October 2024

Liz Dee, co-president of American candy company Smarties with her sister Jessica Dee Sawyer and cousin Sarah Dee, didn’t always know she wanted to join the family business, which was founded by her grandfather Edward Dee in Bloomfield, New Jersey in 1949.

However, Dee continued “responding to the call,” working on copy for Smarties’ first website when she was in middle school and helping launch and maintain its social media accounts in college and graduate school. She took on her current leadership role in 2008.

Smarties, which just celebrated its 75th anniversary, is still based in New Jersey, where Edward Dee immigrated with his family from England the same year he started the company. Since its founding, and even over the course of Dee’s own tenure as co-president, the marketing landscape has changed significantly.

“It is an uphill battle to maintain relevance and shelf space,” Dee says. “Even if people love your product and love your brand, [you have] maybe a few facings on the shelf when some of the other companies out there have, say, 25% of shelf space, and that’s a limited resource.”

Related: People Underestimated Her ‘Sweet’ Idea, and She Took Advantage of It — All the Way to $125 Million in Annual Sales and a $360 Million Exit

Halloween is approaching, and Smarties attributes more than 25% of its annual sales to the holiday. This year, Smarties saw the earliest demand for Halloween ever in Dee’s time with the company, with requests to ship for the holiday beginning in June.

Smarties rolls out inventive giveaway campaigns, including one for Halloween: Sweet Switch, which allows people with food allergies or sensitivities to swap candy that’s unsafe for them for Smarties.

“You don’t actually need to send your candy back to us,” Dee explains. “Someone can just upload a photo of that to us, and we will go ahead and send them the Smarties. This is a nice way for us to both highlight the fact that we are top allergen-free [and] be there for people who are going to be receiving a lot of candy but may feel a little bit left out.”

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Smarties}

During her time as Smarties’ co-president, Dee has led with an important goal: the company’s commitment to remaining family-owned while maintaining its relevance and authenticity in the crowded candy space.

Related: The Best Leadership Advice Isn’t Fancy. But It Will Get You the Greatest ROI.

Dee shares with Entrepreneur the leadership lessons that help Smarties meet those objectives — including the piece of advice she chose to ignore.

“No job is too small.”

Fittingly, Dee’s grandfather, Edward Dee, who was just inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame last weekend, gave her some leadership advice that’s served her well during her time at Smarties.

“My grandfather attributed this quote to Thomas Edison, but he would say, ‘Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work,'” Dee says. “And that really speaks to the way we manage, which is, no job is too small.”

Related: Passion, Grit, Resilience: The Formula for Success

At Smarties, Dee strives to lead with a certain “scrappiness” and “grit.” The factory floor is just on the other side of her office wall, and she’s no stranger to rolling up her sleeves for an up-close look at the production process, she says.

“I am able to be there supporting team members and also seeing what’s happening where the candy is being made,” Dee explains. “If people climb further and further up ladders, they may just get further and further distance from the production of the products that allow them to even have the lights on in their offices.”

“You bring people up with you.”

On the topic of ladders, Dee mentions another leadership tip she strongly believes in: You don’t climb a ladder and bring it up with you.

“You bring people up with you,” Dee says. “[I’ve always] believed it’s very important to continue to support, empower and lift up team members, and we look for opportunities to do that where we can. It definitely speaks to a sense of the connection and gratitude that I feel for how I’m here and why I’m here — because we are supporting one another, working together to achieve shared, company-wide goals.”

Related: How ‘Elevator’ Leaders Lift Everyone to Higher Achievement

“We’re not going to hide who we are.”

Additionally, early on in Dee’s career, when she transitioned to leadership in the candy industry, she received a “bad” piece of leadership advice she disagreed with — and opted not to take.

The suggestion came from a 60-something man, Dee recalls, who told her that she and her co-presidents should hide the fact that Smarties is a women-run business. He didn’t think it would be good for the company — a belief that spoke more to his perspective than any real consumer analysis on the subject, Dee says.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Smarties. Sarah Dee, left; Jessica Dee Sawyer, center; and Liz Dee, right.}

“We’re not going to hide who we are, regardless,” Dee says. “It’s really important, particularly as women in leadership, to tell our stories [and] not be ashamed or afraid to be authentically ourselves. We’re a women-run business. We’re a majority women-owned business. And we have a triumvirate leadership, which is an unusual leadership structure, but it works for us.”

Related: This Math Major Recruited by Goldman Sachs Got Well-Acquainted With Corporate America and the ‘Problematic’ Phrase That Undermines Women Leaders — Now She’s Fighting Back

“People love Smarties.”

