September 2025

Spirit Airlines is set to furlough 1,800 flight attendants, according to a memo sent to staff from John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s chief operating officer, on Monday.

“As we work to return Spirit to profitability, we face difficult decisions about our network, our fleet, and ultimately our workforce,” the memo said, per The Wall Street Journal. “We need to shift our focus to a complete rightsizing of the airline, which means volume-based adjustments to our Flight Attendant group, and across our teams. This is hard news, and we understand it affects not only you and your peers but also your families.”

Last week, Spirit CEO Dave Davis warned staff that job cuts were imminent after the company filed its second bankruptcy in less than a year in late August. The cuts announced on Monday will impact one-third of the company’s total cabin crew members.

Related: Workers Taking Mental Health Leaves Have Increased By 300% Since 2019, According to a New Study

^{Travelers at a Spirit Airlines bag drop at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the Queens borough of New York, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

The current, voluntary furloughs can be selected for six or 12 months, and those who choose the leave will keep medical benefits while out, according to a note sent by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) union to its members and seen by CNBC.

Bendoraitis said that about 800 flight attendants are already on leave, but there is a “limit to how many people can volunteer.” Hundreds of pilots have already been furloughed.

Involuntary furloughs will begin on Dec. 1, the union said.

Earlier this month, Spirit announced that it was ending service to a dozen cities in October, and rival airlines are already swooping in. Frontier Airlines, for example, which has a 35% overlap with Spirit on routes, per CNBC, said it would be adding 20 new routes.

“If Spirit suddenly goes out of business, it will be incredibly disruptive, so we’re adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, in a press release at the time.

Related: Spirit Airlines Issues New Dress Code After Last Year’s Viral Crop Top Incident

A major automaker just experienced a data breach that could affect tens of millions of customers.

Stellantis, the carmaker behind Jeep, Fiat, Chrysler, and Dodge, stated on Sunday in a press release that it “recently” uncovered “unauthorized access” to a third-party service platform part of its customer service operations in North America.

“We are also notifying the appropriate authorities and directly informing affected customers,” Stellantis wrote in the press release. The release notes that while contact information was exposed, financial information was not. The statement did not specify the types of contact information affected.

Related: Jaguar Land Rover Shuts Down Production After Cyberattack, Costing the Company More than a Billion So Far

Stellantis, which was created in 2021 following the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, is the world’s fifth-largest automaker by sales volume.

The car company did not reveal the number of people impacted by the breach. However, the ShinyHunters cybercriminal group claimed responsibility for the attack and told tech site BleepingComputer on Monday that it had stolen more than 18 million Salesforce records from Stellantis, including names and contact information.

^{A 2025 Stellantis Jeep Wrangler, a 2025 Stellantis Ram 1500, and a 2025 Stellantis Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

ShinyHunters has been going after high-profile Salesforce customers since the beginning of the year by using voice phishing attacks to steal data. Google confirmed in June that ShinyHunters was responsible for a data breach affecting one of its own Salesforce databases that contained information about small and medium-sized businesses.

Related: ‘Largest Data Breach in History’: Apple, Google, and Meta Passwords Reportedly Among 16 Billion Stolen in Massive Hack

Louis Vuitton and insurance company Allianz Life also experienced data breaches in July that were linked to the ShinyHunters group.

According to the National CIO Review, ShinyHunters employs a consistent attack strategy: Someone calls a company employee pretending to be IT support and has them download an app, which grants the attacker access to customer data. The attacker then steals information like names, emails, and phone numbers, and demands ransom payments from the company to stop the publication of the data.

ShinyHunters told BleepingComputer that it had stolen over 1.5 billion Salesforce records from 760 companies in total so far.

Nvidia may be the most valuable company in the world, surging to a record-high $4.395 trillion market capitalization over the past few months, but when it comes to stock growth, one surprising company has it beat: Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Build-A-Bear’s stock grew by more than 2,000% over the past five years, making it one of the top 20 companies in the world by share growth, per The Washington Post. Company shares are up over 60% year-to-date at the time of writing. According to Build-A-Bear’s earnings report for the second quarter ending August 2, total revenue hit $124.2 million, an 11% increase from the same period last year. It was the company’s most profitable second quarter in its history.

