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Remarkable 2 tablet Remarkable Being a gadget hound presents a few challenges at the end of the year. Namely, which one did I like best? Often, my process involves detailed analysis and introspection. I often remember the best devices because they just stay in my head all year long. Here are my top picks that stood out the most from the year. 1. Hatch Restore Hatch, IncHatch Restore - Smart Light and Sleep Sounds I’m always looking for products that make nighttime routines easier and healthier for all of us. The Hatch can be programmed with a nighttime routine that helps you fall asleep. The device doubles as a reading light, and one button on the top initiates the sleepy time process. 2. Remarkable 2 RemarkablereMarkable 2 Everything about this digital tablet is top tier. The pen feels like you are writing with an actual pencil or pen. The notations you make are translated accurately. The entire tablet is light, lasts long on a charge, and fits snugly in the case. 2/4

3. Dyson Lightcycle Morph DysonDyson Lightcycle Morph™ light Dyson nailed it with this task light, which adjusts brightness automatically based on the angle of the sun and makes reading at night easier and even healthier for the eyes. That said, my favorite feature is actually how you can turn and angle the light toward what you are working on. 4. Google Chromecast with Google TV Google StoreChromecast with Google TV Google really outdid themselves with this streaming adapter, which happens to run on a brand new operating system called Google TV. I love how the home screen shows trending movies and shows so I don’t have to constantly keep looking them up on Metacritic. 5. Apple MacBook Air M1 AppleMacBook Air This laptop is more than another new laptop release. Apple decided to develop a new chip that is 3.5 times faster than previous generations. It’s quiet, it’s fast, and it doesn’t get as hot on your lap. I also like the machine learning processing capability. 6. Luno Air Mattress 2.0 Luno®Luno Air Mattress 2.0 This air mattress for your car is a brilliant idea, mostly because of the pandemic (helping you avoid hotels or staying at someone’s house). You can custom order the model you need for your car (such as a Subaru Forester). 7. Ostrichpillow Heatbag OstrichpillowOstrichpillow® | Heatbag | Buy Now Sometimes an innovative product also solves a serious safety concern. Old-school heating pads can start fires, especially if they are around a Christmas tree. This heating pad works using eight layers of material. You can heat it up in the microwave in 35 seconds. 8. Vasque Breeze Hiking Boot VasqueBreeze LT GTX | Vasque On hikes through mud and snow, these boots keep your feet perfectly dry thanks to the waterproof material. They are breathable, light, and durable as well. My favorite feature is the grip, which stuck to the trail even in a heavy downpour. 9. Sonos Arc Soundbar SonosArc: The Premium Smart Soundbar | Sonos 3/4

The most amazing soundbar you will hear, the Sonos Arc has enough oomph to fill a room with the sweet sounds of a Mandalorian blaster. It works easily with the iPhone for streaming audio and you can mount the soundbar on the wall. Engineers tuned it to basically blow your socks off. 10. 2021 Mazda3 Mazdausa2021 Mazda 3 Sedan - Premium AWD Compact Car | Mazda USA Sometimes an innovative car just impresses you right away. The Mazda3 impressed me because of the new turbocharged engine, but at the compelling price of $29,900 with a turbo and $20,500 without one. Maybe that’s the most important innovation of all. John Brandon John Brandon is a well-known journalist who has published over 15,000 articles on social media, technology, leadership, mentoring, and many other topics. Before starting … Reprints & Permissions 4/4

‘Offering To The Storm’: Basque Folklore And Chilling Murder Mysteries On Netflix forbes.com/sites/sheenascott/2020/07/25/offering-to-the-storm-basque-folklore-and-chilling-murder-mysteries-on-netflix July 25, 2020 'Offering to the Storm' (Photo credit: Michael Oats/Netflix) Netflix Based on Dolores Redondo’s bestselling novels, the last chapter of the Spanish thriller The Invisible Guardian (El guardián invisible) trilogy was just released on Netflix NFLX -2.4%. Offering to the Storm concludes this dark crime fiction film trilogy, with seemingly unending torrential rain and a hint of the supernatural. In this last film of the trilogy, Inspector Amaia Salazar will finally discover the origin to all the mysteries that surrounded her family and the murders in the first two films, The Invisible Guardian and The Legacy of the Bones. Offering to the Storm is a much tamer film than the previous two, with also a lot less torrential rain. Offering to the Storm opens with a disturbing and chilling scene of a man smothering a baby in its cot with a stuffed toy. The man is the baby’s father, who tries to run away with the baby’s body uttering strange sayings about an offering. As Amaia investigates, she uncovers a series of other similar cases in the area, connected to the legend of a magical creature, the 1/3

Inguma, the one who takes your life away while you are asleep. The case again links back to her own family and her home town, continuing the same storyline the first two films of the trilogy revealed. Offering to the Storm isn’t a standalone film. It is, of course possible to watch it without having seen the first two films, but a lot of what happens will be confusing if you haven’t seen at least Legacy of the Bones. Much of the details revealed towards the end of Offering to the Storm will be lost to you if you haven’t seen The Invisible Guardian, as they refer back to the first string of murders committed in that first chapter of the trilogy. The Invisible Guardian trilogy began when inspector Amaia Salazar (played by Marta Etura) was called upon the murder scene of a young girl found in the woods. She soon found a connection to other similar cases in the same area. Her investigations led her to return to the town she grew up in, the Batzán valley in the Navarre region of the Basque country, finding an undeniable link to these murders with her own past issues with her family, and in particular her mother. This first film had some really hair-rising moments of child abuse, showing how cruel Amaia's mother was towards her when she was a child. In the sequel, The Legacy of the Bones, Amaia is working on another case of serial murders, that also link her back to the Batzán valley, and her mother’s past. This film revealed further Amaia’s relationship with her mother, who is a chillingly scary woman, and uncovered a deeply buried family secret. A lot of what is revealed in this film find their conclusion in Offering to the Storm. What makes this series of films intriguing is its superstitious and supernatural elements that have been weaved in to a murder mystery. Each film introduces a different magical creature from the Basque folklore to Amaia’s investigations. In The Invisible Guardian, it is the Basajaun, a kind of hairy lord of the woods; in The Legacy of the Bones, the Tartalo, a human-eating cyclop; and in Offering to the Storm, the Inguma. This Basque region really becomes another character in the trilogy with its unique mythical creatures. The region also offers a beautiful backdrop, especially in the first film which takes place in a misty forest. This is an intense trilogy with a great cast, led by a strong female inspector, who fights with her own demons while investigating brutal and disturbing murders. However, I think the biggest flaw in this filmic adaptation is that it tried to cram in too many details from the novels. If you’re able to keep up with everything that is going on without getting lost, it’s a chilling dark and atmospheric thriller. Offering to the Storm ends with quite a good climactic conclusion to the trilogy. All three films from The Invisible Guardian trilogy are available to stream on Netflix. 2/3

Sheena Scott I am a film historian, interested in the history and theory of cinema, as well as the technology behind the making of films. I specialize in European cinema, in … Reprints & Permissions 3/3

