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As the geographic center of Indianapolis, Monument Circle is in many ways the heart of the city. The 284-foot Soldiers and Sailors Monument towering in the middle is a beloved local landmark, and the plaza and fountain around its base has been a gathering place since it opened in 1902. But the way most people experience it is through the window of a car. Monument Circle is technically a traffic circle, which means the center of the city is little more than a place for cars to drive. The past couple of years, however, have shown another possibility. Since 2023, from June through November, part of the traffic circle has been closed to cars and converted into Spark on the Circle, a pop-up park that has activated the space and brought tens of thousands of pedestrians downtown. Created by the nonprofit art and design organization Big Car Collaborative in partnership with several local agencies, Spark on the Circle turns a quarter of the circle into an activated public space, with Astroturf covering the roadway, shade structures, games, vendors, and stages for performances. Now the landscape architects who designed the park are working on a plan that could make the pop-up permanent. Merritt Chase, a firm based in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, has been involved in shaping Monument Circle for several years through its work on the downtown resiliency strategy launched by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett in 2022. One plan arising from the strategy calls for a renewed focus on improving walkability downtown and creating more public space for an emerging residential population. Spark on the Circle, and Merritt Chase’s design for it, was created to turn Monument Circle into a destination rather than something most people simply drive past. Historic Monument Circle: Soldiers and Sailors Monument, circa 1950 [Photo: W.H. Bass Photo Co., Indiana Historical Society] “There’s been so much history there, protests and demonstrations, parades, festivals, and just the everyday life of the city that passed through that space. There have always been questions around the identity of the circle, the use of the circle, the future potential of the circle,” says Chris Merritt, cofounder of Merritt Chase. “Over the last couple of years, the temporary park we’ve put out there has definitely been a successful case study of new ways to reimagine and use the circle. So we’re building on that to continue to think about what a future permanent plan might be for the circle.” [Rendering: courtesy Merritt Chase] Merritt Chase has just been awarded an 18-month fellowship to further explore ideas for redesigning or reusing Monument Circle. The firm is one of 10 fellows supported by Emerson Collective, a philanthropy started by Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple’s Steve Jobs. The 2025 cohort of fellows, announced this week, is focused on local leadership and community-centered place-based work, according to Patrick D’Arcy, senior director of fellowships at Emerson Collective. “We really respect [Merritt Chase’s] community-centered approach. They believe that successful public projects require more than just really beautiful design; they also require community trust and collaboration and relationship building,” says D’Arcy. “Their vision for a more utilized and joyful Monument Circle is really inspiring.” [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] A circle for the city Preparations for this summer’s iteration of Spark on the Circle are still underway, but it’s expected to open in June. Megan Vukusich is director of the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development, and though she says there is currently no funding or official plan in place to make the pop-up park a permanent one, the visitation numbers suggest strong community interest. According to a report from Big Car Collective, the 2024 iteration of the park saw more than 71,000 visitors, with more than 400 on an average day. More than 80% of visitors spent 30 minutes or more at the park, and 30% went to a restaurant or did shopping downtown after leaving. [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] “We don’t want people to come and snap a quick photo. We’d like them to stay, maybe check out some of the local shops. These metrics are showing us that it is having an impact on the larger community,” Vukusich says. “Having activations such as Spark gives us a little bit more insight into what the community is looking for.” It’s also a reflection of the changing shape of downtown Indianapolis. Like many city centers, it was deeply affected by the pandemic, with many companies shuttering offices or allowing employees to work remotely. But downtown development is coming back, and officials estimate more than $9 billion worth of projects are in the pipeline, including a convention center expansion and a new 40-story hotel tower. This is happening as downtown’s residential population has grown to more than 29,000, more than a 46% increase since 2010. [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] Merritt Chase has two other ongoing projects that feed into this growth. One is a pedestrian conversion of three blocks leading up to the convention center; the other will add a new park to the site of a historic downtown food hall, with construction beginning this summer. Spark on the Circle is the pop-up version of these larger projects. “This is a way of leveraging a lot of that private investment and connecting it all across the city to create better everyday livable experiences,” Merritt says. “Projects like these and the way they connect will give more of a reason to not just visit but hopefully encourage more people to live downtown.” Though some local commenters have bemoaned any street closures, downtown Indianapolis has a very tight downtown grid with city blocks that are smaller than those in other big cities. The closure of part of the circle, or even the entire circle, would require only a short driving detour. [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] Merritt Chase will use its 18-month Emerson Collective fellowship to expand its community outreach, research, and planning for the future of downtown centered around Monument Circle, using Spark on the Circle as one of the primary use cases. Chase Merritt cofounder Nina Chase says the 2024 visitation numbers show there’s a big appetite for this kind of unconventional public space in the city. “That’s been really lovely to see,” she says. “We as landscape architects, we think yes that’s what you should do, but sometimes you never know. So it’s good to see it in action.” Merritt says turning the pop-up park into something more permanent is one option, but it’s not the predetermined goal of the plan Merritt Chase will produce. They’re more interested in finding out how people in the city want to use the space and then designing around that. “Whether it’s parklike and still open for cars or completely closed to cars, I think that’s still to be determined through lots of conversations with folks downtown and residents.” View the full article

