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Lets be honest: fear is everywhere inside organizations right now. You can feel it in how people talk about headcount or not. You see it in 10-slide decks justifying one decision. You sense it when smart teams stop raising bold ideas and start hedging every word. Ive been in innovation and design for nearly 20 years, working with Fortune 100s through recessions, crises, and COVID-19. Ive never seen fear take up as much space as it does now. Its no wonder why we are here, though. Headlines are dominated by mass layoffs, inflation, AI threats, climate disasters, and geopolitical instability. The pressure to do more with less only seems to grow inside organizations. Where we once saw enthusiastic collaboration and time for ideation, we now hear repeated reminders that this project is critical and the product must launch ahead of schedule. Remember camaraderie, laughter, and the room to innovate? They have all been squeezed out in the name of efficiency. Its not that managers are clueless about the stressors facing their direct reports. Yet pressure from the board, the market, and the team itself creates a vicious cycle of fear that ultimately leads to a scarcity mindset. Time, money, and opportunity suddenly feel limited. As a result, people stop thinking strategically, long-term visions are discarded, and innovation grinds to a halt. And yet, I know this from the dozens of companies Ive worked with in innovation: Teams can still move forward, even amidst great fear. To succeed, they need leaders who can stay grounded, know when to shift gears, and create the conditions for progress despite immense uncertainty. Here are five ways to guide your team out of fear and toward innovation and long-term business growth. 1. Use empathy to shift your culture Leaders set the tone of their teams and how they show empathy for their teams is a huge determinant of teams success. Prioritizing psychological safety and addressing issues transparently can cultivate a thriving and resilient team. I recently led a team through a project with fear at the centera looming launch date, mandated cross-team collaboration (that wasnt always so collaborative), and many reinforced critical reminders. Our team used simple tactics to focus on voices being heard to bring hope. We set up onboarding calls with every team and created a survey to understand what was on their mind and how they were approaching their work. Providing a space for their voices to be heard shifted their thinking from fear to opportunity. Another way you can help teams shift their culture is by creating metrics around empathy. Pulse-check your teams regularly. Build in skip-level 1:1s. Prioritize open communication over perfect communication. In times of turmoil, you cannot over-communicate. Anchoring decision-making in long-term aspirations, not just short-term survival, also helps teams remember that every situation is temporary. Painting a picture of the vision can reshape the entire trajectory of a project. It anchors a team in what feels challenging now but paints a picture of the future that showcases a vision teams can build toward. 2. Build an environment where truth-telling is rewarded Fear loves to shut down expansive thinking. Studies as far back as the 1950s, including Solomon Asch’s conformity experiments and Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s spiral of silence theory, illustrate how fear can tamper with expansive thinking and encourage conformity. Yet the last thing we need right now is conformity. Executives need truth-tellers, people who will stand up and say no and give the real talk thats needed. One executive always asked me to visit when I was in town. It wasnt because Id say everything was perfect. Instead, I would tell the truth, ask hard questions, and challenge their opinion if it wasnt rooted in sound insight. This kind of relationship goes beyond fear and centers on mutual respect and trust. As a leader, you dont necessarily need to empower the loudest naysayer in the room, but its time to find and cultivate truth-telling. While debate may seem risky in fearful times, leaders need ideas shared widely, not hoarded. For example, you might require teams to bring three hard questions for every share. If truth-telling feels impossible with current team members, consider expanding the office of the CEO into roles such as a chief of staff, which has seen a nearly 1,934% increase from 2019 to 2022 alone. This role exists to help the CEO uncover whats really happening. There are experts who can evaluate and support the creation of these roles such as Nova Chief of Staff or Ask a COS. 3. Encourage deep failure In tech innovation, youve heard Mark Zuckerbergs Move fast and break things or read The Lean Startup, which coined MVP. Those approaches are right, in theory. However, in corporate America, I rarely see them play out as intended because failure sill feels off-limits. Yet deep failure, done right, can be a golden ticket. Start by running small, agile experiments to gather insights, keeping the end user at the center every step of the way. When failure is reframed as data, not defeat, teams become more creative, and solutions get better and improve faster. The Spotify Model treats failure as fuel by being grounded in autonomy, innovation, and continuous learning. This mindset shift also applies to AI. Too many teams are still blocking generative tools out of fear. Instead, start mandating the use of AI to power rapid experimentation. While enterprise tools like Microsoft Copilot offer a safe starting point, the real value comes from going further. Right-sized, rapid AI tool creation within teams, allows them to customize and solve for their own challenges. 