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Another South Korean shipbuilder just won a US Navy maintenance job as the country’s yards scoop up more American work

South Korean shipyards are steadily becoming an integral part of US Navy maintenance work. Following in the footsteps of some of the nation’s shipbuilding giants, another local shipbuilder just secured a new contract.

HJ Shipbuilding and Construction announced on Monday that it won a deal to service a US Navy vessel — the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Amelia Earhart — as Washington increasingly turns to South Korea’s impressive commercial shipbuilding sector to support strained American yards and keep the fleet afloat.

The maintenance contract is with the Navy’s Naval Supply System Command and Military Sealift Command.

The work on the Amelia Earhart — which will include an inspection of the ship’s hull and systems, follow-up repairs and replacements, and a paint job — will begin in January 2026 at the Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan. The vessel will be delivered to the Navy by the end of March.

The Amelia Earhart is one of the Navy’s supply ships that refuels and resupplies aircraft carriers and warships at sea. Its overhaul adds to a growing list of US Navy work going to South Korean companies.


A grey vessel sails in the dark blue ocean next to an aircraft carrier with a fighter jet sitting on it. The sky is blue in the background.

South Korea is investing billions in US shipbuilding initiatives, including upgrades to shipyards and equipment.

Official US Navy photo



Major South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean finished repairs on the USNS Wally Schirra, another Lewis and Clark-class vessel, in March, marking a first for a South Korean shipyard. And then HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, one of the country’s largest shipbuilders, received a maintenance contract for another ship in the class, the USNS Alan Shepard.

HJ Shipbuilding and Construction said it’s the first midsize shipbuilder in South Korea to win a maintenance contract with the US Navy.

While smaller voyage repairs to US Navy ships occur regularly at allied yards, the continued contract wins for South Korean shipyards highlight the growing shipbuilding collaboration between Washington and Seoul.

That partnership, which has included business deals for South Korean companies abroad as well as investments in American yards, is part of a broader willingness by the Trump administration to rely on its Pacific ally amid efforts to fix US shipbuilding issues.

Billions of dollars are being put into modernizing US shipyards and addressing workforce and training issues as South Korea’s government calls its investments a plan to “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again.” The US is also turning to Japan, another large shipbuilder, for assistance.

South Korea and Japan are the second and third largest shipbuilders in the world, respectively, and Navy leadership is increasingly recognizing their value in this sector. China, however, dominates the shipbuilding industry, relying heavily on its dual-use yards, workforce, and equipment to make military and commercial vessels at a rapid pace.




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I sold my company for hundreds of millions and have more money than I’d ever need. Yet at 66, I have no plans to retire.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with David Chung, owner and chairman of Amare Global. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I couldn’t believe there was a banana just sitting on the kitchen table. In Korea, having a banana was a big deal, but when I immigrated to New York City at 12, we had fruit and even M&Ms. Everything was so luxurious.


David Chung and mom

David Chung and his mom moved to New York.

Courtesy of David Chung



My mother immigrated to the US in 1963 with less than $100. When she arrived in New York, she started a small, mom-and-pop gift shop. She grew the business through and eventually got her green card. I joined her about eight years later, in the middle of a New York winter. I didn’t speak the language, but I felt lucky to be in the US.

I decided to get into cosmetics after watching my mom’s business

My mother continued to grow her store, expanding into a drugstore and pharmacy. By the early 2000s, she had a business worth tens of millions.

She was very, very entrepreneurial. Watching her journey inspired me and has carried over even today. I have a lot of her DNA when it comes to business. Now that I’m 66, I’ll think, “I’m just like my mother!” It’s scary.

My mom’s business set the stage for mine. Working in her shop, I saw that beauty products provided a great business opportunity. The products are small, which reduces warehousing and shipping costs. They’re consumable, so customers return again and again. And even if the economy is bad, people don’t give up on their skin.