This nondescript piece of home decor is about the size of a narrow bookshelf, and it looks like a vertical soundbar speaker. In reality, it’s a new home fitness device—and it hides a gym’s worth of workout machines. Amp is a $1,995 home fitness device that streamlines the clunkiness of a cable-based workout machine into the form of a thin, wall-mounted home accessory. It’s now available to pre-order for $99. Just six feet tall and one foot deep, Amp consists of a vertical mounted bar with a movable arm that pivots off the side and serves as the main workout interface. Unlike the typical gym machine with a stack of weights attached to a cable, Amp’s single cable interface connects to a magnetic resistance motor and electrical driver and can be adjusted to different heights to accommodate everything from bicep curls to squats to lunges. [Photo: Amp] Amp was founded by Shalom Meckenzie, a fitness enthusiast and tech entrepreneur. In 2020, he merged his betting software company SBTech with the sports betting company DraftKings for an undisclosed sum. Driven by the impact of losing his father when he was just 18, Meckenzie knew he wanted his next venture to focus on wellness and fitness. He scoured the market and came upon the idea of creating a workout machine that was more accessible than the large, complex and often ugly devices found in gyms. The starting point for Amp’s fitness device was to build something that “would look like a premium, luxury product,” Meckenzie says. “Not like a fitness device but more something like furniture that will blend into any house.” [Photo: Amp] This is a particular challenge for the multi-functional workout device known as a cable crossover machine, which Amp is intended to replicate, and is among one of the most used devices in any gym. Users can do a wide variety of exercises on this machine, but it’s often an elevator-sized metal cage strung through with cables, pulleys, and large stacks of weights. The solution would need the versatility of a crossover machine without the clunkiness—Meckenzie wanted Amp to sit in people’s living rooms, not get tucked away in their basements, while still being useful. “We’ve looked into all of our competitors and we chose one thing. We said we don’t want to look like any of them,” Meckenzie says. [Photo: Amp] About three years ago, he convened a team to devise a different approach. They holed up in a villa for two weeks and started designing prototypes out of cardboard. “I think we built about 25 different mock-ups,” says Shahar Cohen, Amp’s CEO. At the end of this campout design sprint the team members voted on their favorite version of the device. Their selection was unanimous. This prototype became Amp. Amp’s magnetic motor has between five and 100 pounds of resistance, which may seem low for those accustomed to straining against hundreds of pounds of metal weight. Meckenzie says the team designed Amp to optimize how a user works out, not how much weight they can pull. It operates on three different modes that alter the way weight and resistance are used in any given exercise. A fixed mode uses the same amount of resistance for both pulling and releasing the cable. A rubber band-like mode increases the resistance the longer a user pulls on the cable. And “eccentric” mode adds more resistance as the user returns the cable back to its starting point, meaning a 20-pound curl will feel like 30 pounds during the release. [Photo: Amp] With custom-built motors, integrated artificial intelligence, and a companion smartphone app, the device can mimic some of the most common machines found in gyms, and also create entirely new types of workouts based on the needs of the user. “We have a lot of opportunity for different types of resistance that you actually cannot perform with standard mechanical systems,” says Cohen. About 1,000 of Amp’s fitness devices have shipped to customers and installed so far, mostly in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and the company expects to ship to other regions in the coming months. The full $1,995 cost includes shipping as well as installation, which Cohen compares to mounting a television. Hitting a relatively low price point was important to Meckenzie, who developed the idea for Amp during the pandemic when people were buying up smart home fitness devices like Peloton, which sell for between $1,495 and $2,495. “For me, it wasn’t interesting to sell a device for $5,000 or $10,000 which will not be accessible to people,” Meckenzie says. “I wanted to do something that has a big impact.” View the full article

