Business, Technology and Life

Good day Govna,

As we enter the last month of Q3 and recharge this holiday weekend, I'm spending bits and pieces of time reflecting on the year. In that reflection, simply taking time to try and put everything together from a mental standpoint and carry it into this last quarter is my aim. With everything that has occurred this year, piecing together the lessons learned and growth opportunities can only produce fruitful steps forward if implemented properly. Take that time to reflect this Labor Day and partition things for your benefit.

As promised, today's piece is on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP was an initiative implemented by Congress during the pandemic to essentially offer low-cost access to internet connectivity for communities that can't afford it as readily as others. The program offered monthly discounts of up to $30 per household for any service provider of their choosing and $75 for tribal communities (Griffis, 2024). Due to funding issues, the program has since been discontinued as of May 31, 2024.

As I was watching college football this weekend, I saw a commercial highlighting how elementary kids need internet access now more then ever. When the ACP was active, it had a very noticeable impact according to a survey by the Federal Communications Commission. About 75% of ACP users said they used the internet to book or attend virtual healthcare appointments, 48% applied for jobs or worked online and 75% of youngins aged 18-24 used the internet to complete homework (Griffis,2024). Staggering statistics to say the least.

It's no secret that the wealth gap is increasing at an alarming rate and continues to move at break-neck speed yearly now. To support this post, there was TedxTalk done by Scott Galloway (posted underneath the cited article below) that details extensively this wealth-gap divide and growth. It fits in well with the ACP ending and how it compounds this gap occurring in America today.

The US has showed it's resilience this year in the midst of reports about a potential recession and economically the country is doing ok all things considered. With that being noted, I believe if Congress were to revive this program and do so in an economically sustainable way, it will help the US maintain that resiliency while giving students the opportunity to contribute to the economy with a developed and well-rounded skillset.

Get after this month.

In Unity,

Griffis, Kelcee. “Millions of Americans Stand to Lose Their Subsidized Home Internet Connection This Year.” Tech Brew, Morning Brew, 15 Apr. 2024, www.emergingtechbrew.com/stories/2024/04/15/affordable-connectivity-program-renewal-congress?mbcid=35054186.418927&mblid=02087e23d76f&mid=5d51fb1a542a4da94236993f558c28a7&utm_campaign=etb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew.

Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

One minute it was the middle of Q1 and in the blink of an eye it's almost the end of Q2. Life can be lifin like that sometimes I suppose. Nevertheless, we're here and that's a blessing in and of itself. This post won't be about anything in particular but more so a general post. I stopped posting for at least a month and while it's easy for me to make excuses, the realty is I didn't carve out enough space in my life to post weekly when I had other obligations come into the fold. That's on me.

When I think about life and all that it entails, I'm reminded of a conclusion I came to a couple of years ago. The conclusion was that it's all on you. We all wield so much power and I'd even venture to say more power than we think we have. By power I am alluding to the ability to change or influence our circumstance to see a desired end result. If you think you can, you can and if you think you can't then you can't. Someone notable said that in the past and I forget who but that is an incredibly true and powerful statement.

Now coming back to reality a little bit here, I am aware of life throwing certain curveballs on top of systematic barriers to the pursuit of life and happiness. However, when one can develop a frame of mind and belief within themselves to not let their circumstance dictate their day-to-day motivation and attitude, then that is a power position that pays strong dividends. While certain circumstances can certainly be adverse, being able to see the bigger picture and push through not only makes one more resilient but builds belief. It also reminds one of the fact that rainy days don't last always. How do you react to the rain ?

This post maybe more so for me then anything but maybe it will speak to someone else. We all have the ability, to a degree, to change our circumstances for the better. Writing down a vision for your life, continually coming back to it and applying action to that vision is a simple model to do so. Although that is much easier said then done. If you're lacking in discipline or consistency, definitely give yourself grace and look to see what is causing the disconnect. Allow yourself to experiment with what routines and habits work best for you, catered to your unique life.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be writing about the following:

The Affordable Connectivity Program

Miso Robotics

The accounting profession has been experiencing noticeable attrition for a couple of years now, with no expected end in sight. In the article cited below, Courtney Vien of Morning Brew takes a brief dive into some numbers that discuss this attrition and they're very interesting. For example, there has been a 40.6% increase in the number of companies reporting "material weaknesses" due to internal personal issues, from the first half of 2019 to the first half of 2023 (Vien, 2024). It's actually kind of crazy to see a spike like that over the course of four years...it begs the question, how can something so vital be fixed ?

