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Tag: living

  • Last Chance to Get Free Shipping on This Prize-Winning Puzzle

    Last Chance to Get Free Shipping on This Prize-Winning Puzzle

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Everybody likes money, especially around the holidays. Things get expensive at the end of the year with all the gift-giving and end-of-year costs and we could all use some savings — especially when you’re looking for ways to cut business costs.


    MSCHF

    What’s better than saving money? Winning money! And rather than dive into the risk of giving out and buying losing lottery tickets for gifts, why not get something in which you’re guaranteed to win? Everybody wins with The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle and right now is the perfect time to get it because it’s your last chance to get free shipping and save an extra few dollars off. As long as you order by December 8, you’re guaranteed to get it by Christmas.

    Created by street art collective MSCHF, originators of The One Million Dollar Puzzle, this new edition doubles down on the novelty of the original creation. It’s exactly what it sounds like. All you have to do is get a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, complete it, and scan it (it’s a giant QR code) to get to your personal prize page. Absolutely every puzzle wins at least $1 while two lucky winners will get $1,000,000. Of course, there are plenty of other prize tiers along the way so, no matter what, you’re bound to win a little money. Who doesn’t want that at the holidays?

    At better pricing than Amazon, now’s the time to grab the 2 Million Dollar Puzzle while it’s on sale for an extra discount and available with free shipping until December 8 at 11:59pm. Get it for 50% off $30 at just $14.99. You can also get a two-pack for 50% off $60 at just $29.98, or a four-pack for 53% off $120 at just $55.96.

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • How to Activate and Align Your Values When Under Pressure

    How to Activate and Align Your Values When Under Pressure

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In times of high pressure, aspirational core values can seem entirely impractical. Who has time for being “bold,” “innovative” or “connected” when they’re slammed by a barrage of emails and threatened by volatility or disruption?

    In these situations, values are relegated to vinyl stickers on an office wall or words tucked away on the About Us page of a website. How many people can recall their company’s values, never mind using them as a blueprint for decision-making and the basis for team alignment and trust?

    Related: Want Success? Define Your Company Values

    How workplace values emerge

    Values are what is important. Whether you can articulate them clearly or not, you have values. Your company has values and they are set by the executive — not the marketing — team.

    Leadership values shape employee behavior. If leaders value financial performance over all else, employee well-being, environmental impact or social connectivity may be neglected. Values contagion is a real phenomenon, and no training initiative will shift your culture if leadership values are misaligned or inconsistent. Employees roll their eyes at what they perceive as phony company values when leaders don’t walk the talk.

    Values in distress

    Distress arises when there is a misalignment of values. For example, imagine that you’re working late nights and sacrificing family time. If a core value is family, you’ll start feeling resentful toward work. Or perhaps you’re spending too much time caring for your family when a core value is productivity. You might then resent your family. There is no right or wrong; your values profile is entirely unique.

    In life’s journey, purpose is your North Star and values are the flame lighting your way. The terrain may be challenging, but knowing what is important and acting in alignment reduces ambiguity and increases fulfillment. You’ll have a reason “why” and a torch to guide your “how.” If the flame of your values burns low, you — and your team — may feel lost. In an environment of uncertainty, we activate ancient survival mechanisms, including our negativity bias, to secure our safety.

    Are values purely cognitive?

    The missing link in values alignment is our physiological state. When distressed, under threat or unwell, our values shift from aspirational and collaborative to primal and protective.

    There’s an ancient part of the brain called the amygdala. It scans input arriving via our senses and triggers strong emotions to help protect us from perceived threats. This can save our life if a lion wanders into the office. It saved the lives of our ancestors who navigated challenging environments where direct threats to survival were the norm. Fast forward to modern life, where inboxes overflow, amplified by pressure to perform and conflicting demands. We are our worst enemies because to manage complexity, we need to be calm, present and energized — yet we’re sleeping less and worrying more than ever.

    The flame of our values is reduced to embers under chronic distress. Our window of tolerance shrinks. We become a less human version of ourselves. Driven by basic survival emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, craving or disgust, the potential for creativity and collaboration is impaired. Our values downgrade to surviving rather than thriving.

    Related: A Set of Core Values Is What Makes Company Culture a Real Thing

    Find your baseline of calm

    Values-based leadership requires deliberately shifting from fight, flight or freeze into a state of calm coherence: body, emotion and mind. How do you establish calm? Create space in your day. Schedule micro-breaks. Use breathing techniques, meditation, and time in nature to reboot your nervous system.

    Train yourself out of habituated busyness by silencing your phone when it is not in use. Your phone is a tool, don’t mistake it for a friend. It is an extractive technology, and it is mining your attention.

    Polyvagal theory suggests that our nervous system is capable of progressing from calm to playfulness, trust, and high performance. In high performance, you can purposefully ride the edge of fight-flight while in a deeply immersive flow state. Here lies the golden zone for values-based action — and a 500% productivity boost.

    When you trust your environment, yourself and your team, you unlock psychological safety and a shift towards a values-driven culture.

    Values as habits

    Your values should be actionable. Instead of words describing desired traits, they should be an identity you believe in. For example, if you value kindness, your identity is: I am a kind person. Now, what does a kind person do? Simply, they treat others with respect, care and compassion.

    So we proceed to build micro-habits around this identity. Start with what you can achieve in 60 seconds or less. Prepare your environment by leaving strategically positioned cues or reminders. As a kind person, I might choose gratitude as a micro-habit worth implementing. So I set a reminder at 4 p.m. every day to reach out to one person in appreciation, care or support. With repetition, this is embedded in my operating system as a habit. I consistently send positive ripples across my circle of influence. I’m becoming the person I aspire to be through targeted, decisive and practical action.

    We are the sum of our habits. Even a company value like innovation requires a web of supporting practices, ranging from vitality to goal-setting. Leaders valuing innovation need to allocate space for it to emerge. Habits such as relaxation, which shifts us out of fight-flight mode, contemplation and play will support innovation.

    Follow a phased approach, upscaling the habits that work. Build rhythm in your work and life.

    Related: The 8 Values Every Company Should Live By

    Conclusion

    Instead of espousing aspirational values, lead with values-based behavior. You’ll transform yourself, your team and your business one micro-habit at a time.

