Michael Klein

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Building the brand image you want starts with smart PR moves. In business — and especially the culture space — what the public thinks of your brand is everything. Do they find you trustworthy and reliable? Do they think of you as innovative, cool or luxurious? Controlling the narrative around your brand is key to ensuring you create the image you’re after — and to ensuring you’re reaching your desired target audience.  However, public relations is an art as much as it is a science, and many businesses that don’t have experience in this particular area can end up making mistakes that could damage their reputation in the short and long term. To avoid these same blunders, consider this list of common mistakes as outlined by the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Below, they detail why these mistakes can be detrimental to your brand goals and advise what actions you should take instead.

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You may have to adapt your current business plan. Much like technology, culture can change at the drop of a hat. People’s tastes, what’s “in” and “the next big thing” are constantly evolving, whether in reaction to current events or the latest innovation in a particular industry. Those entrepreneurs hoping to make it in this space must be able to thrive in a changing environment, adapting their business when it’s needed and sticking to the plan when it’s not.  But this isn’t the only way to get ahead in the culture space. According to the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, embracing the following habits can give hopeful entrepreneurs a leg up on the competition and ensure they find true success in the culture space and their overall careers.

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Taking care of yourself first ensures you can take care of your company better. Leading a business can be exhausting, but part of being a leader is showing up and giving your all each day, even when things aren’t going how you planned. Finding ways to increase your efficiency without creating more mental work for yourself can be a helpful way of lessening the mental strain that comes with being the boss. When it comes to decision fatigue, for example, there are specific strategies you can use to ensure you never cross that line of exhaustion, even on a busy day. Below, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of those strategies, elaborating on how they go about making good decisions as leaders while protecting their mental well-being at the same time.

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The first step to reengaging a customer is to remember that they’re human. Whether it’s due to a lack of perceived value or just a lack of time and money, customers can often fall off the wagon when it comes to interacting with and purchasing from brands. And while some customers disengaging can be normal, companies may begin to worry once a pattern starts to emerge.  So what can they do to reengage those customers they seem to have lost? What’s the most effective method? Below, 10 business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their insights on the marketing “hacks” or strategies companies can use to boost engagement among disengaged customers and pique their interest once again.

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To find success, cannabis leaders have to be creative and agile. The cannabis industry has experienced rapid growth over the past decade alone, and it’s only predicted to increase over time, with global sales predicted to hit $149 billion by 2031. This means there is abundant opportunity for those interested in dipping their toes in the cannabis space and the vast number of potential business ideas that can spawn from it.  However, perhaps the biggest challenge cannabis businesses face is the ongoing legal and regulatory obstacles that prevent these businesses from operating like any other business in the market. This means cannabis leaders must be cautious when planning and executing any strategy, whether that be advertising, sales or distribution and logistics.  As leaders in the culture space, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council are well-versed in the struggles of the cannabis industry, and here, they discuss some of the steps business leaders can take to overcome these hurdles and find success in a challenging business landscape.

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To impress potential investors, put yourself in their shoes. One of the most difficult aspects of getting a business off the ground is finding the money to be able to do so. While there are a number of ways to fund a business — crowdsourcing, family and friends, investors, bootstrapping and more — each comes with their own pros and cons, benefits and challenges, meaning no one business will likely follow the same financial path.  However, there are a number of similar struggles you may face when trying to raise capital for your business that other seasoned entrepreneurs have also experienced. To share their own stories and advice, eight business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in on common fundraising challenges and what they would advise others do to avoid or overcome the same obstacles they faced themselves.

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Building a successful brand means understanding who you are and staying true to it. In so many areas of culture, building a successful personal brand is key to getting ahead. Who you are, what you’re known for and what value you provide to others all play a role in creating your brand, and those who create positive ones are likely to find more opportunities coming their way. But creating a personal brand isn’t as simple as some may think. It requires intentionality and a deep understanding of self to get started. Here, 14 leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of the other steps you’ll need to take if you want to build a successful personal brand, in life and in business.

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To find the best candidate, you’ll need to get to know them on a deeper level. The right team can make or break your business. A team that gets along well can help your company innovate and stand out among your competition. On the flip side, a team that is dysfunctional can drag down morale and efficiency, creating internal problems that take away from the work at hand. While teams require a number of elements to function well — including a thoughtful manager — one way company leaders can ensure they’re setting their teams up for success is by hiring the right team members. But choosing the right person out of a pool of candidates can be a challenging task, so how can leaders determine if they’re making the right hires? Below, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council offer their advice, each weighing in with one step companies can take before and during the interview process to make sure the next hire they make will be the perfect one.

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Prioritizing your website is prioritizing the happiness of your customers. A website is, more or less, the “face” of any business. It’s where your customers can learn more about your brand and products, where they can peruse your offerings and, if you’re an online-only brand, it’s the only opportunity they have to make a purchase. Because of this, business leaders who don’t put a high priority on both the beauty and functionality of their websites are at a distinct disadvantage among their competition, and potential customers may not stick around long with a poor user experience. To ensure your business website meets and exceeds customer expectations, you’ll need to consider the following nine factors, as suggested by the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Here, they go in depth on the reasoning behind these considerations and why prioritizing them will have a positive impact on your visitors.

