It’s interesting how memories from the past can be triggered by something seemingly insignificant. This happened to me just the other day in the grocery store when I was doing my shopping for Thanksgiving.

As I waltzed around the store’s produce department, a huge display of pomegranates beckoned to me. They triggered within my mind a journey through special memories, of sitting at the kitchen table with my cherished grandmother Mimi. I remembered watching her bite into a juicy pomegranate and swallow the seeds.

“Pomegranates are a very special fruit,” she’d told me. “They have been revered throughout the ages for their medicinal properties. If you eat this fruit, it will prevent many illnesses, give you good skin, clean your blood, and let you live a long life.”

As a young girl at the time, I didn’t think Mimi was telling me anything significant. I mentally rolled my eyes, thinking, Here she goes again with her old-world remedies that probably don’t amount to much of anything. But as I grew into adulthood, I realized much of what Mimi had told me did have deep significance and only then could I appreciate her wise counsel and good advice.

But the pomegranate has more than just medicinal significance. Long before its medicinal properties were ever described, the pomegranate was held sacred by major religions throughout the world.

In Greek mythology, Hades fell in love with and kidnapped Persephone, daughter of Demeter. Once Demeter learned what had happened, she demanded Persephone be returned. Hades did, but first he tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds, tying her to him. Through this myth and others, the pomegranate came to represent marriage, fertility, and rebirth.

Drawing from the Persephone myth and the renewal it represented, Christianity views the pomegranate as a symbol of resurrection and the hope of life everlasting. The crownlike protrusion at one end of the fruit is said to represent Christ’s royalty; the deep red juice, his blood; and the bursting rind, the open tomb on Easter morning.

In Buddhism, the pomegranate is one of three fruits known collectively as the Three Plenties, or Three Abundances. Together, the Three Plenties represent longevity (peach), good fortune (Buddha’s hand citron), and fertility and abundance (pomegranate).

As a career consultant, I believe the symbolism of the pomegranate can provide some interesting lessons as we venture forward into a more productive and abundant future in the New Work World.

1. The Gifts of Regeneration

In some cultures, the pomegranate represents rebirth, renewal, and resurrection, all of which can be seen as forms of regeneration. If you have lost your job, been transferred to a new department, or found yourself not getting offers, what regenerative measures can you perform to become a more desirable commodity? Often such regeneration needs to begin in your mind. A rebirth of your attitude or mindset can provide positive results going forward.

2. Favorable Influences

As a symbol of favorable influences, the pomegranate can remind you to reflect on those who have helped you reach this point in your life. Who do you know who has been a favorable influence in your life? Perhaps they can make your experience in the New Work World richer and more meaningful. In my life, Mimi taught me lessons that have served me well. Is there perhaps a teacher, professor, coach, previous boss, mentor, or recruiter whom you could contact to help you move forward when you might be at an important crossroads or turning point?

3. Attitude of Abundant Gratitude

Because of its numerous seeds, the pomegranate has long been used in logos, signs, and symbols to reflect fertility and abundance. Consider applying such symbolism to your mentality. How might you make your attitude fertile with appreciation for what you have in your life? How might you demonstrate that appreciation in interviews or visits with networking friends and family? Focusing on what you have and are grateful for as opposed to what you lack can strike a positive chord with the hiring authorities of the New Work World.

4. Future Full of Expansion and Growth

The pomegranate is involved in several legends and myths of turning evil to good or darkness to light. Similarly, how might you turn a negative situation that might have happened during the last several months into something positive? Could such a situation be used as a learning tool? Could you view it as an insightful experience from which you can learn important lessons to help you move forward with a belief that the future will bring you expansion and growth? Just as a dark spot or scar on the surface of a pomegranate doesn’t negate the tastiness or special nourishment of the seeds within, don’t let a challenging exterior event affect your inner determination to approach the future anticipating a more expansive career and rewarding work experience.

As many myths and legends remind us, the pomegranate speaks to the persistence of life, fertility, and regeneration. It reminds you to cherish those wise influencers who have helped you grow throughout your life. Like sowing a pomegranate’s abundant seeds, you can fill your mind with an attitude of abundant gratitude and look to a future full of expansion and growth.

Mary Ann Faremouth 

Mary Ann holds a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential, was certified by the Board of Regents of the National Association of Personnel Consultants in Washington, D.C., and was awarded an Advanced Communicator Bronze,  Advanced Leader Bronze Awards by Toastmasters. She cofounded Jobs: Houston magazine in 1997. Mary Ann maintains affiliations with professional organizations, including oil and gas, financial, construction, IT, and structural, mechanical, and civil engineering. (www.faremouth.com)

Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. Her books support individuals and corporations, tap into each candidate’s unrealized potential to find the right person for each job, maximizing both employee satisfaction and the employer’s bottom line. Mary Ann showcases her expertise of the recruiting world on a monthly podcast for The Price of Business and weekly articles for USA Business.  Her new workbook, Revolutionary Reinvention, was recently released on Amazon. Mary Ann lives in Houston, Texas.

