Why This Market Dip Is Your Chance to Accelerate Product Velocity, Win Customers and Own the Next Cycle

Crypto volumes have plunged from a post-Trump election surge of $126 billion to a mere $35 billion. Tech stocks remain sluggish compared to their former highs, even as the dollar hits a decade low. Venture capital feels like it’s collectively holding its breath, with top Silicon Valley firms pivoting their business models. This isn’t a collapse — far from it. It’s a rare, fragile pause. A “wait and see” moment of equilibrium that, like all market pauses, likely won’t last.

Behind the headlines, a far bigger story is unfolding. The United States and China have quietly reopened high-level trade talks aimed at easing the tensions that have defined the past five years of decoupling and protectionism. According to Bloomberg, these negotiations are among the most serious since Trump-era tariffs began reshaping global supply chains. At the same time, China is reportedly loosening capital controls and courting global investors again, which suggests Beijing views the current economic stall as too risky to endure.

If these talks produce breakthroughs — whether tariff rollbacks, a tech export détente or coordinated policy resets — investors can expect a market reaction not seen since early 2021. In short, this stillness may be the calm before the next global bull run. When capital floods back into high-growth sectors, it will do so suddenly and violently.

Founders should see this moment for what it is: a gift. The quiet between cycles is the rarest and most valuable time to build. Attention is cheap. Competition is minimal. Customers are more accessible. And though investors seem quiet, they’re watching closely for the teams that stayed focused while others lost steam.

Related: Today’s Biggest Companies Are Acting Like VCs. Here’s Why Startup Founders Need to Pay Attention.

For startup founders, the single most important mandate now is to increase velocity. This doesn’t mean grinding longer hours or chasing a vague idea of “hustle.” It means removing friction from your product cycle and delivering tangible features or updates to users every week. If your roadmap is quarterly, break it down into weekly shippable blocks. Tools like Linear and Notion help teams stay aligned without heavy process overhead. For UI or user-facing experiments, Figma remains one of the fastest ways to move from idea to prototype without slowing development. Founders must get hands-on with their products and focus on delivering value to power users.

Equally critical is user proximity. It’s easy to skip customer conversations when fundraising is tough and feature velocity slows, but that’s exactly when listening matters most. Even five brief conversations can reshape your roadmap. Ask simple questions: What frustrates power users right now? What features did they stop using, and why? This feedback doesn’t live in dashboards or pitch decks — it lives in the space between what users say and what they wish existed.

Another key use of this pause is building owned distribution. Paid channels are overpriced during market stagnation, and unless you’ve raised a mega-round, you can’t outbid incumbents. Instead, focus on organic reach and audience trust. Use content marketing tools like Substack or Beehiiv to grow an email list that’s immune to algorithm shifts. Invest time in SEO and keyword ranking. Record short product explainers or vision videos with Loom or Descript — not to “go viral,” but to humanize your build process and deepen audience trust through transparency. When markets heat up, people will remember the builders who kept showing up in the quiet— and say, “I’ve got the alpha on a hot project that’s about to pop.”

Macro signals are aligning. Long-term bond yields are starting to wobble, suggesting markets expect increased government stimulus or monetary easing. Chinese capital markets are showing signs of foreign inflows again, especially in ETF activity across Hong Kong and Singapore. Central bank rhetoric is shifting — from “containment” to “cooperation.” Once that shift becomes public and coordinated, markets will snap back, starting with high-risk, high-reward sectors like crypto, AI infrastructure, e-commerce and frontier B2B tooling.

Here’s the truth most won’t say: you won’t have time to prepare when that happens. The winners of the next cycle won’t be those who waited patiently for conditions to improve. They’ll be the founders who treated this silence like a sprint, not an intermission. Then boom! Silicon Valley’s legendary VC, Tim Draper, wrote a social media post saying, “Slack transforms communication, Microsoft responds with Teams. Tesla enters the market, and suddenly every automaker rediscovers innovation. Progress happens in bursts of energy.”

Related: 6 Hidden Costs of Scaling Your Business Too Quickly

Being first to market matters. That means launching scrappy MVPs before they’re perfect. Writing landing pages before the product is done. Building waitlists and generating buzz, even if customer acquisition costs aren’t optimized. This isn’t the time for polish; it’s the time for presence. Investors remember who shipped, who listened and who made noise without needing a bull market to do it for them.

This moment in the cycle doesn’t feel urgent, but it is. The silence is a setup. The only founders who survive the surge will be those building now, shipping weekly, while the world isn’t watching.

Ship faster. Build deeper. Talk to your loyal users. Grow your content channels. Engage.

Because when capital returns, it won’t send a save-the-date.

It will kick the door down. And everything you’ve built in this quiet stretch will either stand or be swept away when the big players come in.

Manage Clients, Projects, and Sales Without Leaving Your Dashboard

Businesses and agencies juggle a lot — client websites, marketing campaigns, invoices, appointments, and the occasional fire drill. Sellful’s ERP Agency Plan aims to simplify all of that by putting every essential tool into one place. It’s a fully white-label enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform that covers everything from building websites to managing client communication, automating workflows, tracking sales, and beyond. Through July 20, you can score a lifetime subscription to Sellful on sale for $349.97.

