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When I launched my 30 day challenge of posting daily one minute video tips, the response was amazing! People from all over the world, from different backgrounds and walks of life are creating these bite sized pieces of inspiration and valuable tips to help improve the lives of others. Some of the videos are professional looking, and some very raw but all of them have been incredibly inspiring.

For many entrepreneurs it's the first time they're being seen. Perhaps their communication has been from the comfort of being behind a computer screen. When I began to see fear setting in for some, I could empathize with how full of anxiety one can get when doing something new for the first time. That anxiety can double when you're carrying around baggage from you what you perceive are past "failures." Then top it off with having absolutely no clue or experience in what you're about to do it, it's no wonder many remain paralyzed unable to get themselves or their message out there to the world.

As I continued to see people posting about wanting to share their message but struggled with fear about what other people might think, who might actually see the videos, to how they look and sounded. I decided to make a video of my own that was very vulnerable. Not only am I talking about something that is uncomfortable for me but I didn't use any filters, do my hair or put on makeup. I wanted to show my followers and the people in my challenge that it's OK to show up exactly how you are and be your authentic self. I knew making the video and sharing what I did was more important than what image I might portray or how the lightening looks.

That video ended inspiring dozens of other people to put themselves out there as well. This same video that is posted on my facebook has already received over 5.6k views in two days, far more than any other video I've ever posted. I've received countless messages as well as new clients from it. The thing is the old image of what a successful person in business should look like has drastically changed. The rise of new thought leadership has inspired entrepreneurs everywhere that being authentic is more powerful and in turn ends up being much more profitable.

When we're about to try something new that is uncomfortable it's not unusual for excuses to flood in as to why it can't be done. Excuses like, you don't know how to record on your phone, you're completely booked, you just started a cleanse, or you don't know how to upload it. The truth is, it's like saying you can't take walk because you don't know how to tie your shoes. You could choose to tuck your laces in or take them out all together. You could choose to learn how to tie your shoes. You could ask someone else to tie your shoes for you. You could also just take your shoes off and go for the walk anyway.

If you're in the business of helping others than getting your message out there is more important than the discomfort you feel around doing it. We're on this planet to help and serve others, you can't do that by keeping knowledge, expertise and gifts to yourself.

I encourage you to give this a try, you'll be surprised how easy and fun it actually is. You don't have to do it alone, you can join our challenge or just start sharing one minute video tips on your own. By doing so not only are you giving value and inspiring others but it's also good for boosting your presence on social media. YouTube is more likely to show your videos as suggested videos because you're always publishing fresh new content.

You can even take it one step further and upload these videos directly to your facebook page as right now facebook is giving preference to videos uploaded directly. Ads run on videos uploaded directly are significantly cheaper than running non video ads. I've been seeing conversions for pennies.

If you're still unsure, check out some of these great videos posted by others and have comfort in knowing you're not alone! If you want to join the challenge you can do so by clicking here.

Quick tip for filming with your phone: Hold your phone landscape to avoid the black bars down the side when you upload it to youtube.

I'll be sharing more of the inspirational tips with you as the challenge continues. If you enjoy these videos be sure to like and comment to show your support for those starting the journey of putting themselves out there!

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What lessons can startups learn from the Pumpkin Spice Latte frenzy that occurs every year? originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question.

Answer by Jane Chin on Quora:

Capitalize on a Middle-with-Narrative-Potential.
Pumpkin spice latte was a "middle way" among popular and/or unique flavors. This ensured a critical minimum (mass) of audience who became evangelists of the product.

Sure, you can develop evangelists for extremes on the spectrum of flavors of your product, but you become limited by the scope of adoption of your product once the evangelists work their magic. Pumpkin spice latte had its evangelists, but was a flavor that most people would be curious about and at least be willing to try, versus something like "licorice spice latte".

On the other hand, chocolate and caramel flavors also fell in the middle, but there's not much unique narrative you can develop: enough chocolate and caramel -- and spinoffs -- exist. You'd have to work extremely hard to come up with a unique and memorable angle to yet another chocolate or caramel flavor.

If you're a start-up, work on the narrative potential of your offering, versus trying to make yet another version of a chocolate (or caramel or vanilla) flavored product or service. Once you have this:

Err on the Side of Organic Evangelism, Not Manufactured Hype.
Pumpkin spice latte comes but once a year. I'm sure I've had it at least once, and even though it wasn't so memorable that I create an annual repeating calendar event to remind myself to stop by Starbucks because PSL is here, whenever I hear Pumpkin Spice Latte, I think: "Wow, Autumn is really here!" even more than Peppermint Mocha makes me think: "Whoa, Winter has arrived."

Marketing around PSL includes typical social media hash tag (#PSL) and setting up a product (or service) specific social media account, but PSL evangelism was strong even before the drink had its own social media channels. PSL evangelism isn't as "in your face" (what I call "manufactured hype") as Amazon Prime Day was. I remember seeing my Facebook buddies express profound disappointment about Amazon Prime Day, and while I'm not a Prime Member, this made me think, "I'm glad I'm not missing much!"

Organic evangelism versus manufactured hype is a double-edged sword that I think Starbucks PSL falls more on the side of organic evangelism. When an in-your-face manufactured hype event falls short of expectations, customers and fans may experience greater disappointment than a warm fuzzy feeling around the "spirit of the season" that PSL's appearance embodies. The other face of this sword is that in-your-face hype gets more publicity and visibility and more people hear about it.

If you're a start-up, work on developing loyalty around your product or service, then pay attention to the drivers of loyalty for your product/service. Invest energy getting to know your core customers and influencers versus spinning some hype especially using a "we're going to replace/be better than" angle (like Amazon Prime Day tried to do).

Aim to Inspire a Trend
Successful acts beget parodies, successful products and services beget copycats. Starbucks' PSL inspired an entire "Pumpkin Spice" industry from candies to donuts to (not Starbucks) coffee to alcohol and perfume. Each instance further reinforces PSL's mythology as The One Drink To Rule Them All.

No lesson here, other than know that when your start-up has inspired copycats or parodies, you have arrived.

Read the history of this iconic drink: Pumpkin Spice Latte

This questionoriginally appeared on Quora. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google . More questions:

Business: What should all first-time entrepreneurs know?

Startups: What are some startup ideas that frequently fail?

Starbucks: What can people learn from working at Starbucks?

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I'm not usually one to focus on the negatives but sometimes the need to get the point across requires it.

Typically I'd title a post something like "3 Ways to Succeed As A Female Entrepreneur" etc etc, that's the way I usually like to roll but this stuff kinda is life or death for your business and I felt it needed gravity and so '3 Reason's You'll Fail' it is.

Moving on...

When a woman comes to me because her business is failing it's usually because of one or a combination of these 3 things.

EVERY -- SINGLE -- TIME.

You simply cannot succeed in business without them.

1: You Don't Have a Solid Lead Magnet That Your Market is Dying for
Leads are the life line of your business. Without a good lead magnet the leads don't come and without leads you don't have clients.

It doesn't matter what you're selling, but ESPECIALLY if you're selling something service based and TENFOLD if it's a high-end offering, whatever you sell, you need leads because it's unlikely people are beating down your door to throw money at you simply because you opened your doors.

Your market needs to test the waters and experience what it is you have to offer, they want to try you on for size before they jump in the deep end and invest their hard earned cashola.

The best way to do this is via a Lead Magnet that is exciting and interesting to your market.

So how do you create a Lead Magnet your market will love?

Well to begin with you have to put yourself in the mind of your market and ask yourself the following question.

What is the biggest struggle my market is dealing with right now and how can I help solve this?

You can't skip this part, it's important to really, really dig deep to find the gold.

If you create something valuable and useful to your market they'll be all over it.

Tips For Creating A Kickass Lead Magnet.

Give, Give, Give!! Don't be stingy -- be generous with your content.

Whatever it is you decide to create make it the highest quality you can afford in terms of money and time.

Start with something that is easy for you to do with excellence. Don't choose something that will keep you in the procrastination zone i.e.: don't decide to shoot video's if you haven't ever made a video or have the equipment to do so.

Stick to your strengths.. (again let's use video.) Some people are awesome on video and some people suck, if you suck and you're not getting any better quickly then don' t do video, do something else until you can nail it.

Handball design to someone who can create something really beautiful, DO NOT try to do this yourself if your design skills are sub-par, you'll do more damage than good sending something out into the world you aren't proud of.

2: You're Not Confident and Visible

I belong to a lot of Group Pages on Facebook and it astounds me when women pop up and say "Oh, I've been in this group for 3 years and this is the first time I've posted"???!!!

What the hell??

Being visible doesn't mean obnoxiously pushing sales post after sales post, but offering support to others while at the same time showcasing your expertise.

You will never grow your brand if you're hiding under a rock, you have to get amongst it and make yourself known.