4. Stop glamorizing a good story The best final presentations focus less on telling a good story and more on strategy, substance, and outcomes. Teams shouldnt spend hours editing out words the CEO doesnt like or redesigning an infographic 10 times because it just doesnt feel right. Thats just fear in disguise, and it pulls focus away from what matters: whether the idea is right, not whether its perfectly packaged. One simple fix? Standardize the format. Require every team to deliver their final presentation as a one-page memo. Everyone knows Amazons approach; theyve been onto something for years. When everyone operates from the same format, it levels the playing field and puts the thinking, not the theatrics, at the center. We also must let go of outdated ideas about what a good leader looks or sounds like. Ive been told throughout my career that I have phenomenal executive presence. For a while, I wore that as a badge of honor. I now realize we should call it what it is: a coded way of valuing performance over substance. Its time to stop prioritizing polish and instead focus on outcomes. What matters isnt how someone says it but what theyre actually saying and whether it moves the business forward. 5. Consider your leadership legacy The phrase often attributed to Maya AngelouPeople wont remember what you accomplished, but how you made them feelis usually reserved for personal relationships. But why should it be any different for an executive? A retired Fortune 50 CEO once shared my article on LinkedIn. I reached out to thank her and asked to meet. Ahead of our conversation, I watched her interviews and saw someone who was consistently real, honest, and unafraid to talk about the personal and professional challenges of leadership. When we met, she was even more impressive in person, grounded in her values, and focused on creating an impact far beyond the boardroom. Her approach inspired me to think more intentionally about the legacy I want to leave behind as a leader. Legacy starts with shifting the focus from profit alone to impact. As a leader, you can create large-scale, positive change by championing equity, advancing sustainability or investing in social causes. But figuring out what kind of legacy you want to leave requires reflection. Leadership legacies dont build themselves. As Peter Drucker famously said, What gets measured gets managed. The same applies here. Set goals around the kind of legacy you want to leave, and check in with yourself regularly. Ask: What do I want to be remembered for? and What will people truly take away from working with me? While this metric might feel far away from those set by the board during times of intense pressure, they are just as worthy of time and focus. Perhaps these leadership tips feel basic, but when fear is driving the agenda, the basics are exactly what we need. Leaders need to remember that people power companies and people need their leaders. They need them to model how to lead through turmoil. Fear divides and creates short-term thinking. Yet empathy, truth-telling, encouraging failure, clear strategy, and legacy thinking can unite teams and drive innovation.
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E-Commerce
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. National home prices rose 0.2% year over year from July 2024 to July 2025, according to the Zillow Home Value Index reading published August 18a decelerated rate from the +2.8% year-over-year rate from July 2023 to July 2024. And more metro-area housing markets are seeing declines: > 31 of the nations 300 largest housing markets (10% of markets) had a falling year-over-year reading from January 2024 to January 2025. > 42 of the nations 300 largest housing markets (14%) had a falling year-over-year reading from February 2024 to February 2025. > 60 of the nations 300 largest housing markets (20%) had a falling year-over-year reading from March 2024 to March 2025. > 80 of the nations 300 largest housing markets (27%) had a falling year-over-year reading from April 2024 to April 2025. > 96 of the nations 300 largest housing markets (32%) had a falling year-over-year reading from May 2024 to May 2025. > 110 of the nations 300 largest housing markets (36%) had a falling year-over-year reading from June 2024 to June 2025. > 105 of the nations 300 largest housing markets (35%) had a falling year-over-year reading from July 2024 to July 2025. All year, more housing markets have slipped into year-over-year price declines as the supply-demand balance gradually tilts toward buyers in todays affordability-constrained, post-boom environment. But this month, that list of declining markets actually got a little shorter. Home prices are still climbing in many regions where active inventory remains well below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, such as pockets of the Northeast and Midwest. In contrast, some pockets in states like Arizona, Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Louisianawhere active inventory exceeds pre-pandemic 2019 levelsare seeing