The Powerful, June 2018 by Francie Baldwin

Powerful Magazine March 2018

INSIDE 06_

26_

50_

Where is Elizabeth Holmes Today?

The 1% Rule

Judging A Book By Its Cover

Why 20% of People Take 80% of Rewards

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30_

Can We Control Our Own Reality?

Places To Travel In June

54_ Travel Credit Cards Fight or Flight?

58 _ Goals Vs. Systems

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38_

Your business only works if you do.

How Do You Know When Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Exhausted?

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21_

41_

Building A Successful Business From The Ground Up With Chris Christofi

Do You Know How to Make the Right Decisions?

The Chaning Face of Business

66_ The Fine Line Between Right and Wrong

Nothing is More Powerful then the Truth That is the fundamental idea, and the basis of why The Powerful started. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern culture media has become very one sided, regardless of the side, it tends to only want to discuss whatever side they are in support of. The Powerful is aimed in giving you the power to make your own decision and formulate your own opinion and view. At The Powerful we feel there is no right and wrong only the power of information that you can arm yourself with. In our first issue we wanted to give you, our readers, a sample of the different variety of topics that we want to cover. Everything from politics, business, leadership, real estate and life. Our intent isto discuss a little of everything that is going on in the world today. You can check out The Powerful online for more stories and updated content at ThePowerful.com You can find the stories that are featured here in the magazine online where you can comment and weigh in on what you think. Sincerely,

Francie Editor

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EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE

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WHERE IS ELIZABETH HOLMES TODAY?

By Nicole Rujevic

We all remember the infamous Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal back in 2015. The biggest question we ask now is, what has happened since then, and where does Theranos and Holmes stand today? Just to take you back a little, remember when Holmes was the youngest woman self-made billionaire? Her company was worth $9 Billion, and she was on her way to becoming the next Steve Jobs? Her company became a multi-billionaire business because they were able to get blood results in less than 4 hours, making them indispensable to doctors and patients; they sped up the process which allowed them to be more productive during the day. The most impressive part of the entire company was if a follow-up test was needed, they used that same sample to retest again, completely revolutionizing the blood testing world. But that wasn’t until A Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services investigated the companies California lab and found huge problems. The investigation said that there was a lack of correct oversight with all the tests, huge flaws in the way the tests were being run, insufficient documentation, unlicensed workers and the work was “of immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety”, which led to Theranos being forced to void two years of the lab’s results, until CMS then completely shut Holmes down and banned her from the industry and operating/owning a lab.

Does this ring a bell? Okay, so fast forward 3 years and we ask, what is actually going on with Holmes and Theranos? Since Tuesday, Theranos has laid off another 100 employees, making it the third round of layoffs in the past 2 years, taking them down to 24 employees. These are massive changes since the company had 700 employees in 2015. But what happened in between? In 2017, Theranos had consolidated its offices into its Newark and California manufacturing space, still keeping its office space in Palo Alto. They had announced in December 2017 that they had raised $100 million in secured debt financing from Fortress Investment Group to get them through 2018.

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Holmes wrote in the investor letter in December, “Based on our present projections, we believe we will have sufficient liquidity through 2018, by which point we hope to have secured regulatory approval for minilab testing for the Zika virus and begun submissions for additional assays”. Holmes brought in $700 million of investors capital in 2015, but the investors have now learned that not only was the company lying about what they can do, but they actually weren’t using the type of equipment they had said they were, rather using other company’s equipment. A shocking piece of news that’s come to light recently is, in 2014, Holmes told the investors that Theranos could achieve $100 million in revenue, but the real number was only $100,000.

But now (2018), the SEC has decided Holmes punishment, which a lot of people are not happy about. Holmes has to pay a $500,000 fine and give up complete control of the company. She is not allowed to voice her opinion on anything regarding the company’s operations. It’s hard to know what Holmes is thinking or feeling because she has declined to comment through her attorney, but it’s safe to say many people aren’t thrilled with her punishment.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

CAN WE CONTROL OUR OWN REALITY? Wouldn’t life be so much easier if we were in completely control of our own reality? If we could somehow block outside factors to ensure we are as happy as we can be? Well, what if I told you that we can. Now bare with me because this is going to sound strange at first; it starts with water. It’s quite a simple aspect of life...it’s just there. But more and more people are discovering things about water that are remarkable. One of these people was Dr. Masaru Emoto. He was a Japanese author, researcher, photographer and entrepreneur. He claimed that human consciousness has a strong effect on the molecular structure of water. Emoto’s early work explored his belief that water could react to positive thoughts, words, visuals and music. He also believed that polluted water could be cleaned through prayer and positive visualization. Emoto was born in Yokohama, Japan, and graduated from Yokohama Municipal University.

In this experiment, he took 10 glasses of water and put them to his right, and then he took 10 glasses of water and put them to his left. On the right side, he exposed the water to positive things such as words like, love, thank you, beautiful. On the left he exposed the water to words like, hate, not good enough, evil. He froze the water for about three hours and then examined them under a microscope. The outcome was exactly how Emoto knew it would be.

Many people were skeptical that single words could have such effect on water, but once they saw the proof, it became a reality. He did the same experiment again, but this time, instead of exposing the water to words, he exposed it to music. On one side, he played Beethoven and uplifting classical music, and on the other side, he played heavy metal and music with blasphemy and swear words. The exact same thing happened to the molecules. The peaceful music turned the molecules into perfect shapes while the heavy metal broke down the molecules. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just music; something as simple as playing songs that are peaceful and beautiful can positivity affect us and our bodies and vice versa. Emoto proved to the world that water does, in fact, have its own memory.

The water on the right with positive words had turned into beautifully shaped molecules while the water on the left had turned into discolored, broken and ugly molecules. This result left people in awe.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Around the mid-1990s, his fascination with the structure of water grew, and he began studying water in more detail. He performed a series of experiments where he observed the physical effect of words, prayers, music and environment on the molecular structure of water. Once the water was crystallized, the results were shocking.

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That was the effect that just a few words and music had on the water. Now if you think about it, our bodies are made up of 70% water. If we are constantly telling ourselves that we aren’t good enough, not pretty enough, not successful enough, or surround ourselves with people and or music that bring us down, imagine what that is doing to our bodies. Emoto created the thought that we could possibly be in control of our own reality by the way we speak and think, because at the end of the day, it is all vibration. “Water is the mirror that has the ability to show us what we cannot see. It is the blueprint for our reality which can change with a single positive thought. All it takes is faith...if you’re open to it”. – Dr. Masaru Emoto This is an experiment that everyone in the world should be aware of because it proves that negative words and thoughts literally break us down. More than half of our bodies are being affected by thoughts, words and what we are surrounding ourselves with.

