Hello there, we’ve been expecting you. Thank you for joining us at Casa Cinco.

Our newsletter came in late this week as we’re moving things around. More to come soon. In the meantime, we’re talking about consumption, the crisis of democratic capitalism (happy days), and gift giving. Happy reading!

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Andy

HAPPENING AT CASA CINCO

We are moving things around and will pause events for the time being. More details coming soon… 👀

FOR INSPIRATION

Note: The below is paraphrased from an original piece published in Medium in May 2023. For access to the original piece, go here.

The world’s most pressing needs — climate change, hunger, inequality, and more — have instilled a significant, yet necessary, responsibility on people worldwide. How did we get here and what can we do to make it better?

Most of us root for Greta Thunberg, but we’re slightly relieved we won’t be around in 100 years time. Most of us have just enough money to donate to a cause we believe in, just enough education to know climate change is a real threat, and just enough time to care. Most of us are not spending our days persuading Congress to act or our Sundays picking up plastic at our local beach (both, by the way, admirable endeavors).

But what do we all do daily? We consume. And every decision we make regarding what we buy and how we dispose of it, matters.

The inspiration for you is: next time you buy something, go for the functionally-analogous, price-comparable, sustainable alternative. That’s a mouthful. Just go for the better alternative. How? Take baby steps. Every time you run out of something, use it as an excuse to switch to a better alternative. And once you find it - stick to it, and preach it. See image above for my recent switches.

What could our world start looking like then?

FOR CONVERSATION

In his latest book, “The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism”, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times Martin Wolf identifies that the relationship between democracy and the market economy is broken and issues an urgent call to restore it.

Wolf’s conversation with the incredibly talented Paul Van Zyl at The Conduit explores how the economically disenfranchised part of the population is succumbing to populist campaigns, threatening the health of political systems. This becomes more complex considering the necessary green transition that requires a long-term view from politicians and voters alike (a terribly unpopular request).

The question is - how? How do we tweak our economic model to ensure access to equal opportunities, especially for the part of the population otherwise left behind by a green transition? Only when the coal mine worker feels safe in his or her prospects of getting a job regardless of the coal mine’s existence will we be able to protect our democracies from populist, possible autocratic, candidates. What do you think?

FOR ACTION

This simple yet powerful concept comes from a dear friend and Casa Cinco member:

I’ll give you a recent example, which is why this came to mind. It was my husband’s birthday recently, and a company he advises kindly sent a gift. The gift, however, was a breakfast basket that arrived at noon and sent as a meal for one to a family home of five.

While the company’s intention was undoubtedly kind, it highlights how a gift can nonetheless miss the mark. It wasn’t a gift given with my husband in mind - it was just a gift given. There’s a difference.

Next time you give a gift, ask yourself: is this something the receiver wants or would love to get? If the answer is no, keep looking. Otherwise, save the gift and give them a call instead.

Want more of Casa Cinco? Founding Member subscription coming soon. Get access to:

• 15% discount on all Casa Cinco events

• Invite-only events

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• And more…

We’ll talk soon. Thank you for joining us at Casa Cinco

Not sure Casa Cinco is for you? Have advice on how we could improve? Schedule a quick chat with Andy.