modest home price corrections. Year-over-year home value declines, using the Zillow Home Value Index, are evident in major metros such as Tampa (-6.2%); Austin (-6.0%); Miami (-4.6%); Orlando (-4.3%); Dallas (-3.9%); San Francisco (-3.8%); Phoenix (-3.5%); Jacksonville, Florida (-3.4%); San Antonio (-3.1%); Atlanta (-3.1%); Denver (-2.9%); San Diego (-2.7%); Raleigh, North Carolina (-2.3%); Sacramento (-2.2%); Riverside, California (-2.1%); Houston (-1.9%); San Jose (-1.6%); New Orleans (-1.0%); Charlotte, North Carolina (-0.9%); Los Angeles (-0.8%); Portland, Oregon (-0.8%); Seattle (-0.8%); Memphis (-0.8%); Nashville (-0.2%); and Las Vegas (-0.0%). Click here for an interactive version of the chart below. Many of the housing markets seeing the most softness, where homebuyers have gained the most leverage, are primarily located in Sunbelt regions, particularly the Gulf Coast and Mountain West. Many of these areas saw major price surges during the Pandemic Housing Boom, with home price growth outpacing local income levels. As pandemic-driven domestic migration slowed and mortgage rates rose, markets like Tampa and Austin faced challenges, relying on local income levels to support frothy home prices. This softening trend is further compounded by an abundance of new home supply in the Sunbelt. Builders are often willing to lower prices or offer affordability incentives to maintain sales, which also has a cooling effect on the resale market. Some buyers, who previously would have considered existing homes, are now opting for new homes with more favorable homebuilder deals. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}})}(); Given the shift in active housing inventory and months of supply, this softening and regional variation should not surprise ResiClub PRO membersweve been closely documenting it. (ResiClub PRO members can view our latest analysis of home prices across 800-plus metros and more than 3,000 counties here.) Of course, while 105 of the nations 300 largest metro-area housing markets are seeing home price declines, another 195 are still seeing year-over-year home price increases. Where are home prices still up on a year-over-year basis? See the map below: !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListenr("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}})}();
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E-Commerce
When Nova Scotia-based pro surfer and entrepreneur Dean Petty wanted to fix up his dad’s 2002 Toyota Tacoma, he didn’t simply take it to a mechanic. Instead, he went to see the folks at Squirrel Concepts in Long Beach, California, the foremost experts in vintage Toyota repair, to learn how to do it himself. This is the concept of Petty’s new YouTube series with menswear direct-to-consumer (DTC) retailer Huckberry. Shop Class chronicles his journey to learn new skillsfrom fixing Toyota truck engines to crafting wood surfboardsby tracking down the best people who do it and asking a lot of questions. It’s just the latest in a roster of Huckberry-backed shows that has grown exponentially over the past two years. In fact, Petty became a Huckberry ambassador and host as a result of his own participation in another of the brands shows called Huckberry Homes. The episode on Pettys North Atlantic surf oasis has more than 2 million views, but the DIY of a dream garage wasnt even the main attraction. It’s this beautiful, incredible surf shack. But what resonated with everyone was Dean himself. He’s just such a lovable personality, says Huckberrys chief brand officer Ben OMeara. “At its core, it’s kind of our version of Dirty Jobs. This notion of finding engaging characters doing interesting and inspiring things isnt just the leading factor in any Huckberry content project. It is the linchpin in an overall strategy that’s building a robust audience and community, as well as some really fun entertainment that spans travel, fashion, lifestyle, and yes, even vintage Toyota truck engine mechanics. And its working. The brand has grown steadily and profitably at a clip just south of 20% year over year for the last five years, with 2025 revenue projected to be about $200 million. Now, as it opens its first permanent brick-and-mortar store in Washington, D.C., its time to see how the robust online community and audience Huckberry has built with its content will translate IRL. Digging Dirt Shop Class is the seventh episodic show in Huckberrys lineup. It joins the aforementioned Huckberry Homes; Gear Lab, which features designers and other experts breaking down various items, from trail running shoes and selvedge jeans to technical backpacks and summer wardrobe advice; 72 Hours, an ongoing challenge show teaming OMeara and other Huckberry folks for three-day adventures; Everyday Carry Dump, in which the brand gets pro photographers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and more to break down their daily gear must-haves; and Ask Huckberry, a style and gear advice column come to life. By far, though, the most popular is the brands flagship show, Dirt. Hosted by former pro snowboarder and Saturdays NYC cofounder Josh Rosen, the show has been refining its engaging mix of travel, food, and adventure since it began in 2022. Each episode is framed around Rosen going to a new placefrom Ireland, New Zealand, and Japan to New York City, Texas, and Atlantato meet chefs, farmers, and other food and drink