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The tariff row is further indication that he is quick to quarrel but also quick to settleView the full article

US president says reports of military threat to Tehran are ‘greatly exaggerated’View the full article

Cybersecurity startup EchoMark is releasing a new application programming interface (API) to allow for its novel digital watermarking tool to integrate with virtually any existing communications software. Founded in 2022 to develop a digital watermarking system to safeguard organizations’ sensitive and proprietary information, EchoMark originally focused on injecting personalized identifiers into emails and link-based networked document sharing tools. Now, armed with $10 million in seed funding, the company is on a mission to “watermark the world,” as founder and CEO Troy Batterberry puts it. “Our vision is that any piece of private information can be forensically watermarked and tied to a recipient’s identity,” Batterberry tells Fast Company, adding that the company’s customers asked for a way to integrate the software directly into their own bespoke communications channels. “We built this API so we can add this into any commercial application or custom workflow.” Batterberry has been thinking about leaks for a long time. As a young missile systems engineer conducting research and development on new weapons for the U.S. Navy, Batterberry found himself personally entrusted with “deeply classified stuff,” responsible for constantly adding his signature to paper copies of sensitive documents to signal his role as their authorized guardian. “Signing your name on the top of a document indicates you’re the custodian of that information,” he says. “Psychologically, it changes how you think about protecting that information. If you leave it out, you could lose your security clearance—or, even worse, your entire profession.” Following his career in the Navy, Batterberry went into the private sector as an engineer, first at Sony and then Microsoft, where he spent the next 25 years and eventually became a corporate VP in charge of Teams and Webinars. It was at Microsoft that Batterberry developed a digital rights management system to protect streaming media via audio and visual watermarks. Such safeguards ensured that, should content make its way to illegal streaming portals like BitTorrent, the source of the leak would be easily identifiable. Those experiences eventually coalesced in Batterberry’s brain into a pressing organizational question that formed the basis for EchoMark: What if you could take personalized watermarking and apply it to anything, from emails and images to healthcare records and legal documents? EchoMark’s watermarking solution is elegant in its simplicity. When a sensitive document is distributed to its intended recipient, the company’s software generates personalized copies with thousands of slight formatting differences imperceptible to the human eye. Once that document makes its way out into the wild, whether as a photocopy, screenshot, or even as a photograph taken from a personal cell phone, users can employ EchoMark’s proprietary computer vision and AI to scan the target artifact and match it against the original copies. Rather than physically sign copies, as Batterberry did in the Navy, EchoMark applies personalized signatures at scale with lightning efficiency so that leaks are easily traceable back to the source. Batterberry demonstrated the software for Fast Company in real time with a copy of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v. Wade that leaked to Politico in May 2022 (the source of the leak was never identified). Batterberry sent an email containing a PDF of the Dobbs decision processed through EchoMark to seven phony email addresses standing in for those of the sitting Supreme Court justices; he then opened the document from the fake account of Chief Justice John Roberts and took a photo of it on his computer screen with his personal phone. After uploading the photo to EchoMark, the software dashboard quickly analyzed the image and spit out a definitive conclusion: The document pictured in his photo was in fact identical to the one the Roberts account had received. “Whoever leaked the [Dobbs] decision knew that as long as they used a personal device, they would never get caught because multiple people had access to the report,” Batterberry says. “With EchoMark turned on, we could have IDd the source of that leak in minutes.” The Supreme Court is just one example of EchoMark’s potential governmental applications. Batterberry cites as other disclosures where EchoMark’s software may have proven useful the rogue IRS contractor who in 2020 leaked President Donald Trump’s tax records to news organizations, as well as Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who leaked hundreds of classified Defense Department files onto Discord in 2023. EchoMark currently boasts more than a hundred “high respected” clients across the government, financial services, health care, and entertainment sectors, according to Batterberry, with the company projecting 10-time growth in the coming year among. “The federal government is extremely interested,” Batterberry says. “The FBI, for example, has grave concerns about leaks when investigating drug cartels who are willing to spend serious money to get access to information and adapt accordingly.” EchoMarks’ forensic watermarking isn’t just about identifying leakers as part of a breach investigation, but prevention as well, so far that the presence of digital identifiers will purportedly dissuade potential leakers from releasing sensitive information into the wild if they know they’ll be almost instantly identified. And by empowering organizations with a low-cost, easy-to-implement method for investigating and mitigating leaks, EchoMark serves a larger purpose: helping organizations share information openly and with confidence rather than close themselves off internally to stamp out leakers. Indeed, Batterberry cites the September 11, 2001, terror attacks as an example of what happens when sensitive information isn’t allowed to flow freely between intelligence and law enforcement agencies. “A key reason for the breakdown in communication leading up to the 9/11 attacks was that government agencies failed to share information they needed to share with each other,” Batterbery says. “Communication is the lifeblood of any organization.” View the full article

Find out how to accurately analyze and interpret data in Google Analytics 4 by using additional verification methods. The post Where Are The Missing Data Holes In GA4 That Brands Need? appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

For all the industries that are facing existential crises from the emergence of artificial intelligence, one is seeing a happily profitable outcome. Architects are increasingly being commissioned to design the brick-and-mortar infrastructure supporting the AI boom. These data centers—big warehouse-like buildings stuffed with whirring servers sucking up hundreds of megawatts of power—are becoming a major, and majorly lucrative, part of the architecture industry’s bottom line. “We’ve got about 200 people working strictly on data center projects,” says Joy Hughes, a design manager at the architecture and design firm Gensler. It’s a subset of the architecture business that has surged in recent years. During the Covid pandemic, the demand for cloud-based online services from Zoom calls to streaming movies caused a spike in data center construction. “Now we’re seeing another jump in growth because of AI and machine learning coming on board,” Hughes says. Gensler, which has more than 6,000 employees in 57 offices worldwide, has seen its data center business skyrocket. The practice area is up 87% year over year from 2023, and the firm is projecting a growth of 40% for 2025. Gensler is not alone. Many other architecture firms, both big and small, are seeing data center work drive significant revenues. More than a dozen firms pulled in $1 million or more in data center revenue in 2023, according to Building Design + Construction’s annual list of architecture firm revenue. Ten firms earned more than $20 million in data center-related revenue in 2023. Third-ranked Gensler’s take was more than $69 million; Corgan, at the top of the list, raked in $135 million. Gabe Clark, data centers sector leader for Corgan, says the firm has been designing data centers for more than 15 years and anticipates year-over-year growth for at least the next five years. “We started executing one megawatt builds. We’re now designing now one gigawatt campuses,” he says. “There’s truly exponential growth in the marketplace, both in advancement of what data center design is and clearly in the need and the demand. And we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon.” The story behind these staggering figures is a simple one of demand. A recent report from McKinsey estimates that global demand for data center capacity could rise at an annual rate of between 19 and 22% through 2030. For architecture firms, that’s a steady pipeline of new projects for years to come. “Under construction data centers are expected to reach record highs in 2025. Demand for modern data center facilities continues to soar,” says Gordon Dolven, director of Americas data center research at the commercial real estate advisory CBRE. Databank Atlanta [Photo: courtesy of Gensler] Data center design evolves This boom is opening up new avenues for design. It’s an unexpected evolution for a very utilitarian building typology, which usually consists of a big warehouse with a few offices tucked in a corner and the majority of the space filled with precise rows of server racks. Gensler’s Hughes, who started her career with the firm doing IT work, has spent a lot of time in data centers and knows that their design is rarely the first priority. “When I walked into my first data center, there were no windows. You are walking into a concrete box,” she says. “A big gray box, sitting out in a corn field or a potato field or whatever. It wasn’t even painted. It was very, very nebulous.” But this is beginning to change, for reasons ranging from location to environmental concern to the availability of power. Hughes says some of Gensler’s large data center projects are being developed in a wide range of places, including the remote greenfields of the past as well as more suburban areas closer to end users. These data centers, often covering hundreds of acres, are becoming a bit more sensitive to their surroundings. Hughes says Gensler’s designers are adding public-facing amenities to them, like hiking trails and open spaces, to soften their edges and reduce the negative visual impact on communities. This is especially relevant for those data centers with their own power supplies, which often require large industrial infrastructure, substations, and power lines that can take up significant amounts of land. “We’ll probably start to see a lot more of that as on-site generation starts to take shape here in the U.S., especially in some of those more suburban and urban locations where we’re seeing some of these pop up,” she says. Databank Atlanta [Photo: courtesy of Gensler] Some data centers are even being built right within the footprint of existing office complexes. Gensler completed a project in midtown Atlanta in 2019 that’s nestled in a mixed use commercial development at Georgia Tech, providing data hall space for the university as well as leasable data center facilities for private sector clients such as the aerospace, security, and defense companies located in the area. “These types of data centers tend to be smaller, more compact, so they can fit within an office building, they can fit within an urban space,” Hughes says. Comarch [Photo: courtesy of Gensler] The overall look of data centers is also undergoing a change. One Gensler-designed project for the IT company Comarch is located in Mesa, Arizona, and the 50,000-square-foot building was designed to include a welcoming front-of-house area for the center’s staff, with lounge seating and informal meeting areas drenched in daylight. “You have floor-to-ceiling glass, you have all of this natural light, and you have all of these views out into the desert,” she says. “We design these buildings for computers, but we have to remember that even though there’s not a lot of people in them, there are still people in them. We still have to design for those people.” Environmental concerns are also affecting the way data centers are designed. Clark says Corgan’s wide range of data center projects are becoming increasingly focused on reducing not only their surging operational energy consumption but also the environmental footprint of the buildings themselves. Lower carbon materials, like mass timber, are becoming more common, as is insulation that allows for the buildings to be cooled more efficiently. “We have seen tremendously more opportunities over the last five years to work with clients to enhance their building image, both purely aesthetically, but also from a sustainability perspective,” Clark says. “There’s also a lot of eyes on data centers out in the world these days and knowing that these facilities are being built and powered in the most sustainable way possible is becoming more and more critical to our clients.” This kind of design thinking is also happening at a more abstract level. Goodman Group, a global data center operator recently announced a partnership with Oxman, designer Neri Oxman’s interdisciplinary innovation lab, to reinvent its building practices. The partnership is focused on developing practices that “maximize the ecological presence and utility of the built environment.” Microsoft [Photo: courtesy of Gensler] Land and power With such high demand for data centers, some of these concerns are pushed aside. Many data center developers and “hyperscaler” data center owner-operators like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services can’t build data centers fast enough. “Data center operators are willing to pay a pretty penny to get these up to meet demand, so getting them up quickly is really important,” says Jennie Karnes, a vice president in the Data Center Solutions group at CBRE. Access to power is the primary parameter guiding the location, size, and design of data centers, according to Karnes, and that’s led to a variety of approaches. Some operators are buying up sites that can easily latch into the electricity grid, while others are building facilities that have their own substations and power sources, including solar arrays, wind turbines, and natural gas. Some are being considered for construction on the sites of shuttered coal power plants, and others are looking at getting permitted for nuclear small module reactors. Karnes says that even though the power demands of data centers are growing—many are being designed to accommodate hundreds of megawatts of demand per hour—the size of the actual data halls in these facilities is remaining relatively stable. New chips, graphics processing units (GPUs), and improved cooling techniques means that the cabinets of servers inside a data center can operate at much higher power densities. “The same cabinet that used to take five kilowatts of power, now we’re looking at designing it to support 100 to 250 kilowatts of power. So 20 to 50 times what we saw five years ago,” Karnes says. That’s leading some data center racks to grow in height, raising ceilings in new builds to upwards of 16 feet. AI is driving much of this increased energy demand. And the higher the power density of a server rack, the more cooling it requires. Clark says that the AI boom is leading data center developers to integrate new approaches for cooling, and that additional mechanical equipment means data center facilities are requiring more space than in the recent past. Clark says data centers built primarily to support cloud services just a few years ago could often fit all of this attendant mechanical equipment on their roofs. Now, with AI in the mix, data centers have to have additional square footage outside the building. “All of the mechanical and electrical infrastructure to support that same footprint of data module or data hall has now, in some cases, doubled,” Clark says. Some of the concern around electricity demand may be tempered by the recent release of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup that built state-of-the-art model using a midrange type of computer chip. Because these chips can run using less energy, some have questioned whether data center energy demand will remain so high. But given the growth of AI, more efficient chip utilization isn’t likely to cause the size of data centers to go down, nor to reduce the demand for new facilities. Big boxes will still be built out in empty fields, and many are under construction now. Stargate, a joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle, plans to feed AI’s demand by building up to $500 billion worth of large data centers in the coming years. One of Stargate’s first announced data center projects is a 1.2-gigawatt facility being built on more than 1,100 acres in Abilene, Texas. In terms of the form and size of data center designs, there’s no real model to follow. “If you look back even four years ago when everything was cloud-based, the market had kind of gelled around a program,” Clark says. “Generally, they were pretty homogeneous at the end of the day. What’s going on in the world now in regard to designing around AI, it’s a little bit of the Wild West. Everybody’s still trying to find what is the best approach.” [Photo: courtesy Lonestar Data Holdings] To the moon Some are looking far beyond the Wild West. Lonestar Data Holdings is a backup data storage provider that has developed a novel type of extraterritorial data center that are designed to operate beyond the surface of the earth. Its newest data center is the Future Payload, a solar-powered eight terabyte data backup device that will be part of a lunar lander mission launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in late February. Lonestar calls it the first data center to be sent to space. More prototype than product, it is designed to operate from the surface of the moon for a single lunar day, just 14 days here on Earth. Even this niche of the data center business is proving to be a boon to the architecture industry. Lonestar commissioned the architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) to design the data center. The device, which measures just 10 by 7 inches will be attached to the side of Athena, a lander developed by Intuitive Machines through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. A thin 3D printed device, it was designed to cast shadows of the silhouettes of the faces of two NASA astronauts as the sun passes overhead. “BIG designs the future I want to live in. The future I thought I’d be living in. The future we’re working to build,” Lonestar CEO Chris Stott tells Fast Company by email. “The Freedom Payload is meant to be a symbol for all of humanity, a beacon of hope to the world as we strive towards that better future.” Compared to terrestrial data centers that can stretch across hundreds of acres and draw hundreds of megawatts of electricity around the clock, this lunar data center is a proof of concept both quaint and complex. But just like its counterparts whirring away on earth, the data center that could soon be running on the moon is the result of a significant amount of design and consideration. “As we prepare to return to the Moon to stay, it is important that everything we do these coming years of lunar settlement is done with intention and care,” says Bjarke Ingels, BIG founder and creative director. “Even if modest in scale, this data center is one of very few artifacts designed to remain part of the lunar landscape for years to come.” View the full article

