United States
Who: Jenny Powers
What: Tell Stories
When: Whenever She's Awake (and sometimes in her sleep!)
Where: In print, online and the airwaves
Why: Because she has an insatiable sense of curiosity and loves asking questions
How: Through interviews, profiles, features, explainers and Q&A's
Hi! Thanks for checking out my writing portfolio. I'm a born and bred New Yorker with a knack for uncovering fascinating true stories, staying on top of trends, developing trustworthy and reliable sources through my vast network, and lover of words.
Kyle Zajac works as a server at a high-end steakhouse in Indianapolis. He makes thousands in tips, earns PTO, and is eligible for health insurance.
Demi Schweers and her husband Tom share videos about her experiences with multiple sclerosis and infertility with 2 million people on TikTok.
Jenny Powers visited the American Dream mall on a family staycation. She said the amount of activities under one roof exceeded all their expectations.
An IT worker from Colorado paid $2,500 to spend New Year's Eve at Applebee's near Times Square. He says the food was higher end than expected.
Autumn Sheffy explains what it's like living and working on a cruise ship and how she got the job. She had fun, but her cabin was a metal box.
Butterball turkey hotline expert Phyllis Kramer says most of the funny questions she gets from callers relate to thawing a turkey - in unusual ways.
A former air traffic controller says passengers shouldn't be alarmed by the recent number of close call collisions and explains the air traffic system.
Almost no one uses their phone to make calls anymore-except for a growing number of lonely men who call women like me.
From Trader Joe's captains who make more than $100,000 a year to bingo managers who bring in an average of $70,000, these jobs are more lucrative than you might expect.
Insider compiled a list of jobs with surprisingly low salaries in respected fields like medicine and law enforcement.
Insider spoke to former correctional officers about the slang terms used to do their jobs. Officers have their own jargon, but it's also crucial for them to understand the lingo inmates use. For example, when older inmates discuss "fish," they could be targeting newer inmates.
In 2013, Tiffany Sorya responded to a Craigslist ad and began tutoring Kylie and Kendall Jenner. A year later, she founded Novel Education Group, an academic-enrichment agency. Today, the Novel team led by Sorya caters to celebrities, royalty, and high-net-worth families.
Nina Keneally founded Need a Mom NYC, where she offers the services of a mom for $40 an hour. She's been tasked with everything from doling out dating advice to helping navigate social services. She's also had to turn down jobs to impersonate a real mother, talk dirty, and go to a colonoscopy.
Early on in the pandemic, Courtney Gibson and Caitie Phillips dreamed of going to a local bar with some girlfriends, throwing back a few White Claws and belting out a bunch of Taylor Swift tunes at the top of their lungs. That might have been a regular Saturday night for these two millennials before COVID.
Mexico's medical-tourism business brings more than 1 million Americans to the country each year. Kasey Spicer traveled to Tijuana for bariatric surgery in 2021 and had a successful experience. Her husband didn't want her to go, but it went so well, he got the same surgery in Mexico in 2022.
Randy Baruh is a luxury-real-estate broker in New York City who uses tech whenever he can. He's experimented with VR viewers and video content on TikTok and is now using ChatGPT to save time. ChatGPT writes the first draft of a listing, and he and his team edit it into the final product.
After weight gain made my sex drive weaker than a dial-up modem, a friend jokingly suggested finding someone willing to give me a happy ending. It's not that much of a stretch when you think about it, I figured. I already outsource everything else.
I'm the type of woman who prefers to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, so when I enrolled in school to become a phone sex operator, I figured it was in my best interest not to mention it to my husband. To be fair, it's not something I intentionally set out to do.
Abby Misbin is the founder of Trending by Abby, an Etsy shop where she sells a variety of hats. In June 2022, a stylist requested a hat for Beyoncé. After she was seen wearing it, business skyrocketed. Now Misbin works 12 to 15 hours a day to keep up with the waitlist of 6,000 for the disco-ball hat.
Taylor Futch travels the world, making pit stops along the way to work in party hostels. Futch says she often deals with poor guest behavior and is left to clean up gross situations. If you travel often, Futch says, you need to make cleanliness, organization, and respect a priority.
Taylor Futch works at party hostels and does everything from leading pub crawls to manning the desk. While she loves the hostel life, it comes with challenges like toxic bosses and cleaning up vomit. She documents her daily life and travels as a hostel worker on TikTok for her 47,000 followers.
Erin Zapcic portrays a queen at Medieval Times' Buena Park castle in California. Zapcic has worked most of the roles at the castle and helped lead unionizing efforts. "While I do love my job, there are certain aspects of it that could use improvement," she says.
Adam Miller is the interim vice president for admissions and financial aid at Whitman College. He says the college-admissions process and early decision favor the rich and influential. As a solution, Whitman provides a detailed cost of attendance before a student applies.
Uber driver Bunny Rivera started working for the rideshare company after she became a mom. Rivera said the job was flexible and she enjoyed the experience, so she stuck with it. She recalled some of her most unexpected holiday experiences, which include really big tips.
Christmas can be a busy season for Uber and Lyft drivers taking passengers to their families' homes. Three rideshare drivers said after driving passengers over the holidays they received a $100 tip. Jamel Spencer said a passenger poured tequila on her panties while singing "Straight Tequila Night."
Evellyn Singleton, 23, began working as a nanny for an affluent, Nashville-based family last fall. She watched their son, Jacob, during their vacation in Nantucket and posted about it on TikTok. Now she gets recognized on the street and kids brands are seeking endorsement deals.
Marc Evan started Maniac Pumpkin Carvers with his childhood friend after graduating from college. Now they run a team of artists out of a warehouse in Yonkers, New York. They got their start at a farmers market and say they work 20 hours a day in October.
The unexpected appearance of two commercial semitrailers in Ace Rogers's driveway earlier this week triggered a series of concerned voicemails from friends wondering if the 47-year-old had suddenly decided to pack up and move his family from out of the sprawling La Jolla home he'd purchased just 18 months ago.
With its bright yellow walls, fluorescent lights, metal racks filled with movies and candy, and 24-hour dropbox slot for returns, it's nearly impossible not to feel nostalgic when stepping into the last remaining Blockbuster in the world. The store, located in Bend, Oregon, has been in operation since 2004.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brendan Heegan, the 45-year-old founder of Boxzooka. Insider has verified his business' growth with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Jake Slinn founded the cargo-salvage company JS Global Group when he was 19. His company recycles, disposes of, and resells abandoned cargo from docks. He's made it a lucrative business and still managed to keep operations lean.
Many UPS drivers are working in sweltering conditions in trucks with no fans or A/C this summer. Insider spoke to a UPS driver who got heat exhaustion multiple times and even had to go to the ER. In a statement to Insider, a UPS spokesperson said: "The health and safety of our employees is our highest priority."
Richard Kligman owns Keep on Trumpin', a store with thousands of Trump items. When customers try to talk politics, he just smiles and rings them up.
