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You really have to stand up for yourself. Thats the message Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran sent loud and clear in a recent interview she gave LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky. The interview is full of powerful lessons from Corcorans life, but one story stood head and shoulders above the rest: The time Shark Tank fired her, before she taped a single episode. Corcoran said she received a call from a woman asking her to be on a new show called Shark Tank. Ecstatic, Corcoran agreed. She immediately went on a shopping spree, buying new outfits and autograph-signing materials. Im going to Hollywood! she excitedly told her friends. Then, Corcoran got a dreadful phone call telling her they changed their mind and had decided to give her seat to another woman. I just couldnt believe it, said Corcoran. It was the equivalent of [my ex-boyfriend] telling me he was marrying my secretary. After hanging up the phone, Corcoran says she was crestfallen. But after taking a minute to feel sorry for herself, she took matters into her own hands. Corcoran wrote an email directly to Shark Tank creator, Mark Burnett. Dear Mark, I consider your rejection a lucky charm, Corcoran says. Everything good happens to me after I get rejected. Corcoran then detailed multiple stories as evidence, including the time Donald Trump told her shed never collect a penny of her $4 million commission, after which Corcoran says she sued Trump and got every penny. Corcoran says she ended the email like this: I expect to be on that plane on Tuesday. And I hope you let me compete for the seat. Shortly thereafter, Burnetts secretary wrote Corcoran telling her she would have the chance to compete for the seat. The rest is history. Corcorans actions teach a powerful lesson in emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage emotions effectively. Lets break down three valuable takeaways from Corcorans story and see how you can apply them to your own business. (If you find value in this lesson, you might be interested in my free emotional intelligence course, which provides a new tip for building emotional intelligence every day for a week.) Dont dwell on negative emotions Corcoran credits her employees for teaching her a lesson that helped her at this crucial moment. I learned from my salespeople over the years that the greatest salespeople [spend] less time feeling sorry for themselves, Corcoran said. They take the hits like everybody else but they dont give themselves much time. I mimic them in my own personality. And I really credit their example [for] what I did to Mark Burnett. Its not just effective salespeople. Everyone experiences failure. Everyone has bad moments. But instead of dwelling on negative emotions, emotionally intelligent people have the ability to process them and move on. As its been said: You may not be able to stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can keep it from building a nest. Use negative experiences as motivation Instead of throwing herself a pity party, Corcoran used Burnetts rejection as motivation. She then channeled those feelings and emotions into her email. It worked. Not only did Corcoran motivate herself, her quick action, confidence, and masterful storytelling convinced Burnett to change course and give her a shot. Corcoran says she learned that lesson when her ex-husband told her he was leaving her for her secretary. Consequently, Corcoran split the business she ran with her ex in half, and he told her shed never succeed without him. When he gave me that curse leaving, Ill tell you, I knew I was going to be successful, Cocoran said. Just to prove him wrong. Negative emotions can be useful if you learn how to harness them. But to do that, you have to consciously decide what youre going to do with them. Be like Corcoran and use negative emotions as a catalyst for positive action. Focus on what you can control Corcoran realized she couldnt force Burnett to change his mind. But she could stand up for herself, which would prove beneficial for her mental state. And by getting on that plane and showing up, Corcoran gave herself every opportunity to get on Shark Tank. This teaches a final powerful lesson: You cant waste time on things you cant control. But you can focus on what you can control and take action accordingly. Dealing with a customer who refused to pay an invoice? Offer them a compelling reason to pay. Got an employee whos lost their drive? Give them a listening ear and think of how you can support them. The key is to ask yourself: What can I do to make this situation better? So, the next time youre frustrated by someone elses actions, take a page out of Barbara Corcorans playbook and: Dont dwell on negative emotions.
