Chester Floyd Carlson

Chester Floyd Carlson Chester Floyd Carlson Chester Floyd CarlsonWhen he welches growing up, Chester F. Carlson dreamed of making inventions that would help him escape a life of poverty and change the world. Born in 1906 in Seattle, WA, he spent a disadvantaged childhood living with his sickly parents. He worked before and after school hours to help support his family by the time he was in high school he was the main provider. When he was 17, his mother died from tuberculosis and his father was crippled with arthritis.Throughout his adolescence, Carlson was intrigued by science, chemistry, engineering, and graphic arts. He studied the lives of inventors. His favorite possessions as a boy were a rubber stamp set and a typewriter.The idea of making an invention appealed to me as one of the few available means to accomplish a change in ones economic status, while at the same time bringing to focus my interest in technical things and making it possible to make a contribution to society a s well, he wrote many years later.After high school, Carlson enrolled at the California Institute of Technology, where he was a solid but not spectacular student, graduating with a degree in physics in 1930at the onset of the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce. After applying to 82 companies, he took a low-paying job as a research engineer at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York City.Carlson quickly became bored and transferred a year later to the patent department, where he assisted the companys attorneys. Here his creativity began to take hold and he recorded hundreds of ideas for new inventions in his personal notebooks. After being laid off in 1933, he found a job with PR. Mallory Company, an electronics firm. At night, he studied law and earned a law degree from the New York Law School later he was promoted to manager of Mallorys patent department. Here he quickly realized how much time was wasted in the department because there were not enough carbon copies for the patent paperwork if mora copies were needed, documents had to be retyped and proofed again. Carlson decided to invent a copying machine that would make a copy of an existing document with the push of a button.Chester F. Carlson with the Xerox Model A in the 1960s.Carlson was especially inspired by the research of Hungarian physicist Pl Selnyi, a leader in the little-known field of photoconductivity and electrostatic images, whereby an image could be formed on a specially coated, electrically charged plate through the application of light. Carlson conducted many experiments at home in his kitchen, some of which caught fire and filled the room with smoke.From 1939 to 1944, he sought funding from about two dozen companies, all of which turned him down, including IBM. Carlson was even rejected by the National Inventors Council. Despite these setbacks, in 1942 the U.S. Patent Office issued Carlson a patent for his electrophotographic device.Two years later, an engineer from the Battelle Memoria l Institute named Russell Dayton visited Mallorys patent department and had discussions with Carlson. As they talked, Dayton learned about Carlsons invention and encouraged Battelle to get involved. Two years later Carlson, Battelle, and Haloid Photographic Company signed an agreement to commercialize Carlsons electrophotographic device (Haloid later became the exclusive licensee for the invention).Much of the early work was funded by the U.S. Army. The first versionthe XeroX Model Awas shipped in 1949. Reviews were subdued because the machine was difficult to use and required 39 steps to make a copy. Several better versions were released over the next 10 years, culminating with the Xerox 914, the first modern photocopier. The 914 fulfilled Carlsons dream of building a machine that, with the simple push of a button, delivered a perfect copy on plain paper.Huge success followed. In 1961, Haloid Photographic Company changed its name to Xerox Corporation. Although Carlson became one of the wealthiest men in America, he never forgot his impoverished roots and donated over $150 million to charitable causes and actively supported the NAACP. He developed a keen interest in Hinduism and Buddhism and frequently hosted group meditations in his home. Carlson died of a heart attack in New York City at the age of 62. In 1981, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. His groundbreaking invention transformed the way business is conducted around the world and is the cornerstone of todays multibillion-dollar photocopying industry and newer light-based copy machines, such as the laser printer.Mark Crawford is an independent writer.The 914 fulfilled Carlsons dream of building a machine that, with the simple push of a button, delivered a perfect copy on plain paper.

