Sugaberry Co-founders Tika Sumpter (left) and Thai Randolph (right).

In recent years content marketing has transitioned from a customization to personalization model. For example, Netflix's original programming strategy was to provide viewers with a plethora of content from which they could choose what they wanted to view. Today, Netflix is responding to the demands of consumers, producing content to match their lifestyles and need states. The former is led by the content creator, while the consumer drives the latter.

Included in Netflix's new strategy is the creation of multicultural content to match their consumer's needs. Nielsen reported in 2019 that 39% of Black adults watch Netflix, compared to 33% of the total population. Responding to the consumer demand, Netflix not only highlights Black movies, TV shows, and documentaries released on the platform each month, it also created social media accounts and campaigns to target Black consumers called Strong Black Lead.

Actress and producer Tika Sumpter and business executive Thai Randolph are looking to replicate the Netflix strategy and personalize content for Black mothers with their new venture. Sugaberry, a lifestyle brand created by and for modern moms of color, includes a curated mix editorial content, original audio, and video programming, interviews, newsletters, celebrity guest contributors, a live event series, and product recommendations. Sumpter and Randolph are also hosting a bi-weekly podcast under the Sugaberry umbrella in partnership with Stitcher called The Suga.

Sugaberry logo

Co-founders Sumpter and Randolph believe they are filling a proverbial "White space" in the market. "Black moms are among the most connected, culturally influential, and upwardly mobile audiences in today's digital media ecosystem yet, despite wielding considerable purchasing power, they remain largely underserved and underrepresented in the marketplace," Randolph states.

Sumpter adds, "when I was pregnant with my daughter, I found myself searching for a community that looked like me and was talking about all things motherhood and the indulgence of it. Black women don't usually get to delight in mommyhood, which is why I wanted to build a safe and sweet destination for modern moms of color, regardless of what stage they are in."

Sumpter said when she googled "Black motherhood," everything was dreary, depressing, death, doom, and destruction. Yet when she searched for mainstream motherhood topics, it was all White faces. "Moms were smiling and laughing. There were all kinds of baby bags, a million articles, and arrays of websites. It made me wonder, why is it such a vast difference? We are not a monolith and there are variations of us. I didn't see this reality represented, and I wanted to change the narrative."

At the helm of Sugaberry's content is Editor-in-chief Blaire Bercy, former digital media executive for companies such as Time Inc., Oxygen, and HelloGiggles. Bercy also plans to amplify the perspectives of new Black female content creators, podcasters, micro-influencers and writers who don't yet have an outlet to call home. "I like to think of it as similar to a Hello Giggles perspective where we just know there are going to be women and some men who contribute, but their voice is allowed in every area without being limited."

Similar to Essence Communications, Sugaberry is bringing together content, commerce, and community to create a destination for Black consumers. However, Bercy plans to double down on targeting the growing subsegment within Black consumers: the Black working mother.

Sugaberry aims to target Black consumers at the intersection of career, motherhood, and personal development. A strategic move, as the Black working mother, is also a subsegment within the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs and is thriving financially without a spouse. As mothers of color, their spending power is growing at a more accelerated rate than White spending power. As influential consumers, they control the lion's share of the total Black spending power, which will reach $1.5 trillion in 2023. These women not only influence what other Black generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X) and what Black men spend their money on, but as early adopters of trends, Black women also influence the general population.

Co-founders Sumpter and Randolph insist commerce is a core part of the Sugaberry brand, and plan to leverage its adoption by Black mom consumers to build relationships with other companies. Similar to the case study and learnings from Red Table Talk, the women want to show the ROI on integrating your product in a space for and by Black women.

Randolph adds a final thought on why Sugaberry adopted a personalization model to target the Black working mom consumer, a model that companies should leverage:

"These women and moms over-index in family categories such as personal care and baby products, yet not many companies, brands, and publications are investing back in them. Sugaberry is cross-platform and seamlessly integrated from an affiliate perspective. It's profitable for brands to reach and resonate with this hyper-connected, hyper-vocal, really savvy consumer moms."

