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Key Takeaways Understand Blogging Basics: Grasp the fundamentals of blogging, including its purpose and the various types of blogs, to tailor your content strategy effectively. Choose Your Niche: Select a niche that aligns with your passions and expertise, and identify your target audience to create valuable content that resonates with readers. Pick the Right Platform: Evaluate blogging platforms for customization, ease of use, and support features to establish a professional online presence. Create Quality Content: Focus on producing engaging and well-researched articles that provide valuable insights, utilizing storytelling and visuals to captivate your audience. Promote Your Blog: Leverage social media and build an email list to enhance visibility, engage with your readers, and drive traffic to your blog. Maintain Consistency: Establish a consistent posting schedule and analyze performance metrics to refine your strategy and support your blogging goals. Starting your own blog can be an exciting adventure. Whether you want to share your passions, connect with like-minded individuals, or even make some extra income, blogging offers endless possibilities. But where do you begin? Understanding the Basics of Blogging Blogging presents a valuable opportunity to connect with your target audience and share insights about your small business or passion. Understanding the essentials of blogging equips you to create content that attracts and retains readers. What Is a Blog? A blog is an online platform where you share articles, updates, and thoughts on various topics. It serves as a digital space for your small business to engage with customers, showcase expertise, and enhance your online presence. Blogs can shape your brand and inform your audience, encouraging loyalty and building relationships. Different Types of Blogs Recognizing the types of blogs helps you determine the best approach for your small business. Here are common blog types: Personal Blogs: Focus on individual experiences or insights, often reflecting personal journeys or interests. Business Blogs: Promote products or services while providing industry knowledge. These blogs help establish authority and drive traffic through SEO. Niche Blogs: Concentrate on specific topics, allowing you to build a community around shared interests. Targeting a specific audience enhances engagement and loyalty. Guest Blogs: Feature contributions from various writers, broadening perspectives and attracting diverse audiences, while leveraging existing networks. By understanding these blog types, you can tailor your content strategy to effectively communicate with your readers and support your overall business objectives. Essential Tips for Starting Your Own Blog Starting your own blog offers a fantastic opportunity to connect with your target audience and share your business insights. Here are some essential tips to consider during your blogging journey. Choosing Your Niche Define Your Passion and Expertise: Select a niche that reflects your personal interests and professional knowledge. Focusing on what you know will foster authentic engagement and provide unique insights that resonate with your audience. Identify Your Audience: Pinpoint your target audience’s needs and interests. Understanding their challenges helps create content that adds value and drives reader engagement. Use tools like market research to refine your audience profile. Narrow Down Your Theme: Choose a specific topic within your niche. Specializing can establish your authority and improve search engine rankings, benefiting your overall visibility. Consider Your Goals: Determine what you want from your blog. Whether you aim to educate aspiring entrepreneurs, share small business strategies, or promote your products, clarity in your objectives will guide your content direction. Selecting a Blogging Platform Evaluate Your Options: Review various blogging platforms such as WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix. Consider each platform’s features, user-friendliness, and compatibility with e-commerce functionalities. Assess Customization Capabilities: Look for platforms that allow extensive customization. Customizable themes enable branding that aligns with your business identity, giving your blog a professional look. Support and Resources: Choose a platform that provides adequate support and resources. Quality tutorials, community forums, and customer service can help you navigate technical challenges. Picking a Domain Name Reflect Your Brand: Select a domain name that embodies your business identity and purpose. A clear domain helps with branding and attracts your target audience effectively. Keep It Simple: Opt for a straightforward and memorable domain name. Avoid excessive words or phrases; a concise name is easier for customers to remember and type into their browsers. Check Availability: Use domain registration sites to ensure your chosen name isn’t already taken. Securing a unique domain enhances your brand’s credibility and search engine ranking. Following these essential tips will set a solid foundation for your blog, making it easier to connect with your audience and promote your small business effectively. Creating Engaging Content Creating engaging content is essential for appealing to your target audience and fostering strong connections. Quality content resonates with readers, retains their interest, and drives them to take action. Importance of Quality Content Quality content stands as the foundation of a successful blog. It provides value to your audiences, like insights into specific aspects of small business planning or market research. Focusing on factual information enhances credibility and fosters trust. You attract and retain loyal readers by delivering well-researched articles, covering essential topics such as funding options and business models. Quality includes accurate information, clear messaging, and practical examples that your audience can directly apply to their entrepreneurial journey. Tips for Writing Blog Posts Writing effective blog posts involves several key practices: Use Headers and Sub-headers: Organize content purposefully with relevant headings. Header organization boosts readability and helps readers find what they need quickly. Write for Your Audience: Tailor every post to your target audience’s needs. Understanding their pain points and interests allows you to create relevant content that aligns with their business goals. Tell a Story: Utilize storytelling to keep the audience engaged. Share experiences, success stories, or lessons learned in your entrepreneurial ventures that resonate with readers. Be Clear and Concise: Aim for lucidity, ensuring every sentence conveys necessary information without unnecessary fluff. Short sentences maintain reader focus. Use Great Sources: Support your arguments with credible sources. Incorporate statistics, case studies, or expert quotes related to business growth, customer service, or marketing strategies to enhance your blog’s authority. Optimize for SEO: Integrate keywords naturally, aiming for search engine optimization. Include relevant terms like “market research,” “business model,” or “digital marketing” to improve discoverability. Engage with Visuals: Include images, infographics, or charts that visually represent data. Visuals break up text and provide additional ways to engage with your content. By applying these tips, you enhance your ability to create meaningful and engaging content that resonates with readers and fosters growth for your small business blogging endeavors. Promoting Your Blog Promoting your blog effectively enhances visibility and drives traffic. Successful promotion involves utilizing social media and building an email list. Utilizing Social Media Utilizing social media platforms expands your reach and engages your target audience. Leverage popular social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to share blog posts and interact with readers. Create visually appealing posts that include images, infographics, or videos to capture attention. Use relevant hashtags to improve discoverability, making it easier for potential readers to find your content. Engaging with followers through comments and messages fosters community and encourages readers to share your blog further, which supports customer acquisition. Building an Email List Building an email list allows direct communication with your audience. Offer valuable content, such as exclusive tips or downloadable resources, to incentivize sign-ups. Use tools like opt-in forms and landing pages to capture visitor information easily. Send regular newsletters featuring your latest blog posts along with useful resources to keep your audience engaged. Personalize your emails to strengthen connections and encourage readers to share your blog with their networks. Combining these strategies supports long-term engagement and enhances your blog’s growth potential. Maintaining Your Blog You must maintain a consistent blogging schedule to support your small business’s online presence. Here are key strategies to achieve that. Consistency Is Key Consistency plays a crucial role in your blog’s success. Here are steps to ensure you maintain a steady posting schedule: Define Your Consistency: Establish a clear definition of what consistency means for your blog. This could be posting twice a week, once a week, or monthly. Setting realistic goals prevents burnout. Make a Commitment: Decide on a specific posting schedule. Write down your commitment and mark it in your calendar. Treat your blog schedule like an important business appointment. Create a Content Calendar: Develop a content calendar to plan your posts well in advance. This ensures you’re organized and eliminates the challenge of facing a blank page when it’s time to publish. Analyzing Performance Metrics Analyzing performance metrics enhances your blog’s effectiveness. Focus on the following aspects: Traffic Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics to track visitors and their behavior on your blog. Understanding which posts attract the most traffic guides future content strategy. Engagement Metrics: Monitor comments, shares, and likes on your posts. High engagement rates signify that your content resonates with your target audience, crucial for your customer acquisition strategies. SEO Performance: Regularly analyze your blog’s SEO metrics. Check keyword rankings, backlinks, and click-through rates to optimize visibility. Effective SEO practices enhance your overall digital marketing efforts. Conversion Rates: Keep track of how many readers take desired actions, such as signing up for your email list or purchasing products. Tying blog performance to your sales funnel helps assess and refine your blogging strategy. Utilizing these techniques ensures your blog effectively supports your small business goals, builds your brand, and improves customer engagement. Conclusion Starting your own blog can be a rewarding venture that opens doors to new opportunities. By following the tips outlined in this article you can create a blog that not only reflects your passions but also engages your audience effectively. Remember to focus on quality content and consistent posting to build trust and credibility with your readers. Utilize social media and email marketing to promote your blog and foster a community around your brand. Lastly keep track of your performance metrics to continually refine your strategies. With dedication and the right approach your blog can thrive and support your small business goals. Frequently Asked Questions What is a blog? A blog is an online platform where individuals or businesses share articles, updates, and insights on various topics. It allows users to connect with their audience, express interests, and foster customer loyalty through consistent content updates. How do I start a blog? To start a blog, choose a niche that reflects your interests, select a blogging platform, and pick a memorable domain name. Define your target audience, narrow down your theme, and have a solid plan for creating engaging content. What are the different types of blogs? Different types of blogs include personal blogs, business blogs, niche blogs, and guest blogs. Understanding these types helps tailor content strategies, engaging your readers effectively while meeting specific business objectives. Why is content quality important in blogging? Quality content is crucial for attracting and retaining readers. It builds credibility and trust, enhances engagement, and provides value. Well-researched, organized, and clear content resonates with the audience, supporting your blogging goals. How can I promote my blog? Promote your blog using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Create visually appealing posts, use relevant hashtags, and engage with your audience. Building an email list for newsletters can also enhance communication and retain readers. How often should I blog? Maintaining a consistent blogging schedule is vital for building an audience and enhancing your online presence. Define what consistency means for you, commit to a specific posting frequency, and create a content calendar to stay organized. What metrics should I analyze for my blog? Analyze performance metrics such as traffic analytics, engagement rates, SEO performance, and conversion rates. These insights help assess your blog’s effectiveness and identify areas for improvement to meet your business goals. How do I choose a domain name? Choose a domain name that reflects your brand, is easy to remember, and is available for registration. Aim for simplicity and relevance to your content, which aids in building a strong online presence and attracting your target audience. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Tips to Start Your Own Blog and Connect with Your Audience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Understand Blogging Basics: Grasp the fundamentals of blogging, including its purpose and the various types of blogs, to tailor your content strategy effectively. Choose Your Niche: Select a niche that aligns with your passions and expertise, and identify your target audience to create valuable content that resonates with readers. Pick the Right Platform: Evaluate blogging platforms for customization, ease of use, and support features to establish a professional online presence. Create Quality Content: Focus on producing engaging and well-researched articles that provide valuable insights, utilizing storytelling and visuals to captivate your audience. Promote Your Blog: Leverage social media and build an email list to enhance visibility, engage with your readers, and drive traffic to your blog. Maintain Consistency: Establish a consistent posting schedule and analyze performance metrics to refine your strategy and support your blogging goals. Starting your own blog can be an exciting adventure. Whether you want to share your passions, connect with like-minded individuals, or even make some extra income, blogging offers endless possibilities. But where do you begin? Understanding the Basics of Blogging Blogging presents a valuable opportunity to connect with your target audience and share insights about your small business or passion. Understanding the essentials of blogging equips you to create content that attracts and retains readers. What Is a Blog? A blog is an online platform where you share articles, updates, and thoughts on various topics. It serves as a digital space for your small business to engage with customers, showcase expertise, and enhance your online presence. Blogs can shape your brand and inform your audience, encouraging loyalty and building relationships. Different Types of Blogs Recognizing the types of blogs helps you determine the best approach for your small business. Here are common blog types: Personal Blogs: Focus on individual experiences or insights, often reflecting personal journeys or interests. Business Blogs: Promote products or services while providing industry knowledge. These blogs help establish authority and drive traffic through SEO. Niche Blogs: Concentrate on specific topics, allowing you to build a community around shared interests. Targeting a specific audience enhances engagement and loyalty. Guest Blogs: Feature contributions from various writers, broadening perspectives and attracting diverse audiences, while leveraging existing networks. By understanding these blog types, you can tailor your content strategy to effectively communicate with your readers and support your overall business objectives. Essential Tips for Starting Your Own Blog Starting your own blog offers a fantastic opportunity to connect with your target audience and share your business insights. Here are some essential tips to consider during your blogging journey. Choosing Your Niche Define Your Passion and Expertise: Select a niche that reflects your personal interests and professional knowledge. Focusing on what you know will foster authentic engagement and provide unique insights that resonate with your audience. Identify Your Audience: Pinpoint your target audience’s needs and interests. Understanding their challenges helps create content that adds value and drives reader engagement. Use tools like market research to refine your audience profile. Narrow Down Your Theme: Choose a specific topic within your niche. Specializing can establish your authority and improve search engine rankings, benefiting your overall visibility. Consider Your Goals: Determine what you want from your blog. Whether you aim to educate aspiring entrepreneurs, share small business strategies, or promote your products, clarity in your objectives will guide your content direction. Selecting a Blogging Platform Evaluate Your Options: Review various blogging platforms such as WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix. Consider each platform’s features, user-friendliness, and compatibility with e-commerce functionalities. Assess Customization Capabilities: Look for platforms that allow extensive customization. Customizable themes enable branding that aligns with your business identity, giving your blog a professional look. Support and Resources: Choose a platform that provides adequate support and resources. Quality tutorials, community forums, and customer service can help you navigate technical challenges. Picking a Domain Name Reflect Your Brand: Select a domain name that embodies your business identity and purpose. A clear domain helps with branding and attracts your target audience effectively. Keep It Simple: Opt for a straightforward and memorable domain name. Avoid excessive words or phrases; a concise name is easier for customers to remember and type into their browsers. Check Availability: Use domain registration sites to ensure your chosen name isn’t already taken. Securing a unique domain enhances your brand’s credibility and search engine ranking. Following these essential tips will set a solid foundation for your blog, making it easier to connect with your audience and promote your small business effectively. Creating Engaging Content Creating engaging content is essential for appealing to your target audience and fostering strong connections. Quality content resonates with readers, retains their interest, and drives them to take action. Importance of Quality Content Quality content stands as the foundation of a successful blog. It provides value to your audiences, like insights into specific aspects of small business planning or market research. Focusing on factual information enhances credibility and fosters trust. You attract and retain loyal readers by delivering well-researched articles, covering essential topics such as funding options and business models. Quality includes accurate information, clear messaging, and practical examples that your audience can directly apply to their entrepreneurial journey. Tips for Writing Blog Posts Writing effective blog posts involves several key practices: Use Headers and Sub-headers: Organize content purposefully with relevant headings. Header organization boosts readability and helps readers find what they need quickly. Write for Your Audience: Tailor every post to your target audience’s needs. Understanding their pain points and interests allows you to create relevant content that aligns with their business goals. Tell a Story: Utilize storytelling to keep the audience engaged. Share experiences, success stories, or lessons learned in your entrepreneurial ventures that resonate with readers. Be Clear and Concise: Aim for lucidity, ensuring every sentence conveys necessary information without unnecessary fluff. Short sentences maintain reader focus. Use Great Sources: Support your arguments with credible sources. Incorporate statistics, case studies, or expert quotes related to business growth, customer service, or marketing strategies to enhance your blog’s authority. Optimize for SEO: Integrate keywords naturally, aiming for search engine optimization. Include relevant terms like “market research,” “business model,” or “digital marketing” to improve discoverability. Engage with Visuals: Include images, infographics, or charts that visually represent data. Visuals break up text and provide additional ways to engage with your content. By applying these tips, you enhance your ability to create meaningful and engaging content that resonates with readers and fosters growth for your small business blogging endeavors. Promoting Your Blog Promoting your blog effectively enhances visibility and drives traffic. Successful promotion involves utilizing social media and building an email list. Utilizing Social Media Utilizing social media platforms expands your reach and engages your target audience. Leverage popular social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to share blog posts and interact with readers. Create visually appealing posts that include images, infographics, or videos to capture attention. Use relevant hashtags to improve discoverability, making it easier for potential readers to find your content. Engaging with followers through comments and messages fosters community and encourages readers to share your blog further, which supports customer acquisition. Building an Email List Building an email list allows direct communication with your audience. Offer valuable content, such as exclusive tips or downloadable resources, to incentivize sign-ups. Use tools like opt-in forms and landing pages to capture visitor information easily. Send regular newsletters featuring your latest blog posts along with useful resources to keep your audience engaged. Personalize your emails to strengthen connections and encourage readers to share your blog with their networks. Combining these strategies supports long-term engagement and enhances your blog’s growth potential. Maintaining Your Blog You must maintain a consistent blogging schedule to support your small business’s online presence. Here are key strategies to achieve that. Consistency Is Key Consistency plays a crucial role in your blog’s success. Here are steps to ensure you maintain a steady posting schedule: Define Your Consistency: Establish a clear definition of what consistency means for your blog. This could be posting twice a week, once a week, or monthly. Setting realistic goals prevents burnout. Make a Commitment: Decide on a specific posting schedule. Write down your commitment and mark it in your calendar. Treat your blog schedule like an important business appointment. Create a Content Calendar: Develop a content calendar to plan your posts well in advance. This ensures you’re organized and eliminates the challenge of facing a blank page when it’s time to publish. Analyzing Performance Metrics Analyzing performance metrics enhances your blog’s effectiveness. Focus on the following aspects: Traffic Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics to track visitors and their behavior on your blog. Understanding which posts attract the most traffic guides future content strategy. Engagement Metrics: Monitor comments, shares, and likes on your posts. High engagement rates signify that your content resonates with your target audience, crucial for your customer acquisition strategies. SEO Performance: Regularly analyze your blog’s SEO metrics. Check keyword rankings, backlinks, and click-through rates to optimize visibility. Effective SEO practices enhance your overall digital marketing efforts. Conversion Rates: Keep track of how many readers take desired actions, such as signing up for your email list or purchasing products. Tying blog performance to your sales funnel helps assess and refine your blogging strategy. Utilizing these techniques ensures your blog effectively supports your small business goals, builds your brand, and improves customer engagement. Conclusion Starting your own blog can be a rewarding venture that opens doors to new opportunities. By following the tips outlined in this article you can create a blog that not only reflects your passions but also engages your audience effectively. Remember to focus on quality content and consistent posting to build trust and credibility with your readers. Utilize social media and email marketing to promote your blog and foster a community around your brand. Lastly keep track of your performance metrics to continually refine your strategies. With dedication and the right approach your blog can thrive and support your small business goals. Frequently Asked Questions What is a blog? A blog is an online platform where individuals or businesses share articles, updates, and insights on various topics. It allows users to connect with their audience, express interests, and foster customer loyalty through consistent content updates. How do I start a blog? To start a blog, choose a niche that reflects your interests, select a blogging platform, and pick a memorable domain name. Define your target audience, narrow down your theme, and have a solid plan for creating engaging content. What are the different types of blogs? Different types of blogs include personal blogs, business blogs, niche blogs, and guest blogs. Understanding these types helps tailor content strategies, engaging your readers effectively while meeting specific business objectives. Why is content quality important in blogging? Quality content is crucial for attracting and retaining readers. It builds credibility and trust, enhances engagement, and provides value. Well-researched, organized, and clear content resonates with the audience, supporting your blogging goals. How can I promote my blog? Promote your blog using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Create visually appealing posts, use relevant hashtags, and engage with your audience. Building an email list for newsletters can also enhance communication and retain readers. How often should I blog? Maintaining a consistent blogging schedule is vital for building an audience and enhancing your online presence. Define what consistency means for you, commit to a specific posting frequency, and create a content calendar to stay organized. What metrics should I analyze for my blog? Analyze performance metrics such as traffic analytics, engagement rates, SEO performance, and conversion rates. These insights help assess your blog’s effectiveness and identify areas for improvement to meet your business goals. How do I choose a domain name? Choose a domain name that reflects your brand, is easy to remember, and is available for registration. Aim for simplicity and relevance to your content, which aids in building a strong online presence and attracting your target audience. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Tips to Start Your Own Blog and Connect with Your Audience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Maybe you've treated yourself to a brand new MacBook Air, or maybe you want to factory reset your iMac—either to sell it on or wipe all the digital detritus off the system. Whatever the reason you're setting up a new Mac, these are the steps you'll need to follow. Apple has continually streamlined this process over the years, and with the rollout of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4 Sequoia, it's now easier than ever: If you've got an iPhone or iPad available, it can take care of some of the setup process for you. First, you'll see a hello message, in a cycling selection of languages: Click Get Started, then choose the language you want macOS to use, and your country or region. With that done, you can then customize the accessibility settings built into macOS, if you need them, to complete the rest of the setup process. This is the biggest choice you have to make in the setup process. Credit: Apple The all-important step of connecting to wifi is next, and once you've chosen a network and entered the password for it, you'll get the opportunity to download any software updates available for macOS—which is recommended, to make sure you have the latest bug fixes and security patches installed. You can choose whether or not you want to transfer data to your new Mac as part of the setup process. The top option, From a Mac, Time Machine or startup disk, is the one to go for if you want your new Mac to look as much like your old Mac as possible: If you're upgrading Macs and the old one is still available to you, you'll be prompted to launch the Migration Assistant on both computers to copy your user account over. Then there's From a Windows PC, which sticks to data like contacts, calendars, email accounts—if you're switching from Windows to macOS, this can help the process run more smoothly. Again, you'll be taken step by step through the procedure, which includes getting Migration Assistant set up on Windows as well as macOS. Bring your iPhone close to your Mac to see a prompt to connect. Credit: Apple The third option here is Set up with iPhone or iPad, which is the new feature that's just been added. It transfers data such as wifi logins, and your appearance and accessibility customizations, as well as access to your iCloud account. Pick this option, bring your iPhone or iPad close to your Mac, and you should see a prompt on the mobile device. Tap Continue to confirm. A glowing blue orb shows up on your Mac screen, which you then need to fit inside the camera viewfinder on your iPhone or iPad, and then the link is established. You still need to go through a few more setup steps after this, but it does save you a few minutes. The fourth and final option on the transfer data dialog is Set up as new, which I actually prefer: It gives you a clean and fresh installation of macOS, and it means you can slowly move over your data and accounts bit by bit, as needed. With this option, you'll avoid moving any clutter from your old Mac or other Apple devices over to your new computer. You'll need to set up a new user account for macOS. Credit: Apple With your data transfer option chosen, you're then required to enter a username and password to use on your Mac, which is separate from your Apple account. Click the box underneath your password hint to make sure you can always get into this Mac with your Apple account credentials, should you ever forget your Mac credentials. Next, you're prompted to sign into your Apple account to get all your iCloud data synced and in place—unless you've used the iPhone or iPad shortcut, in which case the Mac already knows who you are. After that, you need to set the various permissions for macOS, including location services, device analytics, and Siri access. Almost there—but there are still a few more dialogs to work through. When it comes to these features, you can opt to set them up straight away or later on. First, there's Apple Intelligence, such as it is—right now on macOS, you're looking at features such as Writing Tools, the Image Playground app, and the ChatGPT extension to Siri. If you've used an iPhone or iPad, you'll be logged into iCloud automatically. Credit: Apple Next up, you've got FileVault Disk Encryption and Touch ID (your Mac is much more secure if you turn both of these on), followed by Apple Pay, if you want to use new or previously registered payment cards to make purchases on your Mac. After that, you're just about done: Click Continue on the Welcome to Mac screen, and you're good to go. The process is straightforward enough that you can consider resetting your Mac every so often to keep unnecessary junk data down to a minimum, and ensure everything stays running as quickly as possible. If you ever want to reset your Mac and go through the setup process again (making sure your data is safely backed up first), open System Settings from the main Apple menu, then choose General > Transfer or Reset. Once you get into macOS proper, you can start making it your own again. For me, that means removing almost everything from the dock and hiding it from view, and changing the trackpad scrolling direction so it's the right way up—but your mileage will vary. View the full article

