Boardroom Briefing: Who's got beef, cyber attacks, April fools, and free facials
and the Birkin bag of toilet paper is here (thank god??)
Ready for another week, Mode girls? You’ve got this. There was a lot happening in pop-culture and sticky brand moments we wanted to cover this week. You’ll also want to get across the latest market movements and where you can get free facials.
🎙️ ICYMI
Boardroom Briefing
The Australian market had its worst week since 2022 with the ASX 200 down 11%. A huge trigger to this downfall is Trump’s announcements of tariffs around the work and China’s response last week made investor confidence drop event more. (- via ABC and BBC)
Fast election updates:
Peter Dutton has sensationally dumped his controversial plan to force public servants back into the office, conceding he has listened to the backlash from workers who want flexibility. (- via news.com.au)
Anthony Albanese has announced a $2.3 billion investment that would slash the cost of household batteries by 30%. The PM said the move would save households around $4000 on installing a home battery. (- via The Guardian)
US-Australia Beef: Amidst tariff conversations, Donald Trump has singled out Australia for not importing American beef. “Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people – but they ban American beef,” the US president said.
According to Trump, the US imported $3bn of Australian beef in 2024. As of now, there are no confirmed Trump-era tariffs specifically targeting Australian meat. (- via the ABC)
The RBA has launched it’s household resilience report! Despite cost-of-living pressures, Australia’s financial system is holding firm most households and businesses are staying resilient, with home values up and financial stress still low. Sure, there’s global uncertainty in the mix, but with strong fundamentals and solid lending standards, we’re not losing sleep. (- via RBA)
ATTN marketers & brand owners: OpenAI's new image generator is now live. It went viral for its controversial ability to create Studio Ghibli-style photos. In the past week, it has 700M images in the first week of launch - and it’s free to try! (- via Tech Crunch)
Amazon is making a blockbuster bet on the big screen with a promise to bring the magic of cinema back to audiences worldwide. Their plans to release up to 16 films in theaters by 2027, Amazon is proving that sometimes, the best way to stream success is to start with a silver screen debut. (- via NY Times)
Do you have your super with Australian Retirement Trust, AustralianSuper, HostPlus, Rest, or Insignia Financial? It might be good to check on your accounts after huge cyberattack happened last Friday with thousands of Australians at risk of their supers wiped and personal details fraudulently accessed. (- via SMH)
Culture & Influence
Uber Ski is now available in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Poland - (via Instagram)
TikTok is shutting down its Instagram competitor TikTok Notes. It launched in testing in Canada, Australia, and Vietnam last year. (- via Tech Crunch)
Jokes on you: From heritage brands to hyper-growth startups, we noticed brands of all sizes leant into April Fools this year. While some were a cringe attempt to stay relevant, here’s our roundup of the April Fools drops that didn’t make us roll our eyes—and maybe even made us click “add to cart” (almost).
Crown Affair joked about launching a meme account, Clown Affairs, as a space to document all their mistakes. We actually think they should go through with this - brands who show their BTS and mistakes successfully create a feeling of authenticity and relatability!
Dyson introduced us to Dyson Airbrow ✨ the brow-raising multi-styler✨, miniaturised to shape, sculpt and set beautiful brows with precision airflow. But we would actually buy this.
TALA’s scrunch station. Want a bum scrunch in your leggings to accentuate your curves? What about your denim jeans? They can even do a camel toe scrunch! Clever marketing for their soon-to-launch store in Carnaby, London.
Beauty & Fashion
Hailey Bieber taps JP Morgan Chase to explore the sale of her beauty brand, Rhode for an estimated $1B. (- via Business of Beauty).
Move over Birkenstocks. Gigi Hadid is the Havaianas’ new global ambassador. We guess this means it’ll be a hot girl havaiana euro summer. (- via Instagram)
Rare Beauty announced the launch of their Substack “Rare Beauty Secrets”, offering readers a special BTS look at their brand. We don’t have to tell you Substack is the place to be.
Summer Friday’s launched Jet Lag eyemasks above the clouds. We’re calling eyemasks the hottest consumer status signal of 2025. - (via Instagram)
It feels illegal to be posting about this. The internet is going wild over Robert Irwin’s Made for Down Under Bond’s campaign. It marks the launch of Bonds in the US. We love the concept, the creative direction and we know celebs are entitled to mature… but Abbie Chatfield summed up how we feel about this campaign pretty perfectly. Sorry, Bob.
🫡 AT YOUR SERVICE
Last week, we asked you how you feel about networking events, and here's what you said:
❤️ 43% love them
😬 43% find them kinda awkward
🤷♀️ 14% rarely meet the right people
🔗 0% think they're great for making new connections (what is going on???!!)
