In the News

For 65-year-old Rose Young, horseback riding was about finding a new joy. It was also her reward for surviving breast cancer.

The rise of the Delta variant of the coronavirus has raised new questions about how the vaccinated can stay safe and avoid breakthrough infections. We asked the experts for advice.

The pandemic forced new parents to find help with breastfeeding online. Now, some offerings are remaining virtual to help expand access to lactation support.

Community Health Systems, a large, for profit hospital chain, shrank from more than 200 to 84 facilities. It is continuing to sue patients for hospitals that now exist as little more than legal entities.

Restrictive abortion regulations enacted across the South require women to drive across state lines to find safe services. With the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear a challenge to Roe v. Wade, abortion rights defenders say long drives and wait times could become the norm across much of America.

Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna used mRNA to build effective Covid-19 vaccines in record time, a feat Sanofi is keen to build upon in the future.

Classrooms are opening their doors to a different pandemic. Here is how to think about risk.

Welcome to Monday’s Overnight Health Care. Former Beatle Paul McCartney designated the COVID-19 vaccines as “cool” in a Twitter post. If you need more convincing, the lead singer of the Finnish heavy metal band Lordi got his second dose on...

Google is piloting its healthcare data engine, a tool intended to build longitudinal patient records and pull in data from multiple sources. Early work with Mayo Clinic served as a foundation for the technology. 

Despite the good news, the 7-day daily average of new cases was 72,000 a day – up 44% from the previous week, and higher than the peak from last summer.

Nationwide COVID-19 infections have surpassed last summer's peak, White House officials said Monday, but vaccination rates are increasing in states with some of the highest COVID-19 infection rates."In the states with the highest case rates, daily...

A little over half (55%) of Medicare Advantage plan members actively managed their care in the past year — a nine-percentage-point drop from 2019, according to a new report. This indicates that MA plans are faltering with regard to member engagement.

An AstraZeneca lupus drug has been awarded FDA approval for treating the most common form of the autoimmune disorder. The regulatory decision gives AstraZeneca a product that can compete head-to-head with GlaxoSmithKline’s lupus drug, Benlysta.

Pfizer and Moderna have raised the prices of their COVID-19 vaccines in their most recent contract with the European Union (EU).Reuters reported that Pfizer has raised the price of its vaccine from 15.50 euros to 19.50 euros, or around $23...

She argued that categorizing premenstrual syndrome or feelings of guilt as disorders resulted from sexism in a field dominated by men.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) reinstated a statewide mask mandate for everyone 5 years old and up as the Pelican State has hit the most cases per capita in the U.S.The governor announced the mask requirement over Twitter, citing...

The top news stories of the day included Simone Biles' return, and the losses incurred by China’s tech crackdown.

