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Tag: Growth Strategies

  • How to Leverage Authenticity to Build True Customer Loyalty | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Build trust through authenticity. That’s not a slogan or a strategy. It’s something I practice every day in my company. Why is authenticity important? Consumers today are more informed and have the means to compare brands at their fingertips, anywhere, at any time, making them less loyal than ever.

    They’re also bombarded with marketing, ads and polished brand statements at every turn. But what they really want is to connect on a human level. They want to feel seen, heard and valued.

    At our recent team retreat, we spent most of the time talking about Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara — the idea that businesses should go beyond what’s expected to care more, listen more, and create moments that feel personal and real.

    Unreasonable hospitality hits home for my team because it’s all about thinking outside the customer service box and showing that you genuinely care. That’s been my company’s M.O. from the very beginning.

    Related: How to Bring Authenticity to Your Startup’s Marketing Strategy

    Experiences sell

    We’re in a time when features just aren’t enough to win people over. Especially in industries like dentistry (or fitness, or financial services or home services) where most direct competitors are offering something pretty similar, the difference is in the experience.

    I want my clients’ patients to remember how they felt more than whether they received the product or service they wanted. That personal connection will keep them coming back and drive them to refer others.

    Realness matters

    One thing I’ve come to appreciate since starting my own business is the freedom to be my authentic self. I don’t have to conform to someone else’s brand or voice or hide any part of my identity. I engage in substantive conversations with my clients every day, free from the bureaucracy and limitations of corporate marketing agencies.

    Because my clients know they’re getting the real me and not someone towing the corporate line, they also feel freer to reveal who they truly are. When that happens, we get to the heart of what they need and want right away and can get to work much faster.

    Trying to be trendy isn’t trendy

    With TikTok and Instagram ruling social media, it’s been a race for brands big and small to dominate on these platforms. Some have figured out how to make social media trends work for them, while others have failed miserably. As a marketing professional, the most important piece of advice I can offer a client is this: If something doesn’t feel like you, don’t do it.

    If a certain trend doesn’t seem like something your company would do, your audience will know. People can feel the difference between something genuine and something forced. You don’t have to jump on every new trend or copy what other brands are doing. Staying true to your brand’s values will serve your business better in the long term and help you avoid social media snafus that may be hard to recover from. No one wants to go viral for the wrong reasons.

    Related: How to Ensure Authenticity in Marketing and Build a Loyal Audience

    If you want humans to like you, be human

    While good customer service is essential, at the end of the day, it’s not enough to separate one business from another. To create loyal customers, or patients in the case of my clients, you must evoke emotions. How someone feels after they’ve completed a transaction, received a service, spoken to your receptionist on the phone or interacted with the staff in your office — that’s going to stick with them.

    That’s what they’ll remember next time they need the product or service your company provides. That’s what they’ll talk about to their friends and family members. And that’s what will bring them back.

    Build trust through authenticity. That’s not a slogan or a strategy. It’s something I practice every day in my company. Why is authenticity important? Consumers today are more informed and have the means to compare brands at their fingertips, anywhere, at any time, making them less loyal than ever.

    They’re also bombarded with marketing, ads and polished brand statements at every turn. But what they really want is to connect on a human level. They want to feel seen, heard and valued.

    At our recent team retreat, we spent most of the time talking about Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara — the idea that businesses should go beyond what’s expected to care more, listen more, and create moments that feel personal and real.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Jackie Cullen

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  • He Lost $100 Million — And Doesn’t Regret It | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    David Meltzer knows what it feels like to lose everything — and come back from the edge.

    “How much money did you lose?” Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef asked on stage at the National Restaurant Association Show.

    “Over $100 million,” Meltzer replied without hesitation.

    “$100 million,” Walchef repeated. “And you’re still here. Better than ever.”

    For most people, that number would be the end of their business story. Meltzer turned it into a platform.

    Related: He Turned Failure Into a Massive Food Truck and Restaurant Operation. Here’s How.

    A bestselling author and keynote speaker, he now teaches entrepreneurs how to amplify their message and align their purpose. That’s why he was at the Restaurant Show — not as a restaurant operator, but as a mentor showing how storytelling can turn a moment into momentum.

    Melzter readily shares the story of how he lost the money in interviews and on social media — but he refuses to call it a sacrifice. To him, it was an investment.

    “My wife doesn’t like me saying this,” Meltzer admits. “I invested $100 million. Without that investment, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So how could I not see it as an investment?”

    That reframing is central to Meltzer’s worldview. Sleep, he says, is his top nonnegotiable because recovery fuels everything else. Activities aren’t divided into work and play, but into investments of time and energy.

    “I don’t believe in sacrifice,” Meltzer says. “That’s a vision of shortage and scarcity. I believe in investing. When you love the earth, it loves you back. When you love your relationships, they love you back. I make that investment.”

    Meltzer’s job now is making sure those lessons live on in a digital age where content outlasts its creator.

    “I’m identified as both the guy who lost everything and the guy who’s successful,” he says. “In all my activities, I’m successful, but I fail at every one of them.”

    Related: Want to Be a Successful Entrepreneur? Fail.

    The Stage Theory

    If Meltzer’s philosophy is about investment, the Restaurant Show was where it came to life.

    He called it the “fishbowl of content.” Cameras circled an open stage on the final day, but the seats were nearly empty. For many speakers, that would be a problem. For Meltzer, it was the point.

    “I don’t care who’s sitting in the chairs,” he says. “I care how many cameras are here and what systems I have to amplify it.”

    Related: This Global Beverage Giant Will Help Market Your Restaurant — For Free. Here Are the Details.

    That is stage theory in practice: Capture content and amplify it. A meetup with two people can turn into millions of views if the story connects. Meltzer proved it when someone asked about the coolest athlete he had ever met. He told a story about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dr. J from his days as a 12-year-old ball boy.

    “Two people were in the room when I told it, but that piece of content has over 10 million views,” he says.

    It was a familiar lesson for me. When I opened Cali BBQ in San Diego, I spent 14 years focused on the four walls of my restaurant. Working with Meltzer showed me a bigger opportunity: Build in public, fail in public and share the process.

    “One of the most important things you helped me realize is the power of asking for help,” I told him at the time. “By making podcasts, YouTube videos and doing stage theory, I hope more people get out of their restaurant and see what’s possible.”

    “Business is fun,” Meltzer says. “Life is fun. Activities you get paid for, activities you don’t. But they’re all investments.”

    The audience at the National Restaurant Show may have been quiet, but the cameras were rolling. And that means the conversation we recorded will live on long after the booths are packed up — a perpetual stage where the real audience is the one still to come.

    Related: People Line Up Down the Block to Try This Iconic NYC Pizza. Now, It Could Be Coming to Your City.

    About Restaurant Influencers

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

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • I Fell for a $1.25 Million Scam — Now MrBeast Is Helping Me Hunt Down the Scammers | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This is hard to admit, but I got scammed out of $1.25 million.

    The money is gone, and I can’t get it back. But instead of hiding, I’ve decided to share my story. My recent post on X about the $1.25 million scam went viral with more than 4 million views and thousands of reposts and comments.

    MrBeast even chimed in that he would give a $100,000 reward to anyone who could help track down the scammers.

    Now that I’ve had even more time to process the situation, I think it’s time to share the lessons I’ve learned from my $1.25 million mistake.

    How it began

    A few years ago, I donated $1.2 million to MrBeast’s #TeamSeas campaign to help clean up the oceans. After the donation, I was invited to spend a few days with Jimmy (MrBeast) and his team.

    So, when they reached out to me again for a donation to MrBeast’s Team Water campaign, I naturally wanted to help. During the discussion, we even talked about planning another meet-up.

    A few weeks after I donated $1 million to the project, I was added to what looked like a private group text with other major donors; it didn’t feel out of place at all. In fact, it seemed like the natural next step.

    The group looked legitimate. The names were impressive: Mark Rober, Shopify’s Tobi Lütke, Stake’s Ed Craven, Adin Ross. There was banter, casual voice notes and even more talk about the donor trip. It all lined up with what I’d been expecting — and I felt like I was in the “cool crowd.”

    Then came the pitch: a crypto investment tied to a major exchange. Everyone in the group “joined.” I didn’t want to be the outsider. So I wired the money. $1.25 million.

    Later, I checked in with the real Jimmy and felt my stomach drop. The group text was fake. My money was gone.

    Related: The 3 Biggest Mistakes That Made Me a Better Entrepreneur

    Lesson 1: Don’t make big decisions when you’re distracted

    When the scam was unfolding, I was away at a retreat that I’d been planning all year. This was terrible timing for me, but perfect for the scammers.

    I was relaxed and in the completely wrong headspace for any major decisions. My guard was down, and I was the perfect target.

    Having reviewed the texts afterward, I see several red flags that would have given me pause any other day. However, I was distracted and made a rash decision.

    Tip: Don’t make major decisions when you’re distracted, traveling or emotionally charged. Give yourself the space and energy to sit with the choices and only make a decision with a clear head.

    Lesson 2: Listen to reality, not the story you’re telling yourself

    When I was added to the text group, I honestly wanted it to be real. I’d talked with MrBeast’s team previously about planning a trip, and my brain connected the dots, telling me this was all part of the plan.

    This also had me overlooking red flags. I didn’t verify the phone numbers, and I didn’t double-check anything. I trusted what I wanted to be true instead of what the evidence showed. I was naive, and it cost me $1.25 million.

    Entrepreneurs make this same mistake all the time. We fall in love with our product, our marketing strategy or our “next” big idea. When our customers and data tell us otherwise, we often struggle to accept that reality and continue pushing what we want instead of what is right.

    Tip: Don’t fall in love with the story you tell yourself. Trust the data, trust what your customers are telling you, and be willing to adjust or pivot.

    Lesson 3: Don’t be afraid of mistakes — share them

    This was easily the most embarrassing mistake of my life. I’m a successful entrepreneur, and I made more than $50 million before 30 — being scammed was not supposed to happen to me.

    But, it did.

    The easiest way to deal with this mistake would be to hide it. But, I didn’t.

    Instead, I shared it. First with my family and close friends, then publicly online. The responses ranged from “idiot” to “martyr,” but overwhelmingly, people appreciated the honesty. Some even admitted they’d been scammed too, but had never told anyone.

    And then something unexpected happened: MrBeast himself spoke up. He offered a $100,000 reward for credible information leading to the scammers.

    Sharing reframed the story. From personal embarrassment to a community problem worth solving.

    Tip: Don’t hide from your mistakes. Own them, talk about them, and turn them into lessons others can learn from.

    Related: Beware of SEO Scammers — Here’s How to Spot and Avoid Mediocre SEO Agencies

    Final thoughts

    I’ll never see the $1.25 million I lost again. But I can use it as the most expensive learning experience of my life.

    If you take nothing else from my story, take these:

    1. Don’t make important decisions while distracted.
    2. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
    3. Don’t be afraid to talk about your mistakes.

    If you’re curious about how this scam actually played out, I’ve made everything public. On Great.com, we’ve posted the full chat logs, the wallet addresses and even the phone numbers tied to the scammers. You can see exactly what I saw — and if you spot something that could help track them down, you could earn the $100,000 reward from MrBeast.

    This is hard to admit, but I got scammed out of $1.25 million.

    The money is gone, and I can’t get it back. But instead of hiding, I’ve decided to share my story. My recent post on X about the $1.25 million scam went viral with more than 4 million views and thousands of reposts and comments.

    MrBeast even chimed in that he would give a $100,000 reward to anyone who could help track down the scammers.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Erik Bergman

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  • Why Flexible Payment Systems Are Now a Business Essential | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The right payment solution can accelerate growth, while the wrong one can stunt it. For small businesses, nonprofits and even large enterprises, how quickly and reliably money moves through the organization shapes everything from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy.

    Business leaders must regularly evaluate whether their payment solutions can keep pace with evolving demands or risk falling behind.

    Cash flow is the lifeblood of any organization. Whether it’s a small business handling seasonal fluctuations, a nonprofit managing through a grant cycle or a large corporation coordinating purchases across multiple departments, the ability to effectively manage incoming and outgoing funds is fundamental.

    Payment delays, mismatched billing cycles and inflexible payment terms can all create unnecessary strain, limiting a business’s ability to invest in new opportunities or respond to unexpected challenges.