Meta founder’s antitrust defence rests on showing that TikTok is rapidly expanding in his main market View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been eyeing premium wireless earbuds but don’t want to shell out big bucks, this deal on the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds might catch your attention. Originally priced at $279.95, they’re now going for $89.99 on Woot—but only for two weeks or until they're sold out. Plus, Prime members get free standard shipping, while others will have to pay $6 (just a heads up—this sale is only available in the contiguous U.S., and free shipping isn’t available for Alaska, Hawaii, or PO boxes). You also get a two-year Sennheiser manufacturer's limited warranty, so there’s some peace of mind if anything goes wrong. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 Earbuds $89.99 at Woot $279.95 Save $189.96 Get Deal Get Deal $89.99 at Woot $279.95 Save $189.96 These IPX4-rated earbuds come with four pairs of ear tips (XS to L) and three sets of stability fins, which help keep them in place, especially if you plan to use them at the gym. The controls are built into the capacitive outer panels of each earbud and are said to be quite responsive. That said, the touch controls can be a bit too sensitive—accidentally pausing or skipping tracks when you’re just adjusting the earbuds is a common issue. Battery-wise, you get seven hours per charge with an extra 21 hours from the case (decent, but expect less if ANC is on). Charging is convenient since the case supports both Qi wireless charging and USB-C. Its Bluetooth 5.2 compatibility ensures a stable connection while its 7mm dynamic drivers cover a wide frequency range of 5Hz to 21kHz, delivering deep bass without distortion, clear mids, and balanced highs. The sound quality is impressive with AAC, AptX, AptX Adaptive, and SBC supported (which should work well for most users), but audiophiles might notice the absence of LDAC support. Active noise cancellation (ANC) here is solid but not the best. It handles low rumbles (like plane noise) well but struggles with higher-frequency sounds (like chatter and clanking dishes), as noted in this PCMag review. You can tweak the EQ, adjust ANC settings, customize touch controls, and more using the Sennheiser Smart App. If water resistance is a priority, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro (Renewed, $129) offers a higher IP57 rating, making it more durable against dust and water. And if you’re after stronger ANC, the Sony WF-1000XM4 (Renewed, $134.99) might be a better pick. View the full article