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You can tackle more than you think — as long as you plan properly. After finding success in one business, entrepreneurs will often dip their toes in one or more other businesses, either as the founder, a board member or in another leadership capacity. While this can be very rewarding to do, it can also be the cause of a lot of stress if not managed properly. Overlapping schedules, a bursting to-do list and not nearly enough time for everything that needs to get done can quickly turn a rewarding endeavor into an overwhelming one. So how do serial entrepreneurs do it? According to the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, the secret lies in the following 12 tips. Here, they expand on each one, offering up their best advice for any aspiring entrepreneur on how to juggle multiple businesses and responsibilities at the same time.

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Content is king — so why not use it to attract more customers? In today’s online, social-media-driven age, nothing attracts potential customers to a business quite like content marketing. Whether it’s a humorous video, an educational blog post or just consistent, engaging social media posts, content that grabs customers’ attention and keeps them coming back for more is the secret weapon of any successful business. But if you want to amass a large following, you have to get the content marketing right. It’s about creating it well — not just creating it at all. To ensure you’re on the right track, consider the advice of Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders. Here, they offer their best tips on content marketing and how to make sure you see the benefits of your efforts.

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When making this decision, put your customers first and foremost. Trends come and pass, with customers eventually losing interest or forgetting why a particular thing was popular in the first place. Your business, however, should have true staying power. Regardless of the time or place, customers should want to continue buying your products or services because of the distinct value they provide — not because you participated in a trend. But trends can also have their place, providing business leaders with the opportunity to reach new audiences and freshen up their marketing. That said, how is a business leader to know when it’s appropriate to hop on a trend and when it’s not? To shed some light, top business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council offer their perspective on the issue, each discussing one tip they’d offer fellow business leaders for how to determine whether a trend will benefit your business or detract from it.

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Resolve customer problems any time of year with these expert-recommended tips. The holidays can be a busy, stressful time for companies and customers alike. An influx of orders, too few staff and emotions running high can mean an increase in mistakes and dissatisfied customers. But these situations aren’t unique to the holiday season, and now that the new year is in full swing, businesses can step back and reflect on customer service lessons they can take with them throughout the rest of the year.  Below, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss some of their top customer service lessons and the practices businesses can keep in mind when trying to find the best way to deal with an unhappy customer, no matter the season.

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Prime you and your business for a successful 2024 by taking these critical steps. The start of a new year can be the perfect time for business leaders to start fresh. Whether it’s reevaluating their processes, trying something new or finding ways to reengage their staff, employers can use this time to learn from any mistakes or successes of the previous year and set themselves up for a better year ahead. But to do so, they may want to consider the following advice from the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council first. Here, they each discuss one business goal they have for the new year and explain why other businesses might want to work toward the same goal if they want their business to succeed in 2024.

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It's crucial to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

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The key to making your business stand out lies in how well you know your viewers. Whether you’re creating a video ad or an educational "how-to" video for your business, there are just some creative tactics that seem to lend themselves well to the video format. Taking advantage of these tactics is critical in an age where getting someone to stop scrolling through their social media feed is key to getting your business noticed. So what can you do to stop the scroll? Here, 12 business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss their best tips for creating something that will make viewers stop scrolling, engage with your video and, ultimately, become a patron of your brand.

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Good ideas start with open-minded teams. While any one person can be a particularly good problem solver or a master of creativity, leveraging the power of a group and the multiple minds within it can often unleash some of your company’s best ideas. However, when not handled in the right way, what could have been a productive brainstorming session can easily turn into a quiet room or an argument among colleagues.  To ensure your team’s next round of brainstorming yields promising results, consider the following advice from the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Here, they share their insights on how to open your team’s minds, encourage them to speak up and generate thoughtful, actionable ideas.

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Before you tackle your business alone, consider this advice first. Running a business on your own comes with an abundance of benefits — the ability to determine your own schedule, the freedom to make decisions based on your own ideas and the opportunity to work on whatever projects you find interesting. However, being a solopreneur or solo creator also means you’re the only one responsible for starting and growing your company, which can be a lot of pressure for one person to handle. As business leaders, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council are familiar with what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. Below, they each offer up one tip for solopreneurs and creators looking to start their own brands, grow them and succeed as leaders in the culture space.

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Bettering your employees is the first step to bettering your company. Culture is ever-changing. Customer preferences and values surrounding hospitality, fashion, food, art, cannabis or any other sector of the culture space can seemingly shift at the drop of a hat — meaning those who work within those areas need to be ready to adapt just as quickly. One way business leaders can prepare their employees for such a need is to encourage them to learn and grow as professionals. With the right growth mindset, employees will be ready to tackle whatever challenge customers throw at them. But how should leaders go about it? Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council offer seven ways employers can encourage their employees to learn and grow in their careers, and discuss why it’s so important to do so for the betterment of themselves and the company.

