April 2025

Earlier this year, I asked a flight attendant for an extra graham cracker. She came back with three. A small, inexpensive gesture for the airline, but one that stuck with me.

A few weeks later, at my local grocery store, I asked where to find Dijon mustard. Instead of pointing, the employee walked me to the aisle and helped me find the brand I wanted. (Okay, the brand my wife wanted. I’m a yellow mustard guy.) No checklist, no script — just a genuinely helpful human moment.

At a neighborhood body shop, the waiting room was stocked with snacks, drinks and a note on the wall: the owner’s personal cell number, with an invitation to call anytime with questions or concerns. Who does that?

These moments, across totally different industries, had one thing in common: they made me feel something. Valued. Seen. Cared for. That’s not service. That’s hospitality.

Service is what people get. Hospitality is how you make them feel.

As a hospitality speaker, I’ve seen it everywhere — businesses nailing service but missing hospitality. Service is the transaction. Hospitality is the connection.

I’ve checked into hotels where the front desk agent greeted me with overly rehearsed cheer that felt more like theater than welcome. I’ve flown airlines where crews chirp slogans like “You’re the reason we fly!” in the most robotic tone imaginable. And I’ve walked into quick-service restaurants and been greeted with “Next customer in line!”— when I was the only customer there.

That’s what happens when we confuse process with presence. You can check all the boxes and still make people feel like just another number.

True hospitality isn’t scripted. It’s empathetic. It’s human. It’s the difference between being served and being seen.

Related: How These Entrepreneurs Turned a Seasonal Venue Into a Nightlife Powerhouse

Hospitality isn’t industry-specific. It’s intent-specific.

Hospitality is a mindset. It applies whether you’re running a tech startup, a boutique, or a landscaping company.

On a recent cruise, our server didn’t just remember our names — he remembered our preferences, asked about our day, and even shared a little about himself. Every meal felt personal, like we were more than just table 12. That connection? It elevated the whole experience.

You don’t need to be loud or extroverted to deliver hospitality. Some of the most powerful connections I’ve felt came from people who were quiet but deeply present. It’s not about personality — it’s about intention.

The best businesses don’t just sell — they make you feel something

When I ran Edible Arrangements franchises, I thought we were in the fruit basket business. Turns out, we were in the joy delivery business. The moment I realized that, everything changed.

Drivers became ambassadors of celebration. They didn’t just hand over a product — they created an experience. They smiled, engaged and adapted to the moment. That energy mattered as much as the arrangement itself.

In-store, we trained our team to surprise and delight. A warm welcome. A helpful suggestion. Reassurance that this gift would land exactly the way the sender intended. Those were the magic moments people remembered — and returned for.

Related: Why Customer Service Is Your Get Out Of Jail Free Card For Business Success

Want to be memorable? Be more human.

People don’t stay loyal to brands. They stay loyal to how brands make them feel.

And here’s the best part: hospitality isn’t expensive. It doesn’t take flashy marketing or big budgets. It takes:

• Hiring people who care
• Empowering them to act on that care
• Building a culture that rewards empathy and presence
• Encouraging the small, unscalable touches that build loyalty

If you’re a business owner or leader, ask yourself: when was the last time a customer interaction made someone feel surprised — in a good way? When was the last time someone walked away smiling because of the way you engaged with them, not just what you sold them?

It’s not always easy — especially in busy environments. But the companies that do it well are the ones people remember. And return to.

So yes, I speak and write about this. I coach on it. But it’s not just because I love a good guest experience. It’s because I believe hospitality is the most scalable, transferable business skill we’re still underestimating.

Whatever industry you’re in, hospitality is your human edge. And in a world that increasingly feels automated, that edge matters more than ever.

As a responsible investor, you probably don’t put everything in a single investment vehicle but instead have a portfolio that balances risk and reward by drawing on a variety of sources. That’s the approach you should take when choosing companies to add to your business portfolio. But how do you choose? One of the core missions at my company, United Franchise Group (UFG), is acquiring businesses to invest in, and we’ve found the best course is to call on strengths that you can use in a new business.

In other words, buy what you know.

