It’s probably not your first instinct to seek a tween’s advice when making decisions about your career.

But it may be rewarding to do so, especially if you want to start a business or launch a side-hustle. That’s according to Nikhil Kamath, a 38-year-old self-made billionaire and co-founder of Zerodha, an online stock brokerage platform.

“Don’t go to the previous generation to figure out what you should be doing 20 years from now,” he told LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky in a recent episode of “The Path” video series. “Go look at what the kids are doing. Go look at what a 16-year-old boy is doing [and] what he might want in 10 years.” 

Kamath got his start in business in the ninth grade, buying and reselling cell phones to his classmates before dropping out of high school. He later got a job working at a call center, teaching himself how to trade stocks in his free time, which inspired his career in finance.

Kamath co-founded the Bangalore-based Zerodha in 2010 alongside his brother. The trading platform has since grown to more than 10 million users, making it one of the largest in India and helping Kamath reach a $3 billion net worth, according to Forbes.

In 2021, he co-founded a venture capital firm called Gruhas, which supports entrepreneurs in industries like artificial intelligence and cleantech — both of which are top of mind for younger generations.

“A lot of the advice you might get from someone who’s 50 or 60 and in positions of power” may be out of touch with the needs and wants of your audience or consumers, Kamath told Roslansky, adding that young people are the ones who “define culture going forward.”

As young people navigate the world, they are often curious and have a fresh perspective that could inspire innovative ideas for your business, Kamath explained. And tapping into their social media habits could potentially help you shape your marketing strategy. 

Nearly half of teens are online “almost constantly,” according to Pew Research Center’s 2024 Teens, Social Media and Technology report, which analyzed the online habits of American youth between the ages of 13 and 17. They frequent YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat the most, often setting fashion, dance and lifestyle content trends on the platforms.

Moreover, it’s estimated that Gen Alpha, or those born between 2010 and 2024, will have $1.7 trillion in direct spending power and a $5.46 trillion economic footprint by 2029, according to research-based advisory firm McCrindle, which says this generation of consumers is being widely overlooked.

“Every organization, every brand, every product is just one generation away from extinction,” CEO Mark McCrindle told CFO Brew in May. 

Many executives have seen success using young people as inspiration: His own and other college students’ social habits inspired Mark Zuckerberg to launch Facebook in 2004. And Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann created the platform with his childhood love for collecting things in mind. 

Of course, you can get valuable business advice and inspiration from older people who’ve already navigated their way through entrepreneurship. But if you really want to know if your ideas are good, ask a kid, Kamath insisted.

“Look forward, look younger for inspiration, not older,” he said.

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During a typical day at Jono Pandolfi’s Union City, New Jersey, pottery studio, he and his 30-person team unload over a thousand pieces out of their 13 kilns, and ship the plates, bowls and mugs to restaurants and home chefs around the world.

The multitextured dinnerware is sold to and used in hundreds of restaurants and FX’s TV series “The Bear.” Similar largescale collaborations pushed the company into profitability in 2012, but when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down restaurants, Jono Pandolfi Designs expanded its direct-to-consumer offerings, he says.

It was a lucrative move: Now, direct-to-consumer sales represent nearly half of the business’s revenue. At the end of December, the company projected it would bring in over $6.6 million in 2024, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

“I think it’s safe to say that it’s pretty hard for a ceramic artist or someone who studied clay to build a business that’s bringing in over $6 million per year,” says Pandolfi, 48. “I feel like I’m living the dream of a ceramic artist.”

Customers can now buy Pandolfi’s products — like four-piece settings, starting at $172 on its website — for themselves. The studio charges $51 for an 8-inch pasta bowl, which is made from about $1 worth of clay, but far more in labor expenses, says Pandolfi, who declined to share the company’s overall profit margins.

While labor remains the business’s biggest expense, firing and glazing the bowls also requires a financial investment. Once the studio started taking on high profile clients, like Anthropologie and Crate & Barrel, it needed more kilns to keep up with the demand. The business has taken out three loans, each between $100,000 and $200,000, starting in 2016, Pandolfi says.