This summer, UPS drivers are facing extreme heat without A/C. Many are posting photos of 120-degree trucks. Insider spoke to a longtime driver who walks through sprinklers just to make it through their route. This is their story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Tyra Reeder works at the first unionized Apple store, located at Towson Town Center in Maryland. She's currently in the process of becoming a full-time employee while on a gap year at school. This is Reeder's story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Shelly Castle is a Houston-based rideshare driver who has driven for Uber and Lyft. During the past five years, Castle has given over 10,000 rides in her party-themed car. This is her story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Joanna Kuther works as a travel agent and has been on more than 100 cruises. Kuther told Insider that despite staff shortages, it could be the ideal time to book a cruise due to cheaper rates and additional perks. This is her story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Mike Tockstein is a pyrotechnician for Pyro Spectaculars by Souza based in California. He got his start at 18 as an apprentice and has worked NFL, MLB, and NASCAR events. Here's what his job is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Captain Michael Kozo is the director of fire-safety education at the New York City Fire Department. More than 10,000 injuries are treated each year due to the misuse and malfunction of fireworks. Kozo shared his top safety tips for handling fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Phil Grucci, 59, is the CEO and creative director of Fireworks by Grucci, Inc. His family has produced pyrotechnic displays in America since 1870. He's the fifth generation. This is his story, as told to writer Jenny Powers. This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Phil Grucci, the CEO and creative director of Fireworks by Grucci.
Abortion pills are in high demand since the leaked Roe v. Wade draft opinion and subsequent overturn. Educational resources like Plan C have reported increases in calls and web traffic of up to 2,500%. The online pharmacy Honeybee Health reported an 80% increase in average daily abortion-pill orders.
Julie McFadden is a hospice nurse who posts about death and dying on TikTok. She said it's the best job because she gets to improve people's quality of life every day. Here's what it's like and how she got her start on TikTok, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Parting Stone turns cremated ashes into solidified remains in the shape of stones. Its founder Justin Crowe got his start bootstrapping his idea and applying for a grant. Parting Stone has completed 3,000 solidifications since its start in 2019.
Mhay-Ann Carriza De Felipe, 29, began driving part-time for Uber and Lyft in Las Vegas in 2021. She says she doesn't feel unsafe but does encounter drunk men who proposition her. This is her story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Ryan Houser, 28, is a fish sommelier at Mina's Fish House at the Four Seasons Resort in O'ahu. He goes table to table each night to show guests fresh fish options and give recommendations. This is what his job is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Reyes Corona, 34, is a construction technician and homeowner in Indio, California's Coachella Valley. Corona's normal rental rate is $180 per night. During Coachella, it jumps to $1,900. This is Corona's story, as told to writer Jenny Powers. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Reyes Corona, a Vrbo owner in California.
Tipton Sholes is a medical resident currently on leave and homeowner in Augusta, Georgia. He lists his four-bed, two-bath home for about $1,300 a night during the Masters each year. It's a big help in paying his mortgage, he says. Here's his story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Vlada Von Shats is the co-owner of Russian Samovar, a restaurant in New York. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Von Shats said there's been harassment of workers both in person and online. This is her story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Judi Henderson founded Mannequin Madness in 2001. She now brings in six figures a year and has earned an award from the EPA. She got her business off the ground thanks to Craigslist and eBay. Judi Henderson, 64, can thank the queen of rock and roll, Tina Turner, for leading her down the path to entrepreneurship.
Sarah Jones Lauderdale, 44, is a married mom of 3 who lives in Bend, Oregon. She started driving for Uber in 2018 to earn extra cash and ended up loving it. But with rising gas prices, she's had to cut back. Here's her story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Bill Alverson, 60, is a pageant coach and seasoned trial lawyer based in Andalusia, Alabama. He's one of the country's most sought-after pageant coaches and starred in TLC's "Coach Charming." Here's what his job is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Since the Russian invasion, more than 400,000 Airbnb nights have been booked in Ukraine. The bookings aren't for actual stays; they're for donations. I joined in and connected with a host in Lviv. "I do not want to leave my homeland," she told me. "Here are my parents; here my (future) child must be born."
Insider spoke to a United States Postal Service mail carrier about delivering at-home COVID tests. They requested anonymity to protect their job, and Insider has verified their employment. There's been an increased workload, the carrier says, but they see being busy as good job security.
Valentine's Day is a busy day for business owners, restaurants, and service workers. Insider spoke with five industry pros to learn their tips for having a smooth, romantic holiday. Make reservations, be realistic with demands, and don't ask to hide a ring in your partner's food.
Lawrence Jones, 30, is one of six full-time assistant athletic trainers for the Los Angeles Rams. He's been with the team since 2018, making this Sunday his second trip to the Super Bowl. Here's what his job is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Steven Peisach runs Pomp Flowers and sources his roses from his parents' farms in South America. His team started preparations in October to deliver 10,000 Valentine's Day orders across the US. Here's what the process of marketing and growing roses is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Jamine Moton, 43, is the founder of Skylar Security, a security company in Atlanta, Georgia. She and her security team worked the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta and the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami. Here's what working security at the big game is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Insider recently spoke to a longtime UPS driver about their job. They requested anonymity to protect it. The driver said the job has its perks - solitude, pay, and sometimes scenic routes - but can also be unpredictable. This is their story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Katherine Studley, 28, is a financial strategist and tax accountant based in Virginia. Studley launched The Only Consultant to offer judgment-free tax prep services for adult entertainers. This is how she got the idea and what her job is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Insider asked three ad-industry execs who've worked on Super Bowl spots what it takes to succeed. They said celebrities and animals can work if you align them with your brand. Pulling off a prank and being unexpected has also worked for them in the past.
Sheila Ruffin is the founder of "all-inclusive" travel agency Soca Caribbean Yacht Charters. When she went to her first super-yacht trade show, she said she felt looked down upon as a Black woman. Here's how she defied the odds and got her business off the ground, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Thad Cummings, 31, is a registered nurse who works in emergency rooms in Michigan and North Carolina. He told Insider his pandemic experiences, including conversations shifting from "Hey, you're sick" to "Hey, you're dying." This is his story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Cesar Jimenez, 35, owns and operates a Pet Butler waste disposal franchise in Arizona. He quit his real estate job in May to open the franchise and now has employs three full-time workers. This is what his job is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Laura Johnson is the director of Zebedee Management. She started it in 2017 with her sister-in-law. It was an uphill at battle at first, but now business is booming and her clients land big gigs. This is what her job is like, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Scott Martin is a landscape architect and the founder of The Living Christmas Company. Martin and his team rent out living Christmas trees as an alternative to cut or artificial trees. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Scott Martin, a landscape architect and the founder of The Living Christmas Company.
