business in marketing

Causes To Focus On Interactive Content material

Shane Barker is a digital advertising and marketing marketing consultant who focuses on gross sales funnels, focused visitors and web site conversions.

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Let’s face it: There may be an excessive amount of content material on the market. It doesn’t matter what matter you are desirous about, yow will discover an countless provide of content material on that topic. The web has grow to be a go-to supply for every little thing from the newest information to tips about fixing a clogged sink. This is the reason an overload of content material is among the largest challenges dealing with entrepreneurs as we speak.

With a lot noise on-line, it may be tough to make your voice heard. And even if you happen to handle to get seen, there is no assure that folks will stick round lengthy sufficient to listen to what it’s important to say. With a lot competitors for consideration, it is particularly powerful on the market for small companies desirous to make their content material stand out.

I’ve typically seen small enterprise house owners marvel how they’ll compete with bigger companies on the subject of content material advertising and marketing. In any case, bigger companies have the assets to create high-quality content material often.

A method you possibly can degree the enjoying subject is through the use of interactive content material. Here is why: Those that can create really partaking and memorable experiences would be the ones who succeed. If you wish to stand out from the group, interactive content material is the way in which to go in 2022 and 2023.

Understanding Interactive Content material

Your web site is your digital storefront, and also you wish to be sure that it is partaking and welcoming for potential clients. That is the place interactive content material can are available. Interactive content material is a sort of content material that requires the reader to take part indirectly, fairly than simply passively devour it.

This may embrace something from quizzes and polls to video games and movies. Interactive content material is an effective way to maintain customers engaged along with your web site or weblog, and it will also be used to gather information or suggestions from customers. There are numerous several types of interactive content material, so there’s certain to be one thing that may suit your wants. In case you’re unsure the place to start out, listed here are some concepts:

• Quizzes: Quizzes are an effective way to check customers’ data or collect information about their preferences. You should utilize quizzes to generate leads and even only for enjoyable.

• Polls: Polls are a fast and straightforward strategy to get suggestions from customers. They can be utilized to gauge person opinion on a wide range of matters or to make selections about web site content material or design.

• Interactive Video games: Video games are an effective way to interact customers and preserve them coming again for extra. They will also be used to advertise your model or product or to generate leads.

• Movies: Movies are an effective way to interact customers and supply them with data in an simply digestible format. You can also make movies extra interactive by including calls-to-action (CTAs) or inquiries to them.

• Interactive Emails: By including interactive parts to your emails, you may give subscribers a strategy to have interaction along with your content material on their very own phrases. Some interactive options you can add are hyperlinks, movies, polls, animated GIFs and quizzes.

Interactive Content material To Drive Progress

Interactive content material is efficient as a result of it permits customers to interact along with your content material on a deeper degree. By permitting folks to work together along with your content material, you possibly can preserve their consideration for longer and supply them with an immersive expertise that may depart a long-lasting impression.

Moreover, interactive content material can be extra shareable than conventional types of content material, that means that your message is extra more likely to attain a wider viewers.

Finally, interactive content material is a wonderful strategy to have interaction and join along with your viewers whereas additionally selling your model or product. In case you’re searching for methods to make your content material extra partaking, take into account incorporating some interactive parts.

Listed below are a couple of concepts:

• Create a quiz or ballot on a given matter associated to what you are promoting or area of interest. Whether or not you create a trivia quiz or an opinion ballot, be sure that the quiz or ballot is simple to grasp and use. Nobody desires to waste their time filling out a posh type. There are numerous free and reasonably priced instruments you need to use to make interactive quizzes and polls.

• Design an infographic that customers can discover and work together with. They’re additionally extremely shareable, which can assist you attain a wider viewers. You should utilize interactive infographics in your web site to showcase your organization historical past, educate your viewers and even narrate your model story.

• Construct an interactive instrument or calculator that enables customers to enter information and see personalised outcomes. You’ll find a artistic strategy to embrace this technique no matter your area of interest. You probably have a health-centric weblog, you would embrace a calorie-intake calculator. Alternatively, if you’re in actual property, you would add a mortgage calculator.

• Create an interactive recreation or problem that encourages customers to finish duties or obtain objectives. Guarantee that the sport you create is related to your model. You may ask questions associated to your organization or product or take a look at guests’ data of basic details in your area of interest.

There are countless potentialities on the subject of creating interactive content material, so get artistic and experiment to see what works greatest for you and your viewers. With the correct strategy, you possibly can take your content material technique to the subsequent degree with interactive content material and really have interaction along with your viewers like by no means earlier than.

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Residence rule and funds dominate Chamber of Commerce’s Grand Forks County Fee discussion board

Oct. 12—GRAND FORKS — As two incumbent members of the Grand Forks County Fee stump on behalf of a proposal to create residence rule within the county, not everybody on the Nov. 8 poll agrees with the plan.

Bob Rost and Tom Falck, present members of the fee who search reelection, reaffirmed their backing for residence rule throughout an hour-long discussion board Tuesday night at Grand Forks Metropolis Corridor. The occasion — sponsored by the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce — particularly delved into the candidates’ opinions in regards to the proposed residence rule constitution, a measure that may also be decided by county voters on Nov. 8.

Rost and Falck are for the proposal. The discussion board did not particularly ask the candidates if they’re for or in opposition to residence rule, however every candidate both declared or hinted at their beliefs in response.

These operating for the three spots are Falck, Kimberly Hagen, KC Inman, Lon Kvasager, Rost and Mark Rustad.

