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Forbes
3 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Design A Workspace That Inspires Creativity And Innovation
Whether your workspace is located in an office building or within your own home, the way you design it can have a direct impact on your everyday performance. From adding personal effects or curated art to investing in higher-quality furniture, even small, simple changes can enhance comfort, promote productivity and boost your morale. Humanizing your office space and making it truly your own not only makes it a more comfortable, welcoming place to work, but may also fuel your creative and innovative instincts. Below, members of Forbes Business Council share their best tips for shaping a space that's truly inspirational rather than simply utilitarian. 1. Include Reminders Of Your 'Why' I fill my space with reminders of my 'why.' These can be flower Legos my kiddo builds for me, photos that spark joy and images that make me feel light, energized and inspired. Other leaders should surround themselves with what connects them to purpose and play. When your space reflects you, creativity naturally follows. - Casey Halbach, Intentional Talent Solutions 2. Incorporate Personal And Professional Growth Reminders Keep reminders of your personal and professional growth present at all times. If you make a tangible product, keep your earliest prototype and every iteration in between. Organize them in a timeline style to show how far your company has come. If you have a personal office, keep little reminders of your earliest wins and the steps you've taken along the way. - Ryan McFarland, Strider Bikes Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? 3. Reflect Your Energy And Vision My workspace reflects my energy and vision. I keep it clean, intentional and full of purpose with quotes that ground me, music that lifts me and tools that help me think big. Leaders should design a space that reminds them daily that they're here to build, lead and drive impact. Your environment fuels or drains your potential. - Eduardo Fuenmayor, Tensik Industries 4. Choose A Space That Reflects Your Current Work I switch up my workspace depending on what I'm working on. If I need to think deeply, I move somewhere quiet with no screens. If I'm focused on the team or hiring stuff, I'll work where conversations happen more naturally. I've found that matching the space to the type of work makes a big difference. It clears my head and helps ideas land quicker. - Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures 5. Show What's Possible We keep our workspace visual by having whiteboards filled with ideas, quotes and income stream maps. Seeing the vision daily fuels creative momentum. Other leaders can design a space that reflects their mission. If your environment shows what's possible, your team also will believe it. - Michael Lanctot, YoungNRetired 6. Invest In A Comfortable Chair And A Fast Laptop I learned early in my career that focused creativity requires two main things: a seat so comfortable that you forget about it and a computer that operates at the speed of you. Good chairs and fast computers are something every company should invest in for its leaders. Together, these two critical basics can make every distraction fade into the background while you do your best work. - Cameron Deemer, DrFirst 7. Position Your Desk Toward A Window I position my desk to face away from digital screens and toward a window with natural light and changing views. This setup forces regular visual breaks that allow my brain to 'flow' while processing complex problems. As all teams in my companies work remotely, I advise my colleagues to do the same. - Nikola Minkov, Serpact 8. Think About Comfort Always design a space that feels warm, luxurious or homelike, because comfort sparks confidence and creativity. Natural light, elegant details and calming tones inspire both clients and staff. Leaders should create environments that reflect their brand energy and make people feel safe to express themselves and innovate. - Roxana Diaconu, ROXANA AESTHETICS CLINIC 9. Tap Into Your Personal Feng Shui I tap into my personal Feng Shui to orient my desk toward my most supportive direction and balance energies on each side—for example, left (dragon) for motion and right (tiger) for calm. I incorporate elements like wood, metal and water to enhance clarity and flow. Leaders can spark creativity by aligning their workspace with their energy and using the five elements for harmony. - Irina Logman, Advanced Holistic Center 10. Incorporate Natural Elements There's something about natural elements. Whether it's watching leaves move in the breeze or simply having living greenery nearby, nature always seems to unlock different thinking patterns for me. The quiet presence of nature offers a counterbalance to digital intensity. - Laurent Valosek, Peak Leadership Institute 11. Gather Emotional And Sensory-Rich Objects I surround my workspace with objects rich in emotional and sensory meaning, like vintage perfume bottles, burning incense and fresh flowers. They serve as quiet muses. For other leaders, I recommend curating a space that