A lot goes through our heads during company restructurings: Will I get laid off? Will my coworkers lose their jobs? What will happen to my workload if my team is affected? But in the wake of such events, if we don’t get laid off, we often ignore or dismiss the emotions that linger because we don’t feel we deserve to experience them. After all, we kept our jobs, we’re the lucky ones. Why should we complain or feel upset? However experts say that not addressing this so-called survivor’s guilt can negatively impact your confidence and productivity moving forward. “Those employees who remain, they feel either undeserving of being able to stay, or they feel responsible for their colleagues who lost their jobs, or they just feel kind of an overwhelming sense of guilt and sadness, even though they’re still at the job,” says Isha Metzger, a psychologist and cognitive-behavioral therapist specializing in trauma. There’s also often a fear of the unknown among employees who make it out of a major transition unscathed. “It’s this wrestle in the mind of, Oh man, I got to stay, but now I don’t know for how long,” says Lisa Rigoli, who worked in human resources for brands such as Target and CarMax before becoming a leadership consultant for individuals and teams navigating change. Luckily these feelings don’t have to stick around forever. Here’s how to overcome survivor’s guilt so you can make the most of your situation and come away from the organizational pivot stronger, wiser, and much less overwhelmed. PINPOINT THE WHAT AND WHY OF SURVIVOR’S GUILT Common wisdom says that the best first step to tackling any emotion is acknowledging it. That can be easier said than done, which is why Rigoli recommends asking yourself three pointed questions: What about this experience motivates me? What about this experience triggers me? What are some of my blind spots as a result of this experience? Let’s say your boss was let go. You might be motivated by the fact that there’s now an opening to step up as a leader, but triggered by the advanced responsibility or skill set that would entail. Meanwhile, your blind spot might be how to go about taking on this new role. When you’ve identified the things that excite and scare you, you can then begin to take steps toward solving for them. Metzger says labeling how you’re feeling—whether hopeless, nervous, angry, or something else—can also further prepare you for getting what you need to process it effectively, be that talking with a coworker who can comfort you or a family member who can help you decompress. “Without being able to first identify and then communicate what it is that you need, it’s very hard to advocate for yourself,” she says, adding that it’s also okay to acknowledge uncertainty. “Empowerment can also look like, ‘I don’t even have the feelings, or I’m not even able to communicate those feelings right now, and that’s why I’m coming to you for help.’ “Meeting yourself where you’re at, giving yourself grace, and being able to articulate . . . is the best way to get that help that we need,” Metzger adds. SET BOUNDARIES You might be tempted to overcompensate for organizational confusion or a lack of resources by working harder or longer hours. Or maybe there’s a spoken or unspoken expectation that you’ll take on more. As much as you can, resist this urge and set clear boundaries. “You can give yourself permission to disconnect as needed,” Metzger says, noting that this can be as simple as deciding not to check emails after 5 p.m. “If now you need to recharge and rest twice as much, make sure that you’re doing that as well.” With this, it’s important to get clarity on whom you’ll now report to, if management has shifted or left the company, as well as who on your team is new to you. Once that’s clear, you’ll be able to form a relationship built on mutual respect for work-life balance and boundaries. The best way to do so? Advocate for yourself early and often. FIND YOUR COMMUNITY It’s easy to feel like you have to go it alone in the aftermath of a transition—especially if your organization tends to promote a “dog eat dog” culture. But even in the most competitive of spaces it’s possible, and crucial, to find a community that can support you emotionally. “Focus on those allies or those advocates you’ve already been able to identify, and then . . . if you’re asked to take on an extra load, you can go to that ally or that advocate you’ve identified, and hopefully that will be someone who can protect you,” Metzger says. If all your friends or mentors have left, ask them who at the company you could connect with. “If there isn’t anyone who’s currently at your job, you can certainly think about mental health resources that exist, peer support groups that maybe you could find online,” Metzger adds. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL Survivor’s guilt often stems from the fact that something happened to us that was out of our control. Moving past it, then, requires us to focus on the things we do have a say on. “If you’re feeling a loss of control over your workplace, then reframe the narrative in terms of, ‘Okay, I don’t have control over my workplace, but what sorts of things do I have control over? I can maybe get involved socially or civically, or even politically. I can make sure that I am staying close with those colleagues who no longer work here. I can make sure that I can contribute positively to the new workplace reality,’” Metzger says. Just because someone has left your team doesn’t mean you can’t remain friends, close colleagues, or mentor-mentee. Chances are you’ll need that person for emotional and career support down the road—and so will they once the smoke clears and they’re ready to make their next moves post-layoff. CONSIDER YOUR NEXT MOVES Sticking around long term, even with the residual feelings that stir up, might be exactly the right move for you. However, in some cases, your survivor’s guilt could be a sign of something bigger—for example, that you’re ready for a new job. This was the case for Rigoli, who faced a restructuring in 2022 that had her reconsidering her career path. “It forced me to take a moment to really ask myself, ‘What’s right for me? If I were to stay in that role, how would I feel?’ And I felt not complete,” she says. Or it could mean that you need some extra guidance from a therapist or career coach. “If you’re having these conversations and you find yourself still ruminating, still worrying, still feeling sad or guilty or hopeless,” Metzger says, “it never hurts to get that additional professional help.” View the full article

Between the rise of quiet quitting, the evolution of hybrid work, and concerns about artificial intelligence, we live in tumultuous times. In order to retain talent, it’s important for leaders to adapt to the changing needs of their employee population. This is a particularly large challenge at the moment since it requires understanding and supporting very different groups. There are currently five different generations from all walks of life in the workplace. They have a wide range of preferences when it comes to money management, lifestyle, and retirement goals. Finding ways to better understand and engage with the needs of unique employee segments can enhance recruitment and retainment efforts. In fact, our research shows that 91% of employees would be interested in changing jobs and 89% interested in keeping their jobs to gain access to the financial benefits they need. Below are three ways to increase engagement through workplace benefits while fostering a workplace culture that addresses various employee financial goals and needs. 1. Make sure your benefits meet your employees’ specific needs Fair pay, retirement income, and financial guidance may seem like universal demands, but employees come to the table with varying exposure to workplace benefits or financial planning, not to mention different goals—and thus may require different support. For example, Generation Z officially outnumbered the baby boomer generation in 2024. Many Gen Z’ers are likely experiencing benefits for the very first time. Meanwhile, the sandwich generation—employees caring for both aging parents and growing children—is the fastest growing employee segment and likely needs additional support. Additionally, women with children (35%) are about twice as likely as men with children (18%) to say they declined or delayed a promotion due to family obligations. Look for opportunities to provide support for their range of financial needs. For example, student loan repayment programs can help finance an education, emergency savings accounts can prepare your employees for an unexpected expense, and retirement savings vehicles like 401(k) can help your employees reach long-term financial goals. For complex issues, consider connecting your employees with a financial coach or advisor. Our research at Morgan Stanley shows that only about four in 10 diverse high earners use a financial advisor or wealth manager, yet those who do feel more positive about their finances. At the end of the day, keeping pace with the needs and experiences of all employee segments can support a more financially healthy and engaged workforce. 2. Use equity compensation as a retention tool According to our research, equity compensation is growing in popularity: three in four HR leaders (76%) reported that their companies are offering some form of equity compensation, up four percentage points year-over-year, and 12% since 2021. Offering equity compensation can help strengthen teams, attract talent, and keep companies competitive in today’s dynamic environment. It gives employees the opportunity to benefit from the company’s success and potentially increase their net worth. Additionally, it motivates employees to adopt a collective mindset and invest in the success of the company—emphasizing the shared purpose of your organization and uniting all employers behind a common goal and culture. The benefits of equity compensation reach beyond the employee: Equity can help you better reach business goals like recruiting top executives to hit a specific target or promoting company values. Our research shows that most HR leaders (95%) and employees (80%) agree that equity compensation is the most effective way to keep employees engaged. 3. Ensure your benefits education program meets different groups where they are Benefits are no use to employees if they don’t know about them. Consider diversifying your communication strategy by using multiple channels to meet participants where they are: Data shows that baby boomers tend to prefer to learn about benefits through in-person conversations, Gen X employees through online resources, millennial employees through video and podcast content, and Gen Z employees through social media. Our research shows that most employees (80%) believe their company needs to do a better job helping them understand how to maximize the financial benefits offered. Maintain a thoughtful cadence of communication throughout the year. Use various channels such as SMS text, chats, webinars, conference calls, and virtual meetings. Create a library of educational content such as articles, on-demand videos, and virtual classes on your employee intranet, so that employees can easily locate what’s relevant to them. Financial education can help employees connect the dots between their workplace benefits and their individual financial needs. View the full article

