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Humanizing Advice Using 'Time on Earth' Allocations
futureproofac on July 29, 2022
Christine Benz is bringing her unique approach to personal finance to Huntington Beach, California. Christine is the director of personal finance and retirement planning at Morningstar. She also co-hosts The Long View podcast, where she serves up a mix of practical financial advice and portfolio reviews, while interviewing notable figures like best-selling author Ramit Sethi, columnist Jason Zweig and FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) blogger JL Collins.
Christine took a circuitous path to podcasting and writing about personal finance. Raised in a family of political junkies, she studied political science and the Russian language. After a stint in publishing, she started working at Morningstar in the early 1990s, where she continues to work today.
I sat down with Christine to talk about the state of financial literacy in the U.S. (spoiler: "not great"), the recent human-centric transformations of the wealth management industry and how a broken foot led to a new approach to taking time off of work.
Future Proof: The career path you took is going to surprise some of the attendees at the Future Proof Festival. How did you arrive at the intersection of personal finance and investment analysis?
Christine Benz: I can't even make it seem intentional in hindsight; it was very circuitous.
I grew up in a family of political junkies and was always interested in politics, current events and international relations, so I studied political science. I also majored in Russian, because I had been studying the language for quite a bit of time. When I emerged from college I was not super marketable.
My dad had always been an avid investor and knew of Morningstar. It was a rapidly growing company, so he suggested I apply there.
From the beginning I loved that it was an intellectual place. It was an intellectually curious, vibrant place—which I'm happy to say it remains so.
I eventually led our U.S. fund analysis team, but I realized we weren't talking about broader issues of asset allocation and some of the other things that we know make or break someone's financial success.
So I went through the certified financial planner program and began to research and work on some of the broader topics of personal finance and financial planning that I focus on today.
FP: Speaking of allocation, you remind advisors to pay attention to clients' "time on earth" allocations. What do you mean by that?
Christine: I like it when advisors think about the resources that their clients have, broadly speaking. A "time on earth allocation" is one's allocation of personal time and energy.
Historically, advisors spent the bulk of their time on allocating household cash flows, allocating savings and apportioning their clients' investment mix.
Time on earth is different. A client might have a job that's super remunerative, but it's detracting from their quality of life. Maybe it's detracting from the time that they can spend with their family.
Advisors can add value in situations like that. They can help their client take a step back and say, "You seem to be on this hellish treadmill where you are at peak earnings, but if this isn't delivering you satisfaction, can we figure out a way to get you to a place where you're happier with your balance."
FP: You're also an advocate of improving financial literacy. How would you assess the general levels of financial literacy in America?
Christine: Not great. Studies have shown that the general population only gets about half of very basic financial literacy questions right. This cuts across populations; it cuts across the globe.
One thing I worry about is the lower levels of financial literacy among lower income segments of our population. It's troubling. The less money you have, the fewer opportunities you have to learn and to improve your financial decision making.
FP: What can the wealth management industry do to improve that discourse?
Christine: Counseling consumers definitely helps. We need to teach people the importance of being skeptical and bringing skepticism to financial relationships and financial arrangements.
FP: You work with survivors of domestic abuse to provide them with financial education. What lessons do you focus on in that setting?
Christine: It's a broad ranging personal finance curriculum, supplied by an organization called W!SE, which stands for Working In Support of Education.
It starts with very basic budgeting, but gets into investing and saving for college. One thing I've found working with these groups is even though most of their questions are about the here and now—like getting out of debt or getting into a home of one's own—people still aspire to save money for their kids or to have a better life or buy a home at some point down the line.
In my time volunteering, I've gotten better at familiarizing myself with very basic financial information, like how to deal with credit card debt and how to budget. Those are areas that I probably had an average knowledge about, but volunteering helped me hone my skills.
FP: In your articles and podcasts, you strive to balance the theoretical elements of finance with the human factors of money; money is a tool to achieve something. What are your observations of the financial service industry's ability to address the human factor?
Christine: Over the past decade or two I've noticed a change. We have all become more attuned to the importance of behavioral finance and psychology, in terms of helping people reach their goals.
The wealth management industry, as a professional class, has become much more receptive to human-centered advice. It's really encouraging.
Concepts like mental accounting and bucket investing for retirement seem to be more accepted by professionals. What matters isn't necessarily the efficient frontier. What matters is whether someone can achieve their goals and find peace of mind with their plan.
There's more alignment with individuals and the professional community, which I think is for the better.
FP: Travel is really important for you, whether that's a trip to Huntington Beach or elsewhere. What is your most memorable travel experience?
Christine: I have so many. One trip that really stands out was a trip that my husband and I took to Barcelona. We were renovating our old house and I had broken my foot that summer. I was also working on a book at the time. It was just kind of a hellish summer.
So we went to Barcelona, and just went to that one place for a whole week.
It taught us the importance of going deep on a place and not moving around too much. You don't have to go everywhere on a particular trip. We know that if we like a place, we'll come back.
I'm also a foodie. Whenever I decide I'm going somewhere, I almost always book my restaurant reservations first. That's the first thing I look at.
Sometimes I even overdo it. I'll plan days in advance, look at the menus, sort of hint what I think my husband should have. I make a point of trying to make reservations, because I am not a happy camper if I'm figuring something out on the fly. So I can go overboard, but it's a fun part of travel for me.
FP: You're a big music fan, too?
Christine: I'm a huge music fan, so I'm excited about the opportunity to hear live music at Future Proof.
I like to stay current on my music and one person who I'm really loving right now is Steve Lacy. He's just come out with a new record. I really love everything I've heard from him.
My musical tastes are really broad ranging. I love jazz. I love blues. But mainly I love contemporary music.
FP: We're excited about the music that will be at Future Proof! At the beginning of our conversation you described your love of intellectual curiosity. What opportunities for intellectual curiosity are you looking forward to at the Future Proof Festival?
Christine: I love how interdisciplinary the agenda is. I'm excited to hear from speakers who I might not run into at typical financial planning conventions, and with so many different people I'm hoping I'll come away with some new guest ideas for our podcast.
Future Proof gets beyond the typical conference that we all go to. It's bringing in people from different areas—beyond our financial services sector.
TikTok: Bringing Mass Appeal to Wealth Management & Fintech
There's a cultural rebirth underway in wealth management, and you can find it all over TikTok. Finfluencers — financial influencers — offer the ordinary investor information and advice on stock market trading, personal finance, mutual funds, and more.
This advice is often dismissed by the industry as bad or biased because it's not coming from professionals or experts. That's why writer, investor, researcher, and financial influencer Kyla Scanlon stands out. Her approach to finfluence isn't advice-based. Her TikToks are educational and often dive into topics that are deeper than some of her finfluencer counterparts.
"TikTok is such an opportunity, right? It's the audience that you really want to talk to," said Scanlon. "You have people in their 20s and 30s who watch TikTok, and the reason that they watch it is to be entertained and engaged. For me, I did see a lot of misinformation being spread on TikTok, but I also saw an opportunity to help people learn about finance."
It's the perfect audience to help educate, she said, to bridge the gap about topics such as the Fed, inflation, portfolio management, and investing. Scanlon, who covers everything from macroeconomic policy to crypto regulation, wants to make the financial services market more accessible and easier to understand for the ordinary investor.
Often trivialized as silly entertainment, TikTok is a platform that young audiences truly use to educate themselves. They're attracted to the short, accessible video content, which provides an entry point into topics that are otherwise intimidating.
"There's so much more that can be done to make people understand this stuff," she said. "A lot of the response to my videos has been from beginners who are just like, 'Wow, I never thought Econ could be this way' or 'I never thought about the market that way.'"
Making high-quality financial information more accessible is a good thing. And FinTok, the financial TikTok space, is growing fast. Content tagged with #PersonalFinance has garnered more than 4.4 billion views and #economics, which Scanlon frequently uses, has more than 623.9 million views.
The platform itself has over 1 billion monthly active users. Almost half are between ages 10-29 and 42% are 30-49. For many, TikTok is their first source of education on money matters.
"This is the next generation," said Scanlon. "You could ignore them right now, but I don't think that's a good idea. They're the future. I think a lot of people are really dismissive of younger people … So it's really about getting as many people as possible to understand the big economic world that we all live in. And part of that is recognizing that there are good people to talk to you."
Remember, a lot of the FinTok content is lacking in substance or just too promotional. Scanlon's content — financial education — is straightforward and accessible.
"I just tried to really make it simple. And I think people crave simplicity at the end of the day," she said. "I make it very clear that it's not financial advice. It's purely education."
As Scanlon works to bridge the gap between mainstream entertainment and financial education, she's excited her content is resonating. She'll take the stage at Future Proof Festival in Huntington Beach this September, to share her approach with the hopes the audience is able to make financial content accessible to all.
Bridging the ESG Chasm: Your Stake's Gabe Rissman Talks Greenwashing, Values-Based Investing and the Future of Personalization
According to Morgan Stanley, 85% of individual investors in the United States are interested in sustainable investing – but only 10% are actually doing it.
Gabe Rissman, the President and Co-Founder of YourStake, which helps advisors align client portfolios with their values, believes there are a few reasons.
One: The industry is making a mistake and assuming ESG means the same thing to everyone.
Not all ESG investors are created equal, and one ESG portfolio isn't going to be a match for all ESG investors. There are so many different variations of ESG and values-based investing, and it's impossible to correctly assume which issues every individual client cares about without asking them.
"There are people who are hunters that really care about the environment and forced labor and gender equality," explained Rissman. "So figure out what your client actually cares about, not what you're assuming."
Two: Advisors are thinking about ESG investing in terms of ESG scores, while clients think about it in terms of real, tangible values.
Most clients aren't saying to their advisors, "I want a superior ESG portfolio." What they're saying when their advisors actually ask is: I don't want to invest in prisons. I don't want to invest in fossil fuel companies. I want to invest in clean energy companies and companies with good gender diversity.
"And that's how advisors should talk about it," said Rissman. They should be asking clients, what do you care about? What are the issues that matter to you? How can we create a portfolio that's better on gender diversity, rather than focusing on the best methodology for conducting an ideal score?
Three: Greenwashing is the biggest thing working against the growth of ESG.
Greenwashing, a term that refers to inaccurate or misleading representations about a company's environmental friendliness, is used in ESG investing to describe strategies or initiatives that don't align to an investment product's sustainable label.
"Marketing language is outpacing actual practices, causing people to lose trust," said Rissman, who believes our industry is moving in a "prove it" direction.
Catch Gabe Rissman Live at Future Proof
Rissman will take the stage at Future Proof Festival in Huntington Beach this September to share his vision for the future of ESG, values-based investing and personalization.
"You'll be able to walk your client through all of the aspects of their life, their values, how they want to retire, and capture all the preferences the client has, and what they need to have a successful experience with you. Advisors will have the ability and the tools to create personalized solutions to be able to serve that. So that means personalized portfolios, and better advice," said Rissman.
"And I see the industry going to a place where advisors will have to prove exactly what they're doing. So if you capture my values as a client, you're putting a portfolio together, then show me with full transparency that it's actually accomplishing the job that I want it to do. That's where I see the field moving."
The Intersection of Money and Mental Health: Trailhead Planners' Courtney Ranstrom on Stress, Empathy and Shame
When you think about wealth management and the advisor-client relationship, mental health may not be what immediately comes to mind.
But according to Courtney Ranstrom, Co-Founder and Financial Life Planner at Trailhead Partners, mental health can have a lot to do with the way we earn and manage money.
"Financial advisors are not therapists," Ranstrom explained. "But there is a lot of overlap in how we talk to people and how we empathize with them. And money tends to be one of the biggest sources of stress for a lot of people."
Throughout history, wealth management has been centered around investment vehicles and retirement planning – transactional, data-focused interactions. But that's not good enough anymore.
"You really have to look at the whole person, and what their hurdles are to getting to where they want to be, to building the life they want to build," she said. And to develop more comprehensive financial plans that incorporate client goals and account for client behavior, empathy is key.
Here are three things to keep in mind when approaching client conversations:
Mental illness is more common than we think. In fact, one in every four adults suffers from some kind of mental disorder in a given year, meaning advisors may face these challenges themselves, and are likely to encounter clients who do. Money-related issues like debt can trigger or worsen anxiety, depression and stress, and they're also a major cause of stress in relationships.
Stress about money is the highest it's been in years. Speaking of stress, the March 2022 "Stress in America" survey from the American Psychological Association found that 65% of respondents reported being stressed about money (the highest level recorded since 2015), and 65% also indicated they're stressed about the economy, also an increase from previous years.