Moderator Stacey Dahl, co-chair of the Chamber of Commerce Authorities Affairs Committee, opened the dialogue: “Residence rule constitution is on the poll and I would love your perception, your feedback and ideas about whether or not it is a good proposition for voters,” she stated.

The curiosity in residence rule by Falck and Rost is not a thriller — they each are members of a committee that’s pushing the proposal, and their pro-home rule beliefs

had been coated in an in-depth dialogue with the Herald

earlier this yr.

The opinions of the opposite candidates, although, aren’t as broadly recognized. And though the commissioners themselves will not determine residence rule — once more, that is to be decided by a countywide vote — their beliefs within the proposal maybe would possibly assist voters predict what sort of commissioner they will be if elected.

“I am opposed,” Rustad flatly stated when requested Tuesday. “I do not suppose we’re in a local weather the place any form of tax improve goes to be a assist. I perceive that residence rule would not robotically imply a tax improve, however my stance is easy: I’m opposed.”

Hagen additionally is not certain on residence rule.

“Individuals I discuss to about residence rule aren’t too keen on it, largely due to the rise of taxes. Sure, the mill levies can go down, however there’s nothing that might say they will not return up,” she stated . “Proper now, individuals are having a tough time placing meals on the desk and paying their hire and mortgage and so they do not wish to dwell in worry that their taxes are going to go up once more.”

Kvasager is worried about how voters will understand the difficulty on the poll. Particularly, they will be requested these two questions:

1. Shall the Residence Rule Constitution for the County of Grand Forks as authorised and submitted to the citizens by the Grand Forks County Fee be authorised?

2. Shall an addendum to the Grand Forks County Residence Rule Constitution be authorised, which might set up a half-cent gross sales and use tax to be assessed and the proceeds of which shall be devoted within the following method: 60% shall be devoted to the financing of growth, renovation, building, acquisition, and upkeep of infrastructure wants of Grand Forks County together with the Grand Forks County Correctional Heart, Juvenile Detention Heart, and Regulation Enforcement Heart, 20% devoted to property tax aid, and 20% devoted to Grand Forks County roads, bridges and culverts, and offering for a sundown of December 31, 2048?

Importantly, if Query A doesn’t move, Query B is moot.

“It’s going to be a little bit of a problem to make sure voters perceive that half,” Kvasager stated.

He did acknowledge that “it provides us a chance to search for some further tax {dollars}.” However later, in a follow-up query relating to the half-cent tax, he stated, “I might say (voters) are usually not prepared for extra taxes. I must agree with Kim and Mark on that as nicely. It is possibly not the appropriate time. I believe it’s going to occur, however possibly not this time.”

Inman added that residence rule would come with different, lesser-known, adjustments, together with limiting the variety of phrases a commissioner can serve and permitting the fee to undertake sure laws and guidelines — however not new taxes — with no countywide vote. He feels individuals who suppose it’s going to increase taxes are usually not “taking a look at it proper.”

“I actually imagine within the residence rule,” he stated.

Rost stated residence rule is “one thing we want very a lot.” Each he and Falck have confused — in previous interviews and through Tuesday’s discussion board — that infrastructure wants and prices are rapidly rising and at current, the plain different is to boost property taxes to fund them.

They each have stated that they imagine a greater methodology is for voters to approve the proposed half-cent gross sales tax to sort out these prices, somewhat than simply elevating property taxes. In essence, they are saying, somebody’s going to shoulder the prices, and it simply as nicely be unfold extra evenly all through the county — particularly guests who use native assets however pay nothing to take action.

“I journey, due to household, to Fargo, Bismarck and Williston and I pay gross sales tax in all three of these counties (and they’re) constructing brand-new correctional facilities,” Falck stated. “Our metropolis is stuffed with guests on weekends and through the week and so they pay nothing on (Grand Forks correctional amenities). We’ve lots of people … from outdoors this neighborhood who’re stored at that facility at our taxpayers’ bills. “

The candidates additionally had been requested a basic query in regards to the county’s present place with taxes.

Inman stated with out understanding sufficient in regards to the funds, it is troublesome to reply the query.

Hagen stated commissioners should do higher at guaranteeing tax {dollars} are being correctly utilized. “Can we decrease them? Can we do issues to slim the funds? I believe we have to be good stewards of the taxes,” she stated.

Falck stated between his eight years on the fee and dealing with commissioners earlier than that as a county worker, he believes “each certainly one of (the commissioners) is doing their greatest to maintain taxes down.” However, he stated, county residents need good providers, and “most of our funds is salaries.” He believes the argument of reducing taxes is not the answer.

“I imagine the largest strategy to resolve our drawback is thru financial growth,” he stated. One other 5,000 residents in the neighborhood would not tax present county workers, he stated, however would herald appreciable income to the county.

Rustad, who has appreciable expertise in property administration, stated he understands taxes are unavoidable, however “I might by no means vote for a property tax improve underneath any circumstances. I believe there’s all the time fats that may be trimmed.”

Rost stated he would not wish to increase property taxes, both, however “that is why I am so in favor of the half-cent gross sales tax. … I need the individuals who come into the neighborhood, who store and keep in our resorts and go to leisure, to assist pay for what we want in Grand Forks County, like the opposite 12 counties in North Dakota (which have residence rule).”

Kvasager stated no one desires to see greater taxes, however “the property tax, it’s in all probability inevitable it might want to go up some.” He stated the gross sales tax would, nevertheless, increase funds, too.

“It’s true that different individuals would come, from out of the county, and assist pay a few of these taxes as nicely,” he stated.

Somewhat about every candidate:

* Falck is the present County Fee chairman. He spent greater than three many years as an assistant state’s lawyer and the previous eight years on the fee.

