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Discussing English football ownership is turning into the ultimate name drop. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham. Tom Brady at Birmingham City. Michael B. Jordan at Bournemouth. J.J. Watt at Burnley. Even Snoop Dogg is in on the action, becoming co-owner of Swansea City this summer. But the American invasion of English football has moved beyond novelty. Twelve of the Premier League’s 20 clubs now answer to U.S. ownershipeither wholly or partially. Drop down to the Championship, English football’s second tier, and nine more clubs are backed by American money. On Friday, when Wrexham hosts Birmingham City, it will be a clash of two celebrity-driven, American-backed clubs facing off on U.K. soil. Its Reynolds and McElhenney versus Brady, and it’s a matchup that captures exactly how much the English football landscape has shifted over the past two decades. The Great English Land Grab Malcolm Glazers $1.5 billion takeover of Manchester United in 2005 made him the Premier Leagues first-ever American owner. Now, 20 years later, the four most successful clubs in English football historyLiverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelseaare all majority-owned by Americans. The 2008 financial crisis accelerated the trend. The U.S. economy recovered faster than Europe’s, creating a surplus of capital among moguls wealthy enough to covet professional sports teams and an opportunity to buy overseas clubs at a discount. That arbitrage remains. In May 2022, Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought Chelsea, one of the Premier Leagues marquee clubs, for $3.2 billion. Just over a year later, Josh Harris purchased the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion, nearly double what Boehly paid. Celebrity involvement was limited until Reynolds and McElhenney made their splash in 2021. They bought Wrexhama fifth-tier Welsh clubfor just $2.5 million. Their unique approach and subsequent success have demonstrated how American celebrity ownership can benefit a club via global marketing in ways traditional ownership cannot. The Rise of Wrexham When Reynolds and McElhenney took over in February 2021, they inherited a club with deep roots and persistent struggles. Founded in 1864, Wrexham is the third-oldest professional football club in the world. But by 2021, the club had spent 15 years stuck in the National LeagueEngland’s fifth tier. Think of it as Single-A baseball or the NBAs G-League, but a tier lower. Thats where Wrexham floundered. Reynolds and McElhenney started by admitting what they didnt know and bringing in experts. Their first hire was Shaun Harvey, who had previously run the entire English Football League. Harvey recommended they hire Phil Parkinson, a manager with a history of earning promotions. With the front office set, the on-field strategy was simple: Spend money on better players. Wrexham lured Paul Mullin, the fourth tier’s top scorer, exploiting a loophole that exempted equity investment from lower-league spending caps. But the off-field strategy is where Wrexham really won. Reynolds and McElhenney launched Welcome to Wrexham on FX, turning the club into a four-season documentary series. They signed sponsorship deals with TikTok, United Airlines, Expedia, and Aviation Gin (which Reynolds co-owns). By the 202324 season, while playing in the fourth tier, Wrexham was generating nearly $34 million in revenuemore commercial income than five Premier League clubs. The money funded operations and player acquisitions that contributed to three consecutive promotions from 2022 to 2025, a first in EFL history. Now, the club that sold for $2.5 million four years ago is reportedly valued at up to $475 million, and the club is one promotion away from the highest level of English football, the Premier League. The CopyGOAT: Tom Brady Gets In Birmingham City was last in the Premier League in 2011, when it won the League Cup, an annual in-season tournament, by beating English juggernaut Arsenal. That same season, the club was relegated from the Premier League and spent the next 13 years stuck in the leagues second tier. Then Tom Brady and Knighthead Capital Management took control in July 2023. Brady became a minority shareholder, and he brought his playbook from 22 years in the NFL, where he won seven Super Bowls. While the Knighthead brass run the club, Brady acts more as Birminghams self-help guru. He imported his personal “body coach,” Alex Guerrero, as an adviser on performance and nutrition. Players now receive electrolyte monitoring and tailored hydration protocols. When head coach Chris Davies hit a rough patch before Christmas, Brady sent him a video of Alabama coach Nick Saban discussing leadership philosophy. The ownership made ruthless decisions. They fired manager John Eustace after 11 games despite sitting sixth in the Championship. They brought in Wayne Rooney, an English football legend. When that didn’t work and Birmingham was relegated to League One, the third tier of English football, for the first time in 29 years, they fired Rooney. Amazon’s Built in Birmingham documentary captured Brady questioning Rooney’s work ethic on cameraan unusually direct critique that signaled how this ownership group was going to operate. The club hired Davies to replace Rooney, and he led Birmingham to the League One title with a record 111 points in 202425, earning a promotion to the Championship, where theyre competing with Wrexham for one of the three coveted spots atop the table that earn promotion to the Premier League. Is the Future of English Football American? In the past 18 months, American investors have completed multiple acquisitions across all levels of English football, from Everton in the Premier League to lower-tier clubs like Carlisle United and Reading FC. And the growth in U.S. investment shows no signs of slowing, as private equity groups are viewing English football clubs as undervalued entertainment assets with global reach. Manchester United was worth an estimated $1.5 billion when the Glazers bought it in 2005. Forbes now values it at $6.6 billion. Friday’s match between Wrexham and Birmingham offers a snapshot of where American ownership stands. Wrexham sits 15th in the Championship with eight points from eight matches. Birmingham is 11th with 10 points. Both teams are mid-table, far from the automatic promotion spots that would lift them to the Premier League. The Championship is brutal by designa 46-game grind where clubs relegated from the Premier League arrive with parachute payments that can triple operating budgets. Promotion requires finishing in the top two or winning a four-team playoff. Neither Wrexham nor Birmingham will likely earn promotion this season. But Friday’s match isn’t really about league position. It’s about temporary bragging rights between American celebrity owners who’ve proven that English football can be reimagined as a global entertainment productone that just happens to involve the occasional 90 minutes of actual football.
