3 Tactics to Turn One-Time Holiday Shoppers Into Year-Round Buyers

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Every winter, retailers watch revenue lines spike and then flatten again by February. What often goes unexamined is the potential of turning one-time holiday shoppers into lifelong fans of your brand. Just last year, U.S. consumers spent an average $902 a piece on winter‑holiday purchases — a surge of wallets wide open and, crucially, minds open to new brands.

While the holiday sales rush is fantastic, its actual value doesn’t just revolve around the immediate profit. It’s in the people who are discovering your brand for the first time. And that opportunity doesn’t start in December; it starts months earlier. Many successful brands begin preparing their holiday playbook in August, laying the groundwork with campaigns and messaging that build awareness and prime new customers before the season peaks. A small effort to convert these new holiday buyers into loyal customers can extend that seasonal success throughout the entire year.

This conversion playbook is comprised of three key parts. When brands execute all three, Q4 turns from a sugar rush into an on‑ramp for steady, compounding growth.

Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.

1. Promote products that reflect your brand DNA

Big discounts on basics can make December’s sales chart look great — and many shoppers are indeed hoping to snag a holiday deal. The opportunity lies in making sure those customers stick around long after prices reset. By pairing promotions with a clear expression of your brand’s identity, you can turn seasonal shoppers into loyal advocates.

One of the best ways to do this is by spotlighting your “hero” products — the pieces that showcase your signature materials, craftsmanship or design flair. When someone’s first purchase feels unmistakably you, every future drop feels consistent and compelling, not like a bait‑and‑switch. You can further strengthen that connection by inviting new buyers into your loyalty program or offering follow‑up perks that keep them engaged. A customer whose introduction to your brand is authentic and rewarding is far more likely to come back, at full price, in the months ahead.

Timing helps, too. Brands that start acquisition campaigns in August or September give shoppers time to learn the story, budget for full‑price pieces and hit November already warmed up. Those early birds come back during peak season, and they do it at healthy margins because their loyalty was never built on discounts in the first place.

Related: 5 Black Friday Strategies to Turn Holiday Browsers into Instant Buyers

2. Make loyalty part of the purchase, not an afterthought

A solid loyalty program is the simplest way to turn a first‑time buyer into a repeat customer, yet too many brands hide it in the website footer, where no one sees it. That “strategy” is expensive. In fact, 85% of shoppers say a strong program makes them buy again, and 79% go on to advocate for the brand. This means you must put the invitation where excitement peaks. That’s usually on the product page, in the mini‑cart, and right after checkout, so shoppers understand the value before their order even ships.

Just as important, the sign‑up process should feel effortless. Tuckernuck, for example, weaves loyalty seamlessly throughout the customer journey. Shoppers can join by simply entering their email address at checkout or at any time while browsing. Once enrolled, customers see their reward points in real time, clearly displayed across the site, without needing to navigate away or search for a separate page. This keeps the program visible and reinforces that being a part of Tuckernuck’s community is central to the experience year‑round.

Ultimately, even if your full program is still on the drawing board, act now. Flag high‑spend holiday buyers as a temporary “VIP” group and thank them with first dibs on a limited January release. Track which perks drive clicks, carts and redemptions to shape your database’s program. Bottom line, make sure every December shopper leaves knowing there’s a real reason to come back to you in, say, February or March.

3. Segment holiday buyers into micro‑audiences

Holiday crowds are anything but uniform. The shopper who grabs a $29 stocking stuffer after spotting your TikTok ad won’t respond to the same January follow-up that works for the customer who spent $280 on a purse they found in a print gift guide. Offering a one-size-fits-all program is clearly a missed opportunity. Instead, tag each holiday order by first-touch channel, cart value and product type. Once those labels are in place, your automations can generate more personalized messages without increasing your manual workload.

This results in brands generating roughly 40% more revenue than their peers, and the American Marketing Association notes that a well-targeted email can increase revenue by up to 5.7 times. Those gains come from small, data-driven touches, such as subject lines that name-check the very collection a shopper browsed and replenishment reminders timed to average usage cycles.

Related: 25 Ways You Can Turn a One-Time Buyer Into a Repeat Buyer

Win the holidays even before they begin

If the first time you talk retention is after the pumpkins from Halloween hit the porch, you’re already scrambling. Best practice is to lock the plan by mid‑August, which is early enough to run list‑building ads while costs are still reasonable. This also gives you enough wiggle room to test your signup pop‑ups and fine‑tune the loyalty messaging you’ll weave into every holiday touchpoint.

By September, your email and SMS automations should be live, your VIP segments tagged and your “second‑purchase” offers queued up. That way, when traffic surges in November, all you do is hit “go.”

