Randi Zuckerberg's Blog, page 23
December 23, 2015
Radio Recap: George Takei & Broadway
Just like his Twitter description reads, “You may know him from playing Mr. Sulu in Star Trek” but he hopes you know him more for being outspoken about human rights, the funniest guy on Facebook, and for starring in the Broadway hit, Allegience.
Today on ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ the charismatic George Takei discussed his long career as an actor and activist”
“The holiday season is supposed to be shared with people. If you want to have a surrogate family and share it with them, so much the better.”
“To be selling things that can do harm. No no no. I’m against selling things like that.”
“Do what you want to do as long as you’re safe.”
“We started developing Allegience. It’s about interred Japanese-Americans that most Americans don’t know anything about.”
“How should we raise awareness of Japanese-Americans? Social media.”
“My base was small, mostly geeks and nerds from Star Trek. I needed to grow that base. Humor got a lot of likes and shares.”
“We found a rising star in Grumpy Cat.”
“When people shared, they did the work for us. They helped us grow and grow.”
“I got to introduce my social justice into my posts. I started introducing the interment of Japanese-Americans.”
“People were aghast that we were going to do a musical about interment camps. But look at Les Mis and Caberet.”
“I got to complete my life mission: To raise the awareness of Japanese-Americans interment camps.”
“Performing 8 performances a week is a joy. I get to double that joy on matinee days.”
“We’re on Broadway at an amazing time.”
“The story of Allegiance happened over 75 years ago and it’s still just as relevant today.”
“Asian American actors are so under-used.”
“I’m grateful to my fans. It’s a joy for me to connect with them.”
“In 2005 I came out publicly as a gay man. I’ve been closeted all my life because I was passionate about my acting career.”
“In 2005 California passed the Marriage Equality Act.”
“I had heard Schwarzenegger’s speech about the honoring gays and lesbians. Then he played to his right wing base and vetoed the bill. I was raging.”
“I was in my late 60s when I came out.”
“We needed to reach that vast middle about LBGT rights. So we thought of Howard Stern.”
“There’s only a few hours in the day. My energy reserve is limited.”
“We have what we call Team Takei. This way I can act and speak at the same time.”
“I’m 78 years young. My grandmother lived to 104.”
“Everyday is a gift. It’s wonderful. With social media you have to that kind of attitude.”
“Stay current with current affairs and up to date with friends.”
“Humor connects everybody. Whether you’re a CEO or teenager.”
“My grandmother always said life is a human comedy.”
“Be yourself. Be genuine.”
“Be topical. Share your opinions on current events.”
“Sometimes I learn a great deal with people who don’t agree with me.”
“Use humor, topicality, and be genuine all on social media.”
“I began life behind bars and here I am now on the radio. It’s transformation. That kind of story is an important story for all of us.”
“We transformed a dark chapter of American history and made a musical about it. We talk about the resilience in Japanese-Americans.”
“When we were in the early stages of development we knew we needed a world class singer. Then we saw Lea Salonga was passing through LA.”
“Lea was tweeting, ‘Oh wow, I’m in Sulu’s living room!’”
“The first show I ever saw was a road company show of ‘Kismet.’”
“I don’t believe in bucket lists. I believe in doing what you can do now. Living it.”
“My dream was to be on Broadway. Now I’m doing it with music.”
“Bring your family and friends and share this as a group.”
“It’s gotten cool at night and the hearty ones are still there. It’s my obligation to sign their programs.”
JIM GLAUB of Serino Coyne Advertising
“I come up with creative campaigns to engage the Broadway community using a lot of digital tools online.”
“It’s amazing to see where we’ve come from the 15 years I’ve been doing this.”
“We had the opportunity to be the first Broadway show live on Facebook. The livestreaming app called Mention is only available to celebrities.”
“is getting a lot of love on Facebook so we went backstage with the main actors.”
“We were in rehearsal, nothing was working and then we went live and it was amazing.”
“This will be our 3rd year working together on the TONYS.”
“It was an extremely difficult and exciting undertaking. Multiple cameras, and a live 2 and half hour broadcast on the red carpet.”
“Legacy, music, women, diversity, future are my 5 phrases to describe Broadway.”
“We’re the Rotten Tomatoes of Broadway.”
“We list all shows running in NYC. We score them, price them, and we have a way for audience to contribute their voice as well.”
