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Tag: Collaboration

  • Building a Business With Customer Care at The Forefront | Entrepreneur

    Building a Business With Customer Care at The Forefront | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Sometimes the most difficult experiences can push you in the right direction. For Carmen Sturniolo, owner of Ambitious Athletics, that moment came after his father passed away from a medical condition. He realized a desk job wouldn’t satisfy him and began thinking about how he could live his life to the fullest.

    “There’s gotta be something more I could be doing for the world, kind of like my dad did,” Carmen said. “He was a carpenter, also cut hair. He had a small business in his day, and he never had to hand out a business card. Everybody came to him.”

    Inspired by his dad, Carmen quit his job and started working at a gym as a personal trainer, gaining skills and learning more about the industry. Feeling like he could offer more, he pursued his own fitness business, training clients at his house or the park and fostering an unofficial gym community. When it was time to open his first brick-and-mortar business in 2015, he made sure the space was encouraging and inspiring for his clients.

    “With every decision as an entrepreneur, you’re looking to maximize your time and perfect everything right up front. So it was many hours of standing in this shelled out space,” he said. “When you walk in, there’s a big mural with our chevrons up there that says, ‘Strong, fit, athletic.’ And that’s what I always want to bring to our clients, and hopefully our clients want to embody.”

    Yelp reviewer Steven C. said he found Ambitious Athletics on Yelp while reading reviews to find a gym he could feel comfortable going to. Prior bad experiences at other gyms had made him nervous about entering the fitness scene without a lot of experience.

    “What I was really nervous about was, I’ve been to gyms before, and most of the time it’s just like open equipment. So you go and you feel bad about yourself because everyone else is very in shape,” Steven said.

    In order to address common concerns and fears similar to Steven’s, Carmen has a personal conversation with each potential client that comes in and offers a $20 one-week trial period so potential clients have a low risk option to try out the gym.

    “Honestly, it’s so we can just have a conversation with you and be ourselves and demonstrate our quality of training here, our community, and how we carry ourselves and want to actually make a difference in health and fitness,” Carmen said.

    Because he understands how important it is for each client to be cared for, Carmen asks questions during the trial period—ranging from what their fitness goals are to where they are in their life. This creates a safe environment where clients feel understood and less intimidated with a professional to guide them and help them achieve their goals.

    “So you come in for that starter session, and that gives us the opportunity to meet you, understand where you are, who you are as a person, what you’ve done in the past, what you’re currently doing, what you’re currently looking for. What’s your injury history like? Why are you doing this?” he said. “That would be important to me if I walked into any gym, any business where I was investing in myself, to be known as somebody, not just a number, and be a part of the volume of clientele.”

    Backing up that sentiment, Carmen said he and his staff look at a report every Friday to see which clients have been able to come in and which ones haven’t. If clients haven’t shown up, they check in to make sure they’re doing okay.

    “We know that showing up three to four times a week is most beneficial for your goals. And we like to see people. It’s always more fun when there’s more people in here and everyone is in here and laughing and having a great time, ’cause fitness should be fun,” he said.

    When it comes to feedback about the experience his business provides, Carmen takes reviews very seriously and has a process for reading and responding to them.

    “If it’s a one star or a five star, I wanna be able to read it, absorb it, and react logically if there needs to be a reaction, or let it hit me emotionally. So I take the time to carve out like 30 minutes and just absorb it,” Carmen said. “If it’s a current member, I’ll email them and say ‘Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review that you feel is helpful to us, and also helpful to the next person.”

    Other businesses can learn from Ambitious Athletics’s journey, including the following tips:

    • Don’t be afraid to pivot. Carmen wasn’t satisfied with his career and was able to start a business he was passionate about. Oftentimes, your passion can become your competitive advantage.
    • Form relationships with your customers, and let them know you care. Getting to know your clients as people can help them build loyalty toward your business while helping them achieve their personal goals.
    • Make the customer’s comfort and satisfaction a priority. Take the time to understand your target audience to create a personalized experience customers will come back for.
    • Read and respond to reviews. Carmen carves out 30 minutes to read and process his reviews and thanks customers for writing them. Investing in customer engagement can help improve your business’s reputation.

    Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Carmen and Steven, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.

    Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud.

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    Emily Washcovick

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  • Who Bought Subway? Chain Sells for Billions to Roark Capital | Entrepreneur

    Who Bought Subway? Chain Sells for Billions to Roark Capital | Entrepreneur

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    After nearly six decades as a family-owned business, Subway has been sold to private equity firm Roark Capital in a groundbreaking deal – but it’s not the only sandwich joint in the firm’s portfolio.

    The sale puts Subway under the same umbrella as rival Jimmy John’s, which is controlled by Inspire Brands also owned by Roark Capital.

    The sandwich giant announced the news in a press release on Thursday, and although terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, the Wall Street Journal previously reported that Roark offered Subway $9.6 billion after it was listed for sale in February for $10 billion.

    RELATED: Nearly 10,000 People Agree to Make a Legally Binding, Lifetime Commitment for Free Subway Sandwiches

    Photo by Xavi Lopez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images | Pedestrians walking past a Subway store.

    The deal with Roark is one of the biggest acquisitions in the fast food industry, per CNN. The company has $37 billion in assets and a massive food portfolio with investments in Arby’s, Auntie Anne’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Carvel, Sonic, and more.

    The largest was Inspire Brands’ $11.3 billion deal to purchase Dunkin’ in October 2020.

    Subway’s sale comes as the brand tries to revamp with store renovations and freshly sliced meats.

    RELATED: This Is Where Subway’s Co-Founder Left Half of His Fortune

    The acquisition is a new beginning for the sandwich shop, which has been owned by the DeLuca and Buck families since Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck opened the first Subway in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1965, according to the company’s website.

    Today, Subway is one of the world’s largest restaurant brands, with 37,000 locations across more than 100 countries.

    With hopes of continuing to expand, “this transaction reflects Subway’s long-term growth potential and the substantial value of our brand and our franchisees around the world,” Subway CEO John Chidsey explained in the press release.

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    Sam Silverman

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  • 3 Ways You Can Actually Use AI in Your Business (and Why You Should Still Be Careful With It) | Entrepreneur

    3 Ways You Can Actually Use AI in Your Business (and Why You Should Still Be Careful With It) | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The sky appears to be the limit for the ways entrepreneurs and CEOs can incorporate generative AI tools into their workflows. The one thing you can’t afford to do with generative AI is ignore it.

    I recently hosted a workshop for 30 early-stage CEOs to discuss ways to fuse generative AI into their business strategies. Here is some of the intel I shared, plus how you can give yourself an edge by responsibly and effectively incorporating this technology into your startup or business.

    Entrepreneurs wisely using generative AI can strategically implement it into their narrative and general storytelling of their companies to in turn receive higher valuations from investors as well — here’s how.

    Related: How AI Is Becoming a Game-Changer in Startup Fundraising

    1. Expand your product offerings and stay competitive

    I suggest reading up on Microsoft’s collaboration with OpenAI. Microsoft jumped to incorporate ChatGPT’s technology into Bing and its other products. Now, its users can work more efficiently in PowerPoint and its suite of Office products. Google responded by exploring the use of generative AI to expand its search capabilities.

    Software development is another key area getting gen AI attention. Gen AI is helping developers code more efficiently, predicting the next lines of code based on code already written and responding to prompts. There’s a spotlight on generative AI algorithm models like Large Language Models (LLMs) that can craft text based on the user’s input data.

    Every entrepreneur who wants to edge out the competition must find ways to apply generative AI to improve products and develop new offerings.

    My company, Verbit, hosted an internal hackathon to gamify identifying ways to incorporate generative AI. It helped to get greater buy-in and inspire ideas. Our hackathon uncovered 13 ways to employ more AI, including two that we’re commercializing.

    Consider replicating this hackathon idea or encouraging brainstorms. Run them company-wide. Instead of just involving your more obvious teams, acknowledge that generative AI has the ability to impact the roles of nearly everyone. By involving less obvious stakeholders, you’ll identify use cases for generative AI to disrupt processes you weren’t even aware of.

    Engaging your team in these ways won’t just boost morale; it will release apprehension around the “negative” human impact of greater generative AI use. Instead, your team will be inspired by how they can apply it to expand your offerings to deliver better.

    Related: The Secret to How Businesses Can Fully Harness the Power of AI

    2. Drive employee productivity

    AI should be seen as a gateway to make work more meaningful and efficient, not replace jobs. Using generative AI to eliminate dreaded, time-consuming tasks will keep your employees engaged. It will grant them the ability to focus on more creative tasks they’re passionate about. Employee engagement is a metric entrepreneurs can’t overlook because it translates to 23% higher profitability.

    Since newer forms of AI are learning to be intuitive and interact naturally with humans, start by using AI that communicates with your teams and learns from their feedback to boost productivity. For example, generative AI has advanced the possibilities of working with chatbots. Teams can now summarize and pull data from chatbot-powered customer surveys and much more.

