In-N-Out's billionaire owner, Lynsi Snyder, said challenges running a business in California prompted her to relocate to Tennessee.
Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty; Adam Lau/AP; Shayanne Gal/Business Insider
In-N-Out's billionaire owner, Lynsi Snyder, told the "Relatable" podcast she's moving to Tennessee.
She cited challenges running her business and raising her family in California.
In-N-Out is consolidating its California offices and opening a new headquarters in Tennessee.
In-N-Out's billionaire owner, Lynsi Snyder, is done with California.
Speaking on the "Relatable" podcast released Friday, Snyder said she's moving to Tennessee as the cult burger chain plans its southeastern expansion and establishes a new headquarters in the suburbs outside Nashville.
"There's a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here," Snyder said.
During the conversation with host Allie Beth Stuckey, Snyder cited COVID-era business restrictions, such as mask mandates and vaccine requirements, as particular elements of California policy that made it difficult to operate in the state.
In 2021, health officials temporarily shut down several In-N-Out locations in California because the chain refused to require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Snyder didn't expand upon her current business challengesor the challenges she's faced raising her four children in the state.
In-N-Out is consolidating its corporate presence in California, centralizing its West Coast operations out of offices in Baldwin Park, where the chain was founded by Snyder's grandparents, and phasing out its Irvine headquarters by 2030. Its new Franklin, Tennessee headquarters is set to open in 2026.
"Now the bulk of our stores are still going to be here in California, but it will be wonderful having an office out there, growing out there, and being able to have the family and other people's families out there," Snyder said.
While the chain is planning to expand in the Southeast with its operations in Tennessee, Snyder said she's "still saying no" to opening locations in Florida and other East Coast states.
In-N-Out has over 400 locations across eight states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho. Snyder said that the company will continue to grow, but she's prioritizing sustainable expansion that maintains the quality of its products and service.
"Number one priority is really keeping the company the same company that my grandparents started," Snyder said. "We don't want to be in every state, and we don't want to ever compromise our values and standards and the cornerstones that my grandparents laid down, so it's really just keeping those priorities at the forefront when we make decisions."
Representatives for In-N-Out did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
During the pandemic, Susman said she pushed for Pfizer to be as transparent as possible about its work.
Courtesy of Sally Susman
Pfizer's Sally Susman said that you must be a strong writer to succeed as a communications leader.
She spoke with Business Insider about how to leverage AI and strong interpersonal relationships.
Susman recently announced she'd be leaving her job at the end of 2025, after 18 years at Pfizer.
Do you aspire to be the guardian of a high-profile company's reputation?
Pfizer' Communications and Policy Chief Sally Susman has made a name for herself doing just that, such as by helping the pharmaceutical giant launch its COVID-19 vaccine at the height of the pandemic.
Susman, who recently announced plans to leave Pfizer later this year after an 18-year-run, previously held similar roles at Estée Lauder and American Express. In an interview with Business Insider, she described her field as one in which there's never an average day and said that it can sometimes be as dramatic as a Hollywood blockbuster.
"This work of corporate affairs, communications, public affairs, government affairs is completely so exciting," she said. "I wake up and look at the news across the globe and I think, 'OK, now my agenda is set.' "
The profession is also important, as it can make a significant impact on a company's trajectory, according to Susman, who has advised nine CEOs over the course of her career. But she thinks the field sometimes gets misunderstood.
"It's a mistake to consider communications a soft skill," she said. "The leaders and people who want to make change, who I've seen embrace and prioritize their communications, and who know it to be a rock-hard competency, are the game changers."
Succeeding in the field requires being a strong writer, Susman said. Comms pros are tasked with storytelling, internal messaging, crafting statements for media outlets and more.
"There's no substitute for picking up the pen, parsing the arguments, drafting yourself," she said.
Still, that doesn't mean you should avoid using AI tools like ChatGPT, she added. In fact, Susman recommends taking advantage of the technology for conducting research and outlining ideas.
"I know many people are apprehensive about AI, but it is an important tool," she said. "Just like photography didn't decimate painting, AI is not going to ruin communications."
Talking regularly to executives, politicians, and other leaders can also help with writing by providing knowledge and context, Susman added. Conversations she's had with such individuals over the years informed her thinking, she said, which is why "relationships matter so much."
Another piece of advice from Susman for aspiring comms pros is to dive into geopolitics. Always keep up with major events happening around the world and ask yourself what these mean for companies and their employees.
"The opportunities around what I call 'global policy and diplomacy topics' are unlimited right now," she said.
Also, don't punish yourself for making mistakes. Susman said she's made countless gaffes over the course of her career and has no regrets.
"There were times when I failed to do enough due diligence, times my ego got the better of me," she said. "It's just human nature. It's humanity. It's what we do when we're out there trying to make a difference."
Having mentored interns and junior employees at Pfizer and companies where she previously worked, Susman said she's noticed that many young people seem to suffer from anxiety. She's seen them do things like rewrite their résumés over and over and stress about what they said or didn't say in meetings — none of which is healthy, she said.
"We are judged over long, vast, savannahs of time," she said. "We are not judged in a moment."
Noorman Mubarak did a sharp career pivot, from being a flight attendant to opening his own hawker stall in 2017.
Aditi Bharade
Noorman Mubarak worked a comfortable, glamorous job as a flight attendant for Singapore Airlines.
But he felt unfulfilled, saying he was wasting his life serving coffee in the skies.
In 2017, he started a hawker stall, working 18 hours in front of the stove. Now, it has 31 outlets.
When Mohammed Noorman Bin Mubarak Ahmad opened his first hawker stall in 2017, he woke up at 2:45 a.m., after just three hours of sleep.
While most of Singapore slumbered, he cooked spicy sambal and marinated chicken and stocked up his tiny stall for a busy day. He squeezed the prep in before his oil and gas job, then ran back after work to serve dinner.
The long hours in front of the stove were a sharp departure from his cushy job as a flight attendant with Singapore Airlines.
Noorman's early alarms and career pivots paid off. Eight years later, he has expanded the first stall into a chain business featured in the Michelin Guide.
Seven years travelling the world, and feeling unfulfilled
Noorman, now 46, has been working in kitchens since he was six.
His father used to run a hawker stall, and he helped out before and after school. After studying a degree in Business Management in Australia, he came back to help his father with the stall, which sold Malay food. After many disagreements on how to run it, he decided he needed a break.
