nancy wheeler getting a good night’s sleep sweet dreams my angel

✨ Bean's Top Five Song Discoveries of 2023 ✨

yes i realize it is already well into january 2024 but here, enjoy the songs i found this year that define my 2023. if you're new here, hi i used to make obsessive music posts but now dont have time to make full ones so take this instead: your very own unique insight to my 2023!

this post is dedicated to @disco-tea for somehow being invested in all my music adventures and obsessions, bestie ily 🥺💕

STOP (Lollapalooza Version) by j-hope (Eng. translation // Performance w/ Eng. sub)

im totally cheating already by choosing this when i first listened to jitb in 2022. but honestly? i dont care. i saw hobipalooza for the first time in 2023 and this version was only officially released then so here it is now!

to be frank, watching the performance was a completely different experience to me compared to listening to the studio release. while the original recording sounded conversational, it felt like something was exploding out of him during this performance. he needed to get things off his chest and yet still barely stops himself in his tracks from spiralling. and the juxtaposition !! placing it right after Equal Sign, where he is preaching kindness and understanding and unity and even goes so far to say "it costs you nothing to be kind" ?? and then the sudden immediate whiplash into STOP where he is actively holding himself back because its not true! being kind is hard!!! but he wants to be understanding and practice what he preaches but even he fails and gets "contaminated by the viruses" sometimes. its hard, its real, its raw. and ugh !! this song !!!

Bonus: the moment I always start to lose my mind

its the way the alternate title to this song is "there are no bad people in the world," a belief he holds deep to his core. and yet only a few breaths later, he confesses that the reality of the world makes him question if people are even human anymore. 😩 like wtf-

but also. its so true. and relatable. sometimes i cant even look at the news anymore bc its so hard to be a hopeful and positive and good person when you are bombarded with only hate and tragedy. i have never seen that feeling captured so perfectly in a song. jung hoseok you king.

tldr i think about this song, its performance juxtaposition, and what it means way too often. eternally sad that the youtube video with eng subs playing those songs back to back got taken down, i rewatched it so much it haunts me. may we never ever forget hobipalooza bc jung hoseok made Choices !!

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Don't Wanna Cry by Seventeen (Eng. translation // Performance w/ Eng. sub in captions)

the real ones remember how j-hope took over my life that second half of 2022 and how much i fought tooth and nail the entire way... so yeah lol seventeen took over the second half of 2023 and this is the song that got me out of that denial.

the thing is. i had kept hearing about this song and this choreography and how iconic it was, which is why i avoided it for so long. but as we all know, no matter how much i joke, i am and always will be a dancer. dancing will always be in my blood. so it is very on brand that a good dancer has been what gets me into kpop groups 100% of the time (2 out of 2 groups stanned bc i fell for the main dancer 🫣). and as a choreographer, good choreo will always have an unreasonable chokehold on me. and yet, Don't Wanna Cry has the audacity to exist ?? featuring performance unit leader hoshi with his most masterful choreography for this heartbreaking song ?? come onnn, i had no chance.

i cant say anything about this choreo that hasnt been said before but like seriously, watch this practice video and tell me this choreo isnt one of the most in-sync yet emotionally effective pieces of art you've ever seen. You don't even need the translations to understand the emotions behind it. But when I first saw the lyrics with the choreography, I swear I got chills. Ironically, once DK sang out this line:

my eyes got blurry. because thats the whole point of the song isn't it? thats the whole reason why they dont want to cry. because they realize their time together is limited, their heart is breaking but each second in their presence is so beautiful and precious, how dare tears get in the way of fully appreciating this time together. its beautiful and heartbreaking and then the timing of falling to their knees right after for a chorus just adds into the hopelessness.

And I know everyone talks about the bridge but like- the bridge.

Lying to yourself that everything is OK only to fall on your knees again begging "come back, come back, come back". The rawness in this choreo. The almost uncontrollable chest pops in this vulnerable, open position because these words are coming from their heart.

Also Hoshi still to this day calls this one of his favorite svt choreos. He doesn't brag much about his choreo nowadays but the interviews I could find of him proudly relaying the story behind the iconic "streetlight" choreo just 🥺🥺 me too buddy. choreo can be beautiful sometimes and he did so good with this one. 🥺🥺🥺 choreographer hoshi, king of my heart, thank you for making me fall in love with this song 🥺🙌

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I'm Just Another Person Oh God by Daisy the Great (lyrics)

Ah, yes. the Daisy the Great phase. I could have picked the whole All You Need is Time album honestly bc the storyline it has in my head is so fucked up I can't handle it. But in the end, it was a toss up between including this one or Aluminum in this list bc those were the ones I had on loop. for. reasons. 🫣

Gosh, what to say about this song. other than admitting, wow was I going through something for this one. Haven't we all felt this way sometimes though? Wanting something so bad and it not working out and then stepping back like. "wait am i being greedy and selfish with this?" and the answer is no! like actually im just being entirely super normal with this. just like everyone else! only i am also filled with some bonus woe! like ?!??!?! wasnt that the biggest 2023 mood? idk it was for me lmao.

There is something to be said with this album though, that is particularly apparent in this song. It's that kind of cynical wistfulness of wanting something you had in the past. Passion? Naivete? Whatever it is. It's gone now bc of life, the passage of time, and you're being like so super brave and normal about it (clenched fist, arthur meme style). Everything is painted with a bit of regret and "why am i always like this", all wrapped up in a funky floaty song that is almost uncomfortably easy to listen and vibe to bc of how concerning those lyrics can be when you really listen. but hey ✌️ it really do be like that sometimes i guess. shoutout to them for the insane 20yearold something vibes bc daisy the great? they get it ahaha.

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Snow on Tha Bluff by J. Cole (lyrics)

Lol surprise.

if you ever want to know how i find music, a lot of my favorite songs are usually found by chance. a random deep dive fueled by curiosity or hyperfixation and every so often, my spotify will give me a gem. this particular discovery was bc for a variety of reasons, i decided to listen to a playlist of j.cole's music and was bopping along appropriately until this one came up and. i had to replay it multiple times.

its very understated. and raw. stream-of-consciousness.

i dont even know but i listened to this one a lot. even as i write this now, its been months since i listened to it but when i was making this list, i knew i had to include this one bc of how much ive thought about it.

there's something about understated vulnerability that always gets me in. nothing about this is showy nor does it really seem to have a point other than him needing to get this off his chest. yet there's such a poignant art to it. the instance he speaks about is v specific but the sentiment is still relatable and somehow resonated with me a lot.

idk i just think this song is so beautiful in its simplicity, which is something i think i should try to emulate more considering i said a whole lot of nothing in this section so i think ill stop this one here.

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I Don't Understand But I Luv U by Seventeen (Eng. Lyrics)

if i had to pick a song that defined my december, it would be this one. hands down, no contest. i think i listened to this nonstop the last two weeks of the year. and:

... yeah.

im realizing as i write this post that i spent a lot of this past year just thinking about music and life. seventeen's songs actually tend to be a bit of a slow burn on me so i had known and even heard this song a few times earlier this year but really it only hit me last month. yet despite listening to it nonstop, i cannot recite to you the actual english translation of the song. bc ultimately the translation doesnt matter. what i love about this song is already there in the title.

"I don't understand but I love you"

after all, isnt that love in its truest essense? love is accepting you may never truly understand everything about a person but choosing to love them anyway. love transcends all language and all understanding. its a choice and an action and this is the song that always reminds me of that when love gets hard.

idk what this all says about my 2023 but love is hard. family is hard. but in a way, i think that's what makes it all so beautiful. just as beautiful as this song. i can and will (and have!) listened to this song on repeat bc the ✨vibes✨ i think it might even have been the first song i listened to in 2024. that guitar riff is so sick and sensual. the ad libs are so cute - the little zoom! at 0:46 and smoke smoke! at 2:02, i sing along to it every time 🫣.

also hearing the girlies lose their minds when watching this performance on the big screen during their simulcast concert was so funny but endearing. i'd never but those girls sure love thirst traps skakakka

the story behind this song too just 🥺 hoshi getting absolutely blown by a fan's comment "i dont understand but i love you," repeating it, saying they could use it as part of their lyrics and then a few months later, this song comes out. you can literally see his eyes light up im just 🥺 so endeared. and the way its a Performance Unit song, a unit that is made of 50% foreign members, and that several pre-debut clips show members struggling with language barriers. idk this song is all so soft, it means so much to me and clearly means so much to them. and there we go, its all in the title for me ✨

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✨ if you made it all the way here, wow and thanks! here's to even more good music in 2024 ✨