“The kilns pay for themselves, really,” Pandolfi adds. “We’ve built this business entirely on our own cash flow.” For instance, the studio’s large gas kiln can fire about 500 dinner plates a night, which results in about $18,000 in potential revenue.

But growing the business production capacity and revenue took decades. Pandolfi launched the company as a side hustle and personal creative outlet in 2004, while he taught ceramics and worked for larger manufacturers to cover bills, he says. When he lost his manufacturing job six years later, he took it as a sign to grow his company full-time, about 60 hours per week.

The turning point for his company came in 2012, when the NoMad Hotel opened in New York and ordered over 6,000 pieces in a $100,000 deal, Pandolfi says. After the NoMad Hotel project, he hired his first full-time employee and started buying more equipment, he adds. The hotel has since closed.

Building the business slowly, gradually growing its production, output and margins, remains Pandolfi’s biggest goal, he says. The company’s shift to a direct-to-consumer strategy is, so far, supporting that vision: It brought in almost $5.2 million in 2023, and has more than tripled its revenue since 2020.

“It’s always been incredibly important to me … from day one, has been to build this [company] in a bulletproof way, in a long lasting way,” he says. “I think the goal now is to continue to capture the organic demand that’s there for us and to [maintain that] sustainable growth for the next several years … keeping the character of this place the same.”

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As one year ends and another begins, it’s natural to imagine what we want for the future. But we know how the story usually ends: By February, most New Year’s resolutions have been abandoned, leaving us discouraged and wondering why we even bothered.

That’s no way to start something new! As a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience, I can tell you that the problem is in our approach. Resolutions tend to be vague, unrealistic, and disconnected from our deeper values, failing to create the emotional commitment needed for real change. 

This year, instead of making resolutions, try something different — manifest the changes you want to make in your life with simple, practical steps. 

“Manifesting” might get as much side-eye as “resolutions,” but this isn’t about making a wish and waiting for the universe to deliver. It’s a deliberate process that involves aligning your values, intentions, and actions to move toward the life you want. 

Here are some practical tips to help shift from ineffective resolutions to meaningful manifesting any time of year.

1. Set intentions that align with your values

Resolutions often focus on superficial outcomes, like “lose 10 pounds” or “save $5,000.” While these goals might sound productive, they lack emotional depth. Manifesting starts by identifying your core values.

Ask yourself: What do I truly care about? Why do I want this change? 

If your value is health, for example, your intention might be to nurture your body through balanced nutrition and movement that feels good. From there, create goals that are S.M.A.R.T. — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound — like “I will take a 30-minute walk three times a week.”

2. Focus on subtracting as much as adding

Our culture glorifies “the grind,” often equating our value as humans with how much we achieve and what we sacrifice to get there. Resolutions tend to pile onto our already busy lives, creating pressure rather than relief. 

Instead of adding to your long to-do list, try making a let-go list. Identify habits, thoughts, or commitments that no longer serve you. Maybe you need to stop saying “yes” to everything or beating yourself up over perceived failures.

Letting go clears space for you to focus your energy on what truly matters.

3. Create a vision that inspires

Create a vivid picture of what you desire. Take time to journal, visualize, or even create a vision board that reflects your values and intentions. By keeping your vision front and center, you reinforce your emotional connection to the changes you want to make.

4. Celebrate progress, not perfection

Resolutions often set a fixed destination, like “run a marathon” or “pay off debt.” But rigidly focusing on outcomes can lead to all-or-nothing thinking — a distorted mindset in which falling short feels like failure. For instance, if you planned to save $500 but only managed $400, you might see the entire effort as a waste.

Instead, ask yourself: What can I do today that aligns with my intentions? This approach builds momentum while allowing flexibility, helping you stay committed even if plans evolve.