Sugaberry launches March 23, 2020.

More:
Sugaberry: New Lifestyle Brand Created By And For Modern Moms Of Color Launches - Forbes

RE / MAX Turkey, announced measures to support individual that offered access to all online training for free.

Corona virus measures continue to be taken starting from China and spreading to 120 countries. While the activities of the areas where collective education is provided, such as schools and course buildings, are interrupted, the course processes are carried to digital environments in order to keep the trainings uninterrupted. The same measures are applied for sectoral trainings organized in the classroom. In this context, Acting real estate consulting firm RE / MAX Turkey announced until the real estate consultants and brokers for classroom training organized by postponing the date of April 1, 2020 will be free of all online education. With this practice, the company aims to contribute to the personal development of those who stay at home in order to prevent the Korona virus.

not only their compulsory education for individuals who continue their personal development, indicating that there is a need for RE / MAX Turkey Country Director Murat Goldtayn, coronavirus in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic, when viewed in Chinese society isolated from the Chinese, for their education, they continued the online system. In addition to the ongoing compulsory education as they applied to the online education to continue personal development of their home. RE / MAX thinking that Turkey, as all of us morale needed by our country may be useful this service is for people who will spend time at home 'RE / MAX Academy'm online education under the umbrella of everyone to a free way on 1 April' We have decided to open until. said.

Emphasizing that the online trainings offered through Remax Akademim are prepared for many areas other than the real estate sector, Murat Goldtayn said, Remax Akademim, which includes 75 macro and micro online trainings, has two different categories as both real estate trainings and personal development trainings. These trainings are free of charge on the portal menu, and the ones that can be benefited from during this period of time at home are leadership, coaching, mentoring, emotional intelligence micro training, smart goals micro training, time management program (TMP) / time management, working with generations and giving them It is possible to count as a focus training with leadership. We expect everyone to benefit from these trainings with a total value of more than 6 thousand lira until April 1st. used expressions.

More:
Trainings for real estate consultants and brokers will continue online and free - Crypto Dictation

He is clearly impressed with how each of his interactions with the University has worked to complement the others. Theyre all linked. The integration of the ERP system was accelerated through the EnginE involvement. That integration gave us the foundation which our Made Smarter Sprints are now building on. Our whole digital strategy has come from that platform.

The future for Forsberg looks bright. During 2019 they increased from 30 to 40 staff and in September moved to larger premises.

We have a very adoptive and innovative team and we all relish the opportunity to improve, Chris says. The programmes Ive been involved with have helped to build the culture and engagement in the business. Its all part of the same journey and it has all come about from talking to the University.

Chris himself has recently become one of LUMSs Entrepreneurs-inResidence. Now, having taken the lead on the EnginE project, Forsbergs operations manager Dr Raphael Treffny is beginning his own journey with the University on the Lancashire Forum.

Dr Raphael Treffny says: We were struggling to get the latest version of our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system off the ground and make it an integral part across all departments. We understood that we needed someone to bring new skills to the business, build the system and work with us to get it running.

Through the EnginE project our workforce challenges and skills gaps were reviewed, recommending a range of taster masterclasses to look at upskilling key staff, and providing us with a Skills Champion Internship as part of this.

Joe Dodd, our intern - a second year finance and economics student at Lancaster University - had prior experience with systems and operations processes. He certainly met our expectations and the outcome had a positive impact on our business. Even now that internship has finished, the ERP system he helped to set up is live and still growing. We were impressed with what was achieved in the 8 weeks, and weve used the experience to inform the creation of a new role in this area.

Joe says the respect and the impact was mutual. My presence provided an outside perspective, coming into the business with a lot of energy, with a different view on how things could work. I sparked some interesting conversations with staff, and within departments, and we got people coming together to create more efficient processes.

