Tag: Making a change

I Started Side Hustles to Pay Off $40k Debt and Build Wealth | Entrepreneur

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This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Marissa Cazem Potts, a Bay Area-based Intuit financial advocate* and financial literacy professional. The piece has been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Intuit. Marissa Cazem Potts.}

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Growing up, I experienced the pitfalls of my parents not understanding how to manage money.

My father is second-generation American-Filipino, and my mom is half Black and half white and has enslaved person ancestry. Both of them wanted to make money and create a better life for themselves, but they didn’t know how to invest or even save their money. We spent a lot and would find ourselves in jeopardy. There’d be a year where I couldn’t get the new shoes I wanted for school because my parents didn’t manage their money well, but thankfully, we always had a home and all the things we needed.

I wanted to be the generation that stops the cycle of being financially irresponsible.

Related: The Shopping Strategy I Used to Pay Off $22,000 Debt and Save $36,000 Might Sound Extreme — But It Worked. Here’s How.

I knew I had to go to college. My mother finished college; my grandmother had her master’s degree in education. I felt I had to at least get my undergraduate degree, coming from a legacy of women who considered education the way to financial freedom. My parents said they could help with my rent during college, but that was about it. I got a part-time job at Nordstrom and actually made a lot of money doing that.

But when it came to tuition, there was no game plan. My parents dropped me off at the financial office at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The office told me that I could take loans out and wouldn’t have to pay them back until I graduated. I just wanted to make sure I got my education. So I signed the documents. I had a series of different loans, but I didn’t read the fine print. I didn’t understand the concept of interest, and I let the loans sit.

I graduated in 2010 with that debt over my head and didn’t have a plan for paying it back. The first thing on my mind after graduating was getting a good job, making sure it paid well and thinking about what career I wanted to have. I’d always had a passion for writing, communicating and speaking, so I got an internship at E! News. That was unpaid, but it was a great opportunity.

Related: I’m a Millennial Who Quit My Job Last Year to Do What I Love. Here’s How I’ve Made More Than $300,000 So Far.

While I worked that unpaid internship, I had to make money on the side. So I started side hustles. I worked as a receptionist at a dance studio. I sold my old clothes. I was building income, but then I was spending it — on gas, food, something nice. At that point, I wasn’t thinking about paying the student loans or saving money.

I was in Los Angeles for a while, then slowly navigated back home to the Bay Area for a career in technology. In the back of my mind, though, I always wanted to do something for myself, too.

“I needed to start saving and investing, building a 401(k).”

Eventually, I landed a job at Intuit and was introduced to financial education. There were tools like TurboTax, and at the time, Mint, Credit Karma. I realized I needed to get my finances in order. I needed to start saving and investing, building a 401(k).

Then I took a job at LinkedIn and had a daughter, and I really didn’t want this $40,000 debt, increasing year over year, on my back. I’d learned a lot in my professional communications career — and realized I could spin that skill set into another side hustle, helping coach and advocate for executive women. So I started that executive coaching business on the side; I took on a few clients in the early morning, after hours or on weekends.

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’

The side hustle kept me busy, and I had to sacrifice time with my young daughter and husband, so I made it a little spicier and reminded myself of my ultimate goal by funneling the money into an account called “Marissa’s Freedom Fund.” Any time I had a check from an executive coaching job or another side gig, it went straight into that account, and anything left over, whether $10 or $100, went into an emergency fund.

I began paying off my six loans in 2022 and finished paying them off in 2023. I got that email from Navient, my loan processor at the time, saying, “Congratulations, your loans are paid off,” and I felt totally free.

“Financial wellness means utilizing the tools that are available to you.”

It’s important to treat financial wellness as self-care. The first step is looking at your debts and your accounts: I didn’t want to look at my student loan debt or credit card debt, but I had to see the big picture and figure out where to start. Financial wellness means utilizing the tools that are available to you, tapping into your network and practicing consistency — that’s the hardest part. You are your own worst enemy. You have to ensure you’re sticking to a routine when you’re working toward a financial goal.

It can be intimidating, especially if you grew up in a home where you didn’t talk about money, but you should start your financial wellness journey as soon as you can. I try to talk openly with my daughter about finances so that she understands the power of a dollar. You can start small: $10 a month can grow into $100 a month, then $500 a month. Create savings and investment accounts. Also, be a conscious consumer — if you regret a purchase, return it.

Related: ‘It Was Taboo’: Parents Shape Their Children’s Relationship With Money. Here’s How to Set Kids Up for Long-Term Success Instead of Struggle.

Don’t feel defeated if you have debt. You have the agency to attack it by setting up different income streams. I still have that entrepreneurial drive today. I channel it both into my role as a financial advocate at Intuit, where I empower Gen Z (like my younger sister) and Gen Alpha with financial education and confidence, and as an intrapreneur, pursuing stretch projects and impact within my day-to-day work.

It’s so important for younger generations to see that you can take the time to build skills, grow a network and test a business idea on the side while working in a traditional corporate role. A recent Intuit survey found that 26% of Gen Z already have a side hustle, and 37% want to start a side hustle.

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

By using your agency and leveraging free tools like Intuit for Education and other resources, you can prepare to launch a business full-time — if and when that path feels right for you.

*Potts is not an official financial advisor; her tips are for “general informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. It is not a substitute for professional guidance.”

