#(but- also- my employers were happy to have us NOT be brands online

[sarasa-cat]

The youngest adult generation and the most online generation is frustrated with being surveilled and embarrassed by attention-seeking behaviors. This has instigated a retreat into smaller internet spaces and secret-sharing apps, as well as a mini-renaissance for Tumblr, where users rarely use their full names. (The majority of new users are Gen Z, according to Chenda Ngak, a spokesperson for Tumblr’s parent company.) The voice- and text-chat app Discord, known for a culture of anonymous and pseudonymous discussion, now has 150 million users; anonymously run hyper-niche meme accounts are suddenly the coolest, most exciting follows on Instagram. The group-therapy app Chill Pill offers a “world of future friends and better days” but does not permit the sharing of any personally identifying information. (I downloaded the app but can’t make a real account—I’m over the age limit, which is 24.)

Something has shifted online: We’ve arrived at a new era of anonymity, in which it feels natural to be inscrutable and confusing—forget the burden of crafting a coherent, persistent personal brand. There just isn’t any good reason to use your real name anymore. “In the mid 2010s, ambiguity died online—not of natural causes, it was hunted and killed,” the writer and podcast host Biz Sherbert observed recently. Now young people are trying to bring it back. I find this sort of exciting, but also unnerving. What are they going to do with their newfound freedom?

In part, the trend is a response to security concerns. During the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, young people downloaded the encrypted messaging app Signal by the millions to avoid the surveillance they considered possible or probable on other platforms. The anonymous hacker group Anonymous made a buzzy return and was embraced by K-pop fans, many of them anonymous, while engaging in pranks that doubled as acts of civil disobedience. Other activists disseminated tools for blurring protesters’ faces in Instagram Stories, and tried to steer one another off mainstream apps and onto smaller, decentralized ones where users have more control of the data they create and share.

Anonymity can also be ideological. Crypto culture, now known as Web3 culture, was founded on the idea that transactions can be made online without the exchange of personally identifying information. It also has a newer norm of replacing one’s human face with a cartoon. In crypto circles, mentioning a very rich and successful person’s real name can amount to “doxxing,” and even those who aren’t well known are cautious about sharing the barest personal details. At a recent party sponsored by a new Web3 platform, a guest with about 5,000 Twitter followers explained to me that people online do know what he looks like—he “shows face,” as he put it—but that he has never shared a single photo of his girlfriend. Too dangerous.

But in the end, a return to anonymity is just a return to form. Hiding your identity has always been important for getting through the horror of being a person under the age of 24 on the internet. The gradual reveal of personal information, even building up to a “face reveal,” was once a give-and-take among people who shared the same online space for a long time, fostering trust. When Instagram and TikTok arrived and made it possible to make a lot of money from your face, personality, thoughts, beliefs, and personal trauma, young people forgot how good it felt to be no one in particular, or to try on various identities. In the past few years, they have been coming back around.

“It seems like Gen Z is getting really tired of presentation culture, as you might call it,” Zeke, a 21-year-old biologist and frequent Discord chatter, told me. “The idea that everything you do has to be a representation of your personal identity.” Obviously, he did not want me to publish his full name—he’s applying to lab-tech jobs right now, he said, and though nothing he was going to say to me would be scandalous or might put off a potential employer, he did not want to “risk it.”

Zeke does not have any active social-media accounts with his full name attached to them, but he is in many Discord servers pertaining to his interests, including art, writing, and science. He spends a lot of time there sharing interesting or funny photos of animals, and he met his longtime boyfriend while Discord-chatting under a pseudonym that is a play on Kermit the Frog. The site is “chill,” he told me. The servers that he likes best have 100 to 200 users, so the conversation is always lively, but it doesn’t get out of control or competitive. Sometimes people anonymously say disgusting things—the worst things he has ever read! (That well-established tendency has contributed to the collapse of anonymous social platforms in the past.) But mostly they just drop cool pictures and funny memes, and discuss or riff on them. “There’s an understanding that, like, you’re not going to kick each other, you’re not going to judge each other,” he said. “You’re not here to represent your identity; you’re just here to chill.”

The surprising recent popularity of Discord suggests a nostalgia among members of Gen Z for IRC and forum cultures that existed mostly before they were born. The return to Tumblr reflects a longing for the more recent past—just before the age of the influencer. “I’ve been on Tumblr for about 11 years because I was 11 when I got it,” Maya, an aspiring artist and photographer, told me. She asked to go by her first name only, as she does on Instagram. On Tumblr, where she feels most comfortable, she goes by the username coldstonedreamery—a reference to an episode of This American Life that she heard long ago in her mom’s car. She remains anonymous partly for artistic reasons: Being an enigma is good for world building and creating a mystique around her work, she said. She wants to be known for her point of view, not for her face or even her personality. “I mean, there are embarrassing YouTube videos of me playing guitar when I was 12 under my real name,” she added.

Being an enigma can produce strange results: Teenage girls on Instagram sometimes borrow selfies of Maya that don’t have her face in them and present them as their own. Most of the time, though, Maya sees her anonymity as being cozy. “I probably get 20 anonymous messages and questions a day, and I feel fine answering them and exposing all these intimate details of my life,” she said. “The people asking the questions probably don’t know what I look like, probably don’t know where I am or how old I am. I feel safer. There’s like a cloak over me.”

Even on Instagram, classic influencer culture is falling out of style. Among the well-known, generally beautiful faces who go by their real names, there are now thousands of niche meme accounts run by anonymous proprietors. Members of this latter group sometimes reveal their true identities when it becomes financially appealing to do so—if they’re offered a book deal, for example, they have to reveal themselves to someone. If they land a profile in The New York Times’ Style section, then everyone is in on the secret. But many more of them just post away from behind a curtain. (The more niche the content gets, the less likely it is that financial incentives will be in play, and the more likely the anonymity will last.)

The 24-year-old meme-maker behind an Instagram account called @neoliberalheaven makes pop-culture-inflected collages overlaid with parodies of online political discourse. (His profile picture is of the meme-literate musician Phoebe Bridgers.) He asked to remain anonymous for this story because he doesn’t want to limit future job opportunities and because being anonymous is part of his whole deal. The people who come across his feed can appreciate his work for its own sake, he told me, and they don’t care who he is. He also observed that anonymous accounts, by foreclosing on the possibility of becoming a personal brand, come off to some viewers as more “authentic,” or as “a new source of genuineness” online because they aren’t selling anything or trying to become stars. The internet’s prizing of authenticity has gone through the looking glass.

As a person who loves the internet, this all makes sense to me. Why should everyone have to live and write and think publicly at all times? Why should they be limited in that way? As a journalist who reports about the internet, I’ve found it frustrating too. In the past few years, more and more sources have been asking for anonymity on principle—not because they are afraid of specific or likely consequences, but because being named just doesn’t seem worth it. I can’t help but see this as unwillingness to say something and really mean it—and the portent of a sort of sad, slightly paranoid near future, in which everyone is cool, very cool, and impossible to pin down.

[rbmit]

RE: Compensation and Opportunity

The Fair & Lovely vs Dark is Beautiful story touches on several themes that bubble up women's empowerment. I will never pretend to know what its like to be a woman, but I can highlight and celebrate the impact that women have had on my personal and professional life. I have had multiple bosses, business partners and mentors that were women. Because of these incredible experiences, this case, and the discovery of the organization Women of Worth (WOW), I was inspired to post much more than a reaction to an eye opening issue that left a permanent scar on India's history, with respect to prejudice and mental health/self-consciousness.

To do this, I am including in this post, at the risk of completely ignoring the assignment, a recent exchange with a candidate who is now a member of my staff.

Her to me:

I am not sure who to have this conversation with so I am starting with you, since I believe you will be the most understanding of my thoughts. I spent most of the night reviewing the job description we discussed and evaluating the importance, scope, value and most importantly responsibility of this role. I am confident I am the person to drive the results you are expecting and exceed your expectations. I have not received any paperwork showing total comp yet, but wanted to reach out and share my concern about the salary of the role. Is there any room to negotiate additional salary? Please let me know your thoughts!

Hello again!

I just want to make sure I clarify my previous email. I am thrilled about this opportunity and happy with the compensation offered. I just want to make sure as responsibilities increase and scope becomes greater that I feel compensated fairly. I am ready to go and move forward with next steps. I have never accepted a position without asking for additional comp and I understand as a start up, this is a different business model, so I am not sure what is appropriate or should be asked. But please know, I do accept what has been offered and I am excited to get started. Please have [CFO] send me the offer in writing so I have comfort and security in resigning from my current position. If you have any concerns and/or questions please do not hesitate to reach out. Looking forward to this journey and adventure!

My response:

Hi [Candidate],

I am glad you asked, and it’s important to me that we deliver on the asks. First and foremost, it was absolutely appropriate to ask, and it’s important we be transparent in our response. I spoke with [my board] and we have increased the planned equity package by double digit % from the number we were planning to include in the package. You asked, and it worked – and I hope that every woman that works for you now and in the future will at least have this takeaway, to just ask. On a personal note, and not that this is purely a gender issue, but the numbers in our industry are pitiful when it comes to equality – a mix of opportunity to advance to C-suite and compensation, not to mention the lack of education on topics like equity-based compensation. I also believe fair is not the answer, we as leaders need to do more. I believe overinvesting in women, especially women of color, earlier on in their careers as well as providing both education and leadership opportunities to the highest of positions, all the way up to board of directors is non-negotiable, and private sector businesses have an opportunity to lead the charge and influence what public companies are doing – this recently came to light last week with NASDAQ’s new proposed requirements for diversity and inclusion on boards. I also believe in investing in girls. I always have but there’s no greater impact in my view than becoming a father to a girl during these times, so investing time, dollars and resources into programs like Girls Who Code is also a non-negotiable, and I’d like you to play a big role in leading these efforts. [Our board] shares these views. My 50+ member team at [prior employer] was over 90% female and I encouraged all of them to read Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In which covered this issue at length, and it had great impact on me. Having you as a partner will also do wonders for the women in our company who simply just can’t look at [CEO} or I as inspiring in many of the ways they need, that is just simply a reality. Finally, I owe everything I have achieved in my career and the resulting professional opportunities along the way to a woman who took a chance on me – [name], the founder and CEO of [prior employer]. I was an unqualified high energy kid who knew a little bit about technology with almost zero experience running an online consumer brand without any expectation of becoming her CMO through over a billion dollars in value.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for the candor and give you comfort in us responding accordingly, so to confirm:

- We are increasing the planned equity offer by approx. 20% - that will be in writing today from [CFO]

- The letter will also outline the cash comp offer and any other details

- I’m attaching the latest version of the job description, we can edit and evolve this over time but let me know if anything jumps out as concerning or there’s anything you feel missing

- I’ll also make sure you have the educational docs for the full benefits package from [benefits administrator]

- As the company grows, we will be increasing our cash compensation targets to be in line with our peers, and this will be competitive – a $20M TTM (trailing 12 months) revenue company has less discretion than a $100M TTM revenue company since we are funding our new initiatives with the EBITDA we produce monthly

[CEO] and I (and our board) also believe strongly in providing additional equity-based incentives as our company and our EBITDA grows, so I hope you have a sense of comfort that you will benefit from that; frankly its going to be required to retain our best people!

Really looking forward to working together as partners!

She said yes.

[fantasyfandommaiden]

Proof That Nathalie Cares.

