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vicecityhq · 3 years ago

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██████████████]99% LOADING...SUSPECT INTO THE APD DATABASE...

WITNESS(ES) SAY HE REMINDS THEM OF: the Italian Mafia, the sound of Lo-Fi beats, a coffee house . With a slight resemblance to NAKAMOTO YUTA of/the NCT 127.

CLICK BELOW TO VIEW ENTIRE FILE.

FULL FILE:

Last Name, First Name: Maiko, Akuyoshi ALIAS: The Crow Realm of birth(if earth, nationality): Japanese Age: 73 Date of Birth: October 31st, 1948 Gender: Cismale Preferred Pronouns: He/Him Species: Demon Occupation: N/A Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

VISUAL FILE:

Skin Color: Pale Eye color: One dark grey almost black the other black with red, white and gold flecks in the iris Scars: two burn scars on either temple, faint scars on his wrists and ankles from long term restraints Piercings: 10 up his right ear from lobe to the top, 5 on his left ear (double lobe, cartilage, helix and daith) Tattoos: Many sporadic tattoos up his arms, and a few on his chest, hip and back. Hair color: jet black with a white/greyish streak in the front Abnormalities: his eyes, and his hair color is natural Horns/ wings/ etc: Transformed form: Akuyoshi’s transformed (demon) form is a four eyed creature with two long black horns coming from his head, dark shadow like wings sprout from his back. The corner of his mouth extend into a sharped tooth grin and his nails grow to abnormal lengths.

PERSONAL FILE:

RELIGIOUS BELIEF: N/A SINS: greed / gluttony / sloth / lust / pride / envy / wrath VIRTUES: chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice KNOWN LANGUAGES: Russian, Japanese, English and Below Average Korean SECRETS: The reported terroistic attack on the KGB agency was carried out solely by him, he was in the wind before they could find him. SAVVIES: Guitar, Tinkering/fixing things, Cooking, Assassin work Powers & Abilities: Darkness manipulation, minor pyrokenisis, the ability to possess the living(any 'undead' creatures are immuned), life draining, Infrakenisis (with limitations due to being on earth), Demonic Psionics (with limitations due to being on earth), and able to summon creatures from hell. Expert Stealth, Assassination Tactics, Knowledge in various tranquilizers and poisons, Knowledge in various ways of body disposal, Advance knifing abilities (this includes throwing knives, regular knives, swords and katanas). Traits: patriarchal & mysterious

BACKGROUND CHECK:

Date of Birth: October 31st, 1948 Date of Death: [ if applying for an undead character ] Crime Record: He hates most authority figures, the ones that use their power over others to control them. He’s on many watch lists for assassination of political leaders (rumored), various counts of murder (alleged), various counts of torture (alleged) and a connection to a wealthy and quite suspicious operation worked out of the human city (also alleged), he has never been convicted. He is also technically the sole suspect of the slaughter of 25 KGB agents, 3 high ranked scientists and 2 high ranked psychologist back in 1964.

Background/Biography:

tw: this passage includes vague descriptions of murder, mind control, non-l conscentual impregnation, drug use, sexual abuse, rape, abuse of a minor, blood , parental death, death during childbirth and torture.

Once you are locked away by fiery bars, too powerful to be allowed loose in the human realm or any other, when some from even the darkest depths and realms fear your name on their lips you find yourself, aching to create the chaos you so desperately seek. Cursed to spend the rest of your days roaming the underworld in a special sanctuary for the protection of other hellspawns...and the world, with no way of getting to those realms, in fear of their ultimate destruction what could you possibly do to sate your disgusting lust for those around you to suffer. Easily, he would say, a powerful demon whose name they refused to utter, you create someone else to do the job for you. Sure possession is an option, but all it takes is some divine force to remedy that, especially when it comes to humans, so you….steal a vessel, create living breathing flesh to carry out your sadistic tendencies while you watch from the depths of Hell. All you need is someone to hold it, just for nine months.

Akame Miako’s obsession with the occult lead to her being that vessel. An only child to a hardworking and quite wealthy family in her village she seemed to counter the intense loneliness with spell books and rituals, stories of demonic possession and seances peaked her interest and she went as far to invite one into her home...kind of. Akame didn’t think the stories were true, easy access to summon something that even some other demons feared was far fetched for a mere mortal like her, besides even if she did , she was sure it’d be harmless, as harmless as demon could get. The translation from Latin to Japanese was a bit murky, she did all the things she was supposed to do, shut the door, lit the onyx colored candles and chanted his name. It tasted foul on her lips, metallic and sour as if blood had suddenly come up her throat like bile. The room grew in heat and sweat matted her jet black hair to her forehead, with all this build up the young teen would think that something was bound to happen right? But simply only the candle blew out, casting her room into darkness only set alite by the moon, of course she was right, it was all hullabaloo probably something conjured up by her great great gran something to spook their little village.

But what Akame hadn’t known, was that she’d open the door for exactly what He want ed, she would become his vessel, allowing him to breathe life into flesh another piece of him roaming the planet. It only took a few weeks for her to notice the signs, a usually healthy 18-year-old spent her mornings vomiting crimson, and her nights in searing abdominal pain, maybe a plague was sweeping through their village once more, it wouldn’t be the first time and sure wouldn’t be the last, but it had only been Akame who was harboring this, torturous disease. She hid it for as long as she could, not wanting her parents to worry, time off work meant a dwindle in their status and that was something they couldn’t afford, it wasn’t ‘til her mother founder her, writhing in pain on the floor that the village doctor was called, with a diagnosis no one was expecting, Akame was pregnant. There was no way of convincing her parents that she hadn’t gone against her pledge to wait ‘til marriage. They hadn’t believed that she was some Virgin Mary and she couldn’t even explain it herself. But, an unwed mother and her father’s place in the countries politics was something that they couldn’t afford, they’d locked her away until the babies birth, and it wasn’t until then when they found something was horribly, horribly wrong. It was a taxing birth, the room creaked and groaned, disembodied voices filled the empty space, her stomach twisting and contorting as the creature fought its way out of her. It tore her apart, as it crowned, and Akame was not equipped to handle it. Her feeble and young, she perished as the baby was born leaving her parents in mourning, and the doctor in fear. What was it? Why had it come with jet black hair and dark eyes? Why had it rejected the doctors blessing, crying and wailing as if the prayer was causing it great pain? He could only advise its remaining living relatives one thing, get rid of it.