The internship changed my future career objectives. I realised that an incredibly positive and employee focused SME like Forsberg makes for a great company to be involved with. I hadnt previously considered this an important aspect of a job - working with passionate people and still feeling cared about by the business at an individual level.

Raphael concludes: As well as the Skills Champion Internships, EnginE provides access to a variety of high calibre funded taster masterclasses which get businesses thinking about upskilling opportunities. Our staff have attended sessions on subjects from leadership and process improvement to CAD modelling. Weve received support for workforce development planning, and around the funding of the internship. The process has been hugely beneficial.

See the article here:
Forsberg's growth journey with Lancaster University - Lancashire Business View

Player unions representing the country's biggest sports will hold emergency talks on Tuesdayto discuss the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on their members amid fears of a mental health crisis among sportsmen and women.

Representatives from the Rugby Players Association, Professional Cricketers Association, Professional Footballers Association and PFA Scotland are planning to meet via conference call with growing concerns over salary cuts, job losses and athlete wellbeing. Sports are expecting a spike in players seeking mental health support over the coming weeks and months, while the RPA is making arrangements for increased help in the area of financial advice after Premiership players discovered last week that they would be taking reductions in pay until the competition resumes.

It is absolutely vital sports work together, said the RPAs welfare director Richard Bryan. We have this conference call scheduled to discuss our collective responses to the situation. There will be an opportunity to share ideas and our responses to supporting our players at this unprecedented time. It is a really good opportunity.

As with everyone else across society, we have to pull together and work together as best we can. Tuesday's meeting will be held under the umbrella of the Professional Players Federation (PPF), which has numerous bodies as members including the League Managers Association, the Professional Golfers Association and the Professional Jockeys Association. Telegraph Sport understands that there will be regular, perhaps fortnightly, meetings organised by the PPF to include all the unions and associations over the coming weeks.

Next weeks meeting has been organised by PPF chief executive Simon Taylor, son of PFA chief executive Gordon. Mental health support will be one of the key priorities. It is something we are aware there is going to be quite a rise in the number of cases coming through and it is about dealing with that," said Bryan.

This increase will come as players struggle with not just the uncertainty of issues such as contracts but how their lifestyle has suddenly changed, going from having a highly structured work life with a lot of routine to becoming more isolated and having so much uncertainty, there is no date as to when they will play again.

The RPA currently offers a confidential counselling service, which is funded via their charitable arm Restart Rugby - and Bryan says this support is primed and ready.

However, he believes that there will be a need for the RPA to work with clubs in ensuring the correct support is available. If we need to work with the other stakeholders, we will do that because players can get support via different pathways, clubs, ourselves. We have to share that load as best we can.

Bryan believes the sports will "use each others resources and wealth of knowledge". One area where the unions are already geared up to help players is in the area of education. The PPF has collated a library of online courses players from across sports can take advantage of as they face career uncertainty.

Bryan believes that despite the challenges facing players, they should be using the break in play to work on their personal development for life after sport as well as ensuring regular contact with their colleagues.

We put out guidelines around mental wellbeing and resilience last week and tips around that. Part of that is to maintain a routine, then connecting with your team-mates, friends, families and ourselves, he said. We are telling players to use the opportunity to focus on their personal development in areas like education. Our development managers are going to be working tirelessly on that, it will be crucial.

Bryan has said that the RPAs members recognise the need for shared responsibility now, including taking pay cuts and social distancing from the team environment. However, he is keen to point out that those on lower wage packets, particularly academy players, be protected. It is understood academy players earn from 12-18,000 per year but with the majority on the lower end of that scale.

From a financial point of view, assisting academy players with the advice they need is really important. We are also aware of how clubs are looking to helps those academy players in the light of pay cuts, who are the most vulnerable and perhaps the lowest paid players, he said.

Some clubs are ensuring that academy players will not be touched by the pay cuts, which is a positive at a difficult time. We have to make sure our support is tailored to players at different stages of their careers like academy players. We know from research we have been involved with that academy players carry substantial psychological load already. They are at the top of our agenda in terms of support.

