SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE APRIL 2022 ISSUE 8 VOL4

CASH STRAPPED?

Three Key Financial Pillars

Every Business Must Know!

By Doris Yip

How Far Will You Go?

CAN YOU stay WITH A CHEATING HUSBAND TO KEEP YOUR CROWN?

The Joy Of Missing Out

Live More by Doing Less says Tanya!

PLUS

How To Start Living Slowly To Make The Most Of Life!

WHY SPOIL IT FOR YOU? GO ON...

SWIPE THE PAGES TO FIND OUT MORE CONTENT AND SUPRISES JUST FOR YOU. ENJOY!

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REGULARS + FEATURES

EXPLORE 1-11

Explore our research based insights on what's happening at Ark & Brook, from worklife balance productivity hacks to PR and other thought leadership tips and doodle hacks for small business owners

DISCOVER 12-28

Our Discover section is a movement to take our readers to experts in relatively distant geographical locations that they wouldn't normally dream of. We find local Thought Leaders in spaces and places that help businesses to survive.

THRIVE 31-35

Our Thrive Section is where you'll find your takeaway self-care to live a healthy and sane life, from our Travel, entertainment recommendations to the Ignite events, jobs , Adventures and much more.

A NoteFromJen

Editor-In-Chief Jennifer Nash introduces the content in this Spotlight issue. Starting with acknowledgements of our fabulous team to whet your appetite. Using a drop of ink to make a million think, has been Jen's motto since she learned how to write professionally, together we can amplify our voices

Editor's Note

The great reshuffle, the nomadic lifestyle, the side hustle, the gig economy, the freelancer the Joy Of Missing Out, the big resignation - all these themes have one thing in common...FREEDOM TO CHOOSE!

Lead from where you are comfortable! Don't let society dictate to you what and where you should stand or position yourself as a leader!

That's why I took back my power

Being constantly present and intentionally and emotionally available to pour out into others has been glamourized as the best way to live our lives.

Your FREEDOM to choose where and when you want to show up and with whom and why you want to show up with is the thematic version of our new normal post Covid!

Arise woman! You're free at last! Free indeed of the bondage that once had you as slave to womanhood and society at last! Free at last to be you and FREE at last to choose YOU!

As Spring officially broke in the Global South and the clocks sprung forward, there is a feeling of freedom in air, especially for women who are embracing their rebirth as human-kind and embracing their feminism not as a substitute to being a woman or becoming a feminist - but to BECOMING a woman who knows their worth and value.

In the last couple of months I have weaned myself from social media - not as to become anti-social but to empower myself that I can enjoy the JOY OF MISSING OUT from the pressure of being something I'm not comfortable with...

Editor-in-Chief

No one is paying attention to the mental anguish and anxiety this is placing on people especially women , so I chose to be a leader that leads from the back and front. After all actions speak louder than words right!

If your company is haemorrhaging cash, there are 3 financial Pillars your business should know to Leaders and Tired of The Grind then check out Nomador how to take a vacay on someone's else's tab, Are you a global citizen? Let 's End Extreme Poverty CTA with , PLUS 24 Best side hustle ideas to make $1000 per month and don't forget The Joy Of Missing and The Great Reshuffle we demystify headlines to make your head spin to easy snip and clips so you can thrive!

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. THRIVE!

Together we illuminate a spotlight on what matters to us and thrive

Acknowledgements

Welcome to the April edition of Spotlight magazine

At Spotlight, We Don’t follow trends, We create them!

We're glad you're back in the Spotlight. Our gratitude as always goes out to you our clients, subscribers and small but mighty army of expert contributors and advertisers, Doris Yip, Netflix, Spotify and Clever Girl Finance and Nomador for your support of supplying us with valuable content A special and BIG thank you and welcome to our additional Spotlight team who have joined us in the last few months.

Together we are happy to be navigating these uncharted waters, re-imagining and challenging the PR industry status quo We do this with a Thought Leadership magazine founded and owned by a woman with female thought leaders writing for female entrepreneurs -this includes but is not limited to SMEs, Artisans, Freelancers and every type of small business that perhaps doesn't fit into the categories we have named above [See list on left if you fit the bill - Click here to get featured as an expert contributor.

It is with great pride and joy that we bring you this global phenomenon with exclusive content for you to Explore what it means to be a Thought Leader in this complex and cluttered digital space where everyone is a prosumer.

