Public relations is an industry that thrives on storytelling, human connection and creative strategy. Yet, even PR professionals aren’t immune to the rapid advancements of artificial intelligence. AI tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney and Jasper are already being used to generate press releases, create social media content and even analyze media coverage — tasks that once required human effort.

Does this mean your PR job is at risk? It could be — if you don’t adapt. But history teaches us that professionals who embrace change and evolve their skills often come out stronger. Here’s how you can prepare for the AI revolution in PR, based on lessons from the past and insights into the future.

Related: How to Leverage Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations

Lesson #1: Embrace collaboration, not competition

When the printing press was invented, scribes who hand-copied manuscripts feared obsolescence. While their roles changed, new opportunities arose for writers, publishers and editors. The same holds true for AI in PR. AI isn’t here to replace PR professionals; it’s here to augment their abilities.

AI tools can handle repetitive tasks, such as drafting initial press release templates or generating email pitches at scale. What they can’t do is build genuine relationships with reporters or navigate the nuanced dynamics of reputation management.

What you can do:

Learn how to integrate AI into your workflow. For example, use tools like Cision or Meltwater to analyze media trends or Grammarly to refine your writing. Let AI handle the mundane, so you can focus on high-value tasks like creative strategy and fostering relationships with journalists.

Lesson #2: Become a storytelling specialist

AI is adept at summarizing data and generating straightforward content, but it struggles with nuance, emotion and cultural context — qualities essential for PR storytelling. Historically, professionals who could tell compelling stories have always stood out, even in the face of technological change. For example, advertising legends like David Ogilvy thrived by combining creativity with an understanding of human psychology, despite the rise of automation in advertising.

What you can do:

Hone your storytelling skills. Dig deeper into your clients’ missions, values and audiences to craft narratives that resonate emotionally. While AI can generate ideas, only a skilled PR professional can weave them into stories that capture hearts and headlines.

Lesson #3: Focus on relationship building

In the PR world, relationships are everything. Historically, roles that require human connection — such as sales, negotiation and leadership — have remained resilient to automation. AI can help you identify reporters to pitch, but it can’t forge genuine relationships or build trust.

What you can do:

Double down on relationship-building efforts. Attend industry events, network with journalists, and cultivate meaningful connections. When reporters know and trust you, they’re more likely to open your emails — something AI-generated pitches can’t achieve on their own.

Lesson #4: Master media analysis and strategy

In the early days of digital advertising, tools like Google Ads automated much of the media buying process. However, marketers who excelled at interpreting campaign data and adjusting strategies accordingly became invaluable. PR is headed down a similar path. AI tools can analyze media sentiment, track campaign performance and identify trends, but they still need human oversight to make strategic decisions.

What you can do:

Learn to interpret and act on the insights provided by AI tools. For example, if AI shows declining media sentiment about your client, it’s up to you to craft a crisis communications plan. If it identifies emerging trends, you can align your PR strategy to capitalize on them.

Related: Jobs Are Disappearing — These 3 Strategies Are What You Need to Future-Proof Your Career

Lesson #5: Innovate with new formats

AI is opening doors to innovative formats and platforms for PR, such as virtual events, AI-generated influencer partnerships and personalized video pitches. While AI can automate the technical aspects of these initiatives, creative strategy is where PR professionals shine.

What you can do:

Experiment with AI-powered tools to create engaging campaigns. For instance, you could use generative AI to design virtual press kits or create interactive media experiences. By staying ahead of the curve, you position yourself as a leader in leveraging technology to deliver results.

Lesson #6: Diversify your skills

When the internet transformed PR in the early 2000s, professionals who embraced digital skills — like social media management and SEO — gained a competitive edge. AI is driving a similar shift today, making it essential for PR professionals to broaden their skill sets.

What you can do:

Invest in learning adjacent skills like data analysis, SEO and digital advertising. These complementary areas will make you more versatile and better equipped to integrate PR with broader marketing strategies.

Lesson #7: Advocate for ethics and transparency

As AI becomes more prevalent, ethical concerns about its use in PR will grow. For example, AI-generated content can blur the lines between authentic and synthetic communication, potentially eroding trust if not disclosed. PR professionals have an opportunity to lead the charge in advocating for transparency and ethical AI use.

What you can do:

Stay informed about ethical guidelines and best practices for AI in PR. Position yourself as a thought leader by writing about these issues, speaking at conferences or consulting on responsible AI implementation.

