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In 1978, James Dyson had an idea for a bagless vacuum cleaner that maintained suction. He was frustrated with what was considered to be a top-of-the-line model, which he said frequently clogged and lost cleaning power as soon as it filled with dust.

Dyson worked on his idea full-time, and after five years of work and 5,127 failed prototypes, he created the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner — the now-famous Dyson, which has since become a consumer electronics brand reaching sales of $9.6 billion in 2023. But those early years came at a cost: He was borrowing heavily from the bank to make ends meet and had accumulated over $1 million in debt.

“Eventually, I owed over a million dollars, which for a penniless person in those days, going back 30 odd years, was a lot of money,” Dyson, 78, told Entrepreneur in an interview. “I didn’t have any money.”

Related: Emma Grede Dropped Out of School at 16. Now the Skims Boss Runs a $4 Billion Empire.

But he also had “little to lose,” he says, which is why he took a chance on his vacuum idea despite the financial pit. He lost his father at a young age and felt a keen sense of ownership and passion for what he was building and for his future.

“I suppose I don’t mind living on the edge,” Dyson said. “I lost my father when I was nine years old. I had it built into me that my future was entirely down to me, and to do it on my own.”

“I wanted to do it,” he added.

^{James Dyson. Credit: Dyson}

Financial constraints made Dyson more creative because not having money taught him how to cope without it. For example, he couldn’t hire salespeople, advertisers, or promoters, so he went out himself to sell the vacuum cleaner.

“It took quite a long time,” Dyson said. “Almost every businessperson I spoke to said that I was mad.”

Related: Nick Offerman’s Side Hustle as an Actor Helps Fund the Business He Started 23 Years Ago — and Still Works at Every Day

In 1993, Dyson set up his own shop and produced the first unit of the Dyson Dual Cyclone DC-01 vacuum cleaner at a price of $399. By 1998, Dyson had sold 1.4 million units of the vacuum globally, and by 2004, the DC-01 was cemented as a commercial success, outselling its nearest competitor in the U.K. by a ratio of five to one, per Industry Week.

In recent years, Dyson’s eponymous company has reached new heights. In 2023, with a broader product portfolio, including hair tools, lighting, fans, and headphones, Dyson’s company achieved a record global revenue of £7.1 billion ($9.6 billion) and employed 6,500 workers. Revenue increased 9% from the previous year.

Now, Dyson’s net worth is reportedly around $15.3 billion, making him the third-wealthiest person in the U.K. He’s received other honors, too, including a knighthood in 2006 for his services to business.

Related: A Billionaire Founder Admits He Had ‘Horrible Habits’ — Then He Started a Morning Routine That ‘Transformed’ His Life

Dyson has certainly paid off those early debts and says he celebrates the “little successes” just as much (or even more) than the big ones. He points to Dyson hand dryers as an example — the product isn’t a “huge” business, like, say, the Dyson hair dryer, he says, but he still finds it “interesting.”

“You shouldn’t do everything in life just to get big numbers, big successes,” Dyson said. “Little successes are just as satisfying.”

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It’s easy to believe AI is replacing personality. The tools keep getting smarter, the answers faster, the automation more seamless.

But here’s what I’ve seen — through client work, advisory calls and personal experience: the more AI evolves, the more your personal brand becomes your most defensible asset.

We’re not entering a future where the individual disappears. We’re entering one where the people who know who they are — and know how to show up with clarity — will stand out.

Your name. Your tone. Your beliefs. Your story. These aren’t just personal details. They’re trust signals. They’re what make people remember you. They’re what make your work hard to replicate or replace.

Related: 10 Reasons Why Branding Is Important, Even For Startups

AI has changed visibility

We’ve now entered a phase of work where tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Copilot shape the flow of information. They decide who gets surfaced, who gets linked and who gets seen first.

But even when AI brings people to your doorstep, they still do what they’ve always done. They Google you. They check your LinkedIn. They look for alignment, consistency and depth. They want to know you’re real. That your voice holds up across platforms. That your work and your words match.

They don’t want to be sold. They want to be led. And people follow voices that are clear, specific and grounded.

AI might deliver the content. But your brand is what earns the trust.

What AI can and can’t do

Yes, AI can move faster than you. It can summarize your thoughts, mimic your style and output a polished draft in seconds. But it can’t replicate your point of view. It can’t manufacture your lived experience. And it doesn’t carry your credibility.

