What is a skill endorsement?

LinkedIn describes a skill endorsement as being “a great way to recognize your 1st-degree connections’ skills and expertise with one click.” The endorsements can also be reciprocal in that they “let your connections validate the strengths found on your own profile.”  The site claims that “skill endorsements are a simple and effective way of building your professional brand and engaging your network.”

Here is what that means for you: take a look at the skills & expertise section of your LinkedIn page. LinkedIn may have come up with your skills by pulling keywords to your profile. Or you can add skills to your profile on your own. At any rate, the more people endorse you for a skill, the more of an expert you can look to be. It is a quick shorthand for seeing what other people consider to be valuable in a LinkedIn connection.

I have written a blog since 2006, so the top-ranked skill I have on my profile is blogging. Other skills that I have been endorsed for include SEO, WordPress, and writing.

Why should I endorse others’ skills?

You cannot ask for others to endorse your skills and expertise, but if you endorse others’ skills, they will see that you did via an email from LinkedIn and via their photo appearing on your profile. It is also the right thing to do, if you believe that the person has good skills  in a particular field.

Another way you might have the opportunity to endorse other people’s skills and expertise, aside from visiting that person’s profile, is when you log into LinkedIn. You may be asked a question as to whether a connection has skills at a specific thing, like writing, editing, project management, or some other skill. If you agree and click the item, you are endorsing that person’s skill, and they will receive a note telling them so.

Needless to say, do not endorse a skill that you do not believe the person has, or that they are not very good at. On the other hand, if you feel that somebody has additional skills that are not on the profile, you can suggest some skills for their profile. They can add the skills to their LinkedIn profile if they agree with your assessment.

What is the difference between LinkedIn skill endorsements and recommendations?

They are not the same thing. You can ask for, or be asked for a recommendation – a written endorsement describing your or their work – from a supervisor, colleague, or subordinate. You can also write one up without them requesting it. A LinkedIn recommendation is still more valuable than a skill endorsement, because it is more like a traditional letter of recommendation than the quick thumbs up that a skill endorsement is.

If you are not sure what your skills are, you can ask friends or co-workers, or talk to a career coach about your skills. To learn more about what a career coach does, click here. Another option is to look at a LinkedIn profile of somebody in a similar career to you, and see what skills they have listed.

One other note about LinkedIn skill endorsements — if you do not want them on your profile, you can hide individual ones, or people given them to you, from your profile. However, at this time, you cannot completely opt-out of skill endorsements, so you may want to spend a little time on them to make sure they show you in the best light.

How the fable explains the concept

In case you don’t remember that fable by heart, here is how it goes. A struggling farmer finds an egg made of pure gold in the nest of his goose. He thinks it is some kind of joke, then gets it appraised and discovers that the golden egg is for real. The goose lays one of those golden eggs every day, which should be enough for the farmer to live a great life. He indeed becomes rich because of those golden eggs.

But even though he is now rich, it is not enough for the farmer. He wants more, and getting that once-a-day egg is not enough. So, convinced that there must be a literal goldmine inside the goose, he kills it and slices it up to get all the golden eggs at once time. Only thing is, he finds out that there is no golden eggs inside the goose, and now that he has killed the goose, he will not be getting anymore. So thanks to greed, he killed the thing that made him rich.

Defining P/PC balance

Covey uses this tale to illustrate the P/PC effectiveness equation. People think that “the more you produce, the more you do, the more effective you are,” Covey writes. But he notes that “true effectiveness” is really due to two things – what is actually produced (the golden eggs), and the thing that produces it (the goose). It is critical to have a P/PC balance. P is for production, and PC is for production capability.

So you can stay up all night, every night, to get your work done. But at a certain point, after you increase production, the production capability – you – will face diminishing returns, as you production capacity fades due to a lack of sleep.

If you have a car, and take care of it with regular maintenance, oil changes, and tire rotation, you are helping the PC – production capability — in order to keep the P – production – going smoothly.  If you do not do that, you may save a little money on maintenance in the short-term, but you will lose in the long-term because your car will not run as smoothly, and will break down more frequently.

That is a great metaphor for having a good P/PC balance in whatever you do. There are various ways to keep your personal P/PC balance good – regular exercise, visiting a life coach, dieting, and relaxation techniques could keep you on an even keel. To learn more about how a life coach can help you with your P/PC, click here.

So what does that mean? Covey defines the difference between proactive and reactive people like this: “Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which they have little or no control, proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control.”  He defines the issues we must face in life as falling into the Circle of Influence and the Circle of Concern.

Proactive vs. reactive people

Covey says that “proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence,” paying attention to “things that they can actually “do something about. That includes things like taking care of their health, raising their children, and working on fixing issues at their work.

On the other hand, reactive people “focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern–things over which they have little or no control,” Covey writes, worrying about things like “the national debt, terrorism, the weather.” Of course, we do need to pay attention to those issues, as far as being informed individual. After all, if you wear shorts in a snowstorm because you did not pay attention to the weather, you are not being proactive. So there is a balance there. But the idea is that you cannot change the weather, so it doesn’t do you any good to worry about it.

Proactive people make their own luck

Oprah Winfrey is known for saying that she doesn’t believe in luck. That is because she has been proactive in her entire career, from deciding to become a news journalist to owning her own television show to creating a magazine to starting a television network.

Proactive people like her choose not just how to get things done, but how to react when things don’t go their way. When a reactive person has to deal with a rude person, or a setback, it could ruin their day, month, or even their life. A proactive person does not take others’ bad moods personally, and will adjust when things go wrong.

Proactive people choose how to react

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said that nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.  It is not that proactive people do not have feelings – they do – but they choose not to be governed by their feelings, the way reactive people do. Instead, as Covey notes, they are driven by values, and choose to respond to negativity in a value-based way.