    Related: Slow Payment Options Are Costing Your Business — Here’s the Alternatives of the Future

    Breaking free from operational bottlenecks

    Research reveals the operational realities business decision-makers face. According to a Morning Consult survey commissioned by Walmart Business, nearly 500 small business leaders reported spending approximately 40% of their workweek on administrative tasks.

    A significant portion of this time is devoted to managing spending, cash flow and reconciliation—activities that, while essential, can detract from core business functions such as serving customers, innovating and pursuing growth opportunities.

    For resource-strapped organizations, every minute spent on manual bookkeeping or chasing receipts is time lost driving the business forward. Yet many still rely on traditional payment processes that are rigid, slow and misaligned with their workflows, adding to the administrative burden. Today’s payment solutions must go beyond processing transactions to actively reduce operational friction.

    Related: Struggling with Finances? These Payment Solutions Will Save You

    Seamless systems, stronger performance

    Beyond cash flow, integrating payment solutions into everyday business operations can have a significant impact on efficiency. Traditional payment methods such as checks or manual invoices often require multiple steps for approval, reconciliation and record-keeping. Each additional step introduces the potential for errors, delays and increased administrative overhead.

    Organizations must consider how payment solutions fit into their unique workflows. No two organizations are alike; purchasing needs, approval hierarchies and accounting practices can vary widely depending on the industry, size and structure of the business. Solutions that are too rigid or too generic will fail to meet the specific requirements of a given organization, leading to workarounds that undermine efficiency and accuracy.

    Modern payment solutions are built for integration. When payment options are embedded into the purchasing experience — whether that’s through an online portal, a mobile app or in-store systems — organizations benefit from a seamless workflow that minimizes manual intervention.

    Features such as automated invoicing, real-time reporting and centralized record-keeping simplify the reconciliation process and make it easier for business leaders to monitor spending, comply with internal controls and generate accurate financial reports.

    Putting integration into action: Pay by invoice

    Flexible payment solutions, particularly those that offer extended terms or credit lines, can provide organizations with vital breathing room. By allowing businesses to defer payment on purchases — sometimes for 30 days or more — these solutions support better cash flow management and allow leaders to allocate their time and resources strategically. This flexibility can be especially impactful during uncertain economic times or periods of growth, when upfront investments may be required before additional revenue is realized.

    At Walmart Business, we recognized this need and recently introduced Pay by Invoice, powered by TreviPay. This offer enables eligible customers to access a business line of credit from TreviPay with 30-day net terms, allowing them to make critical purchases when needed and defer payment to better align with their revenue cycles.

    Such flexibility is no longer a luxury; it’s an expectation among business customers who must navigate complex, multi-location operations and fluctuating cash flows.

    The demand for Pay by Invoice is rooted in the desire for streamlined financial operations. By offering consolidated, detailed invoices, the solution simplifies expense tracking and reporting, making it easier for organizations to maintain oversight and accountability.

    The decision to fully integrate the use of Pay by Invoice into the Walmart Business experience across online, app and in-store channels was intentional, so customers benefit from a seamless, frictionless purchasing and payment process wherever they choose to shop.

    Related: What Sparked the Push for Flexible Pay?

    Looking ahead at the future of business payments

    As organizations continue to seek ways to operate more efficiently and adapt to changing economic conditions, the significance of flexible payment solutions will only grow. The broader trend toward digitization, automation and integration is transforming not only how businesses purchase goods and services, but how they manage finances, assess performance and make strategic decisions.

    For business leaders, understanding the available payment options and evaluating them through the lens of their organization’s unique needs is critical. Solutions that provide flexibility, transparency and integration can help remove operational barriers, improve cash flow and set the stage for sustained growth. Payment processes are no longer a back-office concern; they are a strategic lever for business success and future growth.

    The right payment solution can accelerate growth, while the wrong one can stunt it. For small businesses, nonprofits and even large enterprises, how quickly and reliably money moves through the organization shapes everything from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy.

    Business leaders must regularly evaluate whether their payment solutions can keep pace with evolving demands or risk falling behind.

    Cash flow is the lifeblood of any organization. Whether it’s a small business handling seasonal fluctuations, a nonprofit managing through a grant cycle or a large corporation coordinating purchases across multiple departments, the ability to effectively manage incoming and outgoing funds is fundamental.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Ashley Hubka

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  • Why Do Some People Succeed Instantly While Others Take Years? These 3 Things Explain It | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We all love to hear the stories of individuals who started a business and became overnight successes. You know the narrative. The entrepreneur starts working out of their basement or garage. Creates a great product or service. Gets noticed or catches a lucky break and suddenly is making over seven figures.

    I love to read about these motivated individuals, but I also know that the reality is very different for many business owners. Everyone wants to grow. No one wants to be just a caretaker. But growth is tricky. Do you want to grow quickly? Perhaps sell and move on? Are you in it for the long haul? Want to leave a legacy? There is no right answer, but what you do and how you operate is impacted by your choices. Here are a few things to consider if you want to be an overnight success.

    Related: I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here’s How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

    1. Plenty of cash

    If you want to grow quickly and be that “overnight success,” you need the cash to scale up all areas of the business. However, one of the key impediments to growth for entrepreneurs is access to capital. Without cash you cannot buy raw materials, machinery or other equipment. You also need people to do the heavy lifting at start-up and then keep a steady work pace once you are past the rush. Even when entrepreneurs have planned for the budget to operate, they often forget about the cost of marketing. Without that you simply cannot get noticed today and grow at a rapid pace. The cost of marketing in a digital world are far more than you expect.

    Over the years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has said that “small businesses with less than $5 million in annual revenue and net profit margins between 10-12% should allocate around 7-8% of their gross revenue to marketing.” Businesses that want to grow quickly often spend much more.

    When the need for cash goes beyond what the entrepreneur can raise on their own, they look to investors. Shark Tank is full of stories from people who are trying to get noticed and cut a deal so they can grow. While negotiating, many must give up a significant piece of their business. That is common when you go to venture capital or private equity. Of course, the money is just one aspect of it. “Sharks” or other investors also bring treasured knowledge to the entrepreneur to spur growth.

    Entrepreneurs, like me, have a different approach to money. I have preferred to “pay as I go.” In other words, try not to take unnecessary loans and buy equipment as needed, so we get a quick return on the investment. There have been times when we have financed efforts, but have never taken money from an outside investor. Early on, I had “angels” interested in investing. I considered offers but ended up declining. Has that slowed our growth? Probably, but we also have retained control of the business, and for me, that is priceless.

    Related: The Financial Truths No One Tell You in Your First 2 Years of Entrepreneurship

    2. Unquestionable quality

    Making a quality product or delivering a quality service is hard enough under normal circumstances, but when you grow quickly, you must ramp up. Do you have manufacturing capacity? Will your suppliers be able to keep up with a surge in business? Do you have training programs in place? I know that it takes a new hire at my company at least six months to get up to speed, and during that time, we do not let them work solo. Piling work on even seasoned employees can result in mistakes. If you have the systems and people in place to grow and maintain quality, that is great. But when growth is exponential, quality can be compromised.

    On one occasion, I had to make the tough choice not to go after a large piece of business that would have expanded our reach internationally. In fact, the contract would have almost doubled our annual sales that year. I was really tempted. It would have been great to show that kind of success and gain bragging rights for a high-profile job. The reality was that we just did not have the bench strength to take it on, and trying to build the team quickly would have been difficult. We declined to bid for the job. That hurt. But it also prompted me to slowly begin to build up the team. Today we do work internationally and can maintain the quality.

    Here is the lesson. I believe it is better to turn down projects or new clients than risk a bad outcome just for the sake of growth. Good reviews are read and dismissed. Bad reviews linger a lot longer. Today, those reviews are instantaneously on social media, and just as quickly as you soared to the top, you can crash and burn.

    Related: I Made $1 Million in 20 Minutes — Here’s How I Did It and What They Don’t Tell You About ‘Overnight’ Success

    3. Laser focus

    In a recent article, I wrote about how to avoid being distracted by “shiny pennies.” I shared that successful entrepreneurs stick to their core business strategy. Those who experience overnight success take this idea to the highest level. They are laser-focused on products and services but also the speed at which they operate. They set stretch goals and work tirelessly to achieve them. They are focused on opportunities not all the obstacles that others see. When things go wrong, they focus on the solution, not the problem. It is that focus that sets successful entrepreneurs apart. While others see them as an overnight success, it has been a carefully crafted plan that got them where they are.

    It might seem like some businesspeople are lucky. In the right place at the right time. The reality is, like the actor who waited tables for years before getting discovered, it takes a lot of hard work to become an overnight success … and even more to stay at the top. Most of us do not see the years of effort, the struggles and the failures that it took to be successful. We prefer to think that it just happened. I started my business in my basement and worked out of it for several years before I could afford an office. It still amazes me when people think my company was successful quickly. It took much longer than people realized.

    So, the next time you hear a story about an entrepreneur who went from their garage or basement to running a multi-million-dollar enterprise, look for the story behind the story. That entrepreneur had to find cash, offer a consistent quality product and be laser focused. It takes effort to be an overnight success, and it does happen. But, for every individual who makes it, there are countless others who have reclaimed their basement or garage for its original purpose.

    Slow and steady or overnight success. Which will you be?

    We all love to hear the stories of individuals who started a business and became overnight successes. You know the narrative. The entrepreneur starts working out of their basement or garage. Creates a great product or service. Gets noticed or catches a lucky break and suddenly is making over seven figures.

    I love to read about these motivated individuals, but I also know that the reality is very different for many business owners. Everyone wants to grow. No one wants to be just a caretaker. But growth is tricky. Do you want to grow quickly? Perhaps sell and move on? Are you in it for the long haul? Want to leave a legacy? There is no right answer, but what you do and how you operate is impacted by your choices. Here are a few things to consider if you want to be an overnight success.

    Related: I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here’s How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Cynthia Kay

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  • Why Going All In Is the Only Option for Entrepreneurs Who Want to Win | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you know anything about me, you know I’m all in. On music memorabilia. On people. On my work. On whatever’s in front of me.

    I don’t know another speed. I’ve never been great at “halfway.” I either care enough to give something everything I’ve got, or I don’t touch it at all. For me, that’s the essence of entrepreneurship. You can’t dabble your way into building something meaningful. You have to decide. You’re either in or out.

    That’s why, when I meet founders, I’ll usually ask them one simple question: “What would make you quit?” If they pause or start listing reasons, I already know they’re not there yet. But when someone looks me straight in the eye and says, “Nothing,” that’s when I know I’m talking to someone who’s built for this. That answer tells me they’ve already done the hard part — mentally closing every exit door before they even walk in.

    Being all in doesn’t mean they’re fearless. It means they’ve already accepted the rollercoaster that comes with the territory. They’ve decided in advance that no rejection, no slow month, no investor passing on them is going to be the thing that takes them out.

    Related: Want a Promotion? Start Saying This

    For me, going all in has never felt like a strategy. It’s felt like survival. When I started in real estate, I didn’t have a backup plan. I didn’t have a cushion to land on. I didn’t even have a clear playbook. I had urgency. I had hunger. I had no other option but to figure it out. That’s the art of being all in. You don’t wait for perfect conditions. You move forward because you’ve already eliminated quitting as an option.

    I always say, “burn the ships.” If you’re going to do something, do it in a way where there’s no going back. That mindset forces you to figure it out. It forces you to get creative. It forces you to commit in a way you never would if you kept a safety net.

    Here’s the funny thing about fear…it usually shows up dressed as logic. It says things like, “Wait until you’re more prepared.” Or, “Play it safe for now.” Or, “Test it before you commit.” Those sound smart, but they’re really just hesitation in disguise. I’ve learned that if you give that voice too much airtime, you’ll talk yourself right out of the shot that could’ve changed your life.

    The other truth is this: people want to follow commitment. Nobody gets inspired by a halfway effort. Your team feels it. Your family feels it. Clients and investors feel it. When you’re all in, it shows. Energy is contagious, and commitment is the best way to spread it.

    Being all in doesn’t mean you bet the farm on every idea. It means you show up fully present in whatever lane you’re in. For me, that’s my family, my faith and my businesses. For you, it might be something else. The specifics don’t matter. What matters is the posture. All in doesn’t mean you’re doing everything at once. It means you’re giving the important stuff your full weight.

