Author: Article Editor

Are you tired of constantly flipping past cookie cutter videos from a small group of social media influencers? Are you growing bored with limited customization options, sterile algorithms, and clunky interfaces on your social media platforms? Would you like to see more diversity, authenticity, and community-based focus in your short-form video sharing platforms? If so, newly launched Zynn is the short-video sharing platform your dreams are made of!

Introduced to the United States and Canada in May of 2020, Zynn quickly became the most downloaded free app on the Google Play Store, and the Apple App Store. Unlike any other content sharing platform, Zynn’s mission is to provide diverse content, champion the community spirit by matching users with creators in fields of interest, and foster creativity by allowing creators to easily generate eye-catching videos. Through a bespoke algorithm that disseminates varied content to users, Zynn fans have the opportunity to discover unique, meaningful, and entertaining content, while creators have the opportunity to gain traction, regardless of follower count. So, who and what will you find on Zynn?

Variety Starts at the Top

As the newest release from innovative content sharing platform leader Kuaishou Technology, Zynn focuses on presenting a wide variety of content for user entertainment. Zynn’s parent company, Kuaishou Technology has mastered the art of using forward-thinking user recommendation algorithms throughout the company’s apps to create a robust user experience. With a belief that every creator’s story is important, and that diversity is a key element of life, Kuaishou has dedicated resources to become a leader in modernizing the social media experience.

Types of Videos

With a focus on providing entertainment, instruction, and inspiration for all interested viewers, Zynn’s creators generate fresh content in a plethora of fields. From beautiful snippets that highlight ancient cultural traditions, to straightforward instructions for making vegan-friendly quesadillas, Zynn’s myriad of videos reach across all categories. Showcasing important milestone moments, and the wildly relatable everyday moments in between, Zynn’s videos often highlight humor in everyday fails, champion small victories, and explore meaningful human connections that make up milestones. Bringing viewers closer together through a shared sense of understanding, these everyday-life snippets are the cornerstone of the content found on Zynn. After all, you can probably find the humor in being locked out of your apartment, the sweet surprise of finding a forgotten bill in your freshly washed jeans, and the life changing effects of watching a child take his or her first steps.

In addition to these broad life related videos, Zynn harnesses the power to connect individuals through niche subjects. From showing off super concise skills, to sharing tutorials for hyper specific items, Zynn’s variety of videos highlights niche topics, allowing interested parties to gain insight, knowledge, and entertainment through targeted videos related to those topics. From gaming videos to specific recipe tutorials, and even romantic stories, every subject can be found on Zynn.

In addition to providing users with the opportunity to learn, be engaged, and be entertained through this plethora of topics, Zynn’s diverse platform also champions creators to show off their creativity, individuality, and talent. With a robust percentage of creators posting performance videos, mastered skills, fashion and makeup profiles, and other creative measures, Zynn provides a creative outlet for all individuals, regardless of race, financial status, or any other factors. From traditional craftsmen showing their dedication to hand-made masterpieces, to rural farmers showing off their largest crops of the season, Zynn leverages the power of community to showcase creators’ achievements, talents, and proud daily moments.

Challenges and Camaraderie

Championing interaction and conversation, Zynn fosters community spirit through various challenges. Not only does participation in Zynn’s interactive challenges provide users with the opportunity to interact with other creators who share similar interests and competitive edge, it provides an activity to partake in for individuals, friends, and families. Building a following, and highlighting user-led challenges, Zynn utilizes the power of cross-platform social media advertising to draw attention to the aptly named “Zynn Challenge”, inviting users to have fun, nail those trick shots, set new records, and incite others to play.

Through Zynn’s #zynntalent incentive, creative Zynners are highlighted, spotlighting the app’s robustly talented user base. Not only does this incentive provide visibility for various users, it inspires others to follow suit, enriching the overall diversity of content available across the platform. You’ll find award-winning flutists playing classical hits to their dogs, gymnasts seamlessly flipping over elaborate obstacles in specially created courses, and DIY gurus making effective face masks from readily available refrigerator products. These talented individuals not only share their own skills, but inspire an entire generation of users to follow their own dreams, no matter what those dreams may entail. On a bigger picture spectrum, the supportive and inspirational nature of these interactions adds to Zynn’s authentic community spirit.

