For decades, college had no real competition. It wasn’t just an educational path; it was the most powerful brand in American life. Parents, schools and employers marketed it as the only safe route to the American Dream. Glossy brochures, billion-dollar ad campaigns, alumni prestige and rankings in U.S. News & World Report kept reinforcing the message: College equals success.

But today, that monopoly is cracking. Aviation schools, trade programs and trucking startups are mounting their own branding campaigns — promising high pay, entrepreneurial freedom and faster, cheaper paths to prosperity. The reality is already here: Pilots, aircraft mechanics, electricians, independent truckers and others can earn as much or more than many college graduates. What lags is perception. And that’s why the branding war between college and the trades is just beginning.

Related: Do You Really Need a College Degree These Days?

The college brand: Once untouchable

Universities built their dominance the same way top consumer brands do: with relentless marketing. From campus tours that feel like product demos to billboards touting alumni salaries, college was positioned as both a rite of passage and a must-have credential.

For years, the competition barely showed up. Skilled trades and technical careers weren’t marketed at all — they were stigmatized. A student who skipped college was seen as someone who had “settled.” Even as tuition soared and student debt ballooned, the idea that “college equals success” remained sticky because it was backed by decades of consistent PR.

But perception is shifting. A recent Workforce Monitor poll found that 33% of U.S. adults recommend trade school for high school grads, compared to just 28% who recommend a four-year degree. Parents and Gen Z may still default to college, but more are starting to see skilled paths as respectable, even aspirational.

This shift isn’t just economic. It’s the result of smart PR and branding by industries that know they need to win the perception battle if they want to fill critical jobs.

Aviation: Pilots and mechanics in the spotlight

Nowhere is the branding battle more visible than in aviation. Airlines face a pilot shortage so severe that Boeing projects the need for 804,000 new pilots by 2037. To meet that demand, they’ve leaned heavily into PR and marketing.

Take Thrust Flight’s “Zero Time to Airline” program. The name itself is a masterstroke of branding. It tells a clear story: You can go from zero flight hours to the cockpit of a regional airline in just two years. It’s essentially packaged like a startup accelerator for aviation careers — fast, focused and aspirational.

Airlines themselves are part of the rebrand. In 2022, Delta made national headlines by dropping its four-year degree requirement for new pilots. That move wasn’t simply a policy change — it was a deliberate PR campaign designed to tear down the perception barrier that only college grads could fly for major carriers.

The economics reinforce the messaging. The average U.S. airline pilot earns around $220,000 a year, and with recent wage hikes, new pilots can now recoup training costs in four years or less. For a teenager weighing options, the soundbite is irresistible: “$200,000 without college.”

But it’s not just pilots. The aviation industry is also reframing careers for aircraft mechanics and technicians. With a median salary of around $75,000 and specialized certifications available in two years or less, mechanics are now marketed as tech professionals critical to safety and commerce. Rather than “wrench turners,” they’re positioned as guardians of billion-dollar fleets, a message designed to elevate status and respect.

The combined narrative is powerful: Whether you’re flying planes or maintaining them, aviation offers high salaries, critical skills and prestige — without requiring a bachelor’s degree.

Related: Trade School vs. College: Which Is Right for You? (Infographic)

Trucking: From job to business ownership

Trucking has undergone an equally dramatic makeover. For years, it was branded as hard work with modest pay and little respect. But startups like Billor and CloudTrucks are reframing it as entrepreneurship on wheels.

Billor’s pitch is simple: lease-to-own programs that put drivers in trucks with no credit check, giving them full ownership in four years. That changes the narrative from “job” to “asset ownership” — a driver isn’t just hauling freight, they’re building wealth.

CloudTrucks takes a tech-first approach. Branding itself as a “virtual carrier,” it equips independent drivers with the same back-office tools, compliance systems and load-booking capabilities that large fleets use. The economics are compelling: Independent drivers keep 82% of revenue, often out-earning company drivers while enjoying the freedom to choose their own routes and schedules.

The contrast in branding is stark: A company driver is positioned as a steady employee, while an independent operator is sold the dream of being a small business owner. That story is working. The U.S. now has more than 900,000 owner-operators, more than double just a few years ago.

The trades: From backup plan to entrepreneurial path

Construction trades are in the midst of their own rebrand. Once considered fallback careers, they’re now marketed as modern, entrepreneurial and future-proof.

