Open Source Scheduling Software: The Future Of Business Efficiency

August 25, 2023

Every business, big or small, grapples with the task of scheduling and coordination. From allocating resources and planning tasks to ensuring that every team member is on the same page, scheduling is a crucial yet often underappreciated aspect of business operations. Enter the transformative potential of open-source scheduling software.

In this guide, we will delve deep into its remarkable capabilities and why it’s the next big thing your business needs.

Basics of Open-Source

Open source software, often a buzzword in tech conversations, is more than just a trend. It’s a movement. Offering unparalleled flexibility, it comes with a promise of transparency and an often attractive price tag.

Adapt and Overcome – One significant advantage of open-source scheduling software is adaptability. Companies can tweak and modify the software, ensuring that it fits their unique needs like a glove. Unlike proprietary systems that come with a ‘what you see is what you get’ approach, open-source offers a canvas for businesses to paint their solutions.

Crystal Clear Operations – Transparency is another feather in the cap for open source calendaring software. With access to the source code, businesses gain an in-depth understanding of the software’s inner workings. This clarity ensures operations are transparent, and businesses can be confident that there aren’t any hidden processes.

Savings and Control – From a financial perspective, open-source can be a game-changer. Compare the costs of proprietary software licenses and the free or low-cost nature of open source, and the savings are evident. But it’s not just about upfront costs; open-source appointment scheduling tools offer better control over expenses in the long run.

Redefining Business Operations

Open-source calendaring software isn’t just another tool in your arsenal; it’s the weapon that can redefine your business operations.

Ease of Administration.

Administrative tasks, while essential, can be tedious. Automating these processes reduces the chances of manual errors and ensures that businesses operate smoothly. An open-source scheduler is designed to make these tasks more manageable, letting businesses focus on what they do best.

Optimal Resource Use.

Resource allocation is no longer a game of guesswork. With open source scheduling software, businesses can ensure efficient resource distribution. Whether it’s human resources or tangible assets, open-source tools provide clarity, ensuring maximum productivity.

Teamwork Made Easy.

In today’s globalized world, collaboration is the key to success. Open-source calendaring software promotes a shared workspace ethos, ensuring that regardless of where your team members are, they’re synchronized and in harmony.

Virtual Teams and Connectivity

The age of remote work has dawned, and with it, the need for tools that bridge distances. Open source appointment scheduling software is at the forefront of this change.

Digital Workplace Revolution.

The contemporary business landscape thrives within digital realms, where the convergence of technology and commerce is paramount. As the trend of remote work continues to gain traction, a profound transformation in the dynamics of workplace collaboration has emerged. The dispersion of teams across various time zones has necessitated the development of innovative tools that facilitate seamless synchronization.

Communication Uninterrupted.

In this context, the significance of uninterrupted communication cannot be overstated. The advent of open-source scheduling solutions has paved the way for a harmonious flow of interaction, effortlessly transcending geographical boundaries. These tools serve as the bridge that diminishes the impact of physical distances, ensuring that the exchange of ideas and information remains unhindered, thereby bolstering overall productivity and fostering a cohesive work environment.

Project Execution Perfected.

However, the efficacy of any business venture hinges upon the flawless execution of projects. This is where the prowess of open-source appointment scheduling truly shines. Enabling the systematic allocation of tasks, adherence to timelines, and fostering a unified sense of purpose among team members, these scheduling platforms perfect the art of project execution. With each team member seamlessly integrated into the shared objectives, businesses can navigate the complexities of the digital age with precision and finesse.

Choosing Your Open-Source Tool

The market is flooded with options, but how do you pick the right open-source calendaring software for your business?

Growth-Aligned Scalability – As your business grows, your tools should keep pace. Scalability is crucial. Whether you’re a startup or an established entity, ensure that the open-source scheduler you choose can evolve with you.

Community at its Core – A robust community often backs open-source software. This community can be a treasure trove of support, offering solutions, updates, and enhancements that can be invaluable to your business.

Stay Updated – In the digital age, updates are inevitable and essential. The frequency of software updates is a criterion you shouldn’t overlook. Regular updates not only introduce new features but also rectify existing issues.

Integration is Key – Your open source scheduling software should play well with other tools in your toolkit. Check for integration capabilities, ensuring that your scheduler can seamlessly merge with other software.

Safety First – In a world rife with digital threats, data security cannot be compromised. Before committing to any tool, delve into its security features, ensuring your data remains protected.

ROI and Business Growth

Efficiency and productivity are not mere buzzwords; they directly impact your bottom line.

Operational Mastery.

Operational efficiency is the lifeline of any business. With streamlined scheduling, tasks are completed faster, resources are better managed, and your business runs like a well-oiled machine.

Productivity Peaks.

When operations are efficient, productivity peaks. A well-planned schedule, backed by powerful open-source appointment scheduling, ensures that every hour counts.

Investing for Growth.

All the operational efficiency and productivity culminate in tangible business growth. The return on investment (ROI) on open-source schedulers is evident in not just financial growth but also in business expansion and reputation enhancement.

As we stand on the precipice of technological advancements, it’s clear that the future of efficient business operations is intertwined with open-source scheduling software. Embracing this change ensures that businesses are not only prepared for the future but are also equipped to shape it.

The Correlation Between Personal Branding & Business Success

Contributor

August 25, 2023

by Dr. Laurie Moroco, Certified Business Coach, Keynote Speaker & Corporate Trainer

Personal branding goes beyond traditional marketing strategies — it is about shaping a unique identity that resonates with the target audience, fosters trust, and sets individuals apart as thought leaders in their respective industries. Understanding the correlation between personal branding and business success is vital for entrepreneurs seeking to cultivate credibility, attract opportunities, and build a loyal customer base.

This boils down to authenticity, which leads to genuine relationships with potential employers or customers. In a world where authenticity and connection hold paramount significance, personal branding has become a linchpin for entrepreneurs looking to stand out amidst the noise and create lasting impacts.

Understanding the importance of personal branding

At the core of personal branding lies the cultivation of credibility and trust. Entrepreneurs who establish a well-defined personal brand project an image of reliability and authenticity by consistently showcasing their expertise, sharing valuable insights, and highlighting past achievements. This allows them to solidify their credibility and elevate their reputation in the market.

Beyond credibility, a compelling personal brand also acts as a magnet for opportunities and networking. As you continue to position yourself as a recognized expert in your field, doors open to partnerships, collaborations, and speaking engagements. A strong personal brand attracts invitations to industry events, conferences, and media appearances, expanding an entrepreneur’s reach and impact.

By humanizing the individual behind the business, personal branding fosters connections with like-minded professionals, paving the way for valuable networking opportunities and beneficial collaborations that can fuel business growth. This relatability encourages trust and loyalty, as consumers are more inclined to support brands led by individuals with genuine perspectives and a commitment to delivering value.

Crafting your authentic brand identity

Crafting an authentic brand identity is the foundation of personal branding, enabling entrepreneurs to establish a unique and compelling presence in the market. This process involves delving into one’s personal history and experiences to uncover the defining moments that shape their journey. By integrating these authentic elements into their brand story, entrepreneurs create a captivating narrative that resonates with their target audience.

For example, Casey Neistat, one of the most famous YouTubers, has been developing his brand since the early 2000s and was one of the first adopters of YouTube for vlogging. His brand is simple: “Rebel against all conventions and do what you can’t.” Because of his intelligent and different approach to filming, he’s been invited to countless conferences, has been asked to review hundreds of products (mostly related to videography or technology), and has successfully started several small businesses. More importantly, his brand is unabashedly him, so sticking to it (like how his website simply redirects you to other forms of social media) is easy.

Embracing vulnerability and authenticity is a powerful way to connect with the audience on a human level. Today’s consumer wants that vulnerability to cut through the noise of being sold to. Share your successes as well as your setbacks, and create a sense of relatability and transparency. This authenticity fosters trust and admiration from their audience, as people appreciate genuine individuals who showcase their growth journey.

It’s also important to showcase your expertise and skill set. A successful brand identity balances selling their intellectual value, while also staying authentic and vulnerable. Entrepreneurs should ensure that their brand story reflects their genuine selves, without creating a stark separation between their personal and professional lives. By integrating both aspects, you can create a cohesive narrative that resonates deeply with your audience.

Building an engaging online presence

Social media platforms serve as dynamic and accessible tools for personal branding. Entrepreneurs should strategically select platforms that align with their target audience and industry. By curating content that reflects their brand identity and resonates with their followers, they can cultivate a devoted community around their personal brand. Engaging consistently and authentically with their audience, responding to comments, and sharing valuable insights will solidify their position as a trustworthy thought leader.

Moreover, a professional website acts as the digital hub of your personal brand. It should showcase the brand identity, values, expertise, and achievements in a visually appealing and user-friendly manner. With a compelling “About Me” page that shares your unique story and a portfolio highlighting successful projects and collaborations, you can leave a lasting impression on visitors. Providing contact information and social media links simplifies the process for potential partners, clients, or investors to reach out and connect.

There are many other ways to create and maintain an online presence (like blogging, vlogging, or publishing articles in reputable outlets), but what’s important to remember is that — no matter what kind of online content you publish — it must be true to you and reflect the brand you are creating.

Cultivating thought leadership

Thought leadership begins with the creation of compelling and valuable content. Entrepreneurs should focus on producing high-quality articles, blog posts, whitepapers, or research papers that address pertinent industry challenges, trends, and emerging topics. By offering well-researched and data-driven content, thought leaders earn the trust and admiration of their audience.

Regularly sharing thought-provoking content through blogs or guest posts on reputable platforms showcases their expertise and dedication to driving positive change in their field. Or even public speaking, even if it’s for some events, can garner more opportunities.

For example, Tony Robbins, whether you hate him or love him, has done an excellent job at positioning himself as a thought leader in financial self-help. He’s also a good example of adjusting his brand — rebranding — to fit the needs of the audience. Instead of being the loud, boisterous man from the 90s, he’s now significantly more subdued and vulnerable.

In a world where personal connections and authenticity resonate with consumers and professionals alike, personal branding emerges as a cornerstone of success. As entrepreneurs continue to cultivate their authentic brand identities and leverage them for growth, they solidify their positions as trusted authorities, leaving a profound impact on their industries and achieving sustainable business success. With dedication, strategic vision, and a commitment to continuous improvement, entrepreneurs can embark on a journey of personal branding that propels them toward prosperity in the digital era and beyond.

Dr. Laurie Moroco has always been an advocate of competent and effective communication, which she believes equips people with tools for successful personal and professional relationships. Currently serving as an Assistant Dean of Instruction at a prominent college in Colorado, Dr. Moroco continues to make a significant impact as a professor, certified master, business strategist, and corporate leadership trainer.

6 Key Elements Of A Chronological Resume Format

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August 24, 2023

A well-crafted resume is your passport to the professional world, a ticket that opens doors to career opportunities. Among the various resume formats, the chronological resume stands as a classic choice, presenting your work history in a clear and coherent timeline. In this post, we’ll delve into the key elements that constitute an effective chronological resume.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting, understanding these elements will help you create a resume that highlights your strengths and accomplishments.

1. Header and Contact Information.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and so does your resume. At the very top, place your header, which includes your full name, professional title, phone number, email address, and optionally, a link to your LinkedIn profile. Make sure this information is accurate and up-to-date. Your header is the gateway to your resume; it’s crucial to make a strong first impression.

2. Professional Summary.

Right after your contact information, provide a concise professional summary. This is your elevator pitch—a brief paragraph that encapsulates your career goals, skills, and key achievements. Tailor this summary to the job you’re applying for, highlighting how your experience aligns with the role’s requirements. It’s the best resume format to quickly grab the hiring manager’s attention.

3. Work Experience.

The heart of a chronological resume lies in the detailed account of your work experience. List your previous jobs in reverse chronological order — starting with your most recent position and working backwards. For each job, include the following details:

Job Title: Clearly state your job title.
Company: Mention the name of the company you worked for.
Dates: Include the start and end dates of your employment.
Responsibilities: Outline your main duties and responsibilities in bullet points. Focus on quantifiable achievements and use action verbs to emphasize your contributions.
Achievements: Highlight significant accomplishments, awards, or recognition you received during your tenure.

By presenting your work history this way, you provide a clear narrative of your professional growth over time.

4. Education.

After your work experience, detail your educational background. Include the name of the institution, degree earned, major, graduation date, and any relevant honours or distinctions. If you’re a recent graduate or if your education is highly relevant to the position you’re seeking, you can place this section before the work experience.

5. Skills.

Incorporate a dedicated section to showcase your skills. Split them into two categories: hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (personal qualities). Mention skills that are relevant to the job description, as they act as keywords that catch the hiring manager’s eye. This is your opportunity to highlight your proficiency and show how you can add value to the company.

6. Additional Sections.

Depending on your background and the job you’re targeting, consider adding relevant sections to your resume. These might include:

Certifications: List any industry-specific certifications you hold.
Volunteer Work: If you have volunteered for organizations or causes, this can showcase your character and values.
Projects: Particularly important for creative or technical roles, this section lets you highlight projects that demonstrate your skills.
Languages: If you’re multilingual, mention your language proficiency.
Publications: For those in academia or research, this is where you can showcase published work.

In the world of resumes, the chronological format is a classic for a reason — it presents your career journey in a logical and easy-to-follow manner. By including a strong header, a compelling professional summary, comprehensive work experience, educational background, skills, and any additional sections, you create a resume that speaks volumes about your capabilities.

Remember, your resume reflects your professional identity. Use the key elements discussed here to craft a powerful resume that opens doors to your desired career path. The best resume template is one that effectively showcases your strengths and potential, making a lasting impression on hiring managers. Your journey starts with a well-structured chronological resume — take that first step with confidence.

Link Building Impact on Search Engine Rankings

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August 24, 2023

It is useful to acquire inbound links from other websites so business entities can achieve higher visibility on organic rankings and increase their bottom line.

Yet, numerous dynamics dictate how this SEO function impacts eventual search engine results.

According to a prominent Baltimore SEO company, it is essential to acquire quality links from reputable sources related to your topic or industry, as weaker, unrelated websites can be less influential and may pull down your rankings.

To ensure an optimal outcome for a link building campaign, it must be approached with care and consideration – starting with understanding the timeline through which most strategies will actually pay off.

Short-Term Effects of Link Building

Immediate Traffic and Visibility Boost.

An increase and improvement in backlinks result in a substantial traffic boost and improved organic rankings. Although it may take some time for this to show up on SERPs, improved visibility is noticed right away after gaining new backlinks.

Higher domain authority enables articles to leapfrog ranking competitors with content of similar niche and relevance, accepting more website visitors.

The results will depend partly upon the widespread popularity of the link referred to, which may contribute further towards improvising traffic boost while supporting the long-term enhancement of SEO strategies.

Initial Crawling and Indexing by Search Engines.

After submitting backlinks, it usually takes some time to figure out if they’ve been properly crawled by Google and the other major search engines. Once indexed, the impact of backlinks on SEO begins to be felt since it creates an opportunity for traffic generation.

This happens when relevant sites access your links allowing you to gradually build up higher/ better rankings in organic search results, which can eventually convert into visitors and customers over time.