tells your story. When your environment reflects your soul, creativity flows naturally. - Sudhir Gupta, The Facticerie 12. Hang Representative Art I use art that represents who I am or who I think I might be to inspire me to stay creative. I have dozens of framed pieces that are visible on video calls. They also make for great icebreakers with new colleagues and clients looking in. - James Felton Keith, InclusionScore 13. Don't Be Afraid To Go Bold Ditch the beige. My space is filled with bold female visuals from around the world, turquoise wallpaper, evergreen drapes and a Spanish silver armoire. Creativity doesn't live in clutter or cubicles—it lives in spaces that feel like possibility. Design for energy, and build for vision. Make your space reflect the future you're building, not the job you left. Never apologize for having taste or courage. - Aleesha Webb, Pioneer Bank 14. Make Room For A Personal Passion My home office doubles as a music studio with keyboards, guitars and electronic drums. When I need a reset, diving into a quick jam session helps immeasurably! In particular, the drums are a great way to mentally shift gears. A workspace that includes a personal passion—be it music, art or something else tactile—can create a powerful outlet for creative thinking and emotional clarity. - Luke Lombe, Faculty Group 15. Designate Distinct Areas For Specific Functions Design your workspace with distinct areas for focus, collaboration and recharging. A creativity zone—with whiteboards, flexible seating and natural light—encourages brainstorming and fresh thinking. Leaders can replicate this by integrating inspiring visuals and adaptable setups to support different workflows and boost innovation. - Rohan Sharma, 16. Remove Distractions Clear your space of distractions first, removing clutter and phones. Then, guard your time. Block creative sessions on your calendar, set a timer and stick to it. Creativity isn't just about space; it's about focus. Leaders can foster this by modeling discipline and making room for deep thinking. - Jon Osterburg, Jitasa 17. Keep It Clean Include elements that stimulate focus and imagination, like a clutter-free, organized space with plenty of natural light. When the space is clean, disinfected and well-organized, it helps clear mental distractions, making it easier for employees to focus and think creatively. A clean environment sets the tone for fresh ideas, sharper problem-solving and more inspired work. - Adam Povlitz, Anago Cleaning Systems 18. Tidy Up At The End Of The Day Overwhelm is the enemy of action. When your workspace is a mess, it's impossible to think clearly or creatively. By tidying up your desk at the end of the day, you ensure you're set up for success the next morning while mitigating overwhelm. - Erin Stafford, Stafford Company 19. Spark Your Curiosity And Bold Thinking I surround my workspace with books, art and objects that reflect curiosity and bold thinking. This keeps my mind engaged and open to new ideas. Leaders can create similar spaces by blending personal inspiration with tools for focus. Think open layouts, creative prompts and areas that encourage reflection and collaboration. - Asaad Hakeem, SARC MedIQ Inc. 20. Reflect Your Unique Goals And Mindset I believe it's not the space that inspires the person, but the person who inspires the space. I keep my workspace simple, clean and filled with purpose. It's not about design; it's about focus and energy. Leaders can do the same by creating a space that reflects their goals and mindset, as that's where true creativity begins. - Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Brace Your Business For A Possible Recession: Expert Tips
Business leaders keep a weather eye both on their own organization's financial state and ever-evolving (often uncertain) global market conditions. When warning signs of a recession pop up, leaders must look for ways to shore up both their current and future positions. From building cash reserves to doubling down on customer loyalty and operational efficiency, the smartest leaders don't wait to react; they build resilience ahead of potential financial challenges. The moves leaders make in the earliest days when recession threatens can position their businesses to gain ground while others pull back. To help leaders prepare, Forbes Business Council members share proven approaches to recession-proofing a business and discuss why they work. Following the JIT (just-in-time) approach, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we scaled, our salaries grew and our operations thrived. Why? Because we didn't plan—we executed. Resilience comes from timely action, strategic agility and launching only what the moment demands. Be prepared to lead through the recession. - Ahsan Khaliq, Saad Ahsan - Residency and Citizenship In uncertain times, reducing staff may seem like a quick fix—but it can cost you more in the long run. Retaining skilled employees keeps your business agile and ready to grow when the market rebounds. Look at other cost-saving measures first. - Amy Friedrich, Principal Financial Group Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? To recession-proof your business, simplify