Donald The President has stepped up his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the same time that the Supreme Court is considering a case that could make it easier for the president to fire him. The developments are occurring against a backdrop of wider turmoil in the economy and financial markets, brought on by The President’s sweeping taxes on imports. Most economists worry that an assault on the Fed’s longstanding independence from politics would further disrupt markets and add to the uncertainty enveloping the economy. In comments at the White House Thursday, The President suggested he has the power to remove Powell and criticized him for not aggressively cutting interest rates. “If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me,” The President said. “I’m not happy with him.” All the scrutiny threatens the Fed’s venerated independence, which has long been supported by most economists and Wall Street investors. Here are some questions and answers about the Fed. Why does the Fed’s independence matter? The Fed wields extensive power over the U.S. economy. By cutting the short-term interest rate it controls — which it typically does when the economy falters — the Fed can make borrowing cheaper and encourage more spending, accelerating growth and hiring. When it raises the rate — which it does to cool the economy and combat inflation — it can weaken the economy and cause job losses. Economists have long preferred independent central banks because they can more easily take unpopular steps to fight inflation, such as raise interest rates, which makes borrowing to buy a home, car, or appliance more expensive. The importance of an independent Fed was cemented for most economists after the extended inflation spike of the 1970s and early 1980s. Former Fed Chair Arthur Burns has been widely blamed for allowing the painful inflation of that era to accelerate by succumbing to pressure from President Richard Nixon to keep rates low heading into the 1972 election. Nixon feared higher rates would cost him the election, which he won in a landslide. Paul Volcker was eventually appointed chair of the Fed in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, and he pushed the Fed’s short-term rate to the stunningly high level of nearly 20%. (It is currently 4.3%). The eye-popping rates triggered a sharp recession, pushed unemployment to nearly 11%, and spurred widespread protests. Yet Volcker didn’t flinch. By the mid-1980s, inflation had fallen back into the low single digits. Volcker’s willingness to inflict pain on the economy to throttle inflation is seen by most economists as a key example of the value of an independent Fed. What do Wall Street investors think? An effort to fire Powell would almost certainly cause stock prices to fall and bond yields to spike higher, pushing up interest rates on government debt and raising borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit card debt. Most investors prefer an independent Fed, partly because it typically manages inflation better without being influenced by politics but also because its decisions are more predictable. Fed officials often publicly discuss how they would alter interest rate policies if economic conditions changed. If the Fed was more swayed by politics, it would be harder for financial markets to anticipate — or understand — its decisions. So does that mean the Fed is completely unaccountable? Well, no. Fed chairs like Powell are appointed by the president to serve four-year terms, and have to be confirmed by the Senate. The president also appoints the six other members of the Fed’s governing board, who can serve staggered terms of up to 14 years, though most governors leave before the end of their terms. Those appointments can allow a president over time to significantly alter the Fed’s policies. Former president Joe Biden appointed five of the current seven members: Powell, Lisa Cook, Philip Jefferson, Adriana Kugler, and Michael Barr. As a result, The President will have fewer opportunities to make appointments. He will be able to replace Kugler, who filled an unexpired term ending Jan. 31, 2026. Congress, meanwhile, can set the Fed’s goals through legislation. In 1977, for example, Congress gave the Fed a “dual mandate” to keep prices stable and seek maximum employment. The Fed defines stable prices as inflation at 2%. The 1977 law also requires the Fed chair to testify before the House and Senate twice every year about the economy and interest rate policy. But can the president fire Powell? Powell says the law establishing the Fed does not allow a president to fire a chair except for cause. There is some complication in that Powell was separately appointed as a member of the Fed’s board of governors, and then elevated to the position of chair — by The President, in 2017. Most legal scholars agree that The President can’t fire Powell from the Fed’s board of governors, but there is less agreement over whether a president can remove him as chair. In January, Michael Barr, who was vice chair for supervision, stepped down from that post but remained on the board to avoid a potential legal clash over whether The President could fire him. Should The President try to fire Powell anyway, the ensuing fight would almost certainly end up at the Supreme Court. What could the Supreme Court do? We may get an early sign of how the Supreme Court would decide it this summer. There is already a case before the court on the issue of whether the president can fire top officials at independent agencies. The case stems from The President’s firings of two officials, one from the National Labor Relations Board and the other from an agency that protects workers from political interference. The Supreme Court last week let the firings stand while it considers the case. It could rule this summer that the president, as the head of the executive branch, could fire officials at any federal agency even if Congress had intended it to be independent. The case would overturn a 90-year old precedent known as Humphrey’s Executor, in which the court ruled that the president couldn’t fire such officials. Powell said Wednesday he is watching the case closely, adding that it might not apply to the Fed. Lawyers for the The President administration, seeking to narrow the focus of the case, have argued that it doesn’t involve the Fed. Both the The President administration and the Supreme Court justices have carved out exemptions for the Fed before. In February, the White House issued an executive order that placed several financial regulatory agencies, including the Fed and the Securities and Exchange Commission, more directly under the president’s control. Yet the order specifically exempted the Fed’s ability to set interest rates from that order. And in a case in 2023, Justice Samuel Alito said in a footnote that the Fed is a “unique institution with a unique historical background” that made it different than other independent bodies. If the court does give presidents more power over the heads of independent agencies, it could potentially exempt the Fed. —Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer View the full article

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the agency created to serve as a watchdog for American consumers against predatory business practices, said on Thursday it planned to dismiss as much as 90% of its remaining workforce, resuming mass firings less than a week after a federal court ruling granted the The President administration leeway in setting staff levels. Multiple agency sources said staff members had begun receiving formal notices on Thursday afternoon. A CFPB spokesperson confirmed the agency was moving to fire roughly 1,500 people across core divisions, including enforcement and supervision, leaving only 200 staff. Fox Business had earlier reported those numbers. The workforce action comes in the middle of legal action brought by an employee union and consumer advocates working to prevent what they said was the agency’s illegal destruction. In an emergency motion filed Thursday evening, lawyers for an employee union and consumer advocates told a federal judge the CFPB was flouting court orders requiring a “particularized assessment” prior to any such workforce reductions and that the agency retain enough staff to perform functions required by law. “It is unfathomable that cutting the Bureau’s staff by 90 percent in just 24 hours, with no notice to people to prepare for that elimination, would not ‘interfere with the performance’ of its statutory duties,” they said in the motion. According to one official notice seen by Reuters, the agency said the recipient’s dismissal would take effect in 60 days but that access to internal email systems and IT systems would be cut off on Friday evening. President Donald The President and billionaire adviser Elon Musk called earlier this year for the CFPB’s elimination, accusing it of politicized enforcement, and with a court hearing showing the administration’s initial goal was to shut the agency down entirely. However, administration officials subsequently said the CFPB would continue to exist in some form, noting that The President has nominated a new director. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Created after the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB is the sole federal agency with power to enforce consumer financial laws at nonbank institutions such as mortgage originators and payment services. The agency, long criticized by conservatives, has been facing an onslaught of firings and changes under President Donald The President. An appeals court last week partially reversed a decision handed down by a district court that ordered the administration to halt efforts to fire workers, scrap contracts and close offices. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who championed the creation of the CFPB, earlier this year said no one other than Congress could dismantle the agency and criticized Republican attempts to weaken the agency that has paid $21 billion in financial restitution to thousands of Americans. In a statement, Warren called the mass firings “yet another assault on consumers and our democracy by this lawless Administration.” (Additional reporting and writing by Pete Schroeder) —Douglas Gillison and Tim Reid, Reuters View the full article

The long goodbye to the US-led world order means leaders must tread carefullyView the full article

