Christena Garduno

article

Fast Company Executive Board member Christena Garduno shares leadership lessons shaped by over two decades in the marketing industry.

expert panel

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.  

expert panel

Business owners must carefully evaluate key factors to ensure their brick-and-mortar locations are set up for long-term success. For any business owner, securing the right real estate for a brick-and-mortar location is a critical decision that requires careful consideration of several market factors. Decisions made during this process can have a long-lasting impact on a business’s success.  Below, Fast Company Executive Board members offer valuable tips to help you make informed decisions when selecting a physical location for your business. From understanding current market trends to evaluating the long-term potential of a location, here's how these key elements can make or break the success of the business. 

expert panel

Your brand may be selling itself short by remaining socially distant. Here's how to reconnect with customers and maintain their loyalty. As the virtual e-commerce system continues to evolve, brand leaders can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines if they want to see their companies thrive. That is why it is so important to actively engage with current and potential customers in the digital spaces they rely on to keep them informed about how your business can make a difference in their lives and meet their needs. If you're beginning to feel a disconnect between your audience and want to reestablish a stronger bond by elevating your efforts in brand awareness, here are 14 strategies from Fast Company Executive Board members to help start you off. You may need to catch up in some areas, but by applying these tips of the trade, you'll learn to be better engaged in the digital community and drive business impact to its highest capacity.

expert panel

Here are 12 reasons why equity and inclusion methods must move up another notch (the C-suite level) to reach desired outcomes and develop trustworthy employer-employee-consumer relationships. One of the reasons well-intentioned DEI initiatives often fall by the wayside in some work environments is because of the lack of full resources, expertise, and support that is required to keep them on the top of a company's agenda.  Introducing new strategies to address DEI shortcomings may sound good on paper during the initial push, but if the leadership team is unwilling or unable to provide the proper expectations, communications, and training as it relates to the company's core values and objectives, their efforts will continue to come up short.  To ensure DEI is given the attention it needs, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each share their thoughts on why equity and inclusion efforts should be moved out of the HR department and elevated to C-level decision-makers instead.

expert panel

Although ChatGPT is helpful, overreliance on AI tools in the workplace can stifle professional growth. ChatGPT and other generative AI (GenAI) tools have become integral aspects of many business operations, from sales and marketing to corporate communications. While GenAI offers efficiency and valuable insights, leaning too heavily on this technology can ultimately stifle creativity and innovation.  Leaders and teams that use these tools need to strike a balance between technology and human ingenuity. To help, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss how organizations can avoid overreliance on ChatGPT and similar AI tools. Here's how to find a middle ground and encourage efficiency with a healthy dose of critical thinking and original ideas.

expert panel

Tracking these key measurements of customer behavior can transform your business efforts. Creating a truly customer-centric business strategy requires tracking the right metrics. Understanding specific key performance indicators related to consumer behavior can offer insights into what's working and what is not, so your company can make the appropriate adjustments. Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members explain which customer success metrics have provided their businesses with invaluable knowledge about their business efforts. With these measures in mind, you can make informed, strategic decisions and highlight areas that need improvement.

expert panel

Revitalize your cold outreach strategy for more successful sales outcomes. In any industry, reaching out to a cold contact can be intimidating. The unfamiliarity can create anxiety and stress; however, with the right approach, it can lead to valuable opportunities. Below, Fast Company Executive Board members share their effective strategies for initiating contact with potential partners or clients. Follow their recommended methods to make a compelling first impression that can lead to a successful business relationship.

expert panel

Business experts share what it takes to manage a company and its people. Leading an organization to success can be a tremendous amount of pressure, but managing teams and being a positive influence on how they see the institution can be an even trickier balance to strike—whether you are new or seasoned when it comes to guiding direct reports in the workplace. Here, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members each talk about the most important thing they have learned in their current role about how to lead others in an organization or department.

expert panel

Apply these strategies to ensure your company is sending the right message to gain consumer trust and loyalty. With artificial intelligence tools at their fingertips, brand leaders can better assess where the consumer market is heading and how to address the challenges of the day. Using digital results to reframe an email or marketing campaign may be an effective way to stand out as a go-to company that can find solutions, but connecting in a meaningful way will solidify a stronger business relationship. Below, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members each provide a strategy for new or established brands to improve B2C relationships and grow their business by leaps and bounds.

expert panel

Sharing relevant content can build stronger business-client connections. Becoming a better storyteller for your intended audience members will not boost your business’s profit margins overnight, but learning to regularly share relatable content with live audiences or through digital communications is one step in the right direction. Here, 10 experts from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on why storytelling through brand marketing ads and consistent outreach has the potential to increase your bottom line in the long run.