Electricians illustrate the shift. The median wage is $62,000, with six-figure potential for those who advance. The field is expected to grow 11% over the next decade, creating about 80,000 openings each year. Unlike college, apprenticeships let people earn while they learn, avoiding student debt.

Companies like Mobilization Funding add fuel to the story by helping subcontractors secure financing upfront, allowing them to scale and compete on larger projects. The implicit message: You’re not just a worker; you’re a business owner capable of growth.

Meanwhile, social media influencers in the trades are helping to reframe these careers as skilled, respected and even aspirational. The stigma is fading — and branding has everything to do with it.

Data as PR’s secret weapon

Behind every one of these rebranding efforts lies data packaged as stories.

• “Pilots make $220,000 without college.”

• “Aircraft mechanics earn $75,000 with two-year certifications.”

• “Independent truckers can own rigs in four years and out-earn company drivers.”

• “Electricians are adding 80,000 jobs annually.”

These aren’t just statistics; they’re headlines, crafted to challenge assumptions and shift public perception. For decades, universities mastered this playbook by touting alumni earnings. Now, trades and technical careers are using the same strategy — and it’s working.

The perception gap

Despite the progress, perception still lags reality. Gen Z students remain more likely to pursue college, and parents still see degrees as symbols of status. The economics of alternatives are clear, but the branding battle is far from over.

Colleges had a century-long head start in marketing themselves as the default choice. Aviation, trucking and the trades are only now mounting a counteroffensive. But thanks to startups, social media and data-driven PR campaigns, they’re closing the gap faster than ever.

Related: These Are the 10 Best-Paying ‘New Collar’ Jobs, Prioritizing Skills Over Degrees

Why the branding war matters

The American Dream has always been about opportunity. But opportunity doesn’t sell itself — it has to be framed, packaged and communicated. That’s what’s happening now in fields like aviation, trucking and the skilled trades.

The branding war between college and alternative paths is still in its early rounds. Universities will keep promoting degrees as the safest option. But industries hungry for talent are telling a new story: one of accessibility, ownership and financial freedom without the burden of student debt.

For entrepreneurs and marketers, the lesson is clear: Economics may create the opportunity, but branding determines how it’s perceived. If piloting can be positioned as a direct, high-ROI career path, if truckers can be reframed as business owners, and if tradespeople can be reframed as entrepreneurs, then any industry can reshape its image. The future of work will be defined not just by what jobs pay, but by which stories win.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced the American Franchise Act, legislation aimed at ending years of uncertainty surrounding how federal labor law treats franchisors and franchisees.

“Changes to joint-employer rules have caused costly uncertainty in the industry for too long,” Representative Don Davis (D-NC), one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a press release. “The American Franchise Act aims to restore stability by clarifying that franchisors and franchisees operate as independent employers while safeguarding workers through established labor standards.”

The bill, introduced by 14 House members, including Davis and Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK), seeks to formally establish in federal law that franchisees are independent business owners rather than employees of their parent brand. The International Franchise Association (IFA), which represents more than 830,000 franchise businesses nationwide, praised the measure as a landmark step.

“This legislation recognizes that franchisees are small businesses and their independence must be protected by federal law,” Matt Haller, IFA president and CEO, said. “The American Franchise Act allows franchisors to properly support their franchisees, who are often first-time business owners from all walks of life, without the fear of an overly broad joint employer standard undermining the unique benefits of the franchise relationship.”

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Policy whiplash

At the center of the fight is the joint employer standard, the legal test that determines when two entities share responsibility for compliance with the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. For franchises, it decides if a brand can be held liable for workplace violations at independently owned locations.

That standard has shifted multiple times over the past decade. In 2015, the Obama-era National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) expanded the definition in its Browning-Ferris Industries decision, determining that companies could be considered joint employers even if they had only indirect control over working conditions. Franchise advocates argued the move threatened the foundation of the franchise model.

The Trump administration narrowed the definition in 2020, requiring “substantial direct and immediate control” over workers to establish joint employer status. In 2023, the Biden administration broadened the standard, but the “Biden Rule” was later struck down by a federal judge, reverting the industry to the 2020 standard.

In July, lawmakers also advanced the Save Local Business Act, which sought to roll back the NLRB’s broadened joint employer rule across all industries. That measure passed the House with bipartisan support but has not advanced in the Senate. By contrast, the American Franchise Act is narrower in scope, applying only to the franchisor–franchisee relationship. Supporters say this more tailored approach gives the bill a better chance of becoming law, while still providing the certainty franchise owners have long sought.