In business, there are going to be times where we are told or made to feel like we aren’t good enough or we can’t do something. If anything, this experiment shows us that no matter what, we have to keep positive and surround ourselves with good thoughts and people who will lift us up. People could argue that there are important things we could focus on to ensure a good life, like finances, relationships, etc., rather than molecules of water. Does what we surround ourselves with matter? Should we focus on things around us or rather focus on ourselves? Instead of making sure we listen to a classical piece of music, we could aim to get 5 more sales each month which would lead to more income, making financial stresses diminish. At the end of the day, we all want to be happy and everyone has their own definition of happiness and what it takes to get there. As Bruce Lee once said, “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

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YOUR BUSINESS ONLY WORKS IF YOU DO. THE TRUTH BEHIND THE HOLIDAY CEO By: Francie Baldwin Recently, Foxx re-shared this audio as a reminder of how our coaches are always right and can see the outside, inside, and everything around the box when we are trapped inside. When hearing this audio again, almost 5 years later, it made me think of something else that has become one of the biggest trends for Entrepreneurs today… the “Holiday CEO.” Not sure what I am talking about? Yes...you are.

Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric and arguably the most notable CEO of all time, said it best, “There is no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices and those choices carry consequences.” Welch made that statement in 2013 on a coaching call with JT Foxx leading up to Mega Partnering 8 where he was to be the keynote speaker.

Those of you reading this most likely range from the 1 man/woman show. You are the CEO, Customer Service, Marketing, and Janitor in your business because you just started. Others of you might run massive offices with multiple people working for you in multiple locations. Then there is everything in between. I would also think most of you started a business for some of the same reasons that I first did; I wanted to be my own boss, work on my time, and be able to travel when I wanted to, not just on “paid vacation time.” You may have realized along the way, like I did, that actually running a business is one of the hardest things you will ever do.

When a CEO frequently speaks of “running a company while spending 3 months of the year on holiday”, you have to take a closer look at what is really going on, and if that is something that is actually even possible.

I work alongside JT Foxx, a very successful business owner, and have been for the past 5 years. I have been exposed to many things in the business world over this time, and I have grown tremendously because of it. In recent months, JT took over as the CEO of his company, demoting his former CEO due to lack of fulfillment of responsibilities that fall on the CEO. That fact is not up for debate as I myself was on the call when it happened. A couple months later, the former CEO then left the company altogether, and this has been a big eye-opening and lesson-learning moment.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Facebook, Instagram, and the Internet are full of entrepreneurs claiming they can vacation all the time, never have to go into an office, can do whatever they want at any time, and live the “Holiday Lifestyle” while making money. So, let’s discuss both sides to this trend so you can be the judge.

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What Exactly Is A CEO? We Should Start There. Chief Executive Officer – the highest-ranking person in a company or other institution, ultimately responsible for making managerial decisions, managing the overall operations and resources of a company, and acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors or company founder and corporate operations. That is the most commonly recognized definition found online of a CEO and the responsibilities of the job. If you are the solo-trepreneur (a solo entrepreneur) doing all the roles in your business, your business will not work if you don’t.

You are wearing the hat of the salesperson, the fulfillment, customer service and everything between. So if you decide to be on vacation and travel, which is ok, you have to understand that the business doesn’t keep going if you aren’t doing any of the work. Have a small team that you work with? Things may continue to get done in your absence, but what big decisions are being made, and are you discussing things daily with your team? It can be challenging when trying to start and grow your business, knowing you have a team that can keep growing, building, and overcoming obstacles if you aren’t present and available to help lead.

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But can’t I work from anywhere? Yes, of course you can...well most of you can. It really just depends on your team, your business structure, and who is doing what. There is a trend going around for entrepreneurs to start online businesses while being able to travel and do whatever they want. However, in order for the business to work, you are going to have to wake up and do work every single day in order to keep growth going.

When you look at “Big Businesses” like Facebook, Yahoo, Whole Foods, LinkedIn, Netflix, Apple and many others, how do their CEO’s handle holiday time? Articles in Business Insider and Inc.com share some interesting perspectives on holiday time. Not just for their companies, but what they do as individuals. Walter Rob in 2016, the CEO of Whole Foods, was reported to have 2,703 hours of holiday time saved up as Whole Foods allows hours to roll over each year. That number of hours equates to 67 weeks of holiday time; that’s a lot of time that he hasn’t “cashed in”. Tim Cook, Apple CEO, was referenced in the same article to have been paid over $56,000 in 2014 for “unused time off.” I am starting to notice a trend in these high-level CEO’s not using all of their holiday time each year.

Sheryl Sandberg was once asked how she balances being the COO of Facebook, writing a book, and her personal life. She claimed it was only possible to write her book because she used her vacation time to make it happen. Even on her vacation time she was using it to get work done; not for Facebook, but for her personally. Another powerful women, Marissa Mayer, the CEO of Yahoo, has a very busy schedule of 70 meetings a week on average. Her personal strategy with holidays is to take a week long vacation every 4 months… that’s 3 weeks a year.

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All of these very successful leaders of major businesses are not anti-holidays, but they are very wise with how they use them and only take a week at a time. Not one of them has cited taking months at a time to go on holiday. They know even with massive companies with a lot of very capable leaders and decisions makers, they are the one at the top with whom the responsibilities and decisions lie at the end of the day. If they aren’t present in the business, the business doesn’t keep going at the level that it needs to, and the good or the bad will fall on them. At no point am I saying that you can’t go on holiday or take some time off. What I am evaluating is, can you really be a CEO and take off multiple months in a year and make the claim to never have to go into an office? It doesn’t seem likely...

At the end of the day, who do you want to be and what do you want? That is what you have to ask yourself.

We all make choices, as Jack Welch said, and it’s the consequences of those choices that we have to live with. So, you have to make a choice: what is going to be the best business decision for you? Want to be a CEO – you start a business and want to be a CEO for that business. That means you are making the choice to build a business with a team that you are going to be there to lead. You will be present and take ownership of the decisions and choices that you are making. If you don’t have plans for growing and leading a team, then perhaps calling yourself a CEO is a bit misleading in building your business. Want to be a founder – maybe the idea of sitting in an office all day, going to meetings and leading a team doesn’t appeal to you. That is ok, it doesn’t appeal to everyone! That doesn’t mean you can’t start a business at all. Instead, what that means is you will be the founder of the business and need to find someone that wants to be the CEO or the person running the business on a daily basis. There are a lot of companies out there started by one person, and then at a certain level, they have to bring someone else in to actually run the business. It’s perfectly fine but should be something all new entrepreneurs are aware of.

Whatever you want to build, you have to be realistic about what you want. Your business is going to work at the level and amount of work you put into it. So just remember, business is like anything else, the more effort you put into it, the more success you will have. You don’t experience any results in life if you aren’t willing to do the work.

A final thought I will leave you with... As I am sitting here writing this article, I am the COO of the JT Foxx Organization in addition to being the Editor and Chief of The Powerful and CEO of PR Media Vision. So admittedly I have a lot on my plate, and yes, I completely chose to have it that way; it wasn’t by accident. Today is Memorial Day in the USA and a lot of people I know were on holiday this weekend, but I chose not to be. Instead, I went to an event for the JT Foxx Organization in Germany, returned to Florida and have spent the actual holiday writing articles and going over reports to get set up not only for the week ahead, but the month ahead leading up to when I am planning my first vacation of the year. I have chosen to take a holiday for 1 week at a time. I understand that I am going to be putting in some extra work leading up to holiday to make sure nothing gets missed.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Solo-trepreneur – if you want to be able to work from your laptop anywhere at any time, building your business to be based around you might be the best idea. You don’t need to build an office and team. You can outsource or get freelancers to help with things you aren’t an expert at. If you want to take months off at a time, you can, and you can have the freedom that you want.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Firstly, let’s start off by defining decision making. Although it’s not a difficult one to define, it’s exactly what it sounds like; making a decision. Sometimes we make logical decisions, and sometimes we make emotional and irrational decisions. I’m going to share with you why we make poor decisions and how we can create useful frameworks to expand our decision-making toolbox.