SEO and PPC are two of the most important strategies for increasing your website’s visibility. While they both aim to attract more traffic, they operate differently. They also serve different purposes. Here, we’ll discuss SEO vs. Pay-per-click advertising and how to choose the best option for you. Table of contents Understanding SEO and PPC What’s the difference between SEO and PPC? Pros and cons of SEO Pros and cons of PPC Conclusion SEO vs Pay-per-click Understanding SEO and PPC As we all know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It consists of everything you do to get your site higher rankings in the original search results. Those tactics are thoroughly researching which keywords to target, writing high-quality content, and making sure that your site is structurally and technically sound. The goal is to get the organic traffic you want by making your site relevant and authoritative. Pay-per-click (PPC), on the other hand, is all about paying for ads — the sponsored listings — that appear at the top of search results. So, every time someone clicks your ad, it costs you money. As it lets you target advertising based on user demographics, this model can lead to immediate results. An example of PPC ads vs organic results for a search term in Google What’s the difference between SEO and PPC? SEO and pay-per-click advertising are both popular options to get traffic to your site. However, both options have their advantages to help you reach those goals. Cost structure For SEO, the costs mostly lie in the initial work and ongoing maintenance. You have to invest in creating high-quality content, optimizing your site, and reaching out to build good links and relationships. With SEO, there are no direct costs per click, but it does require consistent effort and resources to get results. With PPC, you pay every time someone clicks your sponsored listing. To make it manageable, you set a budget; when this budget runs out, your ads will no longer be visible. PPC gives you control over budget, but costs can quickly ramp up — especially in high-demand markets or for competitive keywords. Time to results We always say that SEO is a marathon and not a sprint. Building authority takes time, so it can take months to see rankings go up. But the wait is worth it, as it leads to better and more stable results in the long run. PPC is more direct and to the point. Launch a campaign, and the visitors should come in straight away. As such, this is a great tool for time-sensitive stuff like promotions and launches or when you need instant visibility and reach. Sustainability and impact SEO is the more sustainable option. With your initial work done, you can reap the rewards for a long time. Of course, there’s always more to do with your SEO tasks, but that’s normal. Building a brand is something that will pay off big time. With PPC, you get an incredible boost for a short period — the time you pay for the sponsored listings. Targeting capabilities SEO targets users based on content and keywords. You can target your content on different search intents, but the options are not as direct as with PPC. This offers more precise options, allowing you to publish ads to specific demographics, locations, times, and user behavior. Flexibility and control With SEO, you do put yourself in the hands of search engine algorithms. Algorithm updates could harm your rankings. As a result, you should reevaluate your strategy. You have control over everything on your site, but not search engines. PPC, though, does give full control over your ads. It makes it easier to adapt to changes and needs. Measurement and analytics It’s important to measure your success. For SEO, you are looking at a longer period and need to keep track of traffic and keyword rankings. It can be difficult to get usable insights from data. With PPC, you get detailed insights that show you how your campaigns are doing. You’ll also get the tools to adjust instantly. SEO and PPC, while different channels that require different skills and have different goals, can really complement each other in the long term. To me, PPC is considered more of a science than the art of SEO. The great thing about PPC for SEOs is that it not only attracts quicker returns (that can also be calculated with more precision) but also provides the same accurate and actionable data for SEOs. I have always found data from PPC extremely useful in directing an SEO strategy. Alex Moss – Principal SEO expert at Yoast Pros and cons of SEO Both SEO and PPC have their pros and cons. Let’s go over these. Pros of SEO SEO is cost-effective in the long run. Once you have a strategy and an optimized site, it can continue attracting traffic without additional costs, leading to a sustainable traffic source. Ranking well gives your site a sense of trust and credibility, as people trust sponsored listings less than organic search results. High rankings can boost your brand. Of course, higher rankings lead to a high CTR, and many users simply skip ads because they don’t like them. As SEO improves the general user experience of the website, it will become a better investment for your money overall. Investing in SEO can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates. Cons of SEO Of course, SEO isn’t the end-all solution to everything. For one, building up authority and higher rankings takes a lot of time. It’s not the solution if you want quick results. You must also work on your strategy, content, and site quality. The more work you put in, the better your results can be. And as search engines keep evolving, you must evolve as well. SEO operates in a highly competitive landscape. For some markets, it’s almost impossible to break into the top ten of the results. Plus, it might take a ton of money to do that. And that’s another con for SEO: the results are uncertain due to algorithm changes, competition, and market conditions. Pros and cons of PPC Pay-per-click advertising also has its own good points and bad points, as you’ll read below: Pros of PPC The biggest benefit of PPC is getting immediate results for your money. You can set up campaigns quickly and get results going without much hassle. You also have full control over the budget, so you only pay for what you want to pay for. PPC is also flexible and precise. You have much control over who you target and when, leading to more precise results. And if your strategy needs adjustments, you can update your sponsored listings quickly. Pay-per-click ad systems give you all the data you need to make the proper decisions. Cons of PPC One of the main drawbacks of pay-per-click is that costs could rise quickly. Another main drawback is that you’ll only get results as long as you pay — no money, no results. This makes PPC a viable option only for specific campaigns. How well ads perform also depends on how users perceive them — ad fatigue is a thing. You must experiment with placements and forms to see what works best. For this, you should adhere to the rules of the platforms on which you’re running your ads. Conclusion SEO vs Pay-per-click Whether you choose between SEO and PPC depends on your needs, strategy, and timeline. SEO is amazing for long-term results, while PPC can quickly produce results. Most businesses will probably use a combination of both. You can use the strength of both strategic tools in your toolset to get the results your business is looking for. The post SEO vs. Pay-per-click advertising: Which one should you choose? appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

