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Canola oil, a seed oil made by crushing canola seeds, is used in several Starbucks food items in the U.S., from the popular egg white and roasted red pepper bites to its sandwiches. But that may soon change.

Bloomberg is reporting that the coffeehouse is exploring how to remove seed oils, including canola, from its lineup. A Starbucks spokesperson told the outlet that the company is also adding a new egg bite option to its menu made with avocado oil.

Related: Starbucks Is Hiring a ‘Global Content Creator’ to Travel, Drink Coffee, and Get Paid Six Figures

Last month, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol met with the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to discuss health and the company’s menu. Seed oils are a top talking point for Kennedy, which he says are ultra-processed and linked to chronic diseases. His administration suggests using beef tallow, or rendered beef fat, instead of seed oils.

Salad chain Sweetgreen and burger chain Steak ‘n Shake have already made the switch.

“We have made a commitment to remove seed oils from our restaurants,” Steak ‘n Shake wrote on its website. “Our fries, onion rings and chicken tenders are now cooked in 100% beef tallow in our restaurants.”

Yesterday, I met with @Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, who shared the company’s plans to further MAHA its menu. I was pleased to learn that Starbucks’ food and beverages already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and other… pic.twitter.com/F2O9wHpVFW

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) June 18, 2025

Still, scientists say seed oils are safe for consumption in moderation, and the FDA says that when substituted for fats or oils high in saturated fat, like beef tallow, using canola oil may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

There have also been a number of analyses that indicate seed oils do not impact inflammation, Bloomberg notes.

Related: It’s Pay-to-Stay at Starbucks as the Coffeehouse Reverses Open Door Policy

Barbara Corcoran, the 76-year-old founder of the real estate firm The Corcoran Group, claims to have created a work environment where there was “no turnover.”

In an Instagram post shared with her 1.2 million followers on Monday, Corcoran outlined the “crazy things” she would do to keep her staff happy. For example, Corcoran would bus hundreds of agents to the country for midweek picnics, each with its own memorable feature, like a 60-foot-tall hot air balloon or a 5,000-pound elephant offering safari rides.

Related: Barbara Corcoran Needed to Make Job Cuts. Here’s Why She Fired Her Mom First.

She would also provide babysitters for employees who wanted to bring their kids to work and offered plenty of office perks, like yoga classes, free lunches, and massages.

Corcoran recognized top performers by giving gold ribbons to anyone who closed a million-dollar sale, and gave one of her top brokers a Bentley with the license plate “SOLD1” to highlight her stellar performance in front of the whole company.

She additionally claims to have thrown “the wildest parties in town” for her employees, complete with their own “wacky” themes — and dressing up was mandatory.

The end result of these initiatives? People were “lining up” for jobs at The Corcoran Group, and Corcoran didn’t have to advertise new job openings. There was also zero turnover; employees chose to stay.

Related: ‘Do You Know What a First Class Ticket Costs?’ Why Barbara Corcoran Flies Coach

“People are most creative when they’re having fun, and we had more of that than anyone else,” Corcoran wrote in the post. “I stopped advertising to hire because people were lining up to work at The Corcoran Group! Fun builds loyalty, and we had no turnover.”

Corcoran founded The Corcoran Group in 1973 with just $1,000 and seven agents. By the time she sold the brokerage firm for close to $70 million in 2001, the team had grown to encompass 700 employees.

Corcoran also noted in an Instagram video in March that she is “the best boss” she has ever met because she follows a simple principle: She works for whoever works for her. In other words, she works for her employees, and her perspective is always tied to what she can do for them.

“I shower my people with anything they need selflessly,” Corcoran said in the video, adding later that, “I don’t think anyone could be a better boss than me.”

Corcoran is now an original cast member of “Shark Tank.” She has appeared on the show for 16 seasons and made more than 650 deals. She makes about $4.5 million a year from her investments, including profits from deals from the show.

According to a recent Bankrate survey, fewer than half of Americans plan to travel this summer. Among those staying home, most cite cost as the main reason.

That’s a missed opportunity.

Travel isn’t just a luxury — it’s a strategic tool. For entrepreneurs, stepping outside the day-to-day grind creates space to think creatively, meet new people and gain the fresh perspective that fuels innovation. One good conversation or idea sparked on the road could become your next big business move.

