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tenderlyrenjun · 3 years ago

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[9:15 am]

(feat. Mark)

You barge into Renjun’s private study, pushing the classificatory Azure Dragon emblem on the push plate so violently that the doors clammor deafeningly against the walls they hit. The force, even quicker, drives the doors to shut before the head guard, Mark, can follow you in, even with his vampiric speed. Surprisingly, the doors remain intact, likely due to the fiberglass material. But Mark still enters, half a second after you, bowing apologetically to Renjun who reads a sales and revenue report.

“What the hell is this?” you demand, waving a letter with Jaemin’s government seal stamped prominently contrasted against the black-inked characters and tinted white parchment.

Renjun gives you a momentary look until returning to his deep red wine and business report. And neither of you spare a glance at Mark, who immediately assesses the entire room, looking underneath the desk, leaning against the wall to scan the garden outside through the curtains, taking out his ear piece to listen for the slightest of movements, etc. etc.

“I don’t know,” Renjun answers, eyes glossing over the drop in profit, trying to figure out where it comes from.

Every couple of decades, the two of you obtain successive internships at your various companies, under the guise of nepotism, usually to oversee any errors or the general income. And with Renjun having suggested attending college a few months back, this internship with your tech company seemed to just fit the whole college students persona, particularly your A accompanying that computer class Renjun asked you to take. Plus, he wanted to review why the stocks have been going down, especially since your companies are privately owned and you two, the owners, are well-hidden from the public. The only people, prior to your new reemergence into the 21st century, who saw you were other ancient vampires and the members of your coven - Kun, Aurora, Mark, Jiu, Woosung, in addition to the security detail turned and operated by Mark.

“It’s Jaemin’s signature,” you state obviously, crinkling the parchment louder in the air before pulling it in front of you again to reread the message.

“Mhmm,” Renjun hums, already having gathered that, simultaneous with Mark’s reaction: a whispered Oh.

Both you and Renjun turn to Mark, who finished surveying the area. Your vampire hearings amplified the exclamation, so you two raise matching eyebrows.

“Sorry,” Mark excuses himself formally, then resumes the composure of a head guard again: shoulders squared, head up, position alert. He stares blankly at the wall but receives challenging stares ordering a real answer. “I just,” he concedes to his founders, “thought it was something more zealous, or, even, outrageous, like an ex-lover or something.”

You eyebrow raises further, and Renjun closes his file, setting his feet firmly on the ground. It is ... entertaining when vampires make passing comments about your intense relationship - even Jaemin mentioned that he had not seen either of you separated in all 700 years that you three have been friends. Scarcely anyone knows about Renjun’s earlier indiscretion, and you would like to keep it this way, especially if the future unfolds as Doyoung’s right hand predicts it to. The thought paints an intense stare on your face that almost scares Mark.

“We’re both two and a half millennia old,” Renjun reveals, something he rarely admits to people and something that Mark largely underestimated, given by the way his eyes widen and body stiffens. Renjun turns to you, smirking. “Do people always assume that we are first loves?” You glare at him, not wanting to answer, especially after the incident Mark unintentionally brought up. Renjun drops the corners of his lips, right, then reclines in his chaise longue, resuming his casual position crossing his ankle over his knee. “Not that it matters, of course, because you are my only love.”

“And you are my last,” you respond equally.

“What did Jaemin sign?” Mark interjects, not wanting to be caught in yet another lover’s ... to be honest, he cannot describe the intensity; he just knows that he does not want to be in the middle of it again.

“A declaration of war,” you announce, tossing the opened envelope into Renjun’s lap.

Renjun slowly sits up again, then closes his file and chugs the last of his blood, in case of a surprise attack. Younger vampires ... they tend to be more dramatic, and he would not hold it against them if they waited for this exact moment to make a move and jump all three of you at once. So, he needs the last of the blood to have more than enough strength to fight them off.

“Against who though?” Mark asks, making sure to emphasize his presence. Sometimes, you and Renjun slip into that fabled telepathy supposedly shared by Mates (it is fake; you two just know each other well), and as head guard, he needs the information to make a protection plan for the entire coven.

But to his surprise, you answer, “I don’t know,” and rub your forehead. You walk toward Renjun, rereading the message over his shoulder. “Some faction in North America, I assume, based on all the tensions both politically and economically - what with one Lee clans slaughtering an entire town to occupy it.” You sigh, then realize how callous the sentence sounded and look up at Mark, who shared that surname in his mortal life. “Sorry, Mark.”

“Not a problem,” he amends, “Likely no relation.” He triangulates in front of Renjun to watch your back in case a vampire appears from the large mirror at your blind spot. “Was it one of the newer factions?”

Still standing, you exhale loudly through your entire chest (to give yourself a pause to think, to remember), then step a bit further from Renjun, mimicking Mark’s protocol: creating a triangle position amongst the three of you. You would honestly love to sit with Renjun, like all those nights lounging on a couch, studying or watching TV, but the both of you need to be as alert as Mark always is, if not more; the responsibility of protecting your newly rebuilt coven weighing heavily. It took centuries after the last war just to be able to trust other vampires into your hours, and even more decades to do extremely thorough background checks on those who live with you now. At the beginning of the war, assassins infiltrated your manor at your weakest point and Renjun had to rescue you from Yeon’s kidnapping and extortion attempt (possibly even murder, if Renjun had been too late). That was when you lost Xiaojun, Mark’s predecessor who was sire bonded to you. Then, more spies, from all sides, from all covens, absolutely decimated your numbers until only you and Renjun remained. Renjun, too, barely managed during the war, to keep you safe. Luckily, his special compulsion ability was able to order vampires away, undermining their sire bonds to defy their traitorous leaders. He currently keeps this gift secret, only using it when necessary (or as a party trick with his closest friends), though it does still come out subconsciously, hence why his first impressions are always so great.

You sigh again. “Newer vampires don’t know just how many of us there are, or how long we have been around. Aurora is barely 35, and prior to joining us, she was not aware of Jaemin or the Laws. So, of course they have to be a new faction. An arrogant new faction, likely affiliated with one of the Italian clans who want ultimate power again and for the capital to return to Volterra [Italy] again.”

“Rumor has it that Jaemin’s Mate even returned to Korea after drifting through North America,” Renjun gossips. You are always surprised to hear about Jaemin’s Mate, because while he has not been off the compound in 90 years, his Mate is scarcely ever with him. It reminds you how horrible that century without Renjun was; you cannot fathom wanting to be separated for more than a few days. “Perhaps there is some benefit to his Mate having been gone; Jaemin might have more to say than what he send.”

“What did Jaemin want?” Mark asks, as the only person in the room who has not read the letter.

“For us to pledge allegiance,” Renjun answers before you do, also recalling that darkest time when you perfected your poison techniques on treasonists. He deadpans and crumples the letter into a ball, feeling your anger rise with Jaemin’s words. You give Renjun a look, Jaemin cannnot be serious, right? But Renjun shakes his head, unsure; Jaemin is a fan of loyalty, even more than you, so neither of you know what this invitation means - you will have to schedule another meeting with him.

“Does he not remember our commitment to neutrality?” you seethe, balling your hands into fists like the ball, shaking your head with Renjun but in disbelief.

“Does he want to absorb us as well?” Mark asks more realitistcally than you. “Our vampires are highly trained and over half possess special abilities, so -”

“Jaemin is not Doyoung,” you seethe again, interrupting Mark before he can accuse Jaemin of one of the highest crimes (passed into law by Jaemin himself): stalking vampires into a coven. It rose into law after one New Year in the early 19th century when too many newly turned 20-year olds emerged as vampires. Covens grew; entire high school classrooms slaughtered; police stations were at an all time high for corruption as leaders bribed them to turn the other way. The law had been coming for a long time, especially since this is how Doyoung acquired all of his member. Doyoung only recruited leaders with special abilities; hence his left hand atrium, a vampire with subjective precognition born under a chancellor following the Dark Ages, and his right hand (Jeno) atrium, a prince, a former East Palace in the years preceding the Dark Ages, with the ability to recognize any relationship and induce one, though only if he is present. But that holiday was the final deciding factor.

“No,” Renjun agrees, his voice rising to command the room. “But do not forget, love. We wanted Doyoung to rule as well.” You share a lot of qualities with Doyoung, hence why you are old friends, but Jaemin is the current leader and a good one at that too.

“Not at the cost of war.”

“So what do we do?” Mark asks, looking between the two of you for a direction before he creates a plan. “How do we avoid the war?”

Renjun glances at the letter. Jaemin was very firm and strict. So he sighs, resigning in doubt.

“We don’t.”

#renjun #huang renjun #nct #nct renjun #renjun timestamps #renjun imagines #renjun x reader #nct x reader #nct timestamps #nct blurbs #nct fluff #nct angst #renjun fluff #vampire au #nct mark

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letterboxd · 5 years ago

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The Missing Linklater.

“Any time I’m on a set with Rick I feel very fortunate.” We talk to the writers behind Richard Linklater’s new missing-person feature film, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

An adaptation of Maria Semple’s 2012 comedic novel about a reclusive architect who goes missing just before a family trip to Antarctica, Where’d You Go, Bernadette? stars Cate Blanchett in the title role. Bernadette’s daughter Bee (Emma Nelson) sets out on a quest to find her, with Bernadette’s husband Elgie (Billy Crudup). Laurence Fishburne, Judy Greer and Kristen Wiig also star.

Directed by American filmmaking icon (and co-founder of the Austin Film Society) Richard Linklater, the screenplay was co-written with his frequent collaborators (and married couple) Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo Jr. If their names are not familiar as scriptwriters, that’s because they usually work further behind the scenes for Linklater, and have been since 1993’s Dazed and Confused, when Holly was a production coordinator, and Vince a second second assistant director.

Vince became Linklater’s first AD for the films Bad News Bears, Fast Food Nation, A Scanner Darkly, Before Midnight, Boyhood, Last Flag Flying and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?. Holly co-produced Linklater’s Me and Orson Welles (2008), which she also wrote with Vince.

Reviewing Where’d You Go, Bernadette? on Letterboxd, Tom suggests that after a “generic” opening, the film “slowly starts to show its true colors as the character of Bernadette is unwrapped… it’s a story that is touching and even a bit inspiring for those who aspire to be their own artist in life.” J Oled agrees: “This could’ve been a Hallmark special, but because Linklater generally loves humanity, and is always experimenting, this film is quite watchable, it’s warm, relatable, and modest, and I wasn’t asking for much else.” Melissa, who has read the novel, offers: “If you’re a fan of the book… the movie is starkly different. But if you’re a fan of Linklater… you’re going to love it. Cate Blanchett may be the best actor of the decade.”

We spoke to Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo Jr. about their collaborative writing process with Linklater, mining their own relationship for inspiration, and making films for the social-media age.

Cate Blanchett as Bernadette and Emma Nelson as Bee.

How you were brought onto the project? Holly Gent Palmo: We have worked with Rick [Linklater] for many years. We first met on Dazed and Confused, where we were on the crew, and we’ve worked on many projects with him. He’s one of our close friends. He was brought onto the project and then we read the book and loved it so he brought us on. We started from scratch, it was all based on the novel.

