How Technology is Shaping Travel and Tourism

How Technology is Shaping Travel and Tourism

 

Technology improves every aspect of travel.

60% of all travel-related searches begin on a mobile device according to MobileMarketing, a specialist in the delivery of mobile marketing.  The ubiquity of smartphones makes travel research and experiences much easier.  With mobile apps and websites, people can quickly shop for the best flights at the lowest prices.  Most airlines offer mobile check-in and tickets, eliminating the need for paper tickets.

Using filtering criteria, travel websites search thousands of destinations and arrangements to find the perfect fit in minutes. Online reviews provide a better understanding of different travel destinations and accommodations.  Nielsen Media Research reports 92% of consumers trust recommendations over all other forms of advertising.

Even at arrival, mobile apps can help improve your experience. Apps such as Firef.ly tailor travel recommendations based on the user’s personal interests, budget, etc.  Some apps show users the best restaurants, historical sites, and tourist attractions.  Itineraries are easily accessible down to step-by-step directions. Wi-Fi hotspots are readily available when traveling, making it easy and free to stay connected through calls, texts, emails and more.

Social media fuels tourism.  Travelers often document their experiences on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.  This is free advertising for travel destinations.  Seeing a post from a friend on vacation may lead someone to indulge in research about that place.  According to National Geographic, “in 2015, the tourism board of the small alpine town of Wanaka, New Zealand, began inviting and hosting “influencers”—social media trendsetters with large followings—to post about their adventures.”  This led to a 14% increase in tourism.

The accommodation industry has changed.  Many travelers opt to rent a house or apartment instead of staying in a hotel.  Hotels adjust their strategy to compete.  Many give their customers a more personalized experience.  Hotels today analyze online and offline data to provide guests with the most personalized experience possible.  Technology may be entering the field, but a good personal touch remains essential.

The travel industry is focusing on millennials.  This generation would rather spend their money on experiences than material goods.  According to AARP, millennials are 23% more likely to travel than older generations.  Growing up in a world of social media, millennials often travel for the sake of capturing an Instagram photo or bragging rights on Twitter.

Millennials, when traveling, want a different experience than past generations.  Millennials do not want to do all the “touristy” things, but instead, want to experience everyday life in their destination.  This means eating at local restaurants and bars, going to lesser-known attractions, etc.  Many millennials even decide to rent a house, or apartment instead of a hotel to make them feel part of the local community.

There has been an increase in business travel in the past couple of years.  Business travel is more important than ever to building strong customer relationships.  Many millennials do not have much responsibility at home (kids, family, etc.), allowing them to take longer trips.  They are more likely to extend their business trips into leisure trips than any other generation.

The biggest impact technology has made to improve traveling is save time.  When traveling, you want to take advantage of every single bit of time you have.  Mobile apps, websites, and more have simplified and personalized the traveling industry as a whole.

How Technology is Changing the Publishing Industry

How Technology is Changing the Publishing Industry

I hurried into the local department store to grab1 exam 70-483 dumps some last minute Chirsmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled2 to myself. I would be in here forever and I Examtestview Examtestview just had so much to do. Chirsmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could Tpexam just sleep through Chirsmas. But I hurried the best I Examtestview could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled3 to myself at the prices of all these toys, and wondered if the ADM-201 certification grandkids would even exam 70-483 dumps play 300-135 tshoot pdf whit4 Tpexam them. I found Tpexam myself in the doll aisle5. Out of the corner of my eye I exam 70-483 dumps saw a little boy about 5 holding a 300-135 tshoot pdf lovely doll.He kept touching6 her Examtestview hair and he held her so ADM-201 certification gently. I could not seem to 70-486 study guide Tpexam help myself. I Examtestview just kept loking 300-135 tshoot pdf 1Z0-133 exam over at 1Z0-133 exam the little 70-486 study guide boy and 1Z0-133 exam wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a 70-486 study guide 1Z0-133 exam woman and he called his aunt by name 70-486 study guide Examtestview and said, “Are you sure I 1Z0-133 exam don’t have enough money?” She replied a bit impatiently, “You know that you don’t have enough money for it.” The aunt told 1Z0-133 exam the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go and get some other things and would be back 1Z0-133 exam ADM-201 certification in a few minutes. And then 70-486 study guide she 70-486 study guide 300-135 tshoot pdf left ADM-201 certification Examtestview the Tpexam Tpexam ADM-201 certification aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll. 1Z0-133 exam After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was Tpexam for. 70-486 study guide He said, “It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Chirsmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it. “I exam 70-483 dumps told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it exam 70-483 dumps . He said, 1Z0-133 exam “No, 70-486 study guide Santa can’t go where my sister is…. I have to give the doll to my Mama to take to her. “I asked him where his siter was. He looked at me with 300-135 tshoot pdf the saddest 300-135 tshoot pdf eyes and said, “She was gone to be with Jesus. ADM-201 certification