    I’ve had plenty of days when the odds weren’t in my favor. That’s part of the game. If you’re not willing to risk being misunderstood, you’re probably not going all in.

    ADHD and dyslexia have been huge parts of my story. For some people, that sounds like a disadvantage. For me, it’s been an edge. I can’t fake interest. If I don’t care, I won’t last. But if I do care, I’m locked in. I’ll get obsessed. I’ll get urgent. I’ll get creative. That’s a gift, not a curse. And it’s one more reason being ‘all in’ comes naturally to me.

    Related: How to Quit Your Job and Go All In on Your Side Hustle

    Even outside of work, I see it. My music wall didn’t build itself overnight. Every record, every signed album, every piece of memorabilia — I hunted for it, collected it, protected it. Why? Because I was all in. It’s not a hobby, it’s a passion. That’s the same energy I’ve always brought to business and to life.

    The older I get, the more I see this isn’t just about business. It’s about how you live. It’s about who you love. It’s about how you spend your time. If something matters, give it everything. That’s where the good stuff happens.

    The people I admire most don’t always have the best pitch deck or the biggest bankroll. They’re the ones who decided early on that nothing could make them quit. That mindset is the difference.

    So if you’re sitting there wondering whether to go for it, ask yourself the same question I ask every founder: “What would make me quit?” If your honest answer is nothing, then congratulations. You’re already all in.

    Nobody’s going to save you. You have to save yourself. And the best way I know to do that? Burn the ships. Be all in.

    If you know anything about me, you know I’m all in. On music memorabilia. On people. On my work. On whatever’s in front of me.

    I don’t know another speed. I’ve never been great at “halfway.” I either care enough to give something everything I’ve got, or I don’t touch it at all. For me, that’s the essence of entrepreneurship. You can’t dabble your way into building something meaningful. You have to decide. You’re either in or out.

    That’s why, when I meet founders, I’ll usually ask them one simple question: “What would make you quit?” If they pause or start listing reasons, I already know they’re not there yet. But when someone looks me straight in the eye and says, “Nothing,” that’s when I know I’m talking to someone who’s built for this. That answer tells me they’ve already done the hard part — mentally closing every exit door before they even walk in.

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    Rogers Healy

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  • I Looked Successful, But Inside I Was Falling Apart — This Trifecta Method Took Me From Rock Bottom to Peak Performance | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Five years ago, I hit rock bottom.

    From the outside, my life looked like a highlight reel: scaling social enterprises, writing bestsellers, sharing stages with world-famous leaders. But behind the curtain, I was exhausted, angry, and disconnected. My health was crumbling under chronic pain, brain fog and a complete loss of purpose.

    The hard truth about burnout is this: you can look like you’re winning while you’re falling apart. I had pushed so hard, for so long, that I hollowed out from the inside. It wasn’t just overwork. It was a disconnection from what mattered — physically, mentally, spiritually.

    That collapse became a turning point. Out of desperation, I started exploring a new path anchored in science and self-awareness. What I discovered was a trifecta: biohacking, longevity medicine and fulfillment. Together, they restored my energy and clarity.

    In this article, I’ll focus on biohacking — because it was the gateway that reconnected me at the cellular level and gave me the foundation to rebuild.

    Rediscovering energy

    Biohacking is often misunderstood as a fringe obsession with gadgets and supplements. But at its core, it’s simple: creating the conditions for your body and mind to function at their best. Think of it as working on the smallest unit of life — your cells and microbiome — so they can repair damage, fight disease and fuel growth.

    My journey started with the basics: sleep, nutrition and movement.

    Years of neglect had left me with inflammation, lingering injuries and brain fog. Traditional medicine had no answers.

    Everything shifted when I met Dave Asprey, the founder of the modern biohacking movement. His philosophy was simple: change your environment — inside and out — and you can change your life.

    Dave’s story mirrored my own. At 28, despite outward success, he faced arthritis, prediabetes, cognitive decline and the biochemistry of someone twice his age. Determined to reverse it, he lost over 100 pounds, regained his energy and boosted his IQ. His journey sparked the creation of The Bulletproof Diet and the global biohacking community.

    Related: Why Smart Entrepreneurs Are Betting Big on Biohacking

    Rebuilding from the ground up

    I began experimenting with practices that seemed too simple to be transformative: cold plunges, infrared light, grounding in nature, fasting, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a complete diet reset. Slowly, my energy returned.

    When I sought treatment for an old rugby injury that left me limping for years, I turned to regenerative medicine: stem-cell therapy and plasma exchanges. For the first time in decades, I walked without pain.

    But the biggest breakthrough wasn’t physical. With energy came clarity. With clarity came purpose. For the first time in years, I could hear the quiet voice of what mattered most.

    Lessons for entrepreneurs

    So what does this have to do with building a company? Everything.

    Entrepreneurs pride themselves on outworking everyone else. But exhaustion is not a strategy. Your body is your most undervalued asset, and when you neglect it, your business pays the price.

    Here are five practices that changed my life — and can change the way you lead:

    1. Own your mornings
      I used to wake up and dive into email. Now I guard the first hours of the day for myself: meditation, movement, and cold exposure. These rituals anchor me before the world demands my attention.

    2. Treat recovery as fuel, not weakness
      Sleep, downtime, and therapies like hyperbaric oxygen aren’t indulgences. They’re performance multipliers. Recovery is what sustains high output.

    3. Align biology with purpose
      Energy without direction accelerates burnout. Energy with purpose drives innovation, collaboration, and fulfillment.

    4. Use stress as a tool
      Cold plunges, fasting, and breathwork are forms of “hormetic stress” — controlled challenges that build resilience. When you train your body to handle stress, you lead better under pressure.

    5. Build rituals, not resolutions
      Change doesn’t come from hacks you try once. It comes from rituals you repeat daily. My 4:15 a.m. wake-up, morning oxygen sessions, and meditation aren’t experiments — they’re anchors.

    Related: I Biohacked My Way to Better Mood, Sleep and Job Performance — and You Can, Too. Here’s How.

    From burned out to fueled up

    Looking back, burnout was the best thing that ever happened to me. It forced me to confront the unsustainable way I was living and leading.

    It took all three pillars — biohacking, longevity medicine and fulfillment — to rebuild my health. Biohacking gave me a reset at the cellular level. Longevity medicine created a long-term plan. Fulfillment reconnected me to purpose.

    Today, I lead with presence and energy. I show up better for my family. And I build from a place of alignment, not exhaustion.

    The lesson is simple: when you restore yourself, you don’t just lead better. You live better.

    Five years ago, I hit rock bottom.

    From the outside, my life looked like a highlight reel: scaling social enterprises, writing bestsellers, sharing stages with world-famous leaders. But behind the curtain, I was exhausted, angry, and disconnected. My health was crumbling under chronic pain, brain fog and a complete loss of purpose.

    The hard truth about burnout is this: you can look like you’re winning while you’re falling apart. I had pushed so hard, for so long, that I hollowed out from the inside. It wasn’t just overwork. It was a disconnection from what mattered — physically, mentally, spiritually.

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    Marc Kielburger

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  • The Marketing Formula That’s Fueling Small Business Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Here’s a stat that should make every small business owner sit up: 76% of people who perform a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those visits result in a purchase.

    That means when a customer searches for “best coffee near me” or “emergency plumber downtown,“ the decision is often made in minutes — not days.

    Now add another layer: artificial intelligence. Once locked behind enterprise paywalls, AI is now available to every entrepreneur. From creating content and optimizing ads to automating customer support, AI is the great equalizer.

    When you combine local marketing (reaching the right people in the right place) with AI automation, you create a formula that allows small businesses to compete and, in many cases, outperform big brands.

    Related: Why Local Marketing Still Matters in the Digital Age

    Why local marketing still wins in 2025

    Consumers trust businesses that feel close to them. Local intent is powerful because it connects need with immediacy:

    • 46% of all Google searches have local intent

    • 50% of local searches on mobile lead to a store visit within one day

    • Nearly 90% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses every month

    That’s not a fluke; it’s a behavior shift. Customers don’t just want the cheapest or most famous option; they want the option that’s closest, fastest and most relevant.

    Example: A family searching for “pizza near me” at 7:00 p.m. isn’t interested in Domino’s HQ — they’re looking for the local restaurant two blocks away.

    For small businesses, local search represents an enormous opportunity to capture demand in real time.

    The AI advantage for small businesses

    Artificial intelligence is no longer a buzzword — it’s a growth driver. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey found that 98% of small businesses already use digital tools, and 40% are now leveraging generative AI.

    Here’s where AI creates tangible impact for small businesses:

    • Content creation: AI tools generate blogs, social posts and Google Business updates in minutes, saving both time and money.

    • Ad optimization: AI-driven ad platforms automatically test headlines, images and targeting, improving ROI without requiring a full marketing team.

    • Customer engagement: Chatbots and AI assistants handle FAQs, bookings, and inquiries instantly, ensuring leads never slip away.

    • Data analysis: AI provides insights on customer behavior, seasonality and even pricing strategies, once available only to Fortune 500 companies.

    Case in point: In Los Angeles, The Original Tamale Company used ChatGPT to create and narrate a lighthearted promotional video in under 10 minutes. The video went viral — 22 million views, 1.2 million likes and a huge spike in local customers. That’s the power of AI in the hands of a small business.

    Related: 46% of All Google Searches Have to Do With Location, One Report Says — and Purchases Often Follow. Here’s How to Boost Your Business’ Visibility Locally.

    Local + AI = The competitive equalizer

    The real magic happens when you merge local marketing with AI tools.

    • A neighborhood gym can use AI to analyze customer demographics and then run Google Ads targeting specific postal codes with offers like “1 Month Free for Downtown Residents.”

    • A plumbing company can automate weekly Google Business posts that include trending local keywords, increasing visibility in map searches.

    • A local café can use AI to personalize email campaigns, sending morning deals to office workers and weekend specials to nearby families.

    Big brands often struggle with this kind of micro-targeting — they’re too busy running nationwide campaigns. Small businesses, however, can tailor every campaign to their local community, and AI makes it fast, affordable and scalable.

    How to implement local + AI in your business

    1. Audit your local presence:

    • Make sure your Google Business Profile is complete and updated.

    • Collect and respond to reviews regularly.

    • Ensure your business name, address and phone number (NAP) are consistent across the web.

    • Don’t overlook on-page SEO basics — optimize title tags, meta descriptions and local landing page content so search engines (and customers) can easily understand your relevance.

    2. Use AI to automate smartly:

    • Content: Generate local blog posts, ads and emails in minutes.

    • Customer service: Add AI chatbots to handle common inquiries.

    • Social media: Schedule posts with AI-generated captions and visuals.

    3. Layer in local intent everywhere:

    • Add “near me” keywords and neighborhood references to your content.

    • Use geo-targeting in ads to hit your exact customer base.

    • Create offers tied to local events, seasons or community milestones.

    4. Measure, test and refine:

    • Use free tools like Google Analytics 4.

    • Explore AI-powered dashboards that track ad performance, keyword rankings and customer engagement.

    • Double down on what’s working; tweak or drop what’s not.

    The big brand blind spot

    Large corporations have resources, but they also have limitations. They can’t always personalize at scale or connect authentically to communities.

    That’s where small businesses win:

    • A café can celebrate the local high school’s championship.

    • A boutique can spotlight neighborhood artisans.

    • A mover can post about serving families in a specific block or condo.

    Big brands can’t match this hyper-local personalization, and when AI amplifies these touches, the impact is multiplied.

    Even larger chains that rely on SEO for franchise models often struggle to create content that resonates at the neighborhood level, which is where smaller, locally focused businesses can win.

    Related: Why This AI Tool Is the Game-Changer Small Business Owners Have Been Waiting For

    The future favors the nimble

    For decades, big brands had the advantage — bigger budgets, larger teams, more tools. But 2025 marks a turning point. Local intent plus AI gives small businesses the power to be faster, more relevant and more authentic.

    You don’t need a million-dollar ad budget to compete. You need:

    • A strong local presence.

    • The smart use of AI tools.

    • The willingness to act quickly while big brands are still figuring it out.