Build An Awesome Per https://ift.tt/2JlL8Hm

Build An Awesome Personal Website From Scratch People create websites for all kinds of reasons. Some do it for personal branding others to create a professional portfolio. In fact a large number of people are able to make a decent living from their websites through blogs affiliate marketing etc. At any rate creating an appealing and modern website can be challenging especially if you arent quite tech-savvy or want to create one from scratch. However the following points cover all you need to know to succeed in your endeavor. Lets get started! Step 1: Picking A Platform The first thing you need to do is to choose a platform for your website which is also called a content management system. There was a time when building websites were something thats possible for only individuals skilled in the trade. This was when the majority of websites required programming from scratch and you had to create each website page individually using technologies like HTML CSS JS etc. However times have changed. Today even a school-goer can create his own website in a day! There is such a huge demand for website development that a number of software companies have launched user-friendly platforms. These include Wordpress Blogger Drupal etc. The following highlight the distinctions: HTML CSS: Viable option as the programming required is very basic and easily learnable. Drupal: Offers a wide range of tools and customization options. You can even use any of the popular Drupal themes to make your job even easier. Still you must learn the basics first before you get into it. WordPress and Blogger: Both these platforms are extremely popular for website creation. However WordPress has nearly 59% market share and hosts a number of major websites such as Forbes The New York Times TechCrunch Sony Music and more. It also has an excellent community support and a wide range of plugins that can help you create the exact website you want. The majority of people who are new to website building prefer WordPress. So lets go with it for this guide. Step 2: Domain Name Hosting Service No matter what platform you pick you will always need two things: Domain Name this is the name of the website which is usually in the format www.YourWebsiteName.com. Since no domain name can be used twice its possible that the name you are interested in is already booked. So you may need to put on your thinking cap and use some other variations. For instance if you www.alanmiller.com isnt available you can pick www.alanwrites.com or www.writeralan.com etc. Note: You can also choose a different extension other than .com such as .uk .us .net etc. However its best to stick with .com as its more of a norm and easily remembered. Hosting Service Provider There are a number of companies that offer affordable and reliable website hosting services such as GoDaddy Bluehost etc. Plus they offer different subscription plans for different types of users. If you want a basic personal website that does the job then you would want to pick a starter option that would cost around $3-$5 a month. However if you want to create a bigger website with better features and higher storage then you can pick the premium packs. Step 3: WordPress Installation The majority of popular website hosting service providers offer easy WordPress installation support. All you have to do is log into your account and go to the control panel. You will find a WordPress icon there. If you cant find it you may search it entering the name the search box. Note: If the easy method doesnt work you can go for manual installation too. The installation should not take more than a few minutes. Once thats done follow these steps: Login your WordPress account (you can create one if you dont have one already). Go to dashboard and click the Appearance tab on the left. Click Themes and pick one thats appropriate for your website. You can also download a WP theme from third-party websites and upload to your website if you like too. Add pages. Depending on what kind of website you want you can add the following ones: About Me Contact Services etc. Using WordPress isnt difficult. You will find most of the stuff you need easily accessible. Still if you want you can read the documentation available on the WordPress official website. Step 4: Designing a Logo Undermining the importance of a unique and attractive logo for a personal website is a recipe for failure. There are tons of websites on the Internet today both personal and commercial. So if you want yours to stand out or even make a decent impact then you absolutely need a logo. The good news for you is that you dont have to spend hours learning about logo designing. You dont even have to spend hundreds of dollars to appoint a graphics designer to make it for you. There are many new-age logo designing software with which you can create unique attractive and fitting logos for your website in minutes. Learning how to make a logo is also simple and easy with a software like these. You can easily create a logo by sharing the details such as the fonts colors icons etc. with the program of your choice and once your logo is ready you can upload it to your WP website by following these steps: Log in your WordPress account. Click My Sites on the top-left of the page. Select customizer and click Site Identity Click Add Logo button which would open the Media Manager Upload the logo image. Click Set as logo and then Save and Publish button Wrapping it Up At this point you have registered your domain name obtained hosting space and required features created a unique logo and created different pages for your website. Thats all that there it is to create a personal website! You can continue working on your website by changing the design content etc. You can also market your website through a variety of methods such as social media marketing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) etc. Good luck!

TLC:’ I will never forget the day we were millionaires for five minutes’

On the comeback trail, the 90 s megastars reflect on bankruptcy, diverting down Britney and what Lisa Left Eye Lopes would be like on Twitter

TLC are in the back of an Uber XL in the middle of Londons Oxford Circus, sunshine streaming through the windows, with a hottie standing in full view at the crossing. Jesus! Did you look at this guy? Lord have mercy. Why didnt you get his ass on camera? He is byoo-tee-full . Traffic and exchange is gridlocked; Chilli craves her bandmate T-Boz, their cameraman, makeup artist, press officer, the operator and me to acknowledge the drop-dead sumptuous specimen, beefy in muscle and hyper-groomed of look, outside the window.

Look, hey, I desire somewhat guys, but come near now, you are able to grant it up. Tell the truth.

I shrug, ambivalent, and “re just telling me” hes not my category. T-Boz, who has spent the last few minutes scratching her knuckles reminiscing about the fights she used to get into, constricts her attentions. What ?! she says. What is your character? Why dont you tell us what your category is? Even if hes not your kind, you have to say hes cute. Hes not my category, either, but I can see hes good examining. The whole parcel was working for him: the “hairs-breadth”, the muscles What is your category?

The brightness change and the two laughter, a conspiratorial chuckle that follows often of their converse over the next 24 hours. TLC making a respectable comeback in 2017 is, its fair to say, sudden. Despite insisting that theyve been working solidly behind the scenes the whole time touring internationally, writing movie dialogues, setting up a fitness blog the group vanished from public consciousness sometime in the early 00 s.

Watch the video for Way Back.

Collectively though, the three twentysomething dames from Atlanta, Georgia Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Rozonda Chilli Thomas and Lisa Left Eye Lopes owned the 90 s: their brand of sultry R& B, silky enough to woo the masses but glitchy enough to keep them interesting, has constructed them the most successful US girl group of all time. Their two biggest books, CrazySexyCool( 1994) and Fanmail( 1999 ), sold more than 20 m mimics between them, with other singles and albums helping to rack up a total sales pull of around 65 m worldwide.

Thats a behemothic rank of success that was felled first by the bands bankruptcy in 1995, then by the tragic deaths among Lopes, at 30, in 2002.

I slept a lot, says Thomas of that time. When youre depressed and you sleep a lot I did that and stayed in my area. I didnt watch Tv and I certainly didnt listen to radio or used to go because everywhere wed disappear, someone would have something to say.

And theyd be smiling, more, microchips in Watkins, and then be like, Oh, Im so sorry, and then immediately, Can I have your autograph?

The two seemed hounded by the press, the public and their description. People are ghouls, says Watkins. I went words at my home 2 day after Lisa croaked, like, What are you going to do? and, Heres my demo, take a listen. But Lopes, who perished in road accidents on holiday in Honduras that April, was irreplaceable. TLC was ever a vehicle for a producer or a managers brand-new sound opening a revolving door for a new third member like, say, Destinys Child or the Sugababes was not an option.

They are much clearer than anybody else on what is and isnt TLC, their description boss, LA Reid, told Rolling Stone in 1995. They make it clearly articulated to the writers and creators on their projects what they will and will not sing. And because of that, theyll ever be a little onward. The radical turned away major songs, including Hit Me Baby One More Time( Its a great hymn but not every hit is for you. I couldnt hear us on that enter, says Thomas, diplomatically ).

We already did baby babe newborn, says Watkins, caressing her teeth.

Sister ordinance … ( left to right) Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Lisa Left-Eye Lopes and Rozonda Chilli Thomas in the Netherlands in 1992. Photo: Michel Linssen/ Redferns

TLCs distinct din stands written about and referenced by music blogs. And it still influences modern dad( accompany 2017 s biggest-selling single in the UK, Ed Sheerans Shape of You ). The radical characterized themselves by their three distinct identities: crazy, sex, refrigerate. Seven months after Lopes died, their fourth and least successful book, 3D, was secreted. We were upset, that was the label, says Watkins, of the book coming out. I guess their mourning stagecoach for us was a week, we werent recalling straight-from-the-shoulder or in a right frame of mind to be making decisions.

That first couple of years you think you were all right or at least better, and then you have a dreaming or something and youre messed up all over again, lends Thomas. It just really took is high time to heal.

Fifteen times on and in their late 40 s, the pair didnt think that they would be playing their first ever London gig. Mays lonely time at Koko in Camden Town sold out in a daytime, to an horde of followers singing and sweating on its sticky floorboards. We havent had bad concerts where weve been booed, but that was hard to believe, says Watkins, when we gratifies the next night in a salmon pink hotel suite. To come here and have beings singing TLC. It manufactures the adrenaline flow. Were always nervous before we go on stage, says Thomas, but I was exceptionally apprehensive this time. It didnt settle till I started doing it.

That the evidence was a triumph only follows TLCs made-for-TV-movie trajectory. Backing dancers in amber lame outfits, a truth choir, and thumped after reached opening with Diggin On Youand purposing with No Scrubs heightened it beyond the hurry of pop nostalgia. That said, new single Way Back, which boasts a Snoop Dogg verse where Lopes might have been, is pure 90 s street feeling throwback, but the pair affirm that theyre not attaches great importance to continuing trend, because, says Watkins, our music will always be relevant.

Hit girlfriends … TLC in Hollywood, 1999. Photo: Ron Davis/ Getty Images

What do you signify by throwback? questions Thomas.

Its inarguable that the two have worked hard to retain the essence of what reached them so massive in the first place: from the live creation down to Thomass still terrifyingly well-maintained washboard belly, they appear and sound as if theyve escaped a season capsule.

Some beings may say, Oh. you have the same haircut, says Watkins her angled blond bob gash as aggressively as she is. But first of all, second of all, and third of all: when you get the various kinds of iconic haircut that beings emulate, “youre calling” me. Its signature. Its true-blue: alongside The Rachel, Watkinss was the more popular haircut for gobby schoolgirls in the 90s. A slew of faux-bickering and tutting between the two follows as they debate the flaws of contemporary creators who, according to TLC, have no appreciation of performance, showmanship or style.

