ReportWire

Tag: Marketing

  • How a Smart Marketing Plan Turned One Brand’s Emails Into $47,000 in Revenue | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Planning isn’t sexy. It doesn’t trend. No one’s going viral for updating their content calendar or plotting campaign touchpoints.

    But here’s the hard truth most marketers won’t admit out loud: the teams that win are the ones who plan. Period.

    As CEO of The Go! Agency, I’ve worked with growth-stage startups, international brands and Fortune 500s. And the difference between consistent growth and quarterly chaos always comes down to this — the presence or absence of a plan that actually works.

    Yet every August, the same cycle begins. Q4 shows up like a freight train, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling:

    • Campaigns are rushed
    • Budgets are misaligned
    • Messages are muddled
    • Leadership is confused
    • Teams are exhausted

    And all of it could have been avoided with one thing: a strategic, forward-looking, execution-ready plan.

    Related: Why Your Old Marketing Tactics Are Killing Your Growth in 2025

    Why most marketing plans fail before they even start

    Let’s stop pretending a planning session is a slide deck with buzzwords or a half-hearted brainstorm led by someone who still thinks “go viral” is a tactic.

    Planning is not about checking a box. It’s about building a structure that connects real objectives to measurable actions across every channel. But most teams aren’t doing that.

    They’re treating planning as an afterthought — if they’re doing it at all. And when your plan is a vague Notion doc, a disjointed task list or worse, a whiteboard of “cool ideas,” don’t be surprised when your campaigns flop.

    The planning process has become a casualty of hustle culture. We’ve been trained to equate movement with progress. But in marketing, unplanned execution is just expensive guessing.

    The fall framework that delivers results

    At The Go! Agency, we’ve built and tested a framework that cuts through the noise. It’s what we used to help a premium pet nutrition brand drive over $47,000 in email campaign revenue and increase TikTok video views by nearly 500% in a single quarter.

    It’s also what helped an international beverage equipment company exceed ROAS goals by 135% — scaling from 9.4 to 14.78 in just four months.

    And no, it didn’t require 10 tools or a 92-slide deck.

    Here’s how it works:

    1. Set goals that actually mean something
    “We want more engagement” is not a goal, but “We want a 30% increase in demo bookings from LinkedIn in Q4” is.

    Start with your business objectives, not just marketing KPIs. Growth only happens when your marketing activities ladder up to tangible business outcomes.

    2. Audit your current channels
    You’re probably doing more than you think: emails, blogs, paid ads, social, events, PR. But how much of it is working — and how much is noise?

    Take stock. Know what’s performing and why. Then cut what’s not moving the needle.

    3. Lock in messaging that doesn’t suck
    Your message is your fuel. If it’s generic, recycled or vague, your audience is already tuned out.

    You don’t need “clever.” You need clear, compelling positioning that reflects your unique POV and actually speaks to real pain points.

    And no — ChatGPT can’t do this for you. AI is a multiplier, not a mind reader. Garbage in, garbage out.

    4. Match the message to the market
    Segment smarter. The same campaign can’t serve every audience. Tailor your messaging per segment and then match it to the right platform.

    LinkedIn for B2B thought leadership? Absolutely — it’s still the best platform for building trust and credibility with a professional audience. TikTok for brand storytelling? If your audience lives there, it’s a powerful way to connect through authentic, culture-driven content. Email for conversion? Still king — when it’s targeted, relevant and backed by a strong message.

    5. Build around a calendar
    Themes drive cohesion. A roadmap aligns execution. You need to know what’s happening when — and how your campaigns, content, sales pushes and partnerships sync up.

    Planning gives you rhythm. That rhythm gives your team momentum.

    Stop glorifying the grind

    Let’s kill the myth that planning is rigid. The right plan is a launchpad — not a cage.

    It’s what lets you pivot without panic when a new initiative lands in your lap. It’s what helps you say “no” to shiny distractions. And it’s what allows you to build campaigns that scale, not scramble.

    You don’t need more meetings. You need direction. You don’t need a productivity tool with 30 integrations. You need strategic clarity.

    The ROI no one talks about

    Think planning is overhead? Here’s what it really unlocks:

    • Smarter content with a clear purpose
    • Faster execution with less firefighting
    • Scalable campaign architecture
    • Higher ROI with fewer wasted hours
    • Cleaner data to prove your impact

    And let’s not ignore the internal wins: clearer expectations, tighter collaboration and less burnout.

    The brands that scale aren’t guessing. They’re mapping.

    Related: 3 Marketing Trends You Need to Capitalize on Now Before Your Competition Beats You to It

    Final word: be the marketer who’s ready

    You can’t be bulletproof without a blueprint. And planning is your blueprint.

    This fall, don’t wait to react. Build your roadmap now. Align your team. Ground your efforts in strategy, not spaghetti.

    Because the truth is, in a landscape filled with marketers who are busy, the ones who are intentional will always win.

    Planning isn’t sexy. It doesn’t trend. No one’s going viral for updating their content calendar or plotting campaign touchpoints.

    But here’s the hard truth most marketers won’t admit out loud: the teams that win are the ones who plan. Period.

    As CEO of The Go! Agency, I’ve worked with growth-stage startups, international brands and Fortune 500s. And the difference between consistent growth and quarterly chaos always comes down to this — the presence or absence of a plan that actually works.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Christopher Tompkins

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  • This Low-Cost Tool Can Help You Earn More From Your Side Hustle | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Nearly 40% of Americans have a side hustle right now – and for many, it’s not just a way to earn a little extra cash. According to a recent LendingTree survey, 61% of people with a side hustle say they couldn’t afford to live without it.

    While the number of side hustlers has decreased slightly since the pandemic’s peak, many still feel the everyday financial pressure. A third say they picked up a side gig to cover basic expenses, while 49% cite the current economy as the main reason for getting started.

    Want to grow your side hustle into a business? Start with email

    Many side hustles involve gigs like delivering groceries or driving for Uber, but some are the first step toward building an actual business. Whether you sell handmade products on Etsy or freelance your services, you could turn your passion project into a source of cash.

    One of the best ways to do that on a tight budget? Use email from day one.

    Why email works for side hustlers

    Email costs almost nothing to send, but the return can be huge. Unlike social media, email lets you build deeper relationships, stay top of mind and drive repeat sales – all while you’re working your day job, sleeping or fulfilling orders. When you’re short on time and money, email helps take some pressure off and scale your side hustle like no other channel.

    Think email’s too complicated or time-consuming? Use these steps to make it easier on yourself – and see results faster.

    Grow your email list from the beginning

    Getting social media followers for your side hustle business is a good way to signal trust to potential customers. But if I were to start another business today, I’d work on getting those followers onto an email list as soon as possible.

    Your followers can disappear overnight, and you may have no way to reach out to them again. Your list of contacts? That’s something you’ll always own.

    Here are some proven ways to grow your email list:

    • Test a short free resource. Check your social media metrics — what topics tend to spark a lot of interest? Use that data to create a concise guide or checklist. You shouldn’t spend more than a few hours writing and designing it for free with tools like Canva. This is just a test to learn more about your audience’s needs and tastes.
    • Expand your bank of resources. Once you understand what your prospects respond to most, add more gated content to your website. You can test varied lengths and styles — and later double down on your top performers.
    • Send exclusive content. Aside from giving your audience a freebie, make your email content exclusive. Share useful tips they can’t find anywhere else. Interview experts they care about. And of course, offer an unbeatable perk — discounts, free shipping or early access to new products.

    Start emailing right away

    Many side hustlers put off email marketing, thinking they need a large list to make it worthwhile. But that’s a trap. Emailing your customers — even when you have just a few — benefits you in every way:

    • Instead of keeping them waiting for your emails, you can start nurturing your subscribers and building engagement immediately.
    • If your emails are good, more people will subscribe. Remember to include a subscription button in every email so anyone can opt in if your messages are forwarded.
    • Emailing regularly also helps your email deliverability. Every email you send builds your reputation with mailbox providers, who need to trust you in order to deliver your emails to the inbox.

    Do you have 10 customers on your list? That’s more than enough to start — do it now.

    Related: 5 Types of Email Addresses Ruining Your Email Marketing ROI

    Verify every new email address you get

    Eventually, you’ll build your email list way beyond 10 customers, but here’s what matters even more: making sure those email addresses are accurate and real. Getting a bunch of misspelled or fake contacts means your emails will bounce, so what’s the point in sending them?

    Moreover, a high bounce rate can hurt your ability to reach the inbox again – even with real contacts. Email service providers have strong filters to weed out and block potential spam. Sending emails to invalid contacts signals spammy behavior, so you may kill your email marketing before it even gets off the ground

    Checking an email for validity takes seconds. Most email validation services let you start for free, so if you only add a few contacts to your list every month, it won’t cost you a thing and it’ll save you a lot of headaches.