    The future of marketing isn’t about being the biggest player in the game — it’s about being the smartest and most relevant option in your customer’s neighborhood.

    Here’s a stat that should make every small business owner sit up: 76% of people who perform a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those visits result in a purchase.

    That means when a customer searches for “best coffee near me” or “emergency plumber downtown,“ the decision is often made in minutes — not days.

    Now add another layer: artificial intelligence. Once locked behind enterprise paywalls, AI is now available to every entrepreneur. From creating content and optimizing ads to automating customer support, AI is the great equalizer.

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    Fahim Ludin

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  • This Practice Could Save Your Career From One Bad Google Search | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    One of the most important aspects of someone’s credibility today is what Google reveals about them during a search. Most corporations and individuals understand the value of this and grasp the core concept, though they might not be familiar with the term itself.

    Online Reputation Management (ORM) is the process of creating positive content, suppressing negative press and maintaining a strong online image for businesses and individuals.

    Related: Your Business Is One Google Search Away From a Crisis

    Why is ORM important?

    ORM is essential for businesses and individuals in today’s hyperconnected world. Bad publicity usually results in damaged personal and professional reputations online. These issues can lead to being fired by an employer, getting divorced, losing new customers or even having a hard time raising the next round of funding.

    Think of ORM as digital reputation. The internet doesn’t forget easily, and even a single negative article or viral post can overshadow years of good work. That means your Google search results are often the first “introduction” a potential client, investor or employer has to you.

    Step #1. Monitoring

    Several key elements of ORM help prevent potential disasters. The first is monitoring your online presence to see what people are saying about you or your company. Good monitoring could have prevented the situation above by allowing you to respond before the wave of cancellations and negative feedback.

    The best course of action for this is to use a monitoring tool that helps you track your name online. These tools are often easier, cheaper and more effective than manually searching your name across various platforms. I’ve personally seen companies catch inaccurate information within hours and have it corrected before it picked up traction, saving them from what could have become a reputation nightmare.

    Related: How to Better Manage Your Brand’s Reputation in the Digital Age

    Step #2. Reach out to the source

    After you identify negative search results that you want to delete from Google, the next step is to send an email or reach out via social media to each publication. This is a delicate method, and it’s important not to appear defensive, as that can make the situation worse, and things could go viral.

    The success of this ORM strategy depends on the specific publication and editorial team: the bigger the publication, the fewer chances you have. Smaller blogs and community sites may be open to correction if the content is outdated, misleading or factually incorrect. On the other hand, going after a national news outlet rarely yields results.

    Related: How to Calmly Confront Bad Reviews and Turn Them Into Growth

    Step #3. Improving your reputation

    The best method to fix your reputation is to use the right SEO and PR techniques to push down or bury negative search results in search engines like Google and Bing. By optimizing positive content with the proper SEO techniques, you can rank the positive content higher in search engines and reduce the visibility of unwanted articles, images or forums. On average, it takes 6–12 months to clean the negative search results.

    A strong ORM strategy and persistence can sometimes remove or de-index certain negative pages from search results entirely, particularly if they violate platform guidelines or are misleading. In cases where de-indexing isn’t possible, internet suppression techniques-such as promoting high-authority content — can be used to overwhelm negative content with more relevant, positive search results.


    Over time, Google’s algorithm begins to prioritize your new content. The key is consistency — one or two articles won’t shift results. But six or nine months of steady online reputation work can transform the first page of search results.

    A law firm client I worked with had their reputation nearly ruined due to their arrest. By publishing client success stories, creating authoritative positive content and earning media mentions, we were able to push the false claims to page two within nine months and, as you know, very few people click past page one.

    A case study of ORM in action

    Wendy’s made a huge impact on its online reputation when its social media account rebranded to capitalize on trending memes at the time.

    The Twitter account became known for “roasting” users, connecting trending Twitter phrases to their products, and using humor to build engagement. Although their ORM strategy can’t be conclusively tied to a sales increase, it clearly didn’t hurt.

    Related: Grow Your LinkedIn Audience 10x With These Expert Tips

    Bringing it all together

    Online reputation management is the strategic process of improving the perception of a personal or business brand on search engines like Google. In a world where public perception is shaped by search engines like Google, ORM is no longer optional — it’s essential.

    Whether you’re an entrepreneur raising your next round, a corporation protecting shareholder trust, or an individual applying for a new role, ORM is a long-term investment in credibility. If you don’t control your narrative, someone else will, and it may not be flattering. The companies and people who thrive online are the ones who understand that reputation isn’t just what you do offline; it’s what Google says about you.

    Ross Kernez

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  • Why One Bite Pizza Fest Proves Live Events Win Big | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Many know Dave Portnoy as the multi-millionaire founder of Barstool Sports, the unapologetically irreverent digital media empire. But to millions more, he’s the face behind the viral One Bite Pizza Reviews on YouTube, where he travels the country rating pizzerias on a strict 1–10 scale (decimals included).

    What began in 2017 as a fun viral series has grown into a culinary kingmaker, with Portnoy’s verdict capable of making — or breaking — a shop overnight. That phenomenon has expanded into a live event, the One Bite Pizza Fest, which marked its third anniversary in New York on Saturday, September 13, drawing 10,000 fans to sample pies from more than 40 of the world’s most iconic pizzerias — all hand-picked by Portnoy himself.

    Related: 5 Years Ago, No One Would Take Their Calls. Then a Big Break Caused a ‘Domino Effect’ That Hasn’t Stopped.

    The event, produced in partnership with Medium Rare, reflects a bigger shift in digital media: turning online content into live experiences. Barstool has been at the forefront, building events around its podcasts — from the Call Her Daddy “Unwell Tour” to the Chicklets Cup for Spittin’ Chicklets. At first, it might seem counterintuitive for a digitally native brand to double down on in-person programming. In reality, it’s become both a core part of Barstool’s content strategy and a key performance indicator of its success.

    Streaming a YouTube series like One Bite with Dave Portnoy while folding laundry doesn’t necessarily make someone a die-hard fan. True loyalty shows when people are willing to buy a ticket, show up, and spend real time with the brand.

    That shift transforms a community from a list of usernames into a packed arena of people who can actually connect and bond over a shared experience.

    Related: Dave Portnoy, One Bite Pizza Review Saves TinyBrickOven

    A slice of the sponsorship pie

    For sponsors, One Bite Pizza Fest is a dream platform. Pepsi, Ninja and Bilt were among the brands that activated in creative ways. Ninja used the event to showcase its new 5-in-1 pizza oven, giving pizza fans a firsthand look at a new product designed for their tastes. Pepsi kept attendees refreshed with complimentary drinks, building goodwill with nearly 10,000 festival-goers.

    While these companies clearly align with the theme of pizza, several other sponsors might be more surprising. Bilt returned as the official rewards partner, creating an entire “Neighborhood” filled with exclusive perks like expedited lines and even allowing members to redeem points for tickets.

    Sponsors may keep the lights on at the One Bite Pizza Festival, but they don’t feed the ravenous attendees. That title goes to the real stars of the event: the restaurants. Many travel from out of state to hand out free slices to massive crowds — all while being surrounded by direct competitors. Some might call it a food fair. Others could interpret it as a cage match for pizzerias.

    While every spot brought its best, a few stood above the rest. In general admission, Lucali, Frank Pepe’s, and Di Fara each dished out more than 10,000 slices. In VIP, Ceres Pizza stole the show — thanks to Portnoy’s 9.2 rating — cementing its spot as the festival’s most in-demand pie and underscoring just how much influence his reviews hold.

    Related: Dragon Pizza Sells Out After Dave Portnoy’s Barstool Bad Review

    One Bite Pizza Fest is more than just a giant pizza party. It’s a testament to the brand loyalty Portnoy has cultivated over years of creating online. By taking his digital show into the real world, Portnoy continues to strengthen the community he’s built—while bolstering dozens of small businesses in the process. And it all starts with just one bite.

    The festival unfolded across two sessions. Fans could choose between afternoon or evening tickets, priced at $179.99, or upgrade to VIP experiences at $649.99 that include early access and an open bar. Session one runs from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with VIPs entering at 12:30. Session two follows a similar format, opening at 6:00 p.m. and running until 9:30, with VIP access beginning half an hour earlier.

    Many know Dave Portnoy as the multi-millionaire founder of Barstool Sports, the unapologetically irreverent digital media empire. But to millions more, he’s the face behind the viral One Bite Pizza Reviews on YouTube, where he travels the country rating pizzerias on a strict 1–10 scale (decimals included).

    What began in 2017 as a fun viral series has grown into a culinary kingmaker, with Portnoy’s verdict capable of making — or breaking — a shop overnight. That phenomenon has expanded into a live event, the One Bite Pizza Fest, which marked its third anniversary in New York on Saturday, September 13, drawing 10,000 fans to sample pies from more than 40 of the world’s most iconic pizzerias — all hand-picked by Portnoy himself.

    Related: 5 Years Ago, No One Would Take Their Calls. Then a Big Break Caused a ‘Domino Effect’ That Hasn’t Stopped.

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    Leo Zevin

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  • Expanding Your Small Business? You Need to Prepare For This Money Challenge | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In our increasingly digitally borderless world, the dream of international expansion is more accessible than ever for American entrepreneurs. The reach of social media and a strategic web presence has the power to make your brand visible to a global audience in seconds. Yet, as U.S. small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) increasingly venture beyond borders, a significant yet often underestimated challenge emerges: currency volatility.

    From selling goods in Europe to sourcing materials from Asia, or managing a remote team spread across continents, operating internationally inherently means SMBs are engaging with different currencies. This involves added layers of complexity, not only because it entails managing Profit and Loss (P&L) statements in multiple currencies, but because the value of one currency against another is not static. A currency’s value can shift due to geopolitical events, economic news and market sentiment, often quickly and without warning. For small businesses, this can directly impact their bottom line in ways they might not be prepared for.

    Consider this scenario: You’re a small business owner and the U.S. dollar strengthens significantly against the currency in which you’ve priced an export contract. This means that your expected profit in dollars could sharply diminish upon conversion. Conversely, a weaker dollar could drastically increase the cost of imported goods, squeezing your profit margins or even making your products less competitive in the market. Beyond profitability, currency swings can make it difficult to accurately forecast spending or build a predictable budget. What you forecast to pay one month could significantly vary more or less the next, leading to instability that can derail your financial planning.

    For any U.S. small business looking to succeed in multiple markets, it’s essential to mitigate these risks by adopting a proactive currency management strategy. Here are three simple steps SMBs can take to hedge against currency volatility.

    Related: How to Solve the $800 Million Problem That’s Stopping Small Businesses From Expanding Overseas

    1. Assess exposure

    Small business owners should start by assessing how currency movements could affect their business. Consider which countries the business operates in and investigate the stability of local currency values over time. This provides an up-front indication of the level of risk you are taking on.

    From there, the next step is to establish the best way to manage a cross-border cash flow. For example, if you know you’re sourcing goods and materials from local vendors in a country with a volatile currency, you may want to keep most of the funds siphoned for those payments in USD until the time comes for you to actually make the payment. Alternatively, if you’re working with a foreign currency that is considered stable, it might be more cost-effective for your business to hold funds in that local currency consistently using a multi-currency account. By keeping those funds readily available, you can reduce the number of times you pay conversion fees and manage that revenue stream just like you would in dollars.

    It’s also worth noting that some businesses and individuals living and working in countries with volatile currencies may request to be paid in a non-native currency themselves, including USD. So it’s worth checking with suppliers and employees what their preference is before setting up payments.

    Related: How a Strong vs. Weak Dollar Impacts U.S. Businesses

    2. Rethink your supply chain

    Once SMBs have established their currency exposure, it’s time to start thinking strategically about how they’re spreading risk across the business. Especially this year, as new tariffs — taxes on imported goods — have created additional complexities for many small businesses, it’s more important than ever to mitigate the risk of unforeseen costs.

    A good place for SMBs to start is to take inventory of their suppliers. If they are all concentrated in one region with a volatile currency, it might be worth exploring alternatives. Similarly, if retail-based businesses shipping goods abroad are consistently paying cargo fees that they can’t readily predict, they might look for local suppliers of those same goods to avoid paying import charges on every order.