Original post:
Exclusive: Players' unions to hold emergency talks amid fears of a mental health crisis among athletes - Telegraph.co.uk

Leaders need to focus on the things that are within their control.

For many leaders, the times we are currently experiencing will be the most difficult they have ever known. The general climate is one of uncertainty, fear and panic. Most of us are confined to our homes as our shops and businesses close down around us.

We are having to manage and motivate remote teams of staff who feel just asanxious, distracted and stressedas we do. Many are having to juggle jobs withhome schoolingin conditions that are far from ideal. Not everyone has a dedicated office space to work in or a sunny garden to relax in at lunchtime.

Some people are living with people they would rather not be living with which can be bearable in normal conditions, but unbearable right now. Others are living alone and wondering how they are going to survive weeks of near solitude. Everyone is wondering whether they will fall sick and if they do, whether they will come out the other side.

So, in these difficult circumstances when we are being denied much of what we have long taken for granted how can leaders keep their sanity in check?

1.Dont try to control the uncontrollables

Accept it. You have no control over most of the things that are probably worrying you right now. Aside from self-isolating, theres nothing you can do to control the spread of coronavirus. You have no control over the economic damage the virus will inflict and you cant stop it from impacting the lives of your family members and friends. Depending on the sector you work in, and whether you are employed or self-employed, it is probably very unclear at this stage how the virus will affect your livelihood in the long run, even if it is causing a huge amount of short-term uncertainty.

So, what can you control? You can do your best to control your own physical and mental health by eating healthily, taking exercise, limiting your screen time and practising activities such as yoga and mindfulness. You can control how you are with the people you live with and also how you interact with remote members of your team. How you behave in this situation will inevitably impact on the moods and reactions of others. You can also take control of your personal finances as far as possible by making use of support options such asmortgage holidaysand reviewing unnecessary expenditure. You will almost certainly spend far less than you normally would over the coming weeks and months. So, if you can, put aside some saved money for a treat at a later date.

2.Dont read slavishly about coronavirus

You need to know whats going on, but that doesnt mean you should spend every minute of every day glued the news feed on your smartphone. Reading an overload of coronavirus-related stories is likely to be harmful to your mental health. Instead, use this period as an opportunity to read about other things in the media and to broaden your knowledge of the world more widely. For every coronavirus story that you read, challenge yourself to find two other stories that dont even mention the pandemic. That will help to remind you that there is a world out there beyond coronavirus a world that we will eventually return to.

3.Do something youve always wanted to do or plan for it

This period could be an opportunity for you to do something youve always wanted to do write a novel, for example. Or learn French, using distance learning. If what youve always wanted to do is to climb Mount Everest or cycle across Europe, now is clearly not the time to do that. Similarly, the current climate might not seem the ideal environment in which to start your own business. But that doesnt mean you cant plan for it. Times like this are a frightening reminder of our mortality which is why we need to use them as an opportunity to evaluate what we want from life and to visualize a different future.

4.Come up with your Plan B

If you werent doing the job that you are doing today, what would you be doing instead? The answer to that question is your Plan B. As the current crisis highlights, we all need to have a Plan B in life (and possibly a Plan C and a Plan D) as well. Unfortunately, too many of us tend to be wedded to our Plan As which is easily done during booming economic times. We are often so busy with our day jobs that we dont have the headspace to think about what else we could be doing. Now is the time for us all to come up with our Plan Bs that, if nothing else, is what will give us hope for the future.

5.Be thankful

Coaches and personal development experts repeatedly emphasize the value of thankfulness. Reminding yourself of two or three things every day that you are genuinely thankful for will help you to get through this challenging period which will, one day, end. Thankfully.

