Addiction nearly killed me. Once I got sober, I started my own company and shared my story to help others.

Tech Insider : Business
A woman holding a candle in a jar.
Lisa Devine with one of the hand-poured candles she makes and sells.

Courtesy of Lisa Devine

I run a 30-year-old bookstore. Here's how I've kept sales rising for 4 straight years.

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Style
Kandi West, Owner of WordsWorth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Kandi West is the co-owner and general manager of WordsWorth Books.

Katie Adkins for BI

My small business modernized a 2,000-year-old tourniquet. We've already sold hundreds of kits through word of mouth.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Sports
Founder Hannah Herbst with AutoTQ kits at the Golden Hour Medical headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida on March 2, 2026. Herbst developed the AutoTQ automated tourniquet after learning about the frequency of blood loss deaths. (Photo by Jennifer Ortiz)
Hannah Herbst is the CEO of Golden Hour Medical.

Jennifer Ortiz for BI

I started drinking when I was 14. When I finally got sober, I lost 100 pounds and saved over $55,000.

Tech Insider : Business
A before-and-after photograph of a woman who lost 100 pounds.
Emily Susman before and after quitting alcohol and losing 100 pounds in weight.

Courtesy of Emily Susman

New York lawmakers want to give your favorite dive bar a rent freeze

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Environment
military surplus store army & navy bags from inside
Army & Navy bags in New York's Lower East Side has hung in there.

Juliana Kaplan/Business Insider

They were about to shut down their business. Then a raw TikTok changed everything.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Portrait of ChocboxLA founders Brittany and Kevin.
Brittany Nemandoust, the founder of Chocbox, and her husband, Kevin.

Ethan Noah Roy for BI

I've made $11.4 million from my clean skincare brand. Now, I'm rebranding to reflect my company's evolution and expect to double my revenue.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Elina Sofia Wang wears a pink blazer and stands behind ESW Beauty products.
Elina Sofia Wang is the founder of ESW Beauty.

My Muse Photography

They split a $4,470 RV three ways. Now their food truck makes $240,000 annually.

Tech Insider : Business, Style, Travel
Three men looking out of the hatch of a food truck
Eddie Adegeye, JT Tarwei, and Isaac Flomo inside their food truck

Courtesy of Danny Wasabi

I'm a small-business owner who paid thousands in tariffs over the last year. Now I have more questions than answers.

Tech Insider : Politics, Economy, Business
Marc Bowker in a button up shirt covered with images of Frankenstein and other classic monsters.
Marc Bowker said the Trump administration has caused more uncertainty than he's ever experienced in his 23 years as a small business owner.

Marc Bowker

I stopped bartending full-time to sell ice. My company now makes nearly $3 million a year, catering to Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
man at bar
Richard Boccato launched his ice business in 2011.

Business Insider

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