Electric bills are climbing almost everywhereand in some states, the increases have been staggering. If you live in the Bay Area, your average utility bill from PG&E went up nearly 70% over the last five years. Between 2024 and 2025, alone, bills grew by double digits everywhere from Utah to Massachusetts to Tennessee.
The surge in AI data centers often gets the headlines as the main cause of the increase, but they’re just one of many factors. Heres whats driving soaring utility bills, and what could help fix it.
Its not necessarily data centersyet
In a Berkeley National Lab report published last year that looked at trends in electric rates from 2019 to 2024, researchers found that states that had the biggest growth in electricity demandfrom customers like data centersactually saw costs go down. Thats because the electricity market isnt just about supply and demand; its expensive to maintain equipment, and if costs can be spread out among more customers, everyone pays less.
But thats starting to change as data centers use up the remaining room on the grid and start to need new power plants and other infrastructure. We are seeing utilities run out of that spare capacity, and new investments will need to be made to accommodate for the growth, says Ryan Hledik, a principal at the economics consultancy Brattle Group, which worked on the Berkeley Lab report. An analysis from Bloomberg News with more recent data found a strong correlation between higher energy costs and locations near data centers, with prices in some areas as much as 267% higher than they were five years ago.
Still, new data centers dont automatically have to mean higher utility bills for households. A lot of this depends on what rates utilities are charging to those new data center customers, says Hledik. If the utility is charging them a rate that covers all of those incremental costs that theyre imposing on the system, then that protects other customers from rate increases.
Microsoft recently announced that it plans to voluntarily cover the cost of any grid infrastructure thats needed when it adds a data center. Several states are considering policies that would require all data centers to pay their own way; some states, like Oregon, have already passed laws.
Other new policies under consideration would require data centers to cut their power use when the grid is stressed. “They can connect to the grid, but they’re going to be interruptible,” says Jackson Morris, director for the state power sector at the nonprofit NRDC. “So they’re going to be the ones that get shut off first, not Grandma’s house, and not the hospitals.” If data centers can avoid creating new peaks, they can also help avoid the need to build as much expensive new infrastructure.
The aging grid needs updates
Data centers arent the only problem. The Berkeley Lab report pointed to outdated infrastructure as a widespread issue. Basically, our entire grid is getting older, says Hledik. Portions of the distribution system are 80 years old at this point. These parts of the grid need to be replaced just to continue to maintain the same level of reliability that we have.
At the same time, utilities are struggling to deal with more disasters, from hurricanes to wildfires. As we’ve got more extreme storms, you’ve got more grid infrastructure that’s knocked out of service that has to be replaced. And then you have to harden existing infrastructure, too, says Tyson Slocum, director of the energy program at the nonprofit Public Citizen. In California, for example, 40% of the increase in energy bills over the past five years came from wildfire-related costs.
Upgrades have been delayed in the past. Now, thanks to inflation, supply chain issues that started in the pandemic, and Trumps tariffs on critical materials like steel, equipment like poles, wires, and towers is expensive to replace.
And it’s customers who are footing the bill. One thing that could help somewhat: pushing back on the rate of return that utilities earn as they build new infrastructure. Regulators let utilities bill customers for capital costs, but then they’re also allowed to make a profit for their investors. In California, that rate of return was recently dialed backjust by a tiny amount, 0.3%but that’s going to help slightly shrink home energy costs.
We need more power
The electric grid needs more access to power not just for data centers and other large customers, but as households begin to shift to heat pumps, induction stoves, and electric cars. Unfortunately, the process of adding power has been painfully slow; it can take five years for a new power plant to get connected to the grid.
“When electricity demand is relatively flat as it has been for quite some time in this country, you can paper over the cracks pretty well,” says NRDC’s Morris. “You can afford to have a broken [interconnection] queue. It’s not ideal, but you can kind of limp along. What’s happening now is in the face of exploding load growth on the system, all those cracks are turning into canyons. And all the things that were broken about the system are now coming into stark relief.”
Helping speed up the process to get permits would obviously help. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has been actively slowing down the process to build new wind or solar plants. “At the very time when you are seeing exploding load growth, [Republicans] just tried to kneecap the cheapest, quickest technologies to get on the grid to meet that demand, which is solar and battery storage,” Morris says. (New gas plants face long delays, with 5-7 year waits to get some parts; newer technologies like small modular reactors still aren’t ready for deployment.)
A new analysis from the American Clean Power Association found that in the PJM grid, a region that sprawls from Illinois to Virginia, households could spend as much as an extra $8,500 over the next decadeand have less reliable access to electricityif new renewable power plants don’t keep growing.
The Berkeley Lab report notes that states that have access to abundant solar and wind generally didn’t see their electric bills rise as quickly as in other areas. Onthe other hand, state with policies that require them to buy a certain amount of renewableseven at times when the price is higherdid see a slight increase in costs. “That’s to be expectedI think we’re developing those policies realizing that there’s a cost associated with dealing with climate change,” Hledik says.