Every winter, retailers watch revenue lines spike and then flatten again by February. What often goes unexamined is the potential of turning one-time holiday shoppers into lifelong fans of your brand. Just last year, U.S. consumers spent an average $902 a piece on winter‑holiday purchases — a surge of wallets wide open and, crucially, minds open to new brands.

While the holiday sales rush is fantastic, its actual value doesn’t just revolve around the immediate profit. It’s in the people who are discovering your brand for the first time. And that opportunity doesn’t start in December; it starts months earlier. Many successful brands begin preparing their holiday playbook in August, laying the groundwork with campaigns and messaging that build awareness and prime new customers before the season peaks. A small effort to convert these new holiday buyers into loyal customers can extend that seasonal success throughout the entire year.

This conversion playbook is comprised of three key parts. When brands execute all three, Q4 turns from a sugar rush into an on‑ramp for steady, compounding growth.

The rest of this article is locked.

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/3-tactics-to-turn-one-time-holiday-shoppers-into-year-round/494925




Here’s Why Meta’s Earnings Were Better-Than-Expected, According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Meta reported $47.52 billion in revenue for its second quarter ending in June on Wednesday, a 22% year-over-year increase and higher than the $44.8 billion analysts expected. On Thursday, Meta stock reached a record high of $784.75, surpassing the previous record close of $738.09 reached on June 30.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated on a call on Wednesday with analysts that growth in the quarter was caused by the use of Meta’s AI technology, which allowed the company to drive more advertising revenue.

Nicola Mendelsohn, head of global business group at Meta, echoed Zuckerberg’s remarks. In a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, Mendelsohn wrote that the quarter’s “strong performance was driven largely by AI, unlocking greater efficiency and gains across our ads system.”

Related: Mark Zuckerberg Uses an Easy But Powerful Formula to Keep Facebook Relevant — Here’s How It Works

At the time of writing, Meta’s market value was $1.96 trillion, up about 11.5% on Thursday morning.

One contributor to Meta’s surge in revenue was smart glasses. Meta released the Ray-Ban Meta frames in partnership with eyewear company EssilorLuxottica in October 2023. The device allows users to take photos, interact with Meta AI, and make calls. The glasses have sold more than two million pairs since launch, with EssilorLuxottica revealing in its earnings report earlier this week that sales of the frames more than tripled for the first half of the year compared to the same time last year.

The unexpected success of the Ray-Ban Metas prompted Meta to launch another pair, this time in partnership with Oakley, last month.

Related: Mark Zuckerberg Revealed His Vision for Smart Glasses at Meta Connect — and It Involves Holograms: ‘Beginning of a Big Thing’

During Meta’s second-quarter earnings call, Zuckerberg predicted that smart glasses would replace other gadgets as the “primary computing device,” becoming the main method users interact with AI.

“I continue to think that glasses are basically going to be the ideal form factor for AI,” Zuckerberg said on the call.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

While Meta brought in more revenue than expected last quarter, the tech giant is also projecting to spend more on AI expenses.

Meta stated in the earnings report Wednesday that capital expenditures, including AI-related costs and payments on financial leases, would cost at least $66 billion this year, up from a previous forecast of at least $64 billion. Expenditures for the quarter were $17 billion.

Related: Here’s How Meta’s AI Superintelligence Effort Is Different From ‘Others in the Industry,’ According to Mark Zuckerberg’s New Blog Post

Before the earnings report was revealed, Zuckerberg penned a blog post about his vision for AI — to bring superintelligence, or AI that surpasses human intellect, into the hands of every individual. The Meta CEO said he aims to give people “greater agency” to shape the world, contrasting his approach with “others in the industry” who believe that AI should first automate all work before humanity lives on a measured amount of its output.

Meta has heavily invested in superintelligence, offering new hires up to $200 million in compensation packages. Last month, Meta announced a new Superintelligence Labs team, assembling talent from AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to work on the effort.

Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.

Meta reported $47.52 billion in revenue for its second quarter ending in June on Wednesday, a 22% year-over-year increase and higher than the $44.8 billion analysts expected. On Thursday, Meta stock reached a record high of $784.75, surpassing the previous record close of $738.09 reached on June 30.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated on a call on Wednesday with analysts that growth in the quarter was caused by the use of Meta’s AI technology, which allowed the company to drive more advertising revenue.

Nicola Mendelsohn, head of global business group at Meta, echoed Zuckerberg’s remarks. In a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, Mendelsohn wrote that the quarter’s “strong performance was driven largely by AI, unlocking greater efficiency and gains across our ads system.”

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/meta-stock-reaches-record-after-reporting-quarterly-earnings/495316




Why the World’s Best CEOs Are Training Like Athletes — and How You Can, Too

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The world’s best CEOs approach leadership the same way elite athletes approach competition: with discipline, focus and a commitment to constant improvement. Today’s most effective leaders don’t wait for challenges to arrive. They train for them. As a former All-American distance runner at the University of Colorado Boulder, I learned firsthand how preparation and mindset make all the difference between merely showing up versus excelling.