Facebook Groups, Networking, Submitting articles, making contact with other female entrepreneurs and establishing a network are all ways to gain more visibility.

It's your job to promote your business far and wide and gain visibility for your brand so get on that!

Action Steps For Being More Visible.

Join 3 new Facebook Groups and introduce yourself and your business.

Book 2 networking events to attend in the next 30 days.

Submit 2 articles to the publication of your choice.

Introduce yourself to 4 other female entrepreneurs who will form part of a powerful network you can both benefit from.

3: Your Brand and Offering Are a Mess

Nothing drives me more crazy than a great business concept with a cheap looking, crappy brand that is a hodgepodge of thrown together ideas.

Brand consistency is KEY people!

Good quality logo's cost peanuts these days so there really is no excuse for boring branding.

God, if I have one mission in life it's to eradicate beige branding!!

Now branding is not as simple as picking a name and a colour you like, you must ensure you capture your true Brand Essence.

You're brand must sing and it must be the very best reflection of what you and your brand stand for in the market.

It's nice to love your brand but it's more important that your market loves your brand.

I always get feedback on my branding from my market and if there is a resounding result for the one I like the least, that's the one I'll go with.
Back in the day I was stubborn and always went with what I loved (not always smart).

It can feel like moving a mountain to get your branding right but once you do it, should appear effortless.

I don't reckon Sir Dick even gives the Virgin logo a second thought these days, it just is.

Do the grind up front to get it right then once you've made your decision relax and let it be.

Just on that....

Please DO NOT hang on to branding because "I spent so much money on that" or "it's such a pain in the rear to change everything".

Business and brands evolve and sometimes that means rolling up your sleeves and doing the icky stuff like rebranding.

If you're brand no longer reflects where you want to take this empire of yours then it's time to suck it up and get it done.

A simple and clear offering will get you results.

A confusing or too hard to work out offering will keep you poor.

Be sure that when anyone lands on your site they know what you do and what to do next to get sum-oh-dat!

People don't want to work too hard to figure out how to buy from you so keep your offerings and the process to purchase simple, clear and easy.

Tips For Creating A Kickass Offering

Don't offer stuff you don't love to do.

Don't have so many offers it makes it hard to chose.

Know what you're awesome at.

Get clear on the best (simplest, easiest, clearest) way to deliver this with extraordinary results.

Spell this out in the simplest and clearest way.

If you can take care of these 3 HUGE elements of your business you'll be ahead of the game.

Tackle one thing at a time, start with number 3, move on to number 2 then get yourself visible.

Michelle xo

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Volkswagen evaded regulators and deceived the public regarding the emissions of its diesel vehicles by employing a "defeat device" to fool EPA testing equipment. Because this was a deliberate deception that endangered public health and violated its "Clean Diesel branding, Volkswagen seriously compromised its integrity. Even worse, it didn't disclose the deception. The EPA uncovered it -- finding that offending vehicles emit pollutants up to 40 times standard levels.

The right first step that is a little too late

Volkswagen executives have taken the first step of proper crisis management protocols by admitting fault and apologizing. Because 11 million vehicles are involved worldwide, it's unlikely they'll be able to take the second step of limiting the scope, and they have to yet to take the third step - proposing a solution so it won't happen again.

Making the CEO the scapegoat won't solve the problem

Rather than manage this crisis, CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned Wednesday signaling that VW has no effective strategy to repair its image and restore the public trust. It has already experienced a precipitous drop in its stock price and faces an estimated $18 billion in fines and an untold number of lawsuits.

Possible spillover to other brands

While VW uses a "brand separation strategy" whereby Audi and Porche are separate divisions with separate images, this scandal is so serious that many believe it could spill over to these other VW-owned brands. In fact, one of the offending vehicles is an Audi A-3. Even worse, some are concerned that it will damage the "made in Germany" brand that is coveted by those that admire German engineering.

Investment in deception rather than engineering

Because German auto manufacturers liberally use the "German engineering" moniker in their marketing, it is ironic that VW invested so much time, effort, and money to create software to defeat emissions tests. Wouldn't it have been a win-win to invest that money into engineering the "Clean Diesel" vehicles it represented its cars to be? They are already paying a heavy price for this deception, which can only be categorized as a lose-lose strategy. The price is likely to rise as law suits are filed and more fines are assessed around the globe.

Digging out of the hole won't be easy

Volkswagen put itself in a deep hole. To get out of it, it needs to (1) Right the wrong by engineering and retrofitting a device that brings emissions to the legal standard on diesel vehicles, (2) Try to limit the scope by putting the number of offending vehicles in perspective relative to all the vehicles it sells (this will probably be the hardest part), and (3) Propose a believable solution so this is extremely unlikely to ever happen again.

My sympathies go out to the VW diesel owners and to all of us that have to breathe the "40x-the legal limit" of nitrogen oxides they emit.

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Statistics according to the PEW Research show that Millennials are the largest generation alive today. There are 75.3 million alone in the U.S - evitable the biggest generation of customers according to Forbes and now account for the largest share of U.S workers according to CNN . Pew Research states that millennials are the largest generation in the U.S labor force and in the next 5 years employers will have over 70% of Millennials working for them.

It is crucial to understand what our millennial generation is all about and what motivates this next generation to stay engaged, empowered and highly motivated especially in the work place. While most of us Millennials dream of being our own bosses and entrepreneurs instead of working for others-as evidenced in a recent survey that showed only 15% of class 2015 said they would prefer to work for large corporations - inevitably we would still have to be employees of some Fortune 500 company, or a new tech startup or even a small business or a privately owned company in a small town or a government agency. Millennials are going to be hired in every sector regardless, we will form 50% of the global workforce by 2020 and we are not playing by the old rules of work as it has been researched by several global studies by PWC , PEW Research ,
Whitehouse studies on this new generation and many more; what motivates Millennials to be productive in a work place is very different than the motivating factor of past generations. Between now and the next five years, organizations that truly intend seeing growth and productivity in their companies would have to adhere to the shaping culture of the millennial generation and make engaging changes that will no doubt lead to a win-win for both parties....

Why should organizations care? What makes this generation different? Why are there global studies constantly being conducted on this next generation, our buying and spending habits are being understood by researchers, our relationship habits, or work habits and much more are being studied and are under the radar- but WHY? Why does this matter?

Justin Lafazan, the co-author of this piece is a 19year old millennial who has founded three companies, given three TEDxtalks, featured on Forbes, USA Today and Entrepreneur Magazine; and consulted with Fortune 500 companies as well as countless entrepreneurs, he also founded the Next Generation Summit and Next Gen Ventures; he insists that our millennial generation has to be approached more strategically. Justin's Next Gen summit he created is about bringing together the worlds most successful millennials and connecting them in meaningful ways to achieve mutually beneficial success. From both of our journeys and experiences in being voices of change in our millennial generation, noticing the rate at which our millennial generation is being shaped and a new culture is quickly emerging; we brainstormed trying to better understand the "WHY" behind our levels of motivation that makes us uniquely different.

Millennials are motivated Differently by:

1. Global Initiatives/ Global Thinking/ Global Awareness

The top of the list reason that came up for us while analyzing the reason behind why we millennials are motivated differently was "THINK GLOBAL"; According to Lafazan, "millennials are in the habit of thinking globally because of their upbringing in an internationally connected world" He says, former generations focused on local impact while millennials want global scale because we are armed with the power to impact more, and we are trying to leverage that. Impact, he says helps millennials take big goals and turn them into actionable steps but know that they want to have that large reach.

No doubt, I share similar notion with Lafazan; our crave to see the world, our desire to garner a variety of experiences from working/travelling overseas are motivating factors that makes us uniquely different. Beyond that, organizations whose focus is on global growth can also use our motivating factor of global awareness as a potential resource for them and as a way to engage with the millennials working for them. "Armed with Power to impact more" is due to the technology we have access to today which makes us more of a global world building global and international mindset- other than our upbringing in an international world - It is apparent that millennials also just feel an underlining fear at the crisis the world faces, so it's not just that past generation thought locally but also that our trying times leave us with no option but to feel pressure to act, be more globally aware and develop more global initiatives because - If we don't who will? Our awareness of these issues and how we feel affected serves to motivate us to action... But do all Millennials across all regions equally feel this way?

2. Social Impact-Oriented

Today, Young people are the most socially conscious generation in history and many value impact over salary. In a recent global survey according to PWC, 73% of millennials agree that once that basic requirements on pay are met; salary may not be their main consideration but rather making impact, working in a positive environment and feeling like the work they do is meaningful to the world is what they value the most other than salary. Lafazan says that young people have discovered that there really does exist an intersection between profit and impact.