"I just needed to get out," he said. He joined Singapore Airlines as an air steward.
His seven years working as a flight attendant for Singapore Airlines, from 2004 to 2011, were glamorous as he flew to South Africa and Europe. He said he was paid about 5,000 Singapore dollars monthly in the role.
"I thought, this is the life. I'm not going to get married anymore. I'm going to stay single and travel," Noorman said. "For seven years, I forgot about all the things that I learned and aspired to be."
Eventually, a sense of emptiness crept in.
"The job was too easy. Just asking, 'Do you want coffee or tea, chicken or whatever?'" he said. "I didn't need to have done a degree for it."
In 2011, he quit his job at Singapore Airlines and worked a maintenance gig at an oil and gas company in Singapore. Shortly after he quit his job, he met his now wife, who was also a flight attendant at the time.
Noorman briefly worked as maintenance staff for an oil and gas company.
Noorman Mubarak
He stayed there for seven more years, working his way up to a managerial role.
Setting up Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang
Noorman's first store is located in Yishun Park Hawker Centre, a large open-air eatery.
Aditi Bharade
Still, he wanted to build something of his own. And when Yishun Park Hawker Centre was under construction, right in front of his house, he decided to take the leap.
He got a friend to partner with him, and they each put SG$20,000 of their savings into the stall. He started Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang in 2017.
Noorman decided to add a twist to the classic nasi lemak recipe. His wife, who is Indonesian, whipped up a mean ayam taliwang — a spicy grilled chicken dish — so they decided to combine the two.
For the first few months, business was slow. He said he earned less than SG$5,000 monthly, which felt like a huge step back.
"I didn't want to be earning the same amount as I did about 10 years back, and working double the hours," he said.
He ran the stall while working his 9-to-5 job at the oil and gas company, meaning he would come back to the stall after work and feed a hungry dinner crowd until 10 p.m. Then he got up the next morning to prep before work.
"The thought of working almost 18 hours a day, every day, for the next two to three years, that was the most challenging," Noorman said.
The business was also hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw Singapore go into a full lockdown.
Then, in 2021, his stall was included in the Michelin Guide.
Sales started picking up, and Noorman scaled up massively.
Now, Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang has 31 stores around the island city, including one in the food court in the glitzy Marina Bay Sands mall. He said daily sales for each of his stalls range from SG$800 to SG$4,000.
A spicy dish with tender meat and fragrant rice
Noorman's signature dish is called Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, a spicy grilled chicken and rice meal.
Aditi Bharade
When I visited Noorman's first stall in Yishun Park Hawker Centre, I tried the SG$7.60 Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, the most popular item.
A staff member grilled up a piece of chicken leg.
Aditi Bharade
Nasi lemak is a rice dish with origins in Malaysia, served with roasted peanuts, an egg, anchovies, a sweet and spicy chili paste called sambal, and cucumber slices.
The staff ladled a generous heap of chili paste onto the grilled chicken. The spice did not overpower the savory marinade.
The grilled chicken is topped with a generous serving of chili paste.
Aditi Bharade
The meat was tender and fell off the bone. The sambal added sweetness to the dish, and the jammy egg made it rich and creamy.
Jay Sim, a regular who has been buying the stall's SG$6.60 double chicken wings set fortnightly for about five months, said it's one of the best nasi lemak stalls he's tried in Singapore.
Sim, a 21-year-old TikTok streamer, said the chicken was always crispy, and the rice, flavored with pandan leaves, was fragrant.
Hands off the stove, and happier than ever
I visited Noorman's first store, in Yishun Park Hawker Centre.
Aditi Bharade
Now, with a workforce of about a hundred people manning his 31 outlets, Noorman said he has not picked up a ladle in six months.
"If you have the opportunity to sit down, relax, play golf, travel, and still get paid, you will want to do that rather than work in a hawker center for 18 hours," he said.
But it was important to carry on his family's hawker legacy and pass it down to his children.
"It's so tiring, my feet were always sore," he said. "But I did it because I want to create this legacy."
Doug Weaver has experienced the so-called "Gen Z stare" while teaching, though he said it's a symptom of a larger problem.
Courtesy Doug Weaver
Doug Weaver experienced the 'Gen Z stare' while teaching college students in St. Louis.
He said some students would watch videos of him while in class, rather than watching him live.
Weaver, a millennial, sees a need for mental health services to address post-COVID-19 challenges.
Doug Weaver, 36, is an artist who, until 2024, taught at several colleges in the St. Louis area as an adjunct professor and, at times, experienced the so-called "Gen Z stare," a phrase that's recently gained traction on social media. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
At the start of any class, I've always had jitters because you never know what the class dynamics will be.
There were a few years where it was hard just to get students to interact with each other, especially for those who were in their junior or senior year of high school when COVID-19 hit.
With my students, I would give instructions, and they would just stare at me. Or, we were going to do introductions, and I would be like, "OK, it's your turn to introduce yourself," and they would just stare at me. I'm like, "Am I asking wrong?"
After COVID, I did see an increase in the amount that students who just don't engage, and it makes it a lot harder to get the class going. To be able to actually teach the class, and to be able to actually know where you are, I just need a little bit of interaction. I need a bit of what your background is, what your name is, and what your interest in art is.
For a few years after COVID, I would give students the questions that we were going to discuss and have them write things down. Then, you're reading it instead of saying it. That would be helpful, though sometimes they wouldn't write anything. That's when I would just be like, I don't really know what to do.
If you just don't participate — I expect that more from middle school and high school students. Those students often don't want to be there, but they have to be. In my case, these were college students. I was like, "You're choosing to be here, and you're paying to be here."
That's what was always hard for me. I want you to have the experience that you want. And if you won't tell me, if you won't interact with me, then I don't know what your values are or what kind of interaction you want.
Why videos feel more comfortable
You need students to ask questions when they don't know what to do. Sometimes it's good for them to say, "Hey, I'm a little lost."
During COVID, when everything was online, I made video versions of a lot of my in-class demonstrations and lectures. I still made those videos after students came back to class. Yet the in-class demo was better because you can ask questions, and I can talk to you more specifically about what I'm doing. But I would find that, instead of asking questions or asking me to clarify things, I would have students watching the videos during class.
I would even have students watch the video of me doing a demonstration while I am doing that same demonstration in class. It's mind-blowing to me, but it almost just felt more comfortable for them to look at that on a screen.