Of course, doing so is not easy to do. Some ways to learn how to choose to respond, and not act like Pavlov’s dog at every response, is to read books like 7 Habits, talk to a mentor or life coach (click here to learn more about how a life coach works), in order to learn to control your response to stimuli. As Covey says, we do indeed have the power to choose how to react. There is a better way to live life, and being proactive can help you get there.

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

You may think that burning the midnight oil is the way to complete all that you need to get done, but in reality, just getting a good night’s sleep every night may make you feel more refreshed. Generally speaking, aiming for from seven to nine hours of sleep a night is the optimum. Sleep deprivation leads to bad decision-making. In an interview with the Harvard Business Review, Harvard professor and sleep expert Dr. Charles A. Czeisler compares the dangers of sleep deprivation to drunk driving.  “Putting yourself or others at risk while driving or working at an impaired level is bad enough; expecting your employees to do the same is just irresponsible,” he says. So the next time you think you can solve a work problem by staying up late, why not go home and get some sleep instead. You will think clearer with rest.

Taking a Nap

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a 20-30 minute nap can be beneficial at improving “mood, alertness and performance.” However, society still has a stigma at napping on the job, even though studies have been shown that it will improve work performance. If you work in a more relaxed workplace, or if you work at home, you should consider a daily nap if you can to feel more refreshed. Just don’t overdo it, though – the benefits of napping decrease after 30 minutes.

Use Your Vacation Time

Not only do Americans get less vacation time than most comparable countries in the world, CNN.com reports, but 57 percent of them leave unused vacation time on the table. Of course, many people are afraid to take vacations these days, worried that their employers will decide they can get along for good without them. In addition, they may not be able to afford to go anywhere fancy. Nonetheless, life coach experts say it is important for your mental and physical health to get away from your job, if only for a few days, and statistically, the Times article says that those employees who get regular recovery time have better performance.

Work in 90-Minute Increments

Athletes know the importance of recovery time when it comes to building their strength and stamina. You should be aware of it, too. In the Times article, the author suggests that people work in uninterrupted  90-minute segments, taking breaks after each one. Imagine how much more productive you could be if you worked hard for 90 minutes, knowing that you could take a break and refresh after it. Of course, you also need to know how to relax afterwards, and relaxation is a skill not many of us are good at. You can start by visiting a life coach for some ideas. To learn more, click here.

In summary, you may discover that by building strategic renewal into your day, you may be able to get more done, and feel better, too. Talk about a win-win!

Sometimes you need to think before you make a video, and consider the repercussions. Here are a few examples of those who did not think first:

Chick-Fil-A Video

Adam Smith wasn’t a young kid when he decided to make a viral video. He was the chief financial officer of Vante, Inc., a company that makes catheters. The Tucson-based man was outraged over restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A’s support of traditional marriage, so he decided to confront a staffer over it. Only thing is, people ended up being outraged not a Chick-Fil-A, but the way he berated an innocent employee who had nothing to do with the company’s stance.

Smith told the cashier, “Chick-fil-A is a hateful company,” and added, “I don’t know how you sleep at night. This is a horrible corporation with horrible values.”

Vante ended up firing Smith, with the company saying that “We hope that the general population does not hold Mr. Smith’s actions against Vante and its employees.”

Harlem Shake Video

Fifteen Australian miners were recently fired for doing the “Harlem Shake.” The miners, who worked for the Barminco company at the Agnew Mine in Australia, lost their jobs after the video of the dance went public. The Harlem Shake phenomenon consists of one dancer with a mask on dancing by himself to the Baauer song, with the rest of the group joining in causing a wild scene.

Gold Fields, the company that owns Barminco, said in a statement that “underground mining has strict safety standards as there are accidents and fatalities.” The company said that “the Barminco management saw this as a breach of standards.”

Gangnam Style Video

While multiple people have lost their jobs for doing viral videos, sometimes the person or people involved can get their jobs back. That is what happened in El Monte, California, when the fourteen lifeguards who were fired for doing a parody of the PSY song got their jobs back. The lifeguards contended that while they did wear city-issued swimsuits, the video was filmed off the clock when they were not working. However, there is still an ongoing investigation as to how the video occurred.

A Career Coach Can Give You the Pros And Cons Of Doing Such Videos

In summary, before you decide to get involved with the latest online craze or make a political point with a video, you might want to talk it through with a career coach or trusted advisor about the issue. To learn more on what a career coach does, click here.

According to CareerCast, the top ten best jobs rank like this:

1. Actuary
2. Biomedical Engineer
3. Software Engineer
4. Audiologist
5. Financial Planner
6. Dental Hygienist
7. Occupational Therapist
8. Optometrist
9. Physical Therapist
10. Computer Systems Analyst

And the top ten worst jobs are in the following order:

1. Reporter (Newspaper)
2. Lumberjack
3. Enlisted Military Personnel
4. Actor
5. Oil Rig Worker
6. Dairy Farmer
7. Meter Reader
8. Mail Carrier
9. Roofer
10. Flight Attendant

Of course, putting newspaper reporter as the worst job in the country, outranking even professions like dishwasher (#187) as well as garbage collector (#160) and janitor (#153), all but ensured that CareerCast’s list would get written about in print publications like the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. Sneaky.

Problems with the list

There are several problems with the criteria used for the list. First of all, looking at merely income is an outdated way to look at ranking a profession. For example, look at mail carriers, a profession ranked among the 10 worst.  (The site inaccurately writes that “the government’s plan to cease post office operations on Saturdays isn’t helping,” although the plan is dead now, and it was actually the federal government who overruled the Post Office’s plan to cancel Saturday delivery.)

Granted, being a mail carrier is not a growing profession, but merely looking at the $53,000 median salary does not tell the whole story. Not only does being part of the United States Postal Service offer more job security than many private sector jobs, but the benefits are extremely generous. Employees get 13 days off in their very first year, a number that can increase to over five weeks of vacation after 15 years on the job. In addition, mail carriers have a great health insurance policy as well as a good retirement plan. Those types of perks are hard to come by these days, and should certainly count for something when rating professions.

