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Tag: Growth Strategies

  • 10 Underrated Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Listen To | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

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

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

    1. The Indie Biz Podcast

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

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

    2. Bootstrap Stories

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

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

    3. Creative Elements

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

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

    4. The Unmistakable Creative

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

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

    5. StartUp Therapy

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

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

    Related: 25 Top Podcasts That Will Spark Your Entrepreneurial Vision

    6. The Sweaty Startup

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

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

    7. The Exit

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

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

    8. Business Wars

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

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

    9. The Twenty Minute VC

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

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

    10. My First Million

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

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

    Related: 30 Top Podcasts for Influential Entrepreneurs

    Why these podcasts matter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Roy Dekel

    Source link

  • Taylor Swift and Amazon’s ‘Antifragile’ Secret to Business Success | Entrepreneur

    If you’ve had internet access since 2005, you’re familiar with Taylor Swift.

    Image Credit: Gilbert Flores | Getty Images

    The superstar musician is the most-streamed artist in the world. She is the first to win album of the year at the Grammy Awards four times. Her Eras Tour generated more than $2 billion in ticket sales. And she has a net worth of $1.6 billion.

    She also has something valuable in common with Amazon, the Jeff Bezos-founded ecommerce giant that boasts a $2.5 trillion market capitalization.

    Related: Don’t ‘Shake Off’ These 5 Business, Brand and Legal Lessons From Taylor Swift

    Aside from Swift and Amazon’s status as two of the most successful brands in the world, the pair shares a rare trait that’s helped them get there, according to former strategist at Harvard Business School Sinéad O’Sullivan.

    In her new book, Good Ideas and Power Moves: Ten Lessons for Success From Taylor Swift, O’Sullivan claims that Taylor Swift and Amazon have both reached the pinnacles of their respective industries by being “antifragile.”

    “In an increasingly complex and seemingly random world, some systems perform better in chaos than others.”

    The concept of “antifragility” relates to a field of physics called chaos theory. Lebanese American scholar of math and financial markets Nassim Taleb coined the term after noticing a peculiar event unfolding in systems and organizations across a wide range of fields, from biology to urban development, healthcare and more.

    “What he saw was that in an increasingly complex and seemingly random world, some systems perform better in chaos than others,” O’Sullivan writes.

    Essentially, antifragility flouts the human desire for stability and instinct to fear what’s different or unstable.

    “The idea of antifragility goes far beyond saying that uncertainty doesn’t have to be bad,” O’Sullivan explains. “It actually says that uncertainty is good. Antifragility isn’t just about surviving chaos; it’s about flourishing in it. It’s about flipping the script and turning adversity into opportunity, uncertainty into innovation and chaos into creativity.”

    Related: Embracing Antifragility — How to Leverage Uncertainty, Volatility and Stress for Unprecedented Growth and Innovation

    The immune system and winemaking serve as real-life examples of antifragility at work, O’Sullivan notes. A strong immune system has been exposed to pathogens and can better ward off future threats. Great wine often comes from vines under stress because they grow smaller grapes with more concentrated flavor.

    “Amazon’s business actually gets stronger because the volatility wipes out its competitors.”

    The pandemic helped reveal which companies were antifragile, too — those that didn’t have to wait for share prices to recover because they’d never really fallen in the first place, according to O’Sullivan. As many major retailers struggled to stock their shelves, Amazon maintained total control over its supply chain and saw its online business soar.

    “At Amazon, there is no single point of failure that would prevent toilet paper from being passed from millions of available sellers to millions of eagerly awaiting buyers,” O’Sullivan says. “Amazon’s business actually gets stronger because the volatility wipes out its competitors.”

    Likewise, Swift has demonstrated remarkable antifragility while building her business over the years. O’Sullivan cites four career moments when Swift took a “destructive” path that weakened the competition and strengthened her brand:

    1. In 2014, Swift withdrew her music from Spotify, the fastest-growing music streaming platform at that time, because she believed its compensation model for artists devalued their work.

    Why wasn’t the move “fatal,” as many industry experts assumed it would be? The “friendship first” and “music later” relationship she has with her fans plays an important role, according to O’Sullivan.

    “Taylor Swift can be compared to a Rolex watch, not a Swatch,” O’Sullivan writes. “The harder it is for people to access her music, the more they crave her and are willing to follow her. By withdrawing her music, Taylor Swift became what is known as a ‘Veblen’ or a ‘luxury’ good.”

    When Swift left Spotify, her music was in the playlists of more than 19 million users; the week she returned in 2017, she hit nearly 48 million streams.

    Related: 3 Lessons for Entrepreneurs From Spotify, Which Won Over Taylor Swift and Just Made its Billion-Dollar IPO

    2. Swift isn’t afraid to “beef” with other musicians and celebrities — like Kanye West after he told her on stage at the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards that “Beyonce had the best video of all time.”

    “The more Kanye West beat down Taylor Swift, the stronger her fan base rallied around her, leading to extravagantly higher levels of emotional connection between Taylor and her fans within the Swiftverse,” O’Sullivan says.

    O’Sullivan adds that “at least from the outside, Taylor never starts the fights,” which also tends to fit within three main growth-fueling “vibes”: “powerful men taking advantage of less powerful women,” “women who are bitchy and unkind” and “being on the right side of history.”

    Related: 7 Business Feuds With More Beef Than Kanye vs. Taylor

    3. During the pandemic, Swift released not one but two surprise albums despite marketing limitations amid lockdowns and industry precedents.

    “When everybody else was fumbling to get a handle on their life, how was Taylor Swift able to Amazon herself?” O’Sullivan writes. “Well, most of it comes down to the fact that, like Amazon, she has spent her entire career creating, buying and owning her own ‘value chain,’ or the different parts of the music industry that she needs to engage with to release music.”

    The Swiftverse is “one hell of a strategic asset,” O’Sullivan notes — and kept her able to deliver core products into the market.

    Related: ‘Historically Unprecedented Demand’: Taylor Swift Fans Caused Ticketmaster’s Site To Crash Over 5000 Times

    4. Finally, Swift rerecorded her albums after Big Machine Label Group was sold to Scooter Braun‘s Ithaca Holdings.

    Some industry leaders considered the lengthy and expensive move one that “would suck the oxygen out of her career” — but because Swift is antifragile, the opposite proved true, O’Sullivan says.

    “As Taylor and Amazon both show us, [during a crisis] is exactly when their stock is going to rise,” O’Sullivan writes. “Investors who pay hundreds of millions of dollars to try to own what they think is Taylor Swift’s ‘core product’ (music) simply don’t understand her empire as well as she understands it.”

    Related: Taylor Swift Just Made a Surprise Announcement, Revealing the Marketing Genius Behind Her $1.5 Billion Fortune

    Going forward, business and strategy leaders who successfully lead through chaos will all be building antifragile organizations — Swift just happens to be ahead of the game, O’Sullivan says.

    What’s more, as beneficial as antifragility is, O’Sullivan acknowledges that adopting it isn’t easy. It requires embracing uncertainty and volatility, building resilience and accepting “weird and bad things.”

    O’Sullivan’s Good Ideas and Power Moves offers other takeaways from Swift’s career that entrepreneurs and business leaders might find applicable to their own, including how to be a unicorn, have a strategy and stick to it, build a world instead of products, negotiate with authenticity and more.

    Amanda Breen

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  • ‘We Live the Brand’: Why Mark Wahlberg and Harry Arnett Built a Company That Embodies Relentless Ambition | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Municipal CEO Harry Arnett met his future co-founder in a setting familiar to many business leaders: the golf course. They bonded quickly over shared experiences — raising kids, navigating careers — and from that connection, a friendship grew. At first glance, it sounds like a typical entrepreneurial origin story.

    But in Arnett’s case, the partner by his side wasn’t another executive. It was Oscar-nominated actor and Boston icon Mark Wahlberg.

    Related: John and Hank Green Built a Company That Gives Away 100% of Its Profits — Here’s How

    Purpose over products

    “When Mark and I first discussed starting a brand, it wasn’t about the products,” Arnett tells Entrepreneur. “It was about how we could equip modern consumers with what they need to achieve their goals.”

    They, along with film and television producer Stephen Levinson, identified a major white space at the intersection of fitness and fashion. Arnett formerly served as executive vice president at Callaway Golf, where he noticed a shift in how consumers engaged with brands.

    “They were starting to seek direct relationships with brands they liked, primarily through digital media,” he explains. As EVP, he focused on revitalizing Callaway by reconnecting with consumers in a fresh, dynamic way — a strategy he calls the centerpiece of his community-building efforts.

    After years of back-and-forth, the duo finally launched Municipal in 2019.

    “The idea for Municipal was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Wahlberg tells Entrepreneur. “It wasn’t about just attaching my name to someone else’s idea, which is often what celebrity-led brands are. Municipal is different — this is a real partnership from the ground up.”

    The launch meant Arnett had to leave Callaway. “For me, that was an aha moment,” he says. “A chance to step away from a comfortable, familiar career and start over in pursuit of the best version of myself.”

    That mentality became the ethos of Municipal, a company founded on helping modern consumers pursue excellence in all aspects of life.

    “Municipal is about creating the best products in the world for workouts, athletic pursuits and everything in between, from the office to an active weekend,” Arnett explains. “It might sound like we’re trying to be everything to everyone, but when people see our product, they get it immediately — no one makes gear like we do.”

    Related: Restaurants Are Throwing Away Billions of Gallons of Water — This Startup Said Enough

    Building tomorrow’s leaders

    Contrary to standard practices, where brands are encouraged to hone in on a focus area, Arnett positions Municipal as more than just another activewear company, calling that label too “one-dimensional.”

    He envisions the brand inspiring a drive to succeed in any arena — athletics, academics or beyond. A key part of this approach is Municipal’s Next Gen Brand Immersion, a free, week-long program that gives young people an inside look at every aspect of building a modern, purpose-driven brand — from product design and marketing to finance and operations.

    “Too often, young people are fed the myth of overnight success and shortcuts,” Arnett says. “From our experience, those are fantasies. We saw an opportunity to use our platform to celebrate ambition, hard work, and self-belief in a way that feels ‘cool’ for kids.”

    The idea for the program didn’t originate with Arnett or Wahlberg, but with Arnett’s youngest daughter, Kerris, who has shown a keen interest in Municipal.

    “We’ve been talking about the brand since day one, and she got really passionate about it,” Arnett shares. “She said it would be amazing if more kids her age could experience these kinds of things firsthand, instead of just reading about them. I told her, ‘Karis, that’s a big idea.’”

    Building on his daughter’s suggestion, Arnett sought to replicate what brands like Nike have done with sports camps — creating a talent pipeline for Municipal while connecting the company with the next generation of potential entrepreneurs and gaining insights into the preferences of the highly coveted Gen Z audience.

    The effort culminated in a week-long, hands-on program giving ambitious 18- to 24-year-olds a real look at what it takes to build a modern, purpose-driven brand. Participants work directly with Municipal’s team across product design, marketing and operations, gaining experience in creating, launching and promoting a real collection.

    The students even designed a capsule — featuring a hoodie, pants, shorts, t-shirt and hat — that Municipal will release and help market.

    “It’s a way to engage with this group beyond just selling the best gear in the world,” Arnett explains. “These 25 students are leaders in their schools and have become rabid Municipal fans. They’ll tell their friends, and even when they go off to college, they’ll maintain a connection with us. The possibilities for extending that relationship feel practically endless.”

