“You’re just like your hair, flimsy and floppy. You’re such a pushover,” the cruel words came out of the mouth of one of the most popular girls in school. Most popular girl almost always coincided with mean girl. I felt the sting of her words, but didn’t say anything back. I was used to being put down by kids at school, and at this point in life I was attending the original Mean Girl High. All through my school years I didn’t feel like I really knew myself and I often looked at others and wanted to be them. I was not very self-aware, or perhaps I was too self-aware. I was sort of like a shell of a person, personality not yet formed. As I reached college, this changed dramatically as I discovered my true self and gained confidence. This becoming coincided with my physical blossoming as a late bloomer.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Astrologer and Certified Life Coach, Adriana “Adri” Barnhardt. Her description of how she felt growing up and into adulthood resonated with me as someone who had been consumed for most of my childhood and teenage years with how I was being perceived and talked about. Adri explained that her biggest fear has always been being seen, perceived, and then talked about. It’s interesting because she pursued such a visible career in musical theater before becoming an astrologer and life coach. She loved theater because she could hide behind a role—makeup, costume, lines. If people judged the performance, it wasn’t her, it was the character.

She later realized that what she was really fighting deep down was self-hatred. Years of therapy helped her realize that she doesn’t care as much anymore about what others think of her, because she knows what she thinks of herself. Adri used to feel so lost—no idea who she was or what she wanted, besides wanting to hide. But now she understands her true calling and that clarity has surpassed the fear. She no longer hides behind a character and she feels free to be her most genuine, authentic self. And if someone has a problem with that? That’s a them issue.

Her biggest challenge in life has been becoming her own best friend and unconditionally loving herself. Once she got out of her own way and started her business, lovinglyadri, unlocking what she calls the ILYSM “intuitively love yourself” mentality, everything in her life shifted. She discovered her passions, her real goals, and began working toward the happiest version of her life. Most importantly, she killed her “sh*t-talking inner voice”. Lovinglyadri is a coaching and astrology practice that helps people return to themselves with clarity, compassion, and radical honesty.

Adri is unique in the life coaching world because she combines being a life coach with astrology. She says that her clients have the answers, she just helps them hear the answers louder. Lovinglyadri exists to guide people through the process of self-awareness, unconditional self-love, and intentional living by integrating astrology, coaching, and intuitive wisdom. Adri has now officially launched ILYSM: the lovingly Adri signature method. ILYSM is a mindset shift – from tolerating yourself to intuitively loving yourself. There are four steps and personalized post-session materials, including a customized astrology study guide and anti-spiraling packets. She begins with the client’s birth chart, what she calls your personal happiness manual, and bridges the gap between your cosmic blueprint and your real, lived experience. This is not your typical “mindset reset”; this is deep, intentional integration. After a chart reading, characteristics that a client thought they didn’t like about themselves turn into a characteristic that can be used as their superpower.

Adri explains that this means less spiraling, more grounding. Less obsessing, more action. Less “I should know better by now,” and more “I get it now – and I’ve got me”. If you’ve ever wished your inner voice sounded like someone who actually loves you, Adri’s service is for you.

Adri is always accepting new clients and she wants people to understand astrology as a tool for self-awareness, not some fortune-telling gimmick. She also offers astrology-only readings for people who don’t want the full coaching experience. In addition, she does friend hangs and astrology dinner parties. Her dream is to travel around the world helping humans gain self-awareness, leading to unconditional self-love.

If you would like to learn more about Adri and ILYSM, please visit lovinglyadri.com.

This article was originally published on OpsLens.com.

