ReportWire

Tag: Entrepreneurs

  • Free On-Demand Webinar: How to Raise Capital & Scale A Business

    Free On-Demand Webinar: How to Raise Capital & Scale A Business

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    As a groom in 2005, our next guest experienced first hand how difficult it was to find an online resource that would help him execute his wedding plans more efficiently. He vowed to build a tech-forward company that would make planning less stressful and frustrating for engaged couples. Since co-founding WeddingWire in 2007, Timothy Chi led the company from an internet start-up to a multimillion-dollar leader in the wedding planning industry. He also led the merger of WeddingWire with The Knot and its collective brands under one umbrella – The Knot Worldwide – the largest provider of wedding marketplaces, websites, planning tools and registry services in 16 countries across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

    In the next Leadership Lessons episode, Chi will chat with series host Jason Nazar about the greatest lessons he learned from his 25+ year career. Topics include:

    • Entrepreneurship & co-founding companies

    • How to raise capital & scale a company

    • The future of work & workplace culture

    • Servant leadership

    Watch now!

    About The Speakers:

    Timothy Chi is co-founder of WeddingWire and CEO of The Knot Worldwide, a leading global wedding planning company comprised of over 1,900 employees worldwide. Previously, he co-founded Blackboard Inc. where he helped the company grow to over 600 employees, raised $100M in capital with a valuation of $750M, and took the company public in 2004. Chi holds a B.S. degree in Operations Research/Industrial Engineering from Cornell University and a M.S. degree in Engineering Management from Tufts University. He is a member of the Young President’s Organization in Washington, D.C.

    Jason Nazar is a serial tech entrepreneur, advisor, and investor with two successful exits. He was most recently co-founder/CEO of workplace culture review platform Comparably (acquired by ZoomInfo), and previously co-founder/CEO of Docstoc (acquired by Intuit). Jason was named LA Times’ Top 5 CEOs of Midsize Companies (2020), LA Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs (2016), and appointed inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence for the city of Los Angeles (2016-2018). He holds a B.A. degree from the University of California Santa Barbara and his JD and MBA from Pepperdine University. He currently teaches Entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at UCLA.

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    Jason Nazar

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  • Why You Need to Become Your Own Cheerleader

    Why You Need to Become Your Own Cheerleader

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We all like to be celebrated and cheered on. But how would you feel if no one or very few people cheered for you after you’ve accomplished making it to the next step in your goal, or when you went from 20 sales to your first 100 sales? Or how about when your business launch that you worked so hard on was a success? I’m sure for a lot of us, it wouldn’t feel good. The hard truth is, those who we feel should celebrate our accomplishments and milestones with us are often not the ones who do. We have to learn to be okay with that.

    In all honesty, that was a hard pill for me to swallow. For years, I’ve genuinely cheered people on and supported them. I love to see anyone working on and accomplishing their goals. So, when I wasn’t receiving the support that I had been giving for years, I felt slighted. And it wasn’t because I felt that someone owed me. It was more so, “Hey, we can get so much further when we support one another. So, why aren’t we?” But then I was so busy working on my projects that I didn’t have the capacity to worry about who wasn’t supporting me. I tend to focus more on those who do support me.

    Related: Stop Worrying About Why Your Family and Friends Don’t Support Your Business

    Why you should become your own cheerleader

    It’s not easy to get to a point where we can say “I’ve invested so much of my time and finances in making my dream come true, and I’m finally here.” So, it’s understandable to be proud of yourself and want others to be proud of you as well. But when we expect others to be our cheerleaders instead of us being our own biggest cheerleaders, we set ourselves up for frustration and maybe anger at times.

    In Be Your Own Cheerleader: An Asian and South Asian Woman’s Cultural, Psychological, and Spiritual Guide to Self-Promote at Work, Neelu Kaur writes, “Alongside being a super rock star in your role at work, your other job — and actually the most important job you will ever have — is to manage your mental health. This is no easy task and takes constant vigilance of what you allow in and out of your precious mind. The other piece of mental health management that is quite challenging to control is the internal dialogue you have with yourself. The inner critic can run the show and your job is to make sure you keep it in check. The inner critic doesn’t rule the show; you do. You ultimately have a choice: Are you going to work for your inner critic or are you going to manage and lead your inner critic? Empowerment comes from a place of managing the negative inner dialogue.”

    I love this passage because although the author is speaking in terms of the workplace, it’s something we should apply to our personal and professional life. Life would be so much better if we did. We must learn to be our own cheerleaders and recognize the benefits of it. Hopefully, these five tips I’ve shared will help you.

    1. Don’t have expectations for others

    No one cares more about what your goals are than you. You know what your vision is and how you plan to make that vision a reality. No one else understands that, so you can’t expect them to care just as much as you. Of course, it’s nice to receive support of any kind while on your journey, but don’t weigh yourself down with negative emotions if you don’t receive it.

    Related: How to Deal With Unsupportive Friends and Family

    2. Celebrate any milestone

    It’s freeing and a confidence booster to celebrate yourself. It doesn’t matter the size of the milestone you’ve reached or what the accomplishment is. Celebrate everything. The more you celebrate yourself, the less you will care about those who didn’t celebrate you.

    3. Cheer yourself on

    Write your goals down, and once you’ve reached them, be proud of yourself. Give yourself a mental high five, and maybe treat yourself to something nice. Speak positively to yourself. I’m a firm believer in manifestation being a real thing, so I often speak what I want in my life as though it is. Know and understand that you are deserving as much as anyone else.

    4. View yourself as your ally, your own best friend

    Being your own best friend means supporting and motivating yourself just like you would a friend — showing up for yourself when others cannot or will not. You will gain more self-awareness, confidence and compassion for yourself in doing so.

    5. Practice positive affirmations

    Practicing writing positive affirmations is another way to cheer yourself on. Affirmations motivate you, challenge you, and push you to reach your full potential in life.

    Related: 7 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated

    So, celebrate your accomplishments even if no one else does. Don’t expect anyone to be supportive, and also don’t be angry if they don’t. Showing yourself the same support you would a friend, will boost your confidence and happiness.

    In conclusion, being your own cheerleader isn’t about being arrogant or thinking you’re better than anyone else, but it’s about making sure you don’t feel the need or desire to count on others to validate you and your accomplishments. It’s also about keeping taking steps to keep your mental health in check.

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    Athalia Monae

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  • 8 Tips for Overcoming a Business Slump

    8 Tips for Overcoming a Business Slump

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Slump. Bust. Dip. Whatever you call it, it happens to all businesses at some point. And that means you need a solution so you can avoid the slump when it happens to your business and grow faster when it does happen.

    The first thing you need to know is that it’s okay to slump. We’re going to get into the nitty-gritty of what a slump is, why your business might be slumping and how you can overcome it. But first, I want to start with a little bit of context: You are not alone in this. Slumps happen to the best of us, even to Elon Musk a few years back. In fact, they happen all the time — to everyone from newbies just starting out to corporate giants who have been around for decades.

    So, if we’re all in this together, why do some businesses come out of slumps stronger than ever while others crumble? The answer is simple: Those who have mastered the art of overcoming slumps are able to grow even when times are tough and learn from their mistakes so they don’t fall into them again.

    That’s not to say a slump can’t be the time to do some deep soul-searching. If you’re suffering from a slump and you’re wondering how to get out of it, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

    Related: Slumps Are Part of the Game. Winning Requires Knowing How to Get Back on Track.

    What is a slump?

    A slump is a sudden business downturn that can be caused by a host of factors, including an economic downturn or changes in technology. Sometimes a slump just happens for no reason at all, but the good news is that there are ways to overcome them and get back on track.

    While it’s true that slumps are never fun and they can feel like they last forever (I promise they don’t), it’s important not to let your mind go down that path because it will only make things worse. Instead, take some time to reflect on what’s working well right now and what isn’t working so well — and then make some changes!

    So, how do you get back on your feet?

    You’re in a slump. It happens to every business at some point. And if you don’t know how to get out of it, you’re going to end up being stuck there for months or even years.

    But we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way! Slumps are temporary by nature — and they can usually be fixed by implementing a few simple tweaks to your current strategy. Here’s how:

    1. Ask yourself, “What is the cause of my slump?”

    If you’re in a slump, it’s important to ask yourself what caused it. Did you have an uncharacteristic drop in quality? Did you change up your pricing and not get the results you were hoping for? Did something happen in the industry that affected your bottom line?

    Whatever the case may be, it’s important to figure out what went wrong and why so that it doesn’t happen again. You can even try to get some help from business strategic consultants and assess your whole business.

    2. Is your business model broken? Look at your competitors’ strategies.

    Businesses are built on competition, and with the advent of the internet, that competition is more fierce than ever. If you’re not nipping at the heels of your competitors, you’re falling behind. With so many businesses vying for attention, how do you stay ahead of the curve?

    As the old saying goes: “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” That’s right — look at your competitors’ strategies, and see what they’re doing right. What can you learn from them? How can you apply their ideas to improve your own business model?

    We’ve all seen it before: One company comes up with an innovative new idea that catches on, and suddenly everyone else is doing it too. It’s no longer enough to just have a good idea — you need to be able to execute it better than anyone else. So, if your competitor is doing something that works well for them but not for you, try changing things up!

    If nothing else, this will give you some insight into why some ideas work for certain companies but not for others, and that kind of knowledge can only help you develop better strategies for your own business in the future.