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Mastering the art of storytelling can increase your odds of overall success. The story a company tells to its audience has a direct impact on the way its potential customers think and feel about its brand. Whether you want to inspire trust, encourage a feeling of camaraderie or build subject matter authority, the way you communicate your message will often determine how successful you are as a business. In this way, your ability to weave a narrative into your brand messaging should be a skill you are always looking to improve upon. As business leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have experience sharing the stories of their own brands. Here, they offer their help by recommending their top tips for how to improve your storytelling to better communicate your brand’s message to your intended audience.

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Failure can be one of life's greatest teachers. At one time or another, every leader will experience some degree of professional failure. While the experience can be disappointing or frustrating, it can also serve as a powerful teacher, imparting valuable lessons that can shape one's views or career trajectory. If you've experienced failure in your professional journey, know that you're not alone — and you're not down for the count. Below, 12 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share the biggest lessons they've learned from professional failure and the lasting impact of that hard-earned wisdom.

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Standing out isn’t just about having the best idea. In a world saturated by millions of businesses all claiming to have the perfect solution to whatever problem consumers have, trying to find ways to make your own business rise above the noise can seem like an impossible endeavor. However, even businesses with fierce competition can find ways of standing out — with the right strategy, of course. To truly get your business noticed and to amass a large following of devoted customers, you’ll need to think thoughtfully about your customers, their needs and what your business can provide that no other business can. To help get you started, nine business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council share their insights on differentiating your company from the competition and recommend a few steps you should remember to take to help ensure your success.

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Unleash the power of simple SEO tactics. A strong online presence is paramount for small businesses seeking to thrive and stay competitive. While navigating the intricacies of search engine optimization (SEO) might seem daunting, implementing some simple yet highly effective tactics can significantly improve a small business's website visibility and search ranking. Here, Rolling Stone Culture Council members explore a handful of easy actions small businesses can take to enhance their website's SEO and attract more organic traffic. By understanding the importance of these strategies and how they positively impact search engine algorithms, small-business owners can strategically position themselves for success in the virtual realm.

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Getting your team to work together often starts with you. In creative industries, an agile work culture helps create an environment which encourages the teamwork and collaboration necessary to come up with new and innovative ideas or thoughtfully expand on existing ones. Part of creating an agile work culture, however, is ensuring your team has what they need to collaborate effectively. To do so, you’ll need to take stock of your current work environment to find areas for improvement.  Whether it’s leading by example, offering full autonomy on projects or defining clear roles and expectations, there are a number of approaches you can take to nurture a collaborative environment — with some approaches less obvious than others. Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council offer their best tips for building an agile, collaborative work environment for your employees and why it’s so key to do so.

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Nailing down your niche may require looking inward first. In order for a brand to succeed, it has to be more than a clever idea. A successful brand must meet customer needs, separate itself from the competition and last beyond a passing trend. All of these characteristics combined contribute to a brand’s niche — or a comfortable place in the market. Without this well-defined niche, a brand can struggle to maintain its customers’ interest and, as a result, its rising sales. Whether you’re just thinking about starting a business or you’re trying to get your current endeavor off the ground, consider the following advice for those struggling to find their brand’s place in the market. Here, seven business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council offer their best tips for what uncertain entrepreneurs can do to really nail down their niche.

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By resolving creative differences, you can unlock the potential of collaborative leadership. In a dynamic culture space, clashes of creative visions are inevitable among leaders in the business. These differences can stem from varying perspectives, artistic preferences or strategic approaches, among other reasons. However, resolving such conflicts and finding common ground is crucial for maintaining a harmonious and productive work environment. Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council leaders explore practical tips and strategies to navigate creative differences and foster collaborative solutions that honor diverse viewpoints in the workplace.

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How will this generation change the way we work?While every generation draws on their experiences to bring something new to the table, a truly digital-native generation such as Gen Z may have a major impact on the workforce moving forward. Growing up in the internet age has helped to shape both the skills and interests of this young generation, drawing them into disruptive technologies like AI as well as key social and environmental issues such as climate change. But these interests aren’t all they have to offer. Here, nine business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council each list one trait they think Gen Z is bringing to the workforce that perhaps other generations didn't have and discuss the potential impact this may have on the current work world at large.

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Leverage the power of social commerce by directly promoting and selling your products through your social media profiles. Social commerce has emerged as a groundbreaking phenomenon that promises to shape the future of online shopping. With an increasing number of consumers making purchases directly from their favorite social media platforms, businesses have a unique opportunity to tap into this growing trend. However, venturing into the realm of social commerce requires careful consideration and strategic planning. Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council explore valuable advice for brands seeking to harness the power of social commerce and effectively promote their products on popular social media sites.