    Remember that the most significant risk to values is distress — so stay calm. Be the change you wish to see in your organization. Nurture your values flame so that you burn bright instead of burning out. Light the way, and your team and culture will follow.

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    Bradley Hook

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  • 11 Practical Tips for the Holiday Business Traveler

    11 Practical Tips for the Holiday Business Traveler

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Business trips can be rough over the holidays. Most of us would rather be relaxing in front of a roaring fire than sitting on a cramped plane, but business can’t always wait til January.


    Shutterstock

    For those of you who are trading the comforts of home for planes, trains, and conference rooms, here are 11 quick tips for for mastering travel during this hectic holiday season.

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    Jen O'Neal

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  • The Top 5 All-Time Best Productivity Hacks You’ve Never Heard Of

    The Top 5 All-Time Best Productivity Hacks You’ve Never Heard Of

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    Want to combat chronic procrastination? Use these top five productivity hacks to put an end to this debilitating nuisance.

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    Ben Angel

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  • This 82-year-old retiree makes makes moose calls

    This 82-year-old retiree makes makes moose calls

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    Butch Phillips, an 82-year-old member of the Penobscot Nation, etches 18-inch long moose call horns from birch bark he harvests off tribal land. While some moose calls he gives away to local hunters, others have sold at auction for as much as $3,200 and some sit in museums.

    “It’s very exciting calling a moose. You can hear them coming. Snuffing and grunting,” said Phillips, who hunts a moose each year on tribal land, the largest being 940 pounds. He also sometimes calls moose just to watch them and study them.

    Based in Milford, Maine, Phillips has been making the moose calls, which are hornlike devices used to attract moose when hunting, for about 30 years with a wooden-handled knife his late wife bought him. He has more orders than he can keep up with, due in part to some local media coverage and word-of-mouth. He hopes to pass down his skills to his grown sons.

    Phillips retired 31 years ago from telecommunications jobs with NYMEX and AT&T
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    and he’s been filling his time with his etching talents ever since.

    “I just can’t imagine being retired with nothing to do. I think I’d go crazy,” Phillips said.

    Plus, in the winter, etching gives him something productive to do to pass time.

    “There’s not a lot you can do outdoors. It gives me something to do rather than just sitting around. Can you imagine doing that for 31 years?” Phillips said.

    Phillips used to make moose calls by peeling a piece of bark off a tree and using it for the day and tossing it aside. Then he started tying spruce roots around the bark to help keep the shape and use it again and again. Hunters started asking for his moose calls and his work spread by word-of-mouth.

    Phillips in a 14-foot birch bark canoe that he built.


    Credit: Butch Phillips

    “Some hunters will use a roadside cone to call a moose. I wanted to do it the traditional way. A large majority of native hunters use a birch bark call,” Phillips said.

    He uses a variety of tools, but the knife given to him by his late wife is his most treasured tool.

    “The blade’s pretty much worn down. But I treasure it. It’s very special,” Phillips said.

    As he became more adept at making moose calls, Phillips started making more permanent models, refining the workmanship and using thicker bark that was suitable for etching.

    “I decided to do etching like they did in the old days. Everything they used to make, they carved. My artwork evolved. I try to keep the older designs alive. I’ve taken symbols like the Wabanaki symbol and incorporated them into the art to keep them alive. I use plants and trees as fillers,” Phillips said.

    “In most of my art work, I try to combine people, plants and animals. We always memorialize our ancestors. And plants and animals are what we owe gratitude to for keeping us alive,” Phillips said. “In our prayers, we always give thanks to ancestors, plants and animals. There’s a theme.”

    Phillips said he writes up explanations of the symbols so each buyer knows what the designs mean. Diamond shapes, for example, represent wigwams, he said. More often these days his buyers are collectors rather than moose hunters.

    Phillips is an expert in his materials.

    “All bark is not created equal. There’s curly bark, thick, thin, white, dark, gray. I use bark that is thick and pliable and doesn’t separate into layers,” Phillips said.

    With winter bark, it’s brown with a thick rind on the inside. He has to take it off the tree carefully and scrape away the rind to make designs. He can approach the etching in two ways – either scraping away the entire background and leaving just a thin image, or carve images onto rind. Summer bark has no rind and is just yellow.

    His museum-quality pieces have used winter bark with an elaborate scraping process that leaves thin details for designs. Those are the toughest to do, he said.

    Phillips approaches each moose call with an open mind and has no preconceived idea of what the designs will be. The bark just speaks to him.

    “I never plan on paper what it’s going to look like. Most of the time I have no idea until it evolves,” Phillips said.

    In the center of the device, he often puts an image of a moose or a moose head. For special orders, he might be asked to incorporate an image of a hawk or favorite dog or even a woodpecker, in one case. He adds touches like a flower, acorns or moose tracks to fill in blank areas.

    “Each side is balanced because nature is balanced,” Phillips said. “Every design is unique.”

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  • 3 Tips for Delivering Your Best Work When You Feel Burned Out

    3 Tips for Delivering Your Best Work When You Feel Burned Out

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    While we often get caught up in keeping up with quantity (making more calls, building more SKUs, working more hours, etc.) it is delivering high-quality work that is a surefire way to please clients and earn respect.

    But if your headspace is clouded with a lengthy to-do list, an unrealistic deadline, or feelings of burnout, quality can fall by the wayside.

    Prioritizing your well-being will allow you to show up as the peak version of yourself. The following are a few tips you should employ to improve your mental space and overall output.

    Related: 6 Reasons You’re Burning Out — And How You Can Fix It

    Take a break

    There are only so many hours in the day and often, you may feel that, rather than taking a time out, the best option is to have another cup of coffee and push through. When you’re feeling stressed, a break of just five minutes can change the next five hours of your day.

    Our brains produce enough energy to power a small light bulb, but if we don’t give them time to recharge, they will actually go into overdrive. This can lead to a loss of creativity, focus and lead to decision fatigue which results in poor choices. If you’re looking to deliver the highest quality work, pushing through that wall you’re hitting isn’t always the best option.

    Take just a moment to meditate, read the news or take a walk. In the increasingly hybrid work world we live in, you can even be productive with personal chores: Empty the dishwasher, prep dinner or put in a load of laundry.