I really think that those few years of being on Zoom for everything affected that entire generation's social skills. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The future is more and more online. A lot of them are going to be working online, and so navigating online social spheres and Zoom work life is important.
The value of being in class is social interaction, getting specific questions answered, and getting an education that is specific to you. If you're in the class, watching a video of the class — it really just broke my brain a little bit to see that happen.
The way education is now, most information that you're going to get in school, you can get online. The value of going to an educational institution is to have that education tailored toward you. The reason you're there is for you to work on your own self-expression, your own way that you navigate the world, and having someone looking at what you do and tailoring the education toward you.
With colleges and universities, what you pay for is the way the information is presented, and for the interaction that you have with professors and with experts, and to have opportunities to meet people and to just have experiences that you wouldn't be able to have otherwise.
A tarnished experience
This group of students had a really bad situation because of COVID. For some of them, their high school experience was really tarnished, and, for some, their college experience was tarnished. Their education was lacking, and their social interaction was lacking. Their ability to enter the workforce was affected. It really just negatively impacted every social aspect of their lives.
I know how much COVID negatively impacted my mental health, and I am far past my most-formative years. So, there's no way that couldn't have a huge impact on their mental health. There's all this conversation about them staring at you in a social interaction when it's just like, the world failed them. Society failed them in a major way.
The larger discussion should be that we need to figure out better ways for all of us to have access to the mental health services that we need, because I don't think we have recovered from COVID.
Business Insider asked 7 young people what they thought of the "Gen Z stare" trend.
Megan Easton, Trinity Starr Rutledge, and Netta Dar.
Business Insider interviewed seven Gen Zers about the viral "Gen Z Stare."
Ranging in age from 17 to 27, some agreed with the criticism — others flatly rejected it.
"I think you're just talking to a rude person," one Gen Zer said. Another suggested Gen Zers may stare blankly while high.
A 21-year-old from Boston thinks the "Gen Z stare" is overblown. A 20-year-old from the Bay Area said she sees it all the time. A 17-year-old heard from her parents that she had been inadvertently doing it.
Conversations with seven Gen Zers indicate young people are divided on the idea that their generation often responds to questions with blank, wide-eyed stares, as many millennials on TikTok have gleefully suggested.
Some told Business Insider they flatly rejected the idea that there is such a thing as the "Gen Z stare" — others said they saw it firsthand.
Those who said there could be some truth to it floated potential contributing factors, such as lingering effects of COVID lockdowns, an adolescence spent online, or maybe that blank stare is simply coming from someone who is high.
While not everyone agreed, they all had thoughts on the viral debate.
So listen up, millennials. It's time to pass Gen Z the mic.
Brenda Alarcon, 20
20-year-old Brenda Alarcon says she's experienced the stare at networking events.
Brenda Alarcon
On a recent visit to Coldstone Creamery, Brenda Alarcon asked a young worker for their favorite flavor. The employee stared back at them. "The transaction was made with minimal words," Alarcon said.
Alarcon said she's seen the "Gen Z stare" in professional settings, too. At a recent networking event, she noticed that the other Gen Z networkers would "freeze up."
"I'm the one that's keeping the conversation going," she said. "It's not just one time, it's multiple."
She has her suspicions as to the root cause. The COVID-19 pandemic is an obvious answer, she said. Another theory stems from her earlier days as a waitress, when she would serve blank-staring young customers.
"It's because they hit their pen," she said, referencing the slim, THC oil vape pens that became popular in the last five years.
Trinity Starr Rutledge, 17
17-year-old Trinity Starr Rutledge said she doesn't believe the "Gen Z stare" exists.
Trinity Starr Rutledge
Trinity Starr Rutledge told BI she thought the trend was "pretty stupid." Working as a cashier and desk assistant, she's had many millennials stare back at her requests at small talk.
"I think you're just talking to a rude person," Starr Rutledge said. "I don't think it's right to label our generation as people who have this stare."
To the millennials posting about the stare, Starr Rutledge had a message: "It's not our fault that we're cooler."
Megan Easton, 26
26-year-old Megan Easton said that the "Gen Z stare" may just be nonchalance.
Megan Easton
Megan Easton said she accepts the idea that her generation is more socially awkward than the others, especially the younger members of Gen Z who grew up on social media. (At 26, Easton identifies as a "Zilennial.") Still, Easton said she mostly believes that her generation's stare is an air of nonchalance.
"It comes from a lack of caring as much what people think," Easton said. "Where an older generation might think it's rude or not socially acceptable, Gen Z is more to the point, and their humor's a little drier."
Easton said that the stare shouldn't make older generations think Gen Z is "disrespectful or unintelligent." It's merely a difference in how different generations communicate, she said.
Lindsey Cook, 27
27-year-old Lindsey Cook said the "Gen Z stare" is making customer service environments less welcoming.
Lindsey Cook
Lindsey Cook likes to start her interactions with Gen Z baristas by saying, "I'm ready to order when you are, no rush." That way, if the barista does have social anxiety, it allows them to work on their own timeline and not just stare back.
"It's very uncomfortable," Cook said. "Things need to be relearned now that we're resuming life as normal as possible after COVID."
Online, some young people have retorted that small talk isn't mandatory, or that they didn't consent to a conversation. "But when they take a job in hospitality or customer service, it's their job to make people feel welcome," Cook said.
Emerson Hubbard, 17
17-year-old Emerson Hubbard said she didn't think she could give off the stare — until her parents called her out.
Emerson Hubbard
Emerson Hubbard thought she was too nervous to give off a "Gen Z stare." Then, she talked about it with her parents.
"I was talking to my family today and they were like, 'You have done it before,'" Hubbard said. "I get it. Sometimes I just zone out in the conversation and I'm just staring at them."
Hubbard said she doesn't think of the stare as much of a problem. She sees a "one-sided" debate between millennials and Gen Z, especially in her TikTok comments, where she said a lot of millennials were "going ham."
Eli Toy, 25
25-year-old Eli Toy said that Gen Zers raised by millennials may be more likely to stare.
Eli Toy
Eli Toy was raised by Gen Xers, not millennials. Toy said that she's "open to conversation" — but that other Gen Zers may be less fluent in small talk because of that generational difference.
"From what I've seen, a lot of Gen Zers that were raised by millennials had more technology in their childhoods, so that could impact it," Toy said. "The biggest tech I had was a pink Nintendo."
Netta Dar, 21
21-year-old Netta Dar said the "Gen Z stare" isn't specific to Gen Z.