That’s what makes your brand valuable. It’s not a tagline. It’s not a color palette. It’s the clarity you’ve earned over time — through experience, reflection and repetition.

And in a market flooded with speed, it’s depth that stands out.

The brands that win aren’t the loudest

The best personal brands aren’t built to be liked by everyone. They’re built to be unmistakable. The kind people remember, refer, and recommend.

When your brand is working, people know what you do, how you do it, who it’s for and what you care about. That clarity creates alignment, not just with clients or followers, but with AI systems scanning the internet trying to understand who you are and why you matter.

That’s how you stay discoverable. That’s how you become referable. That’s how your work gets amplified — by machines and by people.

How to build a brand that holds up

If you’re serious about building a personal brand that can stand out in this AI-driven landscape, start here:

1. Get consistent online
Audit your digital presence. Look at your LinkedIn, your website bio, your social profiles, your media mentions. Are they telling the same story? Are they using the same tone? AI systems build understanding from scattered signals. Don’t confuse them.

2. Define your voice and values
What are you known for? What do you stand against? What’s your tone — calm, bold, curious, directive? Write it down. Keep it close. Let it guide how you write, how you speak, how you show up.

3. Show your work
Share case studies. Reflect on what you’ve learned. Talk about your wins, but also about the work behind them. We’ve entered an era where authority comes not from titles but from transparency.

Related: Creating a Brand: How To Build a Brand From Scratch

Clarity beats noise

We don’t need more noise. We need more clarity.

Your personal brand is not a vanity project. It’s not about trying to be everywhere or please everyone. It’s about becoming a trusted signal in a noisy world. It’s the filter that helps people decide what to follow, who to buy from, and which voices to let influence them.

AI might accelerate reach. But your identity is what sustains the connection. And that’s what builds longevity. This matters not just for marketing, but for momentum, opportunity and trust.

Because the truth is, your brand speaks before you do. It speaks for you when you’re not in the room. And it can carry you through every algorithm shift, platform pivot and market change.

People will always gravitate toward someone who knows who they are — and lives like it.

So if you’re building a brand right now, don’t aim for attention. Aim for alignment. Make it clear. Make it true. And make it yours.

JPMorgan Chase really wants its employees back in the office five days a week, and it’s offering a shiny, amenity-packed new tower, located at 270 Park Avenue in New York, as a perk.

The just-built 60-story “supertall” skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan is expected to open in the next few weeks. It’s 1,389 feet high and will serve as the company’s U.S. headquarters for its 14,000 employees in the area. It’s also the tallest structure in New York that will be 100% powered by hydroelectric energy.

Related: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Says Only One Group Is Complaining About Returning to the Office

^{Getty Stock | 270 Park Ave in Manhattan under construction.}

The new tower features a gym with state-of-the-art cardio, strength, and recovery equipment, daily group exercise classes, and a fancy new locker room. According to the New York Post, employees were complaining on Reddit about having to actually pay for the new gym, but no price has been set as of yet.

“Everything is still being finalized,” a JPMorgan rep told the outlet.

When it comes to food, the standard skyscraper cafeteria fare just won’t do for employees of the biggest bank in the U.S. Instead, Head of JPMorgan Real Estate, David Arena, originally said the goal was to create something “like Eataly or even better.” That came to fruition in the form of a 19-restaurant food hall curated by Danny Meyer’s Hospitality Group (the company behind Shake Shack, Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and others).

Related: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon Regrets Cursing at Company Town Hall But Stands By Return-to-Office Mandate: ‘We’re Not Going to Change’

According to photos seen by Business Insider, there is also an Irish Pub, a plethora of outdoor and communal spaces, and conference rooms with city views so grand that employees might have a hard time focusing on the presentation.

JPMorgan first announced its return-to-office (RTO) mandate in January and began its implementation in the spring. Although it was met with some internal opposition (more than 1,900 workers signed a petition calling for a hybrid work schedule), the bank has pushed ahead.

Related: RTO Mandates Have Workers Looking for Alternatives to Companies like Amazon and JPMorgan

About one in five Americans works past the traditional retirement age, according to Pew Research. And billionaire Warren Buffett has proven that it can be quite lucrative to keep working in older age — the 94-year-old Berkshire Hathaway CEO earned close to 95% of his personal wealth after age 65, per Barron’s.

