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Theres a line I heard recently from Mel Robbins thats been echoing in my head ever since: People do well if they can.Its deceptively simple. The kind of phrase you nod at, maybe even repost. But when you sit with it, really sit with it, it starts to challenge a lot of the assumptions we make every day.Especially when it comes to financial health. Not lazy, just locked out Lets be honest: Its easy to judge what we dont understand. We look at people struggling with money and tell ourselves stories. Theyre reckless. They dont care. They should know better. But heres the thing: Most people do care. They want to pay off debt. They want to build credit. They want to save for the future, buy homes, support their families, live with dignity. What they often dont have is access, or a roadmap. Thats not laziness. Thats infrastructure failure.You wouldnt expect someone to drive to a job interview without a car, a license, or a GPS. So why do we expect people to navigate complex financial systems with zero guidance and very few guardrails? Skill, not will I grew up in a community where financial literacy wasnt part of the conversation; not at school, not at home, not even at the bank. I didnt learn what a credit score was until I had already messed mine up. And let me tell you, the learning curve wasnt gentle.So I get frustrated when financial challenges are framed as a lack of personal responsibility. That framing is lazy.Let me say that again: That framing is lazy. Not the people. Not the effort. The framing. Because once you believe that people are doing the best they can with the tools they have, everything changes. You stop asking, Why dont they just fix it? and start asking, Whats missing from the toolbox? The illusion of equal opportunity We love to talk about equal access in this country, but the truth is, access is rarely equal. Its shaped by geography, race, internet speed, ZIP code, history, policy, and yes, banking systems.You can’t teach people to swim and then throw them into a pool with no ladder. Thats what we do when we say, Just build credit. But we dont acknowledge that millions of people are credit invisible or have a thin file because their rent, utility payments, or side hustle income doesnt get counted.And then we wonder why so many people feel stuck. Lets redesign the system like we believe in people What would it look like if we actually operated from the belief that people want to do well, and will, if given the right support?In my role at FICO, were constantly asking that question. We dont just talk about financial inclusion. Were reshaping how our tools show up in communities, how our education reaches people, and how our partnerships remove friction, not create more.Weve launched programs that meet people where they are. Not just where we think they should be. We partner with nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and even local credit unions to host free credit education sessions, translated, and culturally relevant. Because accessibility isnt just about logging in. Its about feeling safe enough to show up. And what about the kids? This mindset shift isnt just for adults, either. Im a mom. And Ive seen firsthand how easy it is to label kids as difficult, especially neurodivergent kids, when theyre just overwhelmed or unsupported.They dont lack motivation. They lack tools, patience, and sometimes, a grown-up who gets it.Sound familiar?Adults are no different. Most of us are still carrying money habits, shame, and silence from childhood. If we werent taught how to manage money at 7, why do we expect everyone to have it figured out at 37? A better way forward So where do we go from here?We start by telling the truth: – Financial hardship isnt a character flaw. – Credit education isnt a luxury. – Access to opportunity should not depend on what side of the city you live on. And then we build programs, products, and policies that reflect that truth.That means working with communities, not on them. It means bringing empathy into corporate boardrooms. It means seeing people as capable, not broken.Because if we believe people do well if they can, then its on us to make sure they can. A final thought Theres someone out there right now who wants to fix their credit, get out of debt, or open their first savings account. Theyre not lazy. Theyre not unmotivated. They just havent had a fair shot.We dont need to change people. We need to change how we see them, and what we give them to work with.Because people do well if they can. And theyre counting on us to act like it. Rukiya Kelly is global head of corporate impact and engagement at FICO.
Category:
E-Commerce
When most people hear the word luxury, they think of exclusivity: high-end materials, bespoke finishes, and designs tailored for the few. But a quiet revolution is underway. The true measure of luxury today is accessibility: designing environments that are beautiful, functional, safe, and empowering for every body. Nowhere is this more urgent, or more overlooked, than in the bathroom. According to the CDC, the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house. There are 234,000 annual bathroom-related injuries in the U.S, with 81% caused by falls. For older adults, those falls can trigger a cascade of consequences: loss of independence, costly healthcare expenses, and a diminished quality of life. And yet, despite the bathroom being one of the most hazardous rooms in the home, its design has long been guided by aesthetics alone or, at the opposite extreme, clunky, clinical looking solutions that compromise dignity. At Michael Graves Design, weve sought to lead a paradigm shift proving that the future of luxury is accessibility. In our second collaboration with Pottery Barn, weve introduced a collection of accessible bathroom products: a vanity with integrated grab bar, a new grab frame inspired by garden trellises combining architectural elegance with versatile safety support, and discreet grab bars built into a towel bar and a toilet paper holder. The collection shows how safety and style can, and must, live side by side. ACCESSIBLE LUXURY ACROSS LIFES FULL ARC For decades, accessibility was treated as an afterthought, bolt-on products carrying the stigma of hospitals and institutions. This reinforced the false idea that you can either have a safe bathroom or a beautiful one, but not both. Our new collection challenges that assumption. A vanity can be refined, inviting, and intuitive while also being easy to navigate with limited mobility. A grab frame can be an interior design feature as much as a safety tool. Grab bars integrated into everyday accessories can blend seamlessly with surrounding materials, enhancing the overall space rather than detracting from it. But bathrooms arent only sites of risk; they are deeply emotional spaces. Theyre where we begin and end our days, where children learn independence, where parents find a moment of solitude, and where older adults