A strong visual identity is critical in today’s digital age

In the age of social media dominance, mobile-first browsing and influencer-driven content, the separation between marketing, design and experience has nearly vanished, demanding near complete authenticity in how brands look and live. In this environment, a brand’s visual identity isn’t just decoration; it’s a reflection of its values and ability to evolve in step with the world around it. 

Before the digital age, traditional advertising maintained momentum for even the strongest brands. Today, perception is earned through not just polish, but proof of evolution and endurance. 

“You measure success not by how different it looks but by how deeply it resonates. The real test of a rebrand isn’t visual polish; it’s psychological alignment,” says Americus Reed II, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “A successful rebrand strengthens identity loyalty—the degree to which a brand becomes part of a person’s self-concept. It doesn’t just get noticed; it gets adopted,” he adds. 

A consistent logo and signature color palette can give a brand the clarity and confidence it needs to stand out and stay remembered. These are examples of what are known as brand assets: the distinctive visual, verbal and experiential elements that make a brand instantly recognizable. Beyond logos and colors, brand assets can include typography, imagery, taglines, sounds and even packaging—all of which work together to spark recognition and emotional connection.

Consistency in visual identity builds consumer trust across generations

For over a century, Coca-Cola’s red-and-white branding has remained virtually unchanged. Its bold colors and flowing script are instantly recognizable, helping the company sustain global visibility, earn consumer trust and generate billions across generations that have made the drink part of their daily lives. The power of this visual identity is undeniable. By staying true to its classic script and bold red-and-white colors, Coca-Cola has built a brand that is instantly recognizable by consumers worldwide.

Cadbury chocolate’s signature purple-and-gold look plays much the same role. Introduced initially as a tribute to Britain’s Queen Victoria, that deep purple quickly became the brand’s signature, signaling luxury, indulgence and national trustworthiness. Over the decades, it’s done more than just look pretty on a shelf: It’s become a shorthand for high-quality chocolate.

The power of color in branding is surprisingly strong. That iconic purple instantly triggers recognition, and for Cadbury, it’s helped the company stand out in a crowded market. Consumers don’t just notice it, they associate it with the taste, the experience and the promise that this chocolate delivers something different. 

How to capture users’ attention before they scroll away

Humans make rapid judgments about people, products and brands within milliseconds of seeing them. Research has suggested that over 90% of these first impressions are based on visual cues: color, shape, typography and overall design, long before any words are read or explanations are offered. 

On the web, people’s attention spans are short, and users are quick to jump to the next thing. That makes grabbing their attention online an even tougher job for digital-first brands. According to data from CXL, visitors focus on an institution’s logo for just 6.48 seconds before moving on, while the main navigation menu captures attention for an average of 6.44 seconds. The search box draws slightly less, at just over six seconds, and the site’s primary image holds the gaze for 5.94 seconds. Even written content only commands attention for 5.59 seconds, with the bottom of a page attracting the least focus on average at 5.25 seconds. 

With attention spans this short, every element on your site needs to work hard. That means making your logo instantly recognizable, designing a navigation menu that’s intuitive and easy to scan and placing key calls-to-action where users will actually see them. Your search box should be prominent and simple, while images need to grab attention immediately and support your brand story.

Written content should be concise, clear and skimmable, delivering value in just a few seconds. Essentially, it’s about creating a visual and functional hierarchy that guides visitors effortlessly through your site, helping them notice, understand and remember your brand before their eyes wander elsewhere. 

Inside-out coherence: Aligning brand purpose with a clear identity

Reed II points to a concept known as “inside-out coherence,” which he says is crucial for modern brands to perfect. He suggests, “Every touchpoint, from your website to your store to your customer service voice, should express the same identity DNA. That starts with internal alignment. Employees need to understand and embody the brand’s purpose before customers ever see a new logo. The most successful brands don’t roll out new guidelines; they roll out new belief systems. When the brand’s inner story matches its outer signals, consumers feel the difference. They sense truth.”

Inevitably, much of the visual transformation and digital innovation driving how brands refresh their look and feel begins online with the best tools available. It’s no surprise that AI is playing a significant role in this evolution. According to recent data from Netguru, 78% of organizations are utilizing AI in at least one business function, marking a substantial increase from 55% the previous year. Specifically, nearly 80% of companies are now leveraging generative AI to enhance their design, branding, strategy and product offerings. 

Simplifying the customer journey through smart digital marketing

Venkatesh (Venky) Shankar is a marketing professor and director at SMU’s Cox School of Business, where he leads the Brierley Institute for Customer Engagement. His research focuses on digital marketing, AI, AR, VR, branding and consumer behavior, advising global retailers on technology-driven growth.

“AI, AR and VR can enhance brand image by making experiences more relevant, immersive and reliable. AI personalizes offers and timing to improve engagement and loyalty, while AR/VR builds confidence and emotional connection through interactivity,” says Venkatesh. He adds: “However, technological reliability is essential. My research shows that even small app failures can erode trust and sales. Businesses should use technology to simplify and elevate the customer journey, not complicate it.”

Shankar advises entrepreneurs and business leaders to “leverage low-cost digital tools, modular design templates and quick experiments to identify what boosts engagement or repeat purchase…. Practical improvements in mobile utility and customer convenience outperform cosmetic updates. In modernization, simplicity, focus and measurement trump big creative budgets.”

The brands that last aren’t just the ones that look modern—they’re the ones that mean it. A refreshed logo or sleek website can spark attention, but sustained relevance comes from coherence and consistency. Every element, from color palette to customer experience, should tell the same story and make the same promise. Modernization doesn’t have to mean massive budgets or radical reinventions. As Shankar notes, the smartest brands use simple data-driven tools to stay close to their audiences and move quickly when expectations shift. The key is to evolve with purpose, not panic.