As a McAfee subscription customer, it’s important that you’re aware of the various scams that are going around so you can protect your computer and data. That’s why, in this article, we’ll reveal McAfee scams you need to watch out for related to phishing emails, your McAfee subscription, and more. Let’s get started! Can You Get Scammed From a Computer Security Software Company Like McAfee? Getting scammed by the official McAfee company is quite unlikely. However, there are many scammers who try to take advantage of the well-known McAfee name. Scammers trick people and gain access to their money or personal information using malicious software. READ MORE: McAfee and Visa Form Partnership Top McAfee Scams Every Small Business Owner Should Know Similar to other widely used antivirus programs, McAfee attracts scammers who focus on identity theft. Below are some of the most prevalent mcafee scams that small business owners should be mindful of: McAfee Phishing Scams Phishing emails are one of the most common types of scams. For this phishing scam, fake email messages are sent by a scammer who poses as a legitimate company. They send phishing emails to try and trick you into clicking suspicious links to a fake company website and giving them your personal information or money. How to Stay Safe: Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails. Verify the authenticity of the email by checking the sender’s address. Use McAfee’s official website for any subscription-related actions. McAfee Pop-Ups Scam Another common scam is fake pop-ups that claim to be from McAfee. These pop-ups usually contain a virus or will install malware that can infect your computer if you click on them. So, be very careful when you see any pop-ups on your computer, even if they claim to be from a reputable company like McAfee. How to Stay Safe: Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups, even if they appear to be from McAfee. Keep your browser and antivirus software updated to block malicious pop-ups. Use pop-up blockers and avoid visiting untrusted websites. McAfee Scam Emails Scam emails are another way that scammers try to trick you into giving them your personal information. These fake emails often contain official-looking offers or deals that seem too good to be true. So, be very careful when you receive any emails claiming to be from McAfee. How to Stay Safe: Be skeptical of emails with offers or deals that seem too good to be true. Look for inconsistencies in the email content, such as spelling and grammatical errors. Always verify offers by visiting McAfee’s official website. McAfee Renewal Scam The McAfee renewal scam is when scammers contact you and try to trick you into renewing your McAfee subscription. They do this by providing fake invoices and offering a special deal or a discount on the renewal price. However, if you give them your login credentials or credit card information, they will actually bill you for a much higher amount than what you were originally quoted. How to Stay Safe: Renew your subscription directly through the official McAfee website or authorized retailers. Be cautious of unsolicited calls or emails offering renewal deals. Do not provide credit card information over the phone to unknown callers. McAfee Antivirus Plus Scam For this scam, scammers contact you and try to sell you a fake version of McAfee’s Antivirus Plus program. They may even send you an email with a link to download the program. However, this program is actually a virus that can infect your computer. How to Stay Safe: Purchase McAfee products only from the official website or authorized retailers. Be wary of emails or websites offering discounted McAfee software. Verify the authenticity of the software before downloading. McAfee Tech Support Scam First and foremost, McAfee tech support will only call you if you have reached out to them first. Therefore, if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from McAfee tech support, it’s a scam. These scammers often attempt to gain remote access to your computer, which allows them to install a virus or steal your sensitive information. How to Stay Safe: Remember that McAfee’s official tech support will not contact you unless requested. Do not grant remote access to your computer to unsolicited callers. If in doubt, contact McAfee’s official support for verification. McAfee Fake Virus Scan Scam This is a scam where scammers create a fake virus scan and claim that your computer is infected with a virus. They will then try to sell you a fake antivirus program to remove the supposed virus so you no longer have your computer “infected.” How to Stay Safe: Do not trust unsolicited virus scan alerts, especially from unknown sources. Use McAfee’s official antivirus tools for scanning your computer. Avoid downloading software from pop-up alerts or unfamiliar websites. McAfee Free Trial Scam The McAfee free trial scam is when scammers offer you a free trial of their fake antivirus program. However, once the trial is up, they will bill you for the full price of the program, which is usually a lot more than what you would pay for a legitimate antivirus program. How to Stay Safe: Sign up for free trials only through the official McAfee website. Read the terms and conditions of any free trial offer carefully. Be cautious of providing payment details for a free trial offer. McAfee Subscription Cancellation Scam This scam involves fraudsters contacting McAfee users, claiming that their subscription is about to be automatically renewed, and offering to cancel it for a fee. The scammer may ask for remote access to your computer to “assist” with the cancellation, during which they install malware or steal sensitive information. How to Stay Safe: Never give remote access to your computer to unsolicited callers. If you receive a call about your McAfee subscription, verify its legitimacy by contacting McAfee directly through their official website. Be aware that legitimate companies like McAfee will not charge you to cancel a subscription. McAfee Refund Scam In this scam, you might receive an email or call claiming that you are eligible for a refund from McAfee. The scammers will ask for bank details to process the supposed refund, but instead, they use this information to steal money from your account. How to Stay Safe: Be skeptical of unsolicited refund offers. Never share your banking details over email or phone with someone claiming to be from McAfee. Verify any refund claims by contacting McAfee through their official channels. Fake McAfee Job Offer Scam Scammers posing as McAfee HR representatives offer fake job opportunities. They may ask for personal information or money for “training” or “equipment” as part of the hiring process. How to Stay Safe: Verify the job offer by contacting McAfee directly through their official website. Remember, legitimate companies will not ask for money during the hiring process. Be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true, especially if you did not apply for the job. McAfee Mobile App Scam Cybercriminals create fake McAfee mobile apps and upload them to app stores. Once downloaded, these apps can infect your device with malware or steal personal data. How to Stay Safe: Always download apps from official and reputable app stores. Check reviews and ratings before downloading any app. Look for inconsistencies in the app’s description and avoid apps with poor grammar or spelling. How to Avoid a McAfee Scam McAfee antivirus software is a popular choice for computer protection, but cybercriminals are now using McAfee branding to scam people. Here are five tips to avoid phishing scams that use the McAfee name and protect your bank account: Check the URL before you click. Cybercriminals will often create fake websites that look like legitimate companies in order to phish for your personal information. Before you click on any links, check to make sure the URL is correct. Grammatical errors. A common method to identify a fake website is to check for grammatical mistakes. Since many scammers are not native English speakers, they often make errors in their grammar. Sender’s address. Be cautious of any emails that come from a free email service like Gmail or Yahoo. These are more likely to be scams. Hover over links. Before you click on any links in an email, hover your mouse over the link to see where it will take you. If the URL looks suspicious, don’t click on it. Call the company. If you’re unsure whether an email or website is legitimate, call the company to verify. Don’t use the contact information in the email, look for the company’s contact information on their website. TipDescription Check the URL before you clickVerify the authenticity of URLs before clicking on them to prevent falling victim to fake websites and phishing attempts. Grammatical errorsIdentify potential scams by examining the grammar in communications. Scammers often make grammatical mistakes due to language barriers. Sender's addressExercise caution with emails from free email services like Gmail or Yahoo, as they are commonly used by scammers. Hover over linksHover your mouse cursor over links in emails to preview the actual destination URL. If it seems suspicious, avoid clicking on it to prevent malware installation. Call the companyWhen in doubt about an email or website's legitimacy, contact the company directly using official contact details from their website to verify the information. Why Do You Keep Getting Fake McAfee Emails? Spam filters are not foolproof, and occasionally, fake emails can get through. If you continue to receive fake McAfee emails, it’s probable that your email address has been included on a list sold to scammers. While you can attempt to block the sender, they will likely use a different email address. The most effective action is to delete the email and report it as spam. Is the McAfee Renewal Email Asking for Credit Card Details a Phishing Scam? The McAfee Renewal email is a phishing scam. The email asks you to update your credit card payment information and renew your subscription. However, the email is not from McAfee, and clicking on the link will take you to a fake website where your personal information can be stolen. Where Do You Report McAfee Scams? If you have been the victim of a McAfee scam, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can also report the scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if you have lost money or personal information as a result of the scam. Finally, you can report the scam to McAfee’s Anti-Spam Abuse department. Can You Get Your Money Back From a McAfee Scam? If you have been scammed by a fake McAfee website, it is possible to recover your money. If you paid with a credit card, you can dispute the charges by contacting your credit card company. Be prepared to provide the transaction date, the name of the company, and the amount charged. However, if you paid via wire transfer, recovering your money is unlikely. You can report the scam to the IC3, but they can only assist if the scammer is located in the United States. Protecting Yourself from McAfee Scams: Tips and Actions As a vigilant McAfee subscription customer, safeguarding your computer and personal information is paramount. In the digital landscape, scams abound, and being aware of potential threats is crucial. Here are valuable insights to help you stay secure and outsmart scammers: Be Wary of Suspicious URLs: Before clicking on any links, examine the URL closely. Cybercriminals often create fake websites resembling legitimate companies. Verify the URL’s authenticity to avoid falling prey to phishing attempts. Spot Grammatical Errors: Scammers often display poor grammar in their communications, which may be a result of language barriers. If you come across an email or website with obvious grammatical errors, it’s important to be cautious, as it could indicate a fraudulent attempt, possibly related to McAfee scams. Evaluate Sender’s Address: Scammers frequently use free email services like Gmail or Yahoo. Emails from such addresses should raise a red flag. Be skeptical of emails originating from suspicious sources. Hover over Links: Hover your mouse cursor over links in emails before clicking them. This action reveals the actual URL destination. If the link appears suspicious, refrain from clicking to prevent potential malware installation. Contact the Company Directly: When in doubt about an email’s legitimacy, contact the company through official channels. Do not use the contact information provided in the suspicious email. Seek out the company’s contact details on their official website for verification. Report Fake Emails and Scams: If you encounter a fake McAfee email or fall victim to a scam, promptly report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), especially if you’ve suffered financial losses or personal information compromised. Responding to McAfee Renewal Emails: Beware of McAfee renewal emails asking for credit card details; these are phishing scams. Authentic McAfee renewal communications would never solicit sensitive information via email. Always verify the legitimacy of such requests through official channels. Recovering from Scams: In the unfortunate event of falling victim to a McAfee scam, take immediate action. If payments were made via credit card, contact your credit card company to dispute charges. For wire transfers, recovery options may be limited. Reporting the scam to the IC3 can help if the scammer operates within the United States. Educating Yourself is Key: Staying informed about scams and developing a strong sense of digital security is essential. Keep up-to-date with the latest scam tactics and learn to recognize red flags to bolster your defenses against scammers. By following these precautions and remaining vigilant, you can protect yourself from falling victim to McAfee-related scams and other malicious activities. A proactive stance combined with informed decision-making empowers you to navigate the digital world with confidence and security. Conclusion As a customer of McAfee, being aware of common scams is your best defense against cyber threats. This in-depth look at McAfee scams has provided you with valuable insights into the methods scammers use to take advantage of your trust and access your sensitive information. By remaining informed and vigilant, you can effectively protect your computer and personal data. Remember, although McAfee scams targeting users are common, they can be managed effectively. By adopting the suggested security practices—such as checking URLs, examining sender addresses, and being wary of phishing attempts—you can greatly decrease your chances of becoming a victim of these scams. In the ever-evolving landscape of cybercrime, knowledge is your greatest ally. Educate yourself, stay alert, and leverage the available resources to report scams promptly. Through your proactive efforts, you not only protect yourself but also contribute to a safer digital environment for everyone. As technology advances, so do the strategies of cybercriminals. However, armed with the insights and precautions provided in this article, you are well-equipped to navigate the digital realm with confidence, resilience, and the ability to thwart even the most sophisticated scams. Stay informed, stay cautious, and stay secure. Image: Depositphotos This article, "McAfee Scams to Watch Out For" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As a McAfee subscription customer, it’s important that you’re aware of the various scams that are going around so you can protect your computer and data. That’s why, in this article, we’ll reveal McAfee scams you need to watch out for related to phishing emails, your McAfee subscription, and more. Let’s get started! Can You Get Scammed From a Computer Security Software Company Like McAfee? Getting scammed by the official McAfee company is quite unlikely. However, there are many scammers who try to take advantage of the well-known McAfee name. Scammers trick people and gain access to their money or personal information using malicious software. READ MORE: McAfee and Visa Form Partnership Top McAfee Scams Every Small Business Owner Should Know Similar to other widely used antivirus programs, McAfee attracts scammers who focus on identity theft. Below are some of the most prevalent mcafee scams that small business owners should be mindful of: McAfee Phishing Scams Phishing emails are one of the most common types of scams. For this phishing scam, fake email messages are sent by a scammer who poses as a legitimate company. They send phishing emails to try and trick you into clicking suspicious links to a fake company website and giving them your personal information or money. How to Stay Safe: Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails. Verify the authenticity of the email by checking the sender’s address. Use McAfee’s official website for any subscription-related actions. McAfee Pop-Ups Scam Another common scam is fake pop-ups that claim to be from McAfee. These pop-ups usually contain a virus or will install malware that can infect your computer if you click on them. So, be very careful when you see any pop-ups on your computer, even if they claim to be from a reputable company like McAfee. How to Stay Safe: Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups, even if they appear to be from McAfee. Keep your browser and antivirus software updated to block malicious pop-ups. Use pop-up blockers and avoid visiting untrusted websites. McAfee Scam Emails Scam emails are another way that scammers try to trick you into giving them your personal information. These fake emails often contain official-looking offers or deals that seem too good to be true. So, be very careful when you receive any emails claiming to be from McAfee. How to Stay Safe: Be skeptical of emails with offers or deals that seem too good to be true. Look for inconsistencies in the email content, such as spelling and grammatical errors. Always verify offers by visiting McAfee’s official website. McAfee Renewal Scam The McAfee renewal scam is when scammers contact you and try to trick you into renewing your McAfee subscription. They do this by providing fake invoices and offering a special deal or a discount on the renewal price. However, if you give them your login credentials or credit card information, they will actually bill you for a much higher amount than what you were originally quoted. How to Stay Safe: Renew your subscription directly through the official McAfee website or authorized retailers. Be cautious of unsolicited calls or emails offering renewal deals. Do not provide credit card information over the phone to unknown callers. McAfee Antivirus Plus Scam For this scam, scammers contact you and try to sell you a fake version of McAfee’s Antivirus Plus program. They may even send you an email with a link to download the program. However, this program is actually a virus that can infect your computer. How to Stay Safe: Purchase McAfee products only from the official website or authorized retailers. Be wary of emails or websites offering discounted McAfee software. Verify the authenticity of the software before downloading. McAfee Tech Support Scam First and foremost, McAfee tech support will only call you if you have reached out to them first. Therefore, if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from McAfee tech support, it’s a scam. These scammers often attempt to gain remote access to your computer, which allows them to install a virus or steal your sensitive information. How to Stay Safe: Remember that McAfee’s official tech support will not contact you unless requested. Do not grant remote access to your computer to unsolicited callers. If in doubt, contact McAfee’s official support for verification. McAfee Fake Virus Scan Scam This is a scam where scammers create a fake virus scan and claim that your computer is infected with a virus. They will then try to sell you a fake antivirus program to remove the supposed virus so you no longer have your computer “infected.” How to Stay Safe: Do not trust unsolicited virus scan alerts, especially from unknown sources. Use McAfee’s official antivirus tools for scanning your computer. Avoid downloading software from pop-up alerts or unfamiliar websites. McAfee Free Trial Scam The McAfee free trial scam is when scammers offer you a free trial of their fake antivirus program. However, once the trial is up, they will bill you for the full price of the program, which is usually a lot more than what you would pay for a legitimate antivirus program. How to Stay Safe: Sign up for free trials only through the official McAfee website. Read the terms and conditions of any free trial offer carefully. Be cautious of providing payment details for a free trial offer. McAfee Subscription Cancellation Scam This scam involves fraudsters contacting McAfee users, claiming that their subscription is about to be automatically renewed, and offering to cancel it for a fee. The scammer may ask for remote access to your computer to “assist” with the cancellation, during which they install malware or steal sensitive information. How to Stay Safe: Never give remote access to your computer to unsolicited callers. If you receive a call about your McAfee subscription, verify its legitimacy by contacting McAfee directly through their official website. Be aware that legitimate companies like McAfee will not charge you to cancel a subscription. McAfee Refund Scam In this scam, you might receive an email or call claiming that you are eligible for a refund from McAfee. The scammers will ask for bank details to process the supposed refund, but instead, they use this information to steal money from your account. How to Stay Safe: Be skeptical of unsolicited refund offers. Never share your banking details over email or phone with someone claiming to be from McAfee. Verify any refund claims by contacting McAfee through their official channels. Fake McAfee Job Offer Scam Scammers posing as McAfee HR representatives offer fake job opportunities. They may ask for personal information or money for “training” or “equipment” as part of the hiring process. How to Stay Safe: Verify the job offer by contacting McAfee directly through their official website. Remember, legitimate companies will not ask for money during the hiring process. Be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true, especially if you did not apply for the job. McAfee Mobile App Scam Cybercriminals create fake McAfee mobile apps and upload them to app stores. Once downloaded, these apps can infect your device with malware or steal personal data. How to Stay Safe: Always download apps from official and reputable app stores. Check reviews and ratings before downloading any app. Look for inconsistencies in the app’s description and avoid apps with poor grammar or spelling. How to Avoid a McAfee Scam McAfee antivirus software is a popular choice for computer protection, but cybercriminals are now using McAfee branding to scam people. Here are five tips to avoid phishing scams that use the McAfee name and protect your bank account: Check the URL before you click. Cybercriminals will often create fake websites that look like legitimate companies in order to phish for your personal information. Before you click on any links, check to make sure the URL is correct. Grammatical errors. A common method to identify a fake website is to check for grammatical mistakes. Since many scammers are not native English speakers, they often make errors in their grammar. Sender’s address. Be cautious of any emails that come from a free email service like Gmail or Yahoo. These are more likely to be scams. Hover over links. Before you click on any links in an email, hover your mouse over the link to see where it will take you. If the URL looks suspicious, don’t click on it. Call the company. If you’re unsure whether an email or website is legitimate, call the company to verify. Don’t use the contact information in the email, look for the company’s contact information on their website. TipDescription Check the URL before you clickVerify the authenticity of URLs before clicking on them to prevent falling victim to fake websites and phishing attempts. Grammatical errorsIdentify potential scams by examining the grammar in communications. Scammers often make grammatical mistakes due to language barriers. Sender's addressExercise caution with emails from free email services like Gmail or Yahoo, as they are commonly used by scammers. Hover over linksHover your mouse cursor over links in emails to preview the actual destination URL. If it seems suspicious, avoid clicking on it to prevent malware installation. Call the companyWhen in doubt about an email or website's legitimacy, contact the company directly using official contact details from their website to verify the information. Why Do You Keep Getting Fake McAfee Emails? Spam filters are not foolproof, and occasionally, fake emails can get through. If you continue to receive fake McAfee emails, it’s probable that your email address has been included on a list sold to scammers. While you can attempt to block the sender, they will likely use a different email address. The most effective action is to delete the email and report it as spam. Is the McAfee Renewal Email Asking for Credit Card Details a Phishing Scam? The McAfee Renewal email is a phishing scam. The email asks you to update your credit card payment information and renew your subscription. However, the email is not from McAfee, and clicking on the link will take you to a fake website where your personal information can be stolen. Where Do You Report McAfee Scams? If you have been the victim of a McAfee scam, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can also report the scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if you have lost money or personal information as a result of the scam. Finally, you can report the scam to McAfee’s Anti-Spam Abuse department. Can You Get Your Money Back From a McAfee Scam? If you have been scammed by a fake McAfee website, it is possible to recover your money. If you paid with a credit card, you can dispute the charges by contacting your credit card company. Be prepared to provide the transaction date, the name of the company, and the amount charged. However, if you paid via wire transfer, recovering your money is unlikely. You can report the scam to the IC3, but they can only assist if the scammer is located in the United States. Protecting Yourself from McAfee Scams: Tips and Actions As a vigilant McAfee subscription customer, safeguarding your computer and personal information is paramount. In the digital landscape, scams abound, and being aware of potential threats is crucial. Here are valuable insights to help you stay secure and outsmart scammers: Be Wary of Suspicious URLs: Before clicking on any links, examine the URL closely. Cybercriminals often create fake websites resembling legitimate companies. Verify the URL’s authenticity to avoid falling prey to phishing attempts. Spot Grammatical Errors: Scammers often display poor grammar in their communications, which may be a result of language barriers. If you come across an email or website with obvious grammatical errors, it’s important to be cautious, as it could indicate a fraudulent attempt, possibly related to McAfee scams. Evaluate Sender’s Address: Scammers frequently use free email services like Gmail or Yahoo. Emails from such addresses should raise a red flag. Be skeptical of emails originating from suspicious sources. Hover over Links: Hover your mouse cursor over links in emails before clicking them. This action reveals the actual URL destination. If the link appears suspicious, refrain from clicking to prevent potential malware installation. Contact the Company Directly: When in doubt about an email’s legitimacy, contact the company through official channels. Do not use the contact information provided in the suspicious email. Seek out the company’s contact details on their official website for verification. Report Fake Emails and Scams: If you encounter a fake McAfee email or fall victim to a scam, promptly report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), especially if you’ve suffered financial losses or personal information compromised. Responding to McAfee Renewal Emails: Beware of McAfee renewal emails asking for credit card details; these are phishing scams. Authentic McAfee renewal communications would never solicit sensitive information via email. Always verify the legitimacy of such requests through official channels. Recovering from Scams: In the unfortunate event of falling victim to a McAfee scam, take immediate action. If payments were made via credit card, contact your credit card company to dispute charges. For wire transfers, recovery options may be limited. Reporting the scam to the IC3 can help if the scammer operates within the United States. Educating Yourself is Key: Staying informed about scams and developing a strong sense of digital security is essential. Keep up-to-date with the latest scam tactics and learn to recognize red flags to bolster your defenses against scammers. By following these precautions and remaining vigilant, you can protect yourself from falling victim to McAfee-related scams and other malicious activities. A proactive stance combined with informed decision-making empowers you to navigate the digital world with confidence and security. Conclusion As a customer of McAfee, being aware of common scams is your best defense against cyber threats. This in-depth look at McAfee scams has provided you with valuable insights into the methods scammers use to take advantage of your trust and access your sensitive information. By remaining informed and vigilant, you can effectively protect your computer and personal data. Remember, although McAfee scams targeting users are common, they can be managed effectively. By adopting the suggested security practices—such as checking URLs, examining sender addresses, and being wary of phishing attempts—you can greatly decrease your chances of becoming a victim of these scams. In the ever-evolving landscape of cybercrime, knowledge is your greatest ally. Educate yourself, stay alert, and leverage the available resources to report scams promptly. Through your proactive efforts, you not only protect yourself but also contribute to a safer digital environment for everyone. As technology advances, so do the strategies of cybercriminals. However, armed with the insights and precautions provided in this article, you are well-equipped to navigate the digital realm with confidence, resilience, and the ability to thwart even the most sophisticated scams. Stay informed, stay cautious, and stay secure. Image: Depositphotos This article, "McAfee Scams to Watch Out For" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Jane, a vice president of Human Resources at a growing tech company, often found herself overwhelmed by her team’s reliance on her. Because her job required her to manage a flat, decentralized organization with a mix of senior managers, rising leaders, and embedded HR personnel within the product business units, she was frequently the go-to person for problem-solving. One particularly hectic week, she skipped lunch for three days. Despite her exhaustion, she agreed to a last-minute meeting late in the day before heading out to her daughter’s soccer match. When her direct report, Jesse, presented a complex issue, Jane, feeling pressed for time, interrupted: “I do not have time for this. Come back tomorrow with your recommendations.” Her response was understandable, but it inadvertently reinforced a culture of dependency, which leaves her team reliant on her and stalling their growth in the process. Jane’s experience highlights a common challenge for leaders in flat organizations—balancing immediate demands while fostering team independence. Overcoming this requires intentional strategies to build autonomy, resilience, and self-reliance within teams. Below are some of the common reasons that explain why organizations create dependency. The need to control outcomes Leaders often hesitate to delegate because they’re worried that their team will make mistakes or can’t handle complex challenges. While this need for control is understandable, it can hinder team growth and create a bottleneck. This leaves leaders overwhelmed and can leave their teams feeling disempowered. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 Report shows that 70% of variance in team engagement depends on managers, underscoring the importance of empowering leadership behaviors. Lack of trust in the team A lack of trust in team members’ skills or judgment can lead to micromanagement. While the leader might take this approach to reduce risks, this deprives the team of learning opportunities, and reinforces reliance on the leader. Inadequate training or clarity on roles According to Gallup’s 2025 US Engagement research, only 46% of employees clearly understand what is expected of them at work—a significant drop from 56% in March 2020. This uncertainty fosters disengagement and diminishes accountability. When team members lack the necessary training or clearly defined responsibilities, they’re less likely to be proactive and act independently. Without a structured decision-making framework, even skilled employees avoid taking risks. They perceive mistakes as failures, rather than growth opportunities. Strategies for addressing dependency Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report highlights a significant disconnect: 89% of executives believe they are promoting human sustainability, but only 41% of employees share this view. This underscores the importance of investing in workforce development to build trust, enhance engagement, and align with organizational goals. Managers need to foster independence by training direct reports to be self-sufficient problem-solvers. Leaders should also drive growth by cultivating critical thinking and self-reliance, empowering teams and ensuring long-term success. 1. Adopt a coaching mindset Leaders should shift from solving problems to guiding their teams to find solutions. Thus, encouraging greater accountability. One effective technique is the Socratic Method, which uses open-ended questions to explore perspectives, clarify concepts, and challenge assumptions. This approach encourages a discovery process and an experimentation mindset, countering the rigidity of a fixed mindset that views mistakes as failures rather than opportunities for growth. For example, managers ask questions like, “What steps have you already taken?” or “What options are you considering?” The GROW model also offers a structured approach to fostering critical thinking and self-reliance. It stands for the following: Goal setting: “What do you want to achieve?” Reality assessment: “What is the current situation?” Options generation: “What possible strategies can you pursue?” Way forward: “What specific actions will you take?” By utilizing these methods, team members gain on-the-job experience and develop confidence and skills over time. 2. Clarify roles and decision protocols Ambiguity in roles often leads to unnecessary escalation. Establishing clear expectations about when and how to escalate issues can address this challenge. For example, leaders might require team members to conduct stakeholder analyses or gather key insights before seeking guidance. McKinsey’s DARE decision-making model offers a structured approach to clarify roles and responsibilities, enhancing team efficiency and accountability. DARE categorizes roles as: Deciders: The individuals with final decision-making authority. Advisors: Experts who provide insights to inform decisions but do not have the authority to make them. Recommenders: Team members responsible for conducting analyses and presenting options. Execution Stakeholders: Those responsible for implementing decisions and ensuring desired outcomes. In Jane’s case, applying the DARE model brought much-needed clarity and structure to her team’s decision-making process. As the Decider, Jane retained ultimate authority, ensuring accountability for outcomes and alignment with organizational goals. Senior HR and Labor Law experts acted as Advisors, providing critical insights and guidance. Jesse stepped into the Recommender role, conducting analyses, exploring options, and presenting well-researched recommendations. Finally, the Execution Stakeholders, who were the other team members, took responsibility for implementing the decisions, asking clarifying questions, and addressing challenges to ensure success. With these clearly defined roles, managers can effectively distribute decision-making responsibilities, reduce bottlenecks, and empower their teams to operate independently and efficiently. 3. Conduct reflection check-ins and after-action reviews Structured reflection promotes continuous learning and growth. Using the ORID model, leaders engage with employees in brief but meaningful reflection sessions to analyze their actions and decisions with questions like: Objective: “What facts or events were relevant to this situation?” Reflective: “How did this situation make you feel?” Interpretive: “What does this experience reveal about our processes?” Decisional: “What actions will you take?” The After-Action Review (AAR) framework complements reflective practices by guiding teams through a structured evaluation of outcomes. Key questions such as, “What was supposed to happen?”, “What worked well?”, and “What will you do differently next time?” helps ensure a thorough comparison of expectations and actual results, highlighting both successes and areas for growth. These reflective practices play a crucial role in helping team members internalize lessons and apply them in future scenarios, fostering greater independence and resilience. Leaders in flat organizations need to shift from being problem-solvers to enablers of growth and autonomy. By adopting coaching techniques, clarifying roles, and embedding reflection into their team’s workflow, leaders like Jane can reduce reliance on themselves while building a more confident, capable, and self-sufficient team. Over time, these strategies cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and proactive decision-making, empowering everyone to thrive. View the full article

