Rihanna: PWM’s Wonder Woman of the Year
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rihanna posing at the Fashion Awards

By Samar Khoury

It’s difficult to describe Robyn Rihanna Fenty—better known as Rihanna—in one phrase, but two words sum her up perfectly: Wonder Woman.

She has created a $600 million fortune.

She’s the world’s richest female musician.

She was the third highest-paid female singer of 2019.

And she holds various titles: businesswoman, activist, philanthropist, and actress, to name just a few. Plus, she’s been honored with countless accolades throughout her career.

But Rihanna is anything but complacent.

In fact, the musician is more active than ever, advocating for equality, showing enormous support for the Black Lives Matter movement, providing relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, and launching her new skincare line.

Rihanna has left a mark, and it’s only going to get greater.

 

The Face of Activism

Following the tragic death of George Floyd, Rihanna was one of the first celebrities to speak out. The business mogul closed her online Fenty beauty, fashion, and lingerie stores on June 2 in honor of #BlackoutTuesday. “This is not a day off,” Rihanna said through Fenty’s Twitter page, “this is a day to reflect and find ways to make real change, this is a day to #PullUp.”

“We are not staying silent and we are not standing by,” she continued. “The fight against racial inequality, injustice, and straight up racism doesn’t stop with financial donations and words of support.”

Rihanna on stage singing
The Barbadian singer Rihanna during the ANTI World Tour hosted in Milan. (Photo by Francesco CastaldoArchivio Francesco CastaldoMondadori via Getty Images)

Rihanna also pledged, through her charity organization the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF), that she’d donate funds to Black Lives Matter Greater NY and The Bail Project.

What’s more, the fashion icon’s 2019 viral tie-dye dress made a special comeback to support Black Lives Matter. Fashion label A Sai Ta specifically created the dress for the 32-year-old singer, which made numerous headlines. “No one else has this dress apart from me and Riri,” a post on the label’s Instagram page read. “We will be producing this iconic dress EXCLUSIVELY for 3 charities. Finally, you can also have this dress!!”

Standing by the Black Lives Matter movement is only scratching the surface of Rihanna’s efforts to make change.

Amid the pandemic, Rihanna made it a mission to lend a hand to those in need. In addition to donating $5 million to COVID-19 relief efforts through CLF, she gave away personal protection equipment to New York, which used to hold the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country.

“Protecting our frontline health workers and marginalized communities around the world requires getting ahead of it FAST,” her foundation’s site read. “The time to act is now.”

Rihanna has made such a difference that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) presented her with the President’s Award during its 51st Image Awards on February 22 in Pasadena, California.

“From her business achievements through Fenty, to her tremendous record as an activist and philanthropist, Rihanna epitomizes the type of character, grace, and devotion to justice that we seek to highlight in our President’s Award.”

Rihanna receives he Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year Award on stage
CAMBRIDGE, MA – Rihanna receives the Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year Award from Dr. S. Allen Counter at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

And devoted she has been.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned,” Rihanna said while accepting her award, “it’s that we can only fix this world together. We can’t do it divided…We can’t let the de-sensitivity seep in. The ‘If it’s your problem, then it’s not mine.’ ‘It’s a woman’s problem.’ ‘It’s a black people problem.’ ‘It’s a poor people problem.’”

The Queen of Philanthropy

Rihanna constantly aims to make the world a better place. Growing up, she often came across poor and needy children, inspiring her to give back.

Her commitment to charity work earned her Harvard’s humanitarian of the year in 2017.

In 2012, she founded CLF (named after her grandparents), a nonprofit organization committed to aiding underserved communities through health care and education.

“I feel strongly that all children everywhere should be afforded the opportunity of a quality education,” she says.

Through her annual Diamond Ball gala, Rihanna has been able to raise millions for the foundation. The Clara Lionel Foundation has since funded programs, including Children’s Orthopedic Center and the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program.