The other thing missing from the CareerCast list is employee satisfaction – the joy they may have doing their jobs. While being an actuary or a dental hygienist (both in the top 10 best) may be growing, lucrative professions, are they really as enjoyable as writing or acting for a living. Or what about being a member of the clergy (No. 110 on the list.) Surely being on a mission from God should count for something. And in a profession like enlisted military personnel, feelings like patriotism also factor in.

What a career coach might say about all this is this: if you love your job, it’s the best job for you, but if you can’t stand it, it’s the worst, no matter what it is you are doing. To learn more about how to talk to a career coach to find employee satisfaction in your job, click here.

So how do you know when it’s time to fire someone? Here are some clues:

If they commit an outrageous workplace violation

Let’s talk about the first type of people to fire, those who commit fireable offenses like stealing or revealing company secrets to a competitor. Obviously, those are the easiest to get rid of. But you would be surprised at how many managers may look the other way at such things. That is why it is important that you pull the trigger immediately here. Not only is it unlikely that your employee will shape up, but if word gets out that you let them get away with something so big, morale in your business will sink. Plus, you have an untrustworthy employee on your payroll. Not a good idea.

When they spend more time looking at their cell phone than at their work

Speaking of stealing, employees who spend their time surfing the internet, making phone calls on the company dime, and using company equipment for their personal use are stealing from you. It is not the same sort of obvious stealing as somebody who lifts money from the cash register. But it is still stealing. And imagine how bad your company looks when a customer comes in and sees that your staffer is more interested in texting than waiting on her.

Sure, you probably don’t want to fire somebody the first time they surf the web or text at the office, but you need to confront the situation. If you find that after verbal or written warnings, the employee is still more interested in outside distractions than in doing their job, perhaps it’s time to disconnect them – for good.

When they cannot do the job

This is probably the toughest type of staffer to fire. The person may be the nicest worker in the world, with the best attitude, and the most concentration at the job. He or she may give the proverbial 110% each and every day. This person may be a favorite friend of many. And the person may just not be very good at their job.

You should try to do your best to get such a staffer to improve, and work with them as much as you can.  You can also brainstorm with an executive coach on how to get the most out of that staffer. But at a certain point, if they are not able to do their job, it may be time to let them go.

In such a case, you might want to talk to an executive coach about how to gracefully fire the staffer. To learn more about how such an expert can help you handle your workplace, click here.

So how can you get your life in order so that you can relax and have fun this summer, instead of spending your free time dealing with everyday hassles? Here are some tips that a life coach would advise:

Get your spring cleaning done

Now is a great time to do a big cleaning in your home, from windows to floors, to get things in order.  In addition, go through your kitchen and get rid of expired food. If you see nonperishable food that you may not be eating any time soon, why not donate it to needy people at a food pantry? You will clear space in your home, and do something to help others, all at the same time.

You should also go through your closets and bureaus to put away fall and winter clothing, and take out spring and summer wear. Make sure your winter clothing is cleaned and stored properly for next season, with mothballs for items that would attract moths. In addition, be ruthless – do not be afraid to get rid of clothing items that don’t fit, or that you just don’t like anymore. You can also donate these items to charity to help others.

Create a vacation fund

It is not too late to start saving for a vacation. You can have a certain amount automatically taken out every week with your bank account. You can also skip going out to lunch each day, bring a lunch from home instead, and use the saved money for your vacation fund. You can also put all your loose change and single dollar bills in a jar for the fund. Before you know it, you may have saved some money to have some fun this summer.

Set some goals

Whether you want to get ready for swimsuit season, or you want to take advantage of the longer hours of sunlight to enjoy life more, why not set some goals for the summer? Try to aim to lose some weight and get in shape by writing down a few goals, and committing to exercising and eating healthy for the season.

Or do you remember when you were in school and had a summer reading list? Why not come up with a list of books that you would like to read this summer?  You can have a mix of books from edification to pure beach reading. You also may want to talk to a life coach about setting goals. Click here to learn more about how a life coach can help you get ready for summer.

Bear down today so you can enjoy summer

Spend some time over the next few months finishing the work you need to get done so that you can enjoy summer more. That hard work will pay off when you’re sitting on the beach with a liquid refreshment of your choice in hand.

While people can certainly make big changes in their life by themselves, and it is true that nobody can help motivate someone to change who does not want to change, it is also true that many people have found support and friendships by joining groups. Here are some of the things beneficial by not going it alone, but joining some sort of support group for life coaching:

You don’t feel isolated

Do you feel that if you go without a cigarette for even a day, you are going to drive yourself – and everyone else around you – crazy? Do you want to exercise, but you don’t know how to get started? Do you want to get the benefits of life coaching, but do not have the funds to afford an individual coach, and would really like to hear if others have the same struggles as you? These are just some of the reasons people join groups. The biggest thing they hear by doing so is that they are not alone.

You have accountability

I belong to an exercise group that I have been participating in for two months. I feel like a coach potato if I don’t get up on Sunday and Wednesday mornings for the group walks. There is a fitness surprise every week with this fitness group, and I feel like I am missing out from something by not going to it. Depending on the group, there may be formal accountability procedures – taking attendance, regular weigh-ins or check-ins, or it may be less formal, in that you simply feel you will be missing out on something good for you if you don’t show up. At any rate, you may find that the accountability of belonging to the group keeps you on the right track.

You learn things to help you

In the exercise group I belong to, we get information on fitness from the personal trainer who runs the group, and learn new things on how to work out. The group also has a websites with exercise and weight loss tips. People who belong to groups like AA learn ways to control the urge to drink. Other groups offer the ability to get professional advice and to learn from the other people in the group. The real-life things you can pick up by belonging to a group can help you in many beneficial ways.

