Staying informed and inspired

You can’t always stay ahead, but you can stay informed and inspired.

Information travels fast, that’s a given. And the actual volume of it is almost hard to comprehend…

Thousands of news organizations publish an estimated 5-10 million articles per day across digital and print platforms around the world. People watch over 1 billion TikTok videos daily, with millions of new ones uploaded every hour. YouTube users upload over 720,000 hours of video every day, which is about 500 hours per minute. Over 7 million blog posts are published every day, according to estimates from WordPress, Medium, and other blogging platforms

And today, the average person sees between 4,000—10,000 ads per day (depending on your location, lifestyle, and media consumption habits).

If you’re offline for even a week, you’re playing catch-up. (Though this week, I saw an email auto-reply saying someone would be back on January 6 — it’s only the second week of December).

It’s obviously impossible to keep up. So how do you stay informed about what matters to you and your work? And how do you get ahead to do something innovative and fresh?

Staying ahead means more than keeping up with trends — it’s about knowing where culture, technology, and strategy are all headed.

Focusing on what’s the most relevant and meaningful is what’s important — and actively seeking out that content, rather than only consuming what’s served to you.

How I’m staying inspired and informed, as a strategist

This week I was asked about how I keep updated on so many issues, trends and tools. It’s a big part of my work, but it’s pretty integrated into my life. This is a big question to answer in writing, but I’ve outlined 3 categories below to start. (I plan to follow up with a more detailed post with specific examples).

Podcasts — for insights and conversations on the go

Podcasts are my go-to for staying informed and inspired. I subscribe to a mix of business and news, nonprofit sector conversations, founder interviews, and case studies. These aren’t just about marketing, they’re about how people think and innovate, and what’s top of mind.

Hearing stories from entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and change-makers helps me connect the dots between industries, ideas, and people.

Podcasts often offer a lot of context, which is key for strategists.

Newsletters — a curated view, delivered directly

Newsletters are another big part of my information diet. I’m subscribed to a ton, from marketing and advertising industry updates to strategy-focused and nonprofit sector insights. They deliver stats, summaries of longer-form content, case studies, and food for thought straight to my inbox.

There’s no algorithm at play here. That’s one major benefit — you can be even more curated.

Knowing about agency mergers, in-demand skills, or clever campaigns can spark ideas and keep my work grounded in what’s actually happening. Sometimes these newsletters serve as a reminder to check out a podcast or piece of social content, too. I can also find ideas for future talks or programming through various email content.

I recommend you find newsletters that challenge your thinking, not just ones that confirm what you already know. They’ll push you to consider new perspectives.

Social Media — a real-time lens

Social media can definitely drain your time and energy if you’re not intentional, but it’s often a big part of my process. For me scrolling through Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube and TikTok can end up with some really relevant research or inspiration (amongst a ton that is irrelevant of course).

I follow brands, creators, clients and their competitors, plenty of nonprofit organizations, and thought leaders across various platforms. This also includes news publications and blogs, and the journalists and content creators behind them. There’s also some great accounts that curate other resources and inspo, which can be a goldmine for ideas.

The bookmarking and saving features of each platform are really useful in my role. On all of the platforms mentioned above, I save posts within the platform for future reference (and on some of them like Instagram, I can categorize them accordingly).

One of the keys to using social as a strategist is to keep an eye on how people react —so I spend time reading comments, which can be more insightful or useful than the content itself. I’ll also cross-check platforms for reference, for example, if I see something unique or a trend on one, I’ll dive into discussions elsewhere to see how it’s playing out. It’s a quick way to gauge public sentiment and discover untapped angles.

Making connections — from inspiration to action

Staying updated is only part of the battle.

The real value comes in connecting the dots.

Because I work at the intersection of many industries, this is a priority for me.

A tactic from a tech startup could work for a nonprofit client, for example. Or a strategy from a global brand could be applied to a local business.

But the goal isn’t to just consume information — it’s to identify it, adapt it, and apply it (at the right time). Here’s more quick thoughts I shared this week about this:

As randomly as inspiration can come, I try to keep organized with a process that combines learning, reflection, and action. Tweak it until it’s most useful for what you’re trying to do.

If you’re in any field where things move fast, find what works for you.

Stay curious, stay connected, and always look for ways to turn inspiration into impact.

What’s your favourite way to stay up-to-date?
What are some of your favourite sources of inspo and info?

Until next time,
Daniel