The Miakofamily wasn’t to keen on killing an infant, in fact they flat out refused, telling the doctor there must be some way to get it far away from them without causing it any harm. They traveled for years, keeping the demonic entity at arms length before an unsuspected visitor received a tantalizing letter. The man was stone cold, with a charming smile, he had a weird accent and shining blue eyes, he’d pay them good money to take the now toddling child into what he called, a ‘school of reform for lost boys’. They took the bate, and the money, almost sad to see it go but happy to be rid of something that they were sure harbored some evil, the thing that killed their daughter, their only child. He said he’d rid it of whatever evil’s that may have come with it, that where it was going it would emerge a new man, and maybe one they would want to communicate with again. Masked by pearly gates and brass door knockers, they weren’t told about the extensive training, and weren't told about the weapon he’d become. How they would abuse him, strip him of his identity and show him how to use his striking looks for his own gain. They didn’t tell him about the monster he’d become, the new man that they’d create on their own accord. And he excelled, climbing in their ranking and leaving bodies and broken bones behind him. His body filled, cut clean, and he followed orders to ever ‘t’. He was reformed sure, a weapon now, molded to their perfect standard, used and abused, raped and pillaged for their own use somewhere in the world, they wanted a monster, masked by something so beautiful and enticing, and so he became one, using his powers at their will. It was a team full of creatures just like him, western Asia’s super weapon.

They assumed that he would continue to stay obedient, assumed he’d bend to their every will, for the rest of his life, but they were not careful, and let him in too close. He became conniving, manipulative, a teacher’s pet with a vendetta against the system and so he took the teacher’s job. Worked his way up until he was eye to eye to those that made him. And then, he destroyed them, and oh, how Olympus has fallen. He left with his life, though he cannot say much for the others. They had taken it all from him, he had no memories of what was before them, no images of family, of what an actual life was. Just a name. His grandfather was long gone, not that he knew, not that he cared, but he took what was given to him, a bank account, frozen until he was eighteen, when he was supposed to return, about 110 million yen, what was left of what they had, a supposed consolidation for abandoning the child, his grandmother fine and comfortable and she came looking, more than once she came looking and each time he left, ran far away from her, he didn’t know her never knew her, not like she wanted. He had become something absent of emotions, absent of memories, he was just a surname, but a name he could not live up to. Thus, he became someone else, just as they wanted.

He wandered on his own a bit, finding solace in the underground, and a band of misfits just like him. But touring, guitar shredding and becoming a confidant didn’t scratch that itch they had created for him. The itch to draw blood, hear torturous screams and extract the information that he wanted. The woman he had met had humanized him, made him feel less of a robot, less of a monster, showed him that he could make genuine connections even if they felt idle or like autopilot. Though, those thoughts still persisted, so he sought out ways to cure his hunger, more like the chef that could cook up such a feast had found him, a tragic case, sucked into another tragedy.

INTERVIEW QUESTION (para sample): “Just run us through what happened that night”. - Officer

Akuyoshi spit on the ground and slumped back in his chair. The officers furrowed their brows, though fear was apparent of their faces. “We know who you are.” One of them spoke in English, the demon only erupted into a dark laugh, one that drained the color from the younger officers face. “Good.” His Russian accent was sharp, cutting through them like sharpened blades.

“If you want information, you wont get it from me.” He said tilting his head back, wet, sweat covered strands falling from his face. The ex agent had already began picking the lock on the cuffs behind him, brow ticking as they came unlocked. It was in a blink of an eye, blood splattered his face and the ceiling, the elder officer going to the ground with his hand grasping at his throat in panic, the one that was left only looked at him in horror, frozen in place and unable to run to safety, and Aku took the opportunity, taking both of his cheeks in his palms before twisting his wrist, the sound of the snap satisfying.

He disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke, before appearing before the camera that filmed the interview room, “Bozhe pomiluy svoyu dushu,” he said darkly, the word echoing off the walls like the demon’s father had began to ascend before he snatched it from the wall the last thing the overseers seeing was his large smile spreading towards his ears.

#vcaccepted #vccivilian #vchowlers

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still-we-go-pumpkins · 6 years ago

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An amazing fan tribute to Weiki. Unique facts compilation 👌🎃

I've just found the post on DeviantArt. As great Weiki fan also, I can confirm that he's really that marvelous just as the author describes him. This will make you feel warm and will set smile on your face as well as you will check Helloween vids/lives while exploring this facts. So, here we go.

Further credits : SamWeiki

100 Reasons I love Michael Weikath

Possible – scratch that, definite – Fangirling ahead (I tried to keep it to a minimum and I probably failed)

1. He has the most gorgeous blue eyes. [right off, I told you – Fangirling]

2. The songs he writes are so unique and AMAZING. Most of them mean quite a lot to me, as well. I’ve always been drawn to them. They just have a certain special quality to them that I love.

3. He wrote “Keeper of the Seven Keys” for cryin’ out loud!

4. His “thanks” section in the Unarmed booklet.

5. He’d pick Judas Priest over Iron Maiden in an instant.

6. The way he sometimes answers questions. For instance, he was asked about what fans could expect from The Dark Ride and his response was: “Well....hmmmm you can expect that it will be standing in stores and it’s very likely you can buy it when you find it there! hahahahahaha apart from that I don’t know if it’s going to say anything but you can go there and buy it, listen to it, and use it, because it’s a CD and it usually makes a lot of sound if you put it into a CD player......but probably doesn't work if you put it into a toaster.....hahahahahaha.”

7. If he wasn’t a musician, he says his life would be dedicated to cartoons.

8. He dedicated the Hammond version of “Burning Sun” to the great Jon Lord.

9. He’s an artist. His little skull and pumpkin drawing is beautiful.

10. He makes the best faces in concerts.

11. I love watching him in the High Live video, especially during “Steel Tormentor”. [I did not just say that]

12. He made the frog noises at the end of “Nothing to Say”.

13. So many people have blamed him for things over the years, when he did nothing wrong, just because they feel it's easier to blame him. I experience that quite a lot and have for several years, so I understand what it's like but he seems a lot stronger than me about it, as it's very hard for me to get over a lot of that stuff. He's sort of my hero about that because it seems like he hasn't let that really stop him.

