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In today’s digital age, the realm of sports betting and online gambling has undergone a remarkable transformation. With a plethora of betting platforms available at your fingertips, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a seasoned bettor or a newbie looking to dip your toes into the exciting world of sports betting, leveraging the betwinner deposit can be instrumental in selecting the best betting platform for your needs, ensuring a satisfying and potentially profitable experience. In this article, we’ll explore some essential tips to help you make an informed decision and maximize your chances of winning.

Before you place your bets, it’s vital to ensure that the betting platform you choose operates legally and is regulated by a reputable authority. Licensing and regulation vary by country and jurisdiction, so make sure the platform you select complies with the laws in your region. A licensed platform provides a level of security and transparency that unregulated ones cannot guarantee.

The best betting platforms offer a wide range of sports and events to bet on. Whether you’re into football, basketball, tennis, or niche sports like darts and esports, a diverse selection allows you to explore different betting options and strategies. Look for a platform that covers your favorite sports and offers a variety of betting markets within each sport.

Odds are the foundation of sports betting, as they determine the potential payouts for your bets. Different platforms may offer slightly different odds for the same event, so it’s essential to compare odds across various betting sites. Choose a platform that consistently provides competitive odds to maximize your potential winnings over time.

A user-friendly and intuitive interface can significantly enhance your betting experience. Look for a platform that is easy to navigate, with clear menus and a straightforward betting slip. Mobile compatibility is also crucial for those who prefer to bet on the go.

Many betting platforms offer bonuses and promotions to attract new customers and retain existing ones. These can include welcome bonuses, free bets, cashback offers, and loyalty programs. While these promotions can provide added value, be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully, as they often come with wagering requirements and restrictions.

Consider the variety of payment options available on the betting platform. The best platforms offer a range of deposit and withdrawal methods, including credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and even cryptocurrencies. Additionally, check for any associated fees and processing times to ensure your preferred method suits your needs.

Good customer support is crucial in case you encounter any issues while betting. Look for a platform that offers multiple support channels, such as live chat, email, or phone support. Prompt and helpful customer service can make a significant difference in resolving any problems that may arise.

Your security and privacy should be a top priority when choosing a betting platform. Ensure that the platform employs state-of-the-art encryption technology to protect your personal and financial information. It’s also a good idea to read reviews and check for any history of security breaches.

Do your homework and research the reputation of the betting platform. Read user reviews and seek recommendations from experienced bettors. Platforms with a solid track record of fair play, timely payouts, and customer satisfaction are generally more trustworthy.

Lastly, consider whether the platform offers responsible gambling tools to help you stay in control of your betting activities. These tools may include self-exclusion options, deposit limits, and reality checks, which can help prevent problem gambling.

In conclusion, selecting the best betting platform for your needs is a critical decision that can greatly impact your betting experience and potential success. By considering factors such as licensing, sports variety, odds, user-friendliness, bonuses, and security, you can make an informed choice that aligns with your preferences and betting goals. Remember that responsible gambling should always be a priority, and it’s essential to bet within your means and for the enjoyment of the game. With the right platform and a thoughtful approach, you can play to win while having a safe and enjoyable betting experience.

The post Play to Win: Tips for Choosing the Best Betting Platform for Your Needs appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

In the vast landscape of online visibility, organic traffic stands as a beacon of credibility and genuine user interest. Witnessing a decline in organic traffic can be both alarming and perplexing. Drops in visitors can mean a potential loss in revenue, engagement, or brand visibility.

But why does this happen? And more importantly, how can it be addressed and reversed? In this article, we’ll delve deep into the myriad reasons behind dwindling Google traffic numbers and offer actionable strategies to reclaim your site’s position and vitality in search results.

The world of search engines, particularly Google, is dynamic. To ensure you’re on top of your game, it’s crucial to be aware of the various factors that could be behind the drop in your organic traffic. Let’s explore some of the common culprits.

Google is notorious for its frequent and sometimes mysterious algorithm updates. Just to give you a clue of how often the search engine updates its algorithm, here’s a breakdown of changes Google has implemented in the past decade: :

While these updates aim to improve the search experience for users, they can sometimes cause fluctuations in rankings for websites. Sites that once enjoyed top positions might find themselves lower in search results if they don’t align with the updated algorithm’s criteria.

Even minor technical glitches can significantly impact how Google views your site. Whether it’s server downtime, issues with robots.txt, or improper redirections, these can prevent Google from effectively crawling or indexing your content, leading to a drop in visibility.

Google started transitioning sites to mobile-first indexing based on the readiness of the sites back in 2018. By March 2021, Google announced that they’ve been using mobile-first indexing for over 99% of the web pages in their search results. A site that isn’t optimized for mobile can experience diminished rankings, especially in mobile search results.

Google maintains a set of Webmaster Guidelines to ensure a fair and useful search experience for users. If your site is deemed to be in violation of these guidelines, you might face manual penalties that can severely affect your organic traffic.

The digital world is expansive, and with more businesses and websites sprouting every day, the competitive landscape is ever-evolving. This heightened competition has several implications:

Maintaining a competitive edge in this dynamic environment requires vigilance, innovation, and adaptability.

The way people search and consume information is constantly evolving. A growing number of users might be shifting to voice search, using smart speakers, or even turning to vertical-specific search engines (like Pinterest for visuals or GitHub for code). This shift can mean that traditional search traffic could see declines as other platforms rise.

Google’s SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is not what it used to be. Featured snippets, “People also ask” boxes, video carousels, and direct answer modules can dominate the page. If your content isn’t in these boxes or positioned as a direct answer, users might get the information they need without ever clicking through to your site.

Changes in the local landscape, like a new competitor entering the scene or alterations in Google My Business listing criteria, can affect your local search visibility. Furthermore, fluctuations in reviews, both in quantity and quality, can impact rankings in local search results.

There’s been a growing trend of Google pushing organic results further down the page, with more emphasis on ads, Google My Business listings, and other Google-owned properties. This change can lead to reduced visibility for traditional organic listings.

Perhaps your SEO strategy isn’t aligned with current best practices, or it’s too focused on short-term gains without considering long-term stability. Regularly revisiting and tweaking your strategy based on performance data and industry shifts is essential.

Not all is lost when you see a dip in your organic traffic. The digital space offers numerous avenues to identify issues and rectify them. Here are actionable strategies to guide your way back to the top of search results.

Stay connected with prominent SEO news sources and forums. Understanding recent algorithm shifts and industry discussions can offer insights into what might be impacting your site and how to address it.

One of the most powerful tools at your disposal, Google Search Console can highlight potential penalties, indexing issues, or changes in user queries that lead to your site. Regularly monitor its reports to gain a pulse on your website’s health.

Site audits act as a periodic health assessment for your digital presence. Think of them as a routine medical check-up but for your website.

Much like a routine health check-up can detect issues before they become serious problems, regular site audits serve a similar purpose for your website. These audits give you a comprehensive snapshot of your site’s overall health, revealing both strengths and areas that need improvement.

Running a detailed audit usually requires specialized knowledge and experience. If you’re not well-versed in SEO, you might need to consider bringing in professionals. With their SEO audit service, an agency like SeoProfy can not only do a thorough and nuanced audit but also offer a fresh perspective, spotting issues or opportunities you may have overlooked.

Outdated content can lose relevance. Periodically review and update your content to reflect current trends, data, and user intent. This not only boosts your credibility but also signals to search engines that your content is fresh and relevant.

Engage in white-hat link-building strategies. Whether through guest posting, influencer outreach, or producing share-worthy content, backlinks continue to be a strong signal of your website’s authority.

The world of organic search is dynamic and multifaceted. From evolving algorithms to shifting user behaviors, from rising competition to technological advancements, many factors can impact your website’s visibility and traffic. While these challenges might seem daunting, understanding their nuances is half the battle.

Instead of viewing traffic declines as setbacks, consider them opportunities. Each dip in traffic is a chance to re-evaluate, learn, and grow. Start off with a full technical audit of a website.to navigate these challenges and ensure that your website remains a relevant, valuable destination in the vast digital landscape.

Remember, SEO isn’t just about algorithms and rankings. It’s about connecting with your audience, meeting their needs, and delivering value. Prioritize your users, stay updated with the industry’s pulse, and continuously adapt. In this ever-evolving game, resilience, adaptability, and a keen focus on quality are your keys to sustained success.

The post Why Is My Google Organic Traffic Dropping and How to Improve it? appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

The feeling of flaunting designer goods in public is truly unparalleled. But, spending thousands of dollars on a bag in this economy is but a pipe dream… Or so you would think.

If you realy want that perfume or bag but don’t have the budget for it, you have come to the right place. In this article, we have compiled a list of 15 replica websites which sell high-quality designer dupes at insane prices. Read on to find out more.

A replica is a duplicate (dupe) of a high-end designer product. A good replica product is almost identical to the original and is very similar in appearance and quality. To avoid legal issues by infringing on trademarks, sellers offer these dupes without the brand label.

Replica products are in high demand and new sellers keep popping up. However, only some online wholesalers have high-quality replicas at a low-price, so it is important to weed out the bad ones from the good in order to avoid getting scammed. To make your life easier, we have found the best fake designer websites.

However, for three of the websites listed at the end, we could not find adequate information, so do check social media platforms like Reddit for reviews if you plan to buy from them.

Aliexpress is one of the most popular online wholesale business which sell replicas. You have a good chance of finding knockoff products including electronics, mobile phones, and fashion accessories here in bulk.

Their prices are extremely affordable and they offer replica goods which are durable and value for money.

Replicaonline is one of the more commonly used Chinese replica websites as they have a great customer support system and ship worldwide. As their name suggests, they only focus on replicas, so they tend to produce more specific products.

DHgate is a wholesale and retail platform which does’t require their customers to place large orders. With over 40 million products, they offer a wide range of original and replica goods to choose from.

If you love keeping up with current trends in fashion, RepFashions is the one-stop shop for you. They sell amazing streetwear, fashion accessories and hype fashion replica products. They sell good quality UA sneakers, backpacks, hoodies, pullover jackets, and windbreakers that are 99% identical to the original products. Their best selection of knockoff designer brands includes Bearbrick, Gucci, Burberry, Balen, Off White, and Burberry.

Global Sources is trusted wholesale business which facilitates secure business-to-business transactions. It is a sizeable wholesale platform which boasts products from 94 of the top 100 trustworthy wholesale vendors worldwide. They are known for their trustworthy business proceedings and have a 1.5 million foreign customer base.

Launched in 2017, Hypeunique has been consistently offering high-quality accessories and streetwear at cheaper prices. While they have a retail option, you can also buy their products in bulk and white label them under your own brand name.

At Hypeunique, they sell replicas of products from high-end brands such as:

Within just 3 years of its founding, We Replica has become a favourite luxury-product supplier for customers worldwide. They also provide detailed review videos of their replica items and have a blog about how to source replica goods. You can join their Telegram group to get in touch with other buyers.

All kinds of luxury apparel and accessories from brands including:

Based in Los Angeles, California, Vanilla Monkey offers affordable wholesale replicas of high-end fashion items. Their high-end fashionable clothes can be trusted to be of good quality.

Founded by a group of close friends, Rosegal is an inclusive brand whose goal is to make fashion accessible to plus-sized women. They provide plus-size apparel for various events, including parties, swimming, and nighttime wear.

Rosegal provides fashionable plus-sized clothes for various occasions ranging from fancy dinner parties to Halloween.

Alibaba is one of the best places to go if you want good products at cheap prices. Most of their goods are genuine and they offer worldwide shipping. They also accept many different payment options including letters of credit, T/T, Western Union, electronic check payment, PayPal, and credit card.

eBay Inc. is a multinational American e-commerce enterprise headquartered in San Jose, California which enables both business-to-business and consumer-to-consumer purchases through its websites. You can find just abut anything here to buy or sell.

Since its founding in 2009, Rotita has gained a reputation for providing affordable fashion for women. They have a solid collection of a wide range of products and ship internationally.

As is with every market, the replica industry also has its share of scammers who pretend to be legitimate, take your order and stop responding after getting your money. There are also some who also send cheap quality products, so do your own research by looking up reviews on websites like Reddit and make informed decisions.

The post 12 Best Replica Websites To Buy Fake Stuff appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

The cannabis industry is still on a journey toward widespread acceptance and legalization. As more regions and countries embrace the use of cannabis, businesses in this sector are flourishing. However, with increasing competition, it becomes imperative to have a robust marketing strategy that will help efficiently reach your target audience.

Social media platforms have emerged as a potent tool for marketing cannabis products. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter offer a dynamic space to engage with your audience, share your brand story, and showcase your products creatively.

Content marketing is a versatile and enduring strategy for cannabis businesses. By providing valuable information and entertaining content, you can establish your brand as a trusted authority in the field. To achieve success, it is better to cooperate with an agency like MjSeo.Agency that knows how to attract organic traffic and provides exceptional SEO services.

Maintain an informative blog on your website that covers a wide range of topics related to cannabis. Write about the latest research, product reviews, industry insights, and the benefits of your products. Quality content can drive organic traffic to your website and establish your brand as a thought leader.

YouTube and other video-sharing platforms offer an opportunity to create engaging video content. You can produce educational videos, and product reviews, and even host live sessions to connect with your audience in real time.

Podcasts have gained immense popularity in recent years. Launching a podcast dedicated to cannabis-related topics can help you connect with a growing audience of podcast enthusiasts.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art of optimizing your website and content to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). A strong SEO strategy ensures that your website is visible to potential customers when they search for relevant keywords. It is best to address one of the best CBD SEO companies from the very beginning to get the best results.

If you want to conduct SEO by yourself, first, identify keywords related to your cannabis products and industry. Optimize your website content, including product descriptions and blog posts, for these keywords. Quality backlinks from reputable sources can also boost your website’s authority in the eyes of search engines.

Leveraging influencers can be a powerful strategy in the cannabis industry, as these individuals often have a dedicated following and are considered experts by their audience.

Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values and product offerings. They can create authentic content, review your products, and share their experiences, effectively reaching a wider audience while building trust through personal recommendations.

Here are a few examples of popular cannabis bloggers and influencers:

Instagram Follower Count: 27K+

Bio: Coral is known for her vibrant personality and in-depth cannabis reviews. She’s a passionate advocate for legalization and uses her platform to educate her followers on various strains, consumption methods, and the latest cannabis trends.

YouTube Subscriber Count: 192K+

Bio: The Cannabis Experts is a collaborative effort by multiple cannabis influencers who create informative and entertaining videos about cannabis culture, strain reviews, cooking with cannabis, and more. They offer a diverse range of content that appeals to a broad audience.

Twitter Follower Count: 40K+

Bio: Anjela, known as Koala Puffs, is a cannabis advocate who shares her personal journey using medical cannabis to manage anxiety. She provides valuable insights into the medical benefits of cannabis and its impact on daily life.

Blog Subscribers: 24K+

Bio: Travis Petersen is a cannabis culinary expert who runs a popular blog focused on cooking and baking with cannabis. His recipes and tutorials are highly sought after by both experienced cannabis users and newcomers looking to explore edibles.

Remember that when collaborating with influencers, it’s crucial to ensure that their content aligns with your brand’s values and goals. Building authentic partnerships with these cannabis influencers can help you reach a broader and more engaged audience in the cannabis industry.

Email marketing is an excellent way to maintain a personal connection with your customers and keep them informed about new products, promotions, and industry developments. Building a robust email list through your website and social media channels is essential.

Create engaging newsletters that provide value to your subscribers. Share educational content, exclusive offers, and updates about your business. Personalize your emails to make your audience feel valued and appreciated.

[1] 

Online directories and review sites specifically dedicated to cannabis can be goldmines for businesses looking to gain visibility. Websites like Weedmaps and Leafly are popular platforms where consumers search for dispensaries, brands, and product reviews.

Ensure your business is listed accurately on these directories, complete with up-to-date information, photos, and reviews. Positive reviews can significantly impact your reputation and attract new customers.

Participating in cannabis-related events, trade shows, and sponsorships can be a fantastic way to get your brand in front of a targeted audience. These events often attract industry professionals, enthusiasts, and potential customers.

Consider sponsoring or exhibiting at local or national cannabis events. Hosting your own events or workshops can also establish your brand as an industry leader and create opportunities for face-to-face interactions with your audience.

Effective public relations can help you shape public perception and build trust around your cannabis brand. Share your unique story, mission, and values with the public through press releases, media interviews, and other PR tactics.

Develop relationships with cannabis-friendly media outlets and journalists who can cover your business and its achievements. Positive media coverage can significantly boost your brand’s credibility.

SMS marketing is a direct and effective way to engage with your audience, especially if you have a loyalty program or want to share time-sensitive offers. Collect phone numbers from willing customers and use SMS to send personalized messages, exclusive promotions, and updates. Ensure that recipients can easily opt out if they choose to.

Networking remains an invaluable marketing channel for cannabis businesses. Attend industry events, join cannabis business associations, and connect with other professionals in the field. Building strong relationships with suppliers, distributors, and other players in the industry can open doors to collaborations, partnerships, and business opportunities you might not have considered otherwise.

A diversified approach is key. Each of the channels mentioned in this article has its unique strengths and can contribute to the growth and success of your cannabis business. Remember that while these channels can be powerful tools, compliance with local laws and regulations is essential. By crafting a thoughtful marketing strategy that combines these channels, you can navigate the green marketing landscape effectively and carve out a successful path for your cannabis venture.

The post The Best Marketing Channels to Promote Cannabis Business appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software licensing model, allowing access to software on a subscription basis.

This software is vital for many companies and can be found on external servers, which means there needs to be something in place to monitor and manage them.

This is where SaaS payment management software comes in, as it helps businesses easily manage subscriptions.

So, how can your business effectively manage subscriptions using this software?

A well-designed automation system for subscriptions can significantly help those upcoming month-end payments.

Manually creating invoices for all subscriptions can be time-consuming, but this can be solved by automatically sending out invoices with parameters you can set accordingly.

This management software can be used to identify which subscriptions are necessary for your business.

It’s important to either downgrade subscriptions or remove them altogether if they no longer serve a business use.

This will cut business costs, so you only opt for subscriptions that will benefit your company and employees to a high degree.

Refining the number of SaaS subscriptions owned, already reduces the amount that you have to keep up with.

However, it’s important to regularly track the subscriptions you have to ensure all payments are on track, which could be done using a shared company calendar.

There may be times when you forget, which could incur late or missed payments, but it is easier to avoid this by using SaaS spend management software.

Your subscriptions will be compiled into one dashboard, where you can find all subscription details, at once, in a centralized location.

Corporate cards are constantly evolving and now, more than ever, businesses are opting for virtual corporate cards.

They can be used to manage various business aspects, along with any subscriptions, making it easier to set up payments.

Managing subscriptions can be difficult, but it’s much simpler if you automate payments using these cards, so you don’t miss any upcoming deadlines.

To make managing subscriptions even easier, you can dedicate separate virtual cards to each of your subscriptions – automating them so your business can properly utilize resources and time efficiently.

Improve onboarding and offboarding practices

Onboarding and offboarding practices need proper implementation when new employees join a business and if employees leave a business.

This helps to create a steady workflow with as little disruption to how your company runs as a whole.

Automating these processes with thorough instructions can minimize errors that come from human error.

When employees leave, your company needs a full list of the subscriptions and services that specific worker has been using. Then, these subscriptions can be effectively removed to limit the extra expenses on any unnecessary services.

With many businesses having a large number of transactions that will be taking place for a variety of subscriptions, it’s important to ensure they all have high levels of security when it comes to their payments.

Utilizing business time and money to protect transactions by using SaaS management software, ensures maximum security and a much-reduced risk from scammers and hackers.

This will give your company peace of mind and ultimately help from wasting time battling fraudulent behavior.

Effectively managing SaaS subscriptions using SaaS payment management software, allows your business to clearly identify and manage the overall cost.

Instead, the most necessary subscriptions can be focused on, to benefit an individual’s learning process in the workplace, whilst properly utilizing company resources.

The post Effectively managing your SaaS subscriptions: The perks of automated software appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

CALEB AVERY

Founder & CEO of Tilled, a PayFac-as-a-Service platform that allows B2B ISVs to monetize payments that pass through their platforms.

Tilled empowers ISVs to monetize the payments flowing through their platforms with our PayFac-as-a-Service offering. Tilled was the first to offer PayFac-as-a-Service, turning what used to be a line-item cost into a revenue stream. With Tilled, software companies are no longer forced to rely on Stripe, Square, or Braintree for quick processing solutions, or spend the months of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars required by PayFac-in-a-Box providers. Through Modern APIs and SDKs, Tilled's turnkey system allows software companies to be set up and running in a matter of weeks, with no upfront costs or additional headcount required. A company with $100M in annual transaction volume can add $500K in net revenue to their business each year working with Tilled –– that’s what PayFac-as-a-Service is all about.

I first started working in the payments industry while I was in college, co-founding a credit card processing independent sales organization, or ISO, with a few of my friends. Beginning with very traditional credit card processing customers including restaurants, salons, liquor stores and other brick and mortar businesses, we expanded into processing services for e-commerce businesses and software companies, and now Merchant Services Done Right operates in 22+ states across the country.

Over the years, I also consulted for larger software companies processing anywhere from $100 million to over a billion in annual payments volume. These clients needed a payments expert to help them negotiate agreements, develop new pricing models, and maximize their revenue from credit card processing.

It was while working with these businesses that I had a realization: software companies wanting to optimize their integrated payment processing solution were really looking for two key things. One, an instant digital sign-up experience for their customers. And two, to maximize the revenue they could earn.

I wasn’t able to find a solution that didn’t require my clients to compromise on either technology, user experience, or economics, so I decided to build my own. That’s how I was led to create Tilled and PayFac-as-a-Service.

My favorite parts of my journey have been witnessing the incredible growth of Tilled, and watching the company go from three people all working in our respective basements to now over 50 employees around the country in just a few short years.

At the same time, that level of hyper growth and scale has created challenges that have been some of the less favorite parts of my journey. Every day I’ve strived to evolve and change to meet the needs of our organization, and it pushes me every day to be the best version of myself.

The most exciting moment — so far! — was the day we closed on our $2.15 million Seed round for Tilled. We closed in November of 2020, after a tough year for basically everything. Those were some of my most challenging moments – trying to fundraise during COVID, working from home with two young kids. It was something I hadn’t anticipated. At the time, we had a pitch deck for Tilled, but not much else. We didn’t have a product, or even a website. That round was really just investors betting on me and my vision, and their validation and willingness to come on board meant a lot. It showed they had faith not just in me, but in the vision for Tilled and PayFac-as-a-Service.

Our company is remote-first. We do have an office in Boulder, which is an exciting place to start a company. It’s an attractive place for employees to both live and visit. There are so many exciting startups here, and a great scene of local entrepreneurs that were helpful to me early on. But we have also worked hard to build our culture for a remote-first environment, and while that has created challenges, it’s also how we’ve built and scaled since day one. We’ve planned and optimized for it. Recently, we’ve also focused on doing more in-person traveling, getting the team together at different events and opportunities around the country.

When I founded Tilled in 2019, I fully expected to have to travel frequently to New York and Silicon Valley, meet investors in person, and hope the airfare was worth it. Instead, COVID hit, and I sat on Zoom in my basement all day. In many ways it was a good thing, because it allowed me to meet with investors I would have never had the opportunity to speak with otherwise, and I was able to do it much more efficiently. At the same time, there was a lot of hesitancy to invest in anything at the beginning. But, over the past two years, I’m proud we’ve raised $34 million in a variety of market environments, from investors I am happy to have as partners including Canvas Ventures, G Squared, Peterson Ventures, Abstract Ventures, UPC Capital Ventures and more.

