Communication skills

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Covid-19 has brought us undeniable heartache and stress. However, it has also yielded some positive changes to our lives, and one of those is better and more widely used communication technology. Cell phones, especially smartphones, have become almost indispensable to daily life. Ninety-one percent of older adults own a cell phone and 53% of those are smartphones. And during Covid, they came into major use with food delivery from restaurants and from grocery stores. Some of the most popular food delivery apps, like Instacart, UberEats, Doordash , and Grubhub GRUB , are still enjoying wide popularity. Zoom , Skype , and FaceTime allow us to connect with loved ones and business associates no matter how far we live from them. Smart home devices provide entertainment, safety, and convenience for older adults in their home. These smart devices and upgraded internet connectivity have also made possible the … [Read more...] about Covid Brought A Much-Needed Tech Infusion To The Lives Of Older Adults At Home And Senior Living Communities

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Alison Brie added another impressive notch to her writing belt with the film Spin Me Round , screening at the Cinequest Film Festival Wednesday evening (September 17) at 7:15 p.m. PT at the Hammer Theatre Centre in San Jose, California. Spin Me Round will be in theaters, On Demand, and streaming on AMC+ August 19th. The movie marks the third feature film writing credit for Brie, who plays “Amber” in addition to co-writing the movie about a woman who wins an all-expenses-paid trip to her company's facility outside of Florence and the chance to meet the restaurant chain's rich, charismatic owner. As Alison has impressed with her acting in major projects like Community , Glow , and Mad Men over the years, as well as 70-plus other works, I found myself zeroing in on the story, character development, and jokes in Spin Me Round — which all flowed beautifully like an Italian red — that she helped create. Brie … [Read more...] about How Alison Brie Struck Perfect Balance Of Heart And Comedy In ‘Spin Me Round’

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin While working at Oscar Health, Gaurang Choksi realized a disconnect when it came to the inclusive care that diverse patients needed. He remembers that clients would come in looking for a health care clinician that represented them, but that wasn’t a possibility. Meanwhile, those patients would sometimes have difficulty connecting with doctors from other backgrounds, because their needs weren’t fully understood. This is the experience that led him to found Violet, a digital platform that allows clinicians to take courses to become skilled in diversity, equity and inclusion. On Monday, the company announced that it has raised $5.3M in seed funding. The seed round was led by SemperVirens Northwell Holdings, the venture arm of Northwell Health, The Venture Collective, Hopelab and Naomi Allen (founder and CEO of digital health company Brightline.) “Historically before Violet, what everybody would do is say, ‘what communities … [Read more...] about This Startup Just Raised $5.3 Million To Make Healthcare More Inclusive

When President Marcos announced during his first State of the Nation Address that there would be no more lockdowns moving forward, businesses were so happy that finally, economic reopening will continue and livelihoods will stabilize. The resumption of in-person classes added to the optimism. However, there seems to be some overzealous local government units (LGUs) that insist on their own guidelines that are not in sync with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Take the case of this mayor in a city in Mindanao who issued a rule requiring that all establishments may operate at full capacity provided that all employees and customers present proof of COVID-19 booster jabs before entering any such establishments. The city, just like Metro Manila, is already operating under alert level 1, which supposedly relaxes a lot of the mobility protocols. Based on the framework issued by the mayor, those who will not comply with the city’s … [Read more...] about BIZ BUZZ: Overbearing LGU mayor

Finding a sense of community and connection online has never felt more important than right now, even as the world is starting to open up a little more. Our team at Masthead Media has been working remotely for several years , and although we're fairly well-versed in this way of collaborating, we still like to find new ways to connect and virtually hang out with our co-workers and industry peers. For me, connecting with other female founders -- sharing our struggles and small wins as we navigate the current moment -- has been invaluable. And just as importantly, it has helped me to grow my network, so that my business can continue to grow and thrive. Here are just some of my favorite online networks for women that are welcoming new members to their communities. HeyMama I joined HeyMama last March, just as everything in the U.S. was shutting down -- and little did I know what an essential resource (and source of solidarity!) it would be for me during … [Read more...] about Here’s How Top Women Leaders and Entrepreneurs Are Networking During the Pandemic

