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Key Takeaways Blogging as a Business: Blogging has evolved from a hobby to a legitimate business with multiple income-generating opportunities, making it accessible for everyone, from seasoned writers to beginners. Niche Focus: Identifying and targeting a specific niche is crucial for attracting a dedicated audience and building a strong brand presence, with popular niches including personal finance, health, travel, and technology. Diverse Monetization Strategies: Successful bloggers can explore various income streams such as affiliate marketing, sponsored content, ad revenue, subscription models, and online courses to diversify their earnings. Quality Content Creation: Providing high-quality, relevant content that addresses audience needs is essential for engaging readers and building a loyal following, which is pivotal for business success. Effective Tools and Platforms: Utilizing the right blogging platforms (like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace) and SEO tools (such as Google Analytics and SEMrush) can enhance visibility, streamline operations, and promote growth. Continuous Marketing Efforts: Regularly updating your blog and employing digital marketing strategies, including social media promotion and email marketing, are vital for driving traffic and increasing engagement. In today’s digital landscape, blogging isn’t just a hobby—it’s a thriving business opportunity. With millions of blogs out there, you might wonder how to carve your niche and turn your passion into profit. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, the right blogging business ideas can set you on a path to success. Imagine sharing your expertise while generating income from it. From affiliate marketing to offering online courses, the possibilities are endless. You’ve got the chance to connect with a global audience, share your unique voice, and create a sustainable income stream. Dive into the world of blogging business ideas that can transform your writing into a lucrative venture. Popular Blogging Business Ideas Blogging offers numerous opportunities to generate income and build a small business. Here are some popular blogging business ideas that can help you establish a profitable venture. Niche Blogging Niche blogging involves focusing on a specific topic or audience. This approach helps you create targeted content that attracts dedicated readers. By identifying your interests and conducting market research, you can pinpoint a profitable niche. Popular niches include personal finance, health and wellness, travel, and technology. As an entrepreneur, you can build a strong brand around your niche, engage your target audience, and develop a loyal following. Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions by promoting products or services from other companies. As a blogger, you can integrate affiliate links into your content, earning money each time a reader makes a purchase through your link. Choose products that align with your niche to maximize conversions. Build trust with your audience through authentic recommendations, and use SEO strategies to enhance visibility. As your traffic grows, your affiliate earnings can significantly increase, contributing to your business model. Sponsored Content Sponsored content provides a way to partner with brands and monetize your blog. Companies pay you to create content featuring their products or services. This arrangement benefits both parties: you earn income, while brands gain exposure to your audience. Developing a strong media kit can attract potential sponsors, and maintaining transparency with your readers is essential. Use social media and email marketing to promote sponsored posts, increasing their reach and driving engagement. By exploring these blogging business ideas, you can create a robust strategy that enhances revenue streams while connecting with your audience. Monetization Strategies You can leverage various monetization strategies to turn your blog into a profitable small business. Focus on maximizing your revenue potential through methods such as ad revenue, subscription models, and online courses. Ad Revenue You generate income through ad placements on your blog. This method works by displaying ads that pay you based on clicks or impressions. Integrating popular ad networks like Google AdSense can boost your earnings as it monetizes your traffic effectively. Your blog’s audience size directly influences your ad revenue, so growing your readership is essential for maximizing this income stream. Subscription Models You can create a membership or subscription-based model to enhance profitability. This strategy involves offering exclusive content such as articles, webinars, or reports to paid subscribers. For instance, Ryan Levesque’s “Orchids Made Easy” site charges $9.95 per month, generating $18,000 monthly from 1,800 members. A subscription model fosters community and encourages consistent revenue, making it a desirable option for small business bloggers. Online Courses You can monetize your expertise by offering online courses related to your niche. This business model allows you to package your knowledge into a structured format, providing significant value to your audience. Utilize platforms like Teachable or Thinkific to host your courses effectively. By focusing on quality content and marketing your courses through social media and email campaigns, you can attract your target audience and drive sales, contributing to your overall business growth strategy. Building a Successful Blog Creating a successful blog requires a well-thought-out approach, especially for small business entrepreneurs. Focus on key elements to build a robust foundation. Selecting Your Niche Identify a specific niche that aligns with your business goals and resonates with your target audience. Conduct thorough market research to understand customer needs and preferences. Tailoring your content to meet these demands enhances your blog’s relevance and attractiveness. For instance, if you’re in e-commerce, blogging about product trends or tips can establish your authority and engage your customers. Content Creation Tips Prioritize high-quality content to capture attention. Use effective digital marketing strategies, such as SEO and email marketing, to attract readers. Regularly update your blog with valuable information that addresses your audience’s pain points and interests. Implement a content calendar to plan and schedule posts. Try to incorporate various formats, such as videos or infographics, to diversify content and improve engagement. Leverage social media to promote your blog and connect with your audience. Ensuring excellent customer service can also lead to higher customer retention and more repeat visits. Engaging content combined with consistent marketing efforts builds a loyal readership, ultimately driving sales and contributing to your small business success. Tools and Resources Utilizing effective tools and resources can streamline your blogging business and enhance growth potential. Accessing the right platforms and tools not only supports content creation but also optimizes your marketing efforts. Blogging Platforms Selecting a blogging platform forms the foundation of your online business. Popular platforms include: WordPress: Offers flexibility and scalability, ideal for small businesses planning to grow over time. Blogger: A user-friendly option great for beginners focusing on basic blogging features. Wix: Provides easy drag-and-drop website building with built-in SEO tools, perfect for entrepreneurs without extensive technical skills. Squarespace: Combines robust design capabilities with e-commerce functionalities for those aiming to sell products directly from the blog. Evaluate these platforms based on your specific needs, target audience, and growth strategy. SEO Tools Incorporating SEO tools boosts your blog’s visibility and helps you reach your market effectively. Essential tools include: Google Analytics: Tracks user behavior and site performance, enabling better marketing decisions. SEMrush: Offers competitive analysis and keyword research tools, essential for optimizing your content strategy. Ahrefs: Provides backlink analysis and content gap insights, helping enhance your blogging strategy. Yoast SEO: A WordPress plugin that guides you in optimizing each blog post for search engines. These tools facilitate smart marketing strategies, improve your online presence, and drive customer acquisition by ensuring your content aligns with user search intentions. Conclusion Embracing the blogging business landscape opens up a world of opportunities for you. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out there’s a niche waiting for your unique voice. By leveraging strategies like affiliate marketing and online courses you can transform your passion into profit. Focusing on high-quality content and effective marketing will set you apart in a crowded space. The right tools and resources can streamline your efforts making it easier to connect with your audience. Remember to stay adaptable and keep exploring new ideas as the digital landscape continues to evolve. Your blogging journey can lead to sustainable income and a fulfilling career if you approach it with creativity and determination. Frequently Asked Questions What is the main focus of the article? The article discusses the transformation of blogging from a hobby to a viable business. It highlights the importance of selecting a niche and provides various monetization strategies like affiliate marketing, online courses, and sponsored content to help bloggers generate income. How can I monetize my blog? You can monetize your blog through several methods, including affiliate marketing, ad revenue, sponsored content, and online courses. By leveraging these strategies, you can turn your blog into a sustainable income source while engaging your audience. What is niche blogging? Niche blogging focuses on a specific topic or theme, attracting a dedicated audience interested in that subject. This strategy can enhance engagement and establish your blog as an authority in that niche, ultimately increasing traffic and revenue. Why is SEO important for blogging? SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is crucial for increasing your blog’s visibility in search engine results. Effective SEO strategies help attract organic traffic, improve rankings, and ensure your content meets the needs of your target audience. What blogging platforms are recommended? Popular blogging platforms include WordPress for flexibility, Blogger for beginners, Wix for ease of use, and Squarespace for e-commerce. Each platform has unique features tailored to different user needs, allowing you to choose one that best fits your goals. How do I create engaging content? To create engaging content, focus on high-quality writing, use diverse formats (like videos or infographics), and maintain a consistent posting schedule. Understanding your audience’s interests and preferences will also help shape relevant and appealing content. What tools can help streamline my blogging business? Essential tools for blogging include Google Analytics for performance tracking, SEMrush for competitive analysis, and Yoast SEO for content optimization. These tools help enhance your blog’s visibility and support effective marketing strategies. How often should I update my blog? Regular updates are vital for maintaining audience engagement and improving SEO. Aim for a consistent posting schedule, whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, to keep your audience engaged and your blog relevant. Image Via Envato This article, "Innovative Blogging Business Ideas to Turn Your Passion into Profit" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Blogging as a Business: Blogging has evolved from a hobby to a legitimate business with multiple income-generating opportunities, making it accessible for everyone, from seasoned writers to beginners. Niche Focus: Identifying and targeting a specific niche is crucial for attracting a dedicated audience and building a strong brand presence, with popular niches including personal finance, health, travel, and technology. Diverse Monetization Strategies: Successful bloggers can explore various income streams such as affiliate marketing, sponsored content, ad revenue, subscription models, and online courses to diversify their earnings. Quality Content Creation: Providing high-quality, relevant content that addresses audience needs is essential for engaging readers and building a loyal following, which is pivotal for business success. Effective Tools and Platforms: Utilizing the right blogging platforms (like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace) and SEO tools (such as Google Analytics and SEMrush) can enhance visibility, streamline operations, and promote growth. Continuous Marketing Efforts: Regularly updating your blog and employing digital marketing strategies, including social media promotion and email marketing, are vital for driving traffic and increasing engagement. In today’s digital landscape, blogging isn’t just a hobby—it’s a thriving business opportunity. With millions of blogs out there, you might wonder how to carve your niche and turn your passion into profit. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, the right blogging business ideas can set you on a path to success. Imagine sharing your expertise while generating income from it. From affiliate marketing to offering online courses, the possibilities are endless. You’ve got the chance to connect with a global audience, share your unique voice, and create a sustainable income stream. Dive into the world of blogging business ideas that can transform your writing into a lucrative venture. Popular Blogging Business Ideas Blogging offers numerous opportunities to generate income and build a small business. Here are some popular blogging business ideas that can help you establish a profitable venture. Niche Blogging Niche blogging involves focusing on a specific topic or audience. This approach helps you create targeted content that attracts dedicated readers. By identifying your interests and conducting market research, you can pinpoint a profitable niche. Popular niches include personal finance, health and wellness, travel, and technology. As an entrepreneur, you can build a strong brand around your niche, engage your target audience, and develop a loyal following. Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions by promoting products or services from other companies. As a blogger, you can integrate affiliate links into your content, earning money each time a reader makes a purchase through your link. Choose products that align with your niche to maximize conversions. Build trust with your audience through authentic recommendations, and use SEO strategies to enhance visibility. As your traffic grows, your affiliate earnings can significantly increase, contributing to your business model. Sponsored Content Sponsored content provides a way to partner with brands and monetize your blog. Companies pay you to create content featuring their products or services. This arrangement benefits both parties: you earn income, while brands gain exposure to your audience. Developing a strong media kit can attract potential sponsors, and maintaining transparency with your readers is essential. Use social media and email marketing to promote sponsored posts, increasing their reach and driving engagement. By exploring these blogging business ideas, you can create a robust strategy that enhances revenue streams while connecting with your audience. Monetization Strategies You can leverage various monetization strategies to turn your blog into a profitable small business. Focus on maximizing your revenue potential through methods such as ad revenue, subscription models, and online courses. Ad Revenue You generate income through ad placements on your blog. This method works by displaying ads that pay you based on clicks or impressions. Integrating popular ad networks like Google AdSense can boost your earnings as it monetizes your traffic effectively. Your blog’s audience size directly influences your ad revenue, so growing your readership is essential for maximizing this income stream. Subscription Models You can create a membership or subscription-based model to enhance profitability. This strategy involves offering exclusive content such as articles, webinars, or reports to paid subscribers. For instance, Ryan Levesque’s “Orchids Made Easy” site charges $9.95 per month, generating $18,000 monthly from 1,800 members. A subscription model fosters community and encourages consistent revenue, making it a desirable option for small business bloggers. Online Courses You can monetize your expertise by offering online courses related to your niche. This business model allows you to package your knowledge into a structured format, providing significant value to your audience. Utilize platforms like Teachable or Thinkific to host your courses effectively. By focusing on quality content and marketing your courses through social media and email campaigns, you can attract your target audience and drive sales, contributing to your overall business growth strategy. Building a Successful Blog Creating a successful blog requires a well-thought-out approach, especially for small business entrepreneurs. Focus on key elements to build a robust foundation. Selecting Your Niche Identify a specific niche that aligns with your business goals and resonates with your target audience. Conduct thorough market research to understand customer needs and preferences. Tailoring your content to meet these demands enhances your blog’s relevance and attractiveness. For instance, if you’re in e-commerce, blogging about product trends or tips can establish your authority and engage your customers. Content Creation Tips Prioritize high-quality content to capture attention. Use effective digital marketing strategies, such as SEO and email marketing, to attract readers. Regularly update your blog with valuable information that addresses your audience’s pain points and interests. Implement a content calendar to plan and schedule posts. Try to incorporate various formats, such as videos or infographics, to diversify content and improve engagement. Leverage social media to promote your blog and connect with your audience. Ensuring excellent customer service can also lead to higher customer retention and more repeat visits. Engaging content combined with consistent marketing efforts builds a loyal readership, ultimately driving sales and contributing to your small business success. Tools and Resources Utilizing effective tools and resources can streamline your blogging business and enhance growth potential. Accessing the right platforms and tools not only supports content creation but also optimizes your marketing efforts. Blogging Platforms Selecting a blogging platform forms the foundation of your online business. Popular platforms include: WordPress: Offers flexibility and scalability, ideal for small businesses planning to grow over time. Blogger: A user-friendly option great for beginners focusing on basic blogging features. Wix: Provides easy drag-and-drop website building with built-in SEO tools, perfect for entrepreneurs without extensive technical skills. Squarespace: Combines robust design capabilities with e-commerce functionalities for those aiming to sell products directly from the blog. Evaluate these platforms based on your specific needs, target audience, and growth strategy. SEO Tools Incorporating SEO tools boosts your blog’s visibility and helps you reach your market effectively. Essential tools include: Google Analytics: Tracks user behavior and site performance, enabling better marketing decisions. SEMrush: Offers competitive analysis and keyword research tools, essential for optimizing your content strategy. Ahrefs: Provides backlink analysis and content gap insights, helping enhance your blogging strategy. Yoast SEO: A WordPress plugin that guides you in optimizing each blog post for search engines. These tools facilitate smart marketing strategies, improve your online presence, and drive customer acquisition by ensuring your content aligns with user search intentions. Conclusion Embracing the blogging business landscape opens up a world of opportunities for you. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out there’s a niche waiting for your unique voice. By leveraging strategies like affiliate marketing and online courses you can transform your passion into profit. Focusing on high-quality content and effective marketing will set you apart in a crowded space. The right tools and resources can streamline your efforts making it easier to connect with your audience. Remember to stay adaptable and keep exploring new ideas as the digital landscape continues to evolve. Your blogging journey can lead to sustainable income and a fulfilling career if you approach it with creativity and determination. Frequently Asked Questions What is the main focus of the article? The article discusses the transformation of blogging from a hobby to a viable business. It highlights the importance of selecting a niche and provides various monetization strategies like affiliate marketing, online courses, and sponsored content to help bloggers generate income. How can I monetize my blog? You can monetize your blog through several methods, including affiliate marketing, ad revenue, sponsored content, and online courses. By leveraging these strategies, you can turn your blog into a sustainable income source while engaging your audience. What is niche blogging? Niche blogging focuses on a specific topic or theme, attracting a dedicated audience interested in that subject. This strategy can enhance engagement and establish your blog as an authority in that niche, ultimately increasing traffic and revenue. Why is SEO important for blogging? SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is crucial for increasing your blog’s visibility in search engine results. Effective SEO strategies help attract organic traffic, improve rankings, and ensure your content meets the needs of your target audience. What blogging platforms are recommended? Popular blogging platforms include WordPress for flexibility, Blogger for beginners, Wix for ease of use, and Squarespace for e-commerce. Each platform has unique features tailored to different user needs, allowing you to choose one that best fits your goals. How do I create engaging content? To create engaging content, focus on high-quality writing, use diverse formats (like videos or infographics), and maintain a consistent posting schedule. Understanding your audience’s interests and preferences will also help shape relevant and appealing content. What tools can help streamline my blogging business? Essential tools for blogging include Google Analytics for performance tracking, SEMrush for competitive analysis, and Yoast SEO for content optimization. These tools help enhance your blog’s visibility and support effective marketing strategies. How often should I update my blog? Regular updates are vital for maintaining audience engagement and improving SEO. Aim for a consistent posting schedule, whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, to keep your audience engaged and your blog relevant. Image Via Envato This article, "Innovative Blogging Business Ideas to Turn Your Passion into Profit" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Top court allows dismissals at other agencies to stand but suggests US central bank may have stronger protectionsView the full article