Here’s the best part: if you’re strategic, you can align your travel with your business goals — and potentially write off a portion of the cost. The IRS allows business owners to deduct legitimate business-related travel expenses. With the right planning, your summer getaway can double as a business trip that moves your company forward.

Related: A Business Owner’s Guide to Maximizing Summer Profits

Travel with purpose

Making the primary purpose of your trip business-related doesn’t mean you have to spend your days in meetings. For travel within the U.S., the IRS allows deductions as long as more than half of a standard workday (four or more hours) is spent on qualified business activities.

That could include meeting with clients, scouting investment properties, researching a new market, or connecting with potential partners. The key is intention and documentation.

If you’re in the 32% tax bracket, treating your travel as a legitimate business expense can result in a 32% “discount” via tax savings. That’s not a loophole—it’s a smart use of existing tax code designed to support business growth.

Take one of my clients, for example. He built a vacation around scouting real estate deals in New Mexico, a place he already loved visiting. The trip saved him around $3,000 in taxes—and even better, it led to a property deal that eventually earned him over $1 million in profit.

What qualifies as deductible business travel?

The IRS has clear rules on what counts as a deductible business expense. Common eligible expenses include:

• Airfare, train fare, or mileage to and from your destination
• Hotel or lodging costs
• Ground transportation (Uber, taxis, car rentals, airport transfers)
• Baggage fees
• Laundry or dry cleaning during the trip
• 50% of non-entertainment meal costs

To qualify, expenses must meet four basic criteria:

1. Business purpose: There must be a clear business reason for the trip.
2. Ordinary and necessary: It should be a typical and reasonable expense in your line of work.
3. Directly related to business: The activity must advance or support your business.
4. Properly documented: Keep records—receipts, dates, contacts, meeting notes, and outcomes.

If your spouse or children are active in the business and perform meaningful work during the trip, their expenses may also be deductible. For example, if your spouse is a co-owner or your children help with content creation, marketing or research, their travel may be part of your business plan — if documented correctly.

Related: How Smart Entrepreneurs Turn Mid-Year Tax Reviews Into Long-Term Financial Wins

Work with a trusted advisor

Blending business and personal expenses adds complexity to your tax situation. A tax advisor who specializes in entrepreneurs can help ensure your strategy is sound and legally compliant. The goal isn’t just to deduct travel. It’s to structure your business in a way that supports growth and lowers your tax liability year-round.

Final thoughts

Before you book your next trip, ask: How could this support my business?

Maybe it’s an investment scouting trip. Maybe it’s reconnecting with a client in a new market. Maybe it’s simply taking space to think clearly and plan your next move.

When you approach travel with intention, the possibilities multiply. That break you’ve been craving could be the catalyst for your next revenue stream or expansion play—and with a smart tax strategy, the IRS could help fund it.

If you love where you’re traveling, why not plant business roots there? You’ll have a reason to return—on another deductible trip—with even more upside next time.

Because when travel helps you grow your business and lower your tax bill, the real question isn’t whether you can afford to travel—
It’s whether you can afford not to.

Jon Taffer isn’t just a TV personality. He’s a walking, talking, table-flipping force in hospitality.

For more than a decade, he’s been shouting people into shape on Bar Rescue, building brands and turning dysfunction into multimillion-dollar operations.

So when it came time to grow his own concept, Taffer’s Tavern, he didn’t just make a move. He made a statement. That statement? Team up with Gregg Majewski and Craveworthy Brands.

In just a few years, Majewski has grown Craveworthy Brands from concept to industry powerhouse. The company now has more than 300 restaurants, 19 brands and more than $300 million in system-wide sales — and it’s still growing.

Taffer took notice.

Related: Jon Taffer’s 10% Rule Is the Productivity Hack That Could Change Your Life

“I did my homework,” Taffer said on the Restaurant Influencers podcast, seated with Majewski and host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media. “I looked at the company, I looked at the culture, and I saw the way Gregg leads. He knows every employee’s name. He’s the real deal.”

This wasn’t just a handshake and a headline. Taffer owned 100% of his brand. No investors. No committee. Just instinct — and his instinct told him Craveworthy was different. So they teamed up on the joint venture.

It helped that Taffer wasn’t the first big name to buy into Majewski’s company. Before Taffer’s Tavern, Craveworthy struck a deal with Shaquille O’Neal to bring his Big Chicken restaurants into the fold. That move made Taffer pay closer attention.