Norges Bank Investment Management makes fresh bet on fortunes of UK capital’s retail and leisure districtView the full article

There’s a growing fear that artificial intelligence will soon replace human talent. While it’s undeniable that AI will impact the labor market, as with any disruptive technology, a closer look reveals a different—and far more empowering—future. Rather than displacing highly skilled professionals, AI is setting the stage for knowledge workers to transition from individual contributors into high-leverage managers, directing teams of AI agents that can execute tasks with breathtaking efficiency. Rather than consign the expertise and creativity of humans into irrelevance, AI will make it all the more essential, as humans direct and guide AI agents toward the ideal outcome. AI as High-Performing Team Members Today’s AI systems are already demonstrating mastery in tasks ranging from data analysis and report generation to complex decision-making in finance, legal research, and the creative industries. In many of the sectors mentioned, this capability emerged only in the past few years, as generative AI became a viable and mature tool for businesses. Agentic AI is the next logical step, wherein AI isn’t a tool that assists a human worker but one that acts alongside them with a degree of autonomy. In effect, digital agents are becoming the new breed of employees: competent, consistent, and ever-improving, with the ability to work around the clock and to ingest vast quantities of data in a matter of seconds. You can understand the fear this provokes. AI agents have the ability—at least, in their realm of operations—to be faster, better, and cheaper than humans. But even the best talent needs a manager. And managers with the most high-flying players on their team are the most effective in the organization. The future belongs to professionals who channel AI’s capabilities into results that are exponentially better than what any one person could achieve alone. Leading AI Through Technical Management This begs the question: What does it mean to be a manager of AI agents? The truth is that effective management has always required a dual set of skills, whether we’re talking about people or, indeed, AI systems. On one hand, there’s people management—the art and science of understanding human behavior, motivation, and emotions. Although AI lacks that emotional depth, effective collaboration with AI agents requires certain soft skills, like the ability to set expectations and provide clear, unambiguous instruction. On the other hand, management also means organizing, delegating, and ensuring that systems are in place to execute a strategic vision. This isn’t just about setting a direction; it’s about verifying that every task contributes toward delivering a shared goal. These abilities (tactical oversight, process optimization, and strategic judgment) are specialized skills that don’t easily transfer among different domains. It’s one reason why a stellar sales manager might struggle if suddenly tasked with running an engineering team, and why an esteemed product manager might struggle to motivate a sales team. In a world where AI agents work alongside us, these two facets of management become even more critical. While AI can execute many tasks with remarkable speed and precision, a manager guiding a team of AI agents must both understand the intricate mechanics of the technology and appreciate the human elements of collaboration to work with other human peers who are managing AI systems. The common notion that great managers need to be skilled only in people management, without truly grasping how the work is done, misses the mark entirely. Anyone who’s experienced a manager disconnected from the practical realities of the job will tell you that true leadership demands a hands-on understanding combined with a clear vision. Revisiting the Job Displacement Myth Some worry that as AI becomes more capable, we’ll need far fewer humans in the workforce, which will ultimately lead to mass unemployment. The counter-argument to this common claim is known as Jevons paradox: the idea that increases in efficiency can paradoxically lead to even greater overall demand. While AI might take over tasks that human beings currently do in the workplace, the gains in efficiency in certain tasks will increase the need for human operators (and the human touch) in other ways. The mistake people continually mistake is assuming that the demand for humans (and human skills) is elastic only in one direction—down. That we’ve reached a ceiling for the usefulness of the collective human race and, over time, that ceiling will get lower and lower. If we embrace the possibility that a single person managing AI could deliver outputs far beyond what we see today, we aren’t looking at a future with fewer opportunities. Similarly, the industrial revolution replaced countless manual jobs, particularly in sectors like garment manufacturing, but at the same time it led to a historic explosion of wealth that continues to this day, although, admittedly, unevenly shared. It led to lower prices for many staples of living, not to mention luxuries, which in turn raised our standard of living. The current wave of AI pessimism ignores previous historical trends. It’s equally plausible that the productivity boost of AI will unlock entirely new opportunities—new markets, industries, and innovative products—that we can’t even imagine now. While some jobs might be displaced, others may emerge in the economy that offset that loss. AI agent managers are just one example. So, How Do We Get Ready for This Shift? I’ve been careful not to minimize the pain that a transition to an AI-centered economy will bring. Just like the industrial revolution brought its own short-term displacement, the same will happen here, but with nowhere near the force and system shock that came with the full-blown mechanization of human labor. I believe AI’s path will be slower and more deliberate, and that there are many steps we can take along the way to make the transition much smoother. First, let’s talk about education. Universities are great at producing academics, but they don’t necessarily provide vocational and professional skills. A computer science program will teach you about algorithms, but it might not cover things like GitHub and Docker. As we transition to an AI-powered workforce, it’s likely we’ll need to shift the emphasis away from academics and toward practical, real-world skills. These are the skills that were, in many parts of the world, once provided by polytechnic institutes and are now offered by community colleges in the United States. I would argue that we need more of them, and to treat them with greater esteem. For the current workforce, companies need to make AI literacy part of their playbook, inculcating it within existing workers and incorporating it into their onboarding processes. Training should be provided evenly, from the most junior hires to the C-suite. The companies that start from the outset with an AI-enabled, AI-aware workforce will be those that thrive during this period. And for individuals, especially those in jobs most vulnerable to being disrupted by AI, this is the time to take action. The best thing you can do? Start learning. Not everyone needs to become a software engineer, but understanding AI tools, getting comfortable with digital workflows, and building problem-solving skills will make all the difference. But here’s the catch: It’s not just about knowing how to use AI. It’s about knowing enough to question it. AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. Blindly accepting AI-generated outputs without understanding the logic behind them, or the limitations of the models themselves, is a recipe for disaster. It’s also, fundamentally, the definition of AI illiteracy. Ultimately, the role of an AI agent manager will be to push back against their “employees” from time to time. The professionals who thrive in this new era will be those who keep their critical thinking skills sharp and who can evaluate AI’s suggestions, knowing when to trust it and when to override it. The good news? There’s no shortage of ways to level up: free courses, employer-led training, AI boot camps, and self-guided learning. The resources are there, but you have to take the first step. The future belongs to those who adapt—and those who think critically. View the full article