Build-A-Bear’s stock growth beats the world’s biggest tech giants, such as Nvidia (surged by over 1,300% in the past five years, with shares up over 30% year-to-date); Microsoft (stock grew by 147% across the past five years); and Oracle (stock swelled 444% across the same time period).

Related: How Labubu Outsold Barbie and Hot Wheels — and Will Help Parent Company Pop Mart Earn $4 Billion This Year

At Build-A-Bear, customers stuff a plush toy, add a toy heart, and dress the stuffed animal. The company was founded in October 1997 in Saint Louis, Missouri, and the experience in stores has remained consistent since its founding.

The company’s CEO, Sharon Price John, who took over in 2013, told CNBC that the process of making a bear is “a really emotional, memorable experience that creates a tremendous amount of equity.” The store’s in-person experience contributes to its resilience, even as other mall stores like Claire’s close hundreds of locations.

^{Build-A-Bear Workshop in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images}

“Those strong feelings that consumers have for brands are very stretchable beyond just that one experience,” John told the outlet.

University of Pennsylvania Marketing Professor Americus Reed told CNBC that the “ritualistic” process of creating a stuffed animal at Build-A-Bear creates a memorable experience that is “really hard to replicate.” Build-A-Bear creates a deeper connection with its customers, building a sense of loyalty, Reed explained.

Related: The Lego Resale Market Is Reportedly Thriving — And Some Sets Can Fetch Over $15,000

Zach Wray, a customer whose family has hundreds of bears, told The Washington Post that the experience of creating a stuffed animal is what keeps his kids coming back to Build-A-Bear.

“They make it really special for the kids,” Wray told the outlet.

Nostalgia also plays a role in the company’s growth. A recent survey released by Build-A-Bear earlier this month shows that 92% of adults still have their childhood stuffed animal, and nearly 100% say that teddy bears are for all ages. Two-fifths (40%) of Build-A-Bear’s customers are adults, not kids, according to The Washington Post.

Build-A-Bear has 627 stores across 32 countries, 100 of which opened within the past two years. The company told The Washington Post that it plans to open 60 more locations this year, and that almost all of its stores in North America were profitable.

Related: This Mom’s Side Hustle Selling a $600 Children’s Toy Became a Business Making Over $1 Million a Year: ‘There Is a Lot to Love’

We all love to hear the stories of individuals who started a business and became overnight successes. You know the narrative. The entrepreneur starts working out of their basement or garage. Creates a great product or service. Gets noticed or catches a lucky break and suddenly is making over seven figures.

I love to read about these motivated individuals, but I also know that the reality is very different for many business owners. Everyone wants to grow. No one wants to be just a caretaker. But growth is tricky. Do you want to grow quickly? Perhaps sell and move on? Are you in it for the long haul? Want to leave a legacy? There is no right answer, but what you do and how you operate is impacted by your choices. Here are a few things to consider if you want to be an overnight success.

Related: I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here’s How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

1. Plenty of cash

If you want to grow quickly and be that “overnight success,” you need the cash to scale up all areas of the business. However, one of the key impediments to growth for entrepreneurs is access to capital. Without cash you cannot buy raw materials, machinery or other equipment. You also need people to do the heavy lifting at start-up and then keep a steady work pace once you are past the rush. Even when entrepreneurs have planned for the budget to operate, they often forget about the cost of marketing. Without that you simply cannot get noticed today and grow at a rapid pace. The cost of marketing in a digital world are far more than you expect.

Over the years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has said that “small businesses with less than $5 million in annual revenue and net profit margins between 10-12% should allocate around 7-8% of their gross revenue to marketing.” Businesses that want to grow quickly often spend much more.

When the need for cash goes beyond what the entrepreneur can raise on their own, they look to investors. Shark Tank is full of stories from people who are trying to get noticed and cut a deal so they can grow. While negotiating, many must give up a significant piece of their business. That is common when you go to venture capital or private equity. Of course, the money is just one aspect of it. “Sharks” or other investors also bring treasured knowledge to the entrepreneur to spur growth.

