Swifties, this one’s for you. It seems like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has lasted eons. Yet somehow, there’s always something to talk about. Just thinking about how much she’s accomplished while on tour makes me want to buckle down, lock in, and channel my inner girlboss. But while I can’t even be bothered to cook dinner at home after a long day of work, Taylor is accomplishing milestones most musicians can only dream of. Let’s recap.
The Eras Tour began in March 2023 with its North American leg. It’s set to go until December 2024, with dates in Europe, Australia, Asia, and South America— spanning 152 shows across five continents.
As the queen of multitasking, Swift hasn’t stopped at just selling out stadiums. Since the Eras tour began, she’s released multiple albums — both new and old — and shaken up the tour setlist with each new release. Her list of new releases started on the first day of her tour with “All Of The Girls You Loved Before,” which was quickly followed up by “The Alcott,” a feature on The National’s album — reciprocity for their work on her pandemic era albums, Folklore and Evermore.
She also released Midnights: Late Night Edition (including the iconic collab with Ice Spice), as well as not one but two album re-releases — Speak Now Taylor's Version and 1989 Taylor's Version. As if that wasn’t enough, she announced her latest album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, in a GRAMMY’s acceptance speech. Talk about legendary. Since its release, she’s also been churning out deluxe versions and remixes to keep us on our toes. The Eras Tour was even made into a Blockbuster film that brought Beyonce to its premiere. Star power: confirmed.
But that’s just her work life. Her personal life is just as eventful. She ended her 7-year relationship with Joe Alwyn in April 2023. Then entered into a brief but controversial fling with 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Though it didn’t last long, the relationship was enough to inspire a whole album and catapult her into her current romance with Travis Kelce, aka Amerca’s first nepo boyfriend. Now they’re the American Royal couple — and she somehow had time to fly from tour to his Super Bowl performance.
We all have the same hours in the day as Taylor Swift, but how she uses them will always be a mystery to me. I work eight hours a day and can barely manage a social life. Meanwhile, Taylor has it all — though conservatives are turning on her for daring to be a woman in her 30s who’s not married with kids. If that’s not proof that women can’t do anything right, I don’t know what is.
Clearly, she’s working late because she’s a singer. No wonder Taylor Swift became a billionaire months into her tour in October 2023. Her net worth is currently around 1.3 billion dollars, making her the only female musician to become a billionaire from her music.
Other entertainment billionaires like Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z, and Kanye West have joined the three-comma club thanks to ventures like clothing brands, beauty products, and other entrepreneurial pursuits. Rihanna has her FENTY Empire. Kim has her award-winning SKIMS. Ye had Yeezy. But Taylor has an unbeatable catalog of publishing.
But Taylor isn’t just different from other Billionaires because of how she earned her money. She’s the Taylor we know and love because of how she spends it. Her rollercoaster Eras Tour is how she’s made much of her fortune. And she’s using it to give back in monumental degrees. From individual donations to investing in local infrastructure, Taylor is changing lives on a macro and micro scale. And teaching us what to expect from all billionaires in the process.
The Eras Tour Bonuses — Talk About Workplace Benefits
First to make headlines were the Eras Tour crew bonuses. While some of us get rewarded with a pizza party or a $10 gift card to Starbucks, Taylor casually dropped $55 million in bonuses for her tour crew. The massive sum was paid out to everyone who makes the Eras Tour go around, from truck drivers to dancers and sound technicians.
In fairness, these bonuses are so well-deserved. Taylor’s shows are over three hours long. Imagine dancing for that long — because Swift certainly isn’t the one with the impressive moves — for hundreds of tour dates. Or remembering countless combinations of light cues to go with a setlist that changes daily. Yeah, they’re clocking in. And if my boss had millions to blow, I’d be expecting a comfortable bonus too. But $55 Million? That’s a testament to Swift’s generosity. It's like she's Oprah, but instead of cars, she's giving out life-changing amounts of cash. "You get a bonus! You get a bonus! Everybody gets a bonus!"