Over the past year, Tilled has grown 30%+ month over month and signed over 80 software companies ranging from startups to publicly traded companies. This next year, we’re hoping to sign 100 more and continue our explosive growth.

While I don’t have a co-founder, I’m very proud of the leadership team we have at Tilled. All of their personalities are very different than mine, which I think is unusual for most founders. I took time to recognize what I’m good at and what I’m not, and then found people who could complement those weaknesses and fill in the gaps. It was a very intentional process all the way to find people who could truly help me scale the business, not just people I liked, which I think is a mistake a lot of founders make.

To be completely honest, it’s very difficult to find a decent URL in the payments space that’s available at a reasonable price. There are so many companies, and so many of them are named pay-something. Personally, I think most of the names are boring. I wanted something that didn’t have “pay” in it, and that had an available URL for a price a brand new startup could afford. I really liked the idea of a till, and was going through iterations of that when I found www.gettilled.com. I got really excited about that, it seemed playful and the price was right. So that was our original URL, and the inspiration behind our name. During COVID, a South Korean payments company that owned www.tilled.com gave up the domain, so we were able to secure that URL for a reasonable price as well.

With two young children, I’m not sure there’s any such thing as a typical schedule. Every day, I wake up somewhere between 4:30am and 7:00am, whenever the kids decide it’s morning time. I block off time each morning to take my kids to school, and then I’m back at my desk by 9 am and settling in for eight hours of Zoom meetings. When I do go through my inbox, it’s usually early in the morning or at night after the kids are asleep. I couldn’t do any of this without the help of my assistant, Stephanie. She’s my number one productivity tool – and the key to my sanity!

Three skills for entrepreneurs…. sales, sales, and sales? But seriously, sales are that important. I also think it’s important for entrepreneurs to know the importance of content generation and also how to fundraise.

As for advice, I often say the most valuable thing I did when starting Tilled was also simultaneously growing my own personal brand through LinkedIn. I was never a big social media guy, but during the pandemic I made an effort to build my presence on LinkedIn and connected with anyone and everyone I could in the payments industry. Eventually I moved from engaging and connecting with others to posting my own thoughts and ideas. Today it is still a big driver of leads into Tilled and accelerates our sales process. I can’t emphasize enough how important and worthwhile it has been.

I think one thing that has been surprising and certainly taught me the importance of building my own personal brand is when I get on the phone (or Zoom!) with customers, potential partners, investors, or anyone really and realize how much they already know about me from following me on LinkedIn. Right off the bat they’ll ask me detailed questions about my family or my life outside work, and it’s taught me the value of authenticity and how memorable it can be for people to get to know me beyond just being the CEO of Tilled. For anyone who hasn’t experienced that, it’s hard to quantify the impact. But it’s impossible to understate how valuable it’s been for me and for Tilled, and how it makes an impact every single day.

Even though I consider them direct competitors, and the meeting might come to an abrupt end when one or all of us walk out, I’d be very interested in a conversation with the Collision Brothers who founded Stripe. If we could get past our differences in opinion about how embedded payments should work, I think we could have a very interesting conversation about the future of payments and how our industry can have a positive impact moving forward.

To be honest, I don’t have a lot of it. But I do enjoy golfing and skiing when I can, and I recently bought a golf simulator for my garage. I also consider myself a bit of a pool shark, and have a pool table in my basement you can find me at every so often. I definitely aspire to do more, but with kids and a business it can be difficult. I really enjoy spending time with my kids, they are absolutely my priority.

I still have blocks on my calendar to go to the gym, see a chiropractor, and I also enjoy cryotherapy. I don’t have a ton of time, but I have built them into my daily routine. As far as eating healthy, I’ve found that Uber Eats delivery of healthy food is key. I also spend a lot of time with my kids, and they keep me active and outside chasing them around.

To me, success looks like revolutionizing the payments industry for the better. There are too many companies out there that operate in darkness and play games with their customers, and unfortunately they’ve gotten away with it for far too long. At Tilled, we not only have a revolutionary product with PayFac-as-a-Service, but we offer it in a revolutionary way – transparently, with honesty and integrity towards all of our stakeholders. In my opinion, we can’t have success in one area without the other.

Health & Fitness:

1. Pilates

2. Theragun

3. I won’t leave home for a trip without a foam roller!

Brands:

1. Lululemon

2. Mizzen & Main

3. Cotopaxi

Products:

1. Airpods - all day every day! I have multiple pairs (4 if anyone is counting)

2. I love the podcast studio we have at Tilled, our neon logo sign brings me joy

3. Frozen Wagu Beef from Snake River Farms

Upcoming Travel Spots:

1. Rome, Italy

2. Lech, Australia

3. Bali - I lived there for a year and would love to know how it’s changed!

ANURAG GUPTA

Co-Founder of Calyptia, a company that makes it easy for users to get the most value out of their observability and security data.

Calyptia is the company behind two open-source projects: FluentBit and Fluentd. These projects make it easy for users to get the most value out of their observability and security data. At the same time, they help users enrich, redact, reduce and process all of their data streams.

I have been in the engineering and observability space for the past 10 years. I started at Microsoft, where I gained exposure to open source and where I met my current business partner, Eduardo Silva. 

After spending some time at Microsoft, I moved to Treasure Data and helped lead the enterprise piece of their open-source projects in 2017. After about eight months with Treasure Data, I felt my career needed a shift. The company was at a fork in the road –– whether to pursue customer data platforms or open source. Treasure Data was acquired shortly after, and I left for Elastik to work in cloud services and product management for the following two and a half years.

I saw an opportunity with Treasure Data that was never fully realized because of where the company was at the time. Eduardo and I remained in contact all those years and decided we could jump on the opportunity we saw at Treasure Data. We chose to pursue our own business, which is now Calyptia.

I received two pieces of advice for naming a company: stay as close to the letter “A” as possible and if you can get a dotcom domain name, that’s a big bonus. Eduardo is from Chile and currently lives in Costa Rica. He has become fond of bird-related names, with a carrier pigeon logo for Fluentd and a hummingbird logo for Fluent Bit. The name Calyptia originated from the word calypte, which is the genus of the hummingbird. Calypte sounded like “Calyptia” when pronounced in Spanish, so the name stuck. 

We also had a Greek customer who pointed out that calypta or calypte means to assist or help in Greek. We like having that connotation associated with the name as well. 

My favorite part of my entrepreneurial journey is the amount of impact and the immediate results we see from performance. As an entrepreneur, there’s no team I have to report back to or person I have to go to asking for permission. I’m able to execute as I see fit and watch how decisions unfold.

That autonomy also leads to my least favorite part — there’s a lot to do. In building Calyptia, there is never just one item on my to-do list. There are hundreds of parts of a company, and it’s easy to get lost in the minutiae. 

That said, running a business is also a lot of fun. There’s a lot to learn, try out and figure out  with such a diverse set of problems.

My most challenging and exciting moments are in determining how to grow effectively. As part of that, I want to ensure that the culture we want to embody as a company continues to tread well and that we’re working together as a company vs. just a product team, with shared collective goals. These are challenges I welcome as a first-time founder and are much greater than just wanting to build a product. 

There are two parts of my job that excite me the most. First, I love seeing the joy from customers when we help to solve their problems and the positive comments we get on our product. It’s great to know that we’re doing something valuable and that people are excited. 

That translates well to the second part that excites me most about my job, which is the people side of the equation. We’ve been able to create something that never existed before and everyone,  from product development to marketing team members, can see how the work they do resonates with users and customers. 

We were lucky in the fundraising process. The time we began fundraising was in a founder- and funding-friendly time when folks were looking to invest in a seed round. When we brainstormed investors, we started by looking at trusted connections first and foremost.

We knew we already had a really large community of tens of thousands of users, and had almost already proven the efficacy of our business model from our previous work. There was an entire market being built around open source, so we took our one-year business plan and built it out for the next five to 10 years.

Eduardo is the other Co-Founder of Calyptia. He was responsible for creating FluentBit and is extremely technical in his abilities. I’m on the product management and sales side because I love interacting with people and making fast-moving decisions. Eduardo balances me out with his ability to focus on the long-term vision and technology aspect of the business. He is thoughtful about how to simultaneously take care of the product and segments of the business.

The biggest thing I learned about building a business is not to underestimate how much people matter. A business is not a product or a number of sales or revenue. It’s the people who make up that business. I’ve loved learning how to host employees and ensure they feel taken care of. I hadn’t had much experience in that capacity before. 

Growth at Calyptia has been great over the last year. We’re focused on open source and our commercial product, and we have seen both grow extraordinarily well. We’ve seen deployments grow from 1B to 3B on the open source side. With our product offering, we’ve been able to triple our revenue over the last year. We launched Calyptia Core earlier this year and are adding four to five new features a week. We welcome anyone interested in learning more to reach out to us.

My work day fluctuates throughout the week, but I like to keep my schedule open for new customers. At least 50% of my meetings for the week are with customers –– talking to them about use cases, selling to them and understanding their problems.

Another 25% of my time is spent with the team to ensure everyone is aligned with how we tackle our goals. The last 25% of my time is dedicated to thinking and can be as simple as going on a walk.

Tools-wise, I implement as many as I can into my daily routine. I’m a self-diagnosed tools addict. If I see something on Product Hunt that’s cool, I’ll check it out. And if it adds value, I try to add it to what I already use: some of which are Motion, Superhuman and Google Docs.

There’s a lot of gatekeeping in the entrepreneurial world, but prospective entrepreneurs just need to start. As long as someone starts and continues with the most basic skill –– even part-time –– over a long period of time, their chances of success increase. A person’s determination for entrepreneurial success can be different too. That success may be an additional $10 each month to supplement the occasional fast-food meal. But courage, persistence and the willingness to start are essential for entrepreneurs.

As mentioned, I’m a first-time founder, but I tried to start a company twice before Calyptia. The first time, I tried to start a project with a bunch of random folks. The team was really tenured and cohesive from past careers and we had a beta product out there, but when I started to get into fundraising, I realized I wasn’t fully into it.

After that experience, I decided to do a small project with a trusted ex-coworker who was also a really good friend. I worked on this education startup project for a few months. I ultimately left that startup though because I missed working in infrastructure. It’s okay if things don’t feel right and good to listen to that: sometimes your gut is really important.

Initially, I was an advisor to Calyptia in its early stages, before recognizing my passion for the project and deciding to join full-time. There are so many opportunities out there. Entrepreneurs should know that the journey may not start out perfectly and while that may be discouraging, it’s important to continue pushing forward.

I like to go to the gym a couple of times a week, where I do yoga or class-based fitness. It’s also important to me to monitor my health and take time off if not feeling 100%. I always encourage every employee to do the same.

I like to travel a lot if I can. I will go anywhere to hike or spend time seeing the sights. Otherwise, I’m always super-eager and happy to play video games, read books and spend time with family. Any free time, I’ll take it.

My favorite place I recently visited was Colombia. I also traveled to Cuba about five years ago and thought it was really cool to see Havana and the old cars.

My mom is my role model. She works really hard and has a great way of attacking problems.

I would have a one-hour meeting with Jamie Dimon, the CEO of Chase. He has a different way of thinking about the world that is so far removed from everyday thinking. I’d like to hear his perspective on life and business.

With the current state of the economy, the pandemic, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, it’s impactful to see how global the world has become. Things so far away can have such a global impact. Pricing, inflation and gas are all connected globally.

With software and open source, we find ourselves in a position where the global community is even closer. There were big fires in Greece a few years ago, and the open-source community connected with those impacted by the fire. Communities like these make connections much smaller and less far apart.

Calyptia’s goal is to create a global company with open source first. Wherever our customers are, we want to meet them and help them be the best they can be. That mindset has helped us scale, and we’ve seen success and more opportunities in a post-COVID, remote world. As we remain closer together, we soldier on.

To me, success is control over my own time — doing the things I love to do and meeting with the people I’d like to meet. Want to go on a trip? Let’s go! I like the ability to travel and experience new parts of life. Success is not anything too monetary to me.

Books:

1. Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism, by Olivia Fox Gabane

2. The Mom Test, by Rob Fitzpatrick

3. Atomic Habits, by James Clear

Health & Fitness:

1. Orangetheory Fitness

2. CorePower for yoga

3. Peloton in between classes

Brands:

1. Costco t-shirts (they’re the most comfortable)

2. Rhone for athletic gear

3. Allbirds for shoes

Products:

1. MacBook

2. iPhone (I’m too addicted)

3. Noise-canceling Sony headphones because I travel a decent amount

Newsletters & Podcasts:

1. How I Built This with Guy Raz

2. The Daily by NYT

3. Observability newsletter from Michael Hausenblas

Upcoming Travel Spots:

1. Rwanda

2. Sri Lanka, when it opens back up

3. Seychelles

CHRISTY FLETCHER

Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Authoritive, a company that builds customized learning experiences over messaging technology for experts and creators.

Authoritive is a technology platform that allows content creators, coaches and experts of all kinds to deliver paid programs via messaging (SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, MSTeams et al). Right now, we’re collaborating on the content development and building each program, and supporting the creators in marketing and sales, so we’re selective about who we’re working with, but by the end of this year we’ll have a self-service option that will allow anyone to create a program and sell it.

My background is in publishing. I have run a very successful literary management company where I collaborated with writers to help them develop ideas which turned into books and then supported them in the publishing of those books. Eventually I grew into helping them develop communities around their work and with strategies for how to grow their businesses to be self-sustaining. In doing this over and over, I realized how many people were overly dependent on social media platforms that both owned their audience and required enormous effort to maintain engagement, while only providing erratic monetization at best.

There were also people who wrote books and made a good living speaking or consulting but were limited by their available time and by not having a product outside of themselves or a book. I concluded that there had to be a technology solution that would fill this product space, enabling them to deliver an experience of value to their audience, keeping that connection strong, while providing recurring revenue. Messaging does all of that and we’ve built a system that provides a very rich experience that feels personalized, like it’s one to one.

We ran on revenues for a few years before raising money so we were in a relatively good spot to approach the process. We were able to secure a significant (for us) seed round and found a lot of support in the EdTech space. Owl Ventures led the round and GMG Ventures became a major investor along with a small number of strategic angel investors. The funds were invested in two ways- expanding our team and developing the foundation of what will be a self-service platform launching later this year, in addition to add some important product features that make for a richer user experience.

My two co-founders are Jacob Lewis and Gene Cohen. Gene is our CTO whose background is in building and managing messaging systems. Jacob is my co-CEO who was an executive at Conde Nast, before starting his own content startup (which he later sold). They both have worked in venture-backed companies before (and together) and have a deep understanding of managing technology (and tech teams). It complements my background working with creative people which brings more of a brand, editorial and design sensibility. They happen to be very funny people which has kept us moving together through all of the ups and downs of startup life.

The collaboration with creative people who are passionate about their work and supporting their audiences is always energizing for me. After years of being a solopreneur, working with my two co-founders and building a team together has been rewarding in all kinds of ways. The hardest parts are navigating all of the unknowns and always trying to see around corners, but that’s just part of trying to learn how to build something that didn’t exist before. Every new program launch is a thrill and seeing how audiences respond to the experience; closing our seed round was also thrilling.

Of course. We collaborated with food entrepreneur and award-winning writer Mark Bittman on a program to help people eat less meat. It’s an instructional program that delivers cooking tips and recipes with step by step instructions pushed on demand over sms. Another example is Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas who co-teach a course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business called Humor Serious Business. We developed a curriculum that helps people use levity as a super power at work that can be delivered over sms but can also be delivered via MS Teams or Slack so companies can make it available to their employees directly where they are already working.

We started out working with authors primarily and people who have a lot of authority in their fields. So Authoritive was a combination of author and authoritative.

I’m an early riser. So I get up around 5:30, make coffee and take my dog for a walk before getting kids out the door. I’m at my desk by 8 and each day is a new set of meetings, zoom, writing or other deep work before cutting out around 6:30. I blocked off an hour each day for “lunch” which gives me a space in my day to breathe, take a walk, actually eat. That let’s me re-energize for the second part of the day. I am working on trying to get to bed earlier but am notorious in my family for falling asleep on the couch. No one wants to watch a show with me at this point!

The top three qualities that I think helps entrepreneurs succeed are curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking.

The ability to step back and assess situations or problems critically, with curiosity and empathy for the different perspectives present, helps you gather important information in order to make good decisions. It also helps you recover from decisions that didn’t turn out well.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that everything takes longer than you expect it to so it’s best to just accept that and build it into your models.

When I was starting out, working in publishing, an editor I really looked up to was working with a brilliant but unconventional writer. I asked how he navigated editing such a complicated text. He told a story about the editing that really stuck with me- there was a list of names in the book that he felt was too long for the reader to recall, so he suggested cutting it down to only a few so it would be easier to absorb. When the book was redelivered the list was three times as long. The point wasn’t to recall the names. His job as the editor was to ask the questions, not to solve the problem, so the writer can craft solutions that reflect their intention. I’ve thought about that in mentoring people or managing processes, that my role is not to find the solution to every problem. It’s to ask the right questions.

I read a ton- books, articles, newsletters. I listen to podcasts. I spend time with my kids and husband. I love seeing movies but I’m out of the habit now because of COVID.

My current role model is Alexander Vindman. He lives a life that is principled and loving, courageous and hardworking. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know him and my admiration is even deeper.

“The days are long but the years are short.”

It’s from my friend and longtime collaborator Gretchen Rubin. It is a perfect reminder of the duality of life, both fast and slow, and how important it is to be really present.

My kids are both studying US history- high school and middle school level- and it is shocking to see how many issues in the late 1800s are still pervasive issues today. We’re living through a particularly dangerous moment for the world, but we’ve been in dangerous times before and wiser people have prevailed. I’m holding on to my optimism, while working hard to see the world as it is, which is the only way to help make it better.

For me success is about having agency, the ability to choose how I spend my time and what I give my attention to and it means having the resources to support other people reach their potential. We’re not supposed to define success in financial terms, but I find that only people with a lot of money pretend that money doesn’t play a role in how they define success. For me, having started out without it, achieving financial stability was an important part of feeling successful.

Books:

1. Creativity Inc., by Ed Catmull

2. The Captain Class, by Sam Walker (by my husband, but objectively brilliant)

3. Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath

Health & Fitness:

1. Walking

2. LMNT

3. I have a new GoRuck sack I’m going to test out soon.

Brands:

1. Athleta has the best, softest yoga pants

2. Nili Lotan

3. Me + Em for summer clothes

Products:

1. Nespresso

2. Airpods

3. Altoids

Newsletters & Podcasts:

1. Smartless (podcast)

2. CreatorEconomy.so (Peter Yang’s substack)

3. Divinations (by Nathan Bashaw, founder of Every)

Upcoming Vacation Spots:

1. Bermuda

2. Copenhagen

3. Thailand

STEVEN ZHOU

Co-Founder & CEO of Moov, the fastest growing marketplace for used manufacturing equipment in the world.

At Moov, our goal is to accelerate global manufacturing, R&D, and technological progress by fundamentally improving the supply chain. We are improving the supply chain by making it possible to buy and sell pre-owned manufacturing equipment from any fabrication center in the world in a matter of moments, through our digital marketplace.

Our customers are primarily semiconductor manufacturers, and sometimes equipment refurbishers and brokers. Our customers look to Moov for a trustworthy, reliable, and transparent alternative to the 12-24 month wait times for buying new equipment. We are building a unified global secondary market for supply-chain critical equipment where none exists today – and the historical options for buying used equipment have been plagued with inefficiencies, bad actors, and inaccurate information. With Moov, chipmakers need only to search our global marketplace for the exact tools they need, choose from validated listings from pre-vetted suppliers, purchase their tool, and enjoy an ecosystem of aftermarket service providers to make every aspect of buying equipment - from financing through logistics - seamless.

I’m originally from Los Angeles, studied Economics at University of California, San Diego, and started my career working in M&A focusing on Industrials, Semiconductors, and Aerospace and Defense. I was attracted to the massive economy that underpins all of the technology we take for granted in our everyday lives and decided to focus on the semiconductor industry, specifically semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Prior to Moov, I spent over a decade in the semiconductor industry, holding senior management roles overseeing deal cycles at two asset trading firms. While working in the industry, my co-founder, Maxam Yeung, and I were struck by the antiquated processes used to buy and sell six-figure high tech manufacturing equipment, and the inefficiencies these processes created. In late 2017, we decided to start Moov to bring automation and digitization to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment supply chain.

The honest answer is that I had a vivid dream during the early days, and a cow came out and said “Moooov!” But when I woke up, my co-founder and I realized that “Moov” is also a play on “moving” equipment but also speaks to our culture of getting things done. We’re not just moving equipment – we are growing an entire secondary market, and in doing so, moving an entire industry toward a more sustainable supply chain.

The most challenging part of my entrepreneurial journey has been learning to say no. Whether it’s an oversubscribed round, a firehose of ideas for our product roadmap, or simply too many appointments on my calendar, I have learned that prioritization is the number one challenge I face as the CEO of a fast-growing company. I have also learned that prioritization is the most critical element to sustainable growth. On the flip side of this coin, hiring rockstars and watching them grow in their roles and help grow Moov in new ways has been one of my favorite parts of the entrepreneurial journey.

One challenging and exciting moment for Moov was relocating our headquarters from San Francisco to greater Phoenix, Arizona in 2020. At the time, we knew the future of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. was outside of Silicon Valley – in a network of up-and-coming tech hubs across the country. However, relocating is always challenging – we didn’t know what to expect when it came to hiring in the market, office space, the local technology community culture, etc. That said, I can honestly say that moving to Tempe, Arizona was one of the best moves we have made as a company. Not only are we at the center of a burgeoning semiconductor hub, but also I truly believe that the locations like greater Phoenix, and Austin, TX where we just opened an office this year, will continue to attract top-notch talent due to the better quality of life they offer.

In business, and fundraising, timing is critical. When my co-founder, Max, and I went to raise our seed round, we were ahead of the curve for our industry. Despite being the namesake of Silicon Valley, at the end of 2016 venture capital investment in the semiconductor industry was stagnant, hovering around $1.5bn since 2000 (Pitchbook). As of 2021 year end, that number jumped 400% to $7.8bn.

The primary challenge in raising seed funding was to convince investors of our vision to bring the same data and automation used to drive efficiency across other industries to the semiconductor capital equipment supply chain. We were successful in doing so, and actually ended up having to turn down investors in an oversubscribed round led by NFX with participation by Decent Capital, David Adelman’s Darco Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital, and several notable angel investors. We welcomed a few strategic investors for a bridge round in 2020 including Mark Cuban, and Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg, co-founders of Flatiron Health.

We used our initial funding to bring on great talent, build our platform, and grow our marketplace to over $1 billion in gross merchandise value of listings.

When we went to raise our series A in 2021, the world was in critical need of nimble solutions to combat supply chain disruptions and chip shortages. Although we received several Tier 1 term sheets, we ended up closing $41 million Series A funding led by Tiger Global. Other notable investors included public semiconductor investor Gavin Baker of Atreides Management, Valor Equity Partners, Avenir Growth Fund and existing investors. We used these funds to expand operations both in the US and globally, to further ensure semiconductor manufacturers have access to alternative supply sources for capital equipment.