Now, as Dee looks to Smarties’ next 75 years and beyond, she’s excited to push forward its legacy, one rooted in a family history that’s already laid the foundation for a successful future.

“People love Smarties,” Dee says. “[They] tell me about it. It brings them joy, and they share that joy, and I want for that to continue. I know we can continue it by walking our path, maintaining our family legacy and doing what we do, which is keeping our people first [and] making sure that we continue to offer the same consistent, high-quality products that people know and love us for.”

Americans are more likely to regret the things they didn’t do than the things they have done.

That’s according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults split evenly by generation, which found that only 11% of Americans don’t have regrets.

Between not speaking up (40%), not visiting family or friends enough (36%) and not pursuing their dreams (35%), those missed opportunities add up.

Related: Always Waiting for the Best Option Is Holding You Back. Here’s Why.

In their lifetime, Americans average three missed chances to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip, four lost opportunities to ask their crush out and six instances of not having the perfect comeback in an argument.

On the flip side, the top actions Americans regret include spending money or purchasing something (49%), fighting with friends or family (43%) and making an unnecessary comment (36%).

Over the years, Americans also regret an average of five angry text messages and two break-ups.

In fact, nearly one-third (32%) of baby boomers have a regret that spans three decades and still crosses their minds an average of three times per month.

While millennials’ oldest regret is only about 11 years old, they average fretting about it almost once per week, more than any other generation.

Related: The Top 5 Regrets of Mid-Career Professionals

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Mucinex, results revealed that Americans are almost twice as likely to make bad decisions at night (41%) than in the morning (22%).

Moreover, Americans also tend to regret something more at night (43%). Nighttime decisions such as not going to bed at a decent time (47%), eating too many snacks or too much food (36%) and arguing with a loved one (35%) are the most likely to negatively impact Americans the next morning.

For Gen Zers, failing to do their nighttime routine (29%) or forgetting to turn on their alarm (22%) will almost always ensure morning distress.

These poor choices not only cause regret but also put Americans in a bad mood (39%), leave them unable to tackle the day (29%) or even inhibit them from fulfilling the day’s responsibilities (20%).

Related: 10 Horrible Habits You’re Doing Right Now That Are Draining Your Energy

But what factors are contributing to these bad decisions? According to the results, being tired (40%), sick and desperate for relief (20%) or after a long night out (15%) are the most likely culprits.

“We don’t make the best decisions when we’re sick or tired, especially at night,” says Albert So, marketing director of upper respiratory at Reckitt. “And while no one is going to get it right every single time, it’s important to have products you can rely on to help you make better decisions so you don’t wake up with regrets.”

For all the bad decisions made and opportunities missed, 48% of Americans still agree with the common saying, “Never regret anything because, at one moment, it was exactly what you wanted.”

This may be because almost two-thirds (64%) believe that their decision-making has gotten better as they’ve gotten older.

Results also revealed that some “bad” decisions don’t always result in feelings of regret. Staying up late with friends (24%), quitting a job (23%), taking a chance on a new food (20%), moving somewhere new (17%) and going to a concert on a weeknight (10%) are all choices Americans consider to have been “worth it.”

“Few things are worse than starting your day regretting a choice you made the night before, especially when you’re suffering from cold and flu symptoms and have a busy day ahead,” So says. “Feeling better starts with getting a good night’s sleep and making smart decisions before bed so you wake up feeling ready to go with no regrets.”

Related: 10 Regrets Most Entrepreneurs Eventually Face

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI introduced Whisper two years ago as an AI tool that transcribes speech to text. Now, the tool is used by AI healthcare company Nabla and its 45,000 clinicians to help transcribe medical conversations across over 85 organizations, like the University of Iowa Health Care.

However, new research shows that Whisper has been “hallucinating,” or adding statements that no one has said, into transcripts of conversations, raising the question of how quickly medical facilities should adopt AI if it yields errors.

According to the Associated Press, a University of Michigan researcher found hallucinations in 80% of Whisper transcriptions. An unnamed developer found hallucinations in half of more than 100 hours of transcriptions. Another engineer found inaccuracies in almost all of the 26,000 transcripts they generated with Whisper.

Faulty transcriptions of conversations between doctors and patients could have “really grave consequences,” Alondra Nelson, professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ, told AP.

“Nobody wants a misdiagnosis,” Nelson stated.

