1. Original thinking starts with you—trust your gut

Before FedEx was a global brand, it was a bold idea conceived in a college dorm room. While studying at Yale, Smith wrote a term paper proposing a new system for delivering urgent shipments—a vision that treated shipping as a strategic advantage rather than a logistical strain. Though his paper became known for receiving an unimpressive grade, the idea would go on to revolutionize American commerce.

Smith envisioned a system where shipments from across the country would all be funneled into a single central location each night. There, packages could be sorted quickly and efficiently, then loaded onto planes bound for regional airports for final delivery. This concept evolved into the familiar hub-and-spoke system now widely used in industries like aviation, logistics and telecommunications to provide point-to-point delivery.

This was a radical departure from traditional methods, where goods traveled on numerous direct routes, often inefficient and slow. At that time, most packages were transported alongside passengers on commercial planes or by truck. Smith’s idea promised to dramatically speed up delivery times by cutting out unnecessary stops and making overnight delivery across America possible for the first time. 

Smith’s pioneering approach accelerated the evolution of U.S. logistics and essentially gave birth to the entire express shipping industry. Back in the 1970s, many skeptics questioned whether a centralized overnight air-delivery system could overcome the high expenses of air freight and the complexity of managing nationwide routes efficiently. Today, FedEx and its competitors, giants such as Amazon, UPS and DHL, all rely heavily on this fast-delivery concept, and most online consumers now expect package delivery within 24-48 hours of purchase.

Smith faced significant skepticism early on, but he didn’t let doubts hold him back. Instead, he trusted his instincts and pushed forward, proving that believing in your ideas—even when others don’t—is key to success. It’s fortunate he didn’t let initial criticism derail his vision. 

2. Embracing risk is part of the game

Though FedEx is now a global logistics powerhouse valued at over $50 billion, its early years were fraught with challenges. In 1973, just two years after launching, FedEx was on the brink of bankruptcy due to high operating costs, limited customer adoption and intense competition in the shipping industry. The company was hemorrhaging cash, and investor confidence was waning. In a bold and desperate gamble, Smith risked the company’s last $5,000 in Las Vegas. His daring bet paid off, securing vital capital that enabled FedEx to persevere and learn from earlier mistakes. 

With emergency funding secured, FedEx turned its attention to refining its innovative overnight delivery system and revisiting aspects of its strategy and operations that were eroding value and driving up costs. Smith understood that the revolutionary overnight delivery system he envisioned would only succeed if it was dependable and scalable. 

By 1978, less than 10 years after its founding, FedEx was ready to go public. The initial public offering (IPO) raised much-needed capital, which Smith used to expand the fleet, improve infrastructure and invest in technology. This financial stability allowed FedEx to continue refining its service, grow its customer base and expand its geographical reach.

From that turning point onward, FedEx experienced steady growth as American commerce flourished throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The company expanded its operations, acquired key shipping routes and extended its reach internationally. This strong foundation positioned FedEx perfectly to capitalize on the explosive growth of the dot-com era and the rise of e-commerce. 

3. Build strategies that thrive on change

Though FedEx faced early obstacles, it has consistently demonstrated strength in sticking to its mission and adapting to change. Commerce has shifted enormously since the 1970s, but FedEx’s expansive, adaptable vision has enabled continued success. Smith’s masterful strategy ensured that emerging trends like online shopping and digital trade only enhanced the robust system FedEx had been constructing for decades. 

FedEx’s organizational model, supported by a transport network refined over many years, allowed it to effortlessly adapt to the surge in e-commerce. Delivery services lacking the infrastructure or technology to keep pace couldn’t compete with FedEx’s advantage when the dot-com boom transformed online delivery into the fastest and most efficient way to ship products. This e-commerce explosion also fueled increased demand for international trade, and with its well-established fleet and global network, FedEx became more a resource for the web than the other way around.

From the very beginning, Smith’s vision was to transform an outdated system into one driven by efficiency and innovation. Long before it became standard, he foresaw the tech revolution and positioned FedEx to lead with digital tracking and automation. At the heart of every advancement is taking calculated risks and anticipating what lies ahead—a fundamental principle in any good strategy. 

Smith’s visionary leadership laid the foundation for FedEx, a company that today connects more than 99% of the world’s GDP across 220 countries and territories. His legacy lives on through a global network that continues to transform commerce and bring people and businesses closer together. Good ideas can transform the world.

Photo by Sundry Photography/Shutterstock

The post 3 Lessons We Can Learn From FedEx Founder Fred Smith — Who Transformed Global Commerce appeared first on SUCCESS.

This week, the brand won the prestigious Grand Prix in the Media Lions category at Cannes for its latest Real Beauty campaign, celebrating and facilitating a more inclusive vision of beauty in the AI age of distortion and perfection. 

Dove’s Real Beauty campaign reimagined for the AI age

Dove’s viral “Evolution” ad was the turning point that brought the Real Beauty campaign into the global spotlight, transforming Dove’s message into a powerful cultural statement about beauty and authenticity. The short film highlighted how modern media often constructs unrealistic beauty ideals through the use of makeup, styling and extensive digital manipulation. 

Now, Dove reimagined its 21-year-old campaign, anchoring the concept in the new challenges posed by deepfake imagery and generative AI in the modern day. 

The film, “Real Beauty Redefined for the AI Era,” has garnered over 4 billion impressions online since its debut last year, immersing audiences in the unsettling realities that such technologies can create. Generative AI and deepfake imagery frequently produce hyperidealized versions of beauty that are so heavily perfected, they verge on the uncanny and inhuman.

Dove’s viral film cast an important spotlight on this rapid rise of AI-generated content and its growing influence in distorting representative and authentic beauty standards. Set to the soft strains of “Pure Imagination,” the feature opens with a startling prediction: “By 2025, AI will generate 90% of online content.” 

The film shows multiple iterations of how AI engines have begun to redefine the concept of “real beauty,” alongside news reports documenting the trend of women using generative AI tools to alter and recreate artificial versions of themselves. Through powerful storytelling, Dove challenges viewers to question the evolving definition of beauty in an increasingly synthetic digital world.