* Hagen has a background in enterprise, advertising and finance. She is now a stay-at-home mom, elevating three kids.

* Rost, additionally an incumbent, is a longtime former county sheriff with an in depth background in regulation enforcement and safety.

* Inman is an Air Pressure veteran who stayed in Grand Forks after his enlistment was up. He constructed Trendy Data System, and he now could be semi-retired.

* Kvasager owned a number of companies and labored in several areas of gross sales. He’s now a monetary supervisor at an area enterprise.

* Rustad is a constructing operator, property supervisor and landlord. Earlier this yr, he started a place overseeing housing at UND.

The fee discussion board was adopted by a discussion board that includes candidates who search to symbolize District 43 within the state Legislature.

Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This One Pot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is wealthy, additional creamy, and loaded with a lot unimaginable taste! Simply made in simply half-hour for a comfy weeknight dinner the entire household will love!

It does not get significantly better than wealthy and creamy macaroni and cheese on a comfy fall day, however do you know this dish is loaded with an entire pound of butternut squash?! Not solely does butternut squash add such a scrumptious taste to this mac and cheese, however it offers this dish such a lovely golden colour and makes the sauce additional silky clean and creamy! Healthful consolation meals at its best. Be at liberty to make use of gluten-free pasta to maintain this dish GF-friendly or dairy-free cheese to make this vegan.

Why You may Love this Recipe

Healthful dish simply made in simply half-hour!
The butternuts squash provides a lovely golden colour to his mac and cheese and makes the sauce additional creamy!
You solely want to make use of one pot which makes cleansing up a breeze.
Child-friendly! Choosy little eaters won’t ever know there are hidden veggies.

Substances You may Want

Butternut squash – the true star of this dish and you will want 1 lb of cubed butternut squash. You may use pumpkin and even acorn squash as nicely
Onion – this provides a lot taste and you should use a white or yellow onion
Garlic – you should use contemporary chopped garlic or minced garlic from the jar
Vegetable broth – I used a low sodium vegetable broth, however you could possibly additionally use rooster broth or any shares you’ve in your pantry. Water would work as nicely, however you’ll lose a few of the taste
Milk – I used almond milk, however any sort of milk will work on this recipe
Greek yogurt – provides a lift of protein and a few additional creaminess (if you haven’t any readily available you’ll be able to go away this out)
Cheese – I used freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, however gruyere, gouda and Monterey jack cheeses make nice choices as nicely. You simply desire a good melty cheese and be at liberty to make use of a mixture of cheeses on this if you would like. I extremely suggest getting a block of excellent high quality cheese and grating it your self versus buying a bag of pre-shredded cheese as contemporary grated cheese melts higher and it’ll forestall clumping
Pasta – you should use any sort of tubular pasta or shells on this mac and cheese as they’re excellent for holding onto that tacky sauce. I additionally love utilizing chickpea pasta too!
Contemporary thyme – that is non-obligatory, however provides some earthiness and taste. Contemporary chopped sage or rosemary would style nice too!
Salt + pepper

Tips on how to Minimize Butternut Squash

To make issues simpler when getting ready this recipe, you should purchase pre-chopped butternut squash proper from the shop. Nevertheless, not all shops carry pre-chopped squash so this is my easy methodology for peeling and slicing your personal butternut squash.

Begin by slicing off the underside portion of the squash. This helps stabilize the squash so you can begin peeling it. Be certain to have a superb vegetable peeler and work your approach down from the stem. Butternut squash pores and skin is skinny and clean so that is very easy to do!
Subsequent minimize off the stem and slice your squash in half longways utilizing a pointy chef’s knife. In case your squash is absolutely thick and exhausting to chop, you’ll be able to simply pop it within the microwave or oven to heat it up for a couple of minutes to make it simpler to slice via. Then simply scoop out all of the seeds and stringy elements utilizing a spoon.
Lay your halves minimize facet down on a slicing board and slices the squash into 1-inch cubes. You may need them to be as shut in measurement as doable in order that the squash cooks evenly. And that is it!

Tips on how to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Prepare dinner butternut squash. In a big pot or dutch oven, warmth oil (or butter) over medium-high warmth and sauté the onion till aromatic and translucent, about 2 to three minutes. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds then combine within the butternut squash, tossing with the onions and garlic. Pour within the vegetable broth and milk and let the whole lot come to a boil. Scale back warmth, cowl and let the butternut squash simmer for about 20 minutes, till squash is fork tender.
Boil noodles. Whereas the squash is simmering, carry a big pot of salted water to a boil. As soon as boiling, add pasta and prepare dinner in line with the package deal directions till al dente. Whereas your noodles are boiling and squash is simmering that is additionally a good time to shred your cheese.
Puree Butternut Squash. Add within the Greek yogurt, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then utilizing a hand immersion blender (10/10 suggest getting this useful little system!) or you could possibly switch the squash combination to an everyday blender or meals processor, mix till the combination is clean and creamy.
Combine collectively and serve! Drain the noodles and add them to the pot with the puréed butternut squash together with the shredded cheese. Combine nicely till the cheese is melted and the pasta is totally coated. Be at liberty so as to add just a little additional milk or vegetable broth to regulate the consistency and season with extra salt and pepper, as wanted. Sprinkle with contemporary thyme or different herbs, serve and luxuriate in!

Prepping and Storage

To Retailer: This butternut squash mac and cheese will final in your fridge in a sealed, hermetic container for 4 to five days. You possibly can simply reheat it within the microwave or stovetop for a fast, scrumptious meal.

