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Tag: Entrepreneurs

  • How a Mom’s Garage Side Hustle Hit $1 Billion Revenue | Entrepreneur

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    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Sandra Oh Lin, 50, of Los Altos, California. She is the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, a company that provides educational activities for kids meant to spark creativity and problem-solving through hands-on play. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.

    Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to Money Makers, our free newsletter packed with creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here.

    What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
    I had just stepped away from seven years at eBay Inc., where I had launched PayPal Mobile and led the eBay fashion business. I was working on a new fashion-related startup idea before I ended up starting KiwiCo in 2011.

    Where did you find the inspiration for the side hustle?
    When my kids were younger, I tried to find ways for them to exercise their creativity and put their problem-solving skills to work. I wanted them to grow up to feel like they could envision and better the world around them. As an engineer by training, I saw creating and building through hands-on activities as a way to explore, discover and build creative confidence. At the same time, I was drawing on my own childhood — I have such fond memories of making and building things with my mom while I was growing up.

    Related: After College, She Spent $800 to Start a Side Hustle That Became a ‘Monster’ Business Making $35 Million a Year: ‘I Set Intense Sales Targets’

    What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
    I started by creating hands-on projects for my kids. Then, I started to share them with friends and family during playdates. The parents and kids were so enthusiastic about the activities that it gave me the confidence to take it further. I laid the groundwork to see if there was a market for a real business. Then, I leveraged my network to start conversations with investors. We raised a little more than $10 million in venture funding. From there, we were able to become profitable and cash flow positive — and fund our own growth.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

    Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business?
    I had a strong background in product design (having worked in R&D at Procter & Gamble) and ecommerce (from time at PayPal and eBay). Yet, I didn’t have any direct experience with fulfillment, supply chain and operations. I had a lot to learn. So I made a conscious effort to surround myself with people who were true experts. One example is Mike Smith, who was the COO of Walmart. He provided invaluable guidance, and he even helped interview our VP of operations candidates when we were hiring. Advisors like Mike were so helpful to us at that time.

    If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
    I had always heard people say that a strong culture is so important to define and cultivate when you build a company. That way, you can point to and reinforce the behavior and values that align. While I was able to grok that academically, I put it aside when I should have addressed it earlier. As a result, some of our hiring was off in the beginning, and we had to course correct, which was costly. It would have been helpful to have put the framework into place from the beginning.

    When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
    During the pandemic, one of our toughest challenges was sourcing enough supplies to keep up with surging demand. In the years since, we’ve seen our fair share of ups and downs on that front, but one thing has remained constant: the importance of strong, trusted relationships with our suppliers. They’ve been incredible partners through it all, and those collaborations have been key to helping us navigate post-pandemic growth with resilience and adaptability.

    Related: This Mom’s Creative Side Hustle Started As a Hobby With Less Than $100 — Then Grew Into a Business Averaging $570,000 a Month: ‘It’s Crazy’

    Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
    I’ll never forget our very first alpha shipment. We had just 19 crates to send out, and it took a team of five of us the entire day to get them boxed and shipped. By the end, we were exhausted and looking at each other like, There has to be a better way. It was a wake-up call that we needed better systems and processes for fulfillment if we were going to scale. We figured it out along the way, but that moment sticks with me as a reminder of how far we’ve come.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

    How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue?
    With our core business being subscription-based, we’ve seen consistent monthly revenue from the beginning. KiwiCo has been profitable and self-funded for many years now. What started in my garage has grown into a company that has shipped more than 50 million crates to families in over 40 countries and created more than 1,500 hands-on products and activities. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come, while still staying true to the heart of why we started: sparking creativity and confidence in kids everywhere.

    What does growth and revenue look like now?
    To date, KiwiCo has generated more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue. This is something I’m incredibly proud of, not just because of the number itself, but because it represents millions of moments of creativity and discovery for kids and families. Additionally, we launched in Target and Barnes & Noble this past year as part of building our wholesale channels.

    Related: He Spent $36 to Start a Side Hustle. Now the Business Earns 6 Figures a Year — With Just 1-2 Hours of Work a Day: ‘Freedom.’

    What do you enjoy most about running this business?
    One of my favorite parts of this journey is that my kids not only understand what I do for work but also are involved in helping shape KiwiCo’s products. My kids were the original source of inspiration for the company, and they continue to be critical testers of our products to ensure we’re creating the best hands-on activities for kids to discover and unleash their creativity and explore as they learn about the world around them.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

    What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
    Finding a community of founders can be so helpful. Sharing the challenges and the opportunities that come from building a business with others who are in the same boat can be so valuable. You can gather everything from tangible, actionable advice to empathetic ears that have been there and done that.

    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Sandra Oh Lin, 50, of Los Altos, California. She is the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, a company that provides educational activities for kids meant to spark creativity and problem-solving through hands-on play. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • What Neanderthals Can Teach Us About Brand Transformation | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Being called a “Neanderthal” has long been shorthand for a knuckle-dragging brute — an insult implying someone is primitive and clueless. In popular imagination and even early science, Neanderthals were cast as dim-witted cavemen, a species of losers on the evolutionary stage. But recent discoveries have radically rewritten that story. Far from being sub-human dullards, Neanderthals are now understood as complex, intelligent hominins who created art, used tools and even share genetic ties with all of us.

    In a sense, the Neanderthal “brand” has undergone a posthumous PR makeover: from reviled caveman to respected ancestral cousin. This dramatic evolution of public perception holds a trove of insights for entrepreneurs and brands. If a whole human species can rehabilitate its reputation (albeit with an assist from science), then a company or individual can certainly transform their own image. Let’s explore how the Neanderthal journey from primitive to progressive serves as a metaphorical masterclass in rebranding and legacy management.

    Related: Does Your Reputation Need Rehab?

    The primitive stereotype: A brand in ruins

    The Neanderthals’ early reputation was, in modern marketing terms, a branding nightmare. Ever since the first fossils were unearthed in the 19th century, their heavy brow ridges and unusual skeletons led scientists to portray them as inferior to modern humans. This “caveman” stereotype stuck. For over a century, calling someone a Neanderthal meant implying they were backward, unsophisticated and even stupid.

    In essence, Neanderthals were a maligned brand — synonymous with failure and obsolescence. Just as a company rocked by scandal or a public figure tarnished by bad press becomes a punchline, Neanderthals became the mascot of being primitive. The narrative was simple and damning: They lost out to superior modern humans because they just weren’t good enough.

    Entrepreneurs know this pattern well. Markets and media can be unforgiving; a single damaging narrative can reduce a once-promising brand to a cautionary tale. Whether it’s a tech firm written off as a “dinosaur” or a founder dismissed as out of touch, the world loves a tidy tale of the mighty who fell behind. The Neanderthal brand was defined by others and defined harshly. Brands and individuals today face the same risk if they remain passive during image crises. Reputation, like fossils, can harden into “rock” if left untouched.

    Uncovering a new narrative: Rehabilitating the caveman image

    Fortunately for Neanderthals, their story didn’t end with the stereotype. Over the past few decades, science has done what any good PR team would: conducted a rigorous brand audit and found the facts to counter the fiction.

    Research reveals that Neanderthals were far more capable and human-like than anyone imagined. They were skilled hunters and tool-makers who thrived across Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows Neanderthals coordinated complex group hunts — behavior requiring planning, communication and smarts. They gathered a diverse diet, used fire creatively and built surprisingly sophisticated tools.

    Perhaps most stunning, Neanderthals demonstrated signs of culture and abstract thinking. Discoveries of pigment, personal ornaments and cave engravings suggest they engaged in symbolic rituals and even made art. They buried their dead with care, hinting at reverence for their departed. They even crafted tools using glue made from tree bark — a process requiring technical knowledge and foresight.

    And in the ultimate irony, we now know they are literally part of us: Modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA in our genomes from ancient interbreeding. The very people who once used “Neanderthal” as an insult likely have a bit of Neanderthal lineage themselves.

    For Neanderthals, this re-evaluation was a posthumous rebranding. Misconceptions were corrected with evidence, and the public’s view shifted from “dumb caveman” to “misunderstood relative.” This turnaround didn’t happen overnight; it took decades of excavations, genetic analysis and rethinking old assumptions. But it happened. The Neanderthal brand went from rock bottom to remarkable. If the image of an entire extinct species can be rehabilitated, so can yours.

    Related: 7 Ways to Recover After a Reputation Crisis

    Branding lessons from a prehistoric PR makeover

    The saga of Neanderthal reputation offers rich lessons in how to recover from a damaged brand image or public misperception:

    • Own your story before others do: Neanderthals couldn’t speak for themselves, and others defined them as inferior. In business, if you don’t actively shape your brand’s story, competitors or critics will do it for you — and not in your favor.

    • Confront misperceptions with facts: The Neanderthal comeback hinged on hard evidence overturning myths. Likewise, a beleaguered brand must bring proof to the table. Counter outdated perceptions by showcasing real improvements, new achievements and factual corrections.

    • Embrace (don’t erase) your heritage: Instead of denying their past, scientists reinterpreted Neanderthal history in a proud new light. Similarly, a brand with a legacy — even a troubled one — shouldn’t just bury it. Acknowledge your history and highlight the positives within it.

    • Humanize and connect: Part of rehabilitating Neanderthals was realizing how closely connected they are to us. Successful rebranding finds ways to relate to the audience on a human level. Show customers, investors or the public that you share their values and concerns.

    Legacy management: Evolving the narrative over time

    One striking aspect of the Neanderthal story is how long the misperception lasted. Long after Neanderthals disappeared, the myth of the knuckle-dragging caveman lingered in the public mind. It’s a cautionary tale for legacy management: Perceptions can lag behind reality by decades. Entrepreneurs must recognize that shaping a legacy is an ongoing process, not a one-time campaign.

    Managing legacy also means planning for how your brand will be remembered. Neanderthals left behind bones and artifacts, but no control over the story future generations told about them. You, on the other hand, have the tools to influence your legacy now. Document your values and contributions, live them authentically, and people will eventually see the truth — just as researchers eventually saw the truth about Neanderthals’ capabilities. Every press release, customer interaction and even apology is an artifact shaping how you’ll be remembered. Make those artifacts count.

    Finally, consider the Neanderthal’s ultimate fate: They didn’t so much vanish as merge into the wider human story. In business, this speaks to the idea of integration and adaptability. Sometimes the path to saving a reputation is to become part of something larger — to ally with partners, join a bigger brand, or pivot in purpose. By blending strengths with newcomers, an old brand can find new life within a fresh narrative.

    Related: 5 High-Profile Reputation Nightmares Your Brand Can Learn from

    The evolution of respect

    The renaissance of Neanderthals’ public image — from pitiable cavemen to complex humans — is more than a curious science story. It’s a powerful metaphor for brand transformation. Reputations, like species, evolve. They can also go extinct if they fail to adapt. But the Neanderthal example shows that even a reputation dragged through the mud for ages can climb back out with persistence and truth.

    Entrepreneurs should find hope in this: No matter how dire your PR fallout or how entrenched the public’s misperception, there is a path to renewal through authenticity, strategy and patience. If Neanderthals can win respect 40,000 years after extinction, your brand can survive a rough quarter. Reputation isn’t fossilized — it evolves if you guide it.

    Being called a “Neanderthal” has long been shorthand for a knuckle-dragging brute — an insult implying someone is primitive and clueless. In popular imagination and even early science, Neanderthals were cast as dim-witted cavemen, a species of losers on the evolutionary stage. But recent discoveries have radically rewritten that story. Far from being sub-human dullards, Neanderthals are now understood as complex, intelligent hominins who created art, used tools and even share genetic ties with all of us.

    In a sense, the Neanderthal “brand” has undergone a posthumous PR makeover: from reviled caveman to respected ancestral cousin. This dramatic evolution of public perception holds a trove of insights for entrepreneurs and brands. If a whole human species can rehabilitate its reputation (albeit with an assist from science), then a company or individual can certainly transform their own image. Let’s explore how the Neanderthal journey from primitive to progressive serves as a metaphorical masterclass in rebranding and legacy management.

    Related: Does Your Reputation Need Rehab?

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Scott Baradell

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  • How Owning a Professional Rugby Team Changed the Way I Lead | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When I signed on as a founding owner of the Houston SaberCats, people asked me the same question over and over: “Why rugby?”

    To be fair, it wasn’t the obvious move. I’d already built a successful career in commodities trading and entrepreneurship. Rugby wasn’t a mainstream sport in the U.S., and it was clear we’d be climbing uphill in search for new market, new fans and new infrastructure. But that’s exactly what drew me to it.

    Entrepreneurs know that if you only play safe games, you’ll never learn anything new. Rugby, in all its rawness, became a mirror for my business endeavors: tough, unpredictable and full of lessons that reshaped how I lead. Here are the five biggest ones.

    Related: Adopt The Winning Habits of Elite Sports Stars to Unlock Entrepreneurial Greatness

    1. Play through the hit

    I’ll never forget standing on the sideline of our first SaberCats match, watching one of our players get leveled by a brutal tackle. Most people would’ve stayed down. He didn’t. He fought for every inch, rolled and kept driving the ball forward. The crowd erupted.

