Solve Tomorrow's Problems Today

We can still build sustainable businesses. But it’ll require thinking far ahead—and acting now.

HOW WE'LL FRANCHISE

As the pandemic has unfolded, questions have swirled around franchising. Can food service, its biggest category, survive in a time of social distancing? Will people continue to buy franchises in uncertain times? And can brands make large, expensive changes across hundreds or thousands of units? So far, the answer seems to be: Yes! The pandemic has shown just how resilient and adaptable franchising can be. Here’s what comes next.

HOW WE'LL BUILD

In the pandemic’s early days, celebrated investor Marc Andreessen wrote an essay about the power of entrepreneurship. “Every step of the way, to everyone around us, we should be asking the question, What are you building?” he wrote. “What are you building directly, or helping other people to build, or teaching other people to build, or taking care of people who are building?” On the following pages, entrepreneurs offer their answers.

The Wizard of Whopper

Fernando Machado is the marketing genius who turned Burger King (and Popeyes!) into a buzzy, relevant, always-on-point brand. Here’s how he pulls it off.

Business/Unsual – Schmidt's Naturals – “Naivete Can Be Really Helpful”

Jaime Schmidt built and sold Schmidt’s Naturals for millions. Her advice: Don’t focus too much on the challenges ahead. Just get going.

Calling Out Your Copycat

Founders are turning to social media to make noise when other brands encroach on their intellectual property. It’s a splashy way to defend your company, but can it actually help protect it?

A Laptop That Acts Like a Smartphone

5G laptops are debuting, and they’re promising something entrepreneurs need: nonstop connectivity.

Building a Family's Future

After his corporate career, a father wanted to set up his family for generations to come. Now he and his daughter run a Real Property Management franchise—together.

“As We Get Bigger, We Need to Think Smaller"

When Ben Weprin founded Graduate Hotels, he thought he’d created an eccentric brand that would never really scale. Six years later, it’s raised nearly a billion dollars and is building bespoke lodging next to colleges nationwide. Now he’s wondering: How much can you grow a company that’s based on local charm?

ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS BILLIONS

Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s career was stalling. Then Dany Garcia stepped in to help change everything.

THE CRAZIEST BET IN RETAIL

A little startup called Le Tote recently bought Lord & Taylor, one of the country’s oldest brands. What happens next may say a lot about the future of shopping.

Keep the Team Together

If you really want to make your employees happy, stop thinking like a boss… and start thinking like an employee.

Get That First Meeting

One big meeting can transform a startup—but how do you get in front of the right person? Six entrepreneurs share how they scored some coveted face time.

What's in a Name? WHEN THE BRAND IS YOU

After transforming the beauty industry and then leaving her namesake company, Bobbi Brown is leveraging her experience to create more new brands.

THE WAY TO SELL YOURSELF

Our opening sentence is our most important. And too many of us are getting it wrong.

Tap Your Network IT'S WHO YOU KNOW

When I lost my job, I felt like I lost everything. But I hadn’t. Here’s how I built a network that helped me rebound even stronger—and build a multimillion-dollar podcast business.

Location, Location, Location FOUNDERS, GO HOME

To attract the best investors and employees, startup founders once had to move to the coasts. But more and more, they’re returning to their roots to build their businesses.

JOINING FORCES TO GROW

After running her sign-and-awning business for 18 years, Nikki Taheri decided to turn the operation into a FastSigns franchise.

FROM FLYING HIGH TO PIZZA PIE

Former Air Force intelligence analyst Stephanie Moseley became a Marco’s Pizza franchisee. And yes, those jobs do have something in common.

Finding Investors FIRST, GET INVESTORS— THEN, MAKE THE PRODUCT?

When she set out to launch the new paint brand Clare, Nicole Gibbons was told to build first and raise money later. But to really create the startup she wanted, she’d have to go in reverse.

Customer Service STOP DOING WHAT PEOPLE HATE

That’s the philosophy Jesse Cole used to build the Savannah Bananas, an unusually popular (and weird) baseball team. And it can work for any business.

Brand Name SAME WORD, NEW OPPORTUNITY

It’s easy to fear changes to your brand. It’s harder (but more fulfilling!) to embrace them. That’s why Edible Arrangements finally embraced a new definition of edibles.

Better Business, Better Business World

Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake is one of just a few female “unicorn” founders. And she has learned to embrace that power.

When?

When do you launch? / When do you act? / When do you change? It just might be the most important question an entrepreneur ever answers.

Mom Knows Best

When entrepreneurs really listen to their customers, their businesses can transform. That’s what Michelle Kennedy learned when building Peanut, a social networking app that set out to help moms make other mom friends…but has become about so much more.

Don't be a brand. Be a voice.

Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross spent 10 years getting a hair care company off the ground.One thing is clear:The message matters as much as the product.

Can The Black Market Be Stopped?

The biggest threat to marijuana startups isn’t coming from the legal competition. It’s coming from the illegal market, which thrives even in states that have legalized weed. To extinguish the threat, licensed dealers might have to work together.

The Pitchman's New Pitch

Celebrity salesman Anthony Sullivan, known for his OxiClean commercials, bought a hemp farm and launched a CBD brand. Why? Because to succeed, he says, you must be authentic.

Need to Make a Decision? Ask the Machine

Artificial intelligence can now guide employees’ actions at work. But don’t take it too seriously…yet.

Could You Use an Apprentice?

The old plumber and electrician trainee model has been reimagined for the new world—and could be exactly what a bootstrapped, growing startup needs.