Related: AI Isn’t ‘Revolutionary Change,’ and Its Benefits Are ‘Exaggerated,’ Says MIT Economist

Earlier this year, researchers at Cornell University, New York University, the University of Washington, and the University of Virginia published a study that tracked how many times OpenAI’s Whisper speech-to-text service hallucinated when it had to transcribe 13,140 audio segments with an average length of 10 seconds. The audio was sourced from TalkBank’s AphasiaBank, a database featuring the voices of people with aphasia, a language disorder that makes it difficult to communicate.

The researchers found 312 instances of “entire hallucinated phrases or sentences, which did not exist in any form in the underlying audio” when they ran the experiment in the spring of 2023.

Related: Google’s New AI Search Results Are Already Hallucinating — Telling Users to Eat Rocks and Make Pizza Sauce With Glue

Among the hallucinated transcripts, 38% contained harmful language, like violence or stereotypes, that did not match the context of the conversation.

“Our work demonstrates that there are serious concerns regarding Whisper’s inaccuracy due to unpredictable hallucinations,” the researchers wrote.

The researchers say that the study could also mean a hallucination bias in Whisper, or a tendency for it to insert inaccuracies more often for a particular group — and not just for people with aphasia.

“Based on our findings, we suggest that this kind of hallucination bias could also arise for any demographic group with speech impairments yielding more disfluencies (such as speakers with other speech impairments like dysphonia [disorders of the voice], the very elderly, or non-native language speakers),” the researchers stated.

Related: OpenAI Reportedly Used More Than a Million Hours of YouTube Videos to Train Its Latest AI Model

Whisper has transcribed seven million medical conversations through Nabla, per The Verge.

Being productive is often presented as a lifestyle — wake up early, learn to time block, practice a healthy lifestyle, use the right tools — you name it. The promise is that if you take full control over your time and work environment, you will perform at your best.

While there’s certainly some truth to that, there’s one little thing that we all take for granted that can undermine the majority of your productivity gains — notifications.

These days, as an entrepreneur or manager, your attention is constantly being pulled every which way. Urgent requests, project updates, general communication, team member questions, sales pitches, impromptu meetings… and that’s just work. There’s also life — social media, personal messages and calls, news, package deliveries.

Each interruption comes with a notification — a ping, a pop-up, a vibration, a call — all designed to grab your attention immediately. This releases dopamine, making you feel good, and a dollop of cortisol, making you feel a sense of urgency.

It’s killing your productivity and that of your team, too.

Here’s how and what to do about it.

A note on productivity

The holy grail of productivity is reaching a state of flow. In our day-to-day, we typically call it being in the zone or riding a wave, or being locked in. In simple terms, it’s that moment when you’re working and you’re fully focused on the task, effortlessly making headway as time seems to disappear.

When you’re in a state of flow, your personal productivity is at its peak.

Most productivity techniques are just different methods intended to assist with reaching this state:

• Pomodoro timers? Give yourself a runway for uninterrupted work
• Time blocking? Get rid of distractions for an extended amount of time
• Eating the frog? Do the big thing first so it doesn’t weigh on your mind and distract you the rest of the day

Productivity is principally about maximizing focus and minimizing distractions. And there’s science behind it. Studies suggest that, after a distraction, it takes up to 23 minutes to refocus on the task you were engaged in fully.

The reason is twofold.

For one, humans are absolutely terrible at multitasking. It’s been proven time and time again that we’re at our peak when deep-diving into a single task. While it’s certainly possible to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously — we all do it all the time — your attention is a finite resource that drops the more it’s divided.

Second, we cannot go from 0 to 100 instantly when it comes to work. Getting into the flow of things requires momentum — to acclimatize and reorient yourself within the context, purpose, workflow and progress of a particular task. Once momentum is lost, it must be rebuilt, and that takes time, energy, and willpower.

Related: Become More Productive With This Easy Hack

Notifications – the productivity vampire

You probably already see where I’m going with this. Notifications are the number one biggest threat to your productivity because they:

• Fracture your focus and derail your train of thought
• Increase stress levels by creating a constant sense of urgency
• Foster a culture of immediate response, leading to shallow work
• Contribute to decision fatigue, depleting your willpower throughout the day

For some, the negative effects can extend beyond that. As mentioned, notifications create a dopamine-driven feedback loop that can be addictive. Each ping or vibration triggers a small dopamine release, making us feel momentarily good and important. This constant stream of small rewards can lead to a compulsive need to check our devices, even when there are no notifications.

Over time, this behavior can rewire our brains, making concentrating on deep, meaningful work harder. We become accustomed to constant stimulation, making it challenging to engage in the type of focused, uninterrupted work that drives real productivity and innovation.

