What Black History Month Means To Me

Business

As a company, ON Semiconductor celebrates differences and promotes an inclusive environment by valuing the contributions of all employees and the communities in which we serve. Part of this celebration is recognizing and honoring the cultural histories and backgrounds of our employees.

This February, we asked Gail Ricketts, CISA, CRISC, Certified CISA & CRISC Trainer, MBA, a key member of our information security and risk staff, to tell us about her life, career and what Black History Month means to her.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Gail Ricketts (G.R.): Black History Month, also referred to as African-American History Month, is about heritage. My personal view of Black History Month is through the lens of my heritage, which comes from Suriname, South America, and the Caribbean Island of Jamaica.

What was your introduction in early life to black history in America?

G.R.: Although most Americans know little, there is rich and diverse black history woven into the fabric of America. My family provided me with a tremendous education about our history. They made me aware of the impact that black Americans had on American society.

Who are some of the people your family taught you about growing up?

G.R.: Inventors like Jan Matzeliger, whose invention the shoe making machine, patented in 1883, could make anywhere from 150 to 700 pairs of shoes per day. Garrett Morgan ,who invented the traffic signal, patented in 1923, and the gas mask, patented in 1914. Mathematicians and Scientists the likes of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan, whose lives portrayed in the movie Hidden Figures who wrote the mathematical calculations that went in to making John Glenn the first American man into space in 1962. To people like Fannie Lou Hamas, a Civil Rights Activist, Marian Wright Edelman, and a Children Rights Activist to John Lewis a Congressman from the state of Georgia.

While these names are not well known, they have changed America in beneficial, influential and productive ways. I believe that it is my responsibility to share my knowledge and experiences to enlighten those that I can in a positive manner of the contributions black Americans have made to this great nation.

How did your heritage and family background influence your education and career path?

G.R.: My family used these lessons to instill the importance of pursuing education and knowledge. I wanted to be a teacher but found that my interest in technology was stronger. I changed my major, accounting, to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and graduated in 2002 with a specialization in networking from the University of Phoenix.

I obtained two professional certifications: one as an information systems auditor (CISA) in 2004 and one in information systems risk (CRISC) in 2010 from ISACA.org, for which I am certified by ISACA to teach both. So twice a year, for the last 13 years, I have the honor and pleasure of combining my two passions: teaching and technology.

I went back to school, Arizona State University, where I obtained an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2011. Before coming to ON Semiconductor, I consulted with Fortune 500 companies, e.g., Ford Motor Company, GM, TASER, MGM Grand to name a few.

How are you working to share your knowledge in the community?

G.R.: I teach via Junior Achievement of Arizona through the relationship between ON Semiconductor and Balsz Elementary School. I also sit on the board of the Cybersecurity Council of AZ as a Co-chair as well as on the board for The Alliance of Technology and Women as the treasurer.

I am working with Arizona State University to bring an artificial intelligence camp for under privilege girls to the West Campus for a three-week, all expenses paid experience, where the students will participate on enhancing artificial intelligence. We have already received a $50K grant, a promise of another $25K, and I am currently looking to secure the last $25K to make this endeavor a reality.

Taraji P. Henson: A Real-Life Heroine

BusinessEntertainmentlifestyle

Taraji P. Henson speaks onstage during the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards. TOMMASO BODDI/GETTY IMAGES

By Lori Denman-Underhill

Not every actor or actress has the privilege of telling a story on screen whose message is completely synergetic with their own. Actress Taraji P. Henson would tell you it’s no accident. Films that cover controversial subjects, female achievements or human rights within the African-American community are exactly her cup of tea.

Much like her role in the acclaimed drama Hidden Figures, where Henson plays the brilliant Katherine Johnson, an African-American female mathematician whose calculations as a NASA employee were critical to the success of one of the greatest space operations in history.

“I feel like it’s my obligation,” Henson explained in an interview with Ebony.com. “I’m an artist. I want to tell stories that matter. I’m always interested in movies that move humanity forward, change perspectives of people you know.”

