CATEGORIES

From Football Star To Franchisee

After retiring from the NFL, Jason Avant set out to build a new career in franchising that would bring him (and his customers) plenty of joy.

My Instant Hit Was A Total Failure

I had a great product. An immediate financial winner. But you know that gut feeling? Here’s what I found out. (Trust me, it was painful.)

What VCs Want

Kirsten Green, the founder and managing partner of Forerunner Ventures— whose portfolio includes Glossier, Hims, and Away—details what makes her want to invest in a brand, today’s biggest opportunities, and how the tech world is about so much more than technology.

Fight For Your Vision

Melissa Butler knew her line of brightly colored lipsticks would be a hit—so when the beauty industry ignored and even rejected her, she kept moving forward.

Serving Double Duty

Kiesha Haggerty splits her time between life as an Oakland cop and as a Subway franchisee—but she’s found the two worlds to be surprisingly complementary.

Learning To Fail

What can adult founders learn from fearless teenagers? Plenty.

Whom Do I Hire First?

I’m starting to hire, and, frankly, I need more help than I can afford. How do I prioritize what roles need to be filled?

No Meetings? No Late Nights? No Work Insanity?

What if working long hours, living on Slack, and growing as fast as possible isn’t the best way to run a business? The founders of Basecamp are pretty sure they have the answer.

Michelle Pfeiffer: "Follow Your Own Rules"

Michelle Pfeiffer wanted the fragrance industry to change its ways. The fragrance industry said no. That’s when she discovered what it really means to be an entrepreneur: If you want something done, you do it yourself.

Jon Taffer

THE HOSPITALITY LEGEND AND BRASH, IMPOSING STAR OF THE HIT SHOW

From Owner To Employee

Rik Nonelle founded Window Genie, grew it for 22 years, and then sold it—but stayed on as president. He says that’s made everyone better.

Danica

You don’t have to be a racing fan to know her name. But now that she’s retired, she’s facing the same question that puzzles every entrepreneur: How do you leave something you’re great at and start over?

How Do You Deliver Bad News?

Entrepreneurship comes with plenty of highs—and lows. Business owners have to not only absorb the problem but tell everyone else, too. We asked six leaders: How did you handle sharing the hardest news of your career?

Fill In the Blank: My Company Does

It’s not as easy as it sounds. And you need to get it right.

Leadership With A Twist

What happens when a company outgrows its founders? Painting with a Twist is in the process of finding out. The women who launched the business, which popularized the paint-and-sip concept (wine + paint = fun!), no longer felt they could lead it. So they set out to find someone who could.

Leaving Corporate Life

Lisa Locker built a high-powered corporate career. But when she ditched the suits and became a CycleBar franchisee, she found a whole new challenge.

The Reinvention Of Minted

Mariam Naficy had a vision for her company, Minted, the artists’ platform and marketplace. But the business took on a life of its own, leading to unforeseen challenges—and profit.

The Girl Scouts' Woman

Sylvia Acevedo is a former entrepreneur and NASA rocket scientist. Now, as CEO of the Girl Scouts, the lifelong member wants every girl to know how to access—and create—opportunity.

The $20,000 Motivation

The Splurge is our monthly column about entrepreneurs’ first big gift to themselves—because hard work deserves its rewards. This month: a watch that tells more than time.

The Future Of Fitness Will Be Franchised

Only one in five Americans belongs to a gym. But with aggressive expansion strategies and low membership costs, clubs like Planet Fitness, Crunch, and Anytime Fitness think they can double (or even triple) that, and franchisees are lining up to get in on the action.

Match Maker

A recruiting-firm founder knows a new job can change everything—even for her franchisees.

Go Where The Buyers Are

Roshini Raj, M.D., cofounder

A Better Popcorn Bucket

An obsessive moviegoer upgrades a theater’s favorite food.

The Bar Bet That Paid Off

THAT PAID OFF Ten years of perseverance takes a self-serve beer company to success.

Front-Load Your Week

How working more on Monday and less on Friday allowed SONNY CABERWAL, head of digital business development at Newell Brands, to focus more on his family.

Steady As She Goes

TYLER HANEY knew how to pace herself on the running track. But as she’s learning with her hit athleisure brand, Outdoor Voices, pacing a business is just as important—and a lot trickier.

The American Dream Is Alive In Vegas

A refugee comes to the U.S., builds a drive-in burger mini-empire.

The Art Of The Hustle

I started my company with a business card.

Fighting The Amazon Fraudsters

How can sellers keep it real, when they’re surrounded by fake reviews and counterfeits?

The Company Car Is About to Change

It might steer itself. It might fly. It might, well, not be a thing you own anymore. But if the experts are right, one prediction will definitely hold true: The future of fleets is awesome.