Nathalie sits down in her brand new home, boxes all aroud her, thinking back to how she got here in the first place…

~~~~~~~

[[MORE]]

It all honestly started about eight years ago. When Emilie Agreste first hired her to be HER personal assistant. Nathalie had just graduated with honours from university, and it was a very high paying job. She was professional, and courteous, and would always remind Emilie of any appointments she had.

She, of course, also worked closely with Gabriel Agreste, however that was less often, and got to ‘know’ Adrien fairly well, even if the eight year old boy was incredibly shy towards her. Which is why, when one day Adrien came towards Nathalie’s desk, looking at her with a slight pleading expression, she was somewhat confused.

“... Yes Adrien?” she addressed him, looking away from her laptop.

“... It’s Mama’s birthday soon, right?” he asked, pointing at the calendar on Nathalie’s desk. He was pointing at the red circle that was roughly six days from now, a small sticker of a birthday cake on it.

Nathalie looked at the boy with a raised brow “... it is. Why do you ask?”

“I wanna get her a gift, but Papa won’t take me shopping and I can’t leave the house without a grown up.” he said, looking at Nathalie with those pleading eyes. Nathalie almost feels her resolve break… Almost.

“Unfortunately Adrien, I can’t take you out without your mother or fathers permission.” she said evenly, seeing the boy frown, Nathalie sighed before opening up a new tab on her laptop “But we can order something for your mother online so it will arrive here.”

Adrien’s eyes widened as he grinned widely, stepping as close to Nathalie’s chair so he can see the screen, but when Nathalie saw him standing on his tippy-toes, she scooted her chair back, giving Adrien an encouraging look. Adrien smiled widely as he all but jumped onto Nathalie’s lap as Nathalie pushed herself and Adrien closer to the desk “Now, what sort of things do you think your mother would like Adrien?” “She likes flowers!!!” “Alright, thats a good start…”

Unknown to the pair, Emilie watched the two, a small smile on her face before she quietly left the two to do their ‘shopping’. On Emilie’s birthday, she received a beautiful wired broach that looked like a flower, which she wore every single day.

~~~~~~

When Emilie was declared missing (and to Nathalie’s knowledge, her boss was in fact missing), her first thought hadn’t been ‘Oh my god, am I going to lose my job’, it had been ‘Oh my god, what about Adrien?’

Although Gabriel had never been a BAD parent, he wasn’t exactly the nurturing type. So when Emilie Agreste had been declared missing, she contacted her friend Carmine, who gave her every single bit of information she had about grief, as well as the contact information for a grief counsellor.

Gabriel, however, stated his son didn’t need it, and to throw it all away. Nathalie of course couldn’t go against her employers wishes, however instead decided to be… sneaky about it.

So, when her shift ended at exactly 5:30 that day, she went to Adrien’s room, looking at the boy straight in the eyes and told him “You have my phone number, if for whatever reason you need to talk, just call my number and I WILL awnser. If its during the day when I am working, just send me a text message and I will take my break so we can talk.”

Adrien looked at Nathalie, before giving her his model smile (oh how Nathalie HATED that smile) “Nathalie, I’m fine, honest-”

“Adrien.” she interuppted him “I WILL answer.” she stated again simply.

Adrien looked at her, before nodding “... Okay, but I wont need to. Honest.”

About three days later, at about two oclock in the morning, Nathalie’s phone rings and like she promised, she does answer it.

~~~~~~

When Adrien expressed an interest in going to school, Nathalie knew that she was in for the toughest battle of her entire career. Gabriel Agreste was possibly the most over-protective, paranoid person she had ever met, and he was down right controlling.

So, she gather all the information she could about the benefits of public schooling, sighting how the school that Chloe went to was one of the best around and only about a ten minute walk from the mansion. They had good teachers there, and were known for being willing to be flexable with scedules as many of the students there also worked in entertainment or had jobs.

However, whenever she tried to bring up the subject, Gabriel was quick to change the subject. It came to the point where on the first day of school, Adrien had decided to take matters into his own hands, snuck out of the house to attend school.

As much as it killed Nathalie to do so, she had to bring him back the house, as per Gabriel’s orders. She could tell that the driver wasn’t happy about the decision either.

During their shared lunch they ate in the kitchen, Nathalie had her face pressed against the marbled counter top. “All he wants to do is attend school! Why can’t Mr. Agreste see that?!” She muttered into the cold stone.

Gorilla let out a soft grunt in response, eating his lunch as the woman continued to debate HOW she could get her kid- Adrien… how she could get ADRIEN to attend school. Her brows furrowed as she stood up suddenly, a look of determination on her face “I’m going to talk to him again. I will MAKE him listen to me.” She said, stomping out of the room.

~~~~~~~…

Nathalie knew she should have contacted the police the moment she found out about Gabriel being Hawkmoth about four months into his super villain activities… but than he showed her Emilie and explained what happened…. and they came to a sort of… accord.

She still wasn’t happy about it. But she began to form contingency plans, just in case.

~~~~~~

Nathalie had NOT in fact forgotten Adrien’s birthday. She had gotten him a simple, impersonal gift of his favourite candies, as well as some cash in a birthday card. The fact that GABRIEL seemed to have forgotten his own sons birthdya however angered her to no end… it made it even worse when she had to use Marinette’s gift as a substitute for Adrien’s negligent father…

When Marinette had submitted designs for a contest that Gabriel was hosting, if her name was suddenly at the very top of the ‘highly recommended’ list, Nathalie wouldn’t say. (The girl was extrmly talented after all.)

~~~~~~~~~~

By Christmas of that year, Nathalie just wanted her day to end so she could go and spend Christmas with her friends. She had been helping Adrien decorate the tree, he looked so sad when he realized his father probably wouldn’t join him.

“Will you be spending Christmas with your parents Nathalie?” Adrien asked off handedly. She hadn’t meant to tense up, and defiantly hadn’t meant for Adrien to see. “Oh… unless they aren’t around anymore…”

“... no, they live in Paris.” Nathalie stated simply, hanging up another decoration. “... I just haven’t spoken to them in many years.”

“... did you have a fight?” He asked hesitantly. Nathalie hated that fact that Adrien always felt like he had to walk on eggshells around adults. She shook her head.

“No… I came out to my parents as gay, and they said that when I got over ‘my phase’ I would be welcome back to the family.” She said simply. She gave Adrien a small smile. “... I’ll be spending Christmas with Carmine and our friends.”

“Oh… that sounds nice.” He said softly.

Nathalie looked at him, that back towards the office where his father had disappeared to, glancing at Gorilla who looked at her with a raised brow.

She brought out her cellphone, typing a quick text message before pressing send. About five minutes later she got a response and she looked at Adrien.

“Adrien, if your father is still locked up in his office come Christmas dinner, you are more than welcome to stop by my apartment for dinner.”

Adrien looked at her shocked “But… what about your friends?”

“They said they would be fine with it. I’m not going to pressure you. Just know that the option is open.”

