Emojis—heart-shaped eyes and twinkling hearts might not seem like much, but to Millennials, they’re everything.

92% of online consumers use emojis, while 30% of Millennials can’t go a day without using them. Die-hard emoji users say “emojis express their feelings more accurately than words.”

Why should you care? The emoji phenomenon has real implications for business. With Millennials possessing $200B+ in annual spending power, engaging the Millennial demographic is now more important than ever.

If you want to engage them, you’ll have to speak their language—of which emojis are a primary part. But with 1,800+ emoji symbols supported on current platforms, the task is easier said than done. And there’s nothing more embarrassing than an emoji faux pas.

Luckily, here to guide you in the treacherous realm of emojis is one Millennial native, who is actually an emoji app developer giving us an inside look at emojis straight from the source.

Meet Thomas Ma, a recent college grad and the co-founder of Sapphire Apps, which creates custom-branded emoji keyboards for celebrities and influencers. Though the company launched just one year ago, Sapphire Apps boasts an impressive rolodex of clients, including Lindsay Lohan, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, and YouTube sensation Bart Baker, who has 9M+ subscribers.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Ma shares how brands can leverage emojis to increase brand awareness and engagement among Millennials.

According to Ma, he was able to enroll high-profile clientele as a startup company with cold emails because of the sheer amount of Millennial interest there is around emojis.

“Imagine you are a celebrity with 1M followers. I would contact your agent and say ‘Hey, I noticed you have a lot of followers and that’s great but you can do better if you have a personalized app with your name on it’,” Ma says.

The emoji insider says all brands today can benefit from becoming emoji-savvy and implementing them in strategic ways. The average client Ma works with experiences a surge in visibility and engagement after introducing emojis, which ultimately boosts revenue.

Below, learn seven powerful ways you can use emojis to grow your business.

1. Put Emojis In Email Subject Lines. Brands who use emoji in their subject line experience a 56% higher open rate than brands who don’t. Emojis stand out in a crowded inbox—they are compelling and eye-catching. Plus, they can convey emotion and save space on a subject line, helping you target 49 characters or less to increase click-through rate by 75%. Make sure the emojis you use are relevant to your subject, and remember fewer emojis are better.

2. Introduce Emoji Hashtags. If you want to engage your social media audience, using emojis in a hashtag can help increase your brand awareness drastically. The American Music Awards #AMAs hashtags featuring emojis of stars like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and One Direction generated 14 billion impressions. Create a signature emoji hashtag for your brand to promote more engagement.

3. Create An Emoji Call To Action. Remember when Domino’s Pizza gave customers the ability to place an order by texting a pizza emoji and it went viral? Talk about understanding your customer. You can replicate Domino’s success by introducing an emoji call to action for your brand. Pair an emoji with a popular product you sell and allow customers to rapid-order the product by sending your company a text via cell phone or Facebook Messenger.

4. Get Rapid Customer Feedback. Emojis are ‘fast data’—they can help you understand how your customer feels in an instant. “There’s a huge data implication around emojis,” says Rob Pace, founder of the tech platform HundredX, which recently launched an app that collects customer feedback through emojis. You can capitalize on emojis to help you improve your products and services by sending out surveys with emotion-based emojis.

5. Launch A Branded Emoji. There’s a reason why top companies like General Electric, Dove, Mentos, and Comedy Central have released branded emoji keyboards. They allow you to connect and relate to your audience in a more personal way, ultimately leading to more sales. Not to mention, you can retail a branded emoji keyboard on the app store as an additional revenue stream—messaging app Line generates $270M+ a year through emoji sticker sales.

“When I got in touch with a couple of our early clients, I told them they needed to take advantage of this great opportunity. We launched 3 [custom-branded] apps this year,” Ma says.

6. Don’t Go Overboard. While emojis can help your brand, they can also hurt it when used incorrectly. When Goldman Sachs tweeted 20+ emojis in a single tweet, user’s comments indicated they weren’t impressed; many were put off and felt the company was trying too hard. Be tactful in your emoji usage by limiting your content to just a few emojis.

7. Lean Towards Popular Emojis. In order to get the most engagement, use popular emojis that your audience will recognize and love. Obscure emojis are less likely to result in engagement, so steer clear. 2016’s most popular emojis were the laughing face with tears, the red heart, and the clapping hands. The most-used emojis change by month, according to seasons and holidays, so factor festivity into your emoji content for the best results.

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Think you’re not cut out for entrepreneurship? Think again.

This Millennial stay-at-home-mom-of-three with no business experience launched a 6-figure company out of her home in her spare time.

Meet Kiera Fogg, the founder of Little Box Of Rocks, an innovative ‘bouquet’ company that sends crystal bouquets to recipients instead of flowers. Because there’s no better way to say ‘I love you’ than with a heartfelt box of rocks.

There’s a ‘bouquet’ for just about every occasion—you can send loving Rose Quartz on Mother’s Day, fortuitous Citrine as a ‘thank you’ gift, and soothing Amethyst to help someone get well soon.

With a tagline like “the bouquet that lasts forever,” the Little Box Of Rocks has bashed expectations and turned heads. It’s been endorsed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, and Oprah, and been featured in People, Vogue and The Today Show.

So what made Fogg’s company such a hit?

Fogg says her secret was her willingness to act on a crazy-seeming business idea that came to her when she was bathing her 6-month-old in the tub. “The idea literally came to me in one of those moments of inspiration that you hear about,” Fogg says. “The name ‘Little Box Of Rocks’ popped into my head and I got chills. I knew exactly what it was, sending crystals the way we typically send flowers. I thought, if nobody’s doing this, I have to give it a try.”

How many times have we all dismissed these bursts of inspiration because they seem too “out there” or we doubt they will resonate with anyone?

Here’s the kicker—Fogg wasted no time in executing on her idea. In just one year, Fogg was able to launch her online business as a stay-at-home-mom with no prior business experience.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Fogg shares the practices that were integral to her success.

Refurbish The Old

If you’re stuck trying to decide on a business concept, Fogg recommends to look no further than a timeless trend that could use an update. The benefit to this strategy is that you can piggyback off of the positive attitudes people already have towards the concept, like gifting flowers, and generate interest about your offering by introducing a unique twist, like gifting crystals.

In deciding how to refurbish, lean towards something that is popular and relevant today. Fogg was successful because crystals are currently making a comeback in mainstream culture today. If you can bridge a beloved tradition and a rising trend, you may be able to replicate her success.

DIY

Fogg’s story is so inspiring because she represents humble roots—she didn’t have an entourage of branding specialists, professional photographers, or website designers. She was simply a stay-at-home-mom who wanted to earn more income online.

Fogg says she taught herself everything she needed to know to launch a business. “I took all my product pictures on my kitchen counter. People don’t realize when they’re looking at a glossy website that that’s actually possible. It’s not this insurmountable thing. You can Google it, take it to your kitchen counter, and figure out how to light it and edit it properly,” Fogg says.

The mom-of-three warns to watch out for Fairy Godmother Syndrome, wherein you’re relying on others to take action for you. In an age where most startups are looking to full-service branding and marketing agencies to assist them, Fogg is a mythbuster who reminds us that you can actually accomplish everything on your own. Educate yourself and make use of all of the resources at your disposal and you will be successful.

I can remember just a year ago when, by chance, I found myself having a conversation with a woman affiliated with the United Nations. I began to open up to her about my vision for reimagining higher education.

I recognized there wasn’t anything logical about why she should be interested in my idea. I didn’t have much to show for it like a fancy website, sponsors or a big social media presence, but I did have one thing that set me apart—passion. I was able to convey my “why” behind my project, the burning need I felt for the education system to expand its horizons to prepare students for nontraditional career paths. She was immediately enrolled, and on the spot she invited me to present my idea to the UN in 3 weeks.

This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten doors to open for me simply because the other person could feel the passion in my heart behind my idea. In fact, it’s the #1 thing that’s set me apart and helped my businesses take flight in the world.

That’s because the culture around business is shifting—as Simon Sinek famously said, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

The classic elevator pitch, in which we share “what” we do, is outdated. People are no longer swayed by a list of credentials; they are desensitized to it. Instead, they want to feel something when you share your idea, which is why your cause is the first thing you should lead with.

94% of Millennials today would switch brands to support a cause. It’s clear—the trend is towards impact and service.

So how do you craft a pitch that instantly enrolls others in your “why”? One entrepreneur whose “why” is spreading like wildfire can teach you.