Strategy, Determination, Innovation: Setting Movers And Shakers Apart From Jumpers forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/12/22/strategy-determination-innovation-setting-movers-and- shakers-apart-from-jumpers December 22, 2020 Dec 22, 2020,07:10am EST|101 views Victoria PelletierForbes Councils Member Forbes Human Resources Council COUNCIL POST| Membership (fee-based) Leadership Vice President, IBM Talent & Transformation | Author | Public Speaker | Passionate Diversity & Inclusion Leader | Networking Champion. 1/4

getty Jessica owns a small shipping company out in the Midwest. After obtaining a packaging science degree from one of the handful of universities that offers it, Jessica went to work for a major retailer who needed fresh ideas on the logistics team. The job was invigorating at first, handing Jessica many opportunities to put her creativity to work solving novel problems. Fast forward two years: Jessica recognized that her dedication to the job and innovative ideas were not leading to any professional advancement. In fact, Jessica discovered that the leaders in her own department lacked the ability to inspire the team and leverage the gifts of the talented people on the team. The solution? Stop jumping for someone else and start moving and shaking to secure your own future. Jessica decided that it was time to go into business for herself. Only in her early 30s, Jessica is among a growing cadre of her generation who have found success building something from the ground up. Jessica's business model targets niche shipments — if it needs to be transported in a bed of dry ice or carefully protected because of fragile components and awkward dimensions, Jessica is the person to contact. Invention is the name of the game in her business; every shipping challenge is met with a distinctive and effective solution. 2/4

Is Jessica's success an exceptional story? Not at all. In fact, I know lots of \"Jessicas\" out in the workforce. These leaders have several significant traits in common, namely strategic thinking, inspirational determination and the ability to unleash innovation. Strategic Thinking Managers implement what leaders envision. What sets entrepreneurial leaders and corporate leaders apart in a crowded field of climbers and posers is their ability to think strategically. Consider Jessica's thriving business. It is built on the assumption that shipping needs a decade from now may look a lot different than they do right now. In Jessica's setting, strategic thinking entails imagining what her customers will need before they do. While occasionally an innate skill, strategic thinking can be learned and enhanced. Strategic thinkers are not reactive. They are never waiting on someone else to craft a plan or wave the green flag. Instead, strategic thinkers are forward-leaning. Strategic thinkers are self- motivated and are willing to take the hits if the hits advance the vision that they have created for themselves, their brand and their organization. Ask yourself: What part of my leadership portfolio is strategic? Am I concerned about the long view or only my immediate line of sight? Inspirational Determination \"ID\" may sound lofty, but it is really quite simple. The best leaders are gritty leaders who instill grittiness in those who work for them. In Jessica's business, there's an assumption that some projects will require late nights and all sorts of trial and error. With this in mind, Jessica puts in the long hours and does not easily ruffle when a project does not go as expected. Leaders with ID are determined to satisfy customers and build upon the business' success. Because they are \"all in\" with the above, they inspire their teams to dig deep and meet them in the trenches of hard work. Unleash Innovation Jessica is motivated by learning something new. She's also fueled by shipping projects that pose complex challenges and stir the juices of pioneering solutions. This passion for innovation is infectious. In fact, members of innovative teams are given spaciousness to learn new skills and to create and test their own ideas with real time-scenarios. Innovation should be rewarded with promotions, bonuses and opportunities to contribute to the research and development arm of the business. Again, the innovation is modeled by successful leaders. The Takeaway 3/4

Successful leaders can balance their vision with the creative work product of the team. Recognition of innovation should always be in the leader's front pocket. Providing space for the trial and error that accompanies innovation is also incredibly important. Jumpers know how to take and enforce someone else's vision. Movers and shakers — successful leaders — leverage strategy, determination innovation to set their leadership and organizations apart from the competition. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? Victoria Pelletier Vice President, IBM Talent & Transformation | Author | Public Speaker | Passionate Diversity & Inclusion Leader | Networking Champion. Read Victoria Pelletier's full … Reprints & Permissions 4/4

The ‘Why’ Behind Our Work: What Is ‘Purpose,’ And Do We Need It? forbes.com/sites/samanthatodd/2019/07/29/the-why-behind-our-work-what-is-purpose-and-do-we-need-it July 29, 2019 Editors' Pick|Jul 29, 2019,10:00am EDT|35,673 views Day 1: Define purpose. This post is part of Forbes’ Career Challenge: Rediscover Your Purpose In 15 Days. 1/4

On average, people spend 90,000 hours on the job over the course of their lives. So it’s no wonder that 9 in 10 workers would take a pay cut if it meant having the opportunity to participate in more purposeful work. But what is “purpose,” and do we really have to have it? The most basic definition of purpose is the “why” question—why someone is working on a task, why a task matters to a job, why a job matters to an organization. The outcome is feeling as though the task, the job, the organization is meaningful. “It’s just built into our DNA,” says Jacinta Jimenez, a psychologist and the head of coaching at leadership development platform BetterUp. “As human beings, we’re wired to connect, and part of purpose is serving others or serving the greater good, something outside of us that allows us to feel more connected.” Deloitte Five Lessons From The Pandemic Light A Path Forward To The Future Of Work “We have an inherent desire to be part of something that’s bigger than ourselves,” adds Elizabeth Lotardo, a vice president at leadership development consulting firm McLeod & More. “When you can see the impact that you have on another person, another community, on the world, that carries a lot of weight.” 2/4

Having a sense of purpose at work can make us feel as though what we do matters, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The sense of meaning that workers derive from purposeful work translates into elevated levels of engagement. At a time when just 34% of employees say they’re engaged at work and lack of engagement costs U.S. companies an estimated $500 billion annually, purpose would appear to be a business imperative. “Organizations are seeing the economic benefits and people are seeing the personal benefits,” Lotardo says. “Collectively, the world is moving toward a sense of purpose.” Workers who feel that what they do matters are also likely to be more resilient than their colleagues. Meaning can be a strong motivator, one that can help an individual overcome obstacles. “Everyone in every company is going to encounter failures and challenges, and purpose helps keep you grounded in the sense of gratitude and meaning in a way that financial metrics or quarterly targets just don’t,” Lotardo says. Art Brief, an organizational psychologist and presidential professor emeritus at the University of Utah, has spent his career studying the moral dimensions of organizational life. “If you realize meaning in your work, you tend to be more satisfied in your life,” he says. But Brief isn’t blind to the realities of the workforce, admitting that most people don’t hold jobs that bring them purpose, at least not all the time. “When people work a second or third job, I don’t think they’re there to find a higher meaning, they’re there to find money,” he says. Even so, that doesn’t mean that those individuals can’t find fulfillment in at least one aspect of their work. Research by Amy Wrzesniewski, professor of management at Yale University, asserts that individuals can craft their current jobs into the ones they want through a process called “job crafting.” According to the study, job crafting is when employees change “cognitive, task and/or relational boundaries to shape interactions and relationships with others at work.” Job crafting allows workers to revise what their work means to them and can serve as a path to purpose. One example of this can be found in the professors’ study. Wrzesniewski interviewed the cleaning staff at a hospital and learned that not all of these staffers viewed their work in the same way. Some said the work was highly skilled, while others said it was the exact opposite. When asked for their job titles, some of the members gave their official titles, while others offered unofficial ones such as “healer.” The cleaners had unwittingly crafted their perceptions of their positions, proving that a shift in perspective can make any job purposeful. The way that people perceive their work can be fluid, but so too is their sense of purpose. In fact, it’s not unlikely that what someone finds purposeful today won’t be entirely different a year down the road—and that’s all right. “When you’re in your 20s, what drives you and gives you purpose may be very different than when you’re in your 40s and 50s,” Jimenez says. 3/4