Dove prompts AI to challenge beauty biases and redefine standards

Generative AI models, such as those used for creating images or text, learn patterns from vast datasets during their training phase. These datasets often reflect existing cultural biases or narrow ideas about concepts like beauty because they’re based on real-world data gathered from the internet, media and other sources. 

Alongside its revitalized campaign, Dove began using prompts such as “according to the Dove Real Beauty Campaign” in AI image generators—finding that it encouraged more inclusive visual outputs. That led the brand to partner with Pinterest to debut an AI-driven feature that now allows women to create beauty standards that reflect their own identities. 

Dove also launched a Prompt Playbook to help users with their creations using the Real Beauty plug-in. The guide includes practical tips for generating images across leading generative AI programs, along with a glossary designed to encourage more inclusive prompting. 

Dove and Pinterest are retraining AI to celebrate what beauty means to you

The feature allows users to create personalized shareable videos and photos and simultaneously helps retrain Pinterest’s AI algorithm. Visitors can dive into an infinite gallery filled with real people, awe-inspiring landscapes, rich cultural moments and expressions of happiness, choosing images that align with their individual beauty ideals to craft a unique visual story.

Pinterest has also been on its own journey to facilitate a more inclusive platform in the age of generative AI. The platform has invested in new innovative technologies and enhanced search functions that allow users to filter results by various body shapes and sizes, promoting greater representation of diverse physiques and identities. 

In an age where AI threatens to distort beauty standards, Dove reaffirms its unwavering commitment to authenticity—refusing to manipulate women’s images with artificial technology and continuing its mission to celebrate real beauty and empower women worldwide.

Photo by insta_photos/Shutterstock

The post Dove’s Campaign Wins Award for Teaching Artificial Intelligence What Real Beauty Looks Like appeared first on SUCCESS.

While your company might take pride in offering that fancy gym membership or the latest meditation app subscription, it’s missing the bigger picture of what workers want now. Their efforts are like putting a fresh coat of paint on a house with foundation issues—those structural problems aren’t going anywhere.

Missing the mark

When organizations fail to address the underlying trauma and stress that’s baked into our everyday reality, they’re essentially throwing away money on insufficient solutions. Traditional wellness programs often miss the mark in four critical ways:

• They treat the symptoms, not the cause.
• They don’t recognize that trauma is contagious in organizations (and society as a whole).
• They fail to connect individual well-being with organizational health.
• They lack the framework for creating genuine emotional safety.

Core elements of trauma-informed workplaces

Creating a trauma-informed organization isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about fundamentally shifting how we think about and do business. 

Let’s look at six essential elements that make all the difference (and yes—you need all of them working together!):

1. A safe foundation: This includes both physical and psychological safety. Think about it: Do you do your best work while feeling scared or threatened? When employees know they can speak up, try new things and even make mistakes without fear of punishment, that’s when real innovation happens. Creating a safe environment promotes creativity and authentic engagement.
2. Trust and transparency: What organizations need is real transparency, not just the corporate buzzword version. Something remarkable happens when leaders are honest about challenges, clear about decisions and willing to admit when they don’t have all the answers. These organizations become more resilient because everyone understands what’s happening and feels like they’re part of the solution.
3. Peer support networks: These can be formal (like mentoring programs) or informal (like lunch groups)—but no matter what form they take, they’re absolutely crucial. When employees can share their experiences and coping strategies with one another, they create a powerful web of support that strengthens the entire organization.
4. Collaboration and mutuality: This is a fancy way of saying that every voice matters. When organizations tap into their collective wisdom by truly listening to everyone—from the newest intern to the most seasoned executive—they unlock solutions they may never have found otherwise.
5. Cultural sensitivity: Here’s the truth: Trauma doesn’t look the same for everyone, and neither does healing. When we acknowledge and respect these differences, we create space for more inclusive and effective healing practices that work for everyone, not just a select few.
6. Genuine employee empowerment: This means giving people real choices about their healing and growth journey, not just a one-size-fits-all wellness program. When employees have autonomy over their well-being journey, they’re more likely to stick with it and create lasting positive changes.

Success stories from trauma-informed workplaces

Now, let’s briefly look at some organizations that have made efforts to be more trauma-resilient:

WBENC

Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is a great example of trauma-resilient leadership in action. During COVID, it grew from 13 to 46 employees and increased revenue by $4 million by: 

• Creating genuine psychological safety
• Being radically transparent
• Empowering employee decision-making

WBENC’s president and CEO, Pamela Prince-Eason, perfectly describes this transformation: “We discovered that supporting our people through crisis isn’t about throwing wellness perks at them—it’s about making them feel truly valued and heard.” 

The proof? When offered two months’ severance during a tough transition, not a single employee left the organization.

InfoMart

Under founder Tammy Cohen’s leadership, InfoMart USA demonstrates how to make trauma-informed principles stick by incorporating the following:

• Virtual connection rituals
  • Weekly meditation sessions
  • Monthly all-hands meetings
  • Quarterly in-person gatherings
• Real-life integrations
  • Flexible schedules
  • Family-inclusive policies
  • Support for work-life integration

The results speak volumes: 150 employees average seven-year tenures, and executive team stability exceeds 20 years. 

“It chokes me up how much my team invested in making the pivot successful,” Cohen shares. “They took control of their destiny.”

Ready to create a similar transformation in your organization? Let’s break down the practical steps that make it happen.