“We launched 3 months ago. We’ve had 21,000 join the site. We have more reviews than Hamilton than anyone else.”
“The Broadway audience is excited to join the conversation.”
“The theater audience love theater. They aren’t leaving snarky reviews. They share their love.”
“We took a year off and saw over 250 shows. We called it our ‘gap year for grownups.’”
“80% of the theater in NYC is not on Broadway. 50-60 shows running and Broadway is 20% of it.”
“Off Broadway and Off-off Broadway, 30% of the shows in NYC is $25 or less.”
“Nobody likes to read long reviews by consumers. If it’s too short, it’s not useful. Pick 5 adjectives, rate from 1-10, then basically say who would like the show.”
“Every show has an audience. There’s no such thing as a bad show.”
“Booming, super innovative, highly emotional, embracing new tech, diverse are my 5 terms to describe Broadway.”
Join ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ next Wednesday when she talks to sex therapist Dr. Tiffannie. Only on Sirius Business Channel 111 at 12pm ET/9 am PT.
December 17, 2015
My New Year’s Gift of Intent
As 2015 winds down I look back at another year full of obstacles and breakthroughs. I gave birth to my second son, moved across country with two children under 4 years old, delivered keynote speeches around the world, and began the long journey into children’s television with the launch of ‘Dot’ in Canada. It’s been a whirlwind year to say the least and the only thing keeping me sane between babies, airplanes, and meeting was my focus, drive, and intention.
To stay mindful, activate conversation, and cultivate positive energy, I wear a MyIntent bracelet engraved with a specific word I’ve chosen to practice and honor. While I’ve chosen many words to help overcome challenges and inspire passions, the two that were in constant rotation this year were “Savlanut,” which means patience in Hebrew, and “Journey,” for our new adventures in New York.
My friend, Chris Pan, created MyIntent in hopes of inspiring conversation and providing a daily reminder for us to stay on the path paved with light. MyIntent bracelets have been so motivating that Kayne West wore his on the cover of TIME magazine. (His word: “Beautify.”)
That’s why Chris and I want to offer you the gift of intent to start YOUR 2016 off right. Use the coupon code “DOT20” at MyIntent.org and get 20% off any personalized MyIntent bracelet or necklace with the word of you want to focus on for the New Year.
Post your photos to Instagram or tweet me and hashtag DOTCOMPLICATED and you may be chosen to guest blog about your intention practices on our newly launched site January 1, 2016!
Make this New Year the very best it can be and set your intentions today!
December 16, 2015
Radio Recap: Digital Citizenship
The holidays are one of the most overplugged times a year. We give and receive digital devices, shop online, and rely on social media to catch up with family, friends and international news. At this intersection of tech, business, and communication, how can we humanize the web and become better digital citizens? Today my guest, ASKfm digital family expert and tech ethicist, David Polgar, helped answer these questions:
“If I could outsource my travel research to Artificial Intelligence, I would.”
“I was looking at how social media effects us from a ethical space and became a tech ethicist from that conversation.”
“We have to ask ourselves, ‘How does Instagram affect us? Do we have Instagram envy?’”
“Companies in Silicon Valley are having such an impact on the ethical tech discussion.”
“Everybody is a stakeholder. We need to bring in a variety of voices to discuss the ethical side of tech.”
“I think the media frames the ethical tech question as a dichotomy. Either you are a techie or a luddite.”
“We want to add value to social media. Think about how many friends we’ve made in real life from these connections.”
“Is Google making us stupid? It depends on how we use technology.”
“If used correctly social media can greatly enhance your life.”
“Remove the temptation, just like dieting. Imagine the cookie is vibrating and saying ‘eat me.’ Don’t eat it.”
“The No Phone is a phone that doesn’t do anything. It weans you from the need to always have a phone on you.”
“The Digital Citizen Summit is a conference that brings together parents, educators, students, and leaders to discuss how make things less ‘Dot Complicated.’”
“What do we want from technology? We all want to be loved more, we want more friends.”
“Tech is thinking big. Look at self-driving cars.”
“At the end of the day, we should be behind the algorithm, which is only as good as its programming.”
“Tech is more than ordering a pizza from your phone. It’s driving a car with life or death decisions.”
“Skyping with the deceased is on its way.”
“Moral dilemmas are coming up. People want to have this conversation.”
