Mindful Notions by Sam H Li

Sam’s London piece: Hill’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hillzn8 Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

If you’ve enjoyed the show—especially the conversations that help us slow down, pay attention, and build a little more presence into everyday life—I’d be so grateful for your vote.Vote here: https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262How to vote (takes ~30 seconds):* Open the link above* Paste this RSS link when prompted: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2727113.rss* Submit your vote!Voting closes May 4th.Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of this little corner of the internet. More soon. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Take a second to vote for the podcast here! https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262Use this podcast link when voting: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2727113.rssLive NYC event celebrating the nom: https://luma.com/j1gd9a3w Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Mindful Notions is nominated for its first award! Vote here. And tell a friend! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Dig deeper into what we are trying to LAUNCH here.Mindful Notions has been nominated for an award, and it’s fully listener-voted! Vote for the podcast here: https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262Voting closes May 4th. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Check out Magan’s app, FIG, here!Check out Hill’s Substack, Scaffold, here!Check out Austin’s publication, COMPUTE/COMPETE, here!Check out my publication, Cities Decoded, here!And if interested in applying to the Notion Ambassadors program… ➡️ https://www.notion.so/notion/04f306fbf59a413fae15f42e2a1ab029 Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

I’m so excited to announce that our very own Magan Chin has launched her app, FIG: an AI-powered career platform.As we celebrate Magan’s app launch, we also discuss what Hill, Austin, and I have been up to:* Austin — COMPUTE/COMPETE (geopolitical AI)* Hill — untitled education startup (critical thinking)* Me — Cities Decoded (AI from the perspective of city changemakers)Also, I was happy to have all three of my co-hosts on Cities Decoded. Read our thoughts on the Anthropic super bowl ads aimed at ChatGPT’s new ads model here.See you in a few weeks for our next builders update! 👋 Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Why a manifestoSam: “Why do we feel the need for a manifesto? It allows us to really put into words this feeling…which is a feeling of shame. That feeling that you did everything right and then you suddenly can’t get anything. You can’t get any job.”The “Bermuda Triangle Problem”Magan: “I did not come up with this concept. Simon Ventura wrote a book about it. We see some of the most high achieving peers of ours follow the same pathway…consulting, banking, big tech, and law. This video got over a million views. It was kind of crazy how much this story resonated.”Projects / platformsLAUNCH websiteStats & reporting* NBC News: “Americans no longer see four-year college degrees as worth the cost”* Inside Higher Ed: “Survey: When Should College Students Use AI? They’re Not Sure”* Cleveland Fed: “Are Young College Graduates Losing Their Edge in the Job Market?”* Axios: “Behind the Curtain: A white-collar bloodbath”* WEF: “More and more jobs can be done from anywhere …”* New York Times: “Employers Are Buried in A.I.-Generated Résumés”* Rolling Stone: “ ‘I Love LA’ Creator Rachel Sennott Is Carrying the Flag for Gen Z” Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Mindful Notions community👋. After Hill, Austin Nellessen, Magan Chin, and I wrapped up season 1 of our ‘Accessible Intelligence’ podcast, the inevitable question was: What’s next?We start answering that question today in two important forms. One being season 2 of this podcast (first episode of the new season out Thursday morning!). And the other is a manifesto, written in the body of this post. It gathers some important stats we have seen about Gen Z’s disconnected and turbulent relationship with the economy, or more importantly, doing fulfilling work. It also hints at we are doing about this growing and ever-changing problem with our new platform, LAUNCH, which you will hear much more about in the full episode, out later this week.This issue of Gen Z struggling to get jobs, much less get fulfilling work, is not going away. And what we are talking about is not unique. But we believe that the four of us, a full-time founder, a writer, a valedictorian, and a tech community builder, are a unique group. And that if we keep dissecting what exactly are the pressure points here, and what resources are out there to guide Gen Z in this brave new world, we can, at the very least, make any young person struggling to find meaningful work feel a little less alone.I am so eager to see what this group does next. And if any of our conversations resonate with you, please do not hesitate to reach out with ideas on how we can make LAUNCH even better.-samGrowing up, we internalized a vision of meritocracy. If you work hard, success will find you. But now, we’ve seen every stage of the trusted path—go to college, graduate with a degree, find a job, and build a career—being disrupted:* People no longer see college as worth the investment.* An NBC News poll finds that as many as 63% of registered voters believe that a four-year degree is “not worth the cost because people graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off.”* Those who nonetheless attend college find themselves adrift in an educational environment saturated by AI.* A 2024 survey by Inside Higher Ed finds that three in ten students are not clear on when they are permitted to use AI in their coursework. But 86% of students use it anyway, and, void of smart university policy, they are increasingly doing so “to get quick answers rather than deepen their understanding.”* Even after making it through college, people are struggling to attain the promised job on the other side.* Between 2019 to 2025, the unemployment rate for young college graduates increased by 2.63 times more than the overall unemployment rate. Anecdotally, we hear about college graduates prepared for white collar professions instead seeking minimum-wage service work. We see the superstars of our modern economy, like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, predicting that AI could wipe our as many as half of all entry-level white-collar jobs in the next five years.* Those who are lucky enough to land a job may find themselves wholly unfulfilled in their roles.* A New York Times opinion piece on the subject provocatively titled itself, “For Gen Z-ers, Work is Now More Depressing than Unemployment.” The rise of remote work has only compounded this issue. While the World Economic Forum predicts that the number of global digital jobs will rise by approximately 25% within the next five years, this outcome is largely out of line with Gen Z’s preferences.The four of us graduated high school during the COVID pandemic and college at the beginnings of the AI Revolution. We grew up internalizing the conventional path to success (higher education into job), but are finding ourselves navigating an economic reality that is entirely different from what our parents, guardians, and teachers prepared us for.We’ve witnessed society transform. But more than that, we’ve seen the people in power—politically, economically, and socially—take advantage of this moment to solidify their advantage. Meanwhile, those of us who are just beginning to assert our presence in the world are left to fend for ourselves. When we struggle to adapt to a system that has failed us, our plight is perceived as reflecting personal shortcomings.Our goal is not to assert any particular Gen Z perspective. Rather, it is simply to acknowledge the existence of a uniquely Gen Z perspective—one that is caught at the crossroads of expectations and reality. From this common understanding, we hope to create a space for our peers, regardless of what they are doing in this current moment: working a corporate 9-5, building a start-up, pursuing side quests, picking up part-time roles here and there, and/or feeling completely overwhelmed sitting in their childhood bedroom. We seek to build solidarity with all of these perspectives, and from this basis, collectively imagine paths to change.At this moment, many Gen Z feel as if the economy has left us behind. Our goal is to empower Gen Z to stake a claim in the society that we are actively inheriting. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

