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Grateful Labs Disrupted The Wellness And Art Industry With A Gratitude Wall in Tel Aviv

Grateful Labs recently disrupted the wellness and art industries by installing a Gratitude Wall at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square from March 25th, 2022, to April 9th and hosted a massive Street-Art Installation & Wellness Festival. 

Founded in January of 2022, the company’s goal is to elevate the overall practice of self-care, wellness, and enhance the well-being of humanity by pairing ancient practices of gratitude with art and technology. The Gratitude Wall is the first of its kind installation and the company expects to install others around the globe.

The Street-Art Installation & Wellness Festival was a community-based two-week event that offered art, music, yoga, meditation, sound healing, and more. The Grateful Labs installed Gratitude Wall had thousands of signatures from those that participated in the festival and programming. 

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have suffered from declining mental health while adjusting to new norms for how they live their lives. The pandemic curtailed our social events, and social interactions were cut to almost nothing.   As a result, people all over the world began feeling the mental health impact to being alone for significant periods of time. Friendships changed…divorce rates grew, and it became harder and harder to maintain our positivity.  Throughout the past two and a half years, it has been easy to forget to be grateful for things we have, and the practice of gratitude almost disappeared completely. 

Max Marine, the Co-Founder and CEO of Grateful Labs, understood intrinsically how important the ancient practice of gratitude is, and decided to launch a company to help others get back to a better place.  He created the Gratitude Wall with his team as a first step to bringing back the daily practice of gratitude and to make being thankful cool again. 

According to Proctor Gallager Institute website, Joel Wong and Joshua Brown conducted a study on gratitude back in 2017. They found that “Gratitude disconnects us from toxic, negative emotions and the ruminating that often accompanies them. Writing a letter “shifts our attention” so that our focus is on positive emotions. The positive effects of gratitude writing compound like interest. You might not notice the benefit of a daily or weekly practice, but after several weeks and months, you will. A gratitude practice trains the brain to be more in tune with experiencing gratitude — a positive plus a positive, equal more positives.” 

Ironically, Max Marine may have never seen this study, but he has always understood how important it is to be grateful.  The Gratitude Wall’s main character is the Grateful Giraffe, due to its ancient symbolism of spirituality, positivity, and more. Since the festival ended, Marine and his team have turned their first Gratitude Wall into NFT which will launch this June 21st on World Giraffe Day.  Those that participate will also be part of the company’s Virtual House of Gratitude. 

For more information on Grateful Labs or their Grateful Giraffe NFT, please visit https://www.gratefulgiraffes.com/ or on Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/gratefulgiraffes/.

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Robert Kraft Comments on Multiple Items at Media Breakfast

The New England Patriots have a legendary coach in Bill Belichick and a high-quality quarterback in Mac Jones. Robert Kraft recently reiterated his confidence in these leaders at a breakfast discussion with the media. In his projections, Kraft expects the 2022 National Football League season to be a good one for his team.

Robert Kraft Sees a Bright 2022 Season

The media breakfast took place on the morning of Tuesday, March 29. The breakfast was part of the NFL’s Annual Meeting, which is always held at the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Florida. 

Addressing not just local but national reporters, Robert Kraft admitted to having frustrations over the past three seasons. After years of success and multiple Super Bowl championships, the New England Patriots haven’t won a playoff game during the past three seasons. 

Like the sun rising as he discussed his team, however, Kraft expects the 2022 season to be a change. He mentioned the unprecedented amount that the team spent last year, a strong 2021 draft class that the coaches and front office put together, and Bill Belichick’s unparalleled level of success in the past. 

Based on these three major considerations, Kraft expects a bright and rising future for the team — and that’s a bright future which should come this year.

Kraft Sees Promise in Quarterback Mac Jones

Specifically speaking on his observations of Mac Jones, Kraft had only good things to say about the second-year quarterback. His performance this year should build on a strong rookie season, which is never easy to navigate in the league.

Kraft has obviously observed Mac Jones in practice, and interacted directly with him on multiple occasions. The owner praised Jones’s work ethic, attention to detail, and how much time and energy he devotes to perfecting his play. He wants every play, every read, everything to go right.

In addition to being a player who works hard, Kraft also mentioned that he was impressed with Jones’s personality. He described the quarterback as being humble and a good person. He’s liked by the front office, coaching staff, players and owner.

Of course, such a promising young quarterback requires a good coaching staff. Kraft spoke highly of Bill Belichick, who was instrumental in identifying and signing Jones as the quarterback. Belichick was also involved in the decision to give Jones the starting quarterback job this year, and continues to be involved in Jones’s development as an individual player and as the team’s on-field general.

Other Comments on the 2022 Season

The media asked Robert Kraft several other questions that he obliged during the morning breakfast. 

He acknowledged Bill Belichick’s unique but successful methods, and admitted that he sometimes doesn’t understand the methods just as fans don’t always. Belichick has a record that speaks for itself, though, and Kraft tries not to interfere with coaching decisions. 

Kraft is trusting that Belichick will have the right defensive and offensive coordinators in place for the season, which is still months away.

Robert Kraft indicated that he has hopes to return to (and win) the Super Bowl, possibly as early as this year. The quarterback is promising, and hopefully future seasons will bring success to the team. If the team comes together this year, the timeline could be accelerated. Not only might the team win several playoff games, but they have a chance to win it all in Kraft’s opinion.

In commenting on the Patriot’s approach to free agency this year, Kraft noted the large expenditures that the front office made last year and the salary cap. The team is somewhat limited in how much they can spend this year as a result.

Kraft also gave some perspective on how free agency works, however While headlines are exciting at this time of year — especially when at a media breakfast — the year’s entire free agency period matters. The Patriots may sign players right up until the deadline, and those players will still be on the team come playoff time.