As the prices on groceries continue to rise, many people might be thinking of growing a vegetable garden for the first time. It can be a great idea, not just because groceries are expensive, but because getting to the store includes soft costs like gas, grocery bags, and time—to say nothing of how wildly empowering it can be to simply walk into your backyard and collect the food you grew yourself. The key to your success here is maximizing the space you have, because gardening has soft costs, too. The fertilizer, water, and of course, your time. You’ve got a limited amount of space to work with, as well, so choosing the right crops to get the maximum amount of food is essential. Maximize the space by growing up and down Kohlrabi grows above ground, but look at all the space left to grow radishes, turnips, and carrots around the kohrabi in the same space. Credit: Amanda Blum You might look at a raised bed and see a simple 4-by-8-foot space, but I see all the vertical space. Beneath the tomatoes lies space for radishes, turnips, and carrots. Peas, beans, and cucumbers grow straight up if supported by a trellis, using almost no square footage of the bed itself. If tomatoes are allowed to sprawl across the bed, they take up a lot of space, but pruned and trellised appropriately, they’ll grow up, leaving room for crops around them. Almost all squash can be trellised to grow upwards. "Cut and come again" crops make the best use of space Credit: Amanda Blum Grow lettuce, celery, chard, and kale because these crops allow you to take leaves or stalks from them without killing the plant—they'll simply grow back. Eventually, the plant will go to seed (it will send up a shoot that will flower, and then that flower will produce seeds, and this process will turn the vegetable bitter), these crops take little time to grow, so they can be quickly replaced. Avoid crops that take up a lot of space for little return Credit: Amanda Blum I only grow cabbage in wintertime—during the summer, I can’t spare the space. Each cabbage plant needs 3 square feet or more, and only produces one head of cabbage, which is cheap to buy at the market. The same is true for broccoli and cauliflower. A single zucchini plant will take over an entire bed, and while it will produce an endless amount of zucchini, it’s usually too much hassle. Corn doesn’t seem like it would require much space, but you need to grow it in blocks of 4 feet by 4 feet in order for it to pollinate. Corn is also such a heavy nitrogen feeder that it will rob all your nearby vegetables of the nitrogen they need to grow. Grow mini vegetables instead of full-size ones Credit: Amanda Blum I recently wrote about growing mini bell peppers instead of full size, since each full-size plant may produce only a few bell peppers, but a mini pepper plant may produce 50. The same is true of eggplants and tomatoes. Planting one cherry or plum tomato plant (I recommend Juliet) will give you a summers-worth of tomatoes to play with rather than waiting for a few full-size tomatoes to ripen. Small eggplants will also ripen over the season, giving you produce to harvest more often. Choose crops that are easy to grow Credit: Amanda Blum Some crops are more finicky than others. It’s hard to screw up lettuce, radishes, or peas, but a lot of things can go wrong before you successfully grow a watermelon or artichoke. Carrots are very hard to germinate, but beets grow for everyone. Choose vegetables that grow quickly Cucumbers are fast crops and can even be grown in bags Credit: Amanda Blum Some vegetables are short crops, meaning they grow quickly, and some are long crops, taking five or six months. Brussels sprouts and parsnips, for instance, take six months to grow, but turnips can be harvested in 60 days. Lettuce, radishes, beets, scallions, spinach, chard, cucumber, green beans, and peas are all examples of short crops. The back of any seed packet (or the plant label on starts) will tell you how long any crop will take to harvest. Stagger your plantingGardens are not a “set it and forget it” project. You need to be constantly inputting (planting) and outputting (harvesting). To keep a small space consistently going, you’ll want to utilize succession planting. Instead of planting peas once, plant them every two weeks so there's always something to harvest. The same is true with almost every crop mentioned above: lettuce, scallions, radishes, beets, turnips, etc. Plant some in week one, and then again in week three, five, and seven. As you pull out older plants, newer plants are already growing. If a plant is struggling, pull it out and try something else—you don’t have the space to let anything linger. View the full article

Friday, April 18, 2025, is Good Friday. But when it comes to what places are open and closed on Good Friday, things can be a bit tricky. That’s because Good Friday is not a federal holiday but a religious one. It’s the Friday before Easter, which is always celebrated on a Sunday. Yet Good Friday is also a state holiday in select states. This means that public institutions may be closed in one state but open in another on Good Friday. Here’s what you need to know about what’s open and closed on Good Friday 2025. Is Good Friday a federal holiday? No. Good Friday is not one of the officially recognized federal holidays. Of the 12 federal holidays in 2025, the last one was Washington’s Birthday on February 17, and the next one will be Memorial Day on May 26. Is Good Friday a state holiday? Yes—in some states, anyway. According to the Federal Times, Good Friday is a recognized state holiday in 12 states: Connecticut Delaware Florida Hawaii Indiana Kentucky Louisiana New Jersey North Carolina North Dakota Texas Tennessee In most of these states, public offices will likely be closed on Good Friday. Are banks open on Good Friday? Yes, most major banks should be operating as normal on Good Friday. This includes banks like Chase, Citibank, PNC, and more. Online banking services will be available via the bank’s website and smartphone apps, in addition to physical bank branches being open. Are ATMs open on Good Friday? Yes. ATMs will be open on Good Friday. However, as it is the start of a holiday weekend for many people, ATMs may get picked over sooner than usual. Is the post office open on Good Friday? Yes, as the United States Postal Service (USPS) is a federal organization, it will be open and operating as normal on Good Friday. This includes both at USPS branches and at home mail delivery. Is mail delivered on Good Friday? Yes. The USPS will deliver mail as normal on Good Friday. Are FedEx and UPS operating on Good Friday? According to FedEx’s holiday schedule, some FedEx delivery services will have a modified schedule on Good Friday, including its FedEx and FedEx Freight services. FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, and FedEx Logistics will be open as normal. UPS says it will be operating pickup or delivery services on Good Friday. It also notes that UPS Store locations will be open. Is the stock market open on Good Friday? No. Major U.S. stock markets will be closed on Good Friday. This includes the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq. Are schools open on Good Friday? Many schools should be closed on Good Friday, but it’s best to check with your school. Despite not being a federal holiday, many public schools choose to be closed on Good Friday. Most private, religious schools will also be closed. Are restaurants open on Good Friday? Most restaurants should be open on Good Friday. This includes well-known chains like McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Arby’s, and Chipotle, which should be open. However, note that some franchise locations could be closed, as Chick-fil-A points out. Likewise, many sit-down restaurants should remain open, but you should call ahead first to make sure. Are retail stores open on Good Friday? A majority of big-box retail stores will be open on Good Friday. This includes major chains like Target, Costco, Best Buy, and Walmart. Are pharmacies open on Good Friday? You can expect most pharmacies to be open on Good Friday, including those found in Walgreens. However, pharmacies may have adjusted hours on Good Friday. It’s best to check with your preferred pharmacy to confirm their hours on Good Friday. Are grocery stores open on Good Friday? Many regional grocery store chains should be open on Good Friday. However, they may have reduced hours. It’s best to check with your grocery store directly to see what their operating hours are on Good Friday. View the full article

Hello! Next Thursday, April 24, I’ll be moderating two fireside chats—with Runway cofounder Alejandro Matamala Ortiz and F-35 pilot Justin “Hasard” Lee—at Artist and the Machine’s AI & Creativity Summit in Brooklyn. The event promises to be an invigorating exploration of the intersection of technology and art from multiple perspectives, and I hope to see some of you there. Sam Altman wants to build a social network. Given the OpenAI CEO’s unbridled ambition—and the potential to turn 400 million ChatGPT users into some semblance of a community—it would be weird if he didn’t. And the timing makes sense: On Tuesday, The Verge’s Kylie Robison and Alex Heath reported that OpenAI is looking to capitalize on the new ChatGPT image-generating features that have already been going viral on other networks since arriving late last month. Whether the company plans to fold social aspects into ChatGPT itself or create a new app remains to be seen. The news of Altman’s interest in bootstrapping an OpenAI social network around ChatGPT came less than three weeks after Elon Musk announced that his AI company, xAI, had acquired his social network, Twitter X for $45 billion. It’s still unclear whether this move amounts to more than the world’s richest man shuffling assets around the way you or I might rearrange our shelf of Funko figures; after all, xAI’s Grok chatbot already occupied prime real estate inside the X app. But xAI, whose wellspring of AI technology and talent is, by all accounts, formidable, now owns a decent-size (if reputationally challenged) online community. That gives it access to hundreds of millions of potential customers, plus a vast, endlessly replenished stream of content it can use to train its algorithms. The potential to do interesting things is there, if Musk can divert his attention from dismantling civic institutions for a moment or two. Even if it’s obvious why OpenAI and xAI might want to meld their respective generative AI engines with social platforms, it won’t be easy. Consider what’s going on at Meta, which has more social-network users than any other company and owns a top-tier LLM, Llama. So far, AI’s impact on Facebook has been to junk up feeds with spam posts about imaginary people and pointless interjections from the Meta AI bot. If there’s a way for the technology to make itself welcome in a communal setting, it probably doesn’t look anything like this. For all the ways generative AI is astounding—it recently coded my dream app for me—social networking may be one of the tougher assignments for it to crack productively. The technology excels at churning out lowest-common-denominator content, but online gathering places need less of that, not more. Nor does its uncanny glibness mean it’s ready to join conversations the way humans do. Using machine vision, for example, the Meta AI bot can suss out the gist of a posted image, but that has little to do with whether it can say anything interesting about it. In my encounters, the conversation starters it’s generated have been stultifyingly synthetic. Still, when I heard about OpenAI’s social aspirations, my instinct was to be intrigued rather than repelled. For one thing, many of us have spent the last few years obsessing over the company’s tools and sharing our creations: I started tweeting DALL-E 2 oddities in August 2022, months before there was a ChatGPT. The company should be able to facilitate that discussion by building some community infrastructure of its own, such as ways to post items for public consumption and comment. I’ve been disappointed by its failure to do much with the store for custom GPT applets it launched in January 2024, which could have been a springboard for features that let ChatGPT users talk to each other. The vitality of its newest image-generation technology is an even better such opportunity. More socially aware AI products might also help counteract the AI’s tendency to suck users down rabbit holes of solitude. Recent research conducted by OpenAI itself suggests that heavy ChatGPT users tend to be lonely, though it’s unclear whether that’s because the chatbot fosters loneliness or simply a sign that lonely people are drawn to it. Either way, I find my own jags with AI chatbots to be both addictive and isolating in a way that doesn’t feel entirely healthy—at least when I discover I’m still at it an hour or two after I meant to go to bed. Anything that nudged AI devotees back toward engaging with society couldn’t hurt. Part of my measured willingness to believe OpenAI could construct a worthwhile social network—maybe, in theory, if we’re lucky—stems from the fact that the company has shown it can create software that’s pleasant to use. Any community it built would be a fresh start, which is not true of xAI/X and Meta, both of which are cobbling together AI experiences atop social platforms that are well into middle age, and showing it. That guarantees nothing: Google+ was also quite pleasant but couldn’t overcome Facebook’s deeply entrenched place in people’s lives, particularly at that time. But an OpenAI social network wouldn’t have to displace Facebook to have value. In fact, the less Facebook-like it was, the better the argument for it existing at all. If OpenAI’s project turns out to be a soon-abandoned lark rather than a top priority, somebody else might give AI a measure of social grace. For instance, Microsoft consumer AI chief Mustafa Suleyman recently told me that the company is working on priming its Copilot companion to participate in conversations with multiple humans at once, with a sensitivity to their varying interests and attitudes. Or maybe a company that doesn’t even exist yet will do the job—which would make sense, since every social network that has ever mattered has been the brainchild of a tiny startup. The one scenario that seems implausible is that tomorrow’s social experiences won’t have a far heavier element of generative AI than anything that exists today. We already know what can go wrong when they get smooshed together. Fingers crossed we’ll get to see what can go right. You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fast Company‘s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you’re reading it on FastCompany.com—you can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company Facebook Groups are fueling a black market for Uber and DoorDash accounts, says a new report A TTP report finds Meta’s group features are enabling fraud at scale—allowing unvetted drivers to bypass safety protocols on Uber and DoorDash. Read More → ‘I would get way more views if I didn’t help thousands of people’: MrBeast defends his philanthropy‑as‑content strategy The world’s biggest YouTuber posted stats showing his charity videos rank lowest among recent uploads. Read More → How to clean up Google Photos to save space—and money One of the top photo sites starts free but can get expensive as your collection of pictures and videos balloons. Read More → GM just made an EV Corvette concept car. Could it be a new American icon? The Corvette was once a symbol of American progress and industrial might. In the EV age, the car is ripe for reinvention. Read More → TikTok starts testing Footnotes, a new feature that looks a lot like X’s Community Notes TikTok said it will open access to start contributing to Footnotes in the coming months. Read More → This smart Reddit answer engine puts Google Search to shame Ready to get crowdsourced intelligence with next to no effort? Read More → View the full article

