Entrepreneur Mindset feat. Mark Cuban

ENTREPRENEUR MINDSET

Fall 2020

DANIEL ZAKOWSKI

AMBYR CHILDERS

talks about Ready Set Food!

Fine Jewelry for the Modern Woman

TIFFANY STIGER The Art of Marketing

GREG SCOTT

Always Be Learning

MARK CUBAN ENTREPRENEUR - INVESTOR - GAME CHANGER

lives his miracle

ENTREPRENEUR MINDSET HOME OF CREATORS, INNOVATORS & VISIONNAIRES.

F A L L

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Contents

Editors in chief

Photographers

Chris de Neptune Johana Morena

Disrupt Motion @alextanoa @dsuave247 @Rowan_Daly @fay.photography.ca

Contributing writers Julien Viallet Chris de Neptune Loana Robert Damien Chaumel Jeanne Leblois

Marketing/Design Agence nüvo

THEMINDSET360.COM

@THEMINDSET360

06 FASHIONISTA

20 THE VISIONARY

36 WARRIORS

12 MARKETING

24 THE CHALLENGER

38 THE LONG RUN

14 WELLNESS

28 ENTERTAINMENT

40 IMPACT

16 GAME CHANGER

32 HEALTH

18 NETWORK

34 THE BUSINESS

feat. Ambyr Childers feat. Tiffany Stiger

feat. Daniel Zakowski

feat. Mark Cuban

feat. Amir Aghaei

feat. Dr. Hooman Mir

feat. Desiree Reavis

feat. Greg Scott

feat. Sean Matson

feat. JF Davis

feat. Isaac Camacho

feat. Martyn Cook

feat. Akil Kurji

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Meaningful jewelry for the modern woman 4

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ambyrchilders.com ENTREPRENEUR MINDSET FALL 2020

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FASHIONISTA

“My grandmother taught me that jewelry holds an invaluable truth and can be worn as a talisman to empower a woman’s strength in her femininity.”

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FASHIONISTA

AMBYR CHILDERS A C T R E S S

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mbyr Childers is a popular actress from various TV shows and movies, including the recent hit Netflix series, YOU. But what you may not know is that she is a successful entrepreneur who just launched her new “women-empowerment” jewelry collection under her own name that has become a top-selling item across the nation.

From your major success in the early 2000’s (All My Children TV series) to your role in the Netflix TV series “YOU”, you’ve come a long way! What an impressive career. How has your acting evolved over the years?

As you age you settle into who you are, which allows you to be more free as an artist and not care as much about what people think. That is really freeing, there is nothing blocking you or holding you back. Having gotten to work with people like Amy Adams, Denzel Washington and Paul Thomas Anderson, to watch them grow and take advice from these people that I admire so much as an actor has helped me evolve in that way.

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What are your upcoming projects that you can tease us with?

Right now I am focused on expanding my jewelry line!

We are working on some cool partnerships and giveaways to help say thank you to our amazing customer base that has been so supportive, especially during these difficult times.

I want to talk with you about your new jewelry collection (www.ambyrchilders.com). Beyond the fact that you love jewelry, how did the idea of creating your own jewelry line come about?

I love the stories that a single necklace, ring or bracelet can tell. My grandmother taught me that jewelry holds an invaluable truth and can be worn as a talisman to empower a woman’s strength in her femininity.

Learning the unique stories behind treasured pieces sparked the desire to embrace my heritage and the ancient symbols that surround it and translate that into beautiful jewelry pieces!

C R E A T E - I N S P I R E - E M P O W E R As an actress, you’ve also seen how the internet changed the game with social media networks and online marketing etc... To you, what are the 3 most effective ways to market yourself successfully?

Staying true to yourself, engaging directly with your followers, and staying up to date on current events are some of the most valuable ways that I use social media.

Being authentic online can be a challenge, everyone wants to show their highlight reel on Instagram, but I try to be as transparent as possible. Life isn’t always glamorous and my Instagram stories often feature my kids running around chaotically or me falling asleep after a long day of home-schooling! I think having a direct link to my fan base and asking them what content they want to see from me also helps me stay connected.

Jewelry is forever, it is something that can be passed down and cherished from generation to generation, and that was something that felt special and appealed to me, especially thinking about my daughters.

Have you also planned a national or local distribution in retail stores? Or why have you decided to stick to just online?

For now we are just online, but I am interested in expanding. My brand holds a strong message of empowering the people who wear it, so it is important to me that any retailer I partner with embodies that message as well. With that said, we just did a partnership with Fab, Fit Fun!

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FASHIONISTA

Explain to us the process. When you want to create your jewelry brand, how does it work? Who have you surrounded yourself with and what is your role? Are you also involved in the design part?

I am 100% involved in the design process for each piece.

The first step is taking the idea and putting it on paper.

From there, I work with a CAD artist to bring the piece to life, give it dimension. Then we produce samples and tweak it until it’s perfect!

Personally, I was very impressed by the Malachite Eclipse collection. It is of such beauty! Is this the best-selling collection? Tell us more about it!

I have to say this is one of my favorite collections. The stone is so beautiful and the message behind it is awesome. Malachite is the stone of transformation and energy, and I think we could all use a little extra energy boost during these trying times. I usually wear two to three pieces from the collection every day and it gives me the strength I need to power through my hectic schedule.

One of our other top-selling collections is the Rise Totem collection, the heart of my brand. The Rise Totem celebrates the bonds we form as women and we see many of our customers gifting these pieces to other powerful women in their lives, which brings me so much joy.

“You will be surprised what you can accomplish when you truly believe in yourself.”

Where do you see your brand in the future?

I see us expanding! We are constantly designing and developing new pieces, working on ways to get more involved in our community and trying to reach a bigger audience with our message.

Being a strong female actress and entrepreneur, what is your advice to other females who want to create and do things in life?

My advice is to go for it! You will be surprised what you can accomplish when you truly believe in yourself and your brand. This jewelry has given me so much purpose and strength and if it can help other people find their strength, and look good doing it, then it has served its purpose.

Interview by Jacques Senegat Photos by Rowan Daly

@ambyrchilders_official

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COMING SOON w w w. a s t r o n a u t m i n d s e t . c o m

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MARKETING

TIFFANY STIGER O w n e r

One thing to remember: Consistency is the key.

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E l i t e

How & when did the idea for Elite Music Promotions come about? What is your business background?

I started Elite Music Promotions 8 years ago, I have been a signed artist and I actually used to be signed to one of Def Jam’s A&R and I was so young I did not understand the business side of music. I signed paperwork that was so selfish and one sided. I did not understand the process of things. My company was formed to educate music artists and to offer them services to really help them advance in their career. My company was formed to uplift music artist and provide them with a structure that can take them to new heights.

Can you tell our readers a bit more about what Elite Music Promotions is, and what services the agency provides to clients?

Elite Music Promotions is a full marketing and promotional company that works with entertainment professionals such as athletes, music artists, models, actors, and small business owners to help them grow and create proper promotional campaigns to get their career, brand or product to new levels and help with the exposure process. We do everything marketing wise, to Press releases, digital advertisement, social media ads and promotion, Billboard advertisement, we can advertise you on buses and bus stops and radio promotion, commercials and blogs. We do everything to help companies and entertainment professionals grow.

How does your company differ from other music promotion sites out there? Elite Music Promotions differs from other music promotional sites out there because we actually put the time and effort to get to know

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M u s i c

P r o m o t i o n s

our clients, we care about our clients’ growth and will do what it takes to help with the expansion and growth of our clients. We take marketing to another level by finding out the goals of our clients and ensuring the progression of our clients’ growth.

If you’re a completely new artist, how do you generate new fans on social networks and Spotify?

The way a totally new client can generate new fans on social media and Spotify is by being consistent. To keep your fans engaged and be creative to gain new fans. Consistency is the key.

What is your typical day like?

Very busy, always finding new ways to be better and to stay on top of things. Being a good person that lives by good morals and consistency and ensuring that all my clients are progressing and moving forward.

What are the three most important lessons you have learned developing E.M.P? The three important lessons I have learned developing E.M.P. is to never give up on your dreams. To be consistent and follow up with your clients and to always find new and better ways to implement better strategies to the growth of my company and clients.

Finally, what advice would you give to a new artist trying to acquire a loyal and increasing fan base?

The advice I would give to a new artist trying to acquire a loyal and increasing fan base is to be persistent, to be ambitious, to be creative, and don’t give up. You will fall before you walk but learn from your mistakes and you will get better and better.

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MARKETING

“My company was formed to educate music artists and to offer them services to help them advance in their career.” elitemusicpromotions.com

@Hottkittykat

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WELLNESS

DANIELZAKOWSKI Daniel Zakowski is the co-founder and CEO of Ready Set Food! alongside one of its big investors Mark Cuban, who joined them after they pitched to him on Shark Tank! The company is the first to introduce a system that is safe and easy for parents to gently introduce products to babies via powder packets that get added to a baby’s bottle or food.