In all of this, Kraft ended the breakfast saying that he wants to win football games. That’s what all of these decisions and efforts work toward.

See more about Robert Kraft here: https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/club/bios/robert-kraft

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Eric Goldstein: Former Temp Agency Owner Swindles NY State

As major states in the Northeast grapple with shortfalls in tax revenue, we at Baltimore News Journal will be profiling some individuals notorious for cheating their local state tax authorities. As the NYPOST reported back in 2010, one such person is Eric Goldstein. Goldstein was the owner of a Manhattan based temp agency who swindled the state for approximately $25 million, according to prosecutors in the case filed against him.

This is money that should have properly been paid into the workers’ comp system during the decade prior. Goldstein was subsequently charged with insurance fraud, forgery and a slew of other criminal charges. After getting into the arrears on premiums, Goldstein was thrown out by the New York State Insurance Fund, which is the agency tasked with managing and administering workers’ comp.

Under the GT Systems’ umbrella, Goldstein remained undeterred – creating approximately 50 subsidiary companies. According to the prosecutors, Goldstein would then have his employees falsely deny any connection to him vis a vis paperwork he would have them submit. Naturally, this also included Goldstein lying about the size of his subsidiaries’ payrolls. And like clockwork, as soon as New York State tried to audit his companies’ payrolls, he’d immediately shuffle the workers on payroll into other companies under new names, according to prosecutors involved in the case.

As Manhattan DA Cy Vance said at the time: “Fraud like this drives up premiums for honest New Yorkers, and hurts both taxpayers and our workforce. He went on to say that “today’s case is the largest premium fraud case our office has seen to date.”

New York State publishes an annual list of the top 250 most delinquent taxpayers in the state. As of 2021, Mr. Goldstein ranked twenty-eighth on the list – owing a total docketed balance amount of $2,404,499.16.

As state’s continue working to generate tax revenue to be able to maintain they can provide their administrative services to their residents, it’s important that those with a history of seeking to evade the responsibility of evading those same taxes are highlighted. We look forward to continuing to do so.

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What is the Difference Between a Bank and a Trust Company

A bank and a trust company are financial institutions, but there are some critical differences between them.

A bank is a commercial institution that accepts deposits from the public and makes loans.

A trust company such as this firm is a financial institution specializing in trust services, such as administering estates, guardianships, and conservatorships.

Although commercial banks own many trust companies, they function independently of commercial banks. The services offered by trust companies include trust administration, investment management, and fiduciary services.

Understanding the differences between them can help investors and other interested parties determine which institution is best to use for their needs.

What is a Bank?

A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits and makes loans. Banks are essential because they provide a way for people to save money and borrow money. Banks also offer a way for companies to borrow money to finance their operations.

Banks make money by charging interest on loans and earning dividends on investments. Banks are regulated by the government and must follow specific rules, such as keeping a certain percentage of their assets in reserve.

Banks are essential because they provide liquidity to the economy. Liquidity is the ability of firms to borrow money when they need it. When banks are healthy, they provide liquidity to the economy and allow businesses to grow.

What is a Trust Company?

A trust company is a legal arrangement in which a grantor transfers assets to a fiduciary responsible for managing and distributing the assets per the grantor’s wishes. Trust companies frequently manage estate assets, as they provide a secure and tax-advantaged way to pass on wealth to future generations.

Fiduciaries must always act in the best interests of their clients and are held to a high standard of care. Custodianship is another critical role of trust companies, as they are responsible for safeguarding the assets under their supervision.

Trust companies also act as agents for their clients, facilitating transactions and communications between them and other parties.

The Difference Between a Bank and a Trust Company

Even though a bank can own a trust company, the two businesses have different functions. A trust company provides investment management and asset preservation services, while a bank provides safekeeping and safe exchange of funds. Below are more differences:

In many cases, trust companies function as the trust department of a larger bank that provides specialized services.

Trust companies generate income by acting as trustees for real estate, investments, etc. The banks profit from keeping money, processing transactions, and offering loans.

Trust companies cannot make loans to their members. A bank cannot act as a trustee for an individual or entity unless it has the appropriate license.

A bank provides services typically offered by trust companies. This is because they either own one or rely on one for third-party services.

Conclusion

A bank and a trust company are financial institutions, but they have different purposes.

A bank is mainly a place to deposit and withdraw money, while a trust company offers more services, such as estate planning and investment advice.

If you are looking for a more comprehensive financial solution, a trust company may be better.

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Leading CDMO Samsung Biologics Invests in mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing

With the evolution of three COVID-19 variants , biopharmaceutical companies have had to keep mRNA vaccines, treatments, and therapies at the center of their innovations and expansions. Researchers, medical facilities, and manufacturers have had to maintain a steady rate of progression when it comes to making and distributing these treatments and vaccines throughout the world to keep the virus at bay. Contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) like Samsung Biologics have had to join the movement to streamline and make these medications accessible. 

mRNA, or messenger RNA, is not a new concept. Researchers discovered it in the 1980s, but according to one source, “mRNA was seen as too unstable and expensive to be used as a drug or a vaccine. Dozens of academic labs and companies worked on the idea, struggling with finding the right formula of fats and nucleic acids — the building blocks of mRNA vaccines.” However, due to the urgency of the pandemic, many medical companies found ways to use mRNA to prevent COVID-19 and lessen the effects of the symptoms for those who did catch the virus. 

Samsung Biologics spent 2021 and plans to spend 2022 continuing to invest in mRNA production and development, which has already helped the company to partner with prominent pharmaceutical companies. 

Moderna, AstraZeneca, and GreenLight Biosciences

Companies rely on CDMOs like Samsung Biologics to partner with them to distribute and manufacture their products. With the rising demand around the world for more vaccines and treatments, pharmaceutical companies need assistance in making these medications accessible for everyone. 