Towards the latter end of the article, Vien includes a couple of steps that current CFO's believe can be used to reverse this trend. From offering better work incentives via benefits, more open dialogue between leadership and entry-level accountants and possibly automation of accounting practices (Vien, 2024). Although those steps sounds good, it doesn't seem very viable for college students or current young professionals to be interested in accounting going forward. The busy season for accountants can be incredibly challenging and taxing (literally), combined with long hours it's understandable to see why this career path is becoming more unattractive. I do see a way though (Paul Atreides line from Dune 2 right there).

What if, this might be a stretch, universities and institutions combined an accounting degree with data science undertones ? As prevalent as data science is becoming now, it would be extremely beneficial to pair it with accounting. Although inherently different in many facets, at the base of accounting is numbers and knowing how to appropriately track and bucket them for appropriate financial reporting. Data science alone can be used to help with financial analysis, forecasting and taking a peak into the future of where an org could be headed. Exploratory data analysis, statistical research and dashboarding could work extremely well with accounting, almost seamlessly.

Data science is a tedious subject to learn but as with anything, discipline and practice could be used to master the subject. Accounting is very similar to data science in that way.

Who knows, this could even be a new trend.

Get after it this week and stay focused. Practice delayed gratification and embrace your dreams

In Unity,

DaJuan

Vien, C. (2024, April 5). Tupperware delays filing due to lack of accounting staff. CFO Brew. https://www.cfobrew.com/stories/2024/04/05/tupperware-delays-filing?mbcid=34946278.94968&mblid=14c9c78a844a&mid=5d51fb1a542a4da94236993f558c28a7&utm_campaign=cfo&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew

Good day mates.

I hope all is well for whoever comes across this post. That your family is in good health, that you are in good spirits and that you are starting to see the maturation of the seeds you have planted so far this year. This week we'll take a dip into what it means to fix our focus in order to accomplish whatever it is we set out to. Going forward, I'm going to try and include resources for everyone to look at which will support what I write. Most of the stuff I'll include will be historical articles or references that I already know about and used myself but I will try to include something more fresh.

What comes to mind when you think of having a "fixed focus" ? Could it be having specific objectives that you key-in on for a certain amount of time ? Or maybe it is a mental framework in general where one is locked-in for a season or in regards to a section of their life. Whatever it is, "fixing" your focus should involve moving with consistent intention. To whatever you pursue. Not allowing daily distractions to take away from that focus.

Like any habit, developing a fixed focus require time and practice. It's incredibly easy to start something to then never finish it or suddenly lose desire to see it through. Fixing that focus should allow you to be in tune with the bigger picture, allowing you to move forward no matter your circumstantial mood. For each and every one of us, removing what doesn't serve us could be a necessary step to help you focus or at least setting boundaries will.

Having a finite amount of mental bandwidth per day, we can only focus on so much. Finding areas in your life where you can remove idle or meaningless activity and substituting it with steps towards what you want most will inevitably allow to move forward faster. Find time to fix your focus before we enter this next quarter, I know I will be. Shift, pivot and remember what helped get you here but think on what can get you there. Whatever there is for you.

Cheers everyone and stay locked in. Happy Easter

DaJuan

Ever since this year started, I couldn't shake the feeling and thought to write about this topic. Whether I was reading articles about business, scrolling on LinkedIn or talking to people in my inner circle, the same two words came to mind. Embracing change. I've never wrote about this before but I hope this will help someone who reads this, as with everything I write.

In Denver, I had the chance to hear from a keynote speaker who further drove home this topic of Embracing Change. Jess Wedel is a cancer survivor who went on to climb the tallest mountain in the world (Everest), but her story is much more powerful then this brief sentence. Please read and learn about her story, I can almost guarantee you'll want to run through a brick wall after and dominate anything that comes your way. During her address, Wedel said " More can be done in fear, rather then running from it" and "During life's storms, take action".