Related: Sometimes Honesty Isn’t Always the Best Policy. Here Are 9 Scenarios Where It Actually May Be Better to Lie.

The 5-minute fix

Turn off your notifications and, if possible, let your team do the same. You can do it right now in just a few moments – take your work devices, go into Settings > Notifications, and either turn them off or delay them.

• Too drastic?
• Mute individual apps.
• Are you worried about being unreachable?
• Leave open an emergency contact channel.
• Got some other reason?

Consider implementing a notification schedule. Set specific times during the day to check and respond to messages. This allows you to stay connected without constant interruptions. You can also use “Do Not Disturb” modes on most devices, which can be customized to allow calls from specific contacts or repeated calls in case of emergencies. Remember, it’s about finding a balance that works – one that allows for focused work time while still maintaining necessary communication.

Related: I’m a Small Business Owner. How Should I Vote?

It’s not just about you

As a leader, you explicitly and implicitly dictate how the people you manage work. If you’re “always on,” your team will feel the pressure to do the same. There are also strong power dynamics at play — who would dare ignore a message from the CEO, even if it’s just for a couple of hours? This creates a culture of interruption that can significantly hinder overall productivity.

If you notice the deleterious effects of notifications, lead by example and release your team from them, too. Establish clear communication guidelines that respect focused work time and encourage your team to block out periods for deep work.

Related: 9 Habit Stacking Routines to Boost Your Productivity

Listen, I’m a CEO and father of two – I fully understand that we live in an age of immediacy, of constant communication, and of incredibly accelerated workflows. Not everyone can switch off for prolonged periods of time, even if it’s just an hour or two.

Just keep in mind that notifications can undermine any other productivity efforts on your part – and blocking them is the easiest place to start to improve your output capacity.

I was fortunate to be exposed to the importance of the entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. Though I had no idea what an entrepreneur was or what they did, I was influenced by my schoolteacher parents, who involved my brother and me in our family’s side hustle: renovating homes.

My parents came from humble backgrounds. My mother was homeless for part of her childhood, and my father was an immigrant who came from few resources. When they were married, a home represented much more than a place to live. It was safety and security.

Almost every summer growing up, we would move into a new home that met the threshold of being the worst house on a nice street, with the goal of renovating and updating it before the start of the school year.

To my brother and I, it seemed like a great adventure to move into a new home every summer and help our parents scrape paint, sand floors and hang wallpaper. We didn’t realize at the time that our parents were helping the family live more comfortably and teaching us about the importance of hard work and channeling our entrepreneurial drive.

Today, as a parent of three young boys, I’m also trying to foster an early understanding of financial literacy, business concepts and entrepreneurism in my kids. Not just because I want my children to be financially secure as adults but also because I know having that entrepreneurial drive is a great foundation for whatever they pursue as they get older.

My oldest is a budding chicken farmer at the age of seven. My family lives in the country, and he wanted to try raising chickens and selling their eggs to our neighbors.

As basic as it sounds, it’s become a fun way for him to learn responsibilities like feeding the chickens and cleaning their coop while being exposed to the concepts of buying and selling products. It’s fun for him, but it’s also helping to ingrain a level of financial literacy, just as reading to him as a baby and toddler contributed to his traditional literacy.

While some effort has been made in recent years to integrate financial literacy into elementary and high school curriculums, there remains a significant gap in educating children and youth about personal finances, business principles and entrepreneurship.

According to a 2024 report by The National Financial Educators Council, not one American state meets even the basic standards for educating students in financial literacy, stating: “While standards for K-12 education have been reformed, no state applies those same standards for rigor, instruction time, or teacher preparation to its financial literacy requirements. Not a single state prioritizes financial education as a core subject area.”

The report also notes that this failure to address a critical aspect of basic education has consequences: “Only 57% of Americans are financially literate, ranking the country 14th in the world on that metric; and four out of five U.S. adults say they were never given an opportunity to learn about personal finance.”

Those numbers can lead to extremely poor financial decisions like taking on too much debt, entering into high-interest loans that can never be paid off, and, in the most extreme cases, bankruptcies, which rose 16% in June 2024 compared to 2023.

Just because schools aren’t measuring up on teaching financial literacy, there are steps parents can take to help educate the entrepreneurs of the future.

Related: How to Raise Entrepreneurial Minded Kids

1. Give your own lessons on financial literacy at home

From the old-fashioned piggy bank to a basic savings account to creating a budget to buy a prized toy with a weekly allowance, there are lots of ways to get kids thinking about how money works.