    A quick break can improve brain function, restore motivation, critical thinking and creativity while helping you deliver your best work.

    Related: 3 Tips for Founders Battling Burnout

    Learn to say “no”

    A good way to start setting boundaries is through one-on-one conversations with your supervisor. Keep him or her up to date with how busy you are, your planned vacation time, career goals and any unexpected personal issues. It’s essential to be your own advocate in these conversations because no one understands your life better than you do. By keeping your higher-up in the loop, you’ll have another person in your corner if you must decline an assignment.

    When you are asked to take on a project, seriously evaluate your work and personal life when considering if you have the capacity to take on the challenge before agreeing to it. Biting off more than you can chew can lead to feeling overwhelmed or burnt out, which hurts focus, curbs productivity and negatively impacts results.

    If you refuse, be sure to effectively communicate your reasons for doing so. Always provide alternative solutions, such as checking in with another colleague who may have time to assist.

    Use your vacation time

    Taking time to rest helps us to be more focused, energetic and brings a positive outlook to the office. One of the best ways to recharge is to use our vacation time.

    It can be hard to find time to take personal time off when managing multiple projects and tight deadlines, but it’s important to do so. Studies show that using vacation time is key to reducing stress, improving mental health and boosting productivity while at work. Whether it’s a week off (and make sure it’s at least a week off, as a recent study, conducted by Club Wyndham, found that 43% of American workers polled claimed they didn’t start to relax until three days into their trip) or a single mental health date to catch up on personal matters, it’s in your company’s best interest for you to use your breaks.

    And when you’re off, be sure to fully disconnect: Don’t check your emails and be sure not to stress about what you may be missing or what you have to tackle when you return.

    Related: A Work-Life Balance is Nonsense. To Reach Your Goals, Follow Another Approach

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    Michelle Van Slyke

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  • DJ Khaled Just Rented Out His Sneaker Closet on Airbnb for $11

    DJ Khaled Just Rented Out His Sneaker Closet on Airbnb for $11

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    DJ Khaled wants to be “The Best” Airbnb host.

    On Tuesday, the Grammy-winning artist listed two one-night stays inside his Miami sneaker closet in December.

    “Sleep in my legendary sneaker collection and experience the 305 through the eyes (and shoes) of yours truly,” Khaled wrote in the ad.

    The Airbnb sold out in minutes, according to BET.

    The “Sneaker Kingdom,” as Khaled calls it, is not his actual sneaker closet but a replica. Nevertheless, guests will be given a “major key” to the space that houses DJ Khaled’s collection of more than 10,000 sneakers, including his personal Jordan 3 “Grateful” and Jordan 8 “Oregon PEs.

    But that’s not all. Upon arrival, guests will receive a handwritten welcome note from Khaled and a pair of his newly designed shoes We The Best Air Jordan 5s.

    Khaled’s Airbnb does not have a TV or a kitchen, but it does have access to an outdoor lounge where Khaled says you can “kick back and soak in the Miami vibes after a dip in the pool.”

    Khaled is also offering a catered dinner from his restaurant The Licking – Miami Gardens, and a private shopping session at Miami sneaker store, 305 Kicks.

    Related: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About DJ Khaled

    Why is DJ Khaled renting his closet?

    The move was part of a promotional effort to tout DJ Khaled’s new album “God Did” and reveal his newest Jordan Brand collaboration.

    DJ Khaled is a self-proclaimed “sneakerhead from birth,” he said in a statement. “Sneakers are an essential part of hip hop culture, and collecting them is an art – just like creating music.”

    But the 46-year-old Palestinian-American music mogul hasn’t always been awash in expensive sneakers. He spent his early years working as a busboy in New Orleans and spinning at clubs for $100 a week in Orlando. Eventually, he got a radio show at 99 Jamz in Miami and started to produce his own music.

    His fame skyrocketed when he joined Snapchat in 2015, giving his fans insights into his personal life and offering lessons about success.

    He would go on to record seven top-10 hits and collaborate with such artists as Jay Z, Beyonce, Drake, Lil Wayne, and Rihanna, to name just a few.

    His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “Watch your back. But more importantly, when you get out of the shower, dry your back. It’s a cold world out there.”

    Unless you’re kicking it in his Sneaker Kingdom.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • 17 Best Holiday Cocktails to Take Your Office Party to the Next Level

    17 Best Holiday Cocktails to Take Your Office Party to the Next Level

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    It’s finally here: the one time of the year when you’re allowed — perhaps even encouraged — to get a little crazy with your co-workers. Yes, it’s holiday party time, and Entrepreneur wants this year to be your office’s greatest throwdown yet.

    To that end, we’ve asked the world’s best bartenders and spirits brands to provide us with their picks for the tastiest winter-friendly cocktails, along with easy-to-follow instructions for making each of them. 

    Click on slideshow and check ’em out, but rememeber — these things pack quite a punch!

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    Patrick Carone

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  • How to Get Comfortable With Change and Build It Into the Foundation of Your Business

    How to Get Comfortable With Change and Build It Into the Foundation of Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Life in business is a never-ending series of ebbs and flows. The moment we learn to surf one wave, conditions change and we must paddle furiously to catch the next.

    Change is a constant, not a single passing event. As leaders, we need to prepare accordingly. No matter how high the swells or how many times we get knocked off the board, we can’t afford to take our eyes off the wave we’re on or those looming on the horizon. Great change leaders know how to live in the present and the future, they know when it is and isn’t appropriate to implement change, and lastly, they know how to embed change resilience into their organizations.

    Related: How to Become the Change-Enforcing Leader Every Company Needs to Scale

    Stay laser-focused on the now, but live in the future

    To be effective, leaders must learn how to distribute their focus between the present and the future. They need to be able to pour everything they have into the work at hand without losing sight of future goals and potential roadblocks. Every new CEO I’ve coached describes this duality as one of the most unnatural yet vital muscles to develop.

    Success requires aiming for the best-case scenario but preparing for the worst. This ability is crucial during times of crisis, distress or macroeconomic headwinds. When you’re prepared for anything that might happen tomorrow, you can focus intently on the work that needs to happen today.

