With Thanksgiving just around the corner, a time when we give thanks and practice gratitude for what we have, we turned to neuroscience to find out if doing so actually makes us happier and healthier. Here’s what we found.
Is gratitude actually good for your health?
“People who are grateful live longer, are happier, and also tend to hit workplace markers like [making] more money, and [getting] promoted more frequently,” Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., science director at U.C. Berkeleys Greater Good Science Center, tells Fast Company. “But the key is not a fake-it-till-you-make-it approachno, its real gratitude, real contentment, based on an accurate assessment of things, not through rose-colored glasses.”
Practicing gratitudein other words, not taking things for granted, but appreciating the good and bad in everyday lifecreates a heightened awareness of your values and strengths, plus a greater understanding of others. Plus, it creates greater emotional intelligence by increasing emotional regulation, empathy, and resilience.
In general, grateful people are more satisfied with their lives, less materialistic, and less likely to suffer from burnout, according to the Greater Good Science Center’s white paper, The Science of Gratitude.
What other kinds of health benefits come from being grateful?
A 2021 University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study by David Newman and Wendy Mendes found that people who were deemed highest in gratitude reported lower heart rates, better sleep, less fatigue, a greater appreciation toward others, and overall feelings of pleasantness when reflecting on the best part of the day.
How does gratitude work in the brain?
“Expressing gratitude can positively change your brain,” Kristin Francis, M.D., a psychiatrist at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, says in the University of Utah’s Health blog HealthFeed. “It boosts dopamine and serotonin, the neurotransmitters in the brain that improve your mood immediately, giving you those positive feelings of pleasure, happiness, and well-being.”
What’s the best way to start practicing gratitude?
Studies show writing gratitude letters can significantly improve the mental health of people with depression and anxiety. In one study, individuals were asked to either write a gratitude letter, keep a journal, or do neither. Those who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health at 4 and 12 weeks following the study.
Simon-Thomas recommends what she calls Gratitude 1-2-3 to express gratitude this upcoming holiday:
Be specific about what you’re grateful for: Instead of saying, “Thanks for coming to dinner,” say, “Thanks for coming to my house for this Thanksgiving meal.”
Acknowledge the effort: “I know it took some effort to pack up the car and sit in traffic, so I am acknowledging effort.”
Share how what they did benefitted you: “Having you for Thanksgiving dinner made me so happy. It was a treat to see you after all these years.”
If you’re wondering how you’re doing, or looking for more suggestions, you can also take this gratitude quiz, based on a scale developed by psychologists Mitchel Adler and Nancy Fagley.
A health care proposal circulated by the White House in recent days is running into the reality of Republican divisions on the issue a familiar struggle for a party that has been trying to scrap or overhaul the Affordable Care Act for the past 15 years.The tentative proposal from President Donald Trump would extend expiring ACA subsidies for two years while adjusting eligibility requirements for recipients. The plan has so far been met with a stony silence on Capitol Hill as Republicans debate among themselves whether to overhaul the law, tweak it or simply let the subsidies expire.It’s unclear now when the White House plan might be released, or if it will be released at all.The Republican indecision comes as the COVID-era tax credits are set to expire Jan. 1, creating sharp premium increases for millions of Americans. Democrats who shut down the government for six weeks over the issue are demanding a straight extension with no changes, though some indicated they could support a plan similar to the one circulated by the White House.But support may be harder to find in the GOP conference, where many lawmakers say costs are still too high and have been eager to make another run at repealing the ACA. The last effort in 2017 failed when Republicans couldn’t decide on how to provide coverage to millions of Americans who depend on government-run marketplaces for their health care. It’s a dilemma that persists for the party after record numbers signed up for coverage this year.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., promised a group of moderate Democrats a vote on the ACA tax credits by mid-December in exchange for their votes to end the government shutdown. But it’s unclear, so far, whether that arrangement will lead to a solution.
Bipartisan compromise?
