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.
Matt Sidhom
Podcasting is in an interesting spot. For awhile, you saw a lot of consolidation happening with some bigger players acquiring podcasts, most notably Spotify. But there doesn’t seem to be a plan after that whereas someone like PodcastOne has successfully acquired some podcasts and grown the network. I think you’re going to see less big acquisition moves in the space and more podcasts getting creative as to how they grow revenue to where it becomes more of a lifestyle business for a lot of players. And by lifestyle business, I mean, the owners make great money and are doing what they love so there’s just not that pull to make a big sale and make all the money at once. It will also be interesting to see how AI affects the industry and if it leads to what you see on YouTube with a lot of products being automated but still popular enough to create revenue. Read more>>
Mary Krikorian
The Wedding Catering Industry is always looking for ways to present food to our clients and guests in a way that is innovative and unique. Brides especially want the guests at their wedding to see and experience something that they have never seen or experienced before at any other wedding and they want their guests to be talking about that for months afterwards. Read more>>
Taylor Shae
As we know in the beauty industry, trends are forever changing at a fast rate and one of the biggest I’ve seen thus far, are clients actually learning how to do their own beauty maintenance wether it’s hair, makeup, nails, even lash extensions now. As a professional in beauty, we are now tasked with having to compete with TikTok and YouTube University. I feel like this is mainly in part due to the current state of the economy as well as the emergence of influencers. While I have personally seen a shift in my business, I’ve welcomed the change with open arms as it has allowed me to really advocate for myself and my talent. It has forced me out of my shell and into spaces where I can network and connect with my community. I now know that my clientele continues to come to me because they see the value in my services and can appreciate good customer service. And that in itself is enough for me to keep moving forward. Read more>>
Tyler Noah
Motion. After Effects work. I would describe it as “all that moving photo stuff” to non-media people during conversation. Match-cutting, interpolation, hyperlapses, stop motion hyperlapses, or just movement in general, but utilizing still photos to create very technical, creative work that still tells a narrative, or follows a certain construct pertaining to relevant media archetypes. It provides opportunities because not many media artists have the passion to learn these techniques, and it isn’t something that’s taught in college, or grad school. People see it and say the same thing, “that looks hard”, so they don’t question the value of it. Whereas if you’re say, approached to shoot a music video, people will offer you $500 as if you’re going to be excited about it, as opposed to undervalued. Read more>>
Carol Moody
As a small venue owner, I’m seeing a big trend in the wedding industry. With the average wedding cost of $30,000, may couples are opting for having a micro-wedding instead of a huge, lavish wedding. Read more>>
Jeanette Jordan
As an executive coach that works with many venture backed startups, one of the biggest trends over the past year was the proliferation and adoption of AI technology. A lot of early adopters use AI to solve coding challenges, scale marketing efforts and to query internal information at record speeds. The mantra “do more with less” is finally becoming a reality and companies can now balance their need for exponential growth with their need to maintain or lower their cost structure. And this is just the beginning. I foresee AI eventually enhancing the way we do financial modeling, strategy and resource planning and even speeding contract negotiations. In general, the promise of incorporating AI into your daily business practices is exciting! Read more>>
Elizabeth Delancy
As a former professional dancer (Urban Bush Women) and as a current dance educator, consultant and coach, I have a deep appreciation for the dance industry in its many forms. Dance is ever-evolving. It is interesting to see how choreographers, trained dancers and vernacular movers find new ways to express themselves. Dancers are certainly more virtuosic today; when this high level of skill is coupled with artistry, it is a pleasure to behold. However, the industry trend of hyper-flexibility is not only dangerous, but it also unsettling and aesthetically displeasing. Read more>>
Ryan Priest
Micro weddings and elopements are currently seeing the biggest trend in the wedding industry. Couples are looking to have a more intimate wedding experience where they can really focus on each other and choose what’s most important to them instead of feeling the pressure from the opinions of family and friends. The idea of eloping or having a micro wedding has really gained popularity in the last five years because couples have become more interested in combining a destination wedding with a honeymoon experience. It’s also a more cost-effective celebration to provide an intimate dinner rather than hosting a huge party with hundreds of guests. Many couples also do not want to be the center of attention at a large ceremony. They would prefer to read their personal and intimate vows to one another in private while standing on a golden sand beach or the summit of a mountain at sunset. The pandemic really helped propel elopements and micro weddings because it gave many couples an excuse to have a small wedding celebration instead of a large traditional wedding. Read more>>
Krish Thakkar
The film industry in the USA is experiencing a surge in streaming platforms, providing both challenges and opportunities. While this allows for diverse storytelling and increased accessibility, concerns arise around traditional cinema’s viability. The film industry is also leaning towards interactive storytelling and virtual experiences. A recent example involves a production company blending film with virtual reality, allowing viewers to shape the narrative. This trend offers opportunities for deeper audience engagement but raises concerns about accessibility and production costs and that will be the primary focus for my production company notably. . Read more>>
JP
I think AI is clearly the biggest emerging trend. It is reshaping the music industry from my perspective.
ChatGPT, for example, can generate creative ideas for music promotion or help initiate a song concept, from lyrics to chord structures. Logic Pro (www.izotope.com), an industry-standard music production software, has a Drummer plugin that is another standout. It automatically creates drum parts by ‘listening’ to a reference track within the song, and it can adapt to various styles based on user preference.. Read more>>
Conno Mooney
The biggest and most important trend coming out of our industry right now is the emergence of the self taught filmmaker. In the past, one would need to go to school, or learn from an individual already invested in the field in order to properly take steps toward finding jobs. These days, however, it’s become easier than ever before to gain access to the resources needed to make films. Cinema cameras especially have become more accessible than seen in the past. One great example is the recent Gareth Edwards film, The Creator. Normally, a science fiction blockbuster film with the budget of $80 million would utilize a Sony Venice, or an Arri Alexa, cameras that can cost upwards of $20,000. Instead, they opted to use a lighter, compact Sony FX3 in order to create a fleet of cameras that can fit on any piece of equipment they desire. Drones, gimbals, you name it. But the most important outlier of this camera is that it can be used by any filmmaker. With a price of just $4,000, it opens the door for anyone to pick it up and start making movies. Read more>>