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534e68a0a151c7bde100b39ce34ce88f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2017/12/22/6-possible-explanations-why-bitcoin-and-cryptocurrency-prices-dropped-so-low-yesterday/ | 6 Possible Explanations Why Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency Prices Dropped So Low Yesterday | 6 Possible Explanations Why Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency Prices Dropped So Low Yesterday
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"Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful." —Warren Buffett
Until Dec. 22, the world of cryptocurrency felt positively 'to the moon.' It seemed like everywhere you looked, your favorite cryptocurrency was hitting new all-time highs with ease, breaking any barrier set before it.
In fact, according to data from OnChainFX (reported by Coindesk): in the past four days, all of the top-20 cryptocurrencies have hit all-time highs.
See other "Crypto Watch" coverage: Litecoin, Ripple, TRON, Cardano, Stellar, Bitcoin Cash, Qtum, Verge, and Reddcoin.
But yesterday, a steep drop-off in Bitcoin—falling as low as $12.5K—precipitated a drop off among essentially all other major cryptocurrencies. Testament to the power of Bitcoin, this amounted to more than a 20 percent decrease in the entire global cryptocurrency market cap (currently operating at $478B, down from $611B).
[Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.]
Through the night we've seen signs of a possible upswing—but many are left wondering what could have caused such a massive drop. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, here are 6 possible explanations for the day's dip.
1. 'Tis The Season To Be Spending
It might seem comical when you first hear it, but with major holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's planted right in the same month stretch—the end of the year is a notoriously bad time for savings accounts and investments, as many seek to withdraw yearly gains.
Setting aside speculation and the general (deserved) fervor around blockchain technology, few cryptocurrencies currently serve a purpose that benefits the average consumer more than cash does. With a few exceptions, cryptocurrencies are more difficult to use for everyday transactions, meaning many in the market are there for speculative investment. Speculative buyers do not necessarily equate to market stability—as many will seek to cash out on early gains rather than 'hodl' through the waves of market volatility.
The end of the year marks the time when these investors would be most likely to convert their winnings to cash, and yesterday—conveniently just a few days before Christmas—might have been the day that experienced the greatest impact of this behavior.
2. Altcoin Overload
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As mentioned above, following the initial surge in Bitcoin, most of the major gains we've seen in cryptocurrency this month have been in altcoins like Cardano, Qtum, Ripple, TRON, and Verge.
This has undoubtedly felt amazing to the investors motivated to leave the safe haven of Coinbase for the further reaches of the other exchanges—one might even say too good to be true. In the process of diverting funds from BTC, enthusiastic crypto traders may have also temporarily destabilized the Bitcoin market. If Bitcoin were just another coin, that would be all well and good, but Bitcoin is the "gold" of the cryptocurrency world—the standard by which all other coins are measured. So whether we like it or not, every altcoin is hedged (in some way) along Bitcoin's success—or at a minimum for the foreseeable future, its maintenance.
3. Bitcoin Cash Confusion on Coinbase
Employees work at the Coinbase Inc. office in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Friday, Dec. 1,... [+] 2017. Coinbase wants to use digital money to reinvent finance. In the company's version of the future, loans, venture capital, money transfers, accounts receivable and stock trading can all be done with electronic currency, using Coinbase instead of banks. Photographer: Michael Short/Bloomberg
On Tuesday, Coinbase announced it would support buying, selling, and trading Bitcoin Cash (BCH) on its platform. Since the August fork, there has been major community in-fighting among the BCH and BTC camps regarding which is the "true" Bitcoin. Point being: energy is high around this discussion. Many have speculated that BCH would end up on Coinbase, but even conservative estimates in crypto circles were January 2018.
So it's no surprise that the noticeable and seemingly out-of-the-blue gains made in BCH in the days and hours leading up to the announcement caused some on social media to cry "insider trading." This resulted in Coinbase shutting down BCH trading within minutes to launch an internal probe into the possibility that insider trading occurred.
By the next afternoon, BCH was in full force again on Coinbase. But the impact might have been deeper felt than we initially realized. Many have at best a passing understanding of the differences between BTC and BCH, and seeing BTC prices drop so sharply when BCH jumped onto the scene—as well as BCH's perceived volatility—might have left a larger stain in their minds on the broader concept of cryptocurrency. And even for those who didn't pay too much attention to the hullabaloo, it might have just amounted to extra, unwanted confusion to keep them from participating further.
4. Market Manipulation
Traders work in a trading pit at the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, in... [+] Chicago, as they trade S&P 500 Options, unrelated to bitcoin futures. Trading in Bitcoin futures began Sunday on the CBOE. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
We also have to entertain the possibility that foul play is afoot. What would that look like?
A recent report in Bloomberg revealed that a group of 1000 investors own 40 percent of all Bitcoin. This means that—if even some among that number were acting in concert, they would have the potential to manipulate the market to their whim. These "whales"—investors, hedge funds, and otherwise with enough stake in the crypto market to tip the scale—could easily have engaged in "painting the tape" (creating the appearance of high transaction volume by simply selling and re-selling back-and-forth on small margins) to inflate the value of Bitcoin.
Why would they do that? So that they could sell off at the highest possible price before inducing a crash by selling off mass amounts of their Bitcoin stock. Of course, this can only work so far unless others begin to take notice and sell their own Bitcoin off; that's where the influx of new traders comes into play. By essentially scaring fair-weather fans with FUD ("fear, uncertainty, and doubt) who started buying in on the crypto hype without much study of the market, whales stand to make off like bandits. How? By selling off at record highs, dropping the market to record lows, then buying back in.
This is made even more appealing with the launch of bitcoin futures trading on Cboe and CME, which sets these players up to short the market.
5. Hacking & Regulation
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Earlier this month the SEC halted PlexCoin on charges of being an ICO scam, and this week it reportedly suspended trading in The Crypto Company over "concerns regarding the accuracy and adequacy of information" and stock manipulation. Meanwhile, Youbit, the popular South Korean exchange, announced its closure on Dec. 20 after being hacked (purportedly by North Korea), losing 17 percent of all assets.
As an added note, the 'insane' energy costs associated with Bitcoin mining continue to garner negative press as we move into the new year.
There is a chance that the general concern created in these developments has scared off potential investors and even caused existing participants to cut their losses.
6. The Bubble Was Real & Crypto Winter Is Coming
The Night King from the Game of Thrones roams Comic-Con 2017 in San Diego, California, July 22,... [+] 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Bill Wechter (Photo credit should read BILL WECHTER/AFP/Getty Images)
Of course, there could be some truth to all of the above, and together are amassing to the bubble pop that many have been warning users about for months.
The argument against this being a sign of crypto winter is that we've seen this degree of volatility in Bitcoin all throughout 2017 (and even prior). The difference now is that the sheer volume of players is a full exponent greater than it's ever been—and many new participants have no experience navigating these types of markets, making them more sensitive to the down moments.
If we are entering the crypto winter, the past eight years of Bitcoin has revealed two things: 1) that Bitcoin always bounces back—and with it, a whole roster of cryptocurrencies (with inevitable casualties along the way), and 2) the demand for decentralized currency and blockchain technology is here to stay. Some might urge you to cut your losses now before the supposed winter blusters in harder. Others might say it's just another hump in the road.
Editor’s Note & Disclosure: The author participates in cryptocurrency markets. Neither the author nor Forbes endorses participation in any token sale or cryptocurrency investment, all of which have significant inherent risk. Seek advice from a financial advisor as well as do your own due diligence before considering investment.
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5277cccee6039e9bc29e2299546e7482 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2018/12/02/black-mirror-gets-season-5-release-date-via-leak/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie%2F&fbclid=IwAR1gSvl2MmEkABAVsdOkjvkUJ67PTqAHROkk_0Ro0fS7hEDIU11R_sPWUiw | 'Black Mirror' Gets Season 5 Release Date Via Leak | 'Black Mirror' Gets Season 5 Release Date Via Leak
Production still from USS Callister, the Season 4 premiere of Black Mirror. Netflix
Season 5 of Netflix's Sci-fi anthology series returns this month.
Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker's dystopian Sci-Fi that Netflix picked up in 2016, has become a fan favorite -- and the source of much discussion.
Rumors surrounding the show's fifth season have been bubbling up since the minute fans finished consuming the six new episodes of Season 4, but have picked up in the past few months as we near year's end (Season 4 debuted Dec. 29, 2017).
In October, Bloomberg reported that Netflix would include an interactive "choose-your-own-adventure" in the show's newest season. Then, in November, Brooker had to shut down seemingly well-sourced rumors that new episodes would revisit the worlds of "White Bear" and "San Junipero," two popular episodes of the show.
Now, via reporting from Mirror, we have a release date leak from a verified Netflix account on Twitter: Dec. 28.
Screenshot of original, now-deleted Netflix tweet Mirror
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The tweet -- which has now been deleted -- also appears to indicate that the title of the premiere will be, "Bandersnatch."
This date matches last year's exactly -- falling on the final Friday of the year. Netflix recently brought more interactive content to the audiences with Telltale's Minecraft: Stories, lending credence to the report of an interactive episode in the new season -- which examines the impact of new technologies in human life.
When The Verge reached out to Netflix for comment on the matter, a spokesperson replied: “Thanks for reaching out! You have the ability to choose your own response from Netflix: this or this.”
For more technology and media coverage, follow @JesseDamiani on Twitter.
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9986743489ea640a474a666bea57a94a | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2019/02/14/jpmorgan-announces-jpm-coin-usd-pegged-cryptocoin-for-cross-border-payments-security-and-more/?spm=a2c41.12859874.0.0.6d7a727dbB9mM6 | JPMorgan Announces 'JPM Coin,' A USD-Pegged Cryptocoin For Cross-Border Payments, Security, And More | JPMorgan Announces 'JPM Coin,' A USD-Pegged Cryptocoin For Cross-Border Payments, Security, And More
JPMorgan Chase & Co. building in Central, Hong Kong. (photo credit: Getty) Getty
After years of vocal Bitcoin skepticism, Jamie Dimon-led JPMorgan launches first bank-backed cryptocurrency.
In a statement released Feb. 14, JPMorgan announced a digital coin for payments called, "JPM Coin," a "stablecoin" pegged to the U.S. Dollar. As first reported by CNBC, the lender, which facilitates more than $6 trillion in transactions daily, will roll out trials of the blockchain-based coin over the next few months to institutional clients.
In an interview with CNBC Umar Farooq, head of JPMorgan's blockchain projects, explained that this move could serve as the beginning of a new long-form financial baseline:
The applications are frankly quite endless; anything where you have a distributed ledger which involves corporations or institutions can use this.
For now, Farooq highlighted three different "early applications" for JPM Coin:
Cross-border payments. Payments across international lines can be settled in real time, avoiding settlement delays that can occur via wire transfer. Securities transactions. Similar to the above, JPM Coin can collapse the existing time gap between when the transaction is settled and when the receiving party is paid for it. Huge corporate transaction consolidation. Large institutional clients who rely on JPMorgan's treasury services will be able to move money to subsidiaries around the world with greater fluidity.
Over the past few years, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has repeatedly expressed skepticism for bitcoin -- including calling it a "fraud" -- while lauding the application of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies more broadly.
His support of blockchain and cryptocurrency and lack of faith in Bitcoin are now evident in the creation of JPM Coin. Currently, the coin is presented as being available to institutional clients rather than retail investors, and according to the statement, JPMorgan has already run a successful trial with a client account. Per the statement:
JPM Coin is currently designed for business-to-business money movement flows, and because we are still in a testing phase, we don’t have plans to make this available to individuals at this stage. That said, the cost-savings and efficiency benefits would extend to the end customers of our institutional clients.
Throughout its now decade-long history, cryptocurrency has been framed as a disruption to the banking world -- with the Bitcoin whitepaper springing up in the wake of the Great Recession. Some might perceive JPMorgan's participation in the industry as a positive indicator toward a possible bridging of worlds, while others cite it as a danger to the still-burgeoning industry -- particularly to Ripple, currently the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
Be among the first to get important crypto and blockchain news and information with Forbes Crypto Confidential. Sign up now, it's free.
—With research by Kayleigh LaSalle and Shelby Lennon
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3fd607b7f4888f31a780a9c59596f15e | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2019/11/19/the-under-presents-is-a-novel-exploration-of-vr-and-live-immersive-theatre/?fbclid=IwAR3Wy6Es8mLL2TdhLVhwbG89vryQDDsXuTARNwdAGLqk2ydS2rrMvYB-axw&sh=17108acf7455 | ‘The Under Presents’ Is A Novel Exploration Of VR And Live Immersive Theatre | ‘The Under Presents’ Is A Novel Exploration Of VR And Live Immersive Theatre
'The Under Presents' is the latest VR experience from Tender Claws Tender Claws
The new experience from Virtual Virtual Reality studio Tender Claws, in collaboration with Piehole, launches on Oculus Quest today.
It’s no mistake that Virtual Virtual Reality is one of virtual reality’s most treasured games, indie or otherwise. The experience, which initially launched on Google Daydream in early 2017, managed to become the industry’s most notable meta-property—all while form-fitting to the three degrees of freedom then afforded to mobile headsets. It explored issues of virtuality, automation, and the future of labor through expert writing, art direction, and interaction design to push the language of immersive storytelling.
Now, after previews at Sundance Film Festival and IndieCade, the studio behind VVR is back with the official Oculus Quest launch of The Under Presents—a title that finds Tender Claws again pushing the envelope for the language of immersive storytelling.
The first thing you need to know about The Under is that a lot is happening in The Under. The game is particularly notable, though, in its presentation of narrative and agency; its integration of immersive theatre and live interactivity; and its interaction design.
The first exterior players encounter upon learning the "scrunch" locomotion mechanic. Tender Claws
Narrative
In The Under Presents, there is definitely a meta aspect at work, but not quite so obviously as in VVR. Worlds nest within and throughout each other—be they ships in bottles or time loops.
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The “main” area of the game is the eponymously named main stage. This is where players can experience shows, which, depending on the time, are performed by live actors in real time (more on that a bit later). This serves as the game’s main hub—but it’s not where you start.
The onboarding experience to the game is a long “fade up” opening scene in a desert (of sorts). There are no words—things just happen, like when you a graphic indicates for you to “snap” your hands into existence from underneath the ripples of clay, and simple graphics indicate the game’s unique mechanics (more on that later too). Once you’ve gotten the hang of things, you make your way toward a bar. As you near it, you hear sounds emanating from within, only...you can’t get open the doors. This is when you meet the MC, an enigmatic character in the experience who serves as a sort of guide—though it’s clear that something is kind of off about him.
The MC is a sort of guide throughout the experience—but not everything is as it seems Tender Claws
He ushers you through the main space—helping players acclimate to the space and their abilities within it. But player be warned: he decidedly never gives you all the answers, and moreover the game never sacrifices its artistry to ease player confusion. In other words: there will be moments where you feel like you’re lost, doing it wrong, or the first person to encounter some weird bug. In fact, you’re being conditioned to the dream—or nightmare—logic of The Under.
There’s a lot more to say about all these moments—the way users play with iterations of themselves across time loops, the first time they encounter a stage performance—but this is a meaty, dense game, with hours of playtime in store. It’s best experienced without knowing too much.
A cutaway of The Aickman, a research ship that forms the site of the longform narrative in 'The ... [+] Under Presents' Tender Claws
The final bit to note here, though, is that the main longform narrative takes place in The Aickman, a research ship that finds itself in disaster.
Players can experience The Aickman from diorama scale to true-to-life—and manipulate time to uncover the secrets of what befell it over the course of three acts (and possibly change that through participation).
A view inside The Aickman in 'The Under Presents' Tender Claws
Immersive Theatre and “Liveness”
For anyone who has been to an immersive theatre experience, The Under Presents will feel familiar. It’s intrinsic in every aspect—the onboarding, the staging, the way narrative pockets can be experienced non-linearly and lucidly—but most obviously it’s in the fact that, unlike most at-home VR experiences (really most VR experiences in general), there are real actors giving live and scripted performances in The Under. These live performances will continue for an initial run of the next four months. And, as an extension: the game is “multiplayer,” meaning other real people might experience these performances with you.
After realizing they wanted to creatively incorporate live actors, Tender Claws aligned with New York City-based experimental theatre collective Piehole to figure out how to create an experience that managed to bridge IRL and digital immersion.
“We wanted to explore the relationship between theater, games, and immersive worlds; particularly, ideas of “performance” and player/audience agency: especially in relation to narrative,” Tender Claws Co-Founder Samantha Gorman said in an interview with the author. “What about a game was theatrical and what about ‘performing’ and audience behavior spoke to player agency and intention. We ourselves also have a background in performance. Importantly, we had admired Piehole’s work in devised and experimental theater for some time. Because of their smart approach to constraints and form, we knew that they could tackle this challenge and wanted to work together.”
The "Wet Food" performance in The Under Tender Claws
In case the description of the narrative above didn’t already communicate this: The Under Presents is idiosyncratic. It blurs formal boundaries as an expression of its obsession with time, the motif of looping, and the binary that exists between agency and predetermination. This notion of the experience’s “liveness” doesn’t just apply to the fact that it’s possible that users will interact with other real people (whether as users or actors). In fact, it’s part of the rhetorical conceit of the project.
“The project's narrative revolves around the idea of agency in changing fate and free will; what is recorded and what is changeable and ‘alive,’” Gorman said. “It was inspired by the novel The Invention of Morel where the protagonist engages with a looping recording he considers alive. How does his projection of who is alive change his behavior? We are interested in playing with the feeling of interacting with both pre-recorded and live characters, as well as other players and past recorded versions of themselves.”
And the literary influences don’t end there. Gorman also references the notion of a “ractor”—an actor in interactive movies in Neal Stephenson’s Diamond Age—as a subject of exploration in creating The Under Presents. A vital aspect of creating an experience that’s this far outside the expected realm of its contemporaries is how it can contribute to the creative lexicon.
“What is a new vocabulary of crowd work, improv, and performance in a world where players are operating under the paradigms of games and can interact at any given time?” Gorman said.
Still of the Deepali performance in The Under Tender Claws
Though, Gorman acknowledges that part of this evolution of the creative language involves excavating the gems of existing ones. In this case, the Tender Claws team took a deep dive into immersive theatre—how these plays are conceived, written, structured, directed, and performed. This even goes so far as to incorporate “one-on-one” experiences—virtual versions of the type offered in productions like Sleep No More.
“We are borrowing structures and vocabulary from contemporary immersive theater,” Gorman said. “The Aickman features multiple characters and multiple threads happening ‘around’ the player simultaneously. The barrier of the stage is removed and the audience is placed within the narrative. In The Under itself, players may encounter live actors and occasionally pulled aside for a “one-on-one” experience. The idea of intimacy, feeling chosen and being ‘seen’ is important.”
In my experience, this aspect of reality-crossing extended beyond the moments of encountering live human performances—being handed a rose, having objects tugged from my grasp, playing catch-up with an avatar darting out of the Under. The simple knowledge that at any time it could be a live counterpart granted a life force and magic to the space that I’ve only otherwise felt in immersive theatre experiences.
Two players cheersing each other in 'The Under Presents' Tender Claws
That feeling, whether as a shared or private experience, is intimacy. This subject was a major point of focus for Tender Claws in developing The Under—and shares ties with an entertainment format that took root a century ago.
“Into the 20th century, Vaudeville was also marketed as ‘variety,’ a series of eclectic acts that were on the same bill,” Gorman said. “The Under presents a mix of acts ranging from tap-dancing fish to crooning ballards. Vaudeville also had associations with being a little rowdy, comedic, or weird. Later, as cinema came into the picture, the line between live and filmed performances began to blur—this is a technique we are using on The Under stage. In addition to the recorded shows we’ve collaborated on creating with real-life New York artists, players may be lucky and catch a live show as well. Vaudeville was sometimes performed in clubs for small or intimate audiences and could be responsive.”
Interaction Design
But all of that multiplayer goodness wouldn’t amount to much of the experience of the interactions didn’t facilitate it; Tender Claws has again produced an incredible achievement in interaction design—most notably in how players can move throughout the experience.
“Overall the player design is really minimal, and narratively one of the bigger meta arcs through the experience is learning more and more about what you are how you were created,” Gorman said.
Like everything the Tender Claws team creates, it approached the subject of locomotion with a commitment to motivate choices from within the game’s narrative and ludological structure.
“We knew pretty early on that one of the things we wanted to explore with The Under was a locomotion method that felt tied into the story and didn’t artificially remove you or create a layer of UI on top of the world,” Gorman said. “The narrative was mainly about timeloops and tears in space so it seemed like a good opportunity for the locomotion to try and play into that.”
The result was the “scrunch” mechanic—something I suspect will have long-tail impacts on immersive gameplay in the 2020s (and that frankly is just a joy).
“We landed on a system where the player could reach out and pull the middle portion of the world towards them: as if reality was a spandex cloth you were tugging on,” Gorman said. “Then when the player lets go, the tugged part stays fixed and the rest of the world snaps toward you. On a technical level, this means that there is always a fixed anchor point in the player’s field of vision. Only half of the world moves at once, first the inner field-of-view, and then the outer, so the player remains grounded.”
For those players, the mechanic makes sense—but what happens when you introduce a social, multiplayer aspect to the experience; how will players appear to others in the space?
“Once we did this it opened up another question, which is how should this instantaneous ‘blip’ look from the third person perspective?” Gorman said. “We landed on something resembling a blown up balloon that is let go.”
But the locomotion was just one aspect of the interaction design among many. Another important development was how players could grab objects—and for that matter, each other.
“Another thing we actually put a lot of time into was multiplayer grabbing,” Gorman said. “We wanted to let all objects in the world be held simultaneously by any number of players in a way that felt natural and like you still had a fair amount of control over the object. This led to the players having these weird gooey stretchy arms and good amount of emergent tug-of-war gameplay where you can kind of tear objects away from one another. It also became a way to hold hands with other players as long as there’s an object between the two of you.”
Gorman realized this feature could actually allow players to bond with each other in a safe way, when welcome.
“To encourage this we also added the ability to send haptic vibration pulses down your arms,” Gorman said, “Pull the index trigger whenever you’re holding an object and all other remote players holding the same object will see and feel a pulse snake its way to them. This plus the snapping above start to develop a vocabulary players can use to communicate creatively.”
Still-frame of the snap mechanic in The Under Presents Tender Claws
The snapping mechanic is exactly what it sounds like—players, at any time, can snap their fingers. This serves a playful, theatrical purpose as much as a narrative one—and is especially handy as a substitute for clapping after performances.
But ultimately, the defining features of player interaction are the gold mask on their faces and the bracelets they receive in the first scene. In particular, the mask is the player’s primary “controller” in The Under.
“It allows you to control time, become giant, and it’s your ticket into the “Timeboat” experience,” Gorman said. “The mask is also essential to The Under itself; it serves as a base plate for various ritual magic spells. These spells, only hinted at in the single player portion of the game, are something we’re excited for players to experiment with on their own, discover in live actor encounters and teach one-another.”
Again, the mask carries interactive, narrative, and metaphorical weight in the construction of The Under Presents—hearkening here to its Vaudeville trappings, thematic focus, and darker narrative undercurrents.
“We knew early on was that the character of the MC is trapping these lost voyages and kind of presenting them to the player as if they were a show,” Gorman said. “He is not fully human and takes a very anthropological observation perspective in how he treats the characters stuck in his loops.”
The mask becomes an echo of the MC’s agency, allowing players to generate magic, play with time, or see cross-sections of the ship to their exact choosing.
“We wanted to present the world with a ship-in-a-bottle or dollhouse perspective, something that the player could peer into and follow characters from room to room,” Gorman said. “We decided that the player should be able to, at any moment, take off their mask to enter this more god-like perspective where they can create a cross-section of the ship and skip around in time to follow the various character storylines.”
With all of this in mind, one thing is clear: The Under Presents is one of the most ambitious VR experiences ever made. It not only asks but demands a lot of its players because it wants to offer something uncompromising and distinct.
The game is available for $19.99 on the Oculus store today.
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8270c1932138d5f85670d3eaf63a6fc0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2020/02/19/the-top-35-xr-installations-of-2019/?sh=758969aaca08 | The Top 35 XR Installations Of 2019 | The Top 35 XR Installations Of 2019
The top XR installations of 2019 Jesse Damiani
Here are the top 35 XR installations that debuted in 2019.
Looking at the last decade and into the present one, it has become increasingly clear that the XR industry needs to do a much better job documenting, discussing, and anthologizing immersive work. This blame here falls to no one party in isolation—but many superlative projects and artists are never reaching audiences who would otherwise appreciate the work if they were able to find and understand it.
This is maybe most acutely felt in the XR installation category, which by nature involves projects that are some combination of site-specific, large-scale, multiuser, formally and/or technologically experimental, and within complex physical buildouts.
Where fine art has a longstanding ecosystem for critical discourse and exhibition and entertainment formats live on in easily accessible consumption pipelines, XR installations are both hard to produce and hard to communicate with audiences about. And yet—for those very reasons—this is arguably the category above all others that advances the creative language of the medium. XR installations redefine how we think about space, narrative, technology, and the relationship between creator and audience.
This is of course an issue which the industry as a whole needs to consider more deeply. Resources such as XRDB/XRMust are crucial (and commendable) for this purpose, but still more is needed. These end-of-year lists are my attempt at capturing the important moments for the industry in as clear of categories as is possible. My hope is that this contributes to the larger discourse and that readers share their respective viewpoints on categorization; I welcome the prospect of learning new ways to consider this type of presentation.
Final notes on process: the inclusion window spans the last few weeks of 2018 to the end of 2019 in order to make room for anything that may have been overlooked at the end of last year. I’ve limited any given experience to one list, so some titles that might deserve mention here were instead included in the Top 50 VR Games Of 2019, Top 50 XR Experiences Of 2019, or Top 25 YouTube VR Videos Of 2019.
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2019 XR Installation of the Year: We Live in an Ocean of Air (Marshmallow Laser Feast)
2019 was a major year for XR installations; pushing the boundaries of interaction, performance, and narrative in creative technology. All of which made it exceptionally difficult to select an experience of the year. After producing standouts like Tree Hugger, Distortions in Spacetime, and Into the Eyes of the Animal, London’s Marshmallow Laser Feast has become one of the most well-regarded immersive content producers in the world.
We Live in an Ocean of Air, in many ways, represents a culmination of their efforts over the past decade. It illuminates humanity’s deep connection to the natural world through the mechanic of visualizing breath through a combination of emerging technologies that included HTC Vive Pro headsets, HP backpacks, breath sensors, and heart-rate monitors. Like the best of their work, it is meant to activate wonder and imagination rather than fear, allowing participants to undertake their journey as an individual contemplation or collective experience.
On those grounds alone, Ocean of Air asserted itself as one of 2019’s landmarks—but it also did something that has the potential for more resonant ripple effects (albeit less lofty): it offered a functional distribution model for immersive projects. Where most of the industry is still trying to figure out how to translate immersive experiences from film festival and conference circuits into real world exhibitions, Ocean of Air actually did it, hosting 28,000 paying visitors at its six-week Saatchi Gallery debut.
The resulting combination of fine art, technological innovation, and throughput solutioning asserted the viability of XR experiences in the public space, earning We Live in an Ocean of Air’s place as 2019’s standout XR installation.
Algae 1.0 (Marpi/Looking Glass Factory)
Catharsis (Bloc-D)
Chained
The Collider (Anagram)
Cosmos Within Us (Satore Studio)
Das Totale Tanz Theater (Interactive Media Foundation)
Descent (Gabriel Barcia-Colombo)
'Dirtscraper' debuted at Sundance Film Festival 2019 Peter Burr
Dirtscraper (Peter Burr)
A Drop in the Ocean (Conservation International/Vulcan Productions/Vision3)
'Elektra' is a dome experience from Metahaven Metahaven
Elektra (Metahaven)
Embody (MAP Design LAB)
In Event of Moon Disaster (MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality)
Fractal Time (Julius Horsthuis)
The Traverse audio platform debuted at SXSW 2019. Traverse/VRAI Pictures
From Elvis in Memphis (Traverse)
The Garage (Meow Wolf)
Grisaille (Teek Mach)
'The Happiest Thought' debuted as part of Berliner Festspiele's The New Infinity program. Agnieszka Polska
The Happiest Thought (Agnieszka Polska)
Infinite Space (Refik Anadol/ARTECHOUSE)
A Jester’s Tale (Asad J. Malik/1RIC)
The Key (Celine Tricart/Lucid Dreams)
A Life in Flowers (RYOT/Artie/Phi Studio)
Loveseat (Kiira Benzing/Double Eye)
'A Machine for Viewing' debuted at Sundance New Frontier 2019 Oscar Raby/VRTOV
A Machine for Viewing (Oscar Raby/VRTOV)
'Mamelles Ancestrales' is an immersive cinematic installation that debuted at IDFA Tabita Rezaire
Mamelles Ancestrales (Tabita Rezaire)
Nancy Baker Cahill's 'Margin of Error' (pictured here) and 'Revolutions' were debuted at the Desert ... [+] X Biennial in the Coachella Valley Nancy Baker Cahill
Margin of Error & Revolutions (Nancy Baker Cahill/4th Wall/Desert X)
Mechanical Souls (Gaëlle Mourre/Serendipity Films)
'nerd_funk' is a VR mediation of social media that debuted at IDFA Ali Eslami
nerd_funk (Ali Eslami/Mamali Shafahi)
Immersive project 'Non-face' debuted at the “The New Infinity” program of Berliner Festspiele and ... [+] later IDFA. Robert Lippok, Lucas Gutierrez
Non-Face
'Only Expansion' is a site-responsive audio tour that remixes the sounds of the city in real-time Duncan Speakman
Only Expansion (Duncan Speakman)
Osma (Camila Magrane/Adobe)
Phi in Venice (Phi Centre/Acute Art; Multiple)
Project Glasswing (Adobe)
SuperReal (Moment Factory)
'Sweet Dreams' debuted at Sundance 2019 Marshmallow Laser Feast
Sweet Dreams (Marshmallow Laser Feast)
A Symphony of Noise VR (Michaela Pnacekova, Jamie Balliu)
Through the Wardrobe (Rob Eagle)
Where There’s Smoke (Lance Weiler)
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f2ce6ce3c0bb287896645ef108e65aad | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2020/09/21/in-this-exhibition-an-ai-dreams-up-imaginary-artworks-that-artist-alexander-reben-then-creates-irl/?sh=7d5cc05132e6 | In This Exhibition, An AI Dreams Up Imaginary Artworks That Artist Alexander Reben Then Creates IRL | In This Exhibition, An AI Dreams Up Imaginary Artworks That Artist Alexander Reben Then Creates IRL
Images from 'AI Am I?' The exhibition consists of artworks that were "dreamed up" by artificial ... [+] intelligence and then created in the real world by computational artist Alexander Reben Alexander Reben
Alexander Reben again pushes the boundaries of computational art—this time using OpenAI’s GPT-3—to reveal how humans and machines might collaborate in the future.
In one of the starkest pieces in Alexander Reben’s AI Am I? (The New Aesthetic), a series of plungers of varying lengths sit before a white wall, their descending pattern hearkening to cell phone bars. The description for the piece, titled “A Short History of Plungers and Other Things That Go Plunge in the Night,” reads: “The sculpture contains a plunger, a toilet plunger, a plunger, a plunger, a plunger, a plunger, each of which has been modified.” It states that the piece was created by a collective of anonymous artists founded in 1972 known as “The Plungers” (quotes theirs), who were dedicated to “the conceptualization and promotion of a new art form called Plungism.” The work apparently made such a splash that it became a “landmark of conceptual art and one of the most famous artworks of the late 20th century, and it was even featured on an episode of Seinfeld in 1997.”
None of the above, unfortunately, is historically accurate. The entire description—art, artist, history, even the title of the exhibition and the majority of the artist statement—was produced by GPT-3, the third generation of the language-predicting deep learning model created by OpenAI, which has been prompting wild headlines about the future of AI since its introduction in May 2020.
"A Short History of Plungers and Other Things That Go Plunge in the Night" by "The Plungers," ... [+] generated by Alexander Reben using GPT-3 Alexander Reben
But where many of these stories have positioned GPT-3 as something more magic than tech, the project of Reben’s exhibition lies in his collaboration with the model to produce art that lives in the real world. In the exhibition, which due to the novel Coronavirus pandemic has only premiered digitally thus far, a series of carefully curated “start texts” are fed into GPT-3, which then produces output text. Through a culling process, Reben ultimately guides the model to generate all details regarding these imaginary pieces: artists’ names, description of the artworks, analyses, and supplementary texts. Like so many artists, the forced constraints of the pandemic served as a sort of inciting incident for the exhibition.
“Being stuck in my studio made me interested in getting at something physical again,” Reben said in an interview with the author. “I've been doing a lot of digital work recently and thinking around how to turn text into physicality.”
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An MIT-trained roboticist and computational artist, Reben’s artistic practice has long focused on exploring and pushing the bounds of human-machine symbiosis, from documentaries filmed entirely through adorable BlabDroids to AI-generated fortune cookies and TED talks. AI Am I? (The New Aesthetic) again finds Reben flipping the more conventional human-machine collaboration “format” on its head. Instead of a human conceiving ideas and a machine executing them, this exhibition reverses the roles.
To understand Reben’s creative process here, it’s important to understand how GPT-3 functions compared to its predecessors. Prior language models require developers to assemble datasets—in this case texts written in the style of the desired output—in order to train the algorithms. But GPT-3 is actually so comprehensive that the process is markedly different; rather than running GPT-3 directly on a local computer, developers access it behind an API. It has 175 billion parameters based on knowledge accumulated from across the entire Internet, which is purported to have cost as much as $12M to train.
“So the same model that makes poetry can output JavaScript code, it's kind of mind-boggling,” Reben said.
In practice, what this meant was that instead of training a model from scratch, Reben’s creative process was in providing—and then refining—effective “start phrases.”
“I would keep running those start phrases through until I saw an output that I liked,” Reben said. “There's a lot of curation involved. Because it actually knows about art, a lot of what it can output is [information about] real art, so it would actually describe famous artworks. So I had to do a bit of tweaking with start phrases to get it to produce something a bit more abstract.”
From there, Reben would identify desirable outputs and run those again in order to more closely curate the ultimate shape of the descriptions.
“It’s almost like trying to get a little kid to do what you ask them to do,” Reben said. “You’ve got to prompt it in the right way, which requires a lot of experimentation and play.”
"The Final Resting Place of the Queen Bee" by Rachellette Carneday, with all text generated by GPT-3 ... [+] and physically created by Alexander Reben Alexander Reben
Which means that it’s not as simple as pressing a magic button to get the description; each piece required grooming and coaxing based on informing it what aspects of the text were on the right track. And once written, much of the language still left open space for human artistic license.
“Because it was just text describing things, there was actually quite a bit of room for my own interpretation, my own creativity, and my own sort of artistic signature to come out with these works as well,” Reben said. “Even though they start from an AI, they ultimately are still artistic because there's a lot of interpretation and aesthetics that I have to put into it.”
With a piece like “Short History of Plungers,” Reben’s creative contributions involved the color of the plungers, how much to cut the handles, and how to position them alongside each other. Other pieces offered more abstract challenges, which left for broader interpretations on his part. Notably, some of the works took on an impulse for advocacy and awareness, such as "The Final Resting Place of the Queen Bee" (pictured above, description below).
"The Final Resting Place of the Queen Bee" by Rachellette Carneday, with all text generated by GPT-3 ... [+] and physically created by Alexander Reben Alexander Reben
Though the premise is simple, the results can be striking; the exhibition invokes more complex questions than it answers. If a machine creates a moving work focused on climate advocacy—regardless of whether it reflects the human artist’s personal beliefs—is it any less moving for being conceived of by a machine? Or is it more effective because it’s channeling some latent reality that the GPT-3 has learned from the Internet? Reben sees new technologies as opportunities to explore the emerging human-to-machine and human-to-human relationships that these very technologies will create.
“[Each project] gets me thinking about just how strong these connections with technology can be—just how much of our social and psychological selves we sometimes put into these things, how much power they can have,” Reben said. “Art is a way to ask difficult questions that may be a bit more abstract, or to present something to people that causes them to ask their own questions.”
"I" by Isabellaide Ufferbrecht, created by Alexander Reben using OpenAI's GPT-3 to "dream up" ... [+] imaginary artworks that the artist then created in real life Alexander Reben
There are also complicated questions of industry here; as machines can generate increasingly proficient art, what is the unique value humans provide? Reben acknowledges that increasingly, machines and intelligent systems will be able handle mechanical and even more complex art-making tasks—but also sees this opening the door to many new artists who are currently hampered by barriers to entry.
“For me looking at human-machine collaboration—to be optimistic about it—it allows people to be more creative,” Reben said. “The more burdens you can take from creativity, the better.”
Human creativity lies in the rigor with which an artist considers the realities around them and the ensuing questions they pose; increasingly, machines will be able to aid in the productions that will ultimately manifest these concepts. As Reben/GPT-3 write in their artist statement:
“The whole point of computational creativity is to remove the human as much as possible from the creative process, so that we can rely on machines to come up with novel ideas. But there is still a massive human element that cannot be replaced by AI.”
"Je mehr Dinge Sie sehen, desto mehr können Sie vergessen" by Zachariam Freist. According to the ... [+] description, "this work is made by superimposing a grid on an existing image, many of the grid rectangles are filled with dots of differing colors. The image is of an empty room with white brick walls. The image is devoid of all color except for the dots. The dots vary in size and color, giving the image a patchwork look. The work is captioned 'Je mehr Dinge Sie sehen, desto mehr können Sie vergessen'. The resulting work is both a photographic image and an abstract drawing." Alexander Reben
In many cases, the biggest creative burden is the proverbial (or literal) “blank page.” With a project like this, Reben is using AI to mitigate the tyranny of going from nothing to something—and in the process pushing himself as an artist working with digital and real-world materials.
“These were interesting projects to take on during Covid because I've never really worked with these materials before, or done a collage, or any of the sort of weird, weird things that the system described,” Reben said. “It’s been a way to get my brain going. Like dipping toothpicks into beeswax until they do a particular thing—I had to figure out how to how to make that sort of thing happen.”
In other words, human-machine collaboration hasn’t been some abstract buzzword for Reben with AI Am I?—it’s defined his process, ushering his art into the physical world at a time when so much has shifted exclusively toward the digital, remote, and virtual.
“It's actually been a real human-machine collaboration,” Reben said. “It's been sparking my imagination and I've just been working with it. There's more of a human side to this than I originally thought there might be sort of out of the gate.”
And the collaboration is ongoing. The most recent completed artwork is “Do Copy That Floppy” by Jeribe Herrist.
"Do Copy That Floppy" by Jeribe Herrist invokes legal precedents in the text generated as a ... [+] collaboration between Alexander Reben and GPT-3. Alexander Reben
Notably, the description text dives directly into arguably the most pressing question that AI Am I? asks: how will we think about originality, ownership, and appropriation in the coming era of human-machine symbiosis.
“The new strategy of artists like Herrist is to appropriate not only the images and sounds of advertising, television, and video but their legal codes as well,” reads the description text, which is attributed to Soureen Warrenbaum. “‘I am interested in copyright law as a field of study,’ he said in an interview. ‘I am interested in the ideas of who owns what and the strategies used by the entertainment industry, the software industry, and the movie industry to lockdown information. I am interested in the fact that the technology of the Internet has enabled people to hack into systems and to use that information in new ways.’ The use of sampling and appropriation in the arts has a long history. Many of the great 20th-century artists, from Marcel Duchamp to Andy Warhol, have appropriated images and objects from their world. But now that the Internet has enabled artists to appropriate not just objects but intellectual property—the very language of copyright law—they have found that the potential is limitless. The artistic use of copyright has led to a growing number of conflicts, most notably the lawsuit filed by photographer Patrick Cariou against the artist Richard Prince. Cariou's photographs are allegedly appropriated in Prince's work, Canal Zone, which has been exhibited in galleries throughout the world, including the Whitney.”
These are questions that don’t just apply to art; they will increasingly inform all types of production. That’s part of what makes AI Am I? such a groundbreaking exhibition; with it, Reben gives us a space to process, discuss, and prepare for the reality that’s fast approaching without driving toward particular conclusions. Even the so-called ‘New Aesthetic’ was penned by GPT-3—what relationship can we say this bears to James Bridle’s New Aesthetic? Is it possible then that an AI has coined a new (or adapted) movement in computational creativity? If so, what does this mean for other ideas spawned by GPT-3 and even more advanced models in the future? These are incidentally the types of questions that live into either notion of the New Aesthetic.
“The new aesthetic is the state of being where we can no longer distinguish what is natural from what is artificial,” Reben/GPT-3 write in their artist statement. “I don’t think the new aesthetic is just a way of looking at the world. I think it’s a way of being. Everything we do today involves some kind of AI, whether we are aware of it or not. We can no longer tell what is natural and what is artificial and the boundaries between the two are beginning to blur.”
To visit the full exhibition, visit the official website.
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0a342ccd0725174e6ba687932b0d4076 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2020/10/15/on-embodying-the-ecstatic-and-catastrophic-error-of-glitch-feminism-book-review/ | On Embodying The Ecstatic And Catastrophic Error Of Glitch Feminism: Book Review | On Embodying The Ecstatic And Catastrophic Error Of Glitch Feminism: Book Review
'Glitch Feminism,' the debut by Legacy Russell for Verso Books, is available now. Mina Alyeshmerni
The literary debut from writer and curator Legacy Russell glitches defaults and blurs the boundary between the digital and physical, triumphantly positing alternative frameworks for the future.
Even without the use of social media, VR headsets, neural implants, or evil robot overlords, each and every one of us lives in a simulation, a reality interface composed in our minds. We bind these individual simulations together through consensus, shared agreements about reality. You see spoon, I see spoon. And because we generally agree on the function of that spoon, we call this process “reality.”
But since the turn of the century—accelerating dramatically during the last decade—reality (consensus) has been changing. On a vaster scale than any other period in recorded history, consensus fragmented; visible most evidently in political discourse in the latter half of the 2010s. But the dissolution of civility and good faith in the political sphere is only one symptom of a larger phenomenon. There is, simultaneously, a raw power in the opportunity to embrace and build new realities forged within the novel interconnectivity of digital spaces—the chance to understand and uplift realities no longer predicated on the absolutism of binary systems and vestigial colonial frameworks.
Video still from 'Afro-Cyber Resistance' (2014) Tabita Rezaire
In Glitch Feminism, Legacy Russell reveals how this opportunity is embodied in—and catalyzed by—the glitch, through the lens of groundbreaking and experimental artists and artworks that demand “new frameworks and new visions of fantastic futures.”
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Throughout human history, prevailing consensus has been wielded as a cudgel to marginalize, define, other, and contain. “When we gender a body, we are making assumptions about the body’s function, its sociopolitical condition, its fixity,” Russell writes. “When the body is determined as a male or female individual, the body performs gender as its score, guided by a set of rules and requirements that validate and verify the humanity of that individual. A body that pushes back at the application of pronouns, or remains indecipherable within binary assignment, is a body that refuses to perform the score. This nonperformance is a glitch. The glitch is a form of refusal.”
'NOPE (A Manifesto)' by E. Jane (2016) E. Jane
As a term, “glitch” is entwined with technology, and only came into use in the mid-twentieth century. But as technology has increasingly come to influence human societies worldwide, cyberspace is now “real.” Russell rejects digital dualism, which seeks to qualitatively separate digital life from the physical—what many have traditionally referred to as IRL, though here Russell instead opts for “AFK” (“away from keyboard”) as a more accurate descriptor of non-digital activities. As such, Russell makes the case that the glitch should no longer be understood exclusively as a feature of the digital, but a structure of feeling that has application across (and in the interconnection of) both digital and AFK realms.
Put simply: this threading of cyberspace into the fabric of AFK reality has afforded us new languages for troubling accepted notions of what reality is, and moreover affords us opportunities for reimagining and reclamation: the glitch. “Through the digital, we make new worlds and dare to modify our own. Through the digital, the body ‘in glitch’ finds its genesis. Embracing the glitch is therefore a participatory action that challenges the status quo. It creates a homeland for those traversing the complex channels of gender’s diaspora.”
Part of the project of Russell’s manifesto then is to highlight the rebellious practitioners who have perturbed rigid realities through the creation, refinement, and remixing of emerging languages and modalities. By day, Russell is Associate Curator of Exhibitions at The Studio Museum in Harlem, and her curatorial precision asserts itself in Glitch Feminism. The manifesto is divided into twelve sections, each of which intends “to pose an alternative after-effect” that celebrates “the slipperiness of gender in our weird and wild wander.”
'Eleven' by Kia LaBeija Kia LaBeija
We are presented the work of artists including manuel arturo abreu, Mark Aguhar, American Artist, Frank Benson, boychild, shawné michaelain holloway, Juliana Huxtable, E. Jane, Rindon Johnson, Kia LaBeija, Lil Miquela, Sondra Perry, Tabita Rezaire, Victoria Sin, and The White Pube. Their use of digital tools glitch expectation. Rather than accepting projected default identities, these practitioners use constructs as entry points—be they entry points to “throw shade,” to “encrypt,” to “mobilize,” or otherwise. Their work embraces the glitch as fundamental space-making, subverting and superseding cultural frameworks that have historically foregrounded white, straight, able-bodied cisgendered people.
These artists not only embrace the novel opportunity of cyberspace as a forum for public art and expression, but in fact offer launch points that invite other artists to join in the glitch. In this way, the book itself glitches established canon, demanding readers reconsider the loci of artistic innovation in the 21st Century.
'mirror-mirror_(newGen_TechEdit)blackbitch1.png' by shawné michaelain holloway (2015) shawné michaelain holloway
Glitch Feminism is a rallying cry, a recapturing of cyberfeminism oriented to include and spotlight the many queer and non-white voices who in their practice live out the awesome potential of an enmeshed digital feminism: the glitch. In a full embrace of the potential of the manifesto form, Russell weaves together the work of these artists with poetic language that dances from play to scholarship, music to contemplation, pain to jubilance. Glitch Feminism is a groundbreaking text for its underlying assertion, yes, but the deftness with which Russell wields language is artwork in itself. Like the vibrant contrast of the book’s cover, Glitch Feminism is a bright declaration, an ecstatic embrace of the new futures that lurk just behind hegemonic defaults. “If this is a spatial battle,” Russell writes, “let us become anarachitecture.”
The author is not just asking readers to recognize the latent possibilities in our looped digital-AFK reality, but to internalize them, to use them as the unprecedented tools they are. By the book’s close, you can almost hear the gleeful sizzle of short-circuiting.
“As glitch feminists, we will search in the darkness for the gates, seek the ways to bring them down and kill their keepers,” Russell writes. “Let’s be beatific in our leaky and limitless contagion. Usurp the body. Become your avatar. Be the glitch.”
'Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto' by Legacy Russell is available now via Verso Books Verso Books
GLITCH FEMINISM: A MANIFESTO
By Legacy Russell
192 pp. Verso Books. $15.
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26489538cfd7bb70311051e688e2e254 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2020/10/22/new-xr-for-social-impact-white-paper-surveys-use-cases-for-immersive-technologies-in-education-healthcare-and-training/ | New ‘XR For Social Impact’ White Paper Surveys Use Cases For Immersive Technologies In Education, Healthcare, And Training | New ‘XR For Social Impact’ White Paper Surveys Use Cases For Immersive Technologies In Education, Healthcare, And Training
Games For Change releases its "XR For Social Impact" white paper at Unity for the Humanity Summit ... [+] today Embodied Labs, Inc.
Games For Change releases social impact-driven XR landscape survey at the 2020 Unity for Humanity Summit.
Over the past decade, extended reality technologies (XR)—including augmented, mixed, and virtual reality—have graduated from the stuff of science fiction to that of mainstream reality. Games like Pokémon GO and Beat Saber have acclimated people outside of narrow insider communities to the potential of XR—in both gaming and non-gaming applications—as we push into the 2020s.
But while XR is increasingly included in conversations around possible zones of innovation, oftentimes it can be hard to understand the unique opportunities and risks associated with actually developing solutions using these technologies. This is particularly true for realms outside of games and entertainment, where value oftentimes needs to be established from the outset in order to justify the upfront investment of time and resources.
A new white paper from Games For Change, officially presented today at the Unity for Humanity Summit, seeks to offer a toolkit for understanding the unique affordances of XR through advances in three social impact spaces: Education, Healthcare, and Workforce Training [Disclosure: the author has curated Games For Change event programming but was not involved in the creation of this white paper]. The report, written by Archit Kaushik, aims to “untangle the wide net of applications cast by impact-driven XR for various stakeholders interested in engaging with this technology.” Its insights pull from subject matter expert interviews, existing research, and industry use cases.
“At G4C, we recognized that a lot of folks in our community were struggling to get up to speed with all of the rapid developments happening in this space,” said Raul Carvajal, XR for Change lead and production manager at Games For Change, in an interview with the author. “People may have heard the hype around virtual reality and other XR technologies set to change the world, but it's difficult to get a nuanced understanding of what that means in practice. With this report, we wanted to communicate that nuance through some of the awesome use cases that we've come across over the last three years.”
Healthcare
The first industry referenced in “XR for Social Impact” is healthcare. Healthcare spending currently accounts for 18% of the US GDP, and spending in this vertical was already projected to rise prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, consumer spending in telehealth has increased by 46%. XR, which can increase presence in virtual settings, offers several key advantages for healthcare practitioners.
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“From cognitive therapy to physical therapy to pain relief, XR is quickly transforming the healthcare industry, changing the way doctors provide care to patients,” the report reads, outlining the following six areas in which XR is impacting healthcare:
Access to Healthcare Pain Management Psychological Therapy Anatomical Visualization Medical Education Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation
Healthcare is one of the areas where XR can have significant impact Osso VR
Education
Immersive media technologies offer the potential for deep engagement. As such, they provide opportunities to improve education at a time when many around the world are highlighting an urgent need to reimagine learning to accommodate learners regardless of ability level, birthplace, or economic status.
“According to World Bank research, the world is facing a learning crisis,” the report states. “Their latest research shows that the productivity of 56% of the world’s children will be less than half of what it could be if they enjoyed complete education and full health. The healthcare crisis is also invariably linked to the poor performance of the education system ... Although still nascent, XR will be a useful tool in addressing the learning crisis by transforming how students interact and learn about the world, catering to needs of students with different learning styles, motivations and cognitive capacities.”
XR aligns with several key areas to potentially address some of these pressing national and global issues.
Motivation and Engagement Cognitive Load Reduction Experiential Learning Personalized Learning Fostering Empathy Cost Reduction Teacher Training
Workplace Training
The final section in the white paper regards workplace training. Companies around the world, including Wal-Mart, had already turned to VR as a means of training its workforce prior to the pandemic. But in the wake of shelter-in-place orders—and in the face of other possible shutdowns brought on by human and natural disasters in the future—companies are now waking up to the reality that virtual training infrastructure might have suddenly progressed from nice-to-have to must-have.
“The year 2020 has ushered several transformations in the workplace,” the report states. “COVID-19 has forced entire offices to rapidly transition to remote work environments. Employers and employees have had to develop strategies to effectively communicate and collaborate remotely. Social distancing protocols have forced companies to reconsider how they recruit, train and upskill talent. Companies are also increasingly launching workplace training that addresses racial bias and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. As companies struggle to keep up with the pace of change, several are turning to XR as a new way of addressing some of these issues.”
Important use cases identified in the report of XR in workplace training include:
Remote Communication and Collaboration Hard Skill Training Soft Skill Training Emergency Training Reducing Human Error
Each of these social impact areas is explained in greater detail in the report, with the purported goal of providing value for industry insiders and newcomers alike.
“We anticipate plenty of people reading who are curious about how they can apply this technology to achieve their own social impact goals, be that at an organizational level or as individuals,” Carvajal said. “It takes a lot of intention and ethically-aligned practice on behalf of creators to design an experience with the goal of making us better people. The work we highlighted in the report shows how powerful that intentionality can be, and I'm really excited at the possibility of sparking that in our readers.”
The full white paper can be found here.
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c51d02cbe971e2d5bbaf408df4fdb2f0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2021/02/16/from-crypto-to-christies-how-beeple-put-digital-art-on-the-map-and-then-catalyzed-its-market/?sh=73b99f166a06 | From Crypto To Christie’s: How Beeple Put Digital Art On The Map—And Then Catalyzed Its Market | From Crypto To Christie’s: How Beeple Put Digital Art On The Map—And Then Catalyzed Its Market
Beeple's 'Everydays – The First 5000 Days,' is the first purely digital artwork backed by a ... [+] nonfungible token to be offered by a major auction house. Beeple/Christie's
After breaking Crypto Art records in December, Beeple will become the first artist to auction a purely digital, NFT-backed artwork at a major auction house, which will be open for bidding Feb. 25 - March 11 at Christie’s.
For many, the weekend of Dec. 11-13 was just another December weekend, but for digital artist Mike Winkelmann—better known as “Beeple” or @beeple_crap—it was one that would forever change his life.
“It was very surreal, luckily my family was there. I think I honestly was in shock,” Winkelmann said in an interview with the author. “It took quite a while to process; I’m not even sure I have now. Afterwards it was like, ‘Oh cool, that went well,’ and it took weeks for it to sink in that, no...it went insanely well.”