    3. Predict market trends more accurately

    For entrepreneurs to make informed decisions about investments, strategies and products, they must understand market trends. Generative AI is helping entrepreneurs gather more quality data than earlier AI forms.

    AI is excellent at analyzing large sets of data, but generative AI can gather insights from unstructured data, like social media posts, audio files, text and other content. To be successful, entrepreneurs must pull in this additional information accessible to them through generative AI.

    Generative AI can also create simulations to determine the impact of hypothetical “what-if” situations. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used generative AI to simulate the spread of COVID-19 and the efficacy of different responses. Audi used simulations to model manufacturing strategies and reduce its assembly line cycle time by 30%.

    As an entrepreneur, you can benefit greatly by using generative AI for market simulation. If you don’t use these tools, you’ll be operating with less complete, lower-quality information than your competition.

    Related: How to Protect and Improve Your Business with AI During Challenging Times

    Know where to draw the line

    There are dangers in relying too heavily on gen AI. For example, AI uses data inputs for results. If the data is flawed, it can have consequences. This issue is already appearing in recruitment and hiring practices. Amazon canceled an AI-powered recruitment program after it proved to be biased against women. If you lean too much on AI alone, you could find yourself violating employment laws.

    You’ll need to be aware of ethical concerns to avoid instances of sharing sensitive information or violating data privacy laws as well. Generative AI can also hallucinate, meaning that it might give entirely wrong information, but package it in convincing language and reassuring confidence. Turning over too much responsibility to a chatbot could cause more harm than good.

    For example, experts are warning against relying too much on tools like ChatGPT for search engine optimization (SEO). Google may decide to penalize companies that publish automated content, undermining their past SEO work. Make sure that your team has a process in place to check the outputs of the AI it’s using.

    There was the case of the “ChatGPT lawyer,” who used the tool to draft a motion and ended up citing fake cases in court. The firm faced a fine and public humiliation, but in fields like health care, the consequences of faulty information could be worse and more dangerous.

    Smart entrepreneurs will understand how to intelligently and strategically use generative AI, but they’ll know where to draw the line. My advice is to be as savvy about the technology you employ as you are about the people you hire.

    However, don’t delay. Challenge your teams to use generative AI to work productively. Decide on a few areas of focus to implement it now, whether it’s personalized content creation, marketing efforts, software development, customer operations or data analysis. Trust me, your competitors are already doing so.

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    Tom Livne

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  • Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

    Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Accountability is a remarkably dynamic word and so much more than a simple promise to perform. While the concept is rooted in responsibilities, the term also implies continuous action and a healthy system of checks and balances. At its core, accountability is about showing up, claiming ownership of a task, and then accomplishing the things you have committed. And everyone in your organization should do the same – because accountability is not a solo act. Accountability is the kinetic energy that fuels every successful organization.

    Your own accountability as a business owner is a gimmie; as the leader of your company, your word is your bond. And there are also huge benefits in creating a culture of accountability throughout your organization.

    You want employees to be answerable for their responsibilities. You want your team to work toward company goals, maintain certain metrics and meet their deadlines. While these accountabilities might seem rudimentary, you might be surprised how many businesses struggle with them.

    I believe most employees want to do a good job and try hard to be accountable. If they fall short, a glitch in communication is usually at the heart of the problem. Maybe the employee was never clear on expectations. A lack of transparency possibly hobbled achievement. Or, as is often the case, perhaps the employee’s definition of success differed from that of their manager.

    Fostering a culture of employee accountability is key to the success of any business, and the formula almost certainly starts with respect for your team, their strengths and their goals. Best-selling author and TED Talker Daniel Pink says that fostering a spirit of autonomy, mastery and purpose in your employees allows them the freedom and inner drive to develop creative solutions. He is right; by affording them these opportunities for self-direction and responsibility, you create better alignment in an environment where your people feel valued and their talents nurtured. This is to say that you set the stage in your business for a culture of accountability.

    Related: How to Create a Culture of Gentle Accountability in 3 Steps

    Employees crave autonomy

    Autonomous employees are empowered to leverage their own judgment and take ownership of their decisions. Embracing a culture of self-responsibility throughout your business fosters a stronger sense of employee commitment, supports innovation and demonstrates your trust in your team’s capabilities and professionalism. By giving employees more flexibility and responsibility in their own approaches and outcomes, they become more thoughtful in their actions and decision-making processes.

    Accountability and autonomy might feel like conflicting concepts at times. Getting the balance right can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort. It starts with communication and clarity. When you or your management team assign a task to an employee, ensure that the person is clear about what you want them to do and the expected results. Ask the employee to confirm what you are asking them to do. Let them know you are available if they have questions about the task. Then allow them to do their job. You can check in periodically to track their progress along the way.

    Related: Want Elite Performance? Adopt These 5 Practices Of Top Tactical Units

    Employees want mastery

    Mastery is the process of honing one’s skills to a refined level. When you provide employees with development opportunities, they become quantifiably more engaged, productive and fulfilled in their jobs. Mastery boosts employees’ sense of accomplishment, positions them for a more rewarding career trajectory, and seeds the business with increasingly capable people. I talk a lot about win-win in business. Creating opportunities for your employees to master their skills while increasing your company’s competitive edge is certainly one of them.

    Consider investing in your business’s employee development, mentorship and leadership training programs. The ROI for learning initiatives tends to be high from a financial and cultural perspective. And while an increase in accountability is challenging to track with real numbers, it is most definitely positively impacted by employee mastery.

    Related: What is the Caliber of your Company Culture and How Can You Develop It?

    Employees desire purpose

    Now more than ever, employees yearn for a sense of purpose that serves as something larger than themselves in their professional and personal lives. Millennials and Gen Zs are particularly motivated to make a difference in the world around them at both a micro and macro level. By instilling a profound sense of purpose within the vision and mission of your company, you better attract and retain those people who are aligned with similar concerns and causes.

    When employees feel empowered and impactful in their ability to support what they care about, they are more committed, intentional and accountable. Greater purpose inspires ownership in achieving above-and-beyond outcomes.

    Purpose-driven employees also tend to be more adept at tackling challenges. They have faith in their own ability to overcome adversity to achieve a desired goal, so they willingly take on more responsibility and accountability to make things happen. Purpose is a powerful motivator on so many levels.

    When employees fall short on accountability

    What if you have put in the effort to create a culture of employee autonomy, mastery and purpose in your business, but your people are still lagging in the accountability department or are regularly just not meeting expectations?

    Rather than resorting to criticism, I suggest you take a coaching approach. Ask the employee how they felt a glitchy project went. What worked well and what panned out poorly. Ask them to analyze the processes and procedures, then have them share those opinions with you. This will provide you with enormous insight, at least from this employee’s perspective, that you may not have considered.

    While leveraging the coaching approach, you will often find that the employee admits their own culpability or poor performance in the project and makes suggestions for self-correction. Which, when you think about it, really is the definition of employee accountability, isn’t it?

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    Jason Zickerman

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  • Why Successful Collaboration Comes Down to Proper Team Balance | Entrepreneur

    Why Successful Collaboration Comes Down to Proper Team Balance | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The wrong way to approach values is obvious: You’ve seen the movie Office Space when the boss calls everyone together to unveil a new banner on the wall asking, “Is This Good for the Company?” As far as that value exercise goes, everyone looks at the banner, but that’s about it.

    The “right” approach requires more nuance.

    Our company just welcomed five corporate cultures under its single umbrella. After nearly three decades of working alongside the company’s founders, most people could articulate our values very well. Only when our newly incorporated team members asked us to point to behaviors demonstrating how we live out those values in practice did we realize that we couldn’t point to anything concrete enough for them to “get it.” Employees want employers to represent their ethics and values to stay engaged. We knew we needed to fix this.

    Intentional values prevent misalignment around company non-negotiables and can guide employee action and collaboration in the right direction. Still, defining and aligning the various departments of a company around those core values is more complex than it sounds; the task is even more challenging when merging multiple companies.

    Related: How Collaboration Can Help Drive Growth and Propel Your Business to New Heights

    Over-communicate, then communicate again

    Part of my work in M&A is ensuring that our people’s experiences with the company are consistent. If I visited one of our offices in Australia or Japan, they would feel like part of the same world. Most of that came through working alongside the company’s founders and absorbing their approach to making decisions by osmosis. Sure, we articulated our values in onboarding materials. We offered some swag and other replicated forms of them in our recognition programs. Still, we mostly took that tacit learning from the company’s culture carriers for granted and developed little else to reference our values in action beyond that.

    This five-company merger was an “ah ha!” moment that made us reconsider how we communicated our values, and they still hold up after all this time. Without clear communication and explicit practical applications, it would be only natural that people bring their old ways of operating into a new company, even without realizing it. If we want to carry values forward as we merge companies or aim to break down silos, we need to embed them across the employee journey at every touch point in both words and action.