    That image stuck with me. In rugby, getting hit is part of the game, and when you get hit, you don’t stop — you adapt mid-impact. In business, the “hit” looks like a failed deal, a regulatory curveball or a market downturn. I’ve had plenty of those. What separates winning leaders from the rest isn’t avoiding the hit; it’s what they do after. Push forward. Stay on your feet. Make the play anyway.

    2. Trust the pack

    Early on, I thought entrepreneurship was about individual brilliance, where the best idea, the hardest worker and the guy willing to put in more hours than anyone else wins. Rugby shattered that illusion.

    A scrum is pure trust. Eight players lock in, shoulder to shoulder, with one mission: Move forward. If even one man falters, the whole formation collapses. It’s messy, it’s physical, and it’s all-or-nothing.

    That’s exactly what business teams should look like. At GETCHOICE!, I’ve learned that success isn’t about me making every call. It is about surrounding myself with the right people, trusting them to do their jobs and creating a culture where loyalty and accountability are non-negotiable. No pack, no progress.

    3. Adapt on the fly

    Rugby is chaos. There are no endless timeouts to plan your next move. Plays evolve in seconds, and players must read the field, adjust and execute in real time.

    I’ve had moments in business where a deal collapsed overnight or new regulations flipped our strategy upside down. The instinct is to freeze, but rugby trained me to do the opposite: Call an audible, pivot, and move. You may not always have perfect data, but you always have instinct and courage. And sometimes, that’s all you need to keep momentum alive.

    4. Respect the grind

    Here’s what most people don’t realize about rugby: These athletes play with no pads, no helmets and no glamour. It’s 80 minutes of collisions, sweat and bruises. And yet they do it because they love the grind.

    That mentality is the same in entrepreneurship. When people see an acquisition announcement or a headline about success, they don’t see the years of grueling work behind it. The 4 a.m. flights. The contracts that fell apart. The stress of payroll weeks. Rugby reminded me that toughness isn’t a one-time choice but rather it’s a way of life. You have to enjoy the grind, because that’s what forges winners.

    Related: Adopting an Elite Sports Mentality to Entrepreneurship

    5. Leave it all on the field

    Rugby has this tradition I fell in love with: After the final whistle, rivals share beers. Think about that — you spend 80 minutes hitting each other with everything you’ve got, and then you sit down together with mutual respect.

    I’ve carried that same mindset into business. Compete fiercely, play full out, but respect your rivals. Shake hands. Learn from them. Because the legacy you leave isn’t about a single game or deal — it’s about how you show up, how you compete and the way people remember you when the whistle blows.

    Rugby is the ultimate underdog game: tough, unpolished, but rich with lessons about teamwork, grit and respect. It changed how I lead, how I compete, and how I build companies.

    And here’s the truth: Business, like rugby, isn’t for the faint of heart. You will get hit. You will get tested. But if you trust your pack, adapt when the field shifts and respect the grind, you’ll not just play the game, you’ll own it.

    When I signed on as a founding owner of the Houston SaberCats, people asked me the same question over and over: “Why rugby?”

    To be fair, it wasn’t the obvious move. I’d already built a successful career in commodities trading and entrepreneurship. Rugby wasn’t a mainstream sport in the U.S., and it was clear we’d be climbing uphill in search for new market, new fans and new infrastructure. But that’s exactly what drew me to it.

    Entrepreneurs know that if you only play safe games, you’ll never learn anything new. Rugby, in all its rawness, became a mirror for my business endeavors: tough, unpredictable and full of lessons that reshaped how I lead. Here are the five biggest ones.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Javier Loya

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  • Free Webinar | On-Demand: From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: 5 Barriers Stalling Entrepreneurs—and the System That Removes Them | Entrepreneur

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    Every founder eventually hits the same growth killers—isolation, decision fatigue, skill overload, stalled momentum, and a lack of real accountability. In this on-demand session you’ll see why these five barriers show up and why quick fixes rarely stick.

    You’ll also be introduced to The Boardroom, Entrepreneur Media’s new six-month mastermind that pairs you with a hand-picked peer group and expert mentors who turn those obstacles into weekly breakthroughs.

    Key takeaways:

    • Replace isolation with a curated advisory board

    • Slash decision fatigue using repeatable frameworks

    • Escape skill overload through expert playbooks

    • Restart stalled growth with high-leverage tactics

    • Close accountability gaps so goals become wins

    Register now for instant access and start mapping your path from bottleneck to breakthrough.

    About the Speakers:

    Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and host of the podcast Problem Solvers. Outside of Entrepreneur, he writes the newsletter One Thing Better, which each week gives you one better way to build a career or company you love. He is also a startup advisor, keynote speaker, book author, and nonstop optimism machine.

    Jacqueline “JJ” Jasionowski blends luxury-brand rigor with entrepreneurial speed. After 17 years at BMW Group leading growth, training, and CX initiatives, she launched Shift Awake Group to deploy tech-forward training that lifts customer satisfaction and revenue. A Certified Professional Coach and expert facilitator, JJ builds behavior-shifting systems—reducing friction and driving measurable outcomes.

    Every founder eventually hits the same growth killers—isolation, decision fatigue, skill overload, stalled momentum, and a lack of real accountability. In this on-demand session you’ll see why these five barriers show up and why quick fixes rarely stick.

    You’ll also be introduced to The Boardroom, Entrepreneur Media’s new six-month mastermind that pairs you with a hand-picked peer group and expert mentors who turn those obstacles into weekly breakthroughs.

    Key takeaways:

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • Mr. Wonderful on Quiet Firing and His Passions for Watches | Entrepreneur

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    Kevin O’Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, is one of the original Shark Tank sharks who, since 2009, has made the dreams of some entrepreneurs come true and sent others home in tears. The 17th season premieres in about two weeks, and if my conversation with him for our show, How Success Happens is any indication, time has not mellowed this man.

    He calls b.s. when he sees it, but he isn’t a hater. As fast as O’Leary is to declare “I’m out!” he also doesn’t hesitate to throw his full energy behind the things he loves. If you follow Mr. Wonderful on social, you know he loves watches. WORSHIPS watches. We talked about where his passion for collecting rare timepieces came from and how that obsession led to his latest venture, WonderCare, a partnership with the 1916 company.

    We also talked about the one investment his wife told him he was “out of his mind” for making (a record-setting winning $12.9 million auction bid on a basketball card,) his thoughts on management tactics, how he keeps his energy up, and the worst mistake he sees people make over and over again in entrepreneurship.

    You can watch our entire conversation above or listen here, and check out below for some truly wonderful highlights.

    Subscribe to How Success Happens to get a dose of inspiration twice a week! Apple | Spotify | YouTube

    Give the Crap a Rest

    The number one thing hurting most entrepreneurs’ ability to stay focused and energized? “Shit food,” says O’Leary. “You don’t know how bad that crap is for you until you stop eating it, and then you feel incredible.” He tells anyone he meets to try the Yuka app, which scans barcodes of packaged foods and tells you if you really want it in your body or not. He also stresses exercising your mind by doing things out of your comfort zone. “The producers of the upcoming film Marty Supreme called me and said, ‘Look, we’ve got a part in a movie for you and we’re looking for a real asshole and you’re it.’” O’Leary has never done scripted entertainment before and jumped at the challenge.

    Takeaway: If you want to stop feeling like garbage, stop eating garbage.

    Great Customer Service = Great Profits

    Responding to a listener question about maintaining margins, O’Leary offers: “Customers covet one thing more than anything, service and support. …If the minute they call you, you fix it that same day… they’re not going to quibble about the bill.” He compares this to Apple’s ecosystem: “I worked for Steve Jobs way back in the early ’90s. Not a nice guy, but he taught me so much. He said, ‘I don’t need to do market research. They don’t know what they want till I tell them what they want.’ I said, ‘Steve, you sound like such an asshole.’ But he was right. He said they want a great product with fantastic service.”

    Takeaway: Superior service commands demand—invest in happy customers, not endless discounts.

    Success Demands Resilience, Not Certainty

    Mr. Wonderful warns founders against falling in love with their own projections: “The road to success in entrepreneurship is a journey, it’s not a destination… Stuff you never saw coming at you, boom, it hits you. You need to be flexible.” He values founders who own their failures: “When you fail, it’s your fault. You screwed up. Own it and learn from it and don’t do it again. Then you get me to invest in you.”

    Takeaway: Build flexibility into your business and see failures as critical learning opportunities.

    Christopher Willard | Getty Images

    Kevin O’Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, is one of the original Shark Tank sharks who, since 2009, has made the dreams of some entrepreneurs come true and sent others home in tears. The 17th season premieres in about two weeks, and if my conversation with him for our show, How Success Happens is any indication, time has not mellowed this man.

    He calls b.s. when he sees it, but he isn’t a hater. As fast as O’Leary is to declare “I’m out!” he also doesn’t hesitate to throw his full energy behind the things he loves. If you follow Mr. Wonderful on social, you know he loves watches. WORSHIPS watches. We talked about where his passion for collecting rare timepieces came from and how that obsession led to his latest venture, WonderCare, a partnership with the 1916 company.

    We also talked about the one investment his wife told him he was “out of his mind” for making (a record-setting winning $12.9 million auction bid on a basketball card,) his thoughts on management tactics, how he keeps his energy up, and the worst mistake he sees people make over and over again in entrepreneurship.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Dan Bova

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  • 10 Underrated Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Listen To | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly bombarded with recommendations for the same big-name podcasts (How I Built This, The Tim Ferriss Show or Masters of Scale). They’re good, but they’ve become the mainstream playlists of the entrepreneurial world. The real edge comes from discovering voices that are flying under the radar — podcasts that don’t just regurgitate clichés but dig into gritty lessons, unconventional strategies and the realities most entrepreneurs are too busy or too cautious to discuss openly.

    As a venture investor and CEO, I’ve seen firsthand that the entrepreneurs who win are the ones who think differently, seek perspectives outside the obvious, and leverage wisdom from unexpected places. These podcasts won’t necessarily appear in your LinkedIn feed, but they’ll challenge your thinking and, more importantly, give you the kind of insights your competition probably hasn’t heard yet.

    Here are 10 underrated podcasts that deserve a permanent spot in your queue.

    Related: The 10 Best Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Listen to for Growth, Strategy and Success

    1. The Indie Biz Podcast

    This show focuses on small, independent businesses — the kind that bootstrap from scratch without Silicon Valley backing. The episodes highlight founders who navigate obstacles with resourcefulness rather than venture capital. For entrepreneurs, it’s a refreshing reminder that success isn’t about billion-dollar valuations but about building sustainable, real businesses.

    Takeaway: Learn how scrappiness and creativity often matter more than scale.

    2. Bootstrap Stories

    This podcast dives into entrepreneurs who took the long road — growing without outside investment. It’s raw, honest and humbling. Founders share what it’s like to sacrifice personal comfort for business growth and how they resisted the temptation to chase capital too early.

    Takeaway: Discipline in growth and ownership has its advantages. You control your destiny.

    3. Creative Elements

    Host Jay Clouse interviews creators and solopreneurs making a living on their own terms. It’s not just about business mechanics; it’s about the psychology of creativity, discipline and building personal brands. If your work involves content, media or personal branding, this podcast is pure gold.

    Takeaway: Entrepreneurs are creators too, and learning from the creative economy can sharpen your edge.

    4. The Unmistakable Creative

    Unlike formulaic business shows, this podcast dives deep into the unusual and unexpected. It’s less about business tactics and more about perspective — bringing in artists, scientists, and thinkers whose insights cross-pollinate with entrepreneurship in surprising ways.

    Takeaway: Great business breakthroughs often come from outside the business world.

    5. StartUp Therapy

    Two founders (Wil Schroter and Ryan Rutan) talk candidly about the mental and emotional battles entrepreneurs face. From burnout to imposter syndrome to co-founder conflicts, it’s a brutally honest discussion that feels more like a therapy session than a business seminar.

    Takeaway: Entrepreneurship isn’t just about strategy; it’s about managing your mind and emotions.

    Related: 25 Top Podcasts That Will Spark Your Entrepreneurial Vision

    6. The Sweaty Startup

    Nick Huber focuses on “uncool” businesses — self-storage, property management, cleaning services — that generate massive wealth. It’s a counterbalance to the obsession with tech startups, reminding us that riches are often made in industries no one brags about at cocktail parties.

    Takeaway: Don’t overlook “boring” businesses — they’re often the most profitable.

    7. The Exit

    This show spotlights founders who’ve sold their companies, breaking down the process of negotiations, valuation and exit strategy. It’s tactical and strategic, and it teaches entrepreneurs to think with the end in mind, even when they’re just starting.

    Takeaway: Building with an exit in mind shapes smarter decisions from day one.

    8. Business Wars

    More of a storytelling show than a tactical one, Business Wars dramatizes rivalries between iconic companies — Nike vs. Adidas, Netflix vs. Blockbuster, Uber vs. Lyft. For entrepreneurs, these stories reveal how strategy, timing and ego shape industries.

    Takeaway: Learn from history. Understanding how giants fought their wars can prepare you for your own battles.

