Our Advisory Board
Pouring high octane gas on the fire As we reflect on the first half of 2023, the oakpool team has a lot to be grateful for. We’ve added a number of valuable new team members and clients so far this year, and look forward to continuing to grow those relationships while building new ones. A […]
On Novelty
Its many forms and purposes I recently spent some time reflecting on the concept of novelty. The joy of new experiences, new places, new people. This joy is orthogonal; it can create new life paths out of nowhere, shift our perspective, and add outsized value to our human experience. I have spent much of my […]
Ego
Musings on the concept The English language has done a great disservice to the word “ego.” When someone is overly self confident or narcissistic, we might say “[so and so] has a big ego.” Indeed, this is the use of the word that most people are familiar with. But, that’s really just one side of […]
The global local approach
The global local approach Airbnb is a marketplace platform that connects travelers with local hosts. The platform enables hosts to offer a variety of accommodations to travelers, ranging from a private room within a household to entire homes, and even more unique stays including houseboats, teepees, and “glamping” setups. More recently, the platform has added […]
Welcome to The Drift
The cobbler’s children have no shoes What’s that old saying? “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.” Well, in this case we’re both the cobbler and his children. We’ve been crafting nice shoes for our clients for years while ignoring our own feet. Those days are over. That’s right, we’re actually marketing ourselves now. Here we go. […]
Nomadic Vignettes: Iceland
The earth from above There is at least one redeeming quality about Play Airlines, the low-cost carrier I’m flying from Reykjavik to Boston. The planes are equipped with cameras that cast a live birds eye view onto screens in the cabin as they fly. Apparently some PJs have this too… I wouldn’t know. I’m flying […]
The Austrian Defense
90% Symmetrical In Chess, the act of copying an opponent’s moves at the beginning of the game is referred to as a “Symmetrical Opening” or “Austrian Defense.” Of course, this strategy only works for so long, and eventually a competitor must look for their window of opportunity to establish an advantage. The concept behind this […]
Why We Joined 1% For The Planet
An easy decision Alex and I both own tattered, dog-eared, overly annotated copies of Let My People Go Surfing. Yvon’s approach to building Patagonia over the years has been inspirational to us both, from his focus on the planet to his approach to people, teams, and culture. Earlier this year, our business became a member […]
Giving Tuesday 2022: Elevate Youth
Give the gift of access At oakpool we generally advise our clients to stay away from participating in Black Friday & Cyber Monday. Increased CPMs, decreased ROAS. This is the domain of Amazon & Walmart, not brands looking to be strategic with their resources. Furthermore, we’re believers in the ethos of Thanksgiving. This is a […]
Vignettes: Microdose
Remnants of moments of connectivity It’s 9AM and i’m staring out at the endless North Atlantic ocean and then back down at my mug. I can see flecks of functional mushrooms floating around in the layer of coconut oil that floats on top of my morning coffee. I’m honestly not sure if they’re doing anything, […]
Yamez: 2022 Lessons & Affirmations
2022 In Review From giving up my lease and stable job in London to live out of carry-on luggage while focusing all of my energy on this business, to my father passing away, 2022 has been a year unlike any other. I will be publishing an oakpool year in review in the first week of January, […]
2022 In Review
Reflections & Numbers If you’re reading this, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude for your role in what has been another transformative year for oakpool. There’s so much to cover, I don’t know where to begin. In fact, “oakpool” is probably a good place to start: this year our business literally transformed. While Ford Hamilton still exists, […]