Companies like Moderna, AstraZeneca, and GreenLight Biosciences sought out Samsung Biologics for assistance in the development of mRNA products. Samsung Biologics announced a deal with GreenLight Biosciences, a biotechnology company that manufactures RNA products, in November 2021. Samsung Biologics will produce GreenLight’s messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate. “We are delighted to partner with GreenLight to leverage our expertise in manufacturing a messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate to better serve patients in lower-income countries,” said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics. 

Samsung Biologics partnered with Moderna in May 2021 to develop mRNA-1273, a highly efficient two-dose mRNA vaccine. In the United States alone, Moderna doses have been provided more than 150 million times. Moderna is 96.3% effective against the COVID-19 delta strain. Samsung Biologics agreed to provide large-scale, commercial fill/finish manufacturing for mRNA-1273, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

AstraZeneca made an agreement with Samsung Biologics for the CDMO to manufacture the company’s long-acting antibody combination. AZD7442 can complement vaccines by giving more protection to those who are already immunocompromised, on dialysis, suffering from cancer, or have an organ transplant. 

Samsung Biologics also collaborated with Enzolytics Inc. The firm required CDMO services to support IND submissions for anti-HIV and anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of HIV and SARS-CoV-2. 

Developing Technologies to Address the Demand for mRNA Vaccines

Samsung Biologics has already expanded its business range and production capacity to meet market demand as part of its long-term growth strategy. When Samsung’s new Songdo mRNA DS manufacturing suite is completed in the first half of 2022, the CDMO will be able to provide pharmaceutical companies with end-to-end mRNA vaccine production services, from bulk drug substances to aseptic fill/finish, including labeling and packaging, and cold chain storage.

mRNA offers enormous promise for medical study in the future. Future research on mRNA vaccines may result in the ability to protect against several viruses and illnesses rather than simply one. mRNA vaccines against influenza, Zika virus, rabies, and cytomegalovirus have been tried. However, cancer research has taught mRNA how to activate the body’s own immune system in order to detect and eliminate malignant cells. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for innovative therapies for non-contagious diseases, as well as existing ailments, increased.

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CEO Patrick Smith of WestPac Significant Developments

Investor, architect, real estate broker and contractor Patrick Smith has been CEO of WestPac since 1998. In that time, the California-based real estate investment and development firm has grown to include operations in California, Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Michigan, and even locations in Australia.

During Patrick Smith’s tenure, WestPac’s projects have included more than 5,000 apartments, seven hotels, two resort communities in Aspen, CO, five communities for seniors, and a range of condos, office buildings, and single-family subdivisions. Projects completed during the Patrick Smith WestPac era have accounted for over $7 billion, while achieving environmentally conscious and energy-efficient LEED certifications for new developments along the way.

Want to learn more about Patrick Smith and WestPac? Read on.

The WestPac Story

In 1998, Patrick Smith was a real estate investor and developer operating under the operating entities Smith and Company and Avila Beach Realty when he met a developer by the name of Alex Pananides. By that point Smith had already developed over 500,000 square feet of general office, medical offices, and housing developments. Pananides had been investing and developing under the name WestPac since 1974, the same time that Smith started Smith and Company.

The two met when they decided to go in together on a development deal, and immediately hit it off with their similar visions for the future. They developed other projects together, and by 1998 Patrick Smith had been appointed WestPac CEO. 

Today, WestPac is responsible for some of the most innovative projects happening around the country, ranging from student housing to assisted living and memory care and single family family subdivisions to mixed-use spaces, condo complexes, and office & retail spaces as well as hotels.

Notable Projects

Some of Patrick Smith’s most significant projects in his time as CEO of WestPac have occurred in the last few years, as he takes on projects that seem to be close to his heart and approaches them with equal parts passion and savvy business sense. His keen ability to acquire funding from a variety of sources has resulted in many projects coming to a successful close that otherwise may have languished unfinished.

Here are some of the top projects Patrick Smith and his team have overseen at WestPac in the last few years.

Hotel Cerro

Hotel Cerro is a premier luxury hotel situated in the heart of San Luis Obispo, where Smith graduated from college with an architectural degree, not far from Smith’s current home of Santa Barbara. What makes Hotel Cerro unique isn’t its luxury appointments— though there are plenty of those, from high-end rooms to garden suites— but the way the project was constructed.

Hotel Cerro is built within the existing structure of a 100+-year-old brick building that has stood in San Luis Obispo for more than a century. Smith wanted to incorporate the historic elements of the building, but beyond its desirable facade it had structural issues that were cause for concern. So the Westpac team reinforced the building with steel trusses, allowing it to keep its rustic charm while ensuring its safety for visitors.

Elevation Apartments 

Smith and the Westpac team completed the first phase of Elevation Apartments in 2017 and the second phase in 2020. Located in Okemos, MI, Elevation Phase I and II each included 170 apartment units, designed with resident comfort in mind. The project has been very well received by the Okemos community.  

The Rocks

Another recent Patrick Smith-led project was The Rocks, a 400-bed student housing community by the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing. 

Patrick Smith has long expressed WestPac’s mission to provide students with housing that offers quality construction, desirable amenities, and can’t-miss services, and he wanted to make living at The Rocks a memorable experience for students attending MSU.

By the time the housing units at The Rocks were available for leasing, the complex was already 95% booked before the first school year of its operation. It has continued to serve as a favorite housing complex for students at Michigan State University since its completion.

Former Lake Trust Credit Union Building

In an interview a few years back, Patrick Smith expressed his interest in a historic building in East Lansing that had fallen into disuse— much like the once-vibrant neighborhood surrounding it.