See the original post:
Five Simple Ways That Leaders Can Boost Their Mental Resilience During The Coronavirus Crisis - Forbes

The Customer Success Operations Analyst

DATA DRIVEN | COLLABORATIVE | INQUISITIVE

A Cloud Guru is seeking a Customer Success Operations Analyst to drive strategy, improve efficiency, and promote a data driven culture for our Customer Success Managers. You will work on everything from the highly strategic to the operational; such as implementing a customer health scoring framework, building headcount modeling and capacity planning for the CSM team, forecasting churn and retention, implementing and refining CSM processes, refining the onboarding process, and analyzing CSM and overall business performance. You will be seen as the key business partner for the Customer Success team, and you will support the daily operations of the Customer Success team. You will partner closely with the Sales Enablement, Business Applications (SFDC), Analytics, and other roles to ensure the broader organization is communicating effectively and working collaboratively.

This role will be accountable for driving productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, scalability, and continual enhancements for customer-facing teams as we enable revenue growth. An ideal candidate will be highly analytical, self-driven, collaborative, and strategic.

Our friends call us ACG.

We're on a mission to teach the WORLD to cloud. A Cloud Guru is the largest online cloud school on the planet. Our training feels more like logging into Netflix or Spotify - it's entertaining and playful. The people are the #1 reason employees say they stay at ACG. Were a quirky, tight-knit crew that cares about our customers and each other. No egos here. Our leaders encourage thoughtfulness, compassion, being humble, and we have a bit of fun along the way.

Its an exciting time to join the team, because were in a really unique space. We have an amazing product that people want, and we're in an industry that's tripling in size overnight.

We focus on hiring values aligned people, because we believe the right person can learn all the things to be successful in their role. Self-confidence plays a big part in what you apply for. We encourage all job applicants to apply even if they are nervous to do so.College degrees aren't required for any roles, and career gaps or switches are totally welcome.

You need hunger and passion to succeed, but you also need humility. It's not about chest beating here. It's about collaboration. Travis, VP of Sales

Where you work isnt just a career decision -- its a life decision. We get it. Thats why we want all of our Gurus to feel a sense of belonging that comes from feeling supported in all areas of their lives. Everyone has family, friends and interests outside of their careers, so we offer perks and benefits to make work work better for you.

Applying for a job can feel intimidating and like a full-time job of its own. You shouldnt have to burn through a week of sick time or all your best out-of-office excuses just to put feelers out for a new career opportunity. We want to be as transparent about the process as possible to help ease your mind. Its our goal to provide you a fair, efficient interviewing experience that respects you and your time and to do it all with a sidecar of delight.

Once you submit an application, well review it.If youre a good fit, youll have an initial chat with a recruiter over the phone. A phone interview with a manager typically follows. Depending on your role, you might then be asked to do a little homework (but nothing too time consuming). Then well bring you onsite to talk face to face, answer any questions you have, and give you a feel for what its really like to work at ACG. If you're on the fence, just give it a try.

Keep being awesome, Cloud Gurus.

Originally posted here:
Customer Success Operations Analyst - A Cloud Guru - Built In Austin

Madison Kirkpatrick Campus Beat Reporter

Here at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), the Technology Management Program (TMP) is a widely popular certificate. Whether a student is interested in business or not, this certificate is something that anyone can benefit from. Professor John Greathouse is the professor for TMP 111, the introductory lecture series, as well as TMP 34, a lower division course about sales and persuasion. He is also a writer for Forbes and a former chief financial officer at several businesses. I spoke with professor Greathouse about his past as a businessman, his current work as a professor, and asked him if he had any advice for current and potential TMP students.

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

You have a lot of different life experience, including chief financial officer of several organizations, certified public accountant, and Forbes contributor. What position(s) do you feel has been most beneficial to you as a businessman and your personal development in general?

I worked in startups, but more of a CLO. I had the title of finance but did more marketing and selling. Raising money and being in sales is important because I can promote a business. This position taught me how to listen and speak well, and these are important skills. You need these in daily life in order to be more empathetic and supportive.

Why did you decide to become a professor?

