Smart Jewelry for 2021

In this modern-day, technology is being integrated into almost every sector. Along with this, the pandemic has made technology an absolute necessity in order to promote safety and less human interaction. Automobiles are being enhanced, entertainment industries are upgraded, and even the fashion and jewelry industry is experimenting with technology. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best smart jewelry to keep an eye out for 2021, as featured on Business Insider

 

Bellabeat’s Leaf Urban

The coolest part about this specific piece is the fact that it can be worn as a necklace, clip, bracelet, or brooch. It is not a heart monitor, but it does track your stress level, mindfulness, activity, and sleep. There are no screens or buttons, nor are there notifications, and the battery life has a span of about six months, so you just replace the batteries and never have to charge it. For those who have values in sustainability, the piece is made with eco-friendly materials. The design is super versatile, so it can be paired with pretty much anything you are wearing. The different features of this piece include automatic tracking of how many calories you have burned, how many minutes you are active, the duration and quality of your sleep, and the distance you have traveled. 

 

Oura Smart Ring

For those who are more interested in smaller pieces of jewelry, this ring has a bunch of cool features all tied up in a tiny package. This ring has sensors that monitor body temperature, the details of your sleep and can even track your menstrual cycle, and it all syncs up to an app you can download on your mobile phone. It has no notifications, a battery life of seven days, and an extremely elegant and simplistic design. The ring is also waterproof for up to 100 meters, so no need to worry about taking it off at the pool, beach, or shower. The only aspect of this ring that may be considered unfavorable is the fact that it is relatively expensive. You can also wear the ring during hand sanitizer usage, so it is very Covid friendly.

 

Fossil Carlie Smartwatch

If you do prefer notifications, this hybrid watch is perfect for you. It does not have a heart monitor, but it does track your activity, sleep, and when someone from your phone contacts you. The watch comes in rose gold, black, and silver, and you can also switch out the band for more comfortable straps. Some of the coolest features are that you can use the side buttons to control your music, take a selfie, and call your phone when you can’t find it. It has a replaceable battery life of up to 6 months, and you never have to worry about charging your device.

Loungewear Brands Perfect for Work-From-Home

With the Pandemic implementing an indefinite stay-at-home order for many, a lot of people are prioritizing comfort over style. The good thing is that with loungewear, you do not have to choose between the two. Recently, many loungewear companies are incorporating different styles into their products to coincide with recent trends. Let’s take a look at some loungewear companies that have put elegance into comfort for 2021. 

 

Offhours

 

This Brooklyn-based brand started in 2018, is bringing luxury into loungewear. A staple from the 1960s, the brand wanted to put its own spin on the housecoat. There are many chintzy-florals to choose from in this one-size-fits-all lightweight gender-neutral garment. The housecoat is neutral-quilted, kimono shaped, and has a t-shirt like fabric on the inside. The coat comes in multiple colors such as subtle-neutrals, sage-green, electric-blue, blush, and more. The fall will bring in two new colorways. 

 

Olivia von Halle

 

British designer Olivia von Halle’s brand, was inspired by a trip she once took to Shanghai. She asked a local tailor to make some luxurious printed silk pajamas for her that were not only great to sleep in, but also fit for evening parties and morning walks with her dog. Her pajamas were a hit, and multiple of her friends wanted to follow suit. Because of this, Olivia decided to launch her own label in 2011 when she arrived back in London. Today, her brand contains various loungewear and night-wear options that come in psychedelic wallpaper-like prints, tropical flower motifs, and acid-hued animal prints. One of the key features is the 19-momme silk that gives her clothing its luxurious feel. 

 

Entireworld

 

This brand is a stem off of the brand “Band of Outsiders” started by Los Angeles based designer Scott Sternberg. The line is a rendition of casual men’s and women’s clothing such as button-downs, underwear, socks, and classic cotton t-shirts. However, their most stand-out item is the monochromatic sweats that come in bright, fun colors such as sky blue, cherry red, key-lime green, and buttercup yellow. The matching sets are perfect for working from home, lounging around the house, and even going out to run some errands.

Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur 

Even if you have a great idea, starting a business isn’t always easy. From planning your organization to managing your team, you’ll encounter plenty of challenges along the way. As you navigate these difficult waters, you should listen to people who have passed through the same channels before. Lots of entrepreneurs are happy to share what they’ve learned after taking their licks and coming out on top. Here’s what some of them have to say.

 

Create A Unique Brand Story

In order to get investors, partners, and customers interested in your brand, you’ll have to impress them with what sets your company apart from others in your industry. Crafting a unique story about your brand gives you the chance to make a stronger first impression. Make sure you have both a long and a short version of your story. That way, you’ll be prepared for whatever context you find yourself in.