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From prioritizing necessary but high-cost items to leveraging technology, learn more about how to manage costs wisely while scaling your business. When it comes to scaling a business, managing finances effectively is crucial for success. As a business grows, so do its expenses, and without careful management, costs can quickly spiral out of control. But how can you keep costs under control while expanding your business? Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share expert tips and insights for managing costs wisely when scaling your business. From tracking expenses to optimizing processes and negotiating with suppliers, these strategies can help you build a sustainable business while keeping your finances in check.

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From building key relationships to traditional marketing strategies, there are many low-cost ways to attract new customers. In today's highly competitive market, acquiring and retaining new customers is a top priority for any business. However, many businesses struggle with the costs associated with marketing and advertising efforts to attract new customers. Fortunately, there are low-cost strategies businesses can implement to acquire and retain new customers without breaking the bank. These strategies not only help businesses save money, but they are also highly effective in building brand awareness, increasing customer engagement and driving sales. Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share 11 low-cost strategies any business can implement to acquire and retain new customers.

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With a business strategy centered around sustainability, brands can attract consumers and increase their bottom lines. As sustainability becomes a prominent topic of discussion, environmentally conscious consumers are actively seeking out companies that align with their values. Because of this increasing concern for environmental issues among consumers, businesses are now recognizing the need to show their dedication to eco-friendly practices. Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share practical steps businesses can take to demonstrate their commitment to the environment and eco-friendly policies. From incorporating sustainable materials in their products to implementing energy-efficient measures in their operations, these efforts not only benefit the planet but also have a positive impact on their bottom line.

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Your local community can support you in more ways than one — as long as you support them too. Especially for small businesses, embracing your local community can be vital to your ongoing success. Your local community members not only make up the large portion of your customers — if not all of them — but they also can act as key support when times are tough and help  ensure a thriving local market of small businesses, entrepreneurs and community organizations.  But to fully immerse yourself into your community, you’ll need to ensure your efforts are thoughtful and well-planned-out. For guidance, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council offer their tips for how any business can become a valued, trusted pillar of their surrounding community and why doing so is so important.

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With Q1 behind them, business leaders can use Q2 as an opportunity to look ahead at what they want to achieve by mid-year. The second quarter of the year is a great time for business leaders to take stock of their progress and set goals for the months ahead. Whether you're looking to boost sales, improve operations or expand your team, it's important to have a plan in place to make the most of Q2. But where do you start? Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their tips and strategies for starting Q2 off on the right foot. From assessing company performance to refining your business objectives, these insights can help you drive growth and achieve your goals.

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Meeting your customers’ needs should be the focus of any business — online or otherwise. As more consumers and business clients turn to e-commerce companies to meet their product needs, both opportunity and competition are growing. While starting up a business online is a great way to meet customers where they are with fewer overhead costs, the sheer amount of competition can make it difficult to get noticed in the first place. One way to draw attention to your business is to focus on your customers’ needs and how you can better serve them. Here, eight members of Rolling Stone Culture Council draw on their expertise as they recommend some of the most effective ways to serve your customers well and to stand out among the competition.

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It's not enough to simply define your brand mission — you have to live it every day. For any business, having a clear and meaningful mission is critical for success. To truly live up to that mission, however, you must ensure that it is consistently and clearly woven throughout all aspects of the business. Your brand's mission should be evident in the company's values, culture and day-to-day operations. To help you achieve this, 15 Rolling Stone Culture Council members each outline one specific step or action businesses can take to ensure their mission is fully integrated into their operations and why this is so important for the success and sustainability of the business.

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You can't necessarily buy brand loyalty, but you can earn it with the right customer experience and engagement tactics. Loyal customers are the cornerstone of any successful brand. They stick by a business through thick and thin and support its products or services above all others in the industry. Having this dedicated, repeat customer can be a stepping stone toward increased brand recognition and an increase in profits. However, it takes dedication and effort to convert a casual buyer into someone who sticks by your company for life. To help, a panel of experts from Rolling Stone Culture Council recommend some effective ways any business can turn everyday customers into brand loyalists.

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There's a lot of commercial "noise" during the busy holiday season, but these strategies can help your business stand out. One of the most effective ways to draw customers to your online or brick-and-mortar retail store is to create promotions they will engage with. Tying those promotions into the holiday season can help you bring in even more customers and finish out the year on a high note. But with so many competing ad campaigns and discounts throughout the last few months of the year, you'll need to find a holiday initiative that will set your business apart from its competitors. Below, nine Rolling Stone Culture Council members share some holiday promotions that have worked for their teams and why your business might want to replicate them this season.

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Your followers can be a huge source of creative and engaging content for your brand if you know how to ask for it. Whether it's fans writing articles for your website or submitting product photos as part of a contest, user-generated content (UGC) has become a key component of many modern brands' marketing strategies. This low-cost tactic can help you crowdsource new content ideas while allowing your audience to shine. Not only does UGC make customers feel more engaged with a brand, but it also supplements brand-generated content, saving your marketing department time and resources. To that end, eight Rolling Stone Culture Council members share smart and effective ways businesses can encourage followers to submit more UGC and make your marketing a little more customer-centric.

