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Tag: Success Strategies

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

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Related: Want to Be a Successful Entrepreneur? Fail.

    The Stage Theory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    About Restaurant Influencers

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

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

    Shawn P. Walchef

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

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

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

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

    Related: Want a Promotion? Start Saying This

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Rogers Healy

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Amanda Breen

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  • Free Webinar | On-Demand: From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: 5 Barriers Stalling Entrepreneurs—and the System That Removes Them | Entrepreneur

    Every founder eventually hits the same growth killers—isolation, decision fatigue, skill overload, stalled momentum, and a lack of real accountability. In this on-demand session you’ll see why these five barriers show up and why quick fixes rarely stick.

    You’ll also be introduced to The Boardroom, Entrepreneur Media’s new six-month mastermind that pairs you with a hand-picked peer group and expert mentors who turn those obstacles into weekly breakthroughs.

    Key takeaways:

    • Replace isolation with a curated advisory board

    • Slash decision fatigue using repeatable frameworks

    • Escape skill overload through expert playbooks

    • Restart stalled growth with high-leverage tactics

    • Close accountability gaps so goals become wins

    Register now for instant access and start mapping your path from bottleneck to breakthrough.

    About the Speakers:

    Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and host of the podcast Problem Solvers. Outside of Entrepreneur, he writes the newsletter One Thing Better, which each week gives you one better way to build a career or company you love. He is also a startup advisor, keynote speaker, book author, and nonstop optimism machine.

    Jacqueline “JJ” Jasionowski blends luxury-brand rigor with entrepreneurial speed. After 17 years at BMW Group leading growth, training, and CX initiatives, she launched Shift Awake Group to deploy tech-forward training that lifts customer satisfaction and revenue. A Certified Professional Coach and expert facilitator, JJ builds behavior-shifting systems—reducing friction and driving measurable outcomes.

    Every founder eventually hits the same growth killers—isolation, decision fatigue, skill overload, stalled momentum, and a lack of real accountability. In this on-demand session you’ll see why these five barriers show up and why quick fixes rarely stick.

    You’ll also be introduced to The Boardroom, Entrepreneur Media’s new six-month mastermind that pairs you with a hand-picked peer group and expert mentors who turn those obstacles into weekly breakthroughs.

    Key takeaways:

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • Why 67% of Wealthy People Do This Every Morning | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Success isn’t a stroke of luck — it’s a habit forged through deliberate, daily effort. In my five-year study of 233 wealthy individuals and 128 poor individuals, one finding stood out like a beacon: 67% of the wealthy set specific, actionable goals every single day, while only 17% of poorer people did the same.

    This isn’t just a statistic — it’s a roadmap for building wealth and achieving dreams. For entrepreneurs navigating the high-stakes world of startups, where every decision can make or break your venture, this habit of daily goal-setting is your secret weapon.

    If you want to transform your startup from a fragile idea into a thriving enterprise, adopting this disciplined practice can set you on the path to success.

    Related: This Habit Will Help You Achieve Your Goals and Find Success

    The science behind daily goals

    My research revealed that 80% of wealthy individuals pursue at least one major goal at a time, breaking it down into smaller, daily tasks that are specific, measurable and tied to a larger vision. They don’t scribble vague wishes like “grow my business” on a sticky note.

    Instead, they set precise targets, such as “contact three potential investors” or “write 500 words for the marketing campaign.” This clarity creates a clear path forward, turning lofty ambitions into tangible progress. Meanwhile, 83% of the poorer individuals in my study rarely or never set goals, leaving them adrift, reacting to life’s demands rather than proactively shaping their future through goal-setting.

    For startup founders, this contrast is a wake-up call. Entrepreneurship is a whirlwind of challenges — cash flow crunches, customer acquisition hurdles and the pressure to outpace competitors.

    Without a clear focus, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos. Daily goals act like a compass, guiding you through the noise and ensuring you spend your time on what truly moves the needle. Whether you’re bootstrapping a tech startup or scaling a small retail business, this habit can help you stay on course and build momentum that will eventually lead to success and wealth.

    Why daily goals are a startup superpower

    Startups are a unique beast. You’re often working with limited resources, tight timelines and the constant need to prove your concept. Goal-setting, as practiced by successful, wealthy entrepreneurs, tackles these challenges head-on.

    Wealthy people don’t just dream—they write things down. My research shows 70% of them jot down goals daily. Writing forces you to decide what really matters. For a founder, that could be as simple as “lock in one press mention” or “finalize pricing.” Clear goals cut through noise and give you confidence to move forward.

    Big results are built on small, consistent victories. In fact, 76% of wealthy individuals track their progress every day. For entrepreneurs, landing one new customer, trimming costs slightly or finishing a demo might seem small—but stack them up, and they create unstoppable momentum.

    On top of that, talent is overrated. My data shows 88% of wealthy people credit their habits for their success. Daily goals keep you disciplined, helping you focus on high-impact tasks instead of wasting hours on emails, social feeds or pointless meetings.

    Related: Being ‘Busy’ Isn’t Helping You Be Productive — 5 Tips to Become Truly Efficient at Work

    How to set daily goals like successful entrepreneurs

    Ready to make daily goal-setting the backbone of your startup’s success? Here’s a practical, step-by-step guide inspired by the habits of the successful entrepreneurs I studied:

    • Anchor goals to your vision: Successful entrepreneurs always tie daily tasks to a larger purpose or vision. Start by defining your startup’s ultimate goal for the year — say, “reach $1 million in revenue,” “launch a new product,” or “secure 10,000 users.”
    • Break it down to daily steps: Big goals can feel overwhelming. Successful entrepreneurs break goals down into bite-sized tasks. If your annual goal is to raise $500,000, your monthly goal might be to pitch 10 investors.
    • Write it down! Don’t rely on memory. Wealthy individuals commit their goals to paper or a digital tool daily. For entrepreneurs, this could mean listing three to five tasks each morning, such as “call two potential partners,” “review analytics for the latest ad campaign,” or “finalize one section of the business plan.” Writing makes goals concrete and keeps you accountable.
    • Track and reflect: Successful entrepreneurs don’t just set goals — they track and monitor progress. In my study, 76% reviewed their goals regularly. At the end of each day, check off completed tasks and ask: Did I hit my goals? If not, why? Maybe you overestimated your bandwidth, need to develop additional skills or got sidetracked by a low-priority task.
    • Stay consistent: Consistency is the secret sauce. Make daily goal-setting non-negotiable, even on chaotic startup days. Five minutes each morning to set priorities can transform your trajectory over time.