“Gregg is quality oriented, top of game,” Taffer says. “He took the time to understand my brand. I don’t worry with him.”

Majewski is clear about the mission. “The goal has never changed,” he says. “We want to build the best fricking restaurant company in the world. And we do that by building the best team in the world.”

He’s not chasing hype. He’s building infrastructure. Taffer’s Tavern and Big Chicken aren’t trophies. They’re strategic plays in a much bigger game.

To understand what makes this partnership powerful, you have to go back to where their values formed.

Related: Gregg Majewski of Craveworthy Brands on the Advantages of Being #2

The people business

Before Craveworthy Brands ever existed, Majewski made a promise to Dave Thomas.

Yes, that Dave Thomas — the founder of Wendy’s and one of Majewski’s earliest mentors. The deal was simple: if Thomas poured into Majewski, Majewski would pour back into the industry when it was his turn.

Now that Craveworthy is thriving, Majewski is keeping that promise. He tells stories not for the spotlight but to elevate the people who make restaurants run. His podcast, Room for Seconds, is dedicated to exactly that: sharing lessons in leadership and shining a light on the dishwashers, line cooks and unsung workers chasing the American dream.

“It’s not about me,” he says. “They’re why we do this.”

Taffer would agree. His most powerful moment in hospitality didn’t happen on television or during a big deal. It happened in a hotel meeting room with a former dishwasher named Theo.

Theo had just been promoted to prep cook. Taffer asked him to help open a new restaurant. At the team meeting, Theo stood in front of 80 employees. “I was a dishwasher six months ago,” he said. “Look at me now.”

Taffer cried. “We’re in the people business,” he says. “When our employees feel that proud, everything else falls into place.”

That belief shows up in everything Taffer does — from the way he builds teams to how he thinks about hospitality itself. Bar Rescue made him famous for tough love. But underneath the yelling is a core value he never strays from: authenticity.

“You don’t fool the audience,” he says. “You serve them. You connect with them. You create reactions. That’s the business we’re in.”

Now entering its tenth season, Bar Rescue is still going strong. Taffer is also reviving his podcast, this time with a sharper focus on the real issues facing the industry — and the people trying to fix them.

Because for both Taffer and Majewski, legacy isn’t something you inherit. It’s something you build. And you build it by showing up for the people who matter most.

Related: A Conversation About AI With Sam Altman Blew Their Minds — So They Wrote the Playbook for Businesses That Want to Use the Tech

About Restaurant Influencers

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

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Related: How This Massive Food Company Turned Its Fleet of Trucks into Rolling Billboards — And the Lesson It Teaches About Brand-Building

In the early days of building my company, before team retreats, company values or anything resembling structure — I landed a client I thought would change everything. A household name. A generous budget. Access to rooms I’d only dreamed of.

They were charming, urgent and eager to move fast. “We’ll work out the specifics later,” they said. And I — ambitious, energized, hungry — said yes.

That was my first mistake.

By saying yes to being nice, I said no to setting boundaries. Scope ballooned. Expectations multiplied. Instead of leading the relationship, I chased it — reactive, overextended and increasingly misaligned. When the contract ended, they vanished. No thank-you. No follow-up. No second thought.

The work was fine. The experience? A costly lesson.

The problem with “nice”

Nice is easy. Nice is polite. Nice doesn’t rock the boat. But when nice replaces clarity, it becomes dangerous.

Nice masks the truth in soft language. It dulls useful tension. It delays discomfort and multiplies damage.

We once worked with a DEI compliance firm that brought in a celebrity spokesperson and rolled out a complete rebrand, without looping us in. When they asked for feedback, we smiled and nodded. It wasn’t good. But they were proud, and we didn’t want to kill the momentum.

A few weeks later, they hired a consultant who told them the exact truths we didn’t. They listened. They acted. They pivoted — without us. Not because we failed, but because we stayed quiet.

Here’s the irony: they wanted the truth. Most clients do.

Related: Why Empathy Is a Crucial Entrepreneurial Skill (and How to Develop Yours)

What silence costs you

In a business landscape where 89% of consumers are more likely to engage with companies that respond to all reviews, silence doesn’t read as professionalism — it reads as disinterest.