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Amanda Breen

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September 19, 2025
CEO’s ‘Powerful’ Business Change Leads to 8-Figure Revenue | Entrepreneur

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

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne. CEO Ginny Seymour.}

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

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

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

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

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne}

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

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

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

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

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

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne}

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

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

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

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

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Aligne. CEO Ginny Seymour.}

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

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Amanda Breen

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September 18, 2025
Communicate with Confidence in 41 Languages with Mondly | 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.

In business, communication is currency. Whether you’re onboarding a supplier from Vietnam, pitching to a client in Germany, or expanding into Latin America, being able to speak even a little of your partner’s language goes a long way toward building trust. But hiring translators or relying on those free apps (limited abilities + ads) at every turn isn’t exactly efficient.

That’s why more business leaders are investing in tools like Mondly Premium, which offers lifetime access to 41 languages for a one-time payment of just $89.99 (MSRP: $299.99). Backed by Pearson and trusted by more than 140 million users worldwide, Mondly is built for professionals who don’t have time to sit in a classroom but still want practical, real-world fluency.

Mondly’s platform combines interactive lessons, speech recognition, and authentic dialogues to help you pick up useful vocabulary quickly. Business-focused modules include 200+ workplace lessons covering negotiations, emails, presentations, and everyday professional communication—skills you can put into practice on your next call.

And it’s not just business users who are impressed. Mondly has been recognized by the industry itself, named one of the Apps We Love by the App Store, and has earned Editor’s Choice on Google Play. That means the app is as polished, reliable, and user-friendly as the global skills it helps you build.

It also works across devices, so you can learn on your commute, between meetings, or even while traveling abroad. With grammar tools, vocabulary builders, quizzes, and voice-actor recordings, you’re not just learning words—you’re learning how to sound like a confident leader in any market.

For entrepreneurs and executives alike, Mondly is a strategic investment in global leadership. Because when you speak your client’s language, business flows a whole lot smoother.

Get lifetime access to all of Mondly’s 41 languages for a one-time payment of $89.99 (MSRP: $299.99) while you can.

Mondly Premium: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages)

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

In business, communication is currency. Whether you’re onboarding a supplier from Vietnam, pitching to a client in Germany, or expanding into Latin America, being able to speak even a little of your partner’s language goes a long way toward building trust. But hiring translators or relying on those free apps (limited abilities + ads) at every turn isn’t exactly efficient.

That’s why more business leaders are investing in tools like Mondly Premium, which offers lifetime access to 41 languages for a one-time payment of just $89.99 (MSRP: $299.99). Backed by Pearson and trusted by more than 140 million users worldwide, Mondly is built for professionals who don’t have time to sit in a classroom but still want practical, real-world fluency.

Mondly’s platform combines interactive lessons, speech recognition, and authentic dialogues to help you pick up useful vocabulary quickly. Business-focused modules include 200+ workplace lessons covering negotiations, emails, presentations, and everyday professional communication—skills you can put into practice on your next call.

The rest of this article is locked.

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September 18, 2025
Expand Your Global Reach With Babbel’s 14-Language Platform | 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.

Global business today moves at the speed of conversation — but some professionals may be held back by language barriers. From negotiating with international partners to connecting with clients across borders, communication can make or break opportunities. That’s why business-minded learners are turning to Babbel, the #1-selling language learning app trusted by millions worldwide.

With a Babbel Language Learning lifetime subscription, you’ll gain access to all 14 languages for $159 with promo code LEARN until October 2. This isn’t a monthly expense that disappears into your budget; it’s a one-time investment in your professional development.

Babbel is built around real-world conversations, not rote memorization. Developed by over 100 expert linguists, the app’s lessons cover practical topics like dining with clients, navigating airports, and conducting business meetings. Lessons take only 10–15 minutes, so they fit neatly into a packed professional schedule. Offline access makes it possible to keep learning during flights or commutes, and speech-recognition technology helps refine pronunciation so you sound confident in front of international colleagues.

Unlike trendier apps that gamify vocabulary, Babbel was highlighted by The Economist for its focus on building genuine conversational skills. From beginner to advanced, it adapts to your level and reinforces progress with personalized review sessions, so the lessons actually stick.

For entrepreneurs expanding internationally, or professionals aiming to broaden their skill-set, Babbel offers more than education — it offers leverage in the global marketplace. With this lifetime subscription, you’re not just learning words; you’re preparing for real opportunities.

The offer is valid for new users in the U.S. only, and redemption must be completed via web browser.

Until October 2, you can secure lifetime access to Babbel Language Learning for $159 with promo code LEARN — a small price for a career-long advantage.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Global business today moves at the speed of conversation — but some professionals may be held back by language barriers. From negotiating with international partners to connecting with clients across borders, communication can make or break opportunities. That’s why business-minded learners are turning to Babbel, the #1-selling language learning app trusted by millions worldwide.

With a Babbel Language Learning lifetime subscription, you’ll gain access to all 14 languages for $159 with promo code LEARN until October 2. This isn’t a monthly expense that disappears into your budget; it’s a one-time investment in your professional development.