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DO YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS? WHY DO WE MAKE

For example, there are probably thousands of athletes

POOR DECISIONS?

they never made it to the NBA. The issue is that no-

who train in a very similar way to LeBron James, but body hears about the people who never made it. We

At the time, it didn’t seem like a bad decision. This

only hear about the people who made it, and the peo-

statement usually follows all bad decisions. As a hu-

ple who become successful, wealthy, and famous. We

man race, we are all irrational sometimes and can make

overvalue the strategies and tactics of one successful

decisions and judgments before we stop and think. For

person while ignoring the fact that the same strategies

a very long time, researchers and economists believed

and tactics didn’t work for most people.

that humans made logical, well-considered decisions, but more recently, researchers have uncovered a wide range of mental errors that derail our thinking. Let’s talk about a few mental errors that sway you from making a good decision:

Loss Aversion “In cognitive psychology and decision theory, loss aversion refers to people’s tendency to prefer avoid-

Survivorship Bias

ing losses to acquiring equivalent gains: it is better to not lose $5 than to find $5. The principle is very prominent in the domain of economics”. In a nutshell, our

“Survivorship bias or survival bias is the logical error of

tendency to avoid losses causes us to make silly deci-

concentrating on the people or things that made it past

sions, and it changes our behavior to keep the things

some selection process and overlooking those that did

that we already own. We are wired to feel protective

not, typically because of their lack of visibility. This can

of the things we own and that can lead us to overvalue

lead to false conclusions in several different ways”.

these items. For example, if you buy a new watch, it

Basically, it refers to our tendency to focus purely on

may provide a small boost in pleasure. However, even if

the winners in a particular field while forgetting about

you never wear the watch, giving it away a few months

the losers who are using the same strategy.

later might be incredibly hard. Even though you never use them, you just can’t stand parting with them.

The Availability Heuristic 22

“The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person’s mind Powerful Magazine March 2018

when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision”. For example, and this one might shock you, extensive research by Steven Pinker at Harvard University has shown that we are actually living in the least violent time in history. There are more people living in peace now than ever before, and the rates of homicide, rape, sexual assault, and child abuse are all falling. Now, some still refuse to believe these facts as they say, “If this is the most peaceful time in history, why are there so many wars going on right now? Why do I hear about rape and murder and crime every day? Why is everyone talking about so many acts of terrorism and destruction?”. Yes folks, that’s availability heuristic. We are living in the best reported time in history. Information on any crime is widely available, more than ever before. A 2-minute google search will show you more information about the most recent crime or disaster than any newspaper could have ever delivered 100 years ago. We are overestimating the impact of things that we can remember, and we are underestimating the prevalence of the events that we hear absolutely nothing about.

There is a pizza shop near my house that is

This refers to our tendency to favor and

known for their gourmet pizzas, and on the

search for information that confirms our be-

menu it says “LIMIT 6 TYPES OF CHEESE

liefs while simultaneously ignoring informa-

PER PIZZA.” Now, my initial thought was

tion that contradicts our beliefs. For example,

“Who would get 5 types of cheese on a piz-

John believes climate change is a serious is-

za?” But straight after that, I thought “oooh,

sue, and he only reads stories about environ-

which 5 am I going to get?” I didn’t realize just

mental conservation, climate change, and re-

how smart the restaurant owners were un-

newable energy. As a result, John continues to

til I learned about anchoring. Normally, one

confirm and support his beliefs. Meanwhile,

would just pick one or two types of cheese on

Greg does not believe climate change is a

their pizza, but when you read “LIMIT 6 TYPES

serious issue, and he only reads stories that

OF CHEESE” on the menu, your mind is an-

talk about how climate change is a myth. As

chored at a much higher number than usual.

a result, Greg continues to confirm and sup-

The smart part about it is that most people

port his current beliefs. Changing your mind is

won’t order six types of cheese, but that an-

harder to do than it seems, and the more you

chor is enough to move the price up. You walk

believe in something, the more you filter and

in planning to get a normal $10-$15 pizza but

ignore all information that goes against what

you walk out wondering how you paid $22.

you believe.

This effect has been studied in a wide range of research. Business owners have found that if you say, “Limit 12 per customer” then people will buy twice as much the if there was no limit. If you walk into a store and the price tag on a new watch is $500, you might consider it too high for your budget. However, if you walk into a store and the first watch you see is priced at $5,000, suddenly the $500 watch around the corner seems reasonable. Many of the premium high-priced products that businesses sell are never actually expected to sell out. They serve a much more important role; the role of anchoring your mindset and making mid-range products appear much cheaper

Confirmation Bias

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Anchoring

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THE 1% RULE WHY 20% OF PEOPLE TAKE 80% OF REWARDS By Nicole Rujevic

Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian engineer, sociologist, economist, political scientist, and philosopher. He was also known for the 80/20 rule, named after him as the “Pareto principle”. It all started in Pareto’s garden, but no one is sure exactly when this took place. In the late 1800’s, Pareto was doing some work in his garden when he made a life changing discovery. He noticed that a tiny number of pea pods in his garden produced the majority of the peas.

Pareto was very mathematical; he worked as an economist and one of his legacies was turning economics into a science rooted in hard facts and numbers. But, unlike the other economists of the time, Pareto’s papers and books were riddled with equations, and the peas in his garden had triggered something in his mathematical brain. Hence, the Pareto Principle.

Imagine two plants, the exact same, growing right next to each other. Each day they will compete for sunlight and soil. If one of the plants grows just a little bit faster than the other, it can stretch taller and catch more sunlight, which will result in the plant soaking up more rain. After one plant does that, this additional energy allows the plant to grow even larger and faster. This pattern will continue until the stronger plant crowds the other and takes most of the sunlight, soil, and nutrients. Now, the winning plant has a better ability to spread seeds and reproduce, which gives the species an even bigger footprint in the next generation. This process of course gets repeated again and again until the plants that are slightly better, bigger, and stronger than the rest, dominating the forest. This is what scientists refer to as “accumulative advantage”. What begins as a slight advantage gets larger over time, because one plant only needs a slight boost in the beginning to crowd out the competition and take over the entire forest. This exact same effect happens in our lives, everyday. Just like plants, we often compete for the same resources. Singers compete in singing shows, politicians compete for votes, companies compete for clients and so on. It just takes someone being slightly better than someone else, to come out on top.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Pareto was interested in wealth, and he was studying it in various nations. He was Italian, so he began his studies by analyzing the distribution of wealth in Italy. He discovered that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the people. He found similarity in this to his peas in his garden; most of the resources were controlled by a minority of the people. This amazed Pareto which lead him to continue his analysis in other nations. This was when he saw a very obvious pattern. For example, after analyzing the British income tax records, he noticed that 30% of the population in Great Britain earned about 70% of the total income. As he continued his extensive research, Pareto discovered that the exact numbers were never the same, but the trend was extremely consistent - the majority of ‘rewards’ seemed to always go to a small percentage of people. This is where Pareto’s principle came to life, commonly known as the 80/20 Rule. This rule was the idea that a small number of things account for the majority of the results. Once Pareto opened the world’s eyes to the 80/20 Rule, people started seeing it everywhere in everything. The 80/20 Rule is more prevalent now than ever before. For example, during the 2015 and 2016 season in the National Basketball Association(NBA), 20% of franchises won 75.3% of the championships; just two franchises, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, have won nearly half of all the championships in NBA history. This example is just like Pareto’s pea pods, a few teams account for the majority of the rewards. Examples of the Pareto Principle exist in almost everything, from real estate to income inequality to tech startups. But we have to ask, why does this happen? Why do a few people, teams, and organizations enjoy the majority of the rewards in life? To be able to answer this, we can look at an example from nature.