“We’ve always looked at revamping the 501 block, the old Lake Trust six-story building with the walkout basement into multi-family because it’s got super cool views of the city,” Patrick Smith, WestPac CEO, said. “It’s got some historical…mid-60s architecture, and we wanted to facilitate that, keeping that building and also doing a renovation of the renaissance of that building.”

The Lake Trust Credit Union Building has stood since the 1970s, but in recent years had gone unused. 

But Patrick Smith and WestPac secured funding, made plans, and ultimately is in the process of repurposing the building to become a multi-use development featuring 172 apartments and 20,000 sq. ft. of retail on the ground floor. It will serve as an Lansing hub with apartments, shops, and desirable amenities that have inspired many former Lansing residents to return.

Patrick Smith: Biography

Patrick Smith received his General Contractors license in 1974, while still attending California Polytechnic State University to ultimately obtain his B.S. in Architecture. 

Smith graduated in 1976, then immediately began exploring the funding and planning that goes into real estate development, beyond the construction itself. Smith obtained his architectural license in July of 1985, his real estate broker’s license in May of 1986 and his NASD securities license in 1987. 

Later, Smith launched Smith and Company, met Alex Pananides, and the rest is history as Smith began his nearly 25-year tenure as the CEO of WestPac. He now resides in Santa Barbara with his wife. Smith’s career spans 48 years of real estate involvement.

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Jason Hughes of San Diego and Three Motivational Speakers to Pay Attention To

 Good leaders may share a self-help book they like with their staff, hoping it will inspire them. Better leaders, such as San Diego-based CEO Jason Hughes, actually arrange for motivational speakers to inspire them in person.Jason Hughes has brought at least three authors to visit his staff.  When having Mike Robbins or Jesse Itzler at their office, employees had a chance to get fired up by meeting a nationally-known figure. Some of the authors also later described the experience and their role in helping build the company’s culture in future books.

Having a speaker visit was also a useful team-building activity that could give a boost to the whole workplace culture. Since everyone had the same experience and gained the same knowledge, it provided excellent opportunities for everyone to set mutual goals or at least take the speaker’s knowledge to heart. Speakers that the successful businessman, CEO and entrepreneur Jason Hughes brought to speak to his staff in San Diego included Mike Robbins, Jesse Itzler and Joe Calloway.

At his office back in San Diego, the entrepreneur and CEO Jason Hughes had the interest of involving his workers with special leaders with experience. Sports man Mike Robbins, a former player for the Kansas City Royals baseball team, is the author of a variety of books including “We’re All In This Together” and “Focus on the Good Stuff” discusses topics like teamwork and how people can infuse their personal lives and professional lives with appreciation and authenticity. He’s helped a variety of businesses improve their culture, build trust, and foster a sense of belonging.

For Jason Hughes, it was important for him to know Joe Calloway. Joe Calloway is a business coach and author of “The Leadership Mindset.” He discusses the importance of good leadership if you want a company to grow well, and how poor leadership can make things worse for an individual department or for the entire company. This successful entrepreneur has an outstanding experience since he has worked for many global brands, including Coca-Cola and Verizon, and seen plenty of good and bad leaders. 

In San Diego and every city where a business is growing from being a startup, company culture is able to change from the bottom, but only if people at the top make people want to care enough. Jesse Itzler, a musician, endurance athlete and entrepreneur, wrote “Living with a SEAL.” As Jason Hughes explains, he encourages people to keep pushing themselves, to see pressure as an opportunity to grow, and to think about their impact in the future, including how you’ll see yourself and your children will see you.

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Jason Hughes Brought Three Motivational Speakers to San Diego

 Good leaders may share a self-help book they like with their staff, hoping it will inspire them. Better leaders, such as San Diego-based CEO Jason Hughes, actually arrange for motivational speakers to inspire them in person.Jason Hughes has brought at least three authors to visit his staff.  When having Mike Robbins or Jesse Itzler at their office, employees had a chance to get fired up by meeting a nationally-known figure. Some of the authors also later described the experience and their role in helping build the company’s culture in future books.

Having a speaker visit was also a useful team-building activity that could give a boost to the whole workplace culture. Since everyone had the same experience and gained the same knowledge, it provided excellent opportunities for everyone to set mutual goals or at least take the speaker’s knowledge to heart. Speakers that the successful businessman, CEO and entrepreneur Jason Hughes brought to speak to his staff in San Diego included Mike Robbins, Jesse Itzler and Joe Calloway.

At his office back in San Diego, the entrepreneur and CEO Jason Hughes had the interest of involving his workers with special leaders with experience. Sports man Mike Robbins, a former player for the Kansas City Royals baseball team, is the author of a variety of books including “We’re All In This Together” and “Focus on the Good Stuff” discusses topics like teamwork and how people can infuse their personal lives and professional lives with appreciation and authenticity. He’s helped a variety of businesses improve their culture, build trust, and foster a sense of belonging.

For Jason Hughes, it was important for him to know Joe Calloway. Joe Calloway is a business coach and author of “The Leadership Mindset.” He discusses the importance of good leadership if you want a company to grow well, and how poor leadership can make things worse for an individual department or for the entire company. This successful entrepreneur has an outstanding experience since he has worked for many global brands, including Coca-Cola and Verizon, and seen plenty of good and bad leaders. 

In San Diego and every city where a business is growing from being a startup, company culture is able to change from the bottom, but only if people at the top make people want to care enough. Jesse Itzler, a musician, endurance athlete and entrepreneur, wrote “Living with a SEAL.” As Jason Hughes explains, he encourages people to keep pushing themselves, to see pressure as an opportunity to grow, and to think about their impact in the future, including how you’ll see yourself and your children will see you.

The post Jason Hughes Brought Three Motivational Speakers to San Diego appeared first on Baltimore News Journal.