These frequent policy swings have left franchisors and franchisees alike uncertain about their legal responsibilities — and the future.

Related: Thinking About Franchising Your Business? Read This First.

What the bill does

The American Franchise Act would codify a narrower joint employer standard specific to franchising. It states that franchisors and franchisees are separate employers unless one directly controls the other’s employees. The measure applies only to the franchise relationship and does not affect joint employer determinations in other industries.

“As one of the few franchisees in Congress, I understand how damaging an ever-changing joint-employer rule is to the franchise business model,” Hern said. “I’m pleased that we were able to come together in a bipartisan effort to create legislation that safeguards small businesses.”

Whether the bill advances this session remains to be seen, but the proposal marks the most significant effort yet to settle a fight that has defined the franchise industry for the past decade.

Related: She Moved to the U.S. at 17 and Worked at a Gas Station — Then Became CEO of a $1 Billion Brand

This week, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, 81, became the world’s richest person, albeit briefly, overtaking Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Ellison’s wealth grew by $89 billion, reaching $383.2 billion on Wednesday, the largest one-day jump in history, per Bloomberg. It was his first time in the No. 1 spot.

It was short-lived. By the end of the day on Wednesday, Musk, 54, had re-taken the top spot again, this time by only $1 billion.

Related: Meet David Ellison, Larry Ellison’s Son Who Took Over at Paramount

Ellison’s wealth grew due to Oracle’s strong earnings report on Tuesday, which had Wall Street “shocked.” The earnings statement showed that in the first quarter of the year alone, Oracle had signed four multi-billion-dollar contracts.

“It was an astonishing quarter,” said Oracle CEO Safra Catz.

Musk, meanwhile, has been in the top spot off and on since 2021 and had been perched there for the last 300 days before Ellison took over for most of the day Wednesday.

At press time, Musk is sitting on a total net worth of $384 billion, while Ellison is at $383 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.

Related: These Luxury Yachts Are Owned By Some of the Wealthiest People in Tech

Planning isn’t sexy. It doesn’t trend. No one’s going viral for updating their content calendar or plotting campaign touchpoints.

But here’s the hard truth most marketers won’t admit out loud: the teams that win are the ones who plan. Period.

As CEO of The Go! Agency, I’ve worked with growth-stage startups, international brands and Fortune 500s. And the difference between consistent growth and quarterly chaos always comes down to this — the presence or absence of a plan that actually works.

Yet every August, the same cycle begins. Q4 shows up like a freight train, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling:

• Campaigns are rushed
• Budgets are misaligned
• Messages are muddled
• Leadership is confused
• Teams are exhausted

And all of it could have been avoided with one thing: a strategic, forward-looking, execution-ready plan.

Related: Why Your Old Marketing Tactics Are Killing Your Growth in 2025

Why most marketing plans fail before they even start

Let’s stop pretending a planning session is a slide deck with buzzwords or a half-hearted brainstorm led by someone who still thinks “go viral” is a tactic.

Planning is not about checking a box. It’s about building a structure that connects real objectives to measurable actions across every channel. But most teams aren’t doing that.

They’re treating planning as an afterthought — if they’re doing it at all. And when your plan is a vague Notion doc, a disjointed task list or worse, a whiteboard of “cool ideas,” don’t be surprised when your campaigns flop.

The planning process has become a casualty of hustle culture. We’ve been trained to equate movement with progress. But in marketing, unplanned execution is just expensive guessing.

The fall framework that delivers results

At The Go! Agency, we’ve built and tested a framework that cuts through the noise. It’s what we used to help a premium pet nutrition brand drive over $47,000 in email campaign revenue and increase TikTok video views by nearly 500% in a single quarter.

It’s also what helped an international beverage equipment company exceed ROAS goals by 135% — scaling from 9.4 to 14.78 in just four months.

And no, it didn’t require 10 tools or a 92-slide deck.

Here’s how it works:

1. Set goals that actually mean something
“We want more engagement” is not a goal, but “We want a 30% increase in demo bookings from LinkedIn in Q4” is.

Start with your business objectives, not just marketing KPIs. Growth only happens when your marketing activities ladder up to tangible business outcomes.

2. Audit your current channels
You’re probably doing more than you think: emails, blogs, paid ads, social, events, PR. But how much of it is working — and how much is noise?