Celebrity changed, but what stays out to me is the altered in media, says Thomas. If Twitter was around when we were were out, Lisa would have “the worlds largest” adherents for sure. And maybe been in the most disturb, more? Oh my God, she would have been closed down multiple times.

Same with Instagram, says Watkins. If Instagram was taken away tomorrow there would be a lot of parties jobless right now cos theres a lot of public figure now made up of Instagram frameworks. She is unimpressed by influencers monetising their lifestyles online, but tries to hold back. Im not gonna knock your hubbub. Hustle on, girlfriend. “Its time” that hos are triumphing. An affirmative block-caps YEAH! comes from Thomas. But if you gonna be a ho, at the least sounds like a good ho and have to pay, Watkins continues. Ho-ism is working for people. Worst situation is to be a ho, spread your trash far and near and get nothing from it.

No scrubbing please, were TLC … Chilli ( left) and T-Boz. Image: Linda Nylind/ The Guide

Watkins wont be drawn on who she might be alluding to, but its still a surprise to hear her or Thomas claim a moral high ground over other women. TLC endorse female sexuality in their hymns and styling, and were early advocates of safe-sex campaigns( Lopes would even wear a condom on the left see of her glass ). Hitherto, says Watkins, she was offered $50,000 to stay a male fan and his wife at home So they could just stare at me amply clothed for five minutes , nothing else and she refused.

Chilli is scandalized. Fifty thousand! To bring kindnes and gaiety into that relationship, whats wrong with that ?! My husband at that time didnt crave me travelling, declares Watkins. He didnt have to know! squeal Thomas.

Both are single right now. Thomas has a son with TLCs ex-producer Dallas Austin, and Watkins is divorced with a son and teenage daughter. I wouldnt want to meet anyone right now, says Watkins. I do not want a mortal. If God slaps me in the are dealing with a good one, fine, but right now, I dont want to listen to your daytime, I dont want to care about your problems. I wouldnt be a good girlfriend right now; I dont want to have sex with nobody.

Oh, you poverty-stricken girlfriend! You good good girlfriend, says Thomas, cooing at Watkinss vagina.

Shell be all right, says Watkins, side-eyeing Thomas with a cat-like grin.

The pair live in different metropolitans now; Watkins is in Los Angeles, having precisely moved out of the neighbourhood the Kardashians live in, and Thomas has stayed in Atlanta, but they still finish each others sentences and slip into shorthand. You start off with so many friends, shows Watkins, but as you get older, you only need one or two. Im not open to just letting people into my life, I involve an asset not a liability.

Class behave … TLC announce a $25,000 Aids education scholarship in recall of Lisa Lopes at the 2002 MTV Awards. Picture: Kevin Kane/ WireImage

To their ascribe, the two ought to have categorically burned by the industry. To go bankrupt at the top of their honour and success still stings. I will never forget the day we were millionaires for literally five minutes, says Watkins. Because the cheque was written to us and we had to sign it over, back to[ Pebbles, their former administrator ]. But we wont get into that since were still in a lawsuit.

If I could go back, I are certainly change a couple of things business-wise, says Thomas. I have learned the hard way: signal your own cheques, make sure your taxes are in shape and whatever your firm is, its always good to get wise examined. If you dont have anything to hide, its not a worry.

Its not personal, contributes Watkins, hard as nails, its business. Everyone in this industry has only one plan. Auditors, lawyers, beings you think you know will keep running up the greenback. You have to watch your back on every corner.

Worse than the money was, of course, the loss of Lopes , that are actually dissolved that first, fantastical operate. The three had weathered everything together the backstabbing, the bankruptcy, the tabloid awarenes of Lopes igniting down the mansion of her then-football star boyfriend. Lisa was a starter. I dont start substance, I dont believes in disagreeing with people I dont know, says Watkins. I have a hard exterior, Im scary.

She was more intrepid, says Thomas. Im a friendly party but if I find out youre not cool, I get real cold.And, chortles Watkins, with Lisa, it depended on the working day. She was a Gemini, so she was about seven different beings. Neither Watkins or Thomas booze( Weve done this industry sober; were real clear about exactly what we doing ), though Lopes did and the three, tight because they are, were known to scrap often publicly. Gazing back, would they have done anything differently? Coulda, woulda, shoulda, says Watkins, her expression at its most slow and sleepy-eyed. It became us who we are, so at the end of the day, I just recollect Lisa as person or persons, a human being. I miss everything.

TLC by TLC is out on 30 June

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Lazy. Entitled. Narcissistic.

At both the popular and academic level, those three words pretty well sum up the problem with millennials. But why stop there? Theyre job-hopping, promotion-expecting, still-living-at-home-with-their-parents, social-media junkies whose only shared passion seems to be the vague desire for fame. Oh, and theyre also insecure (so if you could not call attention to those deficiencies, thatd be great). Of course, its one thing to identify the problem its another to go after the solution.

The question is: How? To find out, I connected with five leaders at the helm of successful and millennial-dominated companies. Their lessons all reflect powerful insights that are far more about how to lead millennials than about just lamenting whats wrong.

1. Raise the bar

With 620,000 followers, a podcast garnering one million monthly downloads, and over $100 million in sales through his fitness brands last year, Andy Frisella is more a force of nature than a CEO. In fact, the name of his podcast and website make that point clear: The MFCEO. (You can guess what MF stands for.)

However, Frisellas passion for millennialswhich comprise all but five of his 130 employeesstems from a surprising source: empathy. There are these kids out there who want to be successful, Frisella told me, but their entire life theyve never had to work to be successful. They dont understand reality. Everyone likes to dog millennials like theyre not as good as previous generations, but the truth is that its not millennials who have failed. Its the people that raised them. Its us.

That kind of ownership is why, instead of lowering the bar, Frisella raises it: They come in at 19 years old; many stay, but obviously some move on. My goal during that time is to make them so good through the challenges of work that they come back and say, That is the best thing that ever f****** happened to me.

Pushing back against the participation award culture most millennials grew up in, Frisella makes expectations clear. Encouragement is earned, never given. The result is an culture that elevates young workers while also building self-confidence only in a job well done.

2. Cultivate a common passion

In 2005, Jones Soda was a bonafide pop-culture phenomenon. Features in Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Inc. chronicled the manufacturer’s iconic bottles along with their 30% year-over-year revenue growth.

Then, everything fell apart. Over the next decade, Jones wouldnt see a single profitable quarter, downsize by 63 percent, and eventually get delisted from NASDAQ. As the fifth CEO in as many years, thats the landscape Jennifer Cue entered in 2012.

The situation, Cue recalls, demanded creative problem solving and a team that shared a common entrepreneurial spirit.

So, with a 60% millennial workforce, she led by example. In addition to coming in as CEO at a very low salary offset by equity, Cue invested $680,000 of her own money into the company. More vital still, she played to her teams strengths regardless of their titles and responsibilities.

The lesson: Trusting and empowering millennials by providing challenges and opportunity for growth leads to an incredible sense of fulfillment. Its important not to generalize and not to categorize teams by age or demographic. The great thing about Jones is that we all share a common passion for what were doing.

3. Give up control

Handing over the management of 750,000 followers to a college intern sounds like a recipe for disaster. Especially during your companys most busy time of the year. And yet, thats exactly what Candice Galek founder and CEO of Bikini Luxe does every summer. With ecommerce, you always have to be on your toes, the Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient explains, and having a creative team whos eager to learn, experiment, and try stuff out is crucial.

Even riskier is the fact only 8 of Galeks 48 regular employees and 10 seasonal interns work in the same location she does. Why roll the dice?

In Galeks words, Weve learned to love the creative mindset and flexibility of our primarily millennial team members. Trying to control everything for the sake of quality and branding doesnt just kill creativity, it crushes the spirit of the people who work for you regardless of their age.

Plenty of organizations pay lip service to employee freedom. Giving your people the flexibility to pick where and when they work is a step in the right direction. But the real test comes from giving up control over what you post, publish, share, and even produce. This doesnt mean weak leadership, but it does mean giving millennials the tools they need to grow and then letting them.

4. Bring work and play together

Since launching in 2014, Studypool a 500 Startups-backed learning portal thats raised $2.5 million in venture capital has made their vision becoming the Google of academics a reality. Numbers like 40,000 online tutors and over a million student accounts prove it.

Twenty-three years old, CEO Richard Werbe credits being a millennial as part of the reason hes been so successful: While people may assume that my age is a deterrent to my ability lead, its actually the contrary. Like its platform, Studypools culture embraces a work hard, play hard mentality. I know the importance of keeping my team passionate about their work and excited to come to come into the office every day.

While they might sound like small things, Werbe streams music, furnishes a pantry full of snacks, doesnt enforce a dress code, and provides a game room in the office to blow off steam. He also encourages his team to work remotely whenever possible. Theres no point in pushing my team to the point where their job becomes something they resent, Werbe notes, being close in age to my employees makes me particularly aware of the well-being of my team and how to best keep them focused and enthusiastic.

5. Help them plan for whats next

Headquartered in Northern California, Azazie is on a mission to disrupt bridal fashion through affordable customization. With an average employee age of 27, theyre by millennials, for millennials. Whats their secret?