I started my first business at 23

I went to college, but I found it difficult to concentrate because I was always thinking about starting my business. Even today, I don’t drive much because I get so distracted thinking about running my companies (instead, I use a driver). Eventually, I graduated with a degree in engineering.

Right next to my school, there was a small video rental store. These were the days before Blockbuster. I bought that store when I was 23, and expanded it slowly to sell gifts and cosmetics.


David Chung in his first business

David Chung started his business at the age of 23.

Courtesy of David Chung



That was my start in business. Other than my mom, I’ve never worked for anyone else. That meant I had to learn hard lessons about business structure, processes, and systems on my own.

I have more money than I could ever spend, but still love building businesses

Over time, I pivoted from retail to research, design, and manufacturing. In 2018, I sold my shares in one company for $53.7 million. In 2021, I sold my company, Farmacy Beauty, for hundreds of millions (I’m not allowed to share the specific amount). I remember being at my computer on December 31st, watching the funds being deposited into my account. I didn’t feel anything. I didn’t think “I’m rich now.” I didn’t even go out to dinner to celebrate.

Entrepreneurship has never been about money for me. It’s more about the accomplishment and excitement of building something. I remember the first time I was in a room with people who had more credentials than me. I came up with an idea they hadn’t considered. That’s the first time I realized that I had a different way of thinking about things.

I have a huge amount of money now — I could never spend it all. And yet, when those funds hit my account, I didn’t buy a Rolex or a fancy car. I went out and bought another company to run.

I want to build wealth in order to give back

Recently, I told an employee that I’m going to retire in three years. She laughed and said I told her the same thing 15 years ago.

I don’t think I will ever retire fully. God has given me a talent for being business-minded and good at what I’m doing. I want to utilize that as long as I’m able to.

My mother was very passionate about giving back, particularly to the Korean American community. I figure the more money I make, the more I can give back. So, why not use this skill?




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Rob Reiner, director of ‘The Princess Bride,’ is dead at 78

Rob Reiner, the award-winning director of “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride,” and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home on Sunday.

A Los Angeles Police Department representative told Business Insider that at 3:38 p.m. on Sunday, the department received a medical aid call to the 200 Block of Chadbourne Avenue in Brentwood, Los Angeles.

At the scene, the LAPD determined the deaths of a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman. The LAPD said in an X statement that its Robbery Homicide Division was investigating an apparent homicide.

In a Sunday night statement, LA Mayor Karen Bass confirmed the Reiners’ deaths and said that the investigation was ongoing.

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said in a Sunday night press conference that the department was not seeking anyone as a suspect or person of interest in the case, and that the LAPD would speak with the couple’s family members in the investigation.

Representatives for the family did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.

Former House Speaker and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi said in an X post on Sunday that the news was “devastating.”

“It’s hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavor they pursued,” Pelosi wrote.

She added, “Rob was creative, funny, and beloved. And in all of their endeavors, Michelle was his indispensable partner, intellectual resource, and loving wife.”

Reiner had a long and illustrious career in Hollywood. The son of actor, director, and screenwriter Carl Reiner, he studied at the UCLA Film School before starting his directing journey.

He directed several iconic Hollywood movies, including “This is Spinal Tap” in 1984, “The Princess Bride” in 1987, and “When Harry Met Sally” in 1989.

Reiner also appeared in several acting stints, including movies such as the 2013 Martin Scorsese blockbuster “The Wolf of Wall Street” and TV series “New Girl” and “The Bear.”

In 1987, he founded Castle Rock Entertainment, a production company, alongside a group of film producers. The company is now a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Reiner and his wife had three children together: Nick, Jake, and Romy Reiner. He has one daughter, Tracy Reiner, from his previous marriage to actor Penny Marshall.

Nick Reiner battled drug abuse in his teens and early adulthood. His experience, including stints in rehab, led him to write the screenplay for “Being Charlie,” a 2015 romance-drama that his father directed.

In 2016, Reiner told Business Insider that his son was the “heart and soul of the film.”




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Reddit is arguing it’s a ‘collection of public fora’ and not a social media company. Here’s why.