Category:
E-Commerce
Two months ago, Apple released iOS 26 for the iPhone. The new operating system includes several productivity and other enhancements, but the main feature is a new design language called Liquid Glass. The flat, minimalist look of iOS that lasted for more than a decade is gone, replaced by a transparent interface of toolbars and buttons that mimic how light bends and warps as it passes through glass. Those who appreciate the new look of iOS often praise Liquid Glass as refreshing and unique, saying it gives the iPhones software a sense of fluidity that other touch interfaces lack. Others argue that Liquid Glasss transparent elements make the device harder to use, as the content behind iOS 26s buttons and toolbars often obscures the symbols or text that label the interface elements. If you fall into the latter group, theres some good news. Apple is increasingly providing options to tone down the most controversial aspects of the Liquid Glass design. Here they are: Option #1: Turn on the tint This week, Apple released its first major update to iOS 26: iOS 26.1. This update fixed numerous bugs while also adding new features; it expanded Apple Intelligence and AirPods Live Translation features to new countries, added new swipe controls to the Music app, and overhauled the alarm clock interface so you dont accidentally tap snooze and miss your meeting. The new clear (left) and tinted (right) options for Liquid Glass. But as Fast Company previously reported, iOS 26.1s best new feature is a toggle that lets users tone down Liquid Glass’s design. It does this by allowing users to choose between two different Liquid Glass interfaces. The Clear interface is the default Liquid Glass, with interface element transparency at a maximum. The Tinted interface option reduces this default transparency to give Liquid Glass elements a more frosted look. This can greatly improve the readability of button and toolbar labels by increasing their contrast. Turning on the Liquid Glass tint is easy, as long as you have iOS 26.1 installed on your iPhone: Open the Settings app. Tap Display and Brightness. Tap Liquid Glass. Tap the Tinted option. As you can see from the screenshots above, the “tinted” Liquid Glass option brings a frosted look (right) to the default transparency (left). Option #2: Increase the contrast If youre still on iOS 26.0 or just want to eliminate the default look of Liquid Glass even more on your iPhone that’s running iOS 26.1, you can tone down Liquid Glass in three other ways. The default look of Liquid Glass (left) versus Liquid Glass with the Increase Contrast Accessibility option enabled (right). The first is by enabling the Increase Contrast Accessibility option on your iPhone. This feature is designed for users with sight issues, but anyone can enable it, and many have found that doing so makes Liquid Glass more palatable. As Apple notes, enabling this setting helps Increase color contrast between app foreground and background colors. Heres how you turn it on: Open the Settings app. Tap Accessibility. Tap Display & Text Size. Toggle the Increase Contrast switch to ON (green). As you can see in the screenshots above, enabling the Increase Contrast option (right) adds a slight outline around interface borders and adds a grey smokiness to transparent elements, which makes text and buttons easier to see than they are in the default Liquid Glass design (left). Option #3: Reduce the transparency A third way to tone down Liquid Glass is to enable another Accessibility option on your iPhone called Reduce Transparency. The default look of Liquid Glass (left) versus Liquid Glass with the Reduce Transparency Accessibility option enabled (right). This option tones Liquid Glass down even further than the Increase Contrast option, greatly reducing its transparency. As Apple notes, this option helps Improve contrast by reducing transparency and blurs on some backgrounds to increase legibility. To enable the setting: Open the Settings app. Tap Accessibility. Tap Display & Text Size. Toggle the Reduce Transparency switch to ON (green). As you can see in the screenshot above, enabling the Reduce Transparency option (right) virtually blocks any background content from bleeding through buttons and toolbar elements. Option #4: Outline buttons for easier visibility A final way to tone down Liquid Glass is to force iOS 26.1 to show borders around buttons and other UI elements. This is done via the “Show Borders” Accessibility option. Enabling “Show Borders” (right) can help make some buttons easier to see in Liquid Glass. This option forces outlines to appear around “prominent UI,” according to Apple’s iOS 26.1 notes. To enable the setting: Open the Settings app. Tap Accessibility. Tap Display & Text Size. Toggle the Show Borders switch to ON (green). As you can see in the screenshot above, enabling this option displays a thin outline around buttons and other UI elements, helping them stand out more on your screen. Liquid Glass isnt going away The new look of iOS 26 isnt temporarynor should it be. While there have been some vocal detractors to the new design, a large majority of iPhone users seem to love the refreshed look. After Apple spent years developing that new design, theres no way they would go back to the old one. But Apples addition of a new tint option for Liquid Glass via a dedicated control in the iOS 26.1 Settings app shows that the company is listening to feedback from all its users and is not averse to giving individuals more control over how Liquid Glass looks to them. So, while you may not be able to turn off Liquid Glass, you now at least have three ways to tone it down.