Ross Thompson founded Covac Global in May 2020. The evacuation and repatriation membership program can cost $2,500 or more annually. The company shuttles people home from a trip when they test positive for COVID-19. Ross Thompson founded Covac Global, a COVID-19 evacuation and repatriation membership program, in May 2020.
The holidays are always an especially hectic season for package delivery drivers, and this year is already stacking up to be even more intense due to supply-chain logjams, port backlogs, and increased COVID-19 concerns related to the new Omicron variant.
Chuck Leavell is the principal keyboardist for The Rolling Stones and has toured since 1982. Besides being a musician, Leavell is also a tree farmer and owns land in Georgia with his wife. By 1982, at the age of 30, I'd already spent half of my life working my way up the ranks of the music industry.
Taylor Swift reclaiming her old albums has some fans using the buzz to generate business. Two entrepreneurs who run Taylor-themed events say ticket sales are especially high. Other small-business owners have seen apparel and memorabilia fly off the shelves.
Younger morticians are taking it upon themselves to reinvent end-of-life planning. The industry is known for being incredibly secretive and outdated. Millennial death doulas and funeral directors are bringing transparency to the process. Millennials who work in death care say the industry is antiquated and largely shrouded in secrecy.
Christopher Rim, 26, is the founder of Command Education, a tutoring and college advisory company in New York. Parents pay Rim's business up to $85,000 a year for one-on-one college application prep for their kids.
Paul Wertheimer, 72, is a crowd-safety expert based in Los Angeles. He's been one for 42 years. He began his efforts after 11 people were killed in a crowd crush outside of a concert by The Who in 1979. This is his story - and his evaluation of what happened at Astroworld - as told to writer Jenny Powers.
Mary Youssef, 25, is a pharmacist and mobile IV infusion therapist based in New York City. She administers IV infusion treatments for hydration, hangovers, inflammation, and more. This is what her job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Tyler Wilcha, 30, is the founder, CEO, and sole employee of Tap Tag, an NFC technology company. Wilcha started as an Enterprise intern and rose to flagship manager, but COVID-19 changed his plans. He started Tap Tag as a side hustle but now runs it full time and makes $10,000 to $20,000 a month.
Cathy Scorsese has worked in props for "The Departed," "The Sopranos," and other films and TV shows. The daughter of Martin Scorsese is well versed in on-set firearm safety. She talks about the "Rust" incident and what needs to change, as told to the freelancer Jenny Powers.
Lisa Gorlitsky is a Brooklyn, New York-based actress who began her career in commercials at age 7. She's played roles involving weapons on TV shows, films, and theatrical performances, including the "Law & Order" franchise. Up until the recent fatal shooting on the set of "Rust," Gorlitsky felt safe.
The safety of prop weapons has been in the spotlight after a fatal shooting on the set of "Rust." Bryan W. Carpenter, a professional armorer, handles weapons on film and TV sets for his company, Dark Thirty Film. He's worked on Marvel's "Cloak & Dagger," "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," and "Queen of the South."
Michael Saccio has worked as a prop master on award-winning TV show and film sets for 34 years. The New York native has been a prop master for NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" for the past 18 seasons. He developed a weapons-safety class that's now mandatory. Here's his story, as told to Jenny Powers.
Adam Gonzales is a private security specialist and CEO of Hyperion Services. His company consists of former military members who work as personal security guards and hostage rescuers. This is what his job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are experiencing record backlog as cargo ships wait to dock. The ports handle nearly half of inbound containers for the US, making the backlog a huge issue. A California longshoreman told Insider what it's been like to work the ports.
Despite reports of the ongoing labor shortage in the US, many job hunters are still struggling to find work. Former RN Donna Fields Brown, 70, says she's applied for jobs at Target and Safeway with no response. Bilal Waheed, 29, has a masters degree but he's sent out nearly 70 résumés without landing a single interview.
Andy Christie is a group-private-jets director who calls himself a "matchmaker." He says he's dealt with a fair share of extravagant demands from rock stars and the ultrawealthy. This is how he got started and what his job is like, as told to freelancer Jenny Powers.
A Deloitte survey estimated consumers would spend $3 billion in 2021 on dorm furniture and supplies. Three businesses that cater to students looking to deck out their rooms said they were booked up. Some packages cost $2,200 and offer personal installation and design services.
Dave Walsh, 39, is a USMC veteran and custom van builder based in Denver, Colorado. Since starting his company in 2016, Walsh says he's had more clients than ever during the last year as van travel grows in popularity. This is what his job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Ron Hubbard, 59, is the owner Atlas Survival Shelters, a bunker-building business based in Texas. Hubbard says business is booming among Republican customers since the election of President Biden. This is what his job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Many parents trying to return to the workforce have new demands for what their future job entails. More want to find remote work, like single mom Cari Gerber who cares for her son attending virtual elementary school. Others, like dad of two Michael Kidd, are choosing to go back to school over starting another minimum-wage job.
Ania Schwartzman is a clinical psychologist and professional-image consultant in New York City. She charges $750 for a five-hour package to help women build confidence and presence through clothing. This is what her job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Bain de Soleil sunscreen was discontinued by Bayer in December 2019. Yet hard-core fans are desperate to find the product, with some paying hundreds for a used tube. Bayer doesn't have plans to redistribute the product, despite pleas and a Change.org petition. Longtime sun worshippers who relied on Bain de Soleil sunscreen to nail down their "St.
Insider checked in with three sex workers to discuss OnlyFans' ban of sexually explicit content. All 3 had previously spoken to Insider about their sex work careers that include OnlyFans as a revenue stream. They shared how they'll adapt and move on from the ban: "We'll find a way to survive this exodus," said one.
Charlotte LaGuardia, 29, is a certified nutrition specialist in the Hamptons who meets with clients via Zoom. She says her job means constantly having to say no to requests that go way beyond her job title. Here's what her job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Dave Dixon is a Disney and Universal theme park guide based in Orlando, Florida. Since 2009, he's led around 150 private tours a year to help families make the most of their trips. Here's what his job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Fette, founded by 2 Brown students, sells 100% plant-based cups that break down in 60 days. Cofounder and rising senior Priya Mittal got the word out about Fette through microambassadors. These students trade social marketing for opportunities to network and learn from founders.
Xuan Liu, 33, is a former pro poker player and World Champ. In 7 years of being pro, Liu won $3 million at tournaments, but says the mental and physical tolls of poker began to weigh on her. This is what her career is life, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Sara Colletti is a personal trainer and cofounder of Hamptons Wellness on Wheels. Since 2016, she's offered at-home fitness services for wealthy clients around the Hamptons. This is what her job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Customers are finding themselves waiting weeks for waxing appointments or being turned away. Two salon owners told Insider they've had trouble hiring specialists back. They've leaned on sign-on and referral bonuses and increased wages. "Vaxed and waxed" is the unofficial slogan of the season for vaccinated Americans making up for lost time by hitting the beach, hanging poolside, and finding their latest hookups.