Shame has no place in an advisor-client conversation. Understanding client circumstances is critical for being able to approach their financial situation from a place of empathy and guidance, not shame.
"A big thing in our practice is that it's a shame-free zone. So whatever financial problems you have when you come to see us, you're not allowed to feel ashamed when you're in our office. We're not going to make you feel that way," said Ranstrom.
Catch Courtney Ranstrom Live at Future Proof
Ranstorm will take the stage at Future Proof Festival in Huntington Beach this September to share her perspective on the role of mental health in the investment management experience.
"What I'm looking forward to the most is just being able to have these conversations. Not everyone is dealing with a mental health struggle at the moment, but most of us will deal with mental health issues at some point in our lives. And I think if we talk about it, if we know that there are resources out there and tools available, that's huge," Ranstrom said.
Growing a Dynasty from the Garage Up: An Interview with Shirl Penney
futureproofac on July 5, 2022
Shirl Penney's entrepreneurial journey could very well be a movie or a best-seller. He grew up in "the sticks of Maine," was raised by his step-grandfather, experienced several years of homelessness as a child but never missed a day of school and eventually became the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. His career in finance began with a 16-hour bus trip from Maine to Manhattan, where he interviewed in a suit he bought from the Salvation Army store.
By 2010, he had started his own firm, Dynasty Financial Partners. Seeing an opportunity to provide breakaway advisors with proprietary technology, financing and a step-by-step process for becoming an independent firm, Shirl launched his company as a service provider for registered investment advisors (RIAs). Earlier this year the firm filed to go public.
Ahead of the Future Proof Festival, I sat with Shirl to discuss his business philosophy, his passion for horse racing and how he started Dynasty Financial from an office in his garage.
Future Proof: Most Future Proof attendees will know you as the CEO and President of Dynasty Financial Partners, but you describe your wife as the co-founder of your business. What lessons have you learned about business from your wife?
Shirl Penney: This is a little bit of a secret I'll share. My family and I were living in Saratoga Springs, New York, while I was trying to build Dynasty. My two girls were still very little and I was constantly on the phone, trying to raise capital. This was after the 2008 financial crisis, so I was even making trips down to New York City to raise funds.
I came home on one of those trips and my wife took me to the garage. In the corner of the garage she had built this walled-off area that took up about third of the space. It looked like a giant box in the corner of the garage. Even today it gives me goosebumps to think about.
I walked over to the box and opened the door. Inside was an office. It had hardwood floors, crown molding, a fireplace and air conditioning. There was a TV above the fireplace. It was gorgeous.
My wife, Mary Ann, built it with her own hands and the help of my father-in-law. She said, "A big-time CEO is going to sit in this office, so we had to make sure it looked nice."
She read my business plan, helped design the Dynasty logo, the marketing materials and approved all of our first hires. She is the best judge of character of anyone I've ever met. She has been more right about talent, in particular, over the course of my career than I've been.
Entrepreneurs thinking about starting a new business need to overcommunicate, not just with their partners in the business—but start by overcommunicating at home. The real co-founder of your business is your spouse and sometimes entrepreneurs don't realize that.
Mary Ann teaches me the importance of prioritization and to focus on what's most important in life. She is also the CEO of Team Penney Racing.
FP: What is Team Penney Racing?
Shirl: Team Penney is a term that we use in our family when my two daughters, my wife and I are doing something together as a family. Team Penney Racing is our own horse racing stable.
FP: What attracted you to horse racing?
Shirl: I was captain of the baseball team when I was at Bates College. One of the things we loved to do as a team was go to the horse track. We spent so much time at the horse track we started calling ourselves the track team.
I fell in love with horses and decided that I would like to own one if I could afford it. If you've ever been close to race horses, they're absolutely beautiful. And unbelievable athletes. Most of them—but not all of them—are friendly.
Team Penney Racing had some early success about 15 years ago, when we won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, and over the years we've owned about 125 horses.
Team Penney Racing is also about camaraderie.
We might get 50 to 100 friends and family at a race. For someone who is as busy as I am with work and traveling, to have so many people that you care about—together—for the excitement of the race, is absolutely special. I always say that I've won before the gate even opens.
FP: As you advance in your career, are there any lessons that you wish you had unlearned or graduated from more quickly?
Shirl: I was a young man in a hurry. I would tell young Shirl that you don't have to be in such a hurry. It will all come to you in due course. Truly successful people in life, and in business, are the ones who empower the team.
You can be an All-Star individual contributor—and that's what you are: an individual contributor. It's better to be a world class leader and to have all the All-Stars on the team.
FP: You experienced homelessness from the ages of 11 to 13. Did that experience factor into your need to move quickly as a young professional?
Shirl: Absolutely. There's no greater motivator. I can tell you, firsthand, that being cold and hungry is a heck of a motivator.
The reality is I've been broke twice. Once as a kid, and again when I went all-in on Dynasty. I was not homeless, nor was I hungry, so it was a better form of broke. But there's no question that adversity builds character. I had a fair amount of it, as a lot of people do growing up.
Even so, I always felt loved by my step-grandfather. I always had one person in my life that believed in me. That was huge.
He taught me that your word is your bond. He was old-school and I like to think that I am, too. You don't need a handshake or a contract. If you say you're going to do something, you're going to do it.
It also takes a community to raise a child and I had a great community.
FP: You talk about the idea of "staying close to the field" as key to success. What do you mean by that?
Shirl: That's another element I learned from my step-granddad. He was always present. He made sure that I was present. I actually got an award before I left for college: I never missed a day of school from kindergarten to grade 12.
Proximity to a client is critical in any business, but particularly in ours. Most of the innovation and positive changes come from advisors interacting with clients. That's where the consumer—if you're listening and not talking—is telling you about what's most important.
When I meet with clients it energizes me. We have this really cool wall of plaques that celebrates all of the clients we support. It's right in the lobby. The receptionist chair is across from the plaques, and one of my favorite things to do is sit in the chair, late at night when there's no one around, and just go across all those plaques and use that time as a way to connect with our clients.
I look at my calendar and make sure I'm moving around the country over the course of the year in a way that allows me to meet with each of our clients.
There's nothing like going out in the field; it's unfiltered.
FP: Future Proof is positioned to be an incredible opportunity to connect with others. What are you most excited about for Future Proof?
Shirl: I'm excited about the lifestyle perspective that is going to be present. Future Proof is about humanizing our profession.
I think everyone will have a great time, but I hope that the people who aren't there will see it—and that it encourages them to think differently about this profession. We need more people in financial services.
Whether you're retiring from the military, are a retiring school teacher or are transitioning careers, we need more people in this profession. It's an incredible profession where you can make a huge impact on someone's life. My hope is that Future Proof inspires younger professionals, as well as people in other professions, to consider entering the financial services industry.
The Intersection of Money and Music: An Interview with David Canter
futureproofac on June 24, 2022
David Canter is trading his laptop for a guitar—at least for part of the inaugural Future Proof Festival in Huntington Beach, California. The executive vice president and head of the registered investment advisor (RIA) segment at Fidelity Institutional's Clearing & Custody Solutions is slated to join his bandmates onstage, where they will perform as the group Hi-Fidelity.
The group, started in 2011, covers a range of rock, reggae and jam band hits. I sat down with David and between riffs of some of his favorite tunes (yes, he was playing guitar and singing during the interview), he shared how to connect with an audience, what he's learned from blending his personal and professional pursuits and how the Grateful Dead inspires better leadership.
Future Proof: Most attendees at Future Proof will know you from your work at Fidelity, but you're really making your appearance at the festival as a musician.
David Canter: It's funny you say that. I haven't been quiet about my musicality. I love music.
Live music provides such a great chance to commune with people. It's really a way of bringing people together.
That's why I'm so excited about Future Proof. This event is about more than just the function of wealth management. It's about bringing community to it all. Offering live music and other creative outlets fosters a sense of community and culture.
FP: You've been playing music since you picked up a clarinet at age 9, which you later swapped for a guitar when you were a teenager. What are the risks and rewards of performing at Future Proof?
David: I deeply appreciate the team aspect of playing in a band and other members of the band have all achieved a level of mastery. I view myself as a credible musician, but I'd say that what I bring to the band is a sense of cohesion. A band is a collection of individuals, just like any team, any business, any company. What I love about our band is that we all gel.
The easy risk to cite is that you worry you aren't very good. You always worry that you're not going to satisfy the audience. But I think we've gotten to a place where we feel that we're a credible act. We probably have at least 50 songs we could just pull out of a hat, immediately.
[At this point David broke into a few bars of the song "867-5309 / Jenny" by Tommy Tutone.]
We also want to be good participants at the broader festival. We love the feeling of helping to make events more successful.
FP: If you need a vote of confidence, you're booked to perform at a four-day festival in Huntington Beach, California, that's already drawing comparisons to SXSW. Would you say you're booked more for music than for speaking?
David: Not quite. They're almost equal, with the edge going to speaking. I've done a heck of a lot of speaking, because people want to hear about our business perspective. But it seems like they really get more enjoyment out of hearing the music.
By the way, you should know we play all original songs—made famous by other artists.
[David laughed and played a few bars of the song "Deal" by the Grateful Dead.]
I'm excited about the chance to surprise and delight the audience and stretch creatively. I'm also excited about seeing these Wall Street-type, wealth management people rock out.
FP: One of the aspects I see advisors continually trying to balance is the intersection of their personal and professional personalities. Do you see Hi-Fidelity blurring the lines between who you are professionally and who you are personally? How do you navigate that intersection?
David: It goes right back to traveling up the value stack. It goes back to authenticity.
If you can find a way to connect with others that's broader and more emotional than just the functional elements of your profession, you'll have better outcomes. The best advisors, the best business professionals, can carefully integrate their personal life and their charitable life into their professional life.
FP: You're a huge fan of the Grateful Dead. What do you think the band's guitarist and singer, Jerry Garcia, would like about Future Proof?
David: Jerry wasn't exactly a perfect person, but he had this mindset that you shouldn't strive to just be the best at what you're doing; you should strive to be the only ones that do what you do.
I think that's what he would like about Future Proof. It's about creativity. It's about imagination, specialization, doing something no one else is really doing.
To my knowledge, no one else is doing a wealth management event that infuses creativity, the arts and music. It's a crossover event and I think that's awesome.
You know what else I think he would love? Even though the Grateful Dead was not a surf band, he'd love that it is happening in Surf City, USA.
FP: What album does every advisor need on their playlist? And what's your favorite song?
David: This is an easy one. The Beatles' album "Revolver" is perhaps one of the greatest albums ever made.
My favorite song of all time and one that inspires me is the Grateful Dead's "Ripple." It's such a beautiful song with so many instructive lyrics. It's a leadership ballad: not everyone's going to follow you, because the path might be yours alone.
FP: I can't wait for more later this year! What should attendees expect to hear when you hit the stage in September?
David: The rock hits are fun. I love crowd pleasers. We'll probably play some Prince and Red Hot Chili Peppers. We might do some reggae. We've been known to play some Bob Marley. And you know, it wouldn't surprise me if you heard a song from The Beach Boys, too.
The Future is About Experiences: An Interview with Josh Brown
With more than 1,000 attendees already signed up to attend, the Future Proof Festival is easily the most anticipated event on this year's wealth management calendar. Over the coming weeks we will be sharing a preview of what's to come, featuring interviews with entertainers, advisors and executives who will be in Huntington Beach, California, from September 11-14, 2022.
Our first interview is with "Downtown" Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management and author of The Reformed Broker blog. He is an on-air contributor at CNBC and has more than 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, The Compound.
Here's what he had to say about the four-day Future Proof Festival, his deep hatred of branded thumb drives and why this is the wealth management event the industry needs.
Future Proof: What is the Future Proof Festival?
Downtown Josh Brown: The Future Proof Festival is a wealth management festival that feels like your favorite live event.
We asked ourselves, "What are the things that can't be replicated online? What are the things that people actually really care about and look forward to—and look back and remember?"
"Where is the real impact?"
It's almost entirely about the personal connections people make. Networking is the number one reason you should go to an event. The connections formed at a great event are the number one thing you take with you.
We want to put great people on stage and we want to have an atmosphere that's fun and engaging. Most importantly, we want to facilitate people meeting with each other and exchanging ideas with a drop dead gorgeous backdrop and experiences that will be like nothing that they've ever had at any other wealth management event.
You can't do this on LinkedIn. You can't do this on Twitter. The relationships you create online will never be as meaningful as those formed in-person.
FP: I've heard you draw comparisons between SXSW and Future Proof. What's going to surprise attendees at this conference?
Downtown: The boardwalk's not going to look like your typical exhibitor hall, for starters. The whole thing will be outdoors. The booths are going to be more like brand activations—something you would see at a concert.