To Freeze: If planning to freeze this mac and cheese, I like to recommend transferring to a casserole dish and letting it cool fully. Cowl tightly with foil and retailer within the freezer for as much as 3 months. When able to get pleasure from, let the mac and cheese thaw fully within the fridge. You possibly can both pop it within the oven till heated via or re-heat particular person servings within the microwave. You too can combine in a tablespoon or 2 of water so as to add some moisture again into the sauce, if wanted.

Extra Butternut Squash Recipes You may Love

Hope you all get pleasure from this Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese and for those who love this recipe as a lot as we do, please go away me a five-star score under and do not forget to tag me on Instagram utilizing the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I like seeing all of your scrumptious recreations!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Prepare dinner Time: 20 minutes
Whole Time: 35 minutes

Substances

1 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
1 small onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 cups decrease sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups milk of alternative
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups freshly shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
1 field (1 lb) raw noodles (I used cavatappi)
Contemporary thyme, garnish as desired

Directions

In a big pot or dutch oven, warmth oil over medium-high warmth and sauté the onion till aromatic and translucent, about 2 to three minutes. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds then combine within the butternut squash, tossing with the onions and garlic.
Pour within the vegetable broth and milk and let the whole lot come to a boil. Scale back warmth, cowl and let the butternut squash simmer for about 20 minutes, till squash is fork tender.
Whereas the squash is simmering, carry a big pot of salted water to a boil. As soon as boiling, add pasta and prepare dinner in line with the package deal directions till al dente. Whereas your noodles are boiling and squash is simmering that is additionally a good time to shred your cheese.
As soon as the butternut squash combination is prepared, flip the warmth off and add within the Greek yogurt, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Utilizing a hand immersion blender (or you could possibly switch the squash combination to an everyday blender or meals processor), mix till the combination is clean and creamy.
Drain the noodles and add them to the pot with the puréed butternut squash together with the shredded cheese. Combine nicely till the cheese is melted and the pasta is totally coated. Be at liberty so as to add just a little additional milk or vegetable broth to regulate the consistency and season with extra salt and pepper, as wanted.
Sprinkle with contemporary thyme or different herbs, serve and luxuriate in!

Diet Details:

Serving Dimension: 1/eighth of recipe
Energy: 354
Sugars: 3.4 g
Sodium: 299.4 mg
Fat: 12.3 g
Saturated Fat: 6.3 g
Carbohydrates: 51 g
Fibers: 5 g
Proteins: 14.1 g

* Please notice that every one diet data are simply estimates. Values will fluctuate amongst manufacturers, so we encourage you to calculate these by yourself for many correct outcomes.

9 Methods Memes Can Change Your Enterprise

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.

The so-called “creator economic system” spans a vastly various area with merchandise together with dance movies on TikTok, crocheted doilies on Etsy and eye-popping memes on iFunny. It’s turning into a formidable power. In 2021 alone, the creator economic system raised a document $1.3 billion in funding, underscoring the funding group’s vote of confidence in its future. Quick ahead to 2022, and memes are clearly not only for laughs.

The sector’s trailblazers — behemoths like Meta and extra specialised leisure tech gamers like FunCorp, whose group I used to be privileged to hitch in 2021 — had been lucky to be on the forefront of many trade modifications, together with the explosion of memes into popular culture.

Associated: The Secret to Constructing Model Devotion is Not a Loyalty Program. Here is What Buyer’s Actually Need.

Revolutionary gamers throughout industries are harnessing their energy to construct communities and encourage sturdy sentiment round their model for the advantage of the enterprise. Listed below are some thrilling new methods during which memes will help you obtain your strategic aims, each as they relate to your clients and your groups:

Attain a youthful viewers. Memes do not have a goal age, however in case you are eager to seize a bigger a part of the youthful demographic, they could be the simplest medium of short-form communication. Roughly 54% of Gen-Zs, 41% of Millennials, and 21% of Gen-Xers search for new memes every single day, in response to GlobalWebIndex information, whereas 75% of customers aged 13-36 repeatedly share memes. Contemplating these stats, utilizing memes to assist your company messages attain youthful clients and potential companions looks as if a no brainer.
Mount a low-cost advertising and marketing marketing campaign. When completed proper, a meme that takes a restricted price range to create can leverage the ability of social media to go viral, which implies your meme advertising and marketing marketing campaign has the potential to go viral as properly. Firms throughout sectors, from grocery supply gamers to luxurious retailers, are already utilizing this to their benefit, with Gucci’s meme-based advert marketing campaign “#TFWGucci” (“That Feeling When Gucci”) representing one of many firm’s highest participating advert marketing campaign, producing over 21,000 feedback and a pair of million likes. Apps like Yepp have built-in enhancing instruments that simplify meme creation, even for a novice, serving to take the artwork of meme-making into the mainstream.
Improve engagement along with your social media pages. When you get pleasure from memes, you understand the web will get flooded with intelligent takes on trending information. You may hold observe of well-liked memes and share those which are topical and well-aligned along with your company picture to gas better engagement along with your viewers on-line. A latest analysis report highlighted the advantages of this technique, revealing that whereas millennials usually eschew industrial and sponsored content material, 84% of them are influenced by user-generated content material, together with memes on firm pages.
Assist your model stand out. Given the short-form nature of meme content material and its punchy messaging type and visuals, memes can keep in your reminiscence lengthy after you have clicked on them. There’s a technique to leverage this by incorporating memes into your branding, guaranteeing higher model recall than different communication codecs. It is a crowded house, and memes assist break by means of the wall of indifference and seize shopper consideration. One firm nailing that is Barkbox, an organization promoting canine toy subscription packing containers. Barkbox has racked up a powerful 1.8 million followers on its Instagram web page by virtually completely sharing memes. It now surpasses the follower depend of the nation’s largest pet retailer — PetSmart — by a cool 1 million folks.
Construct model loyalty. Whereas conventional advertising and marketing could alienate some shoppers by being overly aspirational (assume seaside physique advertisements, reels for the newest eating regimen dietary supplements), memes are inclined to unite folks by reminding them that they aren’t alone of their ideas and emotions. In doing so, memes develop into a strong device for community-building, serving to foster a way of belonging amongst shoppers that interprets into model loyalty.
Align your onboarding along with your office tradition. Beginning a brand new job is usually a daunting expertise, and deciphering the work tradition at your new workplace could be tough. When you pleasure your self on fostering a novel working setting removed from the stuffy, hierarchical places of work of the previous, then utilizing memes to welcome new staff could be a great way to focus on this. Memes, when chosen appropriately, will help your new group members perceive the brand new office higher and simply match into it.
Encourage group constructing. Memes have the ability to encourage sturdy emotions, which laugh-out-loud content material tends to do. Whereas memes are most frequently used for exterior advertising and marketing in enterprise, company tradition gurus at the moment are additionally trying to memes, searching for extra methods to unite and encourage staff. Creating work channels for sharing your favourite memes or holding company competitions for one of the best memes created by staff on a selected subject of relevance could be an uncommon and enjoyable technique to encourage group constructing. They usually can definitely assist boost a presentation when used successfully.
Boost inner communications. Deploying a mixture of topical memes in inner communications will help you drive your key factors dwelling and even inject some enjoyable into the driest of matters. It’s nice to listen to the group break down into real laughter throughout an inner new product presentation or a weekly group assembly, and memes are a fast and easy technique to obtain this, inserting a little bit of enjoyable into the on a regular basis. Considering past inner comms, company and investor shows would possibly profit from memes in the identical method as properly.
Assist break up monotonous duties. Not each job can at all times be thrilling, as monotonous duties are sometimes a obligatory a part of a job and can’t be averted. On the similar time, feeling engaged is a key part of worker satisfaction and retention. Take into account making small modifications for large impacts, like inserting a “meme of the day” into your group’s workflow and even ask the group to recommend their very own appropriate memes for a little bit of enjoyable and to encourage social interactions to assist break up the monotony of some tedious duties that can not be reduce from the work routine.

Associated: Tips on how to Use Memes To Rework Your Advertising Technique

Rainbow Orzo Salad – Eat Yourself Skinny

This Rainbow Orzo Salad makes the perfect summer side dish! Loaded with colorful veggies, fresh herbs and tender orzo pasta, all tossed together with a delicious lemon herb dressing and easily made in just minutes!

If you are looking for a fresh and easy summer side dish, then look no further! This Rainbow Orzo Salad is full of colorful veggies, fresh herbs, and tender orzo pasta all tossed in the most delicious lemon herb dressing! This orzo pasta salad is one of my absolute favorite go-to dishes in the warmer months and is one I love making for a crowd. The veggies add such a nice crunch to this salad and the orzo soaks up all that delicious lemon flavor from the dressing as it marinates. Such a great side dish when grilling chicken, fish and steak or you could even enjoy this all on its own for lunch.

This entire meal can easily be made in under 30 minutes and the most time consuming part is honestly all of the chopping. I really like to finely chop all the veggies as I think it makes the salad look so much better. This recipe uses so much delicious summer produce and is easily customizable to your liking.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Orzo pasta – I love the light taste of orzo in this salad, but feel free to use any type of small pasta
Veggies – I used a combination of red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and fresh corn, but you can also use tomatoes, zucchini, or other veggies
Fresh herbs – a delicious combination of fresh parsley and fresh basil
Sea salt + ground pepper – for seasoning
Lemon Herb Dressing – see recipe below!

How to Make Rainbow Orzo Salad

One of the many reasons I make this Rainbow Orzo Salad so much is because of how simple it is to throw together! Here’s how I make it in just 5 easy steps:

Chop your veggies and herbs. This might be the most time-consuming part, but hey play that podcast or blast some music – I promise it’s worth all the chopping! I like to try to finely chop all the veggies because I think the salad just looks better visually and is more enjoyable to eat. You’ll also want to chop the fresh basil and parsley as well.
Cook the orzo. Bring your water to a boil, sprinkle in some salt, and cook the orzo according to the package directions until al dente. Make sure to stir ever so often to prevent the orzo from clumping. Drain the orzo in a colander and run cold water over it until cooled.
Make the dressing. While the orzo is cooking, you can whip up this dressing! Simply whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano and salt/pepper in a jar or bowl and set aside until ready to use. Seriously SO good and is a dressing I have used for so many different meals! It honestly deserves its own post.
Toss the salad. Mix together the cooked orzo, chopped veggies and fresh herbs in a large bowl and drizzle the whole thing with the lemon herb dressing. Give it a good toss, season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately or marinate for a few hours before serving (I highly recommend this!)
Marinate. Cover the orzo salad and place it in the fridge allowing the flavors to marinate for a few hours or even overnight. Serve and enjoy!