When an injury prematurely ended my running career, I had to rebuild — a process many leaders face when facing disruption or change, especially in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. What stayed with me from the track to the boardroom was the understanding that peak performance doesn’t happen by luck. It is the result of deliberate, consistent effort, something best-in-class CEOs prioritize just as much as top-tier athletes do.

Based on my experiences both as an athlete and having the chance to work with high-performing CEOs all over the world, here are five tips leaders can use to adopt the mindset and habits of elite athletes to perform at their best:

Related: Adopt The Winning Habits of Elite Sports Stars to Unlock Entrepreneurial Greatness

1. Set personal goals like you’re in training camp

Great leaders don’t leave growth to chance. They approach each week like athletes entering training camp. They have clear, specific goals and are focused on achieving them. One of the most impactful pieces of advice I ever received came from my high school track coach, Bob Brown, who told me to pick a specific goal at the beginning of each season. What mattered most was setting a target. That simple practice shaped the way I approached everything.

Today, I apply the same principle through a framework I call the six Fs: family, finances, function, faith, fitness and future. I consistently set goals in each of those areas. It’s a habit that keeps me grounded, accountable and constantly improving, just like the best athletes who train with intention every single day. I’ve had the unique opportunity to meet many successful CEOs throughout my career, and their approach to making goal setting a ritual has been remarkably consistent among them.

2. Box yourself in with standards and stick to them

One of the most effective ways leaders — and athletes — stay on track is by setting clear standards and sharing them with those around them. When they speak their goals and expectations out loud, they’re creating accountability. This creates a sense of responsibility, not just for themselves but across the team. People want to meet high expectations, but they can only do so if they are aware of what those expectations are. By being vocal about their standards and consistent in living them out, great leaders can build a culture where excellence is the norm and accountability becomes a shared value.

But accountability doesn’t happen in isolation. Even Olympic athletes have coaches. These are people who push them, challenge them and bring out their best. In business, the best leaders do the same. They seek out peers, mentors and advisors who help them grow.

Related: How to Harness Your Inner Athlete and Train Your Mind to Reach Peak Professional Performance

3. Train through discomfort. Discipline beats motivation.

Anyone can succeed when everything’s going right, but elite performance is built in the moments when it’s not. It’s easy to make excuses when you’re tired, busy or the conditions aren’t ideal. But training like an athlete — or a great CEO — means showing up no matter what. No excuses. No negotiations. Just action.

There’s a saying in sports: You don’t know who your best players are until your team gets their butts kicked. The same holds true for great leaders. Adversity is what reveals character and commitment. Discipline, not motivation, is what carries you through the tough stretches. That’s what builds grit and the resilience needed to lead through challenge and change. This is especially important in today’s landscape of ongoing uncertainty.

4. Build a real team, not just a collection of departments

The strongest companies operate as one team with a shared mission, vision and values that start at the top, just like a sports team. Too often, organizations end up with departments acting in their own interests rather than working together. That mindset creates silos and slows progress. Best-in-class leaders build teams that support one another, especially during challenging times. That kind of unity takes effort, but the reward is a culture that can navigate challenges and win together.

5. Embrace diverse thinking like a winning locker room

Winning teams bring together a range of perspectives and experiences. In sports, winning locker rooms are filled with players who have different strengths, all united by a shared purpose. Similarly, the best leaders know that successful solutions reflect real discourse and diverse perspectives. Progress often comes from moments when someone offers a different point of view or challenges conventional thinking.

Leaders should intentionally create space for dissenting opinions and surround themselves with people who think differently. That kind of diversity enhances problem-solving and contributes to a dynamic, engaging workplace culture. It leads to better decisions and stronger, more adaptable teams.

Related: 5 Ways to Run Your Business Like an Elite Athlete and Push Through Tough Times

The world’s top CEOs and business owners operate like elite athletes. To lead at the highest level, they set clear goals, define their standards and stick to them. They don’t just show up when it’s easy. They build real teams, not silos. They welcome pushback. They know that different perspectives sharpen thinking and lead to better outcomes.

You don’t have to be an athlete to lead like one, but if you want to win, you have to train like one. Train your discipline muscle, and once you decide on your path, follow through no matter the obstacles. It can feel inspiring to have the mindset of a world-class athlete even when you know your athletic days are way in the past.

The world’s best CEOs approach leadership the same way elite athletes approach competition: with discipline, focus and a commitment to constant improvement. Today’s most effective leaders don’t wait for challenges to arrive. They train for them. As a former All-American distance runner at the University of Colorado Boulder, I learned firsthand how preparation and mindset make all the difference between merely showing up versus excelling.

