Curiosity #39 - Trent Crimm Day

🎤 Quotable quotes: “Trent Crimm, The Independent.”
—Trent Crimm, every.  single.  time.

What Would Trent Crimm Say About Independence?

It’s almost the Fourth of July — that magical time when we eat popsicles shaped like the flag, try not to set our neighbor’s grill on fire, and declare independence from productivity until at least Monday.

But what does independence look like off the fireworks display and in our leadership lives?

To answer that, we turn to a fan favorite we don’t talk about nearly enough: the man with the notebook, the hair of a tortured poet, and the integrity of a journalist who once had to find new work for doing the right thing in the wrong way.

We’re talking about the one, the only: Trent Crimm. (The Independent.)

Here are four leadership lessons from the most emotionally evolved reporter in fictional sports journalism:

📰 1. Independence is earned — not inherited.
Trent doesn’t just say he’s “The Independent.” He is independent — in thought, in spirit, in action. He asks sharp questions, but not to tear people down. He observes with empathy. And when his outlet demands compromise, he walks.

“Trent Crimm. The Independent.”
Yes, it’s a line. But also a mission statement.

📎 Leadership takeaway: Being independent isn’t about brand identity. It’s about moral clarity — even when it costs you your job.

🪞 2. You can be principled and still make mistakes.
Trent publishes Ted’s panic attack story — and then beforehand tells Ted that Nate was the source. It’s a breach of journalistic ethics... but also a gesture of human decency. The kind of messy, complex decision that reveals where someone’s real loyalties lie.

📎 Leadership takeaway: Independence doesn’t mean perfection. It means taking full responsibility for your choices — especially the gray-area ones.

📖 3. Curiosity is a posture, not a performance.
Trent rarely rushes to judgment. He doesn’t speak to fill the silence. He listens. Watches. Learns. And in doing so, he grows — from a skeptical outsider to a trusted chronicler of the team’s journey.

📎 Leadership takeaway: If you want to lead well, write well, or live well — start by paying better attention.

🚪 4. Being “The Independent” means choosing truth over comfort.
Trent leaves The Independent not because he has to — but because he wants to tell the story his way. He doesn’t settle for a column when what’s needed is a book. He doesn’t soften the truth — but he delivers it with care.

📎 Leadership takeaway: Independence doesn’t always look rebellious. Sometimes it’s just quietly walking away from what no longer fits.

So this Independence Day, take a little time to think like Trent:

• Ask a real question.

• Tell the story, even if it’s uncomfortable.

• Own your decisions — the clean ones and the messy ones.

• And when it’s time to go rogue in the name of integrity… do it with great hair and a fountain pen.

More leadership musings

🍪 Biscuits with the Boss: 

Trent Crimm is known for his sharp, honest headlines. If someone like Trent were to write a headline about your leadership — one that captures who you really are at your best — what would it be?

🏅Whistle. Whistle. A little Roy Kent Tough Love Advice:

“You want to be independent? Then stop waiting for someone else to tell you who the f*** you are."

That’s it. That’s the message.

You don’t need permission to lead.
You don’t need approval to have values.
You don’t need a spotlight to do something that matters.

Trent Crimm didn’t ask for applause when he told the truth.
He didn’t need a pat on the back when he quit the paper.
He just knew what he stood for — and then he bloody stood for it.

So here’s the deal:
Write your own headline.
Edit your own story.
And if someone doesn’t like it?

Let ‘em write their own.

📚Beard’s collection:

Normally, this is where we recommend a real book to add to your leadership library.

But this week, we stumbled upon something even better: a preview copy of Trent Crimm’s long-awaited (and definitely fictional) book:

The Lasso Richmond Way

By Trent Crimm. (Formerly, The Independent.)

“A book full of truth, clarity, and just enough profanity to feel honest.”
— Beard, probably

📝 Sample Chapter Titles:

• Chapter 1: The Curse of Objectivity (and How Ted Ruined It for Me)

• Chapter 3: Diamond Dogs and Other Meetings That Shouldn’t Work (But Do)

• Chapter 5: Believe Isn’t a Strategy — It’s a Starting Point

• Chapter 7: Leadership in Silence: Observing Without Interrupting

• Chapter 9: Growling Isn't Leading (But Listening Is)

🔖 Our Favorite Highlighted Line:

“Turns out, being independent doesn’t mean being alone. It means being brave enough to belong on your own terms.”

💡 Beard’s Commentary:

"Look, I’ve read Proust, Nietzsche, and every instructional booklet that comes with a Japanese synthesizer.
But this? This one had heart.
Also a surprising number of footnotes about biscuits."

🌎 This week in Here - There - Every F’ing where 

Only in 2025 can someone surprise you with a podcast interview, but it happened to Marnie (and like all things in 2025, we have the video to prove it). So here's a - usually only found in the wild - solo chat with Marnie (with hints of our next project - let us know what you think - listen here).

Happy day!

Nick & Marnie