14. How he totally told off that Phantom guy. His responses were awesome.

15. A part of “Do You Know What You Are Fighting For” is Deep Purple’s “Stormbringer” backwards. There’s actually a lot of Deep Purple in that song. Makes me love it even more – both songs.

16. He played on Uli Kusch’s cover of “Eyes of the World” from the Rainbow tribute album and he played all the guitar on that song. “Yeah I played on Eyes Of The World. So I did all of the guitar work on it. Uli told me that he did not expect me to have the guitar work as close to the original song as I had it.”

17. The seven pronged star on the cover of 7 Sinners was his idea. And what a damn fine idea it was because it makes a freaking sweet album cover! It was a lot of fun for me to draw, as well.

18. When writing “LAVDATE DOMINVM”, he called upon his old Latin lessons from school and actually got to work with his old Latin teacher on the lyrics. Weiki hadn’t worked with Latin for a bit, so he had to relearn a few things and he even managed to correct something his teacher had written.

19. His response to what animal he would be: “A lion, 'cause I could be lyin' round lazy and have my food brought to me by other people.”

20. Helloween would not be Helloween without him, plus Markus and Andi wouldn’t let him quit in 2000/2001.

21. He drew the logo and original pumpkin.

22. How beautiful the lyrics to “Windmill” are. Example:

"Don't feel alone and depressed

Someone will come, at last

To soothe your storming mind

To keep it away from the evil storms."

23. You can clearly hear the man singing in “White Christmas” and he’s the most fun to listen to.

24. “Introduction” never fails to make me laugh very loudly, especially the lyrics to “Rock n’ Roll All Day”.

25. He likes Spinal Tap.

26. The way he sang “Gorgar will eat you” in the Keeper Legacy interviews.

27. He was asked what his motto in life was and his response was: Be as friendly as it comes; have fun, make money and spend it on charity to help people. ~Sei so freundlich wie es geht; Spaß haben, viel Geld verdienen und es für wohltätige Zwecke ausgeben, um Leuten zu helfen~ (it was originally in German)

28. His black and white outfits in the ‘80s and ‘90s, especially those awesome star-printed pants.

29. The entire story of the Keeper of the Seven Keys and Master of the Rings.

30. The Jacuzzi scene in the Keeper Legacy Road movie.

31. He likes Aphrodite’s Child, Nektar, and Camel. He’s cool.

32. I really don’t think I’ve heard him say anything bad about anyone.

33. The moment when he switched his guitar off and “played” a solo after he was introduced in The Legacy concert.

34. “All right… That’s enough! Now, I want to hear Dani’s drum solo!” *rapid fire – BLAMBLAMBLAM!* The first time I watched the “Smoke On the Water” bit from Hellish Rock, I nearly fell to the floor laughing.

35. About the time Pink Bubbles Go Ape came out, in an interview, Michael Kiske said something about they weren’t Metal, they didn’t do that “Heavy Metal” thing and Weiki says, “I thought we were Heavy Metal”. And Michi completely just stopped talking for a second.

36. The way Weiki messed around with Michi and Roland during the interview mentioned above.

37. How much fun he looked like he was having in the “Kids of the Century” video.

38. Every time he dances around on stage.

39. His love for Gibson Les Pauls.

40. He was reading “A Hat Full of Sky” and even recommended it.

41. He says that his writing “Keeper of the Seven Keys” kept him alive and he considers it a major turning point in his life to have come up with the idea for it.

42. The hairspray scene in the Hellish Rock road movie.

43. He actually got involved with the DJ game when they were in Japan (Keeper Legacy road movie) – the whole arcade scene was great.

44. The way he just looks at a camera sometimes and doesn’t say a word – he just starts making faces and looking off in different directions. He can be funny without saying a single word.

45. His guitar solo in “Back On the Ground”.

46. He played most of the guitar on the Better Than Raw album.

47. Weikath Syndrome is the coolest thing to catch.

48. During the German Top 6 video (1993), he was drinking a Capri Sun. I think it may have even been Wild Cherry.

49. A Gibson Les Paul looks absolutely perfect on him. I also love the way he holds the guitar.

50. How his hair has always been shoulder length (at least) since the late ‘80s (and beautiful).

51. He thinks of the younger viewers/fans.

52. All the love for him in the Hellbook.

53. I don’t how much of the lyrics to “Dreambound” he wrote, but he has a credit on that song and OH MY GOD, is it flipping incredible! I must make special mention to how amazing “the Saints” is, too.

54. He wanted to talk to Michael Kiske when they met at a festival in 2012/2013, so they could try and work things out a little.

55. He wanted “Livin’ Ain’t No Crime” to be a single.

56. His song “Number One” and how uplifting and positive the lyrics are, especially the chorus.

57. When they were on the Ferris wheel, they didn’t start REALLY laughing until Weiki did.

58. How he introduces himself as “de Michael Weikath of Helloween” and he even got Dani to do it with him.

59. He contributed a guitar solo to the German Rock Project’s “Let Love Conquer the World” (the long Metal version) but went all incognito with it and is credited as “a member of the Seventh Key”.

60. The fact that he wanted a flute in “Raise the Noise” and it sounds totally awesome!

61. The sexy witch on the cover of Better Than Raw was Weiki’s idea.

62. His makeshift rocking chair.

63. His spoken part of the Dezperadoz song “First Blood” (and “Echoes of Eternity”, too).

64. How funny was in the two Nuremberg interviews from the ‘80s that are on YouTube.

1987 – He lights a cigarette, he passes it Ingo, Ingo passes it back, and Weiki passes it back to him. Ingo then proceeds to throw it on the ground and Weiki attempts to lightly hit him but only manages to hit his hair. xD

1988 – The FUNNY one! He was so frickin’ funny in that one. I won’t give away the end of it if you’ve never seen it, but it involves a balloon and a cigarette. (by the way, Michael Weikath takes his sunglasses off and puts them back on 13 times, 10 of which are in the first three minutes).