Implementation strategies that stick

To ensure that these practices take root and flourish, focus on these four implementation strategies:

1. Create clear communication pathways: Build multiple channels for dialogue, from anonymous feedback systems to regular town halls, so every voice has a safe way to be heard. You can also schedule regular team check-ins that focus on genuine connection, not just task updates.
2. Establish regular feedback loops: Establish “resilience check-ins” at every level. This means implementing daily team huddles, weekly pulse checks and quarterly assessments that allow you to adapt and improve continuously. Additionally, create transparent communication channels where tough questions are welcomed and give your team real decision-making power in areas that affect their work.
3. Incorporate comprehensive staff training: Invest in developing your team’s trauma awareness, spiritual intelligence, emotional regulation and cross-cultural competency. These skills form the backbone of a resilient workforce. Building rituals that bring people together, whether virtually or in-person, also promotes greater awareness within the workplace. 
4. Integrate changes system-wide: Weave these practices into your daily operations so trauma-informed principles are part of your organization’s DNA, from onboarding to performance reviews. Supporting whole-life integration with flexible policies also shows that you trust your people.

You can track your progress using both hard numbers (retention rates, engagement scores and productivity metrics) and human stories (organizational transformation narratives, improved team dynamics and enhanced innovation).

From surviving to thriving: The future of workplace resilience

We’re past the era of thinking that meditation apps and yoga classes alone will fix workplace challenges. When organizations commit to trauma-informed practices, they’re investing in their people’s ability to transform challenges into opportunities for growth.

Building a trauma-resilient organization isn’t just another corporate initiative—it’s about creating workplaces where healing and high performance go hand in hand. Every step toward trauma-informed leadership moves your entire organization from merely surviving to genuinely thriving.

Photo by Keeproll/iStock.com

The post Beyond Wellness Programs: Building Trauma-Resilient Organizations appeared first on SUCCESS.

The 90-Day Action Plan isn’t just theory—it’s designed to be a practical, no-nonsense system that builds the right habits, helps establish money-making routines and keeps agents on track daily. It includes video lessons, a step-by-step workbook and built-in accountability.

Breaking Through Plateaus With Structured Action

The plan is built in three progressive phases. In Days 1–35, agents do a deep business audit, lay a foundation and install lead-generation systems designed for scale. This phase tackles the reason McLay believes most agents stall: no structure, no systems and no clear path to revenue.

“Most agents know they should prospect, but they don’t have the exact blueprint—what to say, who to contact, how to follow up. So they avoid it,” says McLay. The first month removes that excuse. Daily tasks are spelled out in detail, eliminating decision fatigue and replacing guesswork with action.

From Prospects to Profits: Mastering Conversion

Days 36–63 focus on one concept: turning conversations into contracts. Agents drill down into conversion strategies, sales psychology and objection handling. This isn’t surface-level stuff. Agents can build real skills that could help generate revenue.

As a former Humber College Instructor, McLay brings a mix of real-world sales experience and academic edge. The plan is intended to strengthen performance under pressure.

This phase aims to kill the “feast or famine” trap by building a consistent pipeline through daily, intentional follow-up—not random acts of busyness.

Building a Business That Doesn’t Rely On You

In the final stretch—Days 64–90—the focus shifts to scalability. Agents learn to automate, delegate and systematize their business to keep them running smoothly when they need to take time off.

That means designing a daily workflow that protects time, filters distractions and prioritizes only activities tied to revenue. This is the part where good agents can become owners of their business—not just the technician inside it.

A Program Designed for Real Accountability and Real Results

This plan is based on execution, data and daily feedback. With built-in video coaching, a 90-day workbook and a step-by-step daily plan, the program is structured to remove the guesswork and make it easy for agents to follow.

The goal? To make sure all the effort is going toward activities that move the needle. The plan is designed to deliver clarity, control, and cash flow—without the fluff.

As McLay puts it: “You don’t need more information. You need to execute the right actions—daily—and stay accountable to them. That’s what actually builds a business.”

The post REX Coaching’s 90-Day Action Plan: A Roadmap for Real Estate Agents appeared first on SUCCESS.

The service enhancement aims to meet growing demand from defense, aerospace and commercial clients who require complex geometries and fast turnaround times. This strategic expansion increases the company’s high-precision machining capabilities while reducing lead times for urgent projects.

“The launch of our expedited CNC machining services represents our most significant capacity expansion,” says Jared Probst, founder of Rapid Axis. “We’ve invested in state-of-the-art equipment specifically designed to tear through tough materials while maintaining the precision tolerances our clients demand.”

Enhanced capabilities and technical specifications

Rapid Axis’ expansion of capacity in 3-axis and 5-axis CNC machining services reflects a technological upgrade. While 3-axis machining involves tool movement along the standard X, Y and Z coordinates, 5-axis machining allows the cutting tool to access five sides of a workpiece simultaneously.

This technological distinction enables the production of more complex components essential to aerospace and defense applications. The increased 5-axis capacity and capability allow for machining parts with high geometric complexity.

Rapid Axis’ new capabilities particularly shine when handling complex geometries requiring simultaneous 5-axis movement. This is considered a specialty that not all machine shops have.

The company produces precision components for defense and aerospace customers. These include flanges, couplings, sleeves, bushings and complex housings. Rapid Axis will process nearly any market-available materials and has expertise in most alloys.

With these advancements, Rapid Axis can now produce components with compound curves, undercuts and precise angular features faster. This opens new possibilities for engineers working on rapid prototyping or urgent replacement parts.

Strategic benefits for defense and aerospace sectors

The “expedited” aspect of Rapid Axis’ new service line indicates that the company has implemented streamlined processes designed to reduce lead times. This allows manufacturers to potentially deliver products to market faster and gain a competitive advantage.

Technical enhancements, such as dynamic spindle speed modulation, high-torque servo motors and automated pallet changers, are designed to help minimize non-cutting time and further accelerate production.

These improvements are valuable in critical industries like defense and aerospace, where strict deadlines and multiple design iterations are common before approval.

For time-sensitive projects, this expedited service can help prevent costly production delays, while maintaining the stringent quality standards that defense and aerospace customers require.

“Defense and aerospace clients have unique requirements beyond just technical specifications,” Probst mentions. “Documentation, traceability and security clearances create logistical challenges many shops can’t handle. With these requirements in mind, we’ve built our expedited service so classified or restricted projects don’t face additional delays due to compliance issues.”