Instead of stitching together separate platforms, you can use Sellful to keep all your useful tools right in front of you in one convenient place.

Some key highlights include:

• AI-generated site creation, automated email and SMS marketing, social media scheduling, CRM tools, invoicing, and appointment booking
• 10 white-labeled sub-accounts with unlimited contacts, pages, blog posts, users, and products per site
• Built-in point of sale support, inventory syncing across physical stores, and compatibility with more than 20 payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Square (with no extra fees from Sellful!)
• HR tools, payroll, time clocks, accounting, and team chat
• AI chatbot, affiliate management, community building tools, and access to marketing courses and guides
• Custom mobile app, setup wizard builder, and more than 5,000 third-party integrations

For agencies that want to deliver more to clients without bouncing between platforms, this lifetime Sellful plan offers a seriously flexible way to do it all from one dashboard — on sale for $349.97 (reg. $1,497) until July 20 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

Sellful – White Label Website Builder & Software: ERP Agency Plan (Lifetime)

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

This $50 Lifetime Travel Hack Is Made for Remote Workers

Twenty-two percent of entrepreneurs prefer to choose when and where they work, according to data from popular accounting service FreshBooks. Of course, even people who work primarily in one location will sometimes travel for business or leisure. Fortunately, new users can save up to 60% on global flights and hotels, even after they’ve been booked, with a lifetime subscription to OneAir Elite. Better yet, it’s currently available to new users for its lowest price ever at $49.97 with promo code TRAVEL.

This AI-powered platform scans and tracks millions of flight and hotel prices to top global destinations from your home airport. Members receive instant mobile and email alerts as soon as the prices drop. Best of all, OneAir’s Smart Hotel Price Monitoring also tracks your existing hotel reservations and will automatically rebook at a lower rate if the price drops, then refund the difference. No effort or stress on your part, only guaranteed savings.

OneAir also has Smart Flight Fare Monitoring, which works in a similar fashion. Your ticketed airfares are also tracked continuously. If a significantly lower fare is found, OneAir calculates what your savings would be after change or cancellation fees, then guides you through the process of re-ticketing that flight at the lower price.

The company’s goal is to revolutionize the hotel and flight industry so that travelers will always pay the lowest prices available for flight and hotel reservations. It has contracts with almost every major hotel supplier, as well as multiple airline wholesalers and consolidators. This allows OneAir to offer wholesale prices to members that are not published to the general public.

You can save up to 60% on exclusive deals on more than two million hotels and resorts. You’ll also have exclusive access to airfares from over 700 top airlines that aren’t available on public travel platforms or even the airline websites. OneAir prices are always all-inclusive, with no hidden fees.

OneAir also offers real-time flight deal alerts so you can have instant notifications when deals on all flight classes become available from your selected airport. You can even earn up to 10% in cash awards on many flights, insurance and hotels that you can use on future bookings.

Get a lifetime subscription to OneAir Elite to save money on your existing hotel and flight bookings while it’s at its lowest price ever for only $49.97 when you enter coupon code TRAVEL at checkout.

StackSocial prices subject to change

How Mastering Your Nervous System Boosts Leadership Presence and Performance

Today’s leadership challenges go beyond strategy — they’re deeply personal.

• 42% of U.S. workers report feeling burned out.
• 68% of employees and 81% of C-suite leaders say improving their well-being is more important than advancing their career.
• Two out of three employees face work-related mental health struggles.

In this environment, traditional leadership focused only on metrics and outcomes falls short. What leaders really need is a transformational shift — one that starts not with new tools or tactics, but with a new relationship to themselves.

True high performance starts with inner alignment

If you’re constantly stressed, reactive or disconnected, no strategy or plan will fill the gap. High performance isn’t about doing more — it’s about clearing what blocks you. The real question is: How do you become the kind of leader whose presence alone sparks calm, trust and collaboration?

Moving from reactive to responsive leadership requires more than knowledge — it demands embodied practice. And surprisingly, ancient yogic wisdom offers a modern answer.

Related: Why Aligning Your Values and Virtues Leads to Entrepreneurial Success

Regulate your state — elevate your leadership

Our nervous systems weren’t built for today’s nonstop pace and digital overload. Most of us live stuck in sympathetic “fight, flight or freeze” mode. Chronic stress dulls clarity, creativity and connection.

But the parasympathetic system — our natural rest-and-digest state — is where healing, empathy and true presence arise. Most don’t realize we can train ourselves to access this state intentionally — through breathwork, yoga nidra and embodied awareness.

When leaders master their nervous system regulation, they stop reacting from stress and start responding from inner calm. They unlock their most resourceful, compassionate selves — even under pressure.

From reactivity to presence

Many reactions today come from emotional “coverage” — stored past experiences that trigger us in the present.

The result? We lash out, shut down or misread simple questions as threats. Reactivity replaces real communication. But there’s another way.

By learning to observe without automatically reacting, you create space. You become a witness, not a reactor. From this calm presence, collaboration deepens, creativity flows, and engagement happens by choice, not habit.

Beyond mindfulness — integration that transforms

Mindfulness is just the start. Yogic leadership teaches integration — uniting body, mind, heart, and energy. It helps you move beyond thinking into pure being.