In digital marketing, sugarcoating isn’t kindness — it’s negligence. It prevents the honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations that actually move the work forward.

Another client came to us with a brand-new website from another firm. It was clunky, templated, and, frankly, looked like a scam. I could’ve softened the feedback. Instead, I called out the red flags, shared competitor benchmarks and outlined the risks. That moment of honesty saved them tens of thousands — and earned us their long-term trust.

Truth: a strategic advantage

Honesty isn’t just moral — it’s strategic.

We once worked with a board game company whose leadership resisted every suggestion. We accommodated them, afraid to overstep. The result? The campaign flopped.

So we reset the relationship. “You hired us for our expertise,” we told them. “Let us lead — or let us go.”

That moment changed everything. Trust replaced tension. Strategy started to click. Results followed. Because that’s what truth does: it realigns, refocuses and rebuilds.

Why we stay quiet (and how to stop)

Most of us were raised on: “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But in business? A better rule is:

“If you don’t have something productive to say, wait until you do—and then say it clearly.”

Honesty without empathy is blunt. Empathy without honesty is manipulation. But together, they create influence — the kind that earns trust, drives change, and builds resilient teams.

You don’t have to be aggressive to be direct. But you do have to be brave.

Building a culture where truth isn’t taboo

This isn’t just about client service — it’s about internal culture. At my agency, we lead with candor. Not because it’s easy, but because it builds stronger teams. Teams that feel heard, respected, and empowered to speak up.

One time, a client gave feedback that stung. Before the next call, I told my team: “Watch how we address this — head-on, respectfully, without compromising our values.” On the call, I told the client their comments had landed poorly. Not to shame. Just to inform.

“Our team loves working with you,” I said. “Let’s make sure they continue to feel respected.” The result? An apology, a cookie bouquet, and a client who now leads with the same transparency.

Want to get better at telling the truth? Start here:

• Bake it in: Build feedback loops into your process. Don’t wait for disaster.
• Teach it: Direct, constructive communication is a skill. Train your team like it matters — because it does.
• Model it: If leadership isn’t honest, no one else will be.

Final thought

Being nice might win a smile. But being honest earns results.

Lead with empathy. Tell the truth. And build client relationships that aren’t afraid of friction, but built to grow through it.

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

What kinds of skills do OpenAI leaders look for in new hires?

OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT, Nick Turley, and chief research officer, Mark Chen, tackled this question on an episode of the OpenAI podcast released last week. It turns out that the two OpenAI executives don’t seek out an Ivy League educational background or AI breakthroughs in new hires. Instead, they search for more intrinsic traits: curiosity, agency, and adaptability.

“Hiring is hard, especially if you want to have a small team that is very, very good and humble, and able to move fast,” Turley admitted on the podcast. “I think curiosity has been the number one thing that I’ve looked for, and it’s actually my advice to students when they ask me, ‘What do I do in this world where everything’s changing?'”

Related: Getting a Wharton MBA Was ‘a Waste of Time,’ According to a Global Bank CEO. Here’s the Degree He Recommends Instead.

There’s still so much that AI researchers have yet to learn about the technology that approaching its development requires “a certain amount of humility,” Turley said.

He explained that building AI is less about knowing the right answers and more about knowing how to ask the right questions with an innate curiosity.

Turley looks for new hires who are “deeply curious” about the world and what OpenAI does.

Related: Goldman Sachs CIO Says Coders Should Take Philosophy Classes — Here’s Why

Chen agreed with Turley and added that he looks for agency in new hires, or the ability to find problems and fix them with little oversight. He also searches for adaptability, or a willingness to adjust to a fast-changing environment.

“You need to be able to quickly figure out what’s important and pivot to what you need to do,” Chen stated.

Chen noted that agency and adaptability were more important than having a Ph.D in AI. He said that he himself joined OpenAI in 2018 as a resident without much formal AI training.

“I think this is a field that people can pick up fairly quickly,” Chen said.

Related: These Are the AI Skills You Should Learn Right Now, According to the World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaire

There are other skills that other executives have pinpointed as essential in the age of AI. Alexandr Wang, the MIT dropout who co-founded data training startup Scale AI and now leads Meta’s AI efforts, noted in an interview with WaitWhat media CEO Jeff Berman last year that prompt engineering was an important skill to have. He recommended studying fields like math and physics that emphasized long-term thought.

