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Instagram has begun testing AI-powered technology designed to proactively identify accounts it suspects belong to teens—even if the user has listed an adult birthdate—and place them under special “Teen Account” settings. This move is part of Meta’s broader effort to strengthen parental controls following criticism over the impact its platforms have on young users. “The digital world continues to evolve and we have to evolve with it,” Instagram said in a press release. “That’s why it’s important that we work together with parents to make sure as many teens as possible have the protective settings that come with Teen Account.” Instagram will also begin sending notifications to parents, offering guidance on how to talk to teens about “the importance of providing the correct age online.” The company noted it collaborated with experts, including a pediatric psychologist, to develop the advice. Teen-focused accounts, introduced by Instagram last year, come with built-in restrictions on who can contact teens, what content they can see, and limits on their time spent on the app. These changes come after 41 states and Washington, D.C., filed lawsuits against Meta in 2023, alleging that the company knowingly designed features on Facebook and Instagram that could harm teens and other young users. So far, the company reports it has enrolled at least 54 million teens into its teen account settings. View the full article

A typical electric bike starts at $1,000—and can top $10,000 or more. Even a cheap, low-quality model might cost $500. But a new attachment is designed to turn any bike into an e-bike for as little as $100. Clip, a Brooklyn-based startup, initially launched a higher-end version of the tech a few years ago, focused on commuters in the U.S. and Europe. Somnath Ray, one of the company’s cofounders, had started riding his bike a couple of miles each day to work, and realized that switching to an e-bike would make him more likely to keep up the habit. But it wasn’t safe to leave an expensive e-bike parked on the street. He also didn’t want to get rid of the bicycle he already owned. “The idea was: What if we could have something we could attach to the bike without any tools, within seconds?” he says. When you get to work, you’d carry the attachment inside. On the weekends, you could leave it off and ride your bike without it. The Clip, with versions that now cost $499 and $599, is cheaper than most electric bikes. But the company wanted to make another option that was even more affordable. The new tech, called the Bolt, is aimed at global markets including India and consumers who otherwise likely couldn’t buy an e-bike. “We want to make it really affordable for people who essentially use the bicycle as a lifeline,” says Ray. Both Clip and Bolt use the same basic architecture: a friction-drive motor that attaches to the front wheel of a bike, with a roller that pushes the wheel to help boost your speed up hills or around cars. Pushing a button attached to your handlebars activates the extra power. But while Clip is designed to quickly go on and come off, Bolt stays in place. Only Bolt’s battery gets lifted out so it can be taken inside to charge (the battery charges within 30 minutes, and has a range of around 18 miles, depending on how often you push the button as you ride; if you need to go farther, you can carry an extra battery). In pilots, the company is now testing the system in cities like Bangalore and Kolkata. Consumers pay $100, around 8,000 rupees, which is about a third of the price of a typical e-bike in India. The battery is available via a subscription of $5 a month, so that consumers don’t have to pay for the cost of an expensive battery upfront. The startup will also sell the equipment to rideshare operators in the U.S. and Europe who want to upgrade their bikes, but don’t have the budget to buy a new fleet of electric bikes. (They’ll pay $250 for each system, including the battery.) At a later point, it’s likely to also be available directly to U.S. consumers. Making the attachments, as opposed to complete electric bikes, is also better for the environment, since it takes fewer resources. The company is manufacturing the Bolt in a zero-emissions factory in Kolkata, with local assembly in India, Europe, and the U.S. It will also recycle and recondition batteries. “There are already a billion bikes out in the world,” says Ray. “There’s absolutely no need to replace them all with e-bikes. We can put them all back into circulation at a fairly minimal manufacturing footprint.” View the full article

Paris’s youngest neighborhood was built over the last two decades atop a former rail yard and a new station on the Paris Metro Line 14. Clichy-Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement, is roughly split into thirds, with two developed areas hugging the massive, resplendent Martin Luther King Park. The quarter’s quiet, mostly car-free streets are fronted by stores, cafes, and schools. These businesses and institutions occupy the ground floors of apartment and office buildings designed in an astonishing array of shapes, materials and textures. Some structures are gently curved, others are sharply angular; some are covered in stucco, others in bamboo. Each unique building is narrow and daintily proportioned, its diverse neighbors near at hand. The neighborhood’s invisible attributes are just as impressive. Clichy-Batignolles’ 3,400 homes are 50% mixed-income social housing, 20% rent controlled, and 30% market rate condos. The buildings tap into a geothermal energy source for their heating needs, and solar panels for their electricity. Garbage and recycling are carried out via a system of pneumatic tubes. In the United States, we might use the term “transit-oriented development” to describe this neighborhood. But anyone remotely familiar with the types of places to which this term is typically applied would recognize it as a poor fit for Clichy-Batignolles. This place is categorically different from any contemporary urban development project in the U.S. It’s one of the finest examples of an emerging set of urban planning best practices percolating in Europe. You can call these neighborhoods ‘“ecodistricts.” In a new book, Building for People, architect Michael Eliason introduces Americans to the principles behind this new urban development paradigm. He acknowledges the inadequacy of the term, “ecodistricts,” just like “transit-oriented development” before it, and the difficulty of communicating what these neighborhoods are really like to an American audience. “Much about modern urban development, and especially district-scale development, in other countries is a complete unknown to even practicing professionals on this side of the Atlantic,” Eliason writes in the book. “We have long lacked the syntax to even talk about many of these concepts.” What is an ecodistrict, really? Eliason’s attempt to spread the word about this new vision for city-building is a logical next step from his advocacy of single-stair architecture, another hard-to-explain concept that has profound implications for the built environment. For years, Eliason has been telling anyone who will listen that single-stair buildings, rather than the dual-stairwell structures mandated by U.S. building codes, could make apartments cheaper, roomier, and homier. Now, the consciousness raising part of that mission has largely been accomplished. Eliason and a few other devoted advocates have convinced dozens of cities and states across the country to adopt new building codes that legalize this type of housing, most recently Los Angeles and Austin. Among a certain subset of policy nerds, “single-stair architecture” has become a household term. With his new book, Eliason is widening the aperture of his advocacy to encompass not only buildings, but neighborhoods. Ecodistricts like Clichy-Batignolles embody the urban design concepts that single-stair architecture makes possible, particularly when combined with car-free streets, generous green space, and economically diverse communities. “I’ve always been fascinated by these larger scale developments that they’re building in China or Europe, and how they’re vastly different from the transit-oriented development we do in the U.S.,” Eliason tells Fast Company. “I’m trying to unlock some of the reasons why.” One way to understand an ecodistrict is as a 15-minute city built from the ground up, according to Carlos Moreno, an urban planner in Paris who helped theorize both concepts. Whereas 15-minute cities can describe traditional or modern neighborhoods, “when we evoke this notion of the ecodistrict, we’re talking about new urban developments,” he says. “At the same time, the ecodistrict, with these three elements—neighborhood, sustainability, and ‘mixity’—is perfectly aligned with the 15-minute city.” Still, these abstract terms can only convey so much information. For Americans, perhaps it’s easiest to begin with what these neighborhoods are not. Bulky dual-stair apartment buildings, the classic “five-over-ones” favored by American building codes and derided by Eliason, typically have a wide footprint on the land. Buildings that can take up an entire city block ensure there’s little architectural variation in the cityscape. They tend to translate to minimal diversity in households or tenure, since the building design lends itself to one-bedroom rentals. With such wide structures, there’s probably little room on the property for green space; often, the only outdoor space is built atop the concrete parking podium. “‘TOD’”—short for ‘transit-oriented development’—“in the U.S. is still incredibly auto centric,” Eliason says. Not only is there often far too much parking in these buildings, but they’re also situated on heavily trafficked arterial boulevards that make walking unpleasant and unsafe. “We are pretty good at connecting development to transit,” Eliason says, “but I think in a lot of instances we’re not really thinking beyond that.” Beyond Transit-Oriented Development It wasn’t until I had the chance to visit Clichy-Batignolles in person that the implications of this urban development paradigm really clicked for me. On a purely qualitative level, the neighborhood feels different from any place I’ve been in the U.S., particularly any newly built neighborhood. The car-free and low-traffic streets make it easy and safe for anyone to walk to the park, the metro station, the shops, and office buildings, or the schools and daycares dotting the neighborhood. Though all of the buildings were constructed recently, their architectural variety, and their relatively narrow footprints make for a visually stimulating cityscape. There were other unusual design features, to my American eyes. I noticed that balconies on these single-stair apartment buildings are ubiquitous. Instead of being bracketed onto the facade, as they often appear to be on American apartment buildings, these private outdoor spaces are embedded in the building envelope as a conscious element of the overall design. Part of what makes Clichy-Batignolles so architecturally invigorating is that it sits among traditional Haussmannian neighborhoods in the center of Paris, and the