As a child I loved to write, with a particular inclination toward scary stories and other types of fiction. This was where I truly thrived, but over time you could say that the mundane aspects of life took precedence, and that creativity was dimmed. Teachers and professors told you what to write, and later, as an intelligence officer, cable writing didn’t exactly align with tales of ghost cats and spooky dolls. Once I resigned from the CIA, I realized I really didn’t have a skill that could translate to the real world. I had never loved any job that I had ever had, and I had quite a few. Sure, there were aspects of each experience that I liked, but I didn’t find my true love until I returned to writing. It was only then that I realized this was my calling and I did have a skill that translated to the world outside of the CIA after all! I then hit reset, started over, and I have officially “come home to myself”, as International Business Coach Dana Grant would say.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dana, and speak with her not only about being an International Business Coach and Master Question Asker, but also a host of global retreats, keynote speaker, and co-founder of Cali’Flour Foods. Dana’s work has expanded into helping people discover the power of using their intuition to make life-changing decisions in their day-to-day lives. She speaks of “coming home to yourself” and she is on a soul quest to see everyone reach their full potential.

Dana describes herself as a master question asker, podcast host, entrepreneur, and creative with deep roots in both healing and adventure. She has worn a lot of hats over the years: co-founder of Cali’Flour Foods, international coach, former business lobbyist with records that have still not been broken, speaker, and most recently, she has just finished her first book and she spends her time “zooming” around the globe supporting and celebrating people. She has a heart that’s always been drawn to service, community and connection.

Dana says that her biggest challenge has been releasing the need to prove her worth through performance. For a long time, she was caught in the cycle of overachieving, over giving, and constantly showing up for others while abandoning herself. She wore success like armor—chasing the next milestone, the next title, the next “yes”—believing that if she could just do enough, she would be enough. But that way of living broke her down emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

The real breakthrough came when she was forced to slow down—when her health, relationships, and sense of purpose all collided and asked her to choose something different. That’s when she began becoming—learning to live from truth, not trauma. Choosing to rest, to receive, to honor herself without needing to earn it—that’s been the most radical, and rewarding, challenge of her life.

Dana described defeating a debilitating illness and going through a season where her body quite literally shut down. She was in chronic pain, deeply fatigued, and no one could give her clear answers. She was told by more than one doctor that she’d just have to “manage” it for the rest of her life. But something in her refused to accept that. She had this quiet, persistent belief that her body wasn’t her enemy—it was trying to get her attention.

Defeating that illness wasn’t a quick fix, Dana describes it as a deep unraveling. She had to change everything—what she ate, how she worked, how she thought. She began learning to listen to her body, to slow down, to nourish instead of numb. She sought out holistic practitioners, functional medicine, and trauma-informed therapy. And, she says, maybe most importantly, she learned how to feel her emotions instead of powering through them. Dana believes that so much of our pain is our body screaming what our mouths are too afraid to say. For her, healing wasn’t just about getting better—it was about becoming whole. That journey taught her to stop outsourcing her power and start partnering with her own wisdom. It’s why she does the work she does now—to help others come home to themselves the way she had to.

Dana’s tips for fighting an illness:

1. Listen to your body like it’s a trusted friend, not a broken machine. Your symptoms aren’t punishments—they’re communication. Your body is trying to tell you what your soul may not have the words for yet. Slowing down to listen is one of the bravest things you can do.
2. Be your own advocate. No one knows your body better than you. If something feels off, trust yourself. Keep asking questions. Keep searching. Just because a practitioner can’t find the cause doesn’t mean the cause doesn’t exist.
3. Heal the emotional, not just the physical. Dana had to face the fact that unresolved trauma, burnout, and over-functioning were contributing to her illness. When she started healing emotionally—setting boundaries, releasing shame, honoring her needs—her body started responding.
4. Let support in. Illness can be incredibly isolating, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Find a community, a coach, a support group—anyone who reminds you that you’re not a burden, you’re human.
5. Give yourself permission to rest. You don’t have to “earn” rest by being productive. Rest is a form of resistance in a world that wants you to push through everything. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is pause and be present with what’s real.

In her coaching business, Dana teaches her clients to use their intuition to make life-changing decisions in their day-to-day life. She explains that intuition is that quiet, inner knowing — the nudge that speaks before fear or logic gets too loud. She believes everyone has it, but most people are just too busy or too disconnected from themselves to hear it. To use your intuition in daily life, you’ve got to slow down and actually listen. That might look like journaling, meditating, walking in nature, or just getting still and asking, “What feels right?” not just “What makes sense?”

