Incomia

Once a quiet sanctuary for indie writers, Substack has evolved into a dynamic multipurpose platform where brands can engage their audiences directly with trust and authenticity.  By empowering creators to own their followings beyond algorithms, gatekeepers and traditional monetization struggles, Substack has opened new doors for digital exposure. That’s why brands like Hinge, American Eagle and Rare Beauty are tapping into its unique potential to fuel fresh growth and reach young consumers.  What is Substack and why are brands embracing it? Substack is very deliberate about the design and functionality of its platform. According to their own content guidelines , Substack “is intended for high quality editorial content, not conventional email marketing.” In essence, Substack is a newsletter platform that enables writers and creators to publish and monetize their work directly to subscribers. It emphasizes a clean, reader-friendly experience focused on long-form content and...

Applying for college can be overwhelming, and college counselors can help relieve some of that stress. “Independent counselors can be instrumental in guiding students through self-assessment , exploring diverse academic paths and identifying colleges that align with their individual needs and interests,” says Joel Bauman, Duquesne University senior vice president for enrollment management.“ This can lead to a more targeted and thoughtful application process.” Read on to discover expert tips and tricks to help students and their parents understand more about the college application process. When should I start looking for a college counselor? The fall of junior year is when students need to seriously work with an expert to determine where they want to go to school, yet many college counselors have programs that start as early as eighth grade, explains Jillian Ivy, a Harvard graduate and owner of Ivy College Essay. The benefit of meeting with a college counselor in those early years ...

Kate (45) and Keith (53) split their time between Maine and Hawaii, living what looks like a dream life. They’ve inherited wealth, run two small businesses, and have nearly $2 million in net worth. But with only $30,000 in annual income, they live in fear of spending—and cover their shortfall by dipping into savings. […] Source from I Will Teach You To Be Rich https://ift.tt/l4P9OkI

Starting a business is an exciting project, but it also comes with risks. How do you know if people will want your service or product? How do you know if the market is ready for your business? How do you know if your product is viable amongst its competitors? All of these questions associated with starting a business come down to one core concept: How do you validate your business idea? It can take some insight and effort, but it’s well worth it. We answer that question and lay out the basics of business idea validation below. What Is Business Idea Validation? Business idea validation, also known as market validation, is the process of determining if your product or service concept can fulfill a market need. Essentially, if people will be interested in what you have to offer. Going through the business validation process can help you more deeply understand your product or service and what kind of pain points it can solve.   Business Idea Validation Basics Business valida...

It’s hard to know what to expect when you sign up to hike 100 miles with a group of strangers you’ve never met. There are only two guarantees: the way will be beautiful and the way will be hard.  This summer, I’ll be trekking a long stretch of the John Muir Trail with a guided group from Wildland Trekking : Two weeks of alpine lakes, intense elevation gain (essentially 300 flights of stairs per day) and one major summit—Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states.  It’s not my first time hiking, but it is my first time going on a group trip like this. I’ve always been more of a solo strategist than a group project type of person, but hiking the John Muir Trail intimidated me greatly. It also requires more planning than I’m naturally inclined for, so when the opportunity came, I couldn’t pass it up.  Is training enough? I signed up for a gym membership and have a training plan , but my thoughts drift between which trail runners to pack and whether I’m out o...

One of the most bittersweet aspects of parenthood is teaching your children to fly from the nest and become independent, but still longing for their daily presence in your life. So, imagine if you got to work at the same company office as your adult child and your relationship continued to blossom in totally unexpected ways. Father-daughter duo Peter and Nicole Wen get to experience this ideal scenario. In addition to their parent-child relationship, the two are colleagues at AT&T, where Peter Wen is director of technical sales and Nicole Wen is principal project program manager. Peter has worked at the company for over 26 years, and Nicole started working there in 2019. Although they report to different departments at AT&T, the two have “lunch-ins” together to share advice with each other, and Peter says his daughter has helped bring him out of his shell and taught him the importance and value of networking . Q&A with Peter and Nicole Wen We spoke with Peter and Nic...

