Girls Who Rock wit Success

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K EYNOTES A ND WORK SHOPS FOR M I DDLE SCHOOL GI RLS

By Allison Poss

Gir ls Wit h Ideas of f er s k eyn ot es an d w or k sh ops f or gir ls. We f ocu s on speak in g t o gir ls ages 9-13, bu t ou r pr ogr am s ar e adapt able f or dif f er en t age gr ou ps.

Ou r exper ien ced t eam h as or gan ized an d spok en at you t h even t s f or over 12 year s. We k n ow h ow t o pr ovide m ean in gf u l con t en t in a en gagin g, f u n , an d m ean in gf u l w ay. In addit ion t o of f er in g Gir ls Wit h Ideas k eyn ot es an d w or k sh ops, w e ar e h appy t o h elp you plan you r con f er en ce or even t t h r ou gh an y of ou r con f er en ce con su lt in g ser vices. Ou r k eyn ot es an d w or k sh ops ar e per f ect f or t h e f ollow in g t ypes of even t s: STEM Con f er en ces f or Gir lsAll-Gir ls Sch ool Assem blyGir l Scou t Con f er en cesVir t u al Su m m it s Gir ls' Leader sh ip Con f er en ces Par en t / Dau gh t er Even t s Gir ls In c. Even t sSu m m er "We u n der st an d t h at m an y or gan izat ion s w or k in g w it h k ids h ave a lim it ed bu dget . Don't let t h at st op you ! Gir ls Wit h Ideas believes t h at all gir ls sh ou ld h ave access t o ou r pr ogr am s, so con t act u s t oday t o discu ss you r even t .

4 SUM M ER TO-DO ESSENTIALS BEFORE YOUR FIRST YEAR AT COLLEGE

by Ash ley Hill Bef or e you leave f or college, t h er e ar e a f ew t h in gs t h at you sh ou ld do over t h e su m m er t o pr epar e f or you r m ove. Fr om spen din g t im e w it h f am ily an d f r ien ds t o en su r in g t h at you h ave ever yt h in g t h at you ?ll n eed f or you r f ir st year aw ay f r om h om e, you r su m m er w ill be pack ed w it h act ivit ies. It ?s a good idea t o m ak e a list of t h e im por t an t t h in gs t h at you n eed t o accom plish so t h at you don?t f or get an yt h in g.

Qu alit y Fam ily Tim e Th e su m m er bef or e h eadin g of f t o college w ill be t h e last ch an ce t h at you h ave t o spen d qu alit y t im e w it h you r f am ily u n t il you com e h om e f or h olidays. You r edu cat ion w ill be w or t h t h e t im e spen t aw ay f r om h om e w h en you st ar t

your career, but it can be difficult being away from your family for months at a time. This is why you need to take a trip together, enjoy meals with each other and find activities that will bring you closer together over the summer.

St ar t Sh oppin g Make a shopping list with all of the things that you?re going to need for your dorm room or apartment. You also need to make a list of the educational supplies that you?re going to need, such as notebooks, paper, required books that you have to read and other items that you need to get before the first day of classes. Once you have everything checked off, you can begin packing the items in a plastic container that is easy to move into your new home.

Beh in d Th e Wh eel If you don?t have a car before going to college, then you might want to consider visiting a car dealership, like Young Automotive Group, to find something that you can afford that is also easy to maintain. Most car dealerships will be able to offer recommendations about a vehicle that would be ideal for driving to college and that won?t give a lot of trouble in the way of using gas or breaking down. If you have a car, then you want to get it serviced before you leave to ensure that there aren?t any fluid leaks and to make sure there aren?t any major mechanical issues.

Visit Favor it e Spot s Take the time to visit some of your favorite attractions in your town.

This is a fun way to spend time with friends as you go see a movie, go to the beach, shop at a favorite mall or grab a bite to eat at a favorite restaurant. Take pictures while there so that you won?t forget this time in your life.

College is a big step forward. It?s rewarding, but there are quite a few things that you?ll need to do before heading off to college for the first year. Once you get into a routine, subsequent years will be a bit easier to prepare for when you get ready to leave home.

When we look into our foresight binoculars, we see young service leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, engaged learners, and positive societal contributors addressing social challenges through collaboration and creative problem solving. We see a future where our experienced leaders are consulting the young people for unblemished ideas and simple yet genius insights. We see a world where ideas are not just born, but also flourish.

Our message to young people ? Go Innovate!

In today?s world, there are just too many articles, books, videos, and websites out there. If you google ?social entrepreneurship,?you get over 1.2 million results. How can one find great resources to build an idea? Where can one start?