My Daddy says that Mamma is Tpexam going 70-486 study guide to have to go be with Tpexam her.” My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the 70-486 study guide Examtestview boy looked at me again and said, “I told my 1Z0-133 exam 300-135 tshoot pdf ADM-201 certification Daddy to 300-135 tshoot pdf tell my Mama not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait 300-135 tshoot pdf till I got back from the store.” Then 1Z0-133 exam he asked me if i wanted to see his picture. I told him I’d love to. He pulled out some picture he’d had taken at the front of the store. He said, “I want my Mama to take Examtestview this with Tpexam her so the dosen’t ever forget me. I love my Mama so very much and I wish she dind not have to leave me.But Daddy says she will need to be 1Z0-133 exam with my sister.” 300-135 tshoot pdf I saw that the little boy had lowered 300-135 tshoot pdf his head and had grown Tpexam so qiuet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse Tpexam and pilled out 1Z0-133 exam a handful of ADM-201 certification bills. I asked the little exam 70-483 dumps boy, 300-135 tshoot pdf “Shall we count ADM-201 certification that miney one more exam 70-483 dumps time?” Examtestview He grew excited and said, “Yes,I just know it has Examtestview exam 70-483 dumps to be enough.” So I slipped my money 300-135 tshoot pdf exam 70-483 dumps in with his and we began to count it exam 70-483 dumps . Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, Examtestview “Thank you 70-486 study guide Jesus for giving me enough money.” Then the boy exam 70-483 dumps said, “I just exam 70-483 dumps Tpexam asked 1Z0-133 exam Jesus to give me enough money to buy this 300-135 tshoot pdf doll so Mama can take 70-486 study guide it with her to give my sister. And he heard 300-135 tshoot pdf my prayer. I Tpexam wanted to ask him give for enough to buy ADM-201 certification ADM-201 certification my Mama a Tpexam white rose, but I didn’t ask 1Z0-133 exam him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll ADM-201 certification and a rose for my Mama. She loves white 1Z0-133 exam rose so much. “In a few minutes the exam 70-483 dumps aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep Examtestview from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shoppong ADM-201 certification in a ttally different spirit than Examtestview when I had started. And 70-486 study guide I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days 70-486 study guide earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing7 a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to exam 70-483 dumps remove exam 70-483 dumps the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.Two Tpexam days later I read in Examtestview the paper where the family had disconnected the life support 70-486 study guide and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little ADM-201 certification boy and just kept Examtestview wondering if the 70-486 study guide two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought aome white roses and took them to the funeral home where the yough 300-135 tshoot pdf woman was exam 70-483 dumps .And there she ADM-201 certification ADM-201 certification was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, thier life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sisiter and his mother was overwhel. And in a split8 second a drunk driver had ripped9 the life of that little boy to pieces.

Publishing is in constant change.  Since the birth of modern publishing in the 19th century, the rise of e-books has led to a decrease in physical book sales; publishers have had to adjust their business strategies in order to stay afloat.

The publishing industry, like most, was heavily impacted by the financial crisis in 2008, and has not been the same since.  Publishing companies downsized, crumbled, or merged together.  Twenty years ago, there were three dozen “major publishers,” while today there are a “Big Five:” Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster.

In 2007 the Amazon Kindle was released.  Two years later, Borders closed in the United States.  Publishers took this as a wake-up call.  The industry was drastically changing, and publishers would have to find new ways to generate revenue to keep the business running.

Today, with the proliferation of smartphones, everyone has access to a whole library in their pocket.  People can read their favorite books at anytime, anywhere.  As a result, publishers are now focusing a great portion of their energy on e-books.  Many physical books today even include reminders that they are also available digitally.

E-books open a whole new door of opportunity for publishers.  With e-books, publishers reach a new audience.  Many classics have been converted into e-books, making them more attractive for a younger audience, and the cost of producing digital books is cheaper than the physical counterparts.  This means e-books cost less for consumers, and in turn readers often buy more books.

The problem publishers now face is being able to generate sufficient revenue through e-books sales.  Many people expect the internet to be free and therefore it is difficult for publishers to get consumers to pay for their books and protect their intellectual property.

Another big change in publishing, resulting from the rise of technology, is self-publishing.  Self-publishing has been a method of publishing for years but has only recently taken off.  This method that once only yielded poor, unprofessional books, has risen through the charts with quality that is indistinguishable from traditionally published books.  In fact, the Oscar-nominated film The Martian was based off a self-published book by Andy Weir.

In the past, people would write stories and keep them private. Today, it is easy to publish anything yourself quickly and with great quality.  Self-publishing has many benefits.  With self-publishing, authors exert all the control over the book.  When signing with a publishing company, the author gives away his/her control of the book to the publisher in exchange for an advance and royalties.  However, this also means that the author bears the financial risk of the whole enterprise.  When self-publishing, the cover, editing, copywriting, and release of the book all become the responsibility of the author.

It is important for self-publishers to make sure they do not release a low-quality book, for this will hurt their reputation.  Writers, editors, proofreaders, etc. were once only accessible through publishing companies.  Now many of these professionals are readily-accessible as freelancers and can be of great service to self-publishers.

According to advocacy website Author Earnings, independent authors are now earning more from e-books than authors who are handled by publishing companies.  Big name authors, such as Stephen King, have realized that they can bypass a publisher and go directly to Amazon, where they receive more of a revenue for their work.  Kindle Direct Publishing can even give authors up to 70% of the purchase price, while allowing them to retain copyright and a non-exclusive deal.

Though there are many benefits to self-publishing, many still go the route of traditional publishing.  When signing with a traditional publisher, the author surrenders his/her creative and content control of the book.  However, there are many benefits to traditional publishing.  When signing with a publisher, an author will receive an advance.  This assures the author that he will receive monetary compensation even if his/her book fails.  Books from a publishing company also have greater access to mainstream media.  The only people who still look at the publisher as a source of credibility are journalists, who in turn will review and bring attention to the book.

Getting a book published by a publishing company is a big process, often taking 2 to 3 years.  Plus, if the author does not have an existing audience, it is nearly impossible to get a deal with a publishing company.  Book Agent Byrd Leavell says “Publishers aren’t buying anything that doesn’t come with a built-in audience that will buy it. They don’t take risks anymore, they don’t gamble on authors, they only want sure things. I won’t even take an author out unless they have an audience they can guarantee 10k pre-sales to.”