    Ask for little, give a lot

    Now that you’ve got things rolling, you may be tempted to blast your subscribers with sales emails. Refrain from this tactic – it turns people off. Instead, be generous and mindful of their time. Build trust and loyalty with helpful content.

    Related: 5 Ways to Delight Your Customers With Email

    Here are some topics you could approach in your emails:

    • A mistake you made early on in your side hustle — and what you learned from it
    • A quick tip that helped you save time, money, or stress
    • A behind-the-scenes look at how you create your product or deliver your service
    • A list of tools or resources you like and recommend

    Keep it personal and worth your reader’s time. That’s how you build a list that sticks with you — and buys from you later.

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    Liviu Tanase

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  • What Neanderthals Can Teach Us About Brand Transformation | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Being called a “Neanderthal” has long been shorthand for a knuckle-dragging brute — an insult implying someone is primitive and clueless. In popular imagination and even early science, Neanderthals were cast as dim-witted cavemen, a species of losers on the evolutionary stage. But recent discoveries have radically rewritten that story. Far from being sub-human dullards, Neanderthals are now understood as complex, intelligent hominins who created art, used tools and even share genetic ties with all of us.

    In a sense, the Neanderthal “brand” has undergone a posthumous PR makeover: from reviled caveman to respected ancestral cousin. This dramatic evolution of public perception holds a trove of insights for entrepreneurs and brands. If a whole human species can rehabilitate its reputation (albeit with an assist from science), then a company or individual can certainly transform their own image. Let’s explore how the Neanderthal journey from primitive to progressive serves as a metaphorical masterclass in rebranding and legacy management.

    Related: Does Your Reputation Need Rehab?

    The primitive stereotype: A brand in ruins

    The Neanderthals’ early reputation was, in modern marketing terms, a branding nightmare. Ever since the first fossils were unearthed in the 19th century, their heavy brow ridges and unusual skeletons led scientists to portray them as inferior to modern humans. This “caveman” stereotype stuck. For over a century, calling someone a Neanderthal meant implying they were backward, unsophisticated and even stupid.

    In essence, Neanderthals were a maligned brand — synonymous with failure and obsolescence. Just as a company rocked by scandal or a public figure tarnished by bad press becomes a punchline, Neanderthals became the mascot of being primitive. The narrative was simple and damning: They lost out to superior modern humans because they just weren’t good enough.

    Entrepreneurs know this pattern well. Markets and media can be unforgiving; a single damaging narrative can reduce a once-promising brand to a cautionary tale. Whether it’s a tech firm written off as a “dinosaur” or a founder dismissed as out of touch, the world loves a tidy tale of the mighty who fell behind. The Neanderthal brand was defined by others and defined harshly. Brands and individuals today face the same risk if they remain passive during image crises. Reputation, like fossils, can harden into “rock” if left untouched.

    Uncovering a new narrative: Rehabilitating the caveman image

    Fortunately for Neanderthals, their story didn’t end with the stereotype. Over the past few decades, science has done what any good PR team would: conducted a rigorous brand audit and found the facts to counter the fiction.

    Research reveals that Neanderthals were far more capable and human-like than anyone imagined. They were skilled hunters and tool-makers who thrived across Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows Neanderthals coordinated complex group hunts — behavior requiring planning, communication and smarts. They gathered a diverse diet, used fire creatively and built surprisingly sophisticated tools.

    Perhaps most stunning, Neanderthals demonstrated signs of culture and abstract thinking. Discoveries of pigment, personal ornaments and cave engravings suggest they engaged in symbolic rituals and even made art. They buried their dead with care, hinting at reverence for their departed. They even crafted tools using glue made from tree bark — a process requiring technical knowledge and foresight.

    And in the ultimate irony, we now know they are literally part of us: Modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA in our genomes from ancient interbreeding. The very people who once used “Neanderthal” as an insult likely have a bit of Neanderthal lineage themselves.

    For Neanderthals, this re-evaluation was a posthumous rebranding. Misconceptions were corrected with evidence, and the public’s view shifted from “dumb caveman” to “misunderstood relative.” This turnaround didn’t happen overnight; it took decades of excavations, genetic analysis and rethinking old assumptions. But it happened. The Neanderthal brand went from rock bottom to remarkable. If the image of an entire extinct species can be rehabilitated, so can yours.

    Related: 7 Ways to Recover After a Reputation Crisis

    Branding lessons from a prehistoric PR makeover

    The saga of Neanderthal reputation offers rich lessons in how to recover from a damaged brand image or public misperception:

    • Own your story before others do: Neanderthals couldn’t speak for themselves, and others defined them as inferior. In business, if you don’t actively shape your brand’s story, competitors or critics will do it for you — and not in your favor.

    • Confront misperceptions with facts: The Neanderthal comeback hinged on hard evidence overturning myths. Likewise, a beleaguered brand must bring proof to the table. Counter outdated perceptions by showcasing real improvements, new achievements and factual corrections.

    • Embrace (don’t erase) your heritage: Instead of denying their past, scientists reinterpreted Neanderthal history in a proud new light. Similarly, a brand with a legacy — even a troubled one — shouldn’t just bury it. Acknowledge your history and highlight the positives within it.

    • Humanize and connect: Part of rehabilitating Neanderthals was realizing how closely connected they are to us. Successful rebranding finds ways to relate to the audience on a human level. Show customers, investors or the public that you share their values and concerns.

    Legacy management: Evolving the narrative over time

    One striking aspect of the Neanderthal story is how long the misperception lasted. Long after Neanderthals disappeared, the myth of the knuckle-dragging caveman lingered in the public mind. It’s a cautionary tale for legacy management: Perceptions can lag behind reality by decades. Entrepreneurs must recognize that shaping a legacy is an ongoing process, not a one-time campaign.

    Managing legacy also means planning for how your brand will be remembered. Neanderthals left behind bones and artifacts, but no control over the story future generations told about them. You, on the other hand, have the tools to influence your legacy now. Document your values and contributions, live them authentically, and people will eventually see the truth — just as researchers eventually saw the truth about Neanderthals’ capabilities. Every press release, customer interaction and even apology is an artifact shaping how you’ll be remembered. Make those artifacts count.

    Finally, consider the Neanderthal’s ultimate fate: They didn’t so much vanish as merge into the wider human story. In business, this speaks to the idea of integration and adaptability. Sometimes the path to saving a reputation is to become part of something larger — to ally with partners, join a bigger brand, or pivot in purpose. By blending strengths with newcomers, an old brand can find new life within a fresh narrative.

    Related: 5 High-Profile Reputation Nightmares Your Brand Can Learn from

    The evolution of respect

    The renaissance of Neanderthals’ public image — from pitiable cavemen to complex humans — is more than a curious science story. It’s a powerful metaphor for brand transformation. Reputations, like species, evolve. They can also go extinct if they fail to adapt. But the Neanderthal example shows that even a reputation dragged through the mud for ages can climb back out with persistence and truth.

    Entrepreneurs should find hope in this: No matter how dire your PR fallout or how entrenched the public’s misperception, there is a path to renewal through authenticity, strategy and patience. If Neanderthals can win respect 40,000 years after extinction, your brand can survive a rough quarter. Reputation isn’t fossilized — it evolves if you guide it.

    Being called a “Neanderthal” has long been shorthand for a knuckle-dragging brute — an insult implying someone is primitive and clueless. In popular imagination and even early science, Neanderthals were cast as dim-witted cavemen, a species of losers on the evolutionary stage. But recent discoveries have radically rewritten that story. Far from being sub-human dullards, Neanderthals are now understood as complex, intelligent hominins who created art, used tools and even share genetic ties with all of us.

    In a sense, the Neanderthal “brand” has undergone a posthumous PR makeover: from reviled caveman to respected ancestral cousin. This dramatic evolution of public perception holds a trove of insights for entrepreneurs and brands. If a whole human species can rehabilitate its reputation (albeit with an assist from science), then a company or individual can certainly transform their own image. Let’s explore how the Neanderthal journey from primitive to progressive serves as a metaphorical masterclass in rebranding and legacy management.

    Related: Does Your Reputation Need Rehab?

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Scott Baradell

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  • Visit Philadelphia expands marketing reach with $9 million tourism campaign for 2026

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    Visit Philadelphia, the region’s tourism marketing agency, unveiled a $9 million advertising campaign Tuesday to promote a busy 2026 schedule of events that includes celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the World Cup, PGA Championship and MLB All-Star Game.  

