Cupcakes for a Cause

This video was a project that I worked on  last semester (with two other students) that I felt I couldn’t redo even if I tried. I decided to repost it as part of my video pitch for this blog.

Although the project was complete as a group, the cause is dear to my heart and something that I have been doing monthly for the last six months.

We have so many charities in the world for those families and individuals that are less fortunate. It is several programs that serve the needs of others through food pantries, utility assistance programs, domestic violence shelters, and programs like toys for tots.

Some people look forward to this time of year, Christmas time. Others look forward to Valentine’s day. The most important day to me are birthdays. Birthdays are the only day of the year that belongs to you (except if you are a twin or your sibling happens to be born on the same day).

Since this day so important to me, it lead to me thinking about children that live in domestic violence or homeless shelters. These children didn’t ask to be put in these type of situations yet they are in them. We take for granted the cake and cards we receive or the love that our friends and families show to us.  With that said, I wanted to give back but not in the normal sense of giving back. I wanted to think of something that is different to provide to these children. Something that could put a smile on the face of these children  that were facing diversity in their lives. Cupcakes for a Cause gives these children a special moment to feel special.

 

 

 

 

 

The Chosen One

My name is Equilla Leaeva. My first name derives from my maternal grandmother. Unfortunately, it is no account of how the name was introduced into the family line but my mother stated that out of 30 grandkids one of them

Every Bite is Happifyin’ Light!!

Aunt Jemima Pancakes

By Ben Sakagouchi, Orange Crate Series. http://www.bensakoguchi.com/group/orange_crate_label_group8.p

Link.

So you’re lonely….

We strive to provide you with the most relaxing and enjoyable snuggling experience possible. Our cuddling service professionals specialize in platonic touch that will provide you absolute happiness. Whether you want to cuddle for friendship, relaxation, or just because we are happy to be your snuggle partner.  Our experienced cuddlers will soothe your mind, body, and soul.  It is very easy to call us and set up a meeting with our trained cuddlers.

A Pearl of Success

If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be with Carla Harris. Carla Harris is the Vice Chairman, Global Wealth Management, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. She has worked on Wall Street for almost three decades. She is a leader, motivational speaker, author, and a gospel singer. I am intrigued by her many accomplishments both personally and professionally.

Hi, What’s your name?

What happened to the days of talking on the phone for hours when you meet someone? What happen to the butterfly feelings you get after being asked on your first date? “Dating” means different things to different people, especially across generations. Two people in an intimate relationship is dating. Today’s dating is defined as a hook up and no longer as courtship.

Online dating sites such as Tindr, Plenty of Fish (POF), and Zoosk have become very popular. I think that these sites take the spice out of meeting someone; however, it takes the sting out of rejection. Just like technology being at our fingertips, we want what we want now so it is easy to see how dating sites have become an “in” thing. No chasing…just hey I’m trying to see you. Which takes us back to the question of how human interaction is changing.

http://youtu.be/t3ADKflgGZs

The Japanese video showed a society that I can see happening in the United States. Portions of what was shown in the video are already happening in America. We have strip clubs, sex toys, sex trafficking and sex slaves so why not present the atmosphere of just being able to enjoy yourself without the worries of commitment. In the video, it showed the way relationships are now viewed as a commodity.

http://youtu.be/P1PeloRgsbs

While our lives are being enriched with technology, our relationships are lacking the intimacy it once had. Since it is pros and cons to technology and human interaction, we have to acknowledge the fine line between the two and determine the best way for them to not hinder our relationships. Technology has made it to where a person can interact with anyone globally. Technology has aIso turned I love you into ILU. Texting within 140 characters have broken down the social interaction to include how people communicate.

As technology involves, it causes challenges with the way we interact with one another. Is that  really true? Probably not… we have to be mindful that in some cultures, marriage is just a business transaction between families so how can we define the true meaning of human interaction.

In my opinion, with our lives being fast paced and having technology at our fingertips, it is easy to see how the dynamics of human  interaction has changed and online dating and hook ups have become so popular. We are just too busy

 

Are you the change we need in the world?

Most millennial was raised in households with parents that were born in the Baby Boomer arena. Baby boomers were known as a questioning generation; as a result, they raised their children to do the same thing: make inquiries. Individuals in leadership roles are mostly baby boomers so it is interesting to see the disconnect that lies between the employee-employer relationships when these two generations should be  speaking the same language or do they?

Realizing the majority of my peers are millennial, I found the survey and topic beneficial. This topic raises the question on how we can learn to better interact with each other. I am not a product of the millennial generation but I was born a Generation X child. Born in the late 70’s, where we still used pay phones and 8-tracks and played outside until the street lights came on. A generation of making up games to play and not using technology. A generation where computers was only found in businesses, cell phones was in a carry case (that looked like a briefcase) and Atari was the only gaming system around.  I see the differences in how we view life and the avenues we take to approach it. The variances in how we approach and analysis situations also result in the outcomes being different.

Between millennia’s and their parents, generation X faced several issues that I believe changed the perspectives of our group. Some of these issues consisted of shifts with financial, legal, medical, and family matters that shaped our views of what the “world” should look like.  Since my generation felt they didn’t have a voice; they fought  to have a say at the table.