    Leo Zevin

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  • Being ‘Busy’ Isn’t Helping You Be Productive — 5 Tips to Become Truly Efficient at Work | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Back in 2019, when I joined my brokerage firm, my managing broker shared with me the philosophy of being productive, not busy. I thought that was amazing advice, and it has stuck with me.

    Whenever anyone asks me if I am busy, I say, “No! I am productive.”

    Being ‘productive’ has a positive connotation. It is about working smarter, and it encourages the mind to get tasks accomplished.

    Over the years, I’ve explored ways to boost productivity. In this article, I’ll share five practical tips to move from merely being busy to genuinely productive at work.

    1. Write down and organize your tasks

    I start almost every day with a to-do list. I jot down the tasks I want to accomplish that day, and I get the pleasure of checking them off my list. When thinking about the order to complete the tasks, I do so in many ways.

    First, I prioritize the tasks specific to the time promises I have made. If I have informed a client or coworker that I would complete a task by a specific time, I make sure to do so. I prioritize these promised tasks first.

    After finishing tasks with deadlines, I look at the remaining ones and knock out the quick wins first. It helps clear my list and gets things moving — especially if someone else is waiting on me before they can continue.

    Once the smaller items are handled, I tackle the bigger ones, but with timing in mind. For instance, research or proposals shouldn’t take priority during prime calling hours when direct outreach is more valuable.

    2. Learn when to say no

    A key to being productive — not just busy — is learning to say no. For me, this took years, but everything changed once I started creating annual business plans. By clearly defining the type of work I want to focus on, I can quickly see when an opportunity doesn’t align.

    When that happens, I politely decline, sometimes connecting the person with someone better suited. Some people fear that saying no will cost them future opportunities. I disagree. I thank them for thinking of me, explain my focus, and move on. There will always be opportunities for hard-working, knowledgeable people — so learning when to say no is essential.

    Related: How to Say ‘No’ to Others

    3. Be specific and know your business plan

    As I mentioned above, it is important to have a business plan so you know when to say no.

    When formulating your business plan, think about replacing activity with outcomes. For example, you don’t just want to have on your plan to attend two networking events a month. Having a number is good, but you want to be specific about what type of networking events you will attend, what you want to achieve from the networking events and how you will achieve them. Without being detailed and specific to your goals, they are much more difficult to accomplish.

    4. Use a CRM

    I highly recommend the use of a client/ customer relationship management software. If you spend the majority of your day trying to track down old notes and phone numbers you once had, you will be ‘busy,’ but not productive.

    By using a CRM, you will be able to quickly access your notes and contact information. There are a ton of CRM’s out there, and some that are specific to different fields. I recommend doing a lot of research before committing, and do not commit unless you have a free trial.

    Related: Want To Be Productive? Take It Slow

    5. Plan smart

    What I mean by plan smart is to think ahead in your planning. Group together as many meetings as possible, specific to time and geography. Think about things like traffic and try your best to be on the road when traffic is lightest.

    Additionally, plan demanding tasks during your peak alertness, while repetitive tasks can either be outsourced or worked on after hours. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to replan. Always check your schedule at least the night before, and if you feel you need to rearrange items to be productive, then you should do so.

    Standing out isn’t hard — it just takes extra effort. When you’re clear on your goals, specific about what you want to achieve and focused on the steps to get there, productivity follows.

    Being busy might look impressive, but true success comes from being intentional. Write down and organize your tasks, learn to say no and stick to a solid business plan. Remember that a CRM can be your best friend, and at the end of the day, always look ahead to plan smart.

    Everyone feels pressed for time, but the real edge comes from focus, not from doing more. Don’t be the “shiny object” person bouncing between tasks. Instead, take a deep dive into how you use your time and aim to be productive — not just busy

    Back in 2019, when I joined my brokerage firm, my managing broker shared with me the philosophy of being productive, not busy. I thought that was amazing advice, and it has stuck with me.

    Whenever anyone asks me if I am busy, I say, “No! I am productive.”

    Being ‘productive’ has a positive connotation. It is about working smarter, and it encourages the mind to get tasks accomplished.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Roxanne Klein

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  • Inside PepsiCo’s Project Helping Local Restaurants | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Restaurants are racing to go digital, and PepsiCo wants to help them get there.

    To the world, PepsiCo is a global brand known for bold flavors, iconic ads and entertainment partnerships. To restaurant owners, it is also a growth partner offering tools to strengthen their businesses.

    André Moraes, who leads global digital marketing for PepsiCo, explains how the multinational food and beverage corporation has been building a digital powerhouse for restaurant partners. “Restaurants are at the center of our lives,” Moraes tells Shawn Walchef of Restaurant Influencers. “If they succeed, the whole community does.”

    The initiative includes the Digital Lab, Menu Pro, Local Eats and Media Pro, all designed to make restaurants stronger in the digital age. “Everything that we offer to our customer partners is completely free,” Moraes adds.

    That commitment has already scaled in a big way. Through its Menu Pro program, PepsiCo has worked with more than 200,000 restaurants and optimized over one million menus worldwide. It can share insights from one market to another, giving local operators access to the same expertise that benefits national chains. The data collected from this global reach has helped restaurants improve ordering experiences and grow sales.

    The results, Moraes noted, are measurable.

    “We continue to see double-digit growth in overall digital sales for our restaurant partners,” he says. “Through it, we see growth in beverage sales as well, but it’s profitable growth, which is what we’re really excited about.”

    PepsiCo also makes sure the support is hands-on. Digital leads across the country work directly with restaurant operators, helping them improve their menus, adopt new tools and stay on top of changes.

    For many operators, it is the kind of one-on-one guidance they would not be able to afford on their own. Proprietary AI systems monitor menus continuously, ensuring items, prices and photos stay accurate across platforms.

    For Moraes, the outcome matters most. “Guests are ordering and going to our restaurants, [and they’re] excelling through the tools and services and partnerships that we’re offering,” he says. “We are truly coming through as the growth partner for our restaurant partners.”

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

    Why local matters

    PepsiCo’s impact goes further than digital tools. The company is investing directly in local restaurants and the communities they anchor.

    That is where PepsiCo’s Local Eats program comes in. “Local Eats is our program specifically focused on local restaurants,” Moraes says. “If you’ve got one location to even upwards of 100 locations — but focused on local markets — we’re here for you through the Local Eats program.”

    Local Eats drives awareness, traffic and loyalty for independent and regional restaurants. The program invests in digital ads, out-of-home campaigns and even connects restaurants to PepsiCo’s national marketing. When PepsiCo shows food in ads, it often highlights a partner restaurant’s story.

    Inside the restaurant, PepsiCo provides branded assets to enhance the guest experience. Online, the company buys search and maps ads that put local restaurants at the top of results when hungry customers are deciding where to eat.

    The impact was on display at the National Restaurant Show with Russell’s Barbecue, a partner PepsiCo guided through a Local Eats transformation. “What you see here is a bit of the before and after, and you’ll see what their business looks like today,” Moraes says. The results included sharper branding, stronger digital traffic and more in-person visits.

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

    “Local Eats is about reaching, converting and retaining guests for our partners,” Moraes says. “We want to make sure we are not just driving traffic, but helping restaurants keep customers coming back.”

    There is also a community element. Local Eats includes a digital and delivery community program, where operators join live courses with PepsiCo experts and peers to learn best practices and build long-term strategies together.

    Diners still want to eat out, connect and be part of a local scene. And for PepsiCo, success means being part of that journey. By investing in digital tools, marketing support and hands-on partnerships, the company is showing that it is not only a beverage brand but also a growth partner committed to helping restaurants thrive in their communities.

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

    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.

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

    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • This Simple Practice Did More for My Business Than Any Productivity Hack | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When it comes to entrepreneurship, picking up a new hobby probably isn’t top of mind. You’re already juggling a packed schedule — and maybe you already have hobbies you love. Still, it should come as no surprise: hobbies are good for you.

    In fact, a 2023 study published in Nature Medicine found that adults aged 65-plus who engaged in hobbies reported better health, higher life satisfaction and greater happiness. And in my own experience, embracing a musical hobby has been one of the most effective ways to improve my mental health, reduce stress and maintain a sense of balance as a business owner.

    You don’t need to be a lifelong musician to benefit. Music offers a creative outlet and a mental reset — something all entrepreneurs need more of. Whether you’re learning an instrument, singing, or simply listening more intentionally, musical hobbies can change how you show up in business and life.

    Let’s break down three key ways music can positively impact entrepreneurs.

    1. Music relieves stress — fast

    Entrepreneurship comes with constant pressure — deadlines, decisions, responsibilities. Stress builds up over time, and if left unchecked, it can lead to burnout, anxiety, trouble concentrating or even depression.

    A musical hobby can serve as a powerful stress reliever. Studies show that playing an instrument or singing can lower cortisol levels and reduce anxiety. Even listening to music intentionally — without multitasking — can focus your mind and create a sense of calm.

    Of course, not everyone has time to learn an instrument. That’s okay. For me, just putting on a record and truly listening helps me reset. Whether it’s practicing piano, jamming with friends or listening to a favorite playlist, music becomes something to look forward to — a reliable, restorative escape.

    Related: How I Turned My Hobbies Into Profitable Side Businesses With My Friends — Without Losing the Joy

    2. It builds transferable skills

    Musical hobbies don’t just relieve stress — they sharpen your mind. Actively engaging with music can improve memory, concentration, and cognitive flexibility. For entrepreneurs, that’s a powerful edge.

    Learning to play an instrument, for instance, requires self-discipline, time management and resilience — all skills that mirror the entrepreneurial journey. It challenges you to get comfortable being a beginner again, to practice patience, and to build momentum over time.

    Musical practice enhances:

    • Creativity
    • Problem-solving
    • Focus
    • Coordination
    • Confidence
    • Discipline
    • Learning agility

    And perhaps most importantly, it reminds you that growth comes from consistency — a principle that applies just as much in business as it does in music.

    Related: Every Entrepreneur Needs a Hobby Separate From the Company — Here’s Why

    3. It strengthens your brain

    Engaging with music activates multiple regions of the brain — the same areas responsible for memory, movement, emotional regulation and complex thinking.

    A 2023 study found that musical training enhances auditory processing and working memory. According to AARP, playing an instrument lights up your brain, improving functions like listening, reading, and recall — and may even help grow new neural pathways. That means better cognitive health, greater adaptability, and increased creative thinking.

    For entrepreneurs who rely on clear decision-making, creative problem-solving and rapid learning, that kind of cognitive workout is invaluable.

    Treat music as self-care, not a side project

    Musical hobbies give entrepreneurs more than just stress relief. They offer a creative space to disconnect from the daily grind, while strengthening the mental and emotional muscles that help you lead, build and grow.

    Even if you can’t commit to lessons or learning an instrument, find ways to engage with music that work for your schedule. Deep listening, group classes, or even karaoke nights can reignite joy and spark inspiration.

    Entrepreneurship demands everything from you — but that doesn’t mean you can’t take something back. A musical hobby could be exactly what you need to recharge, grow and show up better in every area of your life.