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Emil Michael Reveals How Quick Commerce Could Grow in 2022 

Quick commerce — also known as q-commerce — is on fire right now and it’s an area of tech that’s seeing a huge influx of investment. It’s a tremendous opportunity for powerhouses such as Amazon, DoorDash, and Uber, but it’s also a big risk as insurgents like Gopuff, Fridge No More, and Jokr are flocking to the space, promising to make deliveries in 15 minutes or less. 

Former Uber Chief Business Officer Emil Michael appeared on CNBC’s TechCheck on Dec. 30 to discuss the future of quick commerce. Emil Michael, an early investor in Gopuff, has operated and invested in quick commerce companies. 

The model relies heavily on hyperlocalization. Gopuff and other companies operate “dark stores” where all of the items are stocked and only those making deliveries have access. DoorDash recently launc hed its version, using full-time employees in lieu of general contractors. Investors have pumped close to $6 billion into the space, so the question remains: Will quick commerce dominate in 2022 or become another black hole for venture capital investments?

Rapid Delivery Is Rising

“You’re going to see what I think in the quick-commerce space is a separation very quickly of the wheat from the chaff,” Emil Michael says. “The companies that are getting funded now, including Gopuff, are separating from the pack and have really figured out how to do operations very successfully and profitably. You’ll see some mergers and acquisitions in between there, but you’re going to see some real bifurcation in 2022 — and not too far into 2022.”

Emil Michael feels quick commerce could see adjusted economic profitability in the new year. Instant-delivery platform Gopuff has raised $1.5 billion. Founded in 2013 as a startup catering to hungry college students, Gopuff now delivers to customers in more than a thousand cities. With a mission to make daily life effortless, Gopuff offers food and beverages, cleaning supplies, home needs, and over-the-counter medication with a $1.95 flat delivery fee. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Gopuff has around 500 micro-fulfillment centers offering everything from Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Bounty paper towels to White Claw hard seltzer, wine, and craft beers. Gopuff has partnered with Chase, and eligible cardmembers can receive a $10 statement credit each month they make a Gopuff purchase. According to Fortune, singer-actress Selena Gomez has also jumped on the grocery-delivery bandwagon by investing in Gopuff, which is currently valued at around $15 billion. Gomez, who is a co-owner and partner in Serendipity Brands and has her own ice cream line, will sell her sweet treats through Gopuff. The partnership came about when Gomez was hanging out with friends and no one felt like driving to the store. Gomez will now be a “strategic Gopuff partner,” according to Fortune. 

Profitability is still a major topic on the minds of potential investors when it comes to quick commerce. Emil Michael offers some perspective into the enigma of quick-commerce profits. 

“What I mean by profitability is you open a micro-warehouse, you acquire customers and have delivery people,” Emil Michael says. “People order goods and the size of that basket matters to how much profit you’re going to make. If that unit works and you’re investing and losing money on opening the next micro-fulfillment center, that’s sort of where the money gets invested as opposed to where it’s being made. It’s not income profitability. It’s unit economic profitability and it’s adjusted.”

Delivery Giants Could Snap Up Smaller Startups

While Emil Michael envisions larger quick-commerce brands to remain independent, he feels some of the smaller ones like Jokr or Fling could garner interest from the larger brands such as Uber and Instacart. “This notion of having a vertical stat where you own the product, you own the whole experience, and you own the whole margin structure is attractive potentially to some of those companies that are in or around the delivery of food.”

When Gopuff started, they had about 150 SKUs and have grown to around 2,000, according to Emil Michael. “Right now the focus for Gopuff is to get the basket size bigger, which is why you see pizza kitchens and coffee kitchens on the site of the micro-warehouse so you can order more in one order.”

As for the future of quick commerce, Emil Michael feels eventually brick-and-mortar supermarkets could disappear altogether. 

“Uber is valued less today because of the management team, not because the core business model is any worse,” Emil Michael says. “With Gopuff, as long as the founders are still there innovating, there will be room for growth. I”m long-term bullish because I don’t think people will be going to supermarkets or 7-Elevens in 10 years. These are the companies that are gonna do it from the bottom up, starting with convenience items and moving to a lot of other items over time.”

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Accessing Your VA Medical Records Just Got Easier With DrOwl

Veterans and those seeking medical care through the Veteran’s Administration (VA) can now connect to their VA medical records, Medicare, and a multitude of other medical providers.  In doing so, patients are one step closer to better understanding their health care and helping to prepare for their future.  This is being done through a partnership with DrOwl, the HIPAA-compliant, secure platform built on patented technology.

This additional benefit not only advances health care, but also enables patients to find and correct errors in their medical records.  Studies have shown that over 70% of medical records contain errors – errors which can save lives when corrected early.  By giving military families an opportunity to connect to, review, and share their records, the VA is adding an additional level of care for each patient and family member.

Providers use an individual’s medical history as the basis for making an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.  When records contain errors, this can impact both.  Because the DrOwl platform enables patients to not only read, but also better understand their medical history, there is a very real proactive opportunity to impact the quality of one’s care.

“Healthcare is personal,” said Arvind Raichur, CEO and Co-Founder of DrOwl.  “No one knows someone’s health history better than the patient themselves.  By offering Veterans and their families a better way to manage their healthcare needs, we are not only giving back to them, but also supporting them when it matters most.”

The DrOwl platform leverages a combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a personalized Patient Portal, including physician curated resources.  These resources are designed to help patients understand their medical histories and their medical conditions.  By partnering with DrOwl, the Veteran’s Administration is doing something never seen before in the organization.  Now, patients, family members, and their caregivers have a clearer picture of their loved one’s health.  