Babbel is built around real-world conversations, not rote memorization. Developed by over 100 expert linguists, the app’s lessons cover practical topics like dining with clients, navigating airports, and conducting business meetings. Lessons take only 10–15 minutes, so they fit neatly into a packed professional schedule. Offline access makes it possible to keep learning during flights or commutes, and speech-recognition technology helps refine pronunciation so you sound confident in front of international colleagues.

The rest of this article is locked.

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September 18, 2025
Why Executives Should Stop Ignoring Brain Fog and Start Finding Root-Cause Clarity | Entrepreneur
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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Brain fog. Fatigue. Trouble bouncing back after long days or stressful quarters. Many executives dismiss these symptoms as the inevitable price of leadership. But what if they aren’t just stressed? What if their bodies and environments are quietly working against them?

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

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

My turning point

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

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

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

Carrie’s story: From illness to educator

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

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

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

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

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

Related: Why a Stress Detox Is Vital for an Entrepreneur

Jason’s story: From survival to advocacy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lessons for leaders

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

Related: 5 Ways to Improve Productivity By Breathing Easier

Practical ways to start
- Test your environment. Environmental toxins and nutrition imbalances can all impact how you show up at work.
- Seek deeper diagnostics. Go beyond standard panels to uncover what might be quietly affecting resilience.
- Invest in education. Learn enough to be your own advocate – because no one will prioritize your health more than you.
Carrie, Jason, and I share one truth: adversity can fuel more than just your mission, it can fuel clarity. Executives are trained to optimize systems and strategies, but the most important system – the body – is often ignored until it fails.

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

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September 17, 2025
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.}

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Amanda Breen

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September 11, 2025
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.}

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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.}

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Amanda Breen

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September 10, 2025
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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September 8, 2025
How to Really Outsmart Procrastination | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The brain’s protective instinct

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

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

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

The emotion management revolution

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

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

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

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

Related: The Procrastination Problem in Business No One Talks About

Mastering the brutal beginning

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

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

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

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

The power of identity-based systems

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

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

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

Constructing empowering narratives

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

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

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

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

The path forward

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

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

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

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John Williams

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September 5, 2025
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.}

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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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September 4, 2025
Use Rosetta Stone to Impress Clients Around the World with Fluent, Natural Speech | 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.

When your career takes you across borders, being able to speak the local language isn’t just helpful — it’s a competitive edge. Rosetta Stone’s immersive language platform has been trusted for 27 years by organizations such as NASA and TripAdvisor, and it’s now available to new users as a lifetime subscription for just $148.97 with code FLUENT until September 7.

With access to 25 languages — including Spanish, Mandarin, French, German, Arabic, and Japanese — you’ll be equipped for nearly any global business opportunity. Rosetta Stone’s intuitive training method mimics how we learned our first language, helping you absorb vocabulary, structure, and pronunciation naturally. The platform’s speech-recognition technology analyzes your accent in real time, offering instant feedback.

Progressive lessons start with practical conversations such as ordering food, giving directions, or talking through a meeting, and advance to more nuanced discussions like negotiating, giving feedback, and navigating cultural topics. Whether you’re prepping for an overseas project, building international client relationships, or managing a global team, this tool is designed to keep you sharp and culturally competent.

This deal is for new users only, and you’ll need to activate it within 30 days of purchase. Once you do, you’ll have lifetime access on desktop and mobile with no monthly fees, and you can switch between languages whenever you want.

Secure your edge in global business with lifetime Rosetta Stone access for $148.97 through September 7 by entering promo code FLUENT at checkout.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

When your career takes you across borders, being able to speak the local language isn’t just helpful — it’s a competitive edge. Rosetta Stone’s immersive language platform has been trusted for 27 years by organizations such as NASA and TripAdvisor, and it’s now available to new users as a lifetime subscription for just $148.97 with code FLUENT until September 7.

With access to 25 languages — including Spanish, Mandarin, French, German, Arabic, and Japanese — you’ll be equipped for nearly any global business opportunity. Rosetta Stone’s intuitive training method mimics how we learned our first language, helping you absorb vocabulary, structure, and pronunciation naturally. The platform’s speech-recognition technology analyzes your accent in real time, offering instant feedback.

Progressive lessons start with practical conversations such as ordering food, giving directions, or talking through a meeting, and advance to more nuanced discussions like negotiating, giving feedback, and navigating cultural topics. Whether you’re prepping for an overseas project, building international client relationships, or managing a global team, this tool is designed to keep you sharp and culturally competent.

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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Entrepreneur Store

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August 30, 2025
This Company Gives Away 100% of Its Profits — And Its Thriving | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Even the staunchest capitalists acknowledge the tension between profit and social good. In a consumer-driven society, money often overshadows morals.

Many founders claim their companies exist to make a difference, but in a system that prioritizes profits, good intentions are easily squeezed out. The Green brothers stand out as rare exceptions.

Award-winning authors and YouTube trailblazers Hank and John Green have a storied history of supporting global health causes. At first, they did so by raising awareness with their platform. Now, the always innovative brothers are trying a more active form of philanthropy.

Their latest venture, Good Store, is taking social justice to a new level, selling sustainable, quality products and donating 100% — yes, 100% — of profits to charity.

Related: This Keepsake Reminds Me of My First Dream — And Why I’m Grateful It Never Came True

Image Credit: Good Store

The Fault in Our Systems

While the Green brothers are best known for their bestselling novels and educational YouTube videos that have guided countless high school students, philanthropy is quite literally in their DNA. They grew up in a family deeply rooted in nonprofit work: their father worked at The Nature Conservancy, while their mother was a community activist.

