In our view there is already a ton of coverage of the trends that ivory tower professors and billionaire fund managers are seeing. What’s the edge in hearing the billionaire consensus view over and over again?

The edge comes from hearing new perspectives and new information like from the wedding planner who has worked with hundreds of couples during the pandemic and has noticed that couples are allocating significantly more of their wedding budgets on “”small details”” like personalized neon signs and eco-friendly customized digital invitations rather than paper invites. Or the accountant seeing how there’s a huge uptick in ecommerce clients generating revenue from in person popups.
Below, you’ll find some of the most thoughtful entrepreneurs and creatives in across various industries and markets sharing the trends they are seeing.

Billy Ray Brewton

The best thing my parents ever did for me was to let me succeed and fail on my own. I didn’t have a very strict childhood. My parents trusted me to act responsibly, and when I didn’t, they didn’t necessarily punish me as much as they let me stew on what I had done myself, which was always going to end with regret and correction. I watched whatever I wanted to watch, listened to whatever I wanted to listen to, and never really had a curfew. Sure, I got into trouble as a kid, but I always knew my parents had my back. And that kept me from getting into MORE trouble. Read more>>

Colleen Potter

“I was riding in the back of an old pickup truck, sitting on the tailgate with my legs and bare feet dangling below. As we rolled along I stared down at the gravel farm driveway rushing beneath my toes that lead us from the lower tobacco barn by the house up the hill to the big tobacco barn and the prettiest [sunset] view in Bourbon County. Daddy pulled up alongside the intersection of two fence lines, and I knew it was my signal to open the gate. Read more>>

Sophie Lagan

Initially, my Dad didn’t want me to go into the music industry. He told me there was a 1% success rate, and then went on to explain how many of those came from privileged backgrounds, which left me with an even slimmer chance. Whether ironically or fortunately, the stubbornness that I inherited from him didn’t allow me to let go of my dream, I didn’t care how I was going to get there or how long it took, I have never taken my eyes off the prize. Read more>>

Vicky Pasion

My mum’s ambition and love has greatly impacted my life and career. My mum immigrated to the UK with no family around, and brought me up single handedly. She worked several domestic jobs to keep us afloat, and despite a tough upbringing, she’s taught me the importance of hard work and humility. To settle into life in London, my mum found Filipino communities that gathered on a weekly basis, and encouraged me to join the performing arts sessions led by the youth. Read more>>

Samantha Hoffman

I’m very fortunate to have parents who supported my dreams, and also worked to ensure that I understood that if I wanted something that I was capable of working for it. My parents balanced encouraging and empowering me to follow my dreams, without solving every problem for me. My involvement with horses began at age 7. I feel like a lot of 7 year olds are interested in horses, but my parents saw that interest in me and really supported it. After I went on my first trail ride, they enrolled me in a week-long summer camp. Read more>> 

MARY CAMARILLO

My parents did so many things right. They proved, by example, the power of resilience and reinvention. They demonstrated a strong devotion to family and to making the world a better place. They led frugal lives that were somehow still rich with experiences. Now that they’re both gone I wish I’d asked more questions, listened more carefully, and said thank you more often. Read more>>

Rebecca Nguyen

My dad immigrated from Vietnam after the war and went to high school in the US, where he listened to a lot of music that was popular in America, including artists like The Beatles and Elvis Presley. He traveled extensively in his early 20s before meeting my mom in China while pursuing his passion for martial arts. He was someone who knew how to follow his heart, and did it with relentless determination. Read more>>

Lascelles Gonsalves

Growing up in the islands with Caribbean parents prepared me for a lot I would say. If you know anything about Caribbean parents, you know they are tough on you from birth. They expect the best from you, they push you to be the best in whatever your passion is or whatever they see for your future. I remember times going to piano classes as a kid and the teacher would be tough on me and I would complain to my father but he would just double down on that toughness because he wanted me to be great. Read more>>

Johana Acuna

My father came to this country when he was just 6 years old, he lived in Brooklyn, New York and actually returned back to his motherland when he was 10. He was aware of the opportunities this country could give him and when he was old enough to leave home he returned to the US, this time with my mother to live in Miami. They never looked back. Together, they built their own office technology company and have successfully been in business for 38 years. This is what they did right. They forged a path that led me to become an entrepreneur myself and start my own womens gym apparel business, Bodihi Fit. Read more>>