Meet Jack Delosa, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and the founder and CEO of The Entourage, Australia’s largest education institution for entrepreneurs, which has over 300,000 members. He’s also a two-time bestselling author, has been featured in popular publications like GQ and Men’s Health, and has over 10,000 hours of speaking experience for audiences like TEDx, AMEX, Virgin, and Microsoft.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Delosa shares why enrolling others in the “why” behind your business is the most effective way to generate support for your company.

Below, read Delosa’s tips to craft a powerful, 60-second pitch for your business that conveys your purpose and invites others to align with your vision.

1. Understand your audience. In order to create a vision that resonates with others, you need to understand who it is you’re serving and what it is that they crave. “I want to know what frustrates my audience, what problems they have that they talk to their friends about, problems they don’t talk to anyone about, the fears and reluctances that hold them back, their immediate desires and their dreams,” Delosa says.

“Go deep into the hearts and minds of your audience so that you can best speak to them, connect with them, market to them, sell to them, serve them, and retain them.” When you seek to empathize with your audience, you will learn how to strike a chord of resonance with them so they will care about your company and stand behind you.

As a young entrepreneur at eighteen, I made just about every mistake in the book. The thing was, at the time, by achieving early success I thought I had it all figured out.

Like so many entrepreneurs first starting out, I was hungry for success and eager to make my mark on the world being my own boss and starting my first venture. I had all the right intentions, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the perspective to stay grounded in what really mattered.

In some ways, I lost myself in the pursuit of success, working impossibly long hours, swept up in the “hustle and grind” mentality. I drilled my health into the ground, neglected relationships, and was unable to feel fulfilled when the time came to actually celebrate having “made it”.

78% of successful entrepreneurs today say that learning from previous failures is essential. Having the foresight to avoid costly mistakes can save you years of wasted time, life force, and energy, as well as help you to make informed decisions that result in maximum ROI.

That’s why I’ve consulted a fellow millennial entrepreneur with five successful companies under his belt to shed some light on what matters most as an entrepreneur, so you can find the right footing from the beginning.

Meet Zion Kim, the president of Maverick NEXT, a network for exceptional entrepreneurs age 25 and under. In addition to operating an impressive portfolio of ventures, he’s developed marketing strategies for namesake brands like Dell, and served as an advisor for tech startups to 7, 8, and 9-figure companies. Kim is also the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Rutgers University Entrepreneur Award.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Kim lends his perspective as a seasoned entrepreneur, sharing what he wish he had known when he got started and what he would have done differently on his way to the top if he could have had the foresight beforehand.

Below, see Kim’s five tips to keep in mind as you prepare to ascend the summit of entrepreneurial success.

1. Do What You Most Love Doing.

It’s a common misperception that in order to be doing work, or “getting something done,” the task needs to be hard. We have had it drilled into us that work is a “grind,” so we seek work from this place and measure our performance or output by the amount of hard exertion we have done.

Kim encourages us to embrace that work and achievement can be fun, playful, effortless, and the thing we love doing most, because this is where we can access our most valuable gifts and thus where we can provide the greatest contribution.

“We have those things that when we’re doing them they come with such ease. Being in flow. Time passes and you don’t even notice. Certain gifts you have are unlocked easier and pour out of you easier—this is where you are meant to work,” Kim says.

2. Don’t Do It For Validation.

Here’s a sobering dose of truth—if you’re looking to achieve success for your ego, or to feel like you’ve finally “made it,” no amount of external praise will satisfy you. Why? Because you are coming from a place of emptiness, a place of proving, as if your own worth is not self-stated.

Be honest with yourself about the place you are coming from in your pursuit of success. When you catch yourself seeking validation, remember to press pause and ground yourself in the truth of who you are.

3. Be Open To Trying New Things.

When you’re first starting out, knowing exactly what you’re meant to do or where you’re meant to serve can be unclear. Kim recommends to try as many new things as possible. You don’t know what you love until you try it, and you might be surprised by what arises when you give something a chance.

Eventually, Kim says, you’ll land on the thing that’s meant for you and you’ll be ready for it. The diverse skills you will have accumulated along the way will have prepared you for it perfectly. Each skill you develop is an asset and will serve you in unexpected ways.