Entrepreneur Magazine Dec-15

There are people and there are trends. Behind both? Thought. And the reinvention of thought. Trends and people can never be separated. The people part represents the soul—the heartbeat. What are trends? That’s the thing: They are created by humans rethinking the known ways of doing things. People are the force behind new ideas. And one thing we’ve learned here is that behind invention is humanity. There’s math and there’s something more: people and thought and passion—and the fire in the belly that lights the two. Yes, we have trends and the things that will define our future economy, but almost always, without fail, people define the trends. And the trends define the future. You, as entrepreneurs, are the future. The two are inextricably connected. Trends without the intellect are…

JUDITH PUCKETT-RINELLA Our photography director is new to us, but has made a career at titles such as BlackBook, Details, T: The New York Times Style Magazine and Vanity Fair. Judith is also an entrepreneur: founder and president of design emporium Whisper Editions. BRIAN HIGBEE A photographer on the rise, Brian was the mastermind behind our stunning Kelly Slater cover. He’s a collaborator, a poet, a dreamer. His first instinct on the cover assignment was “Let’s get Kelly in his element—water.” And it worked.…

It’s a Hit Thank you for running “The Hit Man” (November) about will.i.am and his tech companies. I get your magazine not only for myself but also to share with co-workers. Most of them are Millennials, and at least a third are African-American, so having someone like will.i.am telling them that they can and should pursue interests in developing, launching and running businesses is very important. Seeing someone else succeed who looks like you and comes from your background is essential to developing the confidence to step out in the world and take the kinds of chances necessary for success. Please continue to feature people of color on your covers and in your “centerfold” articles. Jane M. Smith TEMPE, ARIZ. New Look Just reaching out to say that I love…

Shout Out No. Dear god, no. You did not just order the ravioli at a business lunch. Friend, you need help. Who better to give it to you than our very own Esquire Guy, Ross McCammon? His hilarious new book Works Well With Others (Dutton) will fill you in on the business skills and etiquette you need to know to get things done (or at least fake it) without being a jerk. We couldn’t be more proud. GrowthCon 2015 Entrepreneur on Dec. 15 in Long Beach, Calif., for a day of how-to sessions and networking opportunities. You’ll come away with fresh ideas, hands-on tools, powerful insights and strategies that work. Plus, we’ll present a total of $50,000 to…

SOMETHING happened to all of us about four years ago. Quietly, and without our approval, a new responsibility was added to our job descriptions: brand ambassador. It happened to each of us the first time we made a company- related post on social media. The Facebook post of colleagues at a bar after a conference in 2011. The Instagram shot of the dangling M&M’s bag in the candy machine with the hashtag “#soclose” in 2012. The tweet “Bored at work” and accompanying photo of a (legitimately impressive) paper-clip sculpture. We were involved in acquiring this responsibility—we practically gave our companies no choice but to confer it. But this responsibility was never agreed upon. And therefore, the ramifications of failing to meet the duties associated with it haven’t been fully considered.…

The Twitter disclaimer “Opinions are mine alone” does not fully disclaim your ties to your company. Especially when the first thing you list in your bio is your job title. Before posting something on social media about your company, ask yourself: If my company were a person, would it appreciate this? You’re not harming the company when you post something that isn’t “on brand.” You’re taking away its brandness altogether. You’re “un-branding” it. In fact, you’re humanizing it. But you may be humanizing it in ways it doesn’t want to be humanized. Especially when you tweet from the restroom.…