Curiosity isn’t just a good personality trait or an indulgence—it’s a leadership superpower. In a business environment where innovation dictates success, curiosity serves as the catalyst for breakthroughs and industry reinvention. Yet, despite its transformative potential, it remains one of the most undervalued tools in leadership today. According to a Harvard Business Review study, curiosity fosters openness and collaboration while reducing decision-making errors. Yet only 24% of organizations actively encourage it, leaving a wealth of untapped potential on the table. The best leaders don’t just seek answers; they reframe problems. Instead of asking, “How do we fix this?” they ask, “What if we reimagine this entirely?” Leaders who embrace this mindset uncover opportunities for reinvention that others overlook because they only focus on immediate challenges. Curiosity begins with observation In the world of art and design, curiosity begins with observation. Georgia O’Keeffe once remarked, “Nobody sees a flower, really—it is so small we haven’t time, and to see takes time.” Her words offer a lesson for leaders: True insight comes from taking the time to observe and understand what others overlook. The design thinking process mirrors this ethos, emphasizing empathy, iteration, and a willingness to embrace failure. Leaders who adopt these principles uncover unmet needs and rethink stagnant paradigms. For instance, I once worked with a biotech executive who revitalized their R&D team with a single question: “What are we missing in the data that could change the trajectory of our discovery?” This curiosity-fueled inquiry led to a cross-disciplinary exploration, resulting in a groundbreaking treatment that shifted the company’s competitive position. Curiosity in action One of my clients is a CTO in the high-tech sector whose team was stuck in a cycle of diminishing returns during a critical product launch. Instead of defaulting to conventional troubleshooting, they asked a provocative question: “What would this look like if we started from scratch?” Initially, the team hesitated, but once framed as a thought experiment, the question sparked a creative dialogue that dismantled assumptions. The result? A novel approach that solved the immediate challenge and laid a foundation for long-term innovation. Another client is a CEO at a multinational organization who embarked on a listening tour to understand their global workforce. They asked a simple yet profound question: “What inspires you to do your best work?” This inquiry revealed a blend of universal motivators and culturally specific insights, enabling the CEO to craft a new, inclusive company mission. The initiative boosted engagement, fostered a sense of belonging, and unified the workforce across continents. A framework for leaders to cultivate curiosity To harness curiosity as a leadership tool, leaders must commit to intentional practices that foster curiosity-driven innovation: Ask Bigger Questions. Shift from tactical fixes to expansive, open-ended questions. Replace “How can we cut costs?” with “How can we create more value with fewer resources?” These questions inspire fresh perspectives and out-of-the-box thinking. Practice Empathetic Observation. Adopt an artist’s lens—taking the time to truly see your team, customers, and market dynamics. Listen deeply and observe without preconceived notions. Empathy is the foundation for uncovering unmet needs and fostering trust. Prototype Curiosity. Treat curiosity like a skill to be honed. Run curiosity workshops where no idea is too wild. Encourage iterative brainstorming and test small ideas before scaling them, creating a low-risk environment for experimentation. Embrace Failure as Discovery. Curiosity-driven leadership requires psychological safety. When teams see failure as a learning opportunity rather than a liability, they are more willing to take risks and innovate. Leaders must model this openness. Stay Open to Being Wrong. Curiosity isn’t about confirming what you already know—it’s about exploring the unknown. The best leaders I have worked with are those willing to challenge their own assumptions and learn from unexpected perspectives. Curiosity doesn’t just spark innovation—it strengthens connections. By demonstrating a genuine interest in your team, their challenges, and their aspirations, you build a culture of trust and collaboration. Leaders who lead with curiosity create workplaces where people feel valued, heard, and inspired to contribute their best. Curiosity allows leaders to navigate complexity with agility and vision in a fast-paced environment. It enables them to ask the questions others avoid, see patterns others miss, and find solutions others never imagine. In doing so, they transform their organizations and the lives of those they lead. One thing is clear: The leaders who thrive will be those who lead with curiosity. The future belongs to those who dare to be curious. View the full article

In Melinda French Gates’s new book, The Next Day, she illuminates the importance of knowing “the story that you are writing for yourself.” After turning 60, leaving The Gates Foundation, and beginning a new chapter in her philanthropy, I was curious about the story that she is authoring. What are French Gates’s new dreams? “My new dreams are to lift women up generationally,” she says. “So, the world is different when my granddaughters enter the workforce. There are barriers that we need to break down, things about women’s health that we should be exploring, and opportunities that are more limited for women. I would love for many of those things to be easier for my granddaughters than they were for me or even my daughters.” A central premise of her book is that: During transitions, “the real work starts the next day.” It’s one that French Gates has fully embodied since departing The Gates Foundation in 2024, which she cofounded and cochaired for over two decades. When she announced her departure in May, she committed an additional $1 billion to advance women’s power and influence (totaling her commitment to $2 billion through her organization Pivotal). In October, they launched a $250 million global open call to fund organizations improving women’s health. Two months later, came a $150 million commitment to remove barriers for women in the workplace. French Gates is just getting started. The Next Day is an intimate portrayal of the transitions that she has faced personally and professionally and a road map to navigate your own. Here, she discusses knowing which dreams to let go of, pausing in the liminal space, and releasing perfectionism. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. In your Stanford commencement speech, you said: “Resist the idea that anything you’ve done here has already locked you into any one path—or any one kind of life or career . . . And be willing to let what you learn shift your thinking about what you’re on this earth to do.” What have you learned about the evolution of one’s purpose? I’ve learned so much. I came out of college thinking I am going to be in tech. I was in tech for nine years. I loved my career. I had no idea that I would go into global health, global development, learning about the U.S. education system, and issues for women. What I’ve learned through that process is that you need to keep an ear open and listen to others along the way. What do they have to teach you? What are they bringing to you? Is there a theme to it? At the same time, you need to listen to your inner voice: What is it calling you to do, even if what it’s calling you to do is hard? I remember when I helped lead a family planning summit in London on behalf of women. I had dinner with a group of women afterwards, most of whom I didn’t know, and they said: There’s so much more to do. It wasn’t at all what I wanted to hear at the time. But, I still listened to what they were telling me. Then, to my own inner voice about: Well, how could I do it? How quickly or slowly should I go? During transitions, you encourage pausing in the liminal space to see what it has to reveal to you. How do you “treat the unfamiliar as a teacher, instead of an enemy”? Being willing to sit there when it’s uncertain or you’re anxious, those are the times that you’re growing. You have to remind yourself: I’m going to learn something here. Our instinct is to rush to the next thing. I’ve seen so many people make that mistake when they’re leaving a career to start something new. They’ll rush to the next thing and pick the wrong thing. Then, they’ll have to change course two years later; Versus stay with it and figure out what you want to do, even when it’s uncomfortable. You write: “Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and the people around you is to have the wisdom to know which dreams to let go of, in order to make room for something new.” What helps you navigate the difficulty of letting go? Naming it out loud: This is hard for me. I think I should let this go. Sometimes, the first thing I do when something bubbles up and I’m like, Hmm, I’m not sure, is write it down. Then, I can’t run away from it. I’ll maybe run away from it for a week or two. Then, you’ll come back and remember. Once I’ve written it down, that seed is there. Then, I let it grow and see where it goes. Do you go back and read what you wrote? Definitely and, in the book, I talk about my Monday walking group. We’ve been walking together for so long now. They’ll say: “Remember when you said this?” We plant pieces of ourselves in those we trust. It’s up to them and us (for people who plant those things in us) to remind ourselves of those things. Returning to the idea of letting go, has there been a time, like leaving The Gates Foundation, when your identity was tied up in what you were leaving? How did you reconcile who you were without it? I’ve wrestled with it many times, leaving the Foundation for sure. But, the biggest time was: I absolutely knew that I was going to leave my career at Microsoft to raise my children; That was my decision. I knew I would go back to work, but it wasn’t until I actually left my job [that I felt it]. I had to leave three weeks early and was on bed rest unexpectedly. Then, I have this baby and I’m totally in love with her. But, all of a sudden it was like: Whoa, who am I without work? I’m a mother, which I always wanted to be and I love this. But, I’m not working. Am I a productive member of society? I used to view work as productive and being home as not productive, which is silly now when I think about it. But, in those times, at least for me, they would become almost a crisis. It was something that I needed to spend time with, work through, and recognize: This is a big shift. You’ll get through it. In writing about perfectionism, you express that you always wanted to do things the “right way,” which was almost always the hard way. How did you rewire that belief and how do you operate differently as a result? It took me a long time to realize: There is no perfect. But, what I do know is: If you’re true to yourself, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I had a speech on a big stage in Geneva. I tripped when I was walking out to the podium. I didn’t fall down all the way. But, I tripped pretty substantially, to the point where I heard people gasp. You look around and realize: There’s a hall of 1,500 people here. But, I’m human. I think my words will still be received. The more I could be vulnerable with and love myself, and the more I could then be vulnerable with other people, it allowed for more space for them and for me—and the perfectionism drops. The last line of that chapter is to “allow yourself to feel the ease of letting go.” What is one step you’d encourage taking to do so? When I’m trying to let go of something, I’ll remember the mistakes I’ve made and try to laugh about them. If I can laugh about some of the mistakes I’ve made over time, then I can let go of the thing that I am trying to hold onto so dearly. I also remember that if you let go of something, it makes space for something else. Sometimes, it’s moving people out of your life. You’re not serving them well or they’re not serving you well. Saying—Well, maybe I don’t see them quite as much—makes space for a new friend or to have time for yourself. You write about a shift in perspective where you no longer prepared for or entered meetings wondering whether you belonged there. How can you overcome imposter syndrome when you’re the youngest person in the room? Reminding yourself: You deserve to be there. You don’t always know how you got there. But, don’t question that. You deserve to be there and you must have something to contribute; Maybe you have a different perspective because you’re younger, your lived experience, or where you grew up. Remind yourself that there are other people at the table who are also feeling that. You feel it inside and think that no one else does. It turns out that most of them, who are honest, feel that way themselves. What was it like when you stopped feeling that way? It’s a relief. It creates more space in your mind to focus on other things or in your life to let go and go: This is who I am. I’ve also learned that I can ask people for help. If you don’t expect yourself to be perfect, you can ask people for what you need or be willing to ask what looks like a dumb question; Sometimes, the question that you’re afraid to ask ends up opening a whole new conversation. I’ve had that happen to me so many times. It’s like: Wow, that worked. So, I’ll try to remember: The previous time you did that, it was an opening. Transitions are an opportunity to evolve yourself. How are you thinking about that as you enter this next chapter? I hope that I’m evolving all the time. I try to think about: At the end of 10 years, what will I be most proud of and glad that I did? If I can take that 10-year horizon, then it’s easier for me to parse how I spend my time. One of the things I’m often saying to myself now is: “You are in a new phase of your career. Make sure you’re bringing in new people and hearing from new voices.” It’s not always easy to meet new people or listen to people who have a different point of view. But, I remember when my mom got to this phase of life, she said to me (and she’s still this way): “I want to learn from young people’s perspectives. Otherwise, if I only have friends who are my age, then I don’t know what’s coming up in society.” So, I’ve been challenging myself in that regard, too: How do I make sure that I am in a setting with younger people? What questions come up? I try to ask a question and let them generate the conversation or topics. During destabilizing times, your voice is a source of stability. What helps you cultivate your sense of inner resource and embody that steadiness? My spiritual group and my quiet time in the morning. Those things help ground me, so that when I am ready to go out and do the work that I try to do in the world or use my voice, I’m hopefully in a centered place. But, you have to be very purposeful about it, because the world can tug on you. Then, you don’t show up at the spiritual group meeting or spend time in quiet in the morning. I encourage people to figure out what’s stilling for them, put away their phone, and get that quiet time. View the full article