The Golden Globe winner and Academy Award-nominated Henson, 48, is conscious about picking projects that speak to her heart and further her own message of equality and progress for the African-American community.

She addresses the historic yet still relevant topic of race relations in her latest non-fiction film, The Best of Enemies. Set in Durham, North Carolina, in 1971, the film—based upon the novel by Osha Gray Davidson, The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South—centers around a two-week-long discussion of ordinary citizens on the subject of school integration.

Based on a true story, the film brings together members of the black and white community—most dramatically the two main characters; Ann Atwater, played by Henson, a local firebrand of a Civil Rights activist, and Claiborne Paul “C.P.” Ellis, played by Sam Rockwell, the head of the Durham Chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.

Cast: (L-R) Bill Riddick, Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell and Robin Bissell attend a photo call for 'The Best Of Enemies’. DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES FOR STXFILMS — Cast: (L-R) Bill Riddick, Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell and Robin Bissell attend a photo call for ‘The Best Of Enemies’. DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES FOR STXFILMS

Portraying the true-life character of Atwater gave Henson a chance to show the integral part segregation has played within American society. It also gave the actress a platform for her own civil rights advocacy offstage, she explains in an interview with Oprahmag.com.

“What’s happening today is that everyone is doing a lot of talking, but not much listening. We should try listening to understand the other side…Often, we can find better solutions that way,” Henson said. “But if you try to match hate with hate, you’re not going to get anywhere.

“At the end of the day, we just need to have more compassion for each other and unconditional love, no matter our differences or background,” she adds.

Born and raised in southeast Washington, D.C., Henson grew up watching Solid Gold and was inspired by the likes of such acting legends as Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Flip Wilson. She studied acting at the famed Howard University and began her Hollywood career guest starring on several television shows before making her breakthrough in the coming-of-age film Baby Boy in 2001. She received praise for her performance as a sex worker in Hustle & Flow (2005) and as a single mother of a child with a disability in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). She also made noteworthy appearances in the action comedy Date Night and the remake of The Karate Kid.

While she is now happily engaged to former NFL quarterback Kevin Hayden and residing in Chicago—her self-proclaimed dream town where everyone is ‘real’—her own life story has not been without its share of strife.

In a recent interview with Variety, Henson opened up about her personal battle with anxiety and depression following two tragedies in her life in 2003—the death of her father, Boris Henson, and also her son’s father, William Lamar Johnson. “We’re walking around broken, wounded and hurt, and we don’t think it’s okay to talk about it,” Henson told Variety’s Elizabeth Wagmeister.

She shared that her depression and anxiety escalated during the skyrocketing success of her pivotal role on the hip-hop TV drama Empire. During that time, she says the desire to pull away from the limelight was strong, as was the longing for more privacy and time for self-care, in addition to caring for her son, Marcell, who was also suffering from depression.

It was while looking for a relatable therapist for Marcell that Henson discovered how tough it was to find one of African-American descent. The experience jump-started her effort to get rid of the taboo associated with metal health, specifically within the African-American community.

“People are killing themselves,” Henson said in the Variety interview. “People are numbing out on drugs. Not everything is fixed with a pill.”

Taking her efforts a step further, the actress created the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honor of her father, who also suffered from mental issues following his service in the Vietnam War.

Washington DC Mayor, Muriel Bowser (R), honors actress Taraji P. Henson with a Proclamation to the City at the Office of the Mayor. PAUL MORIGI/GETTY IMAGES FOR PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Henson explains that there is still a lot of work to be done, but the first step is to lift up the carpet and talk about it. Her personal advice for others who are struggling is to find a professional therapist—someone who has no stakes involved so that “when you’re on the ledge, you have things to say to yourself that will get you off of it,” she explained.