Related: Is AI Going to Take Over PR? Here’s Where It Belongs and Where It Doesn’t in Content Creation

AI is undoubtedly transforming the PR landscape, but it’s not a death knell for the profession. Instead, it’s a call to evolve. By embracing AI as a tool rather than a threat, focusing on uniquely human strengths like storytelling and relationship-building and staying adaptable, you can future-proof your career.

Technology has always disrupted industries, but history shows that those who innovate, specialize and lead with creativity come out ahead. Yes, AI might take some PR jobs — but it doesn’t have to take yours.

The key is to act now. The future of PR belongs to those who combine the best of human ingenuity with the power of AI. Will you rise to the challenge?

Then there’s the old-school mentality among some investors that founders should “stay hungry,” implying modest compensation is necessary to stay driven. Let’s be real. Running a startup is a grueling job, and founders deserve to be compensated justly for their efforts.

Compensation can be a tricky subject, especially for investor-backed founders. Yet, it’s a topic that too often gets pushed aside. Studies have indicated that startup founders, on average, take home up to 20% less in cash compensation than non-founders in comparable corporate roles.

Startup founders earned an average of $150,000 in 2022, significantly less than private company CEOs, who averaged $377,850. This stark gap highlights just how undervalued founders can be, even while shouldering the immense responsibility of building and scaling their companies. Interestingly, technical and product founders tend to earn more (around $155,000) versus their CEO counterparts (approx. $142,000). However, some founders forego pay altogether, a trend that increased from 7% in 2023 to 9% in 2024, according to the Pilot Founder Salary Report.

This is especially true for early-stage startups, which often lack structure such as compensation committees. In such cases, founder pay can easily get neglected, particularly as lead investors get stretched thin serving on multiple boards and making new investments. So if you don’t advocate for yourself, who else will?

As a former founder and investor who now sits on several company boards, I’ve made it a priority to address founder compensation early on. I’ve seen how neglecting this issue can lead to burnout and resentment, ultimately affecting both the founder and the company. Here’s how you can champion the topic of your compensation and yet do it in a diplomatic way.

Related: Founders’ Salaries Are Shockingly Humble, New Report Finds

Approach the conversation strategically

When it comes to discussing your compensation, tread carefully — you don’t want to risk being seen as greedy and self-serving. Many founders face pressure from antiquated industry norms that glorify under-compensation. Some investors believe that CEO pay correlates with greater startup success, perpetuating the notion that “the lower the CEO salary, the more likely it is to succeed.” While this idea of “staying hungry” might resonate with some, for many founders, balancing personal and professional obligations makes fair compensation a critical factor in maintaining motivation and preventing burnout.

One way to approach this is to start by addressing the broader executive compensation package for your team. Solicit the board’s input for current and future key hires. Once that’s on the table, you can transition into asking the board how they view your executive compensation in the context of the overall team.

Framing your compensation as part of a larger board process rather than a personal ask makes it less self-serving and more about the company as a whole. If there are also personal circumstances that are distracting you from your role, such as rising living costs or health issues, be sure to mention them so your board can understand your full picture.

Be prepared and methodical

Once you’re ready to approach your board, be organized. When coaching founders on boards I serve on, I always tell them to prepare data that will help me advocate on their behalf. For example, you can show your board surveys or market data that highlight what others in similar roles are earning. If your pay is below market, it’s an easy case to justify a raise.

If you’re unsure where to start, tools like Christoph Janz’s salary calculator can help. For example, a San Francisco-based founder with two kids who has raised a $5 million Series A might be suited for around $150,000 in annual compensation; meanwhile, for a Berlin-based founder with no kids and a $2 million seed round, $50,000 might be a more realistic average. By demonstrating how your proposed salary aligns with factors such as company stage, location and family obligations, you can make a stronger case for fair compensation.

Giving them detailed cap tables with pro forma calculations can also help them understand how increasing your equity impacts other stakeholders including themselves.

Related: 4 Expert-Backed Tips to Negotiate a Raise or Promotion

Don’t overlook equity

Equity is another frequently understated aspect of compensation. Many founders have fully vested their stock after four years and find themselves with nothing left to earn. If there are no additional equity or top-up grants, your motivation could drop, especially as your ownership dilutes over time through new funding rounds and issuing options to new employees.

At Vungle, I received several equity grants that helped keep me motivated. Some of these grants were designed to protect my stake, particularly as we raised $25 million across multiple funding rounds. Without these grants, my equity would have been diluted significantly.