Building relationships with total strangers can be daunting. As an entrepreneur who has cold-pitched dozens of investors and an executive with Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association (WAFFA)—I’ve both perpetrated and seen my share of networking misses. The central challenge of networking is navigating the thin line between relationship-building and seeking professional gain. How do you strike the right balance between these two seemingly opposing approaches? Start by avoiding these pitfalls that even experienced networkers make again and again. 1.   Hiding their motives Even a hint of disingenuousness can kill a new relationship. That’s why it’s better to be upfront about your motives for reaching out to a new contact, rather than positioning yourself as “just trying to get to know them.” Professionals are aware that you haven’t messaged them because you need a new friend. More likely, you want to learn about an initiative they’re working on, secure an introduction, cultivate a target customer, or connect with a potential employer. You don’t need to hide why you want to speak with someone. It’s disguising your agenda that comes across as dodgy. “I’m approached dozens of times per week for intros. The key to getting a yes is spelling out how exactly I can be helpful,” Shannon Grant, an investor, and the copresident at WAFFA, told me following an event with a popular speaker last month. “If I can help a founder secure funding for a business that shapes the landscape, that’s meaningful to me. I don’t need to be in her wedding.” 2.   Asking for too much Being upfront with your ask is essential, but asking for too much can be fatal. Requesting a specific intro from someone you don’t know well can turn awkward if they don’t actually have a relationship with that contact or don’t think it’s a good use of their contact’s time. To avoid putting someone on the spot, ask open-ended questions that leave space for the other party to gracefully decline. “Do you know anyone I should speak with as I try to learn about jobs at Google?” beats “Can you connect me to your ex-colleague Mrs. Smith at Google? I want to ask her for a job.” “I received this note from a contact asking for an intro to a specific investor, but I didn’t know that investor personally,” recalled Alice Zhang. The founder of the micro-entrepreneurship community IncubateMe and a WAFFA board member said, “I could have been much more helpful if the sender had provided context and asked whether I knew anyone who might be a match for what she was doing.” 3.   Bringing too little effort to the table The perception that someone is coming on too strong isn’t generally created by their forthrightness about their motives. Instead, the issue is usually what they’re bringing to the interaction. Dian Oved, CEO of Empower Digital, a digital marketing and PR company, explained a common pitfall. “A new founder will ask me for a celebrity intro for a collaboration,” Oved said, “but they haven’t yet built a website, prepared materials, or thought about what they’ll do if the intro is made.” What people miss is that in every introduction, the connector is trading on their own reputation. To go to bat for you, someone will need to see that you’ve done your homework and are prepared to deliver a meaningful interaction. 4.   Missing the Goldilocks point of specificity Successful networkers hit the Goldilocks point of specificity. “Hey, I’m looking to unload my inventory. Any thoughts?” is too vague an ask. It puts the burden on your new contact to think through your problems for you. Instead, try: “Do you know any retail buyers looking to buy wholesale inventory?” But always leave the “how” of your ask up to your contact. “Yeah, that intro you’re making? I’ll need him to be available for a Zoom next Friday” is not a good look. Go specific on your request, but broad on the execution –don’t try to control it.” Marina Tarasova, cofounder and COO of the healthcare startup Paloma Health, offered an example from her hiring experience: “One applicant said he was looking for a role in either Operations, Product Management, Marketing, or Sales,” Tarasova explained. “I was left without a sense of where exactly his skill set lies. He would have been more successful naming specific functions he could tackle within each area–like financial forecasting or negotiating with brand partners.” 5.   Failing the likability test You do not need Steve Jobs-level charisma to be a successful networker but you do need to clear the basic likability bar. Approaches that feel boring, entitled, or lacking in substance will instantly turn off new connections. People want to be inspired, intrigued, or excited by what you are doing—or at least by what you have to say about what they are doing. It is difficult to form a connection if you haven’t formed a point of view on something that matters to the other person. Entitlement is another deal-killer. People who feel they are owed favors are tiresome and tend to be the biggest deal-breaker for me when I’m approached for intros. Finally, making claims that don’t hold water, or exaggerating your own importance backfires. “I sold 109 handmade bracelets in one day” beats “I’m building an initiative that will change the face of the transportation economy by rallying key stakeholders.” The latter is called a word salad—and no amount of dressing can save it. Being direct, clear, humble, and prepared is the gold standard in networking. But if you can avoid obscuring your motives, over-engineering your ask, or going in half-baked, you’re already ahead of the game. Marina Glazman is a strategist, two-time entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO at Suitely.

Learn the three steps to avoid overwhelm and burnout – the art of boundaries, the necessity of self-care practices, and the importance of alignment.

Women apply for 20% fewer jobs than men despite similar job search behaviors, according to a LinkedIn Gender Insights Report. In other words, women talk themselves out of jobs before they even apply. This makes sense given the often-cited stat: unlike their male counterparts, female professionals apply to jobs only if they are 100% qualified.  The result of this professional confidence gap is especially stark in the tech world. While women make up almost half (47%) of the total workforce, they only hold 27% of computer and mathematical science jobs.  As a new female exec in the tech industry, and a self-proclaimed data nerd, stats like these both intrigue and terrify me. Championing women’s career growth has always been a passive passion of mine, but now as a leader, I feel the moral obligation to take action in equalizing those numbers. From landing a dream job at Google to experiencing PagerDuty’s IPO, and to now joining Moogsoft as the VP of Growth, I can attribute much of my career to three things: proactive planning, confidence in myself, and being willing to say yes to new opportunities. Whether you’re in the tech field or navigating the workforce at large, consider these tips that have helped me advance my career. Career plan often and out loud One of my favorite managers once told me, “Your career path is up to you and you alone. You decide where you want to go and I help get you there.” Nothing has ever rung so true. I am often asked how I ended up as the VP of Growth, and the fact of the matter is I’d known for well over a year prior to taking on the role that building a growth team was what I wanted to do next.  Treat your career as the most important project you need to manage. Once a month, at the very least once a quarter, take 30 minutes to update and reflect on your own career development plan. This includes answering questions like; Short-term goals: What projects do you want to accomplish in the next six months that will give you experience in areas of interest?  Medium-term goal: What skills do you want to learn in the next year that will set you up for the next role?  Long-term goal: What role, title, or responsibility do you want to grow into in the next two to five years? There are a lot of great career development templates out there that are handy to use to guide your self-reflection—like this SMART goals guide from Indeed. Once you’ve mapped your path out, you’re halfway there. Now to make that a reality, you need to share it out loud and to anyone who will listen. Schedule out quarterly career conversations with your manager. Don’t wait for them to ask. Share it with women and friends in your network and share it with your mentors or other leaders. Communicating your career plan not only creates a commitment to yourself to move forward but gives you an army of people helping find those next opportunities for you along the way. Apply for the job, ignore the “qualifications” Now that you have that next job in mind, it’s much easier to narrow your search. When applying for jobs, focus on three things; the responsibilities of the role, the company or product you’ll be working for, and the team you’ll be working with. If those three things match what you are looking for, apply for the job. Oftentimes, we can get caught up in the “qualifications” section of a job description, but did you know that women are actually more likely than men to get hired if they apply for the job? According to the LinkedIn Gender Insights Report, female applicants are 16% more likely than men to get hired after applying for a job and 18% more likely than men to get hired for a stretch job.  As Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” So take the shot. Say yes to things that scare you One last thing that I’ve embraced while growing in my career is the feeling of “Oh crap, can I do this?” that hits your stomach right before you take a big leap into a new project or job. Some may call this “imposter syndrome” or as the feelings of self-doubt and not belonging. But, as Harvard Business Review accurately states, these categorizations incorrectly direct our view toward fixing women at work instead of fixing the places where women work. Turning it on its head, I like to take that feeling and see it as a sign that I’m pushing myself to grow. Oftentimes, new things are scary. Discomfort is a sign of growth, and the more we push ourselves to be comfortable with the unknown, the more willing we are to take on new challenges. While there are many things that can factor into your career—timing, inherent privilege (or lack thereof), and a bit of luck—proactively managing your career with intention can only help drive it forward and upwards. One of my favorite roles I’ve ever had was managing the EMEA SMB Google Cloud sales team which came from a combination of telling my manager I wanted to work abroad as part of my career plan, raising my hand when an opportunity arose for an interim manager role in Dublin, and then saying yes to moving halfway across the world all alone! So where do you want to invest your time and talent? Pursue this question passionately and reevaluate it often. Believe in your unique value proposition. You never know what you’ll achieve. Minami Rojas is vice president of Growth at Moogsoft.

The Virgin founder and all around adventurer's best tricks for pushing past self-doubt.

Even if you think Apple has lost its way, this isn't the answer.

Only 5% of fintech companies in the continent have scaled, according to a new report.

It's basically a throwaway phrase.

On opening night of TED 2021, Wharton professor Adam Grant shared 3 ways to motivate employees, leadership and yourself.

Now that we’re roughly a year and a half into the pandemic, workers seem to be in search of something new. And that “something new” is often a new job. A February 2021 report by Achievers Workforce Institute found that more than half (52%) of employees in the U.S. and Canada plan to look for a new job in 2021. That’s 35% higher than in 2020 (although, at that time, many people were just worried about keeping their jobs in the early months of COVID-19). The bump in job-changers has been dubbed the “Great Resignation” by some. But what do you do when one of those job-changers is a highly valued employee of your own? When your right-hand person or a rising rock star in your business tells you they’re about to leave, it can be an emotional experience, says Rich Reineke, co-managing partner of business consulting firm Fahrenheit Advisors. “It can be very emotional, initially. Sometimes you’re angry. Sometimes you’re scared,” he says. But what you do next can have serious repercussions for your business. Here’s a seven-step plan. Take a breath When Larissa Salvador, owner of Salvador Law, PA, an immigration law firm, found out her trusted paralegal was leaving to work at a domestic violence shelter, she was heartbroken. “I fully relied on her. … We made a lot of decisions together, about even the way that I run my firm,” Salvador says. But she quickly realized that her employee was moving on to an opportunity that would be more fulfilling, so she was able to put the move in perspective, she says. It’s usually not a good idea to react at the moment, Reineke says. Instead, set a time later to discuss the decision. The first thing you should do after you get the news is to digest it and reflect on it, he says. “Don’t try and conquer everything after that initial discussion. Set up a follow-up because it gives you some time because you just got rocked on your heels, possibly,” he says. The more you rely on the person, the more upset and worried you may be. You need some time to clear your head, he says. Think about triage As you consider the next steps, think about the most immediate needs created by the departure. Start creating a list of the questions you’ll need to be answered and the critical tasks that will need to be assigned. “‘What are the things you’re working on? What are the critical things that we need to be prepared to pick up? And who are the critical players you’re engaged with? What clients are you touching? And how do we put a plan together to capture all of this in a very short period of time?'” Reineke says. Ask why When you meet with your employee, whether it’s to discuss the decision or for an exit interview, ask for honest feedback about why they’re leaving, says Paul French, managing director of executive search firm Intrinsic Search. Use the opportunity to find out if there are things you can improve about your company culture or if you can fix the reasons the individual decided to leave. Most of all, don’t take it personally, French says. “Keep in mind that they are not obligated to tell you why they are leaving and where they are going. Avoid pressing them for answers or guilt-tripping them, as this will unnecessarily sour your relationship and leave no space for reconciliation,” he says. Consider a counteroffer Counteroffers may be tempting, but they’re not always a good idea, says Brenda Neckvatal, known as “the HR Lady,” and host of the podcast Best Practices in Human Resources. It’s easy to overestimate how much you need the individual and want to start bargaining for them to stay. Before you do, try to understand why they’re leaving, she says. “What is it about it the situation, it could be something that’s in their control, could be something that’s out of their control,” she says. Your employee may be leaving for personal reasons, like a spouse getting another job in a different state, or because of an issue you can fix. If it’s the latter, try to discuss what can be done. But, often, Neckvatal says, by the time the person has come to you to give notice, their mind is made up. It may be hard to convince them to stay. Tell your team “If you don’t come to an agreement, take the next step and inform your team immediately—don’t wait for word to spread via the grapevine,” French says. Getting the word out yourself allows you to reassure team members. Invite them to apply for the vacancy or recommend others to do so. Look for the opportunity As you think about replacing the individual, think about what your company truly needs next. Perhaps there is now an opportunity to hire someone who has the skills necessary to help you grow your company, Reinke says. Salvador is a good example: She is still working on replacing her “right-hand,” but has reassigned tasks to other team members and is taking her time to look for the best replacement. Stay in touch With a few exceptions, Reineke says it’s a good idea to part on good terms and leave the door open for the future. “You should always be continuing the conversation with people. You create this alumni network,” he says. “Continue the discussion with folks who have been on your team, and maybe they come back because their careers change, their aspirations have changed, and now you’re the right fit again,” he says. French takes things one step further: Show the team that the person is still valuable and you are committed to treating them humanely. “Consider throwing a happy hour, potluck dinner, or party for the leaving employee—celebrate their contributions and their future journey,” he says. This way, you’ve left the door open for them to return—with new skills and more experience.