The Pareto Principle

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The 1% Rule Tiny differences in performance can lead to very unequal distributions when repeated over time. This is why creating good habits is so important. People who most often do the right things and have good habits are more likely to maintain an edge over those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Remember, you only have to be slightly better than your competition. If you are able to maintain that special edge every day, you will be able to repeat the process of coming out on top.

The 1 Percent Rule clearly states that over a period of time, the majority of rewards will go to people that maintain a 1% advantage over everyone else. This proves that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be twice as good as your competition, because it only really takes 1% more to be the best.

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JUNE TRAVEL The month that officially marks the beginning of summer, June may be the time most people start thinking about their summer vacation plans. To help you out a bit, here are some of the best places to travel during the month of June.

County Kerry, Ireland One of Ireland’s most popular road trips, the 111-mile long “Ring of Kerry” boasts rugged coastlines and breathtaking views. It is located on the southwest region on a peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean. There is a shorter drive, around the Dingle Peninsula, that also offers quite the views, along with the quaint town of Dingle, which has been featured in many films. There are plenty of hotels and areas to stay during the month of June.

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Although rain might be an issue during this time of month, it certainly keeps the temperatures down. For those who cannot afford a European vacation could consider this destination a great alternative. Flights are cheaper, hotels and cheaper and the city center is very nice in places.

Mexico City, Mexico

Langkawi, Malaysia The month of June is a great time to visit this Archipelago in Malaysia. Crowds are lighter and temperatures are cooler than in later summer months. There may be the occasional rainfall, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s typically during the night. Escape to the peaceful beaches, go on hikes in the rainforest and enjoy cultural experiences without being surrounded by people.

With temperatures relatively the same throughout the year, you could really visit this place any time. However, June is not part of the rainy season which makes this time of the year ideal. Do some research and you will find that visiting Bali is not as expensive as one might think. Some people advise to show up rather than booking online if you want to save some big bucks.

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Kuta, Bali

Cotswolds, England This rural area south of central England is a perfect place to visit in June. In this countryside town, the days get longer and the meadows are sprawling with wildflowers during this time of year. Plus, June is a quieter time than July or August as children are still in school. A common recommendation for a place to stay is called The Fish, a country house-style hotel on 400 acres of land. They have recently opened three luxury treehouses equipped with heated floors, open-plan living rooms, wraparound decks and outdoor tubs.

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Some may think Colorado is strictly a place to visit in the winter, but the summertime offers just as many activities. The temperature typically remains in the 70’s which makes it ideal hiking, biking, golfing or even just walking weather. In June, the Food and Wine Classic is held, giving you the perfect excuse to plan your next trip.

Aspen, Colorado

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt For those who like a warm and dry climate, Egypt in June may be the place to visit. A resort called The Red Sea is a very affordable place to say and will likely remain that way for quite awhile. It’s a safe area and has been for years, so if you’re not intimidated, it’s definitely a top recommendation by many.

Salina Island, Italy

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A naturally beautiful and relatively untouched Island, Salina is a breathtaking destination. June is a perfect month to visit as you won’t quite get the intense summer heat. With over 400 types of plants on the island, there’s plenty to see and explore. The Principe di Salina Boutique Hotel offers elegant rooms with private terraces overlooking the sea.

The Berkshires, Massachusetts A beautiful, mountainous area with amazing views and historic sites, The Berkshires in Massachusetts is an underrated place to visit. During the summer months, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Festival are huge attractions. The festival draws hundreds of thousands of people a year to enjoy all sorts of music, food and fun. If music isn’t your thing though, there’s tons of other options like historic sites and an abundance of outdoor activities.

Istanbul, Turkey

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During June, Istanbul holds their annual and prestigious International Istanbul Music Festival, featuring some of the most beautiful classical music spanning throughout different mosques, cathedrals and amphitheaters. The month of June also brings warm and sunny weather allowing the perfect opportunity to swim in the crystal blue water or relax on the picturesque beaches.

Edmonton, Canada Warmer weather greets Canada in June, and Edmonton is just the city to experience it. With plenty of events and activities going on in June, one can attend the Freewill Shakespeare Festival, presenting “Hamlet” and “Comedy of Errors” as well as the Edmonton Pride Festival, with food trucks, beer gardens, parades and tons of food. There’s also an array of concerts in the early June month presented through the Nuova Opera and Music Theater Festival.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE EXHAUSTED?

You Are Easily Irritated If almost everything irritates you and it is making you uptight, it’s time to take a step back and evaluate why this is happening. If you find yourself getting annoyed with your employees or colleagues, you need to be able to identity if these reasons are justified or if it just because you are exhausted. Maybe a day off is needed or some morning yoga to calm your mind. If your motivation starts slipping, it’s a warning sign. Not being motivated to get work done is a terrible feeling because you end up in a vicious cycle of not getting work done and being stressed out, which is not going to help the situation at all.

You know those times when you are so tired and have zero energy to even stand up? That’s called a burnout, and they’re more common than you think. People suffer from burnouts all the time. It’s kind of when your body says, “Nope, not today” and just doesn’t move. Most people do not realize the severity of a burn out and just look past it, but they are nasty things. How do you know when a burnout is going to happen? Here are some things to look out for before a burnout appears.

You Experience Bad Anxiety Most people are not aware, but anxiety is silent killer. It affects 40 million adults in the United States or 18% of the population every year. As a direct result of your exhaustion, stress levels rise and ignites the anxiety. If an anxiety attack is occurring once a day, that is a sign to slow down because all that will do is ruin your chances of stopping a bad burnout.

You Have Trouble Sleeping Whether you struggle to fall asleep every night or keep waking up at 3am, keep an eye on your sleeping habits because sleep is crucial. Not sleeping can drastically affect your output and make you feel terrible.

There are many things you can do to prevent these things or stop them if they are already happening. Take some time to really get yourself to a good place. If you have to spend an entire weekend at home sleeping, do it. Don’t let Susan’s “let’s go out tonight” text messages persuade you to overdo it. Also, do not be ashamed to admit you need some time to relax. Start exercising. Go for a walk every day or at least 4 times a week. Take 20 minutes to get your heart rate up, legs moving and embrace your surroundings. You’d be surprised how calming that can be. A couple minutes outside in the fresh air and warm sun can do wonders.

