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  • How to Unlock Your Inner Intelligence in an AI-Driven World | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You can easily search online to find lists of new tech tools or the top new ChatGPT prompts to have AI help you with your work, but what about tapping into your own internal productivity without outside assistance? We often forget that the most powerful productivity hack isn’t just another app — it’s our own internal potential and the knowledge to tap into it.

    It is something we refer to as Absolute Intelligence.

    The originator of this concept, global humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, recently spoke at Deakin University’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute, exploring the theme of Absolute Intelligence versus Artificial Intelligence and the nature of our innate, embedded intelligence. The key factor is that, unlike artificial intelligence, Absolute Intelligence becomes accessible when your mind is calm and settled. It’s a deeper intelligence that allows you to see more possibilities and make better decisions by tapping into your intuitive abilities.

    While companies everywhere are racing to implement AI, the ones that can truly succeed have something more: self-aware leaders who are able to tap into their Absolute Intelligence. In a world flooded with external tools, it’s the internal operating system of a leader that often determines whether innovation thrives or fails.

    Studies are starting to show that over-reliance on AI can lead to a decline in cognitive abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving and retention. Research suggests that AI use can result in cognitive offloading, where individuals delegate tasks to AI, reducing their engagement in deep, reflective thinking.

    This can lead to a decrease in brain activity, weaker memory retention and a diminished sense of authorship, particularly when using AI for creative tasks. So what can we do to thrive in such a situation?

    Here are five powerful and practical “prompts” to unlock your own Absolute Intelligence:

    Related: How to Access the Inner Power That Makes You Irreplaceable in an AI-Driven World

    1. Develop a deeper understanding of self

    Start by looking beyond your body and thoughts. You are not just a collection of tasks, roles or even emotions. We are more than what meets the eye. In the SKY Breath Meditation program, one experiences the seven layers of our existence. The physical body, then our breath and mind, are the first three, more physical layers. Then comes your intellect, where conscious choices are being made. The fifth layer is your memories, and the sixth layer is the more encompassing ego or sense of identity. Finally, the last layer is the Self, which goes beyond ego to encompass the never-changing reference point of who we truly are.

    A fundamental understanding of this truth allows us to connect with the core of who we are. When you do this, clarity comes naturally.

    2. Learn to recharge

    Self-awareness is a first step in learning to recharge. When we become aware of our thoughts and emotions and learn to manage them through the breath, we get in touch with our Self — the source of all energy.

    We often tend to treat our devices better than our own systems, adding protective layers to our phones and ensuring our computer is always fully charged.

    Paying attention to the type of foods we consume, the amount of sleep we get, learning how to use the breath and maintaining a pleasant state of mind can help us recharge our own batteries — and keep us ready to face the challenges that the world throws at us.

    Our breath holds many secrets, but we often pay attention only when we are out of breath!

    There’s ancient wisdom behind the sayings “you are what you eat” or “you become the average of your closest circle.” They reflect a deeper truth: Your outer world is an echo of your inner vibration. So if you want to show up differently, start by tuning the instrument. Choose wisely. What you eat, who you spend time with and how you breathe are not just habits. They’re your crucial foundation builders.

    Related: Relying on AI Could Be Your Biggest Business Mistake — These 2 Human Skills Are What Drive Real Results.

    3. Be in the present moment

    It’s not enough to understand productivity intellectually; you have to live it. A few days ago, I was leading a virtual meditation session for over a hundred people and realized that the administrator had muted the entire group, including me — and had gone for a bio-break.

    When I tried to unmute myself, I was not able to do it! I was able to accept the present moment, and instead of reacting, I chose to respond. I used sign language to signal to the participants to begin their meditation. Towards the end, when we recapped, most people had a deep meditation and didn’t even realize that I had not been able to unmute myself in the beginning.

    When we embrace the present moment in its totality, we are able to respond and make the most of a given situation.

    4. Train your breath, train your mind

    Your breath is more than just a biological function; it’s the remote control for your mind. It’s the bridge between the outer and inner worlds. Learning to modulate your breath can help you achieve a sense of clarity and calmness, as well as boost your energy and dynamism.

    As part of SKY Breath Meditation program, we teach specific breathing techniques that have helped leaders stay grounded in high-pressure situations, from negotiations to startup setbacks. If you want to lead with clarity and purpose, start by mastering your breath.

    Modern neuroscience is catching up to what ancient wisdom has always known: How you breathe directly affects how you think, feel and perform. Research shows that rhythmic breathing patterns regulate the autonomic nervous system, lower cortisol levels and improve heart rate variability, all key indicators of resilience and mental agility. When your breath is steady, your thoughts follow suit. You move out of a reactionary state and instead, you’re responding with presence, clarity and purpose.

    Related: Is Artificial Intelligence Replacing Your Intelligence?

    5. Lead from within

    We are more than just our minds, thoughts and emotions. We realize this when we are able to remove the veil of stress that clouds our vision. This effectively changes our outlook towards life, and we are able to connect with others around us in more real and meaningful ways. A sense of connection and belonging helps establish mutual trust. That’s when we begin to lead not just from the mind, but from a deeper place of wisdom.

    Artificial intelligence has indeed been a transformative force, redefining efficiency, scale and problem-solving across the board. What truly distinguishes human capacity is not just the ability to compute faster or analyze more, but the very intelligence that arises from awareness. As AI continues to evolve, the most meaningful differentiator will not be technological progress alone, but our ability to deepen our understanding of Absolute Intelligence and to lead from that place of awareness and intuition.

    So before you open another productivity app or scroll for the latest AI prompts — Pause. Breathe. Relax. For these are the prompts to access your Absolute Intelligence.

    You can easily search online to find lists of new tech tools or the top new ChatGPT prompts to have AI help you with your work, but what about tapping into your own internal productivity without outside assistance? We often forget that the most powerful productivity hack isn’t just another app — it’s our own internal potential and the knowledge to tap into it.

    It is something we refer to as Absolute Intelligence.

    The originator of this concept, global humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, recently spoke at Deakin University’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute, exploring the theme of Absolute Intelligence versus Artificial Intelligence and the nature of our innate, embedded intelligence. The key factor is that, unlike artificial intelligence, Absolute Intelligence becomes accessible when your mind is calm and settled. It’s a deeper intelligence that allows you to see more possibilities and make better decisions by tapping into your intuitive abilities.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Ajay Tejasvi

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  • Pet of the Week

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    Meet Octavia! This pretty lady and her kittens were rescued in North Carolina. She’s endured many hardships before she came to Cape Ann Animal Aid’s Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter, and when she arrived, it was discovered she was once…

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  • Want to Retire One Day? Avoid 3 Common Retirement Mistakes | Entrepreneur

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    Retirement remains a far-off — and in some cases, unattainable — goal for many Americans.

    About one in four adults over age 50 said they expect to never retire, according to an AARP survey. That’s perhaps not surprising given that Americans believe they’ll need $1.26 million to retire comfortably, per Northwestern Mutual.

    Related: Are You on Track for Your Age? Here’s When You Should Save for Retirement, Make 6 Figures and Buy a Home, According to a New Survey.

    In a new report from Bank of America, 68% of employees said that saving for retirement is their No. 1 financial goal, though working toward it often comes with significant challenges.

    The research, which surveyed nearly 1,000 full-time employees who participate in 401(k) plans and 800 employers who offer a 401(k) plan, revealed that the average employee doesn’t start saving for retirement until age 30 and wishes they had more retirement education (33%).

    Employees’ top expected sources of retirement income were as follows, per the survey: 401(k) or 403(b) (85%), Social Security (75%), checking or savings account 53%), IRA (38%), taxable brokerage or investment account (24%).

    Related: How Much Money Do You Need to Retire Comfortably in Your State? Here’s the Breakdown.

    Baby Boomers are retiring at a rapid rate, setting a record number of retirees in 2024 that allowed Gen X to outnumber them in the workforce for the first time, GOBankingRates reported.