historic faubourgian suburban neighborhoods that ring the city, Moreno explains. “This is the signature of the ecodistrict,” he adds, “a modern architecture of sustainability.” The American challenge Call it an ecodistrict, a 15-minute city, or an urbanist fever dream. Whatever it is, Americans are missing out. Eliason’s book describes similar such places in Germany, Austria, and Sweden, along with a few under construction ecodistricts in Canada. A couple of developments in the States are beginning to approach this ideal. Eliason highlights Culdesac, the car-free community in Tempe, Arizona, for showing that pedestrianized interior streets can work in the U.S. The recently completed Mission Rock development in San Francisco employs car-free streets at a larger scale, and does a better job integrating eye-catching architecture, park space, and a diverse mixture of land uses and residents. But these examples are precious few, and they pale in comparison to Clichy-Batignolles. “We have this idea around urbanism in the U.S. that cars have to go everywhere,” Eliason says. Freed from that notion, the amount of open and public space there is to work with increases dramatically. Another thing the U.S. struggles with in new development is the “mixity” that Moreno views as essential to both ecodistricts and 15-minute cities: the mixed-income housing, the schools, the eldercare, the public spaces. “The danger with ecodistricts is that they only respect the first two points, the neighborhood and sustainability, without the social mixity,” Moreno says. “Otherwise, this is the ecodistrict in a gentrified way.” Eliason laments how in the U.S., the notion of the 15-minute city is generally understood in terms of being walking distance to stores and coffee shops. As with TOD, we’ve managed to absorb this urban planning best practice in only the most superficial sense. “We’re so entrenched in the consumer aspect of 15-minute cities that we can’t even talk about those other things,” he says. It’s high time to start that conversation. As cities and states launch social housing initiatives, and the federal government considers increasing development on public lands, it’s all the more important for Americans to be aware of what world-class urban development can look like. Our newest neighborhoods don’t have to be super-sized versions of the ones built in the 1950s. The ecodistrict and the 15-minute city can offer a new framework for city-building, an antidote to mindless sprawl. Or, these urban design principles can remain a foreign delicacy, a way of living to appreciate on vacation, but never here at home. View the full article

When I visited Malaysia and Singapore as a child, I was always curious about the many Chinese herbalist shops we’d pass on busy shopping streets. They looked like they were from another universe. As I peered through the windows, there were glass canisters full of mysterious ingredients: goji berry, bird’s nests, pearl dust, tiger bones, gazelle antlers. We never went inside. My parents—who were trained as a nurse and a biochemist respectively—brushed aside Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as unscientific at best, and dangerous at worst. So I grew up skeptical of these practices. I rolled my eyes when people suggested taking ginseng tea to boost my energy. I stayed clear of acupuncture and cupping. My family’s perspective wasn’t uncommon. For centuries, those immersed in Western medicine have treated TCM with suspicion, mockery, and sometimes hostility. We’ve seen this play out in the Western media over the last decade. The Smithsonian Magazine reported that TCM’s use of pangolin scales is driving the creature towards extinction. The Economist argued that TCM dangerously peddles “unproven remedies.” When the World Health Organization began officially evaluating TCM practices, top science journals and magazines—Scientific American and Nature—called this a “bad idea.” Still, some Americans are intrigued by the promises of Chinese medicine. Kim Kardashian gushes about her Chinese herbalist and Gwyneth Paltrow promotes acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies. Now, interest in TCM is trickling down into the mainstream, particularly among women and people of color who feel that the Western medical establishment has failed them in some way. There are now several startups, including Qi Health and Nooci, that are trying to make TCM more widespread. One of the most established is Elix, a five-year-old startup that wants to make TCM herbal formulas more accessible and widespread. Lulu Ge, who incubated the company at Wharton Business School, is on a mission to prove that TCM is effective at tackling many women’s health problems including premenstrual syndrome, fibroids, endometriosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. “We’ve talked to thousands of women who say they feel like their doctors aren’t taking their concerns seriously,” Ge says. “But Chinese doctors have been treating these issues for centuries with herbal formulas.” Elix Ge is trying to create a more systematic approach to TCM, standardizing treatment, sourcing ingredients in such a way that the formulas are consistent, and conducting clinical studies to prove their effectiveness. This appears to be a winning strategy. Elix has had 60,000 subscribers since launching in 2020. More than 90% of women who try the formulation come back. Given how much resistance there still is to TCM, Elix has an uphill battle ahead to achieve more mainstream adoption. But Ge, and other TCM advocates, believe there is more openness than ever before. “If we could combine and integrate Western and Chinese approaches, we could really achieve a Golden Age of medicine,” says Elizabeth Fine, dean of clinical education at Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine, and an Elix advisor. “Our studies are finding than when you introduce Chinese medicine into Western therapies, you get a much stronger effect.” Chinese Medicine and Marginalized Americans Before Paltrow and Kardashian, members of the Black Panther Party and Puerto Rican activist group, the Young Lords, embraced Chinese medicine. Back in the early 1970s, when heroin was ravaging Black and brown neighborhoods in New York, the prevailing way to treat addiction was to use another drug, methadone. But several Black doctors learned from Chinese communities that acupuncture could be a viable, drug-free alternative. So these groups opened an acupuncture clinic in Bronx called the Lincoln Detox Center. (At the time, acupuncture was illegal in several states in the U.S.; the government worked to shut the Bronx clinic down and succeeded in 1978.) The relationship between Chinese medicine and other people of color goes back to the mid-1800s, when Chinese immigrants arrived in the U.S. to work on the railways during the Gold Rush. They brought herbs, ointments, and teas in case they got sick because few other forms of healthcare were available to them. Over time, Chinese doctors set up shops in Chinatown and would treat American patients as well. Minority groups, who could not afford to go to Western doctors, were particularly open to these doctors. Elix Ge sees Elix as part of this tradition. More than half of Elix’s customers are women of color. This makes sense to her, given that these communities have had more exposure to TCM than their white counterparts. On top of this, there is a lot of research showing that Black women experience discrimination in the healthcare system. “In our one-on-one sessions with customers, we’ve had many women of color tell us they’ve felt marginalized or gaslit by doctors in the healthcare system,” she says. But more broadly, many women’s health problems have not been studied as thoroughly. There are many reasons for this, according to experts. For centuries, women were not included in clinical studies, since the male body was considered normative. And even today, women are underrepresented in medical research. As a result, conditions like premenstrual syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome remain poorly understood. How Chinese Medicine Sees The Body In some ways, the principles of Chinese medicine are particularly suited to tackling women’s health conditions, which are often associated with hormonal shifts. According to Ge, the Chinese approach takes a much more holistic view of the body. It is interested in how the systems work over the course of a day, a month, and the year. If a patient feels unwell, the first step is to see how their body is out of balance, then figuring out how to balance it again. As a result, Chinese doctors are generally attuned to how a woman’s body changes over her menstrual cycle. If a woman feels more fatigued before her period or experiences a migraine, they have a keen sense of how their hormones are fluctuating and have herbal remedies designed to mitigate the shifts. Elix This contrasts with Western medicine, where doctors tend to be very specialized, which can make it hard to treat syndromes related to the menstrual cycle. I’ve seen this firsthand with my menstrual migraines. Since my gynecologist doesn’t specialize in headaches, she referred me to a neurologist. My neurologist prescribes me the latest migraine treatments, but he is not trying to treat the underlying hormonal shifts that are causing the migraine in the first place. Mark Shrime, a Harvard Medical School professor and the editor the BMJ Global Health journal, says specialization is one of the strengths of Western medicine, which has allowed us to understand the human body in great depth. And, ultimately, when the healthcare system is working as it should, he says doctors should be thinking about how to treat the patient holistically. “It’s a generalization to say that allopathic medicine [i.e. Western medicine] is irreparably siloed or doesn’t think holistically,” Shrime says. “Western doctors are trained to look beyond a particular symptom. But Chinese medicine partitioners tend to be generalists, which influences how they treat patients.” When it comes to their menstrual cycles, women face a wide range of symptoms, including cramps, headaches, depression and anxiety, bloating, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, and many more. TCM has developed a way of organizing these symptoms into patterns, and has identified particular herbs that can counter these issues. When building Elix, Ge worked with TCM practitioners to categorize patterns and match them with specific formulas known to bring relief. It has also built a supply chain to source the herbs from trustworthy suppliers. Each batch of formulations is tested for both quality and consistency. “One issue with traditional medicine is that it was hard to ensure the quality of the herbs,” says Fine. “If you weren’t getting results, you couldn’t tell if it was quackery, or if the quality of the herbs just wasn’t good.” Elix customers take an in-depth survey about their menstrual cycle which covers everything from period symptoms to chronic condition like fibroids. Using an algorithm, Elix will match these symptoms to a particular pattern and prescribe a formula. “Our goal is to standardize this approach to medicine by identifying common patterns and provide