July 2025

For decades, companies have concentrated their resources on full-time employees. But that model is overdue for an update. New data shows that part-time workers and independent contractors aren’t just filling gaps — they’re fueling growth, boosting productivity and helping businesses adapt faster than traditional employment structures allow.

In a recent study conducted by my company FORE, we analyzed workforce performance at an IT firm and uncovered a surprising truth: part-time and contingent workers consistently outperformed full-time staff across key metrics — including revenue per head and speed of delivery. In fact, losing one of these high-performing contractors often costs more than replacing a full-time hire. In today’s economy, where agility is critical, flexible talent might be your most underappreciated asset.

Related: Ask the Right First Question When You Hire Part-Time Employees

Why part-time talent delivers more

Part-time workers operate like precision tools. They bring ready-made expertise, deliver clear outcomes quickly and integrate without disrupting the broader team. When speed matters, waiting weeks to hire or upskill full-timers isn’t viable — but part-time specialists can start contributing immediately.

They also bring a fresh perspective. Many part-time professionals work across industries and companies, which sharpens their creativity and ability to challenge assumptions. Without being entrenched in company politics or legacy systems, they often identify smarter ways of working.

Their efficiency is another edge. With fewer meetings and less bureaucracy, part-time contributors tend to stay focused, outcome-driven and error-resistant. At FORE, we’ve seen this concentrated approach consistently lead to faster execution and lower costs.

And when you’re scaling — launching a new initiative, entering a market or testing a product, contingent talent offers flexibility. You can scale up or down without long-term overhead, giving your company agility in unpredictable markets.

Financially, their value holds. While hourly rates may seem higher, the savings on benefits, bonuses and infrastructure typically make up for it. What you gain in precision and speed often outweighs the upfront investment.

Loyalty is a two-way street

Just because someone isn’t a full-time employee doesn’t mean they should be treated as expendable. The companies that get the most from part-time workers are the ones that invest in them.

Treat them like part of the team — include them in key meetings, recognize their contributions and offer access to relevant tools. When they feel valued, they’re more likely to return and deliver at a high level.

Building a bench of trusted freelancers also pays off. A go-to roster saves ramp-up time and allows you to leverage their growing familiarity with your systems and culture.

And don’t overlook compensation. Independent workers face greater financial risks and fewer protections. Paying fair and timely rates shows respect, and keeps your projects top of mind.

Most importantly, ask what they want. More hours? More autonomy? A path to full-time work? Don’t assume. Ask, listen and adapt when you can.

Use data to drive better decisions

Smarter workforce strategies start with data. AI and analytics can help pinpoint exactly where flexible talent will have the greatest impact — from clearing recurring bottlenecks to bridging skills gaps or filling roles with high churn.

Look for patterns: Are hybrid part-time workers more engaged? Are certain conditions triggering burnout? These insights not only help manage contractors more effectively but can also improve full-time retention and productivity.

Related: Hiring This Type of Employee Can Protect Your Business From a Volatile Market

Rethink what “workforce” means

Part-time workers aren’t just stopgaps — they’re a strategic, scalable layer of your workforce. In a business landscape shaped by speed, specialization and constant change, they offer adaptability that full-time models often can’t match.

Companies that embrace flexible talent can build more agile teams, foster resilient cultures and set themselves up for long-term success. Because when you invest in people — regardless of contract type — you’re investing in the future of your business.

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

Despite all the advancements in technology, billionaire investor Mark Cuban, 66, spends most of his day reading and responding to emails.

In a Wednesday interview with Business Insider, Cuban said that he receives “700 to 1,000 emails” a day through his Gmail account, and he uses three phones, two Android and one iPhone, “to manage everything.”

Related: Mark Cuban Says 60 Is the New 40. He Follows 3 Habits to Stay Youthful.

“I spend most of my day trying to get my unreads under 20,” Cuban told BI.

He praised email for being “asynchronous,” meaning that he can respond at any time from wherever he is in the world, and ubiquitous because “everyone” has an email address. Responding to a message is also “fast,” especially with Google’s auto-reply suggestions, Cuban said.