This blog series will act as a filter by focusing on specific tools and resources that are available online and can help young social entrepreneurs in developing their ideas. A useful framework to help students map out their ideas and all the steps required comes from design thinking. The image below is an infographic that Nueva School uses for their Design Thinking process, which comes from Stanford Innovation Lab. Each step can become its own set of tasks required in building a student?s idea. The diagram provides insights about where a student is and what he or she may need to do next in the process. If students are designing a solution for a particular challenge, this is a useful framework to generate ideas before developing a solution. After a young social entrepreneur has an idea, it can help further by analyzing future decisions and developing a prototype or modeling method.

The stage of ?Deep Dive?in the beginning enables young social entrepreneurs to perform extensive research and validate there there truly is a need. The next stage of ?Focus? can help create clarity and define the scope of the idea. If quality time is spent in ?Deep Dive?and ?Focus? in the beginning, it may save months of time later. These initial stages as well as the designing thinking framework add significant value by providing a more structured process to building an idea. Without a framework, developing an idea may feel overwhelming.

Another practical design thinking framework comes from the Toolkit: Design Thinking for Educators by IDEO, the creative design firm. IDEO is great resource for design and creativity. The phases and questions here allow a young social entrepreneur to innovate based on a challenge. The different phases also show the divergent and convergent thinking through the design process. With this framework, the simplicity of the questions can help direct a team of young social entrepreneurs to build an idea.

THE ASHLEY AVENUE RESIDENCE

ABOUT THE LOCATION Th e r esiden ce is in dow n t ow n Ch ar lest on , SC, w alk in g dist an ce t o t h e t ow n?s best -loved r est au r an t s, m an y of w h ich ar e k id f r ien dly. It is also n ear a Br it t leban k par k an d 3-5 m in u t es t o t h e Cooper River Br idge so get t in g t o t h e beach is a br eeze. Ch ar lest on In t er n at ion al Air por t is a 15-m in u t e dr ive aw ay. Not e t h at w h ile a car is u sef u l, t r af f ic an d t r ick y par k in g m ak e it easier t o w alk ar ou n d t h e cit y f r om t h is locat ion .

PERKS FOR THE PARENTS This traditional Charleston condo in the hip downtown Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood is packed with treats for kids, including a sweet bedroom with hanging swing chair, and is close to the city?s restaurants and ice cream parlors. The kitchen is great inspired by Julia Child, and open to the main living space for sociable cooking. Bedrooms are in the back of the house, with the kitchen and living room in the front, so kiddos can go to bed and not be disturbed in the evening. The house includes all TV channels, internet and a grill in the back patio. Air beds may be available on request.

Wh y Kids Love It Th e h ou se is set u p f or k ids an d in clu des plen t y of t oys, gam es, ar t s an d cr af t su pplies.

Th er e is a m agical k ids bedr oom w it h a h an gin g sw in g ch air , f ir eplace w it h exposed br ick an d t oys an d book s t o en t h r all you n ger visit or s. Th e h ou se also h as digit al cable, a WII, Apple TV w it h Net f lix, HBO an d Am azon Pr im e TV. For you n ger t ot s, a h igh ch air an d Pack ?n?Play ar e available.

Th e bat h r oom in clu des a t u b. Th e t ow n?s k id-f r ien dly r est au r an t s an d ice cr eam par lor s ar e a sh or t w alk aw ay. Beach es, in clu din g Su llivan?s Islan d an d Folly Beach , ar e u n der a 30-m in u t e dr ive aw ay. .

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Becau se it w ou ldn?t be a pat r iot ic h oliday w it h ou t a st er eot ypical r ed, w h it e & blu e r ecipe, I?ve got som e appr opr iat ely color f u l st u f f t o sh ar e w it h you t oday. Lik e t h is.

This summer I?ve been all about strawberries, but more recently, I?ve been trying to work more blueberries into my diet.

Watching a relative go through Alzheimer ?s has had me thinking a lot about the brain and how diet might play in to long-term brain health. I?ve been r eadin g u p on t h e M IND diet , w h ich sou n ds lik e it cou ld h ave been spon sor ed by t h e Blu eber r y Cou n cil or som et h in g. I?m sor t of k iddin g.

I t ?s act u ally a M edit er r an ean -an d-DASH-diet com bo t h at

em ph asizes leaf y gr een s an d ot h er veget ables, w h ole gr ain s, bean s, ber r ies, lean pr ot ein like pou lt r y an d f ish , olive oil over bu t t er , an d a daily glass of w in e.

Basically, I h ave a s* * * f am ily h ist or y, an d t h e older I get , t h e m or e m ot ivat ion I h ave t o m odif y t h e m odif iable r isk f act or s. I also h appen t o love blu eber r ies ; ) I?d or igin ally en vision ed som e pr et t y gr ah am cr acker cer eal cr u st desser t , bu t t h e r ealit y w as, w ell? cr u m bly an d u gly. t r ied.