    How to know it is time to change

    It can be tricky to identify when you need to make a change or what that change should even be. Balancing the evolutionary mandate for change with the human need for stability is paradoxical. If you change too much and too fast, your customer may lose track of your core identity. If you change too cautiously and too slowly, your customer may deem you irrelevant. Sometimes leaders can become so accustomed to change that they reflexively make changes without adequately assessing the situation.

    A leader I recently worked with wanted to blow up a well-constructed organizational design only a year and a half after implementing it. Had the leader not paused to assess, she wouldn’t have realized that the root cause of her frustration was competitive behaviors between divisions rather than the structure itself. As such, the most important thing a leader can do is take a metaphorical breath and do a proper assessment.

    While there isn’t a playbook that outlines all the reasons to change, there are some common indicators that, if present, should put leaders on alert. Here are three important ones:

    1. Growth has stagnated

    This is an area in which leaders must be vigilant and proactive — if you allow your growth to slow without intervention, you risk falling behind, sometimes never being able to catch up. That said, a business’s growth could stagnate for various reasons, and leaders shouldn’t jump to conclusions and rush to overhaul their entire company due to one slow month. Know that your “spidey sense” or CEO intuition is not enough. Check in with employees, pulse customers and utilize data to diagnose your market. Whatever surfaces from your analysis, if it is significant and within your control to change, you need to pounce on it.

    2. You see negative attitudes and behaviors

    There is no such thing as perfect or bad behavior. Negative attitudes will always pop up, but when those behaviors and attitudes take on a more regular presence, it’s clear that something is wrong. It could be as simple as a toxic employee or group of employees undermining the business. What happens if attitudes and behaviors become pervasively negative? There’s rarely a quick fix, but the change mandate is quite urgent because you have a cultural issue. Just as culture takes time to build or unravel, your intervention must be realistically phased over time and highly intentional.

    3. When disruptive threats emerge

    Competition can be healthy, pushing all to grow and expand their offerings. However, if you have diagnosed a threat beyond mere competition, this is a time for intensive thinking and bold action. Consider Facebook’s adaptation to Meta. After facing brand-damaging internal leaks, intense scrutiny from the public and a huge blow to their advertising business due to changes in Apple’s privacy practices, they rebranded to the name Meta and pivoted their long-term strategy to the Metaverse.

    Related: 5 Key Ingredients to Become a Successful Change Leader (and Home Baker)

    Build change into the system

    People crave stability in the workplace, so how can leaders create a culture that prepares employees to adapt and change as needed?

    A willingness to adapt begins with a strong foundation. Communicate your company’s mission, priorities and vision for the future with all employees. When your company’s purpose is clear, employees feel at ease knowing the foundation from which all change stems and can trust it is not arbitrary. Furthermore, they can quickly identify when something is not aligned with priorities and needs to be adjusted.

    From this foundation, create space for reflection, dialogue and learning. Bring in new perspectives and encourage (and fund, if possible) employee learning. Meet frequently to discuss your priorities, goals and visions for the future, ensuring all are in alignment and adjusting as new information comes in. At my company, we assess our business quarterly through board meetings and team-wide retrospectives. My executive team also meets annually for a team offsite to determine our strategy and ensure we are all aligned on priorities for the coming year.

    Related: How to Be an Adaptable Leader and Use Change to Your Advantage

    Strengthen your muscle for change

    Don’t let a day go by without asking if there is anything you need to change. What is your core focus, and what should you prioritize? Are there any future roadblocks you’re not yet seeing? Learning to balance these conflicting needs all at once is challenging — straddling the present and future requires immense cognitive and emotional energy. Yet, when you’ve navigated those waves and smoothly glided to the shore, I don’t think you’ll regret those aching muscles. You might turn around, ready and eager to get right back out there.

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    Jonathan Kirschner

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  • 3 Rituals to Help You Build Resilience and Beat Stress

    3 Rituals to Help You Build Resilience and Beat Stress

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I was watching Good Morning America recently and saw a segment in which they recommended people take short breaks in between work tasks. The program cited an analysis in the journal PLOS ONE showing that “microbreaks” during the workday increase energy and decrease fatigue.

    This is the essence of the recovery methodology I’ve learned from research and personal experience, dating back to my days as a teenage lifeguard at Jones Beach in New York. We focus on practicing what I call resilience rituals and how they help us combat depletion, exhaustion and burnout while rebuilding resilience.

    The forces driving us toward burnout are chronic stress (driven in part by being constantly engaged online), multitasking and forgetting to tend to the needs of our bodies and minds. The results can be catastrophic for our health and wellbeing, but there’s good news: Resilience rituals, if practiced regularly, can help us recharge, rejuvenate and perform at our best.

    Related: 7 Keys to Developing Resilience

    When I was a lifeguard, we made dozens of ocean rescues each day, but there was one rescue that failed when we were unable to find a swimmer who went down in the rough surf. From that tragedy, we vowed to make sure that would never again happen on our watch. To make good on that vow, our lifeguard crew had to learn to become more capable and pivot in the face of a serious tragedy. To ensure everyone was performing at their best, we started taking more breaks and spelling each other.

    Today, I call that concept the toggle method — a way to recharge energy and boost resilience.

    How the toggle method helps recharge resilience

    For a long time, people have defined resilience as our ability to take a hit and bounce back. The person who was able to produce the most, endure the most stress and be the first in and last out of the office was considered resilient. Trying to live up to that old paradigm is one reason so many people are exhausted, near or past burnout.

    You can’t endlessly absorb stress and take the hits of uncertainty and anxiety and keep coming back stronger. It’s like fighting a rip current. Instead, I believe resilience is about recovery. It’s the process of recovery that ultimately enables you to bounce forward, rather than just bounce back.

    Practicing resilience rituals allows you to toggle between periods of focused energy (the “E-Zone”) and periods of focused rest and recovery (the “R-Zone”), like a light switch toggles between on and off. Taking breaks throughout the day allows you to toggle between your E-Zone and your R-Zone — using intermittent rest, recovery and regeneration as a tool to increase productivity and performance.

    When you toggle back and forth between those two states often enough throughout the day, you find that it increases your capacity to focus. This allows you to get more accomplished throughout the day with less exhaustion, less depletion and less risk of burnout. Over time, this also helps you build higher levels of resilience.

    Related: Want to Prevent Burnout? Start Building Resilience Now.

