4-5-2017, Mobile Electronics -- For any retailer, knowing the ins and outs of product can be the difference between making a large sale and watching their revenue walk out the door. Since its inception, KnowledgeFest has been an event that offers retailers a chance to brush up on product and service knowledge, for both the novice and veteran. Aside from the workshops, networking and Mobile Electronics Show booth reveals, anyone's 12-volt IQ can be enhanced even further with manufacturer trainings, which are taught by some of the biggest names in the industry. Not to mention, there are plenty of goodie bags handed out. Companies offering training this year include Voxx Electronics, DD Audio, Omega Research & Development, Compustar and Alpine Electronics, among others. While most of the companies maintain a focus on specific products, there are some surprises mixed in, such as how products work with different vehicle models, bettering the customer experience with specific products or how to make installing certain products easier on the installer. New Innovations In an effort to promote the latest and greatest products that 12-volt has to offer, vendors will be going in-depth on the inner workings of their 2017 offerings. One such company…
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Find your groove with these habits that build courage and personal strength. 3-22-2017, Entrepreneur -- Anyone who has ever started a business has faced fear. A little bit actually can be a very positive catalyst. But when fear overwhelms your ability to make decisions, it can become paralyzing and leave you feeling stuck. That’s a sign you need to take action and restore the sense of confidence you once had. When we're young, we think we're invincible. We can do anything (just ask my teenagers!). Yet for many of us, that confidence and self-assurance erodes over time as we get older. We wake up one day confronted by thoughts we can't shake: “I can’t. I shouldn’t. I couldn’t possibly.” We start to question our choices and ourselves. We second-guess our gut instincts and overthink things. The stories we tell ourselves limit or enhance potential. Fear and self-limiting beliefs create imaginary boundaries that can keep us from acting in our own best interests. There's a reason: Our brains are wired to resist change. They will process anything we repeatedly think, say or do and formalize it into a habit. It’s easier for our brains to depend on habits because they don’t have to work as…
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3-22-2017, Entrepreneur -- Changing leadership is an adjustment process. It’s a period of excitement, growing pains and hope. While earning the trust and loyalty of an entire organization is a challenge, there are five things an incoming leader can do right away to hit the ground running and earn support: Get to know all levels of staff. In some situations, new leadership can mean staff changes across the board. But, in most cases, tenured staff are still in place. The new head coach of a sports team can be great, but he has to start with the players the team already has. Focus on earning their trust and respect. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz is a great example of a new leader who came in and got to know people at all levels. He said that “there was a high level of distrust and disengagement with employees” when he came in. That’s not unusual. When new leadership takes over, some people may be skeptics at first. Read the rest of the story HERE.
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3-22-2017 -- Habits are funny things. They are created through a fixed way of thinking, willing or feeling acquired through previous repetition of mental experiences, according to the American Journal of Psychology. Replacing old habits with new ones takes twice the effort considering each comes with its own set of routines. Greg Tackett, owner of Greg's Custom Audio, Video and Car Stereo in Pikeville, Ky. had to learn this the hard way when he took over his family's 40-year car stereo store to finally realize his dream of entrepreneurship. After having worked his way up the ladder from novice to expert, Tackett made a point of creating his own shop style and culture, despite the old habits he and others became accustomed to at the company. Tackett had been involved with automotive work from a young age, working part-time during high school at Mayo Tire, a general automotive and tire shop owned by his father and uncle. After graduating, he continued at the shop while also attending the nearby Mayo Technical School, with the goal of becoming a TV and radio repairman. "It helped me to learn the basics of electronics and we were able to use it in our…
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3-20-2017, Forbes -- On Episode 37 of The Limit Does Not Exist we sit down with Janett Martinez, who has held a singular mantra throughout her zig-zag career: "it's all about scrappy resourcefulness." The CEO of fashion-tech startup Loomia got her start in technical theater while still a teenager at the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. (Fun fact: that's the public arts high school FAME is based on.) Martinez studied theatrical scenic, lighting, and sound design and construction and worked at Lincoln Center as a scenic charge before matriculating at Emerson College to study design technology. She liked the intersection of technology and performing arts, and she was doing well in her program. But in her sophomore year both of her parents had health issues that prevented them working. So she took a leave of absence and returned to New York, where she got a job as a concierge at the Bryant Park Hotel to help support her family. At 19, Martinez was the youngest concierge in New York City, a job that is almost exclusively about leveraging relationships. "It was less 'Can I do it?' and more 'I’d better do it.'" She built a binder several hundred pages thick with notes on menus, maître d's, and special…
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MARCH 20, 2017, Entrepreneur.com -- For some people, entrepreneurship is a way of life. Creating something new and leading a team is living the dream, and a destination in its own right. For others, it’s only a means to an end, or might even be considered a detour en route to even bigger and better things. If you’re struggling with the notion of entrepreneurship, seeing the appeal but either fearing the risk or recognizing that it’s not your ultimate goal, think carefully about your options. Entrepreneurship isn’t just about making a lot of money or leading a company to greatness. In fact, the experience of entrepreneurship can make you better at . . . well, almost anything you can think of. How? Here are seven ways. 1. Critical thinking There’s no application that doesn’t demand at least some level of critical thinking. Being able to spot and compensate for your own biases, analyze the roots of various problems and discover alternative perspectives on certain subjects can help you address issues more thoroughly, and make smarter plans for future development. In the professional world, this means being more efficient and seeing better results. In your personal life, it may mean better understanding your relationships and…
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