<p>Please support the podcast on <a href="https://patreon.com/nearfuturelaboratory" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Patreon</a>!</p><p>Thank you to all of my paid subscribers!</p><p>My friend Tom Guarriello joins me to unpack a deceptively simple question—<strong>why do some things matter more than others?</strong></p><p>How is it that “brands” are rarely just products. </p><p>Tom describes how they’re meaning-machines: coffee cups, clothes, grocery aisles, and the everyday objects we carry through life are the things that quietly scaffold identity, aspiration, and sense of belonging.</p><p><em>Choice arrives instantly; explanation comes later.</em> </p><p>Tom’s “meaning stack” helps us understand the rise of <strong>culture brands </strong>those<strong> </strong>brands that don’t just sell products, but stage worlds: concerts, exhibitions, lifestyles, and point-of-view. </p><p>Tom&#39;s new book gets into all of this and more. Check out his &quot;<a href="https://a.co/d/dUcFPvz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">The Meaning of Branded Objects</a>&quot;.</p><p>https://tomguarriello.com</p>