Rural Leader Magazine October 2023

OCTOBER 2023

Cover Story Searching for alternative treatment options?

Learn more about the possibilities of biosimilars, pg. 18 GetRuralLeaderMag.com |OCTOBER 2023 1

Contents Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication that highlights every day people doing extraordinary things nationally and abroad. www.RuralLeaderMag.com www.GetRuralLeaderMag.com

About Us

Launched in March 2014, Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication with a mission to highlight every day people doing extraordinary things in business, education, music, community, art, sports, and leadership nationally and abroad.

Rural Leader Magazine honors exemplary individuals on a variety of levels, such as the 20 under 20 Honors, 40 under 40 Honors, Best Small Town Restaurant, Small Town America’s 100 Most Influential People, the Scholars of Collegiate Distinction, Fifty under Fifty, and the Eagle Elite Club.—

7 Four Ways Business Credit Cards Can Help Offset Everyday Expenses 9 Three pro tips to help you jumpstart your career in the skilled trades 11 Healhty Holmes Healthy Families Program 12 How the top barriers to upskilling American workers impact the workforce

15 Looking to pursue a career in a growing field? Why cybersecurity should top your list COVER STORY 18 Searching for alternative treatment options? Learn more about the possibilities of biosimilars 22 Giving Health

Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, in English, or other languages, is prohibited without written consent.

Send editorial ideas to Kuanita Murphy, PhD, Editor-in-Chief editor@ruralleadermag.com Contact Us info@ruralleadermag.com editor@ruralleadermag.com ruralleadermagazine@gmail.com

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Tell us what you think about our publications, if you have a great idea for a story, or to just share. We may print your comments in Rural Leader Magazine. By sending us your comments, you’re giving permission to call you for an interview. Please be sure to include your name, address, email address, and phone number so we can reach you. Write to us at info@RuralLeaderMag.com—

Editor’s Note Dear Readers, Inside this issue, there are a number of great articles about leadership best practices, building positive self-esteem and productivity! We hope you enjoy this issue.

As always, I hope you enjoy this issue and continue to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thanks again for your continual support!

Sincerely, Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

What you do matters. @RuralLeaderMag

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Four Ways Business Credit Cards Can Help Offset Everyday Expenses Entrepreneurs rely on business credit cards for everyday expenses like office supplies, internet and marketing needs - but what many don’t realize is how to take advantage of the rewards and cash back you accrue. If used strategically, credit cards - both business and consumer - can be much more than a means to an end. Below are four tips on how business cards can help effectively offset operating costs and inflationary pressures, reinvest in your business and fuel business travel opportunities.

1. Offset costs of running your own business. It’s no secret that running a business can be costly - from the monthly internet bills to the constant need for advertising - it seems like there’s always something that needs to be paid. Owning a business credit card can help offset those costs, as they provide cash back on the categories that business owners are using most, like shipping, cable, phone services and more.

Other perks may also include fraud protection, cell phone protection and no additional costs for employee credit cards, which can help business owners of all sizes, from startups to established businesses.

2. Reinvest in your people. Employee happiness has a direct impact on the health of your business, and business credit cards can be an instrumental tool in building culture and keeping morale high. Sam Rose, Founder & CEO of Mvnifest, is experiencing fast growth and uses every penny from the cash back she earns on her Chase Ink Business Premier card to reinvest into her company’s people. She knows that small gestures can go a long way in making employees feel valued. One easy way to reward employees’ efforts is using business credit card rewards to purchase gift cards from various brands, including hotels, office supply stores and electronics.

3. Offset inflationary pressures and other economic challenges. Through ongoing inflation challenges, cash back rewards earned from business credit cards

can be put towards pre-purchasing inventory and acquiring essential supplies that can help prepare entrepreneurs for sudden growth opportunities. Sam Rose defines these opportunities as the “Best Day Ever Problem,” and knows they typically come with large purchase orders and fast deadlines. Whether you receive an influx of orders from a viral Instagram Reel or you get interviewed on national news, business credit card rewards like cash back can be used as a cushion to empower you to handle fast-paced growth.

Additionally, consistent cash flow is a common challenge many business owners face, so using business credit cards as a cash reserve can sometimes be the difference between keeping your business running versus having to scale back. To counteract these ebbs and flows, owners can use credit cards as another source of liquidity, which can allow you to have a buffer for unexpected expenses or larger purchases.

This stability in a fast-changing economic landscape is a significant competitive advantage.

4. Fueling business (and leisure!) travel opportunities. Business owners use miles and points for a variety of reasons, whether it’s flying remote workers in for team building opportunities, traveling to see clients or conferences and events. They can also use points or miles earned on a business credit card for some well-deserved vacation time to rest and relax.

Business credit cards may also come with trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance benefits that provide peace of mind and security in the event that a flight gets cancelled or an unexpected expense pops up.

