Stephen Nalley

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While some challenges may seem insurmountable, there are always steps you can take to get on the right track. With an uncertain economy and various social and political changes, many businesses have been facing incredibly challenging times. While some have been forced to shut down, others have managed to survive by making difficult operational decisions or pivoting in a new direction.  But, even in the most ideal times, challenges are never too far away from an entrepreneur. Whether it’s trouble with financing, unmet audience expectations, managing employees who rely on you, or even just your own mental health as the leader who has to cope with these challenges, being a business leader means you’ll likely face some sort of obstacle during your career. The key is knowing how to overcome it. As leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have faced their own trials and tribulations over the years and have learned lessons along the way that have helped them get back on their feet. Below, they share how they've navigated through tough times and failure in business, and what other struggling leaders can learn from their example.

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You’ll need more than a clever idea to draw in repeat customers. First impressions matter — especially when you’re trying to sell something. How someone views your business, interprets your message or desires your product all play a big role in how likely they are to become a customer. Often, the first time a potential customer may come in contact with your brand is when viewing an ad. This means that, no matter the format of the ad or the platform it is presented on, your ad must be attention-grabbing and informative if you want it to be effective. But what exactly makes an ad effective? And what elements should be included when trying to design the perfect advertisement for your business? The business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council suggest starting with the following six ingredients. From a strong call to action to a good reason to stop “scrolling,” these key elements will help any business draw in more customers.

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Here's how to manage stress and burnout even when you're thriving. Success in business often comes at a cost to the people who achieve it. Long hours, high stakes and relentless pressure can take a toll on even the most driven entrepreneurs and leaders. Because burnout and stress can significantly impact decision-making, team dynamics and the future of your business, it's important to proactively address these feelings and manage them effectively. To help you do this, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their tried-and-true tips for dealing with the stress that can come with success.

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Without a focused approach, it can be all too easy to get lost in a sea of useless information. With new platforms, a multitude of media options and endless content being produced each day, those hoping to keep up with the latest trends or news may have a difficult time finding a single source they can rely on. This is especially true of business leaders in the culture space, who must not only keep up with the trends but stay ahead of them to better target and influence their customers. While simply hopping on social media or your chosen news outlet is one way to stay in the know, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have a more focused approach. Here, they each offer up one specific resource they turn to to help them keep up with industry trends, news and updates and why it’s so useful to their business.

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Moving up in a company isn’t just about working hard—it’s about working smart, building relationships and demonstrating your value in ways that align with the organization’s goals.

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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.

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When business passion fades, these strategies can provide some much-needed inspiration. When you’re a leader in the culture space, it's easy to get burned out when trends change as quickly as they emerge. The constant pressure to innovate and adapt can make it challenging to stay connected to the passion that drives your work. To help you keep that spark alive, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council offer their tried-and-true strategies for reigniting your enthusiasm. From focusing on your mission to seeking out new challenges, these approaches can help you maintain your passion and avoid burnout in this fast-paced industry.

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Here are some strategies I’m using to set achievable goals in these areas, along with tips and insights to help you prepare for a successful year ahead.

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Sometimes, breaking the rules leads to the biggest breakthroughs. For many entrepreneurs, taking an unconventional approach — whether in strategy, hiring or growth tactics — has led to invaluable lessons and unique successes in their businesses. But choosing to go against the grain isn’t without risk, as each choice shapes the path forward in surprising ways. Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share moments when they challenged traditional advice. Through the lessons they learned along the way, they offer practical insights to inspire bold steps on your own entrepreneurial path.

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Politics isn’t going anywhere, and it will continue to be a part of workplace conversations.

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If you want to convince someone to buy from you, first you have to understand the value you’re offering. When you run a business in a creative industry, it might not always be clear how to monetize your work. Whether you’re an independent artist, a freelance creator or any other form of solopreneur, one of the first steps on your road to success is managing to land your first sale — and that can be a tricky endeavor on your own. Having each worked in the culture space for some time, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council know what it takes to run successful businesses in creative industries. Here, they weigh in with words of wisdom for aspiring or current entrepreneurs on how to land that elusive first sale, and what it takes to keep your business going even after you’ve earned your first customer.

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Don’t let a few roadblocks keep you from trying your hand at business ownership. No business is without its challenges. Even the most successful of companies today started out as simple ideas that had to be worked on and evolved over time. And with about 20 percent of businesses failing to make it past their first year, it’s not uncommon for the obstacles in the way of entrepreneurial success to become too difficult for aspiring business owners to overcome. In the culture space, where so much of a company’s success depends upon the trends and desires of the day, carving out a secure space in the market can be an even greater challenge. For those entrepreneurs willing to take the leap, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss 10 key hurdles aspiring business owners will need to overcome if they want to succeed in the culture space today — and why doing so will make them stronger over time.

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When you're managing a distributed team, a little intention goes a long way. Both remote and hybrid work environments have proven to be smart solutions for those companies looking to give their employees greater freedom and control over their work-life balance. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t come with their own set of cons. Relationship-building and peer-to-peer connections, while certainly possible, can be more challenging for remote and hybrid teams who aren’t physically in the same place at once. This can leave some employees feeling isolated if there is no plan to address it. Thankfully, managers can utilize plenty of strategies, tips and tricks to keep their teams connected and communicating well. With the recent surge in popularity for remote and hybrid workspaces, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council have become well-acquainted with these strategies. Below, they discuss their top tips for those struggling to manage their teams in a hybrid or remote workplace and share how to connect with and manage employees well in these types of environments.

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A motivated, engaged, and satisfied team is the foundation of any successful organization.