Check out more lifestyle stories here. 

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The Role of the Hippocampus in the Brain

The hippocampus acts as the brain’s memory hub, responsible for forming, organizing, and storing new memories. It is also critical for spatial navigation and learning. Unfortunately, this area is vulnerable to damage from oxidative stress and inflammation, which can lead to memory loss and cognitive decline.

Top Superfoods for the Hippocampus

1. Blueberries
   Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, antioxidants that protect hippocampal neurons from oxidative damage. Studies show regular consumption of blueberries can improve short-term memory and delay age-related cognitive decline by supporting neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons).
2. Walnuts
   Walnuts provide omega-3 fatty acids, essential for maintaining the plasticity of synapses in the hippocampus. They also contain polyphenols, which reduce inflammation and oxidative damage, ensuring the hippocampus remains healthy and functional.
3. Pumpkin Seeds
   High in magnesium, zinc, and iron, pumpkin seeds support neural signaling and energy metabolism in the hippocampus, directly improving memory and learning capabilities.

Benefits of Including These Foods

By incorporating these superfoods into your diet, you can enhance the hippocampus’s ability to form and retain memories. This is especially important for students, professionals, and older adults looking to preserve their cognitive health.

Conclusion

A healthy hippocampus is key to a sharp memory and effective learning. Adding blueberries, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds to your meals can provide the nutrients needed to protect and enhance this vital brain region.

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Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, welcomed David Wilcox to provide another commentary in a series.

The David Wilcox Commentaries

In this episode of the ‘Flim Flam Chronicles’, we continue to shine the light of truth on Connie Snapp’s challenges to change the public’s feelings about candidate Pat Robertson. Additionally, we reveal how Americans For Robertson staffers were horrible stewards of their money and often didn’t pay their bills. In one instance, their failure to pay a printer for hundreds of thousands of dollars of work ended up costing the man his home, marriage, and business. It also brought about an intevention for Pat’s security team

David Wilcox retired medically from the Oceanside Police Department in his home town of Oceanside, California. He was one of the most highly-decorated officers in the history of the department and a multiple gold-medalist in swimming in the Police Olympics during his law enforcement career.  In 1985, he swapped coasts, moving to Virginia Beach, Virginia, to attend graduate school at Regent University. While there, he was selected to work as an executive protection officer (aka bodyguard) for Pat Robertson, the Founder and President of the Christian Broadcasting Network. It was an exciting and challenging time to be at Pat Robertson’s side. Always a controversial lightning rod, Pat Robertson was just beginning a political campaign in his quest to become the Republican party candidate for President of the United States. David’s job was to keep Pat Robertson safe and alive while traveling the globe.  His first book, ‘Protecting Pat Robertson – Confessions of a High-Priced Bagman’ is part memoir mixed with exposé. In it, David shares the revelatory truth of what it was like during those exciting yet challenging years. This book is the first of two memoir-style books he has written thus far. His other book, ‘The Trial of the Devil Incarnate: Ralph Reed – God’s Flim-Flam Man’ exposes the scandalous truth about the duplicitous Ralph Reed, the former Executive Director of Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition. It reveals the shameful facts about the man the Huffington Post labeled as ‘one of the monumental hypocrites of our time’ in an innovative and informative format. A ‘tell-it-like-it-was’ author, David Wilcox pulls no punches revealing the behind-the-scenes truth about being Pat Robertson’s personally selected bodyguard. The revelations will leave you amused, bewildered and even shocked.

Learn more at https://bigfatcatbooks.com/.

Connect with David through his social media:

Instagram: @bigfatcatproductions

Twitter/X: @Chronicles7876

For more great national news stories click here.

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Making my list this weekend for our family Thanksgiving dinner, I can’t help but reflect on those special family times that remind me of home and the many strong lessons I learned that I see so clearly now.

Food has always been a big part of my heritage. I especially remember spending time with my grandmother during the holidays, watching her make ravioli, special braided breads and sauce from scratch. She would cook the latter for hours to make sure all the seasonings blended together and the sauce was the proper consistency. My son kindly reminds me of how I still need to perfect the sauce my grandmother and mom made so well!

