Latinos’ economic contributions in the U.S. make up an essential part of the country’s future, according to a new report.
The Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), a non-partisan national organization focused on “advancing a more accurate portrayal of Latinos,” released a study that measured the community’s economic power by calculating the strength of its workforce and the Latino Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of 2015. READ MORE AT HUFFINGTON POST
Mothers and grandmothers realize the impacts climate change will have on their babies, according to a new poll released yesterday (June 29). And they’re worried—especially Black and Latina moms.
Public Policy Polling conducted the poll, which surveyed 804 mothers and grandmothers in the U.S. from June 21 to 22. Of those, 13 percent were Black, 7 percent Latinx and 5 percent other races, but the numbers show that these moms have the strongest sentiments about the global manmade catastrophe.
The survey found that 87 percent of Latinas and 84 percent of Black mother figures surveyed agree with the statement: “We are not doing enough as a nation to protect clean air and clean water for your children and grandchildren in the coming years and decades.” READ MORE AT COLORLINES
Half of the highest-paying jobs for college graduates are in technology, but—despite the high pay—employers struggle to fill these and other positions. According to the National Science Foundation, in 2013, there were 262,981 blacks, Hispanics, and Indian Americans ages 45 years and younger with bachelor’s or advanced degrees in computer and mathematical sciences or electrical engineering—three of several fields closely associated with high-tech jobs. READ MORE AT CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS
Creating an engaged audience on any of your social networks involves give and take. People "like" brands on Facebook as a sign of support. They shop in your store, appreciate the service provided, and support the work. They have some sort of relationship with your business or organization and are demonstrating a willingness to receive updates. Before developing a working social media strategy, here are some useful information:
Facebook -- According to a Syncapse study, which surveyed 2,000 respondents, the main reason people like a Facebook Page is because of the relationship they share with the brand.
Here are the top three reasons consumers decide to like a Facebook Page:
49% To support a brand I like
42% To get a coupon or discount
41% To receive regular updates from brands they like
Twitter -- The Advertising Research Foundation, 54% of users took action after seeing a brand mentioned on Twitter.
23% visited the brand's website
20% visited the brand's twitter page
20% search the brand online
19% consider trying the brand
18% retweet Tweets mentioning the brand
Companies and brands readily include their product offerings in social media. Equally, consumers are increasingly comfortable with purchasing products online. Given the promising potential of eCommerce, it is important to have a flexible marketing strategy. A good marketing plan will grow and adjust with the fads and trends within social media. To achieve an effective marketing plan, one must understand both corporate and consumer perspectives.
Create Detailed Goals And Objectives
A recent article in Forbes Magazine, companies have spent over 11% of their budget on social media. The article says, "Success in the social world of marketing requires a deep connection to the customer and the ability to drive a transformation of the company to embrace a whole new type of customer engagement." As more and more companies work on integrating social media into their corporate marketing and communication plans, there is a growing emphasis in creating a winning social media strategy.
Top-level athletes, successful entrepreneurs and achievers in all areas of life set goals. Goals give a vision of the future, but also motivation in a moment. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.
For example, instead of having "to sail around the world" as a goal, it's better to use the SMART goal "Completed my trip around the world by December 31, 2018." Obviously, this will only be attainable if a lot of preparation has been completed beforehand.
Take Time to Measure Results
It is equally important to measure success after goals and objects are in place. Among the most common goals include:
Analyze, Adjust and Improve
Once you have measured your success and progress towards your goal, you need to analyze and identify key areas that need improvement, adapt to changing trends and improve your overall social media campaign. Remember, it is not always a straight road ahead, so you need to constantly evaluate and adjust.
Complexities of Social Media
Social media is very complex and constantly evolving. It’s no wonder why many businesses struggle to figure it out and keep up. While a number have enjoyed quantifiable success, there are also many who failed, and the rest have still yet to figure out their social media strategy.
Missteps in meeting social media goals and objectives occur due to not understanding the important social media concepts. While it is true that social media gives businesses free exposure, many organizations fail to carefully plan the message they want to convey, as they would have normally done for any expensive ad campaign.
Need a Coach?
Any organization needs to build and nurture the needs of their social networks. There are many approaches to achieve these results, the following are methods that work:
Consider getting a coach, a life coach, business coach or both. I feel fortunate enough to have had this experience and am now in a position to return the favor to others that are just starting out. If you are interested in a coach, please send me your email so I may contact you directly within the next 24 hours or go to my website: https://21kgroup.com/coaching.
Ever experienced the soul-crushing realization that you’re not getting paid as much as you should? Do you find yourself swimming through extra work, without the buoy of a title bump to match? Sounds like you need to negotiate for a change. If the thought of asking your boss for a raise, or countering a prospective employer’s initial offer gives you the shivers, there’s hope: negotiation doesn’t have to be scary.