Parents often shy away from discussing finances with their kids, which can do them a disservice. You don’t need to discuss your 401k, but even just getting them to find the cheaper peanut butter at the grocery store or showing them how your car payment works can go a long way toward establishing a foundation for understanding finances.

2. Encourage entrepreneurial reading

There are dozens of great books you can give or read to your child to help teach basicfinancial literacy lessonsy. One of my sons’ favorites is the Lawn Boy series by Gary Paulsen, about a 12-year-old who uses his grandfather’s riding mower to create a neighborhood lawn care empire one summer. Other great options include Investing for Kids: From Piggy Banks to Portfolios, Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells, or The Berenstain Bears’ Dollars and Sense.

Related: These Are the 3 Things That Make Daymond John Want to Give You Money

3. Help your child start a small business

Most of us remember trying to sell lemonade from a table on the front lawn at some point during our childhood, or we had enterprising friends who tried it. While people may be less inclined to buy food or drink from strangers these days, kids can offer to mow neighbors’ lawns, rake leaves, shovel snow – or yes, even start a chicken coop.

Making signs and flyers to promote their business is a great way to teach kids about marketing, setting prices in line with demand, interacting with “customers,” and exchanging services for cash.

Related: 4 Pillars for Raising Entrepreneurial Children

While some parents feel finances and business are not a subject for kids, I believe offering basic, age-appropriate lessons to kids can have a huge impact as they grow up.

Just like exposing them to a second language from a young age can create language pathways that make learning languages easier later in life, the same philosophy holds true for educating children on the basics of economics and business.

For business owners, losing important items like access cards, company phones or personal wallets can be more than just an inconvenience—it can disrupt workflows and even jeopardize sensitive information. With 41% of data breaches traced back to lost or stolen devices, according to LocknCharge, misplaced items pose a serious risk.

Having an efficient way to track and recover essential items is crucial. The KeySmart SmartCard offers a practical solution by integrating with Apple’s Find My app so you can track any item the SmartCard is attached to, whether it’s in your wallet or tucked in your phone case. Normally, one of these razor-thin trackers would be $39, but you can go directly to checkout and pick one up now for $34.99.

Find your lost items in moments

Any time you leave behind an item holding a KeySmart® SmartCard, the Apple Find My app sends notifications directly to your iPhone, CarPlay or AirPods, allowing you to act before it becomes a bigger issue. For cards that go missing altogether, Lost Mode pinpoints the last known location and displays a message with your contact information, making it easier for whoever finds the card to return it.

Designed for business professionals who value efficiency, the SmartCard is ultra-slim—thinner than two credit cards—and fits effortlessly into a wallet or lanyard slot for security badges or office passes. This minimizes the risk of HR visits for lost access cards and ensures you’re always prepared.

It’s even built to handle the unexpected with an IPX8 waterproof rating that keeps it safe even in harsh conditions like spilled coffee at the office or rain on your commute.

Charging the SmartCard is as easy as placing it on a Qi-compatible wireless charger, eliminating the need for proprietary cables. Plus, the battery lasts up to five months on a single charge, so you can tuck it somewhere safe and forget about it.

For business owners balancing multiple tasks and tight schedules, this reliable tracking solution offers a smart way to stay organized and reduce the risks of lost items.

Don’t worry about lost devices, wallets, or even your company badge.

Time is limited. Skip straight to checkout and get a KeySmart® SmartCard on sale for $34.99.

KeySmart® SmartCard – Thinnest Card Tracker & Works with Apple Find My – $34.99

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Software subscription fees can quickly add up, and for small-business owners, entrepreneurs, or freelancers, these costs can eat into profits. Businesses spend approximately 29% of their IT budgets on software, according to a 2023 survey by Gartner.

For business professionals who are looking to streamline workflow without paying steep subscription fees, the Ultimate 2019 Microsoft Bundle might be the perfect solution. For just $71.94 (regularly $927), this comprehensive four-part bundle offers Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019, Windows 11 Pro, Project 2019, and Visio 2019.

While it’s not the newest version of Microsoft’s software, it can deliver tremendous value for anyone seeking tools to manage their business, boost productivity, and work efficiently. The bundle offers a lifetime license, meaning you’ll get all the functionality you need without the recurring costs associated with subscription services like Microsoft 365.

However, it does come with Windows 11 Pro, which includes the recent AI updates. Windows 11 Pro delivers a modern, intuitive interface with enhanced security features such as biometric login and Smart App Control, making it ideal for professionals who prioritize privacy and usability. It’s also equipped with tools that support multitasking, such as Snap Layouts and Virtual Desktops.