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Despite rising costs, there are some simple, clever strategies that can save your business money in the long run. With the cost of goods on the rise, many business owners worry they’ll lose profit by maintaining their current prices or lose customers by raising prices to match the inflated purchasing costs. Though inflation continues to interfere in this way with the day-to-day operations of many businesses, business owners have several options for saving money at their disposal. Below, 10 Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their best tips for managing your budget and keeping costs low in the face of inflation.

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Any employee who interfaces with customers should have the right skills to properly and effectively represent your brand. Hiring for any position is rarely an easy task, and it can be even more difficult when you're filling a customer-facing role. Not only does the person you hire need to be a match for your company culture, but they also need the right personality and skills to effectively represent your brand to the general public. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members share 10 specific skills or traits they look for when hiring for a customer-facing or public role, and explain why each of these qualities is so essential to an employee's success in this type of position.

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Carving out your niche is only the first step in launching a successful business. Business leaders who want to scale in a niche market have a unique opportunity. Niche markets often mean less competition, but the businesses that do exist may be tougher to compete against. To help ensure success when scaling up, businesses should take certain steps to set themselves up with the best odds, whether that's by analyzing market trends first or by taking the time to develop a distinct brand identity. Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share this advice and more to help business leaders looking to grow in their niche.

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The key to modern employee retention really isn’t a secret at all. At a time when employees are leaving their jobs en masse, it can be challenging to maintain your top workers. Employees today are more comfortable quitting a job in search of something better, so if your business doesn't meet their expectations, you might be struggling to fill several suddenly open positions. Having committed, long-term employees helps with overall production speeds and cultivates a positive work environment. So with advice like listening to employee feedback and creating individualized success plans, 11 Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their "secrets" to employee retention and why these strategies work so well.

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There are countless lifestyle brands on the market today, so you'll need the right elements to stand out as a memorable one. Lifestyle brands have become popular with celebrities, influencers and entrepreneurs alike, with platforms like Instagram or Facebook serving as their ideal place for sharing small snippets of their lives. Whether they’re centered around everyday life or an aspirational dream, these lifestyles form the basis for marketing a business’s products or services. But to make a lifestyle brand work, entrepreneurs need to develop a strategy with all the right components in place. To that end, 12 Rolling Stone Culture Council members share the ingredients entrepreneurs will need to craft a true lifestyle brand that will help them connect with their ideal audience.

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A diverse workforce doesn't happen accidentally — you need the right recruiting strategies to bring different types of candidates in the door. Over the years, the movement for increased diversity in the workplace has picked up significant momentum. Having a diverse team offers businesses a variety of perspectives, allowing for increased innovation and problem solving, while also increasing employee engagement and brand reputation. In most cases, building a pipeline of diverse job candidates requires intentional efforts at the recruitment level. To help you achieve this goal, eight members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their best strategies to promote a broader range of candidates in your applicant pool.

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Staying autonomous as your business scales up requires a strong understanding of yourself and your mission — and trust in your team to carry out that mission. If you're an independent creator, you may be considering scaling your business. While scaling is a great way to increase your presence and profit, it also often requires bringing other people into the mix — a significant adjustment when you're accustomed to working independently. Fortunately, it is possible to grow your brand without losing sight of your original creative vision. To help, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share 11 tips to help you scale your business while still maintaining your autonomy.

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If you're looking into affiliate marketing programs, make sure you understand these essential steps to success. By now, it’s likely that every social media user has seen YouTube stars, Instagram influencers and other popular content creators asking their followers to use their affiliate links when purchasing from a business. That's because an affiliate marketing program is an optimal way for businesses to usher in leads and make additional profit. With websites and a bountiful number of social media platforms, businesses can partner with influencers, celebrities and even other businesses to create a program that benefits all parties. However, this marketing strategy has to be approached the right way. Below, 11 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share the tips they believe are key to a successful affiliate marketing program.

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There's always room for more creators and artists — you just have to know how to market yourself. With more social media platforms available than ever before, influencers, artists and content creators have multiple blank canvases ready for the taking. However, all these options may leave new creators unsure of where to begin with their brand promotion strategy. While it's easy to daydream about amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and "going viral" overnight, effectively growing your social media presence requires thoughtful planning and a strategic approach. To that end, 10 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council provide their best advice for new content creators who are ready to showcase and promote their brands on social media.

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Before you commit to a business partner, make sure they bring the right skills and traits to the table. As in any other partnership, a business partnership can bring incredible value -- as long as it's the right fit. If not, the relationship could become detrimental to the success of the company. That's why entrepreneurs must carefully consider whether a prospective partner will complement their leadership style and the business, or whether it's best to find another solution. If you're seeking a new business partnership, make sure your potential collaborator has these 10 critical essentials, as recommended by members of Rolling Stone Culture Council. 

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A leader’s mindset can make a huge difference in how well a business succeeds during times of uncertainty. The business world can often feel like a roller coaster with unpredictable ups and downs. While it's easy for business leaders to stay positive during the good times, it can be harder to keep that same attitude when the going gets tough. Cultivating the right mindset can help leaders better navigate challenges and have a greater appreciation for the victories. If you're looking for a boost of positivity, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their tried-and-true strategies for staying positive no matter the external circumstances.