The same tailor-made approach theyve applied to 300,000 dresses, they also apply to staff. As Rachel Hogue an early customer service rep turned senior manager told me, Its about setting individual goals and playing to individual strengths.

Rather than major on quotas, Hogue meets one-on-one with each employee monthly to incorporate their passions and future plans into daily work. By encouraging kindness and open communication, Hogue fosters an environment built on collaboration: Each of our employees is unique. Its my job to ensure they feel comfortable to step up, share an idea, and spearhead new initiatives.

If 300% sales growth in 2017 is any indication, that approach pays off handsomely because when your employees are happy, theyll make your customers happy.

Leading millennials is about leadership

In the end, whether you agree or disagree with the mainstream view on millennials isnt the point.

So, what is? Perhaps Simon Sinek put it best in the closing lines of Millennials in the Workplace: We now have a responsibility to make up the shortfall and help this amazing, idealistic, fantastic generation build their confidence, learn patience, learn the social skills, [and] find a better balance between life and technology because quite frankly its the right thing to do.

Even if millennials are the problem its leaders like you who can offer the solution.

Aaron Orendorff is the founder of iconiContent and a regular contributor at Entrepreneur, Lifehacker, Fast Company, Business Insider and more. Connect with him about content marketing (and bunnies) on Facebook or Twitter.

WATCH: Take the party wherever you go with this portable beer pong table

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The post The problem with millennials isnt millennialsits how youre leading them appeared first on MavWrek Marketing by Jason

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The problem with millennials isnt millennialsits how youre leading them

Image: Shutterstock / turgaygundogdu

Lazy. Entitled. Narcissistic.

At both the popular and academic level, those three words pretty well sum up the problem with millennials. But why stop there? Theyre job-hopping, promotion-expecting, still-living-at-home-with-their-parents, social-media junkies whose only shared passion seems to be the vague desire for fame. Oh, and theyre also insecure (so if you could not call attention to those deficiencies, thatd be great). Of course, its one thing to identify the problem its another to go after the solution.

The question is: How? To find out, I connected with five leaders at the helm of successful and millennial-dominated companies. Their lessons all reflect powerful insights that are far more about how to lead millennials than about just lamenting whats wrong.

1. Raise the bar

With 620,000 followers, a podcast garnering one million monthly downloads, and over $100 million in sales through his fitness brands last year, Andy Frisella is more a force of nature than a CEO. In fact, the name of his podcast and website make that point clear: The MFCEO. (You can guess what MF stands for.)

However, Frisellas passion for millennialswhich comprise all but five of his 130 employeesstems from a surprising source: empathy. There are these kids out there who want to be successful, Frisella told me, but their entire life theyve never had to work to be successful. They dont understand reality. Everyone likes to dog millennials like theyre not as good as previous generations, but the truth is that its not millennials who have failed. Its the people that raised them. Its us.

That kind of ownership is why, instead of lowering the bar, Frisella raises it: They come in at 19 years old; many stay, but obviously some move on. My goal during that time is to make them so good through the challenges of work that they come back and say, That is the best thing that ever f****** happened to me.

Pushing back against the participation award culture most millennials grew up in, Frisella makes expectations clear. Encouragement is earned, never given. The result is an culture that elevates young workers while also building self-confidence only in a job well done.

2. Cultivate a common passion

In 2005, Jones Soda was a bonafide pop-culture phenomenon. Features in Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Inc. chronicled the manufacturer’s iconic bottles along with their 30% year-over-year revenue growth.

Then, everything fell apart. Over the next decade, Jones wouldnt see a single profitable quarter, downsize by 63 percent, and eventually get delisted from NASDAQ. As the fifth CEO in as many years, thats the landscape Jennifer Cue entered in 2012.

The situation, Cue recalls, demanded creative problem solving and a team that shared a common entrepreneurial spirit.

So, with a 60% millennial workforce, she led by example. In addition to coming in as CEO at a very low salary offset by equity, Cue invested $680,000 of her own money into the company. More vital still, she played to her teams strengths regardless of their titles and responsibilities.

The lesson: Trusting and empowering millennials by providing challenges and opportunity for growth leads to an incredible sense of fulfillment. Its important not to generalize and not to categorize teams by age or demographic. The great thing about Jones is that we all share a common passion for what were doing.

3. Give up control

Handing over the management of 750,000 followers to a college intern sounds like a recipe for disaster. Especially during your companys most busy time of the year. And yet, thats exactly what Candice Galek founder and CEO of Bikini Luxe does every summer. With ecommerce, you always have to be on your toes, the Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient explains, and having a creative team whos eager to learn, experiment, and try stuff out is crucial.

Even riskier is the fact only 8 of Galeks 48 regular employees and 10 seasonal interns work in the same location she does. Why roll the dice?

In Galeks words, Weve learned to love the creative mindset and flexibility of our primarily millennial team members. Trying to control everything for the sake of quality and branding doesnt just kill creativity, it crushes the spirit of the people who work for you regardless of their age.

Plenty of organizations pay lip service to employee freedom. Giving your people the flexibility to pick where and when they work is a step in the right direction. But the real test comes from giving up control over what you post, publish, share, and even produce. This doesnt mean weak leadership, but it does mean giving millennials the tools they need to grow and then letting them.

4. Bring work and play together

Since launching in 2014, Studypool a 500 Startups-backed learning portal thats raised $2.5 million in venture capital has made their vision becoming the Google of academics a reality. Numbers like 40,000 online tutors and over a million student accounts prove it.

Twenty-three years old, CEO Richard Werbe credits being a millennial as part of the reason hes been so successful: While people may assume that my age is a deterrent to my ability lead, its actually the contrary. Like its platform, Studypools culture embraces a work hard, play hard mentality. I know the importance of keeping my team passionate about their work and excited to come to come into the office every day.

While they might sound like small things, Werbe streams music, furnishes a pantry full of snacks, doesnt enforce a dress code, and provides a game room in the office to blow off steam. He also encourages his team to work remotely whenever possible. Theres no point in pushing my team to the point where their job becomes something they resent, Werbe notes, being close in age to my employees makes me particularly aware of the well-being of my team and how to best keep them focused and enthusiastic.

5. Help them plan for whats next

Headquartered in Northern California, Azazie is on a mission to disrupt bridal fashion through affordable customization. With an average employee age of 27, theyre by millennials, for millennials. Whats their secret?

The same tailor-made approach theyve applied to 300,000 dresses, they also apply to staff. As Rachel Hogue an early customer service rep turned senior manager told me, Its about setting individual goals and playing to individual strengths.

Rather than major on quotas, Hogue meets one-on-one with each employee monthly to incorporate their passions and future plans into daily work. By encouraging kindness and open communication, Hogue fosters an environment built on collaboration: Each of our employees is unique. Its my job to ensure they feel comfortable to step up, share an idea, and spearhead new initiatives.

If 300% sales growth in 2017 is any indication, that approach pays off handsomely because when your employees are happy, theyll make your customers happy.

Leading millennials is about leadership

In the end, whether you agree or disagree with the mainstream view on millennials isnt the point.

So, what is? Perhaps Simon Sinek put it best in the closing lines of Millennials in the Workplace: We now have a responsibility to make up the shortfall and help this amazing, idealistic, fantastic generation build their confidence, learn patience, learn the social skills, [and] find a better balance between life and technology because quite frankly its the right thing to do.

Even if millennials are the problem its leaders like you who can offer the solution.

Aaron Orendorff is the founder of iconiContent and a regular contributor at Entrepreneur, Lifehacker, Fast Company, Business Insider and more. Connect with him about content marketing (and bunnies) on Facebook or Twitter.

WATCH: Take the party wherever you go with this portable beer pong table

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from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2rThSCx via Viral News HQ

How Snapchat became a social platform that the music industry doesn’t hate

A view of fans holding up smartphones at The Kingdom: Daddy Yankee Vs Don Omar Tour at Madison Square Garden on July 30, 2016 in New York City.

Image: noam galai / getty images

It started with a Twitter video, announcing: New music coming Friday. Then, an Instagram videorevealing a beat, and some lyrics.

But when globally famous pop star Ed Sheeran wanted his fans to experience the first true listen of his new music, he turned to Snapchat. With an augmented reality lens, people could put on a pair of sunglasses, surround themselves in lights, and listen to the first 30 seconds of Sheeran’s new track.

Fans who uncovered the hidden surprise along with fellow artists like Shawn Mendes (who isn’t a stranger to the power of social apps) helped hype the track before Sheeran released it later that night.

RT”@ShawnMendesFans: .@ShawnMendes jamming to @edsheeran‘s new song via Snapchat! http://pic.twitter.com/zBGiywPmlh“

Zf (@zulfahainy) January 6, 2017

Sheeran’s use of Snapchat is just the most recent example of how the appand its communityhave emerged as powerful distribution tools for new music. Where other digital platforms are plagued by piracy issues, Snapchat has taken on the role of a DJ, with artists hoping to partner up, and get their song played within innovative, fun, engagement-heavy formats.

For example, over the last two months, Snapchat users have been able to wear a different pair of shades, and bob their heads to a clip of rapper Sage the Gemini’s song “Now and Later.”