    9. The Twenty Minute VC

    Harry Stebbings interviews top investors and founders, but it’s not a polished PR tour. The conversations are direct and filled with behind-the-scenes insights about what investors actually look for and what separates good pitches from bad ones.

    Takeaway: If raising money is on your roadmap, this show gives you a rare peek inside the investor’s head.

    10. My First Million

    While not completely “underrated,” it still flies under the mainstream radar compared to the giants. The hosts brainstorm business ideas, dissect companies and share unconventional strategies for building wealth. It’s fast, funny and refreshingly irreverent.

    Takeaway: Business ideation is a skill — you get sharper at spotting opportunities by listening to others riff.

    Related: 30 Top Podcasts for Influential Entrepreneurs

    Why these podcasts matter

    What sets these podcasts apart isn’t just that they’re less well-known; it’s that they expose you to perspectives and strategies outside the typical entrepreneur echo chamber. Mainstream shows often polish their stories for mass appeal, but these conversations are raw, unfiltered and unapologetically real.

    They remind us that entrepreneurship isn’t a highlight reel — it’s the grind, the doubt, the breakthroughs and the failures that lead to transformation.

    If you’re serious about growth, carve out time to listen. Put one of these podcasts into your rotation each week. Don’t just listen passively. Take notes, share with your team, and apply the insights to your business.

    Because in a world where everyone is consuming the same mainstream content, the real advantage comes from tuning into voices your competitors aren’t even aware of yet.

    As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly bombarded with recommendations for the same big-name podcasts (How I Built This, The Tim Ferriss Show or Masters of Scale). They’re good, but they’ve become the mainstream playlists of the entrepreneurial world. The real edge comes from discovering voices that are flying under the radar — podcasts that don’t just regurgitate clichés but dig into gritty lessons, unconventional strategies and the realities most entrepreneurs are too busy or too cautious to discuss openly.

    As a venture investor and CEO, I’ve seen firsthand that the entrepreneurs who win are the ones who think differently, seek perspectives outside the obvious, and leverage wisdom from unexpected places. These podcasts won’t necessarily appear in your LinkedIn feed, but they’ll challenge your thinking and, more importantly, give you the kind of insights your competition probably hasn’t heard yet.

    Here are 10 underrated podcasts that deserve a permanent spot in your queue.

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    Roy Dekel

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  • Walking Away From My Co-founder Was the Best Business Decision I’ve Made — Here’s Why | Entrepreneur

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    On a recent work trip and unable to sleep, I was flipping through the channels when I stumbled upon Late Night with Seth Meyers, who happened that night to be interviewing the show’s former host, the legendary Conan O’Brien. As a fan of the tall, goofy comedian, I paused my channel surfing just in time to hear him share with Meyers the philosophy that guided him throughout his incredibly long and successful career:

    “There’s a giant orchestra, there’s a lot of noise and I’m just banging my triangle. Is anyone even hearing me?” says O’Brien. “And this sounds crazy, it’s like, some Buddhist idea. But if you just stay true to what you believe in, and you keep doing it with purpose, eventually, they’ll only hear the triangle.”

    Hearing this, I was immediately cast back to the early days of starting my company, Jotform.

    I’m a proud solo founder now, but that wasn’t always the plan. In fact, for years I’d intended to start a business with a close friend. He was 10 years older than me, he was more experienced and we had talked endlessly about launching a company together. We had a verbal agreement: 50/50 partners. No egos — just mutual trust and a shared dream.

    But when the time finally came to take the leap, everything changed. He told me that someone had advised him to take 51%. That one person always needed to be “in charge.” It wasn’t a suggestion — it was an ultimatum.

    I didn’t even hesitate. I walked away.

    It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made as an entrepreneur. But it was also the best one. Here’s why.

    Related: The Professional Breakup — How to Oust a Co-founder Legally and Smoothly

    The power of sticking to your principles

    Walking away from that partnership was tough — not just as an entrepreneur, but as a person. It wasn’t merely a business split; it was the unraveling of a shared vision, years in the making. I was suddenly on my own, without a partner to lean on and no one to share the weight of what I was about to build.

    Conventional wisdom holds that co-founders are necessary for a startup’s survival. Founding a company solo is a “vote of no confidence,” the computer scientist and entrepreneur Paul Graham wrote in 2006. “It probably means the founder couldn’t talk any of his friends into starting the company with him,” he said. “That’s pretty alarming, because his friends are the ones who know him best.”

    Yikes. I don’t actually think that advice ever held much water, and with the rise of automation and AI, I firmly believe you need a cofounder less than ever. Still, the fact remains that startups test your resolve in a thousand little ways, and the boundaries you set in those early days become your foundation. If that foundation is cracked, the pressure will only make it worse.

    That decision also taught me something essential: Sticking to your principles doesn’t always feel like a win in the moment. In fact, it often feels like a loss of opportunity, momentum and connection. But over time, the cost of compromising what you want is far greater.

    Related: The 9 Leadership Principles That Carried Me From the Sidelines to the Suite

    Identify your values early

    The split in partnership wasn’t the only disagreement my co-founder and I had. We also didn’t see eye to eye on the direction the company would take. In the course of planning our business, it became evident that we had developed different visions — he wanted to consult for other companies; I wanted to build something new. His vision didn’t excite me, and mine didn’t excite him. One of us would ultimately have had to make compromises we didn’t like.

    So, as depressed as I was at the dissolution of our plan, I also felt a sense of relief. When you’re starting a company, there are so many forces that threaten to derail your vision. That’s why it’s so helpful to define your values early — the non-negotiables that form the bedrock of your business and your motivation for building it. I like the advice offered by career coach Irina Cozma, who writes in Harvard Business Review that clarifying your values takes both conscious effort and time.

    “Depending on your journey, your values might stay constant over time or might change based on new events and information,” wrote Cozma. Check in with yourself each year to ensure that what was once important to you still is. And if it isn’t, don’t be afraid to re-evaluate.

    Knowing my values has guided me through some of my most confounding challenges, like how to grow, when to hire and what products to build. They’ve kept me on track and away from the lure of outside investments or opportunities that ultimately wouldn’t serve the company. Splitting with my cofounder gave me a chance to establish what mattered early on, and became the blueprint for how I built the company I have today.

    When you know what you stand for, decision-making gets a lot easier. You may still be banging your triangle in a noisy orchestra — but you’re doing it with clarity, purpose and the confidence that eventually, your sound will cut through.

    On a recent work trip and unable to sleep, I was flipping through the channels when I stumbled upon Late Night with Seth Meyers, who happened that night to be interviewing the show’s former host, the legendary Conan O’Brien. As a fan of the tall, goofy comedian, I paused my channel surfing just in time to hear him share with Meyers the philosophy that guided him throughout his incredibly long and successful career:

    “There’s a giant orchestra, there’s a lot of noise and I’m just banging my triangle. Is anyone even hearing me?” says O’Brien. “And this sounds crazy, it’s like, some Buddhist idea. But if you just stay true to what you believe in, and you keep doing it with purpose, eventually, they’ll only hear the triangle.”

    Hearing this, I was immediately cast back to the early days of starting my company, Jotform.

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    Aytekin Tank

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  • Why the Future of Finance Won’t Be Built on Innovation Alone | Entrepreneur

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    Technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain are transforming business, governance and everyday life. Yet even while fintech startups continue to grow, their reach is still overshadowed by the global footprint of established financial institutions. That’s because innovation on its own isn’t enough to scale.

    A new paradigm has emerged: collaboration, where interconnectedness is taking center stage. The implementation of new, disruptive technologies requires building dynamic, highly integrated ecosystems made possible by partnerships fueled by collaboration.

    The definition of success is shifting. Once, it was enough to launch a unique product. Today, especially in industries such as blockchain and virtual assets, isolated solutions often fall short. Real success comes from being part of a larger ecosystem, where startups, institutions and regulators combine their strengths to accelerate adoption, scale faster and establish trust across markets.

    Related: How Strategic Partnerships Catapulted My Business to 200% Growth — and How They Can Help You, Too.

    The case for a networked mindset

    Innovation thrives when diverse players come together, and integrated ecosystems can amplify this effect. To scale disruptive technologies like blockchain and AI, entrepreneurs must learn to build together, co-creating with regulators, pooling infrastructure with competitors and building trust with institutions.

    No company can scale in isolation. Partners, whether distribution channels, liquidity providers or trusted institutions, are crucial for transitioning from concept to mass adoption. Just as importantly, organizations that bring regulators and institutions into the process early gain a significant advantage. By co-creating with policymakers and aligning with market standards, entrepreneurs not only accelerate approvals but also distinguish themselves as builders of trust, the ultimate currency in industries where credibility is essential.

    Leverage networks, not just capital

    Traditionally, financial institutions raced to outpace their competitors. But virtual assets operate differently: Technologies like blockchain depend on shared standards and infrastructure. Tokenized securities, for example, require common frameworks for custody, compliance and settlement. Here, competing harder matters less than collaborating smarter. The entrepreneurs who will thrive are the ones who see that the future of finance, and business at large, can only be built together.

    In my own experience, even something as complex as obtaining a regulatory license, a process that can take years, can be dramatically accelerated by partnering with specialists. With the right expertise and network, what could take years can be streamlined into months, proving that collaboration isn’t just valuable, but also transformative.

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

    Think like an industry builder

    Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg once said, “Move fast and break things.” The motto encouraged agility and captured the spirit of disruption: Launch first, ask questions later. But what may have worked in the early days of social media is far less sustainable in industries where the stakes are higher. Today’s technologies involve finance and governance, and they challenge systems that have remained unchanged for decades. In these spaces, collaboration becomes essential. Entrepreneurs who want to build with lasting impact must align with regulators, institutions and even competitors to create trusted, scalable and resilient systems.

    Research shows that companies engaged in close inter-firm partnerships experience significantly stronger outcomes in innovation. When JPMorgan wanted to test the tokenization of investment portfolios, it didn’t do it alone. It partnered with Apollo, Axelar, Oasis Pro and Provenance Blockchain as part of Singapore’s Project Guardian. The result was Crescendo, a prototype that proved tokenized assets could be managed seamlessly across blockchains. Examples like Project Guardian prove that when multiple players align, entire markets move forward. To make collaboration scalable, industries need permanent frameworks, a principle first captured in Henry Chesbrough’s concept of “open innovation.”

    The chamber model

    The concept of “open innovation,” coined by Henry Chesbrough of UC Berkeley, argued that companies should not solely rely on internal R&D but instead share ideas, technologies and resources across boundaries. In finance and virtual assets, this principle is evolving into structured collaboration.

    Regulatory sandboxes in the UK and Singapore have already shown how powerful these models can be: Startups involved were more likely to raise funding and survive long term. But sandboxes are temporary. What industries need now are permanent, neutral structures that turn collaboration into a repeatable advantage.

    Just as chambers of commerce once accelerated global trade, new chambers in finance and virtual assets are emerging as convening spaces where startups, regulators and institutions align on shared standards. These platforms have already supported multibillion-dollar projects, such as gold-backed securities, by bringing issuers, regulators and institutional investors under a common framework.

    Related: Not Tech but Collaborations to Be the Next Big Thing for Fintech Industry

    For emerging platforms, joining a chamber provides more than credibility; it creates immediate access to capital allocators, regulatory advisors and tokenization partners. As these chambers interconnect globally, they form a unified voice capable of shaping international policy, driving market confidence and speeding adoption worldwide.

    Finance has always been global, and so has collaboration. Chambers give entrepreneurs a seat at the same table as regulators and institutions. In a market defined by speed and credibility, those who embrace collaboration not as a concession but as a growth strategy will be the ones who shape the future of finance.

    Technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain are transforming business, governance and everyday life. Yet even while fintech startups continue to grow, their reach is still overshadowed by the global footprint of established financial institutions. That’s because innovation on its own isn’t enough to scale.

    A new paradigm has emerged: collaboration, where interconnectedness is taking center stage. The implementation of new, disruptive technologies requires building dynamic, highly integrated ecosystems made possible by partnerships fueled by collaboration.

    The definition of success is shifting. Once, it was enough to launch a unique product. Today, especially in industries such as blockchain and virtual assets, isolated solutions often fall short. Real success comes from being part of a larger ecosystem, where startups, institutions and regulators combine their strengths to accelerate adoption, scale faster and establish trust across markets.

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    Farbod Sadeghian

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  • How to Really Outsmart Procrastination | Entrepreneur

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    I remember the eureka moment I had about procrastination when I was still a high school Latin teacher. There was a lot of talk about “time management” and “SMART” goals going around the faculty in-service day training. But then one of the teachers spoke out, “This isn’t time management as much as it’s about an emotion they’d rather avoid.” At the time, I volunteered to be a practice client in a coaching session, having stepped in as a practice client for one of my future wife’s classmates.

    The burning question that arose was, “Why didn’t I have these conversations earlier in life?” I quickly enrolled in life coach training and began playing with ideas around how to help students get things done. That one experience cracked open the possibility of what coaching could do. Not just for individuals, but for education as a whole. That statement from a faculty member set me on a lifelong path. This was back in the mid-2000s.