Digital audiences move fast. People decide whether to engage with a website, app or social post in seconds. That means every visual and functional element should work hard to communicate your brand identity immediately. A recognizable logo, a consistent color scheme, signature fonts and a clear layout hierarchy all help users connect the dots quickly. Consistency in design reduces friction, builds confidence and makes your brand feel professional and reliable for the modern age. 

Photo by PeopleImages/Shutterstock

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The same drive we have to purchase that new pair of shoes or invest in a course from our favorite influencer can be channeled to motivate people to donate to charities making a difference and to dig into local and global issues to improve the circumstances around us.

Rory Vaden, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of Brand Builders Group with his wife, AJ, spends his days advising individuals how to leverage these principles to become Wealthy and Well-Known, also the title of the couple’s new book rising up the charts. This summer, Vaden pulled back the curtain to reveal the secrets of building influence and income for SUCCESS® readers.

Now, he’s pivoting to teach us how to use it for good—and to motivate ourselves and others to get involved in the causes that mean the most to us.

“You never hit the peak of service,” he says. “You never reach the culmination…. I think it’s important for all nonprofits to realize that while it’s always inspiring to serve the many, their work is still worth it even if it serves just one person.”

Choosing a cause

The potential causes to support are endless, and every day there’s more work to be done. Kids are starving across the globe. Entire war-torn regions are suffering. People still can’t access clean water. In his first book, Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success, Vaden says, “Success is never owned. It is rented, and the rent is due every day. No matter how much money we all give to charity, until every person, until every person on this planet is fed, and every orphan has a family, and every widow is taken care of and every disease is cured, there’s more work to be done,” Vaden says.

According to him, everyone should be motivated to give and help because he calls philanthropy the most “mature form” of motivation. While competition, ambition and recognition are great and motivate many people, he says, ultimately they are unfulfilling without a mission.

Choosing a cause is simple, he says, “Solve the problem that breaks your heart…. We believe that whatever breaks your heart breaks your heart for a reason.” He explains that people are “hardwired” to care more about some causes than others. With that in mind, take note of what grabs your attention, recognize the signal to care and do something about it, he says.

Start small

So, what breaks the Vadens’ hearts? Child trafficking is often top of mind for the couple. “[It] just destroys us… we feel like we have to do something about that,” he says. But just as Vaden can’t end all child trafficking, people who care about important causes sometimes feel they can’t give enough to make a real difference.

Vaden says the Dollar Club, through Cross Point Church in Nashville, is a cause directly combating that thought process though, and is one he and AJ love supporting. The idea is simple, yet life-changing for recipients. Once a month, everyone is asked to donate one single dollar, and all of that money is pooled together to fill one very specific need in the community. “Dollar Club is crushing it and making a huge difference!” For example, they provided a family with $10,000 for medical bills and another family with a much-needed car, all with $1 donations at the root of fundraising.

Get an entire team behind a mission

Does your company retreat start with a service project? Gathering your team of employees around a cause, such as simply giving a dollar to a specific mission, can be an easy lift that helps engage employees and motivate them to get more involved in philanthropy as individuals and as a group. Rory says you can often find AJ leading service projects with their team such as stuffing bags for the homeless and giving them out.

“[Going] as a team into… a rougher neighborhood, [everyone] is like ‘whoa,’ and it helps create gratitude, teamwork and then contribution to give back,” he says.

You can also help automate giving as a part of company culture, he shares, such as using direct withdrawal from paychecks to specific causes and matching employee giving.

Use fundamental brand building principles

Captivating storytelling. Immediacy. These are just a few of the principles of branding and marketing that directly apply to philanthropy and should be prioritized by those trying to promote and advance different causes, Vaden says.

For example, Dollar Club does tear-jerking interviews with those affected, so people who donate see the direct impact, and they share those videos as quickly as possible, for immediacy.

“Immediacy is powerful… [as is] emotion,” he says. “Tell the story of one person. Saying we donated $100,000 to the Red Cross is far less compelling than telling the story of one family who lost their home, tell us who they are and what happened.”

He recommends motivating others by telling those “granular” stories, focusing on localized impact or how a single life was changed. “That’s how you move the masses,” he says.

Give without fear

Vaden paints a common picture of someone wanting to give to a homeless person but hesitating because of what the recipient might do with it—“[they say] I’m afraid he’s just going to buy booze with it.” This is where his faith comes in. “At least as a Christian, I feel like we’re not called to assess people’s motives. We’re called to give,” he says.

Another common concern is giving when you aren’t sure you have enough. Yet, he says even if you aren’t religious, just from an “altruistic” side, helping others in need is just “financial intelligence.”

“View money as a tool and less of a source of safety, identity and self-worth,” he says, sharing that when people are too attached to it, and too afraid of losing it, they can’t “let go” and invest in other causes. Practicing emotionally detaching from it helps you develop a stronger relationship, ultimately becoming more productive and helpful with your money, he says. “When you give money, I very much believe it is one of the most important catalysts to you attracting and making more money. It’s a paradox.”

Finally, some people worry they won’t be able to give enough to have a real impact. “Do for one what you wish you could do for everybody,” Vaden says. “The roadblock is—there’s so much need… Why should I donate $5? What is my $5 going to do? But give your $5 to one person on the street…. If we all do that, it adds up.”

Vaden points to theories like Darren Hardy’s The Compound Effect, The Slight Edge theory and the power of compound interest as support.

“If it makes a difference for one person, it’s worth it,” he says.

So, even if it’s that single dollar to the Dollar Club or a service project as a work team, giving without fear of what will happen next is a place to start, Vaden shares. “Your highest self is when you’re being your highest value to others.” 

Photo by ©Nick Onken. Enjoy free access to read the SUCCESS® Digital Edition in its entirety at SUCCESS® Labs.

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OpenAI strikes $38 billion deal with Amazon Web Services to boost AI infrastructure

OpenAI will tap into Nvidia GPU-powered infrastructure hosted on AWS across the U.S.—a move that not only diversifies its back-end muscle but could also redraw the boundaries of big tech alliances in AI. Amazon stock surged nearly 5% in early trading this week after OpenAI confirmed the multibillion-dollar deal. 

