What's on Your Mind?

Old 401(k)s are a little like the old clothes in the back of your closet. You know you should do something about them, but there they sit, mostly out of sight and mind. And so it is with your old 401(k). If deciding what to do with an old (k) plan has been on your to-do list for a while, here are the key steps you should take to get it done. Step 1: Check your account value. If your balance in your former employer’s 401(k) plan is over $7,000, you can leave the money behind in the old plan or roll the assets into an IRA or your new employer’s 401(k). But if your balance falls below that $7,000 threshold, some of the decision-making may be out of your hands. S…

Fila is looking to Hailey Bieber to help its struggling brand. The South Korea-based sports apparel company is today launching a 13-piece spring/summer 2025 collection made in collaboration with Bieber, who is the founder of Rhode beauty. The pieces, which include a baby tee, sweatpants, and an oversized pullover, are designed to be “wardrobe staples,” according to the company, and are now available on FILA’s website and select Urban Outfitters stores. It’s clear the Hailey Bieber x FILA Collection is geared toward athleisure rather than performance activewear based on the campaign photography, which in one photo shows Bieber spilling an iced coffee. [Photo: Fila]…

Sycamore Partners is planning a three-way split of Walgreens Boots Alliance if a deal to take the struggling pharmacy chain private is reached, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Walgreens’s three businesses—U.S. retail pharmacy, Boots UK, and U.S. healthcare—will be separated and have distinct capital structures, according to the report. Sycamore and Walgreens both declined to comment on the report. Shares of the Deerfield, Illionois-based company rose 5% to $11.62 in early trading. The report “marks another twist in the potential go-private story” for Walgreens, Leerink analyst Michael Cherny said. Walgreens…

With TikTok’s future in the U.S. still uncertain, Substack is doubling down on attracting video creators. As of yesterday, creators can now publish video posts directly from the Substack app—a feature previously limited to desktop. This update marks a significant shift, enabling creators to upload, publish, and monetize videos entirely from their phones. They can instantly reach subscribers via email, app notifications, or both, streamlining content distribution like never before. “This isn’t just about adding video, it’s about creators building more engaged communities that make independent publishing stronger than ever,” Substack cofounder and CEO Chris Best tel…

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Speaking before the U.S. Senate this month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that a decade or more down the road, homeowners in some parts of the country won’t be able to find home insurance. “Both banks and insurance companies are pulling out of coastal areas or areas where there are a lot of fires. So what that is going to mean is that if you fast-forward 10 or 15 years, there are going to be regions of the country where you can’t get a mortgage,” Powell told Congress. “There won’t be [mortgage] ATMs, there won’t be banks [lending mortgages…

Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions. Q: What should I do if I feel like my company is failing? A: This is a bleak question, and unfortunately not uncommon right now. I’ll address it from two different angles: 1.) If you feel the failure of the company is unfixable or that you aren’t in a position to help; and 2.) If you have hope that you might be able to turn things around. When the failure of your company is certain (or unfixable) First, here are some of the signs that things are goi…

Chinese robotaxi technology company Pony AI Inc. (Nasdaq: PONY) was up a whopping 55% on Monday—yes, you read that right—after Chief Technology Officer Lou Tiancheng told the Wall Street Journal it can now build its autonomous driving system for 70% less and is on the road to profitability. Pony AI makes the technology that allows cars to become autonomous, or self-driving, not the cars itself, but is partnering with companies that do. It also operates a fleet of robotaxis in China. Last week, Pony AI unveiled three new driver-less vehicles at the Shanghai Auto Show, which were co-developed with Chinese state-owned automakers BAIC Motor and Guangzhou Automobile G…

If you are career-minded, you may think applying for a loftier position in another company is the best route. In fact half of millennials expect to leave their current company within a year. But it’s not always the right move. Advancing in your present company may be a smarter move. You already know the culture and the people. If you enjoy them, who is to say that you’d find something better elsewhere? Also, some companies reward loyalty. And why would you want to compete with hundreds of applicants in a chaotic job market? If you are staying, hone your strategy. Follow these five steps to boost your likelihood of advancing. 1. ASK FOR VISIBLE ASSIGNMENTS …