    The effort, which includes around $4 million from the city, is nearly double the organization’s typical annual campaign budget and the additional funding will be used to reach a more national audience with TV commercials, billboards, print ads and social media influencers. 

    MORE: Philly’s 2026 plans include walking tours, block parties and Liberty Bell replicas

    Chief Marketing Officer Neil Frauenglass said Visit Philadelphia usually spends around $5 million on a campaign per year, with those funds focused on advertising in mid-Atlantic cities like New York, Washington and Baltimore. However, the influx of money has allowed the group to expand its campaign to Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Miami. 

    “This is a really nice boost,” he said. “… Not only does it allow us to go wider in terms of inviting people to come during our big year, but it also allows us to learn about how people respond to messaging about Philly in these markets and could potentially open new markets for us in 2027 and beyond.” 

    Over 250 businesses and community groups — including the the Barnes Foundations and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation — contributed to a social media push, posting the newly revealed 2026 logo on Tuesday.

    A Badge Builder tool was launched on the Visit Philadelphia website that allows users to customize their own version of the logo, which was inspired by William Penn’s original grid layout for the city. The personalized design can be shared on social media or printed and used as a window decal.

    “The badge is really a way to signal that something special is happening in 2026,” Frauenglass said. “All of the attractions, museums and restaurants throughout Philadelphia are welcome to use the badge.” 

    As a part of the larger marketing campaign, Frauenglass said a focus will be placed on social media influencers in Philadelphia and the other major markets being targeted.

    “Influencers are becoming much more prevalent in media plans,” he said. “They have incredible reach and it’s with audiences that are highly engaged.”

    A 60-second commercial titled “Anything But Silent” also debuted Tuesday, showing Philly as the the foundation of the United States in preparation for the semiquincentennial celebrations. The ad will be widely distributed outside of the agency’s usual scope, Frauenglass said. 

    “This commercial is about building awareness of Philadelphia’s historical significance and laying the foundation that we’re not celebrating for just one day — July Fourth,” he said. “Next year, we’ll be celebrating all year long.” 

    The campaign was announced less than a week after city officials unveiled a neighborhood-focused plan to incorporate walking tours and block parties into next year’s celebrations. In addition to appealing to a national audience, Frauenglass hopes the Visit Philadelphia campaign also resonates with locals.

    “It’s really to remind [residents] of how important Philadelphia is within our country,” he said. “We’re the birthplace of America. 2026 is a time worth staying here for and experiencing the city in a way that you never have.” 

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    Molly McVety

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  • Email Isn’t Dead — But Your Strategy Might Be. Here’s How to Revive It | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Let’s address the elephant in the inbox.

    Email marketing isn’t dead. It’s not outdated. It hasn’t been replaced by TikTok, Threads or an army of AI bots. In fact, email is still one of the most reliable, highest-ROI marketing channels in your arsenal — if you actually use it right.

    But here’s the inconvenient truth: most businesses don’t. They treat email like a leftover tactic from 2009, not the strategic revenue engine it can be. So when their campaigns fail, the blame is often directed at the platform, the audience, the open rates — everything except the real culprit: a broken system.

    I’ve had enough client calls that start the same way to spot the pattern. “We’ve been sending emails for years,” they say. “Newsletters, sales promos, special offers. But it’s just not working anymore.”

    Spoiler: The problem isn’t email. It’s execution. Let’s break it down.

    Stop sending and hoping

    Before you send another message, ask yourself one question: What is the actual goal of this email? If your answer is “generate leads,” great. That’s a start. But leads don’t materialize just because you hit send. Email isn’t magic. It’s a relationship channel.

    You need a strategy. Are you building relevance? Segmenting based on interest? Optimizing timing? Tracking behavior across your site and CRM? If not, you’re not doing email marketing. You’re just sending digital flyers and hoping someone notices.

    Related: 12 Reasons Why Your Emails Aren’t Driving Business

    Your list isn’t a strategy

    Here’s the harsh reality: most email lists are digital junk drawers. Bloated, unsegmented and outdated.

    One client had 25,000 contacts in a single list labeled “Newsletter.” No segmentation. No tagging. Just one-size-fits-all messaging to cold leads, VIP clients and long-lost contacts alike. Their click-through rate? Less than 1%.

    Would you hand the same sales pitch to a returning customer, a cold prospect and a lapsed buyer? Then why are you emailing them like they’re all the same person?

    Your email platform has segmentation tools for a reason. Use them. Tag based on behavior, purchase history, content engagement and lifecycle stage. And if your list is outdated? Run a re-engagement campaign. Let people self-select. And yes — let them unsubscribe. Because a clean, active list will always outperform a bloated one.

    Your platform might be failing you

    If you’re still using the free version of Mailchimp from 2017, expecting results is like entering a Formula 1 race on a tricycle.

    Email platforms have evolved. If yours doesn’t offer automation, A/B testing, tagging, CRM integration or real-time analytics, it’s holding you back. For ecommerce, I recommend Klaviyo. It connects directly to Shopify, lets you recover abandoned carts, trigger smart automations and — this is key — track actual sales tied to email behavior.

    And yes, you’ll need to invest in a platform that can handle more than “send newsletter.” If you’re serious about revenue, stop being cheap about the tool that drives it.

    Stop worshiping the open rate

    Everyone obsesses over open rates like they’re gospel. But here’s the truth: a high open rate doesn’t mean anything if no one clicks, converts or remembers you. Don’t just design pretty emails. Design strategic ones.

    Ask better questions. What KPIs actually map to your business goals? For ecommerce, it might be revenue per email, cart recovery rate or product clicks. For B2B, it may be meetings booked or resources downloaded.

    Start there. Reverse-engineer your content. Then test relentlessly. Subject lines. Send times. CTA placement. Message framing. Real marketers test. Lazy marketers send and pray.

    Visibility, credibility, engagement — then sales

    Email doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It’s part of a journey. You don’t go from “nice to meet you” to “here’s our invoice” overnight. So layer your content.

    Visibility gets you seen.
    Credibility makes you trusted.
    Engagement builds the bridge.
    Sales walk across it.

    If every email is just a promotion, you’re not building a bridge — you’re shouting into the void. Offer value. Share insight. Deliver relevance. And when it’s time to sell, you won’t have to beg for attention. You’ll already have it.

    Related: 6 Reasons Your Marketing Emails Aren’t Converting — and How to Fix Them All

    Campaigns don’t build revenue — systems do

    Most marketers jump straight to tactics — “Let’s send something Tuesday at 10 a.m.” — with no infrastructure underneath.

    But if your email doesn’t plug into a system, it’s a short-term stunt, not a long-term strategy.

    Here’s what a real email system looks like:

    • Set up automated workflows for key stages like onboarding, re-engagement and post-purchase to nurture your audience over time.
    • Build segmented customer journeys that align with specific buyer behaviors so your emails are always relevant and timely.
    • Integrate your email platform with your CRM and ecommerce systems to enable real-time targeting based on user actions.
    • Define clear KPIs that are directly tied to business outcomes before you create or send any campaigns.

    This is the work most marketers skip. And it’s why their email marketing never scales. Strategy always beats volume.

    Want to win Q4? Fix this in Q3

    Here’s your reality check: once fall hits, you’re out of time. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Holiday chaos. End-of-year goals. Your calendar will be execution-heavy and strategy-starved.

    So fix it now.

    Audit your platform. Clean your list. Segment your contacts. Define your goals. Connect your data. Build the machine. Because when email works, it doesn’t just deliver opens. It delivers ROI. Recurring revenue. Customer loyalty. And a real reason to celebrate when the quarter ends.

    Let’s address the elephant in the inbox.

    Email marketing isn’t dead. It’s not outdated. It hasn’t been replaced by TikTok, Threads or an army of AI bots. In fact, email is still one of the most reliable, highest-ROI marketing channels in your arsenal — if you actually use it right.

    But here’s the inconvenient truth: most businesses don’t. They treat email like a leftover tactic from 2009, not the strategic revenue engine it can be. So when their campaigns fail, the blame is often directed at the platform, the audience, the open rates — everything except the real culprit: a broken system.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Christopher Tompkins

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

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

    Image Credit: Gilbert Flores | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Amanda Breen

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  • Inside PepsiCo’s Project Helping Local Restaurants | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

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

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

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

    The results, Moraes noted, are measurable.

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

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

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

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

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

    Why local matters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    About Restaurant Influencers

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

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

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

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    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • A ClaimTek Medical Billing Franchise has Multiple Revenue Stream Potential | Entrepreneur

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    ClaimTek Systems is a strategic gateway to the rapidly growing medical billing sector—a field forecasted to more than double in size by 2030 and backed by expanding demand from the nation’s 1+ million practicing physicians, plus countless other health care providers. For serious entrepreneurs, the business case is compelling: ClaimTek provides proprietary medical and dental billing software, a fully remote and scalable business model, and comprehensive training tailored to any background.