Health care has long been one of the most politically fraught topics on Capitol Hill, so a bipartisan compromise seems unlikely. But the coming price spikes have motivated some lawmakers to look for points of agreement.Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said last week that he hopes the subsidies are extended.“I’m sure some of my colleagues will be mad at me for saying this if we don’t address the subsidies issue in December, I don’t think it’s going to get addressed next year,” Tillis said, adding that Democratic campaigns will be “just churning up all the very sympathetic stories” if it isn’t fixed.The draft White House proposal would put new income limits on the tax credits at 700 percent of the federal poverty level, according to two people with knowledge of the proposal who requested anonymity to discuss it. The White House would also require those on Obamacare, regardless of the type of coverage, to pay some sort of premium for their plans. That would effectively end zero-premium plans for those with lower incomes, addressing a concern from Republicans who say the program has enabled fraud.Some Democrats have suggested they are open to those ideas as a part of broader negotiations. “I’m glad the president is reportedly considering a serious proposal,” said New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, one of the Democrats who voted to end the shutdown.Some Republicans have signaled support as well. Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood, the chairman of the business-oriented Republican Main Street Caucus, said in a statement that the group supports “President Trump’s ongoing efforts to address the ACA tax credit cliff with an extension.”Several bipartisan bills in the House would extend the ACA credits for two years, with changes such as income limits for the enhanced credit. “I think two years is really the sweet spot where everybody is OK,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
Premium spikes on Jan. 1
Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has declined to say whether he will allow a vote on a health care bill. Many other members of his GOP conference want to see the subsidies eliminated or the underlying law overhauled. In addition, Thune and other Republicans have said they want new language on abortion restrictions if they pass an extension a dealbreaker for Democrats.If Congress doesn’t act, the enhanced premium tax credits that have helped many Americans pay for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans will disappear. And premiums could more than double for subsidized enrollees, according to an analysis by the health care research nonprofit KFF.Signups for next year’s insurance began on Nov. 1, meaning that many Americans are already planning for the higher costs. Democrats who forced the shutdown at the beginning of October had hoped to negotiate an extension before open enrollment began.“When people’s monthly payments spike next year, they will know it was Republicans that made it happen,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said last week.
Republicans could go at it alone
As Democrats elevated the health care issue during the shutdown, some Republicans saw an opportunity to renew their efforts to overhaul the law. GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate have been meeting to find consensus, though they haven’t found it yet.Among the GOP ideas are separate proposals from Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy to use savings accounts to either shop for insurance or defray out-of-pocket costs. Scott’s legislation would create what he called “Trump Health Freedom Accounts” and make some changes to the health care law, including by allowing consumers to shop across state lines. Cassidy’s narrower bill would create new savings accounts just to replace the enhanced subsidies that are expiring.The draft of the White House plan, meanwhile, would allow those in lower-tier plans, such as the bronze-level or catastrophic plans, to put money into health savings accounts.Those proposals are unlikely to win over Democrats. Schumer said last week that the savings accounts “will go nowhere in the Senate.”Skeptical that the two parties will ever agree, some Republicans have suggested that they try to pass a health care package using budget maneuvers similar to Trump’s ” Big Beautiful Bill ” of tax and spending cuts. If it worked, they could pass the legislation with zero Democratic votes a politically risky strategy that could take months, well into the midterm election year.
It all depends on Trump
Some Republicans may be waiting for clear direction from Trump, who has been sending mixed signals about what he wants.For several weeks, Trump appeared to be backing the savings accounts on social media, posting as recently as Nov. 18 that “THE ONLY HEALTHCARE I WILL SUPPORT OR APPROVE IS SENDING THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING GOING TO THE BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHO HAVE MADE $TRILLIONS, AND RIPPED OFF AMERICA LONG ENOUGH.”He added: “Congress, do not waste your time and energy on anything else.”Trump reiterated that message Tuesday evening.“Don’t give the money to the insurance companies,” he told reporters Tusday evening. “You give the money to the people.”
Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Joey Cappelletti, Kevin Freking in Washington and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.
Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press
The National Park Service said Tuesday it is going to start charging the millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular sites, while leaving them out of fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.The announcement declaring “America-first entry fee policies” comes as national parks deal with the strain of a major staff reduction and severe budget cuts, along with recovering from damage during the recent government shutdown and significant lost revenue due to fees not being collected during that time.The fee change will impact 11 national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.As part of the changes, which are set to take effect Jan. 1, foreign tourists will also see their annual parks pass price jump to $250, while U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department’s statement.Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on the social platform X that the changes make sure U.S. taxpayers who support the park service “continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!”A White House post on X laying out the increased fees ended with the phrase, “AMERICANS FIRST.”The announcement follows a July executive order in which President Donald Trump directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.“There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior,” Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email.The U.S. Travel Association estimated that in 2018, national parks and monuments saw more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone reported that in 2024, nearly 15% of its visitors were from outside the country, which was down from 30% in 2018.The money made off the new fees will help support the national parks, including with upgrading facilities for visitors and maintenance, according to the statement.The “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” next year include Veterans Day, which was one of the parks’ eight free days open to everyone in 2025. The Department of the Interior had announced those days by saying they wanted to ensure that “everyone, no matter their zip code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands.”
Golden reported from Seattle.
Hallie Golden and Matthew Daly, Associated Press
Shares in Europe and Asia advanced on Wednesday after benchmarks on Wall Street surged on hopes the Federal Reserve will soon opt to cut interest rates.The future for the S&P 500 gained 0.3%, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.2%.In early European trading, Germany’s DAX gained 0.2% to 23,500.98, while the CAC 40 in Paris also rose 0.2%, to 9,623.22. Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher.In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.9% to 49,559.07 in a broad rally that encompassed major exporters and technology shares. However, shares in Kioxia dropped 14.9% on reports that Bain Capital plans to sell $2.3 billion of the computer memory maker’s shares.In South Korea, the Kospi gained 2.7%, to 3,960.87, helped by a 3.5% gain for Samsung Electronics, the market’s biggest heavyweight. Computer chip maker SK Hynix climbed 1%.Taiwan’s Taiex surged 1.9%.Chinese markets were mixed.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.1% to 25,928.08 and the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.2%, to 3,864.18.Chinese e-commerce and technology giant Alibaba fell 1.9%. Its U.S.-traded shares fell 2.3% on Tuesday after its profit fell short of forecasts, though it reported stronger revenue than analysts had expected for the latest quarter.Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.8% to 8,606.50. In New Zealand, the S&P/NZX 50 added 0.6% after the central bank cut its official cash rate to 2.25% from $2.5%.U.S. markets will have a shortened trading week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, closing on Thursday and opening for shorter hours on Friday.On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.9% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 1.4%. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.7%.Easier interest rates can give particularly big boosts to smaller companies, because many of them need to borrow to grow. The Russell 2000 index of the smallest U.S. stocks jumped 2.1% to lead the market.Mixed economic data left traders betting on a nearly 83% probability that the Fed will cut in December, according to data from CME Group.Shoppers bought less at U.S. retailers in September than economists expected, while confidence among U.S. consumers worsened by more in November than expected, signals the economy could use help from lower interest rates.Easier rates can boost the economy by encouraging households and companies to borrow more and investors to pay higher prices for investments than they would otherwise.Another report said U.S. inflation at the wholesale level was a touch worse in September than expected, but a closely tracked underlying trend was slightly better. Lower interest rates can worsen inflation, and higher prices are the main reason the Fed has been holding back on rate cuts.Later Wednesday, the U.S. was due to release more data that had been delayed by the six-week long government shutdown.The Fed has already cut rates twice this year in hopes of shoring up the slowing job market.In other dealings early Wednesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil gained 5 cents to $58.00 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 8 cents to $61.88 per barrel.The U.S. dollar rose to 156.46 Japanese yen from 156.06 yen. The euro rose to $1.1575 from $1.1569.
Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer
Since 2019, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has undergone a resurrection from discarded early-2000s mall brand to a sought-after brand for millennials and older Gen Zs.
