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In 2025, it’s not enough to simply use AI; you need to leverage it strategically to make serious money. This video reveals a powerful, three-step framework for turning Google AI Studio (a free tool!) into your personal, profit-boosting machine.

Using a data-driven approach to marketing, you’ll learn how to succeed where others fail in monetizing AI technology. You’ll discover how to train an AI chat window to become your top sales and marketing analyst, uncovering hidden opportunities and maximizing your returns.

This isn’t about vague theories; it’s about actionable steps you can take today. We’ll cover how to gather your crucial business data, teach AI to analyze it like a pro, and then translate those insights into real-world strategies for boosting sales and profits.

Download the free “AI Success Kit” (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from Ben’s brand new book, “The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.”

Ten years ago, I stood on the edge of a tall, craggy rock with waves crashing dramatically around me. Three or four feet away, surrounded by foamy ocean surf, rose an even taller, craggier rock. The sun was hot, the air refreshingly cool. I was enjoying some much-needed downtime in Seychelles, and I’d climbed the rock because I wanted photographic evidence for my six daughters back home in California.

It occurred to me that it’d look even better if I could somehow make it to the second, more impressive rock, so I immediately set about trying to figure out how. I noticed a series of stones between the two that might serve as a sort of bridge; the problem was that my current perch was too slippery to simply climb down. I’d have to jump.

I was nervous but determined. I felt strong — a little athletic. Any doubts were overridden by a sudden surge of confidence, which instructed me to go for it. Then I heard my wife of 15 years, Rachel, who was filming from the shore, say, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Related: The Only 2 Answers You Need to Figure Your Next Move

The video evidence of the disaster that followed will never see the light of day. Suffice it to say that I didn’t quite reach the second rock. Back at the hotel that night, as I lay in bed contemplating my painfully gashed leg, battered body and bruised self-esteem, it occurred to me that there was probably a leadership lesson in here somewhere.

I could think of my accident in one of two ways. The first was that my loving wife had fatally undermined my confidence at the moment of truth; otherwise, I’d have landed nimbly as a cat. The moral for aspiring business leaders is: Be bold. Don’t listen to naysaying voices. Believe in yourself, and success will follow.

The second perspective was that Rachel had asked precisely the right question. At nearly 40 years of age and not quite in my svelte prime, I should have understood that assaulting the second rock was a less-than-stellar idea. In fact, I probably had understood it. What I’d taken for confidence was actually bravado. I knew I was talking myself into a bad deal, but by then, it was too late to retreat.

After carefully considering the available evidence for a millisecond, I chose door number two. In my experience, leadership isn’t always about boldly preceding others over dangerous terrain. Often, it’s a matter of listening to all sides and thoughtfully accepting the best advice. Did I take time to listen to input from all directions as I ran my business?

Related: Are You Ready to Start a Company? Ask Yourself These 6 Questions.

Did I value other points of view to the point that I allowed them to alter outcomes?

In no particular order, here are some thoughts that occurred to me over the next 24 hours as I sat on the beach (poor me, I know) nursing my injured leg instead of scuba diving:

• Having a strong, competitive personality in any walk of life has its advantages, but humility doesn’t usually top the list. Being known for good ideas can cloud your memory of all the many, many bad ones that preceded or even accompanied the former. I’ve gotten okay at not emotionally investing personally in my own ideas over the years, but there are times when my king-of-the-hill side can take charge and propel me toward an unpleasant tumble. These are the times when I need as many people as possible to question my wisdom.
• If Rachel had asked her question ten seconds earlier, there’s a chance I would have thought it over and concluded that no, monkeying around on slick, hard, uneven surfaces was probably better left to climbers much more agile than myself. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if she held back like she did because she doubted that I’d take the hint anyway.
• In the future, shaving off even a second or two of that hesitant doubt could mean the difference between a smooth, unmarred shin and the complete opposite. And the only psychological razor at my disposal in this scenario is to train and retrain myself to listen to people — especially people who know me well. There’s a very fine line between a leap of faith and a leap of hubris, and sometimes, you need partners with perspective to help you judge.
• Sparing room in your personality for approachability is exactly that: a conscious decision followed by practice. When it comes to sports, school, creativity, etc., we accept the relationship between practice and improvement without much fuss. With moral, ethical and temperamental matters, our approach is less precise. If I can train myself to climb, I can train myself to listen.
• Sometimes, you’re going to be wrong regardless. Rachel had a different view than I had as I crouched there precariously with waves crashing into me. A little exercise and training on my part, though, will probably alter her view if we find ourselves in similar circumstances in the future. Being wrong once doesn’t mean that I have to choose the less scenic spot from now on; it just means that I have to prepare better.