Take stock. Know what’s performing and why. Then cut what’s not moving the needle.

3. Lock in messaging that doesn’t suck
Your message is your fuel. If it’s generic, recycled or vague, your audience is already tuned out.

You don’t need “clever.” You need clear, compelling positioning that reflects your unique POV and actually speaks to real pain points.

And no — ChatGPT can’t do this for you. AI is a multiplier, not a mind reader. Garbage in, garbage out.

4. Match the message to the market
Segment smarter. The same campaign can’t serve every audience. Tailor your messaging per segment and then match it to the right platform.

LinkedIn for B2B thought leadership? Absolutely — it’s still the best platform for building trust and credibility with a professional audience. TikTok for brand storytelling? If your audience lives there, it’s a powerful way to connect through authentic, culture-driven content. Email for conversion? Still king — when it’s targeted, relevant and backed by a strong message.

5. Build around a calendar
Themes drive cohesion. A roadmap aligns execution. You need to know what’s happening when — and how your campaigns, content, sales pushes and partnerships sync up.

Planning gives you rhythm. That rhythm gives your team momentum.

Stop glorifying the grind

Let’s kill the myth that planning is rigid. The right plan is a launchpad — not a cage.

It’s what lets you pivot without panic when a new initiative lands in your lap. It’s what helps you say “no” to shiny distractions. And it’s what allows you to build campaigns that scale, not scramble.

You don’t need more meetings. You need direction. You don’t need a productivity tool with 30 integrations. You need strategic clarity.

The ROI no one talks about

Think planning is overhead? Here’s what it really unlocks:

• Smarter content with a clear purpose
• Faster execution with less firefighting
• Scalable campaign architecture
• Higher ROI with fewer wasted hours
• Cleaner data to prove your impact

And let’s not ignore the internal wins: clearer expectations, tighter collaboration and less burnout.

The brands that scale aren’t guessing. They’re mapping.

Related: 3 Marketing Trends You Need to Capitalize on Now Before Your Competition Beats You to It

Final word: be the marketer who’s ready

You can’t be bulletproof without a blueprint. And planning is your blueprint.

This fall, don’t wait to react. Build your roadmap now. Align your team. Ground your efforts in strategy, not spaghetti.

Because the truth is, in a landscape filled with marketers who are busy, the ones who are intentional will always win.

The CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization, was killed after being shot on Wednesday at an event in Utah. He was 31 years old.

President Donald Trump announced the news on Truth Social.

^{Charlie Kirk at the White House on May 28, 2025. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images}

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

Kirk founded Turning Point USA when he was 18 years old. By 2023, the company’s revenue had reached $81.7 million, per TIME, and he garnered millions of followers by hosting debates and podcasts to showcase all viewpoints on college campuses. His YouTube page alone has four million subscribers.

The AP and NBC had previously reported that a person of interest was in custody, citing FBI Director Kash Patel’s initial statement on X. Later in the evening on Wednesday, the FBI Director released an additional statement saying that “the subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.” Per the AP’s reporting, authorities are searching for a new person of interest.

^{Photo by Yilmaz Yucel/Anadolu via Getty Images}

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Buy now, pay later online payment provider Klarna began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Its IPO was priced at $40, which valued Klarna at about $15 billion, but opened at $52 per share in its debut.

“To me, it really just is a milestone,” Klarna’s co-founder and CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, told CNBC on Wednesday. “It’s a little bit like a wedding. You prepare so much, and you plan for it, and it’s a big party. But in the end, marriage goes on.”

Meanwhile, just a few days before the IPO, Klarna, which was founded in 2005, told employees that it is joining Microsoft, Target, and other companies in mandating a return-to-office schedule (RTO) — in Klarna’s case, three days a week in the office starting September 29.

^{Sebastian Siemiatkowski, chief executive officer and co-founder of Klarna Holding AB, during the company’s initial public offering (IPO) at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg | Getty Images}

Related: ‘A Game Changer’: Klarna Becomes Walmart’s Exclusive Buy-Now-Pay-Later Provider

According to a Slack post seen by Business Insider, Klarna posted the news on an internal message board, but comments were disabled. Emoji reactions, however, were not.

According to the outlet, around 3,000 Klarna workers saw the post, and responses included a sad face (341), a “no” emoji (167), sweat-faced and sad (149), sad cat (131), facepalm (90), crying (86), clown face (73), and a “this sucks” (41) emoji.