Figures come as Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates on Thursday View the full article

Plus the debt ceiling and the end of QTView the full article

MaPS, they don’t love you like we love youView the full article

The physical possessions we choose to own shape the direction of our lives more than we realize. Our possessions either help us fulfill our purpose, or they distract us from it. Every item in a home takes up space, demands attention, and requires care. The more we accumulate, the more we spend our time maintaining things rather than living life. Unfortunately, most of us were never taught to question this. Even worse, from a young age, we have been told that more is better—that success is measured by what we own, that happiness is found in the next purchase, that security is found in full closets, full garages, and full bank accounts. But deep down, we know we were designed for something bigger and better than physical possessions. And life is too short to waste chasing things that don’t matter. There is greater joy to be found in owning less than we can ever find pursuing more—because owning less frees us to live a more intentional and focused life. Sometimes, a single quote is all it takes to shift our entire perspective. Just one sentence can remind us of the freedom found in letting go. Sixteen years ago, my neighbor changed my entire life with a single sentence at just the right time. So whether you’re just beginning the journey to a clutter-free life or looking for encouragement to keep going, these quotes are here to help—because the right words, at the right time, can change everything. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. You’ll love owning less. The post 20 Quotes That Will Change the Way You See Your Stuff appeared first on Becoming Minimalist. View the full article

Near-record total will be a test of market confidence in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending plansView the full article

Small investors have piled in to defence companies targeted by short sellers, in an echo of 2021’s GameStop tradeView the full article

Reservists warn of growing attrition as country moves closer to renewed full-scale conflict in GazaView the full article

The chancellor’s ship is set to stay afloat despite choppy waters next week, but bigger threats lurk beyondView the full article

In the past year, the Amazon founder has executed a sharp public reversal in his relationship with the president that has surprised even longtime associates View the full article

The age of homes, moving preferences and weather risks are all playing a role in the direction of growth prospects for the remodel and renovation industry. View the full article