Building an audience has never been more important.  With the internet, readers want and expect to be in communication with their favorite authors.  Many authors today have Facebook groups, Twitter accounts, and e-mail chains.  There are many different outlets available for authors to build an audience, so it is vital they take advantage.  It is impossible to write for everyone, so finding a niche audience is very important for an author.

Publishing companies have implemented the use of data and analytics into their decision- making process, identifying reading trends every year to find out which genres, titles, etc. generated the most sales.  Social trends are fast-paced and always changing, making it important for publishers to jump on them while they’re still popular.

Audiobooks are another driving force in the publishing business, especially with the ubiquity of smartphones, audiobooks have risen in popularity. Audiobook sales in the U.S. rose by 31% from 2015 to 2016.  Audiobooks do not replace reading, but instead allow people to explore books that they otherwise would not have time for.  People often listen to audiobooks while performing menial tasks such as cleaning, driving, etc.  People also finish more books when listening to them instead of reading, leading them to purchase more as well.

The publishing industry has been turned upside down by the rise of technology in recent years.  Though, what will never change about publishing is the necessity of telling a good story.

Where They Are Now – Former CEOs

Where They Are Now – Former CEOs

I hurried into the local 70-483 pdf department 70-483 pdf store to grab1 Studyguidedump some last minute 70-532 Certification Chirsmas gifts. I looked at 70-532 Certification all Studyguidedump the people and grumbled2 to myself. I ADM-201 dumps would be in here forever and I just 300-135 tshoot pdf had so much to do. Chirsmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could 70-532 Certification just sleep 70-532 Certification through Chirsmas. But I hurried the best 70-483 pdf I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled3 to 70-486 pdf myself at the prices of all ADM-201 dumps these toys, and Lastestexam wondered if the grandkids would even play whit4 them. I found myself Lastestexam in the doll aisle5. Out of the corner of my eye I saw 70-483 pdf a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll.He kept 300-135 tshoot pdf touching6 her hair 70-483 pdf and he Lastestexam 70-486 pdf held her 300-135 tshoot pdf so gently. I could not 70-486 pdf seem 70-532 Certification to help 70-483 pdf myself. I just kept 70-483 pdf loking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll 70-483 pdf was for. I watched 70-532 Certification him turn Studyguidedump to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, Studyguidedump “Are Studyguidedump you sure I don’t have enough money?” She replied a bit 70-532 Certification impatiently, “You know Studyguidedump that you don’t have enough money for it.” The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go and get some other things and would be 70-483 pdf back in a few minutes. And Lastestexam then 300-135 tshoot pdf she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold 70-486 pdf the doll. After 70-532 Certification a bit I asked 300-135 tshoot pdf the boy who the doll was for. He said, “It is Lastestexam the doll my sister wanted so badly for 70-486 pdf Chirsmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it. 300-135 tshoot pdf “I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring 300-135 tshoot pdf it . He said, “No, Santa can’t go Lastestexam where my ADM-201 dumps sister is…. I have to give the doll to my Mama to Studyguidedump take to her. 300-135 tshoot pdf “I asked him where his siter was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, “She was Lastestexam gone to be with Jesus.

My Daddy says that Mamma 300-135 tshoot pdf is going to have to 70-483 pdf ADM-201 dumps go be with Studyguidedump her.” My heart nearly stopped Studyguidedump beating. Then the boy looked Lastestexam at me again and said, “I told my Daddy to tell my Mama not Studyguidedump to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store.” Then he asked me if i wanted to see his picture. I told him I’d love to. He Lastestexam ADM-201 dumps 300-135 tshoot pdf pulled out some Lastestexam picture ADM-201 dumps he’d had taken ADM-201 dumps at the Studyguidedump front 70-532 Certification ADM-201 dumps of the store. He said, “I want my Mama to take this with her so the dosen’t ever forget me. I 70-532 Certification love my Mama so very much and I wish she dind not have to leave me.But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister.” I saw 70-486 pdf 300-135 tshoot pdf that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so qiuet. While he was not ADM-201 dumps looking Studyguidedump I ADM-201 dumps reached into my purse and pilled out a Lastestexam handful of bills. I asked the 70-483 pdf little ADM-201 dumps boy, “Shall we count that miney one more time?” He grew 70-486 pdf excited and said, “Yes,I just know it has to be enough.” So I slipped my ADM-201 dumps money in Studyguidedump with his and we began to count it . Of course it was Lastestexam plenty for the doll. He softly said, “Thank 70-486 pdf you 70-532 Certification Jesus Lastestexam for giving me enough money.” Then the Studyguidedump 70-483 pdf boy said, “I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Mama can take 70-532 Certification 300-135 tshoot pdf it with her to give my sister. And he heard my prayer. I wanted to ask him give for enough to buy my Mama a white rose, but I didn’t ask him, but he 300-135 tshoot pdf gave me enough to buy the doll and a ADM-201 dumps rose for 70-486 pdf my Mama. She loves white rose 70-483 pdf so much. “In 70-486 pdf a few Lastestexam minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart Lastestexam away. I could not keep Studyguidedump from 300-135 tshoot pdf thinking about the little boy as I finished 70-532 Certification my shoppong in 70-486 pdf a ttally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a ADM-201 dumps story I had seen ADM-201 dumps in 70-483 pdf the newspaper several days earlier 300-135 tshoot pdf about a drunk driver hitting Studyguidedump a 70-532 Certification car and 70-532 Certification killing7 a little 70-486 pdf girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding 70-532 Certification on 70-486 pdf whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not 70-486 pdf belong with that story.Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support 70-483 pdf and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept Lastestexam wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could 70-486 pdf not help myself and I went out and bought aome white 70-486 pdf ADM-201 dumps roses 300-135 tshoot pdf and took them to the funeral home where the yough woman was .And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, thier life changed forever. The love 70-483 pdf that little boy had for his little sisiter and his mother was overwhel. And in a split8 second a drunk driver had ripped9 the life of that little boy to pieces.