Long-Term Impact on Rankings

Google’s Algorithm Updates and Their Implications.

Google has released hundreds of algorithm updates over the last two decades aimed at improving accuracy, relevance, and trust regarding organic search results.

These updates have a potential impact on earned backlinks, as well as rankings, by rewarding websites that actively create valuable content as opposed to manipulative link-building tactics employed towards SEO gain.

As a result, it is important for businesses engaged in link building activities to keep up with the latest actions taken by Google to stay aligned with algorithms governing successful search engine optimization.

Gradual Improvement in Organic Rankings.

Link building takes time to show up in search engine rankings, and the rate of improvement can vary depending on several factors. Once enough quality backlinks are established, ranking gains should follow in a gradual fashion.

Website owners should expect longer-term growth driven by an increased number of relevant links rather than immediate dramatic effects. Ranking algorithms continue to grow more sophisticated over time, counting relevance and diversity and establishing overall website authority as a key driver for organic visibility improvements.

Building Authority and Trust over Time.

Building authority and trust is an incredibly important part of both long-term SEO success and establishing a sustainable competitive edge.

Over time, consistently providing high-quality content, evenly building backlinks from relevant sites, engaging in outreach to target online communities through guest posts or media coverage, as well as keeping your current followers engaged will all help to bolster the standing of your site in terms of authority with search engine algorithms.

All these steps together over months or even years will build trust among those who you engage with regularly, further encouraging mentions on other websites while organic traffic continues to accumulate.

Consistent Organic Traffic Growth.

Consistent organic traffic growth is a major advantage of effective link building strategies. Over time, the progress made in search engine rankings due to backlinks will increase website visibility and attract more visitors on a regular basis.

Monitoring performance data and analytics helps to tell how far the optimization efforts have come in terms of ROI so that tactics can be adjusted accordingly for further improvement if needed.

Additionally, as your site builds more authority from reputable links, slowly but surely, it will establish itself as an industry leader – providing sustained long-term benefits, even with algorithm changes occurring periodically.

Sustainable Rankings Resilient to Algorithm Changes.

Sustainable rankings are long-term outcomes of well-executed link building strategies that will remain resilient in the face of algorithm updates.

Achieving and maintaining such positions requires several months, if not years, of continuous work with factors taken into consideration. Such factors include domain authority, relevance of source material, placement context, and naturally delegated authoritative links instead of manufactured ones.

Such organic activity earns trust with search engine algorithms over time, leading to reliably steady organic traffic.

Strategies to Expedite Link Building Impact

High-Quality Content Creation.

High-Quality Content Creation is one of the most important and effective strategies for expediting the link building impact. Creating content that offers valuable, authoritative information helps build trust with audiences, creating natural backlinks.

Quality content should also be engaging, shareable, and SEO-optimized to maximize its reach. Use powerful visuals to give insights into complex topics or have interactive elements like quizzes or widgets that appeal to readers and create fresh interactions online.

Outreach and Relationship Building.

Outreach and relationship building are key elements in our link building strategy. By connecting with relevant websites within the industry, we initiate conversations that lead to mutually beneficial link exchange opportunities. Promoting a client’s website URL on another website provides online exposure and increased visibility to search engine crawlers.

It also develops business partnerships that could be crucial in generating leads down the line or when it comes time to launch new campaigns.

Developing relationships goes beyond just exchanging links and keeps these relationships developing for further benefits in the future.

Leveraging Social Media and Influencers.

Leveraging social media and influencers is an effective way to increase the reach of a link building campaign. Social campaigns provide opportunities to build relationships with potential links from networks that have high levels of trust.

Influencer marketing enables businesses to connect with relevant audiences and instantaneously boost the credibility, engagement, and reach of their campaign by gaining access to their trusted relationships built and developed over time.

Conclusion

Link building is an ongoing process that requires effort, resources, and patience to bear fruit. To ensure short-term impacts and long-term impacts, a balanced approach stressing quality content creation coupled with strategic outreach still remains the sought-after goal for all SEO professionals.

Leveraging Technology To Grow Your SMB

Contributor

August 24, 2023

by Eric Yu, SVP & GM, Commercial Product Center & SMB Segment, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo

As the next iteration of hybrid work continues to take shape, technology will play a pivotal role in creating efficiencies and opportunities that transform work environments for small businesses. Good leaders are constantly re-evaluating their technology needs for a reimagined workplace. In new work environments and marketplaces driven by millennials and Gen Z, business leaders should focus on key components such as accessibility, affordability and user-friendly technology to support growth and overall business continuity.

Whether your business is run from home, in a traditional brick-and-mortar establishment or managed from the road, having the right technology will influence your success. In order to help small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) flourish, Lenovo launched the Evolve Small initiative to provide financial aid, mentorship resources and community support to minority and women-owned small businesses. To learn more about the technology impacting their business, fueling their workflows and driving results, I connected with small business founders from: Bottoms Up Bagels, Fit4Dance and Fit Body by Ashley.

Here are some key takeaways our customers shared to help other SMBs:

Utilize technology to give your business a competitive edge.

“Adopting and leveraging the right technologies gives us a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced and digitally driven business landscape,” said Laci Chisholm, founder of Fit4Dance. “Technology also facilitates seamless communication and collaboration among our team members, even if we are geographically dispersed. Tools like video conferencing, project management software, and team messaging apps ensure efficient communication, boosting productivity and teamwork.”

The right technology can enable businesses to streamline communication and successfully enhance digital marketing efforts to reach a broader audience of potential customers. According to a recent study, 71% of SMBs use social media to market themselves. Leveraging technology to connect and communicate with key internal stakeholders can truly enhance the overall customer experience and provide the competitive edge to break through a crowded industry.

Strike a healthy balance between cost-efficiency and quality.

“You can’t improve what you don’t measure,” said Bottom Up Bagels founders Michelle Bond and Joan Kanner. “Take the time to set up your books. Pay for that accounting software. And, without question, get help from a professional to set these systems up. Once you’ve done all that, we can talk about the list of reports and system checks to perform weekly, monthly and quarterly.”

A top pain point for SMBs beyond striking a balance between cost-efficiency and value is securing funding to invest in the technology needed to scale their business. The cost for new, innovative technology is a concern for SMBs with a limited budget that doesn’t support high-risk investments. The keys to avoiding the price trap are to look for transparency and simplicity in the pricing model. Scalable technology pricing should not be complex. The best practice is to work with vendors and partners who provide simple, transparent, flexible as-a-service solutions without hidden fees and customizable services so you only pay for what your team uses.

Increase efficiency with multifunctional technology.

“Multifunctional technology allows me to stay organized and complete multiple tasks at once so it saves me a lot of time,” shared Fit Body by Ashley founder, Ashley Chatam. “I also use multifunctional technology while I’m on the go so it allows me to be productive even when I am not at my office.”

Today’s generation of workers are juggling multiple projects while balancing their well-being and need devices to support their busy routines.To demonstrate the importance of multifunctional technology, Bottoms Up Bagels founder Michelle Bond put it best when she said, “Can you imagine a production kitchen equipped with only paper notebooks for data entry, storage and retrieval? One person’s way of abbreviating ‘tablespoon’ may look like another’s abbreviation for ‘teaspoon.’ That could lead to costly mistakes – wasting time and ingredients. Instead, invite technology to be your friend.”

One of the biggest additions to Bottoms Up Bagels’ workflow was the ThinkBook 14s with Lenovo ThinkShield for trusted security and AI-based noise cancellation to enable efficient collaboration. The founders noted, “…the ThinkBook 14 made for great upgrades to the Bottoms Up Bagels team. Michelle and Joan said, “we want our team members to have the information they need to excel in their roles — whether that’s watching training videos on forming bagels or pulling an SOP for making our Jocus Pocus (smoked jalapeño) cream cheese. These light and portable devices will prevent bottlenecks while providing support in a way that’s familiar and fun to use.”

Grow your business wisely.

Considering what’s driving an entrepreneur’s desire to scale their business, Bottom Up Bagels founders Michelle Bond and Joan Kanner explained the importance of understanding the root of your motivation, stating, “Where is the pressure coming from? Is it driven by your investors who want you to have multiple locations in the same city? Is it driven by customers demanding expanded business hours? No matter what’s behind it, scaling demands your time and energy so having the right team behind you as you consider growing your business is crucial to its success.”

Building a strong team is a fundamental part of growing any business, no matter the industry. “The sooner you can delegate, the more efficient you’ll be and the better you can grow,” said Fit Body by Ashley founder, Ashley Chatam. “I definitely recommend investing in mentorship and coaching. You don’t know what you don’t know, so having expert eyes on your business to see the gaps and give you feedback is extremely valuable.”

As a younger generation of workers joins the business world, it’s important to recruit new talent strategically to grow and evolve your business while keeping your workforce and customers well equipped, inspired and satisfied. Gen Z is projected to make up 27% of the workforce by 2025 and studies show their capabilities with technology can advance companies productivity and innovation. Gen Z has never seen a time when the internet didn’t exist. All of their learning and skill-building has been intrinsically linked to technology. In order to properly enable today’s workforce to work productively in their environment, their devices must be flexible and portable to match their lifestyle.

In conclusion.

Through smarter technology, such as innovative multifunctional devices, small businesses can empower employees to effectively work from anywhere. Investing in your SMB with cost-effective solutions, strategic recruitment practices and multifunctional technology will empower your team and drive business dividends for the future. I’m so grateful I got to share these top insights from this group of impressive and successful entrepreneurs.

As part of the Evolve Small initiative, these three Lenovo customers each received a $30,000 grant, $10,000 in technology upgrades and a special mentorship session with Queen Latifah. To learn how Lenovo has been supporting small businesses and to keep up to date on the Evolve Small efforts, resources, and technology solutions, visit Lenovo.com/EvolveSmall.

Eric Yu, SVP & GM, Commercial Product Center & SMB Segment, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group, is responsible for the Lenovo SMB segment‘s global end-to-end business strategy and execution. He also oversees Lenovo’s global Monitors Business Unit and Accessories Business Units. With 20+ years working across different Lenovo business functions, Yu has a track record of understanding business needs and exceeding growth exponentially in various technology segments.

Getting The Education You Need To Succeed In Business

Contributor

August 22, 2023

by Christopher H. Volk, author of “The Value Equation: A Business Guide To Creating Wealth For Entrepreneurs, Investors And Leaders“

During thirty years of leading and co-founding public companies, I have hired a wide array of talented people with varying educational backgrounds from recent graduates to more experienced professionals with masters degrees and professional designations.

This experience has provided me with insights on the effectiveness of their education as the foundation to fulfill their career objectives.

In addition to my perspective as an executive, I have also served as a business school visiting professor and guest lecturer. Plus I was also on the receiving end of a business school education, earning a traditional MBA after obtaining my undergraduate degree in European History and French.

So putting it all together, here’s what I’ve learned about education and its impact on a business career.

What Business Schools Miss

My observation is that business graduates generally fell short in three central vocational skills. These include:

Sales.

The heart of any successful business is sales. This is where businesspeople roll up their sleeves and get dirty. In selling, you advocate for your own ability to solve customer problems while personally representing your company. In selling, you put your reputation on the line.

A personal confession: after all my education, I had no idea how to sell. Nor have I witnessed much improvement in the job candidates I have interviewed over the years. I had to learn, and at our companies, we taught many of our successful professionals foundational sales skills.

My personal experience, and that of others, is evidence that good salespeople are made not born. Learning how to sell enabled me to become an entrepreneur and to raise the money needed to start two companies that would eventually be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Convincing investors to allocate a portion of their precious capital to us involved sales skills. So did soliciting our many customers who came to rely on our real estate capital solutions.

Getting good at sales can’t be simply accomplished by reading a book or attending a class. A key component of successful sales is genuineness, which means that the best salespeople adopt a style consistent with their personality. Learning how to do this and harness sales tools can take time. But still, wouldn’t it have been great to have taken at least a class or some seminars on sales and negotiation? Business school graduates who do this would have a better head start.

Financial Statement Analysis.

Nearly all the undergraduate and graduate business degree holders who came to us over the years lacked an ability to meaningfully interpret corporate financial statements. I gained my first fundamental financial statement knowledge through a two-month long credit training course at the commercial bank where I started my career in finance. I draw on what I learned there to this day and banks still offer this training. At the companies I led, financial statement analysis training was essential.

There are few places in business where understanding how to read corporate financial statements is not important. The financial analysis training offered at banks is centered on determining the capacity of a company to repay loans. For anyone making corporate or personal investments, financial statement analysis is helpful in opportunity evaluation. For business leaders, understanding how to evaluate their own corporate financial statements is essential.

Why did so many of our prospective employees have so little knowledge about how to read and interpret corporate financial statements? I still don’t know! But added education in this area would absolutely elevate employee candidate desirability. Like sales training, it would give them a head start.

Business Model Fundamentals.

I became interested in business model fundamentals early in my career with a basic banking observation: Not all companies are created equal. Some companies have better business models than others.

To understand business model fundamentals is to understand how companies create wealth and how the richest among us got that way. Today, the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans is dominated by those having investments in technology and asset management companies characterized by potent business models. But the potential for wealth creation exists in virtually any business.

Understanding business model fundamentals is important. It can help with career choices and job selection, since companies having stronger business models tend to be characterized by better pay and personal growth potential. It can help hone leadership skills, given that business model adjustments tend to be at the heart of corporate management objectives. And understanding business models can help with entrepreneurial efforts to start or buy a company.

With this in mind, business students with better grounding in corporate wealth creation and business model design would have a head start in fulfilling their leadership aspirations.

One More Thing

Apart from the three shortcomings described above, business graduates who came to our companies often fell short in basic foundational writing and problem-soling skills.

Problem-solving is central to the most desirable careers. Problem solvers enjoy the satisfaction derived from making a positive difference for others. Problem solvers tend to have greater variety in their daily tasks and tend to earn more as they ascend to leadership positions.

To address written and problem-solving skills, I have often found myself advising business students to take a few challenging liberal arts classes. Analyzing and writing about complex problems for which there are no linear, simple or singular answers can provide a solid training ground for future business leaders

A Commitment to Action

If you’re currently a business student, seek out opportunities to get exposure to sales and negotiating, financial statement analysis, and business model design education. Then, if you can, take time to study one or more liberal arts. Write a lot as you analyze and dissect some of history’s most challenging problems and build an important problem-solving foundation together with a tolerance for ambiguity that will deliver benefits throughout your career.

If you graduated with a business degree and aspire to leadership, invest time in gaining experience in the three vocational skills. And if you passed through your education with minimal exposure to a liberal art, it’s never too late to start.

Christopher H. Volk, author of “The Value Equation: A Business Guide To Creating Wealth For Entrepreneurs, Investors And Leaders“, has been instrumental in leading and publicly listing three successful companies, two of which he co-founded. The most recent is STORE Capital (NYSE: “STOR”) where he served as founding chief executive officer and then as executive chairman. Volk is a regional winner of EYs’ Entrepreneur of the Year award.