Cuban says he keeps his inbox organized with folders and has “never” considered hiring someone to help manage his emails. He is only away from his inbox for a full day or longer for “extraordinary situations, like a special event for a family member,” he told BI.

Cuban says he uses his unread emails as reminders of what he needs to get done that day. He only uses AI to write the autoreply messages, preferring instead to personalize longer emails and noted that he would rather process emails than sit through “long, boring meetings,” or send a Slack message or text because he can quickly search through emails years later.

“I have emails going back to the 90s,” Cuban told BI.

^{Mark Cuban. Photo by Julia Beverly/WireImage}

Still, using Gmail could pose a cybersecurity risk. Cuban’s Google account was hacked in June 2024 after he received a call from a fake Google employee. The bad actor said that Cuban’s Gmail had an intruder and faked Google’s recovery methods to receive the credentials for the account. The hacker got access to Cuban’s email and locked him out.

The hacking hasn’t stopped Cuban’s love of email, however.

Cuban rose to fame as an investor on ABC’s “Shark Tank” for the last 15 seasons, appearing in his final episode in May. He told CNBC that same month that he invested about $33 million in businesses during his time on the show and received $35 million in cash returns. He holds equity in those businesses that are now worth at least $250 million, he disclosed.

Related: Mark Cuban Compares AI Taking Jobs to When There Were ‘Millions of Secretaries’

Cuban’s first entrepreneurial venture was MicroSolutions, a software reseller that sold PCs, software, and training to businesses. He grew the company to nearly $36 million in annual sales and 80 employees before selling it to CompuServe, a subsidiary of H&R Block, for $6 million in 1990.

Cuban then founded AudioNet, the first video streaming company in the world. The startup, which became Broadcast.com, was sold to Yahoo for $5.7 billion in 1999, making Cuban a billionaire.

In 2022, Cuban co-founded Cost Plus Drug Company, an online discount pharmacy that delivers more than 2,300 prescription medications.

Cuban is now worth $8.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

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

When I decided to launch a cold plunge company in Italy, I didn’t have much to work with — no team, no warehouse and nowhere in my home to shoot product content. But I believed in the product and knew wellness was a booming category. I’d built companies before, including an e-bike brand that hit eight figures in sales. This time, I relied on a lean repeatable system — and it worked.

Here’s the approach I used to get traction quickly without a massive ad budget or complicated launch strategy.

Pick a product people are already curious about

You don’t need to invent something new. In fact, it’s often better if you don’t. I saw cold plunges picking up steam with athletes, biohackers and wellness creators, but the category hadn’t gone fully mainstream yet. That meant there was room to stand out.

I looked at search trends, scrolled through niche subreddits, followed what health influencers were posting and paid attention to what products were crossing demographic lines — things like collagen for men or hormone tracking for women. The goal is to find something visual, results-driven and culturally relevant that solves a real problem.

Source simply, improve later

Finding a supplier doesn’t need to be a bottleneck. I started with a Chinese manufacturer. The quality was solid but slow communication and long shipping times made me rethink things. Eventually, I moved production to Italy to improve logistics and offer better customer service.

In the early stages, don’t obsess over perfecting every feature. Focus on sourcing a product that’s reliable and good enough to start selling. Keep order quantities low and build systems that let you test, learn and iterate.

Use real people to build trust

Instead of burning cash on ads right away, I turned to influencers. I sent cold plunge units to athletes and fitness creators I respected. Some posted quickly; others waited until they had personal results. That authenticity worked in our favor.

Start with creators who already talk about your niche. It’s not about follower count — it’s about fit. Give them something worth sharing and let them speak in their own voice. One well-timed video or post can outperform a five-figure ad campaign.

Related: Your Follower Count Is Irrelevant When It Comes to True Influence — These Are the Criteria That Really Matter

Add credibility by aligning with experts

In wellness, consumers are skeptical — and rightly so. That’s why I built an expert panel featuring doctors, physiotherapists and sports scientists who believe in the power of cold therapy. They contributed content and lent their names to the brand.