My grandmother, Mimi, was big on honoring tradition around the holidays. Although I never really was fond of some of the dishes she made, such as baccalà pasta, which is made from dried and salted cod, my grandmother insisted it was an important tradition to help us appreciate the “food aplenty” we had. Such traditions brought all of our family together, and from them I learned about togetherness, being grateful for what we have, working hard to give back to others and appreciating relationships. These memories have become very dear to me, and I consider those lessons to be recipes for success. Each has produced personal and professional growth in my life with far-reaching applications.

My grandmother never wrote any of her recipes down or used a cookbook. She would go with what felt right in the moment. Similarly, the methods, or recipes, for life and the work world we’ve used in the past may no longer apply. These days, we have to lean more into how we feel and give our best effort to have the successful outcomes we desire.

Today, I give thanks for the past lessons that have given me important ingredients to add to my own recipe for success in my personal and professional life. I am grateful for the “food for the soul” my family provided, and I know these experiences have given me a full and rich life. I truly look forward to getting together with my family from the North this holiday and cooking lots for all to enjoy. I feel fortunate that my loving Italian and Maltese family allowed me to learn far-reaching tips for our personal and professional happiness. Let’s take a look at how we can translate a recipe for success for these current challenging and changing times:

Recipe for Success

A targeted approach to what you want

5 cups positive mindset

2 lbs. research

A calling card, or résumé, that fits the algorithms companies use to screen prospects

An outline of your transferrable skills

Online courses, sliced and diced as appropriate

Mentors, coaches and/or networking contacts, simmered so as not to burn

A pinch of sugar

A heaping tablespoon of gratitude

In a pot, combine the first four ingredients. Together, these will provide the base that will help you find positions you might be interested in and complete job applications. Define what you want to achieve so you know what to look for. Keep a positive mindset so you don’t lose hope. Research options, even if they may not be in a familiar field. Refine your calling card so company representatives will recognize when you’re a good fit. Retool your mindset to be positive and determined no matter what has happened in the past.

Add in the next three ingredients to prepare for an interview. Review your existing skill set to see how it might translate into new positions. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take online courses on unfamiliar subjects. Reach out to mentors, coaches or other network contacts to help you with mock interviews or to put in a good word for you with the companies to which you are applying.

Sprinkle in a pinch of sugar to counteract any bitterness of recent years. And don’t take the pot off the stove until you’ve added in gratitude by way of a thank-you email to the hiring authority within 24 hours of the interview.

If you receive a rejection letter or a negative comment about what you could or should have done better, respond positively. Don’t let it ruin your day or your job search. Look for ways to use your gifts and talents to give to the world. You never know what the universe might provide in return.

Finally, remember that there is no tried-and-true method that fits every situation. As you stand in whatever virtual kitchen you find yourself in now, see what feels right for your current circumstances. Take a closer look at what dishes you once didn’t care for that might be adapted with a tweak of ingredients. Might they make your recipe for success in work and life simply delicious?

This holiday season, let’s all be determined to create our own recipe for success in our personal and professional kitchens. We can only control our mindsets and our attitudes to move forward and make a positive contribution to the New Work World. As a recruiter for over 35 years, I know that even if we have to change up the ingredients a bit these days, we can still deliver a wonderful recipe for success for all to enjoy!

Mary Ann Faremouth 

Mary Ann holds a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential, was certified by the Board of Regents of the National Association of Personnel Consultants in Washington, D.C., and was awarded an Advanced Communicator Bronze,  Advanced Leader Bronze Awards by Toastmasters. She cofounded Jobs: Houston magazine in 1997. Mary Ann maintains affiliations with professional organizations, including oil and gas, financial, construction, IT, and structural, mechanical, and civil engineering. (www.faremouth.com)

Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. Her books support individuals and corporations, tap into each candidate’s unrealized potential to find the right person for each job, maximizing both employee satisfaction and the employer’s bottom line. Mary Ann showcases her expertise of the recruiting world on a monthly podcast for The Price of Business and weekly articles for USA Business.  Her new workbook, Revolutionary Reinvention, was recently released on Amazon. Mary Ann lives in Houston, Texas.

Check out more lifestyle stories here. 

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“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” —Henry Miller.

And what new interesting places I saw on my recent trip to France! Travel is a way to see new destinations and learn how to see the world differently. The iconography of Paris, Versailles and Normandy is nothing short of majestic. After this trip, my view of this area of the world is forever changed!

One of the most memorable experiences I had was visiting Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny, a small village on the banks of the River Seine. The famous waterlily ponds and colorful gardens created by the father of impressionism at his home in Giverny, close to Paris and Rouen, gave him his greatest artistic inspiration and have made this tiny village famous all over the world. His paintings are known for their innovative style and technique, which helped define the impressionist art movement. He used expressive brushstrokes and blurred shapes and colors to capture natural light and forms. His objective was to give the “impression” of what he saw.