Growth has been exponential over the last year. We recently announced an industry-changing buy-back guarantee policy to de-risk these 6-figure purchases. This is a game-changer for the industry, and the only such policy that exists when buying secondhand equipment. Risk and reliability is the number one barrier to growing the secondary market – with this announcement, Moov is removing that barrier.

When we started Moov in 2017, we knew the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain was broken, but we did not predict the global chip shortages that have plagued our industry for the past year and show no sign of abating. Supply chain issues due to COVID-19 and natural disasters coupled with a surge in end market demand has created a global chip shortage, the likes of which the world has never experienced. These events serve to underscore the dire need for more flexible sourcing options for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. We started Moov to add transparency, accountability, and reliability to the secondary market for manufacturing equipment, and in doing so, help ease barrier to entry for small to midsize manufacturers, allow manufacturers to more nimbly respond to global trends, and promote the recirculation of equipment to support environmentally sustainable manufacturing – these goals are even more relevant and critical today than they were 5 years ago.

Moov has hundreds of buyers and sellers, yet there are still roughly 10 million factories globally with unmet equipment needs and surplus equipment for sale. Recent supply chain disruptions and a global chip shortage have only served to accelerate our growth.

Lately, it is hard to think of my days as “typical” since I’ve been doing a lot of traveling between our booming headquarters in Phoenix, our brand new office in Austin, TX, and Northern and Southern California, the location of several industry partners, employees, and investors.

When I’m not catching a flight, my day usually begins with a double espresso shot and a morning workout. I’m a big believer in “healthy body, healthy mind”, so I try to make exercise a part of my daily routine no matter how busy I am. I tend to optimize my mornings toward execution-heavy tasks and deadlines, and tackle creative or strategic thinking in the afternoon.

The role of a CEO is really that of Chief Enabler. I spend a significant chunk of each day in listening mode, getting feedback from my talented colleagues across the company, and identifying ways I can remove roadblocks to their success.

Adaptability, Humility, and Drive.

Advice for entrepreneurs just starting out:

Think about value creation in every interaction you have. Whether you’re hiring employees, raising funds, securing customers or partners, you’ll never go wrong if you approach engagements from a mindset of creating mutual benefit.

Surround yourself with people you trust. Then trust them. As a founder, it’s both incredibly hard and incredibly important to take a step back. In the early days, you will wear every hat for your company. You will set the product roadmap, you will be the chief marketer, you’ll be at every sales meeting, be involved in every deal. You will be a graphic designer, an accountant, heck you’ll even be the office maintenance manager and sometimes IT consultant. Now repeat after me: this won’t scale. An important part of growth is bringing in new talent, new ideas, and trusting the people you hire can do the roles you hired them for better than you can.

Perfection is the enemy of progress. As an entrepreneur, it’s likely someone has already quoted Winston Churchill to you, but it’s time to listen. At Moov, we use the 80/20 rule as a general barometer for problem solving. Solve 80% of the problem now, and the rest will come with time and iteration. I can tell you first hand that if we had worried about perfection at Moov, we would not have grown from zero to a marketplace with over $1bn in GMV in under four years.

The impact of growing a secondary market for capital equipment cannot be understated – doing so will help solve global supply chain shortages, create jobs in manufacturing hubs across the U.S., and contribute to a more environmentally sustainable high tech manufacturing industry.

As a company, Moov contributes to a more environmentally sustainable manufacturing industry – saving ~1MM lbs of scrap from hitting landfills or sitting idle in warehouses every year. Recirculation of capital equipment is an achievable and important part of the circular economy.

Success, for me and for Moov, means creating something that the world truly needs. At Moov, we don’t use words like disruption because our intention is not to interrupt an industry, but instead to use our humble listening skills, our own experiences in the industry, and the technology we’ve built to create value for our partners and customers. Success, for us, means that every decision we make creates value for all parties involved.

“Changing the world” is an often satirized goal of Silicon Valley founders. But, at Moov, global impact has a very specific meaning. Our goal is to accelerate global manufacturing, R&D, and technological progress by fundamentally improving the supply chain. We are improving the supply chain by making it possible and easy to buy and sell pre-owned equipment from any fabrication center in the world in a matter of moments. When we succeed, our success won’t be localized to Silicon Valley, to the United States, to North America, but will truly drive forward global trade and innovation.

This, for me personally and for Moov as a company, is the meaning of success.

CASEY KLUGMAN

Founder of Les Monts, a new luxury handcrafted sunglasses company.

I’ve always had an affinity for handmade goods. To me, there’s warmth that emanates from handmade goods. They have subtle imperfections which make them unique – something you don’t necessarily get from mass-produced products. In light of this affinity, I wanted Les Monts to be a handmade, limited-edition collection. Utilizing an array of handpicked, highly considered materials, Les Monts frames are brought to life by the hands of experienced Italian craftsmen who take great pride in their work.

Les Monts is geared towards creative individuals – specifically those who push the creative boundaries in their respective fields. However, the brand recognizes any individual in pursuit of a lofty personal goal. In French, Les Monts means “the mountains”. As the brand’s namesake, mountains serve as a reminder that good things, like a journey towards a personal goal or the production of our handmade goods themselves, take time to develop. And, while the journey to reach that goal may prove fickle, there is often great value to be found at the finish line. Each of our limited-edition spectacles is a testament to those who have been fearless in their personal endeavors; and, to those who are at the beginning of their journey, a pair can ignite the courage to take that next step.

I think today more than ever, it’s important for a brand to have genuine purpose and good intentions. Throughout my life, there have been a number of important people who have at some point, in some capacity, struggled with their mental health. There are times when I haven’t been in the best headspace, too. So, my decision to partner with Mental Health America was one which came quite naturally. I wanted to honor anybody who has ever been affected by a mental health condition – directly or indirectly. This partnership is important to the brand as anything else. My hope is that Les Monts can transcend traditional brand ideologies, and become a beacon of optimism that inspires.

I was born in New Jersey in the early 90s. My late grandfather, who was a dentist and an amateur artist himself, got me involved in art at a very young age. From elementary school through high school, art was the one subject I really excelled in. At some point in junior high school, I developed an interest in fashion. It started with sneakers - I was collecting “Nike Dunks” at the time. Like eyewear, footwear can tell a story about the person wearing it - I still love that about footwear. As my affinity for sneaker culture grew, I began illustrating sneaker designs and concepts of my own. I had sketchbooks full of illustrations. But, before I left to study Art & Design at the University of Michigan, my father – who I am very close with – gifted me a pair of his vintage sunglasses. For me it was the ultimate heirloom. I cherished these sunglasses – I admired everything about them. From that day forward, I was no longer illustrating sneakers, I was illustrating eyewear. I graduated from University of Michigan – School of Art & Design in the spring of 2014. Shortly thereafter, I accepted a job to design eyewear for Ted Baker. It was an amazing opportunity, and the job I held for five years. But, in the back of my head, I knew my ultimate goal was to one day have my own collection. In October of 2020, I decided the time was “now” and resigned from my day-job. Since then, I’ve been working on bringing my own brand to market, and that vision recently became reality. My brand, Les Monts, went live on April 20th of this year.

One of the coolest parts about starting your own brand is you get to decide what story you want to tell through your products. If there’s a group of people you want to empower, or a cause you’d like to raise awareness for, all of those choices are yours. My late grandmother was born and raised in rural France. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was about 13 years old – long before she and I had the chance to connect on an adult level. There’s a lot happening in my life right now. I’ve just started a business, my girlfriend and I recently moved in together; there are so many conversations I wish I could have with her today. So, I decided to give my brand a French name, to pay homage to my late grandmother. As I mentioned earlier the mountains serve as a reminder that good things, like a journey towards a personal goal or the production of our wearables themselves, take time to develop. And, while the journey to reach that goal may prove fickle, there is often great value to be found at the finish line.

I think what I’ve enjoyed most about this journey is the creative freedom it’s afforded me. I was designing for another brand for 5 years. During that time, I didn’t have full creative freedom. I had to adhere to the vision of another brand. Having the creative freedom to execute my own design vision, and tell a story through my brand has been completely invigorating.

The most challenging part of the journey, and the component I struggled with most, occurred during the first few months on my own. At my former employer, I rarely had downtime in the office. There were many days I’d go into work, put my head down, and not lift it until 6:30pm. I kind of liked that - it always made the day go faster, plus I’d feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. My first few months of self-employment proved to be a major adjustment period. I had to accept to the fact that things were going to move a lot slower – at least initially. Naturally, a project like this takes time to develop. So, going from a very fast-paced environment, to the slow-burning, very early stages of a start-up, was a challenge for me.

The most exciting part of my work has always been receiving samples or the final product. I have a tremendous respect and appreciation for excellent craftsmanship. The craftsmen I work with in Italy are extraordinarily talented. Their handcrafted products are beautifully made. When I receive their products for the first time, there’s a moment of admiration – almost like seeing a piece of art. It’s a moment that never gets old.

I think there are two philosophies when it comes to designing and manufacturing. The first is probably the most common – especially in the realm of corporate fashion. This process consists of designing a product, and then modifying it to meet, or increase margin. The other philosophy is the approach I’ve taken with Les Monts. When I started out, I had a vision for what I wanted to produce. Based on my previous work experience, I knew the product I wanted to create would be expensive and require a great deal of expertise to produce. Rather than water down my vision, I said to the factory, “This is the product I want to make. These are the details; these are the materials I want to use. Please let me know how much it will cost to produce a pair, and I’ll figure out what I need to sell it for.” I think if you believe in your product, this is the approach that makes sense. At the end of the day, you want to bring your idea to life. You don’t want to bring 50% of an idea to life. Les Monts spectacles incorporate over 200 steps, and can take nearly a half year to produce. We only produce 100 pieces or less of a given style – which is an extremely limited amount. Many factories will not agree to produce quantities that small. Once a style is sold out, it is no longer produced. We place a very heavy emphasis on the handcrafted nature of our frames; it’s what makes our glasses a cut above the rest. However, the true beauty of a Les Monts frame comes from the fact that it is an imperfect object. When you produce things by hand, there are inherent differences from piece to piece. These differences or imperfections are virtually undetectable to the naked eye, but it’s part of what makes a Les Monts frame an object to be desired. Our frames are not mass-produced objects, cold off of an assembly line. They have a warmth and a story to tell.

For the moment, I am direct to consumer through www.lesmonts.com. However, I will be working hard on getting Les Monts into select stores in the coming months. I’ve designed for other brands in the past. In my honest opinion, Les Monts eyewear looks and feels distinctly different from other eyewear. Because of this, it’s very important that customers have the ability to pick up my products and experience them in person. There’s so much value in that experience. All of our frames are produced in very small quantities, so our eyewear will likely be placed in boutiques and maybe one select retailer. Stay tuned!

During the week I go to sleep late - around 12:30-1:00am. Because of that, I typically wake-up around 8:20am. I love sleeping in, but that’s about as late as I can sleep during the week. Because I’m communicating with my partners in Italy on a daily basis, and there’s a +6 hour time difference, I can’t afford to sleep past 8:30am. Once, I wake up – it’s an immediate cup of coffee. I then sit at my desk and take care of all urgent emails – prioritizing the emails that are affected by a time difference. Once urgencies are out of the way, I’ll make the bed, shower, and listen to sports talk radio, namely, The Dan Patrick Show. Then it’s back to work until around 12:45, at which point I take my dog for a walk. Then it’s back to work for the rest of the day. I like to get a Peloton session in at the end of the day to clear my head, though admittedly, I’ve been bad about it lately. I do find that it clears my head, even if I get on the bike for 15-20 minutes at the end of the day. For me, the best way I know to stay productive is by setting goals. I like to set goals by the day, week, and month. By constantly setting goals, and hopefully meeting those goals, I feel accomplished and hungry when I wake up each day.

Flexibility - Flexibility is key. Today, the world is changing more rapidly than ever before. As an entrepreneur, it’s never been more important to stay flexible and adaptive. For creative endeavors, the importance of flexibility cannot be underestimated. Rigidity can quickly kill a brand and a product. So, listen to feedback and don’t be afraid to pivot. Let your concepts evolve!

Decisiveness - More is lost by indecision than the wrong decision. When you’re starting out, you’re probably going to make the wrong decision more than once. That’s ok – especially if you’re able to learn from your mistakes. In my experience, indecision always has a more negative impact than a wrong decision. You can take time to make a big decision, but be mindful of how much time you have and then make your decision – don’t prolong it.

Patience - Good things take time to come to fruition. That’s a big part of the branding behind Les Monts. Building a business requires persistence, endurance and patience. It takes a lot of time and effort. So, it’s natural to want results right away – but that’s rarely the case. While you want to remain on top of things, being is key to keeping you emotionally grounded in your project.

There’s an important lesson I’ve learned, actually from loved ones who have passed away. The lesson teaches us that our time here is limited, so we need to spend it doing what we love. I’ll use my late grandmother for example, who, by the way, is part of the inspiration for the name Les Monts. My grandmother, Jo, absolutely adored her grandchildren. Nothing brought her more joy than spending time with us. Sadly, my grandmother fell ill, and passed away before she was able to see her grandchildren reach adulthood. Impermanence is a reminder our time is limited, and we never know when “our time” is going to come. When faced with one of life’s many difficult decisions, I like to think of Jo telling me to go for it. In my experience, knowing that my time is limited sometimes makes those difficult decisions a lot easier.

My top choice would have to be Sir Paul McCartney. I’ve always been inspired by his colorful personality and creative energy. Amazingly, I think Paul still fits the profile of my customer. He’s highly creative and he’s produced music capable of moving emotion. Great music is so powerful. Great music can inspire change, motivate you to start your own business, it can move you to tears and then build you back up. For as long as I can remember, the Beatles’ music has done for me. That’s what I want Les Monts to do for my customer. If my products become a wearable symbol of creativity, or if my brand makes people more comfortable discussing mental health conditions, it will mean that Les Monts has impacted people in an emotional context. That’s my ultimate goal. Since his music has positively and emotionally affected so many people for such an extended period of time, there’s nobody I’d rather meet with than Sir Paul.

I take a lot of inspiration from Philippe Petit, the man who walked a tightrope between the original World Trade towers. He was so focused on his craft and passionate about the process just as much about the outcome. He woke up everyday and ‘got on his wire’, whether it was 2 feet off the ground, or 2,000 feet off the ground. His attention to detail allowed him to perform an act for which the consequence of a single mistake was death. We very rarely engage in activities when a single mistake is certain death. If Philippe has made a misstep above the World Trade Towers, there’s no surviving that fall. While I don’t want to be punished with death for each mistake I make doing the thing I love, I find the clarity to be beautiful in my own relationship to my craft. I highly recommend Man on Wire, watched through the lens of a metaphor and as performance art. 

I’m an artist by trade, so in my free time I love to paint. Painting is a process that has always been extremely cathartic for me. There’s nothing better than putting on music and getting lost in my work for hours. Left to my own devices, I think I would paint straight through the night. For me, it’s the type of hobby I can’t put down after I start. My painting style is very graphic and rather unconventional. If you’re familiar with Banksy, that’s kind of what my paintings look like – though they’re hand-painted rather than spray painted.

The late Steve Jobs made an outstanding commencement speech at the University of Stanford in 2005. In his address to the graduating class, Jobs says:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road, will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path — and that will make all the difference”.

There is so much power in this quote, because it’s delivered by Jobs shortly after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Conscious of his mortality, Jobs’ words are a uniquely intimate retrospective. His quote suggests that it’s impossible to know whether a decision we make today will yield the results we want tomorrow. Therefore, the best way to persist in the face of doubt is by putting your trust in whatever you personally believe in. Doing so will give you confidence to follow your heart in difficult decisions, even when doubt or uncertainty are pulling you in the opposite direction.

Since starting this project, I’ve noticed a direct correlation between success and happiness. Though, the relationship I see is probably different from what most people would expect. There’s the obvious “Success = Financial Prosperity = Happiness”. I cannot confirm if that’s true. But, I have discovered a different dynamic between success and happiness, which is true for me. At this point in my life, I’m happier with my work than I’ve ever been before. I love what I’m doing – it brings me great joy. I’ve realized that in order for me to continue doing what I love, my business needs to be successful. While the meaning of success can change over time, right now, success to me means an opportunity to continue doing what I love.

Books:

1. Emotionally Durable Design, by Jonathan Chapman

2. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, by Phil Knight

3. Open: An Autobiography, by Andre Agassi

Health & Fitness:

1. Peloton

2. Pick-up football with friends

3. Pick-up basketball with friends

Brands:

1. Reiss

2. Theory

3. Nike

Products:

1. Nespresso

2. iMac

3. Dyson Air Purifier

Newsletters & Podcasts:

1. How I Built This with Guy Raz

2. The Herd with Colin Cowherd

3. The Dan Patrick Show

Upcoming Vacation Spots:

1. Southern Italy

2. Paris

3. Japan

ELLIOT CAO

Founder of Hast, a company that designs tools to help make cooking easier, more predictable, and more fun.

Hast is created to bring high-performance, design centric kitchen tools that energize and excites cooking. With forward-looking, functional, and intuitive design, Hast reduces the weight and seriousness of high-performance knives so that you can focus on the creative part of cooking.

We believe cooking is crucial to society, cultural and sustainability. There is an artist in everyone, and cooking is the artistry everyone can pursue and start whenever.

Our mission is to get more people to cook, cook more and have more fun cooking.

Before starting Hast, I have been creating brands, mostly for large corporations. I have been working in marketing and branding consultancy in firms and brands such as Weber Shandwick, Future Brand and Nivea.

My interest in material science led me to work with a startup pioneering in innovative alloy in cutlery which then got me into the world of knives and knife production. After seeing some many knives (designs), I still couldn’t find a knife I am proud to own, a knife of uncompromising performance, and good design with meaningful & essential details, and does not cost a fortune. Knives in the market are either traditional and serious, or aggressive in design (look) but not comfortable to use, or those flashy colorful cheap knives sets.

Like many makers and entrepreneurs, I was ignorant and brave enough to give the design a try which then led to the journey of exploring and testing dozens of steels, production and performance tests, and launching a crowdfunding campaign.

We want a registrable brand name that can reflect our design principle (simple, universal, timeless). The name Hast is from Swedish, meaning speedy/fast. It also means “have” in Old English. The name reflects our function-focused, minimalist design approach, and the chef’s mindset: focused, creative, and present.

I like make things that make positive impact, and I am quite proud that Hast knives have become the go-to knife of many home chefs who purchased many brands. Customer feedbacks like this get me excited:

“As a professional chef of 40yrs I can say last year I purchased 3 new chef knives. Misen, Hast and another high end I cannot remember. Point? I reach for Hast every time . It's lighter than the rest and now I'm noticing it stays the sharpest. I give it a surprising A+”-Jack Petronella

The least-liked part is that you have to deal with all the setbacks, challenges and stay positive. 

The most challenging moment is pushing for high-quality production when everything was delayed in 2020. We are few months behind our planed delivery schedule, and we couldn’t give accurate estimation of delivery. 

The most exciting moment is when we shipped the orders to our ealy backers. I am very grateful for the Kickstarter community for their support and trust, and I am very happy we can deliver knives they like. 

Making great knives are just like cooking great steak. Prime meat is essential, but just part of the success. The performance of kitchen knives is limited by the steel, the harder the steel, the sharper the knife can be, but at the same time, more difficult to produce. And the knife can be difficult and specific too, especially with ultra-hard high-carbon steels. The production process also affects the knives performance largely. The steel will determine the geometry limits of the knife, hence cutting performance, as well as the production process. The harder the steel is, the slower the process. Heat and cold treatment, and heat produced during the manufacturing process will also change the hardness and strength of the steel, and performance of the knife.

Our differentiation of design came from our function/experience-first design principle. We want to design a good knife, then an impressive design. Every detail of Hast knives is kept because it serves a better function or user interaction. It weights light your hand and feels light to your eyes and mind. It’s an easy and effortless tool.

It’s subtle but different with details you appreciate more after using it for a while. The design removes the feeling of a tool, let you feel just you cook and create.

Hast Edition series knives have achieved the highest sharpness and edge-retention (durability) standard, 116% above the highest industry standard (Catra Excellent standard)

Hast Edition series knives are made of patented Matrix powder steel, a steel with great balance of hardness, yield strength and corrosion resistance. (Typically for knives, harder steel means sharp but fragile and easy-rust knives.) The achieve optimal performance from the steel, we need to test optimize the production process. We did multiple test-production test even before we ran our Kickstarter campaign.

We are going to launch a new knife line featuring the same minimalistic design with premium Japanese high-carbon stainless steel from leading cutlery steel manufacturer JFE.

It will be the MacBook Air to our current Edition Powder steel line. We are currently testing the steel and adjusting the production processes for the best possible performance. We will also run lab test and kitchen-using test with chefs before we finalize the production standard.

It has dramatically affected our business, especially the manufacturing. We have to closely monitor and work with our manufacturing partner. The pandemic made it almost impossible at the beginning. It also makes it very difficult to have off-line meetings with clients, partners, and customers.

The supply chain issue made shipping more expensive, and unpredictable. One of our shippings had to wait in a port for more than a month before loading.

I think people are exposed more to cooking and their kitchen. When you get into cooking more, you will realize that good knives and other cooking tools are very important to cooking, just like instruments to artists.

I typically get up 8:30 and get to the office around 9am. I will have my first cup of coffee around 10. I have a light lunch (chocolate, nuts, or some simple protein).

I finish around 7pm and have a full meal for dinner. I will make some calls and working on emails after my dinner break.

I go to gym around 4 times a week. 2 days in the week and 2 in the weekend.

Gym/training is a great routine for me to keep my energy level and stay focus. It offers incremental progress that you are in total control. The sense of progress is critical to keep a positive mindset when work is challenging and unpredictable.

In-depth understanding of the product.

Engineering and design mindset.

Good communicator of product and vision of the company.

My advice is that you should only invest in ventures that you have a passion for.

I once treated myself from an allergy induced blackout on a train without medicine, by applying basic physics and biology. I used cold water (to drink and rinse) to cool my body and reduce my body’s allergic reaction.

I think the lesson is that you need stay calm to come up with the better solution possible and there always solutions to make the reality better.

I believe we are in an era of major transitioning: transitioning to sustainable energy, energy independence and abundance; Transitioning to Autonomous technology with AI, Robotics; transitioning to better living with genome sequencing & therapeutics. These transitioning will change human race fundamentally in the form of economy, politics, and culture.

In any form of transitioning, there will be mistakes, chaos, pain, and suffering, especially for those who are in disadvantage. I think self-care is utterly important. Cooking can play a much important role in self-care and taking care of those we love. Cooking will be a bigger part of our living and culture in the technology advanced, abundant era when everyone is an artist.

I think I’d like to hang out with Elon Musk. He is a true entrepreneur & engineer, a cool, kind and host person and he has been creating fundamental positive changes to humanity. And I am also a techno fan.

Elon Musk and Steve Jobs

I cook quite often. I try to cook recipes from different cultures. I experiment and try to understand the fundamentals of different cuisine. I bring my own interpretation to recipes and sometimes it works great.

I am into art, design, movie, and music. I watch movies of different language and cultures to have sense of perspective of living beyond my experiences.

I train regularly. I am also a certified Les Mills RPM (cycling) instructor.

“Physics is the law, everything else is a recommendation.”

It’s quite true. It helps to separate opinions from facts, and we should always question opinions.

Making the best of you and making positive impact to your family, community and wherever you can reach.