There’s a Home for You

Whether you’re a social media newbie, or a seasoned vet who is simply searching for a more meaningful experience, Zynn is the short-form video sharing platform for you. Welcoming in nature, and supportive of a customized user experience, you are bound to respond to Zynn’s call to be seen, be heard, and be you. With so many talented creators already sharing their skills, interests, and milestones on Zynn, the proof is in Zynn’s already tightly-knit community. Since the brand new app’s May 2020 launch, Zynn has gained a loyal following from countless individuals, and has received vastly positive feedback from innovative users who seek to be themselves, celebrate individuality, and maximize their social media experience. Who and what will you find on Zynn? The possibilities are endless!

For Seymour Segnit, the founder and CEO of MAGFAST, changing charging for good isn’t just a business plan; it’s a way of life. MAGFAST has crafted a powerful, unique line of interlocking device chargers, and the company has put more work into every component that makes up each device in the MAGFAST Family – Extreme, Time, Life, Wall, and Air – than most companies put into an entire product range.

Nothing demonstrates this better than a recent update on the development of MAGFAST Life. Life is MAGFAST’s flagship portable power bank, designed to keep all of your devices charged while you’re on the go. It can charge your phone multiple times using its USB-A or USB-C ports, built-in cable, or Qi Wireless charging pad before its battery requires a recharge. This compact package is far cleaner and more elegant than the typical portable charger, and masterful design plays a major role in this.

Regarding the built-in swappable mini power cables that connect to MAGFAST Life, Segnit believes that the company has spent between 150 and 200 hours refining and reworking this single component and that he has personally dedicated at least 40 to 50 hours of his own time to this work and the unique challenge that it posed. 

While designing MAGFAST Life, the company aimed to ensure that all three of the modular built-in cables – USB-A, USB-C, and Lightning – could all fit in the exact same space, making them as beautiful as they are interchangeable. However, after finalizing the 3D models for Life, the team discovered that something wasn’t quite right. Though all three 3D models appeared to fit in the same space, each cable had specific design needs that hadn’t been met, and some changes needed to be made to make the design work as planned.

Each of the three cable tips needed for MAGFAST Life has a piece that protects the delicate electronics inside from touching the silicone and rubber as the power starts to flow, preventing damage when the device is in use. Furthermore, Segnit emphasizes the fact that in addition to being beautifully designed and looking good from every angle, the cables need to be strong and resilient so that they last for a long time. In an industry where many cables fall apart easily, Segnit is quick to note that a long-lasting cable is better for consumers, MAGFAST, and the planet, as it minimizes the amount of e-waste in the world. See how MAGFAST is committed to reducing e-waste and greenhouse emissions here.

USB-C is the most elegant solution, and Micro-USB is close behind, but Lightning requires more space, as the connector itself is slightly thicker. Inside each cable is a ball bearing made of iron metal. The magnet pulls on the ball bearing to hold it in place and easily release it. However, there is no magnet in the cable itself because Apple’s MFi (made for iPhone/iPod/iPad) program does not allow it.

Segnit doesn’t just value meticulous, hard work. He also believes in putting complexity and care into every single component across his line of chargers, but this should surprise no one who knows him. Over his multi-decade career of launching important products and services, founding companies, and building businesses, Segnit has always been relentless when it comes to getting the details right, and with MAGFAST, this is more true than ever before. Though putting hours into cable design might seem absurd to some designers, MAGFAST isn’t just about charging devices; it’s also about changing how the experience of charging looks and feels forever and rethinking an industry along the way.

Click here to learn more about MAGFAST and CEO and founder Seymour Segnit.

Many home buyers, real estate agents, and industry professionals recognize that spring is the proverbial bread and butter month for the real estate industry. While the sentiment can vary slightly based on location and seasonality, April showers tend to bring May open houses. With warmer temperatures bringing potential buyers out from hibernation to explore newly placed “For Sale” signs, it can be said that April showers bring May open houses. Throughout bustling cities, the sounds of new construction can be heard bright and early with industry professionals, like Sean Tissue, and brave novices scrambling to finish renovations before the culmination of the coveted season. With the spring season so ingrained in the mind of the industry, though, many investors overlook the idea of investing in real estate throughout the winter months, passing up golden opportunities to beat the rush and potentially set the market. With several benefits to pursuing this non-traditional route of investment, winter can prove to be a great time for real estate investment.