There were also some custom creations: the “Homer Simpson backing into a bush” meme emoji (62), a “Hide the Pain Harold” meme emoji (43), and a child going down a slide saying “bye” (17).

Related: Klarna’s CEO Used an AI Clone of Himself to Report Quarterly Earnings. Here’s Why.

Still, not everyone hated the news; there were 19 thumbs-up emojis and 14 rocket ship emojis, Business Insider notes.

In June, Klarna announced that it was launching a debit card called the “Klarna Card.” Siemiatkowski told CNBC that the company has signed up 700,000 card customers in the U.S. so far, with a waiting list of five million people.

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Sandra Oh Lin, 50, of Los Altos, California. She is the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, a company that provides educational activities for kids meant to spark creativity and problem-solving through hands-on play. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.}

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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I had just stepped away from seven years at eBay Inc., where I had launched PayPal Mobile and led the eBay fashion business. I was working on a new fashion-related startup idea before I ended up starting KiwiCo in 2011.

Where did you find the inspiration for the side hustle?
When my kids were younger, I tried to find ways for them to exercise their creativity and put their problem-solving skills to work. I wanted them to grow up to feel like they could envision and better the world around them. As an engineer by training, I saw creating and building through hands-on activities as a way to explore, discover and build creative confidence. At the same time, I was drawing on my own childhood — I have such fond memories of making and building things with my mom while I was growing up.

Related: After College, She Spent $800 to Start a Side Hustle That Became a ‘Monster’ Business Making $35 Million a Year: ‘I Set Intense Sales Targets’

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
I started by creating hands-on projects for my kids. Then, I started to share them with friends and family during playdates. The parents and kids were so enthusiastic about the activities that it gave me the confidence to take it further. I laid the groundwork to see if there was a market for a real business. Then, I leveraged my network to start conversations with investors. We raised a little more than $10 million in venture funding. From there, we were able to become profitable and cash flow positive — and fund our own growth.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo}

Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business?
I had a strong background in product design (having worked in R&D at Procter & Gamble) and ecommerce (from time at PayPal and eBay). Yet, I didn’t have any direct experience with fulfillment, supply chain and operations. I had a lot to learn. So I made a conscious effort to surround myself with people who were true experts. One example is Mike Smith, who was the COO of Walmart. He provided invaluable guidance, and he even helped interview our VP of operations candidates when we were hiring. Advisors like Mike were so helpful to us at that time.

If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
I had always heard people say that a strong culture is so important to define and cultivate when you build a company. That way, you can point to and reinforce the behavior and values that align. While I was able to grok that academically, I put it aside when I should have addressed it earlier. As a result, some of our hiring was off in the beginning, and we had to course correct, which was costly. It would have been helpful to have put the framework into place from the beginning.

When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
During the pandemic, one of our toughest challenges was sourcing enough supplies to keep up with surging demand. In the years since, we’ve seen our fair share of ups and downs on that front, but one thing has remained constant: the importance of strong, trusted relationships with our suppliers. They’ve been incredible partners through it all, and those collaborations have been key to helping us navigate post-pandemic growth with resilience and adaptability.

Related: This Mom’s Creative Side Hustle Started As a Hobby With Less Than $100 — Then Grew Into a Business Averaging $570,000 a Month: ‘It’s Crazy’

Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
I’ll never forget our very first alpha shipment. We had just 19 crates to send out, and it took a team of five of us the entire day to get them boxed and shipped. By the end, we were exhausted and looking at each other like, There has to be a better way. It was a wake-up call that we needed better systems and processes for fulfillment if we were going to scale. We figured it out along the way, but that moment sticks with me as a reminder of how far we’ve come.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo}

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue?
With our core business being subscription-based, we’ve seen consistent monthly revenue from the beginning. KiwiCo has been profitable and self-funded for many years now. What started in my garage has grown into a company that has shipped more than 50 million crates to families in over 40 countries and created more than 1,500 hands-on products and activities. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come, while still staying true to the heart of why we started: sparking creativity and confidence in kids everywhere.

What does growth and revenue look like now?
To date, KiwiCo has generated more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue. This is something I’m incredibly proud of, not just because of the number itself, but because it represents millions of moments of creativity and discovery for kids and families. Additionally, we launched in Target and Barnes & Noble this past year as part of building our wholesale channels.