This inner coherence fuels authentic leadership presence. It lets you connect deeply with others without losing yourself.

Meet the Inner Switch™ Leader

The Inner Switch™ method offers a clear, step-by-step path to becoming integrated, embodied and truly present. It unlocks your relaxed, focused, vital energy that’s already inside.

An Inner Switch™ leader:

• Responds with calm, not fear
• Communicates clearly and joyfully
• Inspires trust through presence, not pressure
• Builds sustainable, high-performing teams

Because their inner world is aligned, their leadership shines on the outside.

Related: Stop Searching for Your Purpose — It’s Delaying Your Success. Here’s What to Focus on Instead.

Why this matters today

Connection is the foundation of business success. But you can’t connect with others if you’re disconnected from yourself. The good news? Change starts where you have control — within.

Shifting from reactivity to presence not only upgrades your leadership, it transforms your entire culture. You become the leader others want to follow — safely and enthusiastically.

The future of leadership starts within

Tomorrow’s most influential leaders won’t be those who push harder. They’ll be those who master stillness, clarity, and connection, balancing results with presence.

I’ve seen this transformation firsthand in senior executives who embrace the Inner Switch™ method. The results are real: stronger teams, healthier cultures, and better business outcomes.

The path forward isn’t about doing more — it’s about integrating more. And it begins with you.

Susan S. Freeman, MBA, PCC, is the author of Inner Switch: Ancient Wisdom Transforms Modern Leaders (Entrepreneur Press), winner of two national book awards. She was a featured speaker at the High Performance Leader Summit starting May 19: https://bit.ly/hpfs-susan-freeman

How I Went From Side Hustle to 7 Figures Using These 4 AI Tools (No Tech Skills Needed)

Most entrepreneurs are playing small with AI — cranking out blog posts, writing emails and hoping it moves the needle. But that’s not where the real leverage is.

The entrepreneurs scaling to seven figures? They’re using AI to run their entire business on autopilot — automating sales, marketing and operations 24/7 without hiring a single employee.

Inside this video, I’ll reveal the four AI agents that can transform your business:

• The Revenue Agent: Automate lead qualification, book calls and handle follow-ups — it’s like having a full-time sales team working around the clock.
• The Executive Agent: Eliminate inbox clutter and calendar chaos. This AI assistant manages your emails, schedules, travel plans and admin tasks — giving you hours back every week.
• The SOP Agent: Record your workflows and turn them into step-by-step guides — automating onboarding and training without lifting a finger.
• The Marketing Pulse Agent: Predict your campaign results before you hit send, audit your content and unlock data-driven insights — this agent alone tripled my sales in 14 days.

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or scaling a lean team, these four agents can cut costs, skyrocket productivity and help you grow faster — all without the stress of hiring.

The AI Success Kit is available to download for free, along with a chapter from my new book, The Wolf is at The Door.

Why Waiting for Monthly Financial Reports Is Creating Blind Spots and Slowing Your Growth

We live in a time when numbers hit our inboxes faster than we can process them — forecasts, cash flow snapshots, margin breakdowns. But real leadership doesn’t happen in spreadsheets. It plays out in moments where you have to weigh risk, seize opportunity, and move — often with imperfect information.

That’s why financial intuition matters more than ever.

What does it mean to lead financially?

Financial intuition isn’t just about knowing the numbers. It’s the ability to connect the dots between what’s happening in your business and what those numbers are about to reveal. It’s the sense that something’s shifting — before the report confirms it.

This isn’t about gut instinct. It’s pattern recognition. And it’s built through experience, strategic questioning and curiosity.

You don’t need a finance degree to lead this way. But you do need a deeper relationship with the numbers — one that goes beyond interpretation and into anticipation.

Why it matters now

Markets are moving faster. AI, automation and real-time reporting have sped up how businesses operate. CEOs can no longer afford to wait for quarterly reviews to pivot or respond. By the time your spreadsheet confirms what your instincts suspected, your competitors may have already taken action.

The challenge today isn’t a lack of data — it’s knowing which data matters and when to act on it.

Leaders who operate with financial intuition don’t just read reports. They anticipate momentum. They don’t just measure metrics — they shape outcomes.

Related: 7 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Sharpen Their Leadership Skills and Drive Business Growth

From metrics to meaning

Too many leadership teams spend hours in meetings debating lagging indicators: what happened last quarter, what was spent last month. These numbers are useful, but they’re rearview mirrors.

What drives high-performance teams is a shift toward forward-looking insight. Leaders with strong financial intuition ask different questions:

• “What does this margin shift signal about our pricing?”
• “Is our cost increase a one-time event, or a trend?”
• “Are we investing in tomorrow — or just maintaining today?”

These questions move the team beyond static analysis into strategic foresight. That’s how intuitive leaders transform financials from a report into a roadmap.

Translate numbers into stories

Don’t just ask for the numbers — ask for the narrative.

What’s improving, what’s slipping and why? A 2% change in margin doesn’t matter much on its own — but understanding what’s driving it might reveal a broader trend, one that requires immediate action.

By linking data to context, financial discussions become more meaningful. They stop being report reviews and start becoming strategy sessions.