Properly managed, success breeds success. Once you’ve led one company to profitability and achieved other measures of good health, you’ll want to repeat the win. You will see new opportunities that can add more value to your company. Utilizing your strengths helps make it easier to succeed in a second or third business.

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

Diversify in category

Plan to create a diverse portfolio, but don’t stray from what has brought you here. Diversify within the category you’re succeeding in. For example, a successful restaurateur might want to look at other restaurants but avoid supermarkets. They’re both in the food sector but require a completely different set of skills.

At the same time, don’t buy another company that does exactly what you do. When excitement fades for that niche, your losses will run twice as deep. If you own a discount supermarket, for instance, consider a gourmet market.

Related: The One Factor the Top Franchises of 2025 Have in Common

Go with your gut — for now

Investment decisions always require objective, rational thinking, but it all starts with what your gut is telling you. When you visit other businesses as a customer, what impresses you? Let your gut drive this part of the process.

A business broker can also help you evaluate your options. Look for successful niches in your industry. For example, at UFG, restaurant investors could consider our Greek food and charcuterie franchise brands, which have caught the attention of food lovers seeking healthier choices or who want to add engaging ways to snack at celebrations. Real estate and business consulting services might consider investing in one of our coworking franchises, which continues to attract professionals seeking flexibility in their workspaces.

Related: After Decades of Hard Work, This Couple Is Living the Entrepreneurial Dream. Here’s How They Achieved Generational Wealth

Now go with your brain

Once you’ve picked the type of business, it’s time to let your brain take over for your gut. Seek expert help in evaluating the various aspects of the company you’re considering, such as financial health, customer demand and operational efficiency. If you have a corporate team, call on staff from the different areas you must evaluate, including sales, operations, management and accounting. Get to know the founders of the business you’re buying and decide if anyone will be staying after you acquire it. Ask lots of questions, and if you don’t feel right about the answers or, worse, catch a misleading statement, don’t be afraid to bow out.

A lot of this due diligence can be done for you if you invest in a franchise brand, which offers reliable systems and processes, brand recognition and, if you choose the right one, marketing and training support.

The synergy of member brands is a critical factor in franchising, but it should also be a top consideration if you choose to invest in independent brands. Consider whether your businesses can share resources. Do you want them to consult with each other or remain completely separate?

Related: 6 Intriguing Statistics About Women in the Franchising Industry

Lessons learned

In my 40 years of acquiring businesses for my company to invest in, here’s some of what I’ve learned about buying and selling brands in a portfolio:

• Private equity has taken a dominant position in franchising. While it can be very good for some brands, it can be terrible for others. Go slowly here, especially if you are giving up a majority stake. Even a minority position can cause challenges. Talk to others who have done it before selling out.

It’s almost inevitable to have some regrets when making business decisions — mistakes are part of the journey. UFG has had some hurdles and challenges in buying or selling brands over the years, but we’ve always worked them out. Whatever happens, I always focus on the future and move forward — and you should, too.

Related: This Company Promised to Transform Drive-Thrus With AI — But the Secret Powering Its Tech? Humans.

There’s a piece of advice that’s been floating around startup circles for years. You’ve probably heard it: “Investors care more about your story than your numbers. Just sell the dream.”

Sometimes, it’s framed as motivational. Other times, it’s passed down from “advisors” who mean well but haven’t actually raised money themselves. Either way, it’s misleading — and for a lot of early-stage founders, it’s exactly what sinks their shot.

The truth? Most serious investors look at both. But if you walk into a room and can’t speak clearly about your numbers, that room closes up fast.

I’ve seen founders with big markets and great pitch decks get passed on, not because the idea wasn’t interesting, but because they couldn’t explain how the business worked underneath.

Related: How to Get Funding: The Dos and Don’ts of Raising Capital From Investors

You don’t need a finance degree, but you do need answers

Investors aren’t expecting perfect models. They know early-stage companies are messy. But they do want to see that you know where your money’s going, how it’s coming in and what your next dollar is supposed to do.

Can you explain your current burn rate? What’s your actual runway — meaning, not just “we raised $1M,” but how long that money lasts at your current pace? How much does it cost to acquire a customer, and are those customers sticking around?