    The advice for motivation is everywhere: Break big tasks into smaller ones, find an accountability partner, use the Pomodoro Technique, reward yourself for completing milestones. These tactical approaches to beating procrastination fill countless productivity blogs and self-help books, offering the promise of finally conquering that persistent tendency to delay what matters most. These tips and skills are useful, but can only carry a person so far.

    As I explored what was working with students, I realized that executive life coaching was advancing leaps and bounds in understanding what really motivates and moves people into action. And that is in a word: emotion.

    Consistent motivation is about addressing emotion, specifically the emotion that you’d rather avoid. And once addressed, then the task of building systems and all the other tactics suddenly come back into play.

    However, if the underlying emotion lingers or is not at least partially addressed, no amount of system building or tactics can save a situation that is, in essence, already strategically lost.

    So let’s dive into the dynamic emotional landscape that drives our behavior and constructs narrative, and look at some of the neurology we’re working with.

    Related: The Real Reason You Procrastinate and Expert Strategies to Overcoming It

    The brain’s protective instinct

    Neuroscience of productivity reveals a counterintuitive truth about procrastination: It’s often a sign that something matters deeply to us. When the stakes are high, whether it’s launching a business, having a difficult conversation or creating something meaningful, our brains activate ancient protective mechanisms designed to keep us safe from potential failure, rejection or disappointment.

    This isn’t a character flaw or lack of discipline; it’s evolutionary biology. The same neural pathways that once protected our ancestors from physical dangers now trigger when we face psychological risks. The amygdala, our brain’s alarm system, doesn’t distinguish between the threat of a saber-toothed tiger and the threat of public speaking. Both activate fight-or-flight responses that make focused, creative work nearly impossible.

    The higher the stakes, the stronger the pull toward procrastination becomes. Understanding this removes the layer of self-judgment that often compounds the problem and helps us approach our resistance with curiosity rather than criticism. Recognizing this biological reality is the first step toward working with our neurology rather than against it.

    The emotion management revolution

    Once upon a time, it seemed the common rhetoric in the productivity industry was that procrastination is a time management problem. But anyone who has spent hours scrolling social media while an important deadline looms knows the truth: We have the time. What we lack is the emotional capacity to face whatever discomfort lies on the other side of action.

    Every act of procrastination is an attempt to avoid a specific emotional experience. It might be the fear of judgment that comes with sharing creative work, the overwhelm of tackling a complex project, the vulnerability required for authentic leadership or the grief of acknowledging that our current approach isn’t working. Or even a decision that we don’t really want to make. Throughout my years of coaching in academia, I encountered this issue repeatedly. It was never just about laziness. Students often had anxiety around shame, perfectionism or performance. It was this realization that formed the foundation of CTEDU’s life coaching curriculum. Emotional intelligence became the entry point to meaningful, sustainable action, rather than an obstacle.

    Addressing effective actions and getting it done begins with emotional archaeology. Your success requires digging beneath the surface resistance to identify the specific feeling you’re trying to avoid. Are you dodging the anxiety of potential failure? The frustration of imperfection? The sadness of leaving our comfort zone? Once we name the emotion, we can develop strategies to move through it rather than around it.

    This shift from time management to emotion management transforms our relationship with difficult tasks. Instead of asking, “How can I make myself do this?” we begin asking, “What am I feeling right now, and how can I honor that feeling while still moving forward?”

    Related: The Procrastination Problem in Business No One Talks About

    Mastering the brutal beginning

    The most crucial moment isn’t the finish line. It’s the first step. Procrastination thrives in the gap between intention and action, in that liminal space where we contemplate doing something without actually beginning. The longer we linger in this space, the more our resistance compounds.

    Successful entrepreneurs and creators understand that the beginning is where battles are won or lost. They focus their energy on making the first five minutes as friction-free as possible, knowing that momentum builds on itself. This might mean having materials already prepared, eliminating decision fatigue through predetermined routines or creating environmental cues that make starting feel inevitable.

    The key insight is that we don’t need to feel motivated to begin; we need to begin in order to feel motivated. Motivation is a byproduct of action, not a prerequisite for it. By focusing on the brutal beginning rather than the distant outcome, we work with our psychology instead of against it. It was this insight that was truly pivotal, not only for my clients but for me as well.

    I chose to take the step from coaching to creating a life coach training program built on these principles. At the beginning, we were a handful of students, and now, 16 years later, we are a global community of certified coaches committed to bringing change and growth to the world.

    The power of identity-based systems

    The most profound shift in overcoming procrastination comes from separating the decision-making process from the execution process. When we rely on moment-to-moment decisions about whether something is “a good idea right now” or whether we “feel like it,” we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Our emotional state fluctuates throughout the day, and basing important actions on these fluctuations creates inconsistent results.

    Instead, effective systems operate from identity rather than motivation. They transform the internal dialogue from “Should I work on this project right now?” to “This is what I do at this time.” The decision has already been made; the current moment is simply about execution. Building my own coaching practice, it wasn’t motivation that enabled me to keep moving forward. It was the structure and systems I had created.

    This approach recognizes that discipline isn’t about forcing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do. It’s about aligning our actions with our deeper values and long-term identity, even when our immediate emotions pull us in different directions. It’s the difference between willpower, which is finite and unreliable, and systems, which operate independently of our emotional state.

    Constructing empowering narratives

    Perhaps most importantly, overcoming procrastination requires conscious narrative construction. The stories we tell ourselves about our work, our capabilities and our relationship to discomfort shape our behavior more than any external system or technique.

    Procrastinators often carry narratives of inadequacy: “I’m not good at follow-through,” or “I work better under pressure” or “I’m just not disciplined enough.” These stories become self-fulfilling prophecies, creating the very patterns they describe.

    Transforming procrastination means consciously crafting new narratives that align with our values and aspirations. Instead of “I’m avoiding this because I’m lazy,” we might reframe it to “I’m feeling protective of this project because it matters to me, and I’m learning to move through that protectiveness with compassion.”

    Related: How to Break Your Procrastination Habit in the Next 21 Days Without Using Willpower

    The path forward

    Ultimately, overcoming procrastination is less about productivity hacks and more about emotional intelligence. It requires developing a sophisticated understanding of our inner landscape, creating systems that honor our humanity while supporting our goals, and constructing narratives that empower rather than diminish us. Even now, two decades since that first coaching conversation, these insights still impact me every day.

    The entrepreneurs and leaders who consistently take meaningful action aren’t those who have eliminated discomfort from their lives. They’re those who have learned to dance with discomfort, to move through resistance rather than around it and to trust in their ability to handle whatever emotions arise on the other side of action.

    In a world that profits from our distraction and delay, the ability to move through procrastination becomes a competitive advantage. More than that, it becomes a pathway to a life aligned with our deepest values and highest aspirations.

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    John Williams

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  • How to Build a Reputation That Survives Any Crisis | Entrepreneur

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    When we imagine power, we often think of prestigious titles, millions of followers or frequent media appearances. But in entrepreneurial practice, these are fragile assets: A single crisis can erase them in hours. The difference between those who survive and those who vanish? Reputation — an invisible form of capital that decides whether people will still follow you when the lights go out.

    Today, in the age of artificial intelligence and instant communication, reputation functions as a credibility algorithm. It’s not measured in views or likes, but in consistency, perceived authority and the ability to inspire trust, even in uncertainty.

    Research by Willis and Todorov at Princeton University demonstrates that people form judgments about trustworthiness, competence and other characteristics after just 100 milliseconds of exposure to unfamiliar faces. Additional studies from the University of Glasgow show that humans form trustworthiness judgments within the first 500 milliseconds of hearing someone’s voice.

    As Todorov, Baron and Oosterhof found, threat and trustworthiness perceptions are processed particularly rapidly, determining basic approach/avoidance responses. These evolutionary mechanisms, designed for survival in complex social contexts, today determine the success or failure of leaders and entrepreneurs in a hyperconnected world.

    Related: How to Build a Reputation That Will Become a Real Asset for You

    The invisible power of strategic silence

    Among the most underrated strategies for protecting reputation, silence holds a special place. It is not passivity; it’s an intentional, active choice. Deciding not to react immediately to a provocation buys time to think, assess and respond surgically.

    Silence has a precise psychological effect: It frustrates your attacker, often pushing them to overplay their hand and make mistakes. This dynamic is well known in negotiation — those who can tolerate pauses and gaps often control the rhythm and content of the exchange. Research in cognitive psychology shows that during moments of silence, people tend to fill conversational voids with their own thoughts and anxieties, often revealing more than they initially intended.

    I witnessed this principle firsthand during a pre-Christmas Saturday in a crowded supermarket when half the cashiers suddenly went on strike. Instead of issuing press releases or excuses, management chose silence. Within 20 minutes, operations were reorganized, and five volunteers began handing out panettone to customers. No words — just tangible actions. The result? A stronger corporate reputation.

    This example illustrates how direct action, unmediated by explanations, can transform a potential reputational crisis into an opportunity for brand strengthening. Customers remembered not the initial inconvenience, but the speed and humanity of the response.

    Anticipating crises with the “minefield map”

    Reputation management cannot be improvised. One effective method is to create a “minefield map” — a plan that identifies vulnerabilities and potential crisis points in advance. This tool, kept confidential until the right moment, guides decisions during chaos, when clarity risks giving way to emotion.

    The map should include specific scenarios: social media attacks, criticism from competitors, unexpected operational problems and ethical or legal controversies. For each scenario, three things must be predefined: who speaks (and who stays silent), what is said (or not said) and when action is taken. This preparation is not strategic paranoia, but operational intelligence.

    Anticipating negative scenarios is not pessimism — it’s preparation. It means knowing ahead of time which actions to avoid and which to take to safeguard credibility. As Eccles, Newquist, and Schatz note in Harvard Business Review, a strong, positive reputation doesn’t just attract top talent and foster customer loyalty — it directly drives higher pricing power, market valuation and investor confidence, making it one of the most valuable yet vulnerable assets in a company’s portfolio.

    Related: 9 Steps for Building a Reputation Management Plan That Wins Customers and Gives You an Edge

    Acceptance and consistency: The foundations of credibility

    Being an ethical or generous person is not enough to build a strong reputation. Credibility comes from self-acceptance — flaws and failures included — and from consistency between what you communicate and what you do.

    In business, this means that degrees and certifications may prove competence but do not guarantee trust. Trust is built when every interaction, both internal and external, aligns with the image you aim to project. Timing is just as crucial: A correct message sent at the wrong moment can be perceived as inappropriate — or worse, damaging.

    Authenticity, however, doesn’t mean sharing every thought or doubt. It means being faithful to your core values even when this involves short-term sacrifices. Stakeholders (employees, customers, investors) develop trust when they can predict your reactions based on stable, declared principles.

    Visibility vs. reputation: Two different roles

    Visibility is like a spotlight: It shines indiscriminately on whoever steps into its beam. Reputation is the puppeteer: invisible, but in control of every movement.

    Too much exposure without a solid reputation makes an entrepreneur vulnerable and easily manipulated. Conversely, those with strong credibility maintain control even when media attention fades. In the natural cycle of public careers, popularity always diminishes over time. What remains — and continues to generate opportunities — is reputation.

    The difference is subtle but decisive: Visibility makes you recognizable, reputation makes you chosen. In a market saturated with content and personalities, being noticed is relatively easy; being chosen repeatedly requires something deeper and more enduring.

    How to strengthen reputation in the AI era

    For entrepreneurs and leaders, AI has accelerated the speed at which both information — and misinformation — spread. Protecting reputation now requires proactive actions and active management of your narrative. Here are three concrete practices:

    1. Continuous monitoring: Use social listening and media analysis tools to detect early signs of crisis. Monitoring is not just about “putting out fires,” but about understanding which messages build trust and which create friction.

    2. Cross-channel consistency: Ensure that your message and values are consistent across every platform — social media, press, official statements, interviews. Even small inconsistencies can undermine trust.

    3. Train strategic silence: Incorporate provocation-response drills into leadership training. Simulate scenarios where the best answer is no immediate answer, to strengthen emotional control and prevent reputational damage.

    Related: It’s Time to Clean Up Your Act — How to Manage Your Reputation in the Era of AI

    The final question

    In a market where AI and instant communication amplify every action, reputation is the ultimate currency. Visibility makes people notice you. Reputation makes them choose you.

    As an entrepreneur, ask yourself: “If I could no longer speak for myself, what would my reputation say?” The answer will guide your decisions more than any visibility metric ever could.

    When we imagine power, we often think of prestigious titles, millions of followers or frequent media appearances. But in entrepreneurial practice, these are fragile assets: A single crisis can erase them in hours. The difference between those who survive and those who vanish? Reputation — an invisible form of capital that decides whether people will still follow you when the lights go out.

    Today, in the age of artificial intelligence and instant communication, reputation functions as a credibility algorithm. It’s not measured in views or likes, but in consistency, perceived authority and the ability to inspire trust, even in uncertainty.

    Research by Willis and Todorov at Princeton University demonstrates that people form judgments about trustworthiness, competence and other characteristics after just 100 milliseconds of exposure to unfamiliar faces. Additional studies from the University of Glasgow show that humans form trustworthiness judgments within the first 500 milliseconds of hearing someone’s voice.