As large-scale infrastructure struggles, there are also other ways to add power more quickly. A technology called dynamic line rating, for example, can make better use of existing power lines, unlocking 40% more capacity from transmission lines. Heimdall Power, a Norwegian company that has been quickly expanding in the U.S., says that theres a huge opportunity for more deployment of its sensors and other technology, which make it safe to let more power flow through existing infrastructure. By making better use of transmission lines, utilities could avoid building as many power plants.
Other companies are finding creative ways to build virtual power plants. Base Power, a Texas startup that recently raised $1 billion, owns a fleet of batteries that it installs at homes. Customers can save on electric bills by using the batteries when demand peaks; the system also helps utilities cut costs by easing strain on the grid. Similarly, companies like Renew Home use smart thermostats and other devices to let customers automatically tweak energy use to save money, while helping add new capacity to the grid.
It’s far cheaper and faster to promote energy efficiency or shift when customers use energy than to build a new gas plant, and it also helps customers. Data centers could help pay for solutions like this. For example, states could “ask data centers to pay for energy efficiency improvements for low-income customers in the community where they’re developing a data center,” Hledik says.
In some cases, large customers like data centers can also build some of their own power. That’s starting to happen in creative ways, like a new data center in Nevada powered by solar panels and used EV batteries.
The catch, of course, is getting those projectsand new utility-scale power plantsto focus only on clean energy. As utilities struggle with making the grid resilient to extreme weather from climate change, they need to look at the long-term challenges, Hledik says. “When I look at this from an economist’s perspective, it does provide support for the idea of going out and continuing to invest in clean energy and decarbonization measures, even at a time when federal policy is not necessarily supporting that,” he says.
“We have two options. One is to continue invest to invest money in the grid to make it more resilient in those situations. Two, try and address the bigger picture trend that’s driving the underlying cause of those wildfires and other natural disasters.”
It’s Friday afternoon, and a potential client just emailed, asking about your services. You scramble to find your pricing. (Where did you save that document?) You dig through old emails for a proposal you sent six months ago that you could adapt. You piece something together and curse your past self for not being more organized.
This scenario plays out constantly for solopreneurs. Most chalk it up to the chaos of running a business alone. But constantly scrambling will start to cost you as your business growsand eventually hold you back.
Most solopreneurs think that “operations” is something only real companies need: businesses with employees, office managers, and HR departments. But the absence of basic systems wastes your time, causes unnecessary stress, and makes you look amateurish to potential clients.
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3 systems that make a difference
You don’t need the same complex software or complicated workflows that teams rely on. But you do need systems and processes for the core functions of your business.
1. Sales and pipeline management
If you dont have a way to track potential clients or deals, youre potentially losing money. You need a system to store contact names and email addresses, along with information about the person/company and why theyre interested in working with you.
To avoid feeling frantic when you put together a proposal, make a template (and a few variations, if you have different bundles of services). I have three PDFs stored on my computer to easily retrieve whenever needed. Or if you offer more complex packages, software can make it easy for you to drag-and-drop different options into a proposal.
You also need a way to track follow-ups. Potential clients say theyll get back to you within a week, and they dont. You need to know when to email againeven following up on deals that may have gone cold months before.
2. Project templates
Theres no reason to reinvent the wheel with every project. Project templates might include Google or Word docs you use repeatedly, an onboarding questionnaire, or a project management tool with a list of specific tasks.
Every one of my clients has the exact same set of folders in my Google Drive, and the same setup in my project management tool. Even though each project is slightly different, I know, at a glance, what I need to work on and when its due.
3. Income and expense tracking
Lastly, you need a way to keep track of your income and expenses. You dont want to be reconstructing a years worth of finances come tax time in April. You should know how much each client paid you, and how much you spend on different categories of expenses like software, insurance, and marketing.
In addition to tracking, your system should include a way to invoice clients and make it easy for them to pay in their preferred method. Payment friction can be a huge headache for solopreneurs (e.g., the client wants to pay via credit card, but you dont have a way of processing credit cards).
Payment-processing tools like Stripe or QuickBooks can handle multiple payment methods for you. They can also send automatic payment reminders to help you stay on top of outstanding invoices.
Build systems earlybefore you need them
When you don’t have basic operational infrastructure, you’re constantly rebuilding the parts of your business. Every proposal, every client interaction, and every project takes more time than it should.
In addition to your time, the other cost is mental load. Without established systems, you’re making dozens of mini-decisions throughout the day. Where do I save this file? How do I structure this kickoff call? How can I collect project feedback? Each decision requires some of your energy that could be better spent in your business.
When you’re figuring things out as you go, it shows up in delayed responses, inconsistent communication, and forgotten details. Its better to build systems earlybefore you feel like you need them. Its much easier to build when your workload feels manageable than when youre drowning.
Operations will multiply your effectiveness. Every template you create will get reused dozens of times. Every workflow you document makes future decisions easier. Well-run solo businesses have invested time in systems that make smooth possible.