If you work in a corporate environment, you’ve likely had to make a business presentation (or several). Given the importance of presentation skills (and the fact that most people dread making them), we explore how to make a good presentation , including how to create and deliver them, so you can turbo-charge your career. What Makes A Good Presentation? A strong presentation consists of several key elements, including clear messaging, effective visuals and confident delivery . It’s best to keep your core message simple and focused—too much information at once can be hard for your audience to track. Well-designed visuals like slides, charts or infographics can really help reinforce your points, as long as they’re clean, consistent and not overly complicated. Delivery also plays a big role. Even the best content can fall flat if the presenter seems uncomfortable or unsure . Practicing ahead of time—whether with a friend or by recording yourself—can help you find a natural rhythm and sm...

Never before has the job market faced such a surge in fraudulent, fake and malicious applications. As employers increasingly rely on remote and digital hiring processes to reduce costs, scammers and unqualified individuals are leveraging AI tools to manipulate their way through the system. Greenhouse has partnered with CLEAR to launch new software aimed at stopping AI-generated resumes and fraudulent applicants before they make it to the interview stage. Scammers use fake applicant identities to plant malicious hardware and steal data The digital age of AI has made hiring both more efficient and more challenging. Today’s applications require thorough vetting, as fake identities, fabricated profiles and inflated resume qualifications are increasingly prevalent. In the most severe cases, scammers aim to gain employment to plant malicious hardware or steal sensitive company information.  Some fraudulent job application schemes are so large they span international borders. In Janu...

For professional athletes, it takes precision, resilience and excellence to compete on a national—or even international—level. Some athletes have taken that drive and focused it on building legacies that extend beyond their sport. Whether launching a successful brand or sharing insights into their everyday lives, these 15 athletes have triumphantly transitioned from sports icons to savvy entrepreneurs . Candace Parker Basketball The seven-time All-Star, three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympian changed the face of women’s basketball throughout her 16-year career with her leadership and athleticism. (She was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament.) Parker is the only WNBA player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season. After her WNBA retirement, Parker’s long-running partnership with adidas morphed into her becoming the brand’s president of its women’s basketball division, where she’s elevating the future of women’s sports through innovative strategies and ...

I once believed my body was my prison. For four years, I lived practically immobile while awaiting surgery for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Walking through life—when I could walk at all—made travel seem like a fantasy, especially solo travel . But once my health improved and the pandemic restrictions lifted, I booked a flight to Italy for five weeks, where I found myself again. I didn’t have clarity on what I wanted until those weeks alone in historically rich places allowed me to rediscover my capabilities. Here’s what I learned along the way. The first week is always the hardest Rome is beautiful, but it’s built on hills with cobblestone streets that are hell on bad knees and two hip replacements. I didn’t speak the language well, and I was pushing myself to walk. That first week, I thought often about coming home early and cried several nights, questioning everything about my decision to travel by myself. But around day four, I realized that I needed to give myself more gra...

Artificial intelligence chatbots are transforming how people access information online, offering quick, direct and click-free answers without the need to browse multiple websites. While traditional search engines like Google still dominate daily use, online news outlets are beginning to feel the early impact, according to a new Wall Street Journal report .  Increasing use of AI chatbots for news sparks uncertainty for traditional news outlets With increasing numbers of readers turning to AI tools such as ChatGPT , Copilot and Gemini for faster answers, the steady stream of traffic that once supported legacy news websites is beginning to waver.  Online news providers have been working to adapt to a changing information ecosystem for some time, not only in response to AI, but to a wider trend of declining interest. A 2023 report by Oxford University’s Reuters Institute found that just 48% of people globally were very or extremely interested in news, down from 63% in 2017. M...

Privacy is a policy ingrained in corporate America . Issues individual employees have, performance reviews and difficult discussions tend to happen behind closed doors. Communication can be compartmentalized, leaving some team members in the know and others unsure of what’s happening within an organization. A new workplace communication strategy is becoming more common and shifting the traditional way information is shared. Radical candor is a management policy in which 100% open and transparent communication is a company-wide policy—no matter how uncomfortable the conversation is.  Billionaire CEO Ray Dalio founded Bridgewater Associates. In his book Principles , he talks about bringing “radical transparency” into the firm to create a workplace culture where candor could reduce conflict and build trust, even when there are “thoughtful disagreements.” Honest communication is an important leadership trait, but is there a point where communication can be too honest? Here’s what y...