Category:
E-Commerce
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. Its reshaping industries, expediting innovation, and shifting how we work at unprecedented speed. For many leaders and employees alike, that reality sparks an uneasy question: if AI can do my work, where does that leave me? The answer lies not in competing with AI, but in doubling down on what makes us distinctly, and irreplaceably, human. In my work on human leadership, Ive explored how leaders can step into a technology-centric future without sacrificing humanity. The truth is: AI can process, predict, and optimize. But it cannot lead, inspire, or create meaning in the way that humans can. Here are five leadership skills that AI will never replace, and how you can harness them to stay future-ready: 1. Empathy AI can simulate human responses, but it cannot feel. Empathy, the ability to truly sense and connect with the emotions of others, is foundational in relationships, building trust and fostering a sense of belonging. Research consistently shows that workplaces where employees feel understood and valued perform better, yet empathy is a skill that many leaders overlook (and dont develop). To harness empathy, leaders need to move beyond surface-level check-ins. Create practices that encourage active empathy by making space to connect with employees to ask open questions. Listen for what they dont say, and tailor your leadership approach to the unique human in front of you. It takes more time and intention, but its irreplaceable. 2. Contextual Judgement AI excels in patterns and algorithms, but struggles with nuance. And in a complex world, nothing is ever black or white. An AI algorithm might be able to analyze millions of data points, but it cant weigh organizational history, cultural dynamics, ethical dilemmas, or interpersonal relationships in the same way a human leader can. Contextual judgment is the art of knowing not just what to decide, but when, why, and how to execute on that judgment. Slow down decision-making when the stakes are high, and dont be fooled into the belief that a fast decision is a good one. Think fast and slow. That means paying attention to your initial reactions, but its important to interrogate those, too. And hold space for paradox thinking. You need to consider both/and rather than either/or choices to widen your perspective and avoid being boxed into binary outcomes. 3. Creativity and making meaning Yes, AI can now generate images, songs, and even strategies. But it cannot interpret or assign meaning. Human creativity isnt just about producing noveltyits about storytelling, creating understanding, symbolism, and inspiring shared purpose. Leaders who can craft a vision that resonates emotionally give people a reason to care, not just a reason to comply. If youre struggling with creativity, start by creating rituals and narratives that tie day-to-day work back to a greater mission, your reason for being. Whether its connecting a teams project to customer impact or designing a shared symbol of progress, your ability to make meaning is uniquely human. Its this emotional connection that drives motivation. 4. Humility and self-awareness AI doesnt experience self-doubt, nor does it have blind spots. Humans do, and acknowledging them is a strength, not a weakness. Leaders who practice humility are open to feedback, adaptable to change, and better at building psychological safety within teams. Leaders should model vulnerability by admitting when they dont have all the answers. Ask your team: What am I missing? What do you see that I dont? This not only builds trust but also elevates collective intelligence and empowers those around you. 5. Connection and belonging AI can simulate conversation, but it cant forge authentic relationships. Humans are hardwired for connection, and belonging is a key driver of performance and wellbeing in the workplace. Leaders who invest in cultivating genuine connections foster resilience and loyalty that no algorithm can replicate. People do their best work when they feel truly seen, valued, and understood. It’s important to value the relationships with your team above all else. Build micro-moments of connection into your leadership practice, whether thats starting meetings with personal check-ins, celebrating small wins, or mentoring emerging talent. All of these practices create touch points for genuine connection. Leading in the age of AI Fear of being replaced by AI is real, but if we understand where our strengths lie, we diminish the threat. AI is not a rival to human leadership; its a tool. The danger isnt that AI will replace leaders, but that leaders will neglect the very skills that make them indispensable. The future belongs to leaders who embrace technology to elevate humanity. By leaning into empathy, contextual judgment, creativity, humility, and connection, we not only safeguard our relevance, we redefine what leadership looks like in the age of AI. At the end of the day, people dont follow algorithms. They follow humans.