We're confident you will Discover tools and insights that will help you to sustain and scale up your business, but much more so, amplify your voice as an expert in your industry.

More than anything else, we want to grow with you our readers, as we share and investigate what it means to be a Thought Leader Our expert articles and advice will do just that So take the front row seat enjoy the view as you Thrive.

Three Key Financial Pillars Every Business Must Know!

BY DORIS YIP

Growing a business is a lot like growing a tree. It starts with an idea like a seed, and it needs good soil (business foundation), sun (right environment), water (cash flow) and ongoing care (customer service, team support) to nurture the growth of the tree (i e , Business) Trees release oxygen when they use energy from sunlight to make glucose from carbon dioxide and water. Business also releases oxygen, and it drives economic growth and creates jobs. Lastly, pruning your trees regularly keeps them strong and healthy Similarly in business, we are pruning to evaluate the different parts of business to ensure they are operating efficiently and effectively

As a Visionary Fractional CFO, I am incredibly proud to help six to seven figure business owners turn their visions into their financial reality by amplifying their income and impacts through critical business and financial strategy

Being a small business owner is really a gift.

Building a strong business foundation is essential to create sustainable profitable business. As a seasoned CFO with over 20 years of corporate experience in leading financial planning and strategic pricing teams in many billion-dollar Fortune 500 companies, one of the common themes is every company leaves money on the table regardless of size and industry

COMMON QUESTIONS ARE “WHERE SHOULD I INVEST IN MY BUSINESS TO GET THE MOST RETURN?” OR “WHERE DOES MY MONEY GO?”

To answer these questions, there are three key financial success pillars all businesses must know. First, knowing your customers is to have real data to understand customer insights – market segmentation (demographic, geographic and psychographic), how we target, attract, capture, and convert leads into customers, purchasing patterns, average revenue per client, marketing and content that converts to clients, where the source of your customer traffic, customer tenure especially for membership businesses Some common client concerns are how much they should spend in marketing to their customers?How much should they spend on customer retention vs. customer acquisitions? As a result, we work with our clients to create a weekly tracking customer insights system, so they can make timely decisions, and their customers will become loyal fans because they are offering products and services, they want based on real data insights, not what they think or feel.

Once you have a solid customer tracking system, you have to make sure the business is making a profit, not just making sales and revenue. Knowing your numbers is the second financial success pillar.

Do you know business is defined as organized for profit?

However, many businesses fail due to lack of cash flow and profit to sustain the business

To avoid cash and profit leaks, we help our clients audit their expenses to understand potential leakage and make sure expenses are not growing faster than revenue. To ensure everyone in the business is working on profit generating activities, we first have to define the most critical number in the business that moves the needle. This critical number must be understood by everyone, tracked weekly and reported often You are what you measure and therefore have a peace of mind financial tracking system, so you have timely weekly and monthly reports to gauge the financial health of your business and make timely decisions

Keep in mind money does not have a brain and it is meant to be managed. We are the brain behind it, and it has been a game changer for my clients to create a predictable profit plan to direct the resources to maximize the return on investments Pricing is another key lever to increase profits; however, I have seen most business owners try to cut costs first before raising prices. Lastly, most people overestimate how much they can accomplish in a year and having an annual budget is not sufficient to grow your business. We help clients create a three-year strategic plan to ensure they have the runway to invest and operationalize their visions into financial reality

The last pillar is knowing your people. People are your most valuable assets Attracting talent to your business is only the first step. Continuing to motivate and grow your team to support the missions and visions of your business to drive profits are the most important role as the CEO

Learning what it takes to effectively manage, not micromanage, your team and hold them accountable is a critical skill As your company grows, your business will become more complex and that is when we see more silos. You will quickly find some of your people might not have the skills to grow with your company Many businesses lack the ability to invest in their team of continuous learning. Ongoing assessment of your team will help ensure you have the right talent at the right job Communication is not only a one-way direction and having an open-door policy and creating a high-performance culture builds trust and reduces attrition. Keep in mind people quit because of their managers and hiring the right people to grow with your business will pay dividends to your business long term. Attrition is costly to your business, and it impacts your team, bottom line, and your clients We help clients establish a clear performance guideline and customize a pay for performance compensation plan for their business to help motivate, grow, and retain talents Operation and Financial management are the foundation of your business to avoid leaving money on the table. Creating a data driven company to gain customer insights, employee performance and follow the money will propel you to create a sustainable profitable business.Bringing more money in without learning the financial strategy how best to spend, save and give, it will not change the financial situation It does not help you spend, save, and give. To learn how you can amplify your cash income and impacts and avoid leaving money on the table by leveraging our billion-dollar financial strategies, email us at support@visionarycfo.com or visit us at www visionarycfo com