Buffett turned 65 on Aug. 30, 1995. At that time, his Berkshire stock was worth about $12 billion (about $25.3 billion today with inflation). In the three decades since, Buffett’s net worth has skyrocketed as Berkshire’s stock price has grown nearly 30-fold.

Related: ‘It Was Unfair’: Warren Buffett Reveals the Real Reason He Stepped Down as CEO

Buffett is now worth $141 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with 99% of his wealth, or $140 billion of his fortune, tied to his interest in Berkshire Hathaway. The Index places him as the eleventh-wealthiest person in the world, at the time of writing.

^{Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage}

Buffett’s wealth has grown nearly 12-fold from 1995 to 2025, despite his extensive charitable giving. In June, Buffett made his biggest annual donation yet to five organizations, dividing up $6 billion between the Gates Foundation and four family charities: the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation.

Buffett began making annual contributions to these organizations starting in June 2006 and has donated a total of over $60 billion to these foundations so far.

Related: Warren Buffett Is Making a Big Change to Next Year’s Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

Barron’s estimates that if Buffett hadn’t given away a portion of his wealth, his fortune would have more than doubled at this point, reaching $300 billion.

Buffett has held the position of CEO of Berkshire Hathaway for 55 years, beginning his tenure in 1970. At Berkshire’s annual meeting earlier this year, he announced that he would be stepping down, and Greg Abel, 62, Berkshire’s vice chairman of non-insurance operations, will assume the role of CEO on Jan. 1, 2026.

Berkshire Hathaway’s market value was a little over $1 trillion at the time of writing.

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Every founder, no matter how skilled or successful, eventually hits a wall. Change will inevitably come: the market shifts, the capital dries up, your product stops resonating or you simply outgrow your original vision. When that moment comes, there is one key differentiator between those who survive and those who spiral, and that is reinvention. Reinvention is more than changing direction; it’s the willingness to continually question, adapt and rebuild yourself and your business when the world changes faster than your plans.

I’ve had to reinvent myself more times than I can count, from traditional banking into blockchain, from smooth VC-backed launches to survival mode, and most recently, to scaling through prominent partnerships as regulatory clarity sweeps through the Web3 space.

There’s nothing glamorous about pivoting, but every reinvention has taught me something I wish I’d known five years earlier. Here are five lessons that have shaped my journey, and I believe they can make a difference for other founders facing inflection points of their own.

Related: 7 Powerful Tools for Reinventing You and Your Business

Build for the tough periods

The hardest pivot of my career came in 2022. We were mid-way through a funding round for our investment platform, which was expanding into blockchain infrastructure. Term sheets were lined up, and momentum felt strong. Then the market collapsed. VC sentiment cooled, investors backed out, and the capital we were counting on vanished.

Startups around us began shutting down or retreating. We had every reason to do the same. But instead, we made perhaps the hardest decision of all: We stayed. We restructured our team, narrowed our focus and doubled down on traction over optics. It wasn’t glamorous, and growth slowed, but it was the most defining moment of my career. It taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since: Bull markets reward hype. Bear markets reveal builders.

Conviction is your greatest startup asset

If I had to summarize my entrepreneurial journey in three words, they’d be: conviction, disruption, reinvention.

Conviction means unwavering belief in your vision, even when the outcome is uncertain and the world hasn’t caught up. It’s what keeps founders moving forward when there are more doubters than supporters. Conviction gets you through uncertainty. Disruption forces you to stay sharp. And reinvention? It’s the cost of staying in the game. Founders often think “novel” means “unproven.” But when you’re building something truly original, whether a tech protocol or a belief system, people won’t get it at first. If everyone could already see it, the opportunity would be gone.

When you’re out ahead of the narrative, conviction is your only fuel. Use it wisely.

Related: 5 Steps to Successfully Reinvent Your Organization

The right “why” will carry you through any “how”

When we launched Zamanat, a Shariah-compliant DeFi app built on ZIGChain, I wasn’t chasing a niche. I was following a deeply personal belief: Ethical finance should be available to everyone, and blockchain, at its best, is about unlocking access for all.

As someone who has used Shariah-compliant financial products myself, I saw the disconnect between traditional Islamic finance and what was being built in Web3. Most solutions were either too generic or compromised on principles. We didn’t want to choose between financial innovation and faith-based values. So we built both.