As a recruiter for many years assisting candidates and corporate heads with making good hiring decisions, I believe these overwhelmingly beautiful and symbolism-filled gardens offer important lessons that might allow us to paint our own new canvas of beauty in the New Work World. Let’s take a look at how we can translate some of Monet’s techniques into our own landscape:

1.    Embrace Change and Have a Positive and Determined Mindset

It all starts with the right mindset. After many years as a recruiter, I am amazed by the number of applicants I have placed who did not have the exact background, skill set or experience. What they did have, however, was a mindset that was positive, strong and determined to bring value to a company. Just like Monet’s different style, their mindset came to be appreciated. I cannot stress enough how the right mindset should be at the center of any quest you pursue. It makes all the difference in the result and will play a major role in how people will take notice of your character and attitude.

2. Be Open to Experimentation and New Perspectives

Monet broke away from traditional art styles, illustrating the value of taking risks and exploring new approaches. He was meticulous in his observation of nature, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to details and nuances in our own lives. If the corporate head is interviewing a prospective candidate who doesn’t check all the boxes on the job order, look for items on the résumé that demonstrate experiences that might be transferrable and pay attention to areas that might be a plus or minus in the execution of the duties of the position. And to that job candidate who is ready for a change, why not experiment with taking a class in an area that might be very foreign to you but could open new doors to a new field? Just as Monet’s techniques were very different, they opened up a totally new artistic style.

3. Value the Power of Observation and Personal Interpretation

Monet’s deep connection to the natural world highlights the importance of spending time in the outdoors and appreciating the beauty of our surroundings. Look for the beauty in the natural world around you and let it inspire you to create your own masterpieces in the New Work World. Sometimes just sitting around a campfire with friends and family or watching a butterfly land near you can touch something inside you to want to be even more creative in your everyday life.

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Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, welcomed Gitte Madelaire to provide another commentary in a series.

The Gitte Madelaire Commentaries

Welcome to the fourth article in the series “Be the Leader You Aspire to Be” here on The Price of Business Show, where I will focus on the trends which lie ahead of us and how they will affect humans and businesses. The articles are based on my book Energetic Leadership, which talks about 9 trends leaders must navigate to cater for employees increasing demand for more spiritual leadership and sustainable business models aligned with their life purposes. These articles are about business leadership in the new era. I hope you will find inspiration for your own leadership and the leader you aspire to be.

The first article outlined 9 trends for business leadership and focused on authentic curiosity as a key competency for leaders to master. The second and third articles explained the concept of energy frequencies as the source of our true potential, followed by the alignment of a company purpose with the life purposes of employees and customers.

In the fourth article we will look at the 6-5 different generations who are present in organizations now or on the brink of entering or leaving a working life and what characterize them.

In my corporate career I often wondered; Why is it so difficult to make an organization work together? It is the best competitive advantage to have, as it is difficult to copy.

By diving into all the generations, we get a better understanding of the “people cocktail” in the organizations. These 6 Generations are now defining our businesses as we are all born in one, have parents in another, grandparent in a third, and children in a fourth.

Each generation has a role in evolution, which is defining what their focus is.

Before the Internet:

The Silent (1925-45) – BUILD the new business world

The Boomers (1946-64) – SCALE the new world

Gen X (1965 – 1979) – TEAR DOWN, SELL OUT to make room for the NEXT LEAP

After the Internet

Millennials (1980-1994) – BUILD the new world based on the internet

Gen Z (1995-2012) – SCALE the businesses through internet

Gen Alpha (2013 – 2025) – TEAR DOWN, SELL OUT to make room for the NEXT LEAP

So, by understanding what is happening over a life span of 3 generations it can give us some background of our motives for doing things or being frustrated about life & work.

How do the 6 generations look at WORK and what is their DRIVER, SAFE SPACE and GOAL.

The Silent (1925-45) Work hard, retire and die. They were afraid of not having enough, were safe in the local community and wanted financial safety.

The Boomers (1946-64) – Work hard, retire and relax, afraid of not having lived and were safe in the Welfare state and wanted financial surplus.

Gen X (1965 – 1979) – Work is difficult and is driven by making a difference, and they feel safe in the career. The goal is financial freedom.

Millennials – Gen Y (1980-1994) – Work is psychological demanding, and the driver becomes workcation and they feel safe in friends as family with independence as a goal.

Gen Z (1995-2012) – Work is a quest, and their desire is to change the world and feel safe in a global network as their goal interdependence.

