Think about your favourite story. The one where you know all of the characters & have a vested interest in their development. Scouring fan forums in the depth of the night, only to hear a crazy theory you didn’t think possible.

For me, it was Mugglenet. The place where I could dream in the world of Harry Potter, eagerly awaiting the release of the Half-Blood Prince (True story, I made my Mom & Dad stand in line at Barnes & Nobles, during a showcase tournament in Minnesota when I was 16.)

Why though? Why was I risking a potentially life altering performance on the pitch & a chance at being scouted by a top University… to stand in line at midnight to receive my hard copy of HP? Because, the best stories make you believe. They jolt & provoke your imagination, enable it to go places you never imagined. The kind that feels similar to flicking a wand and summoning a your very own Patronus (mine would be an eagle/hippo combo, yours?). The kind that stays with you long after you’ve closed the book.

For me, Harry Potter has always been one of those stories. The more I’ve lived, the more I realize the lessons aren’t about spells at all, they’re about perspective, reflection & how we see ourselves and the world. Thanks J.K Rowling!

⌛ Reading time 4 minutes, 13 seconds

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"I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form."

— Albus Dumbledore explaining his

When Harry first stumbled into Dumbledore’s office and discovered the Pensieve, he didn’t really know what it was.

A simple stone basin filled with a swirling silver liquid. But when he leaned in, he was transported into someone else’s memories, not as a distant observer, but as if he were standing there himself.

In The Goblet of Fire, Harry dives into Dumbledore’s memories of the Death Eaters’ trials and suddenly understands the weight of choices people had made, the complexity behind their actions.

That moment has always stuck with me. Imagine if we had our own Pensieve — the ability to step back into our own memories, not to wallow, but to observe them with new eyes.

Polaris Perspective: Find your Pensieve & consistently contribute to it. I’ve found mine in journaling, voice notes to myself, walks with Soda along the water & by writing this newsletter. When you’re in the moment, everything feels chaotic & with autumn right around the corner, it’s about to get very, very busy in your life. Investing in your pensieve will give you the clarity and fortitude to achieve your BHAG in Q4.

For six books, Harry (and all of us as readers) thought Professor Snape was the villain. Good old Severus. He was cruel, dismissive, and always seemed to have it out for Harry. Every interaction triggered a simple switch in your brain: Snape = bad.

But then came The Deathly Hallows. The truth unraveled in those final moments: Snape had been protecting Harry all along. His loyalty, his sacrifice, his very life was bound by a promise to the woman he had loved, Lily. (spoiler alert…)

That revelation shook me when I first read it.

We assume. We misinterpret. We tell ourselves stories about people — why they act the way they do, what their intentions must be. We may have no clue what the true motive, desire or mission really is if we do not seek to understand.

Polaris Perspective: Who is the Snape in your life? Someone you might misunderstand, perhaps have a surface level judgement of? Would you dare to seek a different perspective? What information would you need/how would you get this information. Would you even be open to changing your mind?

Strangely, even at 34 I find myself often repeating this phrase when I am closing a chapter, opening a new one, or generally just trying to figure things out-aka Growth.

In the Forbidden Forest, Harry walks willingly to his own death. He holds the Snitch Dumbledore gave him, the one that never opened no matter how many times he tried. And then, at the brink of the end, the inscription reveals itself: “I open at the close.”

Inside, the Resurrection Stone, for a few fleeting moments, Harry is surrounded by his parents, by Sirius (my favorite character of the series), by Lupin — the people who gave him the strength to keep walking forward.

It’s haunting and beautiful. And it’s true of life.

So often, we don’t understand the meaning of things until the chapter ends.

We search for clarity in the middle, but the lesson only reveals itself when we’ve closed the door, when we’ve moved on, when we’re brave enough to step into the unknown. Endings are rarely the end. More often, they are beginnings in disguise.

Polaris Perspective: Whether it’s closing a business chapter, moving cities, or letting go of relationships, the clarity often comes after the door closes. Trust that the meaning will come.

What’s a recent moment of clarity you experienced? (Reply to this email with your answer we read all replies!)

When I look back at Harry’s journey — the Pensieve, Snape, the Snitch — what ties them all together is perspective. The courage to revisit the past. The humility to reframe how we see others. The trust to know that meaning will often come only when we close one chapter and step into the next.

That’s the real magic.

-SKV

Really excited to feature Nicole Harvey & her wonderful community- empowHER: a community-driven platform curating events for ambitious women across industries.

From elevated dinners to coffee meetups, panels & unique experiences - we are creating change! See future events down below!

Recently they hosted an unforgettable evening with Dagne Dover and the room was filled with women who have true builder DNA. These events remind us just how powerful it is when women from all backgrounds come together.

The event’s theme, “In the Bag,” was about unpacking the real stories behind scaling a brand. Co-founders Deepa Gandhi and Melissa Mash went deep - on funding, early partnerships, and growing before social media shaped the game.

See future events down below ⤵

I’ve noticed my beard and hair turning white and orange at a record pace, and wondered whether vitamin B12 could play a role.

According to a recent update from YourBestSelves (March 29, 2025), there’s no conclusive evidence that B12 can reverse existing gray hair. However, adequate B12 levels might help prevent further premature graying, especially if a deficiency is the cause

Here’s what I dug into:

So, I’ve made sure to check my B12 levels with a doctor and balance my diet or supplement wisely. It’s less about reversing what’s already happened, and more about supporting longevity and preventing further pigment loss.

This month I put Operator AI to the test. I handed it a handful of errands—including booking a flight—and it executed flawlessly. What used to take me 20–30 minutes was done in seconds.

That kind of efficiency is both thrilling and unnerving. Thrilling because it opens up capacity for higher-leverage work. Unnerving because it raises a hard question: at what point does relying on AI stop being leverage and start being dependency?

Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, framed it well in a recent podcast I listened to linked above.

He predicts the next 15 years of AI will transform how we live and work, but the challenge won’t just be in building smarter tools—it will be in ensuring we keep thinking critically ourselves.

As leaders, we’ll need to draw the line between using AI to accelerate our output and outsourcing the very act of judgment. That tension is only going to grow.

- SKV