    3. Are you connected with your customers?

    In a world where people are spending more time online than in person, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your customers are happy with the services that you provide. If they’re not satisfied, they will leave and take their business elsewhere.

    If you’re looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction, then it’s time to start asking them what they think about the products and services that you offer. This is the only way that you can determine what needs improvement and how those areas might be improved. It also gives you an opportunity to ask questions about new products or services so that they can help shape what’s next for your company.

    Related: Use Slumps to Your Advantage

    4. Have you failed to save for a rainy day?

    The unexpected can happen at any time, but how will you handle it? The best way to prepare for a downturn is to get ahead of it.

    Think of your business as a car and the rainy day as an accident. You want to be able to pay for repairs without going into debt, right? So, why wouldn’t you want to save up money in case something like that happens?

    You don’t want to be caught off guard, so make sure that you’re prepared for all kinds of scenarios. If you’re not, it could put your whole business at risk!

    5. Have you failed to innovate?

    You must bring new ideas to the table. In business, there are two kinds of people: those who innovate and those who don’t. The innovators are the ones who succeed in times of slump. They’re always looking for new ways to bring their business back from the brink of failure.

    Remember Nokia? If you’re on the other hand … well, maybe it’s time to start thinking outside the box!

    6. Are you not looking into the future? Try predictive analytics

    Not looking into the future? If so, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities.

    Predictive analytics is a tool for predicting the future by using data about previous actions and outcomes. This can help you avoid problems before they even happen. It’s a great way to ensure that your business remains strong and stable, even in times of slump.

    If you’re not using predictive analytics, though, don’t worry — you can still turn things around now!

    7. Don’t look for “quick hits”

    If you’re in a slump, it’s tempting to look for “quick hits” that will bring your business back to life. The problem is, these quick-hit solutions often lead to more slumps.

    For example, if you hire a new team member and expect them to fix all of your problems, you might be disappointed when they don’t turn things around fast enough. Or if you launch a new product and expect it to pull in tons of revenue, but then it doesn’t perform as well as you’d hoped, you’ll be disappointed again.

    The truth is that there are no “quick hits” when it comes to overcoming a slump. The only way out is through deep engagement with your customers and an openness to change that’s supported by data-driven analysis and experimentation.

    Related: 4 Tips To Keep Your Business Afloat in a Downturn

    8. Ditch the fluff

    Don’t you hate it when you’re reading something and suddenly you’re like, “Wow, this is really fluffy.” Like, “I’m not sure what I was expecting here, but it wasn’t this.”

    It’s like, what are you doing? You’re wasting my time! And I don’t have a lot of time to waste. I’m too busy trying to save up money for my retirement so that I can buy a house in Florida and spend my days on the beach sipping margaritas.

    But seriously, we all have our own lives to live and our own problems to solve. So, let’s cut through all the bullsh*t and talk about how we can work together to get through this slump together.

    So, don’t wait another moment. Take action now! It’s time to stretch, listen to your body and rally your team for one last push. And if taking action doesn’t work, you might need to make some changes. But until then, before the critical moment hits and you’re left with no other choice, don’t forget to use these ideas as a way to fight through rough patches and get back on track.

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    Chris Kille

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  • How to Build a Reputation That Leads to Success

    How to Build a Reputation That Leads to Success

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As Robert Greene wrote in his book, The 48 Laws of Power, “… your reputation is the cornerstone of your power. It will protect you and help influence how the world judges you, at least to some extent. Reputation is like a wizard: With a wave of the wand, it can double your power and drive away your pursuers. Whether the same deeds look great or terrible depends a lot on the reputation of the doer — who, in our case, is an entrepreneur.”

    How can you create your management philosophy, master the ability to make an impact beyond your business and make it work for you? All of it is about building a powerful personal brand, which reflects who you are and what your company is. Your reputation may even determine the business value for investors or partners. The importance of embracing personal branding is noticeable to many well-known entrepreneurs, athletes and even scientists. So, here are a few tips for building a reputation that will become a real asset for you:

    Related: Before You Grow, Focus on Building a Strong Reputation

    Create a dream

    Think beyond just selling a product, concept or service, but lifestyles and dreams as well. For example, WeWork isn’t just a coworking space — it is, as per its ex-CEO Adam Neumann, a place where you can create the life you want, join a community, develop friendships and even meet the love of your life. At least that’s what Neumann was telling everyone (new hires, potential investors and his wife, Rebekah). The approach certainly paid off.

    Of course, there is also Elon Musk, who has forever been focused on conquering space. He’s selling a dream of interplanetary travel through SpaceX — and successfully, as the company just recently managed to raise $750 million at a $137 billion valuation.

    But we have to exercise some caution … dreams can play tricks on us. Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of a meta-universe where billions of people spend hours working, communicating and playing games in virtual and augmented worlds has yet to be proven. Meta’s flagship VR game, Horizon Worlds, remains glitchy and unpopular, and investors are concerned that the company is spending too much on its metaverse gamble. Still, Zuckerberg seems confident the strategy will pay off, with long-term project investment planned for the foreseeable future.

    Numbers and statistics matter of course, but so does your dreamy vision. Unless you’re straight-up lying about your project’s KPIs, focusing on the bigger picture instead of profits is a wise choice. Ultimately, it’s the investors’ job to check the viability of your business idea.

    Find your strengths, and use them as your business card

    Don’t be ashamed of the qualities that make you stand out from the crowd and attract attention. These qualities will become your business card and assist you in successfully navigating difficult situations. For example, your reputation as an honest businessman can provide you with powerful advantages ready to be leveraged against rivals or in negotiations.

    Musk has always been focused on breakthrough innovations, positioning himself as a man with no limits. His core value and strength is seeing the impossible and taking it as a challenge, continuously pushing the boundaries of what was believed possible. This consistent approach, even when combined with impulsive decisions, has allowed him to establish his personal brand as one able to move the stock market with just one tweet.

    Become Googleable

    One main indicator of a successful PR strategy is being able to Google yourself or your brand and find convincing results. What counts as “convincing” depends, of course, on your goals. If you need the ability to borrow a lot of money, make sure the media portrays you as a trustworthy and prospective entrepreneur.

    “Google me,” says Neumann (ex-CEO of WeWork) to the bank clerk in the show WeCrashed after being offered a ridiculously small loan. After a quick search, the clerk sends Neumann to one of the bank’s top managers, where the entrepreneur immediately becomes a VIP client — and secures a line of credit worth millions. “Google me, boo,” says singer, actress and entrepreneur Patti LaBelle to those who doubt that she’s still working at the age of 78.

    I personally received accreditation for a significant business event, thanks to a publication in Entrepreneur. The event organizers could Google me and see who I was and what I represented. Many of my past clients have also found information about my agency through expert comments I’ve posted. My own example clearly shows that people tend to trust people familiar to them. A personal brand allows someone to “know you” — to remove the stranger status and replace it with a trusted one. All other things being equal, we will always prefer investing our time and money in someone we know.

    Related: 4 Mistakes You’re Making That Can Jeopardize Your Reputation

    Stay committed and don’t try to please everyone

    Staying true to yourself and being able to speak your truth boldly is the core around which you can build a personal brand in any field. This approach inevitably both attracts and scares people away, but the alternative is much worse. Once you settle on pleasing everyone, you become interesting to no one.

    Cristiano Ronaldo has always been deeply committed to his standards of excellence and has made sure to live up to those values. Early in his career, he was perceived as arrogant because of his strong belief in his own abilities and big dreams. Despite all the criticism he received, he remained true to those values and never settled for less to please others. His results speak for themselves.

    Focus on building your own reputation rather than ruining others’

    Oftentimes critics and competitors will do or say things that make us want to hit back and try to ruin their reputation. But you better think twice before taking any action.

    The famous inventor Thomas Edison believed that any mechanism could work using direct current. When the Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla announced that he had managed to construct a mechanism running on alternating current, Edison was outraged. He decided to trample on Tesla’s reputation.

    To do this, he was going to publicly prove that alternating current machines were hazardous and blame Tesla for it. Edison subjected many pets to fatal AC shocks. This did not seem to be enough, so he approached the New York State Prison authorities with a proposal to execute a criminal using alternating current as a demonstration of its lethality. However, he miscalculated the voltage, and while the criminal was electrocuted, he did not die. The execution had to be repeated.

    Edison’s reputation suffered greatly as a result, and Tesla’s notoriety only increased. Don’t go all in on these disparaging attacks — they will likely draw far more attention to your vindictiveness rather than the qualities of the person you’re attacking. If your reputation is strong, you can use more subtle techniques like satire and mockery to weaken your opponent. It pays to be charming and witty.

    Know when to fade into the shadows

    It’s true that for someone to get results, they must not be afraid to shine brightly. However, history shows that sometimes it’s an equally good idea to dim the lights a little.

    Nicolas Fouquet was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 to 1661 under King Louis XIV. His political career was brilliant … while it lasted. Fouquet’s rapid ascent up the political elite’s ladder, combined with his wealth and unconcealed ambition, raised his prestige but made him countless enemies at court. Ultimately, he lost favor with the young king of France, probably as a result of his extravagant display of wealth and increasing societal influence. The king imprisoned him from 1661 until his death in 1680. The lesson here is that sometimes it pays to lower your own brightness to achieve your goals.

    Neumann, at one point, very clearly used his fame to influence his partners’ decisions. However, when his reputation got out of control, his misdeeds began to embarrass investors. As the company began to prepare for their IPO, the board of directors decided to put him in the shade and take on a CEO without such a controversial personal brand.