    Why ClaimTek stands out:

    • Proprietary In-House Software: Owners access advanced medical and dental billing platforms developed and maintained entirely by ClaimTek, enabling high customization and lower monthly costs than competitors.

    • No Franchise Fees or Royalties: ClaimTek’s model eliminates ongoing royalty and franchise fees, ensuring profits are retained by the owner and operational costs remain low.

    • Comprehensive Training and Support: Each franchisee receives personalized, specialty-specific training, marketing resources, and continuous business development assistance—regardless of prior experience.

    • Multi-Stream Revenue Potential: Owners can tap into 12+ billing and practice management revenue streams, maximizing earning options from a wide range of healthcare clients.

    Two Ways to Get Started

    1. Discover more FREE information and learn how you can become part of the ClaimTek family.
    2. Visit this year’s Franchise 500 to browse through additional franchise ownership opportunities that fit your budget and interests.

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    Matthew Goldstein

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  • Is AI the Future of PR? | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I was recently asked, “What trends should we be watching out for in terms of the future of PR?” Well, according to my 75-year-old mother — and lots of other interested observers — the future of PR looks like it’s populated with a little AI, some more AI … well, okay, entirely with AI.

    If you’re a business owner considering letting AI run your PR show for you, let me tell you why that’s a bad idea. Don’t get me wrong — I’m a fan myself; I’ve steadily been incorporating AI tools and tasks into my daily workflow, and I get the appeal. And the added efficiency.

    But as a two-decade veteran in this field, I also know a helluva lot more about PR than any bot you can call on, and here’s my take on where things stand now and where they look like they’re going in the marriage between PR and AI.

    AI is great in the passenger’s seat, not the driver’s

    AI makes for an incredible assistant. PR professionals can benefit from it tremendously in myriad areas, such as drafting initial press releases and pitches, creating data-based reports and analyzing audience/consumer preferences and trends. The time savings (and thus the concomitant cost-efficiency) are indisputable.

    But public relations, by definition, involves the “public” — a public that expects cultural awareness, responds to qualities like empathy and humor, and demands ethical accountability. Last I looked, AI doesn’t live by a moral code, it isn’t a sentient being personally sensitive to any specific cultural milieu, and it certainly isn’t the funniest guest at the party!

    So long as the “public” with which our industry deals turns to us for solid expertise, sound judgment and fair business practices, human intuition and integrity should steer the vehicle, not algorithms.

    Related: AI Is Changing Public Relations — Here’s How to Stay in Control

    The old-fashioned meetup is still a thing

    Remember when everyone thought books were going to die once Kindle hit the market? And yet reading is still a beloved pastime in America, with most readers still preferring printed books over ebooks, relishing the touch, feel, smell and experience of turning actual pages.

    The same applies to PR. Journalists love it when we pop into the office to bring them a coffee and have a chat. Media contacts readily accept our personal invites to restaurant openings or product launches. Influencers welcome the opportunity to come meet us at a new venue or promoted site and actively participate in our PR efforts.

    And when it comes to PR clients, they, too, appreciate sitting across the table from us face-to-face, where we can see each other’s expressions, read each other’s gestures, shake hands hello and hug goodbye in person. AI can’t replace eye contact and shared smiles, the authentic moments of connection that form client bonds.

    So long as “relations” remains part of our industry name, being in the same room with someone is always going to bring you closer than ChatGPT output. Which leads me to …

    Relationships will always trump datasets

    Cue up Streisand for this one: “People who need people …” As smart and spiffy as AI is, it is not and never will be a person. People build rapport. People establish credibility. People learn to trust one another. People interpret emotions and moods. And people can adapt on the spot when they sense the discomfort of clients, stakeholders or team members.

    I’m excited about implementing AI to help my firm with research, scheduling, campaign details and delivering up-to-the-minute insights about my clients’ customer base. But AI will never hold a meeting with one of my clients. It will never anticipate their needs, see their eyes light up when we come up with a brilliant plan or reassure them when an initiative doesn’t land as hoped.

    Idea generation, mapping out a project and determining custom-tailored campaign goals for a particular client are best left to the experts. Why? Because AI’s intelligence is artificial. Humans, on the other hand, possess EI — emotional intelligence.

    Related: Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Key to High-Impact Leadership

    AI is more prone to mistakes than people are

    Sounds improbable, right? How can machine learning be inferior to us flawed and fallible mortals? I’m not talking here about mistakes like typos or forgetting to order the banners for the fundraiser. I’m talking about the things that really matter in PR, like understanding societal nuances, interpersonal dynamics, behavioral psychology and actual lived experience.

    And when AI gets that wrong? The consequences can be serious for clients. Using no-longer-acceptable language. Producing content that could be offensive to certain populations. Providing out-of-context information. And, most notably for our purposes, communicating faulty messaging.

    In PR, marketing and advertising, messaging is everything. Humans can better spot potential pitfalls with language (even if it is absolutely technically correct) and can better discern the tone and subtext of customer engagement communication. So it’s great to use AI for media monitoring and sentiment analysis. But what to do with the results of those measures should remain in the hands of real-life pros who employ cognitive reasoning, not just logic; who shrewdly apply information, not just amass and analyze it; and who can make moral judgments when called for.

    SIDE NOTE here on crisis communications: Using AI to manage crises is a whole different topic unto itself. For now, suffice it to say: It’s a no-no. Keep out! When an individual’s or company’s reputation is at stake, coming across as tone-deaf can toll the death knell for their public image. And the generative AI tools we have available today (the type of AI content-focused industries like mine are using far more than agentic) definitely runs the risk of sounding too factual, too formulaic, too … well, inhuman, right when a human touch is needed most.

    Keep your eye on integrative PR

    So what do I think the wave of the future is? Integrative PR — an approach that blends all the various communication channels into a cohesive whole for consistent branding across all platforms, no longer separating different aspects of marketing and public relations into different compartments.

    Of course AI will play a significant role as we shift toward more social media–focused campaigns and more content curation taking the place of strictly media relations, which traditionally dominated PR. But the type of integration I envision requires creativity, first and foremost, coupled with inventive strategy and finding new connections where none existed before.

    Generative AI relies on anything and everything that has existed before, and precisely for that reason, I believe humans will remain the alchemists who bring humanity to PR. After all, PR is an art, not a science. And art is made by artists — original thinkers and doers, master storytellers, who will ever play the starring role on this always-changing, wildly interesting stage of public relations.

    I was recently asked, “What trends should we be watching out for in terms of the future of PR?” Well, according to my 75-year-old mother — and lots of other interested observers — the future of PR looks like it’s populated with a little AI, some more AI … well, okay, entirely with AI.

    If you’re a business owner considering letting AI run your PR show for you, let me tell you why that’s a bad idea. Don’t get me wrong — I’m a fan myself; I’ve steadily been incorporating AI tools and tasks into my daily workflow, and I get the appeal. And the added efficiency.

    But as a two-decade veteran in this field, I also know a helluva lot more about PR than any bot you can call on, and here’s my take on where things stand now and where they look like they’re going in the marriage between PR and AI.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Emily Reynolds

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  • As AI Blurs Truth, Domains Could Become the New Badge of Credibility | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We’re witnessing a pivotal moment in digital marketing as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how we search, communicate and create.

    For brands, this shift brings new efficiencies and creative possibilities. However, as AI-generated content becomes increasingly widespread, it’s also blurring the lines between what’s true and what’s not, making the concept of truth online more fragile than ever.

    This presents a growing challenge for brands and creators alike: How do you earn and maintain trust in a world where what is considered “real” or “accurate” is constantly in question?

    The answer is rooted in authenticity. Because no matter how fast technology evolves, trust remains a brand’s most valuable currency.

    Related: AI Could Cause 99% of All Workers to Be Unemployed in the Next Five Years, Says Computer Science Professor

    Breaking down the authenticity crisis

    In many ways, AI is compressing the cornerstones that have long defined online content — social media, the creator economy and branding — into more automated, synthetic versions of themselves.

    Chatbots, AI-powered avatars, and digital clones are already flooding consumers’ feeds and search results, with the potential to outperform their human counterparts in engagement and reach. At first glance, that might seem like a marketing win. But these scalable personas often lack one key ingredient: authenticity.

    What we’re seeing is the beginning of an authenticity crisis. As AI-generated content multiplies, consumers are increasingly skeptical, wondering if an influencer is real or if they can trust what they are watching or reading. This skepticism often extends to whether the brand behind the content is trustworthy.

