Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning.

In recent weeks, I’ve been recommending and forwarding to friends and associates three smart stories that crossed my desk. Each ostensibly offers insightful or timely snapshots of modern American business. But upon deeper reflection, these very different pieces also shine a light on the state of middle-class U.S. workers and consumers, whose struggles may only intensify.

Together, these stories—along with a nu

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