Was it a market opportunity? Absolutely. Was it a personal conviction? Without question. But more than anything, it was a responsibility to create a system that didn’t leave people behind.

Discerning “when” to pivot

Too often, founders wait for the numbers to “prove” it’s time to pivot. But by then, it’s often too late. In my experience, pivots don’t start with spreadsheets, but rather with friction within the team. This can look like product decisions that feel forced, direction that takes too many meetings to align and progress that isn’t enjoyable anymore. When momentum slows from lack of energy, rather than from lack of effort, that is your signal.

Many of the world’s most successful companies only got there because they heeded these subtle signals and made bold changes. For example, Instagram began as Burbn, a complicated check-in and gaming app. When the founders realized adoption was stalling, they zeroed in on the only thing users truly loved: sharing photos. That pivot didn’t come from hitting a numbers wall; it came from recognizing where real momentum and excitement lived. The result? Over one billion users and a multi-billion-dollar acquisition by Facebook.

By contrast, when you are still energized with deep belief in your vision, even if the world has not caught up or there isn’t much traction, it’s a sign you are building something that matters. Trust that signal, too.

Related: How Pivoting Saved My Business When Things Didn’t Go According to Plan

Reinvention doesn’t mean abandoning your “why” — it means upgrading your “how”

The biggest myth about pivots is thinking they mean failure. In reality, the smartest pivots are rooted in the same mission, just pursued through a smarter strategy, a better vehicle or a more sustainable team.

Every time I’ve reinvented myself, from finance to blockchain, from founder to venture builder, it’s been because I returned to my original “why.” But I grew bold enough to admit that the way I was doing it was not working. And that is not failure — it’s evolution, and it might just be your superpower.

Startups are a game of stamina, not just speed. Reinvention isn’t a detour. For most of us, it’s the only way forward. If you’re at a crossroads, unsure whether to pivot, pause or push ahead, know this: You don’t need a new pitch deck. You need to return to your original purpose and find the best new path to deliver on it. Real builders are not afraid to reinvent, not because they failed, but because they have grown.

Perplexity AI, an $18 billion startup whose AI-powered search engine links out to original sources, just made an unsolicited offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion, the Wall Street Journal was first to report.

According to the WSJ report, Perplexity said its offer to buy Chrome is “designed to satisfy an antitrust remedy in highest public interest by placing Chrome with a capable, independent operator.”

“Multiple large investment funds have agreed to finance the transaction in full,” Perplexity Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko said, per Bloomberg.

Related: Everyone Wants to Buy Google’s Chrome Browser — Including OpenAI, According to a Top ChatGPT Executive

Chrome could be valued anywhere between $20 to $50 billion according to analysts, but it isn’t exactly for sale. Google might not have a choice, though.

In August 2024, a federal judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized the online search and search ads markets, writing in a 286-page opinion that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly” through exclusive agreements.

One remedy suggested by the DOJ was for the tech giant to sell its Chrome browser. A judge is expected to decide by the end of August what Alphabet must do.

Google is appealing part of the rulings and has indicated they are not interested in selling Chrome. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a slew of potential buyers.

In April, a judge asked ChatGPT’s Head of Product Nick Turley if OpenAI would try to buy Chrome if parent company Alphabet was forced to divest, and he said a definite yes.

Related: Firefox Would Like to Remind Everyone It Exists and ‘Isn’t Backed By a Billionaire’

“Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” Turley said in court, adding that ChatGPT and Chrome combined would give his company the chance to offer an “incredible experience” that’s “AI-first.”

Perplexity AI is based in San Francisco and was founded in 2022. The startup is preparing the wide release of its own browser, Comet, though the company said it wouldn’t make any “stealth modifications” to Chrome if the deal went through.

Perplexity’s formal bid also said it would “extend offers to a substantial portion of Chrome talent.”

At press time, Google Chrome has around 68% of the web browser market share (Safari is No. 2 with nearly 16%, Microsoft Edge has 5%, and Firefox has 2.5%).

Perplexity AI also submitted a bid of at least $50 billion to buy TikTok in January, per CNBC.