For companies looking to reduce overhead without compromising essential functionality, making a one-time purchase of slightly older software is a smart financial move. This includes Office’s most popular productivity tools, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Project 2019 is a must-have for anyone who is managing large or small projects. It helps track tasks, timelines, and resources, making it easier to stay on top of deadlines and ensure your team moves in the right direction. Project 2019 gives you the tools to streamline processes and manage tasks efficiently.

Visio 2019 is ideal for creating professional diagrams, flowcharts, and organizational charts. It’s particularly valuable for visualizing complex data or workflows, which is essential for business owners looking to improve operational efficiency.

If you need a productivity boost without eating into savings, take a closer look at this bundle.

Get the Ultimate 2019 Microsoft Bundle with Office, Project, Visio, and Windows 11 Pro for $71.94 (regularly $927).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

If your business relies on secure data storage but you’re tired of monthly subscriptions eating into your budget, Koofr Cloud Storage can be the solution. With a one-time payment, you gain lifetime access to 1TB of cloud storage — enough to handle your most critical business documents, presentations, and media files without the need for recurring fees.

Say goodbye to constant subscription costs and hello to a storage solution that fits your long-term business needs with lifetime access for $119.97 using promo code KOOFR40. This deal is only discounted through October 27 — so if you’re ready to purchase now, head straight to checkout.

Koofr doesn’t track user activity, giving your business the privacy it deserves, the company says. In a world where data security is non-negotiable, Koofr ensures your sensitive information remains confidential while still providing the tools you need to get work done.

1TB of storage can hold up to about 250,000 photos, 500 hours of HD video, or millions of documents. This gives you more than enough space to store client contracts, business presentations, and video assets — all organized in a single, secure location. Plus, Koofr’s advanced file management tools help you streamline your data. With a built-in duplicate finder, you can easily clear out redundant files and keep your storage efficient and clutter-free.

Koofr also makes it easy to integrate existing cloud accounts like Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, allowing you to centralize your business data in one place for faster access and smoother operations.

If your business needs reliable storage, enhanced privacy, and a one-time payment solution, Koofr is designed to simplify your workflow while keeping your data secure.

Hurry and go right to checkout to take advantage of this deal ending on October 27 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific for 1TB of Koofr Cloud Storage available for $119.97 with coupon code KOOFR40.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

In my own journey, I know firsthand how leadership and being an entrepreneur can sometimes feel like navigating through stormy seas, especially when I left my corporate career without a clear plan. The landscape was constantly shifting around me, and it was easy to feel overwhelmed by the unknown. But it was in that uncertainty that I found the power of bold leadership. I believe, “Boldness isn’t about being fearless; It is about believing in yourself and stepping forward, even when you feel the fear.” It’s in those moments, when everything feels out of control, that bold leadership becomes not just valuable — but essential.

When I left my corporate career in 2020, I had no roadmap, no clear next step and a whole lot of fear. But I made a bold decision to trust myself, and that leap into the unknown led me to build something more aligned with my true purpose. In the process, I created the BOLD Framework — Believe, Own, Learn, and Design — to guide others through times of change and challenge. At this point, fear and freedom were partners with me as I moved forward into building my business and creating a company I believe I was destined to create.

In my book Be BOLD Today, I discuss how fear is often the catalyst for our boldest moves. It’s in the face of uncertainty that leaders must rise, showing up for themselves, their teams and their visions.

Here are four ways to lead boldly in a changing world, even when you feel the fear.

Related: 4 Ways Leaders Can Navigate Change and Find the Hidden Opportunities

1. Believe in your vision (even when the future feels uncertain)

Change can shake the strongest leaders, but bold leadership begins with an unwavering belief in your vision. When I walked away from my corporate job, I didn’t have all the answers, but I had belief — belief that there was something bigger for me and that I had the power to create it. That belief was my anchor.

The first step in my BOLD Framework is Believe. As a leader, this belief becomes even more critical during times of uncertainty. It’s the ability to hold fast to your mission, even when the way forward isn’t clear. Your belief in your vision provides stability when everything else feels like it’s shifting.

Action step: Reaffirm your vision daily. In moments of doubt, remind yourself why you started and what you’re working toward. The belief you cultivate will help you push through fear and lead with clarity. You must believe in yourself — your opinion of yourself is paramount to your success. Think of your belief like the “gas” in your tank on the road to your dreams.