Som e of u s ju st ar en?t m ean t t o m ake desser t , an d t h at ?s ok ay.

In st ead, I cam e u p w it h t h is pat r iot ic yogu r t par f ait . I love t h e t ext u r e t h e cocon u t f lou r pr ovides h er e, bu t if t h at ?s n ot you r jam , f eel f r ee t o sk ip it or sw ap in gr ou n d f lax, ch ia seeds, or even a t ablespoon of r olled or in st an t oat s.

Ingredients: 3/ 4 cu p plain Gr eek yogu r t 1 t ablespoon cocon u t f lou r 1/ 4 t easpoon cin n am on 1/ 2 cu p sliced st r aw ber r ies1/ 2 cu p blu eber r ies1 t easpoon cr u sh ed Golden Gr ah am s cer eal Directions: M ix yogu r t , cocon u t f lou r , an d cin n am on t oget h er an d set aside.Layer yogu r t m ix an d ber r ies in a glass or bow l. Top w it h cer eal.

What?s your favorite way to eat blueberries?

Disclaim er : Cer eal w as pr ovided by Gen er al M ills? n o r ecipe

h t t ps:/ / w w w.br igh t m on t academ y.com

Ru t h A. Wilson , M .A., f ou n ded Br igh t m on t Academ y in 1999 an d cu r r en t ly ser ves as t h e Dir ect or of Developm en t f or all Br igh t m on t sch ools. Sh e is a cer t if ied pr in cipal an d a boar d cer t if ied edu cat ion al t h er apist . Sh e h as led m u lt iple t eam s an d ser ved on sever al n on -pr of it boar ds, in clu din g t h e Wash in gt on Br an ch of In t er n at ion al Dyslexia Associat ion . Ru t h con t in u ally seek s t o expan d an d sh ar e h er edu cat ion al exper t ise t h r ou gh post gr adu at e cou r sew or k , collabor at ion s w it h ot h er edu cat or s, an d con su lt in g an d pu blic speak in g even t s.

Wh y Ch oose Br igh t m on t ?

At Br igh t m on t Academ y, 3r d t o 12t h -gr ade st u den t s exper ien ce su ccess. Ou r cu st om ized on e-t o-on e in st r u ct ion f ocu ses on t h e u n iqu e academ ic n eeds an d lear n in g st yle of each st u den t . As st u den t s r ealize lear n in g gain s an d f eel valu ed, t h eir academ ic su ccess an d self -con f iden ce gr ow..

ABOUT US Br igh t m on t Academ y is a f u lly accr edit ed pr ivat e sch ool ser vin g st u den t s w it h a on e-t o-on e in st r u ct ion al appr oach. Ou r m ission is t o pr ovide cu st om ized on e-t o-on e in st r u ct ion t o h elp as m an y st u den t s as possible r each t h eir f u ll academ ic pot en t ial an d pr epar e f or college an d car eer .

Ever y day f or 17 year s, w e h ave seen t h e posit ive r esu lt s of t h is appr oach an d w e ar e pr ou d t o h ave h elped m or e t h an 3,500 st u den t s f in d t h eir pat h s t o becom in g m or e con f iden t an d su ccessf u l lear n er s.

Read m or e abou t ou r cu st om ized appr oach t o lear n in g.

Wh o We Ar e Br igh t m on t Academ y is an accr edit ed pr ivat e sch ool f or st u den t s in gr ades 6-12 est ablish ed in 1999. We pr ovide in st r u ct ion u sin g a on e-t o-on e appr oach exclu sively, m ean in g on e t each er in st r u ct s on e st u den t in a pr ivat e lear n in g r oom t h r ou gh ou t t h e en t ir e session .

Wit h t h e on e-t o-on e f or m at , ou r st af f becom es ou r m ost im por t an t r esou r ce. Th ey deliver ef f ect ive, cu st om ized on e-t o-on e in st r u ct ion f or each st u den t . Ou r exper t s in clu de: Leader sh ip t eam . Headqu ar t er ed in Seat t le, WA, t h e m em ber s of t h e leader sh ip t eam h ave m ast er 's degr ees or h igh er an d ar e con sider ed exper t s in t h eir ar eas. Th is t eam is r espon sible f or edu cat ion pr ogr am s, oper at ion s, an d all su ppor t ser vices n ecessar y f or ou r cam pu ses t o oper at e ef f icien t ly. Ou r leader s h old m u lt iple cr eden t ials in clu din g pr in cipal cer t if icat ion s, an d h ave pr eviou sly ser ved in leader sh ip an d execu t ive r oles.Season ed adm in ist r at or s:

Th e in dividu al cam pu s dir ect or s each h ave a m ast er ?s degr ee or h igh er an d m or e t h an 20 year s of exper ien ce in leader sh ip an d adm in ist r at ive posit ion s su ch as h igh sch ool pr in cipals, cou n selor s, dist r ict cu r r icu lu m dir ect or s, special edu cat ion dir ect or s, edu cat ion con su lt an t s, an d ot h er posit ion s en ablin g h igh levels of advisin g an d ser vin g st u den t s an d f am ilies. Please visit in dividu al cam pu s pages f or back gr ou n d in f or m at ion on t h e cam pu s dir ect or in you r ar ea.Dedicat ed, exper ien ced t each er s: Br igh t m on t Academ y t each er s ar e select ed f or t h eir dem on st r at ed k n ow ledge in t h eir r espect ive disciplin es an d t h eir abilit y t o t each , m ot ivat e, an d m en t or st u den t s. Teach er s dr aw u pon a w ide var iet y of in st r u ct ion al m et h ods an d u t ilize m u lt iple cu r r icu la t o m at ch lear n in g st yles an d n eeds of t h eir st u den t s.

We ar e com m it t ed t o h elpin g each st u den t ach ieve lear n in g gain s an d develop con f iden ce, an d h ave a lon g h ist or y of h elpin g st u den t s su cceed, a sm all sam ple of w h ich can be obser ved t h r ou gh ou r st u den t su ccess st or ies an d t h e ext en sive list of colleges w h er e ou r st u den t s h ave been accept ed. Please con t act an y cam pu s f or m or e in f or m at ion abou t Br igh t m on t Academ y an d h ow w e m igh t cu st om ize a pr ogr am t o ser ve you .

Apple Spice Oat m eal Ingredients: 1/ 2 c oat s1.5 c w at er (m or e if n eeded)1 gr an n y sm it h apple, ch opped1 t bsp ch ia seeds cin n am on , gr ou n d cloves, gin ger 1/ 4 t sp van illa ext r act 1 t bsp-ish alm on d bu t t er

Dir ect ion s: Br in g w at er t o a boil. Add oat s, ch ia seeds, apple.Redu ce h eat an d add spices. Allow t o cook u n t il liqu id is absor bed an d apple pieces ar e sof t . In t h e last t w o m in u t es, add van illa.Pou r in t o a gian t bow l an d st ir in alm on d bu t t er .

We?r e Sydn ey an d Ton i, you n g en t r epr en eu r s an d sist er s f r om Palo Alt o, Calif or n ia. We lau n ch ed Pok et t i f ou r year s ago af t er bein g in spir ed by ou r 7t h -gr ade en t r epr en eu r ial class at Th e Gir ls?M iddle Sch ool. We loved t h e en t ir e pr ocess of r u n n in g a bu sin ess an d w e con vin ced ou r par en t s t o t u r n t h e idea of "plu sh ies w it h a pock et " in t o a r eal com pan y.

We su ccessf u lly r aised m on ey on Kick st ar t er an d st ar t ed sellin g t o local r et ail st or es, on ou r w ebsit e, an d on Am azon . Pok et t i Plu sh ies w it h a Pock et ar e cu t e an d f u n ct ion al w it h a u sef u l back pock et t o h old you r ph on e, n ot ebook , glasses, t oot h f air y t r eat s, or ot h er sm all t r easu r es. We h ave spok en t o clu bs an d classr oom s abou t ou r jou r n ey, don at ed t h ou san ds of Pok et t i t o ch ar it y or gan izat ion s, an d w on n u m er ou s aw ar ds in t h e gif t an d t oy in du st r y. Recen t ly, w e w er e n am ed t h e Won der Gir ls by t h e Wom en in Toys or gan izat ion at NY Toy Fair , an d w e ar e pr ou d t o be a par t of it s com m u n it y of pow er f u l an d su ppor t ive bu sin essw om en . We?ve lear n ed so m u ch f r om m en t or s t h r ou gh ou t ou r jou r n ey, an d w e w an t t o pass on advice w e?ve r eceived t o ot h er aspir in g you n g en t r epr en eu r s. Af t er pit ch in g t o Walm ar t last year , w e lau n ch ed a secon d ser ies of Pok et t i Plu sh ies w it h Pock et Pow er s t h at h ave posit ive ch ar act er t r ait s, lik e cu r iosit y an d k in dn ess, expr essed u sin g st ick er s in t h e pock et an d act ivit ies on lin e t o in spir e k ids t o f ollow t h eir dr eam s lik e w e h ave. As Pok et t i con t in u es t o gr ow , w e ar e excit ed t o h elp t h e n ext gen er at ion of f u t u r e leader s u t ilize t h eir passion s an d r each f or t h eir goals. Please visit ou r w ebsit e an d see ou r ador able, color f u l an d collect ible plu sh ies in clu din g a pen gu in , bu n n y, u n icor n , k oala, pan da, ch ick , pig, ow l, pu ppy an d k it t y!

