Francis Hellyer

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The faster your organization adopts AI, the more important it becomes to understand—and proactively manage—the cybersecurity risks that come with it. AI is moving quickly from experimentation to core business operations, but that speed brings a new layer of security concerns. From data exposure to adversarial attacks, the risks tied to AI are evolving just as fast as the technologies themselves. If you're leading AI initiatives, it's critical to understand where the vulnerabilities lie and how they could impact your business. To help, Fast Company Executive Board members outline the key cybersecurity risks that come with rapid AI adoption, along with practical steps you can take to reduce exposure.

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19 business leaders debate whether traditional email is outdated, or if it still has its place. With the evolution of today's digitized world, having tools like SMS and MMS text messaging, and various social media platforms at our fingertips, provides instant gratification in communication. But there is a time and space for everything—and that's where email comes in as what some leaders still consider a reliable, professional and safe method to connect.  Below, 19 experts from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on the relevancy of email communication for business, networking, and personal purposes in 2025.

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If you're looking for a different approach to attract and retain customers, apply these tips from leading experts. It's essential for growing businesses to play the long game if they want to compete successfully in today's uncertain economy. Developing a strong and consistent digital media presence, with a pulse on the trends and shifts, will also enable brands to anticipate their current and future customers needs in order to offer a better solution to their challenges. Here, 13 leaders from Fast Company Executive Board each explain their complete digital media process to build and keep their business thriving.

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18 leaders each discuss their company's mission statement and how passion plays a positive role in business branding overall. Launching and maintaining a successful business is not for everyone, but if you do decide to go for it, make sure it's a space that you are willing and able to put your heart and soul into for the long haul.  Whether you simply want to pay it forward and give back to the next generation of leaders based on your experience and knowledge, or there is a void to be filled in an underrepresented community, there are plenty of good reasons to add your brand's voice to the mix as a viable industry solution to address the latest client and customer pain points. If you're second-guessing your decision to be in business and your ability to make a real difference, 18 experts from Fast Company Executive Board explain what inspired their business ideas and mission statements. The passion these leaders demonstrate for what they're doing is motivational and plays a huge role in their approach to branding.

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Respect and communication are key to strengthening business relationships. In a tight economy and competitive marketplace, with consumers holding their pocketbooks closer and rethinking their spending habits, the last thing a brand wants to do is lose their trust due to a data privacy concern that slipped through the cracks. Complying with the state regarding privacy regulations and keeping clients informed about any changes or sudden breaches that may impact the information gathered is essential to earn their continued trust. To help marketing teams stay on the right course, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members each share one important factor every leader should know about customer data privacy for marketing outreach.

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Feeling overwhelmed by all of your options for professional development? Here's how to select the most impactful business events, conferences, and training programs. Staying ahead in any industry requires continuous networking and education, but with countless options available, making the right choices can be challenging. It's important for you to focus on the events and programs that will provide the most value for your time and investment.  To help you navigate this decision-making process effectively, Fast Company Executive Board members share insights into determining the best bang for your buck when it comes to staying ahead. These tips can help you evaluate and select the best business events, conferences, and training programs to ensure you’re investing wisely in your professional development.

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No matter the type of year your business has had, there's always something to be grateful for. When running a business, each year comes with its fair share of successes and challenges. While looking back on difficult times can be a helpful learning tool, dwelling on hardships can foster a negative mindset. To counter this, it's important to take a step back, celebrate the wins, and appreciate the positive aspects of your business. In the spirit of the season, 18 Fast Company Executive Board members share what they're most grateful for in 2024.

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If your loyal customer base isn't enough to keep your doors open in a challenging market, here are a few strategies to change your luck. Running a business is no easy feat, especially when faced with factors outside of an owner's control—such as high rents, supply chain challenges, and stiff competition. Despite your loyal customer base and quality service, you may still struggle to keep your business afloat. For business owners facing these tough realities, Fast Company Executive Board members share practical advice and creative strategies that can offer new paths forward. Read on to find helpful tips to weather obstacles and find new ways to sustain your vision in the community.

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Fast Company Executive Board member Francis Hellyer shares how AI tools can make city discovery more intuitive and personal.

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In today's workplace, practicing the importance of self-awareness starts from the top down. The strength of a successful business relies upon the people who are responsible for its daily operations. But building a power team starts from the top down. Therefore, leaders must set higher standards for themselves first if they expect others to follow in their footsteps to meet the expectations and mission of their business.  Self-awareness will also play a key factor in every leader's journey because if they are unaware of the negative energy they are spreading across their workforce, it may drive top talent away. Here, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members each discuss one seemingly harmless habit an executive may have that could be harming their business, and why it can make such a difference in the team's perspective of who they truly represent.

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By addressing certain key factors and planning for anticipated challenges, organizations can successfully tap into global talent. Hiring internationally brings both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. As companies consider a truly global talent pool, they must also consider the legal and regulatory requirements to ensure compliance in each country. Additionally, cultural differences, language barriers and time zone variances can impact effective team collaboration and communication. To leverage the benefits and mitigate the challenges of hiring international talent, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share key considerations to keep in mind.

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Through consistency, authenticity, and valuable content, executives can effectively differentiate themselves and strengthen their influence in the digital space. Showcasing a strong personal brand online can set you apart from other executives and foster valuable connections across industries. But how can you best convey your unique perspective and expertise in a way that resonates with your audience? To help you do this, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share their tried-and-true strategies for building a strong, relatable, and memorable personal brand. From sharing your authentic experiences to engaging in thoughtful conversations, here's how you can stand out from the crowd and strengthen your online influence.

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Fast Company Executive Board member Francis Hellyer outlines key trends that are shaping the future of personalized event discovery.