Books:

1. The Outlier

2. The Crowd

3. Steve Jobs

Health & Fitness:

1. Cross-training-weight & cardio

2. RPM (stationary cycling)

3. Pilates

Brands:

1. Uniqlo

2. Prada

3. Adidas

Products:

1. Hast Knives, I drink a glass of water with fine-sliced lemon and Himalaya salt every morning.

2. iPhone 13 Pro and MacBook Pro

3. Freitag backpack

Newsletters & Podcasts:

1. HubermanLab podcast (health, nutrition, longevity, science)

2. Breaking Points

3. Dave Lee Investing (good take on Tesla and other Tech companies)

Upcoming Vacation Spots:

1. Texas

2. Italy

3. Portugal

MICHAEL KOPKO

Co-Founder & CEO of Pearl Health, a company enabling primary care practices to thrive by compensating providers for improving their patients’ health.

Pearl Health is fixing healthcare by enabling primary care doctors to transform their work with value-based care, starting with Medicare’s Direct Contracting program. To do this, we’re building the most trusted platform for enabling primary care providers to bear and capture value from risk while delivering life-improving care to their patients. As a technology-first company, we offer a physician enablement platform, alongside our risk marketplace, that will help physicians manage patients’ total cost of care. 

We’re excited to release the first iteration of the Pearl Platform in the first quarter of 2022, aimed at enabling physicians to decide how to deliver better patient care at a lower cost — while capturing more value for themselves. This includes: 

Easy-to-understand financial reporting and payments management

Strategic visibility into patient panel health

Dedicated expert support to ensure success 

In contrast to the flurry of acquisitions of physician practices by health systems, PE groups, and other self-purported physician enablement companies, at Pearl Health, we aren’t seeking to have greater control over practices. We offer a clear alternative to those providers who wish to remain independent, instead giving them greater access to economics that are more in line with the value that they generate for the healthcare industry. We believe that primary care providers can best serve their patients when they’re allowed to remain independent. At Pearl Health, we aim to enable and empower them to take that opportunity — and to take a bet on themselves. 

I grew up in central Connecticut, and I was raised in an extremely entrepreneurial and hard-working family. I caught the entrepreneurial bug early, starting my first business in 3rd grade: selling magazines. It was fun to help my classmates — a fun-loving and rapidly expanding salesforce — generate more than their lunch money. This was a great experience that taught me how aligned incentives and teamwork are the lifeblood for a rapidly growing business. I worked hard with my Mom on weekends, spending hours building pricing catalogs and tools to help our salesforce grow. It’s probably fair to say that my Mom was my first co-founder.

As I got older, I was lucky to be the first member of my family to earn a spot in an Ivy League university, Harvard — a point of pride for my family. After Harvard, my luck continued, and I went straight to Columbia Business School after receiving the Feldberg Fellowship.

After business school, I had the opportunity to work at Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world, where I led a team of 60 hedge fund researchers and reported to Ray Dalio, its founder and co-Chief Investment Officer, and Greg Jensen, its CEO and co-CIO. My time at Bridgewater taught me how to tackle big problems with smart, committed people.

From Bridgewater, I joined Oscar Health with several other Bridgewater alums and Josh Kushner, a serial entrepreneur and now world-class investor whom I met at Harvard. When we first met, funnily enough, Josh offered to invest in a startup that I founded in college. This time around, we were intent on making the collaboration happen, and I’m grateful that we did.

Helping build Oscar from a team of 20 people to a publicly-traded company gave me the opportunity to have some of the coolest and most educational experiences of my career. It also gave me incredible insight into our healthcare system. My fantastic team and I were responsible for distributing Oscar’s health plans across the country, then building complete networks to serve them. After that, I managed the Oscar’s largest P&L — greater than $2.5bn — to help make Oscar more sustainable.

My time at Oscar reaffirmed the critical lesson that incentives matter — and, more specifically, that we had devalued our primary care layer in healthcare across the country. It was sad to see, but it hinted at a huge opportunity.

When I learned of Direct Contracting, a new and innovative model out of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation and I met with the team at AlleyCorp — including Kevin Ryan, Jeff De Flavio, and Ankit Patel — I felt that we were on the precipice of a huge idea that was going to make a national impact. Pearl was born shortly thereafter.

Pearl Health is a reference to the notion of “clinical pearls”, which are small bits of free-standing, clinically relevant information based on experience or observation. They’re part of the vast domain of experience-based medicine, and can be helpful in dealing with clinical problems for which controlled data do not exist.

We’re helping doctors focus on this irreplaceable impact that only they can provide, and we’re striving to free them from the burdens that currently overrun their lives.

I also love the idea of how a pearl forms in nature — the beautiful result of irritants around it. It’s a great metaphor for the contribution we’re trying to make in healthcare.

I deeply enjoy bringing people together to solve hard problems that make the world a better place.

At Pearl, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to do exactly that. We’re building a team of world-class talent, and we’re laser-focused on making healthcare more sustainable. Every member of the team shares a deep-seated passion for making an impact and building something great. I personally never feel like I’m working when building Pearl with our team. Instead it feels like we’re assembling a big orchestra that will produce beautiful, incredible things for the people around us. It’s been magical to watch it unfold.

Our best moments have been meeting with physician practices across the country and introducing them to the power of Pearl and the future of a value-oriented healthcare system. I love meeting our clients and building relationships with new ones. I think the best clients challenge us to improve and get better, which helps create a virtuous cycle. Needless to say, primary care doctors are remarkable people. They genuinely care about their patients, and they’re working hard to find new sources of value for their patients, their staff, and themselves.

I don’t have a least favorite part in entrepreneurship. I genuinely love solving problems at scale — and with the right team and resources. Being an entrepreneur somewhat guarantees that you won’t have all those preconditions, so it forces you to be creative and inventive with less. I think that push can generate creativity and innovation, which I love.

If anything, I empathize a lot with the obstacles that our clients face. So much about our current system gets in the way of what they want to be doing most: caring for their patients. The flipside of that is the incredible opportunity that we have to help doctors — real-life unsung heroes – deliver better healthcare at a lower cost, making both them and their patients happier and better off.

Jeff De Flavio brings a ton of clinical experience, having launched other companies in the healthcare space focused on making peoples’ lives better. He’s founder of Groups: Recover Together, the national leader in value-based care for treatment of opiate addiction. Jeff earned his MD from Dartmouth College of Medicine, along with his MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Most importantly, Jeff is a relentless optimist, and sees every stumble in the road as an opportunity for a new path.

Ankit Patel brings lots of healthcare policy experience, previously as a Senior Advisor at CMS Innovation Center, where he worked on different value-based payment models, including the Pioneer ACO program and Maryland All-Payer Waiver. Most recently, Ankit led Provider Alignment at Clover Health, building programs and software to engage providers to achieve better health outcomes at lower costs. He started his career as a healthcare attorney for an academic medical center, after earning his BA in International Studies at University of South Carolina - Columbia and his JD from UNC at Chapel Hill. Ankit is a hustler at heart, who tries to see opportunity in challenge and won’t be fooled by healthcare nonsense. He also likes to give hot takes, which the team finds refreshing and engaging.

Kevin Ryan is one of the great entrepreneurs of our time, having built game-changing businesses across a breathtaking variety of industries. At Pearl, we feel lucky to find ourselves alongside the likes of MongoDB, Gilt Group, Zola, Nomad Health — all of which benefited from Kevin’s energy and intensity, which I absolutely love. I deeply value that Kevin has been both an operator and an executive, and I admire his incredible focus, drive, and desire to live life to the fullest. I enjoy spending time with Kevin, and always find myself incredibly impressed by his vision.

The fundraising process for Pearl was extremely exciting and stimulating. It came with highs and lows, but ultimately resulted in a wonderful set of partners to join us on our journey — and enabled our team with the resources to accelerate and propel our vision and the future of value-based care forward.

We started by doing pitches to prospective investors. We were also having our first team retreat at this point, so the whole company had the chance to listen to the pitch, which seemed like a special experience to share with our early crew. I had been at Oscar for a very long time, but I had never had the chance to see a fundraising pitch. Sharing that with our first ten team members seemed like a fun, remarkable start in our commitment to transparency and inclusion.

We ultimately decided to move forward with Andreessen Horowitz and Vineeta Agarwala, MD. That process was incredibly special, as we had many great firms who wanted to support us. After meeting with Vineeta, her team, and Marc Andreessen — and, really, the entire a16z healthcare team and many of their partners — we were convinced that we had a very special community and platform to build Pearl within. The a16z team have been exceptional partners, every step of the way.

We were also extremely fortunate to have Kevin Ryan and AlleyCorp participate in our Series A fundraise. The AlleyCorp team is incredibly supportive and dedicated to the future of healthcare, and has expanded our thinking at every interaction.

We will be using our funds to accelerate product development, continue to build out our team of world-class talent, accelerate growth and expansion, and help facilitate and support our physicians to succeed in value-based care models as they make this shift.

We’re loving it and have exceeded our own expectations. At the start of 2022, nearly 10,000 lives will be managed by more than 100 doctors through our physician enablement platform across 51 ZIP codes in 13 states.

For 2023, we will expand significantly, focusing first on increasing density in existing markets to help us provide even more resources to our PCP partners to help them deliver better care at a lower cost.

Looking forward, we’re building a marketplace that connects providers and payors in risk-based arrangements, where providers can increasingly bear and capture value from risk and transform their practices to value-based care. We’re actively building partnerships to realize this vision.

COVID-19 was horrible for our country in so many ways. Our team rallied to find the silver lining during those difficult times, and we invented new ways to find and hire great people — you can work with us anywhere! COVID-19 also served as a forcing function for solving important physician problems, like the challenge of decreased in-office visits on primary care practice’s finances, while also not losing the humanity and personality that’s required to build a human-first healthcare business.

We’re excited to have incredible talent across the country — and the world(!) — join us on our mission. A remote-first culture has enabled us to have a broader set of perspectives at the table than a geographically-focused organization, which I see as a competitive advantage.

As COVID-related conditions have improved, we’ve seen a growing desire for our team and our clients to come together, and we’re developing systems and strategies to enable that collaboration and togetherness safely.

COVID-19 demonstrated the fragility of our healthcare system and the ways in which we take for granted the providers that make it run. We need to empower and support them more effectively going forward, and part of that is helping them realize a greater portion of the value that they bring to the healthcare system. For too long, individual primary care providers have been kept at a distance from bearing risk and capturing downstream value that they create for our healthcare system. Instead, rewards from shared savings line the pockets of insurance companies, health systems, groups, or whoever else disintermediates doctors from risk. Or, perversely, fee-for-service incentives have been aimed at rewarding volumes of activities, instead of outcomes, disincentivizing doctors from making meaningful connections that don't neatly fit into maniacally managed schedules. This has to change, and it starts with changing the way we recognize the value that individual doctors create. The first step is giving them back their autonomy and time, and that starts with fixing their incentives.

COVID-19 also underscored the challenges of running critical healthcare systems without integrated data infrastructure or, even worse, with paper-and-pen processes. It’s been hard to effectively operate in any industry, and it was especially true in healthcare. When it comes to helping to keep their patients healthy, one of the biggest obstacles that providers face — especially primary care physicians and their staff — is their lack of visibility into patients' health care journeys. Data exist but are scattered across constellations of different systems in different formats, making it next to impossible for doctors and staff to know how their patient is doing when she goes through the system, from whom and where she's receiving care, and whether ongoing care is aligned with the patient's best interests. That's why we're building a platform that aggregates and visualizes data to enable primary care physicians with strategic visibility into patient panel health, alongside easy-to-understand financial reporting to help them allocate and manage resources.

People make choices because of people, at least in the early innings of your venture. You are the brand, and you are the reason people say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. 

I’m currently working long days. Emails typically start around 7:30am, and I typically sign off just before midnight. I only do it because I enjoy it and it’s all building toward something, so I don’t feel like I’m working the same way it might feel for others. If I didn’t feel that way, my “schedule” would be impossible. In general, we try hard to take weekends off as a team. I believe in the restorative process of some time away and time spent with family and friends. Even though we work hard, it’s important that people “relax hard” too.

In the morning I usually work out. For me, exercise is critical and highly related to my mood throughout the day. I’ll have a coffee in the morning and spend some time with my 2-year-old daughter, Charlotte. She’s my greatest gift in the world.

I make an effort to take a few 5-10 minutes breaks throughout the day to move around, see Charlotte when she’s back from school, and clear my mind.

Every day I also try to write three appreciations, something I’m thankful for. This simple technique, which I’ve been doing for many years, helps me start my day with thanks and optimism, instead of agitation or disappointment.

I’m probably doing too many meetings right now, but I’m committed to being available and up-to-speed with what’s going on across Pearl and beyond. That said, this is something I’m thinking more about — and how to balance it with the increasing demands on my time.

I’m increasingly using a paper journal to write down insights and important things, so I can reflect a little more. I’m also trying to reboot my daily meditations, which I’ve been doing for the better part of eight years now.

Relentless determination. Tenacity and conviction, coupled with an openness to seeing reality, enables one to identify and realize what is possible. 

Continuous optimism. There’ll always be obstacles, and you have to have an optimistic mindset to endure the hamster wheel of problems and not get discouraged. Most obstacles are tests to help you and your team grow and establish who is meant to be on the other side versus who simply wishes to be on the other side. 

Be trustworthy and know your business. Work hard to do what you say and say what you do. First impressions and your areas of focus define you. 

For entrepreneurs just starting, I encourage you to enjoy the experience and be ready to put in the hard work. Entrepreneurship can be found in many places, so don’t create a false idol of what successful entrepreneurship looks like. It’s rarely what you read in the news, and it’s never the same thing twice.

The birth of my daughter was the most significant moment in my life.

It taught me to enjoy the moment more and appreciate my time with the people I care about. I am so lucky to have Charlotte — not only because she is awesome, but also because she’s so loved, brings happiness to everyone around her, and will always be my wife’s and my baby.

Her constant joy and excitement has helped me re-experience the world around me.

Becoming a father to a baby girl was such a special and transformative experience. It rewards me each day. I’m excited to get out of bed in the morning to see her, and I love the adventures that we get to go on together.

I’m lucky to have one of them as my mentor of nearly 20 years: George David, the Chairman of Raytheon. I love my time with George, because it gives me the opportunity to ask questions that I struggle with but are hard to share with others. He also has a genuine care and concern for my development and growth, and he sees a big enough world that he knows how to separate what’s important from distractions. I have other heroes too.

More generally, I encourage people to reach out to those who they think are great. You might get lucky and have one of them in your life.

“We will either find a way or make one,” said by Hannibal of Carthage upon his famous excursion through the Alps. I think it captures the grit, ingenuity, and confidence that is required for the entrepreneurial journey.

I love the real-life parable of the Stockdale Paradox, which I first came across in Jim Collins’ Good to Great. 

Admiral James Stockdale, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and former prisoner-of-war, said of his multi-year stay in a POW camp: “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” 

It’s a poignant lesson for all people, not just entrepreneurs, about the paradoxical need for both relentless optimism and intellectually honest pragmatism. Both are required to endure the ups and downs of entrepreneurship — and to build a path to the other side of what may seem like insurmountable obstacles. 

My father has been a great role model in my life. He was able to build and create a lot having come from humble beginnings and invested in his children, his colleagues, and his friends. He’s an optimist and an entrepreneur at heart, and I’ve enjoyed learning from him and spending time with him from being a little boy to an adult. 

Working out

Time with my wife, daughter, and rest of my family

Seeing friends and doing outdoor activities with them

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal. I think that, while anybody can achieve success, it takes a willingness and a discipline to drive toward it every day. For my part, I’ve enjoyed specific missions that I think are important for the world. In this chapter of my life, it’s helping Pearl’s vision manifest into reality and enabling the United States to get much more out of our healthcare system at a lower cost and with greater satisfaction. For my family, colleagues, and friends, it’s helping them achieve their ambitions and dreams, however best I can, so they live a life of abundance and adventure without regret.

Books:

1. How the Economic Machine Works, by Ray Dalio (technically a video)

2. The Firm, by Josh Grisham

3. The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster

Health & Fitness:

1. Run on the streets

2. Citibike over the Brooklyn Bridge and all around Manhattan and Brooklyn

3. Walking around with my daughter Charlotte

Brands:

1. My Pearl hoodie

2. Nike t-shirts

3. Nice pair of dress shoes

Products:

1. Airpods & iPhone

2. American Express

3. Robinhood & Audible

Newsletters & Podcasts:

1. The New Yorker

2. The Strangest Secret (YouTube)

3. NY Times & WSJ & StrictlyVC

Upcoming Vacation Spots:

1. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. My wife Marcela’s family loves seeing their granddaughter, and we love seeing them. 

2. Clinton, Connecticut. It’s the beach town where I spent my summers as a kid growing up.

3. United Kingdom, Scotland

4. Ireland

5. Marcela and I still want to make it to the Maldives.

BRAEDEN MCCARTHY

Co-Founder of Soone, a connection app focused on getting people out from behind their phones and interacting in real life.

Soone is the first connection app that is heavily focused on getting people out from behind their phones and interacting in real life right away. We connect people in close proximity who are ready to meet when they log onto the app. When you send someone a connection request, users have 30 minutes to accept it, and a temporary chat window pops up to set a location to meet, meaning you can go from being on your phone to meeting with someone in under an hour. We also help by suggesting nearby meet up locations such as bars, nightclubs and cafés – great public places to meet up so you can have an in-person interaction and feel safe.

Women feel more comfortable with our additional security measures in place such as a requirement that the first photo you take for your profile be taken live to prevent catfishing and misleading pictures that other apps struggle with. We also have a proprietary heat map that shows where clusters of users are (though never identifying anyone’s exact location). College students, young professionals and people new to Austin have particularly embraced the philosophy behind Soone.

Before Soone, I was just a typical college student. My friend Austin and I were both 19 and realized that we saw our friends constantly swiping and hitting “like” on other apps, but when we asked our friends how many people they ended up meeting in real life, they said not many. There were lots of endless chats but it seemed my generation was more content to hide behind their phones than actually meet new people, even if they were out at a bar or restaurant. Austin and I realized that there has to be a better way and that’s how Soone was born.

My favorite part of the entrepreneurial journey has definitely been learning. I'm one of those weird people who actually enjoys school and learning. There’s been a lot of learning that has occurred throughout this process for me. I surrounded myself with a lot of really smart people, and so that's been really enjoyable to learn from them.

The least favorite part of the journey has been trying to overcome the language barrier between layman's terms and coding terms when working with our development team. I have learned a lot from them, and I continue to get better at it every week.

 The most challenging piece has definitely been keeping up the discipline to sacrifice. I sacrifice social events and different things that my peers are doing because I have commitments for Soone, so I just don't have time to engage in many social activities. I will say it is very enjoyable work so that does make it a little bit easier to sacrifice that time, plus I'm really passionate about helping people meet in person. That passion and the enjoyment that I find in my work makes it easier.  

The most exciting moment has been seeing people relate to the experiences that I have had and that my Co-Founder Austin has had which is the reason why we came up with the concept and the need for the app in the marketplace. 

Scott has helped navigate the world of entrepreneurship. Austin is a real self-starter, determined to accomplish his goals, along with being very creative and aesthetically gifted at knowing how to create things that look really professional and clean.

Scott Dill is a serial entrepreneur, and he's really helped Austin and me to navigate this world of entrepreneurship. So far we've used funds to hire a development team to code the app, we've hired a marketing firm to help us share the app with the people in Austin. There are also legal fees and other fees that come with starting your own company.

We have a great marketing team who has helped us do a lot of fun events in Austin and engage in a lot of great marketing opportunities. We did an event at the UT Marketplace. We've got billboards up in Austin. We’ve got Spotify ads and radio ads. We have hosted events at local venues where we were able to introduce the app to a lot of people.

I found the best way to acquire users has been just telling people about it face to face because you can address their concerns and questions. Once they understand it, people really tend to engage.

In terms of other cities, our main focus right now is just making sure the users in Austin have a really great experience with the app. Beyond that, we're thinking about launching in our hometown of Charlotte. It’s similar to Austin as it has a really young, lively demographic and a lot of great places to meet up.

COVID caused us to pause operations for a few months before we finished the app and launched it because we wanted to make sure that there wouldn’t be a health risk in launching an app in which the main purpose is to get people to meet in person. That being said, with the lack of in person interactions over the past year and a half, this app is more relevant now than it was pre-COVID.

If you want to get something done, just start it. You don’t always have to know what you are doing but if you want to get something done, you have to start somewhere. Once you start, you can figure it out as you go.

It depends on the day for me because I am a full-time college student. I have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 until 3:45. Those days I usually wake around 5 in the morning. I do some work for Soone, and then I “pre-read” for my classes, in which I read over some of the materials that I'll cover in my classes so that I can engage better with that material. During my hour and 20 minute lunch break, I usually grab lunch and find a quiet space to eat and catch up on emails. Then I go home and do some homework or work.

I'm also a member of the varsity lacrosse team at Franklin & Marshall College, and I practice from 7 to 9 pm. Then I go home and make some dinner, before usually going to bed around 11.

Other days, I usually get up around 6. On those days I don't have specific

commitments outside of practice and lifting so I usually try to time block my day to set aside time for different tasks. For instance, I may spend 2 hours working on revising and reviewing some of the marketing techniques that we have in place, followed by 2 hours reviewing some of the development and coding that's going on. Then I typically spend 3 hours on homework.

One trick that I use to stay productive is to always start your day with something productive because it sets the tone and the pace for the rest of your day.

Other things I like to do are read and make my bed. I usually try not to start my day by scrolling through Instagram or watching TikTok. I usually try to start it by reading either the news, or an article that's relevant to Soone.

One, you have to be self-motivated because there's really nobody checking in on you or watching over your shoulder to make sure you're getting your work done. At the end of the day, it's up to you.

Two, you have to be determined. When there's a task at hand, a lot of times it can seem like a mountain to climb because you don't have experience with completing that task. There's no one to really help guide you along in how to complete it so you really have to be determined to just get it done.

Third, you have to be resilient. Nothing great happens overnight. So when things don't go well, you have to be resilient and able to adapt to the feedback that you're given.

In terms of advice for entrepreneurs, I have two pieces of advice. One is don't be afraid to be wrong. Just make sure that when you do get something wrong, you're open to correcting it, which is something that I definitely had to learn to do. And the second thing comes from a book that Scott O'Neal wrote called Be Where Your Feet Are. It's called API. People typically have positive intent and are not trying to take you down; they're trying to help you. So always assume positive intent when you're working with others.

I missed my first semester of college, and then got sent home early during the second semester due to COVID, so I spent most of my college experience online. But one thing I've learned from that is God has a plan and that when one door closes, another opens. This really gave me an opportunity to work on the app and get done what I needed to get it to the position that it is in today.

Tom Brady. He has managed to perform at such a high level for such a long period of time, but he also keeps a great work/life balance and has a really strong family life. I would talk to him about how he maintains such high motivation after reaching that mountain top and how he continues to perform at a higher and higher level every year.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” - Timothy McCarthy (my grandfather)

“People spend a lot of time worrying about making the right decision; instead worry about making the decision right.” - Timothy McCarthy

My grandfather. Without a college education to start his career, he worked his way up from office boy to CEO of CE Minerals, traveling all around the world and receiving his MBA from MIT without an undergrad degree.

I am a full-time college student majoring in Business, Organizations, and Society and minoring in Applied Mathematics at Franklin & Marshall College. I am also a member of the lacrosse team at Franklin & Marshall College so I spend time practicing, lifting, and training. Outside of those two pieces of my life, I enjoy spending time with friends, exercising, and doing yoga.

