating. I can’t stop thinking about it. It gives me hope.