Connect financials to strategy

Every financial conversation should point back to the bigger picture. That’s how leadership builds clarity and alignment.

Ask:

• Is this expense aligned with our growth goals?
• Are we under-investing in the areas that generate the most momentum?
• What does this cash position mean for our hiring roadmap?

When financial thinking is embedded in decision-making — not siloed in the finance department — it gives leaders a clearer lens for risk, timing and opportunity.

Related: 5 Entrepreneurial Mindset Principles That Empower Financial Literacy

Focus on core indicators

Not all data is created equal. Many leaders try to track too many metrics and end up reacting to noise. Instead, build financial intuition around a few core indicators that reflect direction — early signs of velocity, margin health or customer engagement.

Think of these signals like a dashboard. You don’t need every detail — you need to see where you’re headed.

Listen to your frontline

One of the most overlooked sources of financial insight? Your own team.

Frontline managers often spot trends — operational inefficiencies, customer churn, supplier changes — before they ever show up in a report. Give them the context to understand the financial implications and the invitation to speak up.

When your people know how to connect what they’re seeing to what it means financially, your organization becomes more proactive, less reactive.

Don’t outsource — engage

Too many CEOs treat finance like a back-office function. But the most effective leaders use finance as a strategic tool.

A great CFO doesn’t just deliver the numbers — they help interpret them, explore scenarios and make smart bets. Whether you have a full finance team or a part-time advisor, treat finance like a thought partner, not a checklist.

You don’t have to be a spreadsheet expert. But you do need to engage in the meaning behind the numbers — and ask the right questions.

Make it part of the culture

Intuitive leadership is contagious. When the CEO frames decisions in terms of risk, return, and timing, the entire leadership team starts doing the same.

You’ll hear new kinds of conversations:

• “If we stretch on this investment, what’s our cash cushion?”
• “If this client churns, how does it impact our margin goal?”
• “What’s the ROI if we reallocate resources toward retention?”

That cultural shift leads to better decisions. Teams align faster. Finance becomes a shared language, not a report you check at the end of the month.

The shift that changes everything

Over the years, I’ve worked with founders and executives who didn’t just want to keep the lights on — they wanted to build something transformational. The ones who made that leap stopped treating finance as a gatekeeper. They made it a core part of how they lead.

One CEO told me, “I used to feel like I was waiting for permission from the numbers. Now I’m ahead of them.”

That’s the power of financial intuition.

And it starts by moving past the report, into the story the numbers are trying to tell.

Here Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs with the Lowest Risk of Being Replaced By AI: ‘Safest Jobs Right Now’

Is AI coming for your job?

Goldman Sachs predicted in a 2023 report that AI could replace 300 million full-time jobs. McKinsey wrote in the same year that 375 million workers may be displaced by AI by 2030.

As workers increasingly face the threat of automation, researchers at the career resources platform Resume Genius looked at the top professions with the lowest risk of being replaced by AI. In a new report released Thursday, the researchers found 10 roles that met the criteria: high pay (at least $49,500), high job growth (above 10% for 2023 to 2033), and a low automation risk (below 50%).

The researchers evaluated various professions using pay data and projected job growth rates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They also assessed automation risk using a probability calculator.

Related: ‘Fully Replacing People’: A Tech Investor Says These Two Professions Should Be the Most Wary of AI Taking Their Jobs

All of the careers that met the challenge are in the healthcare and applied science industries.

“AI can write code and crunch numbers, but it can’t comfort a patient or make a call in a crisis,” said Resume Genius lead career expert Eva Chan. “The safest jobs right now are the most human ones. The fastest-growing work today depends on care, judgment, and presence, which are all things AI still can’t do.”

The median annual salaries for these jobs range from $62,580 to $149,910.

Related: Amazon CEO Tells Employees AI Will Replace Their Jobs in the ‘Next Few Years’

AI industry experts have been sounding the alarm about AI replacing jobs for months. Geoffrey Hinton, called the “Godfather of AI” for his pioneering AI research, stated in an interview last month that “AI is just going to replace everybody” in white-collar jobs. The Nobel Prize winner said on an episode of the podcast “Diary of a CEO” that “a person and an AI assistant” would be able to replace the jobs that “10 people did previously.”

Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in May that within the next five years, AI could cause unemployment to rise 20% as the technology wipes out half of all entry-level, white-collar jobs.

To avoid the impending job cuts, here are 10 AI-proof jobs, according to Resume Genius.

1. Computer and information research scientist

Median salary: $149,910

Estimated job growth: 26%

AI job takeover risk: 31%

2. Physician assistant

Median salary: $133,260

Estimated job growth: 28%

AI job takeover risk: 0%

3. Nurse practitioner

Median salary: $132,050

Estimated job growth: 40%

AI job takeover risk: 0%

4. Veterinarian

Median salary: $125,510

Estimated job growth: 19%

AI job takeover risk: 7%

5. Medical and health services manager

Median salary: $117,960

Estimated job growth: 29%

AI job takeover risk: 16%

6. Speech-language pathologist

Median salary: $95,410

Estimated job growth: 18%

AI job takeover risk: 9%

7. Operations research analyst

Median salary: $91,290

Estimated job growth: 23%

AI job takeover risk: 42%

8. Epidemiologist

Median salary: $83,980

Estimated job growth: 19%

AI job takeover risk: 7%

9. Logistician

Median salary: $80,880

Estimated job growth: 19%

AI job takeover risk: 38%

10. Wind turbine technician

Median salary: $62,580

Estimated job growth: 60%

AI job takeover risk: 39%

For the full report, click here.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Is Now as Wealthy as Warren Buffett. Here’s How.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, 62, has reached the same amount of wealth as Warren Buffett.