Category:
E-Commerce
Now that Halloween has come and gone, you might have wrongly assumed that candy season is over. Not if the Hershey Company anything to say about it. In fact, the sweets are just getting started. On its first-annual holiday virtual preview this week, the confectionary company revealed four exciting new products and explained how the company is stocked and ready to make the hectic holiday season even sweeter. Here’s what to know: What new items does Hershey have up its sleeve? Hershey announced four new treats that will hit shelves this holiday season: Hersheys Kisses Snickerdoodle Cookie Candy Kit Kat Peppermint Stick Reese’s Mini Trees Hersheys Grinch Milk Chocolate Bar [Photos: Hershey] After extensive market research, Hershey discovered that a resounding 76% of people stated they would purchase a snickerdoodle-flavored option, and Hersey is obliging with new snickerdoodle Kisses. Its the perfect topping for a cookie and theres even a recipe right on the packaging. The gold wrapper also looks delightful in a candy dish. Research also showed that mint is a popular flavor during the winter months. To capitalize on that trend, Kit Kat bars now have a peppermint version. These come in snack size, normal size, and king size to appease all hunger magnitudes. Meanwhile, the classic Hersheys Milk Chocolate Bars are continuing their partnership with the Grinch, Dr. Seuss’s iconic Christmas hater. Popular characters such as Cindy Lou Who, Max, and the big-hearted green guy himself are molding into the chocolate making it extra festive. Cheerful shapes are also here to stay. Reeses Peanut Butter Trees, now available in a mini version, are a perfect tree trimming snack. How Hershey became a confectionary powerhouse These days, the name Hershey is almost synonymous with chocolate bars but the company actually started with caramel. In 1886, Milton S. Hershey founded the Lancaster Caramel Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After attending the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893, Hershey fell in love with chocolate and created the Hershey Chocolate Company as a subsidiary of his original company. In 1900, he would sell the Lancaster Caramel Company but retain the chocolate side of the business. That same year, the first Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars were sold in an effort to make the confection affordable to the average person. Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses would make their debut seven years later. In 1925, the Goodbar was introduced, and in 1963 Hershey acquired H.B. Reese Candy Company. The Hershey Company today is the parent company for over 100 brands, including Jolly Rancher, Rolos, and SkinnyPop. With a market cap of roughly $34 billion, the company reported net sales of $11.2 billion last year. And it’s not just about sweet treats. Hershey’s salty snacks unit in North America grew 10% in the third quarter of this year, generating $321 million. It’s never too early Hersheys is ready for the big holiday shopping rush. In the preview event, the company explained that customers shop early because they are planning ahead, want a little treat for themselves, and dont want to miss out on limited-edition items. So if you were worried about missing the Halloween season, consider holiday sweets as just as satisfying. And as an added bonus, you get to create traditions around the confections that don’t require anything scary. Savor the sweetness of the season with Hersheys many merry offerings.
Category:
E-Commerce
Technology stocks fell on Friday, amid fears of an AI bubble, a further drawn out federal government shutdown, and economic data that suggests consumer sentiment has fallen toward record-low levels. That’s in addition to economic data that showed last month’s layoffs hit their highest level for Octoberin 20 years. That report, from global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, also also said hiring slowed to lowest point in 14 years. Despite strong third-quarter earnings reports, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC) was down once again, for the second consecutive day, about 1% in afternoon trading on Friday, as big Tech Stocks tumbled, closing out the week as the Index heads toward what could be its worst week since April, when the Trump Administration introduced its Liberation Day tariffs. Chip stock Arm Holdings plc (ARM) was down 4%, while Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) fell 3%, and Al chip designer Nvidia (NVDA) was down 1%, at the time of this writing in afternoon trading, as investors worry about high valuations, and mass layoffs in the name of artificial intelligence (AI). Tesla (TSLA) was also down some 3%. Among those sounding alarm bells is hedge fund investor Michael Burry, who runs Scion Asset Management, and is betting against both betting against both Nvidia and Palantir. According to his Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Scion bought an estimated $187.6 million in puts on Nvidia, and another $912 million on Palantir, as CNN reported. Burry has warned both companies are overvalued. (Burry famously predicted the 2008 housing market collapse, and was made famous by the 2015 film The Big Short.) Last week Burry posted on X, “Sometimes, we see bubbles. Sometimes, there is something to do about it. Sometimes, the only winning move is not to play,” in what some think is his way of saying there is an AI bubble.
Category:
E-Commerce
With Black Friday just about three weeks away, retailers and shoppers have one thing on their mindChristmas, the busiest and most profitable time of the year. And now, with Halloween behind us, Spirit Halloween has pivoted to holiday-themed Spirit Christmas, featuring festive decor, gifts, holiday apparel, and interactive displaysincluding nutcrackers, inflatable lawn Santas, and ugly Christmas sweaters. The retail chain, owned by Spencer Gifts, launched nearly a dozen Spirit Christmas stores throughout the Northeast in 2024. This year, Spirit Christmas is opening 30 store locations in 12 states in the Northeast and Great Lakes area, including its flagship store in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Those stores are in: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (see below for a full list of locations). As for the Spirit Halloween locations, some are making the transition to Christmas themes, while others are closing down till next year. Here are all 30 Spirit Christmas locations, according the store locator: CONNECTICUT Manchester, CT Milford, CT DELAWARE Christiana, DE ILLINOIS Bloomingdale, IL Joliet, IL Naperville, IL INDIANA Fort Wayne, IN Merrillville, IN KENTUCKY Lexington, KY MARYLAND Waldorf, MD MASSACHUSETTS North Attleborough, MA Dartmouth, MA MICHIGAN Grand Rapids, MI Novi, MI NEW HAMPSHIRE Salem, NH NEW JERSEY Cherry Hill, NJ Lawrenceville, NJ Mays Landing, NJ Paramus, NJ Rockaway, NJ Toms River, NJ NEW YORK Amherst, NY Bohemia, NY Poughkeepsie, NY OHIO Mentor, OH North Canton, OH PENNSYLVANIA Bethel Park, PA Erie, PA Pittsburgh, PA Whitehall, PA
Category:
E-Commerce
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