Another thing you can do is make sure you are drinking enough water. Water is a life saver, and you need to be hydrated to be the best you can. No one can function while suffering with dehydration. At the end of the day, stress is something we all face, but we can make sure we do everything we can do prevent it in some cases. If you are aware of all these signs, you can stop yourself from getting into burnout mode.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Each can occur if you are not getting enough sleep and are too stressed. Feeling dizzy when you get up or feeling constantly nauseous throughout the day is not normal, and it shouldn’t be happening. If it is, don’t underplay it as a caffeine rush. When you are getting sick, that is a warning sign from your body.

Dizziness And Nausea

Powerful Magazine March 2018

In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business world, things are changing at an alarmingly fast pace: how we do business, where we do business, and who we can do business with has drastically changed over the last 20 years, even 10 years. Technology has been a major factor in a lot of the changes in business, in some ways making it easier while at the same time bringing new challenges to the forefront.

The role that men and women play in business has also dramatically changed as well. As far as we have come on these changes, we are also being held back the very things that we as women want to move us forward. The other major change is literally the youth that is found in business these days. Business are being started by people who are younger and younger each and every day, which challenges a lot of the norms.

GOOD OR BAD?

Powerful Magazine March 2018

THE CHANGING FACE OF BUSINESS

Technology Changing the Face of Business August 5th of this year will mark 20 years since Amazon announced that it would move beyond just selling books. Almost 20 years ago, amazon only sold books, but now you can buy just about anything on Amazon, some items with same-day delivery or the option to pick up at a specific location. That one business has leveraged technology and has changed the way we shop online and through apps. One would say that change in technology has made not only Amazon a much better business, but has also made a lot of its customers lives easier. This is only example technology is changing the face of business.

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Technology has also made owning a business that much more challenging. Right now, anything you say or do is almost instantly posted somewhere online. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube have completely changed the game. Anything you say or do can be captured at any time, taken out of any context, and repurposed to come across any way someone wants it to. Only one side of a story can be told, and people can attack and be attacked much easier. When an employee gets upset at their manager, they can immediately take to social media and post something. That post is seen by someone, and the damage has been done. That post can lead to job loss, a damaged company reputation, and many other unfortunate things. At the same time, these exact platforms are where a lot of businesses advertise their products and services and grow their brand organically without having to spend a lot of money. So many products, brands, and businesses are born on these social media channels that wouldn’t be here today.

There is so much positive and negative to just social media channels alone, so how can anyone even make a decision on what is accepted and what isn’t at this point in their business? Technology has also given us smartphones that can really drive our business and do so many things, from emails, to conference calls, to video conferences, to editing documents, and accessing apps to check company data at any time...almost allowing us to run multiple aspects of our business at all times and making everyone accessible 24/7. Weekends are starting to disappear, working hours are getting more and more blurry, and the immediacy in which responses are expected can be overwhelming. All of these things have made it easier to expand, nationally and internationally, which only increases the demand and expectations that we are placing on ourselves and everyone around us. 20 years ago, there were set office hours. When Friday at 5pm came along, things shut down. Working on the go wasn’t really a viable option for most people and put in place clear lines of when to work and when not to… those days, however, are gone.

So, technology has brought us so far, but is it starting to hold us back from actually connecting with each other? I am sure that anyone reading this would say how much technology has helped us in business but also played a problem as well.

The Changing Face of Women in Business We have come a very long way in business, but arguably still have a long way to gol. The #MeToo moment started with one intention and has shifted in a completely different direction. Today, we have CEO’s like Marissa Meyer, COO’s like Sheryl Sandberg, Women Entrepreneurs like Bethenny Frankel and Sara Blakely who are all paving the way for women as C-Suite Executives and as business owners. However, there still are too few women in this space. Many businessmen, like JT Foxx, know and have said multiple times that women are oftentimes better at business than men because women are great at balance, multitasking, listening, leading, and building relationships… so why aren’t there more of us?

We use apps for banking, to get rides, to book travel, connect with friends, and even date. Businesses are being created every day operating solely on our desire as a culture to be more and more based in leveraging technology. We want to interact with people less and less each and every day.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Building a business completely online is something that is now not only an option, but completely the norm. Now, most business and brands are starting online before opening a physical location or office. This has given so many more people the opportunity to start their own business and launch their own idea. Even kids and teenagers can start their own businesses or online store, and frankly, most of the time, they are even better at it than adults because using technology is part of their everyday life.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Over the past months, numerous women have come out to speak against many celebrities and powerful businessmen. The claims and allegations range from comments made to individuals being forced to do something. I am not the judge nor the jury, but I myself have seen the results of this. Men are now more cautious than ever to have women around them, and men have become more and more reluctant to meet with women alone.

As the #MeToo movement started, there was focus on powerful men using their position to sexually take advantage of women. Let me be very clear on this, insinuating to a women that she sleeps with you or perform some sexual act in order to move ahead is a total abuse of power. This, however, is completely different to a powerful man or woman having multiple people attracted to them and choosing to consent in some sort of sexual relationship because they both wanted to. The gray lines that are being created here are making it now more challenging than ever for women.

I have had conversations with men who run companies all over the world, none of which want to be quoted, but have all said the same things. “I won’t take a meeting with a woman without a third person present for the meeting.” Or , “If given the option at the current time, I would rather put a male in a position then a female as I don’t want issues down the road.” The movement that was supposed to bring us up to the same playing field has started to push us all backwards.

On February 5th 2018, Mr. Foxx decided to make his current CEO step down so he could step back in, and then gave me the opportunity to become his COO; something at that time a lot of male CEOs in business would have been hesitant to do. JT has always treated me as an equal, holding me to the same standards and expectations as any of the men he has formerly had in leadership.

Women have now decided that they can do anything in business that any man can do. Women have come a long a way since the days of the show “Mad Men”, but still have a lot of change to make in the marketplace.

Currently, there are more and more women not accepting of where they are and are saying they can do it on their own. “I can start my own business; I don’t need to work for someone else.” This changing environment is bringing new businesses and new competition into the market.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

In the midst of all of this happening in the media, somehow as a women, I was promoted to being a COO. Interestingly enough, JT Foxx and I have had a number of very candid conversations on this exact topic, being able to speak openly and honestly about each of our perspectives and how it actually impacts his business.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

The Youthful Face of Business Today, most 15-yearolds can create an online business overnight and find ways to create more businesses and generate new ideas and competition. University students are meeting each other on campus and starting a business instead of finishing school. It used to be the norm to have to have money to be able to start a business, but now all you need is an idea and some knowledge of how to use the internet. If you need to raise capital, you can utilize things like kickstarter or gofundme to share your idea and have strangers participate in crowdfunding to get the money you need to start your business. Need a website?

Well, not only has WordPress made it easy, but there are a ton of services which can enable you to put together a website very quickly. You can market through social media channels for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. Your entire business can be built overnight and start generating revenue almost just as quickly. No one understands this better than the youth of today. This age group understands technology better than any and also knows how to leverage it for their business.

Gone are the days of lemonade stands; kids have the tools and are starting to prove to be major competition in the marketplace.