    Compounding the issue is the rise of AI hallucinations. As AI platforms race to generate answers, they often prioritize output speed over accuracy. When content is constantly scraped, reworded and re-summarized, brands and creators risk both losing control of their narrative and trust with their audiences.

    In this environment, brands need to take clear, proactive steps to establish credibility and stand out as a reliable entity.

    An authentic digital identity matters more than ever

    This begins with investing in an authentic, verifiable digital presence that a brand fully owns and isn’t at the mercy of ever-changing algorithms or AI-generated replicas. For marketers, this means understanding and articulating their organization’s values, purpose and unique positioning. It also means investing in a descriptive domain name.

    A personalized domain name is one of the most powerful tools available to build direct audience connections, develop reputation and credibility and future-proof a brand. Trusted domains can quickly become the clearest sign of authenticity to audiences, helping to reinforce identity and indicating to both humans and machines that content is trustworthy.

    In fact, on decentralized platforms like Bluesky, users are leveraging their domain names as a form of identity verification, rooting their reputation on a URL they control. It’s where audiences can go to verify the source and collect unfiltered information directly from a brand.

    Domains are also where search tools look when trying to determine what’s trustworthy and merits inclusion in search results. So owning a credible domain goes beyond just ranking well in search. Brands need to give AI systems and users a clear, trustworthy source in a web increasingly filled with reworded, remixed or even false content.

    As such, in order to show up favorably in AI-driven search, brands also need to invest in structured, high-quality content, accurate metadata and a consistent presence across platforms. Together, these elements work to reinforce credibility, whether an audience is reaching them via a search bar, a chatbot, or a social post.

    Using AI responsibly and transparently

    None of this is to say that brands should avoid AI. Many are successfully using AI tools to streamline operations, optimize campaigns and repurpose content more efficiently. When used thoughtfully for routine, data-intensive tasks, AI can be an incredible asset, freeing up human teams to focus on strategy, creativity and audience connection.

    But as with any powerful tool, it comes with responsibility. Brands must be clear and transparent about how and where they’re using AI, particularly when it comes to customer-facing content. Over-reliance on automation can quickly erode the very trust they’ve worked so hard to build.

    Companies that find that balance will be the most successful. They’re letting AI assist with certain tasks, while keeping the heart and voice of the brand firmly in human hands. They’re using automation to enhance genuine storytelling and customer engagement, while remaining authentic to themselves along the way.

    That authenticity depends on humans staying involved. Strategic oversight, decision making and emotional nuance still require human input and accountability, especially when trust is on the line. AI can support the work, but it shouldn’t be the final decision-maker.

    Related: How to Align Human Values With Artificial Intelligence

    Building a future rooted in trust

    Looking ahead, one thing is certain: AI will continue to shape how we interact with the internet. Content will become more synthesized, and digital doppelgängers will become more convincing.

    To prepare, brands need to strengthen their digital foundations now. That requires establishing a clear, verifiable online identity. It also requires choosing a domain name that demonstrates authenticity, and building a website that reflects your brand’s values, voice and point of view.

    In this environment, the brands that succeed long-term won’t be the loudest or the most tech-savvy; they’ll be the most authentic and trustworthy. Because in a world where artificial voices are growing louder, the brands that stay real will be the ones people believe in.

    We’re witnessing a pivotal moment in digital marketing as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how we search, communicate and create.

    For brands, this shift brings new efficiencies and creative possibilities. However, as AI-generated content becomes increasingly widespread, it’s also blurring the lines between what’s true and what’s not, making the concept of truth online more fragile than ever.

    This presents a growing challenge for brands and creators alike: How do you earn and maintain trust in a world where what is considered “real” or “accurate” is constantly in question?

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Rachel Sterling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Amanda Breen

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  • 3 Ways AI Helps Small Businesses Compete With Big Companies | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Big companies have full teams: marketing departments, content writers, designers and salespeople all working together to grow the brand. But solopreneurs and small business owners don’t have that kind of support. Sometimes it’s just one person, or maybe a part-time virtual assistant or freelance copywriter. That’s why using AI tools isn’t just helpful — it’s necessary. With the right AI systems in place, small teams can get more done, move faster and compete with bigger players without needing a big budget or staff.

    The truth is, speed now beats size. A decade ago, a larger team almost always had the advantage — more hands to make calls, answer emails, create content and follow up with leads. But that’s no longer the case. AI tools can now handle in minutes what used to take days, closing the gap between solo entrepreneurs and big corporations.

    Even industries known for being slow to change are catching on. According to UpMarket, 75% of real estate brokerages in the U.S. already use AI to streamline their operations — automating follow-ups, predicting client interest and producing polished marketing materials faster than ever. If they can embrace it, so can you. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that larger competitors will out-automate you … and once they do, catching up will be much harder.

    Let’s look at three practical ways small businesses can use AI to compete and even win against bigger companies.

    Related: How AI Is Leveling the Playing Field For Small Businesses to Compete With Industry Giants

    1. Use AI to create social media content without a team

    Creating content for social media can take up a lot of time, especially when you’re trying to post consistently across different platforms. But you don’t need a large social media team to make it work. AI-powered tools can handle everything from generating captions and hashtags to creating scroll-stopping images.

    According to Piktochart, 71% of social media images are now AI-generated. With the right tools and a clear process, even one virtual assistant using AI can do the work of an entire team. This can save hours each week and produce results that look like they came from a big agency.

    2. Why small businesses can now handle SEO in-house

    Small businesses no longer need to rely on expensive SEO agencies to improve their rankings. Often, all it takes is one good consultant to build a clear strategy. Everything else can be done in-house with the help of AI. From writing content to generating meta titles and descriptions, and even handling technical SEO checks, modern AI tools make it easy to move fast without a team. According to TechnicalSEO, 67% of small businesses are already using AI for content marketing and SEO.

    That said, it’s important to treat AI platforms as tools, not as one-click content factories. The goal isn’t to paste a topic into ChatGPT, take the first draft it spits out and hit publish. Instead, use AI to brainstorm ideas, reshape your own writing, fact-check details and refine tone — especially if you’re not a native speaker. This is how professionals get real value from the technology, and according to Fantasy AI, 55% of marketers use AI for content creation. The best results come when you guide the AI, not when you let it lead.

    Related: How Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Can Leverage AI to Compete With Large Companies

    3. Out-communicate bigger competitors with AI

    For small service businesses, whether it’s plumbing, electrical work, HVAC repair, landscaping or handyman services, great communication can be the ultimate competitive edge. According to FieldBoss, 38% of customers say poor communication — like slow scheduling, missed updates or unclear pricing — is their biggest frustration, while only 21% point to high prices. Big companies often leave customers waiting for call-backs, stuck in scheduling queues or frustrated by vague updates.

    A solo operator with the right AI tools can do better. Imagine a solo service provider: While they’re busy on a job site, an AI-powered chatbot is answering customer questions, booking appointments and even generating quotes. By the time they wrap up for the day, the leads are captured, the jobs are scheduled, and the quotes are ready to send. Out-communicating your larger competitors isn’t about having more staff — it’s about using AI to make every customer feel heard, informed and prioritized.

    This approach also aligns with changing customer preferences, especially among Gen Z, who often feel more comfortable controlling the immediate nature of digital interaction. They prefer texting or messaging over face-to-face or phone conversations, making chatbots and AI-driven communication not just acceptable, but often the preferred way to connect.

    The playing field between small businesses and large corporations has never been more balanced. With the right approach, a solo entrepreneur or a small team can match — and sometimes outperform — companies with far bigger budgets and staff. AI isn’t a magic wand, but it is a powerful multiplier for your skills, speed and customer experience.

    Related: How Small Businesses Can Leverage AI Without Breaking the Bank

    From creating social media content without a team, to managing SEO in-house, to out-communicating bigger competitors, the advantage is clear. Those who use AI as a true partner, combining technology with human judgment, will prove that speed, adaptability and smart execution can beat size every time.

    Big companies have full teams: marketing departments, content writers, designers and salespeople all working together to grow the brand. But solopreneurs and small business owners don’t have that kind of support. Sometimes it’s just one person, or maybe a part-time virtual assistant or freelance copywriter. That’s why using AI tools isn’t just helpful — it’s necessary. With the right AI systems in place, small teams can get more done, move faster and compete with bigger players without needing a big budget or staff.

    The truth is, speed now beats size. A decade ago, a larger team almost always had the advantage — more hands to make calls, answer emails, create content and follow up with leads. But that’s no longer the case. AI tools can now handle in minutes what used to take days, closing the gap between solo entrepreneurs and big corporations.