When an injury prematurely ended my running career, I had to rebuild — a process many leaders face when facing disruption or change, especially in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. What stayed with me from the track to the boardroom was the understanding that peak performance doesn’t happen by luck. It is the result of deliberate, consistent effort, something best-in-class CEOs prioritize just as much as top-tier athletes do.

Based on my experiences both as an athlete and having the chance to work with high-performing CEOs all over the world, here are five tips leaders can use to adopt the mindset and habits of elite athletes to perform at their best:

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/why-the-worlds-best-ceos-are-training-like-athletes/494862




Microsoft Just Became the Second Company in History to Achieve a $4 Trillion Valuation — Here’s How

Nvidia became the first ever company to hit $4 trillion in market value (and just earlier this month), and now Microsoft is joining the AI chipmaker in the exclusive $4 trillion club.

Microsoft reported better-than-expected earnings on Wednesday, causing shares to jump 8%, and elevating the company’s market capitalization to around $4.1 trillion. As of the time of writing, Microsoft sustained the growth with a market value of $4.03 trillion, with shares up about 5% on Thursday morning.

Related: Microsoft Executive Says Using AI Has Saved $500 Million in Productivity Costs, as the Company Conducts Mass Layoffs

Both Microsoft and fellow AI giant Meta added a combined $440 billion in market value late Wednesday, with Meta’s earnings driving a 9% surge in its market capitalization in after-hours trading. Both companies surpassed analyst expectations with strong financial results on Wednesday, revealing that Big Tech’s AI investments are paying off.

Microsoft’s Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood told investors in an earnings call on Wednesday that the company planned to spend a record $30 billion for the current quarter on AI expenses like data centers, more than the $24.23 billion analysts expected.

Microsoft’s rally was due to the strength of its latest earnings report for the quarter ending June 30, which the tech giant disclosed on Wednesday after the bell. In the report, Microsoft revealed quarterly revenue of $76.4 billion, up 18% from the same period last year, marking the company’s fastest revenue growth in three years.

Related: Microsoft’s CEO Says the Company’s Mass Layoffs, Despite Financial Success, Are ‘Weighing Heavily on Me’ in an Internal Memo

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

Analysts were expecting $74.62 billion in Azure revenue, causing Microsoft’s report to exceed expectations.

The growth was largely driven by Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing division, which provides computing power and storage for AI. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed Azure revenue for the first time in the report, noting that Azure “surpassed $75 billion in revenue, up 34%, driven by growth across all workloads.”

“Cloud and AI is the driving force of business transformation across every industry and sector,” Nadella stated in the report.

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/microsoft-passes-4-trillion-valuation-joining-nvidia/495308




Want to Own Multiple Franchise Locations? These Multi-Unit Champions Share Their Best Strategies.

In franchising, the growth opportunities are endless. You could buy one unit — and then, if you succeed, you could buy a second. Then a third. Then onward into the hundreds or even thousands!

The franchise industry is full of people like that. More than 40% of all franchise units are owned by multi-unit franchisees, and the average franchisee owns 2.4 units. (That’s data we collected from applicants for our 2025 Franchise 500 ranking.) There’s plenty of variation within the industry, of course, with some systems still dominated by single-unit owners and others made up entirely of multi-unit franchisees. But ultimately, there’s no doubt that multi-unit franchise ownership continues to gain popularity, which is why we’ve ranked the top brands for existing and prospective franchisees who are interested in it.

To do that, we first took into account each company’s 2025 Franchise 500 score, which is based on an analysis of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Then we looked at factors related more specifically to multi-unit ownership, such as discounts offered for multi-unit franchisees, whether brands sell only multi-unit or master license deals, what percentage of a brand’s franchisees own multiple units, what percentage of a brand’s total units are owned by multi-unit franchisees, and how many units the average franchisee within each brand owns.

This list should not be seen as a recommendation of any particular brand. But whether you’re just starting to think about buying a franchise and already have your sights set on multi-unit ownership, or whether you’re an experienced owner looking to expand your portfolio, it can serve as a great jumping-off point for your own research. Always read the company’s legal documents, consult with an attorney and an accountant, and talk to existing and former franchisees before investing.

Related: How I Built a Multi-Unit Franchise Operation Without Leaving My Day Job


We Asked Multi-unit Champions

What are some specific ways your brand encourages and supports multi-unit ownership?