Zach Erdem is the owner of 75 Main and Blu Mar, two eateries in Southampton, New York. Since reopening in June, Erdem says he's struggled to find workers despite increasing the hourly pay. Here's what hiring has been like for him post-pandemic, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Adam Mopsick's phone has been ringing more than usual since the Miami building collapse last week. The CEO of Amicon Management offered several red flags to look for to assess the risk of your condo. Single-family homeowners should inspect chimneys, soil, and rafters, builder Beni Shoshi said.
Zach Erdem is the owner of 75 Main and Blu Mar, two hotspot restaurant and bar destinations in Southampton, New York. His restaurants reopened at full capacity on June 1, and have been booked solid ever since. Here's what it's like running his restaurants post-pandemic, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Ken Cage repossesses high-end luxury assets like yachts and jets whose owners have failed to pay their loans. Since 2005, Cage's team has repossessed 2,000 boats, some of which are worth as much as $20 million. Here's what his job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Kathy Vegh Hughes is an entrepreneur and chicken-coop maker based in Ohio. After identifying a market for better built, high-end chicken coops, she launched Cutest Coops in 2019. Here's what her career is like selling the tiny homes all over the US, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Natasha Grano and Michael Graziano are the first-ever couple to get married on the audio-only app. The two-hour traditional ceremony included the walk down the aisle and a Corinthians reading. Guests were instructed to "Push to Refresh" to update the couple's profile photos as it went on.
Natasha Grano and Michael Graziano got legally married on Clubhouse on Sunday. The two met on the audio-only app on Valentine's Day in a celebrity matchmaker room. Two-thousand virtual guests from around the world were expected to tune into the two-hour affair. See more stories on Insider's business page.
Meredith Golden is a professional dating coach and dating profile ghostwriter. Recently, she says her inbox has been flooded with inquiries from the newly vaccinated. Darma, her new app, provides post-date feedback and includes a 'closure' button to prevent ghosting.
Janis Spindel and her daughter Carly are professional matchmakers in New York City. Spindel has paired over 4,000 successful couples since launching her matchmaking service in 1993. This is what her job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers. See more stories on Insider's business page.
Jay (not his real name) has worked as a part-time driver for Amazon in Michigan since 2019. He says to avoid getting penalized by Amazon's tracking app drivers trade phones sometimes. He says it's "frustrating" being monitored. This is his story, as told to freelancer Jenny Powers.
Nick Popovich is an aircraft-repossession specialist in Indiana. Since 1979, Popovich and his team have repossessed 1,986 planes and helicopters. This is what his job is like, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers. Growing up in Northwest Indiana, I never took my father's advice - except once.
Caroline Bui is the founder and owner of 'The Birkin Fairy,' a luxury consignment shop for Hermès products. After working at Hermès for 12 years, she launched the online shop and has since sold nearly $2 million of used Hermès items. This is her story, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.
Sex work - an industry that encompasses those in the porn sector as well as those who provide phone-sex and adult-companion services and erotic content - is booming during the pandemic as more people seek intimacy and comfort from home. Business Insider spoke with more than a half dozen sex workers and a sex therapist about the changing landscape.
"The Queen's Gambit" became a streaming sensation, breaking viewer numbers and encouraging an interest in chess. Three months after its release, the show has revived some tourism industries and retail sales. Ecommerce exploded, while one streamer reported jumping from 20,000 followers to 259,000 today. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Serpentessa (not her real name) is a former professional belly dancer and a 'snake priestess' who uses snakes to conduct healing massages for her clients. For 33 years, she's been facilitating interactions between snakes and people, ranging from thrill-seekers and nature lovers to people suffering from PTSD.
Justin Paperny, 45, is a business owner and former federal inmate currently based in Irvine, California. While working as an investment banker at UBS, Paperny was involved with a fraudulent hedge fund that was part of a Ponzi scheme.
Fiona Mills is a 31-year-old based in Tampa, Florida who became a hoarding technician in 2018 after 12 years of working in the medical field. To most people, a hoard just looks like a bunch of trash - but to the hoarder, it's organized chaos where each item has a perceived value.
Goddess Valora (not her real name) is a 34-year-old foot fetish model based in St. Petersburg, Florida. In 2013, after accidentally booking a modeling gig that turned out to be a fetish video shoot, Valora realized she could make a full-time income working in the industry.
Madelon Guinazzo is a Chicago-based professional cuddler and cofounder of Cuddlist, a company that trains, vets, and connects professional cuddlers with clients. She worked in the healthcare industry for 15 years before discovering the therapeutic benefits of cuddling in 2008.
Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelancing services, where freelancers can create a profile, post a gig, and set their own rates. Top sellers on the platform shared with Business Insider their best practices for finding clients and landing business.
Outdoor heaters are seeing a massive uptick in sales and usage as restaurants prepare to remain open in the fall. While heaters help outdoor facilities maintain physical distancing in cooler weather, restaurants should be cautious of people gathering and socializing close to the heat sources.
Frank Villani is a 53-year-old information security specialist based in New Jersey who's worked in information technology for 24 years and IT security for 12 years. He's a 'white hat' hacker, someone who works on the inside of an organization to protect its internet systems from 'black hat' hackers who want to violate computer security for personal gain.
Gabrielle Rivera is a 25-year-old professional mermaid based in the Bay Area, California. At the age of 19, a friend introduced Rivera to online community of merfolk, people also interested in mermaids and costuming. From there, her character Nymphia, The Nautilus Mermaid, was born.
Fred and Courtney Ilarraza are the founders of Baby Bodyguards, a New York City-based company that offers "babyproofing" services to expectant parents. After having their first child in 2008, they realized that babyproofing their home was a big task, and decided to launch Baby Bodyguards to meet the needs of local parents.
Lydia Fenet is the lead benefit auctioneer and global managing director of strategic partnerships at Christie's Auction House. She landed a coveted job as a live auctioneer at just 24 years old, after a summer internship at Christie's and two years of working in the company's events department.
Barbara Mutnick has been a manicurist for nearly 50 years after getting her start at beauty school in Florida in the 1970s. Over the years, she's worked on-call in five-star hotels and luxury salons throughout New York City, and has done the nails of celebrities like Lucille Ball and Barbara Walters.
Amberly Rothfield is a professional phone sex operator, and author of "How I Made $10,000 a month as a Phone Sex Operator" and "90 Days and Paid: Jumpstart Your Online Sex Work Business." Rothfield started doing phone sex work at the age of 18, when she was broke, couch-surfing, and struggling to support herself.
Romi Rain (not her real name) is a 32-year-old adult film star who lives and works in Southern California. She started doing nude modeling at the age of 19 before becoming an exotic dancer at a strip club.
Mercari is a Japan-based ecommerce platform where people can buy and sell almost anything, from jigsaw puzzles to kitchen appliances. During the pandemic, Mercari CEO John Lagerling saw an increase in the number of buyers as well as sellers flocking to the app to get rid of their unwanted items and make extra cash.