Huang and Buffett have been ping-ponging back and forth for the No. 9 and No. 10 richest people spots with around $143 billion to $144 billion in wealth each, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.

Related: Nvidia Pulls Ahead of Apple and Microsoft to Become the World’s First $4 Trillion Public Company

Huang, who has been selling Nvidia stock as part of pre-arranged agreements, has gained $28.7 billion in wealth this year alone, per the Index. He unloaded $36.4 million worth of stock on July 8, per an SEC filing.

Earlier this week, Nvidia became the world’s first-ever $4 trillion company, flying past Microsoft and Apple. Huang has sold more than $1.9 billion in Nvidia shares to date, per Bloomberg.

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has been leading it ever since. He owned about 3.5% of the AI chipmaker as of March.

CNBC reports that Huang still has more than 858 million shares of Nvidia in various trusts and partnerships.

Related: ‘Decade of Autonomous Vehicles’: Nvidia CEO Predicts Major Growth in Robotics, Self-Driving Cars

A Bunch of Billionaires Are at ‘Summer Camp’ in Sun Valley, Idaho. Here Are the Business and Tech Leaders Attending.

The billionaires are back together, this time in Sun Valley, Idaho, for the annual Allen & Co. conference of tech and media executives. The week-long event brings some of the most powerful figures in business to the Sun Valley Resort.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who just held another billionaire gathering for their multi-day wedding event in Venice, Italy, have been spotted at the invite-only event this year. Other attendees include Ivanka Trump, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (whose $410 sunglasses have been a major topic of conversation).

Related: Billionaire Traveling the East Coast With Two Megayachts, But One Just Carries the Toys

Business Insider notes that sunglasses are a hot accessory at the conference this year, with Ray-Bans donning the mugs of Disney CEO Bob Iger and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

Also in attendance are Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone and Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC owner John Henry.

Talks are expected with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IAC Chairman Barry Diller, per CNBC.

Here are photos from Sun Valley:

^{John Elkann, chief executive officer of Exor NV, rides a bicycle to the morning session during the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, US, on Friday, July 11, 2025. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)}

^{Marne Levine, former chief business officer at Meta Platforms Inc., left, Phil Deutch, managing partner at Energy Technology Partners, center, and Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer of Meta Platforms Inc., walk to the morning session during the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, US, on Friday, July 11, 2025. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)}

^{Luis von Ahn, co-founder of Duolingo, walks to a morning session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 10, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)}

^{Anne Wojcicki, former president and chief executive officer of 23andMe Inc., walks to the morning session during the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, US, on Friday, July 11, 2025. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)}

People Hate These 10 Phrases Common in Job Posts — And Each Generation Has Its Own Lexical Dealbreaker

Nowadays, it takes people about six months on average to find a job, and applicants seeking high-paying white-collar roles, which saw a post-pandemic boom and subsequent contraction, often find the hunt particularly difficult, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Despite the fact that most job applicants who’ve submitted countless resumes and undergone multi-round interviews are eager to land a position and quit the search, many of them aren’t willing to settle for an opportunity that doesn’t seem like the right fit.

Of course, a job post is often a candidate’s first introduction to their next potential role, and as it turns out, the language hiring managers choose to include in it dissuades some people from applying altogether.

Related: Don’t Expect to Get a New Job in 2025 If You Lack These 2 Skill Sets, New Report Reveals

A new study from Adobe Acrobat explores the job listing “red flag” phrases that deter applicants — and how the biggest turnoffs vary across generations.

According to the report, which compiled responses from 1,060 individuals, including 807 job-seekers and 253 hiring decision-makers, two unpopular phrases tied for first place, with 33% admitting that they’d make them reconsider a role: “customer-obsessed” and “wear many hats.”

“Rockstar” (32%), “high sense of urgency” (29%) and “fast-paced environment” (25%) rounded out the rest of the top five phrases that turn off job-seekers, per the data.

Related: Want a Job That Pays Enough for a Comfortable Lifestyle? You’ll Have the Best Shot in This U.S. City — and the Worst in 4 Others.

The survey revealed the rest of the list as follows:

6. “High energy” (24%)

7. “Works well with ambiguity” (21%)

8. “Family” (20%)

9. “Entrepreneurial spirit” (18%)

10. “No task too small” (16%)

“Wearing many hats” is most likely to alarm Gen Z and Millennial respondents (38%), while “rockstar” particularly concerns Gen X and Baby Boomer respondents (37%).

Millennial and Gen Z applicants also have a different perspective on job listings that highlight a “fast-paced environment,” per the research: Millennials are 29% more likely than Gen Z to consider those words a dealbreaker.

Related: Are You Making This Common Career Mistake Right Now? Most People Will Say ‘Yes’ — and the Consequences Can Be Major.