The types of companies that are going to be exhibiting and sending people are going to be a little bit livelier. The types of companies that have agreed to sign on to something like this, in its first year, are going to be a little bit more on the adventurous side. And quite frankly, the brands that want to make an impact at Future Proof are going to have to adapt to us.
FP: What do you mean by that?
Downtown: We're going to have the younger end of the spectrum of advisors at this event. The young advisors who are coming probably are not interested in collecting pens and stress balls.
This is the new live event environment that financial services companies and software companies that cater to our space are going to have to get accustomed to. They're going to have to do things that are high impact, memorable and visually appealing.
It's a new era. We're past the pandemic. We're past the exhibit halls and the dreary hotel ballrooms. All of that is over. The future is about experiences.
FP: Okay. But there's still going to be swag?
Downtown: I hope so, but by God, it better not be branded thumb drives. I will take a table full of branded thumb drives and dump them into the ocean.
I'm just kidding. I will not pollute the ocean.
FP: A lot of advisors enjoy going to conferences in their niche, some even more than attending actual advisor conferences. How is Future Proof addressing all the niches of finance?
Downtown: It'll be a mass-attended event, but with a lot of niche events happening within it.
This was Advisor Circle CEO Matt Middleton's vision from the beginning: There are all these groups that cater to advisors, like trade organizations, custodians and tech firms. Why not just carve out a space for all of these groups at our own event? That way they can have their own onsite mini events.
It's also not strictly advisors in attendance.
High net worth investors will be there, plus a lot of people from asset management and fintech. Some people attending just want to be on the cutting edge of what to do with their wealth.
FP: What's got you most excited about Future Proof?
Downtown: It's got a crossover feel to it. When you get a group of advisors in a room, there's a lot of groupthink that goes on. We want to shatter that.
It's high time advisors went out and actually met with their public.
Future Proof is not just a room with 500 financial advisors in it. We're encouraging advisors to walk out—literally into the sunshine—and interact with people from technology, people from art and culture and fashion, music and software.
FP: What types of communities will be created at Future Proof?
Downtown: Let's say you're a younger advisor, or a newer advisor. Let's say you work for a team or you started your own thing or you recently went out on your own. Whatever stage you're at, you're going to interact with 10 or 20 people just like you. They'll be from different parts of the country and different walks of life. They will have been trained at maybe a different type of firm. But you are going to meet people who are in the same situation, facing the same decisions about software and compliance and custodians.
You're going to have substantive one-on-one, two-on-one, five-on-one conversations with your peers. They're all going to be there. They'll be from all over the country. That's game changing for a lot of young advisors, especially.
Then the layer above that is a whole group of very experienced, very talented RIA executives, brokerage firm teams and wirehouse teams. They are people that have done this already, successfully, and have a lot of knowledge to impart.
The layer above that is this opportunity to see what the cutting edge looks like. All of the exhibitors are leaning into the Future Proof theme. Whatever they're bringing out to show the crowd is whatever their newest stuff is.
I really want people to go home feeling like they're going to be a part of the future and they've gotten a sneak preview of it.
FP: It's hard to imagine, but for advisors who are asking themselves, "Is this conference for me?" How would you answer that question? Why is attending Future Proof going to be worthwhile?
Downtown: If you see what we're saying about this event and you're on the fence, it's probably not for you. If you want to drink lukewarm stale coffee and sit through another ESG panel sponsored by an ESG mutual fund, you could do that.
But what we're going to do is going to change people's lives. I don't say that flippantly. Literally my life has been changed by the events I attended.
I was a failed stock broker trying to become a financial advisor. I went to a series of events that were life changing. They changed my life because of the people I met and the inspiration I got from listening to what those people had to say.
That's what we're doing. We're giving the next generation an opportunity to have their lives changed by in-person experiences and networking.
So if you're on the fence, maybe we'll see you next year. This isn't for you. But if you see what we're doing and what we're talking about and you are immediately excited, then you're coming. I think that the people who belong there will be there.
John Swolfs on June 8, 2022
Technology is transformative, disruptive and impacts our lives in countless ways. Perhaps no other industry is embracing the drive to update and upgrade the tools and technologies evolving our industry more than the wealth management ecosystem.
From the early days of crunching numbers on a giant IBM machine, investors have been obsessed with using technology to improve investment outcomes. That same desire still exists, but through a much wider lens.
Today, fintech has revolutionized its presence by creating digital solutions, improving inefficiencies and reshaping the way financial advisors interact with and provide services to their clients. But with countless products and providers in the marketplace, how do you keep pace?
The answer is simple … at Future Proof's FintechX Demo Drop!
Future Proof is looking to showcase the newest and latest innovations that will shape the future of the wealth industry. To ensure we can cover the entire spectrum, complete our open application form. We want to see and hear what you've been working on, what problems you're looking to solve and how it will help push our collective industry forward.
The deadline for applications is July 8, 2022. There is no cost to apply and no cost to demo your tool at Future Proof should you be selected.*
Our judging committee, a panel of industry experts, will hand-select 10 tech providers from the applications we receive to demo their latest solutions, based on creativity, outside-the-box thinking, and the ability to create a real impact for the Future Proof audience.
Join us in Huntington Beach, California, Sept. 11-14 as we explore the intersection of money, tech, culture and impact.
*Future Proof does not cover the cost of travel and accommodation for those participating in the FintechX Demos.
CHANGING FACES OF WEALTH
Matt Middleton on March 8, 2022
Happy International Women's Day.
My team and I have been busy over the last several weeks. We announced the #RiseTogether campaign and partnership with my good friends Dasarte Yarnway, Emlen Miles-Mattingly, and their new venture, Onyx Advisor Network. We also dropped the first set of Future Proof speakers — dedicated to elevating black voices in the wealth management industry.
You can expect to see more partnerships and speakers announced in the coming weeks as part of Future Proof's Changing Faces of Wealth initiative, a movement centered around leveling the playing field for historically underrepresented financial professionals in wealth management.
Why You Should Care: Diversity & Inclusion is a Competitive Advantage
Investment professionals, industry leaders, wealth management firms, and financial advisory firms should all care about making our industry more diverse and inclusive. Here's why:
It's good for business.
Women are the fastest-growing group of investors in the wealth management industry.
More than half of the U.S. population is female.
Women control one-third of household assets (more than $10 trillion) in the U.S.
Most of today's wealth managers grow their businesses through referrals from clients and other professionals. If you want to grow your business, focus on recruiting a more diverse team. Doing so will help you be more relatable and provide better service to potential clients, while also future-proofing your practice.
McKinsey & Company projects that by 2030, women will control a majority of the $30 trillion in assets inherited as part of the ongoing Great Wealth Transfer, yet only about 1 in 5 financial advisors are women.
And these figures are much lower for Black, Hispanic, and Asian advisors. The need to recruit, train and retain diverse financial advisors that reflect today's equally diverse clientele is paramount. To be successful, your workforce must reflect the diverse communities you aspire to serve.
It's no longer just morally correct to focus on gender, generational, and ethnic diversity; it's a savvy and necessary commercial strategy.
Financial advisors are old (sorry, but it's true).
The average age of a financial advisor is 55 years old.
One-fifth of the current financial advisor workforce is 65 or older.
Only 10% of the current financial advisor workforce is under 35.
Making the wealth management industry more inclusive is critical for attracting younger professionals. Over the next decade, more than 111,500 financial advisors representing one-third of the workforce and assets under management are expected to retire.
Wealth management and asset management firms need to emphasize recruiting, mentoring, and retaining diverse talent. Many firms, large and small, offer career development programs for women and minority talent. However, for these programs to be effective, firms must focus on retention. It's not just about attracting diverse candidates, it's about making sure they have the tools they need to be successful.
An annual conference platform for growth and opportunity
Diversity and inclusion are ingrained in Future Proof's culture, which is a dramatic departure from other financial advisor conferences, where the extent of the organizer's D&I efforts is a panel session featuring non-white men talking about diversity and inclusion.
That's not what Future Proof is.
We're committed to building a diverse event audience, including attendees and speakers of different races, genders, ethnicities, physical and mental abilities, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, religions, and socioeconomic status.
Our ability to innovate as a financial services industry relies on welcoming varying perspectives and thoughts to challenge the status quo. By cultivating an inclusive environment, we create opportunities that empower our audience to collaborate, develop and inspire positive change together as a community.
To make financial services, financial advice, and the wealth management industry more welcoming, all of us have a responsibility to create environments in which everyone feels comfortable expressing their perspectives and speaking up for themselves and others.
We are excited to have Future Proof serve as the annual platform for these much-needed discussions and interactions.
Doing Our Part: Changing Faces of Wealth Initiative
Through the creation of the Future Proof Festival, Advisor Circle aims to support the development of a new wealth management industry that is more exciting, diverse, inclusive, tech-enabled, and forward-thinking. Here's our three-pronged approach for leveling the playing field for historically underrepresented financial professionals in wealth management:
No "Pay-to-Play" Content
Most industry conferences are supported by sponsored content, which means asset managers, fintech companies, and other financial services firms pay a sponsorship fee in exchange for a guarantee that the speaker and topic of their choice will be part of the agenda. The potential conflicts here are apparent, but more importantly, the lack of editorial control all but prohibits event organizers from creating a genuinely diverse speaker faculty and content program.
Early Exposure to the Financial Planning Profession
One big obstacle to attracting young people out of college is that they often have not heard about careers in wealth management. That may lead them to start their careers in other professions and discover wealth management by accident.
Within the industry, many have pointed out the "pipeline problem" as the reason a number of diversity initiatives fail. Instead of debating whether this is a myth or not, we decided to take action by allowing students interested in pursuing a career in wealth management the ability to attend Future Proof at no cost. Access to a community event featuring industry heavyweights, experienced advisors, and deep learning opportunities might be the "pipeline answer."
We are providing students exposure to our industry by offering complimentary access to the 2022 Future Proof Festival. If you are a student thinking about a career in wealth management, register here.
Lowering the Barrier to Entry
For many independent advisors, investment advisory firms, and business owners, the all-in cost of in-person events can prohibit participation. To combat this roadblock, we're partnering with Onyx Advisor Network to create a buy-one, give-one attendee referral program.
The #RiseTogether campaign runs from Tuesday, February 1, through Thursday, March 31, in alignment with Black History Month and Women's History Month. During this time, any paying attendee who registers for the 2022 Future Proof Festival will have the ability to offer an underrepresented industry colleague a complimentary ticket to the event on their behalf. (The program applies only to financial advisor or institutional investor registration passes.)
Each paying attendee of Future Proof 2022 who participates in the referral program will be added to a raffle to win a 3-night stay at the Hyatt Huntington Beach during the event.
We hope to see you at Future Proof in September!
Matt Middleton
Matt Middleton is Co-Founder and CEO of Advisor Circle, a content and product studio for the financial services industry and the creator of the world's first wealth festival, Future Proof.
INTERACTIVE MAP SPONSOR
IMAGINE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AUDIENCE IN WEALTH MANAGEMENT ENGAGING WITH YOUR BRAND MULTIPLE TIMES DAILY, IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE FOUR DAYS OF THE EVENT AS THEY NAVIGATE FUTURE PROOF.
The Future Proof Interactive Map sponsorship includes digital brand amplification on multiple standing touchscreen boards. These boards will be used to display booth locations and the Future Proof agenda and will be searchable for ease of use. There will be 4-5 interactive maps, giving you attendee engagement with your brand across The Boardwalk, throughout the event.
SESSION AREA: OCEAN STAGE
EXCLUSIVE BRAND PROMOTION WITHIN ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL AREAS OF FUTURE PROOF FOR ALL FOUR DAYS OF THE EVENT.
The Ocean Stage Session Area option includes one (1) 20' high printed "Ocean Stage" sign exclusively with your logo next to the Future Proof logo, four (4) 15' wide printed bleacher signs exclusively with your logo next to the Future Proof logo, branded furniture, branded decor and company recognition on website as the "Ocean Stage" sponsor. We handle production and installation, you receive maximum exposure.
SESSION AREA: SOCIAL AUDIO EXPERIMENT
EXCLUSIVE BRAND PROMOTION WITHIN ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL AREAS OF FUTURE PROOF FOR ALL FOUR DAYS OF THE EVENT. THE SOCIAL AUDIO EXPERIMENT STAGE WILL BE THE SETTING FOR FILMING LIVE PODCAST EPISODES OF SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR PODCAST SHOWS.
The Social Audio Experiment Stage Session Area option includes one (1) branded 20' wide container (stage) exclusively with your logo next to the Future Proof logo, two (2) 10' tall pylons printed exclusively with your logo next to the Future Proof logo, branded furniture, branded decor and company recognition on our website as the "Social Audio Experiment Stage" sponsor. We handle production and installation, you receive maximum exposure.
SESSION AREA: PCH STAGE
The PCH Stage Session Area option includes two (2) elevated "PCH Stage" signs flanking the entrance exclusively with your logo side-by-side the Future Proof logo, a step-and-repeat session backdrop with your branding side-by-side with the Future Proof logo, branded furniture, branded decor, and company recognition on our website as the "PCH Stage" sponsor. We handle production and installation, you receive maximum exposure