Henson remains true to herself and her work. Her latest project will be released in 2020 and promoted later this year—a Netflix original police drama called Coffee and Kareem. Henson will star as the girlfriend of a Detroit cop who aims to clear his name and take down the city’s most ruthless criminal with the assistance of her 11-year-old son.

Henson’s main message was perhaps best summed up during her recent Glamour interview: “The fight continues,” she said. “Just like so many women before us who fought so that we could sit here. Now’s not the time to drop the torch.”

“We have to continue fighting,” she insists, “so the ones coming behind us—maybe one day this is not their narrative. So we have to keep fighting.”

Living the Dream and Tapping Into Your Potential

BusinessCareers

Yes, it’s something people say, but did you know that there are those out there who are truly living their best life? Coriel Taylor is one of them.

And for her it started with a dream job leading the Digital Delivery Studio team for Accenture, where they “create killer experiences for clients in mobile and web applications,” she says.

To really discover how Coriel landed at the company, you have to take a look back at a girl from Detroit who grew up surrounded by a large, close-knit family and suddenly found herself as a black woman on a majority-white college campus. At the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the high-school honor student wanted to feel included, valued and respected. This unique perspective—and as a result, her understanding—has become the backbone of her charismatic leadership style. “We need that extra encouragement to feel comfortable,” she says. “That may mean spending a little bit of time to talk about how a person’s day is going or getting to know a person’s background and what their story is.”

At Accenture, Coriel has been given the freedom to tap into her personal potential while building a well-rounded team with her signature family-style approach. Dedicated to diversity and inclusivity, her Digital Delivery crew features a former pipe fitter, a teacher and a group of individuals with a variety of different backgrounds and skills—but together they become truly innovative. “I drive them to deliver transformational results for our clients, and a critical part of this is ensuring that everybody feels valued and appreciated for the role that they play—and is rewarded for it. It’s our home,” she says.

Now she has the opportunity to fulfill another lifelong goal of encouraging diversity in the workforce. After finding her way in college with the help of an on-campus office for under-represented minorities, Coriel was inspired to carry this mission with her to Accenture, where she supports diversity recruiting and mentoring. As one of the co-sponsors and leads for Accenture’s sponsorship of the National Society of Black Engineers, she gets to meet a lot of diverse engineering students whom she hopes will come and work for Accenture. Coriel says, “I can’t really imagine work without diversity. I mean, think about it. It’d be so boring.”

Continue on to Essence to read the complete article.

These 6 Customer Service Skills Will Help You Land Any Job

BusinessCareers

Working in retail, hospitality, a call center, or another job focused on customer service can give you vital workplace skills. No matter which industry you want to work in, the following six strong customer service skills are transferable to any job.

1. Strong Communication Skills

Good communication is the key to good customer service. It’s also the cornerstone of working in any industries where you need to work with other people, from customers to colleagues, and clients to business contacts.

Through your customer service role, you’ll learn how to explain concepts to others in easy-to-understand terms and how to placate people who may not share your point of view. You’ll find that you use these same skills in most roles. Your oral and written communication skills will also help you get your points across in meetings and during collaborative tasks.

2. Solid Active Listening Skills

Good communication and active listening skills tend to go hand in hand. Good communication is a two-way street. While effective public speaking skills are important, so is effective listening. Customer service professionals hone their active listening skills when they listen to what a customer says, then ask questions to clarify what they’ve heard before delivering a response.

A study by Korn Ferry International, an executive search recruitment firm, found that active listening is the most important competence for any workplace. The firm gave active listening this rating because it believes active listening can cover gaps left in other workplace areas. For example, if you don’t yet have skills in negotiation, you could rely on your active listening skills to get through a negotiation process.

3. Excellent Problem-Solving Skills

Customer service representatives are pros at problem solving. So much of their job involves handling complaints and queries customers have. They must use ingenuity to find solutions that work within a business’s preferred practices yet satisfy customers. Problem-solving skills cultivated in a customer service role are transferable to almost any profession, but they are especially important for creative and technology roles, such as advertising executives, engineers, and software designers.