    Related: Reputation Management In An Increasingly Transparent World

    All in all, building a personal brand is crucial for everyone — you never know when it will come in handy. If you are an entrepreneur, your reputation will make it easier to attract funding. For a top manager, it will help increase value in the hiring process. The more people in your target audience that know about you, the more benefits you can realize in the long run. And that’s equally true for someone who wants to launch a rocket into space or the person looking for a job to build it.

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    Evgeniya Zaslavskaya

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  • This Surprising Benefit of Being Materialistic

    This Surprising Benefit of Being Materialistic

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As entrepreneurs, we are constantly striving for success and are driven by a desire to achieve our goals. But what if that drive for success extended to our desire for material possessions? Many people view materialism as a negative trait, but the truth is that having a strong desire for material possessions can actually be a powerful tool for fueling entrepreneurial success. Here’s why:

    Materialism is a powerful way to motivate you to accomplish your goals

    Materialism can be a powerful motivator. A strong desire for material possessions is not only an important factor in whether or not you get rich, but it’s also a critical element of your entrepreneurial success.

    When you have a strong desire for material possessions, you’re more likely to set goals and then achieve them. You are also more likely to stay motivated after you start working towards something specific.

    Related: How to Find Inspiration Everywhere

    Materialism helps you envision your future

    In order to achieve your goals, you need to have a clear vision of what they are and how they will look when they’re achieved. Materialism can help with both of these things by allowing you to imagine a future where you have more possessions than now. This imaginative exercise helps give substance to the concept of success and sets a goal for where you want your life to go in its current state.

    If we don’t envision what our lives could be like in five years, 10 years or 30 years from now — if we don’t see the possibilities available — we fail ourselves right out of the gate when it comes time to make decisions that affect our futures (like choosing an education path).

    Materialism encourages you to come up with unusual ideas

    If you have a strong desire for material possessions, it may encourage you to think outside of the box and come up with new ways of doing things that are unconventional.

    One way materialism can help entrepreneurs think outside the box is by encouraging them to take risks. Many entrepreneurs are driven by the desire for material possessions and are willing to take risks in order to achieve them. When an entrepreneur is focused on a material goal, they may be more willing to take a chance on an unconventional idea, even if it carries a high degree of uncertainty. This can help to foster a more entrepreneurial mindset and can lead to more innovative solutions.

    Related: 5 Brain Hacks To Boost Your Motivation

    Materialism keeps you motivated once you start working toward something specific

    Entrepreneurs can benefit from being materialistic by having a tangible goal to strive for. For example, if your goal is to be able to afford a luxury car, you can use that as a motivator to work harder and smarter.

    You might make a plan to increase your sales or find ways to cut costs in order to reach your goal. The specific nature of the goal will help you stay focused and make it easier to measure your progress.

    When people get caught up in day-to-day tasks without having any sort of vision for their future careers or lives, they often lose sight of what truly motivates them and why they’re doing these certain things in the first place. Materialism provides a strong foundation on top of which other motivational forces (like financial security) can be added for greater effect over time as well as helping individuals develop new ideas about how to best accomplish their dreams

    Having a strong desire for material possessions can help you keep going for longer once you’re pursuing your goal

    The power of materialism can be helpful in many ways. If you have a strong desire for material possessions, this may help you visualize your future and further develop the ideas that will bring about your entrepreneurial success. Materialism also encourages people to work hard towards their goals and keep on going when they feel like giving up. In addition, once you start working towards something specific, having the motivation of wanting more possessions can keep you going when times get tough.

    Related: 3 Keys to Entrepreneurial Success

    It’s important to remember that true success and happiness are not just about accumulating material wealth. Balancing material desires with other important aspects of life, such as relationships, personal growth and community involvement, is key to a fulfilling life. However, when channeled in the right way, the power of materialism can be a powerful force for driving entrepreneurial success.

    So, consider embracing your love for material possessions, and let it fuel your drive to achieve success in your business!

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    Roy Dekel

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  • A self-made millionaire shares 8 money secrets rich people know that ‘most of us don’t’

    A self-made millionaire shares 8 money secrets rich people know that ‘most of us don’t’

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    It took me 20 years of trial and error before I achieved a multimillion-dollar net worth. Now, at 64, I draw income from the 18 companies I started and the 12,000 apartment units I own.

    But I wish I had known sooner how ultra wealthy people think about money. I’ve built relationships with many millionaires over the course of my investing career, and have spent years observing their habits.

    Here are eight money secrets they know that most of us don’t:

    1. They don’t diversify their investments right away.

    It’s generally good practice to diversify your portfolio by investing in a mix of different stocks, funds and other investments.

    But as the wealthiest people build their net worth, they often go all-in on their own projects, and then diversify as they start earning more.

    Elon Musk, for example, bet the $22 million he made selling his first company, an online business directory called Zip2, entirely on his next business, an online banking service called X.com.

    After X.com merged with PayPal, he made $180 million off PayPal’s sale to eBay. That gave him the cash to invest in Tesla, SpaceX and other ventures.

    2. They know that debt is for businesses, not people.

    As I built my net worth, I did not accumulate debt on non-essential purchases like designer clothes or luxurious homes.

    Even if I could afford the bills, I didn’t want to waste money paying interest. Instead, I wanted to put everything I was earning into generating more money. For me, that putting my income into my business.

    I also paid cash for my homes, and I have never accumulated interest on a credit card.

    In some cases, if you’re trying to build a business, debt can help you earn money by giving you access to income-generating assets sooner rather than later.

    3. Homeownership isn’t always their first investment.

    You might think that buying a primary residence is The American Dream, but it is rarely what you see the wealthy go for first.

    In my opinion, homeownership doesn’t always see the same return on investment as other places you can put your money. I own three homes, but I didn’t purchase them until I was able to buy them in cash.

    4. Instead, cash-flow real estate is the place to protect and grow money.

    On the flip side, cash-flow real estate — commercial real estate where you are making a monthly profit off of rent after your mortgage payments, property taxes and maintenance — is a great way to grow your money.

    You can make passive income off ownership of these properties, and it is often easier to sell them than a primary residence. When you sell a primary residence, you have to find a buyer who can envision themselves living there. When you sell a profitable rental property, you only have to find a buyer who wants to make a profit.

    5. They always buy in bulk.

    The wealthy are willing to spend more on each purchase in order to get a better price per unit and save time spent on repeating useless activities. 

    This can apply to a business — the rich may contract to buy bulk supplies or equipment — or to you personal life. When I can, I buy everything without an expiration date in bulk.

    6. They invest in their network.

    I have never had someone invest in me that didn’t know me. And most of the real estate I own today was purchased from sellers who picked me over other qualified buyers because we had existing relationships, and they had confidence in my ability to close.

    The more someone gets to know you, the more they will trust you and believe in your talents and skills. This leads to better opportunities, speedier decision-making and higher margins.

    So invest time and resources into making and maintaining the right connections.  

    7. They are never content.

    One of my friends, a serial CEO, has worked with some of the wealthiest people in the world.

    I once asked him what they had in common, and he said: “None of them were ever satisfied with what they had already accomplished, but instead focused on the next thing that could be accomplished.”

    The wealthy are never satisfied with their previous achievements. They believe they can always achieve more. This helps them think big about future business ideas, inventions, investments and other wealth multipliers.

    8. They don’t waste time trying to do everything themselves.

    The wealthy know that time is the only truly scarce resource. You can’t buy more of it.

    So they maximize their time by letting go of the need for control every small detail of their business or portfolio, and learn to effectively outsource and delegate to good, smart people who will trade their time for money.

    Grant Cardone is the CEO of Cardone Capital, bestselling author of “The 10X Rule” and founder of The 10X Movement and The 10X Growth Conference. He owns and operates seven privately held companies and an over $4 billion portfolio of multifamily projects. Follow him on Twitter @GrantCardone.

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  • What’s on Entrepreneur TV This Week

    What’s on Entrepreneur TV This Week

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    Entrepreneur TV’s original programming is built to inspire, inform and fire up the minds of people like you who are on a mission to launch and grow their dream businesses. Watch new docu-series and insightful interviews streaming now on Entrepreneur, Galaxy TV, FreeCast, and Plex.

    This week be sure to watch episodes of:

    Tech Talk (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

    The journey to discover innovators shaping our future.

    Episode 101: Our journey begins to visit over 50 revolutionary Entrepreneurs and Innovations. Host & EP Jonny Caplan shows why Israel is often referred to as ‘The Silicon Valley of the Middle East’ or ‘The Start-up Nation’ and why it’s one of the leading places to build and nurture a start-up. Don’t miss the AI robots at the Curios Robots Lab at Tel Aviv University and other exciting technologies.

    Episode 107: Meet Dr. Rafi Yoeli, the Howard Hughes of our time, who spent the last 30 years designing Flying Cars, Taxis & Rescue Vehicles; we go deep into his workshop to find out more. Also, see Holographic food menus and ordering and drones that fly into burning buildings to warn the Fire Fighters before they venture in and risk their lives.

    My Stories (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)

    The life stories of Roshan Brown, former D1 Basketball player.

    Episode 101: This moment in Rohan’s life was an eye-opener and put me on the path he is now. Your current situation is not your destination. Growing up in Hartford, CT, was not easy. But, despite all the obstacles, he worked hard to get a basketball scholarship to college and eventually found his own tech company.