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Business may be changing, but certain leadership traits are timeless. At a time of economic uncertainty, social media and a tug-of-war between at-home and in-office work, running a business means taking on entirely new challenges current business leaders may not have ever experienced. To succeed, leaders will need to develop new skill sets and cultivate or improve certain traits that will allow them to confidently lead now and as the business landscape continues to change.  Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss 11 of those traits, sharing why they believe all leaders need to cultivate them in order to succeed in today’s market.

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Navigate around these common branding pitfalls to strengthen your reputation and boost audience engagement. For today's businesses, managing a strong online presence is just as important as delivering quality products or services. However, boosting your company’s brand can be difficult in a saturated online space, and there's no shortage of potential pitfalls that can undermine your reputation. Below, Rolling Stone Culture Council members explore common mistakes businesses make when promoting themselves online. Their insights can help you avoid these missteps, increase audience engagement and strengthen your brand’s overall marketability.

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Become a recognized expert in your field with these effective thought leadership strategies. As an entrepreneur or business leader, building influence in your chosen niche can cement your status as a credible industry thought leader. Being influential requires strategic actions that establish your expertise and encourage relationships with key players in your field. To help you do this, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their top recommended strategies for elevating your influence within your industry. These strategies can make all the difference when you are trying to establish your reputation as a sought-after and respected expert.

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Whether you're working in a large corporation or a small business, navigating the dynamics of power, influence, and relationships is crucial for your success and well-being.

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When it comes to human-to-human connection, AI can be a valuable tool. As AI becomes more and more commonplace in business, there are some leaders who worry about it replacing the human element of customer service and engagement. Will customers really be happy talking to AI over another human being? Will business lose its personal touch? While AI is certainly poised to change the way business is currently conducted, many leaders believe that technology can be used as a key tool for bettering relationships between customers and companies — not replacing them. Below, 10 business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in with their thoughts on technology in business, each discussing one way a business can leverage technology to build better relationships with its customers and what's worked well for them.

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Employee retention is a multifaceted challenge that requires a proactive and holistic approach.

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To keep DEI top of mind, you’ll need to make it more than just a goal. Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, has become a major topic of discussion in the corporate world over the last few years, with companies looking to better represent their customer base and offer a more inviting environment and equitable opportunities to their employees. However, while some companies continue to lead the charge in implementing new DEI initiatives, others have slowed, or even completely stalled, their efforts. Whether it’s due to a lack of resources for these departments, unsustainable practices or a loss of motivation, some companies are finding it harder and harder to continue to build upon their DEI efforts with the same vigor they once had.  However, there are still ways to ensure DEI remains an important part of your company culture and processes, even if you run into red tape. Here, seven business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss some of the best practices any business can follow to keep diversity, equity and inclusion top of mind for teams at all levels of an organization.

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This culture of giving extends beyond organized events and becomes part of daily operations and interactions.

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Here's how to strategically create and follow through on your most important business goals. No matter what industry you're in, business success starts with identifying short- and long-term goals. However, it can be tricky to figure out exactly how to set and achieve those objectives. To help, Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders share their goal-setting strategies and why these methods are effective. Follow their recommendations to help you refine your approach to achieving your business goals.

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Increasing brand awareness is a multifaceted effort that requires strategic planning and execution.

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Don’t let these blunders ruin your customer relationships. Poor customer service can have a big effect on a business’s ability to succeed. And while a smile and a helpful attitude can go a long way toward creating a positive experience for a customer, they aren’t the only aspects of customer service that need to be focused on. Whether it’s slow response times or even relying too heavily on customer self-help tools, there may be some practices you don’t even realize are hurting your relationships with your customers.  Pinpointing your company’s bad practices is essential if you want to improve your customer service efforts and, as a result, the overall happiness of your customers. To get started, consider this list of bad practices that could be derailing your company's customer service efforts, courtesy of Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders.

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To get customers excited about your event, you’ll have to think like them first. With the weather warming up and summer just getting started, people are eager to spend more time outdoors and attend various summer events and activities. But concerts and festivals aren’t the only events on the agenda — plenty of businesses host events in the summer, or year-round, to help promote their goods or services and to connect with their customers in fun, unique ways.  However, with so many other events taking place, it can be difficult for businesses to ensure theirs will be guaranteed a spot on customers’ calendars. Thankfully, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council have a few suggestions for how to resolve this dilemma. Below, they discuss seven actions businesses can take to ensure their event is not only well-attended but thoroughly enjoyed by all.

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Building the brand image you want starts with smart PR moves. In business — and especially the culture space — what the public thinks of your brand is everything. Do they find you trustworthy and reliable? Do they think of you as innovative, cool or luxurious? Controlling the narrative around your brand is key to ensuring you create the image you’re after — and to ensuring you’re reaching your desired target audience.  However, public relations is an art as much as it is a science, and many businesses that don’t have experience in this particular area can end up making mistakes that could damage their reputation in the short and long term. To avoid these same blunders, consider this list of common mistakes as outlined by the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Below, they detail why these mistakes can be detrimental to your brand goals and advise what actions you should take instead.

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Developing an outcomes-based culture is an ongoing process that requires deliberate actions and commitment from all levels of an organization.

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A little support from leadership can go a long way. Filled with worry about the rising cost of living, the possible negative implications of AI in the workplace and increasingly unsustainable workloads, employees are feeling burned out. And with high levels of employee stress, both productivity and overall employee morale are negatively affected, meaning leaders are likely to have a growing problem from both a profit and personnel perspective if they don’t get a handle on it — and fast. However, the solution may be a simple one: support. According to the business experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council, showing your employees you care about them and their mental health and well-being is an essential first step to improving employee happiness and decreasing the cases of burnout. Here are the 11 ways they recommend you do so.

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The journey of these companies underscores the potential of remote work to bolster flexibility, diversity and overall employee well-being.