But it doesn’t end there.

The philanthropist is also an ambassador of her hometown, Barbados; the Global Partnership for Education; and the Global Citizen Project. She dedicates much of her time traveling and raising money for these roles.

As an ambassador of the Global Partnership for Education, Rihanna advocates for education for girls, gender equality, and those affected by war-ridden countries.

In 2016, she met with Prince Harry to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Barbadian independence and spread awareness about AIDS.

And her donations to many charities are endless.

“My money is not for me; it’s always the thought that I can help someone else,” Rihanna says.

The Road to Stardom

Although we admire Rihanna’s philanthropy and activism, we can’t forget

Rihanna on stage in Barbados at an HIV event with Prince Harry
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – (2nd L-R) Rihanna, Prince Harry and councillor Ministry of Health HIV Program Susette Neblett-Straughn talk on stage at the ‘Man Aware’ event held by the Barbados National HIV/AIDS Commission.(Photo by Chris Jackson – Pool/Getty Images)

how we first fell in love with the Barbadian beauty—her chart-topping hits.

Rhi-Rhi, as fans like to call her, has become the youngest solo artist to score 14 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, has sold more than 54 million albums and 210 million tracks worldwide, and holds nine Grammy Awards.

Her top hits include “Diamonds,” “Umbrella,” “Work,” and much, much more.

Rihanna’s road to musical stardom is an inspiring one.

While she was growing up in Saint Michael, Barbados, her parents’ marital problems and dad’s battle with drug and alcohol addictions began to take a toll on the star. To cope, Rihanna turned to music, leading her create a musical trio with two of her classmates.

Her big break came in 2003 at age 15 when Rihanna and her bandmates were introduced to record producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife.

Rogers was immediately in awe. “The minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn’t exist,” he said to Entertainment Weekly.

At age 16, Rihanna moved to the US with Rogers and his wife, later being signed by Jay-Z to Def Jam Records.

From there, her career took off instantly, and she debuted her first single, “Pon de Replay.” The catchy hit made the top five in 15 countries and became a major U.S. club hit.

The popular single was included in her debut album, Music of the Sun. A year later, she released her sophomore album, A Girl Like Me—featuring No. 1 singles “SOS” and “Unfaithful.”

The rest is all history.

Rihanna’s eighth and most recent album, Anti, released in 2016, saw major success: She achieved her second consecutive No. 1 album with 166,000 first week sales.

Rihanna kisses Chase Sullivan, a child of Harvard professors, after receiving the Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award in Cambridge, MA.

Although fans are anxiously awaiting new music, Rihanna assures them it will be worth the wait. Currently, the entrepreneur has been focusing on her new skincare line.

“I am always working on music, and when I am ready to put it out in the way that I feel fit, it’s gonna come out. And you’re not going to be disappointed when it happens,” the singer told Entertainment Tonight.

 

Thriving Businesswoman

In addition to hit albums, world tours, and movie roles—such as Home, Annie, and Ocean’s 8— Rihanna has built a beauty and fashion empire.

Her new skincare line, Fenty Skin, made its debut on July 31. People of all skin tones and types can enjoy products from the singer’s new venture. Sales have already skyrocketed.

But Rihanna has been shining in business for years. Her businesses include makeup line Fenty Beauty; Fenty, a Paris-based fashion house she created in partnership with luxury fashion group LVMH (Rihanna was the first woman and black woman to be added to the LVMH group); intimates collection Savage X Fenty; and now her new skincare line. She has also released 11 fragrances throughout the years.

It should come as no surprise that when Fenty Beauty launched in 2017, it took the world by storm. According to Forbes, the brand reported $100 million in sales in its first six weeks, reaching more than $550 million in its first year.

Rihanna’s goal was to create an inclusive makeup collection catered to people of all skin types—not just white women. So, when Fenty Beauty launched, 40 shades of foundation came along with it. This move paved the way for the beauty industry. Rihanna’s “Fenty Effect” set the precedent for foundation ranges to come.