    Diversifying where the business buys and sells goods and services can significantly smooth out both currency risk and the impact of sudden tariff changes. In other words, rebalancing purchasing zones is a smart way to distribute and lessen overall financial exposure.

    Related: ‘Uniquely Positioned’: How Small Business Owners Can Successfully Navigate the Tariffs

    3. Embrace multi-currency financial platforms

    Regardless of a businesses’ chosen international structure, it’s crucial to choose financial tools that make managing a global cash flow simple. As I’ve already alluded to, multi-currency accounts can be a game-changer for SMBs operating across borders, allowing them to hold funds in multiple currencies and send money like a local to foreign accounts.

    Some multi-currency account offerings even allow businesses to set thresholds for automatic currency conversions, which means their account will automatically convert funds when a currency hits a designated rate. This seamlessly allows SMBs to capture gains and avoid losses without adding to their mental load.

    It’s also important to choose fast, affordable and transparent financial services providers. Faster international payments mean funds arrive quicker, reducing the window of exchange rate exposure. Some providers also offer a fixed exchange rate within a certain time frame, so businesses know that even if funds arrive the next day, it will be the exact amount they expected — no more, no less. For SMBs, having clarity on how much they’re paying in fees, when their money will arrive and how much their recipient will receive can be an enormous relief.

    Ultimately, managing exchange rate risk isn’t just about protection; it’s about creating opportunity. When currency volatility is well-managed, it can become a lever for competitiveness. Businesses that have the right tools can leverage these variations to optimize their purchases or strengthen their positions in critical markets.

    For U.S. entrepreneurs venturing into the global marketplace, understanding and proactively managing currency risk is no longer optional. By embracing transparency, demanding speed and prioritizing control over your international finances, SMBs can protect their margins, empower their growth and unlock the vast potential of the international economy.

    In our increasingly digitally borderless world, the dream of international expansion is more accessible than ever for American entrepreneurs. The reach of social media and a strategic web presence has the power to make your brand visible to a global audience in seconds. Yet, as U.S. small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) increasingly venture beyond borders, a significant yet often underestimated challenge emerges: currency volatility.

    From selling goods in Europe to sourcing materials from Asia, or managing a remote team spread across continents, operating internationally inherently means SMBs are engaging with different currencies. This involves added layers of complexity, not only because it entails managing Profit and Loss (P&L) statements in multiple currencies, but because the value of one currency against another is not static. A currency’s value can shift due to geopolitical events, economic news and market sentiment, often quickly and without warning. For small businesses, this can directly impact their bottom line in ways they might not be prepared for.

    Consider this scenario: You’re a small business owner and the U.S. dollar strengthens significantly against the currency in which you’ve priced an export contract. This means that your expected profit in dollars could sharply diminish upon conversion. Conversely, a weaker dollar could drastically increase the cost of imported goods, squeezing your profit margins or even making your products less competitive in the market. Beyond profitability, currency swings can make it difficult to accurately forecast spending or build a predictable budget. What you forecast to pay one month could significantly vary more or less the next, leading to instability that can derail your financial planning.

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    June Yuan

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  • CEO’s ‘Powerful’ Business Change Leads to 8-Figure Revenue | Entrepreneur

    “It’s always been my dream to be a CEO of a fashion brand,” Ginny Seymour, CEO of contemporary women’s fashion brand Aligne, tells Entrepreneur.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne. CEO Ginny Seymour.

    A fashion industry veteran who started her career as a contemporary buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue, Seymour had an opportunity to realize that goal with Aligne, originally founded by Dalbir Bains as a wholesale women’s fashion brand in London in 2020.

    Seymour envisioned a new era for Aligne — the brand could fill a white space she saw in modern women’s clothing: the need for design-led, wearable pieces at an accessible price point, delivered with an omnichannel approach.

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

    Seymour set out to make it happen, essentially “refounding” the company. She joined the business as managing director in 2022, relaunched Aligne under her vision in 2023 and was officially named CEO in 2024.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne

    “I felt partners [had to be] a huge part of the story.”

    During her first several years as CEO, Seymour focused on Aligne’s community building online and “design handwriting,” then branched out from a direct-to-consumer strategy to an omnichannel approach with U.S. retail partners.

    In fact, despite being a London-founded brand, Aligne sees a larger part of its business unfolding in the U.S., Seymour says.

    The CEO even recently relocated from London to New York to support the U.S. office and team as the brand continues its expansion.

    “ We’re still based in the UK, so I travel back and forth,” Seymour says. “London to me is our creative hub; it’s part of our DNA being a British brand. That’s super important to me and something we don’t want to lose. So we’re very much creatively driven out of London, but commercially driven out of the U.S.”

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne

    Related: ‘We Got So Many DMs’: This 27-Year-Old Revamped Her Parents’ Decades-Old Business and Grew Direct-to-Consumer Sales From $60,000 to Over $500,000

    As a still relatively young British brand, Aligne gains validation with a U.S. audience through retailers that have loyal customer bases.

    “In  the UK, it’s easier to be direct-to-consumer only because the UK is much smaller and more attainable,” Seymour says. “But in the U.S., to resonate as the next contemporary brand that people should be looking at, I felt partners [had to be] a huge part of the story.”

    Aligne recently launched with Nordstrom, a retailer Seymour says she’d always hoped to partner with one day, after the company direct-messaged her to express its interest in the brand. Aligne is also available at Anthropologie.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne

    Related: Her Self-Funded Brand Hit $25 Million Revenue Last Year — And 3 Secrets Keep It Growing Alongside Her ‘Mischievous’ Second Venture: ‘Entrepreneurship Is a Mind Game’

    “There’s less visibility [into] the analytics and who your customer is. You have to really listen.”

    Despite the long-term goal to expand in retail, Seymour first prioritized understanding Aligne as a brand and its relationship to customers before tackling those partnerships, appreciating how important that strategy is for sustainable success.

    Whether you’re refounding a business that already exists or starting one from scratch, knowing who your customer is — and quickly — will make or break its growth.  ”And that’s easier said than done,” the CEO notes. “There are so many factors. With every iOS update, there’s less visibility [into] the analytics and who your customer is. You have to really listen.”

    Aligne’s target customers are “confident, working” women, and acknowledging what those consumers wanted in a clothing line helped guide the brand’s design shift and the direction of its collection, Seymour says.

    Related: This Is the Real Secret to Exceeding Your Customer’s Expectations

    Dialing into that customer base is paying off. Aligne ended its fiscal year in July 2025 with 56% year-over-year revenue growth and revenue approaching eight figures.

    Most of Aligne’s pieces are priced between $100 and $300. Although Seymour recognizes why some brands evolve into the “premium contemporary” space amid rising costs and tariff challenges, she says the company is committed to its accessible price point.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne

    “I quickly had to learn where I didn’t want to lean and how to make sure to get the support.”

    Being a CEO is a lot harder than Seymour thought it would be when she was 20 years old, she admits. But she appreciates how the job has allowed her to draw on her experience as a buyer, which demanded a “balance of art and science” much like the executive role does.

    “[There might be a] week that I’m so artistic and designing the concept and the line, and there’s other days where I’m definitely leaning into the science,” Seymour says. “But I quickly had to learn where I didn’t want to lean and how to make sure to get the support in those areas because a CEO wears so many hats.”

    Related: I Founded a $1.7 Billion Startup for Small Businesses — Here’s the Secret Every Entrepreneur Should Know

    One of the biggest lessons Seymour’s learned during her tenure as CEO so far is the value in listening to her instincts — even when it’s difficult. Over the first couple of months of the company’s refounding, Seymour sometimes hesitated to say what she wanted, then didn’t get the results that she desired.

    “Three months in, I had this moment where I brought the team together and was much clearer about what I wanted,” Seymour says. “That brought them more on the journey with me, and it solidified us as a team and our values. If you have an idea and you’re building your own business, trusting your gut and not being scared to say it is powerful.”

    “It’s always been my dream to be a CEO of a fashion brand,” Ginny Seymour, CEO of contemporary women’s fashion brand Aligne, tells Entrepreneur.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne. CEO Ginny Seymour.

    A fashion industry veteran who started her career as a contemporary buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue, Seymour had an opportunity to realize that goal with Aligne, originally founded by Dalbir Bains as a wholesale women’s fashion brand in London in 2020.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • How Pana Food Truck Started Selling Arepas | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    German Sierra, founder of Pana Food Truck in Santa Cruz, California, never imagined his craving for a childhood comfort food would lead him to build a thriving business with a loyal following and the distinction of Yelp’s Top 100 Food Trucks.

    “My brother and I came to the United States in 2016 [from Venezuela],” he says. “There weren’t any arepas. We actually eat arepas every day in Venezuela, so we needed them. My brother was like, ‘Hey, why don’t we make some arepas and take them to the streets, and maybe people will buy them?’”

    Armed with foil-wrapped arepas and homemade Venezuelan juices, the brothers set up outside a supermarket. They didn’t sell a single one. A police officer stopped them, asking for a permit they didn’t know they needed. Instead of giving up, Sierra gave the food away and kept searching for a way forward.

    Related: They Built Their First Restaurant With Their ‘Bare Hands.’ Now They Have 380 Locations.

    “Sometimes there’s a little miscommunication between entities. Sometimes the health department will [have] different rules than the city,” Sierra says, describing the challenges he faced trying to get his business off the ground. “There are specific places to park. You cannot park everywhere because there’s gonna be competition with restaurants.”

    As a business with one core offering, Sierra had to sell the value of arepas to customers who had never heard of them.

    “It was hard in the beginning — and [is] still hard — to convince people why we don’t have other dishes,” Sierra says. “We wanted to focus on arepas [so] there is no confusion of what we sell, and it’s memorable.”

    Small adjustments, like listing arepas as “chicken” or “beef” on the menu, helped introduce the dish to American diners and reduce confusion without losing cultural authenticity. “When customers come, they want 30-second decisions — no half an hour figuring out the menu and what to get,” Sierra says.

    Related: He Grew His Small Business to a $25 Million Operation By Following These 5 Principles

    As word spread, Sierra focused on making connections with customers, pairing education about the food with free samples to encourage repeat visits. Early on, he recognized that an excellent customer experience made people more likely to choose Pana over another restaurant.

    “I didn’t wanna be just in the food truck business,” he says. “I want to be in the heart-warming business, because the food makes your heart warm. That’s the emotion I want to create every time.”

    Now celebrating six years in business, Pana continues to grow while staying true to its roots. In 2025, Sierra and his wife, Gabriella Ramirez, opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz. “It wasn’t an overnight success, and we’re still growing and improving,” Sierra says. “We are just a baby, and there’s so much that we can change and improve.”

    For Sierra, every arepa is a chance to share a piece of home, and to build what he calls “an arepa empire, one arepa at a time.”

    Related: These Brothers Turned a 2-Man Operation Into One of the Most Trusted Companies in Their Area. Here’s How.

    After turning a craving for arepas into one of Yelp’s Top 100 Food Trucks of 2025 and opening a brick-and-mortar, Sierra’s advice for current and future business owners is clear:

    • Start small but stay consistent. Break overwhelming challenges into smaller steps and commit to showing up for your customers every day.
    • Adapt to your audience while staying authentic. Customer education can help your audience understand new offerings and grow goodwill in your community.
    • Lead with generosity. Warm service and meaningful interactions matter just as much as what’s on the menu. Customers return not only for flavor, but also for connection.
    • Think about the big picture. For Sierra, selling arepas was never just about food — it was about creating heart-warming experiences. Any platform, whether it’s a food truck or restaurant, can be a vehicle to share your mission.
    • Play the long game. Building something meaningful takes time, patience and passion. If your business isn’t an immediate success, research the steps you’ll need to take to achieve smaller goals that get you closer to your vision.

    Watch the episode above to hear directly from German Sierra, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Wednesday.

    Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl

    Emily Washcovick

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  • The Shocking Cost of Vendor Data Breaches | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Modern supply chains are a complex web of interconnected, intertwined digital ecosystems, each supporting the other. Look around you, and everything from how your workstations perform to how your data is being managed consists of several different suppliers and vendors, beyond what might be evident to you on first glance.

    You may have bought your web domain from an American company, but your hosting servers are in Europe. You probably bought your cloud infrastructure from AWS or Google, but your data is being stored in a remote village in Norway.