You have camaraderie

I will miss seeing the friends I have made in my fitness group if I don’t work out with them. Depending upon the group, you may also feel a similar feeling if you don’t attend. You also can celebrate others’ successes, or commiserate when they go through rough times. The camaraderie such groups foster can be a life changer. So why not look into joining a group to help your life? To learn more about group life coaching, click here.

A keynote speaker may set the tone of your event. The goal may be to educate your employees on new trends and techniques.  It may be to inspire employees to step up their efforts in a challenging market.  Or the goal could be to entertain the troops, perhaps to celebrate success or to offer a respite in difficult times.  While more serious work topics sometimes flow better with a little humor thrown in, an overtly funny keynote speaker is generally better suited to speeches that place more emphasis on entertainment.

The advisability of hiring a funny keynote speaker may hinge on when the speaker is scheduled. A morning speech will probably be followed by panel discussions, seminars, workshops and the like. This keynote speech should prepare people to contemplate the topics that will be featured at upcoming sessions.  An overly humorous speech may not be appropriate for setting the proper tone.

An after-dinner speech, on the other hand, comes at the end of what was probably a long, intense work day. Often the liquor has been flowing at dinner. A humorous keynote speaker now could end the day on a high note. A serious one might result in some staffers tuning the speaker out or even trying to sneak out of the dinner to continue unwinding elsewhere.

If you do go for a funny keynote speaker, you will need to make sure that the humor is appropriate for your audience. A convention of Wall Street executives will probably find different things funny than a group of social workers. A gathering where people have brought their families probably requires more family-friendly humor than one for employees only.

Many comedians pride themselves on “crossing the line” and being edgy.  But if you are hiring someone for your event, it is up to you to determine where the line is. Jokes about different ethnic groups may work in a comedy club but are likely a bad idea in a corporate setting.  But even a joke that may seem innocuous may not go over very well in front of your group or upper management. Maybe your CEO has a pet charity or specific cause. You probably won’t want the keynote speaker making fun of that cause. So if you are hiring a comedian, you will probably want to look at the material beforehand.

To learn more about hiring a keynote speaker, click here.

If you want to succeed in life, one good way to do so, whether you are young and just starting out, in your prime years, or even when you are heading into being a senior citizen, is to find a role model to emulate, and to learn from.

Here are some tips when it comes to having a role model:

Think about what you want to achieve

If you want to be a baseball player, Derek Jeter or Justin Verlander can be a great role model for you. If you are interested in being a journalist, learning from Diane Sawyer or Pete Hamill could help you learn a lot. Whatever it is you are doing, look to see if somebody in your field has qualities you would like to emulate.

You don’t need to have just one role model

You may learn a lot from more than one person. For example, Frankin D. Roosevelt showed great courage in coming back from being paralyzed. His wife, Eleanor, overcome a rough childhood to become an outspoken advocate for the downtrodden. Martin Luther King, Jr., became a great civil rights advocate.  Steve Jobs was this era’s Thomas Alva Edison, helping invent and develop technology that has made our lives better. You can learn from all of these people, and from many other people, whether famous or not, out there.

Your role models don’t need to be famous

Perhaps your role model is a parent, or a beloved teacher, or a supervisor.  They don’t need to be famous people, of course, in order for them to be great role models for you. In some ways, having a real-life role model can be even better for you, because you know them, can talk to them, and see their struggles firsthand.

Keep in mind that role models are all too human

Lance Armstrong may have courageously fought back against testicular cancer, raised an estimated $500 million to battle cancer, donated money to fight the cause, and won seven Tour de France bicycle races. He inspired many cancer survivors by his courage at defeating the disease.

But he also, as it turns out, to have used illegal performance-enhancing drugs, and to be a bully when it came to people who challenged him on anything, or who told the truth about his PED use.

So how can people think of Armstrong now? That really is something people are sorting out now, since he only recently confessed to the PED usage after denying it for years. But no matter what you think of Armstrong, he did show strength in beating cancer, a disease that could have killed him, as well as donating millions to fight the disease, so at least part of his legacy is still respected.

Talk with a life coach

A life coach can help you find role models on how to succeed in life. Click here to learn more about life coach professionals.

Be an indispensable employee

If you spend most of your time at work checking your Facebook page, taking long lunches, calling in sick after you partied too much the night before, or taking off a huge amount of time at work, your boss may laugh in your face, or have to stifle a laugh, if you want more money. The same goes even if you regularly show up to work, but do nothing special at your job, and just do an adequate, ordinary job.

The only way you can expect a raise these days is to be special. What do you bring to the table? What do you take off your boss’ plate? How are you bringing in money to the company, or, if it’s a non-profit or governmental organization, are you doing more than you earn? Every situation is different, but it is important that you be a star employee in order to get more money. Try to look at things through your boss’ eyes, and think about how you can improve.

Keep track of how you’ve helped the bottom line

It is not enough to say that you need or want a raise. You need to show that you deserve it. So keep track of how you have helped the company, and present your manager with that. Spreadsheets and/or charts can help you quantify and show what you have done.

Take on more responsibilities

If you offer to take on tasks that need to be done at your workplace, you may potentially be able to make more money because of that. It really depends upon your individual situation. However, you might have to do those tasks for no additional pay for a while, until your boss sees that you can excel at them. Also, you can talk to an executive coach about strategies – the executive coach can potentially give you ideas to help your career.

Go elsewhere

You may find that no matter how great a job you do, that your company is unable to get you more money. This means that you either have to stay where you are (perhaps you can negotiate extra time off or some other perk that won’t cost big money) or you should think about moving on to an organization that can pay your more.

Please keep in mind that if you want to get more money, do not get another offer at another company as a way to get your current business to fork over more money to you. Even if they agree to do so, chances are that you will be seen as disloyal, and you may be fired a few months later.

If you are not sure what to do next, why not contact an executive coach? Click here to learn more about one can help you in your career.