3 Key Components Every Office Should Face To Avoid Compliance Pitfalls In Hybrid Work – Even Startups!

Contributor

August 21, 2023

by Felice B. Ekelman, JD and Julie P. Kantor, PhD, authors of “THRIVE WITH A HYBRID WORKPLACE: Step-by-Step Guidance from the Experts“

Leaders in the startup space should be thinking about hybrid work — which focuses on where work is performed. Hybrid work offers an opportunity to develop close, collaborative relationships with work colleagues. The opportunity for in-person interaction can help the bottom line by supporting employee retention and productivity. Knowledge workers who are the backbone of today’s start up work force want both a work community and the flexibility to determine where and how they work. Hybrid work is increasingly viewed as the answer.

As your organization develops its hybrid policy there are key components which are necessary for success and to avoid compliance pitfalls.

What is the current trend in hybrid work?

Recent reports confirm an upward trend in hybrid work, and a decrease in remote work. Hybrid work arrangements typically require that employees report to an office for work some portion of the workweek. Typically, hybrid schedules require employees to be working in an office several days a week or several days each month. Hybrid can also refer to arrangements where some employees work in an office all or some of the time, and others work remotely all of the time. In contrast, remote work refers to an arrangement where either the organization does not maintain an offices or some or all employees are not expected to regularly report for work in an office. Instead, work is done from anywhere, and the organization can recruit its team from anywhere within the country or even internationally.

For startups deciding whether to develop a hybrid or remote work force is a key strategic decision. With a hybrid workforce there’s the need for an office or two or perhaps even three. While leasing office space creates a financial obligation, the costs associated with an office may be a worthwhile investment. Physical presence can help develop workplace relationships. Collaboration can be facilitated through in-person conversation. Building a loyal team can be easier when staff really get to know one another.

Developing a policy that works.

Getting hybrid right is not so easy. Once a decision has been made to focus on developing a hybrid workforce, getting the parameters of the hybrid policy right is important. The key to a successful policy is to focus on what work should be done in the office. This is the place to start. If leaders jump to the question how many days in the office without first determining what work should be performed in the office the approach will not be effective. The public battle we’ve all read about between business leaders, whose goal is to s increase time in office and employees who want to keep the flexibility to chose when and if they report to an office, can be avoided.

Here’s how: first focus on these questions:

What work will be done in person in an office?
Why should this work be done in an office?
Who needs to participate in the in-person collaborative work effort?
How often should employees be together in person to perform this work?

The number of days, and the choice of days in the office should be considered only after these holistic questions are considered and answered.

Who should participate in developing the company’s approach to hybrid work? Once the decision to develop a hybrid workforce is made, voices from a range of your company’s leadership should be heard. Your organization will need buy-in from leaders that hybrid is the best approach for building a congenial, cohesive and profitable organization. Involving a broad range of your organization’s leadership is not only a good way to develop support for the decision, but input from various points of view — parents, caregivers, commuters, GenZ to baby boomer — will go along way to ensuring that the decisions reflect the needs of a diverse group of employees.

What about employee surveys? Input from the whole team is important but most useful after the key parameters of the program are in place. For example, surveys are a good way to identify “anchor days” the days where teams will be in the office together. But surveys are not the method to determine whether hybrid work is the right approach for your organization. That’s a question that leaders should decide.

Understanding emergent legal issues relating to hybrid work polices.

Startup culture and a flexible approach to work typically go hand in hand. But there are legal issues that require attention when developing a hybrid policy. Your organization’s hybrid work policy should include a provision allowing employees to seek an “accommodation” should their ability to work on a hybrid schedule be limited by a physical or mental disability or because of a sincerely held religious belief. A word of caution — should an employee seek an accommodation for such reasons a consult with legal counsel or a human resources professional is necessary to ensure that decision-making regarding the accommodation request is appropriate.

Likewise, inconsistent application of the hybrid work policy can create unintended liabilities. Should your organization make exceptions for some employees (as opposed to legally required accommodations), inconsistent enforcement of the hybrid policy can foster disparate treatment claims. Disparate treatment claims can arise when exceptions to policies are permitted for some employees but not all, leaving open the possibility that the exceptions favor (or disfavor) employees based on a classification protected by the anti-discrimination statutes (think: age, gender, race, national origin or religion). Worse yet, where leaders allow for “side deals” exempting some employees form the hybrid work policy’s requirements the policy becomes impossible to administer.

As remote and hybrid work arrangements have expanded, business must remain diligent about paying employees properly. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)is the federal law which covers virtually every private employer in the US. The FLSA requires that employees be paid hourly, and be paid overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek unless the employee is “exempt” from overtime pay. While many of the white-collar knowledge workers who typically work on a remote or hybrid work schedule are exempt from the overtime requirements, many do not meet the requirements, and employers must be diligent about keeping track of their hours and pay each week. When white collar workers reported to an office, tracking hours was easier; employees punched a time card (old way), scanned in to an office, or recorded hours worked on their computer when they logged in at the start of the work day. When employees work remotely, these rules still apply. Employers are responsible for ensuring that hours worked are recorded accurately, and that required breaks are also recorded. As startups grow and expand their workforce, properly evaluating the work performed by employees to assess whether employees must be paid on an hourly basis with overtime is highly recommended. Mistakes in how employees are paid can be costly to organizations because laws provide for significant damages to be awarded to employees who successfully litigate these claims.

The bottom line: hybrid work is here to stay. It is time for your organization to consider the advantages of hybrid work arrangements. With thoughtful planning your organization can Thrive With a Hybrid Workplace!

Felice B. Ekelman, JD is a principal of Jackson Lewis PC, where she practices employment law. Julie P. Kantor, PhD is a business psychologist, executive coach, advisor, and founder of JP Kantor Consulting. They are the authors of “THRIVE WITH A HYBRID WORKPLACE: Step-by-Step Guidance from the Experts” (Rowman & (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).

Entrepreneurs Must Avoid Falling Prey To A Commitment Trap

Contributor

August 21, 2023

by Vincent DeFilippo, PhD, author of “Braking Point: How Escalation of Commitment Is Destroying the World (and How You Can Save Yourself)“

It takes a special person to be an entrepreneur. In addition to having self-confidence and a vision, entrepreneurs have a cognitive ability to explore new possibilities and opportunities. They hurtle headlong into new ventures, investing significant energy and resources. Yet, ironically, these are the same qualities that make them vulnerable to escalating their commitment even when they’d be better off cutting their losses and letting go of their project.

Research shows that although four out of five entrepreneurs believe they have a good — if not certain — chance of success, 74 percent of new start-up businesses fail, most often due to overconfidence and loss aversion. Further, according to research teams Staw and Ross, as well as Kahneman and Tversky, decision makers tend to escalate their commitment even when knowing they’re in a failing course of action. This speaks to the inherent optimism and confidence of most entrepreneurs. These same characteristics — overconfidence and fear of loss, also tend to foster an irrational escalation of commitment (EoC) when an entrepreneurial enterprise begins to fail.

Several theories regarding EoC behaviors offer insights into why entrepreneurs choose to escalate their efforts in shoring up a project that shows signs of failing.

These include:

1. Self-justification.

This theory is centered on the social pressure of saving face. It involves the entrepreneur’s need to legitimize investments. When an entrepreneur is surrounded by others with high expectations of their abilities, self-justification pressure mounts. As the entrepreneur faces an increased need to justify past choices, self-justification undermines innovation and adaptability and leads them to escalate their commitment to a losing cause.

2. Prospect theory and loss aversion.

Entrepreneurs who allow their passion and boldness to run wild without oversight have fallen victim to prospect theory. Prospect theory refers to how entrepreneurs make decisions, often driven by emotion, fear of losing, reference points, and framing. While they’re often willing to pursue their vision despite traditional norms, when these entrepreneurs meet with situations where their business is failing, they feel an inherent need to invest more and push harder so as not to lose to the competition. This aversion to loss drives them to take on additional risk despite evidence suggesting that they shouldn’t.

3. Sunk cost fallacy.

This EoC behavior is motivated by waste avoidance, and also involves a social component. Two mountaineering expeditions in 1996 illustrate this theory. Both mountain climbing companies were guiding clients to the top of Mount Everest. One company was led by an entrepreneur, Rob Hall, the other company was founded by entrepreneur Scott Fischer. As both set out on the journey with their clients, each had a contingency plan should their groups fail to make adequate progress. In both cases, the parties persevered in opposition to their original plans. In an unfortunate series of events, five people lost their lives in a major blizzard during that climb, including Hall and Fischer.

Neither guide wanted to squander the time, effort, and energy it had taken to plan, organize, and pursue the climb. But sunk cost fallacy encouraged them to push ahead, costing them their own and other’s lives. To avoid sunk cost fallacy, a keen awareness of what’s at stake should weigh more heavily than prior resources invested.

4. Attribution theory.

In this case, entrepreneurs have an exaggerated sense of their abilities. Such overconfidence affects how they interpret feedback. It can lead them to only consider evidence that supports their views, while ignoring information contrary to their views. Kenneth Lay and the Enron scandal exemplify how attribution leads to escalation of commitment. Lay was CEO of Houston National Gas Company when, in 1985, his company merged with energy pipeline company InterNorth, creating the new company of which Lay was CEO, Enron.

The company collected and traded natural gas at a much lower cost than companies having to drill for the resource, and profits quickly skyrocketed. Lay attempted to implement a similar strategy in other commodities, yet these endeavors failed to produce similar profit margins. Unwilling to admit defeat and ignoring internal warnings, he used “unusual” accounting to hide the failed deals from investors. Lay continued to maintain excessive confidence and refused to consider contradictory evidence. Ultimately, Enron’s failures were made public and the company was forced into bankruptcy in 2001. Twenty thousand employees lost their jobs and investors lost billions.

Because aspects of the entrepreneurial mindset often lead to an escalation of commitment to unrealistic visions, entrepreneurs must:

Closely examine motivations and reasons for making additional investments into their ventures
Listen less to their hopes and emotional attachments than to the voice of analysis and reason
Adopt a more sound and rational decision-making approach
Pay attention to history and learn from the mistakes of others who have tried and failed to tread the entrepreneurial path to success.

Entrepreneurs who challenge their own assumptions about why things are happening, and are aware of their cognitive biases and irrational tendences, stand a greater chance of making better decisions.

Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, DBA, MBA, is a professor in the School of Accounting and Business at Monroe College. Prior to that he was CEO of a private equity fund in Hong Kong, raising several billion dollars in venture capital for entrepreneurs and publicly traded companies throughout the Asia Pacific Region. His new book is “Braking Point: How Escalation of Commitment Is Destroying the World (and How You Can Save Yourself)“.

How To Successfully Manage A Sports Facility

admin

August 21, 2023

In a world obsessed with sports and fitness, managing a successful sports facility can be a rewarding profession. Not only does it allow you to play a pivotal role in shaping people’s fitness journeys, but it also offers a viable business opportunity. However, managing a sports facility is no easy task. It requires careful planning, astute financial management, and detailed logistical understanding. With a clear understanding of the business, a well-researched strategy, and a strong commitment to customer satisfaction, you can transform your sports facility into a thriving hub of fitness and sports.

Keep reading below to gain insights into successful facility management.

An Ideal Layout for Your Facility

An optimal layout is crucial in determining the functionality and visual appeal of your sports facility. From space management to accessibility, several things need to be considered while designing the layout. To begin with, the layout should ensure efficient use of space. Arrange the equipment and sections in a way that maximizes utilization and reduces clutter. For large fitness facilities, you have to provide ample space for free movement and circulation among the users.

You need to consider the safety of your facility users while designing the layout. The use of signage can greatly aid in this. For instance, poster printing NYC is a fantastic service all sports facilities can use for landmarking and instructions within the facility. Investing in high-quality printing services for your sports facility signs is needed for creating visually appealing and durable advertising and safety materials. By utilizing advanced printing techniques and top-of-the-line equipment, these services ensure that your signs are eye-catching, sharp, and vibrant.

Investment in High-Quality Facilities

Your patrons would want to get the most out of their membership, and this desire is largely influenced by the quality of your sports facilities. Haphazardly constructed courts, faulty equipment, and poor-quality accessories can deter clients and affect your brand’s reputation. Therefore, commitment to quality should be a central component of your sports facility’s vision. In this regard, artificial flooring is gaining popularity among several sports facilities worldwide. As an example, artificial turf is becoming a favorite choice for football and gymnasium fields due to its remarkable durability and low maintenance cost.

An impressive front desk with a friendly staff, well-maintained restrooms, and state-of-the-art equipment can make your facility a preferable option for potential patrons. Remember, investing in quality will help you attract and retain customers and also allow you to price your services competitively, improving your profits in the long run.

Evaluate and Improve

On the road to creating a successful sports facility, you need to continuously evaluate your performance and make improvements whenever necessary. Conduct surveys, seek feedback, and stay updated with industry trends to know your strengths and identify areas that require attention. Regular evaluations will help you understand what your members prefer and value the most, thereby equipping you to market your offerings better.

When seeking feedback, you may encounter various issues ranging from mundane to severe. Regardless of the nature of the problem, ensure to resolve them promptly. Ensuring prompt conflict resolution not only upholds your reputation but also testifies to your commitment to providing supreme customer service. In times of unprecedented occurrences or catastrophic situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability of a facility to adapt to changes instantly becomes pivotal. Initiating attractive online sessions and ensuring cleaning processes can play a significant role in these times.

Staffing and Management

Your team plays a critical role in determining the success of your sports facility. It’s hence essential to have well-trained, professional staff who are committed to providing top-notch customer service. Ensure that your staff is equipped with knowledge and skills about different equipment and safety protocols. This will help your members feel comfortable and safe while using your facility. Moreover, routinely organized training sessions can improve their skill set and add value to your facility.

Efficient management of your staff also involves acknowledging their efforts and providing them with a pleasant work environment. Regular appraisals, team activities, and communicating appreciatively can contribute to their job satisfaction, ultimately reflecting in their interactions with clients and their work efficiency.

Apart from staff management, managing the operations of your facility efficiently is also required. This involves scheduling staff shifts, managing the inventory, and maintaining cleanliness to ensure a seamless functioning facility. An effective management system can greatly contribute to the overall success of your sports facility.

As this article clearly shows, successfully managing a sports facility involves much more than merely opening a fitness center and hoping people show up. It requires careful planning, attention to detail, and continuous improvements. You won’t regret making these investments in your business. By following the guidelines above, you can create a thriving sports facility that is beneficial both for your clients and your business.

The Ethical Backbone Of Profitable AI For Small Businesses

Contributor

August 18, 2023

by Jeff Pedowitz, author of “AI Revenue Architect: Building Your Time Machine For Exponential Sales Growth”

As the digital age charges forward, AI has emerged as a game-changer, not just for tech titans but also for small businesses. But, while the allure of AI’s potential is undeniable, it also comes paired with a suite of ethical challenges. To benefit without faltering, it’s crucial for small businesses to strike a balance.

Why Every Small Business Owner Should Consider AI Ethics

It’s a misconception that only Silicon Valley giants need to concern themselves with AI’s intricacies. The reality is, AI’s influence has permeated down to the grassroots. Every online tool, from your e-commerce platform’s recommendation engine to the analytics driving your social media ads, has a touch of AI. With this integration comes responsibility. A misstep in how your business employs AI can impact customer trust, brand reputation, and in some cases, even legal standing.