    Beyond what is visible lies a plethora of vendors and suppliers that work together like clockwork to make sure your business infrastructure remains up and running.

    However, this is where the problem begins. A single outage, data breach or fault with one of these vendors can have a devastating ripple effect on your business operations.

    Your direct vendor might not even be responsible, but their service might depend on a third-party provider, with whom you have no connection, and yet, your business takes the complete brunt of the situation.

    Therefore, in today’s world, companies don’t just have to prepare for internal data risks but also think about the data risks posed to their suppliers and vendors.

    Related: How to Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks Associated With Supply Chain Partners and Vendors

    Vulnerabilities due to a web of interdependencies

    In 2021, millions of websites across the world suddenly went offline. This included business websites, banks, ecommerce ports and even government agencies. In fact, it took out a major chunk of European and mostly French websites.

    After a couple of hours, it was found that one of the four data centers owned by the company OVHcloud was destroyed due to a fire.

    While the data centers supposedly had backups, the resulting damage in terms of data breaches and lost business cost tens of millions of dollars.

    Even some of the largest companies in the world are regularly attacked and are susceptible to data leaks.

    Orange Belgium‘s data breach exposed information of 850,000 customers. Allianz Life‘s data breach exposed personal information of more than a million customers, and a Qantas cyberattack leaked information on over six million airline customers!

    More recently, a ransomware attack on the UK’s NHS (National Health Service) disrupted blood tests across several London hospitals, eventually leading to the death of at least one patient. The software provider for the NHS, Advanced Computer Systems, was eventually fined £3 million, but only after an innocent life had already been lost.

    While these large organizations cannot be solely blamed, it is clear that even if you have the most robust IT and security infrastructure within your organization, you are never immune to the vulnerabilities of your vendors.

    Common mistakes that lead to weak data management

    Similar to the example of OVHcloud, many vendors simply lack a robust backup system to ensure operations run smoothly — this is where the problem starts. Due to a poor backup system, they also have an insufficient disaster recovery plan in case of a ransomware attack. Therefore, a fire in only one of their four data centers brought down millions of their customers’ websites.

    Another example might be the NHS’s software. They probably had data integrity checks built into their security, but they were insufficient, making it easy for an attack to take place across a number of locations. Overall, a reliance on manual recovery efforts and weak cybersecurity practices creates vulnerabilities that can have devastating consequences.

    Related: 3 Ways to Ensure Cybersecurity Is a Priority for the Companies You Partner With

    Cost of a vendor data crisis

    Any data breaches or attacks on your vendors will have a direct impact on your business. It can directly result in operational downtime, which can include workflows that completely stop working, supply chain disruptions, invoicing issues and much more.

    In the short run, it can lead to lost sales, SLA breaches and even penalties, while in the long run, the financial impact due to reputational damage can be even worse. If customers can’t trust you to deliver on time or protect their data, they might never return.

    It’s important to safeguard your business against such scenarios, and there are a couple of steps that can help you mitigate these.

    How to mitigate a vendor data crisis

    Before signing a contract with a vendor, it’s important to do your due diligence and assess their data and security infrastructure. This might seem instructive, but it is one of the important first steps you can take to protect your business and data against vulnerabilities.

    It is also important to carry out regular audits and ensure SLAs are met and that they are up-to-date with industry standards.

    Overall, there needs to be a plan for diversification so that no single vendor can impact a critical workflow.

    Related: Why Cybersecurity is the Key to Unlocking the Full Potential of Supply Chains

    Why it’s important to have robust data recovery tools

    Despite all the due diligence and backups, no system is 100% fail-proof. This is why your business must have reliable recovery tools that can help recover damaged files, important emails and even complete databases, making sure your organization can be back on its feet as soon as possible.

    A company’s data can be worth tens of thousands of dollars for a small business and much more for a larger organization. Using such software is the perfect safety net when prevention fails.

    Modern supply chains are a complex web of interconnected, intertwined digital ecosystems, each supporting the other. Look around you, and everything from how your workstations perform to how your data is being managed consists of several different suppliers and vendors, beyond what might be evident to you on first glance.

    You may have bought your web domain from an American company, but your hosting servers are in Europe. You probably bought your cloud infrastructure from AWS or Google, but your data is being stored in a remote village in Norway.

    Beyond what is visible lies a plethora of vendors and suppliers that work together like clockwork to make sure your business infrastructure remains up and running.

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    Chongwei Chen

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  • What to Know About the Next Phase of Subscription Services | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Do you remember the time when Netflix was a DVD rental service that delivered DVDs to your home? You would be forgiven for thinking of those years as the distant past, but the company only switched its business model from delivery to streaming in 2007.

    In just under two decades, subscription services have changed the way people shop, play and work. Businesses are also taking advantage of subscription services. As we head for the middle of 2025, though, the subscription economy is showing signs of yet another shift as it expands beyond digital services. What may the future hold?

    Related: The Subscription Economy Is Growing Fast. Here’s How Your Business Can Adapt and Thrive.

    The rise of the subscription economy

    Subscription services have existed for hundreds of years. Since the early 1800s, consumers could access magazine subscriptions through the mail. In Britain, milk deliveries have been handled by subscriptions since the 1860s.

    More recently, the subscription economy has become synonymous with a wide range of services from media to meal deliveries. As an ecommerce business model, subscription-based businesses have been outperforming their traditional counterparts for some time, with subscription revenues growing five times as fast between 2012 and 2018 as the average of the S&P 500.

    At the end of 2024, reports showed that Americans were spending nearly $1,000 per year on subscriptions, with the entire market likely to reach a value of more than $900 billion by 2026. Consumers have clearly embraced the convenience and predictability that subscription-based services offer. Underlying this growth is a shift from an economy focused on ownership to one that values access more highly.

    Who benefits from subscriptions?

    Subscriptions have grown in popularity across demographics. While younger generations have been faster to adopt these services, almost every consumer segment has been won over by the combination of personalization, convenience and easy modification of the service.

    Businesses benefit from predictable revenue streams and an unparalleled opportunity to drive customer loyalty. Subscription-based streaming services like Netflix not only allow businesses to learn consumer preferences for content, but they also make it easy to tailor content selections to meet those preferences and give subscribers more of the content they want, encouraging them to spend more time on the platform.

    Compared to the traditional magazine subscriptions of several centuries ago, subscription companies often benefit from direct customer feedback by measuring whether someone streamed their suggested content or not. Magazine publishers of yesteryear had to rely on letters to the editor or receiving feedback via cancelled or growing subscriptions.

    Related: Survival of the Fittest: 3 Reasons Your Subscription Business Didn’t Work

    How subscription services are changing

    Until now, we have focused on business-to-consumer (B2C) subscription services in this article, but a significant part of the industry’s growth and transformation has been driven by business-to-business (B2B) subscription models.

    Before going into detail, let’s take a look at some of the industry’s overarching trends:

    • Diversification is perhaps the most noticeable change in the B2C and B2B sectors. From physical products like cosmetics and services like movie streaming, subscriptions have moved on to offer access to software, car sharing and meal kits delivered to your door.

    • Growing personalization is another major trend in the sector. Take Netflix, for example: Subscribers receive suggestions for content as soon as they finish watching a movie or series. Moreover, if a subscriber changes their viewing habits and doesn’t use the platform as regularly as usual, they’ll receive more emails from Netflix encouraging them to return and use the platform more frequently.

    • Subscriber communities are another fairly recent addition to the economy. To encourage even greater brand loyalty, subscription providers are realizing the value of building communities around their products as opposed to relying on two-way communications between the brand and its users alone. Social media platforms, online forums and in-person events allow subscribers to connect with each other, therefore building greater brand loyalty in the long term.

    New subscription services

    Talent subscriptions:

    Two of the most notable extensions of the subscription economy come from the B2B side of the sector — talent and hardware subscriptions. So-called talent subscriptions are changing the way HR professionals manage recruitment. Like with other subscriptions, companies pay a monthly fee to access recruitment services as and when they need them.

    The main benefits of talent subscriptions include more predictable and manageable hiring costs, access to a talent pipeline and highly qualified professionals on the spot without long lead times and easy scalability.

    Traditionally, companies faced escalating recruitment costs when they needed to expand quickly and grow their workforce fast. Subscription-based recruitment allows for this type of scalability but caps costs with the help of a simple monthly fee. Recruiters estimate that companies could save as much as 30 to 50% of the cost of standard approaches.

    Hardware subscriptions:

    Staying on the B2B side of the subscription economy, hardware subscriptions are becoming just as popular as software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscriptions have been for several years. Rather than investing in computers and other devices, hardware subscriptions allow businesses to access the devices they need when they need them without long-term commitment.

    Related: How to Give Your Subscribers an ‘Ease of Ordering’

    Consumer subscription trends

    B2C subscriptions already cover a wide range of products and services. Noticeable trends in this area include a shift from acquisition to retention with the help of re-engagement campaigns and increased flexibility.

    Industry experts have said that trial subscriptions have moved from being a conversion tool to becoming more exploratory, for example. Consumers are looking for greater flexibility and overall ease of use.

    The subscription economy continues to be one of the most significant parts of the overall ecommerce sector. The demand for subscription-based products and services remains high in both the B2B and the B2C areas.

    However, there is no guarantee of success for either long-term subscription providers or new entrants to the market. B2B and B2C customers’ expectations have grown in the past few years. To meet those expectations and drive retention, companies need to offer flexible subscription plans, products and services that are easy to use and deliver value immediately. Perhaps most importantly, personalization of services can drive long-term loyalty and growth.

    Do you remember the time when Netflix was a DVD rental service that delivered DVDs to your home? You would be forgiven for thinking of those years as the distant past, but the company only switched its business model from delivery to streaming in 2007.

    In just under two decades, subscription services have changed the way people shop, play and work. Businesses are also taking advantage of subscription services. As we head for the middle of 2025, though, the subscription economy is showing signs of yet another shift as it expands beyond digital services. What may the future hold?

    Related: The Subscription Economy Is Growing Fast. Here’s How Your Business Can Adapt and Thrive.

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    Jessica Wong

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  • Why Non-Tech Founders Hold the Advantage in the AI-First Era | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ve spent 15+ years building across multiple tech ventures and cultures — starting in Vietnam, sharpening my craft in Japan and Singapore, then expanding to the U.S., Australia and Europe. Each stop taught me how different ecosystems turn constraints into capability: how to ship products under pressure, build companies from zero, grow talent pipelines and lead teams through the hardest execution challenges.

    Along the way, I co-founded ventures across domains — from cloud content security and AI-driven fraud detection in finance to AI-powered talent vetting and AI-powered graphic design and marketing.

    That journey left me with a simple conviction: AI is fundamentally changing how we build software, how we build companies and how we build the skills to operate at a new level of business innovation. The shift is so deep that non-tech founders, entrepreneurs and SME owners must rethink how they imagine products, platforms and transformation — or risk shipping the right features on the wrong foundations. This is why I’m sharing what I’ve learned about building AI-first products and AI-first companies now.

    Related: AI Is Taking Over Coding at Microsoft, Google, and Meta

    Software’s evolution through the decades

    For most of the last forty years, we’ve lived through clear eras in software. Before the year 2000, the PC and operating system era was defined by “software in a box.” You bought a CD, installed it onto your personal computer and hoped it would work smoothly.

    Updates were rare, often requiring another CD or manual patch and builders operated on a simple model: ship a big release and trust that it would run on as many machines as possible. Microsoft Office is a classic example of this model — self-contained, tied to the machine and static until the next big update.

    In the early 2000s, the world shifted into the Cloud and SaaS era—software delivered through the browser. Suddenly, the constraint of a single device disappeared. You could log in anywhere, at any time and access your tools. Gmail replaced desktop email clients, Salesforce and Shopify scaled into massive business backbones and updates became continuous and invisible.

    The builder’s mindset changed too: the challenge was no longer compatibility with local machines but designing systems for massive scale, elastic infrastructure and recurring subscription revenue. Releases shrank from multi-year cycles to weekly or even daily pushes, as software transformed into a living service rather than a fixed product.

    We are in an AI-first era

    Now, we are entering what can only be described as the AI-first era — a world where the model itself becomes the new runtime. Instead of clicking buttons or typing into form fields, we state our goals in plain language and intelligent agents take on the work of planning steps, calling tools and escalating back to us only when needed.

