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Bethenny Frankel is a marketing maven. Shes best known for starring in the Real Housewives of New York City, and for launching the Skinnygirl lifestyle brand, starting with the now-famous skinny girl margarita. She then found a partner to help her manufacture the cocktail, which launched in 2009. In 2011, Frankel sold Skinnygirl for an estimated $100 million, but kept the rights to use the name. Since then, shes launched Skinnygirl salad dressing, shapewear, and popcorn, among other items. Frankel has 4 million-plus followers on Instagram and 3.3 million on TikTok, where she sounds off on everything from coffee to handbags. Frankel is also the queen of affiliate and brand dealsnetting $7 million in 2024, a figure shes on track to exceed this year. In May, she launched The List, where fans can shop her closet as well as her obsessions, which range from furniture to makeup. Shes also an investor in Cumulus Coffee, ShopMy, and several other companies. Frankel sat down with Fast Company to talk about her career pivotsand what it means to be a marketer in todays social-media-driven business world. She points out that consumers respond to authenticity and personal branding more than ever before, but also discusses the danger of blowback from putting your brandand yourselfout there. Lets start at the beginning. Youve said going on Real Housewives was purely a business decision. Can you tell us about that? Well, I turned it down for a month saying I wanted to be a natural food chef. But I realized it’s not that easy to get on TV. And if this fails, no one will know about it. And if it succeeds, then it’s a great platform. I definitely did not think it was going to be a cultural phenomenon. How did you think about riding that zeitgeist? My instincts were just right there always. I think I’m a born marketer. When I was a little kid I used to want to be a copywriter, and came up with slogans and names for people’s businesses and stores. I just have always been a person that leads with marketing first. I had an agent who also represented the Kardashians, and they followed suit with monetizing the Kardashians after what I did with Housewives and the Skinnygirl margarita, which no one had ever done before. No one had monetized reality TV. Now the audience is turned off by that. Everybody’s followed in my footsteps, and everything is a photo shoot and a book cover and a launch party and a fashion line that may or may not really exist. Versus on Housewives, it was me being flawed and using that platform to go through the struggles and possibilities of building a business, whether or not it would look negative or positive to the audience. It was just a true experience that I was going through. What marketing advice do you have based on that experience? The actual lesson was that people werent buying the product that I was selling. They were buying the authenticity of me. They believed that I was being truthful about all areas of my life, so then they believed in what I was doing. And I think that’s where everybody’s lost their way, because everybody’s just trying to sell something to make a quick buck in the short term, but the audience is extremely savvy. While you may make money on a brand deal right now, in the long run they probably won’t trust you if you’re not telling the truth. And that’s what’s key in social media, which is the new television. How do you draw boundaries between your personal life and your professional life? Attention is the new oil. I’m so grateful and so fortunate and so humbled by the fact that I have the attention of the people. There’s a handful of people in the world right now who have the attention of the people, because even in the last year, I’ve watched it change. Everyone’s desperate because there are more people in the store. So how do you get people to come up to your counter? It is very manic and it probably really affects people’s mental health. So how do I deal with that? I don’t have to do any of this. And I think that’s what really separates me from the influencers and the content creator landscape. I wasn’t broke when I accidentally started doing this stuff and it was doing well. I was just sort of lonely. I was emotionally broke, I was sort of bored, with low-grade depression. I was at home screwing around. I found a real home in this medium. [Photo: Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images] You mentioned authenticity is your superpower for engaging with people. What happens when theres backlash because youre putting your authentic self out there? It’s such a trap because they want me to comment, because I opine. I never rate higher than when I’m commenting. But then if you comment, people always want to know what youre thinking. Everyone was mad at me because I wasn’t posting about Charlie Kirk. I had never heard of Charlie Kirk in my entire life, until the mob was mad at me for not posting thoughts and prayers. A couple of hours later, I said to everyone, Sit the fuck down. I’d like to get educated. Sorry if you think I’m dumb, I can’t know what I don’t know. The thing is I don’t get to have the fluffy buffer of just doing a TikTok dance and people wanting that. People want my opinion. I am in the impact zone often, but that’s okay. How do you deal with being in the impact zone? You go through the storm; you deal with it, and then it passes. You don’t apologize if you’re not sorry, and you don’t beg. You decide what you truly think is the right thing to do. And you do that. I’ve advised so many celebrities who have called me literally when they hit rough waters. I’m like, this is what you do. Theyre like, I don’t know how you do this.