I view success in a few different lenses. Success for the app means helping people get out from behind their phones and interact in person, the way we did before social media and cell phones really dominated our society. Success for me personally means people regarding me as kind and hardworking. Success in life means having a positive impact on society whether in a big way or just impacting one or two people every single day.

Books:

1. Can’t Hurt Me, by David Goggins

2. Be Where Your Feet Are, by Scott O’Neil

3. Grit, by Angela Duckworth

Health & Fitness:

1. Lifting

2. Fight Camp

3. Going for a 2-3 Mile Run

Brands:

1. Brooks Brothers

2. Lululemon

3. Nike

MUNJAL SHAH

Co-Founder & CEO of Health IQ, an insurance company that rewards health-conscious seniors with discounts and savings.

Health IQ is an insurance company for health-conscious seniors. We give special discounts in insurance for having taken care of their health. Our mission is to celebrate the people who have taken responsibility for their health with discounts and encourage them to continue to do so and, hopefully, inspire others to take care of their health as well.

Living in Silicon Valley in the '80s, it was in the water, so to speak.  I always knew I wanted to build companies growing up. I'm a serial entrepreneur and Health IQ is my third company.  It came out of a personal health crisis where after I sold my last company, I ended up with chest pains the very next day and wound up in the ER. After changing my own personal health and losing 40 pounds, I decided that what I really wanted to do was help the world get a little healthier and start a company to do so.

Health is a bit like playing cards. It's the cards you're dealt with but it's also how you play the cards. I think that’s the inspiration behind the company and we really wanted to separate the two.

You can't control the first, but you can control the second. At Health IQ when we built all these insurance products, we didn't want to build products that judge you on the part you can't control. We wanted to build products that gave you a discount on the part you can control. That in essence is Health IQ. That’s why the name is what it is. That's why it's not health.com or healthcare.com, but Health IQ because we're trying to emphasize the part that you can take control of, which is your own personal health knowledge.

Some of the early days of starting a company are just magical; the parts where ideas are being born, pulling together the first few people, etc. are just magical experiences in the sense that you really feel like something is happening out of nothing. It is just a really special time in creating a company.

I think that as you scale a company – Health IQ is now approaching 900 people – there's a lot of not-so-fun stuff related to compliance, rules, and regulations that you have to follow and do well but, they’re aspects of running a company that certainly take up time without necessarily feeling like the reason you started the company in the first place.

As far as exciting moments, the day we launched our first product was really exciting. The day we sold our first policy was really exciting. The day we got to our first million dollars in sales was really exciting. All these firsts - the first time we opened our second office in San Diego. The first time we were a company that was in more than one location; when we opened a third and a fourth but that first office In Mountain View was really special. Our first company holiday party where I got to meet everybody and their spouses. I think some of the special firsts are times that you always remember.

Because I was a serial entrepreneur, the fundraising process was different. I had already sold a company and so it wasn't that hard to get funding. I was able to go to those who made money before to invest again so it was a different process than my first time when I raised money for my very first company where it was much more difficult. The second time and the third time, it got progressively easier and easier.

We used the money to build the product, write the software, launch new insurance products, build out the really big data that we needed to be able to price health conscious people. Then we also invested in both marketing and sales, because you need people to sell the product.

We brought in a very great group of Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Folks like Andreesen Horowitz, Charles River Ventures, Foundation Capital and Ribbit Capital, and even added some folks that came with an insurance background like Acquiline Capital based in New York. The investors have not only provided us with capital, but really a lot of company building experience and company building resources that have helped us over the years.

The company has grown dramatically over the last year from 200 to 900 people and, in turn, we have people in 39 states across the country. This has enabled us to go fully remote and take care of our employees.

In addition, we've gone from one product - life insurance to three products: life insurance, auto insurance and health insurance.

Two big changes with COVID. One, it really accelerated the business. We were 200 employees at the beginning of COVID and we’re around 900 employees today.

COVID helped everybody to realize that having the right insurance - health insurance and life insurance - is really important. It took a little extra push from the pandemic, I think, to remind everybody, and our sales have shown that response.

The second part was that I shifted our whole company to remote, and then hired 700 people so, in a way, we are now not only a remote company, we're remote first. Those 700 people we hired are in 39 states and couldn't bring everyone back into the offices if we wanted to. We would have to open probably 60-plus offices just to get an office within 30 miles of each person. It's worked well. Our employees are happier because they can work out in the mornings or they can work out at the end of the day because they're not driving in traffic. It’s not only something that's made the business better, it’s something that's made the life of our employees less stressful by not having to commute. So, we've decided to stay remote first.

I am a creature of habit. I'm a big believer that one of the keys to being healthy is to sleep enough. There's so much machismo around “oh, I got 3 hours of sleep, I must be a better entrepreneur than the one who got 5 hours sleep.” That's just absolutely not true.

The beauty of working from home is that I can literally get up at 7:30, get ready, showered, have eaten breakfast, and be at my desk by 8:00am. I'm in meetings every single minute of the day, pretty much from 8:00 until 5:00pm or so. Then I rush out the door and go on a bike ride. It's my main form of exercise and I love it. I do it probably about 4 weekdays out of the 5 as I usually have some special function on Fridays. It’s about 5:15pm when I am out the door and I’ll bike until about 7:00pm racing to get home before sunset to eat dinner with the kids from 7:00 to 8:00pm. Then I'm back on my laptop working until 10:00 or 11:00 at night and usually in bed by 11:00 or midnight to do it all again at 7:30am the next day. I will usually work 4+ hours over the weekend.

Another tip - I use my calendar for everything In terms of just staying productive, including my cycling time. It’s all just a little harder when you're on Zoom from 8:00 to 5:00pm nearly every single minute of the day.

It is a little challenging, especially in the afternoons. You feel like, oh, my gosh, I wanna take a nap or something. I have found that just moving around a little bit, like taking a Zoom in the backyard on the patio. Just the fresh air and the change of scenery helps quite a bit. If it's just a one on one phone call with somebody you already know, go for a walk while you're on the call around the neighborhood.

So there's things like that that I use, just to keep the blood pumping and the energy going. Doing those things really do help, although there are no perfect solutions to Zoom fatigue.

You must be determined - that's a very important characteristic.

I was recently on the board of a company - I had been on that board for 10 years. I helped the CEO start the company and brainstormed the idea 10 years ago. I actually worked for this man and he taught me a lot so when he started his third company and he asked me to help, I was happy to do so. The first idea didn’t quite work and he found a second idea. Then for a number of years, there were various complications where it came to a halt and he had to reinvent the idea again. He just sold the company for a good exit for himself and his co-founders and his investors, but it took 10 years. It took him twisting and fine tuning the company numerous little times, and two major times.

The other quality you must have is to be multidimensional. You can't be a “one-trick pony”. You have to be well rounded and know a little bit about everything to be a great entrepreneur; a little bit about marketing, a little bit about sales, a little about engineering. If you don't, you can't successfully hire somebody and be able to tell if they're good at that function. You have to be a bit of a renaissance person in the sense that you don't have to be an expert at any one of these things, but you do have to be well rounded in many of them.

When somebody insists that they are something, and they say it three times to me. For example, someone saying “Munjal, I just want you to know I'm a straight shooter.” and say it again, “Munjal, you know, I'm a straight shooter,” and they say it a third time, I'm like, hmm, the only thing I know for sure is that you're not a straight shooter, but you're trying to convince me. In fact, you're really trying to convince yourself. I listen a lot to what I call the insistence rule. When someone insists on something over and over again, it is a sign that it probably isn’t true.

Any of the world’s great comedians. I find that there are so many things better said with a little comedy. I once spent a summer at Second City in Chicago learning improv. Let’s just say the teacher told me not to quit my day job, but I loved it nonetheless. It made me a better leader, communicator, and maybe even person. Seeing the lighter side of life is a gift not only for yourself but one you can bestow on a team with a simple comment at a stressful time. Comedians have a kind of genius that so many of us would benefit from.

I love this quote from Winston Churchill: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

This quote resonates with me because there's always another chapter. When you think you're done, it turns out you are just at the precipice of something new. I think that there’s so many paths in life. One door opens, one door closes, and another door opens that you thought was gone. When I sold my company to Google, I thought I had reached this kind of financial milestone and end goal that every entrepreneur strives for. But it was not the end at all and another door opened. As I always say, I didn't find my mission, my mission found me.

Honestly, I really love what Elon Musk does; the grandeur of his ideas. All these guys are like I'm gonna spend my life building this thing. And he's like, “I'm gonna save mankind from its own environmental disaster, two different ways.” He’s creating a Plan B and getting us out of dodge if we have to get out of dodge and go to Mars.

I really admire Elon, but not for the obvious stuff, it's because he is tackling big problems and isn’t just building some silly, little app or “thing”. He's tackling the problems of climate change with electric cars and the problems of if we don't solve climate change, how we're going to want to survive as a civilization - and we may need to go to another planet to do that. These are worthwhile ambitious grand visions that honestly, most entrepreneurs are too scared to have a vision that big.

Unfortunately, the lean startup model encourages the opposite of those big visions. They're, like, well, if you can't build X with 200K to get some traction, you're not worth your salt as an entrepreneur. And it's, like, well, okay, I'm pretty sure you can't get a car out with 200K or can't build a rocket with 200K. You need a lot of capital to launch companies like that; to even undertake such opportunities and so I think that's what makes him tick and very unique.

What we really want at Health IQ is to make an impact on the world. That's why I'm doing this. For me, making more money is not the answer. What will make Health IQ a success is actually improving lives and making people healthier.

Books:

1. Eating on the Wild Side

2. Open by Andre Agassi

3. The Emperor of All Maladies

Health & Fitness:

1. Zwift - an indoor cycling training app

2. Tonal - weight lifting machine with electro-magnets

3. The Garmin Radar

Brands:

1. Assos - cycling

2. Rapha - cycling

3. Skins - compression workout clothes

MARC FRIEDMAN

Founder & CEO of Cadalys, a company that works with the newest leading-edge Salesforce® technology to deliver superior solutions to its customers and clients.

Cadalys builds world-class enterprise business applications that extend the capabilities of Salesforce. The analogy in the personal computing world would be making the best apps for iPhones and Androids. We work closely with the Salesforce product teams and their customers to understand strategic opportunities to expand Salesforce’s capabilities and then build those solutions. We jointly go to market with Salesforce to deliver best-of-breed mission-critical solutions for our customers.

CareIQ is our suite for the healthcare industry. We provide best-of-breed workflows that use world-class evidence-based guidelines to achieve superior experiences and outcomes for payers, providers, patients and the pharmaceutical industry. We automate previously manual processes, which means these superior outcomes happen faster and more efficiently than otherwise possible. The CareIQ suite focuses on Utilization Management, Care Management, Triage, Pop Health, Social Determinants of Health and Member/Patient Engagement.

EngageIQ is a unified platform that enables our customers to engage more effectively and profitably with their employees, customers and partners. The Cadalys Service Management™ solution provides best-of-breed ITIL processes for ITSM and enterprise service management. Cadalys Concierge™ is a next-generation help center for self-service, ticketing and knowledge management. All Aboard™ provides best practices for onboarding, reboarding, transferring and offboarding. Collectively these three solutions provide a superior experience for employees, customers and partners. 

I have a dual MBA in business and IT, which is a perfect foundation for this line of work. I was working at Salesforce and liaising with partners. I quickly found that I didn’t think any of the partners at the time were as good as I expected them to be. I formed Cadalys to raise the bar for what it means to be a partner with Salesforce. Today we work with a carefully curated set of Salesforce partners who have consistently demonstrated the same commitment to excellence in all they do.

It came from a Greek word that can be translated as “enabling performance that would otherwise not be possible.” This is the way we think about our software and our customers. Our customers are achieving things with their employees, their customers and their partners that they simply would not be able to without our software. It’s a powerful and tremendously satisfying way of thinking about the work we do every day.

For example, we just won the 2021 Salesforce ISV Partner Innovation Award for Healthcare & Life Sciences, beating out hundreds of other solutions. Salesforce and IDC team to award these to Salesforce partners for outstanding innovation of transformative solutions that deliver customer success. We won because our CareIQ suite provides the innovation and transformation that enables our customers to perform at a level that is only possible with our software.

My favorite is far and away the team that we have assembled here at Cadalys. When we win a new strategic client after beating out larger companies that have been around longer, when I see the ideas for our applications that our team has conceived and put into action, and when I receive unsolicited emails from customers telling me how much the team has transformed their business—those are always my favorite.

As for my least-liked part of the entrepreneurial journey, early on, someone whose entrepreneurial journey I respect a great deal told me, “Even when you hate it, you love it.” I definitely agree with that sentiment. If I had to pick one thing, it would be the lack of work-life balance that is typical with entrepreneurs. I don’t think it would ever be possible for me to have an empty To-Do list because there is always something more I can do for Cadalys to help move the ball forward. That’s both the pro and the con of being passionate about a company that is rapidly growing. I hear people say, “Nobody looks back on their life and wishes they would have worked more.” Well, plenty of people do look back on their life wishing they would have played a hand, or thrown their hat in the ring, or taken that one chance to build something and make a difference. So, having taken this journey, I fortunately won’t find myself looking back on my life having not taken the entrepreneurial journey and wondering what might have happened if I had.

The most challenging and exciting moments for Cadalys have been when we win a new customer by beating out competitors that are larger, more established and that have more resources than us. It’s proof of our superior team and products and is a fantastic validation of the work we are doing.

We have been patient and focused on securing strategic investors as opposed to just funding sources. Additionally, we present a realistic data-based forecast that resonates with investors.

Our investors have been fantastic all around. They took the time to understand our business, our unfair advantages and the unique position that we are in. Our lead investor is on the Forbes Midas List and is exploring a joint venture with us in addition to their investment—it’s a huge validation for us. We’ve used the funds for two primary purposes. The first is to expand our sales team to keep up with demand. We get a lot of inbound deal flow, and this has enabled us to take full advantage. The second primary use of our funds has been R&D. We have a lot of powerful features and value drivers in our roadmap, and the expanded team is enabling us to bring these to life faster. This is helping us exploit our unfair advantages and rapidly capture market share.

I remember someone once saying, “A players hire B players, and B players hire C players,” and was immediately struck by how that is a sure way to sink a business. I’ve made sure to hire leadership who is better at their jobs than I am, and this has been one of the biggest drivers behind the speed of our growth.

Our CFO is a former serial CEO with four successful exits under their belt as CEO. They bring a logical, factual, pragmatic, and data-based objectivity to our C-suite. There are a lot of mistakes that we didn’t make because of the experience brought from four successful scale-to-exits and because the data-based objectivity prevents us from making decisions based solely on passion and optimism.

Our CRO, in addition to their prior experience as a CRO, is a former CEO and former COO. Most recently, they were leveraging this rich experience providing guidance and strategic planning to startups and growth-stage companies on how to scale fast to a successful exit. They’d been looking for an opportunity to throw their hat back into the ring at a company with phenomenal potential, and we are honored to have been chosen over the many other alternatives. What they bring to the C-suite is an uncanny ability to think in detail several steps ahead, a methodical approach to revenue generation and an infectious drive for success and constant improvement that has permeated the corporate culture.

Our CTO is the most intelligent sponge I have ever met. You can point them at anything, and they will grok it before you can Google “grok.” Importantly, this applies equally to both business and technology. This dual aptitude enables the ability to truly understand the business challenges our software is solving and how to envision world-class solutions that are both an innovative business solution and a scalable technical solution. It creates a vastly superior result. Our CTO is a visionary but also a healthy skeptic, and this complements the optimism and passion by helping the C-suite look at all possibilities. You can’t plan for the worst-case scenario if you can’t think of the worst-case scenario, and this healthy skepticism helps us make superior strategic decisions and superior software.

Yes. Stay tuned.

It has really struck me how important it is to have a variety of different personalities and ways of thinking as opposed to a company full of clones. The latter is easier—it’s easy to work with people who all think just like you. However, different personalities = different ways of thinking and different viewpoints = more ways of approaching a challenge or a strategy = more opportunities for success. It can sometimes be more challenging to work with people who don’t always think like you and therefore challenge you, and the benefits in the form of additional viewpoints and approaches are totally worth it. No one person ever has all the answers and having varied personalities and varied ways of thinking create a synergy that would never be possible with a room full of clones.

Our CareIQ suite and EngageIQ suite enable our customers to perform more effectively in a COVID-19 world. Our team was already mostly remote—working in cloud computing means we can hire the best people wherever they may be and not need to consider their proximity to a physical office. Internally and operationally, the only material change we made in response to COVID-19 was that we had a hold on travel until the vaccines were available.

We updated the marketing and positioning for both suites to help customers understand the many ways in which our solutions help companies in all stages of a pandemic. COVID-19 has put an additional strain on healthcare companies, and we help them operate more efficiently. EngageIQ helps companies more effectively manage a remote workforce and the additional IT assets required to support them, provide faster access to better information which is important across the entire enterprise, and “reboard” employees, customers and partners with new policies and procedures related to COVID responses.

Our enterprise application suites focus on two areas, and as a result, we have insight into both. In both cases, the change is definitive and already underway, and adaptation will be critical for the survival of businesses.

Specifically, the healthcare industry will need to operate more efficiently. For Payers, this means getting approvals/denials correct the first time, rapidly assessing Appeals and Grievances and responding accurately, and using technology to enable Population Health and Social Determinants of Health in ways that improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. For Providers, this means using evidence-based guidelines to automate approvals, to reduce readmissions, to more accurately triage patients and to similarly achieve better outcomes. For Pharma, this means bringing new medicines to life faster and at a lower cost. And all of these are true whether you’re talking about something related to COVID or something else. Payers, Providers and Pharma are going to have these efficiency pressures across the board due to the impact that COVID will have on their business.

Across industries, the post-COVID theme can be summed up as “faster access to better information.” There are many facets of this, and I’ll give a few as examples. First is one directly related to COVID, which is quickly educating and informing employees, customers and partners about policies and procedures that may impact them. Perhaps it’s onboarding a global employee base with a new set of in-office work guidelines. Perhaps it’s ensuring customers and partners understand what is expected of them in response to a new CDC or WHO bulletin. Health and safety will remain at the forefront of people’s minds more so than ever.

With the permanent increase in people working remotely, companies have additional IT infrastructure, hardware and software that needs to be carefully monitored and managed. Failure to do so will mean increased costs from unplanned downtime, from excess software and hardware inventory and from excessive support costs.

I wake up between 6:30 and 7 am and play with my toddler daughter until 8 am. I have just started to successfully resist the entrepreneur’s urge to wake up and immediately respond to emails first thing because doing so trains your brain to be reactive rather than proactive. I’ll of course make an exception if I know I’m going to be needed for something strategic.

At 8 am, my daughter and I wake up my wife, and the three of us will play together for a bit. I then head down to my home office and respond to urgent emails. The specific morning and afternoon tasks may vary but usually involve preparing for and running our weekly internal All-Hands company call, having a weekly 1:1 with a direct report, joining strategy discussions with partners, or applying my focus to whatever Cadalys needs at the time.

I take an hour’s break mid-day to spend time with the family. I block off times in my calendar specifically to check and respond to email rather than leaving my Inbox open where every new email popping in could be a potential distraction. I will also block off time in my calendar to work on specific strategic initiatives so that I can work uninterrupted during that time.

I’ll usually take another family break around 6 pm or 7 pm, then wrap up work until around 10 pm when I give my daughter her “dream feed,” and then I go to bed.

Top three qualities:

Data-Driven: It’s natural for humans to be passionate about their work, and even more so with entrepreneurs. This passion can have a disproportionate influence on one’s “gut feel,” and I’ve seen many entrepreneurs fail because their gut was sending them in the wrong direction. It’s important to incorporate cold hard facts into decision-making. We’ve thankfully made some changes in direction along the way based on data-driven analyses, even though it seemed counterintuitive at the time.

Excellence in Delivery: If you treat every meeting, every presentation, every customer interaction and every new feature in your product like it’s critical to the success of your company, the excellence that you deliver will open more doors than you can imagine. The vast majority of Cadalys’ success has been a result of being in the metaphorical right place at the right time. I say “metaphorical” because, like my dad (a successful entrepreneur himself) often says, “You make your own luck.” Meaning, if you continue to produce amazing results, then you’ll mysteriously find yourself in the right place at the right time much more often. When Cadalys was formed, it wasn’t to build best-of-breed Health and Life Sciences solutions, and it wasn’t to build best-of-breed engagement solutions. We arrived at those, however, because we had a long track record of professionalism, exceptional quality of work and a passion for the success of our customers. As a result of that reputation, we were approached by partners and visionaries who helped us shape the ideas for our suites of solutions. We have built our business around ideas, open doors, opportunities and alliances that we would never have encountered by doing work that was only “good.”

Being a Human Weeble: There will be failures. You will make mistakes. You will feel like your career and your company are doomed. You will have other setbacks that you can’t even imagine right now. Weebles always get back up no matter how many times they get knocked down, and that is a trait that you will need to be a successful entrepreneur.

Advice for those just starting out: Entrepreneurs must also be optimists. Optimism is a great thing, and it also naturally makes people overestimate things. For example, optimists are more likely to be late because they believe they can get ready to leave the house faster or that they can do work faster or that traffic won’t be as bad, etc. Optimism tends to make entrepreneurs who are just starting out think their cash will last longer than it will, that they will land more customers faster than they will, that unplanned expenses will be smaller than they will, etc. When you are just starting out and doing your initial financial planning, force yourself to consider a worst-case scenario and factor that into your planning. Optimism is a trait with many benefits that will help you make amazing things happen, and it also can lead to dangerous overestimating.

A good friend of mine used to work at a travel agency. One morning she got a frantic call from an irate customer screaming about how the taxi wasn’t there yet to take them to the airport, and they were going to be late for their flight. My friend was understandably confused about why this customer was calling the travel agency about this and was trying to politely help the customer. The customer screamed, “I GOT THE ITINERARY FROM YOU, AND IT SAYS THE TAXI IS INCLUDED.” My friend thought for a moment and asked, “Do you mean where it says ‘taxes included’?” Long pause...customer hangs up.

The important lesson is that something might not be your fault but might still be your problem. In no way was this the travel agency’s fault, but I guarantee that irate customer immediately swore they would never use that agency again.

Let’s say someone is trying to use a real-time traffic app on their iPhone or Android, but they forgot they turned off the GPS feature on their phone. The traffic app won’t work. Now, there isn’t anything wrong with the traffic app, but it might look that way to the customer. It's not the traffic app’s fault that the customer forgot they turned off the GPS, but when that person concludes that the traffic app is unreliable and doesn’t work, it is the traffic app’s problem. We’ve infused this lesson into Cadalys in many ways. For example, the latest release of our software makes 160 different checks for things a system administrator might have done wrong that would affect our software. Again, not our fault if the administrator makes a mistake outside of our software, but it is our problem if that mistake makes them think our software isn’t working properly. If the software detects one of the 160 mistakes, it informs the system administrator and shows them how to correct it. This new feature of our software not only reduces tickets logged with our Customer Support Center, but it also helps improve the perception of our software. Once the system administrator realizes something was, in fact, their fault, then it is no longer our problem—it doesn’t inadvertently reflect negatively on our software.

Nobel Prize for Chemistry winners Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna. I think a discussion with them about their development of the CRISPR genome editing method, the many implications for better crops and the fight against disease, as well as the many ethical facets, would be a fascinating and enlightening hour.