“Our parents are never proud of us when we accomplish anything other than giving money away,” John jokes.

Early in his career, John worked at a tertiary care children’s hospital as a student chaplain — an experience that proved to be immeasurably formative.

“Every kid who came into that place received excellent care,” he recalls. “It wasn’t perfect, and the outcomes weren’t always what people wanted, but everyone had a chance.”

In 2011, brothers John and Hank Green launched the educational YouTube channel Crash Course. During that period, they became increasingly interested in global health equity, often brainstorming ways to support what John describes as “long-term interventions.”

“I think I was probably a little more passive in my early activism,” John recalls. “But around the time of the success of The Fault in Our Stars, I realized I now had time — not just money, but also other resources — that I could use.”

One of those resources was the small online merch store the brothers had started in 2008. They decided to direct its revenue toward improving healthcare in Sierra Leone, one of the world’s most impoverished nations.

“It’s easy to feel paralyzed when trying to address the world’s problems — they’re endless, and horrors abound in every direction,” John says. “For us, the goal was to make a long-term investment in one community, so we could see the kind of positive change that unfolds over time.”

Their first step was to consult trusted peers, asking who was doing the most effective work in these communities. Again and again, one name came up: Partners In Health, an organization they had already supported through their annual charity event, Project for Awesome.

The brothers called them up, asking if they were interested in a more formal partnership, and the rest is history.

“When we started providing support to the maternal healthcare system in Sierra Leone, about one in 17 women were dying during pregnancy or childbirth,” John says. “Today, it’s closer to one in 53. Our contribution is only a tiny part of that progress — most of the credit goes to the Sierra Leonean government and the Sierra Leonean people — but being able to play even a small role is a reminder that life doesn’t merely suck.”

Related: Do You Give Discounts To Your Nonprofit Clients? I Don’t

From Paper Towns to real impact

In addition to material health in Sierra Leone, Good Store also supports causes like TB treatment in Lesotho, and coral reef restoration — all powered by the sales of everyday products like socks, underwear and soap.

“We’re trying to create more ethical ways to consume the things you have to consume,” John says. “People need these essentials, so we want to offer them at a fair price, but with a different business model.”

Shockingly, this model doesn’t exactly have investors tripping over themselves to join on. After all, the economic ROI of a company that donates all of its profits after breaking even isn’t exactly enticing to traditional capitalists.

That means the brothers rely on their own money and investments from a few close friends to fund the business.

“The deal is that we break even, and the rest of the money goes to charity,” John explains. “In the narrow sense, is that a good investment? No. But like, I’ve had investments that didn’t break even.”

While he admits to hearing out “socially conscious” venture capitalists over the years, John believes the company doesn’t require outside money to be successful.

“We’ve been growing steadily for the last 15 years, and I’m comfortable with that pace,” he says. “Having capital to accelerate growth would be exciting, but it would also come with strings I’m not comfortable with.”

Conclusion

Success for Good Store means more than just a positive profit margin. It means funding treatment for the 1.5 million people who die of tuberculosis each year, and helping lower maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone.

The world may not be a wish-granting factory, but for countless people around the globe, Good Store comes remarkably close.

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Leo Zevin

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August 28, 2025
His Side Hustle Earns 6 Figures a Year: 1-2 Hours of Work a Day | Entrepreneur
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This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Dennis Tinerino, 39, of Los Angeles, California. Tinerino worked in online sales when he first learned about domain names and launching websites, which helped him discover domain investing as a side hustle. Here’s how he turned the gig into a lucrative business that brings in six figures a year — with about an hour or two of work per day. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Domain Smoke. Dennis Tinerino.}

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I started my side hustle in 2014 after discovering that domain names are like real estate, only online. Realizing the right ones could keep growing in value was all the inspiration I needed to dive in. My interest first sparked when I was launching a new website and came across a domain name for sale. I had no idea what the cost might be, so I filled out the form on the seller’s website. A domain broker from Afternic replied, explaining that the name was for sale and would require a six-figure minimum offer. Unfortunately, this domain was out of my budget for this project, but thankfully, they were very helpful and explained why it was valued at that price, even suggesting other names that were closer to my budget at the time. That conversation grabbed my attention and pushed me to do a deep dive into the world of domains.

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

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, I did not know anyone personally who was doing this, so I had to teach myself. I dove into blogs, read FAQ sections on marketplaces and learned everything I could about how domains are bought and sold. Like most new investors, my first stop was GoDaddy, where I began registering domains that sounded cool or interesting. Luckily, I kept my spending in check and only bought four domains for a total of $36. One of them, LawyerBoss.com, ended up selling for $700 on Afternic less than two months after I bought it for about $8. That sale was a turning point. It was exciting to see that I could learn the process, list a name and have someone actually buy it for their business. From that moment on, I was hooked and started looking for more ways to find new domains to invest in.

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?
If I could hop in a time machine, I’d go straight back and immediately sign up for the Domain Academy course on day one. It covers everything about domains, with resources from A to Z, and there’s nothing else like it. I could have skipped months of trial and error, saved a few gray hairs and gotten in the game faster with a deeper understanding of domains and the industry as a whole. There are countless strategies in domain investing, but before you dive in, you need to understand how domains work, what end users are looking for and the different ways to approach them. Trust me, learning this early is a lot cheaper than buying cool names and hoping for the best.