    On average, Boomers began saving for retirement at age 34; now in their 60s and 70s, one in four of them don’t feel on track to retire, according to the Bank of America survey. Additionally, only two in 10 Boomers said they completely understand their Social Security benefits.

    Rising healthcare costs in retirement present another hurdle, as only 34% of employees said they’re saving and investing for future healthcare expenses, despite current research showing that a 65-year-old couple could need as much as $428,000 in savings to cover their retirement healthcare expenses.

    Related: How to Start Thinking About Retirement Before You Plan to Retire

    Respondents said the main reason they don’t save for health care is that they can’t afford it, but many who have access to an HSA through their employer also don’t understand the tax advantages and rollover process.

    When employees across generations were asked to reflect on what they would have done differently to prepare for retirement, they cited three common mistakes: not starting to save at a younger age (49%), not taking full advantage of their employer’s 401(k) match (35%) and not paying off debt sooner (36%).

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Bank of America

    “The modern employee wants help with their broader financial goals,” Lorna Sabbia, head of workplace benefits at Bank of America, said. “Employers should consider additional resources to support their workforce in ways that bolster their long-term goals while also helping them tackle short-term challenges.”

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    Amanda Breen

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  • I Founded a $1.5 Billion Business. Here’s My Success Secret. | Entrepreneur

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    This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Shanaz Hemmati, COO and co-founder of ZenBusiness, a $1.5 billion company that provides an all-in-one platform helping small businesses become official, stay compliant, manage finances and more. Her co-founder is Ross Buhrdorf, who serves as CEO. The piece has been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of ZenBusiness. Co-founder and COO Shanaz Hemmati.

    I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but I never really thought about going off and starting my own business.

    At the University of Texas at Austin, I studied computer engineering, starting with hardware design before pivoting to software engineering. I truly love technology, and especially software engineering, because you’re coding to solve problems — I still love solving problems.

    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’

    My husband’s an entrepreneur who’s always had his own businesses. He’d encourage me to start my own business, but I was too concerned. Sometimes women can think too hard about doing something; that’s what held me back from becoming an entrepreneur.

    For women in male-dominated fields, it’s important to seek out mentors who can help you from their experience, even if their journey looked different from yours. You can bounce ideas off them and ask them questions. Mentorship pushes you, but it also gives you assurance and confidence.

    Over the course of my career, I learned so much, which helped me when I made the leap to founder.

    “Small businesses are what keep the economy growing.”

    I first met my ZenBusiness co-founder Ross Buhrdorf when we worked at Excite.com, a web portal company founded in 1994. Several years later, I joined HomeAway, a vacation rental marketplace, where I stayed for 11 years until the company was acquired by Expedia.

    Later on, Ross and I met up for coffee, and he started talking about this idea of building something to help entrepreneurs and people who are starting small businesses. I was intrigued and excited. I’d always been passionate about that category in the market: Small businesses are what keep the economy growing and going.

    Related: I Walked Away From a Corporate Career to Start My Own Small Business — Here’s Why You Should Do the Same

    So Ross and I founded ZenBusiness in 2017.

    When it comes to a fast-growing company like ours, we have so many things on our to-do list, but we don’t always have the resources to get them done at the same time, so we have to prioritize.

    AI has been one of those priorities. Everybody in business should be using it these days. It’s a great tool that saves time once you get employees on board and using it based on their role and function. Our personalized AI assistant, ZenBusiness Velo, is included with every LLC formation and helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

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

    “It all comes down to this — people are at the center of any great company.”

    For a long time, I’ve had this mantra that’s helped me succeed as a business leader: Be fearless, be ethical, be passionate.

    Being fearless means recognizing that nothing is ever going to be perfect, but you just do it anyway. Being ethical means always being honest, to yourself, to your co-workers, to anyone. And being passionate is everything. Loving your work and doing the best job possible will help you progress in your career and build your business.

    It all comes down to this — people are at the center of any great company. Anything you do is all about people, whether they’re employees, customers or the community.

    ZenBusiness puts this rule into action by hearing and supporting its employees.

    For example, we became an early adopter of remote work. The company sent employees home when the pandemic hit, but as we continued to grow and hire more people, we listened to employees who said that they preferred working from home. Remote work gave them the chance to spend time with their families, cut down on commute hours and be more productive.

    Related: A CEO Who Runs a Fully Remote Company Has an Unusual Take on Employees Starting Side Hustles: ‘We Have to Be Honest With Ourselves’

    “Maybe you launch as a side hustle to test it out.”

    All aspiring entrepreneurs should avoid the pitfall of thinking about a business idea for too long before they take action: Do it sooner rather than later.

    You don’t have to drop everything else you’re working on to start. Maybe you launch as a side hustle to test it out. Talk to the people you’re trying to solve a pain point for because those conversations will give you a lot of information.

    Every day, you’re learning something new, and being able to pivot fast can be the difference between driving your business in the right direction or not. There are always going to be surprises along the way. So remember, it’s all about the people who are around you — it’s all about the people you bring in to help you go through your business journey.

    This article is part of our ongoing Women Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of running a business as a woman.

    This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Shanaz Hemmati, COO and co-founder of ZenBusiness, a $1.5 billion company that provides an all-in-one platform helping small businesses become official, stay compliant, manage finances and more. Her co-founder is Ross Buhrdorf, who serves as CEO. The piece has been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of ZenBusiness. Co-founder and COO Shanaz Hemmati.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Amanda Breen

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • Mom’s Creative Side Hustle Grew to $570,000 a Month: Penny Linn | Entrepreneur

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    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Krista LeRay, the 34-year-old founder of needlepoint store Penny Linn. She lives with her husband and two children in Westport, Connecticut. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Penny Linn. Krista LeRay.

    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?
    Before starting Penny Linn, a new-age needlepoint store offering hand-painted canvases, accessories and more, I was a full-time influencer running my blog, Covering The Bases. I started the blog in 2013, but I only took it full-time about a year before starting Penny Linn. While managing the blog, I had a corporate career at Major League Baseball, where I worked on the social media team for over five years.

    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.’

    When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
    I initially learned to stitch from my grandma, who inspired the name of the business, and then I really got into it in college at the University of Kentucky. I picked it back up again in 2018 when I started stitching custom belts for my dad and husband, and a ring bearer pillow for my wedding in 2019. Little did I know that this would be the perfect hobby to fall back in love with as the pandemic approached.

    As I got back into stitching, I quickly stitched through my stash of canvases and was disappointed with both the in-person and online needlepoint shopping experiences. It felt antiquated; there weren’t many sites with a good user experience, a handful of the shops made you call to order, and the designs felt very mature. I found myself wishing there were more fun and better accessories and canvases, so I started making them after my search came up short.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Penny Linn

    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?
    When I started painting my own canvases, I wasn’t even in the mindset of starting a business; it was still just a hobby for me. I probably spent under $100 buying a blank canvas on Etsy and paint at Michaels, and painted the infamous Ralph’s Coffee cup for myself. When I shared it on my Instagram, I had an overwhelming number of followers ask to buy one, so I knew my followers were also interested in needlepoint.

    As I began searching for cuter accessories for myself, I found that many custom items had a 100-item minimum. At the time, I had a business bank account for my blog, so I used that money to order the inventory and knew that I could at least sell 90 of them to my followers who also needlepointed. After making a few canvases and seeing the demand, I realized I had enough ideas to launch a larger collection online. So I bought the smallest Shopify package, started sourcing needleminders and project bags, and recruited my friends and family to help paint canvases.

    All in all, I spent about $5,000 on the initial inventory for our accessories and an additional $2,000 on shipping materials, canvas tape, etc., but none of this accounted for my time painting the canvases one by one, which was the biggest investment.

    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

    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?
    Looking back on how I built my business, it’s a catch-22; if I had known what I know today, I might have done it differently. However, having my hands in every aspect of the business has brought me a great deal of knowledge and appreciation that continues to shape the business.