But the reasons that purposeful work is important will always be the same, she says. “When you create value for your organization and you contribute, your work is going to have more purpose.” Ready for the next challenge? Click here for Day 2: Establish what you have. — Samantha Todd I serve as an assistant editor on the Leadership team at Forbes. Previously, I interned with the Echoes-Sentinel and The Bernardsville News where I covered local news and … 4/4

This Entrepreneur’s Communication Skills Helped Her Turn An Idea Into A $150M Brand forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2020/11/24/this-entrepreneurs-communication-skills-helped-her-turn-an-idea-into-a- 150m-brand November 24, 2020 Nov 24, 2020,05:00am EST|5,198 views Carmine GalloSenior Contributor Leadership Strategy I write about leadership communication to grow sales and build brands. 1/5

Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint Hint/Chris Andre Kara Goldin, the founder and CEO of Hint Water, turned an idea that struck her one day at the kitchen table into a $150 million a year business. Along the way to building a popular lifestyle brand, Goldin discovered the power of storytelling to grab attention and attract loyal customers. “It’s really important to bring your personal story into the brand identity,” Goldin told me during a recent conversation about her new book, Undaunted. “People associate the brand with a human being and that person’s story. It adds tremendous meaning and value.” The Hint story began in 2005 with a simple idea: to make water that tastes good. After leaving a demanding role at AOL, Goldin felt unhealthy. She was overweight, had low energy, and developed adult acne. She had been drinking diet soda for years—8 to 10 cans a day—without giving it a second thought. One day she noticed that the soda had thirty ingredients. Goldin decided to experiment. She replaced diet coke with plain water. “In two and a half weeks, I had lost 24 pounds,” Goldin told me. “My skin skin cleared up and my energy returned.” The only obstacle to continuing her new habit was the fact that she found water to be, well, boring. Goldin stumbled upon a simple solution. She sliced up fruit and dropped it into the water to improve its taste. 2/5

Goldin soon discovered that she couldn’t find unsweetened fruit-infused water in a bottle. The category didn’t exist. In that moment, Hint was born. Goldin turned a quick and simple solution to a health problem into a product which has grown into a healthy lifestyle brand. In September, 2010, Goldin shared her story on a CNBC program called “How I Made My Millions.” After the program aired, Goldin was sitting near a pool when a woman approached her to ask about the water she was drinking. The woman didn’t recognize Kara from the segment, but she remembered the product and the story. According to Goldin, storytelling is a way for startups and entrepreneurs to stand out. “Beyond the brand promise, consumers want to know who is behind the brand,” says Goldin. “Consumers really gravitate toward the story because they want to understand what they’re buying into.” Goldin majored in communication at Arizona State University and spent part of her career working in the media and magazine industry. She instinctively understands the power of an authentic founder’s story to create a stronger connection between a product and its consumers. In the food and beverage industry, storytelling was named the top “product trend” of 2020. One survey found that 56% of consumers globally said stories around a brand influence their purchase decision. Stories can explain how a product is sourced, how it started, who’s behind it, and how the brand lives improves people’s lives and the communities it serves. “One reason that Hint became so popular in Silicon Valley is the founder story….people love to connect with a brand with a real human being, especially if the person has an interesting and authentic personal narrative that directly relates to the product,” Goldin writes in her book. Your customers don’t just buy a product; they buy into the story behind the product. If you have a genuine, authentic origin story that speaks to your product’s promise, share it and share it often. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here. 3/5

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Undaunted by Kara Goldin HarperCollins Leadership Carmine Gallo I am a keynote speaker, bestselling author, and communication advisor for leaders at the world’s most admired brands. I’ve written nine books that have been published in … Reprints & Permissions 5/5

We Read All The ‘Future Of Work’ Articles So You Don’t Have To–Here’s What You Need To Know To Prepare For The Post-Pandemic Future forbes.com/sites/amberjohnson-jimludema/2020/11/08/we-read-all-the-future-of-work-articles-so-you-dont-have- toheres-what-you-need-to-know-to-prepare-for-the-post-pandemic-future November 8, 2020 A post-pandemic world won't make work less complex. We looked at over 40 forecasts for the future to ... [+] getty Around May, we noticed a trend: the rise of the “future of work” articles. Published by consulting firms, professional associations, and business influencers, these articles and reports asked, “What will work be like when Covid-19 is over?” It’s a good question, one we’re all asking. The articles and reports kept coming over the summer and into the fall. In total, we read over 40 of them published by leading organizations including McKinsey, the World Economic Forum, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Some were brief. Some were full reports with survey data. Congizant’s, which took a future-looking-back perspective, was the most creative. 1/5

We found a significant amount of overlap in most of the content, and a few ideas that are original and deserve more consideration. Below, we summarize the findings. Together, these ideas can help your team prepare for an uncertain future, pushing us closer to an answer of what work will look like in the future. The future of work after Covid-19 Where we work will change Surveys done since the start of the pandemic show that 75% of remote workers want their employer to provide flexibility of work location after the pandemic ends. The future of work articles reflect this reality, with almost all assuming that where we work and what our offices look like will change. BCG offers several models for what flexibility companies might offer, including three hybrid models that give workers time at home with frequent or occasional trips to the office for collaborative work or meetings. This will require thinking about work’s physical location differently. Cushman & Wakefield imagines a total workplace ecosystem that evolves for convenience, functionality, and wellbeing. Others prioritize workflow, or see offices as the place where “bursty” collaboration can occur. All this implies that most of our teams will be at least somewhat virtual. For more on creating high-performing, high-engagement virtual teams, we recommend this eBook, which compiles evidence-based research into effective virtual teams. With work-from-home becoming the new norm for many people, what we want out of our homes may also change. Cognizant imagines home offices rising in importance for real estate listings. 2/5

Digital security becomes more complex as teams disperse to more locations. getty Post-Covid, Safety and security will rise in importance When we are at the office, our physical space will have to change. Because we don’t expect the risk of the coronavirus, or future pandemics, to be fully eliminated, cleaning and sanitization will increase in importance. A fellow Forbes author outlines simple changes that can be expected, like requiring temperature checks and masks, and eliminating food buffets and salad bars. Workstations may be spaced further apart, communal work areas reduced, and more touch-free or contactless amenities provided, says Training Industry. Those steps may protect team members from passing infections, but other forms of safety and security will also be increasingly important. Many businesses lacked adequate business continuity and disaster readiness plans when lockdown orders were put into place. In the future, businesses will have to develop more robust plans for unprecedented circumstances. Additionally, more employees logging in from more locations will increase cyber-security risks, requiring more attention to prevent challenges. Business processes will have to adapt Previously, people hired to work remotely often still participated in hiring, onboarding, and training through in-person events. In the future, this may not be possible or desirable. 3/5

