The Algorithm Age

Some kids beg, some kids plead, but one brilliant Canadian girl took a completely different approach to getting her dream pet. In August 2020, she created a professional-quality PowerPoint presentation to convince her parents that adopting a cat was the logical next step for their family. The elaborate presentation went viral on Twitter when her proud parent shared screenshots of the impressive slides. Complete with charts, bullet points, and persuasive arguments, the PowerPoint demonstrated remarkable creativity and determination from someone who clearly understood the power of good marketing. Professional Cat Adoption Pitch Goes Viral Image credit: pexels Cat On Grass The young entrepreneur’s PowerPoint included all the elements of a serious business proposal. She researched cat care costs, outlined family benefits, and addressed potential parental concerns with thoughtful counterarguments. Her presentation skills would impress many adult professionals. Soci...

Beth Bigler, a former Hollywood executive, gave up her film career to become a pet grief counselor. She started counseling after her beloved cat died, and she got help from a grief counselor herself. Bigler's business scaled quickly — she's hired two more counselors and written a book on pet loss. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Beth Bigler, a former Hollywood development executive who gave up her film career to start a business as a pet grief counselor. It has been edited for length and clarity. It all started with my soulmate, Arnie. Arnie, my cat, was with me earthside through many of life's ups and downs — he was my absolute best friend, my truest, most loyal companion. The sun rose and set on him in my house. But when he was only 11, he got a devastating cancer diagnosis , and when that happened, I just kind of spiraled. I didn't know how I could survive living in a world witho...