About five years ago, I posted my first public YouTube video.To be clear, I had posted videos before, but they were always unlisted or private (shout‑out my Arizona State University 2019 speech and debate vlog).With the encouragement of my parents and sister, I decided to try… something with the channel.Did I think about going viral? Yes. Did it happen? Nope!Did I think about eventually monetizing my content? Of course. Did it happen? Actually, yes, and I am so grateful for that.Back then, I was just an almost‑twenty‑something getting ready to navigate the world of COVID, school, and work.Over time, my YouTube channel evolved. It went from vlogs to how‑tos to being an amplifier for my podcast on how to help young professionals do more. With less.Speaking of the podcast!I still don’t exactly know what compelled me to start a podcast three years ago (originally called “College Conscience,” now part of the “Mindful Notions” brand). Maybe it was an intuitive desire to have more meaningful and nuanced conversations with friends.But I don’t think I would have started my podcast if I hadn’t started my YouTube channel. And I definitely don’t think I would have gotten a full‑time podcast‑producing role if I hadn’t already had my podcast.See a chain of logic here? One of the throughlines across all the different content streams and roles has been my use of Notion, a productivity tool.Let’s be clear: There are several great productivity tools readily available.But I don’t think it’s an accident that, out of all of them, only one has really stuck while I do creative work that I love.Actually, it’s probably the farthest thing from an accident.What drew me to Notion was that it could be as simple or as complex as you wanted it to be. If I wanted to spend the rest of my life making simple pages with the most sophisticated feature being a tastefully placed toggle every three blocks, that would be perfectly fine.But for me, I really have enjoyed using Notion to learn the slightly more technical aspects of software.To be clear, I do not code. I have a very, very limited understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (shout‑out CodePath!).But I do have a better understanding of things like APIs, MCPs, and relational databases because of Notion.Beyond the technical, I’ve also kept better track the developments of AI (maybe you’re also trying to keep up with this topic) via my podcasts — speaking with AI professionals in whichever city I’m in and with other young professionals — because of how I create these conversations in my Notion pages and databases (and now with my Notion Agent as well!).Here’s the unique thing about Notion: it won’t fix all of your problems (you are the one who fixes your problems). It’s not devoid of bugs (we have the best engineering and product teams to deal with them!). But it does cultivate one of the most diverse and creative power‑user groups of any SaaS product.We have people running their entire businesses on Notion. We have people who use Notion for their creative endeavors. We have people who use Notion for NY Fashion Week. We have people who use Notion to track their dreams — their literal dreams the morning after they had them. It goes on and on.A few years ago, the Notion Ambassador program began cementing this unique connection between power users. It established better connections both among Ambassadors and with the company itself.Now, the Ambassador program is several hundred members strong, representing nations across the world. Having been in the program myself, I can tell you that it’s one of the most proactive and kindest communities out there.Because of my content, I was lucky enough to join the Notion Ambassador program at the beginning of January. This past year, I have been building the Notion DC community from essentially… nothing.We started small (as all good communities do!) with in-person coffee shop meetups. There, I was able to test the waters. What did people like about Notion? What did people not like about Notion? What were people confused about?My opinion: You learn way more about how users feel in a five‑minute in‑person conversation than in a 30‑minute call. And each meetup felt like an entire semester’s worth of learning what people enjoyed, somewhat enjoyed, and DEFINITELY DID NOT enjoy about their own Notion.What’s nice about building a tech community in DC is that there are already thriving ones. We have the AI Collective, Data Community DC, the Generative Series, DC Startup and Tech Week, and more.Naturally, the next phase of building was to integrate the Notion DC community into these established groups.I started hosting Notion Mail events in late spring and early summer with these groups. It culminated with DC’s first‑ever Make with Notion recap event, where we had a healthy mix of education and Notion swag (tote bags!).At the time of writing, I’m proud to say we routinely have 50–100 attendees for our Notion DC events and have had over 600 clicks for a free trial of Notion AI for startups/SMBs through these events*.Not bad for a community that didn’t exist until March.In late August, I got a message from the team asking if I would be interested in applying to be the new Community Manager for the Notion Ambassadors. This position was based in NY and would focus on building the next phase of the Notion community.I felt a lot of things. Most of all, excitement that I could get to work for a company whose product has helped drive so many of my creative endeavors over the past 5+ years, and a sense of possibility about what an even more robust Notion community could look like.At heart, I’m a creator. And for the past five years, Notion has helped fuel that creativity. But I truly create best when I’m in a community. And there is no other community that I want to be a part of right now more than the Notion Ambassadors.So what happens now?What’s exciting about the Notion Ambassador community is that there is still so much to do. Has the community achieved an insane amount of value in the past couple of years? For sure. Can we achieve an even more insane amount of value in the next year and beyond? Yes!For this Substack, we will be reverting to non-tech content after the last two “Accessible Intelligence” episodes with Hill, Austin Nellessen, and Magan Chin, and more of the informal life conversations that embody more of the early days of the podcast, where it’s just me and my friends (both old and new!).On a more granular level, that means there is no official affiliation between this Substack and Notion. This Substack represents my opinions only.If you’ve been here since my first unlisted vlogs more than five years ago, thank you so much for your support. If you’re meeting me for the first time in my new role as Notion’s Community Manager for the Ambassadors, I’m so eager to see how I can help you make your work better.*I get a commission for each approved signup. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you so much to the Cheerful Earful comedy podcast festival for having us in London. Sources mentioned in the episode:* “Their Aunt Used An AI Picture Of Their Grandmother To Announce Her Passing, And She Refuses To Change It”* “AI-generated jokes funnier than those created by humans, University of Southern California study finds”* “From Rejection to Viral Sensation: Inside the Wildest CEO Application OpenAI Ever Got”* “How I Found (Some) Empathy for the AI Boyfriend Community”* “Just 23 hilarious examples of ‘AI being dumb’ that will reassure and terrify you in equal measure”* “Should you trust an AI-assisted doctor? I visited one to see”* “California issues historic fine over lawyer’s ChatGPT fabrications”* “AI Bias Lawsuit Against Workday Reaches Next Stage as Court Grants Conditional Certification of ADEA Claim”See Magan Chin’s recap vid here. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Relevant links from the ep:Magan’s startup: https://figai.netlify.app/Cluely manifesto: https://cluely.com/manifestoSeries intro: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidprosser/2025/04/04/how-two-yale-juniors-just-raised-31-million-for-their-social-network/OpenAI x research: https://openai.com/index/introducing-nextgenai/OpenAI x apps: https://openai.com/index/introducing-apps-in-chatgpt/Building community at Notion: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-practices-from-scaling-effective-advocacy-program-ben-lang-vkzff/Catch Mindful Notions LIVE (Sam + Magan) this Sat Oct 18th in London: https://cheerfulearful.podlifeevents.com/festival/mindful-notions-by-sam-h-li-18-oct-2025-ticketsMagan’s GenZ Bestie accounts:* https://www.instagram.com/genzbestie/* https://www.tiktok.com/@genzbestie_Austin’s “tech bubble” pieceHillary’s “AI + cheating” piece Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Here are the questions we ponder at the end. What are your thoughts?* What does Notion Agent change for young professionals? * What does Notion Agent NOT change for young professionals?* What is one Notion feature that would make you use Notion more?The fun doesn’t stop! Come see us live!🇺🇸DC, Thurs Oct 2nd: Make with Notion recap ➡️ https://luma.com/aic-dc-10-2-25🇬🇧London, Sat Oct 18th: Cheerful Earful podcast ➡️ https://cheerfulearful.podlifeevents.com/festival/mindful-notions-by-sam-h-li-18-oct-2025-ticketsThree months of Notion AI free for your startup/SMB: https://affiliate.notion.so/samforstartupsCheck out my Agent use case demo, featured on Notion’s page! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

After the first episode of “Accessible Intelligence,” we dive deeper into how each of us uses AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Lovable, and Notion) for work and life.We drive towards the question: Is AI overhyped? Here are the questions we answer at the end — what are your thoughts?* If you had to put a percentage on it, how overhyped is AI right now on a scale of 0-100%?* What's one AI tool you've tried that completely failed to live up to its promises?* If you had to choose between losing access to all AI tools or losing access to your smartphone for a month, which would impact your productivity more?* What's one area where you think AI is actually underhyped and deserves more attention?Get 3 months of Notion AI FREE for your startup/SMB*: https://affiliate.notion.so/samforstartupsCome see me and Magan LIVE at the Cheerful Earful podcast festival in London on Sat. Oct 18th: https://cheerfulearful.podlifeevents.com/festival/mindful-notions-by-sam-h-li-18-oct-2025-ticketsTimeline:* ChatGPT launch — November 30, 2022[1]* Perplexity publicly emerges (company founded 2022; mobile assistant expands in 2025)[2][3]* Google AI Studio announced — December 2023; upgraded features through 2025[4][5]* Lovable AI web‑app builder — public launches across v1 (late 2024) and v2 (April 2025)[6][7]* Studio Ghibli style image‑gen trend with ChatGPT — late March 2025 coverage[8]* Google replaces Gemini head — April 2025[9]* Notion releases “AI for Work” kit incl. AI Meeting Notes — May 2025 rollout incl. Enterprise search, AI Meeting Notes[10][11]*I get a commission for every approved signup.**Magan’s audio/video quality is a little poor. We will work in future episodes to ensure each host has the best audio/video quality possible. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for the support! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