There are lots of things we end up doing in life. When I went to Wharton, I was allowed to be a teaching assistant. I was good at it and I had a talent, it was something I liked a lot. When I was 40, I took a few years off and decided to come to UCSB; the timing was perfect. It was hard at first I was starting a business but I loved teaching and the rewards are great. I love seeing people succeed.

Do you feel like your positions, as well as teaching, are mutually exclusive?

1. Im an investor for small companies and Im on the board for a lot of these companies. 2. Ive written for Forbes and [The] Wall Street Journal.

I teach. Theres only so much to write about in business before you repeat yourself, but classes and investing allow me to keep my content relevant and timely. I learn from students and entrepreneurs and they can learn from me. They all compliment each other. Also, writing is a very important skill to have, but unfortunately, not a lot of kids have it.

You mentioned in your TMP class that the two most important things for students to have are a mentor and an internship. Focusing on the mentor part, why is this so important?

Students automatically assume this person can help me get a job! This may be true, but this person can help you look at yourself, self-reflect, and improve on things you need to. My advice is to go with someone who you want to be like in 5+ years. How do you want to get there? How are they walking down this path, and how can you get there? You may learn that you dont want to do this certain path, but if anything you get that experience. Its also a lot cheaper than getting an extra education. You can find these anywhere, but you dont want to push people. Just take advantage of your professors and go to office hours!

What would you suggest to students who want to be in the program but dont know where to start, or maybe their career goals dont align with technology?

There are misconceptions about the program, but I would recommend TMP 111 to get started. Its one unit and late in the day, and its also an introductory class. I also suggest my sales class. Its not for everyone, but theres no other way to figure this out than to sit in the class.

Original post:
Five Questions with Professor John Greathouse on Business and Personal Development - The Bottom Line

Recently I was asked how to read books by a friend who would love to read but could not stay committed to reading. She is comfortable reading small books with few leaflets and gets discouraged to read when a book has more pages.

After seeing the effects of reading; the change it brings to people and the value it adds to them, she was ready to read but didnt know how. Her story is common to many people- we know its good to read but we cannot get ourselves to read and those who buy books never read them.

Its surprising how Ive become an avid reader, I always dozed off when reading so I never liked reading, until one day a question from a friend got me looking for a book. I cant explain what happened but I found myself in a bookstore buying books.

Being an avid reader is not a gift, its a skill we can all develop if we discipline ourselves, and this was what I had to share with my friend when she asked how to develop the reading habit after having the passion for it.

1. Have a Reading Plan

Everything thats important to you have been planned and scheduled and you will make time and give them the needed attention to execute them, that is how you treat reading. It shouldnt be something you do when you are bored or do to while away time, have a book in mind at the start of your day, include it in your schedule, set timelines, if possible find a place for reading, invest in books- budget for books and buy them, and make time to read. Have a daily plan to read and make the needed sacrifices to make yourself available to read.

2. Set Reading Goals

Challenging yourself to read doesnt happen by accident, you have to set goals to achieve to help you measure your progress. For starters, you can set small achievable goals; how many pages/chapters do you want to read daily, what subject areas do you want to read within a period, how many books do you want to read etc. Developing the reading habit should be as important as every item on your priority list. Have reading goals and targets and commit to achieving them.

3. Be in a Company of Readers

It is said that you are the average of the 5 people you walk with, meaning you are easily influenced and become the dominant character of the company of people you move with. The same thing will happen when you are in the company of people who love to read- you will be influenced by their love for books, you will constantly hear about books when you are with them, find answers to your reading needs, and will be encouraged and motivated to read. I recommendTBH Book Club, areading clubthat helps people to grow their reading habits and personal development.

4. Have Accountability Partner

It is easy to go off track when you start developing the reading habit alone, that is why it is necessary to have an accountability partner. Find someone who you can account your progress to and put you back on track when you veer off your reading goals. Share your goals with them and be ready to listen and submit to their feedback.