Although many hiring managers continue to lean on some of the most disliked phrases (one in seven still include “customer-obsessed”), the report notes that “swapping out clichés for straightforward descriptions not only sets better expectations but also lets a listing stand out for the right reasons.”

Want a Reputation People Trust? Start With These 4 Simple Habits

Your business reputation is more than a feel-good factor — it’s a strategic asset that can propel or derail your growth. One misstep, like a scathing review or a breach of trust, can erode customer confidence, weaken your search engine rankings and stifle referrals.

Conversely, a reputation rooted in integrity can attract loyal clients, inspire your team and fuel organic expansion. As a business owner, actively shaping a trustworthy reputation isn’t just wise — it’s essential for long term success. Here’s how to build a reputation that opens doors and creates opportunities.

Related: The One Mistake Is Putting Your Brand Reputation at Risk — and Most Startups Still Make It

Anchor your business with core values

A strong reputation starts with values that guide every decision. At my digital marketing agency, our commitment to integrity shapes how we operate, even when it demands tough choices. For instance, we once ended a contract with a high-paying client who consistently disrespected our team, violating our principle of fostering a positive workplace. The financial hit was significant, but the decision strengthened team trust and reinforced our culture. By defining clear values — such as respect, honesty or excellence — and consistently upholding them, you signal to clients and employees that your business stands for something enduring, laying the foundation for a respected reputation.

Rise above challenges with integrity

Encounters with dishonesty, like a client dodging payment or a partner undermining your business, test your commitment to integrity. Early in my career, I connected a client with a contact who later took their business without acknowledgment. Instead of reacting with anger, I chose to move forward, trusting that new opportunities would emerge. This approach, rooted in an abundance mindset, preserves your professionalism and safeguards your reputation. When faced with betrayal or conflict, prioritize your values over short-term wins. By taking the high road, you earn respect from peers and clients, enhancing your standing as a principled leader.

Related: How to Better Manage Your Brand’s Reputation in the Digital Age

Harness the power of referrals

Referrals are a powerful driver of reputation, turning satisfied clients into advocates who bring in new business. Delivering exceptional service to every client maximizes the chance they’ll recommend you to others. Equally important is referring prospects to trusted colleagues when their needs don’t align with your expertise.

For example, directing a client to a better-suited provider may forgo immediate revenue, but it builds goodwill and often leads to reciprocal referrals. Cultivate a network of reliable partners to create a mutually beneficial referral system. This approach not only strengthens your reputation as an honest business but also fosters a cycle of trust that fuels growth.

Elevate your reputation with reviews

Online reviews shape how customers and search engines perceive your business, directly impacting your SEO and credibility. Proactively encourage satisfied clients to leave detailed Google reviews, aiming for at least two per month to maintain a robust online presence.

Providing a direct link simplifies the process, and asking clients to describe their experience incorporates keywords that boost search visibility. Respond to every review — express gratitude for positive feedback and address negative ones with a sincere apology and a commitment to make things right. This engagement demonstrates your dedication to customer satisfaction, reinforcing a reputation for responsiveness and care.

Commit to consistent integrity

A stellar reputation isn’t built overnight — it’s the result of consistent, value-driven actions across all facets of your business. From treating clients with respect to fostering a supportive team environment, every interaction contributes to how others perceive you. Upholding integrity, even when it requires sacrifices like turning away a lucrative but toxic client, creates a ripple effect of trust. This trust translates into loyal customers, motivated employees and a stronger online presence, all of which drive opportunities. To start, choose one actionable step — requesting a client review, refining your referral process or clarifying your values with your team — and implement it this week.

Take action to build your legacy

Your reputation is a living asset that grows with every principled decision. Begin by integrating these strategies into your daily operations: define your values, handle conflicts with grace, nurture referrals and prioritize reviews. These steps don’t require a massive overhaul, but their impact compounds over time, positioning your business as a trusted leader.

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

How to Implement a Corporate Social Responsibility Program With a Lasting Impact

As a founder and CEO, I’ve always believed that good health for individuals, communities and companies starts from the ground up, quite literally. And with my company, ZenToes, it’s always been my priority to ensure that our mission comes to life, not simply through our effective, podiatrist-recommended foot care solutions, but also through our proactive work as an organization to make active living accessible to everyone.

Implementing a Corporate Social Responsibility program is a great way to bring a mission to life in a way that demonstrates real progress and impact, and it was a path that I, as a business leader, was keen to explore.

The process of identifying, defining and enacting a CSR program is a unifying one for any organization — best done by involving the entire team in collectively outlining the company’s values, objectives and best path to give back in support of the people and communities you seek to serve.

After lengthy team conversations, we launched ZenToes’ Strides for Wellbeing initiative last year. The program aims to increase accessibility to physical activities by offering scholarships and sponsorships for local running and walking events, and removing financial barriers to participation.

Overall, the CSR program’s benefits have been invaluable, extending from individuals and communities around the country to our own team and reinforcing everyone’s commitment to the important work we do each day.

In this article, I’ll share practical insights on how other CEOs and business leaders can launch and sustain CSR programs with real, lasting impact — programs that not only support your company’s values but also make a tangible difference in the communities you reach.