Gir ls Wh o Rock w it h Su ccess: Th is is su ch as h on or t o pr of ile t w o sist er s w h om sh ar e t h e sam e br an d f or bu sin ess. An d m ost of all; t h ey ar e t een sist er s.

Sydn ey an d Ton i Loew : We?re so excited to be a part of this awesome publication. We appreciate the opportunity to share our story with your readers and hope our experience inspires others to pursue their dreams as we have! Girls Who Rock with Success: Tell us about You Sydney: I am 17 years old and a senior at Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. Ever since I was little, I?ve loved drawing and creating things: comic strips, pop-up shops, a family newspaper, and new product ideas. In 7th grade, I had an entrepreneurial class and discovered I love running a business. It combines everything I love to do: designing, pitching, brainstorming, marketing and sales. When I?m not working on Poketti or swimming in schoolwork, I am drawing, painting or at ballet class. My favorite moment on stage was being the Mouse Queen while my sister Toni played Clara in our studio?s production of The Nutcracker. When it comes to anything I try, I work to stay optimistic and ready to take on new opportunities and challenges.

Toni: I am a sophomore at Castilleja High School and I?m 15 years old. I live in Palo Alto, California with my parents, older sister, and adorable bunny, Willoughby (who was an inspiration for one of our Poketti characters). I love working on Poketti because I get to work with my family while expanding my own personal interests, such as drawing and music. I?ve been dancing for 12 years and especially love performing in The Nutcracker every year. Most of all, I love playing, composing, and arranging songs on the piano. I love playing music with others and experimenting with different genres...I?ve even been able to write a short song for one of our Poketti videos!

Gir l Wh o Rock w it h Su ccess: Wh at In spir ed you bot h t o lau n ch t h is br an d?

Sydn ey: In m y 7t h gr ade en t r epr en eu r ial class, w e w er e t ask ed w it h developin g a pr odu ct , sellin g it , an d u lt im at ely pit ch in g t h e bu sin ess t o r eal Silicon Valley Ven t u r e Capit alist s. For m y pr odu ct , I w an t ed t o com bin e cu t en ess w it h f u n ct ion alit y so it w ou ld be ir r esist ible an d also u sef u l an d m or e com pellin g t o bu y. A sim ple pr oblem I cou ld solve w as t h e in abilit y t o f in d m y ph on e in t h e m or n in g w h en t h e alar m w en t of f .

I w as n ot alon e as, accor din g t o Hu f f in gt on Post , 70% of Am er ican s sleep w it h t h eir ph on e n ext t o t h em at n igh t . In st ead of t h e ph on e disappear in g u n der t h e cover s, it cou ld be t u ck ed in side t h e back pock et of an ador able an im al pillow. Th e pr odu ct con cept sold lik e cr azy at sch ool, an d af t er t h e class w as over , m y sist er an d I design ed an d lau n ch ed Pok et t i Plu sh ies w it h a Pock et .

Ton i: M y sist er an d I h ave alw ays loved st u f f ed an im als an d dr eam ed of m ak in g ou r ow n bu sin ess. Com bin in g t h ese t w o in t er est s, w e k n ew Pok et t i w ou ld be t h e per f ect w ay t o gain bu sin ess exper ien ce, w or k t oget h er , an d, of cou r se, cat er t o ou r st u f f ed an im al obsession . Becau se bot h of ou r par en t s ar e design er s an d w e live in Silicon Valley, w e gr ew u p ar ou n d st ar t u ps an d in n ovat ion . Kn ow in g ever yon e isn?t as lu ck y as t o h ave a st r u ct u r ed en t r epr en eu r ial class, as w e developed ou r pr odu ct s, w e design ed t h em t o in spir e ot h er s t o f ollow t h eir dr eam s as w e h ave. We gave Pok et t i u n iqu e per son alit ies, am bit iou s dr eam car eer s, an d posit ive ch ar act er t r ait s t o em pow er k ids t o be t h e best t h ey can be.

Gir ls Wh o Rock w it h Su ccess: How t h is been a m ot ivat ion pr oject f or bu sin ess?