iPhone-maker continues manufacturing pivot away from China but Donald The President demands shift back to USView the full article

Survey suggests British households may be regaining some willingness to spendView the full article

Growing up, dinner table conversations at our house weren’t just about what we learned at school that day. My mom, Jill, was a CEO for my entire life, leading a nonprofit that made meaningful community impact while she simultaneously raised a family. Our dinner conversations included recaps of board meetings, talk of juggling multiple personal and professional roles, and advice for her kid (me!) on how to do right by others. My mother’s daily examples of leadership showed me that career success and personal fulfillment don’t compete with each other—they’re complementary. Now, as I help lead Guild’s efforts, partnering with companies to invest in employee career development and talent pipelines, those early lessons continue to guide me. It is possible to find balance My mom taught me important lessons about balance that I use today. First, she taught me that having a meaningful career and making a positive impact aren’t mutually exclusive. People talk about “doing well by doing good” as an abstract concept, but I saw it firsthand every day. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would pursue the same. I was also lucky enough to have a role model who showed it was possible to have both a thriving professional and personal life. Being a wife, mother, a (literal) boss, and an engaged community member were identities she wove together. It wasn’t always easy, but watching her showed me that these identities were equally important for fulfillment. Often people—especially women—are presented with binary choices: Career or children? Devoted partner or independent social life? Many grapple with these decisions, but we don’t have to. There isn’t any shame in prioritizing one thing over another one day, and changing the next. My mom taught me not to feel guilty about this balancing act. This ripple effect of positive modeling extends beyond the family. I’ve seen it through stories of Guild learners, like Sherry from Oklahoma, who works at Tyson Foods. Sherry finished high school, got promoted to plant manager, and became an advocate for our program among her colleagues. She’s an example of how leaders can effectively balance everything important to them: career, family, community outreach, and learning. It’s never too late (or early!) to start a second act My mom grew up in the 1950s and 60s with three brothers and limited resources. She was a natural athlete, but didn’t have the privilege of formal training in her earlier years. Decades into adulthood, as her career entered its final chapters and she had more free time, she embraced the transition to her next chapter in life. At 50, she started playing senior women’s basketball. Fast forward 25 years, and she’s now a multi-titled senior Olympian at 75. Some of her best friends came through basketball, and she serves as a board member and advocate for senior women’s sports. My mom taught me that building skills later in life is more than fulfilling—it keeps you young! It increases cognitive function, improves memory, and enhances emotional well-being. There’s urgency here on a global scale, as the half-life of professional skills is less than 5 years (less than 2.5 years in technology fields). The workforce needs people willing to be nimble and adapt to the skills their field requires, just as our personal lives benefit from constant learning. We can take lessons from people who grew to be the best in their field, too. Vera Wang designed her first dress at 40, and Toni Morrison wrote her first novel after a long career in publishing. I’ve been inspired by people who pivot, learn, and succeed, and my admiration for people with this skill absolutely bleeds into the workplace. I like to bet on potential and give people opportunities beyond what their experience suggests, with faith that lifelong learners can figure things out with the right mindset and support. I believe that most career paths aren’t linear, and I have benefited from this myself, like in a previous role. A cofounder was the first person to really take a chance on me. He truly let me run by giving me a role that, on paper, wasn’t congruent with my experience but leveraged my skills in a meaningful way. You’re a role model—whether you know it or not Another lesson I learned from my mom is something I observed from her actions, not something she intended to share. She was, and is, a role model to me and many others without asking for the title. She modeled behavior, like taking initiative on difficult problems, championing innovation, or methodically pursuing ambitious goals, that those around her naturally emulated. I’m again reminded of Sherry from Tyson, who not only completed her own education and rose through the ranks, but then supported her husband as he continued his education. Her son now works at Tyson too, and is pursuing his degree simultaneously. Her drive to better herself was contagious and positively impacted her family’s trajectory. Other high-achievers come to mind as natural role models, too. Take four-time Paralympian Matt Stutzman, who competed in the recent Paralympics for archery. He’s using the same drive that took him to Paris to pursue a career transition that will support him and his family post-games. The examples are endless. It takes courage to take on new challenges or champion change, especially when countering established norms. Whether pitching a fresh approach to customer research or volunteering to test a new platform, lifelong learners blaze trails for others to follow, and we have the power to be those leaders for others. Your continuous growth will have a ripple effect on others The most powerful lesson from my mother’s journey—from CEO to senior Olympian—is that our growth journeys create ripples far beyond our own lives. When we commit to continuous learning and development, we become living examples of what’s possible. For business leaders, this means investing in growth while creating cultures where employee development is prioritized. For professionals at any career stage, it means embracing opportunities that stretch you beyond your comfort zone. For parents, it means focusing your energy where it’s needed most—at the boardroom or dinner table. The result? More resilient organizations are populated by adaptable individuals who find deeper fulfillment in both personal and professional realms. More importantly, you’ll inspire others along the way—perhaps even your own children, who might someday write about the dinner table lessons that shaped their leadership journey. Rebecca Biestman is chief marketing officer of Guild. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been eyeing workout-friendly earbuds that don’t flinch at sweat or bounce, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are a great way to go. Originally released in February as a long-awaited follow-up to the first-gen Powerbeats Pro, these earbuds normally cost $249.99, but right now you can get a near-mint, refurbished pair on sale for $174.99 through StackSocial. They ship in “Grade A” condition, which means they may have barely-there scuffs and should look and work pretty much like new. These are workout-first earbuds. The new nickel-titanium alloy hooks are flexible, lighter, and less clunky than before, keeping the buds in place without pressing too hard. They’re also IPX4 water-resistant, which is good enough for sweat or light rain, and you get a physical button to manage playback—a small detail, but one you’ll appreciate if your hands are wet or gloved. Wireless charging is now included, and you get around 8–10 hours of playback on a single charge, depending on whether ANC is on. That’s nearly double what most in-ears in this category offer (handy for fitness-first users who’d rather skip mid-run charging anxiety). As for the caveats, the headline heart rate sensor sounds great on paper, but it underdelivers, especially if you're hoping for smartwatch-level accuracy. And while the H2 chip (same as in AirPods Pro 2) helps with automatic pausing and connectivity, you're still locked into Beats’ signature bass-heavy sound with no real way to tweak it through the app. If that’s your jam, you’ll likely love them, but if you prefer dialing in your own sound profile, you may feel boxed in. That said, for gym-goers or runners who want a solid, sweat-resistant set with long battery life and physical media controls, this refurbished deal hits the right balance between value and performance. View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Dan Thurmon on testing yourself: “When uncertainty and randomness strike, whether the immediate perception is threatening or exciting, you don’t take it personally. You simply see it as a new factor to incorporate into your life. This is not about the challenge coming at you. It’s about the challenge coming from you. It’s not what’s testing you, but how you are choosing to test yourself.” Source: Positive Chaos: Transform Crisis into Clarity and Advantage II. Dean Williams on helping people face challenges: “The first challenge of leadership is to get people to wake up to the fact there is a problem—that the group is avoiding some aspect of reality, ignoring a threat, or missing a great opportunity. To get the people to wake up and face the problem is an activist challenge. Often the problem is embedded in people’s values and behavior. The people might espouse one view but act in ways that are not consistent with that view. The leadership task in an activist challenge is to call attention to the contradiction in values and intervene to disrupt the thinking and patterns of behavior that allow the people to persist in avoiding the reality of their condition.” Source: Real Leadership: Helping People and Organizations Face Their Toughest Challenges * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