maintain dignity and autonomy. Designing items for the bathroom means designing for lifes most intimate transitions. Thats why we think about the bathroom as both a present day necessity and a long-term investment in lifespan design. More households today are multigenerational, blending the needs of children, parents, and grandparents under one roof. Aging-in-place is a growing aspiration with enormous market implications. And temporary conditions, from injury to pregnancy to recovery from surgery, remind us accessibility is a universal human experience. The same toilet paper holder with integrated grab bar that provides peace of mind for an older adult may also serve a child learning to balance or a teenager recovering from an injury. The same vanity that feels luxurious to one person also offers essential reach, stability, and comfort to another. This is design as foresight: solutions that adapt gracefully to evolving household needs rather than forcing costly renovations later. By reframing accessibility as an essential part of luxury, not a limitation on it, we elevate the daily rituals of bathing, grooming, and self-care into experiences that feel dignified and restorative for every member of the household. This product strategy extends beyond the bathroom, presenting opportunities to address the activities of daily living more broadly. DESIGN AS ANTICIPATION To that end, the lesson extends beyond bathrooms. Design, at its best, is a form of anticipation, a way of seeing around corners and preparing for the moments when people need support most. Accessibility is about creating resilient environments that hold up under real-life pressures. For businesses, this shift has profound implications. The companies that anticipate and meet the needs of diverse users will build deeper loyalty, longer product life cycles, and more durable brands. Those who continue to design for a typical user will miss opportunities hiding in plain sight. 5 LESSONS FOR EVERY ENTREPRENEUR Not every business will design bathroom fixtures, but the principles that guide accessible luxury apply across industries. Here are five takeaways: Redefine luxury through accessibilityThe strongest brands of the future will be those that make people feel included and empowered. Design for lifespan, not a snapshotProducts and services that adapt and anticipate customers evolving needs earn lasting loyalty. Use constraints as creativity catalystsAccessibility challenges often spark breakthroughs that benefit everyone. Blend purpose with personalityPeople may buy for function, but they become brand loyalists when design delivers dignity, joy, and peace of mind. Expand your perspective beyond the average userThere is no average customer; designing for edge cases often reveals universal value. TOWARD A NEW STANDARD We stand at a crossroads. Demographic shifts, cultural expectations, and personal experiences are reshaping how we define the modern home. For some, accessibility is already a necessity. For others, it is an inevitability. For all of us, it should be an expectation. The bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms in the house, but it carries outsized importance in our health, independence, and dignity. By reimagining it through the lens of accessible luxury and lifespan design, we can transform not just a room, but the very idea of what it means to live well. Luxury is no longer about gold-plated fixtures or marble countertops. Luxury is being able to live comfortably, safely, and beautifully, at every age, in every circumstance, for every body. That is the standard we should all be designing toward. Ben Wintner is CEO of Michael Graves Design.
Category:
E-Commerce
Last week, I walked into a meeting where AI notetakers outnumbered humans three to one. The irony wasn’t lost on meI built one of them. As CEO of Fireflies, I’ve helped put AI in millions of meetings. And I believe AI should be in every meetingbecause knowledge shouldn’t vanish the moment we hang up. But having the right privacy controls to protect sensitive moments is key to using an AI notetaker. THE PRIVACY-FIRST DECISION FRAMEWORK Before your next meeting, ask yourself three questions: Who controls the data? Every meeting should be captured, but not every recording needs to be shared. Use private meeting settings, control access permissions, and set retention policies that auto-delete after a certain number of days. Who needs access? The power of AI is capturing everything. The responsibility is controlling who sees what. Share broadly for team updates, narrowly for performance reviews, not at all for sensitive discussions. What’s the exit strategy? Even in meetings that should be recorded, participants need an out. Make it easy to kick out the bot mid-meeting, delete recordings immediately, or set auto-expiration dates. MAKE SMARTER CHOICES The proliferation of AI meeting assistants means you’re no longer just choosing whether to use oneyou’re choosing which one protects your conversations. Thoughtful professionals are asking the right questions: Does this tool train on my company’s data? Can I delete recordings immediately? Who actually has access to my conversations? The answers matter. The difference between a tool that respects your privacy and one that doesn’t isn’t always obvious in the demo. Look for providers who are transparent about their data practices. The ones who make security boring and straightforward, not the ones who make it complicated. YOUR IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP If you’re ready to be more intentional about AI in meetings, here’s a simple approach: Week 1-2: Assess. Look at your calendar. Which meetings generate clear action items? Which are primarily about building relationships? Start identifying patterns. Week 3-4: Pilot. Try AI assistants in information-heavy meetings firsttrainings, quarterly reviews, customer calls. Week 5-6: Establish principles. Based on what worked, create simple guidelines for your team. Not rigid rulesjust shared understanding about when AI helps and when it doesn’t. Ongoing: Iterate. As AI capabilities evolve from passive note-taking to active participation, keep refining your approach. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress. YOUR NEXT MEETING Tomorrow, you’ll likely face the same choice millions of knowledge workers face daily: Should I add an AI notetaker to this meeting? Now you have a brief framework for capturing everything while protecting what matters. That’s also why Fireflies published guidelines for responsible AI meeting use. Because being intentional about privacy isn’t limiting AIit’s using it wisely. The future isn’t about choosing which meetings deserve AIthey all do. It’s about having sophisticated enough controls to protect privacy while preserving knowledge. Capture everything. Share thoughtfully. Delete when appropriate. Krish Ramineni is CEO and cofounder of Fireflies.ai
Category:
E-Commerce
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