Abercrombie reported $1.29 billion in revenue for quarter three, up 7% year-over-year. The Tuesday, November 25 earnings report is the twelfth in a row with consecutive growth between quarters.
The company also beat Wall Streets predicted $1.28 billion in revenue and reached earnings per share of $2.36 earnings, rather than the estimated $2.16, according to consensus estimates cited by CNBC.
Abercrombies shares (NYSE:ANF) closed up more than 37% on Tuesday, though the stock is still down 39.63% from the start of 2025.
Notably, the most recent growth of Abercrombie (the company) hasnt been fueled by Abercrombie (the brand). This quarter saw the retail stores net sales sink 2% year-over-year to $617.35 milliona 7% decrease in comparable sales. Its an improvement from quarters one and two, during which the brand also saw declines in net sales: a 4% reduction year-over-year to $547.95 million in quarter one and a 5% drop year-over-year to $551,868 in quarter two.
Instead, it was another brand beloved by millennials as teens that has held up the once logo-tee-and-low-rise-jean-adorned fort. Abercrombie-owned Hollister reported $673.27 million in net sales for the most recent quarter. This figure represents a 16% increase year-over-year and a 15% jump in comparable sales. Hollisters success left the company with a 7% improvement in net sales year-over-year.
Hollister has maintained significant positive growth, reporting 19% and 22% increases in net sales year-over-year during quarters one and two, respectively.
In an earnings call for quarter two, CEO Fran Horowitz attributed the Abercrombie brands decline to marking down and selling old inventory. This time around, Horowitz appeared happy enough to have made progress, stating, Abercrombie brands made sequential progress in-line with our expectations, and we are tightly managing inventory as we aim for fourth quarter brand net sales to be approximately flat to last years record.
Abercrombie expects a 6% to 7% growth overall for net sales in fiscal 2025, remaining confident it will reach a new record high.
The Thanksgiving travel period is in full swing. Today is the last day before Thanksgiving, which means millions of Americans will be taking to the skies to reach their holiday destinations. And myriad more will also be traveling to airports to pick up their incoming loved ones.
But on one of the busiest travel days of the year, flight delays and cancellations are inevitable. Here are some tools to track delays, along with information on which airports are currently experiencing the worst delays and cancellations.
FAA says this is the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in 15 years
Earlier this week, Fast Company reported on the American Automobile Association (AAA)’s latest data, which revealed that this Thanksgiving travel period will be the busiest in six years.
The AAA defines the 2025 Thanksgiving travel period as running from Tuesday, November 25, to Monday, December 1. During that time, the AAA says 81.83 million Americans will be traveling by road, air, or other means, including 6.07 million by plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released its own estimation, which largely concurs with the AAAs data. Last Friday, the FAA announced that this Thanksgiving travel period will be the busiest in 15 years.
The agency says that more than 360,000 flights will take place during the period, shuffling travelers to and from their Thanksgiving destinations. (Its worth noting that the FAAs Thanksgiving period differs slightly from the AAAs period. The FAA says the Thanksgiving period runs from Monday, November 24, to Tuesday, December 2.)
The FAA has also forecast the number of flights in the air for each day over the period, including:
Monday, November 24: 48,173
Tuesday, November 25: 52,185
Wednesday, November 26: 50,130
Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving): 25,611
Friday, November 28: 41,560
Saturday, November 29: 46,288
Sunday, November 30: 51,268
Monday, December 1: 49,676
Tuesday, December 2: 47,423
The more flights scheduled, the greater the chance of delays and cancellations.
This map reveals which airports currently have the most delays and cancellations
Delays and cancellations happen for several reasons. According to the FAA, the top five causes of delays in the National Airspace System (NAS) include:
Weather (which causes about 62.6% of all delay minutes)
Volume (13.5%)
Runway (8.3%)
Equipment (1%)
Other/Staffing (14.6%)
In other words, even if it’s sunny and clear skies in the departure or arrival destinations, the sheer volume of scheduled flights, runway availability, equipment issues, and staffing issues can still cause delays.