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 hardest part for newcomers is getting the right education. Too many jump in blind, skip the basics and end up spinning their wheels. It’s like trying to fix a car without ever popping the hood. Making uninformed investments is a quick way to waste time, burn cash and get frustrated fast. Another big surprise is how much upkeep a domain portfolio requires. This is not a buy it and forget it business. You have to watch your names, keep up with renewals, follow the market and be honest when it is time to let go of names that are no longer relevant or valuable.

Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
In my early days, I started doing outbound marketing to create interest and generate sales for my domains. I was not thinking about trademarks at the time and reached out to companies that owned marks similar to my names. That mistake earned me a stack of legal threats and cease and desist letters. Thankfully, I was able to resolve each situation on good terms by finding common ground with the parties involved. It was a valuable lesson to always check for trademarks before investing or reaching out to buyers, and I am glad I learned it early. Avoiding legal battles is high on my priority list.

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
It wasn’t until my second to third year of domain investing that I began to see consistent monthly revenue come in. What I noticed is that after my first year, when I started to educate myself more, build up my domain portfolio with better quality domains and then began outbound marketing, my sales accelerated, and steady monthly revenue came in. In the first year, I earned a few thousand with my first initial sales. In the second year, it was in the lower five figures, and it kept ramping up from there as I invested more time and resources.

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?
Back in 2014, the portfolio was just a handful of domains. Today, it has grown to roughly 8,000 to 10,000 names. There were stretches where I was buying one name a day, and some days I went on a spree and grabbed 20, using profits to keep scaling and building the portfolio. Each year, I have consistently added another 500 to 1,000 names, experimenting with different top-level domains (TLDs) and country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) when I spot a trend. The real growth has come from .com domains, which remain the most in-demand with end users. What started as a few thousand dollars a year has grown into a business generating steady six-figure revenue for the past five years. That growth comes from years of research, relentless market tracking, careful portfolio maintenance and making the right moves at the right time, even when they were tough.

How much time do you spend working on your business on a daily, weekly or monthly basis?
On a typical day, I spend one to two hours building and managing my portfolio. Over a week, that adds up to 15 to 20 hours, and by the end of the month, it’s usually 60 to 80 hours.

How do you structure that time? What does a typical day or week of work look like for you?
My time is split between portfolio management, searching for fresh inventory, outbound marketing and closing deals. Each week, I set aside blocks of time to review my portfolio, adjust prices and prepare names for marketing. Once you get past a few hundred domains, daily portfolio management becomes essential. It is easy to let small tasks slip through the cracks, and that is when mistakes happen. What has saved me the most time is staying organized. It sounds easier than it is, but creating workflows, keeping detailed spreadsheets and using the right tools will save you from falling behind on your daily tasks.

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 do you enjoy most about running this business?
Domain investing can get a little lonely sometimes because you have to put in the hours to stay sharp and up to date. But the thing I have enjoyed the most is the investor community. We are very active on X, and I have met incredible people from all over the world who have helped me grow as an investor, taught me a ton and become lifelong friends.

The freedom that comes with this business is unlike anything else. You can run it from anywhere in the world with minimal tech skills. You set the rules, choose your hours, decide your prices, pick where to sell your names and choose which names you want to buy.

Over the years, as an investor, I found myself looking at tens of thousands of domains coming to auction or expiring every day. As great as many of those names were, I knew I could not buy them all, but I also did not want to see those opportunities go unnoticed by other investors. That got me thinking about how I could share this research and these findings with others. That is when I launched Domain Smoke, a daily newsletter sharing industry news, investment opportunities and the best domains hitting auction each day. Since its launch in 2019, it has grown to thousands of readers worldwide who read it every day.

Based on your journey so far, what’s your best advice for someone who wants to get started with this kind of business?
When I got started, there were a few things I would change if I could, and I hope my experience can help you find success in your own journey as a domain investor. If you are new to domain investing, here are three tips that can help you start on the right foot:
1. Be patient with hand registrations
  This one is not easy, but you will thank me later. Try to hold back from registering new domains by hand until you have a proper understanding of domain investing. The easiest mistake beginners make is buying names that are not likely to sell. Many of them also have little or no appeal to end users. That costs both time and money you will not get back. Once you get past the learning phase, you will have plenty of time to acquire domains that actually fit your strategy. When you know what to invest in, you will be glad you waited.
2. Invest in yourself early
  They say the more you learn, the more you earn, and that is definitely true with domains. Avoid rookie mistakes by investing in your education. One of the best places to start is the Domain Academy course from GoDaddy, which teaches the ins and outs of the business. Just like any other form of investing, there are many ways to make money, but the best way to improve your chances of success early on is to educate yourself.
3. Keep learning and follow the data
  It is easy to get started, build up a bit of knowledge and then think you know it all. But markets evolve, trends shift, and change is constant. Stay up to date with domain blogs, industry news, eBooks, Domain Sherpa shows and forums like NamePros, which is full of free knowledge for beginners. Most importantly, follow the data. Study sales and trends using resources like NameBio, dotDB and DNJournal. These will help you understand what is actually selling, what is trending and why. That insight gives you a competitive edge and keeps you aligned with the market.
Related: I’ve Interviewed Over 100 Entrepreneurs Who Started Businesses Worth $1 Million to $1 Billion or More. Here’s Some of Their Best Advice.