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs’ chief information officer, Marco Argenti, wrote in a post last year in the Harvard Business Review that he recommended studying philosophy in addition to engineering.

OpenAI was worth $300 billion as of March, following a record-breaking $40 billion fundraising round, the biggest tech funding round on record from a private company.

Twitter co-founder and CEO of Block Jack Dorsey launched the beta version of a new peer-to-peer messaging app on TestFlight. Unlike WhatsApp and others like it that rely on internet connectivity and central servers, Dorsey says that Bitchat operates entirely over Bluetooth mesh networks, promising true decentralization and privacy for its users. He made “an ugly whitepaper describing protocol” available on GitHub.

CNBC broke down the tech and its features. In essence, Bitchat allows users to communicate via Bluetooth-connected devices. But here’s where it gets interesting: “As users move through physical space, their phones form local Bluetooth clusters and pass messages from device to device, allowing them to reach peers beyond standard range — even without Wi-Fi or cell service.”

Related: Jack Dorsey Says Intellectual Property Law Shouldn’t Exist, and Elon Musk Agrees: ‘Delete All IP Law’

Messages that are sent via Bitchat are encrypted from end to end and do not live in the cloud — they are only stored on devices and are set to delete. The message “never touch centralized infrastructure,” reports CNBC, “echoing Dorsey’s long-running push for privacy-preserving, censorship-resistant communication.”

Dorsey’s post on X has received over 1.3 million views, with beta testers eager to jump in. The TestFlight page is no longer available after hitting its 10,000-user maximum.

my weekend project to learn about bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things.

bitchat: bluetooth mesh chat…IRC vibes.

TestFlight: https://t.co/P5zRRX0TB3
GitHub: https://t.co/Yphb3Izm0P pic.twitter.com/yxZxiMfMH2

— jack (@jack) July 6, 2025

For more than 14 years, Rachel Wommack worked in healthcare, primarily focusing on elder care as a registered nurse. She’d spent time in hospitals, long-term care and case management, seeing firsthand the strengths and shortcomings of the healthcare system. But as the years passed, the idea that she could do more began to grow. She didn’t just want to help patients; she wanted to provide a fix for a gap in the system.

“Not everybody has the little bit of help that they need after those skilled stays to safely go home and be successful in recovery,” she says.

Dustin Distefano (L), CEO and co-founder of A Place At Home and Jerod Evanich (R), president and co-founder APAH with Rachel Wommack, who won Margin Master of the Year

Image Credit: A Place At Home

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

Firsthand insight

The turning point came in 2021. Her son had just graduated from high school, and Wommack was finally in a place where starting a business felt possible. Encouraged by her fiancé, she began looking into ways to build something of her own. Rather than launching an independent business from scratch, she opted to explore franchising.

“I came to the realization that I needed to do this now, so I started researching,” she says. “I spoke with several brands before I found A Place At Home, which aligned with everything that I wanted — morals, ethics, all of that was in line. And so I went for it.”

Wommack’s decision to sign with A Place At Home (#464 on the 2025 Franchise 500) wasn’t rooted in ambition alone; it came from a deep understanding of how often the healthcare system fails people once they leave institutional care. During her time in case management, she saw elderly patients discharged from skilled nursing facilities, assuming they had help waiting at home. That wasn’t always the case.

“You’ve got a Medicare guideline that says they can go home, but maybe they can’t get themselves up off the toilet without help,” she says. “If that help is not available, they’re going to have to call an ambulance if they’ve even got the capability to reach their phone. They’re going right back to the hospital.”

It was a gap in the system that home care could fill — if families knew where to turn. Wommack didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. She’d helped build a home care agency for someone else early in her career and knew how time-consuming and expensive it could be to handle licensing, legal documents and compliance requirements on her own. A franchise offered structure, support and credibility — with the flexibility to run the business her way.

With their support and systems in place, she opened her first location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2021 and a second in Santa Fe in 2023 and quickly built her own culture. “There’s a sense of belonging that resonates from her team,” says Shane Thompson, A Place At Home’s franchise business coach. “She has long-tenured employees who work for her, professionals who have been with her from the beginning and have helped build her business.”