    Consider values in the hiring experience — how we describe the position in the job post and our interview questions for potential candidates. If one of our stated values is collaboration, we might ask them to describe when they successfully collaborated on a project and, more importantly, when it wasn’t. Seek to hire people who understand and appreciate those intrinsic values and spend time discussing them in all onboarding sessions globally. People can be talented but not always aligned, so figure out what’s non-negotiable and ask questions about what matters to them, and you’ll soon see if they “get it.”

    Related: 10 Simple Steps to Build an Exceptional and Efficient Team

    Live, not laminate

    It takes more than coffee mugs, posters and pieces of flair to align everyone around a company’s values: We need to be able to attribute behaviors to them. If a company says they’re “people-centric,” it should showcase this in an actionable way — performance evaluations that allow employees to tell their own stories rather than their performance review happening to them; benefits that provide coverage for the whole family; meetings that regularly represent that value as a theme or recognize someone who exemplifies them. At our company, we have a Kudos chat where, every week, people acknowledge when they have observed someone’s behavior that directly aligns with our values.

    Leaders must ensure people live, feel and see their company values repeatedly. In a 2022 survey of U.S. and U.K. employees, respondents were likelier to stay with an employer whose values align with theirs. Still, almost half would consider leaving a company if its leadership fails to act by them.

    When we give people examples of living our values, they have more reasons to discuss them. Over time, stories get retold and cement themselves into company lore. When a customer attempted to return two tires to the local Nordstrom retailer in Fairbanks, Alaska, the clerk called, researched tire prices and processed the refund despite Nordstrom never selling tires. Nordstrom’s legendary tire story demonstrates the brand’s dedication to living its value of customer service.

    Related: 3 Ways to Foster Trust and Communication During a Global M&A

    Evaluate and evolve

    After almost 30 years, our company has gone through many chapters, and what was right in the past needs to be constantly reexamined to ensure we are still true to our word.

    One of the companies we acquired had active and illustrative values, including “create success” and “be brave.” Their values were strong and actionable: Someone who needed to make a critical decision on a Friday afternoon with no one else around could recall the value “be brave” and go for it. So, we are taking this moment to evolve our values to match the company’s evolution. We’re reevaluating the original company values and if they still hold. The core ones, like respect and integrity, will remain, but in our 25+ years later, some values may not be quite right.

    Ultimately, most values aim toward the same ends — respect, integrity and a feeling of trust and belonging. Focus on four or five values that answer the question, “What do we believe in that will help us make better decisions?” Then, make leadership decisions that reflect them. Trust is built when people see their leadership standing by those values. Even when merging five companies into one, strong values enable a healthy culture that ensures that people are motivated, engaged and committed to work every day to deliver the results for the company.

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    Victoria Maitland

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  • Elizabeth Chambers of BIRD Bakery on How to Expand in Business with Authenticity | Entrepreneur

    Elizabeth Chambers of BIRD Bakery on How to Expand in Business with Authenticity | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Elizabeth Chambers of BIRD Bakery believes that every person entering her bakery’s doors does so with purpose.

    For her, each encounter with someone — online or in-person — is an opportunity to embrace a connection. So every interaction should be treasured as a gift.

    “I believe everything happens for a reason. And I say every single person who walks in that door is meant to walk into your life. So are you going to receive that or are you going to ignore it? And that’s your choice,” says Elizabeth Chambers to Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media.

    Following three years living in the Cayman Islands, she sought a heartfelt way to extend her gratitude to the local community that provided a sense of peace to her and her family through a rough patch of life.

    This aspiration to give back gave rise to the creation of BIRD Bakery, a venture dedicated to rekindling the love of homemade baked goods in a landscape dominated by mass-produced cupcakes.

    Through her pop-up endeavors, Chambers encountered profoundly emotional reactions from patrons who rediscovered cherished memories in her confections. This journey culminated in a Hulu show chronicling the inception of BIRD Bakery.

    “I always wanted to open a bakery here.” says Chambers of opening her bakery in the Cayman Islands. “People love cupcakes. And because it’s a small island in the middle of the sea, most of the cupcakes that people enjoy are from the grocery store. And they’re frozen or it’s pre-made mixes.”

    She has seen the power of Smartphone Storytelling to connect with consumers while celebrating the importance of family and food. As a successful media personality, Elizabeth Chambers has learned the best way to get your true story told is to tell it yourself. And she does so on her own terms.

    Navigating the evolving terrain of the creator economy and social media landscape, the founder and owner of BIRD Bakery initially grappled with the pressure to maintain algorithmic relevance, a challenge familiar to many entrepreneurs.

    However, her perspective underwent a transformation as she recognized the beauty and authenticity in stepping back from social media.

    Despite the potential loss of followers, she prioritized personal well-being over analytics.

    While Elizabeth Chambers acknowledges the potential for bigger expansion, involving a team and investors, at present her bakery stands as a direct reflection of her values and personal journey. By exercising ownership over her online presence and business, she underscores the profound significance of aligning individual authenticity with entrepreneurial pursuits.

    Of her new approach, Chambers says: “I feel like I didn’t want to force something that wasn’t authentic to where I was at that point in my life. And my bakery reflects where I am.”

    The food entrepreneur’s journey is about genuine connections and intentional encounters, serving as a reminder for others to heed their inner compass when navigating life’s intricacies.

    Her conviction in the purposefulness of interactions and ability to seamlessly integrate personal authenticity into her bakery’s identity exemplify the potency of merging values with entrepreneurial endeavors.

    With multiple stores, BIRD Bakery’s renowned goods are just at the beginning of what it will become. And it will all be on Chambers’ terms.

    “BIRD is me. I am BIRD”

    ***

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    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • You Only Need These 3 Things to Come Up With Your Best Ideas | Entrepreneur

    You Only Need These 3 Things to Come Up With Your Best Ideas | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It’s easier than ever to feel lost — lost in the workplace, lost in your personal life, even lost in your overall purpose and mission as a human being. I personally blame a lot of this on social media. It’s the perfect concoction for depression, anxiety and the feeling of not knowing what path is right for you.

    A couple of hours on the Zuckerberg Express (a.k.a. Facebook) and you’ll be fed other people’s successes so much you’ll start to doubt your own. A video of a fix-and-flip specialist will quickly make you think you need to stop what you’re working on, buy houses and renovate them yourself. You’ve never held a hammer and you don’t know what HVAC stands for, but if this 30-second video on Instagram taught you anything, it’s that the time is now…

    Excuse my sarcasm, but even as I’m writing, I’m reminded of the ridiculous paths I’ve gone down thanks to social media. That’s a story for another time though. Through exploring and failing on many of these voyages, I’ve learned a tried and true method to keep me goal-oriented and combat as much of the social media facade as I can: whiteboarding.

    Yes, you read that right. Structured and creative time away from all other work and life needs, with just a whiteboard, a marker and your thoughts. In my nine years as a business owner, I’ve found whiteboarding to be the single strongest tool for fine-tuning my ideas, innovating and niching down. Below are the three biggest rules I use for effective whiteboarding.

    Related: The Whiteboard Method: 5 Easy Steps to Discover Your Niche and Turn Your Passion Into a Career

    1. No erasing

    Before you start, remove the eraser from the room. It’s so easy to get hyper-critical of what you’re writing when you know you can erase it. By operating under the “no idea is a bad idea” philosophy, I’ve been able to discover new revenue streams for my business, fine-tune my goals and more. Not erasing anything is a great way to leave thoughts up on the board for further development. Sometimes an idea I quickly jotted down — that I would’ve erased in real time — just needed some further tweaking. That idea later became a huge component of my business moving forward.

    2. Time your whiteboarding sessions

    I like to do 20-minute sprints, but find an amount of time that feels comfortable for you. Remember, this exercise is for you. If 20 minutes is too long, do 10. If 20 minutes is too short, do 30. This is your time.

    Turn a timer on and turn everything else off for whatever amount of time you decide. I like to stand up in front of the board (sometimes even pace) and write as much as my brain and hand will let me. After the allotted 20 minutes, I sit down and spend time reading and digging into each thought. Oftentimes, this is where I’m able to expand a simple thought into something much more developed and fleshed out. If I feel like I hit an “aha” moment, I take a photo of the board, then erase and flesh that idea out further. If I didn’t, I spend some more time reading and digesting, then I take a photo and get back to my work. Not every time will be one of those euphoric highs we all love about entrepreneurship and finding new ideas, but the simple act of doing this frequently creates clarity.

    Related: How Journaling Can Make You a Better Entrepreneur and Leader

    3. Frequency

    I personally do these whiteboard sessions once a week. I’ve found that to be frequent enough to work through things, but not so frequent to the point of wasting time or energy on the same thoughts over and over. If I’m feeling extra lost that week, rather than adding an extra session, I prefer to jot it down to work on at my next whiteboarding session. Routines are everything.