Rapid Axis’ investment in increased capacity comes at a critical time for American manufacturing. Defense contractors and aerospace companies face the challenge of accelerating development cycles amid global supply chain challenges.

The company’s expansion addresses a persistent bottleneck in product development: the ability to quickly produce high-complexity components without sacrificing quality.

Probst shares, “We’ve observed over the past two years that supply chain vulnerabilities extend beyond just material shortages. The real vulnerability is often in specialized manufacturing capacity, particularly for complex parts needed in small quantities on short notice. That’s precisely the gap our expedited services fill.”

Meeting growing demand for complex manufacturing

Beyond defense and aerospace applications, Rapid Axis’ expanded services also target sectors including robotics, medical devices and emerging technology startups, where rapid iteration drives competitive advantage. The ability to quickly turn engineering concepts into physical parts can improve the product development cycle, which can allow companies to test more iterations and potentially reach the market faster.

Rapid Axis’ project management team, available 24/7, works with clients to identify critical components that would benefit most from the expedited service. This open collaboration helps clients optimize their development timeline and budget by applying premium services where they deliver maximum value.

“Not every part needs to be expedited, but certain components become critical path items that hold up entire projects,” Probst explains. “Our project managers help clients identify those bottlenecks and develop manufacturing strategies that keep development momentum going. Sometimes, expediting a single critical component can save weeks on a project timeline.”

A step to maintain the reputation of excellence

For Rapid Axis, the expansion continues the company’s founding mission to accelerate product development lifecycles for emerging technologies while maintaining the highest quality of its outputs. This expansion builds upon Rapid Axis’ established reputation for quality, as shown by its impressive metrics, including a 99.7% on-time delivery rate and a 99.8% First Article Inspection pass rate.

Rapid Axis aims to reduce and limit manufacturing bottlenecks in the overall CNC machining process with its recent expansion. Yet it also continues to strive for the future. The company looks forward to the faster evolution of technologies that could address critical challenges across multiple industries.

The post Rapid Axis Launches Expedited CNC Machining Services: Now Caters to Expanded Capacity in 3-Axis and 5-Axis for Various Industries appeared first on SUCCESS.

By empowering creators to own their followings beyond algorithms, gatekeepers and traditional monetization struggles, Substack has opened new doors for digital exposure. That’s why brands like Hinge, American Eagle and Rare Beauty are tapping into its unique potential to fuel fresh growth and reach young consumers. 

What is Substack and why are brands embracing it?

Substack is very deliberate about the design and functionality of its platform. According to their own content guidelines, Substack “is intended for high quality editorial content, not conventional email marketing.” In essence, Substack is a newsletter platform that enables writers and creators to publish and monetize their work directly to subscribers. It emphasizes a clean, reader-friendly experience focused on long-form content and community reactions. With Substack, you can develop your brand through free posts initially and enable monetization when you’re ready.

In recent years, Substack has become a particular hotspot for journalists looking to grow their digital brands, offering first-person perspectives on the stories they cover and the places they visit. The platform is also home to widely popular newsletters on topics like AI, technology, finance and philosophy, making it a vibrant and increasingly popular hub for both personal narratives and expert analysis. Sometimes, Substack is just a place to scratch a creative itch—to put something into words and send it into the world.  

Substack’s top earners are making over $1M a year

The most popular articles on Substack can rack up millions of views. For instance, Lenny’s Newsletter by Lenny Rachitsky reaches over 500,000 readers with insights on startups, product management and leadership. Similarly, The Pragmatic Engineer, written by Gergely Orosz, boasts more than 250,000 subscribers and is recognized as a leading voice in software engineering and leadership. According to Press Gazette, both outlets generate at least $1 million a year in revenue.

In May, American Eagle launched its presence on Substack to connect directly with Gen Z audiences and widen the scope of its marketing efforts. They enlisted Casey Lewis, the author behind the well-known youth culture newsletter After School, to serve as a guest editor for the first three issues of Off the Cuff.

According to Adweek, American Eagle pinpointed Substack as a key channel for reaching Gen Z following insights gathered from a panel of 2,000 Gen Z consumers ages 15 to 25. Focusing on internet trends and consumer data, the newsletter offers insights into what’s trending with American Eagle’s consumer base, starting with the comeback of jorts in its first issue and what’s top of mind for Gen Z. 

Digital storytelling is helping brands connect on a deeper level

Many others have also taken the plunge to explore the social platform. In May, dating app Hinge launched the second chapter of its No Ordinary Love campaign on Substack, spotlighting the unpredictable twists of real-life romance. Through a collection of intimate stories, the series explores the highs and lows of early dating, while partnering with popular Substack creators such as Hunter Harris and Jen Winston. 

Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty also joined Substack earlier this year. The beauty brand leverages the platform to share behind-the-scenes stories about product design and the values driving its team culture. Recent posts include expert perspectives on self-expression in beauty, behind-the-scenes coverage of the Makeup Show NYC and a reflective op-ed on the value of occasionally disappointing your parents.  

Raw storytelling allows brands to present an honest and unfiltered view of their values and challenges. Substack offers specialized and diverse content that often fills the gaps left by traditional media, providing Gen Z with a platform to explore issues from social justice to popular culture through a range of thoughtful perspectives and personal narratives. 

How digital immersion makes Gen Z more selective buyers

The traditional consumer funnel that brands once relied on is increasingly outdated. Millennial, Gen Z and even Gen Alpha audiences are more fragmented than ever, each gravitating toward platforms that align with their personal identities and cultural hobbies. Some may turn to Reddit for tech debates, while others prefer Pinterest for home décor inspiration. Others are using Substack to share their voices and hear perspectives that matter. These generations are navigating a radically different path to purchase. 

According to NielsenIQ, or NIQ, Gen Z holds a unique position as the first true “digital natives,” having grown up fully immersed in a world of digital access and screens. This experience makes them far more discerning about what they consume, purchase and engage with. 

