wegg® Daughters of Business Owners (wegg DOBO™)

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® (wegg®) – a Chicago-based nonprofit organization with a mission to educate, inspire, and nurture women business owners and entrepreneurs worldwide – proudly announces wegg Daughters of Business Owners (wegg DOBO™), a groundbreaking initiative designed specifically for women preparing to take the reins of their family businesses.

Learn more here.

Today in Global Small Business: The Art of the Dad Text

©iStock/ferlistockphoto 

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• The art of the dad text.
• The manhunt continues (as of 6/15/25 at 2:09 PM CT when this was written) for the man who assassinated two democrats and harmed two other democratic who are recovering.  It is said this is a politically motivated assassination.
• Where's the inflation from tariffs?  Just wait, economists say.
• Quote of the week:  “The most important thing in the world is family and love." – John Wooden
• Hershey's trade promotion management transformation yields sweet rewards.
• Why this revolutionary reusable packaging platform failed – except in France.

The Memory Becomes a Treasure

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure." – Author unknown

Prayers to the Families of the Victims in the Air India Flight to London That Crashed

©iStock/Kalpit Bhachech

A passenger plane en route to London crashed on departure at an airport in India’s western city of Ahmedabad. The plane hit a hostel for doctors when it crashed, with images showing the tail of the plane protruding from the building.

More than 200 feared dead.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims during this tragic time.

How New Tariffs Are Impacting Small Businesses

©iStock/GEOLEE

Sana Javeri Kadri of Diaspora Co. and Katya Eckert of A Domani return to "CBS Mornings" to discuss how changing tariffs are affecting their spice and sleepwear companies, and what it means for the future of small business. 

Trump: Turning the Military Against American Citizens

©iStock/EyeEm Mobile GmbH

Standing up for American citizens and the Nation’s foundational ban on martial law in peacetime, California Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are requesting the court step in to immediately block the Trump administration’s unnecessary militarization of Los Angeles to include immigration enforcement in communities.

“The President is looking for any pretense to place military forces on American streets to intimidate and quiet those who disagree with him. It’s not just immoral — It’s illegal and dangerous." – Attorney General Bonta

Read more about the lawsuit here. 

What CP Brands Must Do to Reignite Relevance for Consumers, Customers and Capital Markets

©iStock/Mizina

For decades, scale brought success to consumer products (CP companies).  They built mass-market brands that people trusted, believed in and even loved. They became part of the fabric of our daily lives. And they did it globally. But the rules have changed – and many big CP companies are facing a relentless drift toward irrelevance. 

Learn why.

Today in Global Small Business: The Musk/Trump Relationship Is Over

©iStock/Deagreez

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• It's over.  Trump and Musk are no longer a thing.
• On the campaign trail last year, Donald Trump promised that he was not going to tolerate left-wing lawlessness on American streets and would use the full force of his presidential powers in response. See how peaceful protests can be escalated by people in power.
• The surprising impact of Trump's tariffs on American farmers.
• Quote of the week:  “The primary reason for a tariff is that it enables the exploitation of the domestic consumer by a process indistinguishable from sheer robbery." – Albert J. Nock
  
• Tariffs could reduce federal debt but at what cost?
• Who's paying for the tariffs?  YOU are.

Be Yourself

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." – Oscar Wilde

Calling All USA Global Business Owners: Join the wegg® GPS Conversation on Tariffs 6/11 at 11 AM CT

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Need help managing tariffs?  Join us 6/11 at 11 AM CT for a candid conversation with business owners on navigating the trade tariffs and on strategies to sustain business momentum.  Experts in legal, banking and shipping will be on the call.  Register to attend (n/c).  I, (Laurel Delaney) will be moderating the discussion.

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ea16fe9kTYa_CYlKPq6O4Q#/registration

The Cost of the Trade War Is Becoming Obvious

©iStock/EyeEm Mobile GmbH

The costs of the trade war are becoming more obvious. Take, for example, a florist who talks about the challenges of different levies on different supplies—and how he’s passing them along to customers.

Read on ... 

Under Pressure: The U.S. Dollar

©iStock/Leonardo Penuela Bernal

Bernhard Warner reports that President Trump’s tariffs are expected to sock most countries this year and next, the O.E.C.D. said. But the hit to the United States is especially spooking economists and Wall Street, who worry about lower growth colliding with a Republican spending bill that packs big tax cuts — and gargantuan deficits.