"Patient Centered Medical Home Implementation Effects on Emergency Room Utilization: A Case Study," Hospital Topics, Vol. 92, No. 3, (2014), pp. 59-65 (coauthors: Forest Kim, A. David Mangelsdorff).
"Adoption and implementation of competency based education - the Army Baylor Approach," Journal of Health Administration Education, Vol. 28, No. 4, (Fall 2011), pp. 299-313 (coauthors: Suzanne Wood, Paul Brezinski, Matthew Brooks, Forest Kim, A. David Mangelsdorff).
"Army-Baylor Competency Model," (June 2011), pp. 16 (coauthors: Forest Kim, Paul Brezinski, Matthew Brooks, Suzanne Wood, Lee Bewley, A. David Mangelsdorff).
"Educational Transformations and Outcomes: The Army-Baylor MHA/MBA Program," (June 2009), pp. 14 (coauthors: A. David Mangelsdorff, Lee Bewley, Lawrence Fulton, Kevin Broom, Kruse S.C., Paul Brezinski, Cynthia Childress, Joseph Jeffries, Suzanne Wood).
"Healthcare Quality in the Department of Defense," Hospital Topics, Vol. 86, No. 4, (Fall 2008), pp. 33-36 (coauthors: Paul Brezinski).
"Healthcare Quality in the Military Healthcare System," Hospital Topics, (May 2008).
"Finance at the Front Line. The Effects of Fiscal Margin on Quality of Care in Federally Funded Community Health Centers.," Journal of Health Care Finance, Vol. 34, No. 1, (Fall 2007), pp. 34.
"Does Money Really Matter? The Effects of Fiscal Margin on Quality of Care in Military Treatment Facilities.," Hospital Topics, Vol. 85, No. 3, (Summer 2007), pp. 20-28 (coauthors: Rececca Wells).
"Does Money Really Matter? A Review of the Literature on the Relationships Between Healthcare Organization Finances & Quality.," Hospital Topics, Vol. 84, No. 2, (Spring 2006), pp. 20-29 (coauthors: Rebecca Wells).