What did you relate to in the book that made you feel you had the right perspective to take it on? HGP: This is a movie that for me personally is very relatable because it’s about a woman who has really lost herself in motherhood and as much as she loves that journey, she’s also really looking to rediscover her passion of her past creative impulses. I think that’s something that Rick, Vince, and I all can relate to, not only as parents, but also as people trying to do something creative in this world.

Was the book’s author Maria Semple involved at all? HGP: First of all, the novel is fantastic.

Vincent Palmo Jr: Love the book, love the book.

HGP: Maria knows so much about the filmmaking process and has that history herself that she knew that she wanted to hand it off to Rick. She talked to Cate and she talked to Rick but she did not take part in the writing.

Richard Linklater seems like a great writer to collaborate with. What is it about him that makes that operate so well? HGP: With Rick, the way we work is that we talk a lot in the beginning and clearly discuss every aspect of the book. This one was particularly challenging in that it was a modern epistolary novel told in emails and transcripts. It’s not a straight narrative and it’s not told in a linear fashion, necessarily. So we had to sort out the chronology of our story and what would be included.

Screenwriters Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo Jr. / Photo: Wilson Webb/Annapurna Pictures

It’s the way he works with actors and everyone. It’s a really respectful, really collaborative process where everybody gets to bring to the table their own personal point of view in their own lives. With Rick, we dove into the parts of the novel we liked best and what threads we were going to pick up and carry through.

VP: It was a pretty deep exploration of the novel, of all the different characters and situations. We talked through all that and came to an agreement between the three of us for what we felt said the themes best.

Vincent, you’re also Linklater’s first assistant director, which is an interesting combination of multi-tasking. On set, would you pitch in on the script-side? VP: No, on set as a first AD I’m more concerned about the day’s work and really having everything in place and ready to go so Rick just has to say “action” and “cut”. I don’t talk at all about the script. At that point we’re all dialed in anyway.

When Holly’s around they have their conferences and I’ll be arranging the next set up. I’ve done a lot of things with Rick. I did all twelve years of Boyhood. There’s a shorthand there that I’m intent and focused on each day’s shoot and what’s coming up the next day.

HGP: By the time Rick gets to set, he’s totally prepared and ready. He has his rehearsal process with his actors. Our process is over, he’s very sure of what he wants.

VP: You can’t over-prepare, but we’re very prepared.

HGP: Except maybe in a rare instance in having to negotiate some small change.

VP: Yeah, like in what the weather’s brought or something new at a location, things like that.

Boyhood and Before Midnight are both classics of their decade now. What were those sets like? VP: I’m so happy for Rick [that they’re highly regarded]. Boyhood just stretched on. I remember there were times where we were like, “is somebody in Eastern Europe doing the same thing and it’s going to come out before us?!” We really didn’t know.

To pick it up each year and shoot it on film when all that kind of change [to digital] was in the midst of us shooting… Any time I’m on a set with Rick I feel very fortunate. To see them received in the way they were, it’s really thrilling.

Emma Nelson and Billy Crudup in ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette?’.

In what ways, if any, did you adapt your style to the talents of Cate Blanchett and the other cast members? HGP: We knew that Cate was interested from the moment that we began. We were always hoping to do justice to her great talent and thinking towards that. To me, there could be no-one better in that role. Cate brings so much to it.

It’s an inspiration to think that no matter what kind of nuanced emotion we write in a scene, she can carry it and do an incredible job. It gives a freedom of inspiration thinking that there’s a possibility that Cate Blanchett can be playing the part.

The book is largely renowned for the way it captures the nuances of Seattle. What types of research did you do for the characters’ occupations and their environments? HGP: Rick did a lot of interesting, in-depth research for Elgie’s technology role and the kind of things he was developing. He talked to a lot of people involved in Microsoft developing those sorts of things, to bring that in the most detailed and up-to-date way.

For architecture, Rick arranged some meetings with some really great architects to go and talk to them about the language they use. As far as Seattle goes, there’s no greater resource for that than the novel itself. Maria really knows that world and has so many funny and interesting outsider opinions about it that I felt it was the perfect way to learn about that.

What did you feel you could bring to the element of marriage when writing as a married couple? HGP: That’s interesting.

VP: That is interesting. Well, we’ve been married for 26 years.

HGP: I do think that all three of us brought in our past relationships and our current relationships to the process. I believe it’s a realistic portrayal of the quest to keep improving your life through self-discovery. It’s a unique story that you don’t really see a lot of.

That whole idea that you can’t ever really know anyone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try—Rick really loved those words, they’re the opening words of the novel. It’s this idea that the other person is always somewhat unknowable, but you keep trying to get to know each other while you change through the years.

VP: The search continues! You find new things.

HGP: Nothing is more rewarding in life than those close relationships that last decades.

Richard Linklater, Emma Nelson, Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup at a New York screening earlier this month. / Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Do you think it’s difficult to write contemporary films for the social-media age? HGP: It’s fascinating when you see movies and there’s this before-and-after cell phones dividing line, because so many of the great films and their plots would have been so different if everyone was carrying a phone around.

I don’t know if it’s easier, but it is a change in your way of thinking as you realize everyone has a phone in their pocket. I think both [period and contemporary] are fun. Any kind of story or plot that you’re trying to figure out is a really fun and challenging puzzle. I notice in a lot of films they try and get rid of the phone in some way.

What was the film that got you into filmmaking and made you want to be a part of this industry? VP: Oh my gosh, wow. Jeez, that’s a really tough one.

HGP: There’s so many stages to it. There’s the ones you see when you’re a little kid that just blow you over. Those are so bound with light and emotion that you don’t even understand. I remember Apocalypse Now—that was something that blew my mind.

VP: It just kind of builds. I got a degree in journalism and then I ended up working in film so it’s hard to point to just one that really flipped the switch. I don’t know why, but I saw The Sound of Music a bunch of times when I was younger. Maybe it was just easier for my mom to take me and my four siblings out to see it.

‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette?’ is in select US cinemas now.

#richard linklater #austin film society #holly gent #vincent palmo jr #seattle #where'd you go bernadette #maria semple #billy crudup #emma nelson #austin #letterboxd

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dijeh · 7 years ago

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Remember those mythology articles released back when SMT 4 FINAL wasn’t already old news? I figured two years is perhaps a tad too long even for my levels of procrastination, so I decided to get them done once and for all. This is also a pretty interesting article, so let’s hope it’s a good sign...Anyway!

FIFTEENTH TOPIC: TENKAI AND THE EDO MANDALA

If you were wondering what’s up with all the spooky stuff going on in Tokyo or are into conspiracy theories about Akechi Mitsuhide, then this is the perfect article for you. If not...well, it’s still an interesting insight into some Buddhist protection rituals and a conspiracy theory about Akechi Mitsuhide.

Previous topic: Adramelech and pagan demons. More translations here. (ko-fi)

How real historical people became part of legend

stories that were turned into legend have been passed down since immemorial times, whether people had the knowledge of writing or not;

there were a lot of legends that were written down once writing was mastered (Japan: Kojiki, Nihon shoki);

Kojiki was completed in about 712 AD, corresponding to the Nara period (ancient capital Nara);

Japan calls the period until these times 上代 (joudai, ancient times), more of a literary term: until then gods were considered to have been real and dwelt on earth;*

the terms 神代 (jindai, age of the gods) or 神世 (kamiyo) basically denote the period before the 天孫降臨 (tensonkourin, descent on earth of Amaterasu's grandson, Ninigi no mikoto);**

the further we descend into ancient history, the rarer the records are, and we end up with vague stories resembling legends more than anything;

Shoutoku Taishi, for example, who lived during the Asuka period, earlier than the Nara period, was more of a real person than gods like Amaterasu or Susanoo and had his portrait on the 10000 yen bill, but tales about him also had mythical elements, and nowadays Shoutoku Taishi tends to be considered more of a fictional character;

it is believed that mythical people like the onmyouji lived during the Heian period, following the Nara period, and they can be found in fiction like taiga drama even nowadays (Taira no Kiyomori);

we have Abe no Seimei as a famous onmyouji, but claiming even Taira no Kiyomori was one is an exaggeration; there aren't any reasons to deny his very existence though;

his parents, date of birth and life have been recorded, but legend exaggerated his abilities ('He was actually a child of gods, so he had supernatural powers’)***;

there were also historical figures of the Middle Ages who became legendary characters;

their popularity among people thanks to tales and plays was translated into additional mythical episodes;

historical records aren't perfect either and there are many cases of unknown birth dates, places or parent names, so they were supplemented by guesses, speculation and broad interpretations, giving birth to these so-called mysterious superheroes;

The mysterious Buddhist priest Tenkai

lived at the end of the Sengoku period - beginning of the Edo period;

was a Tendai priest and worked for Tokugawa Ieyasu;

known as the one who did the town planning for Edo, adopting the feng shui technique;

it is said that he constructed a spiritual barrier, placing Kaneiji in Ueno (north-east) and moving Zoujouji to its current location (south-west), as seen from from the Edo Castle;****

Tenkai's birth is one of the mysteries surrounding him;

it is said he left home when he was only 13 or 14, but nothing had been recorded before that;

he was chief priest in a temple now known as Kita-in from the city of Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, but back then it is seems he was already a confidant of Tokugawa Ieyasu and had also participated in the planning of the battle of Sekigahara;

it is believed that Ieyasu's decision to install the shogunate was also done at the suggestion of Tenkai;

the native Tendai Mikkyou rituals for the protection of the country were implemented on all sides of the Edo Castle, but the four directions of Edo were protected by the four Chinese gods (Genbu in the north, Seiryuu in the east, Suzaku in the south and Byakko in the west), while the conception of the guardian Goshiki Fudou (five-coloured Fudou) was based on the ancient Chinese wu xing, showing that, like Nara's capital Heijoukyou and Kyoto's Heiankyou, Edo had also adopted the Chinese city planning;

evil entering through the kimon (north-east) and urakimon (south-west) was also adopted from China, same as feng shui;

most of these spiritual defenses were built during the time of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, when Ieyasu had already died;

Tenkai's birth year had been unknown from the very beginning, but it is assumed he lived much longer than the usual lifespan of his times, surpassing 100 years of age at the time of his death in 1643;

the spiritual defenses surrounding the Edo Castle are also called the Edo magic square, but it is actually the Shijokobuccho mandala, a circular mandala, transmitted by Ennin, the disciple of the founder of the Tendai sect, the monk Saichou;

this mandala used during prayers and austerities for country defence and disaster prevention is formed of many Buddha arranged in several concentric circles and can also be found in Rinnouji, the Nikkou temple where Tenkai was chief priest;

we can therefore presume that the spiral-shaped moat of the Edo Castle resembles this mandala;

The Akechi Mitsuhide Theory

Tenkai’s unknown origin, as well as other details of his life, also led to the theory that he was Akechi Mitsuhide (明智光秀), the general who betrayed Oda Nobunaga at Honnouji;

after Tokugawa Ieyasu’s death, he received his posthumous name, Toushou Daigongen, and was enshrined at Nikkou Toushouguu; the scenery that can be viewed from the temple was named Akechidaira (明智平) by Tenkai;

the wet nurse of the third shogun,Tokugawa Iemitsu, was Lady Kasuga, the daughter of Saitou Toshimitsu, a chief vassal of Akechi Mitsuhide; for Iemitsu’s mother, Oda Nobunaga’s niece Okou, she was basically the equivalent of a bitter enemy, and it is presumed her rise in ranks took place thanks to Tenkai;

Tenkai received the posthumous name of Jigen Daishi (慈眼大師); there is a Kyoto temple named Jigenji containing Mitsuhide’s mortuary tablet and wooden statue;

even though Mitsuhide is known to posterity as a traitor, there are opposing views, not only due to his devotion to his wife, serious and kind personality, but also because the reason of his betrayal has remained a mystery for centuries;

it has been however speculated, due to the discovery of some letters, that his friendship with Chosokabe Motochika caused him to prevent Nobunaga’s attack on the Shikoku island, Chosokabe’s domain.