Two-thirds of people have imposter syndrome, according to a 2011 article published in the International Journal Of Behavioral Science. These are people who often feel like a fraud or believe their achievements were a fluke. Bearing those statistics in mind, there’s a high likelihood that mentors suffer from this as well. How is someone who doesn’t recognize the inherent value of their own achievements supposed to mentor others? Imposter syndrome amongst mentors Mentorship discussions typically focus on the mentee’s imposter syndrome but neglect the mentor’s own struggles. When someone, no matter how successful, feels like an imposter (assuming they can get over the first hurdle and agree to mentor someone) it impacts how effective they are in the relationship. They might over-prepare for mentoring sessions and hesitate to offer advice for fear of being wrong. When the mentee succeeds, it can amplify their imposter feelings. If they don’t take steps to address this, it can erode the trust between themselves and the mentee. Nearly half of all Nobel Prize winners had mentors that were award-winners (or their direct professional descendants). In a small sample of 10 Nobel Prize Winners who came out of the Yellow Beret program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the Vietnam War, 100% either trained with a Nobel Laureate (or those only one degree removed). Living in that ecosystem of extreme achievement can increase the pressure to live up to expectations, and might trigger feelings of fraud and doubt. Mentors don’t necessarily need to have all the answers, so they need to know where to look or who to ask. In many cases, they are in in uncharted territory, guiding mentees in fields or skills where they might be less experienced. This can breed feelings of inadequacy. If someone is already battling with imposter syndrome, guiding another person in an unfamiliar area can exacerbate that feeling. Caroline Flanagan, in her insightful work on this subject, highlights that mentors can benefit from actionable strategies to turn their insecurities into opportunities for growth. If you’re a mentor suffering from imposter syndrome, you will benefit from adopting the following mindset and actions. Reframe self-doubt as growth Just because it’s new, doesn’t mean it should cause doubt. You’re learning alongside your mentee, but your experience might lead you to connect dots your mentee doesn’t have the experience of hindsight to see. Go on the journey of exploration together and share the joy of mutual discovery alongside the practical win of helping your mentee. Seek peer mentorship Mentors need mentors—no matter how experienced they are. Having someone to share experiences with can normalize self-doubt. Consider seeking a mentoring supervisor that you can share your challenges with. Having that support can go a long way. Focus on your values and share your experiences No one is an expert on everything, so focus on what you do know. Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments, no matter how big or small they are. Sharing what you have learned on your journey, whether from your successes or your mistakes, can add value and take them down a new line of innovation. Be clear about what you bring to the table, rather than just worrying about what you don’t. Share your vulnerability and be okay with saying ‘I don’t know’ Let your mentee know that you don’t have all the answers—and that you’re fine with that. You’re modeling that it’s okay to show vulnerability. Work with your mentee to find out who does have the answers, because you’ll likely have a stronger network than they will. Being vulnerable with yourself, and accepting your limitations, is also an important conversation for you to have. Celebrate milestones together You should celebrate every milestone on the way to success. Not every one of your mentee’s successes will be because of your actions, but be okay with that. Celebrate their overall progress and your role in your mentee’s journey. Even if you don’t have all the answers, you’re shaping your mentee’s path to success. As a mentor, you might occasionally feel like an imposter, but your mentees don’t see you in that light. They see you as a leader, guide, cheerleader, and champion. View the full article