Related: How to Build a Socially Responsible Employer Brand

1. Align your CSR program with your core mission

It’s always important to think big picture in terms of how any program connects with your brand and mission, particularly when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility. Have a clear understanding of how you define your mission, and then use that as the foundation to build a CSR program that creates real impact towards that goal.

With Strides for Wellbeing for instance, ZenToes is able to make a clear difference in sponsoring physical activity through marathon, half-marathon and walking event scholarships — ultimately, making movement more accessible and ensuring that finances are not a barrier to entry for those looking to get the most out of their life in motion.

2. Create clear and measurable objectives

With any CSR program, be sure to set clear and measurable objectives so that you’re able to track long-term impact and overall program success. You could work towards a set number of communities served, dollars donated, or, in our case, steps achieved.

Be transparent about the impact you’re making. It’ll build trust not just with future partners, but with your community and team, as well.

Related: Why Should Your Business Care About Social Responsibility?

3. Involve employees in the process

In the lead up to outlining and launching any CSR program, be sure to involve your team, ensuring that your entire organization feels personally connected to the initiative.

I found it helpful to hold regular full-team meetings in order to poll all employees and determine what initiatives and causes everyone felt most strongly we should support. You, of course, want to stay true to your values as an organization and find something that is aligned with your overall offering.

4. Partner with aligned organizations

Working with organizations and individuals that believe in your mission and want to extend your support to their community is one of the most rewarding parts of any CSR program. It’s through genuine collaboration that you’re able to make the most difference in people’s lives, amplify their stories, and extend similar opportunities to other members of their communities. Not every organization is automatically the right fit.

5. Commit to long-term sustainability

CSR should not be a one-off project. Rather, it should be sustainable and integrated into the fabric of your company culture. In ZenToes’ case, we’re establishing ongoing, long-term partnerships with race organizers across the country to continue to increase our impact year-over-year. Make your CSR goals part of how you measure your success annually, and engrain giving back in our company identity.

Related: How to Sell to Gen Z With Corporate Social Responsibility

6. Communicate results and celebrate successes

Transparency is key to not just demonstrating the impact of your program but also building trust. Regularly share updates on your CSR efforts through internal team updates, newsletters, and social media campaigns. Both digital and in-person channels offer great opportunities to increase visibility and amplify your program’s success.

In our case, we even go beyond the numbers to share the stories of individuals who’ve benefited from our scholarships, highlighting the impact our program has had on individuals and their local communities.

By following these tips, CEOs and business leaders can launch CSR programs that go beyond surface-level engagement and genuinely create positive change, all while aligning with their company’s broader mission and values.

Whether you’re a small startup or a growing enterprise, a thoughtful, well-executed CSR program can foster stronger connections with your community and set the stage for sustainable business success.

Samsung Is Looking into Making AI Necklaces, Earrings, and Other Wearables: ‘All Kinds of Possibilities’

A Samsung executive revealed that the company is looking into a new line of AI wearable devices that double as jewelry, including AI necklaces and earrings.

Samsung’s chief operating officer for mobile, Won-joon Choi, told CNN this week that the company is actively exploring a category of AI devices that “you don’t need to carry,” and can instead wear on your person.

Related: Samsung’s Newest Galaxy Gadget Aims To See ‘How Productive You Can Be’

“So it could be something that you wear, glasses, earrings, watches, rings, and sometimes a necklace,” he explained to the outlet. Samsung is “looking at all kinds of possibilities,” he said.

Samsung’s exploration may not result in products that it brings to market. Tech companies often create prototypes of products that never hit store shelves.

Samsung’s approach is to introduce devices that supplement phones instead of replacing them, a strategy it employed with its smartwatches and $399 smart ring, according to Choi. The company released a new smartwatch on Wednesday, the Galaxy Watch 8, which is the first smartwatch embedded with Google’s Gemini AI. The $299 watch touts advanced fitness tracking, sleep coaching, and stress monitoring.

Samsung isn’t the only company to recently signal a push into AI devices. Earlier this week, OpenAI closed a $6.5 billion deal to buy io, an AI devices startup co-founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. The acquisition, the largest yet from OpenAI, brought over io’s 55-person team of engineers, designers, and researchers to OpenAI to work on wearable devices infused with ChatGPT.

Meanwhile, Meta has experienced unexpected success with its Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses, which have sold over two million pairs since their October 2023 launch. The glasses allow users to ask questions to Meta AI, take pictures and videos, and answer calls.

Last month, Meta introduced a waterproof pair of AI smart glasses geared towards athletes, the Oakley Meta glasses, and is reportedly working on another pair of glasses under the Prada brand. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also previewed a prototype of glasses that project 3D avatars of people, or holograms, at the Meta Connect event in September.

Related: Meta Invests Billions in World’s Largest Eyewear Company After Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Success

Other tech companies are following Meta into the smart glasses space. Google stated in May that it was dedicating $150 million to developing AI glasses with Warby Parker, with the new glasses to arrive after 2025. Apple is also reportedly developing its first pair of smart glasses and running focus groups to pinpoint what employees liked about smart glasses from competitors like Meta.

