One of the most important things we think the media can do is connect small business owners and creatives across industries and markets to give them an opportunity to learn form each other. The insights on trends in particular can be transformative if our communities were better connected and so we’ve tried to create a space where folks can share the trends they are seeing and read about trends other sharp entrepreneurs are seeing.

Antwon Davis

As a real estate investor and owner, I’m starting to see a shift in renter behavior from Millennials and young professionals. Recent data reports show that cities across America are battling with a shortage of affordable housing and an increase in gentrification. The population in most major cities is increasing and so has the cost of living. This has led to an unavoidable problem in our nation. More than 44 million Americans are burdened by housing costs. Almost half of all renters now spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Read more>>

Courtney Zuber

Some of the biggest trends we’re seeing in the wedding industry is heavy greenery and dried florals. This give clients the opportunity to preserve and keep their wedding florals. The Boho look is very popular! We’re also seeing brides ditch boutonnieres. They always tell us “the guys don’t care and they’re not going to be delicate with them”. They’re not wrong! Haha. Read more>>

Nadim Ahmed

I am in the industry of coworking where we provide fully serviced, flexible office spaces to freelancers, entrepreneurs, startups, satellite offices, and large corporations. In the past and pre-Covid, most corporations took on the risk, liability, and responsibility of owning their own real estate even when their core business was something outside of that. As we learn from history, societies and economies improve and become more efficient when we specialize. Even though a company may be focused on tech or finance, they will also take the burden of long-term leases, debt, and management of real-estate. This is not the best use of a company’s time and resources. Read more>>

Kirby Wittoesch

There are many important trends, but one of the most impactful in the fashion industry is sustainability. You can see sustainability manifesting in ways that may not be so obvious at first thought, like metaverse fashion, luxury collaborations, and a focus on vintage styles. A rise in DIY fashion has also taken off on platforms like TikTok, showing consumers that they can transform retired pieces of clothing into something completely relevant with a few household items. With supply chain disruptions, drops in revenue, and socially conscious customers, the effects of the pandemic have encouraged the market to choose how they spend their money wisely. Read more>>

Marc Liu

The marketing agency world, just like the rest of the world, has been shaken up by the fallout from the pandemic. The overall economic downturn had greatly reduced marketing budgets, leading many brands to downsize their marketing teams and let go of their agencies. This led to a sudden flood of marketing professionals who were found themselves seeking employment. As the overall economy recovered and brands started reinvesting in marketing teams and agencies, an interesting confluence of trends began to emerge. Read more>>

Mickey Mellen

We’re reaching a tipping point where interruption-based marketing is fading away. While there will always be a place for advertisements around content, whether that’s banner ads or video commercials, true interruptions are being tolerated less and less. If your business model relies on cold-calling or cold-emailing, now is the time to start working to find a new approach. As David Meerman Scott has said, you can choose to get attention if you Buy, Beg, Bug or Earn it. Go earn it. Read more>>

Jessica Bargenquast

There are some really exciting economic trends happening for women-owned businesses. 83% of women want to support women-owned businesses but 62% don’t know where to find them. This alone is why Lady ChangeMakers exists. We are out to make it easy for the consumer to not only find but to shop women-owned. Women hold most of the purchasing power in the U.S. Women influence up to 80% of purchasing decisions. This results in $20 Trillion in annual consumer spending and is expected to increase by 40% in the next five years! The other exciting trend is that 17% of households refuse to shop with Amazon. That’s roughly 22 million households. Read more>>

Vallejo Lee

The biggest trends I see in visual arts are probably Animation and NFT’s. I actually think animation is the coolest aspect of graphic design. Adding motion to creation really brings a lot of life into art…literally. As for NFTs, I think its an interesting way of merging art into the future ways of the world. I do think a lot of the value come from the creator and not the art itself. Another trend I often see is online clothing and more ‘hands-on’ clothing brands which I think are dope too! To me it shows the legacy Dapper Dan left on art of fashion. Read more>>

Jennifer Rhode

During the pandemic our homes became much more than residences – they served as offices, schools, concert halls, movie theaters, dance studios, wrestling forums, discos, gyms, spas and restaurants. As such, more than ever they needed to be flexible to address so many needs. While the world is opening up again, we have now learned that it is possible and sometimes necessary to redesign the way we live and work in ways that are much more centered in our homes. As an interior designer, I have always been an advocate for spaces with adaptable furnishings. After living through several years of covid, I think it is imperative for our homes and our living rooms in particular to be elastic and super functional. Read more>>

McKenna Shano

The wedding world is all about following the current trends, from 2020-2021 we saw all the boho vibes at just about every wedding. Now, we are suddenly taking a turn and are seeing the simple classic black and white weddings making a come back and I am here for it! I think you can never go wrong with a timeless look that will never go out of style. Read more>>

Kourtnii Clark

Crystals, Metaphysical/Energy Healing and Witches are on the rise. As the current systems just aren’t working for us more people are seeking alternative healing TikTok has become a major platform of spreading information and creating trends starting with Moldavite which has introduced people into shadow work and self ascension. Moldavite will shake up your world inside and out, pushing away all the things in life that no longer serve you to make way for the best version of yourself. Read more>>

Kena Sosa

I am thrilled to see the widening array of subjects, characters and journeys depicted in literature today. The result is that there is always something new to read about and something new to see! We all know that the same story told by a different narrator, is a different story. This empathy-building trend in literature is one I’m happy to see. A trend I would like to see retire would be remakes in film. The original film holds importance in the time it was created. New audiences would like to see new stories. Overall, I think film fans are growing weary of recycled characters, recycled plots, and predictable outcomes. Read more>>

Jordan Madison

With the housing boom, many designers in Dallas are working in the spec home industry. For those who don’t know, spec homes are designed with a client in mind, but without one attached. These are quicker than custom homes, but you are working with a builder or investor as your stand-in client. While I am normally inclined towards classic designs, with spec homes trends become more important as you are capturing a certain buyer during a certain time. Right now, we are continuing to trend towards laid back, west coast looks – lots of natural stone, woven lighting and white oak. Read more>>