Skills
About
Vanessa Merit Nornberg is the owner of Metal Mafia, a jewelry manufacturer and distributor which has twice been named to the Inc 5000 list of America’s fastest growing privately-owned companies. Vanessa’s calling has always been selling—and she believes that every move an entrepreneur makes, from starting-up to exiting, should be about making the sale. She is the author of the weekly In the Trenches, column on Inc.com, and her writing has also been featured on the Huffington Post, Forbes.com, and others. Vanessa believes that entrepreneurship is the last avenue of class mobility, and thus, regularly speaks with high school students across the country.
Vanessa Nornberg
Published content
expert panel
Feedback can be hard to listen to, but it’s almost always valuable. Whether it's from fans, critics or team members, criticism is unavoidable as a business leader. Especially in the culture space where so many businesses are built around trending interests and tastes, receiving feedback on your business or yourself as a leader is understandably inevitable. However, learning to handle criticism with grace is a learned skill that's not always easy to do when you’re passionate about your project. Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council reflect on their experiences with criticism and offer up 12 tips you can use to better handle criticism as a leader while staying grounded in your vision.
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Mentorship can improve you as a leader as well — not just your mentee. Especially in creative-led industries such as music, art and even just general business, having a mentor can ensure someone starts on the path to success. A mentor can guide someone through the decision-making process, encourage a clever idea (or discourage a bad one) and help introduce them to other people and opportunities that could help define their career. However, mentorship is also leadership and, like any skill, can take time and intention to master. It may not come naturally to everyone, and those interested in taking on a mentorship role will need to first look at themselves if they want to later help others. Below, eight business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council share their insights on mentorship in the culture space and offer up their best advice for becoming a better mentor for any current or future mentees you may take on.
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Take your team to the next level with these expert-approved motivation strategies. Great managers know that bringing out the best in their teams requires more than just setting expectations. Your employees have to feel motivated, supported and empowered to excel — and that all starts with the work environment. Whether through fostering open communication or aligning employee strengths with responsibilities, the right strategies can unlock your team’s full potential. Read on for advice from Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders about effective management approaches that drive performance and boost morale.
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Making a few small changes can have a big impact on employee happiness overall. With employee retention at the forefront of many leaders’ minds this year, finding ways to ensure their teams are happy, healthy and heard is likely on the top of their to-do lists for 2025. One of the most effective ways to improve employee retention is to create a better work environment for them to thrive in. Whether that means better lines of communication, increased flexibility or a more supportive atmosphere, there are a multitude of ways to create a space where employees want to work. As business leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have cultivated work environments all their own, and below, they discuss what’s worked well for them as well as ways any business leader can create a better environment for their employees in the new year.
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No business is ever a total failure if you’ve learned something from it. It’s a sad reality that many businesses will fail — in fact, around 18 percent of businesses tend to fail within their first year of operation. However, a failing business doesn’t have to be a total loss for an entrepreneur. There are often many valuable lessons to be learned from a failed business — whether it’s your own or another brand’s. The key is figuring out what those lessons are and how you can apply them to your next business venture. As leaders in the culture space, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have seen many businesses come and go. Below, they share the notable lessons they've learned from the failure of a business and how that has impacted how they lead now.
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Dec 13, 2024
Industry leaders share the top business goals your company should implement in the new year. As another new year approaches, businesses in every industry are reevaluating their priorities to adapt to evolving market demands and consumer expectations. From sustainability initiatives to embracing technological advancements, the goals companies choose to pursue will shape their success and impact. But what are the most important things for businesses to focus on, and are those goals universal? Here, Rolling Stone Culture Council members weigh in on the key objectives they believe more organizations should aim for in 2025 and why these goals can make such a difference in your success next year.
Company details
Metal Mafia
Company bio
Metal Mafia designs and sells body jewelry to 5000+ independent retailers around the country, and makes private label costume jewelry as well. We are the home of the hottest metals in the market.