Wix has introduced Wix Functions, a no-code solution that allows users to create customized business flows, automate pricing and checkout rules, and tailor app behavior. This new tool provides businesses with greater flexibility to adapt operations to their specific needs without requiring technical expertise. Wix Functions features an intuitive visual function builder, enabling users to define business logic using conditions, variables, formulas, and dynamic values. The tool allows businesses to customize pricing rules, enforce checkout conditions, and implement tailored loyalty rewards. Users can start from scratch or modify templates designed for specific Wix apps. By selecting input data from an app, such as cart and checkout details in Wix Stores, users can establish logical conditions that determine outcomes. For example, Wix Functions can apply location-based fees, trigger discounts for returning customers, or implement custom form validations. Once set, the function outputs the specified action, which is executed by the Wix app in real-time. Wix Functions ensures that checkout processes, rewards programs, and other workflows wait for the function’s output before proceeding. Users can choose from pre-built function templates or create custom rules tailored to their needs. The functions are triggered by app activity, process the required logic, and return a result that directly impacts the business operation—such as adjusting a fee, displaying a discount, or restricting a purchase. “Wix Functions lets businesses extend and customize Wix apps to fit their unique needs—without writing a single line of code,” said Tomas Petras Rupšys, Head of Wix Functions at Wix. “Building on top of our new Automation builder, Wix Functions gives businesses even more control over their operations, enabling them to customize more workflows, further automate processes and implement advanced business rules. The function’s output directly influences how the Wix app behaves in real-time, ensuring that businesses can seamlessly adapt their operations to meet unique needs, further empowering business owners to operate more efficiently and scale with ease.” Wix Functions complements Wix Automations by enabling real-time customization while automations handle ongoing task management. Together, these tools provide a comprehensive system for businesses to automate processes and optimize operations seamlessly. Wix Functions is now available on Wix and Wix Studio for Wix Stores, Wix Bookings, Wix Restaurants, Wix Donations, Wix Forms, and Wix Loyalty Program. The tool is accessible for free, with optional premium upgrades available for expanded business solutions such as checkout and payments. Users can unlock unlimited actions through premium upgrades. Image: Wix This article, "Wix Launches Wix Functions to Enhance Business Customization" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Wix has introduced Wix Functions, a no-code solution that allows users to create customized business flows, automate pricing and checkout rules, and tailor app behavior. This new tool provides businesses with greater flexibility to adapt operations to their specific needs without requiring technical expertise. Wix Functions features an intuitive visual function builder, enabling users to define business logic using conditions, variables, formulas, and dynamic values. The tool allows businesses to customize pricing rules, enforce checkout conditions, and implement tailored loyalty rewards. Users can start from scratch or modify templates designed for specific Wix apps. By selecting input data from an app, such as cart and checkout details in Wix Stores, users can establish logical conditions that determine outcomes. For example, Wix Functions can apply location-based fees, trigger discounts for returning customers, or implement custom form validations. Once set, the function outputs the specified action, which is executed by the Wix app in real-time. Wix Functions ensures that checkout processes, rewards programs, and other workflows wait for the function’s output before proceeding. Users can choose from pre-built function templates or create custom rules tailored to their needs. The functions are triggered by app activity, process the required logic, and return a result that directly impacts the business operation—such as adjusting a fee, displaying a discount, or restricting a purchase. “Wix Functions lets businesses extend and customize Wix apps to fit their unique needs—without writing a single line of code,” said Tomas Petras Rupšys, Head of Wix Functions at Wix. “Building on top of our new Automation builder, Wix Functions gives businesses even more control over their operations, enabling them to customize more workflows, further automate processes and implement advanced business rules. The function’s output directly influences how the Wix app behaves in real-time, ensuring that businesses can seamlessly adapt their operations to meet unique needs, further empowering business owners to operate more efficiently and scale with ease.” Wix Functions complements Wix Automations by enabling real-time customization while automations handle ongoing task management. Together, these tools provide a comprehensive system for businesses to automate processes and optimize operations seamlessly. Wix Functions is now available on Wix and Wix Studio for Wix Stores, Wix Bookings, Wix Restaurants, Wix Donations, Wix Forms, and Wix Loyalty Program. The tool is accessible for free, with optional premium upgrades available for expanded business solutions such as checkout and payments. Users can unlock unlimited actions through premium upgrades. Image: Wix This article, "Wix Launches Wix Functions to Enhance Business Customization" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) has announced new AI-driven capabilities in Adobe Experience Cloud aimed at helping businesses deliver highly personalized and seamless customer experiences across multiple channels. The announcement was made at Adobe Summit, the company’s flagship digital experience conference. The new AI-powered tools include an AI-first module in Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) and enhancements to Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), both designed to optimize omnichannel performance and improve web engagement. According to Adobe, these innovations leverage its AI Platform, which integrates AI agents from Adobe, third-party providers, and commercially safe Firefly models to unify data, content, and customer journeys. “Delivering a unified customer experience requires a much more agile and streamlined operation that solves real customer pain points, which can often be resource and time constrained,” says Amit Ahuja, senior vice president, Digital Experience Business, Adobe. “Adobe is uniquely positioned to help brands meet this moment, with deep expertise in unifying AI, data and content production workflows to execute the right digital experiences with precision, while uncovering unseen problems.” New AI Capabilities in Adobe Experience Cloud Adobe’s latest AI-powered innovations provide businesses with tools to actively orchestrate AI-driven experiences. Among the key offerings: Adobe Journey Optimizer Experimentation Accelerator: A new AI-first module in AJO designed to identify high-impact opportunities and optimize omnichannel engagement. The Experimentation Agent analyzes trends, learns from previous experiments, and generates insights for improved customer journey strategies. Adobe Experience Manager Sites Optimizer: An application that enhances web performance through automated issue diagnosis and solution recommendations. The new Site Optimization Agent detects engagement trends, identifies SEO issues, and suggests real-time content modifications to improve conversion rates. Leading brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Airlines, Major League Baseball, Marriott International, and NVIDIA already rely on Adobe Experience Cloud to drive digital customer interactions. Expanding AI Solutions for Enterprise B2B Teams In addition to customer engagement tools, Adobe introduced AI capabilities for business-to-business (B2B) enterprises, aimed at streamlining go-to-market strategies and improving sales and marketing alignment. AI Agents for B2B Account Orchestration: AI-driven workflows assist in lead generation by forming buying groups, assigning roles, and recommending targeted omnichannel engagement strategies. AI-Powered Content Creation: Marketers can leverage Adobe Firefly generative AI and Adobe Express for automated content generation across email, web, and paid media campaigns. Customer Journey Insights: AI-powered analytics in Adobe Customer Journey Analytics B2B Edition provide real-time campaign assessments and sales pipeline insights. Reimagined Lead & Contact Journeys: Marketo Engage now includes a new visual journey designer, enabling teams to create AI-optimized campaigns tailored for lead conversion. With these advancements, Adobe aims to bridge the gap between AI, marketing, and creativity, enabling businesses to scale personalized digital experiences. The company continues to enhance Adobe Experience Platform with integrated AI orchestration and customer experience data, reinforcing its position as a leader in AI-driven customer engagement solutions. The new AI-powered features in Adobe Experience Cloud are now available for businesses looking to optimize customer interactions and digital marketing strategies. Image: Adobe This article, "Adobe Introduces AI Agents to Experience Cloud for Enhanced Customer Engagement" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) has announced new AI-driven capabilities in Adobe Experience Cloud aimed at helping businesses deliver highly personalized and seamless customer experiences across multiple channels. The announcement was made at Adobe Summit, the company’s flagship digital experience conference. The new AI-powered tools include an AI-first module in Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) and enhancements to Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), both designed to optimize omnichannel performance and improve web engagement. According to Adobe, these innovations leverage its AI Platform, which integrates AI agents from Adobe, third-party providers, and commercially safe Firefly models to unify data, content, and customer journeys. “Delivering a unified customer experience requires a much more agile and streamlined operation that solves real customer pain points, which can often be resource and time constrained,” says Amit Ahuja, senior vice president, Digital Experience Business, Adobe. “Adobe is uniquely positioned to help brands meet this moment, with deep expertise in unifying AI, data and content production workflows to execute the right digital experiences with precision, while uncovering unseen problems.” New AI Capabilities in Adobe Experience Cloud Adobe’s latest AI-powered innovations provide businesses with tools to actively orchestrate AI-driven experiences. Among the key offerings: Adobe Journey Optimizer Experimentation Accelerator: A new AI-first module in AJO designed to identify high-impact opportunities and optimize omnichannel engagement. The Experimentation Agent analyzes trends, learns from previous experiments, and generates insights for improved customer journey strategies. Adobe Experience Manager Sites Optimizer: An application that enhances web performance through automated issue diagnosis and solution recommendations. The new Site Optimization Agent detects engagement trends, identifies SEO issues, and suggests real-time content modifications to improve conversion rates. Leading brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Airlines, Major League Baseball, Marriott International, and NVIDIA already rely on Adobe Experience Cloud to drive digital customer interactions. Expanding AI Solutions for Enterprise B2B Teams In addition to customer engagement tools, Adobe introduced AI capabilities for business-to-business (B2B) enterprises, aimed at streamlining go-to-market strategies and improving sales and marketing alignment. AI Agents for B2B Account Orchestration: AI-driven workflows assist in lead generation by forming buying groups, assigning roles, and recommending targeted omnichannel engagement strategies. AI-Powered Content Creation: Marketers can leverage Adobe Firefly generative AI and Adobe Express for automated content generation across email, web, and paid media campaigns. Customer Journey Insights: AI-powered analytics in Adobe Customer Journey Analytics B2B Edition provide real-time campaign assessments and sales pipeline insights. Reimagined Lead & Contact Journeys: Marketo Engage now includes a new visual journey designer, enabling teams to create AI-optimized campaigns tailored for lead conversion. With these advancements, Adobe aims to bridge the gap between AI, marketing, and creativity, enabling businesses to scale personalized digital experiences. The company continues to enhance Adobe Experience Platform with integrated AI orchestration and customer experience data, reinforcing its position as a leader in AI-driven customer engagement solutions. The new AI-powered features in Adobe Experience Cloud are now available for businesses looking to optimize customer interactions and digital marketing strategies. Image: Adobe This article, "Adobe Introduces AI Agents to Experience Cloud for Enhanced Customer Engagement" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Industry lobby group calls for action from government ahead of summit in April 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. Getting a premium economy or business class seat for the price of economy sounds like a fantasy, but that’s what the Dollar Flight Club Premium+ Plan helps you do: This subscription service does the heavy lifting of hunting down the best flight deals and sending them to your inbox. Usually, a year of DFC Premium+ costs $99.99, but right now, new users can get it for just $29.99 on StackSocial. That’s a solid discount—unless, of course, you already have an account (in which case, no dice). Also, you have to redeem your code within 30 days of buying, and after your discounted year, the membership renews at full price automatically. If you’re okay with that (or plan to cancel before renewal), you could lock in some serious travel savings with this deal. With a Premium Plus+ membership, you get access to discounted fares across Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Class, meaning there’s a chance you could score a lie-flat seat to Europe for the price of an economy ticket. You’ll also get alerts for domestic and international mistake fares (those rare but amazing airline pricing errors), plus exclusive deals not available online, since DFC works directly with airlines. On top of that, members also get discounts on travel perks like Priority Pass and TSA PreCheck. Before you get too excited, though, keep in mind that Dollar Flight Club currently only covers members in North & South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. If you travel frequently or have a bucket list trip in mind, this subscription might be an easy way to catch mistake fares, last-minute deals, and discounts on flights—sometimes up to 90% off. Just set your home airports, pick your ideal destinations, and let Dollar Flight Club scour the internet for the best fares. And unlike generic flight deal newsletters, this service tailors alerts to your preferences (departure airports and destinations), so you won’t waste time on irrelevant deals. View the full article