The branding and packaging for Target’s beloved Up&Up brand is now more colorful than ever. Over the course of three years, design agency Collins reimagined the wide-ranging private-label brand, which has more than 2,000 products spanning aluminum foil and copy paper to pet grooming products and a wrist blood pressure monitor. The Up&Up brand does nearly $3 billion in annual sales for Target. The retailer wanted to relaunch it with reformulated products, reduced plastic usage, and hundreds of new items, which began rolling out in stores last year and will continue through early 2025. [Image: Target]New private-label packaging elevates bargain shoppingThis comes at a time when competitors like Walmart and CVS have invested in relaunching their own private-label brands to appeal to premium shoppers who traded down to beat rising prices. The packaging overhauls had a similar approach. They’re personality-driven and expressive, using color-on-color type or flat graphics that might be familiar to those who shop pricier direct-to-consumer brands. Together, they offer a new design-forward look to generic brands. But Target has long been a category leader, and the retailer sees its more than 45 private labels as key to clawing back market share from competitors. From left: Before and after [Image: Target]Target’s previous Up&Up packaging used matching colors for the typography and arrow logo against a white background. The new packaging dials up the color use. Collins says that during two months of face-to-face research with Target customers, one said, “My life is filled with color, why shouldn’t my products be the same?” That resonated with the design team and gave them permission to be more colorful. [Image: Target]More color and an improved experience This time around, the team designed the packaging for better clarity, with vivid color blocking, a larger logo, and type that’s easier to read, whether on store shelves or while scrolling on a smartphone to shop online. “It’s a lot of work, right?” the design firm’s founder, Brian Collins, says. “But it’s not a complicated thing. The system is incredibly simple.” [Image: Target]The agency also worked with occupational therapists to improve the utility and ergonomics of Up&Up’s product packaging “so you don’t have to feel like you’re cracking a safe to open up” items like a household cleaner or toothpaste, Collins says. The overhaul includes product design improvements throughout the Up&Up line. The team redesigned toothbrushes to last longer, and made the walls of food storage containers thicker so that they’re more durable, Target says. [Image: Target]The key to designing a line with such varied items is to understand what consumers are looking for with each product category and reflect that, according to Collins. “You have to know when to be charming, whimsical, serious, funny, purposeful, lighthearted . . . and you have to learn that each of these categories has a certain personality,” he says. “I remember the caliber of the private-label brands that I grew up with in terms of their quality,” Collins continues, noting that they were bland, and “the packaging design was just terrible.” Target’s approach is all about quality. The goal for Up&Up is similar to that of other private labels: to make a bargain brand feel more valuable by elevating its packaging. “There’s a sense of optimism about this brand,” Collins says. “There’s a sense of joyfulness about it. I think it feels fun.” View the full article

New York City’s congestion pricing program has been in place for one month, implementing tolls on drivers who enter certain, often gridlocked, areas of Manhattan. And so far, the results are “undeniably positive,” transit officials say, with measurably reduced traffic and more commuters choosing public transit. The traffic mitigation plan covers a “congestion relief zone” that spans almost all of Manhattan below 60th street and includes major routes like the Lincoln, Holland, and Hugh L. Carey Tunnels and bridges that go into both Brooklyn and Queens. Since its launch on January 5, one million fewer vehicles have entered that zone than they would have without the toll, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). How does congestion pricing work? Passenger cars with an E-ZPass that travel through that zone face a $9 toll during peak hours, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, and a $2.25 toll overnight. Tolls are more expensive for commercial traffic, and vehicles without E-ZPass face a 50% premium. Those charges are meant to reduce traffic in the city and also raise funds for $15 billion worth of transit repairs to the MTA. By cutting traffic and ushering more commuters onto public transit, the program will also reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It’s the first such plan in the United States, though congestion pricing has been successfully used in London, Stockholm, Singapore, and other cities. In Stockholm, traffic levels dropped about 25%, and the city saw less pollution and more investment in local infrastructure. And though business owners and residents there criticized the program before its pilot began—much like they did in New York—a majority of voters ended up making that toll permanent. Faster trips, more bus riders New Yorkers are already seeing an impact one month in. Along with fewer drivers in general, the vehicles that still travel through the area are dealing with less traffic. Those crossing through the Holland Tunnel see the most time savings, with average trip times down 48% during peak morning hours. The Williamsburg and Queensboro Bridges are both seeing an average of 30% faster travel times. During afternoon peak hours, drivers in the entire zone are seeing travel times drop up to 59%. More commuters are opting for buses to cross Manhattan, and those buses are now traveling more quickly, too. Weekday bus ridership has grown 6%, while weekend ridership is up 21%, compared to January 2024. (Subway ridership has also grown by 7.3% on weekdays and 12% on weekends, part of a larger trend in ridership growth happening since the fall, per the MTA. Anecdotally, some subway riders have said they’ve seen more packed trains on their morning commutes.) Buses entering Manhattan from Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx are saving up to 10 minutes on their route times, which also makes their arrivals more reliable. This data comes from the MTA, which released figures at the end of January. A full one-month update won’t be available until the next MTA board meeting at the end of February; the MTA didn’t yet release any information on the amount of money the program has raised or any air quality impacts. (When it comes to air quality, some groups have raised alarms about how congestion pricing is moving traffic and its associated air pollution to poorer neighborhoods, like the South Bronx.) But it shows a trend, and the traffic impacts are supported by other data, like from the Congestion Price Tracker run by two Brown University students, Joshua Moshes and Benjamin Moshes. Driving from Hell’s Kitchen to Midtown East at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday took about 25 minutes on average before congestion pricing, per that tracker. This week, it’s just 15 minutes. Traveling through the Holland Tunnel at 7 a.m. on a Monday once took 23 minutes on average, compared to 14 minutes this week. Some routes, though, like Greenwich Village to Alphabet City within Manhattan are trending “almost identically” to their pre-congestion pricing patterns. There are also “spillover routes” like Park Slope to Dumbo—two Brooklyn neighborhoods entirely outside of the congestion relief zone—that are seeing travel times down by about five minutes or less at various times of the day, though the tracker notes that the program’s effect on these routes isn’t yet fully clear. One month of data, though, isn’t enough to judge long-term impacts, Moshes told Fast Company. “People’s behavior may change with time. We will keep watching the data to see if things change.” The future of congestion pricing is under threat by President Donald Trump, who is considering halting the program. (A poll by Morning Consult this week found that 59% of voters say Trump should allow it to continue. Another poll, though, revealed that support is still split, with a majority of drivers against it and a majority of pedestrians, bikers, and transit riders in support.) For right now, at least, congestion pricing is having an immediate impact for commuters. Daniel A. Zarrilli, the chief climate and sustainability officer at Columbia University, shared his firsthand experience on X on January 29: “Tonight: 24 minutes from City Hall to Staten Island by express bus during the evening commute,” he wrote. “That’s gotta be a record.” A caller to WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show earlier in January told the host that his wife, who takes an express bus from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, to Lower Manhattan and back for work, has seen fewer delays every day. “She’s getting home earlier every night,” he said. “I mean, we love it.” View the full article

Potential cybersecurity and data privacy violations are among the many dangers of giving the Tesla CEO free rein over systems and data used for Social Security benefits and tax refunds. View the full article

