Day: August 20, 2020

The Future Of Beauty: How Obi Omile Jr of theCut aims to modernize the barbershop experience

My “tipping point” probably occurred before my professional career. Growing up, I was one of the smart kids who didn’t have to work too hard to get good grades. It wasn’t until I got rejected from my top college choice that I really understood it took more than just brains to make it. Immediately after, I worked twice as hard — eventually getting into the school of my choice with a scholarship in hand. That helped me build the focus and work habits I now have today. This also taught me that regardless of what happens if you work hard enough, you’ll find a way. That’s carried over into my professional career whenever we’ve come across barriers in fundraising, growth, or other aspects of the business.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years I had the pleasure of interviewing Obi Omile Jr.

Obi is co-founder & CEO of theCut, the largest technology platform modernizing the barbershop experience for barbers and the people who need them. theCut boasts more than 65K barbers, 1.7M users, and over 15M appointments booked nationwide, disrupting the $20B barbershop market.

Obi brings experience across tech and financial services industries prior to launching theCut with his co-founder Kush Patel. Previously, Obi was a Software Engineering Analyst at Accenture Federal Services and a software developer at Wells Fargo, where he worked with both business executives and fellow developers to build out products. He also interned as a Data Analyst for cognitive enhancement startup, truBrain and built and released Payday, an app making it easier to forecast paychecks and improve savings habits. Obi earned a B.B.A. in economics, with a concentration in finance, from James Madison University.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Absolutely! Thanks for taking the time to learn more about our story. Like many entrepreneurs, starting a business was a way to solve a problem we were confronted with. It just so happened that in 2016, my co-founder, Kush and I had both moved back to Virginia after working in New York and North Carolina respectively. While away from home, we both had such terrible haircut experiences, that we felt the problem quite acutely. At the same time, we had both been working at companies where we developed the technical skills that we could use to build a solution. So one night, after playing basketball, we spent time venting about why it was so hard to get a great haircut. Especially at a time when apps were popping up left and right solving everyday problems. We discussed amongst ourselves, then with local barbers, we had relationships with, to get a better understanding of their day-to-day issues. We realized that both sides had real concerns that software was well-suited to address. In February of 2016, we started working on the prototype and a few months later in May, we went live in the iOS App Store.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

We spent the summer of 2018 in Los Angeles while in the Techstars program. It was an incredible experience where we learned a ton and met some really impactful people. It was one day after work, we were leaving the office and heard music playing downstairs. We walked around the building, eventually finding the source. Next door, there was a pop-up gallery with a DJ. The DJ turned out to be Snoop Dogg and rapper Dave East was in attendance. We talked our way in and got to hang out for a few hours and ended the night by giving Snoop one of our company t-shirts.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

My “tipping point” probably occurred before my professional career. Growing up, I was one of the smart kids who didn’t have to work too hard to get good grades. It wasn’t until I got rejected from my top college choice that I really understood it took more than just brains to make it. Immediately after, I worked twice as hard — eventually getting into the school of my choice with a scholarship in hand. That helped me build the focus and work habits I now have today. This also taught me that regardless of what happens if you work hard enough, you’ll find a way. That’s carried over into my professional career whenever we’ve come across barriers in fundraising, growth, or other aspects of the business.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

It definitely takes a village and we’ve had a number of people who’ve helped us along the way. Whether it be Melissa Bradley at 1863 Ventures or the Humble Ventures team. We wouldn’t be where we are today, without their help. Early on, they took a chance on us and filled our knowledge gaps. As well as introduce us to individuals who we built relationships with, that have continued to be fruitful to this day.

And even earlier in the company, people like Rashad Moore, an entrepreneur in the D.C. area, were incredibly valuable. He let us share his office space, which was a nice change of pace from our childhood bedrooms or the local Panera. That along with his experience and insights into building technology tools shaped the way we looked at the business in the onset.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

As you mentioned, the technology we’re using exists today in other industries. But yet, haven’t been fully utilized across the beauty industry, especially in barbershops. Mobile computing, cloud storage, and digital payments can all transform business for many of these entrepreneurs. The ability to manage appointments 24/7 anywhere in the world, on your phone is incredibly powerful. For barbers who have upwards of 1,000 clients, it would have been nearly impossible for them to build meaningful relationships with their clients. With theCut, that entire process can now be managed from your phone. By implementing digital payments, barbers are no longer tied to physical registers and can run their business and be paid on the go. By making many of these technologies accessible to the masses, we’re empowering entrepreneurs in the beauty industry to run their businesses more efficiently and effectively.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

As more and more data is collected and stored in the cloud. The tools needed to protect them become more salient. Everyone deserves the right to privacy and to feel that their information is guarded from bad actors. At theCut, we’re constantly thinking about how we can better protect our users. When we plan new features, one of the first times that we consider is how vulnerable this makes those in our community. Payment security is even more important. When you hear how often banking institutions are targeted by hackers, it’s painfully clear that secure payment systems will continue to be top of mind in the coming years.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

Barbers and barbershops have been staples in communities of color. They provide a safe space for people to be themselves and provide a confidence boost with every haircut. I’m excited to be able to return the favor, and empower barbers with the tools they need to run their business and help make them more confident entrepreneurs. At the same time, everyone at some point has had a terrible haircut or struggled to find the right Barber/Stylist for them. The ability to give consumers more choices and convenience when it comes to something as personal as one’s hair, is a great feeling. Technology is eating the world, and the beauty space won’t be immune to its impact. The opportunity to reimagine what commerce looks like in barbershops really excites us at theCut.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

Lack of institutionalized retirement planning
Uniformed and accessible education & training

At theCut, we’re always thinking of ways to improve the experience of barbers on our platform and to add value in all parts of their lives. We have plans to address both of these issues in the future.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Great haircuts: A great haircut works wonders for confidence. When you look your best, you feel your best. Finding the right haircut or hairstyle that makes you feel comfortable and confident is key to feeling beautiful.
Avoid negative thoughts: Telling yourself that you’re beautiful or that you love the way you look is another way of tricking your brain into believing it. The mind is a powerful thing and too often we can be our own worst critic.
Unfollow social media accounts: Social media is a great tool for connecting with people. But at the same time can be incredibly overwhelming. When you continuously see people who don’t look like you getting tons of likes and comments, that can affect the way you see yourself. Unfollowing those accounts and realizing that beauty comes in a variety of ways, can help restore your sense of self-worth.
Standing tall: Fixing your posture is another great way to boost your confidence. Standing erect and sitting straight up, signals to your brain that you feel good about yourself. Keeping your shoulders back, and chest open also makes your look taller, slimmer, and more self-assured.
Gratitude: A simple “thank you” can go a long way. When people compliment you, accepting it without pointing out your flaws will do wonders for your confidence. Once you’ve internalized what people think your best traits are, it’ll be easier for you to identify and take pride in them. In turn, making you more confident in yourself.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Reallocation of government spending. Our country’s budget has skewed more and more towards defense at the expense of other public goods and services. If we were able to spread that wealth around, we could replenish the budgets of health and education services that have been depleted in the past decades. Both would have great impacts on the general well being of society. As well as make life across the country more equitable giving everyone an opportunity at a better life.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails”- William Arthur Ward

Most of my life I’ve viewed myself as an optimist. But at times, you can’t just believe things will happen. You have to take the reins and control your own destiny. Willing myself towards the college of my choice, learning how to code after graduation, and starting a company with a friend were all examples of me not waiting for things to happen. But instead, creating the future I wanted to see.

How can our readers follow you online?

Company

IG: @thecutapp

Twitter: @thehaircutapp

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

The Future Of Beauty: How Obi Omile Jr of theCut aims to modernize the barbershop experience was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Chelle Neff of Urban Betty: “Why you need to surround yourself with people who appreciate you”

Surround yourself with people who appreciate you. You are worthy of kindness and love. I’m not going to give the old spill about hair and makeup. You’ve got that. What you need now is good, clean, positive energy around you that will help you radiate beauty. I remember this when I ordered a weird facial mask and had it lying out on the counter. My husband left a post-it on it, saying, “You don’t need this. You’re already gorgeous.” It was something so powerful yet so simple. You know what? I threw that mask away, and I kept that post-it. It’s now in the drawer with all my beauty creams, and I take time to look at that note often. That’s what helps me feel beautiful.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Chelle Neff. She has been a leader in the U.S. salon industry since founding Urban Betty in 2005. Neff has successfully grown Urban Betty year after year and today has a salon company that houses more than 60 employees and 2 locations. In 2018 & 2019, Urban Betty was named one of the fastest-growing privately held companies by Inc. 5000. If you want to learn more about Chelle, please follow her on Instagram @urbanbetty or visit chelleneff.com.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I began my journey as an entrepreneur first by being an employee in the salon industry. I knew from a young age that I wanted to do hair. I jumped at the offer to enroll in cosmetology school while in high school at the age of sixteen. This opportunity was amazing because it meant directing my path toward exploring a real passion of mine. During my junior and senior years, I attended half days of regular classes and a half-day in cosmetology school.

When I received my license, I started working behind the chair at Supercuts. I slowly worked my way up the ladder to more high-end salons. Five years later, I got a small suite at the Gallery of Salons in Austin, Texas, and became an independent contractor. That was my first stepping stone towards running my own business. In 2005, Urban Betty opened and now has two locations and almost 60 employees.

Can you share the most exciting story that happened to you since you began your career?

When I initially structured the pricing list for services at my salon, I offered package deals and all sorts of special discounts. I thought surely this was the best way to draw in new business. After struggling to make ends meet, I finally ran a report to see how much money we were giving away. It was an astonishing $50,000 in just one year! After that, I hired a salon consulting company and a business coach — Summit Salon Business Center. Within the first three months of hiring Summit, we restructured the pricing on our service list to an a la carte menu with only a limited amount of discounts. Our revenue grew by 30% the following year! Once our profits quickly turned around, I was able to retire from doing hair in 2016 and focus solely on managing Urban Betty.

Yes, there was a massive trigger for me that I regard as my tipping point. I was in a relationship with a person who wasn’t right for me. I started having extreme dizzy spells, and I knew then I needed to get out of that relationship and focus on myself and get in a safe place. I started therapy, and after a few years, only then did I slowly learn how to love and accept me. I immediately noticed a reflection of that within my business. When you’re in a bad spot emotionally, your business will always reflect that. Once I started to improve myself emotionally, my business took off financially. Whenever we want something to happen on the outside, we have to start with the inside.

I would not be where I am today without my life coach/therapist, Rebecca Hamm. I met with her once a week for the first five years after I opened my business. I am down to every other week now. When you are an entrepreneur, you always need someone in your corner who can call you on your B.S. in a gentle way. She does that for me. She has helped me overcome my ego and become a boss in every sense of the word.

Okay super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

The future of technology and beauty is rapidly changing, especially this year with the pandemic. We have utilized virtual consultations, product affiliate programs, and checking guests in through text messaging. It’s just a few ways we’ve been able to serve our guests in the beauty industry with technology instead of touch. I feel this is going to remain the norm and forever change how my salon interacts with guests. I believe that virtual consultations are the wave of the future for guests seeking hair color, cuts, or even full makeovers. With Zoom becoming so popular during the pandemic, this has enabled us to consult with guests without them entering the salon company. This technology will help people who live far away or otherwise skip coming in because they don’t want to take time out of their day for a consultation. This solution makes it simple and something that they can do from the privacy and comfort of their own home.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Yes, I can. With all the beauty filters out there on popular social media apps, it’s created a crazy sense of false expectations from the public. People seek out doctors to get their faces sculpted to match a filter, but they are also asking for hair colors that aren’t achievable. We have guests consistently bringing in photos that are over-filtered and not real life. It’s a constant explanation of why the Kardashians can have black and white-blonde hair in the same week. Wigs and app filters give people this perception that you can do anything with your face and hair. And unfortunately, people get upset if you can’t deliver that. There needs to be more awareness around people using technology to morph images with over filtered color. I can only imagine what it’s like for all the kids growing up, seeing that, and expecting that they can look like that one day. We need to think more deeply about accepting our bodies and faces as they are.

Can you share three things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

Three things that excite me about the beauty-tech industry are:

Hair scanners. This tool is super exciting, and the technology keeps getting better every year. You can now use a handheld device, which the hairstylist uses to scan the guest’s hair. It utilizes near-infrared and visible light sensors to measure factors such as “inner hair quality,” moisture level, and actual hair color. The hairstylist sends the reading to an app on their phone where the results are analyzed. The guest can then consult with the hairstylist about things like hair color, which they can view on their phone within the app.
Lamellar Technology. We carry the brand Kerastase. They have launched a new product with this technology. The radiance-revealing hair treatment is composed of a unique blend of ultra-lightweight molecules, which are up to 10 times smaller than those found in traditional conditioners and masques. When activated with water, these molecules form an ultra-fine topcoat on the surface of the hair. The result? An outstanding, flawless finish. The lamellar technology means that only areas of the hair that need it are targeted for a truly lightweight treatment. Being able to shrink ingredients so that they can further penetrate the hair shaft makes products more efficient, super conditioning and hydrating.
E-Makeup. I love the thought of seeing what colors look like on your face before actually applying them. And I can’t wait to go to a store one day, look at a screen, hold a product up to it and see what it looks like on my face. Technology like this will forever revolutionize the makeup industry.

Can you share three things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement three ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

The first thing that concerns me, and honestly should concern everyone, is safety in ingredients. Technology is making great strides with ingredients. However, they should also take time to ensure that they are safe to use. Natural beauty products used to be sold mainly in health food stores. With all the studies around health combined with beauty, new brands are positioning themselves as “cleaner” alternatives. It’s not perfect, but it’s better. We need to hold more brands accountable for their ingredients and make sure that they are safe, not just labeled that way. I would reform this by blacklisting cancer-causing/unsafe ingredients and making sure that products are tested before going on to the market.
Again, I am concerned about what people see on social media and what is real life. We need more support for people out there, sharing that we shouldn’t all look the same. What you were born with is okay! It seems like everyone posting has the same “app face.” It’s almost snakelike, and the skin looks weirdly smooth. It seems to be even more prevalent, with everyone hunkered down at home. Embrace your natural beauty!
Exclusivity and diversity also should be a concern for all brands. Companies need to make sure that they implement beauty and technology that are affordable and usable to everyone. Technology products are usually designed for a specific clientele that tends to be masculine. For example, V.R. headsets still don’t exactly fit everyone’s head perfectly (especially women). At first, I thought I just couldn’t figure out how to put them on correctly, Now I know!

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share five ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Don’t compare. Too often, we look at everyone else’s world and think, I could never look like that. Or what is this person wearing, eating, doing to look so good? And most of the time, it’s angles, filters, and some people even use photoshop! I remember one time at the beach, I took a photo with my husband, and my friend taking the picture told me to stand to the side and turn straight towards the camera. I couldn’t believe how much better I looked in the photo. I never knew this trick, but you know I use it every time now. Sometimes something as simple as changing an angle can help you feel better in photos. And then you’ll notice it the next time you see someone doing it, and hopefully, you won’t compare yourself to them!
Know your worth! Self-worth is the value we put upon ourselves. It is also how we communicate to the world what we believe we deserve to receive back. You must improve your beliefs around your self-worth to feel better. And when you feel better, guess what? You look better! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and your eye is most important. I used to base my worth on what everyone else thought about me. I constantly asked for validation after making a change at work, and it felt right for about 5 minutes, and then I was questioning myself again. When you know your worth and step into your power, you learn to ask the universe, “Did I just do that right?” And you know what answer you’ll get, YES! Trust that and let that be your validation, not people around you.
Praise others. By lifting others, you, in turn, bring that same energy back to yourself. When’s the last time you said that you like how someone looked or complimented a specific attribute about another person? Remember how good you felt after that? And guess what? When we feel better, we feel beautiful. When I arrive at work, I walk around and make an effort to say hello and talk to people, and if I like something about them, I take time to say it. It’s important, and people will remember that. Nothing will make you feel more beautiful INSIDE than knowing you’ve lifted someone else up.
Surround yourself with people who appreciate you. You are worthy of kindness and love. I’m not going to give the old spill about hair and makeup. You’ve got that. What you need now is good, clean, positive energy around you that will help you radiate beauty. I remember this when I ordered a weird facial mask and had it lying out on the counter. My husband left a post-it on it, saying, “You don’t need this. You’re already gorgeous.” It was something so powerful yet so simple. You know what? I threw that mask away, and I kept that post-it. It’s now in the drawer with all my beauty creams, and I take time to look at that note often. That’s what helps me feel beautiful.
You are what you eat. And when you eat better, you look better. When I was in my 20’s I could put away a large pizza or a foot-long sub, no problem! And guess what? I always felt bloated, had headaches, and zero energy. When I started having dizzy spells in my early 30’s, I assessed my health. I changed my diet to “mostly” gluten and dairy-free (let yourself live, every once in a while) and started exercising. Now in my early 40’s I look better than I did in my 20’s, and I have TON more energy. The dizziness has all but gone away too. And again, when you feel better, you look better and that is beautiful.

I would love to inspire a movement of supporting other people’s successes. The world is not one pie for everyone. We each have our own pie! When one person is successful, they are never taking away from you. Your worth and all that you have are based on your emotional well-being and your beliefs surrounding that. Whenever you celebrate another person’s success, you draw that same energy onto yourself. I would love for everyone out there to want others to succeed and be happy for them!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite quote is, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” I heard this quote right after opening my salon company, and I was utterly overwhelmed with all of the things that I needed to do. I believe that all movement is forward movement. Even the smallest thing like having coffee with another business owner — asking them one question may help you get to where you want to go.

How can our readers follow you online?

Facebook: facebook.com/urbanbettysalon

Instagram & Twitter: @urbanbetty

Chelle Neff of Urban Betty: “Why you need to surround yourself with people who appreciate you” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Rachael McCrary of Infrawear: “They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway”

“An idea isn’t worth anything, execution is.” I always say this because I think that if we just spin around ideas and keep chasing the next shiny objects, we don’t go deep. So it’s important that whenever you build something, you have to work on executing and growing the thing, as opposed to continuously building other things.

As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rachael McCrary.

Rachael is the Co-Founder and President of Infrawear, LLC and the inventor of the RxBRa, a post-surgical garment recommended by plastic surgeons. RxBra contains FarInfrared yarn for increased circulation and blood flow which leads to optimal results. Rachael has founded and advised many startups and has a background in operations, venture capital and early to mid stage growth companies in fashion and blockchain. Having spent 20 years in the apparel industry conducting business in Asia, Rachael has vast product development and logistical expertise.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?

I started my career as a fashion designer and I have over two decades of product development experience. I studied Fashion Design at FIDM. Throughout my career, I’ve worked overseeing creative product development for major brands, including Maidenform and Victoria’s Secret. I’m no stranger to hard work and certainly not afraid to be the first to do or try anything I believe in. As a female who’s led more than three successful startups, I’ve also entered and won major pitch competitions. I was the first female to raise over 1M in Venture Capital in 2015. Now I’ve taken my supply chain and product development experience to our current company, Infrawear.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

My company, Infrawear, is getting test kits in hospitals and clinics everywhere. We’re currently supplying COVID-19 tests and PPE to 100+ U.S. hospitals, government agencies, and corporations with CLIA-certified laboratories. We’re also working around the clock to help create fully tested events so people in America can enjoy events again while remaining safe. Since we’re supplying tests around the country and facilitating tested events for film crews and concerts, conferences, corporate events, film crews, we’re helping people adjust to the new normal. The more test kits go into healthcare facilities the faster we can ultimately help America separate positive from non-positive citizens and do mass testing safely. All the while, it’ll help more people know their status.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

Infrawear has an established history of having the deepest level of sourcing and shipping expertise and supply chain know-how. Infrawear prides itself on being an agile, forward- thinking company. Since the COVID pandemic, the Company has already built new relationships with more than 100+ hospitals, government agencies, and corporations across the U.S., in less than six months’ time. Infrawear is rapidly providing top-quality, high-demand medical supplies, proprietary COVID-19 Tests and PPE to clinical laboratories or to healthcare workers. In addition to this, our new RxMask helps eliminate bacteria growth while remaining active and wearing a mask, and offers health and beauty benefits.

Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?

Absolutely. Everyone warned us that there were a couple of large players in the medical bra space and we wouldn’t be able to compete with that. Then when we ordered those products and took a look at them, we just didn’t feel that they were that great. The elastic was really hard and stiff and it wasn’t even for undergarments. I just couldn’t imagine wearing it in general, let alone if I had had surgery. It has super soft fabric and I added infrared yarn, which we knew made it a productive garment that could actually help people and increase circulation and blood flow. I’ve been making bras for 20 years and I knew there that I could definitely make a better garment than what I was seeing. And now? People order them all the time. We have top surgeons on re-order and women always let us know they love the product.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

One of my advisors, Tom Marcus, is an attorney in Silicon Valley. He has a completely different viewpoint than me which helps me a lot in business. My viewpoint is as an entrepreneur and dream focused, whereas he looks at things from a risk perspective. In the beginning, I thought he was just being negative, but after seven years of working together, I learned a lot. I learned to look at things from a risk analysis perspective and thinking of problems in advance. Entrepreneurs aren’t just product developers. That’s 10% of the job, you need to know the numbers inside and out, so you can understand your business. You need to know the mechanics yourself. There are so many factors to owning a business, and Tom really helped open my eyes in seeing that there isn’t just one way of thinking. You can’t have someone else create your projections. When the business is operational it’s good to have a professional do your profit and loss statements but always analyze them. You’ll find out what is producing results and what isn’t and how to scale.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

In high school, I was working $8 an hour at my job in a restaurant. It didn’t take long for me to realize this wasn’t working for me. However, while there, people always asked me about the clothes I was wearing. So I started making mini dresses and selling them. Then I started screening t-shirts for bands and learned how to run a profitable business while I was in high school. I took this passion for business and clothing and used it to get to where I am today.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

Have strong self of self
Have a spiritual practice that helps ground you
Celebrating small wins, so that you build personal encouragement and encourage others
Remember why you’re doing it in the first place
Lead by example by supporting other entrepreneurs

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

“An idea isn’t worth anything, execution is.” I always say this because I think that if we just spin around ideas and keep chasing the next shiny objects, we don’t go deep. So it’s important that whenever you build something, you have to work on executing and growing the thing, as opposed to continuously building other things.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Gather safely. Understand that we’re going to be in this situation for a while. Masks and mass testing are imperative. Learn how to live in this new world because people keep waiting for this to be over, but that’s going to take a long time. We need to learn how to carefully and safely live normally and that’s what Infrawear is doing.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: @nycbella and Twitter: @rachaelbydesign

Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!

Rachael McCrary of Infrawear: “They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Michelle Jimenez-Meggiato and Andrea Meggiato of The Pizza Cupcake: What inspired us most about the

Michelle Jimenez-Meggiato and Andrea Meggiato of The Pizza Cupcake: What inspired us most about the behavior of people during the pandemic was the sense of COMMUNITY and people coming together

What inspired us the most about the behavior of people during the pandemic was the sense of COMMUNITY and people coming together. Everyone was doing their best to help one another whether it was small businesses sharing resources with one another, customers purchasing gift cards or donating to support their favorite small businesses and those who donated their time and resources to help people in their community.

I had the pleasure to interview Michelle Jimenez-Meggiato and Andrea Meggiato of The Pizza Cupcake.

The Pizza Cupcake is a family-owned, small business baked from a crazy fun idea by two ambitious kids with a dream. Michelle Jimenez-Meggiato is a first-generation Filipina-American and Andrea Meggiato is an Italian native. In November of 2018, they put their zest for ‘za into creating The Pizza Cupcake.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how and where you grew up?

Our shared love for pizza, family and New York City set the foundation for our relationship. We like to say that pizza is what brought us together since our first date was over pizza in New York City. We are both products of hard working immigrant families with humble beginnings. I came to New York City as a first-generation Filipina American who left the blue collar town of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania for college and haven’t looked back since. Andrea came to New York City as the only person in his entire family and extended network who left his native Italy and worked his way through the restaurant and luxury jewelry industries. We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to avail ourselves of the American dream — we started our family business, The Pizza Cupcake.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

Stress Less, Accomplish More by Emily Fletcher has taught us how to handle stress during these trying times by cultivating Mindfulness through brief powerful meditation exercises. Like most people, we have been suffering from multiple stressors resulting from the global pandemic, the financial downturn, and the immediacy of the need for racial justice. We have found this book to keep us centered so that we can show up for our marriage, our community and ourselves.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

“Family First” — While there are twists and turns of life, we both learned early on that the only thing we can count on is family through every chapter of our lives. Our commitment is to always show up and make time for our marriage and our loved ones.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. You are currently leading a social impact organization that has stepped up during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to address?

The Pizza Cupcake is all about bringing people together through the love of delicious pizza. We wanted to bring joy and provide a sense of normalcy at a time that was so stressful for families in underserved communities and those serving on the frontlines.

In your opinion, what does it mean to be a hero?

There are heroes all around us. They are the frontline workers who show up every day to serve the communities and cities that are suffering greatly from this pandemic. They are the families who are raising the next generation of leaders. They are the immigrants who are deemed essential workers who make sure we have food in our supermarkets. They are the majority low-wage workers who ensure that our groceries are stocked and our packages are delivered. Our heroes are ordinary people who aren’t seeking recognition, but show up for society each and every day.

In your opinion or experience, what are “3 characteristics of a hero? Please share a story or example for each.

Integrity — Our frontline workers keep their word to serve their communities despite the risks to themselves and their families, even though it’s not convenient.

Courageous — Immigrants who travel to this country for freedom and leave everything behind in hopes to create a prosperous life for themselves and their families.

Kindness — Children are kind to one another and have the purest heart. If we can see the world from a child’s heart we can create UNITY and EQUALITY.

If heroism is rooted in doing something difficult, scary, or even self-sacrificing, what do you think drives some people — ordinary people — to become heroes?

These ordinary people are doing what they need to do because of who they are as human beings. They serve without the need for recognition, but because of their commitment to their family and society.

What was the specific catalyst for you or your organization to take heroic action? At what point did you personally decide that heroic action needed to be taken?

New York City is where we fell in love. New York City is our home and where we built our business from the ground up. It was also the epicenter of the pandemic and we knew we needed to do something for our community. On March 27th, we launched our Support NYC initiative in response to two things: a group of nurses reached out to us asking if we were open for delivery and The Lower Eastside Girls Club asked for food donations to feed the families in their community. With the support of our customers we were able to donate Pizza Cupcakes to our healthcare heroes and the families of the Lower Eastside Girls Club. We wanted to share love, one bite at a time, even with social distancing. This is what the Pizza Cupcake is all about — bringing people together

Who are your heroes, or who do you see as heroes today?

Our heroes are our parents, ordinary people from humble beginnings, who exemplify courage, kindness and integrity.

Let’s talk a bit about what is happening in the world today. What specifically frightened or frightens you most about the pandemic?

There’s a saying that “impermanence is permanent”. This quote played out for us in the pandemic and showed us that our lives and everyone’s lives changed in an instant. What frightens us about the pandemic is how quickly our entire way of life changed and the financial hardships our country is experiencing as a result of COVID-19.

Despite that, what gives you hope for the future? Can you explain?

We see the youth and communities rallying together to help and support each other to rebuild after the mass devastation. We see the changes they are advocating for such as social justice and racial equality. We are inspired by the kindness of communities coming together because we believe that we are stronger together.

What has inspired you the most about the behavior of people during the pandemic, and what behaviors do you find most disappointing?

What inspired us the most about the behavior of people during the pandemic was the sense of COMMUNITY and people coming together. Everyone was doing their best to help one another whether it was small businesses sharing resources with one another, customers purchasing gift cards or donating to support their favorite small businesses and those who donated their time and resources to help people in their community.

Has this crisis caused you to reassess your view of the world or of society? We would love to hear what you mean.

We are divided as a country and we would love to see more of our youth, our future leaders, bringing us together and creating racial equality in our society.

What permanent societal changes would you like to see come out of this crisis?

With recent events from the global pandemic to the recent deaths and protests for Black Lives Matter, our society needs to learn from history and do better. We would like to see change towards racial equality and social justice.

If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

We must continue to pay it forward, every little bit counts and we all need to do our part for our planet and community.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow us on social and sign up for our newsletter on the www.thepizzacupcake.com

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thepizzacupcake/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepizzacupcake

Michelle Jimenez-Meggiato and Andrea Meggiato of The Pizza Cupcake: What inspired us most about the was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tom Newmaster of FORCEpkg: “The pandemic has shined a spotlight on the smart people, the thinkers…

Tom Newmaster of FORCEpkg: “The pandemic has shined a spotlight on the smart people, the thinkers, the innovators, and the problem solvers; I thought I knew who they were, but now I know who they are”

This whole situation has shined a spotlight on the smart people, the thinkers, the innovators, and the problem solvers. I thought I knew who they were, but now I know who they are. There are a lot of us out here and, as long as we keep pushing forward, the future is bright. I guess it relates to Ayn Rand’s philosophy so brilliantly captured in her book Atlas Shrugged. More simply stated as “Objectivism” and the idea that human knowledge and values are objective. Reality, reason, self-interest, and capitalism. I was actually re-listening to the audio book over the past several weeks, in place of listening to the news . . . it was a very strange experience.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Newmaster of FORCEpkg.

Over the past 30+ years Tom has proven himself where it counts — in the trenches. Tom has managed multiple titles, including head of new business development, account service representative, chief operations officer, art director, and designer. In 2017 he started FORCEpkg, a design and branding concept agency that combines real collaboration and real mobility.

From 1998–2016 he was a principal and co-owner of WFM. During that time, Tom worked with numerous challenger brands, helping them develop effective branding marketing and packaging solutions. These companies include Dieffenbach’s Chips, eatKeenwa, Fresh Solutions Network, Klamath Basin Fresh Organics, Koch’s Turkey, Tom Sturgis Pretzels, and Wolfgang Candy. In addition, Tom’s award-winning package/brand design firm served national and global clients including The Hershey Company, Pfizer, Stoner Car Care, W.L. Gore, and Zippo.

He and his former company were also featured in Fast Company Magazine, Inc. Magazine, the noAH Directory of International Package Design Vol. 8 & 9, Market Smart Design, and Package Design China.

As the founder of FORCEpkg, Tom has become a leading voice in the packaging industry and has written for publications such as Brand Packaging, BXP, Flexo Magazine, Food Safety Strategies, Packaging Digest, Packaging Strategies, and Prepared Foods. In addition, he serves as an adjunct instructor teaching packaging design at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, and his students are consistently recognized in National design competitions.

Tom has been honored with over 50 design awards, GDUSA Educator to Watch 2019–20, awarded Berks County Shining Star 2012, Project 2020 Finalist 2011 & 2010, Flexo Magazine Author’s Excellence Award 2006, and #16 in Fast Company Fast 50 2005.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how and where you grew up?

Born and raised in Lebanon, PA, I moved out of the area for a few years, and actually went back to Lebanon County almost 20 years ago to raise my family. Growing up, I did all of the usual stuff . . . played sports, played a musical instrument in the band, sang in chorus, and maybe did some dancing in musicals, but not sure if there is any real proof of that last part. Always had an interest in art and spent a lot of time drawing at home. My Dad actually showed me how to draw three dimensional looking WWII airplanes when I was drawing everything from a “straight-on view”, so now that I think about it, maybe he is the original inspiration for my career. I vividly remember thinking that the dream job would be to design the Monday Night Football intro sequence . . . never did it, but I’m still available if my services are needed.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

That’s an easy one . . . Creativity, Inc. (Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration) The behind-the-scenes story of Pixar Animation Studios is amazing when you realize what they started out as and thought they were, and then what they evolved into. After reading the book, I’ve often made the statement “If I ever start a new company, it will be required reading for every employee.” You might be officially hired, but you can’t start until you finish the book. Just the fact that Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, John Lasseter and George Lucas are all connected is an amazing piece of creative business history.

There are so many inspiring bits of information about originality, creative culture, emotional authenticity, and how to completely change the direction of a company. Two things Ed Catmull said in the book that are always in the back of my mind, “Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better.” and ““Even the smartest people can form an ineffective team if they are mismatched. That means it is better to focus on how a team is performing, not on the talents of the individuals within it.”

One of the reasons I sold my previous company was because I thought it was stuck in the past. I needed to do it a different way, for both my personal sanity and to see if the right team could do it better and more efficiently. Creativity, Inc. inspired me to go out on my own and try to build a new company from the ground up. Basically, went from my dining room table to the top floor of the tallest historical building in Lancaster City in just under 2 years. Maybe that’s a big deal, maybe it’s not, but it sure does make me feel like anything is possible.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

I should probably drop a Star Wars quote here, but “Relationships matter” always seems to jump to the front of the line. Actually, it reminds me of a very specific incident and goes back to the early 90s, when a very young Tom was sent to The Hershey Company for the first time. I had to meet Pat, the owner of the printing company we were using back then, and he was a close personal friend of my boss. We had to take a set of press proofs to the client for review and approval. Should have been simple, but remember this was my “first time” at a big client office. So, I got out my suit and dress shoes and headed to 1 East Chocolate Avenue. Of course, I was early so I had to nervously wait in the lobby until Pat arrived. When he arrived, he knew the receptionist by name, they made some small talk and then we headed for the elevator. Very casual, he had obviously done this a hundred times before. We got on the elevator and just before the doors closed, another man got on, and I could tell this was someone important. No words were spoken, but the two men did exchange a cordial nod. As the man got off on the next floor, just as the doors begin to close he says “Fuck you Sullivan”, and Pat immediately says “Fuck you Kenny”. I was stunned. . . what just happened? I looked at Pat and I asked “Who was that guy?” Pat responds with a very casual “that was Ken, he’s the Hershey CEO.” That’s it, I’m dead, my young career is over, time to update my portfolio.

Later I found out that the next day, Ken asked Pat . . . “Do you think we scared him? He sure looked nervous standing there with his briefcase.” Turns out that the two men were high school buddies, still good friends, and thought it would be fun to see if they could rattle the young guy. Until that moment, I never really thought about how you could be friends with a client, or how you might become friends as you worked together. Some may look at this as an example of the “good old boy network”, but it’s really about relationships, and “relationships matter”.

It all revolves around how we set-up FORCE back in 2017–18. The whole business operation is built on a mobility concept, and every member of the design team is a standalone system. We can work from anywhere at any time of day, together or apart. To be honest, we are almost never all together as a group; sometimes it’s several weeks until we see everyone together at the same time.

When we were told to stay home because of COVID-19, we shrugged and said OK. I don’t mean to downplay the severity of the whole situation, but we are built for this. The fact that we didn’t need to prep and make special accommodations for working from home, allowed us to respond quickly to the requests for FDA compliant hand sanitizer packaging.

On March 23, Ben McGlaughlin of K2 Kinetics emailed me with a Drug Facts panel and a request to design five different label sizes — and a new branding and graphics system. Oh, and by the way, they needed it “last Friday.” In less than three weeks, we were able to pull all of it together, as well as FDA approval. That included brand name generation, parent company and brand logo creation — KO-Safe and KO-Industries. Keep in mind, this company idea did not even exist until mid/late March. The real challenge came when KO needed actual labels for their bottles . . . printers were closed or running with limited capacity. Just by chance, one of our comping/prototyping printers is still in my home studio (which was the FORCE studio for the first 2 years), so I immediately began printing and die-cutting labels. I think the first order was for 1200 labels, which I personally delivered the next day. Since then, we’ve printed over 35,000 hand sanitizer labels, and in the grand scheme of things that’s not a lot of labels, but it allowed KO to deliver product to retailers when no one else could.

During the same time, we finally got our 3D printer up and running. I remember running to the FORCE studio to grab the 3D printer in route to deliver hand sanitizer labels, which allowed us to help supply 3D printed PPE. Although we’d never really printed anything serious before the shut-down, only test models and a few Star Wars-related pieces, we immediately were able to help the Berks PPE Resource Network. Through this amazing organization of almost 100 volunteers, the group went from producing 20 face shields per day to several hundred per day. Our small printer was running 24/7 alongside of the machine printing hand sanitizer labels. Printing all day and overnight, sometimes getting up at 3:00am to check on material, ink and filament supplies. I think I worked 6–8 weeks without a full day off. Part of it was personal for me since we have a few healthcare workers and first responders in the family. And my future daughter-in-law recently started her nursing career, so I wanted to make sure that if she needed something, I was able to help provide it.

In your opinion, what does it mean to be a hero?

The real definition is something like “a person who is admired for courage and outstanding achievements”, for me it’s weighted much more to the side of courage. It’s the big and dangerous stuff like going to war or trying to stop an armed robbery or running into a burning building, ya know, physically putting your life at risk to save another life. During the recent pandemic, many of our healthcare professionals moved to the frontlines, and in many cases put themselves in physical danger. Sure, it’s they’re job and they knew all the risks going into their career of choice, but this virus thing happened so quickly. That whole first responder group (fire & rescue, law enforcement, hospital/medical) were now going to work with a completely new set of threats, because their job tasks could not wait for the end of COVID-19. Bottom line for me . . . a hero doesn’t hesitate, they do what they gotta do when they gotta do it.

In your opinion or experience, what are 5 characteristics of a hero?

An inner calling to help others
Putting others lives ahead of their own
Not afraid of danger
Blind to differences
Humility

If heroism is rooted in doing something difficult, scary, or even self-sacrificing, what do you think drives some people — ordinary people — to become heroes?

That’s easy . . . a meaningful personal event presents itself, and they act. Most people do not know what they are capable of until they are in the situation. When it’s a family member or close friend, there is no limit to what the human body or mind can accomplish. Feats of strength like lifting a car or wading into swift water when you can’t swim or shielding another person with your body are examples that pop into my head. Usually involves some aspect of “mind over matter” and when they look back, they can’t explain how they did it, and sometimes do not remember doing it.

What was the specific catalyst for you or your organization to take heroic action? At what point did you personally decide that heroic action needed to be taken?

Simple . . . friends/colleagues needed help and it was the kind of help that fit within our expertise, so we did it. It may sound a little cliché, but if a friend asks for help, you help them. If it’s important to them, it’s important to me, at least on some level. Ask questions later, solve the immediate problem now, fine tune the response as you go. We didn’t really spend a lot of time talking about what we had to do, we just started doing it.

When it came to 3D printing face shields and mask straps, we saw a post on Facebook and within minutes we were downloading the files and doing test prints. I never really gave any thought to the time, money or supplies needed. We just started printing. If it helps one person feel safer doing their job, or keeps one person from getting sick, it’s worth it. Like I said before, until that moment, we never really printed anything lifesaving, and in the end, we were printing stacks of 10 face shields 24/7, and eventually switched over to printing 52 mask straps per print run. The group we initially helped was the Berks PPE Resource Network, which eventually produced over 62,000 pieces of PPE and helped supply over 230 local organizations.

Who are your heroes, or who do you see as heroes today?

Not much of a “hero worship” kinda guy, but anyone that saves another life while risking their own life would be considered a hero to me. One of the moments that left a mark on me and so many others is 9/11. A lot of first responders rushed into those buildings to help people they didn’t know, and never came back out. I know it happens every day, but the magnitude of what happened that day, and the number of people that lost their lives in a matter of minutes, is unparalleled in my memory. Another kind of hero is the individual or group who stands-up for what is right, even if it endangers their life or career.

Let’s talk a bit about what is happening in the world today. What specifically frightened or frightens you most about the pandemic?

How slowly people reacted to what was happening in China and then how quickly they were willing to “stay at home”. I’m not saying there should not have been quarantining or mask wearing, but I felt like people panicked and then simply complied without question. I remember being in Los Angeles in mid February and watching John’s Hopkins University Interactive Dashboard. I shared it with several friends and told them it will happen here and most thought I was crazy. I also have a business friend in Hong Kong that I had been communicating with and asking questions about his situation there since December. He strongly encouraged me to “get masks now”. He also warned that toilet paper would be the first thing to disappear in stores. So, I followed his advice, ordered a few masks and grabbed an extra pack of TP at COSTCO. Again, all of my family and friends thought I was crazy. By the time masks were deemed appropriate and none were to be found, I had a few. I think I drove around with that TP in my truck for four weeks, but then the day came where I had to bring it in the house. I guess my point is more about “personal responsibility”. What if you needed a mask to travel or leave your area? I took care of that. What if there was a brief and silly TP shortage? I took care of that. I did what I thought was necessary for me and my family. Seems simple, but this lack of practical pre-planning by millions of people really concerns me. Both today and even more so in the future.