    The leap here isn’t just convenience; it’s a redefinition of interaction. Everyday examples are already here: a support assistant that drafts responses for you or a finance copilot that reconciles books.

    Related: Here’s How People Are Actually Using ChatGPT, According to OpenAI

    From clicks to conversions

    What’s actually happening under the hood is profound. We are moving from clicks to conversation: where yesterday’s software waited for us to press buttons, today’s systems can understand goals expressed in natural language and translate them into action.

    We are moving from apps to agents: software that doesn’t just sit idle but proactively plans, integrates with CRMs, ERPs or payment systems and delivers back results with an audit trail. And we are moving from “it works” to “it works, is safe and proves it,” layering in guardrails, evaluation metrics and rollback systems so AI not only performs but stays aligned and compliant.

    Even infrastructure itself is shifting — from the brute force of bigger servers to intelligent placement, with some AI running in the cloud while other tasks live at the edge, close to the user, for privacy and instant responsiveness.

    The takeaway for founders is clear: moving from OS to Cloud to Model-as-Runtime is not simply another product cycle — it’s a mindset change. Thinking in yesterday’s categories, whether screens, clicks or tickets, means you’ll end up bolting AI awkwardly on top of an old product.

    Thinking in today’s categories — goals, agents, tools, guardrails and proof — unlocks AI-first products and, more importantly, AI-first companies. The shift matters because it directly affects how organizations will operate and where profit and loss will be shaped.

    Related: How to Turn Your ‘Marketable Passion’ Into Income After Retirement

    The impact on non-technical founders

    Perhaps most importantly, this moment is uniquely suited to non-technical founders and entrepreneurs. For decades, building software required deep technical expertise. But in the AI-first world, domain knowledge becomes the true advantage. If you already know the realities of freight, healthcare clinics, food and beverage, construction or retail finance, you’re in a better position than ever before to turn that expertise into AI-first operations.

    Large enterprises are trying to adapt, too, but their size slows them down. That friction creates opportunity. Even management consultants are admitting that agentic AI demands a reset in the way organizations approach transformation. For smaller founders, the window is open: you can describe outcomes in plain language, wire them to existing tools and keep human oversight where judgment truly matters.

    At DigiEx Group, we built our company on the idea of combining a Tech Talent Hub, an AI Factory and a Startup Studio to meet our region’s needs. This approach has powered everything from self-cleaning catalog systems to risk-detecting logistics agents with multilingual communication.

    The biggest challenge wasn’t the technology, but helping teams shift their mindset — where change management and open communication proved more important than the code.

    Focus on impact

    Another lesson: focus on impact first. Not every workflow benefits from AI. We resisted the temptation to sprinkle automation everywhere and instead prioritized areas where it could make the biggest difference — speed, quality or decision-making power. From there, we scaled what worked. And finally, we learned to automate with intention. If AI didn’t enhance quality, speed things up or improve decisions, we left it out. Discipline turned out to be just as important as imagination.

    That is why this era matters. If the 2000s were about cloud-first design, the 2020s and beyond are about AI-first thinking. This isn’t about slapping new features on top of old software; it’s about adopting a new way of building. The model is the runtime, language is the interface, agents are the services and LLMOps is the new production discipline. Companies that internalize this won’t just ship faster — they’ll operate differently, measuring quality, trust and cost per task with the same seriousness that older generations measured uptime.

    For non-technical founders, small business owners and entrepreneurs with real-world expertise, the door is wide open. You can scale globally from day one, gain tenfold productivity where it hurts the most, and access insights that used to cost consultant-level fees. For the first time in decades, the playing field tilts toward those who understand the problem best, not those who can only write the code.

    I’ve spent 15+ years building across multiple tech ventures and cultures — starting in Vietnam, sharpening my craft in Japan and Singapore, then expanding to the U.S., Australia and Europe. Each stop taught me how different ecosystems turn constraints into capability: how to ship products under pressure, build companies from zero, grow talent pipelines and lead teams through the hardest execution challenges.

    Along the way, I co-founded ventures across domains — from cloud content security and AI-driven fraud detection in finance to AI-powered talent vetting and AI-powered graphic design and marketing.

    That journey left me with a simple conviction: AI is fundamentally changing how we build software, how we build companies and how we build the skills to operate at a new level of business innovation. The shift is so deep that non-tech founders, entrepreneurs and SME owners must rethink how they imagine products, platforms and transformation — or risk shipping the right features on the wrong foundations. This is why I’m sharing what I’ve learned about building AI-first products and AI-first companies now.

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    Johnny LE

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  • 6 Questions AI Should Be Able to Answer — or It’s Useless | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    “We need 1,000 leads — are we on target?”

    It seems like a simple business question, but for many teams, arriving at an answer requires hours of digging through manual files and spreadsheets, piecing together data from individual systems and uncovering where information exists across siloed departments.

    It’s not only about finding the right data and bringing it together — knowing whether a team is on track toward its goals takes analysis to understand what the data actually means. This requires a level of expertise and training that most employees, outside of data scientists, don’t have.

    As a result, many companies are now leaning into AI to bridge this gap.

    Employees can rely on AI to pull relevant data, analyze trends, compare current progress to business goals and make recommendations on what to do next — all without any prior data analysis experience. And because it’s all autonomous, AI can track progress in real-time and identify any shortfalls or potential roadblocks as they happen.

    With AI, teams can quickly identify their progress towards goals and make informed decisions on what to do next to drive business impact.

    With Slingshot — our AI-powered data-driven work management platform — we put data at the center of every organization and enable teams to quickly analyze and visualize data so they can put it to work immediately. Because all of a company’s data is in one place, AI can access all the data it needs — exactly when it needs it — so teams can ask questions in simple business terms and receive an answer in seconds. This AI-driven analysis saves teams hours of searching and sifting through data, so they can focus on making their data drive value for the business.

    If AI isn’t delivering these insights, it’s a sign that teams need to check the data feeding it, review their tech stack or upskill employees — otherwise, they’re missing out on AI’s full potential.

    Here are five other questions that teams should ensure their AI is ready to handle.

    Related: Two-Thirds of Small Businesses Are Already Using AI — Here’s How to Get Even More Out of It

    1. Which KPIs are underperforming and need attention?

    Key performance indicators — or KPIs — are important for understanding how well a company is running its operations and hitting its goals. Teams often spend time checking individual metrics, like website traffic or how many customers they have, but this means very little in relation to larger company goals. Instead, they need to create KPIs like “increase website traffic by 5%,” or “increase monthly active users of a product by 10%,” to track against larger business goals.

    Most of the time, tracking KPIs requires a holistic look at many different departments and business processes. And they require regular review, to both avoid any roadblocks and adjust as a company’s strategy evolves in real-time.

    Teams can bring together multiple data sources to calculate KPIs in real-time with AI. This allows them to immediately see if they’re tracking with their KPIs — and if they’re not, AI can recommend actions to improve them.

    2. What is our ideal customer profile — and how is it changing?

    Go-to-market teams aim to focus on their highest-fit prospects, because they’re the ones most likely to buy their products. Many are, however, relying on outdated personas or their gut instincts on where to prioritize their efforts. AI can analyze CRM data, product usage and support tickets to uncover emerging trends in behavior, sentiment and adoption that would take days to surface manually. With these insights, teams can identify their ideal customer profile, adjust targeting, personalize messaging and refine their go-to-market strategy to drive success.

    Related: AI Can Give You New Insights About Your Customers for Cheap. Here’s How to Make It Work for You.

    3. What’s our feature adoption rate by user segment?

    Product teams, specifically in tech, likely know which features are being used most frequently and how many users they have each month — but they often struggle to break down that usage by user type, industry or reason. Even when that data exists, manually sorting through it can take hours — or even days, making it difficult to understand what’s working, what’s not and which users are truly benefiting from the product.

    That lack of clarity can lead to wasted time and resources on features that don’t move the needle for core customers. With AI-powered tools, teams can automatically segment users based on behavior, role, company size, use case and more, and instantly surface adoption trends across these key segments. This enables teams to focus on building features that deliver the most value to the right users, to optimize product adoption and customer satisfaction.

    4. Which team members are overloaded and how does that affect our project timelines?

    Workload imbalance is one of the most common reasons projects fall behind. In fast-paced, cross-functional work environments, it’s easy for some employees to feel overloaded while others are underutilized. While many managers try to keep tabs on what’s on every employee’s plate and who’s at capacity, it’s difficult without a bird’s-eye view into an entire team or department.

    AI can analyze task assignments, due dates, cross-team tasks and project updates to spot patterns that employees or managers might miss — like unrealistic timelines, resource gaps or dependencies that are holding things up. With this insight, teams can rebalance workloads, course-correct before delays spiral and keep projects moving more efficiently.

    Related: How to Prepare Your Small Business for the Next Wave of AI Innovation

    5. How should we allocate next quarter’s budget and headcount next quarter to drive growth?

    While many businesses look backwards to evaluate performance, AI can help look ahead. By analyzing insights such as historical sales data, marketing performance, user adoption and resource utilization, AI can provide recommendations on where to allocate budget and headcount. AI can identify where the largest return is coming from, where additional investment could be beneficial — and where it makes sense to scale back. That may mean doubling down on a high-converting marketing channel, investing into more sales support or reducing focus on a specific product or product feature.

    Employees shouldn’t spend hours digging through data or trying to understand what it means. Instead, AI should be able to share instant visibility into what’s working, what needs attention and where to go next with simple questions. That kind of clarity drives better decisions — and better results.

    Dean Guida

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  • AI Is Quietly Writing Your Résumé — and One Tool Could Misrepresent Your Reputation if You Don’t Take Control | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the crowded world of AI Assistive Engines, all the attention goes to ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Perplexity. But the most influential contender may be the one hiding in plain sight: Microsoft Copilot.

    Why? Because it’s not just another chatbot — it’s deeply embedded in the Windows and Microsoft 365 ecosystem that powers homes, businesses, governments and nearly every Fortune 500 company. Copilot is already sitting on the desktop of the people who decide whether to hire you, partner with you or fund your company.

    That makes it the “sneaky” AI — the one shaping your professional reputation before you even enter the room. In this article, you’ll learn how Copilot and other AI assistants are building your “AI Résumé” behind the scenes — and a practical framework you can use to take back control of your digital narrative.

    Related: Uncover Hidden Threats to Your Reputation With These Advanced Suppression Strategies

    Your AI résumé is already being written

    Think about where decision-makers live: Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel. Copilot is inside all of them. It summarizes conversations, drafts proposals and answers the question: “Who is this person?”

    Before an investor opens your pitch deck or a prospect reads your proposal, there’s a good chance they’ll ask Copilot to summarize you. What it delivers becomes your AI Résumé — a recommendation from a machine people trust.

    That résumé is only as strong as the information Copilot finds. And if your digital footprint is messy, inconsistent or outdated, Copilot will stitch together a confusing narrative.

    A costly lesson in digital misrepresentation

    I learned this lesson years before generative AI.

    After building a successful career as a musician and then founding UpToTen Ltd — an EdTech pioneer competing with Disney and the BBC — I started losing deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The problem?

    My Google Brand SERP. Search results for my name highlighted that I’d been the voice actor for a cartoon character, Boowa the Blue Dog. Instead of presenting me as a serious CEO, Google framed me as a children’s entertainer.

    The result? Major deals died before they began.

    Copilot raises the stakes exponentially. Unlike Google’s static results, Copilot synthesizes information into a story. But its logic is childlike — piecing together fragments without nuance or accuracy. If you don’t control your narrative, the AI will create one for you.

    The framework: How to teach the machine

    You can’t game the system. The only way forward is to systematically educate AI so it reflects your intended story. My three-phase framework works not just for Copilot, but for ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and beyond.

    1. Establish Understandability

    The machine must know who you are, what you do and who you serve.

    • Create an entity home: a personal website (e.g., yourname.com) with a clear, 25–50 word executive summary at the top.
    • Make it machine-readable: use Schema.org structured data so algorithms can parse your identity with confidence.

    2. Build credibility

    Once AI understands you, it needs proof that you’re authoritative.