Related: He Spent $36 to Start a Side Hustle. Now the Business Earns 6 Figures a Year — With Just 1-2 Hours of Work a Day: ‘Freedom.’

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
One of my favorite parts of this journey is that my kids not only understand what I do for work but also are involved in helping shape KiwiCo’s products. My kids were the original source of inspiration for the company, and they continue to be critical testers of our products to ensure we’re creating the best hands-on activities for kids to discover and unleash their creativity and explore as they learn about the world around them.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo}

What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
Finding a community of founders can be so helpful. Sharing the challenges and the opportunities that come from building a business with others who are in the same boat can be so valuable. You can gather everything from tangible, actionable advice to empathetic ears that have been there and done that.

The CEO of eBay, Jamie Iannone, says that you’re likely sitting on treasures worth thousands of dollars.

On Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast this week, Iannone said that an average household contains at least $3,000 to $4,000 worth of items that could be sold online. Collectibles like Pokémon cards and trading cards, for example, were a “massive business” that contributed to $10 billion worth of products sold annually.

“The whole idea is to unlock what’s in people’s closets and garages and houses,” Iannone said on the podcast. “And so, really unlocking all of that amazing inventory.”

Related: She Bought a Vase at Goodwill for $3.99. It Sold at Auction for Over $100,000. ‘It’s Like Winning the Lottery’

The online retailer and auction site turned 30 years old this month and has 134 million active buyers using the platform during the second quarter of the year, according to the company. The company’s market value was over $40 billion at the time of writing, and its stock was up over 46% year-to-date.

Iannone became eBay’s CEO in 2020. Since then, the company’s market capitalization has grown by $7 billion.

^{eBay CEO Jamie Iannone. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

Iannone highlighted that not all sellers on eBay intended to become entrepreneurs or create a side hustle — they were simply looking for ways to make extra cash. Besides collectibles, secondhand items are popular on eBay, especially among younger buyers. Iannone said that nearly half of the items (40%) sold on the site are used or refurbished.

Related: Top Secrets to Starting a 6-Figure Etsy Side Hustle That Earns Passive Income, According to 3 People Who Did It

“We have a lot of accidental entrepreneurs, people that didn’t intend to build a business on eBay, they just needed money,” Iannone said on the podcast. “So they turned to eBay to make a little extra money and turned that into a side business.”

In July, eBay reported its second-quarter 2025 results, posting revenue of $2.7 billion, up 6% from the same time last year. Gross merchandise volume of products sold on eBay was $19.5 billion for the quarter, also up 6%.

Nearly 40% of Americans have a side hustle right now – and for many, it’s not just a way to earn a little extra cash. According to a recent LendingTree survey, 61% of people with a side hustle say they couldn’t afford to live without it.

While the number of side hustlers has decreased slightly since the pandemic’s peak, many still feel the everyday financial pressure. A third say they picked up a side gig to cover basic expenses, while 49% cite the current economy as the main reason for getting started.

Want to grow your side hustle into a business? Start with email

Many side hustles involve gigs like delivering groceries or driving for Uber, but some are the first step toward building an actual business. Whether you sell handmade products on Etsy or freelance your services, you could turn your passion project into a source of cash.

One of the best ways to do that on a tight budget? Use email from day one.

Why email works for side hustlers

Email costs almost nothing to send, but the return can be huge. Unlike social media, email lets you build deeper relationships, stay top of mind and drive repeat sales – all while you’re working your day job, sleeping or fulfilling orders. When you’re short on time and money, email helps take some pressure off and scale your side hustle like no other channel.

Think email’s too complicated or time-consuming? Use these steps to make it easier on yourself – and see results faster.

Grow your email list from the beginning

Getting social media followers for your side hustle business is a good way to signal trust to potential customers. But if I were to start another business today, I’d work on getting those followers onto an email list as soon as possible.

Your followers can disappear overnight, and you may have no way to reach out to them again. Your list of contacts? That’s something you’ll always own.

Here are some proven ways to grow your email list:

• Test a short free resource. Check your social media metrics — what topics tend to spark a lot of interest? Use that data to create a concise guide or checklist. You shouldn’t spend more than a few hours writing and designing it for free with tools like Canva. This is just a test to learn more about your audience’s needs and tastes.
• Expand your bank of resources. Once you understand what your prospects respond to most, add more gated content to your website. You can test varied lengths and styles — and later double down on your top performers.
• Send exclusive content. Aside from giving your audience a freebie, make your email content exclusive. Share useful tips they can’t find anywhere else. Interview experts they care about. And of course, offer an unbeatable perk — discounts, free shipping or early access to new products.