    When it comes to entrepreneurship, picking up a new hobby probably isn’t top of mind. You’re already juggling a packed schedule — and maybe you already have hobbies you love. Still, it should come as no surprise: hobbies are good for you.

    In fact, a 2023 study published in Nature Medicine found that adults aged 65-plus who engaged in hobbies reported better health, higher life satisfaction and greater happiness. And in my own experience, embracing a musical hobby has been one of the most effective ways to improve my mental health, reduce stress and maintain a sense of balance as a business owner.

    You don’t need to be a lifelong musician to benefit. Music offers a creative outlet and a mental reset — something all entrepreneurs need more of. Whether you’re learning an instrument, singing, or simply listening more intentionally, musical hobbies can change how you show up in business and life.

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    Dr. Christina Rahm

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  • We Built a 7-Figure Business Without a Single Investor — Here’s Why Saying No to VC Was Our Smartest Move | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You’ve heard this story before: a couple of college kids launch a startup from their dorm room. Surrounded by engineers, finance majors and future founders, venture capital wasn’t just common — it was expected. So when my co-founder and I launched Prepory, our college admissions coaching company, we assumed we’d need funding to be taken seriously.

    We entered a pitch competition and came in second. No check. We reached out to investors. No bites. We had a choice: give up or keep building.

    We kept building.

    What started as a one-person operation helping students in our local community has grown into a seven-figure, global company with nearly 100 team members. We’ve supported over 14,000 students, partnered with school districts and institutions in multiple countries and built one of the most trusted brands in college admissions — all without a single outside investor.

    Here’s why we said no to VC, and why bootstrapping was the smartest decision we never planned to make.

    The pressure to raise

    In elite academic circles, starting a business often goes hand in hand with chasing venture capital. I pictured the high-stakes pitch rooms, the dramatic investor meetings — scenes straight out of The Social Network. But after our early efforts fell flat, we stopped trying to win someone else’s approval and turned our focus inward.

    We obsessed over our product, our client experience and our outcomes — not “scale.”

    One month before our one-year mark, we hit $100,000 in revenue. It wasn’t a headline-grabbing number by Silicon Valley standards, but it proved something more important: we didn’t need permission to grow. We just needed to execute.

    Related: Most Startups Ignore This One Asset That Makes or Breaks Their Success

    What bootstrapping taught us

    In hindsight, bootstrapping didn’t just work — it shaped the business in ways VC money never could.

    Every dollar mattered, which meant we tested fast and paid close attention to what customers wanted. Client feedback shaped everything. We pivoted early on from a B2C model to B2B — realizing that one school contract could bring the same revenue as ten individual clients. That insight wasn’t born from a boardroom; it was born from necessity.

    Bootstrapping also made me a better leader. I didn’t start by managing dozens of people. I started with one, then five, then ten. That kind of slow, intentional growth gave me room to develop as a leader — learning how to listen, communicate clearly and lead with clarity and care. There was no pressure to scale overnight, so we could prioritize culture, values and quality.

    The hidden cost of raising too soon

    VC can be a powerful accelerator — but if you raise too early, it can also be a trap.

    Many founders take funding before they’ve found product-market fit. They shift their focus from solving customer problems to pleasing investors. Instead of building a strong foundation, they’re stuck managing burn rates and expectations. Teams get stretched. Quality suffers.

    We built slowly. That meant we stayed close to our mission and recruited talent who were energized by the opportunity to build something meaningful. Today, we outperform companies twice our size because we’ve built a team that shows up with purpose — and we’ve stayed aligned with what matters most: helping students reach their full potential.

    Related: How to Scale a Business Without Wasting Millions (Or Collapsing Under Your Own Growth)

    Should you bootstrap?

    Ask yourself this: What do you actually need the money for?

    If you’re building a product that truly requires upfront investment — hardware, tech or time-sensitive development — funding may make sense. But if you’re starting a service-based business, you might not need capital to get traction.

    Bootstrapping requires resilience, patience and a tolerance for delayed gratification. But it gives you full ownership of your company, your vision and your decisions. Today, we have the freedom to invest in growth on our own terms.

    People still ask if we’d raise money now. My answer? Not unless we have a strategic reason to. Not because I’m anti-VC, but because we no longer need it.

    Bootstrapping gave us something far more valuable than capital: it taught us how to build a resilient, values-driven, adaptable business. And if we ever decide to raise, we’ll do it from a position of strength — not survival.

    You’ve heard this story before: a couple of college kids launch a startup from their dorm room. Surrounded by engineers, finance majors and future founders, venture capital wasn’t just common — it was expected. So when my co-founder and I launched Prepory, our college admissions coaching company, we assumed we’d need funding to be taken seriously.

    We entered a pitch competition and came in second. No check. We reached out to investors. No bites. We had a choice: give up or keep building.

    We kept building.

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    Daniel Santos

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  • How to Find and Recruit Top Talent Before Competitors Do | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Finding the next game-changer for your business isn’t luck — it’s a calculated hunt. The leaders who consistently win in business know how to identify, attract and lock in top talent before anyone else realizes their potential. Forget waiting for resumes to land on your desk. You need to know where to look, what to look for and how to close fast.

    The same principles that discovered Michael Jordan apply to business recruiting: discipline in scouting, precision in evaluation and decisiveness in making the offer. And yes, that also means understanding what the next generation actually cares about, not just what you think they care about.

    Here are five proven strategies to make sure you spot and secure the best talent before your competitors do.

    Related: Talent Is Hard to Come by, But Only Because You’re Looking in the Same Old Places

    1. Scout where others aren’t looking

    If your only recruiting strategy is posting on LinkedIn or waiting for applications to roll in, you’re already behind. The most exceptional talent often doesn’t announce itself publicly — they’re too busy building, competing and proving themselves elsewhere.

    Some of the strongest hires are hidden in niche forums, specialized Slack groups, college programs, coding competitions or industry hackathons. These are places where ambitious people showcase their skills without necessarily signaling they’re “on the market.”

    Think of it like sports. Michael Jordan wasn’t discovered at a crowded job fair — he was spotted by scouts who looked beyond the obvious pipeline. If you want to find rare talent, you need to go where the masses aren’t paying attention. That might mean sending a trusted team member to judge a hackathon, sponsoring a local competition or simply reaching out in communities where your competitors aren’t looking.

    2. Understand the new motivators

    Money still matters, but it’s only the starting point. Today’s top performers — especially younger talent — are motivated by purpose, mentorship and long-term growth trajectory. They want to know: Does this company align with my values? Will I grow here? Will I be mentored?

    My wife, a respected professional who literally wrote the book on career navigation, explains that the workforce of today is far more intentional about choosing companies that fit their lives, not just their wallets. If you can’t clearly communicate how your business aligns with their personal and professional ambitions, you won’t win them — no matter how big the paycheck.

    This doesn’t mean you have to overhaul your company culture overnight. But it does mean you need to articulate your value proposition beyond compensation. If your company offers accelerated learning, exposure to industry leaders or a strong social mission, make that part of your pitch.

    Related: 3 Golden Strategies to Attract Top Talent in an Ultra-Competitive Job Market

    3. Build a talent pipeline before you need it

    The worst time to start recruiting is when you have an urgent vacancy. By then, you’re playing catch-up — and usually settling.

    Think about it in sports terms: You don’t wait until your star point guard retires to start looking for the next one. The best teams always have a pipeline of prospects in the wings, ready to step up.

    Great CEOs and executives adopt the same mindset. They’re always recruiting — at conferences, over coffee, during casual conversations. That doesn’t mean offering jobs on the spot; it means building relationships long before you have an open role.

    Start by keeping a running list of high-potential individuals you meet. Check in occasionally, invite them to events, and let them know you admire their work. When the right role opens, you’ll already have a shortlist of warm candidates who know your company and are more likely to say yes.

    4. Hire for ceiling, not just resume

    Resumes tell you what someone has already done. But what matters more is what they’re capable of becoming.

    A solid performer with sky-high potential will often outperform a “perfect on paper” candidate who’s already peaked. In basketball terms, you’re looking for the player who’s still coachable, hungry and willing to put in the work — not just the one with the best stats from last season.

    This requires a mindset shift. Instead of obsessing over every qualification, look for adaptability, curiosity and grit. These qualities often predict long-term success far better than technical skills alone.

    Here’s where having a structured evaluation process is critical. My wife’s frameworks, for example, focus on assessing coachability, problem-solving approach and growth mindset. Tools like these can separate an average recruiter from an elite one by giving a clear method to evaluate potential, not just past performance.

    Related: 5 Recruiting Secrets Every Leader Should Follow

    5. Move fast, close decisively

    Hesitation kills deals. The best talent has options, and if you’re slow to move, your competitors will happily swoop in.

    Great CEOs treat hiring decisions like acquisition deals: They act on intel, instinct and a clear read on ROI. Once you know you’ve found your Michael Jordan, don’t drag things out with endless interviews or bureaucratic delays.

    When you’re ready, move quickly and decisively. That doesn’t just mean making an offer — it means making the offer. One that makes the candidate feel valued, respected and excited about saying yes.

    Remember, in the war for talent, there’s no silver medal. You either close the deal or you lose the player.

    The leaders who know how to scout smart, connect with what talent truly wants and move with decisiveness are the ones who build companies that dominate for decades. Everyone else is left wondering how they “missed out” on the game-changers they once crossed paths with.

    The truth is simple: Talent doesn’t fall into your lap — it’s hunted, cultivated and closed with intent. The question is, are you ready to start recruiting like a championship team?

    Finding the next game-changer for your business isn’t luck — it’s a calculated hunt. The leaders who consistently win in business know how to identify, attract and lock in top talent before anyone else realizes their potential. Forget waiting for resumes to land on your desk. You need to know where to look, what to look for and how to close fast.

    The same principles that discovered Michael Jordan apply to business recruiting: discipline in scouting, precision in evaluation and decisiveness in making the offer. And yes, that also means understanding what the next generation actually cares about, not just what you think they care about.

    Here are five proven strategies to make sure you spot and secure the best talent before your competitors do.

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    Roy Dekel

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  • How to Unlock Big Business Breakthroughs in Just 4 Minutes | Entrepreneur

    Need a great business idea? Just set aside four minutes.

    That’s the advice of Mike Michalowicz, author of nine books and host of the new TV series 4 Minute Money Maker. In the show, he helps business owners solve real problems fast — by coming up with as many ideas as possible in just four minutes.

    But it’s not just a TV gimmick, he says. It’s a real strategy that he uses when helping entrepreneurs solve problems, unlock growth, and identify new opportunities.

    Here, he explains how it works.

    You’re known as the systems guy. Do you have a system for generating ideas when a business is stuck, or even starting to flatline? How can someone replicate that to breathe new life into their own business?

    Michalowicz: Absolutely. Idea generation is a skill, not a talent. And like any skill, it gets better with practice. The best way to start is by using a method to structure your brainstorming, especially when you’re learning to flex that creative muscle.

    If you aren’t sure what to fix first, I use a tool called DuMbO: Desire, Understanding, Method, Belief, Outcome.

    I start by asking: what does the customer want (Desire) versus what are they actually getting (Outcome)? If there’s a mismatch, then I check the Method of delivering my product or service. (I’ll explain that below.) If the Method works fine, then the real block might be that customers don’t Understand how to use it, or don’t Believe it will work for them.