10 Tech Companies that Offer Their Employees the Coolest Benefits and Perks

10 Tech Companies that Offer Their Employees the Coolest Benefits and Perks10 Tech Companies that Offer Their Employees the Coolest Benefits and PerksThese companies treat their employees like kings and queens. Check out the 10 best companies offering the best benefits.AdobeAdobe is most famous for graphic software such as photoshop and illustrator. With their ideas about employees, it seems like a really cool place to workWhats the secret to Adobes success? Our employees, of course. Thats why we design our benefit and compensation packages to attract and retain the best and brightest. As an Adobe employee, you can be confident your needs will be met, your hard work recognized and rewarded.In Adobe, they feel like education is the most important thing above all. Thats why they provide their employees with engineering or science courses on the Stanford Instructional Television Network (SITN). Of course, any employee is elend forced into behauptung courses if they are not interested.Ai rbnbThanks to Airbnb people all over the world can list, find, and rent lodging.Airbnbs perks for its employees are connected to traveling as well. They get $2,000 bonus for their travel expenses.Besides that, employees can bring their pets to work and can even enjoy sailing trips.AsanaAsana is very cool software wich enables teamwork without unwieldy emailing. This young company treats its employees fairly well.As they say We are committed to empowering all of our employees to help humanity thrive. With that in mind, every Asana is supported by a host of benefits that allows them to do great things every day.For example, every full-time employee is given $10,000 which they can spend on their computer, cell phone or anything that will make their work easier, or will make them feel better.AskDo you have any questions you would like to get answers for? Check out Ask.com. It is question answering-focused web search engine, which will answer you almost any question. It has can even answ er what the meaning of life is.If you worked for Ask, you wouldnt have to worry about the vacation policy. Here is why We believe the best measure of success is what you accomplish, so we dont need to measure how much time you take off to enjoy life. They sure have a pointDream Works AnimationsThis animation studio might be responsible for some of your favorite animated movies such as Shrek, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.They are surrounded by movies all the time, but its something all the employees truly love. Thats why these employees can enjoy movies screening or even short movie festivals frequently. What can be more relaxing and stress relieving than a good movie, right?Free food, health insurance, and 401k plan are a matter of course.EventbriteFind events and buy tickets right from this global marketplace in 190 countries.Eventbrite knows, that cool experiences stick people together like a superglue. Thats why its employees are encouraged to go out together and do an ything that is fun. It doesnt matter if its breakfast, biking, wellness or jumping on trampolines.After these activities, people get usually hungry, so this company supplies its employees with all kinds of tasty snacks.EvernoteEvernote helps milions of people around the world to get organized. Write notes, fill your calendar or archive.These people sure like to be organized, but they know, how much time can cleaning the house consume. Their solution of this problem is simply brilliant. These employees have their house cleaned for free twice a month.FacebookEveryone knows facebook, so we can probably go straight ahead to the best perks for its employees.If any of the employees from Menlo Park, California has a new baby, they get 4 moths of maternity/paternity fully paid. Beautiful working spaces, free food and all kinds of antistress activities are the part of this job as well.TwitterWe bet, that you have an idea what Twitter isWhat you may not know is that employees in different Twi tter branches enjoy catering breakfast, free laundry, and dry cleaning services along with in-office yoga and pilates. Not mentioning all of the beautiful offices.YammerYammer is a private tool for enterprise communication. It is usually described as enterprise social software.Anyway, do you like beer? Of course you do, everyone sane does. Well in Yammer you can have delicious tap beer while at work. Top it with unlimited food and snacks. Of course to have their employees fit, they provide for them all kind of fitness classes and other physical activities. They even get cupcakes with hearts on top on Valentines day. Awwwww.source businessinsider.com, thenextweb.com, fubiz.netDo you like this story? Share it with your friends.Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