decision-making. In high-stakes moments, we keep it simple and focus on ruthless prioritization—what to scale, what to stop and what to shift. That clarity gives teams speed, which is the real edge when everything around you gets uncertain. - Kamanasish (KK) Kundu, Kendra Scott Build strong cash reserves, reduce debt and diversify income streams. For rental businesses, maintain a mix of property types and revenue sources. Leverage technology to optimize operations and strengthen tenant retention through proactive communication, prompt maintenance, value-added services and flexible leasing options that adapt to changing market conditions. - Ryan Barone, RentRedi Economists project rising recession risks in the coming years. To prepare, we're making strategic capital investments now—especially in essentials likely to increase in cost. Locking in value today helps hedge against inflation, improve efficiency and strengthen operations, putting us in a stronger position to navigate downturns and remain competitive in a shifting economy. - Daniel Gizzi, Aircraft Executives Diversification reduces dependency on a single customer segment or product line, cushioning a business against sudden demand drops in any one area. This strategic flexibility not only helps sustain cash flow during downturns, but also positions the company to capitalize on shifts in consumer behavior that often emerge in recessionary times. - Andrea Eboli, EDR Consulting Throughout my 30 years of owning a company, I have always operated under two assumptions. First, when the 'going is good,' keep cash on hand for a rainy day. Don't overextend or be too bullish on growth. Second, debt must work for you, but overleveraging during strong years can be your downfall when times change—and they will always change. - Neil Cadman, Cadman Group Companies that survive and thrive in a recession are the ones that deepen their relevance with customers. Focus on retaining and growing value with existing high-value customers rather than chasing new ones at the margin. This approach does more than protect short-term sales; it creates a cycle of trust, preference and advocacy that can drive organic growth even when broader demand contracts. - Alan Brew, BrandingBusiness Amid rising recession fears, leaders can recession-proof a business by aggressively optimizing cash flow and liquidity. Implement stringent cost controls, manage receivables and secure credit lines. Such financial fortification provides the resilience needed to cover essential expenses, seize opportunities and outlast a downturn. - Jay Patel, OSI Systems Maintain operational continuity and retain staffing as much as possible. By safeguarding the employment of essential workers—like Latinos, who comprise nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce—companies can better adapt to changing market conditions, further operational stability and continuity, and better position themselves to be prepared to capitalize on opportunities when the economy recovers. - Ana Valdez, Latino Donor Collaborative Audit your GTM stack. If your CAC-to-LTV ratio only makes sense in bull markets, you're sitting on a sandcastle. Kill underperforming channels. Double down on earned media, community and referral pipelines. Recession exposes false efficiency. It also rewards companies that built trust before they needed it. - Ran Ronen, Equally AI Lock in multiyear contracts now—even if it means offering strategic discounts. Securing long-term commitments stabilizes cash flow, deepens customer relationships and shields your business from market volatility. In a downturn, predictable revenue doesn't just provide protection—it's the difference between playing to survive and playing to win. - Ahva Sadeghi, Symba Focus on strengthening your core offerings—the products or services that drive the most value. Streamline operations and cut nonessential expenses without sacrificing quality. This keeps your business lean and focused, helping you weather slowdowns, protect cash flow and stay ready to grow when the market rebounds. - Saheer Nelliparamban, ZilMoney In uncertain times, don't just cut costs—cut noise. Eliminate products, processes or marketing efforts that drain resources but don't drive real results. This forces clarity on what actually sustains the business. By tightening focus on high-impact activities, you build resilience and agility—two things that thrive in any economy. - Kristina Fitzpatrick, Paper & Flowers Build a balance sheet safety net larger than regulators require, and make it public. When clients see reserves running at 150% of liabilities, they stay put rather than rush for the exits. Meanwhile, vendors offer better terms, and regulators view the firm as a partner, not a problem. In a contraction, that unused buffer can finance strategic hires or bargain-priced acquisitions instead of layoffs. - Alvin Kan, Bitget Wallet Know your numbers like your life depends on it—because your business does. Cash flow isn't just a metric; it's your oxygen. In a downturn, speed matters. Leaders who track expenses weekly, forecast monthly and cut early win. Don't wait for a recession to get disciplined. Build muscle now so you can pivot fast and