If you have to make a trip to the airport today for any reason, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on where delays are occurring, as they can not only cause flights to depart later than scheduled but also lead to increased crowds in terminals and parking lots.
FlightAware.com offers an interactive map, aptly named the Misery Map, which shows the current delays at some of Americas busiest airports. As of the time of this writing, the Misery Map shows that between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. today, 63 flights are currently delayed and three have been canceled (keep in mind, this information is updated regularly).
The Misery Map shows that the highest number of delays during that time period is at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), where nine delays are currently listed. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) currently has the next-most delays, at eight. All three presently listed cancellations for the period are from flights at MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport (MSP).
For the day, FlightAwares expanded data currently shows 549 delays for U.S. flights, as well as 25 cancellations.
If you do need to head to the airport today, whether to catch a flight or pick someone up, the best practice is to track the relevant flights information directly in the airlines app or on its website, and to contact the airline directly if you have any concerns about delays or cancellations.
Its long been the uniform of management consultants and finance bros, but now the humble quarter zip is being embraced by a rather unexpected demographic.
Over the past few weeks, FYPs have become dominated by the workwear staple. Young men who previously mightve been seen exclusively in Nike Tech, have now traded them in for quarter zip sweaters. Across social media, they are sharing styling tips and hosting meetups at malls, all clad in business-casual.
The trend gained widespread attention when, in early November, TikToker @whois.jason shared a video of himself sipping a matcha (the beverage of choice for the performative male) with a friend. Both are wearing quarter zip sweaters.
We dont do Nike Tech, we dont do coffee. Its straight quarter zips and matchas around here, he says in the clip. We upgraded in life; we wear glasses now.
Since it was posted, the clip has gained over 25 million views. No more DMs we on outlook and teams, one comment read. Another wrote: We on linkedin not instagram.
The hashtag #quarterzip currently has over 55,000 posts on TikTok. Theres T-Pain in Louis Vuitton talking about 401k and a quarter zip. Rapper Central Cee hung up his customary Nike Tech fleece for a cream Ralph Lauren one. Nike techs most loyal person just switched up, one comment read on his TikTok post.
The basketball video game NBA 2K account announced the addition of quarter zips to 2K26 last week, not long after the topic started trending on TikTok. Even brands are jumping on, a sure sign as any that a trend has run its course.
Some say the co-option of quarter zips signals a vibe shift that goes beyond fashion. Fortune calls it a subtle signal of ambition and adaptation in a job market that feels almost insurmountably tough for many young adults today. The New York Times described the shift as an aesthetic pivot toward the expectations of the professional world.
Its true, the quarter zip has long been a signal of soft professionalism. If a LinkedIn connection was an item of clothing, it would be the quarter zip (perhaps under a fleece vest to complete the uniform). Others have connected the trend to the history of Black dandyism, a cultural movement and fashion style intended to subvert racial stereotypes, inspiring last years Met Gala theme.
While the lifecyle of a TikTok trend is often no more than a few days or weeks at most, retail data shows a 25% sales rise for quarter zips among 18- to 24-year-olds since mid-2024. Google Trends shows a 2,250% increase in searches for 1/4 zip pullover men’s business casual over the past 12 months.
Has anyone checked in on the finance bros?
In an age of high-turnover trends, ubiquitous screens, and fractured attention spans, a lengthy televised parade organized by a venerable department store sounds like a relic of a bygone era.
But somehow, the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade has in recent years proved itself to be startlingly popular and relevant. In 2024, the parade drew an estimated 31.7 million viewers on NBCs broadcast and Peacock streaman all-time record, and a bigger audience than the Oscars or any entertainment broadcast. This years parade will include, along with balloons featuring legacy characters like Snoopy and Minnie Mouse, a Pop Mart float with an oversized Labubu, a Stranger Things float featuring a Demogorgon, and performances by a singing trio from KPop Demon Hunters and Wicked: For Good star Cynthia Erivo.
Macys is stubbornly unforthcoming on the economics of its parade, and a spokesperson told Fast Company that it was unable to discuss and disclose financials of the event. But it certainly appears to be a bright spot for the retailer, which over the past decade has closed scores of locations and laid off thousands of workers.