    In the beginning, I hand-painted nearly every canvas, which took many, many hours, but it kept costs low since my labor was essentially free and gave me control over my inventory. If I had known that people outsourced painting, it would have saved me so much time and energy, but doing it myself taught me the value of a hand-painted canvas.

    Similarly, I wish I had hired people at the beginning to take more off my plate, but by doing it all, I learned valuable lessons and knew how I wanted every aspect of the business to run. I don’t think Penny Linn would be such a thoughtful and impactful brand today if I hadn’t had my fingers on every aspect of the business in the beginning.

    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

    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?
    The reason Penny Linn has been so successful as a business, and also in reviving the cultural love for needlepoint, is that we brought much-needed innovation to the industry. I never expected the amount of pushback from vendors and industry vets I received. Across the board, people pushed back on our ideas and how we ran our business.

    Today, we have found partners who believe in our growth and are building with us. When we launched our acrylic line in 2022, there was so much chatter online that it wasn’t innovative or unique, but today we hold a patent for the design, and it’s one of our bestselling lines. We also take a slightly smaller wholesale margin than the industry standard because I believe in making needlepoint accessible. Our wholesale partners were initially adamant that it wouldn’t be successful, but it has proven otherwise. I developed a thick skin while blogging and learned to shut out the noise, which has followed me into Penny Linn as we continue to shake up the industry.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Penny Linn

    Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
    I vividly remember one of our first bag launches, which did not go as planned. It was a beautiful project bag with leather and PVC that we sold through so quickly! As I was packing them, I tested a few of the zippers and was very disappointed to find that they stuck and were difficult to open, despite the samples working perfectly. I reached out to each customer who had ordered them and let them know that the bags weren’t up to our standards. I offered them a full refund if they wanted to return the bag or a discount if they wanted to keep it.

    This became one of my biggest rules in business: When anything goes wrong, I need to take ownership and work to rectify it immediately. Our community was beyond appreciative of how proactive we were, and most ended up keeping the bags. We put the rest of the bags on clearance and now work with our team and vendors to ensure we have quality control measures in place.

    How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
    In the first six months after we launched, the only consistent revenue was what we generated during launches. Everything would sell out so quickly that we wouldn’t have any inventory left until the next launch. We would often have a day or two without sales in between launches, which wasn’t a sustainable way to run a business. To prevent this, we started producing more inventory and introduced our Penny Linn Collective, allowing us to bring on designers who expanded our offerings. Our designer collective has been fruitful for us over the past five years, and we continue to grow it today.

    We started seeing more consistent revenue in year two, doing just over $30,000 per month. The popularity of our launches started to level out, and we could better forecast inventory to keep our income steady. It was such a big deal for us at the time to reach these numbers, but we do that in a day now. Each year has been drastically different in terms of demand, and about every six months, we reach an inflection point where we need to increase quantities even more.

    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 does growth and revenue look like now?
    It’s been really exciting that Penny Linn has doubled or tripled each year. In 2024, we did $4.4 million in revenue, and we have already surpassed that and are on track to double it in 2025. We are currently averaging $570,000 per month. Whatever I think our ceiling might be, we come in and double it each year. Our growth has been so explosive that I do expect it to start leveling out in the next year or so, but there is still so much opportunity for the business.

    My mind is always racing with new ideas for the brand as we expand our product offering, launch new designers under the Penny Linn Collective and bring new accessories to market. Our store opening in Norwalk, Connecticut, earlier this year was a huge milestone for us, and now we are exploring what more stores might look like. I don’t see our growth slowing down anytime soon.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Penny Linn

    What do you enjoy most about running this business?
    I honestly love what I do so much and find great fulfillment in it. I feel so much pride, excitement and joy thinking about what we’ve created at Penny Linn and the business I’ve built in under five years. It’s nothing I could have ever imagined as my career or what I expected Penny Linn to grow into. We haven’t seen many bumps in the road yet, and keep having success after success, which energizes me to keep going.

    I pride myself on the fact that Penny Linn is “by a stitcher for a stitcher,” and there is nothing more satisfying as a needlepointer to want something in my collection and to be able to make it. I’m privileged to have the ability to work with our vendors to create the products of my dreams, and it’s just as exciting to see how much our community loves them.

    I also find so much joy in the change we have brought to the industry and how we have been able to bring needlepoint to the forefront for a new generation. It’s crazy to sit back and think that my brand has revived a centuries-old tradition and built it into something that will continue to live on and evolve for generations to come.

    Related: These Friends Started a Side Hustle in Their Kitchens. Sales Spiked to $130,000 in 3 Days — Then 7 Figures: ‘Revenue Has Grown Consistently.’

    What’s your best business advice?
    The first is, “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.” People are often scared to reach out because they are afraid of rejection, but my motto is always to ask, and if they don’t reply, it’s still not a no. If they don’t respond, it’s not the end of the world, but the opportunity for the answer to be yes is so much greater.

    My second is to learn the difference between constructive feedback and criticism. If someone doesn’t like you or your business, they will never have anything nice to say, and it’s not worth listening to. However, if they are a loyal fan and a frequent shopper, and they comment on how a product or process might be improved, it’s worth listening to. It’s easy to get lost in the negative feedback, but the faster you learn what is worth listening to, the better decisions you will make for your business.

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    Amanda Breen

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

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    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.”

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    Leo Zevin

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

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    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.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Dr. Christina Rahm

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  • Breast Cancer Awareness 2025: Share your stories, join our campaign

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    North of Boston Media Group is preparing to launch its 14th annual Breast Cancer Awareness campaign.

    And we want to share your stories surrounding this far-reaching disease.


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  • This Is the Leadership Trick That Even Top CEOs Swear By | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Most leaders travel alone for business. But how many leaders have intentionally taken a true solo vacation? No family, no work, no obligations. Just you, alone, facing your inner world and expanding your leadership potential.

    I recently did exactly that, spending two weeks solo in Peru and Ecuador. The impact was profound, reshaping how I approach leadership, decision-making and strategic thinking at StoneAge, the employee-owned company I run. Here’s why I believe every leader should take a solo vacation and how doing so will make you more effective and impactful.

    Solitude creates strategic clarity

    Leadership is fundamentally about making clear decisions. But how can you make smart, strategic choices if meetings, emails and daily demands constantly clutter your mind?

    Hal Gregersen wrote in a recent Harvard Business Review article, “Cultivating silence increases your chances of encountering novel ideas and information and discerning weak signals.” When you take a solo vacation, you find yourself sitting in silence, often with room to think and ideate. Bill Gates credits his famous twice-yearly “think weeks,” which are periods of intense solitude and reflection, with inspiring some of Microsoft’s most groundbreaking innovations.

    During my solo adventure, without work emails or meetings, I finally had the mental space to outline my next book, clarify my vision for StoneAge and develop new leadership frameworks. The solitude sharpened my strategic clarity and renewed my focus in ways impossible to achieve amid daily distractions.

    Related: How Taking Solo Retreats Away from Work Benefits You and Your Business

    Breaking routine enhances cognitive flexibility

    Routine is comfortable, but comfort rarely breeds innovation. Leaders often underestimate how rigid routines stifle creative thinking and limit growth.

    According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, exposure to novel and diverse experiences enhances cognitive flexibility — a crucial skill for innovative and agile leadership. During my solo trip, navigating unfamiliar places, cultures and languages forced my brain out of autopilot mode, dramatically enhancing my creative problem-solving abilities. I returned home able to view business challenges more clearly and approach them with fresh, innovative perspectives.

    Being alone strengthens self-leadership and emotional resilience

    As leaders, our external effectiveness hinges on internal strength. Self-leadership — how effectively we manage our emotions, behaviors and decisions — is the cornerstone of successful leadership.