Entrepreneurs, like me, have a different approach to money. I have preferred to “pay as I go.” In other words, try not to take unnecessary loans and buy equipment as needed, so we get a quick return on the investment. There have been times when we have financed efforts, but have never taken money from an outside investor. Early on, I had “angels” interested in investing. I considered offers but ended up declining. Has that slowed our growth? Probably, but we also have retained control of the business, and for me, that is priceless.

Related: The Financial Truths No One Tell You in Your First 2 Years of Entrepreneurship

2. Unquestionable quality

Making a quality product or delivering a quality service is hard enough under normal circumstances, but when you grow quickly, you must ramp up. Do you have manufacturing capacity? Will your suppliers be able to keep up with a surge in business? Do you have training programs in place? I know that it takes a new hire at my company at least six months to get up to speed, and during that time, we do not let them work solo. Piling work on even seasoned employees can result in mistakes. If you have the systems and people in place to grow and maintain quality, that is great. But when growth is exponential, quality can be compromised.

On one occasion, I had to make the tough choice not to go after a large piece of business that would have expanded our reach internationally. In fact, the contract would have almost doubled our annual sales that year. I was really tempted. It would have been great to show that kind of success and gain bragging rights for a high-profile job. The reality was that we just did not have the bench strength to take it on, and trying to build the team quickly would have been difficult. We declined to bid for the job. That hurt. But it also prompted me to slowly begin to build up the team. Today we do work internationally and can maintain the quality.

Here is the lesson. I believe it is better to turn down projects or new clients than risk a bad outcome just for the sake of growth. Good reviews are read and dismissed. Bad reviews linger a lot longer. Today, those reviews are instantaneously on social media, and just as quickly as you soared to the top, you can crash and burn.

Related: I Made $1 Million in 20 Minutes — Here’s How I Did It and What They Don’t Tell You About ‘Overnight’ Success

3. Laser focus

In a recent article, I wrote about how to avoid being distracted by “shiny pennies.” I shared that successful entrepreneurs stick to their core business strategy. Those who experience overnight success take this idea to the highest level. They are laser-focused on products and services but also the speed at which they operate. They set stretch goals and work tirelessly to achieve them. They are focused on opportunities not all the obstacles that others see. When things go wrong, they focus on the solution, not the problem. It is that focus that sets successful entrepreneurs apart. While others see them as an overnight success, it has been a carefully crafted plan that got them where they are.

It might seem like some businesspeople are lucky. In the right place at the right time. The reality is, like the actor who waited tables for years before getting discovered, it takes a lot of hard work to become an overnight success … and even more to stay at the top. Most of us do not see the years of effort, the struggles and the failures that it took to be successful. We prefer to think that it just happened. I started my business in my basement and worked out of it for several years before I could afford an office. It still amazes me when people think my company was successful quickly. It took much longer than people realized.

So, the next time you hear a story about an entrepreneur who went from their garage or basement to running a multi-million-dollar enterprise, look for the story behind the story. That entrepreneur had to find cash, offer a consistent quality product and be laser focused. It takes effort to be an overnight success, and it does happen. But, for every individual who makes it, there are countless others who have reclaimed their basement or garage for its original purpose.

Slow and steady or overnight success. Which will you be?

As a founder, your instinct is to appeal to everyone. Investors. Customers. Partners. The whole world feels like your audience.

And that instinct is killing your posts.

The biggest mistake I see founders make on social media is trying to speak to everyone at once. The result? Your message hits no one with any power. Social media works when one person on the other side of the screen feels like you’re talking directly to them. And only them. That’s when they stop scrolling. That’s when they like, comment, DM and share.

If you’re writing posts for a crowd, you’re blending into the noise. If you’re writing for one person, you’re cutting through it.

Talk to the ONE.

Think about the last time you heard a great keynote. Thousands of people in the room, but it felt like the speaker was talking just to you. That’s the effect you need to recreate in your posts.