protect what matters most. Resilience isn't reactive—it's built on rhythm. - Aleesha Webb, Pioneer Bank In a downturn, margins matter more than growth. Cut what's optional, and double down on what's irreplaceable. If your product is the first thing customers cancel, it was never a business; it was a luxury. - Yves Remmler, Endeavor Elements, Inc. Cut the fat, feed the muscle. In uncertain times, don't hoard cash—reallocate it. Invest in what drives revenue and retention. Fire vanity projects and double down on core values. Recessions don't kill businesses—confusion does. Clarity, speed and focus turn downturns into power plays. - Igor Kucherenko, Pateplay One powerful way to recession-proof a company is to invest in operational efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and outsourcing noncore functions. This helps reduce overhead, preserve cash flow and maintain flexibility, allowing businesses to weather downturns while staying focused on growth opportunities. - Pranav Dalal, Office Beacon Double down on retention, overdeliver for your best clients and make your brand unforgettable. In uncertain times, people cut the extras—but they keep what feels essential. If your value is crystal-clear and deeply felt, you won't just survive—you'll become recession-resistant. - Dr. Christina Carter, Her Practice®
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How SaaS Companies Can Reduce AI Model Bias
As businesses realize the high value of artificial intelligence in improving operations, understanding customers, setting and meeting strategic goals, and more, embedding AI into their products is moving from a 'nice to have' feature to a competitive necessity for software as a service companies. However, it's essential to tread carefully; SaaS companies must be aware of the risk that both implicit and explicit bias can be introduced into their products and services through AI. Below, members of Forbes Business Council share strategies to help better detect and minimize bias in AI tools. Read on to learn how SaaS companies can ensure fairness and inclusivity within their products and services—and protect their customers and brand reputation. To build AI tools that people trust, businesses must embed ethical AI principles into the core of product development. That starts with taking responsibility for training data. Many AI products rely on open, Web-scraped content, which may contain inaccurate, unverified or biased information. Companies can reduce exposure to this risk by using closed, curated content stored in vector databases. - Peter Beven, iEC Professional Pty Ltd It is impossible to make AI unbiased, as humans are biased in the way we feed it with data. AI only sees patterns in our choices, whether they are commonly frowned upon patterns, like race and location, or not-so-obvious patterns, like request time and habits. Like humans, different AI models may come to different conclusions depending on their training. SaaS companies should test AI models with their preferred datasets. - Ozan Bilgen, Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? You can't spot bias if your test users all look and think the same. Diverse testers help catch real harms, but trying to scrub every point of view just creates new blind spots. GenAI's power is in producing unexpected insights, not sanitized outputs. Inclusivity comes from broadening inputs, not narrowing outcomes. - Jeff Berkowitz, Delve Evaluations are key. SaaS businesses cannot afford expensive teams to validate every change when change is happening at a breakneck speed. Just like QA in software engineering has become key, every business must implement publicly available evaluations to validate bias. This is the most thorough and cost-effective solution out there. - Shivam Shorewala, Rimble Using third-party AI tools for independent audits is key to spotting and correcting bias. This approach helps SaaS companies stay competitive and maintain strong client trust by ensuring fairness, transparency and accountability in their AI-driven services. - Roman Gagloev, PROPAMPAI, INC. SaaS companies need to extend prelaunch audits with real-time bias monitoring to monitor live interactions. For example, one fintech customer reduced approval gaps by 40% by allowing users to flag biases within the app, dynamically retraining models. Ethical AI requires continuous learning and fairness built up through user collaboration, not solely code. - Adnan Ghaffar, LLC SaaS companies can reduce bias by diversifying their training data and using interdisciplinary teams when developing an AI model. They should also implement routine audits to verify that algorithms are fair and transparent, ensuring their AI is inclusive and equitable. This is essential to mitigate alienating customers and damaging brand equity, as biased AI systems lead to inequity. - Maneesh Sharma, LambdaTest Bias starts with who's at the table. If your team doesn't reflect the people you're building for, neither will your model. Audit your data before you code. Fairness isn't a feature you add later, but one that should be baked into the build. If you get that wrong, the harm done is on you. Inclusivity is a strategy, not charity. If