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The key to differentiating yourself in the market is identifying and developing a strong brand identity. The way you position and identify your brand has a huge impact on the way you're perceived, from the business opportunities you’re offered to the type of customer who purchases your products or services. Developing this brand identity often begins by asking a series of introspective questions: What does your company stand for? What issues do you care about? What gap in the market do you fill? These are important questions to answer and reevaluate often as a business owner, but they're far from the only ways to conceptualize your brand. Below, 11 Rolling Stone Culture Council members offer their best advice for finding your brand's identity and explain why each step is so important.

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If innovation is your goal, you need creativity to flow freely throughout your organization. Industries that rely on constant innovation need leaders who are able to foster creativity among their teams. However, it can be difficult to feel creative all the time, especially in an office setting. Getting out of the office, meeting new people and sharing ideas with others are just a few ways that team members can find that creativity again. Below, 11 Rolling Stone Culture Council members share these strategies and more that have helped them effectively encourage creativity among their employees.

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Content creators have high earning potential in today's market, but they'll need to keep up with new trends as the industry evolves. The creator economy is constantly in flux and changes based on many external factors, including relevant social, political or world events occurring at that time. This has been very clear over the last few years with the Covid-19 pandemic, a party-dividing election cycle and an increase in social justice campaigns. All of this has had a massive effect on digital platforms, and creators stand to gain a lot from the constant and growing demand for relevant content. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members look ahead to share their predictions for the future of the creator economy in the years to come.

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Increasing customer happiness means you’ll gain increased loyalty and sales as a result. It’s true that customers who feel satisfied after an interaction with your brand are more likely to become repeat customers and recommend your product or service to others with positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. However, the opposite is true as well. Unhappy customers also leave reviews — though they’re often less than complimentary — and then share these negative opinions with others. It's important, then, for any company to keep their customers returning happy and satisfied. To help, eight Rolling Stone Culture Council members share some key lessons all business leaders should learn when it comes to customer satisfaction.

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These tips can help you level up your social media game, regardless of industry. With so many other businesses on social media, getting potential consumers to notice yours can be an uphill battle. One element that you can use to stand out, however, is the quality of your posts. With the right combination of words, visuals and strategy, you can ensure your posts get the level of engagement you’re looking for. To help, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council each list their No. 1 tip for writing quality social media posts. Follow their expert advice to level up your social media game and expand your audience.

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Tech's impact now will likely change how businesses move forward in the future. As technology constantly evolves, so too do the industries on which it has a major impact. This is certainly true of the culture space, where the way customers interact with — and the way businesses sell — food, music, fashion, film and more have changed dramatically over the years as new technologies and needs emerge. Below, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council describe some of the ways in which technology has recently impacted their businesses in the culture space and how these changes may alter the way they do business in the future.

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Starting off in these locations can give businesses a better chance at success. While many businesses are moving online, there are many others that thrive by being location-based. Those in the culture space especially — businesses centered around media, food, music, fashion, art and more — can benefit from planting roots in a particular environment or local hot spot, whether it’s to plug in to the existing culture or to gain a certain customer base.   Below, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss where they would get their start if they were opening new culture-based businesses today and why they recommend others consider these ideal locations too.

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With the right strategy, your business can reach a whole new audience. While TikTok has been around for a few years now, many businesses are just now waking up to its massive potential for marketing to customers. Professionals from seemingly every industry — from home repairs to dermatology — are finding fun and unique ways to leverage the popular platform for both educating their audiences and marketing their businesses. But if you’re a business leader who is unfamiliar with TikTok or isn’t sure how to get started, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have some expert tips. Below, they share their best advice for getting started on TikTok and how it will help make your business more successful.

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The popular social media platform offers a unique opportunity for marketers. With over a billion monthly active users worldwide, it’s no surprise why TikTok would be such an appealing platform for businesses looking to get in front of as many eyes as possible. However, expanding an audience isn’t as straightforward and simple as creating a TikTok account and posting a video. In order to leverage the platform to its best advantage, marketers need to post with purpose. To help get you started, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share the ways they’ve seen brands leverage TikTok for marketing and explain why those methods are so clever and effective.

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The key is to address the overwhelm early and to find manageable solutions. No entrepreneur is immune to burnout, and when the stressors of work and leading a business get to be too much, it’s important to find healthy ways of coping. Without these methods, it’s all too easy for your business to become overwhelming, which can lead to a loss of passion for your work or even poor mental health. As busy business leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have dealt with their fair share of overwhelming situations. Below, they offer up some of the methods they use to cope and explain why they recommend these methods for any burned out business leader.