 

Listen To Clients

To become a successful salesperson, you need to really listen to what prospective clients are telling you. Not only will your attentiveness show you care about them, but you’ll also form a better idea of what makes people tick. This information, in turn, will make it easier to run your company in a way that encourages further sales.

 

Think About Taxes

Many entrepreneurs forget about the little details because they’re so caught up in their big ideas. The enthusiasm for overarching themes and paradigm shifts is certainly a good thing, but you should also be careful not to overlook the little things that can have a big effect on your bottom line. Developing a sound tax strategy will allow your business to stay ahead of the competition and continue to grow.

 

Use AI

In this day and age, you simply can’t afford to overlook the power of modern technology. If you fail to take advantage of AI, you’ll lose out to the competition. From marketing to sales, AI can boost every facet of your business. Learn how to use this technology, or hire somebody who already knows.

 

Video Marketing

Evidence suggests consumers prefer video content to text. Keep this in mind as you produce content that builds confidence in your brand.

How You Can Be a Leader and Break Away From Mediocrity

What makes someone stand out as a leader? Is it their ability to excel under pressure? Do they possess the charm that is needed when you are one on one with clients? Those who find themselves in leadership positions tend to be anything but mediocre. They often have those specific attributes about them that help them to stand apart from their other colleagues. So if you are looking to get into a leadership position how do you make yourself stand out from being what others might consider mediocre

Have the Mentality of a Hero

For a leader to demonstrate excellence, they must think and act as their heroes. Successful leaders have a unique way of doing things. They all have a philosophy that governs them. While it is hard to keep off from all distractions, it is a brilliant way to achieve one’s dreams.

Leaders Should Avoid Being Money Minded

To break from mediocrity, a leader should not prioritize money. Arguably, numerous individuals earn high salaries at their tender ages, yet they are not happy with their lives. One should concentrate on finding and pursuing their passion. Doing what one loves provides a way for money to flow.

A Leader Should Shun Fear

Many business leaders suffer from a fear of failure. Some even lack the confidence to believe that they can register achievements. What they fail to understand is that failure presents a second chance to try once more. History has countless successful individuals that started with a series of disappointments. Accepting disappointments and learning from them provides a way to find leadership success.

A Leader Should Learn to Avoid Unhealthy Relationships.

A wise leader should choose friends that motivate them in actualizing their dreams. Any group of friends that do not add value contributes to making one less productive. Practically, a leader is a product of whatever company they keep.

Leaders Should Discourage Themselves From Being Content

While it is usual to get content, this mindset is one of the chief contributors to laxity, making one stagnate and fail to achieve more. Factors such as vacations, salaries, and an excellent working environment are among those that can make one content.

Breaking out of mediocrity is an excellent starting point for becoming successful. Every leader should aspire to achieve more and work towards attaining those dreams. They should embrace every opportunity that can make them better in their professions.

 

The Top Careers For Women in 2020

Women have made huge strides in breaking the glass ceiling that kept them in a permanent second-tier workplace for hundreds of years. Since the fight for gender equality began in earnest in the early 20th century, pioneering and brave women have muscled their way into leadership positions at the top of several industries.

 

Now, in 2020, women dominate several professions. These are some of them.

 

Early Education

 

While underpaid for the value they produce, teachers are nonetheless a highly respected class of workers. While there are limitations in terms of salary (a conversation for another day), these positions make up for substantial government benefits and stability.

 

The good news is that teachers’ demand will continue to grow as school districts attempt to whittle down the student-to-teacher ratios in their classrooms and populations grow. For example, preschool teacher demand is expected to increase by as much as 7% in the next ten years – amounting to thousands of new positions throughout the US.

 

Speech-Language Pathologists

 

As the scientific understanding behind autism and other conditions affecting child development and adults is improved through research, the demand for specialists who know how to approach these special-needs cases has increased.

 

Careers available to certified speech-language pathologists with a master’s degree vary dramatically, from working in a classroom setting to helping the elderly with cognitive decline issues such as Alzheimer’s.

 

The demand for these speech-language pathologist professionals may climb by nearly 30% in the coming decade.

 

Chief Executive Officers

 

With CEOs at the helm, the top tier of business leadership has traditionally been dominated by males. However, that has started to change as corporations have realized the benefits of bringing a fresh perspective that a woman leader offers.

 

Despite the horrific consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exemplary leadership of women in positions of authority (in government) around the globe has done a great deal to sway public opinion in favor of female leadership – both political and economic.

 

The reshaping of the global economy currently underway, while presenting severe challenges, will also likely open the door further for women to break into new career paths previously off-limits.

Aspiring to Grow as a Leader

Growing as a leader calls for sacrifice. You have to give up old ways and be willing to learn new and better ways of doing things. It means admitting you do not know everything and willing to learn even from the people you lead. Leaders at every level should desire for opportunities for growth.

Are you a leader yearning for growth? Here are some valuable insights to guide you.

Listen to feedback. A leader should enable a conducive environment that encourages the sharing of feedback. As a leader, do not mistake feedback for criticism. Sincere feedback provides a leader with valuable information that leads to better decision making.

Cultivate a cocktail of skills. Leaders cannot be one-dimensional. Best leaders have multiple skills. Also, they are always upgrading their existing competencies. Comfort-zone is never their thing.

Find what motivates you. People are motivated by many things. It could be internal or external. As a leader, identify with what motivates you. Self-motivation provides the daily drive that keeps you going even when you face setbacks.

Learn from your past. People say experience is the best teacher. The mindset of good leadership is to view every experience as an opportunity to learn. To grow as a leader, you must take lessons from previous experiences and apply them in current situations.

Let the sky be the limit. To grow as a leader, do not settle for mediocrity. Stretch your limits. Hold yourself accountable to nothing short of excellence. Constantly exceed expectations.

Do not shy from asking questions. Seek clarity when things are not clear. Leaders are not all-knowing. Growth involves asking the right questions to make informed decisions.

Accept failure as part of leadership. Man is to error, and so are leaders. Growing as a leader entails holding yourself accountable for your failures. However, this does not mean failures should hold you back. Learn from them and respond appropriately.

Listen to those above you. To grow, embrace mentorship from people with more experience. They could be internal or external. The more you walk with those with experience, the more the leadership shoes will grow into you.

Growth as a leader is a personal challenge. It calls for a lot of self-motivation. However, the tips highlighted above can go a long way into helping you grow to become a great leader. Put them into practice. If you fail, dust yourself up and try again until you become what you aspire to be.

Does Your Astrological Sign Actually Mean That?

The year 2020 has meant that many things are coming and going out of trends. A big one that seems to have made a comeback are astrological signs. Now depending on whether you go off the old chart with the original twelve symbols or you have crossed over to now recognizing the 13th Sign, many can often wonder, how true does your astrological Sign fit to you and your personality? 

 

The Original Signs 

 

The original signs comprised of: 

 

Capricorn 

Aquarius 

Pisces 

Aries 

Taurus 

Gemini 

Cancer 

Leo 

Virgo 

Libra 

Scorpio 

Sagitarus 

 

All have their traits and personalities. The “newest” signs of Ophiucus (Oh-Fee-U-cus) and Cetus (See-tus) were never actually viewed as part of the astrological calendar due to the Babylonian followed a 12-month calendar and assigned the 12 constellations of zodiac signs. The constellation of Ophiucus is from December 6th to December 31st, while Cetus is from May 12th to June 6th. However, don’t go into a panic, thinking your zodiac is wholly messed up now. Many still follow the standard “old” zodiac chart. 

 

Personalities

 

 Many firmly believe that their zodiac sign plays a huge role in what makes up their personalities. 

 

Sun Sign

 

Your sun sign dictates your personality.

 

Moon Sign 

 

It is believed that your moon sign plays a part in determining your emotions and how you handle things in everyday life. 

 

Ascendant Sign (rising Sign) 

 

Your ascendant sign helps to determine your social personality. This Sign was on the eastern horizon at the date and time that you were born. It also represents your outward style and appearance. 

 

All of these signs combined are supposed to create you as a whole, but do they? A lot of the time, horoscopes and zodiac profiles are made up of entirely vague paragraphs that you may or may not relate to. Whether you believe them or not is entirely up to you. However, this year alone, many have been flocking to see their astrology makeup and determine if that is true to their personalities. 

 

In an article written on The Guardian, writer Jessa Crispin explains how we are living through an astrological boom, where many books are coming out regarding the subject, the craze of celebrity astrologers, and the numerous astrology apps that have come out, and ever major fashion organization has taken to writing a regular horoscope column in their magazines. You can’t even go on social media without feeling attacked by dozens of astrology pages and memes. Whether astrology holds will continue to be a widely debated topic for as long as we still talk about it. 

 

Outfits to Rule the Boardroom

So you have graduated from college and you are getting ready for your first job in the corporate world. Congratulations first off! But now you need to know what you should wear to make you look like the fierce businesswoman that you are set on being. What can you wear that still reflects your personality but is proper for a business board room? Take a look at these fashion tips that will not only make you look smart but give you the confidence to rule the boardroom or rock an interview. 

 

Boardroom Formal 

 

If you are just getting out of the world of college and stepping into the world of professionalism you are going to hear the words boardroom formal quite a bit. Be aware of the dress code especially if you are still going out on interviews. If they don’t mention it in the interview email don’t be afraid to ask what the attire is for the interview. Most professional offices the dress code is formal or business professional. Most times this means a blazer, dress slacks, or a dressier skirt, and a blouse is appropriate for this case. Make sure when you are going for an interview you look clean and polished to promote a professionalism vibe. Your outfit can convey a lot about you, and having that perfect matching pantsuit can often make the hiring professional view you as detail-oriented and organized. 