    Example: A meal prep business is struggling with retention. Your customers Desire healthy meals in minutes, but the Outcome is that prep still feels too long. The Method is shipping them raw ingredients — and while that may technically deliver the healthy meals they desire, your customers might not Understand how to prep these meals efficiently, or they don’t Believe it truly saves time. Either way, that means they’ll quit your service.

    This is where idea generation comes in. One of my go-to tools is the random mashup. I take two unrelated things — say, a snowman and a lawnchair — and see what sparks:

    • Snowman: frozen, ready-to-heat meals customers can stockpile.
    • Lawnchair: marketing that promises, “Dinner’s ready so fast you can enjoy more time in your lawnchair.”

    A quirky mashup like this might sound absurd, but it often sparks practical experiments, like reframing your marketing or offering a convenience-focused product.

    To get the most out of it, follow three ground rules:

    • Set a timer. Four minutes is the sweet spot — long enough for ideas to flow, short enough to keep energy high.
    • Stick to one problem at a time. Focus keeps ideas relevant.
    • No judging. The wilder the ideas, the better.

    DuMbO shows you where to focus. The 4-minute mashup shows you how to spark solutions. Together, they unlock breakthroughs fast.

    What are the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make when generating ideas?

    Michalowicz: Seeking perfection, overthinking, and tackling too many problems at once are common traps. Entrepreneurs stall polishing the “perfect” idea, get bogged down in analysis, or scatter their focus. The 4-minute method solves this: Focus on one problem, prioritize quantity over quality, and set a strict timer to generate ideas fast. Then refine and test the ideas with the most potential.

    How do you filter which ideas are worth pursuing?

    Michalowicz: I use the lens of impact versus effort. Start with ideas that have high impact and low effort. Implement, test, and iterate quickly. Often, the fastest wins come from simple, actionable moves.

    How can a small business owner turn a scrappy idea into a lasting system?

    Michalowicz: First, test the concept. For instance, let’s think about the meal prep business whose customers struggled with prep time. That business could pilot a small batch of ready-to-heat meals for a week, tracking sales and repeat orders.

    Always involve customers and measure behavior, not just words. Once you are sure the idea resonates, then you should systematize it — document steps, assign responsibilities, and make it repeatable. Rapid experiments can become real growth engines.

    What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who feel they aren’t “idea people”?

    Michalowicz: Everyone can generate ideas. It’s a skill, not a talent. Make ideation part of your regular work. Schedule time and use structure — a strict timer, one problem to solve, and target output (like 10 ideas in four minutes). Ideas are just the spark; execution fuels the fire. Lean into your strengths, flex your ideas muscle, and make ideation a routine.

    The 4-minute method is fast, actionable, and surprisingly effective. I use it in my own business and to help entrepreneurs solve real challenges. You don’t need a TV show. You just a timer, a problem, and the willingness to act.

    Need a great business idea? Just set aside four minutes.

    That’s the advice of Mike Michalowicz, author of nine books and host of the new TV series 4 Minute Money Maker. In the show, he helps business owners solve real problems fast — by coming up with as many ideas as possible in just four minutes.

    But it’s not just a TV gimmick, he says. It’s a real strategy that he uses when helping entrepreneurs solve problems, unlock growth, and identify new opportunities.

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    Jason Feifer

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  • Smart Tax Moves If You Have Multiple Income Streams | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There’s a common debate about whether to diversify your income or stay specialized, although the statistics are factual. Nearly half of Americans have at least two revenue streams, and multimillionaires have at least seven. The reason is simple. Having multiple income streams equips you with options and provides you with financial stability.

    Once you decide to have multiple revenue streams or you already have them, the most critical thing to keep in mind is taxes and remaining compliant. However, more crucial is to plan so you have plenty of time to define a strategy and save for tax payments. Never wait until the last moment.

    Step 1: Treat each income stream like a business

    Whether you earn a W-2 salary, work as a freelancer or contractor, consult, rent properties, or trade stocks and other assets, each activity follows its own set of tax rules.

    You wouldn’t declare Airbnb earnings under your payroll, for example. First, you must set up the correct legal entity, such as a single-member LLC, S-Corp or C-Corp. Ticking the right boxes can significantly reduce your liability. A building contractor with multiple earning streams might benefit from switching from an LLC to an S-Corp, which could potentially save you up to $20,000 in taxes.

    Related: What Is an LLC? Here’s How It Works.

    If you own properties and rent them out, you will want to separate your expenses. It can boost deductions significantly. It is also a way to accelerate depreciation write-offs, allowing you to retain more cash now instead of waiting 20 years.

    If you are selling one or several properties, you need to check out a 1031 to defer capital gains taxes by rolling your profits into a different investment.

    Step 2: Pay taxes as if your life depended on it

    This year, you cashed in on consulting, bonuses, stock options or a side gig. Think ahead, because you don’t want April to bring an unexpected tax bill that devastates your cash flow. That’s the reality for many who ignore quarterly taxes.

    So, set aside 25 to 30% of every non-W-2 dollar. Track earnings, make quarterly payments and avoid penalties or fines or both. Vendors accept payments quarterly. You should treat IRS installments the same way.

    Related: How Smart Entrepreneurs Turn Mid-Year Tax Reviews Into Long-Term Financial Wins

    Step 3: Track your deductions all year round

    Most people wait until March, then frantically search through their emails for receipts and invoices. Not a good idea. Start thinking about taxes in July, when you can make smart, sensible and timely moves. If you are a freelancer or contractor, you may deduct expenses such as your home office, internet bill and travel to meetings with clients, including business lunches.

    Please don’t become the entrepreneur who misses a $3,000 gasoline deduction because they didn’t track their mileage to all those meetings and lunches. There’s no need to go to extremes, either, so don’t try to claim dog grooming or any other suspicious “business expense,” as it will raise red flags.

    “The optimal tax strategy isn’t always about pushing every possible benefit to its limit — it’s often about creating a framework that allows for consistent, long-term, justifiable tax efficiency,” said George Dimov, CPA, who helps professionals navigate the complex tax and planning system.

    It’s a good idea to maintain all your records in a spreadsheet or app to log expenses as they happen, and you’ll thank yourself when tax season arrives.

    Related: Why Mid-Year Tax Reviews Are a Must for First-Time Entrepreneurs

    Step 4: Expats, don’t miss these tax breaks

    If you are a US citizen earning abroad, operating a business from Thailand, or consulting for clients in Europe, taxes can become overwhelming. Tax law has a provision that allows approximately $120,000 of foreign-earned income to be excluded from US taxes. Be sure to check this number annually, as the exact amount changes frequently.

    The foreign tax credit can also save you from paying taxes twice if you are taxed overseas. However, you must report all relevant information, including foreign businesses, bank accounts and even small investments. There are fines of about $10,000 for failing to report a foreign bank account.

    Research as much as you can about international taxes or consult an expert who knows the subject and can save you time, trouble, and money.

    Related: 5 Tips for Finding the Tax Advisor Who Will Save You Millions

    Bottom line: multiple streams call for multiple planning layers

    More income streams mean more options, but also more tax complexity. Success lies in structure, timing, and ongoing management. Structure your entity to match your objectives. Pay quarterly. Plan mid-year. Track everything. However, taxes don’t have to be a nightmare.

    There’s a common debate about whether to diversify your income or stay specialized, although the statistics are factual. Nearly half of Americans have at least two revenue streams, and multimillionaires have at least seven. The reason is simple. Having multiple income streams equips you with options and provides you with financial stability.

    Once you decide to have multiple revenue streams or you already have them, the most critical thing to keep in mind is taxes and remaining compliant. However, more crucial is to plan so you have plenty of time to define a strategy and save for tax payments. Never wait until the last moment.

    Step 1: Treat each income stream like a business

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    John Rampton

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  • I Had the Right Answer in a Room Full of Decision-Makers — But No One Backed Me Until I Did This | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Here’s a moment every technical leader knows too well: you’re in a room full of executives, creatives, agents or business leaders — and you’re the only one who speaks “tech.” Maybe you’re a new CTO. Maybe you’re just the most technical person in the room. You have ideas that could solve real problems. But no one gets what you’re saying.

    I’ve been there more times than I can count — at UTA, the Clippers and now as co-founder of SkaFld Studio. And here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

    It doesn’t matter if you’re right if no one understands you.

    Your job isn’t just to solve complex problems. It’s to help others see how those solutions fit their world. Harvard Business Review backs this up: the best leaders use clear, resonant language to make complexity approachable. That requires more than just communication skills — it requires empathy, strategy, and what I call the Translator Mindset.

    The instinct is to lead with jargon, credentials or cleverness. But that only creates distance. The Translator Mindset is about meeting people where they are, then guiding them somewhere new. Clarity matters more than ego. Connection matters more than correctness.

    Related: How to Build and Sustain Deep, Meaningful Business Relationships (and Why It’s the Key to Long-Lasting Success)

    What the Clippers taught me about influence

    One of my most valuable lessons came during my time with the LA Clippers, at a moment when the entire league was embracing analytics. We had the data. It felt like we had the answers. But I was walking among legends — Jerry West, Doc Rivers — and when they have an opinion, you listen.

    During a tense draft season, the analytics team wanted to cast a wide net, calling dozens of prospects to increase our odds. But the old guard insisted we focus only on the top few. And more importantly, they wanted those calls to come from someone with real influence — one of our big names.

    They were right. Every player who got a call from one of our top voices came on board.

    The data team wasn’t wrong. But they were missing the bigger picture: it wasn’t about efficiency — it was about influence. That moment showed me how instinct and data don’t need to compete. But someone has to bridge the gap.

    Why tech initiatives really fail

    Most tech ideas don’t fall apart because they’re flawed — they fail because they’re misunderstood.

    I’ve watched engineers try to bury doubt with detail. But doubt isn’t rational. It’s emotional. Disruption often feels like displacement. Confusion can trigger fear. And fear doesn’t get solved by specs.

    Empathy is a strategy. Before I pitch anything technical, I ask myself:

    • What does this audience actually care about?
    • Where might they feel threatened?
    • How do I make them feel like co-owners of the solution?

    In the early days of my career, I used jargon as a defense mechanism. It made me feel competent. But it didn’t build trust. I had to unlearn that habit and retrain myself to reframe, simplify and connect. Once I did, everything changed — not just for me, but for the people around me. I went from being a translator to being the person who helped everyone in the room align.

    3 tools to help you communicate tech better

    Whether you’re the only technologist in the room or just the one willing to speak up, your job is to create clarity, credibility, and connection. These tools will help:

    1. Reframe, don’t repeat
    When someone pushes back, don’t double down on detail. Reframe their concern in their own language. Make them feel heard — and then offer a clearer path forward.

    2. Start with outcomes
    Never open with the tech stack. Open with the result. Instead of “We’re using containerized microservices,” say “We’re cutting load times by 70% so fans don’t drop off before tipoff.”

    3. Speak their language
    Metaphors work. To a producer, AI is a script assistant. To a VC, it’s a high-frequency analyst. Familiar language lowers resistance and builds buy-in.

    Related: 14 Proven Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

    You’re the bridge

    You’re not in the room to explain code. You’re there to turn potential into progress — to connect software with story, abstraction with action and fear with adoption.

    That’s leadership. Done well, it builds momentum, earns trust, and drives real change.

    And it starts not with speaking louder — but with being understood.

