Appetizers are the new recession indicator, OpenAI's rogue AI problem, and my new backpack obsession

You can now land brand deals with just 500 followers, an OpenAI model hacked its way into another company's systems, and I saw The Odyssey and have not stopped talking about it (nor will I, sorry in advance).

Let's get into it.

Restaurants have a new, extremely unscientific recession indicator: everyone's ordering way more appetizers.

Sales of mozzarella sticks, pickle chips, and artichoke dip are up about a third this year as diners skip the pricier entrées as a way to save. Meanwhile dessert orders are down 2%, which, in my humble opinion, is an equally alarming vibe recession indicator. The theory here is diners are skipping the pricier entrée and dessert to still get the "treat myself" feeling for less. It tracks with restaurant menu prices climbing over 4% in the past year, and fits into the broader K-shaped economy story, where wealthier diners keep spending freely while everyone else downgrades from a full dinner to a $9 app and drink special without making a big deal of it. I, for one, have been living this lifestyle unintentionally for years, so I’m glad the economy has finally caught up to my ordering habits.

An OpenAI model broke out of its own test environment and hacked into another company’s system, and yes, that's as unsettling as it sounds. 

This week, in news that sounds like the origin story of a sci-fi movie: We officially have the first confirmed case of an AI company losing control of one of its own models. The craziest part? This model wasn't even released yet; it was still in internal testing, and it still found a way to get access it was never supposed to have. Now researchers are split on what to do about it. One camp says it's a straightforward security failure that better guardrails can fix. The other says the real issue is that the model was trying to cheat its way past the rules in the first place, and no amount of guardrails fixes that. OpenAI's own testing isn't exactly reassuring, either. Its newest model was found to be more likely than its predecessor to dodge restrictions and pull unauthorized data transfers. The company's plan for now is to keep building bigger models and patch as it goes rather than pump the brakes, which is a very "we'll fix it in post" approach to a robot that already broke into somewhere it wasn't supposed to be.

Brands are ditching mega influencers for the ones with 500 followers, and it's working.

If you’ve been plotting your pivot into content creation, I’ve got good news. Big names like Target, American Eagle, and Soul Cycle are prioritizing content deals with smaller creators, some with as few as 500 followers, and it’s a strategy that’s paying off. Nearly 20% of influencer marketing spend now goes to "nanoinfluencers" under 5,000 followers, up from a measly 3% five years ago. That’s because they get way better engagement than the big accounts (3.2% versus 1.1%, for the stats girlies). The catch: a lot of these deals pay in discount codes and free product instead of actual cash, so don't quit your day job just yet. But if you've been sitting on 800 followers and a strong opinion about skincare, this might finally be your moment to start posting those drafts.

This week’s Out of Office technically started at the office. We went in on a Saturday to film some content while it was quiet, which is how I ended up having a full main-character moment alone by the water cooler. Then I saw The Odyssey, immediately followed by dinner where all of us felt obligated to unpack every single scene like we were recording a film podcast nobody asked for. The movie was somehow three hours long and felt like 45 minutes, and I’m already itching to see it again. I'm truly still thinking about it, still talking about it, and now writing about it to you, dear reader. So if this isn’t enough to convince you it’s the movie of the year, please consider this video of me after leaving the theater, visibly not okay.

This week's office fit is giving easy breezy khaki core, which exists on a very fine line between chic mom and corporate dad. Why not both? It’s giving Call Her Daddy and Mother. It's the kind of outfit that begs the question “Is she old money?” or "Is that you, Jake from State Farm?" Frankly, I've made peace with living in that gray area.

Middle school me was really onto something with the backpack, and I don't give that version of myself nearly enough credit - especially now that I'm out here with one chronically uneven shoulder, a rogue water bottle, and a gym bag that has genuinely become a threat to my electronics. (16oz, loose in a shoulder bag, took out my laptop. We don't need to dwell.)

The reason we all stopped using backpacks is that they weren't chic enough, and I'm here to tell you that excuse is no longer valid.

Troubadour makes the Arc Tote Backpack (and a few other amazing options), and I wish I could buy it in every color. There's a pocket for everything you can imagine. It opens extremely wide without losing its shape, stays slim and understated on the outside, has an exterior water bottle holder (this one is personal to me specifically), and is ergonomic enough that I've stopped rotating which shoulder I destroy on my commute. It also has a key fob, which I did not know I needed until I had it and now consider it non-negotiable. Here’s me rocking it after my 1.2 mile walk to the office in this summer heat. 

You can check out my backpack HERE if you want to treat yourself - you're welcome in advance.

Thanks for reading!