*上代 (joudai) is basically the period when gods used to rule the earth, until Emperor Kanmu's reign; 上 (ue, up) can be read as both kami and jou, while 代 (yo, world, age) can be read as shiro or yo -> the homonym 神代 (kamishiro, age of gods) with 神 (kami) meaning god. 上代 can also be read as kamiyo and has the homonym 神世 (kamiyo), with 世 (yo) meaning world or age.

**wiki tells us this is used in Japanese mythology in particular, the period ending in about 660 BCE.

***the original wording is kami no otoshidane, which basically means 'a god's bastard child' (well, actually it means ‘god’s fallen seed’, but, you know...); why this? one theory has it that Kiyomori was actually Emperor Shirakawa's son and since all emperors were Amaterasu's descendants, that would have made him one too.

****the terms for north-east and south-west are 鬼門 (kimon) and 裏鬼門 (urakimon), which mean 'demon gate' and 'rear demon gate' and are used to denote unlucky directions; more details here; have a silly map too.

#shin megami tensei iv final #shin megami tensei iv apocalypse #akechi mitsuhide #tenkai #Megaten #translation #my stuff

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clarencenicholsonata · 5 years ago

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4 Shockingly Good Email Marketing Examples for Ecommerce Brands

For the last time, email marketing is not dead. The next time you hear “email is dead” from someone, show them these statistics:

3.8 billion worldwide were using emails in 2018 and this number is expected to reach 4.3 billion by 2023 (That’s nearly half of the world’s population!)

In 2019 alone, 293.6 billion emails were sent and received. This number is expected to cross the 340 billion mark over the next three years.

81 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises rely on email marketing as their primary customer acquisition channel.

Talking about the ROI on your emailing efforts, for every $1 spent, email marketing can offer an average return of $32.

Proving email marketing is up and thriving!

A solid email marketing strategy has the potential to drive massive sales for ecommerce businesses. Through emails, you can also personalize your marketing messages and build a sustainable relationship with your customers.

Email marketing is all about sending laser-targeted emails to the right people, at the right time.

Sending timely emails at different stages in the buyer’s journey (such as, to first-time customers, cart abandonment, or post-purchase) helps nudge and encourage subscribers to take the desired actions.

Of course, the last thing you want to do is to send irrelevant or too many emails to your customers who signed up for special offers, discounts, and good content. So, it is crucial to ensure your recipients don’t get peeved, as that would simply be counterproductive.

Sounds like a handful? Don’t fret! Check out our post in which we have carefully handpicked examples of ecommerce email marketing done right.

1. Welcome Emails for New Subscribers

The average open rate for a welcome email is a whopping 82%. So, you don’t want to miss sending this email to a new customer or store visitor who has just subscribed to your services. This email welcomes them and subtly reminds them of your range of products and services.

A welcome email is the first step towards building a long-term relationship with your customer. It helps customers realize that you value their interest in your product or service. But customers are constantly looking for the WIIFM (what's in it for me?) factor in every form of promotion.

So, instead of sending a standard “Welcome on board!” email, you can add a little motivation in the form of some useful content, a discount coupon, or referral code to the email, persuading them to open and claim their welcome gift.

Check out this welcome email sent by SmileDirectClub to its subscribers.

The teledentistry firm’s email is not just warm and friendly but also offers an incentive that no one can refuse. They have also added call-to-action buttons — “Find Your Savings” and “Book A Free Visit” — which can significantly boost their click-through rates.

2. Post-Purchase Emails for Customers

These are sent as soon as a visitor completes a purchase successfully. A post-purchase email is sent primarily for confirming the order and thanking the customer for their trust in the brand. However, this is also an opportunity for you to foster a long-term relationship with them.

Besides showing your gratitude, use post-purchase emails to share important product information, new launches, limited-period offers, customer service options, and other details that might add value to them.

You can also ask them to review the product or service once they have used it. In this digital age, reviews, ratings, and brand mentions can work wonders for your brand reputation.

Check out how Casper, the eCommerce store that sells sleep products, sends a clean yet effective post-purchase email asking for the customer’s review:

Lastly, don’t shy away from cross-selling. Since the customer has already tried your product or service, use post-purchase emails to promote related products that they might enjoy based on what they just bought

3. Send Cart Abandonment Emails to Retarget Customers

Cart abandonment continues to be a huge challenge for ecommerce marketers. Cart abandonment is quite frustrating for ecommerce firms who invest a huge amount of resources in converting a customer.

With average eCommerce cart abandonment rates across all industries being well over 70%, this is a rather big issue for your brand. People adding items to the cart and discarding it later is lost sales and customers for you.

People ditch their shopping carts for several reasons ranging from lack of payment options to high shipping fees. But the fact is, if you don’t do anything about it you will lose these visitors who were so close to making a purchase. Don’t let them go easily!

Well-crafted email marketing might just save the day. Customers are giving you a clear hint of their purchase intent when they ditch a transaction on your site. So, think of cart abandonment emails as your second chance to continue the dialogue with this exceptionally important bunch of potential customers.

An effective cart abandonment email doesn’t have to be complex. Craft a compelling headline and body copy, add a photo of the product with key details, and a CTA button that redirects the recipient to the cart. This will encourage them to complete the transaction.

Simplicity can pay off. The renowned eCommerce label Dollar Shave Club sticks to its unique brand voice while adding a compelling copy with CTAs that appeals to their target audience. With real testimonials backing it up, the email gets more persuasive.

Also remember, sending three abandoned cart emails results in 69% more orders than a single email. Ideally, you should send the first email within a few hours of cart abandonment.

After a couple of days, send the second email. The final reminder, probably including a coupon or an attractive offer, can be sent a few days later.

4.Tap into the Power of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

All of us are FOMO-sapiens! None of us like missing out on an after-party discount or a limited-time offer. The feeling of missing out on something attractive and value-adding can nudge visitors into clicking that “Buy Now” button.

Leverage the sense of scarcity to make products and offers appear more exclusive and beneficial by sending FOMO emails. These emails remind your current and potential shoppers of a limited-period deal that they may miss out on.

Brands like Amazon Prime and Oiselle are known to send one of the most effective FOMO emails to their customers.

In FOMO email campaigns, the subject line should do a majority of the heavy lifting in terms of getting the recipient to click through and convert. Take your time to draft the perfect FOMO-packed subject line that’s irresistibly clickable.

That being said, don’t go overboard with this tactic. If you swamp people’s inboxes with “limited-time deals”, they’ll stop believing you and the word “scarcity” would lose its worth.

Conclusion

Simply put, if you wish to grow your customer lifetime value (CLV) and effectively reach your customer base without spending a lot of money, email marketing is of the essence.

It is one of the most cost-effective ways of acquiring and retaining customers. Take inspiration from the examples shared above to design and implement stellar email marketing campaigns for your own eCommerce business.

Also remember, what works great for other brands may not fetch the same results for you. So, keep A/B testing to continually measure and optimize your email marketing campaigns.

Do you know of any great eCommerce email marketing examples? Share them in the comments below!

About the Author

Pratik Dholakiya is the founder of The 20 Media, a content marketing agency specializing in content & data-driven SEO. He regularly speaks at various conferences about SEO, content marketing, entrepreneurship, and digital PR. Find him on Twitter @DholakiyaPratik

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styleatacertainage · 7 years ago

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DECEMBER | REBECCA WHITE

every once in awhile an email lands in your inbox that makes you pause. no, i’m not talking about the ones that begin with ‘hey there’ or ‘hi’ then launch directly into their pitch. heck, those emails are deleted in a nanosecond. i mean, how much time does it take to research my name? exactly. but waaayy back in october a delightful email landed in my box from rebecca white, former Dean of University of Georgia Law School. in fact, rebecca was the first and hopefully not the last woman that served as dean. impressive. the purpose of the email was short and to the point, as only a lawyer would pen. but it did its job as it grabbed my attention, so i fired off a quick response and drinks was penciled in the following week.

and i’m ever so happy i did. that is meet for drinks because here’s what i learned. rebecca and her sister jane recently started a handbag company they named Hanner Clarke. guess what ladies? each of these remarkable women is past the age of 40. don’t you love it? new ventures are similar to style – there’s no expiration date.

of course, jane carried one of her exquisite handbags with her that night. so yours truly was able to ooh and aww over the leather (from italy) and the design (made in the U.S.A.), and i immediately knew i had to introduce the fledgling company with all of you. but i have to share with you that the best part of the evening didn’t have so much to do with the handbag but getting to know the woman behind the product. are you ready to read more about rebecca and her sister jane? here are a brief bio and the Over | Under interview.

Jane Hanner Allen and Rebecca Hanner White are sisters, lawyers, and purse lovers. Each comes to their new venture, Hanner Clarke, after distinguished legal careers.

Attention to detail, expectations for quality of the highest order, and responsiveness to client needs have been carried over to Hanner Clarke. Additionally, years of searching for the perfect handbag have given them a clear sense of what the market needs.

Their experience in and out of the workplace, coupled with decades of working with and mentoring young professionals, have given them an insight into what women of all ages are looking for in a handbag, allowing them to create purses that are functional, feminine, luxurious, and elegant. Hanner Clarke bags are classic and timeless.

In 2000, Jane founded Counsel on Call, a legal services company that has been named to Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 fastest-growing, privately held companies in the U.S. three times and that has grown to become the leading new model legal services provider. The company currently has offices across the country, and three Managed Services Centers. As Founder, she currently leads the development of the company and serves on Counsel on Call’s Board of Directors.

Rebecca is Dean and J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Georgia. She is the only woman to have served as the law school’s dean. She joined UGA’s law faculty in 1989, and before her deanship served as associate provost and associate vice president of academic affairs for UGA. She is a specialist in labor and employment law.

Both Jane and Rebecca credit their passion for the law to their father, Ivan Hanner, who strongly encouraged his daughters to become lawyers, at a time when few women were in the profession. Jane and Rebecca’s love of fashion, including their love of purses, comes from their mother, Dolores Clarke Pelc. Hanner Clarke, a brand exemplifying professional yet feminine design, is named in their honor.

Q: Are you over or under the age of 40?

Rebecca and Jane: We’re both over 40.

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

Rebecca: I draw inspiration from the people around me, most especially my family. They inspire me to be the best I can be and to recognize and remember what is most important in life.

Jane: People around me, especially family members, and those that push me to use gifts that I may not even know exist—to be a better person.

Q: What inspired you to found your own company?

Rebecca and Jane: We had been searching for over ten years for the perfect purse, one that was professional and feminine, that slid easily onto the shoulder, was lightweight and was not covered in logos. When we couldn’t find it, we would laughingly say that we should just make it ourselves! Eventually, we started thinking seriously about it, recognizing that other women were likely looking for it too. Seeing there was a need in the market that wasn’t being met, we decided to go for it. One of our tag lines is, “We found the perfect handbag; we just had to make it.”