65. After an interviewer thanks him for being there, “Ja, that’s not so much I can do about it, because somebody put me on this Earth and I went out of my mother and suddenly I was there and now I have to deal with this crap.”

66. During the Indianapolis Hell On Wheels concert, during “Halloween”, Michi passes the mic over to Weiki and Weiki does the “I’ll show you power and glory” part. Michi then makes a disgruntled face at him and rubs the mic with his shirt, causing Weiki to make a face back at him!

67. Also from the same Hell On Wheels concert, during “A Tale That Wasn’t Right”, he was stepping on the skeleton and making Ingo laugh.

68. Speaking of “A Tale That Wasn’t Right”, that song is incredible and very powerful.

69. He let the other members of the band help out on “Mission Motherland”. That song is very quickly becoming my favorite song of theirs.

70. His backing vocals in the “Sea of Fears” demo.

71. All of his little pins that he wears: the pumpkin, the W, the stars…

72. This comment he made about the Hellbook: “With the hardcover you can better smash your naughty brother... and you can with the regular as well, just maybe not as effective.” I have actually made that joke to my brother before. xD

73. Someone at a meet-n-greet in 2008 showed the band an old picture of the guys, which they all signed. It was an old picture. Kai was stunned, Markus laughed his ass off, and Michael actually said he remembered where it was taken and when. The picture was taken in 1986, so that is kind of impressive.

74. He helped me become a big fan of Deep Purple. Yes, I will admit to only becoming a major Deep Purple fan after becoming a Helloween fan - and it was all because of Weiki. And now I'm really happy because I never realized how awesome Deep Purple is. Same thing with Wishbone Ash.

75. He’s given me several phrases to use whenever applicable.

- “Impressive, isn’t it?”

- “You have to listen with your ears.”

- “It’s nice, cold, windy, sunny weather.” (which pretty much describes Florida in the winter sometimes)

76. He can still sing with a cigarette in his mouth and not drop the cigarette.

77. The intro to “Halloween”. I’m not sure if he played it on the original recording, but when he plays it live… OH MY GOD.

78. His guitar solo in “First Time”.

79. He’s fun to watch in the “When the Sinner” video when he’s shown, especially when he’s playing those power chords in the beginning (even though he played no guitar on the song) and the part in the saloon.

80. How amazing “Les Hambourgeois Walkways” is.

81. He’s written a couple songs that he has dedicated to groups of fans ~ “LAVDATE DOMINVM” for the Latin speaking fans, and “Born on Judgment Day” for the people of Brazil.

82. How he’s so easily able to make Sascha laugh behind the camera.

More here 💜

#helloween #michael weikath #power metal #oldschool #classic metal #heavy metal #metal #oldschool metal #pumpkins interact #weiki

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geeksperhour · 6 years ago

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How SagitaZ is growing over 60% YOY, providing solutions across 25 countries

From babies at homes to the technocrats in corporates, SagitaZ has sculpted Zoho for a diverse audience. In this episode of Stories That Inspire, we bring on board, José Pérez, CEO of SagitaZ and a Zoho MVP. He tells us how he overcame linguistic barriers to build a customer base that increased his sales metrics by 60%. Read along to understand how he’s managed to juggle his leadership roles between his consultancy company and business school.

Adhya: Hello, José. Welcome to Stories That Inspire! To begin with, walk us through your professional journey before SagitaZ.

José: When I was young, I wanted to be a school teacher, but my mom wanted me to study engineering. So, I decided to be an industrial engineer focused on automation. My first job was to teach electrical workers how to incorporate automation into houses and machines. After that, I worked as a robot programmer, factory manager, sales director, and a university teacher. None of these have any relation to the field I am currently working on—IT, cloud, or digital technologies.

Adhya: So what inspired you to set up SagitaZ in the SaaS market?

José: In 2009, during my stint as a sales manager, I was looking for a scalable CRM. After some detailed study, I found Zoho. My next search was for a good consultant, an expert in Zoho and—even better—in business development. However, I didn’t find anyone who I really loved, and moved on to set up the CRM myself.

This sparked my mind to think beyond what I was already doing. A year later, in 2010, I made a choice—a decision to build my own company—and SagitaZ was born! “Sagita” means arrow in Latin and the “Z” comes from Zoho. We are here to help people pick the right SaaS market, just like how the arrow directs you to the correct path.

Adhya: You founded SagitaZ in 2009. How did your relationship with Zoho begin?

José: At that time, it was quite simple. I connected with Zoho to sell Zoho Creator. It was a product for geeks, so creating great solutions, having good case studies, and getting experience was our priority rather than doing big sales.

Adhya: Wow! The name speaks for what you do as a firm. So, you’ve worn multiple hats—an engineer, a teacher, head of sales, CTO, CEO and finally, a founder. How have all of these experiences prepared you for SagitaZ?

José: In 2009, Spain was entering into the worst financial crisis that we had lived through. I started the company with a vision: “put your customers ahead of all”. SagitaZ is a company with the same problems, fears, and doubts as all our customers. But, having worked on the “other side” of the wall in a lot of different places has helped me to empathize with the customer. So, most of the time, I’ve always got something in common with my client. This is the first step in building a rapport with a customer and understand them better.

Adhya: How did you go about marketing your brand and landing your first 5 clients for the partnership?

José: Mexico, Argentina, USA, Spain, and Colombia were the first countries we started to work in. In the beginning, we focused our work around Zoho Creator developments. We started with some videos about the product and moved on to creating our own Zoho Creator manual in Spanish. This proved to be a breakthrough in our market.

The best thing about being a consulting company is that you really need not sell everyday, especially if you invest in the growth of your customer. Subsequently, customers will come back to you and when the word spreads, your business grows!

https://

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H9jebK_wX0

Adhya: If you had to start today, is there anything that you might do differently? What has changed today?

José: When I founded the company, I was single, so working 12 hours a day was not a problem at that time. Today, if I had to make a fresh start with my wife and baby, I probably wouldn’t focus on consulting to the SME market alone and look at widening our horizons.