It’s similar to how Zendaya gave film equity to every member of the crew that worked on her controversial black-and-white drama, Malcolm & Marie. Filmed in a few days with a bare-bones crew during the peak of the pandemic, the film was Zendaya’s passion project with Sam Levinson, in which she starred alongside John David Washington. Though the film got mixed reviews, it captured the audience’s attention all the same. After all, it was Zendaya — and we’ll watch her in anything. So since the film sold to Netflix for a hefty sum, all the crew members got payouts from the deal on top of their salaries to reward their hard work.
Bonuses and equity payouts are common in many industries, but not entertainment. Even though it’s one of the most lucrative and recognizable American industries, most entertainers don’t make enough to survive. The SAG and WGA strikes last year were proof that there needs to be systemic change in the industry. LA County has even identified show businesses as risk factors for being unhoused — after all, how many stories do we hear of actors who were living in their cars before their big break? And for many, their big break never comes. For even more, they get hired on amazing gigs with giant performers … then go right back to the grind afterward. While individual actions from our favorite stars won’t fix everything, Zendaya and Taylor are providing models for how Hollywood should treat the people who make this town go round.
And in this economy, even a little bit could go a long way. Inflation and the cost of living are not a joke. Especially when, like with many creative careers, you often have to invest in lessons or equipment for your craft. With all this considered, the impact of Swirt’s donations can’t be overstated. Imagine getting a lump sum of cash for dancing to your favorite Taylor Swift tracks? Talk about a dream job.
The Economic Impact of Swift - Swiftonomics, if you will
Like Barbie and Beyonce last year, Swift is still on a tear to boost the economy of the cities she’s in just by traveling there — ad inspiring others to make the trek, too.
The Barbie movie proved that by marketing to women (instead of just making Marvel flops like Madame Web that aren’t really targeted to women at all), the entertainment industry can make giant profits. Barbie fever went beyond the theater. Thanks to a plethora of product collabs, the phenomenon rippled through retail.
Similarly, Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour tour generated an estimated $4.5 billion for the American economy. According to NPR, that’s almost as much as the entire 2008 Olympics earned for Beijing. People were taking money out of their 401ks to pay for Beyonce tickets and the glittery, silver-hues outfits to rock at her shows. Cities even started calling her effect the “Beyonce Bump.”
Swift has the same effect. She’s not just proving her generosity on a micro-scale for the people close to her, she’s having actual, tangible effects on the economy. It's like she's leaving a trail of dollar bills in her wake, and cities are scrambling to catch them like it's a country-pop, capitalist version of musical chairs.
The US Travel Association called it the Taylor Swift Impact after she generated over $5 Billion in just the first 5 months of the Eras Tour. But how does this work? It’s not like Taylor is printing more money at those shows, but it almost is. Her tour dates are pretty much economic steroid shots for local businesses. Hotels are booked solid, restaurants are packed, and let's not even get started on the surge in friendship bracelet supplies.
“Swifties averaged $1,300 of spending in local economies on travel, hotel stays, food, as well as merchandise and costumes,” say the US Travel Association. “That amount of spending is on par with the Super Bowl, but this time it happened on 53 different nights in 20 different locations over the course of five months.” That’s not to say one word about her effect on the actual Super Bowl and the entire NFL season thanks to her ball-throwing boyfriend.
It's like she's created her own micro-economy, and everyone's invited to the party. And unlike some economic theories that rely on wealth trickling down (spoiler alert: it doesn't), Taylor's wealth is more like a t-shirt cannon or the confetti at her shows — showering everyone around.
Donations that truly do good
Taylor isn’t just stepping into cities and calling it a night. She’s also not just throwing pennies at problems - she's making significant contributions that are changing lives. And more importantly, she's using her platform to encourage her fans to do the same.
She kicked off her tour with quiet donations to food banks in Glendale, Ariz., and Las Vegas ahead of the Eras Tour. Once the tour was in full swing, she continued this practice. In Seattle, she donated to Food Lifeline, a local hunger relief organization. In Santa Clara, she showed some love to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. And let's not forget about her $100,000 donation to the Hawkins County School Nutrition Program in Tennessee.
