Latest news with #Boardroom
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Perverted sex demands of the elite, spilled by the beauty they pay to fulfill them: From cuckolding to an act so shameful men can hardly even say it: JANA HOCKING's uncensored bombshell
Non-disclosure agreements aren't just for the boardroom. In the world of high-class prostitutes, OnlyFans models and A-listers, NDAs are now as common as Botox - and far longer lasting. To get the inside scoop on this, I took my gorgeous friend Kayla Jade – one of the world's most in-demand escorts – to lunch to talk about the increasingly legalistic world of modern sex work.
Entrepreneur
5 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Franchise Success Starts at The Local Level — Here's Why
Community-driven leaders not only strengthen customer relationships but also innovate and elevate the brand, proving that the best franchises are built on the foundation of trust, collaboration and local intuition. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. A franchise is only as strong as the people running it and the best ones don't just manage a location, they own the neighborhood. At Boardroom, we've seen firsthand how local entrepreneurship makes or breaks the client experience. Our most successful franchisees aren't just following a playbook, they're building relationships, embedding themselves in their communities and demonstrating ownership that can't be taught in a manual. You can't outsource that kind of leadership. Here are 4 reasons that local entrepreneurship is the secret weapon of successful franchises. Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget. 1. Franchising works best when it's personal The beauty of the franchise model is that it allows for scale without losing soul. But only if you get the right people in the room. The most effective franchisees don't just want to grow a business, they want to serve their community. They sponsor youth sports teams. They show up at local events, usually in a branded vehicle with a logo on their shirt. They remember your name, your go-to stylist and how you take your coffee. Paul and Caren Wolf, who operate the highest-producing franchise location in our system, are a perfect example. They're so well-known in their community they are like honorary mayors. Their leadership extends far beyond the walls of their lounge — if a client stops them at Costco on Saturday or at church on Sunday, the Wolfs are ready to represent our Boardroom. It's no surprise they are so successful. This isn't just good for connection, it's good for business. When clients feel like a place knows them, they come back. When employees feel seen by their leaders, they stay. And, in this industry, retention is everything. Related: The Most Successful Founders Take Retreats — Here's Why You Should, Too 2. Playing off script, not just following it Yes, we can give franchisees a roadmap, but the best ones don't just follow instructions, they read the room. The best franchisees tweak the timing of a promotion based on their community's event calendar. They recognize which offerings are not resonating locally, then adjust their material to highlight the services that their community prefers. That's not just smart business, it's local intuition at work. It's easy to assume that franchisees just "run the play." But the reality is, success often comes from knowing when to pivot and when to go all-in. And no one can do that better than an entrepreneur building relationships in their community every day. Related: Setting the Standard — When Disaster Strikes, This Top Franchise Is Making a Difference 3. Local entrepreneurs push the brand One of the biggest misconceptions in franchising is that innovation only flows top-down. In reality, some of the most impactful ideas start in a single local market and scale up from there. I saw this firsthand during my time at Planet Fitness. Major changes to the Planet Fitness model began as franchisee innovations: the 30 Minute Circuit, prospect call phone scripts, pricing strategies, these were tested locally, proven effective and then adopted systemwide. That lesson stuck with me: the people closest to the customer often have the clearest view of what needs to change. And smart franchisors listen. At Boardroom, we welcome that kind of partnership. When franchisees bring forward smart, locally informed ideas, whether it's an evolution of our service offerings or a better way to retain our professionals, we pay attention. Because when one location gets better, the whole system benefits. The best franchise relationships aren't rigid. They're collaborative. And that's how great brands are built: together. Related: 'Send a Man Next Time': How an Entrepreneur and Her Daughters Built a $2.5 Million Franchise in a Male-Dominated Field 4. Scaling Doesn't Mean Disconnection As brands grow, we should work hard to stay close to the field because we know that's where the real business lives. Local entrepreneurs don't just represent your brand; they shape it in every city you enter. When you empower the right people locally, you're not just adding locations, you're building trust at scale. And that's the difference between a franchise network and a true community. Related: Fried, Fast And Franchised — These Are The Top 10 Chicken Franchises in 2025 Success comes from relationships Franchise success doesn't come from corporate. It comes from the corner of Main Street and hard-earned relationships. It comes from entrepreneurial owners like Paul and Caren Wolf, who know their neighborhoods, lead with care and who don't just run our playbook, they evolve it. That's who we look for. That's who we bet on to join us. Because at the end of the day, a great franchise is just a great local business that's repeated, supported and elevated across the country. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Autodesk's Dara Treseder Reveals Olympic Vision, Women's Sports Strategy in Cannes