The global marketing research firm says 53% of Gen Zers have used “buy” buttons on social media, making them the most engaged “omni-channel” shopping generation to date. On Substack, this is significant for brands, which leverage personal writing and articles on the platform to directly guide consumers toward product launches or merchandise. 

Substack offers rich monetization potential, thanks in large part to its tiered subscription model. You can provide paying subscribers with exclusive content like premium articles, early access or behind-the-scenes insights. Built-in analytics let you monitor click rates and subscriber trends to fine-tune your strategy and boost engagement.

Amid a sea of green leaves, Substack stands out like a rare blue orchid—evolving from a space for personal storytelling into a thriving communicative hub where brands and creators can connect with audiences in original and profitable ways. Anyone can start a newsletter, and once a subscriber base is built and a community begins to blossom, the opportunities are endless.

Photo by T. Schneider/Shutterstock

The post Why Substack Is Becoming a Go-To Platform for Gen Z Brands appeared first on SUCCESS.

All of these questions associated with starting a business come down to one core concept: How do you validate your business idea? It can take some insight and effort, but it’s well worth it. We answer that question and lay out the basics of business idea validation below.

What Is Business Idea Validation?

Business idea validation, also known as market validation, is the process of determining if your product or service concept can fulfill a market need. Essentially, if people will be interested in what you have to offer. Going through the business validation process can help you more deeply understand your product or service and what kind of pain points it can solve.  

Business Idea Validation Basics

Business validation can sound like a complex corporate-esque phrase, but it’s a relatively intuitive process with multiple paths to choose from. There isn’t a specific validation technique that works for every business idea. Some are more complex than others, and different strategies may work for different business types.

In the following section, we’ll look at multiple practical methods on how you can validate a business idea. Plus, we’ll hear from fellow business owners on which methods they used and why. But before looking at how to validate an idea, it’s critical to understand the idea in question as much as possible.

A simple way to do this is to write out the assumptions you have about your idea and the market. To get started, try asking yourself the following questions: 

• Who is my target market? Who am I trying to reach? 
• What kind of pain point or difficulty does my product/service resolve? 
• What is my product or service worth? What is its value? 
• What makes my product different from other ones on the market? 
• What is the estimated size of my market?

Once you’ve clarified your idea hypothesis, it’s time to test your assumptions and thoughts. That’s where these market validation methods come into play.

How to Validate a Business Idea: Effective Methods

Now that you know the ins and outs of your idea, we’ll go through multiple business validation methods that you can choose from.

Conduct Market Research

An integral part of determining your idea’s potential success is finding out if the market is suitable for it. You can do this by performing market research.

Market research can be done in two different ways: qualitative research and quantitative research. 

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research focuses on open-ended questions from customers or competitors to determine market trends and high-level analysis. You might ask these types of questions when doing qualitative market research:

• What does the public think of products/services similar to my idea?
• What kind of people are interested in what I have to offer?
• Am I seeing a need in my area?

This type of research doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking, especially if you’re a smaller business. For Sandi Henry, founder of blanket company Minky Couture, market research was simply a form of being aware of her surroundings and how her idea could fill a need. At the time, Henry was in the hospital caring for her daughter and she’d made a comfortable blanket for her to use. Though she didn’t necessarily intend to start a business, her perception of the nurses and staff in the hospital was a form of market research that validated her product.

“For me, what validated the idea that it could be something bigger is seeing how other people responded to it. Every time I’d visit her in the hospital, nurses, patients, even visitors were asking where they could get one. I might not have done your classical market research, but this was me doing market research, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. 

After that, I made a few more and gave them to friends, neighbors, even strangers who needed a little extra comfort. The response was overwhelming,” she tells SUCCESS® in a statement. 

Quantitative Research

Market research can also be done from a quantitative point of view. This is one that focuses on hard data and numbers over open-ended ideas. An example of this type of market research is performing a word search and keyword analysis of phrases similar or identical to your product or service. 

If search engine results for a term related to or integral to your business have a large amount of traffic each month, this could be a sign that the market needs your idea. 

Perform SWOT Analysis

Another effective strategy for how to validate your business idea is through a SWOT analysis.  SWOT is an acronym that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis is useful to get a holistic picture of a business’s positives and negatives. By examining these four aspects, you can see where your idea does well and where it could fall short. You can also see areas in the market it can enter into and areas where competitors could have an edge.

SWOT Analysis at a Glance 

This type of analysis is commonly done by creating a four-quadrant box with each section relating to a letter. In each section, answer a series of questions to determine your idea’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Here’s an example: 

Combining SWOT Analysis and Market Research

SWOT and market research can often go hand-in-hand when determining idea viability, as the former tells you about your product and the latter informs you about your customer. This positions you to see if there’s a solid fit between the two.

Jennifer Johnson, founder of the Florida-based lifestyle fashion store True Fashionistas, has successfully used both types of validation methods in tandem when she was deciding on whether to add new assortment items to their retail store.

“I first did a SWOT analysis to see what our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were. This is where we realized that what we had been missing were new impulse items and new home decor and that was an opportunity and a threat because other stores were already doing this and, to stay competitive, we would need to do the same.

We, then, did the research to see if other stores like mine had tried adding new merchandise to their mix and then I did a small segment market research by actually adding new merchandise in small amounts to see how it would work. I called it ‘working market research,’” she told SUCCESS® in an email.

Determine Your Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Wondering how to validate your business idea if you’re planning on selling products? Let’s get started. If your idea is in the form of a product, it likely has several features. Some might be necessary to your idea and others just a bell or whistle that slightly improve it.

Determining your minimum viable product—the simplest version of your product with only the core features required to solve your customers’ problem—is a time-tested method to test your idea before full launch. 

Once you have your MVP in place, present it to some potential customers to see how it does. If it performs well, it’s a market fit. If not, you might need to head back to the drawing board to brainstorm better ideas.

Christos Kritikos, a startup product executive and the founder at the CPO consultancy business Emerging Humanity, has used this type of validation method with his clients. Kritikos is familiar with scaling, developing, defining and validating business ideas for his clients. He’s helped numerous businesses validate their ideas using MVPs.