She’s been making similar donations overseas. Taylor Swift donated enough money to cover the food bills for an entire year across 11 food banks and & community pantries in Liverpool. Swift also covered 10,800 meals for Cardiff Foodbank and many more banks across the UK and EU. Her impact is so profound that her numbers are doing more to combat issues like hunger than the government.
Can billionaires actually be good?
One thing about me, I’m always ready and willing — knife and fork in hand — to eat the rich. Because fundamentally, can any billionaire really be good? In our late-stage capitalist horror story, the answer is usually no. Look how many of them are supporting the Trump campaign just to get some tax breaks.
But here's the thing - Taylor Swift might just be the exception that proves the rule. She's not perfect, sure. She still flies private jets and probably has a carbon footprint bigger than Bigfoot. But unlike most of the others in her tax bracket, she's not flaunting her wealth like it's a personality trait.
Take a look around. We've got billionaires trying to colonize Mars instead of, I don't know, helping people on Earth. In this context, Taylor's approach is more like Mackenzie Scott’s — Bezos’s ex-wife. She's not trying to escape to another planet - she's trying to make this one better.
And look, I'm not saying we should stop critiquing billionaires or the system that creates them. But she's just setting the bar for what we should expect from all billionaires. She's showing us that our collective power as fans can translate into real-world change. That our love for catchy choruses and bridge drops can somehow, improbably, lead to food banks getting funded and crew members getting life-changing bonuses.
So sorry to my neighbors who hear me belting “Cruel Summer” and “right where you left me” at the top of my lungs (and range). Just know it’s for the greater good.
This Coffee Brew Helps Save Dogs
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Dogs and coffee are two of my all-time favorite things.
So to discover a kind of coffee that supports dogs is nothing short of a miracle. Hugo Coffee, a coffee brand founded by "reformed lawyer" Claudia McMullin, does just that. It donates 10% of all proceeds to mission-based organizations that support the health and welfare of dogs.
For example, they donate to Paws for Life, which is an organization that works to end euthanasia by finding homes for shelter pets. "We are so grateful to Claudia McMullin and Hugo Coffee Roasters, not only for their AMAZING coffee but for their compassion, advocacy, and support to Paws for Life Utah and the homeless pets in our community," said the organization.
"Each week, they sponsor 'An Adoptable Moment' on KPCW radio where our adoptable cats and dogs are featured. Many times these pets are adopted days after being featured on the program, to which we are truly grateful!"
They also send donations to Nuzzles & Co, which has a mission to protect animals by educating people about the humane treatment of animals and finding loving homes for each of them. Nuzzles & Co has always been tied up in the Hugo Coffee mission. Before she bought a coffee shop and started a coffee company, McMullin was the executive of Nuzzles & Co, which primarily takes care of the pets of abuse survivors. While there, McMullin launched the Purple Paw Program for domestic violence survivors and their pets.
Sometimes, people in abusive relationships are afraid to leave their partners for fear that they won't be able to take their pets, or because they are afraid their partners might retaliate against their pet. The Purple Paw Program offers free care for pets of abuse survivors, offering rehabilitation in case the pet has been abused as well, which is unfortunately often the case.
Pet abuse and domestic violence are intrinsically connected and often occur concurrently with child abuse in family situations. According to Sheriff.org, 71% of people entering domestic violence shelters report that the batterer had threatened, injured, or killed family pets. In addition, according to AWIonline.org, between 18 and 48% of battered women avoid leaving a dangerous situation out of fear for their pets' safety.
In addition to their services for domestic abuse survivors, Nuzzles & Co runs a huge variety of programs dedicated to helping people and their pets. Another one of their programs is the Nuzzles & Co Rez Rescue, which works on the Ute Native American Reservation in Utah, helping to set up spay/neuter programs, vaccinations, and homeless pet rehabilitation.
McMullin took her experiences with Nuzzles & Co to blend her passion for helping pets with her coffee business, which she also runs through a humanitarian lens. Hugo Coffee is only brewed in partnership with small family farms or coffee co-ops. They heat their beans with a combination of natural gas and infrared heat, using less energy than most coffee roasters typically do.
Hugo Coffee street teams can often be seen at dog adoption fairs and adoption events, fueling the energy and keeping the adoptions happening all day long. As of today, Hugo Coffee has donated over $32,000 to animal welfare organizations and has facilitated the adoption of 505 dogs.
