ONLY YOU (1 OF 1) ☝🏾

ONLY YOU (1 OF 1) ☝🏾

January 28, 2026 • Issue No. 29

I’ve written before about being a longtime SNL fan, though I admit that the episodes have been a little snoozy since the 50th Anniversary season came to an end. After the recent departures of Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim, and Devon Walker I have only one favorite cast member hanging on: Sarah Sherman.

Sarah is, single-handedly, already the reason why I really want a mullet. Then, she earned my full respect when I saw her emcee Zohran’s last campaign rally. And earlier this week, she got the ultimate honor of guest editing NY Mag’s “…Can’t Live Without” feature. This feature, which doubles as a shoppable list with per-click payouts for the periodical, is usually a predictable walk through a celebrity abode: an overpriced at-home wellness tool, a facial serum milked from the udders of the gods, and a book that hints at a pseudo-intellectual inner life. But Sarah’s was (mostly) different.

You can read it for yourself, but here’s the short version of her absolutely legendary sui generis ‘Can’t Live Without’ list.

WOOF! Talk about iconic! Talk about unique! She had me at the putrid description of the patchouli perfume. I’m not one for celebrity fawning (Beyoncé excluded), but this floored me. What Sarah is doing here — unlike hordes of actresses who share wrinkle cream recs — is one of a kind. It feels like no one but her could’ve assembled this list; and that is valuable. It’s valuable when people do things their own way and with their own personal spin. 

You could go to any number of places for tacos, but you probably have a favorite taco spot because of something they do there that they don’t do anywhere else.

You could spend your Saturday night at any number of venues, but you probably have a favorite place because of how you feel when you’re there.

I know men who’ve gone to the same barber for decades even as the price increases and the commute extends because that barber is “the only one who knows my cut”. 

The thing that makes you distinctive is valuable, that’s your sparkle. In a work setting, you have a function to perform but there’s often latitude in your approach. Think: how can I do this with my own flair?

Here are some examples from my friends and clients:

• labeling stations around the room with helium balloons (instead of boring printed numbers) at a high-stakes event

• greeting every member of the support staff with a personal anecdote on the way in

• using the icebreaker portion of a team meeting for a quick art activity

• turning on a scent diffuser with lemongrass during office hours, which helps to ease tensions when visitors arrive with qualms and complaints

As a bonus, think about the tools you use for work on a daily basis. Is there an opportunity for added flair there?

• a work bag in a bright, citrusy color to evoke joy (or, a bright and budget-friendly keychain)

• a desktop wallpaper that changes with the seasons or your vibe (I like to download mine from The Everygirl)

• a color-coded (or emoji-coded) calendar that helps you more easily track your time

• decorated tabs and folders that make you want to keep your files updated

No matter what you call it — personality, flair, sparkle, unique-ness — it’s your secret sauce. Sure, Sarah’s list is definitively strange (men’s deodorant? perfume that intentionally disgusts? second hand candy?) but it’s also unforgettable. I’ve read at least 30 “…Can’t Live Without” features and hers stands out by a long shot. It’s time for you to stand out, too.

I’ll leave you with a quote from my 2024 e-book, Finding Your Sparkle At Work,

💎 You need not be completely colorless, void of personality, and blend in with the background to be a professional success. It would be boring for us to all be white diamonds! You are who you are; there is no one like you. 💎

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