We all respond to change in a variety of ways. Maybe it's initially responded to with anxiety, stagnation, fear or even excitement. Whatever it may be for you, and I'm sure it varies by the degree of change, I would challenge you to embrace the unknown and step into it. It's very scary, amongst other things, but what if this change can propel you into the person you were meant to be ? Furthermore, imagine the resilience and level of confidence you will have within once you get through the change.

Change is inevitable, like taxes. With that fact established and knowing that it will come in some shape in your life, how you respond can change everything. I believe emotions are important, but to an extent as they clue you in to what your body is telling you. Using rationale in your response to change, instead of relying on passing emotions will allow you to accomplish much more then acting on a temporary feeling. Being trained through different experiences and developing the discipline to adapt will help you go far. We are all far more capable then we realize and once we get through a few trials without folding, I truly believe we can soar to unimaginable heights.

I would encourage you to take the time and evaluate how you respond when change occurs. Give yourself grace and see how you can incrementally improve. Maybe it means asking for help or even learning to be patient. Whatever it is, I believe you're strong enough to not only embrace change but use it to your advantage.

In Unity,

DaJuan

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Express Employment Professionals International Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado. The experience was nothing short of phenomenal and it was an amazing way to end out Q1. Beyond being a new city for me, Denver was a cool place to visit and the weather was amazing but the altitude is something to account for when flying in. Luckily I didn't pass out or projectile vomit anywhere, maybe it's all my Planet Fitness sessions paying off for me.

There were over 1500 people in attendance for the conference, made up of franchisee's (owners), office managers, Express's executive team and a packed roster of guest speakers. For those who don't know, Express is a global professional staffing agency that specializes in light industrial, professional, office services and direct hire employment. They are the premier staffing agency for virtually any client's need. Over the course of three and a half days, participants heard from the likes of Deion Sanders, Goldie Hawn, Chris Barton and Jess Wedell. Furthermore, two of the days included learning sessions that delved into a variety of topics, from sales tactics to leadership coaching.

The opportunity is truly something I am looking forward to attending again next year. The networking was unparalleled to anything I have experienced since graduating college and I was able to take away detailed pieces of wisdom both professionally and personally to build on.

Before ending this post, I want to write about something Deion Sanders spoke about during one of the general sessions in Denver. I have been following Coach Prime ever since he started at CU and hearing him speak was easily the highlight of the event for me. Coach Prime talked about "finding your rabbit", which is the thing in your life that is just out in front of you that you can't quite reach but motivates you to get after it every single day. For Coach Prime, it is his Mom. What is it for you ?

As the quarter comes to a close, take time to reflect on all that occurred these first three months. Use that time to adjust, pivot or maybe even double down on what worked for you. Keeping your "rabbit" in front of you, as Coach Prime talked about in Denver, will allow you to push past all the noise and distractions in your life to conquer what you set out to. Coach asked the question to us, "How can you expect greatness without consistency ?".

Proverbs 14:23 sums up my point perfectly and what I believe Deion's ultimate statement was with the rabbit analogy. Get after it, enjoy the journey but most importantly stay consistent and let everything else work itself out.

In Unity,

DaJuan

Transformation. Innovation. Automation.

The digital dash of this decade seems unparalleled in both scope and impact, to any other period of time I can readily think of. Outside of the industrial revolution of the 18th century. Daily it's starting to seem like there is a new AI app/service, biomedical breakthrough or an optimized invention of varying sorts. Residing in the most capitalistic economy there is, maybe this is a healthy standard. However, there should be limits on everything, with no exemptions.

When it comes to the digital dash of this present decade, placing limits on such advanced developments is challenging and rightfully so. Has there ever been a time when technology has rapidly evolved as such a pace as now ? Along with the nuanced implications of these developments ? From compliance policies, regulatory measures and everything in between, there really is no precedent set for containment or limits.

Diverting away from the pain point of the lack of limits with technology, it's healthy to look at the bright side of things with anything. Increased efficiency, excelled productivity and creative abundance are just a few ways technology has made waves and will continue to do so. 2024 will most likely be the most defining year of this decade as it relates to technology, in both the public and private sector. At any rate, the use of most things depends on the wielder of the tool and I don't believe most things are inherently bad in and of themselves.

Closing out this post, I would encourage anyone reading this to do their own due diligence from a research perspective. Formulating an independent opinion based on trusted sources is empowering and hopefully brings peace of mind. With such a topic as this, it can be daunting to deep dive it from an information gathering standpoint but I would error on the side of "less is more" here heavily. Find a few trusted resources and experts but vet their knowledge as well.

Get after it this month and finish out Q1 strong. Keep the main thing the main thing and stay true to yourself.

In Unity,

DaJuan

This week's topic is about a subject that's been on my mind as of late and can be extremely beneficial if interpreted correctly. Patient urgency. Take some time to read those two words and I'm sure you'll come to an easy interpretation of it's meaning. For the sake of this post, I'll go ahead and define what the concept means to me and maybe it's tied to what you're already thinking. To be patiently urgent is to pursue an objective with an understanding that it will take time to come to fruition, but one works diligently towards that objective daily and with focused intent. It's like applying the phrase 'carpe diem' but with a beeline focus on your objective and a realistic expectation that the best pursuits in life often require patience to see the end result through.

With a common understanding of patient urgency established, think about applying the principle of the concept to your life and shifting your mindset in favor of what the phrase means. In a world full of expectations of instant gratification, it's not normal to put off what you want now for what you want the most in your future. However, that shift right there can drastically alter the trajectory of your life. There's an opportunity cost to every decision we make in life, even the small ones. Buying a new watch that costs you $400 could have been $400 applied to a student loan or other debt. Is the watch worth the investment when your loan is accruing interest around 2-5%?

What makes this concept so powerful is potentially combining it with other small life changes to double the potency of the impact in your life. Less time-consuming content, investing in your relationships, and spending time on your physical health are just a couple ways patient urgency can be applied in your life and drastic changes can be made because of it. I could write more words on this topic but it requires personal agency to make that shift in your life and only you can do so. I am a big believer in "maxing" life out and I truly believe this concept is a way that can be done.

Get after it this week.

In Unity,

It's been almost three years since I last wrote a blog, which is wild to type out because it doesn't feel like time has passed as it has. This blog was originally created as a requirement for a business and social media class I had my last semester of college and I randomly thought of it as the calendar year changed to 2024. Before changing majors my junior year at CMU I originally studied public relations and I haven't really written as much as I know I should or want to. Writing has always been a craft that I have enjoyed doing so firing this Tumblr account back up seemed like the most appropriate thing to do and I hope to build out over the course of the year.

Since this post serves as a reintroduction, now is probably best to give a little update on what I have been up to. After college I jumped into the consulting industry and have learned quite a bit about various different industries while also developing the ability to wear multiple different hats on projects. It's been a fun experience so far and I am definitely looking forward to adding more to my toolbox that actually interests me. Location wise, I'm in southeast Michigan and I truly love the area. Very diverse with a variety of different opportunities, should one look for them.

The general theme of this blog moving forward will be about the intersection of business and technology, with a few posts here and there about life and all that comes with it. The hope is that we can all learn together with these posts and take bits and pieces of knowledge to utilize as well as act on weekly. I'm looking forward to getting the ball rolling again, I'll definitely be using the MLA works cited method as well just in case anyone thinks I'm capping with my sources :)

In Unity,

After watching the video on implementation, thoughts of challenges that my client could face going forward became easier to think of. Not because I believe there are several flaws in the strategy that I and my point of contact came up with but because it takes a good amount of time to bring something to fruition. It’s easy to draft thoughts out on paper but there is a lot of sweat equity and midnight oil that needs to be burned to really get the ball going on a brand new strategy. Below are a few challenges that my client, His House, could possibly possibly run into with implementation.

Since His House is a Christian church that is particularly aimed at college demographic, the approach with social media tools and content in particular can be challenging. There is the obvious want to come off as attractive and appealing with an image and what an organization brings to the table but there are certain boundaries that just can’t be crossed in the delivery of that image. For a Christian church, this means setting guidelines on what content will be delivered as to not distract away from their initial purpose. It’s easy to get caught in wanting to stay hip to the trends and whatnot but as long as His House sticks to their roots like they have been, this shouldn’t be that much of a challenge.