A new law barring children under 16 from opening or maintaining social media accounts took effect last week in Australia, forcing platforms to deactivate accounts for swaths of young users.

In the words of Taylor Swift, however, Reddit would very much like to be excluded from this narrative because, it says, it’s not a social media platform.

Reddit made the argument in a lawsuit it filed against the Commonwealth of Australia and its Minister of Communications on Friday. The Australian law is meant to protect young people from what it says are the harmful and addictive effects of social media use.

Reddit is seeking to overturn the country’s new law, which it says “infringes the implied freedom of political communication.”

As part of the legal filing, Reddit also pushed back at being labeled an “age-restricted social media platform” within the meaning of Australia’s law.

Instead, Reddit said it “operates as a collection of public fora arranged by subject.”

“That is because it is not the case that the sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of Reddit is to enable ‘online social interaction’ between two or more end-users,” the company said in its 12-page legal filing.

The company added that, in most cases, users don’t know each other’s real identities.

“Reddit does not import contact lists or address books. The ‘upvote/downvote’ functionality enables users to indicate how helpful they found the information that was posted by an end-user,” the company said in the lawsuit. “It is not intended to be used as a way for users to express any view about the poster themselves. In this way, Reddit is significantly different from other sites that allow for users to become ‘friends’ with one another, or to post photos about themselves, or to organise events.”

Reddit, founded in 2005, allows users to post and reply to those posts on “subreddits” dedicated to almost any topic imaginable. Users have the option to upvote or downvote posts and can send each other direct messages. While Reddit users can use their real names, most of them operate anonymously.

The company went public in 2024 with a valuation of $6.4 billion.

Reddit elaborated on its argument in a statement addressed to its users, which was shared on the platform last week.

“This law is applied to Reddit inaccurately, since we’re a forum primarily for adults and we don’t have the traditional social media features the government has taken issue with,” the company said in the statement.

Australia’s new law, which would place the onus on social media platforms to verify users’ ages, has drawn criticism from other companies it targets as well, such as TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.

Reddit, which says it is complying with the law, told its users that doing so could have unintended consequences.

“This law has the unfortunate effect of forcing intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors, isolating teens from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences (including political discussions), and creating an illogical patchwork of which platforms are included and which aren’t,” the company said.

Australia isn’t the only country considering restricting social media use among young people.

Malaysia plans to ban children under 16 from having social media accounts in 2026. In Norway and Denmark, lawmakers have proposed laws that would ban social media accounts for children under 15.

A handful of US senators earlier this year introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act, which would bar social media platforms from allowing children under 13 years old to create or maintain accounts. The act would also bar platforms from using algorithms to target children under 17.

“Australia is stepping up to protect kids from the addictive and harmful content being constantly fed to them on social media. It’s now time for Congress to do the same and pass the Kids Off Social Media Act,” Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, a Democrat, said in a statement to Business Insider.




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World Cup 2026 ticket prices blow past original projections as FIFA embraces variable pricing

It’s been over 30 years since Americans have had the chance to watch their national soccer team play on their home turf.

They’ll get another chance next year, but it’ll cost them.

Fans could pay over $2,700 for a ticket to watch the USA’s first match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Paraguay, which is scheduled to take place in June at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

That far exceeds the estimated ticket prices included in the original joint bid submitted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to host the World Cup.

FIFA, which sets ticket prices, says it is using variable pricing to determine ticket costs, and “may adjust ticket prices throughout the sales phases based on a review of demand and availability for each match.”

The organization said it isn’t using dynamic pricing — when ticket prices change in real time based on demand and other factors — for the 2026 World Cup. In addition to third-party sites like StubHub, which sell tickets, FIFA offers a resale and exchange marketplace for fans.

FIFA launched its third phase of ticketing last week. Soon after the portal opened, fans took to social media, expressing shock over what they described as steep prices.

World Cup tickets are divided into four categories, with Category 1 selling the most expensive tickets and Category 4 the cheapest options.