    Traveling solo tests and develops self-leadership. When a canceled flight threatened my meticulously planned itinerary, I had to trust my instincts, solve problems quickly and stay emotionally regulated. I leaned into discomfort, managing loneliness and vulnerability without distractions. Each challenge enhanced my self-trust, emotional intelligence and resilience, qualities directly beneficial to leading my team through uncertainty and stress.

    Presence creates authentic connection

    Presence is a leader’s greatest currency. Yet, constant connectivity ironically often leaves us disconnected from those around us.

    My solo trip forced me to be present in the moment. Without phone service, I engaged fully with strangers on trains, at restaurants, in markets and had deep, authentic conversations. Each interaction reminded me of the power of presence in building genuine connections. Practicing authentic presence with strangers strengthened my ability to be more fully present with my team at StoneAge, creating deeper trust, empathy and effectiveness as a leader.

    Stillness generates breakthrough ideas

    We’ve glorified hustle culture, but true leadership insights rarely come from constant activity. Instead, they arise from stillness and quiet reflection.

    During my trip, moments of boredom and solitude gave rise to some of my most innovative ideas. Research supports this; cognitive scientists have found that boredom and stillness are crucial for creativity and innovative thinking. Leaders who embrace quiet moments cultivate deeper, more impactful insights.

    How leaders can maximize a solo vacation for strategic advantage

    1. Choose a destination that challenges you: Go somewhere that is culturally, physically or spiritually challenging. Stretching yourself boosts your cognitive flexibility and innovation capabilities.
    2. Fully disconnect from work: No emails, no meetings. Disconnecting entirely allows your brain to relax, fostering deeper strategic insights.
    3. Schedule intentional reflection: Allocate time specifically for journaling, meditation and quiet reflection. Structured reflection cultivates strategic clarity and emotional awareness.
    4. Engage with strangers to build presence: Talk to people you meet. Engaging authentically with strangers develops your emotional intelligence, presence and interpersonal skills.
    5. Observe and reflect on your inner experiences: Notice when you feel lonely, bored or uncomfortable. Reflecting on these feelings enhances self-leadership, emotional resilience and decision-making skills.

    Related: How to Start (and Run) a 7-Figure Business While Traveling the World

    Final leadership insights:

    • Solitude isn’t a luxury; it’s a strategic leadership advantage.
    • Breaking routine fuels innovation and creative thinking.
    • Effective leadership starts with deep self-awareness and emotional resilience.
    • Authentic presence strengthens your connections with your team.
    • True leadership breakthroughs come from stillness and reflection, not relentless hustle.

    I returned from my solo trip not only refreshed but fundamentally changed. The clarity, confidence and creativity I gained now directly enhance how I lead StoneAge and engage with my employees. A solo vacation isn’t just good for your soul; it’s a strategic imperative for effective, innovative leadership.

    Book your solo trip. Your team, your company and your future self will thank you.

    Most leaders travel alone for business. But how many leaders have intentionally taken a true solo vacation? No family, no work, no obligations. Just you, alone, facing your inner world and expanding your leadership potential.

    I recently did exactly that, spending two weeks solo in Peru and Ecuador. The impact was profound, reshaping how I approach leadership, decision-making and strategic thinking at StoneAge, the employee-owned company I run. Here’s why I believe every leader should take a solo vacation and how doing so will make you more effective and impactful.

    Solitude creates strategic clarity

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Kerry Siggins

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  • Home From College: Jobs for Young Adults Without Work Experience | Entrepreneur

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    Julia Haber, the 29-year-old co-founder of career platform Home From College, was a student at Syracuse University when she started her first business: an experiential marketing agency that brought retail pop-ups to college campuses and worked with brands like Shopify to teach students about entrepreneurship.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Home From College. Julia Haber.

    The experience gave Haber valuable insight into what the career landscape looks like for Gen Z — and just how much it had changed over the past six-plus years.

    “ This next generation is constantly looking for ways to figure out who they are by doing things,” Haber tells Entrepreneur, “and because it’s such a socially native generation, we see all these people online making money in different ways. This next gen really wants to work with brands they love as well and admire, and it’s a blend of this consumer meets career.”

    Related: Gen Z Is Redefining the Workplace — and Companies Must Adapt or Face Losing Talent

    Recognizing that many students graduate without knowing what they want to do with their lives — and often with significant debt — Haber wanted to help them build “multi-hyphenate” careers early on.

    So Haber launched the Los Angeles-based startup Home From College in 2021 alongside co-founder Kaj Zandvliet, a former banker at PineBridge Investments and financial analyst at Sony Music Entertainment.

    “We position ourselves as the translator between companies and college students.”

    Home From College provides students with an opportunity to earn their first dollars and work with the brands they love in a “flexible, student-first” environment.

    To that end, Home From College only hosts paid job opportunities, 90% of which are remote. Companies can create an account on the platform and list their “gigs,” which could be anything from a one-day project to a lengthier brand ambassador program. Students and recent graduates create their own accounts on the platform and apply for the gigs that interest them — no prior work experience required.

    Home From College is free for students to use. The platform offers four subscription tiers for companies, starting at $49 per month, plus a 20% fee on student compensation. All payments take place on the platform via Stripe.

    Related: Why Gen Z Is Ditching the Corner Office Dream — and How Businesses Can Adapt

    Students typically earn about $30 an hour, and the average ambassador program pays students roughly $1,000 a month. It’s also common for students to work two gigs at once. Some of the top earners have seen “tens of thousands of dollars in a short period of time,” Haber notes — with one dedicated student’s gigs even amounting to a $50,000 paycheck.

    “We position ourselves as the translator between companies and college students, and that really resonated,” Haber says.

    Home From College raised $1.5 million of pre-seed funding in 2022, then $5.4 million in a seed round led by GV, formerly Google Ventures, last year.

    The company is using those funds to continue building a “sustainable, fast-moving” business. Home From College has invested in high-level talent and AI to connect students and brands effectively.

    Related: Top Career Motivations of Gen Z and Reasons They Choose an Employer

    “We’ve been implementing a ton of new roles that have more of an AI bent to them.”

    Additionally, although Home From College initially focused on low- to no-skilled jobs, there’s an interesting opportunity to lean on the hard skills that Gen Z college students and recent graduates often already have — like those related to AI, Haber says.

    “We’ve been implementing a ton of new roles that have more of an AI bent to them,” Haber explains, “and helping companies catch up to the students who are already native [in AI]. So that’s been a new frontier of actually having the students be more of the experts in a topic that companies are less proficient in and helping bridge that gap.”

    Companies on the platform are also interested in students with a talent for customer success and sales at scale, Haber says.

    For example, some consumer brands look to students for help with distribution in challenging markets, like the outskirts of a college campus or the middle of the country. It’s typical for these companies to recruit students to source new locations, such as a nearby deli, to sell products.

    Related: Gen Z Talent Will Walk Away — Unless You Try These 6 Strategies

    “ So it’s creating almost a business development sales team, boots on the ground at scale, where they can hire hundreds of people for that type of role,” Haber says, “where it’s skill and labor, and then simultaneously social media and content.”

    Brands often rely on students to run their TikTok shops too, as it can be a massive undertaking for those that want to launch and scale a meaningful affiliate program, Haber notes.  

    “[Students] come in and run those programs on behalf of companies,” Haber says, “and it’s great because it helps generate revenue for their business, but simultaneously teaches [the students] marketable skills.”

    “You’re not just where you went to school. You’re a bigger version of that.”

    Above all, Haber encourages young adults launching their careers to “use your whole self as the opportunity to market who you are” and land the role you want.

    Home From College facilitates that by allowing students to share more information about themselves than a typical resume or job application might glean — for instance, having curly hair could make them “really attractive” to a shampoo brand that specializes in curls and needs a social media manager to connect with its target customer base.

    Related: Gen Z Is Losing Faith in the College Degree — Here’s 3 Reasons Why It’s Still Important for Them

    “You’re not just your major,” Haber says. “You’re not just what your GPA is. You’re not just where you went to school. You’re a bigger version of that.”