producers, all with a goal of gathering ingredients for a feast at the end. So far, seven of its 13 full-length episodes have garnered about a million views or more. The success of Dirt provided OMeara and his team with a content model to try and scale across a variety of topics. It opened the brand’s eyes to the potential of longer-form episodic content. It definitely was a catalyst for us, OMeara says. There was almost an apprehension because we’d always done shorter-form, snackable content. Can we really drive true audience and engagement with something that’s 30 minutes long? Yeah, Dirt has proven that. It really does come down to the story and figuring out how to get the best parts about the story most effectively out there. The brand’s embrace of longer-form content is tapping into the broader trend of more and more people treating YouTube like traditional television. Individual YouTube videos are trending longer, so 30-minute shows are becoming increasingly commonplace. Often, viewers are literally watching these shows on their TVs. According to Nielsen, YouTube averages 11.1 million Americans on TV during prime time, compared with Netflixs 10.7 million. Aspiration and Relatability Huckberry was founded in 2010 by Andy Forch and Richard Greiner, and its current commitment to content remains true to the brand’s original vision of being equal parts store, magazine, and inspiration to help guys suck the marrow out of life. Still founder-owned and -controlled, Huckberry was bootstrapped and profitable for its first seven years, reaching tens of millions in revenue before it took its first outside investment in 2018. The brand began building its audience with its email list, treating every newsletter like its own little magazine, as well as with its online publication, The Huckberry Journal, a mix of adventure chronicles, fashion, and style advice. The video content is a natural extension of it all. OMeara says the company spends about 15% of its total marketing budget on content development and creation. But just as Forch and Greiner began writing about their own experiences in the brands Journal, OMeara says one of the most significant aspects of their success has been in finding the balance between aspiration and relatability. In order to do that, OMeara says the brand is working to build content around its own employees and ambassadors. If you look at what Food52 was doing, what Barstool has done, what Complex has doneit’s all around in-house talent, he says. Your brand has a point of view, and your content is more authentic and relatable.” This is Huckberry’s version of what has become the personality- and influencer-driven mediasphere. Sure, celebrities are still very much a thing, but the very foundation of TikTok and Instagram Reels is built on the thousands of everyday people who are building their own audiences and fan bases. Huckberrry is also experimenting with variations on this concept, most recently teaming with pro surfer Dylan Graves, making him a brand ambassador and funding his personal YouTube channel. Graves made, ahem, waves in content initially with a wonderful show called Weird Waves, presented by Vans, before he struck out in the creator wilderness on his own. Here, Huckberry gets the brand halo, but the surfing adventures live on Graves’ channel. The New IRL Show On August 5, the brand opened its first store in Washington, D.C.s Georgetown neighborhood. A Chicago store is currently under construction, and Huckberry has imminent plans for other American cities. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Huckberry (@huckberry) Other DTC brands that launched the same year as Huckberrylike Warby Parker and Everlanehave long made the jump to brick-and-mortar. But just as Huckberry has taken a slow-and-steady approach to investment and brand growth, it’s traveled a longer route to IRL retail. OMeara says that the store gives the brand a chance to create a space that embodies the vibe and ambition of its content for people to experience in person. Its really taking everything we’re doing online and making it not only a place to shopbut a living, breathing embodiment of our world. This notion of a retail space has been just about every brand’s goal since the first Apple Store opened its doors. And streetwear brands and skateboard shops have long subscribed to the retail space-as-community hub concept. But what makes the Huckberry version intriguing is how it has the opportunity to translate the vibe and personalities it’s been building through its content to its audience in person. That means not only staples like in-store bands but also screenings of new Dirt episodes and IRL Gear Lab events tied to product launches. The company is also directly integrating the brand’s stories into the store design. Sitting in the D.C. shop, for example, is a motorcycle that one of the brand’s creative directors used during a sabbatical adventure (of course, while wearing a waxed trucker jacket from in-house brand Flint and Tinder the entire time). I think our point of view comes through, just like how we try to speak to people online, OMeara says. Its not just, Here are specs of a product. It’s ‘This is how you can use it, or here’s the design inspiration, and here’s the person who created it.’ And a store is such a perfect place to express that.”
Category:
E-Commerce
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