ABOUT DORIS

Doris is the founder of Finances GPS LLC, a boutique consulting firm offering fractional COO and CFO services She is a Visionary Fractional CFO who has managed billiondollar businesses and multiple Fortune 500 companies. Spending her free time taking photos, meandering through botanical gardens, and mentoring young professionals in Kansas City, she now helps six and seven figured business owners turn their visions into their financial reality by amplifying their income and impacts through critical business and financial strategy She is an operation and visionary leader where she has a unique talent to operationalize company’s finances so they can grow sustainably. She is a natural relationship builder, love to lead, facilitate and connect. She has a master’s degree in Business and Finance, Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Certified Pricing Professional Her diverse experience in multiple industries and business models position her to provide a holistic business solution In her tenure, she has helped companies raise several hundred million in profits.

People are your most valuable assets. Attracting talent to your business is only the first step.

Home-owners have very clear expectations of house-sitters

Tired Of The Grind?

TRY THIS NEW WAY OF LIVING!

Nomador is a trust-based community platform putting house-sitters and homeowners into contact. As a homeowner, a house-sitter will look after your home when you’re away. As a house-sitter, discover new areas of the world while looking after someone’s home.

House-sitting is a service provided free of charge. "I lend you my home when I’m away, and you look after it like it was your own." House-sitting is for people who love traveling. As a homeowner, you travel in peace of mind for a shorter or longer time given that holiday accommodation comes at virtually no cost to the house-sitter.

Nomador was launched in Sydney in February 2014 by the founders of the French website ILIDOR, European house-sitting market leader (founded 2007).

The Nomador website promotes house-sitting the world over by offering an affordable solution based on the values of sharing and fostering richer relationships between families across borders and continents.

Building a relationship of trust with house-sitters they can rely on

Finding house-sitters able to look after the house and pets while they are away

Establishing a friendly relationship.

It’s quite something to entrust one’s house, one’s belongings and one’s cherished pets to another person. As a prospective housesitter, put yourself in home-owners’ shoes. Convince them you are trustworthy and reliable!

How To Start Living Slowly How To Start Living Slowly How To Start Living To Make The Most

So, if slow living sounds like the answer you ’ ve been looking for, here are 7 Key tips to get started!

1. Cut back on consumption: Slow living is all about learning to appreciate what you already have and cutting back on your shopping and general consumption of things you might not need

2 Put down your phone: A large part of slow living is about connecting with your surroundings. Resist the urge to check your phone whenever you have a free moment.

3. Build more rest into your schedule: Try to include more downtime into your schedule This might look like ten minutes of meditation in the morning, an afternoon nap, or nightly journaling

Do you feel like your life is constantly in a rush with no time to do anything you enjoy? If you find yourself having days or even weeks passing you by in an instant, then you need to take a step back and try slowly living!

Slow living is about embracing simplicity over excess, understanding that fast isn’t always better, and being intentional with your attention and time

Slow living not only benefits your mental health by lowering stress and by helping you feel a sense of purpose, it also benefits you financially.

Here are a few ways how:

You spend less money because you adopt a slower life and appreciate what you already have

You learn to be patient, which helps you build up your savings and investments because you don’t need instant gratification.

Living on less means more money for savings or even working less

4. Say yes to slow living, say no to other things: One of the key concepts of slow living is being intentional with your time. If you want to do that, you have to learn how to say no

5 Get outside: Connecting with nature is a core element of slow living One of the simplest ways to do this is to get outside

6. Grow your own food or buy locally: If this is something that interests you, start with a mini garden on your kitchen shelf. If you can’t grow anything on your own, try to buy local or organic produce

7 Connect with family and friends: Slow living is about slowing down so that you can focus more time on the important things in life, like your relationships.

So are you ready to start slowly living but need to figure out how to do it financially?

You can learn how to create the right financial goals and a budget that works for you with our completely free "Build a solid foundation" bundle!

TOP TOP TOP

al Roster of the most disruptive, riven and innovative virtual mark

FOMO IS SO YESTERDAY!

