Product Therapy: persistence, the best advice and some really good reggae music
Happy 2026.
On persistence
For the majority of my life, I’ve tricked myself into thinking that I know how things are going to play out. Why?
As the eldest daughter, I love being in control.
As a recovering anxious person, worst case scenario planning gives me a (false) sense of peace.
And, as a seasoned product person, I’ve been paid to future jump for 15+ years.
Yet, with all of this planning, what’s the one thing that’s been consistent across my many years of forethought? It’s that most of the time, situations, especially ones I’m most anxious about, play out in ways I never could have anticipated.
Whether I’m dreaming up a beautiful vision or disaster planning a potential conflict, reality plays out in ways that my ruminating brain would have never predicted.
Sitting at the top of 2026, I’ve spent Three! Years! documenting my winding career path, my thoughts on product management, my explorations in the coaching world and the music and food and content that powered me through each season. I’ve stayed deeply committed, persistent, and pushed myself to write, sometimes with growth and business and marketing in mind, but mostly for myself, to ground into the ritual of reflection, sharing and connection.
As 2025 came to a close, I felt inundated with a sense of collective relief, that the year from hell was coming to an end. Globally, and acutely in the US, it was a troubling year filled with hopelessness and fear. Which is why it feels uncomfortable to admit that 2025 was one of my personal best. While I hit many goals, I settled into a type of peace I’ve been striving for for a very long time. I worked to enjoy the beautiful peaks of joy and learned to weather the lowly valleys with more grace and self respect. Unlike the mainstream sentiment, I looked at 2025 as a year worth celebrating, not one I wanted to run away from.
I can feel even more momentum brewing in 2026.
Instead of sharing predictions or setting rigorous resolutions, as is customary in the doldrums1 of winter, I’m going to lean back, with persistence of course, and see what kinds of insights, ideas, connections and word flow evolve naturally as I keep sharing month over month.
Where will you continue showing up persistently in 2026?
Content 📖
I reflected on 2025 with operating principles that kept me going through the year…
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I’m a fiend for NYT end of year content and this is my favorite newsletter of the year: Good Calls. They curate the best advice readers got throughout the year. What was the best advice you received in 2025?
Culture Clicks 🇯🇲
I was fortunate to spend the end of 2025 in Port Antonio, Jamaica in awe of the people, the nature and especially the music.
I kept Auto Shazam on every evening and in my downtime I ventured down Wikipedia rabbit holes studying the birth of Ska in Trench Town to the evolution of Rocksteady to Reggae, which the world adopted wholeheartedly. I experienced sound from speakers like never before2. Yes we had incredible curry goat patties and jerk chicken3, met incredible locals and vacationers alike but I’m walking away deeply inspired by the sound of the island.
Rafting down the Rio Grande, with Josh, pictured at the top, we were alone with lush jungle sounds and throbbing Reggae beats emanating from the mountain tops. It was glorious. With that, here’s some music to inspire the top of your year…
Khruanbin’s Flight 505 to Kingston Playlist got us in the mood. I love their flight playlists to places like Istanbul, Lagos, Mumbai - they offer good warm ups:
Discovered Jamaican DJs love American 90’s+ R&B…as do I and I couldn’t help myself. Spotify auto playlists could never…
Danced our faces off to Jamaican Dancehall the night before New Years Eve…
And fell in love with artists like Barrington Levy, Tenor Saw, Marcia Aitken … etc. etc. etc.
I’m Jori Bell, VP of Core at Hampton. I’m also a Coach for Product Leaders. I have one more open coaching spot this season—if that sounds like something you’ve been craving, reach out.
I never miss an opp to plug The Phantom Tollbooth.
Which says a lot, considering how much time I spend planted in front of nightclub speakers in Brooklyn
Devon Bake House in Kingston for patties and Boston Jerk Centre in Portland for jerk.