Indeed Millennials are impact oriented and who ever invented the term social entrepreneurship must be a genius because this generation is the definition of social entrepreneurship and meaningful work. Lafazan says that sexist brands like Toms and Warby Parker do both for profit and Impact- Toms was one of the originators of the trend with their one for one model and several have adopted it. Brands now have stories behind them not just mindless merchandise being sold. But I wonder, what's the shift? The millennial generation is a more mindful generation geared towards impact which serves as the reason behind their motivation; if we facilitate this conversation of social entrepreneurshio, keep millennials focused on the impact they make - inevitable that they will remain engaged and empowered.

3. Fun and enjoyment

Lafazan and I believe that Fulfillment and satisfaction is more and more important to our millennial generation, studies have shown that millennials would rather work for organizations that give them creative freedom, perks that allow them to be innovative and garner lively experiences; hence the new obsession with startups because even if the pay is not high with a millennial either working for a startup or creating their own; the job still remains attractive because they can leverage the perks of doing what they actually enjoy and having fun doing it, being able to be creative and feel like they are doing something meaningful in the process.

It is more than apparent that today, our millennial generation wants leisure work and that is in no way a negative desire; what it is, is that majority Millennials relate with the idea where work doesn't feel like work but it's experienced in leisure and where leisure doesn't completely feel like a waste of time.. With no productivity; it's redefining how we have fun, enjoy work and doing something meaningful with our time.

4. Social Connectedness and relationships
Conscious. Meaningful. Epic. Adventurous. Engaging. We are motivated by a different level of social connectedness that makes us feel less alone in our strive to make meaning of our lives. We are the most connected generation and that plays a huge role in how mindful we are about our relationships. As for organizations, they can create productive levels of engagement-and indulge a sharing, transparent atmosphere that fosters positive relationship and the growth of team building with the right investment.

And to that end, Lafazan has created Next Gen Summit as a way of building bridges between the best, brightest and most motivated millennials in the world. He describes it as an environment for the most successful young people in ALL fields to come together and get the resources they need to be successful, including education, inspiration and investment. Through his dealing with the thousands of millennials in the NGS community, as well as the dozens that work for his organizations, Lafazan joins me in highlighting the 'millennial dynamic' and how things just aren't the way they used to be. As for me, I can't wait to get my book "Art of Being Alive" into the hands of millennials globally, it explores what leads to a meaningful life in our millennial generation; the relevance and timeliness of this body of work cannot be overstated.

Bottom lines / takeaways
· millennials are different, stop treating us the same
· if properly leveraged, millennials can be more efficient and more productive
· most entrepreneurial generation
- Millennials value meaningfulness in everything they do

For more conversation, follow us on twitter @adedayofashanu and @justinlafazan

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I was recently watching something on television about a "morally bankrupt sociopath" making large sums of money selling drugs to price-insensitive consumers after having eliminated much of his competition. No, I am not referring to the Netflix series Narcos, which depicts the life of cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. I am referring to a brief segment on CNN about the actions of Turing Pharmaceuticals in raising the price of the drug Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill, having recently acquired the rights to the 62-year old drug for $55 million. Daraprim is used to treat various infectious diseases, including malaria and HIV. The news made the CEO of Turing, the former hedge-fund manager Martin Shkreli, "the most hated man in America." The latest news is that the company has rescinded the price increase after the firestorm it unleased.

When asked by CNN to justify the price increase, Shkreli basically said (and here I paraphrase since I can't find the original segment on the web) "We found a company that was selling a Ferrari for the price of a used Chevy, and we basically raised it to the price of a Toyota." He then went on to babble something about the profits being reinvested into new products and improvements in Daraprim, which elicited a "yeah, sure" look from interviewer (and from me, across the television screen). The basic translation of his statements is the punch-line from the old joke about why a male dog pays such scrupulous lingual attention to the hygiene of his private parts: Because he can.

But, as usual, the mainstream press got it all wrong. The real question isn't "why" Turing raised the price of Daraprim. The real question is "how" it was able to get away with it. But I will come back to this later.

This story follows on from several related ones that have emerged recently. One appeared in the Financial Times and was entitled "Pricing of life-saving drugs is put under the microscope". The article focussed on the pricing of Solvadi, a new and apparently very effective treatment for Hepatitis C. The only snag is that Gilead, the producer of Solvadi, has priced the required 12-week course of the drug at $84,000, which the company claims is very good value compared to the alternative of a liver transplant. This "value-based" pricing has drawn outrage, including from Medicaid's boss, Jeff Myers, who commented that "if Jonas Salk had price the polio vaccine like Gilead, we'd still have polio." According to the article, Medicaid and Medicare dished out $6 billion for Solvadi treatments in 2014. It also estimated that, if all Hep C sufferers in America were treated, the total bill would be almost $300 billion. Similar comments, this time in reference to new drugs for reducing cholesterol, can be found in an op-ed piece from the New York Times entitled "The Price for Lowering Cholesterol."

Now let's turn to the interesting question of "how." Journalists love to comment about profit margins and price gouging, but they are probably unaware of how pointless and atavistic this is. In the Middle Ages, when they weren't discussing how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, priests used to debate the "just price" of commodities such as bread. The economics profession gave up on this line of reasoning a long time ago. Economists know that the only things that determine prices are supply and demand, so when we see these type of anomalies, this is where we should look. And we should always keep an eye out for the heavy hand of government, particularly in the field of health care.

Three factors make this pricing possible, all three of which can be traced to the government. The first is that all of these medicines enjoy patent or other protections [1] which make it impossible for competitors to provide the drugs at a lower price. The second is that demand is driven by the currency known as "OPM" - "other peoples' money," which means that the ultimate consumer doesn't pay the bill, which is borne by a private or public insurance fund. (Turing implicitly recognized this by promising to provide low-cost pricing for the uninsured; chivalrously, they only wanted to gouge the insurance companies and the government.) The third is that government policy in Medicare and Medicaid, which has largely been aped in the private sector, is that there should be no "rationing" and that everyone is entitled to the best medical care possible. There can be no "death panels."

Put these things together and we get Martin Shkreli. But it is very important to realize that this has nothing to do with free market capitalism, although it will certainly take the blame yet again. As is so often the case, this type of deplorable behaviour exists only due to a big dose of help from the government. And the solutions that will be proposed, including a promised one from Hillary Clinton , will doubtlessly be more of the same, probably involving some type of price controls. But Megan McArdle over at BloombergView has already warned on the impact that this might have on the flow of new drugs. And history is not kind to solutions based on further regulation.

This is a difficult issue, but my instinct is that much of the solution lies in enhancing market forces and not further regulation. On the demand side, there certainly has to be a greater effort to control the "moral hazard" embedded in our insurance system. For example, the new cholesterol drugs will very often be used to treat a problem that largely arises from a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. The overwhelming cause of Hepatitis C, meanwhile, is intravenous drug use. Should these high-risk behaviours really be underwritten by the rest of us? Likewise, shouldn't insurance companies, both public and private, be allowed to experiment with the scope of their coverage? Should the insured who expect to benefit from the latest and greatest medications, irrespective of price, be required to pay premiums that reflect this policy? If they were forced, a priori, to pay this cost, would they be willing to accept a degree of rationing instead? What about a rationing that denies treatments to people who are responsible for their ailments, so that at least the disincentive to engage in high-risk behaviours is increased? Finally, what about the notoriously difficult and expensive FDA process for approving drugs? Streamlining this would go a long way towards increasing competition, including from smaller and foreign manufacturers who cannot afford to run the current hurdles.

Reform of the patent system may also be a very fruitful way to give greater scope to market forces. The Economist has recently run a lengthy piece entitled "A question of utility - Patents are protected by governments because they are held to promote innovation. But there is plenty of evidence that they do not." The article lays out a strong case for reform of our entire intellectual property system, including patent protection for medicines. At a minimum, there certainly is a case for eliminating the type of abuses described in this article and used to eliminate competition in the manufacture of otherwise "generic" drugs. Reforms could take care of these abuses, along with others such as the "patent trolls" and "submarine patents" that stifle innovation in technology fields.

But there may be a case for a more root and branch reform of the patent system. One striking observation from the Economist article: In 2005, an economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., estimated that the consumers in the US paid $160 billion more for prescription drugs that year than would have been paid if all drugs were "generics." In return, the pharmaceutical industry spent $25 billion on R&D. If the ultimate motivation for patents is to promote R&D and innovation, this certainly suggests that they may be a bad deal. Perhaps we should experiment with alternative forms of rewarding innovation, such as prizes. After all, the $135 billion in difference between these two figures - which is probably even bigger now since the cost of prescription drugs has almost doubled since 2005 - gives plenty of room for experimentation.

One thing is for sure. So long as we continue to combine protection from competition with price-insensitive demand, this problem isn't going away. Something has to give or we will have more cases of Daraprim. And this can't be good for anyone's health.

[1] Daraprim is no longer in its original protection period, but as mentioned in the above-referenced article, there are tricks of the trade to renew or extend government protection.

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Launching or growing a small business involves a lot of moving parts that all require tracking. Along with keeping your customers happy, you're busy managing expenses, dealing with logistical requirements, coordinating employees, and much more.