Adrien looked at her for several long seconds, a warm smile spreading across his face. “... thanks Nathalie…”

~~~~~

Nathalie always cared…. and she always will.

[dippedanddripped]

For more than a year, Los Angeles-based streetwear designer Tremaine Emory had been working with Converse on a red, green and black sneaker inspired by Jamaican political activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey’s Pan-African flag and artist David Hammons’ 1990 work “African-American Flag,” an original of which was acquired by the Broad museum in Los Angeles last year.

Emory’s brand, Denim Tears, tells the story of Black people in the United States starting in 1619, when the first documented enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia; according to the designer, the brand’s logo, a cotton plant, is a direct reference to slavery. That’s why the proposed packaging for his Converse sneaker collaboration depicts a coffin covered with Hammons’ flag and a cotton wreath, as a tribute to Black Americans who have died under unjust conditions. The image is based on an art installation, “A Proper Burial, Thanks America,” that Emory debuted in London last year.

However, in late May, as protests spread across the country after George Floyd’s death in police custody, Emory announced on Instagram that he and Denim Tears couldn’t go forward with the partnership until Converse’s parent company, Nike, went beyond its plan to donate $40 million over four years to support the Black community. (Michael Jordan, through his Nike subsidiary Jordan Brand, is donating an additional $100 million over 10 years.)

Emory called the move by Beaverton, Ore.,-based Nike, which reported $37.4 billion in revenue last fiscal year, a very expensive Band-Aid. He said he wanted to use his voice to push Nike to look inward at its own record on diversity and inclusion.

“It’s accountability,” Emory said in a phone interview. “It’s about Fortune 500 companies and how they are run under the guise of white supremacy and patriarchy and how I take accountability, that I need to see the steps — and brands that I work with dispensing that — or guys won’t work with me.”

In recent months, nearly all major industries, including entertainment, journalism and sports, have been forced to confront how closely their statements opposing systemic racism align with their treatment of Black and brown employees. The fashion industry, which has frequently been criticized for cultural appropriation, instances of blackface and a lack of diversity, is no different.

According to a count by trade publication Women’s Wear Daily, Black people make up only 4% — 19 out of 477 members — of the invitation-only Council of Fashion Designers of America, whose new chairman is Tom Ford. In an email to The Times, a CFDA spokesman said, “The CFDA does not record nor require members to state their race upon application, but it is estimated that members of color make up approximately 25% of the total membership.”

June 8, 2020

In anecdotal comments, Black streetwear designers from L.A. to New York told The Times that their subset of the fashion industry is no different.

“You can’t ignore the fact that there aren’t many Black brand owners in the streetwear space,” said Scott Sasso, who founded 10.Deep in 1995 while he was a student at Vassar. “And [at] some of the biggest companies, I don’t know if they’ve even had Black employees.”

Streetwear brands such as Denim Tears and 10.Deep offer casual clothing, primarily for men, that blend the styles of various subcultures, including hip-hop (as popularized in the 1990s by brands such as FUBU, Walker Wear and Phat Farm) as well as surf and skate motifs. It’s an identity that can be found in the clothing from brands such as Supreme and Stüssy. Instead of offering widely available, mass-produced products, streetwear brands tend to offer limited-edition drops for consumers who hear about companies through social media or by word of mouth.

Although Black style — from hip-hop to sneaker culture — has played a major role in shaping the fashion industry while bringing new designers and brands to prominence, Black fashion professionals and streetwear brand owners said in interviews with The Times that the clothing industry has failed to elevate and promote Black creatives in a way that reflects that influence.

Several designers also questioned the sincerity of corporations promising to invest in Black communities. They reflected on their own experiences trying to explain Black art to predominantly white company leaders.

Chicago-based designer Joe Freshgoods started selling T-shirts in high school and has been selling his designs out of Fat Tiger Workshop, the streetwear retail hub he co-owns, since 2013.

“I feel like a lot of these brands are in these boardrooms having these talks about how to fix this or how to just clean up their mistakes real fast, and it’s just like, ‘Hey, let’s just fill in the blanks real quick and see if this will make them happy,’” Freshgoods said.

He said he tried to include the logo of the Black Panther Party on a design for an Oakland-themed collaboration with an apparel brand last year. The company’s legal department rejected his proposal. At the time he went along with it, but now he’d push back, he said.

“A lot of Black collaborators are the reason why a lot of brands are super successful right now, so that’s a lot of power to have,” Freshgoods said.

Emory, who has partnered with New Balance and Levi’s, called on Nike to stop supporting Republicans while President Trump is the party’s leader. He also wants the company to release more information on its record of hiring Black employees and assist in “the defunding and total reform of all the police departments across America.”

Since his initial Instagram post in June, Emory has spoken to Converse Chief Executive G. Scott Uzzell or Uzzell’s team about a half dozen times over the phone or in video-conference meetings. In those discussions, Emory said the company acknowledged it hasn’t done everything it could in terms of creating a diverse corporate structure and laid out its hiring plan, especially in its executive suite. The designer said he discussed current initiatives at Nike to invest in Black communities and to address systemic racism and police brutality. “They want to get involved in all that, and we will see,” he said.

The release date for his red, black and green Converse sneaker has been moved up from February to October, ahead of the November election. Emory said the marketing for the shoe will focus on promoting voting. The shoe will be available in North America, Europe and online for $95 to $100.

“We respect and encourage the efforts of any collaborator or athlete we work with to raise their voice against racial injustice,” a Converse spokesperson said in a statement to The Times. “We have spoken with Tremaine and look forward to working through these issues together.”

At its core, streetwear is about authenticity and the personal connection between consumers and the designers and labels they love.

The push by larger brands and corporations — specifically in the fashion industry — to meet the current moment with statements, donations and new initiatives is in direct contrast to what many Black streetwear designers have been doing since the inception of their brands. Those designers have been hiring diverse staff, speaking up about political issues and infusing their works with references to Black culture.

“Now I feel like everybody’s rushing to make some type of relevant shirt or make some relevant message on their Instagram,” said Zac Clark, a Black designer who started his brand, FTP, while in high school in Los Angeles. “To me, a lot of this stuff right now seems very unnatural and just forced from a lot of these brands, so they won’t get ‘canceled.’”

Olivia Anthony, the designer behind the Livstreetwear brand, said the turning point for her New York-based company was her 2017 My Love Letter to Our Culture collection, which paid tribute to Black trends of the ’90s — think long nails, grills and slicked-down baby hairs — that were largely considered unfashionable until they were adopted by other races.

“It was so beautiful, but it was looked down upon,” said Anthony, adding that she wanted her brand to reflect how those Black trends, now featured in magazines including Vogue, have been “shown in a different light.”

Kacey Lynch said he created his South L.A.-based streetwear company, Bricks & Wood, after years of working at streetwear brands where he felt Black representation was missing.

“They wanted a lot from us, but they didn’t want to do the work, what it took to understand us,” Lynch said of his past employers. “Whether that’s Black culture, South-Central, minorities … wherever the cool came from, they all wanted it but they didn’t really know how to identify with it.”

In May 2019, fashion website Hypebeast and Strategy&, a consulting firm in the PwC network, released its Streetwear Impact Report, based on interviews with more than 40,000 Hypebeast readers and 700 global industry insiders. The survey found that 70% of respondents said they care about social issues, 59% said brand activism is important and 47% said they would stop shopping from a brand because of inappropriate behavior.

“It’s fine as a starting point for corporations to say, ‘This is what we stand for and this is what we believe,’” said Elena Romero, a fashion journalist and author of 2012’s “Free Stylin’: How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry.”“But that’s not going to be enough.”

Romero, an assistant professor at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, said companies likely will face questions over where they invest their profits, the diversity of their staff and how they’ve helped build the communities from which their dollars are coming. She said many companies will realize they’ve fallen short because the answers to those questions weren’t a priority until their profits were at risk.

“Now the consumer is saying, ‘You can’t fool us anymore,’” she said. “If you’re not authentic and truly supporting the very same things that these young people believe, your business will suffer.”

The result has been an industrywide push to make those investments now but also to make amends for past inaction. After Black Adidas employees criticized the company’s response to racism, Adidas announced June 9 that it would add more diverse staff, start a scholarship program for Black employees and invest an additional $20 million over four years in programs that serve the Black community. A day later, Adidas upped its $20 million pledge to $120 million. (In addition to those changes at Adidas, the company’s global head of human resources, Karen Parkin, resigned at the end of June after facing criticism for her handling of racial discrimination.)

Adidas also apologized for its past silence. “For most of you, this message is too little, too late,” a tweet from the Adidas account read. “We’ve celebrated athletes and artists in the Black community and used their image to define ourselves culturally as a brand but missed the message in reflecting such little representation within our walls.”

In the broader fashion community, various organizations and members of the industry have offered different strategies for creating a more inclusive environment. Aurora James, a New York-based creative director, started the Fifteen Percent Pledge, which calls on companies to provide at least 15% of their shelf space or contracts to Black-owned businesses.

After the CFDA announced its plan to promote diversity, a group called the Kelly Initiative called for the CFDA to adopt its proposal to conduct and publish a census of diversity in the industry, audit its recruitment practices and release an annual list of top Black talent, the Kelly List. The initiative is named after the late Patrick Kelly, a Black fashion designer who rose to prominence in the 1980s with work that played with Black cultural symbols and racial stereotypes.

April Walker, whose New York brand Walker Wear was worn by ’90s hip-hop stars including Method Man, Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., stressed that Black designers need to look outside the fashion industry for success by collaborating, mentoring and sharing resources with their counterparts.

“We just need to not look for the fashion industry, as it’s been very oppressive for the last 30 years, to be the end-all, be-all for our opportunities,” she said, “but to create our own.”

Among streetwear companies, the effort to fight systemic racism in the country and the fashion industry has been on an individual basis, with brand owners of all races deciding how much they’re willing to give back and how comfortable they are using their platforms to discuss and condemn racism.

For some, that means speaking up in solidarity with the Black community. Bobby Kim, cofounder of the Hundreds, a Vernon-based clothing brand, teamed with Pharrell Williams’ brand Billionaire Boys Club to raise money for Black Lives Matter and the Black Mental Health Alliance with a shirt that was available for 48 hours. After the Fairfax shopping district where his shop is located was vandalized in late May, Kim, who’s Korean American, defended the right to protest.

In an interview, Kim said, “If you have been given a lot of money, and especially if that money has come by way of participating, contributing, or even stealing or borrowing from Black culture, then you — more than anybody else right now — need to tithe, need to pay up, in a sense, in order to reflect how influential Black culture has been in your career and your profitability as a company.”

Sasso’s 10.Deep stopped selling its regular collection for most of June and instead offered a new line of 10.Deep products to draw attention to activism against racial injustice and police brutality. The profits went to national bail funds for protesters.

“Streetwear, in its truest form, is about shooting yourself in the foot as often as possible but also just doing what you think is right,” Sasso said.

He said he was drawn to streetwear because it was a multiethnic community of different countercultures, a blend of the skate, surf, hip-hop and graffiti scenes, with a dash of punk rock, united by an exclusive knowledge of where to find and buy certain brands.

However, he has noticed a shift among streetwear consumers. For some shoppers, it’s not about the community. It’s just about the clothes.

He said he lost “several thousand” social media followers after he posted about Black Lives Matter and has received comments asking him to just stick to fashion.

“My thought is: If you want just some regular clothes, go buy Banana Republic, go buy Levi’s,” he said. “Those are companies that aren’t gonna take political stances. They’re providing basic stuff. This space is about a culture. If you want to participate in it, this is what it’s about.”

[girldaisy7]

Degree 2 Gym Trainer Course Component

Online Personal Training Course

Content

Exactly How Wegym Jobs?

Strand Health Club Team.

This Is Coach

Laura is a degree 1 General Gymnastics trainer that works with our General Acrobatics groups. She is additionally a certified Sports Train, collaborating with Primary Schools in the local area, and also is a certified First Aider.

Book in with one of our professional Health & Health and fitness Coaches to talk with your goals as well as set a programme to get you on the right track. Programmes can last from 4 to 6 weeks when you'll be able to re-book with your coach to review your program, your progression and also what we can do to support you following. The Department for Communities, which oversees sporting activity right here, said that it did not have a function when accusations were made against trains working at a sports club. Gymnastics trains that have been sacked from a club or banned from coaching by a national body are able to carry on working abroad. The east Belfast female, that currently lives and trainers in Australia, was investigated by Rathgael GC after children were left in rips, had problems resting as well as were scared to return to the gym throughout her five years of work.

Exactly How Wegym Jobs?

If you are passionate about helping people live much healthier and also better lives via physical fitness, we have exciting opportunities for Personal Trainers and Fitness Coaches to sign up with PureGym today. Every Coach has actually protected a Difference (or Quality for internal trainers) in the evaluation at the end of a strenuous 5-day accreditation program prior to they supply a single workout to Mind Gym's clients.