Related: Why Authenticity Is the Key to Making Great Social Media Content and Building a More Devoted Audience

Here’s how to do it

1. Use direct language. Say you. Not “teams,” not “leaders in general.” You.
2. Call out exactly who you’re speaking to. “As a founder…” “If you’re leading a small team…” Be very specific.
3. Match their language and tone. Talk how they talk. Tech founders read differently than family-run restaurant owners. Investors hear you differently than customers.
4. Anchor it in real experiences. Share stories your “one” will nod along to and relate to.
5. Ask questions. Keep it conversational. If you wouldn’t say it out loud to a friend, don’t post it.

The goal is connection, not coverage.

Related: 11 Social Media Secrets Every Business Should Be Using in 2025

Who is your ONE?

Before you write the post, get clear:

• Is this message for investors?
• Is it for potential customers?
• Is it for peers and other founders?

Pick one. Speak to them. Let everyone else listen in. Being direct isn’t enough. You also have to engage. Respond to comments. Ask follow-ups. Keep the conversation alive in the comment section. The magic of social media isn’t in the post; it’s in the dialogue that happens after.

Yes, it takes more effort to do it this way. But the payoff is real. You’ll start seeing responses from people who “get it,” and that’s how networks and brands are built.

By the way, this principle isn’t just for your social media work. It applies to everything: your website, your pitch deck and even how you write emails. If people don’t feel like you’re speaking directly to them, they’ll bounce. But when they do feel it? They stay. They engage. They buy in.

And here’s the kicker: when you start focusing on one person, you’ll be shocked at how many “ones” actually show up.

The ONE-Person Framework (fast filter before you post)

Run every draft through three quick checks:

O — Outcome:
What single outcome does your reader want right now? Name it in the first 1–2 lines.

N — Narrative:
Tell a tiny story (3–6 sentences) that proves you’ve been where they are.

E — Engagement:
End with an invitation that’s easy to answer: a yes/no, a choice, a “fill-in-the-blank” or “DM me ‘PLAYBOOK’ if you want the steps.”

If your post can’t pass O-N-E in under a minute, it’s still written for a crowd.

Bad vs. Better (same idea, three audiences)

Generic (bad):
“Founders, growth is about focusing on customers and raising capital efficiently.”

Investor-focused (better):
“If you write checks, here’s the only metric that matters for us this quarter: cash payback in < 9 months on the core offer. Want the cohort math? I’ll drop it in a thread if you ask.”

Customer-focused (better):
“If you’re a CFO tired of surprise SaaS overages, here’s how we cap your spend in 30 days without switching tools. Step 1:…”

Founder-peer (better):
“Bootstrappers: stop optimizing your logo. Ship a clunky v1 to 10 paying customers. Here’s the email I send to get those first 10 calls.”

Related: How to Market Yourself on Social Media in 4 Steps

Micro-examples you can steal

• Hook for investors: “If you care about repeatable revenue, look at this: 41% of logos bought a second product within 60 days. Here’s why.”
• Hook for customers: “If your onboarding still takes 14 days, try this 3-email sequence. We cut ours to 72 hours.”
• Hook for peers: “What actually moved MRR last month (and what was a total waste of time). Numbers and receipts below.”

A simple post template (fill in and ship)

1. Call the ONE: “If you’re a [role] who’s stuck with [pain]…”
2. Promise an outcome: “…here’s how to get [specific result] in [time frame] without [common objection].”
3. Proof/story: 3–6 sentences. Short, concrete, credible.
4. One clear step: “Start with [step 1].”
5. Engagement: “Want my checklist? Comment ‘CHECK’ and I’ll send it.”

The 30-minute weekly workflow

You don’t need a content department. You need a habit.

Monday (10 min): Pick your ONE for the week. One audience. One outcome.
Wednesday (15 min): Draft two posts. Use the template. Cut filler.
Friday (5 min): Show up in the comments for 5 solid minutes — answer, ask, invite DMs. That’s it. Consistency beats virality.

