Achievements Camelot Homes Wins Coveted Housing Quality Award Fulton Homes Wins Three EPA Awards in 2020 Navitus Health Solutions Wins Six 2021 AVA Digital Awards Philanthropy Homie Helps with Girl Scouts’ ‘Cookie Castle’ Veyo Partners with St. Mary’s Food Bank … [More]
Looking Good 2021 – February Standouts
Achievements Bronze-Winning Whiskey from Sran Spirits HiMS Wins a Best in Biz Award Philanthropy ProShred AZ: Shred for Food Curaleaf Donates Pet CBD Product Community Win/Win Thanks to M3 Junk Removal … [More]
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: The Time Is Now
Businesses may try to operate from the stance that the growing awareness of bias — racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual or other discrimination — is a social issue outside the world of their internal actions. Some businesses, however, are already operating from a heightened awareness of responsibility internally, to their workforce, as well as externally, to the society they are … [More]
The Power of Embracing Diversity
How can one nurture collective alignment while encouraging diversity? When dealing with cultures, modes of thinking, backgrounds or outlooks different from our own, creating and maintaining alignment by communicating effectively and adjusting to new circumstances or environments is particularly crucial — and challenging. It’s important to note that alignment does not mean … [More]
Finding Comfort in the Awkwardness
The idea of having an uncomfortable conversation about race or racism is right up there with getting those wisdom teeth pulled that many people dread having done but know is essential to having and maintaining good oral health. No one likes or even wants to do it, but everyone knows that, at some point in life, they will have to be brave enough and strong enough to just get it … [More]
The Hidden Threat of Microaggressions
Microaggressions are communications that are conscious and intentional, unconscious, and/or intended to be complimentary. Whether intentional or unintentional, conscious or unconscious, microaggressions are negatively inflicted upon a group of people due to their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or culture. Microaggressions are a form of discrimination. They are … [More]
Moving Beyond Conversations to Address Systemic Inequities
As calls for social reform persist, people continue to look to leaders to champion a more diverse, inclusive and equitable society. A critical first step is to create safe spaces for conversations to promote an overall understanding of the impacts and outcomes of systemic inequity. But it’s time to move beyond this. It’s time to implement solutions. While it may be … [More]
Pete Hemingway, Ritoch-Powell & Associates
As Diversity, Equity and Inclusion becomes ever more mainstream news, the business community and their workplaces are an arena where efforts around these social movements are naturally experienced. For many businesses, it’s a new awakening. Others have a long history of leading by example in their corporate culture and directed programs. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion takes … [More]
Skills-based Volunteering: The Business Case
The last year has been marked by an unprecedented combination of challenges: a pandemic, economic downturn and devastating racial injustice, all of which have affected individuals as well as public and private-sector organizations. At the same time, pervasive social issues such as unequal access to healthcare, housing, food, education and workforce development remain. Making … [More]
Female Founders Succeed Despite Sexism
Historically, a lot of business has transpired in social settings, high on the list of which is the golf course and private men’s lounges. Hence the term “the old boys’ club.” Transactions may or may not be brought to agreement in such settings, but certainly connections are facilitated that ultimately lead to business agreements. This is not news, but it is the reason women … [More]
Companies’ Compliance Concerns Regarding Independent Contractors
The gig economy has exploded and, now more than ever, contract workers are in high demand. One report showed that month-over-month revenues in the gig economy increased 18% in June 2020 alone, according to an article in Forbes. What’s more, many organizations are leaning on these contractors to keep their businesses afloat in the wake of this monumental recession. However, … [More]
Plexus Worldwide Volunteerism: Nourishing Health and Happiness
Plexus Worldwide is more than a health and wellness company. It is a company built from the belief that people should have the opportunity to meet their wellness and financial goals. Originally started with its flagship product, the Breast Chek Kit, which allowed women to easily perform their own monthly examinations, Plexus has a tradition of exploring solutions that help … [More]
Leading and Living B.I.G.
As human beings, we are meaning-making machines! To make sense of our daily lives, our brains are constantly on the hunt for a story that fits. Yet, there is a problem with stories. Once we give ourselves a good guy and a bad guy, or a right way and a wrong way, our brains reward us with a hit of the feel-good neurotransmitter called dopamine. The brain doesn’t care if the … [More]
Workplace: Making a Safe Environment
In the midst of COVID-19, workers in all industries are being affected by societal tensions, unprecedented stress and pressures at home. Those stressors find their way to the workplace, creating dangerous environments that put both employees and customers at great risk. In this day and age, violence in the workplace is something we simply cannot ignore as business … [More]
Embracing Chaos
Chaos is defined as “a state of utter confusion, or disorder, a total lack of organization or order.” If there is one thing we are not missing right now is more chaos! The world has been turned upside-down in ways that we have never dreamed of! Things that once seemed normal, now require deep preparation, orchestration and facilitation like never before. The new normal is no … [More]
Use OKRs to Maximize Productivity and Profitability
Google, Amazon, Spotify and LinkedIn are some of the most recognizable brands in the market today. These companies all have something in common, and it’s not just that they’re leaders of the technology industry. They all follow the same goal-setting system: OKR. What is an OKR? The acronym stands for “Objectives and Key Results.” OKRs are a highly flexible and effective … [More]
Four Steps to Thinking Positive in Business
It’s long been known by successful people what a powerful tool positive thinking can be. Just think of all the inspirational quotes out there that point out the impact of the right attitude and the importance of perseverance. Positive thinking can help people in all aspects of life, and it can be incredibly powerful in the way people conduct their businesses and lead their … [More]
Arizona Passes Prop. 207 to Become the 13th State to Legalize Marijuana
At the end of last year, Arizona voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 207, legalizing recreational marijuana in our state. So, what happens next? According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, the law will allow limited marijuana possession, use and cultivation by adults 21 or older; amend criminal penalties for marijuana possession; ban smoking marijuana in … [More]