Adhya: What is your approach towards SaaS consulting?

José: The customer is confused. They want to move to the cloud environment, work in the cloud, and build a business on the cloud. Yet, they’re apprehensive about the consultant’s work, and look for a standard solution that would work perfectly when customized to his needs. Usually, this is not possible.

So, my personal advice to the owners of companies is not to tread the SaaS pathway without a good consultant company next to you. Migrating to the cloud is not merely about the tools, servers or computers; it is about the love, passion and expertise that a consultant brings to the table.

Adhya: SagitaZ is a complete package! You’re into business, consulting, trainings, and events. How is your team equipped to handle this workload?

José: Are you asking for a job? Haha. We are a team of thirty, now. This 2019, we’re planning to grow, because the only way to deliver quality work is by hiring passionate people who love other people—our customers.

Adhya: How do you train and motivate your own people?

José: I believe in leading by example. Four years ago I didn’t speak English, and it limited the possibilities of expanding the company to new markets. I decided to make a change to overcome this. So, I hired English-speaking workers and lived in my home amongst foreigners. Now, things have changed!

My vision is that if I fight against my limits, my close team will naturally be aligned with the same way of living. Did you know that when we bring the Indian team to our HQ, they live in the homes of our local workers to grow a personal connection?

Adhya: That’s a great way to build not just relationships but the business network as well! Having been in the SaaS arena for almost a decade, you naturally have your own theories on the market trends. What’s an interesting trend that you’ve observed over these years?

José: The companies still haven’t understood what it means to digitize their firm. They have started to use the cloud, but in the same way that they started using their first CD with Microsoft Office and Windows98.

The work on digitalization will increase over time, but this is not enough. The greater challenge is to transform the way that the workers think. We need to create opportunities for young minds to gain business experience, while the seniors develop an understanding of what to expect from the new tools.

Adhya: How do you grow your business (i.e. invest) while also generating cash flow?

José: If there is money, we invest in new people. If not, we wait. This is what we’ve been doing all the while—maximizing the impact of every euro we sell. The secret to growth is, “don’t stop walking”. If you walk and walk, say, for almost 10 years, you can probably cover the globe. Don’t you think?

Adhya: Oh yes! What were the lessons that you’ve learnt during your walk for growth?

José: I have learned that the secret to success in the Zoho world is to have a great, big, and passionate team. Zoho’s cloud is massive, and any consulting company that wants to offer a good service has to have workers with years of experience. The complicated thing here is not about finding a solution; it is about figuring out the best solution from all the different points of view, like cost, maintenance, scalability, simplicity, UI/UX, and many more.

Adhya: What are some ways that a partner can win the customer’s confidence and have them coming back to you?

José: The most important thing is the customer’s needs. If a partner gives his 100% focus to his customer, the customer will feel that it’s a good relationship that has to be treasured for a long time.

Let me give you one example: Eight years ago we started to develop an ERP for a textile factory in Mexico with Zoho Creator. This was a rewarding solution with more than one million rows of script. Now there is a video, case study, and a lot of interviews about this work of ours, but our value comes from the fact that the owner of this company, Richard Davis, is still our customer and a great friend!

https://

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAQCdKcoF_o

Adhya: That’s great! Could you brief us about one of your most challenging experiences in this journey?

José: Like I told you before, I couldn’t speak English because when I went to school in Spain, we used to study French in those years. I felt that this was a big barrier to grow the company, because 50% of our customers speak English.

Also, SagitaZ is 100% focused on the Zoho world, so as a CEO, I needed to have personal relations with Zoho guys in India and the USA. This seemed to be a bigger challenge at first, but this too was overcome after hours of great meetings with Mani and Sridhar Vembu, when I visited the Zoho office in Chennai last year. We now share a personal bond!

Adhya: How do you position Zoho against a more well-known competitor?

José: To us, this is simple: the customer wants us for what we do with Zoho, so we only focus on solving the needs of the customers. We never compare Zoho with other software. We only talk about how we can come up with a customized solution at the earliest they can expect, and this does the magic for us!

Adhya: In 2018, you were named a Zoho MVP! How have your priorities changed since then?

José: Becoming a Zoho MVP was great news for me and my team! It was a new position that pushed us to do different activities to promote Zoho to a huge community. We’ve been coming up with new ideas ever since. Our imagination knows no limits now!

Have you seen our latest series of books for Zoho Babies? They are cool books for #zoholovers that we launched some months ago.

Adhya: New titles bring in new responsibilities. SagitaZ is now a Zoho Premium Partner in Mexico and Spain. How has your journey been for the last decade?

José: From the beginning of our history, I had the idea of becoming a Global Tech Partner for our customers, because if we wanted to inspire them, we had to expand our horizons. This powered us to bring the company to Mexico in 2016. We were hiring new teams in India or travelling to Asia and Africa, looking for new business. 2018 was a year of hard work and dedication to improve our operations and complete the team.

Adhya: What are your priorities for 2019?

José: 2019 will be our year to work in new business units. Our biggest priority for this year is to let the team grow. To achieve this, I’ll have to start delegating my routine work outside of my own position.

In 2018, our sales increased by almost 60%! The company is in good health and I feel this is the right time for me to expand and showcase our expertise in other countries, products and business units.

Adhya: That’s great! We know that CRM is your primary focus. Are you looking to solve other customer issues through other products?

José: The CRM is the building. Everything else is around CRM.

We have consultants and expertise in all the Zoho applications. For example, our finances wing alone has three consultants, so we can do at least one or two finance projects every month. Marketing, Sales, Support, and every other product of the Zoho catalogue—if Zoho sells it, we have to be experts in it. This is the vision of the company.

Adhya: SagitaZ has already touched parts of America and Europe with offices in Mexico, France, and Spain. Are you looking to add on new customers, or focus on expanding your presence within the current customers?

José: SagitaZ is a service company. If our customers open an office in, say, Africa, we should be close to them. That is where we have a future. Right now, we’re just getting started.

Adhya: What size of business do you typically serve? What skills does it take to serve larger customers?

José: We typically serve multinational companies with a lot of needs. We also cater to the big local companies.