Harnessing Power Slow Moving Currents

Harnessing Power Slow Moving Currents Harnessing Power Slow Moving Currents Harnessing Power from Slow Moving CurrentsAfter the sun has gone down and the wind has stopped blowing, water in seas and oceans can be predictably used for energy production. Many hydrokinetic systems extract energy from waves whose motions are greatest at the surface of the sea. But because cables connecting energy to the power grid are sensitive to motion, floating or suspended systems whose cables are free to move about are subject to losses.In addition to researching harvesting energy from waves, Swedish researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden, have taken a different approach. They have designed and are now testing complete systems that take advantage of motion due to currents below the seas surface. Generating power at the bottom of the ocean where systems are protected from strong waves and floating debris, the cables can remain still, secured to the ocean floor.Direct Connect ChallengesThe energy de nsity of water is higher than air, so the same amount of power can be generated at lower speeds. Until recently, techniques for extracting usable energy from water moving at variable low speeds have been limited. Marine currents are very slow, about 1 m/s. Marine-current turbines operate at low rotational speeds, typically 530 rpm, but standard electric generators spin up to 100 times faster.abbildung of a wave power plant. Photo Uppsala University.Prior attempts to connect slow-moving turbines to standard high-speed generators involved gearboxes, producing complex, bulky systems that required maintenance and were notcost-efficient. For cost-efficient, robust, low-maintenance operation at the bottom of the ocean, the approach the Uppsala University group has taken directly connects a slow-moving turbine to a low-speed electric generator, with as few moving parts as possible.The directional vertical-axis turbine theyve developed has no blade-pitch mechanism, no yaw mechanism, no gear box, and no oil or grease required. Recessed into a gravity foundation on the sea floor, the turbine is mounted with a direct drive onto a generator designed to efficiently generate power at low speeds.Floor-mounted linear generator. Image Uppsala University.Permanent magnets are used in these generators, and the key is having many poles, says Mats Leijon, research director and Uppsala professor. Traditional electromagnets cannot be used because their losses are too high at low speeds. Both iron bore and ferrite magnets are possible, and how they are wound affects efficiency, with wave windings being preferred over traditional sling winding distributions, says Leijon.The greatest challenge has been in this direct connection. Combining the two different disciplines of flow in turbines using Navier Stokes equations on one side with Maxwell equations on the generator side, connected by a rotating shaft, is a theoretically interesting problem, but very difficult to solve says Leijon.Riv er ValidationTurbine design and modeling presents another challenge due to the lack of experimental data for comparing and validating models. Leijon explains that data does exist for low-speed generators, but there is not much for undersea turbines. The aerodynamic data of turbines used in wind power is similar to the hydrodynamic data of undersea turbines, but needs to be verified at low speeds.The turbine blade design (size, number, solidity) depends on its location, depth, and the flow profiles of the moving water it will encounter. Flow profiles determine the forces the blades will encounter and can help researchers understand structural and mechanical effects of friction against the sea floor, which can also cause vertical velocity variations and shear.Flow profiles are easier to measure in a river than in the ocean, and years of abundant flow data down to the hour is known for some rivers where hydroelectric power is generated, so proof of concept has begun there.Hydrokinetic power has been successfully generated under varying conditions on the bottom of riverbeds, and three different system designs have been tested. This research is bringing to light the performance and tradeoffs of different designs and will validate and improve detailed simulations for operating on the ocean floor. Ultimately, this work could lead to the development of economically feasible, full-scale commercial power farms in the near future.Debbie Sniderman is CEO of VI Ventures LLC.The aerodynamic data of turbines used in wind power is similar to the hydrodynamic data of undersea turbines, but needs to be verified at low speeds.