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In the midst of economic uncertainty, polarizing politics, global conflict and a future that is largely out of focus, many consumers are continuing to fight the good fight when it comes to using their dollars to drive positive change.
It’s the 13th year that I have helped run an annual survey on the momentum of socially responsible spending, nonprofit giving, and earth friendly practices, called the Conscious Consumer Spending Index. This year we found that despite a worsening view of the state of the world, consumers are holding firm in their support of conscious brands: A majority of respondents said they were actively supporting purposeful companies, while roughly a third plan to increase the amount they spend on socially responsible products and services in 2026.
Digging deeper into the data, we identified several questions that are worth serious consideration. Below are four mission critical issues that purpose-driven individuals and organizations should meditate on as we enter a new year.
1: Is being socially responsible an all or nothing proposition?
In our study, one third of consumers reported boycotting specific companies or brands because they were not socially responsible, and 31% said they had encouraged family or friends to avoid a company or product because it was not socially responsible.
In spirit, this enthusiasm is a positive. However, it is important to evaluate where we are setting the bar for brands. While there are examples of companies who have clearly crossed lines and are easily categorized as not socially responsible, there are many organizations who are on a journey toward being a good company and experiencing setbacks and growing pains along the way.
There is a big difference between a company who has no moral compass and no regard for whats best for its people, the community and the environment, compared with a company who is pure in its intentions to be more purposeful but not yet perfect in its execution.
As a result, we must strike a balance: holding companies accountable to a set of meaningful standards without being elitist and too quick to cancel a brand for not yet checking all the boxes when it comes to being socially responsible. Set the bar too low, and the bar means nothing. Set the bar too high, and many organizations might decide being a good brand is out of their reach.
2: Should we separate politics from purchases when it comes to socially responsible brands?
Consumers want good brands to take stands. When asked if socially responsible brands should weigh in on cultural and political issues, 36% said yes. Another 34% said it depends on the specific situation. Only 21% percent of respondents said no, while 9% had no opinion on the matter. Those who want brands to choose sides represent the most conscious of consumers. More than half (55%) plan to increase their spending on socially responsible goods and services in 2026.
This mindset is potentially polarizing and counterproductive when it comes to advancing the conscious consumerism movement. Showing preference to brands who prioritize their community, their workers, the environment and society at large is different from aligning with these same brands based on their activism on specific issues.
We are experiencing an unprecedented divide when it comes to politics in this country. It is worth debating whether it is wise to mix political leanings with mission and purpose when evaluating whether a company is socially responsible. At the end of the day, should socially responsible behaviors be a partisan issue?
3: Are we doing enough to raise awareness and understanding of brands doing good?
On the whole, awareness remains a key issue when it comes to socially responsible brands. Collectively, those who are a part of this movement should consider doubling down on efforts to spread the word and educate consumers. As an example, our research shows that 75% of Americans still arent familiar with the concept of a B Corp. While weve made progress on this front in the last decade, we are still falling far short of where we need to be to advance the overall movement and reinforce the right behaviors.
In addition to raising general awareness, we also need to help consumers identify specific brands to support. Most consumers can accurately articulate what makes a company socially responsible, but when they find themselves in real world consumption scenarios, the good choice is not obvious enough.
When we ask consumers to name a company or organization that is socially responsible, Amazon and Walmart continue to dominate responses. Brands like Patagonia and Ben & Jerrys are also popular answers, but overall this data point reinforces the fact that most consumers do not have a working filter for separating purposeful brands from those who are not actually mission driven.
The most frequent way consumers make this decision is by reading packaging labels. We need to equip them with better tools and encourage them to be more proactive if they are serious about being purposeful when shopping.
4: Is increasing interest in conscious consumerism bad news for nonprofits?
When comparing nonprofit giving trends with the trajectory of conscious consumerism, the CCSIndex data shows that charitable donations have lagged behind socially responsible spending since 2017. The gap is widening, driven by a youth movement that is more likely to do good by shopping responsibly versus making financial contributions to causes.
For Americans ages 18-34, 31% prefer to give back by buying socially responsible products and services instead of donating to charity, compared to 27% of those who are 35-54, and 17% of Americans who are 55 or older. The youngest cohort was the least likely to have contributed financially to a charity in the previous year.
While some of this can be chalked up to financial constraints for younger individuals, that likely isnt the entire story. Historically, giving levels have increased as individuals move into older age brackets and are more financially able to give. Evidence suggests a shift is occurring among Millennials and Gen Z toward alternative giving channels, and that this shift might just stick as they age.
Specifically, it seems clear that younger Americans favor conscious consumerism over charitable donations. Its less clear what should be done about this trend. Regardless, charities should be paying close attention to where things are headed and how their fundraising strategies can evolve.
Every season, the Next Big Idea Club editorial team reviews dozens of upcoming books to curate a selection of the most exciting, must-read nonfiction titles. We start with a broad pool of nominees from which we identify a small handful of finalists and, ultimately, an official season selection.
Today, its our pleasure to share our list of five finalists for Season 29! Without further ado, the new books were most excited about right now are . . .