By following the tips outlined here, you can make the most of your hard-earned rewards and cash back to reinvest in yourself, your employees and the future of your businesses.—

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Three pro tips to help you jumpstart your career in the skilled trades For recent high school grads, anyone transitioning from military service or those seeking a new career path, exploring job possibilities in the skilled trades can be eye-opening. The skilled trades present a variety of career pathways in the construction and home improvement industries including plumbing, electrical, carpentry, HVAC, roofing, painting and much more. During Careers in Construction Month, it’s the perfect time to discover job options that may be available to you with the right training.

The demand for skilled tradespeople in the U.S. remains strong, with over 400,000 current skilled labor job openings, according to the Home Builders Institute - and a need for over 61,000 hires in construction per month to keep up with job growth and to replace exiting workers. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts over 3.9 million jobs becoming available for home improvement-related trades over the next decade alone.

With thousands of skilled jobs ready for the taking, making the best career choice becomes easy when you have multiple paths to explore - and will continue to do so for many years to come. If you

already work in a skilled trade, this also means it’s a great time to increase your skills and continue growing your career.

One resource to get you started is The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program. PathtoPro.com provides skilled trades career information and free educational content - in English and Spanish - to help you explore jobs in the skilled trades, as well as training and opportunities to make connections with employers.

One man’s journey to a fulfilling career. Residential contractor Brandon Williams always knew he wanted to get into the trades. “Growing up, I loved building things,” Williams said, which led him to learn about building as a hobby. “I knew some skills for hobby work, but for an actual job, I wasn’t fully trained, and Path to Pro put me in a position where I could get trained.”

To prepare for his first job in the trades, Brandon registered for the Path to Pro Skills Program, which now offers free introductory trades training in both English and Spanish..

Hands-on experience made all the difference. “I’d been looking for something in this profession for GetRuralLeaderMag.com |OCTOBER 2023 9

months before I learned about Path to Pro, but most employers wanted someone with experience,” Williams recalled, “and Path to Pro really helped with that.”

After he joined the Path to Pro Network, a potential employer contacted him about a job, and his career began. “Every day, there’s something new, and this is the part I love about my job,” added Williams.

How to find resources to benefit your career path If you’re unsure how to get started, there are many free resources available for jobseekers and career changers. For example, The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program offers three options to support your progress in your trades career journey.

1. Visit PathtoPro.com: This website includes a free resource library, in English and Spanish, containing educational guides and video content, training opportunities and helpful information on different career paths to help you better understand your career potential in the skilled trades. The website also helps you navigate the registration process for the Path to Pro Skills Program and Path to Pro Network.

2. Register for the Path to Pro Skills Program: The program offers free introductory trades training, now available in both English and Spanish, for anyone interested in pursuing or growing their career in skilled trades. You can access on-demand content that provides the necessary training to secure entry-level positions in the highest demand trades,

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including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall and painting. You can work through the program at your own pace, at times that best fit your schedule. You’ll receive assistance to help you discover the best job for you, improve your resume writing and interviewing skills, learn safety standards and material handling best practices, build and identify transferable soft skills - and plan for your future career growth.

3. Join the Path to Pro Network: This jobseeker marketplace was created to connect skilled tradespeople to hiring trades professionals in the construction and home improvement industries. You can use the digital and downloadable guides, available in English and Spanish, to help you create your profile, upload your resume and even add photos of your work to help connect with The Home Depot’s Pro customers who are looking to hire in your area.

“No matter where you are on your trades career journey, Path to Pro has you covered,” said Jenna Arca, Director of Workforce Development at The Home Depot. “Whether you’re just starting out or looking to make a career change, our program is designed to empower you with the resources, training and networking opportunities you need to build a successful, fulfilling trades career.”

Ready to kickstart your trades career journey?

Take the first step toward success with The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program. Visit PathtoPro.com to learn more.—

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How the top barriers to upskilling American workers impact the workforce Employers and workers see a world filled with uncertainty and change - from conversations about AI and automation replacing or helping certain job fields to questions around which skills are needed to thrive in an economy shaped by continuous technological change.

One vital way for employees to improve how well they do their jobs and prepare to advance their careers is by upskilling - known as the process of expanding or developing new skills to better perform in a current job or improve career prospects.

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A new survey, “Closing the Activation Gap: Converting Potential to Performance by Upskilling the Workforce,” reveals how significant barriers to upskilling persist, resulting in fewer women and people of color having access to the skills they need, despite many organizations working to upskill the workforce.

The research, conducted by Reputation Leaders and sponsored by DeVry University, provides an in-depth look at American workers and their growing interest in skills development, which is critical for employee career advancement, as well as for business growth

and economic competitiveness.