Whether you have been running a newsletter for your company or organization for a long time, or you are thinking about doing one, you may wonder about whether you should run advertising in newsletters. Or perhaps you are looking to run ads in someone else’s newsletter, and want to know whether it is a good use of your money. Well, there is real value to running advertising in newsletters, making it a win-win for both parties. Here are some reasons:

For the newsletter publisher:

Financial benefit

Depending upon how many ads you run, and how much you are able to charge, you can get money for your costs in running your newsletter, and even more money that can go towards your business, or towards you making more money in your profession.

Additional credibility

Newsletter publishers may worry that they might turn off readers by running ads. But sometimes, a funny thing happens – they may gain credibility with their subscribers by doing so. That is because if the ads are professional-looking, and from a company or organization that is of interest to the subscribers, the advertisements can potentially give the newsletter more credibility, because it is popular enough to draw such advertising interest.

For the newsletter advertiser:

Reasonable cost

It is a proven fact that advertising can improve sales and interest in your company. However, many advertising opportunities out there, such as Google AdSense, radio or television advertising, or print display ads, can be very expensive.  Newsletter advertisements can be much more in your price range, especially if you are an up-and-coming company.

A targeted audience

Not only can newsletter ads potentially cost much less than other forms of advertising, but you can finely target your audience. For example, if you sell gourmet dog food, you can advertise in a newsletter for dog lovers, and have a built-in audience. If you run the ads through a newsletter advertising company like LiveIntent, you can even target the ads even further, by only having the ads run in newsletter subscribers who fit the demographic criteria you are looking for.

The halo effect

What the halo effect means is that you may get some sales or interest from your ads because you are subscribing in a newsletter that people like. The readers may have such good feelings for the newsletter, that they want to support those who support it. It is something to consider when considering newsletter advertising.

In summary, whether you are a publisher or an advertiser, advertising in newsletters can have some terrific benefits.

Why dogs are used to detect bed bugs

Dogs have a much better sense of smell than us, which is why they are used in jobs where their sense of smell is importance, like sniffing out drugs, or cadavers, or bed bugs.

Not every breed of dog can be a bed bug dog. For example, a very large dog, like a Saint Bernard, might be able to smell the bugs, but that size of canine would be too big to fit around a bedroom. A lethargic type of dog that wants to snooze all day would be a bad choice for the job. Another bad choice for a bed bug dog would be a very temperamental dog.

Remember, sniffing bed bugs is not the only thing the dog will have to do. The dog will have to listen to commands from the bed bug handler, as well as get along with the humans in the business or residence that may have bed bugs.  A dog who snarls at people, or isn’t housebroken, will not make a good impression no matter how good it is at finding bed bugs. But a dog who is smart, energetic, trainable, and able to maneuver into small space may work out well as a bed bug dog.

How dogs detect bed bugs

So how do the dogs detect the bed bugs? Well, first they are trained by a bed bug expert or handler to recognize the smell of live bed bugs and bed bug eggs. (Click here to learn more about how this works.) The idea is to find life infestations, not an area that may have had bed bugs, but they are now all dead.

Then the bed bug handler works with the dog every day with live bed bugs, to keep the dog’s senses sharp. And when they go to inspect places, the dog communicates with the handler to let him or her know where the bugs are, or if there are bugs at all. Generally speaking, bed bug dogs are 96% accurate. After the dog signals whether there are bugs, the handler visually confirms it. Then the business or residence is informed about the bugs, if they have them, and told about their options.

Ad email, also known as email in advertising, is becoming more and more popular these days. Advertisers find it to be a very effective method of reaching potential customers.

How ad email works

If you have not heard of ad email before, you may worry that emails with advertisements are what is known as spam. But no, ad email is a very different animal. You see, these ads go in emails in which the subscribers have all opted in. They have chosen to subscribe to the emails, as opposed to getting bombarded with spam.

People subscribe to a variety of emails these days. For example, newspapers may send out emails telling readers about article on their websites. Radio stations may send out emails about their upcoming programming, to announce giveaways and to promote upcoming contests.

There are also newsletters that people send out to subscribers. For example, a basset hound rescue group may send out email newsletters to people who are interested in helping that type of dog.

In all of those types of emails, there may be email advertisements. There are several appealing things from an advertiser’s point of view when it comes to using the emails as a place to put the advertisements.

Why you should do email ads

The first is that you can target potential customers more easily. For example, if you sell specialty dog food, putting an ad in that newsletter on basset hounds could work very well for you and your company. If you want to target country music fans, running an ad in a country music radio station would be a great place to go. And if you want to target newspaper readers in a particular area, an ad in a newspaper email newsletter would be a great fit for you.

Another reason to do ad email is the halo effect. In many cases, like a fan newsletter, people will be more likely to support the advertisers because they appreciate them running an ad to keep the newsletter going.

A third reason why ad email may be a good idea is that you may only be charged when the person opens the email. This can save you money, because you only pay for the ads that people actually saw.  In addition, if you have the emails distributed by an email platform like LiveIntent, you can have the ads updated as time goes on, so your latest and greatest ad will show up whenever the person opens it.

For all of these reasons, ad email may be right for you.

Decide again what you want to do – and why

Having concrete, tangible reasons to your personal goals can help you stick to working on them, even when things are difficult. For example, if you need to lose weight, going to the doctor first and getting a look at your medical numbers – cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, as well as weight numbers – can give you a physical incentive. So can having your measurements taken. In addition, putting up a “before” photo in your house can give you some incentive to lose weight, as can putting up a picture of you back when you were thinner.

Another way to remind you of your goals is to write a list of them, and then break it down by what reasons you have to do them. For example, if you write down all the reasons you want to lose weight, including things like your health, quality of life, and simply wanting to look good, you can refer to those reasons to keep you on track the next time you get tempted by a chocolate cake or some bacon.