https://easyfitpersonaltraining.co.uk/results/waddesdon/ =embed">

The previous chairman of a Carbon monoxide Down gymnastics club believes a variety of national governing bodies overlooked the searchings for of the club's interior investigation right into its trainer, who was found guilty of gross transgression. " UFC HEALTH CLUB is the future of fighting styles and physical fitness training," Plested began. " No other fitness center can provide modern training tools, both practical as well as conventional methods, cardiovascular as well as alternate health and fitness courses that are initial price. UFC FITNESS CENTER is happy to invite a pioneer of British combat sporting activities to the accredited coaching team. As you know our trainers are all freelance service providers as well as job flow can vary as well as we are extremely open regarding that at the time of employment. Toyota was one of our largest virtual global roll outs, so it is easy to understand you may have felt the variant in job circulation after working with this large program.

Strand Fitness Center Team.

You will play a vital role in this objective as we seek people that are passionate regarding delivering an impressive health and fitness experience to our members in club. " PureGym sustained me from the beginning with a company structures training course as well as workout to songs training. I've likewise had supervisors who are keen to aid with lead generation ideas and also class suggestions, specifically early." I have regular catch ups with Supervisors, who constantly provide me fantastic recommendations and keep me liable for my company. The Business Coach training course is an additional terrific device which has actually assisted with considering the finer information of my personal training company."

Establishing your knowledge across many facets of health and fitness as well as wellness, company as well as advertising, branding, years of experience as PT as well as networking are key to success.

Some exclusive individual fitness instructors gain also outside this activity simply because they are famous and they have actually gathered a big audience on their social networks networks.

My work as a health club teacher involves assisting individuals boost their fitness and health by leading and arranging group and private exercise programs.

If your job objective is to become your very own employer, assistance others achieve their fitness objectives, after that the degree 3 personal instructor diploma might be the best training course for you.

Our fitness center advising training course is delivered with face-to-face training to offer you the confidence and functional experience of connecting, encouraging, and also interacting with consumers. Our company believe that training you in a health club setting will offer you the best experience and provide you with the qualification you need to get employed. PureGym has a committed group of PT Service Support Supervisors, who have histories as PTs themselves, who deliver different degrees of support to assist you recognize and also build your customer base.

Call & Support.

Our specialized Ability Network group take care of the Train Network as well as take care of the usage of our instructors, please call them straight and a participant of the team will certainly return to you to resolve your problems. Numerous jobs require taking a trip all the time to instruct a single 90 minute class. Hires a lot more instructors than they need, so a few favorite trainers work regularly and also every person else obtains a few work a year. If you're new it may be 6 months in between your Academy as well as your initial job. Workshops are really picky and also you are always needing to discover brand-new ones, time consuming due to the fact that coach-facing materials are unnecessarily verbose.

What gym pays personal trainers most?

Personal Trainer Salary Research Shows the Highest Paying Gyms24 Hour Fitness. Non-training hours at 24 Hour Fitness are minimum wage, but the gym does offer some attractive incentives. Anytime Fitness. Anytime Fitness gyms are franchised and had varied payment structures. Crunch Fitness. Equinox. totally free . Planet Fitness. YMCA.

Products and also training courses are looked into well with a lot of advice for the trains. Robust selection procedure that is intended to maintain distribution criteria high. Opt for this kind of personal trainer if you are looking to shape a toned and defined physique and also aren't scared of getting stuck in and also lifting heavy weights. Personal fitness instructors aren't just about workout, they take an alternative technique as well as consider whatever that could affect your body. Sometimes you require some additional inspiration, or a little bit more guidance, if you aren't seeing the results that you 'd have wished for. Whether you intend to change your shape, get fit for an unique event or renew your lifestyle, a personal trainer will steer you on to the road to success.

Minimum of level 2 gym teacher qualification, or in the procedure of task. In order to provide you the most effective experience, we make use of cookies and similar modern technologies for efficiency, analytics, personalisation, marketing, and to aid our website function. You can change your choices at any time in your Privacy Setups. This newspaper has actually been a main part of community life for many years.

Hartsville Middle School coach Brandon Tedder is a renowned powerlifter - SCNow

Hartsville Middle School coach Brandon Tedder is a renowned powerlifter.

Posted: Sat, 16 Jan 2021 23:00:00 GMT [source]

Our industry faces testing times, which is why we're requesting for your support. Every payment will certainly help us continue to produce neighborhood journalism that makes a measurable distinction to our area.

[fyrecrafted]

Rescued. (a fic?)

So Ive been going through hell lately. I really needed to feel some kinda hope through all this darkness so I wrote this.  Basically a lot of bullshit Im going through and a happy ending via and old friend Tom Hiddleston... the line between reality and wishes is slim, yet obvious. Written more to help myself get through this than anything. Its quickly written and prob a mess. 1k words

I mentioned the abusive situation I was in a few times online where everyone could see it... but... my closer friends on discord really saw a lot more of what was going on. And not everyone really had the full picture. I was too scared to say it all in one place. I didn't want all that gross toxicity I was living in to be put on any one group's shoulders. One day I got in a really bad headspace. I wanted it to all end. I didnt see a way out. Im disabled, mentally and physically... I can't really work in my current situation (not that I'm not trying, but I seriously doubt the employment services could help me... and, even though I filed for disability I kept getting denied because I couldnt get health coverage to get medical diagnosis... and yeah... I had tried the method you just thought of and no its not available... at least you didn't think of that one idea that one person had 'if you get pregnant you can have medical coverage for 9 months', I really hope you can see how fucking disgusting that idea is... if you can't I don't have hope that explaining it to you would help any.)

No... I do not have any other fucking family that could fucking help... holy shit... DO YOU REALLY THINK I'D BE HERE IF I DID? Why do people ask these same questions over and over...? On the other hand I do know people are trying to just help and feel powerless to do so... Well... back to where I was... One day I said a lot more about how bad it was... How I was told by my whole family that I was worth less than them because I cannot work... How my mom screamed that she hated me... How I was blamed for every single thing that went wrong, and I was expected to do all the housework even though Im not physically capable of doing so. I was basically a disabled fucking Cinderella... trapped by a world that wont let me escape because I dont have cash... So many people don't see that in this reality money = freedom. I felt so lost... Trapped and up against a wall with no way out. Even if I went to a shelter I'd lose my cats who act as my emotional support animals (lessbe real here, they are service animals but cuz criteria dnt really cover mental issues like ASD they cant be labeled as service animals... fuck that bullshit) and I'd likely have lost all my stuff that keeps me from going into a shutdown. (like my brain will just go into bad chaos mode and shut the fuck off for a bit... like I can do the basic life stuff but no more than that) So... like... big nope for mental health reasons, and prob would fuck with my physical disabilities too... A few hours after I posted about everything I got an anon asking if I would leave if a friend offered me a place to stay. No strings attached. I reblogged an answer: Yeah, if they were gonna take me and both cats and my stuff in and work with my handicaps and I knew they werent gonna use it as a way to murder my face and hide the body. Another Anon: Even if it was in the middle of the night? And the only way was to do it fast? Me: I mean... I'd have to really know 'em and trust them to do that... I'm a little concerned that an anon is asking this though tbh... kinda freaked out man... Anon: Well, you do know me. I promise. I just don't want to advertise my intentions and I can't really DM you atm. So, I'm doing it like this. Im so sorry its causing you added anxiety. Also I've been a long time follower and I absolutely love your work. Me: Yeah... Okay... Sure... Whatever... If you show up bring me a pizza... or something and a redbull and cat treats... lol... seriously doubt anyone would take the time to rescue me... It was late when I posted and several hours later (I have non-24 and no circadian rhythm so being up at weird times is nbd for me) I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock. I grabbed my cane and was ready to play whack a mole intruder edition... when I peeked through the door I couldn't believe my eyes... A friend I had so very long ago but lost contact with... Someone I watched online from afar... Someone who was looking at my raised cane with much concern on their face... Tom... Tom fucking Hiddleston...

'You could have asked... if I had known earlier I would have come. Also please put that down.' 'y-y-y-eah.' 'May I come in please. I brought the pizza and rebull.' He grinned 'um, okay. Uh watch out for the cats though. Everything is kinda a mess.' 'I really dont give a damn about the mess. Im more concerned about the shit you've been going through. No one deserves to go through all that. I would like to ask you to move in with me. I'm staying in Georgia at the moment until all this mess clears up and we finish filming. After that we can figure stuff out. I don't want you to worry about a damned thing right now. I want to do everything in a manner that will be the best for you. If something isn't okay let me know. If you need something let me know. Fuck, if you WANT something... LET ME KNOW. Please.'

We ate and chatted and I cried... a lot. We packed up my stuff, and the cats and disappeared into the night. The sun rose as we pulled into the city. A brand new life began for me that day. And I will never look back.

[blackgirlsreadromance]

Review: The Right Swipe

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

*Warning: This review contains mild spoilers*

CW: anxiety, grieving, sexual harassment

Categories: M/F, interracial relationships, contemporary romance, rivals-to-lovers

My review:

Soooo I said I was going to do Girl Gone Viral, the second book in Rai’s Modern Love series, next, but I decided to go in order and do first things first. Besides, I actually like The Right Swipe a bit more than Girl Gone Viral, although I thoroughly enjoyed both. So, here goes:

The Right Swipe is the story of Rhiannon Hunter, the creator and owner of a successful online dating up called Crush, and her quest to buy a competitor’s matchmaking company to grow her business empire. And, of course, the story of the gorgeous man she meets along the way.

Samson Lima is a Samoan American ex-football player and the nephew of the owner of the matchmaking company Rhiannon wants to buy. He’s also the guy she **spoiler!** had a one-night stand with a few months ago. After one perfect night with tons of hot sex, she agreed to step out of her comfort zone and see him again, and then he GHOSTED. So by the time they meet again, in a business context, she wants nothing to do with him.

I really love both of our MCs in this book, but especially Rhiannon. She’s a Black woman in her late-thirties, so that already made me happy because so often we only see young(er) characters finding love in books. And you know how I feel about my Black heroines! The thing that makes Rhiannon great is she’s complex in ways that make her so real to me. She’s driven and ambitious, has trust issues, and can be prickly. She’s also generous and loyal to a fault. But the most interesting thing about her, the thing I think Rai did so well, is fold into Rhiannon all these stereotypes of Black women and businesswomen -- they’re aggressive, they’re not “feminine,” they’re not qualified, and, of course, the age-old insult that “they’ve slept their way to the top” -- but threw them back at us in a through-the-looking glass sort of way.  

For example, Rhiannon’s apparent aggression or lack of femininity are purposeful choices she’s made to succeed in business (early in the book, she recalls a former mentor telling her that as a woman in business, she can never let anyone see her cry). She’s not stereotypically feminine (she would dress entirely in hoodies and sneakers if she could) but she also loves pink because it makes her happy, so she decorates her private office in it, where she can enjoy it without judgment. She’s super-qualified, and always on edge and ready to prove it to those who challenge her, but she’s also learned that some people will dismiss you or have made up their minds about you from go and it’s not worth your time to engage with them. 

And then there’s the “sleeping her way to the top” dig. She didn’t -- she worked her ass off and one thing that comes through over, and over, and OVER while reading the book is how hard Rhiannon works. But there are rumors about her in the industry, spread by a former employer, and she’s had to deal with a fair amount of backlash and struggles that she just wouldn’t face if she were a man, especially a white man.

All these layers help make Rhiannon fascinating. She wears her businesswoman persona like armor, but she also needs her own personal brand of armor -- her favorite hoodie or a good, tight hug -- when she faces her toughest moments. She doesn’t trust easily, due to some incidents in her past which do get explored later in the book, and that is part of why it was difficult for her to agree to see Samson again and so hurtful when he didn’t follow through. But he spends the rest of the book trying to make it up to her, and proving that he sees her through all the armor and thinks she’s f*cking brilliant. He’s super supportive, there to run interference or provide a hug or hot, rough sex, if that’s what she needs to clear her mind. Even when he’s dealing with some personal issues of his own he makes it a point to be there for her, and he allows Rhi to support and soothe him, too. 

Their chemistry is off the charts, and the story around their business interests and how it might affect their relationship is interesting, intense, and well-done. The story also does a pretty thorough examination of the characters’ family relationships and some difficulties they each have there, which I really appreciated. I think this is a great, layered romance and I was so happy when these two got their HEA!

Review: 5 kisses! 💋💋💋💋💋

[devetraining-blog]

Professional Development Training

I think there are two important things to consider when speaking of "Professional Development Training." One is the importance of training staff members. If a trainer or coach doesn't know how to communicate, they won't be very effective. The second thing to consider is whether your business really needs training.

The need for training has been on my mind lately, because I've noticed a lot of businesses and organizations that don't use any kind of training or education or training at all. Often, it seems like organizations are trying to do everything themselves.

In this difficult times, we need to cut back on waste wherever we can. Too often, organizations have to train their staff themselves. We can do much better than that, in order to be more efficient.