Sydn ey : Wh en w e lau n ch ed ou r f ir st ser ies of Pok et t i Plu sh ies, ou r m ission t ar get ed a br oad au dien ce of people w h o sleep n ear t h eir ph on es, bu t t h e collect ible an d cu t e an im al ch ar act er s ar e m ost appealin g t o gir ls age 3 - 12. As you n g en t r epr en eu r s, Ton i an d I h ave spok en t o clu bs an d classr oom s ar ou n d t h e Bay Ar ea abou t ou r exper ien ce lau n ch in g ou r bu sin ess. I per son ally love t alk in g t o k ids, especially gir ls, abou t en t r epr en eu r sh ip an d seein g h ow Pok et t i spar k s t h eir in t er est t h e w ay m y en t r epr en eu r ial class spar k ed m in e. It ?s been on e of m y f avor it e par t s of h avin g a bu sin ess. Ton i: We h ave lear n ed a lot f r om ou r par en t s abou t t h e pr in ciples of design an d t h e valu e of a st r on g br an d. We also look t o su ccessf u l st u f f ed an im al com pan ies f or bu sin ess st r at egies, su ch as est ablish in g collect abilit y an d br an din g, in par t icu lar . For in st an ce, w e h ave lear n ed t h at con sist en cy h elps m ak e a br an d r ecogn izable so w e st r ive t o k eep t h e sam e color palet t e, design base, an d layou t t h r ou gh ou t ou r com pan y. We?ve cr eat ed a u n if ied pr odu ct lin e so Pok et t i ar e m or e m em or able an d look gr eat t oget h er on t h e sh elf , ju st lik e t h e br an ds w e w er e in spir ed by.

Wom en Wh o Rock w it h Su ccess: Wh at is you r n ext ph ase f or bu sin ess?

Wh at w ou ld you lik e t o accom plish as a lon g t er m goal f or t h is br an d?

Sydn ey: After pitching our products to Walmart last year, we received amazing feedback on how to develop our second series of Poketti Plushies.

The Vice President of the toy department was inspired by our story, and she suggested that we take the meaning of the pocket to the next level. To combine the importance of the pocket with our goal to inspire new young entrepreneurs, Series2 Poketti Plushies were each designed with their own Pocket Power. Pocket Powers are inspiring character traits, such as confidence and kindness, and each Poketti has Pocket Power stickers in the pocket to remind kids to work hard to reach for their goals. In the future, we will create videos and interactive curriculum to inspire kids through the Pocket Powers. We?re hoping to expand our brand to a national audience of future leaders!

Ton i: Alt h ou gh w e look f or w ar d t o design in g m or e an im als in t h e f u t u r e, w e also plan t o con t in u e developin g ou r exist in g ch ar act er s. We ar e cr eat in g a w eb ser ies t h at sh ow cases t h e an im als an d h ow t h ey u se t h eir Pock et Pow er s in dif f er en t scen ar ios. We h ope t h is w ill pr om ot e ben ef icial t r ait s an d let ot h er s get t o k n ow ou r ch ar act er s in a n ew w ay.

We alr eady h ave a f u n iPh on e app, Poketti Confetti (available in t h e Apple App St or e) an d w e w ou ld love t o m ak e m or e in t er act ive gam es t o f u r t h er pr esen t t h e ch ar act er ?s per son alit ies.

Gir ls Wh o Rock w it h Su ccess: How can t h e r eads con n ect w it h you bot h ?

Sydn ey: If an yon e h as a qu est ion abou t Pok et t i, w an t s f eedback on a gam e-ch an gin g idea, or h as an in clin at ion t o lear n m or e abou t bein g a you n g en t r epr en eu r , I w ou ld love t o t alk t o you ! Please em ail m e at sydn ey@pok et t i.com or f in d Pok et t i on In st agr am , Facebook , or Tw it t er (@pok et t iplu sh ies). You can get you r ow n Pok et t i Plu sh ies at w w w.pok et t i.com or on Am azon . Th an k you , an d w e look f or w ar d t o h ear in g f r om you !

Ton i: Becau se ou r com pan y st ar t ed as a sch ool pr oject , w e ar e pr oof t h at a sm all idea can develop in t o a legit im at e bu sin ess ? an d becau se w e?r e you n g en t r epr en eu r s, it m ean s you ?r e n ever t oo you n g t o st ar t !

Please su bscr ibe t o ou r You Tu be ch an n el (@Pok et t i) t o lear n m or e abou t en t r epr en eu r sh ip an d ot h er bu sin ess st r at egies. We?r e alw ays w illin g t o t alk w it h an yon e w h o w an t s t o st ar t a bu sin ess, or alr eady h as on e! You can em ail m e at t on i@pok et t i.com , su bscr ibe t o ou r You Tu be ch an n el or ou r blog at w w w.pok et t i.com .