It’s a quote by Walter Scott: “One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum, in which men steal through existence, like sluggish waters through a marsh, without either honor or observation.” It resonates with me for reasons I mentioned earlier about looking back on your life and feeling like you really lived it. In the current season of my life, that means rapidly growing Cadalys by providing game-changing software and enabling our customers to achieve things they could otherwise never achieve.

A young boy, who had recently lost his left arm in a car accident, decided to study Judo. After months and months of studying, his instructor was still teaching him the same one move. The boy asked his instructor, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?” The instructor replied, “This is the only move you need to know.”

After several more months, the instructor took the boy to compete in his first tournament. The boy surprised himself by easily winning the first two matches. The third match was a more difficult opponent. The opponent charged, but the boy used his one move and beat the opponent. This brought the boy to the finals.

The opponent at the final match was bigger, stronger and more experienced. It seemed certain that the boy was outmatched. However, as the match started, the boy used his one move and won the match and the tournament!

On the way home, the boy asked his instructor how he could have won the tournament with only one move when he was competing against opponents who were bigger, stronger and more experienced. The instructor replied, “You won for two reasons. First, you have been working on mastering one of the most difficult moves in Judo. Second, the only known defense against that move is for the opponent to grab the practitioner’s left arm.”

The parable teaches that what some people might label a weakness might not be a weakness at all but a strength. At Cadalys, when we are up against competitors, we know how they are going to position themselves. We know what they are going to tout as their strengths, and we have a good idea of the ways in which they are going to paint us as having weaknesses. Then, thinking about the specific customer and their business needs, we decide how to use the competitors’ strengths against them as weaknesses and how we are going to position our (mis)perceived weaknesses as strengths.

My dad. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, he has an uncanny ability to distill a situation into its core components and then communicate to people on their level and in their view of the world. This gives him a next-level ability to break through obstacles and get people on board with an idea. I bounce a lot of things off of him.

Spend time with my family. I don’t have a lot of free time given the speed of our growth and all it entails, and I try to spend as much time with my family as possible.

Every time I get an email from a customer thanking us for helping them transform their business, that is when I have a tremendous feeling of success. Same when an employee describes how they’ve never before had the opportunity to work with such a driven and passionate team—that is another time when I have a tremendous feeling of success.

Books:

1. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, by Chris Voss

2. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni

3. The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day, by Andy Puddicombe

Health & Fitness:

1. TKO urethane hex dumbbells

2. POM

3. Headspace

Products:

1. DoorDash

2. Salesforce

3. what3words

Newsletters & Podcasts:

1. Pocket

2. The Economist

3. Ars Technica

Upcoming Vacation Spots:

1. Australia/New Zealand

2. Thailand

3. The North Pole

If you’re 62 years old or above, you may have heard about reverse mortgages – an easy home loan option for seniors. Retirement is one of the most significant milestones of one’s life. It comes with its fair share of financial challenges. That’s precisely why reverse mortgage seems like a lucrative option for you. However, they come with both pros and cons. The loan process is complex, and you should thoroughly research how reverse mortgages work (https://reverse.mortgage/how-does-it-work) to make an informed decision.

Below, we have listed some common pros and cons of reverse mortgages. Let’s take a look.

Getting a reverse mortgage comes with the following benefits.

The most lucrative benefit of a reverse mortgage is retaining the homeownership during the mortgage period. A reverse mortgage is designed to allow you to stay in your home while you receive monthly payments from the lender. You must meet other obligations like property taxes, associated costs, and insurance. If you pass away, your heirs can pay off the remaining debt or sell the property to pay it off, but the ownership remains with them.

Retirement can be difficult and can cause a dent in the financial plan of most elderly couples. A reverse mortgage can provide a source of steady supplemental income for you. With this option, you can turn your home equity into liquid cash and get a monthly payment or lump sum. It can be a supplemental income and help you pay living expenses or cover other expenditures.

As a reverse mortgage doesn’t require you to leave your home or relocate when you take out the mortgage, you can stay in your home indefinitely. This way, you can spend the last few golden years of your life in one place and enjoy the time with your family.

Managing retirement expenses is an exhausting job in itself. With a reverse mortgage, you have a steady supply of fixed income, so you know how much money you receive monthly. This lets you budget more efficiently. Moreover, unlike other traditional mortgages, you don’t have to pay a monthly installment, which reduces your expenses. Again, you can use the mortgage money as an emergency fund, so your regular budget isn’t strained during an emergency.

The funds you receive through a reverse mortgage are considered loan proceeds and don’t count as income. That’s why you don’t have to pay income taxes on the reverse mortgage amount. It takes away an unnecessary financial burden from your shoulders, and you can use this money elsewhere.

On the flip side, a reverse mortgage comes with the following setbacks.

A reverse mortgage uses up a home’s equity, reducing the home value. The property that you pass to your heirs, thus, might not be as valuable as it was to you. Moreover, if you suddenly pass away without paying the entire loan, your heir has to pay the due. This can also disrupt their financial plan and any plans for the inheritance.

Getting a reverse mortgage could impact your other benefits. You might be ineligible for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and Medicaid based on whether the mortgage is an asset or income. You might also become ineligible for state or federal assistance programs, have reduced chances of property tax exemptions, and reduce income tax-related credits and benefits.

Various conditions can trigger a foreclosure, and you or your heir can lose the ownership of the house. You must continue to pay property taxes and insurance, as failing to pay them can lead to foreclosure. You also must live in the home and pay these taxes. If you pass away, and your non-borrower spouse or heir can’t repay the loan within the timeframe, it can lead to foreclosure.

A reverse mortgage might sound like free money for your home equity. Still, it has many associated costs, which essentially reduces the equity you’re receiving. Loan origination fees, mortgage insurance, closing costs, service fees, and interests are a few costs you must incur. The equity you’re liquidating might need to be more against these costs.

Getting a reverse mortgage is a long-term commitment. You can obtain it after going through many complicated steps and paperwork. You must also abide by the laws and take good care of your house. This can sometimes be exhausting for you.

Getting a reverse mortgage is a partial win-or-lose situation. The losses and benefits can vary from person to person. You can opt for a reverse mortgage if you’re over 62 years old but in good health and have a home with tremendous value. It can add to your supplemental income for years. If you’re retired and self-employed, you can check out loans and mortgage options designed for self-employed people looking to ensure a stable future.

The post Getting a Reverse Mortgage: Weighing the Pros and Cons appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

Platforms like Google and Bing Ads have positioned themselves at the forefront of the advertising revolution, creating a symbiotic relationship between businesses and search engine users. By understanding these platforms and utilising them correctly, companies can harness their power to drive traffic, improve visibility, and significantly increase conversions.

Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is a robust and flexible platform that allows advertisers to reach billions of users in real-time. Its magic lies in its ability to display ads to users who are actively searching for related products or services. These are individuals primed for engagement, having shown a clear intent to make a purchase or find a solution. If you are unsure about how to make the best use of this tech, experts from www.wrp.team/ppc-agency can quickly boost your audience and sales. By marrying vast reach with a high degree of relevance, Google Ads can bring strong opportunities to businesses of all sizes.

Bing controls a substantial portion of the global search engine market, offering access to a unique and diverse demographic. Its advertising platform functions similarly to Google Ads but often comes with less competition, potentially providing a lower cost-per-click. By tapping into Bing Ads, advertisers can diversify their strategies and reach audiences they may not find on Google.

The fuel that drives search engine advertising is effective keyword usage. Both Google and Bing Ads operate on a pay-per-click model, which relies heavily on identifying and bidding on relevant keywords. These keywords trigger your ads when a user’s search matches or is related to them. To maximise the effectiveness of your ad campaigns, it’s crucial to conduct comprehensive keyword research and adapt your strategy based on results.

The final piece of the puzzle in search engine advertising is the ad copy. This is the text that users see when your ad appears in the search results. It’s your first and possibly only chance to persuade the user to click on your ad, so it needs to be compelling. Be clear about what you’re offering, create a sense of urgency, and incorporate a clear call to action. The quality of your ad copy can make or break your campaign, regardless of how well you’ve targeted your audience.

Both Google and Bing Ads provide sophisticated analytics tools to help advertisers measure the performance of their campaigns. These tools offer insights into a variety of metrics, including click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall return on investment. Regularly reviewing and understanding these metrics is critical for identifying areas of improvement and tweaking your strategy to maximise results.

Leveraging platforms like Google and Bing Ads can provide a significant competitive advantage in today’s market. The key lies in understanding these platforms, crafting compelling ad copy, and continuously analysing and improving based on data-driven insights. Embracing search engine advertising can catapult your business’s online presence, helping you reach more customers and drive more conversions than ever before.

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The e-commerce landscape is ever-evolving, with customer demands and expectations in a constant state of change. Businesses must stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive, which is where composable commerce steps in.

Think of composable commerce like a jigsaw puzzle that allows you to design your complete e-commerce store by selecting and integrating each piece or “component” based on your unique needs.

This flexible solution is ideal for e-commerce businesses since it caters so well to shifting customer expectations by giving companies the ability to construct personalized customer journeys. It also delivers scalability, resilience and an agile setup that allows for constant innovation.

For small businesses, the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional monolithic platforms can be restrictive. While they might be easy to set up, they come bundled with features that may be irrelevant to your business, and yet, you have to bear the costs.

Instead of being restricted to a single platform, composable commerce allows you to use the components that best suit your business needs. This means your business can evolve and adapt seamlessly without being hampered by rigid systems.

Some of the best features of composable commerce are that it is component based, technology agnostic, can utilize microservices and is resilient when built with an API-first communication approach.

Composable commerce is a subtype of headless commerce that emphasizes modularity and flexibility. This means every part of the platform including every service from shipping logistics to customer management can be chosen from a variety of vendors. These components operate independently of each other and are easily interchangeable without disrupting the entire system.

Love the analytics from one vendor and the inventory management system from another? With a composable commerce approach, it’s all yours!

It allows you to cherry-pick individual services that are just right for your needs from different providers. It’s like assembling your very own dream team for your e-commerce operations. Plus, it gives smaller businesses an advantage where they’re no longer shackled to a single platform.

You know how you only really use half the features in most bundled solutions but still pay through the nose for the whole package? Bid that goodbye.

With composable commerce, you only pay for the features you use, making it a cost-saver, especially for businesses on a tight budget.

Is business doing well and needs to ramp up? Or maybe a leaner approach is called for? With composable commerce, scaling isn’t a heartache. Adjust your tech stack as needed without a complete overhaul of the system.

You can look forward to a resilient business that can adapt better through both thick and thin. Use any technologies or platforms you need — it’s all about what best fits your requirements.

As the e-commerce landscape continues to become more dynamic and competitive, adopting a composable commerce strategy can give small businesses the edge they need. It can give your company the agility to pivot quickly based on market demands and the scalability to grow unhindered in your journey forward.

The post What Are The Benefits Of Using A Composable Commerce Strategy For Your E-Commerce Store? appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

There’s a lot you probably already know about getting your business organized, like going paperless and using SKUs to organize products in a warehouse. These tried and true methods of getting and staying organized are effective, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other tips out there that will help take your business to new heights.

Here are six creative ways that will help your business get organized that you may not have considered before.

Most businesses have transitioned to a cloud computing system, and for good reason. It enables you to efficiently backup data and recover quickly after a disaster. But, with so much data stored in the cloud, it’s easy for it to get disorganized.

Cloud tagging’s impact on streamlined resource usage includes the ability to more easily track down and identify exactly what you’re looking for. It also gives you the ability to identify underutilized and idle resources that otherwise would fall through the cracks. By using an effective tagging system, IT can resize, scale down, and terminate resources that are no longer needed, keeping your resources in the cloud uncluttered and orderly.

Although you’re backing up and storing information in the cloud, chances are, you’re storing information other places too. Even if that other place is your computer’s desktop.

Keep all of that information organized with an intuitive data storage system. That includes planning out your folder hierarchy and your file naming conventions. When everything is consistent, you’ll be able to track down the file you’re looking for much faster. It helps others find your files faster too, should someone on your team need access to your files when you’re not in the office.

A work management tool allows you to track and organize project-related tasks, which is important, but it gives you the opportunity to go even deeper into organizing the projects themselves, as well as the people who are working on those projects.

When you know who is on which team and which team is tackling which project with the click of a button, you can improve team performance and business results.

A few work management tools to choose from include:

So much attention is put on digital organization in today’s technologically advanced world. There’s no denying the importance of organizing data and files, but your physical space still needs organizing too!

You probably already know that you should organize documents in the right files, organize items in drawers, and keep supplies in cabinets nice and tidy, but you can take things to the next level with a label maker.

You can label every drawer, cabinet, and shelf with what’s inside, which is extremely helpful if you share a physical space with coworkers. Everyone can find exactly what they need without having to ask anyone else. It also ensures everyone puts things away exactly where they belong so everything stays organized.

It’s easy to get away with using a single screen at your desk, but working with dual monitors comes with many benefits.

Working with two computer screens increases collaboration because you can communicate with your team on one monitor and reference the project you’re talking about on the other. You can compare data easily, it can increase your productivity, and it can keep you organized.

You’re able to open and display multiple folders at the same time, which makes it much easier for you to keep those folders organized. It also gives you more space to store important documents on your home screen so they can be accessed easily.

There are many reasons to consider hiring a virtual assistant, but have you ever considered the fact that they can help keep you more organized?

A virtual assistant can schedule and confirm appointments, but they also keep those appointments organized in your calendar. They can organize your email so you can reply to the most urgent messages first, and they can even help you do light accounting work, like streamlining your bookkeeping process.

Getting organized can take a lot of time upfront, especially if you have been relying on subpar organization systems for years. But, once you have a place for everything and everything is in its place, you’ll notice that you and your team are much more efficient at work.

The post 6 Creative Ways For Your Business to Get Organized appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

Consumers play an essential role in helping businesses achieve success. Without loyal customers, you wouldn’t make any money or be able to grow your business. As such, appealing to customers and providing the most satisfactory experience possible should be a brand’s top priority.

However, as the times change, so do consumer behaviors. Simple marketing tactics no longer work as the market is overcrowded and consumers have become much more discerning when choosing which brands to support. Thus, in order to continue appealing to today’s consumers, you must work harder to get inside the heads of your target customers.

In other words, brands and marketers need to start thinking more like psychologists or at least learn to see things through a psychological lens. Delving into the mindset of consumers can enable you to better understand consumer wants and needs, their buying behaviors, and what influences them to make a purchase — all information that is necessary to create more effective marketing campaigns.

In this article, we will take a deep dive into the minds of consumers and what makes them tick. We will also cover the important role that marketing plays in consumer behavior and offer tips on how to more effectively appeal to today’s customers.

As brands have increasingly started to realize the importance of better understanding their customers, we are starting to see a crossover between marketing and psychology. Some marketing degree programs, for example, are starting to include aspects of psychology and some brands are even working with psychologists to better understand their target audience.

All of this is to say that understanding the psychology behind consumer behavior is critically important. If you want to continue to appeal to today’s consumers and stay ahead of the game, you must make an effort to know your audience better.

Consumer behavior is concerned with how and why people buy and use products and services. For psychologists or brands, it is about studying these behaviors to better understand what influences customers and how to appeal to them. It is essentially a psychological study of consumer wants and needs and how those wants and needs influence their purchase decisions.

From a needs standpoint, it’s pretty easy to understand why people buy things like food, medical care, or shelter. These are things that people require to live. They are basic necessities. But what about the purchase of things they don’t technically need, such as an HD television or a luxury wristwatch?

This is not to say that none of the products or services offered by brands today are a necessity. For example, while some might say that a mobile phone is not a necessity, others might disagree and feel that they do need a mobile phone. The question then becomes not if the consumer needs the phone, but what influences them to buy one specific phone over another? And again, this is a question that can be answered by studying consumer behavior.

Understanding what affects consumer purchase decisions is where things start to go much deeper into the psychology of consumer behavior. For impulse buyers, there might not be a whole lot that influences them. They might simply see something new and cool and feel that they have to have it.

However, for others, there can be a number of things that ultimately lead to them making a certain purchase, which can include:

People also make purchases based on philosophies and beliefs, such as a purchase influenced by someone’s religion or a person buying certain products to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. Consumers today are also heavily influenced by the idea of health and wellness, meaning they make a lot of purchases that they believe will help them look and feel better, such as skin care products or a yoga class membership.

As a whole, most factors that affect consumer behavior can be broken down into four categories:

Within these categories, things can get broken down even further, but these are the basics of what influences people to make certain purchases.

When a person makes a purchase, there are multiple steps involved before they finally decide to buy something. There is also a post-purchase process that occurs, which can either lead to the person keeping the thing they bought, or returning it.

Just as the internet and access to information have evolved, so too has consumer behavior. Basically, because we have easier access to more information now, consumers are more empowered as they can now make more educated purchase decisions.

If you tell them your product is the best, they can do their own research to determine if this is true or not, and they may find that another brand’s product is actually better or is more appealing to them.

Consumers today are search-savvy. There is no fooling them because they can simply hop on the internet and gather their own data to make their own conclusions.

If you want to appeal to today’s consumers, you must understand their search behaviors, and even learn to search better yourself as a marketer. The internet has had the biggest influence on how consumer behaviors have changed, so to master marketing today, you must master the internet and use things like keyword research to your advantage.

Understanding consumer behavior is essential for marketers, and marketing itself can also influence consumer behavior. By learning more about customers today and how they think and act, you can learn to reinforce positive beliefs associated with what you are offering. Studying consumer behavior can also help you more effectively align your messaging to the consumer’s mindset, as well as help you analyze consumer behaviors and habits at a more granular level.

Just as the way consumers behave can influence your marketing strategies, your marketing can also influence consumer decision-making. It goes both ways, which is why digging into the psychology of consumer behavior is so important.

In a market that is oversaturated, the key to appealing to customers today is creating more engaging personalized content. And to do this, of course, you need to research your target audience and learn what makes them tick and what would influence them to specifically buy the product or service you are offering. In some cases, this requires not only improving your marketing tactics, but also reevaluating the products or services you offer and how you can make them better.

Two of the best ways to learn more about your customers so you can create more engaging content are through customer testimonials and feedback and data analytics.

There is no way around it. If you want to stay relevant and continue attracting customers, you must start adopting a more psychological approach to your marketing. The information you can absorb by digging into consumer behaviors is vital to meeting customer expectations and retaining a loyal customer base. Generalized marketing will no longer cut it. You must be smart and clever, and tailor your marketing to your target audience’s wants and needs.

The post The Psychology of Consumer Behavior: Insights for Effective Marketing Campaigns appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

In today’s digitally-driven world, a stellar software application can propel your business to unprecedented success. Yet, behind every great app lies a skilled and dedicated team. Recruiting the right talent is paramount, and knowing what to look for is half the battle. This blog delves into the essentials of hiring the perfect individual to bring your software vision to life.

Before reaching out to potential hires, define the scope and requirements of your software application. Are you building a mobile app, a web platform, or perhaps software for internal use? The nature and complexity of your project will dictate the expertise you need.

The key to attracting the right talent lies in a well-written job advert. Your application developer job description should detail the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications required. But beyond the technical, mention the soft skills you value – things like teamwork, problem-solving, or adaptability. By being clear about what you’re looking for, you stand a better chance of drawing in candidates who are a good fit.

Traditional job boards might not always yield the specialised talent you need. Platforms like GitHub, Stack Overflow, or dedicated tech job sites can be goldmines for software developer talent. Attend local tech meetups or seminars; the perfect candidate might be in the room!

While a CV offers insight into a candidate’s background, a practical test can demonstrate their current ability. Consider giving shortlisted candidates a coding challenge or a small project relevant to your software’s needs. Their approach, efficiency, and the quality of their work will speak volumes.

Technical prowess is vital, but so is cultural fit. Your developer will be working closely with various teams, and it’s essential they mesh well with your company’s culture and values. Dive into their teamwork philosophy, communication style, and how they handle criticism or feedback.

A developer’s portfolio showcases their past projects and provides a tangible insight into their skills, creativity, and expertise. It’s an invaluable tool when assessing potential hires. Look for diversity, complexity, and especially any projects that mirror your own in scope or industry.

The tech industry is competitive, and top talent often has their pick of positions. Ensure your compensation package is attractive, encompassing not just salary but benefits, flexible working conditions, and opportunities for professional growth.

The tech world evolves rapidly. Ensure that your chosen candidate has a hunger for knowledge and a penchant for continuous learning. Whether it’s mastering a new coding language or keeping abreast of the latest tech trends, this quality is a marker of a developer who’ll keep your software on the cutting edge.

While technical acumen is paramount, don’t overlook soft skills. Problem-solving abilities, a proactive attitude, communication skills, and adaptability are just as crucial for a software development role. These qualities ensure smoother teamwork, better adaptability to challenges, and an overall more harmonious work environment.

Recruiting the right talent for software development is both an art and a science. It requires a keen understanding of your project’s needs, a deep dive into a candidate’s technical and personal attributes, and the foresight to see how they’ll fit into your company’s bigger picture. By following the above guidelines, you’re well on your way to assembling a team that’ll turn your software vision into a successful reality.

The post Recruiting the Right Talent to Develop a Software Application: The Essentials appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

Are you interested in pursuing a career as a computer science teacher?

In a world that is becoming more and more reliant on technology, a career in computer science offers long-term security in the job market. Combine that with the fulfillment that comes from teaching future generations of students and you have an incredibly rewarding career opportunity!

So, what is the job description of a computer science teacher? Keep reading to learn everything you might need to know to get your career off the ground—from formal education requirements and how to improve your computer science teacher resume to landing the right job and more!

A computer science teacher is an instructor who is responsible for equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed for successful computer science careers.

At the most foundational level, the educator must teach students the anatomy of the computer—including all of its hardware and software, and how these components work in tandem. They must also teach students core mathematical concepts and help them develop their programming skills.

Of course, as an educator, the computer science teacher must also be able to create a classroom environment that promotes learning. From developing curriculum and preparing lectures to grading exams and communicating with parents, a computer science teacher must possess the skills and abilities to juggle all types of daily responsibilities!

To enjoy a long and fruitful career as a computer science teacher, follow these six simple steps:

The first step to becoming a computer science teacher is to enroll in a four-year college or university and earn your degree. In the United States, a bachelor’s degree is required to earn a teaching license.

Many aspiring teachers major in computer science while minoring in education, which can make it easier to obtain a teaching license down the road. However, if you plan to teach computer science at a university, you will likely need to earn a master’s or doctorate degree in addition to your four-year degree.

One of the best ways to fast-track your journey to becoming a computer science teacher is to gain work experience while you are still completing your collegiate studies.

Whether it’s further honing your skills as a computer programmer or serving as a teacher’s assistant, there are all types of internship opportunities that can help prepare you for the workforce. While some students can manage an internship during the school semester, depending on your course load, you may opt to wait until the summer!

After earning your degree and gaining some hands-on work experience, you will need to obtain a teaching license—a requirement to teach in public schools in most states.

Before applying, be sure to research the requirements for your state. Many state Department of Education websites will provide a list of approved educator preparation programs, as well as alternative certification programs for those who are taking an unconventional path to teaching. Depending on the state, you may even be able to get a teaching license that has a computer science focus.

In any case, keep in mind that most teaching certification programs take one to two years. Fortunately, you can often complete them online, at your convenience, and while you are already working.

Related: How to Make Money as a Teacher

With your college degree, internship, and teaching license, you have all of the main building blocks for an attractive resume!