    • Be consistent: your LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Crunchbase and company bios should all mirror your Entity Home.
    • Get third-party validation: appear on podcasts, contribute to industry media and earn mentions from trusted outlets. Each external confirmation creates what I call an “Infinite Self-Confirming Loop of Corroboration” — the foundation of algorithmic trust.

    3. Ensure deliverability

    Finally, make sure AI delivers your story when prospects are researching problems, not just names.

    • Answer real questions: build an FAQ section based on client questions, sales calls and customer support insights. One page per question; no accordions.
    • Publish deeper resources: long-form articles that establish you as an authority.
    • Organize for discovery: use topic clusters (siloing) so AI sees you as a subject expert.

    Take it further: create a custom GPT or AI assistant trained on your services, client profile, and solutions. Use it to anticipate the questions your market is asking and shape content accordingly.

    Related: From Co-Pilot to Co-Worker: Where the AI Assistant Journey is Headed to Next

    The next frontier: Ambient research

    The ultimate payoff isn’t when someone Googles you — it’s when AI recommends you without being asked.

    • In Excel, Copilot suggests your name while a prospect models ROI.
    • In Teams, the meeting summary highlights you as the expert who can solve a key challenge.
    • In Outlook, your profile surfaces as the trusted consultant to hire.

    That’s AI acting as your marketing agent — delivering opportunities before you even know they exist.

    The inescapable reality

    AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot aren’t futuristic — they’re already reshaping how reputations are built.

    Your digital presence is no longer a brochure; it’s a living narrative constantly retold by machines. If you don’t design your AI résumé, Copilot will design it for you — and you may not like the result.

    The path forward is clear:

    • Be understandable.
    • Be credible.
    • Be discoverable.

    Teach the machine your story, or it will tell its own.

    In the crowded world of AI Assistive Engines, all the attention goes to ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Perplexity. But the most influential contender may be the one hiding in plain sight: Microsoft Copilot.

    Why? Because it’s not just another chatbot — it’s deeply embedded in the Windows and Microsoft 365 ecosystem that powers homes, businesses, governments and nearly every Fortune 500 company. Copilot is already sitting on the desktop of the people who decide whether to hire you, partner with you or fund your company.

    That makes it the “sneaky” AI — the one shaping your professional reputation before you even enter the room. In this article, you’ll learn how Copilot and other AI assistants are building your “AI Résumé” behind the scenes — and a practical framework you can use to take back control of your digital narrative.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Jason Barnard

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  • How a 1-Word Business Plan Can Transform Your Company | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Entrepreneurs live in a world of high-stakes decisions and constant motion. Every day, you are bombarded with problems to solve, opportunities to seize and teams to lead. Through the chaos, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and mentally drained. No matter how much gets done, your list continues to grow.

    In an attempt to gain control, entrepreneurs spend countless hours attempting to craft the perfect business plan. While most of these business plans are an impressive compilation of detailed objectives, progress trackers and PowerPoint slides, they often end up collecting dust.

    The challenge is that most plans are unnecessarily complex, which makes them difficult to execute. Instead, entrepreneurs can simplify this process by focusing their entire business vision on a single, powerful one-word theme for the year. This one-word business plan then acts as a strategic compass as opposed to a rigid map. Focusing on your one word will help the team stay aligned throughout the year and guide every action.

    Related: 5 Ways to Simplify Your Business Plan and Almost Anything Else

    1. Reflect on your past 12 months

    Before you can chart a course for the next 12 months, it’s important to reflect on where you’ve been (and no, this doesn’t have to be at the start of a new calendar year). Schedule time to review the past 12 months, and start by listing your biggest wins, proudest achievements, what worked well and what didn’t. By being brutally honest about your past performance, you can lay the foundation for exploring potential opportunities, challenges and changes you want to focus on going forward.

    2. Identify new opportunities

    Beyond looking inside your organization, it’s important to take a look outward for new opportunities. Are there any trends that you haven’t capitalized on yet? Are there new markets or revenue streams that are untapped? A good way to identify these opportunities is to stay current by participating in industry events, reading relevant industry publications and networking.

    Look for opportunities that involve new technologies, changing consumer behaviors and an evolving competitive landscape. Once you have a list of these new opportunities, you can identify which ones align with the strengths of your business and team, especially those that your competitors would struggle to replicate.

    3. Pinpoint your biggest challenges

    The next step is to turn your attention to what’s holding you back. Internal challenges might include gaps like outdated software, inefficient team processes or a lack of clear communication. External challenges could include supplier availability, growing competitor market share or changes in laws or regulatory requirements.

    Entrepreneurs often have blind spots when it comes to identifying challenges in their business, so this is a good opportunity to gather feedback directly from your team. An outside perspective from a professional business coach or consultant can also be incredibly valuable.

    Related: The Inevitable Challenges You’ll Face as Your Business Grows — and How to Handle Them

    4. Craft your future vision

    If you could wave a magic wand, where would your business be a year from now? As you craft this vision, consider all of the elements that you have evaluated up to this point. Think about what challenges you look to overcome and what opportunities you plan to seize.

    A good practice is to write this vision in the present tense. For example, “my business has doubled its sales” or “I’ve created processes for my team that allow me to have a better work-life balance.” Writing in the present tense can help you envision how your future will feel and boost your excitement and motivation.

    5. Brainstorm and choose your word

    This is the creative heart of the process. Start by brainstorming a list of words associated with your vision. The key is to not censor yourself. Embrace the process and write down every word that comes to mind.

    Once you have a list of a few dozen words, start eliminating them one at a time until you’ve found the one that aligns best with your vision. For example, a pest control company that wants to streamline its operation to reduce costs, improve customer response times and boost productivity might focus on the word “Processes.” A marketing agency that feels it has lost its creative edge might choose the word “Authenticity” to guide its campaign development.

    If you don’t find a word that resonates with you deeply, don’t be afraid to scrap the list and try again. It’s important to get this right.

    Related: How to Use Your Business Plan Most Effectively

    6. Make it actionable and engage the team

    Now that you have your chosen word, it’s time to let it drive your actions. The first step is to translate your word into concrete initiatives. Start by building a mind map of projects, changes and opportunities that support it.

    For the pest control company I coach, focusing on “Processes” might mean a goal of streamlining a key process by 25%. For the marketing agency I coach, “Authenticity” might lead to a new policy to only work with brands that share their values. Ultimately, your word should be the primary filter for all decisions throughout the year.

    Of course, the most powerful vision is a shared one. Your chosen word will only be effective if your entire team understands it. Take the time to communicate your word clearly and explain the vision behind it. Tell them the story of how you chose it and show them how their individual roles and tasks contribute to the larger theme. When your team is truly aligned, they can make decisions with confidence, solve problems more efficiently and work as a cohesive unit toward a common goal.

    Embracing the one-word business plan can be an exciting new approach to leadership. It’s all about doing more of what matters most and trading complexity for clarity. By distilling your vision into a single, powerful word, you can transform your business, empower your team and ensure that every choice you make moves you in exactly the right direction.

    Entrepreneurs live in a world of high-stakes decisions and constant motion. Every day, you are bombarded with problems to solve, opportunities to seize and teams to lead. Through the chaos, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and mentally drained. No matter how much gets done, your list continues to grow.

    In an attempt to gain control, entrepreneurs spend countless hours attempting to craft the perfect business plan. While most of these business plans are an impressive compilation of detailed objectives, progress trackers and PowerPoint slides, they often end up collecting dust.

    The challenge is that most plans are unnecessarily complex, which makes them difficult to execute. Instead, entrepreneurs can simplify this process by focusing their entire business vision on a single, powerful one-word theme for the year. This one-word business plan then acts as a strategic compass as opposed to a rigid map. Focusing on your one word will help the team stay aligned throughout the year and guide every action.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Nicholas Leighton

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  • Why Executives Should Stop Ignoring Brain Fog and Start Finding Root-Cause Clarity | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Brain fog. Fatigue. Trouble bouncing back after long days or stressful quarters. Many executives dismiss these symptoms as the inevitable price of leadership. But what if they aren’t just stressed? What if their bodies and environments are quietly working against them?

    That question sits at the heart of what I call root-cause clarity: identifying the hidden triggers that undermine energy, focus and resilience long before they show up as major problems.

    Related: Why Top Leaders Are Turning to Energy Medicine for an Edge

    My turning point

    At the height of my career in tech, I was struck by a car while seven months pregnant with my third child. The accident forced me to slow down and pay attention to my health in ways I had never considered. What began as a fight for survival became a search for deeper answers.

    That search eventually led me into the world of diagnostics, functional wellness and culinary medicine. I became certified through a program accredited by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and I founded Small Hinges Health to help others ask the same question I had to face: what hidden factors might be quietly sabotaging your potential?

    Along the way, I met others who had walked the same path — from pain to purpose — and were building solutions to help people uncover their own root causes. Their journeys echo the same lesson: clarity doesn’t just heal, it transforms how we lead and live. Here are two of those stories.

    Carrie’s story: From illness to educator

    Carrie Drinkwine’s life looked picture-perfect from the outside. She was ambitious, vibrant and determined. But behind the scenes, she was in constant pain. She grew up in a home with hidden mold and later faced an onslaught of chronic health challenges — relentless fatigue, widespread pain and infertility that defied explanation.

    Doctor after doctor offered prescriptions, but no lasting relief. The disconnect between her outward success and her private suffering grew wider until she realized she had to dig deeper for herself.

    Through years of research and trial, Carrie began exploring detoxification, regenerative approaches and cellular-level wellness. Piece by piece, she uncovered the root causes undermining her health. That transformation reshaped her purpose.

    She went on to found Wise Wellness Clinic and later The Institute of Regenerative Health, where she now trains practitioners worldwide to help clients move beyond symptom-chasing and toward true root-cause analysis.

    For executives, her story is a reminder: ignoring fatigue and brain fog isn’t resilience — it’s risk. The leadership lesson is simple: pushing through may win you short-term results, but true resilience comes from addressing what’s quietly draining performance.

    Related: Why a Stress Detox Is Vital for an Entrepreneur

    Jason’s story: From survival to advocacy

    Jason Earle’s early years were marked by illness so severe that doctors once suspected cystic fibrosis. He was allergic to nearly everything in his environment, and his childhood was defined by inhalers, medications, and limitations.

    Then, after his parents’ divorce, Jason moved out of his musty childhood home — and almost overnight, many of his symptoms disappeared. At the time, doctors attributed it to “spontaneous remission.” Years later, he realized something more fundamental: the damp, mold-filled environment he grew up in had likely been the root cause of his suffering.

    Life dealt him further blows. At 14, he lost his mother to suicide. At 15, he was diagnosed with Lyme disease, leading to missed school and mounting setbacks. By 16, he had dropped out and was pumping gas for $7 an hour.

    But in an unexpected twist, a chance encounter at that gas station opened the door to Wall Street. Within a year, Jason had become the youngest licensed stockbroker in U.S. history, earning a Guinness World Record at just 17. He built a successful career in finance, but the mystery of his early health struggles stayed with him.

    When he later discovered the connection between mold and chronic illness, it reframed his past—and gave him a mission. He founded 1-800-GOT-MOLD? and developed the GOT MOLD?® Test Kit, giving people accessible tools to evaluate the air quality in their homes and workplaces.

    For leaders, Jason’s message is clear: you cannot change what you refuse to measure. Hidden factors in your environment and body affect performance whether you acknowledge them or not. Clarity begins with data.

    Lessons for leaders

    For executives, these stories carry a powerful message. Brain fog and fatigue aren’t just signs of overwork – they may be signals of unseen obstacles draining performance. The real risk isn’t in asking too many questions, but in waiting until it’s too late.

    Related: 5 Ways to Improve Productivity By Breathing Easier

    Practical ways to start

    • Test your environment. Environmental toxins and nutrition imbalances can all impact how you show up at work.
    • Seek deeper diagnostics. Go beyond standard panels to uncover what might be quietly affecting resilience.
    • Invest in education. Learn enough to be your own advocate – because no one will prioritize your health more than you.

    Carrie, Jason, and I share one truth: adversity can fuel more than just your mission, it can fuel clarity. Executives are trained to optimize systems and strategies, but the most important system – the body – is often ignored until it fails.

    Root-cause clarity isn’t just a wellness strategy. It’s a performance strategy. And in leadership, clarity is the ultimate competitive edge.

    Lindsay ONeill

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