Homemade Lemon Herb Dressing

I can’t tell you how much I love this dressing. Bright lemony flavour, tangy Dijon mustard, delicious garlic and fresh herbs really make this the perfect dressing for this orzo salad because it tastes amazing and quickly gets absorbed by all the pasta and veggies! SO. MUCH. FLAVORS. Here’s what you’ll need:

Olive oil – I like to use a good olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor (in my opinion)
Lemons – I just love the bright, fresh flavor fresh lemon juice brings to this dressing. Feel free to add a little bit of the zest too for even more lemon flavor!
Red wine vinegar – this adds a nice tangy flavor that goes perfect with the olive oil and lemon juice, but feel free to use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if that’s what you have on hand
Dijon mustard – this adds a little zip and helps to emulsify the dressing
Garlic – I always like to use fresh garlic in my salad dressings, but a 1/4 teaspoon of dried minced garlic or garlic powder will work if that’s all you have
Seasonings – a delicious combination of dried oregano, salt and pepper

Prepping and Storage

The great thing about this rainbow orzo salad is that it tastes great warm OR cold and will last up to 3 to 4 days in your fridge. Just make sure to store any leftovers in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. You can easily prepare this orzo pasta salad ahead of time by chopping up all your veggies and making the salad dressing up to a day before making. I promise you, this salad tastes even better on the second day!

If you do make this orzo salad recipe ahead of time, make sure to reserve a little bit of dressing to toss right before serving. The noodles and veggies will soak up a ton of the dressing (which is great for flavor!!), but you’ll want to freshen it up with more dressing when it’s ready to serve.

Substitutions & Variations

If you don’t have any orzo on hand, feel free to use any other type of pasta in a small shape or you could swap it with quinoa, rice or farro.
You can also customize this salad to your liking by using a variety of different vegetables such as zucchini, grape or cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, broccoli, etc. and you could also mix in some chopped greens such as spinach, kale or arugula.
Sprinkle in some feta cheese or goat cheese for a boost of flavor and to make this orzo salad creamier.
Add in some protein such as shredded chicken, salmon, and shrimp or keep this salad vegetarian and add in chickpeas, white beans, pine nuts or other chopped nuts.
Switch up the dressings with whatever you like best! This balsamic dressing would taste amazing in this salad or even a creamier tahini dressing.

More Summer Salads You’ll Love

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

For the orzo salad:

1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1 teaspoon salt
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
1 english cucumber, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

For the Lemon Herb Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (half a lemon)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt. Cook the orzo according to the package directions, until al dente. Make sure to stir the orzo every few minutes to prevent it from clumping. Drain the orzo in a colander and run cold water over it until cooled.
While the orzo is cooking, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano and salt/pepper in a jar or bowl and set aside until ready to use.
In a large bowl, mix together the cooked orzo, finely chopped veggies and herbs and drizzle with the lemon herb dressing, mix well until all combined. Season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.
Serve immediately or cover and marinate for a few hours before serving or overnight. I highly recommend marinating as the pasta and veggies soak up the lemony dressing making the salad really flavourful. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
Calories: 250
Sugar: 2.8 g
Sodium: 308.9 mg
Fats: 7.1g
Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
Carbohydrates: 8.2 g
Fibers: 1.4 g
Proteins: 1.2 g

* Please note that all nutrition information is just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.

Marketing Your Business Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

This is the concept of putting in money to play a game or sport. In the business world, it refers to an initial financial investment to start and grow the business.

“I think that everything has to be grassroots first,” Harrison says. “If you take that vantage point, to run everything through community first, I think you will build an ecosystem of people who will buy into your brand and into your story.”

Carolina Furukrona, panelist and founder of artisanal lifestyle boutique NOVA BOSSA in DC, spent over $20,000 on photography in her first year of business and hired a PR consultant. But found that she could do most of the work herself using free tools and applications like Canva.

For fellow panelist, CEO, and founder of TCapri Spirits, Tiffany Capri Hainesworth, the misconception was needing to hire someone to do public relations or PR for her tequila brand.

The powerful alternative for her was word of mouth. She knew she had a great product and a unique story that powered her ability to reach more customers.

“You don’t need someone to do that for you in the beginning. I agree with Tiffany. You are the brand. It’s your point of view. You should be doing, for the first year, your own social media as a small business owner.”
CAROLINA FURUKRONA, FOUNDER OF NOVA BOSSA

Free Tactics to Try

Panelists gave several free tips for owners looking to market their businesses, such as knowing your customer, working with influencers, growing a network, and creating demand online.

Harrison used his network from high school basketball, the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, and his local community to create his “ecosystem.”

“Most of my friends or people in my ecosystem are like business cards for me. They get around people just like I do,” he says.

His background in product placement led him to think of influencers as a way to get his products placed and known within their expansive networks.

Hainesworth uses the review section on her business’s website and the reviews from the Total Wine and Liquor website to promote her brand.

“I take every constructive criticism very, very seriously,” Hainesworth says. “And we post the good reviews back onto our social media.”

Although Hainesworth takes reviews, both positive and negative, into consideration, she doesn’t make every change the reviewers want.

“You have to believe in yourself, and you have to believe that whatever you launch is going to be a good product,” she says.

“You know that when it launches, people are going to give you good reviews. You can take that review and put it on your social media — Instagram, Facebook — and you rave about the review and thank your customers for giving you a good review about your earthshaking product.”
TIFFANY CAPRI HAINESWORTH, CEO AND FOUNDER OF TCAPRI SPIRIT

Using Unique Experiences for Marketing

Businesses with retail spaces have a unique opportunity to work with local organizations. Furukrona’s store is in the first high-end Latin market in Union Market in DC, La Cosecha.

She used her previous experiences working in the event planning industry and with embassies to create a cultural festival hosted in the market’s space.