 

Dress for the job you want 

 

Dressing for the job you want is probably the most heard phrase when job hunting. If you are in a job where they let you have a bit of free-range with the fashion, it is ok to still have the mentality of, yeah I am in this job and I can wear what I want, but I am still going to put together a look that makes me look a little bit better than the person next to me. This may show those above you that you put effort into yourself and how you present yourself. When you dress well it shows that you want to make a positive impression on those that are around you. 

 

Say the CEO of your company comes into your office once a week, they see you in passing, maybe it’s in the elevator or potentially in the break room, but they see you and without knowing you they are able to gain an impression of you just by the way you dress. 

 

But my office allows us to wear jeans? 

 

If your office allows you to wear jeans you can still dress them up or give the jeans look an added flair. Try adding colored denim to your wardrobe, this will allow you to still be able to wear your jeans but have some added style to them. If colored jeans are not your forte try a more high waisted fit with a white button-down top slightly tucked into the front. This is a classic look that you can’t go wrong with but with the right accessories, you can easily dress this lookup and give it more appeal. 

 

If you are allowed to have fun with your outfits, if you have an office with a more lax dress code this can easily give you tons of room to play and experiment with your style. Try new things but remember to keep them in a professional range. While they may say they have a lax dress code there is still a dress code.

  

Are Companies Really Incorporating Diversity?

It’s become more and more common hearing the words cultural diversity being thrown around in the workplace. But why does it matter? The benefits can far outweigh any negative connotations that it might have. So let’s start by discussing what cultural diversity IS? It is when a population of differences is represented well within a company; this should include those of different races, ethnicities, ages, gender, ability, language, nationality, socioeconomic status. To be diverse, the group diversely represented by different groups. 

Why Does It Matter?

These diverse backgrounds can have various perspectives when it to the workplace, and their contribution allows situations to be viewed from more angles providing innovative results. For diversity to strengthen the company, it should be valued in the businesses philosophy and must integrate into every aspect of the companies practices. But for diversity to best work, all coworkers must be willing to be open-minded and non-judgmental. 

Commitment to Diversity

Without a firm commitment from all employees, this can cause a group to weaken and create poor communication between employees. When situations like this arise, it can result in hostile conditions where often, people can jump to conclusions and misinterpret others’ behaviors.

Economically Beneficial 

When everyone works together in a diverse company culture, this has also been found to increase financial gains and can even lead to more awareness for your company. Each year 50 companies are selected by DiversityInc that have the most diversity. Diversity helps to drive profitability by helping to drive marketing, operations, and innovation. It is said that being on a successful team drives team success. The critical foundation of managing diversity has teams that are all set on achieving a common goal, often seen more with growth-orientated companies. These companies understand that to thrive is to fully embrace diversity as a sort of “fuel” to help drive their companies forward. 

Legal Costs

Diversity helps to cut down on legal costs due to it being illegal for employers to discriminate on any cultural, racial, or gender differences due to the Equal Employment Opportunity, that handles all complaints about workplace discrimination. 

 

The Rise of Small Businesses Owned by Women

 

Women are a growing force in the world of small business. They have become leaders in this industry as they carve out ways to tap into an industry that was once dominated by men. A large part of this has to do with the fact that women are tapping into so many different occupational fields.

 

The IT Crowd

A large number of women are gaining respect in the IT field with skills in programming, web designer, cybersecurity and system analyst jobs. This is a part of the small business world that women are embracing. There are also women that are opening small businesses that are training in things like software development and application usage for various programs. Women in IT are also working as headhunters for bigger companies.

 

Social Media

There are also women that are starting up their small businesses by promoting themselves through social media. Cosmetics have always been big business for women, but there is a greater level of control that women are taking in the business world now. They are posting videos about cosmetics, and they are giving makeup tutorials to build an audience. This ability to advertise this way has allows women to start small businesses from the comfort of home.

 

College Degrees

Women are also realizing their potential through education. They are going back to college as single mothers and learning more. They are moving away from roles as secretaries and administrative assistants inside of big corporations that are not paying them what they desire to make. These women are going back to school and getting degrees so that they can learn how to run their own businesses.

 

Food Trucks 

Higher education is a part of the growing number of women in the workforce that are getting into small businesses, but there are small businesses that thrive even when women do not have degrees. It doesn’t take a college degree to become a great cook. This is what a lot of women are discovering with the food truck business. Women love this because it doesn’t require as much money to invest in a food truck as it does to rent a commercial space for a restaurant and buy equipment. They have the freedom to be mobile and pay less in taxes.