📝 Editor’s Note
Thank you for continuing to read and to support Rambull. I genuinely look forward to working on the profiles each week.
The part I like the most is when I can connect with new people or introduce them to someone new. And my ego loves compliments. A reader emailed me to say Rambull was “inbox dessert”. That made my week.
The part that is the most challenging is finding people to profile. Help me out with a suggestion!
I also want to shout out Claudia Dawson and the Recomendo team. Their authentic plug of Rambull in April led to a massive jump in subscribers. This year Rambull started with 1,920 subscribers and as of December 24th, we are at 5,435.
Oh, and for those reading this on Christmas morning and celebrating — Merry Christmas!
Without further ado….
Top Rambull Recommendations of 2024
These are the links that had the most click engagement. Written in each recommender’s own words…
1. 30 Second Dance Party
This past Christmas I gave out 30 Second Dance Party Buttons to my friends. I press the button at random times throughout my workday to dance with my dog. It’s become Pavlov's experiment. He hears the music, runs for a toy to put in his mouth and starts spinning and jumping with me. My friend who is a mother to twin toddlers says that this button has made diaper changes an exciting activity for them. — Claudia Dawson
2. eqpd bag
This is a new brand on my radar, created by an ex-Patagonia product designer. American made and designed to last; it’s literally dubbed the last bag you’ll ever need. — Melanie Parker
3. CJ’s Productivity Playbook
This past year has been the busiest of my life (by far). It's forced me to be hyper-productive with my time, and I've had to adopt various systems to get everything done. I ended up documenting my workflow in what I'm calling a Personal Productivity Playbook, and it distills pretty much everything on the topic down to what actually works (there is a lot of BS out there). It’s built from years of personal experiments, and it’s the only way I know how to balance the CEO role + faith, marriage, family, fitness, friends, fun, etc. — CJ Casselli
4. The minimum effective dose
Just like everyone else, I'm busy. Between working as an OT, blogging, podcasting, releasing a book, dadding, etc. there's little time left for one of the most important levers I can pull for my health, mood, and longevity: exercise. As I get older the time shrinks but the importance of fitness looms larger. Instead of large chunks of time dedicated to one type of exercise like I used to do, now I focus on hitting the minimum effective dose of the major types of fitness: strength training, HIIT, Zone 2, walking, and VO2 Max. I dove into the research to discover the least I can do each week to reap the benefits for each of these categories which you can find here. — Brian Comly
5. Berkey Water Filtration System
I'm a terrible salesperson, BUT I could convince almost anyone in the world to buy a Berkey. I grew up drinking tap water and never thought twice about it until EWG’s Tap Water Database completely turned my world upside down. If you haven’t crossed over into that filtered water life, you need to put your zip code into EWG’s Database. — Cabell Williams
6. The 1-Day Planner
Having a great, productive day should be simple.
Most men use daily planners to help them design a great day. Unfortunately, most planners fall short. They’re too broad, and lack precision and intention. In short, they don’t help you win the day. When you win the day, it creates momentum. Stack these won days on top of each other and it leads to a great week, month, quarter and beyond.
As a leadership and development expert, over the years I’ve tested countless planners.
Some were decent, some were horrible, and most were overpriced. I saw a need for something more. Something that I would use every day. I couldn’t find it. So I created it. I'm thrilled to introduce The Man Morning 1-Day Planner.
It’s designed based on extensive research, over a decade of coaching, and rigorous testing. — Antonio Neves
7. Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
This is a fall staple in our houses! It's fall-apart tender and with just 5 ingredients in the crock-pot, your whole house will smell divine. Serve over egg noodles and a veggie/salad and dinner is done!
8. Blackberry Farm
It's ridiculously expensive, but it's the best. — Ted Williams
9. Playing Cards with your Partner/Spouse | Spite and Malice
My husband and I both have a love for playing cards, along with a healthy dose of competitiveness. Since meeting in 2019, we’ve prioritized playing card games together over sitting in front of the TV or scrolling through our phones. On the rare occasion that we are staying at a hotel, we take cards to the lobby, sip a beverage and people-watch. One of our favorite two-player card games is Spite and Malice (check out the rules here) — Julia Ratliff
10. BEAMS Plus
A men's fashion brand based in Tokyo that takes inspiration from American fashion from the mid 40's to the mid 60's. All of their designs are timeless and functional and perfect for business casual looks. They always have excellent trousers and shirting, but this season I especially love their knits. — Sunny Bali
P.S. from Rambull — Here are three of my personal favorite recommendations:
YouTube Premium ($14/mo) — I resisted paying for YouTube for a long time. Now I’m glad I ponied up. S/O to Adrian Alfieri for the YouTube Playlists (Chris Luno, Lane 8) recommendations. Premium is also a gamechanger for little ones. With premium, they don’t get served random and sometimes questionable ads.
Coop Pillow ($60)— I did an allergy test this year and lit up like a Christmas tree. I needed to switch pillows and after much research landed on the Coop pillow. I’ve loved it.
Kubb ($45) — S/O to Melanie Parker. We’ve gifted this game several times as a hostess gift. Its a lot of fun and a nice mix-up from the traditional yard games.
Lastly - I am off next week. Hope y’all have a great New Year.
I got the Kubb game as a housewarming gift for a friend with a nice new yard, such a great choice!
Also: Wishing you a fantastic end of the year. I hope you’re having a good time with your loved ones!