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Weekly Perspective
October 12, 2026
Adapted or Fade Away
The evolution of business is rife with stories of reinvention. As business models evolve, companies innovate, restructure, and adapt to survive. Some companies see change coming and stay ahead of the curve, others recognize change late and work to adapt, and some never adapt. See what you know about how business has changed and how it can affect consumers by taking this brief quiz.
1. The combination of high-speed internet and digital devices caused streaming to gain popularity. Why wait seven days for a new episode when you can devour an entire season in one sitting? Binge-watching became a way of life. Now, the industry is evolving, and weekly episodes are making a comeback. What’s behind the change, according to research from Carnegie Mellon University?
a) A slow-drip schedule helps companies retain subscribers.
b) Viewers visit the platform more and watch other content.
c) Discussions about weekly shows generate buzz.
d) All of the above.
2. Rock stars once built fortunes on album sales. Streaming upended that business model. With royalties shrinking, many artists now earn most of their income on the road, from live shows and merchandise sales. In 2020, how many times each month did a musician need their songs to be played on a streaming service to earn the equivalent of a full-time $15-an hour job, according to Geoff Bennett of PBS News?
a) 8,000
b) 80,000
c) 800,000
d) 8 million
3. Clothing retailers are trying to cope with a surprising change: growing demand for previously owned clothing. The market for secondhand apparel grew by 19 percent in the United States in 2025, and some retailers are introducing resale programs. What type of buyer is primarily driving the change, according to Dan Berthiaume of Chain Store Age?
a) Retirees on a budget
b) Boomers seeking bargains
c) Gen Z and millennial thrifters
d) High School students with allowances
4. The subscription business model isn't new. It dates back to the 1600s, when publishers sold books by subscription in Britain, Ireland, and British America. Today, fast internet and apps have turned subscriptions into a way of life. CNET researched the state of subscriptions. How much did it find U.S. adults spend on unused subscriptions each year?
a) $157
b) $252
c) $376
d) $490
From entertainment viewing to secondhand closets, business models change quickly. When companies adapt early, they can turn disruption into opportunity.
Answers: 1) d; 2) c; 3) c; 4) b
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, a registered investment advisor. Private Advisor Group and Parks Wealth Management are separate entities from LPL Financial.
* Government bonds and Treasury Bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. However, the value of fund shares is not guaranteed and will fluctuate.
* Corporate bonds are considered higher risk than government bonds but normally offer a higher yield and are subject to market, interest rate, and credit risk as well as additional risks based on the quality of issuer coupon rate, price, yield, maturity, and redemption features.
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* All indexes referenced are unmanaged. The volatility of indexes could be materially different from that of a client’s portfolio. Unmanaged index returns do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment. You cannot invest directly in an index.
* The Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index covers approximately 95% of the market capitalization of the 45 developed and emerging countries included in the Index.
* The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
* Gold represents the afternoon gold price as reported by the London Bullion Market Association. The gold price is set twice daily by the London Gold Fixing Company at 10:30 and 15:00 and is expressed in U.S. dollars per fine troy ounce.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998.
* The DJ Equity All REIT Total Return Index measures the total return performance of the equity subcategory of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry as calculated by Dow Jones.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow,” is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of The Wall Street Journal.
* The NASDAQ Composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system.
* International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks are often heightened for investments in emerging markets.
* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.
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* Economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
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* This is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor.
* These views are those of Carson Coaching, and not the presenting Representative, the Representative’s Broker/Dealer, or Registered Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice.
* This newsletter was prepared by Carson Coaching. Carson Coaching is not affiliated with the named firm.
Sources:
https://www.pew.org/en/trust/archive/summer-2026/ken-burns-finds-hope-in-americas-divided-past
https://www.nps.gov/articles/anti-suffragism-in-the-united-states.htm or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2026/10-12-26-Barrons-Stocks-Are-At-Record-Highs%20-3.pdf
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/text/page24_text.html
https://www.barrons.com/articles/stocks-record-highs-volatility-d2b9b436 or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2026/10-12-26-Axios%20-%205.pdf
https://www.axios.com/media-trends-membership/2026/06/13/streaming-binge-weekly-release
https://www.heinz.cmu.edu/media/2025/August/for-video-on-demand-platforms-release-strategy-matters
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/musicians-push-back-on-dwindling-payments-from-streaming-services
https://chainstoreage.com/thredup-us-resale-apparel-hit-788m-2030-10-most-shopped-resale-brands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publication_by_subscription
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/subscription-survey-2026/
https://hub.jhu.edu/2014/05/29/commencement-wisdom-wojcicki/