    A lot of people talk about the power of whiteboarding in groups for creative brainstorming. I find that to also be an effective way to pull ideas out of a group, but the sessions need to be structured enough to not be a time suck for everyone and the groups need to be small pods before opening them up to bigger teams.

    When my business partner Ian Rodriguez and I launched Innovo, we’d spend hours behind a whiteboard taking turns workshopping every little detail and idea. Those days were extremely effective for clarifying who we were and what we wanted to accomplish.

    Once your business is moving you obviously can’t spend hours weekly doing those sessions though. In my opinion, the best go-forward strategy I’ve found here is to whiteboard solo, develop some thoughts and opinions, then bring your partner(s) and team in to take it to the next level. This allows for personal clarity as well as tapping into others’ skill sets and ideas.

    Ideas are good, but clarity is great. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself through whiteboarding — it’s become my secret weapon in entrepreneurship.

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    Sam Saideman

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  • 4 Changes New Companies Should Adopt in 2023 to Set Yourself Up for Success | Entrepreneur

    4 Changes New Companies Should Adopt in 2023 to Set Yourself Up for Success | Entrepreneur

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    Any startup or newer business needs a strong focus on building an effective and productive team of employees. However, this remains somewhat difficult, as a job market favoriting candidates makes hiring new employees a costly and risk prone process. This is especially the case when considering the technology talent many new businesses need to execute the ideas at the core of their business hopes.

    With many startups suffering from a lack of capital, taking a different approach to finding talent serves to optimize their staffing spend. It helps these new businesses affect the organizational changes they need to achieve for a real chance of success. A mix of staff augmentation and strategic outsourcing ensures emerging businesses have access to the necessary talent in a cost-effective fashion.

    So let’s look more closely at these and other organizational changes new businesses need to consider for a better chance of success in 2023 and beyond. These ideas allow your emerging organization to stay nimble to take advantage of any new opportunities arriving on your doorstep. Leverage these insights to position your startup squarely on the path to success, providing a quick exit opportunity for your investors.

    Related: 4 Ways Leaders Can Navigate Change and Find the Hidden Opportunities

    Leveraging staff augmentation to maintain a startup’s talent pipeline

    Any new business needs a robust talent pipeline providing the flexibility to thrive in its earliest stages. We already mentioned the expensive and risk-prone aspects of sourcing permanent employees in the current job market. A startup might spend an inordinate amount of time and resources trying to hire a permanent candidate, only to fail, with all those sunk expenses as a result.

    However, adopting a staff augmentation approach provides talent from a development agency to quickly meet an acute skills gap or other talent shortage. It also remains a great way for startups to access the critical technology professionals they need to complete the technical product or service central to their growth potential. When considering this strategy, find a digital agency or staffing services firm able to provide a full team. It helps foster collaboration with your organization compared to contracting individuals.

    Add outsourced expertise to your organization

    Somewhat related to that point, in addition to using staff augmentation as a talent strategy, you might also consider outsourcing certain leadership and other managerial expertise to your organization. Many high-level consultants with experience in the same industry sector as your startup are willing to work with new businesses. It offers the critical know-how to help any new business devise a strategy to achieve its short-term and long-term goals.

    Once again, this type of “on-demand” staffing lets businesses add expertise at significant cost savings compared to making permanent hires. A startup conserves its limited capital by not having to pay benefits and salaries to a host of new employees. When the current project finishes, those contract workers simply move on to their next gig, while a startup’s staffing spend returns to normal.

    Data-driven decision-making helps startups gain a measure of wisdom

    Any startup benefits when focusing on tangible insights derived from data for their decision-making processes. It makes a difference in a variety of functional areas but holds special importance when considering market research when vetting a potential target market for a new business’s first product or service. Developing any digital product — typically a software app or similar platform — without any market insights results in a startup flying blind.

    Of course, data beyond market research also matters throughout the process of developing any software product. Any thorough testing process generates a massive amount of valuable data offering insights into the user experience — this helps inform the project team on what features to include and modify before the app goes live. Beyond that, never skimp on data analysis throughout a business’s history. Data remains the lifeblood of any successful company, after all.

    Related: What Stops Organizational Change From Sticking, And How to Change That

    Ensure your software projects follow an iterative approach

    One important organizational change relates to the methodology new businesses use for their software projects. Following an iterative software methodology, like agile or lean startup, provides many benefits to startups and emerging organizations. This approach ensures any bugs or design mistakes are caught early in the development process when more inexpensive to fix. Finding a critical bug right before going live might result in the failure of the startup.

    Lean Startup leverages a concept known as the minimum viable product (MVP). It’s essentially a prototype developed in short cycles that include sharply defined stages for testing, analyzing the data from those test results as highlighted above, and applying the lessons learned to a new version of the app. It keeps business stakeholders and the project team in close communication throughout the initiative, ensuring nothing gets lost in the fray.

    In the end, improve your chances of a successful startup by adopting these organizational changes. Leveraging staff augmentation at startup launch provides the critical talent it needs in the most cost-effective manner. Additionally, adopting an iterative data-driven software development approach reduces expenses while resulting in an app with a better chance of making an impact on the market.

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    Andrew Amann

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  • 3 Tips for Improving a Difficult Workplace Relationship | Entrepreneur

    3 Tips for Improving a Difficult Workplace Relationship | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com

    We’ve all heard the saying, “People don’t quit their jobs. They quit their bosses.” It’s an important professional truth and one that can apply to more than just a leader. Challenging relationships with co-workers, contractors, and professional peers, in general, can alter (and at times completely undermine) an otherwise positive workplace experience.

    If you’re struggling with difficult relationships at work, here are a few tactics to help you improve things moving forward.

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    Kimberly Zhang

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  • Unlocking Your True Potential: Back To The Basics With College Student Grant Hafercamp | Entrepreneur

    Unlocking Your True Potential: Back To The Basics With College Student Grant Hafercamp | Entrepreneur

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    Interview with Jeff Fenster & college student Grant Hafercamp on exploring your ultimate potential.

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    Jeff Fenster

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  • Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue on Succeeding in the Reaction Business | Entrepreneur

    Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue on Succeeding in the Reaction Business | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In Jon Taffer’s eyes, the restaurant industry isn’t just about serving food and beverage — it’s about creating REACTIONS.

    The Bar Rescue host and executive producer knows the importance of understanding the psychology behind customers’ reactions. It’s at the core of his business philosophy.

    Jon Taffer‘s journey to becoming host and executive producer of Bar Rescue on Paramount was not without challenges.

    Despite initial doubts from friends about his ability to be a TV star, the famed businessman has held onto two powerful lessons that continue to shape his success: the importance of believing in oneself and the value of long-term vision over short-term gains.

    As Jon Taffer tells Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media, “The only person who can say no to you — is you — don’t ever forget that.”

    Before stepping into the limelight as star of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer had already tasted lots of success in his career.

    This pre-existing experience gave him the leverage to keep authenticity as a non-negotiable going into his famous hospitality series. Refusing to “sell his soul,” he stood ground when some producers suggested adding fake elements for dramatic effect.

    Jon Taffer‘s commitment to real and authentic content not only saved the show and made it a big hit, but also strengthened his brand. His unwavering authenticity is a cornerstone of his identity, both on and off the screen.

    He stresses the significance of remaining true to oneself in the world of content creation.

    “I had an understanding with the network that if it wasn’t real, I would walk away because my brand still meant a lot to me before I was on TV.” says Jon Taffer. “I’m me. I’m no different talking to you now, than I am on TV. That’s really important. No matter what we do in a content world, authenticity is critical.”

    Restaurateurs who can consistently generate positive reactions from their patrons, whether through culinary excellence or impeccable service, are the ones who stand above the rest.

    As he puts it, the restaurant business is about creating reactions, not just making meals.

    Taffer believes that success lies in how effectively restaurateurs can evoke responses from their customers. To him, a dish on the table is not merely an entree, but a vehicle to elicit a reaction from the diner.

    Jon Taffer‘s approach to the restaurant industry is characterized by his dedication to creating meaningful experiences for customers. He emphasizes that it’s not about simply serving food or pouring drinks but rather orchestrating moments that evoke delight and satisfaction.

    “I don’t believe you’re in a restaurant business. I don’t believe you’re in the food and beverage business. You’re in a reaction business. Your cook and kitchen is not making an entree. That is not the product. He’s producing a reaction.”

    Jon Taffer’s journey from being told he would never be on television to becoming an Executive Producer of a hit series has been fueled by an unwavering belief in himself and a commitment to authenticity.

    Success is not about the products or services we offer but about the reactions we elicit from our audience.

    ***

    ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

    Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

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    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • From Faith to Politics: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

    From Faith to Politics: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Although the risks are real, the rewards are worth it. What if I told you that having difficult conversations when artfully done, can bring you closer — not further — to your colleagues, friends and family?