the right formulations for each,” Ge says. “My biggest goal is to bring some clinical rigor to TCM, and to do so, we need to have some standardization and repeatability in place.” The Translation Problem Ge believes that her brand has grown thanks to the efficacy of the formulas. Many customers provide feedback and reviews saying that Elix has relieved their symptoms. In some cases, women have reported that their PCOS has gone away completely. Elix continues to grow, particularly among those who are frustrated with the healthcare system and are inclined towards experimenting with Chinese medicine. But to scale, Elix must go beyond these early adopters and tap into mainstream consumers who are less familiar with, or even skeptical of, TCM. One way Ge is doing this is by translating the principles of TCM into language that is more familiar to those immersed in Western medicine. Chinese medicine is based on the concept of qi, which refers to the universal life force, and balancing the ying and yang energies in the body. Many people recoil at this language. But Ge says that ying and yang maps neatly into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. And when Chinese medicine describes being “out of balance,” this often maps onto the concept of experiencing inflammation of some kind. “We’re truing to explain these concepts from a Western medicine perspective so that they don’t feel so foreign and weird to people,” says Ge. Elix Jonathan Leary, founder of the Remedy Place wellness clubs, has been open to incorporating treatments from other medical traditions into his clubs, including acupuncture. He agrees with Ge that translating these approaches into language that consumers will understand is key to to their success. “One of my priorities is to bring alternative medicine mainstream,” Leary says. “When we communicate about it in a way that is relatable and scientific, people have quickly adapted.” Winning Over Skeptics With Clinical Studies But Ge is also trying to provide evidence that her formulations work in a way that is understandable to Western doctors. This isn’t easy, partly because the format of clinical trials is about isolating a particular pharmaceutical compound, giving it to patients, and seeing how well it does against a placebo. The goal is to see the same result among a large proportion of those within the trial. In contrast, Chinese medicine recognizes that each patient is unique and formulations must be tailored to the individual’s symptoms. Still, Elix is now conducting several independent clinical studies to see how the herbal formulations affect hormone-related symptoms. It recently released the results of a study around PCOS, a condition which affects between 6% and 13% of reproductive-aged women, and results in irregular periods, weight gain, and infertility. There is a lack of medical research into PCOS, and as result, there are no FDA-approved drugs to treat it. The results of the Elix study found that 89.3% of participants who used Elix’s formulas were able to regulate their cycle, and 71.4% found that it had improved their PCOS symptoms. There’s a long way to go before TCM is widely accepted in America. But Elix reveals a possible path by which more people are able to learn more about the Chinese approach to medicine, and access treatments that might help them. And now, it seems Western medicine is beginning to open up to these approaches. “I would never recommend Chinese medicine as an alternative to going to your doctor,” says Shrime. “But I think there’s a greater acceptance of these treatments to complement allopathic medicine. There’s a recognition that some of these herbs do make you feel better, so if they don’t interact with another drug, I wouldn’t say no to a patient who wanted to try them.” View the full article

Music is everywhere—playing in coffee shops, on hold lines, in Ubers, behind YouTube ads, and of course, in your earbuds while you work. It’s so constant, we often treat it like harmless background noise. But the brain doesn’t. Whether we realize it or not, music is processed across multiple brain regions tied to attention, memory, and emotion—meaning even passive listening can impact how we focus, feel, and make decisions. “Background music” is never truly in the background. It either supports or competes with your mental state. And that means we have a choice. In today’s fast-paced work culture, where multitasking is the norm and focus is scarce, how we use music can either support or sabotage our goals. The good news? With just a little intention, your playlist can become one of the most powerful productivity tools you already have. Think about how you’re listening to music Music is one of the most overlooked productivity tools. The key isn’t whether you listen to music, it’s how. There’s a difference between active listening and what we call purposeful passive listening. Both are powerful, but for different reasons. Active listening is fully engaging with the music—tuning into the melody, rhythm, harmony, or lyrics. It’s nearly impossible to multitask during this kind of listening, and that’s the point. Use active listening when you need to regulate stress, reset emotionally, or refocus. Breathing with a steady beat, or allowing a favorite instrumental piece to quiet your inner noise, can activate the brain’s attention and emotional regulation systems. Over time, practicing this kind of deep listening can even strengthen interpersonal relationships, as it helps reinforce our capacity to “tune in” to others. Purposeful passive listening, on the other hand, involves choosing music to support a task or shift your mental state, without fully focusing on it. This is not about letting an algorithm autoplay. It’s about intentionally selecting tracks: maybe lo-fi beats while cleaning out your inbox, or ambient strings while brainstorming. This kind of listening taps into the brain’s default mode network, the system that activates during daydreaming, introspection, and idea incubation. Engaging the default mode network can help you step back from focused work and allow space for insight, creativity, and big-picture thinking. Music, when used intentionally in the background, becomes a bridge between tasks and a subtle support system for imaginative work. Turn music into a mental habit Music also plays a surprising role in executive function—the cognitive control system that helps us switch between tasks, regulate impulses, and manage working memory. Background music can enhance learning outcomes by improving arousal and mood, which are closely linked to cognitive performance. Listening to familiar, patterned music while working can help create structure for the brain, making transitions smoother and sustained attention more accessible. It’s why some people instinctively reach for a playlist before writing an email, prepping for a meeting, or transitioning into a different type of work block. And it goes deeper. Have a go-to song that gives you a burst of energy? Don’t just save it for the gym. Drop it into the middle of your workday, right before a presentation, during an afternoon slump, or when motivation dips. When you use the same song consistently with a particular task, your brain starts building an association. Over time, the music becomes a cue, like a mental shortcut into a focused or energized state. Maybe it’s “We Will Rock You” before a big pitch, or “River Flows in You” for concentration. Music activates the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine, the same neurotransmitter associated with motivation and pleasure. The more consistently we attach meaning to a song, the more powerful its effect becomes. Use music enough, and your brain doesn’t just hear the notes, it knows what to do next. Sound can be a strategy Music isn’t just something we hear; it’s something that actively shapes our brain states. When used with intention, sound becomes a strategy: for focus, for recovery, for creativity, or for connection. In a world full of noise, it’s not about turning the music off. It’s about tuning in. How to use music more intentionally at work Create a 3-track playlist: one for focus, one for a reset, one to energize. Pair a consistent song with a task you want to build into habit, like writing, prepping, or unwinding. Avoid music with lyrics when doing language-based tasks like writing or reading. Use instrumental or ambient music to transition between meetings or block your day. Try “bookending” your work day with music. Use the same track to start and end, and signal your brain into a productive rhythm. With just a little intention, your daily soundtrack can become one of the most effective tools for doing better work—and feeling better while doing it. View the full article

Spring showers might bring flowers, but they can be a real hassle when you’re trying to look presentable at the office. Many of the best raincoats are made by outdoor brands, which tend to focus on utility rather than aesthetics. But a rugged jacket that is perfect for hiking through the rain can really ruin a professional look. When you’re headed to work, what you need is a jacket that is sleek and minimal, inspired by a traditional silhouette, like a trench coat or a car coat, but made from high-tech waterproof or water repellent materials. And ideally, you can find one that is so elegant that you want to reach for it throughout the spring and fall, even when the forecast is clear. Fortunately, there are many beautiful rain jackets that fit this description that match many styles and price points. Here are some of our favorites. Best Performance Canada Goose: Cardero Rain Jacket, $895 If you’re looking for complete rain protection, the Cardero jacket offers 100% waterproofing, thanks to its fabric and seam-sealed construction. It features three layers of material to keep you warm (It is perfect for spring days when the temperatures hover around 30 degrees Fahrenheit.) But it is not bulky. It has a sleek, contoured silhouette, thanks to a drawcord on the interior that cinches your waist. The large hood will keep your face dry (and makeup from running) through even the stormiest weather. Most Effortlessly Chic Sezane: Hugo Parka, $365 The French label Sezane has developed a parka designed to fit perfectly with its vintage-inspired, effortless Parisian aesthetic. What makes this jacket sing is all the little details: the large buttons, the wide sleeves that can be rolled up and attached, the oversize hood. It is made from a breathable organic cotton, with a water-resistant finish so it will keep you dry in most conditions. (You may want to wait out the torrential downpour, however.) That said, it is so fetching that you’ll want to wear it throughout the spring and fall. Best For Travel Stutterheim: Mosebacke Lightweight Raincoat, $270 Swedish label Stutterheim specializes in raincoats, so it knows what it’s doing. The Mosebacke epitomizes Scandinavian style, with its a-line shape and oversized hood. It is designed to make it easy to move: The eyelets under the arms create ventilation and the drawstring on the hood ensures it stays on when it’s very wet outside. It is thin, which makes it easy to pack for unpredictable weather as well as for traveling. Best Value Everlane: The Anorak, $178 If you want a rain jacket that will get the job done without breaking the bank, we suggest Everlane’s anorak. Made of a lightweight fabric blend of organic cotton and recycled nylon, it is treated with a water-resistant finish. It has a large hood that is both practical and a nice design element. In keeping with the brand’s pared-down aesthetic, it features clean lines without any unnecessary details. For those who need a slightly more casual jacket to wear to work, this is a good pick. Best in Class Mackage: Winn 2-in-1 Classic Trench Coat, $1,190 For a classic trench style that will keep you both warm and dry, Mackage has you covered. The Canadian brand has developed a flattering, tailored coat that is full of versatile features. It has a removable inner liner that adds warmth, so you can wear it through the colder months of the spring and fall, when the weather falls to below freezing. (This liner is also washable.) The exterior fabric is water-repellent and features a rain shedder feature that wicks water away from your body. But apart from its functionality, it is just a beautiful coat with plenty of chic details that make it stand out: buttoned shoulder tabs, a statement belt, adjustable cuffs and buttoned throat latch. While this jacket is on the pricier end of our list, it is good value because you can wear it year-round. View the full article