Screenshot of 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket prices (third phase)

Ticket prices for the USA’s match against Paraguay on June 12.



FIFA



As of Saturday, there are no available Category 4 tickets for the USA’s opening match against Paraguay on June 12. Instead, the cheapest ticket is selling for $1,120 under Category 3. The most expensive ticket costs $2,735, followed by $1,940.

The most expensive ticket for Mexico’s opening match against South Africa costs $2,355, and Canada’s opening match costs $2,170. Neither of those matches is offering Category 4 tickets.

As the tournament continues, ticket prices drop but are typically still far above original estimates.

When the USA faces off against Australia on June 19, the most affordable ticket is $265, while the most expensive is selling for $700. When the USA plays on June 25, fans will have to pay between $910 and $340.

Those prices are a far cry from what the United States, Canada, and Mexico estimated in their bid to host the tournament. The countries submitted a combined bid — dubbed the “United bid” — and were selected in 2018.


Screenshot from the US, Mexico, and Canada's FIFA World Cup Bid Book

The Ticket Pricing Summary Table in the United bid book.



FIFA



In their pitch, the countries estimated that a Category 1 ticket for an opening match would cost $774, followed by $614 for Category 2, $320 for Category 3, and $60 for Category 4.

Tickets for the final match were estimated to cost between $1,550 and $128. Under FIFA, the current final match prices — held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — start at $4,185. The most costly ticket is $8,680.

Despite the hefty price, fans eager to snag tickets in this phase can purchase them now until January 13.

The 23rd edition of the tournament will take place this summer in 16 cities across North America. The first game kicks off on June 11, and teams will play until the final match on July 19.




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All my kids have grown up, so we’ve changed our holiday traditions. We scaled back on decorations and added a day of festivities.

Cookie baking, decorating, stuffing stockings, building a holiday village scene with Iron Man and Thor action figures — just like a huggable snowman discovered, everyone has traditions for that time of year.

We’re a blended family with kids ranging in age from 17 to mid-30s. As our kids have moved from being wide awake at 5:30 am to testing Santa to creating their own holiday magic as adults, our traditions have grown and changed with them. As a result, it’s all less stressful.

We’ve expanded the days of the holiday


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A Christmas Tweve holiday lunch with Christmas crackers and cassoulet.

Courtesy of the author



Right around Thanksgiving, I am reminded that it’s not just wonderful, it’s also a wacky and wearisome time of the year.

I grew up in blended families. By middle school, both of my parents had remarried, doubling the number of families to see during the festive season. By the fifth stop on a whirlwind Christmas Day in high school, my brother and I were stuffed with cookies and even burned out on opening presents.

For most of our 20-year marriage, I’ve felt like I’m reliving those teenage years all over again as we try to squeeze in his family, my multiple families, and the kids’ other family commitments into two overstuffed days of festive cheer.

As the kids got older and added commitments to their significant others and time for their own families, we realized Christmas is too short. Two days were just not enough time to cram in all the festivities and have at least a little time left for our family.

So, some years, we celebrate what we call “Christmas Tweve,” the day before Christmas Eve. We spend most of the day hanging out, having a festive feast, and then opening gifts. Sometimes we have a houseful overnight, and everyone stays up late watching Christmas movies and eating my feeble attempts at pancake art for breakfast.

We have scaled back the decorations


Advent calendar

Our Advent calendar is surrounded by my favorite decoration, kid’s artwork.

Courtesy of the author



We are down to two kids living at home, and the number of holiday decorations has reduced.

One year, we had multiple trees, each decorated in a different theme — a candy-themed 5-foot tree, a mini tree in the kids’ rooms, and a fancy ornament 7-foot tree.

There were two Christmas villages, one in the kitchen. The kitchen and living room looked like Christmas exploded in them. Every room had a few decorations — a tree, figurines, holiday towels, and a wreath on the door.

There was a time when seven of us were decorating. Now it’s down to four, and we’re focusing more on the nostalgic and sentimental decorations. Our tree is covered in ornaments from places we’ve traveled and the kids created.