    Real-world impact

    Consider Sarah, a startup founder I met who applied this habit. Her eco-friendly clothing brand was struggling to gain traction. She began setting daily goals tied to her annual target of $100,000 in sales.

    Each morning, she wrote three tasks, like “reach out to one boutique retailer” or “post one Instagram reel.” Within six months, she landed two major retail partnerships and hit 50% of her revenue goal. The secret? Daily goals kept her focused, even when cash was tight and doubts crept in.

    Avoid this habit trap

    My study showed that 83% of poorer people lack goal-setting habits, often because they feel overwhelmed or believe goals are pointless without immediate results. Entrepreneurs can fall into this trap, too, chasing shiny new opportunities or getting bogged down in busywork.

    Successful entrepreneurs don’t do this. They stay laser-focused, using daily goals to filter out noise and prioritize what drives growth. Start tomorrow morning. Grab a notebook or app, define one big annual goal for your startup, and break it into three daily tasks. Write them down, track your progress and reflect at day’s end. It’s simple but powerful.

    Success isn’t a stroke of luck — it’s a habit forged through deliberate, daily effort. In my five-year study of 233 wealthy individuals and 128 poor individuals, one finding stood out like a beacon: 67% of the wealthy set specific, actionable goals every single day, while only 17% of poorer people did the same.

    This isn’t just a statistic — it’s a roadmap for building wealth and achieving dreams. For entrepreneurs navigating the high-stakes world of startups, where every decision can make or break your venture, this habit of daily goal-setting is your secret weapon.

    If you want to transform your startup from a fragile idea into a thriving enterprise, adopting this disciplined practice can set you on the path to success.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Tom Corley

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

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

    Image Credit: Gilbert Flores | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Amanda Breen

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

    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®.

    Amanda Breen

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

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

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

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

    Related: What I Wish I Knew Before Selling My Company

    1. Build what people actually use

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

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

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

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

    2. Design with a buyer in mind

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    4. Every dollar must drive momentum

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

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

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

    5. Build for freedom, not just an exit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Kirk Ouimet

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  • Why Energy Medicine Is Shaping the Next Wave of Leadership Performance | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Every day, I shift between strategy and execution, guiding a team that depends on me to make clear decisions. The constant pressure takes its toll. Stress lingers, energy dips at the wrong moment, and brain fog has a way of showing up when clarity is most needed.

    I feel this even more with the added demands of being a working mom and hosting a podcast, where I have to be sharp, present and on my toes no matter what else is happening in my day.

    That reality led me to explore an area once dismissed as fringe: frequency-based wellness technologies. For years, energy medicine was viewed as experimental. But as I began to research, I discovered more entrepreneurs and leaders turning to these tools to support resilience and cognitive performance.

    Frequency is not about replacing the basics. It complements them. Just as meditation, breathwork and nutrition support clarity and balance, frequency can serve as another layer in the performance toolkit, helping leaders manage stress, maintain patience and stay sharp under pressure.

    Categories of frequency in executive life

    As I reviewed solutions on the Biohacking Index, three clear categories emerged, each reflecting a different way leaders can incorporate recovery and resilience into their daily routines.

    1. Every day frequency support. Wearable and desktop devices are designed to provide subtle energetic fields throughout the day. Some companies in this space, such as Leela Quantum and their Quantum Upgrade, market their solutions as a way to reduce the impact of environmental stressors like EMFs from Wi-Fi and cellular signals.

    What makes this category compelling for executives is its accessibility. Wearables and desktop blocks are simple to integrate, running passively in the background without requiring extra time or effort.

    2. Immersive recovery systems. The second category encourages deliberate pauses. Full-body and portable mats like the KLOUD from Centropix use Tesla-coil-based PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) elements to deliver a spectrum of frequencies intended to support grounding, circulation and balance.

    These mats are designed to be used at a desk, at home or while traveling, and they invite professionals to step back from constant task-switching for 15 to 20 minutes. For leaders accustomed to running nonstop, this category represents a structured way to create space for recovery.

    Related: I Work Nearly 50+ Hours a Week and Rarely Feel Tired

    3. Blended modalities. The third category merges frequency with other healing approaches. Cosmo Health’s NOVACUP and LUNASTONE combine red light, cupping, thermal heat and vibration into a handheld device. It is designed for short bursts of recovery that can be slotted between meetings, easing tension and promoting circulation while layering in energetic support.

    Tools that aim to support balance and assist with recovery are being explored as part of strategies to minimize downtime and keep leaders consistently available when it matters most.

    Taken together, these blended approaches illustrate how frequency is being woven into everyday routines in ways that address both the physical and cognitive demands of leadership. This is not about chasing gadgets.

    It reflects a shift in mindset: high-performing professionals are moving beyond sales training and productivity hacks and beginning to recognize that clarity, patience and resilience depend on how well they manage their own biology.

    Related: I Found a Simple Way to De-stress During the Busiest Workdays

    Backing it with evidence

    While frequency tools vary, the science supporting recovery and energetic balance is beginning to catch up. A number of companies in this space, including Leela Quantum and Centropix, reference double-blind, placebo-controlled studies designed to demonstrate measurable effects of frequency fields on stress, vitality and cognitive markers. While more large-scale research is needed, peer-reviewed studies provide context for why leaders are paying attention.

    EMF protection and cognition. Studies have shown that exposure to electromagnetic fields can disrupt brainwave activity during sleep and reduce sleep quality. For example, research published in PLoS One linked EMF exposure in occupational settings to significantly poorer sleep outcomes. Other work suggests that shielding or reducing EMF exposure may help preserve mental sharpness and support restorative rest. For executives, that connection is critical because sleep quality is directly tied to decision-making and cognitive clarity.

    PEMF for recovery and resilience. PEMF therapy has been studied for its ability to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness and support cellular repair. A study published in ScienceDirect found improvements in recovery among athletes using PEMF, suggesting potential benefits for energy and resilience.

    While the research originates in athletic contexts, the principle of faster recovery translates well for executives under sustained cognitive load.

    Rest as a leadership tool. Beyond frequency, there is strong evidence that intentional rest improves executive performance. Research highlighted in Harvard Business Review shows how frequent short breaks, including wellness resets and naps, significantly improve productivity, stress tolerance and overall cognitive capacity. Devices that encourage structured pauses (such as frequency mats) help leaders implement this evidence in practice.

    Leadership shifting inward. Reports from the Financial Times highlight how CEOs are beginning to treat recovery and resilience as competitive advantages. Leaders describe pacing themselves, building margin into their schedules and adopting practices once associated with athletes. This reflects a redefinition of leadership success, from hours logged to sustained clarity and adaptability under pressure.