A fully remote hiring process offers one clear benefit: recruitment can be expanded, possibly enabling the hiring of a more diverse workforce, since location won’t limit employment. Once hired, onboarding and training will have to be simpler in the future, say some sources. “Video coffee,” online mentoring, and other one-on-one meetings will create important interpersonal connections. As the nature and tasks of work change, reskilling will become an important priority. Additionally, leaders will have to ask how to help keep human connection a priority in an increasingly digital workplace. Others anticipate an increase in contingent or “gig” workers, requiring organizations to consider what policies they need to create mutually-beneficial relationships with these individuals. How well organizations adapt their business processes will shape their future reputations, which will influence their ability to hire strong candidates in the future. Accenture found that 45% of employees rate their employers’ response to the pandemic as neutral or negative, warning that these employers risk reputational damage. New jobs and job functions will appear post-pandemic “COVID-19 put the spotlight on the CHRO and the HR organization, just as the 2008–2009 recession did for the CFO and finance function,” says Deloitte, an expansion of responsibilities they expect to continue. Adaptation will also create new employment opportunities including new roles, like Chief Remote Work Officer. Gartner’s future of work article provides additional insights into new jobs, functions, and HR-perspectives that will rise in relevance in the coming years. As a caution, The Economist points out that just as the rise of the gig economy prompted new legal questions, so will the rise of work-from-home. So what does all this mean? As one article we reviewed quipped, the future of work has arrived sooner than anticipated. What does it mean for business leaders struggling to keep up with the rapid transitions? After reading over 40 future of work articles, here is our conclusion: while each business and industry will have to figure out the specifics for themselves, there is no doubt that the future of work will be more virtual, flexible, and concerned with safety; employers will need to develop new strategies for keeping people connected, healthy, and engaged; and members of the workforce will need to be ready to reskill, strengthen their relational networks, and remain fluent with evolving technology. We offer tips for how to launch your own “future of work” taskforce in our next column and draw insights from futurist Bob Johansen and complexity scholar Mary Uhl-Bien. In the meantime, tell us how you’re preparing for the future; tag us on Twitter @ValuesDriven. 4/5

Jim Ludema and Amber Johnson We work at the Center for Values-Driven Leadership, at Benedictine University, where we study and consult with performance-focused, values-driven companies to understand … Reprints & Permissions 5/5

What Angel Investors Want To Know Before Investing In Your Startup forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2020/12/13/what-angel-investors-want-to-know-before-investing-in-your-startup December 13, 2020 By Richard Harroch Angel investors can be a great source of capital for an early-stage company. getty Angel investors invest in early-stage startup companies in exchange for a stake in the company. Angel investors hope to replicate the high-profile successful investments made in companies like Airbnb, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Uber, and more. Angel investors typically make small bets ($25,000 to $100,000) with the hopes of getting “home run” returns. Angel investors understand that startups have a high risk of failure. So ultimately an angel investor needs to feel confident that the potential upside/rewards from investing are worth the downside risks. Angel investors review a variety of key issues and undertake due diligence before they invest in a startup. In this article I discuss the key items angel investors analyze in deciding whether or not to invest in a startup. 1. Is there a great founder/management team? 1/8

Many investors consider the team behind a startup more important than the idea or the product. The investors will want to know that the team has the right set of skills, drive, experience, and temperament to grow the business. Anticipate these questions: Who are the founders and key team members? Have members of the team worked together before? What relevant domain experience does the team have? What key additions to the team are needed in the short term? Why is the team uniquely capable to execute the company’s business plan? How many employees does the company have? What motivates the founders? How do you plan to scale the team in the next 12 months? Ultimately, the investor will need to make a judgment about whether the founder and team will be enjoyable to work with. Does the investor believe in the team? Is the CEO experienced and willing to listen? Is the CEO trustworthy? Also, involving experienced advisors can be very helpful in the early stages to help bridge an early-stage team that is still growing. 2. Is the market opportunity big? Most investors are looking for businesses that can scale and become meaningful, so make sure you address up front why your business has the potential to become really big. Don’t present any small ideas. If the first product or service is small, then perhaps you need to position the company as a “platform” business allowing the creation of multiple products or apps. Investors will want to know the actual addressable market and what percentage of the market you plan to capture over time. 3. What positive early traction has the company achieved? One of the most important things for investors will be signs of any early traction or customers. A company that has obtained early traction will be more likely to obtain investor financing and with better terms. Examples of early traction can include the following: The creation of a beta or minimally viable product Initial or pilot customers, especially brand name customers Strategic partnerships Customer testimonials Admission into competitive programs such as Y Combinator or other technology accelerators or incubators Investors will want to know how the early traction be accelerated? What has been the principal reason for the traction? How can the company scale this early traction? 2/8

Don’t forget to show early buzz or press you have received, especially from prominent websites or publications. Feature the headlines in a slide on your investor pitch deck. List the number of articles and publications mentioning the company. 4. Are the founders passionate, determined, and in it for the long haul? Many venture capitalists look for passionate and determined founders. Are they individuals who will be dedicated to growing the business and facing the inevitable challenges? Startups are hard, and investors want to know that the founders have the inner drive to get through the highs and lows of the business. Investors want to see genuine commitment to the business. 5. Do the founders understand the financials and key metrics of their business? Investors look for founders who truly understand the financials and key metrics of their business. You need to show that you have a handle on all of those and that you are able to articulate them coherently. Here are some key metrics that angel investors will care about: Monthly burn rate of the business Projected growth in revenues Gross margin Lifetime value of a customer Customer acquisition cost Key components of gross revenues and gross expenses EBITDA How long it will take to get the company to profitability How much additional capital will need to be raised in the future, and when Other key performance indicators of the business (KPIs) 6. Does the investor know the entrepreneur? If not, has the entrepreneur been referred by a trusted colleague? If the investor already knows and likes the entrepreneur, that is a big advantage. If the entrepreneur doesn’t know the investor, the best way to capture their attention is to get a warm introduction from a trusted colleague: an entrepreneur, a lawyer, an investment banker, another angel investor, or a venture capitalist. Angel investors get inundated with unsolicited executive summaries and pitch decks. Most of the time, those solicitations are ignored unless they are referred from a trustworthy source. 3/8

7. Is the initial investor pitch deck professional and interesting? The first thing the investor will expect is to see a 15-20 page investor pitch deck before taking a meeting. From the pitch deck, the investor hopes to see an interesting business model with committed entrepreneurs and big opportunity. So make sure you have prepared and vetted a great pitch deck. Reviewing other pitch decks and executive summaries can help you improve your own. See A Guide to Investor Pitch Decks for Startup Fundraising. 8. What are the potential risks to the business? Investors want to understand what risks there might be to the business. They want to understand your thought process and the mitigating precautions you are taking to reduce those risks. There inevitably are risks in any business plan, however, so be prepared to answer these questions thoughtfully: What do you see as the principal risks to the business? What legal risks do you have? Will the business model comply with applicable laws, including expanding privacy protections? What technology risks do you have? Do you have any regulatory risks? Are there any product liability risks? What steps do you anticipate taking to mitigate such risks? Startups that can show they have reduced or eliminated product, technology, sales, or market risks will have an advantage in fundraising. 9. Why is the company’s product great? The entrepreneur must clearly articulate what the company’s product or service consists of and why it is unique, so entrepreneurs should expect to get the following questions: Why do users care about your product or service? What are the major product milestones? What are the key differentiated features of your product or service compared to competitors? What have you learned from early versions of the product or service? What are the two or three key features you plan to add? How often do you envision enhancing or updating the product or service? Do you have any favorable customer reviews? 10. How will my investment capital be used and what progress will be made with that capital? 4/8