Various reports suggest the 2024 version cost an estimated $13 million to produce, with longtime partner NBC paying $20 million for broadcast rights. Macys and NBC announced a new 10-year deal earlier this year, and while terms were not disclosed, The Wall Street Journal reported the new proposal was on the order of $60 million for annual rights to the Thanksgiving parade, a July 4 special, and a new event thats to be determined. This reflects how valuable the parade, in particular, seems to have become for its ability to draw a mass audience, with NBC reportedly selling 30-second ad spots for $900,000.
The Friendsgiving in Pop City float will be featured in the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27. [Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s]
A successful, unchanged formula
The parade dates back to 1924 and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1954. While Macys describes it as a gift to the nation, its one that has long since become a business in its own right. According to a report from 2019, a brand sponsoring a new balloon could expect to pay around $200,000 in construction and parade fees. But this, of course, yields a couple of minutes of on-air discussion of the brand or entertainment propertys balloon (or float or performance) from the broadcast hosts.
This is how the parade has worked for decadesand maybe that essentially unchanged formula helps explain its success. By now its an iconic event, deeply embedded in pop culture via numerous appearances in movies and TV shows, and countless memories. Even if you havent watched the parade in years, you know the gist.
So one theory of the events resilient popularity is that it is, like turkey and stuffing, an elevated variation on comfort food. A decade-plus ago, as many mainstream broadcast events began to see their audiences shrink, the parade held steady, in effect growing its influence simply by standing still.
But in the last few years, that audience hasnt just stood still but actually begun to grow, topping earlier viewer records. The Macys spokesperson credits the talented Macys Studio team of artisans and other experts who craft the event, and certainly the proceedings are as lavish as ever.
Among the character balloons set to fly high above Manhattan at this years parade are Mario of Super Mario Bros. fame, and recurring favorite Freida the Dachshund. [Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s]
A more interesting theory, though, is that a broadcast parade is ideal for a fractional-attention world. Theres something new every few minutes and none of it requires deep concentration. This years event includes 34 balloons, 28 floats, 28 performers, 11 marching bands, and 33 clown crews, meaning the parade is nonstop novelty. It is essentially an analog, marching scroll.
In a kind of virtuous circle, the audience attracts pop culture brands, which attracts a bigger audience. A Macys executive involved in producing the parade told the Freakonomics podcast last year that the goal is to balance legacy characters against new characters, in effect addressing an all-ages audience. Even better: All the content is basically escapist and certainly apolitical, providing an endless stream of excuses to change the subject to something benign when that cranky uncle starts looking for a squabble.
And while Macys may be opaque about the business details that help shape the specific contents of any given years parade, achieving that balance between contemporary relevance and timeless tradition is likely a key to attracting its audience. And sure, the whole thing is essentially an intertwined marketing eventa series of pop culture and brand promotions, under the auspices of Macys own brand. But nobody really seems to mind. Perhaps on the eve of Black Friday this is exactly what many are looking for. A Macys spokesperson calls the parade the official kickoff to the holiday season. That seems to be truer than ever.
What do Marriott, Peloton, and Major League Baseball (MLB) have in common? Each has recently navigated a major crisis in the court of public opinion. Marriotts licensing agreement termination with Sonder left guests stranded and fuming mid-stay. Peloton announced its second product recall in just two years. And the MLB is the latest major sports organization whose players have been swept up in sports betting scandals.
Crisis is everywhere. And while big brands may dominate the headlines, smaller companies face equally urgent situations. Regardless of a companys size, leaders must be prepared when the ever-turning wheel of misfortune lands on their spotbecause it will.
Despite this inevitability, less than half of U.S. companies have a formal crisis plan in place according to a 2023 report by Forbes. I see it in my workshops all the time. Fewer than a fourth of the countless leaders Ive worked with have a dedicated crisis plan or team in place to help them navigate a crisis. Whether they are consciously kicking the can of crisis preparedness down the road or simply dont know where to start, the consequences are the same. Its not if you will ever experience a crisis, its when and how severe. Failing to prepare can shatter reputations, destroy careers, and cripple revenue in a matter of moments. Here are four actionable steps to ensure you arent caught off guard when crisis hits.