Too many professionals avoid negotiation because they don’t want to seem too aggressive, offend anyone or look ungrateful — or because they simply don’t know how to effectively ask for what they deserve.READ MORE AT PAYSCALE
Amid the bloodshed in Venezuela, the corruption scandal in Brazil and the stream of bizarre statements coming out of President Trump’s Twitter feed, a very important news item has gone almost unnoticed in Latin America: A new study says the region is failing miserably in innovation.
The Global Innovation Index 2017, a ranking of 130 countries across the world, says that African, Eastern European and Southeast Asian countries are doing much better than Latin America when it comes to modernizing their economies... READ MORE AT MIAMI HERALD
Latinos are becoming an increasingly critical engine for America’s economic growth, a new report finds.
In 2015, the 55 million Latinos living and working in the U.S. were responsible for $2.13 trillion — or 11.8% — of America’s $18.04 trillion gross domestic product, according to a study released Thursday by the Latino Donors Collaborative, a nonpartisan association of Latino business, political and academic leaders.
And those contributions are expected to continue to grow. READ MORE AT FOX NEWS ST.LOUIS
We are all survivors.
We wouldn’t be here if you have not.
You work hard. You manage stressful jobs. Some of you have businesses and don’t know where the next income stream is going to come from and some of you don’t know if you will pay the rent this month yet, you find a way. Many of us have relationship problems that distract us from what we are trying to achieve. Some of us have physical disabilities that challenge or prohibit us from the basic activities the rest of us enjoy.
Surviving is not easy! We give too little credit to survivors. It requires physical and mental readiness. It also requires the ability to change and adapt. We have all achieved some level of success in life, if only to graduate from high school or secure a job. Surviving also counts as things we overcame or avoided like drugs, smoking or bad people. Surviving means if nothing else you showed up. You know the saying, “80% of success in life is just showing up."
This morning when I went for my morning run, I saw three people at the corner bus stop. One was listening to music. I assume this because he was humming and bobbing his head. The woman next to him was anxiously waiting for the bus, switching between looking up the road with head stretched out and looking at the watch on her arm hoping to somehow will the bus to arrive quicker. Then there was the third person. A young lady reading the book, “Purpose Driven Life”. I know this book well. About 3 years ago, I received four hardback copies as Christmas gifts. Ironically, I had already downloaded the audiobook for myself as part of my winter reading. I guess someone was trying to tell me something. As I looked at these people at the bus stop, this thought came to me. Two of these three people are surviving and the other is a survivalist. Can you guess who is the survivalist?
Survivalists are built differently than survivors. It's like the ability to tread water versus knowing how to swim. Some of us wake up with no plan. Some of us wake up thinking how they are going to make it to the end of the day. Survivalists wake up on a mission. You know them. You see them. They usually wake up before the alarm, they are not late to events because they know why they are going to that place. They look good and are charming. They are patient, but direct. If you want to change your life for the better, consider transforming yourself from being a survivor to becoming a survivalist. What is the difference between a survivor and a survivalist? Here are 5 things survivalists do:
Learn, Learn, Learn
“Fortune favors the prepared mind”. - Louis Pasteur
I cannot stress the importance of a good education. Receiving a college or university education is the foundation that can put you on a course to make you above average. I know some people who are not the “sharpest tool in the toolbox”, but because they have college degrees, they have positions of leadership. Now, no matter if you have a college degree or not, make an annual goal to receive some sort of certification. Challenge yourself to receive not just vocational certifications, but take introductory courses in law or marketing as well. I also stress that before you decide what courses to take, map out your life plan and then choose courses that will enrich that plan. Maybe even ask someone to suggest a course you may have never considered. Remember a survivalist prepares for all contingencies.
Map out your life plan
Image yourself two, three or five years from now. Where do you want to be? Who do you want to be? Now, what could you do right now to begin preparing for that? Take a minute and think what you want for your life. Is it the new business? Is it the promotion at your job? Is it getting accepted into that exclusive club? How prepared are you? What do you need to do? This is your road map and from here you can begin filling in the daily and weekly tasks to achieve such goals. A good rock climber will map out his/her course, ask people who’ve travelled the course before and study the course before they start up the mountain.
Get physically in shape
Your brain is a muscle connect to your other muscles. Improve your body and you will improve your mind. Improve your mind and you will improve your body.
Weight loss and physical fitness are two very different things. Exercise does more than make you look good, it makes you feel better and think better. Taking care of your body leads to a stronger spirit and a stronger self-esteem. When you have a stronger spirit and stronger self-esteem, you will feel like you can accomplish more. You will be more attentive, more alive, more engaged. You will accomplish more and most importantly, you will become more attractive to others long before you actually lose the physical pounds.