Ainslee Divine (not her real name) is a 46-year-old webcam model who lives and works in Scottsdale, Arizona. She worked for 15 years as a property management company owner, but after losing a large amount of weight, she decided to give webcamming a try.
I began working at Starbucks eight years ago because my other job didn't provide health insurance. As part of the onboarding process, I had to take a pass-fail test with questions like How many shots in a grande? and Is a coffee cycle eight or twelve minutes long?
Faye de Muyshondt is an author and the founder of Socialsklz , a Manhattan-based social etiquette school for kids. She works with students from ages four to 18 and teaches them skills like how to introduce themselves properly, how to initiate small talk, and how to use dining utensils correctly.
Jorge Bendersky, 52, is a New York-based dog groomer who says his clientele includes Ralph Lauren, Sean Combs, and Gisele Bündchen. He's also the best-selling author of DIY Dog Grooming: From Puppy Cuts to Best in Show, Everything You Need to Know and has appeared on the Animal Planet shows "Groomer Has It" and "Dogs 101" and as a judge on TLC's "Extreme Poodles."
Launching a business or store on Amazon may seem straightforward, but can involve a good deal of work and business strategy if you want to be successful. The work can pay off, though: Amazon's head of small business empowerment Keri Cusick said that more than 15,000 American businesses surpassed $1 million in sales in 2019.
There are almost five million active buyers on the marketplace Etsy, making it the perfect platform for sellers looking to attract customers to their shops. Real sellers reveal the secrets to setting up a profile that garners plenty of attention and revenue. Their tips include making your products super search friendly by using popular keywords and descriptive tags.
Spam, the affordable, long-lasting canned meat product, has historically high sales prices during the coronavirus outbreak. Invented during The Great Depression, Spam doesn't require refrigeration and can be eaten straight from the tin, and fans having grown up with it have praised its versatility and reliability.
Lori St. Kitts, author of "The Tax Domme's Guide for Sex Workers and All Other People," is a Seattle-based tax preparer who is also a sex worker. She took on phone-sex work to supplement her day job as a tax preparer while homeschooling her two boys. St.
The last Blockbuster in the world is in Bend, Oregon, employing 14 workers and still letting costumers rent videos the old fashioned way. The coronavirus pandemic has limited store visitors, raising questions of survivability. But they're still operating, offering curbside delivery and following social distancing protocols.
Courtesy of Laura SpauldingSpaulding alongside her team of clean-up technicians.Laura Spaulding makes things go away for a living: cleaning up crime scenes,
Over the years, owning a car has gone from being considered a luxury to being deemed a burden for many. When you take into account the rising costs of insurance, gasoline and maintenance paired with the increased levels of traffic congestion around the country, it's no wonder more and more American's are opting to live in cities that don't require them to have a car where they can rely on their own two feet, two wheels or public transit.
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Nothing-including tornadoes, a hip replacement, or a cancer diagnosis-could stop Alice Cooper and her husband Clive from completing their ultimate music road trip. The couple's goal was to visit every single place in the U.S. that had been mentioned in a song title.
With its bright yellow walls, fluorescent lights, metal racks filled with movies and candy, and 24-hour dropbox slot for returns, it's nearly impossible to not feel nostalgic when stepping into the last remaining Blockbuster in the world. The store, located in Bend, Oregon, has been in operation since 2004.
Burning Man is known for a lot of things-wacky art and performances, wild costumes, and general debauchery, to name a few-but children are not one of them. Yet, since its inception in 1986, the annual nine-day gathering has enthusiastically welcomed kids of all ages, ranging from the littlest "baby burners" to tweens and teens.
It's a Monday morning in Times Square, and the place is bustling. Throngs of selfie stick-toting tourists weave in and out of the paths of costumed cartoon characters looking to pose for photos in exchange for tips. Meanwhile, taxi drivers and double-decker tour bus operators lean on their horns in unison, cursing the bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Traveling the highways of America as an Oscar Mayer Hotdogger and serving as a mobile brand ambassador from behind the wheel of a 27-foot-long, 11-foot-tall Wienermobile can be loads of fun-but the application process and life on the road is no bologna.
At only six months old, Harper Yeats just completed the road trip of a lifetime, visiting all fifty U.S. states. This makes the Canadian infant the youngest member of the All Fifty States Club, a record previously held by a two-year-old boy from Northern Ireland.
A Cocktail Party relies on heavy passed hors d'oeuvres and requires one waiter per 20-25 guests and fewer rental costs. Ryan Brown encourages people on a tighter budget to consider this option because food costs are lower by about 40%.
The best part of the wedding was our ceremony; which we made up ourselves, and was far from traditional. The ceremony took place under a wrought-iron pyramid, with the guests standing in a circle around us.
We met online before the app era. I was done with dating but left my profile up in case someone really great just happened to be out there. My profile ended in "P.S. I can dance better than you" and in Matthew's thoughtful message he wrote back "P.S. I'll take that challenge."
As part of our real weddings series, "The Cost of Tying the Knot," we ask couples to share their real wedding costs with us. It's part of our mission to inform our Wedding Crashers attendees of the true costs involved in marrying in the NYC region.
"Loehmann's was our mecca," Ania Schwartzman said reverently. "We were devastated when they closed their doors. Me, my mother and my grandmother-a Holocaust survivor-loved spending weekends there, searching for deals, offering unsolicited advice to strangers in the communal dressing room."
Nothing less than a clash of civilizations is the topic of documentary filmmaker Gloria Z. Greenfield's latest film. The Fight of Our Lives: Defeating the Ideological War examines the anti-West sentiments penetrating modern-day society, politics and academia that threaten to infiltrate and undermine Western civilization.
In a span of 18 years, Oklahoma resident Richard Borg chanted all 80 haftorah portions, the biblical readings from the Prophets that accompany the weekly and holiday Torah portions. It's a feat few laymen can claim. When friends and family asked what he would do next, he set a goal to chant haftorah in all 50 states.
A memorial program in a Brooklyn synagogue, one of many held nationwide for the victims of the Pittsburgh shooting, gave locals a space to gather and grieve.
While the audience gets settled into their seats for the evening performances of this week's Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular - tucked behind the curtain, several cast- and crew-members recite Hanukkah prayers in unison and light a menorah to celebrate the holiday.
Children's grape juice boxes. Swedish gummy fish. Honey sticks. Dried apples. Pomegranate candies. A kazoo. You Tube and WhatsApp. And relying on the sun's rays to heat up a holiday meal wrapped in tin foil. Sometimes celebrating Rosh Hashanah can take on MacGyver-like proportions for American Jewish servicemen and women on military deployment.
Philip Epstein has stood in the same exact spot on two separate occasions, 72 years apart. The first time was in 1946 when Epstein, a child Holocaust survivor, was called to the bimah to become a bar mitzvah at the Reicher Synagogue in Lodz, Poland.