    Burt’s Buzz (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

    Our featured film looks at the world of Burt Shavitz, the face and co-founder of Burt’s Bees.

    Film: Journey into the remarkable double life of Burt Shavitz, a reclusive beekeeper who reluctantly becomes one of the world’s most recognizable brand identities.

    Action and Ambition (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)

    Andrew Medal goes behind the scenes to learn the world’s most ambitious people’s backstories, mindsets, and actions.

    Episode 102: Brothers John Resig and Leo Resig founded Chive Media Group and its flagship site, theCHIVE.com, in November 2008 with no capital and a lot of hustle. With backgrounds in digital publishing and financial backing from partner Doug Schaaf, John and Leo were able to turn a three-man project into the nationwide, 170-employee entertainment digital media company that Chive Media Group is today.

    Elevator Pitch (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)

    Entrepreneurs have 60 seconds to pitch their business, product, and/or idea in an elevator. If our team of investors likes what they hear, the business owner is invited into the board room to see if they can strike a deal.

    Episode 806: See if our investors think there’s something fishy about her concept on the new episode of ‘Elevator Pitch.’ You never know who will walk (or swim) through the doors of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch.

    Celebrity Business Tips (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

    Actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs share their best business tips to help you get started and find success with some humor and heart.

    Episode 101: Actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs share their best business tips to help you get started and find success with some humor and heart.

    Mindvalley Talks (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

    Bringing you the best personal growth video content from the most brilliant minds on the planet.

    Episode 103: In this talk at A-Fest Portugal 2019, Keith Ferrazzi, an American author and entrepreneur, shares some of his critical insights into how you can analyze your team’s effectiveness and performance at work.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • He Turned His Music Passion Into a Thriving Audio Tech Business

    He Turned His Music Passion Into a Thriving Audio Tech Business

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    In this ongoing series, we are sharing advice, tips and insights from real entrepreneurs who are out there doing business battle on a daily basis. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)


    Darren Nakonechny, CEO and founder of Flock Audio

    Who are you and what’s your business?

    I am Darren Nakonechny, CEO and founder of Flock Audio. We are a professional audio technology company that specializes in advanced analog routing technologies and hardware management solutions. Our patented analog routing technology is the first of its kind and we’re setting a new standard in our industry for using analog hardware in the professional audio field.

    What inspired you to create this business?

    After leaving a very stable career with many job promotions, I felt like I needed a change. Although I was making strides in my current career, I wasn’t happy or feeling fulfilled. So I changed my career path and ventured into uncharted waters, deepening my passion for audio production and recording studios — which I had been doing on the side for many years with local bands and artists. Once I left my career and began recording full-time, growing my studio and adding more recording hardware/tools along the way, I noticed there was a vital part of our industry that was missing and still stuck in the archaic past: the analog patchbay.

    Related: It’s Never Too Late to Launch Your Dream, Say These Skincare Entrepreneurs

    Analog routing in recording studios was still being done by a 150+-year-old technology, originally developed for the telecommunications industry. We are all familiar with the classic black-and-white footage of lady operators on stools, routing phone calls on a giant patch panel as they plugged and unplugged cables to connect phone calls. It turns out that this very technology was being used a century and a half later in the audio industry, and remained the only lucrative option for thousands of audio professionals worldwide. Upon experiencing this limited and grossly outdated method of analog routing firsthand, I knew there had to be a better way. More importantly, I questioned why there wasn’t a better way. This is what led to my journey into creating our industry’s leading analog routing technology, the Flock Audio PATCH Series.

    Patch

    What has been your biggest challenge and how did you pivot to overcome it?

    As with any groundbreaking technology, it’s overcoming the naysayers. To my surprise, most of our industry accepted and adopted our new technology solution with open arms, but this didn’t change the fact that we had to win over a range of more skeptical audio professionals, who despite seeing the growing successes of the product, were still unconvinced that this was the future of analog routing. New technology and change can be scary among the masses until you see what it can offer, and this is exactly what transpired with the Flock Audio PATCH Series.

    Once those skeptical audio professionals started to see more of the Flock Audio brand and eventually test it for themselves, they all agreed: there was no going back, and nothing else like it. This truly was the future of our analog hardware industry. I generally dislike the term “game changer” but the PATCH Series has been one of, if not the biggest game-changing technology in our industry. Seeing, hearing and experiencing is indeed believing.

    What advice would you give entrepreneurs looking for funding?


    As with every business, product and company scenarios are always unique. There is no simple solution or method to obtain funding. You will be promised a lot of opportunities for funding, and disappointed by a lot of roadblocks and gatekeepers along the way, but keep going. If it was simple or easy, everyone would do it. You will have to experience many hardships, difficulties and dark days during the early times of starting your company, but don’t stop. Accessing capital can come in many different forms of VCs, angel investors, love money, self-funding, preorder funding and more. But don’t expect some golden-throated investor to come along and sign a check to get your business off the ground. It takes determination, stamina and decisiveness to figure out the routes that others haven’t taken, and what might work for your company — specifically in terms of funding options that haven’t been explored. Our company was promised a lot of money and investments along the way during the early years, but not a single penny came through, and we had to do it on our own using creative and decisive methods. Despite the pain and disappointment of not getting any funding from outside sources, we made Flock Audio a true success story.

    
Related: You Don’t Have to Be a Business Owner to Think Like an Entrepreneur


    What does the word “entrepreneur” mean to you?

    For me, “entrepreneur” means a trailblazer: someone who can fit a square peg into a round hole. Perhaps someone who sees things differently? For the first 30 years of my life, I admittedly didn’t really know, care or had any reason to understand what ‘entrepreneur’ ever meant. It never made any sense to me until I lived it, and that included the heartbreaking times as well as other times of achievement that made you feel like a champion. I believe a true entrepreneur is not born. Instead, you are sculpted through early mornings and late nights of small successes and major defeats, until finally, you find the perfect balance towards achieving your dream. Never lose that focus, never forget why you started, and keep both of these things in your field of vision until you get there.

    What is something many aspiring business owners think they need that they really don’t?

    Partners, co-owners, etc. I hate to sound like a lone wolf but no two people, and no two business owners, are alike. If you have a vision for your life and how you want to live it, you don’t rely on other people to get you there. You need a great team, good individuals and positive reinforcement around you to help assist in fulfilling that dream but partnering with the wrong people can destroy in a matter of weeks what may have taken months or years to establish in your mind. Like many entrepreneurs, I made the typical mistake of thinking that I needed someone else to share this journey with and I was wrong. While that partnership didn’t work out, it ultimately taught me that even though you need a good team, you don’t necessarily need a partner to help you achieve your vision. No one will work harder for your dream than you. So I say go in it alone, be the lone wolf, be the odd one out. It’s not always fun, but it’s invigorating and can teach you so many things about yourself, including strength and perseverance you never knew you had in you.

    Related: This 18-Year-Old Student Wanted a Better Way to Keep Track of His School Work. So He Built an App — and a Business.

    Is there a particular quote or saying that you use as personal motivation?

    There are so many, but my favorite is one from Les Brown: “Some people get even, and some people get ahead, stay focused.” This quote has carried me through many difficult times, particularly in my own industry where there were some early naysayers who said my product would never be successful. Each and every time I heard this, I reminded myself of this quote above. The best approach was to keep my head down, stay focused and remember that the best revenge of all is proving people wrong with results; not by arguing online in an otherwise noisy world. I kept telling myself, “stay focused, stay focused, stay focused.”

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • 4 Lessons for Entrepreneurs Facing a Crisis

    4 Lessons for Entrepreneurs Facing a Crisis

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Those that have heard me speak, know that I am fully invested in creating opportunities for minority business enterprises (MBEs) to grow and scale their businesses. It is why I accepted the role of CEO and president of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). However, perhaps less well-known, is that I am also a business owner myself and understand the plight of entrepreneurs, especially entrepreneurs of color.

    After spending over two decades in the tech industry, I ventured into real estate and tech startup investment. I invested in a boutique hotel in downtown Austin, Texas that opened for business in the early months of 2020. Unfortunately, two weeks after it opened, the Covid-19 pandemic came to the United States, shutting everything down. Given the circumstances, I could have gotten discouraged and given up on this venture due to the extremely unfavorable situation I found myself in.

    Instead, after a somewhat unconventional start to my journey, I pivoted to a new concept for the space, the Founders House, a co-living pop-up that provides flexible accommodations for entrepreneurs and startups. While a lot can be said about that choice and the resulting transition, I want to share four key takeaways from the experience that I think can benefit any entrepreneur faced with a crisis:

    Related: 5 Ways to Help Your Business Win in Times of Crisis

    1. If you want to succeed, you will not have time to feel sorry for yourself

    The timing of my hotel opening was not ideal. While the Covid-19 pandemic was completely out of my control, it did not make it any less devastating to the plans for the business. However, rather than let the circumstances overwhelm me, I decided to put my focus on helping others affected by the pandemic. How could I use this space to help my community?

    We used the hotel as a base of operations for working with members of the local AAPI community to fundraise for and source much-needed PPE like N95 masks for local community clinics, which we then stored at the hotel. Obviously, this was not what I had planned when we opened, but pivoting to a community-focused solution was the key to the business’s future success — something that would not have been possible had I not made it a point to stay focused and keep moving forward.