That weekend, Beeple sold 20 of his digital artworks for $3.5M through a series of sales on Nifty Gateway, a marketplace for limited-edition art and collectibles backed by what are called nonfungible tokens (NFTs). NFTs will be described in further detail below, but from a high level it’s just important to know that they function as digital signatures that authenticate the origin of a given thing (yes, on the blockchain). These “things” tend to be digital files, but they can undergird physical objects as well. In fact, for Beeple’s first sale—“open editions” of three pieces cheekily titled Bull Run, Infected, and Into The Ether—the final product was essentially physical. Each would arrive for buyers as “interface-free, always-on physical artifact[s] of the NFT featuring a signed, numbered titanium backplate with hidden authentication markers” along with an “authentic Beeple hair sample.”
These pieces were priced at $969. Because all three were open editions, however many were snagged during the allotted five-minute window would subsequently have to be produced by the artist.
“I was thinking we’d see 100 to maybe 200 that would sell, Winkelmann said. “But then that it was 600.”
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Those 600 artworks sold over the course of five minutes amounted to $582k in sales for the artist—on only the first of a three-night sequence—so one might assume Beeple would have been jubilant.
“Honestly that night I did not feel good,” Winkelmann said. “I was just thinking like, ‘How the f--- are we going to make 600 boxes in six to eight weeks?’”
Who is Beeple?
The above gets at something core about the artist, who is something of a legend in digital art circles but will also be a new name for the many who discover his work on the occasion of this announcement from Christie’s—which is putting his work up as a standalone auction concurrent with its “First Open | Online,” a lot that includes art by Andy Warhol.
Speaking to friends, colleagues, and those close to his work, some themes emerge: he’s fearless, he’s no stranger to vulgarity or twisted humor, and he’s deeply invested in his community. Instead of rejoicing at the fresh $582k in his bank account, Winkelmann’s first concern was how he’d deliver what he promised to a community that trusted him.
“Mike’s a very generous artist, first and foremost; if you speak with anybody that’ll be the first thing that they say about him,” said Lady PheOnix, a curator of digital art and cofounder of Universe Contemporary, a Crypto Art consultancy. “He’s open about his practice, his process, and what it’s taken for him to ‘make it.’”
Headshot of Mike Winkelmann, who is known as the digital artist Beeple. Beeple
And making it has been a long road for Beeple. In many ways, his trajectory—and the artist it forged—reflects the rebellious, no-holds, and unfussy ethos of digital art. He grew up in Wisconsin, with no plans of becoming a professional artist. He instead pursued a degree in Computer Science in the hopes of becoming a programmer—but while in college found himself diverting ever more effort to creative endeavors.
“Halfway through I realized I was spending way more time making little weird abstract digital art and digital short films,” Winkelmann said. “I got through the degree, got a job doing web design, and in my free time kept making this Beeple stuff.”
Long before he had any sense he’d one day see market validation for his art or have an Instagram following of close to 2M people, Winkelmann’s practice as Beeple was his focus.
“It was always the thing I was trying the hardest at; what I was always putting most of my energy and thought into was the Beeple stuff,” Winkelmann said. “It was never the side thing. My day jobs and other work felt like the side things.”
Back in the early Aughts, digital art was far more niche than it even is today. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube didn’t exist yet; and even once they did, it would take years still for them to become viable distribution platforms for artists to build communities around their work.
“People were seeing digital art through VFX in movies, but the more experimental digital art that I was seeing on the Internet, mainly through different people’s websites and the stuff I was making, was just not that popular and really hard to find,” Winkelmann said.
It is from within this outsider, underground approach that Winkelmann established a practice that would come to form the foundation of his ascent to digital art name-brand: Everydays. This origin story even has a precise date: May 1, 2007.
‘Everydays’ & Creative Commons
As the name indicates, “everydays” involve publishing a piece of art every single day, and Beeple has done so for coming up on 14 years. Importantly, he claims that he has never banked any work in advance, even when under tight deadlines for other work, while seriously ill, or during major life events like his engagement and the birth of his children. The artwork going up for auction at Christie’s, Everydays – The First 5000 Days, is actually a sort of meta-work that assembles the first 5,000 of these everydays into a single 316MB, 21,069 x 21,069-pixel file. These 5,000 pieces span May 1, 2007 - Jan. 7, 2021, and seeing them all arranged in one place offers a sense of just how extensive of an undertaking it has been.
The process, though, has been ad hoc and unfiltered, with some pieces taking many hours and others dashed off in a matter of minutes after his kids went to bed. The point for Winkelmann was to create a framework for himself to freely experiment with creative tools ranging from 3D software to photography. It provides the creative constraint of a deadline; with each “day” closing at midnight.
Beeple’s audience has swelled particularly in the past half-decade, as his Everydays have exhibited an impulse toward commentary on current events and the political.
“I look at these almost as political cartoons, but instead of, you know, a sketch, it's like, ‘What can we do with the most advanced digital tools?’” Winkelmann said.
Because he produces these using 3D creation software every single day, he’s built up a library of assets that he can then reappropriate into new work—lending a level of quality that belies the fact that these pieces may have only taken an hour to generate. This is also how he’s able to publish 3D artwork that engages directly with political moments and memes in real time.
“So, you know, Mike Pence has a fly on his head during the debates,” Winkelmann said. “And an hour later I can have a picture with Mike Pence standing on top of the White House surrounded by a bunch of giant flies, and he’s lord of the flies.”
Contemporaries see this as Beeple’s way of engaging with audiences in a way that other artists—particularly those steeped in conventional modes, philosophies, and practices—cannot.
“He’s outspoken, he’s funny, he has a dark and twisted sense of humor, and he’s able to tell the truth using hyperbole as a brush,” PheOnix said. “He’s been able to invite people to a conversation through that approach. With his computer he’s painting these landscapes of reality that are a mixture of dystopian and hopeful—the hope comes through the humor.”
Though his everydays are now regarded as having this political, sometimes vulgar tone, earlier phases could be quite different. In his first year we find hand-drawn doodles, another year shows his early experiments while learning to use Adobe Illustrator, and other moments still become home for his fascination with Digital SLR cameras. The seeds for the current phase were planted when Winkelmann taught himself Cinema 4D—after which he made a move that would again alter the course of his career: offer up hundreds of VJ video clips to anyone via Creative Commons. The Electronic music scene in particular took notice.
“Those became very, very popular in the Electronic music world, so I started getting hit up for custom concert visuals,” Winkelmann said. “That led to a bunch of freelance work and being able to finally quit my job and just do that full-time.”
Since then, he’s produced video loops and music videos for artists including Avicii, Justin Bieber, Childish Gambino, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and many others. He was also able to expand his practice to work with brands like Apple, Louis Vuitton, Magic Leap, Nike, and Space X. But while sustaining his work through commissions and design was a life improvement, Winkelmann still hadn’t found a way to sell his art on its own terms. That is, until he heeded the encouragement of a number of friends and colleagues to do NFT “drops” of some of his pieces.
Crypto Art and NFTs
It’s here that we need to rewind on Crypto Art and its brief history to better grasp why Beeple’s entrance became the historic event that it did.
Artists have been experimenting with blockchain technologies in their practices since 2011, and decentralized collectible marketplaces have existed since CryptoKitties launched in 2017, but the cumulative effects of Covid-19, a growing awareness of NFTs among artists and creators, and a bull run in cryptocurrencies intersected to cast 2020 as the year many would take note of NFTs as a viable path for digital artists to sell their work and build community. (With regard to blockchain, the relevant point to note here is simply that it’s a technology that facilitates accountability and transparency between people. A more detailed primer can be found here.)
In essence, what these marketplaces allow artists to do is “mint” a given artwork or collectible good on the blockchain with a nonfungible token. To be “fungible” refers to the interchangeability of a good—$5 is identical to any other $5 bill. It’s worth $5 regardless of whether it’s a bill in your hand or numbers in your bank account. It can be subdivided into, say, three $1 bills and eight quarters, or any other configuration therein, and it functions just the same. When a token is nonfungible, then, it is distinct from any other token and it cannot be subdivided. In other words: it is, by design, totally unique. It is in this way that NFTs create scarcity—even for digital files that on their own are infinitely replicable.
“I use the example of a physical trading card,” said Ryoma Ito, head of marketing at MakersPlace, the crypto art marketplace that collaborated with Christie’s in setting up the Beeple auction and generated the NFT for First 5000 Days. “They’re accessible by the millions, but when, say, Steph Curry comes along and autographs one of those cards it will increase the value as long as there’s a way to authenticate that signature. When a creator publishes to blockchain, they’re permanently associating their signature with that piece. It’s just a digital signature rather than a physical autograph.”
These tokens are backed by “smart contracts,” or contracts that are written into the token from the outset. The terms of these contracts will execute automatically from then on. Furthermore, these contracts specify what aspects of a given token are allowed to be changed. Thus, an artist can apply her unique digital signature as a point of origin, but the token can be sold to other collectors, and the blockchain will reflect this change in ownership.
“Blockchain allows us to apply supply and demand and economic forces to the arena of digital art,” said Tyler Winklevoss, cofounder and CEO of Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange that acquired Nifty Gateway in 2019, in an interview with the author. “Now you can purchase an asset and actually own digital art. Imagine taking supply and demand out of the fine art world; it wouldn’t be the same. There’s a scarcity to a Warhol—and as a result, it can be considered precious and go to auction at Christie’s.”
Notably, artists can write themselves into these contracts for a work’s secondary market, allowing them to earn whatever percentage they establish upon every subsequent sale in perpetuity. Thus, if her career skyrockets and her work balloons in value, she’ll see benefit financially in perpetuity. Since Beeple’s record-breaking sales in December, for example, he’s seen his pieces sold in the secondary market to the tune of another $1.7M (collectively). So, for example, if the contracts in his tokens allocate 5% of every sale to him, that would mean he has already seen an additional $85k automatically flow into his account.
Another role NFTs play is warding against fakes. Sure, anyone might be able to rip a digital file, but without the NFT asserting its provenance, it won’t have the same value as something that can prove it is an “original.”
Artists had begun to find financial success through crypto art platforms like MakersPlace, Nifty Gateway, Rarible, and SuperRare in 2018, 2019, and early 2020, but the market was still regarded as fairly underground, even in tech circles.
Enter: a global pandemic disrupts every industry. Many millions of people are suddenly forced to spend more time at home, and treat the digital as “real.” Crypto Art surged. In October, Christie's sold an NFT-backed artwork for $130k. For Nifty Gateway, new sales kept breaking records set just weeks before as the year progressed.
“The community had built to this point where it was ready for someone like Mike to step in,” Winklevoss said. “When Mozart came around, the idiom and the vocabulary of classical music was at its height and ready for his genius. He came into the golden era of the genre, and he was Mozart; [Crypto Art] was a building movement—and Beeple’s a giant. Given his background, given the type of artist he is, it was this perfect marriage of his hard work, experience, and journey. He’s the perfect artist to put the NFT medium on the map.”
The Everydays – The First 5000 Days Auction
While the crypto art market was heating up in 2020, MakersPlace and Christie’s entered into discussions about the prospect of auctioning a fully digital NFT artwork.
“We knew this was going to be a big milestone, so we asked ourselves who we’d want to represent NFTs on this Christie’s lot: ‘Who’s going to be this standout artist to get that message out the right way?’” Ito said. “We wanted to tap into what would be best for the ecosystem, and Beeple seemed like the perfect choice.”
Christie’s decided to move forward with the idea on the strength of Beeple’s proposed artwork, with MakersPlace handling the blockchain back end.
“We realized that this was the perfect way to introduce our audience to the medium,” said Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Specialist Noah Davis in an interview with the author. “Mike's practice of making these ‘Everydays’ every single day is this herculean, populist, and deeply American creative endeavor. To see them all laid out in this expansive, monolithic mosaic of his work—the idea that you could zoom in and individually experience each one of these artworks—it almost treats his Instagram profile like a Duchampian readymade that he could just plucked out, but [with The First 5000 Days] he’s organized it and arranged it. That dynamic artwork is really what sold me, because it points to this limitless capacity for a digital-only NFT artwork to do something that's unique.”
Davis cites a unique relationship that digital art has with how it is produced, observed, and collected. The First 5000 Days exhibits a maximalism—both as a final product and the underlying artistic process—that could only exist digitally.
“There is an inherent limitation in painting and sculpture—anything that can be put in a frame and on your wall—in their objecthood,” Davis said. “With digital artists working in this new field of NFTs, there's something intangible and completely beyond the scope of definition when it comes to defining the ‘beginning’ and ‘end’ of an artwork. You can be as as restrictive with the media as you want—there are some artists who who are making NFTs that are just several pixels—and then you have this maximal, endless kind of approach that that we see with Beeple, where he's got this project that conceivably could go on until the end of his life.”
The individual everydays are not arranged chronologically in The First 5000 Days, instead they are woven together aesthetically and conceptually. Keen viewers and sleuths might be able to spot narrative connections throughout, ranging from the personal to the public.
“It's a mix of a journal of the world and a journal of my life, and my family's life, throughout the last 13 years,” Winkelmann said.
Everydays – The First 5000 Days opens for bidding from Feb. 25 and closes March 11. Bidding will open at $100, with the estimate listed as “unknown.” The auction will be a standalone for technical purposes, but has been intentionally positioned concurrent with “First Open | Online.” After close to a year developing remote solutions to continue functioning during a pandemic, Christie’s has now developed the technical capabilities to put digital artworks up for auction with the same care traditional works receive in physical settings.
“All of the digital enhancements that we made over the last year to improve the way people experience art from home was leading up to something like this,” said Rebecca Riegelhaupt, Christie’s AVP and senior public relations manager of Post-War and Contemporary Art, in an interview with the author. “Now we have all the systems in place to zoom in to that degree [needed to appreciate The First 5000 Days] and psychologically prepare people for this type of artwork.”
Among the pieces in this first lot will be work by Andy Warhol. In many ways, there’s a fitting connection between the two artists.
“There's a nice rhyme between Warhol and Beeple,” Davis said. “There's of course the engagement with pop culture. Warhol’s fascination with heroes and heroines, pop icons and tragedy, death and disaster—that truly morbid fascination—you see that in a lot of Beeple’s work too, especially when he's dealing with pop culture icons, whether that’s Jeff Bezos or Kim Jong-un or Buzz Lightyear. They are all equally accessible targets and interesting points just to plot on a map, he is very similar to Warhol in that way.”
Beyond the conceptual echoes, the two artists’ careers also speak to the relationship that mold-breaking artists have with how they pay the bills.
“When you look at Warhol’s career trajectory—that he was an illustrator before he became a quote-unquote fine artist ... it’s something you see with plenty of these pioneers in the digital art world, where they're making most of their money in a sort of gig economy way, where they're taking on jobs illustrating, and they efface their own artistic personality to become the face of a brand,” Davis said. “That's an exercise that they can pull off perfectly well, but at the end of the day, their own artwork exists completely separately. This NFT moment that we're having is allowing these artists to transition into a fully personal mode of expression that can also be financially valuable for them. And that's the same thing that happened with Warhol transitioning out of his job as an illustrator and working in the fashion world.”
In this way Crypto Art today in some ways also echoes Street Art in decades past; it’s an outside force with the potential to both disrupt fine art and become a major force within it.
“We see this as a pivotal moment for the future of New Media and even the practice of collecting itself,” Davis said. “Not unlike the advent of Street Art as a blue chip collecting category, NFT-based art is on the threshold of becoming the next ingeniously disruptive force in the art market.”
Ito is hopeful that the imprimatur of a legacy fine art institution will further extend the awareness of NFTs as a means for digital artists to establish their practice as worthy of investment in both the short and long term.
“Having Christie’s come on-board and validate that these digital assets have real value is huge,” Ito said. “For the longest time digital creators have struggled to monetize their work. NFTs are an avenue to provide protection and authentication for digital artworks. This [auction] is the extra stamp that’s going to push this space into the spotlight.”
Winklevoss sees this as a natural next step for the art market.
“Art can mean a physical canvas in a gallery in Chelsea, but it’s also moved out into nature and installations, it’s moved to street corners and billboards—and now it’s moving onto the blockchain, the gallery of the Internet,” Winklevoss said.
Winkelmann, meanwhile, already has his eyes on the future. Borrowing a tactic he learned from the fashion world while working with Louis Vuitton, he’s planning “seasons” for his future drops, with a range of offerings and editions. While high-end artworks are certainly in the plan, he’s also excited to use his newfound role as bellwether of the digital art world to give back to his community. Having already witnessed the value of his work surge as much as 50x in the secondary market following his December sales, he plans to put up limited quantities of art that is intentionally underpriced.
I ask him if it’s possible he’d take that as low as $1 again, something he did amid his Nifty Gateway sales. He answers enthusiastically in the affirmative, and acknowledges that he’ll in effect be “giving away” $1M or more—and why.
“To be honest, I'm super excited about that,” Winkelmann said. “I wouldn't be in this position if it weren’t for people liking and sharing and being all, ‘Check out this guy Beeple!’ That's why I'm able to f------ do this, you know what I mean? So it's something that I'm honored to be in a position to do.”
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a3f3ffbcc0d6ccf8bdb4d0379a393c97 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2021/02/28/the-top-15-youtube-vr-videos-of-2020/ | The Top 15 YouTube VR Videos Of 2020 | The Top 15 YouTube VR Videos Of 2020
The Top 15 YouTube VR Videos of 2020 Jesse Damiani
Here are the standout YouTube VR videos from 2020.
The story underlying all others in 2020 is Covid-19. The pandemic was a singular, generational event, disrupting the lives of billions worldwide.
With the sudden boom in video calls and virtual events, it forced many to approach the notion of virtualization with fresh eyes. New virtual reality (VR) headsets like the HP Reverb G2 and the Oculus Quest 2 entered the market, refining the best of what what tethered and standalone headsets could offer.
All the while, VR videos (both 360° and VR180) continued to present viewers with a less demanding avenue to view immersive content. Maybe more acutely than any year before, in 2020 viewers needed fresh ways to experience things like performances, travel, documentary, and storytelling.
Below are 15 immersive videos that offered audiences the chance to do just that.
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360° VR GALACTUS EVENT | End of Season Fortnite Event
Games are already 3D worlds — and now that more are leaning into the “live event” model, producing VR videos from within them allows creators to preserve these experiences like never before, as with this season finale event in Fortnite.
Around the Planet in 2 minutes. VR 360 video in 4K by AirPano
As the name implies, this VR video transports viewers to different locations all across the globe, offering a glimpse of the other immersive travel videos on the AirPano VR channel.
Ascend with David Blaine (In 360)
David Blaine’s Ascension live stunt became a major media event — the standard video has more than 22M views and broke YouTube records. The 360 version of the stunt offers a view of the feat from a first-person perspective.
"Beautifully Broken" by Warren Haynes and Danny Louis in 360/Virtual Reality
360 performance videos have been a core part of the immersive video landscape for years, but they took on a new life during shelter-in-place and lockdown measures. Rather than recreating performance in a dark venue, Warren Haynes and Danny Louis took their craft outdoors, sans audience—implicitly mirroring the constraints of the moment.
China, One Week Before Coronavirus Lockdown - an 8K 360 VR Experience | Shot on Qoocam 8K
Shot just a week before Covid-19 put China in lockdown, Hugh Hou’s 8K experience offers soaring views of Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve—and intimate views of the plants, people, and structures that populate it.
The Dawn of Art: A Virtual Journey Inside Chauvet Cave
Daisy Ridley narrates this animated journey into a cave in the south of France famous for holding some of the best-preserved figurative cave paintings in the world, thought to be 36,000 years old.
Guardians of the Kingdom VR
Blending live-captured immersive footage with computer-generated content and animations, “Guardians of the Kingdom” explores the connection between humans and whales through a story of two mothers: a human and a whale.
How Volcanoes Affect Earth's Climate Over Millions of Years 360° I NOVA I PBS
NOVA from PBS takes viewers to the Sierra Nevadas' Long Valley Caldera and Antarctica's Mount Erebus to see how volcanoes “belch” carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, transforming Earth's climate over millions of years.
Inside NYC's Skinniest Supertall Skyscraper | 3D VR180
Take a 91-story ride on an exterior hoist of New York City’s “skinniest supertall” skyscraper on 111 West 57th Street (filmed prior to its completion) for spectacular views of Central Park and the more of the iconic U.S. metropolis.
Lockdown Around the World | National Geographic
March 2020 was a month unlike any in recent memory. Countries around the world responded to the threat of a rapidly spreading pandemic with shelter-in-place orders and quarantine measures. Spanning cities across five continents, this VR video from National Geographic preserves a view of what otherwise crowded cities looked like during an unprecedented moment.
Out Of The Blue
After a festival debut in 2017, “Out of the Blue” reemerged on YouTube VR in 2020, offering a powerful example of immersive storytelling, notably in an underwater setting.
Solo to the South Pole — The VR documentary [360/VR]
In this documentary, viewers meet Matthieu Tordeur, the young French explorer who made the 50-day journey from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole all alone, without any outside assistance.
VR Skin Care Shop Roleplay ASMR[VR 180]
ASMR continues to spark interest, as more realize that the medium offers them that “tingly” sensation and relaxation. VR, meanwhile, is a medium designed to fully immerse viewers, making the two natural complements to the other. They come together here in a VR180 skincare experience.
What Wormholes Would Actually Look Like According To Physics (VR/360)
Immersive media has a unique capability to help audiences experience what would otherwise be impossible. After being fascinated by wormholes and their portrayal in traditional media, Scott Manley created an immersive video about the experience of traveling through a wormhole relying on two specific formulations for wormhole geometry.
Yawarani: A VR Film Made With Indigenous Creators
“Yawarani” is a VR180 film created as a collaboration between Outside TV and the indigenous community Yawarani in the Amazon rainforest, produced in hopes of preserving their sacred culture and the wisdom of their elders.
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ee20fea1f13f523b5d0fe476fe2347a1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2021/03/09/google-poly-sees-new-life-in-poly-to-sketchfab/ | Google Poly Sees New Life At Sketchfab With ‘Poly To Sketchfab’ | Google Poly Sees New Life At Sketchfab With ‘Poly To Sketchfab’
Sketchfab has launched 'Poly to Sketchfab,' a tool that allows users to upload Google Poly libraries Sketchfab
New integration lets users directly transfer Poly Models to Sketchfab.
At the end of last year, Google announced it would be shuttering Poly, the 3D object library and hosting platform it launched in 2017 as part of its then push into immersive media like virtual and augmented reality. In the announcement, the company said that it would stop accepting new uploads on April 30, 2021, and that it would officially shut down on June 30, 2021.
MORE FROM FORBESGoogle Is Shutting Down Google Poly, Its 3D Object PlatformBy Jesse Damiani
The free-to-use platform integrated directly with other 3D Google apps like Blocks and Tilt Brush, which Google stopped officially supporting and made open-source in January 2021. It was the latest casualty in Google’s retreat from its virtual and augmented reality offerings, following the discontinuation of Expeditions, Daydream VR, Jump VR, and Spotlight Stories.
During its 3+ years in existence, Poly had become a space where users around the world could upload their own creations as well as browse and remix those of others.
For many in the XR community, Poly played an important role in fostering an open creative commons and basic utility for creators and enthusiasts.
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Many pointed to Sketchfab, a platform and marketplace for 3D models, as a possible new home for these assets. According to Sketchfab CEO and Cofounder Alban Denoyel, the team immediately began trying to figure out how to facilitate and streamline this process.
“When the news of Poly shutting down came out, we started thinking about ways to help users move their content to Sketchfab,” Denoyel said in an interview with the author. “We saw some platforms doing paid user acquisition on this, but it didn't seem right.”
To that end, one of the company’s angel investors, Sylvain Zimmer, built a functioning proof-of-concept uploader. Then Google got in touch.
“They offered to direct their users to Sketchfab in their next communications about Poly shutting down,” Denoyel said. “So we told them we'd have a special tool ready for that.”
That tool, called “Poly to Sketchfab,” officially launches today.
Sample image of the Poly to Sketchfab tool Sketchfab
Users can directly transfer their libraries by connecting their two accounts via the official Poly to Sketchfab portal. They are then prompted with a list of models that can be transferred, from which they can select what will integrate over to Sketchfab.
In a statement, the company explained that Poly to Sketchfab cannot copy Tour Creator 360° photographs or Tilt Brush files, the latter of which can be uploaded directly from Tilt Brush through the built-in Sketchfab Exporter.
For users who used the Poly library in their own applications, Sketchfab referred users to its Download API, which “provides access to over 500,000 freely downloadable Creative Commons models.”
Denoyel hopes that Poly to Sketchfab offers an avenue to preserve the value and community that amassed on Poly in a new setting.
“Poly shutting down means thousands of 3D assets disappearing from the internet,” Denoyel said. “It's bad for the creators, and bad for the 3D/VR/AR apps that were relying on those assets via Poly's import API. This app helps Poly's users find a new home without needing to spend hours working on transferring their content.”
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74638009a4589d7f60583654fd8f0a9b | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2021/03/12/beeples-the-first-5000-days-sold-to-metakovan-founder-of-metapurse-for-69346250/ | Beeple’s ‘The First 5000 Days’ Sold To Metakovan, Founder Of Metapurse, For $69,346,250 | Beeple’s ‘The First 5000 Days’ Sold To Metakovan, Founder Of Metapurse, For $69,346,250
Metakovan from Metapurse bought Beeple's 'First 5000 Days' NFT-backed artwork for nearly $70M Metapurse
The First 5000 Days is the first purely digital NFT-based artwork sold at a major auction house, the most expensive NFT ever sold, and the third most valuable artwork sold by a living artist.
Yesterday at 10a.m. EST, the hammer came down on what would become a historic auction at Christie’s: the sale of Everydays – The First 5000 Days by Mike Winkelmann (better known as Beeple) for just shy of $70 million (42329.453 ETH).
Today, Christie’s has announced that the work was acquired by Metakovan, the pseudonymous founder and financier of Metapurse, dispelling rumors that Justin Sun had won the auction.
MORE FROM FORBESFrom Crypto To Christie's: How Beeple Put Digital Art On The Map-And Then Catalyzed Its MarketBy Jesse Damiani
“When you think of high-valued NFTs, this one is going to be pretty hard to beat,” Metakovan said in a statement. “And here's why—it represents 13 years of everyday work. Techniques are replicable and skill is surpassable, but the only thing you can't hack digitally is time. This is the crown jewel, the most valuable piece of art for this generation. It is worth $1 billion.”
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Twobadour, Steward of Metapurse, added that the historic nature of the event is also cultural.
“A renowned auction house, a contemporary artist; a wholly digital masterpiece that lives on a shared financial platform on the internet, acquired by a person of color,” Twobadour said. “This certainly is history. We also hope it is the future.”
This is not the first time that Metapurse, an impact investment and NFT production studio, has been involved with Beeple. In January, Metapurse announced B.20, in which a body of 2o first-edition Beeple’s artworks were hosted across virtual museums in Cryptovoxels, Decentraland, and Somnium Space; bundled with these spaces; and then tokenized (as eponymous B.20 tokens). Per the announcement, the purpose was to distribute who could own historic art using new decentralized frameworks:
“We want to change the game. We were inspired by the idea of not only being able to own historic artwork, like the Mona Lisa, but also being able to own the museum it was displayed in, and then sharing that ownership and experience with the public. That is the purpose of B.20.”
The First 5000 Days is now the third-most valuable artwork sold by a living artist, following Jeff Koons ($91M) and David Hockney ($90M).
“We are pleased to have brought together two distinct collecting communities—the traditional and the digital—at exactly the right moment for digital artists, for blockchain technology, and for cryptocurrency,” Christie’s CEO Guillaume Cerutti said in a statement. “The possibilities for what comes next in this field are inspiring and we look forward to more collaborative innovations in the near future.”
For more information about Metapurse, visit their official website.
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e473208b598f16091eb66f3442d15b1c | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedraper/2013/08/01/a-melon-for-your-melon-wearable-tech-for-your-brain/ | A Melon For Your Melon: Wearable Tech For Your Brain | A Melon For Your Melon: Wearable Tech For Your Brain
It’s true that technology is moving faster than ever. Everyday the news is peppered with stories of startups that claim their app or device will to change the way we live and make our lives better than ever before. But in the context of the mobile revolution and parallel app gold rush, it’s rare to hit upon something that truly stands apart in its field. Then you find Melon.
Wearable technology for your brain…seriously? Melon, co-founded by Laura Berman, is a brain activity measuring headband and companion app that helps users understand and improve focus across activities ranging from studying to exercise. Berman and her co-founder Arye Barnehama met as undergraduates studying cognitive and computer science at Pomona College and doing research using EEG technology. Inspired by how EEG was working to aid in the treatment of ADHD and dementia in a clinical setting, Berman and Barnehama set out to create a consumer product that would put EEG technology to work to improve day to day life.
Following a successful Kickstarter campaign in which Melon met and exceeded their goal (ultimately raising over $290 thousand dollars) Berman and Barnehama were selected to join the business incubator LaunchpadLA. While Melon isn’t the first EEG headset for the consumer market, it’s distinguished by its user friendly data analysis software and sleek, streamlined design. Berman says, “Where we’re different is we don’t really focus on the numbers. If you just saw your raw brain wave activity, you’d have no idea what was going on. Our platform is based on giving you insights into the activity so you can understand what the data means for you, and you can learn to improve from that.” Technology that helps us learn to improve? That’s an idea we can all get behind.
So next time you’re having trouble focusing, slap a Melon on your melon. Melon headbands will hit stores in 2014.
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afd0ad8cd4ad42f561a9926a6d1fa972 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2013/12/10/michigan-states-25-year-drought-is-making-2014-rose-bowl-tickets-among-most-expensive-ever/ | Michigan State's 25-Year Drought Is Making 2014 Rose Bowl Tickets Among Most Expensive Ever | Michigan State's 25-Year Drought Is Making 2014 Rose Bowl Tickets Among Most Expensive Ever
Known as the ‘Grandaddy of them all’, the Rose Bowl has long been the pinnacle of college football success. It’s also the oldest bowl game, dating back to 1902. Like this year, the first game featured Stanford against a team from Michigan. Rather than Michigan State, the opponent was Michigan, and the outcome was so lopsided in favor of Michigan that Stanford actually gave up in the third quarter. This year, the game will be a lot closer and the team from Michigan has not played in Pasadena for 25 years. As a result it’s one of the most expensive Rose Bowl tickets ever, and certainly the most expensive since we’ve been tracking the ticket market over the last five years.
At an average price of $901, it’s 112% more expensive than the last two Rose Bowls. It’s so expensive, in fact, that Michigan State's Federal Credit Union is offering loans for students looking to attending the game, starting at a minimum of $1,000. With the deluge of debt that students are leaving school with, this hardly feels like responsible lending, however, when it comes to tickets for games in Pasadena, emotion clearly trumps responsibility.
While the Rose Bowl is unquestionably the biggest stage in college football, the title of biggest game belongs to the BCS National Championship. For the third time in BCS history, that game is also being played at the Rose Bowl. At an average price of $1,865 2014 BCS National Championship tickets are as cheap as they've been in at least five years-- which was the last time the game was played in Pasadena.
2013 will mark the 100th time that the Rose Bowl game has been played, and it will be the last time that the venue serves as host for the title game for the immediate future. In the new playoff format starting next year, the Rose Bowl will rotate hosting a semi-final game, but the title game will be awarded based on a bidding process, similar to the Super Bowl. The first post-BCS game will be played at Cowboys-AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Whether the publicly-owned Rose Bowl (built at a cost of $3.8 million 2013 dollars) will be able to compete against privately owned facilities like AT&T Stadium (built at a cost of $1.4 billion 2013 dollars) remains to be seen. For this year, though, the eight most important quarters of the college football season will be played in Pasadena, and we'll all be tuning in.
For a list of the most expensive college bowl games this season, have a look at the list we published yesterday.
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06465c467a487c75dbb3803454fe6e28 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/02/05/luke-bryan-hopes-to-follow-bruno-mars-success-with-daytona-500-pre-race-concert/ | Luke Bryan Hopes To Follow Bruno Mars Success With Daytona 500 Pre-Race Concert | Luke Bryan Hopes To Follow Bruno Mars Success With Daytona 500 Pre-Race Concert
When the Daytona International Speedway announced that Luke Bryan would be headlining the Datytona 500 pre-race show, the Super Bowl was still almost two weeks away. While the Super Bowl was a dud, Bruno Mars electrified 115 million Americans with his 12-minute half-time show. In a stroke of musical promotional genius, tickets went on sale Monday morning for the second leg of his “Moonshine Jungle Tour”. While the primary market is not yet sold out, about half of the cities are close, and the rest mostly have upper level seats available. Average prices on the secondary market are also up, despite over 50,000 new tickets being listed since yesterday. Like Mars, Bryan may see a bump in ticket prices for his current tour as a result of his pre-game concert, and they may both be cementing the latest trend in promoting tours.
Bryan’s My Kind of Night tour began on January 16 in Columbus, Ohio, and will run through October 25 when it reaches its conclusion at the Hollywood Bowl in California. As of now, Bryan still has tickets available on the primary market. He’s also only the second-most expensive act in country music, behind Jason Aldean tickets. There are currently over 75,000 Luke Bryan tickets available on the secondary market with an average price of $262.45, a significant premium over the $70 and $40 dollar price points for lower sections and upper sections respectively on the primary market. Aldean tickets, though, have an average price above $300.
2013 TV ratings for Daytona 500 were the strongest since 2008, with over 16 million tuning into the race on Fox. While that’s just over 10% of the audience that tuned in the Super Bowl, Bryan’s reach for the pre-game show will be much more targeted. Country music and NASCAR go hand in hand, and while many of the people tuning into the pre-game show may already have tickets to see Bryan, thousands more will head off to find tickets before the race starts.
For anyone who has tickets to Daytona and sees Bryan in person, they’ll be getting $262 worth of extra value for the cost of their race tickets. Coincidentally, Daytona 500 tickets have virtually identical prices to Luke Bryan concert tickets on the secondary market. As of this morning, the average Daytona 500 ticket costs $262.54—only 36 cents more than Luke Bryan tickets. Many stops on Bryan’s tour price significantly higher than the average price of the Daytona 500, with his most expensive stop on September 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. That show has an average ticket price of $763.13—nearly three times as much as the Daytona 500. Bryan’s lowest priced stop, June 13 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis, still has an average price above $100, at $115.71.
Even without the help of his Daytona exposure, the price of Luke Bryan tickets could continue to rise. Bryan’s 2013 Dirt Road Diaries tour sold over 1.3 million tickets, with every show selling out. Dirt Road Diaries was a tour to support Bryan’s 2011 album Tailgates & Tanlines, and was the first tour that Bryan headlined. In two years since its release,Tailgates & Tanlines has sold 2.2 million copies. Bryan recent album Crash My Party sold 528,000 in its first week and has since gone on to sell over 1.5 million copies in just five months, making it the best-selling country album by a male artist in nine years.
In addition to boosting exposure and ticket sales for artists, pre-game and half-time shows are a great way for events to ensure that people get up off their couch to attend in person. In addition to the Super Bowl and Daytona, many Major League Baseball teams have adopted post-game concerts as a way to get people out to the old ballgame. Individuals who purchase US Open tennis tickets are also provided with daily entertainment and music on the grounds, according to Tennis Tours, the leading seller in US Open tickets. It’s a trend that will likely continue as in-home entertainment becomes a more satisfying alternative to the real thing. As it does, both fans and performer stand to benefit.
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243a7c4dcf0fced8c48ab2d326a15e89 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/05/06/jay-z-beyonce-on-the-run-tour-tickets-at-least-17-higher-than-individual-tours-last-summer/ | Tickets For Joint Jay-Z And Beyonce Shows 44% More Expensive Than Individual Tours | Tickets For Joint Jay-Z And Beyonce Shows 44% More Expensive Than Individual Tours
They’ve been married for six years, but Jay-Z and Beyoncé have never co-headlined a tour together, until now. Hot on the heels of the official announcement of their upcoming co-headlining On the Run tour, a 16-city North American jaunt kicking off June 25 in Miami and concluding August 5 in San Francisco, the demand for Jay-Z & Beyoncé tickets is through the roof for what is guaranteed to be one of the biggest tours in recent years.
According to TiqIQ, it’s also one of the most expensive. In fact, when it comes to other high-profile co-headlining tours or individual solo tours by either Jay-Z or Beyoncé themselves, On the Run tickets are head and shoulders above the rest.
With an average ticket price of $342.67 on the secondary market, tickets for Jay-Z & Beyoncé: On the Run are 90.16% higher than prices for Jay-Z’s solo Magna Carta tour last fall, when Jay-Z tickets were $180.20 on average. They are also 16.55% higher than tickets for Beyoncé’s Mrs. Carter Show world tour from last year, when Beyoncé tickets were priced at $294.01 on average. While ticket prices on the secondary market are through the roof, there are still a few tickets left on Ticketmaster, which is selling tickets for the tour and owned by LiveNation.
Jay-Z has toured with industry giants including Eminem and Justin Timberlake, but neither has been as big of a draw as his wife. When Jay-Z toured with Eminem, tickets averaged $279.50, which is 16.55% below the current rate for Jay-Z and Beyoncé tickets. When Jay-Z toured with Justin Timberlake, tickets averaged $187.98, or 82.29% below the current rate to see music’s ultimate power couple in concert.
But it’s not just past co-headlining tours they are beating. Jay-Z and Beyoncé On the Run tickets are also priced at 51.39% higher than Eminem and Rihanna tickets for their upcoming Eminem and Rihanna: Monster Tour — which kicks off later this year and is currently priced at an average of $226.35 on the secondary market. That three-city tour features six dates at major U.S. stadiums in August including the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, MetLifeStadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Detroit’s ComericaPark.
None of this, however, should come as a total surprise. With nearly 200 million records sold between them, 36 total Grammys, and a combined net worth of around $850 million, Jay-Z and Beyoncé are a creative force to be reckoned with. When their talents are combined, the sky is limit; at least as far as ticket prices are concerned.
Below are the dates for Beyoncé & Jay-Z: On the Run 2014 Tour
June 25: Miami, FL @ Sun Life Stadium June 28: Cincinnati, OH @ Great American Ballpark July 1: Foxborough, MA @ GilletteStadium July 5: Philadelphia, PA @ Citizen's Bank Park July 7: Baltimore, MD @ M & T Bank Stadium July 9: Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre July 11: East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLifeStadium July 15: Atlanta, GA @ Georgia Dome July 18: Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park July 20: New Orleans, LA @ Mercedes-Benz Superdome July 22: Dallas, TX @ AT&TStadium July 24: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field July 27: Winnipeg, MB @ Investor Group Field July 30: Seattle, WA @ Safeco Field August 2: Los Angeles, CA @ Rose Bowl August 5 San Francisco, CA@ AT&T Park
WATCH: Inside The Numbers: Jay Z
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152cdaf5412ebc94579ef1ff81a6ec48 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/05/09/prices-for-2014-mlb-all-star-game-tickets-the-most-expensive-since-2008/ | Prices For 2014 MLB All Star Game Tickets The Most Expensive Since 2008 | Prices For 2014 MLB All Star Game Tickets The Most Expensive Since 2008
There’s a reason the phrase 'as American as baseball and apple pie' exists; put simply, baseball is America’s pastime. And a highlight on every calendar year for America's pastime is the Midsummer Classic, the assembling of the best talent in the Major Leagues to display their prowess in front of the entire nation. And for the first time since 1985, the MLB All-Star Game is returning to Minneapolis.
The first All-Star Game took place over 80 years ago in 1933, starting simply as an attraction for the 1933 World’s Fair held in Chicago, with the game being played at Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox. To this day, the White Sox are still in Chicago, but the All-Star Game has taken on a life of its own and now rotates all across the country. While it began purely as a spectacle for fans to see the game's greatest players playing for pride, the All-Star Game has evolved in to a whole new beast in recent years. In an attempt to make the game more meaningful, the winning league earns home field advantage in the World Series, regardless of which team had a better record during the regular season. Nonetheless, the All-Star Game is a tradition, an event that can excite an entire city for two summer days in July and can commemorate a lifetime worth of achievement, such as when the game was held at the old Yankee Stadium in 2008, as a salute to the historic venue's final year in existence.
This year, the MLB All-Star Game will make its debut at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, on July 15th. According to Select-A-Ticket, a ticket broker who owns hundreds of MLB All Star Game tickets, the average ticket price for the 2014 All-Star Game is significantly higher than the previous four All-Star Games, with a current average ticket price of $1,096. That makes it the second highest average ticket price for an MLB All-Star Game in the 80 year history of the Midsummer Classic. This is up an astounding 62% above the average of the previous four year All-Star Games as well as up by 24% alone over last year's game at the New York Mets’ Citi Field. However, the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, which had an average ticket price of $1,460, still dwarfs this year's Midsummer Classic.
Nonetheless, there are still plenty of cheaper tickets left available as baseball fans can get-in to the game for as low as$367. And Select-A-Ticket even has seats available in the 100 lower level for as low as $688. While that amount is certainly no pittance, who knows when the All-Star Game will return to Minneapolis, so there may not be many more opportunities to see all of the game's greatest at Target Field.
In addition to the actual game, another staple of the two day All-Star Game festivities is the Home Run Derby. Home Run Derby tickets have an average ticket price of $625 on the secondary market, according to Select-A-Ticket, with a get-in of $187. Anyway you choose to cut it, tickets are going to be expensive, but there is no better way to spend a day with your family and friends than at the MLB All-Star Game. And with less and less tickets becoming available with each passing day, now is the perfect time to lock in your spot for the Midsummer Classic.
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a4f0e24749ea8e37f65a8e153fd343ca | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/05/30/rangers-stanley-cup-tickets-now-approaching-super-bowl-prices/ | Rangers Stanley Cup Tickets Now Approaching Super Bowl Prices | Rangers Stanley Cup Tickets Now Approaching Super Bowl Prices
For the first time in 20 years the New York Rangers have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers beat the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals Thursday night to win the series 4-2. The last time the Rangers were in the Stanley Cup Final, they beat the Vancouver Canucks in seven games back in 1994. The Rangers are still waiting to see who their opponent will be this year, but Rangers fans aren’t waiting until then to drive up ticket prices on the secondary market. According to TiqIQ, NY Rangers Stanley Cup Finals tickets will be the most expensive in at least the past five years.
New York will be on the road for the first two games regardless of whether the Chicago Blackhawks or Los Angeles Kings win the Western Conference Finals. With a 2-2-1-1-1 playoff format, Games 3, 4 and 6 will be held at Madison Square Garden. The average price for each of those games on the secondary market is currently above $2,000 and rises for each game. Game 3 has an average price of $2,202.72, Game 4 has an average of $2,419.57 and Game 6 is the most expensive with an average of $2,737.35, which is a game that would only occur if necessary. Overall, the series has an average price of $2,439.85, which is easily the most expensive for any team in the past five years of the Stanley Cup Finals. The only team that has previously exceeded a $2,000 series average is the Vancouver Canucks, with an average price of $2,055.83 in their series with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
The average price won’t be the only expensive part for Rangers fans; it’ll be expensive even for the cheapest tickets. The secondary market get-in price for Game 3 is currently $995, for Game 4 it’s $1,079 and Game 6 is $1,573.
At its current price, a Game 6 at Madison Square Garden would be more expensive than the final prices of the most recent Super Bowl. This year’s Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ had an average ticket price of $2,567 and a get-in price of $1,514 on the day of the game.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings will be playing Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals Friday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with the Kings currently holding a 3-2 series lead. If the Kings win, a Rangers vs. Kings Stanley Cup Finals would have a series average $1,767.36 over the seven games. If the Blackhawks win the series, Stanley Cup Finals tickets would average over $2,000 for the first time since TiqIQ has kept track of data. A Blackhawks vs. Rangers series would have a series average of $2,135.69 on the secondary market. Regardless of which team comes out of the West, this year’s Stanley Cup Finals will be the most expensive of at least the past five years.
Previously, the most expensive series average was last year’s Stanley Cup Finals between the Bruins and the Blackhawks that averaged $1,503.39. This year will also be close to doubling the series average when the Kings faced the New Jersey Devils in 2012. Tickets for that series averaged just $994.38.
Ticket prices have changed significantly since the Rangers last appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals. With primary market tickets not officially on sale yet, the listed face price ranges from $484.85 to $2,489.85. In 1994, a face price ticket at MSG in section 410 was just $32 and section 129 was $75. Even adjusting for inflation over that period of time, the prices convert to just $51.19 and $119.98.
The Rangers have consistently been one of the most expensive tickets in the postseason. With a city that’s starving for a hockey title, prices have skyrocketed to see if the Rangers can end the 20-year Cup drought.
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bac531d3bb4443b49324baab8e6e9941 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/07/04/demand-for-tomorrowland-tickets-boom-ing/ | Demand For Tomorrowland Tickets 'Boom-ing' | Demand For Tomorrowland Tickets 'Boom-ing'
Across the pond in Belgium, hiding away in a small Flemish province, there sits a quaint little town that is about to undergo a drastic change. Nestled away in between the much larger Belgium cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Mechelen the unsuspecting town of Boom grows restless for what is on the horizon. In a mere two weeks time, the town of of 17,000 people will grow by more than tenfold when the Tomorrowland festival gets underway.
Widely acknowledged as the premier dance music festival, Tomorrowland stands head and shoulders above all others with the biggest stages, an eclectic lineup, stunning visuals and an atmosphere that needs to be experienced in person to fully grasp. Beginning on July 18th, this year's Tomorrowland festival marks its 10th anniversary and will celebrate with not just one, but two full weekends. Fans will be able to enjoy the veritable whos-who in dance music such as Above & Beyond, Eric Prydz, Kaskade, Hardwell, Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Diplo and the iconic Carl Cox.
People from every corner of the planet will flock to Boom and come together for the “madness” that is Tomorrowland. Most of those attending will already have purchased a “Full Madness” pass to Tomorrowland which gives festivalgoers access to all three days of the festival. In fact, Tomorrowland tickets have such a “Boom-ing” demand currently it has registered more than 1.5 million global searches, according to viagogo, the world’s largest ticket marketplace. That is a new record for the site, surpassing all other global events. A spokesperson at viagogo said “more and more people are turning to viagogo to buy before they fly, particularly for sold out events, so they know they have a guaranteed ticket in hand when they get to the event.”
As a result, viagogo has seen Tomorrowland tickets move within the top three most popular events on the site, even rivaling that of the World Cup. Part of this extremely high demand is due to how quickly the primary market for Tomorrowland tickets sold out, a total of 360,000 tickets gone in less than an hour from the time they went on sale.
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858dbd33b3acd53b7ce232c0a1fe628f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/07/21/demand-up-317-for-tomorrowland-tickets-following-the-opening-weekend-festivities/ | Demand Up 317% For Tomorrowland Tickets Following The Opening Weekend Festivities | Demand Up 317% For Tomorrowland Tickets Following The Opening Weekend Festivities
For the past nine years, Tomorrowland has taken over Boom, Belgium and staged arguably the best electronic music festival in the world. This past weekend was no different, as the 10th anniversary of Tomorrowland began with internationally-celebrated artists David Guetta, Armin van Burren, and Alesso electrifying the sold-out crowd. The three days of performances also included appearances from Eric Prydz, Diplo, Tiesto, and dozens of other electronic dance performers. Over 400,000 Tomorrowland tickets were sold out immediately, demonstrating an incredibly high level of demand for the international festival.
Luckily enough for fans who missed out, this year’s Tomorrowland festival will be taking place over two weekends, with festivities ramping back up this Friday. And the increase in event days has done little to quell demand. According to viagogo, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, there has been a 317% increase in demand for tickets to this upcoming weekend, with hundreds of thousands of fans visiting its site in search of Tomorrowland tickets. With the lineup for this weekend almost exactly the same as this past weekend, it’s clear Tomorrowland has the ability to ramp up the number of events each year and not fear a decline in demand.
viagogo also stated that over 200,000 individuals are making the trip to Boom this year, reflecting the growing trend for fans willing to travel overseas to visit concerts and sporting events. This year’s FIFA World Cup saw unprecedented demand from fans in countries outside of Brazil, and viagogo says that was certainly not an outlier with similar demand being seen to Tomorrowland from fans outside of Belgium.
According to a viagogo spokesperson, “The incredible performances at Tomorrowland over the last weekend seem to have spurred on festival goers, who this year have a second chance to go thanks to the two-weekend format of the event. Demand has spiked hugely over the past 72 hours, with people snapping up last minute bargains. We’ve also seen overall demand for international festivals skyrocket on our site this year, as part of a growing trend for people to combine their summer holiday with a festival experience. Strong line-ups are also proving to be a factor in enticing fans overseas.”
Currently, tickets are available for $428 for either a ‘Magical Friday,’ ‘Incredible Saturday,’ or ‘Glorious Sunday’ pass. If you visit viagogo.com, you can also find additional information on tickets, as well as passes for camping or VIP access. All tickets are delivered by a secure method, either electronically, by courier or at one of viagogo’s pick up points.
Though Tomorrowland has undeniably seen the heaviest ticket demand for all international festivals, other events have seen similar rises in demand, including Coachella, Electric Daisy, and Ultra – all festivals taking place in the United States. Below is a list of the top 10 international festivals in order of demand, according to viagogo…
Tomorrowland (BE) Stereosonic (AU) Coachella (US) Electric Daisy Carnival (US) Isle of Wight Festival (UK) Benicassim (ES) The Rolling Stones and John Mayer – Pinkpop 2014 (NL) V Festival (UK) Ultra Music Festival 2014 (US) Wireless (UK)
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3847020f4c9df6798565f93c9be42065 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/09/19/leafs-top-canadian-team-blackhawks-top-american-team-in-2014-15-nhl-tickets-on-secondary-market/ | Maple Leafs Have Most Expensive NHL Tickets For 2014-15 Season | Maple Leafs Have Most Expensive NHL Tickets For 2014-15 Season
The NHL preseason starts next week, and as the mercury drops across the country, NHL fans are gearing up for another run at the Cup. While the usual suspects are all represented atop the list of favorites to make a run, there are some new teams atop the Vegas odds maker lists that are exciting their respective fan bases and driving up prices for NHL tickets in their respective cities.
Team 2-Year Price Change 2-Year % Change Lightning $69.78 142.41% Ducks $55.24 112.73% Islanders $81.62 109.97% Avalanche $52.47 81.15% Wild $91.43 73.76% Oilers $127.32 63.34% Red Wings $50.72 55.17% Senators $60.10 46.24% Devils $53.93 41.48% Blackhawks $80.27 40.27%
As always, Canada leads the way with the three most expensive teams in the league: The Maple Leafs, Oilers and Canucks. Of the top 10 most expensive teams, six are north of the border. Only Senators tickets fall outside of the top 10 most expensive average ticket prices for the season. As for teams south of the border, at an average price of $279, Blackhawks tickets have the highest average price on the secondary market. After that are the Penguins ($230), Rangers ($223) and Bruins ($222).
While it’s no surprise that the Rangers are amongst the highest priced ticket in the U.S., it is surprising that the average price for their tickets at Madison Square Garden has declined from the same point last year. Coming into 2013-14, the Rangers were not expected to make a run at the Cup and had an average price on the secondary market of $233. While expectations seem equally as low this season, the fact that they made the Stanley Cup Final last season seems to have dampened enthusiasm a bit and ticket prices are down 9.89% compared to last season. New York Rangers tickets are in fact only one of two teams that made the playoffs to have a price decrease from the same time last season. The other team was the Montreal Canadiens, the team that the Rangers beat in the Eastern Conference Final to reach the Stanley Cup.
In total, eight teams have a decrease in the average price on the secondary market compared to the beginning of last season. Buffalo Sabres tickets had the smallest drop, with a decline of 2.3%, while the Winnipeg Jets had the biggest decrease and are down 26.5% compared to the start of last season. While secondary market inventory in Winnipeg is very low, the Jets have not made the playoffs since moving from Atlanta, and perhaps demand is shrinking as a result.
For the full list of the average price for 2014-15 NHL tickets, visit the TiqIQ blog.
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0099e1bb5f04fbb0ca9500739eab9791 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/09/23/will-derek-jeters-final-game-be-the-most-expensive-regular-season-game-ever/ | Derek Jeter's Final Yankee Stadium Game Could Be Most Expensive Regular Season Game Ever | Derek Jeter's Final Yankee Stadium Game Could Be Most Expensive Regular Season Game Ever
Over the course of Derek Jeter’s career, there have been approximately 100,000 regular season games played. During those games, records have been broken and regular season champions have been crowned. While Derek’s Jeter’s last game at Yankee Stadium Thursday night likely won’t have any impact on the 2014 baseball season, it will be the most expensive regular season game over the last four years, and more expensive than all but a handful of post-season games. It may also be the most expensive regular season game ever.
Currently, the average price for Yankees tickets to see Jeter’s final game is $845 on the secondary Yankees ticket market. The cheapest ticket for the game is $362. Over the last two months as the Yankees have fallen farther out of the playoff hunt, the price for Yankees tickets has fallen along with them, with the exception of the final game. Over that time, the average price for Jeter’s final game has risen by 41%. Usually losing drives down prices, however, in this case, it’s created demand unlike any other regular season game since we’ve been tracking the ticket market. It's also hard to imagine that another game will top the price for this one for a long time to come.
Jeter represents everything the Yankees fans take pride in, and in an era when so few players manage to stay in one place for their entire career, it's hard to imagine another figure like him coming along any time soon. New York is also one of the most expensive cities in the country, and the appetite and budget that Yankees fans have for honoring the past is unmatched.