Netta Dar
Netta Dar has seen the "Gen Z stare" before.
She referenced the character April Ludgate from the TV show "Parks and Recreation," who often stared down her colleagues with non-responses. Interestingly enough, April, played by actor Aubrey Plaza, is a millennial in the show.
That could suggest that the "Gen Z stare" isn't specific to Gen Z, but to people who are still developing their social skills.
While Dar hasn't seen the stare among her college-aged friends, she said she does notice some social awkwardness in her younger sister's friends.
"It definitely depends on the age as well, and how far along you are in your development, where the frontal lobe is at," Dar said.
A for sale sign is displayed near a home on April 24, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Data shows that the number of first-time home buyers has dropped.
Younger people are feeling locked out of housing, but are also not embracing it like older generations.
The consequences of fewer first-time home buyers can have negative effects on the broader economy.
Economists are always watching the housing market as a barometer for the health of the broader economy, and some see trouble ahead if first-time buyers can't start climbing the real estate ladder.
The brutal US housing market has been particularly tough for younger people who typically make up a large portion of first-time buyers. Prices soared during the pandemic, and never came back down in most parts of the country. Mortgage rates, meanwhile, are the highest they've been in over 20 years.
A chart from Torsten Slok, chief economist of Apollo Global Management, showed in June that the number of first-time home buyers has fallen from 50% in 2010 to just 24% in 2024.
The share of first-time homebuyers has cratered since 2010.
NAR/Apollo
Gen Z's shifting views
Despite still being young overall, Gen Z's approach to the housing market is stark compared to older generations.
"They have a lot of marks in their lives that have been associated with financial situations and financial crisis," Virginia Love, an industry principal at Entrat, told Business Insider. Things like the COVID-19 market crash and the volatility of the 2020s so far have made the generation more cautious around major life decisions like buying a house.
Millennials displayed similar habits as they approached homebuying age. However, unlike Gen Z, they seem to have mostly embraced the idea of owning a house.
"At age 31, their homeownership rate lagged Gen X and boomers by just over 6 percentage points," Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist at First American, said. "But by age 42, millennials essentially closed that gap, reaching a homeownership rate nearly identical to Gen X at 66 percent."
Gen Z's behavior suggests they may be different, though.
In a recent study, Entrata found that three out of four Gen Zers view renting a home as a smarter financial move than buying one. "This is not a generation that wants to spend a lot of time at a home improvement store on a Saturday. They want experiences. They want travel," Love said.
Her thesis is supported by the fact that 83% of respondents said they see leasing a home as a way to "save for life experiences" rather than invest in property ownership.
Economists and housing experts say that's a major economic shift compared to other generations who were taught that homeownership is one of the keys to the American dream, and it threatens to stall one of the economy's greatest drivers.
The ripple effects of fewer first-time buyers
The housing market is often seen as a bellwether for the economy. When it's struggling, it can create ripple effects that negatively impact other areas.
"First-time buyers usually kick off the whole chain, and without them, it's harder for current homeowners to move up or down," Taylor Kovar, CEO of 11 Financial, told BI.
"That means fewer listings, slower construction, and less money moving through industries tied to homeownership like appliances, insurance, remodeling—you name it."
These factors could impact the broader economy in the near-term. As Kovac noted, "Housing has always been a major engine in the economy, so when a whole generation steps back, that's going to create some drag."
Kushi added that if Gen Z continues to resist homeownership, it could lead to financial problems for them down the road, as they are depriving themselves of a powerful wealth-building tool.
"While delaying homeownership doesn't eliminate its wealth-building potential, it does compress the time horizon over which individuals can benefit, which may have ripple effects on lifetime savings, retirement security, and intergenerational wealth transfer," she said.
Kovac echoed that view, highlighting the historical importance of owning property as a common foundation for financial stability.
"Not owning a home could have a serious ripple effect," he said. "For past generations, that was one of the biggest ways to build equity and pass something on. Without that, Gen Z could struggle to build lasting wealth, especially if they're stuck paying rising rent and not putting money toward something that grows."
Psychologists and generational experts told BI there's more to the discourse around the "Gen Z Stare" than online critics are saying.
BROOK PIFER/Getty Images
The "Gen Z Stare" has captivated the internet, referring to a blank look Gen Zers might give in social interactions.
Some say it reflects poor workplace communication and social skills.
But psychologists and generational experts told BI that's not necessarily the case.
It's not polite to stare — especially, as it turns out, if you're Gen Z.
Social media users have described the now-viral "Gen Z Stare" as a vacant, wide-eyed expression often accompanied by an awkward silence. Many of the videos say it happens during retail and customer service interactions, or in painful workplace conversations.
While some say the look might reflect lagging soft skills and questionable office etiquette among Gen Zers, psychologists and generational experts told BI the phenomenon could have more to do with natural growing pains at a first job and factors unique to Gen Z's upbringing. And, they noted, intergenerational criticism isn't anything new.
"Every generation critiques the generation below them," Ellen Hendriksen, a behavioral psychologist and social anxiety specialist, said. "This is nothing new."
Many Gen Zers are working their first jobs
Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist who has written about twentysomethings, doesn't buy the trope that Gen Z as a whole is awkward or socially inept. She said what people may be seeing with the Gen Z Stare is likely a result of Gen Zers navigating the workplace for the first time.
"For most young employees, working with people of other ages and generations is new," she told BI in a statement. "Blank stares you receive from young workers may be more about not knowing what to do and not feeling confident on the job than about their trying to be (passively) aggressively Gen Z."
Megan Gerhardt, a professor of leadership at Miami University and founder of Gentelligence.org, said that customer service jobs, where many social media users claim to see Gen Z Stares, are commonly first gigs.
Hendriksen, a parent of two Gen Zers, said the cohort might not be as up for acting "fake," which could impact their customer service interactions.
"Gen Z might be less willing to do the people-pleasing part, but that means that some of the professionalism has also gotten lost," she said.
Growing up online could play a part
Many factors could be at play in what Gerhardt calls the emerging "norm shift," including the fact that Gen Z tends to spend more time on screens.
"The idea that now that I'm in a face-to-face customer service situation, and I'm supposed to rally an entirely different set of expressions and responses — that might not be something that Gen Z is either used to understanding or has learned yet," she said.
Gerhardt said it's naive to "underestimate" the impact the COVID-19 shutdowns could have had on young people's development, but Jay said she doesn't buy into the notion that Gen Zers are "damaged or stunted" because of the pandemic.
