Less noise.
More being.
Because the future shouldn’t feel like
a user manual you didn’t read.
The Work
Modern Being exists to uncover what’s already happening—what it means, and why it matters now.
We translate emerging behaviours and cultural shifts into human insight, helping leading brands, thought leaders, and changemakers (including the ones who’d never use that word) make decisions today that shape what comes tomorrow.
We don’t predict trends.
We don’t speak in PowerPoint.
We speak in human.
For people who don’t need a crystal ball, just a clearer way to decide what to do next.
“Culture isn’t noise. It’s a series of signals. If you know where to listen.”
The Thinking
We believe culture makes the most sense where life is lived not in decks or declarations, but on the ground.
It shows up in sneaker drops and graffiti tags, food trucks at midnight, group chats, and overheard conversations at gallery openings. Culture doesn’t wait to be announced. It bubbles up, remixes itself, and shapes what comes next long before anyone names it.
We believe real insight lives behind the data, in the memes people share, the jokes that spread, and the moments that quietly bring us closer together. By paying attention to those signals, we want to help people and brands find meaning, human connection, and clarity in a noisy world.
Culture in Motion
What we’re watching right now
Weighted sleep gear
Anxiety, but make it 15 pounds.
People are turning to weighted blankets, sleep hoodies, and grounding eye masks—not to think their way to calm, but to feel it physically.
What it tells us
Emotional regulation is moving from mindset to material. Comfort is becoming something you can hold, not just talk about.
“Dumb” smart devices
Smart enough to help. Dumb enough to shut up.
Single-purpose tech with no feeds, no alerts, and no attention traps is quietly gaining ground.
What it tells us
Control is replacing convenience as the tech ideal. Silence is becoming a feature.
Offline rituals
Logging off, but with intention.
Screen-free habits are becoming identity signals—from macramé and pottery nights, to film cameras, book clubs, and phone-free dinners shared socially.
What it tells us
Presence is becoming a form of status. Being unavailable is starting to mean something again.
Talks That
Create Momentum.
Modern Being keynotes create a pause in a noisy world, helping people make sense of what’s already happening, understand why it matters, and decide how to move forward with clarity and confidence.
They don’t predict the future.
They help you focus on the present.
They look for what’s being revealed beneath the noise and help people understand what’s actually going on and why it matters.
“An espresso shot for your soul.”
Back to the Sandbox
The Hidden Genius of Thinking Like a Kid
As we grow up, we lose some of our best instincts. Curiosity. Imagination. Play. Maybe it’s time to go back to the sandbox… to rediscover why childlike ways of seeing and solving problems are exactly what we need right now.
What if some of the habits we left behind as kids are actually the ones we need most today?
Through funny and sometimes humbling stories, explore how curiosity and play lead to better collaboration, stronger ideas, and more creative thinking. A reminder that the simplest resets often unlock the biggest breakthroughs.
Format: 45 to 60 minutes
Style: Playful, story driven, and relatable
Takeaway: How rediscovering childlike instincts can become a real advantage at work and in leadership
Trends are not random. Their signals of something larger taking shape beneath the surface. When we look at jokes, memes, and cultural moments that seem inconsequential we often dismiss them as silly or fleeting.
By slowing down and paying attention to what keeps showing up, it becomes easier to understand what these moments are really pointing to and why they spread when they do.
What if the things we laugh at, scroll past, or ignore are quietly telling us what comes next?
Explore how small moments turn into mainstream shifts and how paying attention today leads to more insight tomorrow.
Format: 45 minutes
Style: Fast paced, visual, and humorous
Takeaway: How to spot meaningful cultural signals early and use them to think more clearly about what is changing and why
From Meme to Mainstream
How the Weird, the Wild, and the WTF Become Tomorrow’s Trends
AI is everywhere right now. In headlines, boardrooms, group chats, and everyday conversations. Deep breaths. Feeling lost in all of it or a little of it?
By stepping back from the noise, it helps people understand what actually matters, what doesn’t, and where curiosity can replace fear.
What if the most important question about AI is not what it can do, but what we still want humans to do?
Drawing on real examples and moments from history, the talk puts today’s concerns in perspective and helps people think more clearly about how AI fits into work, decision making, and daily life.
Format: 45 to 60 minutes
Style: Story driven, thoughtful, and lightly interactive
Takeaway: Clearer thinking about where AI belongs and where being human still makes the difference
A Human’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence
Demystifying AI with Humor, and Clarity
“Big ideas, small shifts, lasting change.”
About Garnet
Garnet McElree approaches culture like a kid at heart wandering through a museum. Curious. Observant. Drawn to the small details most people walk past. He pays attention to pop culture, everyday behavior, and the moments that quietly reveal what people care about before they know how to say it.
Known for blending storytelling, humor, and cultural insight, Garnet brings perspective that makes people stop, listen, and see things differently. Not by predicting what comes next, but by noticing what is already happening and helping others understand why it matters.
On stage, his talks feel like conversations that suddenly click. Off stage, he works with brands and leadership teams who want clearer thinking, fresh ideas, and a way forward that feels human, grounded, and worth paying attention to.
Garnet is a masterful storyteller who brings complex ideas to life. His views on marketing, branding, and transformation inspired me. He makes you feel immersed in his story. Definitely have him speak at your next event.
Jeremy Miller
Author,
Sticky Branding
“Garnet is one of the rare leaders who pairs creative excellence with real business results. He brings clarity to complex challenges, elevates the people around him, and has a deep ability to understand what a business truly needs to move forward. Any organization would benefit from his perspective and leadership.”
Elaine Hung
Chief Marketing Officer,
Sotheby’s International Realty
“Since he was a kid, he’s always seen things a little differently. He’d bring home stray animals, ask odd questions, notice things other people missed. He’s always had a way of helping people look again.”
Wayne McElree
Garnet’s Dad
Anti-Newsletter
Three trends. One insight.
Ever wonder why “Dubai chocolate” is suddenly everywhere, even though most of it has never been to Dubai?
That’s the kind of thing we break down.
A brief look at what’s actually happening, why it matters,
and then we leave your inbox alone.