If you’re nearing the end of your vesting schedule and haven’t secured any new grants, it’s time to let the board know so they can discuss giving you more equity. It’s also an opportune moment to ask the board for “single-trigger acceleration,” which allows you to fully vest new equity if the company is sold. This can give you greater negotiating power in the event of an acquisition by a larger company. Some boards may be averse to this but the economic impact on your net worth can be substantial if it’s granted so it’s worth asking.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Equity Compensation

Time the topic correctly and bring in advocates

The best opportunity to bring up compensation is during year-end planning cycles. The board is already focused on budgets, performance targets and strategy for the upcoming year, making it a natural moment to address pay. I like to work with founders on creating a board-approved annual plan and then relating the founder bonus to the achievement of this plan. For instance, if you hit base goals, you might secure a 20% bonus, while exceeding targets could unlock a 40% bonus. Just remember to cap those bonuses. Founders should be incentivized, not compensated like a sales team.

Finally, it’s important to be humble and diplomatic when discussing compensation. Always express gratitude for what you’re given, and avoid any sense of entitlement. But more importantly, don’t go it alone. My best advice? Bring an advocate onto your board, whether that’s an independent board member or a VC who is sympathetic to your personal goals, so you don’t have to be the one constantly pushing for your own compensation.

If you have a smaller board, you’ll likely need to support your own case. But if there are multiple VCs, find one who can champion your cause. Ideally, ask the board to create a compensation committee. That way, there’s a formal process in place to ensure you are compensated appropriately.

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

At the end of the day, advocating for your compensation is about ensuring fairness — for you and for the future of your company. And while humility is crucial, it’s also important not to downplay the importance of fair compensation. A motivated founder is essential to a startup’s success, so advocating for your pay is about alignment, not indulgence.

Anthropic might have advertised its Claude chatbot as proficient in writing, but there’s one writing task that the startup doesn’t want people to use the AI chatbot for: filling out Anthropic’s own job applications.

All of Anthropic’s close to 150 open job positions ask applicants to write their materials themselves and not use AI like Claude or ChatGPT to help. It doesn’t matter if the position is in finance, communications, or sales — the job application asks all candidates to agree not to use AI in their submissions.

Related: An Employee Told Me He Was Quitting to Join OpenAI in 2016. I Said It Was a Bad Idea. Now He’s an AI Billionaire.

The agreement is outlined under a section in the application titled “AI Policy for Application,” which was first spotted by open-source developer Simon Willison earlier this week.

The section is the same across positions and reads: “While we encourage people to use AI systems during their role to help them work faster and more effectively, please do not use AI assistants during the application process. We want to understand your personal interest in Anthropic without mediation through an AI system, and we also want to evaluate your non-AI-assisted communication skills. Please indicate ‘Yes’ if you have read and agree.”

Related: Amazon Invests $4 Billion in ChatGPT Competitor, Making a Bold Move in the AI Arms Race

Entrepreneur confirmed that all roles had the policy at the time of writing. Even roles like mobile product designer, which did not have the AI Policy for Application as of a Monday report from 404 Media, now have the policy.

^{Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images}

Anthropic’s preference for no-AI applications isn’t unique. Many other major U.S. employers will not tolerate AI use by job candidates. According to an April survey from Resume Genius, AI-generated resumes were the biggest red flag for 625 U.S. hiring managers, with 53% stating that they were less likely to hire a candidate based on it.

Still, candidates are using the technology. An August report from the Financial Times found that about half of job applicants were using AI to help their job applications stand out, from writing cover letters to infusing their resumes with keywords. Applicants can quickly generate cover letters and resumes, leading to about twice as many job applications per posting.

Related: An OpenAI Rival Developed a Model That Appears to Have ‘Metacognition,’ Something Never Seen Before Publicly

What Is Claude?

Anthropic’s Claude is a popular AI chatbot that can provide everything from health coaching to legal advice, with the New York Times calling it the “tech insiders’ chatbot of choice” last month for its willingness to express opinions and act as a therapist. It has a free tier, an $18 per month Pro tier, and a $25 per person per month Teams tier. Users told The Times that talking to Claude felt more like talking to a smart human than a chatbot.

“It’s eerily good,” one user wrote on X in October. “This is the first time ever that I’m interacting with an LLM and have to keep consciously reminding myself that it’s not actually sentient.”

People were saying that Claude Sonnet works great as a coach/therapist so I’m trying it out now and it’s indeed eerily good. This is the first time ever that I’m interacting with an LLM and have to keep consciously reminding myself that it’s not actually sentient.