your strategy's biased, so is your bottom line. - Aleesha Webb, Pioneer Bank We embed fairness audits at each stage of model development—data curation, training and output testing—using diverse datasets and human-in-the-loop validation. For SaaS, where scale meets intimacy, unchecked bias can harm thousands invisibly. Building trust starts with building responsibly. - Manoj Balraj, Experion Technologies In the age of social media, the best way to minimize bias is to let the users tell you about it. Collecting user-generated opinions through testing, MVPs and feedback forms is the best way to ensure your product is free from developer or even marketer biases. Just make sure you have a good number of users to test your AI product. - Zaheer Dodhia, One powerful way SaaS companies can tackle bias in AI models is by rigorously testing them against open-source and indigenous datasets curated specifically to spotlight underrepresented groups. These datasets act like a mirror, reflecting how inclusive or exclusive your AI really is. By stepping outside the echo chamber of standard data, companies gain a reality check. - Khurram Akhtar, Programmers Force Most teams focus on fixing bias at the data level, but the real signs often surface through day-to-day product use. I tell SaaS companies to loop in support and success teams early. They're closest to the users and usually flag issues first. Their feedback should feed directly into model reviews to catch blind spots that don't show up in training data. - Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures SaaS companies should simulate edge-case users, including small sellers, niche markets, nonnative speakers and more, to test how AI performs for them. Real inclusivity means optimizing for the exceptions, not just the averages. If your product works for those on the edges, it'll work for everyone. - Lior Pozin, AutoDS Integrate diverse voices at every stage, from design and data to deployment. Uncovering bias begins with owning our blind spots, so use honesty as a guide. Inclusive AI isn't just ethical—it's also essential for relevance, reach and trust in today's diverse world. - Paige Williams, AudPop SaaS companies should establish a continuous feedback loop with external experts, such as ethicists and sociologists, to review AI model outcomes. These experts can identify unintended consequences that technical teams might miss, ensuring the AI model serves all communities fairly. This proactive approach helps avoid costly mistakes, improves user satisfaction and strengthens long-term brand credibility. - Michael Shribman, APS Global Partners Inc. Treat bias like a security bug by documenting it, learning from it and making spotting it everyone's job rather than just the AI team's responsibility. Build bias reports into internal processes and reward early detection. Building operational systems around bias detection keeps products fair, inclusive and trusted. - Ahva Sadeghi, Symba What finally shifted things for us was bringing real users from underserved communities into our QA process. We stopped pretending to know what fairness looks like for everyone. It turns out, when you ask the people most likely to be excluded, they'll tell you exactly how to fix it. - Ran Ronen, Equally AI One way SaaS companies can detect and minimize bias in their AI models is by conducting equity-focused impact assessments. These assessments can evaluate whether the model produces better, worse or neutral outcomes for each user group. This is important, because equity ensures that users from different backgrounds receive fair and appropriate outcomes, promoting true inclusivity and preventing systemic disadvantage. - Ahsan Khaliq, Saad Ahsan - Residency and Citizenship One way SaaS companies can better detect and minimize bias in their AI models is by actively inputting their own unique ideas and diverse perspectives into the system. In this way, the AI can be guided to develop solutions that reflect true inclusivity, ensuring that the outcomes are fair and representative of a wide range of users. - Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o SaaS companies must shift from a 'software as a service' mindset to a 'service as software' mindset to recognize AI as a dynamic, evolving system. This mindset encourages continuous bias audits, inclusive datasets and real-world feedback loops, which are essential for fairness, trust and long-term relevance in diverse markets. - Kushal Chordia, VaaS - Visibility as a Service
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Leverage Personal Branding To Accelerate Business Growth