Break your goals into small, manageable tasks and celebrate each step forward. If your intention is to cultivate mindfulness, a single five-minute meditation is a win worth acknowledging. Small victories build confidence and keep motivation alive.

5. Lead with love, not judgment

Approach your journey from a place of self-compassion and empathy rather than harsh criticism. Research shows that treating yourself with kindness fosters resilience, motivation, and lasting change far more effectively than judgment or self-criticism. 

Manifesting works because it taps into what’s meaningful to you, engages your emotions, and focuses on actions that are both intentional and achievable.

Unlike resolutions, which often feel like self-imposed rules, manifesting should feel empowering. You’re not restricting, you’re creating — making progress toward a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

This shift in perspective can transform the way you approach not just the New Year but any goal you set. You don’t need a perfect plan, and you certainly don’t need the clock to strike midnight on January 1 to get started.

All you need is a clear intention, a connection to your values, and a commitment to taking one step at a time. 

Chamin Ajjan, LCSW, A-CBT, CST is the CEO and Clinical Director of Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy, a regional clinic of the National Social Anxiety Center where she is also a board member. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, and graduate school at Columbia University School of Social Work. She is also the author of ”Seeking Soulmate: Ditch The Dating Game and Find Real Connection″ and an expert instructor in CNBC Make It’s online course Become an Effective Communicator: Master Public Speaking.

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A child’s resilience is deeply rooted in the resilience of their caregiver, as decades of research demonstrate. Still, the implication that caregivers need to prioritize their own wellbeing can feel counterintuitive in a society that often tells us our needs as parents, and especially as mothers, come last.

I can relate. When my three children were young, I believed being a good mom meant pouring every ounce of myself into my children. No sacrifice was too great. 

In striving to do and be everything for my kids, I often neglected my own needs, like sleep, downtime and time with friends. I accepted that living in a state of stress was simply the tax of parenting well. 

But then I interviewed hundreds of families and several leading researchers for my book “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It.”

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One of the most important things I learned is that, when we sacrifice ourselves, we risk losing what our children need most: a strong and resilient caregiver.

Here are the key things I wish I’d known earlier about building my own resilience as a parent:

When parents are overwhelmed, it’s hard to be the patient, present caregiver our kids need. That’s when “proximal separation” can sneak in — a term psychologists use to describe when a parent is physically present but emotionally unavailable because of stress, depression or burnout. 

Our children are remarkably perceptive. But they may misinterpret our distracted or irritable moments as signs that something must be wrong with them. When parents struggle emotionally, children are more likely to face emotional challenges, too, studies find.

Here are a few ways to bolster your personal resilience as a parent:

• Check in with yourself daily. Ask yourself, “How am I feeling today, really?” Naming emotions is the first step to managing them. If you’re struggling, reach out to a friend for support. As psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell puts it, promise yourself to “never worry alone.”
• Schedule stress reducers. Just 15 minutes of quiet downtime, focused on meeting your own needs, can leave you feeling recharged. Notice what refills your cup — talking with a friend, reading a book, sipping a cup of tea, taking a bubble bath, listening to a meditation app — and make time to engage with it daily.
• Seek professional help if needed. Therapy or counseling is an investment in your and your family’s health. If you’re in crisis, you can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800) 273-8255, or the Crisis Text Line has crisis counselors available via text (send “HOME” to 741741), WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. For longer term care, reach out to your doctor for a referral. 

We all know that for a young person to thrive, they need a sturdy adult in their lives. But for sturdy adults to thrive, they need sturdy adults, too. 

As a young parent, I used to think I had to handle everything alone. But parenting isn’t meant to be a solo act — it’s a team sport. The myth of the “do-it-all parent” is a fast track to isolation and burnout. 

Leaning on friends, family, or a support group not only eases your load but strengthens your emotional health. Research has found that just one hour a week spent with supportive people can lower stress and make parenting feel less overwhelming. Don’t be afraid to create your own group.

