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.

Brittany Matthews

Some of the biggest trends in my industry for marketing are the rise in influencer marketing which will evolve into a common marketing tactic. Video marketers will keep content short to quickly grab attention for their product or service. Using multiple social media platforms will become a customer service tool to reach the masses. What is concerning is the need for building face-to-face relationships. Networking can greatly impact your business growth, however, new technologies could change the course of what it takes to build authentic business relationships. Read more>>

Hanyu Gao

As an editor, I have always been diligently following the rules of film language I learned in school. However, recently a co-worker of mine mentioned that, due to the impact of short videos, audiences nowadays are gradually adapting to unconventional editing techniques, some editing methods we used to consider as wrong might not be wrong anymore. This made me rethink my past working experiences, and I realized that many so-called editing rules are not absolute; as long as we carefully plan our shots, breaking these rules can lead to better visual effects. Read more>>

Jill Mullaney

As with everything, weddings have changed dramatically since covid. And those changes drove trends. One of the biggest trends really isn’t a ‘trend’ at all — we are happy to see more and more couple choose to create a day that accurately reflect them as individuals and as a couple, instead of feeling the need to include certain aspects, or make certain decisions due to ‘tradition’. This has led to expanded entertainment offerings, more focus on ‘wow’ floral moments, and really a focus on creating an experience for the guests, personalized to the couple’s likes. Specifically in floral design, we see a steady resurgence of color, along with the use of loads of textural florals. We could not be more excited about this! Read more>>

Emmanuel Gutierrez

I’m seeing a lot of music from this generation being sampled just to provide a nostalgic feeling. I’m not against music being sampled because that’s been a thing. However, it’s over saturated right now. A lot of the new music that’s being presented to us lacks a bit of originality so as a creative myself, it’s hard trying to find inspiration from the new music that’s being put out. Read more>>

Clara Guzman

Dance like nobody is watching. Most couples are nervous about being the center of attention on their own wedding day. They think about kissing in front of others, giving a speech, having their first dance, and making sure the day goes the way its been planned. A trend I see rising and is very popular, is when the bride and groom have one final first dance at the end of the night. I know what your thinking, dancing again? The guest might think its boring. Well actually, the dance takes place when everyone has exited the building and by everyone I mean every single guest, vendor, and family member. The first dance song is played for the bride and groom to soak in the most amazing day together and enjoy their first dance once again… alone. Read more>>

Adriana Gutierrez

Thank you for having me on your platform, I am incredibly grateful. The nail industry is ever-evolving with its trends as well as client and public perception. It is one of the fastest-growing beauty services making my job dynamic and challenging. One of the many places I’ve seen a shift in my profession is the perception of us within the beauty industry. The way I’ve seen it, nail technicians have been working their way up from the bottom of the totem pole, where hair professionals have always dominated this industry. While a hair client would justify paying upwards of hundreds, even thousands of dollars for hair services, they would attempt to haggle prices and belittle the skills of a nail technician. Read more>>

Melissa Rodriquez

I believe the biggest trend in the salon industry is stylists wanting to have a booth rental structure over an old fashioned way of running a salon with a set schedule and set commission. In 2023 more stylists graduating from cosmetology school are wanting to go straight into booth rental for better pay and schedule flexibility. I’ve noticed more people are prioritizing home life over work life and booth rental offers stylists an oppurtunity to do so. As a traditional based salon we are working on turning our salon into both. We want to meet the needs of stylists and their work schedule while having stylists available at set times for clients that want to have their hair needs met on a walk in basis. Read more>>

Bonnie Cheung Sarkissian

Lab grown diamonds are experiencing a significant surge in popularity, and this trend is here to stay. It made fine jewelry accessible to more people of all ages! Particularly for couples who are embarking their lives together, the pressure of putting down a substantial amount of money for a traditional engagement ring can be daunting. It also appeals to clients looking for larger stones for significant milestones like a 30-year anniversary upgrade. These are opportunities that might have been financially unattainable after putting three kids through college! Read more>>

Samuel Alphonse

The biggest trend I’m seeing in photography now is most people are following the same mindset and never understand the value of originality and communication. It’s very disturbing to see so much potential out here but no difference or impact in photography and the modeling industry. All I see is arguments and drama on how many followers they have on Instagram or TikTok, how much money they make or how popular they are and it’s never about that. It’s about you being the artist, what creative ideas can you do and knowing how to talk to people. Read more>>

Margot Oosterbosch

I am seeing more and more hairdressers working independently and share workspaces instead of opening their own place and have a lot of staff. I am the same, I used to have 18 people working for me. I was very lucky with my team. Said that, it is also a big responsibility and a lot of work to keep your team updated with the all new things happening in the industry. Keep them enthousiast and feeling important in the team and workplace. Read more>>

Ben Stephenson

Faking possession, faking hauntings, setting up locations, falsifying evidence and so much more are the trends that we are seeing in our field. In the paranormal field, there is a lot of research that needs to be done. It needs to be verified. It needs to be proven. However, Hollywood and many (but not all) Paranormal Reality Series have ruined that for many people. The current biggest trend is to “make it” to “become famous” no matter the cost. Friendships have been ruined across the globe due to people such as this. Some will pretend to be possessed and even begin assaulting their fellow investigators all because it makes good tv or looks good on film. However, those of us who are trying to help others that are suffering from a haunting or paranormal activity and looked down upon. Read more>>