For decades, human organs, some of the most fragile cargo imaginable, have been transported on ice. Not because it was the best method, but because that’s how it had always been done. A process with life-or-death consequences remained unchanged simply out of habit. I didn’t fully grasp the flaws in this system until I experienced it firsthand. I saw the gaps in coordination, the last-minute scrambles, and the life-altering consequences of relying on outdated methods. But identifying a problem isn’t the same as knowing how to fix it. Innovation happens when leaders refuse to accept the way it’s always been done. It happens when they show up, ask questions, and stay immersed in their industry long enough to see the gaps that others overlook. Research proves this: Founders with at least 3 years of industry experience are nearly twice as likely to succeed as those without it. What numbers don’t show Before developing Paragonix’s organ preservation technology, I spent years traveling with transplant teams, standing in operating rooms, and observing every step of the process. I experienced how outdated transport methods created uncertainty, how communication breakdowns led to preventable delays, and how every inefficiency had real consequences for patients. Numbers tell part of the story, but experience fills in the gaps. More than 103,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ transplant, and every 8 minutes, another person is added to the list. A spreadsheet can track transplant success rates, but it won’t capture a patient’s anxiety as they wait, unsure if a life-saving organ will arrive in time. Data can show transit times, but it won’t reflect the pressure on a transplant team racing against the clock, knowing that every lost minute could mean losing a life. Many well-intentioned ideas fall apart because of this gap between analysis and reality. Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann calls this pattern a “false start” — when founders launch solutions before fully understanding the problems they’re trying to solve. His research shows that many entrepreneurs, eager to launch, skip the critical step of customer discovery and assume they’ll figure out the details as they go. Turn immersion into innovation The most effective solutions come from understanding the problem in practice—seeing it, feeling it, and engaging with the people who experience it every day. That doesn’t stop once a company is built. I travel with our sales reps, visit transplant centers, and speak directly with the people using our technology because that’s the only way to understand what’s working and what’s not. Staying embedded in an industry provides the knowledge to innovate, but making a real impact requires persistence. Here are three things I’ve learned: Expect resistance and keep going Even with overwhelming evidence, people still doubt new ideas. Research shows that controlled organ preservation improves outcomes, yet resistance remains. Some pushback strengthens a solution, but not all criticism is useful. The closer you are to the problem, the easier it is to separate valid concerns from reluctance to adapt. Staying in the field provides the conviction to push forward when others hesitate and the clarity to know what feedback is worth acting on. Listen for what’s not being said People don’t always voice their biggest frustrations. A transplant team might say a process works, but watching them tells a different story. For decades, organs packed in ice could only travel so far before becoming unusable, which forced teams to work within tight geographic boundaries. These limitations were simply accepted as part of the job. Real insights come from noticing inefficiencies and workarounds that shouldn’t exist. Leaders who look beyond what’s being said are the ones who recognize opportunities for real innovation. Identify patterns, not just problems Not every problem needs fixing, but when the same inefficiencies surface again and again, they’re worth a closer look. For years, transplant teams worked around unpredictable organ arrival times. They developed contingency plans, adjusted schedules at the last minute, and braced for delays. Real-time tracking wasn’t the result of a single brainstorming session—it came from recognizing a repeated problem. The best insights start with paying attention to the patterns others ignore. You can’t spot a breakthrough from behind a desk. No matter the industry, meaningful innovation starts with questioning what others accept, seeing the problem firsthand, and refusing to look away. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. View the full article