    Here’s a moment every technical leader knows too well: you’re in a room full of executives, creatives, agents or business leaders — and you’re the only one who speaks “tech.” Maybe you’re a new CTO. Maybe you’re just the most technical person in the room. You have ideas that could solve real problems. But no one gets what you’re saying.

    I’ve been there more times than I can count — at UTA, the Clippers and now as co-founder of SkaFld Studio. And here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

    It doesn’t matter if you’re right if no one understands you.

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    Charles Sims

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  • I Blew an Audition with Robert De Niro — But the Surprising Lesson Now Helps Me Crush Every High-Stakes Moment | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ll never forget the moment I got the call: an audition for a movie with Robert De Niro.

    My brain short-circuited as soon as I heard his name. De Niro. The Godfather. Heat. Goodfellas. How could I not get distracted?

    As the big day drew near, I spiraled. This wasn’t just another audition. This was the audition.

    • What if this is my big break? What if I blow it?
    • What should I wear? Do I look the part?
    • What if I forget my lines? What if I forget how to speak?
    • Maybe I’m not ready. Maybe I’m not good enough.
    • But what if I am?

    The pressure was electric. Hope and fear did a wild dance in my chest and no matter how hard I tried, my imagination kept racing ahead.

    This was the moment that could change the trajectory of my life and career — and I blew it.

    But the lessons I took from that failed audition turned out to be more valuable than any role. They completely reframed how I walk into a room, command a stage and coach others to show up with presence and power in their own high-stakes moments.

    Here’s what that moment taught me — and how you can use it to pitch, present or perform with confidence and clarity.

    Related: 10 Ways to Build Your Entrepreneurial Confidence

    1. Mindset shapes everything

    My first mistake happened before I even entered the room. In my head, the stakes were massive: This is life-changing. Don’t mess this up. You have to nail it.

    I had already lost. I wasn’t grounded or focused. I was spiraling. What I didn’t know then — but now teach every client — is this: your mindset is your foundation. Walk into any room thinking, I’ve earned this. That shift alone changes how you speak and how others respond.

    2. Focus on the moment, not the outcome

    The second I started fantasizing about starring in a De Niro film, I stopped being present. I was thinking about my future, not the two pages of script in front of me.

    When you obsess over the outcome — the deal, the yes, the applause — you miss the only thing that matters: this moment. Ask yourself: What does this person need from me right now? Then deliver.

    3. Take it one step at a time

    I was so focused on the future, I skipped the first step: the first impression.

    In auditions, pitches and presentations, there’s no warm-up act. The first 10 seconds — how you walk in, how you greet, how you connect — set the tone for everything else. You don’t always get a second chance. Nail the first one.

    4. Walk in like you belong

    I came in with what I now call “please pick me” energy. Instead of owning the space, I shrank into it — grateful but almost apologetic for being there. Gratitude is powerful. But not when it makes you small.

    If you were invited into the room, you’re there for a reason. Don’t ask for permission to take up space. Stand in your value.

    5. Stop trying to impress — start trying to connect

    I overperformed. I tried so hard to be impressive that I tripped over my words and cluttered my delivery. More isn’t better. It’s just more.

    What makes your message land is simplicity, emotional truth and connection. Ask: If this were my last chance to speak, what do I want them to feel?

    6. Prepare like a performer

    I knew my lines. But I didn’t rehearse. I didn’t ground myself or prepare my body for the moment. Clients often tell me they’ve “practiced” — but what they really mean is they edited their slides or memorized content.

    But presence is physical. Stand up. Breathe. Visualize the room. Your voice, posture, and energy are part of your message. Rehearse with them, not around them.

    Related: How to Turn Self-Doubt Into Success and Build Your Confidence in 3 Steps

    7. Learn to reset in real time

    I knew it wasn’t going well, but I didn’t know how to recover. I was stuck in my head. Now, I teach people to build an internal reset button. A breath. A pause. A shift in stance. Anything that brings you back to center.

    Things go off-script all the time. Power doesn’t come from being flawless. It comes from knowing how to find your footing again.

    8. Don’t stay stuck in the past

    The car ride home was brutal. I replayed the audition on a loop — every fumble, every flub. Reflection is important. But wallowing isn’t. Take the lesson. Leave the rest.

    You might never audition for a De Niro film, but you will have high-stakes moments — on a stage, in a boardroom, across from someone who could change the trajectory of your business or life.

    When you get there, remember: the secret to owning the room isn’t being perfect. It’s being present, prepared and fully yourself.

    That’s what people remember. That’s what wins the room.

    I’ll never forget the moment I got the call: an audition for a movie with Robert De Niro.

    My brain short-circuited as soon as I heard his name. De Niro. The Godfather. Heat. Goodfellas. How could I not get distracted?

    As the big day drew near, I spiraled. This wasn’t just another audition. This was the audition.

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    LaQuita Cleare

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  • What I Learned After Selling My Company to Snapchat for $54 Million | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In 2014, Snapchat acquired our startup, Scan, for $54 million, back when QR codes were still relatively new.

    Most people hadn’t tried them, and phones didn’t support them natively. The technology was promising, but the experience wasn’t, so it sat behind a clunky UX. We removed that friction and made QR codes easier to create, scan and deploy, which led to quick adoption.

    The deal with Snapchat was seamless, not because of flashy decks or famous backers, but because they saw how we were focused on closing a real usage gap, how we moved fast and were aligned with their larger vision.

    For any founder hoping to build a lasting company or one day sell it, I’ve found that success boils down to a few core principles I’ve learned along the way.

    Related: What I Wish I Knew Before Selling My Company

    1. Build what people actually use

    Too many founders begin with presentations or investor outreach before proving their product. From day one, Scan was grounded in user need. We built it to let people easily scan and generate QR codes, nothing fancy, just functional and straightforward.

    Just like with any startup, we didn’t raise capital immediately. We did, however, start early, pay attention to all helpful comments, and make changes often. Shortly after, that strategy helped the app get more than 1 million downloads. By the end of 2012, Scan had more than 25 million apps installed. A couple of years later, we had more than 100 million copies of the product downloaded around the world.

    That user traction was more persuasive than any pitch deck could have ever been. It proved product-market fit, a signal investors and acquirers value above all else. When starting a business, ensure you have the end users in mind and iterate frequently, rather than investing energy in hypothetical demand. Remember that real usage always beats hypothetical value.

    From the start, my co-founders and I aligned on roles and equity. That early clarity, splitting equity equally and playing to our strengths, helped us stay focused and avoid internal friction, which kills many startups before they begin.

    2. Design with a buyer in mind

    By the time Snapchat reached out, Scan was already built for scale, fully localized, with creation tools that teams could use anywhere. The real alignment clicked when Snap wanted a scannable identity baked into a camera‑first experience.

    In Q1 of 2015, Snapcodes launched on top of Scan’s core stack. The integration worked seamlessly because we engineered for extensibility, tuned reliability to survive low-light and low-ink prints and planned use cases beyond our original app.

    Design for ecosystem fit from the start if you’re a founder hoping to get your business on an acquirer’s shortlist. Keep an eye on the metrics that are important to them, such as mistake rates, time-to-first-scan and activation. Next, look for integration abilities like compliance, dependability and APIs. The discussion swiftly moves from “What if?” to “How soon?” when strategy and culture are in sync.

    3. Know your numbers and what it’ll take to win the deal

    One detail that almost derailed the acquisition was the initial financial structure. Our seed investors had a liquidation preference that meant anything below $54 million wouldn’t deliver meaningful returns to founders or early backers.

    Snap’s first offer came in below that line. With guidance from our lead investor, we held firm. He reminded me: “You haven’t gotten a good deal until you’ve said no three times.” That mindset gave us leverage when it mattered most.

    We used speed as our lever and told Snap that if they met our number, we could start integration immediately. That clarity closed the gap, and we signed at the threshold we needed to reach.

    If you’re raising or preparing for an exit, know your cap table cold. Map the preference stack (seniority, multiples, and whether prefs are participating) plus option‑pool top‑ups and any SAFEs or notes. Define your walk‑away point. Keep in mind that leverage isn’t only about price; execution speed, a specialized team and defensible IP can all move the terms.

    Related: You Need to Make These 5 Moves Before Selling Your Business

    4. Every dollar must drive momentum

    After raising roughly $2 million in seed funding, we felt confident, but confidence can be a misleading indicator.

    Without a strict plan, we overhired, signed a high-end lease in downtown San Francisco, and delayed experimenting with monetization strategies. Cash was used too quickly, and we nearly ran out of runway within months.

    That near-crash taught me that funding isn’t in any way a safety net but a responsibility. Each dollar must contribute to measurable momentum. Hire deliberately, test revenue early and protect a six‑month cash buffer. Flashy growth comes and goes, but durable advantage comes from operational discipline with a focus on the work that actually moves the business. That kind of financial and strategic clarity is often a key signal that you’re ready to sell, when the business can operate independently, growth is consistent, and decisions are rooted in fundamentals rather than rapid changes.

    5. Build for freedom, not just an exit

    One thing I’d do differently is hold onto more gratitude. It’s easy to get caught up in momentum and miss the meaning, especially when building with friends.

    Selling the company gave us perspective and room to breathe. The real lesson wasn’t in the money, but in building with purpose, creating space where creative teams do their best work and shipping technology that supports human well-being.

    That’s the focus at my current company, at the intersection of AI, performance, and mental health. I’m applying those same lessons with more intention, clearer outcomes and steady, user-guided iteration.

    For founders, treat an acquisition as a checkpoint. Use it to recommit to the pain points worth solving, the people you want to scale with, and the impact you intend to leave. Execute with focus.

    In 2014, Snapchat acquired our startup, Scan, for $54 million, back when QR codes were still relatively new.

    Most people hadn’t tried them, and phones didn’t support them natively. The technology was promising, but the experience wasn’t, so it sat behind a clunky UX. We removed that friction and made QR codes easier to create, scan and deploy, which led to quick adoption.

    The deal with Snapchat was seamless, not because of flashy decks or famous backers, but because they saw how we were focused on closing a real usage gap, how we moved fast and were aligned with their larger vision.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Kirk Ouimet

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  • This Is the Marketing Strategy Every Small Business Can Afford | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We hear the word “local” a lot these days, like local farms, local services or local support. But when it comes to your small business, especially one that is trying to grow online or compete with national chains, localization is no longer just a nice-to-have. It’s now something that directly affects how people find you, trust you and buy from you.

    Localization means you have to tailor your business (products, messaging, search visibility and even customer service) to the community around you. Here’s why it matters more than ever, especially if you’re running a small business in 2025.

    1. Your local audience is already searching differently

    Consumers are using more specific search terms than they used to. Instead of “coffee shop,” they type “coffee near Apalachee Road” or “best ice cream place in Morgan County.” If your site, social content or Google listing doesn’t mention those keywords, you’re just invisible to the people who live down the street.

    Google’s algorithm prioritizes businesses that appear relevant to local search intent. That means even if your coffee is better, the cafe next door that lists its street name in titles and tags will show up first. If you haven’t already optimized your website and listings for your city, neighborhood or zone, you will probably be losing customers without realizing it.

    Related: How Localizing Your Webite’s Content Can Boost Sales

    2. People want to support local — but only if it’s easy

    There’s a strong desire to support small businesses right now, especially post-pandemic. But emotional intent alone doesn’t lead to action. If your store hours aren’t updated online or your delivery zone is not clearly mentioned, people will move on to whoever makes it easier.