Dogs, coffee, and a mission-based goal: What could be better? (Of course, be careful: Dogs shouldn't drink coffee, because the beans are poisonous to them).
The company hasn't stopped with dogs — they also produce Fluffy Cow Coffee, which focuses on the humane treatment of cows. It's likely this brand won't stop until every animal has a caffeinated beverage dedicated to their welfare.
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Why We Highly Recommend Using PetHonesty To Keep Your Dog Healthy
Healthy formulas make happy pups
When picking a treat for your pupper, there are a ton scary things to avoid.
Milk Bones, rawhide, high starch, artificial sweeteners--the list goes on and on. Considering how much we love our furry friends, it comes as a surprise that there are only a few dog treats out there that actually look out for your pet's well-being.
Most treats lack nutritional value and cause much more harm than good. That's why the folks over at PetHonesty want to do more to help all pups live a healthy and pain-free life. PetHonesty is a premier soft-chew dog treat brand that offers GMO-free, nutrient-filled treats that aren't laden with chemical and synthetic ingredients. The best part? Each of these delicious treats targets a specific ailment such as joint mobility or immunity to improve your dog's well-being in the long-term.
With PetHonesty, you can finally take charge of your dog's health. Want to know more about how PetHonesty works and if it's right for you? We have all of your most pressing questions covered.
What Makes Them Different From Other Treats?
PetHonesty boasts an impressive combination of world class safety standards (SQF Level 3 certified), premium ingredients, and 75+ combined years of experience. All treats are made in the U.S.A. and are manufactured using a unique no-heat cooking process to ensure that the quality and effectiveness of each ingredient is not compromised.
How Do I Know If My Dogs Need Them?
We normally only give our dogs probiotics when they're sick or feeling unwell. Humans, however, take supplements routinely to prevent illness and ensure a long and healthy life. Why shouldn't dogs do the same? If you're already giving your dog a treat everyday, why not throw in some all-natural probiotics to help them feel stronger and healthier? Like humans and their supplements, these treats can be used as a preventative measure. None of us want our doggys to get sick, so it's a no brainer.
What Kind Of Products Do They Have?
PetHonesty offers a range of products for any and every known ailment. General wellness, anxiety, joint mobility, immunity, digestion, allergies, bladder--you name it, they've got it.
Two of our favorite products are the AllergyImmunity Chews which are a tasty and incredibly easy way to strengthen your dog's immune system and provide long-lasting relief from environmental stressors, food, and skin/seasonal allergies. Another one of our favorites is the PureMobility Chews which help your dog build strong cartilage, increase joint mobility, and decrease joint stiffness and inflammation.
What Is The Science Behind It?
While all PetHonesty products have a few similarities (no heat-cooking process, made in the U.S.A., high safety standards, etc..), the science behind each supplement differs quite a bit. Each product is carefully designed by vets.
The AllergyImmunity chews, for example, contain bovine colostrum which unlike other harmful antibiotics, helps improve your dogs gastrointestinal tract, in turn supporting the growth of "good" bacteria to promote a long and healthy life.
The PureMobility chews, on the other hand, feature a different set of ingredients which include balanced kollagen to help rebuild joints, turmeric to reduce joint inflammation, glucosamine HCI to support the joints, and green lipped mussels to reduce inflammation to lubricate the joints. While each product may work in a slightly different way, you can rest assured that PetHonesty's treats are the best option for any ailment.
What Kind Of Flavors Do They Have?
In addition to being super effective, PetHonesty's soft-chew treats come in an array of delicious flavors that your dog is guaranteed to fall in love with. Some of their most popular flavors include pumpkin, salmon, chicken, beef, and smoked duck. Each flavor is tried and tested with dogs so you never have to worry about a picky pupper.
Are They Affordable?