    This article is part of our ongoing series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of being a Young Entrepreneur®.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • Optimize Your Budget With a $50 Sam’s Club Membership and $35 in Rewards | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Running a business or side hustle comes with enough costs. Your supplies, snacks, tools, and tech shouldn’t be one of them. With a Sam’s Club Membership, you get direct access to bulk pricing and high-quality inventory across nearly every category, from office breakroom staples to laptops, smart appliances, and furniture. And right now, new members pay just $50 and get $35 in Sam’s Cash to spend on whatever your business needs for the year.

    This offer is designed specifically for new U.S. members and gives you a full year of membership benefits, including a complimentary household card for additional team savings. It’s perfect for small business owners, solo operators, freelancers, and teams looking to stretch their spend across food, operations, and client perks.

    You’ll also unlock exclusive discounts on travel, car rentals, entertainment, and more — so the value doesn’t stop at your shopping cart. With the Sam’s Club mobile app and Scan & Go checkout, you can streamline the in-store experience and stay focused on what matters most: running your business efficiently.

    Unlike other retailers, Sam’s Club operates on a curated, limited-item model, meaning each product is selected for quality, reliability, and value. And with nearly 600 U.S. locations, plus a robust online shopping experience, your next restock is never far away.

    To get started, redeem your code within 30 days of purchase. Your membership is valid for one year from activation and auto-renews unless canceled.

    For a limited time, join Sam’s Club for $50 for a one-year membership to get $35 in Sam’s Cash, and start turning everyday purchases into big-time business wins.

    StackSocial prices subject to change.

    Running a business or side hustle comes with enough costs. Your supplies, snacks, tools, and tech shouldn’t be one of them. With a Sam’s Club Membership, you get direct access to bulk pricing and high-quality inventory across nearly every category, from office breakroom staples to laptops, smart appliances, and furniture. And right now, new members pay just $50 and get $35 in Sam’s Cash to spend on whatever your business needs for the year.

    This offer is designed specifically for new U.S. members and gives you a full year of membership benefits, including a complimentary household card for additional team savings. It’s perfect for small business owners, solo operators, freelancers, and teams looking to stretch their spend across food, operations, and client perks.

    You’ll also unlock exclusive discounts on travel, car rentals, entertainment, and more — so the value doesn’t stop at your shopping cart. With the Sam’s Club mobile app and Scan & Go checkout, you can streamline the in-store experience and stay focused on what matters most: running your business efficiently.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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

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    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.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • U.S. Parents Charge Kids Interest on Loans. Here’s How Much. | Entrepreneur

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    As young Americans struggle with high costs of living and salaries that haven’t kept pace with inflation, some of them rely on loans to make ends meet.

    Nearly half (46%) of Gen Z between the ages of 18 and 27 depend on financial assistance from their family, according to a 2024 report from Bank of America.

    What’s more, even though some parents are willing to help their kids out with cash, those loans don’t always come without strings attached — sometimes in the form of interest.

    Related: Gen Z Is Turning to Side Hustles to Purchase ‘the Normal Stuff’ in ‘Suburban Middle-Class America’

    Financial media company MarketBeat.com‘s new report, which surveyed more than 3,000 parents, found that an increasing number are charging their adult children interest on family loans.

    “The Bank of Mom and Dad has always been generous, but even generosity comes with boundaries,” says Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat.com. “What’s striking is that while most parents don’t expect repayment — and certainly not at commercial interest rates — inflation and rising costs are starting to reshape how families think about money.”

    The average interest rate charged by parents was 5.1%, according to the data. That’s still well below the costs their children might incur elsewhere: The average personal loan rate is 12.49% for customers with a 700 FICO score, $5,000 loan amount and three-year repayment term, per Bankrate.

    Related: This Stat About Gen Alpha’s Side Hustles Might Be Hard to Believe — But It Means Major Purchasing Power. Here’s What the Kids Want to Buy.

    Only 15% of parents would be comfortable with lending their kids $5,000 or more at one time, according to MarketBeat’s research.

    Family loan repayment terms can also vary significantly by location. The top five toughest state lenders based on the interest rates parents charge were Nebraska (6.8%), Oregon (6.8%), Mississippi (6.5%), Georgia (6.4%) and Arkansas (6.3%), the report found.

    Parents in Delaware and Maine tended to be the most lenient when it came to charging their children interest on loans, with 2% and 4% rates, respectively, according to the findings.

    Related: Baby Boomers Over 75 Are Getting Richer, Causing a ‘Massive’ Wealth Divide, According to a New Report

    Many parents who expect repayment also have a fast-tracked timeline in mind. Twenty-one percent anticipated seeing their loan repaid in one month, 15% within one year and just 8% more than a year later, per the survey.

    Although 59% of parents reported being happy to help their kids with money, 27% said they would only do it if necessary, and 4% admitted to feeling resentful.

    In many cases, family loans don’t just provide financial support — they’re also “emotional transactions that test trust, responsibility and family dynamics,” Paulson notes.

    As young Americans struggle with high costs of living and salaries that haven’t kept pace with inflation, some of them rely on loans to make ends meet.

    Nearly half (46%) of Gen Z between the ages of 18 and 27 depend on financial assistance from their family, according to a 2024 report from Bank of America.

    What’s more, even though some parents are willing to help their kids out with cash, those loans don’t always come without strings attached — sometimes in the form of interest.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Amanda Breen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Erica Schultz

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

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

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

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Dan Bova

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  • Turn Your Expertise into a Published Book for Only $49 | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Youbooks is a powerful AI platform that streamlines the creation of polished non-fiction books in hours, not months. For a limited time, get lifetime access to Youbooks, an AI non-fiction book generator for just $49, down from the usual $540—a smart, one-time investment for any professional or entrepreneur aiming to amplify their reputation and revenue through publishing.

    Ideal for subject matter experts, creators, and YouTubers

    Youbooks isn’t just another writing assistant. It’s a sophisticated, AI-powered non-fiction book generator that leverages a multi-AI engine, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, to craft manuscripts up to 300,000 words long. Its multi-step (often more than 1,000 steps) internal workflow ensures each draft is coherent, refined, and publication-ready.

    Whether you’re a subject matter expert, niche publisher, non-fiction author, YouTuber, or content creator, Youbooks transforms your domain knowledge—ideas, blog transcripts, videos—into a structured manuscript. Upload your materials, define your angle, and let the AI do the legwork. It even stores up to 100 style samples and 100 source documents to maintain your voice and expertise throughout the text.

    The perfect remedy for writer’s block

    Got half-baked ideas or fragmented notes? Youbooks lets you upload research, outlines, and writing samples to morph your rough drafts into polished, cohesive books.

    Say goodbye to writer’s block. Youbooks bypasses this entirely by turning a simple idea or prompt into a full-length manuscript. You retain control across style, tone, and structure, while letting the AI handle the heavy lifting. Whether you’re launching thought leadership content or crafting a business guide, Youbooks eliminates the blank page anxiety.

    The AI integrates up-to-date content via live web searches while composing, so your manuscript remains current and evidence-based. The export options (DOCX, PDF, EPUB, Markdown) make it easy to move straight into publishing platforms or PDFs for print-ready layout.

    Build authority and boost revenue—fast

    For entrepreneurs, a book is more than words. It’s credibility, trust, and inbound marketing. Youbooks delivers professional-quality manuscripts swiftly, enabling business leaders to publish content-rich guides, niche industry analysis, or thought leadership materials—fast. This lifetime subscription grants 150,000 monthly credits, equating to ample content throughput: you could generate multiple average-length nonfiction books each month.

    Whether you’re a consultant, educator, or enterprise founder, Youbooks can turn your notes into polished, publication-ready books.

    Get lifetime access to Youbooks, an AI non-fiction book generator, for $49 (reg. $540).