Start small, stay consistent and give yourself time to learn. Every successful investor was once a beginner. The more you study and track sales data, the sharper your skills will become. And remember, the community side of this business matters too. The investors and connections you build can be just as valuable as the domains you own.

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.
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Amanda Breen

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August 27, 2025
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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August 25, 2025
Why I Make Time for Lunch With Someone New Every Day | Entrepreneur
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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Your network is your net worth. Heard that before? I’ve said it for years because I’ve lived it. The right connection can change your life. The right introduction can change your business.

The problem is that most people think networking means working the room, shaking 50 hands and walking out with a stack of business cards. I used to think that too — until I realized the most valuable connections happen one-on-one.

That’s where Lunch with Legends came from.

Every weekday, I have lunch with someone new. Sometimes it’s an investor. Sometimes it’s a founder. Sometimes it’s a friend of a friend I’m meeting for the first time when they slide into the booth. The goal isn’t to pitch. It’s not to sell. It’s to connect because everyone’s happier with good food and good company.

Related: The 10 Commandments of Networking You Need to Know

Why meals are the secret weapon

Meetings are formal. Lunch is real. At lunch, no one’s watching the clock. No one’s hiding behind slides or an agenda. Food slows you down.

That’s when you get the truth. You hear about the deal they’re chasing. The challenge they can’t solve. The goal they’ve been sitting on because they don’t know where to start.

I’ve learned more over a plate of tacos than I ever have at a conference table.

How it started

When I was starting in real estate, I worked networking events like it was my job — because it was. I’d collect a pile of business cards, follow up with everyone, etc. One day, someone told me, “Forget the crowd. Take one person to lunch.”

It clicked. The best connections are personal, not rushed.

That first lunch turned into a connection that shifted my career. Not because I asked for anything, but because we built trust through conversation.

Since then, Lunch with Legends has been my daily habit. Networking isn’t about keeping score. It’s about showing up ready to help. Instead of leading with, “Here’s what I do,” I ask, “What’s on your plate — literally and figuratively — and how can I help?”

That changes everything.
- People remember you, not as “the guy from lunch” but as the person who introduced them to their next hire or shared an idea that unlocked a solution.
- The conversation flows. You’re not pitching. You’re listening.
- Opportunities come back around. When you help without expecting anything, your name comes up in rooms you’re not even in.
What it looks like in practice

Last week, I had lunch with people in completely different industries. None of them were “prospects” in the traditional sense. But in every conversation, I found a way to connect them to someone else who could help. A manufacturer. A mentor. A friend.

I didn’t have to force those opportunities. They came up naturally because I was paying attention.

Related: This ‘Lumberjack Strategy’ Helps Me Find New Clients Quickly — and With Way Less Effort

How to host your own Lunch With Legends

You don’t need a big title or a fancy budget. You need consistency.
- One lunch. One new person. Every weekday. Could be a friend-of-a-friend, a young professional looking for guidance or someone you’ve been meaning to meet.
- Keep it casual. You will see me at the same five places. I have my rotation down. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
- Listen more than you talk. People will tell you what they need if you give them space.
- Follow up with value. If you can help, do it right away.
The selfie rule

Every Lunch with Legends ends with a selfie. It’s not about ego. It’s about memory. That photo is a bookmark. Months later, I can scroll back and remember, ‘Oh yeah, she was looking for a podcast producer. I know someone now.’

It’s a fun ritual that makes the moment feel intentional, and it keeps the connection alive.

Networking is a long play. Not every lunch needs to turn into a deal. Some people I’ve met only once. Others have become friends, partners or clients years later. The value comes from showing up consistently, building trust and connecting people. That’s how your network grows in both size and strength.

Why food works for networking

There’s something about a shared meal that breaks barriers fast.

When you eat with someone, you’re both just people deciding between fries or salad. It’s human. It’s disarming. It sets the stage for a real conversation instead of a surface-level exchange.

That’s why Lunch with Legends works. It turns networking into something people actually look forward to. Who doesn’t want to break bread and learn something? It’s worth it every time.

It’s your move

Think of one person you’ve been meaning to meet. Invite them to lunch this week.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t make it about what you need. Make it about showing up, asking good questions and leaving them better than you found them.

And yes — selfie required.
Your network is your net worth. Heard that before? I’ve said it for years because I’ve lived it. The right connection can change your life. The right introduction can change your business.

The problem is that most people think networking means working the room, shaking 50 hands and walking out with a stack of business cards. I used to think that too — until I realized the most valuable connections happen one-on-one.

That’s where Lunch with Legends came from.

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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Rogers Healy

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August 22, 2025
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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August 22, 2025
How a Software Engineer’s Business Impacts Education | Entrepreneur

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As Brandon Bailey, founder and CEO of TutorD, built his career in software engineering, he came face-to-face with the “lack of diversity and inclusion” in tech — and he wanted to do something about it.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of TutorD. Brandon Bailey.}

Bailey worked at a consultancy in Chicago at the time, and as co-lead for one of the firm’s employee resource groups, he partnered with a couple of community-based organizations. One partnership was with a middle school in Bronzeville.