Valerie Brandy

My Mom has inspired me in so many ways it’s hard to pick just one anecdote, but I’ll go with this one. I was always naturally inclined toward reading and writing, but when it was time to do the spelling list of the week as a kid, I would get frustrated at not remembering the spelling of words quickly enough. I was a smart kid in the gifted and talented classes, and I tested as having the vocabulary of high schooler in elementary school– the meaning of words was easy for me to “get,” but the spelling was just a bit harder. Read more>>

Donny Daughenbaugh

This is going to sound kinda crazy but the thing that both of my parents did right was to show me what I’m not supposed to do. I grew up with Alcohol and drug abuse in my house until high school and there were so many days that I said to myself “this isn’t how life is supposed to be” so I changed my trajectory myself. Don’t get me wrong my parents tried and I’m sure it was their best but seeing a constant struggle growing up left a deep impression on me. Read more>>

Tyeisha Delk

My parents introducing me to God and spirituality has been a significant influence in my life and career. It has provided me with so muchstrength and resilience to draw from during challenging times, which has been pivotal to my personal and professional growth. My mother, in particular, played a significant role in shaping my self-perception and confidence. She was a beacon of positivity, constantly uplifting me and nurturing my self-esteem. Read more>>

Laura Mayo

My mother pushed me outside of my comfort zone when I was a teenager. She saw gifts in me that I was unaware of and she made many sacrifices to make sure I had the best opportunities. Read more>>

Jennifer Roach

The daughter of a single mother, I learned at an early age that helping others achieve their goals fulfills me. When I was born in 1969, my teenaged mom held me while watching the moon landing and dreamed of one day working at NASA. With hard work and persistence – and the help of many other women – she was able to make that dream come true. Because of this and many other reasons, my Mom is my hero. Read more>>

Sade Simmons

I believe my parents made the best decisions to put me in a place to succeed. I was born as my parents were 31 and 32, this has given me an unspoken advantage. I was able to come into a family that was semi-established, in a way free of the struggles of the uncertainty that comes with early adulthood. My parents allowed me to try a vast amount of creative things to get my brain racing! I was always encouraged and nurtured in any field I wanted to try. Rather that be piano that lasted 8 years, or ballet that lasted 3. I was able to freely explore options which I truly believed helped me to be the person I am today. Read more>>

Max Hendrickson

I feel like both my parents did a great job at raising me to be a kind, open-minded, sociable, and willing to learn person that it’s helped me a lot in terms of how I conduct my life and my photography career. Through my constant involvement in concert scenes with all kinds of people through all kinds of life, I’m able to interact and make connections with some of the best people I’ve ever met. Not one person’s background is the same, especially in the punk scene in Fort Collins and Denver. Read more>>

Laura Petkunaite

My parents were supportive and encouraging, even when my ideas may have seemed impossible or crazy. By consistently believing in me and instilling in me the importance of taking action and putting in extra effort, they set me on a path toward success and accomplishment. My parents understand the value of determination, and they passed that knowledge on to me from a young age. By emphasizing the importance of doing more than average and striving to be the best I can be, they helped me develop a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence. Read more>>

Heather LaRose

Looking back to my childhood a memory that has always stayed with me and impacted me as an adult was from when I was in the fifth grade. My teacher assigned the class and essay asking us “if we could be anyone in the world who would we be”? When asked a question like that, your mind naturally wanders to all the creme the of crop humans that have built a name for themselves by their ability to invent, lead, unite or just be really damn cool. Sure, any one of those things sounds pretty great. Read more>>

Kailynn Haley

My parents are absolutely amazing and just let me be me. Whenever I wanted to dye my hair, or get a piercing, or anything else that seemed “extreme” to the southern culture I grew up in, they would be right there supporting my decision. I got my first tattoo when I turned 17. I told my parents that I wanted to get a tattoo and all they said was “Do your research on artists and sit on the design for a couple months before you get it.” Read more>>