    2. When faced with a crisis, get creative and focus on opportunities

    I am not going to lie, there were times during the early days of the pandemic when I didn’t think our business was going to make it. However, rather than focus on those negative thoughts, I instead focused on what opportunities existed for my business. It was at this time that a friend and mentee approached me, as her startup needed space to get ATX KIT off the ground during the pandemic. This opportunity led to an even greater opportunity and creative solution to the problem my hotel was facing. Not only was this a chance to help entrepreneurs of color during the pandemic by providing affordable co-living solutions, but it also brought in the necessary cash flow needed to save the hotel. When faced with a crisis, it is important to look at things from new and fresh perspectives … even if they don’t present themselves at first glance.

    Related: How to Prepare for an Unexpected, Unwanted and Unwelcome Business Setback

    3. Do not forget about your physical and mental well-being

    While I worked very hard, first to help the Austin community source scarce PPE, and second to get the Founders House concept off the ground while leading the global business for Technology Integration Group, I also made sure to take the time to take care of myself. For example, I love going to the gym. Obviously, I couldn’t do that during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially during its earlier stages. However, as with my business, this was an opportunity to get creative. I self-taught cross-training classes, did daily yoga video exercises and jogged around the town lake of Austin. I also embarked on several culinary adventures at home to ensure I was maintaining my nutritional and mental health. While it’s important to focus on your business, don’t lose sight of the self-care needed to thrive.

    4. Remember your community in times of crisis

    An overarching theme of the experience that eventually led to the Founders House is a focus on one’s community. Whether that was helping Austin’s AAPI community or finding a way to support entrepreneurs of color like myself, everything I did during the pandemic was grounded in my community. When your business faces challenges, remember the community you came from and the one you are trying to serve. Like with most things in life, a strong community is key to resilience.

    As these lessons illustrate and as so many entrepreneurs, especially entrepreneurs of color, know, starting a business is not easy in the best of times. Throw in an unexpected crisis, and it might seem all but impossible. However, the above lessons provide a path forward to not only survive in the face of those crises but thrive.

    Related: 4 Ways to Make Sure Your Business Survives the Unexpected

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    Ying McGuire

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  • 12 Things I Learned Working at Uber, Instawork and Intro

    12 Things I Learned Working at Uber, Instawork and Intro

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    My entrepreneurial journey began when I was 12. I decided to take a shot at greatness with Shovel Squad, a snow removal business in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. I set out to make my mark in the world, and not only did it turn out to be quite lucrative (all cash mind you) but retention was through the roof.


    sarayut Thaneerat | Getty Images

    My experience with Shovel Squad at such a young age gave me the confidence to push myself to gain new experiences and knowledge. Over the years, I have been fortunate to work at Uber, Instawork, and now Intro, where I am the Head of Business Operations. Each new job has helped me evolve into the entrepreneur I am today, and I’d like to share with you all the lessons that have shaped my professional journey.

    So, let’s get into it.

    1. Integrity first

    Operate with strong morals. You can be intelligent, hardworking, and also humble. Brilliant jerks might deliver short-term results, but crush long-term culture. Be honest and never fudge your metrics.

    2. Time is a finite resource

    Just because someone asked you to do something, it doesn’t mean you should. Remember that for every request you say “yes” to, you’re saying “no” to something else. Is that trade-off worth it?

    Related: Book a one-on-one video call with top business leaders

    3. Be adaptable and positive

    Startups change. All. The. Time. You need to be willing to pivot to higher-impact work. Sometimes you learn you are sprinting straight in the wrong direction and need to turn around. Learn to disagree and commit. Don’t be afraid to kill your baby.

    4. Close the loop

    Don’t wait for people to follow up (that goes for peers and managers). When you commit to something, write it down. If you can’t follow through on your commitment, communicate early and tell them why. Be proactive.

    5. 10x yourself

    If you are getting paid $150k, how do you deliver value in excess of $1.5m? $15m? How do you automate 20% or even 80% of your current workload to focus on higher-impact projects? Impact is everything.

    6. Handcraft, first. Scale, second.

    Don’t obsess over scaling an initiative before you know if it works. Test your hypothesis in a small and controlled manner to prove the impact.

    Handcrafted: The founders of Airbnb took photos of the first listings in NYC

    Scaled: Airbnb builds user flow to upload listing photos with best practices

    If it works; then, break your back to scale!

    Related: 12 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Sharpen Their Leadership Skills

    7. Keep things simple and execute

    Don’t overcomplicate things.

    Distill your big vision into stages, break those stages into groups of smaller tasks, and start executing. It’s better to make 10 decisions per day with 80% accuracy instead of 2 decisions per day with 100% accuracy.

    Move fast.

    8. Own your metrics

    You should know your OKRs and all sub-metrics.

    If this doesn’t come naturally to you, I recommend taking out a piece of paper and physically writing down your metrics every morning and afternoon (I did this and it helped tremendously).

    It is absolutely critical to spot when things are moving in the wrong direction.

    9. Make some magic

    Obsess over your customers. Deliver insane value so they want to shout on the rooftop about you. You need customers to refer two people, that refer two people, that refer two people, and so on. Referrals are critical for exponential growth.

    10. Constraint breeds creativity

    Imagine you had 1/10th of your budget. What can you accomplish? What automation can you build to avoid the extra hire? What skill can you pick up on Youtube? How do you do more with less?

    Every dollar invested is a dollar you need to pay back.

    Related: 6 Habits of Effective Entrepreneurial Leadership

    11. Always be learning

    What you did to get to this point does not guarantee your future success.

    Go deeper into your function or expand your breadth of skills. Find podcasts, Youtube channels, Medium articles, Substack blogs, and mentors that will help you grow. Reinvent yourself constantly.

    12. Hustle hard and laugh often

    Tragically, some of my teammates passed away from freak accidents and terminal illnesses. I’ll never forget them and am so grateful for my time with them. All of our days on this planet are numbered. If you are going to spend 8-12 hours per day working… don’t waste it. Do great work and treat people well. And have some fun.

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    Brad Klune

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  • Free Webinar | January 31: How to Raise Capital & Scale A Business

    Free Webinar | January 31: How to Raise Capital & Scale A Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a groom in 2005, our next guest experienced first hand how difficult it was to find an online resource that would help him execute his wedding plans more efficiently. He vowed to build a tech-forward company that would make planning less stressful and frustrating for engaged couples. Since co-founding WeddingWire in 2007, Timothy Chi led the company from an internet start-up to a multimillion-dollar leader in the wedding planning industry. He also led the merger of WeddingWire with The Knot and its collective brands under one umbrella – The Knot Worldwide – the largest provider of wedding marketplaces, websites, planning tools and registry services in 16 countries across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

    In the next Leadership Lessons episode, Chi will chat with series host Jason Nazar about the greatest lessons he learned from his 25+ year career. Topics include:

    • Entrepreneurship & co-founding companies

    • How to raise capital & scale a company

    • The future of work & workplace culture

    • Servant leadership

    Don’t miss out—register now!

    About The Speakers

    Timothy Chi is co-founder of WeddingWire and CEO of The Knot Worldwide, a leading global wedding planning company comprised of over 1,900 employees worldwide. Previously, he co-founded Blackboard Inc. where he helped the company grow to over 600 employees, raised $100M in capital with a valuation of $750M, and took the company public in 2004. Chi holds a B.S. degree in Operations Research/Industrial Engineering from Cornell University and a M.S. degree in Engineering Management from Tufts University. He is a member of the Young President’s Organization in Washington, D.C.

    Jason Nazar is a serial tech entrepreneur, advisor, and investor with two successful exits. He was most recently co-founder/CEO of workplace culture review platform Comparably (acquired by ZoomInfo), and previously co-founder/CEO of Docstoc (acquired by Intuit). Jason was named LA Times’ Top 5 CEOs of Midsize Companies (2020), LA Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs (2016), and appointed inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence for the city of Los Angeles (2016-2018). He holds a B.A. degree from the University of California Santa Barbara and his JD and MBA from Pepperdine University. He currently teaches Entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at UCLA.

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    Jason Nazar

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  • The Pros and Cons of Using AI to Write Your Book

    The Pros and Cons of Using AI to Write Your Book

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I was so excited! Last week, I spoke with a potential author, who told me that his manuscript should be done in a few days. The kicker? He hadn’t started it yet.

    I imagined him isolating himself inside a hotel room, pulling a Hemingway in a cabin somewhere off the beaten path. “I’m using AI to write it. Have you heard of the most recent chat AI?” I had, and my 50 years made me skeptical (it’s a side effect of growing old and awesome, lol).

    But I was curious as the AI waves in my entrepreneurship network seemed to be gathering speed. AI-speak was popping up all over the place. As a publisher, editor and writer, did I have something to worry about? How would this change the face of publishing? Would it be like the most recent changes: everyone becoming a publisher and author — which is great for the market and people, but then there was the drawback: everyone becoming a publisher and author.

    You might get mad at me, and that’s okay, but there are some fields we cannot level, even with the best tools. Hence, this article, which came about after I played with AI with my own manuscript and while writing ideas one late night. Here’s what I found in using AI — what it’s good and bad at:

    Related: Why AI Writing Assistants are a Good Thing for Content Creation

    The pros and cons of using AI for writing

    1. It is GREAT at generating headlines. In fact, I used it to cobble together the headline for this very article. My author told me he is loving the book titles it is spitting out for him.