5. Be disciplined and Consistent

Discipline is what will keep you on the journey to developing a reading habit. You will not always feel like reading but to grow the reading habit, you have to make time to read. When you choose reading over the feeling and excuse of not reading, you are being disciplined.

Consistency is when you practice the skill daily or continuously within a specified period. You keep reading till it becomes a habit. For a starter, be consistent and disciplined in the small and you will yearn for big.

6. Celebrate Progress

Acknowledge when you are making strides with your reading goals and reward yourself. It is a personal journey and others are not obliged to praise your progress so do it yourself. Celebrating our progress doesnt mean you relax on your reading efforts, it is an encouragement that you are making progress and can do more. Dont be too hard on yourself, give yourself a special treat when you achieve a milestone.

7. Share What You Read

When you begin to share lessons, reviews, and excerpts of the books you read, you build an audience who look forward to hearing from you and this keeps you reading because you have an obligation to your audience. This activity also makes your reading more productive- you learn more and appreciate what you are reading better.

8. Read on Subjects You Enjoy.

Some books are not boring, they are just not the genre you want and you might get discouraged when you start your development process with such books. People might recommend books to you based on their interest and in your bid to grow the reading habit, you start reading, lose interest, and it gives you a perception on reading entirely. When you get the enthusiasm to read, take time and explore your area of interest, dont give up on your first attempt, keep reading till you find your primary area of interest. For variety of books at affordable prices, I recommendThe Book Haven,contactthem for every book you need.

9. Be Curious, Ask Questions, and Learn.

Developing a habit is a continuous learning process and to become an avid reader, you have to stay curious to learn. Ask the right questions from relevant people, share your challenges in your development process and get answers, go for reading events where you can learn more and network and have fun while reading, add variety so it doesnt become monotonous and boring. Doing these stimulate the interest and enthusiasm to read.

10. Stay Focused

Theres the tendency of being distracted by other things when you start the reading journey. A subtle distraction can be comparing your progress to an avid readers. It is good to be motivated by others reading goals to help your progress but do not become a victim of comparison where someones progress makes you feel behind and incompetent, hence neglecting the progress you are already making. Keep your focus on your goals, discipline yourself, and take your reading journey one day at a time.

Reading is a life skill relevant in every area, it is not an option and you shouldnt make excuses for it. Not everyone loves to read but all can develop the reading habit and I hope my tips help.

Originally posted here:
HOW TO DEVELOP A READING HABIT - Thrive Global

Want to hold on to top talent? Check in before they check out.

March 13, 2020 5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Every organizations secret weapon is its employees. The 2019 Work Institutes Retention Report highlighted that more thanone in three workerswould voluntarily quit their jobs each year by 2023. That's why thestay interview, which seeksimprovements in the employer-employee relationshipthrough a kind of real-time fact-finding mission, is today'soptimal workforce-retention tool. Although withouta culture of trust that nurtures honest and transparent feedback, stay interviews won't be nearly as constructive.

Accenture managers, as one example,have been renowned for probing their staff'sprofessional goals and checking in with them about their quality of work-life balance. To make a powerful impact on retention rate, organizations must integratestay interviews alongside more traditional tools like surveys that measure engagement.

TakeWhirlpool Corporation, whichidentified that it waslosing talent at a faster rate than it was attracting new talent, anddeveloped a retention risk-assessment toolkit in response. Leadershipparticipated in stay interviewsand collaborated on solutions with supporting managers.The initial conversations were awkward for many managers and employees, but through building stronger relationships, employees eventually reported that communication improved and doors opened forprofessional learning and growth.

Related: Forget Exit Interviews; Here's Why You Should Conduct a Stay Interview Instead

When organizations are committed to understanding what matters most to their team, they can gain clarity on how to spend time, energy and money on mprovements. So with that in mind, here are seven of the most valuable questions leaders can ask of their employees during stay interviews.