The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World
By Brad StulbergPublication Date: January 27, 2026
A practical guide to realizing our potential amid the chaos of modern life and learning how to reconnect to ourselves, our work, and each other by focusing on the pursuit of excellence. View on Amazon
Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony
By Kate MurphyPublication Date: January 27, 2026
Why do you immediately click with some people while others just as inexplicably turn you off? Do people emit vibes? Is it possible to read a room? Are bad habits contagious? Kate Murphy answers these and other fascinating questions. View on Amazon
The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans
By Maya ShankarPublication Date: January 13, 2026
A revelatory exploration of the ways we can find meaning in the tumult of change, from a renowned cognitive scientist. View on Amazon
A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness
By Michael PollanPublication Date: February 24, 2026
A panoptic exploration of consciousnesswhat it is, who has it, and whyand a meditation on the essence of our humanity. View on Amazon
How to Live a Meaningful Life: Using Design Thinking to Unlock Purpose, Joy, and Flow Every Day
By Bill Burnett and Dave EvansPublication Date: February 3, 2026
A groundbreaking guide to transforming your daily routine into one brimming with joy, purpose, and meaning. View on Amazon
Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose
By Jennifer Breheny WallacePublication Date: January 27, 2026
A landmark book that introduces a transformative new framework to confront the loneliness, burnout, and lack of purpose so many of us face today. View on Amazon
Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment
By Daniel CoylePublication Date: February 3, 2026
A science-based, practical blueprint for cultivating a lifeat work and at homefull of belonging, joy, and vitality. View on Amazon
Intentional: How to Finish What You Start
By Chris BaileyPublication Date: January 6, 2026
A productivity expert distills a decade of deep research on productivity to deliver a profound, practical, and counterintuitive road map to getting things done. View on Amazon
The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us
By Rebecca Newberger GoldsteinPublication Date: January 13, 2026
Drawing on biology, psychology, and philosophy, Goldstein argues that this need to matterand the various mattering projects it inspiresis the source of our greatest progress and our deepest conflicts. View on Amazon
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books, Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hoursand you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the five key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea app, weve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create Book Bites, short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors theselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much moreall in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
I love this app! The Book Bites are brilliant, perfect to have in airports, waiting rooms, anywhere I need to not doomscroll You guys are the best! Missy G.
Go Deeper with a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea App is free for anyone to tryand if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every two months, we select a new nonfiction book as the must-reads of the season. We then send a hardcover copy straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides that take you step-by-step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, its all available through the Next Big Idea app.
My biggest Thank You is for the quality of book selections so far. I look on my shelf and see these great titles, and I find myself taking down one or two each month to reread an underlined passage. Full marks to all involved! Tim K.
Learn Faster, from the Worlds Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, handpicked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the Events tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If youre hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope youll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
Enjoy our full library of Book Bitesread by the authors!in the Next Big Idea app.
This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
Below, Melissa Bernstein shares five key insights from her new book, The Heart of Entrepreneurship: Crafting Your Authentic Recipe for Success.
Bernstein founded a toy company, Melissa & Doug, with her husband, in 1988. In 2021, they launched their second company, Lifelines, a wellness brand offering sensory products to manage stress and enhance well-being. She is the entrepreneur-in-residence for the Inner MBA certification program created by Sounds True, LinkedIn, and Wisdom 2.0. She is also cofounder of Duke Universitys Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs program.
Whats the big idea?
As we age, many of us lose touch with the childlike curiosity and wonder that once came so naturally. Yet, those are the very ingredients that fuel entrepreneurship. Everyone has the capacity to think creatively, solve problems, and innovate. But like any recipe, it requires a deliberate process.
Listen to the audio version of this Book Biteread by Bernstein herselfbelow, or in the Next Big Idea app.
1. Develop a start-from-scratch mentality.
Imagine walking into your kitchen each morning and seeing a completely empty potno leftovers, no old recipes, just a blank slate. Thats what I face every day as a creator: the daunting but exhilarating task of starting fresh.
This mindset is essential for innovation. We cant rest on yesterdays ingredients. We must embrace a beginners mind, a state of utter unknowing, like a child who can see infinite possibilities and the extraordinary in the ordinary.
This means letting go of ego, which is filled with fear and rigidity, and leaning into curiosity and exploration. Heres the litmus test: Are you truly passionate about what youre doing? If not, maybe its time to empty the pot, clean it out, and stir something entirely new.
2. Become an indiscriminate gatherer of ingredients.
I love the word indiscriminate because it means at random and without careful judgment. To cook something new, you need a pantry overflowing with diverse ingredients. In entrepreneurship, those ingredients come from your life experiences.
Follow your curiosity wherever it leads. Yes, wherever it leads, even if it seems odd and offbeat. Try new hobbies. Strike up conversations with complete strangers. Explore unfamiliar places, even within your own town. Every new experience is like a spice or herb that goes in your pantry and expands the creativity within it.