A powerhouse panel featuring Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder and Alison Felix spotlighted how women's sports, storytelling, and sustainable infrastructure are shaping a new era. Under the golden skies of Cannes, a new kind of power dinner unfolded, one that celebrated not just the legends of women's sports but the future being designed in their image. Advertisement At this year's Deep Blue Women's Sports Yacht Club in Cannes, Autodesk and Boardroom joined forces with Always Alpha to host the Legends Dinner, an intimate beachside gathering honoring the leaders shaping the future of women's sports. Set against the backdrop of Maëma Beach, the evening brought together changemakers across sports, entertainment, media, and tech for an impactful conversation on design, equity, and long-term investment in women athletes. The evening drew a powerhouse guest list, including Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, Ashlyn Harris, Kirsten Ferguson, and many others who've championed progress on and off the field. The panel, featuring Olympic icon Allyson Felix and Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder, emphasized how storytelling, infrastructure, and sustainability can converge to elevate the women's sports movement. Treseder spoke to Autodesk's unique position at the intersection of sport and innovation. "Women's sports aren't just having a moment — they're a movement," she said. "And for brands, this is like buying Bitcoin early. Now is the time to get in." Felix echoed this sentiment, sharing her journey of building an athlete-first career and the need to ensure Olympic legacies are both world-class and human-centered. Advertisement "We can't just support athletes on the field; we have to support them as whole people," Felix said. The dinner set the tone for a larger story about leadership, vision, and designing a more inclusive world, one Treseder is driving not just in sport, but across education, AI, and global infrastructure. Let's dive into her full story. Meet Marketing Maven Dara Treseder When Dara Treseder joined Autodesk as Chief Marketing Officer, she was fueled by equal parts passion and curiosity. "Our software is used to design and make anything," Tresedder told Boardroom in an interview. "The phone in your hand, the car you drive, the bridge you cross, the movies and games your kids love." Advertisement That sweeping impact — and the chance to lead a company helping shape the world, literally — was what pulled her in. But Treseder didn't just want to tell Autodesk's story. She wanted to prove it through action. Today, she oversees not just global marketing but also the company's education business team, one of Autodesk's most powerful tools for expanding access and building a more future-ready workforce. To date, over 100 million students and educators at more than 160,000 schools have accessed Autodesk's professional-grade software for free. "It's about equipping the next generation with the tools to design and make anything," she said, "but also to design and make things better." That "better" is the throughline in Treseder's leadership style — equal parts head and heart. For her, it's not about striking a perfect balance; it's about finding the proper harmony for each moment. "Marketing is both an art and a science," she explained. "We start with insights and data, but we also have to create space for bold, creative ideas. ... Sometimes it's 90/10, sometimes 50/50. The key is knowing what's needed to make something excellent." Arnold Jerocki / Variety via Getty Images One of the most visible examples of this vision in action is Autodesk's groundbreaking partnership with the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As the official Design and Make platform, Autodesk is retrofitting more than 40 venues across Los Angeles, adopting a sustainability-first approach that aligns with LA28's "no-new-permanent-venues" plan. Treseder said this will be the most sustainable Games ever, and that Autodesk plans to leave LA better than it found it. She noted the company's software had already been used to design the Olympic Village for the Paris Games, which has since been repurposed as affordable housing. Advertisement "At Autodesk, we do the work before we tell the story," she added. "That's how you build credibility." The brand's AI capabilities are also part of that story. A recent Autodesk study analyzing nearly 3 million job listings found mentions of AI have surged by over 114% in 2023, 120% in 2024, and 56% year-to-date in 2025. As Treseder sees it, AI fluency is becoming a baseline expectation, not just for technical roles but across the board. That's why Autodesk continues to invest in AI-powered tools and ensure students can access them, including in the greater LA community. "I'm passionate about access," she said. "We're making sure people have the opportunity to not only use Autodesk software, but also gain the skills that will define the jobs of the future." For Treseder, curiosity, conviction, and courage form the foundation of her leadership. She speaks openly about career risks, like interviewing for her first CMO job while visibly pregnant, and how those choices shaped her approach. She said this experience helped her learn to trust her instincts, be authentic, and lead with clarity. Advertisement "Great leaders don't just build teams — they build trust," Treseder said. That same trust now fuels Autodesk's approach to innovation, inclusion, and impact. Whether it's enabling students to experiment with design, helping creatives build sustainable products, or transforming Olympic infrastructure, Treseder is clear on the mission: "Design and make a better world for all." And she's not just saying it; she's doing the work. Read More: Sports July 2, 2025 What's Really Going on with LeBron James? Music July 2, 2025 Is Cardi B's Album Tactic a Smart Business Play or a Streaming Shortcut? Sports June 30, 2025 Advertisement Kevin Durant, Malik Nabers, and FanDuel President Christian Genetski Talk Sports Fandom on Boardroom Talks Live Sports June 30, 2025 Game, Set, Rights: The Growing Movement for Collective Bargaining in Tennis Sports June 28, 2025 A Family Affair: Dylan Harper Got to the NBA, Spurs His Way Media June 27, 2025 Inside Stephen A. Smith's Plan to Become the Biggest Name in Sports Media