You can replicate this by reaching out to professionals who already talk about the benefits of your product type. Offer to feature them, link to their work and collaborate on educational content. It’s a win-win: they get exposure and your brand earns instant trust and SEO value.

Launch fast with a simple store

When it came time to sell, I built a clean Shopify store with clear product descriptions, a few solid photos and no overthinking. The goal was to start taking orders and gather real feedback — not chase perfection.

Over time, I added customer reviews, expert endorsements and better visuals. But I didn’t wait to launch. Starting fast, let me test pricing, messaging and demand in real-time.

Final thoughts

Launching a wellness brand doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need a groundbreaking product, a huge team or an investor-backed ad budget. What you do need is a product people care about, a smart sourcing plan, trust-building partnerships and a store that gets the job done.

This playbook helped me grow one business to eight figures — and it’s now fueling the early success of another. Different product. Same system. Still works.

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

You can fake a handshake. You can fake a pitch.

You can’t fake a real smile.

I’m not talking about the “smile for the camera” look or the awkward half-smirk you throw your neighbor while grabbing the mail in a bathrobe.

I’m talking about the real thing. The kind that stops people in their tracks. That makes strangers feel safe. That turns a no into a maybe. That makes people remember you.

That smile?
That’s influence.
That’s currency.
That’s leadership.

Smiling is free. But it’s not cheap.

You don’t need a business degree or a black card to start shifting rooms.

All you need is your face.

Have you ever walked into a room where everyone looks like their dog died? It’s heavy. The energy sinks. But one real smile? The whole place lifts.

I’ve walked into million-dollar meetings with a $2 haircut and a $0 smile. And walked out with a signed deal. No gimmicks. Just presence. Just being human. A smile is proof you don’t need to be loud to be powerful.

Related: 7 Ways Body Language Speaks Louder Than Words

Confidence is cool. Kindness is cooler.

You want to stand out? Walk into a room with confidence and warmth.

That combo? Unstoppable.

People are drawn to energy. Not ego. A real smile says:
“I’m here. I’m grounded. And I’m glad to be with you.”

Whether you’re closing a deal or ordering an iced coffee, that smile tells the world you’re someone who’s not just in it to win. You’re in it with people.

That’s rare.
That’s magnetic.

You don’t need to sell harder. You need to connect faster.

A smile doesn’t mean you’re faking it

Let me be real.
Life’s not all showings, steaks and smooth sailing.

I’ve had days where everything blows up. Deals fall through. People walk away. Plans collapse.

You know what gets me through it? Not fake optimism.
Not denial.
A smile.

Because it reminds me:
I’m still here.
I’m still fighting.
I’m still choosing joy.

Smiling in the storm doesn’t mean you’re ignoring reality. It means you’re bigger than it.

A smile isn’t a mask. It’s a mindset.

I built a business with hustle. And a smile.

People ask me all the time,
“Rogers, what’s your secret sauce?”

It’s not fancy branding or paid ads. It’s relationships.

You can have the slickest brochure in Dallas, but if people don’t feel you, you’re toast.

I built my business by being the guy who showed up with a handshake, a smile, and a ridiculous amount of energy.

People don’t hire agents. They hire humans.
People don’t follow brokers. They follow leaders.
And leaders smile first.

Trust starts with the look on your face. Not the title on your card.

Smiles are contagious. Infect generously.

You want to shift a room? Smile. You want to build culture? Smile. You want to lead without saying a word? Smile.

Our brains are wired to mirror emotion. You smile, people smile back. That’s not a Hallmark slogan. That’s science.

Start being the one who flips the switch. Who sets the tone. Who shows up with light when everyone else brought clouds.

Your energy is either a gift or a drain. Choose wisely.

It’s better than kale. Seriously.

You can spend hundreds on supplements, or you can smile more. It lowers stress. Boosts immunity. Drops your blood pressure. Lengthens your life.

Even a fake smile can trick your brain into feeling better. I’ve tried all the anti-aging creams. Smiling works better. And it doesn’t clog your pores.

Want to feel better fast? Smile. Want to live longer? Smile more.

Smile when it’s hard

You don’t have to wait for the perfect day to crack a smile.