4. Ability to Work as Part of a Team

No customer service worker is an island. Instead, customer service employees work as part of a team to support their employer’s positive image and customer service standards. Many customer service workers find themselves jumping in to help colleagues address customer queries or assisting their co-workers when they’re especially busy.

The kind of collaborative teamwork skills demonstrated by customer service workers is essential for success in many professional environments. It’s important for people in a range of industries to work within their designated roles but come together when required, such as for group projects and meetings.

5. Good Multitasking Skills

Many customer service professions require you to multitask well. Every customer wants to feel important, even though your attention may be pulled in several directions. It’s not uncommon for customer service professionals to run computers or cash registers while speaking with customers.

You might also deal with a number of customers at once if people with more urgent concerns need help while you’re dealing with more routine matters. And, of course, you must do it all efficiently and with a smile on your face! That aptitude for multitasking is useful for working in any busy profession.

6. The Ability to Show Resilience

Customer service workers must be resilient. While most members of the public are pleasant, some can be short-tempered and belligerent. In these circumstances, customer service workers must rely on their skills of resiliency to power through. Otherwise, they can’t deliver their best service to the next customer they interact with.

Similarly, you won’t find all the people you deal with any profession in good humor all the time. Sometimes, events in life simply don’t go your way. Despite the challenges, it’s important to rely on your skills of resiliency to move on to the next task. Demonstrating your resilience to a potential new employer will hold you in good stead on any job interview that you face.

Don’t underestimate how important having a background in customer service can be. A role focused on helping members of the public can position you well for landing any job.

Source: CareerBuilder

After Careers With U.S. Armed Forces And Fema This Couple Opens Their Own Business

BusinessCareersGovernment

McDuffie,Sharron, Rodney, Lee's Summit, MO

After Rodney and Sharron McDuffie retired from long and successful careers that included both the U.S. Armed Forces and the U.S. Government, the Raymore couple was looking for an attractive business opportunity to bolster their pension income.

So on April 15, Rodney, “61 years young,” and Sharron, “59 years younger,” as they note, officially opened for business as franchise owners with Floor Coverings International, whose representatives visit customers’ homes in a Mobile Flooring Showroom stocked with thousands of flooring samples from top manufacturers. Floor Coverings International Lee’s Summit serves customers throughout greater Kansas City.

Sharron retired after 30 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where she was a Technological Hazards Specialist assigned to several nuclear power plants throughout Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. Rodney retired from the U.S. Navy with 25 years as a Yeoman Administrator before joining the Department of Immigration, where he spent more than a decade before retiring as an Immigration Supervisor this past February. “We had started talking about what we would be doing in life with retirement approaching and looking forward to living the lifestyle we were comfortable in after more than 30 years working for the government,” Sharron said. “And we were not sure that once we retired on a government pension, if it would be enough. We are still pretty young and in good health, so we started looking for a business we could purchase that also offered plenty of flexibility, such as being able to work from home when we wanted to.”

In Floor Coverings International, the McDuffies found a company that has tripled in size since 2005 by putting a laser focus on consumer buying habits and expressed desires, its impressive operating model, growth ability, marketing, advertising and merchandising. Floor Coverings International further separates itself from the competition through its customer experience, made up of several simple and integrated steps that exceed customers’ expectations.

The McDuffies are also very excited about having the opportunity for their children to play a role in the business. Their oldest son, who just earned his master’s degree in Public Affairs, is “more excited than my husband and myself,” said Sharron, while their youngest son, who just graduated from high school, is looking forward to joining one of their flooring installation teams where he will gain the necessary experience to later become a Project Manager or Design Associate. A daughter, currently a middle school biology teacher, might join the business as an office manager or Design Associate while her husband is assisting with local marketing. “Since we have been up and running, the whole family is seeing what a great opportunity it is by joining or just participating in this family business,” Sharron said.