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It'll take more than a little convincing to show your customers your business is the "real deal." When you start a new business, one of your greatest challenges is convincing potential customers of your credibility. They need to know that your business can be trusted and that the product or service they’re paying for will be high quality and delivered in a timely fashion. Convincing them of this is the first step toward gaining them as a potential lifelong customer. But the process for convincing a customer that you’re a credible business is not necessarily straightforward, as different customers will consider different factors, and no one element will likely be enough to change their minds. This is why the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council listed out their top strategies for proving the credibility of your business below. Implement one or all of these tips to see a change in the way your company is viewed.

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Building a powerful network can help your business in more ways than one. Networking is not a new concept in the business world, and certainly not to the business professionals who are doing it. But for business owners, forging new connections with other businesses in the same space can often feel like trying to make friends with the competition, and knowing how or when to reach out might not come naturally. But building that network of support is key to long-term business success, and can be especially important during the first few years of growth. So to help demystify the networking process, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council provided their best tips on how to do it right and how to ensure you’re building strong relationships for the long term.

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When you feel like your creativity has dried up, these resources may get your thoughts flowing again. As many creative minds will tell you, creativity isn’t something that is just “always on.” Rather, creativity comes in waves, ebbing and flowing each day in what can often seem like random intervals. When you run a business that relies on innovation, however, it can be difficult to wait for inspiration to strike. To get your creativity flowing, you’ll need to seek out your own sources of inspiration. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council experts share their own go-to sources of inspiration and how you can regain your own creativity by leveraging them yourself.

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Your response will say a lot about your company. When your business operates in a niche that can sometimes experience controversy or deals with controversial subjects, such as cannabis or art, you’re bound to come across a few naysayers along the way. While you can’t prevent this situation from happening, you can control the way you respond. In a public space like social media, the way you conduct yourself in reaction to any “hate comments” or “trolls” can have a major impact on the way your business is perceived by current and potential customers. So before you hit “reply,” consider the following 10 strategies recommended by a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council experts for responding to any controversy that may arise.

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Your employees can have valuable insights, so it’s important they have an opportunity to share them. As the ones who are deeply involved in the day-to-day running of a business, employees often have the best insights about what does and doesn't work in a company. When you’re a leader, figuring out what employees think about how operations could be improved can be a vital part of ensuring your business’s success. Ingraining employee feedback as part of your company’s culture, therefore, can ensure you hear your team’s opinions on a regular basis. To help you accomplish that, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members offered their own opinions on how you can make feedback a part of your company culture and make sure everyone is heard.

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The new year has the potential to spark major innovation across various industries. Regardless of a business’s particular niche or industry, there are always exciting developments, innovations or trends on the horizon. As the new year brings a fresh new start, it also brings with it the anticipation many entrepreneurs feel as they look forward to the ideas they hope will become reality in the coming months ahead. The business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council are no exception to the excitement, and below they each share one development or innovation they’re hoping to see come to fruition in their respective industries in 2022.

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Sometimes scaling quickly isn't the best path forward. While it's every company's hope to grow, what many companies may not realize is that quick, explosive growth might not actually be the best way to scale. Though some companies may not have a choice if they experience sudden “overnight” success, those actively looking to skyrocket in popularity and sales need to consider a few important points first. Below, 11 business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council list some of the points an entrepreneur should be concerned about if they’re looking to grow their company quickly, and offer their best tips for scaling successfully in the long term.

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You can’t grow your business without facing a few obstacles along the way. Leading a business often comes with its own unique challenges, some more difficult to navigate than others. What separates great leaders from good ones is the ability to face those challenges, overcome them and come out stronger and wiser on the other side. No matter the challenge, there’s always a lesson to be learned that can either overwhelm you or help your business grow. But learning those lessons can often be a challenge in itself. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council leaders detail the lessons they’ve learned from some of the most difficult business situations they’ve faced and how they became all the wiser for it.

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When your task list becomes overwhelming, try one of these methods for prioritization. Company leaders are no strangers to competing priorities. At the helm of the business, they must have their focus split between multiple areas or departments at any given moment. But when they’re only able to tackle one task at a time, how should they determine what to prioritize first? As successful business leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council shared a few of their best tips for effectively organizing and prioritizing a task list and why these methods have worked so well for them.

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When dealing with cause marketing, it’s important to promote honesty and legitimacy. As concerns over social, environmental and political issues rise, many companies are being founded with a particular cause in mind, with their founders looking to use their businesses and platforms to raise awareness and do some good. For other businesses, getting involved in particular causes or building product lines around certain issues came later as their brands evolved. But the challenge for all of these businesses lies in earning consumer trust. Now attuned to insincerity and false concern, customers can tell when a company isn’t being honest in their claims. To help prove to your customers that your efforts to help your cause are legitimate, consider these tips from the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council and learn what steps you can take to build your credibility and reputation as an honest, trustworthy business.

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By using tech intentionally, you can improve your business and the niche in which it operates. Technology at its best serves as a helpful aid to businesses, entrepreneurs and everyday people looking to improve the way they function day to day. But simply using technology won’t affect much change. Those who really succeed are those who know how to leverage technology intentionally, incorporating it into thoughtful practices that could eventually turn into innovation for their business or even their industry as a whole.  Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members share some of the ways in which they’re leveraging technology to improve the success of their businesses in their space.