It is no secret that CEO’s do not have much job security, and do not often have extended careers.  This is especially true with large corporations. Here is a look at a few prominent leaders in the early 2000’s that had turbulent or short-lived careers.

 

Michael Eisner – DisneyMichael Eisner

Michael Eisner was named CEO of Disney in 1984 after leaving Paramount for the job at the request of Roy Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney.  At Eisner’s arrival, Disney’s entertainment division was struggling and relied heavily on its theme park revenues.

Eisner turned Disney into a global media empire.  Eisner increased the company’s value from $1.8 billion at his arrival, to $80 billion by the end of his tenure.  Eisner was the top paid CEO in 1998, and released his first book, Work in Progress: Risking Failure, Surviving Success. 

Although Eisner brought Disney great financial success, he was criticized by many investors.  Fans believed Eisner was selling too hard, and subsequently taking away the Disney magic.  At a shareholders meeting around the time these complaints surfaced, Roy Disney stated that “Branding is something you do to cows. Branding is what you do when there’s nothing original about your product. But there is something original about our products. Or at least there used to be.”  In 2005, Michael Eisner resigned as CEO of Disney.

Eisner did not leave the entertainment business behind after his departure from Disney.  In 2005, Michael founded the Tornante Company, a privately held business that invests in, acquires, incubates, and operates media and entertainment companies.  Through Tornante, Michael also created Vuguru, an independent multi-platform studio.  The Tornante Company has recently found great success with the Netflix show BoJack Horseman.  Eisner has also published three additional books with his most recent work, released in 2010, titled Working Together: Why Great Partnerships Succeed.

 

Sanford Weill – Citigroup

Sanford Weill has brought success wherever he has gone throughout his career.  In 1981, Weill sold his first company, brokerage firm Shearson Loeb Rhoads, to American Express for nearly $1 billion.  After serving as President for American Express for a short time, he bought the Commercial Credit division of Control Data Corporation and rejuvenated the division.  Weill  later merged the company with Primerica, and then acquired Travelers Insurance.  The company took the name Travelers Group.

Weill had accomplished a lot, but his hope to create a “one-stop-shop” for consumer banking was yet to be achieved.  In 1998, Weill got one step closer by merging Travelers Group with Citicorp in a $76 billion deal.  The company took the name Citigroup and was one of the world’s largest financial services companies.  This was the largest merger in history at the time.

Weill was CEO of Citigroup until 2003, and stayed on as chairman until 2006.  In 2009, shortly after Weill’s departure from the company, the financial crisis almost led to Citigroup’s demise.   Many believe that Weill’s attempt to create a financial supermarket spurred the Great Recession of 2008.  Weill was placed on Time Magazine’s list of “25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis.”

The financial crisis hurt Weill financially, but recovering Citigroup shares have restored his place on the Forbes billionaire list. Weill and his wife are now active philanthropists, having been honored with a Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2009.

 

Rick Wagoner – General Motors

In 2000, G. Richard “Rick” Wagoner was named CEO of General Motors.  Wagoner, appointed at the age of 47, was the youngest CEO in GM history.  Wagoner was successful in his early years with the company, being named Executive of the Year by Automotive Industries in 2001.

In 2003, Wagoner faced adversity.  Increased competition, government regulation, and massive pension and health care costs made it very difficult for GM to turn a profit.  Japanese car companies, such as Nissan, Honda, and Toyota, had become more popular as well.  The company’s revenue decreased by 2.4% in 2003.  Wagoner promised the public a turnaround in profits, but the market situation made this a very difficult promise to keep.

General Motors continued having financial difficulties while Wagoner was criticized by the public for flaunting his wealth openly.  A report released in 2007 showed that Wagoner received over $14 million in compensation. A later incident revealed Wagoner arriving to a company hearing in a private jet, which landed him on the wrong side of public criticism.  Wagoner was also disparaged for resisting to invest in electric, and hybrid cars.

The financial crisis of 2008 hurt General Motors immensely, having caused the company to declare bankruptcy later in 2009.  The Troubled Asset Relief Program, a group of programs run by the US Treasury to stabilize the country’s economy following the 2008 financial crisis, invested about $50 billion in General Motors.  Part of this agreement with the Obama Administration included that Rick Wagoner would have to resign as CEO to provide further funding.

Since resigning as CEO, Wagoner has spent his time advising startup companies.   In April 2017, Wagoner was appointed to the board of ChargePoint Inc., the world’s largest electric vehicle charging network.  Many find this ironic because of his opposition to electrification during his tenure with General Motors.

 

Lee R. Raymond – ExxonMobil

Lee R. Raymond began working at Exxon in 1963.  Raymond worked his way up the ranks, eventually working in a refinery in Aruba, where he turned profits around.  Raymond was appointed CEO of Exxon in 1993. In 1998 Exxon merged with Mobil to create ExxonMobil.  The merger was very successful, and the company increased its earnings by $1.2 billion in the first year of the merger.

Raymond maintained his position as CEO of Exxon-Mobil after the two companies merged.  Following the merger’s completion, Raymond cut costs by cutting many employees.  Within four years of the merger, Raymond had let go about 16,000 employees.

Lee R. Raymond was a very private person.  He prided himself on keeping his personal life private from the media.  Raymond was said to be extremely smart.  His colleagues noted that he rarely sought advice from others, and never had a clear number two.  Many people who he worked with found Raymond to be arrogant.