Q: Ocean, lake or pool?

Rebecca: While I love night swimming in a pool, I’m an ocean person.

Jane: Ocean

Q: What advice would you give your 20something self if you could?

Rebecca: You shouldn’t pass up a chance to say “I love you.” Also, try to live more in the moment.

Jane: Trust yourself and the journey you are on.

Q: Do you have a motto?

Rebecca: While I share Rebecca Mead’s skepticism that George Eliot really said it, I do agree that “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Jane: “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.”

Jane

Q: What do you think of first impressions?

Rebecca: I’ve learned over time that first impressions are not always accurate. Don’t rush to judgment.

Jane: Not that it is a good thing, but I do believe first impressions matter. As I age, I try not to form them as I realize how often they are inaccurate and can be quite hurtful.

Q: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Rebecca: Go to law school.

Jane: Someone told me that when thinking about a big decision, sit on it, think and pray about it, and then listen to where you are led.

Q: Everyone has to start somewhere. What was your first job?

Rebecca: Television news reporter in Lexington, Ky.

Jane: Lifeguard in high school and elementary school teacher right out of college.

Q: Rebecca, you were formerly the Dean of UGA School of Law. How did that tenure prepare you for a second career?

Rebecca: While fashion design and merchandising is a world away from being a law school dean, both require patience, problem-solving, creativity and working well with others. And did I mention patience?

Q: Jane, you founded and were the CEO of Counsel on Call. How did that experience prepare you for this new venture?

Jane: Having started and grown Counsel on Call enabled me to understand the complexities of starting and growing a business. It provided the experience and confidence to believe that if you want to do something, to create something that you believe other people need/want, then go ahead and do it.

Q: How do you describe your style?

Rebecca: Classically elegant. At least that’s what I strive for. And I think it’s a style that describes Hanner Clarke’s underlying aesthetic as well.

Jane: Professional and feminine and yet often casual chic

Q: Hanner Clarke Handbags was founded by you and your sister Jane was it a difficult decision to go into business with your sibling?

Rebecca: The chance to work with Jane and to create something together was the driving force for me in making this transition from law into handbag design and entrepreneurship. I greatly admire and respect my sister, and I love her deeply. That we are on this path together is what makes it so enriching and rewarding.

Jane: The ability to work with someone I love and admire, respect and have always looked up to and have gone to for advice—that was the best part about starting Hanner Clarke.

what a delightful interview, rebecca, and jane! thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us. and ladies, guess what? Hanner Clarke is extending a discount to all of my lovely readers (just in time for Santa). please use code STYLE to receive a 20% discount at Hanner Clarke. happy shopping!

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goddessgardener · 5 years ago

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In youth, he says, we lay the foundation for our life. The first season is often struggling to get our lives going. This is a season of being heavily dependent on others. The second season is about giving our lives away in serving others, whether it’s family or contributing to the world of church, work, or culture. The third season of our lives is about leaving a legacy. We identify the meaning of our lives and share that as a gift to others whom we leave behind.

The final stage of life is about finding out who we really are. This might also be the first time in our life when we do what we like to do. Be thankful for the memories, and rejoice in the way life is now.

Research has proven that the happiest age group of all is the elderly. Why is that? Maybe because it’s a more peaceful existence, and we know it’s okay to slow down. When we age gracefully, we live with the wisdom of all of our life experiences.

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cassatine · 7 years ago

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some thoughts on Valerian

(I wanted to do this earlier but I came back from the movie in the middle of the night, scribbled a few notes, promptly fell asleep, and then the last two days were pretty busy)

There’s good news and bad news, as expected - the good news being that I loved it, the bad news that it’s nonetheless full of flaws. In all fairness, I’m very attached to the comics, so i’m shamelessly putting “adaptation/characterization choices I disagree with” among the flaws, becAUSE.

It was faithful enough to the spirit of the comics, I’m just a nitpicker

I mean MY BABIES ON THE BIG SCREEN let’s be real I’m just happy this movie exists and i’m faking objectivity

The acting was pretty uneven; overall I think there was more good than bad, but the bad was... really not good. There’s the blue screen effect, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if some scenes come out better on mute tbh because

Dialogue gets pretty clunky in places - there’s more talking than Besson usually goes for, but it’s his usual style of one-liner after one-liner. It’s not that bad when it comes to action scenes but it doesn’t do any good to the romance ones

Sadly the romance subplot wasn’t very well handled - there’s the clunky dialogue, but also it’s basically trying to cram nearly a dozen albums worth of subtle, background character development in a few scenes, all the while flipping the bird to “show don’t tell”.

I have so much ranting to do on that

Related: I really, really love Laureline’s backstory in the comics; it’s barely ever mentioned that she comes from the Middle Ages, but she does, adapts to The Future beautifully, isn’t wowed by it enough that she doesn’t criticize or points to injustice when she sees it, and literally no one ever makes a joke about her being a primitive because of when she comes from and I’m not even getting into her relationship with Valerian

At least Dane DeHaan has the puppy crush look down pat.

The end of the Kyrian sequence felt like the wrongest, characterization-wise - Valerian and Laureline smiling and joking less than five minutes after the rest of their (however temporary) team is decimated is... basically the kind of things the comics aim not to do.

I’m split on Bubble - I really like the amorphous blobs of the comics and their finding humans unattractive tbh (the joke doesn’t get old, ever) ; but the dance scenes was wild and the backstory opens a window into a side of Point Central Alpha the movie doesn’t otherwise dwell much on - it’s a cesspool of corruption, a place of controlled chaos as much as much as it’s a (mostly symbolic) beacon of civilization ; but why does she have to die damnit ; I need a rewatch.

The Pearls come straight out of the uncanny valley - the proportions are just off enough that it feels wrong

They must have some really light bones or Mül had a lighter gravity than Earth.

Also that’s got nothing to do with how they look, but wow, Noble Savages much

It’s eye-poppingly gorgeous, a colorful explosion of wow in your retina in the most bonkers way and i’m there for it

The opening sequence was amazeballs. It was beautiful and poetic and an unabashedly optimistic view of the future, a manifesto in itself and I loved it to death

I mean, love science fiction under all its forms, from the hardest of hard sf to the space!wizards, but currently the grimdark kind of reigns supreme and it’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that I also like the crazily colorful optimist stuff and there’s not enough of it

First contact that’s not an alien invasions!

No ‘humanity bands together in the face of alien threat” narrative (because clearly only common hate and fear of the Other can brings humans together, it is known)

No but really, that sequence was so good that I can even forgive changing Alpha’s backstory. Called Point Central in the comics, its origin is lost in time, long predating humanity’s descent from the trees - because we’re not that special. Humans are only one species among many on Point Central, and not to get into details but it’s wanting to be more that gets them thrown out of Point Central. The trope deconstruction is much more thorough in the comics - there’s no Commander trying to hide his war crimes, but an Ambassador who wants humans to be the first among equals kinda (to make a long, trippy story short).

Commander or Ambassador, it’s still a human that’s the aggressor, so to say; with humanity as the early founders of Alpha, we get a great slice of optimism, one that needs to be tempered by a reminder that humanity can also be pretty awful. In the context of the movie, the Ambassador wouldn’t work as well - he’s not really a villain, and fundamentally steeped in idealism, whereas the Commander is most definitely not; he’s the worst of us, ready to go to any length to cover-up his war crime. He’s a very banal kind of evil - it’s the point, and imo, so’s the fact that he rose to be Commander

Alpha’s not perfect, and neither’s the human government; that line from Laureline about disliking the usual procedures (or smthg, i don’t remember exactly what she says) isn’t random either

That “United Humans Federations” marking on the floor of the meeting room, interesting choice

There’s more but second viewing first. Definitely need one. Or two. Or -

#valerian and laureline #valerian and the city of a thousand planets #spoilers #meta #valerian meta #next time i'll try to do a write up immediately after

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wineanddinosaur · 5 years ago

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We Asked 10 Brewers: What’s the Most Underrated Brewery?

If you spend a lot of time on beer-related social media channels, you might believe only a handful of popular breweries and beers are worth pursuing. But there are a lot of brewers and breweries in the game — and the opinions of those in an industry often differ from those populating its message boards. That’s why we asked 10 brewers to share their expertise: What are the most underrated breweries in the game?

For the sake of clarity, we’re using the term “underrated” to denote brewers that have earned respect for their beers for their quality, prolificacy, and contributions to the beer world — even if they don’t get the same kind of love on the message boards.

“Final Gravity Brewing Co. hatched out of a homebrew shop, which opened in 2011, when Hardywood became the second brewery in the City of Richmond … While there are now almost 40 breweries in the Richmond region, with many gaining national attention, Final Gravity deserves recognition for brewing some truly world-class beers. The Doppler Effect is an exceptional IPA, and nearly all Final Gravity beers are crafted to remove gluten.” — Eric McKay, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

“One of my favorite places to drink beer is De Dolle Brewery in Esen, Belgium. Not that De Dolle is underrated, exactly, but I think they often fly under the radar. The brewery itself is in a remote part of West Flanders and is only open on the weekends, so it’s not the easiest spot to hit. On top of their fresh and delicious beer, Kris and Els, the husband-and-wife team that own it, are awesome people. The taproom at De Dolle is also something special. Thanks in part to Kris’s art on the walls, their taproom space has an authentic vibe that is really hard to replicate. And it’s almost always full of locals — from kids to great-grandparents. In my opinion, nobody traveling through Belgium should pass up a visit to De Dolle.” — Jason Perkins, Brewmaster, Allagash

“Our good friend Kyle Tavares at Mile Wide Brewing is doing some great things down in Louisville, Ky. Not only is he brewing some great hazy IPAs, but some great sours and traditional beers as well. Kyle is a Schlafly alum, and we couldn’t be more proud of the work that he’s doing. If you haven’t had a chance to get your hands on some Mile Wide beers, put them on your list. They’re all great.” — Stephen Hale, Founding Brewer, Schlafly

“I’m going to give a much-deserved shout out to my co-worker Ian Larkin. He was my assistant for three years at Bend Brewing Company before taking over when I moved to 10 Barrel. He is a very accomplished brewer in his own right, winning 11 medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup in his time at Bend Brewing Company, which is the same amount I won during my stint there. Since his move to 10 Barrel, he has further won two medals in these very competitive large competitions. Because Ian likes to fly under the radar, he tends to be overshadowed by me and my accomplishments. We have very similar personalities and believe the devil is in the details, diligently plugging away at making a beer perfect regardless of how many brews it takes. Ian and I are an amazing team, creatively spurring and supporting each other to create polished, thought-provoking beers.” — Tonya Cornett, Brewer, 10 Barrel Brewing

“Free Range Brewing, Charlotte, N.C. … Often boasting the percentage of local ingredients in each beer, Free Range is the real deal, with a unique mainstay of a sourdough-starter yeast pitch, some very imaginative beers are pumped out of their warehouse. [Another one is] Little Fish Brewing, Athens, Ohio. Located on a beautiful greenway at the edge of a bustling college town, Little Fish has on-site gardens and a small hop yard where they grow some ingredients for their beers … Though their mixed-culture beers always have my attention, their clean beers are typically flawless as well. [And] Weathered Ground, Cool Ridge, W.V. Located in extremely rural West Virginia on a beautiful farm, Weathered Ground is the epitome of hard work and dedication to community. With few breweries in the entire state, Weathered Ground is on a mission to not only make awesome beer but to change an entire culture in the process.” — Todd Boera, Owner, Fonta Flora

