#CaviarTok, next-gen perfumes and skateboarding in Lagos

Plus, gorpcore is going indoors Friday 24 March 2023 [View in browser]( / [Sign up]( Welcome to the new Courier Weekly, packed with everything we've seen this week to help you start something and build a life on your terms. Brands to watch, useful advice we've heard, new stuff we've seen and lots more direct from our HQ in London and from more than 40 contributors across the US and around the world. Let us know what you think at hello@couriermedia.com. This week: caviar on TikTok, pets in Shanghai, skateboarding in Lagos and a lot more. Let's dive in… 🤿 🥦 Who said you can't get good ideas while stoned? That's how Virginia-based Janay Brown came up with her idea for real-fruit rolling papers. She's now expanded [her brand GROWF]( into a shop that sells pre-rolled herbal cigarettes and accessories, plus a smoking club. 🍽️ #CaviarTok is trending and indie brands like [CYK Caviar]( are stepping in to make the delicacy as accessible as a $250 tin of fish eggs can be (founder Celine Yousefzadeh likes to [add it to pizza](. There's also a growing market for those who don't want to eat a spoonful of spawn, with vegan caviar producers like [Cavi-art]( and [Filgud](. 👟 Google the smart insole market and you'll find a bunch of research forecasting impressive growth over the next few years. But it's not just for the podiatry crowd – new brand [Feet ID]( is going after a younger audience. 🧗 The [activity-tracking app]( that wants you to move… but doesn't care how. 🏃 Speaking of, [this]( Canadian trail-running brand is on the feet of joggers and city walkers alike. 💖 Aseel Al Masoudi designs her own line of colorful abayas (full-length garments worn by some Muslim women) and runs a concept shop in Oman called [Boho]( – all while working a corporate job. Her words of advice to those navigating a side hustle and full-time employment: ‘I was thinking of everything that could go wrong before starting – instead, I had to switch my mindset and just think of anything that could go right.’ LEARN. If your side hustle is taking over, you may be ready to ditch the day job altogether. Before you hand in your notice, check out [our guide to quitting](. ☎️ File this under ‘freak inspiration’. When rummaging in his backpack, Hungarian designer Adam Miklosi noticed that his phone cord was wrapped around his cough-drop packaging in a surprisingly neat way. It got him thinking, then designing, then prototyping… and just became his most recent product: [a desk cable organizer](. 💁 The obsession with generative AI has sprouted a cottage industry for prompts – yes, the words you put into the platform – from [prompt marketplaces]( to companies [hiring]( prompt engineers. 👃 Small perfume brands and social media creators are shifting the industry by returning the scent conversation to storytelling, nostalgia and transparent ingredients (originally popularized by one-time indies Aesop and Byredo) compared to major brands’ big budget ads. Here are four brands to watch. - [Ourside]( is focused on making nostalgic fragrances with clean ingredients. - [Unifrom]( wants to evoke the experience of growing up among immigrant diasporas in Sweden's high-rises. - [Vyrao]( wellbeing-focused scents are made with natural essences to boost positive feelings. - [Xinú]( creates perfumes inspired by the ‘aromatic botany of the American Continent’. TIP! How do you sell a smell? Abigail Stone, founder of candle brand Otherland, says to keep it relatable. Take her Matchpoint candle: ‘Tennis ball is the primary note,’ she [told us](. ‘We love tapping into nostalgia with our descriptions to inspire that emotional connection.’ 🛋️ Gorpcore is going indoors (well, it's a lot easier to clean [durable cotton canvas]( than a leather chair). 🧊 Nobody can understand why this cold-water plunge barrel – a garbage can filled with ice water – [costs $1,200](. Capitalism? 🏉 The [real merch company]( for a fake Australian [football club](. ☕️ Seoul has no shortage of good cafes, but [Fritz Coffee & Bread]( is particularly dreamy. 🐩 Pets are getting premium treatment in China, according to our Shanghai contributor Yaling Jiang. ‘Because there are more pet owners in China than ever (around [68.4 million]( in 2021) and the [younger generation loves pets]( I'm seeing more businesses, including shopping malls and cafes, born with the mindset to target pet owners as their customers. I recently went to work at Shanghai's [Bean Society]( with my terrier mix where the waitress came to pet my dog three times and gave him snacks. The music was terrible, the coffee was mediocre, but will I go back with the dog? Absolutely.’ 🛹 [WAFFLESNCREAM]( founder Jomi Marcus-Bello is making Lagos one of the [hottest skateboarding scenes]( on the planet, despite the Nigerian city's lack of skateboarding infrastructure (also check out [Dencity]( a collective for women and queer skaters). 🍷 Portland-based creative studio FISK has worked on some awesome projects – from the cover of the debut album by singer Clairo to food influencer Molly Baz's chilled red wine. [Check it out](. 💦 [Anew]( is a New Zealand-based brand that creates reusable water bottles from plant-based materials. So, if you forget your water bottle, you don't have to buy a single-use plastic one. 🪴 Keep an eye on [homegrown Japanese truffles]( (it's a lot more difficult – almost impossible – to grow truffles where they don't naturally grow). 💰 With all the news of cost-cutting layoffs at companies that have billionaire CEOs, a handful of business owners are coming out to explain why they aren't the highest paid employees at their company. ‘You honestly have to get over it and know that you're learning so much and striving to do such big things that the dollar amount doesn't matter,’ says [Michelle Battersby]( founder of creator app [Sunroom](. YOUR TURN. How important is the promise of a big – or, really, the biggest – paycheck to taking the leap and starting something new? Tell us what you'd do – sound off at [hello@couriermedia.com](mailto:editorial@couriermedia.com). We might share your thoughts in next week's edition. Elsewhere in Courier: 🤳 On TikTok: How Holey Grail is [remixing the donut](. ▶️ On YouTube: What does [value]( even mean any more? 💻 Online: Meet a [wine bar, cafe and library]( in Lima. 📰 In print: We've gathered The World's Best Shops in [one beautiful book](. Drop us a line any time at [hello@couriermedia.com](mailto:hello@couriermedia.co). Update your preferences [here](. Unsubscribe [here](