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an we first talk about your background? Before the Ready, Set, Food! adventure, what was your career path as a businessman?

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset, and I started my first serious business venture in college distributing medical consumable products like gloves and face masks to doctors and dentists. I started that business with 2 of my elementary school friends, and we grew it over 11 years to $10M a year in revenue with 45 employees. Unfortunately we made the wrong decisions about how to handle the 20089 recession, and went out of business soon thereafter. Ever since then I’d been looking for an opportunity to build something great again, so when my nephew developed a number of severe food allergies in 2017 and we knew that 80% of those allergies were preventable, I knew it was the right time to start a business and help prevent babies from developing severe food allergies.

“One thing I prioritize above all others is carving out a couple hours a day with my kids. That means I’m always back to work after their bedtime...”

As the co-founder and CEO of Ready Set Food!, can you please introduce your product? How is your supplement more efficient and safer than the competition?

Ready, Set, Food! is the easiest way for parents to follow the science and medical guidelines showing they can prevent 80% of food allergies for their baby. Medical guidelines by the USDA, AAP, and others recommend feeding small amounts of allergens, like peanut, egg, and milk, early and often to prevent food allergies, and we help make that as easy and safe

as possible. We have a much better product than our competition because we have a patent pending on feeding multiple allergens through a bottle to help prevent food allergies, which is a fundamentally better approach than feeding those allergens through food, because babies at 4-6 months of age often aren’t ready to eat that much food.

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For parents who would be worried about it, has Ready, Set, Food! had any negative side effects? There are no negative side effects from using Ready, Set, Food! A small number of parents will find out that their baby already has a pre-existing food allergy using our product, and since allergic reactions are smallest and most gentle in infants, all reactions have been

WELLNESS minor and we have great testimonials from many of those parents who were grateful to have found out their baby has a food allergy in the most gentle way possible.

Where do you see Ready, Set, Food! 5 years from now? Any future improvements or diversification?

In 5 years from now we will have launched a larger series of products aimed at helping parents prevent food allergies for their babies, and taken it globally. If every parent followed the new USDA guidelines for preventing food allergies, there would be 500k+ fewer babies every year that develop life-threatening food allergies, and our goal is to make that happen.

Since we are talking about the well-being of children and families, I am curious to know how you manage your entrepreneurial and family life. How do you manage to find the right balance between your job as CEO and your family life?

I’ve definitely had to make sacrifices for Ready, Set, Food! to succeed, but the one thing I prioritize above all others is carving out a couple hours a day with my kids. That means I’m always back to work after their bedtime, and often up early before they wake, but it also means I don’t miss my most important role...being a father.

As an entrepreneur, what were your biggest failures and what lessons did you learn from them?

My biggest failure has been an over-emphasis on data and analysis and an under-emphasis on people and relationships. Early in my career I dealt with people (including myself!) more as cogs to perform functions, and anything outside the scope of that function wasn’t as important to consider. By slowing down and taking the time to build more well-rounded holistic relationships with my team members and suppliers, I’ve found endless opportunities for improvement based on interesting discussions I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Parents are very concerned about the health of their babies. So my question is: what was the process to create this supplement and how do we know it works?

When we created Ready, Set, Food! there had already been 3 clinical trials showing that parents could prevent up to 80% of food allergies for their baby by feeding small amounts of allergenic foods, like peanut and egg, early and often. We know our product is safe and effective because we worked with leading allergy

@_readysetfood experts in the US, to make sure that our product exactly mimicked the process used in the clinical trials, which was proven to be safe and effective at preventing most food allergies.

From the moment you were on Shark Tank to now the commercialization of the product, how long did it take? What were the different stages?

When we were on Shark Tank we had already been selling Ready, Set, Food! to parents for about 1.5 years, but the visibility from Shark Tank and the investment from Mark Cuban has allowed us to reach so many more parents and help them prevent food allergies for their baby.

We’re currently in the process of scaling the reach of our business, through our partnerships with health systems like Advocate Aurora, and partner brands like our investor Danone.

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readysetfood.com How did you choose your medical advisory board for Ready, Set, Food!?

Choosing our medical board was one of our most important early decisions, because without top allergy experts on our board we would not have made all of the right product design decisions (from a medical perspective). Since our board includes leaders like Dr. Jonathan Spergel, head of allergy at CHOP, and Dr. Gary Rachelefsky, former president of the American Academy of Allergy and Asthma, we have been able to forge many other large scale medical partnerships because they trust the science and decision making behind Ready, Set, Food!

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GAME CHANGER

“Do what is right for your stakeholders. If you are not able to, then your business won’t succeed.” @mcuban

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GAME CHANGER

CUBAN M

A

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K

Always Be Learning

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ark Cuban is a world famous American entrepreneur, sports team owner, best-selling author, television personality, media proprietor, and investor. While one of the main “Shark” investors on the television show Shark Tank, Mark invested into a start-up health company called Ready, Set, Food!, which uses science to help approach making early allergen introduction easy for families everywhere. We spoke to Mark exclusively about this new company, why it’s so personal to him because of his daughter’s peanut allergy, and the company and their products are changing the world with his guidance and expertise by their side.

Mark, thanks for talking with us about “Ready, Set, Food!”. What led you to invest into this company?

My daughter has a severe peanut allergy, so over the years I’ve seen how difficult food allergies can be for anyone, let alone a child. There’s a great business opportunity in preventing food allergies, but what got me excited was their mission to prevent hundreds of thousands of babies every year from developing the food allergies that affect my family. When they committed to donating their product to parents in need I knew I had to join their team.

Most people see allergies as inevitable. How do we know that parents can help prevent food allergies?

The great news is that multiple clinical trials have shown that parents can prevent babies from developing up to 80% of food allergies by feeding allergenic foods regularly to babies. That’s why the USDA dietary guidelines recommend all babies eat peanut and egg starting at 4 months of age to prevent food allergies.

How can Ready, Set, Food! help prevent food allergies? Ready, Set, Food! makes it simple for parents to follow the clinical trials and medical guidelines. It can be very hard to regularly feed babies anything, so Ready, Set, Food! puts the right amount of peanut, egg, and dairy into a powder that dissolves in breastmilk or formula. That way every parent can easily give their baby the best chance at an allergy free future.

What is the next step for Ready, Set, Food!”?

The next step for Ready, Set, Food! is to scale their business and help save as many babies as possible from food allergies. One great example is that they’re launching partnerships with medical systems, like Advocate Aurora, to provide the best food allergy prevention education to tens of thousands of babies every year.

The balance between the wish to improve daily lives and, on another side, the necessity to find financing and make profit can be hard. What is your advice for young entrepreneurs who struggle to build a better future?

There is no struggle to find balance. Do what is right for your stakeholders. If you are not able to, then your business won’t succeed. If you provide a valuable service then your customers will be willing to pay enough that you can be profitable What is one quote you like to live life by?

There are 3 of them: “How you do anything is how you do everything”, “The one thing in life you can control is your effort”. The 3rd one is: “Always be learning”!

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NETWORK

AGHAEI Amir

“People Like People, Not Robots, How Unbelievably Modern We Become!”

As the Founder of People App, what was your motivation to create such an App? What inspired you to start this adventure? We live in an online social environment where everything people do is somehow related to their online presence. Over the years, we have all experienced wearing different hats on the internet: buyer, seller, freelancer, renter, event organizer, event attendee, and etc. Finally, two years ago we came to this conclusion that the internet has not been fully utilized in favor of “the people” yet. Yes, you see people using the internet more and more every day, but mostly as a consumer. When it comes to gaining visibility, companies, without doubt, have more resources so they are more adept to allocating a professional team for SEO, another team for social media management, another team for content creation for YouTube, and therefore, they have been able to dominate the Internet.

The internet has changed to a battlefield where companies compete for visibility and people are crushed in the middle. Platforms like Google have made it extremely hard and expensive for ordinary people to be found and seen. To gain visibility you need to have a website, do SEO, create SEO content, submit your sitemap, and more just to appear in search results.

I realized none of my friends know how to do these things so they are left with only one option, which is finding employment with companies that can afford to invest in their online presence. This leaves people to neglect their own business ideas and creates a perpetual cycle of companies getting stronger while people are becoming weaker and weaker. We also noticed the need to eliminate the list based search results to help people have an equal opportunity to get seen and found without fighting to be on top of a list. We founded People App with a single mission in mind, to empower people and create an equal opportunity for everyone to be seen and found.

Why should we download People App? What are the main advantages compared to other similar Apps?

We have designed People App as a unique platform with the unique goal of empowering people by providing them

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opportunities and tools for growth. To achieve this goal different tools were incorporated into the app. Think of it as an operating system like Microsoft Windows where you can use different things based on what you are trying to achieve.