“Allagash and Sierra Nevada for the way they have maintained excellence in all areas while being atop the industry. To be that good and produce that much beer is not ratable. OG and DGAF. St. Somewhere and Jolly Pumpkin. These guys have been making real farmhouse beers since about the time I could start drinking. Cambridge Brewing Co. and Austin Beer Garden Brewing … So many small pub models out there that have variety, classic styles, and atmosphere totally nailed without the hype. And if it’s not limited to American beer, I would put De Ranke and a whole slew of European modern classics in the center.” — Barry LaBendz, Owner, Kent Falls

“Ivan [Maldonado of 3 Punk Ales in Chula Vista, Calif.] has been a part of the San Diego/Tijuana scene for a while, putting his time at a number of breweries on both sides of the border and picking up knowledge in every stop he’s made. Now at 3 Punks, he’s turning out some killer lagers, (which are still somewhat of a rarity in SoCal), and making all-around stellar beers. Dude has a keen palate and is one of my go-to sources when I need another beer brain to bounce ideas off, or if I just need a Tijuana tour guide for the day … 3 Punks and Chula Vista definitely deserve more love thanks to Ivan.” — Jay Bullen, Brewmaster, Brewery Silvaticus

“The first is Metropolitan Brewing. In an age when lagers are being rediscovered by larger craft breweries as well as the more popular haze/pastry stout breweries, with varying degrees of success, Metro has been cranking out technically perfect German- style lagers for a decade. Heliostat, their zwickel lager, is easily one of my favorite beers in the world, but they don’t package it, which more or less means you have to come to Chicago and go to their beautiful taproom to experience it. And many do. And they never forget it. But that kind of perfect consistency doesn’t necessarily light up the message boards.

“Following in that same trend is Dovetail Brewing, who focus on using traditional brewing methods to make classic European styles and very quietly produce some of the best beer in town.” — Ben Ustick, Media Relations, Off Color

“Wayfinder is producing some of the best lagers on the planet … When I got into the industry over a decade ago, the idea that you could succeed as a lager-focused craft brewery was a, uh, relatively exotic one. Now, a brewery that’s pumping out world-class lagers can absolutely expect to develop a large and loyal fanbase, and Wayfinder definitely has, just within a very narrow geography. So if you’re visiting Portland, be sure to check them out and celebrate the fact that lagers are a major part of the current craft milieu.” — Jacob McKean, CEO and Founder, Modern Times

“While vast swaths of the beerscape have been preoccupied with ever less-inspired trends and gimmicks over the last decade to decade-plus, one brewery that comes to mind for just sticking with flawless classics is Unibroue. Emphasis on ‘flawless.’ I remember clearly my very first sip of Finny (or La Fin Du Monde, if you’re fancy) about 15 years ago. It was an eye-opener then, and it remains positively transcendent today. So, too, is the entirety of their distributed catalog. ‘Fermentation-forward’ doesn’t have to mean a beer is corrosively acidic or funkier than George Clinton’s backside, and Unibroue’s been proving it for nearly 30 years. Local is great, but great is great, too. If you’ve never had a Don de Dieu, stop ticking beers and go drink one.” — Marty Scott, Barrel Coordinator, Revolution Brewing

The article We Asked 10 Brewers: What’s the Most Underrated Brewery? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/10-best-underrated-breweries-2019/

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aicelab · 5 years ago

Text

In 10 steps to a successful DropShipping company

Online trading via DropShipping is associated with far-reaching advantages. One of these is the greatly reduced complexity of the required corporate structures and processes. But it is the simplicity of managing a drop-shipping company that tempts many founders to underestimate the start-up effort.

The advantages of DropShipping are more than convincing

If you are interested in starting a trading company on the basis of DropShipping, then you are definitely not on the wrong track. More and more founders are deciding to start a drop shipping company. This is mainly due to the overall good market potential, the low barriers to entry and the specific drop-shipping advantages. All these advantages together result in an overall concept which is very convincing and which you should definitely take a closer look at. Let’s take a look at these potentials together in short form.

We operate in the market environment of online trading. We are thus opting for an industry that is characterized by high growth rates and excellent prospects for the future. Some critics complain that growth figures have declined in recent years. This is also true. However, one has to consider that they have only been reduced from oversized areas back to a still fantastic potential. We can therefore assume that e-commerce will continue to play an important economic role for a very long time to come.

Those who opt for DropShipping choose a professional field in which there are hardly any obstacles in their way. You do not need a specific professional qualification, you can run your business ideally from home and even in terms of start-up capital, this does not present a drop shipping company with an insoluble task. All in all, you will hardly encounter any insurmountable obstacles and will be able to realize your dream of independence quite unhindered.

Minimize your risk with DropShipping

Finally, let us look at the main advantages of DropShipping. The very good relationship between opportunities and risks is particularly important here. DropShippers do not have to pay any special costs before the start of your business and can therefore not lose much money. You benefit from low running costs and the complexity of your operations is also very limited. All in all, DropShipping thus represents a particularly risk-free entry into the world of e-commerce.

Anyone who wants to benefit from these advantages and benefit from them will be interested in our contribution, which explains how you can start a DropShipping company in 10 steps. But before we get into our step-by-step instructions, we would like to briefly explain why a structured and well-planned start is so important.

With a structured start to successful DropShipping

The way people start their businesses differs greatly from one another. Sometimes the decision for self-employment and foundation is made within a very short time. You come across an interesting business idea and are so enthusiastic about it right from the start that the realization somehow comes about of its own accord. However, such an easy and simple start into entrepreneurship is the exception. As a rule, the foundation is rather the result of a long and detailed planning and preparation phase.

During such a phase, you as the founder and prospective entrepreneur set the course for your later success. Your current decisions already determine how your business will develop in the long term. In this context, it goes without saying that the greatest possible effort should be put into preparation. In most cases there is no second possibility. So we don’t start with the dress rehearsal for independence, but go straight to the premiere.

This performance doesn’t have to scare you. You will have ample opportunity to plan and prepare your entry into self-employment. In our experience, it is best if you work with a structured plan, which you can complete in a series of individual and clear steps.

Problematic in this context: The creation of such a plan is of course much easier for people who have already founded a company. If, on the other hand, you are dealing with such a topic for the first time, it is difficult to select the appropriate steps, put them in the right order and implement them.

This manual is already half the battle

For this reason we provide you with our elaboration “Starting your own DropShipping company in 10 steps”. Here we have written down and detailed the most important milestones on the way to becoming a successful DropShipping entrepreneur. But that’s not all: For each individual step you also receive a well thought-out practical tip. This will help you to put what you have learned into practice immediately. This works even if you have no previous experience of setting up a business.

So take a few hours and work through the following 10 steps and their tips one by one. The goal should be for you to create an individual plan that divides your own start-up project into meaningful steps. So you always know what to do next and don’t lose the overview.

With these 10 steps you create your own DropShipping company

Even though DropShipping is the much simpler alternative to traditional online trading, this form of self-employment is also not available effortlessly and without thorough preparation and planning. Remember this when you are thinking about starting a business and use the following 10 steps to a successful DropShipping company to get off to a successful and safe start.

Step one: Your individual business idea

On the previous pages we have presented many interesting business ideas and concepts that can be based on DropShipping. Now it is up to you to develop your own strategy with which you want to take markets and consumers by storm. When choosing your future business segment, do not only orient yourself on the expected market opportunities, but also consider your personal interests, abilities and inclinations.

The better you can identify with your DropShipping business idea, the more pronounced your prospects for business success will be. In addition, you will deal with the subject chosen now over years or decades. I’m sure a little personal identification won’t do any harm.

Our tip: Find yourself a good conversation partner Mutual exchange is particularly valuable when it comes to setting up a company. Therefore, make sure that there is a person in your immediate vicinity with whom you can talk about the progress of the foundation, but also about your worries, concerns and questions. Whether or not this person is a specialist only plays a subordinate role. Much more important is that you know each other well and understand each other well. In this way you will discuss your own points of view again and again in a controversial way and critically deal with your situation.

Step two: Stay critical

No matter how enthusiastic you may be about the business ideas for your future company: Stay critical at least until you have put the concept through its paces. Some founders and entrepreneurs tend to look at their own ideas through pink glasses. You’d better beware of that.

Instead, check the concept with the critical eyes of an uninvolved person and try to detect weak points and errors. Use the Internet to research the market situation and consumer interest and form a truly objective picture of your business opportunities before taking the next steps.

Our tip: Use the Web for in-depth research In the digital age, we have fantastic possibilities at our disposal to obtain qualified information quickly and, above all, very conveniently. Use the Internet to take a critical look at your business idea. For example, you can search for trends and current developments related to your business area. In this way, you will quickly gain an impression of whether your business concept is worthwhile or whether it still needs to be improved. The network offers you access to all relevant information and data at any time.

Step three: Searching for suppliers

Since you have opted for a DropShipping business model, the next step is to find potential suppliers who support your concept and help you implement it. So you need to find manufacturers, wholesalers or importers who are willing to ship goods on your behalf directly to your end customers.

The search for such DropShipping suppliers is sometimes difficult because individual companies often avoid advertising their DropShipping services publicly. They don’t want to alienate their classic customers and it is therefore up to you to use special databases like DropShipping.com to discover suitable suppliers.

Our tip: Define your criteria before searching for a supplier Ideally, you will work successfully with the suppliers you now choose over many years. In order to improve the chances of a good and long-term cooperation right from the start, we advise you to formulate as concrete and exact criteria as possible, which are relevant for you within a professional cooperation. What personal qualities do you attach particular importance to? Are reliability and punctuality important to you? Do you expect your suppliers to actively participate in the design of your product range? These and similar questions bring you directly to the individual criteria catalogue.

Step four: Trust is good, control is better

With any DropShipping model, the quality of the company’s work depends to a large extent on the performance and reliability of the connected suppliers. Since the partners deliver ordered goods directly to the end customer without you having to see the shipments again before, you must be able to rely on maximum punctuality, the highest quality of the goods and the perfect condition of the packaging.

Poor performance in these areas generally falls back on you and your company and must be avoided at all costs. Therefore, check each supplier thoroughly before you shortlist them. For example, you can use trial orders under a different name to directly experience how orders are handled.

Our tip: Test orders provide information about reliability Paper is patient and this also applies today to promises made on the net or by e-mail. You are unlikely to meet a supplier who openly admits his weaknesses as early as the initiation stage. Instead, it is more common to show oneself from the chocolate side. In order to gain knowledge about the real characteristics of a potential supplier, we recommend that you carry out several test orders. Have them carried out by people from your environment to whom you have no personal reference and record your experiences in detail.

Step five: Negotiate for your benefit

After you have selected and qualified a certain number of suppliers through steps 3 and 4, the first direct contact is now due, which at the same time is connected with the negotiation of the best possible conditions. Make sure you use this initial contact to complete your personal impression of the respective partner.

Then enter directly into the active negotiation of conditions and prices and also consider additional services in the areas of service, technical connection or returns management. Use suitable occasions for price negotiations again and again within the framework of a long-term cooperation and demand significant discounts, especially in the case of increasing sales.