It’s been a pretty crazy year for me.* 50k views on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@samhli* Producing a free speech show that regularly hits 10k listeners: https://www.thefire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast* Releasing Mindful Notions’ first-ever produced show: * Host of DC Decoded, 650+ subscribers, 20 episodes: https://samligenaicollective.substack.com/podcast* Becoming a Notion creator / ambassador / builder (aka Notion AI for startups/SMBs 3 months free!*): https://affiliate.notion.so/samforstartupsThere are so many people who have helped me get to this point. But one of the most important people who encourages me to keep going with content creation is my friend, Megan.Known as mangobun.art, she started her content creation journey a bit earlier than me. She was one of the first people I ever called when I wanted to take my content creation “seriously” (see bullet points above).* Megan’s website: https://mangobun.com/* Megan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mangobun.art/* Megan’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mangobun.art* Megan’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MangoBun.Art_Official/videosThat’s why I am so excited to have her on Mindful Notions. She has a standing invite to discuss all things content creator career-wise.Megan made the conversation so natural — I really do think this has been the most comfortable and genuine I have felt about my content creation process so far.I hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did filming it! Thanks, Megan. I’ll probably call you soon with more questions. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Rough transcript is here! https://www.notion.so/samhli/Ep-1-transcript-25aa4afc00e780cfba68e20acdce7fcd?ChatGPT Timeline & SourcesChatGPT Launch (November 30, 2022)* OpenAI's original ChatGPT announcement - The official launch post introducing the conversational AI* TechCrunch coverage of ChatGPT launch - Media coverage and initial reactionsGPT-4 Release (March 14, 2023)* OpenAI's GPT-4 announcement - Official release of the more advanced model* Wikipedia: GPT-4 - Comprehensive overview and technical detailsGPT-5 Release (August 7, 2025)* OpenAI's GPT-5 announcement - Latest model with "PhD-level" capabilities* BBC coverage: GPT-5 launch - Media analysis of the newest release* The Verge: GPT-5 rollout - Technical coverage and user impact Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

We're living through the most rapid technological transformation in human history. In less than 3 years, we went from a simple chatbot called ChatGPT (model 3) to GPT-5's "PhD-level" capabilities.But here's the thing: Most AI conversations happen in two separate worlds that don’t meet often enough:* The experts building these systems* The users (specifically, young professionals) trying to figure out what it all means🚀 Enter: Accessible Intelligence (‘AI’)‘AI’ is not just another tech podcast. We aim to have genuine discussions about AI’s impact on young professional life and make the content accessible, understandable, and useful for the audience.No jargon, no hype — just honest conversations about what matters.Why do we want to do this podcast? Because we’re not just watching history unfold — we’re documenting it as it happens, one conversation at a time.👥 Your cast of content creators* Sam Li — productivity and AI* Magan Chin — startups and AI* Austin Nellessen — foreign policy and AI* Hillary Zeng — education and AIHere are snippets of why each person is part of this show:Sam: “[Accessible Intelligence] is like Honestly, but we're not interviewing experts. We're still trying to get the same ethos of showing what the actual conversations are happening around AI for young professionals.”Magan: “When it comes to AI…the conversations are not usually very accessible. We're [generally] talking about how people in corporate are using AI and how that's driving revenue growth.When it comes to how AI is actually impacting people in their day-to-day, that's often a [topic]…not talked about enough.”Austin: “I think when you listen to [a typical tech podcast], you get a lot of theoretical knowledge and knowing how [the tech] works or what it means. But when you finish, you don't really know what to do with it, because either they're talking about something unreleased, or they're talking about building your own LLM…the vast majority of people will never do that.”Hillary: “I've really enjoyed talking to all of you — as a group, but also in individual contexts. I feel like we've had really good conversations, bringing in aspects of our expertise…When we're together, we're sort of greater than the sum of our parts. I envision this podcast as us literally being in the same space, having this discourse, and creating new forms of knowledge.”"We're not just watching history unfold — we're documenting it as it happens, one conversation at a time."🎧 Episode 1: The ChatGPT ChroniclesOver the next ten weeks, expect a new episode every other Wednesday. Our debut episode sets up what to expect for the rest of the series and the pivotal moment when ChatGPT first captured the world's attention.📺 What now? Substack Live tonight at 8 pm ET!Join me for a livestream tonight where I dive deeper into why this show and why now with one of my creator friends, Megan Qiang. You won’t want to miss it, register here: https://open.substack.com/live-stream/51932?r=1j7re0&Thanks for being here. We will make it worth your time. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

In the age of AI-generated art, what can actually resonate with humans, and what might be simply beyond possibility (see: improv)?For young professionals, where there is more likely than not an expectation to use AI “well”: how does that apply to AI-generated images or presentations?And for me, how has Notion AI actually helped, not hindered, my creative abilities?Make with Notion is less than a month away. Here’s a quick recap of the product features from last year!⬇️Use all of Notion AI features FREE for 3 months with your work email*: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups*I get a commission for each approved signup. This deal is generally limited to teams between 1-100 people.Keep up to date with all Make with Notion and Notion updates in the chat!^YOPRO VITALS is Mindful Notions’ latest series. “Yopro” stands for young professionals (I’m treating the space between “Yo” and “pro” as optional).I filmed this video on Riverside, one of the best video/audio platforms out there. Learn why I use it here and how to get started for free! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Friends of Sam are always welcome to join and yap…I mean seriously discuss! how to make young professionals’ lives better.Want the key points of the episode?Summary and transcript courtesy of Notion AI here⬇️Use all of Notion AI features FREE for 3 months with your work email*: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups*I get a commission for each approved signup. This deal is generally limited to teams between 1-100 people.YOPRO VITALS is Mindful Notions’ latest series. “Yopro” stands for young professionals (I’m treating the space between “Yo” and “pro” as optional).Each episode will cover the three categories of: jobs, health, and relationships. Each category is no longer than 10 minutes, meaning the final product is under 30 minutes (I respect my viewers’ time!) Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Hillary, founder of Scaffold AI, and Austin, founder of ATLAS, help me answer that key question and more for young professionals. We dive into Hillary's thought-provoking piece on AI, agency, and the future of work. Plus, a fun lightning round at the end including we would like to pull all-nighters!What that looks like:* The intersection of AI tools (Notion AI for me) and human agency in professional settings* How young professionals can actually navigate the AI landscape* The balance between AI assistance and critical thinkingFeatured piece: Hillary's latest on ATLAS - a nuanced take on AI adoption that challenges both AI skeptics and enthusiasts alike.🚀 NOW: Get 3 months of Notion Business + Notion AI completely FREE for your team!Apply in just 1 minute: Get your free 3 months here*What you get:* Full access to Notion's Business Plan (normally $15/user/month)* Notion AI Core features included (normally $10/user/month additional)* Advanced collaboration tools* Unlimited file uploads* Priority customer support* Perfect for extending your runway by consolidating multiple toolsWhy this matters for teams of 1-100:* Replace docs, wikis, project management, and note-taking tools with one platform* Built-in AI to help with content creation, summarization, and workflow optimization* Scales with your team from founding to growth stage* Significant cost savings during crucial early months*I receive a commission for approved signups as part of the Notion Builders program. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Something that I quickly realized as I started working was there was no time to “actually” read. Sure, I was reading a lot in the literal sense (both for work and for personal). But, I didn’t feel like I was retaining…more than I needed to.Based on that experience and the interest from users, I’m happy to present my newest Notion template to remedy that reading problem: “Tracking professional and personal reading.”Listen to the full breakdown of this new template. Then, enjoy the template below!Free version: https://www.notion.com/templates/tracking-professional-personal-reading Premium version: https://www.notion.com/templates/tracking-professional-personal-reading-premium“Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li” helps young professionals do more. With less. Sam creates Notion templates and podcasts/writes about tried-and-true productivity experiments to help his community build digital homes.🔎Find a template to improve your job search, reading habits, and more here: https://www.notion.com/@samhli🎥Watch/listen to the podcast to hear from Notion users and get template breakdowns here: samhli.substack.com☕️Join the Notion DC community to get free stuff (and Notion connections!) here: https://lu.ma/notion-dc Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

