To counter political backlash against ESG, Mars' CEO reframes sustainability as a fundamental business imperative. For a food company reliant on agriculture, climate change directly threatens crop viability and affordability. This makes environmental action a matter of operational resilience and risk management, completely separate from political debate.

To navigate extreme uncertainty like unpredictable tariffs, Walmart's buyers use tangible, seasonal purchasing decisions (e.g., Halloween costumes) as a framework. They run detailed "what-if" scenarios on pricing, sourcing, and consumer behavior to make concrete decisions despite ambiguity.

The first two weeks of October represent the year's second-highest period for customer opt-ins, trailing only Thanksgiving. This is driven by consumers seeking holiday deals and businesses finalizing future plans, making it a critical window for marketers to launch aggressive data capture campaigns like incentivized pop-ups.

While a major contributor to emissions, the agricultural industry is also more vulnerable to climate change impacts than almost any other sector. This dual role as both primary cause and primary victim creates a powerful, intrinsic motivation to innovate and transition from a "climate sinner to saint," a dynamic not present in all industries.

DoorDash data shows a 30% surge in late-night toothbrush orders on weekends beginning in the fall. This transactional data provides a concrete, real-time metric for the cultural trend of "cuffing season," showing how commerce platforms can uncover nuanced social behaviors that traditional surveys might miss.

Rejection from Adidas and Puma forced Dick's to partner with an unknown Nike, which became a huge growth driver. Similarly, being strong-armed into selling apparel revealed a highly profitable new category. This shows that external constraints and unwanted demands can accidentally steer a business toward its biggest opportunities.

The prospect of future climate events is having immediate, tangible economic consequences. Rising insurance rates and reduced coverage availability in at-risk areas like Florida and California are already depressing property values and the broader economic outlook, demonstrating that climate risk is a current, not just future, problem.

Venture capital isn't a constant sprint. It has distinct seasons, both in an investor's career (e.g., a 'deep learning' phase) and throughout the calendar year. Summer is for strategic thinking due to fewer meetings, while the period from Labor Day to Thanksgiving is peak deal-making season.

For social planning apps like Partiful, Halloween is the most significant event of the year, surpassing even New Year's Eve. The reason is that individuals often attend multiple Halloween parties over a weekend, creating a higher volume of events and user interactions, making it a critical period for growth and server stability.