    Toggle menu

    So, how can we regenerate in ways that increase our longevity, capacity and sustainability, whether as individuals or as teams? We’ve developed a “toggle menu” of things people can do during the day to reset, recharge and rejuvenate. Some activities can be done in less than one minute, while others can be done in 30 minutes or less. Here are a few to try:

    • Legs Up the Wall: This is my ultimate go-to for energy in the afternoon. Rather than drink coffee or eat a candy bar, try lying flat on your back with your legs vertically up the wall, with your body in the shape of an L. You can do this for as short as 20 minutes with your eyes closed, with or without meditation. Set an alarm because you could literally drop off to sleep! After 20 minutes in that position, you’ll either wake up or get up restored. It feels like taking a multi-hour nap without the grogginess. You’ve taken pressure off your back and legs. You have better circulation and blood flow. You’ll feel mentally, physically, emotionally, and maybe even spiritually restored. When I do this for 20 minutes in the afternoon, I find my capacity matches my best productivity hours in the morning.

    • Zone 2 Cardio Walk: The impact of walking cannot be ever overstated, especially if you walk after meals. Walking helps regulate your biochemistry to lower your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and increase levels of dopamine and serotonin in your body. Take one or more 20- to 30-minute walks during the day, and you will likely feel better. A Zone 2 Cardio Walk is a little different because you breathe through your nose and keep your mouth shut while you walk, so you are not talking to other people or talking on your phone. By breathing in and out through your nose, you create more of an aerobic experience with more benefits to your cardiovascular system. It’s a combination walking/breathing exercise you will find restorative and beneficial to your sense of wellbeing. If you walk after eating, you gain the benefit of increasing metabolism and assisting your digestion and assimilation of what you ate.

    • Hand/Ear Massage: Your ears don’t typically get a lot of touch, and massaging them can be a bit of a state change. This is an area that has been shown through research to produce a change in the way neurons fire in your brain. So, when you are sitting at your desk feeling tired, close your eyes and massage your ears up and down for about 60 seconds. You can also try massaging your hands between your thumb and index finger. Little toggle rituals such as this can have a big effect!

    Related: 5 Reasons Science Says You Seriously Need to Take a Break

    There are many ways you can give yourself breaks throughout the day to recharge your energy and reboot your resilience. Try taking quiet time for meditation, gratitude and prayer to start and end your day. Set reminders on your phone to help you remember to unplug for a bit each day. Experiment with different activities of various durations and see what works best for you.

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    Adam Markel

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  • Become a Sam’s Club Member for 60% off This Cyber Monday

    Become a Sam’s Club Member for 60% off This Cyber Monday

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Growing a business is hard, and it’s a lot harder when inflation makes everything your business needs to succeed even more expensive. Finding ways to save money is crucial for entrepreneurs. Good thing it’s Cyber Monday because some great deals will make entrepreneurs’ personal and professional lives easier.


    Sam’s Club

    Few are quite as good as a Sam’s Club membership, however, which will set you up to save even more money over the next year. From now through December 2, you can get a one-year membership for a steal at just $19.99, no coupon needed.

    For entrepreneurs, Sam’s Club is a huge asset. The membership warehouse club has a limited-item business model that allows shoppers to discover outstanding discounts on quality, brand-name products that they won’t find at traditional retail stores. Whether you’re looking to stock up your office (or home) kitchen, re-up on office supplies, or make a bigger electronics purchase for the home or office, you can find a bargain at Sam’s Club.

    Beyond the everyday savings, Sam’s Club members can get discounts on hotels, rental cars, live events, attractions, movies, and more to save on business travel, entertaining clients, and beyond. You can also take advantage of Sam’s Services, which include things like health screenings and pharmacy benefits, prescription glasses, tire installation, professional assembly, and more. The deal includes a complimentary household card to lock in additional savings on already low-priced items. It’s a gift that will keep on giving throughout the rest of this year and long after.

    Every entrepreneur is looking for ways to save money. Buying this discounted membership now and then shopping at Sam’s Club offers you savings that just keep adding up. Thanks to this Cyber Monday price drop, you can sign up for a one-year membership to Sam’s Club for 60% off $50 at just $19.99 through December 2 or while supplies last.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • It’s a Bad Time to Buy a Car. How to Score a Decent Deal Now if You Can’t Wait.

    It’s a Bad Time to Buy a Car. How to Score a Decent Deal Now if You Can’t Wait.

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    Car buyers just can’t catch a break these days. Vehicle prices climbed sharply during the pandemic, and now the cost of financing a new set of wheels is going up.

    Even if prices ease, interest rates on car loans likely will climb higher, at least for a while, making this an inopportune time to replace a vehicle, financing experts say. 

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  • Forget Powerball. Here’s Your Chance to Win $1 Million for $20.

    Forget Powerball. Here’s Your Chance to Win $1 Million for $20.

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Chances are, you didn’t win the big $2B Powerball jackpot—or get a $1M consolation prize. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try for a million bucks another way. Opportunity knocks: Through November 27, you can pick up The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle for just $19.99 and see what the universe offers in return.


    MSCHF

    A creation of street art collective MSCHF, The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle builds upon their bestselling One Million Dollar Puzzle by adding a second grand prize; meaning there will be two different puzzles with million-dollar winners. If you like solving puzzles and winning money, you’ll love this as a present for yourself, but it also makes a great gift for friends, family, clients, or that networking White Elephant exchange you got invited to. And with this limited-time doorbuster pricing, it’s a good way to lower your gifting budget for 2022.

    Here’s how the whole thing works: After you purchase and complete the 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, you scan it (the design is a big, functioning QR code). You’ll have a code in the box with some extra instructions to figure out your prize. Every single puzzle is a winner, it’s just a matter of whether you win $1 or $1 million. (Okay, it’s not just one or the other, there are several other prize tiers along the way). But most importantly, you’ll have a great time completing the puzzle and, no matter what, you’re basically going to get a retroactive discount on the price you paid. Who doesn’t want to cut costs a little during the holiday season?

    Thanks to this Black Friday weekend doorbuster offer, for two days only—or until inventory sells out—The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle is available at its best price ever, no coupon needed: $19.99 (reg. $30).

    Prices subject to change.