We get it - networking can feel awkward or like a game you’d rather not play, but your peers today could become your clients, business partners, or colleagues tomorrow. But I think we all agree - there’s got to be a better way to do it.
So if you’re into the idea of networking that’s a bit more you—dinner parties, tennis clubs, skydiving events (yes, really)—we want to hear from you!
👉 Fill out this questionnaire so we can help you achieve your professional goals 👈
📝 DEEP DIVE
The Skinny Confidential’s Lauryn Bosstick
on selling anything.
Something we thought was an April Fools joke but wasn’t: The Skinny Confidential launched *checks notes* toilet paper. Yes, Really. Sustainably sourced, bamboo-based version free of PFAS, BPA, plastic, chlorine and formaldehyde - and packaging inspised by the unboxing of a Hermes handbag. Like all of her other products, Lauryn Bosstick has created a luxurious product in pink packaging that aims to elevate your everyday routine. We not sure if we’re disappointed that we’ve reached peak consumerism or impressed that Lauryn Bosstick’s ability to sell anything.
Lauryn is a media mogul. Her career took off with The Skinny Confidential podcast in 2011, focusing on health, fitness, and later expanding to beauty and wellness. In 2017, she and her husband, Michael Bosstick, started The Skinny Confidential HIM & HER podcast, featuring notable guests like celebrities (think Kathy Hilton & Bethany Frankel), relationship gurus (like Jay Shety & Mel Robins), medical experts (including Dr. Darshan Shah).
Besides her interviewing skills, we are most impressed with her ability to sell. Her premium mouth tape ($35USD) sold out within 48 hours and amassed a waitlist of 20,000 people, and her Caffeinated Sunscreen ($45USD), sold 10,000 units in a day and reached a 10,000 person waitlist.
So what is she getting right?
Everything Lauren does is customer-led. While the toilet paper launch may seem unexpected, it was rooted in real demand. As she told WWD, “I posted the toilet paper I was using—another ‘clean-ish’ brand—and got six-figure swipe-ups. It ended up being one of my top LT sales. People wanted clean toilet paper for their families.” 💡An action to steal: She keeps an excel spreadsheet of everything her audience tells her she wants and uses that as the basis for her product launch.
She’s mastered her messaging. Across all channels, Lauren shares how she upgrades her everyday life in small, intentional ways, establishing herself as a trusted voice in the wellness space. 💡An action to steal: Craft a clear, consistent narrative around your lifestyle values—then show, don’t just tell. Share the small, intentional upgrades you make in daily life to build credibility and connection with your audience.
Her network is her credential. She is not afraid to admits she doesn’t know everything—but she finds the right experts to answer her questions on the show, strengthening her own credibility. 💡 An action to steal: Spend your time building a network in your niche. You don’t have to be the expert on everything— perhaps you can be the thoughtful connector to someone who is.
She is the brand. It's pink, playful, and purpose-driven—rooted in science but never too serious. So even a toilet paper launch feels perfectly on-brand. 💡 An action to steal: Build a brand so aligned with your personality and values that anything you launch feels natural. Consistency in tone, aesthetic, and purpose makes even unexpected moves feel intentional.
Behind the brand is a powerhouse duo. Lauryn is married to Michael Bosstick, CEO and founder of Dear Media. You’ve probably listened to some of their shows like Khloe Kardashian’s Khloe in Wonderland, Amanda Hirsch’s Not Skinny but Not Fat, Kristen Cavallari’s Let’s Be Honest or Sami Bernstein Spalter & Sami Clarke Barnett’s Transform.
Together, Lauryn and Michael have turned their community into an empire. Their podcast has 200+ million downloads, and they’ve parlayed that reach into multiple successful businesses generating over $10 million a year. Through Dear Media, they’ve also invested in 10+ consumer brands—making them just as influential behind the scenes as they are in front of the mic.
And toilet paper is part of that empire. Get yours here for $56 AUD.
👜 STYLE SESSION
Cotton China Ball Cap - $74.25 (on sale!)
✨ THIS WEEK’S MOOD BOARD
💌 ANONYMOUS TIP
Need a midday glow-up between meetings or a quick self-care moment that feels very main character? L’Occitane is offering a luxe 45-minute Signature Facial Treatment (15 min consultation + 30 min facial) for $60 and the best part?
That amount is fully redeemable on products. It’s basically a free facial with skincare perks. Semi-private space, tailored to your skin, and you walk out glowing and stocked. Book here (thank us later): L’Occitane Signature Facial 💛
Mother’s Day is coming up soon so why not treat her?!
💻 JOB BOARD
Job hunting is tough but we’re here to help.
Share with your friends or leave a comment if you can refer a Mode girl to one of these jobs!
See you next week,
Adrianna & Maddi x
Love your work as always ladies! - though I think you missed the best April Fools that came out from Channel 7 “Finance Bro wants a wife” 😅