1. Create a crisis plan
Planning is the most effective way to manage a crisis, yet many leaders find excuses to put it off. Some believe it will never happen to them; others underestimate the value of crisis planning because it does not generate revenue. In reality, crisis can happen to anyone, at any time, and facing a crisis without a plan is a major revenue drain, especially considering all the emergency expenses needed to manage it. A crisis plan is an essential tool that serves as a roadmap for navigating crisis response: In the same Forbes report, 98% of leaders who had activated their crisis communications plans found them to be effective. A plan doesnt need to be long30 pages is more than sufficientand should include an introduction, lessons learned from past crises, company information, crisis team member information, the companys risk profile, and key questions to ask during crisis to get as many details as possible.
2. Develop a crisis team
The crisis team is a designated group of people from inside and outside an organization that assembles at a moments notice when crisis hits to help gather the facts and take appropriate action. This group of people will help leaders navigate the most sensitive moments of their careers, so its imperative to choose team members who will not only provide sound insight, but will also hold the company and its leaders accountable when necessary. A crisis team should be limited to no more than 12 people and should include representation from the President/CEO, senior VPs, division managers, IT, legal counsel, communications, HR, and finance. Each of these members brings valuable perspective from different departments and may represent different groups of stakeholders. Smaller companies can have as few as three individuals on their teamyou should never try to navigate a crisis alone.
3. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable
As disconcerting as it can be for leaders to address the myriad risks their company faces on a daily basis, envisioning worst-case scenarios and developing a risk profile enables the development of a crisis management strategy before one hits. Worst case scenarios can range from a data breach that compromises proprietary information to an on-the-job employee injury. As there is a virtually unending list of worst-case scenarios, a companys risk profile will depend on the specific organization and industry. In the AI era, theres no reason for leaders not to have a tailored risk profile. Getting started is as easy as typing in your companys details. (Note: AI is not an appropriate tool to draft public-facing statements.) Once the risk profile has been established, you can predraft holding statements for each scenario that will serve as a guide during active crisis and save 20 to 30 minutes of precious time.
4. Learn how to recognize a crisis in your organization
Crises often catch leaders off guard because the buildup that caused them goes unrecognized. Most crises are the result of an unsolved business problem. If the problem can be identified and addressed, its far less likely to snowball into a full-blown crisis. Take the example of Pelotonin 2023, it recalled 2 million bikes after broken seat posts led to multiple reported injuries. The business problem? Poor quality product posing a safety risk to riders. In November 2025, Peloton recalled nearly 900,000 more . . . for the exact same reason. This unresolved business problem created a crisis cycle that eroded consumer trust. Other business problems that commonly lead to crisis include weak security that invites cybercrime, failing to prioritize employee safety resulting in death or injury, or a lack of succession planning that leads to a companys downfall in the event of a CEOs death or departure.
While leaders cant prevent crisis, they can prepare for it. Crisis planning could be the most valuable investment a leader ever makes. Because in business its not if a crisis will ever happen, its whether youll be ready when it does.
At the start of the Introduction to Innovation class at Robert C. Hatch High School in rural Uniontown, Alabama, the face of a teacher fills a wall-size screen at the front of the room. Beaming in from far away like a Zoom call, the teacher is part of a new approach to providing specialized education in underserved communities.
This is the Connected Rural Classroom. It’s a novel rethink of the typical high school classroom, designed specifically to increase access to niche, high-quality education for students in rural schools with limited resources. A remote teacher on a big screen is just one part of the classroom’s unique elements. Designed to emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses and increase students’ technological fluency, the classroom is outfitted with a range of built-in cameras, adjustable lighting, flexible seating, and a slate of hardware for tech-centric programming.
