Kate says she can identify a marked difference between her first year as a freelancer and now that she has become involved with freelancer communities. And though these spaces have helped her to hone in on her professional marketability and industry know-how, they’ve also had a profound impact on her mental state. We discovered that all soup makers we tested make a decent, tasty bowl of soup. However, the best soup makers made soup at a ready-to-serve temperature, were easy to use and weren't too difficult to clean.

Yes, I know Anti came out in 2016 and maybe that’s a dated reference. But I don’t care, it’s a bop. And Rihanna is always relevant.) The freedom and autonomy that comes with being your own boss is a captivating prospect for many people, but it’s also sadly true that those who spend most of their time working at home are more likely to struggle with their mental health than the wider population. As well as grappling with loneliness and isolation, freelancers are more likely to experience depression and suicidal thoughts, while the stress that comes with navigating unpredictable workloads (and clients who don’t realize how their behaviors might contribute to or exacerbate these challenges) is also taking its toll.It feels like the people of the world are holding our collective breath, awaiting some kind of massive reprogramming, to help us cope with—or, if we’re feeling optimistic, thrive in—the new reality that’s building itself around us. Supermaker tells the story of how passion and determination can build a successful brand." -Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc. By coming together to provide emotional support and discuss the highs and lows of their working lives, freelancers are—sometimes intentionally, but not always—stoking a powerful grassroots movement.

I've seen posts such as ‘tips for how to be productive at home during COVID-19’ and influencers almost preaching at people to use this time to be productive,” Beecroft offers. This message is something Chandra Johnson, a digital producer, and many others grapple with daily. “There’s a lot of pressure right now to make the most of this time. It’s exhausting trying to keep up.” Regardless of your occupation, the lines between work and home life can easily blur these days. And for those who are not used to remote working or staying home the majority of the time, this is especially true given the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Autumn Adeigbo enters her Midtown Manhattan showroom wearing an orange and purple French tweed skirt suit she designed, a striped Diane von Furstenberg coat, and celestial-patterned Valentino boots any modern-day witch would pine for. As the founder and former CEO of Schmidt's, Jaime led the brand to sales in over 30 countries and onto the shelves of Target, Costco, CVS, Walmart, and Whole Foods. The brand was acquired by Unilever in 2017, with Jaime continuing to support their global expansion and partnerships with the likes of Jane Goodall and Justin Bieber. And, with a slew of new challenges currently facing small (and large) businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this moment is presenting many new, layered questions for businesses and startups. And one corporate credit card may be able to provide some answers.A valuable resource to the ever-growing community of business owners and entrepreneurs who want to go from maker to magnate. Currently, about 25 percent of people work from home at least sometimes but 56 percent of workers have jobs where they could work from home if their employers allowed it. And yet, I have previously worked in jobs in advertising, publishing, and communications where I requested to work remotely at least one or two days a week as a disability accommodation and was denied—even though all of my work was done on a laptop and my employers were already using tools like Asana, Trello, and Zoom to manage projects and host meetings. Influencers feel exhausted by the platform but are also inspired, which is a very weird relationship to have. You want to communicate with your audience, but you have to find the right balance so you’re not too curated. With our real lives at a standstill (for good reason: we need to flatten the curve), our digital lives are on fire. Internet usage is up, as the pandemic gives a whole new meaning to aimless scrolling. Whether we realize it or not, we’re constantly being fed messages that tell us inactivity is unacceptable. Because the worst someone could do is spend all this time at home doing nothing, right? Being home all the time can make it hard to set boundaries around work and can lead to hyper-focusing on productivity. “It’s common to feel that since we are home we should be using this time wisely and to be productive,” says Elizabeth Beecroft, LMSW. “With less of an agenda, it becomes easier for pressure to arise as we think we should constantly be doing something like we might be used to.” And, with people also spending more time online, it’s easy for social media culture to amplify feelings of guilt around productivity.

At this moment, we are all in uncharted territory—and this also includes companies. “Leadership doesn't know how to effectively measure employee performance from a distance,” says Musselman. “I have clients complaining that half their day is spent doing their work, and the other half is documenting and reporting how much work they've completed.” With many companies losing money by the minute due to the economic impacts of COVID-19, the pressure for workers to prove their worth is intensifying and will likely grow the longer this situation continues. Supermaker is a guide to business and career development by Jaime Schmidt: acclaimed entrepreneur, founder of Schmidt's Naturals, and icon of the Maker Movement. Kate is one of 57 million freelancers in the US, a group that’s expected to account for 50% of the country’s workforce by 2027. This is a shift being seen around the world; over in the UK, for example, the number of freelancers between 26-29 has risen by 66% since 2008. We found two that excelled enough for us to feel confident naming them Which? Best Buys, as well as a couple of Great Value soup makers that show you don't have to spend a fortune for delicious homemade soup. The best soup makers As far as shadowbanning, every week in influencer groups, someone will talk about how their post is doing badly and how they can’t reach their usual amount of likes, but I don’t think it’s always the algorithm,” Molu says, adding that she doesn’t think it’s out to get anyone. Terentieva agrees that the concept of shadowbanning is not as simple as the platform shoving certain posts aside. “I [personally] don’t believe in shadowbanning,” Terentieva explains, adding that those doing things on the platform that they shouldn’t, such as copying and pasting comments, will get in trouble eventually. “I don’t know if there’s some sort of secret, hidden thing behind any [single] action, but the things people talk about that you’ll get shadowbanned for are things that are shortcuts to begin with, like engagement pods.”I'm so inspired by Jaime. As an entrepreneur myself, I love observing the journeys of women who have built massive businesses led by passion. When I look at what Jaime has built, I see more than a product. I see innovation and purpose. I am soaking in every chapter of this book as learnings!" -Deepica Mutyala, founder and CEO at Live Tinted In just seven years, Jaime Schmidt went from making natural products in her Portland, Oregon kitchen to turning her brand into a household name and selling her company in a nine-figure acquisition. Supermaker is her guide to business and career development on your own terms. There are other business credit cards aimed at startups, and Silicon Valley Bank has offered cards to startups since 2008 (they offer both charge cards and regular corporate cards with revolving credit). Those options may be better for some startups, but Brex doubles down on being the safest choice for entrepreneurs, since they don’t have to worry about their assets being used as collateral if their business were to fail. How else is Brex adapting in the COVID-19 landscape?