In recent years, social media platforms have become a key way for entrepreneurs to build a personal brand. While these brands are essential for grabbing the attention of target audiences and gaining access to new opportunities, they can also be leveraged to take a business to the next level. Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members discuss how entrepreneurs can leverage their personal branding to accelerate company growth across every channel. Read on to learn more about specific ways to take full advantage of a well-defined personal brand. Entrepreneurs grow faster when their personal brand aligns with their mission. People follow purpose, not titles, so start by defining your 'why.' When you lead with clarity, values and authenticity, you don't just expand reach—you also inspire trust, attract talent and build a movement. - Paula Ferrada, Inova Healthcare System Leaders often make their personal brand all about their company's success, but when things get messy, their image crumbles. Ground your brand in the problem you care to solve, as values that outlast market cycles feel a lot more authentic and trustworthy. - Rytis Lauris, Omnisend Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? Personal branding is a strategic asset. When founders show up with clarity and credibility, it accelerates trust across customers, investors and partners. One effective step is leveraging platforms like Intro or Minnect to offer direct access. Thoughtful visibility builds authority, which in turn drives measurable growth across all channels. - Khusniddin Muradov, Comston Technologies Whether it's a personal brand or the brand of a business, the best way to leverage it is to market it. A brand only lives in the hearts and minds of others. A valuable brand is one that enhances the meaning of what you do, eliminates or reduces hassles or problems, or provides a product or service that meets a specific need. If it doesn't do these things, then rethink the promise your brand is making. - Tom Daly, The Transformation Guild Pick one platform for exposure, one for nurturing and one for conversions. The target audience will be different on each platform, as people use platforms with different intentions. For example, we use TikTok for exposure, YouTube for nurturing and Instagram for conversions on socials. TikTok is the best platform for testing creative angles or ideas, whereas Instagram content should be more refined and polished. - Willow Kai, Becca Luna Education Showing real wins, challenges and lessons humanizes your brand and builds trust, while also attracting clients, talent and partners. I don't just talk business; I share wins, struggles and lessons honestly. Consistently share authentic stories and insights on the channels where your target customers spend time, especially LinkedIn and Instagram. - Sahil Gandhi, Blushush Entrepreneurs can leverage personal branding to accelerate growth by showing the human side of their business. People invest in people, and when potential customers connect with the individuals behind the company, it fosters trust and relatability. One key step is sharing authentic insights and values across various social media platforms, as it helps build stronger connections and drives growth. - Ryan Whitefield, Revilo Property Group A personal brand is the most available growth engine, so use it! People don't follow companies, but they do follow individuals with bold ideas and the courage to build. Your entrepreneurial story, values and vision can be a magnet across investors, customers and talent channels. Post, speak, tweet and build in public. The more real you are, the more trust you earn. In today's world, trust scales faster than capital. - Victor Tay, Global Catalyst Advisory Personal branding builds trust, which then drives growth. I recommend entrepreneurs consistently share authentic insights on platforms like LinkedIn. Doing this positions you as an industry leader, attracting customers, partners and talent. It's not just about visibility; it's about creating meaningful connections that propel your business forward. - Dustin Lemick, BriteCo Make yourself the algorithm by sharing sharp, opinionated content that earns attention and then directing it toward your business. One step to take is turning weekly founder insights into bite-sized posts across platforms. People buy from people, so build the brand they'll trust first—you. - Sam Nelson, Downstreet Digital People buy into people—it's human nature. If you're trying to go from zero to one, bringing in a personal touch is necessary to building a stronger relationship with your customers. Founder-led brands can transition into huge corporate entities at a later date, but initially utilizing your personal edge to become someone who is believed and followed is a superpower. - Jake Lee, Magnet Entrepreneurs can leverage personal branding by aligning their values, perspective and vision with their company's culture and marketing strategies. One step they can take is clearly defining and communicating their personal brand to ensure consistency across all touchpoints, from leadership to customer interactions. This will create a more authentic and engaging experience. - Sara Khaki, Atlanta Divorce Law Group Walk the talk! Representing trust, ethics and strong passion in everything one does helps clients associate those values with your business. For entrepreneurs, a personal brand is closely tied to the business brand. Ensuring that these values are consistently communicated across all channels is essential, both personally and professionally. - Meenal Aggarwal, Groots Valuation LLC I've built my personal brand on authenticity and keeping it real. I share my wins but also talk about the challenges, setbacks and low moments. I believe