Another challenge that comes to mind that isn’t necessarily a problem for my client in particular but more so a problem in general for every organization is developing a content calendar of some sort. A content calendar can be extremely beneficial but also requires time, energy and resources to stick to it. Having a team who is dedicated enough to spend the time drafting and following through with a particular plan can sometimes not be feasible. This could be due to the issue of not having a readily available team with the bandwidth to handle keeping up with a content calendar or maybe having enough content to plan out in general.

Content and it’s development is an extremely important part of any social organization’s goals and it would be very beneficial to plan and strategize on how that content is disseminated. In the content development stage, spending time on what information should be delivered to have as much of an impact on a target audience should be step one. This requires sitting down and taking into consideration all the communication or brand resources that are at the disposal of an organization and decide which is the most effective in how it is presented and if the target audience will be motivated to take action off of it. On that same note, once good content is selected and chosen to use, it is just as equally important to try and see how that content should be delivered based on how it is delivered before and new ways to deliver it so it becomes more effective.

Content delivery obviously varies depending on the medium which is being used to deliver it. There could be two identical messages but the way to go about sharing them using Twitter and Facebook is different. When delivering content certain strategies can be used to keep posts interesting and interactive. Visual content that uses basic design principles' is an easy way to draw in a target audience and tap into the creative potential of an organization. Varying content in terms of what it includes such as questions, polls or even surveys could also be built on to increase user engagement and allows for interfacing with customers.

Becoming a social organization has everything to do with learning and using content development and delivery strategies. There are so many companies and organizations attempting to grab for everyone’s attention and it’s important to research and use the best tactics to develop captivating content and learn how to use it effectively. The world changes so fast these days and the landscape of social content and media is becoming more and more enhanced and intricate. It’s much easier to be left in the dust if an organization isn’t invested in improving their content delivery and messages.

Chapter four and five of “The Social Organization” details critical steps to help build an online community that will enhance the goals of an organization in detailed steps. Firstly, when inviting the opinions of people from outside an organization it is important to give them the autonomy and space to contribute independently (Bradley, McDonald, 42). This would allow for unbiased and open information which could be pulled together and used to make improvements. Building on that thought, an organization also needs to look at their own selves and see what particular part of their business could use valuable input from a community to become more effective. This could be on their marketing side or web development or even target audience.

After certain basic pieces of information to establish an online community are gathered and considered, it’s important to think of what needs to be done to implement this community. One such route is the “No, Go, Grow” Model. In a nutshell, or organization would fare better if they consider their implementation in certain steps and this model dictates whether an option should be green lighted or not and if it is a go, should a company invest it that collaboration or now. For example, a company decides to partner with teenage boys on increasing their marketing scheme by receiving their input or thoughts. Should the company invest in facilitating that discussion or leaving them up to their own devices ?

Also, while reading and completing the fourth Hootsuite module, I learned about the value of social advertising on a target audience. This module is relatively self explanatory and details the different impacts social advertising has based on the media platform used. All in all, it just allows for an organization to focus in on a particular audience and cater to their needs. It does take time and effort to do so.

References:

The video “The Legal Side of Big Data” really should make companies aware of how to actively protect consumer data and look out for their best interest. It’s so easy for a breach to occur with hackers becoming more effective in searching for even one singular hole to exploit. What makes this situation even worse is that some consumers may not even know that their information has been leaked until it’s too late. When I think of my life, sketchy things start to come to mind... like maybe repeated calls from an unknown number, weird text messages or attempts on my bank account. That could be my fault but also maybe an organization who has my information.

On the consumer end, there are a variety of ways to protect themselves from being potentially compromised. For one, consumers should use a Virtual Private Network from their employer or a third-party VPN. This would protect and ensure a secure connection where less tracking or heading to sketchy sites. On the bank level, a consumer could use like an access 360 card when purchasing from certain stores or placing online orders. I even use it myself. Lastly, simply using a browser like Duck Duck Go is very basic and I would highly recommend it. Users can protect their search history and not be tracked.