Like her singing career, Rihanna’s love for makeup started in Barbados. She was intrigued by her mother’s lipstick and when she tried makeup for the first time, she never looked back, making it her choice for self-expression.

“Makeup is there for you to have fun with,” Rihanna says. “It should never feel like pressure. It should never feel like a uniform. Feel free to take chances, and take risks, and dare to do something new or different.”

Shining Bright Like a Diamond
Rihanna has been living in London for the past three years, focusing on her music, leading the fight for change, and continuing to be the musician we know and love.

As Rihanna’s whopping 85 million+ Instagram followers and slew of fans can attest, she’s not going anywhere.

But we can’t help but wonder: What change will she spark next?

Interactive 3D Simulations Helping Execs & Employees Master Uncomfortable Conversations
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Training Online Education Webinar Personal Development Motivation E-learning Business concept on virtual screen

The benefits of simulation-based training are indisputable and innumerable. Given its power and efficacy, this methodology is used in a litany of sectors beyond aerospace and military, where it gained its initial foothold.

These include everything from manufacturing and retail to healthcare, fitness, fashion and hospitality, reports indicate. No longer reserved for mammoth corporations, now businesses of every size and scope can benefit from highly optimized interactive cyber-training innovations. This in the form of short-burst microlearning 3D simulations that are now as accessible as they are effective. Such brief, easy-to-digest content, which learners can access on their own time, provides numerous posthaste benefits. At its highest level, modern 3D simulation remote training methods can immediately teach employees how to effectively navigate difficult conversations and communicate in a way that drives optimal outcomes and enriches relationships—all irrespective of where that employee is based.

This kind of interactive microlearning technology, which complements any in-person training initiatives, is helping companies rapidly improve internal and external communication skills relating to sensitive subject matter and operational mandates. This includes reducing customer confusion, rectifying unconscious bias to create a more inclusive culture, stemming microaggressions, promoting conflict resolution and de-escalation, conveying appropriate and consistent responses to crises like COVID-19, driving feedback conversations that enhance employee relations, empowering employees to constructively escalate issues that aren’t discussed outside of “water cooler whispers” and more.

So powerful is this approach, Allied Market Research indicates the virtual training and simulation market size, currently valued at $204.41 billion, is projected to more than double and reach $579.44 billion by 2027. This and other such forecasts reflect the extent to which companies are now requiring their executives and managers to participate in virtual training and simulation to become better prepared for real-life situations. Not surprising given the several points of substantiation. For one, global consulting firm Accenture underscores that “experiential learning has long been argued as the most effective way to learn, and studies have shown that learning through experience increases learning quality by up to 75%.” The firm indicates this approach allows companies to recreate real-life situations, reduce travel costs to outside training and increases repetition of experiences to allow employees to practice more. As one case in point, it notes that major retailers like Walmart leverage the technology to train managers to prepare for key events like Black Friday—with potential benefits including an 80% savings in training time.

“3D simulations help companies provide employees with interactive bite-sized learning sessions that provide a quick and easy way to engage in real-world scenarios, explore emotional responses and receive immediate feedback so they can reflect on their own performance—all in a safe virtual environment,” said Ed Beltran, CEO of Fierce Conversations—a  company spearheading customized simulations that teach employees how to handle difficult customer conversations like those relating to the coronavirus pandemic, diversity and inclusion and other notorious, angst-inducing points of contention.

“This kind of training can address and resolve veritably any on-the-job challenge,” he says. “The overarching goal of microlearning immersion is to help employees become expert conversationalists by knowing what to talk about, how to talk about it and why it matters for the bottom line of the specific employer. This is why the most effective 3D simulations are those that are ‘bite-sized’—as in 15-minutes or less—and also fully customized for each business and situation. In this way, businesses can efficiently address several critical issues via interactive real-world situations, all with the look and feel of your own location, organization and audiences. Personalized avatars are also used to recreate scenarios and build empathy, and immediate feedback helps employees learn and improve with each session.”