Some valuable characteristics of individuals that are Generation Xers includes adaptability, balance between work and life, and autonomy. My attitude is on the fence with generational conversations because my views are quite similar to the millennial. Having a child the same age as my peers forces me to understand them even more but also causes me to be more adaptive to their way of thinking.

As we move forward in the business world, I believe generation Y(millennial) have to face more challenges in the world than the previous generations.  Because of this occurrence, it will force them to change the dynamics of management due to their different views of the concepts of authority.

 

 

Where are the Cantu’s of Business?

The fascinating part of the Best Companies in 2014 is the majority of them are technology, health care, and finance industries. What is it about these industries that are the focal point of what society views as the “best”? Why are these three industries leading in the world’s innovations?

Everyone’s perspectives of ethics are questioned because they are viewed differently. Ethics are governed by guidelines set by businesses and the law. Morals come from cultural norms. These two intersect because it is the internal and external views of any situation. Ethics are based on rules of conduct by society’s standards and morals are the principles of right and wrong doing by individuals. When we look at these two components we can see where the fine line meets. We can see how the foundation of a business should be grounded on ethical procedures but it is solely dependent on the morals of the person that is overseeing the process. If these two components are not embedded into the leaders of these organizations, it cannot be a good company.

Terminix International is a Service Master company that provides pest control service to residential and commercial customers. Service Master was founded in 1929 and incorporated in 1947. It has several entities that fall under its umbrella such as Merry Maid, Tru Green, and American Home Shield. The company states, “ServiceMaster’s corporate governance is guided by our board of directors and management team to ensure we serve the interests of shareholders, customers and employees with the highest standards of responsibility, integrity and compliance.” When this company was under the leadership of Albert Cantu, the overall atmosphere of the company was beneficial to all parties involved. For the years he served as the President of the company, they showed tremendous growth each quarter. The overall employee morale was at an all-time high and customer retention was the lowest it had ever seen. Why did all these positive events happen? Cantu’s business model was simple, if his employees was happy than his customers would be even happier. This business culture began to manifest in every office throughout the United States. Albert’s father Carlos Cantu was the CEO of ServiceMaster until his death in 1999. After five years of being the President of ServiceMaster he was forced out. Within a year of this occurrence, the company stock dropped and its retention rate was over 10%. The company’s net income was in the negative for three consecutive years. One of the values that Albert Cantu valued was family. Terminix was a family under his leadership which lead to a high morale and business ethics being adhered to at all times. Once Cantu was gone, the business culture changed tremendously thus I believe is why the company begin to loss profits. Leadership plays an important role in the ethical culture of a company. Cantu’s leadership style allowed Terminix to flourish.

Is it ethical to encourage employees to stay at work because of all the incentives they have at hand? How much time is too much time at work? Are we really getting paid correctly for the many hours that we are giving to companies? Companies like Google offer all of these “incentives” to spend more time at work but it doesn’t take into account other duties or responsibilities a person may want to have in their life. I worked for one of Google’s vendors in NYC and had to visit the facility a couple of times. During my times there, it amazed me how much it seemed like people where doing more playing than working. But the individual that escorted me through the building assured me that work was taking place. I guess the strange expression on my face showed exactly what I was thinking. As I walked through the sections, it seemed like Dave and Buster…a lot of laughter, a lot of team collaboration, and a lot of distractions. Google’s approach to business is not the norm but it is evident that the job is getting done. Are these elements that are being offered a distraction or a help? Are these incentives boosting the moral?

http://www.entrepreneurship.org/resource-center/eight-elements-of-an-ethical-organization.aspx

What’s all the Hype, Mike?

I believe Mike Daisey was unethical in his description of what transpired with the Apple factories in China but I don’t consider him a liar but a great raconteur. I believe he stretched the truth to make it sound more compelling to the audience. As  journalist, one should be desire to report the facts at all times; however, as an artist you are able to unfold the “story” as you see fit.

On another note, American companies are outsourcing its labor and products to China to cut cost and have a larger profit margin. If individuals believe Apple should provide their customers with “guilt free” products, we probably should begin to reevaluate other manufacturers that we currently patronized. What does ” guilt free” really mean?

This dialogue is not the first one to surface about how bad factory employees in China are being treated and frankly I don’t think it will be the last. These thinks have occurred and we can honestly say that because it is not happening here (as far as we know) then it is their problem for as long as we can make a profit.

Can we consider this a social responsibility for us as consumers to not tolerate this type of conduct?

Apple and HIPPA

Apple is not the first company to launch the smartwatch; however, it is destined to be the first to be used in the Health Care arena. The iWatch which launched on Tuesday have health apps that fitness gurus will be able to use to track their progress, calories intake, and monitor fitness goals. As these steps are just gateways into the real issues that may lie ahead, it is a glimpse into what we will see in the future of health care. Can you imagine having your doctor having your medical records on his wrist? What if he loses it? We haven’t discussed the HIPPA rules that such a gadget will breach confidentiality but yet we are thrilled to have such technology at our finger tips.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/08/daily-report-health-apps-may-be-key-to-fate-of-apple-smartwatch/