    What this means for executive performance

    For entrepreneurs and CEOs, the lesson is not to chase every new device. The real takeaway is that recovery and resilience are now recognized as core components of leadership strategy.

    Practical strategies include:

    • Start with subtleties. Wearables and desktop devices provide passive support without requiring time away from work.
    • Make recovery deliberate. Immersive mats or guided resets encourage leaders to pause and recharge, turning downtime into a performance enhancer.
    • Layer your habits. Frequency sessions can be combined with meditation, journaling or breathwork for added impact.
    • Vet before you invest. Look for independent validation, peer-reviewed studies or third-party ratings on platforms like the Biohacking Index, which aggregates reviews from practitioners and users.

    The future of leadership will not be defined by how many hours we work. It will be defined by how well we recover, adapt and sustain clarity under pressure. Frequency-based wellness tools, EMF awareness and recovery strategies are gaining legitimacy as part of the modern executive toolkit.

    Every day, I shift between strategy and execution, guiding a team that depends on me to make clear decisions. The constant pressure takes its toll. Stress lingers, energy dips at the wrong moment, and brain fog has a way of showing up when clarity is most needed.

    I feel this even more with the added demands of being a working mom and hosting a podcast, where I have to be sharp, present and on my toes no matter what else is happening in my day.

    That reality led me to explore an area once dismissed as fringe: frequency-based wellness technologies. For years, energy medicine was viewed as experimental. But as I began to research, I discovered more entrepreneurs and leaders turning to these tools to support resilience and cognitive performance.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Lindsay ONeill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Amanda Breen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Amanda Breen

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  • What I Learned About Growth From Founders Who Started Small | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude.

    For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well.

    Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

    Start by solving authentic problems

    Sara Blakely launched Spanx in 2000 when she was under 30 years old and had $5,000 to her name. But her self-employment journey started with a simple notion: her personal frustration with not finding comfortable, flattering undergarments to wear. Even though her idea, which later turned out to be worth $1 billion, was rejected by multiple manufacturers, her conviction kept her persistent until she finally found someone willing to take a chance on her.

    Her story tells me that entrepreneurs must start with a problem they’re actually familiar with and deeply understand. Authenticity resonates with your core audience; it builds trust from day one. When your product stems from your own experiences and frustrations, you create an immediate connection with your would-be buyers, leading to strong word-of-mouth.

    Turn setbacks into stepping stones

    Calling himself a lousy employee, Mark Cuban admits that keeping a steady job was difficult for him. But Cuban never quit on himself and ultimately founded and sold MicroSolutions for $6 million. What I learn from his example is that setbacks are inevitable — and necessary. What matters is how quickly you bounce back from failure and what lessons you learn from your past mistakes.

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 20% of small businesses shut down in a year or so. But successful solopreneurs treat these setbacks as experiments. When you start treating obstacles as stepping stones, you can easily adapt after failure and launch a working product.

    Launch small and use what you have

    Fubu’s founder, Daymond John, started this fashion brand in the 1990s by sewing hats and shirts in his mother’s living room. He didn’t have big budgets or state-of-the-art facilities. But he relied on grassroots marketing and community support to end up selling $6 billion worth of products by 2024, turning a kitchen-based hustle into a global fashion powerhouse.

    John’s story tells me that a lack of capital shouldn’t hold solopreneurs back. Instead, they should fall back on their skills, their immediate network and whatever resources are available at hand. Grit and creativity often outweigh money. This lesson speaks to me personally, since I built Selzy with a minimal viable product while relying on customer feedback for improvement.

    Related: Building Your Business With Limited Resources? Here’s the Mindset You Need to Succeed.

    Embrace digital-first and lean growth

    Automation, social media and efficient scaling. That’s how anyone can launch on budgets under $10,000. Technology lets small businesses thrive and expand into other markets. You can use email marketing tools to reach out to potential leads and advertise your business. Syed Balkhi’s WPForms is a great example here. Balkhi’s WordPress tutorial blog led to the creation of a $1 billion software company, and he did all that without raising a single dollar of his own.

    That’s how many modern-day solopreneurs are scaling past six figures. Technology allows founders to go global earlier than was possible a decade ago. Smart customer segmentation and personalized communication help them drive more engagement. And with the right tools, even small teams working remotely can achieve impressive growth with fewer resources.

    Turn your mistakes into learning opportunities

    Sophia Amoruso’s example teaches us to fuel our future successes with past failure. When her startup, Nasty Gal, became shaky after turning into a $100-million brand, she simply pivoted and launched another brand, Girlboss, a platform focused on redefining success for a new generation of women.

    Solopreneurs must always be ready to reinvent and adapt to changing consumer demands to position their business for long-term relevancy and success. Accepting that my idea didn’t work helps you thrive in a competitive industry.

    Related: How to Turn Your Mistakes Into Opportunities

    Put all these real-life lessons into action

    Growth is about your vision, resilience and continuous learning — the sign of a solopreneur who is ready to bend to fluctuating market standards and customer expectations. In fact, my experience with digital marketing and AI-powered growth tells me that these principles are universally applicable.

    Starting small isn’t a limitation for future-ready solopreneurs; it’s an opportunity to build strong foundations. It’s not how big you start (some of the world’s biggest brands were started by their founders in garages), but you keep learning and moving forward. I’ve tasted defeat and I’ve met setbacks — I recommend adaptability.

    Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude.

    For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well.

    Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Dmitry Solovyev

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  • I Risked Everything to Build My Company. Four Years Later, Here’s What I’ve Learned About Building Real, Lasting Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When I first moved to the United States, my goal was simple: survive. I had no connections, little understanding of the system, and a burning desire to build something meaningful. At 33, I shared my journey here — how I used grit, education and a bit of luck to launch a real estate tech startup built on transparency.

    Four years later, I’m still standing — but I’ve changed. So has my definition of success.

    Today, I’m the founder and CEO of a growing real estate tech company based in New York City. But how I run my business — and how I live — looks completely different from when I started. I’ve learned that building something sustainable takes more than hustle. It requires alignment, clarity, and the courage to evolve.

    These are the five lessons I wish I’d known sooner. They now form the foundation of how I lead and advise others.

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

    1. Stop chasing the finish line

    Early on, I thought success meant scaling fast, raising capital and staying in the spotlight. But sprinting toward a vague goal is a recipe for burnout.