There are many reasons why you should download and use People App, but to name a few I would say the top reasons are to make money, see what’s going on around you, being able to see other local people and their skills, events, items for sale, rentals, jobs, and more. A quick glance is all you need because everything appears on a map. Even better is that it takes less than two minutes to sign up and start being seen on the map. In addition, it is borderless so you can navigate to other areas and see things in different regions; this creates new opportunities and an international reach. Our biggest difference with most social media platforms is that we are not limiting you to your friends and followers; everyone gets to see everyone else.

It is commonly said that technology, especially social networks, keeps us isolated and distant from each other. I believe that People App’s mission is exactly the opposite!

Yes, you are right and People app’s mission is directly the opposite. We designed the app to connect people. To help establish this connectivity with ease, instant connection can be made on the app through video, audio, chat, or when dealing with locals you can simply plan a coffee meeting. In order to make it socially cohesive, we are trying to revolutionize and unleash social media stories.

The main difference is that People App stories are public and as soon as you post a story on the map, other users who are navigating within that area will see it. Not only are you available to view personal stories from all over the world, but you can also like and comment on your favorite ones too.

Therefore, by associating each story to a geographic location and making the stories public, we are unleashing a new and very powerful social media tool to be used by everyone who desires to be seen without needing to have friends or even without needing to be directly searched for.

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NETWORK

“There are great opportunities around us, and we are simply kept blind by relying too much on the internet.�

Can you tell us something about the process from the moment you had the idea until the moment, you launched the App? I was actually looking for a good developer for a while on the internet for one of my projects and I had no luck finding the right person. One day I was at Starbucks and I got to meet this great developer who had all the skills I was looking for and the spark was created. There are great opportunities around us, and we are simply kept blind by relying too much on the internet. So, I started by hiring that person, along with other great talents, and since then People App has become a passion for all of us.

As it is a free App, what is your business model? How do you plan to make your business profitable in the future?

We have laid foundational plans and secured the means through which we will continue to build upon our foundation. Our business plan is structured to guide People App into the position of being a profitable business. One of the main plans for generating a revenue is through targeted ads.

Basically, we will generate revenue by allowing users to run targeted, location based ads to boost their posts and stories.

well. In order to achieve this, we are intending to increase the team and the number of users on the app. To do this, more massive marketing and branding will be required. Our short term goal is to get up to 100,000 users before the end of this year, while our long term goal is to gain users globally in the years to come and become the place for people that they trust and believe in.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned since founding People App? I have realized that all these huge, outdated universities did not come about to serve people, they came about for money. I believe all students can learn things by themselves and I suggest to employers to boycott universities by evaluating candidates based on their skills and talents, not their degree. I have also learned that most of the entrepreneurs we have around us are stereotypically wealthy, yet greedy people who will do anything to build large companies and hire people to build their castles. I do not see them waking up each day with the goal of trying to empower people.

I’ve discovered that all we need are people who positively think about people.

Are you also looking for investments or funds to finalize or optimize your App? Yes, of course! Our vision is big, and we are going to need funds and investments to achieve this vision. Many new optimizations are needed on the app and all these require additional funding and investments as

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Visit people-app.org Available on Google Play & Apple App store Photos by Forough Yegan

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THE VISIONARY

DR. HOOMAN D LET’S

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MEDICINE

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Mir

r. Hooman Mir is a DPM physician by training, a proud Temple Medicine alumnus from Philadelphia where he obtained his doctorate degree in Podiatry Medicine with Board-Certification in Wound Care. His interest is in medical treatment of diabetic foot ulceration. He received surgical externships in Foot and Ankle Surgery from prestigious institutes such as Yale-New Haven of Yale, School of Medicine, Scott & White Hospital of A&M School of Medicine and Kennedy Memorial Hospital. He also completed one year of surgical internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York with an additional one-year training in Healthcare Policy & Patient Safety at Thomas Jefferson, School of Medicine. In addition, he has also received his other advanced Physician-MS degree in Clinical Investigation from UT Health, School of Medicine at San Antonio with his master thesis on Diabetic Nephropathy. He became the first DPM physician who has received full NIH-tuition reimbursement from Department of Medicine at UT Health, School of Medicine when obtaining his post-graduate degree.

Dr. Hooman, what do you enjoy about being a Doctor of Podiatry Medicine?

What I enjoy about being trained in this field of medicine is knowing how a simple medical routine examination of a diabetic foot can save that patient’s limb from being amputated and the difference you can make in the quality of life when dealing with our diabetic patients. Recognizing the impact of podiatry physicians in wound healing and Limb salvage of diabetic patients is an essential step in our Healthcare System for better quality of care.

My daily passion is Academic Medicine Practice. I am a full time Assistant Professor at Western University of Health Sciences where I get to give lectures to the future medical, dental and Healthcare Professionals in anatomical, biomedical and virtual simulated medical courses along with designing extensive medical curriculums such as USMLE Board and H&P Workshop training courses. Since

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my move to California 5 years ago, I have been very fortunate to have been traveling to different domestic and international destinations to give medical lectures and run medical/surgical training workshops as part of my Academic Medicine Practice.

Can you please introduce your “medical training program” called LEMSA - Learning Enrichment in Medical & Surgical Anatomy”? What problematic does your training program answer to?

LEMSA stands for “Learning Enrichment in Medical & Surgical Anatomy” . LEMSA is a One-Week intensive medical training program that not only gives its participants a big chunk of medical school-level clinical anatomy but emphasis is given on surgical techniques based on specific patient pathologies and clinical cases from reputable physicians and surgeons in our country. In addition, LEMSA offers medical training workshops such as Patient History & Physical , Surgical Principles,

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Surgical Suture Techniques, Ultrasound Crash Course, Injection Techniques, Patient Poster-Abstract Design to name a few. We also provide Medical Mentorship Program and Consultation for Medical, Dental, Health Professional Entry Programs for our participants. Our targeted students are all Pre-Med, Pre-Dental, PrePA, Pre-PT and Pre-Health Professional students from USA and all over the world.

My medical program is designed to provide affordable advanced training in medical curriculum for student who wish to pursue advanced Medical career as future Physicians, Surgeons and Health Professions such as Dentistry, Nursing, Physician Assistant, or Physical Therapy Specialists leading to saving millions of dollars on the cost of Medical-Education for our current future Physician and Health Professional students.

THE VISIONARY

What is the concept and what are the main advantages? I created LEMSA by combining the Uber Business Model and traditional Enrichment Medical Training with the most advanced simulated technologies all packed into this portable program that I bring to different university campuses for the future Physicians and Healthcare Professionals. My designed model has never been created or offered in the history of medical education in our country. By providing this program on University/Campus grounds and avoiding the heavily priced convention centers, hotel settings or University facility fees, I have been able to make my training program into the most affordable advanced medical enrichment program we have currently.

One of the main advantages of my program include not only an offered tuition that is a fraction of a cost compared to other enrichment programs in the country but also students save thousands of dollars from travel expenses, their boarding and such by not leaving their campuses since we bring the program to them.

The majority of USA students use their financial aid funds to pay for these costly programs which do not even provide an advanced curriculum or workshops as comprehensive as our program; this Uber-Business model version that is LEMSA can save individual students thousands of dollars leading to the less Financial Aid debt on our government in our country.

A couple years ago, you founded “Hooman Medicine”. Was it the precursor of your current LEMSA? Hooman Medicine was the precursor for LEMSA. I am the founder and medical director of Hooman Medicine which is an incorporated concierge medical service that provides the highest quality of care in diabetes, diabetic foot care, wound care dressing change, orthotic design, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of diabetic patients with high risk for cardiovascular disease or kidney failure. As part of Hooman Medicine’s mission, LEMSA was created to provide an affordable and portable Med-

ical Enrichment Program to future physicians/Health Professionals with limited financial means and for students who wish to receive advanced preparation of their Medical and Health Professional curriculums prior to starting their Medical, Dental or Health Professional schools.

“I believe there will be high demand for insertion of Biomechanics into daily podiatry management.”

Very concretely, how does it work?

Let’s say we are a group of students and we would like to access your program?

What is the process and the main steps to follow?

The main step comes from us. Our chief operator works with the dean’s office of the University that your group of students are coming from, to secure the large classrooms where we set up our different medical, surgical and small group lecture workshops. We bring all the advanced equipments such as surgical/suture sets, our advanced 3D technologies and our human-replica surgical manikins as part of our program to that campus. We create a replica of Medical & Health Professional School with our group of contracted physician lecturers and active medical & health professional students who all join together to bring LEMSA to the targeted audiences. We normally use the Fall, Spring or Summer break to have this portable program set up at different campuses so students will have dedicated time to focus on their Training.

The process of registration is very simple. We email registration forms that can be filled out electronically and we get to know our students, their current academic standing, their main goals through series of questionnaires prior to starting the program. Upon completion of their registra-

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tion, students receive their booklet manual, their itinerary and all supplemental resources prior to starting their training.

You recently ran the PILOT program at UT San Antonio last year with 121 students. What the feedback was? Has this helped you improve your program?