Prioritize your goals

You cannot do everything at once. So if you have a slew of personal goals, such as losing weight, redecorating your house, finding a significant other, writing a book, and making more money at your job, you might want to prioritize to the most important goal – the one that you need to get done first. If you try to do them all at once, you will dilute the power of your drive to accomplish the goals, and will spread yourself to thin. Start with one big goal, and take it from there.

Get some inspiration from friends, personal coaching experts, and the like

It is hard to go it alone when trying to achieve your goals. So looking for a support group for achieving your goals, whether online or in person, may give you some inspiration. So can talking with a personal coaching expert. Click here to learn more about how that works.

Here are some advertising ideas — tips about how you can use ads for your business, and some of the pros and cons:

• Promotional products: Whether it is a small item like pens or lip balms, or bigger products like t-shirts, tote bags, and hats, giving away promotional products is a good form of advertising. And who knows? You may become so popular some day that people will buy stuff with your name on it, the way people buy and cherish Apple t-shirts.
• Newspaper ads: While newspaper advertising is no longer the force it once was, some local businesses, such as restaurants, movie theaters and car dealerships, do see a benefit from running such ads – people still expect to see their ads in the paper. These ads can be pricey, though.
• Radio and television ads: Both local and national businesses have seen increased sales by using these methods of advertising. Products that have a catchy radio or TV commercial can get their name out very quickly. In addition, with the advent of cable TV and TV shows and radio stations that appeal to segmented audience, it is easier to reach your perfect customer than ever, albeit at a cost that may be hard for a small business.
• Billboards: This old-school method of advertising can still draw attention. However, it also can be pricey, plus you will be locked into the ad for at least a month or two, which means you could be stuck with a non-dynamic ad that will stay the same for that time, without you being sure how effective it is.
• Internet advertising: This form of advertising is growing in popularity, as the web continues to grow as a web and entertainment source. From pay-per-click efforts to web display ads and other methods like Google AdSense, more and more businesses are using internet advertising, especially because they can target audiences.
• Email newsletter advertising: This has the advantages of internet advertising, with the benefit of being able to further target your audience, and have more cost-effective rates. With internet advertising platforms like LiveIntent, you can have the ads show up only in email newsletters for your target audience, where you only pay for the ads when somebody opens the email.

It’s that time of year again, when people are most likely to get the flu, or come down with the cold. Getting sick can result in you potentially losing wages, missing time from school, and having decreased  productivity at work, not to mention how having a cold or the flu can make you feel miserable. This winter, why not prepare yourself – and your immune system – by taking these preventative measures to potentially keep you healthy and safe during this cold and flu season. Livingwell Care Navigation, a professional patient advocate company, recommends the following:

• Drink lots of fluids:  It is important to keep your body hydrated, especially during this season. You can get fluids by drinking filtered water. In addition, be sure to consume soups and broths – the best ones for you should be made from scratch, with fresh vegetables. You should also make a habit of drinking herbal teas, such as echinacea and ginger teas, every day.
• Stay away from simple sugars: While drinking fluids is important, don’t drink fruit juices or sweetened drinks.  Also do not consume things like sweet treats, as well as grain products that your body turns into sugar. The reason is that, according to studies, sugars can suppress your body’s immune system.
• Taste the rainbow of fruits and vegetables: That means eating things like leafy greens, peppers, sweet potatoes, fruits, and cruciferous vegetables. These items contain Vitamins A and C, as well as phytonutrients. You should try to eat at least four servings a day of vegetables, and between three to four servings of fruit.
• Get spicy:  That means eating things like onions, ginger and garlic, as well as spices such as turmeric and oregano.  Ginger can boost your immune system, spices are anti-inflammatory and onions and garlic have antimicrobial properties.
• Eat lean protein with every meal: Protein helps build your body, which includes your body’s immune system, as well as its detoxification system.  It is critical to eat protein with every meal, and even every snack. Look for animal-based and plant-based proteins.
• Take supplements to support your immune system: It is important to take things like Vitamin D3, zinc citrate, buffered Vitamin C, probiotics, fish oil, and other supplements to build up your immune system at this time of year. For more information, please visit Livingwell Care Navigation to learn which supplements you should take during cold and flu season.

You feel like you are on an emotional roller-coaster, and you want to get off. But how? Here are some things you should think about when it comes to coping with mood swings:

First off, think about what is causing your mood swings

Newsflash – we are all going to feel a variety of moods in our lives. We can switch from happy to sad in a second based on life’s events. It is part of being human.  Think about it – if you are having a great time eating an ice cream cone on the boardwalk, and then somebody comes up and steals your wallet, your mood is naturally going to swing.

However, if your mood swings are unnatural, you should think about what could be causing this in you. Here are some of the possibilities:

• Not eating right: Eating too little, or too much, can make your moods go up and down. So can eating foods with no nutritional value, or drinking too much caffeine. And the content of sugar can also contribute to mood swings, as you get hopped up on the sugar content, and then crash down as the sugar leaves your system. It is important to eat a healthy diet, and one that keeps your blood sugar on an even keel. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about the keys to a diet where you can improve your mood with food.
• Hormonal issues: Women going through PMS may have mood swings, as can those dealing with perimenopause or menopause. You can talk to your gynecologist for recommendations on supplements that can help you deal with these issues, or over-the-counter things you can take.
• Not getting enough sleep: We repair our bodies when we sleep. But if we don’t get enough sleep, not only do we not recover from the stresses of the day, but we end up being stressed out, not thinking clearly, and quick to lose our temper. So make sure you get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night; this can potentially help your moods be on a more even keel.
• Burning the candle at both ends: Maybe you are working too hard. Perhaps you are taking on too much in your personal life.  Or perhaps you are just too stressed. Try to take it a little easier, and your mood swings might each.
• Psychological issues:  You might have psychological issues that are causing your mood swings. If you think you do, you can get help by seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist. They may be able to help you with your mood swings via therapy and/or medication.

Another option to deal with mood swings is finding a life coach to work with. The life coach can help you come up with coping mechanisms to deal with controlling your mood swings. To learn more, click here for more information on how to find a life coach or personal coach expert.