Our tip: Go into every negotiation with fixed ideas Negotiating prices and conditions is part of the daily and recurring tasks for every online retailer. This area is particularly important for the DropShipping entrepreneur. Since you only ever purchase individual products, you may get worse conditions than your classic competitors right away. This makes it all the more important for you to have clear ideas and guidelines at every negotiation meeting and to consistently try to assert your points of view successfully. The more clearly you have visualized and memorized your intention in advance, the better you will succeed.

Step six: The right sales concept

Success in online trading depends on a number of different factors. However, the question of where on the World Wide Web you offer your products is particularly important. Your own online shop will be the focus of your activities. In addition, however, you should include many other sales platforms, especially in the start-up phase, in order to reach a sufficient number of consumers with your offers.

For this the well-known market places like Amazon or eBay offer themselves on the one hand. In addition, you should also include price search engines, web catalogues and other shopping directories in your individual sales concept. Make sure that potential customers come across your products in many places on the network.

Our tip: Get to grips with the Amazon marketplace As part of your work on the sales concept, you should think very carefully about the integration of external marketplaces. The best example in this context is the Amazon marketplace. This has already opened years ago for dealers and offers you very convenient possibilities for marketing your products. One of the most important advantages in this context is that millions of Amazon customers are already waiting for interesting and attractive offers. Use this reach to generate good and motivating sales from day one and also take advantage of the many advertising and marketing opportunities Amazon has to offer.

Step seven: Don’t forget important formalities

In the heat of the moment, budding entrepreneurs often forget essential formalities and legislation during the start-up phase. It is essential that you register your young company with the relevant trade and tax offices in good time so that you do not commit any inadvertent breaches of the rules, which may lead to adverse consequences. In the first step you need a trade licence, which you can apply for at your local trade office for a small fee of 15,00 to 30,00 Euro.

In addition, you should apply to the relevant tax office for a sales tax identification number, which entitles you to show the sales tax on your invoices. It is important to remember that you are obliged to pay the VAT collected to the tax office at short notice.

Our tip: Find a tax advisor early on Many online traders, who assume a rather small business volume in advance, do not cooperate with a tax consultant. Either the thought of dealing with the tax office is completely ignored or one assumes to be able to control this topic with a tax app or a tax program on one’s own initiative. This may, in principle, be true under certain circumstances. However, one should not do without the cooperation of such a consultant, especially at the beginning of self-employment. He informs you about tax obligations, keeps an eye on the relevant appointments for you, is your contact person in many financial matters and keeps your back free.

Step eight: Your personal shop on the Internet

Business idea, supplier search and formalities are now checked off and actually it could start now with your DropShipping business. What you are missing, however, is your virtual shop on the Internet: A suitable shop software must be available. There is a choice of chargeable solutions on a purchase or rental basis and free open source models. In the first step, get a good overview of the various offers on the market and check the performance of the individual shop systems, especially with regard to your individual wishes and requirements.

It is ideal if the selected software actively supports certain DropShipping functions. If, for example, the program is able to automatically exchange article data, stock levels and orders with your suppliers, you will save a lot of time and effort in your daily work.

Our tip: Define your specific requirements for the shop Today, there are a vast number of different shop solutions available to prospective online merchants on a free basis, for rent or purchase. After all, you are often spoilt for choice and cannot really decide on the optimal software. This is made easier if you compile a list of all the important requirements that you yourself place on a shop system in advance. Don’t forget the specific functions that play a role in DropShipping, as they can make your life as an online entrepreneur much easier in the long run.

Step 9: Safety first: Legal security in the shop

So that your young independence in on-line trade does not take a premature and sad end, you should absolutely pay attention to a pronounced legal security in your own on-line Shop. The legislator obliges you as an Internet trader to comply with a whole series of rules, regulations and provisions.

Violations can have legal consequences as well as warnings with costs and should therefore be avoided at all costs. Pay particular attention to compliance with formal requirements for the legal and consumer texts in the shop and, if in doubt, contact an experienced and experienced lawyer.

Our tip: Use legal platforms on the Internet As an online retailer, you have to deal with legal matters all the time. Most entrepreneurs in this field do not like this at all. Unfortunately, nothing can be changed here. Ideally, you will cooperate with an experienced lawyer who will assist you in all legal matters. However, this is quite a costly solution. If this is out of the question for you, then you should at least use one of the reputable legal platforms on the Internet, which can provide you with legally secure shop and consumer texts.

Step 10: Marketing to the next level

Your DropShipping business model is now on solid footing and has all the technical and content elements and structures that are required. An essential advantage of DropShipping is that you as an entrepreneur have enough time to deal with the optimal marketing of your offers. However, you should also make the most of this potential if you want to be successful.

It is therefore highly recommended that you develop and implement an individual marketing concept in order to help your company achieve more new customers, better sales quotas, higher turnover and substantial profits. This is where your creativity is most in demand. There are countless strategies, tools and instruments in modern online marketing that can be used to put together the right measure for every entrepreneurial goal.

Our tip: Always check marketing instruments for their potential first As a DropShipping entrepreneur, you ultimately decide for yourself how successful your business model will be. You use targeted advertising and marketing to draw the attention of as many consumers as possible to your offers and to increase your sales quota and your shopping basket value. Before using such instruments, which in most cases are time-consuming and costly, you should thoroughly examine the potential of the individual measures. Focus on strategies that deliver maximum value for you and your business.

Start your DropShipping Business in 10 Steps

The 10 steps that we have presented here offer you a good and solid framework on the basis of which you can establish your independence quickly and easily. Of course, these are only the most important cornerstones of the foundation. There are several things you should include in your planning that ultimately give your business the individuality it deserves.

Very important in this context is your decision for the right products. Basically it is possible today to buy and resell many different merchandise on the basis of DropShipping. So in a way they can draw from the full and do not have to restrict themselves very much.

We recommend that you specialise early on in a clearly delimited and descriptive product area. On the one hand, this makes it easier for you to fully specialize in a particular topic and at the same time enables your customers to identify you and your shop with specific products and offers.

Most of the founders in the drop shipping sector have good experience with initially establishing themselves in a market niche. Such niches offer the advantage that there is little competition here. So you are not exposed to a bitter price war and do not have to assert yourself against financially better positioned large suppliers.

Use the advantages of DropShipping for your product selection

You can always recognize a niche in the market by the fact that, despite a certain demand, only a few dealers offer a manageable number of products. It is important, however, that consumer demand is not too low. Otherwise, you would quickly realize that no significant sales figures can be achieved.

Think about whether there are products that are particularly advantageous to sell in conjunction with DropShipping. This applies, for example, to bulky and heavy items. The fact that the goods only have to be transported once has a particularly strong effect here. The shipping costs for such products are so high that a classic dealer is clearly at a disadvantage compared to you.

Ideally, you choose a market niche and search for products that are particularly advantageous in combination with DropShipping. If you adhere to this directive and additionally consider our 10 steps to your own DropShipping company, then there is not much that can go wrong when it comes to self-employment.

With these 10 steps you are guaranteed to enter the world of DropShipping. But did you already know that this business model is particularly suitable for you when you start your own business for the first time? Find out now why DropShipping uses the optimal choice for your first own company is.

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The post In 10 steps to a successful DropShipping company appeared first on Drop It! Studio.

source https://dropit.studio/business/in-10-steps-to-a-successful-dropshipping-company/

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ncmagroup · 5 years ago

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Instead of trying to succeed by marketing to everyone, define your target audience.

by MURRAY NEWLANDS

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when starting your own business is trying to appeal to everyone. Instead of trying to succeed by marketing to everyone, define your target audience. Knowing your target audience’s motivations is essential to tailoring your product, service, and marketing efforts to meet their needs, and is one of the fastest ways to success — in fact, it’s very difficult to succeed without that knowledge.

Though it may seem difficult to try to market to your target audience, it’s easier than ever once you know what you must do. Below, I’ve put together five truly simple steps that will allow you to target the right audience and be more successful than you ever imagined.

Social media polls

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are effective ways of surveying your target audience. Social media polls are one of the most popular and simple ways of finding out more about your customers. Social media sites have made it easier for you to engage and listen to what your audiences have to say, and offer fully customizable forms that will help you expand your reach and even grow your fan base. Polls are equipped with analytical tools that will give you information on your audience’s age group, location, profession, and more.

Online surveys and email surveys.

Standard surveys will surely keep you ahead of the game. Surveys are the perfect tool for a hands-on approach to staying up-to-date with what consumers are thinking. The most important part of conducting online surveys is knowing what you want to learn from each question, and to keep questions short and easy to answer. You can also create email campaigns to survey your existing client base and gain valuable insight into them. For extremely basic customer surveys, ClickInsights has a one-click, one-question email survey, or try the more in-depth options at Survey Monkey.

Analyze current customers

How old are your current customers? Where do they live? Is your audience primarily male or female? What is their average income? What is their profession? What are their interests? These are just some of the questions you need to ask to understand who is currently buying your product or service. From there, ask yourself how you are reaching them. Are you gaining more clients through social media? If so, which of your social media platforms are getting the most attention? Analyzing your current customers will help you direct your efforts towards the right audience, increase closing rates, and reduce the amount of time needed to make sales.

Brian Lischer, CEO and Founder at IgnyteBrands, weighs in on why he believes that this is one of the most important aspects of targeting and messaging, “Don’t ignore your customers. It never ceases to amaze me when clients want to skip the customer research portion of their campaigns. You have to understand your audience in order to speak with them in a meaningful way. In fact, we won’t work with companies that refuse the audience research portion of their branding campaigns.”

Analyze the competition

You most likely have a good idea of who your competition is, but learning more about their marketing habits will show you where the gap in the market is and how you can fill it. Do keyword research relating to your industry and find out who is ranking for these keywords. Learn everything there is to know about their services, products, and marketing efforts to find out what works and build your own version. With the right research, you’ll be able to know what the competition is doing differently and how you can do it better.

Create buyer personas

You are now ready to outline the different groups of buyers that will dictate your marketing and sales processes. Before you start promoting yourself further, you need to establish your buyer personas and what is important to them. Create an incredibly detailed storyline surrounding your buyer persona and what this person’s motivations are. The more detail you include, the more likely you will be to target this specific audience while you put in place your personal brand strategy.

Once you’ve done your research and created your buyer personas, you will be able to identify potential opportunities so you can create a game plan that will guide leads through your sales funnel. Remember, targeting is an ongoing process that needs to be re-evaluated regularly in order to stay up-to-date with the audience with whom you want to connect.

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

How to Target the Right Audience in 5 Simple Steps Instead of trying to succeed by marketing to everyone, define your target audience. by MURRAY NEWLANDS…

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thespecialrelationship-phff · 8 years ago

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Chapter 6

AN: Happy Friday! And Happy update! Hope you all had a good week! Always love to hear what you all think. Outfit for this chapter!

FLOTUS—POV

I’m getting dressed for dinner with Harry when Anna interrupts me, “Kennedy, I’m reminding you that the President wanted you to call him this evening.”

“Which was odd.” I was remark. He hasn’t been the most involved in my life for the last few months.

“Perhaps, he’s telling you he’s launching his re-election campaign?”

“That would be nice. Considering the election is in six months and he still hasn’t formally confirmed it. It would be exceedingly irregular if he didn’t. He's extremely popular, and has been effective. When's the last time that's happened in the America?''