Unequal access and opportunity. The study on upskilling found that women face persistent barriers, showing men are much more likely to report having access to upskilling (73%) than women (56%). This lack of access leaves women at risk of leaving their current employer at twice the rate of men, with 28% reporting they feel stuck in their positions and less able to advance in their careers. On top of that, women cite a lack of time and family priorities as barriers to learning.

Also, according to the survey, people of color have the most interest in upskilling, but the least access.

The survey found that 80% of Black and 71% of Hispanic workers who do not have access to company-paid upskilling would be very or extremely likely to use it, as opposed to 62% of white workers.

Although 66% of Black, Hispanic, and AAPI workers acknowledge upskilling as necessary for future career development, only 42% currently access company-paid upskilling. This is due in part to systemic barriers - with an average of 37% of Black, Hispanic and AAPI workers agreeing that workplace bias creates impediments to their upskilling goals.

The “say/do” gap. This research further indicates that too many American employees are falling through a “say/do gap” - they say ongoing focused skills development is essential to their careers, but do not actually participate. Even with employers (97%) and employees (96%) unanimously agreeing that upskilling is essential to professional success, employers and employees alike acknowledge they could be doing more to take advantage of skills development opportunities or to support access to those opportunities.

Only 1 in 3 workers think employers live up to their responsibility to prepare American workers for the future workplace, while employers estimate that only half (51%) of workers use company-paid up-

skilling offered to them. As the “say/do” gap expands and the labor market undergoes transformations that demand new skill sets, employers and workers must address the systemic obstacles keeping workers from accessing critical opportunities for career growth.

“Especially for workers of color and women, the barriers to upskilling make the gap between how they might want to upskill and being able to make that happen even wider,” said DeVry University’s Chief Inclusion, Belonging and Equity Officer Veronica Calderon. “This puts employers and employees alike at a disadvantage as the world of work and technology continues to evolve.”

Finding solutions. A failure to develop a future-ready workforce will have far-reaching, negative effects on productivity, efficiency and economic growth in the U.S. To address the now obvious say/ do gap, workers and employers must take action.

Educational institutions, such as DeVry, with flexible and customized programs for learners, can help provide more opportunities for upskilling in a wide variety of fields. In addition, the university’s workforce solutions division, DeVryWorks, marries worker and employer needs to identify and deliver learning solutions.

“Today’s jobs economy is evolving at a rapid rate, so the ability for workers to adapt means the difference between career and business success and stagnation,” said Scarlett Howery, vice president, Public Workforce Solutions at DeVry. “Continued skills development and growth is essential not just for employees to excel, but for the continued success of any business or organization.”

Learn about educational opportunities in your chosen career field at DeVry.edu.—

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Looking to pursue a career in a growing field?

Why cybersecurity should top your list Whether you’re in school, just graduating, or seeking a career change, your best bet is to consider positions that are in a growing field. One great example: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs such as information security analysts who focus on cybersecurity are estimated to grow 35% between 2021 and 2031.[1] Why is cybersecurity such a big deal? Due to fast-growing technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and quantum computing, companies large and small are understaffed and illequipped to handle these rapid technological changes and the security threats involved - or their current staff may be in dire need of upskilling just to keep up with this accelerated evolution.

While the U.S. government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is marking the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October with the theme, “It’s easy to stay safe online,” the truth about cybersecurity is much more complicated. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts damages of $8 trillion due to cybercrime globally this year alone. Organizations and businesses of all sizes continue to be victims of cybercrime, so the need to hire well-educated cybersecurity professionals with up-to-date knowledge and skills has never been

greater.

“The number of unfilled roles in cybersecurity grew 350% between 2013 and 2021. At the same time, cybersecurity attacks continue to rise with over 800,000 known attacks a year. This affects day-today lives, our economy, and our national security,” said DeVry University’s Chief Information Security Officer, Fred Kwong. “Higher education institutions and businesses must strive to make cybersecurity education and career pathways available to everyone.

Without enough talent to quickly fill these roles, companies will continue to be at risk of these attacks.”

Moreover, the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) bring new opportunities as well as challenges to the field of cybersecurity. For instance, AI’s power capabilities to make the most technologically savvy tasks easier for anyone to perform will give way to an increase in threat actors, aroundthe-clock breaching attempts, and more realistic, personable attack vectors. Thus, future cybersecurity professionals will need to know how to leverage tools for network monitoring and AI-powered threat detection to defend their organizations.

How can you learn the skills needed to join this field?

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If pursuing a career in information technology and cybersecurity sounds exciting, here is one option to help you get started.

Future Cyber Defenders Scholars Program at DeVry University. Designed to help students pursuing cybersecurity programs and preparing to pursue technology careers, the Future Cyber Defenders Scholars Program offered exclusively to DeVry University and Keller students gives you the resources and support you need to prepare to stand out as a cybersecurity professional.