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Apply these suggestions to strengthen your social media following while remaining authentic and credible. In a digital marketing world, where content is king, one of the biggest challenges YouTubers and podcasters may face is how to keep their channels fresh and interesting. With the potential short attention spans of today's viewers, social media posting is not only about picking the right time and day to share updates with target audience members and current followers—it's also about finding a way to connect with people, authentically, every time you show up.   Showing people the real version of you, unfiltered, may captivate them a few minutes longer and encourage them to focus on the message you are trying to convey. You never know whose life you can positively impact by crafting a well-thought-out piece of content that keeps them coming back for more.  Suppose you are a content creator trying to grow your audience. In that case, eight leading experts from Fast Company Executive Board have additional ideas to share with you to help boost your brand's authenticity, demonstrate personal influence, and gain even more credibility among your followers.

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Here's how to elevate your personal brand of social influence in today's digital economy. When American YouTuber and actor Lucas Cruikshank was the first person to reach $1 million subscribers on his Fred channel in the early-to-mid 2000s, it gave potential social entrepreneurs—before anyone truly knew what that title meant—a glimpse of how far engaging content creation could take them. Fast forward to today's competitive marketplace, where everyone is always feeling the pressure to be "on" social media platforms and pair that with an uncertain economy—it takes much more than one's ability to hype up their target base about a product or service. Being comfortable networking with like-minded individuals or brands who are willing to ally will help each stakeholder grow further and faster.  In an ever-changing digital space, the best path for social entrepreneurs to make the most impact in their industries—promoting their cause through aligned partnerships—may not be written in stone, however, nine experts from Fast Company Executive Board each share strategies on what is currently working for some of the leading influencers in today's social economy.

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Apply these best practices to expand the lifetime value of what customers have come to expect. Technology continues to be the solution to helping brands and their customers elevate their business and personal experiences. One key indicator to assessing a client's satisfaction with a particular device is to gain access to their existing daily habits and how the product impacts their life. Once that information is determined and measured through a combination of data analytics and real-time user feedback, the brand can work on modernizing its product to make it better. The most important predictor of satisfaction and long-term stickiness for devices such as wearables is how well they fit into existing lifestyles and habits. Careful assessment of the users' existing habits is essential. A device must not rely on the formation of new habits for success. Rather, it should make existing habits easier or automate as many steps as possible.  Below, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each offer one suggestion to help other brand leaders and creative UX designers adapt their product designs for new and evolving wearables, smart home devices, and other Internet of Things devices.

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Customers will thank you kindly for putting their design needs first, leaving non-essential product bells and whistles at the door. It's an exciting time when a company is preparing to launch a new app or feature on one of its existing products. However, before introducing an updated design or functionality on the current model, it's important to gather as much feedback as possible from the end users and other stakeholders to give them what they want, so you can add meaningful value to their journey with the brand.  Creating an overcomplicated design will waste time and budget, so remember that less is more. Below, 10 leaders from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on how to help creative UX teams develop visually appealing and functional designs. Implementing these best practices will ensure that aesthetic choices do not compromise product usability, and customers are satisfied with their experience.

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Here's why and how today's leaders can help shape the future of technology and society.

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With the right structure, sharing business knowledge in the classroom can benefit seasoned working professionals and their students. Here's how to stay organized and energized while mentoring the next generation. If you are a business leader who is extremely passionate about your 9 to 5 duties, you may want to consider using your positive influence to encourage future professionals through an adjunct professorship role.  One of the biggest challenges—whether teaching in person or online—is how to avoid burnout from working all day and teaching after hours. But when it comes to managing work responsibilities and personal lifestyle, the experts from Fast Company Executive Board have got you covered and know how to strike the right balance. Here are 16 tips to make the experience less stressful and more rewarding.  

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Here's why sharing your expertise as an adjunct professor with the next generation of leaders can be rewarding but challenging. Taking on an adjunct professor role offers leaders a special opportunity to share hard-earned insights with the next generation. This role can be incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to shape future leaders while leaving a lasting professional legacy. However, translating industry experience into an academic setting comes with its own set of challenges, particularly in adapting to different learning styles and expectations.  Below, Fast Company Executive Board members share their thoughts on the benefits and hurdles of stepping into this educational role.

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Online platforms like LinkedIn provide opportunities for career professionals to gain a foothold while transitioning to new industries. Many professional skills translate well from one industry to another. For job seekers who are looking to change industries, it's important to be specific about how their professional experiences will help them be successful in their new chosen field. One way to do this is to leverage online platforms to showcase your expertise and transferrable skills. To help, 20 members of Fast Company Executive Board share strategies for translating existing skills into new career paths to stand out to potential employers. Follow their advice to build your professional network, showcase past projects, and provide thoughtful commentary on relevant topics to establish yourself in a new industry.

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Is your team in a safe space to collaborate and share? Maintaining a successful business in the marketplace not only depends on brand loyalty from customers but also on the creative health of the company's employees. Fostering a company culture that makes staff members feel psychologically safe enough to express their interests and brainstorm with others will also demonstrate how much their contributions to the organization are valued.  To help business leaders create a better work atmosphere, boost team productivity and morale, and spark innovation to move forward together, 18 Fast Company Executive Board members each offer one tip that leadership teams can do to support their employees' creative health at work.

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Employee buy-in is key to delivering the right message to current and potential customers. In the growing world of misinformation and declining B2C trust, companies must remain vigilant to ensure the messaging their brand is communicating internally and externally is exceeding the core standards they truly represent and continue to live up to.  Keeping employees educated about their role and stake in demonstrating their company's mission and goals through their daily work practices is essential to ensure alignment and engagement across the entire establishment. If your digital and traditional messaging strategies are not consistent with what the company stands for, 17 leaders from Fast Company Executive Board each offer one step to preserve the authenticity of marketing practices and company core values.