A new TikTok trend, set to a snippet of Charli XCX’s “I Think About It All the Time” featuring Bon Iver, sees users, particularly Gen Z women, sharing lists of “propaganda” they’re not falling for in 2025. One list, shared by TikTok creator Lxyzfbxx, includes the “clean girl look,” “the normalization of OF [OnlyFans],” and “preventative Botox,” among other things. Another user listed “organic deodorant,” “Teslas,” and “mouth tape” among the modern-day propaganda. A third user included “push-up bras,” “being anti-sunscreen,” and “branded sweatshirts.” A fourth took aim at “working,” “a 9-5,” and “employment.” From social media trends to beauty standards, internet users are drawing attention to the capitalist, political, and aesthetic pressures that they’re subjected to daily, and they are de-normalizing those they see as unhealthy, undesirable, or just cringe. “Propaganda I won’t be falling for”: How did the trend start? While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the trend began, it’s clear that it’s caught on: If there’s one thing social media loves, it’s a hot take—and it can be on anything from working a full-time job to singer-songwriter Benson Boone. For instance, 2024 was the year of the “in” and “out” lists. Now, with the hashtag “propaganda” currently at over 240,000 posts on TikTok, we have the 2025 version of a similar trend. However, what is and what isn’t propaganda varies wildly, depending on whom you ask. The comments section below many of these videos is a hotbed for debate. “Sorry but i WILL be falling for the Labubu propaganda everytime,” one person commented under a list that included the viral dolls. “I hate to admit it but Dubai chocolate is soooo bomb,” another commented under a propaganda list that included the pistachio-flavored chocolate. Take these opinions with a rather large pinch of salt. One frequent name that appears on many of these lists is singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams. Does that mean the poster actually dislikes Abrams’s music? Not necessarily. As one TikTok user told The New York Times: “I think sometimes the internet just likes to have a running gag.” (Jumping on the Gracie Abrams hate train, in other words, might just be good for views.) Casey Lewis, of the youth consumer trends newsletter After School, did the legwork and tallied up the most commonly mentioned “propaganda” across hundreds of TikToks. The top 10 list she compiled included matcha, the tradwife movement, MAHA-adjacent trends like beef tallow and anti-seed oil, author Colleen Hoover, and milk (both of the oat and cow variety). Coming in at the No. 1 spot, to no one’s surprise, is ChatGPT. View the full article

The U.S. government has not yet made its official recommendations for who should be able to get COVID booster shots this fall, but FDA officials published a policy position in the New England Journal of Medicine announcing that it intends to make some drastic policy changes. The changes could result in healthy people under age 65 losing access to COVID vaccines, according to vaccine experts who have spoken about the policies. Here’s what we know so far, and why the announced policy could be a problem. How COVID vaccines are currently approvedScientists have changed the formulation of COVID vaccines a few times over the years, because the COVID virus itself tends to mutate. Vaccines are updated to better match the strains that are circulating, and this has happened roughly once a year—similar to how flu shots are updated each year. Instead of designing new vaccine trials from scratch for each small change in the COVID vaccine, manufacturers conduct studies to show that the immunity people get from the new vaccine is equivalent to what people got from the old vaccine. After approval from the FDA, the CDC then issues a recommendation for who should get the vaccine. Currently, everyone aged 6 months and up is recommended to get a COVID vaccine. What might be changingThe new policy, according to the NEJM article, would be to accept those immunobridging studies only to approve vaccines for people aged 65 and up, and people above the age of 6 months who have one of the high-risk conditions on a list maintained by the CDC. For healthy people under 65, the FDA’s policy wouldn’t approve new COVID vaccines unless they were tested against a placebo. (The type of placebo is phrased vaguely: “The control group could receive a saline placebo,” the authors write.) The FDA doesn’t have the authority to change the recommendations on who should get vaccines that are already approved (that’s the CDC’s purview), but it is in charge of approving vaccines and can approve them only for specific populations. Why placebo-controlled trials are an absolutely wild idea for COVID vaccinesPublic health experts are, to put it mildly, not happy with this plan. That’s because we already have COVID vaccines that work. Doing a placebo-controlled trial would require withholding COVID vaccines from people in the control group; they would get saline instead of a functional vaccine. The normal way to do this type of trial (if you do one at all, rather than relying on immunobridging) is to compare the new vaccine or medication against one that is already considered effective. To use an extreme analogy, you wouldn’t test a new design of seatbelt by randomizing people to ride around without using any seatbelts at all. Vaccine scientist Peter Hotez told CNN that the FDA’s announced approach “essentially denies access to vaccines,” since such trials are not practical for companies to do. In a post on Bluesky, toxicologist Ryan Marino said that it amounts to “scientific misconduct.” Vaccine expert Paul Offit told NPR “I don't think it's ethical, given that we have a vaccine that works, given that we know that SARS-CoV2 [the COVID virus] continues to circulate and cause hospitalizations and death, and there's no group that has no risk.” More vaccine chaos may be comingThe new policy isn’t official yet, but it’s hard to imagine the FDA and CDC being allowed to approve and recommend vaccines the way it always has in the current political climate. Biologics director Vinay Prasad and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, whose names appear on the FDA’s policy statement, have a history of arguing against COVID vaccine access for children. And both agencies are under the umbrella of HHS, the department of Health and Human Services, which is headed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr—the same person whose anti-vaccine organization financed the movie Plandemic. If you don’t recall the details of that movie circulating in the early pandemic days, it implied both that COVID wasn’t real and that it was a bioweapon created by the government; the logic didn’t hold together but ultimately the point was that we should be suspicious of vaccines. (I have more on Plandemic here.) RFK, Jr has said a lot of bananas stuff about vaccines. He has compared childhood vaccines to the holocaust, claimed that Bill Gates put microchips in vaccines, and loudly questioned whether vaccines cause autism. How this man got put in charge of a health agency, I will never understand. Recent and future vaccine approvals may be at risk in this environment. Moderna had planned to submit a combined flu/COVID vaccine for approval; it has since withdrawn its application. (It’s not clear whether recent FDA policy announcements are directly related.) Novavax’s recent vaccine was approved recently, but only after a delay and only for older adults and for people with high-risk health conditions. Kennedy released a report today that questions the childhood vaccine schedule and implies that vaccines are part of the “stark reality of American children's declining health.” View the full article

