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Anyone who knows me, knows I have been an entrepreneur all my life. Through failures and successes I have learned a lot and I am bringing all of that into my new venture.
I founded Zenoshi Inc last winter with 2 goals in mind. One is to disrupt the Loyalty Rewards industry and the second is to launch a service to help small business owners get more customers. Most importantly, I wanted to help them become better at managing their advertising expenses and to eventually spend less on advertising. Yes I know those are 2 big, hairy, audacious and crazy goals that I took on. But here I am now days away from launching the latter, the service to small businesses, called ZenoshiOffers. If you are a consumer, you are going to love ZenoshiOffers as we bring you the best of what our small businesses have to offer. These offers help you to shop local and enjoy the best service. ZenoshiOffers has created a software platform that we use to bring leads and customers to small businesses and we are focusing on restaurants in the beginning. We do this via social media as well as offline advertising. At the same time we build a database made up of these leads and customers for each small business and they own that list. The biggest thing we offer is that WE do all the work for them. We realize that many small businesses are extremely busy doing what they do. Many of them are understaffed. And small business owners are among the hardest working people I have ever met. I proud to say that I personally have belonged to that group and understand their needs well. That is why we decided that we would be the ones to drive all the marketing for them. Not only run the advertising, but then once the list was created to also market to that list. Finally, we want to make sure that what we charged was affordable and that's why we built the software platform. It helps us reduce the time and effort of our labor force which in turn keeps costs down. If you are a business and you're curious go ahead and check out our site and enter in your information after clicking on the Merchant Tab. If you are a customer, please tell your favorite restaurants about us. Give them our website address and ask them to schedule a conversation with us. We can and will help them increase their customers and their cash flow. Never, Ever Stop Chasing Your Dreams... Ever!
I know it's hard. People have laughed at me; they've mused among themselves that I'm crazy. They have told me that I should be practical and just get a job. And quite often I have listened and got a job. But I never, ever gave up on my dream. A job is awesome to have because it takes the pressure off the bills and its great for meeting new people in most cases. That's why I don't like people that refer to a job as Just Over Broke (J.O.B) even though that's somewhat true. So what I have always done is work on something on the side. Instead of an hour or two in front of the TV I work on chasing my dream. Here's another reason why you should chase your dream and build something on the side. I call it job insurance. We go out and get insurance on our cars, get warranties on our TV's but what about building a business that may one day serve as Insurance in case you lose your job? The Immigration Ban is a Headfake, and We’re Falling For It? By Jake Fuentes
The following post appeared in Medium and was brilliantly thought out and written by Jack Fuentes. The link to the original article can be found at the bottom of this post. I think Mr Fuentes may be on to something quite brilliant here. What if there is something much more devious going on than an awful immigration ban? When I read about the incredibly active first week of the Trump administration, I struggle with two competing narratives about what’s really going on. The first story is simple: the administration is just doing what it said it would do, literally keeping its campaign promises. Lots of people won’t agree, but it’s playing to its base. They’re also not really good at this whole government thing yet, so implementation is shaky. The second is more sinister: the administration is deliberately testing the limits of governmental checks and balances to set up a self-serving, dangerous consolidation of power. A legitimate argument can be made for the former: a relatively extreme and inexperienced administration was just put in place, and they haven’t yet figured out the nuances of government. But a few of the events in the past 72 hours —the intentional inclusion of green card holders in the immigration order, the DHS defiance of a federal judge, and the timing of Trump’s shakeup of the National Security Council — have pointed to a larger story. Even worse, if that larger story is true, if the source of this week’s actions is a play to consolidate power, it’s going really well so far. And that’s because mostly everyone — including those in protests shutting down airports over the weekend— are playing right into the administration’s hand. I obviously can’t pretend to know the intentions of the new President, but let’s pretend the power consolidation move is what’s actually happening. In fact, let’s pretend we’re the Trump administration (not necessarily Trump himself, more likely his inner circle) for a second. Here’s our playbook:
Assuming this narrative is true (again, I have no idea what the administration intends), the “resistance” is playing right into Trump’s playbook. The most vocal politicians could be seen at rallies, close to the headlines. The protests themselves did exactly what they were intended to: dominate the news cycle and channel opposition anger towards a relatively insignificant piece of the puzzle. I’m not saying that green card holders should be stuck in airports — far from it. I’m saying there might be a much larger picture here, and the immigration ban is a distraction. So for those that believe that the power consolidation narrative is true and want to oppose it, how does that happen? First, stop believing that protests alone do much good. Protests galvanize groups and display strong opposition, but they’re not sufficient. Not only are they relatively ineffective at changing policy, they’re also falsely cathartic to those protesting. Protestors get all kinds of feel-good that they’re among fellow believers and standing up for what’s right, and they go home feeling like they’ve done their part. Even if protestors gain mild, symbolic concessions, the fact that their anger has an outlet is useful to the other side. Do protest, but be very wary of going home feeling like you’ve done your job. You haven’t. Second, pay journalists to watch for the head fake. That’s their job. Become a paying subscriber to news outlets, then actively ask them to more deeply cover moves like the NSC shakeup. We can no longer breathlessly focus media attention on easy stories like the immigration ban. The real story is much more nuanced and boring — until it’s not. Third, popular attention must focus less on whether we agree with what the government is doing, and more on whether the system of checks and balances we have in place is working. It is a much bigger deal that the DHS felt they could ignore a federal court than that Trump signed an EO blocking green card holders in the first place. It is a much bigger deal that Trump removed a permanent military presence from the NSC than that he issued a temporary stay on immigration. The immigration ban may be more viscerally upsetting, but the other moves are potentially far more dangerous. Once again, I’m desperately hoping that none of this narrative is actually true, and that we merely have a well-intentioned administration with some execution problems. I’m also hoping and praying that the structure of our democracy is resilient even to the most sophisticated attacks. I’m hoping that the better angels of our nature will prevail. But with each passing day, the evidence tilts more in the other direction. Original Article Link: https://medium.com/@jakefuentes/the-immigration-ban-is-a-headfake-and-were-falling-for-it-b8910e78f0c5#.nd8e5o63m How to let a populist beat you, over and over again.
The following article appears in it's entirety in the Washington Post. Click the link at the bottom to read it all. I highly recommend that for all my American friends and even my Canadian friends who could soon find themselves in the throes of their own Trumpism with Mr O'Leary. Donald Trump is an avowed capitalist; Hugo Chávez was a socialist with communist dreams. One builds skyscrapers, the other expropriated them. But politics is only one-half policy: The other, darker half is rhetoric. Sometimes the rhetoric takes over. Such has been our lot in Venezuela for the past two decades — and such is yours now, Americans. Because in one regard, Trump and Chávez are identical. They are both masters of populism. The recipe for populism is universal. Find a wound common to many, find someone to blame for it, and make up a good story to tell. Mix it all together. Tell the wounded you know how they feel. That you found the bad guys. Label them: the minorities, the politicians, the businessmen. Caricature them. As vermin, evil masterminds, haters and losers, you name it. Then paint yourself as the savior. Capture the people’s imagination. Forget about policies and plans, just enrapture them with a tale. One that starts with anger and ends in vengeance. A vengeance they can participate in. That’s how it becomes a movement. There’s something soothing in all that anger. Populism is built on the irresistible allure of simplicity. The narcotic of the simple answer to an intractable question. The problem is now made simple. The problem is you. How do I know? Because I grew up as the “you” Trump is about to turn you into. In Venezuela, the urban middle class I come from was cast as the enemy in the political struggle that followed Chávez’s arrival in 1998. For years, I watched in frustration as the opposition failed to do anything about the catastrophe overtaking our nation. Only later did I realize that this failure was self-inflicted. So now, to my American friends, here is some advice on how to avoid Venezuela’s mistakes.
 The GenerationsWhich Generation are You?
