I turned my needlepoint side hustle into a $10M business in five years. I never thought it'd take off as it did.

Tech Insider : Business
Krista LeRay headshot
Krista LeRay started her company during the pandemic.

Courtesy of Penny Linn Marketing

I lost my job at 58 when DOGE dismantled USAID. A year on, I've landed on my feet but still feel survivor's guilt.

Tech Insider : Politics, Business
Jay Gulledge in Pakistan
Jay Gulledge, 59, worked for USAID until March 2025.

Courtesy of Jay Gulledge

I quit my $192K Microsoft job and moved to Canada — then almost everything I owned was stolen. I'm learning to rebuild from scratch.

Tech Insider : Technology, Business
David Chong
David Chong

David Chong

I'm a busy dad who didn't have time to exercise. I managed to 'get jacked' with just 20 minutes of bodyweight exercise a day.

Tech Insider : Business
Skye Mackintosh before and after
Skye Mackintosh is committed to working out for 20 minutes every day.

Courtesy of Skye Mackintosh

I'm the CEO of a cannabis and beverage company. I start my day in Central Park with my dog and hate being surrounded by 'yes' people.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports
Irwin D. Simon

Isa Zapata for BI

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Irwin Simon, the chairman and CEO of Tilray, based in New York City. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I built my career in Japan as an American. I learned there's one thing that's non-negotiable.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A woman in a black blazer standing on a bridge in Japan.
Lauren Rose Kocher moved to Japan

Provided by Lauren Rose Kocher

I couldn't find the kind of community I wanted as a digital nomad — so I built it in Bali

Tech Insider : Business
Hidde van Vliet posing in Cape Town, South Africa.
Hidde van Vliet moved to Bali to help launch a network for digital nomads,

Provided by Hidde van Vliet

I'm an Amazon tech lead who uses AI to write code daily. There's one situation I hesitate to use it in.

Tech Insider : Business
Anni Chen
Anni Chen says vibe coding is hard to resist. It speeds up her productivity, but she cautions against using it at scale or for production.

Anni Chen

I collided with a tractor-trailer on my 39th birthday. It was my wake-up call to leave my job and start my own company.

Tech Insider : Business
A woman wearing a blue cardigan and jeans.
Christina Jones set up her own company after being involved in a road collision.

Courtesy of Jason Jones

I've helped lead AI adoption at both PwC and Freshworks. Here are 3 common AI mistakes I see workers making.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Geetha Rajan portrait

Geetha Rajan

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