Learn and improve they do, as gamification capabilities are shown to maximize learner engagement and knowledge retention. In fact, interactive learning is not only shown to boost learning engagement by 50%, but it also enhances knowledge retention by more than 20%. “It also scales cost effectively per learner so employers can mitigate training expenses,” Beltran notes. Duration is also key. According to Software Advice, most employees (58%) would more likely use online learning courses if they were broken into “multiple, shorter lessons” and creates more than 50% higher engagement. Additional metrics indicate microlearning in segments of three to seven minutes “matches the memory capacity and attention spans” of most humans.

So, next time you need to address internal complications or generally enhance operations, consider opting for interactive 3D simulations rather than those long, boring training videos. You know, the ones that cause employees to lose interest and are hard-pressed to truly resolve the issues at hand—especially when you need that genuine resolution fast. Such customized 3D real-world microlearning, practiced virtually, can get to the heart of challenges that employees are facing today with immediacy. The result will be conversations that make a real, meaningful and measurable impact.

Sources:

Pop Singer to Business Owner: Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Story
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Rihanna accepts an award onstage at MTV event

At just 31-years old, Robyn Rihanna Fenty – known simply as Rihanna – is already one of the most influential women in the world.

Since 2005, she has had a booming career as a singer, but in recent years, Rihanna’s influence has expanded into the business world. Her makeup company, Fenty Beauty, has taken the world by storm. Lauded for its high-quality products and inclusive shade range, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line has impressive origins and an even more promising future.

Before Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty is far from Rihanna’s first successful venture. For a decade and a half, she has been producing internationally beloved music. She’s the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, thirteen American Music Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards, to name just a few of her accolades. In 2017, however, she decided to shift her talents in another direction: the world of beauty.

Fenty Beauty Bursts onto the Scene

Launched in September 2017, Fenty Beauty was reported to have earned $72 million in sales within the first month. To say the beauty line took the world by storm would be an understatement. Its focus on self-expression, inclusivity, and makeup as a form of expression resonated with people around the world.

The Importance of Inclusivity

Ask anyone about what makes Fenty Beauty stand out, and they’re likely to mention its wide shade range. As a woman of color in the entertainment industry, Rihanna knew firsthand that there simply weren’t enough shades for women of color. Fenty Beauty came out the gate with 40 shades of foundation; this number eventually expanded to 50. This incredible variety of shades is much more diverse than what most makeup companies carried, and it made the statement that all women of any color deserve representation.

Read the full article at Business Women.

Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs and Some of the Most Successful Women to Follow
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A woman leading a business meeting

Women must contend with a wide range of challenges in business. Here are some of the challenges women encounter – and some of the larger-than-life female entrepreneurs who overcame them.

On paper, things have never looked better for female entrepreneurs. As of 2017, more than 11 million U.S. businesses were owned by women, employing nearly 9 million people and generating $1.7 trillion in sales, according to the National Association of Women Business Owners.

But these numbers only tell part of the story. Women-owned businesses are still in the minority, and the hurdles faced by women who have embraced entrepreneurship are vast and often very different from those experienced by their male counterparts. To shed light on some of these disparities, Business News Daily asked female CEOs about the key challenges women entrepreneurs face and how to overcome them.

Most female business owners who have attended networking events can relate to this scenario: You walk into a crowded seminar and can count the number of women there on one hand. When women entrepreneurs talk business with primarily male executives, it can be unnerving.

In this sort of situation, women may feel as though they need to adopt a stereotypically “male” attitude toward business: competitive, aggressive, and sometimes harsh. But successful female CEOs believe that remaining true to yourself and finding your own voice are the keys to rising above preconceived expectations.