I used to frame the sliding door in our kitchen with the kids’ artwork – cotton-ball snowmen, sparkly handprint reindeer, and a painted winter scene.

A few years ago, my youngest and I had a holiday moment of tension when I displayed elementary school artwork with their previous name. They’re nonbinary, and it bothered them seeing that name plastered all over the kitchen.

I got creative and modified my favorites — erasing letters, trimming corners, and folding back edges. Now I display favorites onl,y and it’s down to one wall shared with our Advent calendar.

Our Advent calendar changes along with our family


Dog advent calendar

One year the kids weren’t into the Advent calendar, so we did it with the dog instead.

Courtesy of the author



When the kids were younger, we had multiple Advent calendars — one with treats and one with toys. One year, it was Disney Tsum Tsums, there was “Star Wars” Lego, and then socks. A few years ago, no one was really interested, and we got one for the dog.

Now, our Advent calendar is a meaningful tradition. It’s the same one each year, and this year, my youngest helped shop for the candy, hopefully marking the start of a new tradition.

Our kids have started their own traditions


Holiday village with superheroes

Our kids have made our holiday village their own.

Courtesy of the author



When she was in college, my stepdaughter started making an annual ornament with a silly picture of herself. The perfect gift on a tight budget — inexpensive and very meaningful.

Now she’s a mom, married, and decorating her own place. Every year, my husband, the two youngest kids, and I put all 11 ornaments she’s created on the tree — her with Chipotle burritos, in a snow globe, and with her son.

A few years ago, our oldest came to stay when his spouse was out of town. I put him and his two younger siblings in charge of the holiday village.

When I heard my youngest rummaging through their toys, I knew the holiday village was going to have a different vibe than it had in past years. Lego minifigs, Power Rangers, and assorted superheroes perched on festive rooftops and hid in the snow.

Every stage of our kids’ lives means something new. Sometimes it’s capped with a major milestone, such as a driver’s license, wedding, or graduation, as a reminder to stop and savor this time.

With the holidays, there wasn’t a big event to mentally prepare for the change. Gradually, things were different — gone were the days of classroom holiday party crafts and a big group decorating the tree. Now it’s crafts from doggy day care, Christmas Tweve, and Spider-Man in the village. And I love it.




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My 2017 Volvo has more than 100,000 miles. It’s old, paid off, and perfect for my family.

When I bought my Volvo XC90 in 2017, I was thrilled to get a safe, third-row vehicle. With three kids between the ages of 3 and 8, the extra space meant fewer fights and more room, and reassured me that the car’s safety features would help me drive through snowy roads and city traffic.

Almost a decade later, that same Volvo has over 112,000 miles on it. I still remember when my family and I sat on the front porch, excited, as we watched the car get delivered from the truck.


New car being dropped off.

The author’s family was excited to see their car be delivered.

Courtesy of the author



These days, my kids have been asking me when I’m going to get a new car, and my answer remains the same — I love my car and I’m going to keep driving it.

The car is still reliable — and I trust it

Aside from regular maintenance and tire changes, the car has been reliable. Before the warranty expired, we purchased an extended warranty on the vehicle. Now that the extended warranty has expired due to mileage, I am still in awe at how reliable the car has remained.

Years ago, we appreciated that the trunk could hold the double stroller, and that the built-in booster seat allowed us to drive car pools with small children. These days, we appreciate the third-row flexibility that allows us to fit our skis, snowboards, soccer gear, backpacks, and all the other essentials my kids need.

I spend a lot of time in the car driving people around, and I am thankful for a car I can rely on.


Woman driving car

The author spends a lot of time in her car and finds it reliable.

Courtesy of the author



My mom used to say that the best car is one that reliably gets you from point A to point B. I still agree with this statement.

I appreciate the small safety features that I now take for granted. From the computer technology to the warning lights on the mirrors and back-up cameras, the car has helped keep my family safe on numerous occasions and helped me avoid some near accidents.