Start emailing right away

Many side hustlers put off email marketing, thinking they need a large list to make it worthwhile. But that’s a trap. Emailing your customers — even when you have just a few — benefits you in every way:

• Instead of keeping them waiting for your emails, you can start nurturing your subscribers and building engagement immediately.
• If your emails are good, more people will subscribe. Remember to include a subscription button in every email so anyone can opt in if your messages are forwarded.
• Emailing regularly also helps your email deliverability. Every email you send builds your reputation with mailbox providers, who need to trust you in order to deliver your emails to the inbox.

Do you have 10 customers on your list? That’s more than enough to start — do it now.

Related: 5 Types of Email Addresses Ruining Your Email Marketing ROI

Verify every new email address you get

Eventually, you’ll build your email list way beyond 10 customers, but here’s what matters even more: making sure those email addresses are accurate and real. Getting a bunch of misspelled or fake contacts means your emails will bounce, so what’s the point in sending them?

Moreover, a high bounce rate can hurt your ability to reach the inbox again – even with real contacts. Email service providers have strong filters to weed out and block potential spam. Sending emails to invalid contacts signals spammy behavior, so you may kill your email marketing before it even gets off the ground

Checking an email for validity takes seconds. Most email validation services let you start for free, so if you only add a few contacts to your list every month, it won’t cost you a thing and it’ll save you a lot of headaches.

Ask for little, give a lot

Now that you’ve got things rolling, you may be tempted to blast your subscribers with sales emails. Refrain from this tactic – it turns people off. Instead, be generous and mindful of their time. Build trust and loyalty with helpful content.

Related: 5 Ways to Delight Your Customers With Email

Here are some topics you could approach in your emails:

• A mistake you made early on in your side hustle — and what you learned from it
• A quick tip that helped you save time, money, or stress
• A behind-the-scenes look at how you create your product or deliver your service
• A list of tools or resources you like and recommend

Keep it personal and worth your reader’s time. That’s how you build a list that sticks with you — and buys from you later.

Being called a “Neanderthal” has long been shorthand for a knuckle-dragging brute — an insult implying someone is primitive and clueless. In popular imagination and even early science, Neanderthals were cast as dim-witted cavemen, a species of losers on the evolutionary stage. But recent discoveries have radically rewritten that story. Far from being sub-human dullards, Neanderthals are now understood as complex, intelligent hominins who created art, used tools and even share genetic ties with all of us.

In a sense, the Neanderthal “brand” has undergone a posthumous PR makeover: from reviled caveman to respected ancestral cousin. This dramatic evolution of public perception holds a trove of insights for entrepreneurs and brands. If a whole human species can rehabilitate its reputation (albeit with an assist from science), then a company or individual can certainly transform their own image. Let’s explore how the Neanderthal journey from primitive to progressive serves as a metaphorical masterclass in rebranding and legacy management.

Related: Does Your Reputation Need Rehab?

The primitive stereotype: A brand in ruins

The Neanderthals’ early reputation was, in modern marketing terms, a branding nightmare. Ever since the first fossils were unearthed in the 19th century, their heavy brow ridges and unusual skeletons led scientists to portray them as inferior to modern humans. This “caveman” stereotype stuck. For over a century, calling someone a Neanderthal meant implying they were backward, unsophisticated and even stupid.

In essence, Neanderthals were a maligned brand — synonymous with failure and obsolescence. Just as a company rocked by scandal or a public figure tarnished by bad press becomes a punchline, Neanderthals became the mascot of being primitive. The narrative was simple and damning: They lost out to superior modern humans because they just weren’t good enough.

Entrepreneurs know this pattern well. Markets and media can be unforgiving; a single damaging narrative can reduce a once-promising brand to a cautionary tale. Whether it’s a tech firm written off as a “dinosaur” or a founder dismissed as out of touch, the world loves a tidy tale of the mighty who fell behind. The Neanderthal brand was defined by others and defined harshly. Brands and individuals today face the same risk if they remain passive during image crises. Reputation, like fossils, can harden into “rock” if left untouched.