If you think you can keep doing this the old way, your business isn’t going to be around forever. Someone who is younger, more tech savvy, and most likely a woman is going to be coming for you, but you won’t even see her coming because you won’t know where to look. The face of business is changing, and you better find a way to change with it so you don’t get left behind.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Youth entrepreneurs are changing the game in a big way and creating a new level of competition. Yes, everyone knows about Facebook, but some other really big businesses were started by kids in University. Dropbox was started by two university students who were tired of their email not being able to exchange large files to one another. Reddit was started as a way to not only share but vote on content; a year after it was started it was sold to Conde’ Nast. Mo’s Bows’ founder was only 14 when he started the company, which exploded overnight after being featured on “Shark Tank.”

Powerful Magazine March 2018

JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER Powerful Magazine March 2018

...REALITY OR MYTH? We all do it: judge something or someone by the way they look. It is kind of a natural process that just happens without people even being aware. So if you know that, then could you actually be in control of how other people judge you? If people judge books by their covers, all you have to do is always look your best and no one can negatively judge you. Now, having said that, does what you wear to work matter? And, does it directly impact how successful you could be? Well, we think so. Pretending that no one cares or notices your drab office wardrobe isn’t doing you any favors. The Wall Street Journal highlighted a few studies that backed that up. They said It does matter what you wear to work. Not only do your clothes affect your confidence, but people make quick judgments about your abilities, skills and sometimes even intelligence based on what you’re wearing. No one wants to look up to someone with a fuzzy sweater and dirty shoes. In a 2014 study at Yale, men who wore suits were better at negotiating deals than those who wore every day clothes or sweats. In the study, the participants who were dressed casually backed down faster than the ones in suits. In another study done last year, men who wore more formal office clothes tended to have stronger leadership skills than those who were dressed casually.

The formally dressed participants were better at abstract thinking and focusing on the big picture. While this isn’t all surprising, that the old notion of “dressing for the job you want” is backed up by modern-day research. When you’re new to a company, it takes a few weeks to feel out what the formality is and what fellow employees tend to do and wear. Chances are there’s definitely going to be some people in scuffed shoes and wrinkled shirts, and a couple over-achievers who are always one-step shy of black tie every morning. It’s about finding that medium. If your go to is to just wear a button-down shirt with jeans, change things up by switching out the jeans for trousers. If you’re someone who wears sneakers to the office, think about doing some wingtips instead.

Investing in yourself is crucial in being successful, even if you’re not making the big bucks yet. Spend any extra cash you have on clothes that’ll last you for years; clothes that you can wear when you have that special work event or you want to wear to impress people around you.

1) You wear your clothes with confidence, and 2) You look refined and clean. In order to achieve this, you have to pay close attention to the small things. For men, make sure your beard is neatly trimmed, your tie is straight and your shoes are polished. For women, make sure your hair is neat and face is clean, whether or not you choose to wear makeup.

Looking fresh and clean shows you put in effort in the morning. Also, be sure your clothes are up to business standard. It can be more tricky for women, especially for those with self-confidence issues, but we can assure you, if you’re dressed like a boss with a tiara, that cofindience will shine through.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

The saying “dress like a boss” means two things:

Powerful Magazine March 2018

Red

Red is a power color; it draws attention and tends to make people stop and look. Hence, traffic lights are red. It evokes a certain kind of strength and confidence.

Blue

Blue is known to be a calming color. Most people tend to be more productive if working in a predominantly blue room because it relaxes and helps concentration. Same goes for blue clothing.

If you decide to make these wardrobe changes, you must ease into it. Don’t go from a T-shirt and sweatpants to immediately a suit overnight. People around you will call you out on it, and they’d be right to. Doing this usually means you’re either after something or applying for a new job.

Purple

Purple is the color of royalty. It represents wealth and sophistication. You don’t have to necessarily wear an entire purple suit, but swapping the usual white shirt to a purple one could make a nice statement.

Black

Black is probably the most common color that people in the workplace wear. It symbolizes power and intelligence and is actually why graduation robes are black.

Make sure your transformation is slow and steady so that when you do show up to the office looking like a million bucks, everyone will think it’s because you got the big promotion. But be careful not to brag about your new changes, even if you’ve never looked better in your life. You don’t want to have to fish for compliments...let your colleagues do that. The most important thing we can tell you is dress for the job you want, because really... it matters!

Powerful Magazine March 2018

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TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS Fight or Flight?

Travel has become more of a common thread in business owners and entrepreneurs nowadays, but a frequently asked question is, “should I get a travel credit card?” and “will it actually benefit me?” There are certainly pros and cons with travel cards, so we are going to break down both the pros and cons so you can decide if getting one is the right decision for you. The most important aspect of a travel credit cards knowing how to use them. If you know how to properly use a travel credit card, you can stretch your travel budget enabling you to visit more places and upgrade accommodations. If we look at the statistics, the average American could earn up to $227 a year in bonus travel, after accounting for annual fees. Although, the rewards could be significantly higher, especially the first year. This higher figure accounts for a sign-up bonus which a lot of cards are making available nowadays, removing the annual fee. In fact, most travel cards offer a generous sign-up bonus usually around $1,000 - $5,000 in the first three months. “The bonuses on all rewards, especially travel rewards cards, are very good right now, as credit card issuers compete for market share”. Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com

Take Flight If you are an avid traveler and aren’t on a tight budget, a travel credit card could be a huge advantage for you. Also, if you don’t mind spending a bit more on a certain flight or hotel, the rewards could add up to give you an extra trip. Basically, the more you spend, the more benefits you get.

Fight Temptation Temptation is inevitable, and if you have a rewards card, ensuring that you don’t overspend is crucial, otherwise there really is no point in having one to begin with. Rewards cards can encourage spending that leads to budget-busting behavior. According to a NerdWallet nationwide survey, around onethird of people with travel reward cards say they often overspend to earn points for a trip. Interestingly, 10% of those who don’t have a travel rewards card say it’s because they’re concerned they would overspend just to earn more rewards. This is a valid concern as many people do just that, and getting people to overspend is one of the goals of the companies providing the cards.

For those who can fight the temptation and stick to their budget, “a travel rewards card will save them money over time, as rewards will reduce what they spend out of pocket for travel,” the NerdWallet report noted.

They Are Not For Everyone Even if you want to get a travel credit card, not everyone can. To qualify for one, you have to have an excellent credit score of around 700 or higher, and with some rewards cards, you’ll lose a month’s points if you miss a payment, Consumer Reports cautions in its Best Reward Card Buying Guide. To get those points back in your account, you might be charged a reinstatement fee of $25 or so. Most of the top-rated rewards cards have an annual fee of around $95 that is waived for the first year. After that, these cards can and probably will cost you money. If you don’t make enough purchases to earn a decent amount of points, you will just be in for more than you anticipated. Also, something to remember is, “if you’re carrying a balance on your credit card each month, any benefits you earn are quickly erased by what you’re paying in interest and fees,” a NerdWallet credit card expert, Kimberly Palmer, told NBC News BETTER.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

“It’s always a competitive business, but when people are spending, credit card issuers know that they have to work harder to get a share of your wallet — to have you reach for their credit card before the others you have. And that’s why they try to sweeten the rewards,” Hardekopf told NBC News BETTER.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

The Platinum card gives you an annual credit of $200 for airline fees and an Uber credit of up to $200 as well as access to more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide. Both cards reimburse the application fee for TSA PreCheck ($85) and Global Entry ($100).