As someone who has his feet firmly planted in Texas, it was the ultimate honor for me to host LEMSA at UT San Antonio.

I was blown away at the reception it received. We have amazing students from our Pilot programs who have already been accepted into their medical and health professional schools of their choice and we are looking forward to having their names, pictures and their testimonials posted on our Website. The one constant feedback we received was how they strongly felt that their LEMSA Letter of Recommendation played a big role into their acceptance and how during their interviews, they were asked about their LEMSA training experiences.

The program has evolved since we ran the Pilot program last year. For example, we now offer official assessment process of our students after they finish their program with us. We also have added newer surgical workshops since the Pilot program.

The one improvement we have done is to make sure to check the lecture rooms and facilities of the campuses in advance to avoid any last-minute surprises such as different lecture and workshop rooms not being close to each other or equipped with projection devices we might need.

Beyond your career, you are also a travel enthusiast! How many countries have you visited so far? What was your favorite one?

OMG, I think I lost count a while back lol. Travel is my lifeline. I feel lucky that most of my travels have been sponsored as part of my career because normally I would be giving a medical lecture or running a workshop as an invited guest at a conference. For example, I have been very fortunate to have been giving lectures and running an annual surgical amputation workshop at the Imperial Medial College in London for the past 5 years. So for me, November is always about London. I can

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THE VISIONARY “Medicine is the one field that requires you to keep your knowledge updated so you can better serve your patients and future generation of our physicians and healthcare providers.” tell you that London, Paris, Berlin, and Dubai have been part of my annual travel itinerary for a long time.

Every year, I rank one destination as my favorite one out of all the places I visit during that year. For 2019, my favorite destination was Vienna since I spent a week attending AMEE International Medical conference and was able to really enjoy what the city had to offer. Berlin and Marseille are my ultimate best destinations of all time. I know every inch of these two cities by now due to my numerous visits.

Barcelona is also up on my favorite list. I am bias when it comes to favorite domestic destinations which are clearly Austin and Philadelphia for me.

Let’s talk about health and wellness.

Via your Instagram, we noticed you have lost a lot of weight over the last few years and you share with your followers the diet you are going on. Why is it important for you to find a healthy balance between your work and personal life?

I have struggled with my weight for a long time. In 2018, I had a major health scare that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

I fully recovered from that ordeal, but I felt that everything came crashing down on me. I reached a point when I knew that I needed to take control over my weight and health. My father who is my hero said it best “Take care of yourself first, so you can take care of others”. I took 6 months medical leave to focus on myself for the first time in my life; in other words, I became my own patient.

I owe my weight loss to my parents who are simply my best friends in life. For 6 months, my parents unrooted their lives and stayed with me every day. My mom cooked me healthy small portion meals.

My father would take me for long walks, and I got back to swimming which helped me with getting the pounds off me. My best friend in California encouraged me to get a cold pressed juicer and I got so addicted to staring my day with fresh juice.

I can tell you it took a village to get my-

“Travel is my lifeline.

I feel lucky that most of my travels have been sponsored as part of my career...” self on the right track and now, I have a completely different outlook, empathy and deep understanding of what many of our patients go through. It is not an easy journey and if you do not have the level of support that I had, it would be a more difficult transition to get to this point.

What do you see coming of the horizon in the future in podiatry?

Regarding what future holds for my profession, I believe there will be high demand for insertion of Biomechanics into daily podiatry management. Hooman Medicine’s Gait & Biomechanics Laboratory in Dubai will be functional by the

Dr. Hooman Mir, DPM, MSc, FAPWCA Known as Dr. Hooman Founder & CEO of Hooman Medicine Founder & Director of LEMSA Program Assistant Professor in Academic & Clinical Medicine Email: Hooman@HoomanMedicine.Org

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mid 2021 as we are in final negotiation of its implementation. In addition, I believe the usage of newer Orthobiologics will be making a huge impact for the surgical outcomes of my profession. One of my main goals will always be advancing patient’s education on their diabetic status and making them become their strongest advocates for their own limb salvage.

What would you recommend to a student just getting out of school and wants to get into the health care industry?

My professional advice for Physician students will be to have them live by these three words: Learn, Serve & Lead. Studying never ends for people like us; Medicine is the one field that requires you to keep your knowledge updated so you can better serve your patients and future generation of our physicians and healthcare providers. Learning becomes part of your daily growth so embrace it. As a Texan born, I live my own life with MatthewMcConaughey’s Philosophy who says, “Have three things in life” and you will be “Alright”. 1- Have something to look up to.

2- Have something to look forward to.

3- Have someone to chase.

I always look up to God, my parents, siblings, and mentors such as Dr. Lawrence Harkless to guide me on my life whether it is a personal or a professional journey.

I look forward to making each day count and make a difference in this world with my work for patients and future physicians. I do not have someone to chase yet in my private life, but I am in no rush.

DESIGNED BY

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The second best time is now.”

- Old Chinese proverb

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THE CHALLENGER

DESIREE s i v a Re

NATURAL BORN LEADER - CHALLENGE SEEKER Desiree, can you please introduce yourself?

I am originally from a small town in West Virginia. Best known for it’s beautiful mountains and genuine hardworking people. Growing up on a dirt road below poverty level is what instilled the work ethic I have to this day. Now I run multiple companies and live in Palm Beach Florida with rush hour traffic and palm trees. However, my upbringing has kept me grounded and grateful for everything I have accomplished. Not to mention the tenacity I have needed to overcome every obstacle that has been placed in front of me. Whether it was the limitations of my environment, financial hardships, beating cancer, or fighting against the glass ceiling, I simply refuse to become a victim of circumstance.

How do you balance being at the head of 2 different companies and also an employee for Pro-Line Industrial Products at the same time?

Over the years I have perfected the act of balancing. Because I didn’t have the luxury of growing up in a wealthy family, I have had to work for other companies as I incorporated my own. It was helpful that I was already established in the entertainment industry before taking my position at Pro-Line. I also worked my way up within the company, so my responsibilities grew over time. I started out as a sales executive, then transitioned to corporate trainer, East Coast Sales Manager, and currently I am the National Sales Director with my sights set on VP of Sales. I am one of those Alpha overachieving types of people. Having years of experience maneuvering between the Corporate World and Entertainment Sector, I have developed a certain skill set that I then fused together to create the powerhouse known at The Desired Group. However, I cannot stress enough collaboration and time management is vital to my success.

Tell us about your work as the National Sales Director at Pro-Line Industrial Products.

I know it may sound strange to hear a woman say she enjoys working in the Industrial Chemical Industry but I do. I absolutely love Pro-Line and the people I work with. And I un-

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derstand how rare that is. I can’t explain how empowering it is to work for a 100 % Women owned and run business.

Nothing against men but I love our GIRL POWER. In my position I do everything from recruit other sales executives, to train/mentor managers. While assisting in opening new markers, client relations with large corporations and government entities. I also work directly with the owner in implementing new policies and procedures, and whatever else is needed from me. (prolineindustrial.com) What led you to setting up your own business? It looks like you are a real “Challenge-seeker”!

As a natural born leader, and a people person I was destined to take this route. My drive for financial freedom also meant I needed multiple streams of revenue. With Reavis Enterprises I saw a great opportunity and I went for it. I already had the experience of managing other people’s companies.

However, it was definitely a learning curve. But I love to push myself. I had never been in charge of payroll, or used QuickBooks. To this day I still remember my first workman comp audits. As far as The Desired Group it was honestly the universe pushing me back into the entertainment industry and I have never looked back.

What excites you about entrepreneurship?

I love to be challenged, and the satisfaction I receive from creating my own empire. In fact, I am currently working on my first real estate development project. So literally I am building my legacy brick by brick. I also strive to inspire others, especially young women who come from challenging circumstances like myself. Growing up I didn’t witness a lot of women in business. I came from a family where the generation of phenomenal ladies that raised me stayed home with the children and managed the house. So it is very important to me that I show those that are considered disadvantaged, the power that we have within ourselves to influence our outcome.

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“I am one of those Alpha overachieving types of people.� @thedesiredgroup

THE CHALLENGER

“I also strive to inspire others, especially young women who come from challenging circumstances like myself.”

Describe your agency, The Desired Group, and the services you are offering.

We specialize in artist management, PR, marketing, and multimedia services. We are in negotiations to purchase our first building which will be our corporate office, music studio, and event space, including residential units. We are very hands on and work intensely on all aspects of development. Presently, on our roster is the Urban Pop artist E1even who will be releasing his EP this November titled “11/16” (11theartist.com). As well as our strategic partnerships in the food industry. “The JankGourmet BBQ Sauce” who was HEB’s food vendor of the year (bbqjank.com).

Moreover, we have two publications in development, Thee Perfect Magazine (theeperfectmagazine.com) and I Nation Magazine (inationmag.com), The Desired Group is also making our first foray into film and television production.

What makes your agency stand out in such a competitive market?