At some point, one of those ingredients will spark something profound in you. Its called a crystallizing experience, coined by Howard Gardner. These moments will make you want to dive deeper and learn more. Curiosity is not about rushing to an outcome. Its about patience, confidence, and enjoying the process of discovery.
3. Let your ingredients simmer.
This is the most challenging part of the creativity process because most people want to rush to the finish line. We have this tendency to want to reach the end goalto get to the noun instead of live the verb. Often, we throw all the ingredients into the pot too quickly. We dont allow it ample time to simmer and allow all those ingredients to combine and recombine. Because of that, the recipe is exactly the same as all those recipes in the past. It tastes the same every time.
One of my favorite definitions of creativity is by an amazing researcher, Paul Torrance. He describes creativity as the imaginative recombination of elements from the past into new configurations needed in the present. The ingredients need time and space to recombine in new ways. So, we must give those ingredients time to simmer in the unconscious.
What does this mean? You put ingredients in the pot, place the lid tightly, set the burner on low, and step away to allow the unconscious mind to do its magic. This simmering process is essential for new revelations. You must stop thinking about the problem and focus your mind on other thingscompletely. Our minds are so magical that even when focused elsewhere, we are still doing the work unconsciously of solving other problems.
The process is personal, and what you choose to do depends on the problem youre solving and who you are. For me, nature is my muse. Being in nature when I have a complex problem to solve frees my mind from thinking about the problem, because I focus on the beauty around me. This is my gateway to that unconscious work.
But for you, it may be something entirely different. Certain people may choose to listen to music, others drive, and some read. After minutes, days, or sometimes weeks of allowing your ingredients to simmer, that chefs kiss recipe emerges in a flash of intuition.
However, sometimes that chefs kiss recipe never arises. Why? Because a key ingredient may still be missing. And thats okay. Its not meant to arise if it doesnt arise. We cannot rush the process without risking bland, derivative results. Allow the process and see what magic unfolds.
4. Invite others into your kitchen.
Once you have a crystallized prototype of your ideaand only thendo you invite others to come into your kitchen and try it out. Theyre your taste testers, so to speak. But too often people seek feedback much too early, before their idea is crystallized in their own mind. This is a problem because then their unique idea or original take on an existing idea gets watered down by other peoples opinions and turns into something generic. Protect your vision until its strong enough to stand on its own, its roots deep.
When you are ready to invite tasters into your kitchen, make sure they are your target audience. These are the people who would actually choose your restaurant and purchase items on your menu. If you choose those who are not your target audience, you will get feedback that is not helpful to your particular concept.
The feedback from your target market is invaluable, but it doesnt mean you take every piece of feedback they give you and use it to change your recipe. In fact, you must filter every bit of feedback through your vision. Remember, no one with a clear vision ever uses all the feedback they receive. They pluck out those most relevant and salient pieces. Use those to iterate on and improve the recipe, then get rid of the rest.
5. Embrace imperfection and evolution.
I am a perfectionist and had a very hard time, early in my career, letting anything leave my brain or our office and go out into the world. To overcome this, I created the 80% rule. Basically, when something feels about 80% ready, I release it into the world. If I waited for it to achieve 100%, I would never have launched a single product because nothing is ever 100% ready.
I realized that I just had to do my best. I had to put everything I could into my product, allow ample simmering, let testers into my kitchen, and thenwhen I could think of nothing more to doI had to close my eyes, hold my breath, and release it into the world, recognizing that its not at 100%.
Without releasing it into the world, I could never get closer to that 100%: Let my consumers try it out, test it, and give me feedback. Then, I continue to hone, improve, and perfect it so that over time, every product gets closer to 100%. Does it ever get there? I dont think so. Ive had some that maybe are at 98%, but there is alway something that can be improved.
Every idea, every product is a continual work in progress, constantly evolving and improving. And isnt that the joy of life? That mindset keeps innovation alive. So, whether you are inventing a toy, a service, a company, or simply reigniting your own sense of wonder, the recipe is completely the same and something we all can engage in time and again, in the following order:
We start from scratch. As Buddhist monk Shunryu Suzuki said, In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, but in the experts there are a few.
We gather ingredients. We follow our curiosity wherever it leads and stock the pantry in our mind with disparate ingredients, not knowing yet how theyll be used.
We simmer those ingredients that captivate our attention most. If you have the right ingredients in the pot, in a matter of time, that amazing chefs-kiss recipe will emerge.
We invite taste-testers into our kitchen. These people should be part of your target audience. Listen to their feedback and filter it through the lens of your vision, incorporating the ones that make sense and letting go of the rest.
We set it free. We share it with the world before its perfect.
The heart of entrepreneurship is about reconnecting with the spark we all once had and realizing its still within, waiting to be rekindled.
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This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
If youre in an unfulfilling job or are dissatisfied with your work, its possible to get a fresh start no matter what the season. In fact, there are a few strategies that can help you find meaning and enhance your experience even as you slog forward.
A lack of fulfillment in your job can have intense effects. It can derail your motivation, your energy, and even your performance. And these, in turn, get in the way of your happiness at work and can impact your overall happiness outside of work too.