Fast Company
23-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Rich Kleiman is building Boardroom into a membership club, and it's all about legacy
Since launching Boardroom in 2019, Rich Kleiman and NBA star Kevin Durant have grown the media company into an influential player that confidently straddles business, sports, and entertainment across content, films, TV, and events. Its newest venture is a membership club that Kleiman sees as key to building a long-lasting brand legacy. 'I really want to build a sustainable brand that lasts,' Kleiman tells Fast Company. 'By having this core membership community, and having them become, in a lot of ways, voices of this brand, I thought was really crucial.' Launching later this month, the Boardroom Members Club will feature regular members-only events, VIP access to Boardroom flagship activations at NBA All-Star, Art Basel and more, exclusive networking opportunities, and a private digital platform. 'For me, I saw this boom in membership clubs in the city, and while they all have their own thing, whether it's the food or the location or the brand name or the type of people that go there, I didn't think that there were actually communities there that benefited your career,' says Kleiman. 'And for me, I felt like that was my special sauce, understanding the importance of being in a room with the right mix of people.' Boardroom's media arm churns out newsletters, social posts, and content that reaches over 52 million unique monthly visitors. The company is on track to nearly double revenue in 2025, and average monthly reach has increased by 74% in 2025. Its film and TV output in recent years includes the Apple TV series Swagger, Showtime's Emmy-nominated doc NYC Point Gods, and the Oscar-winning short Two Distant Strangers. However, it was events like Boardroom's annual CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit that showed Kleiman the potential in combining quality content and the community of people who gather around it. Like an IRL LinkedIn for cool people. 'I thought that was really exciting, and I wanted to create a version of it that was exclusive to members,' he says. 'I wanted that to feel a bit exclusive, because those conferences can be overwhelming for people that are trying to get information and trying to connect.' Members Club events will have the same vibe and feel of the brand's bigger events but with more intimate programming. 'The big names are still in the room, but make them truly accessible and they understand that like they're there now to integrate with this community,' says Kleiman. 'And [those big names] want that too. It's really infectious for anyone at any level, to be around that type of hunger and that type of curiosity and excitement. Seeing our consumers and knowing they're part of our brand and in our comments and at our parties, but they wanted more, and I wanted to give them more.' The combination of not only connecting with Boardroom content, but with fellow fans and members that can impact their own careers and businesses, is where Kleiman sees the most long-term potential. 'For me, the real excitement is creating something that I can point to potentially decades from now and say, 'That was us, we built that.'
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LeBron James Reacts to Kevin Durant's Announcement
LeBron James Reacts to Kevin Durant's Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is expected to be traded this offseason. A 15-time NBA All-Star, Durant was part of a star trio in Phoenix that included Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. But this group failed to win a playoff game in two seasons together, and missed the 2025 postseason entirely. Advertisement Durant has been linked to several teams this offseason, with the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat being the three on his preferred list (via ESPN). As these rumors continue to circulate, Durant made an off the court announcement earlier this week with Boardroom, his co-owned media network. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35)© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images In a joint Instagram post with Boardroom, Durant announced he is launching a collaboration with Paris Saint-Germain to create exclusive merchandise and collectables. "Kevin Durant, PSG and Boardroom just dropped a capsule that bridges D.C. and Paris in style," the post began. "... The drop is part of a larger partnership between @psg, @easymoneysniper, and Boardroom debuting ahead of PSG's Club World Cup events." Advertisement With nearly 100,000 likes, this post generated a lot of attention. Among those who reacted to it was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who liked the post himself. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James likes a post from Phoenix Suns forward Kevin boardroom / Instagram James and Durant have battled it out on the NBA's biggest stage. Meeting in the 2012 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, the two faced off again the the 2017 and 2018 Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Also teammates this past summer at the Paris Olympics, James and Durant have a lot of history. Related: Potential Kevin Durant to Celtics Trade Receives Update on Friday Related: LeBron James Facing Backlash for Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Decision This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