Aler Sen seTM w as f ou n ded by a t eam of passion at e people w h o ar e det er m in ed t o ch an ge t h e w ay w e look at air bor n e con t am in an t s an d t oxin s w h ich cou ld cau se aller gies, ast h m a an d COPD issu es. To dat e, t h e w or ld h as accept ed t h e f act t h at aller gy, ast h m a at t ack s an d COPD issu es occu r w it h ou t w ar n in g an d ?ju st h appen?. We w an t ed t o w or k on a pr oject t h at w ou ld h elp people t h r ou gh ou t t h e w or ld u n der st an d w h en con t am in an t s ar e bu ildin g u p in t h e h om e so t h at t h ey can m ak e t h e appr opr iat e adju st m en t s. We?ve com bin ed som e of t h e w or ld?s m ost advan ced det ect ion h ar dw ar e & sen sor s, w it h a sm ar t m obile app t h at w ill allow u ser s t o r ecor d aller gy, ast h m a an d COPD sym pt om s (w h en t h ey n ot ice t h e sym pt om s) again st t h e h om e air bor n e en vir on m en t , at t h at pr ecise m om en t . Ou r goal is t o give con su m er s a syst em t h at w ill pr ovide en ou gh t im e t o m ak e a ch an ge t o t h eir en vir on m en t w h ile becom in g sm ar t er as m or e

h t t p:/ / w w w.aler sen se.com

in f or m at ion is in pu t in t o t h e syst em .

Sk ip is a Silicon Valley en t r epr en eu r w h o h as h elped a var iet y of st ar t u ps lau n ch , gr ow an d exit . In addit ion h e h as f u n ded an d lau n ch ed a f ew of h is ow n com pan ies.

Sk ip st ar t ed h is en t r epr en eu r ial car eer at an ear ly age bu yin g a Gold?s Gym in t h e San Fr an cisco Bay Ar ea.

He t h en expan ded t o a t ot al of 6 clu bs an d con ver t ed t h e br an d t o Calif or n ia At h let ic Clu bs bef or e exit in g via a sale of t h e f r an ch ise t o 24 h ou r f it n ess. He t h en h elped gr ow t h e IAC division of Zif f -Davis pu blish in g t o $250 m illion , af t er w h ich it w as sold t o Th om son Pu blish in g. Sk ip con t in u ed h is en t r epr en eu r ial car eer w it h Sequ oia Capit al ? back ed Qu ot e.com w h ich w as acqu ir ed by Lycos. Sk ip t h en f ou n ded an d f u n ded t h e f ir st open sou r ce st r at egy f ir m ? Open Sou r ce Gr ou p. Th r ou gh ou t h is car eer , Sk ip h as h elped ot h er st ar t u ps, lau n ch , gr ow an d exit . Sk ip ear n ed h is bach elor ?s degr ee f r om Clar em on t M cKen n a College, an d t h en f ollow ed on w it h a M ast er ?s in Pu blic Adm in ist r at ion f r om t h e college of Not r e Dam e. He lives in San M at eo, Calif or n ia an d is a n at ive of San Fr an cisco. In h is spar e t im e Sk ip en joys baseball, yoga an d st u dyin g qu an t u m ph ysics.

Air bor n e con t am in an t s ar e u su ally in visible t o t h e n ak ed eye an d t h er ef or e at t ack u n an n ou n ced. Well, we?re here to make the announcement.

Aler Sen seTM st an ds f or ?Aler ?

(Aler t , Aller gy), an d ?Sen se? (det ect an d r epor t ). Th e Aler Sen seTM t eam is com m it t ed t o pr ovidin g h igh qu alit y con su m er air bor n e con t am in an t sen sin g, m on it or in g an d aler t in g solu t ion s. Wit h locat ion s in bot h Silicon Valley, Ca., an d Du blin , Ir elan d, ou r vision is t o h elp ch an ge people?s lives f or t h e bet t er by r edu cin g aller gy, ast h m a an d COPD at t ack s.

LSeven Keys t o Bein g Su ccessf u l at Flexible Eat in g

Tr u e lif e: I didn?t get good at f lexible eat in g f or a w h ile. In f act , it t ook m e m on t h s t o r eally get on boar d bot h in m y m ot ivat ion an d execu t ion . I lear n ed t h r ou gh m ist ak es ? m ist ak es I pr obably w ou ldn?t h ave m ade if I h ad a n u t r it ion coach .

So, h er e I am : you r n u t r it ion coach .

Cue the trumpets!

Be pr epar ed Th er e?s n ot h in g t h at ?ll gu ar an t ee I f all of f t r ack lik e n ot bein g pr epar ed. So, ever y Su n day, I t ak e t w o h ou r s ou t of t h e day t o plan a m en u , w r it e u p a gr ocer y list , sh op, an d pr epar e w h at I can . Som et im es t h e f eedback I get goes som et h in g lik e, ?Tw o h ou r s?! I don?t h ave t h at t im e.? I h ave t w o r espon ses t o t h at : if you ?r e an adu lt , you ?r e lik ely goin g t o spen d t im e goin g t o t h e gr ocer y st or e an d cook in g an yw ay, so clu m p t h at t im e t oget h er an d get it don e so you don?t h ave t o w or r y abou t it t h r ou gh ou t t h e w eek .