Choi told CNN that Samsung is also working on smart glasses, which may launch later this year. However, Choi says that Samsung is seeking to expand into other kinds of devices with more discreet form factors.

“We are actively working on glasses, but some people do not want to wear glasses because they change their look,” Choi told the outlet. “So we are also exploring other types of devices.”

Not all AI devices have resonated with consumers. The startup Humane introduced the $699 wearable Ai Pin in April 2024 as a smartphone alternative, but the device, which users could pin to their clothing, fell flat with reviewers due to overheating and lagging responses. Humane shut down the Ai Pin less than a year after its release and sold parts of itself to HP for about $116 million in February.

I Had Customers, Revenue and Momentum — And Still No Cash. This Is the Fix I Wish I’d Known Sooner

When I started my first business, I had everything going for me — or so I thought. I was young, confident and raised on grit. Growing up on a farm in Idaho taught me how to work hard from the time I could walk. By college, I already had industry experience from working at an electric sign company, and now I was launching one of my own.

I figured my work ethic and expertise would carry the day. And for a while, they did.

But what no one tells you — what I learned the hard way — is that you can be doing everything right, and still be broke. On paper, my business was successful. In reality, I was one bad invoice away from disaster.

When the real struggle began

Within a month of opening, I applied for an SBA loan and got rejected. I assumed I’d be able to get trade credit from vendors — no luck there either. I had no credit history. Not bad credit. No credit. I’d been raised to believe that debt was dangerous, so I avoided it altogether. I’d paid cash for everything, even my car. I thought that was responsible. Turns out, it made me invisible to lenders.

And that’s when reality hit: every dollar had to come out of my own pocket. I was constantly cash-strapped. Hundreds of thousands in accounts receivable — and nothing in the bank to cover payroll or rent. I remember the sleepless nights, the stress headaches, the panic of waiting for payments I couldn’t speed up. I was doing good work, but I couldn’t prove to anyone that I was worth trusting.

Related: SBA Loans: A Complete Guide for Small Business Owners

How I turned it around

Eventually, I realized the problem wasn’t personal — it was systemic. Lenders and vendors weren’t being unfair. They just had no data to go on. No one knew if I paid bills on time, because I had never given them the chance to find out.

So I started building my credit history, step by step. I applied for credit cards. I opened small lines of credit. I paid everything on time, every time. I learned how business credit scores work — and how to separate personal and business credit properly. Back then, good information was hard to come by. Today, there’s no excuse. Tools, platforms and expert guidance are everywhere.

What I once had to figure out through trial and error, most entrepreneurs can now learn in a weekend.

Why credit isn’t optional

If you’re building a business, strong credit isn’t just “nice to have.” It’s a growth engine. It lets you borrow money at lower rates. It unlocks trade credit so you can stock up without draining your bank account. It improves your insurance rates and lease terms. It strengthens your reputation with vendors, customers and partners. Want to win government contracts or work with large clients? Good luck without a solid business credit score.

Even payment processing gets easier and cheaper when your credit is in good shape.

Bottom line: your credit tells the world whether you’re trustworthy — and in business, trust is everything.

Related: How to Fund Your Business With an SBA Loan

The takeaway

Hard work matters. So does expertise. But if you ignore your credit, you’re stacking the odds against yourself from day one.

I learned that lesson the painful way. You don’t have to.

Start building your credit history now—personally and professionally. Don’t wait until you need financing to realize you’re invisible to lenders. Learn how business credit works. Use the tools available to you. And take control of the one thing that can make or break your business long before your product ever sees the light of day.

Trust me: one sleepless night over cash flow is one too many.

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

Olive Garden’s Sold Out Pasta-Shaped Pool Noodles Are Selling for Double on Resale Sites

In June, Olive Garden began selling pool noodles shaped like some of their most popular pastas. And if you were lucky enough to snag one, you may have picked up a sound investment — the pool floats are selling for almost double on resale sites.

The pasta-shaped pool noodles were available in three designs: Floatin’ Fettuccine, Relaxin’ Rigatoni, and Takin’ It Easy Tortelloni. Each sold for $40 and came with an additional piece of summer-themed branded merchandise — a bucket hat, tote bag, or floating drink holder.

An Olive Garden spokesperson told Entrepreneur that the tortelloni-shaped float sold out a couple of hours after the sale began, while the fettuccine and rigatoni-shaped noodles sold out after two days. Though the company says it is “thrilled” at how popular the floats were, they are “sold out for this summer.” The statement did leave the door open for another drop next year.

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“Olive Garden has always been known for going big — big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses,” said Jaime Bunker, Senior Vice President of Marketing, in a statement at the time of the launch. “This summer, we’re bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool. Our pasta-inspired floats are a larger-than-life way to celebrate the dishes our guests love, and just like in our restaurants, every order starts with a first course.”

There’s currently a tortelloni-shaped float for sale on eBay for $95, and one has already sold somewhere in the $70-$80 range. A fettuccine was listed at $80 (looks like it didn’t sell), but another seller in Livonia, Michigan, is selling the same shape for the original price ($39.99).

In the exact opposite direction, a different seller has listed one of the free gift-with-purchase items (the pasta-float cup holder) for $30.

Related: People Are Reselling This Trader Joe’s Item for $500 Online