The classroom is supported by the state of Alabama and was created by Ed Farm, a Birmingham-based nonprofit focused on closing the growing digital skills gap in communities across the Southeast. “Especially in Alabama, there’s just a lack of high-quality STEM teachers and math teachers that those students in rural areas have access to,” says Waymond Jackson, president of Ed Farm.
[Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
A high-tech classroom
In contrast to the typical linoleum-floored room filled with rows of rigid desks, the Connected Rural Classroom looks more like a modern office. There are movable collaboration tables, standing desks, rocking chairs, ottomans, stadium seats along the back wall, and a line of focus booths looking through windows at the trees outside.
The large screen sits at the front of the room on a dark wall that encourages better focus, with a small stage-like area at its foot for presentations by in-class instructors and fellow students. Calming colors and sound-absorptive materials tame the sometimes chaotic effects caused by a roomful of teenagers, and linear cues in the ceiling and floor subconsciously direct their attention to the room’s main instruction area.
[Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
The room’s lighting is optimized for circadian rhythms, mimicking daylight to augment the single wall of windows in the room. There are also four programmed lighting scenes that can be used during different class scenarios, from stage-lit formal presentations to full-light active collaboration to a subtle dim setting for times requiring quiet focus.
There are multiple cameras that provide the remote instructor with views of all parts of the room, and embedded technology allows the instructor to beam to a specific screen to interact with small groups, or directly onto a student’s tablet for one-on-one instruction.
[Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
The classroom was designed by the architecture firm Kurani, which has been designing unconventional and often tech-forward classrooms for more than a decade. Founder Danish Kurani says this is part of making the room work not just for students but also for the teachers who may be sitting behind a computer hundreds or thousands of miles away.
“We went to great lengths to essentially try to make it easier for the remote instructor,” he says. “It’s far more difficult when you’re remote, especially when you’re dealing with high school students. Like, how do you have presence in the room? How do you connect with them?”
[Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
The zoom of classrooms
The classroom design was developed with feedback from students and instructors, and in close collaboration with Ed Farm, which launched in February 2020 with funding from a partnership between the Alabama Power Foundation and Apple. The goal is to expand technology education for students and upskill adults in rural areas. Apple CEO Tim Cook, an Alabama native, was in Birmingham for the program’s 2020 launch. “Ed Farm is about clearing a path for anyoneof any age, background, or interestwhether or not they’re destined for a career in technology,” he said at the time.
From top: The classroom at Robert C. Hatch High School in Uniontown, Alabama, before the redesign; the Connected Rural Classroom today [Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
Ed Farm has made physical spaces a cornerstone of its work, and developed the Connected Rural Classroom design as a prototype for improving the places where technology skill can be acquired. “There was this absolute misalignment between today’s workforce, today’s classroom, and tomorrow’s workforce,” CEO Jackson says, noting that working with Kurani, there was always the goal of creating a classroom design that could work across Ed Farm’s primary geography in the Black Belt of Alabama, but also beyond.
“This is truly a model that can be scaled state by state,” he says.
[Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
That hope informed the earliest stages of the design process. Kurani says his team started by researching existing public school classrooms across the country to understand their spatial and architectural conditions. They found that the average classroom is between 700 and 900 square feet, tends to have its door close to a corner, and has a single wall of windows on the opposite side of the room.
[Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
The design the architects developed is a prototype that matches those average conditions. Kurani sees it as a kit of parts that can be slightly adjusted based on the layout of a room or the location of its door and windows. “When it’s time to deploy it in schools, it’s very easy and we can tell all of them, Yes, we can easily bring this to your school. It will fit, Kurani says.
Ed Farm plans to scale the Connected Rural Classroom design to other schools, but also to expand its focus on creating similar educational spaces for people of all ages. “One of the things that we were pushed on by Apple as we came up with our solutions, was to think about the problems and the things that we’re doing that are relevant to Alabama as a microcosm of what actually exists across this country,” Jackson explains. “We see community spaces and unused community assets as an opportunity to bring technology and technology infrastructure closer to those folks that we’re seeking to serve.”
[Photo: Erin Little/courtesy Kurani]