text:
Q: How do I clip a line segment against a frustum? Given two vectors A and B which form the line segment L = A-B.
Furthermore given a view frustum F which is defined by its left, right, bottom, top, near and far planes.
How do I clip L against F?
That is, test for an intersection and where on L that intersection occurs?
(Keep in mind that a line segment can have more than one intersection with the frustum if it intersects two sides at a corner.)
If possible, provide a code example please (C++ or Python preferred).

A: I don't want to get into writing code for this now but if I understand "frustum" correctly the following should work.

*

*Intersect the Line with all given planes

*If you have two intersections you're done.

*If you have only one intersection calculate the front plane and intersect.

*If you still have only one intersection calculate the back plane and intersect.

But I may have completely misunderstood. In that case please elaborate :)

A: Adding to what Corporal Touchy said above, you'll need to know how to intersect a line segment with a plane.  In the description on that page, u represents the parameter in the parametric definition of your line.  First, calculate u using one of the 2 methods described.  If the value of u falls in the range of 0.0 to 1.0, then the plane clips the line somewhere on your segment.  Plugging u back into your line equation gives you the point where that intersection occurs.
Another approach is to find the directed distance of each point to a plane.  If the distance of one point is positive and the other is negative, then they lie on opposite sides of the plane.  You then know which point is outside your frustum (based on which way your plane normal points).  Using this approach, finding the intersection point can be done faster by doing a linear interpolation based on the ratio of the directed distances.  E.g. if the distance of one point is +12 and the other is -12, you know the plane cuts the segment in half, and your u parameter is 0.5.
Hope this helps.

A: First extract the planes from your view matrix.
Then use your points to define a vector and min/max as (0, 1), then iterate over the planes and intersect them with the segment, updating the min/max, bailing out early if the min > max.
Here's an example of a pure Python function, no external deps.
def clip_segment_v3_plane_n(p1, p2, planes):
    """
    - p1, p2: pair of 3d vectors defining a line segment.
    - planes: a sequence of (4 floats): `(x, y, z, d)`.

    Returns 2 vector triplets (the clipped segment)
    or (None, None) then segment is entirely outside.
    """
    dp = sub_v3v3(p2, p1)

    p1_fac = 0.0
    p2_fac = 1.0

    for p in planes:
        div = dot_v3v3(p, dp)
        if div != 0.0:
            t = -plane_point_side_v3(p, p1)
            if div > 0.0:  # clip p1 lower bounds
                if t >= div:
                    return None, None
                if t > 0.0:
                    fac = (t / div)
                    if fac > p1_fac:
                        p1_fac = fac
                        if p1_fac > p2_fac:
                            return None, None
            elif div < 0.0:  # clip p2 upper bounds
                if t > 0.0:
                    return None, None
                if t > div:
                    fac = (t / div)
                    if fac < p2_fac:
                        p2_fac = fac
                        if p1_fac > p2_fac:
                            return None, None

    p1_clip = add_v3v3(p1, mul_v3_fl(dp, p1_fac))
    p2_clip = add_v3v3(p1, mul_v3_fl(dp, p2_fac))

    return p1_clip, p2_clip

# inline math library
def add_v3v3(v0, v1):
    return (
        v0[0] + v1[0],
        v0[1] + v1[1],
        v0[2] + v1[2],
        )

def sub_v3v3(v0, v1):
    return (
        v0[0] - v1[0],
        v0[1] - v1[1],
        v0[2] - v1[2],
        )

def dot_v3v3(v0, v1):
    return (
        (v0[0] * v1[0]) +
        (v0[1] * v1[1]) +
        (v0[2] * v1[2])
        )

def mul_v3_fl(v0, f):
    return (
        v0[0] * f,
        v0[1] * f,
        v0[2] * f,
        )

def plane_point_side_v3(p, v):
    return dot_v3v3(p, v) + p[3]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Dubai, UAE, 25 January 2019: The Al Masaood National Motorcycle Championship returned to Dubai Autodrome on Friday as part of the Porsche BWT GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East Race Weekend, which also featured TCR Middle East and the 24H Middle East Championship.
Mahmoud Tannir was the king of the two-wheeled crowd, going two-for-two in the bikes races, bolstering his championship credentials in Supersport Class.
In his pursuit of Tannir, Saska Totaro dominated the Ducati Cup, while the Superstock Class was divided up by Tony Kiefer and Yuri Jongkind.
Mahmoud Tannir took care of business in qualifying, topping an 18-bike field with a best lap time of 1:07.507 on the 2.49-kilometre Club Circuit. The Lebanese rider took pole position riding a Honda CBR 600 (Supersport Class), which managed a 0.038 seconds narrow gap over the #5 Ducati 959 Corse of Italian rider Saska Totaro (Ducati Cup Class).
Totaro managed to get the jump on Tannir in the first race, passing him on the opening lap. In the second lap Tannir took the position right back and then the #10 Honda kept the contest under control.
The first and second positions remained stable for the rest of the race, but behind the frontrunners a frantic pack of bikes battled for P3. John Clark (#41 Yamaha R6, Supersport), Ivan Martinelli (#73 Yamaha R6, Superstock), Yokeshwaran (#6 Ducati 959 Corse, Ducati Cup) and Tony Kiefer (#78 Yamaha R6, Superstock) all took turns in third position.
Mahmoud Tannir crossed the finish line 5.213 seconds ahead of Saska Totaro to take the first race, followed by a pack of six bikes, with Aussie rider Tony Kiefer leading the way to claim third place overall.
Totaro got another great start in the second race and took command of the opening laps, but again Tannir managed to reel in the Italian rider; Mahmoud passed Saska coming up the inside of the bowl (T14) of the Club Circuit and into free air.
Behind the leaders chaos reigned supreme, with a new crop of two-wheeled machinery vying for the last spot on the podium. This time Dutch rider Yuri Jongkind powered his Yahama R6 (#7, Superstock) through the horde to settle in behind Tannir and Totaro.
The #10 Honda, with Tannir at the helm, snatched the chequered flag with 6.503 seconds to spare over Totaro to clench his second victory of the day. Despite a hard-fought campaign, Saska Totaro had to settle for a pair of second-place finishes overall, but the Italian will be happy to take home two class wins in the Ducati Cup.
Yuri Jongkind claimed third position overall and a class win in the highly-competitive Superstock Class.


text:
U-Spatial Data Locker
HomeAgriculture & Land UseU-Spatial Data Locker
U-Spatial is a leading model for how universities can successfully integrate GIS and remote sensing into collaborative projects that support research, teaching and outreach. It eliminates duplication and fragmentation of resources by providing a framework of spatial data, equipment and expertise. In its first four years of operation, U-Spatial supported over 1,500 researchers across 150 departments and centers at the University of Minnesota.
U-Spatial and IonE have been integral to making the University one of the world's first "spatial universities" at a time when we are seeing exponentially increasing public and private sector interest in spatial thinking and approaches. Billions of people use technologies such as global positioning systems, Google Maps, Yelp and Uber. Governments use mapping to identify crime hot spots, plan social interventions and identify routes to evacuate vulnerable people from harm. Companies use spatial analysis to site stores, evaluate supply chains and determine how much to charge for goods and services. Scholars employ spatial approaches that recognize the spatiotemporal nature of people, places and processes through concepts such as location, space, scale and distance.
"U-Spatial Data Locker" supports the growth of spatial data storage for University researchers. It acts as a researcher-centered spatial data repository, guiding users through the process of securing storage, serving and services for their data. This expands the ongoing U-Spatial project involvement of University Libraries, University Services, IonE, OIT, MPC, MSI and CLA.
Project Leads
Steven Manson (manson@umn.edu), director of U-Spatial and associate professor in the College of Liberal Arts
Len Kne (lenkne@umn.edu), associate director of U-Spatial