By Michael T. Robinson Founder and Career Coach CareerPlanner.com These are Western Cultural Generations. Japan and Asia and portions of Europe will have their own generational definitions based on major cultural, political, and economic influences. Notes on Each of the Latest Cultural GenerationsGen Z: Born between 1996 and 2010As of 2013 most of these folks are still too young to have made an impact. However the older ones might be fighting our war in Afghanistan. The younger ones are hopefully still in school and planning on careers and jobs that will have strong demand and generate new opportunities. If you are Gen Z, please pick a major in fields where there will be plenty of jobs and avoid fields where the jobs are limited. Unless of course you are so different and truly exceptional. Healthcare and high tech are the booming fields now and that will continue for decades. Thus careers in science, engineering, software, and medicine are a good choice. There won't be many jobs for people who major in English, history, geology. Sorry. Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering look really good. As does nursing, and being a family doctor. Civil Engineering offers very few jobs since we are not building a lot of bridges and buildings. So avoid that. Automotive engineering is tough. Not many US jobs. Gen Y: "The Millennials" Born between 1980 and 1995The Millennials grew up and began their careers in a time when:
Gen X: Born between 1965 and 1979According to WikiPedia, Gen X was originally called "Gen Bust" because their birth rate was vastly smaller than the preceding Baby Boomers. Gen X'ers were the first generation to experience:
Baby Boomers: Born between 1946 and 1964Baby Boomers are defined as being from the huge population increase that followed World War II, and the Great Depression. They grew up in a time of prosperity and an absence of world wars. They were the Flower Children, taking LSD and protesting the war in Vietnam. Unlike their parents who grew up during the Great Depression, Boomers became the great consumers. They became famous for spending every dollar they earned. This was the first Western Generation to grow up with two cars in every garage and a chicken in every pot. Baby Boomer spending and consumerism has fueled the world economies. The Baby Boomers fought for environmental protection. Baby Boomers were the first generation to experience:
The Silent Generation: Born between 1925 and 1945Those of the Silent Generation were born during the Great Depression. Their parents were mostly of the Lost Generation. They grew up expecting a hard life. This was the era when a Christmas present might be a orange or a full meal. They are called the Silent Generation because as a group they were not loud. They did not protest in Washington. There were no major wars to protest. The Greatest Generation: Born between 1910 and 1924Those of the Greatest Generation grew up during the Great Depression and probably fought in World War II. They are also known as the GI Joe Generation. They are the parents of the Baby Boomers. They were named the Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw, famous News Broadcaster. Brokaw said they were the greatest because they fought for what was right rather than fighting for selfish reasons. They certainly made great self sacrifices, fighting to protect people in other countries from the likes of Hitler, Mussolini and Japanese Kamikaze suicide bombers. Makes one wonder what they will call those bankers and insurance company executives who fought only for personal gain thus creating the 2007-2009 financial collapse. Primary Sources for our Data on Generations:
The US Census Bureau appears to use census data (duh) and the rise and fall of the birth rate to mark borders between generations. Other researchers, such as Pew, use major cultural events to define the borders between generations. Here is an example of using the birth rate fluctuations to define borders between generations: What Generation Are You If You Are On The Cusp?If your birth date falls on the border between two generations, which one do you pick? Pick the generation that you relate to the most, and the one you want to be part of. Why so arbitrary? This is not a precise science with firm definitions. Updates and RevisionsOn 9-29-2016 we made the following adjustments to the date ranges of Gen x, Millenials, Gen Z:
The bottom line is that the experts do not agree on when generations begin and end. Sorry for this confusion. I would prefer to have things nice and tidy, precise and exact.  I have had a few people contact me over the last 3 weeks asking me what I think of the new social network, Empowr. I felt it was important for me and anyone who has any influence in social media to step in and stop their friends from being scammed. Yes, it is one huge scam folks.
And here are a few reasons why: 1- In order to cash out, you have to provide either your credit card details or a PayPal account, and when you provide your payment details, you have to agree to this: 2- Without you knowing, when you post something on Empowr, you automatically use their Ad Credits. If you have provided your payment details and have accepted the above terms, you will automatically be charged on your credit card or your PayPal account if you use more than $2 worth of advertising fee. Remember, this advertising fee is levied each time you perform an activity on Empowr, moreover, you will be charged a 2.9% ad platform fee on a monthly basis. 3- Any earnings that you make from Empowr takes 90 days (3 months) to mature, but it takes you a few seconds to pay their advertising fees. Does it make sense to you? Why you can’t cash out immediately if you have paid their advertising fee? HOW DOES EMPOWR MAKE MONEY? This is the first question I asked and no one had an answer. Now I know! You are required to do several things - 4 in particular to make money on Empowr. 1- Post - Photo's, comments, etc. 2- Share - others, photo's and comments 3- List - Products for sale 4- Bid - which also lets you reshare what you bid on. Every time you do any of these you get 'paid'. You also get charged. (CATCH)> You have to complete all four tasks every single day so that the money you are supposed to get paid will mature in 90 days. One of those tasks by the way, LIST is the most frustrating as your listings get rejected no matter how closely you follow their rules. And if you get rejected enough times they put you in LIST JAIL for a period of time. But all this Makes Sense now! This is how they make money. If you and I can't achieve our daily goals but are being charged for all our activities, every day for 90 days, we are not going to have enough income from Empowr to cover our expenses. HANGING ON...THE ILLUSION There are a lot of people hanging on in Empowr because they see their balances growing. That's what I did. My balance was over $10,000 and I couldn't cash out even though I was active enough to be frequently in the top 100. What I didn't realize is all that activity was costing me money. That money you have in Empowr is the beautiful illusion they put in front of you while they pick your back pocket. My clue came when PayPal sent me a notice saying my account was in arrears. I was shocked as I had not used my PayPal account for any purchases. So I logged in and low and behold Empowr had their hand in my PayPal account to the tune of about $140 USD. I filed a complaint with PayPal BUT that didn't work because I had signed their agreement (see point #1 conveniently and fraudulently called their FREE Automatic Account Protection. Who were they protecting the account from? Ha I'm such an idiot... When my PayPal balance gets negative they try to get the money from one of the credit cards I provided. So I cut off that credit card. Just in time as well. December 22nd the Empowr Alligators come again this time for $142.43 which my credit card denied. December 22nd again they now try to get $158 and again denied. No way I was going to let these scum bags get more money. So my final act was to delete the account with the following comments. I make a promise in those comments that I am going to keep. And if you will share this with your friends and loved ones to keep them from getting scammed that would help me spread the word. My Comments Upon Deleting My Account and the Illusory $9,000 I had in there. I am tired of you lot taking money from my paypal account and me not earning enough to cover that even though I'm listed in the top 100 in Canada. I will not be associated with these types of scams. I am social media guru with over 50,000 followers on various social media platforms and I am going to blast you guys across all of them. I realize I probably don't have much hope in winning my battle to recover $140 USD in funds that were taken from my PayPal account but I am working on it. But you're about to get a shit load of publicity. So I will bow down and you can kiss my ass. MORE NIGHTMARE STORIES can be found in the comments of this link: http://barenakedscam.com/empowr Nearly 60% of Albertans say $200 could push them over the financial edge
From Calgary Herald Published on: September 28, 2016 | Last Updated: September 28, 2016 8:22 AM MDT A $200 change in their financial fortunes could leave more than half of Albertans unable to cover their bills and debt payments, according to a new survey. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents to the MNP Ltd. survey said they were $200 or less away from financial strife — an 18 point increase from February. That included 35 per cent who say they already don’t make enough money to cover bills and debts, “technically making them financially insolvent,” MNP said in a release. That number was up 14 points from February. The survey found 53 per cent of Albertans are concerned about their current debt levels (up 11 points), with more than half saying they regret the amount of debt they’ve taken on (up seven points). “Given the downturn in Alberta, it’s not surprising that Albertans are concerned about their finances. What is surprising is the number who say they are living on the edge of financial crisis,” said Donna Carson, a Calgary-based insolvency trustee with MNP, in the release. “With so many feeling unable to cover their bills and debts, there is tremendous vulnerability to any kind of economic shock; the loss of a job, an emergency, a divorce, even things like a reduction in overtime pay or bonuses or an increase in interest rates.” According to the survey, 39 per cent of Albertans say they’re worried an increase in interest rates could push them towards bankruptcy, up nine points from February. Despite those concerns, MNP said overspending “remains a reality” in the province. It noted that 43 per cent of Alberta parents said they spent more on back-to-school shopping than budgeted, while 33 per cent say they spent more than they intended on summer recreation or vacations. “Albertans have come to rely on cheap credit to fund their lifestyles and a significant number are now adding even more debt obligations as a result of job losses,” Carson said in the release. “But interest rates will eventually rise. Those who already feel overwhelmed by their debt should seek professional help now. One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting until the point of devastation before getting help.” |
Allan Marston
I have written many blogs over the years so I am going to keep this one as my way of keeping in touch with my friends. The Secret Killer
Find out what it is before it kills you and your loved ones and what you can do about it.
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