Although many competitors, such as BP, Amoco, and Shell, were researching renewable resources, Raymond resisted.  Raymond stated that ExxonMobil would stand by oil and stay away from renewable sources of energy.  Being the CEO of an oil giant, Raymond had to deal with environmentalist protestors.  Raymond dismissed the idea of global warming, claiming it to be a hoax.  However, Raymond often mentioned the company’s initiative to work with car manufacturers to reduce vehicle emissions.

Lee R. Raymond was set to retire in 2003 at the age of 65 but delayed his retirement until 2005 so the company could groom a new CEO.  Raymond had a very successful career as CEO of ExxonMobil, increasing the market value fourfold to $375 billion.  In April 2006, it was announced that Raymond’s retirement package was worth about $400 million, the largest in history for a US public company.  Today, Lee R. Raymond sits on the board of JP Morgan Chase & Co.

 

These former CEO’s prove that large corporations had their struggles retaining great executives without the price of public humility, financial loss, or multiple transitions.

Company Growth & The Millennial Generation

Company Growth & The Millennial Generation

I hurried into the local department store to grab1 some 300-075 pdf last minute Chirsmas gifts. 300-075 dumps I looked at Cisco 300-075 dump all 300-075 pdf the people and grumbled2 to myself. I would be in here 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps forever and I just had so much to do. Chirsmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda 70-347 Exam Questions wished that I could Prokeyshop 300-075 pdf just sleep through Chirsmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again 300-075 pdf I kind of mumbled3 to myself 300-075 pdf at the prices of all these toys, and wondered if 300-075 dumps the grandkids would even play whit4 them. I 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps found 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps myself in the 70-347 Exam Questions doll aisle5. Out 300-075 pdf of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a 300-075 vce lovely doll.He kept touching6 Prokeyshop her Prokeyshop hair and 70-347 Exam Questions he held her so gently. I Prokeyshop could 300-075 dumps 300-075 dumps not seem Cisco 300-075 dump to help myself. I just kept loking over at the little boy and wondered who 300-075 vce the doll 300-075 vce was for. I watched him turn to a woman 70-347 Exam Questions and he called his aunt by name and said, “Are you sure I don’t have enough money?” She 300-075 vce replied Prokeyshop a bit impatiently, “You know that you don’t have enough money for it.” 300-075 vce The aunt told the little 300-075 pdf boy 300-075 pdf not to go anywhere that she had Cisco 300-075 dump to go and get Cisco 300-075 dump some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she Prokeyshop left the aisle. 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps The boy 70-347 Exam Questions continued to hold the doll. After a bit I 300-075 pdf asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, 300-075 vce “It is the doll my sister wanted 300-075 dumps so badly for Chirsmas. She just knew Cisco 300-075 dump that Santa would bring it. “I told him Cisco 300-075 dump that maybe 300-075 pdf Santa 70-347 Exam Questions was going 300-075 dumps to bring it . He said, “No, Santa 300-075 pdf can’t go where my sister is…. I have to give the doll to my Mama Cisco 300-075 dump to take 300-075 dumps to her. “I asked him where 70-347 Exam Questions his siter was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes 300-075 vce and said, “She was gone to be with Jesus.

My Daddy says that Mamma is going to have to go be with her.” My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps again and said, “I told my Daddy to tell Cisco 300-075 dump my Mama not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till Prokeyshop I got back from the store.” Then he asked me 300-075 vce if i 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps wanted to 300-075 pdf see Prokeyshop his picture. I 70-347 Exam Questions told him I’d love 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps to. He pulled out some picture he’d had taken at the front of the store. He said, “I want my Mama to take 300-075 dumps this with her so the dosen’t ever 70-347 Exam Questions forget me. Cisco 300-075 dump I love my Mama Cisco 300-075 dump so very 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps much and I wish she dind not have to leave 300-075 vce me.But Daddy says she 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps will need to be with my sister.” I saw that the little boy 300-075 vce had 300-075 dumps lowered his head 70-347 Exam Questions and had grown so qiuet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pilled Prokeyshop out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, “Shall we count that miney 300-075 vce one more time?” He grew excited and 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps said, “Yes,I just know it has to be enough.” 300-075 vce So I slipped Cisco 300-075 dump my money in with his 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps and we began to count it 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps . Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, 300-075 dumps 70-347 Exam Questions “Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money.” Then the boy said, “I just asked Jesus to give me 70-347 Exam Questions enough money 300-075 vce to buy this doll so Mama can take it with her to 70-347 Exam Questions give my sister. And he Prokeyshop heard my prayer. I wanted to ask him give for enough to Prokeyshop buy my 300-075 dumps Mama a white rose, but I didn’t ask him, but he Cisco 300-075 dump gave me 300-075 dumps enough Cisco 300-075 dump to buy the doll and a rose for my Mama. She loves white rose 70-347 Exam Questions so much. “In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my Cisco 300-075 dump cart away. I could not keep from 70-347 Exam Questions thinking about 70-347 Exam Questions the little boy as I finished my shoppong in a ttally 300-075 dumps different spirit than when I 300-075 dumps had started. 300-075 pdf And I kept remembering a story I had seen in 300-075 vce 300-075 dumps the newspaper several 300-075 pdf days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps killing7 a little girl Prokeyshop and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that Cisco 300-075 dump story.Two days later I read in the Cisco 300-075 dump paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I 300-075 pdf 300-075 pdf could not 300-075 vce forget the little boy 300-075 dumps and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps day, I could Prokeyshop not help myself and I went out and bought aome white roses and took them 300-075 vce to the funeral home where the yough 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps woman was .And there she was Prokeyshop holding a lovely Prokeyshop white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the Prokeyshop store. I left there in tears, thier life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sisiter and his mother was overwhel. And in a split8 second a drunk driver had ripped9 the life of that little boy to pieces.