Gen Alpha (2013 – 2025) – Work is a quest with AI while they are saving the world and feeling safe in global connectivity and taking spirituality to a new level with a deeper understanding of energy consciousness.

All generations are defined by their role in evolution to either BUILD, SCALE or TEAR DOWN and how they perceive work/life. So, what we see is modern life design colliding with old leadership habits. It is normal. It is transformation. But to succeed we need psychological safety as the base of thriving cultures.

The internet taught us to get technological connected. Now we need to get energetically connected to ourselves and each other. This is what Gen Y and Gen Z, and even more Gen Alpha are interested in, but they are struggling with older generations who have not spent time on inner development or learned to talk about wellbeing.

Understanding the characteristics of generations will help businesses having better dialogues, building resilient cultures, making better decisions, creating space for creativity, scaling business with an understanding of what skills to practice that will support the 3 bottom lines. Spirituality and energy consciousness will be a natural part of leadership in the future.

I hope you have a feast observing the generations and everything that tie us together.

Engage and enjoy your conversations.

Gitte Madelaire is an intuitive and visionary pioneer in leadership development. People, customers, business development, and futurism have always interested and motivated her. With a background in corporate business at companies such as Fona/HMW, Codan Insurance, Volvo Trucks and Ensure, she now inspires to new leadership through her book,” Energetic Leadership”, keynotes, facilitation and mentoring for leaders in her company Bronte ApS. Gitte holds a BSc in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School and an MBA semester from the University of Victoria. She also has traditional leadership courses and certifications in intuitive and feminine future leadership, inner sustainability, and energy-based leadership. Gitte has lived in London, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur and currently resides in Denmark.

Learn more at www.energeticleadership.eu.

Connect with Gitte Madelaire on social media:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gittemadelaire/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gitte.madelaire/

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/GitteMadelaire

For more great business content see here.

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This time of the year takes me back to my roots in Michigan and the beautiful change of seasons. One of my fondest memories has always been watching my grandparents examine and till the soil of their backyard garden every year to make sure what they planted would yield good results. They never complained about the changes in the ground caused by inclement weather or a very dry season. Instead, they did what needed to be done to make sure their efforts yielded a healthy harvest, no matter how long it took.

As we move into the harvesting season, what can you do to make sure you yield your best career harvest when so much has changed? The ground in which you have planted your career seeds for so many years may not appear to be the same as in the past. It may contain some unusual ingredients that have to be examined, possibly even removed.

However, as Stephen Covey poignantly illustrated, “[You are] not a product of [your] circumstances. [You are] a product of [your] decisions.”

Changing circumstances don’t have to deter you from reaping the career harvest you seek. Now more than ever, if you want your results to be prosperous, it is important to get your soil ready for planting not just any seeds but the right seeds. When you decide what you want to accomplish and make a determined effort to make it happen, the results can be astonishing.

Let’s look at ways you can cultivate the soil of your career that will allow you to harvest a garden of opportunity moving forward:

1.    Prepare the Soil

No farmer would ever try to plant crops in soil that is not healthy and tilled in a proper manner. The soil must be filled with nutrient-rich ingredients for anything to take root and grow well. The same applies to your career, and the first layer of soil you must tend is your mindset. If you hold a negative mindset—such as remaining angry at what might have happened in your employment situation—and you voice that negativity to your family, peers, or prospective employers, nothing healthy will be able to grow. You need to till your soil to remove the damaging ingredients and leave the soil fertile. By shaping your mindset into a positive, unshakable inner dialogue that won’t allow circumstances of the past to deter you from your goals, you will be ready to receive new seeds that will yield a bountiful harvest of opportunity and expansive growth in your career.

2.    Plant According to the Harvest That Is Currently Available

All farmers must decide what bountiful crops they want to harvest. Before you start planting seeds in the gardens of the New Work World, ask yourself what type of harvest you want to reap. If the garden of opportunity you have been in for the past 20 years is no longer fertile, do you need assistance with presenting your skillset for a new garden, demonstrating transferable skills to a prospective employer? Do you need to plant new ideas by taking online classes that will make you more valuable to the enhanced digital world we now face?

3.    Sow a Variety of Crops

The farmer can never really be certain which of the seeds he sows will take root and succeed. The same holds true for the seeds you sow for your career. Consider planting career seeds in a variety of ways to give yourself the possibility of a harvest in many venues. For example, you might work with a career consultant or coach, apply to jobs through online job boards, join networking groups and contact previous bosses or colleagues to investigate options or positions that might be available. It might also be wise to sow your career seeds across a variety of industries.