For many people, it’s hard to find meaning at work. In fact, half of workers in the U.S. reported that they lacked satisfaction in their work, and 38% said their job was just a way to get by, according to the Pew Research Center. In addition, half of people globally say their job fails to give them a sense of meaning, based on a survey by PwC.
So how do you create meaning when you lack it? And how do you set up the conditions for fulfillment in your work? Here are a handful of strategies that will make a difference.
Stay dedicated
One of the key ways to improve your experience at work is to stay dedicated to it. Its tempting to check out, and it can be tough to devote yourself emotionally to a job that isnt satisfying. Still, do your best to perform well, participate in meetings, show up on time, and follow through on your work.
Sometimes we wait to feel satisfied with our jobs before we get motivated to perform well, but research published by the Association for Psychological Science shows that employees who approach their work with optimism, dedication, and focus are more productive and more engaged. Their positivity ends up creating an upward spiral.
When you repeatedly behave with dedication, it will become a habit, with each action taking less conscious effort. Youll also send yourself a message that your work matters. And even more importantly, that you matter.
In addition, behaving with dedication will affect how you perform and how others evaluate your contributions. When these are positive, it will pave the way to your next role and the greater meaning it will bring.
Find allies
Another surefire way to increase the meaning in your work is to connect with colleagues and build a sense of community. One of the primary symptoms of work that feels unfulfilling is being disconnected from others. If you dont know your coworkers well or dont feel like they know you or your work, it can make the work itself feel empty.
Having friendships with colleagues is tremendously helpful for finding satisfaction and happiness at work. A study published in the Journal of Theoretical Educational Science found that friendships are strongly correlated with both happiness and satisfaction, explaining more than a quarter of the differences felt by happy and satisfied people.
Additional research from KPMG finds that 84% of people say friends at work are very important to their mental health on the job. In addition, there is a 20% friendship premium in salary to have friends at work: Specifically, 57% of people would choose a role that pays 10% below the market instead of a role that’s 10% over the market for the opportunity to work with close friends.
Find people that you can admire and learn from. Invite them to coffee and consider asking them to mentor you or provide advice focused on your future. Also look for colleagues with whom you have things in common. Connect based on your shared interests or the projects youre working together on.
Set goals and take action
It can also help to reframe your current role as a stepping stone. Identify where you want to go next and how this role helps you get there. It may be teaching you skills that can help you in your next job, and it could even be an opportunity to learn more about what you dont want as you move forward. Both of these are constructive as you expand your self-awareness and your focus on whats next. Consider what else you need to learn, both in terms of more formal education like classes or informal approaches such as learning on the job or from others.
The process of taking action is also helpful to your mental health because it reinforces your agency and helps you feel more empowered.
Persevere through todays challenges and focus on the future so you can keep moving forward.
Focus on the holistic
Another way to bring more meaning to your work, surprisingly, is to create the conditions for happiness outside of work. In fact, there is a proven spillover between life and work. In a longitudinal study of almost 162,000 people published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, those who were happiest outside of work perceived greater happiness with their work as well.
The bottom line is that you can increase happiness and satisfaction in your work by considering your life as a whole and finding meaning and joy outside of work. Do things you love with your family, enjoy time with friends, volunteer in your community, mentor youth in your area. These kinds of activities will contribute to your overall sense of meaning and positively affect your perceptions of work as well.
Ultimately, having a greater sense of meaning at work is one of the most important experiences to be concerned about, given how much time we spend working. We all have an instinct to want to matter, so when you stay dedicated, find allies, persevere, and think holistically, youll improve not only your work but your life as a whole.
Having a baby isn’t cheap, but sometimes, even the delivery alone can be a crushing burden on families.
According to a new survey, even moms who are insured can end up saddled with medical debt that adds to the financial stress of growing a family. What To Expect, a website that provides new and expecting parents with resources, surveyed 3,285 women on their experiences with labor and delivery charges. The research found that one in four moms have gone into debt due to the costs associated with giving birth. The survey found that, on average, moms are leaving the hospital with around $3,000 in debt.
And that’s before the baby expensesdiapers, formula, daycare!start piling up.
According to the respondents, even women with insurance are ending up with hefty tabs from the hospital. Almost half (48%) with self-purchased insurance plans say theyve gone into debt due to the costs. Almost a third (32%) of moms with employer-provided plans had the same experience. Furthermore, 18% of moms with Medicaid ended up with debt from out-of-pocket labor and delivery expenses, even though Medicaid is designed for low-income families.
While worrying about how you might pay off a rather large and unexpected hospital bill is something a lot of families aren’t prepared for, new moms have another consuming task (aside from trying to figure out how to care for a new human 24/7): the weight of deciding when to go back to work. Given there is no federally mandated maternity leave that ensures moms have time to rest, recover, and bond with their new babies in the U.S., for many, a return to work happens quickly.
According to a 2024 report from the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, one in four new mothers go back to work just 10 days after giving birth out of financial necessity.
