QUOTE OF THE DAY
It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." — Samuel Adams
MARKET CORNER
Market Snapshot
- The Dow and S&P finished up; Nike surged 11% on strong earnings.
- The Nasdaq sank, following another tech sell off.
- The dollar index took its biggest quarterly dip in seven years.
- Gold ended slightly up, posting its first monthly loss of the year.
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Brew-dependence Day
What are you doing? Yes, you. Shouldn’t you be with family, friends—maybe kicking back with a cold brew to watch the fireworks? It’s almost the 4th for God’s sake!
Well, since you’re here, we might as well help you get ready for the holiday. And the Brew Crew’s got a little something special in-store to do just that.
Here’s American independence with a little business twist:
Back in 1763, before Uncle Sam was busy digging through our pockets, King George III was havin’ a go at them.
The Seven Years’ War—the ultimate battle royale between European powers—left Britain with a dizzying pile of debt. And it gave ol’ King Georgey an idea:
Spread the costs across the American colonies. After all, what are they gonna do about it?
Bad call, George.
The Sugar Act (1764): The first offense—Britain taxed imported sugar and molasses.
The Currency Act (1764): All colonial paper currency was traded in for the sterling pound...on a two-for-one basis. Our friend Mr. Franklin explained it best: "the circulating medium of exchange had been reduced by half."
The Stamp Act (1765): A year later, all printed paper was taxed. Newspapers, legal documents, licenses...even playing cards. That's like you being charged for the Brew.
Don’t worry, it’ll never happen.
The Quartering Act (1765): You know what’s worse than being taxed on everything from molasses to playing cards? Paying for the food and housing of the soldiers imposing those taxes upon you.
The Tea Act (1773): On May 10th, almost a decade later, taxation was taken one step further. As the colonies were still paying a tax on tea, the failing East India Company (Sad!) was granted a duty-free monopoly on all tea imports.
The crippling financial toll on businesses and families resulted in fear, anger and pride fueled by one increasingly powerful mantra: "No taxation without representation."
The days of being taxed by some big wigs on the other side of the Atlantic were over and a renewed sense of patriotism quickly ensued.
And although the events transpired over two centuries ago, these acts of bravery and defiance leading up to and throughout the Revolutionary War led to our declared independence on July 4th, 1776.
Don’t forget to tune in on the 5th for a special Brew-dependence By The Numbers.
What Else Is Happening…
- Volkswagen (+0.26%) is recalling 350,000 cars for an antilock brake system software update.
- German grocery chain Aldi is injecting $5.7 billion into revamping its stores around the globe.
- Microsoft (+0.64%) is cutting thousands of workers around the world to reorganize its sales force.
- Apple (+0.24%) just rolled out its first retail store in Taiwan.
Economic Calendar
- Friday (June 30th): Michigan Consumer Sentiment (+), Personal Income (+)
- Monday: Auto Sales, Construction Spending
- Tuesday: No Events Today
- Wednesday: No Events Today
- Thursday: Crude Inventories, Continuing Claims
- Friday: Unemployment Rate
WATER COOLER
From the Crew
Welcome back to From the Crew. This is your chance to connect with our team, while loading up some of the very best digital diamonds in the rough.
And don’t forget: whether you love it, you hate it or are downright confused by it, click on the Crewmember’s name of your choosing and get the convo going!
From Michael: Make It a Habit
What would you like to accomplish? For me, it’s ridding myself of distractions and focusing on the task at hand. But it’s easier said than done. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg walks you through what it takes to set meaningful and actionable goals for yourself, which eventually lead to long-lasting habits. So, what are you waiting for.
Learn the Cue. Routine. Reward.
From Austin: Viral Loops
What do eBay, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook all have in common? They all grew through "viral loops," which means to use it, you gotta share it. If you want to learn a cheap and fast way to scale, this is a must read.
Time to go viral
From Alex: Be Mindful, Get Fit
Whether you are hustling with a startup, navigating a finance internship or studying for the LSAT, it is so incredibly important to find ways to decompress, reflect and reset. For me, those outlets are exercise and mindfulness. There are two great apps that I use to keep me on a consistent schedule. Aaptiv for exercise and Headspace for meditation.
Get fit with Aaptiv
Clear your head with Headspace
From Lauren: Lunch Time
We all hate spending $15 on salads...just not enough to—you know—stop buying them. Thankfully, Austin introduced me to a nifty workaround and I'm here to spread the wisdom. MealPal partners with all of the go-to lunch spots in your area, allowing you to reserve lunch in advance at half the price. And you get to skip the line. You can thank me later.
Save your money for Sunday brunches
THE BREAKROOM
Interview Question of the Day
We all know that there’s a way to get a ship into a bottle. How would you get a full-sized pear into a bottle without damaging the pear or breaking or cutting the bottle?
(Give Up?)
Who am I?
- I didn’t have a middle name.
- My salary was 2% of the total U.S. budget.
- I wrote between 18,000 and 20,000 letters.
- I was the only president to actually serve in battle.
Stat of the Day
1.2 billion
That’s how many monthly active users there are on WhatsApp. It is one of three Facebook-owned apps that boast over one billion monthly active users.
Food for thought: Instagram is about to make it four...