Artificial intelligence groups are releasing models for computer programming that are reshaping coding jobsView the full article

Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. Elon Musk’s biggest headache is no secret: It’s Elon Musk. Long a controversial figure, Musk lately seems to have made polarization his central project, from his close alignment with Donald The President and government wrecking-ball efforts to his wild posts on X and personal life. He’s increasingly unpopular. And it’s all done undeniable damage to his flagship consumer-facing enterprise, Tesla. With sales suffering and its cars and dealerships becoming protest targets, it’s now an open question as to whether the pioneering EV maker’s once-enviable brand can be restored. The extent of the damage will be quantified when Tesla reports its first-quarter results next week, but the outlines are clear enough. Sales of Tesla’s flagship vehicles have flagged in Europe and China, and the brand is facing stiffer competition from U.S. rivals; it has already disclosed a 13% plunge in global vehicle deliveries for the quarter. In EV-friendly California, Tesla registrations are down 15%—even as EVs overall rose 7.3%. Tesla trade-ins have soared to a reported 250%, with car-shopper interest in buying a new Tesla at its lowest point in years. The much-hyped Cybertruck has missed sales targets, been subject to a string of recalls, and become a magnet for anti-Musk vandalism. (You know it’s bad when your brand gets attacked at Mardi Gras.) Tesla showrooms have become sites of nationwide “Tesla Takedown” protests that yoke the brand to Musk’s political activities. Its share price has plunged from a high of nearly $490 in December to less than $250 this week. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives recently summarized the upshot as a “brand crisis”: “The more Musk is attached to the The President administration and DOGE, the brand damage goes from containable to permanent,” Ives recently told the Los Angeles Times. “Tesla has become a political symbol around the world and that’s not a good thing.” In a March Yahoo News/YouGov poll, 67% of respondents ruled out owning or leasing a Tesla, with 37% specifically citing Musk as a reason. It’s difficult to find a pure parallel to a past mass-market brand crisis that boils down to widespread contempt for a CEO. But given how singularly the Musk personal brand is intertwined with Tesla’s, the most obvious solution would be to get some daylight between the two. Allen Adamson, cofounder of marketing consultancy Metaforce, recently told NPR that it “would probably be the best thing for the brand” if Musk cashed out of Tesla and walked away. “That’s the only easy fix, which is [Musk saying], ‘I’m selling it; I’m going to focus on other things I’m interested in.’ And the new ownership team is going to keep their eye on the ball.” That’s highly unlikely. David J. Reibstein, a marketing professor at the Wharton School, suggested a similarly extreme strategy to Business Insider: Tesla could change its name and logo and essentially rebuild the brand to appeal to its original customer base, heavily made up of progressives concerned about climate change. As precedent, he pointed to ValuJet Airlines. After one of its planes crashed in Florida in 1996, killing 110 people, it acquired AirTran Airways and dropped the ValuJet name and brand. This also sounds implausible. But it’s worth noting that Musk-founded SpaceX has been notching accomplishments and avoiding pop culture punching-bag status. It is widely seen as the Musk property with the strongest non-Musk manager: president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell, who oversees daily operations. It does seem plausible that if Musk could find a similar figure for Tesla it would at least begin to put some distance between his caustic political views and Tesla’s original innovative and progressive brand. This might also begin to address investor concerns, which include not only the tarnished Tesla brand, but the sense that Musk simply isn’t paying enough attention to it: If the self-proclaimed “nano-manager” has other priorities, it would be reassuring to have someone more focused in the driver’s seat. Or, of course, Musk could simply knock off the political theatrics (he will supposedly leave DOGE in the next month or so) and put in the work to rebuild a connection between Tesla’s brand and the sizable chunk of his potential customer base that he’s alienated. This would take time, and there’s no guarantee it would work. Among other things, it would require really recognizing that the brand is at risk (which he might)—and being transparent about efforts to set it back on course. That’s an almost universal step in the playbook for bouncing back from a brand crisis, as varied as Volkswagen’s 2015 “dieselgate” scandal, which involved manipulating emissions-test results, to H&M releasing a racially offensive ad in 2018. Admit the problem(s), demonstrate how you’re solving them, focus on core values, and recognize that the process will take time. Of course those aren’t pure analogues, as the Musk/Tesla brand challenges are so distinct. Moreover, Musk has historically been skeptical of traditional brand communication, from advertising to press relations, relying on buzz and word of mouth from a zealous customer base. And that strategy has mostly served him well. (Even in their depleted state, Tesla shares are still priced for extreme growth, trading at more than 100 times forward earnings; a chunk of investor fans are no doubt bullish on the company’s robotics and self-driving technology, which are less dependent on consumer brand reputation.) In other words, any strategy that involves acknowledging the crisis, and Musk’s culpability for it, still seems like a long shot for now. To date, Musk has done only what the current political zeitgeist seems to default to lately when faced with undeniable problems: Deny them. View the full article

Plan alarms farmers and other exporters while Beijing warns of higher shipping costs and supply chain disruptionView the full article

When outdoor accessories brand Yeti completed its first major acquisition last year, there were skeptics. After its January 2024 purchase of Bozeman, Montana-based cult bag brand Mystery Ranch, many of that brand’s acolytes feared it would disappear, swallowed by its larger new owner. And second, isn’t this a coffee cup and cooler brand? Not exactly. It’s been almost a decade since Yeti first dropped its first Panga duffel in 2017, and since then it’s branched out to include backpacks, luggage, and more. But the company sees the new Ranchero backpack—the first Yeti product to integrate Mystery Ranch design—that launched in March as a turning point for it to truly become a bags brand instead of just a cooler brand that makes bags. CEO Matt Reintjes says that if you look back at the last decade of Yeti images and films, chances are they include a lot of non-Yeti bags. Because of the brand’s presence across the outdoors, whether hunting, fishing, surfing or skiing, or in camping and BBQ, bags were just a natural presence. So it’s perfectly natural for the company to be expanding its portfolio of bags. “This isn’t just about grabbing something, slapping our brand on it, draining the opportunity, and moving on,” says Reintjes. “We think there’s an incredible opportunity to take what Mystery Ranch has created in its brand, and what Yeti has created, with our brand and our capabilities, and have the best of both worlds.” Yeti has long believed in a low-and-slow approach to expansion, that takes the company into areas that make sense and, more importantly, it has permission to be. It took the same approach to bags, gradually rolling them out over the past eight years. Now, with the Ranchero, the brand is ready to add some swagger. No more dabbling The original Yeti bags were a natural extension of their founding product, the indestructible cooler for outdoor adventure. The Panga duffel and backpack were fully submersible, waterproof packs. Yeti’s head of marketing Bill Neff says that even though the brand has a pretty big portfolio of bags, it’s always been seen as dabbling in the category. “For the people that know we make these bags, they’ve been really successful for us,” says Neff. “We just have never taken it overly seriously. Now, with the Ranchero, we’re going to talk about bags like we do coolers and drinkware. This is the flag we’re planting in the ground.” It’s a flag in the ground, but the brand is still doing it the Yeti way. Don’t expect a Super Bowl ad. Instead, it’s about showing up in places that add credibility along with exposure. In 2023, the brand signed a licensing deal with F1’s Oracle Red Bull Racing, and now outfit the entire team’s luggage and bags. Neff says they’re also taking bags to ambassador deals. “We have ambassadors that personify who we are as a brand, but they’d be using North Face or Patagonia bags on-camera from other deals,” says Neff. “But a lot of them would use Pangas off camera. So we’re at a point now where our contracts include the bags category.” Mystery Ranch Lives Often when a smaller brand is acquired by a larger one, its value is in the expertise and IP, but the brand name is eventually phased out. Even at Yeti, this has happened with its 2024 acquisition of cast-iron pan brand Butter Pat. Reintjes says that this is not the company’s goal or intention with Mystery Ranch. While the new Ranchero backpack is the first Yeti product to utilize Mystery Ranch design IP, the Mystery Ranch brand is still alive and well. Reintjes says that one of the things that attracted him to Mystery Ranch was its origin story. Founded by Dana Gleason and Renée Sippel-Baker in 2000, it quickly became known for its focus on pushing the edges of design and development for gear in extreme environments. The brand will still live on in creating specialty gear for military and firefighting. “Mystery Ranch has really established itself in that world, and that’s that place we’re excited about where it can grow,” says Reintjes. “And on the broader, outdoor, everyday adventure travel side, the Yeti brand really fits in. So we think they’re really complimentary.” Deposits and withdrawals Yeti has managed to maintain an incredibly strong brand connection to its roots, despite becoming a public company in 2018. But quarterly demands haven’t altered the brand’s commitment to growing at a natural pace and in areas it has already an established presence. “We feel very fortunate that we have built a brand umbrella that’s much wider than the product portfolio that we have today,” says Reintjes. “So the privilege and permission to expand the product portfolio underneath the Yeti brand, that we work hard to earn from our consumers, puts us in a position where we have a lot of ideas on where we can go.” An example of this approach is surfing. Yeti didn’t just jump in and sponsor the World Surf League or pro surfers like John John Florence. Its connection began as surfers were using its products while fishing and cooking outdoors. It became a natural place to expand. The acquisition of Butter Pat, and subsequent launch of Yeti cast-iron pan, came from its BBQ and cooking ambassadors. “From an acquisition perspective, we tend to think about it as, Are we making deposits on the brand or are we pulling out from it?” says Reintjes. “Sometimes you’re drawing on the brand to help establish it somewhere, but we’re almost always looking to add to it. I think what happens when you start cashing out a brand, it just gets more and more generic. It gets less and less loved. So we’re always asking, are we making it more rich, are we making it more deep and more connected?” View the full article