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns
E. Reichenthal, S. Hocherman
The critical size of active penicillin foci in cat's parietal cortex was determined in two different ways: (a) by gradually enlarging the area of drug application from 0.78 mm2 to 3.14 mm2; (b) by reducing the area of the active penicillin focus, using subpial incisions. Results indicate that a critical area of 0.7 mm2 is necessary. The possibility that in the parietal cortex a single functional column may be the basic generator unit for inter-ictal spikes is discussed. It is concluded that: (a) the size of the critical area is related to the cross-sectional area of a single functional column. This column is not yet determined by parallel anatomical findings; (b) inactivation of a given epileptic focus in the cat's cortex may be achieved by cutting layer III of the focus.
Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology
Neuroscience (all)
Dive into the research topics of 'A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Penicillins Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Parietal Lobe Medicine & Life Sciences 96%
Cats Medicine & Life Sciences 83%
Pharmaceutical Preparations Medicine & Life Sciences 20%
Reichenthal, E., & Hocherman, S. (1979). A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 47(2), 147-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-4694(79)90216-5
Reichenthal, E. ; Hocherman, S. / A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns. In: Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 1979 ; Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 147-152.
@article{0437605517a844f59a40f5b6fa319349,
title = "A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns",
abstract = "The critical size of active penicillin foci in cat's parietal cortex was determined in two different ways: (a) by gradually enlarging the area of drug application from 0.78 mm2 to 3.14 mm2; (b) by reducing the area of the active penicillin focus, using subpial incisions. Results indicate that a critical area of 0.7 mm2 is necessary. The possibility that in the parietal cortex a single functional column may be the basic generator unit for inter-ictal spikes is discussed. It is concluded that: (a) the size of the critical area is related to the cross-sectional area of a single functional column. This column is not yet determined by parallel anatomical findings; (b) inactivation of a given epileptic focus in the cat's cortex may be achieved by cutting layer III of the focus.",
author = "E. Reichenthal and S. Hocherman",
journal = "Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology",
Reichenthal, E & Hocherman, S 1979, 'A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns', Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 147-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-4694(79)90216-5
A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns. / Reichenthal, E.; Hocherman, S.
In: Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 47, No. 2, 01.01.1979, p. 147-152.
T1 - A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns
AU - Reichenthal, E.
AU - Hocherman, S.
N2 - The critical size of active penicillin foci in cat's parietal cortex was determined in two different ways: (a) by gradually enlarging the area of drug application from 0.78 mm2 to 3.14 mm2; (b) by reducing the area of the active penicillin focus, using subpial incisions. Results indicate that a critical area of 0.7 mm2 is necessary. The possibility that in the parietal cortex a single functional column may be the basic generator unit for inter-ictal spikes is discussed. It is concluded that: (a) the size of the critical area is related to the cross-sectional area of a single functional column. This column is not yet determined by parallel anatomical findings; (b) inactivation of a given epileptic focus in the cat's cortex may be achieved by cutting layer III of the focus.
AB - The critical size of active penicillin foci in cat's parietal cortex was determined in two different ways: (a) by gradually enlarging the area of drug application from 0.78 mm2 to 3.14 mm2; (b) by reducing the area of the active penicillin focus, using subpial incisions. Results indicate that a critical area of 0.7 mm2 is necessary. The possibility that in the parietal cortex a single functional column may be the basic generator unit for inter-ictal spikes is discussed. It is concluded that: (a) the size of the critical area is related to the cross-sectional area of a single functional column. This column is not yet determined by parallel anatomical findings; (b) inactivation of a given epileptic focus in the cat's cortex may be achieved by cutting layer III of the focus.
JO - Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology
JF - Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology
Reichenthal E, Hocherman S. A critical epileptic area in the cat's cortex and its relation to the cortical columns. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 1979 Jan 1;47(2):147-152. doi: 10.1016/0013-4694(79)90216-5


Last month, Kyocera Communications announced Kyocera Echo, the world's first dual-touchscreen smartphone. This handset runs on the Android 2.2 operating system. Kyocera Echo will be exclusively available on the airwaves of Sprint in the US. It comes with an amazing VueQue app, which allows you to watch a YouTube video in one display, while browsing, queuing and buffering additional YouTube videos on the other.
Recently, we posted that, Sprint will release the amazing Kyocera Echo smartphone on April 17th for $199.99 on contract. If you are eagerly waiting to buy this handset, then you can pre-order this handset. Sprint has recently started taking pre-orders for the Kyocera Echo smartphone. If you are still unaware of the specs, then you can check out the complete specs below.
Kyocera Echo features a dual 3.5-inch LCD WVGA with 800 x 480 pixels resolution, 4.7 inches diagonally and 800 x 960 pixels resolution when opened, Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 5 megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and 2x digital zoom, HD (720p) video recording, 1GB memory, 8GB microSD card included, 32GB expandable memory and more.
Other features include a 3.5mm headset jack, Digital compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS, Wi-Fi hotspot capability, 3G Connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Full HTML Web browser optimized for dual-screen experience and a 1370 mAh battery.
This handset comes with a price tag of $199.99 after a $100 mail rebate and a two years service agreement. To pre-order this handset, head over to this page.


text:
Courts 14.5.2019 03:34 pm
Mayor Gumede 'incited' protest to try push through illegal tender payment, court hears
EThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede leaving Durban commercials court, 14 May 2019. Gumede faces charges of corruption and money laundering Picture: Doctor Ngcobo / African News Agency (ANA)
Investigations into other acts of corruption at the city are continuing, according to the Hawks.
eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and councillor Mondli Mthembu are alleged to have orchestrated a march to Durban City Hall last month that called for the removal of the city manager because he would not sign off on a payment for an illegal tender.
The allegation was made at the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday where Gumede and Mthembu were appearing on graft charges.
According to the affidavit of lead Hawks' investigator Ngoako Mphaki, which senior state advocate Ashika Lucken read into the record:
"In April 2019, information was received that mayor Gumede incited a march to the [Durban] city hall to request the removal of [city manager Sipho Nzuza] from office on the grounds that he refused to take orders from the mayor to make the irregular payments.
"On 16 April, at about 2pm, a large group of people gathered outside city hall protesting and demanding the removal of the city manager. Information is at hand that mayor Gumede and councillor Mthembu orchestrated these events."
Gumede handed herself over to police the morning before appearing in court alongside Mthembu and service provider Craig Ponnan. The trio was released on R50,000 bail each.
Gumede is also the chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) eThekwini region – the biggest in the country. Mthembu is its deputy secretary.
They are part of a group – the others were arrested two weeks ago – that are alleged to have conspired to swindle the city out of R45 million through the illegal awarding of a Durban Solid Waste (DSW) contract.
The other accused include Robert Abbu – DSW's deputy head for strategic and new developments, and the city's supply chain manager and chairperson of the bid adjudication committee, Sandile Ngcobo.
The accused are all facing multiple charges of fraud and corruption as well as contravention of several acts such as the Municipal Financial Management Act, Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, Organised Crime Act, and the Riotous Assemblies Act.
According to Mphaki's affidavit, DSW appointed service providers to carry out refuse removal for the city for three years. The contract would expire around 2016. The process to find new contractors started about a year before the expiry.
Abbu "deliberately delayed initiating the procurement process to appoint suppliers for a new term. He used the delay to misrepresent the fact that there was an emergency [which falls under the controversial section 36, and allows diversion from normal processes] and that the formal public procurement processes of eThekwini could not be followed in the appointment of suppliers for the new term," according to the affidavit.
Abbu allegedly "usurped" the authority of his line manager and took control of authorising the requisition stage of the process to appoint suppliers for the new contract.
According to the affidavit, Abbu then limited the number of quotations to four suppliers – Ilanga La Hahlase Projects Pty Ltd (Hlenga Sibisi), Uzuzinekele Trading 31 CC (Sithulele Mkhize), Omphile Thabang Projects (Pius Dlomo), and El Shaddai Holdings Group CC (Sinthamone Ponnan).
Abbu had divided the work that was previously being done by 27 suppliers between the four suppliers, none of which were registered on the city's supplier database when they were invited to quote.
The suppliers also did not have the resources or expertise to provide the services, including premises, staff, trucks, and other infrastructure.
Mphaki's affidavit continues: "Abbu also amended the scope of the original tender to include a line item in respect of the illegal dumping with no limit to the amount that the four suppliers could claim from eThekwini. The annual budget for illegal dumping was R5 million.
"Abbu facilitated that the four suppliers be awarded the contract for refuse collection for three months at a cost of R45 million with an unlimited budget for illegal dumping.
"The four suppliers used the illegal dumping with no threshold to bill the municipality for more than R130 million within six months."
Ngcobo assisted Abbu in the processing, appointment and awarding of the contract to the four suppliers by co-signing the requisition documents.
The documents contained "misrepresentations" that "induced the readers of the requisitions to act to the prejudice of eThekwini in approving the appointment of the four suppliers", said the affidavit.
Ngcobo also made representations to the accounting officer and city manager Nzuza "inducing him" to sign the approval of the appointment of the four service providers.
Besides her role in orchestrating the protest against Nzuza, Gumede was also cited for "political interference".
She is accused of not making available evidence to eThekwini's City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU). Much of the state's evidence against the accused came from the unit.
Gumede and Mthembu are further accused of instructing members of the city's Bid Specification Committee (BSC), Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC), and Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) "on which companies to award tenders to while sitting in these committees".
Gumede, Mthembu, and Poonan will appear again on August 8 with the other accused.
Despite several arrests, Gumede's supporters regroup and resume protest 11.7.2019
Gumede supporters must be charged if they don't obey the law, says DA 11.7.2019
IFP calls on ANC to fire mayor Zandile Gumede 11.7.2019