2. Own your decisions (even when you feel unsteady)

Leadership during times of change requires making tough decisions — ones that may not always be popular or easy. But bold leaders are those who take full ownership, even when the path forward feels unsteady.

When I co-founded Bold Industries Group with my daughter, I had to own every decision we made, from launching our first product to hiring our first team member. I knew that stepping into ownership was the only way to steer the ship forward.

In the Own phase of the BOLD Framework, you recognize that no one else is responsible for your journey but you. When you take ownership of your decisions, you step into your power as a leader. Even in the face of change, owning your choices builds confidence and resilience.

Action step: In challenging moments, stand by your decisions with confidence. Acknowledge any fear or doubt, but don’t let it dictate your actions. Owning your path, no matter how uncertain, empowers you to lead with strength.

Related: Why Owning Your Decisions Is Critical to Your Success As An Entrepreneur

3. Learn from every shift (because change is your greatest teacher)

If change teaches us anything, it’s that growth often comes from our greatest challenges. When I pivoted from corporate life to entrepreneurship, I didn’t know what I was doing half the time. But I treated every setback as an opportunity to learn. In business and life, change pushes us to adapt, innovate and grow.

In the Learn phase of the BOLD Framework, we embrace the idea that every challenge presents a lesson. As leaders, when we approach change with a mindset of curiosity, we position ourselves to evolve and thrive. Instead of fearing the unknown, bold leaders use it as a chance to learn, recalibrate and move forward.

Action step: Next time you face an unexpected challenge, ask yourself, “What can I learn here?” Whether it’s a new skill, a different perspective or a reimagined approach, every shift offers an opportunity to grow as a leader.

4. Design a bold future (even when the way forward is unclear)

In times of change, it’s easy to feel like you’re reacting instead of leading. But bold leadership means actively designing the future you want to create, even when the path isn’t clear. This is where the Design phase of my framework comes into play.

After believing in your vision, owning your power and learning from the shifts around you, it’s time to design a new course of action. This isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about creating a plan that reflects your bold vision while staying adaptable to the inevitable changes ahead.

When I began building my business, I had to design a future that aligned with my values, my purpose and my bold vision. Every step of the way, I refined the course based on what I learned. That’s the key to bold leadership — designing a path forward while staying flexible enough to adapt.

Action step: Sit down and intentionally map out the next steps in your leadership journey. What do you want to create, and how can you design a bold plan to make it happen? Don’t worry about perfection. Focus on progress, and stay open to adjusting your design as you learn.

Related: Thriving in Chaos: Mastering Uncertainty in Business

Being a bold leader in a world of constant change isn’t about having all the answers or never feeling afraid. It’s about choosing to lead with conviction even when the path ahead is unclear. As I’ve experienced in my own journey, and as I emphasize as my definition of bold, “Boldness is stepping forward even when doubt whispers in your ear — because it’s not the absence of fear, but the decision to rise above it.”

No matter what challenges or uncertainties come your way, remember that you have the power to design your future. Bold leadership is about embracing the unknown, owning your decisions and confidently designing a path forward, knowing that even in the face of fear, you can create something extraordinary.

Now is the time to lead boldly, because the world needs leaders who can turn uncertainty into opportunity that makes a positive difference.

Parachuting onto the 50-yard line is an unusual way to arrive at a football game.

As a West Point senior on the sport parachute team, I joined several classmates leaping from a helicopter and landing inside Michie Stadium with the game ball.

At the academy, I got hooked on jumping out of aircraft — Huey and Blackhawk helicopters, Twin Otters, Cessnas, even from the ramp of a giant Air Force C-5 transport plane. I tallied more than 450 jumps over four years. In hindsight, those experiences helped prepare me for a career where I’ve repeatedly parachuted into a new role, big challenge or unfamiliar environment.

After leading an Army platoon in Afghanistan, I taught at the Naval Academy (deep behind “enemy lines”), worked on a presidential campaign and served at the Pentagon. I shifted to the technology industry in my early 30s, first at a startup, then at Meta, then as a corporate advisor. I began my current role as chief of staff at tech pioneer Coherent (NYSE: COHR) this year.

These transitions might seem jarring. In fact, they’re anything but. Throughout my career, I’ve intentionally sought opportunities to build diverse skills, knowledge and relationships to prepare myself for greater responsibility and impact.

But this has required mastering the art of parachuting — landing in new roles and unfamiliar territory. Here’s how I’ve learned to make the most of those shifts and what others can take away from the experience.