Rod Powers - The Balance

Rod Powers - The BalanceRod Powers - The Balance

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation - Resumonk Blog

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation - Resumonk BlogHow to Write a Letter of Recommendation Employers sometimes ask for letters of recommendation from people who know the applicants. Recommendation letters can be requested as part of the initial application package or as the last step in vetting a job candidate.Organizations that ask for letters of recommendation usually ask for two or three such letters, in order to get a better feel for the candidate and make sure theyre a good fit for the company.Gather Information to Write the LetterIf youre approached by someone to write a letter of recommendation, the first step is to gather information about the position she is looking for. Ask for a copy of the job posting. If she wants a more general letter of recommendation, ask for the type of job they are looking for. You need to have the specific job posting or knowledge of the type of job the partie is looking for because the most successful recommendation letters will make a clear l ink between the capabilities, skills and qualities the job-seeker has demonstrated previously and those required in the open position. Good recommendation letters are not vague and general. They specifically pinpoint what the person has done well with an eye toward what they can continue to do well.You should also request a copy of the job-seekers resume. If you werent the immediate past supervisor, you need to know how her career has developed. She may be highlighting areas that are quite different from what she performed for you. You may have supervised the job-seeker as an associate in social media, for example. herbei duties were monitoring analytics, reviewing competitor sites and developing content. If she has since been promoted in analytics, she may be focusing on that area. You would want, ideally, to have a specific example or examples of how she performed in analytics, in addition to comments about her qualities and skills. If you have access to relevant performance appra isals, they can be helpful in developing the letter, as they will have reference to the top achievements, skills and qualities of the job-seeker.What to CoverRecommendation letters should cover the following informationHow you know the person Open by briefly mentioning in what capacity you know the person. State your specific title, the job-seekers specific title at the time and the inclusive years she worked for you.The job-seekers skills and capabilities State the skills demonstrated and the capabilities you saw. Were they adept at crunching data? Did they demonstrate multitasking ability? Specific examples Once youve covered the skills and capabilities, give at least one specific example of an achievement they accomplished. This needs to related explicitly or implicitly to the job they are seeking.The job-seekers qualities Mention specific qualities the job-seeker demonstrated. This can range from engagement to being a good team player.Reference to whether youd hire the person ag ain If you would hire the person again, mention it. Its valuable information for prospective employers.Your contact information The interviewing organization may want to get in quntchen with you to discuss the letter more fully. Provide complete current contact information.Format SpecificsA recommendation letter should be roughly three to four paragraphs long. The standard is roughly one page. Any shorter, and it could be perceived as a sign that you didnt know the job-seeker that well or didnt have sufficient positive information. It is a formal business document. It should be printed on the letterhead of your current company and dated, and you should sign it.Use a standard business font, such as Arial or Times New Roman. The margins should be 1 inch at the sides and the bottom.If you were asked to send it electronically, PDF the copy on your letterhead and submit it per the instructions specified, either by the job-seeker or by information on the job posting.What to Do if You Cant Give a Positive RecommendationAt times, you may be asked for a recommendation letter and you feel that you cant write a positive recommendation. The reasons may range from you didnt work closely with the person or issues with their performance. Its best to tell the person tactfully that you arent the best person to write a recommendation letter for them. Suggest that they contact someone who can speak more fully about their work performance.Sample Recommendation LetterLets see the recommendation letter advice in action. Here is a sample, utilizing all the information aboveJuly 6, 2017Jon DonaldsonVice President, Social MediaYour Company456 New Media CirclePalo Alto, CA 94301Dear Mr. Donaldson, I am writing to recommend Ashley Jones for the position of Social Media Manager at Your Company. Ashley and I worked together at The Former Company. I was the Social Media Manager at The Former Company from 2012 to 2016. Ashley, as Social Media Associate, reported directly to me within a team of four people. I enjoyed working with Ashley and feel she would be a valuable asset to your team. She is creative, thorough and dependable. She is a proactive problem-solver fully aware of the changing social media landscape. Even then, Ashley was able to think strategically about how our social media campaigns could remain ahead of competitors. As the Social Media Associate, Ashley developed a Pinterest campaign for The Former Company. We had no presence on Pinterest at the time. Ashley developed and presented an impressive campaign idea to senior management and executed upon it. Our sales leads generated from Pinterest hit 12 percent in the first year of Ashleys campaign. Her