There are many advantages to doing professional development training for the business. One is that employees are better educated and more knowledgeable. They are more motivated to do a job. They will learn new skills and that will save them money, because they'll get more done in less time.

Training also helps you achieve higher levels of performance. Employees with more knowledge and experience are not afraid to push the limits. They don't like to be written up by their managers or to be fired.

Training helps everyone be more productive. If your employee learns new skills, he or she will be more productive, because they are better prepared to perform his or her job.

Employees who receive training to become more productive because they have gained new skills, which make them more effective. This results in a happier and more satisfied employee. More employees means more profits for your company.

Training employees, whether as part of a structured program or as a part-time service, is a great way to improve communication. Training helps everyone understand each other's roles and actions, which in turn makes it easier to direct and control the team.

Communication in a workplace is an essential part of the success of an organization. Those who don't speak well to each other will not be very productive. Some people might think that employees shouldn't be trained, but I think that is a mistake.

Training is so important because it improves performance. People need to know how to express themselves and what they need to do in a situation. Without training, people become fearful of participating in staff meetings, or they'll work harder because they don't know where to start.

Think about the high school students that sit at their desks, looking at the board and not participating in class activities. Those are the same students who could easily learn how to communicate better, by watching a video or by doing their project in front of a group of peers. Just putting them in front of the board gives them a chance to try.

Training isn't only beneficial to your employees. It's beneficial to you, the employer, because it lets your company grow and to keep your current customers happy.

Sources

The Importance of Training and     Development in the Workplace (2020projectmanagement.com) - The     Importance of Training and Development in the Workplace

View - Tasmanian Legislation     Online (legislation.tas.gov.au) -

Australian Institute of Training     and Development (AITD) (aitd.com.au)     -

Training & Development Jobs     in All Australia - SEEK (seek.com.au) - Find your ideal job at     SEEK with 148 jobs found for Human Resources & Recruitment, Training     & Development in All Australia. View all our vacancies now with new     jobs added daily!

Training & development -     Staff Services - ANU (services.anu.edu.au) - The ANU Strategic     Plan 2017-2021 states that the Australian National University (ANU) will     sit among the great universities of the world and be defined by a culture     of excellence in everything that we do. To fulfil our mandate, we must     invest in, and insist on, excellence at the ANU.

Department of Training and     Workforce Development | (dtwd.wa.gov.au)     -

Training for Teachers (web.seesaw.me) -

Training and professional     development (health.qld.gov.au) - Queensland Health     understands the importance of continued training and professional     development for all staff to further develop their career.

Workforce Development and     Training (stategrowth.tas.gov.au) -

Course Catalog (learning.adobe.com) - Browse our catalog     of courses, learning paths, certifications, assessments and more.

Professional Development     Training: A Win for the Entire Team (roberthalf.com) - Professional     development training is often overlooked as an employee retention and     recruitment tool. Read how offering training helps your entire     organization, not just individual workers.

Staff development and training (business.gov.au) - Learn how to develop     your employee's skills and knowledge to improve productivity and job     satisfaction.

Staff training and development (staff.uq.edu.au) -

1220.0 - ANZSCO - Australian     and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition,     Revision 1 (abs.gov.au) -

training.gov.au (training.gov.au) - training.gov.au is the     national register for training in Australia

training.gov.au (training.gov.au) - training.gov.au is the     national register for training in Australia

Training and development for     school professionals (education.vic.gov.au) -

Anypoint Platform Development:     Fundamentals (Mule 4) course (training.mulesoft.com) - The Anypoint     Platform Development: Fundamentals (Mule 4) course teaches developers and     architects how to use Anypoint Platform to build APIs and integrations

Topics

These topics were mentioned multiple times across various sources:

Professional development

leadership development

Workforce Development

development opportunities

training providers

training and development

instructional design

career development

development program

training options

Staff development

job satisfaction

staff member

quality outcomes

Instructional Design Focus

training program

targeted training and skills roadmap

application network

training courses

professional development training

practical and responsive training solutions

Priority Start policy

Full Time job location

basic understanding

review team

exciting opportunity

global brands

vocational education

current site content

Staff Development Program

Questions

These are some relevant questions found across sources:

Are you a student or looking     for a course?

Statistics

These are some factual sentences found across sources:

Job openings were at 5.9     million, according to the June JOLTS report. (roberthalf.com)

[nicolewoo]

Life In The Fast Lane

Summary: Life with Fergal Devitt ran at full speed, but he tries to slow it down.

Pairing: Finn Bálor (Fergal Devitt) x Reader

Warnings: NSFW, rough sex, SMUT (18+ only peeps) Do not interact if you’re under 18!

Fergal and I laughed and joked over breakfast. He’d taken me to a fantastic little coffee shop with a funky atmosphere and some great food.

“I love it here”, he said after the waitress took our order.

I glanced around trying to forget my desire to hold his hand. “This reminds me of my coffee shop at home.”

Ferg stopped looking around and looked directly into my eyes. “Tell me about it.” He prodded.

Well, they have great coffee, teas, smoothies and food. They have the absolute best brownies ever.” Ferg lifted his eyebrow when I said that.

“Brownies? T’at doesn’t sound healthy at all.”

I chuckled, “It’s good for the soul.” He rolled his eyes at me. “If we’re going to be together, you’re going to have to understand that sometimes I need chocolate.” I was trying to look determined.

He started laughing, “Ah, ok. Got it.” he giggled.

“I love working from the coffee shop. They’ve got wi-fi, and a lot of us who own our own businesses work from there. It gives us a chance to collaborate with other business people.”

“Sounds pretty awesome.” Ferg smiled. “We’ll have to visit when you go home.” The conversation lulled as we ate, and I used the time to watch him. Those eyes, the veins in his arms, the way the shirt stretched over his chest. This man was beautiful, and he was mine. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I’d spent years admiring him. Not just his looks (which were stunning), but his heart, his generosity, his kindness. How did I ever deserve this man? I knew. I knew it was a gift from God. One that I wasn’t going to take for granted. I thought back to the times I’d taken for granted with my husband, and I felt a twinge of guilt.

“What’s going on in t'at beautiful head of yours?” He asked.

“There’s just so much changing so fast.” I mused.

“Changin’ for the better?” he prompted. I nodded in agreement. “Yes, better, but just so fast.”

“Luv,” he started “My life runs fast. All da time. Yur gonna have ta get used to it. I’m gonna take t'ings as slow as possible with’ us, but my whole life is fast.” He said gently. “You’ll learn to roll with d'a punches. I’ll help.”

I nodded yes, “I understand.”

Fergal set his empty plate and napkin to the side. “We should start planning for tomorrow. I am headed back to Alabama, to see t'a doc about my shoulder.” He sounded as if he was trying to say it gently. “I’d like ya to come along.” He said. That made me smile. “Really?”

“Yeah!” he laughed. “WWE has a couple of apartments by t'e hospital and physical therapy. Right now, Seth is staying in t'a same apartment as me, so if ya come wit’ me, he’s gonna find out about us.” He peeked at me to gauge my reaction.

“Ok, but I need to see when I’m going to start work.” I said.

“I already cleared it with the McMahons.” He looked sheepishly at me. “We’re supposed to start watchi’ NXT episodes while we’re t'ere.”

Part of me was happy, but part of me was mad. Did he even have a right to adjust my schedule? I realized that he was just trying to make this work. “Ok, but please consult me if you want to change my schedule.” I asked. He nodded in agreement.

“Sorry babe, jus’ wanted to get our life together started.” He paused, “So, what’s on the agenda today?” he asked.

My mind started swimming with everything on my schedule. “First, I need to run my business.” Fergal nodded in agreement. “Then I’m hoping to find a gym to work out in.”

“I can help ya t'ere.” He chimed in. “The performance center has a state o’ t'e art gymn. I’m headed there to work out today too. I’ll get ya in.” Work out in front of Ferg? Not ideal. They say some women look sexy working out. I was NOT one of them, but what choice did I have now?

“Well, the performance center was next on my list. They want me there about 3 pm.”

Ferg’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, “Already? Guess t'ey want to you sign an employment contract before we go to Alabama.”

We decided on a plan of attack. First, get tickets to Alabama. Second work. Third pack. Fourth work out. Fifth, meet with William Regal at the performance center. Yeah, my life was about to get hectic. I looked back at Fergal. He dialed his phone and smiled up at me.

“Katie!” he said on the phone. “Can you get me another ticket to Alabama? Yeah. Name’s Y/N.” He waited while Katie did her magic, “Tonight? Yeah. We can do that.” She’d booked us a red eye flight leaving Orlando at 11 pm. Fast… too fast. But this man is worth it.

We headed back to the condo, and Ferg ran some errands while I worked. After I packed, we went to the PC for a good workout. I caught Ferg watching me a couple of times, but we were each focused on our own workouts for the most part. Rather than head home, I showered at the PC and got dressed for my meeting. Fergal stuck around and introduced me to different talent and staff, some of whom I met at the dinner party” until Paul walked in.

“Ferg” they clasped hands and did a half hug. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Jus’ got a workout in. Figured I’d stick around and introduce Y/N to people.”

“You plan on staying for the meeting?” There was a slight annoyed sound to Paul’s voice.

“Nah man! I’m gonna work with d'a talent until she’s done. Help get dat ring rust off me.” A look of relief passed over Paul’s face. “You get Y/N all to yourself for a while.” he joked. “Jus’ give her back when you’re done.”

William Regal was an imposing man. I didn’t realize he was 6'3” until I was standing in front of him. Regal in front of me, Paul at my side…. I felt…. small in comparison, and it wasn’t just about the height differences. Here were 2 men who helped make WWE what it is. The amount of knowledge and experience these 2 had was astonishing. They were both so calm while the butterflies in my stomach were doing somersaults.

Fake it till you make it. I repeated to myself over and over as we settled down in a conference room.

Regal had been kind, gentle and incredibly polite when we met, but it wasn’t until the 2 huge men sat down that my nerves began to settle.

“I’m really happy to have you here, Y/N” Regal said. “We are getting ready to make some big changes around here, and from what I hear, you’re the right person to help us.” He had heard about me too? Is there anyone in this company that wasn’t talking about my work or my personal life?

The three of us started filling out paperwork. All standard paperwork except for the non-disclosure agreement. I skimmed the document, and was surprised to find that this NDA wasn’t standard. I wasn’t even allowed to tell co-workers about what I was working on.

“Can I ask why?” I looked puzzled.

Regal tapped his finger on the document and said, “sign first, and then we’ll explain.” I looked to Paul who simply nodded yes. Oh hell…. at this point in time I might as well trust them. I signed.

“Great.” Paul looked at Regal, “Any more paperwork?”

“Nope. All done.”

“Ok, here we go. William and I are working on making NXT the third brand. As it is, we are already running it like a third brand, but we’re working on getting a TV deal. If we can make that happen, Vince has agreed to make NXT a full brand.” Paul said. My mind swam with the possibilities.

“Essentially,” William said, “it will split NXT into two. One main brand and one developmental. Like Paul said, we’re already operating that way. Your job is going to be largely based on helping our social media reflect a professional brand like RAW and Smackdown.”

And now I knew why the NDA was so strict.

Paul took a deep breath. “Got it?” I nodded yes. “We know this is going to be different from what you’re doing for your customers, but we didn’t make the decision to hire you lightly. You’re on top of social media trends, and you’ve got a fresh eye. We are going to rely on you to tell us what we need to hear.” William chimed in, “Even if we don’t want to hear it. Can you do that? Can you tell truth to power?”

Truth to power? Yes. Yes. I can do that. “Absolutely.” I nodded.

Paul continued, “Good. There’s going to be times when we as a company are apt to do things the way they’ve always been done. We need YOU to ensure we make changes when and where necessary. Because of that, you will have un-fettered access to William.” I arched a brow, which elicited a chuckle from both men.

“You’re going to be on the road from what I understand.” William asked.

“After a couple of weeks,” Paul chimed in.

“I actually like that,” William continued. “You’re not going to be working around our social media team, so you won’t fall into the trap of doing things the way they’ve always been done. You are going to be a breath of fresh air for the whole department. I CAN’T have your supervisors restricting what I hear from you.” It all made sense, and internally, my mind fought with the whole concept that I was going to be so important. The more they explained it though, the more I understood the reasons for it. NXT was going to be it’s own brand, and Paul wanted to run it HIS way. Ok. I could do that.

The meeting continued for a couple of hours as we discussed what my duties would be, and how I was going to do my job from the road. While in Alabama, I was to research 15 NXT stars’ social media accounts and report my ideas on them to William Regal. I was also to research NXT’s online reputation. I thought to myself that I’d just done the same thing for the whole company preparing for this trip. The only difference was that I was going to be able to go into much more detail.

By the time I left the meeting, a crowd had formed around Fergal. He was helping an athlete learn a new move. I knew this kid was one of the ones I was going to be looking into. I looked through the files that Mr. Regal had given me. Yes…. There was this kid…. Ricochet. He was built, tan and from what I could see, incredibly talented. I found a table to set the files on, and began figuring out who all was gathered around Fergal.

There were 7 of my stars glued to his side; soaking in any information he could teach them. This was a great sign that these wrestlers were dedicated to their job, plus I’d be able to get Fergal’s input on their wrestling and their personalities.

Paul walked through as I was watching the wrestlers with a big smile, “Already started, huh? Or are you just watching Finn?” He teased.

“Can’t I do both?” I joked back. He gently patted me on the shoulder, and off he went.