The Desired Group has been built on a legacy of hard work, and consistency. With over 20 years of cultivating relationships in multiple industries. I pride myself on the fact that the common denominator of the clients referred to TDG, is because of my integrity and reputation of being a genuine and authentic person. The reason people trust me with their brand is because I am very passionate about what I do, and their project takes priority over everything until we reach their desired outcome.

What is a day like “in your heels?”

First, I only bring out the stilettos for the power meetings.

On an average day before Covid I would find myself in a TSA line around 5am. I traveled a lot for business. Nowadays it’s my phone notification that begins around that time.

I get up, do my morning meditation, then get the little one ready for school. No matter what powerhouse public figure I display I still have the role of mother and wife. Then it’s back to business. The beautiful thing about the chemical industry is your day typically starts early and ends around 4pm. So, between those hours I have multiple meetings with clients and sales executives, emails, and phone calls.

And after a full day of making sure the world has enough bacteria, enzymes, degreaser, and now with covid; PPE items. I then morph into my alter ego Desie. In the entertainment industry most business happens in the evenings

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and weekends so it fits my dual lifestyle very well. And no day is typical in that arena. It could range from conference calls to casting calls, music video, studio sessions, interviews, or performances.

If any, what challenges have you experienced as a woman in business during your overall career?

I have always found myself working in a predominantly male industry. Even as a very young woman I was the first female to ever join the volunteer fire department. I like to pioneer. And with a background in industrial HVAC, Chemicals, and even the Entertainment Industry. Quite often I find myself the only woman in a lot of these meetings. So, in order to be taken seriously and feel validated I always strive to be the smartest, and the hardest working person within those four walls. To ensure I am respected and viewed as a peer. Unfortunately over the years, because of my gender I have found myself in uncomfortable situations. And as a woman I believe you have to be very cautious on how you defuse certain advancements, so it does not affect your professional relationships. Also, the balancing act between family and business is far more difficult than running multiple companies. Even though it is 2020 and with the social climate people don’t like to label certain tasks by gender, I find no matter how many titles, degrees, or zeros in your bank account as a woman, if your refrigerator is empty, the laundry isn’t done, and your child’s homework is not complete. Where does society typically point blame?

Which female entrepreneurs inspire you the most? Why do you look up to them?

Growing up I didn’t really have a lot of examples of women entrepreneurs, except for maybe Oprah on my television.

Recently, I have been inspired by Sara Blakely/s story, the founder of Spanx. I can relate to her journey, and find it very inspirational on how she turned rejection into becoming a female self-made billionaire. In fact, one of my goals is to align myself with a successful woman in business such as herself. I am actively seeking a mentor, so Oprah or Sara if you are looking for a protégé I would be honored.

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Website: thedesiredgrp.com Photos by D. Suave (@dsuave247)

“Whether it was the limitations of my environment, financial hardships, beating cancer, or fighting against the glass ceiling, I simply refuse to become a victim of circumstance.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

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reg Scott recently appeared and won during the most recent Season 2 of NBC’s Songland where his song “Miracle” was chosen for pop recording artist Bebe Rexha and was just announced that it is going to be used as the theme song of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics Games; alongside co-writer/producer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic. His latest solo song, “I Still Do” was just released and is climbing the music charts!

You work alongside co-writer/producer Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic). How is it working with him and when it comes to songwriting, what is each person’s role?

When it came to re-tooling the song. We really wanted to tackle the verses lyrically and melodically to fit Bebe Rexha’s style. Ryan, Andrew (his writing partner) and I went at it together and I sang the new parts as they fed me lyrics.

I will say, there was some added pressure that the song had the Olympic weight on it.

The public discovered your talents on NBC’s “Songland” television show and we can say that it was an incredible success story for you! When you signed up for this show, were you expecting something so incredible?

Well, I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I had the chance to show the world what I had been crafting back when I was tugging on my Dad’s shirt on stage as a toddler.

“Just to be able to put food on the table with music is a win around here.”

Are you currently living a dream? What song title would best describe your life today?

I swear this isn’t a shameless plug but, “Miracle” now a Bebe Rexha song, is the title of my life. The song is about not giving up on your dreams. All the perseverance and drive it takes to achieve your goals! That’s what I’m all about.

If you had to remember only one thing from this adventure, what would it be?

Ok first I was invited to Ryan’s Hollywood studio to work on the second version of my song ‘Miracle’. I thought I was just going to your typical everyday studio but the gates opened up and I was overtaken by the foyer looking straight out through the house to a dreamy zin like Buda overlooking a serene crystal white pool. The water separated two of the four studios in the house. His assistant offered me an espresso and I took a moment by the Buda to try and comprehend what the “F” was happening. If that wasn’t enough, I go to use the

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Did I know my song was going to be the theme song for the Tokyo Olympic games? Um, wow… I didn’t expect that! Life changing.

bathroom and I saw the Grammy Ryan won for Adel’s 21 album. Winning a grammy is my ultimate goal and has been a dream of mine my whole life. For that to be my line of sight while relieving myself was as surreal as you would think. After washing my hands, you know I had to pick that bad boy up. I looked in the mirror and had a Wayne’s World moment. “It will be mine. Oh yes. it will be mine.” Haha! Tedder was so quick and confident in the studio and that really resonated with me. What I took from it all is just go for it and let your intuition step in and trust your abilities.

“I just released a new single called “I Still Do” and it’s available everywhere you get your music. I’m proud of this one and feel it’s a song we all need right now.”

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a musical career?

Have your hands in EVERYTHING. You can’t just be a singer, you can but you’ll be too limited. I have friends in the business that just sing and just perform which is great but what happens when there’s no live shows… We are going through this right now and if I only depended on that my wife, kids and I would be living out of our car! I was very lucky to have people in my ear at a young age telling me… “Learn how to record yourself, learn how to write, how to play an instrument, how to produce.” Pivot is the word of 2020!

How do you generate new ideas for songs?

What is your creative process like?

It’s different in every session but I like to pull from real experiences, whether they’re my own or the person I’m writing with. I’m big on collaborating. I really enjoy the first hour of the writing session where we just catch up, talk about life and what we’re both going through.

That truly is what inspires the music. I like starting with just piano, just guitar and maybe a stripped down drum loop to set a mood. It’s all about lyric and melody. Everything else should support that.

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What are your goals for the future?

Alright, you ready? There’s a freaking laundry list, ha! My goals are to sign a publishing deal, sign with a label or start my own. I’ve yet to go on my own tour. My dream has always been to travel the world and bring my wife and kids with me. I know there’s a Grammy in my future. That’s my ultimate goal and has been my dream since I saw MJ holding his 8 Grammys… I just need one but…

Instagram @gregscottmusic Website: officialgregscott.com

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HEALTH

MARTYN COOK

“Noobru is a play on words — “Noo” sounds very similar to “New” but is also a nod to “Nootropics” - using the first 3 letters there. Then “bru” is a nickname for “drink” - but it also has links to friendship and family, which we liked as it feels inclusive and welcoming.”

W W W . N O O B R U . C O M Martyn Cook has been marketing and selling online since the age of 14 when he learnt to build websites to impress a girl (it didn’t work!). Since then he’s sold everything from dog collars to houses leveraging the internet. Martyn co-founded a software company, built multiple 7-Figure ecommerce brands, co-founded a high-level digital entrepreneur mastermind that hosts luxury meet-ups around the world, has spoken from stages around the world and still somehow found the time to self-publish two books.

Martyn’s latest project, Noobru, a cognition drink, is on a mission to fortify 1 Billion meals by 2025, helping to tackle the 2 billion person, worldwide malnutrition problem. Martyn absolutely loves connecting with entrepreneurs and he regularly does that via his Smarter Destiny Podcast and Community.

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What’s your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?

I’ve long been a believer and practitioner in Life/Bio-Hacking with the goal of getting more output for the same amount of input. When I stumbled across Nootropics, over a decade ago, it was an exciting new world - the thought of being able to get more out of your brain, every day - wow! The possibilities felt endless.This path had me experimenting, like a human guinea pig, with all kinds of Nootropics - gradually learning the pros and cons of each - leading to formulating a perfect (at least for me) ’stack’ (this is the name given to a combination of different ingredients taken together).. Most days I was taking a fist full of different nootropic pills, which isn’t a fun experience. It was time consuming to open all the pill bottles, and the dose of each nootropic was limited by whatever amount was in the pill.

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HEALTH

@drink_noobru

I then began to learn that actually pills aren’t very efficient, studies have shown that as much as half of what you take in pill form isn’t actually absorbed - it just becomes expensive urine. Whereas in liquid form, we can absorb almost 100%!

This was the beginning of the journey for me - I teamed up with a medical doctor and set out to make a better nootropic, the perfect, safe amount of effective ingredients that are consumed as a drink, taste delicious and work together to give you an advantage. I opted to serve them in eco-friendly, single-serve sachets so they were super convenient and easy to take with you on the go.