You don’t need ten slides to answer those questions, but you do need to be ready for them. Because when you’re not, it sends a message: You’re still thinking like a product builder, not a company builder.

That’s the gap that kills a lot of deals.

The numbers don’t replace the story — they prove it

The “just focus on the vision” advice sounds good. It flatters the founder’s ego. It tells you your big idea is enough.

However, vision alone doesn’t raise rounds. Numbers give the vision weight. They show how the idea plays out in real-world behavior — what users are doing, how revenue is moving and how the operation scales.

It’s not about spreadsheets for their own sake. It’s about showing that you understand your business like an operator, not just a dreamer.

And the bar has gone up. In a 2023 DocSend report, investors spent the second-most time on the financials section of decks — right after team slides. In other words, once they know who’s behind the company, they want to know how the business actually works.

Being early doesn’t mean you get a pass

It’s easy to think, “We’re pre-revenue, so there’s not much to show yet.” But even pre-revenue businesses should be tracking something — user behavior, early conversion rates, retention from beta users or traction from waitlists. Something that proves demand and shows you’re paying attention to what matters.

Early doesn’t mean immature. In fact, the most investable early-stage teams are the ones that show signs of being operationally sharp from day one.

I’ve sat in meetings where founders with less revenue got further in conversations simply because they spoke clearly about how much they spend, how long it lasts and what specific traction they expect to unlock with more funding.

They weren’t selling perfection; they were showing control.

Investors don’t want potential — they want preparation

A big part of early-stage investing is pattern recognition. And one of the patterns that stands out most — positively or negatively — is how a founder talks about their business under the hood.

Do they dodge financial questions? Do they freeze when asked about margins or CAC? Or do they answer plainly, even if the numbers are small?

The answer says a lot.

Because here’s the truth: Fundraising is emotional for the founder but analytical for the investor. They’re looking at the math, the trajectory and whether the founder knows what levers need to be pulled next.

When someone says, “Investors don’t care about financials,” what they’re really doing is trying to shortcut that process. But there are no shortcuts. Not anymore. And have never been!

Related: The 10 Things You Should Cover in Every Investment Pitch (Infographic)

Raising capital is never easy, and advice is everywhere. Some of it’s useful. A lot of it is noise spread by wannabe advisors.

However, if someone tells you to ignore the numbers and “just pitch the dream and vision,” press pause. That advice might sound motivating, but it’s dangerously incomplete.

You don’t need perfect projections. You don’t need fancy charts. But you do need to own your numbers. You need to understand how your business runs, how it burns and what moves it forward.

That’s not the investor’s job to figure out. It’s yours.

Founders who know their numbers don’t just raise capital — they earn respect in the room. And in this market, that matters more than ever.

Coachella, the music festival that occurred across two weekends this month, drew crowds of 125,000-plus attendees each day.

A report published by Billboard last week shows that most of the crowd, about 60%, used Coachella’s payment plan system to pay for their $600-and-up tickets. The plan allows attendees access to Coachella with an upfront cost of as little as $49.99.

Tickets started at $649 for the first weekend of Coachella from April 10 through 12 and $600 for the second weekend from April 17 through 19. People reported that tickets used to cost $429 per weekend in 2020. When Coachella started in 1999, tickets were $50.

Related: Jeff Bezos Was Caught on Video Dancing at Coachella, But It’s His ‘$12 Amazon Shirt’ That Has the Internet in Stitches

The festival first began offering the buy-now-pay-later option in 2009, and at the time, only 18% of attendees tapped into it, per People.

^{Coachella music festival 2025. Credit: Getty Images}

Coachella partnered with ticketing company AXS to offer the buy now, pay later payment plan, which enables the festival goer to pay off their ticket over three months. Coachella does not charge interest for the ticket purchase, but does require that those who opt for the payment plan pay a $41 fee for using the service, which amounts to about 8% of the ticket price. The average credit card interest rate, in comparison, is about 20%.

Most fans bought tickets to Coachella after the festival announced its musician lineup in November, revealing that Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Green Day, Post Malone, and Benson Boone were headliners. Anyone who bought tickets before Jan. 25 and opted for the payment plan had the price of their ticket divided into three equal payments, with the final payment deducted from the attendee’s account in March, per Billboard.