But unlike other marketing rollouts, for both Sage the Gemini and Ed Sheeran, there wasn’t even any mention of the artist on the Snapchat filter. But users eventually found their way to the name of the song:

PSA: the snapchat filter with the glasses is a real song and it’s called Now and Later by Sage the Gemini

kellie. (@KelliePrager) January 5, 2017

Now and later by Sage The Gemini randomly started playing on Spotify and I thought I was using the lenses on snapchat hahaha

Katie V (@19KateMia) December 18, 2016

And the artist himself had the opportunity to close the mystique gap, and re-promote himself as the one behind the track:

@lizakoshy yo Liza the song on yo snap chat is called “now and later” by me sage the Gemini

Fasi (@SageTheGemini) December 30, 2016

“This type of partnership had never been done before with an emerging artist,” said Chelsea Gavin, director of marketing at Artist Partners (who works with Sage the Gemini).

“Together we were able to enhance a lens sonically,” explained Gavin, “maximizing user experience, which translated into a lot of curiosity around the artist.” In other words: They knew they had a good song on their hands. They delivered it to Snapchat’s users. And Snapchat’s users then went looking for the song. The plan was simple. The results? Substantial.

From November to December, Sage the Gemini’s “Now and Later” jumped from 1.1 million to 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Snapchat’s been getting deeper into offering a wide variety of different types of media, including news, politics and sports. In some cases, Snapchat is paying a licensing fee for the content. In others, there’s an ad revenue split between publishers and Snapchat.

Entertainment and music are perhaps the most lucrative to (and in line with) the company projecting itself as a lifestyle brand as they convince influencers, publishers and advertisers to spend more time and money in the app. It’s all the more important to the company’s fate, as Snapchat prepares to go public later in 2017.

While other digital networks like Facebook and YouTube combat the wrath of the music industry hoping to secure more rights, Snapchat has cemented a good reputation with the artists and labelfor now. In order to keep its place of prominence, it’s building more experiences that cater to the discovery and sharing of new musica promotional machine for an industry that needs all the help it can get.

An overdue duet

Snapchat’s embrace of artists isn’t that surprising, given Snap CEO Evan Spiegel’s publicly evident passion for music. His tastes are available to peruse via his Hype Machine account, where you can see he’s a fan of Goldroom, Chance The Rapper and The Chainsmokers.

“Sometimes there can be challenges as a platform grows, but [at Snapchat], they’re all passionate music fans, and have the interest of advancing the artist,” said Chris Mortimer, head of digital marketing at Interscope Records.

Regarding opportunities, Spiegel was once interested in buying a record label and partnering with video hosting site Vevo, as revealed in leaked emails by Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton from the 2014 hack.

Those deals haven’t come to fruition, and perhaps that’s for the better. Running a label “means taking 100 shots and hoping you hit a couple, and focusing in on that,” said Scott “DJ Skee” Keeney, founder of Dash Radio.

“Evan has a great idea around cutting through the noise and focusing on talented artists to promote on his platform. However, this isnt what a record label does. This is what radio does,” Keeney said.

This isn’t the first time Snapchat’s shown interest in promoting music. They featured a Goldroom song in the promo video for Stories. It was a partnership that began via a “cold email” from the Snapchat team to Goldroom.

Snapchat’s latest promo for its new video-camera product Spectacles used “The Less I Know The Better,” by indie rock darlings Tame Impala.

Snapchat works with each partner to make sure any music used in a lens or in a promo video is properly licensed. Specific terms are confidential.

“If [Sage the Gemini] got paid per use, he would be making so much money especially from my friend group.”

But typically Snapchat pays artists to license songs. For now, that doesn’t mean you should expect a bidding war for access like you do with a traditional ad buy, according to someone familiar with the program.

“Snapchat is very supportive of artists, and I think they’d always rather support someone they believe in over the highest bidder,” the person said.

For lenses, in particular, it’s unclear if Snapchat pays per stream or for a one-time license fee.

Sheeran’s lens had the prime placement from Friday to Sunday. That’s more than $500,000 worth of real estate per day, according to people familiar with Snapchat’s ad pricing.

These experiences are organized by Snapchat’s music partnerships team, which is led by VP of Partnerships Ben Schwerin and Head of Music Partnerships Glenne Christiaansen.

As evidenced by the Ed Sheeran and Sage the Gemini rollouts, the company’s beginning to build serious, productive and personal relationships with artists and record labels, offering them custom experiences within the app. They’re also a new kind of effective, viral experiences other social networks have yet to come close to rolling outat least for the time being, Snapchat is in a league of its own.

Authenticity by design

Snapchat’s positive relationship with the music industry is also to the credit of the specific design and core functionality of Snapchat itself. The service has been able to cater to artists’ needs, without being burdened by conflicts over the piracy issues that plague their contemporaries.

Facebook and YouTube, where videos can last for an unlimited time and are saved permanently, both struggle with substantial piracy violators, and have devoted massive resources to fighting the uphill battle that is curbing these issues. Snapchat, on the other hand, has a core offering that consists of 10 seconds of video, which later disappear.

As the app expands from messaging to media, Snapchat’s weaved music across its business. By showcasing concerts through the Live Stories tab, premiering songs and music videos, and connecting viewers directly to artists, Snapchat has melded the advantages of the old (radio and MTV-like visuals) with real-time conversation and cutting-edge tech like augmented reality.

“Using Snapchat to connect fans with a music experience is like editing a real-timedocumentary,” Chris Williams, chief product officer for iHeartRadio, told Mashable. “Unlike the other social platforms where you curate posts, with Snapchat you are capturing and editing what you want to share on the fly, so there is an immediacy and authenticity to what we post.”

Go on and watch our @Snapchat Live story “Jingle Ball: NY” right now for access to your fave #iHeartJingleBall performers! @NiallOfficial http://pic.twitter.com/uM9DUeIfXl

iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) December 10, 2016

Again, these projects have yielded the kind of demonstrable results that’s made music industry insiders frothy to form a relationship with the app, the company behind it, and its user base. For Snapchat’s Live Stories of the Video Music Awards, MTV generated 12 million unique viewers in 2015.

For 2016’s VMAs? 21 million unique viewers.

Snapchat’s also taken on a similar role to MTV by premiering and debuting music videos from Madonna, Goldroom and The Weeknd. While the company may be encroaching on the traditional fame of MTV by securing its own exclusives, MTV and other music-focused media companies have vied for and secured coveted positions on Snapchat’s Discover network as well.

“Whats great about Snapchat Discover is that you can tell a story around the music video premieres, and add context,” said Bruce Gillmer, executive vice president of music and talent programming and events internationally for MTV.

MTV’s also producing original shows on the appsomething Snapchat has prioritized for its partners going forward, and reportedly, one of the reasons Warner Music Group was removed from the platform.

“We are second to none when it comes to giving fans access or exclusive interviews with iconic artists and emerging talent,” Gillmer said, “making us truly stand out on this platform.”

Both MTV and iHeartRadio have remained cheerleaders for Snapchat.

“The future of music on Snapchat relies on great partnerships with recording artists who love the platform and trust iHeartRadio,” said Ina Burke, vice president of original content for iHeartMedias Entertainment Enterprises.

Keep the artist happy

Record labels and artists see mutual value in using Snapchat personally and professionally. Artists, just like any social media user, can be fickle to jump to the next platform, yet Snapchat’s lifestyle culture and cool products are convincing them to stay.

“It’s one of the last places where it doesn’t feel like you’re curating a persona with every post,” said electronic musician Josh Legg, aka Goldroom. “Snapchat is still my favorite platform for interacting directly with fans. They aren’t burdened by character limits, and because it all feels more private, I think people get a better opportunity to see the real me.”

DJs were some of Snapchat’s earliest big creators. While Vine was a somewhat demanding and confusing network for creation and discovery, Snapchat offered them authenticity and simplicity.

I’m on snapchat my user name is diplo3000

(@diplo) December 3, 2012

“When I started to realize the demise, the Vine influencers werent the first to go. They obviously had a lot to invest. The ones that were first to go were the celebrities like Diplo and Skrillex,” said one long-time former employee at Twitter, who used to work closely with Vine.

“Vine asked celebrities not to repurpose content from other platforms and only create original content, which just wasn’t realistic,” the insider continued. “Snapchat allowed them to create daily, lower production value content, which didn’t live forever, and that just ended up being way more appealing,”

Searching for the next hit

Snapchat has transformed into a new way to discover music. The latest integration with Shazamwhere you can use Shazam at any point within Snapchat to identify the music playing around youpoints to the potential for Snapchat to connect with other music apps like Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube and Vimeo.

“Music is an inherently social activity, and Snapchats incredibly popular platform seemed like a perfect fit,” said Shazam CEO Rich Riley.

Shazam declined to disclose if Snapchat is now taking a cut of the referral fees Shazam generates from music download stores. Yet: Even if Snapchat is now pulling some of Shazam’s profits, the partnership with Snapchat’s more than 150 million daily active users surely helps generate enthusiasm around Shazam, which is 18 years old, and last year, reported it had more than 120 million monthly active users.

Legg said he hoped for more integrations with music platforms in the future. “Personally I love to play music in my snaps, and I think I get asked more about the songs than anything else. I’d love to have some sort of simple connectivity with Spotify,” he said.