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Related: A Big Tech CEO Just Quit to Be an Entrepreneur Again

Liv Schreiber, 28, was a recent college graduate working in New York City, building businesses and a social media following, when she noticed that a lot of content in her orbit centered on “keeping up with the Joneses” and summers spent with “slick-back buns” in the Hamptons. “I was like, You know, I really just wish I could jump in the lake and wear no makeup and go back to sleepaway camp,” Schreiber tells Entrepreneur.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Camp Social. Liv Schreiber.}

Schreiber was well-positioned to bring her idea to life. In 2019, she launched Brand Caffeine, a digital marketing agency, and in 2022, she founded Hot and Social, a social community that hosts meet-up events where people in their 20s and 30s can make new friends.

Related: How to Cultivate Genuine Friendships in a Digital Age

The two-time founder already knew how to harness the power of branding and social media to forge in-real-life connections, and in May 2023, she was determined to apply that expertise to Camp Social. Schreiber’s first camp took place just a few months later, in August, with 150 women in attendance.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Camp Social}

Since then, Camp Social has only grown in popularity. The upcoming camp, which cost $880 per ticket and will be held August 22-24, sold out in 24 hours. Camp Social has also expanded to offer two camps per year instead of one; the first fall weekend will be September 26-28.

“ I am firm in my belief that this is what everyone’s going to be doing in a few years.”

Schreiber has just one rule for Camp Social’s campers: Everyone comes solo and leaves as friends. “It’s a lunch table where everyone is welcome to sit,” she says.

Camp Social hosts women ages 21 and older (the oldest camper so far was 65) and bunks them by age. However, inter-generational friendships are also common, as campers meet new friends based on the activities they choose throughout the weekend, Schreiber says.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Camp Social}

The cost of a ticket to Camp Social covers the weekend’s expenses, from the bus ride from New York City to the Pocononos — an “iconic” start during which people are “singing, dancing and meeting each other,” Schreiber says — to the extensive list of instructor-led activities, from boating to archery, yoga, candle-making and more, and branded goodie bags, which include a variety of merchandise.

Related: ‘They Gave Us All the Free Stuff’: A Look Inside Amazon’s Lavish Mexican Retreat for Influencers

“I  like to treat it like an influencer brand trip for the consumer,” Schreiber says. “ I am firm in my belief that this is what everyone’s going to be doing in a few years. I’ve been shouting into a black hole, trying to [get] brands to understand that influencers aren’t buying their products — consumers are.”

Schreiber stresses that Camp Social only features products that she really believes in and has turned down those that aren’t the right fit. Some of Camp Social’s sponsors include Dunkin’, fast-casual restaurant chain Dig Inn and nonalcoholic wine brand Fre.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Camp Social}

Schreiber is always on the lookout for new offerings in service of what she calls “the most important” part of Camp Social: Facilitating community and new friendships. “We can offer everything and any brand in the world, but at the end of the day, it’s about the relationships,” Schreiber says.

Related: How to Build a Thriving Community That Will Skyrocket Your Business

“People need to know [that] connection is so important. Offline.”

“Community” is the new buzzword for many brands building a presence online — and Schreiber has mixed feelings about it. “It makes me both happy and sad because sometimes people go into it with the wrong intentions or the intention of creating something just to sell,” she says.

These days, it’s authenticity and storytelling that make people and brands stand out, according to Schreiber.

On her own social media accounts, Schreiber notices that the videos that perform the best are those in which she delves into the “why” behind her starting Camp Social — and the real-life connections formed. Several friends she met at Camp Social attended her recent wedding. One of them gave a speech; another signed the ketubah.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Camp Social}

Related: 6 Ways Your Company Will Benefit From Better Community Involvement

In an era when many Americans struggle to cultivate meaningful relationships more than ever before — 21% of U.S. adults feel lonely, and 73% attribute it to technology, according to a recent report from Harvard Graduate School of Education — in-person connection remains Schreiber’s primary goal.

“There’s a huge brand story that we can tell here,” Schreiber says, “but the main thing that people need to know is that connection is so important. Offline. We need to utilize social media as a tool to be social and tackle the loneliness epidemic.”

This article is part of our ongoing Women Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of running a business as a woman.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledges that AI can change the workforce and replace some jobs for good — but instead of focusing on AI’s effects on recent college graduates, Altman is more concerned about the technology’s impact on soon-to-be retirees.

In a podcast episode of “Huge Conversations” with Cleo Abram, released last week, Altman said that he was “more worried” about what AI meant for “the 62-year-old that doesn’t want to go retrain” than the “22-year-old” just graduating college. The reason? Young people are “the best” at readily adjusting to changes brought on by technology, even when that technology replaces jobs.