“One of the most effective validation tools I use with startups is the MVP—but not just building a scaled-down version of the final product. Instead, we focus on isolating the riskiest assumptions and crafting experiments to test those directly.

For example, one founder I worked with believed that nonprofits would pay for access to a volunteer engagement platform. Before building anything, we created a simple landing page and ran targeted ads to test interest.

The response rate gave us data on demand and also helped us learn what language resonated most with the audience. This approach saved months of development and helped pivot the concept early,” he wrote in a statement.

Get Feedback From Potential Customers

Even if you have a business idea that solves a clear problem, you still need to validate with outside feedback. Otherwise, you could fail to notice problems with your idea due to personal bias—you want your idea to succeed and that could cloud your judgment.

To get an accurate picture of whether your idea solves an issue for the marketplace, involve potential customers. Use surveys, interviews or dedicated focus groups with customers who are likely to be interested in your product. This can give you insights into your idea from those who could purchase it.

It’s important to ask critical questions if you use this method. You need to get the right kind of information from your potential clients to see if your idea makes sense to consumers. Some potential questions in a customer interview might be:

• What motivates you to choose this product/service?
• Are you using any products/services similar to this one? Why?
• If this was your idea, what would you do to improve upon it?

Keep in mind that feedback in general is rarely a bad thing. If you don’t have access to potential customers yet, get feedback from other industry experts or peers who have extensive knowledge in the domain you’re working in. They can quickly shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of your idea. 

Test Your Product or Service

 If you’ve used the above methods and found that there’s space in the market for your product or service to thrive, now you need to test it. Even if your idea fits a need, if it has bugs or major issues, consumers will simply opt to work with a competitor’s idea instead.

When it comes to testing a product, there are two different types of testing:

• Alpha testing: Have internal employees in your business, or your partners, test the product/service to find issues before final release to the general public.
• Beta testing: Select a small number of outside individuals to test your product/service and report back their experience with it. These users are specifically tasked with trying to find issues so you can further hone your idea.

Once you have feedback from both groups, compile it in a report to present to the team or your partners. It’s important you understand clearly what the test results reveal about your idea’s flaws or strengths and how you can further refine it.

Have a Great Business Idea? Put It to the Test

Figuring out how to validate your business idea can take a little effort, but it’s well worth it. As the adage says, “Ideas are a dime a dozen.” Ideas for a seemingly perfect business idea might come to you often, but how often do you test them to see if they’re viable? Next time you have an idea for a business or a side hustle, try using these business validation methods to test it out. You might be surprised at what you uncover.

Photo from Perfect Wave/Shutterstock.com

The post How to Validate a Business Idea: Practical Strategies and Tips appeared first on SUCCESS.

BruntWork has developed a solution to this challenge, offering businesses access to distributed talent pools that enable growth without traditional overhead burdens.

The distributed workforce model addresses the need for cost reductions, but it goes beyond this need. It represents a change in how organizations conceptualize their workforce structure. Like water finding its level, Bruntwork’s aim is to have talent and opportunity flow toward each other across geographical boundaries.

The Great Talent Migration

As corporate expansion plans develop, companies may find themselves in need of qualified workers while simultaneously announcing growth targets. This paradox of expanding with limited talent pools creates a dilemma for businesses.

BruntWork’s model strives to offer a carefully vetted global workforce ready to integrate with existing teams. Their approach transplants traditional office roles to remote settings and reimagines them entirely.

The company can scale clients up or down and build a team in just a few weeks. This acceleration comes from tapping into a larger talent pool. With access to potential candidates across the Philippines, Colombia and Eastern Europe, BruntWork aims to generate applicants for any given role.

The Economics of Distributed Teams

In addition to talent access, there is also a compelling economic case for the distributed workforce model. It creates a financial equation that traditional employment structures may struggle to match.

For growing businesses, the math is straightforward: access to premium talent without premium prices. The model eliminates the hidden costs of traditional employment, such as office space, equipment, benefits administration and other expenses that could transform a salary into a larger financial commitment.

The economics extend beyond cost reduction. There is a productivity advantage inherent in how virtual assistants help businesses achieve operational efficiency. Their specialized approach to specific tasks can help projects move forward efficiently.

BruntWork offers these benefits without lock-in contracts or setup fees, allowing businesses to scale their operations without proportional increases in overhead costs. The anticipated result is a more agile organization capable of responding to market opportunities—without the traditional lag time associated with workforce expansion.

Beyond Administrative Support

The evolution of remote work has expanded far beyond basic administrative tasks. Today’s virtual workforce can handle responsibilities across multiple business functions, from data analysis to content creation and customer engagement.

Although the complex demands of virtual assistant tasks and roles may have grown over the years, BruntWork still offers virtual assistant jobs for beginners as entry points to cater to roles like customer service representatives, virtual appointment setters, telemarketers, data entry specialists and other jobs that can be performed remotely.

BruntWork ensures all staff have fast internet, computer systems to specification and redundancy infrastructure. This technical foundation allows businesses to access specific expertise without committing to full-time roles in each area. The result is a more flexible organizational structure that can adapt to changing priorities.

The Human Element

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of distributed workforce models is their human impact. For workers in developing economies, these opportunities represent access to global markets and compensation levels previously unavailable. For businesses, they provide continuity and reliability.

BruntWork’s recruitment process is designed so that businesses can receive talent matched to their unique requirements. This careful curation aims to create successful partnerships.

The company’s approach to performance management strengthens these relationships. Establishing clear expectations and providing regular oversight creates an accountability framework that benefits both parties.

The Future of Work

Economic pressures, technological advancements and changing worker preferences all point toward a more flexible, global approach to talent acquisition and management.

BruntWork’s framework is designed to meet the needs of this shift. Reimagining the employer-employee relationship and leveraging technology to bridge geographical divides creates a model that addresses a central challenge that growing businesses face: how to scale human resources efficiently without sacrificing quality.