    You don’t have to be a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultant like me to have meaningful and constructive conversations about “hot” topics. All that’s required is a bit of control in managing your emotions, good listening and speaking skills and an open mind. When I host DEI workshops and sessions with clients, I use simple techniques to empower them to have these conversations in their own institutions. Here are my top three recommended techniques that help my clients have very difficult discussions with the best possible outcomes for all involved.

    Create community agreements

    The suggestion to create guidelines and agreements at the outset of a conversation may sound a bit stale, but trust me, it’s a powerful tool. Community agreements used deliberately and respectfully in group conversations can set the tone for behavioral expectations and allow everyone to buy into a set of principles that will help keep the conversation cordial and kind.

    I usually present a suggested list of community agreements at the beginning of the conversation and invite attendees to add or remove items. Then, after the agreements have been solidified, we all agree to adhere to them. Some of my favorite community agreements include:

    • Listen to learn, not react.
    • Expect and accept non-closure.
    • Name what you need to feel safe.
    • Stay engaged throughout.
    • See this as a brave space.

    These community agreements, once agreed upon, can help ensure the conversation is kind, thoughtful and conducted with an open mind by all.

    Related: Here’s How to Have the Most Powerful DEI Conversations

    Manage your emotions

    Discussing difficult topics like faith and politics can stir up a plethora of emotions from pride to shame and countless others in between. But why do conversations like this cause such an emotional reaction? Well, it’s partly because faith and politics are incredibly close to our hearts, personal values and way of living.

    It can feel offensive to hear someone completely dismiss our way of life or speak in a way that conflicts with our values. But the country, and the world for that matter, are diverse places and we have to be able to regulate our emotions if we wish to engage with others who may have different opinions.

    In my DEI workshops, I encourage attendees to, first, recognize their emotions. Are they feeling sad? Confused? Delighted? Upset? I advise them to notice — without judgment — what emotions are coming up for them. Simply recognizing the onset of feelings is the first step.

    Next, I teach the person to practice self-regulation techniques. This can look like breathing techniques that calm the nervous system such as deep inhales and exhales. It can also look like stepping away to drink some water or take a break from the conversation or even the room, not to disengage, but simply to reset emotionally. Either way, learning to regulate one’s emotions when they are in a highly emotional state can truly keep the conversation cordial and on track.

    I also encourage clients to stay focused on the issue. One person’s opinion about a topic isn’t an attack on your personal values or beliefs. Instead of giving in to the reflex to react defensively, simply focus on what’s being said. What is the person on the other side of the issue trying to communicate? What are their values? What is the topic at hand? Focusing on the issue can help you feel less like the person is attacking you, and more like the person is merely expressing their opinion on the topic — which is almost certainly what they are doing.

    Finally, it’s important to know your triggers. What stressful events from your past are resurfacing in the conversation? What’s making your blood boil or giving you a shiver? Unresolved triggers can inspire heated emotions in the moment that other attendees may not understand. Feeling triggered and not being able to control your emotions can derail an otherwise meaningful and enlightening conversation. Knowing your triggers can allow you to step away from a conversation when the time is right. The result is more control over your emotions, a better-executed conversation, and perhaps mutual understanding.

    Related: Your Employees Are Probably Feeling Triggered at Work

    Practice active, empathetic listening

    In the moments when the last thing we want to hear is an opinion that confronts our own, the most skillful choice is to practice active listening. People are often confused about what “active” means. In this context, active listening means leaning in and truly engaging with what the other person has to say without interruption. It means giving them your full attention and practicing supportive non-verbal body language like making eye contact, nodding your head or sitting in a restful and relaxed position.

    Active listening when paired with empathy can be an amazing combination when discussing controversial topics. Empathy is an essential part of DEI and can give you the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see an issue from their perspective. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything they say, but it does mean you are making an effort to understand where they’re coming from and striving to keep an open mind.

    Empathetic, active listening can look like reflecting on what someone has said and then paraphrasing to check for understanding. It can include asking clarifying questions that aren’t disguised attacks but rather demonstrate a genuine interest to further your knowledge about a person’s position or ideology. Most importantly, it looks like suspending judgment. This is the part that some people take years to master. However, it’s worth practicing. Once you have the mental and emotional control to listen to another person’s perspective and remove judgment about their character or humanity, then you will have mastered the art of having difficult conversations.

    Related: 6 Strategies for Being a Better, Active Listener

    Final thoughts

    Now more than ever, our divided society has a yearning to come together. From our faith, sexual orientation, political orientation or race, there is a connection void that’s ever-widening yet we share a desire to close it. I think the solution to bridging the gap and rebuilding a more cohesive and compassionate society is by engaging in difficult conversations with empathy and mindfulness. That starts with wanting to engage in these conversations, building emotional control, setting boundaries and truly listening to those on the other side of an issue. Most disagreements can often be boiled down to misunderstandings. People aren’t listening fully to one another and they can misinterpret what’s being said. To help us all become more compassionate and kind members of society, we must truly listen to the perspectives of those around us and seek to understand, not judge, their way of life and thinking.

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    Nika White

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  • The Pros and Cons of Hiring Family Members in a Small Business | Entrepreneur

    The Pros and Cons of Hiring Family Members in a Small Business | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Even though we already had four children, when my husband Phil and I started CorpNet, our goal was not to create a dynastic family firm. Yet here we are, 14 years later, with two kids on the payroll.

    That’s not unusual; there are over 5.5 million family-owned businesses in America. Like most small businesses, family-owned companies struggle to find skilled employees. To meet this challenge, small business owners should ignore conventional wisdom and explore all avenues of finding good workers. One way to find the employees you need is to do what we did — hire family members, whether your own or relatives of your current staff.

    While this may be perceived as nepotism, hiring family members has several strategic advantages.

    Related: 5 Tips to Successfully Manage ‘Friends and Family’ Hires

    The pros

    1. Shared vision and values

    Family members often share similar values, work ethics and long-term goals. In PwC’s 2023 U.S. Family Business Survey, 90% of respondents of all generations say, “Growth is important because it enables them to invest in their company’s future.”

    Your kids likely share your values and goals. But look beyond that. Let’s say you have a high-performing employee that fits your company’s culture — they may have a sibling or a spouse with the same traits. Hiring them (of course, you should vet them as you would any new hire) can save you the time and money of searching for a new employee and the concern that your new hire won’t fit your company culture.

    When employees (related or not) share values, it’s often easier to work toward achieving common goals since they’re invested in each other’s success.

    2. Trust

    For small businesses to succeed, your team must trust one another. Family members have a pre-existing foundation of trust, and that attitude can spread to other employees, creating a strong team bond.

    Trust among your staff enhances communication, collaboration, goal-setting and decision-making. And 91% of business executives surveyed in PwC’s 2023 Trust Survey say maintaining trust improves the bottom line.

    3. Loyalty

    Employees want to work for companies where they know their opinions are respected. When your hire a relative of a current employee, they feel valued that you trusted their recommendation, deepening their loyalty.

    Family members likely enjoy working together, which further cements their loyalty to your business.

    4. Efficient communication

    Family members typically communicate more easily and effectively due to their familiarity and shared experiences. This streamlined communication minimizes miscommunications and misunderstandings.

    5. Lower recruitment costs

    Recruitment can be costly and time-consuming — especially today when many businesses compete for the same employees. Small business owners can reduce recruitment expenses, such as paying for job listings, recruiters or employment agencies, by hiring their kids or employees’ relatives.

    Also, since your children and the relatives of current employees are already familiar with your business, the onboarding process is shorter, reducing training time and costs.

    Related: The No. 1 Reason You Should Hire a Family Member

    The cons

    Of course, hiring family members can have some potential drawbacks. Here’s what to look out for:

    1. Appearance of nepotism

    Whether you’re hiring members of employees’ families or yours, other employees may resent these new hires, assuming they’re not qualified for the job. Transparency is essential. Tell your staff about the familial relationship and why you think the new worker will make a great team member.

    2. Preferential treatment

    It is critical that the new hire does not get preferential treatment. Family members should avoid inside jokes, telling secrets and any other behavior that would cause resentment.

    Job responsibilities, wages and paid time off for similar positions should be the same. Even a hint of special treatment will increase resentment in the rest of the staff.

    3. Emotional baggage

    Family members may bring emotional baggage and existing conflicts into the workplace, creating tension and making it difficult to work together. Those tensions can permeate throughout your company, negatively impacting growth.

    Regular communication is key to resolving family conflicts. The 2023 North America Family Business Report from Brightstar Capital Partners and Campden Wealth reveals that 49% of respondents experienced family conflict on the job, which for 41% resulted in a communications breakdown, impacting the entire company.

    Before family members join your company, you or your HR manager should set boundaries between the related employees (including you and your family). Explain what behaviors are not acceptable in the office. Consider adding a section about this to your employee handbooks.

