Free Upskilling, Saving $ on Black Friday, & No Social Media Season

November 2025 Issue

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

Get Smarter 🧠

Upskill with Maven

If you’ve been thinking about sharpening your skills but don’t know where to start, Maven’s growing library of free courses is one of the best low-lift, high-impact ways to upskill. These short, expert-led classes are designed for busy professionals—especially consultants—who want actionable frameworks, not fluff. I like to listen to these when I have 30 minutes available in between meetings because it helps me keep up to date with the newest trends and keep my skillsets relevant.

Some course topics I’ve completed:

• Agentic AI-enabled coding

• Go-to-Market Engineering

• User-Centric Product Led Growth

• How to scale a business with AI

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Get Richer 💰

How to actually save money on Black Friday

To make sure you’re scoring real deals (not marketing mirages), start by creating a pre-sale price baseline. Track the items you care about a week or two in advance, then compare those numbers to the “sale” prices. Many retailers quietly raise prices before discounting them, so knowing the true starting point protects your wallet.

Tech products with strong deals on BF:

• Laptops

• Streaming Devices

• Charging/Power Accessories

• Smart Home Tech

• Smartwatches and fitness wearables

Finally, avoid impulse buys by setting a simple rule: If you wouldn’t buy it at full price, don’t buy it on sale.

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Get Happier 🌻

The “No Social Media” Trend: A Reset Your Mind Might Need

Many people are experimenting with a “no social media” season—and for good reason. Stepping back from the endless scroll can dramatically reduce comparison fatigue, decision overload, and that low-grade anxiety we stop noticing when we’re constantly plugged in.

One of my 2025 New Year’s Resolutions was to limit my time on social media, so I’ve only been tuning into Instagram on weekends and have completely turned off notifications. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my mood, and I’d recommend you try it yourselves! For 2026, I’m going to also limit my LinkedIn cadence to once a week.

You don’t have to disappear forever. Even a short break—one week, one weekend, or evenings only—can help reset your brain, rebuild attention, and create healthier boundaries.