Using DrOwl is easy.  According to Tim Quinn, a Navy Veteran from Louisiana, who served in Iraq, “the DrOwl app brought in a very large amount of information.  With the personal search engine, I am able to better understand my health,” said Quinn.

Inside the app, users can easily and efficiently access their medical records, share information, and maintain a secure, portable health history.  All VA members can personally sign up for DrOwl at no charge and download their medical records with the swipe of a finger.  The app aggregates medical records from multiple platforms and creates one unique, secure record.  DrOwl provides a unique, efficient, and understandable view of one’s records in an easily digestible format.  Anyone who wants to learn more about this program, or the DrOwl app, can visit https://www.drowl.com/military.

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Are You Struggling to Find Your Prospects Email Addresses

So you wish to find your prospect’s email address?

Generally, marketers and business owners have a hectic day searching for their prospect’s email address to build their email database.

What approach or tool are you using?

When you don’t have the right tool, you can’t expect things to be pretty easy and comfortable.

Do you agree?

Poor email list quality affects the email marketing campaign.

Many business owners and marketers complain about the problems associated with their email list quality.

For some, it’s their email campaign recording a high bounce rate.

And for others, it’s their shortfall in time to build a prospect list.

Or it’s about the low email open rate.

Well, these are the common issues that generally arise when you don’t have a healthy and accurate email list, there could be other issues too – such as the poor email sender score, low CTR, getting marked as spam, or landing on the junk box, etc.

You may wonder if a poor email list is what causes all these issues.

However, that’s the truth!

Is your email list well-built?

A poor email list can break all your efforts and the best-laid marketing plan.

Are you also going through a similar kind of situation?

What is it that’s bothering you? 

Are you sure your email list is well built? Does it have the correct email addresses?

Think about it.

In case your email list is not healthy, this article is right for you.

You would get a solution to overcome your struggle and improve your email marketing campaign in all aspects.

There is the best solution for you; it could significantly impact how things are going right now, as it did for many other businesses.

Have you heard of Email finder tools?

Email finder tools 

Email finder or email search tools such as GetEmail.io are perhaps the quickest way to find your prospect’s email addresses or to build a CEO email database.

But, there are many tools out there in the market.

And a lot of people impulsively buy random tools and find them ineffective later on. 

Remember, though there are many tools and approaches, not everything gets you accurate email addresses.

And that’s very sad!

It is essential for any business to reach out to potential customers; It is recommended to test the tools and check if it gives a result that is more than a 90% accuracy rate. 

Other approaches to find email addresses

Other ways to find email addresses are social media accounts such as LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

You can go to your prospects’ profiles and look for their contact details. There is a high chance that you find their email address there.

Final thoughts

Finding an email is crucial to carrying out an email marketing campaign. This helps you to build a robust relationship with your prospects.

And if you want to reach out to the correct prospects to grow your business, it all boils down to choosing the right approach and tools.

I hope this article helps you to locate the email addresses. 

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Target A Blue-Collar Workforce For Hiring The Smarter Way

In today’s changing world, there tends to be confusion in certain industries when it comes to engaging different groups of people in areas where there is true need. Main Street Recruitment and its President Kristin Conteen, have created a new way to market and reach a skilled workforce.  They understand how to reach the right audience and with the right type of message, which is mission critical at a time when worker shortages are continuing to increase. Main Street Recruitment’s team understands that messaging plays a key role in targeting a skilled labor workforce.

Growing up in a blue-collar community, Conteen intimately understands how to modernize and understand the hardships faced by this group.  While other organizations focus across verticals and professional roles, Main Street is hyper-focused on working with a skilled labor workforce. This is a key differentiator when it comes to messaging, outreach, targeting, and marketing with respect to the recruitment process. In today’s market, talent acquisition challenges are consistently growing, while candidates themselves are in the driver’s seat. 

According to Conteen, “long before the pandemic, blue-collar industries were anticipating a shortage of skilled workers due to retiring baby boomers, and a lack of interest from the last two generations.”  After realizing this, “in 2018, our parent company, Company 119, answered the call by applying digital marketing methods to recruitment advertising.  Over the last several years this service offering has evolved to fully encompass recruitment marketing and an HR technology stack that reaches the right audience, with the right message, on the platforms where they truly spend their time, while also making the application process faster and more efficient for candidates than ever before.” 

While recruitment marketing is traditionally a human resources role, it’s ironic that the messaging is what drives candidates to apply for open positions. Employers cannot fill positions simply by word-of-mouth, newspaper advertising, or “old school” means.  To find the best candidates, employers must deploy more modern tactics and position branding initiatives that are highly targeted.  The race to fill positions with top tier candidates is fierce. There is always a continuous race to stay ahead of the competition, so understanding your staffing needs is critical.  

Conteen believes “the ideal candidate can help you develop the right message and target audience, to reach and convert into candidates, and hopefully your future workforce. If you are not able to predict your staffing needs or develop a robust candidate pipeline, filling a job is going to take longer than ever. There are more jobs than people looking for work, job seekers no longer want to move through the arduous task of a job search and interview process, and it is hard to keep the attention of candidates when your competitors are also knocking at their door.”

Archaic recruiters and recruiting systems will continue to post and utilize traditional job search methodologies.  In doing so, their time to fill a position will consistently increase, often reducing corporate productivity and revenue.  In today’s economy, this simply doesn’t make sense.  At the end of the day, companies must determine whether they are looking to fill a single position or to target a long-term potential pool of candidates to fill their current and future needs.

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How To Keep Yourself Afloat Financially When Injured

Getting injured is going to be frustrating as you will not be able to do what you would like for a period of time. Not being able to work means that you might face some financial hardship. You are going to have to modify your lifestyle a bit so you don’t dig yourself into a hole of debt. Debt can be difficult to crawl out of especially with expenses like medical bills piling up. The following are tips to help keep yourself afloat when you are injured. 