If you're applying for a small business loan to grow your business, your list of action items is even longer. You need to finalize your business plan, get all your financials in order, shop for the perfect loan product, complete your application--it may seem like the list grows every minute.

Let's pair down your funding to-do list by honing in on the four essential factors that small business lenders care about most when reviewing your loan application.

1. Annual Revenue

You're in business to make money. Or at least, you should be. As such, your annual revenue is a major indicator to lenders of your eligibility for a business loan. Lenders like to see that you have enough cash coming into your business to cover your loan payments, along with the rest of your company's operating payments.

Typically, lenders want to limit your total loan amount to less than 15% of your business's total revenue, ensuring that you'll be able to make your loan payments in case emergency expenses come up.

2. Time in Business

Of course, in order to even have an annual revenue, you need to have been in business for a little while. This is one of many reasons that, like a fine wine, your business's loan options get better with age. Small business startup loans are notoriously hard to secure. Lenders know that 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years. The younger your business is, the less likely you are to make it for the long haul.

In general, businesses that have been operational for more than two years are typically the most fundable. If you've made it through your first year of business, you likely still have options. But if you've been in business for less than a year, you may have a harder time being approved for a small business loan.

Unfortunately, unless you happen to have a DeLorean handy, this one is pretty much out of your control. If you're struggling to secure funding for your brand new business, the best you can do is wait and apply again when your business has a little more time--and revenue history--under its belt.

3. Average Bank Balance

Even with strong annual revenue numbers and enough time doing business to work out the kinks in your business model, it's inevitable that unexpected expenses come up. Your roof leaks, or you get a bad batch of inventory, or a client doesn't pay--any one of these factors can tank a business unprepared for the unexpected. That's why lenders like to see that you have enough padding in your bank account to bounce back from a rainy day.

Your average bank balance tells your lender three things: the health of your cash flow, the profitability of your business, and the financial cushion you have on hand. Even if your sales numbers are fantastic, a low or even negative bank balance will raise eyebrows about your ability to cover your loan payments on time, every time.

For maximum fundability, aim for an average bank balance of at least $10,000. If that feels out of reach, anything over $1000 will help your loan eligibility.

4. Personal Credit Score

Particularly if you're a first-time business owner with a relatively new business, your personal credit score will play a critical role in your chances of being approved for a small business loan. If your credit score has been affected by late payments, bad debt, or even a mistake on your credit report, it could significantly damage your approval process.

Borrowers with a credit score above 700 are typically excellent loan candidates. If your credit score is between 640-700, you'll likely still have several options available, depending on your credentials in the other three categories. However, if your personal credit score is under 600, you may struggle to be approved for a loan.

Check your credit report with all three of the major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) to make sure all information in your credit history is accurate and up to date. If you find any discrepancies, contact the reporting agency in writing to correct them.

Is your score still lower than you'd hoped? Settle any old outstanding debts that may be dragging down your score, and work to make payments on time, every time from here on out. Improving your credit score takes time and diligence, but after awhile, your efforts will make an impact.

Other Important Factors

Of course, these are only the essential factors that lenders will be considering when they review your application. Other factors--like the strength of your business plan, your business credit history, other outstanding debts, and more--can all have nuanced impacts on your business's likelihood of getting approved and the interest rates offered.

But if like every other entrepreneur, you're feeling short on time and overwhelmed with information, focus on improving these four areas to give your business the best possible chance of being approved for your business loan or business line of credit.

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The stock market is a difficult and often competitive game, and one that can come with its fair share of letdowns. Approximately 90% of traders will lose money; 70% or more of mutual fund managers fail to beat the S&P 500 each year. These are some pretty hard statistics to swallow, but the good news is that you can do better than these stats and you can beat others in the stock market like these stock traders here and here have done. All you have to do is pay close attention to these proven tips.

1. Cut Losses Quickly When You're Wrong

There will be times when you make poor decisions in the stock market. It happens to everyone no matter how much or how little experience they have. When you do make bad decisions, you need to cut your losses quickly. You don't need to stay fully or even partially in these investments. As a trader you can move in and out of investments easily, so don't feel like you need to stay stuck with a bad investment. If it is not working, get out.

2. Don't Trust Analysts

Don't rely heavily on management or analysts from Wall Street. Do your own research, look into the investments, monitor trends and educate yourself; this is the best way to make the smart decisions that no one is making. The 90% of people that are losing money in the stock market are all looking to these same entities for advice and all getting the same poor results. Be different, put in the legwork and you will start to pull ahead.

3. Remember, Track Record Matters Most

As you look into different companies and plan to invest, one important thing to keep in mind is that the track record matters most. Learn from and follow people that have a proven track record and who have been profiting for years in the market. These are the individuals that you want to follow. Look to what these people are doing right as they have the documented proof to show you first hand that they know what they are doing.

4. Stocks Can Be Priced Longer Than You Can Stay Solvent

This is one thing that so many people forget. Stocks can be priced almost irrationally longer than the average person can stay solvent. Remember: the market is always right, humans are typically wrong, and make sure that you obey price action. Don't think that you are bigger than the market. If you adopt this mindset then you are positioning yourself to find far more success than the average trader.

5. Find a Strategy That Works For You

You need to find a strategy that is comfortable for you. I don't like to wait much, which is why I day trade. However, this is not the only way to do things. If you are busy with school and work and can't be trading daily, then consider swing trading or long-term investing. It is not the strategy per say that is important, but rather your consistency with that strategy. You need to do what works best for your lifestyle, your personality and your goals.

Keep these tips in mind when you are looking to earn some serious gains in the stock market and you will be on your way to beating the odds and beating others with your trading efforts.

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"Women's voices are being suppressed all over the world." Susan Rice, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, speaking on foreign nations' practice of incarcerating women who speak out in dissent.

Research galore shows that organizations do better and get better results when their leadership is gender-diverse. That is true in part because the best decisions are made with a balance of masculine and feminine styles. I, for one, want women's and men's voices to be heard at the "big tables" where important policy issues are addressed - the environment, climate change, poverty and war to name a few.

In our western culture, in particular in the U.S. corporate world, women's voices are not "suppressed." But they are often not fully heard. Why not? Let me suggest four challenges, with the hope that awareness can help us better hear women's voices right here in the USA.

1. The feminine style of speech sounds less confident.
The average man speaks in a way to enhance status. He speaks in declarative sentences, sounding confident regardless of whether he has the facts or expertise. The average female values relationships more than status. She speaks more humbly, keeping herself equal with others rather than sounding superior. Even when sure of her point, a woman often disclaims, hedges and poses her point as a question.

In the business world, where the masculine style is the norm, the feminine style of speaking is heard as lacking in confidence. We associate confidence with competence - though the correlation is very weak. Deborah Tannen says there are two "languages" - "report talk" (masculine) and "rapport talk" (feminine). Only if we are "bilingual" can we be sure to hear the value expressed in a feminine style.

2. Women don't assert themselves until they really know.
Studies show that men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them. Paralleling this phenomenon, women may speak up when know they know what they are talking about. Taking greater risks, men may speak up when they actually know less. In other words, women may appear less confident because their internal threshold for confidence is different.

3. Women get "talked over."
If a woman speaks in a feminine style in a meeting, she is often "talked over." Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant addressed the question of why women remain quiet at work in their article about the challenges of "speaking while female." In my programs I find many women who have had the experience I have. I say something I think is valuable; I get no response; minutes later, a man says the very same thing - and is congratulated for his brilliance.

Women often give up the floor when interrupted; they were taught to share and find it difficult keep speaking when interrupted - and awkward to shout or to interrupt others.

Men are more likely to have "assumed credibility," while women have to earn respect for their intelligence and competence. We may listen differently because we associate the male voice, more than the female voice, with authority. (This underlies the studies showing that men are promoted based on potential, women on results.)

4. Women who do speak up are penalized.
Women who speak and act assertively face the "double bind." If they speak in a feminine way, they are not seen as leaders. If they speak assertively and confidently, they may be judged differently than a man - e.g., "Who does she think she is?" This tightrope makes it riskier for a woman to speak.

My goal is to increase awareness of these challenges - so women's voices, as well as men's, are heard, loud and clear. If we assure we hear women's voices right here at home, we can make a difference for women who voices are truly suppressed. Business decisions will be better. The world will be better.

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How would you answer, "What was the happiest moment of your life?"

My friends answer this question with events like the birth of a child, a wedding day, or graduation. These moments of joy last surprisingly short. Life goes back to normal the next day. What if these moments of fulfillment were a part of everyday life, rather than one moment?

Fulfilled is defined, "satisfied or happy because of fully developing one's abilities or character." Being fulfilled is a process through failures and victories, rather than focused on one specific moment. A fulfilling life comes from building habits that lead to joy.

Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit." Similarly, a fulfilled life is not defined by a moment of accomplishment; rather it is defined by healthy habits. Creating a fulfilling life means daily acts that over time create a satisfaction.

The University College of London found that it takes 66 days to make a habit permanent. I want to share with you habits to implement for 66 days to create a fulfilling life. Try at least one of habits below for 66 days.

1. Experiment with Failure

A part of human nature is to fail, especially when it comes to starting a new habit. I once believed whenever I failed that I lacked the talent to accomplish the task, or I wasn't "destined" to be a success. I saw failure as permanent. My failures defined me. My belief halted any pursuit of new ways to accomplish goals. A life goal I had, but never seemed to accomplish, was to exercise daily.

Exercise daily for 66 days would be my greatest struggle. However, I didn't let failure stop me from starting. Rather than letting my past failures define me, I saw failure (missing a day of exercise) as a learning opportunity. When I didn't exercise, I analyzed why I failed, then created plans to overcome future "failures." When you experiment with your failures, you can understand what obstacles will come your way and how to overcome them. There is no such thing as a failed experiment. There is only feedback.

2. Surround Yourself with Competition

My wife and I recently discovered we have a plum tree in our backyard. The tree never produced fruit before this year. After some research, I discovered that plum trees do not thrive solo. They require different kinds of plum trees for cross-pollination, and thus further growth. I searched our yard for another tree and sure enough I found the 2nd plum tree only 10 feet away from the first.

I used to think nature was a dog-eat-dog world. Only the strongest survive. But my plum tree needed a friend in order to thrive. In the same way, you need friends to help accomplish your goals.

3. Never stop learning

Children never stopped wondering about the world. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, my curiosity about life withered. I remember kids harassing me in junior high because I was curious about science. I craved the approval of others, so I steered away from science and killed my curiosity.

The easiest way to revitalize your curiosity is to breath life into it again. Try things you did as a child. Fly a kite. Play a board game. Research a topic you know little about. Watch TED videos. Keep a journal and write down ideas to research later. In this way, you will never stop learning about our ever-curious world.

4. Whatever you focus on, increases.

You will find more of life's blessings if you focus on building gratitude. If you focus on life's problems, then you will only find more problems. A shift in focus requires mental effort. I once defined myself by my failures. I focused on them when I tried new scary things (like a 66-day experiment). It shouldn't surprise you that I had a history of failure when I approached life this way. Now, I focus on how I can overcome potential failures when trying new things to become the best version of myself.

5. Adopt daily gratitude

Research demonstrates that grateful people have fulfilling lives. Gratitude shifts your focus from your problems (no matter how big or concerning) to what you've been given. Practicing daily gratitude helped me conquer my inner negative Nancy.

Ever since I was a child, I seemed bent to focus on the glass half empty, but that changed after implementing a new habit. What catalyzed my metamorphosis into a positive Polly was my wife. I was blessed to marry the most encouraging and positive woman on the planet. Her positive outlook forced me to realize how I consistently focus on the negative. One day, I became sick with myself and searched Google, "How to become a more positive person." That is when I discovered the daily gratitude habit.

Rather than focusing on my problems, I focused on my blessings. I kept a daily gratitude journal. I would write things like (these are copied from my gratitude journal)

My wife is the most beautiful woman I know on planet earth, and she married me! Hot dog.
I'm super happy to pay off nearly $24,000 of debt at the end of the month of August
[my daughter] is awesome. She is adorable, even during her grumpy mornings
I love the drive time in between work and home because I get to learn about business uninterrupted

Healthy habits lead to a life of satisfaction. This path isn't easy. If it were easy, then everyone would have a six-pack abs, millions of dollars, and happy relationships. The road to change is paved with blood, sweat, and tears. Your habits define the life you live. Start today.

Which of your habits create a fulfilling life?

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When you think about it, job hunting and dating have a lot in common. You get dressed up, prepare to put your best foot forward and ultimately end up answering and asking questions that help reveal what kind of fit you would be for a potential partner or company.

Another commonality: Both job interviews and first dates are often approached with some apprehension, doubt and anxiety. Although a bit of nerves are normal and can perhaps even inspire greater preparation, the same rules of thumb for keeping calm on a first date actually translate perfectly for keeping your cool during an interview. Here are four dating tips you should follow during your next interview.

1. Remember: It's just a conversation.

A job interview, like a date, is truly just a conversation. You shouldn't feel like you're on trial or being interrogated. On a first date, you want to establish rapport. That should also be one of the main goals of your interview. Although a job interview is likely more one-sided than most common conversations, if you're sufficiently engaged by your interviewer's questions, you can build rapport in such a way that the interviewer may want to tell you about his or her own experience.

For example, if the interviewer asks you about something he or she sees on your resume, and your answer makes them think of a similar experience they've had at the company and can also relate to, this trading of personal stories helps the ebb and flow of your interview, and also makes you more memorable to your interviewer.

2. Keep in mind: It's a two way street.

Although a job interview is a time to speak highly of yourself and your accomplishments, it doesn't mean that the interview is actually all about you. Just like you wouldn't want to bombard your date with all of your achievements, you don't want to position yourself in a way that leaves your interviewer feeling like you'll have nothing to gain from the role you're interviewing for -- since you seem to have already done it all.

Avoid coming of like a show-off by linking your accomplishments to ways that you'd be able to serve the company you're interviewing with. Remember, your potential employer wants to know three things about you: If you can do the job, whether or not you'll fit in with the company or firm and if you'll accept the job if offered to you. Make sure that you've asked and answered your questions in such a way that you leave the interview having established all three of these things.

Be sure to also ask questions that help you determine whether you would enjoy working for the company. Do you like what they stand for? Do you enjoy the culture? Do the people have the sort of work life balance that you desire? The job interview is a two way street. The company is determining whether you can help them, but you must also consider whether it's a place where you'll enjoy your work and will fit with your overall career objectives.

3. Be yourself, but the best version of yourself.

Starting a date off with a lie is never a good thing -- even if it's as innocent as shaving a few years off your age. The truth always comes out in the long run, and lying to someone right off the bat establishes you as a dishonest person.

Interviewers can smell a phony from a mile away, so it's very important to be yourself, and be authentic. Nonetheless, you want to put your best self forward. For some jobs it will be expected that you'll wear a suit to the office, as well as to the interview. You're not being inauthentic by wearing a suit even though your regular attire is much more casual. Nor is it being inauthentic to be more energetic and enthusiastic in an interview than you are on a regular basis. However, it is inauthentic to exaggerate the duties you performed in your last role to better match what you think your interviewer is looking for, or tell your interviewer that you can't answer his or her question about your biggest weakness because you simply don't have one.

In both an interview and on a first date, it's important to remember that you only have one opportunity to make a first impression. Do that by being the best version of yourself -- not by making things up.

4. If you don't get the job, it wasn't the right fit.

With both dating and interviewing, it's important to keep in mind that if things don't progress, it's not a negative reflection on you. It simply means that you weren't the right fit for that particular role or potential partner. The job (and dating) process can be long and drawn out -- even more so if you take each rejection personally. My most successful clients are often the ones that are also resilient. They remember that if they're not offered a position, it's just because they weren't the person best suited for the job. It doesn't mean there is anything wrong with them, or that they're not good enough. It simply means that there was someone else who was a better fit, and that the right job is still out there!

Don't let the job hunting process get you down. Keep at it with a positive attitude, and keep these tips in mind during your next interview to help put you a step ahead of the rest.

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In 1914, Henry Ford unveiled two new inventions: The Model T and the 8-hour workweek. One hundred years ago, they both worked great. Today, not so much. We innovate and update our cars every year -- along with our phones, our homes and just about everything else in our lives -- so why does the way we work always stay the same?

I'd like to think it's because the way we work is humming along just fine, but anyone who works can tell you that isn't so. As Anne-Marie Slaughter forcefully stated in this week's viral NYT op-ed, "A Toxic Work World," we work in an "antiquated and broken system" in which "our workplaces do not fit the realities of our lives." Anne-Marie isn't the only one. Our workplace structure was built for another era, and everyone from CEOs to entry-level employees, HR managers to executives, knows that something needs to change in the way we work. There is good news though. Across this country, employees, managers, and entrepreneurs are all offering bold, inspirational ideas for redesigning how we work. That's why I'm thrilled to partner with Anne-Marie and other business and nonprofit leaders to introduce OpenWork, a platform for celebrating employees and employers who collaborate to reinvent how work is done, for the benefit of all.

When I started researching workplaces and families 30 years ago, I identified a profound structural mismatch between how work is organized in time and space and the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce. Working parents faced a time famine as they struggled to do the best job they could while being the best parents they could be. While much progress had been made on proving the business case for workplace flexibility, this time famine has in fact only grown worse, for parents and others too. As I look at the social media response to Anne-Marie's article, I am struck by the diversity of people chiming in to say "amen." Men and women, parents and non-parents, employees, managers and executives alike: everyone knows that something needs to change in the way we work.