Making AI Work Ethically

Champion Transparency: Today’s consumers are savvy. They value businesses that are forthright about their processes. If AI tools underpin aspects of your services, let your customers know. It’s a matter of respect and trust. For instance, if you’re using chatbots for customer service, a simple acknowledgment can go a long way in setting expectations right.
Continuous Learning: AI isn’t static. New advancements and guidelines emerge frequently. As a small business owner, staying informed is paramount. Dedicate time to understanding the latest in AI – from tech upgrades to ethical considerations. This not only ensures you’re on the right path but can also offer competitive advantages.
Feedback as a Guiding Light: Never underestimate the power of customer feedback. They offer a unique, external perspective that can spotlight areas you might overlook. When rolling out AI-driven initiatives, actively seek out feedback. This iterative approach can help refine the balance between innovation and ethics.
Fortify Data Security: Data breaches can be catastrophic, especially for small businesses. If your operations involve collecting and analyzing customer data using AI, ensure you’re employing top-notch security protocols. Beyond the tech, educate your team about best practices, as human error often is a significant vulnerability.

AI: A Tool, Not Just Technology

For small businesses, AI should be seen as a multifaceted tool. It can automate mundane tasks, offer insights from data that might otherwise go unnoticed, and create personalized experiences for customers. But, like any tool, its value is determined by its user. If used recklessly without understanding its ramifications, the results can be counterproductive.

It’s worth noting that, as a small business, you have a unique advantage. The closer bond you share with your customers allows for more direct feedback and quicker course corrections. While a tech giant might grapple with PR nightmares on misusing AI, you can swiftly adapt, refine, and continue serving your clientele.

Conclusion: Ethical AI as a Growth Catalyst

In the modern business landscape, AI’s role is undeniable. But it’s not just about leveraging its capabilities; it’s about doing so responsibly. Ethical considerations are not mere checkboxes but foundational elements that can determine the longevity and reputation of your business in a competitive market.

By intertwining ethical guidelines with AI implementation, small businesses don’t just avoid pitfalls, they enhance customer trust, bolster their brand, and pave the way for sustainable growth. In the end, the harmonious blend of AI’s potential with a solid ethical framework can be the catalyst that propels your business into its next successful chapter.

Jeff Pedowitz, President & CEO of The Pedowitz Group (TPG), is a distinguished revenue generation strategist with 25+ years of experience. His visionary ideas and thought leadership have been featured in top publications. As a captivating speaker, he shares insights on business transformation, digital innovation, and customer experience. He is author of “AI Revenue Architect: Building Your Time Machine For Exponential Sales Growth”.

What To Do If Your Team Is Lacking Productivity

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August 18, 2023

Having a focused and productive team is something every business can benefit from. It will improve efficiency and help your business achieve its tasks and goals quicker, helping a business gain more success.

If your business is lacking productivity, here’s what to do.

Get organized

Getting organized is one of the best things to help employees be more productive.

For instance, you might need to pursue a simple task like finding customer details. Using field service management software your business can easily eep customer details organized and easily accessible, which will ensure that when you need to reach out to someone, the simple task will not take long. Being as organized as possible will guarantee that your business can remain productive.

Hold fewer meetings

Holding regular meetings can fill efficient and effective. However, this can in fact hinder a workforce’s productivity levels. If you hold regular meetings then it will disrupt your employee’s workflow.

Therefore, try to hold fewer meetings so that your employees are not distracted when they are focusing on tasks.

If you do hold meetings, make them efficient

If you do need to hold a meeting and then make them short and efficient. You do not need to host meetings that are hours long to provide information to employees.

A simple 15-minute meeting can help you deliver the information that you need to ensure that your employees are equipped with the knowledge that they need to take forward in order to improve your work or complete a task.

Delegate tasks to the right staff members

It is beneficial for your business to delegate tasks to the right staff members depending on their skill set and experience.

For example, there is no point in handing over financial tasks or someone with no financial experience and instead has expertise in marketing. It makes sense to offer the right tasks to the right employees so that they can use their experience and skill set to fulfill the task to the highest standards possible.

When people have experience and skill in a certain area, it will ensure that they can fulfill the task without questions or needing help. Where is hanging over us has to Someone with little or no experience will guarantee that it takes a lot of time, which can hinder your business’s productivity and efficiency.

Be a good listener and provide support

As a business owner is beneficial for your team’s productivity if you are a great listener and you can provide them with support. For instance, if your employees have an issue due to a difficult work task, and you do not listen to them, then they will not be able to attain help to help them complete the task to a good standard which could hinder their confidence.

When an employee can talk to you and you listen to them and provide support, it will guarantee that they can remain efficient in the completion of their task. Therefore, this will help to enhance their productivity.

Encourage teamwork

To create a more productive business, it is a great idea to encourage teamwork. Although some employees might think they’re better working alone, sometimes people need help.

If an employee feels that they need help and you encourage teamwork, it will ensure that they ask their colleagues to help them with a task so that it can be completed to a higher standard and as efficiently as possible.

If an employee knows that their colleague has a certain skill set that will help them be more productive in the completion of the task, then it will guarantee that they can go and ask them for their expertise.

Set to-do lists for your employees

To-do lists are a great measure to pursue if you want to boost your team’s productivity. If your team is not making to-do lists for themselves and take the plunge and set to-do lists for them.

Setting out the days or weeks of work before getting started will ensure that employees know exactly what they are expected to do and it will help them and maintain their focus.

Using these simple tips, you can guarantee to make your team more productive and inspire them to be motivated and consistent in the workplace. Simply making your workplace more organized and encouraging employees to ask their colleagues for help can make a world of difference in terms of your productivity and efficiency. Productive staff are generally happier and it will ensure that you can attain more success for your business.

How To Manage Risk Effectively

Contributor

August 17, 2023

by former CTO of Eriscsson and President of Blackberry, Sandeep Chennakeshu

Risk is not a tap but a potential break or leak in our system. If left unchecked, it can result in weak or no flow of water through the main pipe.

Risk is categorized as a combination of market factors (like macro-economic events such as recessions) and company-specific problems. A major goal for you as a business leader is to demonstrate to investors that your company is well-run and has low risk. When your company excels in operations and its financial results are predictable, it is more likely to be assessed as less risky. The best you can do is mitigate risks as far as possible, planning and adapting when situations arise.

The approach I take to assessing the risks that could affect my castle’s foundation — its cash flow and business model — is as follows:

Categorize the risks my company or business faces.
In each category, ask questions regularly to assess the risk.
Address identified risks immediately with corrective actions.
Follow up on the corrective actions every month until the risks are resolved.

The following are examples of categories and questions I use to assess risk. You can modify or expand on these for your own business.

Customer Revenue Risks

Does the company have a concentration of a few customers who generate a high percentage (say above 30 percent) of the revenue?
Are these major customers geographically dispersed or in one region (to assess how susceptible is the company to regional risks)?
How resistant are the sales orders from these customers to macroeconomics or other factors?
Do these customers have alternative sources of supply via competitors, and is your company’s share dropping or rising when compared to these competitors?
Does the company have a healthy sales pipeline to replace revenue from customers whose revenue is at risk?
Does the company get paid for its products in one currency or several? If the latter, does it hedge for currency-fluctuation risk?
Are the company’s products still valued by customers? How sticky are these products to the customer?

Supply Chain Risks

How resilient is the company’s supply chain to disruption from its suppliers? In other words, does the company have geographic diversity of supply and alternative sources and alternative materials in its supply chain, to mitigate shortages, natural disasters, or regional or supplier-centric disruptions?
Does the company buy all its products in one currency, and, if so, does it hedge for currency fluctuation risk?

Execution Risks

How forward-looking is the company’s roadmap? Could it be surprised by a competitor or disruptive trend?
How reliable is the company’s execution on new product introductions (NPIs)?
How reliable are the company’s sales-demand forecasts?
How reliable is the company’s fulfillment of forecasted demand?
Does the company carry a lot of inventory for extended sales periods?

Capability Risks

Does the company have all the skills and experiences needed to manage its business model? If not, how will the company rapidly address this?
Is the company able to hire the best of the best for its business needs? If not, why not?
What is the company’s talent attrition for employees and executives, whether they leave voluntarily or are poached?

Legal Risks

What are the pending litigations and claims made by other companies or third parties against the company?
Does the company have good ethics and business practices, or does it often fall foul of the law?

Other risks, such as disruptions caused by natural disasters or changes in government regulation, also need to be considered and addressed. Unexpected events like the COVID-19 pandemic, which stunted businesses and disrupted our way of life when it spread across the world, need to be managed in unique ways. It is important to have processes in place to constantly assess risk so your company can shift and adjust its operating model when something like the pandemic happens. In response to COVID-19, many companies equipped and allowed people to work from home to avoid productivity loss.

Managing risk is a science and an art — and it also helps you keep your detective skills sharp. It is best to review the company’s risk-management plan every month to ensure all plans are in place to manage risk, with key executives responsible for each risk category.

*Excerpted from “Your Company Is Your Castle: Proven Methods for Building a Resilient Business” by Sandeep Chennakeshu

As former CTO of Eriscsson and President of Blackberry, Sandeep Chennakeshu has spent thirty-four years in three industries whose products have transformed all our lives. Along the way he transformed businesses to grow profitably in a sustained manner using the principles outlined in his book “Your Company Is Your Castle.”

Visual Styles To Use In Animated Videos For Tech Marketing

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August 17, 2023

Animation and videos are the tools people use widely in their marketing campaigns, and when they combine in a single piece – the efficiency of delivering a message skyrockets. But there are still too many points to consider before using the animation video. What are they, and how choosing the right approach can change your marketing drastically?

Look at some info below and see how https://mezzolab.com/ implements these ideas.

Does it matter which style to use for an animation video?

Animation video is called to use a visual aid to deliver some informative message, whether it’s about explaining the process, delivering statistics, or introducing a new feature. Using audio-visual means we aim to make our message the clearest possible. When the info and the associations that this info calls in people match, the content reaches the highest point of memorability.

What styles are popular to use nowadays?

The following styles are the most required in today’s tech context:

minimalistic and flat design features clean lines, simple shapes, and a focus on functionality. It suits well to tech-related content;
3D animation adds depth and realism to the visuals, which is indispensable in demonstrating product designs, architectural concepts, or complex technical processes;
the isometric design presents objects and scenes in a 3D-like perspective but with all lines parallel and equal lengths, which is great for a clear demonstration of projects and interfaces;
kinetic typography combines moving text with dynamic animations which can be an additional explanatory means to delivering the info
data visualization turns complex numbers and charts into visually appealing and easily understandable graphics;
retro futurism draws inspiration from past visions of the future, creating a blend of nostalgia and innovation, which is a good style to present your vision of a classic concept reconsidered;
hand-drawn illustrations give your videos a unique and artistic touch;
particle effects and motion graphics add energy and excitement to your videos while used to visualize abstract concepts, transitions, or emphasize movement within a tech product;
whiteboard animation simulates the process of sketching on a whiteboard and is great for explaining processes, concepts, and ideas in an engaging way creating a classroom vibe.
glossy and modern design employs sleek and polished visuals, often featuring gradients, reflections, and glass-like elements which create a high-tech and futuristic appearance;
the typography-centric design uses text as a backbone element, so layouts, fonts, and animations of the text are principal to convey messages;
mixed media combines different elements in a comprehensive system that serves to deliver the message in the most effective way possible (it’s perfect for ideas that suggest demonstrating the information aspects variously).

Some of them are more specific, others – more universal, so the choice depends on your brand and goal.

Choosing the style is very creative yet very responsible for the entire video’s success. If you’re confused about which to prefer, connect with a professional to advise you. Contact MezzoLab for a careful consultation and customized approach, and get the best result possible!

The Psychology Of Inventory Display: How Visual Merchandising Boosts Sales

Contributor

August 16, 2023

by Bjoern Sjut, co-founder and CEO at Finc3

How you organize, arrange and stage your products in retail can drastically improve your performance. The psychology behind displaying your inventory can make or break your merch’s success. That’s what we’ll explain – how visual merchandising works and its impact on boosting sales.

The Impact of Visual Merchandising on Sales

Visual merchandising can help you create a pleasant experience for potential customers. It’s a consumer-psychology-based method of displaying products that can help increase sales.

Compelling visual merchandising works as a promotion of your brand. How you display products and package them helps you build awareness. Convey the right message to your customers and encourage them to purchase.

Visual merchandising also encourages event participants to present their products attractively. For example, using special lighting or showcasing high-end products. A well-staged display can earn your many sales.

Understanding The Psychology Behind Visual Merchandising

You must understand a few key things to understand the psychology behind visual merchandising.

First, you must understand your clientele to identify what visuals interest them. For example, create clean and organized displays for higher-income business professionals.

Secondly, your display should evoke feel-good emotions in customers. Use appealing visuals and fragrances in your booth to enhance visitors’ experience.

Make sure you stand out from competitors by arranging eye-catching displays with accent colors.

Finally, help customers imagine how your products will alter their lives. Set up scenes that can show what value your products bring to customers and spark their desire to purchase.

The Two-Finger Rule and Its Role in Merchandising Success

Two finger rule is one of the best practices for adequately displaying merchandise on shelves. According to this rule, the space between the top of a product and the shelf above it should not be more than two fingers long. This helps you create a fully stacked shelf from which customers can quickly grab what they need. Two-finger rules make it easier to organize products on adjustable displays.

Top Three Crucial Elements in Successful Visual Merchandising

Here are three essential elements to successfully implement visual merchandising:

1. Branding.

You should use the personality and character of your brand in your visual merchandising. Incorporate your branding elements into the signage, visuals, display designs, etc. This way, visitors will know about your brand, and you can stand out from competitors.

2. 5 Senses.

Physically experiencing a product can deliver entertainment and value to consumers. That is because visual merchandising helps engage the five senses of customers. Such as-

3. Touch.

Place your products in a spot customers can access them easily. This helps them touch or hold the product, feel its texture, and make buying decisions.

4. Sight.

Create a visual appeal using dramatic lighting effects, color, and attractive visuals. Let your customers feel more intrigued.

5. Sound.

Select melodic music to play in the background which is neither loud nor monotonous. This creates a sound appeal without making customers distracted.

6. Scent.

Use mild yet tempting scents in your booth to uplift the mood of the visitors. Customers often remember please scents, which will likely boost their experience and enhance the chances of revisits.

7. Taste.

Food & beverage companies offer samples of their products to attract customers with their sense of taste. Other companies can provide refreshments like welcome drinks or toffees at the counter to please visitors.

Measuring The Effectiveness of Visual Merchandising Techniques

As you start, you must define your goals, including Amazon marketplace management services, to measure the success of your visual merchandising techniques because it matters whether you wish to increase brand awareness, visitors, or sales.

To calculate your ROI, identify your sales revenue and visual merchandising costs, including the costs associated with “Amazon marketplace management services.” Then using the ROI formula, calculate the effectiveness of your campaign.

ROI = (Benefits – Costs) / Costs x 100%.