4.    Be Grateful for the Current Season

Every season has its advantages for the farmer’s bountiful harvest, but certain seasons are better for planting particular seeds. For example, fall is the best time of year to plant cold-season vegetables, as well as many trees, shrubs and perennials. The same can be said of careers. The first of the year has traditionally been known for new beginnings, fresh hiring budgets and planning strategies for expansive growth of companies. However, if you were given a layoff notice in early summer, maybe the season you are currently in calls for a long-needed vacation so you can get away from the situation, take a break and re-evaluate your strategy or plan.

No matter what season you are in while you search for a job or re-evaluate your current employment situation, be grateful for all the lessons learned, the people you have met along the way and how your experiences—good or bad—might have prepared you for a more exciting journey moving forward. Having a sense of gratitude for the experience and building your mindset around that gratitude will allow you to manifest a greater harvest in your career, as well as in the garden of life.

Let your best harvest for the New Work World be determined by your attitude, not by your current circumstances. Prepare the soil of your mindset for the seeds you will plant in your career garden to make sure they yield bountiful opportunities for an expansive and growth-oriented career in the New Work World. The right mindset can open up doors that can lead you to exciting new opportunities that can change your season of life and prosper in exciting new ways!

Mary Ann Faremouth 

Mary Ann holds a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential, was certified by the Board of Regents of the National Association of Personnel Consultants in Washington, D.C., and was awarded an Advanced Communicator Bronze,  Advanced Leader Bronze Awards by Toastmasters. She cofounded Jobs: Houston magazine in 1997. Mary Ann maintains affiliations with professional organizations, including oil and gas, financial, construction, IT, and structural, mechanical, and civil engineering. (www.faremouth.com)

Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. Her books support individuals and corporations, tap into each candidate’s unrealized potential to find the right person for each job, maximizing both employee satisfaction and the employer’s bottom line. Mary Ann showcases her expertise of the recruiting world on a monthly podcast for The Price of Business and weekly articles for USA Business.  Her new workbook, Revolutionary Reinvention, was recently released on Amazon. Mary Ann lives in Houston, Texas.

Check out more lifestyle stories here. 

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Ghouls on Halloween Night trick-or-treating for candy? Good. Ghouls popping up without warning in enterprise data in the all-important 4th Quarter of the year? Bad. But enterprise search can stay one step ahead of these data ghouls.

So what are these data ghouls?

I view a data ghoul as anything buried in enterprise data that can re-emerge unexpectedly causing trouble. But enterprise search can help to proactively find such data ghouls before they do too much damage. dtSearch® for example can run in a classic Windows client-server environment, in an “on premises” web server capacity, or from the cloud such as Azure or AWS to let multiple end-users instantly and concurrently search terabytes of data.

How does enterprise search work?

Indexing is a prerequisite to instant concurrent searching. However, indexing couldn’t be easier. Just point to the folders, email archives, etc. you want the indexer to cover, and the software will take it from there. The folders can consist of local files or remote OneDrive Office 365 files or SharePoint attachments that, while appearing in the Windows folder system, are cloud-based. Whatever the file configuration, how enterprise search parses each item is critical for locating hidden data ghouls.

How does parsing work?

To parse each file, enterprise search goes directly to the binary version, whether local or cloud-based. Every file type—PDF, Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Exchange, etc.—has its own data specifications that the search engine needs to take into account for accurate parsing. dtSearch relies on the binary format to determine each item’s file type. That way, an Access database that someone saves with a .DLL extension or a PDF that someone saves with a .ONE extension will not affect the indexer’s ability to correctly parse the item.

Are there other benefits to parsing the binary formats of files?

The binary format also lets the indexer plow through recursively nested files like an email with a ZIP or RAR attachment with an Excel spreadsheet that itself includes a Word document. When viewing a file in its native application, you might click and click and still never run across certain obscure metadata. But all metadata is fully apparent in the binary format and thus easily accessible to the indexer.

And are there other benefits to binary format access?

While text that blends in with its background color like midnight black writing against a midnight black background is very hard to spot while viewing a file in its native application, such text is as readily apparent as any other text in the binary format. Using the binary format, the indexer can flag “image only” PDFs where the search engine only has the filename and the metadata to work with, but no full-text content. After this identification, simply run the “image only” PDFs through an OCR program like Adobe Acrobat Reader to make them full-text searchable and return them to the indexer.

What about index capacity?

A dtSearch index can hold up to a terabyte of text from mixed local and cloud-based data sources, with no limit on the number of indexes the program can create and instantly search in a concurrent-search environment. And updating an index to reflect new content can proceed without impacting continuing concurrent searching, making it easy to keep indexes up-to-date.