    It is not only convenient but also perceived as professional. Customers expect your local business to behave like a national one in terms of service and clarity.

    3. Localization reduces your marketing budget

    Advertising can quickly become costly. If you’re running broad Facebook or Google ads without geographic targeting, you’re paying for clicks from people who’ll never walk into your store or buy from your service area.

    Localizing your marketing through zip code targeting, city-specific ad sets and regionally relevant messaging is great, and it means you waste less money and reach better leads.

    It also improves ROI on content. A blog post titled “How to Prep for Monsoon in Georgia” will perform far better for a local outdoor gear shop than a general “Monsoon Readiness Tips” article.

    4. Word of mouth still works — but only with local visibility

    Digital reviews are just the online version of word of mouth. When someone in your area sees that their neighbor used your service or visited your shop, it builds instant credibility.

    Localization helps here in two ways:

    • It puts your business in front of the right people on platforms like Google Maps and Nextdoor.
    • It encourages more local reviews by showing that you’re an active, responsive part of the community.

    But to get there, you need to claim your listings, respond to reviews and first add your local contact details accurately. These small tasks make a real difference over time.

    Related: How I Helped a Local Service Business Generate $5.1 Million in 6 Months — Without Spending Big on Ads

    5. Your competition is probably not doing it well

    Most small businesses are still behind when it comes to local SEO, map listings or even using locally relevant content. It gives you an advantage.

    You don’t need a massive budget for starting, but you just have to have a consistent approach.

    • Update your site with a location page.
    • Add area-based keywords to your product descriptions.
    • Use customer photos and tag neighborhoods or landmarks.

    It’s small details, but it signals relevance to both humans and algorithms.

    And remember, when large chains enter your area, they rarely localize at the ground level. That’s your chance to stay ahead.

    6. Localization helps you build loyalty faster

    People are more likely to trust and return to businesses that understand their context. I am not referring to language or location — it’s about showing you “get” the environment your customers live in.

    If your Instagram shows weather-specific product tips (“What to wear for the Georgia heatwave”) or you create bundles around local holidays, you stand out. That kind of relevance keeps you top of mind without hard selling. And when customers feel like your business is part of their neighborhood( you are not just a vendor), they stick with you longer, even when cheaper options show up.

    7. Logistics and delivery actually depend on it

    This is the part most businesses overlook. Your delivery, service appointments or even store pickup options all depend on how well you define and manage your local area.

    A well-localized system avoids order confusion, reduces customer complaints and sets realistic expectations only. You don’t want someone in another city trying to order same-day delivery because your site didn’t make the coverage zone clear.

    Related: 7 Local SEO Strategies I’ve Used to Help Businesses Boost Their Revenue 10x — Especially Blue-Collar Companies

    8. Localized data helps you make better decisions

    When you’re tracking customer behavior, product sales or even foot traffic, broad analytics cannot always tell the full story. What works in one neighborhood might not work in another — even when they are a few kilometers apart.

    Localization helps you narrow down your data and spot patterns tied to specific zones, seasons or events. For example, maybe sales for a particular product spike in one district but stay flat in another. Or a certain payment preference change between urban and semi-urban customers. These insights will let you shift your inventory, marketing or service focus in a more agile way. You can stop guessing and start acting on real, local behavior.

    If you’re serious about growing in your local market, start by reviewing how visible, relevant and accessible your business really is to the people nearby. You just need consistency, some smart tools and a bit of time each month to review your data and make changes. Good luck!

    We hear the word “local” a lot these days, like local farms, local services or local support. But when it comes to your small business, especially one that is trying to grow online or compete with national chains, localization is no longer just a nice-to-have. It’s now something that directly affects how people find you, trust you and buy from you.

    Localization means you have to tailor your business (products, messaging, search visibility and even customer service) to the community around you. Here’s why it matters more than ever, especially if you’re running a small business in 2025.

    1. Your local audience is already searching differently

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    Murali Nethi

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  • Daymond John on Navigating Supply Chain and Tariff Issues | Entrepreneur

    Daymond John is an original Shark Tank shark (the 17th season premieres September 24), the visionary CEO behind the iconic global fashion brand FUBU, the founder of The Shark Group, a philanthropist and so much more.

    Following his fired-up talk at Entrepeneur‘s Level Up conference in Las Vegas, we caught up with the man to get a quick hit of inspiration and advice to shake off the end-of-summer blues and get back into the mindset of drive and success.

    What questions should founders ask themselves before launching/fundraising?
    Start with the hard questions. Why am I the right person to solve this problem? Do I really know my numbers, my market and my customer? And am I willing to eat, sleep and breathe this business when the cameras are off and no one’s clapping? Too many people want to raise money just because it looks sexy. But if you can’t show proof that you’ve tested, hustled and gotten traction — even on a small scale — you’re not ready to take someone else’s cash.

    Related: The Most Important Part of Starting a Business: Daymond John

    Shameless plug: my book, Power of Broke, is also my philosophy. Don’t think you need millions to get started. In many cases, being limited by capital is an entrepreneur’s true competitive advantage. Some of the best businesses were born from taking small, affordable next steps — selling one product, testing one ad, talking to one customer.

    Why is a founder’s personal brand important, and what is your advice for developing it in a way that bolsters your business?
    Your personal brand is your reputation. It’s what people say about you when you leave the room. Today, people don’t just buy your product — they buy into you. That doesn’t mean you’ve got to be loud on social media or try to be someone you’re not. It means you’ve got to stand for something. Be authentic, be consistent and tell your story. FUBU worked because it wasn’t just clothes — it was me, my community, my mission.

    But also use what is in front of you. When I started FUBU, it was me and my friends, a sewing machine and ambition. We didn’t know anything about manufacturing and infrastructure. It’s different today, and for the better. There are companies to help inform and teach entrepreneurs of all ages about how to make their products more turnkey by working with companies that understand exactly how to do it.

    Related: These Are the 3 Things That Make Daymond John Want to Give You Money

    What are some of the biggest issues entrepreneurs are facing today?
    From what I’ve seen from my companies and companies I’ve invested in, the biggest issue has been supply chain uncertainty. Some of these recent tariffs caused some companies to go from profitable to unprofitable overnight. Plus, the back-and-forth on what tariffs are still in play causes confusion and makes everything slow down.

    That’s why I’ve been working with Alibaba.com and why I’m headed to its annual event, CoCreate. They’ve created this community and platform of vendors to allow entrepreneurs to cut through the noise and find solutions. We need more events like this to better highlight that there are answers to entrepreneurs’ questions. You just need to know where to go to find them.

    What are the keys to staying energized and engaged when constantly working your butt off?
    Look, being an entrepreneur is like running a marathon at a sprinter’s pace. You’ve got to pace yourself, because burnout is real. For me, it comes down to a few things: I protect my health, I surround myself with the right people, and I remember my “why.” The late nights and early mornings don’t feel as heavy when you’re chasing a mission bigger than yourself. And you’ve got to celebrate the small wins along the way — because if you’re always waiting for the big exit, you’ll never feel satisfied. But everyone has to find their own system that works for them.

    Daymond John is an original Shark Tank shark (the 17th season premieres September 24), the visionary CEO behind the iconic global fashion brand FUBU, the founder of The Shark Group, a philanthropist and so much more.

    Following his fired-up talk at Entrepeneur‘s Level Up conference in Las Vegas, we caught up with the man to get a quick hit of inspiration and advice to shake off the end-of-summer blues and get back into the mindset of drive and success.

    What questions should founders ask themselves before launching/fundraising?
    Start with the hard questions. Why am I the right person to solve this problem? Do I really know my numbers, my market and my customer? And am I willing to eat, sleep and breathe this business when the cameras are off and no one’s clapping? Too many people want to raise money just because it looks sexy. But if you can’t show proof that you’ve tested, hustled and gotten traction — even on a small scale — you’re not ready to take someone else’s cash.

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    Dan Bova

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  • How to Protect Your Company Culture When You’re Growing Fast | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the beginning, it was just us: Two law school graduates turned serial entrepreneurs, a husband-and-wife team working on our second big venture. Our vision, to create a business entity formation and maintenance company built on a culture of accountability and integrity without compromise. In addition, we wanted our company to be fun to work for, where staff members were celebrated, their ideas and creativity encouraged, the kind of company that parents would want their kids to work for. The culture would be unique, bold, unafraid of judgment, where occasional bouts of “weirdness” and nonconformity weren’t eschewed but embraced.

    Such a specific culture was easy to maintain when it was just my husband, myself and our first round of new associates. As a fifteen-person team, our culture functioned as intended. Work was fun. Our culture also made us stand out in the marketplace and drove client loyalty.

    Then, growth happened. In a period of a few short years, we went from a literal “mom and pop” operation to 100+ employees. With scaling comes new ideas and new opportunities. Teamwork is powerful, greater than the sum of its parts. It was an exciting time. Such dynamic growth, however, invites cultural risk. We soon learned that, when left unchecked, cultural risk becomes cultural harm: i.e. the proliferation of attitudes, norms and business practices that run counter to those on which the company was founded. Not wanting to lose or compromise the vision we had for our business, Phil and I vowed to never let up on our promotion of our original culture and core values.

    Related: Most Entrepreneurs Approach Culture the Wrong Way. Here’s What They’re Missing.

    How to think about your business’s culture: A simple rule

    Today, I use a simple rule of thumb that helps in the cultural governance of our growth. I call this the One-to-One rule, as it’s evocative of the one-on-one dynamic my husband and I shared in the early days of this business venture. The One-to-One rule is about a balance of “breadth” and “depth.” It’s simple to understand. Whenever your business broadens, to include more personnel, more service offerings, more locations, new verticals and so forth, it must also deepen, entailing, first and foremost, a deepening of culture, to include both workplace culture and customer-facing brand identity.

    In the wake of dynamic growth, all old trainings must be rethought and updated. Brand new trainings must come online that emphasize the most up-to-date rendition of the firm’s cultural identity. Did your firm just make a dozen new hires? Great. Congratulations. It’s time to put some new team-building events on the calendar, events and workshops that will enhance the cultural IQ of new and veteran employees alike.

    And please, don’t hold back on the pomp and circumstance when welcoming your new additions. Parties and other ice-breaking events are must-haves. Try weird things. Seriously. Even if they don’t go as planned (and they may go poorly). Lesson learned, move on. Try something else. Never lose your will to be weird and never lose sight of the One-to-One principle, ensuring that the depth of your business scales in synch with its breadth. This is the recipe for great culture and sustainable growth.

    What not to do

    You may feel that your business’s cultural identity couldn’t be stronger. It’s so dialed-in, so attractive, so intuitive that it’s bound to organically propagate itself across layers and layers of expansion. If you think your business’s culture and values are indestructible, I’d recommend you consider carefully the case of Starbucks. That’s right, the Siren-singing coffee chain once struggled to present a unified brand identity. As CEO Howard Schulz describes in his book Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul, there was a time when the proliferation of Starbucks retail stores was so intense that it compromised their ability to provide a uniform customer experience.