ideas were a major part of its success. Along with her creative and execution talent, Ashley is an excellent collaborator and team player. Her colleagues enjoy working with her. I would hire her again without hesitation.I warmly recommend Ashley for your team at Your Company. She would be an asset to any so cial media department.Please contact me at 223-678-9101 if you would like more information or to discuss Ashleys experience further. Sincerely,Former SupervisorRecommendation letters mention capabilities, skills and qualities the job-seeker demonstrated in the past, both generally and with specific examples. Use the sample above as a general template for the type of responses recommendation letters give.Hopefully, the person you are writing the letter for will land the job of their dreams. You can be proud knowing you played a part in their successful job hunt.p.s. Resumonk helps you create a beautiful rsum cover letter in minutes. Stand out from the crowd and multiply yourchances of landing your dream job.

Top Advice on Customer Service Resume Objective or Summary

Top Advice on Customer tafelgeschirr Resume Objective or Summary Entry-level objectives can be particularly hard to write as you likely dont have loads of work experience, but you do want to solidify that you know the sort of career youre searching for. An objective statement is only one part of a strong resumeyour abilities and experience sections also play a big role in attracting hiring managers. To begin with, it has the incorrect focus. Facts, Fiction and Customer tafelgeschirr Resume Objective or Summary You may want to look at a qualifications summary which we outlined in last weeks postbut if you simply need to have a summaryhere are a couple examples to help you begin. Pick one or two from the aforementioned list and you will be fine. You may now produce your own professional resume summary examples which will surely outshine the competition. Take a look at free resume examples on the internet and youll observe that headings ought to be the exact same all throughout. Remember your attributes may not always be exactly same but still provide value for the business. Some customer tafelgeschirr resume samples are offered online, and they could have the ability to supply additional handy tips regarding inclusions, but they might not always have the most optimum structure. Functional format should only be used when youre changing the fields, and youre quite certain about the skills-oriented format will showcase your skills to your benefit. There are several different formats and varieties of resumes to use, and which you select can depend on lots of factors. Finding the Best Customer Service Resume Objective or Summary Basically, your career summary has to be forward-looking. A superb career summary is a significant portion of the career summary since it adds depth and clarity to your resume. It is essentially a glimpse of your skill set and the value you can bring to your potential employer. Finally, it focuses on your ability to offer val ue to the company. Even though its not a strict requirement to incorporate a resume objective in your resume, a well-written objective will be able to help you catch the interest of the recruiter. An objective needs to be personally-tailored to the employer. If you would like to wow the hiring managers, the next bilingual customer service representative resume sample is a good place to begin. By way of example, customer service representatives in a call center should deal with a customer from India with the very same respect and patience theyd treat somebody who just walked into the organization. If youre asking for a customer service representative position, then you want to be certain that you include an objective section in your resume. To compose the objection section of a customer service resume, you will need to determine the important tasks to be done at work. When youre asking for a customer service position, consider the work description to find out what sorts of skil ls and have the provider wants. Include what youve learned that would be helpful to the provider. For instance, the business might be searching for a customer service expert. Car businesses know that and are always watching for people that have the capability to convince prospective buyers that their brand is the very best. Customer Service Resume Objective or Summary - the Conspiracy Objectives can arrive at the rescue by providing hiring managers with valuable information regarding the candidate, without them having to experience the entire resume. The goal is added to the peak of a resume to summarize work seekers qualifications. The opportunity to polish your career summary is a bit later. Its important to reveal concrete examples of how youll help the business. As stated above, a career summary isnt a career objective. Your career summary also has to be specific and relevant. So, you should write a brief paragraph including the above mentioned details. Change care er resume examples demonstrate that you should begin with personal info. Even if you just happen to neglect to include things like the education section whatsoever. In order to understand what to have in your career summary, you want to understand what it is and what it isnt. Personalize your call center cover letter more by including a fact you adore about the firm. When putting together a resume, you will need to thoroughly consider your objective statement, which will help determine the way that people take a look at the remainder of your work experience. The very first thing which you want to do is go back and examine the job which youre applying for and determine your intended audience. As a guideline, you dont need to use each and every bit of the formula for your resume objective.