Residents of the mostly Black communities sandwiched between chemical plants along the lower Mississippi River have long said they get most of the pollution but few of the jobs produced by the region’s vast petrochemical industry. A new study led by Tulane University backs up that view, revealing stark racial disparities across the U.S.’s petrochemical workforce. Inequity was especially pronounced in Louisiana, where people of color were underrepresented in both high- and low-paying jobs at chemical plants and refineries. “It was really surprising how consistently people of color didn’t get their fair share of jobs in the petrochemical industry,” said Kimberly Terrell, a research scientist with the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. “No matter how you slice or dice the data by states, metro areas, or parishes, the data’s consistent.” Toxic air pollution in Louisiana’s petrochemical corridor, an area often referred to as “Cancer Alley,” has risen in recent years. The burdens of pollution have been borne mostly by the state’s Black and poor communities, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Tulane study’s findings match what Cancer Alley residents have suspected for decades, said Joy Banner, cofounder of the Descendants Project, a nonprofit that advocates for Black communities in the parishes between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. “You hear it a lot—that Black people are not getting the jobs,” she said. “But to have the numbers so well documented, and to see just how glaring they are—that was surprising.” People of color were underrepresented in all of the highest-paying jobs among the 30 states with a large petrochemical industry presence, but Louisiana and Texas had “the most extreme disparities,” according to the study, which was published in the journal Ecological Economics. While several states had poor representation on the upper pay scale, people of color were typically overrepresented in the lower earnings tiers. In Texas, nearly 60% of the working-age population is nonwhite, but people of color hold 39% of higher-paying positions and 57% of lower-paying jobs in the chemical industry. Louisiana was the only state in which people of color are underrepresented in both pay categories. People who aren’t white make up 41% of the working-age population but occupy just 21% of higher-paying jobs and about 33% of lower-paid jobs. The study relied on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Louisiana Economic Development. The chemical industry disputed the study’s findings. “We recognize the importance of examining equity in employment, however, this study offers an incomplete and misleading portrayal of our industry and its contributions,” David Cresson, president and CEO of the Louisiana Chemical Association, said in a statement. Cresson pointed to several industry-supported workforce development programs, scholarships, and science camps aimed at “closing the training gap in Louisiana.” But the study indicates education and training levels aren’t at the root of underrepresentation among states or metro areas. Louisiana’s education gap was modest, with college attainment at 30% for white residents and 20% for people of color. In places like Lake Charles and St. John the Baptist Parish, where petrochemical jobs are common, the gap was minimal—five percentage points or less. The industry’s investments in education are “just public relations spin,” Banner said. “The amount of money they’re investing in schools and various programs pales in comparison to how much they’re profiting in our communities,” she said. “We sacrifice so much and get so little in return.” Louisiana is also getting little from generous tax breaks aimed at boosting employment, the study found. The state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program has granted 80% to 100% property tax exemptions to companies that promise to create new jobs. For each job created in Cameron Parish, where large natural gas ports have been built in recent years, companies were exempted from almost $590,000 in local taxes. In St. John, each job equated to about $1 million in uncollected tax revenue. “This tradeoff of pollution in exchange for jobs was never an equal trade,” said Gianna St. Julien, one of the study’s authors. “But this deal is even worse when the overwhelming majority of these companies’ property taxes are not being poured back into these struggling communities.” — Tristan Baurick, Grist This article originally appeared in Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for its newsletter here. This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist and Verite News, a nonprofit news organization with a mission to produce in-depth journalism in underserved communities in the New Orleans area. View the full article

Whether you’re familiar with the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche or are a fan of singer Kelly Clarkson, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” While it sounds like a cheer for persistence during tough times, it’s also scientifically true, says Jeff Krasno, author of Good Stress: The Health Benefits of Doing Hard Things. “Stress, whether from physical challenges like ice baths or mental stressors like tough conversations, fosters resilience and long-term wellbeing,” he says. “The key is to differentiate between good stress and bad stress and use the former to your advantage.” To understand the difference between good and bad stress, Krasno offers this example: “If you were hiking and ran across a rattlesnake on the path, you’d probably have a stress response that serves your biological imperative to survive,” he says. “The problem with modern stress for so many people is that the rattlesnake never leaves the path.” Bad Stress Versus Good Stress Many of us live in a state of chronic agitation that includes personal hardship, overwork, past trauma, and a 24-hour social media algorithm designed to keep people in a state of amygdala hijack. “We live in an attention economy where everyone is vying for your focus at every moment through increasing levels of sensationalism and scandal and fear and outrage,” says Krasno. “It keeps people in a state of chronic stress, and that’s really when stress is bad.” Good stress, on the other hand, comes from the discomforts our ancestors endured. “We evolved for hundreds of thousands of years as Homo Sapiens with a relationship to Paleolithic stress, such as calorie scarcity, fluctuations in temperature, immersion in nature, communal living, and exposure to light,” says Krasno. “Adaptive mechanisms to those forms of stress formed physiological pathways in the body that promoted longevity and resilience.” The problem is that we’ve denuded life of most Paleolithic stressors, says Krasno. For example, many of us we have an endless supply of calories at our disposal. We generally spend most of our time sedentary and inside temperature-regulated environments, removed from nature. And we rely on artificial light, which can impact sleep. Removing good stress in favor of comfort has had consequences, and Krasno says the increasing prevalence of chronic disease results from chronic ease. “We’ve fooled ourselves into thinking that we can exist as separate individuals in our single-family homes, ordering up DoorDash all day,” says Krasno. “Since the industrial revolution, particularly accelerating in the last 50 years, we have engineered our lifestyle for comfort and convenience.” Introducing Good Stress Counterbalance bad stress by introducing good stress at the appropriate amount. Early 16th century Swiss physician Paracelsus said, “only the dose makes the poison.” The right dosage of self-imposed discomfort, such as strenuous activities, and temperature regulation, can make you stronger, says Krasno. But it’s important to start slowly. “I would never advise anyone who has never ice plunged before to get into a 33-degree ice bath for the first time,” says Krasno. “Get into a 60-degree ice bath see what that feels like. Find the edge of your discomfort and lean into it and be curious about what’s on the other side of it, because it’s generally a very good thing.” Krasno also advocates for leaning into social stress. “I call it diving into the ice bath of hard, stressful conversations, becoming just a little bit more comfortable with our discomfort, so we can unwind a lot of infirmities,” he says. As the host of the Commune podcast, where he talks about health and wellness, Krasno regularly encounters people who don’t agree with his points of view, emailing or commenting on his posts. Instead of ignoring them or disagreeing publicly, he invites them to jump on a Zoom call. Most ghost him, but some accepted the call. He created a safe setting, acting polite, open, and curious. Leaning into discomfort “We build our physiological immune system through low-grade exposure to pathogens and virus and bacteria,” says Krasno. “Through having these conversations, I built what I call my psychological immune system.” In addition to being an exercise in connection, active listening, and open-mindedness, Krasno says it provided an opportunity for personal growth. “It fortified my own opinions, because, for once, I had to consider the best part of an opposing opinion,” he explains. People get trapped in the story that they tell themselves about themselves, but Krasno says change is possible if you’re willing to lean into discomfort. “Once you actually grasp your own impermanence, you can take agency over the trajectory of your life,” he says. “Embracing discomfort will change the trajectory of your life. Humans are just a process, not a product. We move dynamically across this spectrum from wholeness to disease and disaster. You can move towards wholeness as a process, too. You have agency over the trajectory of that journey.” View the full article