Mortimer of Interscope Records said he predicts a strong future of Snapchat, based on its past successes: “Snapchat has helped move mainstream adoption of two technologies: QR codes and augmented reality. I think what’s next is Spectacles, offering a perspective that nobody has except the artist themselves.��

Those artists are exactly who Snapchat must continue pleasing if the company wishes to thrivevia continued user engagement and via sustainable revenue offeringsand avoid the fate of Vine.

“As artists continue to innovate on Snapchat, fans will continue to follow it,” Mortimer said.

BONUS: You can swap Snap Spectacle lenses – here’s how

Read more: http://on.mash.to/2jk4lwP

from How Snapchat became a social platform that the music industry doesn’t hate

TLC:’ I will never forget the day we were millionaires for five minutes’

On the comeback trail, the 90 s megastars reflect on bankruptcy, diverting down Britney and what Lisa Left Eye Lopes would be like on Twitter

TLC are in the back of an Uber XL in the middle of Londons Oxford Circus, sunshine streaming through the windows, with a hottie standing in full view at the crossing. Jesus! Did you look at this guy? Lord have mercy. Why didnt you get his ass on camera? He is byoo-tee-full . Traffic and exchange is gridlocked; Chilli craves her bandmate T-Boz, their cameraman, makeup artist, press officer, the operator and me to acknowledge the drop-dead sumptuous specimen, beefy in muscle and hyper-groomed of look, outside the window.

Look, hey, I desire somewhat guys, but come near now, you are able to grant it up. Tell the truth.

I shrug, ambivalent, and “re just telling me” hes not my category. T-Boz, who has spent the last few minutes scratching her knuckles reminiscing about the fights she used to get into, constricts her attentions. What ?! she says. What is your character? Why dont you tell us what your category is? Even if hes not your kind, you have to say hes cute. Hes not my category, either, but I can see hes good examining. The whole parcel was working for him: the “hairs-breadth”, the muscles What is your category?

The brightness change and the two laughter, a conspiratorial chuckle that follows often of their converse over the next 24 hours. TLC making a respectable comeback in 2017 is, its fair to say, sudden. Despite insisting that theyve been working solidly behind the scenes the whole time touring internationally, writing movie dialogues, setting up a fitness blog the group vanished from public consciousness sometime in the early 00 s.

Watch the video for Way Back.

Collectively though, the three twentysomething dames from Atlanta, Georgia Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Rozonda Chilli Thomas and Lisa Left Eye Lopes owned the 90 s: their brand of sultry R& B, silky enough to woo the masses but glitchy enough to keep them interesting, has constructed them the most successful US girl group of all time. Their two biggest books, CrazySexyCool( 1994) and Fanmail( 1999 ), sold more than 20 m mimics between them, with other singles and albums helping to rack up a total sales pull of around 65 m worldwide.

Thats a behemothic rank of success that was felled first by the bands bankruptcy in 1995, then by the tragic deaths among Lopes, at 30, in 2002.

I slept a lot, says Thomas of that time. When youre depressed and you sleep a lot I did that and stayed in my area. I didnt watch Tv and I certainly didnt listen to radio or used to go because everywhere wed disappear, someone would have something to say.

And theyd be smiling, more, microchips in Watkins, and then be like, Oh, Im so sorry, and then immediately, Can I have your autograph?

The two seemed hounded by the press, the public and their description. People are ghouls, says Watkins. I went words at my home 2 day after Lisa croaked, like, What are you going to do? and, Heres my demo, take a listen. But Lopes, who perished in road accidents on holiday in Honduras that April, was irreplaceable. TLC was ever a vehicle for a producer or a managers brand-new sound opening a revolving door for a new third member like, say, Destinys Child or the Sugababes was not an option.

They are much clearer than anybody else on what is and isnt TLC, their description boss, LA Reid, told Rolling Stone in 1995. They make it clearly articulated to the writers and creators on their projects what they will and will not sing. And because of that, theyll ever be a little onward. The radical turned away major songs, including Hit Me Baby One More Time( Its a great hymn but not every hit is for you. I couldnt hear us on that enter, says Thomas, diplomatically ).

We already did baby babe newborn, says Watkins, caressing her teeth.

Sister ordinance … ( left to right) Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Lisa Left-Eye Lopes and Rozonda Chilli Thomas in the Netherlands in 1992. Photo: Michel Linssen/ Redferns

TLCs distinct din stands written about and referenced by music blogs. And it still influences modern dad( accompany 2017 s biggest-selling single in the UK, Ed Sheerans Shape of You ). The radical characterized themselves by their three distinct identities: crazy, sex, refrigerate. Seven months after Lopes died, their fourth and least successful book, 3D, was secreted. We were upset, that was the label, says Watkins, of the book coming out. I guess their mourning stagecoach for us was a week, we werent recalling straight-from-the-shoulder or in a right frame of mind to be making decisions.

That first couple of years you think you were all right or at least better, and then you have a dreaming or something and youre messed up all over again, lends Thomas. It just really took is high time to heal.

Fifteen times on and in their late 40 s, the pair didnt think that they would be playing their first ever London gig. Mays lonely time at Koko in Camden Town sold out in a daytime, to an horde of followers singing and sweating on its sticky floorboards. We havent had bad concerts where weve been booed, but that was hard to believe, says Watkins, when we gratifies the next night in a salmon pink hotel suite. To come here and have beings singing TLC. It manufactures the adrenaline flow. Were always nervous before we go on stage, says Thomas, but I was exceptionally apprehensive this time. It didnt settle till I started doing it.

That the evidence was a triumph only follows TLCs made-for-TV-movie trajectory. Backing dancers in amber lame outfits, a truth choir, and thumped after reached opening with Diggin On Youand purposing with No Scrubs heightened it beyond the hurry of pop nostalgia. That said, new single Way Back, which boasts a Snoop Dogg verse where Lopes might have been, is pure 90 s street feeling throwback, but the pair affirm that theyre not attaches great importance to continuing trend, because, says Watkins, our music will always be relevant.

Hit girlfriends … TLC in Hollywood, 1999. Photo: Ron Davis/ Getty Images

What do you signify by throwback? questions Thomas.

Its inarguable that the two have worked hard to retain the essence of what reached them so massive in the first place: from the live creation down to Thomass still terrifyingly well-maintained washboard belly, they appear and sound as if theyve escaped a season capsule.

Some beings may say, Oh. you have the same haircut, says Watkins her angled blond bob gash as aggressively as she is. But first of all, second of all, and third of all: when you get the various kinds of iconic haircut that beings emulate, “youre calling” me. Its signature. Its true-blue: alongside The Rachel, Watkinss was the more popular haircut for gobby schoolgirls in the 90s. A slew of faux-bickering and tutting between the two follows as they debate the flaws of contemporary creators who, according to TLC, have no appreciation of performance, showmanship or style.

Celebrity changed, but what stays out to me is the altered in media, says Thomas. If Twitter was around when we were were out, Lisa would have “the worlds largest” adherents for sure. And maybe been in the most disturb, more? Oh my God, she would have been closed down multiple times.

Same with Instagram, says Watkins. If Instagram was taken away tomorrow there would be a lot of parties jobless right now cos theres a lot of public figure now made up of Instagram frameworks. She is unimpressed by influencers monetising their lifestyles online, but tries to hold back. Im not gonna knock your hubbub. Hustle on, girlfriend. “Its time” that hos are triumphing. An affirmative block-caps YEAH! comes from Thomas. But if you gonna be a ho, at the least sounds like a good ho and have to pay, Watkins continues. Ho-ism is working for people. Worst situation is to be a ho, spread your trash far and near and get nothing from it.

No scrubbing please, were TLC … Chilli ( left) and T-Boz. Image: Linda Nylind/ The Guide

Watkins wont be drawn on who she might be alluding to, but its still a surprise to hear her or Thomas claim a moral high ground over other women. TLC endorse female sexuality in their hymns and styling, and were early advocates of safe-sex campaigns( Lopes would even wear a condom on the left see of her glass ). Hitherto, says Watkins, she was offered $50,000 to stay a male fan and his wife at home So they could just stare at me amply clothed for five minutes , nothing else and she refused.

Chilli is scandalized. Fifty thousand! To bring kindnes and gaiety into that relationship, whats wrong with that ?! My husband at that time didnt crave me travelling, declares Watkins. He didnt have to know! squeal Thomas.

Both are single right now. Thomas has a son with TLCs ex-producer Dallas Austin, and Watkins is divorced with a son and teenage daughter. I wouldnt want to meet anyone right now, says Watkins. I do not want a mortal. If God slaps me in the are dealing with a good one, fine, but right now, I dont want to listen to your daytime, I dont want to care about your problems. I wouldnt be a good girlfriend right now; I dont want to have sex with nobody.

Oh, you poverty-stricken girlfriend! You good good girlfriend, says Thomas, cooing at Watkinss vagina.

Shell be all right, says Watkins, side-eyeing Thomas with a cat-like grin.

The pair live in different metropolitans now; Watkins is in Los Angeles, having precisely moved out of the neighbourhood the Kardashians live in, and Thomas has stayed in Atlanta, but they still finish each others sentences and slip into shorthand. You start off with so many friends, shows Watkins, but as you get older, you only need one or two. Im not open to just letting people into my life, I involve an asset not a liability.