What Are Your Options? The Bank of America Travel Rewards card has no fee. “If you’re a relatively modest spender, it can be a good card for you because it has a pretty low threshold,” said Palmer said. “You only have to spend a thousand dollars within the first 90 days of opening the card to get that sign-up bonus worth about $200.” The American Express Platinum Card ($550 annual fee) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($450) are for travel veterans. Most of their value is in the perks.

Another option to consider is if you tend to favor one airline or hotel, you could get a credit card co-branded with that airline or hotel. Jill Gonzales, senior analyst at WalletHub, says these co-branded cards have some money-saving perks that are going to be “a lot more lucrative to you” than one of the general-use travel cards.

The best airline and hotel rewards cards offer a big sign-up bonus and some discount vouchers on the anniversary of opening up the account. Airline cards have 2 important perks, which are - priority boarding and free luggage check for the first bag, which is a saving of up to $200 per round trip for a family of 4.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

58 Powerful Magazine March 2018

GOALS VS. SYSTEMS Goals: we’ve all heard that word many times throughout our lives. It’s ingrained in our minds that we have to set goals for ourselves, and we need to achieve those goals, but what is actually the point of setting goals? And how do we do it correctly? Whether it’s a business goal, a lifestyle goal or any other goal for that matter, we all have things that we want to achieve in our lives. The path to success starts by setting a specific and actionable goal. But what most people do not know is that when it comes to actually getting things done and making progress in the areas that are important to you, there is a much better way of doing things. It really all comes down to the difference between goals and systems

What’s the difference between goals and systems? Let’s break it down; if you are a sports coach, your goal will be to win the championship, and your system will be what you make your team do in practice. If you’re an entrepreneur, your goal is to have a successful business, and your system is your sales and marketing process. What if we shook things up though. What if you completely ignored your goals and focused only on your system…would you still get results? Let’s go back to those examples; if you are a sports coach and you ignored your goal to win the championship but you focused completely on what your team does in practice, would you get the same results? And the same goes for the entrepreneur.

Goals affect your happiness When you set a goal, you are actively working towards it. However, you are essentially saying you’re not good enough yet, but you will be when you reach your goal. The problem with this is that you’re subconsciously teaching yourself that your happiness and success will be fulfilled once your next goal is reached. That needs to stop. Instead of focusing on what you can be, focus on how to get there. Committing to a process is crucial. Can you imagine if I made myself a goal of writing an entire books worth of words? Just saying that gives me anxiety, but I did it, without even realizing. Choosing and sticking to a goal can put a lot of pressure on someone, but we do that to ourselves daily. We can control those burdens though and make things much easier for ourselves. Ignore the goals, and keep it simple. Focus on daily processes, and stick to your system. When you focus on the practice instead of the performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time.

Goals aren’t always long-term It’s possible that your goals will keep you motivated over the long-term, but that’s not always true. Think about someone training for a marathon.

You don’t really have control As we all know, we can’t predict the future, so why do we think that when we set a goal, we can predict it will happen? Someone may set a goal to have a business in 3 months, but how do they actually know what will happen in those three months? They don’t.

Importance of falling in love with systems None of this is to say that goals are useless, and we shouldn’t ever talk about them again. However, goals are good for planning your progress, and systems are good for making progress. Goals can provide you with direction of course and even push you forward in the short-term, but after a while, a well-designed system will always win. Having a system in place is what really matters. Committing to the process is what makes the difference.

They will work so hard for months, but as soon as they complete the race, they stop training. Their goal was to do the marathon and now that they have, that goal is no longer there to motivate them, so it gets disregarded. When all of your energy and hard work is focused on one particular goal, what is left to motivate you forward after

Powerful Magazine March 2018

You ignored your goal to create a successful business and purely focused on sales and marketing, would you get the same results? The answer is likely yes and here’s how: over the past few months, I have written many articles, many words, enough words to fill an entire book. I didn’t set writing a book as my goal, I just wrote the articles. I focused on my system and what happened? I basically wrote a book.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

WITH CHRIS CHRISTOFI

Starting a business, becoming a successful entrepreneur and making enough money to not have to worry about the future is something many people strive for, but it takes a lot of dedication, passion and drive. The meaning of the word ‘financial freedom’ differs from person to person; what may make one person financially free may not necessarily work for another person, but it’s probably safe to say we all understand the meaning in our own way.

In order to get to a place of financial freedom, there are steps that need to be put in place and strategies that need to be worked on. An attribute that entrepreneurs hold is risk taking; in anything, you have to take risks to succeed. The saying that we all hear is “high-risk, high-reward” and it is true.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS FROM THE GROUND UP

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Now, this isn’t to say you should always be taking risks, but a certain amount of willingness to take risks needs to be there. Even just starting a business is in fact a risk. What if it fails? What if it takes too long to make money? What if you’re am not cut out for this? These are a few questions that will most certainly go through anyone’s mind before starting a business, but the most important thing to remember is – if you never try, you will never succeed.

Many entrepreneurs around the world are constantly looking for new and different ways to make money.

A great way to do that is through investing. There are hundreds of ways to invest, but the most important part is finding the right investments and what will work best for you. As we all know, to invest is to allocate money in the expectation of some benefit in the future. But not many people know how to invest or where to invest. It can be a very daunting task; you are using your own money, so what if you lose it? What if it takes too long before you see a return? Those are aspects that unfortunately hold people back from investing and that takes away the financial freedom that one can have from investing. Retirement is a word that many people shy away from until it’s too late. Thinking about retiring and getting older is scary, and many people just do not want to do it, but the fact of the matter is, you have to do it. If you don’t start planning for the future, you will not have an easy stress-free retirement.

Chris Christofi didn’t wait to plan for his future. In his late 20’s, he had already started investing in property. As a family man, Chris knows the importance of being able to support his family as much as possible. It was his entrepreneurial spirit that led him to start Reventon Group.

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Reventon is one of Australia’s leading investment and financial service companies and has helped a countless amount of Australians, from first-time investors to savvy experienced investors, build wealth. Established in 2005, Reventon built a strong foundation in property and progressively expanded the services offered to include a full range of financial services. Reventon has helped guide many people to protect and secure their financial future. They will work hard to ensure their clients achieve their goals in the shortest time possible and have a positive and memorable experience in doing so. Important aspects of investing include knowing exactly what you’re investing in, why you’re investing in it and what your return will be. Reventon strives for complete transparency in their investments so all of their clients know exactly what they are investing in and where their money is going.

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To invest, a person will needs funds; Chris and the Reventon Group understand that coming up with the funds can be difficult, and sometimes people just do not have enough money to invest. That is why Reventon helps individuals and families find the funds to invest. They actively help by putting a number of strategies into place to enable their clients to find the funds they need.

Reventon’s 5 Steps to Financial Freedom The Initial Assessment – The Reventon team is like no other, they care about their clients and always ensure complete client satisfaction. That is why in the initial assessment, one of their qualified and licensed professionals help their clients clearly define their financial goals and objectives and establish if they are on track and what options may be available to them. This will aid the client in getting a clear understanding of what, where and how their investment will work.