If payments were more than 10 days late, the order was automatically cancelled and the fan given a credit for future festivals. The credit expires one year after being issued.

Related: Google’s Founders Once Interviewed Their CEO at Burning Man. Now the Desert Festival Is Struggling to Sell Tickets.

Coachella makes more than $115 million in ticket sales on average per year. Artists who perform at the festival can earn up to $5 million per weekend.

Big tech companies and small businesses face the same basic problems. They both need to understand their customers, manage costs and watch competitors. However, tech companies tackle these challenges with processes that most small businesses never implement.

I’ve spent years understanding both worlds, and I promise you: These five tech practices are worth stealing. They don’t require fancy software or a huge team. Just consistency.

Related: How Inefficient Processes Are Hurting Your Company

Understanding your customer persona and “jobs-to-be-done”

Tech companies and successful large corporations strive to understand their customers well. It’s much more nuanced than “we serve young professionals” or “the people in this neighborhood.”

Let’s take Starbucks as an example. They don’t just sell coffee to “coffee drinkers.” They have distinct customer personas: the rushed morning commuter who values speed above all, the remote worker camping out for hours (who probably should be paying rent, honestly) and the social meetup crowd treating the café as a gathering spot. Each persona drives different decisions on how their stores are set up and operated.

The key is understanding what job your customers are “hiring” you to do. Nobody buys a quarter-inch drill because they want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole. Maybe they are first-time home-owners who are hanging shelves. Maybe they are woodworking hobbyists building a birdhouse. These are both different jobs to be done, an industry standard framework by Clayton M. Christensen.

It’s why Apple doesn’t sell “smartphones with good cameras.” They sell the ability to capture your child’s first steps in stunning clarity. The job to be done isn’t “own technology.” It’s “preserve memories.”

What job is your customer hiring you to do? Figure that out, and you’ll see opportunities your competitors miss entirely.

You’re leaking customers and don’t even know it

Product managers and tech companies obsess over retention. If your customers don’t come back, they probably don’t find your product valuable, and the company does not have product-market fit. Even if you acquire a lot of customers now, you will eventually lose them and churn through the market to oblivion.

You don’t need fancy systems for this. Just make a spreadsheet and start tracking. How many customers from last year still buy from you today? If that number makes you wince, you have a churn problem.

Your spreadsheet can track the purchase history of all customers. When do customers typically vanish? Three months in? After five purchases? Now, try to understand the reason behind it. Did they stop liking the product or service, find a cheaper alternative or just forget? If you email or call a couple of people to ask, you will have the answer.

Your existing customers believed in you enough to give you a shot. Understand their problems and make them loyal fans.

Related: 3 Pillars of Client Retention Every Brand Needs to Implement

Know your costs

Unit economics is the magic math that lets corporations grow large and become profitable. What does it cost the business for each thing sold? Small businesses often track overall expenses but forget to attribute them to individual products and services.

Let’s think about your neighborhood sandwich shop. If the supplying bakery raised its prices by 10%, what does it mean for each sandwich’s margins on the menu? Are they still profitable, and by how much?

Tracking costs in detail can be hard and tedious. It’s not just materials but also the labor costs, transaction fees, packaging and so on. However, not knowing detailed costs is a missed opportunity at best and dangerous at worst. You could be losing money on some items while others subsidize them. Or worse, your apparent “best seller” might be bleeding you dry while a humble side offering quietly delivers all your actual profits.

Create a spreadsheet today. List every product and service. Assign all costs and make sure to include everything. Update it when your costs change. I guarantee you’ll find surprises that will change what you sell or how much you sell it for.

Learn from your competition

Go down the street and try your competition. In a new city? Go to the store in the same business as you. Yes, actually pay for something. What works? What’s frustrating? How’s the service? How does it compare?

This introduces you to brand-new approaches to doing things. You can learn from what others are doing well and avoid their mistakes.

Maintain a shared document where your team can add insights regularly. Make this part of your culture, not an occasional panic response if sales dip.

