On this 4th of July, I’m thinking about freedom from needless suffering. I’m thinking about the 20 women I met at the Fistula Hospital in Borama, #Somaliand. Each of them said that they never left their homes because they were ashamed and embarrassed. People shunned them and complained whenever they came around, because of the smell. They prayed for years for God to help them. That they made it to the hospital, and would receive free surgery to repair damage caused during childbirth, is the answer to their prayers. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) fistula #fistulasurgery #maternalhealth #womenshealth #independenceday …see more

i am having too much fun. “hierarchy of trust” at this stage, my penmanship will improve by the year 4789. …see more

40% of Americans say they will not buy products made in #China . Will they stop buying #iPhone , #solar panels, most clothing, toys, furniture etc?

My new piece in Foreign Affairs on upcoming #Trump #Xi meeting at #G20 - do a deal that focuses on #investment not #trade

#China is catching up to #US in #startup #unicorns - "peak" Silicon Valley? From The Economist

Filings for unemployment benefits remained high last week. Exactly how high? Depending on which news outlet or social media feeds you're watching today, you might have seen a figure of 833,000 new jobless claims, or 881,000, or 1.6 million. What's going on? The issue is that the pandemic has messed with normally predictable seasonal patterns in layoffs, so the Labor Department this week changed its seasonal adjustment methodology. The 881,000 number is the number of seasonally adjusted state claims. It's a perfectly valid number -- probably more accurate than the earlier seasonally adjusted numbers. But there's a problem: Because of the change, the new number isn't comparable to the old ones. As a result, many news organizations, including The New York Times , are using NON-seasonally adjusted numbers instead. That's the 833,000 number. Neither of those numbers include the 759,000 people who filed for benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Add those in and you get to 1.6 million. No matter what numbers you use, though, the big picture is the same: Unemployment remains very high, and is falling only slowly. …see more

Nearly every two weeks over the last 12 weeks, PYMNTS has surveyed more than 14,000 consumers to understand the impact of the global pandemic on how they work, shop, buy food, travel and spend their leisure time. Here’s the story of how the global pandemic created a digital-first customer in 12 weeks and why that matters for thinking about what’s next. …see more

It's fair to expect dividends from your share investments, but... Episodes on dividends and capital gains live on YouTube . com / themoneyhans #investing #dividendpuzzle …see more

How do we cultivate and maintain healthy friendships? While making friends can be easy as a child, many of us know that adulthood can often be lonely. We graduate from college, start families, take jobs that separate us from our social circles, and suddenly, other obligations and ambitions take priority over hanging out with friends. If children enter the picture, exhilarating nights on the town become exhausted nights on the couch. And here's what's especially tricky: The less time we invest in people, the easier it is to make do without them. Then one day, it's just too awkward to reconnect. The truth is, the time we spend with our friends isn't just fun, it’s an investment in our health and well-being. Research shows that close friendships early in life can have tangible impacts on our mental health as adults. Maintaining close relationships gives us longevity. But unless we make time for our friendships, there's no way to nurture them. Set aside time for your friends and make sure you're connecting with them regularly. Have you reconnected with anybody lately? If not, what’s stopping you? #Indistractable #Friendship #MetalHealth …see more

What's on your schedule? On mine, you’ll find something that you probably wouldn’t expect: "Enjoy social media time." You're probably thinking, "The guy who is telling us about not becoming distracted allows himself to binge social media?" Let me explain 👇 During those chunks of time on my calendar, I plan to enjoy social media. But when that time is over, I stop. By planning how I use my time, I can enjoy the benefits of social media without becoming distracted by it. Remember, the difference between traction and distraction is forethought. There’s nothing wrong with using social media, as long as you use it on YOUR schedule, not the tech companies’. What fun activities or digital indulgences do you make time for? How can you turn distractions into traction by making time for them? #Indistractable #Schedule #Psychology #SocialMedia …see more

Technology is wonderful and it can transform our lives for the better ...as long as we use it on our own terms. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram can help us keep in touch with our families, reconnect with old friends, and stay up-to-date on current events. Tech can, and often does, add real value to our lives. The danger they pose is when we begin to use these tools on other peoples’ terms -- when we get sucked into the infinite scroll or autoplay. I recently spoke with Tony Whatley on the 365 Driven podcast where we spoke about how to get the best of technology without letting it get the best of us. I’ve included a link in the comments section below! #Indistractable #Tech #BehaviorChange #SocialMedia …see more