''Lyndon B. Johnson 1968.''

“I meant having an effective president.”

“Oh.”

I dial the familiar number of his secure line. Anna raises her brow, ''Don't you have dinner in twenty minutes?''

As it continues to ring I answer my Chief-of-Staff. ''I'll be fine. I'm tempted to show up late, just to remind him that he's not my boss.''

''Well he is the founder of-''

''Don't finish that sentence.''

Anna just smirks.

Hello?

I stifle a groan when it's Jenkins that answers. ''Jenkins, is there a reason you're answering my dad's cell phone?''

''He's in a meeting with some party leaders.'' The demeaning tone in his voice grates my nerves.

The irresistible urge to knock the man down a few pegs. ''I see. And you've been demoted to answering his phone. Wow. What? Did Beth, his actual secretary, have something more important to do?''

''I'm unaware of Beth’s current whereabouts.''

I tsk softly, enjoying this moment. ''In that case, would you mind taking a message?'' I ask oh so sweetly.

''That's hardly my job.''

''You're the one who answered the phone.''

There's silence on the other end. Briefly I wonder if I've teased him just too much.

''Miss Randolph, I have some actual work, helping the President run this country, to do. Enjoy your time in Florida. Just know how much we appreciate you handling these sorts of events for the Administration. And remember I can always send Paul down to handle things.''

Before I can respond I hear the dial tone. Dammit, I hate when he gets the last word.

''What did I ever do to that sad, little man?''

''Besides taking his spot as your father's most trusted confidant?''

I incline my head, recognizing the truth of her statement. ''Well, he's doing his part to push me away.''

''You will always be the President's daughter. Jenkins can never seriously compete.''

''You have a point.''

''I always do.''

I sigh, ignoring Anna's tone. I've really had enough of overly self-assured people today. Which reminds me that I need to get dressed for dinner with Prince Charming. I choose a pair of white high-waisted shorts and an off the shoulder top.

As I slip on a pair of wedges I can feel Anna staring. ''I thought tonight was a casual dinner.''

''It is.''

''The shoes?''

''What about them?''

''They seem a little high.''

I glance down at the shoes briefly. ''I think they're fine.'' Anna raises her brow again. ''I just need the extra height.''

''I see.''

I sigh in exasperation. ''When Harry ambushed me at the pool, I was in my bare feet and he was a good bit taller than me. I didn’t care for it. He practically towered over me.'' Anna looks at me as if I'm insane. ''It looked absurd.''

Even though Anna is trying to hide her amusement I can see the smirk on her face. ''It's not funny.''

''Of course not. Besides it would be silly to assume that you have an ulterior motive in dressing up to attend a dinner you don’t want to go to with a man you have no desire to be friends with. I’m sure it’s just the height.”

Pointedly I ignore her comment as I leave.

When I walk into the restaurant I'm thankful that it's pretty empty. One or two people are seated at the bar but beyond that only three of four tables are full. Good. The tired looking host perks up when he sees me arrive. ''Margare- I mean, Miss Randolph. Uh, wow welcome to Citricos.''

I smile, ''Thank you. I believe there's someone waiting-''

''Yes, yes of course! Follow me.'' I follow the young man through the restaurant. It's a little overwhelming in its décor. There are patterns everywhere, on the carpet, the curtains, the chairs and each pattern manages to be different. I'm going to have a headache. ''Here's your table.''

We turn the corner and I see Harry. He's sitting at a table next to the windows overlooking the lagoon. Since he hasn’t noticed my arrival yet I unabashedly stare. He's wearing a pair of slacks with a blue jacket and a white button-up. The first few buttons are undone showing off a bit of pale skin. Begrudgingly, I realize that we almost match. The Prince is staring out the window pensively, his fingers tapping consistently on his wrist. He seems impatient.

Finally he turns away from the window and sees me. He smiles, and I falter for a moment. He looks so friendly, like the nicest person you will ever meet. He looks genuine, sweet, perfect. He stands and places a quick kiss to my cheek. I can barely smell his aftershave, but it's something dark, and resilient. I know it would become addictive. ''Margaret, good to see you again.''

I return his smile, ''Likewise Harry.''

''Let's sit.''

We sit down and I take a sip of water. It's refreshing. When I look back up Harry is staring at me, smiling.

''Why are you smiling?'' I try to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

He shrugs, “It’s a good sign.”

“What is?”

''You called me Harry again. You went back to ‘Your Royal Highness’ for a while.”

I really hope he doesn’t read this much into every decision I make. “I hadn’t noticed. My apologies.”

''Not a problem at all. I like hearing you say my name.''

His words are low, soft. I want to recoil from the intimacy but I can't seem to find the will. The dim lights of the restaurant have given everything a soft glow. It's created the effect of time slowing down. That’s dangerous. The intimacy reminds me of London, of his breath along the nape of my neck. Fuck, I shouldn’t have come.

The waiter arrives breaking any sort of moment. ''Good evening, can I start the two of you off with a beverage?''

Both Harry and the waiter look to me. I know I should probably stick with water, but something tells me that a little bit of alcohol may help this dinner go by more smoothly. ''Martini please.'' Harry looks at me, eyebrows raised. ''What?''

''Nothing, nothing. Gin and tonic please.''

The waiter walks away.

For a few seconds the two of us just sit there. I keep looking over the menu in a vain attempt to keep myself occupied. Every time I glance up though Harry is still looking at me. It's disconcerting and annoying. As the silence continues to stretch I look over the menu, again and again. As the minutes pass I'm wondering where our waiter wondered off to.

But every time I look up, Harry is still watching me with those piercing eyes.

''Surely, it doesn’t take you that long to read a menu.'' Harry's question startles me. I just stare, unsure if I heard him correctly. He's staring at me, his eyes locked on mine.

“I want to make a good decision.” What an inane thing to say about a dinner choice.

He nods, “That, I believe.”

His words imply that there is plenty about me or what I say that he doesn’t believe. I open my mouth to challenge his statement when the waiter returns. Politely he asks for our orders.

We order then sit back and look at one another again.

I should let it drop but I can’t do it. “And what do you mean by that?”

The smile that spreads across his face proves that I should have let it go. He shrugs and leans backward, looking about as relaxed as ever. “What do you think I mean?”

I open my mouth ready to respond or maybe curse him out but I see him raise his brow, challenging to me. I snap it shut.

And he smirks.

That’s it, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind. “Well you fu-”

''Miss Randolph?'' A small voice halts my answer. I turn my head sharply, seeing a little girl standing near the table. I'm assuming the nervous looking woman behind her is her mother.

I smile sweetly all the while wondering where the hell the secret service is or Harry's security for that matter.

My mouth snaps shut. I paste on a smile. ''Yes?''

The little girl smiles then turns back to her mother, ''I told you it was her mom.''

''I'm so sorry about this Miss Randolph and Mr. oh, Prince-, er Your Royal- um-'' She's not sure just how to address the royal across from me.

''Not a problem at all,'' Harry responds sending the woman a reassuring smile. I watch as the middle-aged woman melts under his gaze. Her eyes widen slightly, her shoulders relax and then she smiles softly. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

Harry glances at me, I can see he’s on the verge of busting out laughing.

The little girl steps forward, ''Could I have a picture?''

''Of course.'' I know I can’t say no. She slides over and I turn slightly, swinging my legs out from under the table. ''Smile.'' With shaking hands her mother manages to take the photo.

Once the photo is taken my security shows up. They look tense, no doubt knowing that they fucked this up. The mother also notices the large men she pales slightly, ''We should be going. We're so sorry for interrupting. And we're looking forward to the games.'' I keep smiling, knowing that she doesn’t expect much else from me. ''didn’t you have something you wanted to say Elle?''

The little girl, Elle I suppose, nods. ''Yes.'' She smiles, ''Are you guys getting married?''

Of fucking course.

I choose to ignore the innocent comment. “Thank you for stopping by to say hello.''

The pair walk away hand in hand, satisfied smiles on their face.

I look up at my security detail. The two men still look tense. I sigh, knowing that it's not really my place to yell at them, especially when I'm frustrated over a host of other things as well. ''I don't know what happened and I don't care, no harm done, but you should probably report it considering Prince Harry was here as well. We wouldn’t want the Brits to think we were intentionally endangering him.''

''Yes ma'am.'' The two drift back into the shadows.

Once again Harry and I are alone or as alone as the two of us ever are.

“I’ll make sure your agents don’t get in trouble from my RPOs.”

I blink, surprised. “I would appreciate that, thanks. They’re good guys.”

“No problem.”

I relax slightly, the little girl’s interruption calmed me a little. God, I can’t believe I almost cursed out Harry. The Games haven’t even started yet.

“You were saying?”

I take a fortifying breath, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ll jog your memory. I think you were about to call me a bad word.” He leans forward, whispering rather loudly. “fucker.”

“I was not.”

I can almost hear him calling bullshit on my lie.

“Fine.” He shrugs then smirks. “What were you going to say?”

Fuck.

He’s waiting for some sort of response. My mind goes blank, I’m trying to think of something else anything else that starts with ‘fu’.

“If you must know” I start, still wracking my brain for a word. “I was about to say, uh ‘fulcrum.’”

He blinks then sputters. “Fulcrum?” I nod. “You were about to say, ‘Well you fulcrum’?”

“Obviously.” I bluff.

“Fulcrum? That’s what you’re going with?” He asks one last time, incredulous.

“Yes.”

Then he finally bursts out laughing. He’s so loud that the bartender glances over.

I sit back letting him enjoy this moment. Finally I try to speak over him, “You know it’s really a compliment.”

“Oh it is?” He asks, wiping his eyes.

“A fulcrum is an essential point that everything rests on.” I pause. “You’re welcome.”

He’s still chuckling when he sarcastically says his thanks.

When he’s finally done laughing he sighs, “Thanks, I needed that laugh. It relieved some stress.”

The waiter brings our food.

“Fine. I’ll go first.” He finally says. “I don’t understand you.”

I look up startled. That’s not exactly what I was expecting. My brain is working slowly to respond to his statement. He looks at me, intently, whether willing me to respond truthfully or to show the own sincerity of his statement.

“What do you want me to say?” I finally ask.

“Could it be something honest?” There’s an unspoken ‘for once’ at the end of his question.

“Why do you think I’m going to say something dishonest?”

“You’re the daughter of a politician, don’t you have to be partially dishonest?”

I roll my eyes, “Are we playing twenty questions?”

“It sure feels like it,” he pauses. “Doesn’t it?”

His quick response makes me smile before I remember that I’m not here to flirt or be flirted with.

“That’s what I’m talking about.” He says, pointing his finger at me. “One second you’re one thing the next you’re another and then you’re the persona in the press…” he trails off.

For a moment I’m impressed. He’s actually noticed that FLOTUS isn’t me, at least not really me. Most people don’t know or don’t care to look any deeper. But then, I hear the entitlement in his words. He thinks he deserves the real me.

“I don’t understand.” I lie.

“You do though.” He’s still looking at me, like he’s willing me to admit to it. “It’s exhausting pretending to be a different person. If anyone knows that, it’s me.”

“You act like it’s a choice.” I say then, immediately want to recall the comment.