As for games that matter, when it comes to the regular season, fans just aren't willing to pay anywhere close to the prices we're seeing for Jeter's final game. It is, after all, just the regular season. As the chart below shows, the next two most expensive regular season games in the last four years are less than half the price of Jeter’s final game. Those games both involved the Red Sox. One was a late-season 2011 game against Jeter and the Yankees while the other was opening day this year, when they got their World Series rings. Seven of the top ten most expensive regular season games, in fact, took place at Fenway Park--the smallest stadium in baseball. The other three stadiums represented are Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Marlins Stadium--for their stadium opener in 2012. The most expensive Dodgers tickets were for the Opening Day game against the intra-state rival San Francisco Giants. As for the other big Yankees farewell last season, the average price didn't come close to Jeter's game. Prices for Mariano Rivera's final game fell dramatically in the days leading up to it, and ended with an average price on the secondary market just over $100. As for major milestone game like Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit, there's too much uncertainty around when the actual milestone will happen for prices to ever get as high as they are the game Thursday. For Jeter's 3000th, the average price to see that piece of Yankees history was paltry $156. The day of the game, tickets were going for as little as $19.
English: Derek Jeter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
While there's little question that Thursday night's game will reign supreme as the most expensive regular season game for a long time--if not all time-- it's also competing with prices for MLB playoff tickets. Over the last five years, the average price for World Series tickets has been $1,125. Over that same span, there have been five World Series games with an average price less expensive than $845. Of all those World Series games, more than half had a get-in price below the $362 it will cost you for the cheapest ticket to see the game Thursday night. Cardinals tickets in last year's World Series had an average price that was just $55 more expensive than the game Thursday night. For this season's NLDS, Pirates tickets and Nationals tickets are the most expensive, and neither have an average price more than $350. Sadly for Yankees fans, it's a long shot that Jeter will get a chance to dance in the post-season one last time. There is, however, still a sliver of hope that the baseball gods shine down on Jeter and the Yankees one last time. If that happens, it will likely take a win in the final game of Jeter's career. He'll play that game at Fenway Park, and the average price to see that game is $533--good for for what may be the second most expensive regular season game ever.
Below is a list of the top ten most expensive regular season games over the last four seasons.
Date Event name Venue name Avg ask price Details 8/6/11 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Fenway Park $416.45 Late Season Pennant Push 4/4/14 Boston Red Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers Fenway Park $395.85 World Series Ring Ceremony 8/5/11 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Fenway Park $373.66 Late Season Pennant Push 4/13/12 Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays Fenway Park $342.23 Early Season Game 4/1/13 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Giants Dodger Stadium $275.20 Opening Day 4/4/12 Miami Marlinsvs. St. Louis Cardinals Marlins Ballpark $271.03 Stadium Opener 8/7/11 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Fenway Park $260.82 Late Season Pennant Race 9/25/11 New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium $259.35 Late Season Pennant Race 9/1/11 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Fenway Park $258.37 Late Season Pennant Race 8/17/13 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Fenway Park $258.20 Late Season Pennant Race
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4cf7172665ff5c6a335ed777f1937042 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/09/28/cher-tickets-down-6-for-second-leg-of-dressed-to-kill-tour/ | Cher Tickets Down 6% For Second Leg Of Dressed To Kill Tour | Cher Tickets Down 6% For Second Leg Of Dressed To Kill Tour
After a month-long delay due to a viral infection, the second leg of Cher’s Dressed to Kill Tour is set to kick off next week. Replacing Cyndi Lauper as the opening act will be fellow 80s-icon Pat Benatar. According to TiqIQ, the average price for Cher tickets across the 28-dates on the secondary market is $189 compared to $203 for the first leg of the tour which ended in July. In addition to a lower average price across all of the shows, there are a significantly higher percentage of shows with an average price below $200. For the first leg of the tour, 18 of the 48 dates had an average price below $200. For the current leg, which starts at Air Canada Center next week, 16 of the 28 shows have an average price below $200 on the secondary market. The cheapest show is on November first at Century Link Center in Omaha with an average of $116. At an average price of $242 and $302, respectively, two of the most expensive shows are at Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. As a point of comparison, the show at the Barclays center in May had an average price of $300. In total, ten dates were postponed due to the viral infection, including shows in New York, Boston, Detroit and Washington, DC. Fans who had tickets to those shows can either attend the rescheduled dates or get a refund.
The first leg of the tour grossed close to $50 million and drew over 600,000 fans. That equates to an average of just over 12,000 fans per show. Right now, for the second leg of the tour, that average could take a hit because three of the rescheduled shows are not sold out. Those include the Prudential Center, XL Center and TD Garden. The Prudential show may be a case over supply in the New York Metro, as it will be the fourth show on this leg of the tour, in addition to one show from Barclays. As for TD Garden, the date is still TBD, which is a big part of the reason it’s the second cheapest stop on the tour. There are also seven other shows with dates yet to be rescheduled. Those include Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA, Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN, The Times Union Center in Albany, NY and the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH. Amazingly, none of those shows have available primary inventory, which leaves fans in those smaller markets to the secondary market.
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a55bde9932c980ea0f79b054bdcb3e84 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/09/28/how-will-the-new-dot-tickets-domain-impact-the-way-people-buy-tickets-online/ | How Will The New Dot.Tickets Domain Impact The Way People Buy Tickets Online? | How Will The New Dot.Tickets Domain Impact The Way People Buy Tickets Online?
While the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a nonprofit, over the course of it’s 15 years in existence it’s created a tremendous amount of wealth. As the organization responsible for creating new subdomains on the Internet, ICANN, as it’s known, decides what makes up the Internet. While it started with just .com, .edu, .gov and .mil, it’s expanded a lot since then.
Until 2011, the number of general top level domains (gTLDs) was fixed at 22 for non country-specific domains. In 2011, however, that restriction was lifted to provide any entity—person, place or thing—the ability to register a domain for commercial use. Since then a total of 1,930 and new applications have been submitted to ICANN and 1,271 have been approved. These include domains ranging from .jobs, sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management to .xxx, which is privately funded. The latest entrant into the gTLD universe is .tickets and over the next three to five months, .tickets domains may start popping up across the Web. While it’s a prime extension, it remains to be seen how it will be impact the way tickets are purchased online.
The auction for the .tickets domain concluded last week and, like many other gTLDs, it went to a private auction. The auction consisted of five participants and eventually was won by UK-based Accent media. According to a press release issued on Tuesday “The company will offer domain names to approved organisations to provide safer online ticket sales.” To secure the domain, Accent received a $1.62 million investment from publicly traded Centralnic, the GoDaddy of UK Internet domains. As part of the investment, Centralnic will become the exclusive wholesaler and retail partner for the .tickets TLD. According to Centralnic, “The .tickets Top-Level Domain will be a compelling new tool to assist consumers to easily identify legitimate and trusted ticket sales…empowering venues, entertainers and sports organizations to improve their use of the internet for fans to purchase tickets.”
In a future world of ticket buying, it appears that Centralnic would like to be the arbiter of legitimate ticket sellers. If Centralnic has its way, consumers looking for anything from Denver Broncos tickets to tickets to Derek Jeter’s final game would be shopping at Yankees.tickets or Broncos.tickets instead of choosing from the array of sites out there on the Web that compete for your business. While there’s no question that security has always been a major issue in the world of ticketing, there are lots of existing mechanisms to help consumers avoid being ripped off. The biggest of these may be Google, which, indirectly, is the biggest seller of tickets on the Internet. Google leverages the collective wisdom of backlinks to recommend where you should buy tickets. Not surprisingly, the top results are usually from the team or venue as well as big-name secondary sellers like StubHub and TicketNetwork. “It’s hard to see how a single, for-profit organization can be the arbiter of trustworthiness in the ticketing space,” said Don Vaccaro, TicketNetwork’s CEO. TicketNetwork was one of five companies to participate in the auction. Unlike Centralnic’s vision of limiting the .tickets domains, Vaccaro had planned a lower-cost approach that would have allowed anyone to purchase a .tickets domain. "Leading consumers to believe that there's only one legitimate place to buy tickets online could drive prices up because consumers believe choice is limited," added Vaccaro.
In addition to TicketNetwork, Accent also beat out Donuts.co, a Seattle-based company formed in 2011 with the purpose of capitalizing on the new wave of gTLDs released by ICANN. Since 2011, Donuts has registered 307 domains including .pizza, .events and even .domains itself. They also own .fail. Whether .tickets falls into that category or is closer to .money—another domain ICANN recently auctioned off by ICANN—remains to be seen.
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a86dbca34b681e28c2015229ff1e06a9 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/10/09/after-arian-fosters-thursday-night-football-comments-colts-at-texans-tickets-below-season-average/ | Low Average Price For Thursday Night Football Suggest Fans Agree With Arian Foster | Low Average Price For Thursday Night Football Suggest Fans Agree With Arian Foster
Thursday Night Football has been a hot button topic in the NFL almost since its inception. Professional football on Thursdays used to be saved for just Thanksgiving, but that is not the case anymore. This season 16 of the 17 weeks on the NFL regular schedule will feature a Thursday night game. Players have long complained about the health risks with having to play games on a short week. Earlier in the week, Houston Texans running back was vocal about his disapproval of playing Thursday night games, also stating he does not know of one player in the league who likes the games. Foster’s Texans will host the Indianapolis Colts for the Week 6 edition of Thursday Night Football and the price of Texans tickets on the secondary market might agree with Foster’s comments.
According to TiqIQ, the average price for Texans vs Indianapolis Colts tickets is currently $176.55 on the secondary market, the second least expensive game on the Texans schedule this season. With both teams at 3-2 and tied for the lead in the AFC South, it is surprising there is not a secondary market premium for this game instead of a discount. That, however has been the trend for Thursday Night Football games so far this year.
Each Thursday Night Football game this year has sported a lower secondary market price than the season average for the host team, excluding the season opener between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. However, there is also a similar trend for Monday Night Football games this season, but there are no player complaints about a game time that has been around since 1970. While secondary market prices do typically drop as the game day approaches, there has not been the same trend for the NFL’s premier prime-time game, Sunday Night Football. That was even the case when the NFL schedule was first released.
Before the season started, the average price for Sunday Night Football games this year was $386.72 on the secondary market. Thursday Night Football games had an average price of $308.01 and Monday Night Football games barely trailed with a $307.60 average price. It’s clear both on-field and on the ticket market, Sunday Night Football is the leader for prime-time NFL games. That’s also the case with the flex scheduling, assuring late season Sunday Night Football games are one of the best on the schedule. However, for the Thursday night showcase, each NFL team will play in at least one game over the course of the season, which puts matchups like a Week 16 game between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars on the primetime schedule.
The demand for Thursday Night Football games has not been high on the secondary market so far this season, but that could also be a shot at the games themselves. Despite the NFL making Thursday games between teams in the same division, there has not been a standout game on the schedule thus far. That will change in the upcoming weeks as Thursday Night Football will feature games between the Jets and Patriots, Chargers and Broncos and Saints and Panthers. If those games do not spark premiums on the secondary market, then it’s time to panic about a disinterest for Thursday Night Football.
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0e2e151cdc2cc46db8b23c173481cf8c | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/10/09/want-to-save-on-orioles-or-royals-tickets-the-ticket-club-is-your-answer/ | Looking For Cheap MLB Playoff Tickets? Join The Club. | Looking For Cheap MLB Playoff Tickets? Join The Club.
With the National League Divisional Series wrapping up two nights ago, the four participants for this year’s two League Championship Series are all set. To the surprise of many, the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles will battle it out in the American League. The Royals have not reached the World Series since 1985, a span of twenty-nine years, while the Orioles haven’t been to the Fall Classic since 1983. And in the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals will host the San Francisco Giants to decide who will move on to the World Series. Conversely to the Royals and Orioles, either the Cardinals or Giants have represented the National League in the past four World Series and seven of the past twelve. Each organization has won two championships since 2006 and have been widely recognized as two of the best run franchises in all of sports.
One thing that has become evident in years past is that teams with newfound success will see staggering increases in ticket prices on the secondary market. And that is certainly the case this season with the average price for Royals LCS tickets currently at $449, almost ten times as expensive as the average price for Royals tickets during the regular season ($48.) Meanwhile, the average price for Orioles LCS tickets is $502 which is almost nine times as expensive as their $56 average price for tickets during the regular season at Camden Yards.
Tickets for the Giants and Cardinals are still pricey, but their continued success has lessened demand a bit. St. Louis Cardinals tickets for the LCS have an average price of $247 this year compared to a regular season price of $44. But tickets to get into Busch Stadium for last year’s NLCS cost an average of $324. SF Giants tickets for the LCS have an average price of $273, about 4.5 times more expensive than their $62 average price for regular season tickets at AT&T Park this year. But the last time the Giants made the NLCS? That was in 2012 (when they faced the Cardinals) and the average price was a handsome $687.
With such expensive tickets, fans will ultimately pay a considerable amount of money towards service fees. Typically, marketplaces such as StubHub charge anywhere from 15-25% in fees, charging both the buyer and the seller. For a ticket with a wholesale value of $500, that means you may have to pay upwards of $100 just in fees for one ticket!
However, there are ways for fans to avoid paying fees and get access to tickets at their wholesale value. About a year ago, ticketing giant TicketNetwork launched the Ticket Club, a premium service that enables fans to avoid paying service fees. For just a $49.99 yearly membership fee, you can “join the club” and buy tickets at their list price with no additional surprise fees at checkout. You’ll be able to scour TicketNetwork’s thousands of tickets for any live event and purchase tickets at the wholesale price.
Conservatively speaking, a buyer will pay about 10% in fees when purchasing tickets. Therefore, with the annual membership fee at $49.99 for the Ticket Club, you’d be breaking even on your membership by purchasing equal to or more than $500 worth of tickets. So if you grab two tickets to any ALCS or NLCS game, you will (or will come very close) to breaking even after one purchase. And if your team eventually advances, two World Series tickets will undoubtedly cover the cost as the average price for the 2012 World Series between the Giants and Tigers had an average price of $963 and last year’s edition of the Fall Classic between the Boston Red Sox and Cardinals had an average ticket price of $1,213.
For fans of the remaining four MLB playoff teams, joining the Ticket Club is the way to go to see your team play at a reasonable price.
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a448bde9fa0bde739555bfdfecc7ee49 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/10/16/ticketbis-seeks-to-capture-untapped-secondary-ticket-market-of-asia/ | Ticketbis Seeks To Capture Untapped Secondary Ticket Market of Asia | Ticketbis Seeks To Capture Untapped Secondary Ticket Market of Asia
For years the secondary ticket market has been a go-to for many people in North America searching for sporting event and concert tickets. Until recently, Europe and Asia had been lagging behind on that front. In fact, many in the industry compare the advanced technology and strength of North America's secondary market to Europe's primary market. As is the case with the North American primary, the secondary market void in Europe may not be lagging for much longer. Spanish start-up Ticketbis has taken the first step to expanding the secondary market in Europe and beyond to Asia.
Ticketbis has been in business for four years and has experienced constant growth and expansion throughout the European market. The company recently announced an expansion of seven new sites in Asia and Oceania, which would place their operations in 31 different countries.
The Asian market is a relatively untapped one for ticket resale and the early volume of both traffic and sales suggests it is also a very profitable one. But even though Asia has lacked in a secondary ticket market, the technology industry around the area in booming. China is one of, if not the biggest, e-commerce players in the world, while Japan, South Korea and India are also powerful e-commerce markets. Companies have been investing in the Asian markets for growth in other technological areas like gaming and app development. The consumer market is also among that with the most potential. 42% of the world’s internet users live in Asia and the area has the highest percentage of smartphone users in the world.
A reliable secondary market would also be a welcome addition to a market with current channels that could create security issues. Places like Japan feature eBay-like auctions for ticket resale, but some countries such as Korea rely on user-to-user networks similar to Craigslist as the secondary market.
Ticketbis has reported the new sites have already accounted for 10% of the company’s sales. Ticketbis Japan alone has increased its sales by 40% in the past two months. Site traffic from the Asian markets has increased 70% over the past three months and sales have increased by 80%. Ticketbis expects the sales percentage to reach the level of sales in Europe and Latin America within the year.
Expansion into Asia has not just been for Asia-based events. The best selling event in Japan over the last month has been the Milan Derby, one of the biggest crosstown soccer matches in the world. The match is between AC Milan and Inter Milan and is one of the only crosstown derbys to be held at the same stadium for each match. While that alone makes it one of the top international draws, each team has a prominent Japanese player, Honda on AC Milan and Nagatomo on Inter, causing the high demand in Japan.
This movement into Asia is the latest big step for the continually expanding Ticketbis. The online platform also recently announced its latest round of funding, which totalled €5.2 million, about $6.6 million. This round of funding was led by ACTIVE Venture Partners, a European venture capital company that has a presence in Spain, Germany and Scandinavia. Ticketbis has raised over €10 million, $12.6 million, over the last four years.
A presence in the Asian market is likely to be a major step in the broadening of the ticket market. With the relatively new market already achieving significant returns — Asia has become the continent with the highest growth rhythm for registered users — Ticketbis may the the pioneer to cause more ticket resellers to follow their lead into new potentially high reward countries.
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68f8136ff23727a66cf311485b205aec | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/10/23/can-the-nfl-have-a-permanent-home-in-london-ticket-demand-says-yes/ | Can The NFL Have A Permanent Home In London? Ticket Demand Says Yes | Can The NFL Have A Permanent Home In London? Ticket Demand Says Yes
This Sunday will be the second of three NFL games scheduled to take place across the pond in London. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons will look to avoid a five game losing streak and win their first game of the season away from the comforts of the Georgia Dome. They will need to do so against the Detroit Lions who currently stand at 5-2 thanks to a suffocating defense that has limited opponents to just 290 yards per game, the best rate in the league. Detroit’s aerial assault has been less impressive this season, due to the absence of star wideout Calvin Johnson for part of the season, but free agent acquisition Golden Tate has picked up much of the load in helping the Lions get to five wins.
The NFL’s dalliance with London seems to be on a good note as demand for NFL London tickets has increased by 38% over the past three weeks, according to ticket searches on viagogo, the biggest secondary ticket seller in Europe and the UK. And year over year there has been a similar increase in demand as there has been a 26% jump in searches for the second London game this season compared to the equivalent game last year, a matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s quite impressive, considering the 49ers are a much more well-known commodity, internationally, than either the Falcons or Lions.
As expected, the top market searching for NFL Europe tickets has been the United Kingdom with the United States a close second. According to viagogo, the other top markets with fans searching for tickets have been Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland.
So the question on everyone’s mind is can the NFL make a permanent home in London? There’s plenty of obstacles, most notably how to determine scheduling (it’s quite a long trip from San Diego to London,) but it does appear there’s enough of a demand for tickets to warrant a full slate of games. According to a viagogo spokesperson, “There haven’t been too many new sports that have captured the imagination of the UK public quite like the NFL and we have seen demand increase by a third year over year. This will no doubt prove hugely encouraging for the league’s organizers, as viagogo predicts, based on searches on its site alone, that demand will be able to sustain a permanent NFL ‘franchise’ here in London within two years.”
The UK Chancellor George Osborne also endorsed a permanent London team, stating yesterday, "I've said to the NFL that anything the government can do to make this happen, we will. Osborne later remarked, "I’m going to go with my son to one of the NFL games that are coming up at Wembley in the next few weeks. I think that there’s a chance in the next few years to get an NFL team for London."
It’s a question that will continue on for the foreseeable future, but it does appear that the NFL has a significant following abroad and certainly enough to consistently sell out Wembley Stadium for three games a year. Whether that means the league will be comfortable housing a team abroad, considering all the logistical challenges they will need to face, remains to be seen.
Following this Sunday’s game, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys will visit Wembley Stadium on November 9th for the third and final game abroad this year. The Jaguars will be playing a “home” game at Wembley through at least 2016 so there’s guaranteed to be more games in London next year. The number of games to take place remains up in the air, though there have been multiple reports that indicate the NFL may seek to increase the number of London games to four in 2015. It will be another test for London to see if the city can sustain the equivalent of a half season of football games. If all goes swimmingly, we may just have a permanent UK NFL team relatively soon.
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0ca3d0f17bb12ecb3b160ec92a6111f7 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/10/25/royals-world-series-tickets-for-game-six-are-cheapest-of-series-at-kauffman-stadium/ | Royals World Series Tickets For Game Six Are Cheapest Of Series At Kauffman Stadium | Royals World Series Tickets For Game Six Are Cheapest Of Series At Kauffman Stadium
With their game three win in San Francisco, the Royals have taken a 2-1 lead in the World Series. According to Fox, 67% of teams that win game three when the series is tied 1-1 go on the win the series. While their first World Series championship since 1985 is far from guaranteed, with their win last night, the possibility of a game six in Kansas City has increased significantly. Unless the Royals sweep the next two games, the World Series will come back to Kauffman Stadium. According to TiqIQ, the average price for Royals World Series game six tickets on the secondary market is $987, which makes it the cheapest game in Kansas City for the World Series. Game One and Two had an average price of $1,413 and $1,525, respectively, while game seven has an average price of $1,546. The cheapest ticket for game six is now under $300. If the Royals win one more game in San Francisco, Game six would be an opportunity for fans in Kansas City to witness something they have not seen in 29 years: a clinching game in the World Series.
If that happens, it’s likely that prices would rise considerable for game six. As a point of comparison, for last years game six in Boston, when the Red Sox clinched their first World Series in Boston in almost 100 years, the average price for the game was $1,689. That made it the second-most expensive game for World Series tickets over the last five years. If the Royals return home with a chance to make their own history, it’s unlikely that prices would rise to those levels. It is, however, very likely that prices would rise above the current average price. In 2011, when the Cardinals clinched the World Series at home the average price was $966. That was the only other home clinching World Series game over the last four years. In both of their World Series wins during that time, the Giants have had to clinch their championship on the road. In 2010 and 2012, however, the Giants had commanding leads entering the clinching game. With series leads of 3-1 and 3-0, respectively, they knew they’d be returning home, in a worst case scenario. This year, the best they can hope for is a 3-2 series lead on the road. They may also be fighting to stay alive in enemy territory, which is exactly what Royals fans are hoping for.
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4d4a63b9c3d0025816e06df78fcd06b1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/01/16/with-super-bowl-approaching-ifonly-offers-unprecedented-access-to-biggest-names-in-nfl-history/ | With Super Bowl Approaching, IfOnly Offers Unprecedented Access to Biggest Names in NFL History | With Super Bowl Approaching, IfOnly Offers Unprecedented Access to Biggest Names in NFL History
In the age of Twitter, the general public has had a greater degree of access to celebrities than ever before. The sports world in particular has been quick to embrace this, with many top athletes agreeing to attend birthday parties, proms, corporate events, and most importantly, give back to the community through charity. Of course, it takes an incredible stroke of luck to be seen in the sea of mentions rolling through a pro athlete’s Twitter timeline. Enter IfOnly, a unique and memorable experience company based out of San Francisco. IfOnly has partnered with hundreds of pro athletes, past and present, to create an online marketplace through which fans can book VIP experiences or meet and greets with their favorite players, with a portion of each sale going to a charity of the player’s choice.
In advance of Super Bowl week, packages centered around sports legends have become a highlight of IfOnly’s offerings. Joe Montana is one such legend who offers a high degree of accessibility so that he can interact with fans and have a portion of proceeds go to his Four Rings Montana Family Foundation, which aims to help underprivileged children in the Bay Area. Undoubtedly, attending the Super Bowl any year is the trip of a lifetime. With the game being played in Phoenix this year, fans could take advantage of the opportunity to make it a week-long trip and stop in nearby San Diego to take in a round of golf with Joe Montana at his home course of Grand Del Mar Country Club, one of the top courses in the country. Montana also offers a myriad of other engagements with fans, including a personalized video message for $4,000, or a private QB camp for $7,170 per person so that you too can develop the skills necessary to make the throw leading to “The Catch.”
Other NFL legends offering VIP packages include Jerry Rice, Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen, Ray Lewis, Ronnie Lott, and possible 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Tim Brown. Faulk probably offers the most unique experience of the group with his NFL Network Thursday Night Football Experience. For that experience, you can pick any Thursday Night Football game on the schedule and join the Rams legend for lunch as he hand delivers two on-field passes and his personal tickets to the evening’s game. That said, Thursday Night Football is in the past for this season as focus is placed squarely on the Super Bowl. The Grand Del Mar Country Club is certainly a popular destination for a pre-Phoenix stop during the trip of a lifetime, as Rice and Allen both offer golf outings there in addition to Montana. Rice also offers an entirely unique experience of working out with him at “The Hill” in San Francisco, which he credits with prolonging his career and giving him the endurance to excel deep into games. A day on “The Hill” with the greatest WR ever runs $4,775 per person for three, and includes live tweets with Rice, a post-workout lunch, and three personalized hand-signed footballs by the legend himself.
There are also a bevy of current NFL players, including Lesean McCoy, Rob Gronkowski, Nick Mangold, and Marshawn Lynch, who will likely be in Phoenix during Super Bowl Week and may be available for entertainment engagements. At this point, it appears that Gronk and Lynch may very well be active as players in the Super Bowl, so they may be out of the question. But throughout his young career, Gronk has most certainly defined himself as one of the most accessible players in the game. Naturally, Gronk offers a litany of options on his page, with proceeds going to the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation. Options include a 90-minute appearance at your birthday complete with photos and autographs, “Dinner with Gronk,” or a bowling outing. Gronk or McCoy will even attend a local Bar Mitzvah.
While many of these engagements are somewhat location and engagement specific, all of the aforementioned superstars offer an option for fans to craft their own experience. With many of these legends likely to be down in Phoenix during Super Bowl Week, the potential is endless. IfOnly is committed to working with their network to craft the experiences of a lifetime while helping celebrities give back to the community through their charities, and will find a way to make your dream a reality.
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1288b6d3c185c6004bf764a67b73efa7 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/01/25/xlix-super-bowl-tickets-will-make-sb49-the-super-bowl-of-super-bowl-tickets/ | Resale Prices For Super Bowl XLIX Tickets Rise To Record Levels | Resale Prices For Super Bowl XLIX Tickets Rise To Record Levels
Update 1/30: As of 6pm ET on Friday evening, just 100 tickets are listed on the secondary market with an average price of $11,565.14 and a get-in price of $7,000.
Over the last 49 years, the Super Bowl has become a literal and figurative peak for American commercialism to aspire to. While it was decidedly not larger than life in the early years, it has become the biggest, most extravagant event in America. Being the ‘Super Bowl’ of something means you’re the biggest and best that you can be in your chosen field of work or life. Over the last 25 years, that superlative designation has been thrown about for so many events, in fact, that it has lost most of it’s meaning.
This year, however, it has made a meta-comeback in the ticket world. When this year's Super Bowl is played and done, regardless of who wins, it will likely be the Super Bowl of all Super Bowls -- the most expensive NFL championship ever based on ticket resale prices.
The current average list price for Super Bowl XLIX tickets at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., is $6,103.07, making it the most expensive Super Bowl that TiqIQ has ever tracked. That average is 102% more expensive than it was at the same point one year ago. Last year on the day of the game, the secondary market average was $2,500 and you could likely get in the stadium for closer to $1,000. This year, the cheapest ticket will likely be triple that, and the average will almost certainly close above $5,000, which would make it the most expensive Super Bowl—or any other event-- since we started tracking the market back in 2010.
Below is a chart, by day, of the last six Super Bowls and the average price by day for each. As you can see, 2015 had done nothing but move up until Monday, which could be the start of a price decline heading into the game. With it’s almost vertical climb in the last two days, this year’s game is still literally off the chart - or at least redefining the upper limits of the chart.
For fans looking to get a ticket, it’s important to be aware that upper level tickets are actually MORE expensive than lower level tickets. As counterintuitive as that sounds, it’s an economic inversion caused in large part by over-selling ‘speculative’ upper level tickets last week. Speculative selling means that brokers sold a ticket that they did not have in their possession, and were making a bet on the market based on historical patterns much like the ones illustrated above.
Unfortunately for those professional ticket sellers (and buyers), there is now a shortage of tickets in the upper levels relative to years past. That means that a fan that purchased a ‘Section/Row TBD’ Upper Level seat the Sunday of the conference championships paid as low as $1,900. The best deal on the market as of 3pm one week later is $4,200.
As for what could happen going forward, The University of Phoenix Stadium’s history may be the best guide. In 2010, the National Championship between Auburn and Oregon also broke the $5,000 average price mark, and to this day remains the only other event above $5,000 that we’ve ever seen. The cheapest ticket on game day that year was $2,750. The peak average price for that game came five days out at an average price of $5,906. This year’s peak (so far) is about 10% higher than that. That year, the cheapest ticket dropped 36% from it’s peak five days before the game. If that were to happen this year, the cheapest ticket available on game day would be around $2,800. Given that, $3,000 is a good mark to shoot if you just want to ‘get in’.
Whether or not fans end up getting in for $3,000–ish will depend on when the market stops going up. For the latest update on the cheapest tickets on the market, visit TiqIQ’s XLIX Super Bowl page.
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5c9c6910ffe5ca4ca057cd784fbd4629 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/02/25/despite-roger-federers-expected-absence-2015-miami-open-tickets-up-20/ | Despite Roger Federer's Expected Absence, 2015 Miami Open Tickets Up 20% | Despite Roger Federer's Expected Absence, 2015 Miami Open Tickets Up 20%
The 2015 Miami Open presented by Itaú will be the 31st edition of the Miami Masters. Unfortunately for his beloved fans, Swiss tennis sensation Roger Federer has decided to skip the tournament for the second time in three years. The 33 year old is a two time champion of the tournament, having won in 2005 and 2006, but that was not enough to sway him to return to add a third title. Instead, he will give his body a break when the tournament takes place March 23rd to April 5th at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park.
Nonetheless, Federer’s expected absence does not seem to be having a major impact on ticket demand as 2015 Miami Open tickets are currently up 20% year over year. Presently, the average ticket price for the tournament is $207, compared to $172 at this time last year.
The highest average ticket price goes to the final session – Session 24 on April 5th featuring the Men’s Singles Final and the Women’s Doubles Final – with a current average price of $525 and a get-in price of $102, according to ticket data provided by Championship Tennis Tours. Session 23, the Women’s Singles Final and Men’s Doubles Final, has an average price of $217 with a get-in of $43.
On the other side of the spectrum, Sessions 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the cheapest days of the tournament with each day currently averaging less than $90 per ticket on the secondary market. The first four sessions make up the qualifying and first round stages of the tournament with Session 5 beginning the second round on the women’s singles side of the bracket.
Formerly known as the Sony Open, this year’s tournament still sports a star-studded field with last year’s singles champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams both planning to attend. In addition, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, as well as Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova, all expect to make appearances in Miami this year.
Djokovic and Serena seem to have a tendency to win at the same tournament rather frequently, as both players took home the singles championship at this year’s Australian Open. Djokovic defeated Andy Murray 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0 to take home this year’s first Grand Slam title. Meanwhile, Williams dispatched Sharapova 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to win her sixth Australian Open title.
Murray and Sharapova will be seeking revenge in Miami this year, but they won’t be the only ones hoping to provide stiff competition for the defending champs. All of the top 50 world ranked Men’s players, as well as the top 75 ranked Women’s players will be in attendance and competing for the 2015 Miami Open crown.
While this year’s tournament may not boast fan favorite Roger Federer amongst the field of challengers, there’s certainly a strong chance that some of the best players in the world advance deep in the tournament. If that’s the case, you can expect ticket demand to continue to increase for the 2015 Miami Open.
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5e720820e071e426488d761a75fd28b8 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/02/28/secondary-market-grateful-dead-tickets-averaging-over-2000-after-saturdays-on-sale/ | Secondary Market Grateful Dead Tickets Averaging Over $2,000 After Saturday's On Sale | Secondary Market Grateful Dead Tickets Averaging Over $2,000 After Saturday's On Sale
Deadheads everywhere, rejoice – tickets to the Grateful Dead’s 50th Anniversary concerts at Soldier Field this July are now on sale. Ticketmaster listed ticket prices ranging between $59.50 and $199.50 and all three concerts have already sold out quickly. The Fare Thee Well shows have already seen huge demand on the secondary market as well, with a ticket average reaching upwards of $2,000 each night between July 3 and 5.
Being promoted as the last time the four original members will perform live together, the reunion will also feature an All-Star supporting cast in Phish frontman Trey Anastasio and keyboardists Jeff Chimenti and Bruce Hornsby. Hornsby played with the band as an unofficial member from 1990 to 1992 and has frequently been involved in the band’s subsequent projects. The Dead’s swan song performances this summer boast a jam-packed bill, but fans will have to pony up big to get past the turnstile.
As tickets continue to flood the secondary market, the average price for Grateful Dead tickets on TiqIQ is $2,083.71. The most expensive of the three shows will be tickets for the final Grateful Dead show on July 5, with an average price of $2,143.27 and a get-in price starting at $644. The Grateful Dead's first concert on July 3 owns the second highest secondary average at $2,097.71 and the get-in price is $620. The middle concert on July 4 will be the cheapest, though tickets still average at an astronomical $2,021.29 on the secondary market. The least expensive ticket that night is priced at $599. For the biggest Deadheads, a three-day Fare Thee Well pass will be pricey, but might also return the best value. With limited passes available on the secondary market, the average price for a three-day pass is $4,493.63 with the cheapest passes available listed at $1,457. That's about the average price of two single shows.
Such exorbitant secondary market prices come in the wake of the band’s massive pre-sale that began last month. According to the Chicago Tribune, demand was so great that more than 300,000 tickets were requested. Now that the general public has access to tickets, it’s unclear just how many pre-orders will be fulfilled. Tickets will officially be mailed in June and the band’s website on Wednesday claimed that nearly 75 percent of pre-sale buyers were notified about the status of their tickets.
Soldier Field will be a fitting venue for the group, whose final performance with Jerry Garcia was held there on July 9, 1995. Garcia died just one month later from a massive heart attack induced by years of hard drug use and poor health habits.
The Grateful Dead will be back for one last hurrah this summer when they invade Chicago in July. With tickets now sold out, prices will likely continue to skyrocket on the secondary market. One thing remains certain, however – for those fortunate enough to get their hands on tickets, it’ll be an experience that will be worth every penny.
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83747190bb0b2b2e0bdc9833e17731ea | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/03/01/bnp-paribas-open-tickets-continue-to-rise-with-serena-william-in-field/ | BNP Paribas Open Tickets Continue To Rise With Serena William In Field | BNP Paribas Open Tickets Continue To Rise With Serena William In Field
This year’s BNP Paribas Open has a little more excitement to it with the announcement in early February that Serena Williams would return to Indian Wells for the first time since 2001. The female superstar won the tournament back in 2001, but was loudly booed by the crowd during the trophy ceremony (and during the match) because a semifinals matchup with her sister Venus never took place. Venus withdrew due to injury moments before the match was to begin, giving Serena a “bye” into the finals. The fans were incredibly excited for the sisterly semifinal matchup and reacted less than respectfully after the announcement that it wasn’t to be.
Many felt the crowd hostility was racially motivated. That may or may not have been the case, but the crowd treatment certainly offended Serena and Venus enough for them to avoid the tournament for more than a decade. Nonetheless, the younger Williams sister has decided to return this year and it has created major demand for tickets on the secondary market.
According to Championship Tennis Tours, the average price of BNP Paribas Open tickets has risen 5% over the past two weeks to the current price of $279. Even though the initial surge of excitement over Serena’s return has ended, ticket prices continue to maintain high levels and it’s expected prices will not drop too much as we get closer to the tournament.
Tickets to the Women’s Semifinals have increased 6% over the past seven days with the average price currently at $297 and the get-in price at $65. The second highest priced ticket of the tournament – to the Men’s and Women’s Finals the next day – has also seen a slight increase over the past seven days, up 2%. The average price to the final session is $624 with a get-in price of $139.
Though Serena will be the big draw, the highest priced session for 2015 BNP Paribas tickets is currently March 21st for the Men’s Semifinals and the Women’s Doubles Finals. The average price is $707 with the cheapest tickets currently at $125. The average price has slightly decreased over the past week, dropping 2%.
It’s actually been the earliest sessions that have seen the biggest increase in ticket prices. The day and evening sessions for the first week (Wednesday through Saturday, March 11th through 14th) have all seen increases in the average ticket price on the secondary market between 3-11%. The day sessions on March 12th, 13th, and 14th have all risen substantially and currently have average ticket prices of $154, $266, and $306, respectively.
If Serena can continue her strong play and advance deep into the tournament, ticket prices will continue to increase on the secondary market. And even though fans will have to pay a little more to get into the stadium, they’ll probably be pretty pleased to see tennis’s best female star back on the court at Indian Wells.
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e0f4bb0d5a7e3a33120f78d457c2d7d2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/03/13/princes-upcoming-tour-is-latest-to-limit-ticket-quantity-on-secondary-market/ | Prince's Upcoming Tour Is Latest To Limit Ticket Quantity On Secondary Market | Prince's Upcoming Tour Is Latest To Limit Ticket Quantity On Secondary Market
Prince has never been one to shy away from peculiarity. For nearly four decades, the singer has mystified audiences around the world with a unique blend of funk, pop and R&B all the while maintaining his status as one of music’s most sought-after performers.
Late last week, the iconic artist surprised fans by announcing two shows at the Louisville Palace this weekend, revealing the dates by offering a limited time window between general on sale and showtime. Such an announcement has made fans and brokers alike scramble to get their hands on tickets.
Two shows were initially announced, but tickets sold out in a matter of minutes and prompted the addition of an 11pm show each night. Those tickets have been hard to come by, however, and less than 100 tickets in total exist on the secondary market between the four shows. No artists will completely shut out the secondary market, but Prince's low inventory has kept the vast majority of tickets going directly to fans.
LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 8: Prince during The 57th Annual Grammy Awards, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015... [+] (8:00-11:30 PM, live ET/delayed PT) at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)
Low inventory means exorbitant prices, and the average price for Prince tickets on TiqIQ over his four-show stint in Louisville is currently $624.50. Prince's 11pm show on Saturday night is the cheapest show with an average price of $391.50, but get-in price starts at $358. The cheapest available ticket is currently listed at $246 for his 11pm show on Sunday. Nonetheless, hotels located in Louisville aren't too pricey, according to Hipmunk, with room rates beginning at just $64 per night.
Prince isn’t the only artist who has taken measures to thwart scalpers this year. Garth Brooks and Kid Rock have lowered the face price of tickets across their respective tours hoping that fans would take advantage of primary market sales. However, by doing so they’ve seen a majority of shows sell out with brokers buying in bulk, allowing them to resell tickets for higher prices on the secondary market.
Brooks has been announcing select dates at a time during his comeback tour, but months before the shows will be played. With a single price for each show, and up to six shows at each venue, the abundance of available tickets allows brokers to scrap up tickets when they go on sale. Meanwhile, Kid Rock recently announced the second coming of his $20 tour, but that has left tickets so cheap and available that they are at least double the cost on the secondary market.
The only recent artist to come close to what Prince is doing are the Foo Fighters, who took to HBO to promote their rock doc Sonic Highways late last year. A few days before each episode aired, Foo Fighters announced a small concert in the episode's select city that would take place later in the week. These show announcements typically came with a caveat, such as needing to buy the tickets directly at the venue’s box office or showing the ID used to purchase the tickets online.
While more and more anti-scalping methods continue to surface, it’s likely that Prince will continue use his same approach when he announces more dates on the Hit and Run Tour. His backing band 3RDEYEGIRL will join him all upcoming shows.
Where he'll head next on tour remains unknown, but his promotional timing is clearly impeccable. On Friday he released his newest single “What If," just one day ahead of his Louisville dates.
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551345129255f483164a4de719f3cae4 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/05/08/serena-williams-roger-federers-play-could-impact-2015-us-open-tickets/ | Serena Williams & Roger Federer's Play Could Impact 2015 US Open Tickets | Serena Williams & Roger Federer's Play Could Impact 2015 US Open Tickets
Roger Federer dominated the U.S. Open from 2004-2008, winning an Open Era record five consecutive titles. In 2015, he’ll come back to try to win his first since that torrid run. There have been five new champions since Federer last won, with Rafael Nadal winning twice and Marin Cilic taking the U.S. Open crown in 2014. While Cilic will be looking to defend his title come late-August, Nadal will be looking for win No. 3, and Federer will be trying to turn back the clock.
It’s wildly different on the women’s side, as Serena Williams tries to do her best Roger Federer impression by looking to add to her run of three straight U.S. Open wins. Should she win yet again in 2015, she’ll have her fifth U.S. Open title in her last seven tries, and her seven total titles would put her one behind Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (8) for the most all-time.
To see it happen live, fans will have to pay at least $59 for grounds passes over the course of the tournament, according to Championship Tennis Tours who offer tickets in every seating level for every session. Grounds passes for the first week and Labor Day weekend all range from $59-$90 with no significant differences for each session in the promenade and loge seats of Arthur Ashe Stadium. The priciest sessions happen at the end of the tournament with tickets starting at $285 for the Men's Final, $275 for the Men's Semifinals, $165 for the Women's Final and $125 for the Women's Semifinals.
Championship Tennis Tours also offers complete US Open packages that include hotel accommodations, as well as tickets to other NYC events, such as Yankees, Mets or Broadway tickets. Packages start at $1,195 per person, though you can also customize your own package with assistance from Championship Tennis Tours' representatives.
Tennismen and tennis women, Spanish Rafael Nadal (2ndL), Swiss Roger Federer (R), Russian Maria... [+] Sharapova (L) and US Serena Williams (2ndR) pose before performing for children during an exhibition game in Malakoff, a Paris suburb, on May 23, 2013, three days ahead of the beginning of French Tennis Open Roland Garros 2013 at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. AFP PHOTO KENZO TRIBOUILLARD (Photo credit should read KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images)
Those prices for tickets will certainly change, however, if Serena and Roger can make a deep run. They are arguably the two biggest names in tennis and if either of these ageless wonders can advance to the Finals, prices could skyrocket. Since Serena already has one major title to her name in 2015 (Australian Open,) it's highly likely the American star can advance deep into the tourney, given she's healthy. Federer, on the other hand, has been less dominant on the court and has probably reached the level of underdog when facing some of the younger players, such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic
The U.S. Open could offer up a chance for Djokovic to win his fourth major event of the year. In doing so, Djokovic would effectively win the year’s Grand Slam. The same could be at stake for Serena, who not only could be looking at a fourth straight U.S. Open victory, but her fourth major win of the 2015 season as well.
That’s easier said than done, of course. Not only would Djokovic and Williams both have to win the French Open and Wimbledon for a shot at closing out a Grand Slam sweep, but the odds of both of them doing so aren’t great. Still, leading up to the U.S. Open, if it’s even a mere possibility, their run at all four majors could culminate with one of the most exciting U.S. Open tourneys we have ever seen.
This year’s U.S. Tennis Open carries several key storylines, as some ageless tennis pros try to fill their final days with big tourney wins. No one knows for sure how much longer the likes of Federer or Williams (both 33 years old) will play on, but we all can probably agree seeing them win on such a big stage again in 2015 would be a welcome site.
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55f82735c879e5bedd05ca083c4b3efb | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/05/15/can-madrid-open-winner-andy-murray-take-home-wimbledon-in-2015/ | Can Madrid Open Winner Andy Murray Take Home Wimbledon In 2015? | Can Madrid Open Winner Andy Murray Take Home Wimbledon In 2015?
Tennis fans are already eagerly anticipating the 2015 Wimbledon tourney. Arguably the tennis scene’s biggest Grand Slam event of the season, this year’s Wimbledon will attract fans from all over the world to see tennis greats grace the famous manicured courts. While there's many big names who will attract attention, it's clear that the biggest draw will be UK's own Andy Murray, the 2013 champion. Murray recently won the Madrid Open and if he can continue his strong play, it may cost quite a bit for fans to see him play at home.
According to Championship Tennis Tours, the cheapest tickets available for the 2015 Wimbledon Championships are currently $625. However, the cheapest Center Court tickets to see Men's Singles play is currently $1,495. That price continues to rise as the tournament continues, reaching $4,495 for Men's Quarterfinals play and $5,995 for Men's Semifinals. Wimbledon Men's Finals tickets at TennisTours.com start at $6,495.
Those prices could see a significant spike if Murray replicates his Madrid Open success. His run during the 2013 Wimbledon Championships created significant demand for tickets and, though the novelty of a UK winner at Wimbledon has now passed, fans will be equally eager to grab tickets to see Murray attempt to take home championship number two. It's not difficult to see tickets to the Finals exceeding $10,000 on the secondary market if Murray does in fact make it that far.
MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 10: Andy Murray of Great Britain holds the winners trophy after his win over... [+] Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final during day nine of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at the Caja Magica on May 10, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
With a slew of past champions in Murray's way, it could be a very entertaining championship, on both the men's and omen's side. Last year's champion Novak Djokovic will look to once again claim the men’s title and Petra Kvitova will seek to take her second straight women's trophy. Of course, as tough as they could be in this year’s Wimbledon tournament, both Djokovic and Kvitova could face a fierce push from the foes they topped to win in the first place in 2014 - Roger Federer and Eugenie Bouchard.
While Djokovic and Kvitova are clear favorites to advance far in the 2015 Wimbledon tourney, and possibly even claim back-to-back titles, they’re far from the only top contenders. Roger Federer won recently in 2012 and has claimed seven Wimbledon titles since 2003. After narrowly missing out on an eighth a year ago, he has to be seen as a legit threat to finally chase it down in July - even at 33 years of age. Serena Williams is once again a strong contender on the women’s side, as she has claimed three Wimbledon championships since 2002 and will be hard-pressed to snag her fourth this year.
Murray's opponent in the Madrid Open Finals - Rafael Nadal - will be another contender for the 2015 Wimbledon trophy, though Nadal has seen his play slip a bit this year. Tournaments that take place on clay courts, such as the Madrid Open, have long been his area of expertise, but his recent loss to Murray has many questioning if something troubles Nadal. He hasn't won Wimbledon since 2010, and hasn't advanced out of the fourth round since his 2011 Finals defeat to Djokovic.
This year’s Wimbledon looks to have plenty of drama from top to bottom, which naturally only adds to the allure and pumps up ticket value. Whether Andy Murray can make a deep run and create some more ticket buzz remains to be seen, though if his recent play is any indication, tickets will be very hard to come by when July 12th rolls around.
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ec7774f540090a07395fac641de9366e | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/05/20/french-open-ticket-preview-can-novak-djokovic-win-career-grand-slam/ | French Open Ticket Preview: Can Novak Djokovic Win Career Grand Slam? | French Open Ticket Preview: Can Novak Djokovic Win Career Grand Slam?
Less than a week away, the tennis season’s second Grand Slam tournament will be as up for grabs as it’s been in recent memory. The usual attempted conquest of knocking off clay-court mastermind Rafael Nadal is more realistic than ever with the Spaniard not at the form tennis fans have come to expect.
The nine-time French Open champion is obviously still a contender—after all, he is gunning for his sixth consecutive French Open title—but an injury forced him to miss most of the second half of last season and he has yet to find his groove. His recent showing means for the first time in a very long time, the Spaniard will not start as the odds-on favorite to win, a title that now belongs to the world’s No. 1-ranked player, Novak Djokovic.
With the championship up for grabs, ticket demand is up and prices will continue to rise if the favorites advance deep in the tournament. According to Championship Tennis Tours, the premier marketplace for French Open tickets, only the first day's action has tickets for under $300. Tickets to Center Court start at $295 on May 24th, but climb up to $495 and $475 for the next two days, respectively.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a backhand during a training session prior the 2015 French Open tennis... [+] championships at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on May 20, 2015. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL MEDINA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)
The most expensive session is currently the Men's Semifinals on Friday, June 5th at a get-in price of $1,095 at the Philippe Chatrier Center Court. Comparatively, the Women's Semifinals the day before costs only $395 to get a ticket. Tickets to the Men's Finals at Championship Tennis Tours cost a minimum of $595, the same price as what it costs to see Quarterfinals action on June 2nd or June 3rd.
Nadal’s consecutive title streak will be put to the test by a few of the usual suspects. Andy Murray is one of them, heading into Paris on a ten-match winning streak and winning his first two titles on the clay surface in Munich and Madrid. Murray reached the semifinal last year before losing to Nadal, who went on to defeat Djokovic in the final.
Djokovic is 35-2 in 2015, winning five titles. He won the first Grand Slam Tournament of the season, the Australian Open, defeating Murray. Djokovic became the first man in the Open Era to win five Australian Open titles and is one short of Australian legend Roy Emerson. The Serbian’s clay court victories this season came in his two most recent victories in Rome and Monte Carlo. Unbelievably, Djokovic has never won a French Open title, and it is the only championship missing to complete his career Grand Slam.
Nadal is entering the tournament as an unprecedented No. 7 seed, which should create some compelling matches earlier than usual. If he can advance to the quarterfinals, it should set up some very intriguing matchups and could lead to an unprecedented increase in ticket demand, especially if Djokovic and Nadal meet yet again at Roland Garros.
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6f79b0389f2e8e2502a68f6a19bac678 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/06/09/with-serena-williams-and-roger-federer-at-forefront-2015-us-open-most-expensive-since-at-least-2010/ | With Serena Williams And Roger Federer At Forefront, 2015 US Open Most Expensive Since At Least 2010 | With Serena Williams And Roger Federer At Forefront, 2015 US Open Most Expensive Since At Least 2010
More than 11 weeks remain before the 2015 U.S. Open Tennis Championships take place in Flushing, Queens, but it’s never too early to start thinking about purchasing tickets to the final major of the Grand Slam. Featuring the sport’s best players, including defending men’s and women’s champions Miran Čilić and Serena Williams, the tournament has continued to see ticket prices on the secondary market rise each year since 2013. Higher prices will again be a facet at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2015, with average ticket price jumping nearly 15% from a year ago.
According to Championship Tennis Tours, the average secondary price for 2015 U.S. Open tickets across all 24 sessions is $365.35, up 14.8% from 2014’s average of $318.04. Tickets on the secondary market averaged at $316.48 in 2013, marking a 15.4% price hike over the last two years. While prices continue to skyrocket with each passing year, fans can avoid the premiums by buying an All Sessions Pass, which is considered the best deal for the most amount of action. All Sessions Passes currently average at $582.33 on the secondary market and includes access to each tournament day between August 31 and September 13. The cheapest ticket available, listed in Row M of Section 207, is now just $198.
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot during the Women's... [+] Singles Final against Lucie Safarova of Czech Repbulic on day fourteen of the 2015 French Open at Roland Garros on June 6, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
If planning to attend individual days instead, expect to pay big on the secondary market. Each session owns an average ticket price above $160 this year, making it the most expensive U.S. Open since TiqIQ began tracking data in 2010. The cheapest session will be Session 2 on August 31, where tickets average at $161.55 and get-in price starts at $28. Only Session 4 one day later owns a cheaper get-in price at $27. NYC parking is available throughout the tournament at discounted rates from ParkWhiz.com, providing further savings to consumers.
Of course, the tournament will get pricier as the competition increases through early-September. The Women’s and Men’s Quarterfinal begins on September 8 and will run through the following day, averaging a $423.78 ticket over the two-day affair. U.S Open Men’s Semifinal tickets on September 11 are the second most expensive of the entire tournament, with tickets averaging at $860.97 and get-in price starting at $141. It will be trumped only by the Men’s Final and Women’s Doubles Final two days later. The average secondary price for U.S. Open Men’s Final tickets is now $900.19, the most expensive Men’s Final in at least the last five years.
With 20 career Grand Slam titles, Serena Williams is the early favorite to reclaim the crown at this year’s U.S. Open. The 33-year-old recently won both the Australian and French Opens and will compete at Wimbledon later this month. 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer will lead the Men’s campaign in front of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who as a trio own a collective 39 career Grand Slam titles.
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8bc20f17fa2677eccef3ecbff9c93cb9 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/06/24/wimbledon-win-for-serena-williams-could-lead-to-historically-high-us-open-tickets/ | Wimbledon Win For Serena Williams Could Lead To Historically High US Open Tickets | Wimbledon Win For Serena Williams Could Lead To Historically High US Open Tickets
While tennis fans are no doubt getting ready for the 2015 Wimbledon Championships later this month, many are looking forward to the culmination of the season’s Grand Slam events when the 2015 U.S. Open begins on August 31. The men’s side will feature half a dozen legitimate contenders for the title, but fans won’t have a chance at witnessing a 2015 Grand Slam winner.
That's not the case on the women's side, however, if Serena Williams takes home the Wimbledon title. Should that happen, Williams, last year’s U.S. Open women’s champion and this year's Australian and French Open winner, will return to Queens to claim back-to-back titles, and also attempt to pull off a full sweep of all four major events in 2015.
As long as Serena enters the U.S. Open, and is healthy, she will be the favorite to win it all. And the farther she can advance, the more likely it is that ticket prices will continue to increase. Currently, the average price for 2015 US Open tickets at Championship Tennis Tours is $366. Tickets are available for under $100 for each day up through Labor Day (Monday, September 7th) with the cheapest available at $69 for the opening evening session.
After Labor Day weekend, quarterfinals play begins with tickets starting at $135 for the Wednesday Day session and having an average price of $434. Tickets to the Women's semifinals start at $125 with an average price of $345, while the Finals on Saturday, September 12th, have a get-in price of $165 and an average price of $485. That's the highest priced women's final in the past six years and could go even higher if Serena can make a deep run and get to the tourney final.