The flight was late…. stopping at the grocery store when we landed made us even later. We didn’t get to the apartment until 2 am. I put the groceries away and we headed to bed. I may have been tired, but years of waking up at 9 am every day had trained my body…. I woke at 8:45 without an alarm. I silently cussed my body, but I knew I needed to get up and work. But first….. breakfast.

I got to work quickly knowing that the guys would want healthy food. I chose to make a giant kale quinoa power bowl. As I started cooking the onions down in olive oil, the whole apartment began to smell great.

I was adding the kale in when I heard Colby’s bedroom door open. I heard him long before I saw him.

“Damn Ferg that smells amazing. I hope you made enough for 2………..” As Colby turned the corner, I realized he was wearing nothing but underwear just as he noticed that a woman was cooking.

“Ahhh” His hand shot down to cover his privates, “Orrrrrrrr 3, I guess. Give me a second, please.” He asked as he ran back to his bedroom. He returned moments later with shorts on while he pulled a shirt down. “Sooooo, you must be…” he had obviously heard about me and forgotten my name. He took a seat at the breakfast bar.

I gave him a warm smile, “Y/N” I said. “You’re Colby. I’m a big fan.” I stopped cooking and shook his hand as he took a seat at the counter.

“What are you making, and seriously, is there enough for 3?” he laughed as he tried to smooth the frizz out of his hair… finally resorting to putting it in a ponytail. “Absolutely!” I chimed. “It’s a Kale Quinoa power bowl.”

His eyes widened, “I’ve never knew kale could smell so good.” He said sincerely. “How do you like…..”

I was interrupted by Fergal’s sexy morning voice, “Good god woman! What smells so good?” he asked while walking to the kitchen.

Ferg and Colby greeted each other with hand shakes and half hugs. I pretended not to see the look Colby gave Ferg. Afterward Ferg snuck behind me and wound his arms around my waist as he peeked over my shoulder to see the food.

“Low fat, low carb, low salt, high in protein. Will that do?”

Fergal laid a gentle kiss on my temple. “Darlin’ if it tastes as good as it smells, it will do fine.”

I asked how they wanted their eggs and finished the dish while the boys discussed their recovery.

When we finally sat, and started eating, Colby dead pan said “Ferg, marry this girl. If she can make kale taste this good, she’s a keeper.”

Fergal just laughed as he grabbed my hand. “It really is great, babe.” He squeezed my hand and we started talking about me working for WWE.

“I know Paul is a huge fan of yours, but to get your girl hired here and on the road with you? That’s huge Ferg.”

Fergal ran his thumb over my knuckles. “Nah man. She got herself hired. T'ey wanted to work wit’ her before I even met her. She’s pretty damn special.” Ferg looked deep in my eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile shyly.

Colby wadded up his napkin and threw it at Ferg. “Get a room, you two.” he joked. “You must be really special to charm Paul like that, Y/N.”

“Eh,” I said. “Just passionate.”

“Don’ sell yourself short.” Ferg raised my hand to his lips and kissed it.

After breakfast, the guys headed to PT, while I stayed to work. The 3 hours they were gone were all it took for me to run my business. I was just starting to look through the WWE files when Ferg returned without Colby.

I heard the door open and turned to see Ferg coming in. He didn’t speak; just walked over to me, pulled me to my feet and started kissing me…. so softly…. so tenderly. Good grief! This man could kiss! Ferg began running his hands over my back as we kissed. Slowly, tenderly, teasingly. I hummed as he pressed himself closer to me and started kissing me more passionately. His fingers began digging into my skin, desperately.

I couldn’t even think. The work on the table next to us; the past; the future; everything disappeared from my mind. All that existed at this moment was Fergal and me.

He began to gently push me back toward his bedroom. As we entered the room, he closed the door and locked it. His kisses went deeper. His fingers pushed into my skin harder. He started guiding me toward the edge of the bed. One of his hands was wrapped around my waist, and the other was cradling my head when I felt the bed against my legs. He laid me down as gently as a parent would lay down a child. He sank down on top of me. Between the passionate kisses and the gentle actions, my head was swimming. I didn’t know what to expect next, but I knew I needed him. I moaned into his mouth, and felt his lips curl into a small smile.

Fergal sat up, his legs straddling me, pulled his shirt off then mine. As he laid on me, kissing me, I reveled in the feel of his skin against mine; both of us burning with desire. His hands began rubbing my side, my hip, my arms and then he reached my nipple.

In a matter of seconds, he went from gently palming my breast to sucking my nipple, and I went from gently rubbing his back to digging my fingernails into him. He must have liked it, because I felt him smile against my lips again. He moved his legs between mine; easily pushing my legs apart. He sank back on top of me and began teasing my nipple with soft sucking and gentle nips. He switched sides, concentrating his ministrations on my other nipple. Each time his teeth gently grazed my nipple, I felt a twinge run through my body ending with my heat clenching, hoping to find friction, but finding nothing, and I moaned in disappointment. I wanted him so bad it hurt.

Each time I moaned, he pressed our hips together. I could feel his hard cock through the clothes, and my core clenched again. I moaned, he pushed. I moaned, he pushed. When will he give me what I want?

When he didn’t show any signs of moving, I reached my hand between us and tried to undo the button on my jeans. His hand followed right behind and pulled mine away from my button. “No, love,” he whispered and pulled away just enough for me to see the determination in his eyes. “Let me make love to you MY way.”

“Your way is going to drive me insane,” I whispered as I leaned up to kiss his chest.

He smiled a bit, “Love, trust me.” He pulled back from me again and looked deep in my eyes. His hand reached up to stroke my cheek. “Do you trust me?” he pleaded. Yes, yes I did. I nodded yes; which earned me another gentle smile. He leaned down to kiss me again. A deep, soft, long kiss that melted everything inside me. My nipples got harder, my core got wetter, my skin got more sensitive. He slid off the end of the bed and leaned over to kiss just above my waistband. “I” kiss “want” kiss “to” kiss “worship” He undid the button “your” down came the zipper “whole” he licked where my zipper had been “body.”

He slid my pants and underwear off then his own. The sight of his cock fully erect sent another jolt of desire through me as I prepared for him to fill me, but instead, he reached for my right foot. He began massaging my foot. It was so gentle and so intimate. Then my other foot. He began massaging up my legs, peppering kisses as he went. As he reached my knee, he wrapped his arm around my legs and bent them up. He laid the first kiss on my inner thigh; sweet sweet torture. Massaging, kissing, licking his way slowly up to my core. I was certain I was going to go insane, and my body tried to buck up against him. Then the lick…. across my slit. I felt everything inside me tense. Another lick. A gentle kiss on my bud. Oh fuck. I can’t handle this. I can’t……Finally, his mouth surrounded my clit and his tongue began to flick over it. Fuck Fuck Fuck. My body bucked against his mouth.

He glanced up at me; his beautiful blue eyes so full of love and lust. He slid two fingers inside me. My body clenched again, this time relieved at the feel of his fingers inside me. Slowly, he slid his fingers in and out, sucking and licking my bud. It was tortuously slow. Tortuously gentle. Tortuously amazing.

Instead of the quick, violent orgasm I was used to, my body slowly built up to my bliss. He looked up at me again and nodded his head. I fell……. slow, hot white tingling throughout my whole body. My orgasm was more intense than any I could remember. It lasted for days and days. His fingers continued to fuck me as I came.

When I had stilled, and his fingers pulled out of me, he began gently massaging my hips, my stomach, my breasts. He buried his face in my neck, gently kissing and sucking. I still couldn’t move. I was completely at his mercy. He slowly, carefully pushed against me, the head of his dick sliding against my slit just once before he entered me. Once inside me, he stopped and kissed me. I reveled in the feeling of him filling me up. My body bucked against him and I saw him smile. “Wasn’t that orgasm better than normal?” he asked.

“Mmmmmm yes,” I answered.

“D'en let me go at my own pace.” He chuckled. He lowered his head and took my nipple into his mouth. He flicked his tongue over the sensitive skin then removed his mouth and blew cold air over it. I didn’t think it could get any harder, but it did, and he closed his mouth over it again. He may have been trying to slow things down, but I felt his dick twitch inside me. I moaned. For a fleeting second, I thought he was going to lose control, but he didn’t. He just kept torturing my breast with his tongue while he stayed still inside me. I ran my hands over his ribs, his back, his ass, feeling all of his muscles…. all tight…. He needed a release. My body bucked against him again, and his cock twitched again. Then, he began to move. Tantalizingly slow. Tantalizingly gentle. Kissing my lips, my neck my breasts. My hands exploring him. My heat pulsing around him. This was it………….

I heard the front door of the apartment close. “Ferg!” Colby yelled out.

“Fuck” Fergal said against my neck.

“Ferg! Where are you man?” Colby knocked on the bedroom door. “Dude, you in there?”

“Fuck” Fergal pulled away from me, and out of me. I moaned in sadness.

“Get off the girl, Ferg.” We heard him try the doorknob, but the door was locked.

“Fuck off!” Fergal yelled, and Colby started laughing.

He began teasing us. “Seriously, get off the girl. I’m hungry!” Colby said. The look on Ferg’s face was so stern, I was happy it wasn’t aimed at me. “I’m gonna kill him,” he whispered to me as he grabbed his shirt. “Get under the covers” he barked. I did, and Fergal held the shirt in front of his dick as he answered the door.

“What da Fook do ya want?” He asked Colby.

Once Colby saw Fergal, he started laughing. “I was joking but, I guess I did interrupt something.”

“Yes you did!” Fergal growled. “What do you want?”

“I was hoping we could go to lunch so I could get to know Y/N better.” Colby raised his hands in surrender and backed up a couple of steps. “Why don’t I come back in 15 minutes?” he offered to placate Fergal.

Fergal slammed the door in Colby’s face and yelled, “Make it 30 minutes” He looked down at me with lust in his eyes, and he yanked the blankets off my body. Colby kept talking…. something about picking lunch up and bringing it here…. some apologies…

“Now, where were we?” Fergal surveyed my naked body. He knelt at my feet and said, “Ahhhh. I remember as he leaned in and placed a kiss on my knee. “That’s it, I was working my way up from here.” He teased.

“NOOO!” I half yelled half giggled. He began gently rubbing and kissing my thigh. “You were much further along than that.” My hands pawed at him, trying to find something to grab onto so I could pull, him up to me.

He quirked up the corner of his mouth pretending to be thinking hard. “Nope. Nope. I think I was about here,” he said as his tongue flicked over my clit a couple of times.

“No.” I laughed…. “farther than that.” A couple more flicks made me moan. He slid his fingers inside me again, “Was I here?” he smiled up at me as he curled his fingers over my g-spot.

“Fuck!” I cursed.

He curled an eyebrow at me. “Are you cursing or reminding me where we were?” He had a devilish grin.

“The latter.” I chuckled.

“Ahhhh. Yeah. I remember.” Fergal said as he slid into me. Once he was inside me he stopped. “I’m sorry about Colby. He kind ruined my plans ta make slow love ta ya all afternoon.” I nodded. “Guess we’ll jus’ have to speed t'is up.” He grinned. He knew I wanted to go faster. He began to rock back and forward at a slow pace; an evil smirk on his face. “But I’ve got a little time to play.”

I listened as a low moan escaped my mouth. The sound made Fergal’s dick throb inside me. He pulled back so his tip was barely inside me. He slowly ran his hands down my legs. When he reached my knees, he raised them up and put them on his shoulders. Then he slammed back into me. Fuck! He was so deep. I exploded and he stilled.

When I opened my eyes, I saw him smiling at me. “Ya look amazin’ when ya cum, darlin’. I could get addicted to watchin’ you.” Then he pulled out of me, got off the bed ad flipped me onto my hands and knees. He gave me no warning as he climbed up behind me and slammed back into me. Fuck Yes! I wasn’t sure if I said it out loud or just thought it. Either way, Fergal seemed to know. Digging his fingers into my hips, he yanked me back and filled me completely. My body took over. My hips bucked, my back arched, my hands grabbed at the blankets. A stream of moans, exclamations and feral sounds came out my mouth, but I couldn’t control it. All I could think about was him hitting my g-spot over and over and over.

His husky voice brought me back to reality. “Cum for me now” he grumbled as he pushed even harder and deeper into me. He was so deep, it bordered on painful… blissfully painful….

My body was wracked with my next orgasm, and I felt him let go. He bucked into me a few more times as my core squeezed every drop of semen out of him. We both collapsed and recovered for a few minutes.

“Did ya know you cuss when you cum?” He taunted me. He rolled to face me and propped himself up on his elbow. I think I blushed, and he laughed. 
“I think I made more sounds than cussing.” I put my hand over my face in embarrassment.

He quickly reached to gently remove my hand. “You got nuttin’ to be ashamed of, luv. It felt amazin’ knowin’ I was making you feel so good.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I t'ink you started speakin’ in tongues.” He teased.

“You’re just too damn good.” I sighed. “And now we have to get ready for lunch.”

#wwe #wwe smut #finn balor #finn balor x reader #smut #nsfw #fergal devitt x reader

[spaghettipapi]

Complete Affiliate Marketing Information [Updated]

You need to be wondering why we’re taking this sort of huge course . A lot of our purchasers concentrate on clinical / beauty industries - however we are completely happy to use our services to any sort of business. If we actually need to improve your business on a excessive vary then it is needed to launch a brand new website. You might have to have the ability to estimate the needs of your viewers, and then do your greatest to satisfy them. Certainly one of best issues we can do in this New 12 months is to give attention to who we actually are, as an alternative of who we expect we're supposed to be.

Constructing connections: Social media marketing can assist you to create connections with not simply your prospects but additionally with individuals who can make it easier to in what you are promoting just like the trade consultants. As social animals, folks have at all times relied on communication to strengthen their relationships. I make no apology that this month’s weblog is impressed by frustration and a bit anger from current conversations regarding nicely intention authorities money not going to the individuals it was meant for. We are going to present you seven brilliant methods of earning money together with your mobile recreation growth concept.

NBA Recreation Time: That is the official app offered by NBA (Nationwide Basketball Association), the governing body of basketball in the US. Forth. Because we are actually in a position to vary our bodily body via cosmetic procedures, many really feel that they don't seem to be 'ok' till all options are exercised, even excessive makeovers. Gifs are usually used to wish one another in any necessary occasion. Whenever you join one of these standard sites you quickly boost the amount of site visitors your business web site receives.

Are you Searching for Happy New Year 2019 Quotes ? Set it in your heart that every day of the brand new Yr would keep getting higher and higher for you. To far more totally worth the ability of un-managed stress - getting out of stability - it may be essential to have a primary comprehension of how the stress response is effective. After i had the Tiger pistol the goby was always proper with the shrimp and in and out of his many burrow entrances.