ABOUT FLOOR COVERINGS INTERNATIONAL

Floor Coverings International is the #1 Mobile Flooring Franchise in North America. Utilizing a unique in-home experience, the mobile showroom comes directly to the customer’s door with more than 3,000 flooring choices. Floor Coverings International has 150-plus locations throughout the U.S. and Canada with plenty of opportunity for continued expansion in 2019. For franchise information, please visit flooring-franchise.com and to find your closest location, floorcoveringsinternational.com.

Rihanna Presents Mary J. Blige With Lifetime Achievement At BET Awards

BusinessEntertainment

Rihanna presents Mary J. Blige with award on stage at the BET Awards Show

Mary J. Blige received the highest honor at the 2019 BET Awards on Sunday. While presenting the Queen of Hip-hop and R&B with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony in Los Angeles, Rihanna praised Blige for the blueprint she set.

She changed the game with her unique style: the backwards cap, the baggy jerseys, y’all know the Mary J. look. She took it there with those thigh-high boots,” Rihanna said, going on to praise Blige for her many successes, including becoming the first person to ever be nominated for an Oscar in both music and acting in the same year.

“Happy Mary, sad Mary … we’re here for all of it,” Rihanna said. “Mary J. Blige, you have set the bar for relatable, timeless, classic music. You opened multiple doors for female artists in this industry. And on behalf of all the women that came after you, like myself, thank you for being you so we can feel comfortable being ourselves. Thank you for pouring yourself into every track and giving us a song for every feeling. Thank you for showing us that love is all that we need. But we didn’t know how much we needed you.”

Blige accepted the award and told Rihanna the feelings of inspiration were mutual. She went on to thank BET, her family, friends, Diddy, Andre Harrell, other collaborators, her team and fans.

“People always ask how do I sustain and stay relevant in this industry,” Blige said. “It’s because although I am a leader, a queen, a living legend, although I’m all of these things, I’m a servant as well and I’m here to serve. Being a servant is not always glamorous or popular, but it’s the job and assignment I was given. It’s because in order to be an authority, I had to learn how to come under authority. It’s because when the glory is placed on me, I give it back to God immediately. This journey has always been bigger than me and my job is not only to survive, right now it’s to thrive and continue to make history while I do it.”

Continue on to Huffington Post to read the complete article.

The amazing CMO and CEO of Naturade/VeganSmart, a minority owned business

BusinessHealthlifestyle

Kareem Cook and Claude Tellis stand in front of the promotional truck parked in a parking lot

Kareem and Claude became friends while attending Duke University. Both having many family members who passed away from diet-related illnesses or suffered from diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related illnesses, they often discussed doing something to address this issue.

In 2002, Kareem and Claude moved to Los Angeles and immediately recognized the child obesity crisis and decided it was time to do something. They founded Healthy Body Products, a healthy vending machine company with the mission of providing healthier options to public schools. Within a year, they co-led a movement that resulted in a ban on junk food in the Los Angeles public schools. Within two years, they were awarded the contract for every public high school and middle school in Los Angeles.

From there, Kareem and Claude sought to make an even bigger impact on diet-related illness and obesity. The question that bothered them most was “Why do people who need quality products have the least access to them?

Which led them to Naturade. In 2012, they acquired Naturade, a premium level natural products company distributed primarily in natural food and product stores. In 2013, they met John Lewis, an internationally recognized vegan advocate and fitness expert.

John explained that the best way to prevent obesity, pre-diabetes and heart disease was a plant-based diet. Later that year, they partnered together and created VeganSmart. They distribute their product not only in premium health food stores but in local health food, drug stores and supermarkets that sold to the underserved, undereducated and low-income communities that are often ignored. Stores include CVS, Walgreens, Albertsons, Safeway, Meijer, H-E-B, Harris Teeter, Publix, Hannaford, Weis and thousands of stores nationwide.