If you use the internet, you've probably had at least some personal information go missing. It's just the nature of the web. But this latest discovery, as reported by Wired, is something different. Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler found a public online database housing over 180 million records (184,162,718 to be exact) which amounted to more than 47GB of data. There were no indications about who owned the data or who placed it there, which Fowler says is atypical for these types of online databases. Fowler saw emails, usernames, passwords, and URLs linking to the sites where those credentials belonged. These accounts included major platforms like Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, Apple, Discord, Nintendo, Spotify, Twitter, WordPress, Yahoo, and Amazon, as well as bank and financial accounts, health companies, and government accounts from at least 29 countries. That includes the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, India, Israel, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. Fowler sent a responsible disclosure notice to the hosting provider of the database, World Host Group. Fowler was able to detect signs that the credentials here were stolen with infostealer malware, which bad actors use to harvest sensitive information from a variety of platforms—think web browsers, email services, and chat apps. Following Fowler's notice, World Host Group restricted the database from public access. The provider told Wired that the database was operated by a customer, a "fraudulent user" who uploaded illegal information to the server. In order to ensure these credentials were real, and not just a bunch of bogus data, Fowler actually contacted some of the email addresses he found in the database. He got some bites, and those users were able to confirm the records that he found associated with their emails. That's no guarantee that all 184,162,718 records are accurate, but it's a good sign that most are. As such, it's entirely possible you and I both had credentials exposed in this database. What's worse, Fowler says there's no telling how long the database was open to the public before his notice shut it down. There's a lot bad actors and hackers can do with this type of information. If they know the username and password combo to one of your accounts, they'll not only see if they can use it to break into that account, but they'll use it on other accounts of yours as well. If you reuse passwords, as many do, you could be facing a mass breach. It's bad enough when that concerns Facebook and Roblox accounts, but seeing as there were financial, health, and even government accounts here, the implications are huge. How to protect yourself If you don't have access to the database, you can't say for sure whether your credentials are listed there, or which credentials they have. Still, if you haven't changed the passwords for your accounts in some time, now might be a good time to do so. You don't need to change your passwords as frequently as traditional security advice has taught us, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to give your accounts a quick security audit. Make sure you're using a strong and unique password for each and every one of your accounts. If you repeat passwords, you run the risk of credential stuffing (hackers trying the same stolen password on multiple accounts). In order to keep tabs on those passwords, use a secure password manager. Make sure you're using two-factor authentication (2FA) on all of the accounts that allow it. That way, even if a password is exposed, hackers won't be able to break into your account without the device containing the 2FA code. To boost your security, avoid SMS-based 2FA when possible, and opt for more secure 2FA options, like an authenticator app or physical security key. If your account offers it, try a passkey to combine the convenience of a password with the security of 2FA. View the full article

“APPstinence,” which as you may have guessed, refers to abstaining from using your apps, is a movement encouraging people to get off social media and become less attached to their smartphones. It was founded by Harvard graduate student Gabriela Nguyen. The 24-year-old, who grew up in the center of Big Tech in Silicon Valley, realized she was addicted to both social media and her phone, probably from an early age, so she decided to something about it and started a club at the Ivy League school for her fellow students, along with the website APPstinence. Aimed at her Gen Z and Gen Alpha peers — although it applies to everyone who feels they have an unhealthy relationship with tech (which is basically all of us, right?) — APPstinence forgoes popular quick fixes like screen time controls, algorithm hacking, or digital detoxes, and offers something much more radical: a five-step method (which sounds Alcohol Anonymous’ 12-step program) to free yourself once-and-for-all from the chains of technology addiction. Appstinence’s 5-steps method can be summed up in just as many words: Decrease, Deactivate, Delete, Downgrade, and Depart. The point of this process is to reduce the sources of stimulus gradually. The idea isn’t to be completely phone-free, but to eventually be able, over time, to downgrade to some type of dumb-ish phone without social accounts. (Nguyen herself has three dumb phones, including the Light Phone.) According to her, people, and Gen Z specifically, should know they have the choice to opt out of social media. How does the process work? Sure, quitting cold turkey is hard. (Am I the only person who regularly deletes Instagram off my phone, only to reload it at 1:00 a.m in a panic?) Instead, Nguyen’s 5D Method decreases your usage incrementally, by deactivating your social media accounts one-by-one, which automatically deletes your apps 30 days later, allowing you to downgrade your phone, and finally depart from the digital world. Interested in trying it out? Here’s a full breakdown of the steps. Before you start: Make a list of family and friends you are in regular contact with, and who are important for you. Let each know, one-by-one, you’ll be moving offline and to reach you by text or phone instead. Step #1, Decrease: Delete all of the apps from your smartphone, and only access them through the browser on your laptop. Unfollow non-essential accounts and turn off non-essential notifications. After a few weeks, you can move to the next step. Step #2, Deactivate: Social media apps have a 30-day deactivation period before your account is deleted. Start by deactivating the app you feel you use the least. Step #3, Delete: As your accounts automatically delete in 30 days, spend this time strengthening your connections in the real world, for example, exercising, calling your relatives, hanging out with friends, or reading. Refer to your list from before you started. Set a regular schedule to call loved ones (or text, if necessary) and propose a time to hang out in person. Doing this regularly will help you stay connected with the people that matter, and more intimately so. If you panic during this withdrawal stage, re-activate, it’s not a race. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you’ve deleted the last app. Step #4, Downgrade: Get a “transition device” like a low-fi smart phone with limited functionality, something cheap that will allow you to access the basic apps you need (banking, Double Factor Authentication for students, QR codes) and keep it shut off in your bag on outings when you may need it. Also get a flip phone, which you should use most of the time. Step #5, Depart: It could take several weeks, months, or over a year to get to this final stage. View the full article

Summit makes little progress on how to respond to Donald The President’s trade warView the full article