All of that is putting pressure on the [U.S.] dollar.

Millennials and Gen Zers Glow-Up a $2 Trillion Global Wellness Market

©iStock/peterschreiber.media

To millennials and Gen Zers, wellness has become a daily, personalized practice rather than a set of occasional activities or purchases.

As this shift takes hold, it’s influencing the direction of the $2 trillion global wellness industry, which is expanding beyond its core categories. 

McKinsey & Company, in its fourth year fielding their Future of Wellness research, which focuses on six dimensions of wellness—health, sleep, nutrition, fitness, appearance, and mindfulness—they surveyed more than 9,000 consumers across China, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Their findings reveal the ways in which younger consumers are redefining the landscape, the five consumer segments that make up today’s wellness customer base, and six subcategories poised to grow.  

Check it out.

Today in Global Small Business: Can America Dodge a Tariff Bullet?

©iStock/Seb Hakimi

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Can American dodge a tariff bullet?
• Move to Canada?  Migrants face 'No good options' after supreme court ruling.
• It appears the deals that Trump is negotiating with law firms are not legally valid.
• Quote of the week:  “As history has repeatedly proven, one trade tariff begets another, then another - until you've got a full-blown trade war. No one ever wins, and consumers always get screwed." – Mark McKinnon
• Did he [Elon Musk] or didn't he use drugs during the 2024 presidential campaign?
• EU 'prepared to impose countermeasures' after Trump doubles steel tariffs to 50%.

An Angel Will Be Waiting

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"When you feel lost, pause and look closely around you.  Somewhere, somehow, an Angel will be waiting to guide you home." – Author unknown

TACO

©iStock/istetiana

The term “TACO,” short for Trump Always Chickens Out, has been used to describe how markets tumble on the president’s tariff threats, then rebound when he gives way.  Here's what happened when Trump was asked about it by a reporter. 

Say It Ain't So: Cuts to SCORE and Women Business Centers (WBCs)

Protect SCORE's funding here.  Read Rieva Lesonsky's post for more details here.  Read the budget yourself.  #StandWithSCORE #StandWithWBCs

Your American Home Without China

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Think you can manage your American home without Chinese products?  Many essentials are imported from China – and with tariffs (whether old or new), they're likely to become more expensive.

The New York Times analyzed import data to show where Americans may see product shortages, fewer choices and price increases.

It's surprising where you will be hit hardest.

Tariffs: A Nightmare for Global Small Businesses

©iStock/freehandz

Global small businesses know that tariff rates remain sky high by historical levels and will keep pressuring profits. The 90-day window for a pause on goods from China while negotiations continue offers little clarity on where the levies will ultimately settle, and Trump has warned they could soar again.

Data from the American Bankruptcy Institute showed an April uptick in a type of bankruptcy filing typically used by small businesses, which it said “signals persistent distress.” At the same time, slumping import volumes at the Port of Los Angeles — the nation’s busiest — had warned of a brewing supply shock.

Small businesses that import from China are taking a beating.  Yet, despite this, Trump and his administration write this glorified piece (total misinformation) about how Trump is fixing problems and unleashing a new era of opportunity for small businesses.  If you believe that, then you believe that Pope Leo XIV is not Catholic.

Today in Global Small Business: Biggest Threat to Success is Overthinking

©iStock/Bilanol

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Overthinking often slows or even stalls progress by causing muddy thinking and overwhelm. It's aimed at preventing mistakes but overthinking itself becomes a bigger threat to success than mistakes.
• Americans across the country are remembering George Floyd five years after he was killed by police, with special gatherings in the city where he grew up and the one where he died.
• Why the Supreme Court is handing over more and more power to Trump.
• Quote of the week:  “Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile, I caught hell for.” – Earl Warren
• The trade war has turned a spotlight on the artisanal clusters behind glamorous goods, inviting fresh scrutiny of one of the industry’s key selling points.
• Remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Pope Leo XIV's Home in Dolton, Illinois

I [Laurel Delaney] was born and raised in Riverdale, Illinois – 4 miles from Dolton, Illinois where Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost) was raised.  I suspect we passed each other on our bikes growing up.

Photo credit (5/18/25):  ©Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.  

Starbucks Avoids Brewing Controversy in South Korea

©iStock/tupungato

Walk into any Starbucks in South Korea right now, and there are some names you definitely won't be hearing.  Six to be exact - and they happen to be the names of the candidates running in the upcoming presidential race.  That's because Starbucks has temporarily blocked customers who are ordering drinks from using these names, which would be called out by baristas.

