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You had a whirlwind romance, and it was glorious. It started with a sun-drenched walk along a sandy beach and a frozen margarita from a swim-up bar. Your skin glistened, and the breeze smelled like citrus and pure freedom. You felt light, present, and unstoppable, remembering what it was like to laugh, breathe, and to finish a sentence without checking your email. Email? Whats email? Youre ready to become a full-time luddite with great skin. That radiant, unplugged, full-of-life version of you was your Out-Of-Office Self. And you fell hard. Head over heels. Ready to propose on the second date and elope on the third. But now the honeymoon is quite literally over, and youre staring at a suitcase that despite incredible advances in technology still wont unpack itself. Your inbox has needs that you have no desire to meet. Your manager wants just a quick sync. And the Slack and Teams pings seem to have unionized. God help us all. Now you’re sitting at your desk with post-vacation whiplash, wondering how to reconnect with Professional You without ghosting your Out-of-Office Self . . . or setting your laptop on fire. Welcome to the post-vacation breakup. Here’s how to survive it. Step 1: Honor the love you shared Dont pretend it didnt happen. You shouldnt sprint into your first day back like you didnt just spend a full week napping at noon, sipping something cold under an umbrella, and avoiding adult responsibilities. Your nervous system has a transition period, not a toggle switch, and its time to adjust. What this looks like in practice: Block off the first half of your first day back. Seriously. Decline meetings. Mute notifications. Give yourself 90 minutes of soft reentry to check your calendar, read your emails (then reread them), sip water like its a coping mechanism, and even stare into the void. Your brain needs to stretch before the sprint. Step 2: The first few meetings are like awkward post-breakup coffees Youre not the same person who clocked out the other week to catch a plane. You tasted freedom, and it was delicious. Five-star Michelin level. And now? Youre back on Zoom, nodding politely while someone goes way too deep on a conversation that absolutely couldve been an email. Deep breaths. Its okay to feel weird, annoyed, and wondering if you should have just bought a coffee shop and moved to that tiny coastal town. What this looks like in practice: This one is going to be tough, but resist the urge to swoop in and take charge. Dont offer to lead the meeting. And for the love of all that is holy, do not start volunteering for projects. Yes, youre good at jumping in and want to be helpful. But the impulse to come in hot is just a reflex to try to reassert control, show you still matter, and that youre back. You are good at your job, and a week or two away doesnt change that. Channel your vacation yogi and take a breath. Then ask questions like, Can you catch me up on where this stands? and let others do the talking. Stay curious and quiet. This isnt about avoiding responsibility, its about not steamrolling the lightness and clarity youve newly acquired. Step 3: Be emotionally honest (without sounding like a vacation martyr) No one loves the coworker who returns from paradise and starts every sentence with In Mexico . . . But pretending your soul didnt just taste oxygen? Thats not it either. What this looks like in practice:Say: Im back and catching up, trying to give myself some space so I can be useful by Thursday. Ping me if somethings urgent. You dont owe anyone an Oscar-worthy performance, just a human update. Because you are, after all, human. Shocking. Step 4: Dont go back to your situationship Time for some real talk . . . the version of work you left behind? It may not be the one worth recommitting to. Vacation doesnt just offer rest. It provides much needed clarity. The late-night emails, overscheduled Tuesdays, and projects that keep getting reprioritized might not be your forever match. And thats totally okay. What this looks like in practice:Sit down (coffee optional, but recommended) and ruthlessly audit your calendar. That standing 10 a.m. meeting? Maybe it can be async work. Truly reclaim your lunch break. And no, eating a salad while skimming a presentation doesnt count. Let one bad habit die so something better can live. Step 5: Let your OOO self leave a toothbrush (and maybe some pajamas) You dont have to choose between Vacation You and Work You. The goal shouldnt be a breakup but integration. What this looks like in practice:Keep one habit from vacation alive and thriving. Ten minutes of quiet coffee before inbox doomscrolling. Midday walks, even if it’s just pacing around your kitchen. A weekly Vortex of Creativity block on your calendar for deep work. Your OOO self had some (maybe not all!) good instincts, let one or two stick around. This isnt a breakup. Its a reunion You dont have to erase Vacation You to function at work. You just have to reintroduce them to each other. Vacation Self, meet Work Self. Hey, we both like coffee. That seems like something we can build a relationship from . . . Let your team meet the slightly softer, more present version of you. Let your calendar witness you . . . rest. Radical, I know. Youre still smart. Still capable. Still valuable. Even if you’re emotionally unavailable for the first 48 hours back.