“We should push a tech code of ethics. Look at Elon Musk realizing the importance of AI ethics.”
“If we have a sweet tooth why are we living in a candy shop all the time?”
“We need to use tech to increase our communication and information. But there can be an overload of both.”
“How do we find a healthy balance between creativity and information overload?”
“We’re never able to process the information we are constantly being exposed to. It’s mental obesity.”
“Trying to keep up with the internet is a losing battle.”
“I love communicating but if you have 14 different platforms to communicate it’s an overload.”
“In order for a true tech balance there needs to be a social acceptance for that.”
“I got into the tech ethics world because I was getting phantom cell phone rings. I realized I needed to change my life. We need to step away.”
“We need to focus on getting permission to post. We can take photos of people and not respect their posting concerns.”
“When you take a family photo there may be a family member who doesn’t want that picture shared.”
“When does the child have the autonomy of what posts their parents put of them?”
“New parents have people sending their child an email in utero.”
“There’s a big awareness of geo-tagging. People are buying expensive gifts. Posting where you’re at can expose you to harm.”
“Have a discussion to not always let people to where you’re going.”
“We don’t need immediate posting. Change the expectation. Can we live our life and just be present?”
“Don’t live life through a screen.”
“Lives On is a British company with the motto, ‘Your heart stops beating, you keep tweeting.’”
“What’s our respect of death online? Does that mean 300 years from now should you be a hologram?”
“To shame a shamer—do two wrongs make a right?”
“We need to use social media to increase kindness.”
“The words you’re surrounded by influence you.”
“I never read the YouTube comments. I can watch a cat video and the comments are horrendous.”
“On a VHS it said ‘be kind, rewind.’ You were prompted toward your better angels.”
“A 13-year-old girl out of Chicago created a platform to rethink about your posts before you post.”
Also joining the show was NetFamilyNews.org founder, Anne Collier, to give her Top 6 favorite Digital Citizen apps:
“These social apps are where digital citizenry begins:”
Snapchat
YouTube
Clash of Clans— This mulitplayer game allows players to build a village, loot and pillage, learn strategy, and learn how to collaborate.
Minecraft for little digital citizens – Now owned by Microsoft and developed in Finland, Minecraft is a digital LEGOS in a way. You create whatever you want, you can play player versus player and secretly learn good digital citizenry at the same time. This is a way to be online in digital spaces . Soon we’ll drop the digital from “digital citizens” since there’s becoming no difference between online and offline.
“Remember that digital citizenship isn’t just for online. We can’t divide between online and offline, you have to get social media literate yourself and let your kids be the experts. Ask questions and be openhearted and open minded. Friend your kids social media pages where appropriate.”
Join ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ next week when guest George Takei comes into the studio to discuss his Broadway hit, Allegiance, and his long career acting, Star Trek, and in activism work. Only on SiriusXM Business Radio channel 111 Wednesdays at 9am PT/ 12pm ET.
December 11, 2015
Health Motivating Apps
These 6 apps can help you get a healthier mind and body with just the tap of a button:
Headspace (Free to download; iOS & Android)— This app has 10-minute guided meditations which helps teach mindfulness to everyone, from a third-eye novice to an enlightened guru.
Spotify (Free; iOS & Android)—Make motivational workout playlists, it’s the new mix tape for your health!
MapMyFitness (Free; iOS & Android)—Great for tracking how far you’ve run or hiked. It tracks your food, your fitness and helps you stay accountable for staying healthy.
FreshDirect (Free; iOS & Android)— Order healthy meals and organic groceries to be delivered in no time with this easy-to-use app which is constantly being improved everyday.
Pager (Free; iOS Only)— Get a doctor on-demand within two hours! Visits start at $50 and can be reimbursed by most health plans.
MyFitnessPal (Free; iOS Only)— Lose weight the easy way and track your calories using this food journal/calorie counter.
December 9, 2015
Radio Recap: SoulCycle
Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler are the founders of SoulCycle, the indoor cycling workout that’s changed the face of traditional exercise routines with low lighting, custom playlists, and scented candles. Now Julie and Elizabeth have expanded the brand from one signless location to over 50 across the US and, today, sat down with Randi to discuss their evolution of a fitness empire:
“I would love a biometric tattoo in the shape of a wheel. You could figure out what you’re burning and wear the wheel at the same time.”