The car is part of our family. We have taken it on adventures to national parks, ski resorts in the Rockies, and even to an alligator farm. The vehicle has had its share of muddy shoes, candy wrappers, and dog hair. It also has dings from when I backed the car into the garage.

The economics don’t make sense for a new car right now

When my car is in the garage, the dealer provides me with a loaner car — a brand-new version of my current vehicle. I get tempted and think about how nice it would be to get a new car. The latest vehicles have more power, fewer scratches, are cleaner, and have that new-car smell.

I’ve crunched the numbers. After years of car payments, my car is now paid off. Every month that goes by without a car payment means more money toward saving for the future. More money for food, utilities, saving for college, and the occasional splurge. Saving money now means more financial freedom for tomorrow.

Buying a new car is expensive. Borrowing money for car payments these days costs more than it did in the past. Even yearly vehicle registration costs less for an older car.

Part of me feels proud to keep driving my older car

We live in a world that tells us that newer is better, that we should want more. Although external validation of a new car is nice, I am focusing on the internal satisfaction that comes from knowing I am saving money by driving an older car.

My car may not turn heads in the school pick-up line, but I view the scratches and door dings much like wrinkles- a sign of a good life.

I will continue to drive my older car, and I am thankful for a safe and reliable vehicle that has served my family well.




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My kids went to an outdoor elementary school with no art, music, or library. They loved it, but adjusting to public school was hard.

In 2019, my 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter were excited to start their first year of public school. But like millions of students in March of 2020, they never got to finish the school year.

The COVID pandemic closed the classrooms, forcing my husband and me to rethink how we wanted to handle our children’s education. An outdoor learning school at The Learning Tree, a local day care, became our solution.

The unique education exceeded our expectations in every way.

Why we chose an outdoor learning school

The pandemic made us nervous to send our kids back to school after summer break. We were told that if someone in their class contracted COVID, the entire class would shut down for two weeks. This wasn’t feasible for us as parents with full-time jobs, plus it would disrupt the learning experience for our kids.

That summer, the day care our kids attended prior to starting school announced a new opportunity: a K/1 program focused on interactive, accelerated education. It promised small class sizes (roughly 12 students per class), project-based and student-led learning, and academics balanced with outdoor activities and healthy habits.

Despite the $125 weekly tuition fee per child, we were sold on smaller classes, less exposure to others, and the included after-school care.

We enrolled our kids for the 2020-2021 school year: our daughter in kindergarten and our son in first grade. When the school added second grade the following year and then third grade the year after, we stayed.

We missed out on traditional opportunities, but gained so much more

We didn’t plan on sending our kids to a private program for most of their elementary school years. But after comparing what public school offered that The Learning Tree didn’t, and vice versa, the outdoor learning school was a no-brainer.


Alli hill's children at their outdoor learning school

The author’s kids loved their outdoor school.

Courtesy of Alli Hill



At The Learning Tree, there was no library, computer lab, or even a cafeteria. They didn’t have art, music, or gym classes. The playground was small, and there was no option for gifted testing.

However, they did have an in-ground swimming pool, and swimming was built into the curriculum during warm months. A mile-long nature trail and morning fitness exercises replaced the gym. Students helped to build gardens and grow food, which made its way into their lunches. Most notably, screen time was minimal — almost nonexistent.

There was also more parental involvement. We went kayaking on the river as part of a history lesson, and we always had special celebrations for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Instead of reading math word problems, they acted them out in real time with things like farmers’ markets and food prep. Projects, not worksheets, were a focal point for each grade. And since students played a role in their own education and pacing, there was no need for a separate “gifted” curriculum.

Transitioning back to the ‘real world’ was a tough lesson

The original K/1 program added a new grade each year, up to fifth grade. However, we pulled our children out when they started fourth grade to give them time to transition back into public education before middle school. Where we live, fifth grade is at the middle school, and we felt like jumping from outdoor learning to a public middle school would be too stressful.