Class behave … TLC announce a $25,000 Aids education scholarship in recall of Lisa Lopes at the 2002 MTV Awards. Picture: Kevin Kane/ WireImage

To their ascribe, the two ought to have categorically burned by the industry. To go bankrupt at the top of their honour and success still stings. I will never forget the day we were millionaires for literally five minutes, says Watkins. Because the cheque was written to us and we had to sign it over, back to[ Pebbles, their former administrator ]. But we wont get into that since were still in a lawsuit.

If I could go back, I are certainly change a couple of things business-wise, says Thomas. I have learned the hard way: signal your own cheques, make sure your taxes are in shape and whatever your firm is, its always good to get wise examined. If you dont have anything to hide, its not a worry.

Its not personal, contributes Watkins, hard as nails, its business. Everyone in this industry has only one plan. Auditors, lawyers, beings you think you know will keep running up the greenback. You have to watch your back on every corner.

Worse than the money was, of course, the loss of Lopes , that are actually dissolved that first, fantastical operate. The three had weathered everything together the backstabbing, the bankruptcy, the tabloid awarenes of Lopes igniting down the mansion of her then-football star boyfriend. Lisa was a starter. I dont start substance, I dont believes in disagreeing with people I dont know, says Watkins. I have a hard exterior, Im scary.

She was more intrepid, says Thomas. Im a friendly party but if I find out youre not cool, I get real cold.And, chortles Watkins, with Lisa, it depended on the working day. She was a Gemini, so she was about seven different beings. Neither Watkins or Thomas booze( Weve done this industry sober; were real clear about exactly what we doing ), though Lopes did and the three, tight because they are, were known to scrap often publicly. Gazing back, would they have done anything differently? Coulda, woulda, shoulda, says Watkins, her expression at its most slow and sleepy-eyed. It became us who we are, so at the end of the day, I just recollect Lisa as person or persons, a human being. I miss everything.

TLC by TLC is out on 30 June

The post TLC:’ I will never forget the day we were millionaires for five minutes’ appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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TLC:’ I will never forget the day we were millionaires for five minutes’

On the comeback trail, the 90 s megastars reflect on bankruptcy, diverting down Britney and what Lisa Left Eye Lopes would be like on Twitter

TLC are in the back of an Uber XL in the middle of Londons Oxford Circus, sunshine streaming through the windows, with a hottie standing in full view at the crossing. Jesus! Did you look at this guy? Lord have mercy. Why didnt you get his ass on camera? He is byoo-tee-full . Traffic and exchange is gridlocked; Chilli craves her bandmate T-Boz, their cameraman, makeup artist, press officer, the operator and me to acknowledge the drop-dead sumptuous specimen, beefy in muscle and hyper-groomed of look, outside the window.

Look, hey, I desire somewhat guys, but come near now, you are able to grant it up. Tell the truth.

I shrug, ambivalent, and “re just telling me” hes not my category. T-Boz, who has spent the last few minutes scratching her knuckles reminiscing about the fights she used to get into, constricts her attentions. What ?! she says. What is your character? Why dont you tell us what your category is? Even if hes not your kind, you have to say hes cute. Hes not my category, either, but I can see hes good examining. The whole parcel was working for him: the “hairs-breadth”, the muscles What is your category?

The brightness change and the two laughter, a conspiratorial chuckle that follows often of their converse over the next 24 hours. TLC making a respectable comeback in 2017 is, its fair to say, sudden. Despite insisting that theyve been working solidly behind the scenes the whole time touring internationally, writing movie dialogues, setting up a fitness blog the group vanished from public consciousness sometime in the early 00 s.

Watch the video for Way Back.

Collectively though, the three twentysomething dames from Atlanta, Georgia Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Rozonda Chilli Thomas and Lisa Left Eye Lopes owned the 90 s: their brand of sultry R& B, silky enough to woo the masses but glitchy enough to keep them interesting, has constructed them the most successful US girl group of all time. Their two biggest books, CrazySexyCool( 1994) and Fanmail( 1999 ), sold more than 20 m mimics between them, with other singles and albums helping to rack up a total sales pull of around 65 m worldwide.

Thats a behemothic rank of success that was felled first by the bands bankruptcy in 1995, then by the tragic deaths among Lopes, at 30, in 2002.

I slept a lot, says Thomas of that time. When youre depressed and you sleep a lot I did that and stayed in my area. I didnt watch Tv and I certainly didnt listen to radio or used to go because everywhere wed disappear, someone would have something to say.

And theyd be smiling, more, microchips in Watkins, and then be like, Oh, Im so sorry, and then immediately, Can I have your autograph?

The two seemed hounded by the press, the public and their description. People are ghouls, says Watkins. I went words at my home 2 day after Lisa croaked, like, What are you going to do? and, Heres my demo, take a listen. But Lopes, who perished in road accidents on holiday in Honduras that April, was irreplaceable. TLC was ever a vehicle for a producer or a managers brand-new sound opening a revolving door for a new third member like, say, Destinys Child or the Sugababes was not an option.

They are much clearer than anybody else on what is and isnt TLC, their description boss, LA Reid, told Rolling Stone in 1995. They make it clearly articulated to the writers and creators on their projects what they will and will not sing. And because of that, theyll ever be a little onward. The radical turned away major songs, including Hit Me Baby One More Time( Its a great hymn but not every hit is for you. I couldnt hear us on that enter, says Thomas, diplomatically ).

We already did baby babe newborn, says Watkins, caressing her teeth.

Sister ordinance … ( left to right) Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Lisa Left-Eye Lopes and Rozonda Chilli Thomas in the Netherlands in 1992. Photo: Michel Linssen/ Redferns

TLCs distinct din stands written about and referenced by music blogs. And it still influences modern dad( accompany 2017 s biggest-selling single in the UK, Ed Sheerans Shape of You ). The radical characterized themselves by their three distinct identities: crazy, sex, refrigerate. Seven months after Lopes died, their fourth and least successful book, 3D, was secreted. We were upset, that was the label, says Watkins, of the book coming out. I guess their mourning stagecoach for us was a week, we werent recalling straight-from-the-shoulder or in a right frame of mind to be making decisions.

That first couple of years you think you were all right or at least better, and then you have a dreaming or something and youre messed up all over again, lends Thomas. It just really took is high time to heal.

Fifteen times on and in their late 40 s, the pair didnt think that they would be playing their first ever London gig. Mays lonely time at Koko in Camden Town sold out in a daytime, to an horde of followers singing and sweating on its sticky floorboards. We havent had bad concerts where weve been booed, but that was hard to believe, says Watkins, when we gratifies the next night in a salmon pink hotel suite. To come here and have beings singing TLC. It manufactures the adrenaline flow. Were always nervous before we go on stage, says Thomas, but I was exceptionally apprehensive this time. It didnt settle till I started doing it.

That the evidence was a triumph only follows TLCs made-for-TV-movie trajectory. Backing dancers in amber lame outfits, a truth choir, and thumped after reached opening with Diggin On Youand purposing with No Scrubs heightened it beyond the hurry of pop nostalgia. That said, new single Way Back, which boasts a Snoop Dogg verse where Lopes might have been, is pure 90 s street feeling throwback, but the pair affirm that theyre not attaches great importance to continuing trend, because, says Watkins, our music will always be relevant.

Hit girlfriends … TLC in Hollywood, 1999. Photo: Ron Davis/ Getty Images

What do you signify by throwback? questions Thomas.

Its inarguable that the two have worked hard to retain the essence of what reached them so massive in the first place: from the live creation down to Thomass still terrifyingly well-maintained washboard belly, they appear and sound as if theyve escaped a season capsule.

Some beings may say, Oh. you have the same haircut, says Watkins her angled blond bob gash as aggressively as she is. But first of all, second of all, and third of all: when you get the various kinds of iconic haircut that beings emulate, “youre calling” me. Its signature. Its true-blue: alongside The Rachel, Watkinss was the more popular haircut for gobby schoolgirls in the 90s. A slew of faux-bickering and tutting between the two follows as they debate the flaws of contemporary creators who, according to TLC, have no appreciation of performance, showmanship or style.

Celebrity changed, but what stays out to me is the altered in media, says Thomas. If Twitter was around when we were were out, Lisa would have “the worlds largest” adherents for sure. And maybe been in the most disturb, more? Oh my God, she would have been closed down multiple times.

Same with Instagram, says Watkins. If Instagram was taken away tomorrow there would be a lot of parties jobless right now cos theres a lot of public figure now made up of Instagram frameworks. She is unimpressed by influencers monetising their lifestyles online, but tries to hold back. Im not gonna knock your hubbub. Hustle on, girlfriend. “Its time” that hos are triumphing. An affirmative block-caps YEAH! comes from Thomas. But if you gonna be a ho, at the least sounds like a good ho and have to pay, Watkins continues. Ho-ism is working for people. Worst situation is to be a ho, spread your trash far and near and get nothing from it.

No scrubbing please, were TLC … Chilli ( left) and T-Boz. Image: Linda Nylind/ The Guide

Watkins wont be drawn on who she might be alluding to, but its still a surprise to hear her or Thomas claim a moral high ground over other women. TLC endorse female sexuality in their hymns and styling, and were early advocates of safe-sex campaigns( Lopes would even wear a condom on the left see of her glass ). Hitherto, says Watkins, she was offered $50,000 to stay a male fan and his wife at home So they could just stare at me amply clothed for five minutes , nothing else and she refused.