The Only Black-Owned 5-Star Resort In The U.S. Is Perfect For Your Bachelorette Party

Businesslifestyle

By Joi-Marie McKenzie

What happens when you get engaged and you’ve partied so hard in your 20s you’d rather not “party like a rockstar” at your bachelorette party? Gather your best girlfriends and check out the only five-star resort owned by a Black woman in the U.S.

Salamander Resort & Spa, owned by Sheila Johnson, is tucked on 340 acres of the greenest land I’ve ever seen in Middleburg, Virginia. If you’d rather lie by an infinity pool than turn up at a pool party, or visit a nearby winery rather than throw back shots, or enjoy fine dining rather than stuffing pizza to ward off that hangover that might come the next morning, this is the place for you.

Right outside of Washington, D.C, 16 of my closest friends, family and linesisters descended on Salamander Resort & Spa.

Here’s what we recommend you should try.

The Spa

After the drive, my maid and matron of honor decided to start my bachelorette weekend the right way: with a bit of R&R in the resort’s 23,000-square-foot spa. From exfoliating body treatments, to all types of massages, the spa is a one-stop shop. And for my girls who didn’t have time to get a pedi before they arrived, the spa offered that too along with make-up artists and manicurists. Since I’m expecting, it was the perfect spa to grab a pre-natal massage. Even the indoor whirlpool was body temperature so I could enjoy some girl chat in the water. Afterward, we all gathered by the infinity-edge pool to chill in a cabana and take in the lush landscape.

The Finest of Dining

Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill

We felt like we were in an episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac when we tried out Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill for dinner. Right there on the grounds, it offers a private dining room, perfect for any large party.

An Easy Trek To The Wineries

After a night at the resort, the girls and I were itching to get off the property and explore Middleburg. And Salamander makes that super easy to do thanks to complimentary car service. We hopped in the resort’s Audis, which took us to a nearby winery. While the girls sipped on wine blends, created from last year’s harvest in Virginia, I took in the sites and dreamed about lunch.

Continue on to Essence to read the complete article.

Rihanna Is Now The Wealthiest Female Musician Alive

BusinessEntertainment

Rihanna poses in red dress and red lipstick

It’s official, Robyn Rihanna Fenty is the world’s wealthiest female musician. Let’s let that sink in.

The 31-year-old singer, actress, entrepreneur, beauty and fashion powerhouse just became the world’s highest female earner in music, according to Forbes. Meaning she’s out-earned Madonna ($570 million), Céline Dion ($450 million) and, Beyoncé ($400 million), three of the most wealthy women musicians alive today.

The financial glow up is real: In 2018 Rihanna ranked number 7 on Forbes list with an estimated $37.5 million. As Forbes notes, she’s now worth an estimated $600 million.

As for the tipping point? In May, Rihanna officially launched her luxury fashion label in partnership with the French luxury goods conglomerate, LVMH. The partnership was historical, she became the first woman of color to lead an LVMH business and Fenty Maison is the first fashion company that LVMH has launched from scratch.

While news of Rihanna’s ascent into the highest tax bracket in her respective field is a major accomplishment, it comes as no surprise. Launched in 2017, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty generated $570 million in revenue during its first 15 months.

Then in May 2018, Rihanna launched Savage X, an online-based lingerie company. During the first 40 days on the market, the company made $100 million in sales. It’s now available in 40 markets. Sheesh.

Work, work, work, work, work indeed.

Continue on to Essence to read the complete article

Artist, Icon, Billionaire: How Jay-Z Created His $1 Billion Fortune

BusinessEntertainmentFinance

Jay-Z is seated in front of audience clapping his hands wearing a NYN baseball cap

Nine years ago, two unlikely lunch partners sat down at the Hollywood Diner in Omaha, Nebraska. One, Warren Buffett, was a regular there. The other, Jay-Z, was not. The billionaire and the rapper ordered strawberry malts and chatted amiably, continuing the conversation back at Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway offices.

