Gerry Ellen Avery – The Flocksy Blog

9 Ways to Improve Your Health and Wellbeing For a Lifetime

As a new year approaches, the all-too-familiar making of resolutions becomes front and center. Have you given any thought to health related issues lately? If not, it’s time to wake up to the fact that your health and wellbeing is vitally important. January is a great time to make changes and improvements that will not only last the short term, but for a lifetime.

It’s no secret that poor health and wellbeing affects you in several ways, including physically and mentally. To enjoy life to the fullest each and every day, here’s 9 ways to help give you a kick-start to improving your health.

Exercise

If you’re already partaking in daily exercise, good for you; if not, it’s time you started. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle – you either sit at home or you have a job which keeps you inactive for long periods of time. Therefore, not only does exercise improve your strength, stamina, and flexibility, the obvious health benefits associated with exercise include weight loss and improved fitness. You’re also less prone to injuries and ‘aches and pains’ such as fall, sprains, backaches, shoulder aches and so on.

Reduce Your Screen Hours

There’s no escaping the certain amount of screen time for your work, but too much unnecessary Iphone, laptop, and T.V. time is not good for your health. It not only makes you lethargic but also has a negative impact on your eyes and the brain. Over time, you can develop lifestyle disorders such as obesity, hypertension or diabetes as you sit for hours in front of the screen, instead of undertaking more physical activities. Too many screen hours can also have a derogatory affect on your mental health and posture, as it does nothing to stimulate your intellect or the health of your spine.

Get Outdoors

Getting out of a confined indoor space and into the fresh outdoor air needs to be adhered to as often as you can. Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D and the open environment will do wonders for your mental and physical health. A walk outdoors decreases your stress levels and the fresh air energizes your brain while enhancing your mood. A walk is also going to improve your physical fitness. If you’d prefer running to walking, make sure you have the proper footwear and know your limitations prior to setting out. Both are excellent for your overall wellbeing and both contribute to weight loss and mental stability.

Decrease Alcohol Intake

Drinking too much alcohol has multiple side effects on your body, as alcohol interferes with your brain’s working pattern and disrupts clarity of thought and coordination. Also, regular intake of alcohol can lead to high blood pressure, arrhythmia or even a cardiac attack. Imbibing on a regular basis affects your liver and can cause fatty liver, cirrhosis, fibrosis or alcoholic hepatitis. It can also affect your relationships with others and your mental health if you drink in excess, therefore limit the alcohol intake and boost your wellbeing.

Walk Whenever and Wherever You Can

Because walking is a great way to get your body moving, park the farthest away from your designated place and walk extra steps to the front door of a market or your workplace. Walk to the supermarket, take a walk around the park and if you use public transport to your place of work, get off a few stops early and walk the rest of the way. Take a short break at your office every two hours or so and go for a five-to-ten minute walk. If nothing else, walk around your house and always take the stairs where possible. Set yourself a target each day, and stick to it!

Limit Processed Foods

By limiting processed foods which contain a variety of additives, colors, and taste enhancers, you’re also limiting the fat, sugar, and salt content, all of which are harmful to your health. They can also actually work out to be more expensive than eating freshly prepared food. Processed foods have very little nutritional value and over-consumption can lead to obesity, type II diabetes, cardiac problems, and digestive issues such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Have Fitness Goals

Even before the new year rolls around, getting fit will have a huge impact on your overall health. If you are obese, try to shed the pounds. If you are too lean and weak, try to build your muscles and improve your strength with yoga and weight training. Don’t ‘simply try’ but rather set fitness goals, hire a personal trainer if your budget allows, have a workout partner, and select a particular workout regime that is within your comfort level. Then join a group or a gym that offers your preferred workouts.

Quit Smoking

Simply put, smoking cigarettes is not good for you or those around you, particularly your children. The toxic effects of the smoke leave a dark tan on your skin and make it look dull. Those who smoke regularly are more likely to develop wrinkles earlier, and continued smoking can lead to lung and oral cancer to name a few. It also stains the teeth and leads to several gum diseases. In women, smoking during pregnancy can lead to abnormalities in the developing fetus. All in all, it’s time to quit smoking and avoid a life with many health risks and complications.

Carve Out Time to Relax

Just as important as exercise, work, and play, it’s also vital to take a break and relax. Relaxation is the simple mantra of living happily. Carve out time to sleep at least six to eight hours a day, spend some quality time with friends or family to take your mind off life issues, read a book, watch a film or go for a weekend getaway to de-stress. You will be more productive, healthier and better equipped to take life on.