What makes Noobru different? First off, I commend any brands that have gone the drinkable route for their supplements - it’s a much more effective means of consuming nutrients. Our focus was on creating a safe and effective supplement drink that tastes amazing! We didn’t want it to taste like medicine, or have any nasty taste at all - we wanted it to be as delicious as the drinks we consume for please - and we’re immensely proud of what we’ve created - it’s delicious! In addition to that, we wanted Noobru to be eco-friendly, so all of our packaging is completely plastic free. We wanted Noobru to be convenient, so we sell it in single-serve sachets that are easy to throw in your pocket or bag and bring with you.

Lastly, but SO importantly - we, as a business, wanted to make a real difference in the world with our brand. So, Noobru has had a charitable component baked in from the very beginning.

With every purchase, we fortify the meals of at least one child, for at least a year. We’re taking on the global malnourishment problem, which affects 2 Billion People. Our mission is to fortify 1 Billion Meals by 2025 - that is our core focus right now, but I’m excited to set our sights on challenges such as Climate Change, and plastic production — for the latter, we are already a zero-plastic company - our products are all packaged in eco-friendly materials. That’s on top of helping our customers, (currently spanning 50 countries) find success with whatever it is that is important to them - Work/Professional Life, Competition, Study and Exams or combating age-related mental decline.

“Entrepreneurs are masters at innovation and disruption and have the ability to solve real problems...”

Your mission is to fortify 1 billion meals by 2025. What is your strategy to reach such a beautiful goal?

With every purchase we fortify the meals of at least one child for at least a year - so certainly, spreading the word about Noobru and reaching more people is a massive part of the plan. We see a big percentage of our customers coming back and re-ordering from us. Normally they have ordered a small amount first - 1 month supply, and then return and order a 6 month supply. Since we’re donating with every order, those larger orders really help us on our journey to 1 billion fortified meals.

As a CEO, what’s your everyday health routine? What does your daily supplement routine look like?

Being a practising Bio/Life-Hacker, I’ve certainly incorporated many many ways to improve my health or performance over the years. Everything from floatation tanks, acupuncture, binaural beats, ketosis, blue-blocking and (of course) Nootropics.

A massive area of focus for me is - 1) Sleep and 2) Morning routine - so essentially everything you do between around 8pm and 7am — which is the opposite side of the clock to where most people focus. Quality sleep is absolutely essential to everything. Mood, Performance, Healthy, Energy Levels, Motivation, Discipline and so much more are all linked to sleep.

There’s a lot to incorporate in this area, but blocking blue light (think LEDs, Screens on your Devices etc) later in the day is a huge one.

If you’re interested, start looking into “circadian rhythms” and definitely listen to the podcast episode I recorded with bio-hacker Ryan Carter, episode 75 on the Smarter Destiny Podcast - we go deep into the biggest impact bio-hacking techniques. Supplement wise, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Magnesium are important supplements that I take. But Noobru Advantage is my go-to cover-all-bases supplement - I drink it every single day without fail.

What does Noobru mean? How did you choose the name?

Noobru is a play on words — “Noo” sounds very similar to “New” but is also a nod to “Nootropics” - using the first 3 letters there. Then “bru” is a nickname for “drink” - but it also has links to friendship and family, which we liked as it feels inclusive and welcoming.

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HEALTH

“Why give up? Definitely appreciate how far you have come and be grateful, but that road ahead has so much excitement and challenge waiting for you - let’s keep going!”

What is your advice to others looking at creating a product and going into the business world?

For me, I need to be passionate about a problem that I’m building a solution for. I need to be able link a charity element to the niche (that our customers would care about) it needs to be challenging enough to stretch my mind and ability and the business needs to be location-independent -I don’t like being tied to one location! Also, to me it’s very important that whatever the product is - it needs to be innovative - I don’t sell “me too” stuff anymore and figure the harder it is for me to produce the product I’m selling, the harder it is for competitors to rip off.

Typically when researching and creating a new product and especially when looking for suppliers, I’m making cold-calls to potential partners that I’ve found on google as far down as page 10! I choose to call, rather than email, as it provides an opportunity to learn more about the manufacturing or supplier process in this space - it also enables me to get to know the potential partner and figure out if they’re a good fit - do they shy away from a challenge? Are they prepared to grow with us and innovate the way they do business too? Do they share our values?

You just can’t get those answers from sending emails — and often you don’t even get a reply!

is to 1) be successful (of course) but 2) to leverage that success to make the world better. We call it being “An Enlightened Entrepreneur” - and it means that your company, through its success should make a positive impact on the world as a whole.

What is one motto you live life by?

“I didn’t come this far to only come this far”. I love this motto as it speaks to the point that there are always ways to improve and opportunities to be better. I don’t tend to settle, I’m always questioning the ways things “have always been done” and looking for efficiencies, tweaks and areas to optimise. So why give up? Definitely appreciate how far you have come and be grateful, but that road ahead has so much excitement and challenge waiting for you - let’s keep going!

I actually go into depth into 9 different ways you can have a massive positive impact on your business using the phone in my new book 1% Secret - which you can get for free here: www.1percentsecret.com In addition to the advice above, I have a ‘rules of engagement’ checklist for projects and brands I get involved with, some of the key questions on this list include: Is a similar product already selling? Is it consumable (repeat customers)? Is it easy to ship? Is it eco friendly /sustainable?

Is it a big enough space to sell 9-figures in without being more than 20% of the market Why is entrepreneurship so important in today’s society?

I believe that entrepreneurs are masters at innovation and disruption and have the ability to solve real problems in a lean way that is very difficult for larger organisations to do with such agility. However I believe there’s more to it than that, and we really hit this next point on the Smarter Destiny Podcast - we talk about the responsibility that all entrepreneurs have - which

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noobru.com

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THE BUSINESS

AKIL KURJI

“THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS THE QUALITY OF YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.” I N T E R V I E W

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Tell us more about your entrepreneurial path. How did you land in e-commerce and start Scalable Brands?

My entrepreneurial path started in middle school in 7th grade where I would buy candy from my dad’s gas station and resell it to my friends at school. When I got to high school I discovered eBay and Amazon. I would stay up all night and buy the new Jordan shoes and then resell them on eBay for a profit. This led to other products such as silicone wristbands and any product I could resell on eBay I would sell. In my college years I would go around to fraternities and sororities and sell custom t-shirts.

After graduating college I moved back to my parents home. I came across an opportunity in 2010 where I had the ability to Sell 4g Internet. This became my first venture called Free Wire Communications. We became a national master dealer with Clearwire which was owned by Sprint. We ended up opening 20 locations nationwide in strip centers and malls and created 150 jobs and

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200 independent contractors in 12 months.

The company ended up growing too quickly and due to the early stages of WiMAX technology we ended up going out of business due to the network being unstable and everyone adapting LTE. In 2011, I partnered with a friend of mine and launched a Halloween and lingerie website called Spurst.com. This is where I learned how to build a large scale e-commerce company. I ended up walking away from the partnership a year later. I failed once again.

In 2012. I bought a small laser engraver and some blank silicone wristbands from China and started to engrave custom messages on them. I launched a brand called PMGOA and started to wholesale custom wristbands, custom buttons, custom temporary tattoos to online retailers and marketing agencies.

In 2013, I created my first e-commerce website called BrandNex.com and sold

ENTREPRENEUR MINDSET FALL 2020

our products online. In 2015 I moved out from my parents garage into my first 6,000 square foot facility. In 2016 our company made the inc 500/5000 list. For the next five years we made the INC 500/5000 list and grew year-over-year. We ended up moving into a 20,000 square-foot building in 2018 and ran into some legal issues which we had to scale back. Due to the legal issues we ended up subcontracting most of our orders and ran a lean company and got out of manufacturing and focused on sales. We had a huge warehouse with machines and a limited staff. I ended up pivoting back to my old college days where I was selling custom t-shirts. This is when I pivoted into print on demand and became a contract printer for apparel. From April of 2020 to September of this year We grew from 25-180 people.

I created Scalable Brands to enable other entrepreneurs to leverage my infrastructure to help them scale their businesses rapidly online by bootstrapping.

THE BUSINESS

W W W . G A R Y V A Y N E R C H U K . C O M

“The entrepreneur journey seems easy from the outside but it is one of the most difficult journeys in life but also the most rewarding.”

How did you come up with the SWAGIFY idea? Can you briefly explain how you came up with the initial concept?

In 2017 I bought an old legacy system from all the profits I had left over from an entrepreneur who went out of business. He didn’t own a facility and had an online printing platform. Since I had my own facility I could easily be more competitive in the print on demand business. I took that system and called it Everything With Ink. We got a few large accounts which allowed us to launch our first print on demand business. We are now rebranding Everything With Ink to Swagify.

industry. We have created our own proprietary software that is a game changer for our industry.

What makes Swagify more appealing than the competitors?