    Related: The Do’s and Don’ts of Involving Family in Your Business

    Tips for hiring family members

    When hiring relatives, you need to:

    • Be clear about your expectations. Set clear expectations for the new hires so they understand their roles and responsibilities. When hiring family, it’s key to temper your expectations. Don’t expect them to be perfect or to think exactly as you do, and be patient. Give them time to adjust to their new roles. Also, if applicable, explain your expectations to the employee who suggested you hire their relative. If things don’t work out, you don’t want to lose your other employee as well.
    • Be fair and impartial. All employees should be treated equally. Favoritism is never acceptable.
    • Hire the best person for the job. Never feel obligated to hire relatives (your own or an employee’s) simply because they’re family. Make sure they’re qualified for the job.

    Before making a final decision, weighing the benefits of hiring family members against the potential drawbacks is critical.

    At my company, we have hired relatives of our employees and found that they work hard, quickly fit into our company culture and help us focus on growth and success. And while my kids work at CorpNet now, I don’t have unrealistic expectations. We’re not grooming them to take over. My children have aspirations and want to start their own businesses.

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    Nellie Akalp

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  • Can This Uber Eats and DoorDash Competitor Thrive? | Entrepreneur

    Can This Uber Eats and DoorDash Competitor Thrive? | Entrepreneur

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    On the season nine finale of “Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch,” find out what happens when entrepreneurs with big ideas meet investors with big money.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • Collaboration Is the Key to Super-fast Growth | Entrepreneur

    Collaboration Is the Key to Super-fast Growth | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    British scientist Sir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Newton knew his success was accelerated by the knowledge, support, and collaboration of others, and he was thoughtful enough to appreciate and communicate this.

    Often entrepreneurs, as natural-born leaders, are control freaks — much like I am. We feel like we have to take charge of every element of our business in order to ensure its chances of success.

    I personally find it incredibly helpful to know each area of my business well, as it’s difficult to provide good C-level management without experience (and hard graft) in the areas you are overseeing. But Sir Isaac Newton knew that working with others would provide him with much faster exponential growth. And so although it’s important to be in control of your business, it’s also fundamental to take advantage of changing market conditions and to jump up steps or growth hack whenever feasible.

    Related: The War Against Digital Currencies Is Being Lost: What You Need to Know to Take Advantage

    My businesses often find me innovating in areas of uncharted waters, and therefore the number of experienced players in the market is usually non-existent. This situation may leave you thinking that there aren’t any collaborators to join forces with, but there are always others who can get involved to help to boost your momentum and increase your exposure and connectivity.

    Collaboration truly is the key to success

    The legendary Abraham Accords was signed in 2020 with multiple middle eastern countries making peace treaties over collaboration in business and innovation. It was a momentous chapter in history — never has the region, or the world, frankly, seen such an alliance. According to The Abraham Accords Institute, the countries participating have already seen more than $3 billion in trade and revenue since its execution, and the setup of 17 new flight paths in the region.

    As stated by the institute, “The Abraham Accords paves the way for limitless economic opportunity and represents a significant opportunity for increased economic prosperity for the participating countries.”

    According to the Rand Foundation, the Abraham Accords, when fully realized, could create as many as 4 million new jobs and $1 trillion in new economic activity in its first decade, as well as aiding the regional recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Why fight with your competitor or neighbor when you can create a strategic alliance and both succeed together?

    According to a recent report “Israel-United Arab Emirates trade grew by nearly 42% in the first five months of 2023 compared to the same period last year, and trade between Israel and Bahrain grew about 24%.”

    I discussed this immense foreign relations feat with one of the pioneers of The Abraham Accords, Jared Kushner, earlier this year, who initially met much doubt in the initiative’s success before the joint partnerships were executed. We talked about how change can be scary, and believing in success with another party — who you may have once considered your enemy — can be hard to envisage and roll out. History has proved so differently, and now the desire for international collaboration is highly contagious internationally.

    Related: How Robots and AI Are Transforming the Surgery Room

    Earlier this month, I was invited to speak as the Keynote Speaker at the Abrahamic Business Circle at The Royal Automobile Private Members Club in Pall Mall, in London, where government ministers and titans of business from across the world, meet and explore collaboration and strategic partnership, opportunities in innovation and business to advance their region commercially.

    My keynote was entitled “Creating World Impact Through Collaboration, Unity & Opportunity” which much to my surprise, received a standing ovation. The impactful television productions created by our company Tech Talk Media spur immense connectivity and collaboration across the globe, earning us 25+ awards and stimulating more than a half billion dollars in deal flow for emerging technologies.

    Positivity begets positivity

    After some initial research on the Abraham Accords, I was shocked to find out the sheer level of business that is taking place in such a short time. Many international nations had been sitting next to each other regionally for decades but had not taken advantage of partnering up. Instead, they had been polarised politically mainly by negative media, political agenda, or propaganda.

    By breaking that chain of negativity, they found far more benefit in working with each other in a positive way, which further reinforces the power and spirit of collaboration.

    Collaboration is key. Competition takes strength, energy, and focus away from your business, but strategic partnerships bring resources, experience, and enhanced connectivity.

    The team-up should always be synergistic and provide strengths where there are weaknesses. But make sure there’s value on both sides before you jump in. It’s important to consider the terms and benefits of any partnership before entering a commercial relationship. Much like a marriage, it’s a long-term commitment. Have agreed upon written terms in advance so there are no disagreements later.

    Collaboration with autonomous devices

    Now, with the rise of artificial intelligence and powerful machine learning applications, these partnerships and collaborations can take place with automated processes and machines.

    Collaboration with humans is always preferred, but can often be exhausting, with much paperwork, meetings, discussions, and opinions. Software generally doesn’t delay when you set it on a task, so it’s an interesting and efficient way to propel forwards.

    Take the entertainment industry for instance; in order to produce, deliver and broadcast a movie or TV series, you would require many different skill sets, teams, and resources. Many of these can be automated today, which is one of the issues and fears felt by the writers and actors, who you may have heard are currently striking with the American Actors SAG AFTRA union.

    To create some of our recent award-winning TV shows during the Covid pandemic, we had to adapt to using A.I.-powered machines and applications as we had no choice at times. Unable to access NASA’s teams during a production about their emerging innovation, we utilized autonomous robots, called Temi, which came equipped with tablets for faces, and Lidar sensors to explore the locations and stay safe. I logged into Temi and remotely directed ‘Inside NASA’s Innovations’ from thousands of miles away, connecting to Temi and driving it around the locations to manage the production team.

    Related: It’s Impossible to Succeed Without Encouragement. Here’s Why.

    It was great fun and became so effective that we rolled out the use of our Temi Robot to multiple titles. We use both A.I. powered hardware and software to accelerate and optimize production.

    Fireflies AI notetaker is another example. It is my trusted sidekick for video meetings. I don’t do Zoom meetings without my reliable note taker to transcribe the call, provide me a summary and key points and even add color guides for each guest on the call.

    We also use Runway’s AI, which helps us to easily cut our films in many verticals. We would have had to green-screen locations in a dozen countries and multiple takes to achieve this. Now it’s ready in a few clicks.

    Both these artificial intelligent software applications provide immense assistance, speed, and accuracy, not replacing humans, but supercharging the collaborative ability of a human, enabling faster growth in the mundane areas of our productivity. According to Search Logistics, “54% of company executives have said that implementing AI in their business has increased productivity significantly.”

    A.I. Can be a powerful collaborative partner if used correctly, but in my humble opinion will never fully replace the creativity, understanding, adaptability and ingenuity of a human being. Partnering with A.I. to level up, however, can be that factor that helps you stay in stride with the speed of evolution in the workplace today.

    Trial and error

    Collaboration is always a trial-and-error process, whether with human or bionic beings.

    A.I. is a new area, and many of the supercharged technologies are still learning and refining their systems. A.I. can also be limited by the biases of those who developed it, so remember it’s all new and an experiential process.

    Evolution in business is always trial-and-error. If it’s been done many times before, it’s hardly competitive, so if you are looking to stay on the cutting edge, most likely you will need to be comfortable in taking small risks and learning from your experiences.

    If you are interested in stepping up your rate of development and growth, start looking for ways to collaborate in the areas that you are the weakest, or perhaps that are slowing you down. A.I. can propel our ability to collaborate, to get things done. In fact, it will actually synthesize collaboration, but in essence, it’s helping you along just as any strategic partner may.

    I wouldn’t be anywhere today if it wasn’t for the collaboration of my incredible friends, my family, my team, colleagues, and talented partners across the world.

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    Jonny Caplan

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  • 34 Years of Success: How Sandra’s Next Generation Continues to Impress | Entrepreneur

    34 Years of Success: How Sandra’s Next Generation Continues to Impress | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Sandra’s Next Generation, a soul food restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, is #56 on Yelp’s 2023 Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. It’s been a local staple for 34 years, with owner Sandra Pittman cooking in the same kitchen since 1989.

