1. This book written by Jerry Weintraub. I read this book years ago and recently re-read it with my teens who voted it their favorite non-advice advice book of all time. It’s an entertaining look at a life well lived but the lessons it teaches about not taking no for an answer, why networking matters and how to re-invent yourself (multiple times if necessary, at least once if not!) last well beyond the last page.
When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man
2.If you want to gift your grad technology that will withstand whatever life throws at them next, then the Lenovo Thinkpad Carbon X1 is the way to go. With carbon fiber built into the lid and the chassis and spill channels in the keyboard (liquids run right back out the bottom!) this is a lightweight powerhouse that should last well past the last strains of Pomp and Circumstance. Our clients regularly get 7+ years out of them and I’ve personally had one fly out of a moving car and only suffer minor scratches.
3. Whether it’s thanking people for graduation presents themselves or sending to potential employers after interviews, Smythson’s personalized correspondence cards will place your graduate in a league of their own. The art of a handwritten note still makes an impression and good quality materials seal the deal.
4. Every person moving into a new chapter and stepping fully into who they are should have a signature scent to accompany that transition. Enter Molecule 1. Niche perfumer Escentric Molecules created this fragrance over 20 years ago and it’s become a cult classic. A unisex single note creation that smells a bit differently on each wearer, it’s been described as ‘warm skin… but better’. Some people have trouble detecting the fragrance at all but others will chase you down the street and ask what you’re wearing. It’s more ‘aura’ than fragrance and celebrates the next chapter with style and sophistication.
5.The first time a client asked me to hand them their iPad encased in a Leatherology envelope I HAD to know where that buttery softness had come from. Grads would celebrate pretty much any selection from this retailer but the personalized Padfolio gift set stands out to me as something that would give you confidence to carry into any meeting or interview on your way out into the wide world.
As featured in the Wall Street Journal: