Day: June 3, 2021

Sydney Spiewak: 5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Dramatically Improve Your Wellbeing

Surround yourself with people that make you feel good — When you spend time with positive people, you will notice yourself becoming more positive! Thus, more people will want to spend time with you. As a result of the change in attitude, this snowball effect means that you will likely accomplish more.

As a part of my series about “5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One’s Wellbeing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sydney Spiewak.

Based in Connecticut, Sydney Spiewak is a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist at Clinical Weight Loss and Wellness. Previously, Sydney worked as a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center as well as an inpatient Registered Dietitian at Yale New Haven Hospital and Saint Raphael Campus. Sydney has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Syracuse University and a Master of Science in Nutrition from the University of Saint Joseph. Follow Sydney at @your.everyday.dietitian for more tips and information about nutrition!

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the story about how you first got involved in fitness and wellness?

I grew up in a very health-conscious household so from a young age I was taught the importance of exercising and eating properly. I always enjoyed being fit and healthy but when I was 18, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. I needed to look at my health from a different perspective now that something serious was happening. I saw a registered dietitian and cut out all dairy, gluten, and red meat from my diet. I also made sure to exercise at least 3 to 4 times per week! The change in my diet made a huge impact on my health in a positive way and that’s when I knew I wanted to become a Registered Dietitian.

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

To be honest, I can’t think of anything super interesting!

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

When I first started out in the field, I worked in a hospital as a clinical dietitian. I shared an office with 5 other dietitians and in the winter, we would always change our sneakers into slippers when we sat in the office writing our notes. One day, I completely forgot to change back into my sneakers and went up to the floor to see patients in my slippers! I was mortified!!!

Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fitness and wellness field? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?

Besides having a Bachelor of Science in nutrition, a master’s degree in nutrition, being a registered dietitian, and currently studying to be a CPT (certified personal trainer), I think I understand people from a patient or client’s perspective.

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?

Definitely my mom! My mom has been my biggest supporter in anything I’ve done in my life and will continue to do so! Her positivity and support alone are enough to give me the confidence to be the best registered dietitian and health professional.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. We all know that it’s important to eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, exercise more, and get better sleep etc. But while we know it intellectually, it’s often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the 3 main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives?

The three main blockages would be time, motivation, and fear!

Time — Let’s face it, we are all pretty busy! While we know we should make a salad, it is less time consuming to pick up fast food for the family.

Motivation — Deep down inside all of us, if we were really motivated to do something or wanted it so badly, we would!

Fear — Fear is a big one because as humans, we are scared to not be perfect or to not succeed every time. We never want to fail but guess what — failure is okay and that’s how we learn!

Can you please share your “5 Non-Intuitive Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One’s Wellbeing”? (Please share a story or an example for each, and feel free to share ideas for mental, emotional and physical health.)

Meditate before bed — Putting down your phone and avoiding unnecessary screen time before bed can be a powerful tool for a less restless sleep. Meditating before bed helps to quiet those thoughts running through our heads and is an effective way to help people accept that things may not be ok.

Write down your emotions in a journal — By recording, reviewing, and reframing your thoughts, this will help you feel more in control of your life. This will help reset thought patterns and live a more mindful, happier life.

Drink lots of water — Ensuring your body gets enough water is important for your overall health. Not only does water prevent dehydration, water also has many benefits for the body including regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, getting rid of waste, and many more.

Surround yourself with people that make you feel good — When you spend time with positive people, you will notice yourself becoming more positive! Thus, more people will want to spend time with you. As a result of the change in attitude, this snowball effect means that you will likely accomplish more.

Load up on daily vitamins. Incorporating vitamins into one’s diet sets the tone for the day and helps ensure a good routine. Personally, I like to stay consistent with my morning routine and having daily rituals help that. I started incorporating vitafusion’s Brain Food into my morning routine, which contains Ashwagandha and phosphatidylserine to help support brain nourishment, focus, and stress!

As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for the public. Aside from weight loss, what are 3 benefits of daily exercise? Can you explain?

Endorphins

Body positivity

Overall health

For someone who is looking to add exercise to their daily routine, which 3 exercises would you recommend that are absolutely critical?

Planks, Squats, and the 100’s (a Pilates ab exercise)

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

Unfortunately, I am not a big reader so there is no particular book!

You are a person of enormous 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. 🙂

I would start a movement to help people advocate for their health. While doctors are essential, everyone must be their own biggest advocate as they know their body best and should know when something is not right. Switching up my diet helped with my health, and I would like to help others feel good about their food choices as well. Making small changes in one’s diet, knowing what foods are good or bad for you, and knowing your body is crucial to one’s health and day to day functionality.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

My favorite life lesson quote is: “Everything happens for a reason.” VERY cliché (I know), but it’s true! If my career path has taught me anything, it’s that everything really does happen for a reason and it happens when it should, not necessarily when you would like it to. I did not pass my boards to become a registered dietitian on the first try, second try, or even the third try. It took me almost one full year to retake the test and pass, but I finally did it and became a board-certified registered dietitian!

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

Kyle Richards because she is the biggest girl boss and she unapologetically follows her dreams!

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

@your.everyday.dietitian

@sydneyspiewak

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

Sydney Spiewak: 5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Dramatically Improve Your Wellbeing was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Elina Vives of Signify On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

Another piece of advice I’ll offer is to teach people how to treat you. One example that comes to mind is around setting boundaries. Even though I have established an open door policy, when we were in the office, I would shut my physical door to signal that I needed some time to get work done and or take a mental break to recharge my battery. I am a better leader when I take care of myself.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Elina Vives.

Elina is currently the Vice President and General Manager at Signify [formerly Philips Lighting] leading the company’s consumer lighting business in the U.S. She is responsible for driving the commercial strategy, organizational design, product launches, and business operations. She is successfully leading the exponential growth of the connected lighting brand Philips Hue through direct-to-consumer ecommerce enhancements and performance marketing.

She has held several marketing leadership roles at global Fortune 500 companies with a proven track record of profitably growing FMCG and lifestyle brands. In addition to her extensive technical marketing background, Elina is recognized as a financially savvy and analytical commercial leader with the ability to swiftly prioritize and deploy resources to achieve P&L objectives.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “back story”? What led you to this particular career path?

I like to describe my story as one of grit and grace. At a young age, I stepped into a leadership role in my household by helping to care for my three siblings. My family taught me the importance of persistence and the value of hard work, which has helped me get to where I am today.

In terms of my career path, I went to Saint John’s University, where I studied brand marketing and truly found my passion: for communications, and for consumer behavior and engagement. I am obsessed with understanding how they use products and view and interact with brands!

Upon graduation, I started my marketing and sales career in the fast-moving consumer goods industry at Miller Coors. Over the course of 16 years, I progressively took on greater responsibility within the organization, eventually being named Vice President of Brand Marketing for the Coors portfolio. I like to get uncomfortable and challenged myself to take on cross-functional roles at Miller Coors. This allowed me to put myself in colleagues’ shoes, and truly understand different avenues in supporting our customers and end-consumers.

I then moved on to spend three years with Samsung, where I served as Vice President of Marketing for the mobile computing and wearables and the home appliances divisions.

Ultimately, in 2020, I felt I was at a crossroads in my career― I could either continue to follow the traditional marketing path and become a CMO or push myself to grow as a general manager of a business. As I mentioned, I love to be challenged and jumped at the opportunity to join Signify. Not only did it present the chance to learn about a new industry — lighting, as Vice President and General Manager of the US Consumer Channel, I’ve been given a broader, end-to-end view of the business. I am responsible for the organization’s operating model, collaborate closely with supply chain and am working with our team to improve our Direct-to-Consumer e-commerce channels, for example. It’s exciting and setting me up to achieve even greater things: I aspire to be a CEO.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

You may not immediately recognize the name Signify. But we have a 130-year legacy in lighting — we are the maker of the Philips brand of lighting products as well as the Philips Hue and WiZ Connected smart lighting systems.

I am drawing from my prior experience and working with our team at Signify to be more consumer-focused. This includes talking about our products differently, moving from tech-and-spec to use case- and benefits-driven communications. We are also creating more snackable communications now that we are marketing in digital world, so we reach consumers where they are in the journey with content they want to engage with. Our ultimate goal is to create an authentic connection with our consumers and build lifetime value for our brands

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I think all great marketers make mistakes, especially early on in our careers. While I don’t have one specific example that comes to mind, the best advice I can share is that when these mistakes happen, we should use them to fail forward: learn from what went wrong and build resilience to succeed in the future.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

I’m proud to call Kevin Doyle, one of my former leaders at Miller Coors, a mentor. He truly knew how to bring out the best in me. He challenged me to step outside my marketing comfort zone for a sales assignment. He also taught me a lot about the importance of customer centricity and empathy, which has become a part of my professional DNA.

More recently, I have joined Chief to connect with and learn from other women in senior leadership roles. I have also established my own personal “board of directors” to lean on. These individuals, which include Signify Americas President and CEO Kevin Poyck, inspire me and display leadership qualities I strive to emulate.

It is important for me to pay it forward and make an impact on others’ professional journeys. I serve as executive sponsor of Signify’s women’s focused employee resource group called S.H.E. (short for Supporting.Helping.Empowering). I am committed to helping our members become advocates for their own career advancement and realize their full potential.

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

Disruption is a charged word — it signals the need for change or to correct a flaw of something that’s happening in an industry. Instead, I choose to view it as having a growth versus fixed mindset. You should challenge the status quo when it is in service to your customers and the business. But, you also need to get out of your own way for it to work.

However, being disruptive for disruption’s sake isn’t a good thing. Sometimes new leaders come into a business and try to shake things up. It can end up being detrimental to a team if not done with caution: implementing incremental changes while also keeping an element of consistency.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

Seek to understand before being understood. Empathy is an essential leadership skill and key to building trust with your team. I firmly believe that the better a listener I am, the more we can accomplish together.

Another piece of advice I’ll offer is to teach people how to treat you. One example that comes to mind is around setting boundaries. Even though I have established an open door policy, when we were in the office, I would shut my physical door to signal that I needed some time to get work done and or take a mental break to recharge my battery. I am a better leader when I take care of myself.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that the best clients get the best work. This applies to whether you work with an external vendor or agency, or even with enabling functions or internal teams that you need to collaborate with to run the business. Partners don’t want to go the extra mile for bad customers.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I’m never satisfied, which is why I think I’m always raising the bar for myself. I’m concentrating my energy on continuing to attract and retain the top talent at Signify; ensure our team’s relentless focus on our retail customers and end-consumers and continue to develop them in terms of aptitude and attitude — both are vital to be successful.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

We continue to struggle with leader gender stereotypes. Female leaders tend to be brought down for the same attributes that uplift male counterparts. I think we’ve all heard a woman be called bossy for commanding attention in a room, but a man is a boss for doing the exact same thing. We can’t put our heads in the sand and be paralyzed by these perceptions. We need to recognize when this happens and reshape the narrative.

It’s hard to not dwell and not question ourselves as women disruptors — but we need to stop any negative self-talk and move on.

How can our readers follow you online?

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity. I welcome readers to connect with me on LinkedIn.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

Female Disruptors: Elina Vives of Signify On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Jim Cacioppo of Jushi Holdings: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis…

Jim Cacioppo of Jushi Holdings: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis or CBD Business

The sheer magnitude of work necessary for starting and maintaining cannabis businesses is massive. There wasn’t a ton of capital available in the beginning and we are manufacturing and selling products that are federally illegal. The industry needed to be built from the ground up.

As part of my series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business” I had the pleasure of interviewing Jim Cacioppo, CEO, Chairman and Founder of Jushi Holdings Inc., a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis company developing and operating high-end retail locations, premium brands and state-of-the-art cultivation, processing and manufacturing facilities.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you share with us the story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve been an investor in the hedge fund industry for more than 30 years, co-founding and managing two multi-billion-dollar hedge funds in New York during that time. I then moved down to Florida to escape that pressure cooker environment, have a better work/life balance and spend more time with my family. About a year or two later, I discovered the cannabis industry and started investing in the space.

After about 25 investments in the sector, a small MSO company came to me seeking an investment from my hedge fund, and I became one of their largest shareholders for their first-round investment. Although this was a successful investment, I realized the quality of their management team (and many other management teams across the industry) could use some improvement. The idea to start a cannabis company started percolating in my head. So we incubated a cannabis company in my hedge fund for about a year before I brought everyone together to found Jushi Holdings in early 2018.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

We were feeling a lot of pressure from bankers and leading investors in the industry to establish ourselves and set up operations in Florida and New York. Jushi was in New York through a minority interest, but we believed at that time the investment had become overvalued. All of the cannabis businesses were rushing into these two markets and both states were having issues with start-ups. To move into New York, for example, vertically integrated companies had to do everything themselves, from growing to processing and manufacturing, resulting in an expensive investment in a state with poor regulations.

We decided to go in a different direction, not pursuing a deal in Florida and selling our minority interest in a NY-based licensee. Those proceeds were used for the Pennsylvania and Virginia markets, targeting states that weren’t as popular. Pennsylvania has turned out to be one of the most promising states in the country in terms of revenue growth. Virginia is making real advancements in their medical marijuana program and they approved an adult-use market to begin sales by January 2024. They both present tremendous opportunities.

We bought the license in the best region in Virginia for about $30 to $35 million and Jushi purchased 18 dispensary licenses in Pennsylvania, which cost about $80 million, and a grower-processor in Pennsylvania for $37 million. These assets are worth many multiples of our invested capital right now.

Our decision to take a different path worked out very well. I learned to listen to my instincts and to make my own decisions separately from what everyone else in the space is doing. Do the work, complete the analysis and then seek the best investment opportunities for your company.

Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Throughout my career, I’ve learned how to properly handle and communicate with others including both those I work with and those I work for. At Harvard Business, I was trained to focus on how to run a company, not to be the greatest employee. Along the way, I had to learn how to deal with others with whom I did not always see eye-to-eye with. For six years, I worked in investment banking and I learned a lot about integrating into organizations and working in cohesive teams.

That experience was invaluable, as I learned about how to deal with adversity, politics and those around me who don’t think the same way. Throughout those years, I increased my Emotional Intelligence (EQ). In the hedge fund business, I became known as the people-oriented guy in an industry not known for its people skills. That awareness allowed me to successfully build up a few large organizations as well as bring together a great team at Jushi.

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

The most exciting project we’re working on that I am leading is the expansion of our grower-processor facility in Scranton, PA. As background, we have licenses to open 18 stores in the Commonwealth. During the pandemic, we were able to acquire a grower-processor that was running low on cash. It’s about 90,000 square feet and was growing flower and manufacturing products. We had to put in a lot of work, time, and allocated capital to turn it around and maximize its potential. The most exciting aspect is redesigning the interior to get the right flow and set-up.

On top of that, we’re building a very significant expansion around that facility. We are in phase one of a multi-phase project that more than doubles our square footage to approximately 190,000 square feet. During phase two, we will expand the structures to maybe as much as 350,000 square feet. Building something like this is a very interesting experience because we are completely turning around the building and creating an efficient state-of-the-art facility.

To make this situation even better, once the building is complete it will provide a lot of jobs in Scranton. According to locals, they say it’s the biggest investment project they have seen in years and it is great to support the local economy by investing in the area. We’re creating work for electricians, plumbers, contractors and ultimately permanent union jobs at the facility once construction is complete. The community is very welcoming. I find it all extremely exciting.

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?

A lot of people have helped me along the way but my father was the most impactful. He was in the world of business running companies and I learned from watching by example. He came from a pretty modest background. His father was a union electrician in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and my father went to school on the GI Bill in New York. He worked his way up in accounting and became President of his company many years later.

I was able to sit in on a lot of meetings. He’d bring me along to lunches and golf outings and I’d sit there listening to him talk. I was a fly on the wall for years from when I was 10 to 25 years old, a time when your external environment is so impactful. My father was a great example and gave me useful nuggets of advice along the way.

This industry is young dynamic and creative. Do you use any clever and innovative marketing strategies that you think large legacy companies should consider adopting?

Jushi’s creative group is overseen by our Chief Creative Director, Andreas Neumann, who is creating our online presence in this new digital age. It allows our customers to look at our menu and digitally view our products in real time as well as learn about and order our products right from their mobile devices. With regulations adapting to the pandemic, our patients are able to purchase products for curbside pickup in certain markets, like Pennsylvania.

In my eyes, allowing the products to be reserved digitally is a very innovative way to deal with the regulations in place. We are seeing between 65–75% of our transactions happening through our e-commerce channel. It is a massive change compared to last year and we’re still improving upon the user experience and process. I believe we have one of the best, if not, the best online user experience in the industry.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the Cannabis industry? Can you share 3 things that most concern you?

What excites me about the cannabis industry:

The ability to help destigmatize a plant that helps people in so many ways. I am proud to be a part of this important change, enhancing the acceptance of cannabis in our country and around the world.
Many of us are working to right the wrongs of the past resulting from prohibition. Getting people out of prison and expunging criminal records for what is now considered a legal medicinal product in the overwhelming majority of states is a must. In our opinion, all stakeholders should be working tirelessly to address this history, and we are proud to be actively participating on the front lines of those efforts.
At Jushi, we are at an exciting stage of our maturity right now. The amount of growth and opportunity is tremendous, and we’re still in the very early stages.

What concerns me about the cannabis industry:

Applications for licenses. The process has become extremely competitive and political, and some local leaders are biased in awarding them. It’s supposed to be an anonymous, fair process that goes through a selection committee, but at times it becomes polluted.
Too many stock promoters who once led companies in the industry. Many stock promoters active in the space were exposed during the downturn from the summer of 2019 when the capital markets closed for about 18 months to most in the industry. That is a long hiatus with no capital coming in from the equity markets. Due to the lack of access to the capital markets, many companies failed or are restructuring. Some of these “leaders of the industry” were actually stock promoters. They weren’t disciplined business leaders and they built these companies haphazardly to the point where a lot of them have fallen apart. Post bear market, the larger companies that have survived are better managed, but it may take a while for that “promoter” stigma to go away completely, which does create cheaper valuations for investors and acquirors like Jushi.
Managing rapid growth can be difficult. It’s a capital-intensive business. Managing large scale capital investments is not easy in a federally illegal climate where you can’t secure traditional bank financing. It takes a lot of discipline, especially as the cannabis capital markets are so volatile. It’ll be an exciting challenge for us to manage that growth over the next few years.

Can you share your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business”? Please share a story or example for each.

The sheer magnitude of work necessary for starting and maintaining cannabis businesses is massive. There wasn’t a ton of capital available in the beginning and we are manufacturing and selling products that are federally illegal. The industry needed to be built from the ground up. The industry is still figuring out the best way to build and expand facilities, and what to do when they have access to capital, because the industry didn’t have it before. One year in cannabis is equivalent to one dog year (seven years). There’s a lot to keep up with.
You will be dealing with people who are extremely irreverent toward following contractual obligations. We’ve completed many acquisition deals recently and the quality of people from whom we’re purchasing assets has improved dramatically, but in our early years, our counterparties did not always completely understand the deal or frankly care what the contracts said. We spent a fair amount of time on some of these transactions that didn’t pan out. I would have spent my time other ways if I had known what was really going on.
It takes a lot more than you think to run a vertically integrated business. It’s highly unusual when you think about it. We grow our product and sell some of it as is, but then process the rest to manufacture cartridges, edibles and much more. It’s two separate businesses. On top of that, we also operate a retail system, which is a completely separate skill set. If you look at department stores like Target or Walmart, they don’t manufacture their products. If their name is on it, it’s most likely white-labeled (produced by a separate entity and sold under their brand name). The only other industry similar in vertical integration is oil and gas. They find oil in the ground, process it and create gasoline, and have a retail system with convenience stores next to the gas pumps. This vertical set up presents a lot of new and exciting challenges in figuring out leadership because no one has truly done this before at scale. That is why I have been laser focused from the beginning on building the right team with all the needed skill sets for this industry.
Don’t underestimate a highly regulated industry. We used to be so worried about even having bank accounts, something you don’t hear about in any other business. There’s no immediate or easy access to finance, let alone listings on the NASDAQ. It is similar to how athletes train with weights on their arms and legs, so that they feel much lighter when they’re out on the field or court. However, in cannabis, we have to wear weights at all times.
The way many people conduct business is very different from what most of us coming from other spaces are used to. Some of the people that own cannabis businesses have been growing and manufacturing products from the early days (i.e. back 10 or 20 years). It was an illegal business or grey market at best back then. These businesses could very well have some potential regulatory inconsistencies that could put our company in danger, so we have to be cautious with whom we do business. Our approach is to focus on those who are excited to mature with the industry and truly grow within this new landscape.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?

As leaders of the company, you want your retail employees to understand your products so they can advise patients and customers. They also need to understand the regulatory environment. Budtenders are the point in the process where regulatory errors can occur and it’s your responsibility to ensure they’re properly trained to avoid legal issues.

We created training videos in a way that allows them to engage with information casually every day. The best learning for a retail employee is a user-friendly app that’s almost like a game they have to complete, but an interactive training game. With this approach, your employees actually enjoy the teaching, are engaged in the training and retain the information better. Younger generations are used to working on their phones and having information accessible at their fingertips, so why not provide information in the way they’re used to?

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. 🙂

The most impactful movement would be related to education and training for people in the earlier stages of development. Get them focused on what they really enjoy doing. There’s so much pressure coming from all areas of society to complete the education track and come out of it with an impressive degree and career. Many people might decide at some point that they want to do something without being pushed along, and there are various ways to contribute to society and earn a living. Not everyone should be pushed in the same direction.

So much time and money are wasted on that process. People should learn to dive into what they love, from music or math, earlier in their development. Whether it’s vocational, technical trade school or higher education, marrying the post-educational with the early stages would really benefit society. In addition, adolescent, teen and young adult mental health is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. I have focused some personal resources on this and hope to expand this effort when I retire.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

You can find Jushi on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

Jim Cacioppo of Jushi Holdings: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Atara Dzikowski of Samsara Luggage: The Future of Air Travel in The Post Covid World

Prior to the pandemic, international travel experienced vast growth. People could get anywhere in just a matter of hours, which is essentially what caused the coronavirus to spread so quickly. Because travel was a key player in spreading the virus, I expect that precautionary measures will continue to be severe.

As part of our series about “The Future Of Air Travel”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Atara Dzikowski.

Atara Dzikowski is the Co-founder and CEO of Samsara Luggage, a company that combines functional design with innovative technology to develop smart travel products. She started the company in 2017 with the launch of a smart carry-on suitcase and has continued to expand the company’s product line to service the changing travel landscape. Atara has extensive senior level managerial experience in development and public affairs, specializing in the fields of art and design.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

One day my partner and Co-founder of Samsara Luggage, David Dahan, came home frustrated from an arduous business trip filled with all the common annoyances from traveling. He said something that resonated and changed the course of my career path.

“I want my luggage to work for me,” he said.

In that moment we decided to merge my design management experience with his knowledge of technology to develop a suitcase that did just that — work for you.

We developed a suitcase that would make the journey easier, especially for business travelers that spent a good portion of their lives constantly moving from different cities, states, and countries.

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

When Samsara was at the ideation stage, we did a call for submissions from designers at varying experience levels. We were reviewing the countless submissions we received and noticed that everyone was creating products that didn’t go far enough in differentiating us in the vast marketplace. All the designs coming in looked like what already existed, and we were looking to stand out.

While working in the art and design world I met a very young design student named Or-David Shachar. He was attending the renowned Royal College of Art in London, studying car design. When I met him, he was selling sketches of vehicles that really captured his artistic talents and unique eye for innovative design.

I contacted him about bringing his skills in designing cars to suitcases. We designed a smart ergonomic suitcase that doubled as an on-the-go workstation with a flat top surface to securely hold laptops. The aluminum exterior looked as sleek as a race car. His vision for the suitcase was forward-thinking and exactly what we wanted our brand to exemplify.

Samsara Luggage is a travel brand that will lead the way into the future of travel.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It was a steaming hot August day the first time I visited China for business purposes. There was no air conditioning in the board room that my meeting was being held in. After the initial introductions I was offered a hot cup of tea! I politely refused the tea. There were translators in the room that quickly informed me that drinking tea is customary as part of every business meeting. It’s seen as an essential part of closing a successful business deal, something I was completely unaware of.

Moral of the story is before visiting any foreign country, deepen your understanding of a country’s business and social customs.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

Spend a good amount of time seeing new things that are outside of your professional world. These experiences help you get into the right mindset to inspire you at work. Resting your mind is an essential part of thriving at work.

For me, art and travel help me avoid burn out. Art helps me see things through the eyes of another artist. The creative mind is fascinating and somehow just observing someone else’s masterpiece helps keep me motivated and inspired.

Travel instantly helps me not fear being out of my comfort zone. That’s the space you should always be in to do your job well. Traveling instantly forces us to hear new languages, eat different cuisines and navigate a new frontier. Letting go of fears of the unknown can help you in every element of your life, especially at work.

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?

It’s important for young girls to see for themselves that the ceiling is truly made of glass. My grandmother was the role model that helped me see this at a very young age. Growing up in Australia, my grandmother was the first woman appointed to a professorial position in her field of bacteriology. It was uncommon back then for a woman to even exist in this field of study, much less hold a superior position. It was also rare for a working woman to work and raise a family of her own. My grandmother showed me that there are no limits and even if you don’t see yourself represented in a particular space, that doesn’t mean the door isn’t open for you to enter.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

My son attends a premiere art school that attracts marquee students in music, dance, performing arts, etc. We wanted to ensure that all students with exceptional talent had access to the resources this school provided, regardless of economic background. I helped raise a fund for artists with the talents, but not necessarily the funds to attend this school.

As a company, we honor the importance of young talent to take us into the future. Part of our brand DNA is to bring solutions to the world that makes exploration easier. We are happy to participate in making the world a better place both through our initiatives and our products.

Thank you for that. Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the Aviation and Air Travel industries?

We are bringing IoT technology to the travel industry. Emerging technologies are enabling new IoT applications and devices. These innovations along with advances in hardware and software are going to change the nature of travel and birth new connected devices that will transform the entire experience. This essentially means we are stepping into a new age in travel where smart luggage will be getting smarter and becoming the norm.

Cell phones were once relegated to a select few tech junkies or used as a status symbol, but in time they found their way into the mainstream. Apple was the company that made cell phones accessible. We are trying to do the same with smart luggage. As the tech and design features evolve and the needs of travelers’ change, smart luggage becomes more of a travel essential than a luxury item.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing these innovations?

Travel should not be a hassle but an effortless experience. We saw that the standard suitcase was more of a nuisance than a product that would work with you while traveling. This inspired us to create a functional suitcase that helped make traveling easier, especially for the business traveler.

Working on-the-go was always difficult. We are now so reliant on our electronics for all aspects of our life, both personal and professional. We need internet, we need to charge, and we need personal space to stay productive while traveling. We designed our suitcase as a portable workstation with desk and charging station. You didn’t have to find a seat next to an available outlet or decide between a seat or the charging station. It’s also more relevant now as you can maintain your distance and avoid high-touchpoint common areas.

Cybersecurity is an ongoing pain point for travelers. Hackers are getting better at finding ways to invade our privacy, targeting vulnerable travelers that are reliant on public WIFI and charging ports. We’re offering travelers a way to create a “travel bubble” where everything they need is provided for them in the one travel essential that is never going away, their suitcase.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

With technology, you no longer have to be next to your luggage to stay connected with it. Your luggage can never be lost with GPS and Bluetooth technology. It can never be opened or moved without your knowledge. Samsara’s smart suitcases are equipped with special sensors that send alerts to your phone if your suitcase is being opened or moving out of range. We are creating an expanded network between the passenger, their suitcase, and the airport and that is disrupting the current status quo.

In addition, we are equipping travelers with a suitcase that allows them to create their own personal “travel bubble” to remain safe in a post-COVID landscape. People are still taking precautions and testing the waters even as restrictions lesson and borders open. Samsara’s smart carry-on allows travelers to stay distant without compromising convenience. You can stay charged, productive and keep moving just by upgrading your ordinary suitcase to a smart one.

Are there exciting new technologies that are coming out in the next few years that will improve the Air Travel experience? We’d love to learn about what you have heard.

The airline industry has struggled to find an immediate solution to lost luggage. Sometimes the frustration for the traveler is the waiting. GPS tracking is helping travelers gather immediate data on their suitcase’s whereabouts. It’s the “Find My Phone” in travel. Samsara is at the forefront of bringing full IoT technology solutions to the luggage market very soon.

Samsara Luggage plans to continue and dramatically increase its sales in the coming year with the launch of its Next Gen line of luggage.

Our strategic plans are aimed for us to lead the smart luggage market with high-value products offered to our customers, as well as significant value to our investors that advance us towards up-listing in the stock market.

As you know, the Pandemic changed the world as we know it. For the benefit of our readers, can you help spell out a few examples of how the Pandemic has specifically impacted Air Travel?

Prior to the pandemic, international travel experienced vast growth. People could get anywhere in just a matter of hours, which is essentially what caused the coronavirus to spread so quickly. Because travel was a key player in spreading the virus, I expect that precautionary measures will continue to be severe.

First, expect to wear a mask in-flight the foreseeable future. Samsara is including a travel essentials kits with purchase of its suitcase and weekender bags to adapt to the new protocols. These kits include a mask, hand sanitizers, disposable gloves, and alcohol wipes to help travelers remain safe on-the-go.

Next, expect more advances in touchless technology. Travel can get crowded. Expect airports and airlines to make efforts to streamline flights to avoid large amounts of people congregated in the same area for extended periods of time.

Finally, vaccine cards will be a requirement for international travel.

Can you share five examples of how the Air Travel experience might change over the next few years to address the new realities brought by the Pandemic? If you can, please give an example for each.

Easy access to rapid testing in response to the continued need for a negative COVID test for international travelers.
Domestic travel and short-haul trips will reign supreme for a while.
Remote work is here to stay and thus expect workcation and leisure travel to take the lead over business travel.
An expansion of IoT technology to make travel less interactive to maintain a continued level of social distancing.
Tech and biotech solutions to sanitize your personal belongings and the aircraft itself, especially for international travel. We launched a weekender bag treated with Nano technology that prevents bacteria and droplets from developing on the bag. Expect more solutions like this one in the future.

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. 🙂

I would spearhead a movement to shift the educational system to be less reliant on lectures and textbooks and more focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity. This approach would guide students towards learning through curiosity. Students have a gut creative instinct that is not fostered through outdated tactics developed hundreds of years ago. I think this change would produce a generation that would think outside the box and fast-track a better way forward in every aspect of our daily lives.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

We love our online community! We’ve got a great blog with up-to-date information about the industry, travel tips and first-hand stories of travel experiences. You can follow us at www.samsaraluggage.com

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

Atara Dzikowski of Samsara Luggage: The Future of Air Travel in The Post Covid World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Beauty: Ziv Haklili of Scale On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The…

The Future of Beauty: Ziv Haklili of Scale On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Beauty Industry

Beauty as nutrition (or Beauty from the inside out) — I believe that we are just at the tip of the iceberg in discovering the full potential the foods and ingredients we ingest have on the appearance and health of our skin. Ultimately, I believe that the combined approach of mind, body and skin garners the best results for health and beauty.

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 Ziv Haklili.

Ziv Haklili is a brand builder, business leader and eCommerce growth strategist with 10+ years of diversified experience developing companies and products that are aligned with his vision. As the Co-Founder of Scale — a next-generation DTC house of brands — he has created five profitable CPG brands, including Hair La Vie and Tru Alchemy, and launched 120+ best-in-class products in the direct-to-consumer digital space. His personal philosophy: Lead with your actions, not with your words.

Ziv co-created Scale with his childhood friend and business partner, Ben Flohr to create meaningful connections between brands and consumers — and positively impact thousands of lives. With expertise in strategic vision, product development and creative direction, he built a strong organizational and operational infrastructure that quickly positioned the company for massive growth. Always conscious of the ever-changing digital landscape, Ziv is able to anticipate what tomorrow’s consumers want and create cutting-edge solutions that meet demand.

A values-driven leader, Ziv builds relationships based on integrity, honesty, humility and transparency. These values were instilled in him early in his career in the Israel Defense Forces where he leveraged his Media & English studies to be a combat spokesperson. It’s there in the trenches where he acquired problem-solving and crisis communication skills, and learned the values of trust, team building and leading by example. Today, he focuses on empowering his employees by leveraging their strengths, fueling their passions and motivating them towards excellence.

Ziv is fluent in English, Hebrew and Spanish. An advocate of lifelong learning, he studies everything from music and art, to the latest science, research and technologies around health and wellness. Lately, Ziv has had crash courses in fatherhood, navigating life with a beautiful toddler daughter and another baby girl on the way.

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?

Thank you for the opportunity. I think from a young age I’ve always been passionate about bringing positivity change to the world, in a big way. In the beginning of my career, I thought that meant writing and entertainment

Around 10 years ago, I was working in the digital content marketing industry, and had set up a boutique firm. During that stressful time, my roommate and best friend (whom had a background in food science and nutrition) became very interested in optimizing our mental and physical performance through nutrition and supplements. We bought a bunch of different supplements and powders but none of them

ever seemed to work. Yet, when we looked at the clinical studies and data they were touting as evidence, we noticed what was going on. We found out that while these products were making claims around promising scientific data and studies, none of them contained the actual clinical dosages required to obtain the same results as in the studies. Product after product, from global brands to fly-by-night internet brands, we noticed the same phenomenon. So we asked ourselves what would happen if we researched and formulated a set of products that actually adhered to the clinical data. So we did just that and our first brand took off very quickly and we started getting a ton of positive feedback from our customers. That positive feedback became the fuel and motivation to continue growing the business, entering into new verticals like ingestible beauty, hair and skincare, with the same methodology, rigor and passion.

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

One of the most interesting stories actually happened a few weeks before the entire country went into lockdown last year. A few weeks before we really understood what we were up against. It was close to midnight and I was exercising my usual bad habit of reading business articles late into the night. I was about to shut off my phone just as I finished the last article but a headline grabbed my attention. It was actually published on Medium that same day and the headline read: “Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now: Politicians, Community Leaders and Business Leaders: What Should You Do and When?” Needless to say it piqued my attention. As I started reading the article (which was a 20-minute read) I became more and more concerned after each paragraph. The author had modeled out the potential spread of the virus in the US and was basically saying it was only a matter of days to a week before it would hit all over and he was making a plea to keep people home as soon as possible. After reading I immediately called my co-founder and we understood that we had to take immediate action. The next morning we gathered our executives first thing in the morning, and put together an immediate plan to have everyone at the company work from home effective immediately. Within two days we were able to facilitate a complete work from home environment for over 100 team members. To give context, as a fast-paced startup, we always prided ourselves on in-person collaboration and a thriving company culture. We always thought working remotely would make us less efficient and would be detrimental to our culture. But much to our surprise, it turned out to be a positive change that has allowed us to provide more flexibility to our team members, while maintaining a high level of collaboration and performance as a company.

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?

I think that one of the major tipping points in the first years of running our business was when I started using mental models. As an entrepreneur, you often find yourself working nonstop for your business and things can get overwhelming fast. Mental models provide a way to quickly make better decisions and better assess how things work. When you apply them correctly, they can dramatically change the way you work and even live your life. One of my favorite methods that I try to use every week is the pareto principle which helps me make decisions and prioritize my actions for the week/month and even year.

The Pareto principle states that for many different events, roughly 80% of the effects are from 20% of the causes In business terms, you yield 80% of the results from 20% of your efforts. To break it down further in the context of a company selling products, typically, 80% of your revenue will come from 20% of your products. So if you invest more of your time and efforts tackling the correct 20%, you will invariably gain better results.

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?

One of the key factors to our success as a company has been the strong partnership and synergy between myself, my co-founder and our third partner. Each of us brings a unique perspective, knowledge and expertise that has allowed us to grow and prosper throughout the years while remaining entirely bootstrapped. I believe that the spirit of collaboration between us has extended to the culture of our company and really empowered everyone to operate as a hive mind towards our common goals.

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?

It was only a few years ago where the relationship between brand and consumer was almost exclusively 2-dimensional. The brand would advertise on TV, print and digital, and consumers would buy their products. There was no real reciprocal and immediate relationship between the consumer and the brand. Today, there is an opportunity to leverage technology to create an unprecedented relationship with the consumer. At Scale, we approach brand building with a 360 degree ecosystem that allows us to create a holistic experience for each of our products. This involves clinically studied products, educational content, and progress tracking tools, all facilitated by technology. Technology allows us to create a meaningful and custom relationship with each of our consumers at scale and drive better outcomes for them while continuously optimizing that experience. One example of this is in our Hair La Vie clinical vitamin, after purchase we provide a quiz that learns and assesses your hair goals. Once we understand a consumer’s specific goals, we serve a 90-day, custom educational course that provides tutorials, recipes and nutrition recommendations, hair tips and tricks, and tracking tools that helps them achieve their specific goal in a holistic way.

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?

What has been prevalent in beauty and the media for years is the manipulation of imagery to meet unrealistic beauty standards. Thankfully, in the past few years there’s been strong grassroots resistance against this type of manipulation and many people and brands have started embracing a more natural approach to beauty imagery.

But the more recent emergence and popularity of facial and body manipulation tools and apps have now empowered anyone to manipulate their own faces and body and that garners an unrealistic view and comparison of oneself to a standard of beauty that essentially isn’t real.

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

Transparency — I think that the fact that people can now look up each and every of the ingredients in their products and educate themselves about the quality of the ingredients they are using inside and outside their body is a huge win. This really forces a lot of the powers that be to raise their standards when formulating products and immensely increases the industry’s accountability. I believe that brands

that embrace transparency and educate consumers about their ingredients and product development process are best destined to succeed.

Personalization at scale — I think that the ability to create a personalized experience for the consumer where their individual health and beauty needs are met is going to become the standard in the years to come.

Beauty as nutrition (or Beauty from the inside out) — I believe that we are just at the tip of the iceberg in discovering the full potential the foods and ingredients we ingest have on the appearance and health of our skin. Ultimately, I believe that the combined approach of mind, body and skin garners the best results for health and beauty.

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?

I’m very concerned with the continued use of flagrantly harmful ingredients by many prominent players in the beauty industry. It puzzles me how in this day and age with all the free access to information that there are still so many harmful chemicals in use, plainly stated on a label for anyone to see. Since the FDA and other government agencies can take a long time to ban these types of ingredients, I would suggest putting together an industry committee that would advocate for taking action within the industry quicker to ban harmful ingredients and lobbying and/or cooperating with the federal government for faster action.

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.)

In my opinion, beauty is primarily a perception. If you don’t see yourself as beautiful, then no product in the world will change that. So before products, we need to get our mind straight. What that means to me is meditation and self acceptance. Cultivating a daily meditation practice, ideally in the morning, that includes gratitude and self affirmation is the way to build internal beauty that radiates out and changes our perception of beauty for the better.

As a company, we are always searching for ways to make a positive impact, whether that’s with the products we create, or the charities we partner with. Given the opportunity to create a large movement that would make significant change I would have to look at it through the lens of a mental model. If we’re using the “first principles” model that states that in order to solve a complex problem, you have to reduce into its basic elements or its fundamental truths and then start solving from there. We know that there are billions of people in the world that are suffering from any number of reasons. One of the foundational elements that can help alleviate suffering on a large scale, is empathy. When you can truly empathize with others suffering, whether that be on an interpersonal or even global scale, you are inevitably drawn to action. So I think that if we could teach empathy and empathetic action across the entirety of our education system as well as our workplace in a very direct way, we would end up with a more tolerant and action-oriented society that works together to solve issues small and large.

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

I really think that the biggest benefit someone could attain from reading this article is to look into mental models. This has made the most enduring impact on my work.

How can our readers follow you online?

www.trualchemyskin.com

www.hairlavie.com

www.scalemedia.com

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

The Future of Beauty: Ziv Haklili of Scale On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Krishna Kutty of Kuroshio Consulting Inc: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap

Transparency in pay helps women ask for equitable pay and pay raises. Equalize knowledge, as when pay and bonus criteria are a closely guarded secret, women tend to suffer the most.

As part of my series about “the five things we need to do to close the gender wage gap” I had the pleasure of interviewing Krishna Kutty.

Krishna Kutty, the Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Kuroshio Consulting Inc., a boutique management consultancy that specializes in strategy (corporate and product) and transformations (digital, functional, and operational) across the healthcare, pharmaceutical, energy, and manufacturing sectors.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us the “backstory” that brought you to this career path?

I had been working as both an internal and external management consultant for 17+ years between Canada and the United States before I decided to set up my own consulting practice along with my business partner. We enjoy thinking through complex problems that our clients face and designing pragmatic strategies and tactics that help them obtain real results. We had both spent years in male-dominated industries and were looking for a way to change that — in our case it is a women-led consulting practice.

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

Early on in my career, I remember an executive that I reported into, trying to force-fit clients into boxes based on the services we offered, instead of recommending improvements based on the client context and their needs. This is unfortunately still the way several consultancies continue to practice. In fact, when I worked at an Oil and Gas company, a consulting firm we engaged used a cookie cutter solution they had used at their previous client with built in recommendations that didn’t work for our business. I learned then that the client needs pragmatic results, not your “services” and so if you aren’t the best consultancy to provide them with those results, bow out graciously. Force-fitting the client into your service offering and not delivering results for them is far worse than being honest about your expertise and boundaries. At Kuroshio, we take this to heart and work as trusted advisors to our clients — this means offering our expertise when it fits clients’ needs but also connecting clients with partners for areas outside our expertise.

Can you share a story about the funniest or most interesting mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I began, I was often on the search for that perfect framework or approach to the client’s problem, thinking one existed. What I learned was that there is no “right path” to solving a client’s problems — there are better consulting frameworks and implementation approaches that you can take, but there is no one or right path. As a junior consultant, I used to be in awe of certain frameworks and thought leadership, but over the years, I have learned that they just fall on a spectrum. If there was a “right path” to pursue and achieve organizational transformations, there wouldn’t still be a ~70% failure rate!

Ok let’s jump to the main focus of our interview. Even in 2020, women still earn about 81 cents for every dollar a man makes. Can you explain three of the main factors that are causing the wage gap?

The three main factors causing the wage gap are employer biases (conscious and unconscious biases towards women from hiring through every promotion), delayed promotion or lack of a promotion (implicit microaggressions take a toll on women who then choose different careers), and the fact that women predominantly leave the labor market due to their inability to find childcare or eldercare (and even when they don’t leave do a vast majority of the unpaid labor).

Can you share with our readers what your work is doing to help close the gender wage gap?

At Kuroshio, we are committed to equal pay for equal work across gender, race, and other demographics. We also do our best to address any bias in our employee lifecycle, from recruitment advertisements through to promotions and to retirement. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a gender-responsive and inclusive culture throughout our company. And finally, three out of five of our executive leadership roles are held by women — specifically, women of color.

Can you recommend 5 things that need to be done on a broader societal level to close the gender wage gap. Please share a story or example for each.

Transparency in pay helps women ask for equitable pay and pay raises. Equalize knowledge, as when pay and bonus criteria are a closely guarded secret, women tend to suffer the most. Providing salary ranges in job postings and continuing to be transparent about bonuses and salary bands, helps both candidates and the company, as you are rooting the conversation in skills, experience, potential, and role responsibilities, not solely on negotiation prowess.
Address occupational sex segregation. Gender pay disparities on a global basis are driven in large part by occupational sex segregation, and so governments should continue to provide incentives for firms in male dominated sectors to hire and retain more women, and vice-versa.
Undertake mandatory gender pay audits. Governments should make it compulsory that part of an employer’s responsibilities include conducting regular gender pay audits and developing action plans to eradicate the gaps. Non-compliance should result in meaningful penalties.
Assist women’s careers throughout their tenure. Beyond recruitment efforts, once women become your organization’s employees, include specific provisions and measures that support women’s careers.

Have leadership focused on reducing the daily microaggressions that collectively result in women looking for other careers.
Develop sponsorship programs for women in middle management to broaden their exposure and lessen the perceived “confidence gap” that are attributed to women. Gaining the opportunity to participate in stretch roles early in their career helps close the confidence gap women may experience early on.

5. Provide paid parental leave and flexible working hours

COVID has shown us that the burden of childcare continues to rest predominantly with women.
Providing paid parental leave, including some use-or-lose quotas for fathers, along with flexible working hours, would allow more women to remain in the workforce.

We are currently working on our debut book on how women, specifically women of color, can better navigate their career paths in male dominated workplaces in corporate America. Stay tuned!

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

“When we pay women less than men, we’re telling women their work isn’t as valuable. We’re all equally valuable. And we should be paid equally.” — Maria Shriver

This quote resonates with me because I have experienced the direct impacts from the gender wage gap, especially in my early career when I didn’t know how to approach pay discussions but was keenly aware that my male peers were taking home significantly more than me.

Much of our self-esteem and self-confidence is derived from work since we invest significant energy and time working. The discrepancy in our paychecks as women compared to males in the same roles, represent the reality that we are direly undervalued. The mental health impacts of this type of discrimination can also be substantial, with research having shown that women at work suffer higher rates of depression and anxiety.

I remember reading the report that Maria Shriver put together with the Center for American Progress on “A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything” in 2009, and it’s taken until 2021 for something like California’s Equal Pay Pledge to take a hold, as announced by California’s First Partner and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom. I would love to have a conversation with both Maria Shriver and Jennifer Siebel Newsom on what we can continue to do to close the wage gap and boost equity in the workplace — there is still a long way to go!

Maria Shriver: Twitter & Instagram: @mariashriver

Jennifer Siebel Newsom: Twitter: @jensiebelnewsom / Instagram: @jennifersiebelnewsom

This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.

Krishna Kutty of Kuroshio Consulting Inc: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Beauty: Michaeline DeJoria of John Paul Mitchell Systems On How Their Technological…

The Future of Beauty: Michaeline DeJoria of John Paul Mitchell Systems On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Beauty Industry

Do something nice. Even if it’s asking the barista how his weekend was when you would normally be quiet. Any little thing you can do in that moment to spread a little joy- do it!! You will feel that much better, and it becomes a pattern. There is NOTHING more striking than a joyous smile and kind eyes- nothing! And it’s free, instant, and available to everyone every second.

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 Michaeline DeJoria.

Michaeline DeJoria, daughter of John Paul Mitchell Systems® co-founder John Paul DeJoria, has fond memories of growing up in Los Angeles and visiting her dad’s office as a young girl. Now she’s the CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems®, where she directs the company’s future development for all brands. Michaeline started out working in various departments before arriving at her current position; it was important to her that she immersed herself in all aspects of the business before taking on a leadership role. This experience informs her managerial style to this day — making processes and departments streamlined and organized, with an emphasis on finding new opportunities for improvement. Michaeline studied Product Development at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, as well as Organizational Communications and Industrial Psychology at Pepperdine University. She is an avid traveler, enjoying an appreciation and understanding of many cultures throughout the world. Philanthropy also plays a big part in her life — she makes substantial contributions to local children’s shelters, Los Angeles schools, and various health and research causes. Michaeline sits on four Executive Boards, two of which are non profits.

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?

Thank you for having me! I was born into the business, so it’s always been a huge part of my life. Watching my Dad work, and seeing his passion for it, was always captivating to me. I adored the office, the people, and the industry- all of it. They got my heart from the very beginning, and I was self-driven toward this goal for as long as I can remember. It felt like a natural calling, truly. I fast-tracked myself through school because I wouldn’t wait to start working.

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

I have one that comes to mind. I was in a meeting once, very early in my career, and I suggested looking at a specific item that was more eco-friendly. The vendor rep in the meeting looks at the “decision maker” who he had worked with thus far and- right in front of me- points to me and says “Who’s this? Do I actually have to bid that?” I couldn’t believe how disrespectful it was, and I was just glad it happened to me and not someone else on my team! No one should have to be spoken to like that. Lesson learned everyone: always be kind. You never know who you are talking to or what their story is. Most importantly, it shouldn’t matter — always be kind anyway!

There have been a few. The first one was with the first campaign I did, back in 2007. It was called “Head For Change”, and it was something we had never done before. They trusted me, and we went for it, and it was a success. That’s the first moment I knew “Ok, my instincts are solid, and I’ve got this”. From there I continued to grow within the company, and had several successes along the way. I see “failure” as a success too- because every experience comes with a lesson or two. Never stop trying, and always take something away from every experience- that is how you truly gain wisdom and growth.

Luke Jacobellis, our former president. He was my mentor and guide from day one of my career. He lifted me up when it was deserved, he corrected me when he needed to, and he never stopped listening and talking with me. I owe him a debt of gratitude for helping shape the business person (and person, actually) that I am today, without question.

At JPMS, we’re always looking to the future! Our culture is based on finding new ways to help salons and stylists grow their businesses. Last Fall we had our first technology launch when we debuted Hair AI. It’s a professional-only device that gives hair and scalp analysis, which is a valuable tool for future professionals and stylists to use on their clients.

○ Hair AI uses proprietary technology and advanced artificial intelligence to display magnified images and evaluate the conditions of the scalp and hair strand.

○ These recommendations can be shared on the spot, in person or via email — giving professionals an opportunity to offer their guests a personalized regimen tailored to their guests’ unique hair needs.

○ Our exclusive device has the potential to transform guests’ salon experience while empowering stylists to provide education, precise recommendations for improving hair’s appearance and feel.

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?

Not with this technology, no. This is a tool that is used to strengthen the relationship between the client and their stylist, by giving them information that they can use to provide the best experience and the best product recommendations. Most people don’t know the true status of

their hair, and for some stylist they may be making their best conclusion- but to have the validation of science, and the ability to quickly allow their client to purchase the actual best products for the result they want- is incredibly helpful. Knowledge is power, and in this case we are using technology to STRENGTHEN human relationships, not to REPLACE them- which is a key driver for us, always.

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

— Gain helpful information about your hair/skin/body. Again, knowledge is power. With that, you can best provide self-care and make smart purchases.

– Health.

– Sustainability.

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?

– Losing the relationship between stylist and customer. I fear that technology (and lockdowns certainly didn’t help) is going to be such an increasing convenience that people won’t really need to leave their homes or interact with others anymore. As of now, technology brings us food, basic needs, it socializes for us… it can replace a lot of human contact. BUT, you can not replace relationships or the experience of going to get your hair done by a professional. I feel a huge responsibility to remind people of that. On a personal note, this is my biggest fear as just a human right now. Don’t get so caught up in convenience that you forget to be a human!

– Our social impact. We have a responsibility to lift people up, not tear them down. We have always been a company to tell you what you need to look good, we provide products, tools and education so that you can feel free to express yourself in a multitude of ways that make YOU FEEL good! Market to empower people, not to change them.

– Our environmental impact. We all make products in this industry, and we all have to do business. I get it. BUT, how can we continue to evolve in the sustainability space and make the necessary adjustments so that our impact becomes positive? Right now there is a great movement where people are becoming more conscious of their impact on the world, and that’s wonderful. Keep that momentum up, because it’s not one thing now it’s an ongoing and on-growing process that needs to never stop. We have been a conscious company since day 1- long before it was cool, but it’s just our ethos. It’s exciting to see other brands doing the same!

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.)

– Quoting my mom here (childhood flashbacks!), but it’s a good one. Whenever I used to leave the house she would say “Remember who you are, and that I love you”. If we can tell ourselves that- not just say it to ourselves, but truly tell ourselves- you instantly feel more beautiful. Who you are is EVERYTHING, and feeling that love will glow you from within. Try it!

– Find beauty in the ritual, not the end result! When I wash my face I act like an aesthetician. I use nice strokes, I give myself a few extra seconds on my eyes… it’s like a little 2 minute spa moment. In the end- I see a face that was cared for and looks relaxed, and I feel calm. I am not looking to wash my face and see skin like a 20 year old. Its the experience, not the finale. Lean into those opportunities.

– Feeling beautiful, for me, is feeling at peace. As soon as I get home (or stop working if I’m home that day), I wash my face and put on my “cozies” (a pajama set- which I live for by the way- and slippers). I know, it’s very Mr. Rogers, but it completely shifts gears in my mind. I go from being productive to being settled. And if I glance at myself in a mirror: that’s what I see, someone who is at peace: and that is beautiful! I feel so pretty in them- even if I’m in a face mask and blowing kid noses. It’s the mindset that makes me feel beautiful. Find your little fancy “thing” and bring it into your life. It could be as simple as sipping tea from a mug during the kids’ bedtime ritual, or putting on music and sipping a glass of wine while you cook (and do homework and a million other things!). It can cost nothing- just find a little something special that makes you feel beautiful, special, and deserving!

– Do something nice. Even if it’s asking the barista how his weekend was when you would normally be quiet. Any little thing you can do in that moment to spread a little joy- do it!! You will feel that much better, and it becomes a pattern. There is NOTHING more striking than a joyous smile and kind eyes- nothing! And it’s free, instant, and available to everyone every second.

– Put good stuff in and on your body. I see a huge change in my skin, hair, eyes, body (and mood), when I’m putting junk in my system. Beauty really is from the inside out. Don’t eat processed foods, embrace water, and enjoy the amazing bounty that nature has provided- treat your body like it’s the only one of its kind- because it is!

I love this question! Can listening to each other be a movement? We are in an exciting time of social movements and the digital age with a ton of information swirling constantly. But, there is also some danger in how quick we are to judge. My hope is that we come to a place where we can be open and want to hear one another and help one another- where we can lift people up and be humans together instead of cancelling everything and everyone that isn’t perfectly aligned with an individual’s narrative in that particular moment. I see the danger in people becoming so fear-based, that we have stopped wanting to actually converse. We are so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing that we simply

“don’t”- and that is scary. My movement would be something more evolutionary and forward-thinking. Maybe instead of #cancelculture we could trend #collaborationculture … anything that reminds us to enjoy life together and be good to one another!

How can our readers follow you online?

@themdejoria @paulmitchell

The Future of Beauty: Michaeline DeJoria of John Paul Mitchell Systems On How Their Technological… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women Leading The Cannabis Industry: “The industry is still like the Wild Wild West”, With Phene…

Women Leading The Cannabis Industry: “The industry is still like the Wild Wild West”, With Phene Wardlaw of UNITY Wellness Co.

The industry is still like the Wild Wild West. Even when regulation seems definitive — it isn’t. There is so much room for interpretation that every person, lawyer, or company that you talk to will have a different take on where things are now and where things need to be. Take a look at what The Health Department in Los Angeles is (wrongly) doing. They are telling some stores that their inspection rating will be deducted for carrying CBD products, yet Los Angeles was the breeding ground that Unity and many others used to launch and scale their cannabis businesses just months previous. The quick, flailing changes have to be met in stride to be successful in this industry.

As a part of my series about strong women leaders in the cannabis industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Phene Wardlaw.

Phene Wardlaw is a founding partner of UNITY Wellness Co., the leading CBD beverage brand on today’s market. Before this, she led the eCommerce department for a clothing company and helped sales efforts at a tech-enabled CPG marketplace.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the cannabis industry?

Thank you so much for including me! Coming from a very conservative family, cannabis was always a taboo subject. But after struggling with anxiety for a number of years, multiple people suggested that I try CBD, and I finally obliged. I absolutely fell in love and knew I needed to be a part of the movement. Unity’s mission is to bring CBD to the masses, in a friendly approachable way. Whether we like it or not, there is still a stereotype around cannabis use, but when you put it in a pretty bottle and make it taste great, it’s not intimidating. It’s simple, I sell a product that I use daily.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

A: Not so much a story, but more of an epiphany. By creating Unity, I quickly learned that most people are stressed or anxious and by implanting myself in the industry, it’s made it more PC to talk about. Through this, I have had the opportunity to discuss stressors with family and friends on a more personal level than ever before. I have met so many women in the industry that have faced similar challenges. Unity has created a platform for me to connect with my peers on an authentic and deeper level. I have created more meaningful relationships with those around me due to this newly found transparency and the commonly-shared desire to connect.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

A: When starting Unity, we would get solicited for a lot of ingredient samples, and because of the newness of the CBD industry at that time some of the suppliers would send unmarked samples without much detail. One hard-working afternoon, we were sampling CBD suppliers…and a THC sample got jumbled up in the mix. Needless to say, we didn’t get much done that day but sure had a lot of laughs. Lesson learned, proper and consistent labeling on the packaging is essential!

Do you have a funny story about how someone you knew reacted when they first heard you were getting into the cannabis industry?

A: My parents! You should have seen their faces. Growing up, they always told my sister and me that weed is a gateway drug and to steer clear of it. I left my stable job at a real estate investment firm to help launch Unity, and they thought that I was insane! But after trying Unity, they realized that it didn’t get them high (they were convinced it would) but it actually helped them. My dad even said it improved his golf game! Now they are the biggest hype parents out there.

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?

A: My father is an incredibly supportive person and I will forever be grateful for him. He has taught me so much about standing up for myself and only accepting the best. As an immigrant to the United States, he is the epitome of the American dream. He has started multiple businesses and that entrepreneurship has definitely rubbed off on me. Regardless of what endeavor I take on, he has always had my back. In the early stages of Unity, despite not understanding the cannabis industry, his business-minded expertise was incredibly crucial to my being a part of the Unity team. Not to mention, his fulfillment center (garage) was crucial as an initial shipping hub.

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

A: Unity is always growing and I am so lucky to be leading a company that strives to make a lasting impression and difference. As of October 2020, 5 percent of the Unity profits go to charities that stand up for equality and bring unity to the world. With so much unrest in our world, we all need to work together to leave it better than we found it. We don’t pretend to fix the world, but giving back profits to charities that do so, is a good start. Not to mention, we are always ideating new product lines and extensions. You can expect to see some soon. 😉

Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. Despite the great progress that has been made we still have a lot more work to do to achieve gender parity in this industry. According to this report in Entrepreneur, less than 25 percent of cannabis businesses are run by women. In your opinion or experience, what 3 things can be done by a)individuals b)companies and/or c) society to support greater gender parity moving forward?

A: Women, get out there and start your own businesses. Take it from me, it’s a windy road that has its ups and downs, but by being your own boss, you can help set a benchmark for the industry — and other women. Lead by example. As a society, we have to focus on hiring the best talent and not overlooking anyone because of sex, ethnicity, orientation, etc. In honestly opening up the pool to both men and women, in time it will balance the scales. One amazing aspect of the Cannabis industry is that it’s growing and changing every day. My advice for women looking to get into the industry is to stay up to date on the latest trends and legislation. As it grows and becomes more established, there is even more room for women to get involved. You need to be knowledgeable, hold your own, and prove that you deserve to be there. There are jobs in this industry that didn’t even exist three years ago. Get out there and actively seek positions. As with any industry, there is always room for improvement. Be that improvement!

You are a “Cannabis Insider”. If you had to advise someone about 5 non intuitive things one should know to succeed in the cannabis industry, what would you say? Can you please give a story or an example for each.

The industry is still like the Wild Wild West. Even when regulation seems definitive — it isn’t. There is so much room for interpretation that every person, lawyer, or company that you talk to will have a different take on where things are now and where things need to be. Take a look at what The Health Department in Los Angeles is (wrongly) doing. They are telling some stores that their inspection rating will be deducted for carrying CBD products, yet Los Angeles was the breeding ground that Unity and many others used to launch and scale their cannabis businesses just months previous. The quick, flailing changes have to be met in stride to be successful in this industry.
There are more cannabis lovers out there than you realize and they are willing to try new products. We have been pleasantly surprised by how many people are eager to try our products on the daily. Some have tried other CBD consumables, some have just heard of the positive benefits and want to see for themselves. Since growing up with the anti-cannabis commercials I always assumed there would be a negative stigma in starting this, but I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of fans the industry has.
There is still a slight stigma attached to the industry and the products in it. We work hard to bring high-quality, consistent, and beautiful products to market. People are often surprised that our products all taste great, work well, and look beautiful.
To my last point, It still amazes me that there is so much inconsistency in 1 mg of CBD or THC on the effect side. A lot of our CBD competitor’s products simply do not work for consumers. This causes a divide. As business owners and product developers we have to hold each other to a higher standard to be sure that the industry can thrive and survive.
Get high on your own supply! To sell a product well, it helps to be a diehard fan.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?

As previously mentioned, the cannabis industry is ever-changing. Many of those in the industry are learning right alongside you. There is a lot of uncharted territory still to be discovered. My day-to-day is never the same and I LOVE that!
Positive impact. The cannabis industry helps people! Anxiety and stress are at an alltime high and the cannabis industry offers a positive way to deal with that. It’s a natural remedy for stress and an alternative to alcohol. I love hearing stories of how cannabis use has helped others.
Being on the forefront of bringing CBD to the masses, I get to see new studies and research on the daily. I am always excited to see a new piece come out that validates all the long days and weekends spent working on Unity. Sharing this ingredient and making it more “PC” to consume has been pure bliss for me. Every new study and cross-examination validates our work.

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?

Regulation — Currently, when it comes to CBD, there is no requirement for companies to state their CBD dosage, source, or THC content. Therefore, they are not held accountable. A lot of companies claim a higher amount of CBD than they have — and get away with it. Others use low-quality CBD that doesn’t work which causes consumers to doubt the industry as a whole. The responsibility falls heavily on the consumer to vet companies and work with those that they trust. For the enthusiasts, this is easy. For those just getting into the space, it can be overwhelming.
Legislation — There is a lot of gray area, particularly when it comes to CBD ingestibles, but with a new cannabis-friendly president, things are looking good.
Dosage — Since there is not a singular source to look to for dosage guidance, companies and consumers are left to guess at ideal serving size and dosage.

What are your thoughts about federal legalization of cannabis? If you could speak to your Senator, what would be your most persuasive argument regarding why they should or should not pursue federal legalization?

I think that cannabis should be federally legalized for many reasons. From a financial perspective, there is a lot of revenue to be made from the industry. We could tax cannabis at the federal level and use that revenue to help with rehabilitation, prison reform, and other issues that the war on drugs has caused. Using the money to focus on mental health would help in a plethora of ways that would pay dividends for years to come.

Today, cigarettes are legal, but they are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and they are somewhat socially marginalized. Would you like cannabis to have a similar status to cigarettes or different? Can you explain?

The cannabis industry would heavily benefit from competent regulation and the taxation could be positive if handled correctly. That said, I don’t think cannabis should be marginalized. The reason cigarettes are frowned upon is because they are horrible for you. Cannabis could not be more different.

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

Never stop learning. When I was fresh out of college and unsure of what I wanted to do, I took time to work abroad. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned so much more about myself than inside of a classroom. It’s okay to not know what you want to do. I realized that while my schooling came to an end, I would learn more outside of the classroom. As a business owner, that doesn’t change.

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

Unity. Be the best version of yourself and share that with others so that we can strive for a better community. We are all in this together — divisiveness and divide are never the answer. I think if more people came together to understand others, there would be more in common than they realize. Unite!

Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!

Thanks for having me! Always happy to discuss cannabis with you or anyone that’s interested.

Women Leading The Cannabis Industry: “The industry is still like the Wild Wild West”, With Phene… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Olyasha Novozhylova of Not Basic Blonde: Five Ways To Leverage Instagram To Dramatically Improve…

Olyasha Novozhylova of Not Basic Blonde: Five Ways To Leverage Instagram To Dramatically Improve Your Business

Build Relationships — Do not hesitate to reach out to your favorite blogger or someone who inspires you! Comment on their posts, share their content on your stories, get their attention, build relationships! Support other businesses or bloggers in your niche with comments and reactions on their stories, grow your community.

As a part of our series about How To Leverage Instagram To Grow Your Business, I had the pleasure of interviewing Olyasha Novozhylova.

Olyasha Novozhylova is the founder and creator of Not Basic Blonde, a fashion, and lifestyle blog dedicated to inspiring young women to create an extraordinary style. Graduated from Georgia State University with a BBA in Managerial Sciences, Olyasha successfully built a career in IT/Project Management, before she became a full time blogger. Olyasha is a model, blogger, entrepreneur, author of the children’s book “Cutie The Unicorn: It’s Ok To Be Different”, celebrity podcast host of NotBasicBlonde Podcast, Fashion Editor for 24FashionTV, Fashion Host Amazon Live.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

My current career started suddenly and unexpectedly. I’ve been bullied in school because I always dressed so fashionably. I even wrote a children’s book about it. I’ve done modeling since I was 13 as well, but I’ve become a blogger and entrepreneur full time almost 4 years ago. I’ve graduated from Georgia State University with BBA in Managerial Sciences, and before I became a blogger, I’ve had a successful career in IT/Project Management, but I knew it wasn’t a biggest passion in my life. After I’ve finished my last project for the one of the largest Telecom companies, I knew I couldn’t go back to 9 to 5 anymore. I’ve decided to switch careers and share my passion for fashion with the world. That’s how NotBasicBlonde brand was born. As of now, I’m a Model, Author, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Celebrity Podcast Host (NotBasicBlonde Podcast), Fashion Editor for 24FashionTV, Fashion Host for AmazonLive.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?

I have so many interesting stories happening every day. I meet so many new people through Instagram and my podcast every day. I get to meet virtually or sometimes in person famous and successful people. Every one of them has a very interesting and inspiring story. I learn so much from every person, so I think it is the most interesting moment of my career.

Also, over this time, I’ve partnered with so many famous brands such Cartier, Revolve, ToFaced, PrettyLittleThing, and others, which was very interesting and so much fun.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I’ve had so many, where do I begin… The most memorable out of all, when I was first starting, I was shooting 10–20 outfits at a time, in one photoshoot session.

It was a lot and super exhausting, I don’t know how I was doing it, I’ve had a car full of clothes, and I used to change in the car as well.

My mom used to make fun of me that I run around Atlanta with a car full of clothes, (because I was doing on location photoshoots around the city, and I would have everything with me) she didn’t believe at blogging as a real job at that time.

From this I’ve learned that I was too hard on myself, and I had to slow down in order to produce a better content. Also, I’ve started partnering with nationwide brands, so I had to produce more exclusive content, and I had to do a little bit at a time.

Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our discussion. For the benefit of our readers, can you explain why you are an authority about Social Media Marketing?

Because I’ve been there done that! I’ve created a course on how to grow and monetize your Instagram, it’s coming out in June. When I was starting blogging and I was growing my Instagram account, there were hardly any courses on how to do it. I’ve had to learn through trial and error. So I’ve became an expert in this, and by now I can tell what really works and what doesn’t.

Which social media platform have you found to be most effective to use to increase business revenues? Can you share a story from your experience?

As of now, the most effective ones are TikTok, Instagram, Clubhouse, and of course Facebook. On TikTok you have to be consistent, but it could give so much exposure for your business. On Clubhouse you can connect with so many great people and promote your business through discussions, you can also join other rooms and get a chance to share everything about your business with a new or existing audience. Instagram is the oldest out of these, but with so many new updates, it’s profitable as well. You can set a shop with your products, and promote it, you can post reels, these can get a lot of exposure now, you can do paid story or post promotion, and it will push your products in front of a huge audience of your choice. With Facebook, you can set up your page, and push Facebook Ads, which can bring great return on investment. As for me, I use all of these, and I make sure I post my content especially on Instagram at a right time, when my followers are active the most.

Let’s talk about Instagram specifically, now. Can you share five ways to leverage Instagram to dramatically improve your business? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Posting Consistency

This tip is number one in most Instagram strategy guides, but it’s really really important. I used to post somewhat sporadically, and I can tell you that since I made the commitment to post everyday — and sometimes twice a day — my account has grown exponentially.

Here’s the thing: one of the reasons people get really nervous about posting daily, is they suddenly see a drop in followers. That automatically leads them to think, oh, people don’t like hearing from me this often, I should tone it down.

This isn’t true though. What’s happening is you’re losing the wrong followers, and ultimately the followers you don’t want.

These people probably followed you randomly and then forgot and haven’t seen your content in a while. When they’re exposed to more of it, they decide for whatever reason it’s not a fit and unfollow.

Let me repeat, THIS IS A GOOD THING. Those people who don’t like your content for whatever reason are never going to engage with it, and your goal should be collecting a following that likes your content, believes in what you have to say, and will comment, share and heart your posts with enthusiasm.

2. Create Instagram Captions Your Followers Want to Read

Captions are important, whether they’re 3,000 characters or 10. Depending on your aesthetic, vibe and your photo content, you can get ahead with either!