Since 2019, Microsoft has been OpenAI’s primary patron and exclusive cloud provider, investing more than $13 billion to power the company’s rapid global ascent. But that exclusive relationship formally ended in January, when Microsoft confirmed it would move to a right-of-first-refusal model, allowing OpenAI to pursue partnerships with other cloud firms. Even as OpenAI diversifies its cloud strategy with AWS, it maintains its Microsoft relationship with an additional $250 billion in Azure commitments.

Amazon plans dedicated infrastructure to support OpenAI expansion

The first phase of the deal will rely on AWS’s existing U.S. data centers, which already house massive banks of Nvidia GPUs (the chips that train and run advanced AI models like ChatGPT). Over time, Amazon plans to build out dedicated infrastructure specifically for OpenAI, expanding capacity and efficiency as AI workloads grow more complex and power-hungry. This approach allows OpenAI to scale quickly using existing resources while paving the way for a customized, long-term infrastructure footprint within Amazon’s cloud ecosystem.

In practice, this means a significant physical and technical expansion: new data centers designed to handle extreme power demands and highly optimized networking to move enormous volumes of data between servers. The deal effectively turns AWS into a core utility provider for OpenAI’s operations, ensuring consistent access to cutting-edge hardware at scale.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that the company faces financial obligations totaling $1.4 trillion to develop approximately 30 gigawatts of data-center capacity over the coming years. He also indicated that, eventually, OpenAI aims to construct a data center capable of generating one new gigawatt of power each week, according to Reuters.

How OpenAI is preparing for next-generation AI model training

These next few years for OpenAI will be all about increasing industrial capacity. The company’s ambitions now hinge not just on building smarter models, but on securing the massive computing infrastructure required to train and deploy them. As AI systems grow larger and more complex, the limiting factor isn’t solely talent or ideas but also access to power, chips and sufficient data center space. 

Expanding industrial capacity means building out entire ecosystems of high-performance GPUs, specialized cooling systems for GPU clusters, high-speed networking and dedicated energy sources capable of maintaining large-scale AI operations. It’s a race to secure computing power in the same way previous industrial revolutions raced to secure steel or electricity. For OpenAI, this phase will determine how fast it can train new generations of models and how competitively it can deliver AI services that keep up with constantly evolving user demand. 

Training frontier models like GPT requires enormous, uninterrupted access to specialized chips and data infrastructure—resources that have become scarce and expensive amid global competition for GPUs. In securing long-term capacity through partners like Amazon Web Services, OpenAI is insulating itself from hardware shortages, cutting future latency risks and ensuring the stability it needs to continue pushing model performance forward. This move transforms OpenAI from a company that simply uses cloud resources into one that now co-owns the infrastructure of the AI era.

Diversified alliances strengthen business growth

This partnership underscores a fundamental reality of modern innovation: Progress at scale demands collaboration. OpenAI’s decision to work with AWS marks a move away from exclusivity toward a more diversified and resilient model of growth. By extending its partnerships beyond Microsoft, the company is strengthening its technical foundations and ensuring it can draw on a broader range of expertise and infrastructure.

This isn’t just a tech story, but a crucial business truth. No company breaks boundaries alone. Whether you’re building AI models or a new market niche, growth means making bold bets, joining forces and being open to reinvention. The smartest moves often come from sharing the load and expanding your circle, because collaboration can turn big ideas into lasting impact.

Photo by deepshine/Shutterstock

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But with renewal often comes one of the most difficult steps in business: layoffs. Sometimes, to grow stronger, a company must streamline by trimming teams, sharpening its core ambitions, focusing on its strengths and retaining those most committed to its vision. When handled well, restructuring can be transformative; but when mishandled, it can derail even the most promising enterprise. 

It’s one of the most delicate balancing acts in corporate leadership, and learning from those who navigate restructuring effectively, like Amazon in its latest overhaul, can help ease the pain and reveal a blueprint for how to approach the process.

Cutting layers to move faster: Redefining corporate agility

This week, Amazon made one of its boldest statements yet about how it plans to move forward in the age of artificial intelligence, and it’s not being shy about the changes required to get there. The company confirmed plans to cut thousands of corporate jobs this year, stating that it needs to be “organized more leanly” to capitalize on the opportunities that AI presents. 

According to Reuters, which broke the story on Monday, Amazon’s layoffs could ultimately reach 30,000 employees. Amazon’s official communications put the current total at 14,000 job cuts. That translates to about 4% of Amazon’s 350,000 corporate employees being laid off starting yesterday.

In a note to employees titled “Staying nimble and continuing to strengthen our organizations,” Beth Galetti, an Amazon senior vice president, said the restructuring would make the company “even stronger” by redirecting resources toward its “biggest bets” and the areas that matter most to customers today and in the future. Galetti explained that the job cuts stem mostly from Amazon’s belief that artificial intelligence represents the most transformative technology since the dawn of the internet, reshaping how quickly companies can now innovate and operate.

To stay competitive, Amazon has spent the past few years streamlining its structure, reducing management layers and giving teams greater ownership to move faster and focus on core priorities in the age of AI. The company said it is working to support employees affected by its latest round of layoffs, helping some find new roles internally and offering transition packages, including severance pay, for those with no choice but to leave. 

By cutting layers of management and reducing corporate roles, Amazon aims to make decision-making faster and more data-driven, freeing up resources to invest in automation, machine learning and other AI-driven initiatives. In doing so, the tech giant hopes to cut through bureaucratic hurdles and strengthen a brand that continues to expand across an ever-widening range of global markets. For Amazon, Galetti says, the future can only be shaped through “fewer layers and more ownership.”

Behind the scenes strategies for smooth organizational change

Like most restructurings at this scale, companies spend months, sometimes years, planning and preparing for what comes next. When tens of thousands of people lose their jobs and entire departments are reshaped, a new direction for the business is almost inevitable. Major changes like these don’t just alter operations; they can transform a company’s entire culture and identity almost overnight.