Despite that, what gives you hope for the future? Can you explain?

This whole situation has shined a spotlight on the smart people, the thinkers, the innovators, and the problem solvers. I thought I knew who they were, but now I know who they are. There are a lot of us out here and, as long as we keep pushing forward, the future is bright. I guess it relates to Ayn Rand’s philosophy so brilliantly captured in her book Atlas Shrugged. More simply stated as “Objectivism” and the idea that human knowledge and values are objective. Reality, reason, self-interest, and capitalism. I was actually re-listening to the audio book over the past several weeks, in place of listening to the news . . . it was a very strange experience.

What has inspired you the most about the behavior of people during the pandemic, and what behaviors do you find most disappointing?

People really do care about other people and for the most part will do anything to help a friend or neighbor, even if they don’t necessarily agree with everything that person thinks. If they think they need help, they will do whatever they can to help them. That goes for business and personal life. The problem is that, as Americans, we do not like being told what to do, or how to do it. Give us the challenge, not the rules, not the guidelines. It’s in the overall DNA of the Nation. You can’t go to the moon . . . how’s that?! You can’t land the first stage of a rocket standing upright on a floating platform in the ocean . . . really, watch this! You can’t actually send a human to Mars . . . hold my beer!

The most disappointing behavior is how quickly this whole mess became political, and that disappointment is equally spread across both political parties. Local, State, and Federal, they just couldn’t help themselves. “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” is such a horrible quote and what makes it even worse is it works. Then a lot of people just fall in line and stop thinking. It’s really sad.

Has this crisis caused you to reassess your view of the world or of society? We would love to hear what you mean.

Not really a “reassessment”, more like a “confirmation”. I believe that most people are inherently good and that the bad are of a very small minority. That’s not to say that those few can’t do damage or harm others, but there is great strength in numbers. The most kind, most thoughtful, most caring people are not necessarily those that speak the loudest, donate the most money, or “carry the banner”; they are the ones that show who they really are by their personal actions. Our society and our freedoms are very fragile, and we must do whatever is needed to preserve them. This country is great, it’s not perfect, it never has been perfect, but we need to understand where we came from and where we are going. It’s a process of constant reassessment and then adjustment. Look back at history, understand what happened, continue the good and make sure we don’t repeat the bad. COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) is/was a test . . . did we pass or fail? Either way we’ll be better at dealing with this the next time, whether it’s a second wave, third wave, or COVID-20 . . . we got this.

What permanent societal changes would you like to see come out of this crisis?

In a crisis, society needs to set aside political differences and unite to solve the problem — natural disaster, pandemic, environment, or even war. We can get back to the conservative vs. liberal debate later. It’s society’s responsibility to hold political leaders accountable for their actions, regardless of their political affiliation. Because of the political nature of everything in America today, this will not be easy.

If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

Look at the whole situation, consider the pros and cons, and then go with your gut. Your “inner compass” is usually pointing in the right direction. Also, it’s not always a black or white answer, or an absolute. Most solutions are hiding in the grey areas.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

“Term Limits For All” . . . I really hate to dive deeper into politics, but without term limits at the Federal and State level, major change is never going to happen. The current elected official is always campaigning to keep their job and that’s got to stop. If you want to help a lot of people, you must clean-up government and take out the trash. We need to cycle more people and more ideas through the system, and limit the impact of money and lobbyists. Nothing happens fast enough, but if the elected official knew they only had 4–8 years to get stuff done . . . stuff would happen, trust me.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.

That would have to be George Lucas. I know, totally nerdy response, but I got lots of questions. What did he fear most about going into the original movie project? Did he really believe the licensing and merchandising would be as big? What did he want to do and could never make it happen? What would he change about any of the story lines? How would those changes evolve in the future story line? I want to hear details about the creative development process, working with the illustrators and prop makers. He had to explain things that never existed before, so what techniques did he use to guide them through the visualization process. And how he really pitched the idea to the movie studio(s) and were there any little lies told along the way to make his vision a reality. I want it to be totally casual, with a burger and beers by the pool.

How can our readers follow you online?

I’m on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn personally.
And you can find and follow FORCE at:

www.FORCEpkg.com
https://www.facebook.com/FORCEpkg
https://www.linkedin.com/company/force-pkg-inc.
https://www.instagram.com/forcepkg

Tom Newmaster of FORCEpkg: “The pandemic has shined a spotlight on the smart people, the thinkers… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dominic Sims of the International Code Council: Coming out of the crisis, I would love to see not…

Dominic Sims of the International Code Council: Coming out of the crisis, I would love to see not only a renewed, but lasting appreciation for sanitation as well as personal hygiene and health

Coming out of the crisis, I would love to see not only a renewed, but lasting appreciation for sanitation as well as personal hygiene and health — simple acts like washing our hands more often to taking better care of ourselves. Whereas we often took personal hygiene and health for granted or just didn’t really register it as a conscious act, these unprecedented times have brought it back to the forefront, which I hope continues far after this is over.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dominic Sims, CBO, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Code Council. He was appointed to the position in 2012. As CEO, Sims is responsible for the overall activities and financial performance of the association, including its six subsidiaries.

The Code Council is a member-focused association dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, affordable and resilient buildings. Every state in the U.S. and many global markets rely on the International Codes and its family of services.

During his 17-year tenure, Sims has also served the Code Council as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President. He has served on and/or chaired numerous national Committees and Task Forces across a span of topics, including code and standards development, government affairs and business/member development.

Prior to his work with the Code Council, Sims served as the CEO of the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) and guided its consolidation between regional organizations that formed the Code Council in 2003. Sims has served on the boards of SBCCI, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH). He is currently on the board of directors for the National Institute of Building Science and the International Building Quality Center and is active in several other professional associations.

Before joining SBCCI, he was Executive Director of the Palm Beach County, Florida Planning, Zoning and Building, where he had responsibility for comprehensive development, construction, and licensing and compliance activities for a high-growth region in the United States.

Having worked in the building safety field since 1983, Sims has held numerous positions, both elected and appointed at the federal, state and local levels including the White House Panel on Seismic Safety, The Society for Standards Professionals (SES) Standards Committee and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Policy Committee.

His experience includes serving as a Councilman/Vice Mayor for the town of Jupiter, Florida and Vice Chairman of the Governor’s Building Code Study Commission — which helped form his views on the importance of being active in public policy discussions concerning building safety.

Sims earned a B.A. in Organizational Management and Business from Palm Beach Atlantic University. He resides in Pelham, Alabama.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

The book that has had the greatest impact for me is Stronger in the Broken Places: Nine Lessons for Turning Crisis Into Triumph by James Lee Witt. For a little background, James Lee Witt is the former Chief Executive Officer of the International Code Council as well as a former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which being in the building safety industry is an organization I highly admire and work closely with. The book teaches you how to lean on collaboration and teamwork to overcome adversity and disaster. I’ve applied many of the learnings from the book in both my personal life and career.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

While not exactly a quote, there is a philosophy that I learned early on from FEMA that centered around the idea that regardless of the inadequacies and/or unpreparedness of a community, we cannot let them fail. As a chief building official, I live this every day. As the CEO of the International Code Council, which is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training, it is our responsibility to ensure the resiliency and sustainability of our communities.

Not many people realize this, but building codes are our first line of defense against natural disasters whether that be a hurricane, wildfire, tornado or as we’re currently experiencing — a public health crisis. In fact, this philosophy has never rung truer than during the state of current affairs. While deemed an essential industry by the Department of Homeland Defense, the building safety industry is rising to help building departments with the tools and assets necessary to handle switching to a virtual workload. Although it remains an obstacle, we have incorporated our guiding philosophy into our duty to our members and we will not let them fail.

Building off the last question, the International Code Council along with supplying the building industry with safety solutions also develops the International Codes (I-Codes), which are the most widely used set of model building safety codes in the world. The I-Codes are a complete set of modern, correlated building safety codes which provide guidance for architectural, structural, fire protection/life-safety, plumbing, mechanical, resiliency and energy conservation designs and systems of today’s modern buildings and structures.

