One of the biggest opportunities for folks who want to make an impact through entrepreneurship is to tackle things that Corporate America has gotten wrong and so we’ve asked some of the best and brightest in the community to share examples of what Corporate America is getting wrong in their industries.

Dammon Johnson

Thank you for having me. One of the biggest missteps I see in Corporate America is the way it often strips empathy out of the customer and employee experience. There’s a disconnection—where helping a client with something as simple as a clear error becomes an uphill battle behind a series of approvals, firewalls, and policies. It creates unnecessary tension between doing what’s right and what’s “allowed.” On the internal side, many corporations focus more on profit margins and streamlined operations than the well-being of the very people keeping the engine running. Team morale can’t be fixed with pizza parties or cake in the breakroom. People need to be paid livable wages, supported with growth opportunities, and feel seen—not just as workers, but as whole individuals. Read more>>

Patrick Grant

Corporate America has never known what to do with literature. Random House Publishing was so named because its founders started publishing books at random and have argued in court that still to this day the industry can’t predict a best seller. They’re supposed to be gatekeepers and tastemakers, like any cultural and curatorial institution, but most of the time they’re making safe bets chasing last year’s successes. The same book covers, plot devices, conventions, and tropes, until something breaks through and changes the paradigm. How and why that happens? No one exactly knows. Read more>>

Nic Edon

I have a lot I would like to say about the corporate aspect of the fitness industry, but I think most importantly I would like to speak about two specific points. Don’t get me wrong, the fitness industry is currently valued at over $250 billion, and there are a lot of corporate places out there doing things right, but there are a ton more doing things very wrong. I have spent nearly 20 years in the fitness industry. I have been every profession you can be in this industry, from a janitor to owner, I have literally done it all. In that time, I tried my best to keep my mouth shut and learn as much as I could, taking best practices from places that did things right, and discarding worst practices from places that did things wrong. Those best practices have been molded into my own formula and business model that I practice today. Read more>>

Savannah Lambert

The corporatization of wedding photography has created a disconnect between what couples think they’re getting and what actually shows up—literally and figuratively. Big companies often operate under a volume-over-value model. They promise beautiful imagery and premium service but outsource the real work to freelancers who are underpaid, overbooked, and expected to deliver an elevated experience without the resources, relationship, or personal investment needed to truly serve clients well. Read more>>

Abbey Harlow

One of the biggest things Corporate America gets wrong within the nonprofit sector is how deeply its values – around productivity and self-sacrifice – have seeped into our organizational culture. We’ve internalized this idea that if you really care about the mission, you should be constantly available, skip your PTO, and wear your burnout like a badge of honor. That mindset is unsustainable. Read more>>

Tyler Millstein

Topics

1)boutique fitness ( no real progressions)

2) all flash with no substance

3) gimmicks and quick fixes

4) the more expensive “ the better it must be”

5) fitness influencers ( mostly bad) ( no real education or science behind things)

6) if it’s simple it won’t work ( wrong ) Read more>>