Hendriksen thinks the wordless Gen Z Stare could also be a real-world echo of a now-common digital experience: In a Zoom meeting, one person may say hello, only to have nobody respond because they're all muted.
"Meet them where they're at"
The three experts told BI that regardless of the root causes behind the stare, it's crucial to equip young people with the communication skills they need to thrive in an in-person, multigenerational workforce.
"With respect to the workplace, nearly half of Gen Zers think they don't have the skills that workplaces want—and they're right," Jay said. Universities, she added, generally don't teach students crucial workplace abilities like communication and professionalism. Hendriksen agreed that there's a "skills deficit" for Gen Zers in the customer service and retail space, in part because of the pandemic, but said that the group isn't a monolith.
It's normal for norms around professionalism and etiquette to shift, Gerhardt said, but it's more productive to work with young people on striking the right tone than to try to mock them.
"If we want to make sure that we don't lose this personal touch, then let's meet them where they're at," she said. "Let's invest in helping them understand why that's important and see what they need to get where their bosses or customers feel like they need to go."
Generational critique isn't anything new
When any new generation has entered the workforce, they've needed to get up to speed on a set of skills, said Gerhardt. The viral criticism of the so-called Gen Z Stare reminds her of the "millennial pause" phenomenon and feels like the "latest iteration of generational shaming."
There's been no dearth of criticism targeting various generations — whether it's that boomers are selfish, or that millennials are snowflakes whose avocado toast addiction is to blame for their finances. Now, it's Gen Z's turn.
"Our culture loves to make fun of young adults and how unequipped they supposedly are," Jay said.
Embraer's CEO warned tariffs could harm the company as much as the pandemic did.
Trump has proposed a 50% levy on Brazilian exports.
Nearly half the company's regional airliners are exported to the US.
The CEO of Brazilian planemaker Embraer has warned that tariffs could be as damaging as the pandemic.
Donald Trump has threatened a 50% levy on Brazilian exports from August 1, unhappy with criminal charges against former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of trying to stage a coup.
It would be a huge obstacle for the world's third-biggest planemaker.
Around three-quarters of Embraer's business jets and nearly half of its regional airliners are delivered to US clients.
"Given the relevance of this market, we estimate that if this [Trump's tariff plan] moves on at this magnitude, we will have an impact similar to that of COVID-19 in terms of the decline in the company's revenue," CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said, per Reuters.
The firm's share price has fallen 8.5% in the past five days, but is still up more than 25% since the start of the year.
Reuters reported that Gomes Neto also said that shipping Embraer's E175 jets, which play a major role in regional aviation, would become "unfeasible" with tariffs.
An American Eagle Embraer E175.
Kevin Carter/Getty Images
He also reportedly emphasized that the tariffs would be damaging to the US as well, given that it supplies parts like engines and avionics.
"It's a lose-lose situation," said the CEO.
Tariffs have already caused problems for aviation's two dominant players: Boeing and Airbus.
The American planemaker had to return some 737 Max jets from China when Chinese airlines declined to accept them after tariffs soared above 100% between the two countries.
However, the two sides did reach a truce, and Boeing has resumed deliveries to China.
Meanwhile, US airlines have been trying to find ways around Trump's 10% levy against the European Union.
Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta Air Lines, said on an April earnings call that the carrier would not pay tariffs and would instead defer aircraft deliveries.
Instead, a Delta Airbus A350 left the planemaker's headquarters in Toulouse, France, and flew to Japan. So long as the jet is used exclusively for international flights, it may mean it never counts as being imported to the US.
Most top players in the aviation industry oppose the threat of tariffs, as the industry relies on complex global supply chains.
Some relief was found at last month's Paris Air Show, when Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he backed a return to a 1979 agreement for no tariffs in aviation.
While the UK won tariff exemptions for aircraft parts and Rolls-Royce engines later in June, it is unclear whether similar exemptions will be made available for everyone.
Renault shares plunged after the automaker cut guidance.
John Keeble/Getty Images
Renault shares plummeted 17% after cutting its annual guidance.
The morning slump was the steepest one-day drop since the start of the pandemic.
The company appointed Duncan Minto as interim CEO after Luca de Meo's departure.
Renault shares crashed as much as 17% after the French automaker cut its guidance for the year.
Late Tuesday, the company lowered its operating margin guidance for 2025 from at least 7% to 6.5%.
On Wednesday, Renault's stock on the Euronext Paris exchange was down 16.3% at 34.79 euros at 10:00 a.m. local time, marking its steepest one-day drop since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Renault attributed the revised forecast to "the deterioration of the automotive market trends with an increasing commercial pressure" from competitors and a slowdown in the retail segment.
The company is also aiming for a free cash flow between 1 billion to 1.5 billion euros, down from at least 2 billion euros previously.
Separately, Renault announced the appointment of Duncan Minto as interim CEO, following the resignation of Luca de Meo last month. De Meo joined luxury group Kering.
Renault is expected to report half-year earnings on July 31.
The company's shares are down more than 25% this year.
The most surprising part of moving was seeing how many people in our new town were self-employed.
The culture shift inspired us to open up a restaurant, and I love the way my workweek looks now.
I never expected to leave my city life for a small Arkansas town of about 16,000 people — but I'm so glad I did.
I first moved to Washington, DC for school, but ended up staying for nearly two decades thanks to the incredible job opportunities, cultural experiences, and lifelong friendships I made there.
Then, COVID-19 hit. I was fortunate to keep my job in the nonprofit industry, working remotely throughout the pandemic — but my boyfriend, a chef, had a hard time finding work as one restaurant after another closed its doors or cut staff.
Suddenly, we wondered whether it made sense to continue paying rent for a pricey basement apartment in the nation's capital.
My partner had some job leads in his Arkansas hometown, which was also much closer to my family in Memphis. So, in August 2020, we packed a U-Haul and hit the road.
I was surprised to learn that so many people in my new neck of the woods were self-employed
Coming from Washington, DC, I was used to people working for large firms or the government in some capacity. During my first few months in town, as I worked long remote hours for my DC-based job, I was struck by the percentage of locals who were self-employed.
It felt like half the people I met were entrepreneurs — from a band manager and a lawyer with his own firm to personal trainers and dog groomers. Even many of the kids at the local high school were starting boat-detailing businesses or mobile car-wash services.