Behind the scenes, companies typically prepare for these shifts with quiet precision. They run financial models, assess which teams are essential to long-term strategy and identify areas where automation or new technologies can take over routine work. Communication plans are often drawn up in detail, outlining how to deliver the news, support affected employees and reassure those who remain.

When companies skip that level of planning, the fallout can be severe. Sudden or poorly handled layoffs often spark confusion, crush morale and drive valuable talent out the door. Even those who remain can be shaken, grappling with the loss of colleagues, anxiety about their own future and doubts about whether the company’s new direction still aligns with their goals.

How poor communication can turn layoffs into a PR crisis

Getting the message wrong can do more than rattle employees, it can permanently stain a company’s reputation. In today’s world, word spreads fast. Former employees share their experiences online, on social media and in industry circles, shaping how the public and potential future hires see the brand. If the layoffs come across as cold, careless or poorly communicated, that perception sticks.

Customers start questioning the company’s values, and top talent may think twice before ever joining. Once trust and credibility are lost, they’re nearly impossible to rebuild. It’s worth remembering that when a restructuring is mishandled, the consequences rarely stay inside the company—they can spread quickly and linger long after. When Amazon acts, it does so with intention, not impulse. Every move is the product of meticulous planning, rigorous analysis and scenario modeling at the highest levels. But the real test comes after those important decisions: how the story is told, how employees are treated and how culture holds up under change. In the end, leadership isn’t just about what you do, it’s about how you bring people with you when everything shifts.

Photo by bluestork/Shutterstock

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“I started working with different distilleries, looking at the sensory analysis and realizing that from three ingredients—water, malted barley and yeast—each distillery, even though the processes are roughly the same, produces completely different flavor profiles,” Macleod says, recalling her wonder at the process. “How was whisky sitting on my doorstep and I didn’t know these things?”

From the lab to the blending room

In 1998, Macleod joined Dewar’s just as Bacardi had acquired the brand, expanding from one to five distilleries. She began in quality control, leaning on her analytical background. But her sensory expertise was soon put into use, and she moved into the labs. One of her first acts was putting together a sensory panel to ensure consistency.

“When I joined, only one person had a say in the sensory quality of our spirit, and that was the master blender,” she says. “I thought, ‘What happens if he’s on holiday? We need more than just one person.’”

Not long after, her boss asked if she wanted to train as a master blender. “It took me a nanosecond to say yes,” she says, but the doubt still crept in. She would be the first woman and likely the youngest person ever to hold the title. Would she be accepted?

By 2006, she had her answer. Macleod officially took the helm and became the first woman and only the seventh person in Dewar’s 170-plus-year history to hold the title of master blender. 

“Becoming a master blender is a journey rooted in both science and sensory immersion,” says Macleod. “I then spent three years studying under our former master blender, Tom Aitken, learning the art of tasting, gradation and blending in minute detail. It’s a deeply hands-on apprenticeship, training your nose, mastering cask sourcing and seasoning and understanding how to harmonize flavor profiles.” 

She adds that there was no textbook for her journey, but it was all about learning through experimentation, building a sensory vocabulary and combining academic rigor with intuition and curiosity.

Her first test as master blender was immediate: launching the Dewar’s 15 Year Old Scotch whisky blend in China and Taiwan. “It was almost like the birth of a child, but a lot less painful,” she jokes. The release was well received, and the industry began to take notice.

In the years since, the broader industry has recognized her leadership again and again. She has won Master Blender of the Year at the International Whisky Competition six consecutive times, beginning in 2019, cementing her influence far beyond Dewar’s.  

Finding her footing in a male-dominated industry

Whisky has long been branded as a “man’s drink,” and the industry often reflects that image. But while outsiders may expect stories of resistance or exclusion, Macleod remembers something different.

“I did feel as if, within the company and outside the company, I was being rooted for,” she says. Mentors—mostly men at the time—invited her into industry organizations like the Scotch Whisky Association and Scotch Whisky Research Institute. “They put me in places where I could network with a wider variety of people and allow them to help me grow as well.”

Still, being the first carried its own pressures: “You want to prove yourself, but you’ve also got responsibility to the brand,” she says. “You often have to put yourself last, the brand first, and then the team.”

Four years into her role as master blender, Macleod became a parent to twin girls. 

“If I thought my life was complicated before twins, it got even more complicated with twins,” she says. Support from her husband and parents helped, but the challenge reshaped her leadership style. Today, she is deliberate about supporting team members through maternity leave and other life changes, keeping them looped in if they want to be and ensuring their careers don’t stall.

“I’ve always made it my mission that as the first female master blender, I won’t be the last,” she says.

Innovation within tradition

Macleod’s leadership is defined by both reverence for tradition and a willingness to push its edges. She often cites a line often attributed to Gustav Mahler: “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” For her, that means respecting Scotch’s 200-year heritage while ensuring it stays relevant for tomorrow’s drinkers.

She has championed innovations like Dewar’s “Smooth Series,” which introduced cask finishes more commonly associated with single malts, such as port, Mizunara, rum and even mezcal. “We wanted to show the interesting flavors we can get from different casks, using perhaps a different age statement, just showing a different facet of the Dewar’s style,” she says.

Every decision, though, is grounded in Scotch whisky regulations. “There are lots of things that we would love to try,” she says. “We wouldn’t want to do anything that would harm the category [of Scotch whisky].”

That balance of experimentation within constraints has kept Dewar’s blends dynamic without losing authenticity.

Building a pipeline for the future

For Macleod, who still holds the title of master blender, shaping Scotch’s future isn’t only about liquid in the bottle. It’s about who gets to make it. The whisky industry has grown more inclusive since she joined in 1998, thanks in part to increased visibility and outreach efforts. Today, the majority of people on her blending team are women, and Bacardi has graduate and internship programs that expose students to different areas of the business, from distilling to marketing.