Waiting for the storm to pass? Nope. Smile in the middle of it. It’s not weakness. It’s strength.

I’ve had days where I lost the deal, the client, the plan. But I smiled anyway. My circumstances don’t get to boss around my spirit. Smile through the mess. Through the stress. Through the unknown.

Real smiles don’t come from perfection. They come from perspective.

Related: The Positive Effects of Smiling

Practice it!

Here’s your homework: Smile at five strangers today. No agenda. No follow-up. Just a smile.

Then look in the mirror. And smile at the person looking back.

Yeah, it might feel dumb. Do it anyway. We spend so much time beating ourselves up. Scroll culture. Comparison traps. But a smile, even just for yourself, is a form of grace.

Be kind to your face. You’ve survived a lot.

Make it your legacy

People won’t remember your listings or titles or cars. They’ll remember how you made them feel. They’ll remember if you made them laugh. If you lighten the load. If you saw them.

That’s the impact I want to leave.
For my family.
For my team.
For my city.

We don’t need more noise. We need more light. Let’s be the ones who lead with that.

Related: These 5 Body Language Secrets Could Put You on the Road to a Million Dollars

Smile first. Always.

You don’t need a reason. You don’t need permission.

Smile because you can.
Smile because it matters.
Smile because it opens doors even when everything else is locked.

It might not fix the problem. But it will change the energy.

And if you see me out in Dallas, I’ll be the one smiling first.

Let’s keep going.

Software engineers are likely making a few common mistakes that prevent them from advancing in their careers, says a former Meta senior staff engineer — and these mistakes are general enough to apply to any job.

Michael Novati, an engineer who spent eight years at Meta and earned the nickname “Coding Machine” after being the top code committer company-wide for several years, told “The Peterman Pod” that there are three common mistakes engineers and other professionals make that prevent them from moving forward in their careers.

Novati, who now works at a remote software engineering fellowship program, Formation, as its chief technology officer, said one problem is “thinking too much” and “not doing enough.” Novati said that oftentimes developers come to him to ask for advice or questions without first “turning the gears” and writing code to address the problem.

“Step one is do something, just do anything,” Novati told “The Peterman Pod.”

Related: ‘It’s Laughable’: Okta’s CEO Says AI Won’t Replace Software Engineers Despite Other Tech Leaders’ Predictions

The second mistake Novati identified is not asking “the right people” for feedback, or not going to “respected people” or “people who have that experience and taste and judgement” for advice on how to improve. He gave the example of his days at Meta, when he was writing so much code that his manager spent all day reviewing it. His manager was the respected person Novati turned to for feedback, because his manager had the “judgement and taste” that Novati aspired to have.

The third mistake, which Novati admitted to making “a lot,” was not taking action on feedback and taking it more as a harsh judgment or a pat on the back of approval than a call to action.

“My advice to people who are ambitious and who want to get those perfect scores and check off all the boxes is to really reflect on feedback, on how you can improve and try to push your comfort zone there, instead of trying to look at it as a judgment or a grade,” Novati said.

The end goal is to “write a lot of code,” get feedback from experienced people, and “actually [take] action” on the feedback, Novati said.

Related: OpenAI Is Creating AI to Do ‘All the Things That Software Engineers Hate to Do’

As AI advances, software engineers might not have to write as much code as they used to, anyway. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in April that engineers at Microsoft are using AI to generate up to 30% of new code at the company. Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated in the same month that Google was generating “well over 30%” of new code with AI.

Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted in March that AI would take over coding completely for all software engineers within a year.

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Chili’s Grill & Bar is partnering with Texas-footwear brand Tecovas to launch a limited-edition collection of “Booth Boots,” which is exactly what it sounds like — cowboy boots made with the same material as its classic red booths.

In a statement, Chili’s said that this “first-of-its-kind collaboration” turns its “iconic” red booths, which have been around for 50 years, into “handcrafted boots made with time-honored techniques and heritage craftsmanship.” The company is also selling a matching Booth Belt.