— Kaj Sotala (@xuenay) October 29, 2024

Claude isn’t as popular as rival ChatGPT, which draws over 300 million weekly users as of December, but its webpage still drew 73.8 million visits in December, according to Similarweb.

As of last month, Anthropic was in advanced talks to raise $2 billion in a deal that would value it at $60 billion, making it the fifth-most valuable U.S. startup after SpaceX, OpenAI, Stripe, and Databricks.

Related: Almost Half of VC Funding Raised Last Year Went to Startups in One Category

Americans can’t get enough of side hustles — the gigs allowing them to earn extra cash outside of their 9-5 jobs — and young entrepreneurs are especially keen to start their own. These days, 44% of millennials and 48% of Gen Z have a side hustle, according to Bankrate’s Side Hustles Survey.

However, millennial and Gen Z side hustlers are no longer the newest on the scene: Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024, might be between the ages of 1 and 14, but many of them are already taking control of their financial futures.

Related: Move Over Boomers and Millennials — Here’s How Gen Alpha’s Top Entrepreneurs Are Printing Money

A staggering 69% of Gen Alpha say they’ve started or plan to start a side hustle, according to the Acorns Money Matters Report™ for Kids.

Acorns’ report, which surveyed more than 60,000 6-to-14-year-olds and 2,000 of their parents, explores Gen Alpha‘s financial planning — and their parents’ own financial concerns.

An “economic powerhouse” with an estimated $11.3 billion spending power, Gen Alpha is getting proactive about their personal finances: They’re planning or starting side hustles to earn additional spending money (58%) or save funds for the future (31%), the report found.

Related: ‘My Schedule Is Mayhem’: Nearly 50% of Parents Now Have Side Hustles, According to a New Survey

“It’s encouraging to see how mindful Gen Alpha already is about financial security,” Acorns CEO Noah Kerner says.

What exactly are these young side hustlers saving for? According to the report, 19% are already saving for college, 24% for their first car, 11% for their first home and 6% for their retirement.

What’s more, Gen Alpha’s parents might be contributing to their children’s money mentalities.

Most kids and teens aged 10 to 14 (63%) hear their parents talk about money often, and among children in that age group who associate stress with money, more than three-quarters of their parents report feeling the same way, Acorns’ research revealed.

Related: ‘It Was Taboo’: Parents Shape Their Children’s Relationship With Money. Here’s How to Set Kids Up for Long-Term Success Instead of Struggle.

Northwestern Mutual vice president and chief portfolio manager Matt Stucky told Entrepreneur that parents can instill strong money management skills in their kids like any other good habit.

“It just takes a lot of repetition — things like saving, investing,” Stucky says. “I’m not going to teach my 4-year-old about investing, but just the idea of if I save a dollar, that means I can spend it down the road on something that I really want. That takes a while to sink in.”

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

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Discovering something new can be easily done, however, truly learning and applying it to real life is another challenge.

People look at me today as the founder and CEO of a $100 million business and think I’ve always had everything figured out.

The truth is, I was not the best student in my early years, traditionally speaking. My idea of learning didn’t line up with the state’s curriculum. I cut school so often that my parents finally agreed it wasn’t the right environment for me. So, at 16, I officially — and with my parents’ legal blessing — became a high school dropout.

Of course, a formal education is hardly the only way to learn. Life is the best teacher.

I didn’t learn business from books; I learned from experience.

But whenever I did run into something I couldn’t solve on my own, I would research the subject. I still have many books on management and business on the shelves in my office that are full of highlights, scribbles and marked pages for reference.

As it turns out, scientific studies prove that writing on paper and interacting with print materials helps us learn better. These days, I do listen to podcasts and books while I ride my bike, and watching YouTubers and reading blog posts is helpful. However, I still make it a point to incorporate notebooks and books in my business, both for my employees and clients.

Why? Because the power of print still stands strong today in a sea of digital noise. Here’s how to make the most of it:

Related: The 3 Greatest Lessons I’ve Learned After 25 Years in Business and $100 Million in Revenue

1. Incorporate notebooks and other print materials into your business operations so both employees and customers can learn more

According to neuroscientists at the University of Tokyo, writing on physical paper can lead to more brain activity when remembering the information an hour later. After a number of studies, researchers concluded that unique, complex, spatial and tactile information associated with writing by hand on physical paper is likely what leads to improved memory.

Contrary to the popular belief that digital tools increase efficiency, people who used paper completed the note-taking task about 25% faster than those who used digital tablets or smartphones.