She says the interns help the team see their work with fresh eyes, noticing things they’ve come to take for granted and reminding them how remarkable their industry really is.

Internally, Macleod has helped institutionalize what she lacked early in her own career: structured feedback and mentorship. She works closely with Bacardi’s “Let’s Talk” program to encourage employees to map both business goals and personal development. She also serves as a mentor for OurWhisky Foundation, an organization recognizing, supporting and empowering women in whisky. 

“You don’t want to hear people who are constantly negative,” she says. “But in order for you to grow, you’ve got to see where your development areas are, so seeking out people that are going to tell you that is really, really important.”

Advice for the next generation

Asked what she would tell young women eyeing a future in whisky, Macleod doesn’t sugarcoat the path. It is a tough industry, but future Scotch leaders should consider their aspirations within the whisky industry and even beyond, including supply roles. She notes that the path you don’t expect can often be even more rewarding than the one you had originally envisioned.

LinkedIn, she says, can be a practical tool for tracing the career paths of industry professionals. And while ambition is valuable, she warns against burning out by saying yes to everything. “Make sure that you’re leaving space in your life that you can grow,” she says.

For Macleod, growth has meant learning to juggle tradition and innovation, brand stewardship and personal ambition, career and family. It’s also meant ensuring the doors she walked through won’t close behind her.

“The whisky industry is safe when you see the next generation coming through and having the same, if not more, passion for whisky and what it’s all about,” she says.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie MacLeod

The post What Scotch’s Most Decorated Woman Can Teach Us About Changing an Industry appeared first on SUCCESS.

But focusing too much on hard skills may be the wrong approach. As we’ll see below, soft skills are one of the key markers of a team’s success. Some research suggests that as AI usage continues to become more ubiquitous across industries, soft skills will become more in demand. If you’re wondering how to level up soft skills for yourself and your employees, you’ve found the right resource. We’ll cover the importance of soft skills in the workplace, the type of soft skills to cultivate and how to get employees on board.

The Business Case for Soft Skills

Businesses, especially large publicly traded ones, have an eye on increasing the bottom line. They want to increase the number of measurable, quantifiable goals that ultimately contribute to profitability. But soft skills can contribute to that effort, too.

A study facilitated by MIT Sloan, Boston College and the University of Michigan found that a 12-month soft skills training program delivered a whopping 250% return on investment for a garment manufacturing business. Even though the employees completed repetitive, manual tasks for long shifts, honing their soft skills allowed them to become more productive, complete more complex tasks quicker and attend work more often. 

Providing soft skill training pays dividends, but what soft skills should you focus on in the first place? 

Top Soft Skills for Business Success Today

Deciding on which soft skills to focus on in your business partially depends on the context and current staff issues you face. That said, these are some of the most important soft skills for business success to cultivate.

Communication

Whether through writing, speaking or one-on-one meetings, knowing how to express an idea clearly and thoughtfully improves team functions. Team members who can communicate at a high level can describe what issues executive leadership needs to pay attention to or offer clear advice when inquiring with clients, for example. 

Adaptability 

Learning to allow the best-laid plans to change is a soft skill that can’t be overstated. Flexibility—or adaptability—propertly cultivated in employees can allow them to pivot strategically to new plans when an idea fails to work. 

Emotional Intelligence

Also known as EQ, emotional intelligence is the ability to sense others’ emotions and understand and manage our own. Being able to rein in your emotions or help a co-worker express frustration about a project can bring employees to heightened levels of trust that hard skills can’t achieve. 

Why Soft Skills Are Essential in 2025

As counterintuitive as it may sound, the rise of AI, hybrid work and continuous automation is creating a greater need for human relationships in the workplace. Research is beginning to show that businesses are starting to value soft skills as technology advances. 

In a survey of nearly 700 business owners, researchers found that many of them relied on generative AI to research and generate ideas. However, the same business owners also reported that “character-based traits such as integrity and soft skills will become more important.” 

Jimmy Newson works with small businesses as a consultant and founder of Moving Forward Small Business, a community-based membership company that provides resources to small businesses so they can grow and achieve their goals. In his view, soft skills are critical—especially for companies with hybrid and remote workers.

“Working with businesses that operate virtually and in hybrid setups, I’ve seen firsthand how soft skills become absolutely critical,” he says. “They’re what allow teams to collaborate smoothly, no matter the distance, adjust quickly to new challenges and maintain those vital human connections, which are essential for innovation and resilience. 

“These skills ensure everyone communicates clearly, fosters empathy across diverse teams and empowers individuals to manage themselves and solve problems independently. Ultimately, they’re the real bedrock for maintaining a strong culture, solid productivity and continuous innovation in a distributed workforce.”

Newson isn’t alone in his sentiments about soft skills. Lee Baldwin, head of managed services at Pay Check Limited, sees soft skills becoming more valuable as tech becomes more prevalent in corporate structures. 

“Whereas technical skills are still required, they’re not enough anymore. With technologies such as ChatGPT, automation platforms like UiPath and cloud-based payroll and HR systems accomplishing more and more of the drudge work or administrative tasks, organizations now place higher premiums on human-only capabilities that include empathy, critical thinking, conflict resolution and collaboration,” he says.

“Within a multinational company where I was working with a global rollout of payroll, we observed that teams who had been pretrained in cross-cultural communication and active listening were far superior at smoothing out issues of time zones than others who were not. They easily managed miscommunications and accommodated for cultural differences, something which is not programmable,” he adds.

It’s clear that soft skills are a key driver in employee relationships with peers, clients and managers. So what’s the best way to cultivate them in your team?

How to Deliver Soft Skills Training for Employees

Training your employees to become more emotionally proficient isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. You can decide what training regimen works best for your organizational structure and the needs of your team. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

Offer Workshops

Workshops with team members can provide opportunities for role-playing and working on developing specific soft skills. For example, if you run a hotel business and have some reception staff who struggle to be flexible with indecisive clients, a workshop can help you recreate those situations to prepare them for future interactions. 