Our clients want a solution that integrates multiple areas. At this point, we have to be agile and efficient. Our clients’ companies are already functional, and they want to have a solution as soon as possible, because a solution means more efficient processes and cuts on their expenditures. The point is to have a clear objective and go for it!

Adhya: Great! SagitaZ has also been doing a lot more than consultancy services. The Zenith School, Spotfone VoIP, and other spin-offs. What’s the idea behind these initiatives and how did you go about finding the right resources for the program?

José: We work based on the needs of the customers.

The Zenith School was born to help our customers develop a deeper understanding of how to create what they want using Zoho tools. The telephone VoIP company was an idea that sparked when we were looking to build a solution for sales teams because the existing ones didn’t have the features that we needed.

Check out SagitaZ here

Know more about Partners @ Zoho here

The post How SagitaZ is growing over 60% YOY, providing solutions across 25 countries appeared first on Zoho Blog.

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jaymelsorenson · 6 years ago

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Dreaming with God

(Sermon Notes from a message I spoke a few weeks ago)

Did you have a dream or big plans when you were young/little?

What were some of them?

Are you doing that thing you dreamt of?

What are some things that have held you back?

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This morning we are going to dig into some of the hopes and dreams God has for you! What are they? And maybe what has held us back in the past

We’re going to take some time to make a list and commit them to Him

PRAY (Opening)

When I was young – I had big dreams – I knew I had GREATNESS inside me

- Designer, a model, a singer, teacher, bus driver

((We’ve all got to grow up sometime))

Grew up and OUT of that ‘PHASE’ – sort of FORGOT about those passions & dreams in my life

Fear said - No one thinks I’m ‘good enough’ so I might as well do something else

I’ll probably end up an accountant or secretary (MOM’S job)

Became OK with MEDIOCRE, AVERAGE

I GAVE UP

I got into DRUGS pretty young, and some unhealthy RELATIONSHIPS

NO satisfaction in LIFE

All of it left me feeling ALONE, and like there was nothing I could do about being AVERAGE

I CAME TO KNOW the Lord (or rededicated my life) when I was 16 and began to look at my life through RELIGION

Religion also said AVERAGE is BEST, average is safe

Being HUMBLE looks like being average. Not standing out, not taking credit for what you’ve done, not doing anything to be noticed

Religion was NOT OK with DOING WHAT I WANTED to do, because that was ‘what I wanted’ and NOT WHAT GOD WANTED

So, I pressed on and tried to BLEND IN and remain UNDER THE RADAR, what I thought HUMILITY LOOKED LIKE

I still did some really COOL STUFF, but it was more out of a heart of thinking this is what GOOD CHRISTIANS DO

I got MARRIED, had KIDS, thought I knew what God had for me or for my family

Then a few years ago, I was given a ‘GIVING KEY’ that said ‘DREAM’ on it.

The more I PRAYED into that word and started to try and EMBRACE it, the more

I realized I had LET GO of any DREAMS or visions FOR ME, my dreams had become about my family, my kids, but I had NONE that were ONLY FOR ME

God began SPEAKING to me about MY DREAMS for MY LIFE

•••• GOD WANTS TO DREAM WITH YOU ••••

Once I had this revelation, Holy Spirit kept talking to me about dreams everywhere I looked.

SERMONS, PODCASTS, BOOKS, ONLINE, the BIBLE, FRIENDS, the RADIO

IT WAS CRAZY

I began to ASK GOD what HE had for ME

What does that look like?

1. Who Did God Create You To Be, Do, & Reach?

He began to reveal to me who HE CREATED me to BE, what He created me to DO, and who He created me to REACH

- Confident, assertive, creative, gentle, loving, in the details, prophetic, leader, mother to more than just my blood, wife, encourager, effective communicator, etc.

But he was also speaking to me a lot about my PASSIONS too

- Worship, art, writing music, creating anything, young people, people as a whole, relationships (friends), missions, Latin America, languages, piano, guitar, singing, leading, helping, & more

And that HE PUT those PASSIONS & DREAMS there for me to PURSUE

NOT to TEASE me, BUT to FUEL me

FUEL for me to WANT to do what HE is DREAMING FOR ME to do

Once I came to a working revelation of that, I began to look at what God put in my heart to do

2. Make A List WITH Him

* Habakkuk 2:2 ESV – “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”

When you make a list ask things like:

- God, what did you create me to do?

- What are your dreams for me?

- What am I just naturally drawn to?

- What am I naturally good at?

- What do I look at and think, ‘If only that were me doing that thing’?

- God, who did You create me to reach?

- What did You have in mind when You created me?

Once you’ve sought the Lord about His dreams and plans for you, WRITE out a LIST

Check your heart motives – not for the money or fame or recognition, but FOR God and WITH God

We talked a little about my understanding of humility earlier but really

- Humility in the Bible does not mean having no power – it means understanding where that power you carry comes from.

In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.

Honor God as you grow and dream, giving Him due credit, but also understanding God has placed greatness in you

Then COMMIT your plans to Him, partner with what He wants for you

*Proverbs 16:3 ESV - Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

SET GOALS

He is so GOOD guys!

He really just wants the best for us!

*Ephesians 3:20 AMP – Now to Him who is able to (carry out His purpose and) do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think (infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams), according to His power that is at work within us

MORE THAN WE DARE ASK, THINK, OR IMAGINE!

He CAN DO IT! And wants to partner with you to get it done!

My MOM used to make (still makes) GOAL POSTERS, long term and short term goals are great

Something visual to remind you of all that He’s called you to do.

Little steps that can be measured and accounted for

Mini goals for me look like - Learning to play a new chord on guitar, or know all the lyrics and chords to a song without sheet music

Big goals for me look like – Full time ministry, worship pastor, missions, learn a new language, record an album

And then

3. Share

As I began to MAKE LISTS and set GOALS, I began sharing my heart and telling people about what God wanted for me – MIXED REVIEWS

A few were excited to hear and offered support

But there were more people that were not excited or supportive at all

Dominican trip - only a few weeks to raise like $2000

Not a good idea to go that route, don’t try that, don’t do things that way, that’ll never happen, that’s too much money, that’ll take too long, you’re too old, you’re too young

I got discouraged about sharing my dreams and I remembered Joseph

*Genesis 37:5 ESV – Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.