Buffett, then 80, walked away impressed with the artist 40 years his junior: “Jay is teaching in a lot bigger classroom than I’ll ever teach in. For a young person growing up, he’s the guy to learn from.” This moment, which was originally captured in our 2010 Forbes 400 package, made it clear that Jay-Z already had a blueprint for his own ten-figure fortune. “Hip-hop from the beginning has always been aspirational,” he said.

Less than a decade later, it’s clear that Jay-Z has accumulated a fortune that conservatively totals $1 billion, making him one of only a handful of entertainers to become a billionaire—and the first hip-hop artist to do so. Jay-Z’s steadily growing kingdom is expansive, encompassing liquor, art, real estate (homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, Tribeca) and stakes in companies like Uber.

His journey is all the more impressive given its start: Brooklyn’s notorious Marcy housing projects. He was a drug dealer before becoming a musician, starting his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, to release his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt. Since then he’s amassed 14 No. 1 albums, 22 Grammy awards and over $500 million in pretax earnings in a decade.

Crucially, he realized that he should build his own brands rather than promote someone else’s: the clothing line Rocawear, started in 1999 for $204 million to Iconix in 2007); D’Ussé, a cognac he co-owns with Bacardi; and Tidal, a music-streaming service.

Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean, the superproducer behind some of Jay-Z’s biggest hits, looks at Jay-Z as something others can model: “It’s bigger than hip-hop … it’s the blueprint for our culture. A guy that looks like us, sounds like us, loves us, made it to something that we always felt that was above us.”

Continue on to Forbes to read the complete article.

Making Strides in Health Care—AMA elects its first African-American woman president

BusinessCareersHealth

Patrice A. Harris, MDposes outside the AMA

Atlanta-based psychiatrist Patrice A. Harris, MD, is the first black woman to become the American Medical Association’s (AMA) president. When Dr. Harris assumes her role in June this year, she will also be the Association’s first African-American female to hold that office.

“It will be my honor to represent the nation’s physicians at the forefront of discussions when policymaker and lawmakers search for practical solutions to the challenges in our nation’s health system. I am committed to preserving the central role of the physician-patient relationship in our healing art,” Dr. Harris said.

First elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2011, Dr. Harris has held the executive offices of AMA board secretary and AMA board chair. She will continue to serve as chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force and has been active on several other AMA task forces and committees on health information technology, payment and delivery reform, and private contracting. She has also chaired the influential AMA Council on Legislation and co-chaired the Women Physicians Congress.

Dr. Harris continues in private practice and consults with both public and private organizations on health service delivery and emerging trends in practice and health policy. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Source: wire.ama-assn.org

Naval Veteran And Realtor Brings Number One Home Inspection Company To Norfolk

BusinessCareersGovernment

Demetrius Payne posing in front of his Home Inspection van

(NORFOLK, VA)- Demetrius Payne knows how to use his expertise and skills. After serving in the Navy for 10 years, he then went on to operate a testing facility for aircraft carriers and submarines for 11 years! Interesting background to say the least, but practical Payne decided to become a licensed Realtor a year ago. In September he added a Pillar To Post Home Inspectors® franchise and training to round out the tremendous services he can offer home buyers and sellers.

Payne serves homebuyers and sellers throughout Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Southampton and Franklin City. The franchise brand is a favorite among veterans such as Payne. Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is a member of VetFran, a program of the International Franchise Association that helps vets purchase franchises and it has achieved 5-star status in that program, the top ranking possible. In 2018, one-third of new Pillar To Post Home Inspectors franchisees were military vets. “I was impressed by the level of commitment Pillar To Post Home Inspectors makes to its franchisees,” Payne said. “My previous careers have taught me leadership, professionalism and customer service skills. My real estate experience helps me understand the ins and outs of homes.”

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, is the brand to which more than three million families have turned to for 25 years to be their trusted advisor when buying or selling a home. Consistently ranked as the top-rated home inspection company on Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual Franchise500^®, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is enjoying its 19^th year in a row on that list.