Swagify is the first transparent platform that will allow resellers online to control their own supply chain and be able to use our facility as a back up if someone drops the ball. Our proprietary routing technology is a game changer for the printing and promo

As an entrepreneur, what was your most painful failure? It is already painful being a startup entrepreneur with no funding. In 2016 I was raided by the FBI for violating the Sherman Act for conspiring to fix prices on silicone wristbands With competitors.

That was my most painful failure because I let my family down. I almost lost my com-

How do you see the business going in the future? Print On Demand is still at its infancy And we have just scratched the service. With more people wanting to sell online they will need help with fulfillment and warehouse space. eCommerce was on track to grow 300% over the next few years but due to Covid that happened in 6 months. eCommerce will continue to grow but brick and mortar stores will become more like showrooms.

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pany and had to pay millions in legal fees and fines that I did not have. I also had to serve 8 months in a federal prison for a law that I didn’t know existed. I was ignorant and it taught me a very valuable and expensive lesson.

What is your advice to others who want to start and run their own business?

The entrepreneur journey seems easy from the outside but it is one of the most difficult journeys in life but also the most rewarding if you focus on your passion project so it feels that you are not working for money.

Find successful people and find a mentor.

Someone who has wisdom about structure, legal and finances. Don’t chase the influencer entrepreneur who shows the fancy cars.

Find the mentor who is authentic about their struggles and can help you build a solid foundation.

Website: www.swagify.com

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Before you were a successful entrepreneur, you were a Navy SEAL. How did your time in the military help you transition into the business world?

The military is an amazing organization that gives incredible opportunities for service members to lead, to be accountable for their actions and to ultimately be part of something that is bigger than themselves. No matter what your military occupational specialty (MOS) was in the military, it can prepare you for a life as an entrepreneur. The military drills key principals in our head, which are honor, integrity, doing the right thing and doing more with less to name a few. These are obviously the same pillars that Zach Steinbock and I use as our foundation for MATBOCK and all of our subordinates.

What kind of items can be found on MATBOCK (shop: www.matbock.com)?

We have everything from auto-focus night vision goggle accessories to medical litters to waterproof bags. We work hard not to pigeonhole ourselves into one category and focus more on pyramid shifting technologies.

What is the hardest thing in running an e-shop that you have found? While we sell our products on www. matbock.com, the vast majority of revenue comes from government contracts and orders from our distributors

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(through their contract vehicles). We have had other companies in our portfolio, which were 100% e-commerce business, so trying to take those lessons and apply them to matbock.com didn’t always translate and vice versa. All that being said, the hardest part about e-commerce is how fast technology is changing and how “immediate” everyone wants things to happen; from browsing to product arriving, they want it to happen at lightspeed.

“The only way to get 20 years of experience is putting in 20 years of work”.

What type of people do you like to hire at MATBOCK? Loyal. We feel that if they are loyal to the brand, this means that they are also enjoying what they are doing and this means more to us than just having people in seats to do a job.

How has COVID-19 impacted your activity?

Being that we are working directly with these military units and their buyers, our best way to show them our products is face-to-face, but quickly after we saw that was going to be a challenge we started doing a weekly live stream and scheduling almost daily video meetings with these units.

Every Monday we host a live stream to showcase one of our products, which we call MATBOCK Monday. This has allowed us to keep scaling without being in direct contact with our end customers.

This has impacted us greatly because we are on pace to see a 200% growth from last year and finding skilled industrial sewers has been difficult for us and our contract

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@dougellin

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ean Matson is the co-founder (alongside his friend Zach Steinbock) and CEO of MATBOCK, a company that is run by retired Navy SEALS and whose staff are also former US Military Veterans; Sean himself was a Navy SEAL for just over 13 years! The company creates and develops products that fill a need in the real world, whether it’s hunting, camping, hiking, for law enforcement or for soldiers while at war. They work closely with the US Military and have been contracted to create products for them that use new technologies to make whatever products lighter, better and more versatile.

c19-certified.com

WARRIORS

WARRIORS

“The military drills key principals in our head, which are honor, integrity, doing the right thing and doing more with less to name a few.” manufacturers. The growth has been amazing, but we are starting to build quite the backlog of orders that we are working hard to solve.

Do you also work with physical distributors like retail stores?

Primarily distributors because of the nature of how the government likes to purchase products and the contract vehicles that are used to procure these products.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you? I love solving problems and testing those solutions out to see if they really solved anything or if we just made it worse.

What are your goals for the future?

We’re on a course to change the world by innovation.

Zach Steinbock and I both are extremely passionate about bringing new products to the market, exploiting gaps in the market and working to bring others with us!

What is something you know now that you wish you knew back when you first started this journey?

EVERYTHING! A mentor of mine, says “The only way to get 20 years of experience is putting in 20 years of work”.

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Website: www.matbock.com Instagram: @sean.matson

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THE LONG RUN

JF DAVIS H I S

S E C R E T S

JF Davis is a seasoned Hollywood actor who has appeared on hit TV shows such as The West Wing, Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, Code Black, The Pretender, The Mentalist, 13 Reasons Why, Station 19, Criminal Minds, S.W.A.T. and coming this fall, he will be starring in, Ratched, on the streaming platform Netflix. Beyond television, JF has appeared in countless films and has even worked as a popular handyman to his fellow celebrity friends including Meg Ryan, Dianne Keaton, Courtney Cox, David Spade and Ed McMahon.

Please tell us more about you? How did you initially get into acting, and how did you break into the industry?

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be an actor. In my early years I tried boxing and then what I thought was my career path, auto racing. At the age of 18 I built and drove my first stock car and was living my dream, I thought. I soon found out that it takes a lot of money and time to be competitive even on the local level and I scrapped that dream and went to work. I worked in a grocery store, as an electrician, in a paper mill and eventually decided that I did not like working for others. I wanted to be my own boss. I had some money saved up and it was the early 80’s, the gym craze was huge, aerobics, bodybuilding, Z cavaricci jeans.

I started a small fitness store selling supplements, ladies aerobic wear, mens workout gear and some fitness equipment. I wasn’t getting rich but I was my own boss. A friend had talked me into taking an acting class which led to me doing a couple of plays but still that idea seemed too far away even for a go getter like myself.

Then one day I was in my store, in the back watching TV and I saw a girl from my acting class on TV. That’s when I knew that I was meant to be an actor. I spent the next 6 months or so selling off my business and making my game plan to move to Los Angeles and be an actor. I flew to Arizona and spent a month there with my dad, bought a set of golf clubs and a car at the swap meet and drove to LA. Within two weeks of getting to LA I found a room to rent and a job. It wasn’t much but I was in Hollywood and I could start my real journey, I just jumped right in!

Back to the days, who were your mentors? Who gave you the most valuable advice? Fortunately for me, my first job in LA wasn’t a great job, I worked in a video store, but I met some people that inspired me. One of the first actors that I met was Kristof St. John. Kristof was a successful actor and a really great guy. We

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became friends and he guided me a bit to get me started, with advice as well as introducing me to the only acting teacher that I ever studied with. His name was Virgil Frye, Virgil was an old character actor and had amazing insight. He taught me how to not act if that makes any sense. He told me a story about his good friend Dennis Hopper and how Dennis learned from James Dean. He said that Dennis had thought he was all that until he started working with Dean, he was in awe of Jimmy and one day asked him why he was so much better than everyone else. Jimmy said I don’t act, if I’m supposed to be cold I use ice to feel the cold, If I am supposed to be drinking a hot drink, I use a hot drink, acting is feeling, being and most importantly reacting. He also taught me to be a good actor you first have to be a good listener!

“Never give up and never put timelines on your success.”

The list of successful films and series in which you have appeared is as long as the Mississippi River! What is your secret to longevity? Persistence! Never give up and never put timelines on your success. The entertainment industry is about hard work and longevity, if you hang around long enough and work hard enough, you’re bound to hit it at some point! It’s all about being available when the right job comes along. I love what I do and it was never when I make it or if I make it, my plan was always to just act, find a way to pay my bills, support my family and continue to do what I love!

Can you introduce the new Netflix TV series RATCHED in which you appear? “Ratched” is the story of Nurse Ratched that starts 30 years before “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. Everyone involved did such a great job putting together an amazing cast to resurrect and explain this complicated character played by the hugely talented Sarah Paulson and how Nurse Ratched became the monster we saw on the big screen close to 45 years ago. I am proud to be a part of what is bound to become an iconic show and I hope that I return for the next season!

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“I have also invested in my children by putting them through amazing private schools and paying for their college education as well.”

Is an actor an entrepreneur? What is your vision about entrepreneurship?

Yes an actor is an entrepreneur. Acting is a business and it has to be approached that way. I was lucky in that I was older when I started, I had run my own business and knew that the business of acting was what was going to make or break me. I approached it as a business right from the start. You work hard to get better at what you do, you start small and work your way up, every audition is a chance to hone your craft. You learn to get good pictures and the best agents because like in any business, advertising, hard work and surrounding yourself with the right people leads to success.