    Even industries known for being slow to change are catching on. According to UpMarket, 75% of real estate brokerages in the U.S. already use AI to streamline their operations — automating follow-ups, predicting client interest and producing polished marketing materials faster than ever. If they can embrace it, so can you. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that larger competitors will out-automate you … and once they do, catching up will be much harder.

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    Georgi Todorov

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

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

    1. Your local audience is already searching differently

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

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

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

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

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

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

    3. Localization reduces your marketing budget

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

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

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

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

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

    Localization helps here in two ways:

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

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

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

    5. Your competition is probably not doing it well

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

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

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

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

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

    6. Localization helps you build loyalty faster

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

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

    7. Logistics and delivery actually depend on it

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

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

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

    8. Localized data helps you make better decisions

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Your local audience is already searching differently

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    Murali Nethi

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  • American Eagle Sales Up After Sydney Sweeney Great Jeans Ad | Entrepreneur

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    While many people were wringing their hands over the controversial ad in which Sydney Sweeney is said to have “great jeans,” American Eagle Outfitters CEO Jay Schottenstein is applauding.

    “The fall season is off to a positive start,” he wrote in an earnings release statement. “Fueled by stronger product offerings and the success of recent marketing campaigns with Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce, we have seen an uptick in customer awareness, engagement and comparable sales.”

    Related: Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Engagement Sends H&R Block Employees Home Early

    Detractors of Sweeney’s ad accuse it of promoting eugenics (the idea of breeding a “superior” human race) by playing on the word “genes,” equating blonde hair and blue eyes with superiority.

    The Travis Kelce ad, on the other hand, was a fairly straightforward introduction to a collection you can see here.

    While the company’s total net revenue $1.28 billion was down 1% from last year, Sweeney’s jean collaborations “sold out within a week,” CNN reports.

    During the earnings call, Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers declared that the Sweeney campaign “is a winner, and in just six weeks, the campaign has generated unprecedented new customer acquisition.”

    American Eagle’s Executive Creative Director, Jennifer Foyle, added that combined, the Sweeney and Kelce campaigns have “generated a staggering 40 billion impressions.”

    The retailer’s stock spiked 25% in after-hours trading after the call.

    In less rah-rah news, CNN reports that American Eagle expects tariff impacts to be $20 million in the third quarter and $40 million to $50 million in Q4. They said they utilize price increases to mitigate the impact on their bottom line.

    Related: ‘A Necessary Decision’: Nestlé CEO Ousted After Revelation of Romantic Relationship With Subordinate

    While many people were wringing their hands over the controversial ad in which Sydney Sweeney is said to have “great jeans,” American Eagle Outfitters CEO Jay Schottenstein is applauding.

    “The fall season is off to a positive start,” he wrote in an earnings release statement. “Fueled by stronger product offerings and the success of recent marketing campaigns with Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce, we have seen an uptick in customer awareness, engagement and comparable sales.”

    Related: Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Engagement Sends H&R Block Employees Home Early

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    David James

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Amanda Breen

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  • Entrepreneur Goes from $100M Men’s Wear Brand to Smart Baby Monitor Startup | Entrepreneur

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    Every good business idea starts with a problem, and Kevin Lavalle had a serious one to solve. Not long after his son was born, he realized the baby monitor app on his phone had crashed. Nothing went wrong, but the realization rattled him.

    “My son was unmonitored all night,” he says. “That is not why parents buy a baby monitor.”

    Realizing the app had failed the one job it had to do, he began researching the market. He discovered there was no device that worked with the internet and without it. He would go on to launch Harbor, a dedicated device that combines the security of a closed connection with the flexibility of internet features, so anxious parents can check in from anywhere.

    Related: Not All Problems Are Fixable — Here’s How Great Leaders Know What to Solve and What to Learn From

    Hurts so good

    Lavelle has built his career on noticing his pain points and creating a business around the remedy.

    “Most of the products I’ve come up with are because I’ve experienced the problem myself,” he says.

    At his previous company, Mizzen+Main, a performance menswear brand, Lavelle once again solved a problem he felt personally. “I wanted a dress shirt that looked sharp but felt like the athletic gear I lived in, so I just made it for myself first,” he says.

    Initially, buyers at trade shows didn’t take him seriously. But a big breakthrough came when he sponsored Tim Ferriss’s podcast. The company has since generated hundreds of millions of dollars in sales.

    Related: Every Successful Business Solves a Pain Point — Does Yours?

    Taking it straight to the competition

    With Lavelle’s new venture, Harbor, the problem isn’t uncomfortable clothing; it’s what he perceives as the shortcomings of the leading baby monitor company in the space.

    In the world of baby products, where advertising is usually sentimental, Harbor leaned into confrontation. A campaign called the “Great Baby Monitor Swap” offered families credit toward a Harbor system in exchange for mailing in their old monitors. It was part trade-in program, part protest, and it gave frustrated parents a chance to turn their disappointment into something useful. The company has even made UGC-style videos of them throwing a rival’s product in the trash.

    When the rival company had its lawyers fire back, Harbor was ready for them. “We actually published their cease-and-desist letter on my personal blog and turned it into SEO. If you search for them, the title of the article jumps out in a big way.”

    Second time around

    But the marketing push was only one part of the challenge. Starting a second company meant navigating familiar territory with a very different set of obstacles.

    Some things came easier this time. He already knew how to recruit strong talent, how to speak to investors, and how to shape a brand so that it stood out. But other parts were harder. Harbor is a hardware company, and getting the product built and pushing investors to the finish line was much more difficult than he expected.

    How has he persevered? First, by accepting the uncertainty of starting a new business. He notes that success is rarely a formula you can repeat. Timing, luck, and shifting markets all play a role. “Very few founders have any idea what they’re doing,” he says. “We’re all just trying to figure it out. That is a hard lesson that I have learned.”

    Second, by reminding himself of the night he woke to find his son had gone unmonitored for hours. That memory still fuels his resolve. Harbor, he says, is about giving parents back the sleep and sanity that can vanish in the fog of early childhood. “I’m doing this because I believe we can change parents’ lives,” Lavelle says.

    Related: Her ‘Crude Prototype’ and $50 Craigslist Purchase Launched a Side Hustle That Hit $1 Million in Sales — Now the Business Generates Up to $20 Million a Year

    Every good business idea starts with a problem, and Kevin Lavalle had a serious one to solve. Not long after his son was born, he realized the baby monitor app on his phone had crashed. Nothing went wrong, but the realization rattled him.

    “My son was unmonitored all night,” he says. “That is not why parents buy a baby monitor.”

    Realizing the app had failed the one job it had to do, he began researching the market. He discovered there was no device that worked with the internet and without it. He would go on to launch Harbor, a dedicated device that combines the security of a closed connection with the flexibility of internet features, so anxious parents can check in from anywhere.

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    Jon Bier

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  • How I’ve Mastered the Art of Watching Trends to Predict and Create Viral Products — and How You Can, Too | Entrepreneur

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    When our vertical series “Brace Face Betty” became the week’s top series by user engagement according to Social Peta, it wasn’t a big surprise for me. Our team has been working on content production for a long time, growing My Passion, the books platform, and My Drama, the short-form, vertical series platform. Over the years, we’ve identified the principles that make hits. These hacks apply to any creative niche, not just books or series.

    Until recently, I didn’t have any social media accounts, and now I’ve become the algorithm’s ideal target audience. Here’s the system I use to predict and create viral products. Whether you’re building apps, content, consumer products or services, these insights will help you understand what makes audiences stop, engage and share.

    70% of success happens before creation

    Here’s what most creators get wrong: They focus on production quality and hope for the best. But viral success is determined long before you start creating. It’s about understanding three critical elements: niche, audience and platform.

    Take the vertical short series, for example. This niche is growing like crazy now! According to iMedia Research, the vertical short drama market will be worth more than $13.8 billion by 2027, up from $5.2 billion in 2023. There are now over 200 apps dedicated to vertical series content, and the format is attracting talent from traditional TV and film who see an opportunity to create more efficiently and reach younger audiences directly. To be No. 1 in this niche in the EU and U.S. markets, we need to know it inside out. What hooks work? What pacing keeps attention? What elements make content shareable?

    The second is audience psychology. We explore the emotional triggers that engage people. Typically, the topics of bullying, forbidden love and age gaps resonate well. Seek what works in your niche. These are not necessarily the topics you are interested in. Conduct audience research, put yourself in their shoes and determine their typical behavior. Use this as a basis for product development and creatives.

    And the last element — platform mechanics. Each platform has different algorithms, user behaviors and content formats that favor specific approaches. We distribute content on all social platforms and prepare separate creatives for each.

