How to Be More Than an Average Joe
You may not have discovered that one true thing that makes you get up each day, but you’re trying.
None of us knows the meaning of life, and who knows what wild, crazy adventure comes next in our existence?
Why not be proud and make it a dream right now?
Average Joes don’t believe that moments in time are connected.
Your job is to help people build their own sand castle so they can feel good.
Practice finding the good in people rather than the bad, and your success will transform into something special.
We’re attracted to things that make us feel good, so why not become a being in this world that does just that?
Extraordinary people act as they are.
It’s not that they have a massive ego (in fact, quite the opposite), it’s that they are happy with who they are because they feel they’re making a difference.
With this one thought, you can now put on your Superman cape and get to work, chief.
Gerard Adams and Ryan Holiday on Making Unconventional Choices
Gerard Adams and Ryan Holiday on Making Unconventional Choices.
On this episode of Leaders Create Leaders, Entrepreneur Network partner Gerard Adams sits down with marketer-turned-author Ryan Holiday.
Holiday, who dropped out of college at the age of 19 to become an apprentice, has gone on to become the director of marketing for American Apparel, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author and editor-at-large at the New York Observer .
So how did he manage to accomplish so much before many people have paid off their college debt?
By taking the smallest possible step and deciding on a direction, not just wishing for a destination.
Watch the video to learn more.
See more episodes of Leaders Create Leaders Season 1 and 2 on Gerard Adam’s YouTube channel.
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Should You Still Offer Health Insurance as a Benefit?
Should You Still Offer Health Insurance as a Benefit?.
Businesses that once might have planned to send employees to an individual marketplace for coverage now could be questioning whether they should continue (or even begin) offering health insurance as a benefit.
If you’re looking for answers, you’ll find them only after you ask the right questions.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed benefit that every company should offer.
Already provide health insurance.
If you believe it’s best for your business and your employees to ask workers to shop for policies through a health insurance exchange, you’re not completely out of the woods.
But if you have fewer than 25 employees, you may qualify for a Small Business Health Care Tax Credit that’s worth up to 50 percent of your premium costs.
How robust is the exchange’s offering in your market?
Who are your employees?
Does your current group of workers qualify for marketplace subsidies?
You win or you learn — 10 years, 10 startup learnings
On funding If founders aren’t thinking about the product, they are surely, most definitely, thinking about funding.
So, lack of investor dollars means an opportunity to be quick, creative, and courageous.
I realise it’s not important for me or for my team to work more than everyone else.
Whatever it is, make sure you start up for the right reasons.
That’s when you have got to learn to trust other people who will do the job you are doing yourself.
As a founder, you want make sure you have put together a great team not just at the office, but off the workplace too.
Many founders think they can learn how to build a team from other successful founders and startups.
But, sometimes, when things don’t work out, you aren’t quite sure what went wrong.
So while success is important, I believe it’s far more rewarding to look back in 10 or 20 years and think of the wonderful times starting up.
The early stages followed by the growth phase is a defining period, filled with personal development, marked by many learnings and hard work.
March Every Day for Women Entrepreneurs
March Every Day for Women Entrepreneurs.
Now that the event is over, I continue marching for women entrepreneurs — and here’s why: People often talk about the glass ceiling, but there’s really more than one.
In this world, you still can attend PTA meetings and be on a first-name basis with your child’s third-grade teacher.
Many women make it to middle management.
You won’t face as much opposition to rise to this level, and the equal-opportunity policies in place at most medium- to large-sized companies makes this role more accommodating for working women (with or without children).
It’s the “abundance” ceiling, and it means having enough money that you don’t need to worry about your bank balance for the rest of your life. “That’s what women are,” Manus said. “Once you get to the top, send an elevator back down for another woman.”
But I understand I don’t have to get all the way to the top before I look to see who’s making her way up behind me.
It doesn’t take a march to stand up for women.
Here’s How to Fix the H-1B Visa Program to Drive Startup Growth
Or, he could draw foreign engineers away from outsourcing firms and into fast-growing technology companies, which build products we all use and create new jobs for Americans.
170, called the Protect and Grow American Jobs Act, would raise the minimum salary for exempt nonimmigrant H-1B workers from $60,000 to $100,000.