Women in Tech at UiPath

Women in Tech at UiPath Below is an article originally written by Chris Schrader at PowerToFly Partner UiPath, and published on April 23, 2019. Go to UiPaths page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.This podcast features several women from throughout our US organization, some of whom are leaders with rich backgrounds at tech companies, discussing their experiences both in and out of UiPath.We will be appearing at these upcoming Women Impact Tech eventsMay 2 - SeattleSept. 4-5 - New YorkSept. 24 - Austin----------Interested in working alongside all the people featured in this podcast? We are hiring One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the la tter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 mio construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel neuheit/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-payi ng roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentierung technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing t he construction industry.

3 ideas for any woman trying to fund the next step of her business

3 ideas for any woman trying to fund the next step of her business3 ideas for any woman trying to fund the next step of her businessTheres really no talking aboutwhats next for your business withouttalking about the money needed to get there. But I find that often in the stories of how we made a major move to scale a business, to launch a new product, to take on a huge new client, to make something new we often talk about the fear, the inspiration, or the mindset without actually talking about thehow. And girl, do we need to talk about thehow.Often, thathowcomes down tohow did you fund that jump?Now, let me define funding for a second because, in this age of unicorn companies and billion-dollar valuations, the word funding has become synonymous with venture capital and startup costs. But thats not the case. Nor is it right for many business models. And just because youre not venture-backed and scaling to the hundred million user (or customer) mark, doesnt mean youre not doing somet hing valuable.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreFunding sources are wide and varied. There are SO many options and roads to take in buchung to take the next big step for your business. If youre looking to scale your company just a little bit, secure the funds to buy that extra equipment or boost some of your marketing efforts, youre most likely looking for working capital. Working capital is essentially the money needed to make a big move on your already established business (rather than the long-term capital required to start one). Popular sources for working capital include business loans, company grants, crowdfunding, personal capital, venture capital, online lending platforms (and more).Some of the business I admire most have made it big because they did what it took to get the capital for a risky expansion, the same expansion it took to put them on the map. However, when you re struggling with cash flow (which 61% of small business owners say that they areaccording to this Intuit QuickBooks survey), finding the capital to expand or grow in any way can be rough.As I look to make a major extension of my own business, Im actively exploring the ways to fund this huge step. Building outWOMAN ON, a live-event talk show, has major earning eignung for me and my team, but it also requires some serious startup costs. So, Ive been actively researching what my options are to acquire the necessary working capital.Here are some sources Ive been exploring for you to consider, tooCrowdfunding This is an interesting idea because it allows people who are loyal to your mission, and what youre passionate about, to help see your big ideas through. Your backers will get to help bring a product, idea, or launch to life in exchange for tiered awards and access. Because I have a large platform and audience, crowdfunding could make a lot of sense if I wanted to market to all of my friends and followers. Even without a platform, crowdfunding can be a viable and interesting option, provided you know how to nail an ongoing marketing campaign.QuickBooks Capital yall know I run my business on QuickBooks. So, Ive naturally gone deep on the ins and outs of its lending offering,QuickBooks Capital. This offering puts money right into the hands of small business owners who may have otherwise struggled to demonstrate their creditworthiness, and therefore, get access to the working capital they need to grow. Its an amazingly transparent process that shows you your options with no commitment with loans of up to $100k for a 12-month term available. If youre approved, the loan will fund in less than 2 business days, so much faster and easier than traditional business loans. Exploring this has been so clear and interesting to me because I seriously had no ideathis was even an option. Hello, possibilitySponsorship dollars This doesnt work for every business move or produc t, but because Ive built my business on brand partnerships and experiential, finding sponsorship money from brands to fund my show could be an interesting fit for both parties. Id have amazing brand partners to support my vision, and theyd have access and deep engagement with the community and content of their target audience that they wouldnt otherwise have.No matter what is next for your business, dont stop talking to people and exploring your options for the working capital needed to grow. Ask other business owners, ask your accountant or bookkeeper, ask family, ask the internet, ask me And youll find the solution that works best for you. When it comes to working capital theres definitely no one right way.

