Hey friend,

Who else is feeling a little disoriented this week? Between the time change on Sunday and the US midterm elections today, I’m spent. If I get one more all-caps political text with frankly criminal usage of the 🚨 emoji, that’s it—I’m hiding under a blanket till January.

But we have a lot going on over here to close out the year, and I don’t want any of it to fall through the cracks… especially as we enter the emotional and logistical gauntlet that is the holiday season.

So here are 3 things happening at Active Voice before the clock runs out on 2026:

Wednesday, 12/2: Philly UX holiday happy hour
If you’re near Philly, we’d love to see you IRL at Triple Bottom Brewing for a holiday happy hour cohosted with our pals Upma and Tay from Philadelphia Design Gatherings. Meet new friends, hear about ways you can get involved with Philly design/UX events in 2027, and help us build a stronger local UX community.
Friday, 12/5: Throughline Mini (free!)
This may be called “mini,” but it’s actually huge. On December 5 from 12-2pm ET, we’re hosting 5 speakers whose talks orbit a single theme: What does it look like to show up to uncertainty big and small—and rather than shrink down or give up, start doing some of the best work of your life instead? All the details are below. It’s going to be a blast.
Through 12/31: Strategy sessions are 25% off
If your worklife is feeling stuck or murky, book a 90-minute deep-dive with me or Jen. When you book, you’ll pick a focus area: redesigning your career, making a work transition, getting your confidence back, or problem-solving a big decision or sticky situation. You’ll get a workbook to help you prepare, so you can get as much as possible out of your 90 minutes. Use the code JEN25 or SARA25 at booking.

Keep reading to meet our Throughline Mini speakers. Don’t forget that early-bird prices for the full Throughline conference end this Sunday, November 8.

And if you could use a pep talk this week, hit reply and let me know what you’re going through. I’ll send some words of encouragement your way (written by me, not Claude, promise). After all, it’s a wild time for our industry, for democracy, and for our planet. If you’re feeling it, you’re human. And no matter what the technofascist billionaires (redundant phrase, amiright?) might want us to believe, human is still the best thing you can be.

I believe in you. I believe in us.

Sara

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