Category:
E-Commerce
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Short screech. Long screech. Static. More beeps. On September 30, one of the most memorableif not infuriatingwaiting experiences since the dawn of the internet went the way of the dodo. AOL finally discontinued its dial-up service. If you grew up in the 90s, you knew that sound by heart. Some of you also knew to bring a newspaper while waiting for a single web page to load. AOLs iconic 30-second symphony of screeches and static wasn’t just the sound of connection. It was the sound of anticipation, of mandatory patience in an increasingly impatient world. Today, that pause is all but extinct. Pages load more or less instantly, apps respond in milliseconds, and information moves faster than we can formulate a complete thought. Technological advances have virtually eliminated the wait, but waiting isn’t wasted time. Studies have shown that simple pauses can help strengthen our self-control, and savoring the anticipation of an event can help us prolong pleasure. Our overstimulated brains might find the wait to be frustrating, but underneath all the noise, we just want a quiet moment of pause. Waiting gives us a chance to rest and reflect. This is as true of the real world as it is online. That’s why designers are sneaking the wait back into modern digital experiences. The Return of the Pause On a recent afternoon, I had to call my medical provider to ask a question. When someone picked uppredictably, a voice botI provided my name and date of birth. Then something interesting happened. Instead of processing my information in digital silence, or to the sound of hold music, the bot pretended to type it into a keyboard. I heard a click, clack, click, clack. The built-in typing may not have been totally for showperhaps the software genuinely needed the processing time. But it was designed to humanize my interaction, to mimic what psychologists call “conversational rhythm, in which pauses signal thought, consideration, and care. The concept translates to digital experiences, too. Take OpenAIs GPT-5. While previous versions typed out answers slowly, like a typewriter, the early version of GPT-5 dumped the full answer in one go. Some users found it hard to engage; others found it boring. “It just slammed a wall of text at me,” Marcel McVay, director of UX and digital solutions at Octo, tells me. “It was so much information at the same time, that it was off-putting.” [Illustration: FC] What users were missing is called sequencing, otherwise known as the deliberate pacing of information delivery. When your car dashboard lights up one indicator at a time rather than all at once, that’s sequencing. When ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity type out responses like a vintage typewriter rather than slamming the complete answer instantly, that’s sequencing, too. With large language models (LLMs), information delivery was slowed down to mimic the pauses that occur in natural conversation, and to help people process information like they are used to. “If someone doesn’t pause to think about what you just said, did they even hear you?” McVay says. He is currently working on a dementia care app, called Plans4Care, that aims to help support and guide people dealing with degenerative brain diseases. He says the app, which is currently being tested in clinical trials, doesnt require a lot of processing time to load. But his team still built in a loading screen that shows the brands logo plus a rolling selection of comforting quotes and accompanying images. While technically unnecessary, the loading screen serves to pace the users experience. Its a place where we remind you, were Plans4Care, and were here to support you, McVay says. Making the Wait Worthwhile Sometimes, of course, wait time remains necessary, and companies have learned to transform these delays into brand opportunities. The Calm app invites you to “take a deep breath” while it loads meditation content. Duolingo’s mascot Duo gives you quirky language facts during brief loading screens. Expedia calls to your wanderlust with a loading spinner in the shape of a traveling plane. These moments aren’t just distractionsthey’re what Clinton Gorham, brand consultant and founder of the Gorham Agency, calls “movie trailers,” or brief moments that set the mood and manage expectations. “Smart brands treat that sliver of time as a mini canvas to make an impression, he says. The strategy isnt exactly new. In the 1950s, office building tenants in a Manhattan high-rise complained about slow elevators. Rather than installing faster machineryan expensive solutionbuilding managers installed mirrors in elevator lobbies. Suddenly, complaints plummeted. The wait time hadn’t changed, but the mirrors had transformed dead time into useful time, and people were too busy checking their appearance to notice the delay. David H. Maister, an authority on service management and the psychology of waiting in line (or a queue, as they say in the U.K.), calls this phenomenon the “occupied time principle.” The British-born former Harvard professor has stated that occupied time (spent on any activity) feels shorter than unoccupied time (free from activity). User experience designers today are using the same trick. Some years ago, UX designer Tej Kalianda was working on ShareConnect, an iPad app that allows users to securely connect to and control their computers from anywhere in the world. The