Good morning, friends.

Happiness hides in the details.

If you’ve been reading The Profile for a while, you know I have a deep obsession with nuance, precision, and specificity. That’s because, time and time again, I’ve seen how clarity can transform chaos. The sharper your lens, the better you see, and the better you live.

I’ve noticed a pattern among the people I study: Whenever a situation feels overwhelming or a mood feels impossible to shake, specificity is often the tool that cuts through the fog.

Let’s look at how that works in practice.

Start with your relationships. Both personal and professional ones tend to break down when our language gets too vague or too absolute. Psychotherapist Esther Perel warns against using phrases like “you always” or “you never.” These kinds of sweeping declarations aren’t just inaccurate — they’re inflammatory, and they only escalate the conflict. “It leaves the other person with no option but to refute what you just said about him, to stonewall you, or to attack you for your offenses,” Perel says.

Instead of “You never do the dishes,” she suggests something like: “I’d love help with the dishes during X, Y, and Z times.” The specificity in this situation is instrumental in replacing pure emotion with a rational ask. Suddenly, you’ve moved from a general grievance to a specific request, one that invites cooperation instead of conflict.

The same principle applies to your career.

Take Jim Koch, the co-founder of Boston Beer Company. In 1984, Koch was earning $250,000 a year at Boston Consulting Group, which was a dream job by most standards. But he couldn’t stop thinking about starting a brewery. The anxiety over this decision gnawed at him until he finally zeroed in on what, exactly, he was afraid of.

He landed on two words: scary and dangerous.

Starting a brewery was scary. But staying in his job was dangerous because it meant silencing his ambition and living with regret. The moment he made that distinction, the decision became clearer. Scary, he realized, was survivable. Dangerous was soul-killing.

That same principle applies to your own moments of confusion.

If you’re feeling stuck or afraid, try asking yourself: What exactly am I afraid of? Is it telling your boss you’re leaving? Disappointing your parents? Giving up the comfort of a steady paycheck? When you move from “I feel uncertain” to “I’m nervous about X,” you shrink the problem to something solvable.

As author James Clear puts it: “The more precisely you define the problem, the more easily you can find a solution. ‘I feel bad’ can have a million causes. ‘I didn’t sleep much last night, and I haven’t exercised in a week’ has a very straightforward answer.”

— Polina

PROFILES.

— The prince accusing his money manager of wrongdoing: [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The model-turned-billionaire
— The author who became a publishing powerhouse
— The tech journalist building a media empire
— Broadway’s brashest legend

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The prince accusing his money manager of wrongdoing: A corruption scandal in Monaco erupted after Prince Albert II fired his longtime money manager, Claude Palmero, accusing him of mismanaging and misappropriating royal funds. Leaked documents and Palmero’s detailed notebooks exposed secret payments, off-the-books spending, and questionable investments tied to the royal family. The fallout revealed just how little oversight Albert had over his fortune, and how deeply Palmero was embedded in managing it. Now under investigation, Palmero claims he was simply cleaning up royal messes and vows to fight the palace’s charges. (Wall Street Journal; alternate link)

“Basically, I had no idea what assets I was supposed to manage.”

The model-turned-billionaire: Hailey Bieber has transformed from model to mogul with her billion-dollar skincare brand, Rhode. Motherhood changed her, physically and mentally, making her stronger and more grounded. Despite online hate and public obsession with her marriage, she’s focused on her real life, she says, not the headlines. “You would think after having a child, people would maybe move on, chill out a little bit, but no,” she says. “So I guess these bitches are going to be mad.” (Vogue)

“Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through. And to be doing that all the while going on the internet every day…I cannot even begin to explain it.”

The author who became a publishing powerhouse: Taylor Jenkins Reid, the bestselling author behind Daisy Jones & The Six and Evelyn Hugo, is back with Atmosphere, a NASA-set space thriller and love story poised to be a major hit. With more than 21 million books sold and a slew of adaptations in the works, she’s become a brand in her own right, navigating fame with humility and humor. Despite past snubs from literary critics, she proudly embraces her accessible, bingeable storytelling. Her goal? Not just bestsellers, but a lasting career that earns readers’ trust, book after book. (TIME)

“I’m chasing a feeling. Maybe it doesn’t matter if I’m fancy. Maybe I’m just fun.”

The tech journalist building a media empire: Kara Swisher, the tech journalist turned podcaster, has built a media empire. Her show Pivot, co-hosted with Scott Galloway, helped her reach a wide audience and land a unique, high-stakes deal with Vox Media — no guaranteed salary, only a big cut of whatever revenue they generate. At 62, Swisher is busier than ever, juggling multiple podcasts, a CNN documentary, TV projects, and a potential bid for The Washington Post. As she puts it, “Every day I get to decide what I do—and it’s not dependent on anybody.” (The New York Times; alternate link)

“At the end of this long career, it’s like: ‘Oh, wow. I make something people really like.'”

Broadway’s brashest legend: Patti LuPone, Broadway’s brashest legend, is stepping back from the stage, but not from the spotlight. Now 76, she’s as fierce and unfiltered as ever, trading big musical roles for TV gigs, Marvel magic, and soup-making for Aubrey Plaza. Known for her powerhouse performances and fiery offstage fights — from swiping phones mid-show to calling Glenn Close a “bitch” — LuPone has always asked, Why? and never stopped fighting for respect. Her latest chapter is filled with reflection, rage at modern Broadway, and a deep love for old-school New York. (The New Yorker; alternate link)

“I was dealt the hard hand, in everything… The next life is going to be easier.”

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