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E-Commerce
Im going to go out on a limb and assume youve been on the internet before. If so, youve likely stumbled upon a podcast or two. There are almost 5 million of them out there, after all. The problem isn’t finding a podcast, thoughit’s finding the best way to listen in. While Apple and Spotify have made a big push into the space, and their apps are perfectly serviceable, theyre not always the best fit for power users or people who just want a clean, no-nonsense experience. The good news? There are other options, and you dont have to pay a dime to access them. Here are five fantastic, and completely free, podcast apps for iOS and Android. Pocket Casts: Cross-platform king If you ask a podcast aficionado for a recommendation, theres a good chance they’ll say Pocket Casts. And for good reason. Its got a clean, intuitive interface that makes managing your subscriptions a breeze. The free version offers all the essentials you need, including variable speed controls, silence trimming, and a volume-boost feature to level out inconsistent audio. Better yet, it syncs your listening progress across iOS, Android, and the web, which is a big deal if you like to jump between your phone and your computer. There is also a premium version, Pocket Casts Plus, which costs $40 per year. With it, you get some power-user features like folders to organize your shows, a shuffle feature for your “Up Next” queue, bookmarks, access to a variety of themes and app icons, and some cloud storage for your own audio files. Overcast: iOS app makes podcasts sound better If youre looking for something thats equal parts simple and fully featured, Overcast is a must-try. Developed by Marco Arment, this iOS app includes features such as “Smart Speed,” which shortens silences dynamically without distorting the audio, and “Voice Boost,” which normalizes and enhances volume across all your shows. The free version has some light, unobtrusive ads, but if you want to get rid of the ads and support the developer, a premium subscription costs just $15 per year. With that subscription, you also get the ability to upload audio files to your own private feed. Podcast Addict: Android powerhouse For Android users, Podcast Addict is an absolute beast. Its a feature-rich, highly customizable app that gives you an almost overwhelming amount of control over your listening experience. You can manage podcasts, audiobooks, live radio, YouTube channels, and RSS news feeds all in one place. While its interface can be a bit busy, it’s a great choice if you’re a tinkerer who likes to fine-tune every detail. For the sheer number of features you get for free, it’s tough to beat. The premium version, which removes all ads, starts at 99 cents per month and grants you access to some extra customization options like different app themes, a custom opening screen, and a playlist widget. Castbox: Smart recommendations If you’re looking for your next podcast obsession, Castbox is a great place to start. Its AI-powered recommendation engine does a surprisingly good job of serving up new shows based on your listening history. It’s a solid, all-around player with a large library, and it also includes some nifty features like in-audio search, which lets you find specific keywords within an episode. It’s available on both iOS and Android and provides a smooth, modern experience. Castbox Premium starts at 99 cents per month and gets rid of all the visual ads and video ads that play when you launch the app. It also gives you unlimited subscriptions (the free version limits you to 100 channels), a personalized homepage, and advanced playback settings that can be customized for each individual podcast. AntennaPod: Androids minimalist, open-source choice If youre looking for a no-frills, ad-free experience, AntennaPod is a fantastic option for Android users. It’s a lightweight app with a clean interface that focuses on the core task of listening to podcasts. There aren’t a ton of fancy discovery tools, but if you already know what you want to listen to and just need a simple, reliable way to manage and play your episodes, AntennaPod gets the job done. AntennaPod is unique on this list because it’s a completely free and open-source project, which means it doesn’t have a paid version or any in-app purchases.