Related: Here’s What ‘Terrifies’ OpenAI’s CEO About Financial Institutions Today: ‘This Is a Huge Deal’

“I think it’s totally true that some classes of jobs will totally go away,” Altman said on the podcast. “This always happens, and young people are the best at adapting to this.”

Altman mentioned that if he were 22 years old and just finishing college, he would be excited and “feel like the luckiest kid in all of history” because of the new opportunities that AI provides. Recent grads can use AI to start new companies, write code, and fill in any gaps in their skills.

“You have access to these tools that can let you do what used to take teams of hundreds,” Altman said.

But for older workers, it can be difficult to upskill and learn how to use AI. According to an AARP survey released last year, the majority of Americans age 50 and older (85%) have heard of AI, but less than 33% are enthusiastic about it. Only two in five older workers claim to be knowledgeable about the technology. Another survey in May found that 31% of older employees see AI both as a threat and an opportunity. Under the threat category, most respondents (61%) indicated that AI had the potential to replace workers.

Even if Altman isn’t worried about AI’s impact on college graduates, other CEOs are sounding the alarm. In May, Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, predicted that AI would wipe out half of all entry-level, white-collar jobs within the next five years. Billionaire Mark Cuban had a softer prediction, stating in the same month that AI would replace jobs, but lead to more employment overall.

Altman said on the podcast that AI makes it now possible for one person to create a company entirely on their own that will reach unicorn status, or achieve a valuation of $1 billion or more, for the first time. That person can create a product or service that adds value to the world by learning AI tools and using them to formulate novel solutions, Altman said.

“You have access to these tools that can let you do what used to take teams of hundreds,” Altman stated on the podcast.

^{OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images}

Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently said that AI opens the doors to users (of all ages) by equalizing the playing field of technology, allowing anyone to create code with natural language prompts pushed through an AI code editor. He said that lets users create new products and services, and in turn creates more chances to generate revenue. Huang cautioned, though, that employees who don’t use AI will be replaced by those who can use the technology.

Nvidia, which is the most valuable company in the world by market cap, produces AI chips that power OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

ChatGPT was on track to reach 700 million weekly active users last week.

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

The effect of artificial intelligence on practically every aspect of our lives is undeniable. Since the enforcement of laws and regulations is essential to the business community, I’m curious how AI will impact our legal system.

While the jury is still out on precisely how AI will alter future legal decisions, every entrepreneur should take a moment to examine the advantages and disadvantages of AI, from legal opinions to court rulings. After all, our legal education system teaches aspiring lawyers to think critically and objectively. Can AI learn how to issue fair rulings without any preconceived bias?

Attorneys, judges, legal analysts and support personnel are already using AI for various purposes. Let’s take a practical look at how AI might influence the future of our legal system by exploring its potential benefits and limitations for businesses of all sizes.

AI’s current impact on legal cases

The early adoption of AI in the legal community dates back several decades. Services like Westlaw Edge and Lexis use AI technology to streamline document searches. Additionally, tools such as Luminance and Klarity utilize machine learning to review contracts and provide case analyses.

The use of these AI tools can significantly reduce labor costs, as they quickly generate vast amounts of data that would traditionally take a team of first-year associates hours to compile. For instance, an associate could spend countless hours researching the summary judgment habits of a specific judge; however, an AI tool can produce this information in seconds.

Most of us can recall our favorite legal TV shows, particularly the court reporter who is often seen frantically typing near the witness stand to capture every syllable and sound. The introduction of AI in the recording and transcription of depositions, hearings and trials could undoubtedly transform the legal transcription industry.

Transcriptions are essential in the legal field, as attorneys, judges and clients rely on accurate legal transcripts to review past cases and hearings in order to prepare for future legal situations. Unfortunately, the legal industry is currently facing a shortage of qualified court reporters.

In California, the court reporter shortage has resulted in over 525,000 legal proceedings being completed without a verbatim (exact word-for-word) transcription available. This situation is alarming and requires immediate attention. How can appellate or other courts interpret a judge’s ruling or assess a witness’s performance on the stand without accurate transcriptions? Unfortunately, not all problems can be solved with financial incentives, as the state has already offered higher wages to keep and attract court reporters.