app’s complex authentication and secure connection setup processes meant that it took users 35 seconds to connect. It also meant they consistently dropped out. “They thought the app was broken,” says Kalianda, who now works at Google but spoke to me in a personal capacity. The engineering team couldn’t reduce the wait time, so Kalianda decided to keep users busy while they waited. She created random, visually engaging loading screens that changed every time someone connected. “Instead of fighting the delay, I embraced it,” sh explains. And her efforts paid off. The company’s Net Promoter Score jumped from 40 to 45, and she says user feedback shifted from “This thing doesn’t work” to “I love how smooth the connection feels.” Like with the elevators, the wait time never improvedonly the perception of it. Yet users were measurably happier because they were engaged and entertained. The aesthetics of waiting A 90s kid would barely recognize the internet today. We have gone from screechy dial-up connections and songs that took 20 minutes to download to TikTok trends that circle the globe in seconds. But it’s not just speed that’s changedthe entire aesthetic of waiting has evolved along with it. Back then, waiting looked like a progress bar crawling across a gray dialogue box, or “loading . . .” text blinking in a browser. The internet felt mechanical, utilitarian. But over the next few decades, companies developed their own visual language of waiting. Some, like Microsoft, took the literal approach with sand falling through an hourglass. Others, like Apple, embraced abstraction with a colorful beach ball that spun cheerfully while our computer screens froze. More recently, Slack turned waiting into a fun distraction with messages like “reticulating splines” (a callback to loading screens from games like SimCity). Meanwhile, Perplexity narrates its thought process, and Uber loads a grayed-out skeleton of its layout, helping you visualize whats to come. In a world that never stops scrolling, these pausesengineered or notare a welcome reminder that anticipation can be a feature, not a bug. I never thought I’d say this, but watching an app load is starting to feel like a simple, grounding moment that makes us feel a little more human.
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E-Commerce
Taylor Swifts highly anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, is here. And this might be Swifts biggest release yet, given that along with an album, shes also premiering a film on the same day. Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl features a new music video for the album’s single The Fate of Ophelia, lyric videos, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and commentary. Its being hosted as a companion event by AMC, Cinemark Theaters, and Regal Cinemas. The catch? Its showing in theaters for just three days: October 3 to 5. The brief theatrical window follows the same pattern Swift has used to release limited-edition versions of her past albums and merch that are often available only on her site for a short amount of timecreating a sense of urgency for fans. According to some analysts, replicating the strategy of generating fast ticket sales in a limited timeframe is beneficial not only for Swift but also for the major movie theater chains. Who wouldn’t want to cut out the middleman these days? Brandon Katz, director of insights and content strategy at Greenlight Analytics, posited to Fast Company. AMCs unique distribution deal with Taylor Swift allows them to bypass film studios and create more tailored deal terms. It represents a unique new business model for theaters, though one that isn’t easily repeatable. Exhibitors will also receive a new theatrical product headlined by the most famous entertainer on the planet at a time when wide-release volume is still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. That’s helpful. Even without a traditional marketing runway, Showgirl will attract attention. The Taylor Swift effect The Life of a Showgirl is an appropriately named album for arguably one of the worlds biggest pop stars, who has built an empire from her music since she was 16 years old, creating a devoted fandom of “Swifties.” In the past few years, Swift seems to have been busier than ever. She rerecorded her first six albums, reclaiming her music after the original masters were sold by her first record label (she eventually was able to buy the original masters back). She performed around the world on her 21-month-long Eras tour. And in August, she got engaged to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after a whirlwind two-year romance that saw her become a fixture at NFL games, including Super Bowl LVIII. She also teased the new album in her appearance on Jason and Travis Kelces New Heights podcast). Her impact on any business she’s involved with has been so significant that it’s been given a namethe Taylor Swift effect,” which experts say reflects the singer-songwriter’s strong economic force. Companies have been keen to take advantage of that Swift effect whenever they can. For instance, when The Life of a Showgirl was announced, many immediately adopted the albums orange aesthetic and font style in their own social media posts. Spotify launched a pop-up merch shop in New York, while other brands, including Uber Eats, are hosting special deals and pop-up events to celebrate the release. This isnt the first time Swift has