    2. It is quite effective at taking existing copy and editing all the extra words out (i.e., “word economy”). The finished product will read a little like stereo instructions: flat, dehumanized and like everyone else’s. But this is a good starting place if you are working with a transcript, for example. Just load it up, and send it through AI so it comes out clean on the other side.

    3. I didn’t like the results when I asked it to include storytelling elements like “use body language” and “include dialogue.” It will give you very basic suggestions like, “I wrote,” “I listened,” etc.

    4. It is not consistent or accurate to include all elements of your manuscript unless you ask it to. I think it was actually designed for short-form docs because I crashed the thing a couple of times. For instance, I included a story about how my college professor took us on a field trip to select the main character of our stories, and boom! That was not included — until I told it to “include the story about my professor taking the class on a field trip.”

    5. It takes some of the work out of writing your outline (please tell me you always start your book-writing process with an outline). But remember, the outline needs to read like your old-school English teacher used to yell at you about. You need an objective for each chapter — easily accomplished with AI — but then you need supportive points. So, if you’re writing about how to implement effective marketing in your business, your bullets under that could list out what marketing is, why you need it, what some of those marketing options are, and so on. You will need to tell your AI robot to provide supportive statements. Otherwise, you are stuck with a table of contents — that’s not enough info for your prospective book.

    Related: AI & GPT-3 in Content Creation: How Will This Affect Your Job as a Writer?

    Now, the fabulous news! If you are a content creator, this can totally change the game for you. My author told me he ordered his AI to whip up a 52-week content creation calendar complete with posts. So, you could work that up and then feed in your existing content. Repurposing what you’ve written and shared is one of the smartest ways to compound your visibility, drive home your brand awareness, improve your content creation efficiency, speed up your writing and implementation, and the benefits keep coming.

    Don’t worry that you will put people off with brand wear-out, either. It takes people a LONG time to remember your name and face (not that you aren’t completely lovely and memorable — it’s just how humans are wired). Did you know that if you have at least ten podcast episodes, you have a book? Feed your transcripts to the AI monster, take the results, and insert your humanness, stories and case studies. Then you’ve got a book.

    The way I see it, AI is like Grammarly. It will improve you where you are. It will also teach you if you let it. You can’t take every suggestion of either blindly. You need to use your judgment to make decisions about what to include and not include in your writing. Know the basic writing rules. Keep your style. Then utilize the tools at your disposal to improve your talents.

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    Hilary Jastram

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  • 60-Second Business Tip: Myths of Entrepreneurship

    60-Second Business Tip: Myths of Entrepreneurship

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    There is a lot of great information about entrepreneurship out there, but some ideas floating around are not completely accurate, says business development consultant and Entrepreneur magazine writer Terry Rice. In the above video, Rice breaks down three common myths about entrepreneurship.

    Myth 1: You have to follow your passion.

    Well, that sounds nice, but it’s not completely true. Instead of passion, focus on purpose. What is something that you’re good at that can help people and have a meaningful impact on your life?

    Myth 2: You should try to make as much money as possible.

    You could be happy making $60,000 a year as a solopreneur or completely miserable, making $600,000 managing a large staff. You get to decide what success means to you, not society.

    Myth 3: You need to have a unique idea.

    The truth is a lot of good ideas have already been. But your personality, experiences and character can allow you to put a unique spin on them and potentially find room for improvement.

    Related: 60-Second Tip on Getting More Productive

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • Your Cold Pitch Sucks. Here’s How to Approach Prospects the Right Way.

    Your Cold Pitch Sucks. Here’s How to Approach Prospects the Right Way.

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It’s happened to you. A notification pops up that you have a direct message. Someone wants to connect. You open your DM to see a comment from a stranger about your post on social media or a compliment on your recent win to engage you in a seemingly innocent conversation. Those pleasantries are short-lived when suddenly their offer details start coming at you faster than ninja stars.

    What do you do? I block and delete those messages without batting an eye. Spammy cold pitches are one of my biggest pet peeves and they aren’t welcome in my space.

    Online platforms have opened up opportunities for entrepreneurs to connect with people who wouldn’t have been in their orbits before. That’s a good thing, but that doesn’t mean you should throw manners and etiquette out the window. You wouldn’t walk right up to someone in person and immediately start pitching them your products, so don’t do it online.

    Related: The Fine Art of Client Pitching

    The problem with blind cold pitches

    The copy-and-paste version of your sales spiel that you’re blindly sending to the masses completely lacks personality and sincerity. Worse yet, it shows that you are only interested in selfish gains. If you haven’t done your homework to learn about your prospect and understand their needs, they won’t want to invest their time listening to what you have to say.

    My time is valuable! A cold pitch shows me you don’t value my time. I’m loyal to people who take the time to build a great relationship with me and develop the know, like and trust factors. Those are the ones who will be collaborators with me for life. Your approach is key. You lose credibility when you send a cold pitch without building any rapport first.

    It takes time to cultivate a long-lasting business relationship, but the return on investment is much greater than the “spray and pray” method of broadcasting your wares. Your time is better spent building lasting relationships with someone who will need you in the future and will happily refer you many times over.

    Related: 5 Psychology-Backed Tips for Earning, and Keeping, a Prospect’s Trust

    The right approach

    For the best results, approach connecting through DM the same way you would network in person. At this stage, it’s not about making money from that first sale. Keep brand alignment top of mind, and determine if the person you want to connect with is the right fit for your business. Find the people who vibe with what you’re about, and leave your agenda at the door. This will ensure you’re approaching the relationship with authenticity, not “commission breath.”

    Look for opportunities to develop a genuine connection with them. When you take a sincere interest in others as a human being, that’s when the magic happens. It’s important to know about their business, but also take the time to look at what interests your prospect has outside of work. Do you have hobbies, groups or friends in common? Details like this can be found on their online platforms and make it easier for you to connect with them on a personal level.

    After you’ve done your research, send a message that provides the other person with a benefit. Lead with value! Assert your knowledge in a friendly way to begin building the foundation of your relationship. Recognize also that not everyone will be interested in connecting, regardless of your sincerity.

    A great relationship between me and a (fitness professional?) in my circle began in my DM. This person saw a flaw in one of the yoga poses that I shared on social media. He wanted to help, so he sent me a message. His request was too forward and personal, it caught me off-guard. He’s a giving person and genuinely wanted to help me, but without knowing him just yet, my spidey senses kicked in. Luckily, he pivoted from that first comment and took the time to build my trust in him.

    Over the next few months, he was active on my social media, cheering me on through my yoga journey and contributing to my page engagement. He provided value by sharing pointers with me that I could use to improve my poses. Pretty soon, I was reaching out to him with questions. He invested time in developing our relationship and showed me that he was an authority in his area of expertise.

    Related: The 6 Worst Opening Moves for Starting a Business Relationship

    Pursue quality over quantity

    Always pursue quality over quantity. You don’t need to spam everyone with a thoughtless message that will likely be ignored or get you blocked. Spend time making real connections with people you align with to form lasting relationships and create effortless business for the long haul.

    People work with others they know, like and trust — regardless of where they meet. Technology and online platforms provide valuable advantages to grow our network and work faster, but authentic relationships will always be key to lasting success.

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    Jessica Dennehy

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  • Free Webinar | February 15: How to Build and Elevate A Black-Owned Brand

    Free Webinar | February 15: How to Build and Elevate A Black-Owned Brand

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    While business operations are generally black and white (hello, spreadsheets,) there are often unique cultural and environmental nuances that drive how a Black-owned brand is developed and launched, ultimately shaping how it is received and grows in the marketplace. Learn from global executive leader in public relations and brand elevation, Zakiya Larry, how to shape and grow a Black-owned brand that stands out and lasts. Also, discover how to go beyond checking a DEI box, to enhancing any company’s operations with Black-owned brands.

    Secure your spot today!

    Register now >>

    About the Speaker:

    Zakiya Larry, immediate past Chief Communications Officer for Constellation, a group within Stagwell, elevates brands and awareness through visibility strategy, media coaching, speaking and PR training, crisis mitigation and strategic public relations.

    Zakiya’s media features as an expert include: The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine (.com,) FOX News Radio Network, BlackEnterprise.com, The Washington Post, ESSENCE, Ebony, and many others.

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  • How Being Present Will Make You and Your Business Better

    How Being Present Will Make You and Your Business Better

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It’s Dec. 20 and I’m sitting in my too-cold sunroom in St. Petersburg, Florida. The temperature outside is 61 degrees. I know. We Floridians have it rough. The time is 5:30 a.m.

    This is a habit of mine to get up every morning by 5:30 and I’ve been doing it for so long, my eyes pop open without any need for alarm clocks — even on the weekends. I love the mornings. I love hot coffee and I love the opportunity to get still for a moment before the sun rises and my day begins.

    Many of us have trouble meditating. The mind just doesn’t want to shut up. Thinking, thinking, thinking. We think we can think ourselves out of trouble. We stew about things that are irritating us. Many of us live in a drama every day. We have anxiety in our chests and a feeling of frustration we’re constantly trying to shake off.

    Life becomes something we’re “getting through.” We survive, we persevere and we hope for happier days ahead. We’re waiting. Waiting for retirement. Waiting for things to slow down.

    “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” -Mark Twain

    Related: Why Practicing Mindfulness in Daily Life Is Invaluable For Entrepreneurs

    Stopping the drama

    Sitting still in quiet darkness with only your breath allows you to tune into the present moment. Listening to your breath with your eyes closed in total aloneness, you’ll find that there is pure peace in that. A sensation of calm will wash over you like a warm blanket.