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Serena Williams of the United States poses with the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen... [+] trophy after winning the Women's Singles Final against Lucie Safarova of Czech Repbulic on day fourteen of the 2015 French Open at Roland Garros on June 6, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
While Williams will be the main attraction, she can expect a fight from some of her main competition. Petra Kvitova, Maria Sharapovaand Victoria Azarenka enter this year’s U.S. Open with the best odds to dethrone Williams (currently 5/4 odds to win it again), while special attention should be paid to Caroline Wozniacki, who made it to the finale and lost to Williams in 2014.
As powerful of a presence as Williams is, the men’s side boasts several stars of their own. Underdog Marin Cilic took the title in 2014, and he'll most likely return to Flushing Meadows as an underdog again in 2015, with Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic (5/4 odds to win) the current favorite. Meanwhile, French Open winner Stan Wawrinka will be joined by stars Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as the top players in the field.
U.S. Open tickets will see a major jump later in the final stages of the tournament when fans get to see some top matchups between these star tennis players. Nadal was the only one of the above mentioned group that failed to make it to at least the quarterfinals a year ago, thanks to injury. Nadal hasn’t enjoyed a great 2015 season to this point, but, due to his elite talent, is always viewed as a strong candidate to take on a major event. He won the event in 2010 and 2013, both times beating this year’s pick, Novak Djokovic.
Depending on which of these tennis juggernauts makes it to the end, fans could see a significant change in the price for Men's Finals tickets. The current average price is $925 with a get-in price of $235 at Tennistours.com. Those prices will certainly increase if we see a big name matchup in the Finals, or decrease if an underdog such as Marin Cilic can get back to the championship.
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4ba36a2545685f900268082ec41fb3f3 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/09/08/us-open-tickets-for-serena-vs-venus-williams-matchup-up-86-on-secondary-market-since-last-week/ | Ticket Prices Jump For Serena And Venus Williams' U.S. Open Matchup | Ticket Prices Jump For Serena And Venus Williams' U.S. Open Matchup
Day 9 of the 2015 US Open will feature one of the most storied rivalries in all of tennis. Serena Williams will face sister Venus under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium for their 14th Grand Slam meeting as both look to enter the tournament’s semifinal round. Tuesday’s match comes with added incentive for Serena, who is seeking to become just the fourth female player in history to achieve the calendar year Grand Slam with a US Open win. Expect to pay big if hoping to attend tonight, however, as prices for US Open tickets have skyrocketed on the secondary market since the match was set on Sunday.
According to TiqIQ, the average secondary market price for Session 18 US Open tickets is now $933.47, up 85.5% from last Wednesday’s average of $503.01. Looking to just get in to see the familial showdown? The cheapest ticket is now listed for $149. Tonight’s match will easily be the most expensive session of the tournament thus far and is currently only trumped by the Women’s and Men’s Final this Saturday and Sunday.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 06: Serena Williams of the United States serves to Madison Keys of the... [+] United States during their Women's Singles Fourth Round match on Day Seven of the 2015 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 6, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for the USTA)
Serena owns an 8-5 record against Venus in Grand Slams. The siblings last faced each other in the Round of 16 of this year’s Wimbledon, where Serena won in straight sets. A historical importance is on the line in Queens tonight, though, as Serena hopes to move one step closer to claiming all four Grand Slam tournaments for the first time since Steffi Graf did so in 1988.
Fans heading to Flushing Tuesday night will also be treated to the Men’s Quarterfinals, which pens No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic against Feliciano Lopez immediately following the Williams sisters match. Djokovic is looking to redeem himself after a Semifinals loss to Kei Nishikori in the 2014 US Open. He appeared in the Men’s Final in 2013, though fell to Rafael Nadal in four sets.
Tuesday’s earlier session begins at 12 noon and will see Kristina Mladenovic face Roberta Vinci in the Women’s Quarterfinals followed by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga against defending US Open champion Marin Cilic in the Men’s Quarterfinals. Session 17 US Open tickets currently average $164.34 on TiqIQ, marking a 468% jump in average price for tonight’s session. The get-in price for this afternoon’s two matches is just $16. While most fans take public transportation to the Open, those who opt to drive can find discounted NYC parking at ParkWhiz.com for additional savings.
With Serena’s pursuit of history captivating headlines across the globe, 2015 marks the first time since at least 2010 that the Women’s Final owns higher ticket prices on the secondary market than that of the Men’s Final. 2015 US Open Women’s Final tickets average $1,621.46, which is 47.8% more expensive than the Men’s Final average of $1,096.93. The cheapest ticket to the Women’s Final on Saturday is $259. One day later, the Men’s Final has a get-in price of $221. However, should Serena be knocked out before she reaches Saturday’s Final, fans can anticipate prices to drop considerably.
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d1f0915afdfb1bdd08c0656207db13f7 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/10/09/cubs-tickets-averaging-over-600-most-expensive-for-lds-on-secondary-market-since-at-least-2010/ | Cubs Tickets Averaging Over $600, Most Expensive For LDS On Secondary Market Since At Least 2010 | Cubs Tickets Averaging Over $600, Most Expensive For LDS On Secondary Market Since At Least 2010
It’s been 13 long seasons since the Chicago Cubs have won anything of importance in October. Since that fateful NLCS against the Marlins in 2003, the one where Steve Bartman, Moises Alou and Alex Gonzalez each chipped in to keep the Curse of the Billy Goat alive in Wrigleyville, the Cubs have fielded a revolving door of loveable losers, ranging from back-to-back sweeps in the NLDS in 2007 and 2008 to 2012’s 61-win season.
There’s a different fervor surrounding Wrigley Field this season, however. Spearheaded by NL Cy Young Award candidate Jake Arrieta and a young core of offense in Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber, the Cubbies handed the Pittsburgh Pirates a wild card loss Wednesday night and will now advance to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the postseason for the first time ever. Such a long time away from the Divisional Series has set the secondary ticket market ablaze, too, as the Cubs own the most expensive LDS tickets since at least 2010.
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 07: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after the eighth inning... [+] against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the National League Wild Card game at PNC Park on October 7, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
According to TiqIQ the average price for Cubs NLDS tickets across the team’s two potential home games is $632.02 on the secondary market. That is easily the highest average price at home among all eight remaining teams in the 2015 postseason.
The Cubs faithful will get at least one game in Chicago on Monday when Game 3 is played at Wrigley, and that will be slightly cheaper on average than that of a potential Game 4 the following night. Game 3 Cubs vs Cardinals tickets are now averaging $601.54, 9.1% less expensive than a possible Game 4 average of $662.41. The get-in price for both games starts at $298 and $256, respectively.
Comparatively, the three potential games at Busch Stadium in St. Louis will be considerably more affordable, though still among the most expensive since TiqIQ has data back to 2010. Over Games 1, 2 and 5, the average secondary market price for Cardinals NLDS tickets is $347.55. That is 45% cheaper than the two-game average in Chicago. Fans looking to get into Game 1 Friday can find tickets starting at $90.
Prior to the Cubs clinching over the Pirates Wednesday, the New York Mets controlled the most expensive ticket average for their two possible home games at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Heading back to Flushing for Games 3 and possibly 4, the average price for Mets NLDS tickets is $459.40. A similar excitement like that of Chicago's exists for Mets fans, who get their first taste of postseason action since 2006. Still, tickets are 27.3% cheaper in New York than in Chicago. Parking in NYC and around Citi Field starts at just $12 on ParkWhiz, compared to $40 and above around Wrigley Field in Chicago.
In fact, since TiqIQ began collecting secondary market data in 2010, four teams in this year’s postseason are among the five most expensive since the turn of the decade. Alongside the Cubs, Mets and Cardinals are the Toronto Blue Jays, who enter their first playoff series since 1992 against the Texas Rangers Thursday night. Over their three possible home games at Rogers Centre, Blue Jays ALDS tickets average $384.65. The 2014 Kansas City Royals fall in the middle of this year’s four top-priced teams, whose sole hosting game in the ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim averaged $420.56.
Friday’s Game 1 marks the first time the Cubs and Cardinals will meet in the postseason, a fitting ribbon-cutting that will showcase two NL heavyweights with nearly 2,400 regular season meetings under their belt since their rivalry began in 1892. With the Cardinals well-versed in deep postseason pushes and the Cubs getting their paws wet for the first time in over a decade, a battle of youth and experience will take center stage across Route 66 - and Cubs fans will be paying big to attend.
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05ff0bce93f75f4b7c76a318cc1415d6 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/12/03/tickets-for-rihannas-anti-world-tour-averaging-over-200-prior-to-general-on-sale/ | Tickets for Rihanna's 'Anti-World Tour' Averaging Over $200 Prior to General On-Sale | Tickets for Rihanna's 'Anti-World Tour' Averaging Over $200 Prior to General On-Sale
If prior tour sales and dominant album successes over the years are any indication for how the upcoming year may turn out, Rihanna may be on track to have one of the most popular tours of 2016. Last week, the eight-time Grammy winner announced a major North American trek, “The Anti-World Tour” that is set to launch on February 26 at the Viejas Arena in San Diego. All 36 dates in North America will feature 23-year old Travi$ Scott as an opener. The North American dates will wrap on May 7 in Oakland, and then the tour will head overseas on June 11 for a run of dates with Big Sean and The Weeknd.
Tickets to see Rihanna were released in a presale for American Express Card members on November 30, and the general on-sale tickets will be released December 3 at 10:00 AM PST. Ticket demand is already massive for her 2016 dates, as secondary market tickets are already averaging $227 across the map, according to data provided by TiqIQ. As it stands, Rihanna is on track to play some super pricey shows in the U.S., as all but seven scheduled dates are averaging above the $200 price mark on the secondary market.
Rihanna’s most expensive stop is set for her March 15 performance at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, where tickets are averaging $305, with the cheapest ticket available for $57. Not far behind that date is her March 27 stop in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, where resale tickets are averaging $294, with the cheapest ticket available for $79. To save elsewhere on a pricey ticket, Barclays Center parking on ParkWhiz.com starts from $7, with closer $18 options within a half-mile from the venue. So far, the least pricey show is set to be played at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City on April 27, where tickets are averaging $170, with a get-in of just $41.
HOLLYWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 24: Recording artist Rihanna performs onstage during CBS RADIOs third annual... [+] We Can Survive, presented by Chrysler, at the Hollywood Bowl on October 24, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for CBS Radio Inc.)
Rihanna has had no problem selling records or concert tickets in the past. This past summer, The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that Rihanna had surpassed more than 100 million gold & platinum song certifications, pushing her to the No. 1 spot on the list of artists with the most digital single awards. The achievement elevated Rihanna to even greater heights, as she became the first artist to cross the 100 million song certification mark.
The last time fans saw Rihanna on the road was for her 2014 co-headlining trek with Eminem called “The Monster Tour,” which saw incredible demand for both parties. Although “Monster” played just six-dates in the month of August, both artists performed a collective 47-song set for fans. Tickets for the tour run averaged $182, with the biggest prices at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where tickets averaged $214. Rihanna's last solo headliner was in 2013 on an eight-month “Diamonds World Tour,” when resale tickets for the run averaged $200.
The Anti-World Tour is designed to promote Rihanna’s forthcoming album, “Anti,” her first in three years, which still has no release date. Although rumors of the album being released on Jay-Z’s streaming service, Tidal, have been affirmed as a major possibility, neither camp has yet to release an official confirmation.
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b35c59a70e89fff79fd00f44783206a8 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2016/01/10/global-concerts-in-the-new-year-tickets-for-madonna-rihanna-coldplay-and-justin-bieber/ | Madonna, Rihanna, Coldplay, And Justin Bieber Among Hottest Tickets Internationally In 2016 | Madonna, Rihanna, Coldplay, And Justin Bieber Among Hottest Tickets Internationally In 2016
As anticipated, 2015 proved to be a pretty huge year for music. From huge stadium tours from Taylor Swift, One Direction, and The Grateful Dead to sold-out arena runs from U2 and Billy Joel, the year packed major performances for music fans across the genre spectrum. With dozens of tours already lined up for the New Year, major runs from Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Little Mix, and Madonna may indicate an even bigger year for touring in 2016. Here is a breakdown of each tour, with pricing information provided by viagogo.
Madonna | Rebel Heart Tour | Cheapest International Date: February 6 in Taipei City, Taiwan | Get-in Price: $81
Madonna was certainly one of the biggest touring acts for 2015, but her run won’t as the calendar flips. The 57-year-old pop Queen will take her hugely successful “Rebel Heart” Tour overseas into the New Year, playing two legs overseas from February 4 to March 7. The 81-date tour is in support of her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart, which was released in March. 2015. As it stands tickets for Madonna are as impressive as ever. Her most expensive show is scheduled to be played on February 21 in Macau, China, where the cheapest ticket is currently going for $1,212. To compare, Madonna’s cheapest date is scheduled for February 6 in Taipei City, Taiwan, where a get-in ticket is available for $81.
Rihanna | The Anti-World Tour | Cheapest International Stop: Warsaw, Poland | Get-in Price: $54
Towards the end of 2015, the hype surrounding Rihanna’s forthcoming Anti album release reached new heights when the pop star announced the dates for her subsequent world tour. On June 11, Rihanna and opening acts Big Sean and The Weeknd will head overseas for a string of European shows. Since it’s been roughly three years since the 27-year-old singer toured the globe, fans are jumping at tickets to see Rihanna. The most expensive stop on the “Anti-World Tour” overseas is the July 2 show in Oslo, Norway where the cheapest ticket is available for $195. Rihanna is scheduled to play her cheapest international date on August 5 in Poland, where a get-in ticket is available for $54.
Coldplay | A Head Full of Dreams Tour | Cheapest International Date: April 5 in Mexico City, Mexico | Get-in Price: $86
2016 may mark the end of an era for British band Coldplay, as the group announced their upcoming “A Head Full of Dreams” Tour may be their last run ever. Although history indicates that few “farewell” tours truly mark the end for any artist or band, fans are not taking their chances when it comes to grabbing tickets to see Coldplay, as the cheapest ticket available overseas is their April 5 stop in Mexico City. For that performance, the cheapest ticket can be purchased for $86. The tour, which kicks off in May, is scheduled to wrap up on July 5 in Copenhagen, DK. The band will play their most expensive stop on April 3 in Santiago, Chile, where the cheapest ticket is available for a whopping $300.
Justin Bieber | Purpose World Tour | Cheapest International Date: October 27 in Glasgow, United Kingdom | Get-in Price: $256
Who doesn’t love a good comeback? Justin Bieber will be heading out on the road overseas for his “Purpose” World Tour on September 9 in Iceland, and the tour will run until November 29 at London’s O2 Arena. The “What Do U Mean” singer may be on track for his biggest year yet, as the release of his third studio album, Purpose, has generated major recognition. In November, the album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard charts, marking the 21-year-old’s sixth top record. Tickets to see Justin Bieber overseas are super pricey, with his most expensive stop in Glasgow, United Kingdom owning a $256 get-in price. Conversely, the Biebs will play his most affordable show on September 20 in Paris, where the cheapest ticket can be purchased for $67.
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: Singer Justin Bieber performs onstage during the 2015 American Music... [+] Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Little Mix | The Get Weird Tour | Cheapest International Date: April 23 in South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | Get-in Price: $77
British girl group Little Mix will be kicking off 2016 with “The Get Weird” Tour. The tour will launch on March 13 in Cardiff and extend out until April 23 where it will wrap up in Sheffield. As it stands, tickets to see Little Mix are the cheapest for their April 23 stop in South Yorkshire, United Kingdom where the cheapest ticket is available for $77. The former X-Factor contestants will play their priciest performance in East Sussex, United Kingdom on March 14 where the cheapest ticket can be grabbed for a pricey $229.
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88c9c6259d711cc7be9762960215fbdb | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2016/02/16/as-beyonce-tickets-go-on-sale-secondary-market-prices-averaging-over-400/?utm_campaign=Forbes&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_channel=Business&linkId=21310670 | As Beyoncé Tickets Go On Sale, Secondary Market Prices Averaging Over $400 | As Beyoncé Tickets Go On Sale, Secondary Market Prices Averaging Over $400
Although Beyoncé was considered a side act to Coldplay during this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show, there is no denying that the 34-year-old performer stole the show in many ways. One of the largest ways Beyoncé garnered fast attention, aside from her energized and subtly political performance, was by announcing tour dates for her Formation World Tour in a commercial immediately following the show. Beyoncé has perfected the art of timing over the past few years, and her tour announcement was masterfully put together so that all 114 million viewers of last Sunday’s game would see it. Given the huge demand for tickets to see Beyoncé live this spring and summer, it appears as though her plan has already worked.
The Formation Tour, named after her new, Black Lives Matter-inspired single, will launch in the U.S. on April 27 in Miami, hitting major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. The tour will wrap in the U.S. on June 12 and then will head out overseas until July 31. The Beyhive Fan Club Member Pre-Sales began on February 9 along with the American Express Card Members Pre-sale, while the general on-sale begin today, February 16.
Beyonce performs during Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos at Levi's... [+] Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 7, 2016. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY
On the secondary market, tickets for Beyoncé are already rising fast. Across all of her scheduled performances, tickets are averaging $432, with high price points for her San Francisco, Boston, and San Francisco dates.
The priciest show on the schedule so far is her May 5 stop in Nashville at Nissan Stadium, where tickets are averaging $709, with the cheapest ticket available for $142. Conversely, Beyonce is on track to play her most affordable stop on June 12 at Hersheypark Stadium in Pennsylvania, where tickets are averaging $291, with the cheapest ticket available for $81, according to data provided by TiqIQ. Hershey Hotels are available for as low as $42, almost have the price of the cheapest ticket.
Beyoncé's May 16 return to Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, home of Super Bowl 50, is among one of her priciest performances. Tickets for that date are averaging $647, with the cheapest ticket priced at $142. Fans traveling to San Francisco for the show can find flight deals through Hipmunk.com for most major airline carriers. In addition to flights, Hipmunk has hotels in San Francisco starting from $135 per night.
The big demand to see Beyoncé comes in part, due to her lack of live performances in the past couple years. The last time fans had the chance to see her live was in 2014 for the On the Run Tour with Jay-Z where resale tickets averaged $221. In 2013, Beyonce went on the Mrs. Carter World Tour through arenas, and tickets for the tour averaged $324 on the secondary market.
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e481900f9f6ddd3d33318418e8b6990f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselipson/2013/06/27/the-weightlifters-guide-to-building-a-stronger-business/ | The Weightlifter's Guide To Building A Stronger Business | The Weightlifter's Guide To Building A Stronger Business
What can weightlifting teach us about building a better business? (Aliaksandr Makaranka of Belarus... [+] competes in the London 2012 Olympic Games; image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
I recently read Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb and have been thinking about how antifragile theory applies to building and running a business.
Taleb’s concept of antifragility builds on a premise framed in his earlier book The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Black swan events — large and dramatic shifts in our economic and social systems — drive the most significant opportunities and results in business, he argues, and yet are virtually impossible to model or predict.
So in Antifragile, Taleb suggests we stop trying to predict the future and focus on protecting against something that we can more easily measure: fragility. Something is fragile if it breaks with small changes in the environment: a wine glass shatters if you drop it; it’s fragile. If an object or system can withstand large changes, it’s resilient. A system is antifragile if it actually thrives on chaos, growing stronger when the unexpected occurs.
It’s like weightlifting: Your company is antifragile when it’s composed of more muscle than bone. Yes, bones can recover from a break, but often in a weakened state. A muscle is strengthened by damage. Weightlifters build muscle by pushing it past the limit. A stressed muscle is riven with tiny tears and, as the muscle repairs itself, it actually rebuilds stronger and bigger than before.
So how do you build an antifragile business?
Embrace volatility. It sounds strange, but one characteristic of an antifragile system is volatility. You need it in order to test your strength and grow. A small amount of volatility shows that the components in your system have a healthy level of independence, and it means that some things can break without dragging everything else down with them.
From a financial standpoint, you’re creating a fragile system if you try to engineer your profitability to the same level every quarter despite changing conditions. To a certain degree you might be able to cut R&D expenses, reduce staff, or take other steps to make your company look stable and predictable to outsiders. But by underinvesting in those areas you cut into some of the things that drive the business’s overall health. Over time the pressure in those areas adds up and puts you at greater risk for a bigger breakdown.
From a technical standpoint, if you don’t have a small portion of your customers occasionally experiencing issues or outages, you have probably architected your systems to be too rigid, which is really just a corollary to fragility. When a massive outage hits a rigid system, it is more likely to overwhelm your resources and be more difficult to recover from. Experiencing minor ups and downs will help you identify weaknesses and address them before they become crises or threaten other parts of the business.
Fail frequently in small ways. I learned the value of small failures a few months ago. My company offers a software-as-a-service product for several million users, and our customer base is spread across multiple databases. For years we kept each of our databases on several separate servers, even though we had very low usage on each individual server. But we recently decided to consolidate multiple databases onto fewer servers to save costs and make server management a bit easier.
Consolidation made great sense on several fronts — until one of the servers went down. Before consolidation, the loss of a single server would have only disrupted the customers in one database. With multiple databases stored on fewer servers, more customers were affected by the outage. Our decision to consolidate saved money and made sense from a technical standpoint, but it also reduced some of the independence that we had inadvertently architected into the system.
In this case, I would have far preferred smaller failures to the bigger one. Centralizing systems can make sense on paper, but it often creates larger risks. If you put all your eggs in one basket, you only have to carry one thing around — but if you drop that basket, you are not likely to recover. Independently operating systems distribute the risk and allow you to model for those smaller failures.
Build back even stronger. Being an antifragile company takes you one step further than embracing volatility and allowing for frequent small failures: It requires you to also respond to problems and failures in a deeper way. You can’t just fix problems; instead, you need to find solutions that make your company better and stronger than it would have been if the problem had never even occurred.
It’s a bit like stress-induced growth, which is a psychological term that describes people who take horrible life experiences and use them as motivators for positive change. The Susan G. Komen Foundation, for example, was founded in 1982 by a woman who made a promise to her sister as she was dying of breast cancer. Nancy Goodman Brinker (who recently stepped down as CEO) named her foundation for her sister and, according to the Komen site, helped invest $2.2 billion for breast cancer treatment. It’s a powerful example of personal antifragility writ large, an example of how trauma can create strength.
Your company might not be curing cancer, but you can surely examine the crises that approach for opportunities to become more efficient and more creative. As a weightlifter knows, building back even stronger requires that you tear at the muscle. Break things down, change things up, let some stressors seep in and find responses that make you stronger and better than before.
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fb9f6b0b1f4f3070a3ada0b4fd9d5630 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselipson/2014/07/28/mass-customization/ | How To Leverage The Power Of Personalization In Your Business | How To Leverage The Power Of Personalization In Your Business
They say everything comes back into style eventually, and it looks like even the pre-Industrial Revolution tradition of custom-made goods has come around again, albeit in thoroughly modern fashion.
Before technology and Ford’s assembly line revolutionized industry, goods were handmade to the specific needs of the customer. Victorian-era shops weren’t full of racks of corsets and waistcoats for browsing. They were simple storefronts with a craftsman waiting inside to take your measurements, help select your fabric, and get to work on the months-long process of making your clothes.
Mass production brought affordability and convenience — at the cost of quality and detail. Soon, customization became the exclusive domain of the rich and famous. Up until recently, hand-tailored suits, custom-designed furniture and one-of-a-kind artifacts told everyone you were special enough, and wealthy enough, to have things made just for you.
Lucky for us, we’re alive to see these two great industrial trends come together: the era of mass customization is here, and crafty entrepreneurs and big brands alike are capitalizing in big ways on the desires of the masses to express our individuality through the things we buy.
Customization has lots of upsides: A recent Bain & Co. survey found that customers who customized products online visited the company’s website more and for longer periods of time, were more loyal, and rated their experiences higher than customers who did not personalize products. Customers also perceive products to be of higher value when they help to create them. And by observing customers’ preferences, you can further refine your marketing and offerings to appeal to their preferences.
All good, right? So why can I see you shaking your head and saying “customization would kill my bottom line”? Perhaps these ideas will help you see the light:
Offer choices. This one’s all the rage. With relative ease, businesses are letting customers customize everything from handbags (Ethreads) to candy (My M&Ms) and Nikes to a signature scent. Even Coke is tapping the power of personalization as part of a summer campaign. If you’re selling a product, you can let your customer choose color combinations, create patterns, or select text to personalize their purchase. If you’re selling software, let your user pick themes, colors, background images, and fonts, and give them easy tools for importing images and logos.
You can, and should, make it simple. Offering choice is good, but too many choices can turn customers off. It’s a phenomenon known as decision paralysis; in one famous study, customers presented with 24 different jars of jam purchased far fewer jars than customers who only saw six types of jam. Even though the study continues to ignite debate, it's clear there’s a sweet spot between too many choices and none at all. So don’t worry about offering the moon; start small and test your way into the right mix for your business.
Do the work for your customer. Don’t confuse personalization with shifting the burden of creation to the customer. A custom furniture designer wouldn’t ask his customer to grab a hammer and help build the table (unless it’s Ikea, but that’s a topic for another day). Maybe you already know enough about your customer to personalize your product for her. Here’s how we do it at my company: when a customer starts a Citrix ShareFile trial, our branding interns visit the customer’s website and use the company logo and colors to custom-brand the file-sharing portal. With relatively little cost, we give our customers a little surprise when they log in (one they rave about) and young designers some great experience.
Consider the ROI. Would personalization of your product or service increase retention or boost demand? Will it give you a competitive edge? Can you charge more to cover the expense? You might be surprised at how an investment in customization can pay off. So give it a test. Maybe mass customization can work for you.
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300bfd1f5f9be4945cd90ef7bb0f623c | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessethomas/2012/11/20/happy-birthday-windows-27-facts-for-27-years/ | Happy Birthday, Windows: 27 Facts for 27 Years | Happy Birthday, Windows: 27 Facts for 27 Years
First of all happy birthday, Windows. We mean it when we say it's hard to imagine a world without you. Not only did Bill Gates help flip the switch to globalization and more 27 years ago, but he continues to teach and inspire. I was fortunate enough to see him speak last week at the Washington Ideas Forum.
In honor of today's anniversary, the JESS3 team dug into the annals of history and assembled this collection of bits and bytes. Specifically, we've pulled together 27 facts that we believe are notable enough to unearth on this special occasion.
The original Microsoft logo, before color was incorporated.
27 Facts for 27 Years:
1. More than 70.39% of Internet users are currently running Windows, and there are 1,693,244,385 users.
1975–1981: Microsoft boots up
2. Bill Gates started Microsoft with Paul Allen in Gates' 500-square-foot garage in 1975 with a huge vision—a computer on every desktop and in every home.
3. Microsoft currently employs 88,180 people who work across 32,404,796 square feet of Microsoft’s premises.
1982–1985: Windows 1.0
4. Microsoft shipped out the first copy of Windows 1.0 on November 20, 1985. Its TV commercial featured current CEO Steve Ballmer as an enthusiastic salesman.
5. Windows 1.0 only required a minimum of 256 kilobytes (KB), two double-sided floppy disk drives, and a graphics adapter card.
1987–1992: Windows 2.0–2.11
6. Control Panel made its first appearance in Windows 2.0.
1990–1994: Windows 3.0–Windows NT
7. Windows 3.0 had significantly better performance, including advanced graphics with 16 colors (16,777,216 colors in most screens today).
8. Windows NT was originally called "Portable Systems."
1995–2001: Windows 95—the PC comes of age
9. Microsoft paid Brian Eno $35,000 to compose 3.25 seconds of music for the Windows 95 startup sound.
10. Windows 95 featured the first appearance of the Start menu, taskbar, and minimize, maximize, and close buttons on each window.
11. Windows 95, with built-in Internet support and dial-up networking, marked the coming of the Internet Age.
1998–2000: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me
12. Windows 98 was the first Windows system that supported DVD discs and universal serial bus (USB) devices.
13. Windows 98 was the last version based on MS‑DOS.
2001–2005: Windows XP
14. Between the original launch of Windows and the release of Windows XP, about one billion PCs were shipped worldwide.
15. Windows XP was compiled from 45 million lines of code.
2006–2008: Windows Vista
16. More than 1.5 million devices were compatible with Windows Vista at launch.
17. Vista had the longest startup/logon music ever.
2009–2012: Windows 7
18. Windows 7 was evaluated by 8 million beta testers worldwide before its release.
19. Windows sold 240 million in 2010 which means that Microsoft sold 657,534 Windows 7 copies per day, 27,397 copies per hour, and 7.6 copies each second.
20. 93% of all new computers from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) ship with Windows 7 preinstalled.
21. The Windows 7 Start Menu was opened a total of 14,139,925,439 times in October of 2010
22. Windows 7 has largest users share among all other OS - 41.35%.
2012: Window 8
23. The consumer preview of Windows 8 was downloaded one million times in a single day.
24. Citizens from 70 different countries completed the download soon after the launch.
25. Windows 8 is available in 109 different languages.
26.Windows 8 works with files of up to 16 exbibytes, which equates to 687 million Blu-Rays.
27. Estimates suggest roughly 4.5 billion people will use Windows 8 in the future.
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c12176219cd7a5622e00b06258f9a5b9 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessibaker/2021/03/03/how-not-to-commit-to-net-zero-5-common-carbon-strategy-mistakes/ | How Not To Commit To ‘Net Zero’: 5 Common Carbon Strategy Mistakes | How Not To Commit To ‘Net Zero’: 5 Common Carbon Strategy Mistakes
Corporate net zero pledges are coming thick and fast, but not all of them are up to the standard we ... [+] need. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
Net zero, it seems, is the new plastic-free – a target for carbon neutrality is the must-have centrepiece for your brand’s sustainability communications strategy. A weary tweet from the Telegraph’s Sam Brodbeck last month spoke volumes: “Can any firms confirm they’re NOT going carbon neutral? Would be a lot quicker.”
The trend shows no sign of slowing. The NewClimate Institute recently reported a threefold increase in the number of businesses setting net zero goals, from 500 at the end of 2019 to 1,565 in October 2020. Meanwhile, estimates suggest that the carbon offset market could hit $1.4 trillion annually in 20 years, a roughly five-thousand fold increase from $247.9 million in 2020. It was this sort of forecast that prompted Mark Carney to launch the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets.
We urgently need businesses to radically reduce their carbon emissions in order to achieve decarbonisation by 2050 and limit the worst threats of the climate crisis. But as organisations queue up to add their net zero strategies to the pile, a number of common pitfalls are emerging. These mistakes threaten not only the integrity of their communications, but the future of our planet. Here are five mistakes to avoid:
Mistake #1: Ignore your ‘Scope 3’ emissions
Brands need to stop cherry-picking which emissions they want to account for. By excluding Scope 3 emissions from net zero plans, many are turning an opportunity for real impact into a compliance activity.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol separates emissions into three scopes. It’s mandatory for businesses to report on both Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from the energy they buy). But most companies aren’t required by law to report on Scope 3 emissions, which include indirect emissions from the supply chain, transportation of products, product disposal and more.
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This act of selective responsibility means we risk letting the vast majority of emissions go unchecked. Companies’ Scope 3 emissions are on average 11.4 times higher than their operational emissions, according to CDP. A World Economic Forum report found that just eight types of supply chains – including food, FMCG and fashion – account for more than 50% of global emissions. In the fashion sector, 85% of a product’s emissions come from the supply chain. In FMCG, that number is 90%!
A number of net zero plans exclude Scope 3 emissions, which include indirect emissions from the ... [+] supply chain, transportation of products and product disposal. Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Nigel Topping, of the UNFCCC, recently described supply-chain decarbonisation as a “‘game changer’ for the impact of corporate climate action.” His call for honesty across the value chain was clear: “Addressing Scope 3 emissions is fundamental for companies to realize credible climate change commitments.”
Tackling Scope 3 emissions is no easy task. But a net zero strategy that plays pick and mix with carbon accountability is meaningless. And given that 70% of consumers are more interested in product-level impact than company-level impact, ignoring Scope 3 also risks alienating your customer base.
Mistake #2: Set a 2050 target, then continue business as usual
Brands must publish a clear decarbonisation pathway and be actively accountable to it.
In their latest Carbon Budget, the Climate Change Committee stressed that “the 2020s must be the decisive decade of progress and action,” but many net zero strategies seem to me to lack urgency. At last month’s edie conference, I heard Jonathon Porritt address the noise around net zero, describing 2050 as “a wonderfully convenient date for politicians.” I share his scepticism, and I’d say the same is true for businesses.
What’s more, only 8% of companies with net zero goals have interim targets, according to a recent report from DataDriven EnviroLab and the NewClimate Institute. Standalone dates are simply not enough. What we need to see is an ambitious timeline, interim emissions reduction targets and transparent progress reporting. If companies are working towards change in thirty years time, there’s a risk they won’t be able to make changes quickly enough, or that a change in leadership will derail their commitments. Let’s not forget that companies have already missed major environmental targets, including promises to end deforestation by 2020.
Take BP and Shell. Both have declared “net zero by 2050” and declared themselves “climate leaders”. But take a peek behind the CSR curtain, and you’ll note their plans to extract and burn 120% more fossil fuels than the limit for keeping the planet under 1.5°C of warming. Elsewhere, however, some brands are approaching net zero with integrity. When Danone pledged in 2015 to become carbon neutral by 2050, they published measurable interim targets, including a 25% reduction in emissions by 2020, and specific 2030 targets for Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
Mistake #3: Confuse stakeholders with language
Last year, a BEIS survey found that 64% of the UK public are unaware of net zero as a concept, and just 3% of the UK public feel they know “a lot” about it. Reading this, I was hardly surprised. We are bombarded daily with a whole gamut of terms: Carbon Neutral, Net Zero, Carbon Zero, Climate Positive and many more.
For brands starting out on net zero planning, the IPCC’s definition of carbon neutrality (net zero CO2 emissions) is a useful starting point: “a state of balance between the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere and the CO2 removed from the atmosphere.” If you have reason to aim at something other than net zero, then it’s crucial to communicate that in simple, consumer-friendly language.
IKEA has pledged to become 'climate positive' by 2030. AFP via Getty Images
There are also some terms which I’d strongly advise against. ‘Carbon zero’ is sometimes used to describe net zero policies, but for me, the term clearly implies zero emissions; and when it comes to environmental impact, net zero and real zero can be poles apart.
‘Climate positive’ is another term for marketers to steer clear of. Culprits here include H&M and IKEA, and the term generally refers to products or services that remove more carbon than they emit. But of course, a product’s impact goes far beyond its carbon balance, so these ‘climate positive’ products can have a negative environmental impact – a nuance that’s lost in a momentary purchase decision.
Mistake #4: Keep your strategy secret
It’s crucial that brands are open about how they’ll meet net zero. Remember: you can’t call yourself a ‘climate leader’ if no-one can follow your example.
A recent Client Earth study looking at FTSE 250 companies’ annual reports concluded that when it came to net zero targets, “meaningful detail about assumptions, methodologies and strategies regarding targets was often limited or missing.”
Public disclosure is key, not least because not all zeros are equal. Businesses can achieve net zero either through a reduction-led approach in line with a 1.5°C future, or through a removal-heavy approach, relying on offsets. Because the overall impact varies hugely as a result, it’s crucial that brands publish separate reduction and removal targets.
Brands must be honest: how much carbon pollution will still be taking place? How much will you be relying on removal? Digging deeper, how exactly will you be reducing emissions? Will you switch to renewable power? Reclaim materials? Make changes to your business model? If you’re unsure where to start, Project Drawdown offers a range of climate solutions that you can implement today to cut emissions.
Project Drawdown is a non-profit organisation that suggests a range of solutions brands can ... [+] implement to cut emissions. Paul Hawken, Project Drawdown
When it comes to hitting your removal targets, will you be planting trees on the other side of the world? Investing in moonshot technologies? Or will you be supporting or creating local offsetting projects?
Science-based targets offer organisations a clear framework to set carbon reduction targets. Back in 2015, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) was set up to assess and validate emissions targets in line with a 1.5°C future, and they’re currently developing a net zero standard.
A South Pole survey in 2020 found that only 11% of companies have set a SBTi target. I think brands are missing out on a huge opportunity for credibility and impact here. Working with SBTi means that you're publicly accountable to a clear carbon reduction strategy with interim targets. That's the sort of climate leadership we need to see.
Tesco was the first FTSE100 company to set science-based targets to reach net zero by 2050. In the UK, they’re aiming to reach net zero earlier, by 2035. They’ve set a good standard for accountability by publicly reporting against their targets.
Mistake #5: Treat offsetting as a get out of jail free card
Offsetting should be the final part of a carbon management plan. For anyone reading this who’s tempted to see offsetting as a license for business-as-usual, it’s worth considering the impact of over-reliance on offsetting.
The quality of carbon credits is often neglected in the discourse around Net zero. Low-quality carbon credits include emissions removals which would have happened anyway – these ‘non-additional’ credits might pay a farmer to adopt regenerative agriculture practices that they were planning to embrace regardless. To ensure high-quality offsetting, look out for Gold Standard verification or other trusted third parties. There simply isn’t enough available land to accommodate all of the combined “net zero” plans for offsets and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage tree plantations. Offsetting has big geopolitical side effects. Essentially, the burden for carbon sequestration falls on land belonging to global South countries: countries which have done little to cause the climate crisis. As last year’s Not Zero report put it, “most ‘net zero’ climate targets are effectively driving a form of carbon colonialism.” Many carbon removal targets rely on Negative Emissions Technologies, but these are still only prospective technologies. Plans that rely on the future success of this technology are built on a certain amount of risk.
Sand Martin Wood in Faugh near Carlisle, Cumbria, UK, was acquired by the carbon offset company ... [+] co2balance in September 2006 It has been planted with a broad mix of native trees over 6 hectares and is managed for wildlife as well as the companies offset clients Though seen as controversial by some carbon offsetting is one way of a company or individual to reduce their emissions, as the trees absorb and sequestrate carbon as they grow. (Photo by Ashley Cooper/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images) Getty Images
As she tends to, Greta cut to the problem in a Davos address in 2020: “We are not telling you to “offset your emissions” by just paying someone else to plant trees in places like Africa while at the same time forests like the Amazon are being slaughtered at an infinitely higher rate.”
Carbon removal is no substitute for reduction. There is no silver bullet. If big businesses aren’t feeling the heat of making significant operational changes, their net zero plan might be more style than substance.
Net zero: a huge opportunity for business
In the face of the grave socio-economic dangers of the climate crisis, it seems redundant to set out a ‘business case’ for genuine action around net zero.
But for those that see carbon management strategies as a cost rather than an investment, research from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate points to big benefits to the bottom line. Their report suggests that bold climate action could deliver at least $26 trillion in economic benefits through 2030, while generating more than 65 million jobs.
Whatever your driver, the need for urgent action is clear. Net zero offers businesses a huge opportunity to build back better. With clear, actionable milestones and an honest, science-based approach, I’m hopeful that brands can avoid greenwashing and bring about needed change.
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b90bd519fe1dd93076a2067b009b972e | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicabaron/2019/05/12/people-over-50-are-avid-tech-users-so-why-are-they-ignored/?sh=4a8d4d1e3e14 | People Over 50 Are Avid Tech Users - So Why Are They Ignored? | People Over 50 Are Avid Tech Users - So Why Are They Ignored?
When we talk about technology use, we tend to think about what Millennials are buying, what Gen Z is into, and the effects it has on children. When we think about older adults, specifically those aged 50 and up, the articles start to address safety and mobility issues, fraud protection, and assisted living gadgets.
But here’s the thing, people over 50 are a huge, diverse market for tech. Not all of them fit the mold of less-than-savvy grandparent just using technology to keep in touch with the kids. They are embracing technology from wearables to social media to video games at a steady pace and according to a 2018 AARP survey, they’ll spend over $84 billion a year on technology products over the next 10 years.
Today, 91% of American adults aged 50+ report having a computer and over 80% between the ages of 50 and 64 report having smartphones. While the majority of older adults use technology to keep in touch with friends and family, let’s explore just a few of the unexpected ways in which this growing demographic engages with tech.
Gaming
In 2016, AARP and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) commissioned a survey on the gaming habits of Americans over 50 and discovered some trends that might surprise you. This isn’t some cute “gaming grannies” phenomenon.
The survey of almost 3000 Americans found that 38% of adults aged 50+ play video games, with 59% playing on computer and laptops and 57% using mobile phones. And they don’t just play games – they play frequently; 4 in 10 said they played a game every day and those over 60 were most likely to be frequent players.
Ok, so they’re not typically playing Fortnite, but the booming game industry is comprised of a lot more than that. The most popular games were card/tile games (excluding gambling and poker) (46%) and puzzle/logic games (44%), and the 50+ crowd is willing to spend money to play. 22% had made a game-related purchase in the past 6 months. And it’s not all Angry Birds and Words with Friends – 22% of adults over 50 reported owning a video game console.
To top it off, it’s women who are playing the majority of these games, and they do it to have fun. 40% of women over 50 are gamers and for all those between 50 and 70, fun is the number one reason they play. And for anyone who thinks older adults are just trying to find something to bond over with their grandkids, only 8% of these gamers report playing a video game with a child in person and 4% online; 86% play solo games and 24% play online games with other adults.
Social Media
A large number of adults over 50 use their computers and devices for social media – 71% to be exact. An increasing number (94%) say that they use devices to keep in touch with people and 43% of that group uses social media to do it on a daily basis.
While a Pew Research survey from 2018 shows that those in the 18-20 age range are still the most avid social media users, usage among those aged 50-64 has grown enormously over the last few years to 64% (users 65 and over have also grown, but to a much more modest 37%).
Facebook is far and away the most popular platform, used by 65% of U.S. adults 50-64 and 41% of those over 65.
Online shopping
Pointing out that people over 50 have more disposable income than other age groups is music to the ears of marketers who want to find new ways to target them. But setting aside their status as marks for advertisers, we’ve seen a sharp increase in online shopping in older age groups. In the U.S. alone, online shopping is a $460 billion industry and according to Verto Analytics, shoppers aged 55-74 made up 31% of buyers. In some cases, the statistics are difficult to parse for shoppers over 50 since the oldest of the Gen X population is now in their 50s.
And lest you think women are leading the e-commerce revolution, it’s worth noting that because men tend to spend more per purchase online, they spend more money online overall and are more likely to do it via their smartphones.
While those aged 45-55 tend to be the most frequent online shoppers, as of 2018, over 50% of men and women over 65 had made a purchase online in the last year. While social media trends are targeting generations with less discretionary income – see Instagram’s new plan to focus on e-commerce – many retailers are missing out on the opportunity to reach out to customers with the means to buy big ticket items. At a time when disposable fashion is growing but under increased scrutiny for the environmental damage it causes, it will be interesting to see if marketers took the wrong route when choosing to target Gen Y with low-cost clothing and accessories.
Opportunities, not targets
As the population ages, it makes sense to not just target but to truly cater to an older population in the tech sphere and not simply for health and elder care technology. Assuming that people over 50 who are interested in tech are only in need of healthcare devices or remedial instructions of how to use technology ignores the fact that a huge number of Americans over 50 have long used the Internet, smartphones, tablets, and other tech devices.
While it’s important to make a variety of tech devices and information available to older adults, seeing them as needy or helpless ignores the billions of dollars and hours they spend doing the same things every other age group does. They’re shoppers, gamers, avid social media users, as well as consumers of new devices coming out in the beauty, fitness, security, travel, and transportation realms. Tech companies dismiss them at their own risk.
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ae1ffb3f9b3bd6e51f518c19fc459257 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicabaron/2019/07/18/tech-is-already-reading-your-emotions-but-do-algorithms-get-it-right/?sh=6286220e6fea | Tech Is Already Reading Your Emotions - But Do Algorithms Get It Right? | Tech Is Already Reading Your Emotions - But Do Algorithms Get It Right?
From measuring shopper satisfaction to detecting signs of depression, companies are employing emotion-sensing facial recognition technology that is based on flawed science, according to a new study.
If the idea of having your face recorded and then analyzed for mood so that someone can intervene in your life sounds creepy, that’s because it is. But that hasn’t stopped companies like Walmart from promising to implement the technology to improve customer satisfaction, despite numerous challenges from ethicists and other consumer advocates.
At the end of the day, this flavor of facial recognition software probably is all about making you safer and happier – it wants to let you know if you’re angry or depressed so you can calm down or get help; it wants to see what kind of mood you’re in when you shop so it can help stores keep you as a customer; it wants to measure your mood while driving, playing video games, or just browsing the Internet to see what goods and services you might like to buy to improve your life.
The problem is – well, aside from the obvious privacy issues and general creep factor – that computers aren’t really that good at judging our moods based on the information they get from facial recognition technology. To top it off, this technology exhibits that same kind of racial bias that other AI programs do, assigning more negative emotions to black faces, for example. That’s probably because it’s based on flawed science.
A new study in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest is challenging the basic science behind emotion-sensing tech and its claims to be able to infer a person’s mood from their facial expressions. The scientists behind the research, who hail from Northeastern University, Caltech, Ohio State, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison, also make clear precisely what’s at stake.
"We thought this was an especially important issue to address because of the way so-called 'facial expressions' are being used in industry, educational and medical settings, and in national security," said the team.
While companies are secretive about using the technology and how they process the data, we know it’s being used by law enforcement and even employers in interviews. And we’ve long used the science behind the technology – that is the way we measure and determine mood by measuring facials movements – to train FBI and TSA agents.
While technology – and even well-trained humans - might be able to detect facial movements, assigning them psychological meaning turns out to be much more complicated. In what may come as a surprise to no one, people’s true feelings, behaviors, and intentions are actually pretty hard to gauge.
"It is not possible to confidently infer happiness from a smile, anger from a scowl or sadness from a frown, as much of current technology tries to do when applying what are mistakenly believed to be the scientific facts," the team warned.
The team in question is composed of experts in psychological science, neuroscience, and computer science and their research involved the review of over 1,000 studies on facial movements and emotions. In the end, they said they weren’t confident that the studies being used to design the emotion reading systems were reliable enough.
Nevertheless, we’ve all been told – and many of us believe – that facial expressions communicate our emotional state. In reality, it’s a lot more complicated, especially when you factor in things like race, culture, and even situation.
“The available scientific evidence suggests that people do sometimes smile when happy, frown when sad, scowl when angry, and so on, as proposed by the common view, more than what would be expected by chance. Yet how people communicate anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise varies substantially across cultures, situations, and even across people within a single situation.”
And while scientists tend to use six categories - anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise – to classify emotions, we all know we’re capable of some combination of these. But does the AI recording our facial movements know that? Probably not.
While companies like Affectiva promise deep learning that implies a more sophisticated and nuanced algorithm, those algorithms are also company property and we don’t know precisely what science they’re using. But we do know they just raised $26 million to help implement their “software that can understand all things human” into everything from automobiles to market research.
Then again, if the science itself is bad, that means we don’t even need the technology to get it wrong – we’re likely misreading people ourselves. This might not seem like a big deal when we assume someone is in a bad mood but they’re really not, but it becomes much more complicated when we acknowledge the role of reading facial expressions in jury opinions of a defendant or in the diagnosis of psychiatric illnesses.
In addition to there being no reliable one-to-one correspondence between facial muscle movement and emotion, the researchers also found that studies seeking to incorporate more sophisticated data from autonomic nervous system measurements are also unreliable. So perhaps we should think twice about trusting wearables to add another layer of “objectivity” to the measurement of our emotions.
“Statistical summaries of hundreds of experiments (i.e., meta-analyses) show, for example, that currently there is no reliable relationship between an emotion category, such as anger, and a specific set of physical changes in the ANS that accompany the instances of that category, even probabilistically.”
In the end, the researchers wanted to know if the scientific evidence for emotional expression is strong enough to justify the way it’s being used in our everyday lives. After analyzing more than 1000 studies, they found the evidence “insufficient.”
Even knowing this, there’s likely no way to stop your emotions from being read by devices you probably don’t even know are there – and there’s no reason to believe they won’t become more ubiquitous even as cities begin to ban facial recognition technology in public.
To top it off, we’ve never forced purveyors of this technology to prove that they’re developing it for the common good in every instance. The lack of transparency about when and how we’re being monitored and how our data is being used is troubling, to say the least.
In this case, not even a poker face will save you from being measured and classified.
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35d3f917b9978c3f788d134dc7f42184 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2020/08/06/covid-19-might-lead-to-a-mental-health-pandemic/?sh=142a1177706f | Covid-19 Might Lead To A ‘Mental Health Pandemic’ | Covid-19 Might Lead To A ‘Mental Health Pandemic’
In a recent study of Covid-19 survivors, out of 402 patients, 55% were found to have at least one ... [+] psychiatric disorder at one month follow-up. getty
The effects of Covid-19 are here to stay, including in the brain, at least according to a new study by Mario Mazza and colleagues in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Patients in the study had their mental health assessed using clinical interviews and commonly used self-assessment screening tools. One month after they presented to the emergency room with Covid-19 and then were either treated in the hospital or at home, out of 402 patients, 55% were found to have at least one psychiatric disorder. These included: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 28%, Depression in 31%, Anxiety in 42%, Insomnia in 40%, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in 20 %.
Dr. Charles Nemeroff, The Matthew P. Nemeroff Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School explained he was not at all surprised by the findings. He noted that there has been emerging research that the virus has “direct effects on the central nervous system” and that if someone had preexisting psychiatric conditions, a new Covid-19 infection might be able to trigger a mood or anxiety episode. On the other hand, he says, if someone had genetic vulnerability and was previously asymptomatic for psychiatric symptoms, it is possible the stress of the infection or the infection itself would be enough to bring them to the threshold to then develop a psychiatric condition. Either way, the disease becomes the precipitating factor. He adds that overall, “These data fit with the notion that we are in the midst of and will see in the aftermath of Covid-19 a mental health pandemic [with] marked increases in mood and anxiety disorders and we need to be on the lookout for neuropsychiatric [symptoms].”
While the article looks at whether inflammation and the immune response from the virus itself could be a cause of the psychiatric symptoms, the data are not convincing, with large standard errors and deviations. Dr. Nemeroff calls the correlations “weak” as they are missing many needed measurements typically used in inflammation studies (e.g. cytokines), as well as a healthy comparison group. The question then becomes, what might be another reason for such high psychological burden in Covid-19 survivors?
Dr. E.Wesley Ely, Co-director of the CIBS center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, explains that is likely multifactorial. He notes when you compare Covid-19 to something like sepsis where you know it affects the brain and has psychological aftermath, Covid-19 is 2-3 times longer of an illness and has more periods of low oxygen that require interventions like mechanical ventilation. With each of these interventions, he points out, a person will require medications that can make you have delirium, which has its own psychological risks to it. The illness itself also affects the brain through what he calls “macro and micro clots” that can cause strokes. He explains, “It doesn’t seem like the virus is directly affecting the brain much. Most of this is an indirect effect from hypoxemia (low oxygen) and the clotting problems and bleeding problems...and then the effect of isolation and sleep/wake and absence of human touch and loved ones not being around them..it’s like a perfect setup-like a bombshell for psychiatric illness.”
Among the more interesting findings of the study, the duration of hospitalization was inversely correlated to psychiatric symptoms. In other words, the longer someone was outpatient and home, the worse their symptoms became. The authors believed this could be attributed to “less healthcare support” leading to “increased..social isolation and loneliness.” Dr. Lakshman Swamy, a pulmonary & critical care physician in Boston, adds that “maybe the social factor plays a bigger role than the disease itself for some patients —being sick and frail and alone at home may be worse for your mental wellbeing than being hospitalized, with regular (albeit limited and professional) social contact. Isolation and quarantine are brutal for many, and certainly worse if you're sick.” Dr. Yelizaveta Sher, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine adds that hospitalization might also include in house mental health services or processing of what is going on from nursing, respiratory, or medical teams which, though not mentioned explicitly in the study, could have all “made a difference.”
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At risk groups noted in the study included females, who had higher rates in all psychiatric conditions, and those with previous psychiatric diagnoses. Since these populations are inherently more at risk from psychiatric conditions due to the pandemic, and are also more at risk in frontline work and healthcare, this is particularly important if a frontline, female, worker, with a past psychiatric history becomes infected. This might perhaps be something to consider for screening, follow-up, and checking in on employees. Additionally, younger patients had higher levels of depression and sleep disturbances, suggesting a worsened psychological impact of the pandemic on younger survivors, who even without infection, already experience more loneliness and worsened mental health outcomes. This may be yet another reason Covid-19 is not “completely harmless” in them, after all.
So, what do we do about it?
First, we have to acknowledge that mental health issues are going to be a part of the aftermath of Covid-19 survivorship. We might not yet know if they will last for 6 months, a year, or 5 years, or what long-term truly means, but that does not really matter as Dr. Ely says they are “debilitating for people...are a major trajectory changer for people’s lives and they cannot be brushed under the rug.”
We need to be vigilant about screening patients, looking for signs and symptoms in our loved ones and friends, and even ourselves if we are survivors. Dr. Sher says, “Just inquiring about emotional well-being can go a long way.”
Second, we should consider building holistic, integrated care for Covid-19 survivors. Dr. Swamy says, “I'm a big supporter of the post-ICU syndrome clinics that address this directly. This kind of holistic approach will look directly at mental health and offer treatment, referral, [and] support as necessary.” Dr. Ely’s CIBS Center is one such example.