“We started SoulCycle as an exercise experience, which was missing from the marketplace.”
“We can all agree that in a busy city like NYC to give ourselves 45 minutes, it should be enjoyable.”
“It’s the combo of rock star instructors, rocking playlists, and people who are rooting for you and are part of a tribe.”
“People are finding mental clarity and human connection and empowerment.”
“We are both brand fanatics. From very early on we treated this brand like it was going to be Nike and people would see the wheel the same way they see the swoosh.”
“We threw around words at our initial lunch and thought about what that meant in terms of shapes and colors.”
“I think finding people you have a creative shorthand with is absolutely amazing.”
“We’ve done everything from a ride with bongos at midnight to a musical ride to ‘Moulin Rouge’.”
“What actually makes our instructors the biggest rockstars and gurus is the way they connect with their riders.”
“The entire SoulCycle culture is entrepreneurs. From the front desks to the managers, they are making someone’s day. It’s acknowledgement that matters.”
“When we started the company it was only us behind the desk and our babysitters. We both had 5 month olds.”
“We wanted to create a certain type of culture that people can take onto the rest of their lives.”
“When we started SoulCycle we wanted to be in the UWS because of all the transit passing through.”
“We started thinking about community from Day 1.”
“We had the UWS studio for over a year. Then we opened a pop shop in the Hamptons. It was a marketing experiment”
“We had gone from a nice neighborhood business to a something people would commute to.”
“We shared a common vision from the day that we met.”
“When you meet somebody who you can finish your sentences and feed and build from you, then you know you have a successful partnership.”
“10 years ago people weren’t booking much online.”
“We wanted to create fitness careers for our instructors. We felt if we could pay them well and give them benefits that created a place where people were excited to go to work.”
“There’s so much talent from our instructors. Some people work in theater, some people race, others are gymnasts. There’s a variety of passions that create multi-dimensional interests.”
“One of the reasons why fitness is never scaled is because there’s divas with one instructor that stands out. As we scale it’s about the SoulCycle message as opposed to one person or the other.”
“We have a benefit of starting 10 years ago to see where we are today.”
“When we built the first studio we got the wheel screened on some shirts and let people run in them to spread the brand.”
“Sometimes we’ll be in the airport and see someone wearing the wheel. It’s so exciting.”
“As we envisioned this as more than a workout, we really wanted people to see their reflection in the mirror and wear our stuff like a badge of honor.”
“We look at fashion for inspiration, we look at themes, we look at newness. People love to collect our clothing line.”
“We wanted a sanctuary for ourselves where we could work really hard but still feel safe and we’ve always treated our celebrities that way.”
“We try to shield our celebrities to have the same experience you and I do in the dark and feel safe and get a great workout.”
“Music is such a big part of what we do.”
“Online shopping has made us better parents.”
“Women can be incredible entrepreneurs. Moms should not be excluded from that.”
“Basically our entire executive team are parents. We’re close to being an all-girl band.”
“Technology is great because it give you a certain amount of freedom.”
“We have 4 girls between the 2 of us. They’ve grown up in the business.”
“Our work/life balance is more of a work/life integration.”
“Our kids made sacrifices and got involved and grew a sense of empowerment working alongside us.”
“It’s just one foot in front of the other. As an entrepreneur you have to get a list of what you want and have to do.”
“You want everything to be smooth-sailing, especially as moms. But it doesn’t always go that way.”
“We built our business in a scrappy way. We were built by Ikea.”
“In 2009 we had to max out credit cards but always made payroll.”
“About 4 years ago we started a strategic partnership with Equinox.”
“We are always thinking about how we can innovate our brand.”
“We definitely did disrupt the fitness business. We’ve always been fanatical about the execution of how our classes went.”
“My playlist right now is a straight up combination of ‘Hamilton’ and Bieber.”
Join ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ next week when digital family expert, David Polgar, joins the show. Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111 Wednesdays at 12ET/ 9PT.
December 4, 2015
Fashion Forward Apps
Fashion designer, Heather Thomson of Yummie by HT, offered up her 5 favorite fashion and fitness apps on this week’s ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg.’
Here’s Heather’s list:
1) FAD – Fashion Dictionary (iOS, $3.99 & Android, $5.94)— Sometimes when I can’t remember what is something is called I go here. The other day I was trying think of what a bolero was called. Luckily I had my phone on me to find out.