When the United States was first starting to feel the brunt of the virus in March, the Code Council conducted a survey to learn how code officials are coping with the professional challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results were startling, and a bit disconcerting — while the majority of code departments surveyed (93%) were still performing inspections, either remotely or in-person; 6 in 10 respondents did not have the capability to remotely carry out critical aspects of their work. With the pandemic forcing society to spend more time indoors, having a strong and resilient built environment is more important than ever.

Understanding the critical role of code officials in the pandemic response, we launched our Coronavirus Response Center with resources like free webinars, tips and best practices for adopting a virtual strategy, as well as survey results highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on building departments. We are also gathering the brightest minds across the building industry for a taskforce whose focus will be on addressing COVID-19 concerns and advising on tips and best practices. The knowledge stemming from the taskforce will also be considered for the latest edition of the I-Codes.

What gives you hope for the future? Can you explain?

Despite not knowing exactly what a post-pandemic landscape will look like, I’m hopeful in the strength and resiliency of our industry as well as our society. The building safety industry is one of the backbones to ensuring safety for us all. As we navigate the ‘new normal’ of our future, knowing the commitment of this industry gives me hope. It is my sincere hope that we’ll all come out of this pandemic enlightened as we move towards a safer future together.

What has inspired you the most about the behavior of people during the pandemic?

I am continuously inspired by the resiliency and passion of people. Take for example healthcare workers, grocery store workers, truck drivers and all workers deemed essential who have been working daily to ensure our safety during this pandemic.

Speaking on our industry, Code Officials, another essential function right now, have been pivotal in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our buildings and structures, including temporary healthcare structures and occupancies which have been critical to treat the overflow of patients from hospitals. What’s so inspiring is that many of these individuals work for departments that are severely underfunded and not given the tools to do their jobs remotely, in some cases potentially putting them in harm’s way. Yet day-in and day -out, these individuals are rising to the occasion with 93 percent of departments continuing to perform inspections, either remotely or in-person for the safety of the greater community. This speaks highly of building safety professional’s commitment to keeping our society safe — even at their own risk.

What permanent societal changes would you like to see come out of this crisis?

Coming out of the crisis, I would love to see not only a renewed, but lasting appreciation for sanitation as well as personal hygiene and health — simple acts like washing our hands more often to taking better care of ourselves. Whereas we often took personal hygiene and health for granted or just didn’t really register it as a conscious act, these unprecedented times have brought it back to the forefront, which I hope continues far after this is over.

If you could tell young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, what would you tell them?

“Your input is important, and we value it.”

I think at times, young people may not feel they have a voice because of their age and experience, especially in the workforce, but they have a unique perspective that is valuable. In fact, at the Code Council we created various programs that span from filling the talent pipeline to helping young professionals advance in their careers. Starting with our Safety 2.0 initiative, we partner with high schools, colleges and the military to spread awareness and recruitment for building code training and prepare a new generation of building safety professionals. Once acclimated and adjusted to the industry, we have a program titled Emerging Leadership Council which allows the current leaders of the building safety industry to connect with new talent in hopes of shaking-up the status quo and redefining success. We have even implemented a mentorship program where motivated young professionals can shadow Code Council board members and potentially fast-track their careers.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why?

I’m not the first person to say this, but if I could have a private meal with anyone in the world it would be Michelle Obama. I’ve watched her autobiography, Becoming, twice and would like to sit to get to know her better. I truly admire her view of the world and how she not only overcomes the adversity she faces, but catapults over it.

“I can’t wait for the world to be perfect because it will never be, and you have to keep moving forward.” This line touched me on a deeper level because that’s the mindset you must have during disaster mitigation. It’s easy during a crisis to get down on yourself, especially when the impact and benefits may not always be obvious, but we have to keep doing our part. After all, it’s the little differences that continue to help form the bigger picture and our future.

How can our readers follow you online?

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!

Dominic Sims of the International Code Council: Coming out of the crisis, I would love to see not… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dr. Nicholas Toscano: Lessons I Learned From My Military Experience about How To Survive And Thrive

Dr. Nicholas Toscano: Lessons I Learned From My Military Experience about How To Survive And Thrive During A Time Of Crisis

Have a plan — Every plan begins with clear objectives. The objectives during any crisis is to protect any individual (employee or public) who may be endangered by the crisis, ensure the key audiences are kept informed, and the organization survives. This written plan should include specific actions that will be taken in the event of a crisis.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Nicholas Toscano.

Dr. Nicholas Toscano is a Dentist and Street artist living in New York City. With over 13 years of experience in the military as a Navy Surgeon, he uses his expertise to carefully curate a successful career as a Dentist and Street artist known as 1Penemy.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

I am from a New York Italian family. As a child, I attended St. Mary’s School on Long Island. I come from a military family; my dad was a Navy Seal, I was a US Navy surgeon for 13 years, and my brother is currently a Lawyer in the US Navy at the Pentagon. After high school, I went to the University of Scranton in PA, Followed by Columbia University School of Dental Medicine, where I went in the United States Navy having received a Navy Scholarship. After I graduated, I went to Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, RH.

And what are you doing today? Can you share a story that exemplifies the unique work that you are doing?

After the Navy, I came back home to NYC, where I started my dental surgical practice on Central Park South. Today Dr. Toscano is currently the official dentist for roughly 20 modeling agencies in NYC including Lions, Wilhelmina, One Model Management, Marilyn, Storm, Major models, Fusion, IMG, Heroes, Lipps, and others. His clients include Victoria’s Secret models, Candice Swanepoel, Helena Christensen, Jasmine Tookes, Romee Strijd, Josephine Skriver, Georgia Fowler, Frida Aasen, Vittoria Ceretti, Megan Williams, Lais Ribeiro, Daniela Braga, and Blanca. Padilla. I am responsible for many of the most beautiful smiles you see in fashion magazines and on the movie screen. I also treat many world-famous artist’s which lead me to become a successful street artist myself. I’m know as 1Penemy which stands for #1 public enemy

I balance what I do every day in my dental practice applying science with countless client-tailored artistic smile reconstructions, makeovers, and recreations, so it was all to nature for me dive deeper into his creative side I was heavily influenced and inspired by his famous artist patients he treats such as Bradley Theodore, Jeremy Penn, Layer Cake, Tripp Derrick Barnes, BY Flore, Producer BDB, and many others. Through their influence, I began creating my model-based street and graffiti art in April of 2016. Originally Dr. Toscano’s street graffiti revolved around well-known models that he grew up following, like Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford and Stephani Seymour. He has now rendered his work to showcase modern models like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Helena Christensen, and Adriana Lima. I named my artwork the Soho Model Line up since it was Mugshots of famous models that I would put all over the streets of NYC but mainly SOHO NYC.

Initially, I kept my artistic street graffiti under the radar, but people started to take notice of his artwork on the streets of SoHo and began reposting pictures of his art via social media. His art Instagram @1penemy grew, and models all over are posing in front of the notable “Model Mayhem” street work.

I dedicated my life to helping others, whether by improving health or merely living more confidently. I am humanitarian who has discovered yet another way to reform others; lives. I’m no stranger to charitable work over the years, so I utilize my artwork to benefit more philanthropic causes. I plant to collaborate with some of his artist clients, previously mentioned, for a gallery show. I intend to donate a portion of my profits to organizations that assist in diminishing women struggles such as Model Alliance and the Me Too Movement

Can you tell us a bit about your military background?

I spent 13-years with the United States Navy, where he completed a 4-year surgical residency at the prestigious Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, “The President’s Hospital” in Bethesda, MD. During My time in the Navy, he received two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Medal. He acquired one of his navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for definitive life-saving treatment of a patient. I went on to obtain his Periodontal Certification from the Naval Postgraduate Dental School in Bethesda, MD, and his M.S. degree from George Washington University. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and the International Congress of Implantologists.

He has written over 30 papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals on surgical therapy, cosmetics, and reconstruction of the mouth. In 2006, I Co-founded The Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical Dentistry (jiacd.com) is a peer-reviewed surgical scientific Journal with my Best Friend in the Navy Dr. Danny Holtzclaw. We grew it to Five hundred thousand readers worldwide wide and sold it in 2011. Dr. Holtzclaw stayed on as Editor and Chief and I stepped down to pursue my street art and started a fashion publication Provocative Society (provocativesociety.com)

Can you share the most interesting story that you experienced during your military career? What “take away” did you learn from that story?