With one eye on potential employment opportunities, carefully craft your resume to include any education, work, or extracurricular experience and skills that might give you an advantage over other job applicants. Double-check for spelling errors, inconsistencies, and any mistakes that might make you appear unprofessional to an employer.

It’s true that building your network plays a crucial role in your personal development and career trajectory. Create a LinkedIn profile, participate in online forums, and attend local meetups and functions when possible.

In addition to forming relationships within the computer science community, be sure to also connect with educators and administrators in your area.

Leveraging your professional network, identify some of the best institutions in your area that are offering computer science teaching opportunities.

Whenever you submit an application and present your resume, be sure to follow up. If you are invited to sit for an interview, be sure to study potential interview questions, dress professionally, and get plenty of rest before the big day!

The post What Does a Computer Science Teacher Do and How Do You Become One? appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

In today’s digital age, establishing a strong online presence is vital for businesses of all sizes. One of the key elements in creating a memorable and recognizable brand identity is designing a captivating logo. Your logo is a visual representation of your brand, and it plays a crucial role in conveying your message to your target audience. With the proliferation of online tools and resources, designing a logo has become more accessible than ever before. In this guide, we will explore the process of crafting your brand identity through online logo design. Using a user-friendly interface, the logo maker allows you to effortlessly create stunning and unique logos for your brand

Before diving into the world of online logo design, it’s essential to understand the significance of your logo in your brand identity. Your logo serves several critical functions:

Now that you understand the importance of a logo, it’s time to start crafting your own. Online logo design offers a plethora of tools and resources to help you create a stunning logo:

Several online platforms offer user-friendly logo design software. Some popular options include Turbologo, Adobe Spark, and Looka (formerly Logojoy). These platforms provide templates, graphics, and editing tools to simplify the design process.

If you prefer a professional touch, consider hiring a freelance graphic designer. Websites like Fiverr and Upwork connect you with talented designers who can bring your vision to life. This option allows for a more personalized and unique logo.

Online logo makers offer customizable templates and design elements. They are user-friendly and allow you to create a logo quickly, even if you have no prior design experience.

Follow these steps to craft your brand identity through online logo design:

Before you start designing, clarify your brand’s values, mission, and target audience. Your logo should reflect these aspects to resonate with your ideal customers.

Analyze your competitors’ logos to identify trends and find a unique angle for your design. Aim to stand out while staying relevant in your industry.

Select design elements that align with your brand’s personality. Consider colors, fonts, and imagery that convey the right message. Simplicity often works best in logo design.

Start with rough sketches or use online tools to create initial designs. Don’t be afraid to experiment and iterate. Seek feedback from colleagues, friends, or even your target audience to refine your logo.

Ensure your logo looks great across various platforms, from websites and social media profiles to business cards and merchandise.

Check for trademark conflicts to avoid legal issues down the road. It’s essential to have a logo that is uniquely yours.

Designing a compelling logo is a fundamental step in crafting your brand identity. With the abundance of online logo design tools and resources available today, anyone can create a professional and impactful logo. By following the steps outlined in this guide and investing time and effort into the process, you can establish a strong online presence and leave a lasting impression on your audience. Remember, your logo is more than just an image; it’s the face of your brand.

The post Crafting Your Brand Identity: A Guide to Online Logo Design appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

Imagine the stock market as a vast, buzzing ecosystem where various elements interact, and patterns emerge. Central to this ecosystem are the business sectors, the power players that have a lasting influence on market dynamics. Let’s embark on a journey to explore how these sectors impact stock market trends and what this means for investors.

First, it’s essential to understand what is meant by ‘business sectors’. They refer to segments of the economy made up of companies related by primary business activities. For instance, the technology sector encompasses firms specializing in software, hardware, and other digital services. Similarly, the energy sector covers oil, gas, and renewable energy companies.

Companies release quarterly financial statements. When many businesses within a sector report a positive result, it often correlates with a bullish trend in the stock market. On the other hand, if most companies within a sector face a downturn, the stocks associated with that sector can also see a decline. This is often clear when using apps like easyMarkets for online trading and investing.

Plus, when a sector introduces innovations – such as the tech sector with ground-breaking software or the automotive sector with electric vehicles – the anticipation and eventual rollout can stimulate stock market activities. Investors, seeing the potential for growth, may decide to inject more capital into these sectors.

Global events can also influence the stock market. For example, during a geopolitical crisis, energy stocks might experience volatility due to potential disruption in oil supplies. Similarly, a global health crisis might spur growth in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

Looking back, it’s clear to see some instances of sector influence. For example, the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s to early 2000s showcased the impact of the tech sector. A surge of investments in internet-based companies led to rapid market growth, followed by a significant crash.

Then there’s the 2008 financial crisis, where the real estate and banking sectors had profound effects on the global stock markets. These events highlight the weight of business sectors in stock market trajectories.

Beyond the broader events and shifts, there are subtle indicators within sectors that can signal stock market changes:

Consumer behavior, especially in sectors like retail and e-commerce, can be a predictor of stock trends. If consumers are gravitating towards a product or service, stocks in that domain might see a boost.

Sectors like finance, pharmaceuticals, and energy are often subject to governmental regulations. Changes in these can significantly influence stock market trends for companies within those sectors.

Mergers, acquisitions, or new market entrants can reshape the balance within a business sector, leading to shifts in the stock market as well.

The technology sector’s influence on stock market trends is undeniable, with rapid digital transformation, technological advancements, and an increasing reliance on digital tools. Here are some examples:

Related post: 7 Amazing Tips That Will Help You Pick The Right Stocks

With growing global awareness about climate change and environmental issues, the push towards sustainable and green practices has been monumental. This transition has not only affected consumer behavior but also brought about significant shifts in the stock market.

As an investor, staying abreast of the influence of business sectors on the stock market is crucial.

Related post: Best Stock Market Strategy for Beginners

As an investor, recognizing and navigating the interplay between business sectors and the stock market will help you pave the way for informed decisions.

The post The Impact of the Business Sector on Stock Markets appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

Four researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory published a paper half a decade ago pondering whether humans will still be writing code in 2040. This question now finds a home in the heads of most ordinary programmers. There are apprehensions and expectations about what the answer to the question entails.

The researchers answered the questions in the negative: machines will generate most of the code while humans, if they do get involved, will be confined mostly to refining machine-generated codes.

The rapid progress made in the field of AI has brought the prediction to realization much sooner. Various AI systems now exist that can generate functional codes from mere descriptions and even sketches. This brings with it promises as well as pitfalls. AI can increase productivity, unleash human potential and creativity by taking over menial and tedious tasks, and thus open up new opportunities. However, it can also perpetuate bias, reduce accountability, and increase the risk of catastrophic errors by removing human oversight.

So, here, we consider seven use cases of AI in programming and software development and also evaluate cases where it falters.

AI has impacted every aspect of work, including—in fact, especially—programming and software development. According to one survey, 31% of organizations use AI for writing code. The question that is now asked is not whether AI will impact software development but how and to what degree.

Programming is one of the areas where AI has contributed greatly to an increase in productivity and efficiency. A report by LinkedIn on the future of work predicts that 96% of software development tasks can be augmented by AI. AI-powered tools have been used across a spectrum of tasks, from the basic to moderately complex.

AI tools, trained with millions of lines of code from publicly available repositories such as GitHub and StackOverflow, can generate snippets of code in a fraction of the time it takes a human to write the same. They are proficient in multiple languages and can produce code from natural language.

This is helpful not just for beginners but for skilled programmers, who could let AI write the simple code they need. They can then tweak or refine it, and implement it in their program.

AI can be particularly good at generating code templates. You can provide the AI tools, such as GitHub Copilot, with a set of parameters and the AI will generate a code template. This can be useful for creating boilerplate or repetitive lines of code. AI can also help with code completions by suggesting what’s most likely to follow, not unlike text autocomplete. You can also paste your incomplete code into an AI coding assistant and let it complete the code.

Bugs are a bane of every programmer. They can be a time sink (for example, spending hours figuring out why a code would not run only to realize it’s because of a missing semicolon), but they also pose critical security risks and compromise user experience. AI can mitigate some of these. And not just that: AI can identify bugs more accurately and quickly.

AI can analyze code to detect bugs by identifying inconsistencies and patterns that commonly lead to errors. It can recognize code structures that often result in bugs and alert developers to potential issues. AI can also help with regression testing and ensure that new changes don’t introduce bugs in the codebase.

This does not, however, mean that debugging can be entirely entrusted to AI. What it means is that humans can delegate some of the menial and tedious tasks of debugging to AI, which will allow them to save plenty of time on avoidable work and dedicate more time to tasks that are more productive.

Say you want to migrate from one platform or environment to another or reuse existing logic and functionality of a code in a new context. In both of these instances, you can use AI to help you translate the code without needing to rewrite the code from scratch.

However, AI tools for translating code are not entirely reliable. They may fail to notice the nuances of a language or be unable to grasp the logic of a code; but so do humans. Even if the translations are not perfectly accurate, it’ll make the task much easier than manually translating the source code from scratch. It is also like working with human translators; the translated code is reviewed and corrected, if there are errors.

AI can explain code in plain English (or in any language for that matter). This can be helpful if you are learning a new language or if you encounter random lines of code that you have no idea what it does.

Similarly, AI can decode regular expressions and explain in natural language what they do.

It can not only explain obscure lines of code but can help explain them, too. AI can create comprehensive code documentation that accurately describes the purpose, functionality, and usage of code. AI can also help with reviewing and documenting code submissions and generate explanations of changes made in pull requests or commits.

Thorough testing of code is critical to ensure that the program works as intended. But writing test cases and testing the code is a tedious and time-consuming process—and therefore often overlooked. Thankfully, AI can help with this task.

AI can be used to write test cases by analyzing the codebase and identifying potential scenarios for testing. It can identify different paths, branches, and conditions within the code and create test cases to cover those scenarios.

AI assistants such as Tabnine can automatically generate unit tests and execute the tests themselves with minimal human intervention. They then flag and report any failed test cases and provide a summary of the tests. This can help improve testing efficiency and reduce the burden on humans.

[Source-https://www.tabnine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/unittestgen.gif]

Refactoring code is another time-consuming and humdrum task that AI can help with. AI can help reduce the time spent debugging and refactoring by about half.

AI can automate refactoring tasks such as renaming variables or methods, extracting code into functions, reorganizing code structure, or reducing complexity and enhancing the extensibility of code.

Using AI for code refactoring not only reduces time and effort but also helps identify code smells and helps fix potential problems early in the development process. This reduces the risk of bugs and technical debt.

Synthetic data comes in handy when real data is unavailable or cannot be used because it contains sensitive information. Synthetic data eliminates the constraints associated with the use of regulated or confidential data as it contains no personal information.

AI can be used to generate all sorts of synthetic data that closely resemble real-world examples. AI can also create synthetic data for rare or extreme scenarios that are difficult to reproduce with real data. This can be used to test the resilience of the software under unusual conditions.

AI can also help generate synthetic data that can be used to augment real datasets, balancing class distribution and introducing variations.

AI has made remarkable progress in its coding capability, especially in the last couple of years. AI assistants have become adept at automating routine and menial tasks, but they stumble at tasks that require critical thinking. They cannot understand the underlying principles and concepts of software; they have trouble keeping up with new frameworks and paradigms; and they are unable to completely grasp real-life scenarios.

Here are four cases where AI assistants are not reliable and why, therefore, you need to hire app developers for your project.

AI systems lack the level of understanding required to design and implement complex processes. Although they can create sufficiently complex functions in isolation, they falter when they have to integrate them and keep account of dependencies from other code.

Understanding and conceptualizing user needs and preferences require empathy, context, and awareness of human behavior and emotion—qualities that AI tools lack. This limitation of AI systems in understanding emotional context, subjectivity, and the nuanced aspects of intuitive user needs makes them less competent compared to human experts.

AI tools struggle to fully address legacy codebases, which are old and often outdated. Such codebases generally lack sufficient test coverage and documentation, which hinders the effectiveness of AI tools.

Data is the bread and butter of AI models. For relatively new frameworks and paradigms, sufficient data is not available to train the AI systems. This makes them unreliable and even risky; for they, instead of admitting ignorance, will give incorrect answers with a high degree of confidence. This hallucination tendency can easily mislead even the most circumspect.

Related post: Why Use AI and ML for Enhancing Your Date Entry Process

AI has made huge strides in the field of programming and software development in the last few years. AI systems have made programming more efficient and streamlined. They have impacted various other dimensions of software development as well. But they remain just that: tools! AI needs a human to instruct and oversee its operations and judge the quality of its outcome.

Even with tasks they excel in, they require human supervision. And for others, they simply fall flat. Human input and expertise remain indispensable in software development, and this is why web app development companies continue to play a significant role.

The post 7 Use Cases of AI in Programming and Development (& 4 Where AI Fails) appeared first on The Total Entrepreneurs.

In the face of recent wildfire tragedies that have impacted our beautiful province, we extend our heartfelt empathy and support to you. We understand the challenges you may be facing and want to provide guidance on how to navigate the effects of the wildfires on your businesses, as well as offer insights on recovery strategies.

Alberta Wildfire Dashboard, CTV News Edmonton

The devastation caused by wildfires can lead to significant physical and emotional challenges for entrepreneurs. Loss of property, disruption of operations, and the emotional toll of witnessing the destruction of the communities we hold dear can be overwhelming. It is essential to prioritize self-care and support networks during these difficult times. During and after wildfires, customers and employees may have concerns about safety, air quality, and the viability of doing business in affected areas. These concerns can impact customer footfall, employee morale, and overall business confidence.

Wildfires can disrupt the day-to-day operations of businesses, forcing temporary closures or reduced productivity. Evacuations, power outages, and transportation issues can make it difficult to serve customers or fulfill orders. The sudden drop in revenue can create financial strain and uncertainty for entrepreneurs. Wildfires can, in particular, disrupt various industries, including agriculture, forestry, tourism, and outdoor recreation. Damage to crops, forests, and tourism infrastructure can lead to reduced productivity, job losses, and decreased revenue for businesses in these sectors, especially those who rely on a busy summer season.

Wildfires can cause significant damage to residential and commercial properties, as well as critical infrastructure such as roads, power lines, and water systems. Rebuilding and repairing these assets can impose a heavy financial burden on affected communities.

Wildfire smoke can have adverse health effects, leading to increased healthcare costs. Communities affected by wildfires may experience higher rates of respiratory illnesses, allergies, and other related health issues, requiring increased medical attention and healthcare resources.

Wildfires can result in long-term ecological damage, affecting ecosystems, biodiversity, and water quality. The loss of natural resources and the need for habitat restoration can have indirect economic impacts, such as reduced availability of timber for forestry operations or reduced attractiveness for outdoor tourism activities.

Alberta Wildfire Dashboard, CTV News Edmonton

The economic toll of wildfires is significant. The destruction of residential and commercial properties, along with critical infrastructure, can require substantial investments in rebuilding and repairs. Entrepreneurs may face financial burdens in restoring their businesses and may need to seek assistance or secure additional funding.

Wildfires can disrupt various industries crucial to Alberta's economy, such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, and outdoor recreation. Crop and forest damage, closure of tourist attractions, and decreased visitor numbers can lead to reduced productivity, job losses, and decreased revenue for businesses in these sectors.

Following wildfires, insurance costs may increase for entrepreneurs in affected regions. Insurance providers may adjust premiums to reflect the heightened risk of future wildfires, impacting the affordability of coverage for businesses. It is essential to review insurance policies and explore options with knowledgeable professionals to ensure adequate coverage.

Governments at different levels allocate significant funds for firefighting efforts, emergency response, and recovery programs. These expenditures can strain public budgets, diverting funds that could have been allocated to other priorities. However, government support programs may also be available to assist entrepreneurs in their recovery journey.

Alberta Wildfire Dashboard, CTV News Edmonton

Developing a comprehensive business continuity plan is crucial to navigate through wildfire disasters. Such a plan should include evacuation protocols, remote work arrangements, alternate supply chain options, and communication strategies to keep stakeholders informed.

Maintaining open communication with employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders is essential during and after wildfires. Be transparent about your business's status, any operational changes, and safety precautions taken. Regular updates and reassurances can help build trust and loyalty.

Conduct a thorough financial assessment of your business to gauge the extent of the wildfire's impact on revenue, cash flow, and profitability. Seek expert advice to explore financial support options, including government grants, low-interest loans, and community initiatives designed to aid business recovery.

Supporting your employees' physical and emotional well-being is paramount. Offer resources such as counseling services, flexible work arrangements, or access to community support networks. Remember, a healthy and motivated team is crucial for business resilience and recovery.

Consider diversifying your business offerings or expanding into new markets to mitigate the effects of wildfires on your revenue streams. Adapt your products or services to cater to changing customer needs or tap into emerging opportunities arising from recovery efforts.

Engage with other entrepreneurs and community organizations to collaborate, share resources, and support one another. By pooling knowledge, skills, and networks, you can collectively overcome challenges and enhance the recovery process for all.

Alberta, we stand with you during this challenging time. While wildfires have had a profound impact on our businesses and communities, our resilience and determination will guide us toward recovery. By prioritizing self-care, implementing recovery strategies, and leveraging available support systems, we can navigate through the aftermath of wildfires and rebuild stronger, more sustainable businesses.

CTV Edmonton

Remember, you are not alone. Reach out to local business associations, support organizations, and fellow entrepreneurs for guidance and assistance. Together, we can overcome these challenges and emerge stronger, reaffirming the indomitable spirit of Alberta entrepreneurship.

Wishing you strength, perseverance, and success on your journey to recovery. Please reach out to info@awebusiness.com if you need any business advising unique to your business, and don’t forget to visit our webinars here to join a group advising session. Our Emergency Planning is also linked here.

Starting May 9th, any Albertan that was evacuated due to wildfires for 7 days or more can apply for a 1-time emergency evacuation payment. Eligible evacuees will receive $1250 per adult and an additional $500 per child under the age of 18. Families of 4 can receive $3500. Payments to evacuees will be made by e-transfer.

Stay up to date on the status and latest data on the wildfires here.

Alberta's technology industry has been growing rapidly in recent years, with Calgary and Edmonton emerging as key tech hubs in the province. According to a report by the Alberta Enterprise Corporation, the province's technology sector has seen an average annual growth rate of 4.2% since 2010, and now employs over 55,000 people across more than 6,500 companies.

Access to a large and diverse talent pool: Alberta's universities and colleges produce a large number of graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, providing a skilled and diverse talent pool for tech startups. In addition, the province's welcoming immigration policies have made it easier for companies to attract and retain talent from around the world.

Supportive startup ecosystem: Alberta's startup ecosystem is characterized by a supportive community of investors, incubators, accelerators, and mentors. Organizations like Startup Edmonton, Platform Calgary, and TEC Edmonton provide entrepreneurs with access to funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Government support for innovation: The Government of Alberta has launched several initiatives to support innovation in the tech sector, including the Alberta Innovates Technology Futures program, which provides funding and support for research and development projects.

Low business costs: Compared to other tech hubs in Canada, Alberta has relatively low business costs, including lower office space and housing costs, making it an attractive location for entrepreneurs looking to establish or grow their businesses.

Source: Kenyon, Tilly. "2021 Report Shows Growth in Alberta's Technology Sector." Technology Magazine, 23 April 2021, https://technologymagazine.com/data-and-data-analytics/2021-study-shows-growth-albertas-technology-sector.

Access to capital: Although there are many sources of funding available to entrepreneurs in Alberta's tech scene, including venture capital firms, angel investors, and government programs, access to capital can still be a challenge for early-stage startups.

Competition for talent: While Alberta's universities and colleges produce a large number of STEM graduates, there is still competition for talent from established tech companies and other industries.

Reliance on the energy sector: Alberta's economy is heavily reliant on the energy sector, which can make it difficult for tech startups to attract attention from investors and customers.

Geographic isolation: Alberta is a large province with a relatively small population, which can make it challenging for startups to build networks and access markets outside of the province.

Mitchell, Laine. "Alberta cities to lead rest of Canada in growth in 2022." Daily Hive, 19 Jan. 2022, https://dailyhive.com/calgary/alberta-cities-growth-in-2022.

Alberta's tech scene offers a wealth of opportunities for entrepreneurs, from access to a talented workforce to a supportive startup ecosystem and government support for innovation. However, there are also challenges that must be addressed, including access to capital, competition for talent, reliance on the energy sector, and geographic isolation. Overall, with the right support and resources, Alberta's tech sector has the potential to continue to grow and thrive, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and driving innovation in the province.

Alberta Enterprise Corporation. (2018). Alberta technology industry report 2018. Retrieved from https://www.albertainnovates.ca/media/2673/ae-alberta-technology-industry-report-2018.pdf

Startup Edmonton. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://www.startupedmonton.com/about-us/

Platform Calgary. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://www.platformcalgary.com/about/

TEC Edmonton. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://www.tecedmonton.com/about-us/

Government of Alberta. (2021). Alberta Innovates Technology Futures. Retrieved from https://www.albertainnovates.ca/programs/alberta-innovates-technology-futures/

BDO Canada. (2021). 2021 Technology Industry Outlook: Optimism amid disruption. Retrieved from https://www.bdo.ca/en-ca/insights/industries/technology/2021-technology-industry-outlook/

The Conference Board of Canada. (2019). The innovation imperative: Improving productivity through innovation in Canada's tech sector. Retrieved from https://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=10276

Government of Alberta. (2021). Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. Retrieved from https://www.alberta.ca/ainp.aspx

Alberta Innovates. (n.d.). Our programs. Retrieved from https://albertainnovates.ca/programs/

The Globe and Mail. (2018). Alberta's burgeoning tech industry hopes to diversify from oil and gas. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-albertas-burgeoning-tech-industry-hopes-to-diversify-from-oil-and-gas/

For women entrepreneurs, it’s not just about working harder or better than the competition. It's about utilizing technology and tools that can help you work more effectively and efficiently. New technology in the digital world can empower you to build your business, no matter the industry. For business owners, knowing what type of technology to use can be a challenge, though. Where should you get started?

Below are some of the options in new technology for the digital world for women entrepreneurs.

Juggling numerous tasks, assignments, and projects is a good sign. It means your business is working and potentially growing. Yet, dropping the ball, perhaps due to a late assignment or a missed call, can tarnish your brand among current and potential clients. Project management tools can help with this by providing a digital way to always stay on top of your business.

Numerous project management tools are available, including some customized for specific industries or types of projects. Here are the top three options in both up-and-coming and proven project management systems.

Monday.com is an expandable project management tool with plenty of flexibility for customization. Project data, along with various reports and visualization tools, enables easy management of multi-step projects. It offers:

•             An easy-to-use interface

•             Plenty of configuration options to meet your business methods

•             Lots of marketing and CRM integrations

Trello uses Kanban boards that tend to work well for highly visual people. It’s easy to learn and customizable for most businesses. Trello does a great job with its numerous template options, too. Some key features include:

•             A free plan that provides up to 250 automated comments each month

•             Lots of integrations, including Slack and Google Drive

•             Quick set-up with drag-and-drop design

For startups looking for a cost-effective solution, ClickUp is an excellent choice. It provides numerous collaborative documents, whiteboard tools, and in-app chat features. It also can integrate with Dropbox, G Suite, Slack, and much more. You might choose ClickUp because of it:

•             Works well for different-sized teams

•             Makes workflow customization simple and effective

•             Lets you track and visualize project data

Accounting management is often a difficult part of managing new businesses. For women entrepreneurs who want to stay on top of their financials, there are some excellent technology options out there to support your success. Here are three proven and up-and-coming options.