Both of our kids already had lots of friends in public school, so it wasn’t completely unfamiliar to them. Still, it was challenging.

They went from spending most of the day outside to getting only 20 minutes of recess. Classes were much larger, so they didn’t have the opportunity to learn at their own pace. They had more rules and a more rigid structure to follow. There was more sitting and busywork than they were used to.

They missed the kindness and genuine interest of their teachers at their old school. They also lacked the opportunities to guide their own education and pursue their own interests in the classroom.

While we loved our time at the outdoor learning school, all good things must end. Our kids gained a solid foundation of work ethic, self-discovery, and leadership that continues to help them in and out of the classroom, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat — pandemic or no pandemic.




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My mother is spending the holidays with me for the first time in years. I’m struggling with the added costs and to-dos.

I have not spent Christmas with my mother in more than a decade. We have spent our Christmases apart simply because of geography. We’ve been living on opposite sides of the country: a five-hour flight or a 26-hour car ride through unpredictable weather.

So, she’s kept to herself for the holidays, and I’ve become the keeper of Christmas for my immediate family. Even as my sons grew up and moved away, taking on their own roles to make our holidays special, I’m still the list-maker, the “don’t forget” reminder, and the decider in all things.

My four sons, all between 25 and 31 years old, have helped lighten my load over the years, especially as their partners have come onto the scene. Christmas was just starting to take on a new, easier shape.

But this year, my mother lost her husband of nearly 40 years, so she’s coming to visit, and I’m realizing how far I will need to stretch my budget.

I have to be my mother’s Santa this year

At first, I didn’t really think about how my mother’s arrival might change my own role for the holidays. I just thought about my mom, exhausted and heartbroken and unmoored by the loss of the husband she has lived with for more than half her life.

But as she gets ready to fly to me for Christmas, I’m realizing she’s going to need me to be her Santa.

My mom needs a Santa. She has suffered this year in a way I cannot even imagine. She needs soothing; she needs to be reintroduced to a big family Christmas. She needs a stocking filled with fun, thoughtful trinkets. She needs me to make this year extra magical, and honestly, I’m worried I’m not up to the task.

I’m struggling to keep up with everything this Christmas

I’m finding this Christmas overwhelming because everyone in the family needs me for different reasons. My kids need me to bring them together, to cook for them and bake for them, and organize a big rental space for the group of us.


Jennifer McGuire and her four sons

The author and her four sons usually spend Christmas together.

Courtesy of Jennifer McGuire



I’m also paying attention to everyone’s finances, thinking about who is doing well and who is not. I’m thinking about who might need a bit more and how I can give a bit more without playing favorites. How can I afford a bit more?

This is, perhaps, the crux of Christmas this year. The weight of giving to my children and my mother when they all need more. Whether it’s holiday gifts, time, or food, everyone needs me to be their person this year.

Even though everyone in the house will be a grown-up, I’m left feeling, for all intents and purposes, like the only grown-up for the holidays.

I’m struggling financially

I’m worried that I simply cannot afford to be Santa for everyone — not this year. Like many others, I have lost job after job in 2025. I am swimming just below the surface of losing everything, and I can’t seem to come up for air.

I know that no one in my family expects a lot for Christmas, but even a little something to make the day special for each person who so deeply deserves it will be a struggle. There are 10 people in our family, and $100 each means $1,000. We all know that $100 each is next to no budget at all.

And so this year, I’m getting creative. I’m buying secondhand gifts. I’m trying to become a crafty person to create something meaningful for all of my loved ones. I’m wishing I had helpful elves to take on some of my Santa tasks. I’m actively choosing to leave the stress of trying to find work at the door until after the holiday. I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying.

I’m focusing on giving my mother support

My mother’s first Christmas as a widow can’t be consumed by my own stress. She needs comfort. She needs family. She needs joy. Luckily, all of that is free.

She needs me to be the grown-up in the house. She needs me to be Santa. They all do, and I refuse to buckle under the weight of it.