in sharing the full journey, including the good, the tough and everything in between. I've created genuine connections with my audience by being transparent. They see the human behind the brand, and that builds trust in me and my company. - Deepali Jamwal, Live2Dance LLC Show up consistently where your customers and clients are, whether that's on social platforms or blogs or in communities or forums. Choosing the right channel is the key to exposure and growth. Align your personal presence with business values so that when you write a post, make a comment or wear a branded T-shirt at events, your voice and story clearly reflect your brand identity. - Michael Podolsky, Establishing a regular video presence on social platforms, such as Instagram Reels, TikTok and LinkedIn, serves as a powerful strategy. Quickly gather followers and guide them to your business with brief authentic videos that demonstrate your professional skills or day-to-day business activities. - Tammy Sons, Tn Nursery Create authentic thought leadership that resonates with all stakeholders' values. Share expertise through strategic content that addresses their specific pain points. One vital step is to create a consistent stakeholder engagement calendar that aligns personal brand messaging with your company's core purpose across all channels. - Kent Gregoire, Symphony Advantage People love a good story. As an entrepreneur, your journey is unique. The first step is sharing why you started, what drives you and the lessons you've learned. When it's personal, your audience connects more deeply and gets behind you and your business. It's all about building trust and creating authentic connections. - Samuel Darwin, Sparkle The key to building a durable personal brand is to stop chasing visibility and start documenting impact. It's not about hype or platitudes. Identify what's working, for whom and why it matters to your customers and to the world. The point isn't to impress LinkedIn's noisiest circles, but to build credibility with the people who matter, like your customers, team and market. Trust compounds, and so does growth. - Gabe Gladstein, Indigo Research One thing that works is showing up with honesty and consistency. When entrepreneurs share real stories, lessons and values, people connect. That trust then carries over to the brand. Start by picking one channel, like LinkedIn, and speaking from experience. People don't follow products—they follow people they believe in. - Somdutta Singh, Assiduus
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
20 Tools To Stay Organized And Prevent Leadership Burnout
getty Business leaders today bear a rewarding but heavy burden. As the business landscape has grown progressively more unpredictable in recent years, the stress and pressure that come with running a successful business have also increased. While stress has always been part of the role, these growing challenges are not only resulting in disorganization, but also significant leadership burnout. To help, 20 Forbes Business Council members each share one tool or habit they recommend leaders adopt to stay organized and prevent burnout as a leader. I use a simple weekly priorities list. Each Monday, I write down the three to five things that matter most. Doing this helps me cut through the noise, stay focused on impact and avoid the burnout that comes with chasing every fire. I'd recommend it to any leader, as it's low-tech, provides a high level of clarity and keeps you anchored to what really matters. - Stephen Sokoler, Journey I rely on Notion to stay organized and avoid burnout. It helps me centralize tasks, goals and reflections in one space. I use Notion to journal weekly wins, delegate effectively and track priorities. It brings clarity and control, which are both essential for any leader navigating chaos. - Swami Kakarla, Signitives IT Solutions Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? I use a notebook split into two. The left side is a journal for daily insights and reflections, while the right side holds my to-do list. This helps me turn observations into creative solutions. Creating a daily to-do list helps with stress because I believe stress comes from an inability to effectively manage your to-do list. - Soon Hagerty, The Good Bowl I use time-blocking in a digital calendar, dedicating strict slots for tasks, emails and breaks. This forces focus, reduces multitasking and protects personal time. It's simple, but it stops work from spilling into nights and weekends, which is a lifesaver for high-pressure roles. - Hannah Ma, Globevisa Group I've gotten pretty attached to Asana as a task list and to-do manager. It's very customizable, enabling prioritization, categorization and tracking. It's also possible to tag team members and get updates all in one place. It can do much more, but that simple view of what's due today, what's coming up and where a task stands helps manage my anxiety. - Rob Davis, NOVUS Each week, our entire team updates a two-week priority document that outlines what matters most across each person's core workstreams, sorted by client. It brings clarity, alignment and focus, helping us stay proactive instead of reactive. It also