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Fifty years ago, McDonald’s purple mascot, Grimace, introduced his uncle in an extremely ’70s ad promoting the Shamrock Shake. “Uncle O’Grimacey” was a bumbling, fuzzy, top-hat wearing creature hailing from Ireland, who would go on to rep the Shamrock Shake for a few years before ultimately disappearing into the ether of early McDonald’s mascot lore. But now, for the first time since 1975, McDonald’s is giving Uncle O’Grimacey another shot at the limelight. The green mascot’s reappearance is promoting the return of the Shamrock Shake, which is set to land at McDonald’s stores on February 10. It’s also celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities, which will receive a portion of the proceeds from this year’s Shamrock Shake sales and Uncle O’Grimacey-themed merch. Uncle O’Grimacey’s unexpected return comes in the wake of McDonald’s 2023 birthday campaign for the unsettling-yet-beloved mascot Grimace, which gave the world the oft-memed purple Grimace Shake. In comparison, the Uncle O’Grimacey play is a much bigger swing for McDonald’s, relying on less character recognition and fewer nostalgia points from customers. And it shows that goofy mascots might just be having an American renaissance. [Photo: McDonald’s] Who—or what—is Uncle O’Grimacey? Uncle O’Grimacey’s stint repping McDonald’s in the mid-’70s included a few seriously dated ads showing the Irish mascot visiting his nephew. Oddly enough, it also yielded the creation of a hand puppet toy in 1978. When asked what kind of creature Uncle O’Grimacey is meant to represent, a McDonald’s spokesperson didn’t respond directly, instead sharing the following: “While the rest of the Grimace family lives in McDonaldland, Uncle O’Grimacey resides on a small island off the coast of Ireland called Sham Rock. Back home in Sham Rock, Uncle O’Grimacey spends his time going on nature walks, bowling in his local league, and attending the Sham Rock Street Fair and Music Festival (he plays the bagpipe!).” They added that his favorite color is green, his nickname is Uncle O, and, for all those who are wondering, he’s a Pisces. (Yes, mascot lore is a thing: Hi-Chew’s new mascot, Chewbie, supposedly loves skateboarding and Chapell Roan.) It’s unclear whether Uncle O will appear on packaging or in stores, but he has already made his debut on McDonald’s socials. He’s also the star of a questionable line of merch from the company, which includes a crewneck, ringer tee, and sweatshirt with the phrase “Who’s your uncle?” next to a graphic of the uncle in question. [Photo: McDonald’s] Why revive Uncle O’Grimacey in 2025? McDonald’s sudden investment in a little-known character might seem like a strange move, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Mascots—especially goofy ones—are having a moment right now, spurred on by what Fast Company has termed “DGAF branding”: a form of indirect social media marketing that leans into all things weird and nonsensical, rather than explicitly hawking a product’s value. The goal is awareness, engagement, and “building and tapping into a fan community,” as Fast Company’s Jeff Beer noted last October. Duolingo was one of the first companies to embrace this strategy with its lovable but occasionally homicidal owl, Duo. Brands like Pop-Tarts and Nutter Butter (if you can call its peanut a mascot) have followed suit. Out in the real world, sports mascots like the 2024 Summer Olympics’ Phryge, the New York Liberty’s Ellie the Elephant, and the Philadelphia Flyers’ Gritty are embodying wackier personas that appear curated to go viral. McDonald’s new mascot of DGAF branding McDonald’s got in on this trend with the Grimace Birthday Meal in 2023, which inspired a bout of feel-good articles about the mascot and spawned the Grimace Shake trend, wherein dozens of TikTok users put a deadly spin on the purple beverage. (Grimace then acknowledged the trend from McDonald’s X account.) While McDonald’s didn’t respond to Fast Company’s request for specific data on the Grimace activation’s success, it’s been enough for the company to keep the purple creature around. Grimace experienced another bout of fame over the summer, after his opening pitch at a New York Mets game was credited with saving the team’s postseason run. Now it seems that the company is trusting the internet to do what it does best and run with this new character. Of course, the trick that will determine the success of McDonald’s 2025 Shamrock Shake campaign is whether it can get its fan base to engage with a lesser-known—if similarly shaped—mascot. Would any fan be as happy if a celebrity’s similar-looking relative showed up instead? The people want Britney, not Jamie Lynn. O’Grimacey’s ability to win hearts will come down to whether he can sell the lore as a strong personality hire—and if McDonald’s new DGAF mascot can make fans give an F about Shamrock Shakes. View the full article

“Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.” This quote from renowned dramatist George Bernard Shaw highlights a profound truth. Hobbies offer us a chance to unwind, alleviate stress, and find joy. Imagine how much more rewarding it would be to earn an income from crafts you can sell. Turning leisure time into a source of income is certainly appealing. Thankfully, many people have successfully discovered ways to generate income from a wide range of hobbies that make money. How to Start Making Money from a Hobby What is your favorite hobby? Do you think you can earn money from it? You might be surprised how many money-making hobby options are available, and how many already apply to your favored pastimes. Do you enjoy sewing, photography, or music? Each of those hobbies can become a side gig or a full-time hustle through the following steps: Choose a hobby you enjoy. After all, if you aren’t enjoying yourself while you’re doing it, your hobby is just another form of work. If you have a woodshop at home, look into the most profitable woodworking projects to build and sell. Look for community needs. Many hobbies can be used to make money in a variety of ways, so look around and be sure there is a market need for your side gig. Find out where to sell handmade items locally or online. Practice your techniques. You need to combine skill with your hobby if you want to turn it into a side hustle. Anybody can bake cookies, but not everyone can make mouth-watering sweet treats that customers will demand. Start a side gig. Don’t quit your day job just yet. Most small businesses take time to become profitable, and you need to support your lifestyle and your new business venture until that time comes. Start off making money from your hobby as a side hustle, attract a few clients, and work toward turning a profit. Expand your small business. Once you start making money from your hobby, you can consider expanding your side gig into a full-time small business. This is also a good time to learn how to sell crafts online. Try Out Some Hobbies That Make Money Today There are all sorts of hobbies that make money, and many hobbies can be used to earn money in a variety of ways. For example, a person who loves writing can work as a freelance journalist or a blogger, or they can try their hand at crafting their own literature. Likewise, a pet lover could start a side hustle walking dogs, pet sitting or baking their own dog treats. If you don’t already have a hobby, you can try a few of the following hobbies that make money and find where your passion lies. Hobbies That Can Make You Money Are you searching for a lucrative hobby or seeking to transform a beloved pastime into additional income? Explore the following hobbies that make money for inspiration: Jewelry Do you love everything about jewelry? You can make money selling jewelry, either gems that you buy or jewelry that you make yourself. Perhaps you’ve already accumulated a collection of jewelry you can sell, or you have an eye for finding great buys on attractive baubles. There are ways to create easy jewelry to make and sell online in marketplaces like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace as well as locally. Crafts Jewelry isn’t the only craft that can become a full-time business. No matter what it is you like making with your hands, from crocheted scarves to wood-burned signs and even needlepoint, there are things to sew and sell. Chances are there is a market for the products you create. And remember there are a lot of sources if you don’t have a new idea. From Christmas craft ideas to sell to other holidays, birthdays, and other occasions, always be on the lookout for new ways to express your craft. If you aren’t already a skilled craftsperson, you can get ideas for products to make from online marketplaces like Etsy and Artfire. Once you start creating crafts to sell, you can establish your own online store, use Amazon Handmade, or sell your wares at local events. Writing There are numerous ways to turn your writing hobby into a source of income. Many professional writers begin their careers by freelancing part-time while they develop their portfolios and establish a client base. Consider searching for blogs that compensate writers or explore freelance writing opportunities on online job boards like Contena or Upwork. Additionally, skilled writers with strong grammar can look for opportunities to edit work for publications or assist other freelance writers. Dog Walking Are you an animal lover who has a knack for connecting with other people’s pets? If so, you can transform your passion into a small business by becoming a dog walker. While many people adore their dogs, few actually enjoy the task of walking them, and many simply lack the time in their hectic schedules. By arranging to walk multiple dogs for different clients at set times throughout the day and week, your love for animals can quickly evolve into a thriving small business. Graphic Design Do you love to draw or have an eye for design? You can earn money from your artistic hobbies by finding work as a graphic designer. You can start a side gig designing logos or other graphics for fellow small business owners, building your portfolio along the way. You can also make money from graphic design by selling prints of your designs with services like Spreadshirt or Merch by Amazon, which lets you sell your designs printed on everything from t-shirts and bags to cups and phone cases. Social Media Do you already find yourself spending hours each week on social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram? What if you could turn your social media hobby into good money? You can turn your social media skills into a side hustle and earn extra income by managing the social media accounts of other small businesses, brands, and personalities. You can then expand your social media manager business by showing influencers how you can boost engagement with their Instagram account and other social media platforms. Who knows, you might even become a social media influencer in your own right. Blogging Blogging is a great side hustle for people whose hobby is writing. Anyone can create their own blog and write about their personal knowledge and experiences. You can promote your blog through social media channels, and once you’ve established a following, you can make money blogging by selling advertisements on your own website. You can monetize your blog with this ad revenue, as well as by partnering with affiliates to influence sales and discounts offered to their customers. Pet Sitting Animal lovers can expand their money-making hobbies beyond just walking dogs. Why not make some extra income by caring for other people’s furry family members when they’re unavailable? You can transform your love for pets into a side business by offering dog and cat-sitting services, whether in a daycare setting or a boarding environment, where you look after pets for days or weeks while their owners are away. By building a strong reputation as a reliable animal lover, you may be able to grow your small business into a full-time endeavor. Making Videos Do you love making creative videos? You can turn your videography hobby into a small business by making videos and posting the content to a YouTube channel, TikTok, Instagram, or another popular platform. People will follow your channel to see creative and engaging content, and you can make money in ways similar to a blogger through advertising on your own channel and affiliate marketing. Playing Video Games If your dream job is getting paid to play video games, you’re not alone. Believe it or not, you can make money from playing video games. Some talented game players have made thousands in the past few years by streaming their gameplay online with platforms like Twitch, but you can also make some money from playing games through loyalty programs that pay you to play games and from posting videos of your gameplay to your YouTube channel, which you can then monetize with ads. Certain gamers have even found full-time jobs testing video games for developers. Website Creation If you enjoy website design in your spare time, you can make money from your hobby by creating websites, either designing websites for others or creating your own website. There is always a demand for web designers, and that demand only promises to grow as the online marketplace expands. Start by designing your own website. Not only will it serve as a start for your portfolio, but it also can be used to make money online as a source of passive income and some extra cash. With a successful web design under your belt, you can start building websites for other small businesses and organizations. Sharing Opinions Do you often spend your spare time expressing your opinions online? If you enjoy sharing your thoughts, you can earn money by participating in online surveys. While surveys are one of the most popular options for making extra money online, they typically pay only a few dollars each, making it difficult for most people to rely on this income alone. However, over time, these earnings can accumulate and provide a productive and dependable side gig. Numerous sources offer online surveys for pay, as companies depend on this valuable market insight to inform their important decisions. Flipping Merch Do you have a great eye for a bargain? Is your idea of a fun hobby visiting yard sales and going on hunts to garage sales? How would you like to make a few hundred dollars from what you would call a typical weekend trip to the local thrift stores or flea markets? You can turn your love for shopping into a thriving business idea by buying and selling used merchandise. Just look for the best deals and bargains, buy the merchandise at discounted prices, then resell it for a profit through online outlets like Facebook Marketplace and eBay. If you have restoration skills and can clean up the used products, you often can fetch an even higher profit. Exercising Did you know exercising is not only great for your health but also can be one of the more profitable hobbies if you turn it into a career or a side gig? Do you enjoy riding your bike? Why not make deliveries while you’re at it? Are you always working out at the gym? Look into starting a small business as a personal trainer. Is dancing more your style? Why not earn some extra cash working as a street or theater performer? Or, if you’re a highly skilled dancer, why not teach a class and make money sharing your passion with others? Shopping Could people call you a shop-a-holic? Do you love hitting the local stores, no matter what you happen to be shopping for? Would you love to make money from shopping instead of spending it? Believe it or not, shopping is a hobby that can turn into a moneymaker. Plenty of people need assistance with their grocery shopping, and you can earn money doing exactly what you love by filling that role. Other ways to make money from shopping include serving as a mystery shopper and working as a personal shopper or personal assistant for another small business owner. Gardening Gardening is a great hobby for relaxation, and it’s also a hobby that can pay. You can make money by growing your own plants and produce and selling your wares at local farmers’ markets. You can also use your gardening skills to help others beautify their own properties and start a small business as a gardener and landscaper, where you are paid to tend to others’ lawns and gardens. Photography You can transform your love for photography into a thriving business. There are numerous ways to make money with photography, such as capturing portraits and other images for clients, selling prints and various merchandise, or even generating income online by launching a photography blog that you can monetize through advertising. Many photography fans begin by taking on a few small jobs as side gigs, but you can increase your earnings by growing your efforts into a successful small business. Makeup Artistry Are you fascinated by makeup? Do you find yourself watching all the latest beauty tutorials on YouTube and trying the looks out for yourself? You can turn your hobby into a side hustle by working as a makeup artist. You also can start your own YouTube channel with plenty of how-to videos, and before you know it you, too, could be a successful beauty influencer. Reading Books Did you know you can even make money if your hobby is reading a good book? Organizations like Online Book Club and Kirkus Media are always looking for people to read books and write reviews of them. While you won’t earn a full-time salary from reviewing books, it’s a simple way to make extra money doing what you love. Music It’s no secret that you can make money as a musician, but most people don’t realize you don’t have to be a superstar to earn money from your music hobby. You can make money as a performer by playing music in a band or as a solo artist in a local venue. You also can make money by teaching music, passing your passion and skill on to students through in-person classes, or by teaching an online course. You also can share your music with the world on a Youtube channel, TikTok profile or another social media platform, which you then can monetize based on the size of your following. Image: Depositphotos This article, "Hobbies that Make Money" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

“Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.” This quote from renowned dramatist George Bernard Shaw highlights a profound truth. Hobbies offer us a chance to unwind, alleviate stress, and find joy. Imagine how much more rewarding it would be to earn an income from crafts you can sell. Turning leisure time into a source of income is certainly appealing. Thankfully, many people have successfully discovered ways to generate income from a wide range of hobbies that make money. How to Start Making Money from a Hobby What is your favorite hobby? Do you think you can earn money from it? You might be surprised how many money-making hobby options are available, and how many already apply to your favored pastimes. Do you enjoy sewing, photography, or music? Each of those hobbies can become a side gig or a full-time hustle through the following steps: Choose a hobby you enjoy. After all, if you aren’t enjoying yourself while you’re doing it, your hobby is just another form of work. If you have a woodshop at home, look into the most profitable woodworking projects to build and sell. Look for community needs. Many hobbies can be used to make money in a variety of ways, so look around and be sure there is a market need for your side gig. Find out where to sell handmade items locally or online. Practice your techniques. You need to combine skill with your hobby if you want to turn it into a side hustle. Anybody can bake cookies, but not everyone can make mouth-watering sweet treats that customers will demand. Start a side gig. Don’t quit your day job just yet. Most small businesses take time to become profitable, and you need to support your lifestyle and your new business venture until that time comes. Start off making money from your hobby as a side hustle, attract a few clients, and work toward turning a profit. Expand your small business. Once you start making money from your hobby, you can consider expanding your side gig into a full-time small business. This is also a good time to learn how to sell crafts online. Try Out Some Hobbies That Make Money Today There are all sorts of hobbies that make money, and many hobbies can be used to earn money in a variety of ways. For example, a person who loves writing can work as a freelance journalist or a blogger, or they can try their hand at crafting their own literature. Likewise, a pet lover could start a side hustle walking dogs, pet sitting or baking their own dog treats. If you don’t already have a hobby, you can try a few of the following hobbies that make money and find where your passion lies. Hobbies That Can Make You Money Are you searching for a lucrative hobby or seeking to transform a beloved pastime into additional income? Explore the following hobbies that make money for inspiration: Jewelry Do you love everything about jewelry? You can make money selling jewelry, either gems that you buy or jewelry that you make yourself. Perhaps you’ve already accumulated a collection of jewelry you can sell, or you have an eye for finding great buys on attractive baubles. There are ways to create easy jewelry to make and sell online in marketplaces like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace as well as locally. Crafts Jewelry isn’t the only craft that can become a full-time business. No matter what it is you like making with your hands, from crocheted scarves to wood-burned signs and even needlepoint, there are things to sew and sell. Chances are there is a market for the products you create. And remember there are a lot of sources if you don’t have a new idea. From Christmas craft ideas to sell to other holidays, birthdays, and other occasions, always be on the lookout for new ways to express your craft. If you aren’t already a skilled craftsperson, you can get ideas for products to make from online marketplaces like Etsy and Artfire. Once you start creating crafts to sell, you can establish your own online store, use Amazon Handmade, or sell your wares at local events. Writing There are numerous ways to turn your writing hobby into a source of income. Many professional writers begin their careers by freelancing part-time while they develop their portfolios and establish a client base. Consider searching for blogs that compensate writers or explore freelance writing opportunities on online job boards like Contena or Upwork. Additionally, skilled writers with strong grammar can look for opportunities to edit work for publications or assist other freelance writers. Dog Walking Are you an animal lover who has a knack for connecting with other people’s pets? If so, you can transform your passion into a small business by becoming a dog walker. While many people adore their dogs, few actually enjoy the task of walking them, and many simply lack the time in their hectic schedules. By arranging to walk multiple dogs for different clients at set times throughout the day and week, your love for animals can quickly evolve into a thriving small business. Graphic Design Do you love to draw or have an eye for design? You can earn money from your artistic hobbies by finding work as a graphic designer. You can start a side gig designing logos or other graphics for fellow small business owners, building your portfolio along the way. You can also make money from graphic design by selling prints of your designs with services like Spreadshirt or Merch by Amazon, which lets you sell your designs printed on everything from t-shirts and bags to cups and phone cases. Social Media Do you already find yourself spending hours each week on social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram? What if you could turn your social media hobby into good money? You can turn your social media skills into a side hustle and earn extra income by managing the social media accounts of other small businesses, brands, and personalities. You can then expand your social media manager business by showing influencers how you can boost engagement with their Instagram account and other social media platforms. Who knows, you might even become a social media influencer in your own right. Blogging Blogging is a great side hustle for people whose hobby is writing. Anyone can create their own blog and write about their personal knowledge and experiences. You can promote your blog through social media channels, and once you’ve established a following, you can make money blogging by selling advertisements on your own website. You can monetize your blog with this ad revenue, as well as by partnering with affiliates to influence sales and discounts offered to their customers. Pet Sitting Animal lovers can expand their money-making hobbies beyond just walking dogs. Why not make some extra income by caring for other people’s furry family members when they’re unavailable? You can transform your love for pets into a side business by offering dog and cat-sitting services, whether in a daycare setting or a boarding environment, where you look after pets for days or weeks while their owners are away. By building a strong reputation as a reliable animal lover, you may be able to grow your small business into a full-time endeavor. Making Videos Do you love making creative videos? You can turn your videography hobby into a small business by making videos and posting the content to a YouTube channel, TikTok, Instagram, or another popular platform. People will follow your channel to see creative and engaging content, and you can make money in ways similar to a blogger through advertising on your own channel and affiliate marketing. Playing Video Games If your dream job is getting paid to play video games, you’re not alone. Believe it or not, you can make money from playing video games. Some talented game players have made thousands in the past few years by streaming their gameplay online with platforms like Twitch, but you can also make some money from playing games through loyalty programs that pay you to play games and from posting videos of your gameplay to your YouTube channel, which you can then monetize with ads. Certain gamers have even found full-time jobs testing video games for developers. Website Creation If you enjoy website design in your spare time, you can make money from your hobby by creating websites, either designing websites for others or creating your own website. There is always a demand for web designers, and that demand only promises to grow as the online marketplace expands. Start by designing your own website. Not only will it serve as a start for your portfolio, but it also can be used to make money online as a source of passive income and some extra cash. With a successful web design under your belt, you can start building websites for other small businesses and organizations. Sharing Opinions Do you often spend your spare time expressing your opinions online? If you enjoy sharing your thoughts, you can earn money by participating in online surveys. While surveys are one of the most popular options for making extra money online, they typically pay only a few dollars each, making it difficult for most people to rely on this income alone. However, over time, these earnings can accumulate and provide a productive and dependable side gig. Numerous sources offer online surveys for pay, as companies depend on this valuable market insight to inform their important decisions. Flipping Merch Do you have a great eye for a bargain? Is your idea of a fun hobby visiting yard sales and going on hunts to garage sales? How would you like to make a few hundred dollars from what you would call a typical weekend trip to the local thrift stores or flea markets? You can turn your love for shopping into a thriving business idea by buying and selling used merchandise. Just look for the best deals and bargains, buy the merchandise at discounted prices, then resell it for a profit through online outlets like Facebook Marketplace and eBay. If you have restoration skills and can clean up the used products, you often can fetch an even higher profit. Exercising Did you know exercising is not only great for your health but also can be one of the more profitable hobbies if you turn it into a career or a side gig? Do you enjoy riding your bike? Why not make deliveries while you’re at it? Are you always working out at the gym? Look into starting a small business as a personal trainer. Is dancing more your style? Why not earn some extra cash working as a street or theater performer? Or, if you’re a highly skilled dancer, why not teach a class and make money sharing your passion with others? Shopping Could people call you a shop-a-holic? Do you love hitting the local stores, no matter what you happen to be shopping for? Would you love to make money from shopping instead of spending it? Believe it or not, shopping is a hobby that can turn into a moneymaker. Plenty of people need assistance with their grocery shopping, and you can earn money doing exactly what you love by filling that role. Other ways to make money from shopping include serving as a mystery shopper and working as a personal shopper or personal assistant for another small business owner. Gardening Gardening is a great hobby for relaxation, and it’s also a hobby that can pay. You can make money by growing your own plants and produce and selling your wares at local farmers’ markets. You can also use your gardening skills to help others beautify their own properties and start a small business as a gardener and landscaper, where you are paid to tend to others’ lawns and gardens. Photography You can transform your love for photography into a thriving business. There are numerous ways to make money with photography, such as capturing portraits and other images for clients, selling prints and various merchandise, or even generating income online by launching a photography blog that you can monetize through advertising. Many photography fans begin by taking on a few small jobs as side gigs, but you can increase your earnings by growing your efforts into a successful small business. Makeup Artistry Are you fascinated by makeup? Do you find yourself watching all the latest beauty tutorials on YouTube and trying the looks out for yourself? You can turn your hobby into a side hustle by working as a makeup artist. You also can start your own YouTube channel with plenty of how-to videos, and before you know it you, too, could be a successful beauty influencer. Reading Books Did you know you can even make money if your hobby is reading a good book? Organizations like Online Book Club and Kirkus Media are always looking for people to read books and write reviews of them. While you won’t earn a full-time salary from reviewing books, it’s a simple way to make extra money doing what you love. Music It’s no secret that you can make money as a musician, but most people don’t realize you don’t have to be a superstar to earn money from your music hobby. You can make money as a performer by playing music in a band or as a solo artist in a local venue. You also can make money by teaching music, passing your passion and skill on to students through in-person classes, or by teaching an online course. You also can share your music with the world on a Youtube channel, TikTok profile or another social media platform, which you then can monetize based on the size of your following. Image: Depositphotos This article, "Hobbies that Make Money" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

US president’s outlandish idea has dramatically raised stakes and would create another catastrophe for PalestiniansView the full article

President Donald Trump’s return to office has inspired hats north of the border, while Republicans have turned his expansionist foreign policy pronouncements into shirts for fundraising. The campaign might be over, but the merch has just begun. After Ontario Premier Doug Ford wore a “Canada Is Not for Sale” hat earlier this month at a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other premiers (the Canadian equivalent of a U.S. governor), the hat’s maker, Ottawa-based Jackpine Dynamic Branding, was overwhelmed with orders. Trump’s statements about tariffs and annexation have struck a nerve with our neighbors to the north. “Nothing is more important than the country,” Premier Ford said during a press conference while wearing the hat. “President Trump wants to devastate Canada. He wants to devastate Canada through economic sanctions and tariffs. That’s unacceptable.” [Image: Jackpine Dynamic Branding] The $45 hats spell out the slogan in Times New Roman, the same font as used for Trump’s original “Make America Great Again” hats—and because this is Canada, there’s also a version in French: “Le Canada n’est pas à vendre.” Jackpine founder Liam Mooney told Reuters he was inspired to create the hats as a response to Trump’s unseemly rhetoric toward Canada and as a statement about nationalism and unity. “It’s an opportunity to bring people together from all of civil society, regardless of political persuasion,” he said. “Our sovereignty is threatened when our dignity is disrespected.” Meanwhile, Republicans are fundraising off Trump’s second-term priorities for the U.S. sphere of influence in the Americas. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is out with $35 tees showing an illustrated bald eagle with Trump hair relaxing on a beach chair with a beer, featuring the words, “Greetings from the Gulf of America” to celebrate Trump’s executive order unofficially renaming the Gulf of Mexico. To sell the Trump National Committee joint fundraising committee’s own $35 “Gulf of America!” tee, a recent Trump campaign fundraising email asked recipients if they “live near the Gulf of Mexico?” followed by, “Well, now you don’t!” It’s also selling “Make Greenland Great Again” tees. No word yet on official Panama Canal merch, but a third party is selling “Make Panama Canal American Again” shirts on Amazon. A promotional graphic for the NRCC’s “Greetings from the Gulf of America” tee (top) and two Trump National Committee JFC’s tees The “Canada Is Not for Sale” hat is a statement of nationalism and sovereignty, and apparently, the “Gulf of America” and “Make Greenland Great Again” tees are meant to communicate much the same thing. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Trump earlier this month by joking that North America should be renamed “América Mexicana.” (Nothing of this ilk has been printed yet as merch, but, um, give it time. . . . ) Most contemporary political merch tends toward sloganeering over policy proposals (although a “No Tax on Tips” decal sold by the Trump campaign during the 2024 race was a rare exception). Still, it’s not as if the Republicans’ new foreign-policy-themed merch is focused on, say, bringing peace to the Middle East or remaining competitive with China. What is “Gulf of America,” really, but sloganeering? This story originally appeared in Yello, a newsletter about politics, art, branding, and design. View the full article