The research concluded: “Our take-home message is to use paper notebooks for information we need to learn or memorize.”

Another perk of print: People are more likely to revisit printed copy as opposed to digital documents. Marketing research has shown that nearly a third of all direct mail remains in the home more than a month later, making this a valuable tool for your business.

I can confidently say I’ve experienced the power of print firsthand. I built my own business, PostcardMania, from nothing to over $100 million in annual revenue by spearheading our own marketing with direct mail. It’s always been the cornerstone of our promotion, and today we mail over 230,000 postcards every week to promote ourselves.

We’ve also helped 121,976 businesses nationwide with direct mail-led campaigns. Along the way, we’ve racked up over a thousand direct mail case studies across hundreds of industries — and those are just the campaigns I’ve gotten permission to share far and wide. Speaking of which…

2. Launch a direct mail marketing campaign to increase your new leads

Which advertisement does the average person respond to more? A digital ad on Facebook, Instagram, Google or a postcard? One study revealed that participants’ recall was 70% higher if they were exposed to a direct mail piece (75%), rather than a digital ad (44%).

This gives you a major advantage over competitors if you incorporate direct mail into your integrated marketing strategy. This doesn’t mean you ditch social media or digital ads altogether, but adding direct mail as a physical touchpoint bolsters your digital strategies. It all works together.

A new law is also going into effect this year that will limit lead-buying and lead-sharing. This means generating new, organic leads will be far more important. The industries of real estate, mortgage and insurance will be heavily impacted.

One of my clients, Klooster Family Dental, tripled their monthly customers — from 15 new patients a month to 56 — after mailing postcards consistently. By adding postcards to their marketing mix, they were also able to open another office location!

With more regular new business coming in, and the potential for repeat purchases, your revenue can skyrocket.

Related: This Powerful Marketing Strategy Will Help You Outshine Your Competitors and Make Your Brand More Memorable

3. Implement direct mail automation into sales funnels to boost sales

Direct mail marketing will affect your new lead numbers, but it also has the potential to close more leads as well. By automating your mailers and placing them inside your sales funnel, you’ll be able to reliably close more leads.

About 85% of marketers agree direct mail delivers the best conversion rate of all channels they use, up from 74% in 2023.

The main reason for this is because of the tangible — and more memorable — impact of mail. And with today’s technology, automation helps take the work out of mailing postcards or letters every month, too, so you can save time as well.

I suggest you connect your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to a direct mail automation platform. That way, postcards can be triggered in your CRM. Someone becomes a new lead? They receive a postcard in the mail. Someone receives a new quote? They get a postcard as well. A lead goes cold? Postcard.

Automated direct mail is growing fast. This is the fastest-growing part of my business currently, and we expect to grow even faster in 2025.

If you still doubt the power of paper, I challenge you to at least try out one of these initiatives. You’ll likely be happily surprised by the outcome!

Related: How to Boost Your Business With Direct Mail Automation and Retargeting — a Detailed Beginner’s Guide

When you think of industries driving marketing innovation, HVAC might not top your list. But as the world moves toward a more connected, sustainable and customer-centric future, the HVAC industry is quietly becoming a leader in modern marketing. The changes happening in this space aren’t just relevant to HVAC — they hold lessons for every sector, from retail to technology.

As we approach AHR Expo 2025, scheduled for February 10–12 in Orlando, Florida, the world’s largest HVAC marketplace will not only highlight cutting-edge products but also showcase the marketing strategies reshaping the industry. This shift from technical sales pitches to emotionally resonant, data-driven campaigns is setting a standard all businesses should emulate.

Related: 7 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn From an Unlikely Source

The HVAC data goldmine: Personalization at scale

One of the biggest shifts in HVAC marketing is the integration of smart technology. Modern HVAC systems are equipped with IoT sensors that track performance, energy usage and maintenance needs in real-time. For marketers, this data is gold. It enables campaigns that are hyper-personalized, ensuring customers receive messages tailored to their specific needs and habits.

For example, an HVAC company can send reminders about filter replacements, recommend energy-efficient upgrades based on usage data or alert a homeowner when their system is operating inefficiently. These messages aren’t just relevant — they’re timely, creating a sense of connection and trust between the brand and the customer.

The lesson for other industries is clear: Personal data, when used ethically, can create campaigns that feel more like helpful advice than advertising. Whether you’re in healthcare, finance or consumer electronics, harnessing real-time insights can help you deliver value and deepen relationships.