Some unique calligraphy fonts and different geometrical shapes have been composed collectively to create these flat social media icons. However, social media algorithms by no means keep the same for long, and with a rapidly changing expertise panorama, neither do person traits. Take Hoot-suite Academy’s Social Promoting Course and find out how to find leads and drive sales with social media. The idea is to not have a steep learning curve. The agency also has access to current talent pool, database programs, and normal assessment fashions, which can speed up the hiring process in emergency situations.

Think involving The merchandise when it comes to development. As a substitute, 9Apps will redirect you to Google Play, meaning it isn't notably helpful. The product concept holds that the customers will favor merchandise that offer the most in high quality, performance and progressive features. By tacit approval Fb customers will accept you and be your fan. In these sessions attendees will be a part of forces with their friends to brainstorm options and study methods to navigate the cross-business challenges that abound in the Marketing Analytics & Data Science house.

On this form of affiliate marketing you're displaying your presence. Whether or not it’s CPA, CPL, or CPC fee constructions, there are a number of excessive paying affiliate programs and affiliate marketers are within the driver’s seat. With an affiliate network or program, happy new year 2019 images the arduous stuff is taken care of. A slight distinction has produced a pleasant vintage impact and the icons are stamped as effectively. It is noticed that almost all developers are stuck here, as they can't install their app correctly within the working system.

So make certain to spread happiness all around you. Once you hire an company, you should feel free to clear your doubts. It’s a lose-lose state of affairs. Most accommodations, resorts, restaurants host gala dinners on New Year's for all to get pleasure from. DOCTYPE is a guideline to the online program about what adaptation of HTML the page is composed in. My dresses were just "too brief" by the standards again to those years. Perhaps romantic partnerships dissolved or positions of employment ended.

[frederator-studios]

Tiya Zhong: The Frederator Interview

Tiya Zhong, known to the interweb as Addictiya, is an animator, illustrator, designer and doll artist still brushing off glitter from her graduation just a few weeks ago. Her final film as a student of Sheridan College’s Animation program, “Lost, Stolen, Dropped,” is an autobiography of her daily struggle. It is also among the most relatable, inspired and squishy 2 minutes of animation I’ve seen in a good long while. Enjoy the short above, then read on for Tiya’s journey from schoolgirl doodling in her textbooks to professional artist!

Did you always want to be an animator or artist?

I discovered my passion for drawing when I was 4 years old, and I have always loved doodling figures on my textbooks, reading comics, and watching animation. When I was little, I never thought about becoming an artist - I just thought it would be fun if I could draw forever. In high school, I wanted to be a comic artist, but I became fascinated with making characters come to life. Animation was even more vivid than comics, which is why I chose to major in it.

How did you decide to move from China to Canada to attend Sheridan?

I grew up in China, so at first I planned to attend a university in Beijing that features the best animation program in China. In an extra-curricular art school where I was studying to pass the university’s entrance exam, I met a substitute teacher who'd studied abroad. Talking with him made me realize how many opportunities and great artists are out there. That’s when I started to research animation schools in North America, and got to know Sheridan.

What did you like best about studying at Sheridan?

I learned a lot at Sheridan. The school has great, experienced teachers. But I learned the most from my peers, who are all amazing artists. Being in that group gave me no choice but to improve. What I enjoyed most is how free the environment is, compared to the one I’d been in. I also had a lot more resources at my disposal. Being at Sheridan really helped me discover my own art style.

Did you work any jobs during your time in college?

Since high school, I have always worked on stuff for conventions: things like zines, charms, and commissions. During college I actively kept my eyes on the industry and started to take freelance jobs. I’ve done character illustrations for games, art for a published illustration tutorial, design work, and more commissions, mostly with Chinese companies. I think it’s really important for artists to have at least some experience working with partners or employers before finishing school.

What are your favorite techniques, considering you've worked in both 2d and stop-motion? And those are just the two I know for sure!

Yes, I’ve done a little bit of 3D for assignments, but so far I’ve only worked in 2D and stop motion. I love both techniques equally! They are two different forms of art and each has stunning aspects. I love how free 2D can be, and how much you can play with crazy distortions, squash and stretch. I also love the process of crafting puppets and sets and being able to hold them in my hand.

What inspires you and your work the most?

Japanese anime definitely influences my work. They are my childhood and what made me keep the pencil in my hand! In the process of creating, I also look for references in many forms: live action movies, fashion, short films, photography. Anything related to art.

Is there anything that comes up in your work over and over?

I built my interest in life drawing while studying at Sheridan. Now, emphasizing the beauty and curls of human bodies has become a core part of my drawings.

How was the experience of creating "Quarters" in a team of 9 animators? 

Creating “Quarters” with 8 other amazing artists was a really great experience! It was our first try, but there were no conflicts and everything went smoothly. Everyone pitched an idea for the film and we voted for the ‘four neighbors’ idea, which became “Quarters”. I worked on layout designs, prop and sets fabrication, shooting area setups, animation, and some post-production color corrections. We spread the work pretty much equally to everyone, so that we could all gain experience in every stage of creating a stop motion film.

What inspired you to create "Lost, Stolen, Dropped"?

I had two other ideas for my final film before “Lost, Stolen, Dropped,” but they didn’t feel authentic to me. Personally, I prefer telling stories on subjects that I’m knowledgeable about, or have experienced myself. So one month into my 4th year, I gave up my first idea and all the storyboards I’d done for it. I thought, “What subject am I really familiar with? Is there anything that I know better than anyone else?” At the same time, I lost my brand new Cintiq pro pen. Not long before then I had lost my wallet. Aaaand my portable hard drive. My roommate commented that losing things is my everyday life. That’s what inspired me - I am really good at losing things! So I decided to make a film about that.

Love it. Do you often pull from your own life in your stories?

Actually, I can trace it back all the way to primary school! I used to draw comics as my diaries. With four panels comics, I’d record anything that happened in my life that I found fun. By the end of grade 7, I had a whole sketchbook of my personal life. I only showed it to my closest friends.

What were the biggest changes you made to "Lost, Stolen, Dropped" while working on the film? What were the biggest challenges?

I made a big change in the story. At the end of the first version, I made lots of copies of the main character, which came from all the different scenarios or timelines. They all appeared in her messy room, staring at her and guiding her to find her phone. That ending had a very dark and absurd feeling to it. The problem was, in order to explain that story and deliver the right feeling, the film would need to be a lot longer. And so, too much work for me. In the end, I changed lots of things and compressed the storyboard so I could finish it.

What do you plan to do now that you've graduated? Sorry to ask that question, I know it's the worst for new grads, haha.

Haha, I was so lost on this before, but now I kind of have a blueprint! The very first thing I want to do is find a job that I like, start saving, and get my PR (permanent residency) here in Canada, which is very realistic. I'll use my savings to go to grad school or take online classes: anything to improve my skills and broaden my perspective. Eventually, I want to work on personal projects without having to worry about financial issues.

Do you have a favorite cartoon, film, or artist?

Different films have been my favorite at different times in my life... I just love work that has great stories or strong emotions. I can’t really pick one film as my favorite, but Masaaki Yuasa is definitely one of my favorite directors! What I admire most about his films is how the abstract parts serve the expressive storytelling, and the drawings are always loose. That’s what I need to learn!

What's your biggest dream?

My biggest dream used to be becoming a zoologist! That was when I was 8. Now, my dream is to connect with great artists and studios over the world. To learn from them, work on fun projects, live a happy, healthy life, and occasionally go on vacations so that I can work on my other hobbies!

What are your hobbies outside of animation?

I’m interested in a wide range of things! Biking, gym exercise, photography, choreography, sculpting, sewing, leathercraft. But my greatest interest, outside of animation, is dolls and puppets! I love all kinds of dolls and toys. Different doll artists always make dolls with different characteristics, and that self-expression element is what appeals to me. I want to be able to create my own porcelain or resin doll one day. I am working hard toward that goal! ❀

Follow Addictiya on Instagram

Thank you for the interview Tiya! Love your work and am so looking forward to seeing what you do next. Enjoy home and your summer vacation pre-Adulting, you’ve earned the heck out of it!

- Cooper ❀

[mckenzie02england-blog]

Loan Kid By Paul Yee-- Reviews, Conversation, Bookclubs, Lists.

I am actually a chump for this sort of point: Rocketcases revealed some brand-new situations for iPhone Sevens on Tuesday, featuring two Video game Child Retro scenarios and a Nintendo Controller case. She is the author from Summer season Kids, Upcoming Summer season: A Summer months Children Unfamiliar, The Maid-matron of honour, Acquiring Shed with Young boys, and also The Tricks of Children. I leaned against the wall behind the frozen yogurt store, utilizing every bane term in the world to swear Kyle out in my thoughts. A few times ago at the park, I checked out Maximum play and also run along with a team of various other kids. As for the actual materials of guide are concerned, Young boy + Crawler is actually a adorable as well as simple science fiction book that spreads the sweet notification of friendship. He is actually the child every lady squashes on. The boy I enter problem with, the kid I battle along with, the warm quarterback no lady may stand up to, certainly not even me. Being with http://totpentrufemei.info/ feels like goning on an adventure. A boating from surveys by Youngster's Commissioner and also the NSPCC tell us porn usage is actually near-ubiquitous in 16-year-olds - and also grow older 10 is regular for initial direct exposure. By chance there's an objection to accept that white colored guys could in fact be actually hurting. Yet another point is actually the expendability of males in general, guys are actually usually the ones to operate the truly shitty works. Merseyside cops stated when the pet struck John-Paul his granny, Helen Foulkes, 63, took care of to eliminate this from our home, sustaining bites, just before contacting cops. Also when faced with AIDS, which has actually wrecked our area and created many gay men - on my own featured - to sadly relate sexual activity with death, our company failed to cease looking for chances in order to get off, we just discovered means to do it more securely. Rather you just saw one tornado after another physchologically screw up this little young boy. For such a dazzling publication, the only trait that bothers me is just how much Raven Boys winds up experiencing more like it is actually establishing follows up in comparison to being amazing in its personal right. This writer writes such garbled accounts and I absolutely love that. I possessed an aspiration last night I visited prison and I fully criticize this book (as well as Unsafe Females). The 13-year-old gal's image was actually forwarded to multiple students in three different institutions, as well as the kid has given that been actually arrested. The Bechdel-Wallace exam, which is actually thought about a quite simple litmus test for females's communications in films, usually still cannot occur in several popular flicks as well as TV programs. After reviewing this manual I gave my buddies a checklist from phrases and also inquired to tell me if each word described children or females. The assault was actually halted after a neighbour, that presumed they were a kid as well as a woman having sex, interupted, the jury system heard. Yet some males and females still consider given that there are actually separate males's and also ladies's responsibilities. New Young boy focuses on these activities at the expenditure of solid charact New Child, by Julian Houston, covers knowledgeable region in young person myth, and with excellent explanation. That was appealing, later, when Bok happened to obtain the viewpoint from the employer, to discover that, usually, these same regreting boys were those that, from the company's perspective, were either considerably paid too much or so completely insignificant about be actually denoted for very early decapitation. So he took his _ Encyclopaedia _- its own reliability right now created in his thoughts through General Garfield's letter-and began to research the lifestyles from effective males and females. Based upon Kid # 1's moms and dads blanket gender essentialisms as well as explanations, my little girl and also the youngsters around her might easily have actually related to the verdict that boys experienced this stage, are actually so different off females, may not regulate themselves, and affection destroying points. Through sixth quality, the kids were actually still responding to more complications than the women and were actually likewise getting additional proper. As a male that had had severe issues along with mental wellness in the past, this was actually often very angering to me. The team also really did not feel that males may be feminists, and actually created that versus their constitution for males to run for board settings. To Bok, the everyday knowledge of finding Mr. http://totpentrufemei.info/ fund his recommendation altogether that created the publishing world of that time gasp along with skeptical awe was actually a splendid possibility, of which the publisher took full conveniences thus in order to learn the complexities of a world which approximately that time he had actually recognized simply in a restricted method. For all its own cult beauty, individuals occasionally fail to remember why the Online Child fell short: since that sucked, and much worse, because this created our team physical pain. Much like little ones along with anorexia, young boys having to deal with muscle mass dysmorphia will certainly participate in harsh habits to meet their objectives. With cars and truck chases, robot incredibly powers, dark as well as gritty backstories, Child Robotic possesses it all! The intended notification of Some Children is actually a sturdy one; one I assume can be highly effective and inspirational for some. Amount of money Young boy through Paul Yee is actually a publication regarding a boy called Radiation which is actually a Chinese immigrant straining to discover English. A rumor by charitable organization ChildWise in 2013/14 exposed that internet site Pornhub was actually among the top 5 favorite web sites called through kids aged 11-16. The unlawful justice body, guys are routinely targeted as well as profiled as lawbreakers through law enforcement agency. Make certain teachers recognize the other discovering designs from children and also ladies so that they manage to make a knowing environment that satisfies the necessities from both, by educating various techniques that catch women' necessities for spatial learning method, including geometry, as well as kids' necessities for enrichment tasks. The young boy admitted he was, as well as the preacher had a good laugh one of those deep laughs of his that were thus infectious. I traces the unraveling realisation of his sexuality for a 12 years of age Indian kid who presently observes themself as an outsider. As a result, the young boys were actually much less happy to have a shut guy good friend despite the fact that they all informed her they wanted one. Blue Child is an exceptionally amusing, heart Kiran is a sixth-grade student that recognizes he is actually various from his fellow classmates, yet in his mind, various is better. So these males role-played to a level, possibly somewhat instinctively, while living in idealized body systems they 'd dreamed up. Write-up author and also Ubisoft investigation expert Scar Yee noted that this kind of behavior is really relatively normal from folks provided avatars significantly and even subtly other off their own bodies. On this isle the moment lived a team from males that, as each ship was actually ravaged, swiped the ship and also slaughtered those of the workers that reached bank. A sequel from varieties to The Act from Killing - which is unfortunately not on Netflix - that was developed through Joshua Oppenheimer and pays attention to a male which challenges the men that eliminated throughout the 1965 'cleanup from communists' in Indonesia in the 60s.