In recent years, I increasingly hear from employers in all industries and of all sizes, the challenges associated with retaining and inspiring employees from Generation Y, the Millennials.  (Millennials, aka Gen Next, were born between 1980 and 1994).   Stories relayed to me have been backed by research.  This is the next generation of leadership, but it will be a very different kind of leadership.

Keep in mind that labels are just that.  The traits described in this article certainly do not apply to all who fall into the Millennial generation.

This generation values work-life balance and flexibility.  They often demand the ability to work from home. They typically do not want to travel for business.  Overtime is okay but not as a routine event.  They will turn down jobs not meeting these needs, despite a high salary.

Millennials are very willing to change jobs if they do not agree with leadership.  They may not want a decision-making role, but they insist management hears them.  They will deliberately flout policies they do not respect or see as a policy that exists merely for the sake of having a policy.

The older members of this generation are reaching 38, a career stage where upper management considers whether an employee can be an essential member of the future management team. If companies wish to retain these key employees, they will have to adjust strategies based on generational expectations.

The often-quoted “The Millennial Leadership Survey” conducted by WorkplaceTrends.com and Virtuali, a leadership training consultancy, found Millennials will lead in a very different way.  Over 90% see themselves becoming leaders, a trait shared equally by men and women.  They value empowering employees over money and power.  They picture themselves as transformational leaders, looking to challenge and excite employees.

They are great self-evaluators.  They often see themselves as strong communicators and excellent at building relationships.  They believe these are by far the most important skills for a leader. They see current management as lacking in those areas.

They know their industry and technical weaknesses and want their employer to provide training.  But don’t send them to a classroom. They much prefer mentoring and self-study on-line classes.

Millennials are expected to lead companies that will develop and empower employees.  They will provide employees the work-life balance and flexibility they seek.  Interestingly, the drawback most cited by Millennials about becoming leaders is the disruption of this balance.  The Millennial-led company will have flatter management allowing easier communication both up and down.

Though many of our readers lead smaller companies, where many of these company characteristics exist by default, today’s leaders should rethink their strategies for the future.  Creating a company that will grow beyond current leadership is a goal that must be addressed regularly.

Fortune 500 Companies in 2000 versus 2017

Fortune 500 Companies in 2000 versus 2017

I hurried into the local department store to grab1 some 300-075 pdf last minute Chirsmas gifts. 300-075 dumps I looked at Cisco 300-075 dump all 300-075 pdf the people and grumbled2 to myself. I would be in here 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps forever and I just had so much to do. Chirsmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda 70-347 Exam Questions wished that I could Prokeyshop 300-075 pdf just sleep through Chirsmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again 300-075 pdf I kind of mumbled3 to myself 300-075 pdf at the prices of all these toys, and wondered if 300-075 dumps the grandkids would even play whit4 them. I 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps found 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps myself in the 70-347 Exam Questions doll aisle5. Out 300-075 pdf of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a 300-075 vce lovely doll.He kept touching6 Prokeyshop her Prokeyshop hair and 70-347 Exam Questions he held her so gently. I Prokeyshop could 300-075 dumps 300-075 dumps not seem Cisco 300-075 dump to help myself. I just kept loking over at the little boy and wondered who 300-075 vce the doll 300-075 vce was for. I watched him turn to a woman 70-347 Exam Questions and he called his aunt by name and said, “Are you sure I don’t have enough money?” She 300-075 vce replied Prokeyshop a bit impatiently, “You know that you don’t have enough money for it.” 300-075 vce The aunt told the little 300-075 pdf boy 300-075 pdf not to go anywhere that she had Cisco 300-075 dump to go and get Cisco 300-075 dump some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she Prokeyshop left the aisle. 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps The boy 70-347 Exam Questions continued to hold the doll. After a bit I 300-075 pdf asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, 300-075 vce “It is the doll my sister wanted 300-075 dumps so badly for Chirsmas. She just knew Cisco 300-075 dump that Santa would bring it. “I told him Cisco 300-075 dump that maybe 300-075 pdf Santa 70-347 Exam Questions was going 300-075 dumps to bring it . He said, “No, Santa 300-075 pdf can’t go where my sister is…. I have to give the doll to my Mama Cisco 300-075 dump to take 300-075 dumps to her. “I asked him where 70-347 Exam Questions his siter was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes 300-075 vce and said, “She was gone to be with Jesus.