Sustainability as a marketing powerhouse

In the era of climate change, sustainability has become a key focus for consumers. HVAC companies are stepping up, showcasing eco-friendly refrigerants, energy-efficient systems and carbon-reduction initiatives. At AHR 2025, sustainability will take center stage — not just as a technical feature but as a compelling narrative.

This shift is particularly relevant for industries seeking to align their marketing with broader societal values. Brands that prioritize sustainability aren’t just meeting regulatory requirements — they’re connecting with a new generation of values-driven consumers.

In HVAC, sustainability marketing doesn’t stop at product features. Companies are educating customers about long-term savings from energy-efficient systems, offering tips to reduce carbon footprints and partnering with organizations that promote environmental stewardship. For any industry, the key takeaway is that sustainability is more than a buzzword — it’s a driver of trust and loyalty.

Digital transformation: Meeting customers where they are

Traditionally, HVAC marketing relied heavily on local ads, direct mail and trade shows. While these channels still play a role, the industry has embraced a digital-first approach. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are now home to HVAC influencers who demystify system upgrades and share maintenance tips. Brands are using 3D augmented reality tools to let customers visualize how a new system will fit into their home or office.

Digital transformation isn’t just about technology — it’s about creating seamless experiences. HVAC companies are integrating digital touchpoints into every stage of the customer journey, from interactive product guides to virtual consultations. The result? A frictionless path to purchase that feels intuitive and modern.

This approach isn’t unique to HVAC. Any industry can benefit from rethinking its customer journey to incorporate digital tools and channels. Whether it’s a virtual fitting room for clothing brands or AI-driven chatbots in financial services, the lesson is to meet customers where they are — online.

Related: How to Give Customers the Digital Experience They Crave

Trust is the new currency

HVAC systems are a significant investment, often requiring expertise that the average consumer doesn’t have. This makes trust a critical factor in marketing. HVAC companies are doubling down on trust-building efforts, emphasizing third-party certifications, transparent pricing and glowing customer reviews.

At its core, marketing is about storytelling — and HVAC companies are getting better at it. The industry has moved away from purely technical narratives and embraced customer-centric stories that highlight comfort, energy savings and environmental impact.

For other industries, this focus on trust should resonate. In an age of misinformation and skepticism, consumers want brands they can rely on. This is especially true in sectors like technology, healthcare and financial services, where the stakes are high, and the decisions are complex. The HVAC industry’s success in building trust demonstrates the importance of clear, honest and consistent communication.

Lessons from AHR Expo 2025

While the AHR Expo has always been a platform for technical innovation, it’s increasingly becoming a showcase for marketing excellence. This year, attendees can expect to see immersive experiences, live-streamed panel discussions and content strategies that demonstrate how HVAC brands are breaking out of the traditional mold.

For other industries, AHR 2025 is a reminder that even the most technical sectors can innovate in marketing. Whether you’re selling software, home goods or financial services, the opportunity lies in rethinking how you engage with your audience and tell your story.

Related: 5 Ways to Build Brand Customer Trust (and Why It Matters More Than Ever Before)

What every industry can learn

The HVAC industry’s marketing transformation offers several key takeaways that are universally applicable:

1. Use data to personalize: Customers want solutions tailored to their needs. Whether it’s real-time usage data or predictive analytics, personalization is a game-changer.

2. Prioritize sustainability: Align your brand with values that resonate with today’s consumers. Highlight not just what you do but why it matters.

3. Embrace digital channels: From social media to augmented reality, digital tools can make your customer journey seamless and engaging.

4. Focus on building trust: Transparent communication and authentic storytelling will set you apart in an increasingly skeptical world.

5. Leverage storytelling: Move beyond product features and focus on the experiences and benefits your offerings enable.

The HVAC industry might not seem like a natural innovator in marketing, but it’s proving that even traditional sectors can adapt, evolve and thrive in today’s landscape. By embracing data, sustainability and digital transformation, HVAC companies are setting a new standard for customer engagement.

The question isn’t whether these lessons apply to your industry — they do. The real question is: How will you adapt them to stay ahead?

When 40-year-old Liang Wenfeng, founder of the tech world’s latest AI star, DeepSeek, returned to his home village in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong for Lunar New Year’s Eve celebrations last week, he was given a hero’s welcome.

The village honored him with a red banner that said, “Warm congratulations for becoming the pride of his hometown,” according to a translated version of the banner.