I take great pride in seeing the principles in my book in action, helping others become Indistractable! Seeing your stories of success while applying the techniques I offer (such as "hacking back" external triggers) is beyond fulfilling. One such story that stands out is that of my friend, Shane Snow . He once told me about a constant, low level of anxiety he experienced that led him to check his email about 30 times an hour! While the app certainly played a part, I challenged him to find the root cause of his distraction... and I am happy to say that he did! He shared with me that he has cut the time he spends on email by 90%! Shane is well on his way to becoming Indistractable! Check out Shane's Medium article at the link in the comments below, in which he shares how he solved his email problem with 4 steps and 1 rule. His take: "The solution to email anxiety is not an app. It's a process." 👇👇👇 #Indistractable #Distraction #Email #HumanBehavior …see more

Americans spend $19B a year on gym memberships. Unfortunately, 44% of people quit just six months after joining. These numbers are disheartening, but not overly surprising. Humans are hardwired to chase short-term rewards over long-term benefits. I have struggled with working out for as long as I can remember, so I know that dichotomy all too well. As an obese child, my mother dragged me to the gym to no avail. As a lazy teenager, I desperately joined the wrestling team and never won a match. As an adult, I have tried to prioritize fitness many times, but have failed at each attempt. This was until I found Fitbod, a great app that has helped me consistently go to the gym for over two years. Beautifully designed and with over 3M downloads, it is among the highest grossing and highest rated apps on the Apple App Store. Fitbod has been more than useful to me, but I was surprised to learn that my book, Hooked, was useful to their founders. Fitbod is Allen Chen 's brainchild and he told me that he designed the initial prototype based on the four parts of the Hooked Model. He identified the internal trigger as not knowing what to do at the gym. Check out the link ⇒ http://bit.ly/2WsOuPM #Hooked #InternalTrigger #Indistractable #Fitness #Fitbod …see more

Thank you Forbes for featuring SoGal Ventures , SoGal Foundation , and our recently-launched largest global pitch competition for women and minorities! #SoGalBoss

Ready for action? Ready to grow? Tomorrow on this very profile. I will be holdings LIVE Q&A to answer all the questions to help you grow your online brand. Tune on IG LIVE - see you on @stringstory at 6pm, tomorrow. What questions do you have about brand or marketing? Drop them into the comment 👇👇 #ForAllOfUsFridays #LenovoYoga #IntelEvo #Lenovoanz …see more

Are you still scared on being on camera? It's time to take action and gain confidence to be you. To be yourself on video. To be authentic and confident. To use video to showcase your knowlege. To bring in business or get that job you want. We know how powerful video can be. Join The 5 Day Video Challenge. Comment "fried chicken" or 🍗 And I'll send you details (or better yet, read the newsletter). #stringtheory on #personalbranding #digitalmarketing #motivation …see more

Tim Ferriss is the king of time management. Here are seven ways you can master this coveted soft skill. (With a bonus shout-out to my fave author Daniel Pink​ and his book, WHEN.) #timemanagement #softskills #leadership #career #success #professionaldevelopment #business #growth …see more

Are you a confident or cocky leader? 🤔 I had so much fun taking with my friend and fellow #emotionalintelligence champion Mohamed Hammoud on The UNFLTRD Podcast. 🎧 If you ever wanted to know my thoughts on effective #leadership (and where I stand on the confident vs. cocky debate), this clip is for you!✅ Give it a listen, and be sure to check out our entire episode to hear the full story. And while you’re there, subscribe to this awesome #podcast . ⤵️ (🔗 in comments) #communication #connection #career #EQ #softskills #IlluminateMe …see more

FREE Online - LinkedIn Experts Marketing Summit hashtag #linkedinexperts2019 Join 15 world class LinkedIn Experts as they share their secrets to help you build, grow and monetize your LinkedIn profile. Some of the masterclasses include: ✅ Personal Brand - How to Amplify your Authority Through your LinkedIn Presence ✅ Social Selling and LinkedIn - If they Reply, They Buy ✅ How to Become a LinkedIn Influencer ✅ LinkedIn Ads: How to Target Your Ideal Prospect Every Time ✅ How to Boost Your Company Profile Using LinkedIn Pages ✅ How to Build an Employee Advocacy Program Using LinkedIn ✅ How to Build a Powerful Network on LinkedIn And much, much more. Watch 💻 online between 8-12 April. If you are wanting to have more success on LinkedIn, this is a must. Do you know someone you knows wants to have more success on Linkedin? Please tag them in the comments below or share it with them. ➡️ To register for your FREE ticket, please click on the link in the first comment: …see more

The most valuable webinar I've ever put on is happening Thursday (tomorrow): https://lnkd.in/e4vX4_B I'm sharing the free dashboard that Anna Shutko from Supermetrics and I spent hundreds of hours building together. It's 100% customizable and will allow you to keep an eye on your #LinkedInAds performance in a way you could never do it natively on LinkedIn. All of your ad performance at a glance. If you geek out about this stuff half as hard as I do, you won't want to miss it. …see more