released a theatrical film. Following the end of the Eras tour in 2023, she released Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film, bypassing traditional studios and instead signing a deal directly with AMC Theaters. The film went on to earn roughly $261 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing concert film ever. Later, Swift struck a deal with Disney for the films streaming rights. This is the first time, however, that Swift is premiering a movie to coincide with a new album on the same day. Again, shes skipping studios and releasing the film through AMC, Cinemark, and Regal Cinemas. Last month Deadline reported that the film had already raked in $15 million in first-day presales and that sources were projecting it to make between $30 million and $50 million over the October 3 weekend. A Swift business model According to data from Greenlight Analytics, the concert films Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (with willingness to pay, or WTP, at 53%) and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (with WTP at 52%) generated fan enthusiasm on par with Elvis (with WTP at 63%), suggesting that live-music experiences for big-name artists can generate long tails of monetization opportunity. Katz said that while releasing the film is a good idea for Swift, exhibitors, and the domestic box office, he emphasized that this isnt going to usher in a new genre of film, since only stars at Swifts level will be able to generate respectable box office revenue or streaming interest. For the majority of artists thinking about chasing a similar goal, the juice would not be worth the squeeze, Katz said. However, Swift is clearly continuing to move into the movie industry: In addition to the Eras Tour and Party of a Showgirl films, shes reportedly developing a feature project for Searchlight Pictures.
Category:
E-Commerce
Taxpayers in the Empire State will soon receive a refund to help offset rising living costs. Part of the 2025-2026 New York State budget allocates funds for inflation refund checks. The onetime payments offer relief to New Yorkers who have incurred increased sales tax costs due to inflation. According to the state, 8.2 million households will receive payments. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that as of September 26, inflation refund checks have started to be mailed to taxpayers. Checks will continue to be issued throughout October and November. Here’s what to know about whether you’re eligible, how much you’ll receive, and more. Am I eligible for an inflation refund check? Yes, if for tax year 2023 you: Filed Form IT-201, New York State Resident Income Tax Return Reported income within the qualifying thresholds Were not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayers return Theres no need to apply to receive a refund check. Checks will be mailed out automatically to those who meet the above eligibility requirements. What are the income thresholds, and how much will I receive? Check amounts are being issued in the range of $150 to $400; amounts vary by tax filing status for the 2023 tax year and your 2023 New York Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), found on Form IT-201, line 33. For single filers: 2023 AGI of $75,000 or less: Refund amount of $200 2023 AGI of more than $75,000, but not more than $150,000: Refund amount of $150 For married joint filers: 2023 AGI of $150,000 or less: Refund amount of $400 2023 AGI of more than $150,000, but not more than $300,000: Refund amount of $300 For married separate filers: 2023 AGI of $75,000 or less: Refund amount of $200 2023 AGI of more than $75,000, but not more than $150,000: Refund amount of $150 For head of household filers: 2023 AGI of $75,000 or less: Refund amount of $200 2023 AGI of more than $75,000, but not more than $150,000: Refund amount of $150 For qualifying surviving spouse filers: 2023 AGI of $150,000 or less: Refund amount of $400 2023 AGI of more than $150,000, but not more than $300,000: Refund amount of $300 How can I make sure I receive my check? Due to the high volume of checks being processed, it may take time to receive your refund. If you’re eligible, your check will be mailed to the address associated with your most recently filed tax return. If youve moved since filing your 2024 return, or you haven’t yet filed a return for tax year 2024, you can update your address with the New York Department of Taxation and Finance through your Individual Online Services Account. (If you dont have an Individual Online Services Account, you can create one.) Watch out for scams If someone contacts you about your refund check, it’s likely a scam. Hochul cautioned New Yorkers to be alert to scammers who are sending voice messages, text messages, emails, and direct mail to taxpayers in an attempt to defraud them. New Yorkers do not have to do anything to receive an inflation refund check outside of meeting the eligibility requirements, Hochul said in a news release. With scams targeting the state’s inflation refund initiative, let me be clear,” she continued. “The Tax Department and the IRS do not call or text individuals for personal information. My administration urges New Yorkers to remain vigilant and report these scams to the Tax Department to protect yourself from being a victim.” Scams can be reported to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
Category:
E-Commerce
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