    Now, I prioritize rhythm over speed. My weeks are structured around deep work, reflection and meaningful conversations. Sustainable growth isn’t linear — it’s iterative. Whether you’re building a business or navigating a career shift, ask yourself: What version of success feels good to live, not just good to post?

    Start your week with a “clarity session.” List your top three priorities — both for your business and your wellbeing. If your calendar doesn’t reflect those, you’re running someone else’s race.

    2. Your business should serve your life — not the other way around

    For a while, my business ran me. Every client issue, notification and small win or loss dictated my emotions. I was reactive, and my personal life paid the price.

    Now, I see my company as a vehicle for the life I want to lead. I’ve built systems that support autonomy, hired people who don’t need micromanaging and created workflows that don’t require 24/7 attention.

    Design your business — or your career — backwards. Start by defining the lifestyle you want, then build your work structure around it. This mindset shift made me a more present human and a better leader.

    3. Real estate is still one of the best paths to wealth — if you play the long game

    My company helps people make honest, informed real estate decisions. I’ve watched many chase trends or try to time the market. But real estate rewards patience and perspective.

    Some of my best investments didn’t look exciting on paper — but they had strong fundamentals. Over time, they became strategic assets, both financially and personally.

    Avoid the hype. Focus on long-term value. Sometimes, doing nothing is the smartest move you can make.

    4. You don’t need to be the loudest person in the room

    In my early years, I believed visibility equaled success. I over-indexed on appearances — networking events, interviews, panels.

    But the most impactful moves in my career came from quiet, focused work behind the scenes. Today, I choose depth over noise. I nurture a few meaningful relationships and let results speak for themselves.

    Build your “trust circle.” Choose five people you admire and invest in those connections. You don’t need a big network. You need a strong one.

    Related: Entrepreneurial Success Comes Down to Having the Right Mindset — Here’s How to Make Sure You Do

    The biggest myth I believed was that success meant arriving. But success is constant movement. It’s reinvention. Pivoting without losing your center.

    I’ve evolved from immigrant to employee, tech lead to CEO, and now founder to educator. I mentor entrepreneurs, speak at universities and write — not just to share what I’ve learned, but to keep growing myself. Each quarter, ask: What version of me am I outgrowing? Let the answer shape your next chapter.

    Looking back, my path hasn’t been straight — and I wouldn’t change a thing. Fulfillment doesn’t come from proving yourself. It comes from building in alignment with who you’re becoming. Whether you’re just starting or starting over, know this: you don’t need to build the biggest company or be the loudest voice to make a lasting impact. You just need to build with intention.

    And most importantly — keep going.

    When I first moved to the United States, my goal was simple: survive. I had no connections, little understanding of the system, and a burning desire to build something meaningful. At 33, I shared my journey here — how I used grit, education and a bit of luck to launch a real estate tech startup built on transparency.

    Four years later, I’m still standing — but I’ve changed. So has my definition of success.

    Today, I’m the founder and CEO of a growing real estate tech company based in New York City. But how I run my business — and how I live — looks completely different from when I started. I’ve learned that building something sustainable takes more than hustle. It requires alignment, clarity, and the courage to evolve.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Rodolfo Delgado

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  • Why I Make Time for Lunch With Someone New Every Day | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

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

    That’s where Lunch with Legends came from.

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

    Related: The 10 Commandments of Networking You Need to Know

    Why meals are the secret weapon

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

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

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

    How it started

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

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

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

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

    That changes everything.

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

    What it looks like in practice

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

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

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

    How to host your own Lunch With Legends

    You don’t need a big title or a fancy budget. You need consistency.

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

    The selfie rule

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

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

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

    Why food works for networking

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

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

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

    It’s your move

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

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

    And yes — selfie required.

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

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

    That’s where Lunch with Legends came from.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Rogers Healy

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  • How to Create a Brand Philosophy Your Whole Team Believes In | Entrepreneur

    How to Create a Brand Philosophy Your Whole Team Believes In | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The day after we finished training our staff for the new Ford’s Garage in Gainesville, Florida, a family appeared at the door. They thought we were open because they saw the team in the dining room. We could have told them to come back when the restaurant opened to the public, but instead, we invited them in, and they had a fantastic dining experience. That was in 2022, and they still come in as frequent guests.

    That’s just a great story of hospitality. It’s one of the “seven commitments” from our brand philosophy that our Gainesville team beautifully brought to life. By living our vision, they created guests for life, which shows the importance of getting your team on board with your brand philosophy.

    A company’s brand philosophy is often called the North Star, after an old-age technique used by early navigators traveling at sea. Like the ancient mariners who first steered their ships by it, you can help your team find their way with a well-thought-out vision that’s communicated to everyone and reinforced every day. It has to be something real, not just a poster on the wall in the break room, and it has to come to life through sharing stories like the Gainesville example.

    Related: If You Want Customers to Be Passionate About Your Brand, Follow These 10 Commandments

    By the numbers

    Our brand’s concept has always been about hospitality and fun. The restaurant was created to evoke a classic American service station, from the Ford Motor Company-inspired logo to the décor and menu; what’s NOT fun about that?

    Our goal was to personalize it for our unique vision, so we updated our brand philosophy to what we call “1-4-7”: one vision to “drive a unique dining experience,” four principles (people, products, performance and package, meaning the vibe and spirit), and seven commitments (integrity, quality, hospitality, excellence, teamwork, community and fun).

    It took a team of 16 from all company levels to develop our new philosophy. After senior leadership gave them the broad strokes of our overall vision, we hired an outside moderator to lead the effort. Every company I’ve worked at has turned to an outside expert for projects like this. You have to because your people will be so close to the brand that they may struggle to see what you’re trying to accomplish.

    The moderator led us through exercises to identify the principles and commitments, starting with a list of 57 and finally narrowing it down to seven. We talked about our identity as a hospitality business as opposed to a service business — and we probably spent three hours just on that.

    Now, in every decision we make, whether regarding building design or marketing imagery, we pull out the guide and ask if the new project measures up. Everything we do is put through the brand philosophy funnel.

    Related: This Is Why It’s So Important to Articulate Your Brand Values

    Taking it to the team

    Coming up with a brand philosophy doesn’t end when you’ve hammered it out and put it in writing. You have to coach your team so they put the ideas to work every day. It’s a constant process. You have to talk about it all the time, work it into team-building exercises, and measure new initiatives against it to make sure you stay aligned.

    No matter what industry you work in, a great way to start each morning is to gather your team together as a group. I’ve seen these occurring while walking into different retailers when the store opens for the day. At our company, we have a daily meeting called the “alley rally,” where we talk about what’s important that day: food specials, tasting menu items, and whatever’s new and notable. We like to tell stories about how someone on the team made one of our principles come to life the day before in their interaction with a guest.