The Significance of Effective Displays in Visual Merchandising

Effective displays can significantly impact the results of visual merchandising, bringing more sales and revenue to the business. It also helps build awareness around your brand and do so publicly.

Bjoern Sjut was co-founder and CEO at Finc3, an agency that has now become a part of Front Row that offers Amazon marketplace management services. Bjoern has authored marketing publications and reports on email marketing and digital analytics, and he is a frequent speaker at international online marketing events. In addition to Finc3, he co-founded the wine platform Navinum.

Beyond Buying: How AI And Large Language Models Are Redefining Media Advertising

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August 15, 2023

by Nuno Andrade, chief innovation officer of Media Culture

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the advertising landscape, particularly reshaping the field of media buying. From automation to data analysis, AI and machine learning have optimized the practice of media buying, making it more precise and efficient. Gone are the days of tedious and time-consuming manual optimizations of media campaigns. Instead, AI automates these repetitive tasks, improving campaign efficiencies and speeding up decision-making processes. This AI-driven framework allows media agencies to shift their focus towards strategy and creativity.

AI’s influence extends beyond simply streamlining operations. It has also drastically improved programmatic media-buying, making real-time buying and selling of ad inventory a reality. By enabling granular optimizations, like determining the best ad formats and timing for delivery, AI has supercharged advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and The Trade Desk. These platforms use AI’s predictive capabilities to deliver the right content to the right audience at the right time, creating sophisticated multi-layered optimization strategies.

This, however, isn’t an entirely new phenomenon. Long before ChatGPT brought “AI” into mainstream consciousness towards the end of 2022, AI had already made substantial inroads in reshaping the media buying industry. What’s different now is the rise of large language models (LLMs), thanks to pioneers like OpenAI (GPT-4), Google (PaLM 2), and Anthropic (Claude).

The introduction of LLMs has shifted the narrative. These models allow the public to engage with massive data sets without needing a deep understanding of machine languages, a skill usually reserved for data scientists. Essentially, LLMs have democratized the conversation between humans and machines, making it possible for everyone to speak a language that machines understand.

Whereas just a year ago, machine learning and predictive analytics were the domain of seasoned analysts at financial firms or large media agencies, today, anyone can upload a file and interact with the embedded data using natural language. These democratized tools have simplified complex algorithms into streamlined processes, making powerful data science capabilities accessible to individuals and businesses of all sizes.

Looking forward, it’s easy to foresee an era where AI goes beyond facilitating media buying and optimization to actively shaping the content we consume. Thanks to advanced AI image and video generative tools from platforms like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion, we are on the verge of a future where advertising messaging can be created in real-time, reflecting the viewer’s preferences. Using consumer behavior data and AI’s generative capabilities, advertisers will soon dynamically design, create, and modify content based on the viewer’s data.

This evolution holds significant implications. Imagine an advertisement tailored specifically for you, from its timing and placement to its design, style, and message. An ad featuring products and services you’re interested in, designed in a style you prefer, narrated in a way that resonates with you. This level of personalization will not only make ads more relevant but also create a more engaging consumer experience.

That said, in a world where advertising is crafted and customized to suit each consumer’s preferences, it’s not far-fetched to envision all content following the same model. In a theoretical future where LLMs script entire movies and TV shows and computer-generated “actors” play every role, we’re faced with a pivotal question: What does originality mean in an environment governed by artificial intelligence? This paradigm shift isn’t all theoretical; it’s playing out now, as evidenced by the recent Hollywood writers’ strike. Led by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, this strike is more than a labor dispute; it’s the first salvo in a broader battle over the ownership, originality, and essence of creativity in an age increasingly dominated by AI.

As we journey into this brave new world of technological advancement, it’s crucial to navigate its complexities thoughtfully and responsibly. The shift to real-time advertising and content generation brings forth a slew of challenges, including concerns over data security, privacy, and the sanctity of human creativity. As advertisers, technologists, policymakers, and consumers, our responsibility extends beyond merely unlocking the potential of these new tools. We must ensure that their use upholds the integrity of individual privacy and human innovation. The path forward lies not just in leveraging these tools effectively, but in doing so ethically, honoring the symbiotic relationship between the art and the artist.

Nuno Andrade, chief innovation officer at Media Culture, is a digital media industry veteran whose experience spans more than 15 years. As Chief Innovation Officer at Media Culture, Nuno specializes in bridging linear and digital media efforts within the agency while being responsible for the formulation of internal and client strategy.

Working The Favor Bank: Ten Ways To Grow Your Network And Get Things Done

Contributor

August 14, 2023

by Robert L. Dilenschneider, author of “The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence: Everything You Need to Know“

“Networking” is a misunderstood concept. We tend to think of it in terms of small talk, faked enthusiasm, and self-serving schmoozing. Great networkers, we assume, are aggressive movers and shakers with a knack for selling themselves. Actually, they are heartfelt helpers who understand how the favor bank works.

The most successful people I know have their own networks, which they cultivate like a precious rose garden. They do this by thinking first where they can do some good, knowing that later — sometimes much later — there will be reciprocity.

Navigating this balance of give and take is what I call working the favor bank.

I think of networking in terms of ‘favor banks’ — coined by Tom Wolfe in his novel The Bonfire of the Vanities. The book is satire, but Wolfe’s point about favor banks captures an essential element in how the world of influence works.

It boils down to this: Help other people, and they will be more willing to help you. You make a “deposit” into the virtual favor bank, and later you will inevitably make a “withdrawal.” Just be sure when you make that withdrawal, you do so elegantly and graciously so that everyone wins.

While the concept is simple enough in theory, putting it into practice may require some guidance. You might say, “How could I ever help XX, when I really need them to help me first?” But there’s almost always a way for you to make a deposit in the favor bank, and those deposits will almost always come around to help you in the long run.

A few tips:

1. Research industries and leaders you are likely to meet.

Have something to talk about with them that will convey your knowledge and interest. And most of all, be prepared to listen.

2. Be strategic and thoughtful about where you can do the most good.

This requires advance planning, a realistic view of your gifts and abilities, and a dose of discernment. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Find a way to focus your talent and energies. It’s not about doing ten things just for the sake of doing them; it’s about doing one (or maybe a few) things that have a real impact.

Having a reputation for doing good can pay dividends and helps communicate what your values are. This is a crucial step toward eventually building relationships with power players who share those values.

Frank Bennack, the CEO of the Hearst Corporation for more than 28 years, leveraged personal relationships based on pro bono activities to close “the deal of the century” to buy a piece of ESPN and set the stage for Hearst’s pivot to cable networking.

Of course, power plays like this are way down the road…but you’ve got to start somewhere.

3. Start the relationship off with a deposit, not a withdrawal.

Remember, working the favor bank means playing the long game. Be patient and have faith that your turn to make a withdrawal will, eventually, come back around.

4. Find ways to make “free” deposits.

Learn how to trade in know-how, intellectual capital, and sweat equity. Senior executives get a lot of mileage in their community through leveraging their company’s contribution program. But what if you’re just a young manager without a wad of money to give away?

Let’s say you are a rising executive, and you want to make your impact felt with a politician. You know you can’t make a heavyweight financial contribution. But can you help them in designing their fundraising strategy? Can you spend your evening hours researching a particular topic so they can write a blockbuster speech? Just be sure the candidate’s positions won’t bring embarrassment to your company.

Or, let’s say your community hospital can’t afford a financial analysis function, but you hear that the trustees (who are also the most powerful community leaders) blame serious operating problems on a lack of good analysis. Can you step in and offer your expertise pro bono to troubleshoot the problem? For managers at every level, there is a way to leverage intelligence and ingenuity for impact far beyond your apparent rank.

5. Support the rainmakers — those people who can bring new clients your way…

When Rabbi Arthur Schneier, one of the most influential people in New York and a human-rights activist, called me on a Sunday afternoon and asked whether the company where I worked at the time would help lead an earthquake-relief effort in a country on the border of Europe and Asia, it took me just one second to say yes. First, it was the right and humane thing to do. Second, it paid off handsomely in how the company was regarded. And third, it answered a rainmaker’s call. If you want to maintain an active balance in the favor bank, jump when a rainmaker calls.

6. … but also those powerful people who feel antagonistic toward your business.

I’m talking about special-interest leaders, columnists, politicians — anyone who can be a big-league aggravation. It may sound counterintuitive, but without undermining your business objectives or compromising ethics, do every possible favor you can for those people. It’s done every day by top managers in the Fortune 500. Deposit regularly and heavily in the favor bank.

7. Maximize the impact of your deposits with a personal follow-up.

Let’s say you’re called to assess a candidate for a senior management job at an up-and-coming manufacturing firm. You provide a strong recommendation and are told she’s at the top of the list. Fine. Now leverage that by immediately calling the candidate and telling her she’s likely to get the job. Who do you suppose the candidate will think helped cinch the position?

8. Be smart about managing your growing list.

You must prune your list but never cut people off entirely. The more people in your network, the more opportunities are created for you. One way to manage your growing list is to make categories — contacts in the energy industry, the media, the nonprofit fields, for example.

9. Stay in touch. This isn’t a one-and-done activity.

Cultivate your network and keep your name out there through tools such as newsletters, letters to the editor, and op-eds. Make them informative, useful, succinct. Avoid overpowering the inbox, however. Any of us in business receive more emails in an hour than we could possibly read, even if that’s all we did all day long. Make your message a must-read.

10. Advertise your favor-bank balance (but be discreet about it).

In a speech, you might hear an executive say, “When the local elementary schools needed Chromebooks for remote learning, we were glad to donate some to help equalize education. It was nothing less than an investment in the community and our children.”

This soft-sell advertisement amplifies power and influence. Of course, it must be done discreetly and with caution so as to not oversell. And most of all, it has to be true!

If all of this sounds a little manipulative, don’t worry — it’s not. It’s simply a way of practicing the timeless concept of reciprocity.

Looking for ways to help others does eventually result in their helping you, but that’s not the real payoff. It cultivates a mindset that not only leads to rewarding relationships but also helps you grow as a person. The more you help others, the better person you will become, and the more you’ll experience a sense of fulfillment.

Robert L. Dilenschneider, founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, is one of the world’s foremost communication experts and leadership coaches. Dilenschneider has authored 18 seminal business and career development books. He has counseled major corporations and professional groups around the globe and is frequently called upon by the media to provide commentary and strategic public relations insights on major news stories.

Seven Essential Characteristics Of Highly Successful Individuals

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August 13, 2023

Success is a concept that is highly sought after, yet its achievement remains elusive for many. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success, there are certain common characteristics that tend to be present in individuals who have managed to achieve their goals and make a significant impact on the world around them. These characteristics encompass a diverse range of attributes that contribute to personal growth, professional accomplishments, and overall fulfillment. See how you stack up with these characteristics. Soon, you and others like you will be getting Colorado Springs small business loans to get your dreams off the ground.

In this article, we will delve into seven important characteristics that are often associated with highly successful people.

1. Vision and Goal-Setting.

Highly successful individuals possess a clear vision of their desired outcomes and a strong sense of purpose. They set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that serve as roadmaps toward their aspirations. This proactive approach to goal-setting not only helps them remain focused but also instills a sense of direction that guides their actions and decisions. Successful individuals understand that a well-defined vision combined with actionable goals serves as a foundation for their journey to success.

2. Resilience and Perseverance.

Obstacles and setbacks are an inevitable part of any journey toward success. What sets highly successful people apart is their ability to bounce back from failures and continue pushing forward. They demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity, using failures as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. By cultivating a mindset that views challenges as opportunities for growth, they develop the determination and perseverance required to overcome hurdles and keep moving toward their goals.

3. Continuous Learning and Adaptability.

Successful individuals understand that the world is constantly evolving, and they embrace a mindset of lifelong learning. They actively seek out new information, skills, and experiences that enhance their capabilities. This commitment to self-improvement enables them to adapt to changing circumstances, stay ahead of the curve, and seize emerging opportunities. Their willingness to step out of their comfort zones and explore new avenues is a key driver of their success.

4. Time Management and Productivity.

Time is a finite resource, and highly successful individuals recognize its value. They prioritize tasks, delegate responsibilities, and manage their time efficiently to maximize productivity. By focusing on high-impact activities and minimizing distractions, they ensure that their efforts are channeled toward tasks that align with their goals. Effective time management allows them to accomplish more in less time, creating a ripple effect of success across various areas of their lives.

5. Networking and Relationship Building.

The adage “It’s not what you know, but who you know” holds true in the world of success. Building strong relationships and a robust network is crucial for accessing resources, opportunities, and collaborations. Successful individuals understand the power of connections and invest time in nurturing professional and personal relationships. They leverage their network to gain insights, share knowledge, and open doors that might otherwise remain closed.

6. Self-Confidence and Positive Mindset.

Believing in oneself is a fundamental characteristic of successful individuals. They maintain a positive attitude even in the face of challenges, knowing that self-doubt can hinder progress. Their self-confidence is not only an internal driving force but also radiates outward, influencing how others perceive and interact with them. By focusing on their strengths and achievements, successful individuals foster a mindset that enables them to overcome self-limiting beliefs and reach their full potential.

7. Passion and Hard Work.

Passion fuels the fire of success. Highly successful individuals are deeply passionate about their pursuits, and this passion propels them to put in the necessary hard work and dedication. They are willing to go the extra mile and invest significant effort into their endeavors, often putting in long hours and consistently pushing their boundaries. This unwavering commitment to their passions enables them to not only achieve their goals but also inspire those around them.

While success may be defined differently by each individual, certain characteristics consistently emerge as defining traits of highly successful people. From a strong vision and goal-setting to a resilient mindset, continuous learning to effective time management, networking to self-confidence, and passion to hard work, these characteristics intertwine to create a roadmap for success. By cultivating and embodying these attributes, individuals can pave their way toward personal and professional accomplishments while leaving a lasting impact on their lives and the world at large.

Smart AI Will Consolidate Industries & Workplaces: Who Wins?

Contributor

August 11, 2023

by Edward D. Hess, author of “Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of Change“

Smart AI is here, and it will impact every business. No one will be exempt.

That raises two existential questions for every business: (1) Will it learn how to effectively use continuously advancing Smart Technology to optimize its performance better than the competition? and (2) Will it learn how to transform its culture and educate its work force to optimize the highest levels of human cognitive, emotional, and behavioral performance in order to create Highly Adaptive Learners who can continuously learn – unlearn – and relearn at the fast pace of technological change?

Companies that are unable to adapt and compete at the speed of change will run a high risk of being consolidated. Consolidation will occur across industries. When I asked ChatGPT “What Industries do you think have the highest probability of consolidation?” It answered: “Telecommunications; Healthcare; Automotive; Financial Services; Retail; and Energy and Utilities”.

In reality, every business will be at risk because Smart AI can help businesses perform better, faster, and more efficiently. Winning companies will be those that have transformed their way of working-enabling their employees to become Highly Adaptive Learners which enables them to effectively use Smart AI. That new methodology will include using deliberate daily practices and tools that will enable employees to continuously learn and perform at continuous increasing high levels of human performance cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, and collaboratively.