Life-changing decisions often come down to what aligns with your peace, not just your plan. Intuition doesn’t always shout, it whispers. But when you learn to trust it, you’ll find it’s one of the most powerful tools for creating a life that’s authentic, aligned, and wildly fulfilling. Dana has built her client base through connection, trust, and word of mouth. She shared her story, showed up consistently, and created results for the people she worked with. That ripple effect turned into a community. It didn’t happen overnight, but within a couple of years, she had a solid client base, and from there, it expanded globally. She now has helped over 3,000 clients across 9+ countries. Dana now primarily coaches high achievers who are ready to scale their impact without losing their soul.

Managing 3,000 clients across 9+ countries isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing things smarter, with structure, soul, and strategy. Dana has built systems that support both personalization and scalability. That includes digital platforms, automated touchpoints, group coaching models, and a solid team. But even with all of that, the real key is presence. When she is with a client, whether it’s one or 100, she’s all in.

For anyone managing multiple clients: boundaries are everything. You must protect your energy like it’s part of your business plan. Clear communication, systems that work while you sleep, and the ability to delegate are non-negotiables. And finally, don’t forget the heart. People don’t just want a service — they want to feel seen. Stay connected to that and you’ll always stand out.

Manage your energy first, and your time will follow.

Dana’s biggest time management tip is to align your calendar with your energy, not just your tasks. Know when you’re most creative, most focused, most social, and batch your activities accordingly. She calls it “energy-based scheduling.” Dana recommends time blocking like it’s a boundary, not a suggestion. Schedule rest and play, not just work. This keeps burnout at bay. Automate and delegate everything that doesn’t require your personal magic. And, most importantly, prioritize what matters, not just what’s urgent.

Currently, Dana’s biggest project is expanding her global coaching platform to support even more high-achieving women who are ready to step into their next chapter — whether that’s building a soul-led business, healing from burnout, or rewriting the stories that have held them back. She’s also writing her second book which focuses on resilience, reinvention, and the power of coming home to yourself. Between that and hosting The Dana Grant Show, she’s all-in on amplifying voices, creating safe spaces for transformation, and building a legacy that reflects love, truth, and possibility.

Dana’s first book The Truth Within The Lie will be out soon.  In the book, Dana delivers a no-fluff, fire-breathing wake-up call for anyone done pretending, performing, or settling for less than what they came here to be. Drawing from her own powerful story of resilience and spiritual realignment, Dana guides readers to reconnect with Universal Principles that govern all creation — principles like alignment, intention, truth, and divine timing.

The Power of Starting Over

Dana Grant feels that no matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to hit reset, reclaim your story, and create something aligned with who you truly are. So many people feel trapped by their past decisions or current circumstances, but she believes that transformation is always possible when we give ourselves permission to grow without judgment. Whether it’s changing careers, healing old wounds, or stepping into a new identity, the journey of becoming is a beautiful, ongoing process, and it’s one Dana is passionate about supporting others through.

If you would like to learn more about Dana Grant, please visit danagrant.com.

This article was originally published on OpsLens.com.

I watched as my friend’s face visibly fell and I could almost feel the dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach that I knew she felt every time she saw that her ex-husband had sent her yet another email. I had never been married, but I had been in enough horrible relationships to know the stress that came along with acrimonious communications. In my friend’s case, they had both moved on long ago, but they had a child, and therefore co-parenting was necessary. But the vitriol coming from his side was palpable. The emotions were high. It was like an endless battle via email, phone, or text, and just checking her messages no doubt caused great anxiety. She couldn’t just ignore him, as they needed to work together for their child, but what if there was a better way? What if there was a way to defuse the trauma involved in constantly fighting with your ex?