Key Takeaways Build Customer Trust: A clear return policy reassures customers, encouraging them to make purchases by minimizing the fear of buyer’s remorse. Essential Components: Include key elements such as a defined return time frame, specific conditions for returns, and a transparent refund process to enhance customer satisfaction. Clarity and Accessibility: Use straightforward language and ensure your return policy is easily accessible both online and in-store to improve customer confidence and understanding. Balance Flexibility and Rules: Set reasonable return windows and conditions, while remaining open to exceptions, to attract more customers and enhance loyalty. Avoid Common Mistakes: Neglecting clarity, setting short return periods, and omitting crucial conditions can lead to customer frustration; regular reviews of your policy are essential for improvement. Creating a return policy is essential for any business aiming to build trust and enhance customer satisfaction. A well-crafted return policy not only protects your interests but also reassures your customers that they can shop with confidence. When customers know they can return items easily, they’re more likely to make a purchase. You want your return policy to be clear and straightforward, guiding customers through the process without confusion. This article will walk you through the key elements of an effective return policy, helping you establish a framework that works for your business and your customers. With the right approach, you can turn potential returns into opportunities for loyalty and repeat business. Importance Of A Return Policy A return policy serves as a critical tool for your small business, particularly in the retail sector. It builds trust between you and your customers by ensuring transparency. When shoppers know they can return items, they feel more secure about their purchases, which leads to increased sales in your storefront. A clear return policy also enhances customer satisfaction. You create an atmosphere of confidence, allowing shoppers to make decisions without fear of buyer’s remorse. This proactive approach can sway potential customers who might hesitate to buy from a business without clear return guidelines. Moreover, an effective return policy can reduce the burden on your customer service team. By establishing straightforward procedures, you clarify expectations and streamline the return process. This efficiency minimizes disputes and fosters goodwill among your clientele. In addition, a well-communicated return policy can turn potential losses into opportunities. Satisfied customers are more likely to return for future purchases. Encouraging repeat business leads to increased loyalty, which is essential for the long-term success of your small business. Key Components Of A Return Policy A clear return policy consists of essential components that help small businesses, particularly in retail, navigate customer expectations and enhance satisfaction. You can structure your return policy with the following key elements. Time Frame For Returns Establish a specific time frame for returns to set clear expectations. Typically, a period of 30 to 90 days works well for most items. Clearly stating this time frame encourages customers to make purchases confidently, knowing they can return items within that window if necessary. Conditions For Returns Outline the conditions under which returns are accepted. Common conditions include: Item Condition: Items must be unused, unworn, and in original packaging. Receipt Requirement: Customers should provide a proof of purchase, such as a receipt. Exclusions: Specify certain items that cannot be returned, like final sale items or personalized goods. By stating these conditions explicitly, you reduce ambiguity, foster trust, and streamline the return experience for customers. Refund Process Define the refund process to clarify how customers can expect their money back. Key points to include are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHhBJAucrJ8 Processing Time: State the expected timeframe for refunds to be credited, typically 5 to 7 business days after the return is processed. Refund Method: Specify whether refunds are issued to the original payment method or as store credit. Return Shipping Cost: Indicate whether customers are responsible for return shipping costs, as this can affect their willingness to return items. A transparent refund process builds confidence and may encourage repeat business, making it a vital component of your storefront’s return policy. Tips To Create An Effective Return Policy Crafting an effective return policy is essential for small businesses. An approachable policy builds customer trust and enhances satisfaction. Clear Language And Accessibility Use simple and direct language. Specify terms like “refund” and “exchange” clearly to avoid confusion. Outline steps in a straightforward manner to guide customers through the return process. Ensure your return policy is accessible both online and in-store, making it easy for customers to find information when shopping at your storefront. Highlighting key points like return duration and conditions directly impacts customer confidence. Flexibility Vs. Strictness Balance flexibility with necessary rules. Allow a return window of 30 to 90 days, accommodating customer needs while ensuring profitability. Set conditions, like acceptable item condition and receipt requirements, but remain open to exceptions for unusual cases. This approach can attract more customers, encouraging them to make purchases with a safety net in mind. Establishing clear boundaries fosters trust, while flexibility can improve overall customer loyalty in the competitive retail landscape. Common Mistakes To Avoid Avoiding common mistakes in your return policy can significantly impact your small business’s customer satisfaction and retention. Neglecting Clarity: Ensure your policy uses clear language. Ambiguous terms can confuse customers, leading to disputes and frustration. Setting Short Time Frames: Avoid overly restrictive return windows. A period of 30 to 90 days encourages customers to shop confidently without fear of buyer’s remorse. Omitting Conditions: Do not skip outlining return conditions. Specify requirements like item condition and receipt necessity to manage customer expectations effectively. Failing to Highlight Accessibility: Ensure your return policy is easy to find both in-store and online. Customers often browse policies before making purchases. Lack of Flexibility: Avoid creating a rigid policy that doesn’t account for unusual situations. Allowing exceptions can enhance customer loyalty and trust. Ignoring Refund Process Details: Clearly define your refund process, including processing times and methods. This transparency builds credibility and reduces customer inquiries. Overcomplicating the Process: Streamline the return process. Complicated steps deter customers from shopping again. Not Training Staff: Ensure your team understands the return policy. Well-informed staff can assist customers effectively, fostering a positive shopping experience. Failing to Review Regularly: Avoid static policies. Regularly review and update your policy to reflect customer feedback and changes in business practices. By steering clear of these mistakes, you create a return policy that not only protects your small business but also enhances customer satisfaction, encouraging repeat visits to your storefront. Conclusion Creating a well-defined return policy is crucial for your business success. It builds trust with your customers and enhances their shopping experience. By clearly outlining your return process and expectations you can reduce confusion and foster loyalty. Remember to balance flexibility with necessary guidelines to accommodate customer needs while protecting your interests. Regularly reviewing and updating your policy ensures it remains relevant and effective. Ultimately a transparent return policy not only encourages repeat purchases but also turns potential challenges into opportunities for growth. Invest the time to craft a return policy that reflects your brand values and puts your customers first. Frequently Asked Questions What is the purpose of a return policy? A return policy provides clear guidelines for customers on how to return items, promoting trust and transparency. It enhances customer satisfaction by allowing shoppers to feel secure in their purchases, knowing they can return products easily if necessary. How long should a return policy be? A typical return policy should include a timeframe of 30 to 90 days for returns. This range balances flexibility for customers while protecting business interests and encouraging repeat purchases. What key elements should be included in a return policy? An effective return policy should outline return time frames, conditions for returns (like item condition), and the refund process (including processing times and methods). Clarity in each component fosters customer trust and minimizes confusion. How can businesses communicate their return policy effectively? Businesses should use clear and accessible language, outline the return process simply, and ensure the policy is easily found both online and in-store. This approach helps customers understand their options without confusion. What common mistakes should be avoided in a return policy? Avoid ambiguous language, overly short return windows, and missing out on refund process details. Neglecting staff training and failing to regularly review the policy can also harm customer satisfaction and retention. How does a good return policy affect customer loyalty? A well-crafted return policy encourages repeat business and builds customer loyalty by making shoppers feel valued and understood. When customers know they can return items without hassle, they are more likely to return to the business for future purchases. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Steps to Create a Return Policy That Boosts Customer Trust and Satisfaction" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Build Customer Trust: A clear return policy reassures customers, encouraging them to make purchases by minimizing the fear of buyer’s remorse. Essential Components: Include key elements such as a defined return time frame, specific conditions for returns, and a transparent refund process to enhance customer satisfaction. Clarity and Accessibility: Use straightforward language and ensure your return policy is easily accessible both online and in-store to improve customer confidence and understanding. Balance Flexibility and Rules: Set reasonable return windows and conditions, while remaining open to exceptions, to attract more customers and enhance loyalty. Avoid Common Mistakes: Neglecting clarity, setting short return periods, and omitting crucial conditions can lead to customer frustration; regular reviews of your policy are essential for improvement. Creating a return policy is essential for any business aiming to build trust and enhance customer satisfaction. A well-crafted return policy not only protects your interests but also reassures your customers that they can shop with confidence. When customers know they can return items easily, they’re more likely to make a purchase. You want your return policy to be clear and straightforward, guiding customers through the process without confusion. This article will walk you through the key elements of an effective return policy, helping you establish a framework that works for your business and your customers. With the right approach, you can turn potential returns into opportunities for loyalty and repeat business. Importance Of A Return Policy A return policy serves as a critical tool for your small business, particularly in the retail sector. It builds trust between you and your customers by ensuring transparency. When shoppers know they can return items, they feel more secure about their purchases, which leads to increased sales in your storefront. A clear return policy also enhances customer satisfaction. You create an atmosphere of confidence, allowing shoppers to make decisions without fear of buyer’s remorse. This proactive approach can sway potential customers who might hesitate to buy from a business without clear return guidelines. Moreover, an effective return policy can reduce the burden on your customer service team. By establishing straightforward procedures, you clarify expectations and streamline the return process. This efficiency minimizes disputes and fosters goodwill among your clientele. In addition, a well-communicated return policy can turn potential losses into opportunities. Satisfied customers are more likely to return for future purchases. Encouraging repeat business leads to increased loyalty, which is essential for the long-term success of your small business. Key Components Of A Return Policy A clear return policy consists of essential components that help small businesses, particularly in retail, navigate customer expectations and enhance satisfaction. You can structure your return policy with the following key elements. Time Frame For Returns Establish a specific time frame for returns to set clear expectations. Typically, a period of 30 to 90 days works well for most items. Clearly stating this time frame encourages customers to make purchases confidently, knowing they can return items within that window if necessary. Conditions For Returns Outline the conditions under which returns are accepted. Common conditions include: Item Condition: Items must be unused, unworn, and in original packaging. Receipt Requirement: Customers should provide a proof of purchase, such as a receipt. Exclusions: Specify certain items that cannot be returned, like final sale items or personalized goods. By stating these conditions explicitly, you reduce ambiguity, foster trust, and streamline the return experience for customers. Refund Process Define the refund process to clarify how customers can expect their money back. Key points to include are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHhBJAucrJ8 Processing Time: State the expected timeframe for refunds to be credited, typically 5 to 7 business days after the return is processed. Refund Method: Specify whether refunds are issued to the original payment method or as store credit. Return Shipping Cost: Indicate whether customers are responsible for return shipping costs, as this can affect their willingness to return items. A transparent refund process builds confidence and may encourage repeat business, making it a vital component of your storefront’s return policy. Tips To Create An Effective Return Policy Crafting an effective return policy is essential for small businesses. An approachable policy builds customer trust and enhances satisfaction. Clear Language And Accessibility Use simple and direct language. Specify terms like “refund” and “exchange” clearly to avoid confusion. Outline steps in a straightforward manner to guide customers through the return process. Ensure your return policy is accessible both online and in-store, making it easy for customers to find information when shopping at your storefront. Highlighting key points like return duration and conditions directly impacts customer confidence. Flexibility Vs. Strictness Balance flexibility with necessary rules. Allow a return window of 30 to 90 days, accommodating customer needs while ensuring profitability. Set conditions, like acceptable item condition and receipt requirements, but remain open to exceptions for unusual cases. This approach can attract more customers, encouraging them to make purchases with a safety net in mind. Establishing clear boundaries fosters trust, while flexibility can improve overall customer loyalty in the competitive retail landscape. Common Mistakes To Avoid Avoiding common mistakes in your return policy can significantly impact your small business’s customer satisfaction and retention. Neglecting Clarity: Ensure your policy uses clear language. Ambiguous terms can confuse customers, leading to disputes and frustration. Setting Short Time Frames: Avoid overly restrictive return windows. A period of 30 to 90 days encourages customers to shop confidently without fear of buyer’s remorse. Omitting Conditions: Do not skip outlining return conditions. Specify requirements like item condition and receipt necessity to manage customer expectations effectively. Failing to Highlight Accessibility: Ensure your return policy is easy to find both in-store and online. Customers often browse policies before making purchases. Lack of Flexibility: Avoid creating a rigid policy that doesn’t account for unusual situations. Allowing exceptions can enhance customer loyalty and trust. Ignoring Refund Process Details: Clearly define your refund process, including processing times and methods. This transparency builds credibility and reduces customer inquiries. Overcomplicating the Process: Streamline the return process. Complicated steps deter customers from shopping again. Not Training Staff: Ensure your team understands the return policy. Well-informed staff can assist customers effectively, fostering a positive shopping experience. Failing to Review Regularly: Avoid static policies. Regularly review and update your policy to reflect customer feedback and changes in business practices. By steering clear of these mistakes, you create a return policy that not only protects your small business but also enhances customer satisfaction, encouraging repeat visits to your storefront. Conclusion Creating a well-defined return policy is crucial for your business success. It builds trust with your customers and enhances their shopping experience. By clearly outlining your return process and expectations you can reduce confusion and foster loyalty. Remember to balance flexibility with necessary guidelines to accommodate customer needs while protecting your interests. Regularly reviewing and updating your policy ensures it remains relevant and effective. Ultimately a transparent return policy not only encourages repeat purchases but also turns potential challenges into opportunities for growth. Invest the time to craft a return policy that reflects your brand values and puts your customers first. Frequently Asked Questions What is the purpose of a return policy? A return policy provides clear guidelines for customers on how to return items, promoting trust and transparency. It enhances customer satisfaction by allowing shoppers to feel secure in their purchases, knowing they can return products easily if necessary. How long should a return policy be? A typical return policy should include a timeframe of 30 to 90 days for returns. This range balances flexibility for customers while protecting business interests and encouraging repeat purchases. What key elements should be included in a return policy? An effective return policy should outline return time frames, conditions for returns (like item condition), and the refund process (including processing times and methods). Clarity in each component fosters customer trust and minimizes confusion. How can businesses communicate their return policy effectively? Businesses should use clear and accessible language, outline the return process simply, and ensure the policy is easily found both online and in-store. This approach helps customers understand their options without confusion. What common mistakes should be avoided in a return policy? Avoid ambiguous language, overly short return windows, and missing out on refund process details. Neglecting staff training and failing to regularly review the policy can also harm customer satisfaction and retention. How does a good return policy affect customer loyalty? A well-crafted return policy encourages repeat business and builds customer loyalty by making shoppers feel valued and understood. When customers know they can return items without hassle, they are more likely to return to the business for future purchases. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Steps to Create a Return Policy That Boosts Customer Trust and Satisfaction" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There are certain limitations that I tolerate with apartment living. One of these that I begrudgingly accept is the lack of an outdoor grill set up. Apparently building owners don’t want flames spitting and embers glowing within 10 feet of their precious buildings—fine. But what if I could smoke meat with real wood pellets and also not set my apartment on fire? Well the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill and Smoker is offering this opportunity. I’ve had my eye on it for a while now, and it’s finally on sale for Memorial Day. Ninja Woodfire Outdoor 7-in-1 Grill & Smoker $249.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $369.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $249.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $369.99 Save $120.00 The Ninja Woodfire Grill and Smoker is an electric grill. I know, I know, many electric grills are basically glorified waffle irons, but the Ninja uses a combination of convection fan heating and an attached pellet smoke box to give you a lot more flavor than what a Foreman might. Unlike other air fryers masquerading as grills or smokers, the Woodfire Grill and Smoker is made to be used outdoors. It’s weather resistant, so you can build a permanent grill set-up with a stand and cover to keep it in tip-top shape. The regular Ninja Woodfire Grill and Smoker is on sale for $249.99, 32% off of its normal retail price of $369.99—this is the one I’ve been looking at because it has the smoke box, and that’s all I’ve coveted this whole time. However, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect Premium XL is also on sale right now for $399.99, 20% off its usual retail price of $499.99. This one has two attached probe thermometers and Bluetooth connectivity so you can monitor your smoked duck from the living room with the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect app. It’s a question of whether you’d like a few more inches of real estate and app monitoring. If you are cooking for a smaller household and you don’t mind checking the temperature yourself, go for the original. Bigger households or those hosting frequent backyard barbecue parties might get better usage out of the Pro Connect Premium XL model. Either choice is a great one for this weekend's festivities, not to mention the entire summer ahead. View the full article