Albert Einstein reportedly said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” I’ve known about the virtue of listening since I was a child, but how deep is my understanding? You might ask yourself the same question. Take it from a battered well-wisher: a warning that comes ten seconds too late is really a prophecy, and it sucks being at the wrong end of one of those.

JPMorgan has begun laying off what is expected to be fewer than 1,000 employees, according to a report by Barron’s.

The outlet notes that this round of layoffs affected “several” Houston offices and some now-former employees were notified on February 5. However, this isn’t the end.

JPMorgan is set to announce job cuts in mid-March, May, June, August, and September, though Barron’s states it is not clear how many roles will be impacted by the planned layoffs throughout the year.

Related: JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

“We regularly review our business needs and adjust our staffing accordingly—creating new roles where we see the need or reducing positions when appropriate,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Barron’s.

A source also confirmed the news to Reuters on Wednesday. A spokesperson told the outlet the layoffs are due to “regular management of the business” and noted the high number of roles open at the bank (around 14,000).

“We continue to hire in many areas and work hard to redeploy impacted employees,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

JPMorgan had 317,233 employees at the end of 2024 and reported record profits in 2024.

Related: Here’s How Much 8 CEOs Made in 2024, From JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon to Disney’s Bob Iger

What if the most pressing danger of AI is not its ability to replace jobs, as more than one in five U.S. workers fear, but its potential to cause cognitive decline?

Researchers at Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University published a new study last month that claims to be the first to examine the effects of AI tools on critical thinking.

The researchers found that the more confident human beings were in AI’s abilities to get a task done, the fewer critical-thinking skills they used. Humans confident in AI left critical thinking to ChatGPT instead of doing it themselves and strengthening their cognitive abilities.

Related: Would You Pay $200 for ChatGPT? OpenAI’s New Reasoning Model Has a Hefty Price Tag.

“Used improperly, technologies can and do result in the deterioration of cognitive faculties that ought to be preserved,” the researchers wrote, adding that “a key irony of automation is that by mechanizing routine tasks and leaving exception-handling to the human user, you deprive the user of the routine opportunities to practice their judgment and strengthen their cognitive musculature, leaving them atrophied and unprepared when the exceptions do arise.”

The researchers surveyed 319 knowledge workers, or workers who handle data or information, to find how confident they were in AI’s capabilities and how much critical thinking they employed when using AI to complete tasks. Critical thinking was defined as falling under one of six categories: knowledge (remembering ideas), comprehension (understanding ideas), application (putting ideas to work in the real world), analysis (contrasting and relating ideas), synthesis (combining ideas), and evaluation (judging ideas).

The surveyed knowledge workers used AI like ChatGPT at least once a week and gave 936 examples of how they used AI at work, ranging from looking up facts to summarizing a text. They mainly used critical thinking to set clear prompts, refine prompts, and verify AI responses against external sources.

Six out of the seven researchers listed are associated with Microsoft Research, the research subsidiary of Microsoft created in 1991. Microsoft has deep interests in AI, with its investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI totaling close to $14 billion and its plans to spend $80 billion on AI data centers in the fiscal year ending in June.

The researchers caution that while AI can make workplaces more efficient, it could “also reduce critical engagement, particularly in routine or lower-stakes tasks in which users simply rely on AI, raising concerns about long-term reliance and diminished independent problem-solving.”

In other words, AI has a hidden cost: It could lead workers to lose muscle memory for more routine tasks.

Related: DeepSeek AI Cost Less Than $6 Million to Develop. Here’s Why Meta and Microsoft Are Justifying Spending Billions.

Airbnb announced a Live and Work Anywhere remote work policy in April 2022, which allows the company’s global employees to work from home from any location — as long as they meet up in person regularly for team gatherings.

Now Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is clarifying for the first time what he means by “regular” meetups.

“I have a simple rule: we basically ask people to come to San Francisco one week a month,” Chesky told host Bob Safian on a recent episode of the Masters of Scale Rapid Response podcast. “Some people come for just two or three days. Some people come for the full week.”