I recently had the opportunity to interview Vanessa Carson, the founder of Defuze.io, a cutting-edge platform redefining what it means to co-parent in today’s world. She explained that co-parenting is when parents collaborate post-separation to raise their children, ensuring their well-being and stability. It spans everything from high-conflict scenarios, where “parallel parenting” is often more accurate, to more harmonious setups that include extended family networks. Vanessa has spent years herself navigating the complexities of co-parenting, constantly adapting to challenges while focusing on her children’s needs. She describes her experience as a journey of resilience, patience, and learning the value of clear communication, and especially boundaries. Every family is unique, but prioritizing shared goals for the children remains at the heart of it all. One of the toughest aspects of co-parenting is balancing the mental load while maintaining consistency for the children involved. Another challenge is when communication breaks down, a key area that Vanessa has worked hard to address with her platform, Defuze.

Defuze is a platform designed for separated and single parents, as well as extended families, to streamline communication, manage logistics, and collaborate more effectively. It’s not just about reducing conflict – it’s about simplifying life for modern families. The platform even includes channel access for grandparents, caregivers, and others involved in raising children. In phase two, Defuze will extend support beyond the child-rearing years. Defuze harnesses its own AI, THEA, to make communication constructive and neutral, reducing unnecessary conflict and ‘noise’. It also helps with scheduling, task management, and tracking shared responsibilities, making planning effortless for busy families.

Vanessa explains how she came up with the idea for Defuze as beginning with a lightbulb moment, but says the real magic has been the synchronicity of the journey. Meeting the right people at just the right time – team members, advisors, and collaborators – has been instrumental in bringing her vision to life. Developing Defuze.io has taken just under a year, with the real milestones coming from connecting with the right people at critical stages. Collaboration and timing have been key in shaping the platform. Building it has been a testament to the strength of a shared vision and the magic of timing. Defuze is accessible on both smartphones and laptops, giving families the flexibility to use it in the way that works best for them.

The universal challenge amongst humans is communication. Defuze incorporates an AI tool called THEA to respond without emotion to those potentially nasty exchanges between co-parents, even if the other partner is not open to using the tool. Vanessa understands that every word carries meaning and words can have an enormous impact. The whole idea behind THEA is to avoid escalation in those potentially ugly exchanges and create a more harmonious, successful separated household environment which reduces, and hopefully eliminates, the trauma on the children involved. Phase two will extend beyond the child rearing years and THEA will be harnessed for additional application as well as co-parenting.

Vanessa Carson’s motivation comes from her own children and the mission behind Defuze. Her driving force is knowing that this platform can help families navigate challenges and reduce stress. Defuze isn’t just a tech solution or app – it’s an ecosystem and a reflection of the power of collaboration. It is especially unique because Vanessa and her team are building a community around the platforms, which will extend to physical events they will be launching in the near future. It’s all about empowering modern families – separated parents, single parents, and extended networks – to thrive.

Inspired by her own experiences navigating single and parallel parenting, Vanessa is on a mission to empower parents with practical tools, fostering collaboration, resilience, and independence. Her vision? To create a world where parents thrive, not just survive.

If you would like to learn more about Vanessa Carson and Defuze, please visit www.defuze.io.

This article was originally published on OpsLens.com.

I recently had the opportunity to interview New York City real estate broker Ellen Silverman.  In her childhood, Ellen didn’t envision anything in particular for herself career-wise. She grew up as an only child and her life goal was to be independent, make money, and get out of her parents’ home as quickly as possible! She loved structure and organization and always gravitated toward mathematics. She also developed an interest in the stock market by watching her aunt invest and manage her stock portfolio.  Because she excelled at math throughout grammar school and high school, she went on to Carnegie Mellon University and then worked in finance.

As she says, the rest is history.

Born and raised in Manhattan, what Ellen loves most about New York City is that it is a city that does not stop for one minute. Everyone dreams of making it in New York City and there is always a way to reinvent oneself in New York and make money. If you work hard and hustle, you will make it. She says she would move to Miami if she did move somewhere else.  She describes Miami as Manhattan with better weather.

Ellen explained that New York has always gone through good and bad periods. In her childhood, she remembers taking the subway to school and learning how to navigate the city.  As a young adult, she developed a sixth sense of where to walk and how to avoid suspicious-looking characters.