Investors will absolutely want to know how their capital will be invested and your proposed burn rate (so that they can understand when you may need the next round of financing). It will also allow the investors to test whether your fundraising plans are reasonable given the capital requirements you will have. And it will allow the investors to see whether your estimate of costs (e.g., for engineering talent, for marketing costs, or office space) is reasonable given their experiences with other companies. Investors want to make sure at minimum that you have capital to meet your next milestone so you can raise more financing. 11. Does the company have differentiated technology? As many angel investors invest in software, internet, mobile, or other technology companies, an analysis of the startup’s technology or proposed technology is critical. The questions the investors will pursue include: How differentiated is the company’s technology? What competitive advantages will there be over existing technology? How easy will it be to replicate the technology? How costly will it be to build the technology into each product? Related to that, the angel investors will do due diligence on the key intellectual property owned or being developed by the company, such as copyright, patents, trademarks, domain names, etc. Is the intellectual property properly owned by the company, and have all employees and consultants assigned the intellectual property over to the company? 12. Are the company’s financial projections believable and interesting? If your startup presents investors with projections showing the company will achieve $1 million in revenue in five years, the investors will have little interest. Investors want to invest in a company that can grow significantly and become an exciting business. Alternatively, if you show projections in which the company predicts to be at $500 million in three years, the investors will just think you are unrealistic, especially if you are at zero in revenues today. Avoid assumptions in your projections that will be difficult to justify, such as how you will get to a 400% growth in revenue with only a 20% growth in operating and marketing costs. In order to believe your financial projections, investors will want you to articulate the key assumptions you have and convince them those assumptions are reasonable. If you can’t do that, then the investors won’t feel that you have a real handle on the business. Expect that investors will push back on the assumptions and they will want you to have a reasonable, thoughtful response. 13. How will the company market its products or services? 5/8

Investors know that building a great product or service is not enough. The company must have the beginnings of a well thought out marketing plan. The marketing questions will include: Who is your target market? What are the best ways to approach the target market? What do you anticipate the customer acquisition costs to be? How will you employ social media to attract customers? What PR do you intend to employ? How will you make sure that your website is search engine optimized? Will you be engaging in content marketing? Will you be relying on third-party distribution channels? Are those third parties sufficiently excited and incentivized? 14. What are the specific terms and valuation of the financing round? Angel investors may ask the following questions about the financing round: How much is being raised? How much is already committed by investors? Are any prior investors participating in the round? Is there a well-known investor leading the round? Is there a minimum amount of capital being raised before a closing occurs? Valuation will be an important issue for the investors. If you tell an investor you want a $100 million valuation even though you started the business three weeks ago, or don’t have much traction yet, the conversation will likely end very quickly. Often, it’s best not to discuss valuation in a first call/meeting other than to say you expect to be reasonable on valuation. But the investor also doesn’t want to waste a lot of time on a deal if the valuation expectations are unreasonable or not attractive. Valuation at an early stage of a company is more of an art than a science. To help bridge the valuation gap for early-stage startups, you often see investors looking for a convertible instrument with customary conversion discounts and valuation caps. These instruments, such as convertible notes and “SAFEs,” have become quite common. Final Tips for Entrepreneurs Seeking Angel Investors Here are some concluding tips for entrepreneurs seeking to obtain angel financing for their startup: Target angel investors who invest in your location (San Francisco, New York, L.A., etc.). Some investors will only invest in companies located near them. 6/8

Target angel investors who invest in your space (software, internet, mobile, biotech, cleantech, etc.). Have a great 15-20 page investor pitch deck. Practice your pitch and get feedback. Be prepared to have pitch meetings through Zoom or other video platforms. Do a product demonstration or have a well-produced video prepared. Make sure you have researched the competition and anticipate the questions you may get about competitors. Show the investor that there is an opportunity for a big exit (M&A or IPO) in three to seven years. Related Articles: Copyright © by Richard D. Harroch. All Rights Reserved. Richard D. Harroch is a Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on Internet, digital media, and software companies, and he was the founder of several Internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, MSN, Yahoo, FoxBusiness, and AllBusiness.com. Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal- bestselling book on small business. He is the co-author of the recently published 1,500-page book by Bloomberg, Mergers and Acquisitions of Privately Held Companies: Analysis, Forms and Agreements. He was also a corporate and M&A partner at the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, with experience in startups, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital. He has been involved in over 200 M&A transactions and 250 startup financings. He can be reached through LinkedIn. Read all articles by Richard Harroch. This article was originally published on AllBusiness. 7/8

AllBusiness AllBusiness.com is one of the world’s largest online resources for small businesses, providing essential tools and resources to start, grow, and manage your business. … Reprints & Permissions 8/8

What The Pros Learned About Dry January forbes.com/sites/lanabortolot/2019/01/31/what-the-pros-learned-about-dry-january January 31, 2019 The many bottles you won't have during Dry January. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg © 2016 Bloomberg Finance LP It started as a public health campaign by the British government five years ago, but now Dry January has morphed into a worldwide event, challenging people to go on the wagon for a month. The concept has actually been around longer: In 2008, Australia launched Dry July as a fund-raiser for cancer organizations. And, even further back, in 1942 the Finnish government created Raitis tammikuu (Sober January) as part of its war effort against the Soviet Union. But it wasn’t until the Britain organization, Alcohol Change UK, trademarked the name in 2014 that it became an annual drying out ritual. Last year, Alcohol Change reported “88% of participants saved money, 71% had better sleep and more energy, and 58% lost weight.” A similarly minded effort in the U.K. called Go Sober October followed in 2018. 1/5

Lacking a similar national effort in the U.S., many grassroots groups formed their own efforts to provide support and ideas for a hangover-free month. In December 2018, Tom Halaska created the “Dry January Crew” Facebook group, which has 451 members. Halaska, a brand manager at WellBeing Brewing, which makes non-alcoholic craft beer, quit drinking some 500 days ago. “I’ve been in the bar business for 20 years and can’t walk into a bar in St. Louis without someone pouring me a drink,” he said. “I hit rock bottom and I had to tell the world I needed help. I wanted to normalize my issues and publicize them and thought it made sense to create a group of people with mixed interests and reasons for quitting.” The group focuses on the positive side of sobriety with notes on best places for mocktails, shared story links, and members’ own stories. “It’s not just about how you feel physically, but mentally [it’s] an exploration about what moderation means,” Halaska said. Rebecca Hopkins, a San Francisco based wine executive, created an online community based on that very idea. A Balanced Glass was founded to “support the physical and mental health and wellness” of industry professionals. “This last year we have certainly seen a rise in the social acceptance of Rebecca abstinence for wine professionals,” says Hopkins. “I dare say an overall Hopkins awareness and mindfulness around consumption is a driver, but if that means people are paying more attention to the quality and quantity of what abalancedglass.com they are drinking, then I’m all for it.” Louise Jordan DipWSET, a public relations manager at E & J Gallo in Napa, says after her third or fourth Dry January, she was more relaxed about the process. “When I first did it years ago, it felt like a bigger thing—I put more pressure on myself and I was more anxious about it,” she said. “Now I’m happy to skip a month here or there. I slept better. And I felt like I accomplished something that’s not easy in this line of work.” As the month of abstinence ends, I queried others in the drinks industry Louise Jordan who dried out for the month. Here are their takes on taking time off from alcohol. Courtesy Louise Jordan Suzie Kukaj-Curovic, director of public relations and communications at Freixenet Mionetto USA, New York, just completed her second year of Dry January. 2/5