Location, Location, Location

As the most important deciding factor for real estate purchases, the location of potential homes, investment properties, and real estate can naturally create a blossoming opportunity, even in the midst of the coldest winter. While the national real estate market showcases ebbs and flows that can affect the majority of locations, certain “hot pockets” exist where the demand for modernized housing outweighs the current supply, and the supply of these properties can maintain speed throughout the winter as demand drops, creating an opening for savvy investors. In large cities, this can equate to swiftly developing trendy neighborhoods, which are not only convenient but also become coveted as a result of amenities, nightlife, aesthetics, and continued development. Once a modernizing pocket becomes popular, investment opportunities can grow within the winter months, in a perceived rush to capitalize on the trend of a particular neighborhood. While inventory may be a bit more limited, opportunities for investors, home buyers, and other professionals can be plentiful based on the popularity of a particular location.

A Slower Pace

In many bustling areas, homes are listed for sale on a particular day, receive multiple offers by that evening, and go under contract within three days, likely even above full asking price. Alternative sources of real estate investment like Sheriff’s Sales and Foreclosure Auctions also see this trend as they are seemingly bursting at the seams with potential investors looking for their next opportunity. Thus, winter offers a small reprieve from the potential chaos of real estate investment and provides better mobility for home buyers, potential sellers, and investors. Throughout this time, interested real estate investors take advantage of the slower market to focus on longer-term renovation projects, dedicating winter months to processes like full demolitions, complete renovations, and other extensive projects with the goal of placing their completed projects on the market in time for the spring market.

Practical Insights from Nature

In addition to the benefits the winter real estate market can give to those brave enough to venture out in the cold, winter’s natural elements can provide insightful clues about the status of a property, especially in harsh climates. For investors and homebuyers alike, the sight of a snow-covered roof can indicate in-tact insulation, as heat isn’t escaping and melting the snow. Additionally, snow-covered months would be ideal indicators of potentially leaking roofs, basements, and other crevices that could otherwise be missed throughout the summer. Thus, the harsher conditions of winter can be used as a tool to actively gain first-hand knowledge regarding a property’s condition.

Budgeting, Leverage, and Competition

While there are fewer available properties to choose from, there are also fewer competitors seriously perusing the market for available investment opportunities. Simultaneously, sellers who are looking to part ways with a property can be more willing to negotiate on pricing while the market is significantly slower than during the summer months. This gives real estate investors a unique leverage point throughout the winter, one that could save investors tens of thousands of dollars the right circumstances. In the case of Foreclosure Auctions or Sheriff’s Sales, it may make sense for financial institutions to part ways with properties at a lower cost, rather than waiting until Spring. Thus, winter is a great time to ask for concessions, submit lower offers, and take advantage of leverage that is not usually present during the spring months.

Professional Assistance

As the winter lull slows down many industries, real estate investors like Sean Tissue are more likely to receive swift, effective, and low-cost services within these associated industries. From working with agents who can dedicate more time to finding the perfect investment opportunity, to lenders who aren’t stretched too thin, and contractors who aren’t bogged down with Spring’s renovations, industry professionals are able to offer their services in a streamlined, effective, and cohesive manner. With daily operations slowing down across these service providers, investors can also negotiate pricing, and develop long-term relationships that would be harder to build throughout the busier seasons.

Marketing, Skill Development, and Investment Savvy

For real estate investors of all varieties, winter is also a great time to develop the skills that will translate into a fruitful busy season. For example, learning to take effective “before” and “after” photos can generate better listings and traction, while learning to market rental properties can result in successfully renting out space immediately. Winter is not only about finding the next investment property, but also about honing the skills that are needed to complete all tasks associated with the investment, and building a strong foundation for the busier months ahead.

From limited competition, to the increased pricing leverage, winter’s unique conditions can be lucrative, seamless, and fruitful for real estate investors across the board. By recognizing these potential benefits, dedicated investors can take advantage of winter’s opportunities, setting the tone for a successful year!