Aside from the strain on their bodies, which are still recovering, that early return isn’t great for new moms’ mental health, either. Women who return to work before the 12-week mark are at an increased risk for developing postpartum mental health challenges, like postpartum depression, according to a 2021 study from Harvards T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Women who have at least 12 weeks of paid leave were 30% less likely to report depressive symptoms, the study found.
In most other countries, returning to work almost immediately is practically unheard of. In fact, the U.S. practically stands alone in its lack of mandated leave for new mothers. On average, moms receive 19 weeks of paid maternity leave, according to a 2023 study of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, including the United States. The United States is the only country of OECDs 38 member countries that does not guarantee any paid maternity leave.
Star Treka franchise that famously promotes the philosophy Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations”is being accused of “becoming” too woke.
Last week, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller shared a post from the X account End Wokeness that featured a short clip from the premiere episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Tragic. But its not too late for @paramountplus to save the franchise. Step 1: Reconcile with @WilliamShatner and give him total creative control. https://t.co/HRMDcYeBnU— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) January 16, 2026
The clip showed cast members Tricia Black (playing Lt. Rork), Gina Yashere (Lura Thok) and Holly Hunter (Nahla Ake). The caption read: Star Trek 2026 Beyond parody
What sparked the vitriol? Three women talking.
Miller went on to describe the current state of the Star Trek franchise as tragic and suggested that Paramount+ should bring back 94-year-old William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek from 19661969, offering him full creative control.
On Monday, Shatner responded. I am so on the same page with you @StephenM ! he wrote on X.
I am so on the same page with you @StephenM! The fact that they have not cure Hyperopia by the 32rd Century is an abysmal oversight on the writers!Also @paramountplus needs to up the budget because Im sure that a well oiled organization like Starfleet in the distant https://t.co/96MtYUGGWf— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) January 19, 2026
The fact that they have not cure Hyperopia by the 32rd Century is an abysmal oversight on the writers! he joked.
The sarcasm clearly went right over Millers head, who followed up with another post. Paramount screwed up royally when they decided to kill off Kirk in Star Trek Generations, he wrote.
@WilliamShatner disagreed strenuously but was a team player and out-acted everyone in the film. But its not too late for Paramount to make amends with Shatner and save the franchise, he urged. Do it!
Paramount screwed up royally when they decided to kill off Kirk in Star Trek Generations. @WilliamShatner disagreed strenuously but was a team player and out-acted everyone in the film. But its not too late for Paramount to make amends with Shatner and save the franchise. Do it! https://t.co/YORaoM0JEV— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) January 19, 2026
Many Star Trek fans were quick to point out Millers anti-woke hero is the same actor who famously took part in the first interracial kiss in U.S. television history, during Star Treks original run in the 1960s. They also pointed to Millers fundamental misunderstanding of the show, whose progressive values have long been light-years ahead of its time.
Fans have recently shared their concerns across Reddit forums about what Trump ally David Ellisons takeover at Paramount might mean for the Star Trek franchise.
Do you think the shows will continue to be liberal/socialist filled with science, diplomacy, democratic solutions, and human rights? one user mused. Will they devolve into combat based popcorn fair? Will they straight up become positive analogs for the current administration? Or racial allegories in the bad way?
[Photo: John Medland/Paramount+]
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, created by Gaia Violo, premiered last week on Paramount+. It has since become the target of review bombing from those accusing a show about aliens of being too woke.
Earlier in the month, Elon Musk also shared a post featuring the same clip. He wrote: Turns out they banned Ozempic and LASIK in the future lol.
Actress Tricia Black responded on Instagram with the caption, Ive seen this exact same comment probably 100 times already so whatever but its nuts that the richest man in [the world] felt the need to steal the joke. It doesnt get to me because I am comfortable in my skin most days but this one made me laugh.
She then quoted the shows original creator, Gene Roddenberry, who famously said: “Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms.
The next time youve got an itchy throat and a stuffy nose, Amazon wants you to describe your symptoms to an AI chatbot deputized to do medicine.
On Wednesday, Amazon announced the launch of the new feature, inviting users who subscribe to its healthcare service to interact with an AI assistant for personalized medical advice. The chatbot is available now in the One Medical app, which patients can use to schedule appointments, message their primary care provider and access their medical records.
The U.S. health care experience is fragmented, with each provider seeing only parts of your health puzzle, Amazon Health Services Senior Vice President Neil Lindsay said in the announcement. Health AI in the One Medical app brings together all the pieces of your personal health information to give you a more complete picturehelping you understand your health, and supporting you in getting the care you need to get and stay well.
Amazon says that its new Health AI assistant can provide personalized insights that use a patients lab results, medical history, medication information and other records to paint a full picture of their health. In the app, Health AI will explain lab results, offer advice about symptoms, treatments, and other questions and help patients book appointments and renew medications.