How to achieve goals the easy way (using the Kaizen approach)

How to achieve goals the easy way (using the Kaizen approach)How to achieve goals the easy way (using the Kaizen approach)In 2015, I set a New Years resolution to achieve the goal of waking up at 5 a.m. daily from January through to December.During the first week of January, I nailed it. I woke up at 5 a.m. - even 4 a.m. on some days - every single day that week. EasyOr was it?By February, my motivation and willpower started to drop off. Instead of waking up to my alarm at 5 a.m., I would hit the snooze button and stay in bed till 7 a.m.By March, I had given up on my new morning kenntnisse. I was back to my old habits of waking up after 5 a.m.Id failed to achieve my goal, but this wasnt the first time. 3 years prior, I had set the same New Years entscheidung and failed in each consecutive year leading up to this one.Maybe you can also relate to my struggles with inconsistency. Do you sometimes feel like its unnecessarily hard to achieve your goals and New years resolutions?Most imp ortantly, is therbeie an easier way to achieve your goals? An approach that is stress-free, foolproof and effective?Id like to share a strategy that has been working for me, which could also help you achieve your goals the easy way.But first, why can it be so hard to achieve your goals?Why is it so hard to achieve your goals?Research suggests that approximately 81 percent of New Years Resolutions fail (this ranges up to 92 percent). 1In other words, youre more likely to fail to achieve your goals or stick to new habits at least 8 times out of 10 than otherwise.The odds are leid in our favor and there are several reasons for this.These include lack of motivation and willpower, lack of clarity on the big picture, a poorly designed environment and so on.But, by far the biggest reason is this we focus too much on the goal and not enough on the ordnungsprinzips or habits required to achieve it.In other words A goal is a specific objective that you either achieve or dont sometime in the f uture. A system is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of happiness in the long run. If you do something every day, its a system. If youre waiting to achieve it someday in the future, its a goal.- Scott AdamsTo explain this better, imagine two people with weight loss goals - lets call them Ben and Lisa.Ben is primarily goal focused. Ben says that he wants to lose 35 pounds in 6 months.Every day Ben looks in front of the mirror, looking for signs of weight loss. Hes disappointed with his progress given his long hours spent running on the treadmill daily.After 3 months of an intensive exercise routine and strict diet plan, Ben finally gives up on his weight loss goal.Ben mentions that his current weight loss progress is much slower than expected.Bens obsession with the goal led him to do too much too quickly. It also created unrealistic and inflexible deadlines to achieve his goal creating the feelings of failure from little progress.This explains why Ben fai led to achieve his goal.What about Lisa?Unlike Ben, Lisa took a completely different approach. An easier way to achieve your goals using the Kaizen approach.Lets explore that now.The Kaizen approach for progressExcellence is not a destination it is a continuous journey that never ends.- Brian TracyFirst off, what exactly is Kaizen?Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy and practice of continuous improvement.Instead of making big changes all at once, the kaizen approach focuses on small improvements over time for big results.This idea was originally influenced by American management theorists during WWII, who focused on improving production efforts with little resources available.After the war, America brought in these experts to help rebuild the weakened Japanese factories. The Japanese took these ideas of continuous improvement and called it Kaizen.Since then, the Japanese have successfully used the Kaizen approach to rebuild their economy and grow several automobile giants including To yota and Honda.To better understand this, lets get back to Lisa in the previous example.Instead of choosing a goal-focused approach like Ben, Lisa chooses a Kaizen approach.Lisa says that her goal is to lose 35 pounds, but she immediately shifts her focus towards a system or habit to achieve this.Her system is to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - and to eat three fruits daily.If she can stay consistent with this system, the likelihood of achieving her goal is higher than otherwise.But, thats not all she did.Using the Kaizen approach, Lisa decides to slowly build this system into her lifestyle through small continuous improvements over time.For example, during the first week, instead of immediately running 3 times a week for 30 minutes, Lisa runs for 5 minutes on a Friday.In week 2, Lisa runs for 5 minutes on a Friday and a Wednesday.In week 3, Lisa runs for 5 minutes on a Friday, Wednesday, and Monday.And so on. You get the drift.After 3 mont hs (remember Ben had already dropped out) Lisa was still consistent with her routine, improving her system little by little on a weekly basis.After 6 months, to her surprise, Lisas friends and colleagues started commenting on how much weight she had lost. After checking the scales, Lisa realized that her goal had been exceeded, even though she hadnt been thinking about it for monthsBy using a system focused Kaizen approach to achieve her weight loss goals, Lisa was able to break down a big goal into small sustainable changes that made consistent action easy.Its much easier to get going and overcome procrastination, if the task at hand is smaller.Heres how you can use Kaizen to achieve your goals How to achieve your goals using the Kaizen Approach.Remember my personal struggle with the morning routine that I shared with you in the introduction?In 2016, after years of failure, I used the Kaizen approach to build the habit of waking up at 5 a.m.Heres how you can do this too Step 1 Crea te a system to achieve your goals.What are the daily or weekly behaviors or habits that will help you achieve your goal as a by-product?For example, when I set a goal of reading 25 books a year, I developed a system of reading 20 pages a day.By setting my focus on reading 20 pages per day, my goal of reading 25 books a year would be a by-product of this habit.If you want to lose weight - just like the Lisa example - save more money or even start keeping a journal, simply create systems that will achieve your goal.Step 2 Breakdown the system into its smallest form.Now you want to think about the smallest version of your system i.e. an action or behavior with the least resistance and effort for you to get started on a daily basis.For example, instead of attempting to wake up at 5 am every day, I decided to only do this on Mondays during my first 2 weeks of this morning routine.When I started a reading habit, Id focus on reading just one page every other day.Before writing for this n ewsletter every Monday, I started off writing an article once every month and a half.The key here is to uncover the first step that would be small and easy enough for you to do consistently.Step 3 Make small improvements until your original system is a habit.You now have an original system to achieve your goals broken down into smaller parts. Once youve built a habit of the smaller parts, you can now start to make small improvement or changes leading up to the original system.For example, after 2 weeks of waking up at 5 am on Mondays, I added Fridays into my morning routine the following 2 weeks.In other words, it was only after I got into the habit of waking up at 5 am on Mondays, that Fridays were introduced into the routine.The idea here is to make continuous improvements until your original system becomes a habit.Remember your original system is simply the complete set of habits or behaviors that will help you achieve your goals as a by-product.So in my case, during weeks 4 thro ugh 7, I introduced Wednesdays and so on. Several months later I had successfully built the habit of waking up at 5 am, 6 days out of the week.The same strategy can be applied to any other systems. For example If you want to read 20 pages a day Read a page a day on week 1, two pages a day on week two, three pages a day on week 3 and so on.If you want to exercise three times a week Go for a run once a week on week 1, twice a week on week 3, three times a week on week 8 and so on.If you want to write 500 words daily Write 500 words once a week on week 1, twice a week on week 4, three times a week on week 10 and so on.These are of course hypothetical scenarios, but Im sure you can now see a pattern in this Kaizen approach to achieve your goals.Create the system (or behavior patterns to achieve the goal), break it down to small enough parts and then improve continuously until the original system becomes a habit.Its that simple or is it?Focus on progression, Not the goalForget about per fection focus on progression, and compound the improvements.- Sir Dave BrailsfordThe reality is that it is that simple, but our tendency is to look for the perfect solution with quick results.We obsess about our goals, take too much action too quickly and beat ourselves up whenever our progress doesnt match up.This is the hard way to achieve your goals that often results in failure.The Kaizen approach takes the pressure off the outcome and helps you to stay consistent with your goals at a sustainable pace.It focuses on building the habits (systems) through small continuous improvements over time for a real change in identity.This is the easy way to achieve your goals this year.Go KaizenMayo Oshin writes atMayoOshin.com, where he shares practical self-improvement ideas and proven science for better health, productivity and creativity.To get practical ideas on how to stop procrastinating and build healthy habits, you can join his free weekly newsletterhere.A version of this article or iginally appeared atmayooshin.comas How to achieve your goals the easy way (using the Kaizen approach)FootnotesA research study by psychology prof John Norcross on success rate of New Years resolution.