One of the most exciting things I’ve been able to do this year is hold my own Notion events in DC. As a Notion ambassador, I led my first Notion DC event and made a great connection with Manas Ram.Manas is an author, public speaker, and an expert in the mental wellbeing space. He attended my first Notion DC event and was generous enough to come on the podcast and talk about his experience with Notion, his thoughts on AI, and his perspective on the increasingly relevant human-AI alignment topic. Please enjoy!“Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li” helps young professionals do more. With less. Sam creates Notion templates and podcasts/writes about tried-and-true productivity experiments to help his community build digital homes.🔎Find a template to improve your job search, reading habits, and more here: https://www.notion.com/@samhli 🎥Watch/listen to the podcast to hear from Notion users and get template breakdowns here: samhli.substack.com☕️Join the Notion DC community to get free stuff (and Notion connections!) here: https://lu.ma/notion-dcWant my next Notion template, “Tracking professional and personal reading,” delivered straight to your inbox?Fill out my template request form here to get my new template delivered by the end of next week!*By signing up for the Notion DC Luma calendar, you are automatically added to this Substack since it serves as the Notion DC’s community newsletter. You can always choose to opt out at the bottom of any email. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Show your support for “Mindful Morsels” by subscribing!Much more on this soon, but here’s my latest Notion template (in free and premium versions!):* 🌃New City Essentials: https://www.notion.com/templates/new-city-essentials-premium-version * 🌆New city essentials: https://www.notion.com/templates/new-city-essentials-free-versionLike what you’re seeing? Share this post with someone who also might like it!With that, this first era of “Mindful Morsels” comes to an end. More Notion things to come, sooner than you might think. But for now, I appreciate, as always, the support. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

So it’s February, meaning that the spirit of January’s New Year resolutions probably feel slightly less…spirited.Fear not! Iris and I talk about the meaning of a new year, how to set intentions rather than strict resolutions, and finish our conversation with some personal “ins” and “outs” for the rest of 2025.Show your support and subscribe to “Mindful Morsels!”Oh, and of course, there’s a new Notion template by yours truly: Tracking your inspirations (AI-powered)Thanks for reading and listening! This post is public so feel free to share it.This first era of “Mindful Morsels” is coming to an end. I will have a little more to say in the next (and last) episode of the first era. But for now, I appreciate, as always, the support. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

IntroductionLike many people, I witnessed the extraordinary capabilities of Google's NotebookLM. It felt like another fascinating step forward in AI's accessibility to non-engineers. While we've had two years of mainstream ChatGPT, until now AI tools have primarily been text-based for most everyday users.When I first heard NotebookLM's voices, I wasn't threatened—more contemplative. It's remarkable that such technology exists.But this raises an important question: Do listeners actually prefer synthetic voices to human ones?I'm curious where I could find reliable research and credible sources on this topic.Here is my (quite simple) thought process* Key question: Do people prefer human-voiced podcasts over synthetic-voiced ones?* Hypothesis: The preference likely depends on the listener's purpose. NotebookLM's current capabilities are limited to converting existing information into audio format without adding original insights. While this might be useful for personal research consumption, it's not ideal for wider distribution. In contrast, human-made podcasts (even those aided by AI) are typically crafted for specific audiences and offer new perspectives.* Research: Should I use Google or ChatGPT?* Decision: I chose Google!…And then ChatGPT* Look into NotebookLM's specific capabilities* Form a conclusionGooglingThe first article that popped up when I Googled was: " Do people prefer to listen to human-voiced podcasts vs. synthetic-voiced podcasts?”The third search result: Reddit! and it was specifically about NotebookLMThe next step: consulting ChatGPT“Studies and surveys consistently show that most podcast listeners prefer human-voiced podcasts over synthetic-voiced ones. This preference is driven by several factors:1. Emotional Connection and Authenticity* Human voices convey emotion, tone, and nuances, making it easier for listeners to connect with the speaker.* Synthetic voices, while improving, often lack the natural rhythm and imperfections that make speech feel genuine.2. Trust and Credibility* Listeners tend to trust human speakers more, as they feel there's a real person behind the words.* Synthetic voices can sometimes feel impersonal or robotic, potentially reducing the perceived credibility of the content.3. Listening Experience* Human voices often provide a more engaging and enjoyable listening experience.* While synthetic voices have made great strides in natural-sounding speech, prolonged listening can still feel monotonous or fatiguing to some audiences.4. Podcast Genre Considerations* For storytelling, interviews, or conversational podcasts, human voices are almost universally preferred.* Synthetic voices may work better in certain niches, such as highly technical content, where personalization isn't critical.5. Cultural and Accessibility Factors* While many people prefer human voices, synthetic voices play an essential role in accessibility, especially for creating multilingual or text-to-speech content for the visually impaired.”NotebookLM’s specific capabilitiesNotebookLM vs. NotebookLM Plus featuresNotebookLM is “an AI-powered research assistant that can help you get to critical insights faster and easier, all grounded in the information you provide.”ConclusionSo…it depends! I’m going to continue diving into this question and make it a series. If interested, follow along! SourcesNotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9667BhDoARIsANnamQYCswCRgLR3OUaBmT1ib7xylAje4kXBa3Be2xMswNdIWKP00T20ddgaAmaAEALw_wcB NotebookLM Plus: https://notebooklm.google/plus?gad_source=1&_gl=1*okf5wb*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9667BhDoARIsANnamQYCswCRgLR3OUaBmT1ib7xylAje4kXBa3Be2xMswNdIWKP00T20ddgaAmaAEALw_wcBr/singularity Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/singularity/comments/1fiyrz5/googles_notebooklm_new_podcast_function_has_the/ Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

I am very excited to have the first guest of Mindful Morsels: Brandon Wu. He has a weekly internship bulletin board for open positions across government, think tanks, progressive non-profits, and firms. You can check him out on LinkedIn, Substack, and major social media platforms.Want more tips and advice on how to do more with less? Subscribe now!I was lucky enough to have some of Brandon’s time (he is both a student and working) where we discuss his latest bulletin board postings. I also talk about my latest Notion template, “Job seeking as a student” as a way to organize the job search as a student. Know someone who would benefit from this post? Share it with them!We end with a new segment: “In and out.” Brandon and I take turns describing one trend with job searching that’s “in” as in good as in hot, etc. and one trend that it “out”…so not good. Timestamps00:00 Intro03:26 Brandon’s latest job postings14:24 Sam’s new Notion template walkthrough22:02 “In and out” segment38:59 OutroThanks so much for listening to this episode of Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li. I hope you found some Notion tip, budgeting advice, or other insight helpful to make your life slightly less stressful! if you want to see more of Mindful Morsels, feel free to like and subscribe on Substack, where you can find me by searching Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li, and also on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. if you would like to have some input on episode ideas, feel free to vote in polls I put out on my YouTube and Instagram. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

I have had a really good education experience, which is important since I have spent most of my life up until this point in school. But I didn’t always feel that way. In fact, I used to assign a lot of my self-worth to the grades I got. And when I didn’t get the grades I wanted…it was hard for me to get over it.In this episode, I discuss improving my outlook on education and introduce a new Notion template for students seeking jobs during school - a crucial part of my educational journey.Get my “Job seeking as a student” Notion template here.Make your life a little easier by subscribing below for consistent Notion tips!Timestamps00:00 Intro00:50 Journey through school02:11 High school04:31 College05:31 Fulfillment outside of class10:29 From college to career13:27 Notion template walkthrough!Like this podcast episode? Share it with someone who might like it too!Listen to the episode or read the transcript on my Substack and let me know what you think!Thanks so much for listening to this episode of Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li. I hope you found some Notion tip, budgeting advice, or other insight helpful to make your life slightly less stressful! if you want to see more of Mindful Morsels, feel free to like and subscribe on Substack, where you can find me by searching Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li, and also on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. if you would like to have some input on episode ideas, feel free to vote in polls I put out on my YouTube and Instagram. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

“People who use Notion spend more time making their Notion pretty instead of actually being productive.”“Notion doesn’t work.”“Notion is fake productivity.”Make your life a little easier by subscribing below for consistent Notion tips!These are just three of the many quotes I have seen or heard about Notion in the past few years. And I get it! Notion as a productivity software can definitely get confusing. In this latest podcast episode, I want to break down three key points as a response:* 01:34 —> What my personal ups and downs with Notion have been (spoiler: I have quit using Notion a couple of times in the past!)* 03:30 —> Notion represents a system that can never fully reflect life* 06:31 —> A system just needs to work well enough Like this podcast episode? Share it with someone who might like it too!Listen to the episode or read the transcript here and let me know what you think!Thanks so much for listening to this episode of Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li. I hope you found some Notion tip, budgeting advice, or other insight helpful to make your life slightly less stressful! if you want to see more of Mindful Morsels, feel free to like and subscribe on Substack, where you can find me by searching Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li, and also on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. if you would like to have some input on episode ideas, feel free to vote in polls i put out on my YouTube. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