My Daddy says that Mamma is going to have to go be with her.” My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps again and said, “I told my Daddy to tell Cisco 300-075 dump my Mama not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till Prokeyshop I got back from the store.” Then he asked me 300-075 vce if i 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps wanted to 300-075 pdf see Prokeyshop his picture. I 70-347 Exam Questions told him I’d love 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps to. He pulled out some picture he’d had taken at the front of the store. He said, “I want my Mama to take 300-075 dumps this with her so the dosen’t ever 70-347 Exam Questions forget me. Cisco 300-075 dump I love my Mama Cisco 300-075 dump so very 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps much and I wish she dind not have to leave 300-075 vce me.But Daddy says she 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps will need to be with my sister.” I saw that the little boy 300-075 vce had 300-075 dumps lowered his head 70-347 Exam Questions and had grown so qiuet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pilled Prokeyshop out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, “Shall we count that miney 300-075 vce one more time?” He grew excited and 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps said, “Yes,I just know it has to be enough.” 300-075 vce So I slipped Cisco 300-075 dump my money in with his 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps and we began to count it 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps . Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, 300-075 dumps 70-347 Exam Questions “Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money.” Then the boy said, “I just asked Jesus to give me 70-347 Exam Questions enough money 300-075 vce to buy this doll so Mama can take it with her to 70-347 Exam Questions give my sister. And he Prokeyshop heard my prayer. I wanted to ask him give for enough to Prokeyshop buy my 300-075 dumps Mama a white rose, but I didn’t ask him, but he Cisco 300-075 dump gave me 300-075 dumps enough Cisco 300-075 dump to buy the doll and a rose for my Mama. She loves white rose 70-347 Exam Questions so much. “In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my Cisco 300-075 dump cart away. I could not keep from 70-347 Exam Questions thinking about 70-347 Exam Questions the little boy as I finished my shoppong in a ttally 300-075 dumps different spirit than when I 300-075 dumps had started. 300-075 pdf And I kept remembering a story I had seen in 300-075 vce 300-075 dumps the newspaper several 300-075 pdf days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps killing7 a little girl Prokeyshop and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that Cisco 300-075 dump story.Two days later I read in the Cisco 300-075 dump paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I 300-075 pdf 300-075 pdf could not 300-075 vce forget the little boy 300-075 dumps and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps day, I could Prokeyshop not help myself and I went out and bought aome white roses and took them 300-075 vce to the funeral home where the yough 1Z0-808 Exam Dumps woman was .And there she was Prokeyshop holding a lovely Prokeyshop white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the Prokeyshop store. I left there in tears, thier life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sisiter and his mother was overwhel. And in a split8 second a drunk driver had ripped9 the life of that little boy to pieces.

Technology has made today’s world unrecognizable from what it was at the turn of the century.  If companies do not adjust their business strategies, they will be left in the dust.  The above image proves just that: even Fortune 500 companies have fallen between 2000 and 2017.  Here’s a look at a few key ones in various industries we all know.

General Motors (GM)

General Motors was the top revenue earner in 2000, but the company has been unstable ever since.  The financial crisis of 2008 greatly impacted the company.  In fact, in June of 2009, General Motors went bankrupt.  The “Troubled Asset Relief Program”, a group run by the US Treasury to stabilize the country’s economy following the 2008 financial crisis, invested about $50 billion in GM.  General Motors has since settled, but has not fully recovered to the same success.

Wal-Mart Stores (WMT)

Walmart has increased its bottom-line tremendously since the turn of the century, becoming the largest U.S. retailer by revenue in 1990 and holding strong since.  Then, in 2002, the company hit the top of the Fortune 500 list for the first time by continuing to develop along with industry trends.  They’ve made strides to improve the green and healthy values of its store brands, as people become more health-conscious in recent years.  The company has also instituted an impactful online store, keeping up with digital retail giants like Amazon.

Exxon Mobil (XOM)

The Exxon Corporation and Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (Mobil) merged in 1998, creating the largest corporate merger of its time. Together they formed the Exxon Mobil Corporation,  which has consistently been on the Fortune 500 ever since.  As of 2015, Exxon Mobil reached a new milestone by ranking as the fifth-largest oil and gas company by revenue in the world.

Intl. Business Machines (IBM)

IBM earned approximately $79.9 billion in 2017, setting the ranking at 32nd on the Fortune 500 list.  IBM has come to the forefront of artificial intelligence, with Watson, its AI program, gaining national attention in 2011.  IBM has partnered with many major companies in this endeavor, including Apple, Twitter, and Facebook.  IBM’s technology is ahead of the curve and the company is expected to grow in the coming years.

Citigroup (C)

Citigroup ranked 30th on the Fortune 500 list in 2017, citing $82 billion in revenue, which was similar earnings in 2000.  During the financial crisis of 2008, Citigroup was heavily affected, and by November of that year was insolvent.  The company responded by laying off more than 100,000 employees.  In the ensuing months, the government arranged a buy-back to the tune of $306 billion in loans and securities, as well as $20 billion directly invested in the company. It wasn’t until 2010 that Citigroup achieved its first profitable year since the financial crisis.

Apple (AAPL)

Apple, formed in 1976, has seen exponential growth up to today.  In 2000, Apple earned slightly over $6 billion in revenue, ranking 285th on the Fortune 500 list.  In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone, as the company shifted its focus from computers and into personal devices.  Since then, iPhones have become nearly ubiquitous in America, and Apple’s revenues have grown as a result.  The company earned a record-high $233 billion in 2015, following the release of the iPhone 6 and 6s.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH)

UnitedHealth Group earned a mere $19.5 billion in 2000, placing them at 86th on the Fortune 500 list.  In 2002, the company acquired AmeriChoice and merged it under the Medicaid program.  The company has since made efforts to implement technology, such as electronic health records, to make systems more efficient across the industry. In 2015, UnitedHealth’s Optum joined with MedExpress, an urgent care office and later in 2016 created a partnership with CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens.

Comparing Fortune 500 companies of 2000 to 2017 shows just how quickly the world and businesses have changed.

In 2000, Apple did not even crack the top 100 revenue earners.  Since then, Apple has taken the tech industry by storm to break into the number 3 spot on the Fortune 500 list.  This proves how quickly technology has progressed, and how important it is for companies to get ahead of the tech curve.

Celebrities in Business

Celebrities in Business

Fame Leads to More Fortune

By Kyle Jennings

Often, young celebrities are given a lot of money without knowing how to manage it and are left facing financial hardship.  However, there are several celebrities who significantly increased their wealth.  Some earn more from their business ventures than from their entertainment careers.

Ashton Kutcher

Kutcher’s career took off when he was cast as Michael Kelso in That 70’s Show.  Kutcher was inspired to begin investing in startups when rapper 50 Cent earned somewhere between $60 and $100 million from his Vitamin Water investment when Coca Cola acquired it in 2007.