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E-Commerce
When Dell Technologies CTO John Roese expanded into the role of Chief AI Officer last year, one thing was clear: they were rallying behind a clear challenge to move fast or get left behind. They set a two-year deadline to do just that and they are on track. What came next wasnt hype or hundreds of organic pilots originated from all over the organization. It was purposeful rigor the likes of which has always guided Della multipronged strategy in four clearly defined areas that focused on prioritizing people and processes with technology as the ultimate enabler. Dell delivered $10billion in new revenue in its fiscal year 2025 with revenue growth of 8% while reducing costs by 4%. Thats a decoupling of the revenue and cost curves rarely seen from a Fortune 50 company.I was inspired to highlight Dell’s success not because they’re a client (theyre not), but because they offer a compelling playbook for any enterprise embarking on their AI transformation journey. The Dell way Here are four nonnegotiables from Dells AI startegy that should be on your radar now: 1. Be crystal-clear on why youre doing AI There were no feel-good pilots. No AI for the sake of innovation. Dell defined early that AI must directly drive profitthrough revenue, margins, cost reduction, or risk mitigation. It wasnt about goodwill or buzz. It was about the P&L, unapologetically. 2. Focus only on what mattersInstead of chasing hundreds of AI projects they had on their list, they identified the parts of the business that truly drive value for them: supply chain, sales, engineering, and customer service. Every AI investment had to serve one of these pillars. According to a recent Stanford Artificial Intelligence Index Report, those four areas are critical levers organizations can use to harness AI to both save and make money. As Roese explained, We wanted to apply AI against the most impactful processes in the core differentiators of the business to improve our productivity. 3. Reengineer processes before layering AI Pre-AI, Dell found the sales team spent a lot of their time navigating workflows and tools. They cleaned up their content, redesigned end-to-end processes, and then overlaid AI on top of it. Its AI maturity. 4. Build AI systems that scale across the enterprise Dell avoided the trap of isolated pilots. They chose platforms and frameworks that could serve multiple use cases across departments. AI wasnt siloed. It was architected for broad, secure, and scalable integration. Whether you’re running a 500-person company or a Fortune 50, the lesson holds: if your AI cant grow with your business, its just a science project. AI at Scale, the Dell Way Dells AI implementation serves as a core differentiator for them. Here are some high-level nuggets you can take from them to inspire your companys own AI journey. Sales: AI-powered tools cut time spent prepping, giving reps meaningfully more time to be in front of customers. Customer Service: Dell-enabled AI to deliver answers with unprecedented accuracy through any interface to resolve customer issues rapidly. Supply Chain: AI made Dells world-class supply chain more agile, predictive and dynamic in a complex world. Engineering: Dell used AI to introduce additional scale to their engineering capability, increasing the capacity and efficiency of their existing team. The New AI Blueprint for Enterprises Dells transformation follows a method that any large organization can replicate: Clarify ROInot goodwill, but bottom-line impact. Identify value pillarswhere AI promises to move the needle most. Rebuild, then scaleRedesign broken processes before applying AI. Dont let automation mask dysfunction. Then incorporate AI only onto those workflows that are optimized to amplify impact fast. Mandate integration & governanceno rogue AI islands allowed. Enterprises are complex and AI use can show up in a variety of placesfrom SaaS services to procurement and consulting. This is where comprehensive governance comes into play. Make sure you have an active AI use case review board who oversees governance, structure, approval, and prioritization anywhere AI will manifest in your business. No AI projects should proceed without moving through this holistic lens first. The result? You unleash AI to become an impressive growth engine, enabling the decoupling of revenue from costs curves. Even as a provider of industry-leading AI infrastructure, Dell had to prioritize its people and processes first to drive meaningful transformation, proving that innovation begins with strong process and people foundations. Why This Matters Now Were at an inflection point. Generative AI is not just another productivity tool. Its a catalyst to rewire entire operating systems. While the headlines fixate on job anxiety or AGI, the real story is about industrial-scale reinvention. Dell quietly became a pioneer again: a 40-year-old company evolving into a living, breathing AI-first enterprise. If you want generational growth, dont chase every AI trend. Focus on the workflows that actually move your business forward. Thats how you drive ROI, bankroll transformation, and widen the gap between you and the pack.
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E-Commerce
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