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    Gio Talente

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  • Can Startup Founders Become Great CEOs? | Entrepreneur

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    As your business evolves from startup to growth stage, so must your role. You may decide to stay small, especially if you like to do everything yourself, and that’s okay. But if you dream of scaling up, you will need an effective CEO. Until you have enough money to bring in someone who can step into that role, that someone needs to be you.

    I learned this the hard way. I once recruited a buttoned-up senior executive from an advisory services firm to help us scale. In the first month, this soon-to-be former employee repeatedly told my team that “everyone knows founders are terrible CEOs” — especially when a decision was made they didn’t agree with. They cited research that said mid-to-large-sized companies led by the people who founded them were less productive.

    Even if that may be true for some corporations, founders CAN evolve into outstanding CEOs — rather than being replaced by them. It’s not easy, but it’s achievable.

    What I’ve learned through my pursuit to become a better CEO is that personal change does not happen overnight. It’s not linear. And it usually does not happen alone. Don’t expect perfection at first; treat it as a growth process. Just be better today than you were yesterday.

    If you want (or need) to make the transition from acting like a founder to being seen as a CEO, here are just a few of the things you need to do.

    Related: I Shifted From Founder to CEO 20 Years Ago and Never Looked Back — Here’s How to Successfully Make the Leap

    Keep being visionary

    For most entrepreneurs, your business starts with a strong sense of purpose. Maybe you left the corporate world to be your own boss, or maybe you’re a creative thinker who never fit the traditional mold.

    Regardless of your personal reasons, start thinking about your company in terms of what you want it to accomplish and why. Define how you plan to improve people’s lives or make a difference without sacrificing your values. Whether you’re the founder, the CEO or both, being able to articulate your vision again and again is critical and something you’re probably already good at.

    Keep being the best salesperson in the company

    As the founder, no one can sell your passion, purpose or product like you.

    Interacting with customers will teach you what the buyers in the market need, and more importantly, what they want to buy. Making those first few sales will help you crystallize your vision and give you confidence that you’re on the right track.

    The more your company grows, however, the more you’ll need to sell your vision to inspire your team and attract new investors. You’ll have to tell your story to recruit key employees and generate favorable coverage in the media. Leave much of the customer-facing work to qualified salespeople.

    Focus on process

    Business works best when the focus is on people > product > process. As a founder, you focus more on the product and the people you need to get your startup off the ground. As a CEO, you must pay even more attention to the people part.

    But you also have to become more serious about process — formal, documented and repeatable processes. The documentation part of this is very important. Should something happen to you and all the knowledge to run the company is in your head — inaccessible to the people who need to take over your work — you’ll have a big problem.

    Related: What Does It Mean to Be a Successful CEO Today? Here’s 5 Traits To Look Out For

    Be more strategic

    Founders create solutions to today’s problems. CEOs anticipate tomorrow’s obstacles. My friend, Jeffrey Hayzlett, likes to say CEOs “don’t need to be the smartest person in the room, they need to be the most strategic.”

    You can’t focus enough on strategy if you’re spending all your time putting out the fires that erupt in day-to-day operations. You must allow yourself time to think about where your company needs to go, how it will get there and how you’ll thwart the people trying to stop you.

    Start by asking the right questions instead of worrying about having the right answers.

    Be more willing to delegate

    Often, visionaries don’t want to compromise, and they won’t delegate. The temperamental Steve Jobs served as evidence of this type of visionary.

    When I was in Dallas recently for the launch of a book I co-authored, “The Leader’s Playbook: CEOs Transforming Vision into Action,” I met the founder of a successful startup. He was frustrated that his company had “plateaued.” After a few questions, I learned his problem was attributable to one of the biggest factors that stunts the growth of small businesses. It’s the founder’s inability (or unwillingness) to delegate everyday tasks so they can focus on more important things.

    This requires having a high level of trust in his employees and contractors, which he didn’t have.

    Hire people better than you

    Early in my career, I was inspired by advertising agency icon David Ogilvy, who believed, “Always hire someone who is better than you” at something you’ve always done yourself. This principle not only makes your company stronger; it makes delegation much easier.

    Your first few hires need to be good ones, so your recruiting process (there’s that word again) needs to be rigorous. If you hire friends and family members, cutting your losses from a bad hire becomes substantially trickier to navigate.

    Mind the metrics

    If you’re like most founders, you’re a visionary — acting more like a building developer than a building manager. Accounting is not nearly as much fun. But a CEO also needs to focus on numerical details, demanding accountability at scale, growing efficiencies and using reliable business metrics as the scorecard for generating profit.

    Be more introspective

    Being a CEO not only requires a different skill set than a founder; it also demands a different mindset. Start with an honest look in the mirror.

    The difference between being a catalyst for positive change and being the choke point starts with how you think about things. What are the thoughts keeping you from being the CEO that “your baby” needs to leave the nest and grow its own wings?

    Taking the first step

    As an entrepreneur, deciding how to balance the roles of visionary and CEO can be overwhelming. I was fortunate to find an executive coach who helped me become the CEO my company needed.

    Whether you tap into coaches, mentors or peer advisory groups, build a circle of trusted and successful people to advise you. My personal journey resonated so strongly with me that I now offer leadership coaching to turn founders into high-impact CEOs.

    Related: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Became a CEO

    Trust your instincts

    Any professional growth path will have its share of setbacks. Not every plan will be perfectly executed. You won’t always do or say the right thing “in the moment.” And you may slip back into your old thinking from time to time.

    But with enough commitment and discipline, you CAN grow into a CEO who will transform your company into what you’ve always dreamed it could be.

    As your business evolves from startup to growth stage, so must your role. You may decide to stay small, especially if you like to do everything yourself, and that’s okay. But if you dream of scaling up, you will need an effective CEO. Until you have enough money to bring in someone who can step into that role, that someone needs to be you.

    I learned this the hard way. I once recruited a buttoned-up senior executive from an advisory services firm to help us scale. In the first month, this soon-to-be former employee repeatedly told my team that “everyone knows founders are terrible CEOs” — especially when a decision was made they didn’t agree with. They cited research that said mid-to-large-sized companies led by the people who founded them were less productive.

    Even if that may be true for some corporations, founders CAN evolve into outstanding CEOs — rather than being replaced by them. It’s not easy, but it’s achievable.

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    C. Lee Smith

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  • My Profitable Company Is Worthless to Investors — Here’s Why That Works in My Favor | Entrepreneur

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    Over the past few months, I’ve received a surprising number of emails and even phone calls from private equity firms asking if I’d consider selling my business.

    “Gene,” they all say, “we’ve followed your growth in the technology space and believe we can help you unlock value while preserving your legacy and team. Would you be open to a 20-minute call to discuss mutual opportunities?”

    It’s flattering, sure. And it makes sense. According to Harvard’s Corporate Governance site, private equity exits jumped from $754 billion in 2023 to $902 billion in 2024 — about a 20% increase. Other reports show deal value rising by 50% in the first half of 2024 alone, with strategic acquisitions leading the way.

    Private equity is everywhere — scooping up contractors, manufacturers, distributors and yes, even tech companies like mine.

    Why? Because many business owners are aging out. The average small business owner in the U.S. is over 55, according to the Small Business Administration — and that was back in 2020. So a wave of exits is underway, and investors are eager to buy businesses with strong financials, recurring revenue and growth potential.

    But my business? I don’t think I’m sellable. Not because I wouldn’t entertain an offer — but because once a buyer looks under the hood, they’ll realize the uncomfortable truth: My company has no real value.

    Related: Want to Maximize the Sale Price of Your Business? Start with These 5 Value Drivers

    The balance sheet no one wants

    Let’s start with the basics. My business has no hard assets. No buildings, no equipment, no physical property. Just a bit of cash and accounts receivable.

    Sure, we also have very few liabilities. In fact, most of our “payables” are actually prepaid client deposits — blocks of time that customers purchase in advance. It’s a great way to boost cash flow and reduce risk, but it creates a liability a buyer would need to honor. Not exactly attractive.

    No contracts, no guarantees

    We don’t lock clients into long-term contracts. We’ve never sold maintenance agreements or recurring support plans. Our clients use us when they need us — and leave when they don’t.

    There’s no proprietary process or secret sauce. What we do isn’t complicated. In fact, anyone could learn it online. Our clients hire us not because we’re unique, but because they don’t have the bandwidth to do it themselves.

    So if a private equity firm were to evaluate my company, they’d quickly realize there’s no predictable revenue stream to base a valuation on. No recurring income. No clear multiple to apply. We go project to project, client to client.

    That might work for me. But it doesn’t work for them.

    A team that disappears when I do

    I do have employees. But most of the work is handled by independent contractors. That comes with its own risk — from worker classification issues to a lack of long-term commitment.

    Our setup has always been virtual. We’ve been remote since 2005. No office. No shared culture. No in-person meetings. Everyone works independently, and I check in as needed. It works for us — but it doesn’t scream “scalable organization.”

    The reality? This business doesn’t run without me. I do the selling. I do the marketing. I oversee projects, handle accounting, manage admin and lead the day-to-day. If I were hit by a bus tomorrow, this business would fold within 30 days — with contractors and staff likely splintering off to do their own thing.

    No IP, no exclusivity, no moat

    We implement CRM platforms. It’s a crowded, competitive space. The very vendors we represent are often our biggest competitors. There’s no barrier to entry. Competitors appear regularly — usually cheaper, often younger and sometimes better.

    We don’t have any intellectual property, documented systems or defined processes. Every project is different, and it rarely makes sense to create templates or workflows that won’t apply next time.

    So there’s nothing here to “buy.” No assets. No exclusivity. No edge.

    So, what do I have?

    I have a business that works for me.

    For more than 25 years, it’s paid the bills, put my kids through college and built a retirement plan for my wife and me. It’s also supported dozens of employees and contractors along the way. That’s something I’m proud of.

    My model has always been simple: do the work, bill for it, generate cash, save what you can. Rinse and repeat. And for me, it’s worked beautifully.

    But let’s be honest: this model doesn’t build transferable value. There’s no goodwill. No buyer-ready systems. No brand equity. No enterprise value. Just a highly functional, one-person-driven operation that disappears without me.

    Related: Starting a New Business? Here’s How to Leverage Transferable Skills From Your Prior Careers and Drive Success

    If your business looks like mine

    Don’t be discouraged. But do be realistic.

    You may be generating cash — and that’s great. You may be living well — even better. But unless you’ve intentionally built for scale, structure and succession, your business may not be worth much to anyone else.

    And that’s okay — as long as that’s the plan.

    For me, it is.

    Over the past few months, I’ve received a surprising number of emails and even phone calls from private equity firms asking if I’d consider selling my business.

    “Gene,” they all say, “we’ve followed your growth in the technology space and believe we can help you unlock value while preserving your legacy and team. Would you be open to a 20-minute call to discuss mutual opportunities?”

    It’s flattering, sure. And it makes sense. According to Harvard’s Corporate Governance site, private equity exits jumped from $754 billion in 2023 to $902 billion in 2024 — about a 20% increase. Other reports show deal value rising by 50% in the first half of 2024 alone, with strategic acquisitions leading the way.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Gene Marks

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  • How AI Is Turning Hugh School Students Into Entrepreneurs | Entrepreneur

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    This is the third installment in the “1,000 Days of AI” series. I’ve had a front-row seat to K-12 education’s transformation — working with school systems worldwide as an AI education consultant to develop school district AI strategies and watching something remarkable unfold. The change didn’t come from curriculum committees or federal mandates, but from students who, as always, refused to wait for permission.

    While educators debated whether ChatGPT constituted cheating, 17-year-old high schooler Zach Yadegari built an AI app generating $1.12 million in monthly revenue. He began coding at age seven, initially creating a gaming website to bypass his elementary school’s firewalls. By 16, he’d already sold his first company for $100,000.

    Related: How AI Is Transforming Education Forever — and What It Means for the Next Generation of Thinkers

    The stark reality: AI has already changed everything

    Within 1,000 days, ChatGPT has fundamentally challenged traditional K-12 education. According to ACT research, 70% of high school students used AI tools in 2023-24, up from 58% the previous year. Pew Research confirms ChatGPT usage for schoolwork doubled from 2023 to 2024. But these statistics miss the real story: Students aren’t just using AI to complete assignments — they’re using it to build businesses, forcing schools to rapidly develop AI policies that balance innovation with responsible AI use in education.

    The traditional model assumed knowledge was scarce and teachers were gatekeepers. AI shattered both assumptions overnight. Every student now has access to infinite tutoring, instant expertise and tools that turn ideas into products in hours, not years. The question isn’t whether students should learn entrepreneurship — they already are.

    From high school hallways to revenue streams

    The most successful young entrepreneurs started as intrapreneurs within the school system itself. High school students across the country are transforming their AI skills into real businesses. Students nationwide are selling AI-generated study guides to classmates for $50-$500 monthly.