Many smokers want to quit, but what some nonsmokers don’t understand is that it is an extremely difficult habit to break, with both physical and psychological challenges. I should know. I smoked cigarettes for 20 years, until I quit for good. Last month, I celebrated eight years of a tobacco-free lifestyle. Here are some of my tips for how to quit smoking – and stay tobacco-ree:

Get off the nicotine addiction

Some people – including our U.S. president – have had success using nicotine-based products like gum to get themselves away from smoking cigarettes.  I have used the gum, and patches, in efforts to quit smoking, but it only temporarily kept me from tobacco products. I still was addicted to nicotine. It is up to you as to whether you will be happy still being addicted to nicotine products, but speaking from personal experience, I only finally kicked smoking when I kicked using any form of nicotine.

Forget about having just one cigarette

Like many ex-smokers, I quit many, many times before doing it for good. And one of the things that would get me of the wagon is having just one cigarette, whether it be at a party or during a stressful time.

Sure, there are some people who can have a cigarette every once in a while. They are not you. If you are addicted to tobacco, having even one cigarette can be enough to set you back. Don’t do it.

One day at a time, but acknowledge the importance of time

When I finally quit smoking for good, at 2:15 p.m. on January 2, 2005, I did it one day at a time. But each day added up to real time. And whenever I felt weak, I would remind myself how many days, weeks, months, and then years I had been tobacco-free. And the longer time I had built up as an ex-smoker, the less likely I was willing to blow that for a momentary weakness. If I had cheated in between, it wouldn’t have mattered as much. Think about it. If you have been smoke-free for six weeks, six months, or even six years, do you want to give it up – and have to start all over – for the momentary pleasure of one cigarette?

Consider products to take away cravings

For me, taking Zyban, a prescription-based anti-smoking product, helped take away the cravings for tobacco, and made it easier to quit. (I stopped taking the product several months after quitting.) This is not a testimonial for this or any other prescription product, but it is only a note to let you know what is out there. If you are interested, talk to your physician.

Find experts in nicotine addiction or life coaching 

I wish I had talked to an expert in life coaching, or gone to someone with knowledge of nicotine addictions, when I quit smoking – it would have made me less cranky, and helped give me real-life strategies to deal with my emotions. If you are thinking about quitting smoking, looking into life coaching  could help you better cope with quitting. Click here for more information. You might also want to look into groups like Nicotine Anonymous. Good luck.

You can use spelling and grammar checks, but they don’t catch everything, which is why it is good if you can have somebody else read your work. So what can you do when you need to send out an article or a business letter, but you are not able to get somebody else to review what you have written? Here are some tips on how to proofread your own work:

Read your work aloud

You may feel a little silly at first reading your own writing, but it is a great way to discover if you have made any errors. There are several reasons why reading aloud is a good idea. The first is that you may not realize this, but your brain often automatically fills in missing words when you read them. Saying the words out loud will help you catch such things.

In addition, when you read your work out loud, you may also notice things like repetitive phrases, overwrought prose, and logical flaws.  You can also get a sense of whether what you are writing is understandable, especially if you read it to a friend. But you don’t need to read to others in order for this method to work.  You can talk to yourself and still get a benefit out of it.

Take a day or so to read your writing

If you can have some time in between writing and proofreading your work, it can help you find mistakes. Just a little bit of time may help you look at your writing with a fresh mind, and you may see mistakes you might not have caught the first time around.

Print out what you wrote

Going from reading your article on the computer to reading a hard copy of it can help you find mistakes. Seeing your writing in a printed format can potentially help you discover errors in your work. There is something to be said about reading something on the printed page.

So why not give one or more of these tips a try? You could see the quality of your work improve. Click here for more ideas on how to improve your work.

Mobile ads increasing in popularity

So if you are an advertiser, you want to go to where your audience is. That means having your ads run on mobile phones, whether it be in emails, news alerts, app downloads, local offers, or other ways on mobile phones. And that also means making sure that the ads are readable in the emails. You don’t want to lose the opportunity to gain a new customer because your email advertisement is only really readable on desktop and laptop computers. That could be a huge wasted opportunity for you – not only would you be paying for the emails because the person opened the email, but they would not be able to read what you said.

In this fast-paced world, you want your ads to show up quickly, if needed. So some email advertising companies allow you to buy ads quickly, and have them show up on the fly in targeted email newsletters and alerts, so that your readers can get your ads when you want them to. Forget about having to buy ads months in advance.

What to look for in an email marketing company

There are several things you should look for when it comes to an email advertisement marketing company. Aside from having the ads show up when you want them to, you want to make sure that the ads target only the market you want to reach. That is one of the cooler things of advertising in email newsletters. You can have the ads show up just in newsletters of people who could potentially buy your products – like cooking products in a food newsletter. But you can even target the ads even further, by having them only directed to people in a certain demographic group or location.

You also want to make sure that the company knows how to most effective render the ads in email as seen on smartphones, so that they are most effectively readable. And finally, you want to make sure that the ads change based on when the person opens the email, and will be dynamic enough to show the most current email, even on old newsletters.

Make sure you get what you are entitled to

Don’t think that you are too proud to negotiate a severance, get your vacation time paid, or apply for unemployment. Or think that you will somehow be sticking it to your old employer by not taking any money from them on your way out. Not only are these things all items you are entitled to, but they could keep you afloat until you find another job. In addition, make sure you sign up for COBRA (continued health insurance coverage.) It can be expensive, but it will be priceless if you need it.

Take some time for yourself

Sure, you will need to look for a job soon, but you also need a little breathing space. So if you want to do nothing for a few days, or go to an amusement park or a spa day or a weekend trip or whatever, feel free to do so, within reason. That doesn’t mean, of course, that you can decide to spend the next six months getting caught up on “Real Housewives” episodes , but spending some time attempting to regroup is fine.