Comment strategy that actually builds business

• Reply fast to the first 10 comments. Speed signals presence.
• Ask back: “Curious — what’s the blocker on your team?” Pull the thread.
• Move the qualified ones to DM with a micro-ask: “Want the 5-step SOP? DM me ‘SOP’ and I’ll send it.”
• Close the loop publicly: “Sent!” Your audience sees you deliver.

This is how posts turn into a pipeline.

Quality metrics to track (ignore the vanity)

• Replies per 1,000 views (conversation density)
• Save rate (did this earn a second look?)
• Inbound DMs per post (real intent)
• % of comments from the ONE (are the right people talking back?)

If these four move up, you’re winning — even if views are flat.

Common traps to avoid

• Spray-and-pray topics. If your post could apply to anyone, it will land with no one.
• Jargon flexing. If the ONE wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t type it.
• Burying the lead. Put the outcome in the first two lines.
• CTA soup. One ask per post. Not three.
• Ghosting your comments. If you won’t show up after you post, don’t expect your audience to.

How to pick your ONE (when you serve multiple)

Rotate deliberately:

• Week 1: Potential customers
• Week 2: Current users (expansion/retention)
• Week 3: Investors/partners
• Week 4: Founder peers (recruiting, brand)

Write for one each week. Let the others eavesdrop.

A 5-minute edit pass to run through before you hit ‘post’

1. Highlight every “you.” Not enough? Rewrite.
2. Cut your first sentence. Start where the heat begins.
3. Swap abstractions for specifics. “Grow fast” → “Add $20k MRR in 60 days.”
4. Add one question. Make it answerable in one line.
5. Pick one CTA. Comment, DM or click — choose.

Related: The 8 Secrets of Great Communicators

Bring it home

Crowds don’t buy. People do. So pick your person. Speak their language. Prove you’ve been where they are. Invite a next step. Do this, and your posts stop sounding like ads to everyone and start feeling like help to someone.

Talk to one — and watch how many of your right-fit customers show up.

Every business decision reflects a value system, even if it’s not named outright. When sales drop, do you cut costs or beef up your sales team once you’ve confirmed your sales strategy still works? That choice reveals where you put your weight, i.e., what you prioritize when resources are constrained but the company still has room to maneuver.

For me, the answer is to invest in the right people. However, some organizations make the choice of never calling out which approach is driving their decision-making.

Instead of making a strategic choice, these companies operate from unnamed assumptions. This leaves their leaders in a precarious situation. When a crisis hits, some choose security while others choose growth, creating confusion and conflict. That is a value killer.

It’s people who create value, however you define it — be it profit, revenue, standards or culture — and the leader’s job is to give them the clarity they need to align their roles with organizational goals. So here is how to bring those values to the surface to create space for principled decisions, even when the right path isn’t easy or perfect.

Related: Why Profits Over People Is Destined to Fail

The cost of unnamed priorities

Decision-making can be a good gauge of how well an organization is aligning its priorities. The bigger the company, the higher the cost of people pulling in different directions. McKinsey found that fewer than half of the 1,200 global business leaders it surveyed described their decisions as timely, and many of their decision-making processes were ineffective.

Decision paralysis does not afflict companies because they lack data like sales, profit and headcount, but because they haven’t named their values or aligned their value within the company as part of their culture. When priorities aren’t explicit, people judge each other’s actions through their own value lens. Then they get frustrated when the other party is doing it differently.

There are exceptions. When survival is at stake due to looming bankruptcy or market crashes, the scope of decision-making narrows and cost-cutting becomes unavoidable. However, in most downturns, I have to align the whole team on what we should do. It’s then that I prioritize people over short-term profit concerns, not because I ignore financial results, but because empowered people build sustainable businesses over time.

When values clash

The tension between people and profit isn’t theoretical — it’s a lived reality on a daily basis. Corporate culture is basically an aligned value system that needs to be called out so everyone follows it to maximize effectiveness.

We need to see value systems not as obstacles, but as guiding forces. They help reveal what matters most when trade-offs feel murky. Think about these clashes of values, which companies of different sizes may face without clear priorities:

• Speed vs. quality: Do you ship fast or perfect the product before going to market?

• Innovation vs. efficiency: Explore new markets or optimize current operations?