    The irony isn’t lost on me: What adults call cheating, these students call market research. What teachers label shortcuts, investors recognize as minimum viable products. In my work helping districts with developing AI policy for schools, I’ve seen how these entrepreneurial students actually exemplify AI education best practices — they’re solving real problems with real tools.

    The intrapreneurs inside our schools

    Not all innovation happens outside school walls. Student intrapreneurs are creating AI tutoring programs for struggling peers, building attendance apps for their schools and developing mental health chatbots for counselors. They see school problems as product opportunities, transforming education while living it.

    Teachers are becoming intrapreneurs, too. Forward-thinking educators use AI to create personalized learning paths, automate grading to spend more time with students and build tools that spread district-wide. These educator-intrapreneurs bridge institutional requirements and student innovation, creating space for experimentation within existing structures while contributing to AI curriculum development for K-12.

    Related: Why We Shouldn’t Fear AI in Education (and How to Use It Effectively)

    The federal framework meets grassroots reality

    In April 2025, President Trump signed “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth,” establishing the White House Task Force on AI Education. The executive order creates the Presidential AI Challenge to “encourage and highlight student and educator achievements in AI” across multiple age categories. This isn’t just another science fair — it’s federal recognition that K-12 students are already AI practitioners, validating the school district AI strategies that forward-thinking administrators have been developing.

    Crucially, the Presidential AI Challenge calls for students to “use AI to address community challenges,” validating what student entrepreneurs have been doing all along. The framework emphasizes that AI education must “spark curiosity and creativity,” but students aren’t preparing to participate — they’re already leading. This federal backing provides the cover innovative schools need to transform detention into incubation and homework into hackathons, establishing new AI education best practices along the way.

    3 practical steps for schools right now

    1. Implement “innovation hours” aligned with the Presidential AI Challenge:

    Dedicate weekly time for students to work on AI projects addressing real community problems. Let students form ventures, not just groups. Let them pursue customers, not just grades. Schools implementing this now will have students ready when the Presidential AI Challenge launches. This approach to AI curriculum development for K-12 turns theory into practice.

    2. Transform detention into incubation:

    Every student “caught” using AI creatively should be redirected, not punished. Create an “AI Innovation Council” where rule-benders become rule-makers. Have them develop your school’s AI policy and teach AI literacy to younger students. The White House Task Force calls for student-educator collaboration — make your “problem students” your problem solvers. This is responsible AI use in education at its best.

    3. Create intrapreneurship pathways:

    Establish formal recognition for students improving school operations through AI. Give course credit for building tools the school actually uses. Partner with local businesses for real-world projects. Every pizza shop and dental office needs AI help. Your students can provide it while earning money and credits. These pathways should be central to any school district AI strategy.

    The next 1,000 days: Bigger challenges, bigger opportunities

    The first 1,000 days proved that students could use AI. The next 1,000 days will prove they can lead with it. As AI becomes more powerful, the gap between students with access and support versus those without will widen exponentially. A student with ChatGPT, supportive teachers and entrepreneurial parents will build companies. A student with restricted access and punitive policies will fall behind — not by years, but by generations.

    The mental health implications are staggering. When 14-year-olds can build million-dollar businesses, what happens to those who can’t? When AI can do homework in seconds, how do we measure learning? These aren’t distant philosophical questions; they’re immediate challenges requiring thoughtful approaches to developing AI policy for schools.

    The next 1,000 days will see AI-native students enter the workforce. I can’t wait to see how they reshape entire industries. The concept of “entry-level” will dissolve when teenagers arrive with more AI experience than senior executives.

    Related: What The UAE’s AI Education Revolution Could Mean for the Future of Classroom Activities: Insights from a Young Entrepreneur

    The entrepreneurial imperative

    Schools that thrive won’t be those with the best AI policies or detection tools. They’ll be those cultivating intrapreneurs — students and teachers who transform systems from within. Every student who builds a tool to help classmates is an intrapreneur. Every teacher experimenting with AI to improve outcomes is an intrapreneur. Every administrator creating space for innovation enables intrapreneurship.

    After 1,000 days of ChatGPT in K-12 education, one truth emerges: Students who embraced AI as a tool for creation rather than completion are building the future economy. They’re intrapreneurs transforming schools from within and entrepreneurs building alternatives from without.

    The next 1,000 days will be exponentially more complex. AI will become more powerful, accessible and essential. Students who start building now will have compounded advantages. For educators, parents and policymakers seeking guidance from an AI keynote speaker for education or looking to establish AI education best practices, the path forward is clear: Embrace intrapreneurship, enable entrepreneurship, and expect transformation. The federal government has provided the framework through the Presidential AI Challenge. Now it’s time for local action.

    The kids aren’t just alright — they’re already ahead. The question for the next 1,000 days isn’t whether students will use AI to transform education and the economy. They will. The question is whether we’ll help them build something better or watch them build around us.

    Coming next in the “1,000 Days of AI” series: Legal’s AI transformation — where precedent meets algorithms, and why your next lawyer might be an AI that passed the bar exam on its first try.

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    Alex Goryachev

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  • How to Master Resilience and Protect Your Mental Health | Entrepreneur

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    It’s an almost daily occurrence: It’s 2:37 a.m., and while staring at your laptop, you’re wondering to yourself if your current coffee consumption has changed course and has gone from a habit to a full-blown personality trait. The investor call tomorrow looms heavily, and your inbox has become a minefield while your “to-do” list has begun to grow to the point it’s developing its own gravitational pull.

    Have you guessed it yet? Yep, welcome to being an entrepreneur, where the highs are exhilarating but infrequent, and the lows are humbling and an almost daily occurrence, now to where the pressure is relentless.

    Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. Building a business is hard, but it’s a privilege and an adventure with great rewards that requires a strong, sustainable mental fortitude to last the emotional marathons — because there’s no sprinting a marathon. Those founders who “make it” aren’t just labeled as talented or lucky; rather, they’re resilient. These founders have found the secret sauce; they’ve learned through the ups and downs that protecting their mental health, adapting under extreme pressures and keeping going is absurdly tough.

    Related: 5 Practical Strategies Founders Can Use to Improve Their Mental Health

    Pressure, resilience and the entrepreneur’s mind

    Entrepreneurship inherently comes with its own stress profile. Financial uncertainty is consistently identified as one of the most stressful burdens an entrepreneur deals with, especially early on. Couple that with the ongoing leadership isolation effect and the reality that your decisions could potentially make-or-break the company, piles on. Add in one more layer called “hustle culture,” and you’ve now somehow turned isolation and exhaustion into a competitive sport, complete with its own LinkedIn medals to showcase, “Sleeps Less Than You.”

    Resilience in this aspect isn’t just a word; it’s the definition of not ignoring stress or toughing it out until you absolutely break. It’s feeling like Mike Tyson going 13 rounds, taking the punch, adapting and continuing to push forward without losing sight of the ultimate goal and bigger picture. The American Psychological Association continually correlates resilience to making better decisions, higher performance and more effective leadership — all of which are non-negotiables for an entrepreneur trying to stabilize and survive turbulence.

    Related: 7 Ways Successful Entrepreneurs Deal With Stress and Pressure

    Building resilience through mental health practices

    Here’s the good thing, though: Resilience is learned. It’s a skill that can be picked up and trained for in the same way some professional runners train for a big 10K — only the running mainly takes place mentally in your head (and occasionally between back-to-back meetings).

    1. Mindset shifts:

    Remember that setbacks as an entrepreneur aren’t career-ending; they’re really just expensive learning opportunities, sort of like paying tuition for a real-life MBA you didn’t realize you’ve signed up for. The challenges you take on and reframing them into data points versus failures can be all you need for a momentum builder that keeps the panic at bay.

    2. Mind-body maintenance:

    Remembering that your brain is an essential part of your body is crucial; treating it accordingly goes a long way. Be sure to build in exercise, even if just a simple walk, mindfulness and rhythmic breathing techniques can help regulate stress and improve cognitive ability. Numerous neuroscience studies showcase how regular mindfulness practice has the ability to reshape the brain, shaping it to handle curveballs more effectively, practice it, live it and turn it into a routine.

    3. Support networks:

    This should be as clear as day. Find the Alfred to your Batman. Having a person there you trust to help support your path. Whether it’s a mentor, peer group or personal coach, it can make the difference in putting things into perspective, solving problems faster and just reminding you that you’re not alone in the trenches.

    4. Boundaries and recovery:

    Thinking downtime is laziness is a waste of your energy; it’s preventive maintenance that you should embrace. Would you run your car engine 24/7, low on oil? Of course not, unless you like paying for repair bills. Your brain is no different. Ensuring you schedule whitespace, dedicated time to reflect on your current state, use it to create something non-business related or just zone out staring at a wall without guilt — it’s what you need it to be.

    Related: Resilience Is One of the Most Essential Entrepreneurial Traits. Practicing This Can Help You Build It.

    Resilience as a competitive edge

    As an entrepreneur, the pressure is inevitable from various angles. The way you accept it, face it and come through with a response when it arrives doesn’t have to add to your stress, especially on a Monday right before a critical investor pitch. Those entrepreneurs who endure and thrive are not the ones who are tallying the most hours in the day; they’re the ones who have understood that mental health isn’t just “self-care” and have built systems to protect their mental health and solidify their resilience.

    So take it by the horns, treat your mental health like your financials, monitoring them, investing in them and pivoting before a small problem becomes a major crisis. Because with this game, being resilient isn’t just about being able to survive the storm; it’s the ability to dance in the rain, and preferably with a cup of coffee that now isn’t doubling as your personality.

    It’s an almost daily occurrence: It’s 2:37 a.m., and while staring at your laptop, you’re wondering to yourself if your current coffee consumption has changed course and has gone from a habit to a full-blown personality trait. The investor call tomorrow looms heavily, and your inbox has become a minefield while your “to-do” list has begun to grow to the point it’s developing its own gravitational pull.

    Have you guessed it yet? Yep, welcome to being an entrepreneur, where the highs are exhilarating but infrequent, and the lows are humbling and an almost daily occurrence, now to where the pressure is relentless.

    Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. Building a business is hard, but it’s a privilege and an adventure with great rewards that requires a strong, sustainable mental fortitude to last the emotional marathons — because there’s no sprinting a marathon. Those founders who “make it” aren’t just labeled as talented or lucky; rather, they’re resilient. These founders have found the secret sauce; they’ve learned through the ups and downs that protecting their mental health, adapting under extreme pressures and keeping going is absurdly tough.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Greg Cucino

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  • 5 Challenges Every Solopreneur Faces — and Smart Ways to Tackle Them | Entrepreneur

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    These days, something very interesting is happening in the world of online entrepreneurship.

    More and more people are choosing to build their businesses completely on their own. They are called solopreneurs — motivated individuals who focus on managing every part of their business alone.

    What separates solopreneurs from traditional entrepreneurs is that they purposefully choose to stay lean and independent while still aiming to grow and make a real impact, whereas entrepreneurs often build teams.

    According to what I’ve seen on Google Trends, the number of searches for the term “solopreneur” has increased in the last five years alone. The biggest increase occurs in entrepreneurial hotspots across North America, Europe and Asia.

    So, what’s the reason for this?

    A couple of things: people have become accustomed to remote work — it’s the new norm, and unconventional career paths are more accepted by society. Besides, powerful digital tools are more accessible and make running a business much easier.

    However, the reality is that solopreneurship isn’t exactly all freedom and flexibility. Running your own business comes with its own set of challenges that you don’t face in traditional jobs or when building a startup with a team. Understanding and overcoming these challenges is the key to thriving as a solopreneur.

    Related: How Solopreneurs Are Scaling Past Six Figures (Without a Team)

    1. Wearing too many hats

    Inside every business, there are a lot of moving parts — marketing, sales, finances, customer service and many other operations.

    For solopreneurs, all of these tasks fall on just one person’s shoulders. One day you’re the support agent, the next you’re writing social media posts or sending invoices… the list goes on.

    The tricky part isn’t the work itself — it’s the non-stop switching between fundamentally different tasks. This can lead to a loss of focus, energy and, over time, to decision fatigue, where even the small choices start feeling exhausting.

    How to make it easier

    Here are some tips to lighten the load and work smarter:

    • Group similar tasks together – for example, handle all the financial tasks on Monday morning instead of scattering them throughout the week.
    • Start small with outsourcing – no need to hire a full-time team. Begin outsourcing your most time-consuming tasks or the ones you feel you’re the weakest at.
    • Write things down – start simple checklists for recurring tasks to reduce mental load.
    • Implement the right tools – adapt software programs that allow you to cut down on repetitive work (email management, invoicing, scheduling, etc.)

    When you offload some of these roles, you can start focusing on the work that really matters – growing your business and providing your customers with top-quality service.

    2. The isolation factor

    Let’s be real — humans are social creatures, and working by yourself can make you feel lonely.

    With a traditional job, you’ve got colleagues to chat with, team meetings to discuss your ideas, and even those coffee chats that can break up the day.

    As a solopreneur, these social moments are gone.

    And while some enjoy the quiet, too much of it can take a heavy toll. Without those human interactions, you can lose motivation, creativity, and it can even negatively impact your mental health.