    You should incorporate your brand philosophy into the hiring process, too. Within 30 seconds of talking to a candidate, you should know whether they “get you” and can bring your company vision to life. You look for eye contact and a friendly demeanor in a hospitality business. Do they smile? Do they talk about their family and friends? (We want people willing to share a little of themselves.) If they’re the guest, how do they want the staff to care for them, and can they provide the same caring approach?

    A brand philosophy must be something the whole team can support. It isn’t directed at guests, but if your team is living it, your guests will feel it in the way they’re treated when they walk through your door. You’ll feel it when they come back to get that positive experience again and again.

    Dave Ragosa

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  • 4 Soft Skills You Need to Run a Business | Entrepreneur

    4 Soft Skills You Need to Run a Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Pour through higher-ed or seminar business texts relating to the qualities of an effective leader, and phrases like “analytical prowess,” “restless inventiveness” and “strength of will” tend to creep center stage. In my experience, however, placing too much emphasis on these (to be sure, often admirable) qualities is in error. I’ve found that empathy, compassion and care make a much more significant impact on a company’s success — that practicing such “soft skills” when running my own businesses has allowed me to reach the level of success I occupy today.

    Such skills are broadly defined as ways of relating and collaborating with others, and effective communication and complex task completion relies on their deft application, so practicing them routinely in the workplace is invaluable. According to a study by LinkedIn, “92% of talent professionals say they matter as much or more than hard skills when they hire, and 80% say they’re increasingly important to company success.”

    I couldn’t agree more.

    Not everyone is cut out to be a leader, but an acute understanding of communication, problem-solving and open-mindedness increases any professional’s value. And these capabilities go beyond the workplace, affecting every aspect of life.

    Related: The No. 1 Skill Employers Want Job Applicants to Have Might Be the Hardest to Find, New Research Reveals

    1. Empathy

    This term is defined as the ability to practice awareness of other people’s emotions and attempt to understand their experiences and perspectives. It requires a certain level of maturity but makes a profound difference in a staff’s willingness to engage — fosters a sense of purpose and trust.

    Over the course of my travels around the world, I have both seen and experienced suffering and choosing not to overlook circumstances different from my own —attempting to put myself in someone else’s shoes — has taught me a deep sense of humility. It has also inspired me to start many of the businesses I own today, which would not exist without the ability to see beyond my own limits.

    To embrace empathy, listening is vital, as is not prioritizing your own tasks more than employees’ work. So, commit to making those around you feel heard. (Therapy and business coaching can be great assists in that effort.) Empathy is a skill that must be practiced!

    Related: How To Be An Empathetic Leader (Without Getting Walked All Over)

    2. Compassion

    The desire to take action to help others, compassion differs from empathy in that it’s not just an awareness of others’ perspectives, but an inclination to be of service to them. It is the application of empathy.

    One way I practice it is by allowing employees to bring pets and kids into the workplace — to empathize with situations out of their control (like a babysitter canceling at the last minute). By opening up the workspace to what some might consider the “untraditional,” the goal is to assist to the best of my ability.

    Practicing compassion builds a more inclusive company culture, one that promotes a stronger work ethic by celebrating diversity, and reflecting on your own experiences of hardship and adversity is key. Take the time to evaluate how other people’s compassion towards you made a positive impact, and assess how you can do the same for staff members.

    Related: How to Advocate for — and Implement — a ‘Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day’

    3. Adaptability

    Put simply, this is the ability to approach change with openness and understanding. When I consider the word, it’s often in the context of developing new health and wellness products, and I assume things won’t always go according to plan. I have to try many different takes/recipes to get the right balance, which is also true in many other facets of business, such as hiring and workflow. By entering a venture with a deliberate focus on sensitivity to change and willingness to pivot, achievement becomes markedly more likely.

    Effective adaptation requires patience and calmness, and I’ve found that meditation is profoundly helpful in fostering a positive mindset, but just as important is your perspective on work. Remember that no matter what, you have it good — you are fortunate and have skills to apply. If you truly believe and hold on to that notion, there’s no challenge that can’t be overcome.

    4. Integrity

    This is one of the most critical soft skills to practice when running a business. It’s an untampered dedication to acting on morals and values and requires honesty, fairness and a great deal of introspection. As CEO, you might be placed on a pedestal, so the importance of uncompromised integrity is huge: you must accept your mistakes and look failure in the eye without cheating your values. It’s been my experience that knowledge gained from failure far outweighs easy success at the expense of morals.

    That said, I know the temptation involved when a person is cornered in a position that seems unforgiving, with a staff relying on the company’s success to make a living. That can be daunting. But there is always a choice—a chance to not compromise for monetary gain. At the end of the day, you can forgive yourself for a failure but never for intentional wrongdoing. You’ll need a strong sense of purpose because your ethics will be frequently tested.

    Related: Leading By Example: Why You Must Chart Your Own Course As An Entrepreneur

    Don’t assume soft skills will come easily; they get cultivated over time. Anyone can get a degree, but not everyone can effectively practice empathy, compassion, adaptability and integrity, but they are indispensable to running a business and living a happy and healthy life.

    Dr. Christina Rahm

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  • How Faith Powers This Entrepreneur’s Ability to Persevere and Grow | Entrepreneur

    How Faith Powers This Entrepreneur’s Ability to Persevere and Grow | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Welcome to another episode of Jeff Fenster‘s podcast, where he dives deep into the stories of remarkable individuals who have overcome adversity and achieved great success. For today’s episode, Jeff sat down with Marco Contreras, whose journey from humble beginnings in Mexico to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the US is nothing short of remarkable.

    Embracing the Journey and Giving Back

    Marco’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of embracing the journey towards success. Growing up in Mexico, Marco witnessed his mother’s logistics business and was inspired to follow in her footsteps. He became a customs broker, combining his passion for business with his desire to give back to the community.

    Marco emphasizes the significance of personal development and positive influence in achieving both personal and professional success. He believes that taking care of oneself and continuously growing as an individual is essential to effectively help others. By focusing on self-care and personal success, Marco has been able to make a positive impact on the lives of those around him.

    Related: ‘Say Yes When Others Say No’: The Content CEO Shares His Secret for Success

    Dream Big, Grow, and Learn

    One of the key takeaways from Marco’s journey is the importance of dreaming big and having a growth mindset. He encourages everyone to set ambitious goals and take the first step towards achieving them. Marco believes that success is not just about reaching the destination but also about the growth and learning that happens along the way.