Overall, this paper highlights that Covid-19 is not just an illness that you get, and either die from or survive and are cured— long-term effects on mental health exist and might be chronic. Dr. Dara Kass, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center explains, “Just because you don't die, it doesn't mean that your life isn't completely affected, and/or you don’t have new chronic disease. We are looking now at lung disease and heart disease and we also need to look at brain disease, and remember these are new chronic diseases that are accumulating as a result of the virus spraying. unrelenting, affecting people who are young and have lives ahead of them.”
In other words, we need to talk about survivors and we need to start talking about them now-so that we can build the infrastructure that they need to get and stay well physically and mentally. Because, as Dr. Kass adds, “the compounded effects of the social, psychosocial, and medical consequences of the virus will be the defining issue of our generation.”
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153bec4b157779a3a0df1ad040132431 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2020/11/28/here-i-am-as-a-human-doing-the-best-i-can-bridging-the-gap-of-covid-19-denial-with-vulnerability/?sh=61ec836f60eb | ‘Here I Am, As A Human, Doing The Best I Can’: Bridging The Gap Of Covid-19 Denial With Vulnerability | ‘Here I Am, As A Human, Doing The Best I Can’: Bridging The Gap Of Covid-19 Denial With Vulnerability
Ashley Bartholomew, a registered nurse in El Paso, takes a brief break between back to back codes on ... [+] a COVID-19 ICU unit Ashley Bartholomew
Here is something we don’t say out loud as healthcare professionals enough: we have reactions, feelings, and emotional responses. We feel angry or depressed or anxious and may not link these feelings to the news. We have worries about what is going on in the world right now and how it affects our patients. We also have feelings about what we are seeing and what we experience on a shift, and they often catch us off guard. Perhaps this is because while they can be expressed outwardly, our emotions are more often are suppressed and held inside. After all, we are supposed to be stoic caregivers.
Ashley Bartholomew, a registered nurse in El Paso, broke that mold recently and showed her emotions in front of a patient, which she wrote about it in a now viral post on twitter. She unexpectedly cried in front of him after explaining what it had really been like to work in a Covid-19 ICU. Before this, he had just told her Covid-19 was “no worse than the flu,” despite being in the ICU for it.
She wrote, “I tell him in 10 years of being a nurse I’ve done more CPR and seen more people die in the last 2 weeks than I have in my entire career combined. His tone changes, he seems to have understood the gravity of what I’m saying. He apologizes. I cry.”
When he said “fake news” to her, she thought of her recent realities as a nurse. How she had never seen such high volume or acuity (severity of illness) of patients. How she saw the post-operative recovery area for surgery close down overnight in her hospital and at the same time the preoperative prep area was converted into a Covid-19 ICU. How she would leave work after 14 hours on shift and see “restaurants and bars and shopping centers bursting at the seams with people just like the hospital was bursting at the seams.” She felt physically and emotionally exhausted.
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She explains, “It’s hard physically, you’re in personal protective equipment (PPE) all day long and you’re sweaty, and then it's hard emotionally. People are dying and their family members aren’t with them, and you kind of feel like there’s not a lot of options, because we don’t have a lot of treatment options and you see what you think is someone doing well and then they crash.” This all compounded to make for a very different, very stressful work environment.
Another difference, she adds, is the layer of worry of getting sick yourself and bringing it home to your family. Ashley is the mother of a 7 year old and twins who just turned four. Getting sick herself or getting them sick was never something she used to worry about on the job before.
And so, in the moment, she cried. It didn’t matter that she usually put on a face as a nurse and just went room to room caring for the next patient no matter what she saw or experienced. It didn’t matter how much she told herself what she was seeing was “normal,” when, deep down, she knew it simply wasn’t. It also didn’t make a difference that nursing taught her emotions were unprofessional and she shouldn’t carry her own feelings into a patient room and so she hadn’t done so for 7 or 8 years, and very rarely had anyway.
With that patient, in that room, things lined up (among them, it was her last day!) and she decided to be vulnerable and with it came tears. Mostly, however, she cried about how he represented the bigger picture. She says, “I thought if he believes that, there's hundreds, thousands, millions more that do and we’re in trouble. And it kind of made me hopeless in the moment.”
Despite her feelings being a completely normal reaction to the situation, and one anyone would agree would make sense, as soon as she cried, she explained her emotions away, like she was trained to do in medicine. She wrote, “I apologize[d] for tearing up and compose[d] myself.”
But, she had nothing to be sorry for. All her feelings were valid, and, crying is actually quite common in medicine (even if it isn’t talked about out loud). Plus, looking around at medicine right now it is clear she is not alone in those feelings of hopelessness and burnout.
Twitter conversation between Shannon McNamara, MD and Alex Anderson, MD Twitter Timeline photo, @drjessigold, Jessi Gold
She is not the only one seeing the rising cases and feeling concerned. She is not even the only one experiencing disheartening situations with those denying Covid-19.
Dr. Jay-Sheree Allen, a Family Medicine physician in Central Minnesota and host of podcast Millennial Health, explains she had a family member of a patient refuse to wear a mask to enter her primary care clinic. She wanted the family member present to help provide additional information about the patient’s condition, however, the family member, instead, opted to participate by phone, in the parking lot, because they refused to wear a mask. She explains, “It was shocking to realize that this individual chose to not fully support their loved one through a medical visit because of their strong personal objection to wearing a mask for a 20 minute clinic visit.” Dr. Allen explains she always has the patient’s best interest at heart, but these encounters only add to our existing burnout and fatigue as clinicians.
Dr. Jay- Sheree Allen at the end of a shift. Jay- Sheree Allen, MD
Similarly, Dr. Ryan Marino, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, explains he has had many situations where he has been accused of lying to his patients and the public and profiting from Covid-19. He explains, “I have been accused of faking test results, of having a financial interest in the means of testing, and even of using the test to plant microchips and “5G” in people.” One moment that sticks out to him specifically was when he was accused by a patient of falsifying a test result, when he was trying to treat their multi-organ failure from Covid-19. He finds it both depressing and frustrating to see patients harm themselves because of falsehoods they were fed by someone they trust.
And, Ashley is also not the only healthcare provider told to hide their feelings. Melanie Rogers, RN, MPH, a public health nurse epidemiologist explains, “In nursing school I was taught that it was inappropriate and unprofessional to share my feelings with patients, unless it was some sort of shared joy (someone discharged, a baby born, etc).” She adds that while she has teared up when moved by a patient’s story, she feels nurses need to be careful about patients feeling the need to be caregivers to them, instead. She agrees, however, that “A certain level of honesty does lead to more connection.” Dr. Allen agrees stating that she does not think she was taught about feelings in medicine and, learned herself, through therapy, to set boundaries and tend to her own emotional well being, which helped.
In truth, no matter what training taught, it is simply impossible for healthcare professionals to push down their feelings all of the time. They often bubble to the surface, sometimes when they least expect it.
Like they did for this doctor on television. Or, this nurse.
Or this physician testifying to her state government.
Or in this TikTok.
We may be, like Ashley says, scared of being vulnerable and worry it can cause more pain. But, at the same time, healthcare workers are human. Dr. Marino notes, “Honesty is always the best policy, and being open about having feelings – even when it’s hard to do – is something that most people can relate to.”
And, that is just what happened for Ashley. Letting her guard down changed the mind of a patient, and one who might have seemed like he could not have had his mind changed at all. The success of her vulnerability makes you wonder if seeing the reality and the empathy of providers can somehow break through the misinformation. In other words, could showing our humanity we were so often told to hide actually bridge the gap with these patients?
Ashley says it is not that simple, even if she wishes it could be. She explains, “As much as I would love a victory and I want it to feel like a home run, the reality is, still, unfortunately, every nurse can’t have a heartfelt conversation with every denier and make a tour of the ICU on their way out the door. That'll take a thousand years.” That is especially true as misinformation continues to grow exponentially. Melanie adds, “It's like battling a hydra - just when you think you have one person set straight, three more victims of misinformation pop up.”
Plus, it is extremely tiring for healthcare professionals who are already burned out to constantly counter these narratives. Dr. Allen notes that while she believes it is possible to break through to these patients, it is important for clinicians to realize they have limited energy and cannot possibly do it all. She adds, “I do think we have a responsibility as physicians to promote the truth and share information as credible sources, but I think we also need to remember that we are human and on some level have to protect ourselves so that we can preserve our energy to care for our patients in the best way that we can, considering circumstances.”
Yet, even if we can’t get to every person individually, it is nice to think that there is some hope in a situation that can so often feel hopeless. That maybe if we can change one mind, they can go on to then change others. That is exactly what Ashley’s story tells us. She says, “It changes the ballgame if it is exponential just as much as Covid-19 is. Maybe that patient tells their buddy and they tell other people...and maybe it just gets the ball rolling in the right direction.”
Perhaps humanity and emotion, just like misinformation, could be contagious and help bring us together and bring trust back to medicine. For Ashley, the moment with her patient was real and she doesn’t think that was wrong. It felt like she was saying, “Here I am, as a human, doing the best that I can.”
In truth, patients and healthcare workers alike, are all doing just that- their best.
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a057e089f6cff74e4f3982df5425868f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2021/01/12/therapists-have-feelings-too-how--notes-from-a-therapist-showcase-their-humanity/?sh=73c189743a57 | Therapists Have Feelings, Too: How Notes From A Therapist Showcase Their Humanity | Therapists Have Feelings, Too: How Notes From A Therapist Showcase Their Humanity
Allyson Dinneen's new book, Notes from Your Therapist, sits atop a stack of notes in her office. Allyson Dinneen
When Allyson Dinneen, a marriage and family therapist, was in college, like many college students, she experienced depression for the first time and tried to go to a therapist. In the office, which was a clichéd dark oak library, the male therapist sat behind his desk, wearing glasses, quite somber, completely flat. She described him as Freud-esque, and herself as really uncomfortable. She noted that everything she said was met with another question. She never went back.
Years later, she had one visit with an older woman therapist who she told her story to and the therapist cried. Allyson says, “She was just a human being and...what human beings need when they're struggling is another human being.”
Though that was the only time she saw that therapist (due to circumstances not the person) and she later found a therapist who changed the emotional course of her life in her 20s, the older woman’s tears during her one visit deeply impacted her moving forward. She says, “Humans need to feel they're having an emotional impact on someone. That someone appears to care about, and be affected by them.”
As a therapist, Allyson is consciously not a blank slate, she is a human who also happens to be a therapist. That is the mentality she carries with her as she writes on her Instagram, notesfromyourtherapist, where she has 323K followers, and also now in her new book, Notes from Your Therapist. In both, she creates images of notes on subjects like emotions, trauma, and relationships from a place of inherent openness and vulnerability. She wants to show that it is healthy and acceptable to think about all of these topics and, perhaps more importantly, to talk about them out loud.
A note from her Instagram page showcasing how hard it is to talk about feelings because of our own ... [+] histories with emotions. Allyson Dinneen, @notesfromyourtherapist
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Sharing these writings is particularly interesting for Allyson as she used to worry about her own emotional struggles interfering with her work. Being human, of course, she has had her own pain, but Allyson has been dealt more than a typical share. As a young child, her mom died in a plane crash, and later in life, when she was on maternity leave, her husband, too, suddenly died. She notes that when he died, she was not sure she could be a therapist anymore. She explains, “That was a very strange feeling. You know, to just be so shattered, I don't think I can even help myself, how am I going to be able to help anybody else?”
She also wondered, living in a small town where everyone knew what had happened to her and her family, if anyone would even want to see her as a therapist anymore. She wondered if people would worry their own problems were insignificant compared to the “catastrophe” of her life. Her therapist, who she saw to process her grief, laughed, lightened her mood, and explained, “I mean, are you kidding? That's exactly why people will come to you, people need to know that someone can hold their pain.”
And, he was right. Not only is that a reason why people went (and still go) to her for therapy, but it is also a factor in why people are so fascinated by her Instagram and will love her book. It is why her longer posts or the ones that use the word “I” often do well. It is also why the ones that she is most nervous to push out or feels most vulnerable with, are often the ones she ends up knowing she actually needed to post.
A note from @notesfromyourtherapist that highlights the role people play in making others feel ... [+] better. Allyson Dinneen, @notesfromyourtherapist
Some of the more popular topics that she writes notes about include:
You don’t need to stop other people from having painful emotions: Allyson says we grow up thinking that is our job to keep everyone happy all of the time, because our parents teach us that it is. But, quite simply, other people are allowed to feel bad. Allow yourself to have uncomfortable feelings: Along those same lines, people often don’t feel grief, pain, or loss because they think they need to be happy all of the time. She says you can feel uncomfortable and you can feel sad. That is OK. It is OK to have emotional needs, that doesn’t make you needy: Allyson points out that we have long been shamed for needing other people, especially for our emotions. However, she feels it is normal to need people and not be able to or want to figure it all out on our own. It is OK if people are upset with you because you set a boundary: Boundaries often upset people and that is not your problem to manage. You are allowed to be treated how you want to be treated and to set your own boundaries.
An example of a note that discusses feeling needy for having emotions. Allyson Dinneen, @notesfromyourtherapist
Allyson likes the instant feedback on Instagram and feels it helps her know what she should talk about and has even shaped her practice for what people need to know. She steers clear of other self-help or wellness type posts and says hers are not meant to be directive or overly positive as those have never helped her. She adds, however, that if you went through all of her posts looking for word choice, “My top word used is probably okay...it’s okay to feel, it's okay.”
Most of us, though, have ignored our feelings our whole lives and this is only more true over the pandemic. Even though there is not a group who is not affected in some way, no one has had time to process 2020 fully. Allyson feels it is critical that we learn to trust our feelings, even the hard ones. She adds, “Knowing your emotions is knowing who you are as a human being, and also connects you to everyone else. All of our emotions are a universal human experience. They carry information on how we're doing and what we need.”
An example of a note that reminds the reader they should feel their emotions, including the ... [+] so-called negative ones. Allyson Dinneen, @notesfromyourtherapist
Right now in the pandemic with death and grief all around us, thinking about her own grief process, Allyson feels people are still in the “numb period” after the bomb goes off, and in survival mode. Once life goes back to normal, and people start to process grief, that is when the shock will end, and the emotional shattering begins. That is when understanding and expressing emotions will be key, especially the hard ones.
That includes for therapists themselves, who often forget they have their own feelings, too. Allyson hypothesizes that many therapists grew up praised for managing adult problems like calming adults down and fixing things. When they grew up, they wanted to keep fixing things, because they were good at it, however, that meant they ignored their own needs. As a result, therapists can often want to do more, be available more, and help more. While that is a totally understandable and noble desire, it can lead to massive burnout, particularly in an emergency time like during a pandemic when that desire to help goes into overdrive. Right now, Allyson points out that there is nothing to do but over function, as they think unconsciously, “no one is going to take care of me, I’ve got to take care of everybody else.”
A note that Allyson could have written to any therapist. Allyson Dinneen, @notesfromyourtherapist
But, therapists need to put up boundaries. Allyson believes they cannot take care of people completely if they cannot take care of themselves. She explains, “I absolutely discovered that to do this for the long haul, to be a therapist, which is my passion, I have to prioritize taking care of myself. And I'm a crap therapist if I can't take care of myself...I really do think that being a therapist is like getting your own life, kind of, in order, prioritizing your own well being and your own needs. Because you can't help other people do that if you can't do it yourself.”
So, when she writes her notes on her Instagram or in her book, she is not just talking to patients, she is also talking to her therapist peers. She wants her account, like reading about healthy relationships, to show patients that they can want more from a therapist. If they are in a dark oak desk office, feeling ignored, or not connecting, wondering if all therapists are like the person in front of them, they can answer a resounding “no,” because they have seen her account, and they know there is different and better for them out there. For therapists, she hopes her account shows them that there are more possibilities for what they can be. They don’t need to be an emotionless blank slate just because someone told them in school that was what they should be.
And, what can they be instead?
Why, human, of course.
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290d3f4b6972abe985ed5ba8c6cae4bd | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2021/01/19/we-need-to-talk-about-another-pandemic-mental-health-crisis-therapist-burnout/?sh=32912cb34d18 | We Need To Talk About Another Pandemic Mental Health Crisis: Therapist Burnout | We Need To Talk About Another Pandemic Mental Health Crisis: Therapist Burnout
An image of a person burning a candle at both ends, which means to do more than one ought to do, or ... [+] to overextend oneself. getty
There is a clear mental health crisis and growing need for care in the United States. A recent Gallup poll showed American’s assessment of their own mental health is “worse than it has been at any point in the last two decades.” Take any group from college students to pregnant women and you will find data supporting their worsened mental health over the pandemic. With more need comes more demand for services. Yet, even before the pandemic, there was a shortage of mental health providers to meet the demand and that is only going to increase and cause further strain on an already broken system. For example, pre-pandemic there was a national psychiatrist shortage that was considered to be more severe than the shortage in any other specialty. This concerned Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, the President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) as he looked at the mental health landscape. He said, “We face a broad range of mental health issues, including the acute problems of opioid addiction and increasing rates of depression and suicide. I think one of the great tragedies is that some of the most seriously mentally ill individuals are homeless or are caught in a revolving door between prison and the street.”
Looking to the future, Brit Barkholtz, MSW, LICSW, a clinical therapist in St. Paul Minnesota worries that the system is unable to handle the additional strain. She explains, “I keep seeing all of these articles saying ‘the next wave of the pandemic will be in mental health’ or ‘mental health will be the next frontlines’ or ‘a mental health crisis is coming’ and I'm like... are we not already there? Because I think we're already there. Everyone I know has a full caseload and is booked months out, like if there is an even bigger wave coming I don't know how the system handles that when it seems already at capacity.”
Other therapists across the country agree. They explain that there has been a steady and exponentially increasing demand for mental health services throughout the pandemic that has occurred at a pace that has been hard for them to maintain. Dr. Lisa Hayden, a Clinical Psychologist in Southern California, says that her caseload has been larger than it has ever been in 20 years. In order to accommodate more people, she was skipping all of her breaks and even trying to make her sessions shorter, like 45 minutes or 30 minutes, instead of 50 minutes. She notes, “[I] absolutely tried everything but telehealth is different than in person and I found myself mentally and physically exhausted at the end of each day. By December, I really need some time for my own family, as they were really showing the effects of long term stress.”
Brooke Huminski, LICSW, a psychotherapist in private practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, agrees and describes that in her practice she used to get 1-2 referrals a month, but lately she has been getting up to 3 referrals a week, mainly from parents wanting eating disorder treatments for their children. She finds it not only heartbreaking and hard to turn them away, but also challenging because she knows that her typical referral sources (other therapists) are also full. Early in the pandemic, she would rearrange her schedule to see more clients at odd hours of the day to try to accommodate them, but she, too, found it came with a cost to her own mental health and decided it was unsustainable. She no longer does this, but says it much harder to say no when a former client asks to be seen, however.
In addition to sheer volume, patterns that used to allow for breaks in schedules or spacing of clients no longer seem to exist. Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, a Licensed Counselor & Family Therapist in private practice in the Chicagoland area, says that there are usually slower times for patients, like summer or holidays, and those times have not been slow this year. Instead, her caseload has just stayed consistently full. She also feels her clients have increased the frequency of sessions that they need. This was echoed by Brit Barkholtz who said that people who used to meet with her every other week now want to meet weekly and she is trying to find the balance between adding sessions and stretching her schedule to meet client needs, while also trying to preserve her own boundaries. She says in December 2020 she had 24 more appointments than in December 2019. She also had lower cancellations and a longer wait list. She adds, “It makes sense that people want to be seen more frequently; there's the pandemic, obviously, but also here in the Twin Cities I saw a significant impact on the wellbeing of my caseload after the murder of George Floyd and during the subsequent local uprising, that was a really hard time for our community that we're still all grappling with, and then you have the election, and now an insurrection at the capitol...of course people need more support right now.”
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Tamara Hubbard works from home over the pandemic seeing patients Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
Some patients seem to be experiencing more acute presentations as well. Dr. Jessica Stern, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, says she has seen some increase in suicidal thoughts in her practices that she works in and has added additional weekday spots and longer workdays to accommodate some of the greater demand. Kelly Leuty, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in St. Louis says she has seen more patients for post-inpatient treatment discharge appointments and more patients with more acute symptoms like more severe manic episodes or more psychosis. Ms. Leuty adds that she has been more “creative” with her schedule to help get all of her patients in, including working through her lunch hour, double booking clients who don’t normally need a full hour, booking over meeting times, or putting clients on a waitlist for cancellations.
Dr. Emilie B. Joseph, a Psychologist and Founder of Empowered Insights LLC in Washington D.C., has also changed her schedule and clinic rules over the pandemic to be more accommodating for patients noting that she added more slots, added back old clients, suspended late cancel fees, and coordinated reduced fees temporarily due to financial hardships. She points out that she has noticed her caseload has been full of more chronic, persistent mental health issues instead of episodic ones. She explains, “I partially attribute this to the pandemic and sociocultural and political distress because they are significant, ongoing stressors with no foreseeable resolution or end date.” This means that patients are likely to be seen for longer, however, and only adds to the therapist workload.
The Result of Increased Demand: Burnout
While it is not often talked about nearly half of psychotherapists report burnout in their jobs. Psychiatrists, too, have high rates of burnout. In fact, a recent study showed that 78% had scores equivalent to high levels of burnout and 16.1% screened positive for Major Depression. Tamara Hubbard explains, “I’m just going to be real here - sometimes I feel I’m managing well, and other times, I feel I’m not. Being a therapist and having insight into effective coping skills doesn’t mean I’m going to get through a global pandemic unscathed. I’ve absolutely felt more burnt out than normal these past 10 months. Who hasn’t?”
Yet, most therapists initially felt trying to fit in more and more patients and change their schedules to do so was simply part of their job. Brit Barkholtz said it was not really over accommodating, but much like other healthcare workers, she was simply “answering the call of her profession” in the pandemic. She says, “With telehealth, especially, it ends up being so easy to just add an extra appointment here, extra appointment there, next thing you know you've added five more to your week than you'd planned. I don't regret it because I know people need it and I'm just trying to be as helpful and supportive as I can, but it can be a lot. I'm not sure if it's burning me out, I don't really know where the line is between stress, exhaustion, burnout, whatever. But everyone's stressed and exhausted right now, you know?”
With this mindset of prioritizing their clients and helping others, many therapists failed to notice that their adjustments intended to help their patients actually affected their own mental health until they saw the signs of burn out. They then had to later shift their practices to prioritize their own well being. Dr. Joseph said she had to take three weeks off at the end of the year. During that time, she “recuperate[d] and strategize[d] for the new year to implement boundaries around my caseload that would prevent the burn out I experienced last year.” Ms. Hubbard, too, noted that she would catch herself burning out and need to take time off periodically, even just for a day or two, to help her get back to work and cope better. She says that though she initially was able to accommodate clients by adding slots or extra sessions and packing her days, that pace was going to burn her out too quickly and she adjusted. She explains, “As with many of us in the healthcare professions, who likely choose our careers because we enjoy helping people, it’s so hard to want to help everyone at the same time that we’re feeling incredibly exhausted. While I may have chosen to ignore or undervalue my exhaustion prior to the pandemic, I’ve now learned that the best way to be an effective therapist is by taking care of myself and respecting my own boundaries. Once I started doing that, my burnout level began to balance out and I was able to be more present with my clients again.” In order to do this, she says she had to practice more of what she preached and learn to create better boundaries. In other words, even if she wanted to help every client who called, she limited her caseload to manageable numbers and chose not to add extra days or evenings no matter how hard that felt for her. She also has had to adjust her own expectations around productivity and self-efficacy, and has learned to pay more attention to her own needs.
Another challenge for therapists right now is that anything a client is experiencing, including working from home, having kids at home, having a spouse at home, and the trauma of the world events, they as the therapist could also be experiencing. This is only compounded if they identify as a member of a minoritized group themselves. Dr. Stern notes, “This has definitely been a difficult time to be a therapist because everyone we are treating is experiencing such a universal and existential crisis, all while experiencing the world’s pain ourselves.” Ellie Herman LCSW, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Pennsylvania, adds “One of the most tricky aspects of my job right now is that we are all experiencing trauma together. Many of the stressors clients bring up are stressors we all share currently. I, and other therapists, are processing the goings on in the world while also counseling.” In other words, it is much harder to create distance and leave work at work and home at home.
There is, as Dr. Hayden notes, also a degree of guilt in feeling overwhelmed at all, but, therapists are also human, and are living through a pandemic, where their lives have been impacted. As Ms. Huminski points out, sometimes working can serve as a coping skill as it can be rewarding and add to her sense of purpose and meaning. It can also help distract from worries and challenges in her own life. But other days, she says, she can feel burnt out and fatigued by it. Sarah Isaacs, a therapist from Raleigh, NC, notes some of her own burnout comes from not seeing people get better right now. She says, “One of the most rewarding parts of my job is seeing the changes people make in their lives and with all of this going on we are all just maintaining. It is draining.”
Outside of work, to cope, many therapists turn to friends, family, and self-care. Ms. Herman focuses on sleep and has tried blue light glasses to help with the long lengths of screen time of telehealth, while Ms. Leuty credits group chats and social media for helping her stay connected. Nearly universally, however, the therapists endorsed utilizing their own therapist during the pandemic for support, whether they had one prior to the pandemic or resumed again during. Ms. Herman says she started to see one in October and it has been a source of strength to help her cope. She says, “Therapy is self-care. We help clients learn about themselves everyday, and to engage in our own therapy allows us that gift and perspective as well.” Ms. Isaacs says it is hard to stare at a screen for any more time during the day and to make appointments, but she prioritizes it, because it is important to stay well. Dr. Stern adds that therapy, “provides you a space that is yours [and], as therapists, we are consistently absorbing other people’s emotions and experiences, so seeking out your own therapist allows you to release your own.” That space is desperately needed, particularly now.
Of note, however, just because therapists get their own help when they need it, does not mean patients should worry about them handling their problems in session. Ms. Huminski adds, “It can be hard writing and speaking honestly about this as I don't want my clients, prospective clients, or colleagues to worry about me. I'm old enough to have experienced that stigma. If there's a message I want to be clear about is that therapists (and all healthcare workers) can both hold space to help others AND have their own challenges. The important part is that they're addressed and cared for. The danger for all of us comes when the stigma is too high to ask for that help or take that time off.” Ultimately, patients should feel comfortable asking therapists for help, and therapists should also notice that burnout is real and they, too, should prioritize themselves and ask for help, especially in a global pandemic.
Long before Covid-19, psychiatrists warned that the retirement of more than half the current workforce was on the horizon and the need to train new mental health workers was critical. The pandemic and increasing provider distress are only accelerating a trend that was in place for quite some time. Therapists are a limited resource and, cannot, no matter how much they try, make up for a broken mental health system with extra hours, night and weekend accommodations. With wait times increasing and trauma lasting long after the pandemic, it will only be more difficult to see them. But, it will also not be their fault.
To put it simply, as Brit Barkholtz says, “[They] are human. [They] care. [They]’re doing the best [they] can.” It is time to start investing in fixing the mental health system and increasing the pipeline to help give therapists the support they truly need and clearly deserve.
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4c8c6fcb8dbf7c58587afa20385b308c | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2021/03/03/new-episode-of-the-conners-asks-how-much-covid-19-news-should-parents-talk-to-their-kids-about/ | New Episode Of The Conners Asks: “How Much Covid-19 News Should Parents Talk To Their Kids About?” | New Episode Of The Conners Asks: “How Much Covid-19 News Should Parents Talk To Their Kids About?”
Darlene and her son Mark discuss how much they should talk about the news and COVID-19. ABC
“Can we just enjoy sitting down to one meal without talking about Covid-19?
This is the question Dan Conner (John Goodman) poses to his daughter Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and her son (his grandson) Mark (Ames McNamara) in this week's episode of “The Conners.” Dan has just witnessed them exchanging news stories about Covid-19 over breakfast and is concerned by how much Darlene talks to Mark about the pandemic. Given Mark’s anxious nature, he is concerned by how much he might be affected by the constant stream of negative news.
But, truthfully, this conversation could have occurred in any of our households. In fact, as Bruce Helford and Dave Caplan, both Executive Producers, noted, at least for the writers and producers, this was a common discussion at home when they wrote the script in July and August. And, instead of the topic becoming irrelevant since they wrote it, Helford added that it has only become more important “because the amount of information has just been building and building and building and building.”
This cultural relevance to actual conversations of the typical American family is what makes “The Conners” such an important, relatable family show. This is true even, and perhaps especially, during the pandemic. Helford says that while people might feel like they don’t want to hear or see more Covid-19 anywhere, when they watch characters they love, they still want to see reality. This is one reason why they made the conscious decision not to skip years ahead or ignore Covid-19 like other shows. Caplan agrees and emphasizes the importance of honesty and humor to break up the enormous human tragedy that has been the past year. He says, “I think we have a bond with our audience where they expect us to be kind of brutally honest...We feel like we're giving them what they want from us.”
By seeing themselves in the Conners, viewers can even learn from their struggles and mistakes. In the episode, Darlene tries to understand the “right” way to balance the information she tells Mark about Covid-19. Dan suggests that she lie to him as “kids can’t handle everything that goes on in the world.” Yet, Darlene emphasizes that lying is impossible as he can get any information that he wants from his phone and he then would never trust her again.
Dan Conner and his daughter Darlene disagree about how much news about the pandemic Mark should ... [+] receive. ABC
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We know kids are consuming television and social media at increasing numbers over the pandemic, and spend much of their day on theirs screens even just for school. Caplan says balancing social media and multiple screens have taken information control away from the parent and that in itself is quite novel for a crisis. He calls it a “Herculean task” for the parent and one that Darlene, even with the best intentions, has a misstep over.
Sara Gilbert (Darlene) explains, “We are all struggling with what to say to our kids. There is no perfect plan, because the circumstances are so imperfect…Parents are dealing with their own fears and anxieties while having to decide how to handle their kids’ emotions...It’s not a bad takeaway to be honest while still trying to keep in mind that some kids are scared and want their parents to help them feel safe.”
How Do Experts Advise Parents To Discuss Media With Their Children?
Mini Tandon, DO, Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis and Author of the Dr. Mini Mental Health Series, explains that when thinking about how to present news media to kids, no media is not a possible expectation and isolation with too much media is unhealthy. She operates under the premise that “everything in moderation” is the best. This is sort of the “Goldilocks model” of media consumption.
Dr. Tandon says that if you can, watch the news with your kids, or, if not with them, plan to talk about it afterwards. You can also at least have an open line of communication where it is understood that your children can ask you any questions about what they see and if you do not know the answer, you will look it up or ask a professional. Hina Talib, MD, Pediatrician and Adolescent Medicine Specialist at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and Spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, adds that parents can act as a sounding board or fact checker for their kids. For their older children, they can discuss what they hear from friends at school. She also suggests that turning off the news or limiting the news is important, especially as it often replays the same stories over and over and they have often have dramatic, fear mongering headlines.
News messages that come directly from the parent should be tailored not just in amount, but, as Dr. Tandon explains, by emotional maturity and the child’s previous mental health history. For example, if a child has a previous history of anxiety or trauma, they might not be able to talk as much about something like a pandemic, no matter their age. Timing of these conversations is also of critical importance. Dr. Tandon suggests that parents should have these talks when the house is calmer and not when they are tired or before bed. She says, “Timing is important and having a relaxed and open atmosphere where you have time to answer questions rather than [when you are] running out the door saying ‘oh yeah, the world is collapsing’” is key.
Dr. Hina Talib's infographic on instagram (@teenhealthdoc) about tips for news watching in children @teenhealthdoc (instagram)
Keeping these expert recommendations in mind is important as the news can have significant effects on the mental health of children. So can a parent’s mental health. This is something that Darlene becomes acutely aware of throughout the episode and as a result, adjusts her parenting. Caplan explains that she learns, “You can’t get rid of your kid’s anxiety when it comes to something like this pandemic. What you can do is help them tolerate uncertainty and say, I don't have all the answers, but here's what you can do to keep yourself safe....Not BS them, and not try to keep them from the world, but tell them that sometimes the world can be a difficult place.”
Viewers see Darlene and Mark understand these hard topics and this challenging balance between news and mental health together. Caplan thinks this may also help the audience. He says, “ What's nice is that if we can put that out there into TV land and into the audience, at least they can think a little bit about their own circumstances.” In other words, he suggests that perhaps the audience might be inspired to think about their own lives and behaviors from watching the episode. As both producers point out, they want to write stories that hopefully will open conversations in their fan’s lives without an agenda and without being “preachy.”
That is exactly what they do in this episode. Hopefully viewers will watch and go home and talk with their family about the challenges of parenting in the pandemic and balancing staying informed and causing anxiety with the news. The storyline won’t tell them how to talk about it (though they modeled some examples), or in what way, but it at least it will have made them think. Perhaps even about topics they would not otherwise have talked about or even acknowledged as real problems—like anxiety.
Caplan explains, “One of the things that's good about the constant media attention...is it's shined a spotlight on taking a look at the mental health of not only yourself, but your kids during a stressful time like this, and saying it's okay to realize that there's an issue that needs to be dealt with, that there shouldn't be any stigma attached to it.” That is often not the case in families like the Conners and it is important to see this narrative modeled on television, especially at a time with so many compounding mental health stressors.
Gilbert emphasizes that we are facing significant mental health needs right now and a mental health crisis at the same time as we are dealing with the physical health crisis of Covid-19. She emphasizes, “Most parents aren't mental health experts, but the task at hand basically requires that level of knowledge. We are treading water often with our own mental health while trying to navigate our kids’ wellbeing. We are all doing our best." In a year when parenting has been exceptionally different and difficult, we should give ourselves a lot of credit for that.
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fdd364d726e3bf1d640b2ccd26b224de | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2021/03/04/summer-houses-carl-radke-shares-his-mental-health-journey-after-his-brothers-death/?sh=777bf7b359a3 | Bravo’s Carl Radke Shares His Mental Health Journey After The Loss Of His Brother | Bravo’s Carl Radke Shares His Mental Health Journey After The Loss Of His Brother
Carl Radke of Bravo's Summer House Bravo Media
On this week's episode of Bravo’s “Summer House,” we learn that Carl Radke’s brother Curtis passed away after a long battle with addiction and mental illness. Our hearts break as we see Carl’s full reaction on camera: the sounds, the feelings, a complete reality moment, no hold’s bar. But, for Carl, watching this episode is actually a public reexperiencing. It just occurs in what he calls a “Bravo environment.”
In order to feel as mentally prepared as he could be for the public to see one of the harder moments of his life replayed on TV, Carl has spent a lot of time on his mental health, including with therapy. He has been doing acupuncture, exercising and staying strong, listening to podcasts, and has been sober (45 days at the time of this interview). He also has a daily meditation practice that was first introduced to him by a producer on “Summer House.” He feels meditation helps with his short fuse and anger and allows him to take a few minutes to focus on himself. The combination of all of these function as a “good foundation” of self-care, especially leading up to this season premiering.
There is no perfect preparation, though, especially when you haven’t fully processed your grief the first time. Carl admits he still experiences the range of emotions from anger to sadness to just feeling numb. Part of his heightened awareness, he says, is because he, like the rest of us, works remotely and he, also like the rest of us, is with his thoughts a lot more right now. He explains, “When you’re kind of swimming in it all of the time, it can be a lot…Some days I'm numb about it. And, then other days, I'm like, you know, I can do this. And I just want to kind of get past it because I'm basically reliving it twice.”
Yet, while he now lives out his life and even his family’s deaths publicly, that is completely opposite of the environment he grew up in where he hardly ever talked about his private life, his family’s mental health or marital struggles, or his own feelings. He describes his home life as one that was male dominated and says, “The underlying theme was, you kind of bury your emotions and feelings, you don’t talk about a lot of stuff. You know any kind of problem or challenge, you just figure it out, you dust yourself off and kind of tough it out.”
Though he actually went to therapy for the first time as a part of family therapy in 5th or 6th grade, he considered himself to be “auxiliary family” in the room at the time as he was young and didn’t really understand it. He also didn’t tell anyone else about it. He said, “If you talk[ed] about therapy in school you may get made fun of or you get called out or [they may say] your family’s weird, so I kept a lot of that obviously close to the vest.” Because he had a brother who was struggling with his mental health already starting from his teenage years, Carl also worried he would get bullied or people would make assumptions about his family like his parents did something wrong. To counter those beliefs, he worked hard and overachieved, performing well in school, getting into a good college, and even getting a scholarship for academics.
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For much of his life, he also associated therapy and mental health help with negative connotations. Even in college, he says, “If I knew anybody was going to a therapy, it just had a connotation that they were really fucked up or something was really wrong. That it was like your last resort going to a therapist.” It wasn’t until he moved to New York and had multiple stressors, including his parents separation and divorce, financial and career stress, and the challenges of simply living in New York, that he finally decided to try it. Unfortunately, at the time, he didn’t have a great experience because he didn’t relate to the people he saw and subsequently he wasn’t completely truthful with them.
So, instead, as he had grown up keeping everything inside, he explains that he learned to combine hiding his problems with drinking. He says, “You have just crazy behavior and a lot of that I have to look back on TV, unfortunately. So, you know, the lens of Bravo's actually really opened my eyes to just how my behavior and the results of my actions, how that can affect everything.”
In more ways than one, Carl got much more out of Bravo than he expected.
He observes, “This show’s actually, in a weird way, helped me grow a ton. I have a tremendous amount of understanding of myself more than I thought I would.” He points out that while his whole life isn’t on the show and it only features his summer weekends, it has had significant effects on him nonetheless. He notes, “I feel like I didn't really realize being on Bravo would lend itself to such a powerful and personal type of thing for me and my family, but also, a lot of other people that watch Bravo. You know, even in the last year and a half, just being more vocal in public about my own sobriety and trying to take care of my mental health, I mean, the amount of people I've connected with has just been unbelievable. ”
With the eyes of the show’s fandom on him, he has taken it upon himself to help people. He partnered with mental health advocacy organizations to raise awareness and funds. Right now, he has partnerships with Shatterproof, a nonprofit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States, and More Summer Fun, which helped to raise money for the Gaiser Addiction Center, where his brother sought treatment throughout his life. He says that if he can help one family member at Geiser or help a patient get an extra day of treatment, that is who his brother would have wanted to help. He adds, “Obviously Bravo is a tremendous platform. So if I can...while this kind of light is on me, as far as my brother's passing and my own mental health journey, why not partner with the right people that can benefit from it too.”
Instagram post from September 2020 announcing his brother's death. Shirts by More Summer Fun. Instagram, @carlradke
This personal angle, of helping other families through advocacy and his own story, is not something Carl had expected Bravo and the “reality” part of “reality TV” to open him or his family up to, but he feels it has been a really nice surprise. When he joined the show, he thought it would be “a fun experience that I can meet cool people and maybe would help a brand or a business that I work for,” but he has learned that using his platform, he can be an example for other families with a sibling or loved one struggling and can help by just being vocal about his story.
Even though his family grew up keeping their story quiet, at this point, even his parents have grown to accept the public nature of television and appreciate it. He adds that people have also been incredibly supportive, even though he was scared for these stories to be out there. He says, “That's kind of the silver lining...The love and support we've had. It's been amazing.”
Though he is truly grateful for the platform and the ability to use his voice, after people have watched the season, he is also looking forward to having time to spend on himself, his future, and on healing.
He says, “I have a lot going on, a lot of exciting things in my life. This is certainly a relevant thing for me right now. But I'm kind of looking forward to continuing to take care of myself.”
What is he looking forward to you ask?
New projects. A new apartment. And, dating.
He says, “There's a lot of exciting things going on in my life that I'm very grateful for. I'm very lucky”
We can, of course, look forward to watching more unfold in the future.
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a0b368ccaea3f3c61a1a6116b0ce1447 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2021/03/08/i-had-a-miscarriage-as-a-therapist-who-specializes-in-this-very-thing/ | I Had A Miscarriage As A Therapist Who Specializes In This Very Thing | I Had A Miscarriage As A Therapist Who Specializes In This Very Thing
Dr. Jessica Zucker, psychologist and author of I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, a Movement, in her ... [+] office. BONNIE TSANG PHOTOGRAPHY
“So you went in for your routine ultrasound, and there was no heartbeat?”
According to Dr. Jessica Zucker, a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in reproductive and maternal mental health whose first book I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, a Movement is now available, this was the most common question her patients asked her when she returned to work as a therapist one week after her miscarriage. Her patients, she said, knew she was pregnant because she was 4 months in and her body had visibly changed.
How do you answer, though, when the truth is that your experience was traumatic? At 16 weeks into her second pregnancy while home alone she miscarried. And, while the baby emerged she had to cut the umbilical cord herself, coached over the phone by her doctor. How does she tell her therapy patients that she hemorrhaged and needed to have a medically necessary unmedicated Dilation and Curettage (D+C) procedure? In a field that is typically known for its strict boundaries and lack of self-disclosure, this was an even more complicated answer.
She says she responded, “No, the baby actually came out while I was at home.”
With that answer, Dr. Zucker felt her professional trajectory change completely. She could no longer keep the customary barriers between the experiences of her patients and her own. She explains, “I had now become ‘one of them’...I was no longer the psychologist who specialized in a field because it excited me and that I was passionate about based on the subject matter. Now, I was rendered a griever myself. Now, I knew too well the horrible heartbreak I’d been hearing about for over a decade. Now, I was swimming in it, too.”
Not only that, but as their therapist, she had the added role of having to then process the feelings her pregnancy loss had on them. She had to try to reassure them that she was able to still do her job just the same. She tried to tell her patients that she was OK, even though she had just lost a baby the week before, and emotionally felt lost, scattered, and altogether confounded.
Quote from I Had A Miscarriage by Dr. Jessica Zucker, now available (Feminist Press + Penguin Random ... [+] House Audio). Neeti Banerji Illustration
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It was a bit easier to keep her strict boundaries and respond to personal questions from patients when they were about her first pregnancy and not her loss. Dr. Zucker says that in her practice her usual sessions with patients often include conversations about pregnancy, but mostly about the grief associated with it. She highlights that approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies results in miscarriage, about 1 in 160 in stillbirth, as many as 1 in 7 struggle to get pregnant in the first place, and approximately 1 in 8 endure postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. In other words, there is a great need for her work and people often come to her in the midst of these struggles. She adds, “Pregnancy is almost always top of mind, but not in the glowing baby bump, unicorns and rainbows sort of way...The pain is palpable as I sit with people in their darkest season imaginable, as they wonder how they will put the pieces of their lives back together after all the wreckage.”
When she was more visibly pregnant with her first child, Dr. Zucker noticed that her patients suddenly became curious about her personal life in ways that they were not before. They started asking her questions like: “Are you married?” “Is this your first pregnancy?” “Have you ever lost a pregnancy?” “Are you nervous you might lose the pregnancy?” “Are you having a boy or a girl?” and “What does your impending motherhood mean for me? Will you return to work?” She felt comfortable answering these questions, for the most part, and said depending on the patient and what the answers would mean to them, she would be as candid and concise as possible. She, however, did not consciously anticipate what it would be like for some patients to see her pregnancy start to show. Some felt envy and she remembers she was told, “You’re so lucky that you’ve never had a loss and this pregnancy is healthy and moving along swimmingly.” Looking back, she knows her patients were right, she just did not know how lucky she was until she had her own miscarriage. Even though she had heard stories from her patients for years, she really wasn’t worried about pregnancy or the potential outcomes of it, as they hadn’t happened to her. She says, “I didn’t understand from the inside out, until I did.”
The same thing could be said about explaining pregnancy and miscarriage to her patients. Dr. Zucker explains that she learned nothing about a therapist’s pregnancy-how to navigate it, address it, acknowledge it, frame it, or process it in her therapy training, and pregnancy loss certainly was not discussed at all. She says, “How an obvious baby bump showed itself in the therapy office and then at once was gone was not something I was educated about, until it happened to me. Until I had to brave this path firsthand.” She got help from her own therapist about returning to work and found this invaluable, but really, she had to learn all of this the hard way: by doing.
That meant she made a few choices that looking back she might have done differently, like going back to work so quickly (after 1 week). She didn’t realize until she had the grace of retrospect that she should’ve given herself more time. She says she was exhausted and still bleeding for weeks. She felt she didn’t have the energy to help others the way she typically did. Even still, she never thought about or even considered changing jobs or specialties. She never thought it was a burden or triggering to hear patients tell her stories that were like her own. She explains, “If anything, I wondered if patients would no longer want to sit with me because my situation understandably scared them so completely.”
Her loss also helped to decrease barriers between herself and her patients and made her more vulnerable to them. She thinks that patients have a way of making therapists out to be untouchable, like there is no way something could happen to them, especially if they specialize in that field. She isn’t exactly sure why patients think therapists have no current or past trauma, but thinks this belief might help them with trust and confidence in their therapist’s abilities, as if they don’t have their own challenges, they must be better at helping them somehow. She adds that even if patients know that therapists have problems, they don’t think they will explicitly know about them.
However, with Dr. Zucker, her patients had no choice but to know. She was pregnant and then she wasn’t—her problems were in their face. She even later started a social media movement called #Ihadamiscarriage and her history was even more front and center. Instead of being separate from her patient community, her challenges weren’t hidden, and she was actually a part of it. Old patients and new ones alike commented that the online community provided support and a sense that the cultural silence was beginning to finally fade. As a therapist, Dr. Zucker had experienced a miscarriage, just like them, and saying that so vocally out loud was different and, well, human.
An image of the #IHadaMiscarriage campaign created by Dr. Jessica Zucker on her Instagram @Ihadamiscarriage on instagram, Dr. Jessica Zucker
Another mental health professional had a similar experience sharing on social media about her own miscarriage last fall. Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a perinatal psychiatrist, clinical assistant professional professor at GWU, and founder of Gemma, a digital education platform for women’s mental health, says she waited to share on her Instagram @womensmentalhealthdoc until she no longer felt “raw,” as a colleague had advised her to “write about your scars, not your wounds.” She grieved the loss with those closest to her, took a few days off from seeing patients, and said no to other professional opportunities for a few weeks. At the same time, she also processed the loss with her own therapist. A few months later, she felt able to post, and the overwhelming response she received was “me too.” She adds, “I think as mental health professionals who work in maternal mental health in particular there is tremendous power in speaking about these human experiences, because when we as professionals embrace our humanity it gives women permission to embrace theirs as well. Our share creates space for these conversations.”
Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a perinatal psychiatrist, shared about her own miscarriage last fall on her ... [+] Instagram page @womensmentalhealthdoc @womensmentalhealthdoc, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin MD
And, opening these conversations might make therapists better at their jobs, particularly in a year when shared trauma is so front and center, and many patients are experiencing the same things at the same time as their therapists. Dr. Lakshmin says, “There’s an important connection with COVID-19 and how the collective trauma of the year has impacted us all. Whether it’s sharing about pregnancy loss, or burnout, or depression, that’s really what this is about - sharing our humanity — in a field that for so long didn’t do a great job of that.”
Dr. Zucker agrees and thinks her own loss made her more able to empathize with and understand her patients. She says, “I felt more human — like my patients now saw me as fallible. Mortal...Eventually I came to appreciate how my newfound vulnerability really helped me understand my work from a corporeal perspective, no longer just a theoretical one.” It turns out, therapists are also people in the world with hardships and loss and grief, and often, patients like to know and see that, too. Since mental health professionals can talk about every topic behind closed doors, it seems only logical that they should be the ones leading the way in public and breaking down stigma and barriers to self-disclosure- don’t you think? Let’s start with miscarriage.
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62268a6bf1433c3a21b2b74575897426 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2021/03/29/kelsey-darragh-on-mental-health-the-internet-and-coping-with-covid-19/?sh=5fe5bd9a3089 | Kelsey Darragh On Mental Health, The Internet, And Coping With Covid-19 | Kelsey Darragh On Mental Health, The Internet, And Coping With Covid-19
Comedian, mental health advocate, and now author of Don’t F*cking Panic, Kelsey Darragh. SERGIO GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHY
This past year has been anything but easy on our mental health. In fact, during the pandemic, 4 in 10 people have reported symptoms of depression or anxiety, up from about 1 in 10 in 2019. These numbers are only worsened, if you are a caregiver, live in a household with job loss, are 18-24, or are a person of color. And, while need continues to increase, the mental health system remains inherently broken—people can’t afford it, access it, and as therapists burn out and fill up, there are not even appointments available. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that the percentage of people with unmet mental health care needs in the past month increased from 9.2% to 11.7%.
So, what can people at home who are feeling sad or anxious do while they wait for an appointment or look for a different, more affordable solution to their loneliness?
Kelsey Darragh, comedian, writer, and internet personality, has a few ideas from her own experience navigating the mental health system. She was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, and panic disorder at 17, but says she had symptoms as a child. She feels they just did not yet use those words to describe children’s mental health in the 1990s. While she has talked about much of her history on her popular podcast Confidently Insecure, she made it easy for people to learn and work through on their own in her recently compiled workbook called Don’t F*cking Panic. In it, readers can find tips and skills for managing anxiety, panic, and depression, but also ways to go about finding a therapist, what types of therapy there are to choose from, and even different kinds of resources that are available to reduce barriers to care, including sliding scale and virtual options.
Kelsey explains that the book is about “giving power back to the person.” Instead of feeling lost or discouraged or confused, they can do something about it. She adds, “I wrote the book that I wish I had when I was 17 years old.”
And, importantly, the book is written from a personal and patient experience, and not from a professional. In the introduction she writes, “this was not written by a doctor- in fact, our author dropped out of three colleges (THREE!), but by a real person who has spent her whole life desperately and successfully managing her mental health daily.” Though she asked professionals for input and all of what she included is based on her own treatment, she wanted it to sound like it was written from “the other side.” She explains part of her reasoning also in the beginning of the book, “ I can’t diagnose you or tell you that you need treatment, but I can tell you that you are absolutely not alone.” In other words, she wants people to know whatever they are feeling, she has felt all of those feelings, too.
Talking about her mental health is something Kelsey has felt comfortable doing on her platforms for some time. However, it was not always that way. Initially, she says, she worried sharing her experiences with medication, therapy, and her diagnoses and misdiagnoses, would lead to people judging her or branding her as someone who is “unstable or a mess.” She worried that if she shared, the first thing anyone would ever see when they Googled her would be stories about her mental health history and her trauma, which would just tell them all of the reasons why she would not be a good person to hire. She thought it would suggest she was “unreliable and broken.”
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But, her mom changed her mind. While she used to feel alone and “crazy” in her thoughts and feelings, her mom told her that so many people struggled with what she did. As a result, Kelsey began to realize that there was power in numbers, and perhaps, by using her platform (starting with Buzzfeed at the time), she could change the perception of those with mental health issues. She says, “My goal really became about showing how people can be likeable and successful and hirable and totally functioning and still, you know, live with these chronic mental health conditions.” More recently, that has translated into more advocacy, like being a spokesperson for Better Help and helping to advocate for and bring attention to Justice for Saraya.
It helped confirm her decision, too, that as soon as she shared, she got overwhelming feedback. She says, “The best compliment I get is when people tell me that my talking about my story has helped them decide to go to therapy or be open with their partner about their feelings...That's the best feeling in the world, like that feeling trumps sales and likes and hearts and retweets any day.” Since that moment she has continued to make mental health content and has also been “unabashedly myself.”
A post from Kelsey's Instagram showing her typical authenticity. @kelseydarragh on Instagram
While Kelsey was one of the first influencers to show anything but perfection online, she feels that has 100% started to change (“with 12 exclamation points”). According to Kelsey, creators learned before brands did that most followers are attracted to real people. When the creators saw that they weren’t losing followers by being themselves, more and more people started to open up about their struggles. Now, there is a mental health content community online and the internet has become a “safe space” for Kelsey to find support.
She says, “I had already done that traditional Western thing of going to doctors and psychiatrists and therapists...I had never felt the connection that I felt with the people on the internet...That's not to take away from the fact that therapy and medication has fully saved my life, I just found that my outlet and support has come more from internet people than, you know, IRL (in real life) people.”
She has even picked up some of her self-care routines over the pandemic from Tik Tok. There, if she isn’t watching dog videos, she is scrolling through the videos of wellness gurus and self help people who have taught her skills like how to have a more successful day or how to journal for success. Beyond Tik Tok, Kelsey points to Reddit threads, Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats, and even Zoom meetings as options for people to hang out and find support online.
And, if people are concerned about navigating all of the different platforms and apps and finding their people, Kelsey laughs and says, “I could tell you with 100% confidence that it is more stressful to try and navigate the mental health system and care and insurance than trying to find your people on the internet.”
If support from the internet is not right for you, though, Kelsey totally understands as she believes that there is no one-size fits all approach to mental health. As such, the book contains a toolbox of different exercises to choose from so readers can jump around and figure out what works for them. She emphasizes, “What I love about the book is that there are so many different things and exercises and games and treatments to try that if that doesn't work for you like just flip the page, and there's something.”
According to Kelsey, the somethings that could be most helpful to cope with pandemic stressors include the chapter on being OK being alone and the one on managing panic attacks. With so many people alone and not knowing how to better cope with it, and others having what Kelsey calls “private breakdowns” due to all of the changes in our lives, she feels these chapters can help readers right now, like they did for her in the past.
Though the rising rates of mental health needs are concerning, one silver lining of the pandemic is that it has allowed us to become more aware of our mental health. Kelsey explains, “Despite all the trauma and the social injustice and the election, I think this time has really forced people who may have never considered reaching out for help to really be forced to take inventory of how they truly feel. It forced a lot of people to slow down and find out and remember what's important to them.”
