Posts tagged with "business owners"

Center Stage: Zac Stern

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Modern dating apps are often draining, sucking the fun out of the thrilling experience that finding a partner should be. Amidst the craze of hookup culture, it’s hard for those of us looking for a real relationship to find someone that isn’t just in search of a fun night. Luckily, we’ve found the perfect app that is based all around fostering positive relationships – its not a dating app, it’s the relationship app – Official.

Make things official with Official, the app that nurtures positive relationships no matter what stage of dating you’re in. Via the app, users have the choice to swipe “Yay” or “Nay” to differing date ideas. To “match” with a partner, you both have to choose “Yay” for a specific date idea. Once matched up, you can plan a date immediately, or you can come back to your match later.

Official encompasses an array of features for partners to build and cultivate positive relationships. From well-needed daily check-ins, a personalized intimacy section, a shared notes folder, countdowns to special events and the opportunity to earn points through practicing healthy relationship habits, Official encompasses all of the tools that you need to cultivate a strong, open partnership.

Official was founded by Zac Stern, business expert and graduate from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Interning with a selection of startup companies throughout his college years, Zac knew that he was interested in this realm of business ventures. Working as a VC his senior year at Stern, he worked his way up to become an associate just in time for his graduation in 2020. Diving into other projects, Zac knew that he wanted to begin his own development in the realm of dating apps, which birthed Official.

Created to encourage healthy relationships, Zac built Official around the next-generation model of social media and apps. The app has continuously gained widespread acclaim, becoming viral on TikTok, and rising to the #5 placement atop the US on Apple’s Lifestyle Charts.

360 Magazine had the opportunity to chat with Zac regarding the app’s inspiration, its various features and why you should start dating on Official.

What inspired you to create Official app?

While working in VC, I analyzed the business models of everything from jetpacks to cancer research; dating apps somehow fall within that range. When looking at a business, you learn that you want to keep your customer. This may seem relatively obvious, but not when it comes to dating apps. Dating apps are an interesting business because they lose their customers when they do their job correctly. But, the same thing happens when they do their job poorly, or when an outside force accomplishes their “goal.” So, from a financial perspective, I realized that it made more sense to focus on helping people stay together because the longer they are together, the longer they want to be our customers. Official switched the incentive so that when our users are happy in their relationship, we win, and if our users struggle in their relationship, we lose.

On the personal side, I was dating someone long-distance at the beginning of 2019 while still in school and studying abroad. I was in London; she was in NYC. I met her two weeks before I left to study abroad, so we started our relationship with many calls, texts, and facetimes. To remember everything, I made a note on my phone about her, another note about her family, Instagram-saved things to do in the future, and pinned every future date spot on my phone’s map. While tedious, this was the only option I thought of. I knew there had to be an easier way. Many of my friends were in relationships, and I noticed everyone wanted to be the “perfect” couple: the couple that had the best dates, cutest photos, and best sex. All of these things happening led me to the idea of Official.

Walk us through the different features available to the couples who join Official.

Official’s goal is to help couples through promoting self-discovery and enhancing communication between partners. We do this because we know how important it is to communicate with your partner and help you find and experience new activities.

As Aron et al says it best in ‘The self-expansion model and optimal relationship development’, “According to self-expansion theory, engaging in activities with a romantic partner that broaden one’s sense of self and perspective of the world (e.g., novel, exciting, interesting, and challenging activities) can reignite feelings of exhilaration and passion reminiscent of when couples first fell in love.” We wanted to create this sense with the Official.

Within the app, we allow couples to check in with each other in multiple ways that promote conversation both on and off the app. We let our users tell their partner how they are feeling, guess how their partner is feeling, and tell their partner they are in the mood.

Official also allows you to discover more things around you to try with your partner from a literal sense like restaurants, concerts, or events, but also at home dates or things to try in the bedroom. We let our couples swipe left for no, right for yes, or up in the intimacy section for maybe, and this creates an opt-in process to indicate what each person wants to do. While it’s simple, it lets couples discover new things that they both want to do.

We also let couples share their dates and experiences privately or publicly. Users post memories within the app to remember what they do with their partner. By posting publicly, couples can show off that crazy exciting or unique date that they did. Official is a community of people who love love; we want to encourage everyone to have the best relationship.

One of the most important things is that we don’t try to make couples feel like they can only communicate on the app. I firmly believe that Official can be an excellent catalyst for communication, but should not be the only way you communicate.

Is there any exclusivity on the app for members? Such as first access to tickets/events/reservations?

We partner with some of the best companies in the world that provide incredible experiences anywhere. We let our users access exclusive discounts on events and experiences near them. We also allow them to 50% off almost any sex toy from our partners. We believe in creating value for each user, which we will continue to do.

What is your biggest tip for couples to stay consistent on the app, planning dates, etc.?

The biggest tip I have is to complete the Daily Question every day. It’s a quick feature, but the value it brings to relationships is massive. We ask you and your partner a new question every day, and if you both answer it, you can see each other’s answers. Our goal is to spark new conversations and let you discover something new about your partner or yourself that you may not have thought to bring up.

I highly recommend the Intimacy Section to have the most fun and check out the craziest sex positions you will ever see… I am still baffled at how some of these are possible.

Do you plan on adding any additional features to the app?

I probably come up with a new feature a week, much to my team’s dismay. There are so many things to come on Official. Our random date generator will plan a date for you using machine learning to understand preferences. We are still in prototype, but I cannot wait until it’s ready for release.

Do you have any tips for readers who may be interested in your app now that they’ve heard of it but are new to this type of app?

Dive in; it’s easy. On Official, you can do anything, but you don’t have to do everything. Use what you think is interesting, and ignore what you don’t. We understand that people communicate in different ways, and that’s why we have an eclectic mix of features to suit any communication style or relationship. I don’t expect every user to use every feature; I just want every user to find value on Official.

What is your favorite feature on the app?

Most likely, it would have to be the In the Mood feature. It is such a unique feature that when I first told people about the idea, they thought I was crazy. We refer to it internally as the “I’m horny button.” The button allows a user to say that they are in the mood, and if their partner hits the button within 12 hours, we send them a notification and let them do whatever their hearts desire. If one hits it and the other doesn’t, we say nothing because we want to promote double opt-in.

What’s next for Official?

This is perhaps my favorite question because I don’t fully know. I have many ideas and ways to take the company, but we will follow what our users want.

I always like to say that we are the first relationship media company. Our focus is couples, but many divergent markets touch relationships, creating the opportunity for Official to expand. My goal is to grow Official to help any relationship you have, whether it’s with your partner, family, friends, or even yourself; Official will be the defacto platform for any relationship in five years. I have a few ideas on how to get there, but I can’t give it all away just yet.

NGLCC TAPS POP CULTURE PUBLICATION

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‘The NGLCC has long been a global network for the LGBT business community, creating opportunities for hard-to-hear voices. While 360 MAGAZINE, an award-winning international publication, has created a refuge for youth stories and under-represented artists to celebrate their uniqueness while promoting their efforts. It was therefore inevitable that the two entities would join forces to foster a just ecosystem.‘ – Vaughn Lowery – a newly inducted nglccNY member as well as 360’s President and founder.

360 received their accreditation from the NGLCC on February 3, hereby declaring 360 as an NGLCC accredited business and an official LGBT business, guaranteeing diversity and inclusion within the organization. This commission affirms the continued commitment of the magazine to serve the LGBT community through all efforts.

A certified LGBT business organization, in accordance with NGLCC directives, is any company that meets the preceding criteria:

• Business is at least 51% owned, operated, managed and controlled by a LGBT person or persons who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents

• Work independently from any non-LGBT business corporation

• Headquarters based in the US and are a legal entity in the US

The NGLCC operates as a key advocate for the LGBT community in all business endeavors. The organization aims to grow available opportunities for LGBT persons in corporate settings and conditions. Co-founders Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell began NGLCC in 2002 after they failed to see equal opportunities for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, etc. They both observed that although the members of this community contribute a massive $1.7 trillion to the economy through being business owners, employers and taxpayers, these contributions had been historically overlooked.

Co-founder and President Justin Nelson stated, “Back in 2002 we realized that too few government leaders and corporate executives had considered the economic equality of LGBT people or the impact economics could have on the future of the equality movement. So with a few forward-thinking corporate partners and a small network of LGBT business owners willing to tell their story, NGLCC was born.”

Co-founder and CEO Chance Mitchell, too, sounds in on the beginnings of the organization, stating, “Word began to spread about NGLCC very quickly, thanks to outlets like the Washington Blade and Out magazine recognizing the previously underreported strength and promise of the LGBT business community. That proved what we, and our NGLCC corporate partners, always believed: economic and social visibility go hand-in-hand as we march toward equality and opportunity for all.”

Both Nelson and Mitchell saw that LGBT people were an integral piece of American business, and they built NGLCC to strengthen the community to its fullest potential.

NGLCC works to grow their list of Certified LGBTBE businesses to develop more employment possibilities for all LGBT people. Apart of their mission involves partnership with other companies that support the strengthening of the LGBT business community. Some of their top founding corporate partners include Wells Fargo, American Airlines, Travelport and Intel.

NGLCC certificate via Vaughn Lowery for use by 360 MAGAZINE

NGLCC certification letter via Vaughn Lowery for use by 360 MAGAZINE

Lemonade Day – National Entrepreneurs’ Day

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The Lemonade Day Youth Entrepreneurship Program is offering leaders, small business owners and teen entrepreneurs as resources for both the media and influencers regarding the topic of entrepreneurship and entrepreneur education. Lemonade Day has provided educational support to many other youthful, productive entrepreneurs and wishes to continue to spread entrepreneurial education through the country.

Lemonade day is a non-profit organization that aims to inform the youth about valuable business, financial and also character-building life skills that they describe as the “key ingredients of entrepreneurship.” Playing such a vital part in the educational and workforce ecosystem, the non-profit is in 84 licensed markets in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and six U.S. military bases. For more information, visit lemonadeday.org.

The following spokespersons are available for interviews and questions regarding National Entrepreneurs’ Day.

Nicole Cassier-Mason, Lemonade Day National CEO. She is based in Houston, TX.

Joe Daly, Lemonade Day National Board Chairman and Senior Partner at Gallup. He is based in Washington, D.C.

Brianna Garcia, 2021 National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year: Brianna, 9, of Harbor City, California, is the founder of Bri’s Frozen Lemonade and made a significant profit in her first year participating in Lemonade Day. She donated 80% of her profits to the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. Brianna plans on participating in the 2022 Lemonade Day and is excited to sell more flavors and variety of her product.

Erika and Diego Garcia, parents of Brianna

Heidi Butzine, President/CEO of Lomita Chamber of Commerce: Heidi brought Lemonade Day to Lomita and was a key player in its success. She helped more than 100 kids set up 37 stands in the small, diverse business community with a population of under 25,000.

Mark Waronek, Mayor of Lomita, California: Mark supported Heidi and the Chamber of Commerce in all things throughout the inaugural year of Lemonade Day Lomita. He personally visited close to 20 lemonade stands. He, his wife, and city council members collectively visited every lemonade stand in Lomita.

Mikaila Ulmer, Me and the Bees Founder: At only 4 years old, Mikaila launched her first lemonade business in Austin, TX. From that early experience she started Me and the Bees Lemonade which is now commercially available throughout the United States in thousands of stores. Her product is buzzing off the shelves of Whole Foods Market, The Fresh Market, World Market, H-E-B stores across Texas and Kroger stores in Houston. Learn more at, https://www.meandthebees.com.

Rohit and Sidharth Srinivasan, Trashbots Co-Founders: The two brothers participated in Lemonade Day at the age of 8 and 7 which is how they caught the “entrepreneurial bug” and learned the skills needed to build their own company before even graduating high school in Austin, TX. They were featured speakers at the executive briefing “Business Startup Challenges and Youth Entrepreneurship Opportunities” that was co-hosted by Gallup and Lemonade Day at Gallup World Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2018. Learn more at, https://www.trashbots.co/about.

Katie Vonder Haar and Hailey Hertzman, Ooh La Lemon Founders: Starting when they were only 11 years old, Katie and Hailey from Louisville, Kentucky turned their successful lemonade stand into a multifaceted company marketed towards tween girls. They won the 2017 National Youth Entrepreneurs of the Year. The girls have spoken at national conferences and recently started the “Send a Smile” gifts and COVID care packages to help brighten up the day. Learn more at, https://oohlalemon.com.

Amazon × MGM Studios Merger

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Amazon announced that it will be acquiring MGM Studios for $8.45 billion, in an effort to bolster the already growing Amazon studios and making it the second largest acquisition on Amazon’s part, following its $13.7 purchase of Whole Foods in 2017.

According to cybersecurity expert Mark Stamford, CEO of OccamSec, a deal of this scale will require a complete review of its cybersecurity infrastructure, as the process of fully merging these entities are rarely completed in the expected timescale.

Mark continues:

The standard “merger” due-diligence template goes into great detail looking at financial & legal status issues, but rarely seems to consider the potential liability associated with linking into an organization with a seriously compromised infrastructure.
Trying to coherently map risks or produce an enterprise security plan for this type of environment is incredibly challenging, when multiple systems are coming together
With such notable deals, most attackers reside within the organization’s network for over 100 days before discovery, so there is a very real risk of starting work on merging infrastructure, whilst being observed by an interested resident attacker, who will be keenly looking out for an opportunity to vector into the core organization’s networks

Mark says, “Exercising strategic due-diligence during a merger or acquisition, is the most effective what for any organization, like Amazon, to protect itself from cyber threats.”

We had the opportunity to ask Mark Stamford some questions as far as the merger and his expert opinion(s):

Q: What changes can be expected with a merger like the Amazon/MGM Studio merger?

MS: The merging of two different cultures always prompts a lot of changes. In this case, MGM is going to become more like Amazon than the other way round.

Q: Do the benefits outweigh the risks with this type of merger?

MS: Yes, I assume so, from a cyber perspective, the main risk is joining two networks together that have different structures, and probably issues. So, for example I was called in to help with some M&A work once, the new network was plugged in…and brought a heap of malware with it which quickly spread into the acquirers’ network. It later transpired that some of the IP, which was the very reason for the merger, had been stolen.

Q: What challenges is Amazon, an online retailer, facing when merging with MGM Studio?

MS: Both operate in different ways. The majority of movie making companies seem to follow the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mantra. So, technology tends to be a hodge podge, along with processes etc.… Amazon meanwhile is a tech company, and while primarily known as a retailer, has considerable presence in the cloud (with AWS) so has a lot of cutting-edge technology at its disposal.

Q: What are some ways to help the process move along with ease?

MS: Again, in a cyber perspective there needs to be due diligence done on the MGM environment. At the same time, since both organizations probably have a range of security tools, seeing who has the best tool for the job can save money in the long term.

Also, not to be discounted is the human element in cyber security – any merger results in layoffs. So, the potential for a “disgruntled insider” increases. The way to help with that is communication – not more monitoring.

Q: How can Amazon prevent cyber-attacks during the process of the merger?

MS: MGM makes a nice target right now, since at some point their technology will be integrated into Amazon, and if I was a bad guy, I would assume they are the softer target of the two. Amazon should work with MGM to ensure their security is at a “good” level, and work on the integration aspects – two distinct cyber security teams need to become one, quickly.

Q: In your opinion, does Amazon face cyber risks from vendors or third parties with the onset of the merger?

MS: I think amazon always faces this risk, as does everyone. Since the organization is increasing in size, the “attack surface increases” so yes, they do face risks.

Q: What are the biggest cybersecurity threats at the moment?

MS: Motivated attackers, be that nation states, criminal groups, hacktavists, or others. Ransomware is getting a lot of press right now. However, I think the biggest threat is the endless cost spiral companies are trapped in trying to deal with this.

Q: What are some ways to ensure that the infrastructure is not compromised?

MS: Defense in depth continues to be the key. Layers of security, which work together, and consider the context of the organization (how it makes money or delivers its service) in order to support that mission. I assume Amazon will expand their cyber security program across MGM fairly quickly, which checks a number of boxes and provides a good starting point.

One issue may be that a movie studio faces different kinds of attackers than Amazon. Movie studios are primarily about their IP, everything else always seemed to be secondary to that. Stealing a movie is a different attack then ransomware, which we have seen borne out in practice (various insider attacks to steal content for example).

Q: What are your certifications in the cybersecurity field?

MS: I have been involved in cybersecurity since I was 11. Was senior penetration tester for a global consulting company, ran a security program at a global investment bank, and have been running a security company for 10 years.

Q: What does effective cybersecurity look like to you?

MS: Cost effective, business aware, and layered.

Small Businesses Sign Vaccine Plan

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SURVEY OF SMALL EMPLOYERS; 400+ SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND NATIONAL ADVOCATES LAUNCH INITIATIVE ON VACCINE LEADERSHIP TO GET U.S. ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK

New National Survey of More than 3,300 Small Business Owners: Survey of small employers found that 64 percent of business owners say it is very important that their employees get vaccinated

Over 400 Small Business Owners and Leaders — Sign pledge to commit to becoming a small business vaccine leader

Small employers want employees to get vaccinated and are willing to help to make it happen. The majority (63 percent) of small businesses are willing to encourage and incentivize employees to get vaccinated.

Reimagine Main Street (RMS), a project of Public Private Strategies (PPS), has launched a public awareness campaign that will support small business owners in being leaders on the Covid-19 vaccines with their employees and in their community. The campaign was announced during a webinar that also included findings from a survey of more than 3,300 small employers on their perspectives on the vaccines conducted by Reimagine Main Street, in partnership with the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE), the US Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). The survey results provide insights into how small business owners view the vaccines and their plans for themselves and their workers.

Other business organizations including the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NLGCC), the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are stepping up to engage their members.

“Small businesses like mine have struggled during this pandemic, but the vaccine shows us that the end is in sight,” said Shaundell Newsome, Founder of Sumnu Marketing and Chairman of the Board of the Urban Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas, who moderated the webinar. “I have implemented a vaccine plan for my employees and all business owners should do the same so we can make it through Covid-19 as quickly as possible.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 70-85% of Americans need to receive the vaccine to achieve herd immunity. Once that happens, small businesses will be able to get back to business at full capacity and the economy and communities can completely reopen.

“The survey findings demonstrate that small business owners recognize the importance of the vaccines in reopening Main Street,” said PPS Founder and Principal Rhett Buttle. “By championing the vaccine with the employees and in their communities, small employers can help fully reopen the economy as quickly as possible.”

NEW SURVEY:

The survey of more than 3,300 small employers shows strong support for ensuring workers get vaccinated. View the full survey. Key findings include:

63% of small employers intend to encourage their employees to get vaccinated.
Nearly half (45%) of small employers’ plan to give workers paid time off (PTO) to get vaccinated.
More than 80% of small employers report having conversations with employees about vaccines and a majority (55%) say they would use free or low-cost resources to provide guidance and information about Covid-19 vaccines.

PLEDGE FROM SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS:

The campaign also calls on employers to sign a pledge to be a SMALL BUSINESS VACCINE LEADER, which more than 400 small business owners have already signed. In signing it, small business owners are pledging to do at least one of the following things:

Commit to getting the vaccine when it is their turn and let their employees know why they are choosing to get the vaccine
Create a vaccine plan for their employees
Provide incentives to employees who receive the vaccine, such as PTO to receive the vaccine
Continue to follow state and federal guidance on social distancing and wearing masks after all employees are vaccinated
Assist with vaccine promotion and distribution in their community (examples include volunteering to help at COVID-19 vaccination sites, donating supplies or services to vaccination sites, and being vocal in their community on the business case for getting vaccinated)

NEW TIP SHEETS:

Reimagine Main Street is also giving small business owners the resources they need to play a critical role in championing the vaccine with their employees and in their communities. In addition to general tools and resources, the campaign includes tip sheets in multiple languages for small business specifically targeted to demographics, including:

Black
Hispanic/Latin(x) in English and Spanish
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) in English, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese
LGBTQ
Native
Women

QUOTES FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND LEADERS:

Ron Busby, Sr., President/CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

“When our country faces a crisis, the most vulnerable are hit the hardest, especially in the Black community. This was the case with Covid-19, but business owners can help put us on the path to recovery by embracing the vaccine.”

Ramiro Cavazos, President and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

“It is going to take years for the Hispanic small business community to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the vaccine can get us started down that path. Business owners can help speed the recovery by championing the vaccine with their employees and community.”

Justin G. Nelson, Co-Founder and President, NGLCC

“COVID-19 has forced business owners in the LGBTQ community to look out for each other as we try to make it through this pandemic. Small business owners should protect themselves, their employees, and their communities by championing the vaccine.”

Cindy Ramos-Davidson, CEO of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

“Hispanic businesses have closed at a disproportionate rate because of Covid-19 and the path to recovery begins with the vaccine. If small business owners champion the Covid-19 vaccines, businesses and communities will be able to fully reopen much faster.”

Chiling Tong President/CEO of the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship

“The Covid-19 pandemic has been tough on Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses both financially and through the rise in anti-Asian violence. It is critical that we get through this pandemic as quickly as possible, and the vaccine is key to doing so.”

Mas Torito, owner of Kokoro Restaurant in Denver

“My family restaurant has been in business for over 30 years and this past one was the toughest we have ever weathered. To come back stronger than ever, we have championed the vaccine, but it is critical that more small businesses do so as well.”

Ginger Torres, co-founder of PPE for Navajo First Responders in Phoenix

“Hesitancy to take the Covid-19 vaccine is prevalent among many Native Americans, but small business owners can play a huge role in changing that. I urge all small business owners to be leaders on the vaccine with their employees and in their communities.”

Patty Gentry Young, co-owner of Young Hair Inc., Spring Field, Ohio

“We all take steps to be proactive about our health and getting the Covid-19 vaccine should be one of them. Small business owners can play an important role in encouraging their employees and others in their community to get the vaccine.”

QxA Sandra Guibord

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How Sandra Guibord Pivoted to Success During the Pandemic& Sandra’s Wine Life’s Valentine’s Day Wine Recommendations

What was your career like pre-pandemic?

For the past 20 years, I have been a wine educator as CEO & Founder of Sandra’s Wine Life. The in-person education aspect of my business involved leading wine seminars for large corporates, entertaining large groups of high-net-worth clientele for private banks, accounting firms, technology firms, and non-profits.

What changed about your business when the pandemic hit?

In Spring, 2020 when all my in-person presentations were canceled, I knew I had to transition to virtual events. All of my corporate clients now needed an intimate connection platform with which to reach their customers. I create Sandra’s Wine Life’s Virtual Wine Seminars to entertain small groups of advisers and their select clients.

What inspired you to make this change rather than just take a few months off?

On a Zoom call with my ski friends, we were commiserating over cocktails about our beloved ski season being cut short from the pandemic. Zoom was new to me, but it was such an easy platform to use and I realized how easy it could be to connect with people all over the world. Right away I knew that it was the path I needed to take to jumpstart my company.

How is business going?

The wine seminars have been an extreme success. I am conducting presentations at least three nights a week all year long – and I’ve had some re-bookings already from clients I just gave seminars for in September as their clients have been very responsive. Seeing the great excitement generated from these seminars is incredibly rewarding.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

My service is more valuable than I realize.

When I started Sandra’s Wine Life, I viewed my service as simply entertainment. I have grown to realize that my services are quite valuable as a business generation tool for my clients, particularly in these pandemic times. My virtual seminars are an opportunity for agents to reach out and effectively connect to their clients. I create an environment that is relaxed and enjoyable to set the mood and facilitate open conversation. This might seem a small thing, but as there is so much to be distracted by about in these times, having the ability to keep people upbeat and in the moment right now is a skill that has proved very valuable, and it’s also very enjoyable for me to be able to provide.

People are not always nice.

Unfortunately, I have seen behavior at wine conferences and other industry events that can be reminiscent of a high school cafeteria. As an attractive woman who is friendly and approachable, people will make assumptions that I don’t take my business seriously and that I’m not as committed to my craft or qualified. I ignore their behavior and simply do what I do to move my business and initiatives forward. In my accomplishments, I prove them wrong.

Don’t be shy about developing your network.

If you never ask or reach out to those in your network, you could be missing out on enormous opportunities. For example, Thomas Preti Catering has separately been providing food to match my wine pairings to some of my clients for as long as 10 years. Just a few months ago I first approached him with an idea about the two of us teaming up to provide food and wine pairings together for exciting virtual events such as Wine & Opera with International Opera Performers, Wine & Cinema tastings. Immediately he was on board. Now I kick myself for being shy about reaching out years ago!

Your perspective and brand tone can change dramatically as your life changes. Lean into it.

When I first started Sandra’s Wine Life, I was a single woman in New York City, and as such I focused on the demographic that I was a part of. As life evolved, adding children, increased obligations and more Corporate services, the focus of my company also evolved to incorporate my perspective on how wine fits into life and its moods and situations, broadened to home entertainment, business dinners, family holidays, International travel and large-scale corporate entertaining.

Be patient and stay the course.

Over the last 20 years, I have had to go to great lengths to keep my business alive. I have had to be creative, carve out time that didn’t exist, continue selling my services, collaborate with others, and learn a number of new skills on the fly — and with great enthusiasm! I did this all while raising children, dedicating myself to growing my former husband’s business and without having any encouragement or support. My business was always my voice and I needed to keep it alive and growing slowly so when the time came that I could fly. The time finally came, and when it did, I was truly ready. Now I’m flying and loving every minute!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day – and Galentine’s Day. How should our readers celebrate?

Impress your date with romantic chocolates alongside Champagne.
Treat your best girlfriends to pizza and Pinot Noir.
Send Mom a bottle of her favorite Chardonnay.
Cook a romantic spicy seafood pasta dinner for two with a luxurious Brunello.
For that “new” special person in your life, a picnic with Prosecco and cheese is friendly and thoughtful – and pandemic friendly.
If you’re in a restaurant and in doubt, White Burgundy or Pinot Noir are great food-friendly choices that are smart to order.

What are your top wines for celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?

For a Sparkling Wine: Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Brut
For a White Wine: Domaine Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay 2018
For a Red Wine: Zorzal Eggo Franco Cabernet Franc 2018

I will be sharing plenty of wine tips similar to these and much more in my forthcoming book, titled ‘Wine Identity’, due out this Spring. Look for more news on this shortly! In the meantime, you can check out my Instagram at @sandraswinelife each Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET for my weekly #WineWednesday recommendations, where I’ll share details about my favorite wines of the week and practical tips on how to enjoy them.

Meet the Man Behind Bronx Night Market

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By Hannah DiPilato

360 Magazine recently had the opportunity to sit down with Marco Shalma, founder of Round Seven Media and MASC Hospitality Group. He is responsible for beginning a food and culture festival in New York called The Bronx Night Market. In this interview, he talks about everything from advice for young entrepreneurs to his favorite food spots in New York.

How did you begin Round Seven Media and why did you decide to start this?

I started in 2013, which was after my education at NYU for undergrad and pursuing a master’s degree in film and tv. Marketing was my passion, and I wanted to run a campaign in a different way. I wanted to use the concept of getting people into the mix of the story and I wanted to get that into a narrative for clients in marketing. In 2013, I sold my shares in restaurant groups and I wanted to begin marketing for myself. I went around and started looking for clients in restaurant and hospitality for about 20 years, which I had experience in. With the explosion of Instagram and technology, it was the perfect time to explore marketing opportunities.

When the company started, the first thing was to go find professional people with a school of thought from film and writing. Our business is known for being a launch campaign for ideas, projects, etc. and we will build an online presence for our clients by finding the key demographic. We are focused on the launch period so our work doesn’t really go further than the six month period.

You also founded MASC Hospitality Group, what made you start another business as well?

MASC Hospitality is one of those situations that happened backward, meaning we first took on the Bronx Night Market project in 2017, which then branched out to many other events that were affiliated with the Bronx Night Market. At one point, we needed to incorporate all of these events, so we decided to create MASC Hospitality Group. If you think about it, MASC Hospitality is a company that basically creates different events while Round Seven Media is the one promoting these events. Sometime around 2018, I started taking fewer clients for Round Seven Media and started adding more of my own companies to Round Seven Media.

What is your favorite event that MASC Hospitality Group is responsible for?

My favorite event hands down is Bronx Night Market. The Bronx Night Market is my baby, it’s a proud moment for me because it came from a vision of bringing something to the Bronx community, my community, that is a prideful event and a reason to be proud of the borrow, without needing to commute to Manhattan or Queens to experience a festival that celebrates culture, cuisine and commerce.

We always say culture, cuisine and commerce because culture encompasses the diversity of the city with so many different flavors, cuisine because this is the grand unifier, everyone can enjoy a meal together no matter what skin tone or nationality and commerce is the idea of creating space for young entrepreneurs and small local businesses to present what they do to a large number of people and promote their business to help them move into the next stage of their success. This encompasses everything we are about, supporting small businesses, young entrepreneurship and of course, good, good food.

Have you encountered any problems while being a business owner for these two organizations?

When you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, you always encounter problems. It’s always a matter of hiring the right people, navigating through resources, financing and funding, but mostly it’s identifying and understanding the demographic. I think for me, as a serial entrepreneur, a good idea is a good idea, but you need to identify your key demographic. You need to identify what you do and who it’s for. Then, you work for months or years fine-tuning to make everything connect and basically build a community around your brand.

For example, Round Seven Media is a brand that understands the power of our way of doing business. We are known as one of the top agencies in New York to run launch campaigns for brands because we are dedicated to doing that. With something like The Bronx Night Market, it’s about identifying Bronx-based foodies and people that want to explore offerings and now they have the opportunity to do that in a place where they feel safe, secure and happy. The event is really designed for the community instead of something that could be done anywhere else.

What do you look for in employees that you hire for your company?

We hire on a regular basis, we continuously hire for different projects on behalf of companies. When we finish a launch campaign at Round Seven Media, we like to hire people to replace us, younger people, hungry people that can do social media for those brands. When we look at hiring, the most important thing for us at the moment is consistency and the ability to have a follow-up and a follow-through. I think those are the three very, very important elements because in today’s field of business, having consistency and bringing your A-game every time is something that is critical to the success of any business. I’ve unfortunately had to work with people that can bring 120% one day and 30% the next day. This also has a lot to do with company culture and the idea that you need to create an environment that allows people to be consistent.

Another big part is the ability to follow up and follow through. I can’t even tell you how many times you will be doing things where you need to follow up with clients and partners and sometimes it even takes up to 20 emails. Each and every opportunity for you to accomplish something or to create something if you don’t follow through, you have failed. We are also looking for employees that are super savvy with communications and social media because this is becoming a crucial part of any brand. The ability to understand how media works and how to maximize these services is important to our brand.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs like you once were?

If I had to give one piece of advice to young entrepreneurs, it would be to not bite off more than you can chew: focus, focus, focus. I keep seeing a lot of young entrepreneurs that I work with trying to do too much. They try to put on six or seven different hats and be the CEO of the universe at the same time. I always say, focus on the one thing, take your time, become the best in your field and then explore from there. From what I’ve seen, the ability to focus and distill your message and brand into the simplest form and show it to other people such as the investors and partners, showing your dedication to a single idea is the most valuable.

When I used to work on movies, right after grad school, one of the exercises I had that influenced me completely was an exercise of writing a logline for a feature film. You have a script of like 90 pages that you need to turn in to a 25-word logline that will explain exactly what that movie is. It’s almost an impossible mission, but once you start on this, you understand how important the focus is. I now tell people you need to understand your business so well that nothing will get in the way. That’s how you get investors and money.

I know you’re passionate about food, what are some restaurants you would recommend to our readers?

It’s hard to talk about restaurants right now when the restaurant industry is suffering so much. Every day we see another one of my favorite restaurants closing down and the industry is struggling especially when it seems like the industry won’t open soon. I’ll tell you about food in general, as a foodie the most important thing for me is not chasing trends, but a restaurant that has a focused menu, where they know what they’re doing and they’re focused on creating the best experience with a sense of consistency. I know I probably sound like everything is driven like that, but honestly, it’s so important.

Before covid I used to go to a restaurant once a month in West Harlem that used to make the most amazing eggplant pasta, there was also a place I used to go with the most amazing salmon dish and I used to go to another place with the most amazing pad thai. That’s the best thing about living in New York, you get exposed to so much food and you’ll try a lot of trends, but at the end of the day, when you hit something that you know is going to be just as good every time you get it, it becomes the place you go for that dish.

The older I get I realize that’s the most important thing because I want to go back to the restaurant five years later and get the same food and experience. I’m hoping we’ll come out of this soon and be able to go and enjoy restaurants again. Even if you don’t like restaurants and you’re a great cook, you miss sitting down with your friends in a restaurant, eating some food, enjoying a bottle of wine and sharing a good laugh. It’s not about the food, it’s about the experience.

Where do you see yourself going next in your career?

At the moment we are trying to get back to normal life especially with Bronx Night Market and other events that we have. I’m working very hard to define what we can do in public spaces to help restaurants and other brick and mortar restaurants come back to life.

At the moment, I’m really dedicating a lot of my time to working with city and state agencies to create programming that will allow brick and mortar businesses to have more visibility as well as helping small businesses that began at home during the pandemic. I like to call these businesses “homentrepreneurs” and they will need a place for their businesses outside to get more traction in the community once the pandemic is over.

I am taking my experience within marketing and media, my ability to push forth different agendas and my ability to plan different activities to bring these skills to neighborhoods around New York and support these businesses and give a place for new entrepreneurs to grow outside of their homes. This is something I have been very excited about for a few months.

After Covid is over, are there any events you would hope for the MASC Hospitality Group to execute?

Help New Yorkers get back to normal as soon as possible. Possibly that will be creating open-air markets and events relating to many different niches, and just to let New Yorkers come to celebrate returning to normalcy. After covid, trying to figure out with different partners how to help businesses survive the next few months and thrive as soon as we get out of this crisis. This has been a focus for us to do. We have seen way too many friends of ours close shop and disappear.

Be sure to keep up with Marco Shalma and the Bronx Night Market on Instagram.

Marvin Liao Joins FanVestor’s Advisory Board

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Top venture capitalist and former Yahoo! senior executive Marvin Liao has joined the Advisory Board of global fintech fan investment and commerce platform FanVestor, the announcement was made today by company CEO Michael Golomb.

“Marvin’s expertise and proven track record are unmatched in the industry. He managed one of the most successful accelerators, maturing and investing in more than 400 start-ups,” comments Golomb. “This combined with his vast global professional experience working at Yahoo! spearheading the company’s expansion in all important global markets make him a valuable addition to FanVestor’s Advisory Board.”

On the Advisory Board, Liao joins recently appointed members former President/CEO, DASAN Zhone Solutions Yung Kim and former PINTEC executive Alan Qiu.

Marvin Liao is an investor, executive coach, and formal advisor to several large family offices. Previously, he was a Partner at Venture Capital Fund 500 Startups, running the San Francisco-based accelerator program, as well as investing in seed-stage start-ups. He has invested in over 414 pre-seed and seed-stage startups during the six years spent there.

Liao also spent over a decade as a senior executive at Yahoo!, boasting an extensive operating experience expanding businesses across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Liao presently serves on the boards of directors and advisory boards of several Internet advertising and ad technology companies around the world. He also is a mentor for a number of global accelerator programs.

FanVestor offers all-in-one commerce, auction, investing, and sweepstakes platform designed specifically to meet the needs of celebrities. Founded by Michael Golomb, an innovator in the world of business and fintech, FanVestor’s robust technology platform will allow current and former athletes, media and music celebrities, fashion icons, and artists to leverage their influence by offering their fans an opportunity to participate in their latest projects or charitable initiatives.

The company’s leadership team and Board of Directors is highlighted by COO Larry Namer, founder of E! Entertainment, and also includes former News Corp. executive Marty Pompadur, former CEO of Warner Brothers Music, Phil Quartararo, and former President of Korea Telecom, Yung Kim, and several other successful executives.

5 New Year’s Resolutions To Make Your Business Culture A Winner

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New Year’s resolutions are not only for individuals but businesses too. Company goals leaders set for the year ahead are usually measured in data tied to categories like revenue production and expense reduction.

After a difficult 2020 due to COVID-19, many enterprises’ bottom-line numbers will take on extra importance in 2021. And business culture will be just as crucial. Any resolutions that company leaders make are an effective way to measure their work environment and help their teams meet performance metrics, says Mark McClain, CEO and co-founder of SailPoint and the ForbesBooks author of Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations that Don’t Suck (the Life Out of People).

“Meeting individual, team, and company goals begin with employees and managers working well together in a vibrant environment,” McClain says. “And given the changes and challenges of these times, culture and how leaders pay attention to it have never been more important.

“The bottom line falls into place when everyone is on the same page. But even if leaders have established a strong culture, it bears constant vigilance to ensure everyone is rowing in the same direction, especially now when a volatile world can threaten to throw even the most solid companies off course.”

McClain offers these business culture resolutions for the New Year that leaders could consider:

Focus on shared values. McClain thinks it’s misleading to frequently state that a “family atmosphere” exists in a company. “The bigger a company gets or the more it grows in capability and value, the less it’s going to feel like a family,” he says. “Creative friction and disagreement on processes and concepts are inevitable. Smart companies leverage broader, shared values as common ground on which workers can connect. I’ve found one of the best places for doing that is through service to the community beyond company walls. If your culture encourages people to work together for some greater good, they’ll continue to appreciate each other as humans and fellow workers.”
Avoid prima donnas. ”Talented people are essential for a successful business,” McClain says, “but don’t fall in love with a gifted person if they are constantly letting you know how special they are. Watching them work can be breathtaking, but not when they’re the ones sucking the air out of the room.”
Double down on integrity. “Large legacy companies are often loaded with people who are just taking up space and collecting a paycheck,” McClain says. “It’s a significant issue, and it goes hand-in-hand with integrity. Effective workers know the difference between busywork and producing value. Everybody in the organization must be clear on what success looks like. The role of management is to be clear on objectives and then let people run.”
Don’t stop innovating. McClain says many companies stagnate in this area and should learn how to expand their innovations while encouraging the cultivation of new ideas. “Innovation is an amalgam of product marketing and product management skills, of listening to the market, and of engineering people who can take a problem and figure out how to solve it,” he says. “But innovation should apply in every direction – in how a company contracts, how they sell, how they market.”
Be the first to own mistakes. “Anyone who has been involved in conflict directly knows there’s always the sense that both parties have some responsibility,” McClain says. “The sooner you own yours, the more likely the other person will own theirs – and the project can move forward.”

“New Year’s resolutions are often easily discarded because of a person’s lack of commitment,” McClain says. “For business leaders and their workforce, they reflect company core values and can create or improve a culture that everyone will appreciate and aspire to uphold and deepen.”

About Mark McClain

Mark McClain, ForbesBooks author of Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations that Don’t Suck (the Life Out of People), is CEO of SailPoint, a leader in the enterprise identity management market. McClain has led the company from its beginnings in 2005, when it started as a three-person team, to today, where SailPoint has grown to more than 1,200 employees who serve customers in 35 countries.

Chevrolet Silverado 2WD RST DBL

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By Anthony Sovinsky x Vaughn Lowery

The truck buyer is a unique individual looking to satisfy a variety of needs that match the demands of their lifestyle. Like the American dream, where there is a will there is a way. The all new 2019 Chevy Silverado 2WD RST DBL has created the perfect means to wherever their journey ends.

The Silverado has undergone some plastic surgery for this year; and we must say, for a full-size utility truck, it looks good. Let’s start at the front. The grille is just down right colossal which gives it with a very dominant presence. It’s design features are evocative of its athletic brother, the Camaro, with a near identical LED headlight ensemble. Below the headlamps are two more sets of functional lighting components that include daytime reflectors and fog lights. Tasteful cuts and lines give it a very modern look while preserving its rugged nature. Aside from looking like it belongs in a transformer movie, the Silverado is also equipped like one. It possesses the following: a tailgate with lift assist; power back and release; a corner step rear bumper for ease of access to the truck bed; 12 fixed durabed tie downs with each corner rated at 500lb and LED durabed lighting.

The double cab was undoubtably spacious and the convenience package afforded enhanced comfortability as well as style. We encountered a number of useful additions which were of great use. First off, the bucket seats were ergonomically designed to allow for cozy travel no matter how far the destination. Next, the ultra crisp sound of the Bose audio system immediately heightened the driving experience and instantly became a key highlight of the vehicle. For music, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard so prompt connectivity was a must. Furthermore, we had access to 4 USB ports to charge our phones. This comes in handy when there is a cabin full of avid cell phone users who are all on 10%. Lastly, the 8” HD color infotainment system with touchscreen and voice recognition makes it easy to navigate the city while allowing for handsfree texting and phone calls.

When powering a truck there is usually a sacrifice of efficiency for power. Well Chevrolet has solved that problem in 2019 with a 2.7 liter V4. Yes, that’s right, a 4-cylinder. Now, how does it power a full size truck? Easy, they turbocharge it, resulting in 310 hp and 348 ft-lb of torque (20 mpg street and 23 mpg highway). Because it’s boosted, torque is readily available at the tap of the throttle, providing the truck with additional pep to pass slow vehicles and getting up to highway speed faster.

While the tank-like structure and ride height provide a secure feel and safe ride, it does inhibit maneuverability in city traffic. The safety package ($890) increases the driver’s awareness. Front and rear park assist made it much less painful to park In confined spaces, which appeared quite often during our commutes in Los Angeles. Rush hour can become even more of a nuisance if you can’t switch lanes fast enough to keep with the flow of traffic. Lane change along with side blind zone alert allowed us to safely merge into different lanes.

In short, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD RST DBL possesses a bold futuristic styling. It’s agility is in tandem with other truck manufacturers and is well worth its value being priced well-equipped for just under $50,000.

For additional information go HERE.