Anne-Marie points out how the type of widespread change we need can often seem impossible. I too have been struck by the poverty of imagination that pervades the majority of American workplaces, limiting abilities in thinking about how work can be redesigned. We are launching OpenWork to celebrate and circulate the new ideas that are out there, and to inspire other ones. I know that not everyone today is still using Henry Ford's model. One of my favorite examples comes from BMW, a company that itself is almost as old as the Model T. When BWM realized that roughly half of the 18,000 workers in one of its most productive plants would soon be over age 50, it launched an initiative that led to 70 changes, including laying new floors which are softer on the knees, letting laborers sit instead of stand, and piping in more daylight. Today BMW has implemented similar ideas on most of its assembly lines. By recognizing the concerns of its workforce, BMW turned a probable decline in productivity into an opportunity for innovation. It is often little changes like this that make all the difference.

There are hundreds of additional companies with success stories like these, and we will be highlighting many of them on OpenWork, celebrating the idea that when workers, managers and leaders collaborate to rethink work, everyone benefits. Please join us. Together, we can shatter the poverty of imagination that limits business productivity and societal well-being. We can change work. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Flu season is just around the corner. During this season, 5-20% of our population will contract influenza. The widespread nature of the flu costs businesses 111 million workdays, or $7 billion worth of sick days and lost productivity.

Flu season can definitely be considered a corporate concern.

The CDC maintains that the best way to protect yourself from the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Many companies have brought the flu shot into the workplace to provide a convenient outlet for their employees to receive this protection.

Bringing the flu shot into the workplace is not only convenient and effective, but can be a valid strategy within a corporate wellness program.

The Flu Shot Keeps Employees Healthy

Company flu shots directly align with the ultimate goal of corporate wellness - prevention. Wellness programs are meant to instill behaviors and conduct screenings that prevent health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Flu shot clinics hosted at the workplace borrow from these chronic condition prevention strategies to help protect against influenza, an infectious disease. When it comes to the stress flu season has on companies, worksite vaccinations are an easy solution with proven results.

Flu Shot Clinics Can Educate

There are countless misconceptions about vaccines in our society today. None of the anti-vax myths are backed by any sort of scientific evidence.

A worksite flu shot clinic provides an excellent setting in which to educate employees about not only the flu shot, but the way vaccines work in general. Aside from vaccination education, clinics also serve as a place to educate employees about proper hygiene.

Outside of the hygiene practices and vaccination education that are most important during flu season, employees can learn that healthier bodies have a better shot at avoiding influenza infection. This presents an opportunity to discuss healthy diets, exercise, stress management, hydration and so much more.

Flu Shot Clinics Provide Promotion Platforms

Offering flu shots in the workplace is a quick, easy wellness activity in which every employee can be involved. It's also one of the most inclusive wellness activities because literally everyone can be affected by the flu.

This means that:

A wide variety of employees will participate in this activity including employees who might be turned off by other types of wellness activities.

And, employees who participate in the worksite flu shot clinic likely have a generally positive attitude towards corporate wellness activities.

This gives your wellness team an excellent opportunity to promote other wellness activities that are being sponsored as part of the program. Providing them the necessary information to get involved at this specific time can definitely pay off.

Flu Shot Clinics Are Attractive

Corporate flu shots can be attractive to employees and used for recruitment on a couple different levels.

First, offering flu shots can be an effective strategy to recruit new wellness participants, even if they don't know much about your program. Everyone has heard of flu season, even if they haven't necessarily heard of corporate wellness. As they filter into the event, they can learn more about the program from the promotional and/or educational materials they come across.

Second, offering flu shots at work can be an effective talent acquisition strategy. Corporate flu shots play into a positive company culture, and illustrate that management teams care about employees at all levels, which draws talented employees to any company. This is especially true of millennials, who usually want more from a workplace than simply a place to work.

As flu season quickly approaches, it's important to consider your business's role. Not only do corporate flu shots and employee wellness complement one another, but a flu shot clinic can be an absolute asset to any corporate wellness program.

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As a startup/ small business, the main objective constantly on your mind is finding and securing customers. You have spent countless hours planning your business and developing its products and services. Now you are desperate for substantial ROI for all the hard work you have put into transitioning your initial idea into a business. The one problem that exist now is knowing how to effectively attract customers to your business.

The need to attract customers to your business is basically an issue that deals with marketing. Many small businesses know marketing is needed for their business but they tend to operate more upon the concept of hope and depend solely on word of mouth. When it comes to word of mouth, yeah it helps, but it tends to be a slower process that gradually builds over time or it can eventually reach its ceiling for growth.

When you want your small business to grow rapidly, you are going to have to invest in different marketing tactics that will help spur the desired growth. I know, the overall business budget may be tight. But, by you keeping your business unknown to its intended audience, a competitor is profiting from your unwillingness to market your business.

So now you may want to know what are some different marketing tactics that you can utilize in order to grow your business. There are many marketing options available to your business, some more effective than others. One option I want to present to you is using celebrities and influencers to help grow your brand through their public recognition. I already know what you are thinking, "Paying someone like a celebrity will kill my budget!"

Trust me, I understand your concern. True, this option may be more expensive than normal marketing but what is the exchange being given for the price commanded? Your business being broadcasted to thousands or maybe even millions of people. A reach that your small business definitely doesn't have on its own. So, we are talking about a financial risk but a risk that can possibly produce significant ROI for your business.

When choosing to go this marketing route, there are a couple of different options available for your business to use. The options that I have gathered for you are: Revfluence, Bookingagentinfo and Adly.

Revfluence: Revfluence is a the platform where a business can partner with the best content creators in order for these individuals to promote their brand. These content creators are what you would call YouTube and Instagram celebrities. They have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers on these particular social media platforms. These individuals are known as influencers, who can generate thousands of likes and comments on each of their Instagram post and Youtube videos. People known as influencers can influence their followers to check out something they are representing, simply by mentioning how much they enjoy the product or service themselves.

Bookingagentinfo: Bookingagentinfo is a booking agent and management information database for celebrities. This platform provides the email addresses, mailing addresses and phone numbers of representatives who are a celebrity's contact when it comes to doing business with that celebrity. Bookingagentinfo has done all the legwork for you when it comes to gathering all the contact information that is needed to reach a celebrity. All you have to do is utilize their database in order to get in contact with the celebrity that you believe is the best fit to endorse your business.

Adly: Adly is a digital marketing software and service provider that connects brands with influencers and celebrities. It is a mixture of Revfluence and Bookingagentinfo but they get a little more hands on with their process. You can think of them as consultants who help guide you through the process of creating a campaign driven by a celebrity or influencer. They do this by matching you with the right person and targeting the right audience who will be most receptive to your approach of interaction.

All these mentioned are great options for your business to utilize in order to grow your brand recognition. By doing so, your business is given the opportunity to be spring boarded off of someone else's audience in order to gain awareness and potentially increase sales.

Business is all about taking the risk to pursue an opportunity that can potentially reward you handsomely with a sizable financial return. While other small businesses are playing it small with their marketing efforts, are you willing to play it big in order to produce big results?

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By 2019, Cisco has predicted that 80% of all content consumed on the internet will be VIDEO.

Yes, you read that right: 80 percent!!!

For that reason, I really want to encourage you to start creating videos as one part of your business's overall content strategy.

When I was in Cannes, France for a television conference, I met with YouTube superstar Natalie Tran and interviewed her about building an audience and growing your business through YouTube.

She gave me some amazing tips and "insider secrets," and I'm so excited to be sharing these with you in today's episode of She Takes on the World TV.

In this interview we chat about:

- 2 things your audience expects from every single video you put out there, no matter what
- What to do with critical feedback, and how you can use this tip to build YOUR brand
- The exact steps Natalie took to turn her YouTube channel into a thriving career for herself (she now has 1.7million+ subscribers)
- Her #1 piece of advice when it comes to building a brand through video
- And sooo much more!

Click here to watch this week's episode: https://youtu.be/g7BKiL2kwag

My actionable for you this week is to visit your content calendar and see where you might be able to add video content.

TIP: One of my favorite ways to get people started with video is by answering some questions from their clients or their audience on the webcam. I find it's a huge help when you're answering a specific question on a topic within your wheelhouse. That way, you're not sitting in front of the camera thinking about what you should say.

Now if you don't already have a content calendar -- THAT'S your actionable for this week!

TIP: Create a content calendar for the next 4 weeks, outlining a piece of content you can create each week. Sit down with your notebook and do a brain dump of all the stuff you could talk about, and then pull what stands out to you the most.

And I would absolutely love to see some of your video content - share a link of your favorite clip in the comments below!