Your personal board of directors

Silicon Valley startups assemble advisory boards featuring industry veterans, subject-matter experts and been-there-done-that entrepreneurs. Small business owners often try to figure out everything themselves, occasionally consulting with an accountant who’s juggling 200 other clients.

Your advisors shouldn’t just be friends who validate your ideas. You need people who will challenge your thinking, identify blind spots and connect you to opportunities. You need expertise you don’t have.

You don’t need to offer equity like tech companies. A lot of professionals will advise you for reasonable fees. Sometimes, retired or later-in-career veterans in the business will guide you just for the intellectual challenge of a new problem. Remember to formalize the relationship and talk to them regularly.

Related: How to Build an Advisory Board That Drives Startup Success

These practices all share one quality: They complement gut feelings with systematic processes. Your instincts still matter because you know your business intimately — but these systems catch what instincts miss.

As a small business owner, you’re already more nimble than large corporations. Add their systematic processes to your operation, and you’ll become truly dangerous.

“Many small business owners feel isolated,” says Bryan Miles. “That’s why we created O’nr — to be a safe harbor for them to connect with people going through struggles that only they can understand.”

O’nr (pronounced “owner”) is a non-profit platform that creates films, courses, and live events aimed at helping business owners thrive financially and personally. It was founded by Bryan and Shannon Miles, a married team who have built several businesses together, and know firsthand the extreme highs and gut-wrenching lows that come with this lifestyle.

Related: 70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

Their entrepreneurial journey began in 2010, when Bryan and Shannon left corporate life, cashed in their 401(k)s and founded BELAY, a remote team management company. It was a big risk — this was well before remote work became the norm we know today — but it came with a huge reward. After more than a decade of hard work, Bryan and Shannon had a nine-figure exit in 2021.

Their exit allowed them to concentrate on their other business, NoFo Brew Co., a craft beer and spirits brand with three locations in Georgia and operations in England and Ireland. And to explore a wide variety of opportunities, including investing in four soccer clubs via the Trivela Group: Walsall FC, Drogheda United FC, Silkeborg IF and Trivela FC Togo.

Having achieved an exit most entrepreneurs can only dream of, why did the couple decide to found a non-profit? Shannon told Entrepreneur, “When we sold BELAY, we gained some influence and power, and that gave us a decision to make: What do you do with that? Do you use it for your own consumption? Or do you want to give away that experience and help other people on their journey?”

Entrepreneur caught up with the couple in New York to get further insights into what they hope to offer entrepreneurs with O’nr, and to get their hard-earned advice for taking on risk, learning from mistakes, and the good things that can happen to you when you start to do good things for others.

Entrepreneur: You had an incredible exit from your business BELAY. So blunt question — why are you doing anything now? Why aren’t you on a beach?

Bryan Miles: We feel so fortunate to be in the position we are in. I just turned 50, and you start to think about legacy. What can we do that will leave a lasting positive impact on people?  We’ve been the recipients of amazing advice from mentors, and then get your own wisdom through gray hair like I have and you want to pay it forward.

Shannon Miles: We realized O’nr could be that legacy for us, a way to scale our mentoring. And since it is a nonprofit, it takes some of the pressure off of having to go out there and pitch it. We can focus on the mission.

Tell us more about the mission.

 BM: Every business is a snowflake, right? They are different. But we have seen in entrepreneurs’ journeys that there are a lot of commonalities. You start off as a hustler. You’re grinding it out. Hustle, hustle, hustle. And eventually, if you do the right things, you become an entrepreneur. And then you develop a team. And then you finally get to be the CEO. And then you have a leadership team, and you realize, I don’t need to run this business. I’m just the owner of it, and I can think about other ideas now. We’ve done all that in multiple businesses. But a lot of people get stuck at points along the way, and they don’t know what to do or who to talk to. We hear it all the time, “I’m uncomfortable talking to my family about payroll. My friends are great, but they don’t get it.” So that’s what this is about: a safe harbor for leaders to connect with other leaders who understand and can help during tough times.

Related: Starting a Business in 12 Steps

Things have obviously gone well for you. Would you say you had any tough times?