He’s staring at me with wide eyes, but I see the pity in them. “Mar-”

“Stop.” I practically growl. Thankfully he does. This needs to stop being personal now. “Look, your…concern is sweet but direly misplaced. I’m the First Lady of the United States, there are expectations and responsibilities with the job. I’m an adult who can accept those.”

He leans back in response to my frosty tone. Good. “And just what are those expectations?” He asks but before I can respond he answers his own question. “Smile, wave and look pretty.” Condescendingly he claps. “Well done.”

“Like you’re any better?” My mouth works before my brain has a chance to tell it to stop.

Harry leans forward, anger flashing in his eyes, “I served my country.”

“That’s not the same.” I insist. “That wasn’t being a prince. If anything you finally got to be what you wanted to be.”

“Do you even know what you want? Oh, right maybe a nice Duke.”

I roll my eyes, “Oh, please. You know I had no interest in him or being a duchess. But that doesn’t fit into your ideas about me. So yes, please ignore it.”

“You’re just like the girls from home.”

“What?”

“Beautiful outer shell, nothing underneath but a lazy, privileged social climber.”

“I had relatives on the goddamn Mayflower.” I say, knowing that my grandmother would appreciate me defending the social climber comment. “And I have an advanced degree.”

“That you’ve done shite with.”

I gasp, I actually gasp like some melodramatic soap opera star at his words. ''You are unbelievably rude.''

''Me? I'm rude?'' He repeats mockingly. “Again, I’ve gotten whiplash trying to keep up with your mood swings.”

''I would have you know that I am one of the nicest, sweetest, warmest people goddammit. People around the world fucking adore me.''

He snorts, ''Yeah, I can't figure that one out.''

''Excuse you?''

''I don't get the hype. I don’t understand how people can’t see what I so obviously see.''

“Good news: it’s really none of your business what people think of me.” I take a sip from my drink. “I think we should stop this.”

“Stop what?”

“Trying to be friends or whatever this is.” I gesture vaguely to the table.

He frowns, “Why?”

“It’s not working. And we should both be focusing on the Games.” I say. “Let’s keep this professional, for the Games sake.”

“Okay. Fine.” He says, but I don’t believe him. He doesn’t give up this easily. “But be honest about why you want to keep it ‘professional’ You’re not acting professional for the sake of the Games it’s for your sake.”

“What? No.” I sputter.

“I read the papers too. They all said you’re taking on a bigger role here because you have a crush on me. I’m flattered, really.”

This is the teasing bullshit that I mean. He can’t do things like this because it just makes me want to flirt, no not flirt, argue with him. “Don’t pretend that you don’t manipulate the press too. I mean that stunt with the press outside of the restaurant when it was supposed to be casual, real classy.”

“Wait, what stunt?” he asks, genuinely confused.

I roll my eyes, “Cut the shit. I know your people called the press.”

“No, I wouldn’t-.”

I hold up my hand, unwilling to ignore his excuses, “Whatever. The point is: let’s just be professional. I think it’s a pretty good compromise at this point.”

He raises his eyebrow, “You’re proposing a truce.”

“Exactly.” I smile, finally we agree on something. I push my chair away and stand up, thinking we’re finished. “Deal?”

I stick out my hand once he stands as well.

We shake and then he pulls me close. I assume he’s placing a polite kiss on my cheek. But he doesn’t, once again I can feel his warm breath fanning across my skin, “No deal.”

He leans away and I see the unmistakable look of challenge in his eyes. “Why?”

“Good is boring, or so I’ve heard.” He places a kiss on my other cheek. “Sweet dreams Miss Randolph.”

A shiver runs across my skin as lips imprint on my cheek. What the hell was that?

On slightly unsteady feet I step away. The damn man is smirking and I once again realize how dangerous he really is. Here in the low lighting of the restaurant he looks so warm and inviting. And as he lets go of my hand I feel cold suddenly. I miss his warmth and deep down the contact of his lips.

Yeah, it’s definitely time to leave.

I swallow thickly then force my lips to form the words, “Good night, Your Royal Highness.”

And I walk away.

Chapter 5 Chapter 7

#thespecialrelationship #royalfanficcollection #phff #prince harry fanfiction #prince harry

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johnboothus · 4 years ago

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We Asked Wine Pros: What Are the Best Trends in Wine Right Now?

It’s somewhat mind-bending to think that a beverage that has been around for centuries is capable of being trendy. However it leads us to question, what is it about our current state of the industry that’s pushing winemakers to go beyond the norm?

Beyond the desire to improve the quality and ethics of both farming and winemaking, consumer-driven trends have edged (or in some cases bulldozed) their way into the market. Over the past decade, trendy wines like Apothic — with high alcohol and high residual sugar — have been purchased by the caseload. We’ve all had our curiosities about orange and even blue wine. And more recently, wine in a can seems to be a sustainable and effective solution to many producers’ packaging woes.

Trends come and go, but movements shape our future. With input from wine professionals across the world, our list of the best wine trends right now showcases a handful of both.

The Best Trends in Wine Right Now, According to Wine Pros:

Alternative packaging

Winemaking using native fruits and plants

Earth-friendly wines

Indigenous grape varieties

White Bordeaux

Alcohol-free wine

Sustainable winemaking

Mindful farming

Virtual wine education

Drinking Champagne with everything

Celebrating women winemakers

Keep reading for details about all the best trends in wine right now!

“One of my favorite trends in wine right now is alternative packaging, both in format and tone. From environmentally friendly bag-in-a-box, to conveniently canned Lambrusco, we’re stripping away the fancy veneer of wine. Where labels once endeavored to portray some idyllic chateau, we now see the use of irony, humor, and esoteric art to convey a sense of attitude, confidence, and authenticity. Wine as punk rock, everyday grocery. Do I still sound like I’m in my 20s?” — Matthew Landry, sommelier, educator, judge, importer, Tannin Management Ltd/The Living Vine BC, Vancouver, Canada

“Wine beyond the grape: co-ferments, multi-fruit wines, herbal infusions, perennial beverages. We have a dated devotion to the hero-worship of wine variety and have built monoculture empires around one species of fruit. We have to imagine for a second that if we brought polyculture to the glass and this was the norm, how a young aspiring winemaker might approach raw land — truly asking the right questions about what native flora might want to be there (or be left there). How they might restore woodland habitats of land in disrepair instead of clearing forests for a grape plantation. Imagine how the foraging movement could be bolstered, how produce farmers might be supplemented through potential collaboration. Imagine what wild concoctions might arise from above and below 30 and 50 degrees latitude. Haitian wine? I’m in.” — Brian McClintock, owner, Viticole Wines, White Salmon, Wash.

“The wine trend I’m enjoying seeing grow is ‘earth-friendly’ wines. Seeing more sustainable, organic, and biodynamic producers on our store shelves and in our restaurants — that includes natural wine, although trickier to spot since there is no certification for them yet — as well as the rise in popularity of canned wines. Wines that come in convenient cans like Coke certainly have no business aging in your wine cellar, but they have a much smaller carbon footprint than the average cheap and cheerful bottle of wine. Hey, if I am on an outdoor adventure enjoying this glorious world, then a can of wine is a great companion. Like many modern consumers out there, I try to be as environmentally conscientious as possible to help keep the ‘green guilt’ at bay, and it is wonderful to see the wine world providing ‘earth-friendly’ options.” — Lesley Quinn, Owner and Operator of Stellar Somm Wine Experts, Prince Edward Island, Canada

“Right now, the biggest trend I see (at least in Spain) is a renewed focus on indigenous grape varieties.“ — Rick Fisher, Spanish wine scholar, education director, Wine Scholar Guild, San Diego

“I’m loving the rediscovery of white Bordeaux. The intertwining of namely Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle (plus the other white varieties) has created so many mouthwatering expressions. For those who love Burgundy, the rich and creamy aged whites from Pessac-Léognan only continue to impress — so much texture and mouthfeel — and they truly do stand the test of time. If New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are your things, then you could dip your toe into Entre-Deux-Mers, which has some incredibly crisp, fruit-forward styles to explore. Honestly, every week I find myself discovering a new favorite.” — Aidy Smith, co-founder, director and presenter, The Three Drinkers, London

“I love seeing more and more alcohol-free, quality wines from well-renowned wineries and winemakers on the market. It’s the industry’s answer to continuing to provide elevated dining experiences while keeping our guests and bosses happy in an increasingly health-conscious atmosphere. I can still go to the table with a beautiful bottle and story in hand, and the wine still has the peaks, valleys, tang, and depth that make it the perfect companion to food — just without the hangover, guilt, or sacrifice.” — Candace Olsen, sommelier, educator, consultant, VintageRed, NYC

“Sustainability would be one of the best trends I’ve seen in wine. It has gone from being a niche and small movement to a global phenomenon — with some countries even aiming for 100 percent sustainability, like New Zealand. While sustainability has a broad definition, from environmental to social, the important facet is that wineries are moving from regular chemical inputs to more organic and holistic ways of working in the vineyard. [I believe this] produces better grapes and, in turn, better wines — and even more importantly, an improved future for our planet and industry.” — Nupur Gogia, MW Student, founder of Vinequity, and wine agent TWC Imports, Toronto

“My favorite trend in the wine world of late is the genuine interest in mindful farming. Up and down the supply chain — from the vineyard to the end consumer — there has been an evolution in focus. When I first started in this business, few people had heard of biodynamics. These days, I have servers and bartenders fluent in the differences between sustainable, organic, and biodynamic farming. We have guests asking about regenerative agriculture and reps volunteering facts about irrigation, tilling, and so forth. Here’s hoping this isn’t a fleeting trend, but a sign of where the industry is headed.” — Eduardo Porto Carreiro, Beverage Director, Rocket Farm Restaurants, Atlanta

“Since the start of the pandemic, I have been performing Instagram virtual wine tastings and doing live interviews with diverse winemakers, producers, and wine professionals. I truly believe wine helps to express diversity and that it’s meant to be shared with everyone. We all grow along with it. In my humble opinion, the message of wine has improved tremendously in the past year. To know that via social media I am reaching out to lots of different people across the globe about a cool Syrah made in Morocco, or a refreshing Portuguese sparkling red, speaks volumes to me.” — Bruno Almeida, sommelier and wine educator, NYC

“I think one of my favorite wine trends now is one of the oldest: Drink Champagne with everything! Champagne is the universal wine, with the ability to pair with everything from potato chips to oysters to ribeyes. I’m convinced the U.K., the Canadian Maritimes, and other similar climatic regions will soon produce some of the best sparkling wines in the world. When I opened Bar Von Der Fels, a third of the list was sparkling wine. I remember getting excited about Arianna Occhipinti’s wines a decade ago; they were fun and different. Fast forward seven to eight years, and we are finally getting excited about women winemakers and minorities in the winemaking world. I love what I’m seeing (and drinking!), and I hope we see a lot more Ariannas around the globe who are making exciting new wines and leading the way for other young women in the wine scene.” — Will Trow, Owner, Bar Von der Fels, Calgary, Canada

The article We Asked Wine Pros: What Are the Best Trends in Wine Right Now? appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wa-wine-pros-best-trends/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-wine-pros-what-are-the-best-trends-in-wine-right-now

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barbarabarry91 · 4 years ago

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Reiki Energy Feeling Staggering Useful Tips

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Reiki Symbol Usage

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#Reiki Energy Feeling Staggering Useful Tips #What Is Reiki Treatment

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