It would effectively raise the minimum exempt H-1B wage to $132,000, and its “market-based allocation” system would favor H-1B visas for candidates who are offered the highest wages, an indicator of their relative talent and value to the U.S. economy.
Lofgren, too, calls for eliminating the master’s degree exemption.
Second, hire visa recipients at or near the minimum salary.
Silicon Valley companies are already paying their H-1B engineers more than the minimum wage required under the current H-1B program and the new proposals.
A better H-1B program Technology startups, by definition, create innovation.
If startups could find all the talent they need in the U.S, they would.
prioritize the protection of American workers.” If that were implemented unreasonably — by, for instance, forcing companies to prove they reviewed 50 American candidates before recruiting abroad — the program would backfire.
If Trump overhauls the H-1B program to stop outsourcing firms from arbitraging foreign talent, great.
This NYC Startup Just Raised $5M So That You Can Ditch the Sleep Tracker Around Your Wrist
This NYC Startup Just Raised $5M So That You Can Ditch the Sleep Tracker Around Your Wrist.
Who were your investors and how much did you raise?
Tell us about your product or service.
Eight offers innovative products for better sleep.
We design products by leveraging sleep data.
What market you are targeting and how big is it?
What are the biggest challenges that you faced while raising capital?
There are not many investors who fund hardware companies.
Focus on finding product market fit so you can start generating revenue.
We see the company driving innovation and dictating trends in the sleep industry.
5 Secrets of Masterful 1-1 Meetings
5 Secrets of Masterful 1-1 Meetings.
The concept of having a regular meeting, whether monthly, bi-weekly or weekly, with an employee or team member wasn’t commonplace.
In fact, managers conducting 1-1s should be listening, on average, 90 percent of the time.
They use silence effectively.
Why is silence so important?
Because silence provides the employee mental space, allowing for active attention and focus.
Yet, for the unpracticed manager, silence can be very uncomfortable.
They consistently practice and are committed to continuous improvement.
Positive feedback motivates people and reinforces the behaviors leaders value.
If you are committed to becoming masterful with your 1-1 meetings, make a commitment today to start practicing these techniques, and watch your team members become more engaged and accelerate their success.
Snapchat files for its initial public offering: Here are the 10 most interesting things we’ve learned so far
Snap sees itself as a camera company: No, really.
“In the way that the flashing cursor became the starting point for most products on desktop computers, we believe that the camera screen will be the starting point for most products on smartphones,” the company said in its filing.
“This is because images created by smartphone cameras contain more context and richer information than other forms of input like text entered on a keyboard.” The company said that it plans to create more camera products to “improve our life experiences.” That may explain why the company is willing to branch out beyond its app and into products like Spectacles, the camera glasses that it’s selling in pop-up stores around the country.
This is how much it makes off each user: On average, Snap makes $1.05 off each user per quarter.
The company posted a net loss of $372.8 million in 2015 and a net loss of $514.6 million in 2016.
The company reported revenue of $404.5 million in 2016, up significantly from the previous year’s figure of $58 million.
It is worried about Brexit: Snap acknowledges that it is trying to make its public debut at a time when the financial markets are a little crazy.
“If the FCC, Congress, the European Union, or the courts modify these open internet rules, mobile providers may be able to limit our users’ ability to access Snapchat or make Snapchat a less attractive alternative to our competitors’ applications.” Snapchat is definitely a young person’s network: There has been some discussion of where the “Snapchat line” is, referring to the age beyond which the network becomes confusing for the average person.
Snapchat seems to put this line at 25, based on this statistic from its filing: “Users 25 and older visited Snapchat approximately 12 times and spent approximately 20 minutes on Snapchat every day on average in the quarter ended December 31, 2016, while users younger than 25 visited Snapchat over 20 times and spent over 30 minutes on Snapchat every day on average during the same period.” That said, the company also boasts that more than half of its new daily users in the United States are over 25.
We believe that if we do a good job listening to our community, we can create products that solve their problems even if the products we create aren’t immediately used by everyone.” Chief executive Evan Spiegel makes how much?