For the most affordable business accounting software, consider FreshBooks. It provides a wide range of tools, including customizations to fit the way your business operates. Some key features include:

•             Comprehensive cloud-based accounting solutions

•             Excellent cash management tools

•             Easy-to-use visual dashboards for “seeing” where your money is going

A newer option, Sage is an excellent choice for small businesses that want to enhance their automation. It provides full business application and enterprise resource planning resources in one. In new technology in accounting, hyper-automation is key, and Sage does it well. Key features include:

•             Automatic reconciliation tools, finance tracking, and cash flow forecasting

•             Straightforward purchase invoice management 

•             Cloud-based functionality with real-time banking integration

Another newer company, Wave Accounting, is an excellent free tool with the ability to add payroll processing and payment solutions. It’s excellent for small businesses that want fast and efficient functionality without a lot of slowdowns. Key features include:

•             Recurring billing with automation

•             Unlimited partners and collaborator additions possible

•             A fully cloud-based dashboard

Today's business owners have a significant amount of digital media to manage. Connecting with customers online, managing visuals, and creating engaging marketing platforms require some of the best modern technology. For your business, consider these specific digital media management platforms streamlining business efforts.

Brandfolder makes managing digital assets easy, helping you grow your business in a more streamlined manner. This digital asset management platform can help your business build your brand quickly and across all platforms with features such as:

•             Cloud-based storage to handle all forms of digital assets

•             Automatic asset tagging and organization

•             Analytics about who uses content and how

For social media management, Buffer offers a streamlined, affordable solution that can benefit most of today’s businesses, including those looking to rebrand. It provides ample support to get users started, and the tools are innovative and even some of the most cutting-edge. Key features include:

•             A full suite of features for engagement, publishing, landing pages, and posts

•             Excellent customer support to help clients stay up-to-date on the newest innovations

•             Analytical tools that provide insight into how any solution works

Sprout Social is a blend of customer relationship management and social media management, a unique combination of two essential tools for the digital world. It’s simple to learn but often upgraded to incorporate new tools and solutions. Some core benefits include:

•             Scalability that enhances growth opportunities

•             Post monitoring and scheduling

•             Analytic tools that provide insight into the best campaigns

These new technologies for the digital world allow businesses to take their business online, connect with new customers, and deliver efficiencies, including in financial management. From proven to newer solutions, these companies do it best because they offer the latest innovations in the industry that all women entrepreneurs can benefit from for most types of businesses.

Author: Krista Murphy, MLZ Creative

Supporting the entrepreneurs in our community means recognizing the amazing work women are doing and celebrating their successes. This past month, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs had the pleasure of honoring four outstanding Alberta women for their dedication and commitment to the Alberta business community at the 2022 AWE Awards.

Above (left to right): Jewel Buksa, Jennifer Schaeffer, Breanne Everett, Vanessa Marshall, Marcela Mandeville.

Celebration of Achievement Award

Awarded to an exceptional female entrepreneur who has achieved recognizable success and acts as a role model for women in business. This visionary woman is an inspirational leader who has built an entrepreneurial venture in Alberta that has made a significant impact on the economy and the community.

Recipient: Manjit Minhas, Minhas Breweries, Distilleries and Winery

Over 20 years ago, when she was 19, Manjit and her brother Ravinder set out to make a spirit that they could sell in local liquor stores. In just a short time, that idea snowballed into over 90 brands. Now, Manjit is the founder and owner of Minhas Distillery, Minhas Brewery, and Minhas Winery, earning her enough of a reputation to take a role as an investor on Dragon’s Den. Manjit is a true example of the vigour and vision that Alberta women entrepreneurs have in creating successful and long-lasting businesses on the global stage. Though she has faced challenges throughout her career, she reminds other entrepreneurs: failure is not the opposite of success; it’s a part of success.

Emerging Entrepreneur Award

Awarded to a female entrepreneur who has built a strong, scalable business foundation and has achieved early success.

Recipient: Jennifer Schaeffer, Onlea Enterprises

Onlea is more than an online learning platform; it’s a commitment to accessible, masterful, and quality education that helps their clients grow. From the opioid crisis to the proper use of pronouns, this empathy-led team is creating meaningful content while revolutionizing what it means to learn online. Jennifer focuses on combining different learning styles with gaming techniques, graphic design, and film to produce content that’s engaging. Her business recently launched a research and development project that will utilize artificial intelligence to further individualize the learning experience.

Indigenous Entrepreneur Award

 Awarded to a leading Indigenous woman entrepreneur with a strong business concept and demonstrates plans for future growth and commitment to the community.

 Recipient: Vanessa Marshall, Jack59 Inc.

Spurred by a desire to spend more time with her daughter, Vanessa founded Jack59, a company specializing in hair care. But Jack59 products are far from your average shampoo and conditioners. Built on the idea that small changes can have a big impact, all of the products are made with the goal of reducing single-use plastic consumption and global water transport. Vanessa is helping create self-aware consumers while providing a business environment that allows her staff with flexible working hours so they can prioritize their family, just like she did.

Upsurge Entrepreneur Award

Awarded to a female entrepreneur who has built a solid foundation for her business and is now experiencing rapid growth.

Recipient: Breanne Everett, Orpyx Medical Technologies Inc.

Though she loved working as a clinician, Breanne recognized that Orpyx would allow her to have a greater impact on the diabetes community. Rather than offering care for patients who were suffering from limb loss, she wanted to create an innovative technology that could help prevent it from happening in the first place. Now her team works with two centres of excellence across the province in order to ensure that people living with diabetes can maintain their mobility, something that will change lives for thousands of individuals. And Breanne is just getting started when it comes to her insole technology, believing that in the future it could be used for all kinds of movement-related situations.

Since 2012, the annual AWE Awards have recognized more than 1000 women entrepreneurs in Alberta as award nominees. This year’s recipients join a prestigious list of Alberta entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their communities and around the world. Special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ATB Financial!

AWE has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs through coaching, mentorship, leadership development, business advising, access to capital, and access to networks over the last 27 years.

To learn more about the AWE Awards, please visit https://www.awebusiness.com/2022-awards-celebration

EDMONTON, AB – A group of ten extraordinary Alberta women entrepreneurs were named this year’s AWE Awards finalists.

“These finalists represent incredible possibility, remarkable innovation, and undeniable talent,”  says Marcela Mandeville, CEO, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs. “They are moving their businesses and our province forward.”

The awards, presented by ATB Financial, recognize the efforts of women entrepreneurs in four categories. This year’s finalists include:

Emerging Entrepreneur Award – Awarded to a female entrepreneur who has built a strong, scalable business foundation and has achieved early success.

Jennifer Schaeffer, Onlea Enterprises, Inc.

Shannon Van Norman, Shadow Vista Productions

Ashley Wevers, AdvancdAg Inc.

Carey Ann Thurlow, Risio Institute for Digital Dental Education Inc.

Indigenous Entrepreneur Award – Awarded to a leading Indigenous woman entrepreneur who has a strong business concept and demonstrates plans for future growth and commitment to the community.

Mallory Yawnghwe, Indigenous Box Inc.

Vanessa Marshall, Jack59 Inc.

Angie Saltman, Saltmedia Inc

Upsurge Award – Awarded to a female entrepreneur who has built a solid foundation for her business and is now experiencing rapid growth.

Breanne Everett, Orpyx Medical Technologies Inc.

Deanne Beis, Tenfold HR Solutions

Jenelle Wensley, Genex Marketing

Since 2012, the annual AWE Awards have recognized more than 800 women entrepreneurs in Alberta. Previous award winners include such notable Alberta entrepreneurs as Karina Birch of Rocky Mountain Soap Co., Karen Ryan and Lara Murphy of Ryan Murphy Construction, and Angela Santiago of The Little Potato Company.

Along with the awards, AWE has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs through coaching, mentorship, leadership development, business advising, access to capital, and access to networks over the last 25 years.

To learn more about the awards, visit: www.awebusiness.com/2022-awards-celebration . Get your ticket to the in-person Awards Celebration at the Edmonton Expo Center on September 13 on Eventbrite.

In today’s day and age, it’s nearly impossible to run a business that doesn’t include a digital component. Incorporating digital aspects to your business can look like so much more than just an online storefront. Many entrepreneurs may be missing out on huge opportunities to strengthen their business by not taking advantage of all technological possibilities.

That’s where Alberta Women Entrepreneurs’ BOLD Leadership program comes in.

Over the course of the program, entrepreneurs get a baseline of knowledge about what a digital transformation can look like for their business before creating a plan that fits their needs and abilities. “The Bold Leadership Program focuses on the critical components of building a digital strategy for a business.” Says Gabriela Touma; Bold Leadership Program Advisor. Covering a range of topics from digital marketing to improving the customer experience, the aim is of this program is to get participants thinking about all of the ways, big and small, that digitalization can save them time and money.

A lot of people feel overwhelmed because there is so much technology out there. AWE’s Bold Leadership program tries to give people enough of an idea of what the technologies are about and then how to start to incorporate that into their business.

Some entrepreneurs, like Danielle Cherewyk, focus on mapping out how to automate their business processes, saving their team dozens of hours a week. Others may focus on developing new revenue models so they can start scaling up. Beyond the tangible benefits that can come from putting new technologies into practice, the greatest win can be a shift in business culture.

We want to help leaders start creating a culture of innovation in their companies. Sometimes leaders will feel that all of the innovative ideas fall on them, but we help them build a framework so that they can actually draw on all the innovation and the talents in their team to help move the whole company forward.

“Within The Bold Leadership Program, business leaders will learn everything from how to build a digital strategy, how to effectively leverage current and emerging technologies, and how to understand the drivers of transformation, Touma says, but most importantly we are helping them navigate the digital space with other inspiring women leaders that are excited to learn, collaborate and add to the conversation.”

While teaching the skills is important, AWE recognizes that creating a network of support for businesses as they go through their digital transformation is what takes an idea from concept to execution. Participants have access to one-on-one time with expert digital advisors during and after the course so they can continue to receive advice that is relevant to their unique business.  

“The connections that happen in the program are remarkable. We’ve heard from many participants how much it has changed their businesses!”

MEDIA RELEASE

EDMONTON, AB –Alberta women entrepreneurs proved to be unstoppable in their efforts to better the world. Today, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is recognizing those efforts by naming nominees across four categories in its annual AWE Awards.

Awards Overview and Nominees

Emerging Entrepreneur Award – Awarded to an entrepreneur who has built a strong, scalable business foundation and has achieved early success.

Indigenous Entrepreneur Award – Awarded to a leading Indigenous entrepreneur who has a strong business, and demonstrates plans for future growth and commitment to the community.

Upsurge Award – Awarded to an entrepreneur who has built a solid foundation for her business and is now experiencing rapid growth.

Celebration of Achievement Award – Awarded to an exceptional entrepreneur who has achieved recognizable success and acts as a role model in business.

Next Steps

Edmonton’s nominee reception will take place ON June 23rd and Calgary’s reception will take place ON June 28th. Finalists will be named prior to the awards celebration in September, at which AWE will announce the recipients.

Quotes

“Congratulations to all nominees! We are excited to celebrate the incredible contributions made by women in our province as you build a better economy and communities. Each year, our award nominees are inspiring examples of leadership and innovation in Alberta. Thank you for taking the risk to pursue your aspirations and inspiring others along your journey.”

- Marcela Mandeville, CEO, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

“ATB Financial is thrilled to celebrate the achievements of women in business. Your dedication to your goals and commitment to your dream has played a significant role in bringing resilience and transformation to Alberta's economy. Your passion inspires others and paves the way for future generations of women business owners and leaders. We congratulate all the nominees and wish you continued success!”

- Nikki Briggs, Head of Women in Business, ATB Financial

Quick Facts

Since 2012, the annual AWE Awards have recognized more than 800 women entrepreneurs in Alberta.

Over the last 26 years, AWE has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs through access to capital, connections and capacity.

Alberta small businesses contribute more GDP per capita than small businesses anywhere else in the country. In addition to providing jobs, these small businesses inject about $100 billion a year into the Alberta economy.

Alberta Women’s Entrepreneurs has received $3 million in grant funding through the Women’s Economic Recovery - Capital Growth Initiative. The Capital Growth Initiative is part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, and an additional loan fund is now available to support women entrepreneurs who need easier access to capital. This investment will support more women who want to expand or start a business, helping diversify Alberta’s economy and creating new job opportunities throughout the province.

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs and Community Futures Network of Alberta will administer the loans from the Women’s Economic Recovery - Capital Growth Initiative.  Under the initiative, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs will provide capital to women in Edmonton, Calgary, St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park, while Community Futures will provide capital to rural communities in Alberta. Under the initiative, up to $75,000 will be made available in repayable loans.

“Research proves that women entrepreneurs drive more than economic growth when their enterprises are successful – they change communities. Women were also disproportionately economically impacted by the pandemic. Access to capital for business investment for women entrepreneurs is essential to rebuilding Alberta's economy.”  - Marcela Mandeville, CEO of Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

“Alberta’s economy has momentum and we want to keep it going. By ensuring that women entrepreneurs in our province have more access to capital to help grow their business, we are building for the future. This is an important opportunity to create more jobs and a stronger business environment.” - Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation

Left to right: Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation, Phyllis Maki, Executive Director at Community Futures Network of Alberta, Marcela Mandeville, CEO at Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, Whitney Issik, Associate Minister of Status of Women, Anna Liska, Owner at Always Occasions, Jewel Buksa, Board Chair at Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

About Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enabling women to build successful businesses. AWE provides unique programs and services to women entrepreneurs through access to capital and connections, and support with building business capacity.

About Community Futures Network

Community Futures Network of Alberta has a rural focus and has helped rural Albertans launch, grow and scale their businesses. With 27 regional offices located throughout Alberta, Community Futures has significant reach into every corner of the province, including with First Nations, Métis Settlements, and Indigenous communities.

For more information:

Catherine Larose,

Marketing Lead, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)

587 635 4278 ext.4278

catherine.larose@awebusiness.com

Nasim Morawej

Nasim Morawej first heard about Alberta Women Entrepreneurs after starting her engineering firm, Sentient Tools, in 2017. When positions opened up on the Board of Directors at Alberta Women Entrepreneurs shortly after, she decided it would be a good opportunity. That choice allowed her to navigate entrepreneurship while helping shape the future of it for women in Alberta.

Nasim’s curiosity and vision have made her an invaluable leader in creating a lasting impact on the community, and she emphasized how symbiotic the position has been for her. AWE encourages board members to participate in the various programs and seminars offered, and over her tenure, Nasim has taken the time to attend many of them, something she says has helped her develop a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial space, and kept her inspired.

“It's a great opportunity because not only are you contributing and giving back to your community and you are also learning a lot. I have never seen any other board that is this organized and cares about the education of the board members this much.”

One of the most fulfilling aspects for Nasim has been the level of support she feels from the other board members. “That will be the most difficult part of stepping away from this, not to be a part of the group anymore,” she says. “It's been very difficult starting a new business and going through the pandemic. So it's been very inspiring to see all others who are very successful, talented people. The days when I just don't know if I can do this anymore, I pick up the phone and talk to other board members.”

After three years on the board contributing to both the recruitment and ownership linkage committees, Nasim is moving on to focus on a second business and her family. However, the relationships she’s created with AWE and her colleagues is something she plans to continue long into the future.

The COVID pandemic has reshaped nearly every aspect of our everyday lives. For business owners, the stress of a new normal has been compounded. The more intimate setting of a small business means that the impacts of hardship are apparent and often more personal.

“The pandemic has impacted small business tremendously,” says Jenifer Horvath, a Business Advisor with Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE). “The changes in shopping habits and the shift to online means that a lot of small businesses had to pivot really quickly. And that’s household income for these businesses. In many cases, they may not have been able to feed their families because they didn't have the income they needed.”

Throughout the pandemic the federal government offered CEBA, the Canada Emergency Business Account, which provided loans for small businesses across the country. However, many entrepreneurs were not able to take advantage of it because they utilized contractors, something that was not covered by CEBA.

Luckily, AWE was given the opportunity by PrairiesCan to provide relief funding through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund. This fund gave entrepreneurs greater flexibility in how the money can be used. As a result, the entrepreneurs were able to use the funds in a way that best suited their needs.

“There was also a chance to use the money for technology improvements,” says Amber Hall, a Financing Specialist with AWE. “We saw a lot of entrepreneurs of course taking advantage of that and some pivoting their business model to really get in there and try and still make sales.”

“I think for a lot of entrepreneurs, it's not just ‘if you build it, they will come’ anymore,” she says. “It's build it, work on it, and build it some more.”

In addition to monetary supports, AWE has been hard at work to create a network of support where entrepreneurs across the province can feel heard. They’ve connected  like-minded individuals who had a shared understanding of the challenges that entrepreneurs had faced over the past two years. These connections have been invaluable in maintaining resilience within the small business community.

“A lot of our demographic is women,” says Horvath. “They shoulder additional stresses in the majority of situations. When their kids were home from school, they were responsible for overseeing that while trying to run their businesses and dealing with the normal stress of the pandemic.”

Webinars have been a great way for entrepreneurs to access timely information and be able to ask questions in a group setting. AWE has offered topics such as government supports, upcoming regulations, and how to transition to a digital format.

For those who need a bit more personalized support, all of AWE’s advisors can be booked online for a free half-hour Zoom call or phone call where they give tailored advice and share any helpful resources. This allows women from both rural and urban settings to get the assistance they need as they continue to move their businesses forward. 

“I hope women entrepreneurs see AWE as a safe place to share what's going on, to feel heard, and to be given some resources and ideas to help them move forward,” says Horvath.

If you have further questions about AWE and any of its services, feel free to email info@awebusiness.com or check out their website at www.awebusiness.com.

In the grand tapestry of life, our bodies are remarkable works of art. Each day, trillions of cells labor tirelessly to maintain our health, ward off illness, and keep us thriving. Yet, the concept of cellular health often remains a mystery to many. Today, we embark on a journey into the microscopic world within us, to uncover the hidden secret to robust health – the health of our cells.

Our bodies are composed of countless cells, the fundamental units of life. These tiny powerhouses play multifaceted roles in ensuring our well-being. From processing nutrients and producing energy to eliminating waste and fighting off invaders, cells are the unsung heroes of the human body.

At the heart of cellular health lies a simple truth: when our cells thrive, we thrive. Conversely, when our cells struggle, our health suffers. Understanding this delicate balance and how to maintain it is the key to unlocking a healthier, more vibrant life. 

Think of your cells as an army defending the citadel of your body. When your cells are robust and fortified, they form an impenetrable shield against illness. They detect and neutralize threats, repair damage, and keep your body humming like a well-oiled machine. 

However, an array of factors, from poor nutrition to stress and environmental toxins, can weaken your cellular defenses. When this happens, your body becomes vulnerable to a range of health issues, from common colds to more serious chronic diseases.

Your mental and emotional well-being is intricately linked to your cellular health. Practices like mindfulness meditation, yoga, and tai chi can promote a positive mind-body connection, reducing stress and promoting overall well-being. This ripple effect of a peaceful mind extends to your cells, enhancing their resilience.

Also, Quality sleep is vital for cellular repair and regeneration. During deep sleep, your body undergoes essential processes to repair and maintain cellular health. Ensuring you get sufficient, restorative sleep supports overall well-being.

Proper nutrition is the first step for mitochondria support. Your cells require a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential nutrients to function optimally. 

To combat stress and protect your cells, consider incorporating relaxation techniques into your daily routine. Practices like meditation, deep breathing exercises, and regular physical activity can help reduce stress and fortify your cellular defenses. Our dietary choices are far from insignificant; they have a profound impact on the health of our cells. Consider nutrition as the fuel that powers your cellular engines. When you provide your cells with the right nutrients, you’re giving them the tools they need to function optimally and defend your body against illness.

The human body requires a wide array of nutrients to maintain cellular health. These include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids, which serve as the building blocks of our cells. When we consume a balanced diet rich in these essential nutrients, we provide our cells with the raw materials they need to carry out their functions effectively.

In the battle against free radicals and oxidative stress, antioxidants are our cellular bodyguards. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can damage cells and DNA, contributing to various diseases and aging. Antioxidants neutralize these harmful molecules, protecting our cells from harm.

Every cell in your body requires energy to perform its functions. This energy is generated through a process called cellular respiration, which occurs in tiny structures within cells called mitochondria. Proper nutrition is essential for efficient energy production.

We often explore various avenues, from nutrition to exercise and stress management. Yet, one vital component that frequently eludes our attention is sleep. Yes, that nightly journey into dreams is more than just rest for the weary; it’s a crucial factor in cellular restoration and overall well-being. 

As you nestle into your bed each night, an extraordinary journey begins—one that takes place within the hidden realms of your body. Sleep is a dynamic process comprising several distinct stages, each with its unique purpose and significance.

During sleep, your body undergoes a remarkable process of cellular repair and regeneration. It’s the time when damaged cells are repaired, toxins are eliminated, and the immune system is bolstered. Ensuring you get sufficient, restorative sleep is essential for maintaining cellular health.

A fascinating process called the glymphatic system becomes highly active during deep sleep. This system acts as a brain detoxifier, flushing out waste products and toxins that accumulate in your brain during waking hours. It’s a nightly cleanse that helps maintain cognitive function and reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

 Don’t underestimate the power of sleep. It’s a nightly voyage into cellular restoration, a vital process that impacts every facet of your well-being. By prioritizing quality sleep, you’re not only enhancing your cellular health but also fortifying your body’s defenses against illness and optimizing your overall health.

In the pursuit of vibrant health and well-being, we often focus on what we can control—the food we eat, the exercise we engage in, and the lifestyle choices we make. While these factors undoubtedly play a significant role in our overall health, there’s another, often overlooked, aspect that can profoundly affect the health of our cells and, consequently, our well-being: environmental toxins. 

We live in a world brimming with innovation and technological advancements, but with progress comes unintended consequences. Our environment, once teeming with pristine air, water, and soil, is now laden with pollutants and toxins that pose a significant risk to our health.

The air we breathe, vital to our survival, is under siege. Urbanization, industrialization, and the relentless burning of fossil fuels have contributed to the proliferation of air pollutants. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ground-level ozone are just a few of the harmful substances that permeate the air in many urban areas.

The air we breathe, vital to our survival, is under siege. Urbanization, industrialization, and the relentless burning of fossil fuels have contributed to the proliferation of air pollutants. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ground-level ozone are just a few of the harmful substances that permeate the air in many urban areas.

The impact of environmental toxins is crucial to maintaining robust health. While we may not be able to eliminate all environmental toxins from our lives, we can take proactive steps to reduce our exposure and support our cells’ ability to detoxify and repair.

The Power of Exercise

Physical activity isn’t just good for your muscles; it’s also a potent promoter of cellular health. Exercise improves blood circulation, enhances oxygen delivery to cells, and stimulates the release of endorphins, which reduce stress. Regular physical activity supports overall cellular vitality.

In the quest for better health and well-being, it’s crucial to recognize the integral role of cellular health. Your cells are the foundation upon which your health is built. By providing them with the care and attention they deserve, you can unlock the secret to robust health, ward off illness, and embrace a life of vitality.

As you embark on your journey to cellular health, remember that small, consistent changes in your lifestyle can yield significant results. Nourish your cells, reduce stress, stay active, and prioritize rest. In doing so, you’ll not only protect your health but also empower yourself to lead a vibrant and fulfilling life. Your cells are your allies in this journey—treat them well, and they will reward you with vitality and well-being for years to come.