Being positive in your leadership is not just about "happy talk." Research shows that "positivity" has a huge impact on performance.

Manforce holds over 32% share of the Indian market, according to Nielsen. The brand is ahead of rivals Durex and Kamasutra by a mile.

Once a nation of hockey legends, India had fallen from grace over the last few decades. But the resilience displayed in Tokyo 2020 has emotions running high.

Since her blazing introduction to most of us on the reality television show, Karlie Redd has gone on to trek her way into entrepreneurship, solidifying her reputation as an astute businesswoman with an extensive portfolio of reputable establishments.

The International Olympic Committee is interested in esports because there’s so much money to be made.

Simone Biles’ decision to compete in the balance beam final at the Tokyo Olympics made international headlines and underscored seven important lessons for business leaders that the world famous athlete is demonstrating at the international sports competition.

In a stunning turn-around announcement, Hannah-Jones snubbed the belated offer and instead chose to take her talents to Howard University, bringing along with her the considerable sum of $20 million in donations that she spearheaded to establish a brand new Center for Journalism and Democracy.

Austin-based public relations, content marketing, and social media agency Kickstand Communications has taken workplace innovation one step further.

Companies like Equinox are taking a stand on vaccinations, even if it means losing some customers.

Building a successful business is hard, but with Richard Branson's step by step plan, nailing the basics of business just got easier.

Parson is now VP of the firm. Potts will serve as director of governmental affairs. The post Personnel note: Liberty Partners promotes Tim Parson, brings on Adam Potts appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

Get ‘burned first: Here’s your AM review of the news driving Florida politics. The post Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 8.3.21 appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

Scott's NRSC gave Trump an award in the spring. The post Donald Trump takes credit for Rick Scott committee fundraising appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

Fried enjoyed almost $1M in earned media over the last week. The post COVID-19 focus boosts Nikki Fried’s ‘national platform’ appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

The deadly delta variant is wreaking havoc in Florida, but there may be a silver lining. The post Joe Henderson: COVID-19 cases are way up, but so are vaccinations appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

The 9th Judicial Circuit is also now requiring masks in courthouses. The post Orange County officials tell parents to vaccinate kids before school appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

Other investigations and criminal cases “may develop out of this investigation.” The post State Attorney charges five Miami Beach police officers in battery case appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink. The post Last Call for 8.2.21 — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

But a spokesperson for FDOH said that’s not even possible. The post Nikki Fried accuses Ron DeSantis of delaying COVID-19 data to CDC appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

Ron DeSantis' committee raised that much last week alone. The post Remove Ron crosses $250K raised, remains overshadowed by Gov. DeSantis’ fundraising appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..