Success in the Smart Technology Age will in most cases require a completely different way of working; a different way of leading; and a different approach to human development as compared to what exists in most businesses today.

Let’s look at it from another approach. If your business has tackled incorporating AI into your business, what types of human skills will be hard to automate? Excelling at those skills should lessen the possibility of a business being consolidated.

For the near future these three types of skills will be hard for Smart Technology to automate:

Thinking in ways in ways that Smart AI can’t: critical thinking, innovative thinking, going into the unknown and figuring things out; making complex decisions in situations where there is not a lot of data or where there is a lot of uncertainty; making moral decisions; and emergent thinking.
Excelling at building caring, trusting positive emotional relationships with others that enables the highest levels of collaboration, exploration, and learning.
Excelling at doing trade jobs that require lots of human dexterity and iterative diagnosis of the problem and iterative trial and error approaches to solving the problem.

Unfortunately, many people in the workforce today lack these skills and many businesses have not put in place company-wide human development practices and tools to develop those skills.

So, many businesses must adapt and become a Highly Adaptive Learning Organization (HALO). A HALO means becoming a very humanistic developmental learning organization using proven scientifically and philosophically based practices and tools designed to help every leader, manager, and worker at all levels of the organization to be on their “Journey to Best Self” so they can bring that best self to work every day in pursuit of being able to create value in ways that Smart Technology can’t and to accelerate the speed of value creation by optimizing the use of Smart AI.

The human goal is to continuously achieve higher levels of performance emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally. That happens when humans have developed a Quiet Ego, a Quiet Mind, a Calm Body, and when they have learned how to: Manage their Emotions by Generating Positive Emotions and by Managing their Negative Emotions; and when they excel at being a Reflective Listener; Critical Thinker; and being able to build Caring Trusting Positive Relationships that enables the highest levels of Collective Intelligence.

We are in a New World – the world of Smart AI. Every person and every organization will be impacted and challenged to develop a New Way of Working that enables the highest levels of human performance. There will be winners and lots of losers – what will you be?

Edward D. Hess is professor of business administration, Batten Fellow, and Batten Executive-in-Residence at the Darden School of Business and the author of “Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of Change“. Professor Hess spent 20 years in the business world as a senior executive and has spent the last 18 years in academia. He is the author of 13 books, over 140 articles, and 60 Darden case studies.

Finding Balance Before Burnout

Contributor

August 9, 2023

by Monica Yates, host of the Feminine As F*ck Podcast

Tell me if this sounds familiar…

You’re going about your day and as you’re taking care of one task, you’re thinking about three others. You’re reminding yourself constantly of all the things you haven’t yet crossed off your list, which feels like it’s never-ending. You’re juggling so much, whether it’s a career, motherhood, partnership, family, intimacy, household, health, planning, organizing… For most of us, it’s (nearly) all of the above. It’s easy to become quickly overwhelmed.

This spiral of infinite roles we as women play is dizzying. On the one hand, we’re so great at it because we can multitask like no one’s business. However, on the other hand, it’s exhausting and can make us feel like we can never catch a break.

Answer this question honestly: Have you thought to yourself, “I can’t handle this much longer.” And if so, how often? Friend, if you’ve thought this to yourself even once, that’s one time too many.

We females are hardwired to want to conquer the world, yet we’re not biologically built to do it without the right support. It’s just not possible to run a business, manage a team of people, and balance our personal life all at the same time. We may feel that we have to, but realistically, trying to keep all of those balls in the air at once will cause burnout. In the long term, it’s just not sustainable.

So where does that leave us in today’s modern society? We have to get resourceful and figure out systems and balances that work for us. I’m talking about individualized support from you for you. Most of us don’t have a village of support that has our back, and so we have to be that for ourselves. We have to make ourselves our #1 priority because no one else is going to.

You are the village.

Let’s take a step back, though. While that may sound empowering AF — and if you felt empowered by it, listen closely. That part of you that felt empowered by that statement is the very part of you that has been hardwired to think that you have to do more to be more successful. I’m here to drill it into your mind that that is simply not true. Yeah, some people work better with a lot on their plate and thrive under pressure. If that’s you, then great. Giving yourself the space to figure out what you need is where you’re going to find your power.

Your value isn’t based on how much you accomplish, or how hard you work, or how exhausted you are. If you’re killing yourself to get projects in, work an “acceptable” amount of hours, and manage a team and their projects, then you’ll inevitably hit a wall. It’s time to learn how to relieve the pressure that you’ve inherently learned to put on yourself and understand how to execute differently to lead from the feminine — meaning you get to have it all with no burnout.

Let this serve as your nudge, that it’s possible for you and for every other woman reading this.

***

Listen to Monica’s podcast episode on burnout and women’s mental load here.

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Monica Yates is a trauma healer, feminine/masculine embodiment coach, and period expert. She is also the host of the Feminine As F*ck Podcast (more than 1.6 million downloads) and runs a business helping people from all walks of life get into their magnetic feminine energy, feel safe letting men lead, heal their cycle and be free of the trauma and energetic blocks that hold them back from living their dream life.

Selling A House ‘As-is’ in Central Florida? Here’s How We Buy Houses Companies Can Help

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August 9, 2023

Selling a home is usually a lengthy process, lasting about two months depending on market conditions. But when the market is hot, as it is in parts of Central Florida, the timeline to sell can be faster. For example, as of April 2023, the average time for a home to reach pending status in Orlando was 13 days. But there is still a lot of pre-work to get a home ready to sell, even with shorter sale times. If you need to sell your home fast, there are ways to eliminate some of the steps and get the job done faster. One of the best strategies is to cut down on the time it takes to make repairs, pass inspections, and get through the negotiations that will lead to a final sale, by selling a house ‘as-is.’ This option isn’t for everyone as you are most likely to get less for your home at sale time, however if you do want to go that route, We Buy Houses companies in Central Florida can help.

We Buy Houses Companies Defined

When a home is bought for cash, there are a few types of buyers who are likely behind the purchase. There are buyers who want to live in the home and can afford to pay for the home without a mortgage. Then there are companies who buy homes as a business such as iBuyers, fix-and-flip investors, and buy-and-hold investors. iBuyers are instant buyers that you can work with online to sell a house ‘as-is’ such as Redfin Now and Knock. Buy-and-hold investors are less likely to buy a house ‘as-is’ as they tend to look for homes to become rental properties. Fix-and-flip investors are the most likely to buy ‘as is,’ as their business model is to buy homes for under market value and sell them for more.

The Benefits

If you need to sell your home fast ‘as-is’ the benefits of using a We Buy Houses company are clear as you can get the job done quickly with cash in hand. Aside from saving time, the process will also be less complicated with fewer negotiations, communications, and contingencies to consider. You also won’t need to hire a real estate agent or pay commission fees as you can list your house online yourself.

The Drawbacks

We Buy Houses platforms may be convenient, but the solution isn’t for everyone. When you use one of these platforms, whether selling your house ‘as-is’ or after making repairs, you will bring home less money. The convenience of not having to hire a realtor, make repairs, stage your home, and market it, comes at the cost of less money from your sale. Flippers, for example, might offer you 50 or even 70 percent less than a home’s market value. But if you want to move on and not have to worry, then the lower sale price might be worth it.

If you have a home with a lot of wear and tear and you need to sell it fast, We Buy Houses companies are a solution worth considering.

The Importance Of Financial Empowerment For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

Contributor

August 8, 2023

by Trent Griffin-Braaf, CEO & Founder of Tech Valley Shuttle

Few returning citizens have the knowledge and skills to make good financial decisions while reintegrating into society after being incarcerated because kids from underserved populations usually don’t learn about finance at home. Their parents and grandparents don’t know this information themselves, so they can’t teach it, and their school districts don’t provide that sort of education, either.

Currently, many banks and credit unions approach returning citizens after their release from prison, talk about “financial wellness,” and offer $200 in credit toward starting a new bank account. But true financial wellness is only possible when people understand the fundamentals of money and can build on this solid foundation.

For this reason, financial institutions and communities should begin their education efforts much sooner and expand their curricula.

Financial ignorance is a setup for failure

Large demographic groups in the US don’t understand money and how it works. When you live in a capitalist country and lack this basic knowledge, it’s a setup for failure. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise if individuals from disenfranchised or underserved communities — like returning citizens — struggle more than other parts of the population.

For instance, since many people from underrepresented communities don’t understand credit scores, interest rates, and predatory lending practices, they may make poor choices regarding credit cards and loans. According to Youth.gov, “Absent suitable consumer protection and school-based K-12 financial education, youth in low-income households as adults can fall victim to scams, high-interest rate loans, and debt.”

The solution is to provide basic financial education.

Money 101

An appropriate Money 101 course for underserved populations in general and returning citizens, in particular, would cover the origin of currency, what money is, and how it works.

Credit rebuilding programs would be especially useful, as these would help explain why credit was created, how it operates, the importance of good scores, and the additional expense of paying interest. Courses should also assess the student’s own credit in real-time and give appropriate counseling based on the findings.

In addition, students should receive help putting together an action plan that supports their goals. Armed with practical, step-by-step guidance, they could learn to budget, save, monitor their status, and track their progress.

Debt management would be another important component. By handling their existing debt more effectively, they could keep their credit utilization at an appropriate point. In some cases, they could even get things taken off their credit report.

Following the right routines for financial success

A good financial literacy course would also investigate what successful people do with their money, as well as how anyone can follow the same routines and structures. When returning citizens understand retirement planning and life insurance — not to mention world trade, the stock market, and diversified investment portfolios — they become much better prepared to succeed in their lives after prison.

This kind of education would help individuals elevate themselves out of poverty and attain a new position in life. When people become financially prosperous, they gain more control over their time, which is our most valuable resource. Personal wealth also brings opportunities that can turn into additional resources, as well as access to community leaders, which I consider freedom.

The community in general benefits as well, since prosperous citizens pay more in taxes and make more positive contributions to society.

Teaching a captive audience

Currently, financial institutions wait to approach people until they are released from prison, which means they miss out on a huge opportunity. People who are incarcerated do nothing but sit in jail — they are, quite literally, a captive audience.

Moreover, many incarcerated people have access to tablets with apps and educational materials. If training videos on financial matters existed, then they could watch them for hours every day, mastering these skills and bettering themselves. They also have the time to get clear about their future goals and develop a financial plan.

Imagine if a bank or credit union created a curriculum and started to put information on these tablets. They could sponsor the course, insert, their name into the materials, and promise a credit for opening a bank account with a job-offer letter. When the student returns home, guess who they’re going to bank with?

This strategy would be much more effective than attempting to compete with other financial institutions for the returning citizen market, which is why financial institutions should expand their outreach to individuals who are incarcerated. They should also include successful returning citizens like myself on their corporate boards, since we can give them an important perspective they are currently missing.

Empower people to reintegrate successfully

The current lack of financial education for underserved populations like returning citizens does little but set people up for disaster. Conversely, basic financial education empowers individuals to establish a productive life and achieve financial prosperity.

That’s why financial institutions and communities should help incarcerated individuals understand money as the first step toward their future reintegration.

Trent Griffin-Braaf is the CEO & Founder of Tech Valley Shuttle and GB Logistics. He is the largest BIPOC employer in New York State and The Capital Region. As a formerly incarcerated person, he is leading the way for other employers to learn how to become an employer of choice for returning citizens, single parents, and veterans.

Evolving Mindset, Thriving Business: Your Path To Seven-Figure Revenue

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August 7, 2023

by business coach, author, and speaker Jennifer Dawn of JenniferDawnCoaching.com

Are you dreaming of hitting seven-figure revenue milestones for your business? It may seem like an unattainable goal, but it’s entirely possible with the right strategies and mindset.

In this article, we will explore six crucial tips to help you navigate the path to seven-figure success in business, covering areas like shortening the learning curve, sustainable growth and work-life balance, hiring and firing wisely, implementing the Profit First, nurturing an evolving mindset, and aligning actions with financial goals.

1. Shortening the Learning Curve.

Every successful entrepreneur knows that continuous learning is the key to growth. Shortening the learning curve involves gaining knowledge from experienced mentors, industry experts, and educational resources. Invest time in attending workshops, webinars, and networking events to connect with like-minded individuals who can offer insights and support. Avoid the mistakes of others by learning from their experiences and applying those lessons to your own business. A commitment to lifelong learning will help you adapt to market changes and keep your business relevant in a dynamic environment.

2. Sustainable Growth and Work-Life Balance.

Growing your business at an unsustainable pace can lead to burnout and poor work-life balance. Set realistic goals and milestones to achieve sustainable growth and maintain a healthy personal life. Focus on expanding steadily while ensuring that your operations can handle the increased demand—delegate tasks to capable team members and empower them to make decisions. As your business grows, don’t forget to take care of yourself by dedicating time to hobbies, family, and personal well-being. A balanced life will make you more productive and focused when tackling business challenges.

3. Hiring Slow, Firing Fast.

Building a solid team is essential for business success. Take your time in the hiring process to find candidates who possess the required skills and align with your company’s culture and values. Thoroughly interview, conduct reference checks, and even consider trial periods to assess their suitability.

On the other hand, if you realize that an employee is not the right fit, don’t hesitate to make tough decisions. Firing fast may seem harsh, but it prevents potential negative impacts on team morale and overall productivity.

4. Implementing Profit First.

Profit First is a financial management system prioritizing profit allocation over revenue allocation. In traditional accounting, profits are calculated as revenue minus expenses, but Profit First flips this model by putting profit first and allocating expenses accordingly. The strategy involves setting aside a percentage of revenue as profit, ensuring a more disciplined approach to financial management. This method encourages businesses to operate efficiently and achieve profitability while keeping expenses in check.

5. Nurturing an Evolving Owner Mindset.

As an entrepreneur, your mindset is crucial to your business’ success. Embrace a growth-oriented mindset that embraces change, innovation, and continuous improvement. Be open to feedback and be willing to pivot when necessary. Surround yourself with supportive individuals who challenge and inspire you. Stay adaptable and resilient, as entrepreneurship is a journey of ups and downs. Remember that setbacks are opportunities for learning and growth.

6. Aligning Actions with Financial Goals.

Your actions and decisions must align with your financial goals to reach seven-figure revenue. Regularly review your business plan and assess progress towards your targets. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and use data to make informed decisions. Avoid wasteful spending and focus on investments that will drive business growth. Reevaluate your strategies regularly and be prepared to pivot to stay on track.

Achieving seven-figure revenue requires dedication, discipline, and a clear roadmap. Shortening the learning curve, sustaining growth while maintaining work-life balance, hiring and firing wisely, implementing Profit First, nurturing a growth mindset, and aligning actions with financial goals is critical to success.

Remember that success may not come overnight. Still, with perseverance and a commitment to excellence, you can reach your business’s financial goals while enjoying a fulfilling work-life balance.

Jennifer Dawn founded Jennifer Dawn Coaching and created the Best Planner Ever. Jennifer is a serial entrepreneur who has grown two multi-million-dollar businesses and is a successful speaker and author. She is also the host of the top-rated podcast Happy Productive with Jennifer Dawn.