I had this patient in the military who was suffering from jaw pain. He saw all kinds of doctors in the military and private practice, and no one could figure out was what was wrong with him. He was passed on to specialist after specialist and everyone threw their hands up. I stuck with it, I went down all my pathways, leaving no stone unturned, I remembered my training and all the exceptional mentors who guided me through my career and gave me insights from their experiences. I finally came up with the right diagnosis after a lot of dead ends, and he ended up having adenoid cystic carcinoma, and the early diagnosis was able to save his life. The take away I learned was never to give up as you are never out of the fight.

We are interested in fleshing out what a hero is. Did you experience or hear about a story of heroism, during your military experience? Can you share that story with us? Feel free to be as elaborate as you’d like.

I have seen so many things during my military career. I was in during the war on terrorism and remembered watching those planes hit the tower. I saw so many acts of heroism, too many to talk about. The thing that always struck me the most was treating all those casualties of war.

When I was doing, my anesthesia rotation I saw so many brave United States Marines barely 18, blinded, burned, loss of limbs and things I hate to talk about, but the thing that struck me the most was one after another, they would always say the same thing, “fix me up doc so I can get back to my brothers in the field.” These brave men and women had an amazing bond. It didn’t matter what color, race, religion they were.

They cared about each other and bled for this nations freedom. Each and every person I met in the military, whether a Navy Seal or a Cook on a ship they were all heroes. They all put their lives on the line for very little pay in this fine nation’s service.

Based on that story, how would you define what a “hero” is? Can you explain?

A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, noble qualities, a person who in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage or strength. I think my story above should explain that.

Do you think your experience in the military helped prepare you for business or leadership? Can you explain?

Did my military career help prepare me for leadership? Well as an officer in the US Navy, you are a leader who exemplifies that Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment. Did it prepare me for business in NYC,

No. I have been screwed over more times in business that I care to talk about.

Things like honor go out the window in business, and it’s definitely a dog eat dog world. But despite that I never sacrificed my values and just worked even harder in order to run a successful surgical practice today.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful to who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I have so many people to thank for where I am today. My parents for the sacrifices they made to push me to believe in myself and help educate me to achieve my goals. Secondly the US Navy, I would not be the surgeon I am today if it wasn’t for the Navy. I had so many mentors in the military, other doctors who took the time to push me and train me to be the best I could and to teach me skills that I would of never learned other wise. It was also the little things like taking care of Seal team 4 and Seal team six and learning from those guys that no matter what happens to never give up as you’re never out of the fight.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out how to survive and thrive in crisis. How would you define a crisis?

A Crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. It is a time when a difficult or important decision must be made.

Before a crisis strikes, what should business owners and leaders think about and how should they plan?

There are opportunities to make the best of every situation, and it’s usually based on how you frame it.

In your opinion or experience, what’s the first thing people should do when they first realize they are in a crisis? What should they do next?

1. Have a plan — Every plan begins with clear objectives. The objectives during any crisis is to protect any individual (employee or public) who may be endangered by the crisis, ensure the key audiences are kept informed, and the organization survives. This written plan should include specific actions that will be taken in the event of a crisis.

2. Identify a spokesperson — If the crisis could potentially impact the health or well-being of customers, the general public or employees, it may attract media attention. To ensure your company speaks with one voice and delivers a clear, consistent message, a spokesperson must be identified as well as prepared to answer media questions and participate in interviews.

3. Be honest and open — Nothing generates more negative media coverage than a lack of honesty and transparency. Therefore, being as open and transparent as possible can help stop rumors and defuse a potential media frenzy. This transparency must be projected through all communications channels: news interviews, social media, internal announcements, etc.

4. Keep employees informed — Maintaining an informed workforce helps ensure that business continues to flow as smoothly as possible. It also minimizes the internal rumor mill that may lead to employees posting false reports on social media.

5. Communicate with customers and suppliers — You do not want customers and suppliers to learn about your crisis through the media.

Information on any crisis pertaining to your organization should come from you first. Part of the crisis communications plan must include customers and suppliers and how they will be regularly updated during the event.

6. Update early and often — It is better to over-communicate than to allow rumors to fill the void. Issue summary statements, updated action plans and new developments as early and as often as possible. Remember that with today’s social media and cable news outlets, we live in a time of the 24/7 news cycle. Your crisis plan must do the same.

7. Don’t forget social media — The Ebola crisis and other recent major news events have all confirmed that social media is one of the most important channels of communications. Be sure to establish a social media team to monitor, post and react to social media activity throughout the crisis.

A crisis that is not managed well can wipe out decades of hard work and company value in a matter of hours. A well-managed crisis confirms that your company has the processes and procedures in place to address almost any issue that may develop.

Another critical component of crisis management planning is the establishment of a succession plan. You should clearly outline the necessary steps to follow if you suddenly become unable to perform your duties. This plan may include selling the company, or transferring ownership to family members or key employees.

What is most important is that you create the crisis management plan when everything is running smoothly and everyone involved can think clearly. By planning, all parties will have time to seriously consider the ideal ways to manage different types of crises.

As you develop your crisis management plan, seek advice from the experts that include your leadership team, employees, customers, communications experts, investment bankers, exit planners, lawyers and financial managers.

Each of these individuals can provide you valuable insight that could be critical should a crisis strike your company.

What do you believe are the characteristics or traits needed to survive a crisis?

You need to be a leader, and you need to be honest, you need to be able to manage stress and keep your eyes on the goal line

When you think of those traits, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1933 inaugural address in the midst of the Great Depression: “The only thing we have to fear is…fear itself.” He followed that by pointing to the nation’s strengths in meeting the crisis: “This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously.

There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly.”

A decade later as the United Kingdom stared down t Nazi onslaught in the Second World War, Prime Minister Winston Churchill encouraged his people to keep the faith: “We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire.

Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us he tools, and we will finish the job.” I chose them because they were great leaders that lead in a time of unprecedented crisis and steered their countries to Victory.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

Throughout my life, I had ups and downs and plenty of setbacks, but when I faced adversity, I dug down, remembered my training and all my hard work, and worked even harder to get through those difficult times and came out more robust on the other end.

Here is the main question of our discussion. Crises not only have the potential to jeopardize and infiltrate your work, but they also threaten your emotional stability and relationships. Based on your military experience, what are 5 steps that someone can take to survive and thrive in these situations? Please share a story or an example for each.

Here’s what I’ve found to be helpful during crisis planning:

1. Stop and think. You need to pause and analyze data at hand and then consider the impact for the next 30 days, six months, and year.

2. Write down your worst-case scenario. Layout your doomsday scenario, once you understand what you’re facing you can come up with the best plan to navigate through the crisis and come out on top on the other side.

3. Build on the scenario. By doing this, you can overcome anything that comes at you.

4. Strategize how to get out. Once you have your worst-case plan established and can ensure your business and family is protected at the fundamental levels, begin to take small chances to prepare for getting out from under the crisis.

5. Always lead and remain positive. Things always have a way of turning around. Always remember your never out of the fight.

Ok. We are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

We are currently in a war on racism in this country. I see a lot of rhetoric and politics going on. We need a leader to step up and remind people we are all humans who should love each other and help each other no matter their race, color, creed, or sexual orientation.

In the military we all cared about each other and watched each other’s back, we did this because we were all family in the service of the United States of America protecting the freedom for which it stands. There is a saying in the military there are no colors when you’re all in a fox hole. We as a nation need to come together, work together and overcome our differences so that everyone has a chance to live the American dream.

We are blessed that some very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them

There are three. 2 alive and one dead.

First Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha who is one of the most successful investors and philanthropists of our time.

Jeff Bezos who had a dream took a chance and overcame adversity to have one of the most successful companies of our time.

Jean Michel Basquiat, as a street artist myself and an admirer of his work, when you sit and in front of it as I have at the Brant foundation you realize that her was a genius whose mind worked in such a wonderful way.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow my Instagram either my dental page @drtoscanodds or my art Instagram @1PENEMY

Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was truly uplifting.

Dr. Nicholas Toscano: Lessons I Learned From My Military Experience about How To Survive And Thrive was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.