The U.S. Treasury said on Thursday it is phasing out the penny, and will soon stop putting new one-cent coins into circulation. The U.S. Mint, which produces the coins, made its final order of penny blanks and will stop producing them—after over two centuries—when those run out, the Associated Press reported. (The penny was first issued in 1793, when it featured a woman.) Like many things these days, it turns out the cost of making a penny is a lot more expensive than it used to be—over 20% more in 2024—to be precise, according to the Treasury. Blame it on higher costs of production and materials, but either way, the U.S. lost over $85 million making the penny last year, per the Wall Street Journal. Halting production is expected to save taxpayers $56 million annually. The decision isn’t surprising—killing the penny has had bipartisan support in recent years. Back in February, President Donald The President said he ordered the U.S. Mint to halt penny production. Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency also targeted the penny, posting on X that it costs over 3 cents to make each one, for a cost of over $179 million in fiscal 2023 to U.S. taxpayers. Don’t worry, you can still use your pennies for now, but be prepared to round up to a nickel, since eventually businesses will run out of them. However, a look at the numbers also shows that nickels cost even more money to produce at 13.8 cents each, or 11 cents for production costs plus 2.8 cents for administrative and distribution, based on the most recent fiscal year, per CNN. View the full article

The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday that $365 million originally slated for solar projects in Puerto Rico will be diverted to improve the island’s crumbling power grid, sparking an outcry just days before the Atlantic hurricane season starts. The funds had been in limbo in recent weeks, with the Department of Energy missing a recent deadline to finalize contracts worth $365 million that would see battery-operated solar systems installed at health clinics and public housing units in Puerto Rico. The money had been set aside for that purpose under the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden. “That money was spring loaded to flow now,” said Javier Rúa Jovet, public policy director for Puerto Rico’s Solar and Energy Storage Association. He and others criticized the move. “This is shameful,” Democratic New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez wrote on X, noting that the funds were meant to serve the most vulnerable. “Republicans have turned their backs on those who need it most, just 1 week before the start of hurricane season,” she wrote. Grantees that include the nonprofit Hispanic Federation had said the funds were urgently needed to provide stable power to people including those on dialysis as major outages continue to hit Puerto Rico. “Pretending that reallocating these funds will make any immediate difference on the stability of the electric grid, when the grid already has an $18 billion allocation, is just a way to distract from the real consequences of their decision. Puerto Rico deserves better,” said Frankie Miranda, the federation’s CEO and president. The Department of Energy said in a statement that the money would now be used “to support technologies that improve system flexibility and response, power flow and control, component strength, supply security, and safety.” A spokesperson for the Department of Energy told The Associated Press that the money would used for things including upgrading aging infrastructure, clearing vegetation from transmission lines and dispatching baseload generation units. The department said it has final authority over how the funds will be used, adding that the solar projects were not scheduled to be constructed until 2026. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement that redirecting the funds would ensure that “taxpayer dollars are used to strengthen access to affordable, reliable and secure power, benefiting more citizens as quickly as possible.” Meanwhile, Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González praised the move in a statement, saying it would help all 3.2 million residents on the island instead of “a few customers.” “Puerto Rico is facing an energy emergency that requires we act now and deliver immediate solutions. Our communities, businesses, and healthcare facilities cannot afford to wait years, nor can we rely on piecemeal approaches with limited results,” she said. González previously came under fire as her support for investing $1 billion of federal funds in solar projects across Puerto Rico appeared to fade. A spokeswoman for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment and details. A spokeswoman for Josué Colón, the island’s so-called energy czar, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dwindling power generation Rúa Jovet noted that there are currently at least $16 billion in unspent funds from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency meant to improve Puerto Rico’s electric grid, adding that the $365 million should be used for its original purpose. “There is nothing faster and better than solar batteries,” he said. “We should all be moving as fast as we can on generation.” Officials in Puerto Rico already have warned that there will be a shortage of generation this summer. In addition, the Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1, and it is predicted to be above average, with nine anticipated hurricanes, four of them major. Many in Puerto Rico worry that any storm, regardless of how small, could knock out the grid given its fragile state. Puerto Rico already was hit with island-wide blackouts on Dec. 31 and April 16. The diversion of funds come as González criticizes the work of Luma Energy, which oversees transmission and distribution of power on the island, and Genera PR, which oversees generation. The two private companies were contracted by the previous administration as Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority struggled to restructure more than $9 billion in public debt, with mediation still stalled. ‘Elections have consequences’ Under Biden, there was a push for more renewable energy projects in Puerto Rico, where crews are still rebuild the power grid after Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm. But the grid was already weak before the storm hit given a lack of maintenance and investment for decades. Rúa Jovet said the Department of Energy’s decision is an ideological one supported by the administration of U.S. President Donald The President. Of the $1 billion allocated for solar projects in Puerto Rico under Biden, $450 million already has been granted to install solar rooftop and batteries in thousands of homes located in rural areas or whose occupants have medical needs. Overall, roughly 117,000 homes and businesses on the island currently have solar rooftops. More than 60% of energy in Puerto Rico is generated by petroleum-fired power plants, 24% by natural gas, 8% by coal and 7% by renewables, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. —Dánica Coto, Associated Press View the full article

The beloved read-it-later app Pocket is shutting down, and Mozilla is giving current users until Oct. 8 to download saved items from their lists, archives, favorites, notes, and highlights. As of today, Pocket is no longer available in app stores or as a browser add-on, and all sign-ups and renewals have been disabled. The app will shut down for good on July 8, and transition to export-only mode. Users will have until Oct. 8 to export their saves, after which all accounts and data will be deleted. How to export your saved items from PocketTo initiate an export from Pocket, go to https://getpocket.com/export. You'll first want to ensure your account is connected to a valid email address—shown at the top left of the page when logged in—you can access, as your saves will be sent to your inbox. (If needed, you can change the primary address on your Mozilla account.) Next, click the Export HTML file button. You'll see a message confirming your request and will receive a link via email to download a CSV with URLs of your saves. Mozilla says this can take 24 hours and up to 7 days in some cases. The link expires after 48 hours, so check your spam if you don't see an export email. You can request a new link by repeating the same steps. You don't need to delete your account or data, as Mozilla will do so after October 8. You will, however, have to manually remove the app and browser extension once you've exported your saves. Monthly renewals for Pocket Premium are ceasing immediately, and annual subscribers will automatically receive a prorated refund after July 8. While Pocket is one of the most popular read-it-later apps, it isn't the only one. We've compiled a list of alternatives you can switch to. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you have a workshop in your house or enjoy doing DIY projects, you probably know that tools were already expensive way before tariffs entered the picture. Anyone who works with tools on a regular basis is generally happy to pay a bit more for something that doesn’t fall apart after a few uses, so defaulting to a major brand that’s still in the low- to mid-budget range like Black and Decker (Stanley Black and Decker also owns the Craftsman and DeWalt brands) always made sense. As predicted, the company just announced higher prices in response to the tariff situation, which means buying tools from Stanley Black and Decker may now be beyond a lot of people’s budgets. If that’s you, it’s time to investigate some of the more affordable tool brands that can still get the job done for you. It’s important to note that almost all the major tool brands manufacture most, if not all, of their tools overseas, and so will be subject to some amount of tariffs—but if you’re starting at a lower price point to begin with, an additional tax in the form of a tariff may not price you out. Here are your best affordable alternatives to Black and Decker tools. BauerIf you buy tools regularly, you know that Harbor Freight is a company known for tools that are often suspiciously cheap. The mystery of Harbor Freight is that sometimes its tools seem to turn into their component atoms right before your eyes the moment you use them, but sometimes its tools are surprisingly robust. Bauer is one of Harbor Freight’s in-house tool brands that gets decent reviews for longevity and usefulness, but Bauer tools are almost always much cheaper than Black and Decker tools and other competing brands. For example, as of this writing I found this 6-amp B&D Hammer Drill for $85, whereas a slightly more powerful one from Bauer is just $45. RidgidRidgid tools are exclusively sold at physical Home Depot stores, though you can buy them online from a variety of places. It’s long been considered a solid mid-tier brand—you’re not passing a Rigid tool down to your children, maybe, but you’re probably going to get a lot of use out of them, and they’re generally good enough for most jobs. Plus, they’re significantly cheaper than most Stanley Black and Decker brands. Rigid and Black and Decker tools have generally been in the same price category, but with Stanley Black and Decker raising prices, Rigid might be a cheaper buy—for now. SkilSkill is the budget-friendly offshoot of the more professional-oriented Skilsaw brand. Most of its tools have solid reputations for quality, but are typically cheaper than Black & Decker tools. A 15-amp, 7-1/4 inch circular saw like this one, for example, goes for about $70, whereas a comparable Black and Decker version was listed for about $80. That’s not a huge difference, but with tariff price increases, you can expect that gap to widen a bit. HartHart is Walmart’s exclusive power tool brand—and as you might imagine, anything sold in Walmart is going to be relatively affordable. You can pick up this cordless 4.5-inch angle grinder for just $50, for example—about half the price of this DeWalt version. One thing to consider when buying Hart power tools is that most of its tools don’t come with batteries, so that’s an added cost—and they aren’t compatible with any other brand’s batteries, so you’re not going to be able to use them interchangeably. But Hart’s quality and performance are pretty decent for the price, making them a great alternative to Black and Decker. WENThis brand always comes up in conversations about affordable tools (it’s normal to have those conversations frequently, yes?). If you’re finding Black and Decker tools to no longer be the budget win they once were, WEN is a solid alternative. Its tools are considered well-built, with acceptable performance for the price—and they tend to be cheaper than comparable B&D products. For example, this variable speed jigsaw from WEN will get the job done for less money than this Black and Decker offering. If your main consideration when buying tools is price, tariffs are going to cause some chaos—but if Black and Decker is pricing you out, you have a few options to look into. View the full article