Ellen had a twenty-five-year career as a Wall Street analyst. When she started on Wall Street in 1990 it was quite a different work environment than it is today. In the early nineties, there was a sense of freedom and expansion. Although there were few women in senior positions, she worked with and learned from the best and brightest of colleagues. Every day was challenging and the hours were exceptionally long. On the weekends she would recuperate but come, Monday it was work, work, work! When the banking crisis hit in 2008, SEC regulators and bank auditors worked onsite, scrutinizing everyone’s work and every move. She finally left the world of finance in 2016.

After her career as a Wall Street analyst, Ellen decided to get into real estate.  Her experience living in New York City as a renter, buyer, and seller gave her a deep understanding of the ebbs and flows of the market and the diverse neighborhoods of Manhattan. Ellen has earned the coveted Certified Buyer Representative and Master Certified Negotiation Expert designations. In addition, she always had a keen eye for interior design and staging.

Ellen works with a lot of first-time home buyers for purchasing co-ops and condominiums as well as international investors who are seeking pieds-à-terre.  She loves new developments and introducing her buyers to current design and architectural trends as well as new neighborhoods that her clients may not have considered.  Ellen currently serves both local New York City clients and international investors from Spain, Portugal, France, Israel, Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

When asked why some people want to rent in New York versus buy, she explained that many renters are in the city for a brief time and want to see how they like living in the city before making a purchase. In addition, many renters do not have the down payment required for a purchase or they don’t qualify for a mortgage. In addition, there is a lot of political and financial uncertainty in the world right now and many buyers are reluctant to purchase. She does, however, believe the right time may never appear and it is better to be in the game than not. Like the stock market, New York real estate appreciates over the long run, but one has to be patient!

During the pandemic, there was a massive exodus of people leaving New York City. She would get calls from her friends constantly asking her why she was still in the city.  Everyone was so fearful. Being a native New Yorker, Ellen knew that those who moved to Florida or the suburbs would come roaring back. And did they ever, as 2021 was one of the best years in real estate for many brokers. The market quieted in 2023 and 2024; however, she expects activity to increase significantly in 2025.  She sees the New York market accelerating with more buyers coming out of the woodwork. Buyers have finally accepted the higher mortgage rates and have realized the need to get on with their lives. Because of the shortage of inventory, she does not see prices coming down significantly this spring.

Ellen describes herself as very bullish over the next five to ten years due an innovative program referred to as “City of Yes.” This approach seeks to distribute the responsibility of creating housing more evenly, essentially extending it to every neighborhood in the city. City of Yes will create more homes accessible to those at lower income levels over the next fifteen years than all of the city’s other inclusionary housing programs. The City of Yes is expected to produce 80,000 new units of housing.

If one really wants to buy an apartment in New York City and it seems out of reach, Ellen recommends investigating in up-and-coming areas of the city where prices are less expensive. These areas will appreciate over time. She also recommends investing in a condominium since the rules are less restrictive than in co-op apartments.

Ellen doesn’t expect to see the great price appreciations that sellers experienced in the past thirty years and feels it will be a good ten years until we see significant profit margins for sellers.  However, she believes that it is never too late to own a home.  If one wants an apartment in New York, she recommends considering a smaller space or more affordable areas of the city. There is always a compromise in a purchase – whether it is apartment size, neighborhood, amenities, or type of building.

As a negotiation expert, Ellen feels that sellers and buyers are never 100% happy. Each partner has to give a little to get a deal done. It is important to understand everyone’s motivations and at what point they will move the needle. She always aims to be collaborative with other brokers to get a deal done.

Ellen only wishes she had begun real estate earlier in life but says that she did not have the guts to leave her job and steady paycheck. She feels it is never too late to begin a new business and to do something you love. Resources exist today that she did not have access to growing up. She believes that we live in a world now where there is no job security so you may as well be an entrepreneur and do something you love. Ellen Silverman is certainly embracing her second career as an entrepreneur.

If you would like to learn more about Ellen Silverman, please visit https://ellenjsilverman.com/.

You can also follow her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ellenjsilverman/.

This article was originally published on OpsLens.