Every nine days a child in the United States dies from vehicular heat stroke. Most parents think it can't happen to them, and yet statistics reveal that 55% of the time tragedy strikes, it is the child's parent that unknowingly left them inside the vehicle, according to KidsandCars.org.
Staci Segal is on a mission to get sheitels, the wigs worn by married Orthodox women, into the hands and onto the heads of those that do not have the means to afford them.
Socks are the "single most-needed article of clothing in homeless shelters" - and remain the least-donated items, according to Adina Lichtman, the twenty-five year old founder of Knock, Knock Give a Sock (KKGS), the non-profit dedicated to reducing the stigma of homelessness.
Joshua had little hopes of having a bar mitzvah. After all, bar mitzvahs aren't exactly a common event at the Dobbs Ferry juvenile facility for youth at risk. Until a group of Jewish retirees stepped in. It all began with a phone call between two strangers.
Not every bagpipe-playing altar boy considering joining the priesthood grows up to be a Hasidic Jew - but Ian Sherman did. Ian, known today in many circles by his Hebrew name Ephraim Eliyahu, was born to a Scottish Catholic mother and an Eastern European Jewish father, and was raised in Goshen, New York.
Rebecca Garfein was fifteen years old when the man seated in front of her turned around, at the sound of her pleasant singing voice, and offered her an opportunity that would lead her on the path to become a cantor. At the time, Garfein didn't even know what a cantor was.
A group of low-income-earning New Yorkers received $500,000 in tax refunds last year when fifteen accounting majors from Touro's Lander College of Arts & Sciences in Brooklyn gave up their weekends to prepare and file online income tax returns for free.
For a century, the Streit's matzo bakery was a Lower East Side landmark, operating inside converted tenements on Rivington Street since 1916. The last family-owned and run matzo company in America, Streit's recently sacrificed tradition for efficiency and made its exodus to the suburbs - up north to Rockland County.
Had it not been for an invitation her father received to spend the summer living in his boss' apartment in exchange for watering the gardens, Carla Shen may never have wound up living in Brooklyn Heights, the neighborhood she has now called home for four decades.
Long before 32 Livingston St. in Brooklyn Heights was crowned the borough's first designer Showhouse, it had a rich history of its own, often making the news. Hailing from Bucksport, Maine, Richard P.
The borough's inaugural Designer Showhouse has swung open its mahogany doors to the general public, treating both local residents and out-of-towners to a rare glimpse of 21st century living inside a historic 19th century Brooklyn Heights home.
It's 7:30 am Thursday morning in Clinton Hill and the neighborhood is alive and buzzing with activity. Some people are sneaking in a quick jog before heading to the office, while others are already dressed, briefcase in hand, making their way to the train.
The Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA) will publicly debut the borough's first-ever Designer Showhouse on Sept. 29 in a historic 150-year-old townhouse on Livingston Street, replacing its long-standing annual house tour fundraising initiative.
Welcoming Shabbat, the free weekly sing-along for toddlers hosted by Brooklyn Heights Synagogue was recently named one of the Top 5 "Absolute Best Kids Music Classes in New York" by New York magazine, making it the only faith-based class to receive the honor and even ranking above popular mainstream offerings like Music Together.
What do a bunch of struggling young artists do when they can't afford to rent exhibit space? They do what they do best. They get creative. In the case of the Secret Dungeon, an artist collaborative located in the East Williamsburg industrial business zone, that means leasing a 166-square-foot storage unit inside an old garage and converting it into a micro-gallery with everything from livestream poetry to painting and sculpture.
Lisa Levy is not dying. She's not even under the weather. In fact, she's feeling pretty good; however one day like the rest of us, she's going to die. Having turned 61 this year, Levy says her new show "You Can Get My Stuff When I'm Dead" debuting in Bushwick's Art During Occupation Gallery (ADO), is about normalizing death in a society that is very uncomfortable with the concept.
Seven years ago, the Bushwick community was so eager for a good bar to open in the neighborhood that somebody actually tagged "Please open already" in graffiti outside of what is now Pine Box Rock Shop, the vegan, craft beer bar and music venue housed in a former coffin factory, located at 12 Grattan St.
It may feel still feel like summer outside, but the retail industry's countdown to the holidays is in full force. Pumpkin-spice everything has been unleashed upon the world and is permeating the marketplace in the forms of lattes, facials, chewing gum, and even Pringles.
Two weeks ago, the spray painted phrase "Everything is Not Ok" appeared on the bumpy metal gate on Wyckoff Avenue and Troutman Street in Bushwick. The artist and Bushwick resident Adam Kiyoshi Fujita, aka Adam Fu, says he wanted to remind the society not to allow the irrationality of present-day politics to become normalized, even as it builds and snowballs in front of us.
Rosh Hashanah begins tonight at sundown so if you're ready to kick off the Jewish New Year and party like it's 5778, we've got plans for you to welcome in the holiday, Bushwick-style.
Part of the appeal of a Hudson Valley wedding is the wide-open space in which you can gather friends and family for your nuptials, like Hayfield, pictured, in the heart of the Catskills.
Alex Dragan, left, and Jonah Lichtash, right, under the Archway in DUMBO. Photo: Dream Life Photography It was February 4, 2012 when entrepreneur Alex Dragan went to a friend's dinner party for self-proclaimed "gay nerds" at a tapas bar in Park Slope.
"Wedding-affordable and real-life affordable, especially in New York, are two very different things," laughs wedding planner Lara G. Mahler. She may be laughing but she definitely isn't kidding. After all, the inspiration for launching her own wedding planning business, THE PRIVILEGE IS MINE, came in 2015 after watching good friends take on loads of stress and hefty bank loans to pay for their wedding day.
If there is a lesson to be learned from the reBar and Moveable Feast frauds, it's that no matter how well established the company, or whether or not you have a choice in the matter, you need to do your homework before hiring a wedding vendor.
Discreetly tucked between the intersection of East Williamsburg and Bushwick, 99 Scott, a former historic warehouse-turned-industrial chic event space named for its address, officially opened its doors to the public last week.
You wouldn’t think of taking a child to the playground without packing up a diaper bag or lunch box containing the basic essentials, would you? Imagine waiting until your charge was hungry or needed a diaper change and then running around the playground in a mad scramble to find ...
I’ll never forget my daughter’s first day of school. My tears were bittersweet. My baby was old enough to leave my side and go to school for the first time - but she did so without a fuss. I thought she would be the one crying, not wanting to let ...
When you head out for the day, it’s natural for your pet to follow you to the front door and maybe bark, whine or get into a little mischief while you’re out. However, if it continues for prolonged periods of time, your pet causes damage to your home or ...
Consider factors like location, experience, licensing, and more when calculating the cost of a home daycare provider. Home daycare -- or family daycare, as it is also commonly known -- is a childcare service that takes place within a caregiver’s home rather than in a commercial daycare center. Home daycare ...