Chilli is scandalized. Fifty thousand! To bring kindnes and gaiety into that relationship, whats wrong with that ?! My husband at that time didnt crave me travelling, declares Watkins. He didnt have to know! squeal Thomas.

Both are single right now. Thomas has a son with TLCs ex-producer Dallas Austin, and Watkins is divorced with a son and teenage daughter. I wouldnt want to meet anyone right now, says Watkins. I do not want a mortal. If God slaps me in the are dealing with a good one, fine, but right now, I dont want to listen to your daytime, I dont want to care about your problems. I wouldnt be a good girlfriend right now; I dont want to have sex with nobody.

Oh, you poverty-stricken girlfriend! You good good girlfriend, says Thomas, cooing at Watkinss vagina.

Shell be all right, says Watkins, side-eyeing Thomas with a cat-like grin.

The pair live in different metropolitans now; Watkins is in Los Angeles, having precisely moved out of the neighbourhood the Kardashians live in, and Thomas has stayed in Atlanta, but they still finish each others sentences and slip into shorthand. You start off with so many friends, shows Watkins, but as you get older, you only need one or two. Im not open to just letting people into my life, I involve an asset not a liability.

Class behave … TLC announce a $25,000 Aids education scholarship in recall of Lisa Lopes at the 2002 MTV Awards. Picture: Kevin Kane/ WireImage

To their ascribe, the two ought to have categorically burned by the industry. To go bankrupt at the top of their honour and success still stings. I will never forget the day we were millionaires for literally five minutes, says Watkins. Because the cheque was written to us and we had to sign it over, back to[ Pebbles, their former administrator ]. But we wont get into that since were still in a lawsuit.

If I could go back, I are certainly change a couple of things business-wise, says Thomas. I have learned the hard way: signal your own cheques, make sure your taxes are in shape and whatever your firm is, its always good to get wise examined. If you dont have anything to hide, its not a worry.

Its not personal, contributes Watkins, hard as nails, its business. Everyone in this industry has only one plan. Auditors, lawyers, beings you think you know will keep running up the greenback. You have to watch your back on every corner.

Worse than the money was, of course, the loss of Lopes , that are actually dissolved that first, fantastical operate. The three had weathered everything together the backstabbing, the bankruptcy, the tabloid awarenes of Lopes igniting down the mansion of her then-football star boyfriend. Lisa was a starter. I dont start substance, I dont believes in disagreeing with people I dont know, says Watkins. I have a hard exterior, Im scary.

She was more intrepid, says Thomas. Im a friendly party but if I find out youre not cool, I get real cold.And, chortles Watkins, with Lisa, it depended on the working day. She was a Gemini, so she was about seven different beings. Neither Watkins or Thomas booze( Weve done this industry sober; were real clear about exactly what we doing ), though Lopes did and the three, tight because they are, were known to scrap often publicly. Gazing back, would they have done anything differently? Coulda, woulda, shoulda, says Watkins, her expression at its most slow and sleepy-eyed. It became us who we are, so at the end of the day, I just recollect Lisa as person or persons, a human being. I miss everything.

TLC by TLC is out on 30 June

The post TLC:’ I will never forget the day we were millionaires for five minutes’ appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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The problem with millennials isnt millennialsits how youre leading them

Image: Shutterstock / turgaygundogdu

Lazy. Entitled. Narcissistic.

At both the popular and academic level, those three words pretty well sum up the problem with millennials. But why stop there? Theyre job-hopping, promotion-expecting, still-living-at-home-with-their-parents, social-media junkies whose only shared passion seems to be the vague desire for fame. Oh, and theyre also insecure (so if you could not call attention to those deficiencies, thatd be great). Of course, its one thing to identify the problem its another to go after the solution.

The question is: How? To find out, I connected with five leaders at the helm of successful and millennial-dominated companies. Their lessons all reflect powerful insights that are far more about how to lead millennials than about just lamenting whats wrong.

1. Raise the bar

With 620,000 followers, a podcast garnering one million monthly downloads, and over $100 million in sales through his fitness brands last year, Andy Frisella is more a force of nature than a CEO. In fact, the name of his podcast and website make that point clear: The MFCEO. (You can guess what MF stands for.)

However, Frisellas passion for millennialswhich comprise all but five of his 130 employeesstems from a surprising source: empathy. There are these kids out there who want to be successful, Frisella told me, but their entire life theyve never had to work to be successful. They dont understand reality. Everyone likes to dog millennials like theyre not as good as previous generations, but the truth is that its not millennials who have failed. Its the people that raised them. Its us.

That kind of ownership is why, instead of lowering the bar, Frisella raises it: They come in at 19 years old; many stay, but obviously some move on. My goal during that time is to make them so good through the challenges of work that they come back and say, That is the best thing that ever f****** happened to me.

Pushing back against the participation award culture most millennials grew up in, Frisella makes expectations clear. Encouragement is earned, never given. The result is an culture that elevates young workers while also building self-confidence only in a job well done.

2. Cultivate a common passion

In 2005, Jones Soda was a bonafide pop-culture phenomenon. Features in Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Inc. chronicled the manufacturer’s iconic bottles along with their 30% year-over-year revenue growth.

Then, everything fell apart. Over the next decade, Jones wouldnt see a single profitable quarter, downsize by 63 percent, and eventually get delisted from NASDAQ. As the fifth CEO in as many years, thats the landscape Jennifer Cue entered in 2012.

The situation, Cue recalls, demanded creative problem solving and a team that shared a common entrepreneurial spirit.

So, with a 60% millennial workforce, she led by example. In addition to coming in as CEO at a very low salary offset by equity, Cue invested $680,000 of her own money into the company. More vital still, she played to her teams strengths regardless of their titles and responsibilities.

The lesson: Trusting and empowering millennials by providing challenges and opportunity for growth leads to an incredible sense of fulfillment. Its important not to generalize and not to categorize teams by age or demographic. The great thing about Jones is that we all share a common passion for what were doing.

3. Give up control

Handing over the management of 750,000 followers to a college intern sounds like a recipe for disaster. Especially during your companys most busy time of the year. And yet, thats exactly what Candice Galek founder and CEO of Bikini Luxe does every summer. With ecommerce, you always have to be on your toes, the Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient explains, and having a creative team whos eager to learn, experiment, and try stuff out is crucial.

Even riskier is the fact only 8 of Galeks 48 regular employees and 10 seasonal interns work in the same location she does. Why roll the dice?

In Galeks words, Weve learned to love the creative mindset and flexibility of our primarily millennial team members. Trying to control everything for the sake of quality and branding doesnt just kill creativity, it crushes the spirit of the people who work for you regardless of their age.

Plenty of organizations pay lip service to employee freedom. Giving your people the flexibility to pick where and when they work is a step in the right direction. But the real test comes from giving up control over what you post, publish, share, and even produce. This doesnt mean weak leadership, but it does mean giving millennials the tools they need to grow and then letting them.

4. Bring work and play together

Since launching in 2014, Studypool a 500 Startups-backed learning portal thats raised $2.5 million in venture capital has made their vision becoming the Google of academics a reality. Numbers like 40,000 online tutors and over a million student accounts prove it.

Twenty-three years old, CEO Richard Werbe credits being a millennial as part of the reason hes been so successful: While people may assume that my age is a deterrent to my ability lead, its actually the contrary. Like its platform, Studypools culture embraces a work hard, play hard mentality. I know the importance of keeping my team passionate about their work and excited to come to come into the office every day.

While they might sound like small things, Werbe streams music, furnishes a pantry full of snacks, doesnt enforce a dress code, and provides a game room in the office to blow off steam. He also encourages his team to work remotely whenever possible. Theres no point in pushing my team to the point where their job becomes something they resent, Werbe notes, being close in age to my employees makes me particularly aware of the well-being of my team and how to best keep them focused and enthusiastic.

5. Help them plan for whats next

Headquartered in Northern California, Azazie is on a mission to disrupt bridal fashion through affordable customization. With an average employee age of 27, theyre by millennials, for millennials. Whats their secret?

The same tailor-made approach theyve applied to 300,000 dresses, they also apply to staff. As Rachel Hogue an early customer service rep turned senior manager told me, Its about setting individual goals and playing to individual strengths.

Rather than major on quotas, Hogue meets one-on-one with each employee monthly to incorporate their passions and future plans into daily work. By encouraging kindness and open communication, Hogue fosters an environment built on collaboration: Each of our employees is unique. Its my job to ensure they feel comfortable to step up, share an idea, and spearhead new initiatives.

If 300% sales growth in 2017 is any indication, that approach pays off handsomely because when your employees are happy, theyll make your customers happy.

Leading millennials is about leadership

In the end, whether you agree or disagree with the mainstream view on millennials isnt the point.

So, what is? Perhaps Simon Sinek put it best in the closing lines of Millennials in the Workplace: We now have a responsibility to make up the shortfall and help this amazing, idealistic, fantastic generation build their confidence, learn patience, learn the social skills, [and] find a better balance between life and technology because quite frankly its the right thing to do.

Even if millennials are the problem its leaders like you who can offer the solution.

Aaron Orendorff is the founder of iconiContent and a regular contributor at Entrepreneur, Lifehacker, Fast Company, Business Insider and more. Connect with him about content marketing (and bunnies) on Facebook or Twitter.

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