helps prevent burnout—not by doing less, but by making sure we're all spending time in coordinated and transparent ways. - Julia Rafal-Baer, ILO Group I rely on Jira to keep projects, priorities and team progress crystal clear. It breaks big goals into trackable tasks, which helps me stay organized and avoid feeling overwhelmed. When everything's visible and assigned, it's easier to focus, delegate smartly and keep burnout at bay. - Sabeer Nelliparamban, Tyler Petroleum Inc. I make voice memos for myself. Throughout the day, I capture raw thoughts, reflections or ideas without filtering them. Then, I review and sort them at night. It's like having a conversation with my future self. It keeps my mind decluttered and helps me catch burnout before it sneaks in. Try it—it's clarity on demand. - Arpit Jain, SEO Sets I use Fellow to stay organized and avoid burnout, as it keeps all my meetings, notes and follow-ups in one place. It helps me lead with clarity and focus, and I'd recommend it to any leader looking to stay on top of things without feeling overwhelmed. - Eran Mizrahi, Source86 I keep a physical whiteboard visible from my desk, but it's not for tasks. I use it to map priorities by impact and energy cost, and it grounds me when digital tools become noisy. Seeing the big picture in my own handwriting adds clarity and reduces cognitive clutter. I recommend it because, sometimes, the best way to manage complexity is to step away from the screen. - Antony Goddard, OKKAMI I use Freedom to block apps that hijack my focus. It creates an intentional space to think, build and lead without dopamine traps. The ability to not be available is a leadership advantage most ignore. If you protect your attention, you protect your energy. I recommend it to other leaders because protecting your attention is the fastest way to protect your sanity today. - Sahil Gandhi, Blushush I schedule regular walk-and-talks with my key team members. It's one of the most effective habits I've built as a leader. These informal conversations create space for honest dialogue, build trust and help me stay connected to what's really happening on the ground. Plus, stepping away from a desk often brings fresh perspective and better ideas. - Kent Ingle, Southeastern University I honestly rely on my on-demand TV apps. I love getting hooked on a great show and having something to look forward to that is not related to work and family. The apps force discipline in my work and naturally make me set aside time for fun. - Arar Han, Sabot Family Companies Personal well-being, including both physical and mental health, is vital to enduring the pruning process of entrepreneurship. I utilize MyFitnessPal to track my eating and walking metrics throughout overlapping high-stress weeks. I am able to look at what foods were lacking or sustaining through those days. Focusing on my health has readied me for those challenging moments. Health is wealth and worth caring for. - Paul L. Gunn, Jr., KUOG Corporation My Peloton is nonnegotiable. It's not just a workout—it's how I clear my head, sharpen my focus and get ahead of the day before it begins. Leadership demands clarity under pressure, and my bike gives me that. Before I touch my calendar, I break a sweat. It's discipline, therapy and strategy all rolled into one. - Jeffrey Herzog, Avenue Z I use a personal red flag tracker to catch the early signs of burnout, such as skipping workouts or checking Slack nonstop. These small changes in habit signal that I'm off-balance, so I reset fast when a few stack up. As a leader, you can't always slow down, so spotting the drift early keeps you sharp and prevents bigger issues. - Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures Running offers a powerful way to prevent burnout through both physical and mental rejuvenation. Regular running creates critical mental space by disconnecting you from digital distractions, allowing your mind to process challenges subconsciously. The meditative quality of running promotes mindfulness as you focus on breathing and movement, sparking creative solutions. - Jay Mehta, Seldon Capital In my experience leading cross-functional teams, using AI for meeting notes and task scheduling has been a major help. It frees up mental space, keeps priorities clear and prevents overwhelm. I recommend it to any leader who wants to stay focused on strategy instead of getting lost in day-to-day work. - Andrew Lopez, 1000 Media The Superhuman email client has completely changed the way I approach email. It sorts through the clutter better than any other client I've used before, getting me to inbox zero in record time. I also love that the founder pushes weekly updates to the product, so it's constantly getting better. - Larry Bomback, Strategic Nonprofit Finance I track sleep, not tasks. After nearly derailing during a major deal after weeks of nights with four hours of sleep, I realized my to-do lists were pointless if my brain was running on fumes. My sleep app is now my most crucial dashboard. When my sleep debt rises, I delegate or reschedule. I'm a better leader and developer of talent since prioritizing recovery over productivity. - Shayne Fitz-Coy, Sabot Family Companies
