With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re feeling extra thankful—and maybe a little too excited about mashed potatoes (Skin on or off?) But most of all, we’re grateful for our community!

Join us on December 10th for two events in NYC:

We’d love to meet you, share insights, and network together.

Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good practice, it’s a powerful career tool that can boost your professional presence. One way to practice this during the holiday season is to send someone a LinkedIn recommendation whether it’s a colleague, mentor, or someone whose work you admire. Highlighting their strengths not only strengthens your relationship but also enhances your own credibility and visibility.

In fact, LinkedIn reports that users who actively engage with their network, including giving recommendations, are 15 times more likely to be viewed by recruiters.

Plus, this kind of engagement positively impacts your LinkedIn Social Selling Index (SSI), increasing your visibility and influence within your network.

Not sure where to start? Here’s a quick guide:

1. What matters: Highlight what makes this person stand out. Are they a great leader, an innovative thinker, why do they stand, or an amazing team player?

2. How long you’ve known them: Mention your professional relationship and how long you’ve worked together.

3. Specific details: Share 1-2 examples of their exceptional work or qualities. Did they lead a successful project, solve a tough problem, or consistently go above and beyond?

4. Why they’re great to work with or hire: Explain why others would want to collaborate with or hire them.

Taking a few minutes to write a thoughtful recommendation not only shows gratitude but also strengthens your professional connections and opens the door for new opportunities. Gratitude truly is a win-win!

We came across this powerful New York Times article about the growing number of homeless children in New York City, and it deeply resonated with us during this season of gratitude. It’s a stark reminder of the challenges many families face, especially when housing affordability is out of reach. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of U.S. renting households are burdened by their rent payments, spending a significant portion of their income just to keep a roof over their heads.

Take a look at this graph highlighting how widespread this issue is.

As we reflect on gratitude this season, it’s also a good time to evaluate your own financial circumstances. Take a look at your budget to see where you fall on this chart. These are the insights we use to assess our own financial stabilty.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the phenomenon known as the “Santa Claus Rally.” In the stock market, this typically refers to the weeks between Thanksgiving and year’s end when top-performing stocks receive a boost from large institutional investors. Why? These institutions want to showcase winners in their portfolios to clients, reflecting smart, successful investment strategies.

This year has been no exception, and the chart below, courtesy of one of our favorites, Slickcharts, highlights the best-performing stocks in the largest stock market index from the start of 2024 through November 21, 2024.

At the same time, the poorest stocks are often sold for tax-loss to counterbalance the gains from the stock winners.

We at Cocoon are playing it the same way as the pros during the weeks to close out the year - buying even more of the winners and selling the losers to offset the gains.

How are you investing for the end of the year? Feel free to let us know how you're preparing to invest for next year.

As our Cocoon continues to grow, we’re curious—what’s next for our journey together? What resources, topics, or events would help you spread your wings and thrive? Let us know, and together, we’ll continue transforming this Cocoon into a space where growth knows no bounds.

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