“We help facilitate connections among our multi-unit owners through conferences, regional meetings, and online forums, allowing them to share best practices and build valuable relationships. We also have franchise business coaches that specialize in supporting our franchisees with more than 10 units.” — Matt Stanton, chief development officer, Purpose Brands (Anytime Fitness), No. 28

“We actively support multi-unit ownership through a flexible and scalable business model, including rewarding growth with reduced royalty fee percentages based on store count and sales, offering expansion planning support, and leveraging a point-of-sale system that can be configured for multi-store operations.” — Gary Skidmore, chief operating officer, Big O Tires, No. 47

“If an owner has the right mindset and a clear vision, we help build a smart, achievable plan for expansion. The PuroClean Elevations Program is a strategic initiative designed to support franchise owners in scaling their business responsibly. It strengthens operations, improves profitability, and prepares them for sustainable growth.” — Tim Courtney, vice president of franchise development, PuroClean, No. 79

Related: Considering Becoming a Multi-Unit Franchise Operator of a New Brand? Here’s What You Should Know First.

What qualities does a franchisee need to succeed at multi-unit ownership?

“Managing multiple teams across different locations requires the ability to inspire, delegate, and build a cohesive culture. We’ve seen that effective operators empower their teams and foster a sense of belonging and ownership across their restaurants.” — Jake Barden, senior vice president of franchise sales, Dine Brands (IHOP), No. 10

“Ultimately, it’s about shifting from being the best operator to becoming the best coach of operators. Multi-unit success is all about leading through others and knowing how to build, trust, and develop a team. The franchisees who do this while also staying extremely engaged in the business are the most successful ones.” — Susan Valverde, brand president, Sylvan Learning, No. 81

“A clear long-term vision is essential. Knowing where you want to be in five or 10 years helps guide smart decision-making. A strong focus on the guest experience is also key. Successful franchisees know how to identify and empower store managers who are passionate about delivering great service.” — Geoff Henry, president, Gong cha Americas, No. 139

Ready to break through your revenue ceiling? Join us at Level Up, a conference for ambitious business leaders to unlock new growth opportunities.

In franchising, the growth opportunities are endless. You could buy one unit — and then, if you succeed, you could buy a second. Then a third. Then onward into the hundreds or even thousands!

The franchise industry is full of people like that. More than 40% of all franchise units are owned by multi-unit franchisees, and the average franchisee owns 2.4 units. (That’s data we collected from applicants for our 2025 Franchise 500 ranking.) There’s plenty of variation within the industry, of course, with some systems still dominated by single-unit owners and others made up entirely of multi-unit franchisees. But ultimately, there’s no doubt that multi-unit franchise ownership continues to gain popularity, which is why we’ve ranked the top brands for existing and prospective franchisees who are interested in it.

To do that, we first took into account each company’s 2025 Franchise 500 score, which is based on an analysis of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Then we looked at factors related more specifically to multi-unit ownership, such as discounts offered for multi-unit franchisees, whether brands sell only multi-unit or master license deals, what percentage of a brand’s franchisees own multiple units, what percentage of a brand’s total units are owned by multi-unit franchisees, and how many units the average franchisee within each brand owns.

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/here-are-the-best-strategies-for-owning-multiple-franchises/494374




Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang Says He’s ‘Created More Billionaires’ Than Anyone Else — Adding Two More This Week

Two of Nvidia’s senior leaders are now billionaires, joining co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Nvidia’s Chief Financial Officer, Colette Kress, and the company’s Executive Vice President of World Field Operations, Jay Puri, are now each worth more than one billion dollars due to their ownership of Nvidia stock, according to Bloomberg.

Related: How Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Transformed a Graphics Card Company Into an AI Giant: ‘One of the Most Remarkable Business Pivots in History’

Kress, 57, owns nearly three million Nvidia shares and sold over 27,000 earlier this month for a cash amount of $4.7 million, according to a July 15 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She joined Nvidia in 2013, when the company’s market value was just over $9 billion, after nearly two decades at Cisco and Microsoft. The CFO graduated with an MBA in finance from Southern Methodist University, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Meanwhile, Puri, 70, joined Nvidia even earlier, in 2005, when the company’s market value was $6.25 billion. He oversees sales and marketing at Nvidia and was one of the first employees at Sun Microsystems, where he helped start its marketing department. An SEC filing from late June shows that he directly owns over 630,000 Nvidia shares worth more than $108 million, with indirect beneficial ownership of 20 million additional shares through various trusts.

With the new additions, the total number of billionaires working at Nvidia is at least six people, Bloomberg reports. The ranks include longtime directors Mark Stevens, Tench Coxe, and Harvey Jones in addition to Huang, Kress, and Puri.

Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang. Photo by Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance via Getty Images

Earlier this month, Nvidia achieved a milestone by becoming the first company in the world to hit a market value of $4 trillion, with the company’s stock growing 44% over the past six months. Two years ago, Nvidia’s market value was just $500 billion, highlighting its tremendous growth.

Related: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Will Make Nearly $1 Billion This Year Just from Selling Stock

Huang, who has served as Nvidia CEO since co-founding the company in 1993, said last week that he has “created more billionaires” on his management team than any other CEO in the world.

The 62-year-old CEO passed Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett in net worth earlier this month and is currently the ninth-richest person in the world with a net worth of $153 billion.