A professional evaluation both inside and outside the home is at the core of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors’ service. Pillar To Post Home Inspectors input data and digital photos into a computerized report that is printed and presented on site. All information is provided to clients in a customized binder for easy reference, allowing homebuyers or sellers to make confident, informed decisions.

For more information visit: demetriuspayne.pillartopost.com or call 757-234-8566.

About Pillar To Post Home Inspectors^®
Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is the largest home inspection company in North America with home offices in Toronto and Tampa. There are nearly 600 franchises located in 49 states and nine Canadian provinces. The company has been named as Best in Category in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise500® ranking for 19 years in a row. Long-term plans include adding 500 to 600 new franchisees over the next five years. For further information, please visit pillartopostfranchise.com.

The Right Way to Follow Up After a Career Fair (Email Template Included!)

BusinessCareers

By Greg Ott

When you show up to a career fair, they just give you a job, right? If only it were that easy. While career fairs serve up great introductions to companies, recruiters, and career paths you may choose to follow, it’s still on you to leave a lasting impression that inches you ever-so-closer to landing a real interview—and a great job.

Being prepared and asking the right questions will help you stand out during the event itself. But when the career fair is over, don’t forget to send a proper follow-up email, too.

After all, recruiters attending career fairs often end up meeting dozens of quality candidates—and it might be weeks or even months before they actually fill an open role or internship position. A great thank you email not only highlights your interest in the company and demonstrates good business etiquette, it ensures you stick in the recruiter’s mind.

So what do you say to make yourself memorable? Use these super easy tips to craft a perfect career fair follow-up email. We’ve even got a template you’re free to copy and paste, along with an example!

Connect Quickly
Aim to send your career fair follow-up email within 24 hours of the event. Why? Recruiters are perpetually inundated with email and don’t always have time to respond to every connection or follow up. That’s especially true after a career fair ends. Typically, it takes a couple of days for a recruiter to sit down and sort through the mountain of messages they received as a result of the event.

But if you can make it into the first batch of emails to hit the recruiter’s inbox, you’ll have a better chance of staying top-of-mind as the recruiter starts connecting with candidates—and even more so when weighed against those who chose not to follow up at all.

Keep It Simple—and Short
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. As with any great thank you note, you should simply thank the recruiter for their time and express a desire to connect down the line. The recruiter should already have your resume, so there’s no need to attach it, says Muse Career Coach Victoria Morell, Associate Director of Miami University Farmer School of Business Careers—though if you’re worried and want to attach it anyway, it won’t hurt.

“Keep it light, nice, short, and to the point, but include something that makes them remember you or read a little bit further,” Morell adds. Referring to a personal connection from your meeting, such as a common hobby or interest you discussed, can help remind the recruiter of your initial encounter.

Be Professional
Even though it’s just a brief thank you email, that doesn’t mean it’s an opportunity to act casual. Pay attention to the tone of your email so you don’t seem flippant, nonchalant, or unprepared for a professional work environment.

For instance, don’t open your message with a casual greeting like “hey”—always choose a proper introduction, like “hi” or “hello,” to set a courteous and professional tone. It also doesn’t hurt to err on the side of formality in how you address the recruiter—think “Mr. or Ms. [Name],” rather than a first name, unless you know for sure that the company is super casual.

“At this stage in the recruitment process, you’re still trying to impress them,” notes Morell, likening the tone of a thank you email to a job interview. “Even if you know it’s a casual dress code, you’re still going to dress well for the interview to show you’re serious.”

Try this email template to put it all into practice:

The Template
Hello [Name of Recruiter],

Thanks again for the opportunity to meet you at the [name/location of career fair] on [date]! [Personal detail.]

It was great learning about [detail from meeting], and I believe my [relevant, personal experience] would make me a great fit for [Company].

I would love to connect regarding a potential career with [Company] and look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Thanks again for your time!

Best,
[Your Name]

Continue on to The Muse to read the complete article.

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