    As a result, the brand’s reputation became diluted, and the coffee giant’s bottom line was negatively affected. Schultz prides himself on the dramatic actions he took to restore the business’s cultural and brand identity, including the temporary closure in 2008 of over 7,000 stores for a few hours so baristas could be retrained on how to pull the perfect espresso shot.

    Don’t make the mistake of thinking that only enterprise-class businesses, like Starbucks, are subject to cultural risk. Without vigilance, smaller businesses too might lose track of their culture and core values, even in times of slower or no growth. This is why it’s important to expand, celebrate and amplify your culture on a continuous basis, with extra gusto during phases of dynamic expansion.

    Related: 5 Ways CEOs Can Assess and Reset Their Company Culture

    What to do

    Your first order of business, if you haven’t done so already, is to determine precisely what you want in your business’s culture. For example, in our firm, my husband and I knew from the very beginning that we wanted to build and preserve a family-centric feel in our business, one where our team members would be granted flexibility and understanding when it came to kids’ activities and other family obligations. We also wanted a culture that veered away from hierarchies, preferring instead a radical “open door” approach that encouraged direct and safe communications with and between all levels of management.

    Once you’ve defined the core cultural tenets for your firm, it’s time to rigorously pursue buy-in from your staff. They need to be educated on the what, why, and how of your cultural practices. Workshops, forums and trainings should allow your employees to “give back,” contributing their own thoughts and ideas on how the business’s cultural identity can best be defined, refined and lived up to. A staff member, for example, could inquire about how our business’s family-centric character may lead to staff members without family members feeling as if they’re afforded less flexibility than their coworkers. They may even suggest means by which such discrepancies could be remedied.

    My final piece of advice is three-fold: celebrate, celebrate, celebrate. If you’ve done your work properly, then you will have produced an environment your employees want to inhabit, one they will help develop and protect, in which they will feel safe, seen and valued. This is a cause worth celebrating, and all you need to do is find an excuse to do just that. Celebrations can come in many forms. At our shop, we’re big on birthdays, work anniversaries and other milestones, whatever we can do to bring everyone together and bask in the warmth and camaraderie we’ve all helped to create.

    In the beginning, it was just us: Two law school graduates turned serial entrepreneurs, a husband-and-wife team working on our second big venture. Our vision, to create a business entity formation and maintenance company built on a culture of accountability and integrity without compromise. In addition, we wanted our company to be fun to work for, where staff members were celebrated, their ideas and creativity encouraged, the kind of company that parents would want their kids to work for. The culture would be unique, bold, unafraid of judgment, where occasional bouts of “weirdness” and nonconformity weren’t eschewed but embraced.

    Such a specific culture was easy to maintain when it was just my husband, myself and our first round of new associates. As a fifteen-person team, our culture functioned as intended. Work was fun. Our culture also made us stand out in the marketplace and drove client loyalty.

    Then, growth happened. In a period of a few short years, we went from a literal “mom and pop” operation to 100+ employees. With scaling comes new ideas and new opportunities. Teamwork is powerful, greater than the sum of its parts. It was an exciting time. Such dynamic growth, however, invites cultural risk. We soon learned that, when left unchecked, cultural risk becomes cultural harm: i.e. the proliferation of attitudes, norms and business practices that run counter to those on which the company was founded. Not wanting to lose or compromise the vision we had for our business, Phil and I vowed to never let up on our promotion of our original culture and core values.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Nellie Akalp

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  • 7 Steps to De-Risking Big Business Decisions Before They Backfire | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When the pressure is on — a new market, product launch or high-stakes pivot — it’s easy to rush past the steps that could have saved you from failure. Despite the volumes of books and case studies on how to make better decisions, many leaders still repeat the same mistakes. These seven steps are designed to cut through the noise and help you de-risk big decisions, no matter your industry.

    1. Remove bias before it wrecks your strategy

    Even the most innovative companies make irrational calls because they skip the hard part: eliminating bias. Groupthink, overconfidence and confirmation bias quietly sabotage good ideas — and major decisions get made based on ego instead of insight.

    The only real antidote? Data. And lots of it. Whether you’re restructuring your team or launching a new product, let data challenge your assumptions. Use tools like the AEM-Cube for internal shifts and lean on Design Thinking for customer-facing initiatives. Bias isn’t always obvious — but its costs always are.

    Related: The 5 Step Process To Identify Risk and Improve Decision-Making

    2. Get closer to the right customer with the right research

    Too many decisions are made in boardrooms, far removed from the people they affect. Metrics and dashboards are useful, but they don’t replace real customer insight.

    Most companies think they know their customers. Few actually do. Build detailed personas, map the full customer journey, and invest in ethnographic research. For internal decisions, your “customer” might be your team. If your employees don’t feel heard, seen or aligned with your mission, even the best strategies will collapse under cultural resistance.

    3. Test fast before you go big

    Once you have a strategy, pilot it quickly and learn faster. Build small experiments, run A/B tests, define your offering clearly, and measure everything — from product fit to pricing, UX to delivery.

    Let real customer behavior — not internal assumptions — guide your next steps. Pilots aren’t about proving you’re right. They’re about learning what works.

    4. Tie decisions to real incentives

    Too many change initiatives fail because they ignore human motivation. If you’re not aligning incentives with your new direction, don’t expect people to get on board.

    Start with clear internal communication. Then build in feedback loops, transparent compensation structures and tie your mission to purpose-driven rewards. Change without buy-in creates friction. Buy-in without incentives creates apathy.

    5. Make sure your capacity can keep up

    The right idea in the wrong structure is a guaranteed failure. If your systems, people, or tech can’t handle the growth or change you’re aiming for, capacity will break before the strategy does.

    Run stress tests. Evaluate your infrastructure, team readiness and internal workflows. Ask: Can we execute this at scale, or are we just excited by the concept?

    6. Stick to a customer-centric strategy

    Even great decisions go off the rails without early warning signs and course-correction plans. Identify the signals that indicate a pivot is needed — and stay close to your customers post-launch.

    UX research doesn’t end once the product ships. Keep mapping how real users engage with your offering, and adjust accordingly. Consistency with your core personas is your best safeguard against drift.

    Related: 7 Tips for Making Quality Business Decisions

    7. Disrupt yourself before someone else does

    If your strategy works, expect competitors to follow. They’ll try to copy your product — or poach your people.

    Stay ahead by regularly asking:

    • How would someone disrupt us?
    • What would it take to replicate our edge?
    • Where are we most vulnerable?

    Then take small steps to disrupt yourself before anyone else does. Build a culture of reinvention, not complacency.

    Final thought

    Smart leaders don’t wait for a crisis to think clearly. They build decision-making processes that are bias-proof, customer-led, and test-driven. Whether you’re launching a product or reshaping your org, these seven steps help ensure your bold moves aren’t blind ones.

    When the pressure is on — a new market, product launch or high-stakes pivot — it’s easy to rush past the steps that could have saved you from failure. Despite the volumes of books and case studies on how to make better decisions, many leaders still repeat the same mistakes. These seven steps are designed to cut through the noise and help you de-risk big decisions, no matter your industry.

    1. Remove bias before it wrecks your strategy

    Even the most innovative companies make irrational calls because they skip the hard part: eliminating bias. Groupthink, overconfidence and confirmation bias quietly sabotage good ideas — and major decisions get made based on ego instead of insight.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Adam Horlock

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  • Here’s the Real Reason Your Employees Are Checked Out — And the Missing Link That Could Fix It | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Only 21% of employees are engaged at work, according to a global Gallup study. That means most people are physically present but emotionally checked out, simply going through the motions.

    It’s easy to blame burnout or post-pandemic fatigue. But a big part of the problem lies in how organizations communicate — how they welcome new hires, train employees, run meetings and celebrate success (or fail to).

    Think about it:

    • We create lengthy culture decks without explaining why those values matter.
    • We overwhelm new hires with info dumps labeled as “training.”
    • We run meetings on autopilot.
    • We throw around buzzwords like “empowerment” and “alignment” without making people feel truly seen or connected.

    And then we wonder why engagement is so low.

    The truth? Engagement starts with connection — and connection starts with better communication.

    That’s where storytelling comes in.

    Storytelling isn’t just for marketing or TED Talks. It’s one of the most powerful ways to build trust, share values and spark genuine human connection. If you’re not weaving a story throughout the employee journey, you’re missing one of your strongest levers for engagement.

    Related: Quiet Quitting Is Dividing the Workforce. Here’s How to Bring Everyone Back Together.

    Where storytelling makes a difference

    1. Recruiting: Share the story, not just the specs
    Recruiting shouldn’t feel like filling out a resume checklist. Instead of leading with pay and perks, lead with why your company exists. What problem are you solving? What inspired you to start? When candidates hear authentic stories — especially from founders or early team members — they don’t just see a job. They see a mission they want to join.

    2. Onboarding: Make it stick through a story
    Most onboarding feels like drinking from a firehose — policies, procedures, manuals — that quickly get forgotten. But stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone, according to research. Wrap your onboarding content in stories: how your product changed a customer’s life, challenges that shaped your culture, lessons learned along the way. Think of onboarding as the opening chapter in an employee’s personal work story — make it compelling so they want to keep reading.

    3. Engagement: Keep the story going
    New hires start excited, but that enthusiasm often fades when storytelling stops after onboarding. Engagement isn’t a one-time event; it’s a rhythm. Make storytelling part of your team culture. In meetings, invite people to share wins, challenges, or moments they felt connected to their work. Sharing stories builds empathy, energy, and belonging — even over Zoom.

    4. Recognition: Celebrate with heart
    “Great job” is nice, but “Great job, and here’s why it mattered” is powerful. Recognition tied to stories shows the whole team what behaviors and values are truly important to the company. It shows what “great” looks like, making appreciation tangible and meaningful. For example: “James stayed late to fix a customer issue, followed up the next day and turned frustration into loyalty. That’s living our value of going the extra mile.”

    Related: Are You Recognizing Your Employees? If Not, They’re Twice as Likely to Quit

    Engagement is built one story at a time

    Humans are wired for story. It’s how we understand the world, remember lessons and connect with each other.

    If only 21% of employees are engaged, maybe it’s time to stop relying solely on policies, programs and PowerPoints — and start speaking to the human side of people.

    Storytelling isn’t fluff or extra. It’s a strategic communication tool that transforms how employees relate to their work, their teammates and your mission.

    So whether you’re hiring, training, managing or recognizing — start with a story.

    Your people will thank you for it.

    Only 21% of employees are engaged at work, according to a global Gallup study. That means most people are physically present but emotionally checked out, simply going through the motions.

    It’s easy to blame burnout or post-pandemic fatigue. But a big part of the problem lies in how organizations communicate — how they welcome new hires, train employees, run meetings and celebrate success (or fail to).

    Think about it:

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    LaQuita Cleare

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  • How Her Side Hustle Became a ‘Monster’ $250M Revenue Business | Entrepreneur

    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Demi Marchese, 32, founder and CEO of 12th Tribe, a Los Angeles, California-based fashion brand. Here’s how she used $800 to grow a side hustle into a full-blown business that’s seen over $250 million in lifetime revenue and $35 million annually. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe. Demi Marchese.

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

    What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
    After college, I worked in sales for my mom during the day and packed orders at night. I didn’t have a fashion degree. I just had a deep desire to build something that felt like me — bold, global, connected. The brand’s identity is grounded in that relentless hustle and the belief that women can create their own rules and lifestyles.

