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.

Caroline Rice

Prioritizing conversion over connection. The market is getting more saturated and consumers are getting smarter. If your goal is longevity, you need to create brand loyalty. Gone are the days when we can rely on virality alone to make an impact. You have to center the experience of your customer and meet them where they are, lead with authenticity, and communicate with compassion. For example, did you hear of Amazon’s Fire Phone? I didn’t think so. When they launched it in 2015, they had the opportunity to compete with Apple, but they didn’t consider the user experience (it wouldn’t pair with apps users had come to expect, among other things) and it wasn’t priced competitively. Read more>>

Gabriel Lucido

A common misunderstanding with my type of photography is that most clients have the impression that I work off a standard rate, but it’s a little more complicated than that and usually requires more information from the client. To keep it short, for the average project, I would provide an estimate that includes any outside expenses, like props and third-party creatives, and my service fees, which include my day rate, post fees, and licensing fees. The main point of confusion comes from the licensing fees, which is a fee the company would pay to use the photos and can vary depending on how long they’d like to use the photos for and what they’re going to use the photos for. Read more>>

Ian Michael

I think Corporate America forgets that music is art. I think they forget that inauthenticity can be sniffed out from miles away, and that riding trends isn’t always what’s going to work long term. Too many artists I see today are obsessed with “riding the wave” and sadly get washed ashore sooner than they need to instead of just making the music they truly love making. Sure there’s still money in music to an extent, but it’s been made best by musicians who live for the craft, not just to make “money moves”. I think putting the focus on moving the world around you with your art should be at the forefront. Read more>>

Jake Spivack

I think Corporate USA places an emphasis on monetary success more so than artistic nuance and depth, which I have noticed from a young age. I actually left the US after University to pursue living in Berlin full-time partly for this reason. As a creative growing up in Los Angeles and New York City, I have always felt inferior to my creative peers and had this inner desire to want to compete and show off my work, even if it was not fine-tuned nor proofread yet. Read more>>

Kiley Larsen

The Corporate America wing of the music industry is currently completely misguided by following the money trail of clicks, followers, streams, and TikTok popularity. I’m very fortunate to run Mama Mañana Records and the live music promotions wing of the business out of New Mexico. New Mexico, in general, can often be an afterthought when running through the fifty states, but the joke is on everyone who doesn’t let this beautiful state cross their mind. It’s its generous people who match gorgeous landscapes, and most importantly, in this case, it is full of amazing artists and musicians who punch well above their weight. It’s a state of communities, and in my experience, mainly in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, it’s the same idea that draws our music scenes. Read more>>

Lauren Ravitz

I think the real estate industry is really oversimplified and glamorized, especially because of reality TV shows right now. These shows paint a picture of quick deals, glamorous open houses, and easy money. While they do highlight some exciting aspects of the job, they fail to show the hard work, dedication, and the emotional rollercoaster that real estate truly is. In reality, real estate is about building relationships, understanding client’s needs, and navigating complex transactions. For instance, I once had a deal where it felt like everything was going wrong. I listed a luxury property and we received an offer the same day and everything went downhill from there.  Read more>>

Mahnaz Demehri

Corporate America often treats photography as a commodity, focusing on quantity over quality. This approach overlooks the value of personalization and genuine connection, which are crucial for impactful results. I worked with a client who initially chose a low-cost, high-volume solution for their rebranding, only to find the images lacked authenticity. When they came to me, I emphasized the importance of capturing their brand’s story through thoughtful photography, resulting in images that exceeded their expectations. Read more>>

Taqee Vernon

Corporate America not a place for the neurodivergent creatives it craves. The stories are countless. The problem is, what makes a person exceptional in creative work are qualities at odds with established corporate management norms. Corporations are built on consistency, rigidity, hierarchy, and other means of producing consistent, repeatable, traceable results. However, corporations depend on creatives to fill the mysterious gap between the present and a desired future. Read more>>