^{Brian Chesky. Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for WIRED}

Chesky calls the return-to-office week a “gathering week” when Airbnb coordinates everyone being together in San Francisco. The focus is on collaboration, not on getting people to work harder by having them show up to the office, he says.

“I have not found a huge value in people being in the office all the time,” Chesky said, adding, “What I want is, for the most part, people coming to the San Francisco office, but I can’t get everyone to move here to San Francisco, and I can’t get them to fly here every week.”

Most Airbnb employees are based in San Francisco, Chesky says. Airbnb flies out-of-state or out-of-country employees to the San Francisco office once a month for in-person meetups. Chesky says that the cost is worth it and more affordable than thousands of people coming to work in person five days per week. Even if it was more expensive, he says it would still be worth it.

Related: Airbnb’s New ‘Icons’ Cost Less Than $100 Per Night, Including the House from ‘Up’ and Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’

“I think the output for us is superior,” Chesky said.

Since Airbnb introduced its Live and Work Anywhere, about 20% of employees have relocated to states within the U.S. or abroad. According to Forbes, Airbnb has 6,907 employees.

Chesky also stated in the interview that the way to make a team work harder wasn’t by forcing them to work in person from the office but by setting rigorous milestones.

“If you want a team to work harder, don’t make them come to the office, give them a crazy deadline and check on their progress every week,” Chesky said. “That’s how you get them to work harder, not by being in the office.”

Related: Airbnb Side Hustlers Are Making Thousands of Dollars Every Month. Here Are 10 Things to Know to Turn Your Extra Space Into Cash.

Several large companies have issued return-to-office mandates recently. JPMorgan, for example, announced a mandate last month directing its 300,000-person workforce to work from the office every weekday beginning in March. Gap stated a goal earlier this month of having its corporate employees back in the office five days a week by the fall.

Almost 60% of entrepreneurs worked in the corporate world before starting their own businesses, according to data from accounting software company Xero. So they are probably used to working with Microsoft Office programs. It’s always easier working with familiar programs, but a Microsoft 365 subscription is fairly pricey. Fortunately, for a limited time, you can get a great deal on the top eight MS Office programs with a lifetime license for MS Office Professional 2021 priced at $59.97.

With a lifetime license for Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, Access, Outlook, Publisher and OneNote, you’ll find everything a professional needs in one suite of programs, Microsoft Office 2021 Professional. It’s the perfect choice for anyone who needs to handle documents and data. It has so many new features that will help you become more productive in tasks from processing documents to designing presentations from scratch.

Users will appreciate the familiar ribbon-based interface that makes all the available features, customizations and tools so easily accessible. Quickly customize a wide variety of details, including layout, font, indentation size in documents and much more. You also won’t need to sacrifice work-related functions such as creating presentations or formatting emails just to make your documents more aesthetically pleasing.

This one-time purchase includes an MS Office Pro 2021 license for a single PC with Windows 10 or 11 installed that you can use at work or at home. Please note that the license will be connected to the device on which it’s installed and NOT to your Microsoft account.

You’ll receive your download links instantly by email as soon as you complete your purchase and access your software license keys immediately. Free customer service is also included, so you’ll have the best support.

Get a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows while the price has been dropped to $59.97 through 11:59 p.m. PT February 23.

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License – $59.97

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When my wife, Maria Baradell, posted Instagram and TikTok videos of herself kneading sourdough on an international flight, I knew it had the potential to capture attention. It was quirky, visually interesting and relatable — all the ingredients of a social media hit. What I didn’t expect was how quickly it would jump from TikTok to major outlets like CNN, The Guardian and USA Today.

The results were extraordinary: According to CoverageBook, Maria’s in-flight sourdough story generated 95 pieces of media coverage, reached a combined audience of 1.26 billion people and earned 11.3 million estimated views across digital and print platforms. With an average domain authority of 70 for the publications covering it, the story didn’t just resonate online — it became a global conversation.

For journalists, Maria’s video wasn’t just a fun human-interest story — it was exactly the kind of content they love to cover. Visual? Check. Built-in quotes from TikTok comments? Check. Proven public interest via likes, shares and views? Check. No need to leave the desk or make a single phone call? Double check.