Related: I Walked Away From a Corporate Career to Start My Own Small Business — Here’s Why You Should Do the Same

Learning curve

Although Wommack felt confident in her clinical background, the business side of franchising came with a learning curve. She had to figure out payroll, accounting, marketing and recruiting — skills you don’t learn in nursing school. The process was challenging, but she leaned on her education, common sense and support from the franchise system to make it work.

“I had contemplated opening a business from scratch, but I realized it’s much more expensive to do it on your own,” she says. “With all of the legalities that are around home care, it was a better option to franchise, because you have your template. It was much easier having everything available.”

Marketing in particular proved to be the toughest part. Although she had connections in elder care, reaching the broader community was more complicated. Most people didn’t know services like hers existed, or that they could be paid for through long-term care insurance, VA benefits or Medicaid. Her target audience turned out to be not the elderly themselves, but their adult children, many of whom were juggling careers, families and caregiving responsibilities all at once. That realization shaped her approach: educate, inform and make care accessible.

Though launching the business was difficult, Wommack says it felt like a personal renewal. Nursing burnout had taken its toll, but business ownership gave her a fresh perspective and a renewed sense of purpose. She still faces tough days, but they’re different. Now, she’s working for her clients, not for a corporate hospital system.

That difference shows up in the feedback she receives. Her team regularly gets calls from grateful families, and caregivers often go above and beyond to ensure clients are safe. Each of those moments, she says, reaffirms her decision to take the leap into franchising. “Every day, I get reassurance from our clients and caregivers [that] this was the right choice.”

Wommack has managed to do something most businesses cannot: She’s built a company that remains caring and empathetic while growing it to more than $1.3 million in annual revenue. Earlier this year, she won the franchise’s Margin Master of the Year, which is awarded to the location with the highest gross profit after caregiver payroll.

Related: Fried, Fast And Franchised — These Are The Top 10 Chicken Franchises in 2025

Advice for nurses

To other nurses feeling stuck or underappreciated, Wommack offers a message of encouragement. Franchising, she says, gave her a way to continue helping people while taking control of her career and life, and they can, too.

“Do your research and don’t hold yourself back,” she says. “This is an important job, whether it’s skilled or personal care. Going into business to help people is never a bad decision.”

For now, Wommack is focused on growing her two locations, supporting her team and continuing to educate families about the care options available to them. She’s not looking to scale rapidly. Instead, she’s building something that lasts — one caregiver, family and success story at a time.

Related: ‘Send a Man Next Time’: How an Entrepreneur and Her Daughters Built a $2.5 Million Franchise in a Male-Dominated Field

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

Five generations of employees are currently engaged in the global workforce, likely due to longer life expectancy, delays in retirement and technological advancements. This dynamic is expected to continue; as older workers are winding down, the youngest generation, current babies to teens, are in line to offset those retirements.

While an age-diverse workforce is remarkable, leading a multigenerational team can pose notable challenges due to each group’s inherent talents, communication styles and workplace preferences.

Successfully managing a mixed-age team requires an understanding of generational differences and a flexible leadership style that recognizes and leverages the natural strengths and styles of each group.

The Silent Generation (Born 1925-1945)

The Silent Generation grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. The economic conditions and societal norms of the day heavily influenced this group’s long-term communication style and workplace preferences.

The Silent Generation respects authority and leadership. They possess strong employer loyalty. They aimed for a gold watch at the end of their career. They mostly missed the technology boom. They prefer straight talk and defined roles.

Related: How to Connect With Younger People to Build Better Audiences

The Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)

Baby Boomers were raised in the post-war era, which was far more economically stable than two decades earlier. Boomers benefited from an increased focus on higher education. While not second nature, Boomers mostly adapted to new technologies.

The group possesses a strong work ethic. They more readily express their opinions and prefer in-person communication in the workplace. They often have an aversion to rapid change unless clearly mapped out.

Generation X (Born 1965-1980)

Gen X were the latchkey kids and far more likely than earlier generations to be raised by single or divorced parents. They were introduced to computers in elementary school and were generally welcoming of the digital revolution. Gen X were the dotcom guys in the 1990s and among the first social media users in the early aughts.

Xers tend to be autonomous and hate being micromanaged. They are self-sufficient, independent thinkers who prefer respectful but informal communication.

Related: Gen Z Expects Employers to Treat Them Differently. Here’s How to Bridge the Generational Gap.