    Marco’s story is a testament to the power of resilience and faith. He faced numerous challenges throughout his journey, but he never let them deter him from pursuing his dreams. Instead, he embraced these obstacles as opportunities for growth and learning.

    Related: A Sudden Tragedy Inspired This Entrepreneur to Develop a Plan That Transformed His Life. Here’s How It Can Help You, Too.

    Perseverance, Positivity, and Overcoming Obstacles

    Marco’s story is a shining example of the value of perseverance and positivity. He believes that a positive mindset is crucial in overcoming obstacles and seizing opportunities. Marco’s unwavering faith in himself and his abilities has been instrumental in his success.

    As we wrap up this episode, let Marco’s journey serve as a reminder that no matter where you come from or what challenges you face, you have the power to create your own success. Embrace the journey, dream big, and never stop growing. Remember, success is not just about reaching the destination, but also about the person you become along the way.

    Related: The Method That This Entrepreneur Used to Transform His Health and His Business

    About The Jeff Fenster Show

    Serial entrepreneur Jeff Fenster embarks on an extraordinary journey every week, delving into the stories of exceptional individuals who have defied the norms and blazed their own trails to achieve extraordinary success.

    Subscribe to The Jeff Fenster Show: Entrepreneur | Apple | Spotify | Google | Pandora

    Jeff Fenster

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  • How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business | Entrepreneur

    How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    A few years ago, my friend Sabah turned her passion for cooking into a chef-on-demand business. She started off serving her local Cleveland area, quickly grew to cover other major Ohio cities and plans to expand even further. She is just one of the many people I know who have turned their passion project into a successful business.

    We all have our passion projects. We do them because they’re fun, or we like the challenge, or they’re our way of doing some good in the world. From time to time, though, our niche interests and hobbies lead us to marketable ideas. For many, that’s as far as it goes; they don’t know how to take the next step.

    Sabah had a shortcut — she’s married to my friend and business partner, who knew not only the next step to take but all the steps after that. If you’re not lucky enough to have a spouse or friend who can help, here’s how to turn your passion project into a successful business.

    Related: Ten Tips To Turn Your Passion Project Into A Business

    Hobbies that make great side hustles

    So you have a niche hobby, and you’re wondering: How can I make some money from this? It’s important to remember that not all hobbies are created equal, financially speaking. And a niche interest that might have driven profits 20 years ago (collecting Beanie Babies, say) could be a financial sinkhole today.

    By keeping a pulse on the zeitgeist, you can anticipate trends and hobbies gaining public interest — and capitalize on those trends. Some, like the following, are side hustle ideas you could start at any time.

    Photography

    Senior portraits, weddings, special events, professional headshots — quality and affordable photography never lacks in demand. With a website highlighting your work, you can book clients and start earning money from your passion.

    Coding

    From bug bounty programs to website design, freelance coding offers major earning opportunities. A background in HTML, Python, Java, C++ or a myriad of other coding languages can be a financial boon.

    Home design

    If you designed your home to belong in an issue of Architectural Digest, others will take notice. Consult on color palettes, furniture selections, room layouts and lighting — and bring your curated aesthetic to the masses with a home design business.

    Video and audio production

    Whether promoting a brand on social media or starting a podcast, freelance producers can bring a marketing campaign to life. Sell yourself with past work, and mention your experience with programs in the Adobe Creative Suite or Pro Tools.

    Gardening

    Your green thumb could put some green in your pocket. The landscaping and gardening industry was valued at more than $250 billion in 2024, according to Mordor Intelligence, and if your own garden is thriving, you can fill a niche in your own (proverbial) backyard.

    Writing

    Can you construct clear and concise copy for a variety of clients? If so, the opportunities are as vast as your vocabulary. Wordsmiths can serve as speechwriters, copywriters, technical writers and ghostwriters, as well as assist with any editing needs.

    Baking

    Your beautiful cakes, cookies and baked goods could be more than delicious treats; they could be a source of income. Many entrepreneurs found success with home baking during the pandemic, and with proper planning and consistent clients, you can join them.

    Vetting if your hobby could be a business

    Before you make any hard commitments or major financial decisions, consider if your niche hobby can earn consistent money. Who is the target client? How much are current practitioners charging? How much money do you have saved? How much do you expect to make?

    It’s crucial to be clear-eyed about expectations before investing your own money into your venture. The following steps can help you assess whether or not to turn your passion project into a side hustle — or even a career.

    Run it by friends

    When we have that eureka moment, it sometimes blinds us to flaws in our logic. To get a quick check, run your idea by a few trusted friends. They might be able to point out roadblocks you didn’t think of or know a way to bring your idea to life. For Sabah, that meant asking other chefs for input. Avoid relying solely on one or two peoples’ opinions, but do gauge your friends’ enthusiasm. After all, close confidantes have your best interests in mind.

    Analyze the market

    Chances are, others have had your idea. Sabah wasn’t the first to think of a chef-on-demand service, but when she analyzed the market, she realized her idea could still work. Market analysis requires thoroughly researching consumer trends and expectations, market size and the demand for your offering.

    To truly excel, you must conduct a thorough analysis of your rivals. Although they might offer a comparable product, your goal is to surpass them. Analyze their customer feedback to identify gaps. When you look hard at similar businesses, you might find opportunities to fill the gaps they’re leaving.

    Network

    Networking with others who have launched their business or product can be invaluable. They’re ahead of you on the journey and can help you avoid costly missteps. If you’re lucky, you might find someone with similar experience and a willingness to mentor you. A good mentor can help you find the path forward when you hit a roadblock. Keep the lines of communication with your network and your mentor open. They know the twists and turns and can save you headaches and expenses.

    Devise a business plan

    Don’t invest significant money into a project before creating a detailed business plan. Prior steps, such as analyzing the market, will help you write this document, and you’ll want to come away with clear financial expectations. Do the math — calculate your startup and overhead costs, insurance, marketing budget, earnings expectations and taxes. This will give you some base-level expectations and a roadmap to funding, if necessary.

    Getting your side business off the ground

    You’ve done your research. You’ve talked to friends and other entrepreneurs. You’ve analyzed the market and built a business plan. Now it’s time to take the first big step: getting your side business off the ground.

    Turning passion into profit takes work. Don’t be discouraged. There may be moments of doubt and anxiety as your business slowly ramps up. Lean on mentors, and consult your business plan. Like Sabah, if you’ve done the proper pre-launch work, you can keep your head down and follow the roadmap. The following steps can position you for success when turning your niche hobby into a business.