In a Nutshell

Your health and wellbeing depends on the steps you take to make it forever. No more excuses and no more reasons to sidestep the obvious. A new year is asking you to take control of your life and implement proper nutrition and movement protocol that leads you into restoration, an awakening, and even a transformation of every cell within your body.

Improving your chances of staying alive and becoming the BEST YOU CAN is now here. Go for it!

Listen Up, Women Entrepreneurs! Here’s What You Need to Be Your Own Boss.

As female entrepreneurship is on the rise, women are climbing into the ranks of being savvy business owners, all due in part to seeing an opportunity. The encouragement by markets and industries ready and willing to seek a woman’s expertise will only continue to grow as more and more women strike out on their own. However, knowing which is the right path and when to leave your day job behind isn’t always so obvious.

Here’s a peek at how women can find their ideal business idea and take control of their careers.

Where To Start

Have you ever considered being a happiness and life purpose expert? Anything’s possible, right? An aspiring entrepreneur should start a business that’s meaningful to them. It’s a rather archaic model to tell a woman to go into a specific field, mainly because it earns more money or helps them gain recognition.

Instead, invest in ideas you’re passionate about and tap into what you’re good at to make yourself feel great while also earning a living. It could start out as a side gig and blossom from there. Or, if you’re already entrenched in a 9-5 job, you could start a small business on the side and go from there. There are no guidelines to the types of companies women should begin, as a woman’s strengths are so diverse that the opportunities are endless.

It’s helpful to start a business you know something about so when you’re ready to launch the business you’re most passionate about, you can consider your limitations. The last thing you want to do is quit a really good job to start a business you actually hate. Try not to let the fantasies of grandeur about running a business get the best of you, as it’s no picnic out there.

A good rule of thumb is to save 20 to 40 percent per paycheck and tuck it away, before you quit your steady job. Do your research, and make certain you understand who your paying customer is prior to announcing an entrepreneurship. You always have to check and ensure your business model makes sense in an industry that’s growing not sinking. Your business needs to be relevant three to five years down the road.

Because technology is always looming front and center, you don’t want the technological advances to take over your business and leave you in the dust. Surround yourself with people who will help you succeed, whether it’s through support of lending a hand in getting your business started.

Remember that being a leader doesn’t mean you have all the answers, and the more open you are to learning from everyone around you, the more you can grow into your role as entrepreneur. It’s okay to ask for help and collaborate with other people.

Love What You Do

Becoming an entrepreneur and building a business from the ground up is challenging no matter how you look at it. However, the end result should boil down to actually loving what you do. Feel encouraged to be strong and work hard at what you love.

Starting and running a business is by no means easy, and there are going to be a lot of hardships and emotional setbacks, but you have to put yourself out there, believe in yourself and your purpose. In other words, just do it.

It’s Okay To Be Afraid

Having the will to try speaks volumes in this day and age. It’s not so much you need to be ready, but you need to overcome your fears. If you succumb to feeling scared about the onset of entrepreneurship, you’ll never pursue your dreams or get the business off the ground.

Being afraid is just part of the big picture. In other words, you have to start your business while you’re scared. Once you master that hurdle, you’ll rise to another level, and that will come with yet another level of fear. You’ll learn and adjust and keep moving forward.

Before you know it, your earnings will begin to tumble in and you’ll be making money doing what you love.

A Few Ideas That Can Help

The following are some innovative ways to dip your toes into entrepreneurship:

Cooking

Is creating meals from scratch a passion of yours? Do you have access to proper cookware that can withstand several dishes on a dime? Launching a cooking business, whether catering or as a gourmet chef, can be a real winner. Think of all the people who love to eat good food, and go from there.

If you know friends who are willing to be your guinea pig for a few demonstrations, that’s a good place to start. Expand your horizons and create dishes that titillate the senses and entice the palate. Or, you could concoct in-home delivery menus that cater to individuals in any setting that suits your fancy. {insert image here}

The key is to use your cooking skills that people want. Traditional cuisines, family style recipes, or simply home-cooked food are always the meals most sought after.