Find A Freelance Gig

Freelancing is a huge part of today’s economy with so many people working for themselves from home. Finding a few gigs while you are injured can help you make some supplemental income if you are currently unable to work. Upwork is a great platform to use as it helps connect clients and companies. If you have writing skills, this can be a great opportunity to earn while developing your art. Writing is in high demand whether you are writing blogs, product descriptions, or landing pages. 

Decrease Your Monthly Expenditures 

When your income has decreased you have to decrease your monthly spending. This can be difficult if you are paying out of pocket for each physical therapy visit. If you have insurance, you likely will still have to pay until you have met your deductible. There are so many expenses that you can cut but you have to list out all of your expenses. You might find you can lower utility bills and even cancel cable in favor of a cheaper streaming service. Phone bills can also be massive so look to switch if it makes financial sense.  

Contact An Attorney If Injured In An Accident

Finding a Fayetteville personal injury lawyer or one in your local area is imperative if the injury was the fault of another driver or due to a slip and fall. You should not have to pay for the injuries due to the negligence of another person or business. Finding attorneys can help you through this complex process and can help you understand what the next steps are. Make sure that you ask about fee structure immediately as this can differ drastically from firm to firm.

Get A Low-Interest Loan For Until You Recover

If you have quite a bit of equity in your home you can refinance and get cash back. Your mortgage is likely the lowest interest rate of all of your loans. This can be wise as putting everything on a credit card is usually not the best course of action. If there are options for no payments for a year and you are confident you can pay it off, then this should be fine. Other people might live on credit cards until they have a settlement come in as the injury was no fault of their own. 

Stay out of debt even when you are injured as you don’t want to be fully recovered only to feel overwhelmed with debt. Use the tips above to help you on this difficult journey. 

The post How To Keep Yourself Afloat Financially When Injured appeared first on Baltimore News Journal.

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Tips To Help You Raise Well-Rounded Children

Raising kids is quite difficult but you should dedicate time to making sure they are well-rounded. So many people have kids that might be a bit one-dimensional whether they are only an athlete or only academically inclined. You want children that have great social skills, healthy hobbies, and a thirst for knowledge. Today’s world is full of technology that can act as a distraction but this technology can also be used as an incredible tool to teach. The following tips are going to assist you in raising well-rounded children. 

Embrace Their Hobbies

Embracing the hobbies of your kids is what great parents do. You might not love a certain hobby but showing interest in something your child loves is something that they will remember well into adulthood. You might find that you truly enjoy the hobby and it is something you can bond over throughout the years. 

Get Them Involved In Sports 

There are some people that are innately more athletic than others. The lessons that sports can teach a child are very important in terms of dealing with others in a stressful situation. College athletes usually make great employees due to being able to work in a team environment at a high level. Keep in mind that being a nightmare sports parent can do far more harm than good.

Accountability is a huge part of sports as blaming refs or coaches for a poor performance isn’t acceptable. You cannot always perform at the highest level and dealing with this is a great lesson to learn. Accepting failure is far different than learning from a loss and being able to accept sharing responsibility in the loss. 

Required Reading Daily 

Having your children read for 30 minutes to an hour daily over the summer can be important. Homework can consume too much time and your children need to have balance between being a kid and academics. Looking into 5 star child care is very important as this can give them a headstart before formally entering elementary school. There are a number of topics that you kids can find interesting but knowledgei is truly power. 

Teach Them Social Skills By Example

Look at certain situations as teaching moments if your child has made a mistake. Kids might not know how to react to a certain situation so teaching them is essential. This is why a parent’s behavior is so important as kids do truly model themselves off of the behavior of their parents;.

Examples could include how to interact with servers at restaurants. There is nothing that is less attractive to other people than a person that treats a waiter or waitress terribly. Children follow examples so the odds are that any adult you see treating someone at a restaurant poorly probably learned it from their parents. Treating others how you want to be treated is a relatively good rule of thumb.

Raising children is a difficult task so have a plan instead of just winging it. Your kids will appreciate the things that you have taught them and the values that you have instilled in them. 

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Eco-Conscious Aviation Startup ZeroAvia Joins Board of FCHEA

ZeroAvia has joined the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) board, a leading national advocate for the research, development, and implementation of fuel cell and hydrogen energy. The company earned the FCHEA’s elite “Tier One” membership, a rank that includes General Motors, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota. 

The recognition comes after the 4-year-old ZeroAvia developed the first hydrogen-electric powertrain—an innovation that has made early zero-emission aviation possible—and completed the first flight by a commercial-grade aircraft running on hydrogen fuel cell power. These renewable-powered flights could be the future of the aviation industry. The company says its focus is transitioning short-haul aviation from fossil fuels to hydrogen, which could potentially remove half of all carbon dioxide emissions from the aviation industry.

The FCHEA began in 1989 as the Nation Hydrogen Association and later merged with the U.S. Fuel Cell Council to become the FCHEA. Today, the association represents more than 50 companies and organizations that advance innovative and green technologies. The association also acts as a singular voice to shape regulations, codes, and consumer safety standards.

ZeroAvia’s Journey to Zero-Emission Aviation

Carbon dioxide is the heat-trapping gas at the heart of climate change. The fossil fuel byproduct continues to feed the climate crisis, and the race is on to move mass transportation into a realm of sustainable, zero-emission alternatives. Cars, trucks, and ships are all prolific polluters, but aircraft is a principal offender. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aviation accounted for nearly 35% of all carbon dioxide emissions in 2018. While renewable energy solutions abound in road travel, aviation remains one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize—a task ZeroAvia is happily taking on. 