    Build an MVP

    In the software development world, a minimum viable product (MVP) is a way to test your idea with a small group of early adopters. It’s essentially an early product version with just a few core features. For Sabah, the MVP was a limited menu with a select set of chefs — and she was one of them. Once she proved her idea would work, she hired more chefs and added more meals to the menu based on the feedback she got from her customers. Early and genuine feedback is the goal of an MVP. After all, it’s easier and less expensive to make changes at the beginning of the development cycle than in the middle of it.

    Related: 5 Tips for Solidifying MVP, and Why It’s the Most Important Aspect of Building a Startup

    Set achievable goals

    Be realistic about your first-year financial expectations. In fact, it’s common for new businesses to lose money in their first year of business as they pay back initial investments and build consistent customer bases. Sabah set goals — both financial and personal — that she could reasonably achieve. But don’t mistake this for easy goals. You should be ambitious but practical when planning to achieve your goals.

    Get help

    Sabah didn’t build her business alone. She knew she needed help building the web applications her fledgling company needed and outsourced that work. Trying to do everything leads to stress, burnout and costly mistakes. It also takes you longer to get to market and could mean competitors beat you to the finish line. Engage freelance help or outsource product development to a team with the knowledge and bandwidth to quickly build a high-quality product.

    Knowing when to get help involves recognizing your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you can build the product but need help with market analysis. Or maybe you need help with building a brand identity and marketing the product. Outsourcing some of the work frees you up to focus on what you’re good at and can take stress off your shoulders.

    Related: Asking For Help Is Good For You and Your Business

    Keep your finger on the pulse

    Markets and trends can shift rapidly, so it’s essential to keep tabs on competitors and monitor your customers’ needs. The last thing you want is a product that’s outdated by the time it launches or a business plan built around last year’s “it” thing. By staying up-to-date on market and cultural trends, you can be ready to shift priorities when the time is right.

    It’s been a joy to watch my friend’s business grow. She’s met challenges with grace and never lets setbacks slow her down. And that, too, is key to turning your passion project into a successful business: believing in your vision enough to stick with it, no matter what.

    Bidhan Baruah

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  • Change Your Attitude Towards AI — And Harness Its Power For Success | Entrepreneur

    Change Your Attitude Towards AI — And Harness Its Power For Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    2023 was a year of major AI disruption. Particularly in the genre of prompt-based content creation, we saw the sporadic boom of unending tools. The public-facing version of Chat GTP reached millions of users within months of its launch.

    However, even with leaping numbers in favor of Gen AI, entrepreneurs are constantly wondering if it’s all hype or if Gen AI truly has the potential to bring long-term business benefits.

    Also, the constantly booming use case of prompt-based AI has brought entrepreneurs to the debate about the ethical use of AI. We must not forget that the foundational nature of AI links its resources to a large amount of unidentified data.

    While this means anyone without tech knowledge can leverage such foundational models of Gen AI, it also means that the process can yield default or less accurate information, leading to even data hazards.

    Related: 6 Positive Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Digital Marketing

    A recent Accenture report says that 76% of C-suite leaders see generative AI as an opportunity for streamlining operations, reducing costs, and business growth. However, nearly 72% of respondents are investing in AI with caution due to concerns about its responsible use.

    Let’s first discuss the primary areas that hinder growth-minded businesses from implementing AI systems:

    1. Strategy: There’s palpable confusion about how AI can transform competitive dynamics and add value to business models. Most C-suite leaders are unsure how to map the financial and non-financial value generated by AI models so that they can generate the best value for their businesses. Also, in most cases, there exist huge complexities regarding the contractual and logistical viability of AI partnerships.
    2. Technology: Most leaders are still unsure which parts of their proprietary data and tech stacks should be made redundant or can be capitalized on more in the future. Leaders also witness massive capabilities and skill gaps with regard to AI system operations.
    3. Compliance: AI governance is rapidly evolving with increasing data threats. This puts leaders in uncertainty about how AI regulations will pan out across jurisdictions in the future.
    4. People: There is an increasing concern within human resources about the future of work as most perceive AI as their replacement. Next-gen leaders are still unsure how to rationalize this change management in their business.
    5. Stakeholders: Business leaders face resistance not just from human resources but also from partner networks. Most C-suite leaders struggle with AI adaptability in their partner networks, which lack tech sophistication in streamlining, securing, and reprocessing data fabrics for AI integration.

    In this article, we will discuss a few ways for business leaders to develop an actionable AI strategy. Let’s get started.

    1. Make amplified human capabilities the key focus

    AI modules are designed to evolve for sure. But they do lack emotional intelligence and moral thinking. When integrating AI into business, as a C-suite leader, you must remember that AI is not a means to replace your human resources but to complement and further augment their operational capabilities.

    There’s also a need to build confidence in your AI systems with some fundamental models. Your goal should be to create impenetrable and actionable yet adaptive AI strategies that align with global compliances and constraints.

    2. Have a designated AI control center

    At the moment, as much as the chasm is about reaping the benefits of Gen AI, more and more business leaders are concerned about AI hazards. Built with human-like tech intelligence, Gen AI can spiral out of hand without definite control.

    Also, you must align your AI strategies with a long-term business vision to reap maximum benefits. When integrating AI, you cannot centralize your business’s technical capabilities. Instead, you must have a leader with strong digital transformation capabilities and adept knowledge of AI risk and governance to design ROI metrics, establish business-wide best practices, align your strategies with financial goals, reduce risks, and, most importantly, capitalize on value from AI investments.

    3. Consider AI as a model to transform from ground zero

    We are at this very crucial crux of tech evolution, where tech investments can no longer be about transforming only specific business functions. And with AI, the need is more about reimagining entire business processes.

    Until now, you must have wondered, “How can AI make my business process efficient?” Now it’s time to consider, “How can AI help me innovate my business process further?”

    You must aim to drive the maximum impact of AI systems right from ground zero but with strict governance.

    Related: I Tested AI Tools So You Don’t Have To. Here’s What Worked — and What Didn’t.

    4. Take a look at gaps – both talent and technology

    Redundant tech architecture and skill gaps of resources are the biggest constraints of the AI growth strategy. To leverage the optimum value of AI, you need to take a closer look at restrictive data structures and outdated tech systems first.

    As a leader, you must restructure data fabrics, computational powers, and architectural capabilities to integrate AI into your enterprise systems. You also need to cleanse, secure, and process your proprietary data for seamless AI adoption.