    StackSocial prices subject to change.

    Youbooks is a powerful AI platform that streamlines the creation of polished non-fiction books in hours, not months. For a limited time, get lifetime access to Youbooks, an AI non-fiction book generator for just $49, down from the usual $540—a smart, one-time investment for any professional or entrepreneur aiming to amplify their reputation and revenue through publishing.

    Ideal for subject matter experts, creators, and YouTubers

    Youbooks isn’t just another writing assistant. It’s a sophisticated, AI-powered non-fiction book generator that leverages a multi-AI engine, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, to craft manuscripts up to 300,000 words long. Its multi-step (often more than 1,000 steps) internal workflow ensures each draft is coherent, refined, and publication-ready.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • ‘What Hoop Did I Not Jump Through to Get That Title?’: How Olympian Shaun White Disrupted Winter Sports By Spotting What Everyone Else Missed | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Shaun White, five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding, is more than familiar with winter sports. He’s lived and breathed it for years. But there was always one thing missing: No one was organizing or governing them.

    That’s where White’s latest venture, THE SNOW LEAGUE, has been a game-changer for winter sports athletes. With a mission to bring structure and excitement to skiing and snowboarding, he successfully completed his inaugural event in Aspen.

    White’s entrepreneurial mindset came from years as the best snowboarder in the world, observing the benefits and problems with how extreme sports are organized. White’s business acumen was forged on the half-pipe as well as by athlete-entrepreneurs like Jake Burton and Tony Hawk. What they brought to the tools of his trade, White would bring to events.

    Related: 4 Insanely Easy but Overlooked Tactics to Advance Your Entrepreneurial Career

    The entrepreneur was always there

    From his early days of living in a van with his family to make ends meet, White reflected on how that experience shaped his view of success.

    “But honestly, I look back and those were some of the most exciting times. I think those experiences gave me a deeper appreciation for where I am now,” says White. “If I’d had the best gear and all the resources from day one, it probably wouldn’t have meant as much to me.”

    As he gained skill and then started competing with the best snowboarders in the world, he listened to the more experienced athletes and heard about what made them successful as well as their struggles. Many of them had contracts with brands but were always concerned about not being renewed. He also noticed that the only person not concerned was Jake Burton, who owned his own brand.

    Another influence was Tony Hawk, the world-famous skateboarder and owner of Birdhouse Skateboards. White recalled all of the best skateboarders wanting to be associated with Hawk’s brand, considered the best in the world. But Hawk told White not to emulate someone else, and instead build something himself that others would want to emulate.

    Related: 3 Things That’ll Make You a Master of Forming — and Keeping — Great Habits

    Image Credit: Mike Dawson

    The problem others missed

    Many of the best entrepreneurs look for gaps in a market, and White is no exception. He saw that there was no governing body to organize the sport like an NHL, an F1 or a UFC. The snowboarding landscape was made up of random events scattered throughout the season. The events that paid the most might not qualify an athlete for the Olympics, but they needed those for the money that could sustain their careers. Lucrative events often required expensive travel, while other events that didn’t pay much actually could qualify you for the Olympics, or meant more to sponsors than to athletes because of TV viewership.

    This fragmented nature meant that the sport’s accolades didn’t coincide with an athlete’s achievements. White experienced this when he had an undefeated season.

    “And I got to the end of the season and they’re (reporters) like, ‘Amazing accomplishment, way to go! No one’s ever done that before!’ and I’m so happy with myself, ‘…but how does it feel to not be the world champion?’ I was like, what hoop did I not jump through to get that title?”

    White’s answer to these problems is THE SNOW LEAGUE. He created a framework that included a qualifying and ranking system, competitive scheduling and the highest prize purses ever offered in the sport.

    White’s credibility made it possible. He had the same frustrations they experienced, and because of that result, the project was met with a positive response from athletes as well as people in the industry.

    Related: 7 Things to Add to Make Your Morning Routine More Productive

    Building and executing

    Since starting THE SNOW LEAGUE, White has achieved some significant milestones like securing NBC as the league’s broadcast partner. Another was signing Eileen Gu as the league’s global ambassador. Gu was the first freestyle skier to win three gold medals in a single Winter Olympics as well as being a multi-gold medal winner in the X Games.

    Assembling the right team was the next step. White works closely with two main team members, Ian Warda and Omer Atesman, who are critical to achieving the league’s vision. White describes the insider knowledge Warda brings to the team.

    “He’s run the Burton U.S. opens and things like that for years and years and years. So he really knows the ins and outs of how to run a snowboarding competition. He gets the culture,” says White. Atesman, the CEO, came with previously existing investor relationships and leadership experience.

    A cultural innovation White brought into the league was equal pay for all athletes. White feels both men and women skiers and snowboarders take the same risks and achieve the same results, and should therefore get the same compensation. The policy also helps deepen the field of female athletes in the league.

    The entrepreneurial philosophy

    White uses several factors to decide whether an opportunity is worth pursuing. First, he looks at the product itself and decides if he likes it and if it’s authentic to him, seeing if it appeals to the humorous, serious or competitive side of his nature.

    He looks at other ventures through the lens of how involved he wants to be in the project. High Cascade Snowboarding Camp in Mt. Hood, Oregon, a park where White attended snowboard camps as a child, inspired him to become an investor in the camp’s parent company.

    White also uses the backcountry as other executives use the golf course. He takes potential investors on a skiing or snowboarding trip to show them his world, and they get to experience a departure from the typical 18-hole business negotiation.

    Nowadays, White does his best to give back. He recently appeared on the SoFi podcast Richer Lives to talk about building businesses, negotiating contracts and more.

    For aspiring snowboarders, White has advice drawn from both a successful snowboarding and business career.

    “Wear your helmet. That’s always the first thing I say. And then — learn as much as you can, especially about your finances. Don’t just hand it off to someone else and hope they handle it right,” says White. “Take the time to understand where your money’s going, how it’s working for you. The more you know, the better off you’ll be in the long run.”

    White has transitioned his measurement of personal success from medals to intangibles. “Today I measure most of my success within what’s happening in my personal life, with friends, with family. The things that riches don’t really buy you.”

    But he also understands that an eye needs to be focused on business success as well. “I feel like as long as there’s just steady growth, are we learning from mistakes? Are we making the same mistakes as before? As long as we’re learning and moving forward and growing, then I’m pretty happy with everything.”

    On the horizon

    White has plans to increase the number of events in THE SNOW LEAGUE with the addition of freestyle snowboarding. With a successful Aspen event completed and a second scheduled for the end of 2025, there are LEAGUE events scheduled in both China and Switzerland for 2026. After that, White has plans to expand to the southern hemisphere with events in South America, New Zealand and Australia to make THE SNOW LEAGUE a truly global tour.

    Shaun White, five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding, is more than familiar with winter sports. He’s lived and breathed it for years. But there was always one thing missing: No one was organizing or governing them.

    That’s where White’s latest venture, THE SNOW LEAGUE, has been a game-changer for winter sports athletes. With a mission to bring structure and excitement to skiing and snowboarding, he successfully completed his inaugural event in Aspen.

    White’s entrepreneurial mindset came from years as the best snowboarder in the world, observing the benefits and problems with how extreme sports are organized. White’s business acumen was forged on the half-pipe as well as by athlete-entrepreneurs like Jake Burton and Tony Hawk. What they brought to the tools of his trade, White would bring to events.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    John Boitnott

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  • Her Business Helps Women Earn in a $6.3B Industry: ‘Rewarding’ | Entrepreneur

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    Moniqueca Sims, owner of SSG Appliance Academy, got her first glimpse into the appliance repair industry while dating a man who worked in the space. “He worked all the time, seven days a week,” Sims recalls, “so I used to go out with him just to spend time with him. I saw how easy it was for him to repair those appliances, and he was repairing them quickly.”

    Image Credit: Courtesy of SSG Appliance Academy. Moniqueca Sims.