I look at life as an entrepreneurship. Life, and family, owning a home, putting children through the right schools, it’s all part of my business and what I need to figure into my work week. I am lucky because I have a hard working and very supportive wife who understands my life would not be the same without my acting. My career is now turning even more entrepreneur as I venture into trying to produce my own projects. The next chapter!

Are you also an investor?

I have invested everything into my family and my work. I have never had the extra income to venture into that world. I have used every penny to put my family into a nice home, which is not easy in Los Angeles, but home ownership is an investment. I have also invested in my children by putting them through amazing private schools and paying for their college education as well. I know that that investment will pay off as my two sons grow into their own careers.

How do you want your career as both an actor and entrepreneur to evolve over the coming years? I hope to continue to grow as an actor and eventually I would really like to be on a TV series as a reglar. If all goes well and I continue on my path as an entrepreneur my production company will become a success and I will also be producing and starring in my own films.

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Instagram: @jfdavisactor

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IMPACT

ISAAC CAMACHO I n t e r v i e w

b y

J u l i e n

V i a l l e t

ISAAC CAMACHO is the Director at Accurate Termite and Pest Control, which was recently named Southern California’s top termite and pest company. Isaac joined the company back in 2006 when he first was just a doorto-door sales member for their team in the Summer. He quickly fell in love with California and the couple who ran the company and joined full time upon graduating from BYU in 2009. Since taking over as Director, Isaac has brought many innovative strategies to the table and transformed the termite and pest control industry. When the new strain of COVID reached California, his company was the first one to get regulations passed at the State level to allow pest control professionals to spear-head COVID-19 specific large-scale disinfections in community spaces.

Can you first tell us more about yourself and how you got involved with “Accurate Termite and Pest Control”?

In 2005, I had just returned home after a 2-year proselytizing mission in New York City. I had no money and no car, but I did have an acceptance letter to start school at BYU that fall. I made it to school in the fall with just enough money for one semester, knowing I had to do something to afford my studies beyond that semester. I heard about student teams that would do door-to-door sales during summer breaks and that each rep earned enough for about a year or more of schooling. The sales team I ended up signing up with went to sell pest control services door-to-door for Accurate Termite and Pest Control.

Once in California, I fell in love with the area and the Donnelly family--the company owners and operators. The Donnelly’s have a one-ofa-kind charm that stems from genuine interest and kindness towards everyone and especially their employees. Jim, company president, readily lent his surfboard to two of my sales colleagues when they expressed interest in learning to surf. They ended up destroying the

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board when they both tried to surf on it at once.

Jim very graciously accepted their tail-in-between-legs mea culpa and did not take their offer to pay it back through their sales commissions. Surfboards are not cheap, and this experience cemented in me that the Donnellys are truly good-natured, down to earth people who value people and relationships more than money or things.

After graduating from college, I returned to Accurate to offer my sales and marketing consulting services with the firm that I was a partner in. Working with everyone at Accurate always felt like working with family. Eventually, I had a conversation with Jim to work out a way that would bring me into Accurate permanently.

What is your mission on a daily basis and what does a typical day look like for you?

I have one daily goal, and that is progress. I try to make sure I am working on something that moves something forward, so I’m not just checking off to-do-list boxes every day.

Whether that’s improving a sales protocol, implementing process automation, or solving

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a problem, I try to do something every day to change the way we do business indefinitely.

Granted, these are mostly small changes, but I get a real sense of accomplishment when I look back at the previous year and see how all the little tweaks and changes have added up to a more efficient, precise, and productive overall operating procedure. Over time, the summation of all big and small changes is a more robust organization that can handle more growth.

On a typical day, I start with at least a 30-minute workout of some kind before I head to work all the way downstairs to my home office. I try to set my week every Monday to mix activity types from high-priority to-dos, progress-related projects, and personal checkins with co-workers or clients every day. For the most part, my workdays consist of a blend of those activities. After work, I play the role of Zombie Dad in a comedic melodrama that plays in my house. My character fumbles through attempts to help raise three little monsters that I can’t seem to help make even more monster-like.

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Before becoming a director at A.T.P.C (Accurate Termite and Pest Control), what was your career path? What is your schooling background?

Growing up, I always thought I would be a doctor. I went to a magnet High School where part of the curriculum included working in clinic and hospital settings during your junior and senior years. While I was in college and selling pest control door-to-door to pay for schooling, I was offered the opportunity to come into a business consulting firm as an equity partner.

The offer was too good to ignore and caused me to do some soul searching.

I dove deep to see what I envisioned my career in the medical field would be like. I had enough small clinic experience to know I did not want to be a family practitioner or run my local clinic. From having worked in the operating room of a major Hospital in Dallas, I knew I would not enjoy being a practitioner in a large hospital. When I tried to visualize my future self, I did not see myself working with patients. I envisioned myself more as a hospital administrator implementing hospital policy and running a hospital’s business aspects.

After realizing that my real aspiration was business administration of some sort, I compared the two paths before me. One path would include many more years of school, debt, and proving myself to large corporations. The other would have me take full advantage of my skills at the time, help businesses grow as I gained more experience and some equity in my back pocket. I decided to take the opportunity to start a career in the business world. I crammed about two semesters worth of classes in the next semester to graduate quickly and get to work. I ended up graduating with a degree in psychology.

“This public health crisis did present a unique ability to utilize our expertise and resources for a greater good.”

What has COVID-19 changed for your company? Did it impact jobs within the company? Yes, COVID19 had an impact on pretty much every job at Accurate. Pest control

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is recognized as an essential service nationally so we have been operating, but it certainly changed a few things about the way we work.

The first thing we had to do was to whittle down support staff to a skeleton crew of people necessary for day-to-day production. We were forced to allow several office support staff to work from home despite apprehensions that had kept us from making the move previously. We were also forced to change how some managerial or oversight tasks were done by automating some and delegating others. It was excruciating at first, but later we realized that we had developed more efficient protocols and systems than what we had before the pandemic.

We feel communication and clear goal-setting is vital to face both of these challenges.

We have utilized all of the tools available to stay in touch and in constant communication.

We have adjusted some key performance metrics for my sales team and others and set clear goals and measurable performance expectations. From there, it’s a matter of evaluating, reassessing, and providing support as needed to help everyone get to their win.

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“NOTHING is ever worth disappointing your wife, mom, or children.”

From a business point of view, is this crisis an opportunity to have an even greater impact on the local population?

Actually, this unique public health crisis did present a unique ability to utilize our expertise and resources for a greater good. For decades, pest control professionals in California have been performing spot Coronavirus disinfections anytime they dealt with rodent bio-waste. The purpose of doing so was to prevent Coronavirus’s animal strain from eventually evolving and infecting humans.

However, regulations kept the industry from performing large-scale community disinfections. This would mean that performing largescale Coronavirus disinfections would fall to an untrained, unequipped, and inexperienced labor force.

Inexperienced labor forces suddenly mass applying Coronavirus disinfectants included dangerous or ineffective mixing of hazardous products, exposing the general public to new health problems through overzealous applications, excessive and unnecessary residual and runoff that would harm our environment and protected wildlife. We led the effort to have regulations changed to allow pest control professionals to take the lead in performing largescale Coronavirus disinfections in the current

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context of COVID19 pandemic. We started with a public petition to temporarily change or alter the regulations, and within days had over a thousand residents supporting the effort. We were steady in contacting and educating key stakeholders about the issue. Soon the Governor’s office, environmental regulators, and key scientific communities agreed that California’s 20,000+ licensed pest control applicators were the best suited to perform large-scale Coronavirus disinfections.

Many elderly-care facilities, homeowners associations, and cities credit large-scale disinfections with minimizing the impact and stopping the devastating effects of COVID19 spread among their residents. We are always proud of being in an industry that contributes to the overall wellness of our community, and are especially proud to have been a significant part of the frontline fight against COVID19 in California.

In times of crisis, I imagine that you and your team must be overbooked. How do you achieve a balance between your professional and personal life?

Yes, we are overbooked in a few senses of the word. Balance is always achieved by having an efficient team and effective communication.

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The first step is always to be sure you are in tune with your co-workers, family, friends, and even yourself. I try to create an environment where people never hesitate to say, “I need you” at work, home, or friends.

Second, is to utilize your entire circle of influence to make sure those around you don’t feel defeated by the challenges they face. To do this effectively, you have to be willing to acknowledge that it doesn’t always have to be you.

Consider everyone being on the court with you. When you see someone who needs their load reduced, consider that perhaps someone else is better positioned than you are to help.

Be judicious in the tasks you take on and the loads you distribute on others.

Especially now, our current way of working has blurred the lines between work and home even more. Trying to compartmentalize eventually leads to frustration when it seems like two different worlds collide. In short, allow yourself to see everyone around you as playing a different role in the same team; then, be a team player.

Website: accuratetermitecontrol.com

Innovators, entrepreneurs & visionnaires w w w . t h e m i n d s e t 3 6 0 . c o m ENTREPRENEUR MINDSET FALL 2020

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