“Be yourself, and have confidence in who you are,” said Hilary Genga, founder and CEO of Trunkettes. “You made it to where you are through hard work and perseverance, but most importantly, you’re there. Don’t conform yourself to a man’s idea of what a leader should look like.”

Read the full article at Business News Daily.

Mackenzie (Bezos) Scott Announces She’s Donated $4.1 Billion To 384 Groups In Recent Months
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MacKenzie Scott — the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos — announced Tuesday that she’s donated more than $4.1 billion over the past four months to nearly 400 organizations helping fulfill basic needs for many Americans struggling in the pandemic.

“This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,” Scott writes. “Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires.”

 (Photo Credit – JÖRG CARSTENSEN/Forbes)

Scott, who received one-quarter of her ex-husband’s Amazon stock in their divorce settlement in 2019, is the third richest woman in the world, behind L’Oreal heir Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and Walmart heir Alice Walton. Scott is worth an estimated $55.1 billion, according to Forbes’ calculations, after taking into account her newest charitable giving.

In a post on Medium, Scott, a novelist, said she and her team had vetted hundreds of organizations in recent months and ultimately donated $4.158 billion to 384 groups, which she named and linked to in her post. Recipients include community colleges and universities like Blackfeet Community College in Montana; food banks and meal providers like Feeding America, America’s Second Harvest and Meals on Wheels; and many individual YMCAs and YWCAs.

Scott also says that her gifts to these organizations are unrestricted, meaning that were not earmarked for certain initiatives. That allows the recipients to use the money however they best see fit.

Read the full article at Forbes.

Finding your inner circle as a female entrepreneur
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If this year has taught me anything, it’s that female entrepreneurs need an inner circle. I survived 2020 by leaning on others and I know our business is stronger for the support we gave back to women in our community.

As Co-Founder and CEO of Verve Super, an ethical super fund tailored for women, I was forced to re-calibrate our 2020 dreams just a few months into the year. When COVID-19 took hold, my team rapidly shifted focus from growing the business and welcoming new members, to processing super withdrawals and doing everything we could to support our members facing financial hardship. But my experience was nowhere near as dramatic as what some of

(Photo credit – Women’s Agenda)

the women in my community were facing.

My friend, Sheree Rubeinstein is Co-Founder of women’s co-work space One Roof. Recently, Sheree wrote about suddenly finding herself without a business model when Melbournians were forced to work from home.

Many of the women in my community will continue to face difficulty into 2021 — women like Karina Grey, a friend who founded Starwin to provide employment and mentorship to young Indigenous women. Karina had just launched a new community-enterprise retail outlet in Port Douglas when COVID-19 hit and revenue from tourists dried up.

The female entrepreneurs I know are resilient, both Sheree and Karina are successfully pivoting their businesses and communities online. Yet, we know that businesses run by women have been hit particularly hard. And with Government support for business owners winding back, and little specialized support for women in the 2020 federal budget, the power of a strong support network for women has never been more important.

Research from the corporate world has taught us women are more likely to succeed in their careers if they create a supportive community of other women around them.

As it turns out, the value of a strong inner circle for women in business extends well beyond the networking benefits. A landmark UCLA study found women in the company of friends or like-minded women release oxytocin, which actually helps counteract the day-to-day work stress most of us experience.

Read the full article at Women’s Agenda.

Black Woman in Tech Creates New Fundraising Opportunities for HBCUs
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Her App is Changing the Way HBCUs Raise Money.

Although spare change technology, also known as round-ups, has been around for a few years, Dominique King, Founder of I Heart My HBCU, was the first to bridge this technology to Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) via a single mobile app. “I Heart My HBCU became the first platform where users could donate spare change to any of the 104 HBCUs in one place,” says King.

King launched this groundbreaking funding platform three years ago, in 2017, joining an elite group of black women tech entrepreneurs. This technology could have been directed towards many other areas of need, but her plan was to preserve the rich heritage of HBCUs and combat challenges that lead to the closures of some of these great institutions, such as Concordia College in Alabama.