In this program, eligible undergraduate and graduate students can: * Learn about training, events, conferences and networking opportunities hosted by leading industry organizations. * Earn badges for completing leadership series courses and access industry-relevant content through LibGuide. * Have opportunities to participate on DeVry’s National Cyber League competition team and join DeVry’s National Chapter of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). * Get the cybersecurity career support you need with access to job search resources and opportunities, including internships, apprenticeships and full-time positions.

Enrollment in the Scholars Program. Students who meet all the following initial eligibility criteria will be automatically enrolled in the Future Cyber Defenders Scholars Program: * Individual is a new, readmitted, resuming or continuing student

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* Student is enrolled in or will be enrolled in an eligible cybersecurity program * Student meets DeVry Admission and/or Keller Entrance requirements Interested? Visit DeVry.edu for more information.

Leading the way with AI learning. Striving to fulfill their mission to prepare learners to thrive in a technology-driven workforce, DeVry University’s unique Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab will help transform academic potential into academic performance and advance learner ambition. DeVry is also reinforcing its commitment to helping close the opportunity gap by providing education tailored to address the needs of the AI-driven workplace, including a course in AI and machine learning (ML) which is now embedded in six degrees and two certificate programs.

“The exponential growth of AI is reshaping industries across the board, impacting the way we work, and we must empower our workforce with the skills to not just adapt but thrive,” said Chief Information Officer Chris Campbell, DeVry University. “Our goal is to equip individuals at any career stage with the knowledge and expertise to leverage AI effectively. By doing so, we create a workforce that can harness AI’s power to drive innovation and efficiency across all sectors.”

To learn more, check out DeVry’s AI Resource Center at DeVry.edu/ai-resource-center.

[1] Growth projected on a national level. Local growth will vary by location. BLS projections are not specific to DeVry University students or graduates and may include earners at all stages of their career and not just entry level.—

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COVER STORY

Searching for alternative treatment options?

Learn more about the possibilities of biosimilars If you have a chronic illness being treated by prescription medications, you probably already know your options for medications are sometimes limited and how expensive they can be. This is especially true if you take biologic medications, which are specialized medicines created from living sources. But did you know you may have other treatment options, known as biosimilars, which are also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?

What is a biologic medication? Biologic medications are not created from chemicals, like most medications, but are made from living sources - like animal cells or microorganisms like bacteria or yeastwhich make the proteins that the biologic medication is made of.

If you or a loved one have one of these conditions, you may be taking a biologic medication for its treatment: * Arthritis * Breast, lung, or colon cancer * Crohn’s disease 18

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* Diabetes * Kidney conditions * Macular degeneration * Multiple sclerosis * Psoriasis Now multiple companies can make biosimilar versions of “brand name” biologics, like insulins, similar to how generics are versions of brand name drugs.

This could mean access to more treatment options for you, which could also potentially lower your cost.

How are biosimilars created? Biosimilars are made in the same way as the original biologic medication they are copying. However, unlike generics and chemical medications, biologic medications have natural variability.

To understand this better, imagine loaves of bread made from the same recipe. No one loaf is an identical copy of another, but they are the same type of bread. Each batch of a biologic medication is made with a mix of ingredients that includes living sources, and because living sources have slight variations, each batch is not an exact copy. However, each batch

does provide the same treatment benefits.

Just like it sounds, biosimilars are similar (almost identical) to their reference biologic, as they are made from the same types of sources as the original biologic medication - and they offer the same treatment benefits and have the same potential side effects. Biosimilars are given to patients the same way as the original biologics, with the same strength and dosage. Biosimilars are safe and effective for treating many illnesses, and may be available for a lower cost than the original biologic.

How are biosimilars different from generic drugs?

The main difference between a generic drug and a biosimilar is that generic medications are made from the same chemicals as the brand name medication.

Because biologics are generally made from living sources and require a specialized process to produce, biologic medications naturally have variability. In order to be approved, biosimilars must be very similar to the original biologics they are compared to.

But in the same way that generic medications are expected to produce the same effects as the brand medications, biosimilars are expected to provide the same treatment benefits as the original biologic and are not expected to cause new or worsening side effects.

Ask your doctor about biosimilars. Biosimilars may provide patients who rely on biologics with more access to important treatments, as well as the potential to save money. Every FDA-approved biologic, including biosimilars, undergo a rigorous review of data, studies and tests. The FDA also checks for medication quality during production and monitors the safety and effectiveness of all medications after their approval.

M“Patients can be assured that biosimilars are highly similar to the biologic medications they’re taking that are already approved by the FDA, and that they have no clinically meaningful differences from the reference product,” said Dr. Sarah Yim, director, Office of Therapeutic Biologics and Biosimilars/Office of New Drugs/Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at FDA. “This means patients can expect the same safety and effectiveness from the biosimilar as they would the original biologic medication.”

Visit FDA.gov/biosimilars to learn more.—

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