7 Popular Goal Setting Strategies That Will Help You Achieve Great Things on Social Media
7 Popular Goal Setting Strategies That Will Help You Achieve Great Things on Social Media.
This set me out on the research path to look into other popular goal setting strategies and frameworks that exist and seeing how these might work for social media marketing.
How will you know when you’ve achieved your goal?
Goal: 2.
Limit the complexities by focusing on a set number of specific growth strategies.
Goal: 3.
Key result — What specific numbers can we aim for?
Goal:
Goal:
The goal: 7.
How to Succeed in International Markets
Entrepreneurs have plenty to consider before expanding their business to international markets.
Good timing, international competition and integration into a different culture are also critical to this process. “It needs to be revisited as often as markets and teams change.” “Being on the same page will create a more unified team, message and better preparation for when you’re tested globally,” Patal says.
Members of your team may resist buying into globalization, which is a part of the process, Patel reminds us.
Failure to take the right steps early on can cause a much faster collapse in international markets than what we’d see domestically.
Being prepared for every scenario will help your company confidently tackle these challenges, so it’s important to educate your team.
The impact your company makes in a new place will depend on your execution and consistency.
You’ll need to keep those values consistent across all territories, because it’s “what consumers associate your brand with, hence why you need consistency and brand protection” for assimilation, Patel says.
“No matter what country, you want consumers to feel welcomed, comfortable and clearly understand the brand,” Patel says.
Snapchat Parent Showcases Its Strength in Preparation for I.P.O.
In its first public prospectus, Snap Inc. disclosed on Thursday that it had built a nearly $405 million advertising business in just over two years.
While the filing does not indicate a price for an initial public offering, Snap is expected to seek a market valuation of more than $20 billion from investors.
From 2011 to 2012, the number of people using the Snapchat app every day grew to one million from 1,000.
By the end of last year, an average of 158 million people were using the app daily.
In the prospectus, Snap said that nearly all of its revenue came from advertising, a market that is expected to grow globally to $767 billion in 2020 from $652 billion in 2016.
The fastest-growing segment of that market is mobile advertising, the home of Snap’s business.
The segment is expected to grow to $196 billion in 2020 from $66 billion last year.
By the end of 2016, the prospectus says, Snap made $1.05 for each of its users, up from 31 cents in the fourth quarter of 2015.
While generally seen as a social media company like Facebook and Twitter, Snap declared in its prospectus that it “is a camera company.” And indeed last year, Snap introduced a line of camera-equipped sunglasses, Spectacles, which help funnel even more user content onto the platform.
On Thursday, The New York Times Company announced a partnership with Snapchat Discover.
The Simple Way to Succeed? Take Care Of People and Make Sure They’re Happy.
The Simple Way to Succeed?
Take Care Of People and Make Sure They’re Happy..
The name One Off Hospitality Group implies that every project is unique, and operated in a spirit of complete and utter creativity.
It suggests that each project might be our last, which is why each project is handled with the utmost attention to detail and character.
Donnie Madia, restaurateur and One Off owner, says one of the most important lessons he has learned — taught him by his mother and aunt — is to take care of people and make sure that they are happy.
Madia and his team are about excellence and making people feel like they have never felt anywhere else.
What’s one piece of advice that Madia could give to someone?
Find out.
Entrepreneur Network is a premium video network providing entertainment, education and inspiration from successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders.
We provide expertise and opportunities to accelerate brand growth and effectively monetize video and audio content distributed across all digital platforms for the business genre.
3 Reasons Entrepreneurs and Startups Are Bringing Toys Back to Life
Entrepreneurs and startups are always reimagining industries and changing the ways businesses operate.
With innovation tied mostly to new franchises rather than new types of toys, the toy industry is one of those industries ready for a significant upgrade.
Yet the industry remains a powerhouse, with immense potential, evidenced by data from Statista, which shows that the U.S. toy market is worth $21.18 billion.
Tech brands, then, are recognizing the potential the toy industry has and creating innovative product offerings, which may be exactly what the industry needs to resurrect previously successful franchises and increase revenue.
Making toys more engaging By creating collectibles that help enhance game play, Mattel, PowerCore and Animoca Brands are making the mobile experience more engaging and giving the physical toys involved a purpose.