Epic Universe is massive. Spanning over 110 acres, the new Florida theme park from Universal Studios, which opens today, has created four different themed lands that captivate the imagination and offer a wide array of thrills for park enthusiasts: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe. That count jumps to five if you count Celestial Park, the hub of Epic Universe, with several restaurants and two big rides of its own. The park is massive financially as well. Universal spent an estimated $6 to $7 billion to create the theme park. Dr. Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting, estimates it will generate $2 billion for the state of Florida in its first year and create more than 17,500 jobs in year one. Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, saw the division’s theme park revenue drop in the first quarter of 2025 due to the L.A. wildfires. But the company expects to see a big boost from the new Orlando park. A one-day adult ticket runs $139, while children will pay $135 for a single-day pass. (Florida residents do not currently get a discount.) Each of the lands in Epic Universe is painstakingly detailed, creating several different incredibly immersive experiences. But the grandeur of Epic Universe comes at a cost: Crowds. If you’re planning on going anytime soon, be prepared to wait. Some lines in previews of the park were more than five hours long—and they’re likely to be longer at times in the opening months. If you opt to wait until the lines are shorter (and don’t want to spend an extra $140 for an express pass) or simply are looking for something to do besides shop and eat in your downtime, the park’s developers have included a slew of Easter eggs—little details and hidden secrets that make the experience even more fun. Here are some to keep an eye out for. Learn the secret drink at Dark Universe Head to the DR. H. Jekyll Apotheker in Darkmoor (the village within the Dark Universe portal) and listen closely. You’ll hear Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde arguing. Stick around and you’ll learn the name of an off-the-menu drink, which you can order at the Burning Blade Tavern. Find a key piece of Harry Potter lore If you’re willing to shell out $85, you can buy an interactive wand to cast “spells” at certain locations in Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which trigger effects. One of those in Epic Universe’s Ministry of Magic will reward you with a look at the Sorcerer’s Stone, which fans of the books might remember, was in Paris in the time frame of this land (set during the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them period). Look in the area of the Le Gobelet Noir restaurant. Try a ride more than once If the lines aren’t too bad, it’s worth taking a second ride on several of the coasters, not just to get the adrenaline rush once again, but because the dialogue and soundtrack are often different on different tracks. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, for instance, has different dialogue from the dragon trainer, depending on whether you choose the right or left track. Look for nods to other Universal franchises Stardust Racers is one of the best and most intense rides in Epic Universe. Located in Celestial Park, it’s not tied with any of the themed properties of the portals, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a link to a well-known franchise. On the back of the coaster, sharp-eyed fans will see a flux capacitor, the device that powered Doc Brown’s time machine in Back to the Future. Maybe that’s what gives the coaster its three incredible bursts of speed through the course of the track. Not a fan of Back to the Future? The Curse of the Werewolf ride has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod to the classic An American Werewolf in London film, with a replica of the iconic red jacket worn by David Naughton in the 1981 film hung in the barn you’ll zip through a time or two. Study the bathroom details Bathrooms usually aren’t a lot of fun, especially at theme parks. But Epic Universe does things a bit differently. For instance, you’ll notice there aren’t a lot of mirrors in the Dark Universe (since Dracula doesn’t cast a reflection). And Super Nintendo World highlights the pipes, since Mario often uses warp pipes to transport through his world. View the full article

All throughout 2025, I've been bursting with podcast recommendations (which might not be surprising, given writing a podcast recommendation newsletter is part of my job). I've shared my lists of the best podcasts about liars and scammers, podcasts that expose the nonsense in politics and pop culture, and podcasts you'll like if you miss Heavyweight. But then I awoke and realized that we are almost halfway through the year, and I haven't spent nearly enough time talking about my favorite new shows that debuted this year. June is a great time to take stock of all the new podcasts from the first half of the year. These are the shows that made my jaw drop, made me laugh, and inspired me to subscribe—and pester all of my friends to do the same. I think you'll like them, too. Alternate Realities (Embedded) Credit: Podcast logo Embedded recently produced a 3-part series, Alternate Realities, focused on a bet between reporter Zach Mack and his father, who intended to determine once and for all who was right about the other having been lost to conspiracy theories. Zach’s father had started to believe in chemtrails, that the government controls the weather, that ANTIFA staged the Jan. 6 riots, that a cabal called the globalists is controlling the world. Zach…did not believe those things. In early 2024 the two agreed: Zach’s dad would make a list of 10 prophesies that he was 100% sure would happen, (i.e. a bunch of democrats would be convicted of treason and/or murder, the U.S. would come under martial law), and on Jan. 1, 2025, Zach would have to give his father $1,000 for every one that came to pass. For every one that didn’t, Zach would get the same. It’s a zingy idea for a series, but also a dark family story—the bet is the make-or-break thing for not just Zach and his dad, but for the entire family. Beyond the money, the stakes are high. Debt Heads Credit: Podcast logo Friends Jamie Alyson Feldman (@realgirlproject) and Rachel Gayle Webster (@webbythefox) are using storytelling, research, springiness, humor, and fun audio elements in their podcast Debt Heads, which examines Jamie’s deeply ingrained issues with debt and uses them as an entry point into the question of why so many young people are in the same boat. It's a fascinating dive into the issue of millennials and their money—harrowing and fascinating and occasionally funny, and a rich listening experience even if you (like me) want to crawl under a table when the conversation turns to money. Our Ancestors Were Messy Credit: Podcast logo If you love the way Normal Gossip pulls you into the juicy drama of strangers, and especially if you also love history, you’ll get sucked right in to Our Ancestors Were Messy, Nichole Hill’s show about the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines in historical Black newspapers across America. Nichole tells true stories from the past (a Victorian-era love triangle that hit DC elites, a mystery concerning a tabloid sensation in Harlem) with help from a guest, placing you inside of a vintage scandal, providing the context you need to understand why it was a scandal at all, and fleshing out the characters involved with the skill of a novelist. Nichole’s storytelling is descriptive, funny, conversational, and crisp, and she uses amazing sound production that pumps it all into life. Why Is Amy in the Bath? Credit: Podcast logo Have you ever noticed that Amy Adams seems to do a lot of bathtub and shower scenes in her films? After listening to this show, you won’t be able to un-notice it. Certainly that fact stuck out to Brandon R. Reynolds and Gabby Lombardo, who spun the observation into the podcast Why Is Amy in the Bath? In six episodes they ask: Is Amy, who has never won an Oscar, doing all these bathtub scenes because they offer the opportunity for the kind of dramatic acting that earns the biggest, golden-est prizes? Brandon and Gabby went through 1,500 movies, including all the Best Actress Oscar nominees, to see if there was a correlation to tub scenes, and their conclusions are the stuff of the best conspiracy theories. What We Spend Credit: Podcast logo If you love Refinery 29's Money Diaries, or if you’re just a nosy person, you’re going to salivate over What We Spend, in which regular people take us, day by day and purchase by purchase, through what they spend in a week. It's like looking inside their wallets, flipping through their credit card statements, and hearing the personal stories behind the financial decisions they make. One person is scared about having to pay for a cat funeral. A 35-year-old asks her dad to pay her bills for a month. In each episode, the subject realizes, along with us, that there are usually deeply rooted personal issues underneath their money issues and the anxieties they bring up. Listeners can contact the hosts for a spot on the show, but that's a huge no thanks from me! But I’ll be listening. Text Me Back Credit: Podcast logo If you’re looking for a chat show that will have you laughing out loud without making you feel like you just lost a bunch of brain cells, try Text Me Back. Bestselling writer Lindy West and democracy policy expert Meagan Hatcher-Maysget are childhood friends who get on the mic for convos that range from off the rails goofy stories to insightful pop-culture and political commentary, with an irresistible friendship vibe flowing throughout. Their chemistry is nothing that could be rehearsed or planned, and they are both such good storytellers, they can spin gold out of the most mundane things that happened to them in a given week. Text Me Back will be a balm for listeners who still miss the iconic podcast Call Your Girlfriend (RIP.) The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs Credit: Podcast logo Delivered in four short episodes, The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs explores the fate of the titular geriatric cat, who went missing in Manchester, New Hampshire, then turned up dead, causing a huge blowup in the community he left behind. Rose, Sgt. Tibbs’ owner, was devastated when Tibbs went missing, and infuriated to learn that he might not have actually been missing at all, but in the hands of neighbors, the mother/daughter duo of Debbie and Sabrina, who claim to have saved the cat's life. We going in knowing that Tibbs has died. The question is, what happened? Todd Bookman puts a microscope to the kitty's last days, and finds a story of adults behaving badly and a community torn apart. At one point, Todd wonders if there are better things he could be doing with his time (and microphone). “But imagine something more important than something you love disappearing and dying," he says. "It seems worth every second trying to figure out what happened.” Pet lovers get it. RIP, Sgt. Tibbs. We Came to the Forest Credit: Podcast logo We Came to the Forest introduces you to Vienna Forrest, an environmental crusader remembering her life living in the forest with a bunch of other activists as they protested the construction of Atlanta’s Cop City, one of the biggest police training facilities in the country. She speaks intimately about her partner Tortuguita (Manuel Esteban Paez Terán,) another protester or “forest defender” who was allegedly shot and killed by Atlanta law enforcement. We Came to the Forest revolves around Tortuguita’s murder and everything that led up to it. What seems obvious (Tortuguita was shot by the police) is tough to prove. A cop was also shot, but who shot him? There is no body cam footage to prove what happened. Through storytelling and interviews, the show will make you think about how fast things can turn sideways when law enforcement gets involved in a situation, and how thin the line can be between safety and danger. CRAMPED Credit: Podcast logo Kate Downey has been having debilitating period pain every month since she was14 years old. Debilitating period pain is common, yet something nobody seems to want to talk about or research—and certainly nobody is trying to have fun with it. But Kate is doing all of the above with CRAMPED, which is somehow boisterous and dead serious at the same time. It's full of fascinating interviews, illuminating info, and helpful tips for anyone with a uterus. She gets smart, funny people on the mic to talk about their that-time-of-the-month experiences, what is really going on in their bodies and why nobody cares, and why Kate hasn’t been able to get an answers from a doctor after 20 years of asking questions. Suave (Season 2) Credit: Podcast logo In its first season, Suave won a Pulitzer Prize-winning for telling the story of Luis "Suave" Gonzalez, a convicted man who turned his life around in prison, and his relationship with journalist Maria Hinojosa. The show is assembled from years of recordings of their conversations, an audio document of the highs and lows of Suave's life both in and out of jail, and the mother/son bond that develops between the two. At the end, Suave is released, and we are left to wonder what freedom really means. That’s where season two picks up: Suave is now “Mr. Pulitzer,” but life on the outside is very hard. Proxy Credit: Podcast logo With her beautiful show Proxy, "emotional journalist" Yowei Shaw investigates and solves deeply intimate conundrums by proxy—she finds people with unresolved relationship issues and links them up with a stranger who can help them better understand what's going on. (Recently she connected a man whose wife left him for a woman with a woman who'd left her husband for a woman.) Yowei also appears on the massively popular NPR podcast Invisibilia, so you know you can trust her to deliver a good story that will be professionally structured. It's a space for unique conversations the likes of which I have never heard before. Sea of Lies (Uncover) Credit: Podcast logo On Sea of Lies (available on the Uncover podcast feed) Sam Mullins (Wild Boys) tells the tale of one of the most wanted men in the world, Albert Walker, who is arrested for fraud after a dead body wearing a recognizable watch washes ashore. The globe-spanning saga gets wilder from there, always zagging left when you think it will go right. Via meticulous reporting, Sea of Lies skirts around Walker’s manipulative tactics to get to the psychological questions at the root of his crimes. View the full article