    But watch — here come the negative thoughts. They’ll start to creep in. Thought flow will enter. The mind is tricky; it wants in. You’ll need to be strict with your mind. This is the time that you set aside for yourself. Just like when you’re starting to work out, there will be resistance. There will be a feeling of “I can’t do this.”

    Stick with it because it’s a practice; results won’t happen overnight. Show up every day and give 10 minutes, 15 minutes, whatever you can. Over time, the benefits of your practice to stay in the present moment will start to show up in your life. For business owners, staying in the present moment is a superpower. It’s where creativity lives; it’s where passion lives; it’s where true happiness is.

    Organizes your mind

    By giving your mind a break, you’re cleaning house. Decluttering. You’re creating a space between your busy, overthinking mind and what really is important.

    After meditation, grab your journal and map out your day. Think about how you want your day to go. Step into it with a plan and don’t sacrifice your health. Put it first. Remember, you can’t think greater than how you feel. Do the things to feel your best self first.

    From that space, move into your day.

    Related: 21 Time Management Hacks Successful People Do Daily

    Ability to connect with your staff and customers

    Reminding yourself that the present moment is exactly where you need to be allows for deeper connections with people. When you’re really present, people can feel it. When you walk into the office, you’ll have an air of positivity about you. When someone needs you and you give them your undivided attention, they’ll remember it.

    If something unsettling does pop up, give it your full attention and then let it go. It’s gone. Onto the next thing.

    Breathe and reset. If it really throws you for a loop, take 10 minutes for yourself again and remember the truth. It only lives in your mind now. The event passed. Let it go.

    Preserves your energy

    It takes a lot of energy to feel negative emotions. You can actually feel it physically. The head feels heavy. The shoulders and back and jaw feel stiff. Teeth grinding (bruxism) affects millions of people. You know why? We hold stress in our jaw. We’re not loose.

    Staying in the present moment preserves our energy and even cultivates energy. When you’re not worried and you’re instead happy to be where you are, positive energy flows through you. You’ll be able to get to the things you’ve been meaning to and even have energy left over to have some fun.

    Related: 6 Ways to Start the New Year With a Blank Slate

    Keeps you grateful

    When you’re in the present moment, peace washes over you. You’re not looking for what’s next. You’re happy with what is.

    You’re not worried about what happened in the past and you’re not worried about what’s going to happen in the future. You’re just here. Appreciation and gratefulness blossom inside of you.

    As a business owner, you may be saying, “But I have to plan and push forward. My drive is what gets us to the next level. It keeps us growing.”

    The drive doesn’t need to go away. It’s healthy to map out your goals and work toward those goals. But remember, what you’re looking for is not there — it’s here in the present moment. If you’re a human being on this earth, you want peace, health and happiness.

    You may want riches, too, but don’t sacrifice your health to get there. That’s the old way. We’re learning so much about the mind, body and human behavior. If you study people that are successful in all areas of their life, you’ll quickly see a pattern: presence; appreciation; a desire to learn and grow; and a deep connectedness to nature and what is in the heart of oneself. I wish you all much success in 2023.

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    Ashely Notarmaso

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  • How This Founder Landed a $150K Investment

    How This Founder Landed a $150K Investment

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    How do you land a $150,000 investment on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch? Practice, lots and lots of practice.


    Jared McCluskey

    When Jared McCluskey and Alec Tremaine, founders of the gaming-creator platform The Mirror, got their shot in the elevator, they did not take it lightly. “We practiced our 60-second pitch over 100 times with video calls and by recording ourselves,” McCluskey told Entrepreneur. “We knew we had one shot to get the doors open.”

    The doors to the boardroom not only opened, but the duo secured funding from tech investor Swan Sit, who was impressed with The Mirror’s capabilities for game makers. “The Mirror is designed for all skill levels and similar to how Figma brought multiplayer to design, The Mirror brings real-time collaboration to game development,” explains McCluskey.

    Watch The Mirror’s Winning Pitch

    We caught up with McCluskey to pick his brain for pitching strategies and tactics anyone can use on the show or in any meeting.

    Congrats on your success on the show. Why do you think the investors voted to open the doors for you?

    I believe they opened the doors because we hit the key points of the problem, solution, market, differentiation, team, traction, and financials in a concise, clear manner in the allotted 60 seconds.

    Related: The Surprise Move That Resulted in a $100K Investment

    How did the negotiations go? Would you do anything differently?

    The show’s team does a great job with having these pitches truly be on a timer with no redos. So you must plan and practice under pressure. Pop culture loves the myth of inherent talent, “overnight successes”, and victory without trying. When Howard Hughes set the world record by circumnavigating the globe in 91 hours, he said, “There is one thing about this flight that I would like everyone to know: it was in no way a stunt. It was the carrying out of a careful plan and it functioned because it was carefully planned.” Ben Horowitz alludes to these as “lead bullets.” You won’t regret putting in the reps.

    What do you plan to do with your investment?

    We’ll continue to hire the best engineers to build a real-time game development platform that delights indie game developers and 3D creators. I’m thankful for how supportive the Godot community has been and we aim to continue to give back by sponsoring code contributions.

    I’m grateful to Swan Sit for backing us. We went into the show not only seeking investment but a long-term partner and I believe this will be a great collaboration. Her presence in the web3 community and our focus on using web3 technology to create opportunities for people to learn new skills with free-market incentives is a perfect fit.

    What did it mean to you personally to get in the doors and walk out with a win?

    Some of it still doesn’t feel real. It was less than a year ago that I sent a good friend (and now an investor, Maria Derchi) a 30-page draft about this blindspot that no company is tackling. I called Alec and Micah Petersen and asked, “Do you think I’m crazy?” Pieces were lining up almost too well with what I’ve been thinking about building for 15+ years since my Second Life business.

    The best way to define the future is to build it. Each day when you get up and look in the mirror, you get to make choices; these choices shape the day, and these days cumulatively become the future. The future is in the mirror.

    Related: Would You Say No to a $2 Million Investment Offer?

    What is your advice for anyone thinking of applying to be on a future episode?

    Hit the key points that investors are looking for. As a technical founder, it’s easy for me to go so in-depth on tech and product in pitches that I spend too little time on the other key items of the business. You must paint a simple and complete picture of the business, not just the product. Make sure to have an ask when you are pitching in the elevator and don’t be afraid to negotiate with the investors. My high school background was in debate. I was in the YMCA’s awesome Youth & Government program and it had a huge, positive impact on my life. I highly recommend joining a program like it to hone your public speaking ability.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • What’s on Entrepreneur TV This Week

    What’s on Entrepreneur TV This Week

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    Looking to add some entrepreneurial entertainment to your day? We’ve got just the thing. Grab some popcorn and head over to Entrepreneur TV, and check out what’s playing this week!

    Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, be sure to catch episodes of:

    • That Will Never Work
    • Action and Ambition
    • Mindvalley Talks
    • Cooking with Cohen

    Got more time on your hands? Catch our featured film Mirage!

    Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, level up your business with episodes of:

    • Elevator Pitch
    • Tech Talk Marathon

    And in case you missed it yesterday, Mirage is BACK!

    That Will Never Work:

    Episode 111 – Cicero Learning, a business that helps families with the problem of global education access on a bespoke basis. It’s an educational method referred to as “World Schooling,” which has become a hot topic thanks to the pandemic when laptop-wielding parents realized that certain job types can now be done from literally anywhere in the world.

    Action and Ambition:

    Episode 111 – Andrew Medal chats with Aubrey Marcus about the inception of Onnit on Joe Rogan’s podcast, where he derives his creativity and builds a mega millions dollar business.

    Mindvalley Talks:

    Episode 105 – The biggest lie we’ve ever been told or sold in our lives and businesses is that we have to be serious to succeed.

    Cooking with Cohen:

    Episode 103 – Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules is here this week to show us some recipes from his new book, Fancy AF Cocktails!

    Elevator Pitch:

    Episode 806 – See if our investors think there’s something fishy about her concept on the new episode of ‘Elevator Pitch.’ You never know who will walk (or swim) through the doors of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. Check out episode six for some genuine surprises!

    Tech Talk Marathon:

    Episode 108 – Drones pose a significant security threat to all. Meet the inventors of 360- degree drone defense systems. Watch Jonny’s connected car get hacked by a trained cybersecurity expert!

    Episode 109 – Visit IDC Herzliya, one of Israel’s leading universities. We also take you to one of the leaders behind self-driving cars and discover mind-blowing 3D holographic surgery.

    Episode 110 – Augmented reality snowboarding helmets made by ex-military fighter pilots. Jonny then visits the Robotics Lab at Bar Ilan University to meet the Israeli Robot Soccer team.

    Episode 111 – See intelligent drone delivery systems for any business. JC tests a TV scanner app to get audio on any TV. Ruth talks about her impactful venture to protect us from old age.

    Episode 112 – Season Finale discovers five outstanding innovators ranging from futuristic zappers to Autonomous Robot Window Washers & Mind Controlled Games to assist with ADHD.