I’ve always made sure to spend some time on my captions, and make them interesting to read. When penning captions, always include the following:

Entertainment factor — whether you’re telling a joke, a pun or an amusing story that happened to you, your caption should get buy-in from your followers. Sad and truthful captions can be entertaining too — in the sense that you make your audience feel something and resonate with what you’re talking about.
Informational Factor — You don’t always have to add in a bunch of info and education to your caption, but if your post subject calls for it, you should definitely include context and the who, what, when, where and why.
Community Factor — In each caption, you should try to ask a question that everyone wants to answer. This creates an ongoing conversation under your post that’s great for engagement!

You can also continue the conversation by posting regularly on your Stories, talking directly to your audience on Stories and exploring Lives and weekly Q&As.

3. Post More Videos

This is a huge secret I’m about to tell you! With the new Instagram algorithm and changes to the platform, likes are hidden. No matter how hard you work to get an extra like, it won’t really count in the long run. Videos are a great way to get around this. Videos get more views and a higher engagement ratio than just a regular picture.

In fact, you can even turn regular pictures into videos with apps like Sparkle Cam, Pixaloop, Plotaverse and more! You can then save your still photo as a video and post it.

4. Hashtags

There is a whole strategy on hashtags, I have so many experts on my podcast, NotbasicBlonde Podcast, and they are going into details on how to use hashtags in the most beneficial way.

5. Build Relationships

Do not hesitate to reach out to your favorite blogger or someone who inspires you! Comment on their posts, share their content on your stories, get their attention, build relationships! Support other businesses or bloggers in your niche with comments and reactions on their stories, grow your community.

Because of the position that you are in, 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. 🙂

My movement would be about expressing your individuality.

Be Unique Not Basic! It’s OK To Be Different, It’s OK To Look Different! Show your talents, express yourself, be YOU, don’t let anyone to dull your sparkle. My Movement would be freeing and inspiring, especially for those who was bullied before.

Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment 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 if we tag them 🙂

Great question! I’ve met Adam Sandler before, at Whole Foods in Santa Monica, I even have taken a picture with him, but I admire him so much! He is so talented and successful at producing legendary movies, that I would definitely love to have a lunch with him:)

Thank you so much for these great insights. This was very enlightening!

Olyasha Novozhylova of Not Basic Blonde: Five Ways To Leverage Instagram To Dramatically Improve… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Emily Mackie of Inspired Luxury Homes On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up…

Female Disruptors: Emily Mackie of Inspired Luxury Homes On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

“Proximity is Power.” This is a Tony Robbins quote. Who you choose to put yourself next to on a daily basis influences who you are. I am always really cautious about who I spend time with because the older I get, the more I’ve realized that I don’t have time for people who are negative or stuck because I don’t want to be around that energy. When I find people who are going places and doing things, I will find the time to be around those people.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Mackie.

Emily Mackie is an award-winning designer, entrepreneur, and founder of Inspired Interiors, a renowned Chicago-based design/build/furnish firm, and Inspired Luxury Homes, a new business venture that offers an innovative way to design new construction homes and sell them virtually before any construction starts. Emily has a passion for creating spaces that transform the way people live, love, work, and function in their environments. As a mother and an entrepreneur of 18 years, Emily is motivated by fellow women-owned businesses and the power of giving back to her community.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

Growing up, my mother was a single mom who would flip old houses. She would put up flyers saying “do you want to sell your home” on old homes with elderly homeowners and basically invented the reverse mortgage. She would get the homeowner to sign a reverse mortgage and would flip their house and then find a buyer. After finding a buyer she would pay the original homeowner and sign the title of the house to the new owner. Mom was a badass!

My stepmother would shop Paris flea markets and antique shops in England. She scoured England and France and then would ship the contents back to her store in Dallas. While clients would walk through her store, they would hire her to do their entire home. So due to her high-quality antiques, it became “a business card” and sold people on hiring her to design their spaces.

I was able to see both sides of the process — the hands-on, construction, house-flipping side, and the high-end design side.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

For so long, building homes has been a male-dominated profession. With the launch of Inspired Luxury Homes, my all female-owned real estate development firm, we are out to shatter the glass ceiling in real estate development while completely improving the customer experience by making it easier and cheaper for a future homeowner to visualize their dream home before they even break ground.

Most new construction home buyers and remodelers do not know what they want and the process of figuring it out can cost many thousands of dollars in architecture and design time. Using state-of-the-art 3D virtual technology, a homeowner can make any changes they want and experience their dream home before a single shovel full of dirt has been removed.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Early in my career, I was working at Gensler architecture firm and I was preparing for this huge client meeting, a several million dollar contract for a big fancy law firm. While preparing, I pulled three or four all-nighters, leaving work at 3:00 am and coming back at 8:00 am the next day. Along with many late nights, I created presentation binders for each of the board members attending the meeting and even had samples of the various types of chairs and secretary stands delivered so they could be tested out in real-time. The day of the meeting comes and the presentation is going really well. Then we get to try out our chair options. The vice president, a heavier-set man, tries out one of the chairs and he gets stuck! And as he’s trying to get out, he shouts “Why would you pick a chair that not everyone can get their ass out of?!” This experience taught me that you never know what is coming at you and you can’t possibly prepare for everything.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

Many of my grandmothers were pillars in my life for a variety of reasons. My maternal grandmother was always in a good mood. Every day was a happy day for her and nothing ever took her down. In a similar vein, my step-grandmother was married five times and was the life of the party. She, too, was always a joy to be around and everyone admired her. Her light was always shining. Another step-grandmother came from the middle of Texas with nothing and throughout her life, she was able to successfully enter Dallas high society and would throw parties for charity groups. She felt comfortable doing it too. There was never any insecurity about not belonging in her new social group. They all taught me invaluable personal skills that I use every day in business.

My industry is male-dominated and the majority of my peers are very talented men who I often go to for advice, like Tony Robbins. I have also participated in Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, a group that offers network and education opportunities for small business owners. It is important for me as a woman to share the knowledge I have acquired from my peers and my grandmothers with other female designers.

Being a disruptor means you have the courage to believe that your idea is solving a void in the marketplace. A positive example of this is crowdfunding websites. Crowdfunding websites are phenomenal. Anyone can put their idea out there on the marketplace and find investors. Instead of a bank evaluating whether your idea is worth lending to, crowdfunding sites are totally disrupting the marketplace, so more investors have access to and can fund these ideas. A not so positive example is monopolies, like Amazon. Anything that monopolizes the marketplace doesn’t leave room for new ideas. I love and am addicted to Amazon because, with three kids and my business, I don’t have time or energy to get the things my household needs. But I do worry about all the little mom-and-pop shops that I’m not shopping at. If someone could combine the convenience of Amazon with support for small, local businesses, I’d happily jump on board.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

1) “Trust your gut.” I have wasted a lot of time second-guessing myself. The majority of the time your gut instinct is right. If I had all the time back that I’ve spent second-guessing myself, I’d be 25 years old again.

2) “Proximity is Power.” This is a Tony Robbins quote. Who you choose to put yourself next to on a daily basis influences who you are. I am always really cautious about who I spend time with because the older I get, the more I’ve realized that I don’t have time for people who are negative or stuck because I don’t want to be around that energy. When I find people who are going places and doing things, I will find the time to be around those people.

3) “I’ve got three sons and one daughter and the only one with a pair of balls is my daughter.” That was my Dad. You have to be fierce, channel your inner warrior, and find ways to support that every day. Exercise really helps me, specifically hot yoga and Peloton.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I’ve never been short of creative ideas, there are at least a dozen new ideas brewing at any one time. I have plans to branch out into rental communities, both long and short term. I want to create satellite Golden Girls communities where elderly people who do not want a traditional assisted living situation, but who also don’t want to live alone can rent out the rooms in a single-family home

I also always encourage all my children to explore their own ideas and create their own businesses. My daughter created a lip gloss business when she was 13 and my youngest son is currently exploring the Turo car rental system.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

Going back to having male business mentors — a lot of men have male friends or fathers and grandfathers that own businesses. Women don’t often have those generational ties to draw from or call to ask for advice. The fear sets in a lot faster, because you don’t have the support system around you. Also, lending is a huge hurdle for women entrepreneurs. Banks want people with assets and experience and a lot of women have really great ideas, but they don’t have the structure to get lending from banks in the traditional way. I recently watched Becoming Warren Buffet on Netflix and a quote of his really stuck out to me. “Imagine a world where 50% of the population [women] realizes their inner abilities and talents and puts them to proper use.” I thought that was really profound. It was a really good documentary, by the way.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

I love reading books about other entrepreneurs or creative types. I am obsessed with Richard Branson — he’s the perfect combination. I recently read Matthew McConaughey’s book Greenlights and I really enjoy his spirit. His whole book is about waking up to who you are and actualizing your dreams — when you see opportunities in front of you — green light, go for it.

For almost two years now I have been partnering with Hope of the Silent Voices, an orphanage in Cambodia that brings attention and resources to disadvantaged, abused, and “voiceless” children so they can be nurtured in childhood and be able to help their own society out in the future when they are adults. I’d love to be able to expand on the mission of Hope for the Silent Voices across more countries. We donated an iPad to this orphanage for Christmas last year and all the kids gather around this one iPad, which is a stark contrast to just my own house where the kids are on their individual iPads most of the day. These children don’t have access to very basic resources and COVID-19 has just exacerbated this.

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

I have quotes taped all over my house. Two of my favorites are “Lead, follow, or get the hell out of my way” and “where focus goes, energy flows”. I am happy to follow if someone else has a really great idea. I am happy to lead if no one else will, but don’t get in my way. The trajectory is always moving forward and if you’re a roadblock in my path, it’s not going to work out. The second quote is another Tony Robbins quote. As I mentioned previously, I find myself lacking mentors and am really drawn to people and programs like Tony Robbins that have democratized that kind of business mentorship for everyone.

How can our readers follow you online?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-mackie-8729939/

@inspired.interiors on Instagram

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

Female Disruptors: Emily Mackie of Inspired Luxury Homes On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.