We need a safe place to share our dreams, there are wrong people and right people.

Had Joseph gone to the right people (maybe his father even), the support may have looked different

Around this time in my life, I had the opportunity to share a dream of mine (to have a voice to lead worship and to lead consistently) with the School of Supernatural Ministry I was attending.

So, a safe place – for you it may be this refresh, good friends, spouse, a parent, maybe a mentor

One who will champion you, who gets you, people who see your heart, who support you, who uplift you, people who share their dreams with you.

They encouraged me, asked me about my goals as the months went on, and cheered me on and championed me as they saw fruit from that!

It was a safe place to share and from there I got to see that dream take off!

Since then I have been leading worship at Eastpointe (main service and a number of other ministries there), youth ministries, ladies Bible studies, Worship Pastor substitute, and I even started playing piano and eventually guitar while leading (which i could do a little before, but not singing and playing)!

Side note – I only started playing guitar when I was 25 and I didn’t even really get serious about it until I was 30! And I am still learning at 33! (never too late for you)

Now God is expanding my dreams and vision for my life.

Lately it has been a lot about leading, pastoring, reaching people, writing, speaking, writing songs, leading my songs, recording my songs

About painting, designing and creating things, decorating, event planning, I love ‘the details’ so really anything that takes a lot of attention to detail.

God and I will forever be revising that list.

MUSIC ON (Closing)

He always dreams bigger than me. So how could I not keep adjusting it?

Think for a minute, dig deep

What is something you dreamt about when you were a child that you have given up on? Maybe because of lack of money, or fear, or because someone else told you that you couldn’t do it?

Then think about God. And all that He is. All that He can do.

Now how could God make that dream bigger or better?

That’s what He wants for you

He has infinite power and wisdom and creative thinking abilities and problem solving skills and a thousand cattle on a hill

Like, do we think we are better than the one who gave us our talents/passions/skills?

He is the creator of creativity, the creator of dreams

The MOST CREATIVE BEING actually.

And WE were created in HIS image!

Which means we are inherently creative

We were never called to be average, designed for greatness

We are a chosen people, set apart

God has more for us than we could ever ask, think, or imagine. Remember that verse?

Let that marinate

We are going to transition into a kind of activation time, maybe 10 minutes or so? now that we’ve got the meat – let’s eat

Get you some paper and pen or pencil

The Lord reminded me of my dreams and visions and purpose in my life that were long forgotten or discarded

And I believe Holy Spirit is going to do that for us again this morning.

- Position yourself open to receive what God wants/dreams for you

As I ask these questions, just write whatever comes to your mind first. Don’t question it too much. If it’s good, write it down

God will always speak highly of you, so if it’s not good it’s not God.

Let’s just see what Holy Spirit says this morning

PRAY

1. God, who do You say I am?

2. What did You have in mind when You created me?

3. What did You create me to do?

4. Who did You create me to be?

5. Who did You create me to reach?

6. What are Your dreams for me?

Now look at that list, isn’t He good guys?

I love how He created each of us so different and yet each so powerful

Is there an overall theme looking at your list?

For me, my lists usually stem in a vein of creativity

Try and find an underlying theme – justice, peace, love, creativity, outreach, serving

Is there a dream in there that needs to be chased?

I dare you to chase those dreams.

Bear down, set goals, get it gurl.

I challenge you to share during free time, or over lunch maybe even

Grab 2 or 3 ladies and share some of what God revealed to you.

And don’t forget to be the ‘right person’ supportive, loving, and encouraging – Be their champion

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helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog · 7 years ago

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7 Things We Learned From Dancing With 'DWTS' Pros Gleb Savchenko, Artem Chigvintsev & Alan Bersten (Exclusive)

Dancing With the Stars' all-athlete season is just weeks away, and ET got a firsthand look at what the intensive training will be like for the next round of celebrities gearing up to vie for the mirrorball trophy.

Gleb Savchenko, Alan Bersten and Artem Chigvintsev exclusively invited us to take part in their first-ever Pro Dance Camp, a three-day dance soirée in Palm Springs, California, where we learned exactly what it's like to dance with the stars pros!

Held inside the stunning Riviera ballroom, 75 aspiring dancers of all different levels -- from beginners to intermediate and advanced -- traveled far and wide, coming in from states like Maine, Minnesota, Washington and North Carolina, to attend what Artem described as a ballroom "crash course," that kicked off just five days after he, Alan and Gleb wrapped their 64-city DWTS: Light Up the Night Live! tour.

"This is the first time anyone has ever done something like this," said Gleb, who started planning Pro Dance Camp with Alan, Artem and his wife, Elena, at the end of last year. "It's for the people who love dancing, for the people who are fans of the show, our fans. It's an opportunity to come and join dance class and get the chance to dance with their favorite pros from their favorite TV show. It's a lot of fun!"

Having such a blast covering @prodancecamp for @entertainmenttonight 💃 Just finished @theartemc’s class 🔥🙌 // #dwts #prodancecamp

A post shared by DESIREE MURPHY (@desireemurphy_) on Mar 24, 2018 at 12:04pm PDT

Artem says creating the event was a collaborative effort. "A lot of people came together and we said, 'Let's do something, because we kind of have a little time off,'" he said of their break between the tour and DWTS. "It was a collaboration of a bunch of people … to create something where kids and adults who want to dance, we can give them a chance. If they are watching us dance on TV, why not experience it for themselves?"

"Elena has this business mind. She always gets questions and emails from people asking, 'Where can we learn how to dance? Not necessarily from Gleb, but we just wanna learn,'" Gleb added of his wife's involvement. "So, she came up with the idea of creating this getaway weekend for everyone, no matter their dance experience. There's no levels, so anyone could come."

First day @prodancecamp went amazing! #family

A post shared by Gleb Savchenko (@glebsavchenkoofficial) on Mar 24, 2018 at 10:40pm PDT

And based on what we experienced from taking part in over six hours of dance classes, Gleb and Artem couldn't have stayed any more true to their word. As promised, the guys' workshops were fun, informative and laid-back. So, whether you've been a dancer your entire life or were just learning your first 8-count, every guest felt at ease as Gleb, Alan and Artem taught Latin, Rumba, Cha-Cha, Salsa, Jive and Paso Doble variations, with a warm-up led by DWTS troupe member Britt Stewart each morning. Additionally, fans were also given the opportunity to take private lessons from their pro dancer of choice, which the majority said was the highlight of their weekend when we chatted with them at the gala dinner.