I’m a journalist, and the first 30 minutes of my day used to be spent mainlining newsfeeds. Now, more often than not, it’s dedicated to LinkedIn. Such is the natural course of technology; I seek an engaged audience for pieces built on considered thought. And I discovered the pseudo social network that I’d once found cringe is actually full of smart people—who crop up if I’m willing to spend a bit of extra time sharing my writing with them. We are now in the era of the AI-born LinkedIn expert. Their mastery is dropping a story into ChatGPT and asking for a perky LinkedIn post summarizing it. (LinkedIn even has its own AI writing assistant that encourages people to “Rewrite with AI” to serve up this slop.) They snatch the thoughts and research of others, reconstitute it, and present it as their own. Even when they source a link, the new work is still oddly pre-chewed. A steak transformed into mechanically processed meat. But honestly, it’s not the plagiarism lite that gets to me most. And LinkedIn is hardly the only spot you’ll find people publishing AI-drafted copy. Beyond the Great Truncation at the heart of Zoom meeting summaries, I can tell the pitch emails I receive are increasingly written with the help of AI, while companies like Microsoft promote Copilot to help write corporate memos (and LinkedIn posts!). It seems every designer I know is using AI to write about their projects, and Canva just unveiled tools to batch write ads for you in about every language on earth. This is all *fine* [the room around me beginning to smoke but not in full flames yet]. Not every pitch deck needs to be a Shakespearean sonnet. Even language specialists will tell you that a lot of writing is formulaic, which is a reason why predictive autocomplete technologies have been so accurate for so long. I used to fear that AI would trap each of us into our own universe. Now I’m imagining a future that’s far more mundane. It’s one where I use AI to write you a thing. Then you have your AI summarize it. Then you have your AI write back. And then my AI summarizes it. Why wasn’t it all just summarized in the first place? Does anyone need to have a full thought ever again? Don’t take me as some Luddite denying the current impact or supreme possibilities lurking inside generative AI. We consolidated all our knowledge into the internet, which we used to train humanity’s synthesizer. Life is gonna be messy for a while. But I’m not just a curmudgeonly old writer who is threatened by a machine that can pump out copy even faster than I can. (And ask my editors; I’m lightning.) What is so insulting to me about those AI-written messages is that they take less time and consideration to produce than they do to consume. You are, by the nature of sharing these automated words, signaling to me that you care less about my time and attention than you do your own. Of course you’re free to believe that as much as you like—in your own head. Just don’t drop it into my inbox or feed. Because that’s rude. In a way, an AI-generated image or advertisement is less offensive to me, because we look at most digital ads for a second or less (with a mere 4% commanding our attention for a full two). To everyone in marketing and graphic design, please do not cancel your weekend plans to get 10 additional microseconds of my engagement! Who cares? (Apologies, I really do enjoy a great ad.) Reading simply takes longer than visual processing. It inherently asks more of an audience. Presenting a friend or colleague with a note an AI wrote is like inviting them over for dinner and microwaving a Stouffer’s. An AI post on LinkedIn is bringing that same microwaved dinner to a potluck. You should be embarrassed in either case! Not by your lack of skill or practice in putting together words, but your lack of respect for not even trying. Now, in full fairness, I will acknowledge that this faux pas is not all your fault. The omnipresent do-anything button of AI is certainly tempting. And companies including OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft are encouraging such behavior while hoping to prove out their investment in AI tools. They will addict us to automation even when it’s uncouth because there’s no business plan in the world built on moderation. The truth, however, is if something isn’t worth you writing it, there’s about no way in hell it’s worth me reading it. View the full article

If you’ve ever been to a Nashville honky-tonk, you’ve witnessed the chorus of cowboy boots, the thrumming acoustic guitars, the roadhouse neon, the Stetsons, the buoyant bourbon-and-barbecue-fueled energy. You probably wouldn’t describe this scene as simply “a bar.” And yet, if you’re blind or have low vision and happen to use a screen reader to read the alt text of a photo of a honky-tonk, that’s likely the description you would get: “This is an image of a bar.” “The current [state of alt text] is pretty abysmal, just to be quite candid. It’s almost a bit ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ literally and figuratively,” says Josh Loebner, creative marketing agency VML’s global head of inclusive design, who also happens to be blind. “Images create another layer of depth to what narrative is on a website, regardless of what it is—but particularly for travel and tourism.” This led VML and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to launch Sound Sites—an initiative to replace the alt text on the state’s official tourism website with lyrical verse from one of Tennessee’s best natural resources: songwriters. Now, no longer is a photo of King’s Palace Cafe in Memphis “an image of a person playing guitar in a bar.” Rather, as songwriters David Tolliver and Billy Montana put it: There’s blues singing off the strings of Lucille, Ringing down the black top and sidewalks of Beale, The soul of BB King is present and real, The songs seem to find you and know how you feel. Kix Brooks Tuning up Often, Loebner says, accessible design is regarded as a matter of “checking the box.” It’s treated as an afterthought that doesn’t involve any semblance of creativity. But alt text is competing with vivid sensorial power. When someone sees a photo, “in an instant, they not only distill the information, but in travel and tourism, it starts to put them in that place . . . them stepping into those mountains, walking a trail where they can have a beautiful scenic vista, or sitting in front of a stage hearing an artist play their favorite song,” he says. It takes creativity to bring an image to life in the truncated space of descriptive text, which best practices place at around 125 characters. If there’s a group of people who excel at working in those tight borders, it’s songwriters. Loebner acknowledges that VML could have hired copywriters, but the state’s heritage of songwriters was too perfect an opportunity to pass up. “Our tagline for the state is “Sounds Perfect.” And if you think about it, if an image doesn’t have an alt text associated with it, it really doesn’t sound perfect to people who are blind or partially sighted,” Loebner says. “A songwriter, at their core, is about putting words together in very evocative, sublime ways that really nobody else can do.” Loebner says when VML brought the idea to Tennessee officials roughly six weeks ago, they loved it. So far they’ve worked with a dozen songwriters, including Kix Brooks of the musical duo Brooks & Dunn; the aforementioned David Tolliver (who has written for the likes of Tim McGraw, Wynonna Judd, and others) and Billy Montana (Garth Brooks, Sara Evans); and Hilary Williams (granddaughter of country music legend Hank Williams Sr.). VML paired them with people from the blind communities to collaborate, converse, and help get a sense of the challenges and barriers of generating image descriptions for alt text. “Pun intended, it opened up the songwriters’ eyes to seeing how their verse could be used in quite a unique way that hadn’t been considered before,” Loebner says. Noodling around on their instruments, the songwriters have added lyrical alt text to several hundred images, with the hope of reaching a thousand as a benchmark. And while this all makes for a great PR/marketing story for VML and the state, it’s one that reaches far beyond the initial buzz. Loebner says the goal is to expand the scope of the project, continuing to recruit songwriters to create alt text for a variety of uses, from social campaigns to video ads and more. Jana Jackson AN ACCESSIBLE SOLUTION The project has been dubbed a first of its kind for the tourism industry. And that tracks: Loebner says accessible design is often regarded as an insurmountable mountain, where everything must be done in one fell swoop across the board. But he believes that any element of progress is progress. He adds that it’s also thought to be time-consuming and expensive, but as this project shows, it can be done quickly. “I can guarantee it will not break any bank of any travel or tourism department,” he says. Of course, weak image descriptions are an issue in most industries, and song lyrics obviously aren’t a universal panacea. Image descriptions at large just need to be more evocative about telling stories in a succinct way for the benefit of all—and Sound Sites serves as a powerful reminder that innovative solutions are needed for a potent problem. Loebner says 93% of all websites have at least one page that doesn’t include any descriptive text, and many others lack quality image descriptions, if they have them at all. Which can be utterly detrimental to not just planning a vacation—but major life decisions at large. “Think about a young person who is considering college, and they’re blind and they want to know what college to go to. If that college doesn’t have accessible websites or immersive alt text, then that college may be passed over. Or think about different careers,” he says. “We all want to dream. And when there’s inaccessibility as a barrier, that could diminish dreams. We want to be able to open the aperture, to hopefully allow everybody, whether they’re blind or not, to be able to dream bigger.” View the full article

Six hours after OpenAI’s launch of GPT-4.1, Sam Altman was already apologizing. This time, it wasn’t about hallucinations or bias or Scarlett Johansson. No, it was about the model name. GPT-4.1 seemed nonsensical to many, difficult to parse from their already launched models like GPT-4o and GPT-4.5. “How about we fix our model naming by this summer and everyone gets a few more months to make fun of us (which we very much deserve) until then?” Altman wrote. Streamers take the brunt of the internet’s name-mocking: Are you a Hulu, Tubi, or Fubo subscriber? But AI companies are just as bad, if not worse. Their model names are often incoherent and unmemorable. From Sonnet to Llama, AI companies have a branding problem of their own creation. The history of bad AI model names OpenAI chose a numeric naming system for their models. This streamlined their products, moving from GPT-1 to GPT-2, GPT-3, and eventually GPT-4. Now, instead of continuing their linear progression, OpenAI is launching models within the GPT-4 umbrella. First, there was GPT-4o (as in “omni”), then GPT-4.5. Now, they’ve reversed back to GPT-4.1. Users are left not knowing which models do what, or which is the most recent. Anthropic was founded by OpenAI alums—and they have the same problem with model naming. They’ve now moved to decimals, tracking from Claude 1 to 2 to 3, before pivoting to 3.5 and 3.7. Worse, their individual models are named after literary works: Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku. Naming your models after a creative class you threaten to displace is an act of cruelty. Google named its model Gemini because of the “dual-natured personality” of the zodiac sign. The choice is sweetly symbolic—until you realize Google is calling its chatbot two-faced. Iterations of Gemini also come in decimals, but at least they’re consistent in moving in halves, from 1.0 to 1.5 to 2.0 to 2.5. But they also have addendums like Flash, Flash-Lite, Pro, Ultra, and Nano—terms that are minimally descriptive. But Meta is the worst among them. They chose to name their family Llama—or originally LLaMA, short for Large Language Model Meta AI, though the capitalization has been mostly given up on. It’s an overly smiley, somewhat cloying choice. No, Meta’s family of LLMs is not a petting zoo. Moreover, their individual models are named things like Scout and Maverick, because Meta seems to think their AI needs to sound like Top Gun movies. What should an AI company look like? A model name should have some basic tenets. It should show the company’s progress, and allude to the model’s use cases. (For how confusing GPT-4o was, the “omni” did demonstrate its value, which was that it was multimodal.) But the model names are also a prime opportunity for branding. The AI companies knew as much when they were first launching. The initial race was between DeepMind and OpenAI, both of whom’s names reflected their positions. DeepMind was “deep,” placing their tech at a high value as they raced towards AGI. OpenAI was “open,” centering transparency for the then-nonprofit. When Anthropic came around, promising to produce more ethical AI, they centered the human in their name. Model names can do the same. They don’t need to be zodiac signs and poems, farm animals and number splatters. These models can present their companies’ futures; they just need to pivot. View the full article

US secretary of state says Washington will focus on ‘other priorities’ if war cannot be ended soonView the full article