So, I decided to start this podcast here a couple of weeks ago. Because apparently, I hate free time! Uploading a podcast is kind of like watching paint dry... if the paint kept crashing and needed to be restarted every five minutes.🎙️ Let's get into it.First, you've got to export your audio. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. It's like trying to fold a fitted sheet. You start off confident, but by the end, you're left with a lumpy mess and questioning your life choices.Then comes the uploading process. I swear, time moves differently when you're uploading a podcast. Einstein should've included this in his theory of relativity. "Time is relative, especially when you're staring at a progress bar that seems to be moving backwards."What Einstein definitely would think of the podcast uploading process: "Time is relative, especially when you're staring at a progress bar that seems to be moving backwards."Of course, just when you think it's done, boom! Error message. "Upload failed." Why? Who knows! It's like the internet gods are sitting up there going, "Nah, let's mess with this guy a little more."But the best part? When it finally uploads, and you realize you forgot to add the intro music. Time to start all over! It's like a fun game of digital Snakes and Ladders, except all the ladders are actually snakes in disguise.🎭 Upping the dramatics by 50%…I've aged ten years since I started this podcast. My hair's gone gray, I've developed arthritis from clicking "retry" so many times, and I'm pretty sure my computer's developed sentience and is now plotting against me.💡 Ok enough of that…so how did I make this process slightly more bearable? Notion.First, there's the whole exporting process. It used to be like trying to squeeze an elephant through a keyhole. "File too large," it would say. Well, excuse me for having a conversation longer than a TikTok video! But now, with my Notion workflow, I've got a checklist that reminds me to compress that audio file before I even think about exporting. It's like having a tiny, organized assistant in my computer that doesn't judge me for my file sizes.Then comes the actual upload. Now, I've got a Notion database tracking my upload progress. I can actually do other things while it's uploading, and Notion keeps tabs on it for me. It's like having a personal upload babysitter, minus the hourly rate.And when I get that sweet error message, "Upload failed due to unexpected error." (Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize my upload was supposed to expect the Spanish Inquisition!) I've got a handy error log in Notion. Each time something goes wrong, I document it. It's like building my own personal "How to Avoid Screwing Up Your Podcast Upload" encyclopedia. Future me is going to be so grateful... if I ever finish this upload, that is.🎓 Moral of the story: podcast uploading requires patience and…a little NotionSo if you're thinking of starting a podcast, my advice is this: Get Notion, set up your workflow, and then start your upload. By the time you're done optimizing your workspace, your podcast might actually be ready to go live. Maybe.Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on my upload. It's been three days, and I think it's finally hit 50%... oh wait, no, that's just a smudge on my screen. But at least Notion knows exactly where we left off! Wish me luck!Hey! Thanks so much for checking out a bit of my life. I’ll be posting more consistently (a neverending goal!) so if you want to feel a bit less stressed about young adult life, follow for more :)📝Substack: samhli.substack.com/subscribe📽️YouTube: youtube.com/@samhli Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Mindful Morsels by Sam H Li, your go-to source for doing more. With less! In this episode, we dive into a simple yet powerful daily habit: writing 1000 words in Notion. Discover how this practice can transform your mornings and unlock your creativity.🔔Like what you are seeing? Subscribe and let me know what would be helpful to watch next!Ready to level up your Notion game? Here's what you'll find in our show notes:* 🔗 Subscribe and share what type of content you would like to see on my podcast and Substack* 📝 By viewing this episode, click here for a brief step-by-step guide on implementing the 1000-word routine in Notion* 🎥 Watch this beginner-friendly YouTube tutorial on getting started with Notion if needed* 🍽️ Get my latest Notion template on Gumroad: Meal Planner template🚨Know someone who would benefit from this post? Share it with them!Follow me on Instagram (@samhli_) and YouTube (@samhli) for daily productivity tips and insights on living in Washington D.C. Let's make our lives a little less stressful! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