(Photo credit – PRNewsfoto/I Heart My HBCU) 

King is passionate about her efforts to preserve the viability of these institutions; being an HBCU graduate herself, of the prestigious Howard University in Washington, D.C., she knows first-hand the importance of not only the cultural significance of HBCUs but the vital role that the education she received at Howard has played in the many successes she has earned in her life to this point. In her consistent and constantly evolving spirit to give back, she toiled tirelessly to develop a novel way to support HBCUs in their efforts to continue producing scholars and leaders of today and tomorrow. It was out of this spirit of selflessness that I Heart My HBCU was born.

In as little as 2-minutes, users can download the I Heart My HBCU app in iOS or Android stores and link their bank account. The I Heart My HBCU app rounds up each credit or debit card purchase to the nearest dollar. The spare change will then be donated to the user’s five favorite HBCUs.

Read the full article at PR Newswire.

This Entrepreneur’s Communication Skills Helped Her Turn An Idea Into A $150M Brand
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sara Goldin seated with microphone in hand smiling

Kara Goldin, the founder and CEO of Hint Water, turned an idea that struck her one day at the kitchen table into a $150 million a year business.

Along the way to building a popular lifestyle brand, Goldin discovered the power of storytelling to grab attention and attract loyal customers.

“It’s really important to bring your personal story into the brand identity,” Goldin told me during a recent conversation about her new book, Undaunted. “People associate the brand with a human being and that person’s story. It adds tremendous meaning and value.”

The Hint story began in 2005 with a simple idea: to make water that tastes good.

After leaving a demanding role at AOL, Goldin felt unhealthy. She was overweight, had low energy, and developed adult acne. She had been drinking diet soda for years—8 to 10 cans a day—without giving it a second thought. One day she noticed that the soda had thirty ingredients. Goldin decided to experiment. She replaced diet coke with plain water.

“In two-and-half weeks, I had lost 24 pounds,” Goldin told me. “My skin skin cleared up and my energy returned.”

The only obstacle to continuing her new habit was the fact that she found water to be, well, boring. Goldin stumbled upon a simple solution. She sliced up fruit and dropped it into the water to improve its taste.

Goldin soon discovered that she couldn’t find unsweetened fruit-infused water in a bottle. The category didn’t exist.

In that moment, Hint was born. Goldin turned a quick and simple solution to a health problem into a product which has grown into a healthy lifestyle brand.

In September, 2010, Goldin shared her story on a CNBC program called “How I Made My Millions.”

After the program aired, Goldin was sitting near a pool when a woman approached her to ask about the water she was drinking. The woman didn’t recognize Kara from the segment, but she remembered the product and the story.

According to Goldin, storytelling is a way for startups and entrepreneurs to stand out. “Beyond the brand promise, consumers want to know who is behind the brand,” says Goldin. “Consumers really gravitate toward the story because they want to understand what they’re buying into.”

Goldin majored in communication at Arizona State University and spent part of her career working in the media and magazine industry. She instinctively understands the power of an authentic founder’s story to create a stronger connection between a product and its consumers.

In the food and beverage industry, storytelling was named the top “product trend” of 2020. One survey found that 56% of consumers globally said stories around a brand influence their purchase decision.

Stories can explain how a product is sourced, how it started, who’s behind it, and how the brand lives improves people’s lives and the communities it serves.

“One reason that Hint became so popular in Silicon Valley is the founder story….people love to connect with a brand with a real human being, especially if the person has an interesting and authentic personal narrative that directly relates to the product,” Goldin writes in her book.

Your customers don’t just buy a product; they buy into the story behind the product.

Continue on to Forbes to read the complete article.

Photo Credit: Forbes/Hint Chris Andre

Engineer with a 20 Year Career Puts Her Expertise into her Own Home Inspection Business
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Bell, Jennifer with Mask

Jennifer Bell’s former career took place on a global scale at times, taking her to assignments in Angola, Canada, South America, Thailand, Singapore, and Europe.