Wenfeng’s popularity is partly due to his AI startup, DeepSeek, which rattled U.S. tech stocks when it skyrocketed to the top of app stores last month (it’s still topping iPhone charts) after claiming that its latest AI model matched or surpassed AI from industry leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google—but at a fraction of the cost.

While AI from startups like Anthropic can cost $100 million to develop, DeepSeek claims its AI costs less than $6 million for the same functionality.

Related: DeepSeek AI Cost Less Than $6 Million to Develop. Here’s Why Meta and Microsoft Are Justifying Spending Billions.

^{Liang Wenfeng. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images}

Wenfeng was already popular in Guangdong before DeepSeek. He became a billionaire after establishing the hedge fund High-Flyer in 2015, which exceeded 100 billion yuan (close to $14 billion) in assets under management by 2021. He is now worth at least $1 billion, according to Forbes.

Residents of his hometown told the Financial Times that as a child he was a “top student” who read comic books and excelled in math.

“We all grew up in this village,” one resident told the publication. “We’re very proud of him.”

Who is Liang Wenfeng?

Wenfeng was born in 1985 and was a straight-A student in school, per the Wall Street Journal.

Before founding DeepSeek, Wenfeng pursued an education in engineering. According to The New York Times, he has a technical background in AI engineering and wrote his 2010 thesis on improving AI surveillance systems at Zhejiang University, a public university in Hangzhou, China. He graduated from Zhejiang with a master’s degree in information and communication engineering.

Related: OpenAI Says AI Industry Disruptor DeepSeek May Have Copied Its Work as Rivals Race to Catch Up

Wenfeng founded the hedge fund High-Flyer in June 2015 at the age of 30, per the Chinese publication QQ.com. He and his team were determined to use math and AI to deliver strong results for clients.

High-Flyer experienced regulatory pressures from 2019 to 2023, leading the team to focus more on AI as a side project and build computing systems with Nvidia graphics cards. Wenfeng officially founded DeepSeek in July 2023. The AI company became more of a focus for him after High-Flyer had to shut down its primary investment product in February 2024, per The Times.

In a 2023 interview with Chinese tech publication 36KR, Wenfeng said that DeepSeek’s goal was general artificial intelligence, or AI that surpasses human cognitive abilities. He also said that AI startups were well-positioned to compete with established companies.

“The market is changing,” Wenfeng told the publication according to an English-translated version of his remarks, which were originally made in Chinese. “The real decisive force is often not some ready-made rules and conditions, but the ability to adapt and adjust to changes.”

Related: Is DeepSeek the Worst Nightmare for VCs? Venture Investors Are Rattled, But Some See a Silver Lining

Citigroup isn’t following fellow Wall Street banks like JPMorgan and implementing a strict return-to-office policy. According to recent reports, Citigroup has decided to stick with its hybrid schedule which allows staff up to two days per week of remote work.

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser told managing directors on a quarterly call in mid-January that the bank will continue to have a hybrid work schedule, The Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Per the report, Fraser said that Citigroup’s hybrid work policy gives it a competitive advantage by allowing it to recruit talented staff.

The majority of Citigroup’s 210,000-person workforce is on the hybrid schedule now, with only traders and staff at bank branches expected to be in the office five days per week.

^{Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images}

Fraser has taken measures to help Citigroup’s workforce establish a measure of work-life balance. In March 2021, she sent a memo to the bank’s staff creating Zoom-Free Fridays, where employees were not required to take video calls on Fridays. She also encouraged staff to keep their work to working hours and take their vacation time.

Related: Remote Walmart Employees Question Return-to-Office Policy, Some Opt to Quit Instead of Relocating

“When our work regularly spills over into nights, very early mornings, and weekends, it can prevent us from recharging fully, and that isn’t good for you, nor, ultimately, for Citi,” Fraser wrote in the memo.

Fraser’s stance on hybrid work, as giving Citigroup an advantage over the competition, contrasts with that of other banks on Wall Street, like JPMorgan. Last month, JPMorgan asked all of its 300,000-plus employees to return to the office five days per week by March. Employees pushed back almost immediately on a company post announcing the mandate, with over 300 comments explaining that the policy would affect their childcare costs, commute, and work-life balance.

Other Wall Street institutions asked employees back to the office even earlier. Goldman Sachs told its U.S. employees that they had to be back in the office by June 2021.

Meanwhile, several major companies have decided to stay with more flexible schedules. Starbucks has maintained a hybrid schedule with two days working remotely for its corporate employees while Spotify has a work-from-anywhere policy.