6 Common Cybersecurity Mistakes Employees Make

admin

August 4, 2023

Cybersecurity issues are worsening daily, particularly for companies that depend on data to serve their customers and clients. Today’s cybercriminals target any kind of organization, including small businesses, large companies, and government agencies.

While most companies invest a lot of money in cybersecurity solutions to protect against external threats, human error concerns can easily go unnoticed. Unfortunately, human mistakes pose the biggest threat to an organization’s cybersecurity efforts.

Here are six common cybersecurity mistakes employees make.

1. Using weak passwords.

One of the most common cybersecurity mistakes employees make is using weak passwords. Life is a bit easier when you only have just one simple password to remember. However, reusing weak passwords in multiple accounts can lead to easier exploitation by hackers. Weak passwords are easy to guess and are one of the simplest ways to break into a company’s system. Apart from a strong password, using multi-factor authentication can help a company add an extra layer of security against hackers.

2. Falling for phishing scams.

Most data breaches in the workplace are a result of phishing scams. This occurs when employees click on malicious links or download attachments in phishing emails, exposing their companies to disastrous ransomware and other malware attacks.

Phishing attacks trick employees into revealing sensitive information, such as login and credit card information. Therefore, businesses, both small and large, should conduct regular cybersecurity training to educate their employees on how to identify phishing attempts and the actions to take in case they encounter suspicious messages or emails.

3. Connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks.

Public Wi-Fi provides a convenient way to work when on vacation, at the airport, or in a café. Remote workers or employees who travel frequently for business can also use public Wi-Fi to work on the go.

Nevertheless, using unsecured public Wi-Fi connections can pose considerable risks to a business’s sensitive data. Employees who connect to these networks without proper security measures are vulnerable to hacking and unauthorized access. Attackers can also use public Wi-Fi networks to install malware on cell phones or laptops of staff who have enabled file-sharing on their devices.

Companies should advise employees to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks to connect to corporate systems without a secure network to fight cybercriminals. Fortunately, there is a host of VPNs that can be highly beneficial. Using a strong VPN when accessing your company’s networks or transmitting sensitive information allows you to encrypt data and prevent it from possible intrusion or theft.

4. Neglecting software updates.

Updating company software with patches or updates provided by manufacturers is often neglected, but it’s a vital step. Hackers stay on top of the latest news about known vulnerabilities in popular software. Therefore, the IT team should stay ahead of the attackers by protecting company resources and installing the fixes.

NIST recommends setting devices that access the company network, including mobile phones, to automatically update operating system software and other programs. Remote workers should also regularly install security updates to their routers to protect against external threats. Ensure your remote workers know how to update router firmware and company-provided devices and send them reminders on how and when to do so.

5. Using unsecured personal devices to access company data.

Using unsecured personal devices such as laptops and mobile devices to access sensitive data can unwittingly compromise a company’s security. Unlike company-provided devices, which are patched regularly, employees’ devices might contain loopholes and vulnerabilities, making them an easy target for hackers. To prevent this, companies must implement policies that prohibit the use of unsecured personal devices and impose the use of company-owned devices that have proper security controls.

6. Lack of proper data backup.

Failing to back up essential data regularly can cause ruinous consequences such as downtime and data loss in case of a system failure or cyberattack. For instance, ransomware can deny user access to files on their computer.

Since the malware will encrypt these files and demand a ransom payment for the decryption key, a company has to pay the attackers to regain access to their files if it doesn’t have a recent backup. Employees should regularly back up data to secure offline storage to ensure critical information can be retrieved in case of a security breach.

Endnote

Human errors are one of the major problems in ensuring the security of company systems. Cyberattackers more and more often choose to get into the company network by exploiting the employees instead of hacking into the system directly from the external perimeter. Ensure you properly educate your employees about security and the risks involved to reduce cybersecurity breaches and protect your sensitive data.

The Value Of Values

Contributor

August 3, 2023

by Michael Lenox, author of “Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation“

What is a responsible leader to do? There is no simple answer. Your values as an individual and organization ultimately guide what actions you feel are appropriate. This is the reason that we place values at the top of the Strategist’s Challenge. They are your north star. Your guiding light. They determine which competitive positions you feel comfortable pursuing and which you do not. Which competitive actions to take and which to avoid. While your strategy may constantly adjust to meet evolving market needs, your values should be eternal. If your values do not align with a given market opportunity, maybe it is time to look for a new segment in which to compete.

Too often, managers fall back on bromides such as “doing [whatever] maximizes shareholder value.” To be clear, maximizing shareholder value is not a legal restriction about what is required of you as a manager. Managers are required to be fiduciaries to their shareholders. Technically that means they are required to be trustworthy and transparent in their actions. Yes, shareholders can direct their capital elsewhere or even remove leaders with whom they disagree, but that does not permit the manager to avoid value-based decisions. Even reasonable guidance such as “maximize profits while not engaging in illegal activities” gets murky when a company can actively influence and shape the legal environment it operates in through lobbying and other forms of persuasion.

Thus the pursuit of profit does not absolve the manager of making moral decisions about what activities are consistent with their values and which are not. Many well-intentioned managers have found themselves going down the slippery slope of moral relativism: “Our customers love our new service based on their personal data, I know it is a little unseemly, but what if we grabbed a little more personal data so we can improve the service even more!” Just because you can leverage data to provide a new product or service, does not mean you should.

The digital age presents many moral challenges to leaders. What data is acceptable to collect and to what ends should it be applied? How much uncertainty, and potential bias, are we willing to accept in our predictive algorithms? How much autonomy do we want to concede to machines? Do we concern ourselves with the loss of jobs in our organization due to the automation of workflows? How much responsibility do we assume for users of our platforms? Do we view certain users as partners, employees, or independent contractors? What are our responsibilities to each? How do we wish to play in the “nonmarket” arena? Do we feel that all actions are fair game? Or are there limits to what we are willing to do to gain an edge or to win a stakeholder battle?

With regard to this last point, leaders need to recognize that your nonmarket strategy is part and parcel of your overall strategy. You cannot separate the two. With a group of colleagues, I contributed to a paper titled “CSR Needs CPR”—in other words, corporate social responsibility needs corporate political responsibility. Beyond the clever title, the point was that companies that espouse a set of values on their company website and then engage in political behavior counter to those espoused values risk subjecting themselves to charges of hypocrisy. Even worse, as individuals and organizations, they demonstrate a lack of integrity — either a failure to live their espoused values or a failure to espouse their true values. It is beyond my role to tell you what your values should be, but recognize that your values matter. True leaders are authentic in their espoused values and work to build organizations and cultures that are aligned with them.

*Excerpted from Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation (Stanford Business Books) by Michael Lenox

Michael Lenox is a business consultant and professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He has authored numerous books and articles on innovation and sustainability. His newest book is “Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation“.

[Interview] Monica Yates, Feminine/Masculine Embodiment Coach And Podcast Host Of Feminine As F*ck

Daniel Goh

August 3, 2023

Monica Yates, feminine/masculine embodiment coach and podcast host of Feminine as F*ck, runs a business helping people from all walks of life get into their magnetic feminine energy, feel safe letting men lead, heal their cycle, and be free of the trauma and energetic blocks that hold them back from living their dream life. She has been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Men’s Health, and more.

Yates recently spoke with YoungUpstarts and shared her insights on personal development.

Describe your background, how it led you to create your life coaching business, Monica Yates Health, and how you came to dive into the topic of feminine/masculine energy.

I grew up in Australia in what would be seen as an idyllic childhood — my parents are still together, there was always food on the table, and I went to good schools. So naturally, I thought I didn’t have any trauma.

I didn’t realize that getting into bad situations with boys, binge-drinking, and hating my body wasn’t normal. It was the way in which I felt validated by men, which later resulted in me hating men.

This is an important part of my journey as my hate towards the masculine showed up in my hustling, burnout, horrendously painful and heavy periods, missing periods, and toxic relationships. But because I didn’t have any MASSIVE traumas (or so I thought), I never thought to look at it.

My period went missing after coming off the pill back in 2015 and I dove head first into understanding my cycle after realizing a missing period was not a blessing — it became a host of health/hormonal issues for me.

I got my period back four weeks after beginning a new relationship, despite trying all the herbs possible for MONTHS prior. So, I became obsessed with looking beyond just the surface of food and supplements for healing your period, and found the world of femininity/masculinity. Changing my diet and supplements got rid of my heavy periods and pain, but it wasn’t bringing my period back after the pill… so I knew I had to look deeper.

My awful relationship with my femininity meant that I shunned the most feminine part of myself, and I became a cold masculine woman because I thought that’s what “cool” and successful women do. But my boyfriend at the time woke me up to the fact that a masculine man is not turned on by a masculine woman.

Plus, I’ve always been obsessed with helping people, giving advice (when asked of course), and understanding health and psychology, so when I found out that coaching existed back in 2016 I knew this was going to be my thing. The idea of seeing patients clinically for nutrition or psychology didn’t feel like it would really change someone’s life… so I made up my own thing. I started my bachelor’s and certification, and started heavily researching everything to do with physical, emotional, and mental health.

What keeps women from embracing their femininity?

There are a few key things.

Number one: they don’t feel safe to be feminine. This often comes from a bad relationship with men.

Two: we live in a world where hustle culture and embodying “Miss Independent” and the “cool girl” archetypes are idolized. As a result, women follow in those footsteps thinking that they will be more successful, get more respect, or be happier if they’re receiving external levels of success. This then puts them heavily into their masculine energy because they’re going against their hormonal needs — slowing down more, resting more, and not being in such a stressful environment (men’s hormones are completely different and allow them to handle stressful environments for longer).

Three: It’s a lot of social conditioning. Overactive feminism has basically meant that women feel like they’re being “unmodern” or unempowered if they want to be a stay-at-home mom (for example) and embody what’s seen as stereotypically feminine.

How does the feminine/masculine dichotomy play out in the professional world? Can you share an example from your own experience?

The dichotomy exists because women think that the only way to be successful is to be hyper-masculine. But at the same time they deeply want (especially in their relationship) to be led and taken care of. And they don’t want to have to make all the decisions.

And so there’s these two polar opposite things that women feel like they can’t have, as they feel the two can’t exist in harmony.

For myself, before I was embodying feminine leadership, I definitely wore burnout as a badge of honor. And I thought it showed that I was successful — that burnout showed I was working hard enough.

And whilst I really enjoyed working and I still enjoy working… at the same time, all I wanted to do was relax for a whole day and have a man protecting me, rather than me having to protect myself all the time.

What’s the repercussion of off-kilter masculine/feminine dynamics for men?

Men lose their sense of purpose and they really don’t feel like they know where they’re providing, especially in relationships these days because women are very much, “I can do it all myself”. It really makes men feel like they don’t have a place, they’re not needed, and they’re not important anymore.

Additionally, there’s been this “lazy man” archetype that’s really come through in the last few years, which is a result of women doing everything themselves and not trusting men. And so men have learned that they can be lazy because, “she’s gonna do it all herself” and she’s gonna be the man.

It results in men that are in this wounded masculine of being a boy and not a man, essentially.

And it doesn’t actually bring them any happiness. Maybe they have the illusion of happiness because they don’t have to think as much… but ultimately, when a man is on-purpose, and protecting and providing, he feels like he’s achieving and he feels like he’s fulfilling his role as a man in the family or in society.

So, when we see these men that are not upholding healthy masculinity it really shows that they have completely lost touch with how good it feels to be a man and to show women that he is a safe place for them to put their trust in.

Tell us what it means to be a “period whisperer”?

So basically, since the start of this business, I’ve had this incredible gift of being able to get women’s periods back. Every single client that has come to me missing a period and wanting to get it back has gotten it back, and I call myself a period whisper because in the beginning, it really just felt like magic.

Now I can tie it to all the trauma healing and feminine embodiment we do in our work.

But still, to this day, it’s incredible to me how I get these women’s periods back after years of having no period and every doctor giving them no hope — and then they come to me and it comes back.

Why is it important for women to align their lives according to their cycles?

Because it creates longevity, sustainability, and a sense of connection to your body.

It feels like you’re not working against yourself. It feels like you’re not trying to compete with a man, and it feels like full acceptance of your own limits.

And in the end, you actually end up getting just as much done (if not more!) because you haven’t burnt yourself out. You’re doing it in a way that is supporting your body.

What is next on the Monica Yates Health agenda?

So much! I have my LA pop-up event this October, and my long-awaited book is launching at the beginning of next year, which is really exciting.

I’m also celebrating my dream wedding in 2024! So many big and exciting things are in the works, it feels incredible.

Aspiring Influencers: Don’t Lose Sight Of These Six Simple Truths About Social Media

Contributor

August 2, 2023

by Robert L. Dilenschneider, author of “The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence: Everything You Need to Know“

No doubt about it: Social media is a powerful force. It can make — and break — fortunes. That’s why if you’re a business owner, a leader in charge of corporate messaging, or simply an individual looking to create a personal or professional brand, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by its looming presence. In fact, too many people try to build their whole “influencing” strategy around what works on social media.

Don’t do that. In fact, it should be the other way around. Pinpoint your message and what you really need to accomplish, and then formulate a social media strategy to match. This involves critical thinking and maintaining perspective. It also means knowing what social media is good for, and what it isn’t.

For example: Social media is a great way to make meaningful connections with contacts and develop new ones. It can keep you on top of trends and public opinion. It can spark new ideas. It can generate more traction on media coverage. It can most definitely shine a spotlight on your work and company and enhance the brand of both.

That said, social media is not a magic wand. In fact, it can backfire spectacularly. Rather than growing your influence, you can dilute it, and rather than engaging people, you can alienate them.

Here are six insights to help you simplify (and demystify) the process:

1. Clarity always beats complexity. Before you post anywhere, ask yourself, What am I really trying to achieve?

Start by thinking critically about what you’re trying to do, who you need to do it, and what might influence them. Gaining clarity on these issues might be tougher than you think, but it’s absolutely necessary.

When clients are having trouble figuring out how to get their idea or project moving, I tell them to first grab a blank sheet of paper. Then I say, ‘In two to three sentences, write what you want to do.’

Some people would rather turn it over to staff to come up with a fifty-page report, but you have to be able to distill it down to its essence before you can pitch it to others. You need to figure out who the decision makers are and decide on the most productive way to reach them. And social media won’t always be the best way.

2. Prioritize real-world relationships. They still mean something.

Even in the “age of social media,” leveraging personal relationships is often the best way to get the job done. In many instances, social media can’t compete.

A client came to me the other day and wanted to get a big project moving — he wanted social media. I said, ‘There are seven people you need to reach, including one in government and one in media. Get your argument in front of those seven people. They are the ones who count for this project.’ He did not use social media. Instead, he found unique ways to reach out to each of the seven. He was successful.

3. Don’t spread yourself too thin.

Identify what platforms you need to be working on, and tailor/focus your approach. Remember: Social media is a broad term. It includes everything from social networks like Facebook and Twitter to media-sharing networks like TikTok and YouTube to professional groups like LinkedIn. Don’t try to master them all.

Be realistic about what fits best with your goals and narrow the scope. For example, you might decide to be on LinkedIn for personal contacts and Facebook (now under the parent company Meta) and/or Twitter for personal and corporate branding.”