Kelly Slater is the undisputed GOAT of surfing. The 53-year-old has won 11 world titles—including being both the youngest and oldest champ ever at 20 and 39, respectively—and has competed regularly on the pro tour until just last year. He’s not even officially retired yet. Slater has also built multiple businesses, beyond his endorsement deals. One of those is apparel brand Outerknown, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It’s been a labor of love for Slater, who along with cofounder John Moore, had a commitment from the beginning to make it as sustainable and responsible as possible. Last month, the company dropped the Apex Trunk by Kelly Slater, the firs…

Many things irk people about the way modern companies operate. Workplace communication tools and so-called enterprise social media platforms are among the low-stakes but high-impact bugbears. Reading through the latest dull update from that guy in accounts who continually spams the work comms platform, or worrying about when and how to engage with a problematic post can cause plenty of stress. Having to keep up with colleagues on a workplace communication platform annoys many. But new research suggests the much-maligned tools might actually serve a purpose—and can benefit workers and the businesses they work for. Princeton University professor Manoel Horta Ribeiro…

If you’re on the cusp of buying a new iPhone, you might want to hold off until this Wednesday, February 19. That’s the day Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company will be launching “the newest member of the family.” But what does that cryptic tease mean, exactly? Is Cook talking about a new iPhone, a new computer, or even just a new accessory? Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s upcoming product launch. Get ready to meet the newest member of the family. Wednesday, February 19. #AppleLaunch pic.twitter.com/0ML0NfMedu — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 13, 2025 Get ready for the first new iPhone of 2025? Anyone who follows tech news knows that Apple always a…

A TikTok trend claims giving your baby a tablespoon or two of butter before bed will help them sleep better at night. “What if I told you my toddler was still waking up every 2 hours at almost 2 years old until I started giving her real grass fed butter before bed,” reads one TikTok post by creator @bridgette_.gray. Since then, her child has experienced “a week straight of sleeping almost 8 hours every night.” Another TikTok user @abbyexplainsitall calls butter (importantly, not margarine) the “best sleep hack for kids” and she lets hers eat “as much as they want.” The video currently has 279.8K views. In the caption she adds, “The fats help keep them sati…

The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. As the number of internet of things (IoT) devices is projected to reach 40 billion by 2030, IoT integration into our daily lives is undeniable. From smart homes to industrial systems, IoT devices offer unprecedented convenience and efficiency. Netgear’s 2024 IoT Security Landscape report found that IoT devices, including TV sets, smart plugs, routers, and more face frequent atta…

Shares in Google’s parent company, Alphabet (Nasdaq: GOOG), are down nearly 7% in premarket trading at the time of this writing. The fall comes a day after Google announced its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings results. Here’s what you need to know about those results and the likely reasons why GOOG stock is falling this morning. Google Q4 2024 results were a mixed bag Google saw both its revenue and earnings per share (EPS) increase in Q4 versus the quarter a year earlier. For the Q4 2024 quarter, Google posted nearly $96.5 billion in revenue—12% growth from Q4 2023. However, in that previous Q4 2023 quarter, Google’s revenue growth had been 13%, suggesting that growth…

In today’s evolving workforce, a growing number of individuals are embracing a new identity: the sidepreneur. These are people who, in addition to their traditional jobs, are launching entrepreneurial ventures on the side. They’re not just taking on additional work—they’re creating new opportunities to pursue passions, build wealth, and gain control over their financial futures. From moonlighting chefs to weekend photographers, tech consultants by day, and digital creators by night, sidepreneurs are the embodiment of resilience, adaptability, and entrepreneurial spirit. The rise of sidepreneurs isn’t just a reaction to economic pressures; it’s a reflection of how mode…

Entrepreneurial couples and co-founding duos share a unique bond – whether they’re bound by marriage or business. Their synergy often stems from shared passions, complementary skills, and the drive to build something meaningful. But the reality is that co-founding a business with someone – romantic partner or not – isn’t always easy. From aligning strategic visions to juggling multiple responsibilities, the pressures of scaling a company can wear on even the strongest partnerships. Yet, entrepreneurial couples offer a blueprint for success precisely because their personal and professional lives are deeply intertwined. As such, they have to adapt, compromise, and communica…