Former fashion buyer Ronke Fashola is the creative genius and founder of Love ur Look, one of Great Britain's most popular reproduction fashion labels. Her stylish creations emulate the glamourous designs of the 1940's and 1950's. It is a label that I love to wear and my rationale behind supporting this forward-thinking brand is not just restricted to the adorable asthetics, but also in admiration for their ethical and sustainable approach.
Our vintage and repro-wearing writer Emma Harrison spoke to Ronke about her designs, her vision and why sustainability is such a priority to her.
What was the inspiration and vision behind Love ur Look?
I wanted to create a brand which was fun, unique and gave people confidence. Having worked in fashion for many years as a fashion buyer I was aware of trends and the 'must-have' item that appears each season. Love ur Look isn't about conforming to what's in fashion – it's about creating your own sense of style. A style which is reflected by embracing and enhancing the female body.
This is expressed through the nostalgic influence of the 1950s and 40s fashion. The cuts, prints and trims are all carefully considered when creating a Love ur Look design. I take time to read, watch and understand what customers want and need each season to ensure the brand continues to grow.
Was it a 'lightbulb' moment or was it more of a slow burning process?
I have always loved vintage. I remember going to Camden before its remodel to walk through the old stables, the back roads of Victoria station and Covent Garden to enter some of the most magical vintage shops. Sadly, these hallmarks no longer exist, but I knew my love for vintage was to continue. It was only a matter of how and what I would focus on. I organically grew the business into the era of the 40s and 50s and this is a much bigger industry people then people are aware of.
This was then fused with vintage and a commercial vintage influence to create Love Ur Look. So, for me it was more of a fairy organic progression from buying vintage pieces to creating my own collection.
Did you have any fears or worries when launching your business and how did you overcome them?
I had fears. I think thats totally normal. Anyone who has their own business has fear implanted within them, but it's an excitement fear – a risk-taking fear of what could materialise from nothing.
I knew there was a gap in the market and a clear demand for what I was doing. I also do not follow catwalk trends. Love ur Look designs are created for longevity and to create a sense of uniqueness.
Cath Kidston also launched with a similar concept. I know we are very far apart brand wise, but I do consider it a brand which I aspire and compete with. Many of my customers wear Cath Kidston bags and dresses, so I know i'm on the right path.
I had successfully launched and run a company for over 10 years – Stylizers Style Consultancy. I knew if I could style over 500 people that I could create a collection and clothing brand which could be loved internationally.
I handle everyday business worries with lots of meditation and exercise and I also believe in surrounding yourself with strong women and supportive people helped. Negative people create negative energy. When you run a business, you need a daily plan and goals to stay focused.
How did you come up with the designs and patterns for your products?
Lots of research. I never switch off! Looking at what people wear, screenshots with social media – everything inspires me.
I even stop people in the streets if there is something I love. As the business has grown I now have a history of designs to work from, learn from and build upon.
The shapes of your dresses are very much reminiscent of the 50s and 40s – have you always gravitated towards those eras and a fan of vintage and vintage style?
Yes. I love the style and shapes. They are so flattering for the female body. I find inspiration from everywhere. There is no one process I use. Next year we have some more designs which have a nod to vintage. So those who are not into vintage can also find designs that they love.
Do you have a particular design process – where do you find your inspiration from?
No more than any other designer. I use my background knowledge from working as a fashion buyer. So, in that sense I work more from a business level and then implement design ideas. For example, I think about how I will promote a particular idea then come up with the design based around that.
How would you describe your brand personality?
Approachable. Fun. Colourful. Unique and influenced by nostalgic elements.
Looking back to when you were first coming up with the initial business concept, what advice would you give to yourself (knowing what you know now) and would you change anything?
Don't rush into doing too many things. When I first started I wanted to do everything; dresses, tops, skirts, bags, homeware… I realised that's not how you become successful. I've seen companies dive into areas which are total opposite to fashion. Such as homeware… To me that's a whole other industry that requires another team to focus on it.
My focus was to master great prints and great vintage dress shapes. That is how I hope the brand is now known. Now I am more confident we have expanded into Menswear (shirts) and jewellery. We also have skirts coming back next summer.
Sustainability is a key element of Love ur Look – how important is having a sustainable business and using ethically-sourced products to you?
Our collection is made up of our own designed fabric and fabrics which are purchased from surplus markets. Surplus markets allow smaller businesses to buy fabric and which would otherwise end up in landfills. So much fabric which the big brands do not use is discarded for the smallest reasons. Such as a red not being bright enough. However, to another eye looking at that fabric, the red is red enough.
We also support a small animal rescue centre in India called Tofla who help hundreds of animals each year. Sadly, in India dogs, cats, cows, camels and donkeys can be very badly treated.
We produce our collection in a family-owned factory. Travelling to my factory twice a year allows me to meet my team, talk about concerns and ensure their working environments are all safe. Having a happy factory is very important for me. Hence why we have worked together from the start of the collection.
Where are your products made and how often do you change your collection?
We make the Love ur Look clothing in India. Knitwear will come either from Europe or UK and jewellery will comes from China. We change it each season. However, the Love ur Look seasonal calender lasts a little longer. Our SS collection finishes in September (whereas most high-street shops will start finish trading in July), so we end up with full on winter displays in sunny September!
Do you have any people that you personally look up to in business and have you been able to use this within your own business?
There are so many people I find inspirational. My mother who was and is still a lover of fashion. Jack MA; founder of Alibaba, Richard Branson, Patricia Field, Oprah, Jo Malone to name but a few business or public figures who have really inspired me.
What has been the most surprising thing that you have learnt about running your own business?
Running a business alone at the start can be lonely and very little people who are in a successful business reach out and give advice. I have been blessed to have some great women supporting me while the business grows.
My advice to people starting any business is that if you want help and support you have to knock on the right doors. That's why I created a platform called Future of Fashion www.futureofashion.co.uk. (soon to be called the Future of Business).
I've had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people, interviewing them and bringing more people together with businesses to network and work together. This October we are launching some workshops to facilitate this.
What do you feel has been the defining moment so far for Love ur Look?
Going into House of Fraser and launching into various stockists in Europe and America. Also launching our annual London pop up shop.
How would you describe the Love ur Look customer and who would be your dream celebrity customer?
Our customer is a lover of vintage. They are a lover or novelty prints and also a toe dipper. A toe dipper loves to get a bit of everything in life. They are a lover of vintage, high street and designer fashion.
Celebrity wise… There are elements I feel I would love to see on Katy Perry. But honestly, I design for anyone who wants a fun, stylish and unique look. Its never been about a celebrity for me, but if someone like Helena Bonham Carter decided to collaborate with a new brand, I wouldn't say no!
You studied at the London College of Fashion and have also worked as a fashion buyer – how invaluable was that experience and what did it teach you?
Working for other brands before starting my own has been so invaluable. Its helped me understand so much from finance, costing, technical terms, factory issues, fabrics. The list goes on. It's an extremely cut-throat industry, but well worth the experience and contacts you make and learn along the way.
What steps does the world of fashion need to make to become more sustainable and why is there such a 'wear it, throw it' culture in the UK?
When I was growing up there was still true vintage in second hand shops, second-hand shops are filled with high street brands.
Clothes which are designed by specific trend for that season. Once seen and worn shouldn't be worn again. But why? If we created more unique designs and followed less trends this might start the ball rolling to a less fast fashion society. If brands which sell clothes very cheaply encouraged recycling. If we educated younger generations about vintage fashion and workmanship, maybe things could start to change.
I understand that you also work as a lecturer – please can you tell me a bit more about this and why you wanted to educate the next generation of designers?
I've been teaching for over four years. I started with a workshop on 'How to become a Personal Stylist'. Which I still run under a brand called www.stylizers.co.uk. Through this experience and setting up my business I started to lecture on setting up a fashion business or business. Its been truly rewarding seeing so many people's businesses take off.
These workshops can be found on www.futureofashion.co.uk site.
What's next for you Ronke and for Love ur Look?
Expanding the label both product and on an international platform.
I also wish to build my platform up as a business expert offering more workshops and continue to inspire people who want to set up their own business.
I love teaching, supporting, lecturing and see a great deal in this area for me. If that's online or with books maybe. I want to inspire more multiculturalism into the world of fashion.
I am the only Black women in the UK to own a reproduction vintage brand as my own. I want anyone and everyone to feel they can do what I have done.
Who knows what else could happen. Anything is possible. you just have to make it happen!


"Violet wore a sleeveless white silk bodice, lightly boned, with a fichu of gauze wrapping her creamy shoulders. It was tied in a soft knot between her breasts, leaving her arms exposed. There was a wide gathered skirt, scandalously short, barely covering her knees.
'It is as well, is it not,' said Violet into the silence, 'that my pantaloons cover up my wicked shins?' "
I have this book of old letters that begin in 1879, recorded on yellowed, tissue-thin paper within cardboard covers.
Written in my great-grandfather's flowing hand, they cover years of experience in the life of a man trying to make a go of business and family life in the late 19th century.
The letters are hard for the modern eye to read and no-one in my family had ever transcribed them into clear text. Curious, I sat down and began.
I discovered, hidden in amongst business correspondence, a few pages about a fascinating true tale of love, lust and despair that arose when my great-grandpa's close friend formed 'an unfortunate attachment' with a married woman in the then struggling coastal town of Tauranga.
I wondered what had led to such drama. Who were the players? Why would the 'scarlet woman' involved have taken such a risk?
How would the story have ended?
And so I took this small but intense drama, created a fictional cast of characters and worked up the story as a novel.
Here's the original Bank of New Zealand building in Tauranga - handsome it was, too. Banks have always liked to project an aura of prosperity. My great-grandpa Joe went there in the late 1870s, at age 28, as manager.
Given the lacy curtains and white picket fence, I'm assuming that the manager's own rooms were at the end of the building closest to the camera.
"The rugs were rolled up, ledgers and valuables locked away and extra lamps brought in. Shyness made for a slow beginning but after a while the music began to have its way with everyone's souls. The floor shook with stamping and twirling.
"With no alcohol supplied, many of the men slipped out from time to time to replenish their flasks, returning with reeking breath. Some had bottles hidden behind nearby fences or under thick hedges. Wives seeking a jolly-up also popped out 'for a little fresh air, you know' to take a taste."
In the 1880s, most people were fixed in conventional Victorian thinking, even if only a few years later, in 1893, New Zealand would be the first country to grant women the right to vote.
Stiff Christian thinking ruled most people's spiritual lives - unless you were a Freethinker who relished the extraordinary freedom of thinking for yourself. The Freethought group's symbol was the pansy, chosen because the name comes from the French word pensee, or thought, and it was reckoned that in full bloom a pansy could look little like a pensive face.
In Scarlet and Magenta free thinking causes lots of outrage – especially amongst those who think it's scandalous for a woman to voice strong opinions and seek her own answers.