Related: What My Near-Death Experience Revealed About Resilience

Fear is inevitable. Get used to it

There’s nothing natural about hurling yourself out the open door of an aircraft and falling through free space at 120 mph. In paratrooper training, even some of the toughest guys froze out of sheer terror… only to get a boot in the back from the instructor. My fear of heights made parachuting an especially unlikely passion — but it squares with my view that the best way to conquer a fear is to stare it in the face.

Changing roles, whether it’s at the same company or moving to an entirely new industry, can be equally scary. Our careers are our lives, after all. They’re our financial mainstay. They’re often intimately wrapped up with our sense of self. It can be terrifying to stand on that ledge and leap into the abyss.

But facing that fear — and getting comfortable with it — is worth it. So, what are some concrete takeaways for leaders and entrepreneurs on reckoning with fear?

• First, a shift in perspective is critical — from seeing change as an aberration to a constant. As Elon Musk notes, “Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.” Most people will now shift roles more than a dozen times in their lives, so all of us need to get comfortable plunging into something new.
• Another key step is reminding yourself of times that you’ve been intimidated and overcome challenges in the past. This kind of neural rewiring can be an effective antidote to fear.

You get a 15,000-foot view: Take advantage

Most afternoons, I’d get a couple of practice jumps with the team after class. As any former cadet can attest, it’s an exceptionally busy time, and just getting through the day often seemed a huge challenge.

But putting on my parachute rig, dangling my legs over the helicopter skids and getting some distance from affairs on the ground always changed things. I was able to leave my worries below as we climbed higher above the Hudson River Valley. Then, the freefall to the ground: It only lasts a minute, but time seems to both condense and expand.

Something similar happens every time I prepare to dive into a new role. I see my working life, and its possibilities, with fresh eyes.

Practical questions you can ask to achieve that “15,000-foot” moment of clarity during transitions include:

• What will success look like? Experts recommend “starting with your why” and creating an image of what you want to achieve.
• How can I bring my existing experiences and skills to bear on an unfamiliar situation?
• What do I hope to take away from this next challenge?

Related: What is Resilience and Why is it Vital to Your Success?

Preparation is indispensable

As brief as a jump may be, that minute or so in the air requires intense prep. During basic parachute training, aka “Airborne School,” at Fort Moore, Georgia, we had two weeks of ground training for the week of five jumps that would make us paratroopers.

Sport parachuting takes that obsessiveness to another level. We spent several months packing and unpacking parachutes, rehearsing safety protocols and practicing landings from a platform before the first tandem jump. A year’s worth of training in my event culminated in four jumps and 40 seconds of recorded footage at the collegiate championship. By the time I began an acrobatic sequence, I’d already visualized myself doing it hundreds of times, with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” as my soundtrack.

That same level of preparation can help as you move into a new role at a company. In practical terms, business leaders and entrepreneurs can take the following steps to prepare before a transition:

• Explore opportunities for lateral movement in your own org. Experts at Google emphasize the power of internal movement to gain access to new managers, a new network and new ideas. This can help you test the waters.
• Determine the gaps in your skill set and seek out resources to upskill. As the adage goes, the best time to get ready for a new role is while you already have one.
• When you settle on a role to pursue, get to know a colleague in a similar position, whether it’s by chatting with them or shadowing them on the job. From Richard Branson to Robert Herjavec, leading entrepreneurs attest to the power of mentorship to accelerate your professional learning curve.

Stick the landing

Ironically, an Army paratrooper’s main challenge isn’t jumping; it’s landing. The standard-issue Army parachute is shaped to fall straight down, minimizing the risk of collisions but leaving little room for finesse. Landing on your feet isn’t possible, so you do a five-point landing fall, leaving you curled up like a shrimp. This inelegant maneuver is where paratroopers often get hurt, with ankle injuries accounting for some 60% of mishaps.

For anyone changing roles, the first days, weeks and months on the job call for sticking the landing, too. This is where you’ll make it or break it.

My advice: Have a boundless appetite for learning and cultivate a beginner’s mind, which combines openness, curiosity and humility. Of course, your past experience is valuable, but it shouldn’t blind you to new ways of doing things. You should also be willing to put in extra hours at the start, when it really counts. Be open to new responsibilities, no matter how daunting they seem. And don’t be afraid to delve into a new subject area and all of its intricacies — as I’ve been doing with materials science, datacom transceivers and lasers in my first year at Coherent.

The transition won’t always be smooth, so expect the inevitable awkwardness. As clumsy as it might look, that five-point landing will hopefully see you through. Stand up and just keep marching.