As any small business founder knows, the journey to launching a company is a rollercoaster, to say the least. Thankfully, there are so many resources (and funding opportunities) available to entrepreneurs. There's never been a better time to bring your business idea to life--particularly if you have the right partner to help you do it. My co-founder Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich and I worked together before we started our content marketing company (she was originally my boss at a popular magazine nearly a decade ago). While we didn't set out to create a business together, we both had strong--and similar-- ideas about how the publishing industry was changing. After talking outside of the office, we realized we both wanted to create a company that connected top-tier journalists with brands to create powerful high-quality content. We launched our company Masthead Media in 2012, and as the years progressed, we  learned how to leverage each other's strengths to turn … [Read more...] about Should You Find a Co-Founder Before Starting a Business? 4 Critical Questions to Ask First

Somewhere between the start of the Great Recession of 2007 and the Age of the Unicorn , America ushered in the era of the freelance economy. Today, the workers powering our most innovative companies are increasingly likely to be independent contractors, rather than W2 employees. Last year, the number of freelancers in the United States grew by 700,000 people , and comprised a full 34 percent of the workforce. As you work to scale your own business, you'll find that freelancers can be an essential, integral part of that process. Having a flexible, agile workforce allows you to scale up more quickly--without taking on the risk of hiring full-time staffers right away. What's not so obvious is that freelancers need (and yes, crave!) great leadership to inspire, motivate, and challenge them. At Masthead Media (where a large percentage of our team members are 1099 contributors) we've learned that proactively managing freelancers in an empowering, mutually … [Read more...] about 6 Secrets for Transforming Freelancers into Insanely Productive (and Loyal!) Workers | Inc.com

By Sam Bahreini, a serial entrepreneur and growth marketer. Personal relationships are important for entrepreneurs because they provide an outlet separate from the company and can help you avoid burnout . However, they are inherently limited because you can only have so many family members and close friends that you engage with on a frequent basis. Professional networks , however, enable you to connect with like-minded people across the globe on a different level. Building a strong and diverse professional network is crucial for entrepreneurs. It embeds you within a valuable community filled with knowledgeable and resourceful people. Entrepreneurship Is Inherently Lonely The entire experience of creating and building a startup is filled with seeming contradictions. It's often thrilling yet nerve-wracking; it's filled with endless possibilities but also is incredibly risky; it surrounds you with a team of like-minded people, but it also is very lonely. … [Read more...] about Why Professional Networking Is the Missing Piece to Your Success

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Web3 is an innovative and sometimes confusing space that many businesses are still learning to navigate and maximize. For some of the biggest brands in the world, Cathy Hackl has been the essential guide into the Metaverse. Hackl is a Web3 strategist and tech futurist. As founder and Chief Metaverse Officer at Journey (formerly Futures Intelligence Group), she supports brands who are breaking ground and expanding their businesses into the virtual world. Her studio helps clients capitalize on tools like NFTs, gaming, virtual fashion, virtual worlds and Metaverse growth strategies. Hackl is largely credited with being the first professional to be bestowed the title of Chief Metaverse Officer. Appropriately nicknamed the Godmother of the Metaverse, Hackl has been at the forefront of bringing Web3 to business strategy. But her success didn’t begin in tech. Hackl was a broadcast journalist before transitioning into corporate … [Read more...] about Meet The World’s First Chief Metaverse Officer: How Cathy Hackl Is Demystifying Web3 For Female Professionals

(CTN News) – Rett syndrome is a genetic neurological and developmental disorder that affects brain development. As a result of this disorder, motor skills and language decline. Females are primarily affected by Rett syndrome . An infant with syndromes seems to have a normal first six months of life. When this occurs, the babies lose skills they previously had, such as crawling, walking, communicating, or using their hands. Children with syndromes have increasing problems using muscles that control movement, coordination, and communication over time. There is also a possibility of seizures and intellectual disability associated with Rett syndrome. It has become uncommon to use your hands purposefully. Instead, you use them in unusual ways, such as rubbing them together or clapping them. Potential treatments are being investigated for Rett syndrome, despite the fact that there is no cure. For children and adults with Rett syndrome and their families, current treatment … [Read more...] about Rett Syndrome Angels Partner With Worcester’s Double Down For The Next Draft