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In the Marshall Islands, where the land averages only 7 feet (2 meters) above sea level, people are acutely aware of climate change. Their ancestors have lived on this string of Pacific islands for thousands of years. But as sea level rises, storms more easily flood communities and farmland with saltwater. Warming ocean water has triggered mass coral-bleaching events, harming habitats that are important for both tourism and fish that the islands economy relies on. If the world fails to rein in the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change, studies suggest low-lying islands like these could be uninhabitable within decades. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine talks about climate risks to her homeland while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025. Climate change isnt just a problem for islands. Countries worldwide are experiencing intensifying storms, dangerous heat waves, and rising seas as global temperatures rise. Yet, after 30 years of international climate talks, 10 years of a global treaty promising to keep temperatures in check, and trillions of dollars in damage, the world is still not on track to stop rising global temperatures. Greenhouse gas emissions were at record highs in 2024, and it was Earths hottest year on record. I study the dynamics of global environmental politics, including the United Nations climate negotiations. And my lab and I have been tracking countries latest climate pledgesknown as nationally determined contributions, or NDCsto see which countries have stepped up their efforts, which have slid back, and who has ideas that can deliver a safer world for everyone. While the Trump administration has been pressuring countries to back away from their climate commitmentsand succeeded in delaying an International Maritime Organization vote on a global plan to tax greenhouse gas emissions from shipping after threatening other countries with sanctions, visa restrictions, and port fees if they supported itmany countries are still pressing ahead. Trump agitates, but many countries are steadfast U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration came into office vowing to eliminate climate regulations and boost the fossil fuel industry, derided concerns about climate change in his Sept. 23, 2025, speech to the U.N. General Assembly. He called climate change the greatest con job ever perpetuated and ridiculed green energy and climate science. Trumps language no longer surprises world leaders, though. More than 100 other countries announced new climate commitments during a high-level summit a few days later. China, currently the worlds largest greenhouse gas emitter, was lauded for hitting its green energy targets five years early. Its rapid expansion of low-cost renewable energy and electric vehicle manufacturing has reduced pollution in Chinese cities while also boosting its economy and expanding the governments influence around the world. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the countrys first absolute emissions reduction goal at the summit, committing to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions by 7% to 10% from peak levels by 2035. China also committed to nearly triple its solar and wind power capacity and expand reforestation efforts. While advocates and other governments had hoped for a stronger announcement from China, the new goals mark an important shift from the countrys earlier carbon intensity targets, which aimed to decrease the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic output but still allowed emissions to grow over time. [Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND. Source: International Energy Agency, created with Datawrapper] The European Union has yet to submit its new commitments, but the group of 27 European countries delivered a letter of intent, saying it would commit to a 66% to 72% collective decrease in net greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 compared with 1990 levels. Europe has seen a swift rise in renewable energy, up sharply since Russias invasion of Ukraine put the continents natural gas supplies in jeopardy. The EU has also made waves by extending its carbon pricing rules beyond its borders. The EUs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, scheduled to begin in January 2026, will be the first system to charge for the climate impact of imported goods coming into Europe from countries that dont have carbon prices similar to the EUs. The measure, meant to even the playing field for EU industries, sets a global precedent for linking carbon emissions to trade. However, the EUs climate plans are also facing some headwinds. Its parliament is moving toward softening