When courts rely solely on AI over human transcription services, accuracy rates drop from around 99% to approximately 62%. AI tools can improve many aspects of our lives. However, none of us wants to see AI decrease our productivity or efficiency.

How AI benefits legal work

We touched on a few examples of how AI can save time and money through expedited searches. Smaller firms that could not afford the staff or expertise to produce case information quickly can now achieve results previously available only to larger firms with teams of associates and support personnel.

Quicker access to complex case law and enhanced preparation tools will certainly enhance case preparation. Cases that previously took months to prepare for can now be finalized in days or weeks. Envision the benefits of a faster and more efficient legal system for businesses. Legal experts conservatively estimate that legal AI tools can save an average of four hours weekly, allowing attorneys to gain more billing hours.

There’s no doubt that the legal community must embrace the benefits of AI. A practical starting point is becoming familiar with AI research tools and their capabilities. Today, judges have access to AI-powered platforms to assist in making bail and sentencing decisions.

Everyone benefits from a more productive and efficient legal system. Like other software platforms, AI is a tool that, when used properly, can benefit both businesses and individuals.

Risk and limitations for legal AI

With every benefit comes a risk. When misused, AI can inflict significant damage and legal injury when inaccurate or false information is presented as fact.

In 2023, two New York attorneys used ChatGPT to file a brief that referenced cases that never existed, which contained non-existent quotes. As early AI users often say, AI can easily and quickly go “off the rails” or “garbage in, garbage out.”

Another example is bias. AI scrapes from prior rulings, and based on a bias from one or more judges or juries, could negatively impact AI output. Legal AI algorithms learn from previous cases and cannot distinguish between a biased ruling and a good judicial decision.

A lack of adequate transparency is yet another example. It’s an understatement to say that the legal system is complex. Algorithms often operate as “black boxes,” meaning understanding how an AI tool reaches a conclusion isn’t transparent or obvious.

Think of the use of AI like a children’s daycare center. Although the youngsters are smart and quickly learning new skills, they still require oversight and correction.

The same holds true for AI. Law firms and attorneys must thoroughly review all AI-generated output for accuracy and potential bias. In other words, use AI for speed, but use humans for accuracy and compliance. Our human transcriptionists are trained to double-check their work. AI-generated transcripts are not checked for omissions and errors, and that’s why you will see so many errors.

Will AI reinvent our court system?

Precisely how AI will impact our future court system is unclear. What we know for sure is that the legal industry’s use of AI is here and growing rapidly.

Will future court hearings and trials be conducted remotely, with attorneys pleading cases to an invisible “Judge Oz” behind an invisible curtain and devoid of human emotion? I hope not, as the example sounds too callous. Human judges are not in danger of being replaced by AI, at least not anytime soon.

A year-end report authored by the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice in 2023 recognized the ability of AI to solve some problems and compile data remains unparalleled. He also noted that AI is no replacement for wisdom, experience and judgment. That’s sound advice for any business, whether it’s my transcription company or the Supreme Court.

Transparency and trust are vital components for any business. Why should we treat AI any differently?

Ongoing legal AI optimism

As time evolves, AI will play an increasingly significant role in our legal system, business and daily lives. I don’t fear AI. However, I hope that AI industry leaders create future algorithms with thoughtfulness, fairness and integrity.

Entrepreneurs and legal professionals at every level should embrace AI. At the same time, everyone should incorporate viable safeguards, stay informed on new AI advancements and triple-check AI-generated output.

AI can definitely save time and increase production if used correctly and ethically. With continued advancement, there is much to gain from using AI, especially in our legal system.

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Scott Hattis, 41, of Brooklyn, New York. Hattis is the CEO and entrepreneur behind Loisa, the Latin food and kitchen brand co-founded in 2018 with his friend Kenneth Luna.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Loisa. Scott Hattis, left, and Kenneth Luna, right.}

Hattis and Luna built Loisa as a side hustle before and after work and on weekends during the brand’s early days. The brand went from a two-product line that shipped roughly five orders per day to one with $70,000 in annual sales — then saw sales surpass $130,000 in just three days in 2020 when the CEO of a large Hispanic food company took a political stance that many consumers didn’t agree with. Now, the side hustle turned full-time business has seen $15 million in lifetime sales and is selling about 75,000 units a month. It’s also doubled its growth on Amazon in the past six months.