In a media ecosystem shaped by tight deadlines and shrinking newsroom resources, social media has become the primary fodder for journalists. Viral content doesn’t just suggest public interest — it proves it. For brands and PR professionals, this presents a massive opportunity to connect with audiences by crafting moments that check the right boxes.

Related: How to Create a Viral Video Smash Hit

Why Maria’s video captured the world’s attention

Maria’s video resonated because it wasn’t just a quirky clip — it hit all the marks that make a story viral and newsworthy.

The act of kneading dough mid-flight was unexpected, immediately grabbing attention and sparking curiosity. It felt authentic, showcasing Maria’s passion for baking in an unscripted and relatable way. The video also evoked an emotional connection, blending admiration for her creativity with humor over the absurdity of the situation.

However, what really gave the story momentum was the controversy it stirred. While most viewers found the video amusing or inspiring, others were genuinely upset. Critics questioned the hygiene of kneading dough in such a confined public space, while some labeled it inconsiderate to fellow passengers. These strong reactions fueled heated discussions, driving engagement on social media and making the story even more appealing to journalists.

Finally, the video’s visual appeal — a baker rolling dough at 30,000 feet — made it a natural fit for headlines. It wasn’t just a story people wanted to share; it was one that outlets could easily illustrate with striking imagery.

These elements worked together to ensure the video didn’t just resonate online but transitioned seamlessly into global media coverage.

It has since led to Maria appearing on cooking segments on major-market morning TV, being interviewed on top baking podcasts and appearing on national streaming services to share tips for the perfect holiday feast.

How to create media-friendly social media content

For brands and PR professionals, Maria’s story offers a blueprint for creating social media content that bridges the gap to traditional media. To succeed, your content should combine emotional resonance, compelling visuals and broader relevance.

1. Focus on strong visuals: Great visuals don’t just perform well on social media — they’re essential for media coverage. Invest in imagery or videos that stand out and grab attention immediately.

2. Tap into emotions: Stories that make people laugh, admire or debate are far more likely to be shared — and picked up by journalists. Think about what emotional response your content will evoke.

3. Add depth and context: The most successful social media stories touch on broader cultural themes. Consider how your content can connect to trending conversations or universal experiences.

4. Engage your audience: Encourage comments, questions and debates around your content. Journalists love to pull quotes from comment sections to illustrate public reaction.

5. Be ready for the crossover: Viral moments don’t stay online. When your content gains traction, journalists may come calling. Prepare in advance with clear messaging, spokespeople and follow-up content to keep the momentum going.

Related: 4 Unconventional Marketing Campaigns That Demanded Media Attention — and What Your Brand Can Learn From Them

Why social media is the perfect newsroom fuel

Social media stories like Maria’s work because they come with all the elements newsrooms need to turn around a quick, engaging piece.

Maria’s video was highly visual, came with ready-made quotes from TikTok’s comment section and had proven public interest through its likes, shares and views. It required no additional reporting, making it easy for journalists to cover in minutes. For outlets juggling tight deadlines and shrinking budgets, stories like this are gold.

The growing reliance on social media as a source for news presents a unique opportunity for brands. By creating content that resonates emotionally, sparks discussion and is visually striking, you can position your stories to bridge the gap between social platforms and traditional media.

The takeaway: Social media drives modern journalism

Maria’s sourdough moment wasn’t just a quirky viral video; it was a textbook example of how social media fuels modern journalism. For many outlets, stories like hers are the perfect package — visual, engaging and pre-approved by the audience.

For brands and PR professionals, the opportunity is clear. By crafting content that combines emotional resonance, visual appeal and relevance to broader conversations, you can significantly increase your chances of transitioning from social media to traditional media.

In today’s media landscape, the best stories don’t just travel — they get amplified. Sometimes, all it takes is a ball of dough, a tray table and a little creativity to spark a global conversation.

Related: How Social Media Can Help With PR

Stop guessing what works in your marketing. Most entrepreneurs use AI for basic tasks, but you’re about to discover a hidden goldmine: turning Google AI Studio into your personal, 24/7 marketing consultant — and it won’t cost you a dime.

In this video, I reveal a five-step framework to analyze your existing email campaigns, identify your top performers and use those insights to craft high-converting emails, landing pages and even optimize your order forms. This isn’t about generic AI advice; it’s about using your data to unlock explosive growth.