In this new model, talent can flow to opportunity regardless of location, potentially creating a more efficient global labor market. Businesses can use this as a solution to immediate staffing challenges and as an advantage in a dynamic marketplace.

Photo courtesy of BruntWork

The post BruntWork Solves Talent Challenges as Tech Giants Expand appeared first on SUCCESS.

Candace Parker

Basketball

The seven-time All-Star, three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympian changed the face of women’s basketball throughout her 16-year career with her leadership and athleticism. (She was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament.) Parker is the only WNBA player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season. After her WNBA retirement, Parker’s long-running partnership with adidas morphed into her becoming the brand’s president of its women’s basketball division, where she’s elevating the future of women’s sports through innovative strategies and empowering initiatives.

Amanda Sorensen

Motorsports

At just 22 years old, the racecar driver is already making history within the traditionally male-dominated sport with precision, power and perseverance. She’s one of three female Formula DRIFT drivers and the first woman to earn a podium position in the league. Sorensen started driving go-karts at age 6, winning her first championship at 9. After switching to off-road competition at 11, she won two titles by 16, and discovered the art of drifting. These days, you’ll find her behind the Air Force ProSpec car and on social media (with more than 3 million followers across platforms), where she aims to motivate young women to tackle unconventional career paths.

Brian Shaw

Strongest Man on Earth

The decorated strongman competitor transformed a niche sport into a bustling enterprise, cementing his place as one of the greatest strength icons of all time. Shaw, at a staggering 6 feet, 8 inches and weighing 470 pounds at his heaviest, pioneered a new era of strongman training that led to more than 25 world records, four World’s Strongest Man titles and a place in the International Sports Hall of Fame. Shaw has expanded his brand into multiple successful businesses, including Shaw Strength, Undefined Nutrition and Evolution Athletics. Undefined Nutrition is widely recognized as one of the fastest-growing sports supplement brands in the USA and worldwide. Through Shaw Strength, Shaw shares a curated look into his training methods and everyday life. Evolution Athletics evolved from Shaw cutting and sewing his own weightlifting accessories for competition.

Matt Lombardi and Kevin Moran

Triathletes 

Lombardi and Moran have pushed their bodies and minds to the brink of excellence and ultimate performance as former professional athletes, avid CrossFit competitors, IRONMAN triathletes and marathoners. Eventually, the literal aches and pains of this lifestyle started to take its toll, leading them on a search for a remedy. They founded Boston-based performance wellness brand Beam to meet their own needs and expectations. Beam’s science-backed products—like Beam Dream, Beam Greens and their latest collaboration with Shawn Johnson East, Beam Kids—help people improve their physical and mental wellness. Moreover, their products have helped athletes better understand and access CBD.

Allyson Felix

Track and Field

The most decorated track and field athlete in history is using her platform to uplift female athletes and fight for maternity care and benefits. The Olympian-turned-entrepreneur and advocate started sportswear company Saysh in 2021, two years after longtime sponsor Nike imposed a 70% pay cut after she became pregnant. (Felix’s story led to public outcry, a congressional inquiry, and a new maternity policy for Nike’s sponsored athletes.)

Now, Felix is helping collegiate and professional female athletes secure name, image and likeness (NIL) deals through her management company, Always Alpha. Felix continues to be a champion. But, this time, it’s on behalf of other women.

Simone Biles

Gymnastics

Biles is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, and she has the hardware to back it up with 41 Olympic and World Championship medals. Since her 2013 Olympic debut, Biles has dominated the sport. So far, there are five signature skills named after her, and she was the first woman to win six all-around World Championship titles. But Biles has also used her platform to advocate for foster care, sexual abuse survivors and mental health. (Her abrupt withdrawal from the 2020 Olympics sparked a critical conversation about prioritizing mental health just as importantly as physical health.) Brands like K18 hair products have taken notice of Bile’s excellence. In 2021, she entered into an exclusive partnership with female-focused apparel brand Athleta.

Zach Hyman

Hockey

On the ice, as the Edmonton Oilers left wing, Hyman has made a name for himself with his work ethic and scoring prowess. (He scored a career high 54 goals during the 2023-2024 season.) He’s become a fan favorite as a first-shot scorer and for his relentless play. Off the ice, Hyman is a children’s author and founder and president of Toronto-based Eleven Holdings Corp., a gaming and media holding company that owns and operates a portfolio of esports and gaming businesses.

Chukky Okobi

Football

Okobi spent nearly a decade in the NFL, where he won Super Bowl XL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, he’s sharing what he learned on and off the field from one of the world’s most successful sports organizations as a mindfulness coach and motivational speaker. His mantra is focused: You have to change yourself first to change what’s going on around you. Okobi uses his background to help individuals, leaders and businesses unlock their potential and develop the high-performance habits of a Super Bowl champion.

Andrew East and Shawn Johnson East

Football, Gymnastics 

This husband-and-wife duo are former elite athletes who’ve become entrepreneurs with a New York Times-praised podcast, Couple Things, and a family-focused media company, FamilyMade Media. Andrew is a former NFL long snapper, while Shawn is a four-time Olympic medalist who returned to the 2024 Olympic Games as a Yahoo commentator. The couple has generated a massive following (12 million across their social platforms) for their honest, transparent conversations about marriage and parenting. Last summer, ahead of the Olympics, the Easts donated $250,000 to create the Moment Makers Grants, which helped ease the financial burdens Olympic and Paralympic athlete parents experience in trying to get to the games.

Jonathan Cheever

Snowboarding

Cheever is a world-class athlete, Olympic snowboarder and second-generation master plumber—an unexpected combination of skill, grit and determination. He is an anomaly in a sport where top snowboarders often come from wealthy families. Meanwhile, Cheever supported himself with his family trade. He spent 16 years on the U.S. Snowboard Team, where he learned the depths of perseverance and chasing success. These lessons have translated off the slopes, too, as Cheever runs a successful plumbing and heating business in Park Slope, Utah, with his partner Madeleine Soule. “Success is built one small win at a time,” Cheever says. “And you have to embrace every step, even the hard ones.”