    Sandra and her husband Miguel have perfected their working dynamic, playing to their own strengths and supporting one another to keep the restaurant running after all these years.

    “The reason why we are where we are today is because we really divide and conquer. He has his role. I have my role. And we respect each other’s role,” Sandra said.

    “When you speak about the restaurant business, the reason why it’s so challenging and it’s forever changing is because it has so many moving parts. And all the parts have to work together as a unit. And I guess that’s part of our success of being in business for 34 years,” Miguel added.

    While solidarity seems to be the secret sauce at Sandra’s, the owners are well aware that their customers expect exceptional food, atmosphere, and service when they visit.

    “You are only as good as your last meal because the people, they’re gonna remember the last meal. So as a business owner, you have to be on the top of your game,” Miguel said.

    According to Yelp reviewer and community manager Alex T., the Pittmans are hitting the nail on the head: “It’s pretty amazing. The second you walk in, you can just feel the vibe and the energy of Sandra’s Next Generation. You are gonna smell so many delicious scents and flavors.”

    Those welcoming aromas are all thanks to Sandra’s 84-year-old mother, who passed down her recipes. However, like many family recipes, there was a history and meaning behind them that Sandra had to discover before she could fully appreciate the legacy she was preserving.

    “As a little girl, I used to always hear my mom’s stories about how hard she worked on a farm growing up, working from sunup to sundown, and how she would raise her own sweet potatoes. She talked about all these stories, but they didn’t really connect to me because I never had an opportunity to really see it until I actually went to the South when I was 16 years old and saw the cotton fields and saw how they grew their vegetables. It connected with me then—just to be able to share her recipes and keep her inspiration going and just keep her fight going. Let her know that everything that she did wasn’t in vain.”

    That fight and inspiration from her mother’s history translates into everything Sandra wants to provide for her customers.

    “When people come, I want them to feel the vibes. I want them to be inspired. I want them to know that any dreams that you have, it doesn’t matter how big it is, you have to believe that you could do it. You have to fight. You have to get up every single day with a mindset. The mindset is everything, no matter what, because there’s gonna be many failures in your life. Where we are today is because of our failures. You can’t quit. You gotta get up. You just gotta keep on going.”

    Restaurants and businesses in any industry can learn more from Sandra’s story, including:

    • Being authentic while also mixing it up. Providing a traditional experience or genuine recipes doesn’t mean you can’t get creative. Explore the trends in your industry that you can incorporate to wow current customers and attract new ones.
    • Becoming a force for good in your community. “Be the change you want to see” can apply to a nation or a neighborhood. Your local business serves a community, so uplifting that community and being a positive influence can be a boon to revenue and everyone around you.
    • Intentionally hiring and supporting your staff. Motivating your team and leading with honesty and empathy highlights the humanity of your business. Everyone has bad days, but if they work in an understanding environment, they’ll be more likely to show up for you and give you their best.

    Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Sandra, Miguel, and Alex, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.

    Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud.

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    Emily Washcovick

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  • The Power of Continuous Innovation and 3 Easy Ways to Implement It | Entrepreneur

    The Power of Continuous Innovation and 3 Easy Ways to Implement It | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It is no secret that brands and companies are always on the hunt to elevate their presence in a competitive realm. Even the most recognizable brands are finding new ways to adapt to the sway of their consumers’ expectations to grow. However, some become too comfortable in a state of stagnation once they’ve reached the highest step on the winning podium.

    Innovation is the lifeline of many companies, and to remain in stasis could eventually make your brand outdated. Thus, innovation is the key to growth that shouldn’t be overlooked. It doesn’t, however, have to be a drastic change that reinvents the wheel. Innovation can be subtle but significant, and there are many ways to achieve just that. Let’s explore the importance of easy ways to achieve innovation and how you can implement it into your internal strategy.

    Related: 4 Ways to Drive Growth-Unlocking Internal Innovation in Your Organization

    Keep your company competitive

    When your business achieves significant success with its product or service, it becomes crucial to uphold the principle of continuous evolution at its core. While this may appear self-evident, it is a common occurrence for prosperous brands to fall into complacency, stagnating their innovation process. Periods of inertia often provide an opportunity for competitors to outperform them with superior versions of those very same products or services. To maintain a sustainable competitive edge, companies must keep innovation perpetually in motion. The next out-of-the-box idea is easier said than done — however, keeping your brand relevant and modern is a more subtle, but noticeable way to keep your brand in a constant state of renewal. The best way to achieve this is through a brand refresh.

    In our digital design agency, we have witnessed first-hand that when we assist industries with brand rejuvenation, it often leads to a surge in conversions and audience growth. Whether it’s a minor tweak or a comprehensive transformation, modernizing your brand’s design language, website or marketing materials can be a potent form of innovation. This involves making forward-looking visual UI decisions that harmonize with your existing brand style, thereby ensuring your design is future-proof. Even something as simple as a logo refresh can be a powerful statement to your audience, signaling that your brand is keeping pace with the times. Every upgrade contributes to the ongoing evolution of your brand’s identity.

    Updating your brand website with tweaks to usability and accessibility is also a great way to innovate. When your company considers all users of all abilities, it not only makes it a great experience for everyone, but it also demonstrates to your consumer base that their experience with your brand is also prioritized just as anyone else’s. Incorporating ADA-compliant standards into your website, color schemes, typography sizes, alt text incorporation and more are just a few ways to boost users’ experience.

    Related: 3 Startups Making a Big Difference with Small Innovations

    Make a difference with demographics

    To truly ignite innovative thinking, fostering a culture of shared ideas and collaborative brainstorming is often the crucial catalyst to the next breakthrough concept. Consequently, it is vital for industry leaders to not only welcome but actively encourage input from their in-house teams.

    This strategy may involve ensuring a diverse workforce, inclusive of both younger and older generations, to infuse a breadth of fresh perspectives and experiences that create a productive ground for ideas to thrive. Engaging team members from a younger demographic can be particularly beneficial, as they are typically current with the latest trends, user expectations and potentially outdated practices that the company might unwittingly still be employing. This collective knowledge and shared perspective can be the driving force behind meaningful and relevant innovation. According to UNICEF, hiring younger team members can help tap into the millennial and younger audiences since they are more attuned and familiar.

    Further, innovation means growth and scalability. When you innovate for people of all demographics, you are expanding your audience base as well as growing your company’s conversions. Another best practice to achieve collaboration for fresh ideas is holding weekly idea sessions to share ideas internally on how to improve certain products or services based on client feedback and surveys. The crux here is to create an inclusive environment where every idea is heard and valued. Any dismissive attitude can rapidly quell team morale and stifle their enthusiasm for sharing their insights. Therefore, nurturing an open and receptive atmosphere is pivotal to driving successful and continuous innovation.

    Related: Great Minds Think Unalike — 3 Ways to Drive True Innovation Through Diversity

    Adopt a design-thinking mindset

    Often utilized in the digital design industry, including our agency, design thinking can help the structure of the way ideas flow. Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes human-centered design. Design thinking incorporates empathizing with user needs, defining problems, ideating ways to improve a problem/idea, prototyping, testing, then circling back in iterative increments. Design thinking fosters a collaborative environment where multidisciplinary teams work together to find solutions. This diversity of perspectives can lead to more innovative ideas and solutions for your brand.

    Additionally, it emphasizes an iterative process. Ideas are tested and refined based on user feedback, leading to continuous improvement. This ensures your brand stays updated and resonates with evolving customer expectations. Concepts and ideas can become more defined and not simply live on as ideas but can be put into an actionable space to eventually flourish. By incorporating a design-thinking approach into your company, your team can view growth with a fresh perspective.

    In the relentless pursuit of brand supremacy, companies must continuously innovate to keep pace with ever-evolving customer expectations and outdo the competition. However, the idea of innovation often connotes seismic shifts and grandiose changes. Instead, the reality is that innovation can, and often does, happen incrementally — through brand refreshes, website updates and diversity in demographic insights — in a subtle, but powerful approach.

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    Goran Paun

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  • The Middle East is Emerging as a Serious Hotspot — Here’s What Entrepreneurs Worldwide Can Learn | Entrepreneur

    The Middle East is Emerging as a Serious Hotspot — Here’s What Entrepreneurs Worldwide Can Learn | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Over the last decade, the Middle East has undergone a profound transformation. Traditionally viewed as an oil-rich region, the Middle East has been diversifying its economies, creating an entrepreneurial landscape ripe with opportunity. The region’s dynamic economies, bolstered by ambitious economic diversification and innovation plans, have created a favorable environment for global entrepreneurs.

    With its expansive Vision 2030 economic reform plan, Saudi Arabia has been leading this transformation. Still, the entrepreneurial wave is being felt across the region — from the United Arab Emirates to Qatar, Bahrain and beyond.