Oh, let's not forget Starbuck's goal of making sure every customer has a great experience in their coffeehouses.

Big News: A New Family of Products for the Age of Artificial Intelligence

©iStock/Lemon_tm

On May 21, 2025, Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, said the company was paying $6.5 billion to buy IO, a one-year-old start-up created by Jony Ive, a former top Apple executive who designed the iPhone.  They had already owned 23% of the company and now will own 100%.

The all-stock deal, which effectively unites Silicon Valley royalty, is intended to usher in what the two men call “a new family of products” for the age of artificial general intelligence, or A.G.I., which is shorthand for a future technology that achieves human-level intelligence.

The goal of the partnership, or the blending of the two companies, was to leverage A.I. to help people make some sense of the noise.  Which means a new cool device by Ive.  Ive's design studio, LoveFrom remains independent from OpenAI to work on other projects.

Learn more about what is yet to come:  a new generation of devices.

Pope Leo XIV's Inauguration Mass at the Vatican

Attention USA Small Business Owners: Let's Talk Tariffs on June 11 (wegg® GPS)

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Attention U.S. small business owners! The associates at Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® invite you to share your experiences, insights, and strategies for tackling the ongoing challenge of tariffs—a persistent issue affecting many. Let’s come together on Wednesday, June l1 at 11 AM CT to Talk Tariffs, the obstacles you face and the solutions you’ve found.

I [Laurel Delaney] will be moderating the call.  We have a handful of experts lined up to guide us during the discussions:

• Joe Maher, Partner, Nixon Peabody
• Ela Baio, Partner, Nixon Peabody
• Lori Novak, VP, FX, Associated Bank
• Ming Chen, President, MSL Global Express Inc.

Join us for a free, collaborative session where together we’ll brainstorm innovative solutions and craft a clear, actionable plan to make a real impact.  Together, we are stronger. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute your ideas and be part of meaningful change!

To learn more and to register, visit: https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/2025/05/07/tariff-talk-business-owners-share-solutions/

Today in Global Small Business: Bonded Warehouses Are Seeing a Spike in Interest

©iStock/Smederevac

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• With on-again, off-again tariff policies causing havoc, bonded warehouses are seeing a spike in interest. The facilities are located around the country, but they’re legally outside of U.S. Customs territory. 
• Max Harris, group head of strategy and sustainability at Associated British Ports, the largest ports operator in the United Kingdom, explains how the company is using tech to accelerate the energy transition across industrial sectors—and create new business models.
• Navigating the new tariff landscape.
• Quote of the week:  “Bonded warehouses are a vital part of the global economy, but many people don’t know what they are or what benefits they offer." – Unknown
• Tariffs:  What utilities leaders need to know.
• Seven key issues from President Trump's first 10 days and what's next.

The Joy It Brings Others

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“A tulip blooms not for itself, but for the joy it brings to others.”

Accelerate Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Globally

©iStock/Alessandra Indino

"Our aspiration is to help accelerate sustainable and inclusive growth globally, and it’s a key metric by which we measure ourselves." – Bob Sternfels, Global managing partner, McKinsey & Company – download report.

Is a Luxury Boeing 747 Jet Gifted From Qatar to President Trump Going Too Far?

©iStock/LIVINUS

I don't know about all of you but I would prefer a big, beautiful new jet made in USA for Air Force One, no matter how long the wait.  After all, isn't there a BIG push for Made In America right now or am I missing something?  The latest is that Qatar wants to give a FREE Air Force One replacement valued at U.S. $400 million to President Trump.  No strings attached.  Got that?  

Yet, the Constitution prohibits federal officials from accepting things of value, or “emoluments,” from foreign governments without congressional approval.  

Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said, "Schatz said "it really should go without saying, but no president should be accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country. It is gross, it is reckless, it is corrupt, and the outrage and condemnation especially on the Republican side should be universal.”

What's your feeling?

Defer (Park) Tariffs For a While With a Foreign Trade Zone

©iStock/werny

The U.S. has roughly 260 foreign-trade zones (FTZs) that allow them to defer tariffs on imported goods and materials, for a while.  Think of it as parking your import in a tax-free foreign trade zone until you are ready to release it.  Good way to manage your cash flow.