Social media group is valued at $44bn, matching the price the billionaire paid in 2022View the full article

Despite ongoing efforts to address increased costs, out-of-pocket spending on healthcare continues to rise. Higher insurance copays and deductibles, increased medication costs, and rising inflation rates are just a few of the factors contributing to this trend. As a result, millions of Americans find themselves racking up medical debt, deferring critical medical treatment, or neglecting chronic health conditions. But the cost burden isn’t equal by gender. Many people have heard of the “pink tax,” the pattern of women’s goods and services—from razors to dry cleaning—costing more than the men’s equivalent. But few realize how far this extends beyond store shelves. Across the healthcare spectrum, women are spending significantly more out of pocket on prescriptions and medical treatments. Recently, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel at SXSW discussing the healthcare pink tax, sharing some new research from GoodRx on the disparities, and learning what actions healthcare leaders are taking to address this. This conversation was eye-opening for our attendees, and served as a reminder that we still have a long way to go in fixing this problem. Doing so won’t just help women, but will also relieve pressure on our healthcare system and support a healthier U.S. population. The current state of women’s healthcare costs Each year, women spend billions more than men on out-of-pocket healthcare costs. This latest GoodRx research found that in 2024, women spent nearly 30% more out of pocket on prescriptions than men, totaling over $8.5 billion in additional spending. And the discrepancy is even more pronounced among women aged 18-44, partly due to expenses specific to women, such as those associated with reproductive health. But women-specific healthcare needs like fertility and birth control aren’t the only drivers of inequitable out-of-pocket costs. Women are also spending more on all-gender conditions. One example is mental health, where women spend 113% more than men on depression medications and 103% more on anxiety treatments. Once women reach menopause, the economic burden spikes again. AARP found that women spend over $13 billion annually on treating their menopause symptoms, and research from Elektra Health found that those who’ve been diagnosed as menopausal spend 45% more on healthcare costs to treat their symptoms each year than those who are not menopausal. As Americans age, these gaps begin to close. GoodRx revealed that out-of-pocket healthcare spending among older men and women is more comparable, with women aged 45-64 paying over 35% more in 2024, and women over 65 outspending men by 16.5%. This is likely due to Medicare coverage, similar chronic disease burdens, and reduced reproductive health costs. How healthcare leaders must take action As healthcare leaders, the onus is on us to implement solutions that make it easier for women to access healthcare savings and reduce their out-of-pocket spending. Much of the inequity comes from long-standing, outdated cultural understanding and social stigmas around women’s health. Addressing this urgent crisis requires collaboration and systemic changes across the healthcare system, with policymakers, insurers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and many others playing an important role. Health insurers and employers must take proactive steps to analyze and update benefit design for their members, creating a more equal playing field and reducing the financial burden for women. The government can implement policy reforms, acknowledging the gaps and mandating that healthcare companies look towards more inclusive practices. Researchers should address the data and clinical trial gaps that regularly exclude women in an effort to improve product innovation and outcomes for females. And, collectively, we can all raise awareness and advocate for equality in healthcare. At GoodRx, we are working on the medication piece of the cost puzzle, helping women at all stages of life access lower prices on essential medications. This includes up to savings on fertility treatments, based on the best available GoodRx price, for both brand-name and generic medications used in every phase of the IVF process. We also introduced our e-commerce platform in October with Opill, enabling GoodRx users to purchase the first over-the-counter birth control pill online. And, just last year, we launched affordability programs for Pfizer’s menopause hormone therapies. Though much more needs to be done, these initiatives are critical in chipping away at the larger cost disparity and access issues. Lower healthcare costs create healthier communities Addressing the pink tax in healthcare is our moral and economic imperative. Affordable healthcare doesn’t just support better health and quality of life for women, but has a positive ripple effect on our families, communities, and healthcare system. As with most healthcare reform, real change requires collaboration from all stakeholders in the healthcare system. As a woman and the mom of a daughter, I’m hopeful that we can close this widening gap and improve healthcare access for all women. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. View the full article