“I kept hearing about the health benefits and increased energy levels, so I wanted to try it out for myself. I made a conscious effort to prepare mentally. How am I going to handle business lunches and events? Meeting clients for drinks? Will it be awkward? Will I be judged? “It was not nearly as difficult as I anticipated, especially in group settings where you blend in as long as you’re holding a glass, and in the company of industry folks who are familiar with this concept. The true challenge was meeting one-on-one for drinks. At times I sensed levels of discomfort from my company, especially after their second drink. The greatest difference, for me, was time. Most of my friends and peers were aware of my Dry January, so my calendar was far less active than usual. This allowed for greater family and ‘me’ time.” Julie H. Case, beverage journalist in New York City, said she tried it for the first time because “I had a curiosity about sober drinks and how my body would respond to no alcohol over a period of time.” “The most difficult thing was ordering a beverage while out with friends. I don't like overly sweet beverages and there weren't many savory options. Sober drinkers want the ceremony of a drink, too, and not many restaurants or bars offer these. Outside of that, I found my pacing a bit off when everyone else was drinking a lot. As the sober person, I found the languid pace and distracted social interactions a bit less intriguing than other times. Plus, when you don't have a nice non-alcoholic beverage to sip on, you don't have that as a prop to rely on during interactions.” Elise McCracken, director of sales in the beer division of Best Brands in Nashville, participated for the first time because “It was time to SLOW DOWN! And this gave me the perfect opportunity.” “Of course, there have been times that I really wished I could have a beer or drink. My favorite local pub picked up a case of WellBeing [non alcoholic beer] for me to ensure I would still hang out. By setting my mind to not drink, I realized how much and how often I did drink. And it was too much. And while I may start having drinks again here in a few days, I can honestly say that they will be much fewer and farther between. It will for sure be a January ritual.” Taylor Eason, a Sonoma-based wine blogger and principal of Cork & Fork Digital Media, started the ritual in 2015 for health reasons and to mitigate her “widening array of food intolerances.” “The first time not having wine almost every day was excruciatingly difficult. Taylor Eason The habit was firmly entrenched. But, driven by a possible cure to my Courtesy: Taylor ailments, I was dedicated, courageous (in my own mind) and a bit obsessive. Eason The regime worked and alleviated many of my symptoms. I’m like a junkie now. When ‘on cleanse,’ I sleep WAY better, feel 1000% better, have better concentration, and am more productive. Not all of that is attributed to the lack of alcohol but that definitely 3/5

plays a part. Since I feel so good when I don’t drink, I never went back to my everyday glass. Now, I make every glass count… drink the treasured bottles, choose carefully on wine lists and often splurge since it’s one of the two nights I allow myself to indulge.” Lauren Mowery, JD, DWS andthe New York based contributing travel editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, completed her second Dry January to “reset” her post-holiday consumption. She said she lost weight and gained mental clarity, but found dining out a challenge. “Going to dinner [was] difficult since I want to try food and wine pairings if Lauren it’s a notable restaurant. But I remind myself how often I get to enjoy such Mowery things so that a few weeks shouldn’t be a big deal. Bart Gutierrez “It’s most difficult when traveling as most of my assignments require tasting wine. [T]he effect one or two glasses has on me the next day becomes apparent after not drinking. My mind is sharper, I’m less tired since I sleep better. I feel less bloated. One might ask why return? Because there are so many wonderful aspects of enjoying wine, too.” Doreen Winkler, a sommelier in New York City, prepared for her first Dry January by doing a raw cleanse for the first 10 days and working out several days a week. “I think in this industry it’s only healthy to take a break and January seems to be a perfect time. I think it’s crazy that we meet our friends over drinks mainly—why not take a walk in Central Park, try a new gym class, take a pottery class? It definitely made me think. There were so many benefits: I felt well rested, had great sleep, was in a very good mood. My complexion improved and I lost weight.” Chelsie Petras @chelloveswine Chelsie Petras, Jersey City based creator of the wine-focused site, Chel Loves Wine, completed her second year, calling it “a detox for my body but also a mental challenge to see if I could take [time] off from something that has become a regular occurrence.” “Emotionally I feel stronger knowing I could do this for 31 days. Physically I am sleeping better, my skin is clearer, I’ve lost almost 10 pounds and my body is less bloated. It made me realize how much alcohol I was actually consuming and when I was consuming it. Going forward I’ll be more conscious of what it does to my body and mind. Being around wine everyday you can lose track on how much you’re actually consuming.” 4/5

Information about alcohol use can be found at The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out some of my other work here. Lana Bortolot A career journalist, I turned my attention (and tastebuds) to wine reporting in 2009 and have covered trends, products, regions and the business of wine ever since. I … Reprints & Permissions 5/5

What’s The Future Of Reusable Cups? —What Cupclub Learnt From Its Pandemic Pivot forbes.com/sites/mariannelehnis/2020/12/14/the-covid-19-edit-what-we-can-learn-from-cupclubs-product-expansion- plans December 14, 2020 Safia Qureshi, Cubclub Founder, is trailblazing solutions to the disposable cup crisis Cubclub 2020 was set to be the year Cupclub would take the world by storm. Founder of Cupclub, Safia Qureshi, was trialling her end-to-end reusable cup service with some of the biggest multinational food and beverage names - MacDonalds and Starbucks. Cubclub had launched a pilot in the US Bay Area with a new operations partner across eight locations - bringing an urgently needed circular economy alternative to the world’s annual 16 billion discarded single-use coffee cups. “We had launched in the US market for the first time with next-gen consortium brands - Starbucks, McDonald's, Coca Cola. Cupclub was selected to help identify and design a reusable system that would be able to scale for some of these major restaurant players and coffee brands, bringing the opportunity of reuse in the everyday takeaway space,” says Qureshi. But the looming pandemic threw a monkey wrench into Cupclub’s expansion plans, forcing the business to delay operations for about nine months. The award-winning architect turned greentech entrepreneur engaged her team in a new brief: how might we best adapt to the lockdown and lay the groundwork for a stronger 2021? Start with a ‘how might we’ question 1/3