    The remaining 30% is execution. But without the foundation, even perfect execution fails.

    Related: 5 Proven Tips to Better Understand Your Audience and Drive Sales

    How to scroll social media smartly

    Don’t confuse trend-watching with random TikTok scrolling and reposting funny Reels. The essence of trend-watching is not to mindlessly consume content, but to analyze what you see and spot opportunities.

    I spend 20 to 30 minutes each morning and evening on strategic scrolling. Previously, I trained algorithms to show me what I need to see. It’s not tricky: follow your competitors, like relevant posts, click on their ads and even leave comments. Done. Your feed is now a perfectly curated research tool.

    Then I apply my analysis framework, which looks like this. When I spot viral content, I dig deep. How many creative variations are they testing? Which geographic markets are they targeting? What engagement patterns am I seeing? Can this approach scale? I document everything, because patterns emerge over time that individual posts can’t reveal.

    Then I pass on the insights to the team. For instance, if competitors are launching 10-minute promotional videos while we’re using 1-minute clips, it means we’re at a disadvantage. So we need to catch up quickly. When I notice “I’m pregnant” hooks performing well across multiple verticals, I write to the team that we urgently need to use it too.

    Surely, my whole team is also engaged in trend-watching. We use tools like Airtable, Make, Asana and others to exchange information quickly. It’s really important in the creative niche, since trends don’t last long and you need to act ASAP.

    Viral product framework that works in each niche

    Analyzing hundreds of viral products, I’ve identified key characteristics that unite them across all creative industries. This framework works whether you’re building apps, creating content, designing products or launching services.

    Proven foundation. Instead of starting from scratch, try building on concepts that have already demonstrated success. For example, we use our content library of proven IPs and cast actors with track records from previous hits. The goal isn’t to copy, but to know what foundational elements work and build upon them smartly.

    Trend integration. Implement everything you discovered during trend-watching. Automate your creative process with AI tools to launch faster and catch the trend when it’s hot.

    High-level execution. Every element needs immediate engagement drivers that grab attention within seconds. In vertical series, this means compelling hooks, pacing that maintains interest and cliffhangers that create anticipation. For apps, it’s intuitive onboarding and instant value delivery. For physical products, it’s solving user problems elegantly from the first interaction.

    Related: This Is How Close AI Is to Coming Up With the Next Viral Product

    Your product is viral, what’s next

    The common mistake founders make is stopping after they have a hit. I often notice it even on Netflix. Just imagine how its metrics and profits would have grown if they had made a sequel to Wednesday.

    Every product should be designed to evolve and extend. So when you create a potential hit, think long-term about how you will develop it further and don’t aim for just a one-time success!

    When our vertical series “Brace Face Betty” became the week’s top series by user engagement according to Social Peta, it wasn’t a big surprise for me. Our team has been working on content production for a long time, growing My Passion, the books platform, and My Drama, the short-form, vertical series platform. Over the years, we’ve identified the principles that make hits. These hacks apply to any creative niche, not just books or series.

    Until recently, I didn’t have any social media accounts, and now I’ve become the algorithm’s ideal target audience. Here’s the system I use to predict and create viral products. Whether you’re building apps, content, consumer products or services, these insights will help you understand what makes audiences stop, engage and share.

    70% of success happens before creation

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    Anatolii Kasianov

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  • Here’s Where Prince St. Pizza Is Opening Next | Entrepreneur

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    Lawrence Longo is certain about one thing: America needs a great national pizza brand.

    Not just a chain that cranks out slices, but a name that stands for quality, heritage and the kind of flavor people will travel for. “Our goal is to be that premium slice shop in America,” he tells Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef.

    That mission is at the heart of his work growing Prince St. Pizza from a single shop into a brand with locations across the country.

    The story started on a block in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, where the original Prince St. Pizza has been drawing crowds for years. Its pepperoni square slice is an icon: crispy-edged, overflowing with curl and dripping with flavor.

    Longo was a fan before he was a partner. “I used to go in as a customer,” he says. “I loved the pizza; I loved the energy in the shop. I could feel how much it meant to people.”

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

    That connection turned into conversations. Longo got to know the owners, learning not just about the recipes but about the pride and history behind them. “We started talking about what it could be,” he recalls. “I told them, ‘This isn’t just a slice shop. This is a brand that could mean something in every city.’”

    Eventually, that dialogue became a partnership, grounded in a shared commitment to keep the product and culture intact. Now the expansion is real. This interview took place inside a new Prince St. Pizza in Las Vegas, just steps from the Strip.

    The crowd here is a mix of locals and visitors, but the slice in their hands tastes just like it would in SoHo. “That’s the goal,” Longo says. “No matter where you are, when you bite into it, it should feel like you’re in New York.”

    The Las Vegas shop is just one of several new locations, each chosen carefully. “We don’t just go anywhere,” he explains. “We look for cities where Prince St. can fit in and still stand out. And then we build the right team to protect what makes it special.”

    For Longo, it is not simply about growing bigger. It is about creating a national pizza brand without losing the soul of the original.

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

    The next great American pizza brand

    Prince St. Pizza’s footprint is getting bigger, and the momentum is real. New locations are opening in markets like Miami and Dallas. Each one matches the quality and culture of the original SoHo shop. Celebrity customers have become part of the story. Usher. Adam Sandler. Dave Portnoy. They aren’t there for photo ops. They come in because they like the pizza.

    “They try, and they come back, and they like the brand,” Longo says. Being in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago means crossing paths with people who live for good food, whether they are famous or not.

    Growth also brings noise. “The bigger you get, the more haters you get,” Longo says. “You can’t listen to the noise. You want to listen to everybody, but you gotta just keep your head down, worry about yourself, do the best job you can and focus on your customers.”

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

    That mindset is what allows Longo to keep expanding without losing the flavor and culture that made Prince St. Pizza a destination in the first place.

    Every new store is another chance to prove that a premium slice shop can scale nationally without losing what made it special.

    “Every time you open a new restaurant, you learn something new about your brand,” Longo says, “and we’re only getting better.”

    It’s the same goal he set from the start — to take Prince St. Pizza from a single shop in New York to a true national brand. And for Longo, the recipe for getting there is simple: protect the product, protect the culture and keep serving slices worth traveling for.

    Related: This Restaurant CEO Created His Own National Holiday (and Turned It Into a Business Strategy)

    About Restaurant Influencers

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

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

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    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • I Run A Global Advertising Agency. Here’s How We Create Great Ideas — By Rewarding Lots of Bad Ideas | Entrepreneur

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    Where do good ideas come from?

    After serving as CEO of the advertising agency BBDO Worldwide for 20 years, working closely with some of the largest brands in the world, I’ve come to an answer: Good ideas come from a willingness to have bad ideas — many, many bad ideas.

    If you want the creative process to work, you must accept that it is messy. Instead of inching your way, step by step, from data to solution in a logical progression, it’s best to generate a chaotic array of possibilities and test them out on the problem until something clicks. Jump to conclusions without worrying about how you cross the intervening gap.

    I know that sounds abstract. So here’s a specific example: Snickers.

    The origins of an incredible campaign

    My agency came up with the theme “You’re not you when you’re hungry” for a Snickers campaign, which went on to become one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history. It launched with a Super Bowl ad in 2010, featuring the legendary Betty White being “tackled” in a football game, and has been expanded and localized to 83 countries around the world.

    To this day, clients ask how we got the idea. They want to know what market research led us to the insight, then the foundational idea, and finally the Betty White script and campaign that drove millions to eat more candy bars. People always assume it was an act of brand-purpose oriented, data-driven, logical deduction: When you’re hungry, of course you act irrationally.

    But we did not arrive at that insight fully formed. Here’s the real story.

    When Snickers was first manufactured in Chicago in 1930, it was meant to be a filling snack bar when you were hungry. Little about it has changed since. But a few years into the turn of the twenty-first century, that enduring truth had started to become humdrum, and Snickers had fallen to No. 7 in the chocolate category.

    The challenge became: How do you make something new and fresh out of the same old thing? A line like “Hungry? Eat a Snickers” just isn’t going to cut it.

    So here’s what we did. David Lubars, who was BBDO’s Chief Creative Officer at the time, gave the assignment to five teams of people, who got busy writing all kinds of (bad) Super Bowl scripts. Then David reviewed them all—and buried deep inside one of their scripts, barely calling attention to itself at all, was the line “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”

    David recognized how powerful that idea could be. It was, he said, “so flexible and stretchy that it could go anywhere in the world it needed to go.” And that’s what happened. But to find an idea this powerful, he first needed to generate that huge volume of bad ideas—making it possible for David to identify a kernel of greatness, see its implications, share his insight with his colleagues, and get the support it needed.