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  • 7 Productivity Hacks That Are on Sale for Black Friday

    7 Productivity Hacks That Are on Sale for Black Friday

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Recovering from Thanksgiving can be tough enough as is with the tryptophan in the turkey. But between the potentially long travel back home, and the idea of going back to work on Monday, it’s OK to need a bit of a boost. We’ve rounded up seven products that can help boost your productivity and are on sale for Black Friday.

    *Prices are subject to change.


    The Drink Monday Trio

    Maybe you had a few drinks yesterday and you’re sitting there today, telling yourself that you’ve got to cut back. Let Monday Drinks help you with that. And with the sale running on The Fascination where you can get the trio for only $99, you’ve got no excuse not to try their alcohol-free whiskey, gin, and mezcal.



    Cometeer Coffee

    Cometeer Coffee has to be one of the most intriguing innovations in the coffee industry that we’ve seen in a while. Their proprietary technology flash freezes the coffee (which they source from some of your favorite local shops like Counter Culture, Birch, and Joe Coffee) using liquid nitrogen, preserving the flavor into pods that can be melted and turned into a latte, a good ol’ cup of joe, or whatever your preference. Shop through the 30th to get $25 off your 1st box, $15 off your 2nd, $10 off your 3rd and your 4th. That’s a total of $60 in savings.



    MUD/WTR

    Thinking about cutting down on coffee? MUD/WTR is a coffee alternative that’s formulated with 100% organic ingredients — the core one being mushrooms. With just 1/7 the level of caffeine that a cup of coffee has, a cup of MUD/WTR won’t leave you either the jitters, but you will have a smooth, calm, sense of energy and alertness. Through the 28th, spend $35 on the site and receive 25% off with the code RITUAL25



    ASYSTEM Productivity Gummies

    These Productivity Gummies from ASYSTEM are popping up everywhere recently and for good reason. They’re an all-natural gummy that you can take daily to improve your focus for 5+ hours. Their key ingredient is Suntheanine® — a patented concentrated form that is able to give you 20x more L-Theanine than green tea. There’s also ingredients like Lion’s Mane Mushroom and vitamin B-12 which are known to boost energy in a calm, focused way. Get them on sale at The Fascination through the 28th.



    Tovala

    There’s nothing like Thanksgiving to inspire cooking fatigue and Tovala’s Smart Oven and meal subscription plan is the best solution. All you do is order your weekly meals, do about a minute worth of prep, and then let the oven scan a QR code. Through wireless connectivity, the oven knows exactly how to cook the meal, whether it needs steaming; baking; air frying; broiling; or even a combination of the methods. Tovala is offering the Smart Oven for just $49 instead of $299 when you order six weeks of meals over six months, which really is a big win for the days and nights when you’re just too busy.



    Ridge Wallets

    More and more we’re liking a slim wallet that has space for everything we need, but not enough that we find ourselves carrying around receipts from a year ago. All of the materials that Ridge Wallets are made of are super sturdy, like aluminum or titanium, and they come with a cash strap, a money clip, or both. The Fascination has tons of them on sale right now for as low as $68.40.



    Roomba J7 & J7 Plus

    Is there anything more productive than a vacuum that cleans the house for you? This year is the year to finally get the high-powered Roomba that is perfect for animal hair, carpets, and hard floors. It connects with Alexa too, so you can power it from your phone. On Amazon, they’re offering up to 42% off the J7 and J7 Plus models.

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  • Want to Feel Happier? Give Thanks All Year Round.

    Want to Feel Happier? Give Thanks All Year Round.

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    Taking a moment to step back and think about the things in your life that you are thankful will actually make you happier, according to Harvard Medical School.


    Westend61 | Getty Images

    Two psychologists at the University of Miami conducted a study about in which they split the participants into two sections. Over the course of the week, one group was tasked with down the things they were grateful for, while the other wrote down all the things that annoyed them or pissed them off. A third group, the control group, just wrote about what happened to them without including any .

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    Nina Zipkin

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  • Get Xbox Live Gold for Our Lowest Price

    Get Xbox Live Gold for Our Lowest Price

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We all have different hobbies and ways of relaxing after a long day of work. It’s vital to make time to relax so that you can hit the ground running with energy every day. If gaming is your getaway, then you’re going to like this Black Friday deal that we’re releasing a little early. On Thanksgiving and Black Friday only, we’re offering a three-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold for the lowest price you’ll find for two days: just $9.99.


    StackCommerce

    Xbox Live Gold is the ultimate way to experience Xbox One (and Xbox 360 and Xbox Series X). The world’s fastest, most reliable console gaming network, you can dive into online multiplayer to take your gaming to a whole new level. Xbox Live Gold is your ticket to the most exciting social entertainment network in the world, letting you find people to play with using Clubs and Looking for Group. (Or you can always play with your real-world friends, too.). The cloud-hosted multiplayer helps eliminate lag and cheating while the 300,000 server network remains the fastest in the business.

    Every month, Gold also gives you access to two to four free games as well as 50% to 75% discounts in the Xbox Store. You can check out some of the most recent free downloads here. With discounts on select content every week, your Gold subscription is a gift that will keep on giving throughout the duration of your subscription. Basically, it’s the best way to play your favorite console and we’re offering the best deal you’ll ever see.

    This Thanksgiving and Black Friday only, we’re offering Xbox Live Gold for three months for about the price of one. Sign up for three months today for 60 percent off $24 at just $9.99 while supplies last.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • 7 Ways to Let Go of Your Anger and Live a Happier Life

    7 Ways to Let Go of Your Anger and Live a Happier Life

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I don’t like my neighbor. He is old, conservative and very loud at times when our kids are sleeping. There are many more reasons, but let’s get into the real topic of this article. I eventually found ways to switch my anger and release it from my body. At some point, I just realized that it is not healthy for myself or for my family. The person who was most frustrated was me, and the other person even didn’t know it. I just realized that this is not the role model that I want to be for my kids, so I started my own journey to fix this. Here are some ways you can do it, too:

    1. Gratitude post of the week

    This became a real tradition for me! At the end of the week, I wrote a post on social media highlighting all the things that I am grateful for. Especially as entrepreneurs, we so often focus on and stress about things that need to be done, but this allowed me to focus on the real important things — my family, health and the positive relationships around me. Switching your focus from the negative to the positive things in your life should be an integrated habit in your life! By the way, this not only feels very good, but it is also a great way to stay in touch with the people I have positive relationships with because I am tagging them all, and they see my posts!