What types of search features are there?

dtSearch has over 25 different full-text and metadata search options. Enter ghouls goblins ghosts as an “any words” natural language search to find items mentioning even one of these terms. Enter ghouls goblins ghosts as an “all words” natural language search to locate only items that contain all three of these terms. Boolean and proximity searching can hone in on the phrase dark night ghouls or the phrase Halloween ghosts within 13 words of Halloween goblins. For further refinement, add on a metadata element like subject metadata contains scary vampire and not trick-or-treat.

What are some other popular search options?

Concept searching extends a search for ghost to apparition. Fuzzy searching adjusts from 1 to 10 to sift through typographical deviations like Halloween mis-typed or mis-OCRed as Hallomeen. dtSearch can also search for numbers or numeric ranges as well as dates or date ranges, including automatically extending across common date variants like October 31, 2024, Oct 31, 2024 and 10/31/24. dtSearch can even identify any credit numbers lurking in data. And dtSearch works with Unicode to support hundreds of international languages. A file can cycle through European languages, right-to-left languages like Hebrew or Arabic, double-byte Asian text, then back to European languages, and dtSearch and Unicode will track the whole procession.

And relevancy-ranking?

By default, dtSearch applies vector-spaced relevancy-ranking. In an “any words” search for ghouls goblins ghosts, if goblins and ghosts are prevalent across indexed data but ghouls rare, items with ghouls will get a higher relevancy rank, with the densest-mentioning files coming out on top. Or override default ranking through custom positive and negative variable term weighting giving goblins a positive weight of 4, ghosts a negative weight of 2, and ghouls a positive weight of 7 but only for appearances in specific metadata or near the top or bottom of a file. Or at anytime, instantly re-sort search results by some unrelated metric like file date or file location. Whatever the sorting, dtSearch displays the full-text of files with highlighted hits for easy navigation as if by the light of a full Halloween moon.

Final thoughts?

Let enterprise search proactively locate your enterprise data ghouls … before they reach out from the beyond to find you. Download fully-functional 30-day evaluation versions at dtSearch.com

About dtSearch®. dtSearch has enterprise and developer products that run “on premises” or on cloud platforms to instantly search terabytes of “Office” files, PDFs, emails along with nested attachments, databases and online data. Because dtSearch can instantly search terabytes with over 25 different search features, many dtSearch customers are Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. But anyone with lots of data to search can go to dtSearch.com to obtain a fully-functional evaluation.

For more great articles on topics like this make sure to check out our Technology section.

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One of my biggest annoyances as a Wellness Mentor is when people tell me they are going to die anyway, so living a life of eating, drinking and living life on the edge is how they are going to proceed.

The caveat is the possibility of life with a chronic condition like diabetes, and a plethora of medications alongside the donuts on the lift chair tray.

The idea of you only live once is a bad idea because it promotes hedonism and pleasure, which leads to over-indulging in unhealthy foods and spending money on unnecessary things. This is not a healthy way to live and can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. You also may be tempted to drink too much, which can lead to binge drinking and alcohol abuse.

Many people use YOLO to justify irresponsible actions and to encourage others to do the same. This can be seen in the hashtags used on social media, where YOLO is used to express everything from eating a whole bottle of hot sauce to buying a third new car. This YOLO mentality is often used to bolster feelings of invincibility, but it’s important to understand what the phrase really means.

YOLO can be a good thing if you are careful about what you do and don’t say. You should always be honest about your intentions and make decisions that align with your values. You should also strive to achieve your goals and dreams in a healthy and sustainable way, which includes getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, and visiting your doctor for routine checkups.

It’s also important to let go of things that aren’t serving you, such as negative relationships, toxic substances, and overly critical self-talk. Instead, focus on building meaningful connections and pursuing your passions. You only live once, so it’s important to spend time with loved ones and take care of yourself.

While the YOLO mantra is a good reminder to be more spontaneous and enjoy life, it can also be a dangerous philosophy that leads to reckless behavior. If you’re a YOLO person, be sure to set boundaries with your friends and family to protect them from harm. You should also be aware of your limits and know when to seek help if you are struggling.

The YOLO mantra can be a positive force when you apply it to your daily life and stay grounded in your values. It can be a helpful tool to help you reach your full potential and accomplish the things that are important to you. Start by making a list of the goals you want to accomplish, and then make a plan with steps on how to achieve them.

To support you on this path of expanding your vision for your life, you may download your copy of the 30-Day Journal + Blueprint Bundle Towards Living Your Best Life at heartsofwellness.com/you. 

This will support you by taking small steps daily towards a better view of yourself with improved self talk, writing your weekly goals and celebrating your weekly wins. Discovering and living by your personalized playbook are important steps we can create together!