new corporate sustainability requirements after pressure from companies. And it may face calls from some member countries to delay a new carbon market meant to cut emissions from road transportation and buildings, Politico reported. The EU has pledged to mobilize up to 300 billion Euros (about US$350 billion) to support the global clean energy transition in developing countries. The United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia submitted their most ambitious targets to date. All three put them on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, meaning any greenhouse gases they emit will be offset by projects that avoid carbon emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere. In Australia, Queenslands recent announcement that it would extend existing coal power plant use to the 2030s and 2040s may slow national progress. But Queensland also supports scaling up renewable energy and is still aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Norway committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70% by 2035 compared with 1990 levels, which would align with the Paris Agreement goal to keep global emissions below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). However, it plans to remain a major oil and gas exporter. Notably, many developing countries also stepped up their commitments. Brazil pledged a net emissions reduction of 59% to 67% by 2035 and is maintaining its 2050 net-zero target. The government also drew criticism for approving plans for oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon River. Free riding and taking cover behind the US However, while some new climate commitments signal important momentum in the fight against climate change, the tug-of-war between global ambition to slow climate change and strategic self-interests was palpable at the New York summit. The responses to Trumps remarks revealed both veiled critiques and deceleration of climate action by some governments. China criticized backsliding by some countries, without naming names. Brazil used the summit to call out countries that were late in submitting their updated climate commitments. Only about a third had submitted their updated pledges at that point. While it is difficult to parse out individual country motivationseconomic stress, wars, and political influence can all play a rolemany scholars worry that U.S. backsliding will lead other countries to reduce their climate commitments, and some recent pledges appear to back this up. Many petroleum-producing countries missed the U.N. pledge deadline. Qatar, which recently gifted the U.S. a jet plane for Trumps use and has an economy largely bolstered by the oil and gas industry, has not updated its pledge since 2021. The six-member Gulf Cooperation Councils average emissions reduction target is even lower than Qatars, at around 21.6% by 2030. Similarly, Argentina, among the worlds top holders of shale oil and gas reserves, has not released its updated commitments. Progress on its previous commitment has been undermined by political shifts since President Javier Mileis election in 2023. Milei initially vowed to abandon the 2030 agenda entirely and withdraw from the Paris Agreement, though his administration later backtracked. His dismissal of climate change as a socialist lie has aligned Argentina closely with Trump, culminating in a recently planned US$20 billion aid package from the U.S. to Argentina and raising questions about whether Argentinas climate stance reflects genuine policy or geopolitical strategy. Also noticeably absent are commitments from India, Mexico, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. Angola weakened its climate pledge, citing a lack of international funding. A new way to make climate commitments? While many countries are promising progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the commitments formally submitted as of Oct. 20 were still far below the level needed to keep global temperatures from rising by 2 C (3.6 F), let alone 1.5 C. Countries new climate pledgesknown as nationally determined contributions, or NDCsas of Oct. 20, 2025, compiled by ClimateWatch, were still far from keeping global warming under 2 C (3.6 F), let alone 1.5 C (2.7 F). The total includes 62 countries that had submitted pledges, including a U.S. pledge submitted before the Trump administration took office. It does not include Chinas announced pledge or the European Unions expected pledge. [Chart: ClimateWatch, CC BY 4.0] To help boost national efforts and accountability, Brazil has proposed a new approach it calls a globally determined contribution. Unlike the 1997 Kyoto Protocol framework, which set fixed, country-specific emission reduction targets based on historical baselines, or the 2015 Paris Agreements pledge-as-you-can system, it would establish global targets aligned with the Paris Agreements temperature goals. So, a globally determined contribution might state, for example, that the world will triple its renewable energy production and reverse deforestation by 2030. A target like that gives countries a clearer path of action. The new format would also allow city and state actions to be counted separately, increasing incentives for them to act. As