2) Periscope (Free; iOS & Android)—This is my favorite fun app. It’s like Snapchat for adults. It’s like having your own live show. My followers get to share my life a little bit like when I was at a UNICEF event and P!nk performed. All my followers got to experience it with me.
3) Like2Have.it ($20 per month)—This is not necessarily an app on your phone but it’s on Instagram and Pintrest. You can look at a picture or style or outfit and click to buy the product. It makes your social media shoppable!
4) A tie between Go Priv (Free; iOS & Android) and Glamsquad (Free; iOS only)—Glamsquad is hair and makeup on demand that come to you. You can even cancel up to an hour before and not lose your wallet. Go Priv does blowouts, manicurists, all on demand. There’s an efficiency to multitasking life and primping
5) Healthmate by Withings (Free; iOS & Android)—This new digital tech is the next Fitbit. It tells your steps AND tells the time. Something the earlier FitBit “watches” did not. It also has a scale so you can measure your progress privately. I just love fitness apps!
December 2, 2015
Radio Recap: Heather Thomson
Heather Thomson is a philanthropist, mother, entrepreneur, and founder of her own form-enhancing apparel brand, Yummie by HT. Now this former Real Housewife of New York, Heather has taken her years of award-winning design experience to turn her passion into an empire.
Here are the best take-aways from Heather on today’s Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg:
“No electronics at the table. That’s a rule in my house.”
“Today people are so anti-voyeurism but I think it’s nice to be admired.”
“We have to keep it simple. There are things we need like our phones. But the other gadgets are too quirky.”
“My kid knows a lot more than I did at her age because she can google things.”
“Check what your kids are checking and who’s online with them.”
“If you don’t have thick enough skin to be on social media, don’t do it.”
“Cyber Monday is a matter of convenience and not having to brave the storm of shopping on Black Friday.”
“Cyber Monday is the new Black.”
“You can have so much fun with the content leading up to this Cyber Monday online.”
“I like to apply who I am as a person to my brand.”
“Everything evolves. The most important thing is that you’re passionate about what you do.”
“The three-panel tank is the cornerstone of the brand. I have the patent on it.”
“I love the fashion industry because you can be creative and brainy at the same time.”
“The three-panel tank was something I needed after I gave birth. It was a selfish initiative.”
“The most exciting thing about designing for myself is creativity. There’s something really satisfying about that.”
“My start in fashion was with making bathrobes. It’s where I learned the industry. My first break was the Calvin Klein Collection.”
“At Calvin Klein I learned what it was like to have a name and a face and a story to tell behind the brand.”
“Yummie is the face and the vision. Designed by a woman for women. Although some men really like wearing the clothes too.”
“You’ve got to always go with your gut.”
“The 3-panel tank was all about Yummie Tummy. As I grew my vision was growing but the name was limiting.”
“A catchy name is important. You may not always get it right out of the gate.”
“You can screw up your brand with the cookies you put on your website. Never stay or go with a name you don’t believe in.”
“I can make luggage with Yummie. I can’t make luggage with Yummie Tummie.”
“You have to kick all the hurdles down. If you want to start a business you have to take risks. I just went for it.”
“You’re going to fail so fail fast.”
“I had an original idea that could get patents on it. My fear was being knocked off.”
“I knew how much patent litigation costs. You have to enforce your patent.”
“I trademarked a bunch of names so I could knock myself off. I trademarked names like Tummilicious.”
“Everything at HSN is about dollars per minute. If I say a word they can see how the buyers react to that word.”
“Mindy Grossman, the CEO of HSN, can tell a great story and sell a product.”
“Bloomingdales was the first to bring Broadway to retail.”
“Sometimes it’s just time. Joining RHONY was the right thing to try and I knew in my heart it was the right time to go.”
“I went into RHONY to try something new, meet new people, and share a little bit about my son and our family unit.”
“The same reason I joined RHONY was the same reason I left: New opportunities.”
“Mark Wahlberg is doing a great job showing you can build a business on TV.”
“We all get the same 24 hours. It’s how you spend your time.”
“My kids grew up on reality TV and that’s not what I want for my children or for me.”
“Most times if you listen to your gut and go with your heart and listen, you end up doing the right thing.”
“When I told Andy I couldn’t do RHONY anymore he asked if I could do some cameos organically.”
“I have no regrets about doing RHONY.”