By the end of March, two weeks after the WHO declared the Covid-19 outbreak a global pandemic, Qureshi and her team sat down and workshopped, treating the evolving landscape as a new brief: “You have to figure out, what is the new brief? How might we cater to the new needs of our customers and their end-users? Who is needed to deliver it? How much time is it going to take? What is the impact of it on business? What is going to happen with your existing customer base, and how do you manage them?” says Qureshi. With certain customers, she says, they kept continuous lines of communication open to see how things would pan out. Pausing operations sped up product expansion plans For Cupclub, Covid-19 paused and delayed actual operations for about nine months, but behind the scenes, it sped up product expansion plans: “We were not in any hurry to develop our food-to-go; it was in our pipeline for 2021. We’ve ramped everything up so we can deliver it quickly and respond to new customer needs,” says Qureshi. Cupclub hasn’t since resumed in the Bay Area, but it’s taken all the data gathered from pilot projects into its product lines. It will be relaunching within the US market in 2021. Respond to shifting trends in market demand Covid-19 has accelerated digitalisation, driving more brands online than ever before. For Cupclub, this created more opportunities to offer reuse solutions: “We know food and beverage are essential; the market won't disappear. Our approach was: people need to eat and drink, and they need to be sustained. What are the trends we can see and what are people’s aspirations? We have been developing return-on-the-go systems, but now we are adding return-from home systems so people can experience our service in the home,” says Qureshi. Cupclub is now working with a food delivery platform tool to expand into home delivery, giving people the opportunity to opt into reusable dishes with their takeaways. New partnerships can enable innovative growth opportunities Throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, Cupclub went to work to build new partnerships with some of the most supportive and sector-specific government organisations – the London Waste and Recycling Board County Council, and the main owner of King’s Cross estate. “Our ambition is to create the first Zero Waste destination in London - in King's Cross,” says Qureshi, “we’ll be launching across several restaurants and cafes in that area - combining a hyperlocal return on-the-go experience with return-from-home. “There will be a visible network of drop-off points across the entire estate and participation from offices. It’s a great testing nucleus, and then we’ll expand it out, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.” 2/3

Covid-19 became the catalyst for scaling new service lines With less focus on operations, Cupclub used the last six months to accelerate product and service line expansion: “Covid-19 enabled us to focus more on the product side and get things ready, when the market opens up, it's going to be an incredible time to see it all come out,” says Qureshi. “We'll be scaling our new service lines - zero-waste city launches, and bringing our return- from-home option to takeaways. 2021 is going to be a very, very big year for us.” Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here. Marianne Lehnis I am a solutions-focused writer and video journalist, deeply interested in disruptive technology, entrepreneurship, the environment, and how it all fits together. I’m the … Reprints & Permissions 3/3

Why Virtual Kitchens Are Disrupting The Food And Beverage Industry forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/09/29/why-virtual-kitchens-are-disrupting-the-food-and-beverage-industry September 29, 2020 Sep 29, 2020,07:40am EDT|768 views CEO and Founder of the Profitable Restaurant Owner Academy, the ultimate resource in starting a profitable restaurant. getty Restaurants are notorious for their low-margin business model. After all is said and done, their profitability ranges from 5% to 10%, a number I've gathered from a variety of National Restaurant Association articles and surveys. The reason for its low margins is because of the prime cost — food cost and labor — which typically accounts for more than 55% to 65% of the revenue. As technology rapidly advanced, so did innovation within the food and beverage sector. Third-party apps like Uber Eats, Grubhub and DoorDash have made ordering out easy with just a click of a button — no need to step foot in the restaurant. It is with the advancement of 1/4

this technology that has allowed new businesses like virtual kitchens, also known as cloud kitchens, ghost kitchens or dark kitchens, to thrive. The virtual kitchen concept has revolutionized the food and beverage world by taking out one of the major components for any restaurants: the dine-in area. A virtual kitchen is basically a commercial kitchen optimized for food delivery. What that means is that you can have your restaurant ready for takeout orders, without ever needing a dine-in space, which means less investment, lower rent and less labor cost. After the past five years developing my very own restaurant chain and recently having it acquired, I can see why the majority of my consultation clients are all flocking to this model. Below are four main advantages of why every restauranteur should optimize for this model. 1. Lower Operational Costs The most direct advantage of operating a virtual kitchen versus a conventional restaurant is the rental cost. Since virtual kitchens do not serve walk-in traffic, they require substantially less operating space, sometimes as much as 50% less space, I've observed. The virtual kitchens are also located in more discreet areas away from any walk-in traffic, which contributes to the lower rental cost. On the same thread, because of the nature of virtual kitchens and how there is no need for dine-in service, the front-of-house staff is no longer needed, which also means lower labor costs. With no customer usage of the facility comes less overall maintenance cost as well. However, this cost is often balanced out with the commission that third-party delivery apps charge, typically 20% to 40% of revenue. 2. More Efficiency And Fewer Headaches Aside from the direct-cost savings, virtual kitchens can be more efficient than typical restaurants. The virtual kitchen operators only need to minimize the production time and to ensure great food quality. Focus does not need to be spread to deal with the front-of-house experience. There is no need to deal with training, servicing, ambiance and all the headaches that go into operating a traditional restaurant. The major struggle that restaurateurs encounter is finding capable and trustworthy staff. Oftentimes, this is what drives restaurateurs to the point of burnout. This variable is completely taken out when operating in a virtual kitchen where the only staffing needs are chefs. The drawback of operating a virtual kitchen is that you must ensure all dishes overcome the 30-minute takeout box test. This really puts the chef's execution and understanding of the ingredients to test. 3. Ability To Experiment 2/4

Another major drawback of operating a traditional restaurant is that once the restaurant experience or renovation is built, it becomes the brand, the soul, for years to come. Whether the restaurant concept does well or not, the restauranteur is still stuck with that concept and cuisine. It is much more difficult to pivot because of this limitation. The key advantage of operating from a virtual kitchen is the ability to be nimble. Operators at virtual kitchens can run multiple different concepts, brands and cuisines from the same kitchen. They can set up multiple storefronts on third-party apps to test out the engagement and receptiveness of the menu. If the concept doesn't work or has no traction, the operators can ditch it and move on to the next until they find the perfect product-market fit. 4. Shift In Consumer Behavior One of the major reasons to pivot toward virtual kitchens is the pandemic. As restauranteurs struggle to find ways to succeed in the new normal, consumer behavior has also shifted radically. Consumers are no longer comfortable with dining out, and many are tired of cooking at home; hence, the sudden increase in demand for ordering takeouts. Third-party apps became one of the biggest winners of the pandemic in the food and beverage industry. This is how operators of virtual kitchens can benefit as well with the sudden change in mass consumer behavior. One thing that I do promote caution about is whether this demand will subside post-pandemic. After all, humans crave face-to-face interaction, and sharing a meal with friends and family will never go out of fashion. Operating a virtual kitchen has a lot of advantages over operating a traditional restaurant: lower operational cost, lower risks, more efficiency and more flexibility. Yet, despite all these advantages, virtual kitchen operators still need to be wary of the potential drawbacks, namely whether this shift in consumerism is here to stay or just another fad when all is said and done. Time will tell. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website. 3/4

Wilson K Lee CEO and Founder of the Profitable Restaurant Owner Academy, the ultimate resource in starting a profitable restaurant. Read Wilson K Lee's full executive profile here. … Reprints & Permissions 4/4

Why Word Of Mouth Marketing Is The Most Important Social Media forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2014/07/17/why-word-of-mouth-marketing-is-the-most-important-social-media July 17, 2014 Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM). Isn’t this really the original social media platform? I grew up with the famous Faberge commercial that showed a woman who “told 2 friends” about the product and how “they told 2 friends … and so on … and so on”. Hasn’t WOM always been a powerful way to influence business results? I attended a conference where I heard several experts on different types of social and mobile marketing present. Suzanne Fanning, President of WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Association), gave a very interesting, data-based presentation on the power of WOMM and contemporary efforts to create experiences worthy of being passed from person-to-person. What follows are thoughts she shared with me regarding the importance of WOMM and examples of how marketers are taking advantage of its power. Why should Marketers care about WOMM? 1/5