the host of the COP30 climate talks Nov. 10-21, 2025, Brazil is uniquely positioned to champion this concept. In the absence of U.S. leadership, the proposal could offer a rare opportunity for countries to collectively strengthen commitments and reshape treaty language in a way never seen beforeleaving open the possibility for progress. Wila Mannella, a research assistant and graduate student in environmental studies at USC, contributed to this article. Shannon Gibson is a professor of environmental studies, political science, and international relations at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Leadership is not a title or a job description. It is the daily practice of turning authority into trust and presence into influence, according to renowned psychologist, University of Exeter Professor and former NBA player John Amaechi, OBE. Amaechi argues that leadership lives in ordinary moments: how you listen, the precision of your words, and the discipline of reflection. Being a great leader is not magic, Amaechi explains to me, but rather the consistent choice to act with clarity and intention that helps others feel enabled, not stifled. Too often, people think of leadership as something to perform when the spotlight is on them. Amaechi says, In reality, the leaders who endure are those who embody their practice in every interaction. They understand that credibility is not claimed but conferred by others who watch, listen and feel the texture of their leadership every day. In his new book, Its Not Magic: The Ordinary Skills of Exceptional Leaders, Amaechi outlines the following five practices to make leadership tangible and consistent. Refine your observation practice Each observation is a chance to deepen your understanding, not to catch others out. Leaders who take observation seriously learn to notice patterns that others miss, from the subtle signals of disengagement to the small acts of initiative that deserve recognition, says Amaechi. This practice requires discipline: to watch without rushing to judgment, to gather data rather than pounce on mistakes, and to cultivate patience until the fuller picture becomes clear. Observation done well creates the foundation for trust and insight. Normalize, affirm, and reframe with precision Confidence grows strongest where people feel seen clearly and encouraged thoughtfully. It is easy to offer vague praise, but genuine affirmation demands precision, Amaechi explains. Leaders who normalize challenges and setbacks remind people they are not alone in facing difficulties. Those who affirm effort and skill help individuals recognize their own capability. Reframing, when done carefully, shifts perspective from limitation to possibility without sugar-coating reality. Together, these practices build confidence that is both resilient and realistic. Sharpen language to sharpen thinking Sharper language builds sharper self-awareness and better decisions. Amaechi shared that leaders who are careless with language often leave confusion and unintended consequences in their wake. He said that precision in words is not pedantry but a discipline that shapes thought. Clear language, he told me, clarifies intent, defines boundaries, and sharpens focus. It reduces the margin for misinterpretation and models intellectual rigor. In teams, this practice can elevate debate, reduce wasted effort, and make strategy actionable rather than aspirational. One action he recommended: Replace vague verbs with clear commitments and define success before you speak. Model reflection openly Leaders who model reflection permit others to think more deeply, not just perform better. Reflection is often treated as a private act, done in isolation. Yet when leaders show how they revisit their decisions, acknowledge their blind spots, and adjust their approach, they legitimize learning as a shared practice. This openness dismantles the myth that leaders must be infallible, shared Amaechi. It signals that growth is valued more than perfection and that courage lies not in pretending to know everything, but in being willing to rethink. Heres an action to try this week: Share one decision you would make differently and why. Manage your physical presence Physical presence speaks loudly. Use it to invite growth, not inhibit it. From posture to tone of voice, from where you sit in a meeting to how you enter a room, your physicality shapes the atmosphere others inhabit. A leaders presence can constrict dialogue if it conveys impatience, intimidation or distraction, shared Amaechi. Equally, it can create space for others to step forward when it conveys openness, attentiveness, and calm. Presence is not performance but alignment: What you project outwardly should be consistent with the respect and curiosity you hold inwardly. Action: Adopt a default stance with an open posture, slower tempo, and eyes on the speaker. As Amaechi says in Its Not Magic, leadership is revealed in what people see you do, not what you say you value. For deeper tools and team diagnostics, Its Not Magic expands each practice and shows how to implement them at scale. Marcel Shwantes This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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