    Related: Entrepreneur Middle East

    Diverse economies foster entrepreneurship

    Countries across the Middle East are showing increased commitment to fostering entrepreneurship as they seek to diversify their economies beyond oil. Governments are investing heavily in infrastructure and establishing regulatory frameworks that are conducive to business, creating a fertile ground for startups and SMEs.

    For instance, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan aims to foster a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. To achieve these goals, the kingdom promotes sectors like tourism, entertainment and technology, providing ample opportunities for entrepreneurs. Likewise, the United Arab Emirates Vision 2021 aims to make the UAE among the best countries in the world by the Golden Jubilee of the Union, and it recognizes entrepreneurship as a key driver of competitiveness and growth.

    Related: The Changing Face Of Business In The Middle East

    The strategic advantage of location

    In today’s globalized economy, the Middle East’s strategic geographic position cannot be underestimated. The region serves as a bridge between the East and West, providing businesses easy access to markets in Africa, Asia and Europe. The region’s extensive logistical and transportation networks further enhance its attractiveness as a hub for international business.

    Investing in innovation

    The Middle East’s commitment to innovation is mirrored in its vibrant investment scene. Sovereign wealth funds, private investors, and venture capitalists actively invest in promising ventures, providing the financial fuel that startups need to scale and thrive. For instance, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been actively investing in tech companies and startups domestically and internationally, providing the necessary capital for growth.

    At the same time, governments are backing initiatives such as startup incubators and accelerators, offering new businesses resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape.

    The advantage of a tech-savvy population

    One of the Middle East’s greatest assets is its young, tech-savvy population. With one of the world’s highest smartphone penetration and internet usage rates, the region’s consumers are eager for innovative products and services. This creates lucrative opportunities, particularly in the digital and e-commerce sectors, which are experiencing explosive growth.

    Overcoming challenges and obstacles

    Despite the significant potential, the Middle East’s entrepreneurial scene is not without its challenges. Entrepreneurs often cite regulatory complexities, bureaucratic red tape, and the need for more robust intellectual property rights as hurdles to business. However, governments are showing a commitment to addressing these issues, and the business environment is improving year by year.

    Moreover, the region is also grappling with the need to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and risk-taking, a shift from the traditional preference for stable government jobs. However, the tides are changing, and the growing success of startups in the region inspires a new generation of entrepreneurs.

    The Middle East, with its strategic location, vibrant economies, supportive government initiatives and untapped market potential, presents a compelling opportunity for global entrepreneurs. With the right insight, cultural understanding and innovative solutions, the region offers rewarding opportunities for those willing to navigate its unique landscape.

    As governments continue to foster entrepreneurship, and with increasing global interest in the region, the Middle East is emerging as a hotspot for global startups and a region worth considering for entrepreneurs looking to expand their horizons.

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    Henri Al Helaly

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  • 3 Steps to Redefining Your Personal Brand with Threads | Entrepreneur

    3 Steps to Redefining Your Personal Brand with Threads | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Meta’s Threads is a revolutionary new platform that changes how our society communicates digitally. In the world of branding, Threads emerges as a new opportunity for thought leaders to redefine their brands.

    In today’s world, developing and managing this brand is more important to staying ahead of the competition. To utilize Threads, leaders must understand how to leverage this emerging platform to benefit their brands and engage with their communities seamlessly and effectively. So how is this done? By focusing on the narrative, what conversations to have, and what really matters in the end, you.

    Related: If You Don’t Start Using Threads You Will Fall Behind — Here’s Why the New Tech is a Game Changer For Entrepreneurs

    Step 1: Craft a compelling brand narrative

    Your community looks to you for information, ideas and direction in their times of need. For you to maintain your status and trust, all public communication must be kept authentic and aligned across all of your public platforms. Doing so enforces this brand narrative and helps to build a bigger community of true, trusted followers.

    Threads is key to this step because their seamless operation makes it easier than ever for you to share all of your thoughts and opinions in a casual forum. Your existing audience will follow you to Threads, and they get to see a new side of you that engages in forum conversations that matter to you. Keep your narrative and messaging authentic by sharing values, visions and personal and professional goals so your audience will grow to trust and support you more than they already do. This narrative is key to distinguishing you from your competition.

    Ask yourself: What is my unique perspective? By exploring a different side of your brand that you may not have shared before, you will connect with your audience on a deeper level. Using your own unique experiences, take the time to articulate your professional journey. Share the key milestones, challenges and lessons that you learned along the way. Out of this comes trust and credibility, which are two of the most important aspects of being a successful thought leader.

    Related: Threads Struggles to Sustain Engagement Following the Explosive Surge in Users Upon Launch

    Step 2: Engage in meaningful conversations

    Engaging with your audience is key to maintaining your personal brand, but engaging in meaningful conversations helps even more. Start off by keeping up with replying to messages, comments, questions and any mentions across your social platforms. Staying engaged, even generally, with your community of trusted followers makes them feel even more connected to you as their thought leader.

    Next, engage in conversations aligning with your brand narrative and ideals. Threads is the perfect platform to easily engage with your audience because of the seamlessness of operation. As it says in the name, conversations continue on a “thread” for anyone to interact with. Your audience can see a step-by-step breakdown of any meaningful conversation you engage with on threads, and you can promote it for all to get involved. The fact that Threads was created as a way to streamline communication with your pre-existing network is what makes it so perfect for expanding a personal brand.

    When engaging with your community in any capacity, remember to stay true to yourself and your brand and stay informed. Making sure you are personally up to date with your industry’s most hot-topic conversations will make engaging easier than ever. To do this, regularly monitor relevant discussions and threads to identify areas where you can contribute your perspectives and insights. Keep an eye on trending hashtags and conversations across all platforms so that you are prepared for any conversation. By sharing valuable information that resonates with your community, you can establish yourself as a go-to resource for industry-related knowledge.

    Another important aspect of engaging with your community is offering genuine value to your audience. Ensure you keep your audience in mind when crafting thoughtful questions that spark meaningful conversations. Then, encourage others to share their thoughts and experiences. By actively listening to the responses and providing guidance where appropriate, you can further establish yourself as a trusted authority and resource.

    Related: How Threads is Transforming Social Media as We Know It

    Step 3: Leverage multimedia to showcase your expertise

    The last step in elevating your personal brand with Threads is sharing multimedia that can enhance your branding and conversations. Threads offers easy sharing of photos, up to five-minute videos and links to showcase information in different ways alongside your compelling copy.

    With a new platform in play, take this chance to showcase special projects, innovations or achievements. Utilize threads to show your network all that you have to offer. Visual storytelling and teaching through your photos on Threads can also be very helpful, so think about leveraging infographics or data visualization when engaging in meaningful conversations. These visual aids can make complex information and topics that are sometimes discussed in industry-related conversations easily digestible.

    Sharing videos is also an extremely helpful form of digital communication on Threads. The five-minute video feature allows you to share informational videos in a short form but still thoroughly explain a topic. You can provide valuable insights, demonstrate your skills, or share industry tips. These videos can be a powerful tool for establishing yourself as an expert in your field and showcasing your unique knowledge and experience.

    Lastly, Threads is unique in its ability to allow for link-sharing. Posting links in an Instagram caption does not hyperlink them directly to the source like Threads. With this feature, you can include articles, sources, news stories, podcasts, videos and an array of additional media in your post. This feature helps to provide context and information when engaging in conversations and allows you to show off any media placements, news, or awards you have achieved. This addition helps solidify your trust and credibility as a thought leader and makes sharing information seamless.

    All you have to do is start a Thread.

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    Raoul Davis

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  • Can Mushrooms Save the World? Tune into This Episode of ‘Elevator Pitch’ to Find Out. | Entrepreneur

    Can Mushrooms Save the World? Tune into This Episode of ‘Elevator Pitch’ to Find Out. | Entrepreneur

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    As an entrepreneur, if you ever encounter the wonderful problem of having multiple investors showing interest in your startup, but you can only choose one, what would you do? That’s the dilemma a pair of co-founders face on this fast-paced episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. While the financial investment is at the core of what they’re after, the founders wind up evaluating the investors based on the mentoring opportunities that they bring to the table.

    Is your vision to get your product into big box stores? Or do you want to be an e-commerce powerhouse? Are you expanding internationally? Capitalizing on an increasingly popular podcast? Just as our founders on this episode eventually decide, sometimes it’s best to pick an investor who has the contacts and experience that compliment your vision.

    Related: Is It a One-Hit Wonder or Can This Mom’s Business Scale?

    Also on this episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, our investors get critical about one contestant’s pitch and gauge the business acumen of the founder of a new agri-tech startup.

    Episode 7 Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch board of investors:

    • Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, master of scaling
    • Kim Perell, CEO of 100.co, serial entrepreneur and investor
    • Jonathan Hung, angel investor and Managing Partner of Entrepreneur Venture Fund

    Episode 7 Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch contestants:

    Season 9 of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch is presented by Amazon Business with support from State Farm. New episodes stream Wednesdays on entrepreneur.com. Follow Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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