📖 Storytime!👩‍💼 Meet "Sarah", a busy professional yearning for healthier eating habits and less meal-related stress. Despite her best intentions, poor planning and limited time often led her to unhealthy food choices. She struggled to find the motivation to plan meals in advance, caught in the eternal dilemma between convenience and healthy eating.🦸‍♂️ Enter Sam (me!), a meal-planning enthusiast who once faced the same challenges. Now, he creates Notion templates for a thriving community of 4,000+ users. Sam introduces Sarah to his latest Notion creation: 🍽️Meal Planner Template.🗒️ The plan is simple yet effective:* 📱 Use the Notion meal planner template* 📅 Plan meals weekly* 🛒 Shop efficiently* 👨‍🍳 Cook with ease🎉 Sarah decides to give it a try for a month. The results? Healthier eating habits, reduced meal-related stress, and no more wasted groceries. She successfully avoids the pitfalls of unhealthy food choices and finds a balance between convenience and nutrition.🚀 Sound like a (somewhat) familiar story? Give my Meal Planner Template a try and see if it helps your meal habits!Know someone who uses Notion or wants to learn how to use it? Share this post!🔍 Go deeper with the template* 📊 How It Is Used: Users can plan meals for each day of the week, along with ingredient lists and recipes. This helps in efficient grocery shopping and ensures a balanced diet.🛠️ Notion AI Integration* 🧠 Meal Idea Generation: AI suggests meal ideas based on dietary preferences, available ingredients, and nutritional goals.* 🛍️ Smart Shopping List: AI creates shopping lists from planned meals, considering pantry inventory.🎨 Notion Formulas* 🧮 Nutritional Value Calculator: This formula allows a user to see how many nutrients they are getting per meal.* ⏱️ Meal Prep Time Estimator: This formula converts prep time from minutes to a more readable format🌟 Notion Charts* 🥧 Calories Balance Chart: A pie chart showing the distribution of macronutrients like calories in planned meals.* 📊 Weekly Meal Variety Chart: A bar chart displaying the frequency of different meal types (breakfast, lunch, dinner) throughout the week.🤔 How did we get here?🙏 Thank you to those who voted on my Substack and LinkedIn polls to get this template created! Please enjoy it and leave feedback below or on Gumroad.👋 See you on Tuesday where we vote for our next Notion template! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Cultural Challenges and AdaptationReturning to China stirs a bewildering array of emotions. Imagine having to filter every word and gesture, navigating a labyrinth of cultural subtleties. Direct translations often fall short, leaving you to reconstruct sentences and ideas in your mind to ensure they're understood. This mental gymnastics can be draining, yet it also unveils deeper layers of language and cultural intricacies. But why does this cultural dance feel both alien and familiar at the same time?Advocacy and Identity in CollegeDuring college, I spent a lot of time advocating for Chinese Americans. I even helped lead Georgetown's Chinese Student Alliance as Co-President, where we organized cultural events, educational workshops, and community service projects. But who are Chinese Americans? From those I've met in college and beyond, we tend to lean more American than Chinese. Generally speaking (and this isn't a full representation of the group), Gen Z Chinese Americans have usually lived in America for most of their childhood and prefer using English over Mandarin (just in my experience). From what I have seen, there is a clear distinction between Chinese Americans and Chinese international students, both in terms of language proficiency and understanding of Chinese society. This distinction often manifests in social circles, academic preferences, and even dining choices on campus.Rediscovering Chinese RootsI've generally considered myself more American than Chinese due to my upbringing and cultural experiences in the United States. However, during my latest trip to China, I was surprised at how quickly I could adapt to the local norms and customs. For instance, I embraced the practice of supporting and respecting the elderly, which is deeply ingrained in Chinese society. I found myself offering my seat on public transport and engaging in polite small talk with elders, actions that felt second nature in that environment. Additionally, I became comfortable initiating conversations and engaging with people in Mandarin, which helped me integrate into communities. I managed to navigate local markets and order food, which made me realize that I could blend into Chinese culture more easily than I thought.Language Learning StrugglesSo where does that leave me? To be honest, I tried using Duolingo to brush up on my Cantonese skills, but I quickly lost momentum. I found it difficult to keep up with the daily practice at this point. The app's repetitive exercises felt monotonous, and I struggled to stay motivated without a conversational partner. Right now, it's still undetermined if I will pick it back up and give it another shot. I might need to find new strategies or tools, such as language exchange programs or immersive courses, to help me stay consistent and make the learning process more engaging. Below is a night shot of Foshan.Balancing Dual CulturesI want to make a better effort to balance American and Chinese cultures at this stage of my life. It's important for me to embrace both identities and integrate them into my daily experiences. This might include celebrating both American and Chinese holidays, engaging with Chinese media, and participating in community events. Although I don't know when I'll have the chance to go back, I aspire to return with a better understanding of the language and culture. By doing so, I hope to enrich my life and foster a deeper connection to my roots. This balanced approach could help me navigate the complexities of my dual identity and create a more harmonious sense of self.💡 If you would like to watch the full China trip, I filmed a recap!⬇️How do you view your ethnic/cultural identity? Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Evolution of Chinese SocietyWow, Chinese society has undergone a remarkable transformation in the past nine years. It's almost as if the changes have been happening in the shadows, gradually reshaping everyday life. Take, for example, the way people handle money. Physical cash, once a staple, has become increasingly cumbersome for many. The swift shift towards a predominantly cashless society is truly astonishing, even though it's hard to pinpoint the exact pace of this change. While no place outright denied us the use of cash, it became noticeably more challenging to use in daily transactions. Instead, I found myself relying on WeChat Pay and Alipay. How has this quiet revolution in payment methods impacted the broader culture and daily life in China?Like what you are reading? Subscribe for full access to content!Consumerism CultureSimply put, the consumerism culture is crazy. Every gigantic shopping mall we visited was bustling with people of all ages, from young children to the elderly, enthusiastically flooding through the doors and crowding the stores. Malls like DNA and Nova Plaza in Foshan were packed with shoppers. This phenomenon reflects a stark contrast to what we are used to in America, where mall culture is supposedly on the decline, with many shopping centers experiencing dwindling foot traffic and closures. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, retail sales of consumer goods in the country reached nearly 44 trillion yuan in 2022, showing the significant spending power of Chinese citizens. It was amazing to witness such a vibrant and thriving consumer environment. Below is a video of an H&M store in Foshan, China.Technological MarvelsOther technological marvels include cleaning robots in hotels that efficiently handle housekeeping tasks, a high-speed rail system that connects cities like Beijing and Shanghai with remarkable speed and convenience, and a self-driving bus currently in its beta testing phase in cities like Guangzhou. China's high-speed rail network is the largest in the world, with over 37,900 kilometers of track as of 2022. The autonomous features of these innovations, especially their ability to operate with minimal human intervention, stood out to me the most. These technologies represent significant advancements in automation and transportation, promising to transform the way Chinese citizens live and travel. Below is a video of the high-speed rail between Guangzhou and Shenzhen.A Personal Perspective on China's Global InfluenceGrowing up, I visited China a few times, with the last visit being in seventh grade in 2015. My mother’s family is from the Guangdong province, and my father’s family is from Hainan island. Both areas are in southern China and have unique cultures and ways of life, different from other regions in the country. Guangdong is known for its Cantonese cuisine, while Hainan is famous for its tropical climate and seafood.I somewhat remember that trip, but visiting China as a child is very different from visiting as an adult. After studying business and global affairs in college, my perspective on Chinese culture has changed dramatically. In my studies, China often came up in discussions about geopolitical rivalries and economic competition, rather than just being a place associated with my extended family and serene visits. This shift in perspective has deepened my understanding of China's complex role in the world. Below is a video of a restaurant on the 37th floor of a building in Foshan.For instance, China is a major player in global economics and a critical influencer in international politics. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) exemplifies its expansive economic strategy. It aims to enhance global trade routes and infrastructure across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Additionally, China's advancements in technology, like 5G networks and artificial intelligence, have positioned it as a tech industry leader, often competing with the United States. These technological strides are coupled with China’s growing military capabilities, which impact regional security dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region. Understanding these aspects has allowed me to see China not just as a personal heritage site but as a nation with policies and innovations that affect global stability and progress.Cultural ObservationsFrom what I observed, Chinese people tend to move quickly and efficiently in their daily activities. They also do not use polite expressions like "excuse me" or "thank you" as often when passing by others in public spaces. This behavior might be influenced by cultural norms that prioritize directness in everyday interactions. For example, in busy markets and subway stations, people navigate crowds with minimal verbal interaction. Chinese culture tends to emphasize collectivism and efficiency, which helps to explain these observed behaviors.When it comes to cultural symbols, it doesn’t get more iconic than the lazy susan, a rotating tray often found in the center of dining tables. Its name, though curious, reflects its function—facilitating the easy sharing of dishes among diners. This simple yet ingenious device is central to many communal dining customs, where gestures of hospitality and respect come into play. For example, at a family dinner, it is common to see diners refill each other’s tea cups and place food on each other’s plates. This cooperative effort creates a harmonious environment where everyone at the table can enjoy the meal together.ConclusionAs I wrap up this edition of the newsletter, I hope my experiences and insights have offered you a glimpse into the dynamic interplay between technology and culture in China, as well as the complex nature of cultural identity. I look forward to sharing more stories and reflections with you in the next issue. Until then, stay curious and keep exploring the world around you!💡 If you would like to watch the full China trip, I filmed a recap!⬇️How do you view technology and culture in your country? Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

4-7.21.24Hi everyone,I just came back from China after securing a full-time job. I primarily visited family in Foshan (a city in the Guangdong province in Southern China) but also had the chance to visit other cities in the province, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen.As anyone who has been to Asia can probably relate to, it’s a lot of feelings and experiences at once that are hard to fully describe. Therefore, I have decided to split up this week’s edition of the newsletter into three parts to better articulate the experience. Each part will have a theme which is as follows:1. Family → “Navigating Emotions: Rediscovering Family Ties on My Return to China”2. Technology → “Modern Marvels: Tech Transformations in China”3. Identity → “Balancing Dual Identities: The Chinese American Experience”Notion Tips and Templates:* Notion Tip: Use Linked Databases for Better Organization: Instead of managing multiple databases separately, link them together. This allows you to view and update information across different databases in one place, keeping your workspace organized and efficient. For example, link your task database with your project database to see all relevant tasks and their statuses in a single view.* Featured Notion Template: contact list* A contact list is for important contacts such as professors, classmates, and advisors. It’s crucial for staying connected and having all necessary information at hand.Here is Part 1 of 3: “Family → ‘Navigating Emotions: Rediscovering Family Ties on My Return to China’”Visiting Extended FamilyVisiting extended family in a country where your primary language isn't spoken is a journey filled with intrigue and unexpected challenges. It’s a blend of excitement and unease, offering rewarding and daunting experiences. Growing up in the U.S., with roots in Ohio, I learned both English and Mandarin Chinese, which kept me connected to my heritage. Yet, my extended family in China, fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, presents a linguistic puzzle that adds a layer of complexity to our interactions. This enigmatic divide in language complicates communication in the verbal sense but makes nonverbal communication even more meaningful. How do these dynamics shape family connections?Past Visits to ChinaI haven’t been back to China in 9 years, since 2015, and honestly, I don’t remember much from that trip. During that visit, I stayed in Foshan for two weeks and spent time with my grandparents in their apartment before going to Hainan to see my dad’s side of the family. Before that, my last visit was in 2012, which feels like a lifetime ago. In 2012, I traveled to Beijing and Shanghai, where I visited the Great Wall. During that earlier trip, I had a chance to see more and experience the culture for a longer period of time, including attending a local festival and trying traditional street foods. However, as time has passed, those memories have also started to fade.Enjoying this post? Subscribe for more content!Growing Up ApartI grew up apart from my extended family since most of them stayed in China while my parents lived in the U.S. My parents moved to the U.S. in the late 1980s for better job opportunities and settled in Ohio. My grandparents visited the U.S. a few times when they were younger, specifically in the early 2000s. But it was when I was very little, around 2 or 3 years old, and I personally don’t remember them coming. They stayed with us, helping my parents take care of me, but those visits became less frequent as they aged and travel became more challenging for them.Becoming a Stronger TravelerThis time seeing my extended family was different because, even though we mostly speak different languages, I have had many language and travel experiences that have made me a stronger traveler. Specifically, I took five semesters of Chinese at Georgetown University, where I not only learned the language but also gained insights into Chinese culture and history, ultimately becoming proficient enough to graduate (yay!). In the past two years, I traveled to various countries including the Dominican Republic, where I saw the Dominican-Haitian border; India, where I marveled at the Taj Mahal in Agra; South Africa, where I went on a safari; Ireland, where I enjoyed the vibrant city of Dublin; and Ghana, where I visited the historic Cape Coast Castle. These experiences improved my ability to communicate with people from different cultures and taught me how to travel effectively (always have Advil and Dramamine ready!).Overcoming FearThe first full day of the China trip, I felt an irrational fear of asking my cousin if we could go somewhere fun, perhaps to explore a new place that I hadn’t seen before. This feeling was hard to shake off in the moment. I vividly recall several other moments during the trip where this sense of hesitation crept in, particularly when I had to use Mandarin. For example, during my hotel stay in Foshan, I wanted to ask the cleaning lady for more towels and tissues but hesitated because I was unsure of my pronunciation. Despite having a reasonably good command of the language and being able to get by in most situations, I still found myself holding back. Below is a moment of exploring in Foshan.Family's SignificanceThat feeling makes the actions of my family that much more significant to me. Sometimes, I feel their care and affection through kind and thoughtful words, like when my aunt in Foshan complimented my Chinese speaking abilities me. Other times, it's through considerate and warm gestures, such as my uncle taking me to insanely good restaurants across Foshan, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Each expression, whether verbal or physical, reflects their genuine concern and love. Amidst all these varied expressions, the one constant is the care they consistently show. Below is a moment during one dinner where the smoke from the food is intense enough to reach the ceiling.Reflections on Family DynamicsI feel incredibly fortunate to have a family like this. I was especially struck by this feeling after reading a New York Times article about a therapy approach that encourages people to cut ties with their family members. While I neither support nor reject this method, I find it difficult to relate to because my family has always been a significant source of support in my life. For example, my parents have always been there for me during challenging times, like when they drove to D.C. to support me during a stressful time at Georgetown. Unlike the experiences described in the article, my family dynamics are positive and nurturing. I am endlessly grateful for the love and support they provide.Future VisitsIt makes me sad and wistful that I can’t visit my extended family more often, but this feeling also fuels my motivation to work hard. I aspire to create opportunities to return, not just during family trips, but independently as well. For instance, I hope to save enough money to visit them every summer. Everyone is growing up and evolving at different stages and paces, making these moments of connection even more precious and significant. My cousin, who was barely in middle school during my last visit, is close to being done with college and figuring out her next steps. These aspirations bring a sense of purpose to my efforts, reminding me of the importance of family ties.Finding TranquilityI think some of the best moments have been when we are just silently together, each engrossed in our own activities. For instance, sitting with my grandparents in their living room in Guangzhou, sipping tea and reading a book while they watch TV. These times create a rare sense of tranquility and comfort for me, especially at this stage of my life. As a recent graduate starting to navigate the professional world, these peaceful moments provide a much-needed break from the busyness and stress of this transitional period. It's in these quiet moments that I find solace and a deeper connection with my family, no matter how often or rare we get to see each other.💡 If you would like to watch the full China trip, I filmed a recap!⬇️How do you view family dynamics? Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