“Never burn a bridge, leave when you know it’s right.”
“Philanthropy is something I was born with.”
“When I was 16 years old and got my drivers license of course I said I’d be a donor. Years later my son needed a donor. It’s bittersweet, you lose a life to save a life.”
“I’m being honored by Donate Life Connecticut.”
“People have all these misnomers about organ donations.”
“My newest passion is No Barriers which about living a life of meaning and purpose.”
“What’s within you is stronger than anything that stands in your way.”
“Giving back and helping young entrepreneurs and nurturing new business is something that’s important to me.”
“The best companies out there are the ones with the most dynamic boards.”
“Innovation is key. If you’re going to do something, it’s got to be better or cheaper. Standing out and offering a unique perspective is crucial.”
“Have a point of difference.”
Find out more about Heather Thomson at Yummielife.com, @iamheathert.
Join Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg next week when Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice discuss what it’s like to run the hottest workout sweeping the nation, Soul Cycle. Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111 Wednesday 12pm ET/ 9am PT.
November 27, 2015
Top 5 Favorite Organizational Apps
Investor, serial entrepreneur, and author of The Path Redefined, Lauren Maillian is one busy woman.
So how does she do it all? Apps.
Here are Lauren’s Top 5 favorite organizational apps to keep a steady work / life / parenting balance:
Slack—(Free; iOS & Android) Slack provides real-time messaging, email threads communication to ensure efficiency. I use it to keep everybody on the same page at all times.
Chase—(Free; iOS & Android) I bank other places but Chase for mobile banking is really important. Being able to pay as a mobile vendor is crucial. I don’t outsource any of my own accounting.
Delta—(Free; iOS & Android) I am a Delta girl. I use this app to check in early, see if I’m confirmed, or check my Skymiles. I like to check my upgrades before arrival since maximizing time is important.
Keynote—($9.99 iOS; Free Android Version) Share presentations or change presentations on the go. Powerpoint usually just uses .pdfs. This allows you to change parts of the presentation on your mobile. I don’t even really carry my laptop anymore, I do it all from my phone.
Trip It—(Free; iOS & Android) This mobile travel planner keeps all of my travel in one place. My rental, my hotel, my flight is compiled into one easy itinerary. I don’t have print out anything anymore. The most awesome thing about Trip It is it tracks how many days you spent in every state for taxes at the end of the year. So if you were traveling to low state tax places, you may have just saved yourself a boat load of cash!
If you want to read more about Lauren Maillian, follow her HERE.
November 25, 2015
Radio Recap: Lauren Maillian
Serial entrepreneur, founder and CEO of strategic marketing company, Luxury Market Branding, Founding Partner at Gen Y Capital Partners, author of The Path Redefined, and single mother, Lauren Maillian is a true powerhouse. Having founded an award-winning wine brand before the age she could legally drink, Lauren is no stranger to innovation in entrepreneurship. She offers practical solutions to balance business and motherhood and is a huge proponent on developing the next generation of woman leaders, being one herself and she’s with us today to discuss turning your dreams into a profit.
Today she sat down with Randi on ‘Dot Complicated’ to give her advice for budding entrepreneurs.
“I am far more productive when I am rested. I need 8 ½ hours of sleep.”
“I think VR is the next frontier of how we connect to those we’re far away from.”
“When you start trying to push people into spending money remember people keep track of what makes a difference to them and your service may fall by the wayside.”
“There’s a difference between disrupting and upsetting the market.”
“When you don’t give people an option, you lose incredible content.”
“I’m a single parent. Anything that’s going to help me understand where I’m living is important to me.”
“43 North is part of a $1B an initiative into Buffalo, NY to revitalize the economy. We awarded $5 million broken up between 11 different companies.”
“At 19 I started a vineyard. At the end of the second harvest, I was 21. I stopped selling my grapes and built the winery myself.”
“You can start in one place and end up in another. You can be multi-passionate.”
“There are pros and cons to every business.”
“I started Luxury Market Branding at 25. Taking what I learned from operating my own business I helped other brands grow and create alliances.”
“I didn’t think I was enough of an outlier to write my own book. But a publisher came to me and asked me to write one.”
“I asked what is my story and what narrative do I want to commit to paper? Getting to the top on your own terms. If I can do it, you can do it.”