Within a few weeks of being hired into the CIA, I realized I wanted to work for myself, unchained by office drama and cubicle warfare.  I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I was going to make it happen.  At the time, I had my own eBay business on the side where I sold items on consignment, and I was dabbling in manufacturing lotions and other natural products, while selling some of my own items also.  I was amazed at what people would buy.  I once sold some empty bottles to a buyer.  I also used to sell beach sand.  The internet and the digital world was such a blessing to me, and I knew, even while working at the Agency, that what I truly wanted to do was work on my own, and that the internet would eventually save me from the cubicle doldrums.

It was during one of my many assignments at Headquarters that I met a fascinating guy. He knew so much about technology and he also had made some money in the past doing something I had never really thought of; he sold domain names.  Similar to real estate flipping, he would buy domain names and then resell them in sometimes very lucrative deals.  It was amazing, and I wanted in on it.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Andrew Rosener, Founder and CEO of MediaOptions.com.  Andrew is a globally recognized authority in domain name investment and brokerage, widely regarded as the foremost dealmaker in digital real estate.  He has facilitated over $800 million in domain sales, including high-profile transactions such as X.com to Elon Musk, Zoom.com to Zoom, Prime.com and Podcast.com to Amazon, Galaxy.com to Galaxy Digital, as well as thousands of others.

After college, while working for a company in the seafood import/export business, Andrew Rosener had visited Mallorca, Spain and learned about Iberico ham – a very special ham that at the time was the most expensive meat in the world.  He considered importing it until he found out it was banned in the U.S. He instead registered some related domain names.  Years later he sold one of the domains for thousands of dollars and a leg of the ham. This was when he realized that domains had meaningful value and that they could be resold.  That’s when he decided to start domain investing.  He admits that he made plenty of mistakes in the beginning when he started investing heavily into domains, but then as he became successful buying and selling his own domains, he realized that he could be successful selling other people’s domains as well.

Andrew was instrumental in the acquisition of X.com by Elon Musk from PayPal and it was a great professional achievement, as the deal is considered one of the most significant in domain brokering history due to the strategic value and brand recognition of X.com and the fact that it is a one-character .com domain name.

So how do you come up with a domain name that will sell?

Andrew uses a combination of market trends, industry analysis, and anticipation of brand needs. He focuses on exact match keyword domains and high-value, memorable names that have significant brand potential or utility. He favors .com domains over all others, as it is the clear leader on the internet, although he does buy, sell, and broker other extensions. His methodology also involves his own domain valuation method – the “Rosener Equation” – which helps in valuing domains based on actual data and various factors like search traffic, memorability, relevance, and potential business use.

Andrew Rosener’s company, MediaOptions, employs a personalized approach in domain name selling. They leverage their extensive network for private sales, often using stealth acquisition methods for buyers and special direct contact for sellers, along with highly skilled negotiation tactics to ensure the best results for their clients.  When I described my experience in domain name investing and how lucrative I had seen it be, Andrew explained that domain name investing can still be lucrative, but that the market has evolved.  With more competition and saturation in certain segments, success now often requires strategic foresight, patience, and intricate knowledge of the space. The high-value domain market remains profitable for those with the right assets and connections, but it’s less of a “gold rush” scenario than in the early internet days. However, overall he said the market is far more secure and value is more certain than in the past, but with less risk comes lower returns.  That said, Andrew is not sure you can find another industry that still has so much opportunity and such high margins.

Andrew is also involved in digital asset management, which naturally evolved from domain investing and domain brokerage. Domains themselves are digital assets, so understanding the value and importance of domains led him to broader asset management, especially with the rise of digital currencies and NFTs. He was somewhat early into cryptocurrency, with his earliest investment in Bitcoin in 2011, and he has done a lot of research to develop a broad understanding of the technology and related markets. Andrew explained that the difference between Bitcoin and crypto, in his opinion, is two things:

1) Proof of Work consensus is a highly underrated breakthrough in science and technology.  It takes something virtual and anchors it in the real physical world through bitcoin mining.  Andrew believes that this is a massive development and has immense implications for humanity and our evolution to the digital age.  In short, our current growth at any cost economic model is a house of cards and by definition unsustainable.  The global economy ultimately has a limiting factor which is real goods and services which can’t be printed out of thin air.  However, we measure and value these goods and services in fiat currency that is infinite and can be printed out of thin air.  Bitcoin is the bridge that is forcing the limiting factor of resources (which can be measured in its lowest common denominator, which is energy) to the virtual world and forcing true value to all goods and services as people and institutions come to understand the opportunity cost of capital allocation.  This will slowly erode waste.

