When Jean Brownhill walked into her Brooklyn home in 2007 and saw a gaping hole in the ceiling, she knew she was dealing with a renovation gone wrong. Brownhill had built a career in architecture and construction—if she struggled to find a reliable general contractor, other homeowners must really struggle. To seize the opportunity, she launched Sweeten in 2011. It’s an online marketplace that matches homeowners with vetted general contractors and helps manage the relationship and the project. Consumers get transparency; reliable contractors get more business. Since launching, Sweeten has raised $20 million, completed thousands of renovations across the country, and has $1.5 billion worth of projects in its pipeline. But to succeed, Brownhill knew she’d need to do more than just create a smart service. She’d need to build trust in a very distrusting industry. Here’s how.
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Wait! Did Anyone Tell the Customers?
Our biggest fail at my company Calibrate was around communication. But it taught me that trust is the only foundation worth building on.
What Does It Mean to Be ‘Tough'?
If you think that success looks like ruthless competition, Terry Crews wants you to know there’s another way.
The Armor of Positive Thinking
Why have so many entrepreneurs embraced spiritual, mystical, or straight-up “woo-woo" ideas? Because when you're doing something this hard, you need all the help you can get. And just because it's all in your head, that doesn't mean it's not real.
Out There
What if the thing you’re trying to hide is actually your greatest asset? Walking Dead star (and restaurateur, book publisher, and TV producer) NORMAN REEDUS knows all about that.
How to Manage a Misunderstanding
We're always navigating differences-whether they're rooted in opinions, personalities, cultural expectations, or communication styles. Here, six entrepreneurs share how they've learned to deal with discord.
Faster, Better, More Productive!
These tech upgrades will get you up to speed-at home, in the office, on an airport layover, or out on the road.
What's It Like Working A Four-day Workweek?
It's inspiring, say three leaders whose companies are doing it. But that doesn't mean it's easy.
Zooey
Zooey Deschanel has gotten her share of shade for not blending in. But that's exactly the quality you need to thrive, she says-and she credits it with powering her as a comedic actress, singer, and cofounder of multiple companies.
Don't Choke
Too often, when the big moment arrives, we overthink and underperform. But a cognitive scientist says the key to countering performance anxiety is reframing our physical sensations.
What If a Fast-Food Restaurant Paid $17 An Hour?
Four years ago, a Chick-fil-A operator decided to try. Here's how it turned out.