How to Get Through Work When The Worlds a Mess - The Muse

How to Get Through Work When The Worlds a Mess - The MuseHow to Get Through Work When The Worlds a Mess The sniper attack in Dallas, the death of an innocent man in MN, the suicide bombings in Turkey, the mass shooting in Orlando- I could go on, but you probably dont need me to remind you of all the terrible things going on in the world.This isnt an article about whats right or wrong, its not about airport security, guns, or gun laws and it certainly isnt about politics or which politician is tweeting what.Its about you.When the weight of what youve seen and heard threatens to tear your heart in two, how can you possibly muster the enthusiasm for your 10 AM meeting or be expected to wrap your head around finishing that report by the end of the day?Doesnt it seem silly to dive right into the minutia of your daily work following such a major tragedy? Those hundred tiny things on your to-do list suddenly seem a whole lot tinier when the shadow of something horrible looms large. But you cant just stop working. Youre not going to quit your job or abandon the career youve been building. So what do you do?Here are three thoughts to help you cope.1. Love Your ResponsibilitiesGuns. Crime. War. Disease. Terror. Drought. Refugees. And on, and on, and on.There are a lot of soul-stirring things happening out there. Theyre happening right now, they happened yesterday, and theyre probably going to happen tomorrow, too. Focusing on your day-to-day responsibilities when theres major loss and sadness around you is challenging.You may feel like you got bumped out of your groove. All you can see is a larger landscape, and with that point of view, its easy to feel like what youre doing doesnt really matter, or that if you do knuckle down and start ticking things off your to-do list, then youre somehow missing the point or doing people who are suffering a disservice.But having a job and a set of responsibilities isnt incompatible with being a caring human being.You have a 5 PM meeti ng to attend? Excellent. Love the fact that you get to turn up and do great work. Just been asked to take on a new project? Awesome. Now dive into it and relish the opportunity. Forced to hand-hold a colleague through a shared assignment? Perfect. How wonderful that you get to help someone and have an impact on their work.Feeling, caring, and remembering dont require that you stop everything else, and choosing to embrace and love your responsibilities rather than disconnect from them can be transformative.2. Feed the AngelsFear, pain, and dorfwiese are like locomotives barreling through you. Imposing and banging and crashing, these powerful emotions divert your attention away from the task at hand.Applying yourself at work when theres a steam train rolling through your head and over your heart isnt easy, and buckling down so you can finish the deck probably seems downright trivial. Soon, youre struggling to keep an even, calm demeanor.Maybe you snap at a co-worker who asks you a que stion you deem dumb. Maybe you think Fine, Ill do it myself, when something isnt completed as you expected. And maybe you roll your eyes and rail against the small talk you hear in the cubicles and corridors.But you dont have to feed those things. You dont have to stoke the furnace that drives bitterness, or misunderstanding, or judgment. What if, instead, you were at your best as a response to a terrible event?Think generosity with time or spirit over armor-donning. Empathy over division. Compassion over judgment. Your best experiences at work have been the times when you were at your best, and dont think for a moment that choosing to be this way now is an inappropriate response to something horrible.Feed the angels, not the demons.3. BreatheWhen all is said and done, you still have a job to do. I know, I know, moving numbers around in a spreadsheet or running a meeting about marketing strategy seems kind of ridiculous when compared with whats out there. But its something. And havi ng something solid to focus on in a world that seems to be shifting can help provide the balance that you so desperately seek.So, breathe...Take a breath, and realize how lucky you are to be employed, to be alive and well, sitting in an office, getting paid to do work you care about (or at least, hopefully, dont loathe). In the best case scenario, youre surrounded by people who are good, decent human beings, and in the worst, youve got a work bff or a partie to grab a cup of afternoon tea with. Take a look around, breath deeply, and consider how fortunate you are.Some days youll still struggle to care a lot about the work in front of you when theres so much else to think about. You may even (temporarily) view your job as insignificant based on whats happening in the world, and thats OK, too. Letting yourself feel things and process is a part of getting back on track. Remember this Youre allowed to slow down until youre ready to do more. And that doing your job isnt incompatible with being a caring person whos worried about whats happening in the world. Photo of distracted man courtesy of Yuri_Arcurs/Getty Images.