2) Immaculate conception. Because there is no known founder, no centralized entity of control and because the origin story is truly immaculate, there is no conflict of interest.  This is a huge difference from every other “crypto” currency.

Andrew does not believe that any other crypto project has proven that it has any value or utility beyond Bitcoin.  He mentions the only exception being stablecoins, which simplify digital commerce and increase the sophistication and efficiency of financial markets.

Now that my mind is spinning, I would like to go back to Andrew’s analogy of domain names being digital land or digital real estate.  As commerce moves from brick and mortar business to the digital economy, so does the value of commercial real estate implode and accrue directly to the digital land (domain names).  As AI develops and software development and most other aspects of building a business today become commoditized, the only way to stand out, differentiate and create a defensible moat around a business is going to be brand.  In the digital economy, the fastest growing and largest economy on Earth, brand is synonymous with domain names.  Andrew Rosener believes we are on the cusp of domain name values escalating by an order of magnitude and many founders and entrepreneurs agree with his thesis.

If you would like to learn more about Andrew Rosener and MediaOptions, please visit mediaoptions.com.

This article was originally published on OpsLens.com.

I would float around for hours, watching the sea life in the canal walls. Under the floating dock I was fascinated (and sort of spooked) by the huge fish lingering there, swaying under the water with their mouths opening and closing. The canal wall itself housed all sorts of ocean life – there were lobsters, crabs, and even an octopus. If you sat on the floating dock, it was not unusual to see brightly colored angel fish, triggerfish, and even seahorses swimming up to examine your toes.  At the bottom of the canal you could see the alien-like outlines of the bodies of horseshoe crabs.  The canal was teeming with life, and as a child I could not get enough of it.

We moved away from the Florida Keys in 1984 and left for the even-more-exotic Thailand.  Upon our return to the United States, by circa 1989, my father and I flew out to get our house in the Keys ready to sell. I dove into the canal as I always had as a child, only to find murky waters and almost no sea life.  A stray minnow was about all one could see.  In the span of less than ten years, virtually all of the life in the canal had disappeared.

Living in the Keys once again, I share this story often, perhaps too much.  The canals here are not as I remembered them as a child, though I’m sure some are still sustaining sea life.  Clearly it made an impression on me, and I have hoped that I could somehow make a positive impact during my adulthood in the Florida Keys, so my kids could experience something close to what I experienced as a child.  I love to meet people who are actually doing something to help ocean life.  As such, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview inventor and entrepreneur Eric Le Quéré.

Eric Le Quéré’s deep connection with the ocean was nurtured along Brittany’s rugged coastline, where his childhood love of waves and sails led him to pursue naval engineering. Over the years, this passion and years spent at sea transformed into a lifelong commitment to maritime excellence.

Eric’s career spans diverse roles, from Captain/ship owner to Shipyard Owner/CEO and International Project Manager. These experiences have provided him with a profound understanding of the maritime industry’s challenges and opportunities, driving him to address some of its most pressing issues.

As an inventor and entrepreneur with a lifetime in the maritime sector, Eric is focused on creating meaningful impact with his technologies in three transformative areas: marine ecosystem protection (Boaxt), sustainable ocean resource management (Netless), and decarbonization of maritime transport (Wingfurl).

Eric explained each one of his inventions to me:

Boaxt is a modular platform that unfolds space on the water, offering versatile applications such as floating housing, events, and marine sustainability projects.  Wingfurl is a revolutionary technology designed to decarbonize vessel propulsion, making maritime transport more sustainable. Finally, Netless is a fishing technology inspired by whales, allowing sustainable fishing without nets, while also removing marine plastic waste.