    Mirage: Movie

    In 1968, at the ripe age of 26, Peter Kalikow was certain he could build a better car than anyone else. He took the money he made in construction and put it all on the line to take on the automotive establishment.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • How Crafting a Winning Environment Can Change Your Life and Your Business

    How Crafting a Winning Environment Can Change Your Life and Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Business owners have always been problem solvers. That’s what the free market is designed to do — allow innovative thinkers to create change for others by solving problems. We, as entrepreneurs, are problem solvers and creative thinkers. To see success in business, we must be good at a few core skills. We must be good at solving a specific problem for a specific type of person. We must be good at finding the right people and managing those people. And we must be good at solving the problems that arise in our businesses from the chaos that the world brings.

    We all know that even with the perfect plan, we still run into problems. It’s how we deal with those problems that dictate the end results in our business. The human mind has evolved to create more comfort for us. We’ve designed houses, cities, supply chains and much more to solve problems and also create more safety and security in an uncertain world. It’s in the crafting of these types of environments that we create a better world for ourselves, and, ironically, a worse one at the same time.

    Related: 3 Ways to Create an Environment That’ll Nurture an Entrepreneur

    The problem with being too comfortable

    The more comfort we create for ourselves, the more we crave that comfort and allow that comfort to coddle us and lure us into relaxing our pursuit of betterment. Many of us tell ourselves the story that if we just have the Peloton, that tonal or that home gym set up, we’ll work out more.

    The hard truth is that once we get those things that we tell ourselves will create a successful routine for us, many of us stay the same. Now we just have a new living room ornament and a reminder of the failed promises that we’ve made to ourselves every day. We tell ourselves, “Tomorrow, I’ll use it.” And then another day goes by, and it’s unused.

    I’ve been there, too. For five years, I told myself, “I’ll quit heroin tomorrow.” And then, the next day came, and I found myself sticking a needle in my arm. Until a day came when the pain of staying the same was bigger than the pain of changing. So, I quit and haven’t touched it since. Was it easy? No, but what in life that’s worth it is easy? Not much that I’ve found.

    Related: 8 Ways to Structure Your Daily Grind for Success

    Crafting a winning internal environment

    Most of our habits aren’t nearly as harmful to our health, our relationships and our business as heroin. But the continued practice of being comfortable and sitting on our laurels, thinking we’ve made it because we have a business that pays us a certain amount month after month, year after year, can be nauseatingly comfortable and therefore harmful. It’s that type of comfort that we get lured into that can cause catastrophic damage when a large problem arises, and we’re not prepared to solve it because we’ve let our metaphorical tools become dull and our muscles weaken.

    In business, I’ve found that we are at war with ourselves and at war with the tendency to crave comfort over the habit of the consistent pursuit of success. So, it’s not the environment outside that we must cultivate to create success. It’s the internal environment that we must shape and prune to create the success we truly desire.

    With lifting weights, it’s the last few reps when we’re in more pain, fully exerting ourselves and feeling the maximum amount of strain, that create the most significant changes in our muscles and physique. It’s also the times when we feel like giving up, throwing in the towel or procrastinating starting the thing we know we should be doing in which we need to change the internal environment and create habits of execution.

    Life will get in the way; that’s inevitable. Children, headaches, feeling low on energy, needing to get one more thing done at work — the list could go on as to the excuses we could allow ourselves to use to continue to procrastinate the things that we know we need to do. The true power lies in realizing that we’ll never get more time in the day and that we need to prioritize what’s most important, which is self-worth, self-trust and the habit of showing up.

    Yes, burnout is a real thing. And we are only capable of doing so much every day. We’ll never be able to create more time in the day, and that’s why we must create an environment inside, a set of decision-making skills that allows us to be the most effective we can possibly be with our time and our energy. That can show up as being willing to let go of control and empowering employees so that we can allocate our time and energy to different and more critical tasks and activities. It can also mean not allowing ourselves to be distracted by social media and motivational content and only allowing ourselves to be satiated by doing the things we want the motivation to do.

    So, in 2023, I’m going to be creating an environment for myself and my business that allows me to stay consistently on the path toward greatness, and I encourage you to do the same. I’m not going to allow my old habits to destroy the person I know I can be and will become, and I surely won’t let the outside world dictate the way I show up. I hope you don’t either.

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    Trevor Cowley

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  • How to Create a Productive Home Office Anywhere You Go

    How to Create a Productive Home Office Anywhere You Go

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Traveling is a big part of life for most entrepreneurs. As an artist and owner of a business that specializes in niche marketing and PR, I need to be presentable no matter where I am. Traveling is a huge part of what I do, both for business and pleasure. I do work from anywhere and everywhere: Whether it’s in a camper or a fancy hotel lobby, on a ski lift, at a bar or even when I’m at my grandma’s house for a family dinner.

    I’d like to share a few tips that have helped me eliminate challenges and enabled me to focus no matter where I am. As we like to say in German, udbung macht den Meister, which means “exercise makes a master” — learning by doing is surely the way to go. Here are some insider tips to make your life easier:

    Related: The Pros and Cons of Working From Anywhere

    1. Stay organized

    Keep your things clean and organized. This will allow you to find exactly what you’re looking for faster, so you can keep focused on the task at hand instead of getting distracted by searching for something you’ve lost. Reorganize your travel bag, backpack or computer bag every day. It will take only a few minutes if you do it regularly.

    2. Create a short but solid to-do list

    Airports, business meetings, packing, unpacking, scheduling calls, trying to get some sleep and still look decent can get chaotic. Make a to-do list of things that must be done in just the next 12 hours, not more. Don’t overdo it. Create that list every night, and put it out next to your phone or laptop so that it is the first thing in the morning that you see. Keep it around you all day until you are done with it. For example, your daily list might look something like this:

    Unwanted mail, advertisements and things of that nature can be an annoying challenge and create clutter. You can make a daily contribution to sustainability by using the opened envelopes from the mail you receive to create your to-do lists each day. I like to use orange or purple ink to write my lists — there’s more on the reason behind that in the next section.

    3. Understand the environmental impacts on your brain while working

    An understanding of colors and how the overall environment subconsciously affects your mood and wellness is crucial if you want to be able to work more efficiently anywhere, at any time. Regarding colors and their typical effects, some of the most uplifting and motivating, yet not overstimulating colors include green, purple and orange — hence, my choice of ink colors referenced above. Blue is known to calm the senses but can perhaps make you too calm and possibly trigger depression. Red is often associated with anger or aggression. The precise effects of color on each individual depend on their personal circumstances, so it’s best to conduct some research based on your own needs.

    Related: 8 of the Best Travel Spots to Work Remotely

    4. Choose a view

    Studies have shown that exposure to nature benefits mental health and reduces stress. Depending on where you find yourself, put yourself in a position where you have a view of something that is either relaxing or neutral, not overstimulating. For example, a mellow restaurant or coffee shop with an outdoor patio area (preferably) that has a view of the majestic Pacific Ocean would be relaxing (as long as the surf does not look too scary that day!) When I was recently on the exotic island of Kauai in Hawaii, I chose a view of the volcano canyon which encompassed the beautiful rain forest with an entire color palette of greens.

    When in New York City, there are many designer boutique hotels with great décor and colorful art in the lobbies. You don’t need to stay there to work there. The surroundings have a mood-elevating effect. Or you could bring the work to a museum; for example, a place such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art inspires me to be more creative.

    5. Find the right environment for you

    Art has a huge impact on mental health and stress reduction. Different images, paintings, photographs or sculptures can affect you in multiple ways. Once again, the colors play a very important role as well. If you are in a tight spot, facing a time constraint or an imminent deadline, try to stay away from the color red as it tends to bring up negative feelings. On the other hand, if you feel down or are experiencing low energy, the color red can help in a smaller dose. For example, you could wear a red t-shirt or set up a red screen protector. Choose blue or purple for more creativity and mellowness. Purple also helps enhance problem-solving skills, orange supports optimism, and green fosters a sense of harmony. Avoid images that could trigger stress or those that might bring up bad memories. If the art or the color in your immediate environment is creating issues for you, set yourself up elsewhere in the room.

    6. Use reminders to improve your focus

    Use a tool as a gentle reminder to keep you in a focused working mode. It could be anything, such as a sticker on your laptop that shares a positive message or even some uplifting words on the mug that’s by your side. A nice little notebook that could also be used for the above-mentioned to-do list can be easy to consult. Additionally, you can write down some thoughts and reminders to “tune out” from all that surrounds you. Sometimes it can be good to put yourself into working mode by creating a pleasant bubble and keeping the outside world out of it.

    The influence of various intensities of Hz sound waves on the ability to concentrate or focus has been demonstrated in various recent studies. When music was tuned to 432 Hz as opposed to 440 Hz, the subjects of the study showed a marked decrease in heart rate and slight decreases in both the respiratory rate and blood pressure. Experimenting with different wavelengths of music and sound or listening to recordings of the ocean or other natural sounds can relax you and help you to focus on the tasks at hand.

    Related: 9 Products That Can Help You Work From Anywhere This Summer

    7. Remember to breathe

    Studies have shown that taking control of your breath and using meditation can have major positive impacts on your brain and on your entire body. These methods are being employed in schools around the world to elevate the concentration of students before class. What I like to do, throughout the day, is to take three deep breaths to supply the brain with fresh oxygen; if you desire, you can conduct a short meditation session while you are doing the breathing exercises.

    Wrap up your day

    Remember to cross items off the to-do list as they are completed. This elevates your sense of accomplishment and is also very satisfying. Be sure to write down the next steps for follow-up actions you need to take so that when you next pick up your work, you can start exactly where you left off. These little things can all make a big difference to your productivity at the office, whether at home or away!

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    Oliwia Szczekot

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