3-7.7.24Hi everyone,Welcome to the third edition of the Mindful Morsels, a newsletter focused on mindful content consumption!What is Mindful Morsels?This newsletter focuses on making the most of our time and attention. Specifically, that means consuming content with purpose, focusing on quality over quantity, and fostering a healthy information diet.What can you expect from this newsletter?* Actionable Notion tips and featured Notion templates: Learn practical strategies and use templates to become a more mindful content consumer.* Curated tech resources: Discover tech-focused articles, podcasts, and tools to enhance your mindful consumption journey.* Personal updates: From a 22-year-old college graduate who is trying to figure out life.Notion Tips and Templates:* Notion Tip: Use Ctrl + Shift + N (or Cmd + Shift + N on Mac) to quickly open a new Notion window to seamlessly work on two window screens!* Featured Notion Template: “Travel planner” by Notion* I’m literally using this template right now for my current trip out of the country. Watch me break down this template and more in my latest YouTube video below! “Travel planning can be a fragmented mess with different documents and information scattered across email, files, websites, and more. This template puts all the essential details about your travel plans into one spot.”Latest Articles:* “This is Big Tech’s playbook for swallowing the AI industry” - The Verge* “Scientists Create Robot Controlled by Blob of Human Brain Cells” - Futurism* “Supreme Court Protects the Future of Content Moderation” - The VergeBook Recommendation: “Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement” by Daniel Kahneman, Oliver Sibony & Cass SunsteinI’m going to be honest. A lot of this book’s content flew over my head the first time I read through it. It’s a book that definitely deserves a second, maybe even a third read. The authors expertly break down this concept of “noise” that influences the judgement of important societal decision makers. The scenarios the authors use highlight judges, doctors, business leaders, government officials, and more. A fascinating read, if you are ready to think critically for 521 pages (Kindle edition). Read more about the book HERE.Personal Updates → securing a jobAfter about a year of searching, I have finally secured a full-time job. It’s been a long journey but I am glad to have made it to the other side.I think there are three key takeaways from this experience for college student:* It’s never too early or late to find an opportunity at this stage of a college student's career.* The process will likely be challenging if you’re interested in industries like consulting or tech. It’s important to have a few people you can consistently rely on, who accept both the best and worst parts of you.* Using organization tools like Notion can be very helpful. I’m happy to share more either through my platforms or by booking a call with me.🛋️BackgroundFor some context, I graduated this past May from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Global Affairs. When I started at Georgetown, I was pretty sure I would pursue consulting because of the university's resources for that career path. I joined a consulting club on campus, gained experience working with clients, and felt ready for recruiting by the summer of 2022, between my sophomore and junior year.🌀Initial StrugglesAnd then, things went south. I spent the summer of 2022 rigorously preparing for interviews and doing casework to put my best foot forward for the consulting company interviews. These interviews were for a junior summer internship, which I wanted to achieve. However, during June, July, August, and September, I did not receive an offer I wanted. This situation was very disappointing to me. I felt like I had worked really hard to be the best candidate possible. Even though these rejections and missed opportunities did not define me, they obviously hurt at that point.🥣Changing CourseIn September 2022, I thought there were two clear paths to proceed. First, I could continue looking for consulting opportunities, whether big, small, or far away. Alternatively, I could pursue other interests as part of the class of 2024.I realized my first year of college at Georgetown was highly unusual because it was virtual. I felt like I had missed out on much of the professional and career exploration that typically happens in college, especially in the first few years as a student. After considering the option of continuing to apply for consulting opportunities, I decided to instead expand my horizons.🧢Studying Abroad & Cool InternshipsFirst, I wanted to see if there were study abroad opportunities because I had not yet studied abroad. My first year was virtual, and the pandemic made it hard to travel. I continued to apply for various internships and summer 2023 opportunities. Finally, in February 2023, I was awarded a fellowship with the CIEE to be part of their Frederick Douglass Fellowship program. The experience of having a fully funded trip to South Africa and Ireland was amazing, but I'll save that story for another time.The second area of exploration I wanted to pursue was technology, specifically tech ethics concerning privacy and misinformation. In the fall of 2022, I did an internship at the U.S. Library of Congress, studying how the first modern information infrastructure networks, like those set up by the CIA, were established.🖌️Continuing the Job SearchHowever, that meant that at the conclusion of this fellowship in August 2023, I still did not have a clear path forward for my post-grad career, unlike some of my peers who had summer internships at organizations where they would return full-time. This situation does not just for consulting and banking opportunities, but for opportunities in general.I didn't have that situation, so I did what many people would do in my position: I started thinking about my opportunities and skills over the past three or four years and how I could apply them moving forward. It was hard to pinpoint because my major in business and global affairs and my experiences in tech, business, nonprofit, and government seemed good for a college experience but not easy to translate onto a résumé.🦋Applying to Tech and EthicsGoing into fall 2023, the main two industries I applied to were tech consulting and tech ethics. There were opportunities in both fields, but unfortunately, neither led anywhere. The hardest part of the application process in fall 2023 was definitely getting interviews.At a certain point, after applying to numerous places, I got into a rhythm of recognizing how to send applications and network well to get referrals. However, the problem was that these referrals were not leading to many interviews. Despite feeling like I was a strong candidate for positions, I selfishly felt like the effort I put into sharpening my résumé, networking, and interview prep was not paying off as it should have.📘Shifting Focus to StartupsIn the spring of 2024, my job search shifted due to a fellowship I was awarded. I started applying to smaller companies, specifically startups. In this environment, I found it easier to get interviews because of my fellowship status. However, the positions were often either very vague and uncertain about their future needs or extremely specific, which seemed a bit challenging for a college student to meet such precise requirements in their career.🚙Looking ForwardSo, which opportunity ended up actually working out? That will be for another post once I start working! I'm super excited to be working in D.C. starting at the end of next month, and that experience will definitely be part of these newsletters. I will detail what that experience is like as well. That's been the job process for me. Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you next time.Stay tuned!The next issue will cover the differences between Notion and other similar platforms like Obsidian, Asana, monday.com, and more indirect competitors like Google and Microsoft.Thanks for reading!-SamAbout the CreatorSam H Li is an entrepreneurial technologist on a mission to bridge the gap between innovation and responsibility. He is particularly passionate about tackling major technological challenges like disinformation and user privacy breaches. His focus lies in analyzing how organizations (both private and public) handle data ethics and sustainability as they scale.Podcast Timestamps* 00:00 Intro + Overview* 01:16 Notion Tips, Latest YouTube Video, Latest Articles, Book Recommendation* 04:05 Personal Updates: Job Search Process* 19:18 Conclusion + Next Issue Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Source: Reuters (left) & iNews (right)From the author: “Hi everyone! As I am getting used to Substack and its podcasting feature, I wanted to release a quick podcast article about the start of the Wimbledon 2024 Championships, the most prestigious tennis tournament. I will be uploading the third edition of “Mindful Morsels” on Sunday evening as scheduled. Enjoy this piece! Thanks. -Sam.”Coming into Wimbledon 2024, there are the usual favorites on both the men's and women's side. On the men's, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz (ESP), seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic (SER), and world no. 1 Jannik Sinner (ITA) are all predicted to go far. On the women's, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (KAZ) and two-time finalist Ons Jabeur (TUN) are favored to make deep runs.But for tennis fans who are invested in comeback stories, it doesn’t get much better than two players who won their first-round matches on Centre Court and Court No. 2 respectively: Emma Raducanu (GBR) and Naomi Osaka (JPN). Both are former Grand Slam champions (the highest-ranking tournaments in tennis) and burst onto the scene by winning the U.S. Open in 2021 and 2018 respectively.For context, here are some statistics that define the two players’ careers that no other player has accomplished:With Raducanu:* Won a Grand Slam singles title as a qualifier (U.S. Open 2021)* Won a Grand Slam singles title with two or fewer major main-draw appearances (U.S. Open 2021)* Won a singles title in first U.S. Open main-draw appearance (U.S. Open 2021)With Osaka:* First Asian player to be ranked world no. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association* Was ranked the highest-earning female athlete of all time by annual income in 2020* Was the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo OlympicsIn recent years, both stars have struggled with various situations that have kept them off the court. For Raducanu, she has dealt with multiple wrist and ankle injuries that forced her to call off the rest of her 2023 season starting in April 2023. For Osaka, she pulled out of the 2021 French Open citing mental health struggles and then took off the 2023 season as she was expecting her first child.In 2024, Raducanu and Osaka have made promising returns before the start of Wimbledon today. The former made the quarterfinals at the Stuttgart Open to make her first quarterfinal since 2022. The latter pushed world no. 1 and three-time French Open winner Iga Swiatek to the brink in three sets in the 2024 French Open second round, before bowing out.But at Wimbledon, arguably the most important and distinguished tennis tournament, both of these stars have a chance to make statement wins as they continue their comebacks. For Raducanu, playing at Wimbledon is like playing at home. For Osaka, playing at Wimbledon is a chance for millions of adoring fans to see her grace the grass courts once again.So while both players still have many matches ahead of them (six to be exact) before they can lift the Venus Rosewater Dish (the trophy given to the women's singles champion), they have made promising starts with their wins today. With their electrifying groundstrokes and competitive energy, the sport of tennis has dearly missed them.First Round:* E. Raducanu (GBR) def. R. Zarazúa (MEX) | 7-6(0) 6-3* N. Osaka (JPN) def. D. Parry (FRA) | 6-1 1-6 6-4About the CreatorSam H Li is an entrepreneurial technologist on a mission to bridge the gap between innovation and responsibility. He is particularly passionate about tackling major technological challenges like disinformation and user privacy breaches. His focus lies in analyzing how organizations (both private and public) handle data ethics and sustainability as they scale. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Macalester senior Hufsa as she explains her experience as a 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellow (FDGF). As the flagship program of the Council on International Educational Exchange, FDGF selects a small cohort of undergraduate students of color to embark on an international experience. This most recent cohort (that Hufsa and I both had the privilege to be a part of) traveled from D.C. to South Africa to Ireland, examining different leadership and social justice strategies. Students studied the legacies of influential leaders like Frederick Douglass, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Daniel O'Connell, and more. "College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Harvard first-year Praveen as he takes us through his first year of college. Praveen talks about the difficulties and triumphs he experienced as he adjusted to life away from home. Tune in to see how he manages his time and what advice he has for incoming freshmen who will be going to college in just under 2 months."College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Stanford senior Daania as she explores how her definitions of success have changed from high school to college. Daania also weaves creativity with her learning in order to create more fulfilling experiences while at school. Enjoy!"College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) student Rebecca Lin and learn about her journey through UMKC's BA/MD program! Rebecca talks about the different paths life has taken her and why she enjoys patient interactions so much. Enjoy!"College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Georgetown alum Sonya as she reflects on the past four years at Georgetown. Sonya gives great insight into post-college life and how she manages the "work-life balance" that college students so often hear about."College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Georgetown junior Jon (School of Foreign Service) as he discusses feeling burnout at various stages of his academic career and how he was able to come back stronger every time. "College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Georgetown senior Alex (School of Foreign Service) in understanding the SFS education system a bit better! In this episode, Alex talks about how he chose his major (International Politics) as well as his potential minors (French and Statistics) before concluding with how he found his research opportunities."College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Georgetown junior Aryaman in discussing the difficult and interesting transition from high school to college. As someone who started college online due to the pandemic, Aryaman describes his journey from North Dakota to D.C., and what he has learned along the way."College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Yale undergrad student Allie in her journey through social environments at Yale. Allie talks about her living situations (including her awesome roommates), learning about club dynamics, and more! "College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown senior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Georgetown junior Maggie and explore the world of reading! Hear how Maggie got her start with reading books, why reading is so important in challenging our existing systems, and how to build reading communities in life.  "College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown junior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Georgetown junior Kailey (Georgetown College) to discuss how to deal with the highs and lows of college professional, academic, and personal life. Through this topic, Kailey guides us through how to pick ourselves back up after experiencing failure, whether that's in a club, a relationship, and more. Additionally, she talks about her personal experiences with iterations and why they are so crucial to success in college."College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown junior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Join Georgetown junior Tyler (Georgetown College) and dive into the world of self-care! Tyler takes us through his journey with self-care, from learning its definition to making his own. Tyler also talks about how entering college in a virtual setting forced him to adapt his self-care routines and why it is so important for everyone to have their own methods. Lastly, Tyler leaves us with some tips on how to improve our own self-care!"College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown junior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy!TW: Depression, Anxiety. Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Hear Georgetown sophomore Anjali (School of Foreign Service) describe her experience with friend groups at Georgetown and how to continue finding new ones. Anjali delves into the unique friend culture at her high school and what that meant for her initial experiences at Georgetown. She brings us to the present and future with her insights on Georgetown friends throughout the underclassmen years and where to go from here."College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown junior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Georgetown junior Aditya (McDonough School of Business) as he delves into the world of professional development at Georgetown! Aditya gives helpful advice on getting involved with business clubs and seeking out opportunities around campus and off campus. Additionally, Aditya provides an introduction to finance recruiting, which is perfect timing for next semester's cycle. Hear him "make cents"!"College Conscience" is a podcast created by Georgetown junior Sam Li. He initially wanted to start this series as a way to record meaningful conversations he and his friends have on a regular basis. On this podcast, listen to Sam and his friends talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to college. No topic is off limits and Sam hopes to share experiences and insights for people entering college, in college, or curious to reminisce about their college days! Enjoy! Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe