​

AJ Yawn, a former Army captain, cofounded cybersecurity compliance SaaS company ByteChek to make compliance suck less.  He caught up with Manny Larcher for the It's Bigger Than Business Podcast, listen and/or watch below:

The PDF for the meeting video recap + document combo. I was asked for this, so posting it. It has helped me close deals in my LinkedIn social selling journey.

1. Create a short handsome document. I used a Google Doc but you can use PowerPoint, Google Slide, MS World. Whatever. Was thinking to update to something nicer via design.

2. Have the cover page talk about these and the next steps.

3. Outline the major 3 to 9 points of the conversation and have the next steps (again – yes this is the second time). That typically includes contract signing, dates, or what you are they already talked about.

4. Under the recap, points have a little company info that pertains to what you are proposing.

5. The last page is a Thank You and again a recap on the next steps (a third time). You need to drive the agreed-on next step idea at least 3 times.

6. Create a Loom or similar video and then add the link and a screen capture of the video (that is also linked to the video) in the document as the first thing after the cover page.

7. DM, them the link to the video first, then another DM with PDF which has the video links in it. You want to send the messages separately because the video link as 1 link will show the video visually.
​
8. Email and or Text depending on the communication of the information above (but both the video and PDF).

Watch the interview below from the It's Bigger Than Business Podcast:

Digital Agency Seeks to Help Businesses Leverage the Potential of LinkedIn


ST. Petersburg, Florida, -- LinkedIn is becoming a key marketing and lead generation channel – according to the latest statistics. Data shows that LinkedIn ad reach grew by 22 million people in Q4 of 2021, an increase of 2.4% from the previous quarter, while the network now includes more than 750 million members in more than 200 territories across the world. This translates to an enormous potential for digitally engaged businesses.
Now, a digital marketing agency is working to help more businesses leverage the full extent of the possibilities offered by the LinkedIn platform. Scrong South has launched a LinkedIn management service, combined with a sales outreach effort, that is designed to help clients achieve more from the platform.
As part of the suite of services, Scrong South's clients will receive outreach assistance, helping them to connect with up to 3,200 targeted contacts on a regular basis. This is in addition to content creation and weekly reporting services.
Content creation has been shown to be a critical aspect of success on LinkedIn, particularly in terms of multimedia content. Research suggests that posts with images increase user engagement by up to 200%, with larger, higher-resolution images performing particularly well. Scrong South says that they will offer visual media creation, including images and videos, as part of the service they deliver to their clients.
The team will also provide support with ongoing profile optimization designed to help businesses get found on the platform, and appointment setting assistance. It is proven that these features will make it easier for businesses to foster genuine connections on the platform, beyond mere shares and follows.
The idea is to help businesses provide something different to their audience on LinkedIn, including developing and publishing fresh and engaging content. Scrong South also states that they will ensure that LinkedIn connections are more relevant by scheduling phone call follow-ups with audience members only when these prospects have actively connected with the business's LinkedIn account and requested a call back at a specified time.
Business owners who are interested in learning more about Scrong South's offering and making LinkedIn a key aspect of their digital marketing strategy can contact the team by visiting their website at www.scrongsouth.tech and then starting a live chat session.
Bobby Reyes
Contact: +1 321-209-0689
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Twitter
LinkedIn

THE INTERNET
------------
​I'm an older fart, so my elementary school experience only included computers near the tail-end of mid-school. As such, it was forgivable to have students locked-in to using Internet Explorer (which would have been version 4 or 5 during my time) since there wasn't a great deal of competition.

The major problem is that IE/Edge is still the default and often times ONLY browser available in these classrooms. Again, I believe IT departments use the excuse of "security" to keep students on such dated browsers. Firefox, anyone? LibreWolf? Pale Moon? Any of these browsers can be easily managed and secured by school IT departments. It doesn't HAVE to be IE...

​
REDUCING HARDWARE COST
----------------------
By shifting towards a purely "open" software stack, schools then have the ability to purchase older, cheaper hardware. Instead of running bloated spyware (Windows) IT departments could opt to use any one of the lightweight Linux distros available.

This would reduce e-waste, save school districts significant amounts of money (no need to purchase Windows licenses or beefy hardware to be able to even _run_ the operating system) all while still maintaining a high level of user/network security.

Heck, you could even have a fleet of Raspberry Pi devices as your main student "computers". The cost of replacement also becomes less significant (these are children using these devices remember).


SECURITY
--------
I briefly mentioned user and network security above but figured it deserved its own section. A great deal of push-back comes from stubborn IT professionals[0] determined to keep things running on Windows - since this is mostly what they are familiar with. My mother-in-law was an "at-risk" educator for most of her career. She explained to me that their IT department did a major switch over to use BRAND NEW Apple laptops for all the students just before her retirement. I can't even begin to imagine the cost associated with this change. Not to mention the cost of repair for any of these devices when (not if) damaged. Who the hell is making these decisions? Even worse, who is approving them?! The school board had the opportunity to switch away from Windows devices and decided on Apple? Education reform is greatly needed[1].
​

WHAT ABOUT THE "JOB MARKET"
---------------------------
I'm not ignorant to the fact that many businesses in the real world require familiarity with some of these more popular closed source applications (Word, Excel). I don't have a magic solution to instantly convert all applications used by the companies, but beginning the process in the education system is a solid start. Over time, the standard will _become_ these open platforms. The initial change just needs to be made.

It should also be mentioned that these open source applications carry over a lot of similar functionality to their closed-sourced counterparts. So it isn't as if a user with extensive LibreOffice experience would be utterly lost while using Microsoft Word.


LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD
​----------------------
Another bonus in using fully open source software is the ability for the students to deep dive into the code itself. This can be a great resource for early programming fundamentals and beginner coding classes. Why not dissect the very program used in your other classes? Here's an example of a possible class project: students could build out their own plugins or extensions for an existing application!


SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVES
----------------------
So what are these "open source" alternatives? Check out my simple suggestions below:

MS Office Suite ==> LibreOffice Suite[0]
Photoshop ==> GIMP
Illustrator ==> Inkscape
IE/Edge ==> Firefox[3]
Coding IDE (optional) ===> vim

​You could easily expand upon these options, but for most elementary school task these are more than enough.

From Global Action Platform

Ten government, business, academic, and nonprofit leaders from Middle Tennessee have been chosen by Global Action Platform for a Harvard Business School leadership program convening representatives from fifteen American cities who are working across sectors to help their communities prosper. Click here to read the full article and view all the winners.​

Watch the talk below:

In joining the #DHEH Alliance, we’re committed to helping grant underserved communities access to #digital tools and technology that can help lead to better #health and #wellbeing for all.

DHEH is the first-of-its-kind in that it is a coalition that is inclusive of representation of the communities for which it serves and it is comprised of organizations that have never before come together to make social change using digital technology as the anchor for that change. This uniqueness is evident in its membership, which compromises historically black colleges and universities, patient and physician advocacy organizations, and corporate organizations, all with the unified mission to improve access to care in underserved communities.

Learn more about the work the Patientory Foundation is committed to at PTOY.org and the recent launch of the Digital Health for Equitable Health Alliance at https://lnkd.in/gdeW4hdD

see; Partners Across Health Care, Academia and Patient Advocacy Launch the Digital Health for Equitable Health Alliance, a Unique Coalition to Address Disparities in Access to Healthcare using Digital Health Technology

The Digital Health for Equitable Health (DHEH) Alliance will champion policies and programs meant to increase equitable access to quality healthcare by building upon innovations in digital health, telemedicine, wearables, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more to advance public health and well-being.

"DHEH will be a change catalyst that transforms health for Americans in every corner of our nation, and we can do that by collaborating across different sectors and systems, and by leveraging resources to amplify impact and mobilize resources for underserved communities," said Tanisha Hill, President of DHEH and U.S. Senior Medical Director, Respiratory and Digital Health Medical Lead at Teva Pharmaceuticals. "Equity isn't just a buzzword, it's a critical movement that will save lives and ensure that, regardless of income, ethnicity or gender, all Americans can access digital technologies that can remove barriers to healthcare management and critical health services. Only by working together, can we make meaningful change in the lives of millions of people, and I encourage others to explore our mission and join us."
​
Partners in the coalition include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Howard University College of Medicine, the African American Wellness Project, Black Women's Health Imperative, Allergy and Asthma Network, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Meharry Medical College, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Patientory Foundation, Health Aims for Little Ones (HALO) and for Families and Teva Pharmaceuticals.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devasting impact on all facets of society, but it expedited innovation in health technologies, and amplified the need for equitable approaches and technologies to address longstanding health challenges impacting vulnerable communities. That is why DHEH's work is so vital," said Michael R. Crawford, Associate Dean for Strategy, Outreach and Innovation, at Howard University College of Medicine and DHEH Vice President and inaugural partner.

DHEH is the first-of-its-kind in that it is a coalition that is inclusive of representation of the communities for which it serves, and it is comprised of organizations that have never before come together to make social change using digital technology as the anchor for that change.  This uniqueness is evident in its membership, which compromises historically black colleges and universities, patient and physician advocacy organizations, and corporate organizations, all with the unified mission to improve access to care in underserved organizations. DHEH continues to invite members who support improved access to data, access to digital solutions, digital health coverage, access to broadband, diversity in clinical trials of digital health solutions, and improved digital health literacy.

You can learn more about DHEH at dhehalliance.org

​source: PRNewswire

The video you are watching was created by amateur students who did not have any previous experience with producing videos. Please forgive the audio interference.

This is the reason for the classes. We learn about lighting, camera set up, microphone placement, proper wire connections, and more.

This time we had to consider a few things for our workshop and video recording:
1. Time at the location
2. Skill level of crew
3. Camera set up
4. Laptop set up
5. Lighting set up
6. Audio microphone set up
7. Interview with talent
8. Download the footage
9. Equipment break down
10. Location clean up

"Teach. Coach. Mentor."​

By National Cannabis Festival

We’re excited to announce that NCF is coming back on Saturday, April 23, 2022, but that’s not all!Along with the big festival day, we’re bringing back our whole 4/20 Week line-up of events. We’ll be taking our buds all over DC, Maryland, and Virginia for talks, demonstrations and sensory experiences.
We’re also excited to share that the National Cannabis Policy Summit returns live and in-person in 2022. We’ll be announcing the date and our speaker and panel line-up in just a few weeks.
Finally, be on the lookout for a BIG homegrown announcement. NCF is expanding and cultivating more good times and we hope you’ll join us!

Manny Larcher is the CEO of Stopwatch Creative, a marketing and operations agency helping hundreds of brands grow around the world. Stopwatch Creative helps its clients develop or improve their ideas and technology while implementing various marketing strategies to achieve goals.
They also incubate SaaS platforms, like Collaborate and Elevate, YourInfoDaily, and FirstCallRecovery to name a few.

Manny was recognized as one of the Top 20 Young Professionals in Columbus by CityPulse in 2020 and featured in Shoutout Atlanta.

Great questions for Manny:

• How can I maximize the efforts of my team?
• Are my marketing efforts really creating the action I want?
• Am I using the best and current tech stack or strategies for growth?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Manny.

via Collaborate and Elevate

“Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible” ~ George Claude Lorimer

1. Use the Two-Minute Rule. The two-minute rule says that if you are planning an activity that can be done in less than two minutes, don’t continue planning; just do it.
2. Take a small first step. If you fear a task for whatever reason, consider working only 5 minutes and stop. When you start working the fear fades and you grab momentum to continue and finish the job.
3. Routines help. If you turn the repetitive and boring tasks into routines, you will do them with little effort, since they are habits that we do almost unconsciously. Trust me, routines simplify your life.
4. Make decisions. Sometimes you are unconsciously postponing a task because you don’t think about it. Take a few minutes to clarify what that task means and make a decision.
5. Track your time. Keep a journal about which tasks you perform each day and the time you spend on each. By recording how you spend your time, you create an internal commitment that makes you more responsible about how you use it.
6. Learn to say no. I bet many of the tasks you are postponing are commitments you got because you did not know how to say no.
7. Do not be afraid to leave. It may not be the right time to do something. Sometimes you believe you have to finish something just because you began. If over time, that project no longer makes sense or it is not important enough, just leave it and do other things.
8. Manage your energy, not your time. It is important to work at your best moments. If you are exhausted or cranky, your chances of procrastinating will increase considerably. To have a better attitude, take enough rest, control your nutrition, and exercise.
9. Use the Seinfeld strategy. Jerry Seinfeld uses this strategy to write jokes every day. If you have to do a task every day, get a calendar and mark with an X each day that you get it done. The goal is not to break the chain of X’s on the calendar.
10. Break the work into small and specific tasks. A large and complex project can be overwhelming. Dividing it into small tasks allows you to see the path and the resistance to confront it decreases.
11. Set a reward for completing the task that resists getting done. Motivate yourself thinking about what you are going to do after completing the task —something that you feel like doing, relaxing and not involving any effort. Define your own incentives.
12. Make it fun. If it is a boring task, try to find ways to make it fun. Games, Seinfeld strategy, Pomodoro technique, rewards on every major advance, etc.
13. Make it public. If it is a major challenge, make it public. Talk about it with your family and friends, post it on your social networks, blog about it... You will feel accountable and committed, and the job will be hard to postpone.
14. Use the right words. State your actions in a clear, concise, and motivating way. Words matter when you are facing a new task.
15. Use a short to-do list. A long list can ruin your sense of control and become a source of stress and frustration. The shorter your "next actions list", the easier it will be for you to focus on what you need to do.
16. Use the tools you like. Do not try to do everything with a sheet of paper and a pencil. Using attractive things can help you eagerly start a particular task.
17. Review your goals regularly. If a task is complicated, uncertain, or boring, but it is important to achieve a goal, keeping in mind that goal will help you not to procrastinate.
18. Work on your habits. If you know yourself and find out why you defer constantly certain jobs, you will be able to change your habits and lead them towards less procrastination and greater productivity.
19. Avoid distractions. The more temptations you have to do something else instead of what you have to do, the easier it will be to procrastinate. Keep your smartphone, notifications, and access to the internet off when facing hard tasks.

Innovate with CollaborateandElevate.com so you can focus on what matters! See why over 200 businesses depend on us to connect them with opportunities ~ collaborateandelevate.com/membership/

by Quenton Harris

Tyler, the Creator has risen to prominence over the past decade with his unique, jazzy pop fusion style production and deep voice lyricism. Back in 2010, he tweeted a prediction that he would one day achieve top honors in his craft and bring home a Grammy.

This was met with controversy, the fanbase he had just couldn’t visualize an underground artist with an edgy and angry style winning such an award. However, he wouldn’t be discouraged, and continued to grind towards his goal. Fast forward to 2017, and the release of his 4th studio album ‘Flower Boy’, This project would serve as the turning point in his career, and his sound suddenly became more accessible and attractive to a mainstream audience.

Although he wouldn’t win with this project, It would earn him his first nomination for the coveted award. Being so close to the finish line only fueled his vigor when going into recording for his next work, ‘IGOR’; a record widely recognized as a 10, and the perfect example of how jazz and pop should be integrated into a hip hop format. It would go on the smash the charts debuting at #1 on billboard and selling 165,000 copies in just the first week. He earned yet another nomination, only this time he won! In his speech he would go on to mention his 2010 tweet and all the doubters he’d faced over the years. 

He is living proof of manifestation; though it only comes if you’re willing to put in the work behind the scenes.
 
Check out Tyler’s ‘IGOR’ -

Collaborate and Elevate, a platform created to connect others with opportunities, has announces that they have acquired 200 Customers in under 18 Months adopting their solution.    

New & Improved in real time, helping Small Business Owners,

Customers include Restaurants, Universities, Lawyers, Banks, Insurance Companies, Entertainment Companies, Accountants, Independent Financial Professionals and Consultants, Venture Capitalists, Mortgage Lenders, and Entrepreneurs in various industries -- all benefiting from the competitive intelligence that they provide, with companies of all asset sizes, ranging from under $100,000 to over $350 Million a year in revenue.

“Over the past year and half, our razor-sharp focus has created products for the audience we grew into caring about over the past few years. Prior to the pandemic, we only held free events which were sponsored with food and drinks, featuring numerous speakers doing good work in the community. When the pandemic began, it was evident that we needed to create a virtual offering for CollaborateandElevate.com, enabling us to add even more value to the professionals who routinely attended our events," said Manny Larcher, founder and CEO. "Our customers receive intelligence enabling them to engage with the best digital communication platforms, while benefiting from increased productivity from their team and customers. We are honored that today we are able to call more than 200 businesses customers part of the Collaborate and Elevate family and I look forward to continuing to grow our customer base exponentially in the days, weeks, months and years to come.”

Learn more and view testimonials online on collaborateandelevate.com

Collaborate and Elevate also routinely features entrepreneurs via the It's Bigger Than Business podcast and their YouTube channel. Watch one of their recent videos with Georges Duplessy, co-founder of Virtual Badge.

They cover various topics from Georges introducing to computer programming, learning Pascal, being born in Haiti and coming to Miami where he attended college studying computer science, working in Disaster and Damage Relief with companies like FEMA, and how that led to starting a company around improving the safety or others with Virtual Badge.

​Virtual Badge is helping professionals in the various industries including construction industry keep track of staff, contractors, and vendors. A B2B Enterprise SaaS identity platform for workforce and risk management. Our solution allows work sites to ensure end-to-end compliance for all of their employees and contractors.

In this new It's Bigger Than Business podcast episode, co-host Manny Larcher catches up with Georges Duplessy, co-founder of Virtual Badge. 

They cover various topics from Georges introducing to computer programming, learning Pascal, being born in Haiti and coming to Miami where he attended college studying computer science, working in Disaster and Damage Relief with companies like FEMA, and how that led to starting a  company around improving the safety or others with Virtual Badge. 

Virtual Badge is helping professionals in the  various industries including construction industry keep track of staff, contractors, and vendors.  A B2B Enterprise SaaS identity platform for workforce and risk management. Our solution allows work sites to ensure end-to-end compliance for all of their employees and contractors. 

About ​Startup Showdown - Tech Startup Pitch Competition with $120,000 Investment Prize Every Month

The Startup Showdown series is hosted by Panoramic Ventures, the venture capital investing team of BIP Capital, one of the most active VC firms in the Southeast. Panoramic is led by highly successful entrepreneurs and investors Paul Judge and Mark Buffington.

You can also watch the interview via YouTube and subscribe to our channel!