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

    When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
    I started 12th Tribe in 2015 out of a love for styling, storytelling and standing out. While studying abroad in college, I traveled to 11 countries — each one shaping how I saw the world and fashion. I became fascinated with the idea of expressing where you’ve been and who you are through what you wear.

    At the time, I was curating one-of-a-kind vintage pieces to avoid looking like everyone else. One pair of vintage Levi’s shorts became my travel staple and the first product I officially named and marketed as “the short you pack when you don’t know where you’re going next.” That idea resonated quickly.

    After moving to LA, I began dressing girls for Coachella with globally inspired pieces I sourced myself. The festival was a cultural moment, and I leaned in — styling every detail from jewelry to boots. Word spread, and soon I wasn’t just styling girls for festivals, I was building an online destination where they could shop the entire look.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

    What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
    I launched 12th Tribe with $800, no outside funding and a vision I couldn’t shake. I was a solo founder, fresh out of college, doing everything alongside my family and close friends, packing orders, styling shoots and answering every DM. It started as a side hustle, but our first viral moment hit fast. Festival season landed me in sorority group chats and across Instagram, and I was hand-delivering Thrasher vintage shorts to girls across LA. That short became our first cult product and the foundation of something much bigger.

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

    If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
    I would have spent a few years working on management skills. Learning how to manage people while also managing the high level of stress of building a company from zero would have changed my life. I also would have trusted the process more. When I was younger — and remember, I was in my 20s launching this business that turned monster real quick — I second-guessed myself a lot. I questioned what I knew. I let people sway me, and I wish I had trusted my gut a bit more at times.

    When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
    People see the photoshoots, product drops and glossy growth moments, but not the sacrifices behind the scenes. In my 20s, I missed more relationship moments than I can count. Not because I didn’t care, but because I was drained, too stressed, too responsible or simply empty from pouring into the business every day.

    Many assume there’s a team handling everything. But as a founder, especially starting from nothing, you’re in the thick of it. You’re not just driving vision and strategy; you’re carrying the weight of deadlines, departments and the livelihoods tied to your decisions. It’s a responsibility most people don’t understand.

    And as a woman, there’s the constant expectation to be “just enough” of everything. Too direct and you’re cold. Too kind and you’re weak. You’re expected to lead with grace under pressure, but the pressure never really lets up. In reality, it’s less about balance and more about stamina, self-belief and learning to keep going even when no one sees the weight you’re carrying.

    Related: These 31-Year-Old Best Friends Started a Side Hustle to Solve a Workout Struggle — And It’s On Track to Hit $10 Million Annual Revenue This Year

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

    Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
    During peak season, our warehouse partner at the time mishandled inventory for a major launch. Thousands of units were delayed, and customer orders were sitting in limbo. For a brand built on community and trust, that moment felt like it could unravel years of hard work overnight.

    The first step was immediate transparency. I personally stepped in to communicate with our customers, letting them know we were aware of the issue, working around the clock, and that their trust was our top priority. Behind the scenes, I mobilized every department: Our operations team worked directly with the warehouse, our marketing team shifted messaging in real time, and we even restructured fulfillment processes to get orders out manually.

    It was a defining moment for me as a leader because it forced me to not only solve the crisis tactically, but also zoom out and reimagine how we protect the business long-term. That experience ultimately led us to transition to a new global logistics partner and completely overhaul our fulfillment strategy.

    Looking back, what could have been one of our biggest setbacks became a catalyst for scaling with more resilience. It reminded me that as a founder, my role isn’t to avoid problems — it’s to navigate them with clarity, communicate with integrity and make the hard decisions that position the business for the future.

    Related: I Interviewed 5 Entrepreneurs Generating Up to $20 Million in Revenue a Year — And They All Have the Same Regret About Starting Their Business

    How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the initial side hustle earn?
    In the beginning, it was just me — a one-woman show — with a few friends and family who’d step in to support. That was my first “tribe.” Because I kept the business lean and scrappy, I pushed myself hard and was fortunate to see consistent monthly revenue within just a few months.

    I set intense sales targets for myself and made a promise that if I was going to fall short, I would find a way to make it happen. That meant boots on the ground — whether it was setting up a pop-up, inviting girls into my apartment to shop or selling at any opportunity I could find. I refused to let a month go by without hitting the number.

    At first, I was only making a few hundred, which grew into a couple thousand. I was living at home, so my overhead was low, and I picked up extra income working for my mom’s sales company. But the real engine was pure hustle — I didn’t just wait for online sales to roll in, I created them.

    Eventually, when revenue stabilized, the first hire I made was a finance manager — because I absolutely hated reconciling the books. But those scrappy, do-whatever-it-takes beginnings laid the foundation for everything that came after.

    What does growth and revenue look like now?
    With over $250 million in lifetime revenue and $35 million annually, 12th Tribe has grown into one of the leading DTC fashion brands — all without outside investment. Worn by millions of women worldwide and supported by a loyal 600,000-strong digital community, we’ve become the go-to destination for outfits that make life’s most unforgettable moments. What started with festivals has expanded into a full lifestyle brand, dressing women from college through motherhood and beyond. We’ve achieved double-digit year-over-year growth, launched global shipping that doubled international orders and opened flagship stores in SoHo and on Abbot Kinney in Venice, all while staying 100% female founder–funded.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

    What does a typical day or week of work look like for you?
    As a founder and creative director, my time is structured very intentionally across the week to keep the business moving forward on both a visionary and operational level. I begin each week aligning with leadership; this sets the tone by clarifying top priorities, addressing roadblocks and ensuring every department has what it needs to execute.

    From there, I front-load my week with marketing and product, since they’re the heartbeat of the brand and require the most creative and strategic energy. Toward the end of the week, I shift into finance and operations, making sure we’re on track with budgets, forecasting and organizational flow.

    A typical day can swing between big-picture strategy and very hands-on work. I’m often on set for photoshoots, immersed in the creative process, because I believe in being boots on the ground when it comes to storytelling and product presentation. It’s a balance of vision-setting, team alignment and rolling up my sleeves where it matters most, keeping me deeply connected to both the brand and the people who bring it to life.

    I’m currently building out one of the biggest departments that is the center of the brand, so I work pretty heavy hours Monday through Friday. I have given myself the weekends to reset, but by Sunday night, I am prepping for the week ahead. It is really important that I get a full read on my schedule and prioritize what is most important.

    Related: This Couple’s ‘Scrappy’ Side Hustle Sold Out in 1 Weekend — It Hit $1 Million in 3 Years and Now Makes Millions Annually: ‘Lean But Powerful’

    What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
    I want women — especially young founders — to know that you don’t need a million followers, VC funding or a perfect plan to start. You need conviction, community and the courage to show up again and again. That’s what built 12th Tribe. And that’s what will keep us moving, one powerful moment at a time.

    Amanda Breen

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  • The 5 Leadership Habits That Quietly Kill Trust in a Team | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In times of crisis, employees pay great attention to what their leader is like. It is in these moments that trust shifts from a “soft value” to a strategic asset that directly affects motivation, retention and even financial results.

    Companies with high levels of trust outperform competitors in efficiency by up to 400%, and 93% of business leaders believe that trust directly impacts financial performance.

    Yet, the reality is not that great. According to Gallup, only 20% of employees say they trust their leader. Edelman reports that just 19% believe CEOs are honest, while 68% think leaders intentionally mislead them.

    Missteps during turbulent times don’t just dent a leader’s reputation — they shake the very foundations of the business. In this article, I reflect on five common mistakes leaders make during difficult times and offer guidance on how to avoid them.

    1. Micromanaging

    Leaders often believe that being across everything is about quality-checking; in reality, it’s more about a lack of trust in the team.

    In a survey of 14,000 employees for Jacob Morgan’s book, Leading with Vulnerability (2023), only 16% reported ever having faced a leader who showed vulnerability, asked for help, or acknowledged mistakes. That leaves the majority feeling undervalued and with no motivation.

    Under Bob Chapek, Disney’s leadership became known for excessive oversight. Staff felt that their creativity was being stifled, as leadership was unwilling to delegate. There was also a significant amount of instability and mistrust stemming from internal tension and declining morale among employees.

    Empower your team to lead on their responsibilities. Effective delegation enables leaders to focus on broader goals and provides employees with the space to grow.

    2. Wearing the “Superman” mask

    The instinct to appear unshakable is understandable. Yet it often comes with a risk of emotional burnout, and, ironically, disconnection from the teams. There’s no trust with no authenticity attached. Teams that see a more empathetic leader are more likely to collaborate openly, share ideas and remain engaged.

    It’s essential to remind yourself that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness. When Hubert Joly took the helm at Best Buy, he faced lots of challenges from digital competitors. Instead of hiding his doubts, he openly sought advice across the team to co-create solutions. The result was not only a successful turnaround but also deeper trust between leadership and staff.

    Leaders do not have to be flawless superheroes. They need to be authentic humans.

    3. Lack of flexibility

    Everything changes, and leaders now face an average of 3.2 major changes simultaneously. Before 2020, most organisations encountered only two significant shifts per year; today, that number is closer to nine. Yet only 10 % of organizations believe they respond well to such dynamics. A common mistake is clinging to outdated models and processes, even when market signals indicate a shift. Employees quickly lose trust when they see their leader ignoring reality.

    When Starbucks experienced slowing sales, they turned to a new CEO, Brian Niccol. He launched a “Bold New Chapter” strategy: simplifying menus, removing extra charges for plant-based milk and re-emphasising Starbucks as a “third place” for connection. As a result, pilot cafes already show improved sales and customer satisfaction.

    4. Overlooking small wins

    In crises, leaders often focus so intensely on problems that they forget to celebrate progress. Ignoring small wins leaves employees feeling that their efforts go unnoticed, which weakens motivation and trust. A 2025 study revealed that only 19% of employees receive recognition weekly, even though frequent and meaningful praise significantly boosts engagement and productivity.

    Be specific, timely, and personal in your praise. It can be as simple as a message in Slack or Teams or a comment in a meeting. Leaders who pay attention to achievements create a culture where people feel valued and motivated.

    5. Burning out

    According to Vistage, 71% of CEOs regularly face burnout, with a third experiencing it almost daily. Leaders need to prioritize recovery, activities and proper sleep. As the Financial Times noted in 2024, many CEOs now treat rest not as weakness but as a strategy. There are two types of entrepreneurs. Some proudly claim success came from working “day and night without pause”. Others learn to delegate, protect their health and focus on strategy. Both can succeed, but only one builds a sustainable organisation.

    A good leader knows that trust of the team is not a “nice to have”. It’s the foundation of performance, especially when the storm hits. The leaders who succeed are not those who strive for perfection, but rather those who are authentic, adaptable and empathetic. They delegate, acknowledge both challenges and wins and care for their own well-being, thus inspiring their teams.

    In times of crisis, employees pay great attention to what their leader is like. It is in these moments that trust shifts from a “soft value” to a strategic asset that directly affects motivation, retention and even financial results.

    Companies with high levels of trust outperform competitors in efficiency by up to 400%, and 93% of business leaders believe that trust directly impacts financial performance.

    Yet, the reality is not that great. According to Gallup, only 20% of employees say they trust their leader. Edelman reports that just 19% believe CEOs are honest, while 68% think leaders intentionally mislead them.

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    Slava Bogdan

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