    Related: How to Transform Anger Into Constructive Action

    2. Realize the effect anger has on your body and health

    Anger is a natural emotion, but it can also have long-term side effects on our mental and physical health. Some of the short and long-term health problems that have been linked to unmanaged anger include:

    • Headache

    • Insomnia

    • Increased anxiety

    • Depression

    • High blood pressure

    • Skin problems

    • Heart attack

    When I read this list of potential issues for the first time, I just thought, “do I really want to risk any of this because of a neighbor?” So, ask yourself what you’re getting from the situations that make you angry. In most cases, you get nothing.

    3. Ask yourself: Where is this anger coming from?

    Oftentimes these strong feelings are coming from past experiences or experiences in our childhood. In my case, I repeated the fifth grade in my school, and it was a very intense experience. I had no real friends and failed in almost all subjects. At that time, I was criticized heavily and struggled when people made fun of me. To some degree, I overcompensated for this and reacted emotionally whenever I had a negative experience with someone (like the neighbor I mentioned earlier).

    So, think about where your anger may be coming from and what it may be rooted in. Analyzing and understanding your anger can help you manage it better. I also realized that anger is an important part of our emotional intelligence because it helps us to know when something in our life needs to change.

    Related: What Anger Says About You

    4. Set things in perspective

    Are you going to think about this situation in 10 years? Am I going to think about my stupid neighbor in the year 2032? Hell no! Who cares? We have plans to move to a cooler city and take cool trips, so who cares about this old guy? Setting situations in perspective like this helped me to think differently and let go of some of my anger.

    5. Get professional help, and forgive

    If you’re at a point where you feel like your anger is out of control or that it’s putting a real damper on your life and relationships, it would be a good idea to seek professional help. Qualified professionals can help you develop the skills and mindsets you need to manage these emotions.

    It’s also important to practice forgiveness as you navigate your anger. I am a big fan of Dr. Wayne Dyer, who has written many best-selling books on psychology. He is also called the father of motivation. His main message in all his books is this idea of forgiving not only other people but also yourself for the things that may have happened as a result of your anger. At the same time, it’s important to embrace the moment and live a life of growth. So, try to forgive anyone who is causing you to be angry, and then move on by focusing on your personal growth.

    Related: Seeing Red? 8 Ways to Keep Your Anger in Check

    6. Write about it, and share your experience

    I wouldn’t give my neighbor credit for it, but writing about this situation has helped me in many ways, and it also led to this article. Anger within neighbors is a common thing, and many people can relate to this, so why not share my experience and write about it? Taking the time to write about your experiences can help you feel more in control of your emotions. And sharing your experiences gives you the opportunity to receive (and give) advice, helping you and others feel less alone. Where can you publish and share your own experience?

    7. Talk about it

    Find someone you trust with whom you can speak about such experiences. In my case, it is my wife. When we speak about these situations, we find a solution together. Most often, my wife gives me ideas to focus on and execute. So, find someone you can talk with. Speaking with someone else about a struggle is better than thinking about the struggle alone in your head.

    Even with the best plan, sometimes old habits come back. Just be gentle with yourself, and remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. It takes time, and maybe you need two or more rounds to work on yourself before it really works out for you.

    Just remind yourself always that there is a reason why you feel this strong emotion. Asking the “why” question is critical and helps you to dig deep into your past. Finding the true reason and accepting this helps you to overcome the situation. Focusing on your personal growth will not only make you more self-confident but will also help you grow in your professional relationships.

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    Yakup Özkardes-Cheung

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  • ‘There are plenty of storm clouds on the horizon’: 5 things not to buy on Black Friday

    ‘There are plenty of storm clouds on the horizon’: 5 things not to buy on Black Friday

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    It’s a year for shopping prudently.

    Americans will spend between $942.6 billion and $960.4 billion this holiday season, according to projections from the National Retail Federation. That’s up from last year when holiday sales hit a record $889.3 billion, the trade association said.

    However, people are not willing to go as crazy this Black Friday compared to previous years: that 6% to 8% year-over-year growth expectation is slower than the 13.5% annual increase in holiday season spending in 2021 when consumers had pandemic-era government benefits to spend.

    Once again, millions of people will also be shopping from the comfort of their home and avoiding the Black Friday crowds. Online and other non-store sales are predicted to rise 10% to 12% (to between $262.8 billion and $267.6 billion).

    People have reason to be concerned about their spending.

    “The economy is probably doing better than it feels right now, but that’s not true for everyone of course,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com. “There are plenty of storm clouds on the horizon.” He cited rising interest rates, 40-year high inflation and tech layoffs. 

    People have reason to be concerned about their spending. The personal saving rate — meaning personal saving as a percentage of disposable income, or the share of income left after paying taxes and spending money — fell to 3.3% in the third quarter from 3.4% in the prior quarter, the government said last month. 

    Despite a strong labor market and unemployment hovering at 3.7% in October, Rossman said, “it still seems like a recession is likely in 2023, although the best guess is that it will be a mild one.”

    So what should you not buy this Black Friday? Quite a lot, if you don’t believe in living large. Here are 5 things to think about avoiding:

    — Quentin Fottrell

    Tech accessories

    For tech accessories — like earbuds and headphones — waiting until December may be a better way to score better deals, added Ryan McGonagill, director, industry research at Savings.com, another site that aggregates discounts.

    The most popular electronic products like Apple AAPL iPads, MacBooks and iPhones have scant Black Friday deals. “For a limited time, get an Apple Gift Card to use on a later purchase when you buy an eligible iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, and more,” according to Apple’s Black Friday offer.

    Computer makers and retailers, however, are coming off the work-from-home boom and may have inventory they need to thin before year’s end. Holiday discounts on computers, at least through October, were at 10% off the base price, according to analysis from Adobe
    ADBE,
    +2.92%
    .
     

    The software and analytics provider said computer discounts could go much steeper, up to 32% off the base price before the end of the year. Cyber Monday could be the best day for bargains on computers, Adobe said, but computer deals may stick around for the rest of 2022.