Foreign trade zones and bonded warehouses are specially designated, secured storage or manufacturing sites approved by U.S. Customs that allow for the temporary avoidance of tariffs.

Since the start of Trump's trade war, more companies started looking to FTZs, and membership has surged to an all-time high.

Is the U.S. Looking to Hurt China?

©iStock/Rawf8

Under the new agreement, the US is reducing the "reciprocal" tariff on Chinese goods that it announced on "Liberation day" to 10%. But it said the higher levy rate was being suspended for 90 days, rather than removed permanently.

The US is also keeping in place the extra 20% tariff aimed at putting pressure on Beijing to do more to curb the illegal trade in fentanyl, a powerful opioid drug.

Is the U.S. looking to hurt China?

Today in Global Small Business: The Global Small Business Blog Is Now Home to Pope Leo XIV

©iStock/Jorisvo

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Pope Leo XIV delivers his first Sunday blessing.  The Global Small Business Blog is now home to Pope Leo.  Added note:  Pope Leo grew up in Dolton, Illinois just a couple of miles from where I [Laurel Delaney] was born and raised, Riverdale, Illinois.  So one could say I now have a direct line to the Pope. 
• How small businesses are handling tariffs (Forbes) and I [Laurel Delaney] am delighted to be included.
• We hope everyone had a very special Mother's Day.  Want to know where all the flowers came from?
• Quote of the week:  “I enjoy relaxing with friends and meeting a broad range of different people. Different people can greatly enhance our lives.” – Pope Leo XIV (2025)
• U.S. and China reach an important consensus.
• A rubber duck museum is migrating to Canada to stay afloat.  Tariff troubles.

Who Believes in Angels?

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Elton John and Brandi Carlile – Who Believes in Angels? Stories from the edge of creation.

Is the U.S. Administration Being Fair Minded?

©iStock/Jacob Wackerhausen

Steven L. Taylor discusses what anti-DEI really ends up meaning.  In it, he says:

I also want to acknowledge how tired I am that people like myself who are inclined to be fair-minded, find themselves in a debate with an administration that has no interest in being fair-minded, but rather wants to play semantic games that ignore the consequences of their actions.

Read his interesting commentary here.

The Best of Sting (Music)

Women Are Making a Lasting Impact on the Global Stage

©iStock/Jacob Wackerhausen

At SUCCESS® magazine, their reach extends worldwide, and they are proud to honor women from diverse backgrounds and industries who are making a lasting impact on the global stage.

In a world where we are experiencing so much change politically, economically, socially and in the consumer marketplace, there’s one constant that keeps us going: women.

Women are using their platforms to advocate for important causes, drive meaningful change and provide solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. From launching international businesses to leading grassroots campaigns, the women featured in SUCCESS' 2025 Women of Influence are demonstrating that leadership knows no borders. Their influence is felt across continents, and their impact is shaping the future of industries, communities and societies around the world.

Check out SUCCESS' 2025 Women of Influence.  Be inspired.

Marcy McKenna Demystifies Live Shopping (wegginar® 5/7/25)

©Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Think Live Shopping is for you and your business?  Find out from the pro Marcy McKenna, Founder and CEO, The Live Shopping Academy, when she discusses, "Live Shopping Demystified:  Unlock the Hidden Power of Today's Fastest Growing eCom Marketing Strategy," Wednesday, May 7th at 11 AM CT.

Here's what you can expect:

• Discover the five biggest reasons ecommerce brands are diving into live shopping in record numbers.
• Find out if your product is right for live shopping and what the potential could be for your bottom line.
• Learn the hidden benefits of live shopping that you can start taking advantage of today
• Get step-by-step guidance for getting started with live shopping.

About Marcy

Marcy McKenna is an accomplished product innovator and entrepreneur having successfully designed, developed, marketed and launched over 40 products via live shopping, ecommerce and big box retail.

With over 14 years of experience in the Live Shopping space–both as a brand on HSN, QVC, and Amazon, and as a product spokesperson/influencer on today’s most popular live commerce platforms, Amazon Live, Pinterest TV, Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Grommet Live, etc., Marcy has seen firsthand the power live shopping can bring to product based businesses, both big and small. With that in mind, she recently created and launched The Live Shopping Academy with the goal of teaching ecommerce brands, Amazon Sellers and product entrepreneurs how to harness the power of Live Shopping to build their brands to heights never before thought possible.  And there's more ...

To register (free of charge) for this extremely popular wegginar®, visit here.