SM: Yes, a few. [Laughs] We met in college, when it was just so easy to get a credit card. And we had no financial literacy and graduated with about $80,000 of debt. And we were fighting all the time. Every financial decision resulted in an argument. And Bryan got laid off from his job, started to collect unemployment, and we were like, “Okay, God, obviously we’re not doing this right.” We attended a church that taught principles around finances and things like that. The idea was like, “If everything is God’s, that includes your money, too.” So we started tithing from Bryan’s unemployment check and my check as well. It was a small percentage, but it unlocked something in us. It stopped being about what we could consume. We started saving and then living on the rest. And then a year and a half we got out of all of that debt.

BM: We  figured out that principle of “give, save, live,” and that ultimately translated to us putting money in our investments that became our startup capital for BELAY. Another thing I had to learn the hard way is the importance of taking care of yourself physically. I was so stressed out at one point, I went to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack. I knew I had to course correct on what my health looked like. Why was I doing this business if the eventual payout was that I was just going to die? So we talk about that at O’nr a lot. What are you doing about your health? How are you respecting your body? How is your body going to fuel your future? How do you handle your stress?

Cashing in your 401(k)s to fund a startup isn’t exactly a safe bet. You seem pretty comfortable with risk.

BM: Well, I will first say that  it was a bonehead decision. I mean, it worked for us, but we don’t tell anybody to do that. But we talk about a different side of risk that doesn’t always get discussed. Before making the jump to start BELAY, I was working for a company that had a 40-year history. We built over 600 churches around the United States. I had what was perceived as a stable job, right? When I left, I made sure to do it on good terms, in case I needed to come back with my tail between my legs. And four or so years into BELAY, that company I left folded. I would have been out of a job if I stayed there.

SM: And at the company I left,  my former division was sold off — it ceased to exist. And those two things happened within nine months of each other. So I would tell someone who is on the fence about leaving a “secure” job to launch their own business that sometimes it’s a risk to stay where you are.

Related: Is Acquiring a Business Right For You?

Your soccer teams are doing well. You had this huge exit with BELAY. How are you judging success with O’nr?

BM:  Look, I don’t know that we could talk to a room full of doctors and be helpful, but we can talk to a business owner who’s struggling in Arkansas and figure out how to grow his business from half a million to a million. Helping someone identify what is holding them back is incredibly rewarding.

SM: When I hear a business owner say, “After working with you and learning from you, it’s changed the trajectory of my life,” I’m not being hyperbolic when I say it is the greatest joy I can imagine. These are hardworking people who care very much about their families and the people that they employ, but they just don’t often see a path forward where they can live a whole life and not die to their business. Giving them a vision beyond what they can see right now and serving as some sort of inspiration is for them — that’s it for me.

Small businesses are getting approved for manufacturing loans in greater numbers this year, according to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Its flagship program, the 7(a) business loan, offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to buy real estate, purchase machinery, and obtain furniture and supplies, and guarantees up to 85% of 7(a) loans of $150,000 or less, and up to 75% of loans above $150,000.

According to new data by the SBA, 74% more business owners were approved for 7(a) manufacturing loans in the first 90 days of President Donald Trump’s administration than during the first 90 days of former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021.

From Jan. 20 to April 17, the SBA has approved more than 1,120 7(a) manufacturing loans totaling $677 million. During the same period in 2021, the SBA approved fewer than 650 7(a) loans, equivalent to $497 million in funds.

Related: More People Are Exploring Entrepreneurship Because of This Unexpected Reason

“Loan applications and approvals for small manufacturers are surging — a clear sign that American manufacturing is roaring back,” SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler stated in a press release.

The SBA launched its Made in America Manufacturing Initiative last month, which aims to cut $100 billion worth of regulations for manufacturers and create a pipeline of skilled workers to take on manufacturing jobs.

Related: ‘Strategy All Along’: President Donald Trump Pauses Most Tariffs for 90 Days — Except One. Here’s What We Know.

Trump is promoting Made in America manufacturing through a combination of tax cuts, deregulation, and trade policies, including tariffs of up to 145% on imports from China, and a blanket tariff of 10% for other countries until July. As of Wednesday, however, Trump has indicated that he would consider lowering China tariffs.