Eric has always had a natural inclination to create solutions to real-world problems. He explained that to invent something, one must first identify a need.  Find a pressing challenge that requires a solution. Then find inspiration in solving it.  Understand the problem deeply and explore nature, science, and technology for answers.  Lastly, you must have the intellectual agility to conceive a solution.  This requires a mix of knowledge, adaptability, and the ability to turn an idea into a tangible reality. Eric believes there are no real limits or obstacles to achieving sustainability goals, if stakeholders have the vision to innovate, the intention to drive change, and the resources to make it happen. If sustainability initiatives fail to progress, it is not due to a lack of possibilities, but rather due to political hesitation and a failure to assess the risks of inaction. He says the solutions exist – the only question is who will take the lead in implementing them?

Eric’s inventions most certainly solve a pressing challenge, and while my experience with ocean pollution is in the Florida Keys and Thailand, he is currently focusing on the Middle East.  He explained to me that Middle Eastern economies have traditionally been reliant on oil and gas, with some exceptions like Dubai.  However, these nations have amassed significant sovereign wealth funds and are now prioritizing sustainability and AI-driven projects.  Given this shift, his technologies along with other sustainability-focused innovations align perfectly with their strategic focus on green energy, marine conservation, and alternative economic models. Having become keenly aware of the global CO2 and plastic pollution crisis, the Middle East is now recognizing both the moral imperative and financial opportunity and have prioritized impact-driven investments in sustainability and marine conservation.

Why the Middle East?

The Middle East offers an exceptional business environment, characterized by swift decision-making, strong government commitment to industrial innovation, and access to large-scale funding. Eric believes that by leveraging these advantages, we can accelerate manufacturing and deployment of maritime technologies not just in the Gulf, but globally. Parallels exist between global marine ecosystem challenges and those specific to the Gulf region. The Gulf region’s coastlines and marine waters are largely artificial, with limited currents and tidal exchanges, which results in a higher risk of plastic accumulation, reduced water circulation, and ecosystem degradation.  Eric’s inventions, in particular Boaxt and Netless, could provide an immediate, cost-effective remedy to protect Gulf marine ecosystems as they tackle marine pollution and biodiversity protection. Eric believes we are currently in a critical transition period between traditional maritime technologies and next-generation innovations. Gulf countries, with their sovereign funds and commitment to sustainability, have a unique opportunity to accelerate funding for disruptive projects.  By doing so, Eric believes they will gain a competitive edge in R&D and establish themselves as global leaders in maritime sustainability.

Since Dubai Expo 2020, and with the upcoming Riyadh Expo 2030, the Gulf has emerged as a global center for technological breakthroughs.  The Middle East has strengthened international partnerships and has positioned itself as a leader in impact-driven investments. The Middle East has now positioned itself as a hub for innovation investment.  For Middle Eastern nations to ensure that sustainability investments lead to real impact, for sustainability to truly drive change, Gulf nations and stakeholders must go beyond financial investment. There must be an absolute commitment to becoming global game changers. By positioning themselves at the forefront of socio-economic and environmental transformation, Middle Eastern nations can set new standards for sustainability worldwide.  Funding and technology are no longer obstacles – sovereign funds exist, and intellectual property protections are in place.  The main challenge is recruiting skilled teams for large-scale industrialization.

Luckily, the Gulf has a proven track record of attracting global talent for ambitious projects.

Eric Le Quéré is ready for those projects, and he has created the technologies.  Each one is at a different state of maturity, offering immediate collaboration potential.  Boaxt is ready for direct deployment.  Netless is reaching full operational status by spring 2025. Wingfurl is moving into prototype phase by fall 2025.

These technologies provide practical, scalable solutions that can accelerate sustainability efforts in the Middle East and beyond.

Perhaps that beyond could be the Florida Keys one day.

If you would like to learn more about Eric Le Quéré and his world-changing inventions, please visit le-quere.com.

This article was originally published on OpsLens.