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AI, News
The parent company of Google, Alphabet, is launching a project in Great Britain that will use artificial intelligence software to "reimagine" the process of discovering new drugs and medical treatments.
Alphabet said that the new company, Isomorphic Labs, will expand on research previously conducted by DeepMind– a British AI company that Google acquired several years ago. Officials said the venture, which will help scientists analyze data, could lead to cures for some of the most debilitating diseases. CEO Demis Hassabis said in a statement:
"Now the time is right to push this forward at pace, and with the dedicated focus and resources that Isomorphic Labs will bring."
Mr Hassabis also commented that the company aims to "reimagine the entire drug discovery process from the ground up," and partner with pharma and medical companies to advance "digital biology."
An year ago, DeepMind produced an A.I. system that can predict the 3D structure of a protein from its amino acid sequence, which it touted as a solution to the "50-year-old grand challenge of protein folding."
Tags: 3D structure, A.I. system, Alphabet, amino acid sequence, Artificial Intelligence, artificial intelligence software, British AI company, DeepMind, digital biology, Google, Isomorphic Labs, medical companies, medical treatments
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Home › The Second Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders Hardcover Crime Thriller
The Second Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders Hardcover Crime Thriller
Lawrence Sanders's masterpiece, The 1st Deadly Sin, set a standard for today's novels of psychological suspense. Now, retired Captain Ed Delaney returns to a distinctly urban milieu of paranoia and impulsive violence to solve a brutal murder that shocks New York's unshockable art world.
The victim is Victor Maitland. Long-considered one of the world's greatest artists, he excelled in capturing the beauty of life on canvas. In private, he destroyed whomever he pleased: his wife, his son, his mistress, his dearest friends and family. Fittingly, Maitland has paid for his sins. But in a world where self-delusion is rewarded, where greed triumphs, and where murder is just another art, who else will pay the price?
© 1977 Hardcover
Very good condition. No dust jacket, slightly worn spine ends and writing on inside front cover/front end page.


WREN is preparing to hiberate for the first quarter of 2019.
We are not accepting any applications for membership at this time.
All current members will have their memberships extended through March 31, 2019 at no charge.
Any member who renewed their membership after December 1, 2018 will be refunded.


Don't screw with our pickles.
Let's set the record straight. McClure's are delicious. And using McClure's as the poster child of expensive trends that have to go is a bunch of malarky. They're not $40. They're $7.99 at the Detroit Meijer for a 32 oz. jug. These are real pickles, from a homegrown operation and made with a variety of flavors. They are not some small, unexciting gherkins in a jar half the size (or less).
Sure, we kinda share them with Brooklyn, but there's a 20,000 square foot factory here of fine pickled foods. And the family who created it? From Michigan.
And have you ever had a pickleback shot? Try it, chasing down a shot of whiskey with McClure's Pickle brine, agreed upon as the original chaser.
You're not only supporting local with your drinking habits, you're being conscientious by using the contents of the whole jar when you're chasing down the whiskey.


text:
A Tryssogobius a csontos halak (Osteichthyes) főosztályának a sugarasúszójú halak (Actinopterygii) osztályába, ezen belül a sügéralakúak (Perciformes) rendjébe, a gébfélék (Gobiidae) családjába és a Gobiinae alcsaládjába tartozó nem.

Rendszerezés
A nembe az alábbi 7 faj tartozik:

Tryssogobius colini Larson & Hoese, 2001 - típusfaj
Tryssogobius flavolineatus Randall, 2006
Tryssogobius longipes Larson & Hoese, 2001
Tryssogobius nigrolineatus Randall, 2006
Tryssogobius porosus Larson & Chen, 2007
Tryssogobius sarah Allen & Erdmann, 2012
Tryssogobius quinquespinus Randall, 2006

Források
Tryssogobius FishBase
ITIS szerinti rendszerbesorolása
Wikifajok
  2001: A new genus of small gobiid fish (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the Indo-West Pacific, with description of two new species. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, 17: 27-36.
  2007: A new species of Tryssogobius (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from Hainan Island, China and Taiwan. Zoological Studies, 46(2): 155-161.
 ;  2012: Reef Fishes of the East Indies. Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research, Perth, Australia. 1292pp. Universitiy of Hawai'i Press.

Gobiinae
Halnemek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Employee Advocacy – How to Increase Your Content Visibility & Engagement
All digital marketers want to increase content visibility. All brands want to increase awareness that leads to trust and conversions—the basics of the business marketing. The trick is finding a competitive and cost-effective way to amplify this brand content. One of the ways to increase this visibility is with employee advocacy. It's essentially free. People you already pay take a moment to share your new content, increasing visibility, and organic reach. And the commentary on this content is from experts too, as employees have the most detailed knowledge of your brand and its features.
A 5 Minute Guide to Instagram Stories
Instagram is a platform here to stay. Yet, many people don't know how to use Instagram Stories to it's fullest potential.
According to CNBC, Instagram now has 800 million monthly users and 500 million daily users. Those numbers have jumped 160% over the past year since the launch of Instagram stories, the feature that allows users to post stories that last just 24 hours. This feature clearly benefits and entices daily use; don't forget to check Instagram, that content only lasts 24 hours!
The social media FOMO clicks in and you open the app.
A Holiday Gift Guide to Delight Your Favorite Digital Marketer
Winter is a time of celebration and friends and family often exchange gifts. No matter what holidays you celebrate, holiday shopping lists can be difficult as you search for the perfect fit for everyone. That difficulty increases with those up-to-date techy friends—and that includes those delightful digital marketers in your lives.
Not to worry, we've got you covered here at Delightful. Check out some of our favorite gifts for digital marketers, online content experts, and search engine aficionados. Find yourself the perfect present, or pass this list along to your loved ones.
How 280 Characters Delights, Distracts, and Disappoints Twitter Users
A defining characteristic of Twitter has long been the 140 character limit. A challenge for many to create a cohesive story, users frequently turned to numbered tweets, external links, and smartly edited graphics to convey their points across this platform. When Twitter announced a switch to 280 characters for all on Nov 7th – everything changed.
Branding Mistakes: How to Own Them and Take Responsibility
Developing your personal brand and sharing your story is wonderful when things are going well, but what happens when things go wrong? Perhaps your career was affected by a colleague's gossip or your stellar product launch was closer to a fiery inferno. Your Amazon seller reviews come back not only poor but also mocking. Maybe your personal information got shared publicly, or disaster strikes and your service is disrupted.
It's not a matter of if something bad will happen, but when. How you handle these troubles can be a tipping point that makes or breaks your brand. In the face of adversity, here are some things to remember.
Owning Your Mistakes
An excuse is not equivalent to an explanation—and no one wants to hear it. Describe what happened and own the error. Don't pass the blame along to a third party. By admitting that a mistake was made you demonstrate honesty and integrity. You may be surprised at just how empathetic your audience may be towards human error.
Infographic: Your Personal Branding Strategy In 10 Steps
We've received tons of positive feedback since the launch of our latest eBook: Introduction to Personal Branding: 10 Steps Toward a New Professional You, which is also live now on Audible and iTunes as an audio book!
We are thrilled that the book has helped our readers to start paying more attention to their personal brand and more importantly, actually making plans and taking action to improve their personal brand and be more discoverable, shareable and memorable:
"This is by far the most-bookmarked book (per page-capita) on my Kindle today. I've already set up a site, paid attention to image names, tweaked my LinkedIn profile, and more based on Mel's tips." – S. Weise
Meet Kate – Our New Delightful Team Member
I am the newest member of the Delightful Team and, as the Digital Marketing Program Manager, I will be working with clients and online influencers, providing strategic support and content to amplify their personal and professional brands.
Organic — It's not just for groceries.
I'm a University of Washington alum (Go Dawgs!) from the Master of Science in Information Management program where I focused on user experience and content strategy. Under the mentorship of the talented professors there I found a home with digital content. I was fortunate to capitalize on these skills with a large variety of client work as both a contractor and agency marketer here in Seattle.
A Delightful approach to event marketing: achieve more with content and social media
The Autumn event season is upon us, and the Delightful team is attending and supporting client events around the globe. We love the opportunity to work with companies to amplify and extend the impact of their event marketing through social media and video.
Event amplification allows clients to get more from the significant investment they make in event sponsorship and attendance. It brings the valuable content shared at an event to a larger audience, optimizing it for people "outside the room".
It also helps to increase the visibility of the personal brands of the leaders and speakers that travel sometimes vast distances to stand on stage and impart their knowledge.
We Are Shortlisted for the US Search Awards 2017
Following our Best Use of Technology win at the Content Marketing Awards earlier this year, the Majestic in Space campaign continues to impress award judges across the USA.
We are thrilled to announce that the partnership we helped to create with Majestic and Made In Space, has resulted in us being shortlisted in the Content Marketing category at the US Search Awards this year.
Frida Kahlo: An Artist with an Inspirational Personal Brand
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter who lived from 1907 to 1954. In her art, we can see her reflection of personal value creating a great personal branding example. Fifty-five of her 143 paintings are self-portraits; she took who she was and created art that is prized for its uniqueness and creativity.
In today's frenetic, digital world I feel we have much to learn from Kahlo's legacy which can teach us how to embrace values, passion, mission, vision, and strengths. In Kahlo's painting and life decisions, you can see how much she believed in her personal values. Even at a time when many of her values were seen as crazy, she was persistent and with her uniqueness created an image of a strong person.
Be Inspired By Your Surroundings
Kahlo was a person who embraced every part of who she was in a loving way. Her self-portraits portray a strong and determined vision in her eyes. In her early life Frida suffered an accident while she was on a wooden bus. Many in the accident died while Kahlo suffered severe injuries.
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