Some Of The Best (Non-Marketing) E-Newsletters To Make You A Better Business Leader

Where do you find the things that inspire you?

It should come as no surprise that content about marketing and smart marketers is one of the best places to get inspired about better ways to do your marketing. It’s not hard to find a ton of resources for marketing. If you just look to the left of this blog post, you will see a whole list of inspiring people, blogs and podcasts that will make you a smarter marketer. The truth is that if you’re really looking for inspiration, more often than not, the best place to look is outside of the industry that you serve. Some people are a slave to their email. Lately, I’ve been feeling like one of those slaves. It’s kind of self-inflicted. In the day and age of readers, online bookmarking tools and other resources to find, curate and save content online, I still rely on good, ole fashion email for the bulk of my content. There are a myriad of amazing newsletters that I follow and read religiously that help fire the synapses of creativity that have nothing to do with marketing at all.

 

Here are some of the best (non-marketing) e-newsletters to make you a better marketer:

• The Atlantic Cities. I became fascinated with the notion of cities after seeing the documentary film, Urbanized. We are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on the cities that we live in. People from all over the world are constantly looking to move to cities. The ramifications of these changes on both geography and who we are is staggering. This newsletter  is filled with tons of amazing information about the cities that we live in, the people who are building them, the people who are inspiring them, and the things we are creating within them.
• Brain Pickings. I am half wanting to not even mention Brain Pickings on this list. Yes, it’s just that good. This weekly e-newsletter is bursting at the seams with inspiration. if you have been struggling with trying to find something to write, to create, or to build, than this might just be the solution for you. It’s not only filled with inspiring articles and ideas, it is also chock-full of great books to pick up and devour. If I am ever struggling to come up with a topic, or to find the energy to write or to record, then Brain Pickings always provides me with the inspiration. Always.
• Futurity.org.  This one is billed as research from the top universities. The description lies. Futurity.org is probably one of the best places to learn about the true marvels and miracles that are being created every single day in the fields of science and technology. This isn’t your typical medical journal jargon. This is riveting news ripped from the headlines of today. Unfortunately, most of these headlines will sadly never make it to a daily newspaper or CNN. If I were able to be the publisher to the world, Futurity.org would probably be the prime place that I would use to source the best headlines, that everybody should know and understand. You will read things on Futurity.org, that will actually make you say, “wow! I had no idea!”
• Lost At E Minor. This is all about art. But it’s not the kind of art you would typically see in the museum. This is about the type of art that inspires human creativity. It is quirky, it is weird, it is fun, and it is beautiful.  the truth is, that it’s not just about art. there’s tons of stuff in here about music, movies, culture and much, much more. I was first introduced to Lost At E Minor by Arjun Basu. I can’t think him enough. This truly is the place to find things that will deeply inspire you, created by people who are deeply inspiring.
• Medium Top Posts. I am not sure what to make of Medium just yet. This is the newest publishing platform that was created by some of the former founders of Twitter. It is currently getting a ton of attention, both in the media and by some of the most prolific writers on the Web. At this point, it still feels more like a hodgepodge of content, rather than something that is curated, vetted and edited effectively, but this weekly e-newsletter is always full of some very fascinating content, written by very diverse people from very diverse backgrounds. It’s also an amazing tool that encourages me to check out medium on a more frequent basis.
• MIT Technology Review. If you’re interested in technology news and information, there are so many sources that it is hard to make heads or tails of what is truly valuable and useful. Without  a question, MIT Technology Review is an amazing source of technology news and insights. We are not just talking about the standard stuff, in terms of what Apple is doing or what Google will do next. The content that you get in this newsletter, is really all about the future… and what is coming.
• PSFK. If you like design, you don’t have to look much further than PSFK. This newsletter is all about design, and how design affects business and communications. The folks at PSFK offer a ton of different newsletters for you to subscribe to. All of them are free, and all of them are full of amazing content.The ones that are more specific to design and business offer a mix of both strange stories, current events and news-y items with a spin. If you read nothing else but PSFK, you will be able to pass the cool test of the most cynical of creative departments.
• Quartz. The bill themselves as, “a digitally native news outlet, born in 2012, for business people in the new global economy. We publish bracingly creative and intelligent journalism with a broad worldview, built primarily for the devices closest at hand: tablets and mobile phones.”  Every morning in my inbox is the Quartz Daily Brief. And, it is a thing of beauty. Without having to hop over to any of major news outlets, this one simple e-newsletter gives you the latest happenings in the world without spin or choosing sides.
• Singularity Hub. Science, technology and a whole lot more. When you bolt the Singularity Hub on to Futurity.org, you will always be several steps ahead of everyone else in terms of understanding where technology is going tomorrow, but how it is being built today.
• Thought Catalog. I am still trying to figure out if Thought Catalog is just a deeper and richer version of Buzzfeed. It doesn’t feel that way. On any given moment on Thought Catalog, you will find yourself seeing things like, 20 Things You Learn From Dating White Guys to Why Computer Keyboards Are Dying. Truly thoughtful stuff, written by people who are doing it for something more than simple linkbait.

photo credit: MarcelGermain via photopin cc | First published http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/some-of-the-best-non-marketing-e-newsletters-to-make-you-a-better-business-leader/

 

Your Thoughts & Comments:

What are some of your favourite (non-marketing) e-newsletters? Let us know in the comments below!