“As part of our tax cuts, we want to cut taxes on domestic production and all manufacturing,” Trump stated in remarks to Congress last month.

According to the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, about 98% of American manufacturers are deemed small businesses and collectively employ 4.8 million U.S. workers.

The SBA offers other small business loans besides the 7(a), including 504 loans of up to $5.5 million and microloans of up to $50,000.

Kevin O’Leary is ready for a TikTok to deal to get done.

On Instagram, the long-time “Shark Tank” investor posted a recent television interview (conducted in his signature pajama pants) and told his followers that the TikTok “clock is ticking.”

“We’re on our second 75-day extension,” O’Leary told Fox Business. “I speculate that there will not be a third.”

Related: President Donald Trump Extends TikTok Ban Deadline Again — Here’s What to Know

The deadline for a TikTok deal was April 5, but it was extended for 75 days a second time earlier this month. President Trump wrote on Truth Social the same day that his administration is “working very hard” on a deal to “save” the app.

In the interview, O’Leary added that he doubts any S&P 500 company would want to pay the penalty of $5,000 a user if a ban goes through, and added that any speculation of a possible lease deal was “shut down three weeks ago.” Meanwhile, the 75 days will be up in mid-June.

“Anyone who wants to buy this thing now faces rewriting the algorithm,” O’Leary said, adding that it is all up to President Xi Jinping of China and that he “hasn’t decided if he’s going to sell it or not.”

O’Leary has teamed up with billionaire former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt in “The People’s Bid” for TikTok. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has also joined the team.

AI startup Perplexity also submitted a bid to merge its business with TikTok’s U.S. division for more than $50 billion.

Amazon and Applovin also recently (separately) submitted bids.

Despite the red tape, O’Leary noted that he is “100% still interested” in buying the social media platform.

“Frank McCourt and I have been working on this for so long, we aren’t giving up,” O’Leary said.

Related: Amazon Just Submitted a Bid to Buy TikTok, as AppLovin and Other Tech Companies Make Offers Before the Looming Deadline

Most leaders believe they’re giving helpful feedback. But too often, what they think is constructive comes across as demoralizing, ineffective or outright damaging. The difference? The best leaders don’t just give feedback — they coach, communicate with care, and create an environment where employees feel seen, heard and valued.

Gallup and Workhuman research shows that employees who receive valuable feedback are five times more engaged and 57% less likely to experience burnout. Yet too many leaders fall into the trap of delivering feedback in a way that crushes morale instead of driving improvement.

The solution? Feedback needs to be an ongoing, trust-based conversation, not a one-time critique. It must be framed as coaching, not criticism, and delivered in a way that accounts for more than just words. Your tone, body language, facial expressions and energy play just as big a role as the message itself.

Here’s how to be more effective at giving feedback — step by step.

Related: Employee Feedback Is Only Effective If It’s Done Right. Here’s How to Make Sure It Lands.

Step 1: Shift your mindset — feedback is a gift, not a gotcha

Leaders often hesitate to give honest feedback for fear of being seen as negative. But avoiding feedback doesn’t create a culture of psychological safety; it creates a culture of guessing and stagnation. The best employees want to grow, and they need clear, constructive input to do so.

Key shift: Move from a criticism mindset to a coaching mindset. Think of your team as business athletes. Just as elite performers rely on coaches to refine their skills, employees need guidance, encouragement and practical ways to improve.

Ask yourself:

When you see feedback as an investment in someone’s success, it changes the way you show up.

Step 2: Presence and delivery matter more than you think

The most overlooked part of feedback? How you show up.

Your body language, vocal range, gaze and facial expressions all send a message before you say a word. To curate a warm and inviting atmosphere conducive to accepting constructive feedback, adopt an open posture, connect visually, show concern and care with facial expressions that are authentic and congruent to what you’re saying, and use a conversational tone and cadence. Otherwise, they may feel tension, judgment or discomfort instead.

You silently communicate to the world all day through your body language and presence. Be intentional about how you are perceived. Convey, instead of betray, your message.