One more thing, go to the doctor, get a check-up and make sure your body is in good working order. Also use your doctor as a low cost consultant to suggest how you can improve your health and physical fitness.
Improve the people around you
“Friendships take time, money and energy.” - Anonymous
Take stock with whom you spend your time with on a regular basis.
Are these people supportive?
Are these people fulfilling you with new ideas?
Are these people challenging themselves in life?
You should consider joining a club. There are clubs for self-improvement like Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is a group that helps people learn how to improve their public speaking skills. There are also online clubs to support all kinds of interests. I would encourage joining clubs that are both virtual and physical. It's good for your mind, body and soul to actually mingle with real people from time to time. Finally, surround yourself with people you want to become but make sure they can help nurture your growth. Survivalists are rarely alone.
Improve your overall standards
“Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.” - Groucho Marx
At the first barbeque for the summer, I was sitting among my friends. They began talking about the books they were reading. Now I read! I read a lot. For example, I read blog posts, magazine articles and I’m writing as well, but I was left out a discussion. These people are equally busy and quite frankly, I love them as my friends because they are all people I aspire to become in one way or another. When I sit among them, I feel like the person who bought the least expensive property in the best neighborhood. Anyway, I realized as busy as these people are in their walks of life, they make time to read. They don’t just read, they go to the New York best Seller’s list and pick books from there. With that said, I decided to begin listening to the audio books of those New York Times’ list. I still don’t have time to read, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the audio version. I listen while I’m jogging. I listen while, I’m on the train or on the bus. I listen to them while I'm in bed with the lights off.
When you sit among your friends, do they lift you to become a better you? Are the discussions such that you almost need to study up before the party? I’m not suggesting to dump your old friends, but old friends only know you who you were not necessarily who you are. Expand your relationships and make sure you are in a learning environment even among friends.
Consider getting a coach, a life coach, business coach or both. I feel fortunate enough to have had this experience and am now in a position to return the favor to others that are just starting out. If you are interested in a coach, please send me your email so I may contact you directly within the next 24 hours or go to my website: https://21kgroup.com/coaching.
Tempting as it is for any student to focus their search for work or work experience on the big household names such as Rolls-Royce or BAE Systems, when it comes to STEM, small is often beautiful.
So says Ann Watson, chief executive of not-for-profit employer-led skills organisation Semta. She is a passionate advocate for young people getting hands-on experience in engineering and science before embarking on a career.
“It’s the smaller firms which offer the vast majority of openings to undergraduates, graduates and apprentices, and whether you want to stay in your university town for the summer or travel back home, it’s always worth checking out the opportunities locally.” READ MORE AT THE TELEGRAPH
Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion is the largest acquisition to date by the Jeff Bezos-led company, and the most important merger in the retail industry. With this deal, Amazon now has 450 stores in major cities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. What are the implications for marketing and multicultural/Hispanic marketing in particular?
“Consumers are increasingly demanding products and services in near real time or "on-demand," and a physical presence in major cities gives Amazon an infrastructure to support consumers in near real time. This is especially salient when it comes to the grocery category,” READ MORE AT PORTADA
The economic output of the roughly 55 million Latinos in the United States would form the seventh-largest economy in the world, a new report shows, with a GDP of $2.1 trillion in 2015 — just behind France, but ahead of India.
If they were a US state, they'd have the country's second-largest economy, behind only California.
The report, produced by the Latino Donor Collaborative, is part of an effort to promote what is says is "a factual view of the importance of Latinos to our economy."
Far from being "a burden to U.S. society," it says, Latinos are a young, growing, and productive part of the economy. READ MORE AT BUZZFEED NEWS
Everyone wants success in his or her career, but it does not happen by accident or overnight. Those seeking to reach this destination should pay equal emphasis to the journey itself. Perseverance, hard work, training and the habits cultivated, are the path to achieving success and fulfillment that you want in your career.
Professional goals are proportioned by personal traits. These traits separate regular professionals from successful professionals:
1. Resilience : Rather than succumbing to failure, resilient people accept that something didn't work and go about finding a successful solution. READ MORE AT ECONOMIC TIMES
The workers’ comp industry is in for big changes as older workers continue to stay on the job longer and more Latinos are employed in the workplace. These changes to the U.S. workforce present employers with challenges to safety and retention, according to Rich Ives, Travelers vice president of workers’ compensation claims.
According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2017 career outlook report, older employees (ages 65 and up) are staying on the job longer and, as a labor group, are expected to grow the fastest of any other age group through 2024. READ MORE AT CLAIMS JOURNAL
Hispanics are less likely than other demographic groups to access the internet, while whites continue to be more connected than anyone else, according to new data from internet research company eMarketer.