• Customer satisfaction vs. margins: Absorb costs to build reputation or protect profitability of the current quarter?

• Centralization vs. autonomy: Head-office control or local decision-making?

Confronted with these kinds of tensions, I don’t aim to impose my values, but I also don’t believe avoiding the conversation serves anyone. Instead of choosing between competing values, the goal is to agree on the structure for how we balance them or prioritize one over the other under what conditions. Forget neutrality. Prioritizing and balancing values is not a 50-50 proposition. Instead, we first have to lean into conflict to create clarity.

Related: Holding True to Your Values Is an Essential Decision-Making Metric

Bringing values to the surface

The best approach to get everyone on the same page is practical, although perhaps sometimes uncomfortable. If I am on the management team and there’s disagreement between whether to cut costs or invest in more people, let that argument surface at the table so everyone can discuss it from their own perspective.

Cost-cutting is not necessarily anti-people. And investing in people is definitely not anti-profit for the long run. But it may feel the wrong way when decisions aren’t grounded in a shared value framework.

The safety versus speed crisis over at OpenAI showed how misaligned values can play out if leaders are divided. The board operated from OpenAI’s original nonprofit mission that put safety first, while CEO Sam Altman valued speed to market. When Altman was briefly fired in 2023, the chaos that followed — employee revolt and investor panic — put the organization at existential risk.

The resolution came only when OpenAI built a frame that let them hold both safety and innovation together. To avoid value killers like OpenAI’s one-time crisis, values need to be named explicitly. If there’s conflict over assumed values, this is your opportunity to build structures that hold them in balance.

Related: How Putting People Before Profit Fueled My Company’s Long-Term Success

Values as navigation tools

The lesson from OpenAI was that every growing organization faces moments when values seem to clash. In mission-driven companies especially, scaling brings tension between staying true to purpose and chasing market opportunities. Rather than avoiding that tension, it must be confronted.

This isn’t about moral superiority or choosing sides in some philosophical debate. The organizations that thrive are the ones that make their priorities explicit and have the agility to balance them when they appear to conflict. That’s what putting people first actually means: giving your team the clarity they need to navigate complex choices and create lasting value together.

In today’s game, our laptops are mission-critical. But here’s the thing: hauling your main device everywhere—flights, coffee shops, meetings—is risky. One drop, one spill, and you’re scrambling.

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Five years ago, I hit rock bottom.

From the outside, my life looked like a highlight reel: scaling social enterprises, writing bestsellers, sharing stages with world-famous leaders. But behind the curtain, I was exhausted, angry, and disconnected. My health was crumbling under chronic pain, brain fog and a complete loss of purpose.

The hard truth about burnout is this: you can look like you’re winning while you’re falling apart. I had pushed so hard, for so long, that I hollowed out from the inside. It wasn’t just overwork. It was a disconnection from what mattered — physically, mentally, spiritually.

That collapse became a turning point. Out of desperation, I started exploring a new path anchored in science and self-awareness. What I discovered was a trifecta: biohacking, longevity medicine and fulfillment. Together, they restored my energy and clarity.

In this article, I’ll focus on biohacking — because it was the gateway that reconnected me at the cellular level and gave me the foundation to rebuild.

Rediscovering energy

Biohacking is often misunderstood as a fringe obsession with gadgets and supplements. But at its core, it’s simple: creating the conditions for your body and mind to function at their best. Think of it as working on the smallest unit of life — your cells and microbiome — so they can repair damage, fight disease and fuel growth.

My journey started with the basics: sleep, nutrition and movement.

Years of neglect had left me with inflammation, lingering injuries and brain fog. Traditional medicine had no answers.

Everything shifted when I met Dave Asprey, the founder of the modern biohacking movement. His philosophy was simple: change your environment — inside and out — and you can change your life.

Dave’s story mirrored my own. At 28, despite outward success, he faced arthritis, prediabetes, cognitive decline and the biochemistry of someone twice his age. Determined to reverse it, he lost over 100 pounds, regained his energy and boosted his IQ. His journey sparked the creation of The Bulletproof Diet and the global biohacking community.