Instead, I’m going to choose to feel grateful that I have all of this love in my life.




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After 3 tech layoffs, I knew I had to lean into being a founder

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelly Withers, 36, who lives outside Detroit and is the founder of Carmu, a yoga mat startup. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

About seven years ago, I was in my 20s and getting divorced. I was a single mom to a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, with no outside help. I had no place to live and no full-time job. So I started coming up with ideas as fast as I could. How am I going to take care of these two kids? I felt alone.

At that time, I was doing photography to help restaurants build their brands. Then I went to a yoga class. When I walked in, every person had the same mat and the same outfit. I started thinking about my mom and how she raised us to be individuals and stand out. I had this idea that since I was designing so many things already, I would go home and try to design a mat so I could feel more like myself when I went to class.

About a week before I went to place my order for all the mat designs, the pandemic hit, and I was back to square one. I also lost my photography clients, because restaurants were shuttered. I panicked because I had two tiny humans relying on me.

So, I started teaching myself design for tech, because it seemed much more lucrative. From everything I’ve ever heard, you go into the corporate world — that’s how you have a comfortable life.

I got a syllabus from an online boot camp, but I couldn’t afford it. So, I bought a book on every topic. Then I hired a tutor for 30 minutes at a time to go over my work and my portfolio, to make sure I was doing it right. He worked at Microsoft. He told me how much money I would potentially make as a junior designer. I remember thinking, “Well, I’m going to have to pretend I’m a senior designer.”

Pretty much on my first interview, I got a corporate job doing UX design as a lead designer. I was bullshitting, so it was a little nerve-racking. Whenever I had a project, I’d run it by the tutor, just praying that I didn’t get busted. I caught on quickly, and it was fine. I did that for a couple of years.

The layoffs

Eventually, there was a lot less work. So, I started panicking.

I found another job, so then I had two. Sure enough, about a month later, layoffs hit, and our whole team from the first job got wiped out.

People talk about corporate life and how that gives you security. In my experience, you’re handing over your control, your finances, your future — and it’s still a gamble. I can’t live my life constantly betting on somebody else and somebody else’s company.

I’ve always been into design. I want to build something tangible. I ordered about 250 mats to start. The idea was that I would continue working in tech, and then I would soft-launch these as my side hustle. That way, if I ever got laid off again, I’d have some security.

The day my yoga mats got delivered to my house, I got laid off. I looked at it as a sign: Go all in. You have some savings. See what you can do. Within about a month, I sold out.

I was like, “Now what am I going to do?” They’re made outside the US, so it takes a while for them to get here. I took the few mats that I had left and reached out to style editors.

Doubling down

I took the rest of my savings, and I bought 1,000 mats. It was a scary moment because I was living off those savings, too.

People talk about entrepreneurship and say, “Oh, it’s so risky.” Well, it isn’t. If you have the product, I like to think of it as a calculated risk. At this point, if I’m being honest, it was the only way I could think of making money, as I could not get a job interview.

The company is named after my mom, Carolyn Mulligan, who passed away 10 years ago after she was hit by a car on her bicycle. She had just been on my mind, and I’m convinced that because she was so strong, she has something to do with how this is working out.

The day I launched, in May, I sent out this post on Instagram to announce it. My friend called me and said to open up Vogue. Hailey Bieber was on the yoga mat in the magazine. About a week later, GQ wrote about Carmu. From there, it was just enough leverage where I could take it all over the place. We got into Goop, and we got into Anthropology in Europe. It’s just crazy because it’s been such a little amount of time.

When I got the next shipment of mats, I hadn’t had an interview in tech for a year. With my business, I was profitable from day one.

The big question now is whether I want to have outside investment or do it myself. I believe I could find outside investment. Have I been traumatized in handing over control of my life to other people? Yeah. I don’t know if I’m ready to give up control of anything right now, just because of how everything has gone.

Do you have a story to share about your career? Contact this reporter at tparadis@businessinsider.com.




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