Tia Brisco

Answering this question would take me my whole life. However, my parents are the reason why I am here talking to you all today. My mother raised me as a single parent until I was 15 while putting herself through school and working. She is my role model in all things. She has taught me everything from putting God first to managing my finances. In my book, she did everything right, even in her most challenging moments. Read more>>

Nauticah

I would say the best thing about my upbringing was the fact that they encouraged my creativity. I didn’t have many rules growing up, but my mom was really serious about me being in entertainment, even at a young age, so she made me focus on always looking put together. I didn’t have many rules as far as discipline or school, but I had to make sure my hair and makeup was always done lol. I didn’t understand it then, but now I’m thankful, because it’s really helped me with branding. Read more>>

Sarah Rockwood

My parents are my dearest friends and greatest supporters. My entire life I was heard, respected, and wanted. I grew up in a home bursting with love, literature, music, and inside jokes. To this day, I feel most myself when I’m with my mom and dad. Just the other day I was feeling blue and called my parents to vent. Two hours later, I had a delivery of random things that I love- my favorite candy, my favorite flowers. Things they know I love because they hear me. Read more>>

Roland Baker

My parents raised me to understand what work ethic is. My father particularly taught me a lot of different skills that required hard work. He instilled these habits but didn’t force me to at a certain age. These skills allowed me to understand what can be accomplished with hard work, creative problem-solving, and understanding the value of a dollar. My mother taught me valuable life skills to help me survive on my own and encourage transparent conversation. My parents overall pushed me some but allow me to grow at my pace and allowed me to make mistakes that I can learn from. Read more>>

Mary Helen Specht

My parents are both librarians, so I was raised among books. I used to walk to my father’s library after school and read until he got off work. (Sometimes I would also stand in front of the enormous open dictionary on the mezzanine and look up dirty words.) I think one of the best things my parents did was not over-schedule me or try to control my free time—I was a classic Gen X free-range kid who spent lots of time day-dreaming and on my own. Read more>>

Tyné Angela Freeman

My parents taught me not to fear failure. One of my personal mantras is “rejection is redirection.” This mentality is in large part due to the encouragement I received from them to try new and difficult things. Even when I failed, they reaffirmed their belief that I was destined for greatness. I have learned to step out on faith and take risks with the intention of learning, even if my initial goal isn’t immediately attained. Read more>>

Jill Zwarensteyn

As cheesy as it may sound, my parents always stood by me. They supported and loved me while I found my way to the position I’m in now. I also feel like they instilled big dreams in me through the importance of education and exploring places outside of our home town. I know not everyone is given such opportunities, so it’s something that I am thankful to my parents for. Read more>>

Cat LaCohie

Unconditional encouragement and proving that “it’s all possible”. While my dad died when I really young – my mum did the fantastic job of rising to the challenge of becoming an unexpected single parent of two children at age 36. I watched her re-invent herself many times in her 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, retraining for jobs she wanted and was drawn to, rather than staying in jobs she hated. I watched her take her passions and turn then into money making endeavours. Read more>>

Adam Bryan

My parents raised me in a house where I was always encouraged to express myself creatively, and art was something that was celebrated. Above all though the thing my parents did right was teach me that hard work and patience are attributes that would take me far in life. They taught me early that in order to achieve great things that I needed to work diligently to accomplish my goals. Read more>>

Paige Colson

My dad has had a huge impact on my life and career. Growing up, and even to this day, I’ve watched my dad hustle seven days a week to support our family. My mom and dad got married with a couple dollars to their name. My dads been working since he was eight years old, delivering newspapers door to door on his horse in upstate New York, and now he’s the successful owner of KC Tile restoration company. Read more>>

Sreshtha Tewari

I am from Trinidad in the Caribbean and my parents are of East Indian decent. My parents, like all parents wanted the best for me and, while my childhood was punctuated with unfavorable things that are normal in indian culture, there were also really awesome things that shaped who I am today and my drive to contribute to the world. Read more>>

Steve Altier

My parents, Charlie and Joanne, taught me that hard work pays off. I had to work for everything I have ever had in life. Even as a child, we had to do chores to earn money to buy the things we wanted. You learn to appreciate what you have and take care of the things you worked hard for. I want also to mention my parents purchased the Dam Keepers house in 1969, and many of my stories are based on where I grew up on Lizardville Road in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the inspiration. Read more>>