This is the key to transforming your marketing from guesswork to a data-driven, profit-generating machine. Are you ready to tap into the hidden AI goldmine? Watch now!

Download the free “AI Success Kit” (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from Ben’s brand new book, “The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.”

Walmart may have generated the most revenue of any other company in the S&P 500 for the past 12 consecutive years, but another e-commerce giant is coming for its crown.

Amazon reported revenue of $187.8 billion in its latest earnings release for the fourth quarter of 2024 after market close on Thursday, which is more than the $180 billion in revenue Walmart is projected to report for the same quarter on February 20, according to a Thursday report from CNBC.

If the Walmart projection comes to pass, it would mark the first time in over a decade that another company has usurped Walmart as the top revenue-generator on the S&P 500. In 2012, Walmart took the top spot from Exxon Mobil, per CNBC.

Related: Walmart Is Laying Off Hundreds, Relocating Others as the Company Closes a U.S. Office

“The holiday shopping season was the most successful yet for Amazon and we appreciate the support of our customers, selling partners, and employees who helped make it so,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated in the earnings release.

Amazon’s online shopping business has skyrocketed since the pandemic. The company’s annual sales in North America have grown by more than 100% since 2019, per CNBC.

Amazon’s successful cloud business, Amazon Web Services (AWS), also contributed to its revenue growth. Revenue in the division has swelled in the past few years, growing from $45.37 billion in 2020 to nearly double that amount, or $90.76 billion, in 2023, according to Statista.

^{Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

In the third quarter of 2024, AWS revenue increased 19% year-over-year and contributed to 17% of total sales.

Amazon also hit a milestone for its revenue for the full year of 2024. The company crossed the $600 billion mark for the first time in 2024 with a record revenue of $638 billion.

In this measure, Amazon isn’t expected to surpass Walmart, which is predicted to report full-year revenue of $681 billion for 2024 and has already exceeded the $600 billion mark in 2023 with revenue of $611.3 billion.

Related: Top-Performing Walmart Managers Can Now Make $620,000 a Year

Americans can’t get enough of side hustles — the gigs allowing them to earn extra cash outside of their 9-5 jobs — and young entrepreneurs are especially keen to start their own. These days, 44% of millennials and 48% of Gen Z have a side hustle, according to Bankrate’s Side Hustles Survey.

However, millennial and Gen Z side hustlers are no longer the newest on the scene: Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024, might be between the ages of 1 and 14, but many of them are already taking control of their financial futures.

Related: Move Over Boomers and Millennials — Here’s How Gen Alpha’s Top Entrepreneurs Are Printing Money

A staggering 69% of Gen Alpha say they’ve started or plan to start a side hustle, according to the Acorns Money Matters Report™ for Kids.

Acorns’ report, which surveyed more than 60,000 6-to-14-year-olds and 2,000 of their parents, explores Gen Alpha‘s financial planning — and their parents’ own financial concerns.

An “economic powerhouse” with an estimated $11.3 billion spending power, Gen Alpha is getting proactive about their personal finances: They’re planning or starting side hustles to earn additional spending money (58%) or save funds for the future (31%), the report found.

Related: ‘My Schedule Is Mayhem’: Nearly 50% of Parents Now Have Side Hustles, According to a New Survey

“It’s encouraging to see how mindful Gen Alpha already is about financial security,” Acorns CEO Noah Kerner says.

What exactly are these young side hustlers saving for? According to the report, 19% are already saving for college, 24% for their first car, 11% for their first home and 6% for their retirement.

What’s more, Gen Alpha’s parents might be contributing to their children’s money mentalities.

Most kids and teens aged 10 to 14 (63%) hear their parents talk about money often, and among children in that age group who associate stress with money, more than three-quarters of their parents report feeling the same way, Acorns’ research revealed.

Related: ‘It Was Taboo’: Parents Shape Their Children’s Relationship With Money. Here’s How to Set Kids Up for Long-Term Success Instead of Struggle.

Northwestern Mutual vice president and chief portfolio manager Matt Stucky told Entrepreneur that parents can instill strong money management skills in their kids like any other good habit.

“It just takes a lot of repetition — things like saving, investing,” Stucky says. “I’m not going to teach my 4-year-old about investing, but just the idea of if I save a dollar, that means I can spend it down the road on something that I really want. That takes a while to sink in.”

This article is part of our ongoing Young Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of being a young business owner.