Fashion

If you’re a fashionista who loves to put clothes together and knows how to color coordinate based on skin tone and style, welcome to running a clothing business. Whether you venture into a small boutique or engage in marketing platforms such as Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook, chances are you’re already spreading your brand and messaging. Reach a bigger audience and showcase your designs with online payment gateways that make the entire process so much easier. {insert image here}

Go with an approximate initial investment estimate of between $5,000 and $10,000. Plan for production, space to invent your fashion creations, and get to work designing clothes for people. If you have good customer relation skills, all the better.

Social Media Influencer

Social media has become one of the biggest places to generate brand awareness with millions of eyeballs to be caught every second. Becoming a social media influencer is a great idea for a business with a low investment. Any talent that you are passionate about can help you become an influencer. {insert image here}

Brands associate with influencers who can engage their followers, so reading and keeping up with trending topics will help connect with more people and build larger audiences. The key remains regular creative and value-adding content that you enjoy. A successful influencer takes about one to three years to gain popularity, as a lot is dependent upon the quality of content.

Wrapping Up

The sky’s the limit with women-owned businesses, and this is merely touching the surface. If you like to walk dogs, start a pet-sitting enterprise. If you have a passion for writing, enter the digital content creation space and go to town! If you want to turn your hobby into something grand and glorious, ensure that you’ve done your research, you’ve set aside enough funds to invest in supplies or a workspace, and you absolutely love what you do.

There’s no reason to become an entrepreneur unless you’re comfortable in feeling the initial fear and overcoming the obstacles along the way. The world is your oyster, and it’s time to make a pearl necklace out of a single gemstone.

How Social Media Can Expand Your Message

Having a social media presence can be the most significant and influential boon to your marketing business and overall brand. If you’re trying to secure a massive amount of followers, the key is to know when to post, who’s in your network, and what platform you wish to shout to the world. Timing is everything with social media.

Forget about person to person, eye to eye, and face to face contact. The new connection is all about who’s online and when, which makes social media a necessity in everyone’s lives. The collective’s social media consciousness has amped up in the wake of society’s overwhelmed, introverted ways of doing business.

Oftentimes, users behind the screen feel more at ease in their relationships and conversations than in an up close and personal situation.

Why The Need For Influence?

The effect of social media on business marketing and overall communication efforts shows that the ability to evolve and be present in real life social situations, or a coming-of-age business progression isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When you want to influence the public-at-large, in today’s world, the best measures are through an influential and engaging platform. Go viral, by all means.

Answers lie within each social media platform, network, capabilities, and the audience’s perceptions of each. During the onset of Facebook in 2007, it was simple and user-friendly, and boasted no measures of trying to outscore competitors. It simply became a venue where people from all over the world could connect, discover, and be friends.

How times have changed! Not only has Facebook grown to be a billion dollar business, but LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and numerous other social mainstream connections are always on the cusp of something greater, more exciting, and definitely more influential in the industry’s platform.

If this evolution continues, the social media world of connecting and relating will surpass what ancestors never thought possible: Social media is the new handshake and sharing of a glass of wine.

The Effect Of Social Media In Marketing

Whether you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade or so, social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Its ability to transform a conversation and subsequent emotional wellness is highly documented. However, social media has a dark side.

There’s been studies and research of users who swear by their onscreen connections and how social media fosters anxiety, depression, false narratives, and possibly liabilities unforseen in real time. Whatever you post on a daily basis gets scrutinized by your peers, by your family, and by your employers.

It’s no wonder that people get upset when they’ve been unfriended or disconnected, or unliked in certain circles, and this goes for all media platforms. Going forward in the world of social media will see a rise in the world’s population engagement. The growth rate is exponential and it’s only going to expand by leaps and bounds.

Marketing and advertising everywhere and anywhere depends on a message ranking high on social media. It’s become a distraction and attraction of the healthiest kind in business, trends, and brands. There’s LinkedIn, which has notoriously been the platform for business owners, employers, and employees alike.

Connections made on LinkedIn typically follow a path of the latest trends in business, job placements, scenarios relating to what’s happening on Wall Street or within our economy, and users posting their own job celebrations and messages. It’s with these daily communications that LinkedIn remains at the top of the heap for connecting with the like-minded in business.

Twitter, on the other hand, is an entity all on its own. Recently, the major hub of quick messages and knee jerk responses has come under the spotlight due to their inability to censor what’s proper and what’s harmful to citizens around the world.

Twitter was designed to be something of a bold and brash way to deliver responses and comments. It’s out of control and potentially damaging to society as a whole. Doubtful it’s going anywhere downstream, as Twitter’s following gets more users every day relying on the hashtags to promote their message.

Instagram is owned by Facebook, and has surpassed primary users based on the ability to use images to tell a story. It’s easy, it’s exciting, and it gleams with gloss and shimmer. For those not on Instagram and continue to regularly post on Facebook, there’s a sense of missing out on attracting those connections who solely rely on Instagram and have abandoned Facebook for one reason or another.

The Etiquette Of Social Media

Before the explosiveness of social media and users depending on it to be at the forefront of their main connecting tool, each company involved spearheaded a type a sort of ‘launch’ outline that social media was to be used to find a job, search for old friends, show vacation photos, display celebrations of family life, and have healthy discussions on what’s trending in the mainstream.

Unfortunately, social media has gone through a metamorphosis that includes hate, criminal activity, divisiveness, silly antics that turn users off, dating and mating, and misquoted or misdated information. There’s been an avalanche of users posting unresearched, untrue, and unmitigated thoughts and comments. As much of a positive tool that social media helps society’s lives on the daily, it also has a dark side.

As a marketer, let’s hope that your momentum with social media is rooted in proper dialogue that includes knowledgeable banter, intelligent data and research, resounding ideas, humorous memes, and sites that are worthy to join.

The Finale

As everyday postings and hashtags, and the common word about an individual’s life, is publicized, social media continues to rank as the number one platform for inspiring and engaging an audience. Your status spreads like wildfire, your influence is revered in numerous social circles or groups, and because of modern technology in society, your livelihood is also up for public debate.

Don’t let that dissuade you. If anything, the world of social media is here to stay. The audience engagement is something our current lives cannot do without, and if there’s anything to gain from a social media platform, it’s the ability to see and be seen.

Here’s to success by keeping the conversation and connection thriving!

What Remote Business Trends Will Continue After The Pandemic Ends

Transitioning from an office workplace environment to a home remote business is catching on and here to stay once the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.

It’s not so much when the pandemic is ceasing to exist, but how we as a society can integrate working from home as more of the norm. Small businesses have a responsibility to employees to maintain a steady flow of income, yet for the past three months, it’s been touch and go at best. For the average small business owner who understands the value of those who work for them and want to continue attracting high-quality recruits into their organization, the following guidelines will help launch you into a whole new world after COVID-19

Recognize the contribution of every employee. In a remote setting, constant feedback is vital to the strategy and overall success of your bottom line.

Outline specific guidelines and roles for each team member prior to an all-remote setting.

Maintain one-on-one collaborative efforts with key personnel in your organization’s channel, such as weekly Zoom calls to check in, calendars and spreadsheets to track progress, and continual email communication to ensure everyone is speaking the same language.

Focus on steady communication with clear goals.

Maintaining momentum in business can be a challenge to some, and a welcomed relief to others. If commuting is a factor, consider working remotely a godsend. If having an essential business hasn’t allowed a moment’s rest, your remote workforce can pick up the slack and hold the shop together via online effort. There are a plethora of reasons that remote work is going to revolutionize America and the global corporate society long after the pandemic is over.

4 Trends to Watch For

Re-clarifying goals

Whatever was designated from the onset of your business might need an overhaul. Coronavirus has disrupted life, work, relationships, the global economy, and the environment. Remote work could toss out old nine to five working regimens in favor of more streamlined processes. Being in an office and having scheduled onsite meetings or check-ins may have you feeling somewhat micro-managed and unproductive in the past, whereas working from home provides motivation from freedom of choice, tending to family responsibilities and knowing how to juggle them, and re-clarifying team goals that favor restructuring.

Decreased labor costs

If you’re a startup and need to monitor every last penny, it might be essential to rely on remote workers who are willing to learn and pivot with the early stages of funding and marketing. Lowered labor costs can profoundly impact your bottom line from the onset, which lends itself to better work-life balance and saved commute times to and from the business. Since well-being and mental health have become frontrunners in working environments, remote work decreases labor costs and adds to happier and more productive employees.

Modern technology upgrades

The internet has completely transformed the way the global workforce tasks and plays. Work-from-home structured setups have to integrate new technology to accommodate the upgrades and remain successful. Teams need to develop an understanding that every new technological methodology implemented during the pandemic is likely to remain. It’s vital the businesses pay attention to the technology being used during COVID-19, as that’s the long-term usage tool which emphasizes project management, customer engagement, communication, and tracking team member collaborative success.