Huang co-founded Nvidia with former Sun Microsystems engineers Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. Forbes estimated last year that Priem, who left Nvidia in 2003 after serving as its chief technical officer for a decade, had a net worth of $30 million. Malachowsky, who still works at Nvidia as a senior technology executive, has an undisclosed net worth, according to Business Insider.

Related: Nvidia CEO Says ‘100% of Everybody’s Jobs Will Be Changed’ Due to AI

Nvidia’s stock growth has also minted millionaires — who still show up to work in the office. Employees who have been with Nvidia for five years are likely millionaires now, with a $77,700 stock grant received in 2019 worth more than $1.6 million today, according to Finlo’s investment calculator.

The rise in net worth has led to an increase in “semi-retired” employees who still work at Nvidia, but boast greater personal wealth. At a December 2023 meeting, Nvidia employees asked Huang how to address “semi-retired” employees, and the CEO responded by asking every employee to take responsibility for their work.

Nvidia’s stock is up over 1,580% over the past five years at the time of writing.

Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/nvidia-leaders-become-billionaires-joining-ceo-jensen-huang/495265




‘Ongoing Inflation Problem’: Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady for the Fifth-Straight Time

The Federal Reserve held rates steady on Wednesday for the fifth-straight time at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The bank kept interest rates between 4.25% and 4.5%.

“Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly to prices of some goods, but their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remain to be seen,” said Chairman Jerome Powell at the meeting.

Related: U.S. Economy Grew More Than Expected, According to Federal Data: ‘Broadly Indicative of a Healthy Economy’

Two members of the Board of Governors appointed by President Donald Trump dissented and suggested lowering interest rates by one-quarter of a percentage point. Still, the decision was expected by most experts. Inflation is at 2.7%, as of press time, higher than the Fed’s preferred 2% number.

“Our obligation is to keep longer-term… inflation expectations well anchored and to prevent a one-time increase in the price level from becoming an ongoing inflation problem,” Powell said.

Elyse Ausenbaugh, head of investment strategy at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, told Entrepreneur that the data didn’t justify a rate cut today.

“I don’t think there would have been much upside to Powell signaling that one was imminent,” Ausenbaugh wrote in an email. “The data, as it stands today, isn’t yet calling for one, and a lot could change between now and the FOMC’s next decision point in September.”

Although there was no clear signal about a September rate cut at the next Fed meeting, Ausenbaugh thinks it is a strong possibility.

Related: 3 Predictions for the U.S. Economy in 2025, According to a Chief Economist

“This is still a data-dependent Fed, and we expect the data to tell them to deliver a cut later this year as unemployment rises modestly and services inflation continues to cool,” Ausenbaugh wrote.

Powell, meanwhile, wasn’t as forthcoming, noting that the Fed will continue to examine the “evolving balance of risks before adjusting our policy stance.”

“We see our current policy stance as appropriate to guard against inflation risks,” Powell said.

Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/federal-reserve-holds-rates-steady-fifth-straight-time/495250




Here’s How Meta’s AI Superintelligence Effort Is Different From ‘Others in the Industry,’ According to Mark Zuckerberg’s New Blog Post

Mark Zuckerberg outlined Meta’s vision for AI in a letter published on Wednesday on Meta’s website that says the company’s vision is to bring superintelligence, or AI that surpasses human intelligence in reasoning, memory, and knowledge, into every individual’s hands. The Meta CEO stated that superintelligence has the potential to kickstart “a new era of personal empowerment” where people will have “greater agency” to shape the world.

“I am extremely optimistic that superintelligence will help humanity accelerate our pace of progress,” Zuckerberg wrote in the letter.

Related: ‘The Market Is Hot’: Here’s How Much a Typical Meta Employee Makes in a Year

Meta has made notable investments in its superintelligence push, offering some new hires over $200 million in compensation to join the effort. Last month, Zuckerberg announced the creation of a new Meta Superintelligence Labs team, which featured researchers poached from leading AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

In the letter, Zuckerberg wrote that at Meta, the target is not to automate or change the workforce, but “to bring personal intelligence to everyone” first, and give individuals the power to change their own lives with it. He wrote that “personal superintelligence” would be the most useful tool to help people create and connect, allowing them to achieve their personal goals.

This vision, he wrote, differs from “others in the industry” who suggest that superintelligence should first automate all work, and “then humanity will live on a dole of its output.”

For example, Tamay Besiroglu, the CEO of Mechanize, an AI startup backed by Google, told Business Insider earlier this month that the company aims to use AI to automate every job, starting with software engineering.

Meanwhile, other industry leaders have indicated that AI will impact the workforce, transforming the types of jobs that are required. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told CNBC last month that AI would result in “fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today and more people doing other types of jobs.” Plus, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted this month that AI would change “100% of everybody’s jobs.”