My now-fiancé and I would stroll downtown, checking out empty storefronts and dreaming about opening a small gift shop or burger bar of our own.
Although I hadn't seriously considered it before, the idea of being brick-and-mortar business owners suddenly didn't seem quite so far-fetched.
So, when a small café and marina became available, we took the plunge
caption TK
Leah Harris
We invested our savings and became proud owners of a lakeside burger and po'boy shop.
We knew my fiancé would be the head chef and manage day-to-day operations. I expected to keep my office job and help serve customers on the weekends. Fate had other plans, though, and I was laid off right as the deal went through.
Now working on the business full time, I still help take orders and serve food, but I also handle a wide range of administrative tasks, from running payroll to paying county liquor taxes.
I also handle marketing efforts, like designing promotional fliers and managing our social media. Plus, I fill in wherever and whenever I'm needed — whether that means stocking food deliveries, mopping floors, coordinating events, or making fries.
The road forward hasn't always been easy, but I love my new career
caption TK
Leah Harris
We knew the restaurant business was notoriously challenging, and we saw that firsthand our first summer in operation.
Fully staffed, we opened for both lunch and dinner, but because our space mainly consists of outdoor seating, lunch service was largely empty during weeks of 90-degree heat.
The next season, we pivoted, limiting operations to late afternoon and evening hours and leaning into showcasing local musicians on weekend nights to make the most of prime patio hours.
Through the whole experience, I've learned how much I enjoy variety in my workweek. It's also been incredible to become a more active member of my community — I've gotten to know neighbors, donated meals to local sports teams, and exhibited artists' paintings on the walls.
Being new entrepreneurs has been a process of constant learning and frequent adjustments, but five years later, we have no regrets — just a lifestyle and business we love.
I compared McDonald's new Snack Wraps with Popeyes' chicken wraps. The fan-favorite was more flavorful.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
McDonald's Snack Wraps are back on menus after being discontinued in 2016.
Popeyes offers its own version of the iconic wraps.
I compared both chains' chicken wraps and was torn about which wrap was most worth ordering again.
The Snack Wrap is officially back after years of anticipation.
McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to nationwide menus on July 10 after almost a decade of fans begging for their comeback.
The wraps, which are a fan-favorite among McDonald's customers, disappeared from many menus in 2016 before being officially discontinued by the chain in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to downsize menus.
Since then, other chains, from Burger King to Popeyes, have released their own chicken wraps to fill the void for customers still hungry for the beloved Snack Wraps.
Upon the release of McDonald's new Snack Wraps, Popeyes — which launched its own lineup of wraps in June — advertised a promotion to give away a chicken wrap with any purchase of $5 or more until July 13.
Both chains' wraps have a similar price point. But which chain is poised to win the wrap wars?
I tried McDonald's and Popeyes' lineup of chicken wraps to determine which one was most worth snacking on. Here's how they compared.
McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to menus last week.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
They are priced at $2.99, excluding tax.
The paper wrapper showed what kind of wrap was inside, either the spicy version or the ranch version.
The Snack Wraps featured a thick tortilla.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Both the spicy and ranch Snack Wraps are made with McDonald's new chicken tenders, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese.
The ranch version appeared on McDonald's original lineup of Snack Wraps.
The ranch sauce was rich and flavorful, and coated every inch of the chicken tender, tortilla, and toppings.
The ranch wrap tasted light, but still had a substantial amount of flavor.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The creamy ranch balanced out the fresh-tasting lettuce and the crispy chicken tender, while the tortilla held it all together for easy snacking on the go.
The spicy Snack Wrap is made with a new spicy-pepper sauce.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
This is the newest iteration of the Snack Wrap. When Snack Wraps first left the menu in 2016, they were available with a ranch or honey-mustard sauce.
When I opened this wrap, a pretty generous amount of sauce was slathered on the chicken tenders, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce.
The chicken tender was crispy, while the lettuce added freshness.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
I was impressed by the size of these wraps. Despite being snack-sized, I found one of the wraps filling enough for a quick and easy lunch.
The spicy sauce did pack a punch — it didn't leave my mouth tingling from the heat, but it had enough kick to justify the spicy name.
That said, I wish there had been more sauce. Some bites were completely dry and lacked any of the spicy, savory sauce.
I could see why the McDonald's Snack Wraps are so popular.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
For a quick, reasonably healthy lunch, these wraps deliver. Crispy chicken, bold flavors, and a budget-friendly price — no wonder fans have been demanding their comeback for years.
I tried Popeyes' lineup of wraps to see if they could hold a candle to the iconic Snack Wraps.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The wraps are priced at $3.99, excluding tax. They're available in three different flavors: classic, spicy, and honey mustard.
Popeyes doesn't have custom wrappings for each kind of wrap. Instead, the different flavors were written in pen on the paper wrapping.
Like the Snack Wraps, these chicken wraps come in a tortilla. However, I preferred the one used at McDonald's.
popeyes classic chicken wrap
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and held the wraps together perfectly, the wraps I got from Popeyes were made a bit more haphazardly.
I was worried that if I were truly on the go, they might fall apart.
The classic chicken wrap from Popeyes is made with mayonnaise.
popeyes classic chicken wrap
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The wrap is made with one of Popeyes' chicken tenders, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, lettuce, and pickles.
The classic wrap's flavor profile, thanks to the mayonnaise and crunchy pickle slices, somewhat reminded me of the chain's famous chicken sandwich.
The wrap could have used a touch more flavor.
popeyes classic chicken wrap
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
While I thought the chicken tender was crunchy and juicy, and I loved the addition of the pickles, the mayonnaise lacked flavor compared to McDonald's ranch-smothered wrap.
Popeyes also has a honey-mustard version.
popeyes honey mustard chicken wrap
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
McDonald's used to sell a honey-mustard version of its Snack Wrap, but that flavor didn't make its way back onto menus this time around.
I loved the slightly spicy flavor of the honey-mustard wrap.
popeyes honey mustard chicken wrap
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The pickles and tangy honey mustard packed a lot of flavor into this wrap, while the chicken tender was thick and filling.
I would love to see McDonald's bring back a honey mustard version of its Snack Wrap to compare the two.
Overall, I preferred Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap to McDonald's Snack Wrap. But the tortilla let me down.
popeyes spicy chicken wrap
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and had a wheaty flavor, the Popeyes tortilla tasted noticeably dry and bland.
However, when it came to the other elements of the spicy wraps — from the lettuce to the amount of sauce — I thought Popeyes far surpassed McDonald's.
