Here at Vested, we often say our team is our greatest asset. Our people are smart, passionate, involved, kind, funny, and interesting, and we want to share them with you! In our series Vested Interests, we’re spotlighting Vesties around the world, sharing what they’re reading, who they’re listening to, where they’re eating, and everything in between.
Today we hear from Miles Hill, Vested Managing Director based in Durham, NC.
What book are you reading? Or any recent favorites?
I’m typically a non-fiction guy — I’m reading I Am Not A Robot by former WSJ tech columnist Joanna Stern right now, which I’m enjoying.
That said, I did go on a fiction kick recently and a couple of my faves were The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.
What about newsletters, industry/work related or otherwise?
I’m a big fan of Bloomberg Money Stuff, along with the WSJ and Axios newsletters in particular. Those are my work go-tos to get up to speed on the latest.
That said, I probably have roughly 75 million newsletters and Substacks in my inbox at any given time, so a lot of them are great.
What podcasts are you listening to?
I have different playlists for different vibes: I have my news/politics podcasts (The Daily, The Rest is Politics US + UK editions), I have my general business-y listens (Freakonomics, How I Built This, TED Radio Hour), and then my football/soccer shows (The Rest is Football, Men in Blazers, Football Ramble).
I’m an Arsenal fan, so the football shows have been the most enjoyable of the three genres lately.
What industry trend are you paying closest attention to right now?
Less an industry trend and more a shift in how people are starting to think and act — the barrier between “I have a specific problem” and “I built the specific thing that solves it” has basically collapsed. Instead of needing a full team and weeks/months, you can build a working prototype in a few hours or over a weekend.
One example in my own life: I’ve tried a dozen different task management systems over the years and none of them ever stuck, because they were all built for a generic user, not for me. So I built my own, designed 100% around my actual habits (and weaknesses!), not someone else’s assumptions about how people work.
I think that same shift is happening in the workplace as well. More people bypassing the “buy the generic version” instinct entirely and just making the thing themselves. The custom tools we’ve built at Vested have changed my life (thank you, Vested Lab time tracking tool).
The old cliché that “something doesn’t have to keep being done the way it’s always been done” has never been more literally and practically true.
Favorite outdoor activity, workout, or hobby?
I play soccer every week, which serves as a helpful reminder that I’m not as young and sprightly as I once was.
On weekends, I spend a lot of time with my 5- and 2-year-olds exploring local playgrounds and museums.
What’s your work superpower?
My favorite part of my job and the thing I think I’m quite good at is solving problems. I tend to take an Occam’s Razor approach — often the best explanation or solution to a problem is the simplest.
Any restaurants (or cafes, coffee shops, etc.) that you’ve been to and loved? Local favorites?
I recently moved to Durham, NC, which has had a restaurant renaissance over the past several years. A couple favorites are Little Bull and M Sushi, but I’m still working my way through my list of restaurants to try in the Triangle.
While I’m no longer based in NY, I do love visiting my old haunts whenever I’m in town. I had a great meal recently at Lil Frankie’s — the black kale caesar is *chef’s kiss*.
How did you find your way to Vested?
I’ve been familiar with Vested since it launched a decade ago. While at my previous agency, I went up against Vested in RFPs and pitches regularly. As I was looking for my next move, Vested was immediately at the top of my list.
What’s your go-to coffee order?
I used to be a black coffee guy. Then an iced coffee guy. Now I order iced lattes. Not sure what that says about me.
Do you have any hobbies or new skills you’re learning?
As a new first-time homeowner, my latest skills and hobbies have been forced upon me: landscaping, fixing leaking HVAC systems, dreaming up new ways to completely redesign my house, etc.
What’s your most-used emoji or Slack reaction?
I’m a pretty classic emoji user — my most frequently used are: 🙌🙏👀