After graduating from Texas Tech with a Bachelors’s degree in mechanical engineering, Bell spent 20 years in the oil and gas industry, involved in numerous facets of offshore and plant engineering. But now the native Houstonian is applying her experience to a new sector as one of the newest franchise owners with the No. 1 home inspection company in North America, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®. Having launched operations, Bell serves homebuyers and sellers throughout the Greater Houston area. “From a career point of view, I have been involved with the inspection of equipment for more than 20 years and this was a seamless way to bridge my experiences into building science and the construction industry,” said Bell, who also holds an MBA from Colorado Tech with concentrations in finance, environment, and sustainability.

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is the brand to which more than three million families have turned to for more than 25 years to be their trusted advisor when buying or selling a home. Consistently ranked for 23 years on Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual Franchise500®, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is enjoying its 8th consecutive year as No. 1 in their category on that coveted ranking. In addition, the company has 5-Star status with the VetFran program offered by the International Franchise Association for veterans.

Bell, who has been involved in a variety of industries in the Houston community and recognized with numerous awards from professional organizations, is excited about the possibilities for her new venture. “I chose Pillar To Post Home Inspectors because of its brand recognition and the ‘family-feeling vibe’ the company gives to its franchisees,” she said.

About Pillar To Post Home Inspectors® 
Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is the largest home inspection company in North America with home offices in Toronto and Tampa. There are more than 600 franchises located in 49 states and nine Canadian provinces. The company has ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise500® for 23 years in a row, the past 8 years as No.1 in Category. Long-term plans include adding 500 to 600 new franchises over the next five years. For further information, please visit www.pillartopost.com. To inquire about a franchise, go to www.pillartopostfranchise.com.

First Black Woman to Own a Tequila Brand Wins Multiple Spirit Tasting Awards
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Anteel Tequilla owner Nayana Ferguson standing behind counter with Tequilla bottles lined up

Anteel Tequila is a premium tequila brand created by husband and wife duo Don and Nayana Ferguson and their business partner Michael Rowoldt.

Nayana, co-founder and COO, is the very first black woman in the world to own a tequila brand, which has been receiving a significant amount of national coverage over the last few months.

Not the least of which because in March, Anteel Tequila won 3 medals at the 2020 San Francisco World’s Spirits Competition with both its Coconut Lime Blanco and Reposado receiving Silver medals and the Blanco awarded a Bronze. In August, the tequila brought Double Gold Medals home from the 2020 International SIP Awards—a blind competition judged by consumers.

Initially launched in the founder’s home state of Michigan, Anteel Tequila has been ordered by over 400 locations in under 2 years. With its success in Michigan, the team had decided to expand the brand to California and Florida in February 2020, however, Covid-19 changed those plans. The owners then shifted to an online retailer to meet the demand, and Anteel Tequila has since been purchased and shipped to 30 states across the nation.

The brand released two expressions in August 2018 in the Michigan market under the name of Teeq Tequila (Tequila of Extraordinary and Exquisite Quality), but the name changed in June to establish a deeper connection with the ideology behind the brand and the logo of the hummingbird.

The current Anteel Tequila portfolio includes Anteel Coconut Lime Blanco Tequila, which is the world’s only Coconut Lime Blanco Tequila infused with the all-natural flavorings from the coconut and lime. Released at the same time was Anteel Reposado Tequila, rested 8 months in Tennessee whiskey barrels for a premium classic Reposado with a very subtle whiskey finish. In October 2019, Anteel Tequila released the third expression in their portfolio, Anteel Blanco Tequila, being heralded by consumers as the “smoothest tequila on the planet.”

The tequila brand has been featured in many news publications including Forbes Magazine, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, AskMen, Bar Business Magazine, Maxim, Tequila & Spirits Magazine, Yahoo News, Beverage Industry Magazine, Spirited Magazine, Crain’s Business Detroit, The Detroit News, Tasting Panel Magazine, and more.