Beth Kaplan is a belonging researcher and advocate. She has spent her career studying how people construct their sense of belonging. With more than two decades of experience as an executive and having conducted research into workplace trauma, she is a sought-after consultant for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, government, and educational institutions that seek to improve their retention and culture. What’s the big idea? Braving the workplace means showing up as yourself—every single day—in a world that constantly tells you to be someone different. Too many of us feel unseen, undervalued, and unhappy at work. It’s time to stop shrinking and molding to keep your seat at the table. Managers need to create environments where employees thrive because they feel that they are enough, exactly as they are. Below, Kaplan shares five key insights from her new book, Braving the Workplace: Belonging at the Breaking Point. Listen to the audio version—read by Kaplan herself—in the Next Big Idea App. 1. The opposite of belonging is fitting in. Belonging is the innate desire to be part of something larger than ourselves without sacrificing who we are. It’s not just about being included; it’s about knowing you can show up as yourself without fear of rejection or exclusion. Belonging is something individuals determine for themselves. It can’t be imposed from the outside. It must be felt, experienced, and owned internally. Only you can decide if you belong. For years, we’ve been conditioned to believe that fitting in is the same as belonging. But fitting in is the opposite of belonging because if all you’re doing is adapting, molding, and minimizing yourself to be accepted, you are sacrificing your core self. True belonging requires no self-sacrifice. It doesn’t demand that you compromise who you are to stay employed, be liked, or get ahead. Instead, it means showing up as yourself, fully and authentically, and knowing that you are valued—not in spite of who you are, but because of it. The problem? Most workplaces reward fitting in more than they foster belonging. They encourage employees to blend in, conform, and “play the game” rather than create environments where people feel safe enough to be real. But if you must change yourself to belong, you don’t belong. When organizations use harmful phrases like, “We’re a family,” even when well-intended, they create unrealistic expectations for emotional loyalty and sacrifice. Families are built on unconditional love, but workplaces operate on performance, roles, and shifting priorities. Fitting into a family is natural—you’re born or welcomed into it. But fitting in at work? That often means conforming, suppressing parts of yourself, or overextending just to feel secure. Work is not family—it’s a professional environment where people collaborate to achieve shared goals. Blurring these lines erodes boundaries, makes it harder for employees to advocate for themselves, and pressures them to prove their worth through overwork and self-sacrifice. Real belonging isn’t earned through self-sacrifice; it’s built through trust, respect, and the freedom to show up fully. When workplaces prioritize fitting in over true belonging, they create environments where people feel like they have to perform instead of participate and conform instead of contribute. Real belonging doesn’t ask you to shrink. 2. The most common workplace trauma is belonging uncertainty. Let’s talk about something happening in every office, Slack channel, and Zoom call: belonging uncertainty. Belonging uncertainty is that nagging voice in your head asking, Do I really belong here? Do they see me? Do they even want me here? It’s when your ideas get dismissed in meetings, when you’re passed over for projects without explanation, when your workplace says they care about diversity, but no one in leadership looks like you. This low-grade, everyday questioning of your worth is workplace trauma. And it has real consequences. Employees who feel uncertain about their belonging don’t just wonder about it—they feel it in their bodies. It leads to self-silencing, disengagement, burnout, anxiety, depression, and even an increased risk of heart disease. When we experience belonging uncertainty, our bodies react as if we are under threat. Cortisol levels spike, heart rates increase, and our nervous system shifts into fight, flight, or freeze mode. This isn’t just an emotional response—it’s a physiological one. Our brains perceive exclusion the same way they perceive physical pain, activating the same neural pathways. Over time, this stress response can lead to long-term health consequences. When belonging feels fragile, our bodies stay on high alert, making it harder to focus, collaborate, and bring our best selves to work. Belonging is a biological need. People don’t innovate in rooms where they feel invisible and uncertain. They don’t take risks when failure feels like proof they don’t belong. They shrink. They check out. And eventually, they walk away. If companies want to retain their best people, they need to stop assuming everyone feels like they belong and start earning that trust every day, clearing up and mitigating the risks of belonging uncertainty before it has a chance to take over. 3. More than anything, employees want managers to care. Employees don’t leave companies. They leave managers who don’t care. In fact, a manager is the number one influence on an employee’s sense of belonging. Research shows that a person’s manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist, doctor, or even their spouse. When a manager creates psychological safety, recognizes contributions, and treats employees with dignity, people feel seen and valued. But when a manager ignores them, criticizes without support, or withholds opportunities, it erodes belonging at the deepest level. Care is kindness, but it’s also candor. Care is support, but it’s also accountability. Care is saying an employee’s name in a room full of decision-makers when they’re not there to advocate for themselves. Care isn’t just about being nice. Great leaders know that care isn’t just about checking in—it’s about showing up in ways that actually make a difference. 4. How can leaders create environments of care in the workplace? Expand the notion of Care as Kindness: Create a safe space where people feel seen, valued, and respected. It’s taking the time to ask, “How are you really doing?” and actually listening to the answer. Check in beyond the deadlines and deliverables. Another way to expand care is to look at Care as Candor—telling people the truth—because you want them to succeed. Dodging tough conversations isn’t kindness; it’s avoidance. If you’re not coaching your people with honest, constructive feedback, you’re not leading them. Giving honest feedback helps people grow. Finally, managers can execute Care as Advocacy. This is where the rubber meets the road. Care is mentorship, sponsorship, and ensuring your people get the visibility they deserve. If your employees are only being noticed when they fight for themselves, you’re not leading—you’re making them do all the work. If you’re a leader, ask yourself: When was the last time you made someone on your team feel seen? Supported? Invested in? If you don’t know the answer, it’s time to rethink how you lead. 5. Belonging is personal. When companies try to force belonging, it makes employees feel like they’re the problem if they are not feeling it. Instead of creating real connection, it pressures employees to fake it. Belonging is deeply personal. It’s not a policy, slogan, or mandatory team bonding exercise. It’s something that happens when employees feel cared for, seen, heard, and valued. It’s built through trust, psychological safety, and real relationships—not performative culture-building. A company says, “You belong here!” It’s in onboarding speeches, town halls, and posters on the walls. The message is clear: belonging is non-negotiable here. But belonging can’t be imposed. It’s not something a company can announce into existence or demand employees accept. It’s something we feel—not something we’re told. If companies want to stop imposing belonging and start earning it, they need to: Create psychological safety. Make it okay to say, “I’m not feeling a sense of belonging right now.” Ditch the blanket statements. Instead of saying, “You all belong here,” ask, “What does belonging look like for you?” Train managers to be belonging leaders. They have the greatest impact—they must learn to recognize when employees feel unseen or disengaged. Understand the belonging spectrum. Not everyone seeks deep personal meaning at work. Allow for different levels of connection without penalizing employees who need less. It’s time to build workplaces where belonging isn’t conditional or imposed—it’s real, earned, and deeply felt. When employees are forced to perform belonging rather than experience it, they smile, nod, and show up to team events, but inside, they’re thinking, I don’t belong, but I can’t say that out loud. This creates workplace Duck Syndrome: On the surface, employees appear calm, engaged, and aligned, but underneath, they’re frantically paddling just to keep up the illusion. Faking belonging is exhausting. It leads to burnout, disengagement, and resentment. When belonging is real, people thrive. When it’s imposed, people check out. It’s time we do better. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

Need a train station shelter in a hurry? You can now print that. In Arida, Japan, a Japanese architectural firm and 3D-printed house manufacturer partnered with JR-West, a railway network, to build what they claim is the world’s first 3D-printed train station. Assembled in less than six hours between the station’s last train of the night and first train of the following morning, it’s a promising first look at how infrastructure improvements might be done faster and cheaper. The station is the work of the 3D-printed house manufacturer Serendix and the architecture studio Neuob. It’s made from four 3D-printed mortar pieces that were printed offsite and filled with concrete for reinforcement before being assembled. The final building footprint is just more than 100 square feet, and replaces an older wooden shelter at Japan’s Hatsushima Station outside Osaka. While the facade is in place on site, the overall structure is still a work in progress as ticket machines and transportation card readers still have to be installed ahead of its official July opening. The shelter’s pieces were purposefully printed so that the indention between each printed layer would be vertical rather than horizontal when assembled. This reduces “the visibility of rain streaks and improves the building’s maintenance properties,” the company told Dezeen. The construction style also allows manufacturers to embed custom embellishments into a wall as it is produced; in this case a mandarin orange shape representative of local produce in the region. This isn’t Serendix’s first 3D structure within tight time constraints: The company also built a 3D-printed house called “Sphere” in 2022 in just under 24 hours. With this 3D-printed train station, the company proves how fast workers can install a prefabricated building. It also builds proof of concept for a new paradigm about construction that’s faster and cheaper in a time of rising costs. With construction needs for buildings like new homes or repairs on aging infrastructure on the rise, 3D-printed buildings could provide builders with cheaper and faster building methods and materials to meet demand. View the full article

Today’s corporate job market presents serious challenges for recent college grads. In part, that’s because the job market is difficult for everyone. But it’s also because entry-level job seekers don’t have as much experience and must work harder to show why their skill set and background makes them a good fit for a role. I recently reached out to Katie Smith, who offers career guidance for young professionals on her site Get a Corporate Job. She encourages students to take the following steps to land their first full-time position—and others to come. 1. UNDERSTAND THE JOBS LISTED First, begin with a deep dive into the jobs that interest you. You may have a major in English or Psychology, but of course “these subject areas do not correlate with job descriptions like ‘customer success manager’ or ‘product manager,’” says Smith. The key, Smith says, “is to understand what the job is before applying for it.” To do this, you’ll need to talk to people who can tell you about the role—ideally people in your network who may be in that industry or may have held that specific job title. After all, you can’t sell yourself into a role you don’t understand. Unless you fully understand what that position requires, you won’t be able to customize your résumé or prepare for an interview. Once you know the nature of the job, you can think about how it links with your education and experience. 2. FOCUS ON A FEW APPS Second, be selective. Though it’s tempting to send out your résumé far and wide, Smith suggests that you apply for no more than three jobs at any one time. “Recent grads often think they should apply for everything in sight,” she says. “So, they send the same résumé to everyone and then wonder why they are not getting the job.” Her advice is to take a more focused approach. By limiting the number of jobs you apply for, you can spend more time on each application, and make clear why you have what it takes to succeed in the role. 3. CUSTOMIZE EACH RÉSUMÉ It’s important to customize every résumé you send out, says Smith. So, if you have chosen to respond to three postings with three different job titles, craft three separate résumés. “A ‘digital marketing specialist’ and a ‘brand marketing specialist’ might sound similar, but they are not the same job,” says Smith. Each résumé should show how well-suited you are for the role you are applying for. (For more on crafting job-specific résumés, check out my latest book, The Job Seeker’s Script, which has a chapter on constructing “A Winning Résumé.”) 4. STRUCTURE YOUR RÉSUMÉ EFFECTIVELY Before sending off your customized résumé, give some thought to its format. Put your contact information at the very top. Then comes the Summary Statement describing your fit for the job. It might read: “With my two summer internships and a broad array of courses in data management, I have the experience and education that will enable me to succeed in this new role.” The important thing is to align this statement with the job you are applying for. Instead of creating a Work History section, have an “Experience” section. Smith says to include both paying and nonpaying work that is relevant for the job. If you’ve set up a database for a local basketball league, that’s relevant for a job in data management. Serving as a lifeguard for two summers is probably beside the point, however. Put your most recent work first. Then comes the “Education” section where you include your degrees and certifications and relevant academic accomplishments. Highlight courses important to the job you are applying for. Your résumé should be one page. 5. DON’T BE AFRAID TO GET CREATIVE As a recent grad you’ll want to position yourself in a way that makes you stand out. “When submitting your application or showing up for the interview, do a little more than others do,” says Smith. This could take the form of a PowerPoint presentation or a video that demonstrates your special qualities. For example, if you are applying for a sales job, the video could illustrate how you would pitch a product to a client. Or it might introduce you to the hiring staff. “I even created a website for every job I applied for,” says Smith. “I titled these websites with the name of the company: company@hireskatie.com. These websites showed that I would go the extra distance for them. I got job offers as a result.” As a graduating student, you may not have the track record of someone who has been building a career for decades. But these strategies will help you land that first entry-level job and put you on the road to career success. View the full article

Standstill shows how Sino-American trade war has spilled into energy sectorView the full article