In 2017, less than 80 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. will access the internet at least once a month from any device compared with 85 percent of whites, thanks to socio-economic factors, as well as education. READ MORE AT RECODE
As with so many other industries, higher education is facing major existential challenges. Among the biggest issues raising questions around the fundamental model of colleges and universities include:
Increased questions about the value of a four-year college degree as young people’s attitudes change and demand increases for better outcomes
Technological disruption with the growth of online education, MOOCs (massive open online courses), and other non-traditional forms of education powered by digital technology READ MORE AT MEDIAPOST
Can’t access a desktop computer? There’s an app for that. Thanks to the rise of smartphones, underserved populations are more digitally connected than ever. Since 2009, internet connection has shot up 20 percentage points among Latinos and 10 percentage points among African-Americans.
Smartphones are behind the bulk of these gains. According to the Pew Research Center, 1 in 5 Americans rely on smartphones to access the online world. Young Americans, non-whites and populations with low income and education levels are especially “smartphone dependent.”
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to explore the digital universe on a 5-inch smartphone screen. And now that skills like coding and web development are increasingly valuable in the professional world, low-income students are experiencing a new kind of poverty. READ MORE AT THE DETROIT NEWS
AT&T and more than 150 CEOs agreed to join the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. They will sign the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™.
CEOs are pledging to promote a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected and employees feel encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion-. For continued advancement of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, companies can share best practices through a unified hub, CEOAction.com.
“At its core, diversity is not about tolerating our differences – it’s about understanding them. And that requires a commitment to honest and open dialogue,” said Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T. “I’m proud to work with my fellow CEOs to help make that a reality in the workplace.” READ MORE AT AT&T NEWSROOM
Ideally, a job search is something you start on your own terms. You feel ready for a fresh challenge, or a career change or to move from one company to another.
But the harsh reality is that you won’t always start looking because you want to.
Downsizing, layoffs—and, yes, even getting fired—can happen unexpectedly. With all of these, you may have an inkling of what’s to come, but it can still be pretty shocking. READ MORE AT FORBES
What is your motivation?
What is the motivation?
Are you motivated?
Motivation is the desire to achieve what you believe is worthwhile. How can you demonstrate the desire if you are not pursuing what you think is worthwhile? Many people go through life with the lack of motivation to push themselves or because they never were challenged by anything they believed worthwhile. These people will unfortunately never see greatness. Looking at our past actions too often tells a tale of self-injury and unhappiness stemming from our blind desire to be judged worthy and acceptable by people who hardly know our true hearts and abilities. We forget that the natural enemy to life is not a distant death, but the day to day detachment from pursuing those things that make you happy.
George Burns said, "We can't help getting older, but we can help becoming old."
Mental Attitude
How do you feel about you?
How do you feel about life?
Physical Appearance
Do you take care of yourself?
Are you eating healthy foods?
Are you allowing yourself to get overweight?
Do you exercise?
Environment
Do you like your job?
Is the community you live in safe?
When you daydream of a better life, how distant is it from what you are doing right now?
Challenging and stimulating are not the same thing. Are you stimulated by what you are working on at home and/or work?
Relationships
Do your "Friends" build you up?
Do your "friends" drain you?
Are you the one who invites everyone over for dinner and dinner parties, but no one reciprocates?
Contribution to the world
What will people say about you when you are gone?
What will people remember you by?
What do people say about you when you leave the room?
What do people say about you when you hang-up the phone?
What will be different because you were here?
Do you need a coach?
Life is a gift from God and how we live our lives is our gift to God. What is your gift? We are not defined by the sum total of our intentions, we are defined by the sum total of our actions.
Get Up!
1) Work on yourself continuously
2) Don't look for the perfect conditions to act
3) Practice joy and gratitude
4) Never stop investing time in yourself and what makes you happy
5) Read books that don't just inspire you, but move you forward
6) Attend a course but don't take another course until you've acted on 100% of what you've learned
7) Don't read 50 books. Read one book and action 100% of what it said to do
8) Learn in the morning as this is when the mind is clearest
9) Read and learn in search for insight beyond what's in the pages
10) Don't ask permission to be great, just ask for people to get out of your way!
Having a coach is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it’s one of the smartest decisions you can make in your entrepreneurial career. I feel fortunate enough to have had this experience and am now in a position to return the favor to others that are just starting out. If you are interested in a coach, please contact me at michael.drayton@21kgroup.com.
As the weather gets warmer, the office gets quieter and the world moves at a more relaxed tempo. But that doesn’t mean you have to slow down your career advancement. Here's how to keep up the pace through Labor Day.
Expand your skill set. Take advantage of summer courses offered by community colleges and local universities. Whether you sign up for content marketing, coding or management, come fall you'll have a leg up on your coworkers. READ MORE AT FORBES