About Sean Tissue and Centureon Investments

Operating successfully for almost a decade within the Detroit, Midwest, and Southeast real estate markets, Centureon Investments is a real estate investment company specializing in providing investor partners with comprehensive services throughout the lifecycle of their investment. Unlike other turnkey real estate management companies, Centureon works in tandem with investor partners prior to investment, including forecasting local market trends, providing insight related to potential cash flow and rental success, and creating specific blueprints to meet unique investor needs. Centureon leverages the expertise of industry-leading staff to provide ongoing management tools for rental investors, including marketing and tenant procurement, maintenance and physical repairs, as well as ongoing tenant satisfaction through communication and management tools.

With varying entry points dedicated to meeting the specific needs of various investors, Centureon Investments provides investment opportunities in single-family homes in the Detroit market starting at $45,000, all the way up to multi-family units in the Midwest for up-to $$1,000,000+. With such vast offerings, the company has a unique ability to work with investors to expand their portfolios. Since its inception, Centureon has utilized this multifaceted approach to build a positive reputation among investors with also developing meaningful long-term relationships and growing the company’s own real estate portfolio.

At the helm of Centureon Investments is CEO Sean Tissue, who has leveraged his own personal experiences as a real estate investor and developer to create, maintain, and champion Centureon’s comprehensive investment platform.

Connect With Sean Tissue and Centureon Investments: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Crunchbase

More people are working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic than ever before. While many workers are happy to cut out their morning commute and wear sweatpants to work, some employees are struggling to stay motivated. Between the temptation of Netflix, the distraction of kids and pets, and anxiety about the state of the world, it can be tough for newly-remote workers to stay focused. 

It’s hard to get into “work mode” when you’re working from your living room couch surrounded by the chaos of home life. However, you’re still fortunate enough to have a job and the means you have deliverables you are accountable for. As many workplaces lay off their employees, you need to demonstrate your value, and that means holding yourself accountable. 

According to Paul Saunders, the co-founder of James River Capital, remote work is synonymous with accountability. While real-world workplaces have built-in accountability, you have to keep yourself motivated to succeed in remote work. 

Let’s dive in to Paul’s advice for employees who want to stay productive and mentally alert while working from home. 

About James River Capital & Paul Saunders

Along with his business partner, Paul Saunders acquired James River Capital back in 1995. In the 25 years since founding the company, Paul has served as CEO and Chairman of the Richmond, Virginia, company. 

Today, Paul puts his 30+ years of experience in finance to work for James River Capital’s products. His goal is to find ways to balance portfolios to reduce risk and optimize return. Using alternative investments, James River Capital optimizes these investments for both parameters.

With over 25 years of experience in management, Paul has learned how to train his employees to stay accountable as they work remotely. As a manager, he has to trust that his team is equipped to handle the challenges of remote work. While the honors system is a big component of working from home, you do have to demonstrate enough value to stay gainfully employed. Here are Paul’s five tips for work-from-home accountability. 

Five ways to boost accountability while working from home

Set goals

It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of Netflix and Instagram if you don’t have tangible goals to keep you focused. Goals give remote work a purpose. They motivate you to keep pushing through and keep you working, even when you’re tempted to take a nap or a longer lunch break. 

What goals do you have for the day, week, month, quarter, and year? While you don’t know how long you’ll be working remotely, it’s helpful to set short-term and long-term goals so you stay motivated and alert. 

According to Paul, managers shouldn’t be breathing down your neck right now. However, they do expect you to stay on task, and goal-setting is the best way to crank out high-level work. 

Keep a to-do list

If you aren’t already tracking your work tasks, now’s the time to start. Begin your workday knowing precisely what’s expected of you. Assign to-dos by order of importance, eating the elephant early in the day so you build the right momentum. If you don’t want to tackle huge projects at 8 am, start with small tasks, like checking your email. 

Although paper to-do lists are okay, Paul has seen better results at James River Capital with digital tools. Asana, Monday, Trello, and other project management apps will help you track your tasks, collaborate with teammates, and show your manager what you’ve accomplished. 

It’s also important that you stay realistic. Don’t put too much on your plate; otherwise, you’ll eventually burn out and get overwhelmed. On the flip side, you don’t want to run out of work by 9 AM. It might take you some time to balance your workload, but it will eventually settle and you’ll be better for it.

Track your time

How do you spend your time? It’s easy to fall into a glut of emails or run-on meetings in an organization that’s new to remote work. Track your time so you see where you spend most of your energy. 