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Amid the video podcast boom, Netflix is making its own move into the space. According to Business Insider, the streaming giant’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos said video podcasts may be the next format to land on the platform. During Netflix’s first-quarter earnings call Thursday, Sarandos noted that “the lines are getting blurry” between podcasts and talk shows, adding, “as the popularity of video podcasts grows, I suspect you’ll see some of them find their way to Netflix.” In 2025, audiences want to watch their podcasts. As a result, YouTube—not audio-first platforms like Spotify or Apple—has become the top destination for American podcast listeners. Data from Edison Podcast Metrics shows YouTube attracts 31% of weekly podcast listeners, compared to Spotify’s 27% and Apple’s 15%. Nearly half of podcast listeners now watch their favorite shows on Smart TVs, and in March, YouTube made up 9.7% of all TV viewing—edging out Netflix’s 8.1%. When asked about competition from YouTube, Sarandos told The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix remains the “best place for premium content, as defined by fans.” The platform already licenses content from kids’ favorite Ms. Rachel, as well as Tony Hinchcliffe, the conservative comedian behind the podcast Kill Tony. And Netflix is far from done. “We’re looking for the next generation of great creators, and we’re looking everywhere, not just in film schools and certainly not just in Hollywood,” Sarandos said during the call. When it comes to helping creators scale and monetize, Sarandos says Netflix stands apart. “You know, the question that’s out there is, is it premium? Well, some of it is, and we believe we have the best monetization model on the planet for premium storytelling,” he said. “I think we could help those creators reach an audience. Our model can also support more ambitious efforts for them, could help derisk them, unlike the kind of typical [user generated content] models.” With Netflix becoming YouTube, Instagram turning into TikTok, and X becoming… whatever X is now, no one wants to stay in their lane anymore. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My promotion was canceled because of budget … but I’m still doing the work I’m an employee at a university paid through federal funding. Last month, my manager submitted a promotion for me. After some back and forth, it was approved all the way up and down the chain by everyone and just waiting for the last signature to be finalized. At the last second, two days before the deadline, upper management said that due to funding uncertainty the promotion was cancelled. Unfortunately, I don’t expect this uncertainty to resolve any time soon, so who knows when that promotion will actually go through. The main problem is, I was doing work at this higher level in order to demonstrate that I was ready for promotion, and now that I know it’s not coming, I’m not particularly interested in doing that high level work anymore. It’s one thing to hear that you aren’t getting a promotion early on, but this has been in discussion for six months and I’m pretty upset that it was cancelled at the last possible second. I would prefer to go back to doing individual contributor work. Another factor is that although there are several people with informal “lead” titles on my team, I don’t have one, despite doing the same level work. How can I pull back on doing extra work without looking unprofessional and salty? Should I ask for a “lead” title, which is somewhat meaningless, but at least would look good on my resume since I don’t have the higher position? I am also concerned about getting laid off, so a lot of this stems from wanting to accurately represent my actual work on my resume! You could say, “I understand the situation we’re in with funding, but I’ve been doing higher level work for six months specifically to earn the promotion. Since that’s been canceled, I need to pull my work back to the level I’m being asked to stay at.” This can be tricky, because a lot of organizations are big on “you have to do the work in order to move to the next level.” But you’ve been doing the work, and they’ve told you there’s no reward coming right now, so it’s not unreasonable to decide to recalibrate. That said, there can be advantages to your resume to continuing to do it anyway; if you’ll be able to put experience and accomplishments on your resume that you otherwise wouldn’t have, and which you can parlay into your next job somewhere else, you should factor that in, too. If that feels like an advantage you don’t want to give up, then you should definitely ask for the lead title, framing it as, “I’d at least like a lead title like others doing this level of work have, even if it’s not a formal promotion.” Related: can I refuse more work without a raise? 2. Do we have to let a problematic coworker join an allies group? I’m a non-binary trans person (pronouns: they/them) at a workplace where non-binary people constitute about 1 in 10 people, which is great. But we have had some issues with misgendering from colleagues that I have spent a lot of time with HR on resolving (gender identity is a protected status in my state, in addition to nationwide). We’ve largely resolved the issue in that I’m no longer being actively misgendered at work, but the whole situation has left me slightly wary of the two main offenders. I’m now going to be starting an LGBT + allies ERG (employee resource group) at my work, and I know at least one of the main offenders of the misgendering is likely to volunteer to join as an “ally” because she is, well, a bit oblivious. What do I say if she expresses interest? Including her would mean we wouldn’t be able to discuss as openly as I would like to because of her previous behavior but also I don’t want to have to deal with her consternation over being told no because as well intentioned as she may be, her actions speak way louder. What do I do? Let her join. Legally, while ERGs can focus on supporting specific communities, they can’t limit participation based on demographics; they have to be open to all employees. If someone joins and is then disruptive, you can remove them from the group based on that behavior, but you can’t preemptively block them from joining. And of course, best case scenario, she might learn something. That doesn’t address your concern about her presence inhibiting open discussion, but given the legal restraints you’re operating within, that’s likely the best way to look at it. 3. How to manage my boss’ calendar when I don’t have autonomy I recently started a new job where a major part of my role involves admin support for an executive. I’m a highly organized person, but managing their calendar has been overwhelming, even for me. One major challenge is that I don’t have autonomy over the calendar. My boss requires me to run every single meeting request by them before anything gets scheduled. There have been times when I knew they were free, so I took the initiative to schedule something, only to be reprimanded for not checking first. This creates a constant back-and-forth for every request, delaying my ability to confirm or decline meetings with others. It’s time-consuming, inefficient, and stresses my boss out when I spam them with meeting requests. Complicating things further, my boss—while very senior—isn’t the CEO. There’s a group of four other top executives whose meeting requests always take priority. When any of them request time, my boss is expected to accommodate, even at short notice. The same applies to meetings with clients, which often come up without much warning and typically must be accepted. This means that most meeting requests are either urgent or involve clients, making 80% of meetings essentially non-negotiable. Even when my boss tells me, “Don’t schedule anything for ____ time,” those holds often end up getting overridden because of higher-priority meetings. And I still have to check in every time, which adds to the overwhelming communication flow. Because of all this, I find myself pinging my boss throughout the day with meeting requests, so much so that I worry I’m being annoying or redundant. I was hired to be a problem-solver and to make my boss’s life easier, but it feels like I’m just a middle-person in a never-ending scheduling maze. I’m struggling with how to streamline this process without stepping out of bounds. I want to be proactive and take things off my boss’s plate, but I don’t have the authority or clarity to do that confidently. It’s discouraging, and I feel stuck. Talk to your boss! Ask if they’re happy with you pinging them throughout the day or if it’s disruptive and they’d prefer something else. It might turn out that they’re fine with it and this is their preference — in which case, the challenge for you is to just work on getting comfortable with that. It’s also possible that as you work together longer, you’ll develop more of a sense of how they do/don’t want to schedule things, they’ll see that, and they’ll let you do it more autonomously. But that may just take time. However, if the current system isn’t working well for them, you could suggest a daily check-in (maybe every afternoon, whenever you can grab them for two minutes) where you run down all the meeting requests that have come in since you last talked. You can also ask whether there are categories of meetings you can schedule without confirming with them first (like maybe those execs whose requests always take priority and/or important clients). 