Related: ‘Gen Z Is Obsessed’: Chili’s Sales Are Skyrocketing Thanks to the Triple Dipper and Turbo Chefs

“We thought it would be fun to celebrate this familiar piece of the Chili’s experience by turning it into something truly unexpected for our fans,” said Jesse Johnson, Chili’s vice president of marketing, in the statement. “Our new friends at Tecovas have been the perfect partners in bringing this wild idea to life with their handcrafted boots now reimagined with our booth material.”

Still, it will cost you a lot more than the popular Triple Dipper. Booth Boots (both women’s and men’s styles) will retail for $345, and the Booth Belt, with its “brass buckle in a matte nickel finish,” will sell for $75.

The limited-edition collection of Booth Boots and a matching Booth Belt will be available on Tecovas.com on July 29 at 10 a.m. CT.

Chili’s has 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries, according to Nation Restaurant News.

Sam Altman, the CEO of $300 billion AI startup OpenAI, is asking finance industry leaders to stay ahead of AI trends — and to avoid voice authentication at all costs.

At the Federal Reserve’s Regulatory Capital Framework Conference on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., Altman told a crowd of financial regulators and industry experts that “a thing that terrifies” him is banks that still accept voices to authenticate identity. AI voice cloning hoaxes can copy a person’s voice in three seconds and use the cloned voice to empty bank accounts.

“A thing that terrifies me is apparently there are still some financial institutions that will accept a voice print as authentication for you to move a lot of money or do something else,” Altman said at the event, per Business Insider.

Related: I Called Klarna’s New AI Hotline to Talk to the Company’s ‘CEO’ — Here’s What Happened

Altman said voice authentication was “a crazy thing to still be doing” and that AI has “fully defeated” many ways financial institutions currently confirm identity.

He also warned that AI has the potential to cause a “significant impending fraud crisis,” and predicted that institutions are going to have to transform the way they verify identity in response.

“People are going to have to change the way they interact,” Altman said. “They’re going to have to change the way they verify. This is a huge deal.”

^{OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks at the Federal Reserve’s Regulatory Capital Framework Conference on Tuesday. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images}

During a Q&A session at the Federal Reserve event, Altman was also asked about what keeps him up at night. He said a widespread financial crisis where an adversary uses AI to launch an attack on the U.S. The bad actor could “break into financial systems and take everyone’s money,” and there would be little we could do about it, Altman said. It would be difficult to uphold protective measures against an adversary with smarter AI, Altman explained.

Related: Nearly Half of Americans Think They Could Be Duped By AI. Here’s What They’re Worried About.

Altman’s fears that AI could be misused in the wrong hands are echoed by financial leaders. According to a survey released in March by consulting firm Accenture, 80% of bank cybersecurity leaders state that AI allows bad actors to launch attacks faster than banks can respond. In other words, the leaders can’t keep up with the rapid pace of AI scams targeting personal bank accounts.

Consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, a 25% increase from the previous year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. More people fell for scams and lost money to them last year, with $2.95 billion lost to imposter scams.

Still, some top executives at OpenAI are convinced it has the power to do a lot of good, from eradicating diseases to helping support equal pay initiatives.

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Every few years, organizations announce a grand unveiling: a refreshed strategy, a sharper mission statement, an evolved vision and updated values. Leadership beams with pride. Internal comms rolls out the new banners, posters and PowerPoint templates. Town halls are held to “rally the troops.”

And then, business as usual resumes.

No behavioral shift. No operational realignment. No decisions made differently. The strategy refresh becomes a branding exercise, not a transformation. It’s not that these companies lack ambition — it’s that they confuse articulation with execution.

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A colleague recently shared that their company had just spent six weeks in back-to-back leadership meetings to rewrite their mission, vision, values and overall strategy. The goal was clarity and reinvention. The result? A slightly tweaked version of what they already had — maybe one new buzzword, a reshuffled value and a refreshed deck.

It was a massive investment of time and energy that left most of the team asking: What has changed? This isn’t an isolated case — it’s a common cycle. Organizations feel the pressure to evolve, but too often the work stops at wordsmithing instead of realigning how the business thinks, acts and executes.