“What we started doing was approaching embassies to do cultural festivals with our collection drops,” she said. From this, they got 14,000 people to attend the festival at La Cosecha during the pandemic.

One of the best parts about this partnership for Furukrona was the access and free promotion this gave her business.

“In the press release, we had the embassy’s logo, our logo, and we got on the embassy’s list, which they sent to all of their people,” she said. “They usually don’t turn over their list, but having those logos with our logo brings credibility as well.”

The store and the market have hosted similar events for Guatemalan Independence Day, and with Trinidad and Tobago.

“I didn’t spend any money on it — it was just effort,” says Furukrona.

Across the panelists, being at the core of their business’s marketing helped them reach goals and customers.

Harrison says finding alignment and walking in purpose, which goes hand in hand with marketing, leads customers to businesses. And that’s a sign of a successful business.

Bird’s Nest Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Celebrate Easter with these festive Bird’s Nest Carrot Cake Cupcakes that are super moist, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and applesauce, all topped with a cream cheese frosting, toasted coconut and chocolate candies!

Easter is right around the corner and these carrot cake cupcakes make the perfect festive treat! The cutest little desserts that are not only delicious, but make such a great addition to your holiday table. These carrot cake cupcakes are made healthier with whole wheat pastry flour, shredded carrots, coconut oil in place of butter and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and applesauce. The cupcakes are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut making adorable “bird’s nests” with egg-shaped chocolate candies.

For these bird’s nest cupcakes, I wanted to go with a carrot cake to stay with the fun Easter theme, but you could of course make any type of cupcakes or frosting you’d like! However I highly recommend making these deliciously moist carrot cake cupcakes as I KNOW you won’t be disappointed! My 2 year old kept calling them “baby bird treats” and absolutely loved them.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Whole wheat pastry flour – I love baking with whole wheat pastry flour as it has all the nutritional benefits of whole grain flour while giving these cupcakes a light and fluffy texture. I highly recommend using this, but if you don’t have any on hand you could use white whole wheat flour or regular all-purpose flour
Baking soda + baking powder – these act as leavening agents to help the cupcakes rise
Carrots – you’ll need to grate about 2 medium carrots to get a healthy cup for this recipe, the grated carrot also helps keep these cupcakes moist
Applesauce – just a little bit of unsweetened applesauce in these cupcakes helps to reduce the amount of oil we need to use and also adds a little extra sweetness. You could also use a mashed banana as well
Coconut oil – this takes the place of butter in these cupcakes and helps make them moist and fluffy!
eggs – gives these muffins their structure and height
Sweeteners – I used a combination of coconut sugar along with some maple syrup to naturally sweeten these cupcakes without using refined sugar
Spices – a delicious combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt
vanilla – enhances the flavor in these cupcakes and tastes so good with the warm spices
Shredded coconut – this is what we’ll use to create the little “nests” on top of the cupcakes and make sure to use unsweetened shredded coconut that has longer strands, not coconut flakes that look more like chips
Cream cheese – this is needed to make the frosting! I like to set mine out about an hour before using so that it softens and is easier to whip

How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes OR you could make 24 mini carrot cake muffins! You will make the batter the exact same way, you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time for the smaller muffins. Here’s how to make them!

Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, coconut sugar, salt and spices, then set aside.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together grated carrot, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla until all combined. Then mix in the coconut oil, just make sure you melt the coconut oil first and let it cool before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
Make the batter. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to over-mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups lined with cupcake liners (or you could spray them with non-stick spray), making sure to fill each cup about 2/3rds full. You could also make 24 mini muffins!
BAKE! Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted clean then let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. If baking mini-size muffins, bake at 350 for about 10 to 13 minutes. Next I’ll show you how to make the cream cheese frosting and assemble your bird’s nests!

How to Make the Bird’s Nests

While the cupcakes are cool, you can toast the coconut and make the cream cheese frosting!

Toast the coconut. Toasting coconut adds such a robust, nutty flavor to otherwise plain coconut and gives these cupcakes a great texture! Start by adding the shredded coconut to a large dry skillet (no need for oil!) and cook over medium heat, making sure the coconut is in an even layer in the pan. Continuously stir the coconut in the skillet until golden brown and fragrant, being careful not to let the coconut burn.
Make the frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or you could use a hand mixer), combine softened cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla and whip on high until smooth.
Assemble the bird’s nests! Once your cupcakes are completely cool, frost each cupcake using a knife or spatula (no need to use a pastry bag to make them look pretty since we’re going to be coating them in coconut!) then sprinkle toasted coconut over each cupcake, pressing down slightly so that the coconut sticks to the frosting. Then place a little bit of frosting onto the bottom of each egg-shaped candy and press it into the center of each cupcake. You’ll need 3 candies per cupcake.

How to Store Bird’s Nest Cupcakes

The great thing about these cupcakes is that they taste even better the next day! Just make sure to store them in a sealed, airtight container and they will last for about a day on the counter then transfer them to your fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. If you’re making these for an Easter or Mother’s Day event, you can absolutely make them ahead of time!