    How to stay on top

    The good news is that you don’t have to face solopreneurship alone. Here’s how you can bring people back into your work life:

    • Network and connect – join groups and online communities where other solopreneurs share their experiences.
    • Set up co-working sessions – find an “accountability partner”, either virtual, at a café, or a co-working space, to make it more fun.
    • Develop and learn – attend conferences and networking events to meet people who “get it.”
    • Seek out a mentor – they can guide you and share their knowledge with you.

    The key thing to remember: running a business by yourself doesn’t mean doing everything solo. Finding like-minded individuals can keep you motivated, inspired and less isolated.

    3. Financial instability

    Unlike employees with salaries, one of the toughest challenges for solopreneurs is money management.

    As a solopreneur, your income can swing up and down depending on the season, clients or just random luck. One month, you can be stressing over what bill to pay, the next, you’re on top of the world.

    This financial rollercoaster won’t just affect your bank account — it can also cloud your judgment. Some solopreneurs may take big risks when money starts flowing in, while others may become very cautious, holding back on extra expenses that can even help them grow.

    How to create stability

    The important thing is to smooth out the ups and downs as much as possible. Here’s how you can do that:

    • Diversify your income — don’t put all your eggs in one basket, develop multiple income streams to spread out the risk
    • Create recurring revenue — structure your offerings to include retainer agreements or subscription models to keep money coming in more predictably.
    • Create financial buffers — try to build an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses or income gaps.

    When you successfully implement these systems, the financial stress becomes much more manageable and understandable.

    Related: 5 Things You Need to Stop Doing as a Solopreneur

    4. Time management

    When we talk about solopreneurship, one of the biggest perks is being your own boss — you set your own schedule, no one tells you what to do, no 9-to-5 – sounds perfect.

    But on the flip side, without a proper structure, it’s easy to get lost in your work or not work nearly enough.

    Both can hurt your business and even you.

    The key is to create a rhythm that gives you focus without creating that feeling like you’re back in a corporate cubicle.

    How to manage your time better

    Here are some practical strategies that can help:

    • Work with your natural energy – keep track of when you feel most creative and energized, and schedule your most important tasks for then.
    • Create themed workdays – set up your days for different business functions. For example, Mondays for finances, Tuesdays for marketing, Wednesdays for client operations, etc.
    • Use time blocks – set aside chunks of time, but add short breaks in between so you don’t burn out.
    • Think in 90-day sprints – don’t try to do everything at once, select a few key priorities every quarter, and move in that direction.

    By implementing a structure, you can stay productive without feeling like you’re trapped by your work. It’s all about balance – become disciplined to get things done, and have enough flexibility to enjoy the freedom of being your own boss.

    Related: You Must Unlearn the Myth of the Solopreneur to Be Successful

    5. Maintaining confidence

    Managing a business solo means you’re constantly challenging yourself — acquiring new skills, facing new risks, gaining new responsibilities. With that comes something that every solopreneur faces: self-doubt.

    You start to question yourself, “Why am I doing this?”, “Am I good enough?”, “What was I even thinking when jumping into this…” and so on.

    The truth is, mental hurdles can be even tougher than practical challenges. But confidence isn’t about never doubting yourself – it’s about creating ways to push through when doubt shows up.

    How to build up your confidence

    Here are a few ways to keep your mind sharp and ready:

    • Record your wins – keep track of the skills you’ve gained, projects you’ve completed, and positive feedback from your clients. Seeing it in writing is a powerful reminder to keep going.
    • Level up gradually – take on slightly bigger challenges step-by-step. Each win is proof that you’re heading in the right direction.
    • Remember that a slight setback doesn’t mean you’re incompetent – it just means that you need to tweak the process a bit to get back on the right track.

    Confidence isn’t something that you have or don’t have. It’s all about how you overcome the challenges that you face.

    The future of solopreneurship

    Solopreneurship isn’t a passing trend – it’s becoming a real and lasting career path.

    As technology continues to improve and work culture continues to evolve toward more flexible solutions, more and more professionals will find “going solo” isn’t just possible but practical in various industries.

    The solopreneurs who will truly succeed in their endeavors will:

    • Recognize the key challenges that come with starting a one-person business
    • Implement strategic solutions that fit their unique scenarios
    • Stay flexible and adapt as their business grows

    The solopreneur path isn’t about building that “perfect balance”.

    Instead, it’s about finding solutions that make the tough parts manageable. With the right approach, solopreneurs can create businesses that are not only profitable but also personally fulfilling.

    At its core, solopreneurship is about choosing your own way, creating your own terms, and finding success that’s meaningful to you. You will be rewarded with freedom, creativity, independence and the joy of building something that’s truly your own.

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    Polina Beletskaya

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  • Starting a Business? You Need Founder Friends — Here’s Why | Entrepreneur

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    Starting a business can be a lonely endeavor. No matter how confident you are in your product and in yourself, there will always be times when doubt creeps in — usually just as you’re trying to fall asleep.

    These crises of confidence can be fatal to your vision, but they don’t have to be. And one way to stave off the startup scaries is by having other founders in your life to lean on.

    Back when Jotform was a company of one (me), I had a close friend who was also a fellow early-stage founder. His idea — selling beauty products online — was conceptually completely different from mine, but that didn’t matter. We were facing the same struggles, the same uncertainties and many of the same difficult decisions.

    Each week, we’d spend hours walking through New York, hashing out our ideas as we traversed the cobbled streets of SoHo to the tree-lined walking paths of Brooklyn Heights. We’d exchange marketing and SEO ideas, workshopping products and sales strategies. We celebrated each other’s small wins — like landing a new customer or finally fixing a stubborn bug — and vented about the setbacks. Those conversations didn’t just make me feel less alone; they sharpened my thinking and kept me accountable. In a phase of life where so much felt uncertain, that kind of camaraderie was invaluable.

    For founders, especially solo founders, having someone who understands the unique pressure of building something from scratch can make all the difference. Here’s why.

    Related: You Can’t Succeed Alone — Why Small Businesses Must Work Together

    The power of peers vs. mentors

    I believe strongly in the power of mentors, and think everyone should have one. Mentors have been in your shoes and can offer sage advice that comes from experience and hindsight. But while mentors are indispensable, peers bring something different — and equally essential — to the table.

    A mentor can tell you how they handled a particular situation five or 10 years ago. A peer, on the other hand, can tell you what they did last week — and whether it worked. The advice is current, and the exchange goes both ways. You’re not just receiving guidance, you’re collaborating.

    Peers also provide something mentors can’t always offer: emotional resonance. They’re in the trenches with you, facing the same economic climate, technological changes and customer expectations. There’s no need to explain why a poorly executed launch or bad hire feels devastating. They already know. That shared understanding builds trust fast, and trust leads to lasting bonds.

    In those early walks with my founder friend, we weren’t pretending to have it all figured out. We were troubleshooting in real time, riffing on ideas, asking questions and giving each other the push we needed to keep going. It didn’t matter that our products were different — what mattered was that our challenges were the same. I also found that working through his business issues gave my brain a needed break from focusing on my own. Oftentimes, I’d return to my desk afterwards with fresh insights I would never have had if I’d kept spiraling on my own bumps in the road.

    Related: I Mentor First-Time Entrepreneurs — These Are the 4 Unseen Benefits I Gained By Giving Back

    Where to find founder friends

    These days, most of my close friends are also fellow founders. Running a business is pretty consuming, but we don’t just talk strategy — our conversation drifts equally around the people we hire, our company cultures and how to be motivational leaders. I’ve learned so much during our hangouts over coffee or beer that no book or YouTube video could ever have taught me.

    If you’re launching a business but don’t yet have a built-in founder community, don’t despair. These days, there are tons of resources for connecting with like-minded people. Subreddits like r/Entrepreneur and communities like Indie Hackers are great starting points, but don’t just stop at making online connections. Check your city for tech meetups — with startups more geographically dispersed than ever, you don’t need to live in New York or the Bay Area to find one near you. And as with most things, your existing network is one of your most powerful resources. Make it known you’re looking to build up your community of fellow founders. In all likelihood, you know someone who knows someone doing the same.

    If you’re an introvert like me, you may find all this intimidating. But the truth is, so much of running a business is relationship-building. And remember, these early meetups don’t have to be formal. A 20-minute coffee chat can lead to years of camaraderie.

    Once you’ve made a connection, carve out space for it. My friend and I had our weekly walks in New York. You might have a 30-minute Zoom every other Friday, or a WhatsApp thread where you trade updates and cheer each other on. Consistency is key. These conversations are most powerful when they become habitual, rather than a one-off.

    And finally — be honest. This isn’t an interview. You don’t need to posture or pretend. Talk about the idea that fizzled. Be real about your scaling woes. Vulnerability is what makes relationships meaningful. It’s also what makes them useful. Because the goal isn’t to impress, it’s to grow.

    Building a business will always come with moments of doubt. But having people around you who truly understand what you’re going through can make the path feel a lot less lonely.

    Starting a business can be a lonely endeavor. No matter how confident you are in your product and in yourself, there will always be times when doubt creeps in — usually just as you’re trying to fall asleep.

    These crises of confidence can be fatal to your vision, but they don’t have to be. And one way to stave off the startup scaries is by having other founders in your life to lean on.

    Back when Jotform was a company of one (me), I had a close friend who was also a fellow early-stage founder. His idea — selling beauty products online — was conceptually completely different from mine, but that didn’t matter. We were facing the same struggles, the same uncertainties and many of the same difficult decisions.

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    Aytekin Tank

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  • Psychic Medium John Edward Wants You to Trust Your Gut | Entrepreneur

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    John Edward is arguably the world’s most famous psychic medium. Actually, scratch that word “arguably.” He is the world’s most famous psychic medium. His show, Crossing Over With John Edward, was a groundbreaking series that brought conversations with people who have passed into our living rooms. He used the success of that show to build a psychic medium empire that now includes EvolvePlusTV, a platform devoted to mindfulness, astrology, and dealing with grief. And he has a new book out called Chasing Evil, which tells the intense and true story of how he helped an FBI agent solve a serial killer cold case. I read an advanced copy of it and it is wild.

    Edward joined us on the latest episode of How Success Happens, where he discussed trusting intuition, overcoming professional skepticism, and the relentless pursuit of personal growth. And he did it all with his signature combination of insightfulness and humor. Hey, just because you talk to dead people doesn’t mean you can’t be funny, too.

    You can watch our conversation above or listen to it below. And read on for three success takeaways from Edward (and from the voices on the other side who guide him.)

    Subscribe to How Success Happens to get a dose of inspiration twice a week! Apple | Spotify | YouTube

    1. Betting on Yourself—Even When It’s Scary
    John shares how he transitioned from a secure hospital administration career to pursuing his psychic calling full-time. “I felt like I was on a cliff and I was jumping off into the abyss, not knowing what was next … I’m either going to fall flat on my face or I’m going to fly,” he explains, crediting his wife’s support for giving him the courage to follow his passion.

    Takeaway: Make calculated leaps—support from people who believe in you can transform fear into achievement.

    2. Trust Your Intuition
    For John, intuition is rooted in trusting oneself. He keeps a rock on his desk that is inscribed with the word “trust” as a daily reminder. “You can rely on yourself. You can rely on your process. You can rely on your knowledge,” he says. He emphasizes that timing is crucial, and sometimes failure is just foresight out of sync with opportunity.

    Takeaway: Cultivate self-trust and revisit past ideas; timing matters as much as vision.

    3. Use Your Entire Toolkit When Facing Obstacles
    John urges entrepreneurs to use a holistic toolkit—combining intuition, numerology, astrology, and seeking specialized guidance—as the means to confront business uncertainties: “Let’s bring out all the tools … here’s the astrologer you should see, here’s the numerologist. What are the tools we could use to get rid of obstacles and blockages?” He advises to never let fear become insurmountable.

    Takeaway: Embrace a multi-dimensional approach to problem-solving; connect with experts and trust in your resilience.

    Subscribe to the How Success Happens newsletter for more great leadership tips!

    Erica Schultz

    John Edward is arguably the world’s most famous psychic medium. Actually, scratch that word “arguably.” He is the world’s most famous psychic medium. His show, Crossing Over With John Edward, was a groundbreaking series that brought conversations with people who have passed into our living rooms. He used the success of that show to build a psychic medium empire that now includes EvolvePlusTV, a platform devoted to mindfulness, astrology, and dealing with grief. And he has a new book out called Chasing Evil, which tells the intense and true story of how he helped an FBI agent solve a serial killer cold case. I read an advanced copy of it and it is wild.

    Edward joined us on the latest episode of How Success Happens, where he discussed trusting intuition, overcoming professional skepticism, and the relentless pursuit of personal growth. And he did it all with his signature combination of insightfulness and humor. Hey, just because you talk to dead people doesn’t mean you can’t be funny, too.

    You can watch our conversation above or listen to it below. And read on for three success takeaways from Edward (and from the voices on the other side who guide him.)

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Dan Bova

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  • This Leadership Practice Keeps Teams Moving Amid Uncertainty | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When uncertainty rises, many leaders do the reasonable thing. They become more careful. They slow spending. They pause plans. They wait for clearer signals before committing to big moves.

