Latest news with #CNBCMakeIt
CNBC
15 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
CEO trusted by Jay-Z, Google exec says 'conflict' is the key to success: 'It's OK to disagree'
It might sound counterintuitive, but conflict and disagreement are two essential ingredients to a business' success. That's according to marketer, entrepreneur and music executive Steve Stoute, who counts Jay-Z, McDonalds, the New York Knicks and Google's Lorraine Twohill among the many big names that have relied on his expertise. In an interview with The New York Times, Stoute said that "there's something wrong" if a business has "no conflict." "Getting people comfortable around challenge in a respectful way is a very important value," he said. "What I'm trying to do is have people embrace the idea that it's OK to disagree." The 54-year-old encourages healthy conflict within his teams by keeping it top-of-mind. Because video conferencing software like Zoom "allows you to avoid conflict," Stoute said he makes sure to talk about its importance the same way he would talk about any other part of running a business. "The same way I talk about bonuses or health care or wins or losses, we talk about conflict," he said. "If tension gets overlooked, then the company will not reach its full potential." Indeed, Stoute's thoughts on conflict are backed by experts. Robert Bordone, the founder and former director of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program, told CNBC Make It earlier this year that it is better to embrace conflicts and learn to navigate them rather than to avoid them entirely. "The work of being conflict resilient is entering into a landscape that doesn't have a script because it's motivated by a sense of curiosity about something of the other person," he said. Having a conflict or a disagreement is different from having a fight. Kurt Gray, a social psychology professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, told CNBC Make It that the best approach is to think of a disagreement as a conversation rather than as "a chance to score points or try to make the other person look stupid." Gray recommended taking the time to understand the other person's motivation and learning how they came to their conclusion before explaining why you disagree. "Establishing a connection with someone, seeing them as a fellow human being, I think it goes a long way," Gray said. ,
CNBC
a day ago
- Business
- CNBC
A step-by-step guide to buying your first home—without making costly mistakes
Ready to buy your first home but not sure where to start? Smarter by CNBC Make It has you covered with our new online course, How to Buy Your First Home, a step-by-step guide that walks you through the entire homebuying process. From weighing the pros and cons of renting vs. buying to navigating mortgages and choosing where to live, you'll gain the tools and knowledge to make confident, informed decisions. Learn how to prepare your finances, avoid costly mistakes, and take smart steps toward owning your first home. You'll get 110 minutes of instructional video lessons that you can watch at any time, and a companion workbook with additional exercises and resources. Buying your first home can be intimidating. We'll help you understand the process and how to prepare, identify the best property for you, and learn key strategies to successfully negotiate and close the deal, so you can confidently turn your homebuying dreams into reality. Start today! Sign up now for How to Buy Your First Home. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through July 15, 2025.
CNBC
a day ago
- Business
- CNBC
How to Buy Your First Home: A CNBC Make It Course
Confidently navigate every step of the homebuying process, from financial preparation and mortgage basics to negotiating strategies and closing the deal. Owning a home has long been part of the American Dream, but for first-time buyers, the process can feel confusing and out of reach. Smarter by CNBC Make It's new online course, How to Buy Your First Home, is a practical guide to navigating the homebuying journey with confidence. Whether you're deciding between renting or buying, starting the mortgage process, or figuring out where to live, our three expert instructors will teach you how to prepare financially, avoid costly mistakes, and take smart steps toward homeownership.
CNBC
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNBC
Office dress codes are more confusing than ever—etiquette experts and stylish dressers offer their best advice
The question of "what do I wear to work?" has never been this hard to answer. The pandemic made it normal to wear pajamas and sweats while working from home, and casual dress followed workers as they returned to offices over the years. Naturally, corners of the internet have since lit up in debate over the appropriateness of crop tops, shorts and office sirens in the workplace. Social media, the internet and everyone you talk to will have a different idea of what appropriate workwear is. Your personal work style will also depend on the type of job you have, the company you work for, your general industry and what city you live in. To give some general rules of thumb, CNBC Make It spoke with etiquette experts and stylish office workers for their best advice on how to figure out what to wear to the office right now: If you're new to a workplace and not sure what to wear, observe how your colleagues dress, or straight out ask them for advice on what to wear, says Carla Shellis, 55, an etiquette expert in Dallas. Ask if there are exceptions to certain standards, like whether it's OK to wear athleisure on casual Fridays, or when to opt for a suit when clients are in for meetings. You might also have to tailor your wardrobe based on the actual temperature of the office. Dominique Bird, 31, works a sales job in Austin and documents her "corporate goth" outfits on social media. (She credits LA-based content creator Mars Chasolen, known as online, as inspiration.) Bird says it's important to wear light layers to get through the Texas heat. She sticks to classic silhouettes of dress shirts, long skirts and trousers but swaps out heavier fabrics for cotton and linen for summer. Then, in the air-conditioned office, she always has a sweater, blazer or blanket handy. See dressing for work as "an opportunity, not an obligation," says Daniel Post Senning, 47, etiquette expert of the Emily Post Institute. Putting just a little bit of work to look put together can help you stand out and make people trust and respect you, he says: "People can see your effort and attention." It's OK, and sometimes more fun, to be overdressed. That's the case for Bird, who says many of her colleagues show up to work in cargo pants and flip flops, and joke that she's overdressed for the occasion. "When you show up as yourself, you show up stronger," Bird says. "That's going to help you combat things like imposter syndrome, stand out for the right reasons, and for me