The spicy sauce completely coated every inch of the wrap.
popeyes spicy chicken wrap
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
It packed enough heat to be both flavorful and manageable, and the pickles added the perfect balance of texture.
Out of all five wraps I tried from both chains, this is the one I'm dying to order again.
The chicken wraps from Popeyes did measure up to the Snack Wraps, but fell short in a few areas.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
While I'm still dreaming about Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap, the chain overall fell short compared to McDonald's in terms of value and the quality of the tortilla used in the wraps.
Popeyes' chicken wraps cost $1 more than the Snack Wraps, but they're pretty comparable in terms of size and ingredients.
I liked the addition of pickles in the Popeyes wraps and the sheer amount of sauce used in the spicy wrap, but it wasn't enough to justify the higher price tag.
While I'll definitely order both chains' chicken wraps again, I walked away thinking that the Snack Wrap is iconic for a reason. Other chains' attempts to replicate its magic are in for an uphill battle.
Sally Susman signs copies of her 2023 book "Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World."
Courtesy of Sally Susman
Pfizer's Sally Susman, a pioneer in corporate communications, is leaving her job the end of 2025.
Susman played a key role in building public trust during Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine development.
She spoke exclusively with BI about her time at the pharmaceutical giant and what she's doing next.
In early 2020, Pfizer Communications and Policy Chief Sally Susman was stunned when the head of the pharmaceutical company revealed plans to bring a COVID-19 vaccine forward by the end of that year.
"It was literally the boldest, most audacious statement I have ever heard," Susman told Business Insider shortly after announcing last week plans to end her nearly two-decade run at Pfizer at the end of 2025.
A pioneer of modern corporate communications, Susman described the months that followed as a career-defining opportunity to help build people's trust in the company during an extraordinary time of uncertainty and fear. Amid a barrage of media attention, she pushed for Pfizer to be as transparent as possible about its work, such as by taking steps to safely embed reporters into its clinical trials.
"All these things came together in a way that you rarely get a chance to do," said Susman, author of the book "Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World," published by Harvard Business Review Press in 2023. "I always say to people who are in the profession, you don't know what day your life is going to change, when your company is faced with just an unprecedented situation."
Susman's pending exit from Pfizer comes as the company is undergoing a restructuring effort due to a number of factors, including slowing demand for its COVID-19 vaccine, expected patent losses, and struggles to gain traction in the booming obesity drug market.
Pfizer said her external communications, global policy, patient advocacy, and other duties will be divided among several top executives and she will remain on the board of its philanthropic foundation.
"This was the right time for the company and for me to make changes," said Susman. "I have absolutely loved it, but I do have other passions."
Why corporate comms matters
Susman, 63, started in corporate communications a few years after graduating from Connecticut College in the 1980s, when the field was still relatively new. She said engagement with consumers, investors, and other stakeholders was a trend taking shape at the time, starting with the AIDS crisis.
"Then I watched it take hold with environmentalists, with breast cancer survivors, with labor unions," she said. "People sort of rose up and felt that they had a say in the world."
Later, social media further elevated the importance of corporate communications, Susman said, as companies needed help managing relations with the public online.
Yet it was a legal battle that kicked off in 1996 by her then-employer American Express against its rivals Visa and Mastercard over anti-competition allegations that underscores for her why corporate affairs is such a critical function.
"The successful conclusion of the lawsuit was really driven by a supportive communications and government-relations strategy," said Susman, who was American Express's vice president of European corporate affairs at communications at the time. "That's when I had the big aha."
Susman has worked under nine chief executive officers throughout her career, including three at Pfizer. "There's nothing more gratifying than having the honor of advising a CEO on their most pressing concerns and opportunities," she said. "That's the rare air."
Deirdre Latour, a former communications chief at General Electric, said on LinkedIn that it is hard to overstate the impact of Susman on the corporate communications profession.
"When I think of Sally the following words come to mind...smart, kind, consistent, resilient, focused, accomplished, curious and fun," Latour wrote. "She has seen and done it all."
'Like right out of a movie'
A major career highlight for Susman came on a Sunday in November of 2020. She recalled wearing a face mask and waiting in a conference room several feet apart from Pfizer Chief Albert Bourla and a handful of other Pfizer executives to learn if the COVID-19 vaccine the company had been developing was viable. It turned out to be safe and effective.
"Even though the health regulations said we shouldn't do this, we all hugged, we cried, and we called our loved ones," she recalled. "It felt like right out of a movie."
Though Pfizer did contribute to a documentary about the pandemic, the company's story hasn't yet been made into a Hollywood production. Susman said she can picture that happening one day.
"I hope someone good plays me," she said, declining to name names. "I'll leave that to others to cast."
Retirement is still a ways off for Susman. In September she'll be joining a new, six-month program at the Aspen Institute for those who have achieved success in life but are looking to make a greater impact.
"It's where people try to answer for themselves, what's next?" Susman said. "I am deep in discovery around that question."
Millennials are using the phrase "Gen Z Stare" to describe vacant non-responses when interacting with young workers.
Some Gen Z workers have pushed back, saying they stare down customers who ask illogical questions.
The "Gen Z Stare" is the latest example of the generation's workplace actions going under the microscope.
Millennials and Gen Z are getting into it online over a behavior that's been dubbed the "Gen Z Stare."
As more of Gen Z enters the workforce, some millennials are saying the younger workers are greeting customers and colleagues with wide eyes, blank expressions, and pregnant pauses.
While some online argue it could be a sign of workplace awkwardness or underdeveloped soft skills like communication, others are pushing back and saying the trend's blame is misplaced.
It's the latest example of Gen Z's workplace etiquette going under the microscope. Some members of the generation have been criticized by their older coworkers for oversharing, taking too many sick days, and avoiding leadership positions. And who could forget about the "quiet quitting" trend?
Others have praised Gen Z workers for valuing work-life balance and challenging hustle culture. Gen Z has also thoroughly integrated AI into their work, embracing the technology that many hiring experts say is fast becoming a workplace expectation.
What is the Gen Z Stare?
On TikTok, where the observation has sparked spirited debate, millennials and others are posting videos describing experiences in which Gen Z employees stare at customers with a vacant expression, sometimes not responding to questions or greetings.
Some millennial servers and retail workers said in videos that they also encountered the "Gen Z Stare" while serving young customers.