More Recipes You’ll Love

Hope you all enjoy these adorable Bird’s Nest Carrot Cake Cupcakes and if you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave me a five-star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 15mins
Total Time: 35mins

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Toppings:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
36 egg-shaped chocolate candies

Instructions

Preheat oven to 35o degrees F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, coconut sugar, salt and spices; set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together grated carrot, eggs, maple syrup, applesauce and vanilla until all combined. Then mix in the coconut oil, making sure it’s melted and cooled before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to over-mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups lined with cupcake liners (or you could spray them with non-stick spray), making sure to fill each cup about 2/3rds full.
Pop the cupcakes in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, then let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Toast the coconut. While the cupcakes are baking, add the shredded coconut to a large dry skillet (no need for oil!) and cook over medium heat, making sure the coconut is in an even layer in the pan. Continuously stir the coconut in the skillet until golden brown and fragrant, being careful not to let the coconut burn.
Make the frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or you could use a hand mixer), combine softened cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla and whip on high until smooth.
Once your cupcakes are completely cool, frost each cupcake using a knife or spatula (no need to use a pastry bag to make them look pretty since we’re going to be coating them in coconut!), then sprinkle toasted coconut over each cupcake ( about 2 Tbsp each), pressing down slightly so that the coconut sticks to the frosting.
Place a little bit of frosting onto the bottom of each egg-shaped candy and press it into the center of each cupcake. You’ll need 3 candies per cupcake. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*Please note the nutritional information does not include the chocolate candies as there are so many different types of candy you can use with varying calorie amounts.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: 1 cupcake + frosting
Calories: 250
Sugar: 8.1g
Sodium: 218.2 mg
Fats: 17.1 g
Saturated Fat: 13.3 g
Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
Fibers: 3 g
Proteins: 3.5 g

* Please note that all nutrition information is just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.

Free Coaching Lesson You Can Use Instantly To Stand Out From The Crowd

You will notice a change of status in minutes!

I was stunned by how fast people walked when I first visited the City of London. It was a world apart from how I grew up in the furthest of south Europe, where we would take our time to enjoy the scenery and chat with people on the street almost every time we went somewhere on foot.

A fast walk is a sign of determination and is a habit of go-getters. These are people who know what they want, and they go for it without hesitation. This article will tell the most critical differences between slow and fast walkers and offer a hint on changing your walking habits, if you want to be more successful.

Slow walkers typically take their time to enjoy the surroundings or take a break to grab a coffee or snack. Time is not that much of an issue – punctuality, neither. They seem to walk only because they have to.

In contrast, fast walkers rush through the world with a sense that they know what they want and are determined to make it theirs. A quick walker has an intent, purposeful gait. He will be paying attention to where he is going and looking in front of him. Slow walkers are often running late for something.

While staying in London, I made it a habit to attend to people on the street to identify patterns of walkers based on their general posture and other tell-tales from body language.

I was doing this because I wanted to understand better how people stand, move and walk and and use that knowledge in my coaching practice and training program.

I am a long-time student of the relationship between the body — a kind of transient entity moving through space, and the mind that “commands” intention and purpose. The human body is constantly in flux, but these transitions are subtle and not always obvious. Over time, looking more closely, I noticed some exciting kinds of patterns. I could quickly tell, for example, that better-dressed individuals, regardless of other traits, walked at a significantly faster pace than others. Is this just a habit? I wondered. Does it happen randomly, or is it evidence of a distinction between the successful and the not-so-successful?

The former, the successful ones, were perceived by the world to be better dressed and took up a larger space than others. They wore blazers and black shoes and had a certain elegance about them.

The latter, the not-so-obsessed with success individuals, walked more slowly, usually, wearing brighter or mixed colors, usually with their heads down.

Their shoes looked muddy and scuffed from walking on wet ground.

The more successful persons did not have “time” to greet anyone or look up – even if someone greeted them.

These are just personal observations, of course.

Yet, one thing stood out when I waited outside the enormous glass buildings, sipping an espresso and catching up with my associate.

There is a fork before the exit of Liverpool Streetwhere one wing leads to the vast flea market and the other to a corporate tower that belongs to a Bank.

While I was not holding a tachymeter, one thing was apparent: Bankers — either entering or leaving the building, were super-fast, giving the impression that something was going on, while casual shoppers, through that same part of the road, were slow , as if they were scared (metaphorically speaking), to enter the open market area.

See where we are getting with this?

As a general rule: You can verify this at work and in any professional environment. The more senior people seem to walk faster, even down corridors in the office — where space is limited. In outdoor spaces, they look active and energetic, but what makes them really stand out is their rhythmic walking pace as if there is a lot of stake where they are headed.

On the other hand, more junior or lower-grade workers tend to walk slowly and cautiously and lack the aura of confidence.

If you want to look — and feel — more influential, take home this bit of advice

Start with your walking pace first. Adopt a faster, brisker style. Make the streets your playing stage to rehearse.

Straighten your stance, and make your steps fast but not too fast. Wherever you are headed, get familiar with the notion you are out walking the crowds. practice makes perfect.

Remember what the famous singer is Sting said:

“A gentleman will walk but never run.”

Thank you for reading and following; my articles are packed with practical advice for aspiring leaders.

Thomas Piperis

www.datadrivenstoryteller.com

A sought-after private consultant and C-level advisor, Thomas Piperis has claimed many successes in sectors such as automotive, built environment, B2B Services, Technology Startups, recruitment, and Venture Capital. He has lived and worked in 7 countries and knows like few the do’s and don’ts of corporate life from the inside, owing to his 25 years with large corporates. Thomas studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, with major in Biomedical Engineering, NTUA), Business Management in London, UK (MBA, Hons), and Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the IGD Fraunhofer, Germany.
He trained intensively to become a certified Coach (AC), Uni of Athens and he is AI Data Scientist (pending) University of Virginia Darden Business School. He is a co-founder of startups and frequently published on Medium, France 24, Linkedin, Naftemporiki, and the National of Abu Dhabi. His consistent thought leadership earned him a career Advisor Status on LinkedIn, where he has some 16,000 followers and advises young professionals on career strategy, foresight and growth.