Use this customizable template and detailed list of responsibilities to write a personal assistant job description for posting on online job boards or careers pages. A personal assistant is a dedicated individual whose main role is to serve as their employer’s liaison and handle administrative tasks, freeing up their employer’s ...
We searched the iTunes and Android stores for the top tutoring apps in math, science, reading, geography, and foreign languages. While many students benefit from a traditional tutoring setting, using the power of modern technology allows us to present learning in a variety of different formats -- doing more “showing” ...
Whether you want a bushel or a peck, we’ve got an orchard for you! With Labor Day right around the corner, it’s only a matter of time until the air turns crisp and our Facebook feeds are flooded with traditional back-to-school images of adorable little haircuts and first-day smiles. Most ...
Let’s teach our kids they’re never too young to make a difference. As parents, guardians, and child care professionals, we often find ourselves wearing many different hats at once: We are chauffeurs, short-order cooks, social planners, nurses, and referees. We search for missing action figures, monitor computer usage, check homework, ...
Here are the best spots for a spot of tea for the little ones! If your cup of tea is channeling Eloise -- The Plaza’s most famous resident, taking a journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, marching in line with Madeline, playing dress up and sipping tea with pinkies ...
Get off the couch and go on a date with your spouse! The job, the kids, the housework, the mortgage. No wonder we can only muster up enough energy to throw on sweatpants and turn to Netflix when it comes to a little quality time with our significant other. Remember ...
Blow out the candles at one of these top local birthday venues. You swore this was going to be the year you’d host a Pinterest-worthy party for your kid’s birthday. You even went so far as to create a Pinterest board filled with clever, whimsical themes and seemingly easy DIY ...
Score with the little ones at these fun, innovative miniature golf courses in Brooklyn and Manhattan! This city has so much to offer mini-golf aficionados, from Brooklyn to Manhattan! Our list includes places for your family to enjoy year-round indoor fun, see cool special effects and miniature replicas of NYC ...
The queens are holding court to help teach creative diversity. Drag Queen Story Hour, which launched last year in San Francisco, is the brainchild of author Michelle Tea and Radar Productions. Due to its popularity, events at schools, bookstores, and public libraries are popping up in different cities, including Los ...
Good news, Big Apple moms: We cut through the internet noise and found your new online BFFs. 'You forgot to sign the field trip permission slip (again!), still need to run out to buy something for tomorrow’s school bake sale, have nothing to wear to the fundraising gala next week, and ...
We’ve taken the guesswork out of finding the very best ice cream in Brooklyn for you and your family. Brooklyn’s ice cream scene has something for everyone, especially families trying to keep cool this summer. Would you like ice cream, sorbet, or gelato? One scoop or two? Cup or waffle, ...
Classic, artisanal, organic: There’s a doughnut for everyone! Cupcakes were once all the rage, showing up in all different sizes from oversized to miniature, different flavors and fillings, and even being doled out at a cupcake ATM in Manhattan. Then there were the much-publicized cronuts, which sent New Yorkers into ...
Go from zero to hero by using this lineup of fun Brooklyn-area activities the next time your kids announce that they're bored. “I’m bored.” If you’re a parent -- or even a babysitter or nanny -- there’s absolutely no way to avoid these two dreaded words, no matter how hard you ...
By Jenny Powers She blocks. She passes. She scores. She also speaks Hebrew, went on Birthright Israel and sports a Star of David painted over her eye during exhibition derby games, a less-than-subtle nod to her Conservative Jewish upbringing. Born Dara Fineman and blessed Dorit Chanah at her baby-naming, these days the 28-year-old West Coast ...
This spring, Brooklynites will be able to say, "I'll have what she's having" at their very own Katz's Deli outpost housed inside the new DeKalb Market Hall at Albee Square Mall in Downtown Brooklyn. Family-owned and -operated since 1888 on the corner of East Houston and Ludlow Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Katz's is ...
It's a Saturday night, and the sold-out concert venue is packed with impatient teenage girls screaming for their favorite boy band to hit the stage. Wearing band T-shirts-some bought, others homemade-holding "We Love You" signs and posting selfies on social media to pass the time, the fans wait.
They sit across from one another, a small table separating them, and nervously sip water out of plastic cups with red straws in the farthest corner of the lobby. She looks about 20 and wears a modest gray dress. It's clear she's had her hair done for the occasion.
It's Thanksgiving morning and you haven't defrosted the turkey. Who ya gonna call? Probably Butterball's Turkey Talk-Line, where 50 professionally trained operators are standing by to field phone calls and texts, some of them frantic. "We've heard it all," says Nicole Johnson, the hotline's co-director.
Every year when Susan takes her place at the Thanksgiving table in her Brooklyn home alongside friends and family, she is filled with gratitude. One of things she is particularly grateful for is Target's 90-day return policy as the past three holidays she's bought, used and returned chairs to accommodate her extra dinner guests.
Being Santa isn't always the jolliest or most dignified position. "I even had a supermodel break wind on my lap and Dolly Parton pinch my backside one Christmas Eve," three-time Macy's Santa Glen Heroy, a 54-year-old New Yorker, tells The Post.
Four months, 500 million downloads and $500 million in revenue later, it's pretty much back to life as usual for even the most die-hard Pokémon Go players. Though the mobile game was planted firmly at the top of the App Store charts after its release in July, reaching an estimated 50.2 million daily users in August, numbers have dipped drastically since, an estimated 32.4 million in September.
The time-honored summer camp rituals of sunburned noses and bunk loyalties, arts and crafts and promises to write after the summer is over are alive and well, but not all campers are being picked up at the end of the session by Mom and Dad, ready for a new school year.
It's the doldrums of an overnight Sunday shift at a Brooklyn men's homeless shelter, after dinner but before the 10 p.m. lights-out call. On this particular night, the guys are chatty and cracking jokes, except for the youngest of the bunch, 30-year-old Robert, who is staring intently at his phone and swiping away.
Floyd is seventeen years old and despite his family moving from the East Nineties in Manhattan to East 72nd Street, he still goes back to his old neighborhood to get his haircut. When the time comes, he takes Uber to see his stylist Sandy and afterwards takes another Uber home.
This post is hosted on the Huffington Post's Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and post freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email. I have a confession to make. I stopped watching the 9/11 memorial tribute on television years ago.
This post is hosted on the Huffington Post's Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and post freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email. It's easy to forget that everyone once started out as a beginner.
Photo credit: Catherine Yeulet, iStock By Jenny Powers, Founder and CEO, Running With Heels, LLC In today's society, networking is considered one of the most crucial steps to getting ahead, both professionally and personally. The problem is, for most of us it feels inauthentic and we wind up slapping a nametag on, and milling about a room aimlessly with no plan.
In 2013, Secret Garden , an adult coloring book created by U.K.-based illustrator and self-proclaimed "ink evangelist" Johanna Basfor d, hit the shelves. I recently spoke with Basford about what inspired her to create coloring books for adults, and why she believes they struck a chord with grown-ups.
I recently returned from a week in Las Vegas with my husband and our daughter. We had a terrific time exploring what turned out to be quite a family-friendly town, much to our surprise and relief. One night, we visited Fremont Street, Vegas' version of Times Square.
When I was younger, like many twentysomethings, I spent more time than I'd like to admit in bars. After class in college and then after work when I got my first real job, I'd come home, take a disco nap, and head to my favorite Manhattan bar to hang with friends - and on most nights, make more of them.
It's February, and by now, I'm guessing some of those New Year's resolutions have gone by the wayside. Every year it's the same: We make them, we break them, we amend them, we forget about them, and then as we toast to new beginnings, we start the process over.
Between the news and social media, there are mornings when we know what Kim Kardashian ate for breakfast before we even get out of bed to make our own. We, as a society, are always watching celebrities, fascinated by their every move, whether it's what they eat, wear, say, or do.
Whatever product you sell or service you offer, chances are you're not the only one. How do you differentiate yourself from the next lawyer, chiropractor, florist, or widget maker? By putting yourself out there and establishing yourself as the foremost expert in your field.
With the annual onslaught of all things pumpkin spice appearing, it can only mean one thing: The holidays are fast approaching. It seems we only just packed away our summer wardrobe and yet, fall foliage is in effect, the Rockettes are in full swing with their signature high-kicks, and our mailboxes (both actual and virtual) are bursting at the seams with store catalogues and promotions.
When it comes to ending relationships, both personally and professionally, I'm usually the initiator. It's a role I've often found myself in from a young age, whether it was breaking hearts in the schoolyard, ending my miserable starter marriage, or firing staff members. It's not that I enjoy letting people go, because I don't.
We all make mistakes. We all have regrets. And, as adults, we tend to accept those mistakes and regrets as the end all and be all. When we were kids, though, our mentality was totally different: We kept that magic word "do-over" in our back pockets and used it frequently.
I'm going to ask you a question that I have personally pondered quite a bit over the past couple of years. Think about this for a moment: When you die, how do you want to be remembered? It may sound morbid at first, but I assure you that is not my intent.
If you're on Facebook, chances are you've seen at least a few posts from your friends about their kids' summer camp experiences over the past couple months. There are the pictures of kids with toothless grins, boarding buses with their sleeping bags in tow, and hilarious snippets from those "The counselor said I had to write" notes.
It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon here in New York City, with the kind of wind and rain that turns your umbrella inside out. I was slowly navigating my way down the city streets when suddenly a $10 bill blew right in front of the guy walking ahead of me.
The term "mastermind" was first introduced in Napoleon Hill's 1925 book The Law of Success , which was commissioned by business magnate and industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Hill spent two decades researching and interviewing more than 100 millionaires and incorporating his findings - including Carnegie's own "10 Rules of Success" - into this book.
Each year as we excitedly bid a fond farewell to winter and welcome spring, we hear the term "spring cleaning" being tossed around. This activity is most often viewed as the annual process of cleaning our homes from top to bottom and getting things in order.
We've all been there before: We show up to an event, trade business cards with a roomful of strangers, stay the obligatory hour, then leave. The next morning we send off a missive of vague emails telling these strangers how delightful it was to meet them and that we should do something, sometime in the future together.
Think for a minute about a company that brought its brand back to market. What is the first thing they told us? "We're back and better than ever!" They let us know what changed and how the new-and-improved version of the company will rock our world.
You’re the first one in every morning. You’re on a first-name basis with the evening cleaning crew. Most days you chow down lunch at your desk while on a muted conference call. You never need to put your “out of office” on because you’re never actually out of the office. Unless you count weekends. Sometimes.
Go from Zero to Hero by becoming a volunteer at your kid's school! The day my daughter brought a flyer home in her backpack encouraging parents to volunteer at her school, I immediately launched into panic mode. Between my full-time job and taking care of our household, I barely had enough time to remove my makeup before bed.
Forget about the whole "dress for the job you want" thing
(Paid Content) Find out how nine real women are planning on raising their children.
If you've ever been around a 5-year-old for longer than a minute or two, you know one of their favorite things to ask is "Why?" Long after you have answered, or at least tried to, they will continue to pepper you with a string of "Whys" until you forget how you even got onto a certain topic.
July had always been my favorite month, but July 2004 changed all that. I'd been married two years and was headed toward Splitsville. One minute I was daydreaming about buying our first home together and thinking of baby names, and the next I was looking for an apartment to rent and divvying up our wedding china.
If you walk into the Sun City Palm Desert Wendy's location in California at six o'clock on a Friday night, prepare to do a double take at the sight of twenty or so Jewish senior citizens hunched over a set of reserved tables holding hands and reciting Hebrew blessings over grape juice and Baconators, welcoming in the Sabbath.
Kate Spade came into my life as I entered adulthood. The year was 1993 and she had just launched her line of handbags. I was twenty-two years old, living at home and starting to interview for my first real office job .
Deb Perelman dishes on hosting her first Passover celebration It may feel like just yesterday you were the youngest child at the Passover table asking the four questions and scrambling to find the , yet somehow here you are: An adult, gearing up to host your very own Passover Seder.
Let me be clear: I'm not a gambler. Sure, I've reluctantly joined in on office Super Bowl square pools and Oscar ballots because it was easier than saying "no," but as a general rule, I don't gamble. Even when the lottery recently hit a billion dollars, I didn't buy a single ticket.
Every tattoo tells a story and now with the help of augmented reality, tattoos can finally speak for themselves. The brainchild of tech whiz-turned-tattoo artist Nate Siggard of Los Angeles, soundwave tattoos are ones that bring tattoos to life through pre-recorded audio clips that can be played back through a mobile app.
For as long as I can remember community service has been an integral part of my life. The simple act of giving back keeps me firmly grounded in reality and I attribute my unique ability to interact and adapt to a variety of situations and people to my experience as volunteer.
Olive Persimmon was 14 years old when she crashed her parent's home computer during an ill-fated attempt to download illegal anime porn on Napster. While other teenagers were beginning to discover sex and develop crushes, Persimmon, a self-proclaimed "Danny DeVito lookalike," was disappointed that no one seemed to be particularly interested in her.
Just in time to celebrate the Jewish New Year, 5779, the second largest Reform Jewish community in Spain has released a new cookbook. It offers insight into the ancient Sephardic tradition of a Rosh Hashanah Seder along with tips on Read More
We've all heard the age-old philosophical question about the tree falling in the forest. If no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound? What if we apply that same thinking to today's young women? What if they ask for help but no one is around to hear them?
Let's face it: Taking your family to a sporting event can be a losing proposition for your wallet. Tickets prices are at an all-time high for most professional sports and even if you do shell out the big bucks for tickets, there are other factors to consider.