    Sims believes in “working smarter, not harder” and had the idea to hire technicians to help the man she was dating with repair calls. She did, but when he didn’t slow down, she ended up with her own appliance repair company.

    However, in running that business, Sims lost a significant amount of money purchasing parts. Many people she hired didn’t actually know how to repair appliances — and would just switch out part after part in search of a fit.

    Related: After Experiencing the ‘Lack of Diversity’ in Tech, This Software Engineer Started a Business That’s Changing Lives: ‘People Are Waking Up’

    So Sims took matters into her own hands again. She enrolled in an online course to learn about appliance repair and started handling jobs herself, even taking her kids along sometimes.

    “When you fix something, it boosts you up, every time you do it.”

    Still, Sims knew there had to be a better way to train and hire technicians for business growth, so once more she set out to make it happen: She founded SSG Appliance Academy, which provides hands-on training courses on the fundamentals to have a career in the appliance repair industry, in Atlanta in 2019.

    “ I saw how appliance repair was the gift that keeps on giving,” Sims says. “When you go out, when you fix something, it boosts you up, every time you do it. It’s not a grunt job. It’s a feel-good job.”

    When Sims went out on jobs with her daughter, she found that many of the clients were stay-at-home moms who breathed a sigh of relief when they realized they wouldn’t be alone with a male worker. Knowing that, and seeing firsthand what a confidence booster appliance repair could be, Sims committed to bringing more women into the industry.

    The total appliance repair industry revenue reached an estimated $6.3 billion in 2023, yet women make up less than 3% of home appliance repairers, according to data from ConsumerAffairs.

    Related: Raised By an Immigrant Single Mom, She Experienced ‘Culture Shock’ Working at Goldman Sachs. Here’s What She Wants You to Know About ‘Black Capitalism.’

    Sims decided to partner with shelters to grow SSG Appliance Academy and offer a viable career path to the women there. Although there was a lot of interest, the shelters didn’t have the funding to back it. So Sims got approved for grants through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

    The funding helps low-income, under- or unemployed women and men complete SSG Appliance Academy’s program and “turn their life around,” Sims says.

    SSG Appliance Academy’s classes typically enroll eight to 10 students. The most recent course had three women in it. In the past, Sims often had to attend events and convince women to come to the class; now, word-of-mouth is helping them find it themselves, she says.

    “ You constantly have to prove yourself [as a woman] in this industry.”

    Sims looks forward to seeing even more women take advantage of SSG Appliance Academy, despite the challenges that can come with being a woman in the space.

    “ You constantly have to prove yourself [as a woman] in this industry, and not just to the customers,” Sims says. “You have to prove yourself to everybody that works in the industry.”

    Sims is also excited to see more people across the board jump into the appliance repair industry, noting that learning a trade can help people make more money than they might through earning a four-year college degree.

    “Appliance repair can really help change people’s lives,” the founder says.

    Related: This Black Founder Stayed True to His Triple ‘Win’ Strategy to Build a $1 Billion Business

    “You want to learn your craft from the inside out.”

    To other women interested in starting their own careers or businesses in the appliance repair industry, Sims has some straightforward but essential advice: Enroll in a program that can help you learn all you need to know about the trade.

    “You want to learn your craft from the inside out,” Sims says. “A lot of technicians in the field now learn on the job, so they become part-changers because they don’t learn how to diagnose and troubleshoot the appliances properly. So my advice would definitely be to take a class. It doesn’t have to be my school — any school.”

    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

    Sims notes that there will be plenty of obstacles along the way, but she encourages anyone interested in learning appliance repair to stay the course — because “it’s a very rewarding career and business.”

    This article is part of our ongoing Women Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of running a business as a woman.

    Moniqueca Sims, owner of SSG Appliance Academy, got her first glimpse into the appliance repair industry while dating a man who worked in the space. “He worked all the time, seven days a week,” Sims recalls, “so I used to go out with him just to spend time with him. I saw how easy it was for him to repair those appliances, and he was repairing them quickly.”

    Image Credit: Courtesy of SSG Appliance Academy. Moniqueca Sims.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • Why the Biohacking Revolution is an Entrepreneurial Opportunity | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ve been in the entrepreneurship game long enough to spot when something big is coming. And I’m telling you right now: I believe biohacking isn’t just another wellness fad. It’s a legitimate business strategy that’s giving smart entrepreneurs a massive competitive edge.

    The numbers don’t lie: why entrepreneurs need this now

    Eighty-seven percent of entrepreneurs deal with mental health issues versus just 48% of regular people. But here’s the real kicker — it’s not just stress. I think it’s about trying to maintain peak performance while your body systematically breaks down under the demands of building something meaningful.

    Meanwhile, research shows each extra hour of sleep per week bumps your earnings by 3.4%. You’re literally leaving money on the table by not getting enough sleep. Think about that for a second. Your competitors who prioritize recovery aren’t just feeling better — they’re earning more.

    The market agrees with this shift. According to a recent Research and Markets Report, the Global Biohacking Market was valued at $24.5 billion in 2024 and is estimated to reach $111.3 billion by 2034. When you see numbers like that, you’re not looking at a trend. You’re looking at a complete shift in how high performers approach optimization.

    Related: Tricks to Prevent Jet Lag, According to Science

    What biohacking actually means for business

    Biohacking isn’t some mystical wellness nonsense. It’s what happens when entrepreneurs apply the same obsessive optimization mindset they use in business to their own bodies. These are people who track every metric that matters.

    Now they’re tracking HRV scores (heart rate variability) like conversion rates, experimenting with intermittent fasting like it’s a marketing campaign, and optimizing their sleep with the same intensity they bring to growth hacking. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. If you’re going to measure everything else, why not measure what actually powers your brain?

    Dave Asprey figured this out when he was running a longevity nonprofit and realized he was “the only guy under 60 in the room.” All the knowledge about human optimization was stuck with older folks, while young entrepreneurs were burning themselves out. That’s when he created something entirely different.

    At his 11th annual in-person Biohacking Conference (13th, including virtual events during COVID), Asprey’s approach became crystal clear. This isn’t strategic rebranding of longevity science — it’s an entirely new framework that has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry.

    His definition of biohacking is laser-focused: “To change the environment outside of you and inside of you so you have full control of your biology, to allow you to upgrade your body, mind, and your life.”

    Related: Is There a Superior Diet for the Entrepreneur? The ‘Father of Biohacking’ Shares What He Eats for High Energy, Low Body Fat and Optimal Output

    AI is revolutionizing the biohacking game

    Here’s where Asprey really got my attention. His company, 40 Years of Zen, utilizes AI to analyze brainwaves from top entrepreneurs and train your brain to match their patterns in five days, rather than spending 20 years meditating. For entrepreneurs who barely have time to eat lunch, this is a revolutionary concept.

    But the real breakthrough is Upgrade Labs, his franchise that’s collecting 187 million data points from every client. They’re using AI to analyze your bloodwork, performance metrics, goals, and current state, then generating a personalized optimization plan. No more guessing about supplements, fasting schedules or treatments.

    Asprey dropped $2.5 million figuring this out the expensive way. With AI, you don’t have to.

    This is biohacking evolving from experimental to systematic. The data exists and the results are measurable. (Fair warning: accessible technology can still come with a price tag — the 40 Years of Zen retreat costs $16,000 for a five-day immersive neurofeedback experience. But compare that to the cost of burnout.)

    An industry cross-pollination that signals massive growth

    What blew me away at Asprey’s conference wasn’t just the technology — it was the crowd. I watched entertainment personalities like Ragga Ragnar (Queen Gilhund from Vikings) discussing their craft with medical professionals like Dr. Vince Padre, who is developing gut-healthy coffee. Tech veterans were swapping notes with food innovators, such as Oren Epstein from BioRaw, Canada’s leading vegan food distributor, about running sustainable businesses.