Reach out to your contacts – but watch what you say

Tell family members, friends, old classmates, previous employers, and whoever else that is a potential networking contact that you are in the market for a new job. However, keep the venting and the griping with your loved ones, and not with potential job contacts. You don’t want to come across as bitter or vindictive. And you don’t want to badmouth your old employer, even if you are in the right. Here’s the thing – people who could potentially help you find a new job will think less of you if you are griping about your old boss. They will think in the back of their minds that you will be talking that way about them one day.

Think about what you want to do for your career

It may be annoying to hear from others about how getting laid off from your job can be a positive thing – and you will indeed hear that from people – but you can potentially find your calling now. Some people would never have the guts to start their own business or seek out their dream job if they weren’t laid off. Why not try to find a new, better life for yourself? You can also talk with a career coach (click here for more information) for career clarity.

Along those lines, you may want to update or completely redo your resume, go back to school, or do some other next step. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t know what you want to do right away, though. It may take time to decide what you really want to be. Just give yourself lots of opportunities to learn more about what to do next.

Analyze your job tasks

Take an objective look at what you do in your job, and what you spend time on. Write it down, and see what is really necessary. There is the possibility that you can figure out things to cut so that you don’t have to stay so late at work, and that you can be more efficient at what you are doing. Stop continuing to do certain things just because you have always done them that way. For example, some people still print out emails instead of simply saving them in their email archive folders!  Also, if you have staff you manage, think about delegating things to them. There is no need to be a martyr and do everything.

Writing down what you do at work is also important, because it may remind you of what you actually enjoy. You may have forgotten your passions in the midst of feeling so overwhelmed.  If you can do more things you like, and fewer things you don’t like, you may feel fired up about your job again.

Take a vacation

You need to get away if you can, on a real vacation. That means a vacation where you can relax, leave town if you are able, and not think about work, instead of just sitting at home still fielding calls on your job and having to check office email every five minutes. Having a little time off is critical. Even if you cannot take a full vacation, at least try to get a long weekend, and have it one that is free of work responsibilities.

Try to establish better work-life balance

If you feel that all you do is work, think about work, and dread going back to work, it’s no wonder that you may feel burned out. Instead, try to keep your work life at work, and your home space sacred. And really use your personal time to do things you enjoy. It is important that you have a life outside of work that you can enjoy when things are down.

Take better care of yourself

Don’t forget to eat right, exercise, get enough sleep and do positive things for yourself. What happens all too often when people feel burned out is that they neglect positive self-care because they either don’t have the energy for it, or because they think they deserve to eat whatever they want and veg out in front of the TV due to their stressful work life.

Instead, why not take better care of yourself? Eating better, exercising, and getting enough sleep will give you more energy for your life. This can help you feel more positive about your job and your life. You an also talk to a life coach to learn more on how to do so.

Get another job – or decide on another career

It may be that your current job situation is hopeless, with a boss who can’t – or won’t — help you manage all you have to do. Then that will tell you something about whether this current workplace is right for you.  Maybe if you worked elsewhere, you would not feel burned out.

But it also might be that you are burned out on your career, and need a change.  If so, don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, give some thought as to what it is you want to do next. It could ultimately be a great adventure for you.

You may think of workplace gossip as harmless water-cooler talk, but in reality, it can potentially destroy your office. There are several forms of it, from staff making catty remarks about fellow employees to the workers complaining to each other about workplace policies. All of it can tear a team apart instead of bringing them together.

Radio host Dave Ramsey defines workplace gossip as any negative talk about the workplace that is discussed with somebody who cannot fix the issue. For example, a co-worker gripes to an office friend about her boss, or the computer technician complains to an underling about the computer budget. While it may seem like no big deal, there are several reasons why workplace gossip can be destructive:

• It’s two-faced: talking about people and situations behind others’ back will almost never have positive results. Imagine if you find out that your co-worker is complaining to others about the way you do your job, or your boss finds out that you have negative things to say about her. What will your reaction be?
• It rips teams apart: Instead of working towards a common goal, gossip will tear the team apart, causing negativity and dissent instead of different people finding common ground.
• It doesn’t fix anything: How can managers fix any issues if it is not brought to their attention? Whatever steam that gets let off with workplace gossip is temporary. But the problems that such gossip can cause will fester and cause ongoing problems.

So how can employers stop such workplace gossip? A growing number of companies have decided to ban it, and punish those who engage in it. It sounds unrealistic, but it actually can make a difference when it comes to stopping this insidious practice.

Things companies do that contribute to workplace gossip

Having an office policy against gossip doesn’t mean that people have to shut up and put up with problems. Just the opposite, in fact. Instead, they are encouraged to get problems fixed by talking to their management about them, instead of whining to others who don’t really want to hear about it anyway.

Ramsey says that unfortunately, some employers can inadvertently cause workplace gossip to fester by not listening enough to their staff, and ignoring their issues. Instead, he recommends that employers have an open-door policy, when workers are encouraged to bring problems up the chain instead of griping to people who can’t fix the issue. In return, employers listen to their staff’s concern, fix them, and send the solutions down.

Here’s how it would work in practice. A computer coder who has too big a workload to efficiently complete his tasks each day should tell his boss about the issue. Then the supervisor can look into the situation and try to come up with solutions.

But without a workplace anti-gossip policy, and without a boss willing to resolve the issue, things will get worse. The coder will complain to co-workers about how the manager just won’t listen. And others will think twice about talking to the boss about problems and will instead complain amongst themselves, and before you know it, the supervisor has lost authority in the workplace. That’s why it is not enough to have such a policy; management also needs to be proactive and receptive to resolving issues.

Career coach experts say that another positive about having an anti-gossip policy is that it will also stop the kind of gossip which has nothing to do with getting the job done, like speculating about or mocking others’ personal lives.

So why not think about establishing a policy in your workplace against gossip? It could not only help resolve problems but it can help your team have a more cohesive bond.