The school was located about 15 minutes from Bailey’s home, but the students “had a totally different lived experience,” the founder recalls. Many of the kids had never been on an escalator or inside a skyscraper despite living just minutes from downtown.

Related: Technology Opens the Door for Entrepreneurs to Achieve the Triple Bottom Line

The program helped the students have those experiences and access internships and other opportunities. “That gave me this drive and passion for the educational experience and helping facilitate it,” Bailey says. “It changed my life. I know it changed [their lives].”

But Bailey wanted to figure out how to reach even more people. He landed a job at an edtech startup in Los Angeles, California, and began to think about how he could bring together education, engineering and entrepreneurship.

When considering the platform or tool that could accomplish that, Bailey noted one significant obstacle: There was an issue of connectivity for students who didn’t have access to computers in their homes. However, most students did have cellphones, so Bailey decided to meet the students where they were and build for those.

Related: How DEI and Sustainability Can Grow Your Triple Bottom Line

“We wanted to lead with providing value to the community first and gaining trust and buy-in.”

Bailey officially founded TutorD, an edtech platform for teachers and tutors to enable distance learning, and TutorD Scholars, a nonprofit that teaches “urban youth in-demand 22nd century skills,” in 2019.

“We wanted to lead with providing value to the community first and gaining trust and buy-in into what we were doing,” Bailey says. “So that’s why we led with the nonprofit TutorD Scholars first, while building out the software platform.”

Teaching made it easier to figure out the specific tools students would need on the platform and how to tailor lessons to their unique learning styles.

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

”We’re teaching [the students] in different ways,” Bailey says, “so using visual, auditory, reading and kinesthetic. [It’s] a very intentional approach.”

Entrepreneur sat down with Bailey to learn more about how he’s grown TutorD into a successful business — and the role that Intuit’s IDEAS accelerator program has played.

Intuit’s IDEAS accelerator program provides founders access to capital and the company’s AI-powered platform, service and experts, plus business coaching from the National Urban League and executive coaching from Zella Life to support their business and professional growth.

Related: Over Half of Small Businesses Are Struggling to Grow, Intuit Survey Shows — But These 5 Solutions Can Help

Learning the accounting fundamentals was a game changer

Through the IDEAS program, Bailey got valuable exposure to the basic accounting fundamentals, like cash flow and profit and loss statements, that make or break a business.

“That wasn’t something I had a lot of support with growing up, looking back at it,” Bailey says. “In our household, [and] it is common across Black and brown households, we didn’t have that training around finances.”

Receiving that technical training helped Bailey and the TutorD team develop a clearer sense of where the business was headed and how its costs and sales projections would shape that trajectory, the founder notes.

Related: Why Accounting Skills Are Indispensable for Entrepreneurs

Streamlining the business’s messaging was also key

TutorD used Intuit’s MailChimp, an email and marketing automation platform for growing businesses, to streamline its communications.

Not only did the platform make it easier for people to get in touch with TutorD, but it also helped cultivate a sense of presence — making the business seem bigger than it was, Bailey says.

”We’re a team of five right now, and we’re dealing with other companies that are 200, 500 people strong,” Bailey explains. “And they have $20 million backed by different investors. [MailChimp] helped us appear bigger than we are to compete in the market and with other edtech companies.”

Related: How to Streamline Your Company’s Internal Messaging and Communication

Leaning on mentors helped during tough times

The business coach that Bailey connected with through Zella Life also became an integral part of TutorD’s journey.

Having a support system in place was invaluable as Bailey juggled the challenges of growing a business with major life events, he says.

“My father passed away, and my baby came, and I had an injury, all in a three-month span,” Bailey says. “My coach had also lost his mother around that time, so we [had a] really deep connection, and he was able to help.”

Related: How to Evolve From Manager to Mentor and Create a Lasting Impact in Your Organization

Bailey says that the IDEAS program put TutorD in the position to scale — and gave him and his team the confidence to talk to people about their journey.

Advice for young entrepreneurs

Bailey encourages other young, aspiring entrepreneurs to never stop learning, seek out opportunities where there’s a need and ability to create value, connect with other founders who can serve as mentors, and leverage the community to help lay the foundation for business success.

He’s also excited to see people embracing the “triple bottom line,” which tracks a business’s financial, social and environmental performance — and suggests anyone considering the leap to founder do the same.

“ People are waking up to [the fact that] it’s not just about making money and some infinitely growing, making-money approach to entrepreneurship and capitalism in general, but really looking at it with a triple bottom line approach, generating sustainable profit or revenue for yourself, your family, business and shareholders, but also making an impact in the community,” Bailey says.

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Amanda Breen

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August 21, 2025
Average Ages to Make 6 Figures, Buy a House, Save for Retirement | Entrepreneur

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There’s no age limit when it comes to achieving significant financial milestones, but many people envision checking them off their list by a certain point in their lives.

Unfortunately, these days, amid high costs of living and economic uncertainty, most U.S. adults fall short of wealth-building goals: 77% say they aren’t completely financially secure, according to Bankrate’s Financial Freedom survey.

How old should you really be to land that dream job, start saving for retirement, earn six figures or buy your first home?

Related: Rewire Your Brain to Reach Money Goals With This Simple Exercise From a Former J.P. Morgan Retirement Executive

New research from Empower set out to answer those questions and explore how Americans navigate money milestones today.