The Joy Of Missing Out: Live More by Doing Less” by

Tanya

This book is two things. It’s an eye-opener to the fact that we don’t have to do a million things to be productive (or successful) And it’s a coach that helps us trim the fat, get real with our purpose, and start living more intentionally-Goop

Dalton helps readers by teaching us to focus on the most important things and create our own operating systems that are exclusive to our lives as individuals. By doing this, we can simplify and make life even betterSan Francisco Book Review

Dalton’s ground-up approach to productivity teaches readers to identify their real priorities and, in doing so, cut their massive to-do lists down to size by learning to say no to the tasks that pull them away from their North Star-Grateful

Overwhelmed. Do you wake up in the morning already feeling behind? Does the pressure of keeping it all together make you feel anxious and irritable?

Tanya Dalton, CEO and productivity expert, offers you liberating shift in perspective: feeling overwhelmed isn't the result of having too much to do -- it's from not knowing where to start.

Doing less might seem counterintuitive, but doing less is more productive, because you’re concentrating on the work you actually want to be doing. Through this book, you can learn how to:

Identify what is important to you and clarify your priorities.

Develop ways to streamline your specific workflow. Discover your purpose

Named Top 10 Business Book of the Year by Fortune magazine, The Joy of Missing Out is chock-full of resources and printables This is a legitimate action plan for change. Once you reject the pressure to do more, something amazing happens: you discover you can finally live a guilt-free, abundant life

D I S C E R

T H E S C O O P

THE GREAT RESHUFFLE!

WHYFREELANCINGISTHENEWNORMAL

Explainer: What is the Great Reshuffle and how is it affecting the jobs market?

What is the Great Reshuffle?

As initial lockdowns lifted and life became more “normal”, a large number of people chose to leave their jobs. This has caused record numbers of open positions and staff shortages in some industries. Nearly 3% of the US workforce quit their jobs in October 2021, with some of the highest resignation rates in hospitality and healthcare. But it is becoming clearer that rather than resigning from work altogether, many employees are actually leaving in search of something more fulfilling and better suited to their values and life choices.

As per The Great Reshuffle, many have set up their own businesses, while others have sought betterpaid, more flexible employment, or changed career altogether.

Anyword is the tool for improving copy optimization and if you use it to create more efficient landing pages, then you’ll get better results along with reduced marketing costs. It’s as simple as that.

“People are finding jobs that give them the right pay, benefits and work arrangements in the longer term,” Anthony Klotz, an associate professor of management at Texas A&M University, US, and the person who coined the term “Great Resignation”, told the BBC. “There’s now a greater ability for people to fit work into their lives, instead of having lives that squeeze into their work.”

Along with pay and benefits, flexibility is increasingly becoming a differentiating factor “Leaders must be focused on cultivating thriving cultures of internal mobility, prioritizing continuous learning and delivering robust benefits to support their workers,” says Prudential Vice-Chair Rob Falzon.

24 Best Side Hustle Ideas to Make an Extra $1000+ a Month in 2022

I have been an entrepreneur for nine years, but I have been an entrepreneurial leader for most of my career. I believe that the essential requirements for great leaders are having a purpose beyond money and ensuring their teams are trained, empowered and rewarded. I’ll start with purpose. As an employee, purpose might look like hitting your goals or helping your organization create an impact. As a manager, your purpose may be creating a culture for your team that enables them to work effectively and collaboratively.

As an entrepreneur, purpose typically comes from vision. What is the change you seek? The impact you want to make? The legacy you wish to leave behind?

A good side hustle is about building a business for yourself. And today, the best side hustle ideas are those that have potential to earn endless income something beyond just $1,000 a month.

The calling card of a side hustler is a scrappy, experimental mentality that views resource constraints as a thrilling challenge, not as a sign to give up. Side hustlers come from diverse backgrounds and sell a wide range of products.

Thousands are joining their ranks as people rediscover that saving money and having a fulltime job only go so far there’s a hard floor, while the ceiling for side hustles is almost limitless.

But that doesn’t make it easy. So, what goes into the emerging art of starting and sustaining a good side hustle to make money?

Well - we searched the web to find the best 24 side hustles to make you up to $1000 p/m in 2022

What is a side hustle?

In its most broadly used sense, “side hustle” means any activity outside of your day job that helps you make more money. Technically, this is a part-time job or work done for side hustle apps like Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, Rover, DoorDash, or TaskRabbit.