Uncovering a new narrative: Rehabilitating the caveman image

Fortunately for Neanderthals, their story didn’t end with the stereotype. Over the past few decades, science has done what any good PR team would: conducted a rigorous brand audit and found the facts to counter the fiction.

Research reveals that Neanderthals were far more capable and human-like than anyone imagined. They were skilled hunters and tool-makers who thrived across Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows Neanderthals coordinated complex group hunts — behavior requiring planning, communication and smarts. They gathered a diverse diet, used fire creatively and built surprisingly sophisticated tools.

Perhaps most stunning, Neanderthals demonstrated signs of culture and abstract thinking. Discoveries of pigment, personal ornaments and cave engravings suggest they engaged in symbolic rituals and even made art. They buried their dead with care, hinting at reverence for their departed. They even crafted tools using glue made from tree bark — a process requiring technical knowledge and foresight.

And in the ultimate irony, we now know they are literally part of us: Modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA in our genomes from ancient interbreeding. The very people who once used “Neanderthal” as an insult likely have a bit of Neanderthal lineage themselves.

For Neanderthals, this re-evaluation was a posthumous rebranding. Misconceptions were corrected with evidence, and the public’s view shifted from “dumb caveman” to “misunderstood relative.” This turnaround didn’t happen overnight; it took decades of excavations, genetic analysis and rethinking old assumptions. But it happened. The Neanderthal brand went from rock bottom to remarkable. If the image of an entire extinct species can be rehabilitated, so can yours.

Related: 7 Ways to Recover After a Reputation Crisis

Branding lessons from a prehistoric PR makeover

The saga of Neanderthal reputation offers rich lessons in how to recover from a damaged brand image or public misperception:

• Own your story before others do: Neanderthals couldn’t speak for themselves, and others defined them as inferior. In business, if you don’t actively shape your brand’s story, competitors or critics will do it for you — and not in your favor.

• Confront misperceptions with facts: The Neanderthal comeback hinged on hard evidence overturning myths. Likewise, a beleaguered brand must bring proof to the table. Counter outdated perceptions by showcasing real improvements, new achievements and factual corrections.

• Embrace (don’t erase) your heritage: Instead of denying their past, scientists reinterpreted Neanderthal history in a proud new light. Similarly, a brand with a legacy — even a troubled one — shouldn’t just bury it. Acknowledge your history and highlight the positives within it.

• Humanize and connect: Part of rehabilitating Neanderthals was realizing how closely connected they are to us. Successful rebranding finds ways to relate to the audience on a human level. Show customers, investors or the public that you share their values and concerns.

Legacy management: Evolving the narrative over time

One striking aspect of the Neanderthal story is how long the misperception lasted. Long after Neanderthals disappeared, the myth of the knuckle-dragging caveman lingered in the public mind. It’s a cautionary tale for legacy management: Perceptions can lag behind reality by decades. Entrepreneurs must recognize that shaping a legacy is an ongoing process, not a one-time campaign.

Managing legacy also means planning for how your brand will be remembered. Neanderthals left behind bones and artifacts, but no control over the story future generations told about them. You, on the other hand, have the tools to influence your legacy now. Document your values and contributions, live them authentically, and people will eventually see the truth — just as researchers eventually saw the truth about Neanderthals’ capabilities. Every press release, customer interaction and even apology is an artifact shaping how you’ll be remembered. Make those artifacts count.

Finally, consider the Neanderthal’s ultimate fate: They didn’t so much vanish as merge into the wider human story. In business, this speaks to the idea of integration and adaptability. Sometimes the path to saving a reputation is to become part of something larger — to ally with partners, join a bigger brand, or pivot in purpose. By blending strengths with newcomers, an old brand can find new life within a fresh narrative.

Related: 5 High-Profile Reputation Nightmares Your Brand Can Learn from

The evolution of respect

The renaissance of Neanderthals’ public image — from pitiable cavemen to complex humans — is more than a curious science story. It’s a powerful metaphor for brand transformation. Reputations, like species, evolve. They can also go extinct if they fail to adapt. But the Neanderthal example shows that even a reputation dragged through the mud for ages can climb back out with persistence and truth.

Entrepreneurs should find hope in this: No matter how dire your PR fallout or how entrenched the public’s misperception, there is a path to renewal through authenticity, strategy and patience. If Neanderthals can win respect 40,000 years after extinction, your brand can survive a rough quarter. Reputation isn’t fossilized — it evolves if you guide it.