Although just 17% believe people should hit financial milestones by a specific age, 44% are glad they achieved them when they did, per the report.

On average, Americans think you should start saving for retirement at 27, land your dream job at 29, buy your first home at 30 and earn six figures by 35, according to the research. Respondents also reported hoping to be debt-free at 41 and to retire at 58.

About half of Americans (45%) wish they’d saved money earlier and with more consistency in order to prepare for life’s big changes, the study found.

Related: Make Your Money Manage Itself — How to Automate Your Personal Finances and Keep Your Goals on Track

After planning for retirement and becoming a homeowner, Americans see several life events as significant wealth-building opportunities: investing in stocks (34%), investing in education (26%), changing career paths (21%), getting married (19%) and starting a business (19%).

Nearly one-third of respondents said they realized the value of having a financial plan or working with a financial planner after meeting a life milestone.

“For all ages, it’s important to talk to an advisor who can help create a tailored path specific to your financial goals and set you up for a realistic retirement lifestyle,” Stacey Black, lead financial educator at Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU), told Entrepreneur last year.

Ready to break through your revenue ceiling? Join us at Level Up, a conference for ambitious business leaders to unlock new growth opportunities.

There’s no age limit when it comes to achieving significant financial milestones, but many people envision checking them off their list by a certain point in their lives.

Unfortunately, these days, amid high costs of living and economic uncertainty, most U.S. adults fall short of wealth-building goals: 77% say they aren’t completely financially secure, according to Bankrate’s Financial Freedom survey.

How old should you really be to land that dream job, start saving for retirement, earn six figures or buy your first home?

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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Amanda Breen

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August 18, 2025
New Survey Reveals Americans’ Biggest Life Regrets | Entrepreneur

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Americans are more likely to regret the things they didn’t do than the things they have done.

That’s according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults split evenly by generation, which found that only 11% of Americans don’t have regrets.

Between not speaking up (40%), not visiting family or friends enough (36%) and not pursuing their dreams (35%), those missed opportunities add up.

Related: Always Waiting for the Best Option Is Holding You Back. Here’s Why.

In their lifetime, Americans average three missed chances to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip, four lost opportunities to ask their crush out and six instances of not having the perfect comeback in an argument.

On the flip side, the top actions Americans regret include spending money or purchasing something (49%), fighting with friends or family (43%) and making an unnecessary comment (36%).

Over the years, Americans also regret an average of five angry text messages and two break-ups.

In fact, nearly one-third (32%) of baby boomers have a regret that spans three decades and still crosses their minds an average of three times per month.

While millennials’ oldest regret is only about 11 years old, they average fretting about it almost once per week, more than any other generation.

Related: The Top 5 Regrets of Mid-Career Professionals

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Mucinex, results revealed that Americans are almost twice as likely to make bad decisions at night (41%) than in the morning (22%).

Moreover, Americans also tend to regret something more at night (43%). Nighttime decisions such as not going to bed at a decent time (47%), eating too many snacks or too much food (36%) and arguing with a loved one (35%) are the most likely to negatively impact Americans the next morning.

For Gen Zers, failing to do their nighttime routine (29%) or forgetting to turn on their alarm (22%) will almost always ensure morning distress.

These poor choices not only cause regret but also put Americans in a bad mood (39%), leave them unable to tackle the day (29%) or even inhibit them from fulfilling the day’s responsibilities (20%).

Related: 10 Horrible Habits You’re Doing Right Now That Are Draining Your Energy

But what factors are contributing to these bad decisions? According to the results, being tired (40%), sick and desperate for relief (20%) or after a long night out (15%) are the most likely culprits.

“We don’t make the best decisions when we’re sick or tired, especially at night,” says Albert So, marketing director of upper respiratory at Reckitt. “And while no one is going to get it right every single time, it’s important to have products you can rely on to help you make better decisions so you don’t wake up with regrets.”

For all the bad decisions made and opportunities missed, 48% of Americans still agree with the common saying, “Never regret anything because, at one moment, it was exactly what you wanted.”

This may be because almost two-thirds (64%) believe that their decision-making has gotten better as they’ve gotten older.

Results also revealed that some “bad” decisions don’t always result in feelings of regret. Staying up late with friends (24%), quitting a job (23%), taking a chance on a new food (20%), moving somewhere new (17%) and going to a concert on a weeknight (10%) are all choices Americans consider to have been “worth it.”

“Few things are worse than starting your day regretting a choice you made the night before, especially when you’re suffering from cold and flu symptoms and have a busy day ahead,” So says. “Feeling better starts with getting a good night’s sleep and making smart decisions before bed so you wake up feeling ready to go with no regrets.”

Related: 10 Regrets Most Entrepreneurs Eventually Face

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David James

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October 28, 2024
Expand Your Global Reach With Babbel, on Sale for More Than 60% Off | 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.

Want to break language barriers and expand your business network? Babbel’s lifetime subscription has you covered with access to 14 languages, perfect for anyone looking to boost their business communication.

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With Babbel, you’re not just picking up phrases; you’re gaining tools to communicate effectively across cultures. Not to mention, it’s a one-time investment that pays off for years to come.

Get ready to take your business skills global with a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning for $179.97 until October 20 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

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StackCommerce

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October 12, 2024