• Issue an invitation. Text a few parents you feel close to and say you want to build a crew of support. You’ll meet just one hour a week for connection and encouragement.
• Be consistent. You might build this group into an “article club” or “book club,” and spend twenty minutes discussing a news article or novel and the remaining time sharing the ups and downs of your parenting journeys. Or, you might make this a weekly walking club. If getting together is hard with young kids, schedule a weekly Zoom during nap time. The venue or theme of the meeting doesn’t matter. What matters is offering each other consistent support. 
• Choose your people wisely. For this support group to work, you need to feel safe. Find people you’re comfortable being open with and who, in return, are willing to be open with you. What makes this intentional time feel supportive is having people in your life who make you feel seen and heard, just as you try to do for your children.

Another valuable way I’ve found to feel more resilient is to build community. Here are some ways to get started: 

• Normalize carpooling. Arrange shared rides for school drop-offs, sports, or extracurriculars with local parents.
• Start a meal train. Join forces with five to six other families. Each family cooks one large meal weekly to share, freeing up other evenings.
• Organize a cheering squad. If you or a parent friend can’t attend a child’s event, assign yourselves as cheering surrogates, and swap updates and videos with each other. I’m so grateful to the parents who send me videos of my children and updates for the games I cannot attend.

Collaboration isn’t just practical; it builds a sense of security around your child. It shows them that they have a deep bench of support, no matter what. And you do too. 

Remember, taking care of yourself is taking care of your child. When you nurture your wellbeing, you create a stronger foundation for everyone in your family. Parenting is one of life’s greatest challenges — and its greatest joys. By leaning into relationships, you’ll build the resilience you and your child need to thrive.

Jennifer Breheny Wallace is an award-winning journalist and author of “Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic — and What We Can Do About It.” After graduating from Harvard College, Wallace began her journalism career at  CBS “60 Minutes,” where she was part of a team that won The Robert F. Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism. She is a Journalism Fellow at the The Center for Parent and Teen Communication at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Follow her on Instagram @jenniferbrehenywallace.

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As the U.S. continues to face a shortage of available homes, some may be looking at those occupied by “empty nesters” as an incoming source of inventory. As older residents begin to downsize, the thinking goes, the millions of homes they currently own will fill the deficit, thus bringing housing costs down. 

However, those units aren’t likely to be the solution, Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow, tells CNBC Make It. 

The reason is simple: Empty nesters — which Zillow defines as “residents ages 55 or older who have lived in the same home for 10 or more years, have no children at home and have at least two extra bedrooms” — don’t live in the same places where younger generations want to be, recent research finds.

“These empty-nest households are concentrated in more affordable markets, where housing is already more accessible — not in the expensive coastal job centers where young workers are moving and where more homes are most desperately needed,” Divounguy said in the report.

Around 20.9 million households fit the definition of empty nesters in 2022 and out of the 50 biggest U.S. cities, they have the greatest concentrations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Buffalo, New York; and Cleveland, Ohio. But the cities with the most people under 44 are San Jose, California; Austin, Texas; and Denver, Colorado, Zillow reports.

“Unless we see more businesses and workers relocating to the Midwest, the big flow of housing coming is probably not going to do much to help those markets,” Divounguy says.

And of course, the homes empty nesters are vacating might not be the same properties young people are looking for, especially if they are large or relatively expensive for the area.

So, what will actually move the needle? The “only viable solution for improving housing affordability” is new construction in the cities facing the largest shortages, Divounguy says. 

However, there are a number of roadblocks preventing construction from keeping up with demand, including the rising costs of building materials, lot size requirements, density restrictions and project reviews that can take up to 24 months. 

“When you prevent supply from keeping up with demand, you end up with runaway prices and affordability deteriorates,” Divounguy says.

Lowering costs for builders will be key to making progress in this area, Divounguy says. Changes to zoning laws and streamlining building permit approvals may also help push things in the right direction.

“If you look at places that are less regulated,” he added, “like in the South, builders have been able to lean into density in order to continue building houses at a price point that meets buyers where they’re at.”

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