4. What the highest number of people a manager can effectively manage? I currently work at a baby-mega corp (8,000 employees), and previously worked at an F100 with over 200,000 employees. In both places, I have come across the idea (promoted by outside consultants in both cases) that the “ideal” maximum number of direct reports for a manager was between 4-7 people. Is there any research behind this, or does this depend more on the nature of the role? I’m a “working manager” myself — I manage three people, mentor three less senior employees (who don’t report to me), and am expected to maintain a full substantive workload on top of managing. In contrast, I assume (and would hope!) that the person with a lot of directs is expected to be more focused on managing others’ work — but even so, I’d be curious to hear your perspective on how numbers impact effectiveness. It does vary based on the type of jobs you’re managing, but for most professional jobs in general it’s rough to directly manage more than six or so people, at least if you want to do it effectively (meaning that you’re reviewing and evaluating work, giving feedback, setting and monitoring progress on big picture goals, spotting and addressing problems, giving people meaningful opportunities for input, helping them develop their skills, dealing with performance issues, keeping an eye on culture and morale, and through all of that being accessible and having the normal ad hoc conversations that are part of working with/managing people). In some cases where the people being managed are doing either very rote work or very independent work, it could be a higher number, but generally once you go past that point you need to build in some layers of management in between. And yes, if you’re expected to produce a significant body of your own work on top of managing a team, that affects the calculation as well. 5. I’m not getting my accrued vacation time when I switch agencies I work for a city agency. Let’s call them Agency A. I’ve been with A for a year and six months. I found a new position with Agency B. I gave notice on 4/4 and my last day was supposed to be 4/18. But on 4/16, I got an email stating that I’m still a provisional employee, not a permanent one. As such, I cannot transfer to Agency B and must resign. As a resigning employee, I also can’t bring any of my accrued time with me to B. Also, Agency A does not pay out any accrued time for resigning or retiring employees. My manager told me that he’s seen people with 30 + years at the agency lose their accrued time upon retirement. I said if that’s the case, then there’s no reason for me to finish out my notice period. I’m leaving and 4/16 will be my last day. I was told that only the director of the agency has the authority to grant my “request.” He was in a meeting and didn’t get back to me until after 6 pm. He said my request is denied because no one can request vacation the night before. You need to give advance notice and have your manager’s approval. Request denied. Report to work. I’ve calmed down a little, but internally I’m still seething! I called my union but no one has gotten back to me yet. Is there anything I can do? What are your thoughts? I’m answering too late for you to implement this advice, but in case it’s still useful for you or others: There’s not really anything you can do; these are their policies and they are legal ones (as long as your state doesn’t require vacation payout upon departure, which I’m guessing it doesn’t — and even if it does, public employees are sometimes exempted). The only part that’s really in your control is whether you work out your notice period or not. Did your director think you were asking to use vacation time for the rest of your notice period? Because that’s the only thing in their power to approve or deny; they can’t stop you from simply leaving. You do have the option of saying “sorry, but 4/16 was my last day” … but the downside of that is that not finishing a notice period can mean you’re ineligible for rehire and can effect the kind of references you get. Since we’re only talking about a two-day difference, that’s less likely to happen, but it’s still something you’d want to factor in. View the full article

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On the Small Biz Breakdown this week, our expert panel is back and once again, the The President tariffs controversy is the primary focus of the conversation. Will these tariffs affect small businesses in the long-term or have a permanent effect on US business relations overseas? Or will the possible damage caused by these tariffs be repairable? Check out what our expert panel has to say on this hot topic and much more on the latest episode of Small Biz Breakdown Small Business News Also, check out the latest headlines important for small business owners in our weekly news roundup here … Gas Prices Continue to Drop as Spring Travel Slows Drivers across the U.S. are seeing some relief at the pump as gas prices continue to fall in mid-April. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline dropped five cents over the past week, settling at $3.167 as of April 17. Analysts attribute the decline to softening demand and continued low crude oil prices. Optimum Business Launches $125K Grant Program for Kanawha County Small Businesses Optimum Business and the Charleston Area Alliance have announced the opening of applications for the Lifting Up Small Businesses Grants, a new initiative aimed at bolstering small business growth in Kanawha County. As part of the program, 25 small businesses will each receive a $5,000 grant, totaling $125,000 in funding to support long-term economic prosperity in the region. Frontegg Study Reveals Password Resets Are Driving Users Away A new report released by Frontegg highlights a growing frustration among American consumers over login issues, especially password resets, which are pushing users to abandon purchases, accounts, and even paid subscriptions. The findings suggest that businesses may be losing significant revenue due to cumbersome authentication processes. Google Releases Pixel 9a, Combining Powerful AI and Affordability Google has officially launched the Pixel 9a, its latest A-series smartphone, now available in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. starting April 10. With a starting price of $499, the Pixel 9a integrates many of the premium features found in Google’s flagship Pixel 9 lineup while introducing a sleek redesign, upgraded camera, and cutting-edge AI capabilities. YouTube Backs Bipartisan NO FAKES Act to Combat Harmful AI-Generated Replicas YouTube has announced its support for the NO FAKES Act of 2025, a bipartisan legislative proposal aimed at addressing the misuse of AI-generated content that simulates an individual’s likeness or voice. Comcast RISE to Award $3 Million in Support to Small Businesses in Grand Rapids and Muskegon Comcast announced Thursday that 100 small businesses in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and surrounding communities will receive comprehensive grant packages through the Comcast RISE program. The initiative is part of a broader $3 million national effort aimed at supporting 500 small businesses across five U.S. regions. Discord Expands Video Quests Advertising Format to Mobile Discord has announced the expansion of its rewarded advertising format, Video Quests, to mobile devices, marking the company’s first foray into mobile advertising. The pilot for Video Quests on Mobile is expected to launch in June 2025 and aims to connect advertisers with Discord’s highly active, cross-platform user base. Google Enhances Gmail Search With Smarter AI-Powered Results Google has announced the rollout of a new AI-powered search enhancement for Gmail, designed to help users find emails more quickly and efficiently. The update introduces a smarter sorting feature that surfaces the most relevant results first, rather than simply displaying emails in chronological order. UPS Expands Ground Shipping Portfolio with New Saver and Freight Options UPS announced two new ground shipping products recently, expanding its end-to-end logistics offerings with the launch of UPS Ground Saver and UPS Ground with Freight Pricing. The company says these options are designed to meet the diverse needs of both residential and commercial shippers, delivering flexibility, control, and value in a changing logistics environment. Why Michael E. Gerber, Author of “The E-Myth” Says We Have to Stop Just Doing It They call him “the World’s #1 Small Business Guru” — the entrepreneurial and small business thought leader who has impacted the lives of millions of small business owners and hundreds of thousands of companies worldwide for over 40 years. On the Small Business Radio Show this week, I talked with the legendary Michael E. USPS Proposes Rate Hike for Forever Stamp in July The U.S. Postal Service announced that it has filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of proposed mailing services price changes scheduled to take effect on July 13, 2025. The proposed changes include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, from 73 cents to 78 cents. San Diego Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Over Three Years for COVID-19 and Tax Fraud A San Diego restaurant owner has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for defrauding COVID-19 relief programs and filing false tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. Leronce Suel, the majority owner of Rockstar Dough LLC and Chicken Feed LLC, operated restaurants in the San Diego area, including Streetcar Merchants in the North Park neighborhood. Small Biz Breakdown: The US Not at the Center of the Global Economy? On the Small Biz Breakdown this week, our expert panel ponders the idea of the U.S. not being the center of the economic universe and what that would mean for small business owners. Gas Prices Fall Despite Seasonal Trends Gasoline prices across the U.S. are dropping, bucking the typical seasonal trend of increases, according to AAA. The shift is being attributed to supply and demand dynamics, particularly a significant announcement from OPEC+ and recent data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Maximize Efficiency with Outlook Customer Manager for Small Business Success Key Takeaways Integrated Customer Management: Outlook Customer Manager provides a centralized system for managing customer interactions directly within Outlook, eliminating the need for multiple applications. Etsy Introduces AI-Powered Discovery Experience to Personalize Shopping Etsy has unveiled a new AI-powered discovery experience on its app, designed to help shoppers find unique, personalized items through a more engaging and curated browsing interface. The announcement, made on April 9, 2025, highlights Etsy’s efforts to distinguish its platform from the broader e-commerce landscape, where product listings often appear repetitive and lack individuality. Google Highlights How Gmail Events Are Automatically Added to Calendar Google has issued new guidance explaining how events such as flight confirmations, hotel bookings, and restaurant reservations sent to Gmail accounts are automatically added to Google Calendar. This feature, part of Google’s smart personalization tools, is enabled by default in most countries and helps users manage logistics by integrating event-related emails into their calendars. This article, "Small Biz Breakdown: Will We See Lasting Impacts from The President Tariffs?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