“I see women hashtagging “Path Redefined.” Believing in them selves and doing things their own way.”
“When you have an opportunity to create a platform to amplify your voice, make sure to stay true to your voice.”
“I am a young, black woman, but that can’t be the only thing that defines me.”
“I turned down two other book offers—they wanted to pigeonhole me into this ‘black woman’s book.’”
“Our show that will debut the first quarter of 2016 is a deep dive into what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.”
“The most incredible part of our show is that you understand the journey to the yes or the no of investing.”
“We are a behind-the-scenes of what happens behind the curtain of investing.”
“How you’re put together matters.”
“You don’t have to wear top designs. Just being stylish doesn’t mean your substantive.”
“It was instilled in me as a young child. My dad said your nails are perfectly polished all the time or not polished at all.”
“Care about the way you present yourself. It speaks to how you put yourself together.”
“I put out my clothes the night before, the same way I do with my kids.”
“Building your brand depends if you’re an entrepreneur or are in the corporate world. Corporations are embracing style and flair but there’s still a standard.”
“In the age of social media when you’re able to share with people who don’t know you personally, you have to draw the line somewhere.”
“Pick your 4 things you want to share with the world—business, personal, family, fitness, for example. Don’t spread yourself thin.”
“In the corporate world, some people just want to push their companies. It’s awesome but unless it’s your company you need to make sure people know who you are and why you do what you do.”
“Talk about what you do at work. It will transcend to what your next move is.”
“We’re in a place where people are getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
“We’re getting comfortable watching women do things their own way and finding success and shutting people up.”
“Why can’t you go from one thing to the other? The more we see people crushing life, the more people want to do it ourselves.”
“I’m being intentional instead of reactional with my time.”
“Surround yourself with the people who are where you want to be. Understand your competition and learn from them.”
Follow Lauren on Twitter HERE
Tune into ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ every Wednesday at 12pm ET/9am PT for all the latest in women, entrepreneurship, and tech. Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111.
November 19, 2015
Online Holiday Shopping with Purpose
As we gear up to buy Uncle John his favorite tie or Aunt Cheryl her favorite sweater this holiday season, the U.S. economy will get a $717 billion injection in consumer spending. Many of us will simply click a few buttons on our desktop or tablet and have a person from UPS or Federal Express deliver our package to the front door. In fact, last year 78% of Americans researched what they wanted to buy on the internet and 40% purchased their holiday gift online.
For those of us who clicked our way to purchasing a holiday gift, we contributed $101.9 billion to the economy.
Online purchases, especially during the holidays, have seen massive growth over recent years. And now, new technology available has introduced ways to expand the online shopper’s experience by allowing consumers to make charitable donations to their favorite causes while they shop. Imagine our favorite stores like Target, Walmart, J Crew or Apple deciding to empower us to give to our favorite charity at no cost to us.
Thanks to visionary minds and excellent coders we are at the cusp of this game-changing revolution whereby every purchase online in the U.S. and around the world can become a charitable event. Imagine the impact on girls education in Pakistan or Syrian refugees if just 1% of the total global e-commerce of $1.67 trillion was a click away from reality.
This is why I was inspired to create the Sparo app – I saw an opportunity to allow all merchants to do good (and while they are doing good get a tax break and lower their cart abandonment rate), and for all online shoppers to affect positive change and provide charities and causes with the resources to do the good work that they do day in day out.
For example, Cheryl lives in Maryland but loves the Asian motifs sold by Citron Clothing based in California. She goes to www.citronclothing.com and shops for that favorite blouse, goes to checkout to pay the $200, and selects the Maryland Food Bank as her favorite charity. Since Citron Clothing has decided to give back 10% of each purchase to its’ shoppers selected charity, the Maryland Food Bank gets $20. Everyone wins: Citron gets a sale, Aunt Cheryl finds her blouse and the Maryland Food Bank now has $20 to help feed a family in Baltimore.
Through this new technology that marries e-commerce and charity, and through our hundreds of charity partners around the globe, as well as our merchants, online shoppers this holiday season now have the opportunity to purchase a holiday gift and chose the charity of their choice to make a donation – for free.
So as you start booting your computer, browsing the website of your favorite brand and select that gift for your loved one, remember that one more click and you can extend that love to someone right around the corner from you or to someone across the globe.
By Rob Sobhani, Ph.D, the Founder and CEO of Sparo
