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Although the definition is a little loose, “middle age” is the name we give to the period of life before we decide someone is officially old. When someone in the United States has reached the age of 40, they can expect to live for more than 40 additional years, on average. Given this lifespan, as well as changes in beliefs about age and fitness, people dont really start getting old until their mid-60s. So, middle age involves the period between 45 and 60 to 65. There are several excellent reasons to want to reconsider goals for your life somewhere in this period of life. In fact, it can be a great time to reset and think about what else you’d like to accomplish. The road is longand you want to experience it For one thing, at the age of 50, you may very well have 30 to 40 good years of life left. That means that while you might be able to see the horizon from there, you havent hit it yet. But one way to make time feel like it’s moving too fast is for each day to feel a lot like the last one. If you’ve been pursuing the same life goals already for a few decades and are looking forward to several more decades of the same, then you’re unlikely to lay down a lot of the mental landmarks that make life feel long and fulfilling. In addition, that motivation for leaping out of bed in the morning is driven in part by excitement for the future. That excitement is driven by the desire to accomplish something new and important. Reconsidering your goals during middle age gives you a chance to find a different approach to finding this meaning for your life. Your responsibilities are different now A lot of what drives your goals is the responsibilities you have. In your 30s and early 40s, your responsibilities may be quite different from those in your later years. If youre raising a family, you have time and financial commitments to your children that soak up a lot of time and may also tie you to employment that allows you to support your family. You’re also likely to have daily parenting responsibilities that eat up a lot of your time before and after work. As you move through middle age, responsibilities like raising children often diminish. Not only are you likely to have more free time, but you have fewer financial commitments, which may give you more flexibility to think about where you want to put your efforts. That enables you to rethink where you want to put your efforts and what outcomes you most want to achieve. One big difference in the goals you might consider is that responsibilities are inherently focused on the avoidance of a negative outcome. So, when you have a lot of responsibilities, you may focus your life and career goals around doing things that minimize the chance that something will go wrong. When those responsibilities lift, you are more free to focus more on the ideal life and career goals for you, because the consequences of something going wrong may not be as dire. Your values have probably shifted One of the factors that makes you happy with your life and work is whether your goals in these arenas fit with your underlying values. While values are fairly stablethey tend not to change from one day to the nextthey will change over time. Often, you choose a career path based on your values. If you value security, you might select a profession where people rarely get let go. However, if you value achievement, you might choose a career path that is likely to lead to opportunities for promotion and recognition. Or if you value benevolence, then you may value activities that help your community. Suppose that as a young person, you valued achievement. You might have picked a profession that has a lot of visibility and that you know other people would respect. You might even have pursued opportunities to advance and take leadership roles that would lead people to see the importance of your work. As you reach middle age, you may come to value benevolence and want to do more for your community. If you achieved some financial security, you might reset your goals. Perhaps you might retire early and go to work for a nonprofit to better align your work with your current values.
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E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. The creator economy has evolved from a marketing tactic to a C-suite priority, driven by a cultural shift that positions creators at the core of brand strategy. Over the past decade, it has transformed from a niche segment of digital culture into one of the most powerful forces shaping modern businesses. Today, creators sit at the epicenter of consumer attention, shaping purchasing decisions, brand perceptions, and cultural trends at scale. This evolution didnt happen by accident. The movement from the fringes of culture to the mainstream was propelled by creators ability to authentically connect with audiences, build communities, and operate as entrepreneurial media company owners. In doing so, theyve transformed how brands connect with customers and reshaped the core of modern marketing and communications. Creators have proven theyre more than content producers or influencers. Theyre strategic partners shaping the future of business. In 2023, many C-suite executives reached a new level of familiarity and comfort with the creator economy as the industry continued to evolve. Now, part way into 2025, that awareness is cementing. Creators are no longer an experimental line item in the marketing budget; theyre critical growth partners driving innovation, storytelling, and consumer loyalty. Embrace the creator economy Creators have become a boardroom priority. Theyre shaping conversations at marketing events, influencing business meetings, and redefining how brands connect with consumers. My biggest piece of advice? Plan early and plan integrated. A creator strategy shouldnt be an afterthoughtit should be embedded from the start, whether in a campaigns early planning stages or during product development. Creators dont just understand the audience; they are the audience. And theyre masters of the platforms where real influence happens today. By embracing this early on, brands will position themselves for long-term relevance. Those that hesitate risk falling behind, as creators continue to command cultural and consumer influence. The rise of creators is part of a bigger cultural shift, and brands cant afford to ignore it. The creator revolution is changing what consumers expect and how businesses drive product awareness and sales. This year, well see more creators diversify their collaboration as strategic partners across multi-dimensional industries. The conversations that began as niche marketing discussions are now guiding decisions in innovation labs, investor presentations, and executive off-sites. Creators are shaping brands Creators arent just marketing assets anymore. Theyre reshaping how we think about building brands from the ground up. Today, creators are redefining how stories are told, connecting with audiences in deeply personal and immediate ways. Prioritizing creators isnt just an opportunityits essential, which is why the Tribeca Festival launched its creators vertical in partnership with the Whalar Group last year, said Chris Brady, president, global chief commercial officer at Tribeca Enterprises. Creators are shaping culture, driving conversations, and changing the future of entertainment. To stay competitive, global brands and platforms must recognize them as essential voices in this new era. The time for hesitation is over. Brands that see creators as mere marketing tools will be left behind. Those that embrace them as strategic partners and extensions of their team will shape the future, while the rest struggle to keep up. The creator economy isnt just here to stayits a growing focus in the boardroom, and in 2025, it will distinguish the leaders from the followers. Neil Waller is co-CEO and cofounder of the Whalar Group.
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E-Commerce
The historic Buffalo Trace Distillery has temporarily closed after deadly flooding ravaging Kentucky swept into its facilities, forcing the popular bourbon company to turn away the public and staff. In a statement released on Sunday, the Frankfort, Kentucky-based distillery said it would remain closed through April 10 but warned that date could change. Due to the unprecedented and ongoing rain and flooding, we are not able to advise on the impact to our total distillery footprint, Buffalo Trace said. We will assess those realities in the coming days as the facilities become safe to navigate and will make necessary adjustments to operations as required. A spokesperson for Buffalo Trace declined to comment further. Days of unrelenting torrential rain in Kentucky and across the U.S. South and Midwest have caused catastrophic flooding and raised fears the damage could linger for days as rivers swell. In Frankfort, the Kentucky River curves throughout the capital city and has been known to flood. On Monday, the river was cresting at Frankfort Lock approaching the record of 48 1/2 feet (14.78 meters) set on Dec. 10, 1978, according to CJ Padgett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Louisville, Kentucky, office. Buffalo Trace is far from the only distillery in Kentucky, the home of bourbon country, but it is one of the closest to the banks of the Kentucky River. Notably, the distillery has markers of several high-water marks from previous floods inside its Frankfort buildings, with the most recent being the 1978 flood. As of Monday, several Buffalo Trace buildings were flooded at lower levels and parking lots and cars were underwater. The water tower bearing the brands logo stood over the visitor center and warehouses that appeared to be inundated with water. Residents stopped to take pictures of the well-known bourbon makers property as it was flooded out. Traffic signs directing trucks and visitors to parking peeked over several feet of rushing water. Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American, family-owned company that has operated for more than 200 years. Its products include the holy grail for bourbon fanatics: Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old, which can sell for tens of thousands of dollars on resale markets. Kimberlee Kruesi and Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
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