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If you are just starting to think about your marking strategy, you're already behind—but it's not too late. The holiday season can be extremely competitive when it comes to attracting the attention of hesitant consumers. This is an ever-increasing dilemma in today's uncertain economy. In order to stand out, the company leaders must analyze the market trends carefully in order to provide the right solutions to potential and current customers. They also need to be flexible enough to change direction if a campaign isn't landing well.  Here, 16 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each share their tips to finalize and implement marketing and sales strategies for the upcoming holiday season that will help companies stay ahead in the marketplace.

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What inspired your career path? There are a variety of reasons why people choose to go into business or become interested in a specific career industry sector. Some would say that the key to finding your calling is to do what you love or pursue an area where your skills can truly make a difference in the lives of others. Here, 18 business leaders from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on what inspired them to seek and maintain their current position as a professional in their succeeding organizations.

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Changing your mindset will enable you to achieve more success. In the workplace (and in life), it's perfectly human to sometimes obsess over the three Cs—competing, comparing, and complaining—when it comes to dealing with others and reviewing how our own accomplishments or failures stack up. It becomes a much bigger problem when an individual chooses to stay stuck in that mindset because it can hinder them from moving forward in their career and personal life. Below, 19 members from Fast Company Executive Board share what lessons they've learned from their ability to overcome patterns of previous self-doubt, and how they were able to forge ahead to a better path of success. 

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Does your company practice what it preaches, consistently? When you are trying to build or maintain a successful business, it's important to make sure that the company's core values are consistently being reflected in everything that it does.  As a leader, it's impossible to be everywhere at once. Refusing to delegate specific tasks to free up your time to focus on other priorities will lead to burnout. Ensuring your company's reputation is living up to its standards starts with hiring the right team of representatives. Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members share other methods that work for them.

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Influencer marketing can be a valuable strategy for brands to connect with their audience—but it comes with challenges, especially in times of heightened social issues and political polarization.

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Industry experts weigh in on the tips that keep their companies (and mindsets) growing successfully.  As a business owner or manager, who is responsible for leading a team to successful bottom-line results, quarter over quarter, it's easy to get stuck in a silo mindset or let fear and anxiety take over—having you falsely assume that every other company or leader has the secret to business growth and high-performance teams all figured out. On the contrary, you are not alone in your ability to face and overcome various obstacles head-on. And you'll be grateful for it along the way. To prove the point, a panel of experts from Fast Company Executive Board admits to having their fair share of ups and downs throughout their career journey to leadership. In this topic of discussion, they share one personal life lesson and what it has taught them most about how to become a better leader for the staff members and companies that they represent.

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With the right content strategy, you can keep customers coming back to your brand time and time again. Customer loyalty is crucial for the success of any company, and one effective way to build it is through creating engaging content that resonates with customers. Content can be delivered through a variety of channels, including social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, podcasts, and more. However, with so many options available, it can be challenging for companies to determine which channels and types of content will be most effective in building customer loyalty. To help, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members offers their best tips for creating engaging, exciting content that keeps customers interested in your brand.

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Strike up a conversation that builds consumer trust about what your company stands for before you start pitching your product or service. Pop-up shops and kiosks can be an effective way for existing companies to engage with potential customers in new ways and generate additional buzz around their products and services. However, before they set up a new retail location, companies must consider several important factors. Setting your temporary retail shop up for success involves factors like choosing the right location, researching your target market, and setting clear objectives and metrics to track progress. Below, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members explore these items more in-depth and provided guidance on how companies can launch a successful pop-up shop or kiosk.

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Unlike previous AI tools, ChatGPT is able to generate text that is cohesive and coherent

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As more and more businesses re-examine their processes and best practices, it’s time for leaders to emphasize results instead of hours logged in the office.

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Sales and marketing teams are following this rising trend to elevate consumer interest in the products and services they have to offer.  With the holiday season quickly approaching, digital resources continue to make it convenient for companies to reach current and potential customers about their latest offerings, even when people are busy on the go. But whether they're in the market to catch a deal on an affordable streaming service package to view their favorite TV series, trying to replace an essential household appliance that suddenly stopped working, or sprucing up their apparel options for an upcoming event, it's not always easy to captivate and keep their attention. To effectively meet shoppers in real-time, eight Fast Company Executive Board members are experiencing the benefits of direct marketing through interactive shoppable videos on social media. Here, they explain the impact of this type of engagement and how it is helping them to educate consumers about their brand and build on the company's reputation. 

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How is a brand supposed to market itself these days when the world feels like a never-ending dumpster fire?

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Even if you're self-funded, there are affordable ways to recognize and reward your team for a job well done. For a bootstrapped startup, giving monetary rewards to show appreciation to stand-out employees might not be possible in the very beginning. But there are other kinds of rewards and ways of recognizing hard work that experts have found make a larger impact than money. From shout-outs in all-hands meetings to creating dedicated "kudos" Slack channels, startup founders have created innovative and effective ways to show their appreciation for their employees' hard work without going over budget. Below, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members provides their best cost-effective ideas for recognizing employees for their excellent work.

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For brands that are beginning their planning for this year’s holiday season, let’s take a look at five best-practice strategies for success in 2022.

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14 ways business leaders are improving their efforts to walk the talk. When was the last time your company's leadership took time to review its driven purpose as it relates to social responsibilities? If it's been a while, then chances are it may be time to expand on the organization's code of ethics—as your workforce continues to grow into a more diversified and inclusive space.  Below, 14 Fast Company Executive Board members offer tips that will help managers maintain an open mind and evolve their mission to reflect the current climate and culture.

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15 company heads are sharing their best resources so you don't have to go it alone. Earning your first role in leadership may seem exciting in the beginning but it can be challenging once you dig a little deeper on the job. But if you learn how to build the right team to assist you with meeting the company's mission and goals, you'll be set up for success in no time with people who are willing to back each other up during the decision-making process. And that's a big win for all. In addition to having reliable staff to stand by your side, often what is most needed is the time to reflect inwardly by yourself—so you can think things through, or to seek knowledge from a close colleague, a mentor on paper, or through an established personal network that will keep you motivated when times get tough.  Below are some go-to leadership resources that a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members has found useful, whether you're a seasoned C-Suite executive, newly appointed team leader, or in the launching phase of building your own start-up.

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With so many job seekers and available jobs right now, candidates are looking to cut through the noise and find the personal commentary and relevant recommendations that will ultimately inform their job-hunting decisions.

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As inflation continues to impact both brands and consumers, influencer marketing offers plenty of benefits.

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Silence is no longer the reliable strategy it once was—but speaking up in the wrong way can trigger a painful consumer backlash.

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14 points to consider when you're reviewing a job candidate's resume. As the nature of how and why people work continues to evolve, hiring managers will benefit from learning to understand the whole person, before jumping to conclusions about a significant employment gap on the applicant's resume. Instead of flagging previous time lost on the job as a deficit, focus on the potential new hire's passion, aptitude and eagerness to tackle new career challenges ahead and how the personal time off may be a sign of maturity to thrive at the current job opportunity and contribute to the mission of your organization in the long term. Below, Fast Company Executive Board members provide 14 additional ways to approach this conversation during the interview process and help you make the best decision to find the right fit for your department's needs.