But not all side hustles are created equal. A part-time job may be good seasonally, but in slower months, limited hours can mean limited funds. Gig apps like Uber might work for making a couple of extra bucks in a pinch, but these options tend to have payment structures designed to minimize the payout to people providing the service.

24 great side hustles to make extra money: Here is our list of profitable side hustles to make money

Create and sell your own handmade goods

Create your own designs for a print-ondemand business

Start a dropshipping business

Start a zine and sell digital subscriptions

Join the gig economy

Teach an online course

Start a blog

Start a YouTube channel

Become an influencer

Start a podcast

Become a freelance bookkeeper

Participate in paid online surveys

Become a rideshare driver

Become a dog walker

Become a freelance writer

Become a reliable house sitter and/or pet sitter

Manage social media accounts

Become a tour guide for your neighborhood

Transcribe medical notes and legal proceedings

Be a user tester for apps and websites

Start a wholesale business

Become an affiliate marketer

Sell digital products

Sell photography

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As with all our normal features, this must be submitted by the 10 th of the preceding month to make it into the following issue.

With your recommendation; together we can inspire another woman to become the best version of herself because according to Maya Angelou; there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story! Do your bit:-) Send their story to jennifer@arkandbrook com

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By Jennifer Nash

What You'll Find Inside:

PREVIEW INSIDE THIS EBOOK:

Although this application was born in 2010, in 2011, the already famous "hashtags" were added to help users find images of the same subject Instagram allows for 30 hashtags per post But what are the famous hashtags?

Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the # sign, with no spaces or special characters They work like hyperlinks, and their main objective is to segment the contents that are published

GET YOU OWN COPY NOW

You Don't Have To Be A Celebrity To Become A Successful Influencer! However, you do want to learn what it takes to become successful

You probably think you can try your luck, create a profile, post some photos or videos, and wait for the brands to contact you for a sponsored post Well, it's not that easy First, you need to follow the exact steps other successful Influencers have followed You need to have a system in place

How To Become A Successful Social Media Influencer. How Influencers Generate Their Income.

How To Go Viral On TikTok.

How To Use Hashtags & Challenges The Right Way On TikTok.

TikTok Analytics - The Best Tool For An Influencer.

What're The Most Important Things When Selecting Your Niche.

How To Use Captions And Hashtags Like A Pro On Instagram.

How To Use Analyze Your Audience And Create Viral Posts. How To Set Yourself Ready To Be Contacted By Brands For Promotions.

Things You Should Never Do As An Influencer.

How To Setup Your Youtube Channel The Right Way. Analyzing Your Channel Data For Maximum Exposure.

And Much, Much More.

100% Proceeds benefit the HML Foundation

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By Jennifer Nash

CAN YOU STAY WITH A CHEATING HUSBAND TO KEEP YOUR CROWN?

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE YOUNG FAMOUS & AFRICAN!

Once reality shows were universal drama reserved global north to wash their dirty laundry in public. The trend has jumped shipped and landed on the African continent.

Is it in the name Anne, Anna, Annie that comes such a formidable, passionate defiant character of a woman like my previous March protagonist, this Annie is NO different.

Africans are disavowing their pan-Africanism manners to be part of the NETFLIX slice of fame and fortune And why shouldn't they?

But at what cost and the question really is CAN YOU stay WITH A CHEATING HUSBAND TO KEEP YOUR CROWN?

Annie McCauley-Idibia becomes 2Face's wife after being cheated on several times and ends up renewing their 10 year wedding anniversary in grand style on the Netflix YFA show.

Who can resonate with this savage of a love affair?

She's bold and beautiful, more like a Cinderella story of her own, after kissing her own frogs, in this case her own husband, who suddenly comes to his senses and becomes her prince...she's has had to put up with so much dram and heartaches to earn her crown...but is it worth it?

For a woman who has appeared in so many of her own shows, dramas and is a celeb in her own right in Nollywood, one wonders - is love ultimately stronger than pride, fame and dignity?

Personally in my opinion, Annie has strength and resilience and a kind of feminism that we all could use She is in my opinion the Sh-ERO of the show and deserved the crown, point blank period! What do you think?

If we’re asking for input, we need to be able to change our mind.

C A R E E R S

Post and find current job and volunteer listings. This includes workexperience, Internship, Volunteer and many other non-paid job opportunities supporting candidates build up their employability skills by enhancing their CVs / Resumes, All the while offering your business the manpower you need to scale up or fulfill your workoverflows.

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