Kelsey recommends that people listen to the voice in their head and if it is saying you should talk to someone, or someone who isn’t a friend or family member, you should. It is just important to be in the right mindset and know that mental health is a process and a journey where success doesn't happen overnight. If you have any doubts about that, just ask (or follow!) Kelsey.
Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus
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d47e7fc317f4c5f0903266134ed41fda | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2011/11/08/its-not-you-its-the-judgment-economy/ | It's not you; it's the judgment economy. | It's not you; it's the judgment economy.
Monday:
You can’t get a job. Or a kiss. Or a returned phone call. You inbox is full of nothing but spam and bills. Your nest egg cracked up under the pressure of a thousand brokers’ opinions. You hate life.
Tuesday:
You’ve got three interviews lined up. A date set for Friday. Strangers return your smiles. Stocks rebound. Things are looking up.
What happened?
You didn’t change overnight. Perceptions did. Monday, you ran into some obstacles, in the form of negative evaluations. Tuesday, you encountered more positive opinions on everything from your level of experience to your investment holdings.
Gavels are banging.
Everything is constantly being judged. People evaluate us based on our shoes, our accents, our alma maters, our dental hygiene, our handwriting, our playlists, the volume and pitch of our laughter, the way we walk, the size our pants—the list goes on forever. And every waking moment of our lives we evaluate the weather, organizations, politics, advertisements, and most interestingly of all, other people.
How your nemesis sees you.
Sometimes we’re judged and found wanting and we’re insulted. But when we’re judged and deemed to be in some way acceptable, we’re complimented. When optimists look at companies, they bid up the stocks while pessimists short them. In order to preserve our sanity, all of these judgments should be taken with handfuls of salt. After all, few things are 100% horrible (Hitler, cancer) or 100% wonderful (peace, candy).
How your mother sees you.
Some people just want to punt kittens.
Judged harshly? Judged to be amazing? At the same time? Listen, it’s not you. It’s who’s doing the evaluating—and the state of mind that person is in. The guy whose girlfriend just left him, whose moldy condo is so far underwater it has portholes, whose coffee is cold? He doesn’t think much of your resume. Or anyone else’s. He’s not taking risks. He’s not seeing any upsides. He wants to set rainbows on fire and run over couples who display affection in public. But the guy who just found out he’s getting a massive tax refund and who scored tickets to that show everyone totally wants to see? He’ll probably put your information in the follow-up pile. He’ll buy shares in things that look promising. He wants to sing along to the radio and smile at strangers and send his wife flowers for no reason.
When we feel crappy we see crap everywhere.
When times are tough, like they are now, we tend to get tough on each other, and everything we see. When the economy is on life support and people are scared, we tend to be a little less forgiving. A little less patient. A little more greedy. A little crueler in our evaluations. And that hostility makes everything more difficult for everyone. Naysayers sink stock prices. Pessimists don’t lend money. Bitter, cranky people don’t take chances on new ideas. It’s a vicious cycle and a delicate balance: too much enthusiasm and we get Dutch tulip frenzies, too little and we get the Dark Ages.
Woe is everybody.
When we feel good, we see goodness everywhere.
People are emotional, and people created this economy ruled by perception, judgment, and opinion. We’re moody creatures, full of opinions. Sometimes we judge others and we’re inspired instead of offended. We're capable of seeing the potential for good just as clearly as we perceive gloom. Our generosity can be just as infectious as our pettiness. Our praise is just as powerful as our complaints. So yeah, we’re moody, and that’s what got us into this mess. But you know what? It can get us out of it too: as long as we don't judge too harshly.
We can work with this.
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c14531e8cf62f7c5345e30873ee03625 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2011/12/13/why-weird-is-wonderful-and-bankable/ | Why Weird is Wonderful (and Bankable) | Why Weird is Wonderful (and Bankable)
Weird is wonderful. And it's bankable too.
You know who’s weird? Astronauts. Saints. Nobel Prize winners. Scientists. People with hobbies you’ve never heard of or are afraid to try. People who speak their minds. People with both problems and (gasp) solutions. People who are (enviably) not like you. Being weird means being noticeably different. It means being or doing something that makes other people stare, or laugh, applaud, or boo. And it’s something we all need to cultivate.
Your weirdness is valuable. Here’s why:
Weird has less competition.
Weirdness, by its very definition, is a deviation from the norm—the opposite of a commodity. Weird makes its own markets. Weirdness makes its own rules. Weirdness provides breathing room and leverage.
Weird is less painful.
To fit inside the cookie cutter, you have to lob off a part of yourself. It hurts less to just be authentic. Stop exhausting yourself pretending to be someone or something you’re not.
Weirdness fosters community.
Weird does not equal alone. Google anything you like, and there’s probably a fan club in support of it. When you admit your weird interests or hobbies or skills, you can and will find others who understand, empathize, and share what you thought was an isolating trait.
Weirdness creates automatic notoriety.
Whatever is most unique about you will become your defining trait. This is how we end up with nicknames and calling cards. And when your calling card is actually special, it’s easy for others to remember you. Wouldn’t you rather be “Amy with the trapeze company” than “Amy with a Y”?
More weirdness means more freedom.
When you’re not trying to fit in, you’re free to stand out. Standouts, if you hadn’t noticed, command respect and attention. Sometimes stepping out of line means you don’t have to wait to do what you always wanted to.
Weird calls for premium pricing.
Different isn’t always better, but better is always different. Take advantage of the fact that most people won’t ever dare to be deviant (even positively deviant), and price your goods, services, and qualities accordingly.
Weird is nontransferable.
You can’t get a degree in being weird. There’s no official uniform for the weird (contrary to what you learned in high school). You don’t lose your special qualities if you lose your job. You can't forget your weirdness in your other coat. Weirdness—the kind that isn’t an act—is a part of you. And while it might be bullied into hiding or hidden in plain sight, it’s not something you can ever truly lose.
Weirdness: it's great for parties.
It’s not small talk when you bring up your big weird thing. Weird done right (that is, honestly and positively) is captivating and attractive. Weird is not creepy: weird is what makes life less boring.
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feb2be22ddb47901cd9df51c82a8d61b | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2012/10/04/40-things-to-say-before-you-die/ | 40 Things To Say Before You Die | 40 Things To Say Before You Die
Before you're sprawled on your deathbed, there are some things you really have to say. They're not complicated. They're not poetry.
They're just short sentences with big meaning.
I hope they get you talking.
40
“I wonder.”
Give yourself time to think so the time you spend doing things will be better spent.
39
“Today was good.”
If you can say it once, you can say it again. And again. And again.
38
“I believe in this.”
A god, a plan, a company, a person, an idea—you have to put your faith in something.
37
“I’m not finished.”
Only you get to decide when your life’s work is done.
36
“Thank you for making this possible.”
Because nobody does anything alone. We’re driven and supported and thwarted by others at every turn.
35
“That’s enough.”
Food. Drink. Episodes of Law & Order. Pairs of shoes. Overtime. Articulating your own limits is powerful.
34
“I can do better.”
As soon as you say it, you’re that much closer to making it true.
33
“I’m sorry.”
But you can’t just say it; you have to mean it. Really mean it.
32
“I survived.”
Moments of danger are the plot points of an exciting life.
31
“You’re amazing.”
Let yourself be in awe of another person, and you’ll feel strong and weak simultaneously.
30
“I am home.”
Home is every adventure’s final destination and starting point—and we all need one to call our own.
29
“I did my best.”
If this is true, you did something amazing.
28
“How can I help you?”
Because you want people to come to your funeral, and if they can’t make it, at least they’ll miss you.
27
“I’m lucky.”
You are lucky, in a way that no one else is. Now, what are you going to do with your good fortune?
26
“I want that.”
Ask for it: that’s you get what you covet—from others and for yourself.
25
“This is wrong.”
If you never say it, you embody the statement.
24
“I quit.”
Not everything is worthwhile, and sometimes we don’t find that out until we’re in the middle of a rotten situation.
23
“Isn’t this beautiful?”
The more often you notice the gorgeous world around you, the happier you’ll be.
22
“Congratulations.”
Say this without jealously. Practice if you have to.
21
“Damn, I look good.”
You come from a long line of people who convinced others to sleep with them. Remember that.
20
“I can master this.”
The ability to learn is the foundation of every other talent.
19
“Hold the mayo.”
Ask for the little things on a regular basis and you’ll find that it's easier to make larger demands on occasion.
18
“This is who I am.”
The nervous energy spent pretending to be something you’re not is better spent on practically anything else.
17
“Get out.”
It’s always harder to take back an invitation than to give one, but protecting yourself from personified trouble is always worth the effort.
16
“That was my contribution.”
Own what you’ve worked to create—that’s how your presence will be felt long after you’re gone.
15
“I’ll try it.”
Consider the impotence of never saying you’ll try.
14
“Tell me more.”
Really getting to know someone (or some topic) will help you better triangulate your own place in the world.
13
“This is my favorite thing.”
Enjoy what you love and say this as often as you can.
12
“I earned this.”
There’s a layer of proud ownership over everything you possess that wasn’t merely given to you.
11
“I don’t care.”
Being able to discern between what’s important and what’s trivial is a skill that will save your sanity and your schedule.
10
“Your secret is safe with me.”
Because it feels deep-down good to be trustworthy.
9
“Eureka!”
Being the first to know something is a delicious sensation.
8
“Let’s go!”
Where you’re going often matters far less than the enthusiasm you have for the trip.
7
“I trust you.”
We all need allies, and admitting as much helps forge alliances.
6
“I don’t know how to do this.”
It’s better to admit it and learn than to fake it and embarrass yourself.
5
“I’m terrified.”
Fear is an asset. It can save you from danger and alert you to trouble. Don’t ignore the tingles that run up and down your spine.
4
“This is going to work.”
When this is said truthfully, it’s an assertion of power.
3
“I made a decision.”
Autonomy transforms any activity from a chore to an act of destiny.
2
“I love you.”
We all want to say this, and we all want it said to us.
1
“I understand.”
More important than being right, or being important, is being truly aware.
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70b8d171fbbe1e19c691dac12d93ab29 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2013/04/10/tell-me-who-you-are-not-what-you-are-not/ | Tell Me Who You Are, Not What You Are Not. | Tell Me Who You Are, Not What You Are Not.
Lately, I’ve been working with companies that have stories to tell, narratives to spin. In some ways, these are epic tales. Companies have obstacles, trials, tribulations, competitors and quandaries. They talk about the character of the organization, about virtues and attributes.
But I began to notice that individuals (yes, actual people) don’t talk about journeys or character traits. Indeed, irony lives! We mention what we do, where we live, where we went to school. We describe ourselves in bullet points and keywords, instead of telling stories of our personal histories and victories. We rarely mention our core character traits, or even hint at our true personalities.
We’d all be well served to rethink our narratives. Strangely: we’d all sound far more interesting and human if we talked about ourselves like corporations do. We all have stories to tell. We are all protagonists. But so often, we describe ourselves by what we are not—we use hollow, useless descriptions of our lives and selves. If we can avoid these storytelling traps, our biographies can be epic (even if condensed to elevator pitches).
You are not your job title.
It was bestowed upon you by someone else and can be just easily snatched away. Never build your personal narrative upon something you do not and cannot control.
You are not your real estate.
Your home is defined by the people you love, not where you happen to be and what your mortgage is.
You are not tax return (even if it’s accurate).
How you work and for what are insufficient for a complete and illuminating biography.
You are not your social media profile.
Friends, followers, likes, reposts—blah, blah. Would Odysseus care about comments? Would Beowulf bother with likes? Perhaps—but no tweeting during epic battles or love scenes.
You are not a bullet point list of accomplishments.
Your failures and missteps shape you just as much as your case of trophies.
You are not a bullet point list of mistakes.
Although (unfortunately) far easier to remember than your list of accomplishments, your faults do not tell your entire story either.
You are not a commodity.
Unless you allow yourself to be bought and sold. And that's a tragic tale if ever there was one.
You are not a statistic.
You do too many things and think too many thoughts to ever be appropriately represented by a single numerical value.
You are not the tag on your pants.
Size. Brand. Style. Pay no mind to the footnotes on the bottom half of whatever costume you happen to be wearing. Those trivial details will never make onto your headstone.
You are not your proclaimed beliefs.
Your actions are a far more accurate barometer of your values.
You are not finished. The story isn't over.
You’re still breathing, right?
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695e49e34b2b85a48e55d7c0ebbb9bf3 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2013/10/03/sun-tzus-the-art-of-war-illustrated-chapter-2/ | Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 2: Waging War) | Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 2: Waging War)
Chapter 2: Waging War
1. Sun Tzu said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
2. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
3. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
4. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
5. Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
6. There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
7. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
8. The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice.
9. Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
10. Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.
11. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause the people's substance to be drained away.
12. When their substance is drained away, the peasantry will be afflicted by heavy exactions.
13,14. With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and three-tenths of their income will be dissipated; while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses, breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons, will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue.
15. Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one's own store.
16. Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.
17. Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots have been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first. Our own flags should be substituted for those of the enemy, and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours. The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.
18. This is called, using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.
19. In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.
20. Thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.
English translation via the Internet Classics Archive.
Jump to another chapter:
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 1: Laying Plans)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 2: Waging War)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 3: Attack by Stratagem)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 4: Tactical Dispositions)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 5: Energy)
Sun Tzu's The Art Of War, Illustrated (Chapter 6: Weak Points And Strong)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 7: Maneuvering)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 8: Variation in Tactics)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 9: The Army on the March)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 10: Terrain)
Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 11: The Nine Situations, Part 1) Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 11: The Nine Situations, Part 2) Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 12: Attack by Fire) Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Illustrated (Chapter 13: The Use of Spies)
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c6a7daf511a310327df9db8efc64284c | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2016/06/28/10-things-to-never-apologize-for-again/?utm_source=LINKEDIN&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie%2F | 10 Things To Never Apologize For Again | 10 Things To Never Apologize For Again
(all illustrations by Jessica Hagy)
"I'm so sorry, but—" is the introductory phrase of doom. Apologizing when you haven't made any mistakes makes you look weak and easy to dismiss, not polite.
Still want to say sorry? Then just don't say it in these 10 situations.
1. Don't apologize for taking up space.
You’re three-dimensional in many powerful ways.
2. Don't apologize for not being omniscient.
If you really were psychic, you’d be out spending your lottery winnings already.
3. Don't apologize for manifesting in a human form.
You require food, sleep, and you have regular biological functions. This is not being high-maintenance. This is being alive.
4. Don't apologize for being intimidatingly talented.
Do you detect a wee bit (or a kilo-ton) of jealousy? Good. You’re doing something more than right.
5. Don't apologize for not joining the cult du jour.
If you don’t believe in the life-changing magic of the brand synergy matrix (or whatever the slide-show is selling), you’re more aware than you realize.
6. Don't apologize for being bound by the laws of time and space.
Need to be in three places at once? Actually, no, you don’t.
7. Don't apologize for not assisting the more-than-able.
Get your own stupid coffee, Chad.
8. Don't apologize for not being unimpressed by mediocrity.
Work that gets praised gets repeated. Stop clapping for things you don’t ever want to see again.
9. Don't apologize for trusting your gut.
Don’t walk down the dark creepy alley or into that closed-door meeting with the predator, okay?
10. Don't apologize for standing up for people you care about.
Because you’re tired of hearing them apologize for doing everything right.
Gallery: Keys To Improving Leadership Communication 6 images View gallery
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71d292ea3f1d2785ec7bb68719d47f0b | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2017/07/28/awkward-meeting-bingo/ | Awkward Meeting Bingo | Awkward Meeting Bingo
Because sometimes one hour feels like an eternity. @jessicahagy
This game can be played during conference calls, first dates and other mildly uncomfortable get-togethers.
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b89d4a047cb978ff86c35871f8421d08 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicalin/2021/01/25/reconstructing-the-gig-economy-equation-how-this-founder-is-optimizing-income-and-opportunity-for-gig-workers/?sh=3482014616f0 | Reconstructing The Gig Economy Equation: How This Founder Is Optimizing Income And Opportunity For Gig Workers | Reconstructing The Gig Economy Equation: How This Founder Is Optimizing Income And Opportunity For Gig Workers
Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash
The gig economy in the U.S. has seen a skyrocketing rise over the past decade, with the tremendous surge of ride-sharing, food delivery apps, and other part-time freelance apps beginning shortly after the 2008 financial crisis and which prevails today. According to a 2020 ADP Research Institute Survey, gig work has swelled in the U.S by 15% since 2010, now with 6 million more gig workers today than a decade ago.
Unfortunately, even as companies have expanded their reach, gig worker protections have only decreased. Ballot measures like Proposition 22 passed in California in November 2020, classifying gig workers as independent contractors and stripping them of many of the financial protections and workforce rights of full-time W-2 employees.
I wanted to feature a company that was actually helping to improve the jobs of gig workers in this space, which is how I came across Stoovo, and the company’s Co-Founder and CEO Hantz Fevry. Born and raised in Haiti, Fevry always had an entrepreneurial spirit, starting a number of companies in his home country, including an earthquake detection system that came after a devastating 7.0 earthquake.
When he moved to the U.S. for college, Fevry personally experienced what it was like to face a bank account overdraft, and how hard it was to find a part-time job that could help close that financial gap. Even after graduating college and getting a job at Google as a Technical Program Manager, Fevry remained determined to address one of the biggest challenges gig workers face - how to avoid the income volatility that is so prevalent in their lives. Fevry and his Co-Founder Semih Korkmaz began building out such a platform in 2018, originally focusing on a possible neobank for gig workers. However, they soon realized that asking someone to “save more money” when they don’t earn a lot to begin with was simply not realistic. So the question became, “how can we help gig workers actually maximize their income?”
During his lunch breaks at Google, Fevry would take up gig jobs to understand the reality gig workers faced everyday. He’d drive and pick up orders for DoorDash, Postmates and Uber, and the inefficiencies he witnessed were eye-opening as he faced issues like waiting 30 minutes for a gig only to get paid $4, almost always making less than minimum wage.
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As Fevry sees it, the gig economy can be broken down into three buckets: Platforms, Suppliers, and Requesters, which all operate in their own silos. Platforms are typically run by sophisticated technology that allows them to optimize their demand, while Suppliers (aka the gig worker) are left to fend for themselves. Fevry believes that while “platforms are not evil, they are built to meet demand...but they lack insight into the worker’s financial situation.” No human can process the mass amounts of data available in order to understand which gig to take and which to decline, to best maximize their personal earnings. By helping gig workers understand which jobs are the most financially beneficial for them, Stoovo can tackle the often exploitative nature of these platforms.
Stoovo platform Stoovo
Stoovo’s product is a one-stop shop for gig workers, with two parts to its their platform: 1) pre-earning financial tools that empower gig workers to earn more, and 2) access to post-earning optimization financial products.
The platform works by first connecting to a gig worker’s profile, then recommending to that gig worker when and where to work and on which third-party platform should they pick up jobs (Doordash, Postmates, Uber, Wag!, etc.) in order to maximize efficiency and earnings. Stoovo uses a proprietary AI algorithm that pulls from multiple sources of work data to optimize job recommendations for users based on their unique profiles. Stoovo integrates with third party platforms and has access to data from 6,000 work platforms and 90% of major gig platforms. The data they mine includes airport and road traffic, events taking place, peak times for businesses, geographical data, job timing, financial compensation, job distance, skills required, travel time/cost and more.
This addresses the common scenario that Stoovo sees, for example: An Uber driver who drives from his home in Sacramento to the busier metropolitan area of San Francisco, often sleeping in his car to save money on gas driving home. The driver doesn’t realize that his earnings may actually be higher in Sacramento, considering the supply and demand of drivers, number of customers, and gas prices, etc. By using Stoovo, the guessing game is eliminated and users can see where and when they should be driving to ensure they are maximizing profits, without losing money.
Stoovo’s post-earning tool helps gig workers save by setting financial goals, managing their tax payments, accessing discounts and credits, and providing a “Stoovo Card” to allow gig workers to access small amounts of emergency cash when their cash flow is low.
Stoovo will reach 200K active users by the end of 2021 with around 70% of active beta users what Fevry calls “toothbrush users:” people who use the platform more than two times a day, showing these workers are actively relying on Stoovo’s platform. Not surprisingly, the majority of Stoovo users are Gen Z and millennials, the heart of today’s gig economy. While Stoovo can measure success in terms of user income uplift, which they generally see at 32% or higher, they also have a number of testimonials from users who attest to reduced financial stress.
One Stoovo user from San Francisco was finding a lot of acting gigs on Craigslist, but constantly faced the stress of not making enough to pay rent month-to-month. Stoovo automated and merged his passion for acting with the ability to rideshare to and from acting gigs, boosting his income.
Stoovo isn’t the only platform out there helping to support gig workers. Companies like Steady are also connecting workers with jobs through its their online and mobile jobs board. “The difference is that Steady focuses on the ‘what’...what job is there for you based on your financial context. Stoovo tells you the behavior you should have to maximize your income based on your financial target or goal.” Fevry explained.
As the U.S. economy collapsed during COVID-19, the gig economy accelerated as a record breaking number of full-time W-2 workers flocked to gig work to make ends meet. In 2020, gig workers represented around 35 percent of the U.S. workforce, up from between 14 and 20 percent in 2014. Fevry believes that even as the pandemic passes, the gig economy will only continue to grow, and more support for these workers will be needed and why in the long term, Stoovo hopes to expand its financial services to further narrow the gap of financial protections, rights, and resources that W-2 and gig workers receive.
Fevry left us with this advice for other entrepreneurs tackling this space: “The gig economy is booming and a lot of entrepreneurs are eager to help these workers. But you need to try to understand their problem and put yourself in their shoes. Trust is a very important aspect of the gig economy, and one should not underestimate that.”
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6aaf9dc6e76d839294cfbaa41e9d0d9c | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicalin/2021/02/18/digital-enablement-as-the-new-training-how-this-founder-is-rethinking-upskilling-for-knowledge-workers/ | Digital Enablement As the New Training: How This Founder Is Rethinking Upskilling For Knowledge Workers | Digital Enablement As the New Training: How This Founder Is Rethinking Upskilling For Knowledge Workers
Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash
Over the last 12 months, the seismic pressures of digital transformation necessary for organizations not only looking to survive, but also thrive post pandemic, have ballooned. According to McKinsey, 72% of organizations have experimented with and invested in new technologies since the onset of COVID-19. However, this transformation can only be as effective as the internal talent at these organizations utilizing these new cutting-edge digital tools. So as we think about how to get more Americans back to work post-pandemic, it’s clear there needs to be better software training systems in place to promote this critical digital adoption with employees.
As a former manager in corporate training myself, this is a pain point I’ve experienced firsthand. As the pace of change is more rapid than ever at organizations, training content lags behind, trapped in PDFs and PowerPoints that are static and outdated. I’m excited for a new wave of digital adoption tools to emerge to address this training problem for knowledge workers.
Spekit, a digital adoption and enablement platform for in-app training, is one company doing just that. Spekit was born out of co-founder and CEO Melanie Fellay’s own personal experiences working at a fast-paced San Francisco startup, and watching the company struggle to onboard Salesforce to their 150 employee base. After just one year and hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in onboarding, the company contemplated churning off the Salesforce platform.
The failed results aren’t too surprising given app turnover is 30% per year and for every $1 spent on Salesforce, another $5 is spent on additional services to get it up and running. However, instead of giving up, Fellay was given the task to reverse the failed Salesforce implementation. She essentially overhauled the onboarding process, reimplementing it in an easier to use, integrated manner. This experience for the team was so timely, costly, and downright painful, that Fellay knew there had to be a better way.
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While there are a number of tools on the market that aim to solve this training pain point, Fellay argues many of them lack end-to-end abilities. “I looked at three categories of software - Learning Management Systems (LMS), Digital Adoption Tools, and Knowledge Management Solutions. But thought, ‘do I really need to purchase three more tools just to be able to support our employees? That's three more places our content is scattered and that's not going to solve our problems,’” Fellay said.
She elaborated, “I wished there was a platform that combined a learning platform’s ability to consolidate content, integrated that content into our systems (so as our system changed we could pull in new processes), and offered the contextual nature of a digital adoption system so that our employees could learn in their flow of work. Basically, I wished there was a tool that could educate my employees on how to navigate their applications while reinforcing all the knowledge (playbooks, policies, procedures, etc.) in those same applications, so they had all the information they need to be successful right where they’re working.”
Fellay ended up building these wishes into Spekit, which first set out to tackle the challenges of onboarding Salesforce, given the common and complex nature of the platform. Salesforce’s endless customization makes it so every user has a completely unique platform interaction. However, Spekit’s research shows 44% of teams change or update processes in tools like Salesforce every two weeks, meaning employees are not only required to learn their own unique interactions during onboarding, but they also have to keep up with the constantly changing tools post-onboarding.
Today, people embrace new technology in every aspect of their personal lives, but this mindset hasn’t yet been adopted in the working world. Fellay believes, “[Training] has become such a common and universal business challenge, but at the same time, it’s become so acceptable to have a subpar employee experience.”
Spekit’s end users are knowledge workers who use platforms like Salesforce and other tools in their roles across sales, customer support, and customer success, in industries across SaaS, Financial Services, Healthcare, Airlines, and Real Estate. Spekit has created bite-sized content creation with their out-of-the-box training content and editor, which includes training sessions like Financial Services Cloud 101, CPQ, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Salesforce Lightning, and more.
Spekit platform Spekit
Most of Spekit’s customers come to them during one of two trigger points: 1) An upcoming period of high growth (like after a big acquisition) where they know their current training processes won’t scale, or 2) An upcoming event (such as a critical sales campaign) that needs to be successful where their previous procedures had failed them.
One of Spekit’s customers, a large pharmaceutical company, put Spekit to use in May 2020, when after nearly a year of development, they made the switch from Salesforce Classic to Salesforce Lightning. At that time they were still in the early days of the pandemic and worried how they’d launch Lightning without in-person learning and the training tools that had been used in the past. Spekit was instrumental in allowing the company to provide remote, distributed Salesforce Lightning training to their 200+ Salesforce team members. Even today, their employees continue to use Spekit as a tool to quickly find procedural information to help boost productivity.
While some argue software training doesn't allow for direct metrics, Spekit is able to prove ROI with some tangible efficiency and productivity results. For example, they reduced one customer’s two-person IT team from 1000+ support tickets per year to just 22 tickets per month after six months using Spekit. Other customers like Southwest reported 50% less time communicating new initiatives across 5 systems, Hobson reported 40% less support tickets, and a large services company reported 80% faster Salesforce onboarding (going from 7 hours to 1 hour of training).
In the long term, Fellay sees demand for digital adoption and enablement tools increasing. Thanks to COVID-19 and the work-from-home phenomenon, the need for tech that empowers employees where they work has only accelerated. Employees are no longer sitting in swivel chairs next to each other where they can turn around and ask someone for help. Moving forward, the Spekit team plans to build a more personalized tool that incorporates an intelligence layer of understanding the user’s history and context.
Ultimately, Fellay believes, "Companies are going to shift from thinking culture is adding ping pong tables and beer taps to focusing on cultivating culture through better employee onboarding experience and training experiences to set them up for success.”
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a339bc03740a14a48a57445240801e3d | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicalin/2021/03/25/americas-fast-growing-population-isnt-tech-enabled-meet-the-startup-empowering-older-adults-to-get-online/?sh=64cc1cb74c8f&mc_cid=25d6c258c4&mc_eid=5a2da18187 | America’s Fast-Growing Population Isn’t Tech-Enabled: Meet The Startup Empowering Older Adults To Get Online | America’s Fast-Growing Population Isn’t Tech-Enabled: Meet The Startup Empowering Older Adults To Get Online
Candoo Tech Concierge with a client Candoo Tech
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the pandemic has triggered a new level of tech dependency - from attending virtual events and continuing personal communication to scheduling telehealth and vaccination appointments. One population particularly hard hit by this new dependency is America’s oldest residents, who already struggled to adopt technology into their day-to-day lives pre-pandemic.
This massive and often underserved population of older and aging American adults is set for a seismic transformation in the next decade: by 2030, all U.S. baby boomers will be over the age of 65, meaning one in every five residents will be retirement age. On the tech side, Americans 65+ spend one-third more time each day on “screen-time” than those 18 to 34, making it no surprise that as these Americans age, those 50+ are predicted to spend upwards of $84 billion a year on tech products - a huge market.
On a personal note, I spent many years in high school as an active volunteer at a local senior care nursing home, where I saw firsthand many of the challenges that this population goes through. More recently, I have personally served as remote IT support for my own parents and their tech challenges - a role that I know many adult children are facing today.
Thus, I’m excited to share the story of Candoo Tech and founder Liz Hamburg, a longtime tech entrepreneur in New York City, who witnessed her own father go from a tech lover and early adopter, to someone who struggled to keep up with the pace of change and operate it independently as he aged.
Thinking about her father’s frustration firsthand, she started thinking: “There needs to be a patient, empathetic, affordable way for older adults to get tech support. But when I started looking into the market, there really wasn’t anything.” This gave Hamberg the idea to create the company, which helps older adults stay independent, safe, and connected, by providing them 1:1 tech support from their “Tech Concierges.” While this may sound similar to a Geek Squad or Apple Genius Bar, Candoo Tech goes a very important layer deeper to get at the unique barriers that older adults struggle with the most in tech - namely around accessibility issues.
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Their Tech Concierges work with geriatric specialists, audiologists, vision impairment specialists, and enrichment specialists for specific training beyond technical support. This means Tech Concierges think through reorienting tech products with bigger font sizes, connecting them to hearing aids, creating dark backgrounds with light fonts (equipt for macular degeneration) and most importantly communicating in an effective manner. For example, many older adults struggle to follow instructions such as “open up a browser,” but they can follow “click on the blue compass at the bottom of your screen.”
Candoo Tech Platform Candoo Tech
While Hamburg’s original idea revolved around the importance of face-to-face interaction between these older adults and Tech Concierges (a “show, don’t tell” mentality), the pandemic has forced all of their client interactions online. Luckily, this remote model has allowed them to grow 940% from 2019 to 2020 to thousands of users today, across 29 states. Even while remote, Candoo Tech believes in sustainable and flexible work, which is why their Tech Concierges consist of a mix of part-time and full-time W-2 workers.
Candoo Tech’s customers range from individual seniors to larger organizations, such as geriatric care managers, senior living facilities, area offices on aging, and social service organizations. While these types of organizations are dedicated to working with this critical, aging population, they often have trouble reaching them due to lack of technology. Longer term, Candoo Tech hopes to partner with healthcare providers who need the last mile support to reach this segment of patients.
A service like Candoo Tech is all the more needed especially during the pandemic, as telehealth became the primary form of care, replacing in-person visits to the doctor office. One such Candoo Tech customer, Bill, a 105-year-old in Arizona, needed to send photos with his phone to his doctor, but didn’t know how. In one session, a Candoo Tech Concierge taught Bill step-by-step how to take and send photos, so that he can continue to receive care from his doctor virtually.
Candoo Tech isn’t the only company out there helping seniors better use technology, but competitors seem to play in adjacent arenas. The nonprofit Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) focuses on how tech enablement can increase older adult’s social and civic engagement, and Papa focuses more on connecting older adults with companions who don’t require the same tech training as Candoo Tech Concierges.
In the long term, Hamburg envisions using the data they collect to provide feedback to technology manufacturers on how to better equip their products for this older generation. Even with voice command breakthroughs like Alexa and Siri that appear to be more user friendly, Hamburg shared that many older adults struggle to find the precision needed to operate commands. Older adults are likely to feel this challenge significantly more, and accessibility continues to be a big need. There are a lot of groups and campaigns pushing for better accessibility and design in tech, and it looks like the attention to this population is only expected to increase even as the pandemic winds down in the U.S.
On the flipside, when asked if younger, more tech savvy generations will diminish the need for tech support as they age, Hamburg disagreed, “There’s always going to be something new. Even the most tech-sophisticated people still have questions. Whether it is smart homes or smart cars, we're moving to a world where everything is going to be digitized.”
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9d67c88f956a2b969f0e57cd05986236 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicalutz/2017/10/05/forget-the-american-dream-and-start-building-a-legacy/ | Forget The American Dream And Start Building A Legacy | Forget The American Dream And Start Building A Legacy
Instead of constantly striving for the ever subjective American dream, we’d do well to think bigger.... [+] (Photo by Shutterstock)
In 1931, writer James Truslow Adams wrote in his book Epic of America,
“...The American dream... [is] a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position... The American dream... has not been a dream of merely material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily... It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as man and woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in the older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class.”
Adams wrote of a utopia where each person is treated like a unique individual regardless of social class, gender, race, or circumstance. Today, we inhabit a nation largely run on nepotism, systematic oppression, privilege, and materialism. There’s evidence of it everywhere you look, and once you see it you can’t stop/won’t stop. The American dream is like the perfect ‘blank’- body, relationship, family, career, job or friendship: an unattainable illusion we all strive for anyway , because wouldn’t it be so wonderful if it was real?
Today, Americans believe the key to the American dream is owning a home. According to Hearth Insights 2017 State of the American Dream Report, “all generations–including millennials–agree home ownership is very important to achieving the American Dream.” Aspiring to do world changing things is a great motivator, but it can feel too lofty. How can you possibly go out and hope to be taken at face value (as Adams hoped we might) when you have $80,000 of debt, a head full of liberal arts Trivial Pursuit fun facts, and no clear way to advance your career? You can’t sell your degree, but you can damn well sell your house.
Focus on building a legacy, not the American dream. Image: Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, Design: Nick DeSantis
Instead of constantly striving for the ever subjective American dream, we’d do well to think bigger. Having a career, getting a degree, and owning a home are reasonable goals that will hopefully help you do better than your parents did, but they’re not the stuff of great legacies. We don’t look up to Steve Jobs, Oprah, Sophia Amoruso and Howard Schultz for exemplifying the American dream. We look up to them because they took something simple and turned an entire industry on its head, proving people wrong left and right. Their careers have defined their legacies, but to be simplistic, we don't look to them and respect their title- we respect their courage, determination, character, and integrity.
Let’s get less myopic and start asking ourselves bigger questions: How will you make a mark on this world? What will they say about you at your funeral? What will your legacy look like?
Forget the American dream and start building your legacy.
Watch on Forbes:
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4e6452a59702c886d5000e447ff5db2e | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicalutz/2017/11/29/quarter-life-crisis-got-you-down-try-these-books/ | Quarter-Life Crisis Got You Down? Try These Books | Quarter-Life Crisis Got You Down? Try These Books
If you’re looking for nonfiction books to read during your quarter life crisis, this list is for... [+] you. Image by Life Of Pix on Pexels
Simply put, the quarter-life crisis is the stage in your mid 20s to early 30s when you feel at a crossroads in your career and/or life. You may be searching for more meaning, looking to align your career with your values, rethinking your industry, or wanting more from life than eat, sleep, work, repeat.
If you’re grappling with your quarter-life crisis, you’re in good company. Research from LinkedIn found that 75% of 25-33 year olds have experienced a quarter-life crisis, and 56% want advice to figure out what’s next but don’t know where to go for answers.
Thankfully, there are plenty of resources out there that can help you navigate your quarter-life crisis, and books can help you quit feeling so existential and find direction. Here are 15 vetted nonfiction books I recommend for working your way through your quarter-life crisis.
Welcome to Your Crisis: How to Use the Power of Crisis to Create the Life You Want by Laura Day. If you don’t believe much in your own intuition, you can skip this one. If you’re into what your gut tells you, read on! Day gives practical tools for turning your darkest times into powerful transformation. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. If I could only recommend one book to you, this would be it. This book will make you feel ready to take on the world, and smash your baggage in the process. It’s like having a personal pep-talk in your hands. Gratitude and Trust: Six Affirmations That Will Change Your Life by Paul Williams and Tracey Jackson. “The first step toward feeling better about yourself and your life is the realization that you are what’s standing in your way.” Ouch. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but Jackson and Williams’ six affirmations give you the help you need to get past it. Rejection Proof: 100 Days of Rejection, or How to Ask Anything of Anyone at Anytime by Jia Jiang. Jiang spent 100 days trying to get rejected, all in the spirit of conquering his fear of rejection. He was either rejected (expected, but slightly crushing) or he got what he asked for. Learn from his experiment and get ready to face your fear of rejection head on. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown. This book will change your perspective on your entire life: friendships, relationships, how you view yourself, and how you view the world. Being vulnerable is terrifying, but with Brown’s guidance, it’s doable. Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin Seligman. You’ll learn what optimism and pessimism are, the benefits of optimism, where you fall between the two and how you can become more optimistic and ultimately improve your quality of life. As a recovering pessimist, I can’t stress enough just how utterly useful this book is. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being by Martin Seligman. This is a great book to read after you’ve read Learned Optimism (above). Seligman outlines the permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment and gives plenty of evidence that this stuff works. Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. The title does this book a lot of justice. Sandberg and Grant give practical advice for learning to strengthen your resilience and grow after traumatic events. Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Rick Hanson. Hanson demonstrates how you can take small moments in your everyday life and mindfully use them to steer your brain away from its natural (and unhelpful) negativity bias. The As If Principle: The Radically New Approach to Changing Your Life by Richard Wiseman. “Don’t just think about changing your life. Do it.” Based on the premise initially proposed by Victorian philosopher William James, “It isn’t that our feelings guide our actions (feel happy and you will laugh). On the contrary, it is our actions that guide our emotions (laugh and you will feel happy).” Wiseman teaches you how to bring the principle into your everyday life in small but effective ways. The Turbulent Twenties Survival Guide by Marcos Salazar. “You've graduated from college. Now what?” This book uses psychological research to help you develop all of the skills college didn’t equip you with, like developing the independence and self-reliance to accomplish your goals, and coping with uncertainty, doubt, and depression. Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown. If you’re in a situation and are looking for someone more…adult to step in but you’re it, this is the book for you. Williams’ sense of humor and practical advice will help you become the more adult adult you’re searching for. The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM) by Hal Elrod. If you love to snooze and sleep in, this book is a good kick in the pants for switching up your morning routine. Elrod incorporates several beneficial practices and habits into an easy-to-implement routine that will have you feeling excited about life in the morning rather than sleepy and dreading the day ahead. A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger. If your favorite question isn’t, “Why?” it might need to be. Why, you might ask? (You’re catching on!) “The most creative, successful people tend to be expert questioners.” Berger’s system of inquiry takes you through how to ask good questions to get powerful answers you weren’t expecting. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. Whatever you feel drawn to create, Gilbert gives you a figurative permission slip to pursue whatever it is you’ve been thinking about. She doesn’t encourage you to quit your day job, but instead challenges you to pay attention to and nourish your ideas.
Whether you're in the midst of your quarter-life crisis or you're just starting to feel like something's up, reading is a great way to explore new ideas and get to know yourself better. Don't rush and try to get answers as quickly as possible -- go slow and give yourself time to figure out your next move .
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a47a35849b9629e9e40f9c87431823bd | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicapliska/2016/05/13/seven-people-who-helped-narciso-rodriguez-build-a-career-in-fashion-and-one-who-tried-to-stop-him/ | Seven People Who Helped Narciso Rodriguez Build A Career In Fashion (And One Who Tried To Stop Him) | Seven People Who Helped Narciso Rodriguez Build A Career In Fashion (And One Who Tried To Stop Him)
This is Power of Networks, interviews featuring real-world career advice from leaders at the top of their games.
Narciso Rodriguez is a designer of choice for boldface names from Michelle Obama to Rachel Weisz. But as a first-generation American, he forged his own path, and built his stellar career in fashion through determination, talent and a cadre of supportive mentors and clients. In this one-on-one interview he shares his success secrets and offers inside advice for how to make it in the competitive fashion industry.
Designer Narciso Rodriguez works in his studio. Photo courtesy of Narciso Rodriguez.
Jessica Pliska: How did you leapfrog from a child of immigrants in Newark, NJ to the top of your field?
Narciso Rodriguez: My parents never understood why I didn’t want to be a doctor or lawyer. They’re Cuban immigrants who wanted to give their children the American dream, and, to them, that was more of what “the dream” entailed. Even when I got a top job at Calvin Klein, my mother offered, “It isn’t too late for your father to get you a job working with him on the docks...” My father was a longshoreman. They may not have understood my choices, but their actions taught me to take risks and have courage. They left their home in Cuba and moved to a country where they didn’t even speak the language. From watching them, I learned to be persistent, to pursue my passions and to welcome challenges.
Gallery: How To Be A Better Leader: Four Essential Tips 5 images View gallery
Pliska: What made you decide to be a designer?
Rodriguez: When I was about 13, I met the coolest, chicest young woman I had ever seen. She was a neighbor of mine, who became a fashion designer and had a small design studio. She taught me so many things about style and fashion. I had always loved making things, so when she told me about her career in fashion, I knew I had found my path.
It shows you how important exposure is. If I hadn’t had a chance to meet this woman, I might not be where I am today. I try to give back by talking to young people about fashion. About the profession; the real truths. That’s how you open the door for them.
Pliska: Your network includes some of the most famous women on the planet. How do you make those relationships work?
Rodriguez: Many of my clients have become close friends and that informs the clothing I design for them. Julianna Margulies was introduced to me by her publicist many years ago, and we’ve been good friends ever since. I recently made a dress for her that was based on something she loved that I had made for her 15 years earlier. Our styles have evolved together. Being so close to her, I knew the updates that would make sense for Julianna today.
Soon after meeting Julianna, the same publicist approached me to make something for Claire Danes for her first Academy Awards ceremony. That introduction opened many more doors for me. And here again, Claire and I remained friends and have grown in our careers, together.
I was very fortunate to meet Michelle Obama (before her husband was our president) when she came to a charity event in Chicago where I was being honored. We had a funny, lovely dinner together and this amazing, beautiful woman awed me. She was already a fan of my work, and that initial introduction grew into something very meaningful. In time, I would be asked to make the dress she wore the night President Obama was elected. I’m still moved and honored by that privilege.
Michelle Obama wears a dress designed by Narciso Rodriguez at the election night rally in 2008 when... [+] Barack Obama was elected president. (Photo by: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Pliska: Why were you able to make it in fashion when so many others couldn’t?
Rodriguez: I decided early on that taking “no” for an answer would not be an option. When I graduated from Parsons School of Design, the dean at that time said I would never be a designer. Obviously I didn’t listen.
I've never been afraid to get back up when I've been pushed down. This is important. Over the years when people told me I couldn’t make women’s fashion out of menswear fabrics or cut chiffon to make a blazer, I didn’t listen to them either. And these have become some of the hallmarks of my business.
Pliska: Looking back, is there anyone in your career who opened a door for you that you’d like to thank?
Rodriguez: I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Donna Karan when she was the head designer at Anne Klein. To be able to watch her work was a huge inspiration and a practical learning experience. I hope the young interns and designers that come to work at my company take away as much knowledge and inspiration as Donna gave to me. Working at Anne Klein and at Calvin Klein alongside so many talented people were experiences that I treasure, and which have shaped the designer I am today.
Pliska: What is your best piece of advice for someone starting out?
Rodriguez: Be tenacious. Be confident. But be humble. Learn from others whom have walked the path before you, but be smart enough to know when to cut your own trail.
Be brave! I once hired a young designer because she saw me on the street, stopped me, introduced herself and gave me her card. She was fearless. I knew right away that she had the passion I needed in my studio; so I told her to call my office.
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883f9c9ca7b3e1c84c9652b600983ca9 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicapliska/2016/07/15/rent-the-runway-founder-offers-advice-for-aspiring-entrepreneurs/ | Rent The Runway Founder Offers Advice For Aspiring Entrepreneurs | Rent The Runway Founder Offers Advice For Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Jenny Fleiss, cofounder and Head of Logistics at Rent the Runway, says hard work, bold ideas and... [+] scrappiness contributed to her success. (Photo by Abbey Drucker/Courtesy of Jenny Fleiss.)
This is Power of Networks, interviews featuring real-world career advice from leaders at the top of their games.
Jenny Fleiss, cofounder and Head of Logistics at the high-end startup Rent the Runway, attributes her success to bold ideas, hard work and scrappiness. I sat down with Jenny to get her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Jenny and her cofounder Jennifer Hyman launched Rent the Runway to offer online rentals from designers like Narciso Rodriguez, Cynthia Rowley and Jason Wu. This year the company expects to surpass $100 million in revenues with the launch of Unlimited, a monthly subscription service, and Jenny and Jennifer were selected for the Forbes 2016 Women to Watch list.
Gallery: 8 Women Entrepreneurs To Watch in 2016 7 images View gallery
Jessica Pliska: What was it like being a young woman entrepreneur in the startup world?
Jenny Fleiss: I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, so this is a dream come true. Rent the Runway is democratizing the fashion industry so that everyone has access to it; everyone can wear something that makes her feel great every day. We are also doing something good for the designer community— they can get their clothing out to broad swaths of people across the country that wouldn't normally interact with their brand and the customers are trying luxury pieces without having to commit to purchasing. It’s a win-win.
I’m part of a generation of women where we’ve made so much progress that gender no longer feels like much of a consideration. In fact, our business only could have been started successfully by women. We live and breathe our consumers’ experience every day.
Pliska: What is the most audacious thing you did to launch Rent the Runway?
Fleiss: The idea for Rent the Runway was only a day or two old when I cold-emailed Diane von Furstenberg: “I’m the founder of Rent the Runway. Can my partner and I meet with you?” I was surprised when I actually got a response: “Sure, how about tomorrow?” Jenn and I dressed up in Diane von Furstenberg dresses, drove to New York City from Boston, and walked in with confidence, as if we’d been doing this for years.
Diane gave us her honest feedback that we needed to strengthen our business plan, and she also introduced us to several other designers. That was how we got in the doors initially to see top designers, like Proenza Schouler.
Pliska: How did you secure your first investor?
Fleiss: It required both our network and hard work. In business school, we hired a lawyer, a friend of my cofounder who handled venture capital in the northeast. He introduced us to a number of investors; one of them was Scott Friend at Bain Capital Ventures.
Scott became our first investor. We spent hours and hours so he could get to know our business. We invited the Bain team to our trial at Harvard. They saw that we were "get things done" people. We packaged up dresses and took them to the post office ourselves. We ran back and forth to the dry cleaner. We weren’t afraid to get our hands dirty.
They got to see firsthand the emotional connections that women have with fashion. The vast majority of venture capitalists are white men, so this isn’t intuitive for them. We learned to start every venture capital presentation with a video showing the customer reaction, response and transformation. My advice to anyone looking for funding is to find a way to show your impact. Don’t just tell people about it.
Pliska: What other advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Fleiss: The most important thing I tell people is to make sure that your concept is worth your time and energy, and worth giving up other opportunities to pursue. You need to be brutally honest with yourself. Not every idea is a great idea and the best way to find out is to test your concept with consumers.
We test every concept with consumers before we move forward. We want to see if they will put their money where their mouths are.
Pliska: What’s a common mistake you see entrepreneurs make?
Fleiss: Often, starting entrepreneurs think they are ready to go fundraising too early. You are probably only going to get one shot at that meeting with the venture capitalist. How can you find 40 times to pitch your deck before it happens?
Pliska: Most founders would love to get even a quarter of the media attention you get. How do you do it?
Fleiss: You have to be scrappy to get things done. When we launched, we were featured on the front page of the New York Times technology section. We didn’t have a PR team. Instead, we realized that someone on our initial list of 30,000 customers had a New York Times email address. We did some research and found that it was a woman who wrote for the technology section. Jenn and I knew we had an innovative piece for her, so we invited her to bring a photographer to our warehouse. We put on our most extravagant dresses for the photo shoot, and landed on the front page.
Pliska: What do you look for when you hire?
Fleiss: I look for can-do people, people who can find a path to yes. At a startup, you are always limited in resources. You have to bring optimism every day.
I also look for a cultural fit. I can often tell in the first five minutes of an interview. Job candidates should do some research around the culture. Look at the size of the company and the amount of innovation it is inspiring. Do a recent news search.
Pliska: What do you wish you knew before you started?
Fleiss: We didn’t know how difficult this was going to be, or how many components there were. One of many examples is at the beginning, we were going through a checklist of what we needed to launch the website, and we realized that we still needed photos of the dresses. I had assumed the designers would send them. Wrong. We had to do our own photo shoot. We had never run a shoot, hired models or edited photos. Needless to say, we learned quickly. And we made it happen.
Pliska: How do you open doors for the next generation of entrepreneurs?
Fleiss: We started Project Entrepreneur, a program to teach women tangible skills to launch their own businesses. It’s a hands-on program, so they leave our workshops knowing they have pushed their product forward. We also run a five-week incubator program in the office. We provide advisors and arrange meetings with people at Google and Bloomberg, and investors at places like Union Square Ventures.
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5ddc2bcdfd29a21bc65d43f32d7aa930 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicapliska/2016/09/27/how-to-break-into-the-entertainment-industry-advice-from-caas-head-of-global-client-strategy/ | How To Break Into The Entertainment Industry: Advice From CAA's Head Of Global Client Strategy | How To Break Into The Entertainment Industry: Advice From CAA's Head Of Global Client Strategy
This is Power of Networks, a series of high-level interviews with leaders at the top of their games and shaking up their industries.
As Head of Global Client Strategy at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Brian Weinstein works with top tier entertainment and sports celebrities. After hours, he works on the board of The Opportunity Network, a nonprofit we founded together 13 years ago. In this one-on-one interview, Brian tells which four celebrities inspire him to succeed, explains how nonprofit work can boost your career and shares his insights on how your networks can gain you entry into the entertainment industry.
Brian Weinstein, CAA's Head of Global Client Strategy, says commitment is key to getting your big... [+] break. (Photo by Alison Buck/Getty Images for TheWrap)
Jessica Pliska: What is the one lesson you live by?
Brian Weinstein: You have to make the energy to be kind, thoughtful and convincing every single time. When you are in the business of selling, as I am, your sales pitch may not work at the first, second or third meeting. The fourth person may be the one who buys it. You have to bring the same energy each time.
Pliska: Which clients inspire you most?
Weinstein: Four come to mind immediately. Lorne Michaels taught me that a career is a marathon, not a sprint. Lorne has been producing Saturday Night Live for over 40 years. It is funnier now than it ever has been. Every year he discovers new talent.
Ryan Seacrest is a huge inspiration. Nobody in the business works harder than Ryan. He wakes up, records a radio show, shoots multiple TV shows, does branded advertising and runs his own production company. Ryan has shown me that, no matter how big you are, you have to get up and work hard every day.
Eva Longoria is both an incredible entrepreneur and a strong voice for the Latino community. She puts herself out for issues that matter to her. She works incredibly hard and never says no.
Will Packer, the producer of the Roots remake, is a self-made entrepreneur. When he was in college he filmed a movie, produced it and went to the local movie theater and begged them to show it. That kind of drive is a key to success.
Pliska: When did you first realize that your network could take you places?
Weinstein: In college, I was a summer intern for Representative Nita Lowey. During the year, I kept in close touch with one of the people at her office. It turned out that this man’s mentee was none other than George Stephanopoulos, President Clinton’s communications director. The next summer, I decided to run a soccer program in Bloomington, IN. Big mistake. I was bored out of my mind. I called this gentleman, and within 10 days I had an internship with George Stephanopoulos in the West Wing.
Pliska: After working in New York City for years, you moved to L.A., switched fields and started all over. How did you pull it off?
Weinstein: My wife and I decided to move to L.A., even though I didn’t know anyone there. I called everyone I knew with any connections to L.A. and had at least 30 get-to-know-you meetings. I remember how unhelpful many people were. It was painful to keep making calls, but I kept going. Along the way I had an opportunity to meet Bryan Lourd, one of the people running CAA. He and his partner invited me to dinner that night, and the next day he offered me a job. My tireless commitment to sit through 30 bad meetings allowed me to find the diamond along the way.
Pliska: What do you do to help others break into the entertainment business?
Weinstein: I believe we all have an obligation to open the doors for talented, motivated young people. But they need to do their homework. I tell young people to name the three places they want to work and find job openings at those companies. If they provide me succinct, meaningful information on their goals, I am eager to share it with my contacts at those companies.
Pliska: You founded one nonprofit and served on the boards of several others. Has this helped your career?
Weinstein: It has helped enormously. Most importantly, it enables you to do good, and that is its own reward. But the professional benefits are significant. It changes the way people see you. When you meet people in nonprofit boardrooms, you form connections with them that move beyond commercial relationships. It allows you to have a touch point. You also build relationships with people outside of your industry so you expand your network.
Pliska: When you and I founded The Opportunity Network, you used your network to bring in our initial financial support.
Weinstein: In my 20s, I founded a tech company. The company failed, but it enabled me to build many valuable relationships. One of them was with the investor Alan Patricof, who has been behind some of the biggest for-profit and nonprofit organizations. When we launched The Opportunity Network, I presented it to Alan. He gave us office space and valuable introductions. And with your leadership, we’ve parlayed that investment into a $5 million nonprofit.
Pliska: What are the characteristics you look for when you hire?
Weinstein: I look for an entrepreneurial spirit—someone who has proven that they can take the initiative and get things done. I also look for a positive attitude and humility. These qualities make people good colleagues as well as good employees.