Lean, creative startups in both the toy and gaming space can partner with more established brands to help them innovate while leveraging their existing distribution network and marketing resources to help grow the franchise.
The second is that 3D printing creates opportunities for consumers to customize their toy experience.
But it is fair to assume that industry leaders will try to leverage each of these movements to drive growth in the coming years.
Shen recommends, “The key is seamlessly integrating games into everyday life.
In doing som they become a natural lens through which you experience real life.” Companies that leverage the toys-to-life genre to create games that are intertwined with everyday life stand to experience significant growth in 2017.
Hollywood Stars Share How Early Failure Shaped Their Careers
Hollywood Stars Share How Early Failure Shaped Their Careers.
Entrepreneur TV focuses on entrepreneurs, startups and stars who have created their own products or launched their own businesses.
You’ll learn success secrets from celebrities, productivity hacks from billionaires and more.
On the fourth episode of Entrepreneur TV, learn from stars like: Tom Ford Jillian Michaels Kathy Griffin .
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Trainer Jillian Michaels breaks down when to go all in and when to pivot on a business idea.
Fashion designer and film director Tom Ford explains why he chose not to create the costumes for Nocturnal Animals, and Kathy Griffin talks about taking the bus and paying for stage time to get her start.
Tastemakers Africa CEO Cheraé Robinson explains the challenges in shifting from a bootstrap company to one with outside funding, and Gerard Adams reveals why it’s harder to stay a millionaire than become one.
To learn more, click play.
Watch new episodes Sundays on REELZ at 8 a.m.
Uber Founder Resigns From Trump Council. Read His Full Text Explanation.
Uber Founder Resigns From Trump Council.
Both Musk and Kalanick have received criticism for their participation in the forum.
However, but backlash against Uber recently reached a fever pitch this weekend after the signing of an executive order impacting immigrants and refugees.
Related: 40 Reactions (and Counting) to Trump’s Travel Ban From Richard Branson to Sheryl Sandberg Uber suspended surge pricing to and from New York’s JFK’s airport on Saturday — a move that was met with mixed results since it coincided with a protest that swarmed the airport and a strike from the NY Taxi Workers Alliance.
Some felt that the surge suspension was opportunistic and disloyal to the taxi drivers.
This morning, Kalanick spoke to the President about his need to step down from the council, according to the New York Times.
Dear Team: Earlier today, I spoke briefly with the President about the immigration executive order and its issues for our community.
There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that.
The executive order is hurting many people in communities all across America.
Please know, your questions and stories on Tuesday, along with what I heard from drivers, have kept me resilient and reminded me of one of our most essential cultural values, Be Yourself.
BRIEF-Ramaco Resources prices initial public offering
BRIEF-Ramaco Resources prices initial public offering.
Feb 2 Ramaco Resources Inc * Prices initial public offering * Announced pricing of its initial public offering of 6,000,000 shares of its common stock at $13.50 per share Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
Exclusive: Blume Ventures-backed fintech firm SlicePay buys rival Trustio
The acquisition will help SlicePay expand its team and enhance its product capability, Rajan Bajaj, co-founder and chief executive of the payments startup told Techcircle.
Trustio is an invite-only alumni network that offers students and recent graduates a platform for borrowing and lending.
As part of the acquisition, Bharadwaj, the chief executive of Trustio, and a number of employees from the firm’s seven-member team, will join SlicePay at Bangalore.
SlicePay is a micro-lending platform for students to purchase products on credit without collateral.
The company raised $500,000 from early-stage investor Blume Ventures and startup incubator Tracxn Labs in early 2016.
SlicePay provides credit line of up to Rs 60,000 to students from over 300 colleges in Bangalore and Chennai through its proprietary risk mechanism.
The final loan disbursal is done by one of the two consumer lending NBFCs they work with.
Bajaj claimed the startup disburses around 15,000 loans a month currently with an outstanding credit line of about Rs 28 crore and growing at 18% week-on-week.
He said the company will venture into offering its services to young professionals in three years.
Early last month, Gurgaon-based fintech startup Loan Frame Technologies Pte Ltd raised $2.25 million (Rs 15.3 crore) in seed investment led by Vedanta Capital, with participation from other investors.