YouTube is taking steps to crack down on gambling content. On Tuesday, the platform announced a new policy that bans creators from directing viewers to “unapproved” gambling websites through links, images, text, logos, or verbal mentions. According to YouTube, “unapproved” is defined as any site that doesn’t meet local legal requirements or hasn’t undergone review by YouTube or parent company Google. The new rules, which go into effect on March 19th, also include a new age restriction. Online gambling content will no longer be viewable by users who are signed out or signed in under the age of 18. YouTube has made two exceptions to the rule: content focused on onl…

Arianna Huffington, author, entrepreneur, and founder of The Huffington Post believes in one key to success above all else: getting enough sleep. “When I get eight hours, I feel ready to handle anything during the day without stress and without paying a heavy price in terms of my own health and my own mental well-being,” Huffington, the author of The Sleep Revolution, told NBC. Here’s how sleep can lead to greater success and happiness for you: Huffington’s Personal Journey With Sleep Back in 2007, Huffington was constantly sacrificing sleep to work 18-hour days. Then, one morning, she woke up on the floor of her home office in a pool of her own blood. S…

Kendrick Lamar aims to infuse his Los Angeles hip-hop flavor into New Orleans while staying true to his storytelling roots during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime performance. “Being in the now and being just locked-in to how I feel and the energy I have now, that’s the L.A. energy for me,” he said Thursday at a press conference hosted by Apple Music. “That’s something I wanted to carry over to New Orleans and for the world to see. This is me. This is Kendrick Lamar, 37 years old, and I still feel like I’m elevating, I’m still on a journey.” The rap megastar will take the Super Bowl stage fresh off a Grammy triumph, where he claimed two of the night’s biggest awards —…

There was a time when few people in the coastal Pakistani city of Gwadar understood what climate change was. After a decade of extreme weather, many more do. Rain battered Gwadar for almost 30 consecutive hours last February. Torrents washed out roads, bridges, and lines of communication, briefly cutting the peninsula town off from the rest of Pakistan. Homes look like bombs have struck them and drivers swerve to avoid craters where asphalt used to be. Gwadar is in Balochistan, an arid, mountainous, and vast province in Pakistan’s southwest that has searing summers and harsh winters. The city, with about 90,000 people, is built on sand dunes and bordered by the Ar…

In the days before a recent ballot referendum in Seattle that would determine the future of social housing in the city, large tech companies spent big. Amazon and Microsoft, both of which are headquartered in the Seattle metropolitan area, each donated $100,000, and opponents of a tax to fund social housing spent a combined $780,000 in the lead-up to the February 11 vote. Despite this, the vote on a corporate tax to fund the city’s social housing authority won, with 63% of voters supporting it. In 2023, voters had already resoundingly approved the social housing authority, agreeing that a new entity would be created to acquire and construct mixed-income housing and ke…

Prada opened its runway show during Milan Fashion Week on Thursday with its take on the little black dress, reflecting what Miuccia Prada called “a very black moment” in world affairs. “To work in this difficult moment is really tough,” Prada said backstage. Sidestepping overtly political discussion, she added: ”What we try to do are clothes that make sense for women today.” Liberating women Prada’s Fall-Winter 2025-26 collection is aimed to liberate women from strictly feminine forms. In that way the little black dress series and other runway looks were loosely constructed, not body-hugging. Co-creative director Raf Simons said liberation was in itself an …

Many things are considered distinctly millennial: a man bun, avocado toast, axe-throwing bars. Now you can apparently add millennial burger joints to that list. On February 11, TikToker fairylights2007 shared a clip using Kyle Gordon’s “2011 Millennial” parody song, along with a caption that read: “This song is so truffle fries overpriced burger brick walls metal tin of ketchup.” You know the type. As the video points out, the burgers are typically overpriced—$19 to be exact—always with a brioche bun. Fries are extra and come served in a fryer basket with a special “house sauce” (i.e., ketchup mixed with mayo). Somewhere in the restaurant, a chalkboard li…

Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning. During December 2024, Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach and his leadership team, including cofounder and executive chairman Aneel Bhusri, arrived at a big decision: the software company would restructure itself to free up operating dollars for investment opportunities tied to artificial inte…