The Millennials (Born 1981-1996)

Millennials are devoted to personal health and wellness, and have really moved the work-life balance needle forward for the entire labor force. They were the first generation with exceptional and highly sought-after technology skills, and thus, they strongly influenced workplace norms, culture and hiring dynamics. They were the pioneers of remote work. They expect reasonable autonomy on how and where they perform their jobs.

Millennials value collaboration. They prefer working with transparent and communicative leadership.

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

Gen Z is the most educationally competitive generation in history. They are driven by purpose and activism and were molded by social consciousness and global sustainability. Their aptitude for technology is breathtaking, as they grew up on smartphones, iPads and laptops. Generation Z prioritizes mental health, workplace wellness and inclusivity.

Gen Z appreciates constructive communication styles, but also expects recognition and may struggle without positive feedback. They want to work for forward-thinking, values-driven employers.

Challenges of managing a multigenerational team

From a broad-brush perspective, each generation is energized by different motivators and possesses differing predilections for workplace norms and culture.

Due to these conflicting preferences, a multigenerational team often comes with its share of managerial hurdles. Your Gen Zees are likely quick to ask questions or drop comments in a shared document, while your Gen Xers prefer more autonomy. Turnover might be greater among younger talent who tend to job hop, while older workers are more likely to stay put. Younger generations might feel your company isn’t involved enough in community causes, while older team members may balk at participation, particularly if it feels performative.

The point is that each generation approaches their roles and engagement with your business differently, making your job as a business leader more difficult. This is not to suggest you refrain from hiring a multigenerational workforce, but rather underscores the importance of embracing and leveraging age differences to create a culture in which employees of all ages want to work and thrive.

Successfully leading a generationally diverse team

Now that you better understand the characteristics, styles, and norms of a multigenerational workforce, the following are important considerations as you manage an age-diverse team:

1. Generational Insights Aren’t Absolute. It is important to acknowledge employees as individuals with their own unique talents and inclinations. You might employ an 80-year-old technology wunderkind or a fiercely loyal Gen Z employee. Generational differences matter, but embracing individual contribution matters more.
2. Leverage Generational Strengths. Need a new employee handbook focused on process and compliance? Maybe turn to your Silent Generation to lead the project. Have software adoption issues? Why not select a Gen Z to oversee technology training? Your Millennials can probably run a fantastic social media campaign without even blinking. Celebrate your team’s natural talents.
3. Foster Diversity Among the Ages. It is relatively common for workers to bond based on generation. This is fine socially, but might kneecap innovation and collaboration. Role assignments based on generational fortes might still make sense, but also remember to push preconceived boundaries and urge higher thinking when possible.
4. Avoid Generational Silos. Fragmentation based on age is a danger to your business. Silos of any type create inefficiency and are often a wrecking ball to employee wellbeing and company culture. Create opportunities for collaboration and connection among everyone on your team, including mentorship programs and workshops that foster intergenerational teamwork and togetherness.
5. Adapt Your Leadership Style. While it is not your job to accommodate every individual need or preference, the onus is on you to create a workspace in which every team member feels connected, respected and valued. Recognize that an age-diverse team requires fairness, flexibility, and sometimes a little finesse on your part to ultimately succeed together as a team.

While it might come with its share of challenges, leading a multigenerational team can be exceptionally rewarding for you, your people and your entire organization.

Imagine this. Jean and John, who met at a startup incubator, founded a company together. But as they grew, Jean realized that she and John weren’t aligned on many things, including what the company’s future should look like. Neither John’s goals nor his behavior reflected the company’s mission, so Jean ousts John from the business.

Reasons for a co-founder’s departure

There are a number of reasons that a co-founder may want to part ways with another co-founder.

1. Lack of dedication

A startup that wants to scale for a big exit typically requires founders who dedicate long hours for little pay (at least at the beginning). While some founders, like Jean, are willing to do that, some, like John, are not. Jean was willing to put in as many hours as it took to meet her responsibilities. John, on the other hand, arrived late and left early, demonstrating that he wasn’t dedicated to his role — or the company.

2. Difficult to work with

Some founders are simply difficult to work with. They’re not collaborative, they’re closed off to others’ input or they belittle or micromanage their employees. While in the office, John’s attitude was one of superiority. He felt that certain tasks were below him and that others should do the “heavy lifting.” He criticized his employees at every opportunity, lowering morale and eventually pushing a very dedicated, key employee out of the company.