4. Don’t flood the feed with meaningless posts.

People care about quality, not quantity. Put some thought behind your posts. Make sure they have real substance and advance the brand you’re trying to create. Doing otherwise can dilute your influence rather than strengthening it.

5. Social media is an ever-shifting landscape. Pay attention.

Be on the lookout for new platforms that may have a more optimal reach to your customers, clients, and potential new ones. At the same time, be aware when one platform is getting a reputation for stodginess or, conversely, unchecked controversy or conspiracies.

6. Be careful. The lines between “personal” and “professional” are blurred — and there’s nothing you can do about it.

For all its benefits, social media invites public scrutiny. What you say online (even if it’s on your “personal” account) lives forever and may just come back to bite you. Jennifer Sey is a cautionary tale.

Sey was in line to become the next CEO of Levi Strauss & Company. She was a twenty-year employee who was the chief marketing officer before her promotion to global brand president in October 2020 — the first woman in the position. Their profits doubled under her leadership, she says, and she was being vetted for CEO. Then suddenly, she quit, rejecting a million-dollar settlement. What went wrong? As the headline of a New York Times piece put it: “She Was a Candidate to Lead Levi’s. Then She Started Tweeting.”

Sey’s tweets were critical of school closings during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. After she moved her two young children from San Francisco to Denver, where schools were open — and explained why in tweets — she was invited to appear on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show, which gave even greater exposure to her views. Some Levi’s employees complained — and, apparently, the company found her vocal positions problematic when it was trying to set pandemic policies to keep employees and consumers safe.

The lesson here is not that we should delete our accounts and go silent. It’s simply that navigating the treacherous waters of social media takes a comprehensive and complex knowledge of how what you will be saying could affect you, your coworkers, your company, and the market.

There are no guarantees in social media. But by keeping these truths firmly in mind, you will create a best-odds approach for success.

Social media cannot be ignored; it will get even more impactful as we go forward. It’s a powerful tool. Know how to use it — and make it work for you.

3 Essential Tips For Choosing A Video Production Company

admin

August 2, 2023

There’s no doubt that video production is a hot topic today. With the growing popularity of social media and the Internet, it’s never been more important to tell your story well in a way that gets attention — and makes people want to watch more!

But what does that mean for you? If you’re not careful, all those hours of expensive video production will go to waste because you didn’t choose the right company. You need to know how to pick the right company for your needs. And there are some vital things you should keep in mind when choosing a video production company.

Here are three essential tips for choosing a video production company:

1. Check Reputation.

The critical thing to note about a company’s reputation is that it should be based on the quality of its work. A good video production company will have a solid reputation for providing high-quality videos. You can learn about a company’s reputation by checking out reviews online, asking other people who have used them, and checking out their website.

If you want to hire someone who has been in business for a long time, it is best to look for companies that have been around for at least five years. The longer they have been in business, the better their chance to build up their reputation and develop good client relationships.

Another essential thing to consider when looking at a company’s reputation is whether or not they offer discounts to customers who refer new clients to them or provide referrals themselves. If they do, this could indicate that they are looking out for other people’s interests rather than just doing what it takes to make money themselves.

2. Customer Service.

Customer service keeps clients coming back and can make or break the relationship. A good video production company will be able to provide excellent customer service, but how do you know if they are?

Most companies have customer service policies to ensure clients are happy with their experience. Some even go so far as to have dedicated teams of customer support staff who are available 24/7. If your company doesn’t have this type of policy, it’s time to start thinking about implementing one!

Here are some tips for choosing a video production company that offers excellent customer service:

Ask questions. You should always feel comfortable asking any questions you may have, but here are some specific ones that will help you determine if the company has enough resources available to answer them:

How many employees does your company have? This is especially important if you plan on making significant investments or hiring new employees for your business. A company with plenty of resources can help you save money by letting them handle things like accounting or bookkeeping instead of having someone else do it themselves.

3. Licensing.

Another thing you will want to consider when choosing a video production company is its licensing. You want to ensure that the person you hire is licensed by the state where they are located. Licensing laws vary from state to state, so you need to know your potential employee’s licenses before agreeing on a job offer or contract agreement. Having this information means more clarity later down the road if there is ever an issue with someone needing to be appropriately licensed or something like that comes up later in their career as an employee of your business!

Maximizing Quality Assurance Budgets: Practical Tips For Cost-Effective Testing

Contributor

August 1, 2023

by Ran Rachlin, co-founder & CEO of Ubertesters

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, organizations are increasingly relying on quality assurance (QA) to maintain their competitive edge and deliver exceptional products and services. However, with limited budgets and tight deadlines, it becomes imperative for companies to maximize their QA budgets while ensuring comprehensive testing.

In this article, we will explore some practical tips to help organizations maximize their QA budgets and achieve cost-effective testing.

1. Prioritize Testing Efforts.

One of the key aspects of maximizing QA budgets is to prioritize testing efforts based on the criticality of the system or application under test. By carefully identifying and prioritizing the most critical functionalities or areas, organizations can allocate their budget and resources accordingly. Focusing on high-risk areas and critical functionalities ensures that the limited resources are effectively utilized to mitigate potential risks and ensure product reliability.

2. Outsource QA Team.

Outsourcing testing activities can be a cost-effective solution for organizations looking to maximize their QA budgets. By partnering with a reputable outsourcing provider who specializes in QA, organizations can tap into specialized testing expertise without incurring the overhead costs associated with hiring and training in-house resources. Outsourcing testing activities also enables flexibility in resource utilization, allowing organizations to scale their testing efforts based on project requirements.

3. Test Automation.

Test automation is a powerful tool that can significantly reduce testing effort and cost while improving efficiency and accuracy. By automating repetitive and time-consuming test cases, organizations can accelerate the testing process, allowing testers to focus on more complex scenarios that require human intervention. Automation not only reduces the overall testing time but also minimizes the chances of human errors, thereby enhancing the overall quality of the product.

It important to note that implementing automation in the QA process may initially incur higher short-term costs due to factors such as hiring automation QA engineers, tooling, infrastructure setup, and training. However, in the long run, automation has the potential to significantly reduce costs.

4. Implement Risk-Based Testing.

Risk-based testing involves identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks associated with the system or application under test. By utilizing this approach, organizations can allocate their QA efforts and budget proportionately to the areas with the highest identified risks. This enables efficient utilization of resources and reduces the necessity for exhaustive testing of low-risk areas, thereby saving both time and money.

5. Embrace Agile Methodologies.

Agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, promote iterative development and continuous testing. By integrating QA processes within the development cycles, organizations can ensure that bugs or issues are detected early on in the development process, reducing costly rework in later stages. Agile methodologies facilitate prompt feedback loops, allowing testers to continually refine their testing approach and address any emerging risks or challenges.

6. Use Crowd Testing Services.

How to improve your QA process in software testing? Use Crowd testing services before each major release and enjoy the power of the crowd. What are the advantages? You can choose as many testers as needed to perform particular tasks, check your product on various devices, operating systems, and environments in real-life conditions, and bring the entire testing process to a higher level. Since crowd tetsing platforms operate on a global level, they have vetted testers in many countries, thus, allowing you to test in any geography. Crowd testing allows you to scale up or scale down your QA team just when needed and therefore control your budget wisely.

In addition, one of the advantages of crowd testing is the provision of a dedicated project manager who significantly reduces client management overhead, allowing you to focus on core activities while ensuring effective coordination and communication throughout the testing process.

7. Measure and Optimize.

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of your testing activities. Regularly monitor these metrics and use them to identify areas for improvement and optimization. By analyzing these performance indicators, you can make data-driven decisions to reallocate resources, optimize processes, and streamline your QA activities.

Conclusion.

Maximizing quality assurance budgets while ensuring comprehensive testing is a critical aspect of successful product development and delivery. By prioritizing testing efforts, embracing test automation, utilizing open-source tools, implementing risk-based testing, embracing agile methodologies, outsourcing non-core testing activities, using crowd-testing services, and investing in continuous training, organizations can achieve cost-effective testing without compromising on quality. These practical tips provide a roadmap for organizations to optimize their QA budgets and deliver high-quality products and services to their customers.

Ran Rachlin is the co-founder & CEO of Ubertesters, the global leader in crowd testing services. Ran has massive global experience, managing and leading new initiatives from inception to implementation and significant sales as well as managing large global organizations in different countries. Ran is a speaker in several industry events and is known for his unique view of the QA and testing world.

Stop Waiting For The Perfect Time To Start A Business

Contributor

August 1, 2023

by James Harold Webb, author of “Redneck Resilience: A Country Boy’s Journey To Prosperity“

Failure rates are high for entrepreneurs, but a common trait of those who succeed is identifying opportunities for growth that lie within the challenges.

That’s what I’ve done while finding success in multiple industries as an entrepreneur and franchise owner. Whether you’ve started a business or bought a franchise, at some point – often early on in the venture – you reach a fork in the road that may require more risk, such as a change in products or services, expanding a territory, and hiring more people.

Entrepreneurs who do their homework, have a solid plan and keep an open mind will see opportunities in tough times – where others do not. Therefore, people who are serious about succeeding should not let scary financial times drive them away from starting a new business venture or continuing one.

There’s no perfect time to get started, and risk and challenge are common along the journey. Here is how entrepreneurs and franchise owners can develop an eye for opportunity and grow their business, even when times are difficult.

Factors for deciding when risk makes sense.

When sales are tepid and the business itself and/or that particular industry has been trending downward, that can be the right time to explore new markets. There’s less competition when segments of the business climate are struggling, and also, an innovative new concept may impress investors and fill a consumer need.

Focus on your business’ purpose.

COVID caused a reset for many businesses. Others weren’t as prepared to be flexible and adaptive and, as a result, didn’t survive. Focus on who you are serving and in what ways you are serving them. How can you serve them better? What changes will that require?

Don’t buy into the trend of “work-life balance.”

For entrepreneurs who are a long way from reaching their financial goals, including an exit to a lucrative sale, there is no such thing as work-life balance. When you’re exhausted and have had enough of the day, send two more emails and make two more phone calls. The only thing you can always control in business is your hustle.

Keep believing in your be-your-own boss dream.

Everyone who chooses the entrepreneurial journey has been told “it won’t work” more times than not. Don’t listen to them or to your negative inner voice. And remember, gratification comes from doing the work you want to do and being in control of the decision to do it how, when, where, and with whom you choose.

James Harold Webb is author of “Redneck Resilience: A Country Boy’s Journey To Prosperity“. His career in radiology saw him rise from a technologist to becoming a leader in the industry as the entrepreneur of several companies. After over 40 years in the medical field, Webb focused on the fitness sector, owning and overseeing the management of 33 Orangetheory Fitness® franchises throughout North Texas.

5 Things You Should Know About The Recruiting Technology Revolution

Contributor

July 28, 2023

by Jeremy Schiff, Founder and CEO of RecruitBot

More than 30 years ago, people started posting resumes and job descriptions on the internet, and the recruiting profession has never been the same since. Once again we’re in the midst of a transformative shift, driven this time by the impact of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation. This is exciting news for recruiters and job seekers alike, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as we enter this new era.

Here’s what is important to know.

1. Technology won’t make recruiters obsolete.

At the end of the day, recruiting is a deeply human profession. If you work in the talent industry, you rely on your intuition and expertise to form meaningful connections with other people, understand their emotions, and cultivate lasting relationships. This is something robots simply can’t do well – and won’t be able to do for the foreseeable future.

Furthermore, while AI is a useful tool that can make recruiting more efficient, it will always require actual humans to develop, train, and determine how and when to apply it effectively and fairly. Just a few years ago, Amazon famously scrapped an AI-powered recruiting tool because it began showing bias against female candidates. It took human intelligence to know there was a problem – and take steps to remedy it.

2. Your job is going to change.

That being said, there’s no question that technology will fundamentally impact how recruiters and other talent professionals spend their workdays. Since AI, machine learning, and automation can eliminate or reduce repetitive, laborious tasks like reviewing resumes and manually personalizing emails, people have more time to spend on aspects of their jobs where they can really add value – in ways that only humans can.

For example, recruiters can devote more hours per day to reaching out to high-quality candidates, getting to know talent, and working to fully understand hiring managers’ unique needs. They can focus on crafting compelling messaging, unearthing outside-the-box talent, developing initiatives that promote diversity, and sharing best practices across their organizations. The more they dedicate their time and energy to these higher-value pursuits and projects, the more their employers and clients will fully appreciate their contributions – and their salaries and job security will continue to grow as a result.

3. There’s a difference between AI and machine learning.

Machine learning algorithms reverse-engineer ideal candidates and provide increasingly accurate suggestions over time, based on feedback from a recruiter, hiring manager, or anyone else using the platform. This is vastly different from AI, in which all human users can expect similar results based on decisions made at the outset by a developer – so everyone who searches for “software engineers in San Francisco” sees the exact same talent pool.

With machine learning, the model adapts to your needs and preferences by taking in two types of input: candidate data and the feedback you provide about each individual. Based on your previous decisions, it makes predictions about which candidates will be a good fit for the precise role you hope to fill. This adaptability is especially beneficial when incorporating sales recruiter tips into the recruitment process. By leveraging insights specific to the unique challenges and opportunities in sales roles, recruiters can use machine learning tools to fine-tune their searches and recommendations, ensuring they identify candidates who not only meet the job’s technical requirements but also embody the interpersonal skills and sales acumen essential for success in these positions. This means that the more candidates you rate, and the more targeted your sales recruiter tips are applied, the better your suggestions will be – and the more tailored to your exact needs.

4. It’s essential to watch out for AI “snake oil.”

These days, technology and software providers want everyone to know that they’ve incorporated AI, machine learning, and automation into their platforms. But if you’re on the buyer’s side of the equation, it’s important to dig a bit deeper and investigate these claims. Ask vendors how the technology works behind the scenes and be wary if they won’t divulge details because their software is “proprietary.” You should be able to understand exactly how a vendor’s models assign weight to different attributes and change those weights based on your decisions – and have it be explained to you in simple terms.

It is also recommended to question vendors about their approach to understanding and mitigating biases that can make the recruiting process less fair and equitable. A vendor should take precise measures to address this problem and tell you about them – with the understanding that while data-driven approaches can’t eliminate bias entirely, they have the potential to do it better than humans.

5. An end-to-end solution can help maximize your recruiting efficiency.

An online recruitment software should solve for every pain point at every stage of the recruiting process. This includes recruiters, recruiting agencies, hiring managers, and founders being able to find ideal candidates with help from machine learning and working in close collaboration with anyone on their hiring team.

In addition, having access to outreach tools to auto-personalize messages, follow up with prospects automatically, and ensure that emails actually reach their intended destinations. And finally, leveraging in-depth analytics to ensure that their messaging and tactics evolve along with the market.

Jeremy Schiff is Founder and serves as CEO at RecruitBot. Jeremy began his career by earning a BS and Ph.D in Applied Machine Learning from UC Berkeley. While working at OpenTable, Jeremy saw first-hand the opportunity to transform the way that recruiting works through machine learning and automation, and founded RecruitBot in 2017 to spearhead the mission to revolutionize how to find, engage, and optimize engaging top-talent.