David Beckham

Soccer

Revered as one of the best midfielders to ever play the game, Beckham has been a defining force since his 1992 debut with Manchester United at 17 years old. But his influence has expanded far beyond the pitch. As one of the most sought-after athletes, he’s endorsed brands ranging from Armani and Maserati to Gillette and Stella Artois. In 2003, adidas offered him a $160 million lifetime sponsorship contract, securing his place in the cultural zeitgeist. In recent years, Beckham has unleashed his entrepreneurial side, founding Inter Miami CF and Studio 99, which produced Netflix’s Emmy-winning docuseries, Beckham. Now, he’s honing in on the sweet side of life with a new honey business, which started as a hobby on his Cotswold estate. (He’s even made honey for King Charles III.)

Kim Mulkey

Basketball Coach

Mulkey’s fashion choices are as bold as her coaching style, with both drawing eyes to the sidelines and often going viral. But don’t be fooled by the feathers, sequins and 3D basketball hoop skirt. Mulkey currently has the richest total contract in women’s college basketball with her $32 million, 10-year contract with Louisiana State University. She’s worth it: Mulkey led Baylor University’s women’s basketball team to three national championships; she’s just getting started at LSU, where she coached the team to the 2023 title. Before she was a sports headline fixture, Mulkey was the scrappy, 5-foot, 4-inch point guard who helped lead Louisiana Tech University to two national titles and four Final Fours between 1980-1984. 

Conor McGregor

UFC Champion

The Irish mixed martial artist fighter is one of the biggest stars in UFC history, having won champion titles in two weight classes—simultaneously. Despite his controversial and often brash behavior, McGregor has amassed a large draw to the sport, headlining the top six most-bought pay-per-view events for UFC. McGregor has found success outside of the Octagon, expanding his brand as an entrepreneur and restaurateur, with a portfolio that includes The Black Forge Inn in Dublin.

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of SUCCESS® magazine. Photo of Allyson Felix from Getty Images.

The post 15 Athletes Succeeding Beyond the Game appeared first on SUCCESS.

Increasing use of AI chatbots for news sparks uncertainty for traditional news outlets

With increasing numbers of readers turning to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini for faster answers, the steady stream of traffic that once supported legacy news websites is beginning to waver. 

Online news providers have been working to adapt to a changing information ecosystem for some time, not only in response to AI, but to a wider trend of declining interest. A 2023 report by Oxford University’s Reuters Institute found that just 48% of people globally were very or extremely interested in news, down from 63% in 2017. More than a third said they intentionally avoid consuming it. Even regular internet users are now turning away from traditional online news content more than in previous years. 

The emergence of tools such as Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT’s real-time browsing capabilities has enabled users to engage with news and current affairs in new ways. Some platforms, like X’s Grok, even market themselves as reputable alternatives for real-time news updates. According to Grok, its latest Deep Search update is “built to relentlessly seek the truth” and supposedly “distill clarity from complexity.” 

While not without flaws, these platforms offer quick, customized answers and help navigate complex information landscapes. Still, serious doubts remain about their reliability and whether these tools can deliver information with the trust and accountability expected of credible news sources. 

Business Insider, Washington Post and others announce layoffs this year

Several news outlets are already feeling the impact of this shift in online traffic. In the past six months alone, Business Insider has laid off 21% of its staff, The Washington Post cut 4% of positions and U.K.-based Reach PLC (owner of the Mirror US and Daily Express) reported a 17% year-on-year decline in digital traffic. Similar reductions have hit other major outlets, including the LA Times, Vox Media, and HuffPost. The Wall Street Journal reports that Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, foresees a major collapse of the traditional online news model. Earlier this year, he reportedly told staff that Google-driven traffic for the political magazine could drop close to zero, urging a complete strategic rethink.

Though many users appreciate the convenience of AI chatbots for daily news briefings or tracking developing stories, studies consistently suggest they fall short in delivering accurate and balanced reporting. A BBC review published in February found that more than half of the responses generated by ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and Perplexity exhibited “significant issues,” with 19% containing factual errors. The study concluded that these tools “cannot currently be relied upon” and urged regulators and AI developers to work with trusted news organizations to improve the reliability of AI-generated content and create an “effective regulatory regime.” 

AI chatbots frequently deliver inaccurate information and lack journalistic training

According to the BBC, Google’s Gemini was the most concerning for accuracy, with 46% of its responses marked as significantly flawed. Perplexity, however, had the highest proportion of problematic answers overall, exceeding 80%.

Experts have raised concerns that, despite their frequent inaccuracies and disinformative tendencies, AI chatbots gain a surprising level of user trust, mostly due to how they are trained and configured to sound human. This confidence, they warn, may exacerbate the already growing problem of disinformation online.

The consequences are particularly troubling in sensitive areas such as healthcare, where misinformation can have serious real-world impacts. According to the authors of a 2023 FPH study examining AI misinformation in public health, “The current inability of chatbots to distinguish varying levels of evidence-based knowledge presents a pressing challenge for global public health promotion and disease prevention.” News outlets, in contrast, are guided by strict industry codes and receive training and advice from organizations like the FTC to report health-related news safely and responsibly, especially in times of crisis. 

The trouble with trusting AI chatbots for news

A key concern is that current AI chatbots are not governed by these editorial standards and often lack mechanisms to prioritize credible sources. When tackling nuanced or complex topics, these systems may rely on unreliable inputs—such as Reddit threads, personal blogs or outdated data—simply to produce an answer. This can create a false sense of authority, misleading users who assume the information is accurate. 
AI chatbots, including those by Google and OpenAI, are trained using vast datasets from the internet and designed to produce fluent, contextually appropriate language that sounds truthful. However, they are not inherently trained to distinguish fact from fiction. Despite their appeal, all signs say they are not yet dependable sources for verified news—useful, perhaps, but not infallible.

Photo by Marco Lazzarini/Shutterstock

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