Related: Why Smart Entrepreneurs Are Betting Big on Biohacking

Rebuilding from the ground up

I began experimenting with practices that seemed too simple to be transformative: cold plunges, infrared light, grounding in nature, fasting, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a complete diet reset. Slowly, my energy returned.

When I sought treatment for an old rugby injury that left me limping for years, I turned to regenerative medicine: stem-cell therapy and plasma exchanges. For the first time in decades, I walked without pain.

But the biggest breakthrough wasn’t physical. With energy came clarity. With clarity came purpose. For the first time in years, I could hear the quiet voice of what mattered most.

Lessons for entrepreneurs

So what does this have to do with building a company? Everything.

Entrepreneurs pride themselves on outworking everyone else. But exhaustion is not a strategy. Your body is your most undervalued asset, and when you neglect it, your business pays the price.

Here are five practices that changed my life — and can change the way you lead:

1. Own your mornings
   I used to wake up and dive into email. Now I guard the first hours of the day for myself: meditation, movement, and cold exposure. These rituals anchor me before the world demands my attention.

2. Treat recovery as fuel, not weakness
   Sleep, downtime, and therapies like hyperbaric oxygen aren’t indulgences. They’re performance multipliers. Recovery is what sustains high output.

3. Align biology with purpose
   Energy without direction accelerates burnout. Energy with purpose drives innovation, collaboration, and fulfillment.

4. Use stress as a tool
   Cold plunges, fasting, and breathwork are forms of “hormetic stress” — controlled challenges that build resilience. When you train your body to handle stress, you lead better under pressure.

5. Build rituals, not resolutions
   Change doesn’t come from hacks you try once. It comes from rituals you repeat daily. My 4:15 a.m. wake-up, morning oxygen sessions, and meditation aren’t experiments — they’re anchors.

Related: I Biohacked My Way to Better Mood, Sleep and Job Performance — and You Can, Too. Here’s How.

From burned out to fueled up

Looking back, burnout was the best thing that ever happened to me. It forced me to confront the unsustainable way I was living and leading.

It took all three pillars — biohacking, longevity medicine and fulfillment — to rebuild my health. Biohacking gave me a reset at the cellular level. Longevity medicine created a long-term plan. Fulfillment reconnected me to purpose.

Today, I lead with presence and energy. I show up better for my family. And I build from a place of alignment, not exhaustion.

The lesson is simple: when you restore yourself, you don’t just lead better. You live better.

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Friday that he had a “very productive” call with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, and that “progress” has been made “on the approval of the TikTok Deal.”

A White House official told CNBC that the call began at 8 a.m. ET. Although the matter does not appear to have been finalized, Trump wrote that he can “appreciate the TikTok approval” and that the two leaders will meet again in November at the APEC Summit in South Korea.

“I just completed a very productive call with President Xi of China. We made progress on many very important issues, including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal,” Trump wrote. “The call was a very good one. We will be speaking again by phone, appreciate the TikTok approval, and both look forward to meeting at APEC!”

Related: Billionaire Investor Frank McCourt Jr. Wants to Do More Than Buy TikTok — He Wants to Transform the Entire Internet. Here’s How.

Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the “framework” for a TikTok deal had been reached with China. Then, Trump extended the deadline for a TikTok deal for another 90 days, until December 16, with an Executive Order. It is the fourth extension issued since Congress passed a law last year requiring TikTok’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, to sell the popular app or face a ban in the U.S.

CNBC’s David Faber reported earlier this week that TikTok’s U.S. owners will consist of new and existing investors. Oracle, which has been TikTok’s U.S. cloud provider since 2022, will keep its agreement with the company, sources told Faber. CBS reports that the private equity firm, Silver Lake, is also involved. Reports noted ByteDance would keep an ownership stake.

Bids to buy the app have been submitted by a slew of notable business leaders, including the team of Kevin O’Leary, billionaire former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in “The People’s Bid.” AI startup Perplexity, Amazon, and Applovin all submitted separate proposals as well.

Related: President Donald Trump Suggests Canceling Quarterly Reporting: ‘This Will Save Money’