Remote employees can learn so much about themselves when they use free time-trackers online. This isn’t about letting your manager record your screen or anything; the purpose of time tracking is to help you better manage your time to stay accountable. 

Start by batching similar tasks. That might mean checking Slack and email in a batch. Time how long you spend on each batch of tasks. The added structure will help you stay productive while you work from home. 

Overcommunicate

Accountability starts with your boss and coworkers. But as a remote worker you aren’t getting as much face time with your boss or coworkers right now. You have to make an effort to communicate effectively within your organization if you want to stay accountable. 

A good way to assure success with this is to schedule regular check-ins with remote employees and managers. Ask your manager how often they want to meet you, through what medium (Slack, video chat, phone call, etc.), and what you need to bring to the meeting. 

Always ask your boss for his or her expectations. What do they need from you right now? How can you improve your work while working from home? Regardless of your boss’s management style, you need to communicate with them. After all, this is the person who signs your paycheck. Stay accountable to them.

Minimize distractions

Distractions happen in an office environment for sure, but your home is full of distractions too. Between your phone, the TV, kids, and your spouse, there are plenty of boundaries in the home environment that kill productivity. 

It’s your responsibility to minimize distractions so you can stay accountable, and that means setting boundaries. Try these four tips for minimizing distractions:

• Limiting your phone use: Set a timer on your phone to limit social media access to one hour during the workday. You can also block these apps during work hours if they’re too much of a distraction. 
• Creating a schedule: A schedule keeps your mind healthy and alert during these uncertain times. Give yourself a sense of normalcy by committing to a set wake-up time, determining your work hours, and scheduling in important tasks like cleaning and exercise. 
• Carving out an office space: You probably don’t have the luxury of a home office but you still need a private space that’s just for work. Push that dresser out of the corner in your bedroom. Put a TV table and kitchen chair in the corner of your room to use as a workspace. It’s not fancy but it will help you stay focused with fewer distractions.
• Take breaks: It sounds counterintuitive but taking 15-minute breaks every few hours will boost your productivity. Check-in with your kids, grab the mail, do a load of laundry, or just relax. Use the breaks as your opportunity to return to work with less on your mind. 

The bottom line

You aren’t expected to run at 100% during these uncertain times but you still have to deliver on your work responsibilities. Unfortunately, it’s easier to sweep things under the rug when you work remotely. Instead of drifting through remote workdays in a haze, hold yourself accountable. Follow James River Capital’s five tips to not only stay more productive when you work from home but to stay focused and motivated during such a critical time. 

Connect with James River Capital: LinkedIn | Crunchbase | PeoplePill | Blog | Medium

Renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Walden has released her own line of skincare products, calling it a bucket-list project that she always hoped to check off. The high-quality, medical-grade products Dr. Walden is offering have been designed to help repair and rejuvenate the natural beauty of the skin. These offerings include an enhancing lip plumper that helps support the look of fuller lips, a hydrating daily face moisturizer that provides intense hydration, a fresh tea face mist rich in antioxidants that help promote toning of the skin, a dark spot formula that helps to lighten dark pigmentations, and a detox nightwear cream that is meant to help recharge and restore a youthful glow to your skin. Dr. Walden also offers a line of private-label CBD products including nighttime ageless serum and daytime ageless moisturizer.

Dr. Walden’s offerings also include a line of supplements geared towards both women and men. These products contain evidence-based active ingredients and are some of the most frequently requested products in her collection. This wide selection of supplements focuses on the support and overall health of the patient, as well as weight loss and energy supplements. Dr. Walden takes great pride in ensuring her skincare products and supplements are in keeping with her overall mission to provide the best quality, advanced medical-grade skincare and supplement line on the market. On top of that, Dr. Walden and her team have partnered with several charities so that the customer can feel good about every skincare product they purchase.

Dr. Jennifer Walden is proud to announce that giving back is at the heart of her skincare and supplement lines and that for every purchase online, her team will donate 1% of all proceeds to the charity any customer selects. There are five different organizations that Dr. Walden’s team supports with their proceeds. The first is the Center for Child Protection, which is a children’s advocacy center with a mission to reduce the trauma for children during the investigation and prosecution of crimes against them, including being victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and for children who have witnessed a violent crime. The second non-profit they support is Fighting Pretty, which aims to help women feel strong and beautiful during and after all kinds of cancer treatments. The third foundation they support is the Heifer Foundation, which works in 21 countries around the world alongside local famers and business owners to support them and their communities as they mobilize and realize their futures and increase their quality of produce. The fourth organization Dr. Jennifer Walden’s team supports is the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation, which helps to inform, educate, and prevent violence and exploitation against women and children both nationally and internationally. Lastly, the fifth organization the team supports is Austin Fairy Godmothers, which aims to relieve the financial stress on ladies of all ages by helping them afford clothing for any formal event including prom, graduation, banquets, and other special events.