    Also, you need to realize one critical aspect of AI expectations: It can’t improve work if your human resources are redundant and restricted to acceptance and adoption. Upskilling your employees to elevate them into AI and data-enabled roles is a crucial need of the era.

    Takeaway

    The uncertainties around AI integration are real. However, that shouldn’t stop you from reaping its proven potential. AI disruption is the order of the era, and as a business leader, you can evade its drawbacks with a monitored and practical AI strategy.

    Think about the post-Covid era, where high-growth businesses faded away because they refused to move with the much-needed tech disruptions. The tech world has surely moved towards more sustainable practices now, but as a fast-moving business, you cannot let go of a disruptive model that’s bound to be the hero of tomorrow.

    So, proceed with caution, take stock of your AI investment, but don’t hesitate to innovate with Gen AI.

    Divyesh Patel

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  • How to Be an Better Communicator in 7 Steps | Entrepreneur

    How to Be an Better Communicator in 7 Steps | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Back in the late 1980s, when I was in the early stages of establishing my advertising agency, an invitation came my way to speak at a Chamber of Commerce event in Upstate New York. I turned it down. At that moment, the idea of declining might have seemed counterintuitive, especially given my aspirations to grow my business.

    The reason? I was afraid. Fear held me back from seizing an opportunity that could have propelled my agency forward. Not long after that failed opportunity, a pivotal moment arrived during a staff meeting. A few days after the meeting, my Art Director approached me with feedback that was both unsettling and enlightening. He said that everyone had been confused about a particular topic I had discussed, yet no one felt comfortable confronting me about it.

    This incident served as a wake-up call, prompting me to confront my fears and recognize the crucial role effective communication plays in business success. It was clear that if I intended to thrive as a businessperson, especially in a leadership role, mastering the art of public speaking was not just an option — it was a necessity.

    Fast forward to today, forty years later. I started and ran a very successful advertising agency for nearly twenty years. I have been speaking and training globally for over twenty years. I can say with 100% certainty that focusing on better presentation skills after that feedback from my employee was the most important career decision I’ve ever made.

    Related: The Complete, 20-Step Guide to Ace Public Speaking

    You don’t have to be a professional speaker to speak like a professional

    Throughout my career, I’ve had the distinct privilege of coaching aspiring professional speakers as well as numerous executives, guiding them toward becoming not just better communicators but compelling presenters. Whether it’s delivering a critical pitch to board members, leading a staff meeting, or captivating an audience at industry conferences, the power to communicate with both passion and precision is paramount. And by precision, I mean far more than just covering bullet points. It’s about hitting those crucial, emotionally charged points that truly connect with your audience.

    Related: What is a Keynote Speaker and Why Are They Important?

    Improving presentation skills is an ongoing process that can significantly enhance a leader’s effectiveness and ability to achieve organizational objectives. Here are seven steps to becoming a better presenter and a more effective communicator.

    1. Understand your audience: Begin by researching and understanding your audience. What are their interests, challenges, and expectations? Tailoring your message to the audience’s needs and perspectives increases engagement and impact.
    2. Master your content: Know your material inside and out. This doesn’t mean memorizing your presentation word for word but being comfortable with the content so you can adapt on the fly, answer questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue.
    3. Practice relentlessly: If possible, practice your presentation multiple times in various settings. This can include practicing in front of a mirror, with a trusted friend or colleague, or recording yourself to review your performance. The goal is to become comfortable with your delivery and refine your pacing, tone, and body language.
    4. Engage with storytelling: Incorporate storytelling into your presentations. Stories are powerful tools for making complex information understandable and memorable. Use personal anecdotes or hypothetical scenarios that resonate with your audience’s experiences.
    5. Hone your nonverbal communication: Pay attention to your body language, eye contact, and use of space. Nonverbal cues can reinforce your message or, if not managed well, distract from it. Ensure your posture is confident, your gestures are purposeful, and you maintain eye contact with your audience to build a connection.
    6. Manage nervous energy: Learn techniques to manage anxiety and nervous energy. This can include deep breathing exercises, positive visualization, or a pre-presentation routine that helps you center yourself. Recognize that some nervousness is natural and can be channeled into dynamic energy that enhances your presentation.
    7. Seek feedback and continuously improve: After each presentation, seek constructive feedback from peers, mentors, or audience members. Reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. Consider working with a coach or joining organizations like Toastmasters International to gain insights and practice in a supportive environment.

    By following these steps and committing to continuous improvement, you’ll become a better speaker or presenter and a more effective communicator, capable of inspiring and leading others with confidence and clarity.

    Related: 10 Public Speaking Hacks I Learned From My TED Talk

    Remember, effective public speaking is essential in leadership — it’s not just a skill. It’s a necessity. Now, let’s delve into the key benefits of mastering presentation skills for any leader.

    1. Influence and persuasion: Effective presentation skills enable leaders to influence their audience’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Persuasive presentations can motivate teams, sway stakeholders, and drive organizational change. A leader who is a compelling presenter can better advocate for their vision, inspire action and garner support for initiatives.
    2. Clarity and direction: Leaders often need to communicate complex information, strategies, and visions to a diverse audience. Being a better presenter helps ensure that messages are delivered clearly and concisely, reducing misunderstandings and aligning the team with organizational goals. Clear presentations help demystify complex issues and provide a roadmap for what needs to be done.
    3. Credibility and trust: Presentation skills are directly tied to a leader’s credibility. Leaders who present confidently and effectively are more likely to be perceived as knowledgeable and competent. This perception builds trust within the team and among stakeholders, which is essential for effective leadership and collaboration.
    4. Engagement and inspiration: Dynamic presentation skills help leaders engage their audience emotionally and intellectually. By being a better presenter, a leader can connect with their audience on a personal level, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. This engagement is crucial for inspiring teams and driving them to embrace challenges and achieve goals.
    5. Adaptability and impact: Leaders must be able to tailor presentations to different audiences and situations. Effective presenters can adjust their message, tone, and delivery to suit the situation, whether they’re motivating a team, pitching to investors, or speaking at a large conference. This adaptability maximizes the impact of their communication, ensuring that their messages resonate broadly and drive desired outcomes.

    In conclusion, becoming an exceptional presenter is a personal and professional evolution, marking a leader’s commitment to excellence and influence. It’s a path that amplifies a leader’s effectiveness and elevates the entire organization. For leaders aiming to leave a lasting imprint on their teams, stakeholders, and industry, refining presentation skills is not just a strategy — it’s a mission. As we’ve seen, the benefits are clear, transformative, and within reach for those ready to embrace the challenge and harness the power of truly impactful communication.

    Scott Deming

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