Baldwin has found workshops to be game-changers in his experience, but only if they’re followed up on and integrated with other processes. 

“In a fast-growing SaaS startup, we once had a continuous learning program through which each month employees participated in workshops on different soft skills like giving effective feedback, having diverse meetings or stress management. Those were followed by peer coaching circles where employees practiced the skill in small groups and then reflected on how it impacted their work,” he says. 

Promote Mentorship

Mentoring can be an ideal device for delivering soft skill training because it’s done with trustworthy partners that can be open and vulnerable with feedback (a soft skill in itself). In contrast to larger events like workshops or team training sessions, one-on-one mentorship can help integrate soft skills into an employee’s toolbox because they are practiced in the workplace. 

Baldwin has seen firsthand how job shadowing, a type of mentorship, has taught employees important soft skill lessons. 

“We also included leadership shadowing, where junior staff observed senior managers participate in stressful meetings, observing how they managed difficult discussions or motivated teams,” he says. “Employee engagement rates jumped by 23% within six months, and turnover rates of high-achieving staff plummeted.”

Soft Skills Are a Hard Business Asset

As technology continues to advance across industries, one asset will continue to provide payoffs for years to come: soft skills. Humans aren’t going anywhere, so helping your team communicate clearly, be flexible in challenging situations and hone their emotional intelligence will set your business up for success. Indeed, a study from Deloitte Access Economics found that soft skill-intensive positions are projected to make up two-thirds of all occupations by 2030. 

Don’t wait—prioritize helping your team learn soft skills now. Need a bit of a boost? Check out SUCCESS® Coaching to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and increase employee soft skills in your organization.

Photo courtesy of PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

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Sharing the sky: How fractional ownership actually works

Rising startups like NetJets and Jet It are now allowing executives to buy shares in private aircrafts, pooling resources to cover maintenance, staff salaries, insurance and hangar costs. In exchange, shareholders gain guaranteed flight access, typically 50 hours per year, with the option to purchase additional hours as needed. 

This fractional ownership model is designed to make private aviation more cost-effective and predictable. Instead of paying the entire price tag and upkeep of a private jet alone, executives divide costs with fellow top-band owners who demand dependable travel.

Beyond financial benefits, fractional ownership also ensures operational reliability. Companies such as NetJets and Vista Global maintain dedicated teams of pilots, maintenance personnel and logistics staff, guaranteeing that aircrafts are ready anytime executives need them. This reduces the unpredictability of travel disruptions common in commercial aviation and allows executives to plan their schedules with confidence.

For those seeking even greater flexibility without a long-term investment, jet card programs offer an attractive alternative. NetJets’ jet card, for example, provides a set number of flight hours, starting at 25 hours annually, for a fixed fee. While cardholders don’t own a share of an aircraft, they gain access to the same fleet of private jets and professional crews, making it easier to book last-minute trips or shorter journeys without the responsibilities of ownership. Cardholders will enjoy the flexibility to schedule flights with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice.

Bond Fractional 2.0: The next generation of private jet ownership

Competition in this sector is heating up, and Bond has arrived with a model that promises to be the smartest, most seamless iteration of fractional ownership to date. 

Launched with a significant investment from global investment firm KKR, Bond is set to commence operations in early 2027 with a fleet exclusively composed of new Bombardier aircraft, including the Challenger 3500, Global 6500 and the upcoming Global 8000.  

Bond is introducing Fractional 2.0, its next-generation approach to private jet ownership, designed to offer wealthy executives access to premium aircraft with unprecedented reliability, service and flexibility. Aiming to transform the private aviation model, the company is targeting elite travelers with a carefully curated fleet of super-midsize and ultra-long-haul jets. Unlike many fractional programs that reserve cabin attendants for only the largest aircraft, every Bond jet will include a dedicated flight attendant, ensuring a consistently luxurious experience. 

Executives will also benefit from stand-up cabins, nonstop coast-to-coast capability and the ability to hop around the globe with ease, making it easier than ever to turn travel time into productive or restful hours. With a maximum of just 10 owners per aircraft, extra standby capacity and pre-positioned jets to cover peak travel periods, Bond promises a level of availability few competitors can match.

Joining Bond: What it takes to own a share of a private jet

“We created BOND to deliver on the promise of what private aviation was always meant to be—personalized, predictable, and with exceptional levels of service,” said Bill Papariella, chairman and group CEO of Bond in a press release. “We are not building for scale. We are building for the select few who expect service perfection every time they fly.” 

Travelers will pay a one-time entry fee ranging from $1 million to $5 million to become one of up to 10 owners per jet. In addition to this initial investment, owner-members are responsible for a monthly management fee and for covering hourly operating costs, which are calculated based on each member’s share size and actual usage of the aircraft. 

Interested in joining Bond’s exclusive Fractional 2.0 program? Prospective members can head to the official website to submit an inquiry and start the conversation. The team will walk you through a personalized consultation, helping you figure out the ownership share that fits your travel needs—getting you closer to taking to the skies in style once operations commence.

Photo from BOND via Business Wire

The post Ever Wish You Owned a Private Jet? This Could Be Your Chance appeared first on SUCCESS.

Marketing is a key part of these small businesses’ growth plans. That’s why VistaPrint and Wix have teamed up to release the new 2025 Small Business Marketing Guide, a report that shows how small business owners are navigating today’s marketing landscape and planning for what’s next.

After surveying 1,000 U.S.-based small business owners and 1,000 U.S. consumers, the two companies found that resilience and growth are top of mind for small businesses this year. In fact, their top priorities for 2025 include acquiring customers, refining services and launching new products. But what’s working isn’t highly technical marketing schemes and tools. Instead, it’s genuine connections, according to Erin Shea, head of North America marketing for VistaPrint. 