Related: 10 Growth Strategies Every Business Owner Should Know

Why the refresh rarely moves the needle

Refreshing a mission or strategy feels productive. It gives leadership the impression of progress without demanding real disruption. After all, revising words is easier than confronting entrenched behaviors, broken incentives or outdated processes.

This isn’t about cynicism, it’s about comfort. Language is safe. Rewriting a purpose statement doesn’t require changing how performance is measured. Updating values doesn’t mean retraining managers to lead differently. It’s a symbolic action disguised as substantive change.

And most organizations don’t even realize they’re doing it. The new statements are unveiled with energy and sincerity. But when employees ask, “What does this mean for how we work?” the answer is vague at best. There’s no operational bridge between the words on the wall and the work on the ground.

Related: Today’s Top CEOs Share These 4 Traits

Misalignment is the real threat

Here’s where the real danger lies: the greater the gap between what a company says it stands for and what it actually does, the more credibility it loses, both internally and externally. Employees learn quickly that the mission is just PR. Customers sense the disconnect. And talent begins to disengage.

If a company updates its values to include “agility” but continues requiring 14 approvals for a basic decision, that’s not just a mismatch. It’s hypocrisy. The refresh signals change, but the experience reinforces stagnation.

This breeds cynicism. Employees roll their eyes at new rollouts. “Vision fatigue” sets in. Leaders struggle to gain traction for future initiatives because the organization has learned not to take declarations seriously.

A strategy isn’t alive until it shows up in daily choices. If a company says it values experimentation, it should reward smart risks and accept failure as part of the process. If it claims to be customer-first, then customer experience should have a seat at every major decision table. Otherwise, the message is just marketing.

To turn a refresh into a transformation, companies must focus less on the message and more on the mechanics. That starts with four key shifts:

1. Stop leading with the language

The mission and values aren’t a starting point — they’re an outcome. Start by identifying how the organization needs to change: What behaviors are missing? What decisions are misaligned? What blockers need to be removed? Once that’s clear, articulate the strategy based on how the organization is expected to act differently.

2. Involve people beyond the C-Suite

Strategies often get written in isolation by leadership teams that are removed from day-to-day realities. Include voices from across departments and levels, not for optics, but for insight. This ensures the strategy reflects how the business really operates and how it can evolve.

Related: 5 Habits of Leaders at the Top of the Ladder

3. Make the strategy usable

A good strategy isn’t poetic, it’s practical. Translate the abstract into the actionable. Create decision frameworks and redesign workflows. Give managers the tools to lead differently, not just new posters to hang.

4. Hold leaders accountable for modeling it

The fastest way to kill a refreshed strategy is for leadership to act like nothing’s changed. If the top team isn’t living the new direction and making hard calls, no one else will either. Accountability starts at the top, or it doesn’t start at all.

The real work is cultural, not cosmetic

Companies that mistake a strategy refresh for cultural change will find themselves stuck in an endless loop of rebranding without real results. The organizations that succeed treat strategy not as a speech, but as a shift. They recognize that words alone don’t drive growth — people do. And people follow what’s modeled, reinforced and rewarded.

So next time the urge to refresh your mission, vision, values and strategy strikes, ask a harder question: What will be different this time? If the answer is only the wording, don’t expect anything to change.

By now, if you’re even the slightest bit online, you’ve seen the mega-viral Coldplay concert kiss-cam fiasco that led to an endless supply of memes and the resignation of at least one top tech executive.

After former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, were publicly caught on camera in a compromising position together last week, the company’s new interim CEO is speaking out.

Pete DeJoy, who is also a co-founder of the software company, wrote on LinkedIn on Monday that the last week has been “unusual and surreal” for the team at the private data infrastructure startup that reached “unicorn” status in 2022. He wrote that he’s “proudly poured my entire professional life into helping build” the company and stressed that despite the attention this past week, everything remains on track.

“The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies—let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world—ever encounter,” DeJoy wrote. “The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.”