Place an emphasis on personal interactions

Working from home can make you feel lonely and disconnected from the real world, which leads to less productivity, motivation, and engagement. Project managers and business leaders may have a sense of anxiety over how to maintain a positive mindset during a remote-only workforce during a pandemic. You might even tend to focus solely on tasks and responsibilities and less on the personal touch with your employees. It’s a challenge, however it’s crucial to keep everyone in mind, schedule one-on-one meetings, and remember you and your team are human and doing their best.

Looking to the future

Structuring your workday has innumerable benefits for a remote setting. Businesses need to be mindful and pay attention to both the strengths and weaknesses of team members and how to alleviate any confusing messages. The saying “it takes a village” has never been more so evident than during these dramatic health-related times. As you look toward the future and what that means for your large organization, small business, or startup venture, keep in mind that baby steps are required for integration as trends change all of the time.

Creating flexibility with telecommuting is akin to an experiment, as several office-type employees are undergoing internal changes on how to safely and successfully manage their time. Now more than ever, leaders and managers of businesses need to implement compassion and care when dealing with remote workers who are ready to get back to “the way things used to be.” The new normal requires kid gloves and patience for all involved.

Boosting productivity long after the pandemic is over demands clear-cut communication and updating your remote team members on policy changes, project briefs, and any other new specific strategy measures that can help achieve your best results with team member satisfaction.

Successful Entrepreneurs -The Story Of Oprah Winfrey

As quite possibly the largest media personality on the planet, Oprah Winfrey captures the hearts and minds of every human being who has a pulse. She’s a giant personality of a woman goddess. Whether as a talk show host, a media powerhouse publisher, or as an inspirational leader of the Super Soul Sunday series, Oprah Winfrey has carved out her reign in the global culture.

The Early Years

Born Oprah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah lived on a farm with her grandmother named Hattie Mae Lee. Oprah’s mother Vernita and her father Vernon were young and in search of work. They moved around a lot, yet left Oprah behind on the farm in Mississippi.

It was Oprah’s grandmother who was instrumental in her humble beginnings. Hattie Mae taught Oprah how to read the bible at age 3. By the time she was impressionable, Oprah was reciting memorized verses to her grandmother’s friends and also speaking at their local church.

Because Oprah already knew how to read and write by the time kindergarten rolled around, her teachers advanced her to first grade. Subsequently, between a move to Milwaukee at age 6, a move to Nashville at age 7, and back to Milwaukee by the time she reached fourth grade, Oprah had envisioned her first thoughts of becoming famous.

As dire as it was for her family trying to maintain a healthy household, Oprah was subjected to sexual abuse at the young age of 9 by her 19-year old cousin. Keeping it all a secret was something Oprah was used to, as the abuse continued by other family members, namely an uncle as well as a family friend. Her silence was eating her from the inside out.

Her first experience in journalism came during a Nashville radio station interview. They requested an enthusiastic teenager to discuss events and community news, yet it was her unabashed vivaciousness that allowed her to continue on working at the radio station as a 17-year old who’d already secured a college scholarship and continue to build a successful career in media.

Broadcasting, the Media, and Movie Success

As one of the most influential people in the world. Oprah Winfrey moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1984 and took over as anchor of A.M. Chicago, w hich catapulted her career as a sensational media personality. By changing the issues from women-only to more controversial and current, Oprah was charting her own course in daytime television.

Movie moguls began recognizing Oprah’s talent and mystique and wanted to cast her in a Spielberg movie based on Alice Walker’s book The Color Purple.

After her Oscar-winning performance, Oprah’s entire media, broadcasting, and producer career took off like a rocket. She formed her own production company in 1986 called Harpo Inc, and began Oprah’s Book Club, w ith incredibly widespread global fanfare. She also publishes her own magazine called O, The Oprah Magazine, as well as hosts weekly guests on her Super Soul Sunday i nterviews. Each of these media and publication outlets continues to make Oprah Winfrey one of the wealthiest people in the world.

Oprah Winfrey partakes in philanthropy work, political activism, and far-reaching ventures that continue to escalate her presence in the mainstream media and world. She makes an impact like no other human being. In fact, there were hints of her running in the 2020 election as the first African American woman candidate, yet she quickly squashed those rumors and still advocates for human rights and for the education of the young and poor.

The leadership of Oprah Winfrey is all-encompassing. Whether in the spiritual realm, the publishing world, or how her meager roots were the cornerstone of her success, it’s a wonder she’s going to retire anytime soon.