Key shift: Feedback isn’t just about what you say but how you make people feel. You need to be fully present, engaged and emotionally attuned.

What to do:

• Make eye contact: Remove distractions and see the person in front of you; stay “on gaze!” Not in an intimidating way, but with warmth and attentiveness.

• Adopt an open posture: To signal partnership as opposed to power, face your employee with open arms and gestures that invite conversation, seated at the same level.

• Mind your facial expressions: Are you showing genuine curiosity and care or unintentionally conveying frustration?

• Be intentional with your vocal delivery: Vary your pitch and pace. Speak as you would in conversation. Too fast or too slow, too high-pitched or too low-pitched, and your message may be misunderstood.

Effective leaders don’t only plan what they’ll say; they are also intentional about their presence or how they “show up.”

Ask yourself:

• Is my nonverbal communication reinforcing my message, or undermining it?

• Am I making this a safe, productive space for the other person to engage?

Related: Your Words Only Tell a Fraction of the Story — Here’s Why Tone and Body Language Actually Matter More

Step 3: Start with strengths, not weaknesses

Too often, feedback begins with what’s wrong rather than what’s working. But neuroscience shows that people are more open to feedback when they feel seen, valued and capable.

Starting with acknowledgment sets a positive tone and reinforces that feedback is coming from a place of support. “I always like to start conversations by sharing how my team members’ strengths have had a positive effect on our business outcomes,” says Kristi Snyder, Chief People Officer at Enthuse Marketing Group. Framing the conversation around strengths helps both parties enter the discussion with a constructive, growth-oriented mindset.

Key shift: Flip the traditional feedback approach. Start with acknowledgment before diving into areas for improvement.

What to say:

By opening with a question, you create a loop of engagement rather than a top-down critique. Employees get to explain their thinking first, which makes them far more receptive to guidance.

Step 4: Ask more, tell less

Great leaders use feedback as an opportunity to understand before they correct. Instead of leading with here’s what you did wrong, try leading with curiosity.

Key shift: Replace statements with open-ended questions to uncover insights and encourage self-reflection.

What to ask:

• “What was your thought process behind this approach?”

• “What challenges did you run into?”

• “How do you think we could refine this?”

By letting employees talk first, you gather context, acknowledge their thinking and collaborate on solutions rather than dictate them. Approaching situations like this makes sure employees feel heard and increases buy-in.

A reminder: Acknowledgment is NOT agreement. Giving employees space to explain their reasoning allows leaders to correct misunderstandings while still respecting their perspective.

Step 5: Deliver feedback with directness and care

Feedback shouldn’t be sugarcoated, but it also shouldn’t feel like an attack. The secret? Balance directness with care.

Key shift: Avoid vague platitudes (“You did great”) and harsh bluntness (“This was bad”). Instead, use clear, actionable and supportive language.

What to say:

• Instead of “Your presentation was weak,” try: “I see the effort you put in. Let’s strengthen the data to make it even more compelling.”

• Instead of “You handled that customer situation poorly,” try: “I appreciate how you followed the process. Let’s explore ways to make it more adaptable.”

Related: How to Give Constructive Feedback That Actually Empowers Others

Step 6: Follow up and reinforce progress

The biggest mistake leaders make? Giving feedback once and never revisiting it. Without reinforcement, even the best feedback fades into the background.

Key shift: Feedback shouldn’t be a one-time event — it should be an ongoing dialogue.

What to do:

• Circle back in a week to see what’s changed.

• Recognize progress (even small wins) to reinforce learning.

• Keep feedback alive in regular conversations, not just performance reviews.

Great leaders don’t go it alone

The most remarkable leaders and elite performers lean on coaches to hone their skills. Many of the most effective leaders actively work with executive coaches to refine their ability to deliver impactful feedback. They recognize that feedback is an art — one that can be mastered with guidance, practice and expert insight.

Feedback is meant to bring people closer and move the organization forward, but it must be delivered expertly. Mastering feedback isn’t just about what you say — it’s about how you say it and how it makes people feel. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, investing in expert coaching can elevate your ability to guide, inspire and develop your team.

Feedback is your leadership superpower. Use it wisely.

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