The "entertainment center" in my home is a delightful collection of games, puzzles, books, instruments, and CDs—sooo many CDs (and yes, we have a subscription to Spotify). There's an Echo Dot, an iPhone, and an iPad. Overseeing it all is the original Star Wars poster my husband won from his hometown movie theater when he was a kid.

It’s a mish-mosh of analog and digital, vintage and new.

The visual effects for the OG Star Wars trilogy were unparalleled at the time (and still hold up pretty well IMHO).

Nearly half a century later, the world of Star Wars is thriving, especially since Disney took it on.

CDs revolutionized data storage and replication.

Forty years since its first manufacture and CDs are still prevalent in the marketplace.

No one could have predicted how a smartphone would accelerate our lives when iPhone dropped in 2007.

Or how they along with tablets would shape the world of books and how we read.

They’re definitely not going anywhere.

Alexa is just an earlier iteration of AI as one day—probably next week!—ChatGPT 4 will be.

I’m not going to say much more about ChatGPT, etc. because there’s already 800,000,000 pieces of content waxing poetic about what generative AI means for us mere mortals.

I’m enjoying exploring how a tool like ChatGPT can positively impact my writing and research, and how it can be used to help clients with their messaging and marketing.

Will it truly be revolutionary? I don’t know. Probably. Maybe. Did we know how much iPhone would be?

Should we remain vigilant and discerning? Yeah, obviously.

I also think there's a hella lot of sh&* happening in the world that's far more alarming and dire than robots taking over.

During this time of fun and fervor and fright over the newest in tech, it’s good to remember what rocks about the old school way of doing things.

Why classic and vintage retain their appeal.

Why imaginary worlds and disembodied voices continue to stimulate our imagination.

It’s good to remember that while innovation might make some things easier, other things more difficult, it doesn’t have to supersede our values, our ethics, or our sense of self.

When I feel overwhelmed or confused about new school stuff, I just go back to what’s stood the test of time:

Being human which means being vulnerable and compassionate.

Being honest.

Choosing simple when there’s more than one option.

Listening to your intuition.

Building self-trust.

Striving for clarity and consistency with communication.

Prioritizing relationships.

Loving—yourself, others, animals, our planet.

These values never go out of style. They are the foundation for a sustainable, joyful life and business. In the whirlwind of technological advancements, it's comforting to know that old school will always be cool.