Small Business Tips Archives -

Soledad O’Brien: Leading During a Pandemic 0 (0)

Documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien shares her philosophy for leading in times of crisis. Soledad O’Brien’s mantra for leading her company through the Covid-19 crisis comes down to three words: communication, communication, communication. Fine, that’s one word repeated three times, but that’s how important she thinks it is. “We reiterate what we believe as an organization so that everyone is very clear,” she explains. “We tell everyone that we are going to try to keep everyone employed; that we are not going to shift away from the things we believe are high-quality; that we are going to make sure that [See More…]

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Soledad O’Brien: Get the Most Out of Your Team 0 (0)

Being a great boss means leaving your ego at the door, says documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien. When you’re the boss and writing people’s paychecks, it’s easy to fall into a trap of surrounding yourself with “yes” people. That’s not a good thing, says Soledad O’Brien. “I really had to encourage everyone to give honest feedback and that’s as simple as saying, ‘You have to have ideas, you have to speak in this meeting.’” Explaining her leadership style, Soledad breaks down what she tells her team: “My idea is not the idea. Criticize it, make it better!” This philosophy has [See More…]

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Chef Carla Hall: Be Prepared For Anything 0 (0)

Food Network host and Top Chef star Carla Hall’s advice for entrepreneurs: be proactive. As we all know too well, the pandemic hit businesses big and small, sadly shutting some down permanently. Food entrepreneur Carla Hall was in the middle of shooting a show when the lockdown happened, and the show was canceled. “I am my business, in terms of filming,” she explains, “And so here I am without work and a team that I have to support.” Carla quickly pivoted and added a new role for herself: producer. She bought equipment and instead of waiting for offers, she started [See More…]

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Soledad O’Brien: Make an Impact 0 (0)

Documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien discusses the importance of doing work that matters. When Soledad O’Brien launched her own production company, she knew she only wanted to put time and effort into projects that would make an impact. “We weren’t here to knock out average, fine, perfectly okay stuff. We were going to do things that were remarkable, even if they were harder — even if they didn’t always work out.” O’Brien says she and her team are driven by a desire to make content that matters to the world, and that they feel a responsibility to the people who [See More…]

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Chef Carla Hall: Embrace Diversity 0 (0)

Food Network and podcast host Carla Hall explains the power that company diversity brings to your brand. When food entrepreneur Carla Hall started her restaurant, her intention was to create a company culture of diversity, hiring people with varied backgrounds, ages, and experiences. “I thought if I did that in my business, it would spill out to the community at large,” she explains. Her instinct proved to be true. Carla says that by thinking globally, your business naturally and organically attracts a wider audience than your little piece of the world. “Your business goes out to the world in such [See More…]

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Jessica Alba: Be Purpose-Driven 0 (0)

Actor, producer and founder of The Honest Company Jessica Alba encourages businesses to include giving back in their business models. Jessica Alba doesn’t just talk about wanting to help others, she included giving to those in need within The Honest Company’s business model. And she encourages other business owners to do the same. “You can take a percentage of sales and embed that in your business model,” she explains. “And you can say, ‘We are going to stand for this.’” Jessica says she got some pushback from her initial investors and was asked to take this charitable component off the [See More…]

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Soledad O’Brien: Find Opportunity in Failure 0 (0)

Documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien on dealing with the unexpected. As a news reporter, Soledad O’Brien knows that not everything goes the way you hoped it would. An interview subject bails on you, a story you traveled great distances to investigate doesn’t pan out — every day comes with new and unexpected challenges. Learning to be flexible and to pivot quickly has helped Soledad achieve great success as a reporter, and in life. Reflecting on the time that her show got canceled, Soledad shared her philosophy on moving forward: “You have to pick the pieces out of what you think [See More…]

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Chef Carla Hall: Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable 0 (0)

Food Network and podcast host Carla Hall’s advice for entrepreneurs: It’s okay to not know everything! When she was a contestant on Top Chef, food entrepreneur Carla Hall recalls a defining moment that changed her outlook on the show — and life. She was standing at the judges’ table and her heart was beating out of her chest, sure she was about to be sent home. “And then I just had this thought,” remembers Carla, “Wait, nobody has ever died here.” That perspective allowed her to relax and stop worrying about things out of her control, and she suddenly began [See More…]