Finance Consultation – The Reventon team allows their clients the opportunity to meet with their experienced finance specialists who will carefully design a plan that will best suit the client and their family and identify the most effective way to pay down existing debts and create new appreciating assets. Not many people have access to experienced reliable finance specialists, and that is why this step is so crucial.

Investment Consultation – As we know, investing can get tricky. The Reventon team sets up a meeting with an investment consultant to identify the most effective and affordable investment strategy. This is to begin the implementation stage of the client’s investment strategy and is where things start to get exciting; it’s where the clients investments start to come to life.

Financial Planning and Accounting – The Reventon’s team of financial planners will give their clients professional financial advice on their long-term goals tailored to their individual needs and circumstances. This is to maximize one’s investment returns with Reventon accounting.

Ongoing management – The Reventon team always keeps an open line of communication. They believe in transparency and that communication is key. The Revention team works hard to keep their clients in the loop; they include 6 monthly updates, reviews, monthly newsletters and happy calls to ensure their clients stay on track and achieve their financial goals.

The Reventon team truly cares deeply for their clients and their financial futures. This team has worked very hard to create a solid and trustworthy company whose main goal is to to help as many people as possible. Put your trust in them, and you will see great returns in the future.

Powerful Magazine March 2018

THE FINE LINE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG There most definitely is a fine line between right

6 in 10 LGBT students report feeling unsafe at

and wrong. Not with everything, of course, but

school because of their sexual orientation. Pride

there are some cases where we question our-

Month started as a way for people of the LGBTQ

selves. “Am I doing the right thing?”, some peo-

community to feel accepted and give people

ple may wonder, but who’s to really know what

who are not part of the community the oppor-

is right or wrong? Is it purely the law?

tunity to better understand the lives of the people in the LGBTQ community. There have been

Many people and celebrities have taken a huge

major shifts and changes in the way the LGBTQ

interest and stand in LGBTQ rights and are

community is viewed, especially with respected

actively trying to shine light on the communi-

celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Neil Patrick Har-

ty and create awareness. Something that not

ris, Halsey and Ellen DeGeneres supporting the

many people know is that 42% of people who

community.

are LGBT are living in unwelcoming environments and 38% are homeless.

lotte Anderson Elementary School in Arlington,

mit personal belief regarding political or sectar-

Texas, Stacy Bailey, an art teacher, introduced

ian issues.” They also denied the allegations of

herself to her new fourth grade students with an

discrimination and said the district has been an

interesting slide show of her life, she thought it

“inclusive, supportive environment for LGBT

would be a nice touch for the kids. As he started,

staff for decades.” Ms. Bailey has been a teacher

there were photographs of her family, friends

at the elementary school for 10 years, and she

and her childhood. But there was 1 picture that

was even voted teacher of the year twice during

didn’t go down so well, a picture of her partner

that time. She is seeking a jury trial, reinstate-

of seven years, Julie Vazquez, who Ms. Bailey ex-

ment at the school and possible damages. She

plained to her students was her future wife. The

appeared with her now wife, Ms. Vazquez, , at a

light-hearted picture was of the two-woman

news conference with her lawyer, to announce

dressed in fish costumes from the film “Finding

the legal action. Ms. Vazquez said in an interview

Nemo.” That image set off an array of negative re-

on Thursday that since Ms. Bailey was placed on

actions from parents and school district officials.

paid administrative leave in September, she has

According to a lawsuit filed, Ms. Bailey says the

been strictly instructed by the district not to dis-

incident amounted to extreme discrimination.

cuss the case or attend any events at the school.

She also said her career was severely damaged when she was accused of showing inappropri-

“The isolation is extremely heartbreaking,” Ms.

ate images to children, put on leave and told she

Vazquez said. “She has really missed out.” The

would be transferred. The lawsuit clearly says:

lawsuit states that after Ms. Bailey showed the

“Plaintiff is lesbian/gay and was born that way.”

class the slide show presentation, the principal informed her that a parent had complained she

The Mansfield Independent

was promoting a “homosexual agenda” in class.

School District, aka, the de-

The lawsuit also states that, the principal told

fendant in the lawsuit along

her he did not believe she had done anything

with two district officials, sees

wrong. Ms. Bailey was also told that same par-

it very differently. “There has

ent had complained after she spoke to her class

never been an issue with her

about the artist Jasper Johns, and mentioned

open sexual orientation un-

that the students had just learned in the previ-

til this year,” the district said

ous term about his partner, Robert Rauschen-

in a statement. “That’s when

berg. An assistant superintendent and one of

her actions in the classroom

the defendants, Kimberly Cantu, told Ms. Bailey

changed, which prompted her

that the parent said Ms. Bailey had shown the

students to voice concerns to

children “sexually inappropriate” images, accord-

their parents.”

ing to the lawsuit. It also says that some other parents made complaints after they were “enlist-

In the statement, it was said

ed” by the first parent. Ms. Bailey was asked to

that the issue was whether

resign in October but she refused. Ms. Vazquez

Ms. Bailey had followed dis-

said that some parents and community members

trict guidelines that require

have been supportive of the couple.

“controversial

subjects

taught in ‘an impartial and objective manner.’

That teachers cannot use the classroom to trans-

Powerful Magazine March 2018

But just last year, at the start of the term at Char-

Mr. Smith, Ms. Bailey’s lawyer, said the case highlights a “cultural divide in the district”, which lies between Dallas and Fort Worth. “Local leaders tend to be old Mansfield, while the population is 68

tending to be more diverse,” he said. “She used age-appropriate terms,”, describing Ms. Bailey’s classroom presentation. “She never used the

Powerful Magazine March 2018

term ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian.’ She used the term, ‘this is my future wife.’ She never talked about sex or anything inappropriate.” Ms. Vazquez said she and Ms. Bailey have been together since 2011 and were married in March, a few months after the slide show as given. “The whole situation is just a little mind-boggling,” she said. “The bottom

The Parents This is where we see the fine line. Some parents

line is that our family has a right to talk about our

would say that it is not right to be subjecting 4th

family just the same as any other family.”

graders to controversial subjects and that that specific topic should be something the parents them-

Now, in every situation there are always two

selves get to talk to their kids about. When your

sides to the story, but in this particular story, who

child comes home, as a 9/10-year-old saying “Ms.

is right and who is wrong?

Bailey has a girlfriend”, it can be alarming to some

The Teacher One could say that the teacher had no bad in-

parents because sexual orientation is firstly private and isn’t something other people should be teaching kids about.

tentions to show the kids anything inappropriate; she was just simply showing her class a glimpse

Both sides have their points, and both sides may be

of her life. And yes, in her life, she happens to

right and wrong in different ways. At the end of the

be in a relationship with a woman. Gay, lesbian,

day, something that may seem right to one person

or transgender, these are all factors of real life.

may be totally wrong to another. It’s never really

If it were a picture of a man, no one would have

black and white, and that’s just something to people

raised an eyebrow, so why does it have to be dif-

have to accept.

ferent?

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Powerful Magazine March 2018