In various TikTok skits, users place themselves in a hypothetical restaurant or coffee shop, role-playing the order-taking process with a Gen Z employee. The hypothetical young worker stares back at them, barely responding and shifting their eyes.
"They just look at you like they just saw a ghost," said TikToker @185dashuaige. "It is this blank, deer-in-the-headlights stare."
The trend seems to be resonating. The hashtag #Genzstare has reached over 4,000 posts on TikTok, with some viralvideos gaining millions of likes.
"I get the Gen Z stare everytime I thank them for bagging my groceries... they just stair at me dead pan.. I never understood until now!!" one commenter wrote.
Others equated it to a real-life "buffer" or loading screen.
While many of the videos and comments agreeing with the observation appear to be from people belonging to older generations, some people self-identifying as Gen Z have also said they've experienced the stare.
"I think our generation is done with fake and genuinely hate people, we just wanna be left alone," one commenter wrote. Another wrote that young people who "just don't know how to socialize and talk to others are so hard to engage with."
Of course, any sort of "Gen Z Stare" may not be due to awkwardness or a lack of social etiquette. Workers may simply be processing information, listening to the person speaking, or pausing to think through a response.
Many Gen Zers are pushing back
Not everyone is convinced the "Gen Z Stare" is a genuine phenomenon — and some Gen Zers are saying the critiques are jumping to conclusions.
Some online commenters identifying as Gen Z customer service workers said they only stare down nonsensical requests.
In one video about the "Gen Z Stare," a TikToker stared down a hypothetical customer asking whether a strawberry banana smoothie had banana in it.
"The Gen Z Stare is just us processing stupidity," one commenter wrote on that video.
"I'm just trying to gather my thoughts and process," said TikToker @waitwhoislive. "I can't fathom what you just said."
TikToker @maybesantana argued there was a difference between the "Customer Service Stare" and the "Gen Z Stare." Any customer service worker may stare at you when you ask something "stupid," they explained. The "Gen Z Stare," on the other hand, is the "lead paint stare that customer service workers receive instead of response to anything," they said.
Others suggested that millennials may simply be looking for something about Gen Z to critique after seeing videos critiquing their own generation's mannerisms.
"This is millennials trying to get back at us for calling out the millennial pause," one commenter wrote, referencing the generation's laughed-at pause between starting a recording and speaking.
It's sparked conversations about workplace awkwardness and soft skills
The "Gen Z Stare" discourse appears to extend beyond retail work, with conversations cropping up online about the generation's communication skills in both everyday life and the corporate workplace.
Some TikTokers complained about receiving deadpans when they hold doors open for young people or when greeting them on the street. @xiandivyne described it as a response to "mandatory small talk."
People online were quick to offer up potential explanations for why some Gen Zers may still be developing their interpersonal skills in the workplace.
Some blamed the COVID-19 pandemic, like one commenter, who wrote that "Covid destroyed their opportunities to have normal relationships."
As another popular comment put it, "We all have social anxiety."
And while the internet can't seem to agree on whether the "Gen Z Stare" is even a real thing, the viral videos on the idea are a good reminder that people take note of workplace mannerisms — whether they interpret them correctly or not.
Are you a Gen Z worker? Let me know what you think about the stare by emailing hchandonnet@insider.com.
He stores enough food and water for two weeks and has a go kit in all his cars.
The mindset helps him mitigate risks to his company, too.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation withCody Barbo, founder and CEO ofTrust and Will. It has been edited for length and clarity.
At the start of 2020, I was living in San Diego near a military base. I started noticing guys in uniform buying carts of canned goods. No one was talking about COVID-19 yet, but I thought to myself, those military personnel probably knew something I didn't.
My wife was about to have our first baby, who was eventually born on February 1, 2020. If something was going to happen, I needed to be prepared.
So, I went to the store and bought about $600 worth of nonperishable food. I also went online and bought items like two-way radios, bottled water, and vehicle emergency kits. I wanted to be able to get out of the city, if needed, and live for two weeks off the grid.
Cody Barbo has go bags for his family ready in case of emergency.
Courtesy of Cody Barbo
When the pandemic finally shut down the state of California, I felt very calm. I wasn't hoarding toilet paper like everyone else, because I already had what my family needed.
Practical prepping is possible, even in a townhouse
We've all seen extreme peppers. I'm not that — I like to think of myself as a practical prepper. When I first started prepping, I was living in a townhouse in California. I needed to compile what we needed, without my wife yelling at me for taking up our precious garage space.
I bought six storage totes, which fit on two small shelves in our garage or in the back of my Kia Telluride. I wanted to be able to quickly grab the totes and fit them comfortably in the car with the family and our dog.
I filled the totes with everything we'd need to survive two weeks: food, diapers, supplies for starting a fire and cooking, water filtration systems, first aid, gas masks, and more. I also bought two five-gallon tanks for water, and two for fuel. With a roof rack, those could fit on my car if we had to leave quickly. Just knowing we had that option gave my wife and me massive peace of mind.
Prepping has everyday applications, and even helped our friends
A lot has changed in five years. The pandemic passed, I moved to Dallas, and we had a second child. That means our prepping has changed.
Texas has wild storms that can knock out electricity for days or even weeks. I've installed a solar energy system in my home and two backup power banks. I can control the breakers remotely, turning off non-essential functions so that we can have enough power for a few days if the grid is down.
Cody Barbo calls himself a practical prepper.
Courtesy of Cody Barbo
Recently, most of Dallas lost power. I invited my cofounder and his three kids over to our home, since we had backup power and they didn't. It was great to be able to not only care for my family but also host our friends.
My prepping has practical benefits, too. Each of our cars has an emergency box filled with everything from diapers to dog gas masks. If I forget a snack for my 5-year-old, she loves to dip into the food in the emergency bin. My wife used a compressor from the box when she had a flat tire. I've utilized paper towels and a change of clothes when my infant son had an epic blowout.
I troubleshoot worst-case scenarios at work, too
I bring my prepper mindset to work, too. At home, I think about how we stay safe inside our home, secure the outside, and minimize vulnerabilities if we have to leave. At work, I think about securing the front door of the business, back door operations, and the people who work for me.
A worst-case scenario might be hackers stealing our users' data and ransoming it for bitcoin. Well, we have insurance for that. We even have a planned order of operations if I or my cofounder dies.
As a CEO, husband, and dad, I take security seriously. Preparing for things that could go wrong gives me the peace of mind to enjoy when everything is going well.