    How to reproduce this process

    This may sound simple, but it is not, and it rarely happens organically. Instead, it requires something that I call The Creative Shift —a deliberate and strategic choice to design the conditions that will unleash creativity when an organization needs it the most.

    Here’s how to be deliberate and strategic about producing bad ideas, so you can find the first one.

    First, remember this: Most people don’t understand the creative process. Instead, they often tend to say things like: A good idea can come from anyone. Or they might say, there are no bad ideas. But those concepts squelch creativity, rather than unleash it—because they put pressure on everyone to perform. After all, who cares if there are “no bad ideas” if everyone can conceivably come up with a great one.

    That’s why, to be truly creative in a group, you must flip these ideas around. You must tell your team:

    1. Bad ideas can come from everyone.

    2. I want as many bad ideas as possible in a short period of time.

    Why? Let’s start with human nature. People are afraid of making a mistake, so when they’re challenged to come up with lots of ideas, they often shut down. They feel like they’re on a high wire, with no room to deviate. They start to wonder: What if I’m wrong? What if I look foolish in front of my boss and colleagues? Will I be blamed if the idea doesn’t work?

    But when you specifically invite people to come up with bad ideas, and to do it in a short period of time, people start thinking in a more open-minded and imaginative ways—because they’re no longer constrained by the need to be right, or good, or brilliant.

    It’s the fastest path to success

    Maybe this process sounds inefficient. Why generate and consider lots of bad ideas, when you can instead focus your efforts on the right one?

    Here’s why: Most of the time, we have found, nine out of ten ideas are simply not good.

    So instead of trying to generate good ideas (which is inefficient and unrealistic), your initial goal is to simply generate a lot of ideas. Idea volume is a good thing, because the best ideas often begin as unrealized parts of otherwise bad ideas.

    Remember the Snickers example: The winning idea was buried in an otherwise humdrum script. David was the one who stumbled upon it, and then caught it.

    As a leader, it’s important to completely change the way your people look at the idea-generation process and create a space where they’re encouraged to have lots of bad ideas. If you must reward people for anything at this stage, reward them for having the most bad ideas.

    From there, you’ll unleash creativity. And you’ll find the idea that matters.

    Adapted from The Creative Shift: How to Power Up Your Organization by Making Space for New Ideas Copyright © 2025 by Andrew Robertson. Available from Basic Venture, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

    Where do good ideas come from?

    After serving as CEO of the advertising agency BBDO Worldwide for 20 years, working closely with some of the largest brands in the world, I’ve come to an answer: Good ideas come from a willingness to have bad ideas — many, many bad ideas.

    If you want the creative process to work, you must accept that it is messy. Instead of inching your way, step by step, from data to solution in a logical progression, it’s best to generate a chaotic array of possibilities and test them out on the problem until something clicks. Jump to conclusions without worrying about how you cross the intervening gap.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Andrew Robertson

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  • How to Overcome These 7 Hidden Purchase Barriers | Entrepreneur

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    You have had a promising conversation with your customer. They nodded, said they liked your offer, maybe even said, “Yes, sounds good.” But then there was no follow-up, no payment from that customer and you see zero sales.

    If this has happened more than a few times, you’re not alone. According to a HubSpot study, 60% of customers say “yes” or show interest during a sales process but end up ghosting before the transaction is completed, at least four times before they buy. So what gives?

    In business, the gap between “yes” and “checkout” is where most opportunities quietly die. It’s not just a sales problem. It’s a clarity problem, a trust problem and sometimes just bad timing. Let’s break down some most common reasons people agree with your pitch but still walk away and what you can do to close the loop.

    Related: Cart Abandonment Is Costing You Customers — Here’s How to Stop It

    1. They didn’t want to be rude

    Sometimes your customer may say yes just to end the conversation and avoid conflict. In sales, politeness can be your biggest illusion. The prospect may have no real intention to buy, but they nod, smile and may say, “I’ll think about it,” or “Send me the link.” We often take that as a green light. But it is not.

    What to do:

    Instead of asking, “Are you interested?” you can ask something slightly more specific, such as “What concerns do you still have?” or “Is this something you’re ready for now, or down the line?”

    Let them tell you the truth before you waste time chasing a dead lead.

    2. They don’t trust something — yet

    Trust is rarely built in a single conversation or one landing page. A customer might be sold on the product but unsure about your brand, your return policy or whether you’ll deliver what you promised. Even if they like what they hear, hesitation can creep in the moment they feel even slightly uncertain, especially in crowded markets.

    What to do:

    Make your trust signals visible and easy to verify. Add real testimonials (not vague ones), a money-back guarantee or some transparency around how long shipping or onboarding takes.

    3. The decision wasn’t fully theirs

    Customers will sometimes say yes because they want to buy, but they are not the final decision-maker. This is more common in B2B, but it happens in everyday transactions too (think of someone needing to check with their spouse or manager).

    It’s not that they didn’t like your offer. They just weren’t authorized to pull the trigger.

    What to do:

    Ask directly, “Is there anyone else who needs to sign off on this?” earlier in the conversation. If the answer is yes, give them shareable materials, FAQs or a few quick demos that they can easily forward.

    Related: Beyond the First Sale — How to Keep Your Customers Coming Back for More

    4. They mentally said “not now”

    Timing is a silent killer in sales. You pitch something that makes sense, and the customer is also mentally on board, but their priorities can shift. They may say yes, but they mean, “Yes … eventually.” And that “eventually” can slip off their radar unless you follow up with the right nudge.

    What to do:

    Instead of just asking, “Are you ready to buy now?” give them a reason to act sooner. A limited-time benefit, a booking link with available slots or even a checklist to prep for onboarding can shift their mindset from eventually to let’s do it now.

    Don’t push them, but you can try to shorten the gap between their interest and action.

    5. The process was just slightly too complicated

    It only takes a little bit of friction to lose a sale. One more form field, an unclear shipping note or maybe they have to complete too many steps to checkout. When people say yes, they’re thinking emotionally. But when they try to buy, logic will come. And if your checkout flow or subscription process makes them pause even for a second, they might not come back.

    What to do:

    Audit your purchase or sign-up process. Look for small steps that feel unnecessary or confusing. If you run an online store or take orders digitally, use tools that allow clear, intuitive checkout (with mobile in mind).

    Even service businesses( whether selling bouquets or booking consultations) benefit from POS tools that can streamline customer flow without needing custom development.

    6. The value didn’t match the price — in their mind

    They might agree with you in theory, but when it came down to payment, they didn’t feel like it was worth it for them. That doesn’t mean your offer was overpriced, just that the value wasn’t clearly communicated in a way that resonated. People don’t buy features, they buy outcomes. So, if those outcomes are not obvious to them, your pricing will always feel high, even if it’s not.

    What to do:

    Focus less on what the product is and more on what it does for that specific customer. Use examples or quick before-and-after stories that will show transformation. Let them picture themselves with the result. Also, consider offering flexible pricing (even if it’s temporary) to meet them where they are.

    Related: Forget Selling. Here’s How to Spark Relationships Your Customers Won’t Walk Away From

    7. They got distracted — and didn’t come back

    Modern customers are distracted. They’re scrolling during meetings, browsing tabs between errands and half-reading product pages while standing in line at the grocery store. Even with the best intentions to buy, their attention is fragile. One notification or interruption, and your offer can fade into the noise. They may have been 90% there and then forgot entirely.

    What to do:

    Don’t assume a lost sale means disinterest. You can use light, timed follow-ups like abandoned cart emails, reminder messages or even a friendly “Hey, still interested?” nudge.

    Also, make re-entry easy. If they do return, don’t force them to start over. Keep their cart, save their last viewed items and reduce the steps they need to take to finish what they started.

    There’s still a lot that can derail a buying decision between agreement and action. The trick is to build systems, messaging and good follow-up strategies that carry people over that final stretch. Good luck!

    You have had a promising conversation with your customer. They nodded, said they liked your offer, maybe even said, “Yes, sounds good.” But then there was no follow-up, no payment from that customer and you see zero sales.

    If this has happened more than a few times, you’re not alone. According to a HubSpot study, 60% of customers say “yes” or show interest during a sales process but end up ghosting before the transaction is completed, at least four times before they buy. So what gives?

    In business, the gap between “yes” and “checkout” is where most opportunities quietly die. It’s not just a sales problem. It’s a clarity problem, a trust problem and sometimes just bad timing. Let’s break down some most common reasons people agree with your pitch but still walk away and what you can do to close the loop.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Murali Nethi

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