“The intangibles matter just as much,” she says. “According to our research, consumers are naturally drawn to businesses that feel approachable and human. They want to shop small to support the local economy because they value outstanding service and a product they can’t find elsewhere.” In fact, the report shows that 54% of consumers are shopping at small businesses because they want to support their local community, and 46% “trust small businesses and sole traders more than large corporations.”  

Here are the strategies that small businesses are trying and succeeding with, as well as where to expect growth for the rest of 2025 and beyond.

Grow online connections

While it seems obvious that most small businesses would rely on online connections to grow, digital visibility is more important now than ever. In fact, according to VistaPrint and Wix’s report, 55% of Gen Zers want online shopping opportunities over in-person ones, which reflects a shift from online products and services being a nice-to-have to a must-have. (Currently, Gen Z is the only generation to prefer this.)

In addition, over half of customers say that they want small businesses to increase their digital footprint, so according to the report, you shouldn’t “neglect your website or socials.”

“One of the biggest takeaways is just how much audience understanding is driving success,” Shea says. “The report makes it incredibly clear that ‘small business marketing’ isn’t one audience or one journey—it’s completely dependent on who you’re trying to reach.”

Using digital marketing to attract more customers is also a top priority for small businesses. This is because around half of Gen Z consumers use social media to connect with businesses, compared to 11% of baby boomers. Conversely, 38% of baby boomers still prefer direct mail or flyers. Because of this, small businesses that are looking to target a wide variety of audiences might need two marketing strategies running at once for two different audiences, while those with a more targeted demographic can use this research to meet their potential customers where they are.

But you should also remember to “keep social media social. Don’t be the social media equivalent of the person at the party selling their thing. Nobody likes that person,” says Christina Gressianu, a photographer and small business owner in Colorado. “Show up online with generosity. Answer the questions people are asking about your industry or are afraid to ask. Use your website, your email list and social media to build relationships. And gently let people know how to buy when they’re ready.”

Collaborate with other small businesses

Sometimes the small business next door can be your—and their own—ticket to success.

Wix and Vistaprint’s report also shows that 55% of customers would like to see more collaboration between small businesses, noting that it deepens both reach and relationships for each business involved in the partnership. 

Jessica Hill, owner and founder of The Parent Collective, has seen this type of joint success firsthand. The Parent Collective in particular often engages in joint workshops, cross-promotions and bundled offerings with other organizations, she says, in an atmosphere of expansiveness over competitiveness.

“We’re all serving the same families, just in different ways,” she adds. “By coming together, we amplify each other’s reach and create a more holistic support system for the people we’re trying to help.”

Gressianu also recommends choosing opportunities to collaborate carefully—you should only do it if it’s “very strategic” and “makes sense to the customer.” 

“Small business owners sometimes get distracted by shiny things,” she says. “I really encourage us all to make sure we’re not stepping over dollars to pick up pocket change. Ask the hard questions: What will it take to do this thing? What can we expect to gain? What would we gain if we put that time, money [and] energy into our core offering? See how those answers compare.”

Get involved in community issues

If small businesses are the “heart” of their communities, are they also involved in community issues and challenges? From sponsoring local school events to pitching in when something challenging or tragic happens, and even getting involved in local elections, small businesses have a unique opportunity for improved visibility and influence. 

“There is no better way to show commitment to the community than being present in the room,” says Melissa Cossette, a small business coach and the founder of MAX Event Consulting. “Not every event needs to lead to a sale. Sharing space with people who care about a mutual cause naturally deepens connections. Small businesses can host or co-host events that highlight their expertise while tying into initiatives such as awareness, education, fundraising or celebration.”

Use technology and freelancers to keep staffing costs down

AI and the increase in freelancers and consultants mean that small businesses can keep a lean staff, which reduces costs for everything from office space to benefits packages. This might allow some small business owners to prioritize their (fewer) employees’ satisfaction rates and allow them to build more personal relationships with them.

“To me, people are everything. When someone joins my company, I say it flat out: ‘Your happiness is my top priority—within what makes sense for the business, of course,’” says Tia Katz, founder of Hu-X, a small business and global network of more than 90 coaches and psychologists. “Employees need to feel they can be themselves at work, doing things that interest them, [to] help them reach their own personal [and] professional goals. Once you have that core of people who believe in the organization—and in you as a leader who truly sees them and cares about them—then you can think about expanding.”

According to Chedva Ludmir, a business adviser and the founder of Consider, a consulting business that helps entrepreneurs and founders in Tel Aviv, “new AI and automation capabilities, in tandem with greater access to freelancers, are allowing more small businesses to utilize tools and skills that until recently were exclusive to large companies.” This combination of AI automating tasks and freelancers taking on more work gives small businesses the option to fund a leaner staff and therefore save money.

“This is an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs to create more scale while maintaining a lean team and infrastructure,” Ludmir adds.

Get support when you need it

While all the above strategies are excellent goals, it can still be tough to run a small business. That’s why it’s important to locate resources to help you in your journey. For instance, you could reach out to businesses around you to collaborate, involve a business mentor or coach or find out if your city offers support to local businesses. 

Remember, small businesses are the beating heart of America’s economy—you’re not in this alone.

Photo by SofikoS/Shutterstock.com

The post Positioning for Growth: How Small Businesses Can Succeed in 2025 and Beyond appeared first on SUCCESS.

A 2025 study reported that visual representations are often easier for people to recall than words. Recent research on Super Bowl advertising also found that brand characters typically outperform celebrities. And a study published in 2024 found that brand mascots provide an emotional connection with the buyer, leading to better engagement with the brand and products or services offered.

“Brands seem to be jumping on this bandwagon more and more. Giving a brand personality through a mascot opens a lot of social media opportunities for promoting the brand, too,” says Chelsea Gladden, CEO of Everything Branding. One example is the McDonald’s mascot Grimace. A Grimace milkshake, which caused a viral trend on TikTok where people pretended to die after consuming it, helped boost 2023 second-quarter global sales by more than 11%.  