Today in Global Small Business: The Economic Impact of Tariffs and Global Trade on Business

©iStock/Stanislav Gvozd

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Tariffs and global trade:  the economic impact on business.
• By declaring a trade war on the rest of the world, President Donald Trump has panicked global financial markets, raised the risk of a recession and broken the political and economic alliances that made much of the world stable for business after World War II.  Is it a sign of dominance or weakness?
• South Korean exports show signs of weakness and global trade tensions.
• Quote of the week:  “The benefits of a tariff are visible. Union workers can see they are "protected." The harm which a tariff does is invisible. It's spread widely. There are people that don't have jobs because of tariffs but they don't know it." – Milton Friedman
• U.S. showed signs of weakness even before trade tensions escalated.
• A look at U.S. exports to China 2025.

Flowers Don't Tell

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Flowers don't tell, they show." – Stephanie Skeem

About Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney

©iStock/Captured by Keeleigh

What I have learned so far from Mark Carney is that Trump will not be adding Canada, Greenland or Panama to the US Territory anytime soon.  He also said Canada would "never" yield to the United States as he declared victory in federal elections early Tuesday, April 29, 2025. 

A little bit about Mark Carney.

Cheers! Happy National Small Business Month!

©iStock/EyeEm Mobile GmbH

It's time to celebrate National Small Business Month.  May is a month to applaud and recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economy. And right now, they (myself included) are experiencing a tough time due to our current economic environment.  Yet, because we are hard working, fierce, resilient and brave, we are the backbone of our economy.

Despite having a challenging time to find something uplifting to report out on relative to small businesses, I thought this post by the Export-Import Bank of the United States is perfect.  It talks about beer (that's where the cheers come in) and how craft brewers can go global with government support.  Yes, you read that right.

Check it out here.  Cheer's to all of us – global small businesses – for navigating extremely turbulent waters right now.  There is no other choice than to come up with creative solutions and keep moving forward.

The Exceptional Work of John Yunker – Deglobalization & AI: The Calm Before the Storm

©2015 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

As John Yunker says, "While reviewing websites for the 2025 Web Globalization Report Card I was struck by two things:

1. Deglobalization has had a visible (and negative) impact on global websites
2. AI is also having an impact, though you have to look closely to see it

Combined, I believe we are in the midst of the calm before the storm."

Read his entire provocative and insightful report here (don't miss it).

Thanks for your readership everyone.  With this post for April, we are more than 108,000 readers.  In March, we hit over 160K readers!

Pleasing an Audience of One: DJT

©iStock/Victor Aheiv

Gifting all of you this article from The New York Times and reported by Ana Swanson (from Washington).

Many employees believe Mr. Lutnick is focused on an audience of one: the man he refers to as “DJT.” Mr. [Howard] Lutnick often speaks of the president’s intuition, wisdom and prescience; has boasted of having regular Friday night dinners with Mr. Trump; and describes any day that he speaks to the president as a “good day.”

Access entire article here.

We all hope Mr. Trump takes a less aggressive approach to tariffs for the business owners who have built their businesses around international business.

Today in Global Small Business: Rewire Your Decision Making

©iStock/Janie Abolins

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• How to be a better decider.
• Jewish women entrepreneurs take action.
• How businesses can own their next move.
• Quote of the week:  “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." – Amelia Earhart
• Tariffs will impact the economy ... and so will uncertainty.
• Why do you need to expand internationally?

Art Is Not What You See

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." – Edgar Degas

Yes. No. Yes. No. We Are Talking China and United States Trade Talks

©iStock/wildpixel

After an early wobble (4/24/25 at 4:07 PM ET), markets resumed rising after Chinese officials contradicted suggestions from President Trump and others about tariff negotiations.

Stocks rose on Thursday (4/24/25), and then ...

The rally then paused after officials in China said they were not holding talks with the United States about easing trade tensions. But indexes continued to swing on scraps of information about tariffs and monetary policy, in the absence of concrete developments about the escalating global trade war.

Yes. No. Yes. No.  We are talking about China and United States trade talks.

The Secret Side of YouTube

©iStock/Dragos Condrea

There's a secret side of YouTube, just beyond the guiding hand of the algorithm – and it’s nothing like what you know. The vast majority of YouTube's estimated 14.8 billion videos have almost never been seen. Until now.

There's a hidden world beneath the shadows of YouTube's algorithm.