The AI will see you now
The One Medical AI assistant is powered by Amazons Bedrock AI models and follows similar health-focused AI chatbots from major AI companies. Earlier this month, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, which similarly synthesizes its users medical history to provide tailored advice. Days later, Anthropic introduced Claude for Healthcare, an AI chatbot that can analyze a users health data to help them make sense of test results and prep questions for a doctors appointment.
Unlike its competitors, Amazon is already deeply invested in the business of healthcare. The retail giant jumped into the healthcare space in 2020 by launching its own online pharmacy, an offering that evolved from the companys previous acquisition of health startup PillPack.
Two years later, Amazon bought primary care and telehealth provider One Medical for $3.9 billion, further expanding its grand ambitions to become an established medical provider. Amazon kept the One Medical branding and now operates a network of locations across 19 major U.S. cities, with a telehealth service that reaches subscribers beyond those locations.
In 2023, Amazon tied One Medical into its Amazon Prime memberships, offering the health care subscription at a discounted $9 per month to Prime users. A One Medical membership covers the cost of on-demand virtual care through the service, including telehealth appointments, and simplified care for common problems, like cold and flu symptoms or allergies.
Amazon frames its new Health AI chatbot as a complementary tool that isnt designed to replace the human relationship between patient and provider. Thats for the best, considering that AI assistants have a very patchy record when it comes to providing safe, accurate health advice.
Googles often-questionable AI overviews, which appear at the top of search results, have served up potentially dangerous misinformation when prompted with health queries like what is the normal range for liver blood tests. Google isnt alone: a recent study from Mt. Sinais Icahn School of Medicine found that popular AI chatbots are prone to hallucinating when it comes to medical information, integrating false information and confidently giving descriptions of treatments and conditions that dont exist.
The 68th annual Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This year marks a return to normalcy after the 2025 award show was altered to focus on supporting relief efforts following the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires.
I think we will see some history-making moments, Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. told The Associated Press. With artists being nominated in categories they haven’t been previously nominated in, and a new crop of talent coming through the system this year I think we’re going to see some really exciting results.
Heres what you need to know about the 2026 Grammys, including how to stream and where you can see musics biggest stars walking the red carpet.
When are the Grammys and how can I watch or stream the show?
The main show will air live on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 1.
The Grammys can also be watched through live TV streaming services that include CBS in their lineup, like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV.
Paramount+ premium plan subscribers will be able to stream the Grammys live; Paramount+ essential subscribers will have on-demand access the next day.
The premiere ceremony will take place just ahead of the Grammys ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 p.m. Pacific at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It can be streamed at the Recording Academys YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com.
Who is performing at the Grammys?
The 2026 award show will feature a special segment in which all eight of this year’s best new artist nominees will perform. That means Leon Thomas, Olivia Dean, global girl group Katseye, The Marías, Addison Rae, sombr, Alex Warren and Lola Young will all share the stage before going head-to-head for one of the night’s biggest prizes.
Sabrina Carpenter will also perform at the Grammys.
Carpenter is a leading nominee at this year’s ceremony, with six nods for record, album and song of the year as well as pop solo performance, pop vocal album and music video.
Who is hosting the Grammys?
Comedian Trevor Noah will host the show for the sixth consecutive time and it will be his last.
I am beyond thrilled to welcome Trevor Noah back to host the Grammys for his sixth, and sadly, final time, Grammys’ executive producer Ben Winston said in a statement. Hes been the most phenomenal host of the show. Hes so smart, so funny, and such a true fan of the artists and music. His impact on the show has been truly spectacular, and we cant wait to do it together one last time.
The only other people to host six or more Grammy telecasts were musical artists: Andy Williams hosted seven shows, followed by John Denver with six. Noah previously tied LL Cool J, with five.
Noah himself is a four-time Grammy nominee and is up this year in the audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category for Into The Uncut Grass, a childrens story.
He’s a special host. He really finds the right balance between being funny and smart and knowledgeable but also being a fan of music. And I love that. Its so hard to find that combination, Mason jr. said.
As for his departure? Every person at some point in their career, they decide they want to do something else, Mason jr. said. And were so appreciative of the years that we got from Trevor. Hes really helped define the show and make the show what its become over the last six years.
How can I watch the red carpet?
The Associated Press will stream a four-hour red carpet show with interviews and fashion footage. It will be streamed on YouTube and APNews.com.
Who is nominated for the Grammys?
Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations with nine total. He’s up for record, song and album of the year marking the third time hes had simultaneous nominations in those big categories as well as pop duo/group performance, melodic rap performance, rap song and rap album. Hes also nominated twice in the rap performance category.
Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Canadian record producer/songwriter Cirkut follow Lamar with seven nominations each.
Thomas, Bad Bunny, Serban Ghenea, and the aforementioned Carpenter all boast six nominations. Andrew Watt, Clipse, Doechii, Sounwave, SZA, Turnstile, and Tyler, the Creator have five each.
There are a number of first-time nominees as well this year, including Tate McRae, Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, JID and Timothée Chalamet. You read that correctly.
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For more coverage of this years Grammy Awards, visit: www.apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards
Maria Sherman, AP business writer