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Zuckerberg also predicted in the letter that personal devices like AI glasses would become humanity’s “primary computing devices” because they can “see what we see, hear what we hear, and interact with us throughout the day.”

Related: Meta Takes on ChatGPT By Releasing a Standalone AI App: ‘A Long Journey’

Meta is a market leader in smart glasses, holding over 60% of the global market share last year. Since debuting in October 2023, the $299 Ray-Ban Meta glasses have sold more than two million pairs, with sales tripling in the first half of this year compared to last year.

The company is developing new products, too. Meta introduced its $499 Oakley Meta AI glasses last month, and high-fashion Prada AI glasses are planned for the future, per CNBC.

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Related: Meta Poaches the CEO of a $32 Billion AI Startup — After Trying to Buy the Company and Being Told No

Mark Zuckerberg outlined Meta’s vision for AI in a letter published on Wednesday on Meta’s website that says the company’s vision is to bring superintelligence, or AI that surpasses human intelligence in reasoning, memory, and knowledge, into every individual’s hands. The Meta CEO stated that superintelligence has the potential to kickstart “a new era of personal empowerment” where people will have “greater agency” to shape the world.

“I am extremely optimistic that superintelligence will help humanity accelerate our pace of progress,” Zuckerberg wrote in the letter.

Related: ‘The Market Is Hot’: Here’s How Much a Typical Meta Employee Makes in a Year

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/mark-zuckerberg-outlines-metas-superintelligence-ai-vision/495257




If Email Is Your Main Strategy, You’re Missing the Easiest Way to Build Authority

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Let’s be honest: most marketing emails never get read. With the average professional sending and receiving nearly 150 emails a day, getting noticed in the inbox is a long shot. For busy buyers, ignoring irrelevant messages isn’t just a habit — it’s survival.

Still, many entrepreneurs treat email as their go-to channel for relationship building, brand promotion and lead generation. But the landscape has changed. Buyers are self-directed, content-fatigued and increasingly numb to outreach that doesn’t add value. If your marketing hinges on the perfect subject line, you’re already behind.

To grow your business today, you need more than email — you need pull.

Related: 4 Content Secrets from World-Class SaaS Companies That Any Business Can Apply

From push to pull

Email is a push tactic. You send a message — solicited or not — and hope it hits the right person at the right moment. Sometimes it works. But more often, it interrupts rather than engages.

Content marketing works differently. It’s a pull strategy. You create something valuable — an article, video or guide — and let your audience come to you when they’re ready. They discover your content on their terms, in their timeline, with real intent.

If your goal is to build trust, credibility and long-term interest, that distinction matters.

What content marketing does better than email

Email has limits. It reaches those you already know. It disappears within a day. And it’s rarely shared or reused.

Content, by contrast, builds momentum. A well-optimized blog post can surface in search results for months. A compelling video can get reshared across platforms. A strong point of view can open doors to podcast invites, speaking gigs and partnerships.

Content gives your message reach and staying power. It doesn’t just deliver once — it works repeatedly, across formats, audiences and buying stages.

The real role of email now

Email isn’t dead. But its job has changed. The most effective marketers today use email to amplify content, not replace it. They send a quick note that links to a deeper idea. They use email as a prompt, not a pitch.

Instead of cramming all the value into an inbox, they use email to guide people to something more meaningful — a resource, an insight, a perspective that sets them apart.

This shift is especially useful for solo founders and lean teams. You don’t need a complex funnel or a massive list. You just need something worth clicking through to.

Making content and email work together

The smartest marketing strategies treat content and email as a system, not separate tactics. Here’s how to make the two work in sync:

  • Keep your email short. One message, one link. Get people to the good stuff faster.
  • Match tone to content. If your article is thoughtful, your email should be too. Authenticity builds trust.
  • Learn from your audience. Every open, click and skip is a signal. Let that guide your content strategy.

Related: 10 Ways to Be an Authentic Entrepreneur and Sell Your Best Self

Better together

Content and email are most effective when they support each other. Content builds your presence, attracts new audiences and establishes authority. Email brings people back, deepens relationships and creates momentum.

But it only works if you lead with value. Email is the reminder. Content is the reason.

So if you’re still relying on inbox tactics to drive business growth, it’s time to rethink the strategy. Don’t just get into their inbox — earn their attention.

Ready to break through your revenue ceiling? Join us at Level Up, a conference for ambitious business leaders to unlock new growth opportunities.

Let’s be honest: most marketing emails never get read. With the average professional sending and receiving nearly 150 emails a day, getting noticed in the inbox is a long shot. For busy buyers, ignoring irrelevant messages isn’t just a habit — it’s survival.