Anteel Tequila is made from the finest Blue Weber Agave plant, using both the Highland and Lowland Agaves, which is unique to the industry. While Anteel Tequila is a proud Michigan brand, to be considered 100 percent Blue Weber Agave Tequila, everything must be produced and bottled in Mexico, and Anteel Tequila has partnered with one of the most awarded distilleries there, Destiladora del Valle de Tequila, NOM 1438.

To learn more about Anteel Tequila, visit teeqspirits.com

Investing in Yourself: What’s your ROI?
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Katie Sandler sitting on sofa looking confident with hand under chin

There is a lot of discussion in the business world about a company’s return on investment (ROI) because it’s important to the overall success of the organization.

Yet people can also greatly benefit when they engage in self ROI, ensuring that they do what they can to help make improvements that will benefit them in their career and personal life. Now is a good time to take a look at what your personal ROI is to see if you are investing enough in yourself or if you could benefit from stepping up your investment.

“It’s so important that we take the time to invest in ourselves, so that we can become the best version of ourselves,” explains Katie Sandler, personal development and career coach. “Whether we have new goals we want to achieve, or we want to determine what it is that is holding us back from reaching our goals, investing in yourself is the ticket to making it happen.”

Sandler helps people get a great return on the investment they make in themselves. As a personal development and career coach, she has helped many people to achieve goals, live more mindfully, and make shifts that lead to higher life satisfaction. Investing in yourself can include obtaining personal coaching, taking classes, or learning a new skill. Each of them will help increase your ROI.

Some of the benefits of investing in yourself and improving your ROI include:

  • Making more money and reaching new goals.
  • Reducing stress and anxiety.
  • Living more mindfully and overcoming shortcomings.
  • Clarifying goals and identifying what is holding you back from obtaining them.
  • Learning how to manage time better so that you can achieve and enjoy more.
  • Helping you to make an impact and overcome the feeling of being stuck.
  • When we invest in ourselves first and foremost then our investments will pay off in other areas of our life.
  • Realizing that we are only as good as the sum of our parts, whether we look at that on a personal level or an organizational level. Our initial investments should always start with you first.

Companies turn to Sandler for impact training, which increases their ROI on their employees. Engaging in impact training helps to increase employee engagement, empower employees, provide a better workplace, reduce turnover, raise productivity, lower absenteeism rates, motivate their team, and lower team stress levels. The investment that corporations make for impact training helps to support lasting growth for the company.

“When we don’t do anything, yet we know action needs to be taken, we don’t get the results we want,” added Sandler. “When we invest in ourselves and our employees, thus increasing our ROI, we end up getting the outcome that we are looking for. Most people need to work on improving their ROI in order to live the life they want.”

Sandler helps people through one-on-one coaching, impact retreats, and corporate impact events. She has worked extensively with executive career coaching clients and in career development for women. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in mental health counseling, has a strong foundation in mindfulness-based stress reduction, and has worked in hospitals and private practices. She has also spent time as a research assistant at Johns Hopkins. She offers a variety of one-on-one coaching and corporate opportunities, as well as wellness and impact retreats.

Impact retreats offer a low-key wellness opportunity for travelers looking for a unique experience. Upcoming retreats include Reignite in Tulum, Mindfulness in Mykonos, Rewire and Renew in The French Alps, and Mindfulness & Mindset in The Hamptons. To learn more about Katie Sandler and her services, or to see the retreat schedule, visit the site: https://katiesandler.com/.

About Katie Sandler

Katie Sandler is a popular impact and private wellness coach. She offers retreats around the world, as well as private coaching and corporate impact coaching opportunities. She focuses on helping people become more successful, overcome adversity, and reach new career goals. To learn more about Katie or her services, visit the site: https://katiesandler.com/.

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