personally, take up space in a male-dominated industry." Of course, there are limits to wearing what you want at work: "That self-expression should never come at the expense of your ability to support yourself," Bird says. In other words, don't let your clothes threaten your job security. She doesn't agree with dress codes that focus on prohibiting "distracting" clothes at the office, which tend to police women's bodies more than men's, Bird says. "I think telling women that certain things that they wear is distracting is rooted in sexism," she says. Instead, she prefers think about "appropriateness for the job," she says. For example, if you work in IT and have to crawl under tables to wire equipment, pants might be a better idea than trying to move around in a skirt, Bird says. Ultimately, "there is a way to express yourself without breaking the quote-unquote 'rules,'" she says. Dressing sharply doesn't have to be expensive, says Post Senning, as long as your attire fits your office environment and your body. Regardless of your wardrobe budget or office formality, make an effort to look tidy, whether you're wearing a suit or jeans and sneakers, Shellis says. That means ironing your garments, making sure there aren't any holes or frayed threads, and keeping your shoes clean. "I'm a huge believer that you can have a $2,000 outfit on, but if you have bad shoes, you've just ruined the whole look," Shellis says. If you wouldn't wear something to a family function with grandma and grandpa, don't wear it to the office, says Meghna Bhalla, 26, who works in strategy at a tech company in Toronto and talks about work culture on social media. Another guideline is to consider if you'd feel appropriately dressed if you were suddenly called into a meeting with your manager, she adds. It's better to err on the side of caution and dress more conservatively, at least as you're starting in a new office and still getting a lay of the land. "I hate to say it, but people are going to talk about your outfits if you don't dress the way you should," Bhalla says. Overall, ask yourself about the brand you want to portray in the workplace, Bhalla says. It's not just about how well you do the job, she says, but also how you dress, how you present yourself, how you speak to others and what time you show up to the office. "Do really well," she says, "and let your work speak for you, not your outfit." ,
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Economic Times
She was a cancer nurse, now she fixes cars: This 39-year-old YouTube trained mechanic's income will leave you stunned
The First Spark: From YouTube Videos to Real-World Repairs Grease-Stained Dreams: The Garage Becomes a Goldmine The Moment of Truth: Can Passion Pay the Bills? You Might Also Like: 'Don't be that person who ignores this technology': Nvidia CEO warns AI will rewrite the rules of employment Beating the Odds—and the Bias From Torque Wrenches to TikTok Fame Desiree Hill used to save lives for a living. As an oncology nurse in Duluth, Georgia, her days were spent navigating the emotional weight of a high-stress hospital unit. Add to that a three-hour daily commute and the overwhelming demands of single motherhood, and life had become more exhausting than fulfilling.'I rarely saw my children,' Hill reflected while talking to CNBC Make It. 'Everything started to feel like it was slipping away—from my personal happiness to my health and peace of mind.'Her career was stable, sure. But was it enough? That's the question that nudged her toward a decision most would call irrational—until they heard what happened zero experience under the hood, Hill began watching YouTube tutorials on car repairs out of sheer curiosity. What started as a late-night distraction soon became a hands-on hustle. She bought an old truck for around $1,200, fixed it with just $60 in parts, and flipped it for more than triple the price within two days.'It was electric—the feeling of making something work with my hands and actually turning a profit,' she says. She wasn't just fixing cars. She was rewiring her entire the side hustle grew, so did her ambition. Within a year, Hill left nursing behind and started flipping cars full-time. It wasn't long before she was waking up at 6 a.m., working till 3 a.m., and involving her kids in the business. Even her 10-year-old daughter built a expanded into mobile repairs, took on customer jobs, and documented her progress on TikTok, where she now has a follower base larger than most small towns. Then came the real pivot: opening her own 9,000-square-foot auto shop, Crown's Corner Mechanic, just minutes from began as a leap of faith. What it became was something much first glance, becoming a mechanic may not sound like the most lucrative midlife switch. But beneath the surface of oil changes and engine overhauls, a financial transformation was brewing. The tiny side gig that once brought in a few thousand dollars here and there has grown into a six-figure business is now pulling in monthly numbers that would make most white-collar professionals raise an eyebrow. Let's just say she's not missing her hospital paychecks anymore. While she keeps her precise profit margins guarded, documents reviewed by CNBC confirm what the figures suggest: she's now earning more in a month than she once did in a Hill has built a business most would only dream of—one that now earns nearly $440,000 a not just the business of cars that Hill is navigating—it's the business of perception. Standing at 4-foot-11, she often stuns customers who assume she's the receptionist or assistant. But when she dissects their vehicle's issue before they've finished explaining, the assumptions quickly fall apart.'I have to prove myself every time I open my mouth,' she admits. 'But I love it. I love showing them what I know.'Her shop is now a hub of collaboration, with space rented out to welders, tow truck operators, and other mechanics. The rent is steep, but the returns—financial, emotional, and reputational—are her clientele grows, so does her vision. She dreams of owning the space she currently rents, expanding her team, and maybe even earning a mechanical engineering degree. She's already repaid a generous loan from a customer-turned-angel-investor and is now setting her sights on crossing a milestone few small businesses ever just how much is she making now?Let's put it this way: her first year flipping cars brought in six figures. Her auto shop's revenue has nearly doubled since last year. And projections suggest she's barreling toward $1 million in annual revenue—a far cry from her nursing Hill didn't just switch careers. She rewrote her story, replacing burnout with empowerment and stagnation with momentum. Her journey is a masterclass in self-belief, grit, and the courage to chase unfamiliar dreams.'If you don't know about us yet,' she says, 'you're going to know about us real soon.'And with the kind of numbers she's pulling in? That's a promise worth betting on.