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We have been getting a lot of questions about our lawsuit against Lucky Gunner, the online company that sold ammunition to the man who murdered our daughter Jessica along with 11 others in an Aurora, Colorado, theater. Especially after the Rachel Maddow Show covered us twice, people ask us about the judge's order that we pay Lucky Gunner's attorneys' fees, since our lawsuit was unsuccessful.

We brought our lawsuit because we thought it was outrageous that companies could sell a dangerous man an arsenal without getting any information about him, and without making any effort to see if he was a dangerous killer -- which he was. When the killer had left a voicemail with a shooting range, the range operator knew that he was bad news and shouldn't be given access to guns. But these companies set up their business so people just like this killer can arm themselves at the click of a mouse. We wanted to change that. And we still do.

Attorneys at Arnold and Porter and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence brought the lawsuit for us, pro bono. We knew the risks of bringing the case. We knew that Colorado and Congress have given special protection of the gun industry, and we knew that under Colorado law we could even be ordered to pay attorneys' fees because of those special protections.

But we thought it was important to take a stand, to fight to prevent other families from suffering as we have. We did not seek any money in our case. We just wanted injunctive relief -- to have these companies act reasonably when they sold dangerous materiel, like 100-round ammunition magazines, ammunition, body armor, and tear gas.

The judge dismissed our case because, he said, these online sellers had special immunity from the general duty to use reasonable care under the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act and a Colorado immunity law. If you couple the PLCAA law with Colorado's law HB 000-208, (which says in essence: If you bring a civil case against a gun or ammunition seller and the case is dismissed then the plaintiff must pay all the defendant's costs), you have an impenetrable barrier to using the judicial system to effect change in gun legislation in Colorado.

Everyone else in society has a duty to use reasonable care to not injure others -- except gun and ammunition sellers.

To make matters worse, the judge ordered that we pay $203,000. This is an outrageous amount, especially given that this case was decided after one single motion! Lucky Gunner has said that it is going to donate all these fees to "gun rights" groups. The thought is disgusting to us that Lucky Gunner does not even plan to use this money to pay for their attorney's fees.

Lucky Gunner wants to use blood money to fund the NRA and like-minded groups. See for yourself. Check out Lucky Gunner's self-serving description of our case then click on "Head Here" (the green words at the end of Lucky Gunner's last sentence) to find out how the money is to be distributed.

The law says we are responsible for these fees, which we recognize. We do not have the money to pay this amount. The Judge insinuated in his order that Brady should pay since he said they were the instigators. If this was a ploy designed to give the appearance that Brady was responsible and turn us against each other, it did not work.

Brady is still fighting for us pro bono and we see no evidence that the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence will not help us raise funds if and when that time comes.

We believe that the judge's decision was wrong, and that it is unconstitutional to financially punish people for bringing a lawsuit, especially a public interest case that did not seek a dime. But rather than risk possibly being ordered to pay even more fees, we are changing our focus from going after these laws in the judicial branch (we have dropped our appeal) to getting them overturned on the legislative level.

We have brought attorney Dan Wartell with the law firm Jones & Keller into our team who is also helping us.

We hope that we are spearheading a movement to expose these egregious and unconstitutional laws for what they really are. They are an attack on our civil liberties. With these laws in place ordinary citizens are effectively barred by the exorbitant cost from bringing any civil action against sellers of firearms and ammunition.

It is un-American and outrageous that these special laws can deny us our day in court simply because we were victimized by the gun industry. Our lawsuit was not frivolous. Our Jessi was shot multiple times with high-velocity, armor-piercing bullets that were designed by our military to inflict maximum damage on enemy combatants.

One of the six, steel-jacketed bullets that killed her slammed through a theater seat, entered her left eye and left a five-inch hole in her face as it blew her brains out on to the theater floor. The other five specially designed bullets tumbled when they tore through her flesh and did devastating damage to both legs, arms and intestines.

Those bullets were six of 4,000 that Lucky Gunner sold to a mass murderer in one sale without even checking his driver's license.

Why is there a law that says you cannot sue an ammunitions dealer that allowed 4,000 rounds of armor-piercing bullets into the wrong hands?

How else are we as citizens going to get them to stop doing that?

No other industry has this immunity.

The horrific and public execution of our daughter Jessi and 11 other beautiful young lives has given us a brief window of opportunity to bring awareness to the number one public health crisis facing this nation today which is rampant gun violence. It is unfathomable to me that the billion dollar gun lobby can intimidate our Congress and some state legislatures into passing laws that give the gun industry immunity against irresponsible acts that enables them to arm, and profit from, domestic terrorists, and other killers.

It is abhorrent to us as the parents of a child who has been killed by a person with outwardly obvious mental issues who was able to easily access a one hundred round magazine and 4,000 rounds of armor-piercing bullets online without a valid ID.

Who is our last line of defense that makes that conscious decision to not ask for ID before selling large orders of lethal, military-grade armament? Online sellers, knowing they are shielded by immunity laws, refuse to put into place even minimal safeguards that would save lives. That is abhorrent to us.

One of the ways that we can level the playing field is to create precedents in our court rooms that make gun and ammunition dealers pay a price for conduct that contributes to gun violence. Another way is to lobby our state and federal legislators to repeal these laws. That is our objective.

We are calling on the citizens of this country and the gun violence prevention community to stand ready to help us get in the face of state and national legislators. Join us in helping to get the word out to the American citizens who are not aware of how these laws take away the rights of victims of gun violence.

_______________

Lonnie and Sandy Phillips' daughter, Jessica Ghawi, was murdered in the Aurora, Colorado theater massacre in 2012. Since then, they have become advocates for common-sense gun laws in America. Their non-profit, Jessi's Message, allows them to take their trailer and travel the country telling their story and working with fellow victims and survivors of violence.

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Yesterday at 9.30pm Amsterdam time, one of my career dreams came true!

Ever since I started blogging for my business , I had this dream of becoming a contributor to The Huffington Post. However, after several unsuccessful post submissions, I was starting to feel like this was "mission impossible".

So I finally took the courage to reach-out to Arianna herself and, sure enough, I received an invitation to become a HuffPost blogger within a few days.

Yesterday, my first article got published, and I feel so proud to be part of a community that I deeply respect!

When my husband asked me this morning what is that I admire so much about The Huffington Post, my reply was:

"They stand for self-empowerment and success in all areas of our lives."

And that is exactly what I believe in, and help my clients achieve by creating classy careers on their own terms.

If you're anything like me, you too have big dreams for your brand and career.

What I want you to know and trust is that you can be and accomplish whatever you want... If you set your mind to it and follow these five steps.

1. Get clear on your desires

Get crystal clear on what you want and why exactly do you want it.

What benefits will it bring to you and your loved ones. How will it further your career and improve your life?

How does that tie-up with your bigger purpose in life, the legacy you want to leave for generations to come?

2. Hold-on to your vision & be persistent

As I shared, I didn't get an invitation to join the HuffPost blogger community with my first post submission. But I was clear on what I wanted and I was persistent.

Much of our success in life depends on our drive and determination.

So be courageous and consistent. Your efforts will be rewarded!

3. Network, network, network!

You may be sick and tired of this buzz word. Believe me, as an introvert, I it resisted for a very long time... Until I shifted my perspective on networking.

It doesn't have to be about strategically attending networking events and mindlessly collecting business cards.

Networking takes on a whole more pleasurable -- and productive -- dimension when you see it as an opportunity to connect with other human beings from a genuine place.

Whether you want to get ahead in your career, land a new job or attract clients for your new business, reaching-out to others is key.

In the story that I shared, I actually asked a friend and long-time HuffPost contributor for help and advice on how to get published. Without her sharing her wisdom and contacts with me, I might not have been featured on the HuffPost today.

4. Just ask

Now that you're clear on your desires, ready to hold-on to your vision no matter what, and connected with the right people in the right way, it's time to take the leap and simply ask for what you want!

I know it's scary and that it means getting out of your comfort zone, but it's so worthy!

5. Add value

I actually believe in karma. What goes around, comes around.

So if you approach people with the intention of adding value to their lives, you'll build healthier relationships and exponentially increase your chances of success.

Before approaching anyone, whether you're asking for a favor, a business opportunity or a job, ask yourself:

What is the best way I can add value to this person's life?

Now I'd love to hear from you.

What's one "impossible" goal you've been trying to achieve? Which of the 5 steps above will you work on this week to make it happen?

Share your insights in the comments below. I read every response!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

By David Bloomgarden and Dennis Blumenfeld

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David Bloomgarden is the acting chief of the Multilateral Investment Fund's Access to Basic Services and Green Growth Unit and leads its public-private partnerships program. Previously, David was deputy director of the Office of Multilateral Development Banks in the U.S. Treasury Department.

The concept of public-private partnerships is in vogue in the Caribbean. Some governments mistakenly believe that PPPs allow the private sector to build and maintain infrastructure like roads, and provide public services like wastewater treatment, with little cost to the public sector. This is not the case. However, in certain PPP projects, private-sector efficiencies can allow governments to deliver much-needed and improved infrastructure and services with greater value to society.