If you feel a self-paced approach with Wendy’s support would be helpful in reaching your goals, you can head over to the Hearts of Wellness Membership Collective and begin your journey back to simplicity, freedom and wholeness!

As a pioneer in advocacy and mentorship, Wendy is leading a global revolution of women walking in purpose and peace as she illumines their path ahead with the light of HOPE:  Harmony, Options, Peace & Empowerment.

Follow Wendy: heartsofwellness.com/newsletter

Connect with her through social media:

Twitter/X: @bjork_ms

FB page: Wendy Bjork Hearts of Wellness

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@wendybjork

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendybjork

Instagram: @theempressofms

Check out more lifestyle stories here. 

The post Why Is a YOLO Lifestyle Unrealistic? appeared first on .

Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, welcomed Benjamin “BENCASSO” Barnes to provide another commentary in a series.

The Benjamin “BENCASSO” Barnes Commentaries

Dressing appropriately for every occasion is a powerful tool for establishing your personal brand. Whether you’re at a symphony, a wedding, or a rock show, your outfit can either reinforce your image or work against you. By aligning your style with the environment, you not only respect the occasion but also communicate professionalism, creativity, or expertise— depending on what your personal brand needs in that moment.

Hey, artistpreneurs! Let’s talk about fashion—or as I like to call it, “Strategic Camouflage for Success.” Dressing appropriately for different occasions isn’t just about looking good (though that never hurts), it’s about crafting your personal brand and communicating who you are to the world without saying a word.

Let’s start with the obvious: **Going to the Symphony**. No, you don’t need to look like you’re auditioning for the orchestra, but jeans and flip-flops scream, “I’m lost, help me.” Go for something polished, something that says, “I belong in the same room as Beethoven.” This also applies to **weddings**—dress like you’re happy to be there, not like you’re crashing it. Trust me, showing up in a Hawaiian shirt might get you noticed, but not for the right reasons.

Next, we hit **gentlemen’s clubs**—no, not *that* kind. I mean real, old-school, whiskeysipping, leather-chair types. You want to project sophistication here, even if your bank account doesn’t match your appearance. Try to blend in; a little tweed goes a long way.

Then there’s the flip side: **rock gigs**. Let’s face it, rolling up to a rock show in a three-piece suit says, “I’m with the IRS, and I’m here to audit.” No, no, no. Go for edgy, comfortable, but still you. For **bluegrass**, trade the leather for flannel—extra points for looking like you just came from chopping wood. For **classical**, you want to channel “formal” without looking like a butler. Remember: clean lines, tailored fits, but still breathable enough to actually play your instrument without fainting.

Now, **speaking engagements**—you’re on stage, you’re the authority, and you don’t want your wardrobe to undermine your message. Business casual at the very least, unless you’re speaking at a surf shop. In which case, hey, go wild! And finally, **sports games**—look like you know which team is playing, or at least blend in enough that no one will know you don’t.

Bottom line: Dressing for the occasion isn’t just about looking good; it’s about aligning your appearance with the message you want to send. Whether you’re jamming on stage or shaking hands with the CEO, your wardrobe is an extension of your brand. And hey, no one’s going to take you seriously at a rock concert in tuxedo tails. Unless you’re me. Then maybe.

Song Roscoe from Year of the Dog by Benjamin Barnes aka bencasso

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/50oI4RBwG5wGPx94bwKPrB? si=tcYnEM1WQGCMYYnufTILGg

Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/album/roscoe/1608707576?

i=1608707577

Amazon music https://music.amazon.com/albums/B09S5V1ZYY? marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_CxTLpj00 UvV8S3cNrXcnLzeFR&trackAsin=B09S5MN4JV

Benjamin Barnes, better known as Bencasso, is a former rock star turned classical violinist, bluegrass fiddler, and entrepreneur. He’s a multi-talented artist who’s overcome a catastrophic accident, winning awards, publishing books, and running a thriving business empire. His blend of artistry and humor makes him a sought-after speaker and creative coach—whether you’re looking for advice on performing, painting, or simply what to wear to your next gig.

Social Media

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/benjamindavidbarnes – Facebook: https:// facebook.com/benjamindavidbarnes – Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ benjamindbarnes
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.com/bencasso
• – Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/bencasso
• All Links: https://www.allmylinks.com/bencasso
• Bencasso Links: https://www.linktr.ee.com/bencasso
• Violin Lessons https://www.linktr.ee.com/violinlessons
• Tax Deductible Donations: https://www.culturescholar.org/donate –
• Tips: Venmo: @benjamin-barnes-74
• PayPal: ben@benjaminbarnes.com

Artwork Available at https://www.bencasso.org

For more great business content see here.

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