AKSM MAG OCTOBER
2020
DREAM BIG THE LAUREN BROOKS STORY
SELF-CARE HOW TO CLEAR YOUR MIND AND REFRESH DURING FALL
E L B A T
opening message from andrew mckeough
O C T O B E R
T H E M E
it's time for fall
D R E A M
B I G
interview with lauren brooks
A L E X ' S
P I C K S
where to visit during a covid fall season
C R Y
W O L F
christina grimmie's "newest" release
S P O R T S
jay wright and the philadelphia 76ers
A S K
Z I M M
alex zimm takes you on a fall refresher
CONTENTS
F O
2 3 5 7 9 11 13
W E L C O M E
CONTACT US AKSM MAG. Villanova, Pennsylvania 484.580.9271 mag@aksm.org www.aksm.org
EDITORIAL ELISE HALL Editor-In-Chief
WELCOME Cool to see you again in this issue.
I’d like to welcome you all to our October 2020 issue of the AKSM Magazine. This magazine will serve as an extension of our brand's interests, with articles written by some of the great authors we’ve come to know and chosen from all of our brands. All of the articles have been written exclusively for the magazine. This issue is all about the fall season! From how to tick-ortreat during COVID to finding the perfect way to capture the fall foliage, we have you covered! Fall is a season of relaxation and beauty and we are here to guide you through it. We hope this issue serves as an extension of the season. As always, we wish you a happy, safe and healthy month ahead!
Anyway, we hope you enjoy this one.
KATIE JOHNSON Operations Editor
MAGGIE MENGEL Technical Design Editor
CONTRIBUTORS Marissa Baum, Jacob Borislow, Lauren Brooks, Alex Konyk, Andrew McKeough, Dave Nguyen, Nick Schreder, Maddie Tyler, Alex Zimm
SUBSCRIPTIONS SUBSCRIBE ONLINE www.aksm.org/magazine
ANDREW K. MCKEOUGH Founder, AKSM Media
NEWS SITE www.aksm.org/news
THEME
IT'S TIME FOR
FALL
Autumn is a season that exists to show us how beautiful it is to let things go and take a moment to appreciate the world and the beauty of the changing seasons around us.
PAGE 4 AKSM MAG | OCTOBER 2020
It's Fall
The main thing I keep getting asked this month isn't, "When do you want to go apple picking?" It's "When are you getting your flu shot?" Though the
BY MADDIE TYLER
pandemic has taught us to focus on being healthy
As we welcome the month of October we also usher in crisper air and the season of fall. What does fall really mean though? Fall is - by definition -
a
thing
which
falls
or
has
fallen.
This
and stay away from others, it has also made us forget to take a breath and relax for a few moments.
is
Many of the same traditions are available - in a
symbolized by the leaves which fall every year
more socially distant way of course. So now that
from September through November.
the crisp air is moving in, take a moment to stop
Fall is a time of beauty, relaxation and laughter. Children go trick-or-treating, adults sip warm apple cider while picking fruits from orchards as a tradition that was passed down to them from their parents, and families frolic through leaves. However, this year, all those fun moments of fall seem to be gone. Many are already thinking, "Wow!
I
can't
believe
it's
already
October?!"
Neither can I. The pandemic seems to have taken the joy out of the traditions that have made the seasons what they truly are. Relaxing and fun.
and get a group of friends together and do something
that
reminds
you
of
the
season.
Pumpkin carving, hiking or even pie making. There is something for you to do even know we are isolated from each other. It's fall y'all! So enjoy it!
“And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves...� -VIRGINIA WOOLF
LAUREN BROOKS INTERVIEW BY KATIE JOHNSON WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
What motivates me to keep my brand going is seeing the impact I am making in the community. I love helping others, and it makes me happy! WHAT'S YOUR GREATEST FEAR AND HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT FEAR?
My greatest fear is growing old only to realize I didn’t make an impact in society. I manage that fear by taking risks and putting myself out there! WHAT'S YOUR TYPICAL DAY?
During the week I usually will answer client emails before starting my full time job at 9am at Marketing Insider Group. At 5pm I will work on any small tasks that need to get done, photo editing or designs. The weekends are busier and I work most Sundays on pressing items!
AKSM MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2020
- FEATURED ARTICLE Lauren Brooks is a 22-year-old entrepreneur who just launched her own marketing, design and photography brand - Lauren Brooks Designs - back in July. Lauren is a 2020 graduate of West Chester University and currently resides with her family on the Philadelphia Main Line. Lauren got her first taste of the world of marketing while working at QVC and Marketing Insider Group (MIG) where she currently works. She attributes her inspiration to Michael Brenner, the CEO of MIG who started his own business, wrote the book “Mean People Suck” and - in Lauren's words - "absolutely inspires me to follow my dreams!" Lauren says that the real motivation for starting her own brand came about from her passion for creativity and wanting to do something positive in a year of so much uncertainty during the pandemic. Looking towards the future, Lauren wants to continue growing her brand and her clientele. This is something that is even apparent in the blooming flower that serves as a part of her logo, "the flower represent my desire to help my clients and their companies flourish and grow." Lauren's two full-time jobs keep her busy but working from home has been a perk. However, the time demand can be stressful at times, especially when trying to spend time with close family and friends. "Being an entrepreneur definitely makes it harder to find free time In my schedule for my friends and family", says Lauren. "I make sure to put my work away as much as I can to spend quality time with those I love." In order to better manage those 24 hours, Lauren turns to excel sheets to keep herself organized. She blocks out an hour or so to answer emails and contact clients each day so she's not checking her email all the time too!
"DO YOUR RESEARCH, FIND A ROLE MODEL AND KEEP MOTIVATED!" Having just graduated in May, Lauren has a fresh outlook on how a student's experience can be a game-changer on their path to success.
In college she
Photographed by AKSM Photography. Styled by American Eagle.
About Lauren Brooks
learned time management skills, and how to stayed involved and interned at big
Lauren Brooks is a 22-year-old
corporate companies. Her experience at QVC sparked her interest in social
entrepreneur and 2020 graduate
media, photography and video.
of West Chester University. She currently resides with her family
The skills she learned at her internships and through leadership roles have given
on the Philadelphia Main Line
her valuable skills that have come in handy during her post grad life.
where she works a full-time job in addition to managing her brand.
After looking back on her college experience at West Chester, Lauren - who was
Lauren is focusing on the present
an active member of her campus community - has one major piece of advice for
and the future while growing her
those growing students, "Do your research, find a role model and keep
brand's identity.
motivated!"
AKSM MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2020
FALL IN LOVE Fall is a time to get outside while looking your best. From the latest trends to those cute Instagram posts, you make the season what it is. So what happens when a global pandemic hits? Just because there is a pandemic doesn't mean that there is no fall season. Get outdoors and explor your local area. Many small family-owned farms and orchards are still open and just waiting for you to visit them and pick their goods.
Alex's Fall Picks WORDS BY ALEX KONYK
Hey y’all! Looking for things to do this fall? Here’s a little list of ideas near Montgomery County, PA to get you started!
1. Linvilla Orchards (www.linvilla.com) a. Pick your own pumpkins and apples, go through the corn maze, get your face painted or just take a walk through their store to buy anything from apple cider to fun fall knickknacks. 2. Freddy Hill Farms (www.freddyhill.com)
Courtesy of Linvilla Orchards
a. Although their Fallfest was cancelled, pumpkins, cornstalks, mums, gourds, and much more are still available for purchase. Additionally, minigolf and the batting cages are remaining open until late November. 3. Merrymead Farm (www.merrymead.com) a. Visit the pumpkin corral, moonlight maze, cornstalk tunnel, or even go on a hayride. Also, their dairy store is still open for business along with their outside seasonal market. 4. Varner Farms (www.varnerfarms.net) a. See their Harvest Land which includes their 5
Courtesy of Merrymead Farm
acre corn maze, barnyard animals, playland or hayrides. All that for only $14.95 per person. 5. Northern Star Farm (www.northernstarfarm.net) a. Located in the heart of Trappe, enjoy their Fall Fest Weekends with pumpkin picking and moonlit activities including the moonlit hayride and flashlight corn maze. 6. Kohler Farms (www.kohlerfarms.net) a. Buy some fresh farm produce like apples, pumpkins, and squash all available from
Courtesy of Northern Star Farm
September through November.
AKSM MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2020
CRY WOLF
Christina Grimmie performs in concert at Irving Plaza, March 10, 2016, in New York. (Noam Galai/Getty Images).
BY JACOB BORISLOW Christina Grimmie’s “new” track “Cry Wolf” was just released last week to much news coverage and acclaim. I say “new” of course as it is more accurately the official release of a song the singer had recorded in a studio before her untimely death in 2016 when she was killed at her concert in Florida.This leads me to what I feel I have to start with: how great it is after all this time to able to hear a clean and professionally recorded version of this song which for years had only been available as a recording of the one time Christina Grimmie performed it live at a 2012 concert. The music video even references this fact by beginning with the concert video before then transitioning to the professional version complete with lyrics and effects.I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how the song begins with the lyrics “They say the brightest stars are the ones that burn out first” which Christina Grimmie clearly could not have known how hauntingly appropriate those words would be four years after her death at just the age of 22. An aspect of the new song is the surprisingly (and yet also refreshingly) differences it has to the version from the live concert, and not just in production quality but also in how the words are sung. It is of course the same tune and yet I found I preferred the more “raw” way Grimmie sang some words in the concert compared to the more “produced” sounding version in the music video; which fell more in line with the sounds of pop songs that are heard on the radio. Don’t believe for a second that the differences are a negative or even that I necessarily preferred one version over the other. In fact, I see it as a positive that we now have two versions of “Cry Wolf” which are different enough people will be able to say they prefer the live version or the “pop” version in the music video. A new Christina Grimmie song providing a small beacon of light in an otherwise pretty bad year which I personally believe is just what she would have wanted to do while also being something only she could have done as one of “the brightest stars”. AKSM MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2020
JAY WRIGHT CLEARS UP 76ERS RUMORS By Dave Nguyen
In September, the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated by their arch rival, the Boston Celtics, in a four-game sweep in the 2020 NBA Playoffs hosted in the "bubble" in Orlando, FL. A few days after the Sixers were swept, the organization decided to fire Brett Brown after seven seasons as their head coach. While most Sixers fans saw this transaction happening, many wonder who will be in line to become the next head coach of the team.
SPORTS | 11
Many names have swirled around the rumor mill, from current Los Angeles Lakers Assistant Coach Jason Kidd, and Clippers Assistant Coaches Tyron Lue and Sam Cassel. BUT, there is one name that caught the attention of many Sixers fans in the Delaware Valley: Jay Wright. Does this come to one as a surprise? No, it shouldn't. The current men's basketball head coach on the Main Line has built Villanova into a national powerhouse, most notably winning two NCAA Championships in the last four years. Wright issued a statement to clear the air of the rumors involving his name and the Sixers search for their next head coach, putting the most important line in the closing. Tournament crowns, two National Championships, and seven NBA Draft picks- four selected in the first round. Additionally, Wright has a chance to make history for the 2020-21 season. Many college basketball insiders and media personnel have the Wildcats as the pre-season number one team in the country and a favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis in May. If that were to happen, Wright would join an elite list of coaches who have three or more national titles: John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Adolph Rupp, Bob Knight, Jim Calhoun, and Roy Williams. Winning three titles in six seasons would put Villanova as a Men's Basketball dynasty. Furthermore, Wright has coaching experience with NBA players with his involvement in Team USA as one of Greg Poppavich's assistants. With the balance of developing 18-22 year old boys into men and assisting professional players at the Olympic level, Wright has the best of both worlds. To quote the Godfather, Jay Wright might need to be dealt "an offer he can't refuse" in order for him to even consider a jump to the NBA. Nova Nation, you don't have to worry; Jay Wright is not leaving, as he is focused on trying to win another National Championship this season.
Photo by Alex Konyk/AKSM Photography
AKSM MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2020
LIFE TALK CONFRONTING ISSUES WITH ALEX ZIMM When it comes to being
Approach them calmly about
honest with your parents, it
a situation you'd want to tell
can be tough. You're afraid
them. Try to collect your
they might just scold you for
thoughts prior to talking to
something when you're finally
them so you're not stumbling
being honest with them. So
all over the place. If you have
here's a trick to get it out of
to, write down your points so
your chest, with no fear.
you can discuss them properly
AKSM MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2020
FOR REAL? Sometimes we meet temporary people in our lives and they don't stay for too long because they're actually a lesson for us. They teach us how to become stronger, and more independent as individuals. No man is an
SPIHS
island, but some have to go.
DNEIRF
ARE YOUR FRIENDS
SOMETIMES YOU ONLY NEED ONE FRIEND We have that one friend that we can say anything and everything to. Keep that one special friend close, and take care of your relationship with him or her. It can blossom into a greater friendship that can withstand anything, and everything. Together, you can be unstoppable.
14 | AKSM MAGAZINE - OCTOBER 2020
AKSM MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2020
FIND OUT WHERE TO GO WITH YOUR BFF
Travelling with a person you
just to get away from the
know you trust can be a real
concrete jungle, and go back to
rewarding thing for your
your roots. Take a rest with your
relationship for him or her.
BFF somewhere you guys can
Sure, you two might just be
totally chill and hang out and
friends, but travelling allows
talk for hours with no awkward
the both of you to grow and
silences. Try to make a good
learn more about each other.
experience out of it by really
Take the time to go out on a
enjoying every single moment
small trip, even just a road trip
with your buddy.
TRAVEL
Now Available!
LAUREN BROOKS DESIGNS
photography | design | marketing aksm.org/brooks