Related: At 24, She Immigrated to the U.S. and Worked at Walmart. Then She Turned Savings Into a ‘Magic’ Side Hustle Surpassing $1 Million This Year.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Loisa}

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
When we started Loisa, I was working in brand and product marketing on the agency side. I’d spent over a decade in the space, helping to build brands in CPG, technology, apparel and more, and knew I wanted to use that experience to build something of my own — something that felt personal and purposeful.

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I started Loisa with my co-founder, Kenneth Luna, in 2018. The inspiration came from a motivation we felt in our own homes and believed millions of others shared — that Latin foods, especially seasonings, were being sold with artificial dyes and ingredients, and there had to be more natural options available to home cooks. This idea wasn’t about making a better-for-you version of what was already on shelves. These iconic blends were all-natural before Big Food took over, and we were just bringing them back. But generally speaking, we wanted to honor Latin flavors and culture with a commitment to only real ingredients and cultural integrity while always doing right by our customers. With this foundation, we set out to build a community-based, purpose-driven brand.

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?
We built the brand in the margins — early mornings, late nights and weekends. We started small. We developed initial blends in our kitchens based on what we were already cooking with before sourcing a manufacturing partner open to working with emerging brands. Early funding came from our own pockets. We probably spent under $20,000 to get the first run of products live. Our focus was on proving demand and building a brand people could feel proud to support.

Initially, we were shipping around five orders a day, but to us, that wasn’t nothing. We were proud and received great feedback from our customer base. Then, in 2020, everything changed. A large food brand took a public position that many folks in the Latin community didn’t agree with, which, in turn, put Loisa on the map as an alternative. We tripled our sales for the entirety of the prior year in just three days. This was the push I needed to leave consulting and go full-time on Loisa.

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.

Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business?
Talking to other founders has been the most valuable “resource” by far. The CPG community, especially founders of other Latin brands, has been generous and open. We’ve also leaned on Slack groups like Startup CPG to find resources across business needs. Podcasts like How I Built This helped with the inspiration side of things.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Loisa}

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?
I would’ve invested in stronger operational infrastructure sooner — even just part-time support. As a founder, you tend to wear every hat for too long. Looking back, trying to manage inventory, orders, customer service and lead marketing on my own slowed down growth. Delegating earlier would’ve freed up bandwidth to think more strategically.

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?
Managing inventory and forecasting demand as we scale rapidly in retail has been challenging, especially with long lead times and shifting retailer timelines. We’re constantly seeking to strike a balance between projections and reality, without leaning too far in either direction.

Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
We launched in retail with a case pack size that was too large, meaning the number of units in each case we were selling to each store. Especially in categories like seasonings and sauces (versus beverages or chips that move a lot faster off the shelf), a larger pack size puts us in a less-than-ideal position in terms of winning new independent retailers, since bringing us in was a higher expense on their part. It also meant we had to pay more in product cost for a “free fill,” which often equates to one full case of each product variant, regardless of the number of units it includes. Needless to say, our pack size is now fewer units per case.

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
The first few years were modest. Sales reached a new baseline once we began dedicating full-time effort to the business. Revenue has grown consistently since then, especially with our expansion into retail.

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.

What does growth and revenue look like now?
We’re a multi-seven-figure business today, with national retail distribution and a strong Amazon and DTC business. Our focus for growth is distribution, meaning expanding strategically into more major retailers across the country. Loisa has doubled its growth on Amazon over the past six months, and we’re selling approximately 75,000 units per month across channels.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Loisa}

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?
It’s a full-time commitment and then some. I usually split my time between strategic planning, team management, partner meetings, sales meetings and putting out fires. Each day is different, but our team works to bookend the week by connecting on Mondays and reflecting together on Fridays.

Related: Tired of ‘Culturally Obtuse’ Products, This 27-Year-Old Took His Side Hustle From $1,000 a Month to 7-Figure Revenue: ‘Pick the Right Opportunity to Pursue’

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
The people. Whether it’s our team, customers or partners, what’s most rewarding is getting to connect with people who share the same love for culture and food and are excited to build something better. Seeing our products in people’s kitchens (or their kids’ play kitchens) and hearing that our flavors remind folks of home or family…that’s what it is all about and makes the hard work feel worth it.

Big or very small, what is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
Don’t try to do it alone, and find people who’ve done it before. Get them on a call and ask for 30 minutes of their time. Whether they can help you now or in the future, the value will 100% come back around.