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These brands are great examples of how to tell your story right. Effective branding occurs when a consumer can think of a company and an image immediately comes to mind. These companies can evoke certain feelings and produce certain thoughts in customers’ minds all while telling a story well enough to convince those customers they need that product or service. All of these elements are what make a brand memorable, and to achieve that status for your company, you’ll need to study other successful brands. To help you, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council shared a few examples of brands that really nailed their respective stories and how they did it.

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Creating a mutually beneficial partnership means laying the groundwork for success upfront. When businesses partner together — whether for an ad campaign, product launch, promotion or any other reason — both should reap the rewards. But to ensure it’s a successful endeavor for all parties involved, there may be some necessary planning to do. While the process doesn’t need to be complicated, there are some important steps to be taken and considerations to be made before either business will feel satisfied. To shine some light on those steps, 13 members from Rolling Stone Culture Council list some of the key actions to take to make sure your next partnership is a successful one.

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The demand for content has never been higher, but to stand out, you need to provide real value to your audience. The adage "content is king" exists for a reason, and nearly every modern business has taken it to heart. It's easier than ever to publish your thoughts and perspectives on multiple online channels. However, with the sheer volume of content, it's hard to break through the noise and get your voice heard. So how do you accomplish this feat as a business? Follow the advice of these Rolling Stone Culture Council members who shared their tips for creating content that stands out from the crowd.

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Coming up with an idea can be challenging, but following the right steps can get you there faster. For many people, the hardest part of starting a business is coming up with a concept. No matter how many ideas you might have on the back burner, choosing the right one to execute can feel intimidating. This is especially true in the culture space, where the stakes are high and audiences are always looking for "the next big thing." Below, 15 Rolling Stone Culture Council members shared some important tips to help you come up with a business idea you think will have a big cultural impact. Read on to get their recommendations and learn how to implement them for yourself.

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If your messaging feels inauthentic, consumers will walk away in favor of a brand that's more genuine. Today's consumers can spot inauthenticity from miles away. They prefer buying from brands that are "real" and honest about who they are. However, it’s not uncommon for businesses to unintentionally appear disingenuous in their marketing endeavors, especially if they're just hopping on the latest trends in the hopes of going viral or getting likes on social media. To help you avoid this pitfall, 15 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council shared some signs of inauthentic marketing that a consumer is likely to spot. Here are some things your customers might call you out on and what you should do instead.

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Stories, Reels and TikToks can be great ways to connect with your audience and highlight your brand. In today’s highly digital world, individuals are constantly bombarded with distractions like texts, social media notifications and more. As a result, when consuming content online, most people prefer short-form videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok that deliver quick, visually engaging messaging. If you've never explored short video content as a marketing strategy, there are a few important things to remember when developing your posts. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members shared tips for leaders looking to use short videos to make their businesses stand out. Here’s why these tactics are so useful and how you can leverage them for your brand.

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As consumer trust in corporations wanes, it's up to culture businesses to lead the way in authenticity and transparency. The internet has provided consumers with an incredible amount of information. All this knowledge evens the playing field for consumers and pulls back the curtain on certain corporate processes and people. As a result, consumers are becoming more aware and less trusting of corporations in general. To help companies rebuild that trust, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members shared their insights. Below they discussed nine ways businesses in the culture space can be more authentic and transparent with their consumers and what effect that has overall.

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Leaders in the culture space have a unique opportunity to shine a light on the underrepresented groups they serve. The benefits of a diverse and inclusive brand are many, for consumers and companies alike. However, this representation doesn’t happen accidentally. Rather, organizations must take specific action to help lift up underrepresented groups, such as women, people of color and people with disabilities. Businesses in the culture space are uniquely positioned to use their influence to amplify the voices of those underrepresented groups. Below, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share 10 specific ways culture leaders can promote inclusivity and diversity in their branding.

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Your team may be stressed, but empowering them to experiment can keep them moving forward. Working through the pandemic has caused many professionals a lot of anxiety. Even though this free time affords people more opportunity to achieve their goals, they aren’t often seizing it because they're stressed about their health, their families and their jobs. As a leader, it's important to empower your team to use this time to continue growing, learning and evolving, even if they're preoccupied with just "staying afloat" right now. Below, 15 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council explained how to encourage your team members to experiment and innovate during difficult times. Follow their recommended steps to keep everyone's morale high and creative juices flowing.

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Consumer needs and values shifted quickly and dramatically in response to the pandemic.

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In the culture space, taking risks is necessary if you want to reach new heights. Taking risks as a business leader can have a significant positive impact on your company if things turn out well, but it can also set you back if you haven’t fully thought through every pro and con. The practice of calculated risk-taking, however, is essential for business growth. But taking a chance on something in business can be difficult for any entrepreneur, which is why the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council shared 10 tips to help encourage fellow culture leaders to take more calculated risks and explained why doing so is vital to business success.