Related: The CEO of the World’s Most Valuable Company Says This Would Be His College Major in 2025

“From starting a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to keeping the lights on through the collapse of the bank that held all our cash, to scaling from 30 to 300 people during a global pandemic that demanded we do it all without ever being in the same room,” the post continues. “Our opportunity to build a DataOps platform for the age of AI remains massive. And our story is very much still being written.”

Coldplay, meanwhile, addressed the situation with a bit more comic relief. In the first concert following the scandal, lead singer Chris Martin made a point to warn the already laughing audience that they could be “put on camera, on the big screen.”

On Saturday, the company also addressed the scandal, posting on X that Byron had resigned.

“Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI,” the company wrote. “While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.”

As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.

Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and… pic.twitter.com/aTTUhnnyVz

— Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 19, 2025

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This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Leila Quraishi, 27, of Los Angeles, California. Quraishi’s sock business Nudesox is targeting seven-figure revenue across all sales channels next year. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Dan Simantov. Leila Quraishi.}

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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I was a senior in high school when I started Nudesox. Growing up, I was always entrepreneurial and loved creating and taking on leadership roles. In eighth grade, I became a licensed children’s yoga instructor and taught private lessons throughout high school, designing class flows and workout gear — now I make grip socks.

Related: I Took My Side Hustle Full-Time and Made $222,000 Last Year. Here’s How — and Why Sometimes I Work Just 10 Hours a Week.

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I came up with the concept for Nudesox in 2015. As soon as I turned 18, I bought the domain name for Nudesox and legally filed the business soon after. I’ve always loved putting outfits together and dressing up, but I also value my comfort. At the time, I couldn’t find the ideal no-show sock. They were uncomfortable, slipped off, weren’t cushioned and didn’t even cover my whole foot. I was never a fan of colorful, visible socks and thought there were probably so many people who felt the same way, but still want coverage and comfort. That was the moment I thought to myself, Why has no one ever created athleisure socks in skin tones?

^{Image Credit: Greyson Tarantino}

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
I grew up studying successful entrepreneurs for fun and would spend hours dissecting how they got to where they were: I’d read articles and watch interviews and, of course, lots of Shark Tank. I was always fascinated by business and innovation. When I started Nudesox, it was a new category, so it was difficult to find a manufacturer that understood the concept. It took me two full years to nail down a manufacturer and get proper samples. I started the brand with $10,000, and to this day, Nudesox is fully bootstrapped with no outside funding. Every dollar I ever made went back into the business for it to grow.

I would DM or email influencers asking if they wanted to try the brand, and it was well-received; many posted themselves wearing the socks on their Instagram stories. Given it was a novel product, multiple publications wrote about the company, which helped spread the word. I studied entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California, where I learned how to create succinct pitch decks and presentations, as well as the importance of KPIs and proper business management. Combining my studies with Nudesox really helped progress the business and introduced me to a network of people who still support me and the brand today.

Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business?
When I started Nudesox, I relied heavily on connecting with role models in the fashion industry. I would LinkedIn message and email executives at top fashion and shoe brands to learn about their processes and trajectory. Networking is important, but there is an art to it. I always try to find synergies with people before I reach out to them to make sure the conversation makes sense. If you reach out to people aimlessly just to cast a wide net, you won’t necessarily get much value or substance. It’s important to be intentional with your outreach and show that you care and have done your research. I also listen to a lot of podcasts. I especially love NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to start a business or just for some inspiration.

Related: This 29-Year-Old’s Side Hustle Brought People ‘to the Dark Green Side.’ It Made $10,000 Within 2 Days and Sees 6 Figures a Month.

If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
Get your operations down and figure out which tools keep you most organized and offer the best flow. For example, I’ve used multiple types of software for creating invoices, and it gets messy when you have documents in different places. Having a centralized database is so important for record-keeping.

^{Image Credit: Dan Simantov}

When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
When I started Nudesox, I was very young, and there was a lot that I didn’t know about running a business or even the way retailers operate. It’s tricky when you are learning, and when people know you’re in the learning phase, oftentimes you can get taken advantage of. It’s important to walk into every room with confidence and certainty — do your research ahead of time, but don’t necessarily share your doubts or questions with just anyone. Have a select few people that you really trust — this is why it’s important to have mentors.

Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
I had to pull my very first purchase order of socks in 2018 because they would “slip off.” My mistake was that I didn’t test the product in every circumstance and with different shoes to make sure they held up. Biggest mistake! Ever since that moment, every new SKU is worn, washed and tested many, many times with various shoes. I took that first loss and learned my lesson.

Related: They Started a Side Hustle Producing an ‘Obvious’ Food Item. It Hit $300,000 Monthly Revenue Fast — On Track for Over $20 Million in 2025.

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
Nudesox is a concept I never gave up on, and it just takes one big “yes” to propel you forward. That’s the power of one. We often hear about overnight successes or venture-backed brands making it big quickly. I’d argue it’s equally as impressive to pursue something for years before it hits — proof that the brand has a purpose and giving up is not in the equation. Persistence and resilience are two essential founder qualities. Throughout the journey of Nudesox, our retail pop-ups would see thousands of dollars in weeks, and now the brand sees thousands of dollars in minutes with more orders and customers. It’s all about timing and product-market fit.

What does growth and revenue look like now?
Nudesox is on track to sell over 30,000 pairs of socks this year across all sales channels. Having strong partnerships and distribution is important for scaling. We launched with QVC this year, and in our first show, we sold over 500 pairs of socks per minute — that’s about nine pairs per second! This was a partnership I had always dreamed of because it’s an opportunity to present the function of Nudesox visually and share how it makes getting dressed easier. Being on live TV and demonstrating Nudesox’s effectiveness increased sales and allowed me to connect with customers in real time. Creating a product that people wear every day and never knew they needed has boosted the brand, especially now that we have major distribution. Nudesox sees high returning customer rates and organic word of mouth, so we are excited about future growth.

^{Image Credit: Dan Simantov}

How much time do you spend working on your business on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? How do you structure that time; what does a typical day or week of work look like for you?
I work about 75 hours a week, including my weekends, and I start every day with an iced matcha! In addition to Nudesox, I also work for Shopify, helping brands to migrate and grow on our platform. During the day, you’ll find me on the phone with merchants interested in growing with Shopify‘s platform. During the evening, you’ll find me on the phone with my manufacturer discussing margins and retail partnerships. I find it fulfilling to have multiple things going on at once, and the more on my plate, the more I get done. Right now, I’m working on scaling Nudesox with more distribution channels and designing new styles. It’s always been important for me to find synergies in my life. I chose to work for Shopify because Nudesox runs on Shopify, and I understand the platform and how it’s personally helped me run the business. I love connecting with other business owners and being in that world.

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
I love watching each stage of its growth and seeing new opportunities arise. Getting to see something you’ve built reach new heights over time is rewarding. Running a business is dynamic and constantly evolving; there is never a dull moment. High highs and low lows, but it makes me so happy seeing the community of people who love and wear Nudesox daily. When people purchase socks from our retail pop-ups, I often see them come back days or weeks later wearing the Nudesox they bought. It’s always such a good feeling to see people appreciating your product and knowing it’s adding value to their lives. It’s a personal reminder that what I’ve built matters.

Related: ‘Absolute Freedom’: Siblings Behind a Self-Funded 8-Figure Brand Reveal 3 Secrets Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Know About Growth and Success

What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
My best piece of business advice is also personal advice. We talk a lot about love languages and not enough about learning languages. It’s natural to think of how we like to “receive” from others, but it’s also important to know how to “give” to yourself from within. Spend quality time getting to know yourself and how you learn and absorb information. Think of how you best interact with people — is it a specific environment or state of mind? Where do you find inspiration, and how do you deal with tough situations? The common denominator of everything we do in life is ourselves, so having that self-awareness is what will make you successful. Once you’ve done the self-work, focus on solving real problems that people face. Is the market there? Have a clear vision on how you want to execute and show people you are willing to give your all before asking anything from them. Finally, make sure you have an X-factor. What makes your business stand out, and what makes you the right person for this? That’s how I started Nudesox.

This article is part of our ongoing Young Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of being a young business owner.

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