If you could master what has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing—the one that consumers trust above all others and the one that is most likely to drive sales for your company — would you instead choose to ignore it or leave it to chance? Why would you simply choose to sit back and hope conversations will just happen organically about your brand? If you want to win the marketing race in 2015, you need to unleash the power of word of mouth. Let’s look at the facts. According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. WOMMA and the American Marketing Association (AMA) decided to find out exactly what brands were doing about that fact. In a recent study, 64% of marketing executives indicated that they believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. However, only 6% say they have mastered it. If consumers value word of mouth and marketers believe it is effective, then why aren’t marketers more focused on it? The problem is that for the last few years, marketers have been focused on “collecting” instead of “connecting.” In other words, brands are too caught up in collecting social media fans and they are forgetting to actually connect with them. Having 100 really passionate fans that love your brand or product is exponentially more effective than having 10,000 “fans” who signed up just to win a free iPad from you. Just like in life—if you have to buy your friends, are they really your friends? And why should we stop at likes anyway? Why not shoot for LOVE. Marketers used to focus on the 4 P’s. You probably had them drilled into your head as you pursued your marketing degree. Well, now marketers need to focus on the three E’s: Engage, Equip, Empower. If you can master these, you can become the most beloved and talked about product in your category, which will ultimately lead to increased sales. We’ve seen a good WOMM campaign generate thousands of conversations, recommendations and triple sales in just a year (yes, even for the boring products). Can you explain the Three E’s in more detail? Engage—Give your fans the gift of you. Engage with them. Listen to what they are telling you. Be part of the conversation about your brand. Be a presence in your fans’ lives. @NikeSupport is a prime example of customer service done well. They constantly respond to followers on Twitter, whether it’s about their apparel, Fuel Band or other products. Every few minutes, you can watch them respond to someone new. Equip—Give them reasons to talk. It can be amazing products, great service, insider knowledge, social elevation, incredible stories, unbelievable facts or even funny disclosures. It’s on you. It really depends on you understanding your consumers and what they like about 2/5

you and providing whatever it is they need from you. Apple revolutionizes technological devices and delivers amazing products to its consumers, allowing them to naturally raze about the newest iPhone. Another area to excel in and that’s on the rise is social customer service. Empower—Give consumers different ways to talk and share. Let them know that they are important to you and that sharing their opinions is important to you. Help them find ways to share within their circles and find ways to help move their conversations around. Lay’s is an excellent example to highlight how they empowered their fans to “Do Us a Flavor,” and allow consumers to create a new flavor of potato chips to hit store shelves. Over 3.8 million submissions were sent in 2013 making it one of the biggest marketing campaigns for PepsiCo owned Frito-Lay. If WOMM has been around for a long time, why should it be a focus now? You are right. It has been around, well, since cavemen roamed the earth. It’s likely that one caveman told another about a popular hunting area (… and so on and so on) and ultimately that turned the site into the most popular hunting area in their cave community. It worked then, and it will work now. However, technology has increased social connectivity making it easier than ever for consumers to do your marketing for you. A post that takes just a few minutes for a fan to write will be seen by hundreds of friends who trust them, and it can rapidly travel out to thousands more. Very well planned messages have been shared by millions within the span of days. Look at the Epic Split video by Volvo featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, the video was released on YouTube on November 14, and on the first day the film was viewed over 6.5 million times and shared over 32 thousand times. Then in four weeks it was shared over 6 million times across social networks. It quickly became the most shared film on YouTube. The clip has received extensive media coverage from all over the world as well, and has been the subject of approximately 20,000 editorial pieces online thus far. No disrespect to our cave friends, but it was not possible to achieve those kind of results without technology. You should also consider the fact that those who read the post could potentially have millions of offline conversations with friends, families, acquaintances or even consumers looking perplexed in store aisles. Fueling conversations and driving passion will make a huge difference for your brand. Are there any consistent characteristics that successful WOMM campaigns tend to have? Keep in mind that a good WOMM strategy is credible, social, repeatable, measurable and respectful. Dishonesty is NEVER acceptable. Do you have any case studies you can share? These three unforgettable WOMMY winners can help showcase the power of word of mouth. 3/5

Marina Maher Communications won a WOMMY in the Influencer category for their Kimberly-Clark campaign. The Depend team created The Great American Try On to take the issue out of the bathroom into the most public of places, recruiting celebrities and football players -- who don’t need Depend – to try it on, tell America how they felt, and ask them to try it too and support two relevant charitable causes. Sampling requests increased by 720% vs. sample requests for a new product launch a year prior. M Booth received a WOMMY in the Introduction category for their work on Canvas Lands’ End. The brand launched Canvas Lands' End - a new collection geared to the younger millennial segment of the population by partnering with eight established bloggers to create the first-ever virtual \"blog-up shop\" series. The campaign earned $105K in sales and generated 60 million earned media impressions on blogger partner sites. WOMMA recognized Zeno Group with an Engagement award for their Seattle's Best \"Black Friday Coffee Break\" campaign, which focused on a segment of the target - retail workers - by offering free coffee to those working on Black Friday. Consumers leveraged the program through an interactive Facebook application. New fans were encouraged to \"like\" the page and choose from the following options: Have a free sample of Seattle's Best Coffee sent straight to your mailbox, stop by a participating retail location for a free cup of brewed coffee on Black Friday, or print a $2 off coupon. The brand received 125 million total impressions in two weeks and 6 million YouTube impressions. Being talked about requires a strategy and a plan that goes beyond “likes”. It requires deeper insight about your customers. As John Moore, marketer for Starbucks and Whole Foods says, “If people are not talking about you, they are forgetting about you.” The WOMMA’s mission is to help marketers master this method, so take advantage of their expertise. To get you excited, take a look at this video montage WOMMA put together. If you have a great example of a successful WOMM activity, please leave a comment or tweet it @KimWhitler Suzanne Fanning is the President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), the official trade association for the word of mouth and social media marketing industry. Her social strategies have been featured in Advertising Age Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes Magazine, and PR Week. 4/5

Kimberly A. Whitler As a former General Manager and CMO, who worked for nearly 20 years before getting a PhD and working as an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia's Darden … 5/5

An Inspire Brands-Dunkin’ Deal Would Put Billionaires’ Coffee Clutch In The Crosshairs outline.com/RVHCDR Forbes › Chloe Sorvino October 26, 2020 Inspire Brands cofounders Paul Brown (left) and Neal Aronson (right) started a massive acquisition spree in 2018. Did Neal Aronson just fire the first warning shot in the private-equity coffee war? The reported $8.8 billion bid for Dunkin’ by Aronson’s Inspire Brands, if concluded, will put the owner of Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, and Jimmy John’s in direct competition with billionaire-backed JAB, the coffee giant that owns Au Bon Pain, Pret a Manger and Panera PNRA . Roark Capital, Aronson’s Atlanta-based private equity firm that backs Inspire, has emerged as the restaurant industry’s top dealmaker of the past decade, an array of purchases that surpassed even the dizzying buying spree led by JAB, a Luxembourg-based investment vehicle controlled by the secretive German billionaire Reimann family. 1/3