On the Small Biz Breakdown this week, our expert panel is back and once again, the The President tariffs controversy is the primary focus of the conversation. Will these tariffs affect small businesses in the long-term or have a permanent effect on US business relations overseas? Or will the possible damage caused by these tariffs be repairable? Check out what our expert panel has to say on this hot topic and much more on the latest episode of Small Biz Breakdown Small Business News Also, check out the latest headlines important for small business owners in our weekly news roundup here … Gas Prices Continue to Drop as Spring Travel Slows Drivers across the U.S. are seeing some relief at the pump as gas prices continue to fall in mid-April. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline dropped five cents over the past week, settling at $3.167 as of April 17. Analysts attribute the decline to softening demand and continued low crude oil prices. Optimum Business Launches $125K Grant Program for Kanawha County Small Businesses Optimum Business and the Charleston Area Alliance have announced the opening of applications for the Lifting Up Small Businesses Grants, a new initiative aimed at bolstering small business growth in Kanawha County. As part of the program, 25 small businesses will each receive a $5,000 grant, totaling $125,000 in funding to support long-term economic prosperity in the region. Frontegg Study Reveals Password Resets Are Driving Users Away A new report released by Frontegg highlights a growing frustration among American consumers over login issues, especially password resets, which are pushing users to abandon purchases, accounts, and even paid subscriptions. The findings suggest that businesses may be losing significant revenue due to cumbersome authentication processes. Google Releases Pixel 9a, Combining Powerful AI and Affordability Google has officially launched the Pixel 9a, its latest A-series smartphone, now available in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. starting April 10. With a starting price of $499, the Pixel 9a integrates many of the premium features found in Google’s flagship Pixel 9 lineup while introducing a sleek redesign, upgraded camera, and cutting-edge AI capabilities. YouTube Backs Bipartisan NO FAKES Act to Combat Harmful AI-Generated Replicas YouTube has announced its support for the NO FAKES Act of 2025, a bipartisan legislative proposal aimed at addressing the misuse of AI-generated content that simulates an individual’s likeness or voice. Comcast RISE to Award $3 Million in Support to Small Businesses in Grand Rapids and Muskegon Comcast announced Thursday that 100 small businesses in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and surrounding communities will receive comprehensive grant packages through the Comcast RISE program. The initiative is part of a broader $3 million national effort aimed at supporting 500 small businesses across five U.S. regions. Discord Expands Video Quests Advertising Format to Mobile Discord has announced the expansion of its rewarded advertising format, Video Quests, to mobile devices, marking the company’s first foray into mobile advertising. The pilot for Video Quests on Mobile is expected to launch in June 2025 and aims to connect advertisers with Discord’s highly active, cross-platform user base. Google Enhances Gmail Search With Smarter AI-Powered Results Google has announced the rollout of a new AI-powered search enhancement for Gmail, designed to help users find emails more quickly and efficiently. The update introduces a smarter sorting feature that surfaces the most relevant results first, rather than simply displaying emails in chronological order. UPS Expands Ground Shipping Portfolio with New Saver and Freight Options UPS announced two new ground shipping products recently, expanding its end-to-end logistics offerings with the launch of UPS Ground Saver and UPS Ground with Freight Pricing. The company says these options are designed to meet the diverse needs of both residential and commercial shippers, delivering flexibility, control, and value in a changing logistics environment. Why Michael E. Gerber, Author of “The E-Myth” Says We Have to Stop Just Doing It They call him “the World’s #1 Small Business Guru” — the entrepreneurial and small business thought leader who has impacted the lives of millions of small business owners and hundreds of thousands of companies worldwide for over 40 years. On the Small Business Radio Show this week, I talked with the legendary Michael E. USPS Proposes Rate Hike for Forever Stamp in July The U.S. Postal Service announced that it has filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of proposed mailing services price changes scheduled to take effect on July 13, 2025. The proposed changes include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, from 73 cents to 78 cents. San Diego Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Over Three Years for COVID-19 and Tax Fraud A San Diego restaurant owner has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for defrauding COVID-19 relief programs and filing false tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. Leronce Suel, the majority owner of Rockstar Dough LLC and Chicken Feed LLC, operated restaurants in the San Diego area, including Streetcar Merchants in the North Park neighborhood. Small Biz Breakdown: The US Not at the Center of the Global Economy? On the Small Biz Breakdown this week, our expert panel ponders the idea of the U.S. not being the center of the economic universe and what that would mean for small business owners. Gas Prices Fall Despite Seasonal Trends Gasoline prices across the U.S. are dropping, bucking the typical seasonal trend of increases, according to AAA. The shift is being attributed to supply and demand dynamics, particularly a significant announcement from OPEC+ and recent data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Maximize Efficiency with Outlook Customer Manager for Small Business Success Key Takeaways Integrated Customer Management: Outlook Customer Manager provides a centralized system for managing customer interactions directly within Outlook, eliminating the need for multiple applications. Etsy Introduces AI-Powered Discovery Experience to Personalize Shopping Etsy has unveiled a new AI-powered discovery experience on its app, designed to help shoppers find unique, personalized items through a more engaging and curated browsing interface. The announcement, made on April 9, 2025, highlights Etsy’s efforts to distinguish its platform from the broader e-commerce landscape, where product listings often appear repetitive and lack individuality. Google Highlights How Gmail Events Are Automatically Added to Calendar Google has issued new guidance explaining how events such as flight confirmations, hotel bookings, and restaurant reservations sent to Gmail accounts are automatically added to Google Calendar. This feature, part of Google’s smart personalization tools, is enabled by default in most countries and helps users manage logistics by integrating event-related emails into their calendars. This article, "Small Biz Breakdown: Will We See Lasting Impacts from The President Tariffs?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Understand the Brand Manager Role: Recognize the key responsibilities, including developing brand strategy, managing campaigns, and conducting market research to align with your business goals.Define Your Brand’s Needs: Identify specific goals and assess your current brand position to tailor the brand manager’s role effectively, ensuring a focused recruitment strategy.Craft an Effective Job Description: Include clear expectations, core responsibilities, and essential skills to attract qualified candidates while highlighting your company culture to ensure a good fit.Utilize Diverse Sourcing Strategies: Leverage networking events, online job boards, and referrals to reach a broader pool of qualified candidates, optimizing your recruitment efforts.Focus on Candidate Fit During Interviews: Prepare targeted questions and involve team members in the interview process to assess both technical skills and alignment with company culture, improving retention.Implement a Strong Onboarding Process: Create a comprehensive onboarding plan to integrate the new brand manager into the team while providing necessary training and support for long-term success. Hiring a brand manager can be a game-changer for your business. With the right person in this role, you can elevate your brand’s presence and connect more deeply with your audience. But finding the perfect fit isn’t always straightforward. You need someone who not only understands your vision but also has the skills to bring it to life. In today’s competitive market, a strong brand identity is essential. A skilled brand manager can help you navigate the complexities of brand strategy, messaging, and market trends. Whether you’re a startup looking to establish your brand or an established company aiming to refresh your image, knowing how to hire the right brand manager is crucial. Let’s explore the key steps to finding a candidate who can truly make an impact. Understanding the Role of a Brand Manager In small businesses, a brand manager plays a crucial role in shaping your brand identity and driving customer loyalty. Understanding their responsibilities and required skills can enhance your hiring process. Key Responsibilities Developing Brand Strategy: A brand manager crafts the vision and direction for your brand, ensuring it aligns with your business goals. Managing Marketing Campaigns: They oversee the execution of marketing initiatives, from social media to email marketing, fostering strong audience engagement. Conducting Market Research: A brand manager analyzes market trends and consumer behavior, providing valuable insights to adjust your branding approach. Enhancing Brand Image: They monitor public perception and manage your brand’s reputation, addressing any negative feedback swiftly. Collaborating with Teams: Working across departments, they ensure that all team members understand the brand message, promoting a cohesive workplace culture. Essential Skills and Qualities Creativity: A strong candidate should possess innovative thinking to generate fresh ideas that capture customer attention. Analytical Skills: The ability to analyze data and derive actionable insights is crucial for measuring brand effectiveness and adjusting strategies. Communication Skills: Effective communication is vital, as they will interact with various stakeholders, from team members to external partners. Adaptability: A brand manager should quickly adapt to changes in the job market and industry trends that impact your business. Strong Leadership: This position requires the ability to motivate team members, driving engagement and maintaining productivity. By focusing on these key responsibilities and essential skills, you can refine your recruitment strategy to attract and retain the right brand manager for your small business. Defining Your Brand’s Needs Defining your brand’s needs is essential for effective hiring and recruitment strategies, especially for small businesses. A clear understanding of roles and responsibilities helps attract the right talent. Identifying Key Goals Set clear, measurable goals for the brand manager position. Goals could include increasing brand awareness by 30% within one year, enhancing social media engagement by 50%, or launching three major marketing campaigns annually. Clear goals enable you to evaluate candidates based on their ability to meet those specific targets, making the recruitment process more effective and streamlined. Assessing Current Brand Position Evaluate your current brand position through market research and customer feedback. Understand your brand’s strengths and weaknesses in the competitive landscape. Use this information to inform your job description and staffing requirements. Aligning the brand manager’s scope of work with current challenges creates a more focused recruitment strategy. This approach helps you find a brand manager who can navigate the specific needs of your brand within the landscape, thus improving employee performance and overall brand strategy. Crafting an Effective Job Description A well-defined job description plays a pivotal role in your recruitment process for a brand manager. It attracts the right job candidates while streamlining the hiring process, especially in small business staffing efforts. Key Elements