Kutcher’s digital chief, Sarah Ross, introduced Kutcher to key Silicon Valley players, including Michael Arrington of TechCrunch.  Arrington invited Kutcher to invest in Skype in 2009.  His investment quadrupled in value when Microsoft bought Skype in 2011.  Kutcher became fluent in the language of tech startups.  There are many Hollywood investors who are viewed as throwing their money at companies but are not capable of offering much more.  Kutcher is not among these investors.

In 2010, Kutcher joined with talent manager Guy Oseary and investor Ronald Burkle to create A-Grade Investments.  It seeks to invest in companies who propose a solution to a pressing problem.  A-Grade Investments takes active roles with the companies it invests in.  “Every single person in our portfolio has our personal phone numbers,” says Kutcher. “They can call us at any point in time, 24 hours a day, whatever it is.”

Kutcher’s investment success was, at first, seen by many as luck.  The prestigious New York Times once called Kutcher a “handsome ditz” who “mastered the utopian lingo of Silicon Valley.” Kutcher’s continuous success has quieted his doubters.  A-Grade Investments has an investment portfolio including Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, and Pinterest.  In 2011, A-Grade invested $500,000 into Uber; that stake is now worth 100 times what they paid.

Kutcher works very actively with the companies whom he invests and utilizes his fame to generate business.  After A-Grade became the first major investor in Genius, a lyrics website, Kutcher used his massive social media influence to drive viewers to the site.  When New York City tried using regulation to stifle Uber’s growth, Kutcher used social media to publicly criticize Mayor de Blasio, who quickly reversed his stance.

In 2015, Oseary and Kutcher split from Burkle to launch Sound Ventures.  Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist, once said Kutcher and Oseary “both have a great feel for what works with consumers.”  The two have been much more private about their investments with Sound Ventures than with A-Grade Investments.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, used his talents to increase his fortune.  Jordan, a five-time winner of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, became the highest-paid NBA player in 1997-1998 when he earned $33.1 million.  That record still stands.

During his career, Jordan took advantage of his basketball fame.  His shoe brand, Air Jordan, a subsidiary of Nike, launched in 1984.  In 1996, Jordan starred in the Warner Bros. picture, Space Jam.  In 1998, Jordan launched into the restaurant business with Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C.  Today, the steakhouse has expanded with four locations.

Though retired from basketball, Jordan continues his sport brand endorsements.  Deals with Nike, Hanes, Gatorade, and others proved incredibly lucrative.  Forbes states Jordan earned $100 million from sponsorships in 2014, more than he ever made in a single basketball season.

In 2010, Jordan became the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets.  Though the team has not performed well within the league since 2010, it has proven to be a strong investment.  In 2015, Jordan made Forbes’ “World Billionaires” list for the first time.  He remains there to this date.

Sean Combs

Sean “P. Diddy” Combs turned his success in hip-hop into hundreds of millions of dollars.  Combs’ very humble beginnings taught him that “if I give the customers my best and service them differently, whether music, clothing, or vodka, I’ll get a return on my hard work.”

Combs began his career by producing for Uptown Records.  Combs launched Bad Boy Records in 1993.  The record label came to fruition just as hip hop entered the mainstream.  One of its artists, The Notorious B.I.G., was among the most popular names in pop culture.  In 1998, Combs launched clothing company Sean John.  He told Entrepreneur magazine: “Any business I get into, I go and I do the proper studying and I do the research to make sure I thoroughly understand that business.”  Combs grew Sean John into an international brand, earning over $500 million annually in revenues.  In 2016, Global Brands acquired a majority stake of Sean John. Forbes reports that Combs received about $70 million from this deal.  Combs still owns 20 percent of the company.  Combs owns parts of Ciroc vodka, DeLeon tequila, and AQUAhydrate, a water company he co-owns with actor Mark Wahlberg.

Today, Combs has many different streams of revenue to sustain his multi-millionaire status.  His Bad Boy Family Reunion tour of 2015 & 2016 earned significant revenue, selling out arenas such as the 19,000 seat Barclays Center.  In 2016, Combs opened the Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School.  Combs wishes to give back to the community, giving leadership curriculum to inner-city youth.

In 2017, Combs ranked first on Forbes’ celebrity 100 list.  He is on track to become hip hop’s first billionaire.

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffet never reached the superstar status of the Rolling Stones or David Bowie, but Forbes calculated his net worth at $550 million in 2016.

Buffett, as an aspiring country singer, signed his first record contract in 1973.  Buffett’s laid back, beach-bum image attracted many fans.  The singer gained an instant following, calling themselves “Parrot Heads”, who followed the singer on tour in a bus, sporting Hawaiian shirts and other tropical apparel.  In 1977, Buffet broke into the mainstream with his album “Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude,” which contained the hit song “Margaritaville.”

In the late 1980’s Buffett began expanding his sources of revenue.  He launched a chain of clubs, a line of beach clothing, and released several books, including Tales from Margaritaville.  Buffett began his own Margaritaville Record label, which was eventually absorbed by Island Records.  In 1999, Buffett began a new independent record label, Mailboat Records.

In 2005, Buffett started the Sirius XM radio station Radio Margaritaville.  In 2007, he launched Landshark Lager, a beer that meshes with Buffett’s beach-loving vibe.  By 2010, the first Margaritaville Hotel opened in Pensacola Beach, Florida.  In 2011, the first Margaritaville Casino opened in the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Margaritaville has continued to expand, opening a resort in Buffett’s hometown of Key West, Florida.  It is opening retirement communities under the brand Latitude Margaritaville, the first in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Today, while Buffett continues touring, most of his income is from Margaritaville resorts and casinos and his other ventures.