    Even teenage entrepreneurs like George Zhou and Becket Kitaen from Buffs were there, soaking it all up. Their product is a “cheeto puff made of beef.”

    When cultural influencers like Food Babe, who shares her most helpful resources here, and thought leaders like Martin Luther King III show up — connecting biohacking to mission-driven initiatives like Realize The Dream — you know something has staying power. When wellness meets social change, and both get backed by real money, that’s when markets explode.

    The entrepreneurial trifecta is in full effect: users proving demand, investors bringing serious capital and cultural influencers amplifying the message. Game over.

    Where the smart money is moving

    The investment patterns tell the story. Money is flowing toward scalable, results-driven models — from recurring subscriptions to high-retention product ecosystems. In the U.S., we’re seeing a surge in biotech investments, fueled by consumers who are increasingly dissatisfied with one-size-fits-all solutions and demand personalized, data-driven health alternatives.

    Companies like Denmark-based Puori are investing heavily in the US to set a new standard for product authenticity and transparency in the supplement space. Every batch is third-party tested for over 200 contaminants, with full results available via a QR code on the packaging, enabling consumers to make informed decisions in a crowded market. PureWave’s VEMI Biosynchronizing beds are being used to assist in veteran recovery. BioLight’s cutting-edge oral healthcare technology is redefining dental health.

    As Dr. Mike Belkowski, founder of Biolight, explained at their booth: “Red Light Therapy is no longer a fringe modality— it’s becoming a cornerstone in the future of health optimization. As we unlock the science behind light, mitochondria, and cellular resilience, we’re entering a new era where healing and performance can be non-invasive, natural, and profoundly effective.”

    The biggest wins? Brands are building recurring revenue around absolute trust and utility. Position yourself where performance, personalization, and prevention intersect, and you won’t just ride the biohacking wave — you’ll own it.

    Building biohacking into your business culture

    Asprey dropped some practical wisdom about integrating biohacking into your company culture, no matter what stage you’re in:

    • Lead by Example: “You cannot tell your employees what to do unless you’re doing it.” Don’t mandate wellness programs. Show the value through your own transformation first.
    • Invest in Real Health Data: “You have all the lab tests, or at least your employees do, and they get actionable information to improve them. The amount of money you will make from having employees who are emotionally regulated because they’re biologically healthy, holy crap, your whole culture changes overnight. It’s so big.”
    • Go Dry: This might surprise you, but Asprey’s logic is bulletproof. “You should not be spending your hard-earned profits on feeding your employees alcohol. He says, give them high-quality coffee instead. Give them things that make them grounded and focused and happy and performant and healthier.”

    These aren’t feel-good wellness initiatives. These are business strategies disguised as employee benefits.

    The bottom line

    Biohacking is no longer just about personal optimization. It’s about building better businesses and creating sustainable competitive advantages. While your competitors burn out on the old grind-it-out mentality, you’re optimizing your biology for sustained peak performance.

    The only question is whether you’ll get ahead of this curve or spend the next five years playing catch-up while your competition evolves past you.

    In my experience, winning entrepreneurs spot trends early and move fast. Biohacking isn’t the future of wellness — it’s the future of high-performance entrepreneurship.

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    John Rampton

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  • Co-founders of Stakt on Starting a Side Hustle Earning $10M in 2025 | Entrepreneur

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    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features New York City-based friends and co-founders Millie Blumka, 31, and Taylor Borenstein, 31. The pair started a side hustle in 2021 called Stakt, an adaptable workout accessories brand.

    Blumka was a director of brand partnerships at Showfields and Borenstein was a product implementation manager at Bloomberg when they invested about $50,000 of their personal savings into the business. The co-founders have since grown it from a two-person operation to a lucrative business on track for $10 million in revenue in 2025 as it scales across Amazon, DTC and B2B.

    Read exactly how they did it, here.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Stakt. Taylor Borenstein, left, and Millie Blumka, right.

    Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
    Blumka and Borenstein: We had the idea for Stakt back in 2020 when home workouts became the norm and our old yoga mats just weren’t cutting it. We needed more support and versatility for the variety of workouts we were doing like sculpt and pilates, and we couldn’t find a mat that could keep up. We found inspiration through our own personal need and noticing many trainers we looked up to were rolling their mat in half to get extra support…we knew there had to be a better way.

    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 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?
    Blumka and Borenstein:     Neither of us had started a business before, let alone created a product, so the first step was a lot of networking. We spoke with friends of friends to try to understand how you even go about creating a product. We also did a lot of surveying to understand if this was an “us” problem or if other people were struggling with this, too. We each invested $25,000 of our own savings to get the business off the ground and have invested profits ever since.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Stakt

    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?
    Blumka:     If I could go back, I’d probably establish our lanes much earlier. In the beginning, we both tried to touch everything and be hands on for every aspect of the business. Once we defined who owned what, things became so much smoother. Having those roles in place earlier would have saved us a lot of time.

    Borenstein: I probably would have hired customer service support sooner, as we spent a lot of our time on customer experience when we could have spent it building the business.

    Related: These Friends Started a Side Hustle in Their Kitchens. Sales Spiked to $130,000 in 3 Days — Then 7 Figures: ‘Revenue Has Grown Consistently.’

    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?
    Borenstein:     Before starting a consumer brand, I had always thought, How hard could it be if you have a good product? It turns out the product is just the first step: Growing a business takes a ton of discipline, hard work, networking and efforts across all verticals to really make it successful.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Stakt

    Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong — how did you fix it?
    Blumka:     We once had an entire container of inventory arrive damaged, and we didn’t feel comfortable selling it. Instead, we donated the mats to local organizations and used them for community events. It left us out of stock for a while, so we leaned on pre-orders and reframed the challenge as a marketing opportunity.

    How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
    Blumka:     We didn’t pay ourselves until we decided it was time to make Stakt our full-time jobs instead of just a side hustle.

    Borenstein: It took about a year before things leveled out and we saw consistent monthly revenue. For the first year, there were good months, great months and bad months — eventually it became more consistent and easier to predict.

    Related: At 24, She Immigrated to the U.S. and Worked at Walmart. Then She Turned Savings Into a ‘Magic’ Side Hustle Surpassing $1 Million This Year.

    What does growth and revenue look like now?
    Blumka and Borenstein:     We are on track to do $10 million in revenue this year — doubling what we did in 2024.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Stakt

    What do you enjoy most about running your business?
    Blumka:     The combination of creativity and community. I love taking an idea and turning it into something people genuinely connect with. That said, the real reward is seeing our products out in the wild, with people actually using and loving them. Building community around movement and wellness has been the most fulfilling part. Plus, doing it alongside my best friend is the biggest bonus.

    Borenstein: At some point, this truly stopped feeling like work. Stakt is an extension of me and my family, and every day I get to work with my best friend and my husband (whom we hired last year). I love that I can make my own schedule, my hard work is rewarded with the growth of my own business, I meet awesome people, and I get the opportunity to design new products and see them come to life.

    “Chaos is part of the journey.”

    Based on your journey so far, what’s your best advice for aspiring founders?
    Blumka:     There will never be a perfect time, perfect product or perfect plan, but you have to start somewhere. There will always be a reason to wait, but the real progress starts once you launch. This is when you can adapt, learn and grow.

    Borenstein: Everyone will have advice, but trust your gut — there’s no single playbook. And remember, no one has it all figured out; the chaos is part of the journey.

    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.

    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features New York City-based friends and co-founders Millie Blumka, 31, and Taylor Borenstein, 31. The pair started a side hustle in 2021 called Stakt, an adaptable workout accessories brand.

    Blumka was a director of brand partnerships at Showfields and Borenstein was a product implementation manager at Bloomberg when they invested about $50,000 of their personal savings into the business. The co-founders have since grown it from a two-person operation to a lucrative business on track for $10 million in revenue in 2025 as it scales across Amazon, DTC and B2B.

    Read exactly how they did it, here.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Amanda Breen

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