Compared to other high-quality dog treats, PetHonesty is incredibly affordable, especially since you're basically getting a dog treat and a supplement rolled-up into one. While the price varies depending on the supplement, prices are still relatively low. The AllergyImmunity chews retails for as little as $25.99 for 90 chews while the PureMobility chews are slightly more expensive at $39.99 for 60 chews. However, if you sign-up for their subscription service, PetHonesty customers can save 20% on each shipment! They even offer a 110% Money Back Guarantee if you are unsatisfied with the product (but trust us, you won't be).
Between hand-picked fruits, immunity-boosting superfoods, and all-natural dog-specific probiotics, PeHonesty is here to make sure your dog gets the care that it deserves!
The Truth About Kibble and Why Our Dogs Deserve Better
I had no idea what I was doing when I got my first dog, Holly, but my husband had over 14 dogs growing up so when we started dating, I felt she was in good hands. He had always fed his dogs kibble, so Holly (and later, our second dog, Hugo) ate the same way. But something wasn't right. Hugo was gassy and Holly vomited often. We spent so much time and money at the vet trying to figure out what was wrong with them, but kept hearing about more frightening theories and serious tests we'd have to run! And recently, I saw a horrifying story on ABC 7 about how dogs have been poisoned by their kibble. In one record-breaking year, 8,000 pets died after being poisoned by their food, and more recently, 27 brands of dog food were pulled from warehouses for containing pentobarbital, a sedative used to euthanize pets. That was the final straw for my family and kibble.
Many people assume their dog food is safe because of the FDA and the AAFCO, but health and safety has been a problem for years, and the legislation isn't always followed. So, how can you keep your pup safe? Read the labels and buy human-grade dog food. That's where OIlie comes in. Ollie is a dog food company that is committed to being completely transparent by listing every ingredient in their food and working to educate dog owners. It was a bit on the pricey side compared with kibble, but my husband and I didn't need much convincing after we saw the news about poisons found in store-bought kibble, and how changing to human-grade food has been proven to help improve your dog's health.
The team at Ollie takes all factors into consideration to provide the right caloric intake and nutrient balance for each individual dog. And that personalized attention pays off. After a few weeks of feeding Ollie dog food to Holly and Hugo, we've seen the difference that healthier ingredients can make. You can't always trust what's on the label of your dog food. Almost all shelf-stable commercial pet foods contain processed grains, which are terrible for a dog's GI, as Holly and Hugo have experienced. Protein-rich foods are much better for dogs, resulting in more energy and less digestive issues. The kibble industry often classifies dog food as "feed," and the regulations behind pet food is nothing like the regulations for human food. Kibble companies don't even have to ensure the same safety standards that "human-grade" food promises. Just like humans do, dogs feel a difference when they eat fresh meals full of real ingredients (and when they aren't being poisoned!). But it can be very difficult to know where to start and how to meet your dog's nutritional requirements for essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, so Ollie takes care of all that.
Besides the peace of mind for me and the dogs loving the food, the main benefits Ollie boasts are health-related, and the food is even backed by canine nutritionists. An all-natural, unprocessed diet can help prevent and treat disease and can help with managing and maintaining your dog's weight. It can also improve their GI tract because when you put the right ingredients into your dog's system, they are able to digest their food better. Having an antioxidant-rich diet can even make your pup smarter, while the filler-free ingredients full of healthy fats can help improve your dog's skin and coat. These things can, in turn, increase your dog's lifespan (my favorite perk!)
The real proof that Ollie works is that Holly doesn't vomit anymore! And our Hugo's poo is also nowhere near as smelly. In fact, even when they use the wee-wee pad, the apartment doesn't stink anymore! It's amazing how much your dog's diet can better their lives, and yours too.
After feeding our dogs Ollie for over a month, Holly and Hugo are noticeably healthier, with shinier coats, less digestive issues and more energy, and we're a happier family as a result. My husband won't feed them kibble anymore, and even convinced my in-laws to start giving Ollie to their two dogs, Libby and Moxie. I can't believe the crap we were feeding to our beloved pups. Our days of kibble are over, and it's clear my dogs are pretty excited about it too. They haul butt to the kitchen when we put down Ollie's human-grade dog food. My whole family- dogs included- recommends Ollie without hesitation.
Update: The folks at Ollie are extending a special offer to our readers. Follow this link to get 50% off your first Ollie delivery!