    At first, it makes sense. The conditions are unclear. The pressure is real. No one wants to overcommit when the stakes are high and the path ahead is blurry. A measured pause can feel responsible, even necessary.

    But over time, that caution can shift the culture. Motion slows. Teams hesitate. The energy that once kept people building begins to fade. Not because anyone made a bad decision, but because belief is no longer being modeled.

    When leaders stop showing confidence in where the company is going, the whole system responds. This is not about charisma or volume. It is about posture, the way conviction shows up in tone, in timing, in the pace of decisions.

    In moments like this, optimism is not a luxury. It is what keeps progress alive.

    Related: How The Best Executives Show Leadership in Times of Uncertainty

    The power of optimism

    I have led through crises, pivots and culture resets. In each case, the same pattern showed up. When leaders carry belief, even when the path is unclear, teams keep moving. When belief disappears, momentum fades. People start waiting for clarity, direction or permission.

    In complex environments, the emotional posture of leadership becomes the silent operating system. Optimism either sustains forward motion or its absence introduces friction. Even the best plans slow down when belief disappears from the room.

    Optimism is not a personality trait. It is a leadership practice. It shapes how you speak, how you make decisions and how you guide others through complexity.

    You do not need to be overly positive. You do not need to perform. You need to keep pointing forward with consistency. When your team sees that, they stay engaged.

    The strongest leaders I’ve worked with are not the ones who avoid uncertainty. They are the ones who can hold it without handing it off to their teams. Optimism helps them do that. It keeps the weight from becoming the tone.

    In most organizations, tone travels faster than tactics. If you grow more hesitant, your team will sense it. That is not a flaw. It is a human response to the emotional signals leaders send.

    What you say may be precise, but how you say it often has more impact. A slight shift in energy from the top can change how an entire team interprets risk and momentum.

    I experienced this in a high-pressure environment when our company came under scrutiny. We had a plan, but the atmosphere changed. People paused. Focus slipped. Energy became scattered. The quiet question in the room was clear. Do we still believe in what we are building?

    In moments like that, no one waits for an all-hands meeting. People take their cues from daily tone, hallway conversations and executive language. That is why steady belief matters.

    What helped us recover was not a new strategy. It was steady communication. We named the pressure. We spoke with clarity. We made sure people heard conviction in our voice. And we chose to keep moving.

    That choice mattered. It gave people something to align around. It gave them permission to act.

    Once teams see that leadership still believes, they recalibrate. Confidence comes back. Initiative returns. You do not need a perfect plan. You need clear, active belief.

    This is what optimism does. It restores direction. It keeps systems in motion when certainty is unavailable.

    Related: How to Lead With Positive Energy (Even When Times Get Tough)

    Lead with belief

    Optimism is not about ignoring risks. It is about leading with belief anyway. When that belief is present, teams stay focused. They solve problems faster. They keep building when others start waiting.

    It helps people think creatively instead of defensively. It creates space to try instead of waiting to react.

    If things feel stuck, take a closer look at how you are showing up. Not just in presentations or briefings, but in everyday conversations. Are you modeling progress or stalling? Are you holding direction or broadcasting hesitation?

    Because people do not just need approval. They need to know their leaders still believe in what they are working toward. That belief, when communicated with intention, becomes contagious. It resets energy. It shifts momentum. It brings direction back into the room.

    Optimism, when carried with clarity, cuts through noise. It is not emotional. It is structural. It sets pace. It creates alignment. It holds energy in motion.

    The leaders who move teams through uncertainty are not always the ones with the perfect plan. They are the ones who give people a reason to keep going. They carry belief on purpose. They model direction even when the conditions are imperfect.

    Optimism is not the opposite of realism. It is what makes realism useful.

    When leaders carry it well, the effect spreads. Not because they are louder, but because their clarity steadies the room.

    Related: How to Lead With a Balanced Sense of Optimism When The Future Looks Bleak

    When uncertainty rises, many leaders do the reasonable thing. They become more careful. They slow spending. They pause plans. They wait for clearer signals before committing to big moves.

    At first, it makes sense. The conditions are unclear. The pressure is real. No one wants to overcommit when the stakes are high and the path ahead is blurry. A measured pause can feel responsible, even necessary.

    But over time, that caution can shift the culture. Motion slows. Teams hesitate. The energy that once kept people building begins to fade. Not because anyone made a bad decision, but because belief is no longer being modeled.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Matthew Mathison

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  • Your Entrepreneurial Elders’ Worries About Passing the Baton | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Between now and 2048, an estimated $124 trillion in family assets will be passed from Generation X to millennials and Gen Z, the first mass transfer of its kind. This is a phenomenon so significant that it is named the Great Wealth Transfer, and it’s an event that began unfolding in the mid-2010s, catalyzed by the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation.

    A market research firm called Cerulli and Associates estimated that out of the $124 trillion worth of assets that will be transferred, around $105 trillion will be inherited directly by heirs and $18 trillion will go to charity. Swiss banking giant UBS, in its 2024 wealth report, estimated that $83 trillion globally will be passed on within the next two decades, and that a large chunk of these assets will be held across the Asia Pacific region. A recent McKinsey report showed that the value of these assets circulating in this Eastern region could be worth $5.8 trillion by 2030.

    As a fourth-generation heir of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company, Hong Kong’s oldest transportation company, I inherited my family’s wealth at a really young age due to premature deaths within my family. Despite this, I managed to carry the business forward as a director and figurehead, which I believe is rare since research has shown that as many as 90% of family wealth is often lost by the third generation. I am in a unique position to speak about this subject as a Baby Boomer looking to transfer to younger generations.

    Among the concerns the older generation may have about the Great Wealth Transfer and how it will be orchestrated successfully across the coming years, here are what I consider to be three of the most salient points.

    Related: 3 Ways to Prepare Yourself for the Great Wealth Transfer

    1. Gauging millennial and Gen Z’s financial interest

    Most family elders, especially in Asia, are highly concerned about how they would go about educating their children about the family assets and businesses. How willing would their heirs be to take over a business that has been continuing for more than a hundred years? This is a common concern due to the fact that some of the oldest companies in the world are currently held by families in the East.

    This concern is compounded by the fact that Baby Boomers and Gen X have significantly different attitudes to money compared to their heirs, since these generations have been conditioned to aim for a “job for life,” with intense focus on accumulating savings for retirement. According to an article by the Financial Times, millennials (1981-1996) lack financial education, having the propensity to build up credit card debt, while Gen Z possess a short-term fiscal outlook compared to their elders.

    2. Emotions can get in the way of discussions

    There may be different types of emotions at play whenever the Great Wealth Transfer is mentioned in a family business. Older generations are generally more reluctant to discuss financial affairs more openly with younger generations, which can act as a barrier to effective communication. Moreover, younger generations may find it distressing to have discussions about inheriting wealth and business, as they often have connotations of death.

    Younger generations can also have significantly differing views to their elders when it comes to running a company, with evidence showing that they are more socially aware of issues that affect the world, such as climate change, AI revolution and globalization, while some members of older generations may have a more conservative attitude, with a greater focus on wealth preservation and conservation. These differences can make discussions about business succession more heated and prone to disagreements and family conflicts. This is one of the main reasons families delay these important conversations from taking place, which could negatively affect a smooth transfer.

    Related: Passing the Family Company to the Next Generation Is a Complicated Business

    3. A rush to transfer wealth

    An article written by the Guardian showed that the 2020 pandemic has accelerated the intergenerational wealth transfer due to unforeseen, untimely deaths. Many members of younger generations, especially in the UK, are beneficiaries of unexpected windfall, according to Treasury figures, which found that a record-breaking volume of inheritance tax was collected during 2021 and 2022: £6.1 billion.

    Research from Capital Group also found that high-net-worth families are actually accelerating the transfer of wealth to their heirs, in a survey conducted with 600 individuals across Europe, Asia Pacific and the U.S. The report found that 65% of Gen X and millennial inheritors who participated in the research said they had regrets about how they used their inheritance money, with nearly two in five respondents wishing they had invested more of their assets after the transfer.

    With these concerns percolating in older generations’ minds, it is only wise for family businesses to plan well ahead for the Great Wealth Transfer. Have those difficult conversations with your heirs early on so that unpredictable shifts will not shake up your family’s assets. And more importantly, it is important to ensure that the family wealth’s purpose is well-defined in this increasingly complex and volatile world, and for that, meaningful conversations between the generations need to continue. Family businesses can no longer rest on their laurels.

    Related: Running a Family Business Means You Need to Prepare Your Kids to Take Over — Here’s How to Do It Right.

    Between now and 2048, an estimated $124 trillion in family assets will be passed from Generation X to millennials and Gen Z, the first mass transfer of its kind. This is a phenomenon so significant that it is named the Great Wealth Transfer, and it’s an event that began unfolding in the mid-2010s, catalyzed by the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation.

    A market research firm called Cerulli and Associates estimated that out of the $124 trillion worth of assets that will be transferred, around $105 trillion will be inherited directly by heirs and $18 trillion will go to charity. Swiss banking giant UBS, in its 2024 wealth report, estimated that $83 trillion globally will be passed on within the next two decades, and that a large chunk of these assets will be held across the Asia Pacific region. A recent McKinsey report showed that the value of these assets circulating in this Eastern region could be worth $5.8 trillion by 2030.

    As a fourth-generation heir of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company, Hong Kong’s oldest transportation company, I inherited my family’s wealth at a really young age due to premature deaths within my family. Despite this, I managed to carry the business forward as a director and figurehead, which I believe is rare since research has shown that as many as 90% of family wealth is often lost by the third generation. I am in a unique position to speak about this subject as a Baby Boomer looking to transfer to younger generations.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    William Louey

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  • Here’s Where Prince St. Pizza Is Opening Next | Entrepreneur

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    Lawrence Longo is certain about one thing: America needs a great national pizza brand.

    Not just a chain that cranks out slices, but a name that stands for quality, heritage and the kind of flavor people will travel for. “Our goal is to be that premium slice shop in America,” he tells Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef.

    That mission is at the heart of his work growing Prince St. Pizza from a single shop into a brand with locations across the country.

    The story started on a block in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, where the original Prince St. Pizza has been drawing crowds for years. Its pepperoni square slice is an icon: crispy-edged, overflowing with curl and dripping with flavor.

    Longo was a fan before he was a partner. “I used to go in as a customer,” he says. “I loved the pizza; I loved the energy in the shop. I could feel how much it meant to people.”

    Related: He Went from Tech CEO to Dishwasher. Now, He’s Behind 320 Restaurants and $750 Million in Assets.

    That connection turned into conversations. Longo got to know the owners, learning not just about the recipes but about the pride and history behind them. “We started talking about what it could be,” he recalls. “I told them, ‘This isn’t just a slice shop. This is a brand that could mean something in every city.’”

    Eventually, that dialogue became a partnership, grounded in a shared commitment to keep the product and culture intact. Now the expansion is real. This interview took place inside a new Prince St. Pizza in Las Vegas, just steps from the Strip.

    The crowd here is a mix of locals and visitors, but the slice in their hands tastes just like it would in SoHo. “That’s the goal,” Longo says. “No matter where you are, when you bite into it, it should feel like you’re in New York.”

    The Las Vegas shop is just one of several new locations, each chosen carefully. “We don’t just go anywhere,” he explains. “We look for cities where Prince St. can fit in and still stand out. And then we build the right team to protect what makes it special.”

    For Longo, it is not simply about growing bigger. It is about creating a national pizza brand without losing the soul of the original.

    Related: His Sushi Burger Got 50 Million Views — and Launched an Entire Business

    The next great American pizza brand

    Prince St. Pizza’s footprint is getting bigger, and the momentum is real. New locations are opening in markets like Miami and Dallas. Each one matches the quality and culture of the original SoHo shop. Celebrity customers have become part of the story. Usher. Adam Sandler. Dave Portnoy. They aren’t there for photo ops. They come in because they like the pizza.

    “They try, and they come back, and they like the brand,” Longo says. Being in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago means crossing paths with people who live for good food, whether they are famous or not.

    Growth also brings noise. “The bigger you get, the more haters you get,” Longo says. “You can’t listen to the noise. You want to listen to everybody, but you gotta just keep your head down, worry about yourself, do the best job you can and focus on your customers.”

    Related: Von Miller Learned About Chicken Farming in a College Class – And It Became the Inspiration for a Business That Counts Patrick Mahomes as an Investor

    That mindset is what allows Longo to keep expanding without losing the flavor and culture that made Prince St. Pizza a destination in the first place.

    Every new store is another chance to prove that a premium slice shop can scale nationally without losing what made it special.

    “Every time you open a new restaurant, you learn something new about your brand,” Longo says, “and we’re only getting better.”

    It’s the same goal he set from the start — to take Prince St. Pizza from a single shop in New York to a true national brand. And for Longo, the recipe for getting there is simple: protect the product, protect the culture and keep serving slices worth traveling for.

    Related: This Restaurant CEO Created His Own National Holiday (and Turned It Into a Business Strategy)

    About Restaurant Influencers

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    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

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    Shawn P. Walchef

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