Secon d, w it h sacr if ice com es gr eat r ew ar d. Un less you h ave a per son al ch ef at you r f in ger t ips, you ?r e goin g t o h ave t o pu t in som e w or k . It ?s t h e sam e f or an yt h in g in lif e. M y advice is t o lear n t o en joy it ? gr ab a glass of w in e (m ak e su r e it f it s you r m acr os), pu t on som e good m u sic, a podcast , or an au dio book , an d get t o cook in g.

Never let you r self get t oo h u n gr y I?ve eat en an en t ir e bagel in less t h an 30 secon ds on ce. No, it didn?t f it m y m acr os. It w as becau se I let m yself go so lon g w it h ou t eat in g t h at t h e last t h in g I w an t ed t o do w as w ait t h e ext r a t w o m in u t es t o w eigh ou t m y sh r im p an d veget ables. It ?s h ar d t o m ak e good decision s w h en you ?r e h u n gr y. Wh y? Becau se t h er e?s a h or m on e called gh r elin t h at ?s pr odu ced by t h e st om ach in an t icipat ion of a m eal. St u dies h ave sh ow n t h at it h as a n egat ive ef f ect on decision m ak in g an d im pu lse con t r ol. Th er e ya h ave it : scien ce. So, alw ays h ave sn ack s on h an d, especially w h en you k n ow it ?s goin g t o be a w h ile u n t il you r n ext m eal.

Pr eplan you r day w h en you can Du r in g t h e w eek days, I?m a cr eat u r e of h abit . So, it ?s easy f or m e t o open u p M yFit n essPal an d h ave a sen se of w h at I?m goin g t o eat an d sn ack on . I?ll spen d a cou ple of m in u t es pu t t in g t h at all in so t h at m y job f or t h e r est of t h e day is ju st t o eat w h at ?s alr eady in M yFit n essPal! No t h in k in g, ju st eat in g. Tell mama, we made it!

Alw ays plan a bef or e bedt im e sn ack Th e ver y f ir st t h in g I log in M yFit n essPal is m y ?bef or e bedt im e?sn ack .

Som et im es, t h at ?s a h alf cu p of ice cr eam or h an df u ls of st r aw ber r ies bu t it ?s alw ays som et h in g sw eet , som et h in g t o look f or w ar d t o, som et h in g t h at w ill h elp m e go t o sleep f eelin g sat isf ied. Pu t it in f ir st t h in g in t h e m or n in g an d plan t h e r est of you r day ar ou n d it .

Don?t let m ish aps t u r n in t o cat ast r oph es If you t h in k you ?r e goin g t o h it you r m acr os ever y day f or t h e r est of you r lif e, you ?r e in f or a r u de aw ak en in g. It ju st doesn?t h appen . Th er e ar e goin g t o be vacat ion s, par t ies, clien t din n er s, an d ju st days w h er e you n eed a m en t al br eak f r om t r ack in g an d loggin g. Th e pr oblem is, t oo m an y people let on e or t w o bad days t u r n in t o a bad w eek , t h en in t o a bad m on t h , t h en in t o a bad season . Flexible eat in g isn?t abou t per f ect ion , it ?s abou t per sist en ce. Have you r bad day, su lk if you n eed t o, an d t h en get back on t h e h or se. On e day at a t im e.

Have som e pat ien ce This is not a diet. I want to make that clear. There?s no promise of fast results, because what happens when you go on the Atkins Diet and lose 5 pounds a week? Eventually you introduce carbs back into your diet (there?s no avoiding them forever) and you gain all that lost weight back ? plus some. The goal here is to maintain lean muscle mass. The goal here is to lose body fat. The goal here is to improve strength and increase performance. Most importantly, the goal here is to teach you how to eat for your goals. This is how you should eat for the rest of your life. Learning to do that takes time.

Un der st an d t h e pr ocess This is not a linear process by any means. I?ve never had a client come in and have a great weigh-in every week. Some weeks we don?t work out or sleep as much as we planned. Some weeks we just couldn?t hit our macros as often as we would have liked. Some weeks we just are retaining water or have some other hormonal thing going on that makes the read on the scale less than ideal. It?s just part of the process. The key, though, is to understand that as long as you are seeing progress in the grand scheme, a bad weigh-in is meaningless and definitely shouldn?t discourage you from continuing to work towards your goals.