We're seizing this moment to apply the lessons we learned from early steps to develop PPPs--in Trinidad and Tobago and in Jamaica--by launching the Regional PPP Support Program for the broader Caribbean. We at the Multilateral Investment Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank partnered on this effort with the Caribbean Development Bank, the World Bank, and the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility, a trust fund that provides technical assistance to help governments in developing countries attract private investment. The program's goal is to assist regional governments in planning their involvement in PPPs and in training their staff to develop and implement the projects. An expert coordinator for the new initiative is already based in the Caribbean Development Bank headquarters in Barbados. We and our partners will develop an online program toolkit that includes guidance documents on topics including a model government policy for PPPs, screening potential projects, managing contracts, and auditing results.

The program also will host PPP "boot camps"--training sessions that cover different phases of the PPP project cycle, from developing the necessary government policies, to conducting feasibility studies, to structuring transactions, to managing contracts. These boot camps will be highly practical endeavors, which the World Bank calls "pushups for the brain." The first session begins in Barbados on Sept. 29, followed by a second boot camp in Trinidad and Tobago in November. Jamaican government officials will conduct some of the training, presenting their experience in developing and implementing an early PPP policy. The hope is that boot camp participants will return to their countries and communicate more effectively about PPPs to other stakeholders.

Inter-American Development Bank

This regional effort will build on the early work in PPPs by Trinidad and Tobago and by Jamaica:

Trinidad and Tobago. The earliest attempt at establishing a PPP program in the Caribbean was in August 2011, when Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Finance--with help from the MIF--established a PPP unit to coordinate the activities of the various government agencies necessary to begin structuring the new projects. Since then, the government has been working on innovative PPPs: two health diagnostic centers and ten early childhood and primary schools. In the case of the health centers (imaging and laboratory/pathology), the private sector would be responsible for designing, constructing, financing and maintaining the facilities, which would serve an estimated 300,000-500,000 people.

Jamaica. In October 2012, the Cabinet approved the country's PPP Policy, a blueprint to guide screening, approval, and implementation of projects. It included measures that created a formal system of checks and balances for developing and approving projects, and that gave authority to the Ministry of Finance to block projects that are not fiscally responsible. We were in Kingston meeting with Jamaican government officials when we learned of the approval, and immediately began planning technical assistance for the Development Bank of Jamaica and the Ministry of Finance, to help them implement the new PPP program. That assistance included drafting new agency procedures, organizing trainings, and screening projects to assess their viability as PPPs. Now, the government of Jamaica is developing projects in the port and airport sectors.

Here are a few lessons that we've learned from these early programs:

A sustainable, successful program requires raising awareness and training throughout the entire PPP ecosystem. Often, the launch of a PPP program requires the presence of a champion--a government official or officials who believes in the potential benefits of PPPs for the country's infrastructure. However, the long-term sustainability of the program requires support and understanding throughout government and by other stakeholders, such as local private businesses and civil society groups.

A PPP policy alone is not enough. Governments require training and experience to successfully implement the policy. Applying a policy to bring projects to the transaction stage requires practice. As governments go through the process a few times, public institutions deepen their interactions with one another, which gradually eases the process.

Effective project screening is crucial. The capacity to properly screen PPP projects allows governments to avoid committing significant public resources to projects that would be better done via traditional public procurement. Or not at all. (We're reminded of a recent McKinsey study that argued that governments could save 40% by being more selective in deciding which projects to do as PPPs--informed by better prepared project feasibility studies--and by getting the most out of existing projects.)

Dennis Blumenfeld

Dennis Blumenfeld coordinates an $8 million Multilateral Investment Fund technical assistance project to advise governments throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on public-private partnerships. He has a Master's degree in Political Economy from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.

From the Multilateral Investment Fund Trends blog

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Looking for a good review of traditional strategy and its evolution? Look no further than What is Strategy, Again? by Harvard Business Review'sAndrea Ovans. From Drucker to Porter to so many offspring theories, she covers the bases for managers whose work centers on the moves and makeup of tangibles, whether of battle ships or potato chips.

But what about the intangibles? What about the critical yet soft assets, like brand, reputation and trust, that drive and are driven by new-economy markets? These are what matter in the games you play today.

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Ovans makes mention of the works of Lachenauer and Stalk and the martial arts parallels of Yoffie and Cusomano. But their importance is dimmed by legacy theories that don't explain what is both fungible and subjective. Conspicuously missing, for example, are the writings of MIT Sloan's David Bach and David Bruce Allen who frame the little-understood alter verse of so-called nonmarket strategies.

Despite the first world's march from agrarian to creative economies (see above), boardrooms and classrooms still conceive of strategy as an application of intellectual play toys, somewhat akin to the solutions and compounds of pre-Mendeleev chemists. Each is naive to the atomic makeup of their matter. Take, for example the four concepts offered by George Stalk, Jr. in the above-mentioned Curveball: Strategies to Fool the Competition: (1) Draw Your Rival Out of the Profit Zone, (2) Employ Unfamiliar Techniques, (3) Disguise Your Success, (4) Let Rivals Misinterpret Your Success. These are macro strategies that are more precisely explained by four irreducibly unique stratagems of the Playmaker Influence Decision System -- the testing plays called the Ping and Pause and their low-engagement cousins, the diversionary Deflect and Red Herring.

Sun Tzu might sniff that Stalk's curveball strategies are mere translations of his ancient art-of-war plays. In any case, they paint an incomplete picture of underlying moves and motives. Simply put, there is more to know about strategy. It's neither monolithic nor exclusive to business theorists.

As described by Ovans, strategy was born out of a fascination for competition, rules of supply and demand, and an obsession for the price and pricing of hard assets. It should now focus its curiosity on the soft assets that dominate and drive the markets of all things digital. Bach and Allen call them strategies of nonmarkets. I call them strategies of influence. However you see it, there are new worlds yet to be claimed by academics and entrepreneurs that tell us more precisely how markets behave and to better manage the game and gamesmanship beneath them.

Graphic courtesy of Playmaker Systems, LLC

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

You just got the job offer you have been waiting for. A sense of relief floods over you that your long search may finally be over. No more uncertainty or sleepless nights.

After your initial excitement wears off, it's time to seriously consider their offer. You would have to be crazy not to take it, right?

As you mull it over, though, reality sets in. Some of your earlier concerns about the company start to resurface. You remember that the interviewer changed the appointment twice, and seemed unprepared to respond to your questions about the position. No matter how hard you try, you cannot ignore your nagging doubts about the company and its future.

It's important to pay attention to your instincts. They may be trying to tell you something.

You worry that it is counter-intuitive or even irresponsible to reject a job offer, especially if you have been looking for a job for a while. But when you recognize this one big flaw in your potential employer, turning down their offer and continuing your search may be your smartest move yet.

As CEO of Aha! I get to speak with lots of growing technology companies and their leaders. When you have enough of these conversations, you become fairly adept at recognizing the companies that have a purpose and are pursuing it with vigor.

So, what's the one sign you should say no to a job offer?

When you realize that the company does not know where it's headed. They do not have a meaningful strategy.

Your instincts were right: The company is simply making it up as they go along, and they may expect you to do the same. That is no way to run a successful, sustainable business. In my experience, the companies that stand the best chance at making it have a clear strategy in place that informs every decision they make.

It is in your best interest to recognize the danger ahead -- in the form of an employer flying by the seat of their pants. Here are the signs you should look for. They are:

Lacking purpose
You have an urgent decision to make. And you believe deeply that a job is about more than a steady paycheck. The company you join (and ultimately align yourself with) should have a backbone too. Having a higher purpose brings with it a sense of urgency. After all, if they take such a casual approach to hiring you, what other processes in the company are half-baked?

Competitor obsessed
Do not settle for a company that is insecure. How can you tell? They spend more time talking about their competitors than they talk about themselves. Great companies lead with confidence. They are aware of their competitors, but are not obsessed with them.

Hoping you have answers
They are rightly excited about hiring you. They expect that you will change the course of their efforts and help change their course. That is a tall order for anyone to fill, and alarm bells should go off in your head. Unless you are the new CEO or head of strategy, it is not your place to determine the strategy for their entire business.

Changing course on a whim
There is a very big difference between being responsive and being reckless. Does the company have a reputation for suddenly abandoning one project to take on another? Leadership should make decisions that are aligned to strategy, not the latest and greatest idea.

When a job offer comes along, you are naturally inclined to say yes right away for fear another offer may not come for some time. Or, you may be desperate to leave a dysfunctional boss or sinking company. But carefully evaluate the new company right along with the offer.

You are better off holding out for a company that understands the value of strategy and knows where you will fit in the larger plan. Keep looking for the right opportunity that aligns with your own goals for your future.

Have you ever worked for a company with no purpose?

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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