Since the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the power of tech moguls has been more conspicuous than ever. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, campaigned extensively for Donald Trump and earned “first buddy” status. One of the most circulated photos from the inauguration showed the lineup of Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg standing in front of Trump’s Cabinet picks. Musk donated at least $250 million to Trump’s campaign, while Bezos and Zuckerberg each pledged $1 million to the inauguration. Such active support of the president has struck many as glaringly opportunistic, given that all three were significant critics of Trump and his actions during his first term. But looking at how their companies and leadership have evolved, perhaps it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Over the past two decades, these leaders’ early commitments to the public good dissipated as their wealth piled up. When they were scrappy startups, they followed the common path of underdogs bucking against the systems that stood in the way of success. But as they accumulated vast power and became part of the establishment, their focus shifted to protecting the very systems they used to challenge. This is an age-old pattern. The Medici family rose to prominence in Florence and used their wealth to support important arts and civic projects. As their power consolidated, they became entrenched in Florentine politics and eventually led through corruption and violence. Julius Caesar went from populist leader to dictator for life, as did Napolean. The saying “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” reflects this trajectory. Today’s tech moguls may be gratified they have achieved such dominance, but history shows that overreach invites resistance, and as cultural values evolve, the very traits that once defined a leader’s success can later lead to their downfall. Over time, public resentment at the Medicis’ authoritarian control and reliance on patronage led to exile and collapse of their dominance; Caesar and Napoleon were murdered and exiled, respectively. The history of modern business is replete with similar stories. Henry Ford revolutionized work with his $5-per-day wage, then went on to violently suppress labor, and at the end of his life struggled to compete with GM and Chrysler. More recently, Adam Neumann of WeWork and Travis Kalanick of Uber ran through this cycle at record speed. Bezos is, so far, a textbook example of the first half of this doomed path. In the early days of Amazon, he focused on e-commerce with the vow to make goods more affordable and accessible to everyone. Now the company is a poster child for labor abuses. More than a decade ago, when Bezos bought The Washington Post, he promised not to interfere in the paper’s coverage. This commitment was shattered when he killed the paper’s endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris less than two weeks before the election. Bezos said the decision was due to a principled stance to reestablish trust in the media, but his true feelings for Trump were clearly on display when he was one of the first billionaires to offer fawning postelection congratulations for the twice-impeached president’s “extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory.” While some expressed surprise at this turn toward Trump, Bezos’s waning commitment to the public can be traced to other domains as well, such as Amazon’s treatment of workers and its backtracking on its climate commitments. Amazon’s journey from a small online bookstore to a global tech giant earned Bezos years of admiration from business and mainstream press. He was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999, and topped many best CEO lists, including those of Fortune in 2012 and Harvard Business Review in 2014. Alongside these recognitions, serious questions emerged about Bezos’s management of Amazon. In May 2014, the International Trade Union Confederation labeled him the “World’s Worst Boss,” condemning the inhumanity of Amazon’s business and employment models. Bezos was dropped from Harvard Business Review’s ranking of the top 100 CEOs in 2019 due to the company’s working conditions and employment policies, among other factors, a dramatic omission given that he was one of only a few CEOs who had appeared every year from 2013 to 2018. Such reassessments are due, at least in part, to the fact that expectations about what constitutes responsible leadership shift over time. While the achievements of business leaders are frequently credited to their personal skill and effort, research from Harvard Business School on the 1,000 most well-known leaders in the 20th century—from Henry Ford to Jack Welch—showed that their successes, and the public’s perceptions of them, were due primarily to how they appealed to the dominant cultural values of their time. The conclusion is that leaders who thrive when certain business practices are celebrated run into problems when the business environment shifts. Consider Welch, CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001. In 1999, he was hailed as the best CEO of the 20th century for embodying the idea of “shareholder primacy,” which posits that a corporation’s sole objective is maximizing short-term profits for shareholders. But the standard Welch pioneered has undergone a critical reappraisal. Harvard Business Review stated in 2020 that he “probably isn’t the ideal model for 21st-century executives.” In a recent book titled The Man Who Broke Capitalism, New York Times journalist David Gelles situated Welch historically and explored his devastating legacy. Since Welch stepped down, GE has struggled, and as of 2024 when the company split itself up, its stock still traded for less than it did when Welch retired. In 2018, it was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average after being a founding company in the index more than 120 years ago. A significant reason was that GE Capital, the growth engine under Welch, saw massive losses following the 2008 financial crisis. The reappraisal of Welch’s legacy, and middling results of the company’s finance-driven focus since 2000, serves as a poignant illustration of the evolving skepticism of the neoliberal shareholder-centric model he exemplified. It’s also emblematic of how leaders’ models become antiquated after changes in the business environment. Welch’s ideas are now seen as disastrous in an era that has increasingly demanded a focus beyond short-term profit. Seen from this perspective, despite the privileged position the “broligarchs” enjoyed at Trump’s inauguration, their days at the top may be numbered. While many have likened Trump’s ideas and policies as a throwback to Welch’s day, a key difference is there are many indications that the public is increasingly fed up with greedy CEOs. In a tragic example, Luigi Mangione—who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—was celebrated online as a folk hero striking back against an executive who boasted that the company’s positive earnings were from slashing insurance coverage. A recent YouGov poll found that more 18- to 29-year-olds had a favorable opinion of Mangione than an unfavorable one, which may be a leading indicator of the depth of contempt for business leaders who exploit the public. It’s unclear how long the general public will stand for today’s gross displays of skyrocketing inequality. Bezos, for instance, reportedly believes that people are inherently “lazy,” and so, in addition to harsh working conditions, Amazon’s employment model is designed for minimal upward mobility. Recently, however, the company has experienced significant pushback from workers who have voted to unionize at one of the company’s distribution facilities and an Amazon-owned Whole Foods supermarket. It’s also notable that Amazon, Tesla, and Meta have all recently suffered backlash from consumers’ disgust at their leaders’ behaviors. With growing discontent comes a shift in cultural values, and while the tech bros’ power today may seem unassailable, history shows this can change quickly, and it may not be long before the nation’s richest citizens are seen not as pioneering heroes but as the embodiments of greed, corruption, and the worst excesses of 21st-century capitalism. View the full article

After years of pressure from the pandemic, the challenges of managing remote, hybrid, and RTO workplaces, and inconsistent organizational support, managers are on the brink of a crash. The coming manager collapse is kicking off a vicious cycle for organizations. As managers struggle, Gen Z sees the toll of the job and backs away, leaving fewer employees to rise into management roles. This puts more pressure on remaining managers. At the same time, several years of manager layoffs have left fewer people taking on these responsibilities. In 2023 alone, middle managers made up over a third of all layoffs. The remaining managers are under more pressure, with growing stress leading to higher rates of burnout. New research from my organization, meQuilibrium, shows just how deep the manager shortage could become. In addition to higher expectations for their performance, managers experience 59% higher emotional demands than their team members. They often face these elevated risks in isolation, being 12% less likely to receive support when they need it. The risks are also known precursors to burnout, disengagement, and quitting. UKG has found that almost half of middle managers would likely quit within the year due to stress. Organizations can’t attain their goals for growth without resilient managers who have the skills to support their teams, says meQuilibrium’s Alanna Fincke, SVP Content and Head of Learning, who first identified the likelihood of a manager crash earlier this year. Employees who don’t feel supported by their managers are more than four times as likely to quit their jobs, and twice as likely to report poor overall well-being. When this house of cards falls, it will impact the entire organization. On the flip side, employees who feel strongly supported are more protected from psychosocial risks at work, such as mistrust, conflict, and excessive work pace. These employees are two times as likely to perceive that conflicts are resolved fairly and 2.6 times more likely to receive help when needed. Strongly supported employees are also much more likely to feel like the pace of work moves at a sustainable rate in which they can complete their tasks. The manager role is indispensable for high workforce performance. But if today’s managers crash, who will be there to pick up the pieces? Gen Z Says ‘No Thanks’ Next-generation employees show little interest in the challenges of management. Despite Gen Z’s greater openness to change, a recent Robert Walters survey revealed that 72% of Gen Z respondents would choose an individual route to progression over managing others. Sixty-nine percent say middle management is too high-stress and low-reward. (It’s not just Gen Z. CNBC reports 42% of U.S. workers say they’d turn down a promotion.) There’s another complication, too. Even if Gen Z workers were looking for management jobs, our research shows many don’t yet have the skills to handle the emotional turbulence of change, which is part and parcel of managing teams. Compared to their older colleagues, Gen Z employees experience 34% higher change anxiety and 25% lower emotional stability in the face of change. This anxiety may be spurring them to self-select out of manager roles they could excel in. To stop and reverse the draining of present and future manager talent—and prevent organizational growth from stagnating—leaders have to do two things. First, they have to change how their organizations support their managers. Second, leaders need to equip younger employees with the skills to handle change. The following actions are key: Assess and address workplace psychosocial risks Psychosocial risks are characteristics of work design and management that negatively influence performance. They include high workload, poor work-life balance, workplace conflict, lack of control, lack of meaning at work, and inadequate support. These risks are often measured as environmental impacts, affecting teams, business units, and entire workforces. For example, a meQ customer recently sent a psychosocial risk survey to 34,000 employees and contractors. With a 50% response rate, the company gained significant data to identify risk factors across job functions, such as a lack of meaning for finance employees and a lack of control in the manufacturing unit. Tight deadlines are the most common psychosocial risk, according to research by the University of Washington School of Public Health, with 43% of all U.S. workers exposed. Consider an engineering team that feels like the demands on them are too high. These strains typically lead to anxiety and depression, which both endanger attention and focus on the job and put the entire team at high risk for burnout and turnover. Managers are nearly 40% more likely to cite excessive workloads compared to non-managers. Almost as many report insufficient time for tasks, and 34% are more likely to report needing to work at a very fast pace. These risks have both financial and human costs in increased absenteeism and more workers’ compensation claims. Poorly managed psychosocial risk also leads to elevated mental health risks and a range of negative physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and diabetes. A comprehensive psychosocial risk assessment, including mitigation strategies and support, is the clearest path to improving managers’ performance and experience—and changing how the rest of the workforce views the role. Enact clear policies that support manager health and well-being Explicit policy decisions can help managers protect and promote their own mental and physical well-being. This might look like mandatory “disconnect” periods, sabbaticals, or easing access to acute mental healthcare resources. Making sure managers have consistent, supportive check-ins with their own supervisors can help reduce isolation. Leaders can also model and reinforce workplace norms that prioritize health. For example, a leader for an R&D unit might maintain consistent boundaries on work hours to sustain the high cognitive demand of the job. He or she might also begin meetings with simple well-being check-ins, modeling the normalcy of mental health discussions in day-to-day work. With these actions, companies set a positive example for the entire organization and invest in the sustainability of their management pipeline. Deploy evidence-based techniques to build resilience Comprehensive, evidence-based resilience programs equip managers with practical tools to improve team interactions, communication, and collaboration. Digital cognitive behavioral therapy tools can also help managers recognize and replace unproductive thought patterns with more effective alternatives. As managers develop these skills and model them for their teams, they become better equipped to maintain clear communication channels, inspire collaborative problem-solving, and guide teams through periods of change or uncertainty. Ultimately, investing in leader resilience translates to improved team performance, increased productivity, and a more positive work environment that drives organizational success. Focus on Gen Z The previous steps are meant to improve the experience and perception of the manager role. But organizations also need to train their young employees in the essential skills they lack. In our research, Gen Z employees score significantly lower on core capabilities such as emotion control, stress management, engagement, and positivity. At the same time, we have found the employees most skilled in handling change and challenge—the realities that managers deal with daily—have the highest levels of those very skills: emotion control, stress management, engagement, and positivity. These are the specific, actionable areas to focus Gen Z training efforts on in order to improve their ability to handle management demands. Organizations that take a systematic approach to supporting managers and Gen Z workers can end the vicious cycle. The key lies not in grand transformations, but in consistent, practical steps to embed the fundamental capabilities of resilience and support across the organization. The result will be a more stable, sustainable workforce, capable of handling change and ready to lead through it. View the full article