Revealing what inspires an employee about their role provides valuable insight into their intrinsic motivators, their position within the officeand how they contribute to workplace culture. By bringing peoples motivation to the forefront of the conversation, organizations uncover employees'sinterests, their proudest achievementsand how their passions can paint a picture for future opportunities.

It is isnt rocket science; organizations that invest in employee recognition have31 percent lower turnover rates.People want to be respected and feel valued by others for their contributions. Ask your employeehow they like to be acknowledged for their efforts. Recognizing workersfor their outstanding efforts sends a powerful message to the recipient, their peers and other employees throughout the organization.

Work-life balance is a huge retention factor. FlexJobs 2019 study reported that16 percent of workerscurrently looking for a new job experienced lack of flexibility in their current role, and73 percent identifiedwork-life balanceas one of the most critical factors they consider when evaluating a job. By asking about their employees's balance, organizations explore more family friendly policies such as remote work or sabbaticals. At the same time, organizations must be transparent in what they can offer so as not to over-promise and under-deliver.

The 2018 LinkedIn Learning Report highlighted that94 percent of employeeswould remain in their current role longer if the organization had invested in their professional development. Lifelong learning provides a flexible and easy way for upskilling, encourages collaboration and brings awareness to the latest trends and developments in the marketplace.

There are amplecost-effective developmentopportunities to support a teams continuing education.Udemyhosts thousands of online courses onleadership, IT and software to personal development, whileLinkedIn Learningdelivers growth opportunities ranging from effective planning and building presentations to career-management courses.

This is apowerful question that encourages employees to share what they enjoy and how they can make a difference, and it opens the door for feedback on managementstyle. Some leadersmay feel as if they need to lock themselvesin for a bumpy ride, but it can also provide welcome opportunties for learning how to adapt and evolve.

Related: Knowing When to Leave a Job or Stay

The purpose of this question is to gain insight into what holdsemployees back, unlocking any complaints, concerns or injustices they have about their role, workplace or culture that compels them to look for alternate employment. Also, the question identifies standout or critical challenges for yourbusiness. And these additional, related inquiries can allow you to delve even deeper:

Sometimes organizations fail totap into the full potential of their people. As the employee journey evolves, exploring their passion invites additional opportunities in which employees can assist their colleagues or close gaps within the business. This information is invaluable when matching future projects with the best employee, and underscores how important it is to check in with your team before they check out.

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How Stay Interviews Became the Hottest Workforce-Retention Tool - Entrepreneur

Cannabis is an industry and the boom in jobs has been huge. Even with some layoffs and business closures, cannabis is beating the manufacturing industry in job creation. The Motley Fool states that the North American cannabis market is expected to grow by 28% through 2021. All this growth means that jobs in cannabis are going to be created for years to come.

We have already seen a boost in jobs:

There are many out there looking to make the career transition into the cannabis industry and may be wondering if a job in cannabis will still allow the payment of bills and care for family. CNBC reports that cannabis jobs pay 11% more than the average salary in the United States. Cannabis is hot and the range of cannabis jobs is even hotter.

RELATED: Despite Layoffs, Cannabis Industry Job Growth Continues To Boom

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According to Indeed:

Salaries vary by company, location, and recreational vs. medicinal legality. Because cannabis is a newer industry with many people wanting to make a transition, a lot of newcomers are in competition for getting hired.

RELATED: How To Succeed At Marijuana Job Fairs

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Preparing for the transition of a new job in cannabis means self-mastery/self-motivation. Cannabis is a new industry and something that employers like to see: prospective employees that take ownership of their career development. Though job training is almost always offered, it is always a plus when employers see that candidates have already started the process on their own. It shows leadership that the candidate took their personal development seriously for a transition into a new industry.

Interested in landing a job in the booming cannabis industry? Here are some online training institutions that can help get you started: Cannabis Training University, THC University, Cannabis Training Institute, Clover Leaf University, The Trichome Institute.

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5 Of The Hottest Jobs In Cannabis Right Now - The Fresh Toast