Related: ‘Retiring the Hybrid Policy’: Dell Issues a Strict Return-to-Office Mandate for Most Employees

Waffle House is famous for more than the food—the restaurant chain is used as a barometer to determine the severity of local storms and is pretty much the catalyst for Reddit’s existence. It also sells 272 million eggs per year.

Now, the 24-hour roadside stalwart is making a statement about the breakfast staple—by adding a 50-cent surcharge (per egg) to orders nationwide.

Waffle House notes, “Rather than increasing prices across the menu, this is a temporary, targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices.”

Due to bird flu, Waffle House is adding a .50 cent per egg surcharge to all menus @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/hpfn52RIlh

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) February 3, 2025

Waffle House reps said the “continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (bird flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices.”

“Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions,” the statement added.

The chain also posted signs in restaurants with the news.

Waffle House has announced that they will temporarily be adding a 50-cent surcharge per egg until egg prices go down. pic.twitter.com/vVT3jGOVPv

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) February 4, 2025

Egg prices have increased by 50% over the past year, and in some cities, like New York, customers might be paying $1 per egg at the grocery store—a dozen cage-free eggs at Whole Foods were selling for $11.99.

And it’s not just hitting Waffle House. Local news outlets from Tampa, Florida to Upstate New York report that area restaurants are grappling with rising prices by making changes in-house, from switching suppliers to even changing recipes.

Award-winning mixologist Alba Huerta believes that cocktails are more than just drinks — they are stories in a glass.

Huerta, who was born in Mexico and raised in Texas, is the bartender and owner of Julep in Houston. She has spent more than a decade shaping the country’s cocktail culture, winning countless awards and creating more than 110 cocktails. As a result, she has gained international acclaim for her bartending skills.

From the very first drink she crafted in 1998, Huerta understood that bartending was about more than mixing ingredients. She immediately loved the unique experiences she could give her customers.

Related: His ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’-Themed Pop-Up Restaurants Bring the Classic Video Game to Life — and Feature the Beloved Character’s Favorite Food

For Huerta, the process of creating a cocktail is a deeply personal and collaborative experience. “By the time we get to an iteration of a cocktail that we think is exemplary, that drink has been made 20-30 times,” she says.

The cocktail evolves through input from her entire team. Creative influences can come from seasonal ingredients or even pop culture, but each drink is one of a kind. To Huerta, this collaboration is the true nature of hospitality. It’s about relationships. You share part of your story and interests with the guests to see what they will do with it. Sometimes, they change things to make it their own.

That’s what makes it fun and meaningful. You can build a unique bond with a customer over something as simple yet complex as a carefully crafted drink.

Related: This NYC Man Is Revitalizing the Famous Bar From ‘Goodfellas’ As It Approaches Its 200th Anniversary

Lessons in bar ownership

Julep just celebrated its 10th year in Huerta’s hands. The challenges of building and maintaining a business, especially after the pandemic, have taught her many lessons.

Here are four key lessons Huerta shares from her decade as a bar owner:

• Details matter. For Huerta, the smallest details are what create memorable experiences. “The space, the lighting, the paper the menus are printed on, the way you name your drinks so that your guests can navigate the menu more easily,” she explains. Every element and touchpoint contributes to the guest’s experience.
• Community is everything. Huerta is passionate about the power of community, not just in business but in life. She credits much of her success to the support of her local community and urges other entrepreneurs to build meaningful connections. For anyone looking to change careers, build something new or do anything else, the support of a community will help them think bigger and more creatively.
• Ask for help when you need it. No one wins alone. Stop thinking you need to do it all yourself. Asking for help will equip you to do greater things. Huerta’s advice is as much about collaboration as it is about asking for help from those ahead of you. Take mentoring as often as you can.
• Share what you’ve learned. Huerta is deeply committed to helping others in the hospitality industry. She believes you should always take what you’ve learned and hand it to the people coming up behind you. The tools available now make it much easier to create a brand or business than it was even a decade ago. Use every tool and share every lesson.

Whether crafting a signature cocktail or offering a word of advice to a fellow business owner, Huerta’s impact is undeniable.

She has become an important influence on cocktail culture worldwide, but her heart for hospitality is about people. The relationships she builds and the memories she makes for everyone she meets make it all worthwhile.

“I never imagined I would open this bar twice,” she admits, noting how the world has changed in recent years. Despite these hurdles, her dedication to the craft and community has kept Julep thriving.

Related: Embracing Fear Fueled this Michelin-Rated Chef’s Comeback

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