About Dr. Jennifer Walden

Dr. Jennifer Walden was born in Austin, Texas to a dentist father and surgical nurse mother. She graduated from Anderson High School and went on to obtain her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Texas. Following her undergrad education, she received her MD from the University of Texas Medical Branch and graduated as salutatorian of her class.

Dr. Walden then went on to obtain a fellowship in aesthetic surgery at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital. She stayed on at the hospital following the end of her fellowship and worked on New York City’s Upper East Side for seven and a half years. During her tenure in New York, she participated in clinical trials that led to the reintroduction of silicone breast implants.

In December 2011, Dr. Walden returned to Austin, Texas and opened up a private practice in Westlake Hills. The Doctor then opened a satellite office in Marble Falls, Texas in 2014. She has also been recognized as one of “The Best Plastic Surgeons in America” by American Way.

Dr. Jennifer Walden is known for using Vectra, a 3-D imaging technology that has the ability to visualize a patient’s look before surgery, and ThermiVa, a temperature-controlled, radio-frequency system for vaginal tightening and rejuvenation. Walden has also developed instruments for breast surgery, which are carried by Accurate Scientific and Surgical Instruments (ASSI).

She is recognized as one of the first doctors to use laser machines to do a high volume of labiaplasties and vaginoplasties. Harper’s Bazaar listed Dr. Walden as one of the Best Beauty Surgeons in 2014. Walden is a member of Modern Aesthetics’ and Plastic Surgery Practice’s Editorial Board of Directors and is one of the few women to be elected to serve on the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Board of Directors.

Dr. Walden serves as a consultant for aesthetic companies including ThermiAesthetics, Venus Concept, Ideal Implant, and Sciton Inc. She has been a revered commentator on plastic surgery by ABC News, Fox News, VH1, E!, and Dr. 90210.

Connect with Dr. Jennifer Walden: Facebook | Instagram | Wikipedia | Website

There’s nothing new about working remotely, but a shift to an entirely remote workforce for an unforeseen period of time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing businesses to implement

new strategies to ensure that communication remains smooth and workflow seamless during these uncertain times. Yanni Hufnagel, Founder and CEO of beverage startup Lemon Perfect is committed to maintaining a connection with his employees during the challenging days and months ahead – and using a number of digital tools to keep projects moving forward and responses timely. At times like these, Hufnagel advises, communication is key. 

Regularly scheduled meetings, preferably by video conference, provide needed structure to the workweek for remote employees and present opportunities for employees to receive quick responses to issues that may be arising, as well as a needed dose of face time. Due to pervasive high anxiety levels and various stressors impacting workers at this moment, it’s ideal, Yanni Hufnagel has found, to begin these meetings with a less structured moment of check-in, where employees can share how they are feeling. That ability to just connect and engage in casual discussion before launching into the meeting’s agenda can help employees feel connected and valued and provide that necessary human interaction that’s in short supply with mandated stay-at-home orders.

And there are other digital tools that are particularly useful right now for discrete groups within a company working on team projects remotely – like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Asana. Whichever platform is deemed the best fit for a particular company, Yanni Hufnagel recommends that there be ample opportunity for employees to learn how to use it. Companies can share available online tutorials and institute trial runs where employees can work out any issues with a platform and ask questions. If one worker is well-versed in a project management platform, consider designating him or her the point person. A platform is only as useful as the buy-in of the participants, Hufnagel notes. Providing ample opportunities for employees to learn the ropes will pave the way for successful adoption.

Remember that nuance can be easily lost in typed communications, whether that’s on Slack, or via email or text. In other words, communications can unintentionally come across as blunt or stern without the benefit of eye contact and body language cues. That means managers have to double down on enthusiasm and positivity in their communications to remote employees, advises Yanni Hufnagel.

