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The Foush Report

Join Digital Anthropologist and Author Rahaf Harfoush for a weekly dispatch that covers culture, technology, leadership and creativity. Come for the analysis, and stay for the memes.

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šŸ„· Stealth Resistance and Building Intentional Communities in Polarized Times

Hi! I'm currently in Dubai, where I had the chance to talk with Chief Technology Officers about something that feels increasingly urgent: the quiet but profound ways that new tools shape an organizationā€™s culture. It's fascinatingā€”each feature a tool has, each workflow it supports, impacts not just how work gets done, but how people connect, collaborate, and ultimately, how they feel within the workplace. Technology isnā€™t neutral; it has a personality, a set of values, even biases embedded in...

Hey you, Ooooooooof. I know Iā€™m not alone in still feeling the weight of the American election results. Thereā€™s a particular kind of exhaustion that follows, the kind that comes not just from processing whatā€™s happened but from seeing so clearly whatā€™s ahead. Right now, Iā€™m back at the Farm for a few days before I head out on my last round of trips for the year, and itā€™s here, in the quiet, that Iā€™ve been able to lean into something that feels like hibernation. Not to escape, exactly, but to...

Hey you! Iā€™m writing this from the San Francisco airport where I just ordered a coffee from a robot. Weird. I just wrapped up a visit with Google, one of my favorite clients, and now Iā€™m waiting for my flight to Orlando, where Iā€™ll be speaking to a room filled with 5,000 HR professionals. I'll be talking about the impacts of Generative AI on knowledge workā€”how these tools will change not only what we do but how we do it. Specifically, Iā€™m interested in how theyā€™ll shape the way we solve...

Hi! This week, I'm in the U.S., speaking to a crowd of 2,500 IT and cybersecurity professionals about Digital Culture. And I have to admit, itā€™s a bit ironic. Despite all the technological advancements in privacy and security, the people who seem to truly grasp the power of human-centric approaches arenā€™t always the expertsā€”theyā€™re often the scammers. Social engineering scams are booming, and with technology like generative AI in their arsenal, these schemes have become disturbingly...

Hi friend, Iā€™ve settled back at the farm for the week, watching the leaves shift in color, the air growing crisp. Itā€™s the kind of cozy that invites you to nest, to start making soups and take comfort in the changing rhythms of life. But lately, the heaviness in my chest has been harder to shake. The news out of Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria feels like a steady drumbeat of sorrow. Itā€™s that particular kind of heartache that comes when your homeland is under siege. Thereā€™s something visceral...

Hi hi, Right now, Iā€™m in Malta facilitating a workshop for 250 Senior HR professionals. The topic? How AI is transforming the way we learn, consume information, and build organizational culture. Itā€™s a conversation that feels especially timely, considering Amazonā€™s recent announcement that they expect employees to return to the office five days a week. In many ways, this reflects a labor market thatā€™s slowly tipping power back toward employersā€”a stark contrast to the autonomy workers enjoyed...

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Hi friend, This weekā€™s Dispatch is a bit of a departure from my usual focus on digital culture. But donā€™t worryā€”next week, Iā€™ll be back with my annual Spooky Season watch list, a rant about Emily in Paris, updates on the latest AI models, and some news on some exciting upcoming projects! When my family immigrated to Canada in December 1989, we felt incredibly grateful for the opportunitiesā€”healthcare, education, safety. Like many newcomers, we viewed Canada as a land of possibility, but the...

Hi hi, Greetings from Australia, where Iā€™m currently juggling some client work and prepping for a speaking engagement. But honestly, my mind keeps wandering back to this recent project I wrapped up on AI and Retailā€”an exploration thatā€™s left me both fascinated and a little uneasy. Iā€™ve been thinking a lot about how AI, TikTok, and fashion are colliding in ways that feel both revolutionary and deeply unsettling. Itā€™s a story about more than just clothes; itā€™s about algorithms, influencer...

Hey you, Weā€™re living in a time defined by overlapping crisesā€”floods, wars, climate change, AIā€”where the constant state of stress doesnā€™t just weigh on our collective psyche but seeps into our personal lives, affecting how we connect with others. In this ā€œperma-crisis,ā€ (gag) mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, and PTSD can feel like wrecking balls in our relationships. Supportive friendships are crucial, but what happens when these very conditions cause us to retreat or lash...

Life Is in the Transitions von Bruce Feiler - englisches Buch - bĆ¼cher.de

Hi hi, Right on cue, Iā€™ve entered the creativity phase of my holidays. This morning, instead of heading to the pool, I found myself drawn to the living room, settling in with Pixel by my side and my laptop open, words flowing effortlessly. Thereā€™s something intoxicating, even liberating, about creating outside of professional obligations. Itā€™s a reminder of how essential rest and distance from work areā€”not just for our well-being, but for our creative vitality as well. For the first time in...