Of course, DWTS fans on Twitter who were following the event were feeling the "FOMO," with many asking if the guys have any plans to expand the camp to more cities in the future. Alan and Artem both told ET that they'd be down, but ultimately, it's "up to Gleb" to decide.

"So far, it seems like this is a really fun place and weekend. We've met so many fans and there's a great energy about it," Gleb shared. "Personally, I would love to continue it and take it to different places. It's in the future, it's in the plan, and it would be great if we could do something like that."

For now, Gleb confirmed to ET that he's gearing up for the all-athlete season of Dancing With the Stars, which returns to ABC on Monday, April 30 at 8 p.m. ET, as well as Pro Dance LA, a new studio he and Elena are opening up in West Hollywood, California. In anticipation of what's to come on the dance competition show, we're breaking down seven more things we learned from dancing and hanging out with Gleb, Alan and Artem:

1. Focus less on the steps, and more on having fun.

While chatting with ET, Gleb gave some great advice to ballroom beginners, including the 10 athletes who will be competing on DWTS later this month. "Bring yourself, bring the energy, wear something comfortable and be prepared for us to make you sweat, for sure," he said. "Bring lots of energy, have lots of fun … you don't have to be a professional dancer, or have any dance experience, to learn [ballroom]. We always create something that's accommodating and suitable for every individual person."

Added Artem, "I want people to want to come back because they had fun. Fun is always the biggest goal for me."

2. Latin is way harder than it looks on TV…

It’s getting 🔥 in here! @Gleb_Savchenko is such a great teacher, making dancers of all ages and experience feel comfortable with the moves 💃 @ProDanceCampPS#ProDanceCamppic.twitter.com/FmpH8eW5Cp

— Desiree Murphy (@desireemurphy_) March 24, 2018

We were most surprised by the difficulty of Gleb's Latin workshop, which taught us how to use our hips in a way that's much different from other dance styles. Honestly, we now have a newfound appreciation for all the celebrities who have attempted to master this style on the show in the past. It is NOT easy!

3. ...but the Jive is just as enjoyable as you'd expect!

Yaaasss! Jive is next with @Dance10Alan 🤗 // @ProDanceCampPSpic.twitter.com/ZUbkpWg7nK

— Desiree Murphy (@desireemurphy_) March 24, 2018

At the same time, we also understand why so many football players specifically excel so well in this dance genre. The fast footwork keeps you on your toes, and because of its quickness, you find yourself being challenged while still having a lot of fun with the choreography. You really have to pay attention to the counts, as well as your placement on the floor, which NFL stars can relate to when keeping track of their movement on the field.

4. There's a reason why Alan became a pro.

Wouldn’t be @ProDanceCampPS without some SHIMMYING! @Dance10Alanpic.twitter.com/cR5xTcr77n

— Desiree Murphy (@desireemurphy_) March 24, 2018

Alan finally received pro status on DWTS' 25th season (paired with Debbie Gibson), and after taking lessons from him, we totally get it. He makes you laugh, while being just serious enough to make sure you're understanding the content. And if you get the steps wrong, he'll call you out -- but not in a malicious way, whatsoever. He does it in a way that allows you to poke fun at your own missteps, as you prove to him (and yourself) that you can do it. His classes are all about working hard, having a blast and becoming an expert dancer without even realizing you're improving. Truly something magical!

5. Artem brings the heat!

Hands down, covering the first-ever @prodancecamp for @entertainmenttonight was one of my favorite assignments I’ve had this year! I am now a ballroom dancer. Please vote for Desiree & Artem!!! #DWTS Season 27 😂 Swipe 👉 for more

A post shared by DESIREE MURPHY (@desireemurphy_) on Mar 25, 2018 at 6:56pm PDT

DWTS fans and judges typically comment on Artem's chemistry with his partners, and if we learned anything during Pro Dance Camp, it's that he knows how to make everyone feel comfortable… while still looking good!

"I feel like every single person on this earth should experience and be educated in [dance], because the etiquette comes with it," he explained. "Men need to learn how to treat a woman, and I feel like through this dancing, it definitely gives you that exposure."

Out of all the dances we experienced over the weekend, Artem's Salsa class surely brought out the best energy, and plenty of dreamy smiles from the ladies in the workshops. Hey, we don't blame them!

SO IMPRESSED! Everyone is bringing that energy for @artemchigvintse 🙌🙌🙌 #[email protected]/j9S7KQ61g5

— Desiree Murphy (@desireemurphy_) March 24, 2018

6. The guys can describe their personalities using one style of dance.

Alan joked that he's a mix of all the best qualities, and therefore would be the Argentine Tango. "I love the elegance of ballroom, like with the waltz, but the Argentine Tango is a mix of that and Latin passion," he shared. "It has everything, and everyone can see it differently. It can be really fierce, it could be subtle, it could be sometimes controlling, but also soft. It has all the different dynamics."

Artem said he's torn between Argentine Tango and the Paso. "They're both very manly, both very sensual, in a lot of ways, and I feel like I can express myself more in those dances than any others," he explained.

As for Gleb? "I would probably say contemporary and the thing is, I'm not a contemporary dancer. I'm ballroom trained, I've never really trained properly in contemporary, but I kinda picked it up when I started doing the show," he revealed. "I really love it because it's a style where you can actually do anything, and you can really tell a story through dance. You can express yourself more. I'm all about telling a story through dance -- the emotions and feelings and very strong characters of a man and a woman and their connection."

7. They read your tweets.

During breaks from dancing, we caught the guys on their phones, and Alan says a big reason why they created Pro Dance Camp in the first place was because of all the fan suggestions they've recently received. "A lot of the fans want to dance with us," he explained. "We get a lot of tweets that are like, 'I wish there was a Dancing With the Fans season.' So this is really as close as it gets!"