to Include Define Clear Brand Goals and Expectations: Outline specific goals and responsibilities for the brand manager role. For instance, boosting brand awareness, refining brand positioning, or collaborating with product marketing teams enhances clarity. Core Responsibilities: Focus on the key responsibilities of a brand manager. Include tasks like developing and implementing brand strategies, conducting market research and competitive analysis, maintaining brand consistency, and managing multi-channel marketing campaigns. Clearly stating these responsibilities ensures alignment with your staffing requirements. Required Skills and Qualifications: Specify the essential skills and qualifications needed for the position. Emphasize creativity, analytical skills, effective communication, adaptability, and strong leadership. This ensures you attract candidates with the right skill set that matches your brand needs. Common Pitfalls to Avoid Vague Job Descriptions: Avoid generalities in your job description. Provide precise information regarding what the brand manager role entails. Ambiguity can confuse job candidates and result in unqualified applicants. Neglecting Company Culture: Don’t overlook the importance of conveying your workplace culture. Highlight how the brand manager role fits within your small business. Candidates align better with companies when they understand the work environment. Ignoring Legal Requirements: Ensure compliance with labor laws when crafting the job description. Address any legal aspects related to the role to mitigate potential issues during the hiring process. Not Updating Job Openings: Regularly review and update your job postings. Markets evolve, and outdated information can affect your ability to attract top talent and maintain a competitive edge. By focusing on these elements and avoiding common pitfalls, you enhance your recruitment strategy. This approach helps ensure your small business hires the right brand manager who can significantly impact your brand’s presence and effectiveness in the market. Sourcing Candidates Finding the right brand manager involves utilizing various strategies and platforms tailored to your small business needs. Effective sourcing can enhance your recruitment process and attract qualified job candidates. Where to Find Potential Brand Managers Identify potential brand managers through multiple channels. Consider: Networking Events: Attend industry-specific events to meet prospective candidates and connect with professionals. Referrals: Leverage your existing employees or professional contacts for recommendations. Referrals often lead to quality hires. Local Universities: Engage with colleges that offer marketing and brand management courses. Graduates can bring fresh ideas and perspectives. Utilizing Online Platforms Online platforms provide access to a wider talent pool. Use these options to streamline your hiring process: Job Boards and Career Websites: Post job openings on popular sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor to capture attention from a variety of job candidates. These platforms attract individuals with relevant skill sets. Freelance Platforms: Websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer can help you find both freelance brand managers and those looking for full-time positions. Many professionals on these sites come with vetted skills, making it easier to evaluate their capabilities. Professional Networks: Utilize LinkedIn for sourcing brand managers. You can post openings, join relevant groups, and directly message potential candidates. Engaging in professional communities helps you connect with individuals who match your specific staffing requirements. Maximizing these sourcing strategies and platforms can enhance your hiring efficiency, allowing you to bring the right talent into your small business. The Interview Process The interview process for hiring a brand manager in a small business should be thorough and focused, ensuring the selected candidate aligns with your company’s goals and culture. Preparing Interview Questions Prepare targeted interview questions that assess both technical skills and cultural fit. Ask candidates about their experience with brand strategy development, marketing campaign execution, and market research analysis. Incorporate behavioral questions, such as how they handled past brand challenges or motivated a team to meet specific goals. Tailor your questions to gauge their understanding of your brand and its unique position in the market. Examples include: Describe a successful brand strategy you implemented. How do you measure the effectiveness of brand campaigns? What steps do you take to research market trends? By asking relevant questions, you enhance your recruitment strategy, narrowing down the talent pool to candidates who possess the desired skill set and show potential for growth within your organization. Evaluating Candidate Fit Evaluating candidate fit involves assessing how well an individual’s values and working style match your company culture. During interviews, focus on their soft skills, such as communication abilities, adaptability, and passion for the brand. Include team members in the interview process to gain diverse perspectives on cultural alignment. Consider practical assessments, like asking candidates to develop a mini brand strategy for your business. Review their past performance and ask about team dynamics. Understanding their approach to collaboration often reveals their potential impact on employee engagement and motivation. An ideal candidate not only fits the current team but also contributes to a positive workplace culture and employee development. By prioritizing candidate fit, you improve employee retention and create a more cohesive team that drives your brand’s success. Making the Final Decision Making the final decision on hiring a brand manager involves several key factors that ensure the right fit for your small business. Considerations for Offering the Position Evaluate the recruitment process to determine which candidate aligns best with your brand’s goals. Focus on crafting an attractive job description that emphasizes not only the required skills but also the unique aspects of your workplace culture. Highlight benefits such as flexible schedules or opportunities for employee development to appeal to candidates. Evaluate salary expectations against industry standards to ensure competitive compensation. Once you have a top candidate, communicate clearly about job responsibilities, expectations, and any potential performance review processes involved in the role. Onboarding Your New Brand Manager Effective onboarding enhances employee retention and sets the stage for success. Prepare a comprehensive onboarding plan that includes training on your brand’s values, products, and marketing strategies. Incorporate team-building activities to foster relationships within your workforce. Structure the onboarding process to align with your HR policies and ensure compliance with labor laws. Regular check-ins during the first few weeks can enhance employee satisfaction and motivation, allowing for adjustments if needed. By investing time in this crucial phase, you’re not just filling a position, but setting the foundation for your new brand manager’s success and your business’s future growth. Conclusion Hiring the right brand manager is a pivotal step toward enhancing your brand’s presence and connection with your audience. By clearly defining your brand’s needs and expectations, you can streamline the recruitment process and attract candidates who align with your vision. Focus on crafting a compelling job description that highlights essential skills and responsibilities. Utilize diverse sourcing strategies to access a wider talent pool. During the interview process, prioritize candidate fit to build a cohesive team that drives brand success. Investing in an effective onboarding plan will ensure your new brand manager integrates smoothly into your company culture. With the right approach, you can empower your brand manager to make a meaningful impact on your business’s growth and success. Frequently Asked Questions Why is hiring a brand manager important for businesses? Hiring a brand manager is crucial as they enhance the brand’s presence and connect with the audience. A skilled brand manager navigates brand strategy, manages marketing campaigns, and strengthens brand identity, especially in a competitive market. Their expertise helps to create a coherent brand message that resonates with customers. What role does a brand manager play in a company? A brand manager develops and implements brand strategy, manages marketing campaigns, conducts market research, and collaborates across teams. They are responsible for enhancing brand image and ensuring it aligns with the company’s vision, which ultimately drives customer engagement and loyalty. What skills should a successful brand manager possess? A successful brand manager should have creativity, analytical skills, effective communication, adaptability, and strong leadership qualities. These skills help them to devise strategies that resonate with target audiences, analyze market trends, and lead cross-functional teams toward achieving brand goals. How can businesses define their brand needs for hiring? Businesses should clearly articulate their brand’s needs by establishing measurable goals for the brand managers they intend to hire. Conducting market research and gathering customer feedback will help identify current strengths and weaknesses, informing the job description and staffing requirements. What should be included in a brand manager job description? An effective job description for a brand manager should include clear brand goals and expectations, core responsibilities, required skills, and qualifications. Additionally, it should reflect the company culture and provide insights into legal compliance to ensure a comprehensive recruitment process. How can businesses source candidates for a brand manager role? Businesses can source candidates through networking events, employee referrals, and universities offering marketing courses. Utilizing online job boards, freelance websites, and professional networks like LinkedIn can also help access a diverse pool of qualified candidates aligned with the brand’s vision. What should be considered during the interview process for a brand manager? During the interview, businesses should assess candidates for both technical skills and cultural fit. Targeted questions about brand strategy and market research are essential, as well as including team members in the process to gain various perspectives on candidate fit and team dynamics. How important is onboarding for new brand managers? Onboarding is critical for new brand managers as it significantly impacts employee retention and future success. A comprehensive onboarding plan should include training on brand values, team-building activities, and regular check-ins to ensure a smooth transition and integration into the company culture. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Guide on How to Hire a Brand Manager for Your Business Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article