3. Lack of alignment with vision

While a dream team of co-founders might be committed and great as colleagues, they might have different visions about the company’s future. For example, they may disagree on a pivot other founders believe is necessary. Jean wanted to focus on R&D to ensure ongoing innovation, but John was focused on expanding the company. In addition to his behavior, this lack of alignment caused so much tension that Jean started the process of terminating her co-founder.

Related: So Your Co-Founder is Threatening to Quit Unless You Give Them More Equity. What Should You Do?

Legal considerations

In addition to mistakes that can be made during the termination process, there are several legal considerations to keep in mind when co-founders separate.

1. Complying with employment law

Founders are almost always employees by law. When terminating an employee, keep in mind — and meet — the legalities of termination, including filing certain paperwork and notices, and meeting deadlines for paying the final paycheck, for example. When the tension between Jean and John began, Jean documented each instance so she had relevant backup at the time of John’s termination.

2. Is your relationship buttoned up?

Make sure you are not giving an ousted co-founder leverage. Breaking promises or not protecting the company legally in its founding documents on IP assignments or confidentiality obligations means that they now have valuable IP the company needs.

3. Do you have the legal right?

It’s critical to ensure that a co-founder has the legal right to terminate another co-founder. If they do not, they should take the necessary steps to secure those rights; it might not be as simple as telling them they are fired. For example, the company’s bylaws might allow a co-founder to be terminated only if the board votes to do so. The ousting founders need to make sure they can — and do — get board support.

When John’s performance began to decline, Jean consulted with the company’s board to ensure the board was informed from the outset.

More legal considerations: What NOT to do

While there are considerations to make so as not to run into legal issues, there are also considerations for what NOT to do.

1. Don’t think about a separation agreement

A legally binding separation agreement can get you a release of claims, potentially non-disparagement terms and other benefits for the company, including agreements to not sue. Investors will want to see this if at all possible in diligence. It’s worth some money to get this.

As soon as John’s performance started suffering and other employees began complaining about his behavior, Jean consulted an employment attorney to prepare the paperwork necessary for a separation agreement, enabling the process to be completed without worrying about a potential lawsuit.

2. Forget to cut off access to systems

To prevent an ousted co-founder from accessing company information post-termination, ensure that they can no longer access the company’s systems. Disgruntled employees with access to company data can cause major problems.

Once John was officially “out,” all access to company information was cut off; Jean knew that, if given the opportunity, John would have tried to access certain data once he exited the company.

3. Bash the ousted founder to employees, investors and other stakeholders

Sometimes in trying to explain the ousted founder’s departure, founders will resort to speaking negatively about them; this opens the company to defamation liability. It can also reflect badly on the company and the founding terms. Finally, it can lead to the ousted founder becoming more hostile toward the company.

Despite their differences, Jean maintained reasonable levels of professionalism. Although the process was stressful for her, her team and ultimately the company, John’s ouster and the reasons behind it remained within the executive leadership team.

Related: 4 Sane Strategies for Maintaining Healthy Co-Founder Relationships

Ramifications of skirting the law

All of this advice hinges on the remaining founders meeting the requirements to legally terminate a co-founder. When they don’t, there are ramifications.

1. Incurring penalties and legal claims

First, by not complying with employment laws, penalties can be incurred, and legal claims are given to the ousted founder; these can add up. For example, in California, if all wages aren’t paid on the final day of employment, the ousted founder is entitled to a penalty equal to one full day of wages for every day until they are fully paid (up to 30 days).

Jean’s diligence in consulting a startup attorney prepared her for the separation. In addition to the separation agreement, Jean presented John with his final paycheck at the termination meeting.

2. Post-termination negotiations

If you don’t button up your relationship with the founder prior to termination, you will be stuck post-termination negotiating for what you need. At this point, you are unlikely to have much leverage.

3. No separation agreement

If you fail to get a separation agreement, investors may push on you in diligence to get one later; this is often difficult. Also, you may subject the company to claims that would have been released if money was offered as severance at the outset. Note that a founder may sign a separation agreement quickly if it’s offered with a positive message and incentives. The absence of an up-front offer can result in litigation, and demands may increase.

The bottom line

While there are myriad factors that contribute to the ousting of a company founder, it behooves those on the company side to make appropriate preparations to avoid legal troubles.

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