 “Not only are brands embracing [mascots] more, they are also doing some pretty funny collaborations together…. These outside-of-the-box collaborations are garnering press and social media attention, a win when brands do it correctly,” she adds. 

Uses (and Misuses) of Mascots

Meet Platty the Platypus. While a semiaquatic duck lookalike creature might be the last thing you think would sell your brand, Sterling Douglass, co-founder and CEO at Chowly, a restaurant technology platform headquartered in Chicago, says the origin of their mascot is as “organic as it gets.

“The idea started inside our revenue team, sales, marketing and customer success [teams] working together as one,” he says. “We wanted a unifying cultural symbol that reflected the adaptability, resilience and personality of both our team and the independent restaurant operators we serve. Platty quickly became a rallying point internally and a memorable way to connect with customers.”

The mascot was born through wordplay, Douglass shares, a spin off of the word “platform.” “The sales team threw it out there, marketing ran with it and it clicked. The platypus felt like a perfect metaphor for Chowly. It’s a unique mix of traits, just like our platform brings multiple capabilities together in one place,” he says.

Platty hangs out in their social posts and campaigns, company swag, internal Slack channels, event booths and onboarding kits for new hires, among other spots.

Douglass notes that your mascot should embody the qualities of your business it represents. “Platypuses are adaptable, resourceful and stand out in a world of sameness, qualities we believe are essential for restaurant operators to thrive.” 

But don’t expect mascots to be a silver bullet solution to your marketing woes. “While Platty isn’t a direct sales driver, he’s been a powerful engagement tool,” Douglass says. “Internally, he’s part of onboarding, recognition, and events, strengthening our culture. Externally, social posts featuring Platty see above-average engagement and improve brand recall. He helps us be memorable in an industry full of competing voices.” 

Another challenge? Ensuring the mascot wasn’t too much of a gimmick. “We use Platty as a personality enhancer, not the lead act,” Douglass says. 

“We… had to balance fun with professionalism, especially in B2B restaurant tech,” he adds. 

Gladden cautions doing your homework before introducing a new character. “A lot of research needs to be done before marrying a mascot or spokesperson to a brand to ensure it’s in no way offensive, culturally inappropriate or unrelatable for the brand’s key demographic,” she says. Also, consider how your mascot might impact your future business leads. “Brands need to be careful with the [demographics] they are hoping to become their customers, and whether having a mascot aligns with their core audience and brand perception.”

So, take a line from the Pillsbury Doughboy, Michelin Man or Duracell Bunny at your next marketing meeting—and dream up the next great mascot.

Photo of Platty from Chowly.com

The post Is Your Brand Missing… a Mascot?  appeared first on SUCCESS.

Companies with supportive work environments outperform competitors

The 2024 Management 250 from Wall Street Journal is based on data and analysis from the University of Bern. The research, built on data from the Drucker Institute’s model of corporate effectiveness, reveals that employees are most engaged when compensation and culture work hand in hand. Firms that pay competitively and cultivate environments of trust, learning and shared purpose don’t just keep their people longer—they outperform others that don’t. 

Between 2018 and 2023, the researchers looked at how well different groups of companies performed depending on how they treated their employees. The companies that scored highest for employee engagement and development—meaning they offered good pay and a strong, supportive culture—earned an average annual return of 19.3%. 

That’s much higher than the 12.1% average return of the S&P 500. Companies that focused only on high pay did almost as well, with a 19% return, but those that scored poorly on both pay and culture lagged far behind at 11.8%. 

Highly engaged teams can be more productive and more profitable

Ask anyone why they stick with a company and they’ll mention the people, the atmosphere or the sense of purpose. That’s culture, and it’s now every bit as important as pay. Employees who experience trust and recognition tend to put in more effort and are more likely to stay. 

According to Gallup research, highly engaged teams can collectively result in 23% more profitability, and companies with strong engagement can see turnover as much as 51% lower. Feeling like your work counts can make all the difference. Great Place to Work reports that employees who find real meaning in what they do can be 67% more likely to want to stay with their company for years to come.

Gallup says the most successful companies treat employees as partners in shaping their own careers and the company’s future. That means not just paying attention to outputs, but making sure people understand what’s expected, have what they need to succeed, can grow their skills and enjoy a supportive work environment. 

Workplace culture shapes every aspect of employee experience

Workplace culture is more than décor and mission statements; it’s the product of shared beliefs and collective behavior. Culture shapes the experience of every worker, from the way meetings are run to how achievements are celebrated. When employees feel that their work has meaning and their contributions are valued, the organization thrives, and people want to stay. 

Some of the world’s most admired companies are making culture a living breathing part of everyday work. Google, for example, at one time implemented a “20% time” program, in which staff were encouraged to dedicate a portion of their workweek to passion projects that align with both personal interests and company goals.

Autonomy like this can allow employees to explore creative ideas, develop new skills and feel a real sense of ownership over their work. Many successful products, like Gmail and Google News, originated from these projects, showing that when employees are trusted to follow their curiosity, both they and the organization flourish.  

Culture and compensation work together

While culture drives engagement and loyalty, competitive pay remains a critical factor in today’s tight labor market. Rising inflation, cost-of-living pressures and increased competition for talent mean employees are weighing compensation more heavily than ever. Even the most supportive and meaningful workplace can struggle to retain staff if pay falls short of industry standards. 

Pay can be a powerful motivator, but its impact primarily depends on how engaged employees feel. Gallup found that most employees would need more than a 20% pay increase to leave an employer who engages them. For employees who are highly engaged and genuinely invested in their workplace culture, money alone isn’t enough. It usually takes a significant pay boost to convince them to jump ship. 

Regardless of the labor market conditions, employees who feel undervalued or underpaid are more likely to leave, while those who feel challenged, recognized and fairly compensated tend to stay and contribute more. Companies that balance culture and pay create a sustainable competitive edge, one that benefits both employees and the bottom line.

Photo by Josep Suria/Shutterstock

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