In an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, billionaire and The President megadonor Elon Musk offered his thoughts about what motivates political progressives to support immigration. In his view, the culprit was empathy, which he called “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization.” As shocking as Musk’s views are, however, they are far from unique. On the one hand, there is the familiar and widespread conservative critique of “bleeding heart” liberals as naive or overly emotional. But there is also a broader philosophical critique that raises worries about empathy on quite different and less political grounds, including findings in social science. Empathy can make people weaker – both physically and practically, according to social scientists. Consider the phenomenon known as “empathy fatigue,” a major source of burnout among counselors, nurses and even neurosurgeons. These professionals devote their lives to helping others, yet the empathy they feel for their clients and patients wears them down, making it harder to do their jobs. As philosophers, we agree that empathy can take a toll on both individuals and society. However, we believe that, at its core, empathy is a form of mental strength that enables us to better understand the impact of our actions on others, and to make informed choices. The philosophical roots of empathy skepticism The term “empathy” only entered the English language in the 1890s. But the general idea of being moved by others’ suffering has been a subject of philosophical attention for millennia, under labels such as “pity,” “sympathy” and “compassion.” One of the earliest warnings about pity in Western philosophy comes from the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus. In his “Discourses,” he offers general advice about how to live a good life, centered on inner tranquility and freedom. When it comes to emotions and feelings, he writes: “He is free who lives as he wishes to live … And who chooses to live in sorrow, fear, envy, pity, desiring and failing in his desires, attempting to avoid something and falling into it? Not one.” Feeling sorry for another person or feeling pity for them compromises our freedom, in Epictetus’s view. Those negative feelings are unpleasant, and nobody would choose them for themselves. Empathy would clearly fall into this same category, keeping us from living the good life. A similar objection emerged much later from the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche framed his discussion in terms of “Mitleid” – a German term that can be translated as either “pity” or “compassion.” Like Epictetus, Nietzsche worried that pity or compassion was a burden on the individual, preventing them from living the good life. In his book “Daybreak,” Nietzsche warns that such feelings could impair the very people who try to help others. Epictetus’s and Nietzsche’s worries about pity or compassion carry over to empathy. Recall, the phenomenon of empathy fatigue. One psychological explanation for why empathic people experience fatigue and even burnout is that empathy involves a kind of mirroring of other people’s mental life, a mirroring that can be physically unpleasant. When someone you love is in pain, you don’t just believe that they are in pain; you may feel it as if it is actually happening to you. Results from neuroscience and cognitive psychology research indicate that there are different brain mechanisms involved in merely observing another’s pain versus empathizing with it. The latter involves unpleasant sensations of the type we experience when we are in pain. Empathy is thus difficult to bear precisely because being in pain is difficult to bear. And this sharpens the Stoic and Nietzschean worries: Why bother empathizing when it is unpleasant and, perhaps, not even necessary for helping others? From understanding knowledge to appreciating empathy The answer for why one should see empathy as a strength starts with a key insight from 20th century philosophy about the nature of knowledge. That insight is based on a famous thought experiment by the Australian philosopher Frank Jackson. Jackson invites us to imagine a scientist named Mary who has studied colors despite having lived her entire life in a black and white room. She knows all the facts about the spectrum distribution of light sources and vision science. She’s read descriptions of the redness of roses and azaleas. But she’s never seen color herself. Does Mary know everything about redness? Many epistemologists – people who study the nature of knowledge – argue that she does not. What Mary learns when she sees red for the first time is elusive. If she returns to her black and white room, never to see any colored objects again, her knowledge of the colors will likely diminish over time. To have a full, rich understanding of colors, one needs to experience them. Thoughts like these led the philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell to argue that experience delivers a special kind of knowledge of things that can’t be reduced to knowledge of facts. Seeing, hearing, tasting and even feeling delivers what he called “knowledge by acquaintance.” We have argued in a book and recent articles that Jackson’s and Russell’s conclusions apply to pain. Consider a variation on Jackson’s thought experiment: Suppose Mary knows the facts about pain but hasn’t experienced it. As before, it would seem like her understanding of pain is incomplete. In fact, though Mary is a fictional character, there are real people who report having never experienced pain as an unpleasant sensation – a condition known as “pain asymbolia”. In Russell’s terminology, such people haven’t personally experienced how unpleasant pain can be. But even people without pain asymbolia can become less familiar with pain and hardship during times when things are going well for them. All of us can temporarily lose the rich experiential grasp of what it is like to be distressed. So, when we consider the pain and suffering of others in the abstract and without directly feeling it, it is very much like trying to grasp the nature of redness while being personally acquainted only with a field of black and white. That, we argue, is where empathy comes in. Through experiential simulation of another’s feelings, empathy affords us a rich grasp of the distress that others feel. The upshot is that empathy isn’t just a subjective sensation. It affords us a more accurate understanding of others’ experiences and emotions. Empathy is thus a form of knowledge that can be hard to bear, just as pain can be hard to bear. But that’s precisely why empathy, properly cultivated, is a strength. As one of us has argued, it takes courage to empathically engage with others, just as it takes courage to see and recognize problems around us. Conversely, an unwillingness to empathize can stem from a familiar weakness: a fear of knowledge. So, when deciding complex policy questions, say, about immigration, resisting empathy impairs our decision-making. It keeps us from understanding what’s at stake. That is why it is vital to ask ourselves what policies we would favor if we were empathically acquainted with, and so fully informed of, the plight of others. Emad H. Atiq is a professor of law and philosophy at Cornell University. Colin Marshall is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Washington. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Shopify has launched its Summer ’25 Edition, a sweeping update featuring over 150 new tools and enhancements designed to help merchants build, manage, and grow their online businesses with greater ease, flexibility, and fun. The updates span nearly every aspect of the platform—from storefront customization to global payments—delivering an ecosystem tailored for creativity and scale. At the heart of this release is Horizon, a brand-new theme foundation designed to offer merchants a balance of beauty and customization. With 10 ready-to-use presets, drag-and-drop Theme Blocks, and AI-generated content blocks, Horizon allows sellers to craft visually compelling storefronts without writing code. The integrated AI Store Builder can even generate full designs based on a simple brand description. “If I had Horizon available at the time I could have launched my [store] without the need for external support and saved £5000–7000,” said Ben Attwood, founder of Clubhouse Skin. Shopify’s VP of Product Vanessa Lee highlighted the mission behind Horizon, saying, “Merchants can now translate a vision they have for their online store into something real much faster and without needing to code… so entrepreneurs can focus on what truly matters: growing their business and connecting with their customers.” Beyond storefront design, the Shopify POS system has received a major refresh aimed at improving speed, user experience, and brand customization. The redesigned POS interface includes smarter navigation, a new “Ship and carry out” feature, and Tap to Pay capabilities that turn phones into payment terminals. The Display Editor allows retailers to align the POS aesthetic with their brand. “I’m extremely excited about the new Lock Screen capabilities… It creates a smoother experience as well,” said Preston Arroyo, retail tech manager at Tecovas, which plans to deploy the new POS system to 14 stores this year. Shopify’s Shop app has also been upgraded to deliver a more dynamic and personalized shopping experience. The new feed uses real-time recommendations, allows users to create and share collections, and displays visual product swatches to eliminate friction in variant selection. For merchants with international operations, the new features simplify global commerce. Sellers can now manage multiple business entities from a single admin, consolidating reporting and operations across legal structures and regions. Shopify Payments has expanded to Mexico and 15 new European markets, and now supports multi-currency payouts in over 130 currencies, with reduced fees and improved local options. As AI tools continue to shape commerce, Shopify is giving merchants more control over their presence in AI-driven shopping environments. The new Knowledge Base app allows sellers to customize how AI assistants present their products and brand messaging during buyer interactions. The Sidekick AI assistant has also received significant upgrades. It now supports voice chat, screen sharing, and multilingual interactions in 20 languages. Sidekick’s new reasoning engine connects store data to deliver real-time answers and insights. Image: Shopify This article, "Shopify Summer ’25 Edition Rolls Out 150+ Upgrades to Empower Merchants with AI, Design Flexibility, and Global Tools" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Shopify has launched its Summer ’25 Edition, a sweeping update featuring over 150 new tools and enhancements designed to help merchants build, manage, and grow their online businesses with greater ease, flexibility, and fun. The updates span nearly every aspect of the platform—from storefront customization to global payments—delivering an ecosystem tailored for creativity and scale. At the heart of this release is Horizon, a brand-new theme foundation designed to offer merchants a balance of beauty and customization. With 10 ready-to-use presets, drag-and-drop Theme Blocks, and AI-generated content blocks, Horizon allows sellers to craft visually compelling storefronts without writing code. The integrated AI Store Builder can even generate full designs based on a simple brand description. “If I had Horizon available at the time I could have launched my [store] without the need for external support and saved £5000–7000,” said Ben Attwood, founder of Clubhouse Skin. Shopify’s VP of Product Vanessa Lee highlighted the mission behind Horizon, saying, “Merchants can now translate a vision they have for their online store into something real much faster and without needing to code… so entrepreneurs can focus on what truly matters: growing their business and connecting with their customers.” Beyond storefront design, the Shopify POS system has received a major refresh aimed at improving speed, user experience, and brand customization. The redesigned POS interface includes smarter navigation, a new “Ship and carry out” feature, and Tap to Pay capabilities that turn phones into payment terminals. The Display Editor allows retailers to align the POS aesthetic with their brand. “I’m extremely excited about the new Lock Screen capabilities… It creates a smoother experience as well,” said Preston Arroyo, retail tech manager at Tecovas, which plans to deploy the new POS system to 14 stores this year. Shopify’s Shop app has also been upgraded to deliver a more dynamic and personalized shopping experience. The new feed uses real-time recommendations, allows users to create and share collections, and displays visual product swatches to eliminate friction in variant selection. For merchants with international operations, the new features simplify global commerce. Sellers can now manage multiple business entities from a single admin, consolidating reporting and operations across legal structures and regions. Shopify Payments has expanded to Mexico and 15 new European markets, and now supports multi-currency payouts in over 130 currencies, with reduced fees and improved local options. As AI tools continue to shape commerce, Shopify is giving merchants more control over their presence in AI-driven shopping environments. The new Knowledge Base app allows sellers to customize how AI assistants present their products and brand messaging during buyer interactions. The Sidekick AI assistant has also received significant upgrades. It now supports voice chat, screen sharing, and multilingual interactions in 20 languages. Sidekick’s new reasoning engine connects store data to deliver real-time answers and insights. Image: Shopify This article, "Shopify Summer ’25 Edition Rolls Out 150+ Upgrades to Empower Merchants with AI, Design Flexibility, and Global Tools" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article