“Green hydrogen” has become one of the most promising alternatives to fossil fuels because it releases only water vapor into the environment. To create hydrogen, companies use electrolyzers, which send electric currents through the water to split hydrogen atoms from oxygen. Solar panels and wind farms worldwide also use hydrogen.

‘Green Hydrogen’ Flights

Currently, ZeroAvia is honing in on short-haul flights between 300 and 500 miles. Today, short-haul flights account for up to half of all carbon dioxide emissions in the aviation industry. That means that a complete transition to green hydrogen-electric technology could decarbonize half of all harmful emissions from the aviation sector.

The company is currently working on short-haul hydrogen-electric flights that seat up to 20 passengers, which it plans to accomplish by 2024. Next, it hopes to build a craft that can travel the same distance with 100 passengers. Not only could this revolutionize an industry that’s currently reliant on fossil fuels, but it will likely also result in more affordable prices and more accessible flights. According to ZeroAvia, their newly invented powertrain has 75% lower fuel and maintenance costs. That could cut trip costs in half compared to conventional propeller aircraft.

It has been a high-flying year for ZeroAvia, filled with plenty of strategic partnerships, including Shell Ventures, the eco-investment arm of Shell Oil, itself on a mission to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Bill Gates’ climate investment firm Breakthrough Energy Venture and Ecosystems Integrity Fund led a Series A funding netted $21.4 million for ZeroAvia. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Horizons Ventures, Summa Equity, and Shell Ventures also joined in on the financing. The ventures chipped in another $24.3 million to accelerate ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engine development for a 50-plus seat aircraft in April.

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Ombori Grid: Virtual Queues Made Easier

Virtual queues can make it easier than ever to help control how many people are in a store at one time. These kinds of queues can also reduce the risk to people during the pandemic, and anytime there are health or safety concerns within a community. With Ombori Grid, your company can have the right solutions to count people and address queuing to ensure as much protection and social distancing as possible. Even when the distance is not needed, understanding customer numbers is still very important.

Why Are Queues Needed?

There are occupancy limits for buildings and stores, even in the best of times. Most retail stores are designed with the risk of running out of allowable space or customer numbers being as minimal as possible. But there are still times when you may want or need to control and track occupancy in your store. With Ombori Grid, you can do that efficiently, and all in one place. Among the best ways to do that during the pandemic is to have virtual queues for physical stores, so people don’t have to line up in person.

Ombori Grid To The Rescue

With a virtual queue, people are notified when they can line up or come inside, or when it’s their turn to participate in something or come to an appointment. They can be elsewhere until that time, such as at home if they’ll be notified far enough in advance, or in their vehicle if the wait time is much shorter. That reduces the number of people in the store at one time and also helps reduce the number of people gathering near the entrance. Ombori Grid makes tracking and queuing faster and more efficient.

Helping your customers during a difficult and stressful time has never been easier than it is with Ombori Grid. You can reduce crowds, let your customers know when it’s their turn to come in, and also make sure you’re giving them options that are more convenient and safe, like curbside pickup and other socially distanced opportunities. You also help your employees when you use these kinds of solutions, because employees aren’t as stressed and frustrated, trying to manage large numbers of customers.

Help for Staff

Every team member will be able to see what’s taking place in the store, and the optimum capacity can be set in order to reduce crowding and possible disease transmission. Not only will your employees feel safer, but they’ll also be able to move around more easily. That means they can help customers who need it and ensure that they have access to products and services that are important or necessary.

With all the options Ombori Grid offers, your business will be able to count and queue people efficiently in ways that work for everyone. Quick deployment and an analytics dashboard make that easier and provide user-friendly options that can be used by all your team members to keep the flow of customers moving smoothly.

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How To Get Sift Through The Low-Quality Digital Marketing Agencies And Pick A Great One

Finding ways to sift through digital marketing agencies to pick the right one is going to be a challenge. There could be a number of sales materials that are impressive but you might feel like the agency is not being completely transparent. Digital marketing agencies might charge quite a bit and not deliver results. Others could charge a reasonable fee and deliver results you previously thought were impossible. Getting recommendations from former employees or personal contacts can be very important. The following are tips to allow you to sift through low-quality digital marketing agencies that are pitching your business. 

Low-Quality Sales Outreach Emails 

Outreach is a huge part of digital marketing as it impacts content marketing, SEO, and a number of other areas. Marketing is about making connections and with terrible outreach methods, this should not instill confidence in an agency. There are so many email tools that make it easy to track open rates so these can easily be perfected. No personalization in the email is also a telltale sign of a mass email that took no research or true effort. Immediately trying to pitches services after connecting on LinkedIn is a bad sign. This means you are getting a generic pitch regardless of what your company could potentially need. 

Sales Materials Are Lacking Or Not Even Branded 

There are going to be materials that you are sent via email that cover services and costs monthly. These materials should be of high quality as web design professionals as well as top copywriting professionals should be working with a digital marketing agency. There should be case studies that are put together in concise ways. Always ask an agency for results that they have generated for similar businesses as this means they can thrive in your business niche. Seeing how working on SEO improves organic traffic can be shown through data. Marketing in today’s world is beautiful due to the fact that data can help drive a number of decisions that are being made. 

History Of The Agency 

If an agency has been around for over a decade and the longest tenure of a current employee is 3 years, this could be a bad sign. The last thing you want is to go to an agency that has high turnover as it can lead to your project not being made a priority. Going through multiple client managers is also a bad sign as companies with good cultures don’t have massive turnover. You want to build rapport with an agency so both sides understand how to work best together. This can be difficult if you are always working with a new team member or project managers continually change. A good working relationship is about communication, rapport, and consistency. 

Agencies do change over the course of time as some maintain their specialty while offering new services. Others completely change their business model due to creating a marketing tool that is widely used and highly regarded.

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