[aimprofessionalzeether-blog]

5 Ways For Female Amateurs To Stop The Stereotypes -- Out Of Photographers That Are There

Shared a male-dominated niche, photography now includes a close even split up with over 46 percent of the livelihood composed of women. Despite the increase, a lot of women still face stereotypes when launching their livelihood -- and the typical salary for female photographers continues to be less than the usual man at the same sustenance.

As International Women's Day demands a #PressforProgress about March 8, people spoke to three performers that faced people stereotypes -- and increased within them en route to becoming famed photographers within their area. Earlier Lindsey Adler was appointed one among the top fashion designers in the world, '' she had difficulty acquiring employment as a photographer's helper"because women can not lift heavy items " After Lou Freeman started developing a fashion picture brand, she blatantly shortened Louise into some domain.

Here are these three photographers struck the stereotypes -- and also precisely that which they'd prefer to share along with other women getting started in the area.

She motivates women to learn what makes them exceptional because a photographer or problem solver -- whether this is the character which aids customers to unwind before the camera or an eye for color.

"Do not forget to be more pleased and appreciate (and require ) your values. We have been educated to be understated and humble. I invite you to locate out the own strengths and talk about professional photo retouching online free them publicly -- let people understand why you will be the one to engage, and also you have such price. "

Adler implies photographers begin with ascertaining their value then follow up with thinking value, and checking that worth.

Do not give into the stereotypes.

Occasionally, stereotypes might be so pervasive that the group the premise is aimed at starts to think of them. Adler says she has seen many beginning to trust the stereotype that women are daylight shooters rather than trained in studio light.

"In case you would like to shoot sun lighting, that is ok because of a stylistic choice or since it reflects the mood of one's shots or personality," she explained. "Do not, nevertheless, think you can't know studio light. Like other things in pictures, it will take practice and education, but there was certainly not anything inside our hard-wiring which produces it increasingly problematic for all of us. "

Twist the stereotypes right into strengths.

A few religions, rather than beating, could be changed into strengths in the place of negative senses. Freeman claims that starting outside in elegance and fashion; there was a perception that female photographers are somewhat far better in making female models feel sexy facing the camera. Therefore when she chose to polish her job to land a gig with Playboy, finally raping almost 2000 women for the magazine, then she decided to request the women facing the camera. The models stated that female photographers tended to create them feel more confident, relaxed and beautiful.

"The outcome? Women paid me respect...They might curl up and invite far improved images to be caught of themselves"

If you're the sole female in the space, stick outside.

Many find being the minority chilling -- but Brandt implies photographers ought to be happy, maybe not fearful, once they realize they have been the sole female in the space. Rather than emphasizing being separate, focus rather than standing out.

"When I started, I combined my room of trade and other media events," she explained. "There were scarcely any females in this function. It enabled me to be noticeable, and also be viewed as a company proprietor because I was not reluctant to head into events where men dominated the space. "

Do not forget to be outspoken.

Among the very many stereotypes, Brandt sees within her livelihood may be the concept that women can't be both productive small business people and powerful mothers. "To violate that stereotype,'' I am quite outspoken how exactly I include my kids in my enterprise," she explained. "They travel together personally and think about the read this studio their next house by making it their first stop after school to stay in my side. I also have enabled other staff to create their kids to get the job done and that I believe there is an equilibrium between work and motherhood."

Since the photography industry changes to a nearly even split between men and females dealing together with a camera, a few religions persist -- but doesn't signify those stereotypes cannot be broken -- and sometimes even altered to borders. "However, my expectation is the fact that sex isn't a concern in the foreseeable long term. I would like people to merely recognize the work, maybe not care whether a woman or woman created it"

[wickedbananas]

How to Win Some Local Customers Back from Amazon this Holiday Season

Posted by MiriamEllis

Your local business may not be able to beat Amazon at the volume of their own game of convenient shipping this holiday season, but don’t assume it’s a game you can’t at least get into!

This small revelation took me by surprise last month while I was shopping for a birthday gift for my brother. Like many Americans, I’m feeling growing qualms about the economic and societal impacts of putting my own perceived convenience at the top of a list of larger concerns like ensuring fair business practices, humane working conditions, and sustainable communities.

So, when I found myself on the periphery of an author talk at the local independent bookstore and the book happened to be one I thought my brother would enjoy, I asked myself a new question:

“I wonder if this shop would ship?”

There was no signage indicating such a service, but I asked anyway, and was delighted to discover that they do. Minutes later, the friendly staff was wrapping up a signed copy of the volume in nice paper and popping a card in at no extra charge. Shipping wasn’t free, but I walked away feeling a new kind of happiness in wishing my sibling a “Happy Birthday” this year.

And that single transaction not only opened my eyes to the fact that I don’t have to remain habituated to gift shopping at Amazon or similar online giants for remote loved ones, but it also inspired this article.

Let’s talk about this now, while your local business, large or small, still has time to make plans for the holidays. Let’s examine this opportunity together, with a small study, a checklist, and some inspiration for seasonal success.

What do people buy most at the holidays and who’s shipping?

According to Statista, the categories in the following chart are the most heavily shopped during the holiday season. I selected a large town in California with a population of 60,000+, and phoned every business in these categories that was ranking in the top 10 of Google’s Local Finder view. This comprised both branded chains and independently-owned businesses. I asked each business if I came in and purchased items whether they could ship them to a friend.

Category

% Offer Shipping

Notes

Clothing

80%

Some employees weren’t sure. Outlets of larger store brands couldn’t ship. Some offered shipping only if you were a member of their loyalty program. Small independents consistently offered shipping. Larger brands promoted shopping online.

Electronics

10%

Larger stores all stressed going online. The few smaller stores said they could ship, but made it clear that it was an unusual request.

Games/Toys/Dolls etc.

25%

Large stores promote online shopping. One said they would ship some items but not all. Independents did not ship.

Food/Liquor

20%

USPS prohibits shipping alcohol. I surveyed grocery, gourmet, and candy stores. None of the grocery stores shipped and only two candy stores did.

Books

50%

Only two bookstores in this town, both independent. One gladly ships. The other had never considered it.

Jewelry

60%

Chains require online shopping. Independents more open to shipping but some didn’t offer it.

Health/Beauty

20%

With a few exceptions, cosmetic and fitness-related stores either had no shipping service or had either limited or full online shopping.

Takeaways from the study

Most of the chains promote online shopping vs. shopping in their stores, which didn’t surprise me, but which strikes me as opportunity being left on the table.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of independent clothing and jewelry stores that gladly offered to ship gift purchases.

I was concerned by how many employees initially didn’t know whether or not their employer offered shipping, indicating a lack of adequate training.

Finally, I’ll add that I’ve physically visited at least 85% of these businesses in the past few years and have never been told by any staff member about their shipping services, nor have I seen any in-store signage promoting such an offer.

My overarching takeaway from the experiment is that, though all of us are now steeped in the idea that consumers love the convenience of shipping, a dominant percentage of physical businesses are still operating as though this realization hasn’t fully hit in… or that it can be safely ignored.

To put it another way, if Amazon has taken some of your customers, why not take a page from their playbook and get shipping?

The nitty-gritty of brick-and-mortar shipping

62% of consumers say the reason they’d shop offline is because they want to see, touch, and try out items. – RetailDive

There’s no time like the holidays to experiment with a new campaign. I sat down with a staff member at the bookstore where I bought my brother’s gift and asked her some questions about how they manage shipping. From that conversation, and from some additional research, I came away with the following checklist for implementing a shipping offer at your brick-and-mortar locations:

✔ Determine whether your business category is one that lends itself to holiday gift shopping.

✔ Train core or holiday temp staff to package and ship gifts.

✔ Craft compelling messaging surrounding your shipping offer, perhaps promoting pride in the local community vs. pride in Amazon. Don’t leave it to customers to shop online on autopilot — help them realize there’s a choice.

✔ Cover your store and website with messaging highlighting this offering, at least two months in advance of the holidays.

✔ In October, run an in-store campaign in which cashiers verbally communicate your holiday shipping service to every customer.

✔ Sweeten the offer with a dedication of X% of sales to a most popular local cause/organization/institution.

✔ Promote your shipping service via your social accounts.

✔ Make an effort to earn a mention of your shipping service in local print and radio news.

✔ Set clear dates for when the last purchases can be made to reach their destinations in time for the holidays.

✔ Coordinate with the USPS, FedEx, or UPS to have them pick up packages from your location daily.

✔ Determine the finances of your shipping charges. You may need to experiment with whether free shipping would put too big of a hole in your pocket, or whether it’s necessary to compete with online giants at the holidays.

✔ Track the success of this campaign to discover ROI.

Not every business is a holiday shopping destination, and online shopping may simply have become too dominant in some categories to overcome the Amazon habit. But, if you determine you’ve got an opportunity here, designate 2018 as a year to experiment with shipping with a view towards making refinements in the new year.

You may discover that your customers so appreciate the lightbulb moment of being able to support local businesses when they want something mailed that shipping is a service you’ll want to instate year-round. And not just for gifts… consumers are already signaling at full strength that they like having merchandise shipped to themselves!

Adding the lagniappe: Something extra

For the past couple of years, economists have reported that Americans are spending more on restaurants than on groceries. I see a combination of a desire for experiences and convenience in that, don’t you? It has been joked that someone needs to invent food that takes pictures of itself for social sharing! What can you do to capitalize on this desire for ease and experience in your business?

Cards, carols, and customs are wreathed in the “joy” part of the holidays, but how often do customers genuinely feel the enjoyment when they are shopping these days? True, a run to the store for a box of cereal may not require aesthetic satisfaction, but shouldn’t we be able to expect some pleasure in our purchasing experiences, especially when we are buying gifts that are meant to spread goodwill?

When my great-grandmother got tired from shopping at the Emporium in San Francisco, one of the superabundant sales clerks would direct her to the soft surroundings of the ladies’ lounge to refresh her weary feet on an automatic massager. She could lunch at a variety of nicely appointed in-store restaurants at varied prices. Money was often tight, but she could browse happily in the “bargain basement”. There were holiday roof rides for the kiddies, and holiday window displays beckoning passersby to stop and gaze in wonder. Great-grandmother, an immigrant from Ireland, got quite a bit of enjoyment out of the few dollars in her purse.

It may be that those lavish days of yore are long gone, taking the pleasure of shopping with them, and that we’re doomed to meager choosing between impersonal online shopping or impersonal offline warehouses … but I don’t think so.

The old Emporium was huge, with multiple floors and hundreds of employees … but it wasn’t a “big box store”.

There’s still opportunity for larger brands to differentiate themselves from their warehouse-lookalike competitors. Who says retail has to look like a fast food chain or a mobile phone store?

And as for small, independent businesses? I can’t open my Twitter feed nowadays without encountering a new and encouraging story about the rise of localism and local entrepreneurialism.

It’s a good time to revive the ethos of the lagniappe — the Louisiana custom of giving patrons a little something extra with their purchase, something that will make it worth it to get off the computer and head into town for a fun, seasonal experience. Yesterday’s extra cookie that made up the baker’s dozen could be today’s enjoyable atmosphere, truly expert salesperson, chair to sit down in when weary, free cup of spiced cider on a wintry day… or the highly desirable service of free shipping. Chalk up the knowledge of this need as one great thing Amazon has gifted you.

In 2017, our household chose to buy as many holiday presents as possible from Main Street for our nearby family and friends. We actually enjoyed the experience. In 2018, we plan to see how far our town can take us in terms of shipping gifts to loved ones we won’t have a chance to see. Will your business be ready to serve our newfound need?

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

from The Moz Blog https://ift.tt/2Ou0yfm via IFTTT