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96f1a4604cde941f58fbcd0f1cff2d56 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicapliska/2019/10/03/expanding-a-culture-of-belonging-in-the-tech-sector-and-beyond/ | Expanding A Culture Of Belonging In The Tech Sector And Beyond | Expanding A Culture Of Belonging In The Tech Sector And Beyond
Belonging isn’t something any one of us creates for ourselves; it’s the product of a shared commitment by all to create a space in which employees can be themselves fully and have that fullness honored and celebrated. Rosanna Durruthy, Vice President of Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at LinkedIn
Study after study cites the importance of organizations supporting their talent through diverse and inclusive work environments. But for Rosanna Durruthy, Vice President of Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at LinkedIn, the feeling of “belonging” is a critical addition to that list. Here, we chat about her path from HR at Blockbuster to LinkedIn, her own experiences with feelings of belonging and the advice she would give underrepresented young professionals at the start of their careers.
Jessica Pliska: Was there an early experience growing up when you recognized the importance of people feeling that they belong and the power of inclusive spaces?
Rosanna Durruthy: I’ve recognized the importance of belonging through moments when I didn’t feel I belonged.
I grew up in New York City, the daughter of a Cuban dad and Puerto Rican mom, speaking both Spanish and English. I attended a predominantly black and Hispanic elementary school and remember moments when I felt caught between two worlds. In the 2nd, perhaps 3rd grade, I was speaking in English with a group of girls who were my classmates and black. Nearby, a group of Spanish speaking classmates, girls as well, overheard our conversation. However, because of the color of my skin and fluency of my English, they imagined I wouldn’t understand the things they were saying – they were surprised when I responded to them in Spanish. Not long after, I experienced the reverse. While speaking in Spanish, I heard my English-speaking classmates mistaking me as someone who wouldn’t understand or be able to communicate in English. So, from a young age, I knew what it was like to feel that I did not belong. And yet at the same time, I also understood the importance of multiple perspectives.
It wasn’t until much later in life, spending time with my closest friends, four accomplished Latina women that I recognized the feeling of belonging. It was a moment of ease – just dancing, laughing and celebrating each other. There was no pretense, no guardedness. It was a moment to acutely sense what it feels like to belong. Both these moments helped me to understand what belonging is at its core: it’s not about feeling like you belong to any one particular group; it is about having the ability to be yourself and to be accepted wholly for who you are — to be welcomed and valued simply for that.
Pliska: So then, what should belonging feel like at work?
Durruthy: Belonging at work should feel no different than anywhere else – it should feel free, genuine and authentic. A sense of belonging can generate a real sense of joy – joy that you are being allowed to define yourself; joy that others around you welcome and accept that which makes you unique. To experience that level of affirmation and freedom is truly a gift and one that we provide for others. Belonging isn’t something any one of us creates for ourselves; it’s the product of a shared commitment by all to create a space in which employees can be themselves fully and have that fullness honored and celebrated.
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Pliska: And specific to the work you lead at LinkedIn, how do you and your team strive to create that sense of belonging at the organization?
Durruthy: We strive to create a sense of belonging through relationships. LinkedIn values the power of relationships and it is vitally important that across the organization we commit to getting to know each individual by acknowledging them and their identity. The gift of acknowledgement is a really powerful one because it can unlock conversations about what motivates people and what makes them who they are – not just what they do.
LinkedIn’s vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce, so we are focused on creating a professional environment where employees from underrepresented groups, in particular, are able to experience the development of their careers and the freedom to be themselves. It’s our way of ensuring all talent can thrive.
Many inroads have been made at LinkedIn and in the tech sector at-large, but there is still a journey ahead to make sure every aspect of business – from onboarding new employees to the way desks are configured – helps all employees feel a sense of belonging. With this, positive energy, productivity and freedom can funnel throughout employees’ everyday work.
Rosanna Durruthy LinkedIn
Pliska: Was there a flashpoint moment in your career journey that helped shape your professional outlook and how you approach your work at LinkedIn now?
Durruthy: I left a role heading up diversity and inclusion at an investment bank to join a company that no longer exists, Blockbuster, as head of staffing and recruiting. As a lifelong New Yorker, I was moving out of my comfort zone to live in Fort Lauderdale where Blockbuster was headquartered. And two weeks after I accepted the role, they shared with me that the company was going to be relocating to Dallas.
The flashpoint moment of doubt was immediate – a native New Yorker, Cuban-Puerto Rican, black, lesbian woman was now going to have to move to Texas. I certainly thought about moving back to New York, but I eventually realized the rare and tremendous opportunity in front of me. I was given a role that would redefine infrastructure for an entertainment powerhouse. So, in the same moment I felt this immense fear, I learned to also recognize moments of opportunity and excitement. My time with Blockbuster was one of the most enriching experiences I could have gotten because I learned the formidable power of relationships, especially in a new city where I didn’t have family and friends. This focus, on building and developing relationships, is definitely a bridge to my work at LinkedIn.
Pliska: What advice would you give underrepresented young professionals?
Durruthy: Don’t worry so much about ‘getting it right.’ Understand that it’s really about how you respond to your experiences and learn from them. I’ve made mistakes in my career, but I also recognize that those lessons and experiences helped get me to my present role. I’m now in role with a work concept that didn’t exist when I started my career. Had I followed someone else’s blueprint for success, I don’t know that I would be where I am now.
Lastly, remember the uniqueness only you can contribute. Start to define a path for yourself – and learn to be comfortable with doubt as you move through your unique journey. For me, I had to be comfortable with my gayness and be willing to be out at work – dealing with that doubt took some time. But if I had existed too close to the comfort zone, I don’t think I would’ve grown the way I have or stretched myself to experience the successes I have today.
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bc490a918cc756e9e3b13daf8a3dcb0f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicapliska/2021/02/26/challenging-the-status-quo-one-apartment-at-a-time/ | Challenging The Status Quo, One Apartment At A Time | Challenging The Status Quo, One Apartment At A Time
21-year-old Maria Ordoñez is making history as the youngest Latina to run for New York City Council. Currently in the elected position of County Committee Member and having also served as Presidential Delegate for New York at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Ordoñez has now set her sights on a competitive Manhattan race, and she is more than holding her own.
“We’re building people power.”
— Maria Ordoñez, Candidate for New York City Council
Maria Ordoñez, Candidate for New York City Council Maria Ordoñez
Jessica Pliska:
What inspired you to launch a campaign for City Council?
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Maria Ordoñez: Growing up in this district and seeing the issues everyday people face. I want to make sure we have someone in this seat who understands the experiences of regular New Yorkers. Every day, I see the hard work people put into their local businesses. I see parents in the neighborhood taking their children to school. All of these things inspire me.
Pliska: You put off your senior year at Columbia University, just one year before graduating, to run. What made it so urgent for you?
Ordoñez: Seeing the lack of representation by women of color in office, and the lack of representation of working-class New Yorkers in our elected positions at the local, state, and federal levels. Of the 51 New York City Council seats, 29 are term-limited in 2021, and among those, we’ll lose seven women. It was a hard decision, but this seat was coming up for election and it was more important to me that the right person be the voice of this community. I felt like that couldn’t wait.
Pliska: We’ve seen strong youth-led impact lately, whether Black Lives Matter youth activists or gun control advocacy by the Parkland high school students. Do you feel momentum?
Ordoñez: Yes! I’m so inspired by the change young people can create together. No matter who you are, you should be able to be a leader in your community. Age shouldn’t be a barrier. It doesn’t define capacity. This campaign is about what I will bring to the community. And there are things I bring that other candidates don’t.
Pliska: Such as?
Ordoñez: I bring my lived experience: I was born and raised here and I still live here. I connect with people who live here. I understand the issues they face around educational equity, housing justice, and racial justice. And I think the person who represents a district that includes Washington Heights should speak Spanish, given that it’s 60% Latinx. I also bring my organizing experience with grassroots groups and local activists. I can bring people to the table, to town halls, and engage in co-legislating and co-governing. I can do that work in a way that reflects the community’s interests and finds community solutions. That’s how we need to work in City Hall, and that’s how I would fight for my progressive platform, whether on environmental justice, education equity, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, or anything else.
Pliska: You’ve said you’ve gotten a lot of pushback on your candidacy from the political establishment.
Ordoñez: Yes. I’m young, I’m a woman, and I’m a woman of color. Someone like me isn’t supposed to run.
Maria Ordoñez, Candidate for New York City Council www.cityheadshots.com
Pliska: What do you say to those who doubt you?
Ordoñez: Well, first they said we couldn’t raise the money. I’m now one of only four out of the 14 candidates who have maxed out our public matching funds from the city, meaning we reached the threshold of donations they require to release the full city match; we’ve hit our spending limit of $190,000. I’m the youngest candidate in New York City history to have maxed out. It’s a measure of the response to our campaign. So we have more money in the bank than candidates twice my age.
Pliska: That’s remarkable, especially in a year of unprecedented real estate industry donations to candidates in this race, which you won’t accept.
Ordoñez: My donors are mainly students, the unemployed, and teachers, giving $10 or $25. The numbers continue to climb and it’s amazing to see the power we’re creating. It’s a testament to the movement and how many people we have behind us who see the possibilities for change. It keeps me grounded, knowing that any work I do is for these people who gave $10 or 25 to get me here, while most of the rest of the field is attached to the political establishment or corporate real estate interests. We’re building people power. Coming together in mass numbers to make change.
Pliska: What will that look like on the ground?
Ordoñez: I once organized for tenants’ rights in the West Harlem building where I was born and raised. It has five towers and nearly 1,200 units. I organized a team in the building and we knocked on every door to hear tenants’ concerns — about elevators breaking down, heat or hot water repairs not being responded to, lack of communication from management — and to ask how we could help. The problem is that oftentimes people don’t think they deserve better. We empowered them to ask for more, and we saw a change from the building. It grew into a little movement in my small community, and that’s what we need everywhere.
Pliska: What did you learn from that experience that you will take with you for the future?
Ordoñez: I had to build trust. One guy whose door I knocked on said to me: “You’re a Columbia student. We don’t want any more of that.” I said, “I was born and raised in this building! We just live in different towers.” That guy eventually came around and posted flyers with us, and as we knocked on more doors, more people began to come to meetings, and got to know me. People would see me around and I’m proud that they would say, “Oh, there’s Maria! She’s knocked on our door 100 times.”
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66ba0aef63291c1008d909547727c548 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicapliska/2021/03/31/how-our-white-networks-exclude-young-people-of-color-from-career-access-and-opportunity/?sh=6f7d516c2cdd | How Our White Networks Exclude Young People Of Color From Career Access And Opportunity | How Our White Networks Exclude Young People Of Color From Career Access And Opportunity
We are asking our young people of color to work twice as hard to access the spaces to which their white peers are often handed the keys. It's our responsibility, not theirs, to break down barriers.
It’s an open secret in this country that access and opportunity hinge on who you know.
It’s also human nature for people to be gatekeepers of that access and hoarders of that opportunity.
Nowhere is this ‘Hunger Games’ behavior more evident than in our national pandemic, as the scarcity of jobs, vaccines, and toilet paper have tested shared norms about community, access, and justice.
But in non-pandemic times, these norms were already dystopian. And it has everything to do with race.
It’s a fact of life that 80% of us get jobs through networks. If you reflect on your own career path, you’ll no doubt find at least one job, and probably more, that came through personal or professional connections, whether colleagues, family, alumni groups, or friends—a ‘hidden job market’ where positions pass through closed networks. No college degree can on its own create pathways to the core building blocks of careers, like internships, mentors, first full-time jobs, and career advancement.
Networks also confer social capital in the workplace—resources that accrue by virtue of a network of institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance. Said plainly: How do you communicate your assets in a resume, interview, or elevator pitch? What email do you send to apply for an internship? How do you advocate for yourself for career advancement or navigate workplace challenges?
To put it simply, the relationships we have teach us the way things work in the spaces we fill. These intangible assets build careers, livelihoods, social mobility, and future generations of wealth.
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Which makes their weight and consequence central to any conversation about racial equity and economic justice.
You often hear people point to a ‘network gap’ among first-generation college students and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) students, as a deficit describing something they don’t have. But of course they have networks, as does any young person—family, friends, neighbors, schoolmates, teammates, co-workers, teachers, church friends, sport teams, and more.
We should acknowledge instead that those people are usually talking about networks radiating from centers of power and influence in this country, which are overwhelmingly white. We should be explicit in naming the systematic and institutional racism that excludes BIPOC students from predominantly white places of learning and work, perpetuating the concentration of opportunities there.
It’s not news that networks are typically dominated by people from the same racial background. The National Bureau of Economic Research calls it “closure”—the idea that social groups restrict access to opportunity on the basis of shared traits and experiences.” But research also shows that networks of white people remain more homogenous than do other racial groups. This means in order to access opportunities, BIPOC students have to work harder for access than their white peers, who often are beneficiaries of these segregated networks.
Not all opportunity hoarding is as overt (and criminal) as using wealth to bribe your daughter's way into college. It might not have occurred to you in this way, but those of us with power and privilege, especially white privilege, are guilty of gatekeeping access and hoarding opportunities for our own communities in perfectly legal ways.
When your company offers internships, do you connect friends and family or advocate for BIPOC students who may not have the same access? When there’s a job opening on your team, do you tap your business school networks or reach outside of your circle? When you’re asked to do an alumni interview for a friend’s kid, do you also call your alma mater to seek out a first-generation college student to interview and advocate for? When you hire vendors for home or work, do you ask neighbors or colleagues for referrals, or explore BIPOC-owned businesses, too?
For two decades, my colleagues and I have worked with BIPOC students to break down access to barriers, with a unique focus on how young people can build, mobilize, and give back to relationships on the path to college and careers. Our students draw network maps and engage with people based on their own assets—their strengths, skills, and experiences. Over six years, they expand those networks through career exposure, networking, career mentors, college connections, and five summers of paid internships. The data support this overall approach: 89% of students we support in these ways secure jobs in their careers of interest or graduate school admission within six months of college graduation.
But in doing this, we are asking our BIPOC young people to work twice as hard as they should have to in order to access the spaces to which their white peers are often handed the keys. It’s our responsibility, not theirs, to break down the barriers that persist in denying them access and opportunity. We can all do this, by acknowledging the power of our networks, opening them up, and leveraging our privilege to require our employers to build truly inclusive workplaces.
We need to be these catalysts, but we won’t need to be for long. The beauty of it is that BIPOC young people, as they ascend in careers across all sectors, will themselves become their own most powerful networks, and, with the ripple effect of networks begetting networks, catapult an entirely new generation of leaders representative of the world around us.
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8d702245cb1e516595b0c7b1a911c285 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicarandazzapade/2019/02/01/chefs-for-the-tiniest-tastemakers/ | Chefs For The Tiniest Tastemakers | Chefs For The Tiniest Tastemakers
Award-winning chefs Jon and Vinny pair with Yumi for delicious meals to please the pickiest of... [+] customers. credit Yumi
Angela Sutherland and Evelyn Rusli, co-founders of Yumi, are on a mission to make delicious and nutritious meals for the most important person in your family, your little one. Yumi, the fastest growing direct-to-your-door organic baby food company, boasts more than 60 flavors with bright ingredients like kabocha squash, Japanese sweet potato, quinoa, and chard that make strained peas look even less appetizing.
“We don’t think there should be a choice between food tasting great or being good for you,” Sutherland, said Yumi’s CEO. “When I had my first child I was looking at the baby food options available and thought, ‘none of this sounds like something I would want to eat, so why on earth would I serve it to my child?’”
And millennial moms and tastemakers have taken notice. Wellness-minded moms Jessica Alba, Whitney Port, Elizabeth Hammer, Molly Sims to name a few, are all Yumi’s customers.
Taking tastebuds a step further, this week Yumi announces their “Chef’s Series,” a partnership with Los Angeles-based James Beard Award Winning Chefs Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo of Jon & Vinny’s to launch a “Mushroom Polenta Bolognese” that layers a hearty mushroom bolognese on top of polenta to create a nutrient-dense combination that sounds tasty enough for even the most refined of palates.
The partnership with Chefs Shook and Dotolo happened organically, according to Sutherland.
“As dads, we exposed our kids to great, fresh ingredients and flavors at an early age. Bolognese has been one of our favorite dishes to serve our kids (and it’s been a staple in our restaurants), so it was awesome for us to be able to recreate this version for other families,” Jon & Vinny said.
Jon & Vinny’s creation is just one of many to release as a part of Yumi’s Chef’s Series, with chef partnerships cooking up in Chicago and New York for later this year, along with Yumi’s new line of snacks and finger foods.
Evelyn Rusli, Yumi president and co-founder, says it’s not just about great tasting food, but also about ensuring wholesome and nutritious ingredients for babies at the right development stage.
“We tailor the food we deliver to you with customized meal plans based on the ages and stages of development that your child is on during the first 1,000 Days. So say if your baby is starting to crawl, they will need more calcium,” said Rusli.
Melissa Litwak, New York-based registered dietitian, nutrition counselor, and certified lactation counselor, says the first 1,000 days is a time from your first day of pregnancy until your child’s second birthday is a vital period of growth for the babies and rapid time of development.
“We’re given the genes we are given, but that doesn’t mean that the fate of our health is set in stone,” Litwak said. “By taking care of ourselves and our baby’s environment, including nutrition, during this time we can have a positive impact on our future health.”
Yumi ranges from $4 to $5 and is delivered in plastic curb-ready recyclable jars, but Litwak encourages parents to think about all five senses when feeding their little one.
“Pour out some of the jar for your baby, and pair it with other finger foods to let your child explore by touching, smelling, seeing and tasting," Litwak explains. "Sometimes that means a mess, but try to keep it fun, remembering it's about fostering a long-term, positive relationship with food and eating."
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fd029fc424fc889f65429cad8edc8987 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicasantana/2019/04/01/sheena-allen-is-bringing-financial-opportunity-to-underserved-millennials/?sh=60f16b296fac | Sheena Allen Is Bringing Financial Opportunity To Underserved Millennials | Sheena Allen Is Bringing Financial Opportunity To Underserved Millennials
Sheena Allen, CEO of CapWay Whitney Gardner
Sheena Allen is no stranger to the world of technology. In 2011, the Mississippi native started her first tech company in her senior year of college called Sheena Allen Apps. With no coding experience, the company went on to receive over 3 million downloads and a number of awards and media mentions.
Now Sheena is working on her next company, CapWay, which provides financial access and opportunity to unbanked, underbanked, and working, poor millennials. A mobile-first platform, CapWay provides debit cards to an audience not familiar with or untrusting of the traditional banking system. The debit cards are combined with financial education, recommendations and opportunities to help guide users on a path to financial health.
A recent FDIC report found that 25.2% of American households are unbanked or underbanked and that 58.7% of unbanked households were not at all likely to open an account within the next 12 months. Additionally, while there has been some recent declines since 2015, unbanked rates for black and latinx households remained substantially higher than the overall unbanked rate in 2017.
The report also illustrated that 52.7% of unbanked households cited three primary reasons why they are unbanked. First, they do not have enough money to keep in an account. Second, they do not trust banks and third, bank account fees are too high or too unpredictable.
The idea of CapWay started in 2016 and since then has been working with schools, community organizations, businesses and employers to bridge the gap between money and millennials. The company’s mission is to help foster financial literacy through its content and ensure that unbanked users who onboard to the platform get a bank account. CapWay considers itself a social fintech company, combining the world of social content with finances. The debit cards is at the core of what CapWay does, but their product roadmap will expand services and products to the ecosystem over time.
When asked what makes CapWay different from other financial products on the market, Sheena says, “Our financial literacy is culturally relevant to the audience we serve. We mix in working with financial experts to working with influencers to speak and teach money in a language that millennials actually care about and understand.”
The idea for CapWay grew from a place of passion and concern for Sheena. She saw how people in her community were falling victim to predatory lending practices and decided it was her responsibility to take action. There is only one bank branch available in her hometown and most of the community got by without one, including her grandmother that used payday loans and check cashing services, which incur large fees.
“Growing up in Mississippi, a state with a high population of financially underserved residents, saw the perfect opportunity to solve a problem that impacts over three billion people worldwide from a perspective that most wouldn’t understand”, she says. “Those in inner cities and rural areas have not always had the same access and convenience as others. Instead of their community being filled with banks, they are usually filled with predatory financial services.”
Sheena continues to say, "People argue there is no money at the bottom of the pyramid, yet the predatory economy is bringing in billions off of the lower-to-moderate income population and those who lack financial literacy. There is a way to be profitable while focusing on this group and not robbing them."
CapWay is a team of 8 people with $625,000 in funding from Initialized Capital, Backstage Capital, and Liberty Bank. While the idea for CapWay grew from a need in her community, Sheena is taking her company national and announced a move to establish headquarters for CapWay in Atlanta in 2019.
Since CapWay is considered a neo-bank, Sheena is also believed to be the youngest among only three black women in the United States to own and operate a bank, alongside Kiko Davis and Nthabeleng Likotsi. For more information, visit http://capway.co
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949e49ecb99522e47681c3ca6cfd4f14 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicashortall/2016/07/18/renee-diresta-putting-numbers-systems-and-efficiency-to-work-in-a-classic-un-career/ | Renée DiResta: Putting 'Numbers, Systems, And Efficiency' To Work In A Classic Un-Career | Renée DiResta: Putting 'Numbers, Systems, And Efficiency' To Work In A Classic Un-Career
Renée DiResta’s two-year-old son says, “Mommy goes to work,” and her husband simply says that “Renée does things.” The real truth is that DiResta is undefinable, and therefore at home among her Un-Career peers who never do the same thing twice.
She’s been a Wall Street trader and a tech venture capitalist. Today, she’s part of the founding team for Haven, an automated freight procurement platform; in parallel, she’s co-founder of Vaccinate California, a grassroots parents’ organization that helped to eliminate the Personal Belief Exemption that allowed parents to opt out of immunizations for school-age children. DiResta is also a 32-year classical pianist who has performed at Carnegie Hall, a trekker who has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp, and a Latin, swing, and blues dancer.
Photo credit: Bill Wadman
In other words, she has a highly typical Un-Career path, marked by significant accomplishments in diverse personal interests, non-linear day-job progression, and a dance card so full it’s hard to believe just one person is getting all of this done.
DiResta gets a lot from pursuing wholly unrelated passions at the same time. “I would never have met Haven’s co-founders or helped start a logistics technology company without two prior careers in totally unrelated industries,” she tells me. She points out that her seven years on Wall Street exposed her to automated trading and the transformations that tech wrought on the financial services industry. Technology was efficient in “connecting buyers and sellers, and largely eliminating brokers and middleman costs,” DiResta tells me. Her next act as a venture capitalist brought her into contact with a number of hardware companies (she later published a book called The Hardware Startup, Building Your Product, Business, and Brand), where she witnessed the difficulties in efficiently and affordably transporting goods around the globe.
image provided by the author
DiResta put these two insights together, and “began to wonder why there was no exchange for connecting buyers and sellers around freight capacity.” She then did what so many non-linear, Un-Career people do when they hit upon an unexpected connection that opens a door to a new path: she got on the learning curve and put her head down. “I spent about seven months learning how the logistics industry worked, who all the players were, what the drivers shaping the space were.” Along the way, she met her future Haven co-founders, and they continued learning together. “We bought maritime industry textbooks and had a giant Google Drive folder of notes,” she remembers. “We spoke with dozens of people, because hearing firsthand accounts of actual industry practices is incredibly valuable.”
DiResta is still a committed learner – another trait common to Un-Career professionals. “I take online classes (Coursera!),” she tells me, “and I read constantly.”
Her work with Vaccinate California is not so different, at its core, in terms of bringing together DiResta’s passions and skills. At the heart of everything she does is a love of “numbers, systems, and efficiency.” She’s open to wide interpretation on where to apply those combined passions, as long as the application is solving problems. With Vaccinate California, DiResta is “growing a grassroots advocacy movement the way one would grow users at a startup.”
As with all Un-Career journeyers, DiResta’s future pursuits are likely to be as eclectic as her path thus far. But her life is likely to continue to include a commitment to service to others, which is deeply ingrained for DiResta. “I really admire people who successfully integrate career and service,” she says. She describes a mentor, Dr. Les Paldy, who served in the Korean War as a marine, had a career in nuclear physics, and then moved into a policy role, negotiating arms treaties.
DiResta, for her part, brings a formidable skillset and intellect to bear on her public service work with Vaccinate California. Her data analysis of the influence of anti-vaccine groups Twitter , published in Wired, is a perfect example of DiResta’s love of “numbers, systems, and efficiency,” brought to new light in mission form.
“I’m lucky,” DiResta says. “In both my career and my side projects, I’m working on problems that I’m passionate about.”
This post was updated on 7/18/16 to more accurately reflect DiResta's role at Haven.
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14a7349da27c4a47af874f2992d14280 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicastillman/2013/10/01/is-london-big-enough-for-a-second-startup-hub/ | Is London Big Enough For A Second Startup Hub? | Is London Big Enough For A Second Startup Hub?
Yup, if a new London incubator and other developments outside Silicon Roundabout are anything to go by.
Gentrification, it’s a problem for startups too.
The startup scene in East London is clearly reaching boiling point with a steady stream of events, accelerator and funding news coming out of the area dubbed Silicon Roundabout. That’s great news for the city and for the startups resident in the area, but it’s more problematic for entrepreneurs with big dreams but tiny pocketbooks.
"To be honest with you, it was partly borne out of the excitement of doing something different and pushing West London," says Simon Hill, co-founder and managing director of idea management startup Wazoku, of his company's decision to locate on the other side of town from most of the well publicized action, but he continues, "it was massively borne out of the fact that it’s a lot cheaper over this side of London still. Shoreditch [in the east] has become very, very expensive."
Hill’s solution to rising real estate prices would be familiar to generations of big city dreamers with limited resources – move further out to the neighborhood no one else wants… yet. Hill’s co-founder James King also runs the incubator Find Invest Grow (aka FIG), so Hill took his company to their newly minted office space across town.
"Around September last year a piece of land became available behind Westfield [shopping center in West London]. There was a bunch of warehouses back here, and so we took over the whole warehouse and turned it into our own West London incubator that houses a whole host of different businesses. Having our own four walls was good," he explains.
The Advantages Of Heading West
This location in FIG Village has other advantages besides a simple set of walls. "A lot of the companies we work with are actually out West. If you look at where Cisco, where Microsoft , where the big B2B tech is, it’s actually out this side of town, as is Discovery Channel, Sky and the BBC," Hill says.
Wazoku, which provides an internal idea generation and management platform for the BBC has clearly benefited from this proximity. But has being away from the East London tech action created other hassles for the fledgling company? Quite the opposite, claims Hill.
"A lot of clients, they’re struggling for meeting space in Central London. They’re really happy to come to us. We’ve got a huge space. We’ve got a Muay Thai boxing gym in here, so we have two boxing rings in the office – people find it quite quirky. If we’re going to meet clients, then the fact that we can show them an interesting space that isn’t just four desks in a really expensive Shoreditch office gives us some more credibility," Hill says.
And The Downsides
If Hill and other West London startups have the classic advantages of the gentrification pioneer – big, character filled spaces in which to create – he also faces some of the same challenges. The biggest one? Imminent interest in the transforming neighborhood that will shift the real estate market once again.
FIG’s warehouse home is slated for demolition in the next few years to make way for an expansion of the shopping center that also serves as its landlord, so the incubator is already making plans for a move. "We’re already looking for where might the next big warehouse project is that we can take over and bring in even more exciting businesses," Hill says.
That might be a hassle for the companies in FIG Village, but it’s good news for the city, Hill feels. “I certainly think West London is changing. The Chelsea/Kensington area is trying to make a push for having some level of tech presence as well, as is Notting Hill," he reports. "It’s a testament to how much is going on in London writ large that people are not just concentrated in a one-mile square area."
So will the growing prominence of West London startups create a new hub to rival Silicon Roundabout in the east? That’s not exactly how Hill sees it.
"They’re actually branching out and turning London into a tech city itself," he concludes.
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d039aeef1429be30d55c11e75edae1c3 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicastillman/2013/10/28/the-other-revolution-sweeping-the-middle-east-startup-fever/ | The Other Revolution Sweeping The Middle East: Startup Fever | The Other Revolution Sweeping The Middle East: Startup Fever
A new book challenges readers to look beyond the usual headlines by examining the small but dynamic startup clusters sprouting across the Middle East.
As people, we tend to like our stories tidy. This tendency even has a name – narrative bias – and it’s why seeing a biker cuddling a kitten is funny or a video of a little girl playing heavy metal drums is click-worthy. It is also probably the reason you haven’t heard of the startup clusters growing steadily in the Middle East.
That little known scene -- and the reasons for its relative obscurity -- is the topic of Christopher Schroeder’s recent book Startup Rising: The Entrepreneurial Revolution Remaking the Middle East, which profiles the growth of tech startups in countries like Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Middle Eastern startups make headlines in the West with far less regularity than the area’s political upheavals and religious debates, but as Schroeder explained to Forbes in the interview below, that’s mostly down to our perceptions rather than the size or sophistication of the scene (which, by the way, boasts far higher female participation that Silicon Valley).
How did you get interested in startups in the Middle East?
I helped form a group of American and Arab CEOs a few years after September 11th. We just wanted to get to know each other. Two of the leaders from the Arab side, the founder of the world's largest emerging markets fund The Abraaj Group, Arif Naqvi, and the founder of the Fed Ex of the Middle East and Africa Aramex, Fadi Ghandour, started talking about tech startups in the Middle East. In 2010, they put their money where their mouth was and had this huge gathering called ‘Celebration of Entrepreneurship’ with 2,400 young entrepreneurs and a 2,000-person waiting list. Nobody wanted to talk about politics. All they wanted to do was build stuff. I went there and was blown away.
How big a scene should people picture when they think of startups in the Middle East?
Honestly, it’s stunning to see because it's not only amazing developed, but being developed by the entrepreneurs themselves, bottom-up. I think the reason why so many of us have such trouble picturing it, honestly, is narrative bias. It’s hard for us to get [our heads] around emerging markets, especially the Middle East, having access to technology and that young people do great things there like they do anywhere else. To give you a sense of it, when I was a judge at an MIT Arab startup competition, which had almost 15,000 people participating, 40% were women. You will never see that at a Silicon Valley event. Ever.
Why do you think the level of female participation is so high?
It’s terrible to try to generalize, but what I can say about the Middle East, because I asked a lot of women about this, is the definition of a great entrepreneur is a person who can work around challenges and make stuff happen. And that’s the story of women in the Middle East for years.
The other thing is there’s a long tradition of women as entrepreneurs at home building crafts or doing tutoring or whatever. Now technology has allowed them to reach neighboring communities that they couldn’t reach before or put their goods online and sell them around the world.
Who are the folks doing these startups in the Middle East typically? What’s their background?
It’s really all across the map. Many came to the West and understand the West. A lot of them are well educated at decent schools within the Middle East, and a lot of them are from lesser schools. It is a wide spectrum because there’s such wide access to technology. An entire generation has access to software that really, really works. The story of our time is that young people can do amazing things today they could never do before.
Are many founders aiming to leave or are they hoping to stay and continue to grow their businesses in the Middle East?
Software is a two-edged sword. One edge is that people can build at home in ways they never could before. The other side is they can move to where they can succeed. The idea that every one of these entrepreneurs would love to get up tomorrow and go to Silicon Valley is just simply not the case. Some of them would. I think particularly in the Arab world after the Arab uprisings, there’s a real sense of pride in the ability to build things that scale for a market that’s very large and becoming more tech savvy at home. But when governments squash that opportunity, you bet these guys are thinking about moving on.
How difficult is it to succeed – how high are the bureaucratic and political hurdles?
There are two different things to think about. There is the sort of basic ecosystem challenges, which I think are true in all emerging markets. There are things like political instability, rule of law, wide breadth between rich and poor, education systems not prepared for the 21st century, crime, your ability to repatriate capital. But those who are comfortable with navigating around those will have great opportunity here as in other emerging markets.
That’s different than Syria and what happened this summer in Egypt. So you need to make a distinction between stuff structurally in emerging markets generally, which is hard, but great entrepreneurs can work around, and governments really trying to squash the internet and/or their people. That becomes a very, very different story.
Is technology the only root cause of this blossoming of startups in the Middle East? Are there other causes?
It’s amazing to me how many American people will ask me, ‘this all started because of the Arab Spring, right?’ If you have the ability and the power to seek your political voice, why would you not seek a voice in your economic future? It’s all part and parcel of the same thing. Because of technology people have the ability to coalesce, to coordinate, to build courage, to see how other people live, to see that, if someone over there does something and they’re successful, maybe I could do it over here. That’s been taking away people’s fear from every spectrum of their lives.
The other big story is most of these countries have a huge youth bubble, and I’ve seen nothing that proves to me that traditional business or government is altering the opportunities for those young people. Therefore, young people are saying, I better create work for myself. I better create economic opportunity because I don’t see anyone else who’s doing it.
What have been the reactions of the governments in the region – are they promoting the startup scene? Squashing it?
It’s happening bottom up, not top down. Some governments embrace it. The King of Jordan for years has been embracing it. Dubai as well. Frankly, sometimes politicians look at this as an opportunity to make speeches, but they don’t have any value whatsoever in terms of the ecosystem.
Are the startups at the stage where they need capital and, if so, are they getting it?
There has long been some tradition in different countries of the Arab World of private equity, and in the last two to three years there has been a real uptick in angel investing. But the challenge really is the A round. Some very large ecosystem players are beginning to raise $100-200 million dollar funds for that. Secondly, outsiders from South Africa to India to the West have done some toeholds to get a sense of this market. Thirdly, you have some of the big enterprises like Vodafone putting some money in.
More exciting is that some of the early players who have had success are putting their money back in. For example, the founder of Maktoob, which was bought by Yahoo! for almost $200 million, has something called Jabbar Capital now and he’s investing in a bunch of companies both early and at A round. These are early days and there’s no question that the political challenges of Syria and Egypt put capital on the sidelines, but it’s absolutely in need. It’s absolutely not there yet. There’s motion in that direction. We just have to see how it goes.
Photo credit: Frederique Harmsze via Flickr.
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d19281710eb54e406b0f455029f350a3 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicastillman/2014/02/21/you-need-to-change-how-you-talk-about-diversity/ | You Need To Change How You Talk About Diversity | You Need To Change How You Talk About Diversity
Here’s the good news: It’s 2014 and most senior leaders, when asked directly, will tell you that they’re committed to getting more diversity, including more gender diversity, into their organizations.
The bad news: when you ask them why, they generally put you to sleep.
That’s the key takeaway of a new report sponsored by KPMG and conducted by Dr. Elisabeth Kelan and Patricia Wratil of King’s College London, and based on 20 in-depth interviews with CEOs from across the world and a variety of industries. When asked, this representative sample of top business leaders made a firm business case for ensuring more women are recruited into and rise to the top of their organizations.
The rationales used by the CEOs “very much reflected the traditional business case arguments around attracting and retaining talent,” according to the research report, which notes, that “there were a variety of arguments used to support the idea that women improve business and enrich organisational culture, including: women enriching the decision-making process, speaking up, being more in touch with their emotions, adding a new perspective and having complementary skills sets to men.”
Probably you’re thinking something along the lines of, so far, so good, but that’s not what the research team concluded. No matter how well meant, CEO’s focus on hard numbers and impersonal reasons may actually holding back their agenda of working towards gender parity.
“If CEOs want to make progress towards gender parity in their organisation, they need to understand the power of doing things with words,” the report stresses, before recommending that leaders who are serious about seeing change dial down the emotion-free business logic and dial up the personal and empathetic.
“Speech acts should be personal. A strong, heartfelt narrative in support of their engagement on gender parity can signal to the organisation that the CEO’s commitment is authentic,” the researchers suggest. “In the interviews, CEOs seemed more hesitant to share their personal motivations, favouring instead the business and the social cases for change. But we would encourage CEOs to be brave, and bring the personal case to the fore much more, balancing facts and statistics with personal anecdotes in explaining why gender parity matters.”
Leaders may worry that an emotional case is weaker and more open to attack, but connecting on this level is key to actually driving change, the report stresses. So if you’re a business leader keen to encourage diversity, don’t shy away from talking about your own story or those of your daughters, mothers and wives to illustrate own personal epiphanies about the importance of a more inclusive organization.
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74054a9a10c8c97fac1e870ddf3e162c | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2017/01/19/4-things-you-can-do-today-to-boost-your-websites-google-ranking/?sh=482a58fb163f | 4 Things You Can Do Today To Boost Your Website's Google Ranking | 4 Things You Can Do Today To Boost Your Website's Google Ranking
Photo courtesy of WDnet Studio
Launching your own online business is a very exciting milestone in life. You’re on the path to financial freedom, you can create your own work hours, and you no longer report to someone else from nine to five.
But more often than not, the dread of trying to stand out in the never ending world wide web kicks in. Let’s assume you have a great, unique idea, you’ve proven there is a demand for this must-have new product you’re selling, and you’ve launched a beautiful site, now what? Crickets. No traffic means no money.
How do new customers find you? These four tried and true tactics will help you increase your Google ranking and in turn increase traffic to your site.
Create A Link Building Strategy
Backlinks are incoming hyperlinks from one web page to another website and they pass equity to your site, think of it as a vote of recommendation. Backlinks are the most important factor determining your site’s search ranking. Start your link-building strategy as early as possible because it can take months for google to update your ranking and for you to reap the benefits of your link-building efforts.
As with most things in life, aim for quality over quantity. A single link from a well-known authoritative site goes much further in increasing your SEO rankings than getting hundreds of links from smaller unknown websites. There are many ways you can go about building links, including pitching to editors of major magazines or news sites or partnering with popular bloggers.
Google can penalize you if it seems as though you are getting backlinks unnaturally, so it’s best to be patient and put in the work.
Increase Your Site Speed
Do you remember how you reacted the last time you tried to visit a site and it wouldn't load? Like most people, you probably exited the tab and moved on. If your site load times are slow, it won't rank high in search results. Not to mention, the customer experience won’t be positive if your site isn’t up an running in seconds, three seconds to be exact. For every second longer that goes by, your abandonment rate will skyrocket, leaving unhappy customers and potential sales on the table.
So, what can you do about it? Use tools like pingdom to test your site speed and get a comprehensive report showing you where and how you can improve time-consuming processes to gain speed.
Update Your Site Frequently
Having a company blog will do wonders in achieving this task. Google wants to see that you have a dynamic and active website. Of course, you won’t always have new products to launch, or updates that need to be made to your site, that’s where the blog comes in. You can regularly publish blog posts on the latest topics and trends within your industry, which helps your search engine ranking in the long run, and the new content gives your customers a reason to return to your site.
Optimize For Long-Tail Keywords
New websites have a hard time competing for top keywords, that’s why it’s best to start off by identifying long-tail keywords (a phrase containing three or more words) that your site can more easily rank for. The task of identifying what those long-tail keywords should be is tedious, there’s no way around it. Google’s Keyword Planner is a great place to start plugging in keywords that are relevant to your site to see what the competition for each of those keywords looks like. This will help you eliminate the ones you shouldn’t be optimizing for and select the ones that can work best to drive traffic to your site. The three key things to look for:
Keywords Monthly searches Competition (number of search results Google returns)
If you spend a few days doing some homework and identifying the best keywords for each product/page of your site, and be sure to plug those keywords onto the appropriate pages, your site will clearly communicate what you're selling to google. This will allow you to attract targeted customers who are looking for exactly what you are selling.
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73a57bc92ad7405ab60ebb5021830b5d | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2017/11/20/choosing-the-right-e-commerce-platform-is-critical-to-your-success/?sh=6bf7f36e1a46 | Choosing The Right E-Commerce Platform Is Critical To Your Success | Choosing The Right E-Commerce Platform Is Critical To Your Success
Shutterstock
A lot more goes into building a successful e-commerce business than you might think.
The way some people talk about e-commerce, you might think it’s a fully automated business model that doesn't suffer the same pains as, say, a brick-and-mortar storefront, or a creative agency that’s taken up shop at a local WeWork.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, e-commerce can be just as challenging as any other type of business. And in some cases, even more challenging than a more conventional company, simply because it is so reliant upon one single variable: a third-party platform.
In order to build an e-commerce business, you need to leverage a third-party platform like BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, Volusion or Magento. Sure, you can sell products independently through a custom-built website, but in order to really scale your operation, at a certain point you’re going to need one of these platforms.
But any e-commerce entrepreneur will tell you that the biggest challenge in e-commerce is dealing with the limitations of these platforms. This is exactly what Colton Chorpenning, the marketing lead at Veppo, faced as he migrated his site from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus – and then back again to BigCommerce.
“It was a $30,000 mistake for us to realize that the Shopify Plus e-commerce platform wasn’t right for us,” he said. “They rely heavily on third-party apps to provide many essential functions, forcing vendors to install dozens of monthly subscription apps and then figure out how to make them all work together. We eventually moved back to BigCommerce, where at least we had more control over our business.”
When you look at the data, it’s easy to see the war raging between the various e-commerce platforms vying for a piece of the explosive market. In Q2 of 2017, online sales exceeded $100 billion, up 16.3% from this same quarter a year ago. And if that’s not enough to make your jaw drop, Amazon’s total sales on Prime Day in 2017 exceeded $2 billion.
The e-commerce business model is incredibly profitable, not just for the vendors but for the platforms that help these vendors scale from modest up to even nine-figure businesses.
So, before you make the same mistake as Veppo, here are four things you should consider when selecting the right e-commerce platform for your business.
1. Calculate the Costs. All of Them.
All platforms have costs associated with them. Which means, if you’re coming out the gate with a new business or product, make sure you can support the cost of an e-commerce platform before you spend the money.
“This was one of the reasons we actually ended up leaving BigCommerce originally,” said Chorpenning. “They increased their prices, and at the time we didn’t understand why. Of course, it wasn’t until after we made the move away from them that we realized why those costs were justified. So, my suggestion to other e-commerce entrepreneurs is to work in this cost from the beginning, and pad it heavily." The platform is one thing you shouldn’t skimp on; it's an investment for your business, and an important one.
Another thing to keep in mind is whether you’ll be paying a flat monthly fee or if you should expect to pay more for transactions, bandwidth, server storage, apps and plug-ins down the road. All of these costs need to be considered in your decision, to ensure they fit well within your business model and existing cash flow.
2. Don’t Believe the Hype. Do Your Research.
Just like anything else in business, don’t base your purchase solely off the marketing associated with the brand.
Take the time to do your homework on each of the platforms you’re considering. Get on the phone with a sales rep and ask as many questions as you need to. Make sure you fully understand what you’re signing up for, and confirm that the functionality that’s required for your business to operate successfully is included in what you’re paying for.
Determine whether the platform serves all the functions your business requires, and even ask about things that seem basic, such as editing orders or automating emails to customers. E-commerce platform companies have their own marketing strategies and it can be easy to believe the hype and read positive testimonials that make you believe it’s the next big thing out there. But that isn’t always the case; make sure you do your homework. Not every platform is right for every business.
3. Make Sure Your Team Can Use It
It’s amazing how different a product experience can be based on its user interface.
Before you sign up for a specific platform, make sure you think hard about who on your team is going to be managing it—and see which interface they like better. Remember, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in there managing your business, so if the interface is clunky or confusing to you (or someone on your team), that’s going to pose problems and inefficiencies.
The truth is, e-commerce platforms are supposed to make it easier for businesses to sell products and services to their customers—and to make the customer happier by streamlining the transaction process. So, unless those primary goals are being accomplished, it’s the wrong fit for your company.
And you’re much better off learning those hard lessons before you build your entire business on a platform that isn’t the right fit.
4. Select The Right Hosting Company
The same due diligence applies to selecting your hosting company. The last thing you would want is to go through all the effort of selecting the right e-commerce platform, only to have problems with your servers. Not to mention, a poor web hosting platform can have a negative impact on your search rankings because it can cause your site loading times to be slow, or worst-case scenario, cause site downtimes.
Researching the different hosting options upfront is also key because switching hosting companies isn’t an easy feat. In some cases, you will need the help of a developer to back up the entire site and help you move it over to a new host, which can take days.
Some important questions to ask of any hosting company before signing on are:
Do they provide 24/7 support? Do they provide daily backups of your site? Will your site will be on a shared server? If so, how many other sites are on one server at any given time? What are the security precautions that need to be taken when you are sharing a server with other companies? Will the shared server impact your outgoing emails to customers in the event that one of the other companies on the server gets blacklisted as spam?
Bottom line is this: after all the time, money, and effort companies put into designing a site that will convert traffic into sales, it’s of utmost importance to ensure the site is up and running all of the time. The host is where your site will live, and that should be on the most reliable and effective service you can get.
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5d73786abdcb44e5b89c8b9a7b45d694 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2018/01/23/why-the-gig-economy-can-be-essential-to-business-growth/ | Why The Gig Economy Can Be Essential To Business Growth | Why The Gig Economy Can Be Essential To Business Growth
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While the gig economy continues to grow, it is often misunderstood and confused with staff augmentation and the hiring of longer-term contractors. The gig economy isn’t made up of unemployed people looking for work. In fact, the majority of workers in this economy aren’t even interested in a long-term position; 63% of freelancers stated that they started freelancing by choice and not because of necessity.
By 2027, freelancers are expected to become workforce majority based on the current growth rate, due to factors such as automation, freedom, flexibility and the ability to earn extra money. What’s more, nearly 50% of Millennial workers are already part of the gig economy.
Unleashing The Power Of Freelancers
For businesses who embrace independent contractors, there is much to be gained. Highly qualified workers are ready and willing to be deployed to accomplish clearly defined outcomes. This, in turn creates both time and cost efficiencies that translate into bottom line profits for companies of all sizes.
“Tapping into the gig economy can be a big cost saving to larger companies,” says Herb Blanchard, President of AXIOM Learning Solutions. “Hiring experts for a specific project cuts overhead, ramp up time, hours spent interviewing and on-boarding permanent candidates, as well as long term payroll expenses. All of these eliminated costs drop to your bottom line.”
For smaller companies with even tighter budgets, hiring freelancers allows for select strategic investments on a fixed cost basis. By aligning your existing employees with mission critical business functions, utilizing freelancers empowers companies of all sizes to concurrently and efficiently work on important growth projects while maintaining more control over the available budget.
Driving Forces Of The Growing Gig Economy
“I think the adoption and corresponding growth of the gig economy may have surprised a number of companies,” says Blanchard. “Let’s face it, as work continues to evolve, freelance workers understand their need to stay relevant to what companies need. Specialty workers allow companies to deploy the skilled workers they need on demand.”
With the fast adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other technologies, today’s workers understand what they are doing today may not be needed tomorrow. To avoid being displaced, freelance workers invest in their own education in order to increase their skills and become more attractive to companies.
Beware Of Misreporting Employees As Contractors
Not everyone will be a winner in the growing gig economy. Generalist temp agencies that tend to charge a large placement fee and/or an expensive percentage of the hourly wage, are not well positioned for growth in today’s business environment. With technology delivering more transparency, companies are not settling for interchangeable lower-skilled temporary workers that can often also lead to high turnover.
Moreover, the Internal Revenue Service is examining the tax filings to find companies who are misreporting employees as “contractors,” as the IRS believes this may simply be an effort to dodge taxes. That is, the IRS believes that some companies are using full and part-time contractors to essentially do the work that a company’s core staff does in an effort to avoid paying payroll taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance.
Whether intentional or not, an estimated 3.4 million employees are classified as independent contractors when they should be reported as employees. The general rule is that if the independent contractor is doing essentially the same job as one of your employees, then they should be classified as an employee.
Embracing The Gig Economy
Given the accelerated growth of the gig economy, companies that wish to put that growth to work can begin by looking for specific projects where a specialized freelance expert would add tremendous value. "Working with freelancers has allowed me to work closely with remote talent at affordable rates that I wouldn't have had access to otherwise. Even more, collaborating with freelancers has also allowed me to experiment with ideas without having to formally hire employees - something that has made all the difference while working to keep costs low as I grow my business,” says Krista Gray, Owner of GoldSquare.
While there will continue to be a need for new employee hires, today’s economy allows companies to expand faster with seasoned talent focused on strategic growth opportunities. Success of each well-defined project encourages even more growth with a seasoned freelance team. By embracing the gig economy today, companies of all sizes will be better positioned for the ebbs and flows of business tomorrow.
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ec594e393d9cec94e6ecb23117ff67d2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2019/05/01/why-marketing-your-product-is-more-important-than-the-product-itself/?ref=hackernoon.com | Why Marketing Your Product Is More Important Than The Product Itself | Why Marketing Your Product Is More Important Than The Product Itself
Photocredit: Getty Getty
With roughly $4.8 trillion in retail e-commerce sales projected globally by 2021, it would appear that there is ample opportunity for e-commerce businesses to excel. However, nearly 8 out of 10 online stores fail within the first 24 months, often due to problems concerning subpar branding and an excessive emphasis on the product itself rather than marketing the product.
While your product is critical to sustainable business success, poor branding in a digital era of social credibility and brand recognition can make your product irrelevant.
“ It's not the best product that wins but the best-known one that wins ,” says Jaiden Vu, Founder and CEO of Vantura Cosmetics, an e-commerce business that specializes in organic and vegan cosmetics.
The company was able to capture a sizable audience of Facebook and Instagram followers before even launching a product. With a budget of $5,000, the cosmetics company gathered a following of more than 27,000 people on Instagram, 6000 on Facebook and over 10,000 emails in just two months – without a product launch.
The company utilized social media tools such as UNUM, an app for planning and publishing digital content that provides data-driven insights, partnered with other companies for promotional giveaways, and were very consistent with their publishing schedule in order to grow their following.
Vu cites a unique strategy for launching a successful e-commerce business in an increasingly competitive market for 2019.
“If you run an e-commerce business, your first initial action is to develop or find a great product, make sure it works, and then build a website and social channel,” he says. “The first step is correct, but everything after is why most e-commerce fails – the reason Vantura Cosmetics is trending is not because we focus on crafting the perfect product, but we focus on the vision of our branding.”
As e-commerce continues on its path towards social commerce and product content syndication, branding will remain a powerful tool and competitive edge for emerging from a crowded field of competition.
Building Your Vision
Content is king, and selling a vision is as important as selling the product itself. Consumers want to be part of a community that is recognized on social media and within popular culture. One of the best ways to incorporate a vision into your branding is with personalized and relatable content.
Consumers spend approximately 48% more when their online shopping experience is personalized – echoing the compelling sentiment among marketers that personalized branding is the future of marketing. Part of catering to the preferences among consumers is cultivating a brand story that they can identify with.
“As a business, your job is to sell a vision, not just a product,” says Vu. “You sell that vision right, and the product will sell itself. Ask yourself: what is your story?”
Vantura Cosmetics was founded on the vision of everyone feeling confident with their natural features and radiant skin. “The mission is to develop a culture around physical authenticity as opposed to keeping up with the superficial media standards,” says Vu. A narrative that many people identify with, at a time of persistent social pressures among younger generations.
The generational impact of social media on Gen Z and Millennials can often have several adverse consequences, with social pressures among the most prominent.
Creating a relatable brand story can be just as powerful as advertising strategies that analyze conversion rates and individual shopping habits – since the storyline is fundamentally personal already.
The method of marketing and branding distribution is critical, especially considering the proliferation of new mediums for content production and consumption.
Distribution And Social Credibility
Many e-commerce brands operate on a shoestring budget in their early stages. The brand story you want to portray to your audience is the foundation for how to distribute your narrative on social media and content platforms. Managing your marketing campaign can come with significant pressure to get it right the first time as a result, which means coming up with an effective distribution strategy before you even launch a product.
“It's your job to get your company and product on your audience's radar,” says Vu. “If you miss your initial chance to advertise properly, don't expect to get any major returns.”
The primary challenge in producing an effective advertising strategy from the jump is hitting the right content channels and generating optimal engagement.
Social media and e-commerce are quickly becoming intertwined, rapidly blurring the lines between mobile applications, web stores, and social media channels. Additionally, according to a recent report by Global Web Index, nearly 3 in 10 consumers cited finding or researching products as the primary reason for using social media, and 24% of consumers detailed finding brands for the first time on social media.
People do business with brands that they trust, and fostering a social media community with a distinct message and story is vital to creating that trust.
“Social credibility is everything in business and is even more important as an e-commerce business,” says Vu.
An established and successful method for building initial trust in your brand is through influencer partnerships. There has been a recent boom in celebrity influencer posts on social media, and it is no secret that the growth of influencer marketing is going to continue. According to the same Global Web Index report, 14% of digital consumers already find out about new brands from celebrity endorsements on social media.
Social media celebrities encompass vast audiences of followers who already have a favorable view of them and, by extension, a certain level of trust.
Small e-commerce operations may not have the budget to hire leading social media influencers, but even the lesser-known celebrities can prove a valuable injection of credibility to your brand. Their reputation combined with a brand vision that resonates with your intended audience, can make your e-commerce brand stand out in a saturated market and quickly position your product amongst leaders in the industry.
Many e-commerce brands fail because they approach branding with a convoluted plan that has no explicit focus, relying on the quality of their product without taking into consideration the evolution of e-commerce in a digital age. Simplifying the process can be the key to success for many e-commerce brands.
“Everything looks simple if you strategically hone in on what works,” says Vu. “You don't have to be an innovator; you just need to model and execute on what works.”
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a474a7c62c66ddf78646f7ffe969c5eb | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2019/06/30/open-plan-work-spaces-lower-productivity-employee-morale/?sh=2460cb0761cd | Open-Plan Work Spaces Lower Productivity And Employee Morale | Open-Plan Work Spaces Lower Productivity And Employee Morale
In recent years, open-plan office spaces became a trend that businesses were quickly jumping on. Many large corporations redid their office design just to accommodate the newly desired open work spaces. I experienced this first hand when a corporation I was working for introduced their plans to overhaul our office into an open concept. I knew immediately that it wasn’t a good idea and would not work well. Not only because of the negative reaction of majority of employees, but also because having less structure in any shape or form seemed to be a step in the wrong direction in an already bureaucratic and at times, unorganized work environment.