Hufnagel founded Lemon Perfect as a healthy alternative to existing high-sugar, high-calorie sports drinks with their added artificial colors and flavors. He wanted increasingly health-conscious consumers to have more beverage options and noted that many were beginning to drink lemon water, and loved the taste and benefits, but not the inconvenience. The beverage he created – Lemon Perfect – is a USDA-certified organic lemon drink from lemons hand-picked in Southern California and cold-pressed using high-pressure processing instead of heat to maintain the lemons’ many nutritional health benefits. Available in four fun flavors – Just Lemon, Blueberry Acai, Dragon Fruit Mango, and Peach Raspberry – the drinks replace lost electrolytes and provide needed hydration with only the best ingredients. And Lemon Perfect meets other strict certification standards as well—it is certified vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO Project verified. The company is also a member of 1% for the Planet, contributing at least 1% of annual sales to environmental causes.

Prior to founding his company, Hufnagel was a former basketball player and university-level basketball coach at schools like the University of Nevada Reno, University of California Berkeley, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University. He brings high enthusiasm and positivity to his role leading his company and takes every opportunity to inspire his employees and recommit them to the company’s mission: “Democratize drinkable wellness.”

With a remote workforce, particularly in a time of such heightened anxiety and uncertainty, it’s important to find those opportunities to reconnect employees with the greater mission, Hufnagel says. This is a time where consistent, positive internal messaging is just as critical as the messaging going out to consumers via online ads and social media posts. Lemon Perfect is a beverage company, but it is also a wellness company, dedicated to health and the environment. Hufnagel is using this moment to remind employees of the importance of their larger mission – to provide healthy alternatives to sugary sodas, sports drinks, and juices, and reaffirm the importance of healthy living as people are self-isolating and looking for new ways to maintain their commitments to healthy eating and drinking.  

Of course, remote work still requires accountability. The best way to help remote employees stay on task is to set reasonable expectations, work with them individually to make sure they understand what is expected, and to provide opportunities for regular check-ins to ensure that everyone is managing well and meeting small goals. Daily check-ins can be incredibly effective, Hufnagel notes. Even just a 15-minute morning check-in to run through upcoming deliverables and gauge how employees are doing can provide a steady compass to guide the company forward through uncertain times.

And focusing on those deliverables, as opposed to more rigid schedules, is essential. Beyond the scheduled check-ins and virtual meetings, employees need a great deal of flexibility right now. Many are managing to work from home with children and need to work at odd hours and in shorter bursts to get their work accomplished. It’s important that CEOs and managers lead with compassion.

Yanni Hufnagel makes sure that his employees know they are valued and he has built a workplace that prioritizes openness and transparency. Bringing a perspective honed from his years coaching basketball teams, Hufnagel wants his employees, even if they are working remotely, to feel that they are a valued member of the Lemon Perfect team, and to know that the job of getting through the challenging months ahead will be a shared effort.

About Lemon Perfect
Lemon Perfect is a naturally refreshing, zero sugar cold-pressed lemon water with antioxidants and electrolytes. Certified organic and full of flavor, Lemon Perfect is widely considered by industry insiders to be one of the most scalable, exciting and innovative emerging beverage concepts in the marketplace.

About Yanni Hufnagel

Yanni Hufnagel is the Founder & CEO of Lemon Perfect, a naturally refreshing, zero sugar cold-pressed lemon water with essential antioxidants and hydrating electrolytes. Certified organic and full of flavor, Lemon Perfect – named “Best New Product” at BevNET’s Best of 2019 Awards – is widely considered by industry insiders to be one of the most scalable, exciting and innovative emerging beverage concepts in the marketplace.

Founded in 2017 and backed by an extraordinary team of investors, the company’s mission is to democratize drinkable wellness by making Lemon Perfect accessible for anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Before starting Lemon Perfect, Hufnagel served as an assistant men’s college basketball coach, with stops at Nevada, California, Vanderbilt, Harvard, and Oklahoma. Hufnagel earned the reputation as one of the most dogged recruiters in America, consistently lauded for signing nationally-ranked recruiting classes. In Hufnagel’s 10 years coaching college basketball, his teams reached the NCAA Tournament six times.

Connect with Yanni Hufnagel: Crunchbase | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Angel.co | Instagram