Still, many entrepreneurs treat email as their go-to channel for relationship building, brand promotion and lead generation. But the landscape has changed. Buyers are self-directed, content-fatigued and increasingly numb to outreach that doesn’t add value. If your marketing hinges on the perfect subject line, you’re already behind.

To grow your business today, you need more than email — you need pull.

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/if-email-is-your-main-strategy-youre-missing-the/493452




This Is What the CEO of Kickstarter Wishes Aspiring Entrepreneurs Knew

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Everette Taylor had an entrepreneurial mentality from a very young age, buying candy at the store and selling it for a profit at school. At 19, he founded a business that played to his event-planning strengths and filled a niche in his community, EZ Events.

Taylor learned an important lesson about value when it came time to sell the business. Around six months after the sale, he found out the company had been sold again — this time for much more money.

“That was a really valuable lesson for me as a small business owner, to understand my value, but also continue to innovate and stay curious,” he says.

To Taylor, staying curious means researching your industry and discovering new ways to grow, while innovation can help entrepreneurs better understand the value they bring to their fields.

Related: He Went From Customer to CEO of a Rapidly-Expanding Dessert Chain By Following This Process

This mindset has guided Taylor throughout his career. He now leads as CEO of Kickstarter, where he’s not only reshaping the way people think about crowdfunding but also creating new opportunities for small business owners and creatives around the world.

According to Taylor, there are three forms of crowdfunding: donation-based (like GoFundMe), equity-based (like Wefunder), and reward-based, which is the model used by Kickstarter.

“Kickstarter is reward-based crowdfunding, or creative crowdfunding,” he says. “We have people who are doing everything from film and theater to comics, to games, to fashion, to tech products, to music. But you’re not giving up any percentage of your company.”

Reward-based crowdfunding empowers founders to maintain full ownership, test out their ideas in the market and build loyal communities, all without giving up equity or taking on debt.

“With Kickstarter, you own 100% of your company,” Taylor says. “This is non-dilutive money. And you can raise an incredible amount of money on the platform — even more than you may have gotten from venture capital.”

Related: ‘Creators Left So Much Money on the Table’: Kickstarter’s CEO Reveals the Story Behind the Company’s Biggest Changes in 15 Years

Kickstarter can be a game-changer for small business owners with limited access to capital, whether due to a lack of credit history or the limitations of bank loans. Taylor has seen firsthand how small businesses use the platform not just to survive but to scale, from a Black-owned ice cream shop in Richmond, Virginia, to an artist-led gallery space in Chicago.

Still, growth on Kickstarter doesn’t happen overnight. Taylor emphasized that a successful fundraising campaign requires more than a great idea. “Kickstarter is a business. At the end of the day, no matter if you’re a creative, what your background is, you have to have a true go-to market strategy,” he says.

To make the process easier, Kickstarter recently launched tools that support creators before, during and after their campaigns go live. From installment payment options to pledge managers that handle shipping, taxes and add-ons, the platform is no longer just a launchpad but a whole ecosystem.

“With these post-campaign tools, we’ve allowed people to be successful throughout their entire journey,” Taylor says.

Related: She Created the Dance Studio She Was Looking For. Now, It’s a Nationwide Brand.

These innovations come from gathering feedback from funders, customers, backers and communities. For Taylor, the Kickstarter audience’s input is essential. “You have to have tough skin,” he says. “You need to embrace all of the good and the bad that comes with that path. For me, I love feedback because I’m constantly trying to be a better person every day.”

As for what he wishes more people understood about crowdfunding, Taylor emphasized this method of financing isn’t charity. “This is not begging for money,” he says. “You’re delivering value into the world. You’re bringing something new, something of value that people want to support or have for themselves.”

Related: She Went From Teacher to Owning a Business in an Unexpected Industry – And Wants Others to Do the Same: ‘There Is So Much Opportunity’

From flipping candy and party planning to now leading a platform that’s helped creators raise billions in funding, Taylor’s advice to current and future entrepreneurs is straightforward and powerful:

  • Start with what you have. You don’t need outside funding or fancy credentials to build something meaningful. Use your talent, find your niche and take the first step.
  • Keep your ownership. You don’t have to give up equity to grow. Crowdfunding offers a path for creators to raise capital, keep control and build community all at once.
  • Know your value. Don’t underestimate what you’re building or settle for less. Whether it’s your first company or your tenth, trust your vision and back it with strategy.
  • Stay curious and be teachable. Every setback, sale and review is a chance to grow.
  • Lead with impact. Business isn’t just about products; it’s about people. When you build something that serves a real need, the support will follow.

Watch the new episode above to hear directly from Everette Taylor, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Wednesday.

Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl

Ready to break through your revenue ceiling? Join us at Level Up, a conference for ambitious business leaders to unlock new growth opportunities.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/what-the-ceo-of-kickstarter-wishes-aspiring-entrepreneurs/495237