Today, studies show that these open work spaces have the opposite effect they were meant to, and actually reduce productivity and lower employee morale.
Zach and Sam Dunn, twin brothers who founded Robin, a Boston-based SaaS workplace scheduling and management platform, share why the open architectural concept hasn’t been working. The company recently raised $20 million in a Series B round, and is solving the issues that arise in open-plan offices using data and technology.
Lack Of Face-To-Face Interactions
In a recent study funded by Harvard Business School, findings showed that open office spaces with limited spatial boundaries, actually decreased the volume of face-to-face interaction significantly, by approximately 70%. And virtual interaction, via email and instant messenger, increased.
Rather than increasing face-to-face conversations and promoting collaboration, open spaces appear to trigger a natural human response to socially withdraw from team members—the exact opposite result the architectural changes were supposed to produce.
The study suggests that employees don’t feel they can speak out loud in open offices because being in such close proximity, they would distract their colleagues. Instead, employees stay tethered to their workstations and resort to chatting online.
“With or without improved workplace design, increasing in-person interaction by inspiring movement throughout the workplace is key. By suggesting different spaces for different kinds of work, our tool helps create more social collisions throughout the day,” says Sam Dunn. With office maps, interactive calendars and maps to find the right meeting spaces quickly, the platform makes scheduling and meeting with team members more efficient.
Lack Of Privacy
Many privacy complaints come from generations accustomed to cubicles and private offices. Often times, a distaste for open office layouts is due to personal preference and a refusal to evolve. However, other complaints stem from employees not having enough private spaces to work in throughout their office or simply wanting the privacy to make personal phone calls from time to time—a simple necessity for any employee.
“Personal phone calls aside, we find many people say ‘privacy’ when they mean ‘control over my environment’. Helping employees easily find and book space in their workplace for focus time, private phone calls, and collaborative meetings is critical and can relieve much of the social anxiety around not knowing where to go or understanding if a space is truly available,” says Zach Dunn.
Decreased Productivity And Transparency
31% of employees in open offices say they hold back their true thoughts and opinions while on calls in the office because they don’t want co-workers to hear and judge them. Large companies already struggle with employees speaking up or voicing their concerns when they disagree with others on projects or initiatives. Giving employees yet another reason not to voice opinions is definitely a step backwards, not only for employee engagement but also for being innovative.
1 in 3 workers feel distractions and noise from open work spaces hinder their productivity, while 1 in 6 say it hinders creativity as well.
Job Dissatisfaction
1 in 8 (13%) of open office workers in the U.S. feel that their company’s office layout has pushed them to consider leaving their job and feel resentful towards more senior staff with private offices.
Nowadays, a company’s most valuable asset is its people. Nonetheless, companies tend to experience attrition when their workplace doesn’t reflect an investment in their employees. Offices can be very stressful places—without adding the stress of a poorly designed office that doesn’t allow for employee interaction or any private space. Job satisfaction plummets when companies default to a one-size-fits-all approach and don’t justify the choices behind who uses a desk and who doesn’t, for example.
“Our goal is to make employees feel like they have more power over their workplace. This power comes from increased visibility and control over their own office. Unless employees have a solid understanding of the resources available to them and how to access them, the workplace can feel like a limiting space. Whether it’s someone’s first day or their fifth anniversary at the company, unlocking the office should be as simple as looking at a map,” says Sam Dunn.
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477d49f4200adcd0dabda9d8639be35f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2019/07/16/6-tips-for-getting-online-reviews-and-building-customer-trust/?sh=70583d297982 | 6 Tips For Getting Online Reviews And Building Customer Trust | 6 Tips For Getting Online Reviews And Building Customer Trust
Shot of a young woman using a digital tablet while working in a coffee shop Getty
Online reviews are simply good for business. Positive reviews, and a good number of them, can build immediate trust with new customers, increase a website’s conversion rate, and even create publicity or buzz around the brand.
But you don’t have to take my word for it; the data agrees. According to a 2018 survey by BrightLocal, consumers read an average of ten online reviews before feeling that they can trust a company and 57% of consumers will only do business with a company if it has 4 or more stars (out of 5). On the other hand, a whopping 92% of consumers, reported from a survey by Fan & Fuel, hesitate to make a purchase if there are no reviews. “Good reviews, word-of-mouth buzz, and consistent positive publicity – that’s the lifeblood of any serious, scalable business,” says Justin Wu, the founder of Rebl, a new online credit card company.
Of course, getting consistent online reviews for a new business is easier said than done. Let’s take a look at six ways to get positive reviews for your business.
1. Offer A Gift For Every Review
The first step to getting more online reviews is to simply ask for them. If you don’t ask, few customers will remember to leave a review and even fewer will spend time figuring out where or how to leave a review.
Sending an email blast asking customers for a review is great way to get the ball rolling. Always make it as easy as possible for the consumer. And if you want to increase the number of people who actually write a review, offer a small incentive (10% off their next purchase, for instance). According to a report by PowerReviews, 55% of consumers that don’t typically leave reviews said they need motivation to do so. Offering a discount on a future purchase or a free sample of an upcoming product can give customers the extra motivation they need to take the time to write a review.
2. Create A Facebook Page And Google My Business Account
Collecting reviews on a company website is crucial for increasing on-site conversion rate. But that isn’t the only place that customers are looking for online reviews. According to data collected by ReviewTrackers, 63.6% of consumers check reviews on Google before visiting a local business, which is more than any other review site. Similarly, Facebook now influences 52% of online and offline buying decisions, as reported by Digitas.
In other words, online reviews beyond the ratings on a company website, are key. Creating a Facebook Page and a Google My Business account allows companies to collect online reviews where potential customers are already looking for them.
3. Ask For A Review When The Customer Is Most Motivated
In addition to using small incentives to encourage customers to leave a review, it’s equally important request a review at the right time – when customers will be the most motivated to leave one.
So when is the right time? “It really depends on the business and the products or services that you offer. If you sell simple consumer products, like clothing for example, then asking for a review right after the customer receives the package, when they’re most excited, is probably a good idea. If you sell a more complex enterprise product, such as a CRM, then you will probably want to wait a week or two to ask for a review until the user can really appreciate and utilize your product,” shares Alec Beglarian, Founder of Engage, an email marketing company.
4. Respond To Every Single Review
It might seem like a lot of work to respond to every review that people leave, but doing so can encourage new customers to leave reviews, increase your conversion rate, and even build more meaningful relationships with your existing customers. Not to mention that customers will receive a notification that you have replied to their review, creating a more personal experience.
In fact, people don’t just read reviews, but 89% of consumers also read businesses’ responses to reviews. Additionally, a study performed by Harvard Business Review found a link between high online ratings and businesses which respond to customer reviews, indicating that responding to reviews could increase your business’ overall online rating. So it's a smart marketing strategy to take the time to thank customers for their positive reviews and smooth the edges with negative reviewers.
5. Share Positive Reviews
Not surprisingly, 97% of consumers say that company reviews factor into their buying decision. And the likelihood of consumers purchasing a product with at least five reviews is 270% greater than the likelihood of purchasing a product with no reviews.
Positive reviews directly impact sales. Whenever you get remarkable reviews, case studies, or testimonials from customers, make the most of them. Post them on the homepage of your website, share them as images on Instagram or Facebook, and include them as a “P.S.” at the bottom of your emails. When people see glowing reviews about a business, it helps build credibility and trust.
6. Address Negative Reviews And Offer Solutions
Since 89% of consumers read businesses’ responses to reviews, perhaps a response to a negative review is the most important of all.
Kind, helpful, and problem-solving responses to negative reviews can save nearly-lost customers, and increase loyalty and trust of current customers.
According to Fan & Fuel, 35% of people say that one negative review is enough to make them decide not to buy. Just another reason to respond empathetically to each negative review, proving to on-lookers that the company cares about its customers and is willing to solve their problems.
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fbc15cdf22ccc0a47228a0cc7e61cd84 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2019/08/31/the-number-one-thing-marketers-need-to-know-to-increase-online-sales/?sh=2baffa097fed | The Number One Thing Marketers Need To Know To Increase Online Sales | The Number One Thing Marketers Need To Know To Increase Online Sales
Before cell phones, traditional marketers based their game plan on a typical buying funnel which included building product awareness, getting to know target customer’s preferences and interests, which in turn led to sales. Different stages of the funnel took place in many interactions between customers and sales reps.
But today the rules have changed because digital consumers are extremely impatient.
People have an attention span of eight seconds, a decrease from 12 seconds back in 2000 , according to a Microsoft study. And that human attention span decreases by 88% every year. These shortening attention spans are blurring the lines of the conventional buying funnel and forcing companies to change their content marketing strategies.
Let’s look at how businesses can increase sales when they have less time to convert restless shoppers.
Be There At “Micro-Moments”
Which means, be there when it counts.
Google’s marketing team uses the term micro-moments to describe when consumers want to learn something, do something, go somewhere, or buy something. Now.
The tech giant should know – it had $137 billion in revenue last year, much of it from online advertising.
According to Google, in these moments customers want what they want, when they want it, and are drawn to brands that can deliver. In that instant, your business can acquire sales via advertising, social promotion, helpful content, etc., but the key is to be present at the precise right time.
Create Content For Micro-Moments
“Your brand needs to be present where your target audience is consuming content. This will help you understand where your audience is most inclined to buy something,” says Alexander Nygart,” CEO of White Shark Media, a digital marketing agency, and one of the first to join Google Partners. “Consumers are extremely impatient so swooping in at the right time can make all the difference. Learning about micro-moments and how they come into play with your products can lead to an increase in conversions and a significant jump in brand engagement.”
Computers are for browsing. Mobile and social are for action.
Companies spend on web copy, brochures, freebies, and engaging reps at trade shows – anything to draw eyeballs. But a target audience won’t pay attention if it’s busy or distracted.
The digital landscape is exactly that – very distracting. With endless apps, notifications, and text messages popping up every second, it can be extremely difficult to capture a potential customer’s attention. Budgets are wasted on irrelevant parts of the user journey, or when audiences are totally tuned out.
“Smartphone users have a bias for doing things: to play games, chat, and make reservations,” says Nygart. “Marketers can convert during micro-moments, and create content for when consumers want something instantly, whether info or product.”
Instant Gratification Is Key For Consumers
Millennials and Generation Z are absorbed in their apps, and your promotional message may be cast aside as distraction. But conversion is possible during micro-moments. When people search for products on mobile, it leads to action – 92% who searched via smartphone made a related purchase, according to Google.
Your company’s content or product must be helpful in the exact instant when consumers are researching, doing something, or want to go somewhere. During micro-moments, consumers want to immediately accomplish a task.
Long cycle times between awareness and conversions are less common. In a crowded marketplace, your business must be there at the right moment, or users will quickly go to another site, platform or brand.
The pace is frenetic, and it reflects the hyper-speed at which the younger generations live their lives. Urgency prevails, whether important or not, and that is the key factor for marketers to incorporate in their strategies.
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7a8e249e06817eaaf5387e2e3cafde2d | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2019/09/29/digital-transformation-increase-revenue-impact-employee-productivity/?sh=5a71e58b33cc | Digital Transformation Doesn't Just Increase Revenue, It Can Impact Employee Productivity Too | Digital Transformation Doesn't Just Increase Revenue, It Can Impact Employee Productivity Too
People like to have the information technology (IT) tools they need to be empowered, productive and successful at work. Yet a recent survey by Zensar shows that more than half, 53% to be exact, of white-collar and higher-level professionals believe that their company’s digital transformation priorities are focused on how to increase profits instead of empowering employees. And most said their companies would benefit from employee empowerment via investments in IT.
Lack of proper technology tools can hinder productivity and kill morale.
For example, 53% of surveyed employees said they would be more empowered to better manage workflow if they were provided with the needed tools, and 42% said these tools would not only speed up boring tasks but also result in better worker morale. Another 38% believe a focus on worker empowerment via IT would allow the company itself to change faster.
Of the 1,000-plus survey group, 76% added that having the digital tools they need at work makes them more productive and more than half, 53%, said it makes them more successful. A third said it makes them smarter, and 28% said it makes them happier.
Increased Expenses vs. Benefits Of New Technology
Often, employers can be too concerned with incremental expenses to invest in new technology. In fact, 44% of survey respondents said this was the case. And 31% of the employees said their company has a wait-and-see approach to new technology.
This is major misstep by many companies, as investment in new technology can lead to higher revenues in the long run – to the point that it has become an absolute necessity in the retail sector. Advancing almost all areas of the business, from the way supply chain is managed to providing and omni-channel customer experience.
A lack of supervisor’s attention to employee needs is also an issue. Only 37% of higher-level employees and 47% of white-collar employees said their bosses understand their technological needs.
That’s unfortunate because not only are most professionals happier and more productive when their employers provide the technology they need, they also feel more connected to colleagues and their companies. That’s important at this time of low unemployment, in which companies are scrambling to hire and keep the best talent.
Of white-collar employees surveyed, 53% feel connected only to the people on their team, and 37% feel connected only to people in their nearby vicinity. Those figures are even lower among higher-level workers, at 50% and 30%.
The Importance Of Digital Transformation
Half of the survey group said they would find it easier to collaborate with coworkers if their employers’ digital transformation efforts focused more on employee empowerment. More than half said technology makes companies better, yet only 48% said they are aware of their company’s digital transformation strategy.
Separate research also notes that companies that are digital laggards don’t perform as well as those that embrace digital transformation. Technologists at Harvard Business School wrote, “organizations that scored in the top quartile of our digital transformation index obtained much better gross margins, earnings, and net income than organizations in the bottom digital quartile. Other financial and operating indicators showed similar disparities.”
These studies demonstrate why businesses shouldn’t hesitate when it comes to digital transformation and ensure that employee empowerment is part of their strategy. And speaking of disparities, people tend to assume only the youngest workers place a high value on having the technology they need at work. But research reveals that these digital natives are not alone.
Most employees understand the value of having the right digital tools to get the job done. 68% of the 18 to 34 age group said having the digital tools they need at work makes them more productive. That’s a significant share. But it’s even higher – at 80% – for the 35 to 54 age group. And a whopping 83% of workers age 55 and older agreed.
Technological advances not only allow companies to update their systems, offer more ways for the consumer to connect and transact with a company, but also free up employees to do more creative thinking.
Looking Beyond Financial Aspects Of Digital Transformation
The fact that growing revenues and profits are the driving force of digital transformation makes perfect sense. Making money is why companies got into business in the first place.
However, financial considerations shouldn’t be the sole focus of digital transformation. Organizations must consider what successful digital transformation means for them and how they can implement a plan to achieve that vision.
Mapping out a digital transformation plan should include a critical assessment of which digital tools employees need to efficiently get the job done. Only then can organizations ensure they invest in the employee-facing technology solutions that yield the highest employee engagement and, thus, the best customer experiences.
It’s no secret that business has changed. In the recent past, businesses focused on the product and – if customers were lucky – customer support came along for the ride. But now experience is the centerpiece of everything businesses do. Businesses that invest in their own people and the experiences they are having within the organization, can deliver better experiences to their customers.
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c4a20668950897aa21f8ec74d5976e1f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2020/02/26/5-proven-tactics-scaling-ecommerce-business/?sh=f16d4844d3d1 | 5 Proven Tactics For Scaling Your E-Commerce Business | 5 Proven Tactics For Scaling Your E-Commerce Business
At first glance people may think starting and growing an e-commerce business is fairly easy due to the low barriers of entry into the market, but that isn’t the case at all. The very first issue to keep in mind is that ease of entry, just as simply, also creates more competitors.
Sure, there are countless e-commerce success stories out there, but the technical details behind the success is seldom shared because at the end of the day, it takes an army to start, build, and scale a successful e-commerce business.
I spoke to female entrepreneurs to gain insight on the strategies that helped their businesses scale, so others can replicate their success.
Focus On Building A Brand That Is Memorable
When done correctly, branding offers endless benefits. It allows customers to easily understand what your company offers, what it stands for, how it’s different from the competition, and how their own lives can be made easier or better with your product.
This goes beyond just having an eye-catching logo. Your brand message has to convey the convenience your business provides, which will result in brand trust and loyalty.
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Not to mention that visual elements, copy, and all communication must be cohesive across all areas of marketing.
This level of consistency applies across the board, beyond obvious marketing initiatives. For example, if a company drop-ships products in addition to selling their own inventory, they would lack consistency with branding and quality control – something that would affect the customer’s experience. These are all critical things for companies to consider because they impact the perspective consumers have of a brand.
Pop-Up Shops Attract New Customers
“Pop-ups have helped our online company and wholesale business thrive. We make it a point to do two to three pop-ups a month – all with specific calls to actions. For example, customers can join our mailing list in order to save 20% on their purchase for the day,” says Gianne Doherty, Co-Founder of Organic Bath, a clean skincare company.
"The pop-ups not only help get us in front of new people without spending money on ads, but have helped significantly grow our newsletter lists which lead to greater year-round sales,” she adds.
Pop-up shops are changing the retail landscape and there is an opportunity for companies to capitalize on this trend before the space gets too crowded. Considering that marketers spend up to $600 billion on brand activations, it’s clear that the marketing tactic is proving to be fruitful across the industry.
Remember That Facebook Ads Aren’t Everything
There are plenty of e-commerce entrepreneurs who claim that they are generating much of their profits from Facebook ads, and it may be true. However, Facebook ads are amazing, but you must diversify your traffic sources, as you never know what algorithm changes or regulations may come into play.
“Make your site shoppable through third parties like Instagram and Facebook. When you have a catalog of your products on a platform with an already engaged audience, it makes it that much easier for them to make a purchase. And they don’t have to worry about taking too many actions or clicks to find or buy that product,” says Katherine Sprung, Owner of Squish Marshmallows, a handcrafted marshmallow confections and dessert company.
She also emphasizes the importance of utilizing Google business posts. “If your business is verified with Google, you can post all sorts of promotions or calls to actions, totally free. They'll also provide analytics to show how much engagement a post is getting. Any time someone searches for you on Google, it'll show up in the result page at the top automatically.”
Always Look For Improvements
Similar to the adage to “check, check, and recheck,” in the case of e-commerce one must consistently test, test, and retest. Don’t get too comfortable with a method that works, because there may be another one that works even better. Test everything from workflow, different landing pages, onsite and offsite SEO, mobile responsiveness, to compatibility with web browsers.
It’s also important to note that you’ll never have a perfect sales funnel from the start, no matter how perfect it may sound in theory. So be sure to make adjustments as needed until you hit the sweet spot.
Expand Your E-Mail List
Email marketing is an essential method of communication with your e-commerce customers. It may also serve as the most profitable channel if nurtured correctly. You need to develop a segmentation strategy before you start sending out emails to your subscribers, because not every message is relevant to every subscriber. As such, segmenting your lists will help increase opens and conversions.
No marketing costs are required to build your email lists, especially if you collect email addresses from customers that are making a purchase. These people already trust you and your brand.
Whether you’ve had previous experience with the launch of an e-commerce business, or are looking to launch your first venture, now is the time to get your foot in the door. By implementing these strategies, your e-commerce business can be set up for an upward trajectory and growth that goes hand-in-hand with scalability.
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93bf79aa38e6b87d662032353d1679fe | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2020/04/28/lease-to-own-integral-e-commerce-growth-strategy/ | Lease-To-Own Option Is Integral For E-Commerce Growth Strategy | Lease-To-Own Option Is Integral For E-Commerce Growth Strategy
Lease-to-own has become a key trend in the retail and e-commerce world. More and more brands are finding it to be a cost-effective way of attracting buyers who couldn’t otherwise afford their products. Making it a win-win on both sides.
Brands address their customers' needs while appealing to a broader clientele. And for those consumers who don't like relying on credit cards or may even have bad credit, lease-to-own finally gives them access to the products they wish to purchase. From electronics and furniture to household appliances, mattresses, and even jewelry, it’s all paid for in a convenient way over a period of time.
Overstock, for example, partnered with Progressive Leasing, a lease-to-own provider, to offer customers millions of items that can be paid for over 12 months.
"A third of the population is credit challenged," said Blake Wakefield, President and Chief Revenue Officer of Progressive Leasing. "They don't have options. They've been told ‘no’ time in and time out.”
With an initial payment of less than $50 and lease agreements that can go up to 12 and even 15 months, consumers can access products they wouldn’t otherwise be able to purchase.
By integrating this option in their e-commerce strategy, businesses can become more affordable, while exponentially growing their sales.
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An Alternative To Traditional Financing Options
In 2018, around 30% of Americans with a valid FICO credit score had poor or bad credit. Another 13% had a "fair" credit score, which is still not considered good. On top of that, around one-fifth (22%) of adults had no credit score at all. This carries similar disadvantages as having bad credit when you’re looking for financing solutions.
Working with these numbers, more than 100 million Americans currently find it hard to purchase from retailers and e-commerce by swiping their credit cards.
Moreover, in this uncertain economic climate, people are starting to think twice before signing up for a credit card. According to the United States Census Bureau, more than 40% of Americans have an annual income below the median earnings of $48,328. This is a market largely overlooked by existing payment options.
The reality is that many people need credit but can’t access it. Or, if they do, they're unwilling to put their credit scores at risk. This represents a significant segment of customers who are all-too-often ignored by retailers – people who want to make a purchase but don't have a reasonable way of paying. People who can’t afford to pay for quality furniture or new appliances in one lump sum. If e-commerce platforms want to connect with these people and gain their trust, they need to build a convenient shopping experience that reasonably caters to their financial needs.
“Ensuring financing options for all types of customers including customers with good credit, evolving credit, and even no credit history is key to making sure you are serving everyone and not missing a potential sale,” said Orlando Zayas, CEO of Katapult, a lease-to-own platform. “Consumers will need financing now more than ever to get the products they need.”
Lease-to-own allows retailers to provide a no-credit-required alternative to customers who don’t qualify for traditional financing options. In return, businesses gain access to consumers that have largely been ignored by many market players for years.
Lease-To-Own Can Boost Online Sales
These types of buyers can have a significant impact on your sales. According to Acima, provider of lease-to-own solutions, one of the company’s clients tripled its sales after introducing no-credit-needed financing in its brick-and-mortar location.
This flexible payment option creates growth opportunities for retailers, as it connects companies with an untapped consumer base – people who may be currently opting to buy secondhand items or simply not buying them at all.
To be clear, lease-to-own isn't an option for everyone. You’re not looking to target people who don’t earn any money at all. You're aiming for potential buyers on lower incomes that can’t afford big-ticket items in a single purchase. Most lease-to-own solutions are available only for people who can prove their work history and earnings. These consumers have jobs, but the only way they can afford to buy goods over a certain amount is if they can pay in affordable installments.
Ignoring a consumer base of over 100 million means leaving many business opportunities off the table. That’s why implementing a lease-to-own financial option can be beneficial to businesses in many ways.
Not only that, but businesses can also increase their brand awareness and build a reputation among a new audience, one that hasn’t been given many options until now.
Showing The Human Side Of Your Brand
Lease-to-own can also help you highlight the human side of brands. Not only does it create an opportunity for people to get what they need, but brands are also showing they care about their consumers’ finances. Having an alternative that allows people to pay at their own pace improves their self-esteem and gives them hope.
Studies have shown that consumers feel better about themselves when they buy status products. If you’re the brand that can help them get a new TV or beautiful furniture instead of secondhand items, they’ll remember you and come back for more.
Offering more flexible payment options allows retailers to build and consolidate new customer relationships and increase brand loyalty and customer retention, which leads to more sales and greater revenue in the long run.
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26e943b8e0eacc50649411e168ed8263 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2020/05/21/2-business-trends-during-pandemic/?sh=2fae28e61328 | 2 Business Trends To Keep An Eye On During The Pandemic | 2 Business Trends To Keep An Eye On During The Pandemic
Video chatting with friends during social distancing Getty
Consumers are constantly embracing new habits and behaviors to adapt during market uncertainty. The current economic crisis is driving founders to look for alternative business ideas that can yield returns, while also following newfound consumer habits to keep their businesses alive. Whether you’re looking to create side projects for extra income in the midst of market volatility, or to take advantage of opportunities to grow your business, here are some trends to be aware of.
Zoom And Wine Are The New Normal
There are some products that seem to be recession-proof during this pandemic. The obvious necessities like hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and toilet paper are sold out almost everywhere. But then there’s another class of items that aren’t necessities, technically, but the demand for them would make you think otherwise. Alcohol sales are on the rise significantly – alcoholic beverage sales rose by 55% in late March, when many states began their quarantine efforts, compared to 2019 sales for the same period. And Nielsen said online alcohol sales were up 243%.
Most states deemed liquor stores an essential service during the current quarantine. A decision that definitely caused some debates.
With the lack of human interaction, people have turned to video conference calls in order to “hang out” with friends. Which led to the founder of Zoom making nearly $4 billion in 3 months as a direct result of the increase in people utilizing video conferences. And along with that comes, well, a glass (or two) of wine.
“According to Nielsen wine sales are up 66% during this pandemic thanks in part to consumer behavior and also due to investors looking for safe-haven for investments as fine wine has historically outperformed the S&P,” said Anthony Zhang, co-founder of Vinovest, a platform for investing in a managed portfolio of fine wines.
Social Commerce
The COVID-19 outbreak and quarantine has forced a massive percentage of the global population into their houses and required entrepreneurs and employees to work from home. People are losing businesses, and losing jobs, as exemplified by the 30 million Americans who have filed for unemployment since mid-March, as CNN reports. COVID has forced many companies into thinking about how consumer shopping habits will change in the near and distant future, and how they can diversify their marketing channels now. Even after COVID, we have to wonder what shopping will look like?
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What does this mean for the millions of small and local companies, the brick and mortar businesses that depend on foot traffic and small service-based businesses that depend on local commerce? Fortunately, this immediate problem has a lasting solution: social media marketing paired with e-commerce applicably dubbed social commerce.
From at-home fitness programs to the latest and hottest COVID chic fashion, masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer kits that Instacart is now supplying, there’s no shortage of innovation online. Social commerce has found its footing in the midst of this pandemic to drive sales through social media. From proper hashtags and user-generated content to tracked links that funnel followers back to your e-commerce site, you can turn fans into customers. When social commerce is done right, your social media page becomes a machine that drives sales.
CLUSE, a men’s and women’s watch brand, is a perfect example of how to execute social commerce. They treat their social feeds how a retail store treats their window display, giving visitors a unique glimpse into their products and brand. Rather than constantly bombarding offers and deals, the company’s Instagram feed is an example of a smart social shopping experience.
As researched by Later, an Instagram scheduling app, average screen time has increased 18%, up to more than 5 hours per day thanks to the pandemic. Instagram and Facebook saw an increase of over 40% in active usage as a result of social distancing, and views for streaming ‘Live’ on both platforms doubled in one week.
In regards to shifts in consumer demand, Nikki Baird, Vice President of retail innovation at retail enterprise solution provider Aptos, says “The pandemic has revealed that omnichannel is a necessity, and while it won’t be quite so central once more stores open, it will still have a lasting impact — consumers will want to know if something they’re looking for is in stock before they go to the store. Consumers will want options on how to receive the goods, whether that’s pickup in store, at curbside, or delivered to the home. And consumers won’t care what your margins are, or your price points, or your shipping costs — they will expect it no matter what.”
This is an amazing opportunity for businesses to reap the benefits of an online captive audience like never before in history and social commerce can help them capitalize. The world has changed, and as agile and successful entrepreneurs, we must change with the world.
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b75ee23cdab8b08c166ab9145265faaf | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2020/07/13/creative-ways-e-commerce-businesses-are-maintaining-sales-during-the-pandemic/?sh=286cbda54e67 | Creative Ways E-Commerce Businesses Are Maintaining Sales During The Pandemic | Creative Ways E-Commerce Businesses Are Maintaining Sales During The Pandemic
Photo Courtesy of Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
While some retailers have been able to maintain, or even increase, sales during the pandemic, majority of businesses have not been so fortunate. Companies selling essentials, such as groceries, healthcare items, home workout equipment, and of course hand sanitizers and cleaning supplies, have been maintaining business through online sales and even limited in-person transactions.
Increase in quarterly sales were reported by retail superstores such as Walmart and Home Depot – with Walmart’s online sales increasing 74%, an overall sales lift of almost 9% from February to April. There was a significantly different outcome, however, when looking at overall retail sales. According to Commerce Department data, U.S. retail sales dropped 8.3% in March, then plunged 16.4% in April.
Let’s look at the tactics and strategies that have kept companies afloat during these unprecedented times.
Pivotting To Deliver Essentials
Many companies pivoted to use their facilities and supplies to shift production to essentials such as hand sanitizers or cleaning agents – creating a new revenue stream while providing much-needed products to consumers.
“It takes a village to keep the doors open and our community safe. Our leadership team gave every employee the option of staying home to shelter in place or coming to work. And out of 150+ employees, less than ten opted to stay home – and all for very legitimate reasons. Our doors remain open because our hard working employees care about keeping our community safe. We are an over-the-counter and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified facility, considered an essential business under government guidelines,” says Crystal Gonzalez, Senior Private Label Account Manager of Smith and Vandiver, a 40 year old natural bath, body and skincare manufacturer.
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“While we are still manufacturing products for our private label customers. We pivoted some of our line capacity to produce 70% ethyl alcohol based instant hand cleansers. It is important to us that we get these products directly into the hands of our community to help ‘bend the curve.’ We donated thousands (and continuing to) to our local first responders, hospitals, post offices, food banks and nonprofits like Jacob’s Heart."
Giving Customers What They Want
Identifying and fulfilling a consumer need is always a sure way to drum up business. With a shortage of face masks when people needed them most, Y’our skincare company provided exactly what customers were searching for – washable face masks. “We offer a free face mask with every order. They are washable fabric face masks that can help protect from COVID-19, not the N95 face masks that health workers use, so they don't take away valuable supplies from our health workers,” shares Jenny Hanh Nguyen, Cofounder of Y’our.
Giving consumers an incentive, especially something that is essential and scarce, can give them the push they need to make a purchase – a win-win for both the brand and the consumer.
Optimization & Partnerships
“There's been so much devastation to small businesses, that trying to optimize your e-commerce is the only revenue stream available right now. While many business owners are just scraping by, if they're lucky, we still have to think of ways to capture an audience, giving them incentive to make a purchase, beyond supporting a small business in danger of losing their business,” says Katherine Sprung, Owner of Squish Marshmallows, a handcrafted marshmallow confections and dessert company. “We'll be teaming up with another small business in the food space and offering a bundle. This allows us to support each other, and also introduce each other's customer base to the other maker's product.”
Organic Bath Co. partnered with a family owned Distillery, Bully Boy Distillers to partner on a Hand Sanitizer that gives back, Clean Giving. The Partnership has allowed both brands to give back in a sustainable way. “We donate ounce per ounce with every hand sanitizer purchased to frontline workers. It’s been a rewarding partnership that our team can feel good about. Everyone has pitched in to have a seamless launch and to ship hand sanitizer within 48 hours of ordering. It’s given our entire team something positive to focus on,” says Gianne Doherty, Cofounder of Organic Bath Co., a skincare company.
Focusing On Community & Giving Back
“As a brand focused on female wellness, we invest in building and sustaining community, and the medical community makes up a large part of our clientele and partnerships. In the face of Covid-19, we’re offering to support physicians’ practices and patients with helpful content around emotional and psychological wellness at home,” shares Keira Kotler, Founder & CEO of Everviolet, a company that creates beautiful and functional lingerie for women who have experienced breast surgery, cancer and other life-changing events.
It’s important to use this time to reconnect with the aspects of our lives that are most important — relationships, health, community, safety, and collective consciousness.
“We are committed to better basics and better business. Therefore, we decided first to commit to raising up businesses affected by this hardship – highlighting female-founded companies on our social media and their needs. Then we added a donation app to our site, where our community can donate to AmeriCares to get medical supplies to first responders in this crises and we will also be giving a percentage of our sales to this cause,” shares Tamara Laine, CMO of A.Lynn Designs, a sustainable apparel company.
Making Personal Connections
“Our business model relies heavily on outdoor events. With so many events being cancelled – and uncertainty about the future – we’ve rolled out two temporary initiatives. In addition to waiving any fees associated with changing or cancelling gear rentals, we're also giving customers a chance to sign up for 15-minute one-on-one virtual shopping experiences through Zoom. These sessions give us a chance to make personal connections (which are so important during social distancing), help our customers feel more confident about their choices, and give these women something to look forward to. Rather than promoting markdowns that reflect our current challenges, we're providing our customers with a positive experience and a reason to get excited about the future,” shares Tana Hoffman, Founder and CEO of Mountainist, a women's outdoor gear-rental service.
Open And Transparent Communication
“We set up a weekly all-hands meeting, where the lead team provides business status for all team members with real numbers not only "we're good". We’ve done an online kitchen at lunchtime, so everyone can join a call and not eat alone. And we have online yoga together. We automatized daily work status via slack bot, so the team doesn’t waste time on a work call, but can join any “life” calls any time they need it,” shares Victoria Repa, CEO and Cofounder or BetterMe, an ecosystem of health and fitness apps. "A business crisis is an excellent test of human values. It is easy to be good when you have profitable business and money, it is much more difficult to make the right decisions when every step you take can be the last one. Be human first, do the best you can, and talk with your team honestly.”
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5af977ae96acb63707fa1ad932a08cd7 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2020/09/30/common-challenges-for-companies-expanding-their-e-commerce-business-during-the-pandemic/?sh=d630f514a963 | Common Challenges For Companies Expanding Their E-Commerce Business During The Pandemic | Common Challenges For Companies Expanding Their E-Commerce Business During The Pandemic
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E-commerce is the biggest business story of the pandemic as companies shift from brick-and-mortar to online in order to stay in business. The pandemic has accelerated the shift away from physical stores to digital shopping by roughly five years, according to data from IBM’s U.S. Retail Index. Retailers need to quickly pivot to omni-channel fulfillment capabilities in order to meet the needs of consumers during this pandemic.
However, online sales change the economics of a business as it forces modifications in processes like health protocols, telecommuting, in-store pickups, home deliveries, and digital marketing.
According to an August 2020 McKinsey survey, more than 77% of Americans are trying new shopping behaviors during the crisis “including new methods, brands, and places, with the intention of sticking with them in the long-term.” Let’s look at common challenges for companies that expand e-commerce operations amid the worst recession since the 1930s.
Metrics And Margins
There are two critical metrics in e-commerce: customer acquisition costs and customer lifetime value. Not knowing either of these KPIs jeopardizes one’s bottom line. A company with high acquisition costs (relative to customers’ lifetime value) may not be a sustainable business. According to e-commerce provider Nexcess, customer acquisition can cost up to seven times more than selling to existing customers. A successful online business must have less resistance in attracting consumers, otherwise it’ll run out of cash.
To grow a business, digital marketers must find profitable buyers online, as well as run promotional campaigns on affordable but effective channels. For example, a combination of high traffic, high conversion rates and inexpensive advertising on Instagram and YouTube can lead to high, profitable growth. Whereas in brick-and-mortar locations, businesses rely on foot traffic, brand awareness and traditional advertising to generate sales.
66% of Facebook users say they like or follow a brand on the platform, according to SproutSocial. And 80% of B2B marketing leads come from LinkedIn.
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Fierce Competition
Large corporations such as Amazon and Walmart have benefited greatly from this new normal and the shift in shopping habits, making it tougher for smaller businesses to gain online market share.
Amazon reported sales of $88.9 billion, up 40% from $63.4 billion a year prior and well ahead of Amazon’s prediction of $75 billion to $81 billion.
Walmart’s Q2 earnings reported its U.S. e-commerce sales were up 97% – an increase attributed to more customers shopping online during the pandemic, stocking up on household supplies, and shopping for grocery items online.
This disparity between large corporations and businesses that are new to the e-commerce world makes entry into the space very challenging, at an already difficult time.
Motivating Stay-At-Home Employees
According to June 2020 research at Stanford University, 42% of the U.S. labor force work from home full-time. Unfortunately, employees often lose productivity at the house. According to Stanford’s researchers, only 51% of respondents worked at an efficiency rate of 80% or more.
That means salespeople aren’t calling enough prospects, staff members aren’t fixing operational issues, and managers aren’t attending to the needs of VIP customers.
“With work-from-home (WFH), it’s important for leaders to maintain high standards across an organization and ensure employees pursue excellence amidst changes in workplace processes and norms,” says Luke Acree, President of ReminderMedia, a marketing agency that specializes in acquiring repeat and referral business for clients. “In our organization, we teach four pillars of leadership: set a vision, motivate your team daily to move toward that vision, practice leadership by getting in the trenches, and hold your team accountable to help them achieve their personal goals.”
There can be many causes of lost effectiveness due to WFH. Managers have a responsibility to sustain a high-performing culture even if there are blurring lines in a home-work space. Kids, spouses, and roommates can cause interruptions too often. Internet speed can be slow. And it can be distracting to share a workstation with cousins or neighbors. Key solutions include outlining performance expectations for virtual teams, as well as suggesting WFH designs so that home life doesn’t interrupt during business hours.
“Virtual teams must collaborate from afar and there’s a temptation to accept mediocrity since it’s not possible to have physical meetings at the office,” says Acree.
Execution excellence, discipline, and effective collaboration are what differentiates successful online businesses who compete in the new norm. Consumers may have altered buying behavior but their expectations have not – they will always gravitate towards companies that over-deliver and meet their needs.
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fac5bf1921a5c296dd221fae8b598553 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2021/03/05/why-its-advantageous-to-run-ads-on-smaller-social-platforms/ | Why It’s Advantageous To Run Ads On Smaller Social Platforms | Why It’s Advantageous To Run Ads On Smaller Social Platforms
Young woman using smart phone,Social media concept. getty
In 2021, digital marketing requires a competitive advantage given the state of the global economy, as well as the crowded marketplace. Such an edge can be acquired through lower customer acquisition costs, experimenting with social ads, viral content, mobile-facing campaigns and leveraging smaller social platforms.
Retail has paused due to lockdowns and most brands are pivoting towards e-commerce. However, direct-to-consumer (D2C) has also led to higher acquisition costs since more businesses are advertising on large platforms like Google, Facebook and Twitter.
Online retailers can limit acquisition costs by advertising on overlooked channels that still have large audiences.
Growth Of Direct-To-Consumer (D2C)
Work-from-home (WFH) has led brands to increase spending on digital advertising. According to eMarketer, digital ad spend will increase 13% this year and 33% by 2023.
But there are risks when only using mainstream channels because the younger crowd on both sides of the political spectrum are growing dissatisfied with Big Tech censorship. According to Shopify’s The Future of E-Commerce 2021 report, “Though people continue to use Facebook and other platforms in record numbers, the erosion of trust has serious implications for brands.”
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“The new normal is a time when Davids can compete with Goliaths and gain market share by taking advantage of low-cost platforms like Shopify,” says Josh Sturgeon, Cofounder of EmberTribe, a marketing agency. The paid-traffic expert encourages direct-to-consumer businesses to avoid relying exclusively on big channels.
“Successful brands require a comprehensive, multi-channel approach. That means marketers should explore running ads in places like Snapchat, Pinterest and TikTok. Right alongside mature channels like Google search, YouTube and Facebook ads. Embracing a multi-channel approach goes beyond thinking about customer acquisition and extends to customer reactivation. Leveraging channels like email, SMS and Messenger increases the lifetime value of customers and allows brands to rapidly scale.”
Promoting On Lower-Cost Platforms
Certain verticals are positioned to lower acquisition costs as businesses swarm limited ad space. According to eMarketer, the biggest digital ad spenders are retail (21.9%), automotive (12.3%), financial services (12.1%), telecom (10.4%), and consumer packaged goods (8.6%).
Lower ad costs and improved performance provide a competitive advantage that can lead to better offers, deals and repeat purchases.
Examples of overlooked channels include Twitch, a live streaming platform for gamers, as well as video streaming site Hulu. The latter, which is an alternative to YouTube, has seen decreasing ad rates.
Other options include TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit.
Reddit is a news aggregation site that has received plenty of press coverage due to the GameStop stock frenzy. Reddit has 48 million users, most of whom belong in the younger demographic. Aside from advertising, it’s also a place where catchy or humorous content can go viral if shared by popular users or news influencers.
If you’ve got a niche product that resonates with Generation-Y and Z, it’s worth a shot.
Bypassing Traditional Gatekeepers
Marketers obviously need to target certain channels based on business objectives, demographics, and industry. But thousands of impressions at lower cost can mean all the difference for a growing brand.
While Spotify gets plenty of media attention, Pandora (an overlooked music service) actually has 257 million users.
Quora, a question-and-answer website, has 300 million users and frequently tops search engine results when consumers ask all types of queries. Discord, a chat application, has more than 250 million users.
D2C is especially beneficial for small businesses during the pandemic. Startups can compete with the Big Boys by bypassing retail. Small businesses can also earn higher margins by shipping directly to customers, as well as gain a loyal following by embracing social responsibility and by accepting a wide variety of payment options.
Startups on a limited budget can see significant growth by finding smaller but effective social platforms to spend on ads.
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42907fc0ac07fc4011b686410d358f4f | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2021/03/21/unlock-these-social-selling-secrets-to-boost-your-brand/?sh=4b45a8e1383b&fbclid=IwAR3L-9-wy5QmhWGA0nVJ6nTR-PDCjWRptNvZrTjT2UmCkt9h1USzDYlwVNc | Unlock These Social Selling Secrets To Boost Your Brand | Unlock These Social Selling Secrets To Boost Your Brand
Woman's hand holding mobile phone with shoppable Instagram post Photo Courtesy of Pexels
If you follow the news cycle, the country is depicted as extremely divided. The state of popular and media culture has implications on how brands should interact with social followers and consumers in general.
Today’s audiences, especially the younger demographic, want to know that a brand they support actually cares about them. Social media is best used to connect with people and to authentically communicate what your organization stands for.
It shouldn’t be utilized as a one-way sales platform for advertisers to push products and services. By using it in this manner, you risk being perceived as too sales-focused and detached.
Let’s look at ways brands can use their social presence to build stronger connections, identify better prospects, and better position themselves on social networks.
Be Good And Do Good
Corporate social responsibility works best when the CEO and employees believe in ethical practices and their organization’s mission. Some company’s pay lip service to corporate social responsibility. This can work in your favor and present an opportunity to communicate how your company genuinely gives back because competitors will come across on social media as phony and out of touch.
In February 2021, McKinsey partners voted out its global managing partner for advising a drug manufacturer in a way that exacerbated the U.S. opioid crisis. These kinds of actions significantly tarnish a brand and erodes trust and goodwill with the public.
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A 2019 poll by Markstein found that 70% of U.S. consumers want to know what companies they support are doing to address social and environmental issues. And 46% pay close attention to a brand’s social responsibility efforts when they buy a product. Companies should be ethical even when no one is looking, and business owners should teach employees to do what’s right for stakeholders and customers.
Foster A Personal Connection
Audiences often turn to social networks because of distrust or disdain for institutions, politicians, or media. Social platforms give them a platform to voice their opinions and to nurture relationships with friends, community members, and businesses they support.
Social followers appreciate it when you truly care for their needs and concerns. The key, then, is to foster a deeper personal connection with fans who support your business. Why not post photos and videos of employees during fun outing events? This would give viewers an idea of the people who supply the products and services they love.
Or why not show photos and videos of your company distributing Covid relief supplies or donating to a local food bank? Or encourage your existing fanbase to support a charity that’s partnered with your organization. Showcasing reality and authenticity is key.
“Establish your authenticity in content. As we worked to build and launch our brand we had a lot of advice about what we should look like or what our voices should be. My co-founder and I had a lot of conversations about what felt right for us, not what fit into a formula or emulated other existing brands. We constantly have discussions about testing new approaches but ensure it feels true to the brand. This has made it simpler to have consistency in content and build relationships with our customers,” says Hillary Cullum, Co-Founder of Berkley Clothing, a maternity activewear brand.
A personal connection means there’s more between your business and customers than financial transactions. Both parties align on a mission, social cause, or lifestyle and trends.
Sell A Lifestyle Or Trend
Many consumer-facing businesses aren’t necessarily selling product-based solutions, either.
In fashion, beauty, supplements, luxury, and travel industries, strong brands actually sell a lifestyle or trend. Fro example, audiences buy into a certain lifestyle that Starbucks promotes, and that’s why they wait in line for 15-20 minutes. If Starbucks fans are really only buying coffee, they’d just stay home and drink much, much cheaper coffee.
When social followers support your mission or cause, they’ll pay a higher price for goods and services. Because it’d be inappropriate for them to buy at a lower price from unethical rivals.
“Social selling a lifestyle enables a company to achieve higher customer retention rates,” says Ethan Kramer, founder of a New York-based marketing agency of the same name that specializes in emerging social shopping techniques. “That’s important because retention can be five times less expensive than the money it costs to acquire new customers.”
Emerging social shopping techniques such as Facebook Live Shopping and CommentSold enable marketers and online sellers to broadcast real-time videos of products, as well as interact and entertain audience members, most of whom follow a presenter’s professional and personal lives.
“Social selling holds an advantage over traditional selling because brands engage and socialize with viewers of live streams in addition to selling merchandise. I tell clients to sell their personalities and not necessarily products – to sell lifestyles and communities and not necessarily their goods.”
Social selling is more than just closing a prospect and heading to checkout. It’s about knowing audiences whose members are scattered throughout the sales funnel. That means marketers need to invest time and effort in expanding brand awareness, as well as designing a favorable impression through authenticity and responsible business practices.
It means following up on questions and comments left on social pages, forums and group chats. And forming bonds with influencers who collectively have a significant sway over an ecosystem. It’s about building and nurturing an online community so that members wave your flag and support your cause.
In the digital age, attention is synonymous with monetization. Brands don’t have to treat platforms as another sales channel. Social media is designed to connect people with similar interests.
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945c15fec4d9a386cb6d455cea2f9694 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2021/03/31/how-clubhouse-is-providing-new-social-media-marketing-opportunities/?sh=31d6a6263f43 | How Clubhouse Is Providing New Social Media Marketing Opportunities | How Clubhouse Is Providing New Social Media Marketing Opportunities
Clubhouse app Photo Courtesy of Nathana Rebouças on Unsplash
It’s not too often that a new social media platform launches, but when it does, early adopters can really benefit. Those who were among the first to create an Instagram account when it launched back in 2010 reaped all sorts of benefits – obtaining a much-sought-after Instagram handle, an abundance of new followers right from the start, being discovered much more easily on the platform due to less noise and competition, the list goes on and on. And any time a new social platform emerges, it comes with new marketing opportunities as well.
Clubhouse, an invitation-only audio-chat iPhone app, is still so new that it is not yet too saturated. And considering that people need a personal invite to join, if you can get one, now is the time to start an account and start building a following.
The audio-based social network platform had over nine million monthly downloads in February 2021, up from two million the month prior.
Let’s look at ways people are utilizing Clubhouse to amplify their message, market themselves, and gain a following.
It’s All About Collaboration And Networking
Social media platforms are often used as bullhorns to make announcements and share milestones, but if we go back to the initial use of these networks – to connect and collaborate – we can get much more out of them. Clubhouse hosts a wide variety of clubs and virtual rooms with conversations on almost any topic you’d be interested in – making it easy to find your niche and join in on the conversation.
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“Connect with moderators and club founders you like and who align with your mission or can support your mission and business. Over time they will bring you up on stage in their rooms,” says Brooke Markevicius, Founder of Allobee, a company that provides business solutions for micro-businesses, small businesses, and startups. She emphasizes the importance of using these platforms to network. “Be strategic about the rooms you join and get on stage or message the people who provide value to you.”
Offer Up Support And Your Expertise
“Treat Clubhouse like you would a podcast by hosting interesting conversations, office hours, interviews and discussions relevant to your target audience. It’s an easy, no-cost way to provide value to your existing people while building trust with a new audience,” says Erin Halper, CEO of The Upside, a community and accelerator for consultants.
With Clubhouse, it’s key to give before you take. Offer your expertise, help people connect by sharing your network, or donate to causes people are discussing – it’s all about giving what you can.
Markevicius recommends offering to do programming in bigger clubs so you can get in front of a new audience. “Become a regular in larger clubs and raise your hand to get on stage. Share expertise or support others. Then after a few times, reach out to the club owner via direct message and be specific about what you can offer,” she adds. “I did this specifically in Dave Kerpen and Randi Zuckerberg’s club, The Likeable Business and got my own show in their club called The Likeable MomTrepreneur.”
Create A Community
“Host Clubhouse discussions with your customers and like-minded businesses to create a community. Our customers are event organizers and community leaders, so I've been holding regular Clubhouse events for our hosts to meet each other, swap tips and resources, and share their knowledge,” says Miraya Berke, Head of Community and Marketing at Mixily, an event management platform for communities. “I moderate and invite the speakers. Each of our users promotes the talk to their community on social media, and it's been a way for us to get the word out while also facilitating deep conversations within our community.”
It may sound simple but participating in conversations and being vocal is the name of the game. Don’t just listen in, plan ahead and jot down actionable tips you can share that will be helpful to others, strategically select which rooms to join, and connect with people personally through direct messages to get the most out of the app.
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cd5deea6d26e51e2ae56f332578704ef | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jillbarth/2020/11/30/italys-irpinia-wine-region-a-huge-genetic-database/?sh=102ad75936fe | Italy’s Irpinia Wine Region: ‘A Huge Genetic Database’ | Italy’s Irpinia Wine Region: ‘A Huge Genetic Database’
Aglianico vineyards, Sorbo Serpico, Campania, Italy. (Photo by: Alfio Giannotti/REDA&CO/Universal ... [+] Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Feudi Studi. It has a ring to it. It’s the name of a deep exploration project initiated by Feudi di San Gregorio, a research lab arranged by Antonio Capaldo, president, and Pierpaolo Sirch, the winery’s head of production.
“It’s a study project but also more of a permanent engine to understand our terroir,” says Capaldo. A decade in the making, the team recently released the first two (of four) volumes of an e-book, Feudi Studi: Irpinia’s Wines and Vineyards, to communicate their region to consumers.
“This is about what we are, and what we can possibly do,” says Capaldo. “It’s not just one producer’s work, it is open to every producer, like what a consorzio would do, but with the idea of enriching every producer of the terroir.”
Irpinia is located in southern Italy, in the Campania region, with ancient grapes such as Greco, Fiano and Aglianico at its cornerstone. The area includes three Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) sites: Taurasi, Greco di Tufo, and Fiano di Avellino, which are the main focus of the Feudi Studi project.
Unique from other southern Italian environments, with some of the latest harvest zones in the country, “Irpinia is enclosed by mountains with a low density of population,” says Capaldo. “Hard winters, snow, more than 150 days of rain per year.”
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Until the 1920’s Irpinia was one of Italy’s most valuable wine growing regions, with a “wine railway” that allowed producers to ship grapes to buyers in northern Italy and and France. Then a phylloxera hit punished the wine industry and an earthquake, war and economic depression furthered the decline. Capaldo describes the 1970s and 1980s as times of “crisis” including another devastating earthquake in 1980.
People moved out, leaving the countryside for industrial opportunities in the north and elsewhere. Meanwhile, farmers were urged to plant dependable, adaptable grape varieties such as Sangiovese or Montepulciano, but the plan was neglected thanks to a “gentleman’s agreement” between grape growers and wine producers: “The farmers would continue to plant the Aglianico, Greco, Fiano and other local varieties, while the wineries would guarantee a channel for the purchase of the grapes at a higher price than the market average,” according to the Feudi Studi book.
Aglianico vineyards, Sorbo Serpico, Campania, Italy. (Photo by: Alfio Giannotti/REDA&CO/Universal ... [+] Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“The new generation, after the 90s, is so important,” says Capaldo. The new generation does indeed realize the goldmine upon which they sit, as these ancient grapes have a history dating back to the Romans. “I have been been the director of Feudi di San Gregorio since 2009, along with Pierpaolo Sirch,” writes Capaldo in the first volume of the book. “From the earliest days, we vowed to put renewed energy into conveying the astonishing abundance of the company’s assets, all thanks to the variety and quality of our vineyards.”
This is the reason for the research project and publications: “Feudi Studi is a perfect way to present Irpinia to the world at large, showcasing its plurality, originality and depth, and do so without having any complexes or making commercial shortcuts, just as other internationally renowned terroirs have done, with remarkable foresight.”
The team behind the project senses that Irpinia will be the “next big thing” in the global wine world, a patchwork of “little stories” about the culture, community and winemaking traditions of the region.
Vineyards here are small parcels, tucked away between woods, olive groves and aromatic herbs. Irpinia also holds the treasure of centuries-old pre-phylloxera vines, survivors thanks to spots of volcanic, sandy soil. “In each area you’ll never find exactly the same soil as in another nearby vineyard,” Capaldo points out.
“Irpinia is a huge genetic database, a wealth of fragrances and flavors that are at risk of disappearing forever,” says Sirch. “Our mission at Feudi di San Gregorio is to rediscover and save them in order to protect and foster diversity, a core value for all wines of the future, and not just for Feudi’s.”
Capaldo agrees that this effort is as much about insight into the future as it is about documenting the wisdom of the past. “I’m partisan because I produce wine from this area,” he says. “But there’s a great opportunity. The best is yet to come.”
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