    Pay attention to early deals, if you desperately need a new laptop. “Many retailers offer the same pricing on Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” said Kristin McGrath, editor at RetailMeNot.com, a site that promotes deals. “So start looking on Black Friday and use Cyber Monday as a second chance to snag what you missed.”

    — Andrew Keshner

    Seasonal items

    Winter wear is usually not going to be on sale before Christmas, so it’s best to shop for your puffy jackets and snow boots in the New Year, if you can. The same goes for white linen, tools and holiday decorations, said Charles Lindsey, associate professor in the Marketing School of Management at the University at Buffalo.

    Most stores put their coats, hats, scarves and flannel pajamas on sale — with discounts on big-name brands of 50% or more in January — to make room for their spring collections. Similarly, buy summer clothes in the fall and winter. 

    “The best time to buy holiday decor is immediately after said holidays,” according to DealNews, a site offering shopping advice. “After Christmas sales are generally your best bet for snagging deeply discounted ornaments, lights, and inflatables in order to be well prepared for next year.” 

    Fashion-conscious shoppers inclined to snap up discounted items may want to practice patience on Black Friday. Apparel may have even deeper discounts after the holidays. If you feel compelled to buy something new to wear to the office party, invest in quality pieces. Fast fashion has a cost: It has contributed to a waste crisis, in part because such items are not meant to last very long in your closet.

    But that does not mean you should not keep your eyes peeled for some seasonal goods on Black Friday. Walmart
    WMT,
    +0.34%
    ,
    for instance, is pushing out the boat early with some discounts on toys, including hoverboards, bicycles, remote-control cars, and karaoke machines. Similarly, Kohl’s
    KSS,
    +4.17%

    has discounts on a range of doll’s houses.

    — Quentin Fottrell and Emma Ockerman

    Appliances and white goods

    There might be tempting Black Friday deals on appliances, mattresses and furniture. Discounts on appliances may reach up to an 18% from the base price, Adobe said. Still, “you’re going to get another shot at them during New Year’s Eve sales and again during Presidents Day sales in February,” McGrath said.

    If Black Friday is “too chaotic …you’ll have plenty of opportunities to save,” she added. Department stores usually run very attractive discounts on houseware in the days following Christmas. “Stores know they’ll be getting a lot of traffic with so many people returning gifts — and hope to convince shoppers to make an impulse self-gifting purchase or two,” McGrath said.

    If you can’t wait, Costco
    COST,
    +1.64%

    is already rolling out deals on white goods and appliances, including $70 off a Sonos
    SONO,
    +1.87%

    WiFi speaker. However, Consumer Reports cautions consumers against falling for big deals without checking out the reliability of the brand first, as you could end up paying more in repairs down the road. 

    You might be tempted by offers and rebates on matching kitchen suites — typically a refrigerator, range, dishwasher, and microwave — from the same maker,” Consumer Reports said. “But price is only part of the equation when you’re purchasing appliances. Reliability is key, and it can vary within a brand’s offerings.”

    — Andrew Keshner

    Fitness equipment

    One of the best times to buy exercise equipment is around the New Year, when people are making resolutions to improve their health, said Regina Conway, who researches sales and promotions for Slickdeals, a site that tracks retail discounts.

    When you make your purchase, think twice before buying equipment that runs on proprietary technology, like Peloton
    PTON,
    -1.13%

    or Lululemon’s
    LULU,
    +1.79%

    Mirror exercise products, mainly because the at-home fitness boom faces an uncertain future post-pandemic, Conway noted.

    However, this Black Friday is a little different than previous years, and there are some deals in categories that traditionally don’t have good Black Friday discounts, including exercise equipment. “This year we’re seeing strong Black Friday deals from industry stalwarts like NordicTrack,” Conway said.

    Peloton Interactive, which is facing a challenging time since people are no longer stuck at home due to the pandemic, is currently offering $600 off this fitness bike package. However, consumers will still have to fork over $2,195 for the machine and exercise regime.

    “We think consumers are likely to continue to prefer out-of-home experiences in the near-term and believe Peloton is still working through pandemic pull-forward,” Cowen & Co. analyst John Blackledge wrote in an analyst note on Tuesday, citing “limited visibility” on Peloton’s fiscal 2023 performance.

    — Leslie Albrecht and Quentin Fottrell

    Big-ticket items like TVs 

    Does Amazon
    AMZN,
    +0.80%

    founder Jeff Bezos have a point about the dangers of splurging this year? In something of a Black Friday surprise, Bezos offered some shocking spending tips as Americans gear up for the holiday shopping season — amid four-decade-high inflation. Or, to be more accurate, he offered tips on what not to spend your money on.

    ‘If you’re an individual and you’re thinking about buying a large-screen TV, maybe slow that down, keep that cash, see what happens. Same thing with a refrigerator, a new car, whatever. Just take some risk off the table,” Bezos said in a recent interview on CNN
    WBD,
    +2.27%
    .
    The remarks drew a significant amount of scorn on social media, with some critics advising people to avoid shopping on Amazon too.

    About those TVs: “They’re normally not going to be a high-end TV brand,” Lindsey said. “It will be a lower to mid-tier brand. Companies utilize these TVS as doorbusters to get people in the store and people clicking on their website. You’re probably better off shopping around the Superbowl in late January.”

    Rossman said consumers are becoming more judicious about their Black Friday splurging. “People seem to be pulling back on some big-ticket purchases,” he told MarketWatch. “For example, sellers of appliances, electronics and furniture all posted disappointing results in the most recent retail sales report.”

    “Yet discretionary sectors such as travel and dining are seeing sharp increases in spending,” he added. “I think the main explanation is pent-up demand. People are prioritizing experiences over things right now, largely due to the pandemic. There was also a pull-forward in demand for many physical goods the past couple of years as many out-of-home activities were curtailed.”

    — Quentin Fottrell

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  • 12 Ways to Steer the Conversation So Everyone Is Happy on Thanksgiving

    12 Ways to Steer the Conversation So Everyone Is Happy on Thanksgiving

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Being around family can be challenging, especially during the holidays. There is no group of who can get us more instantly unnerved than family. You could invest half your life’s savings into therapy — good therapy, effective therapy — and, within five minutes you find you’re regressing under the stress of the same old enmeshed, craziness in your family that never changes. Before you head over the river and through the woods, give some thought to the following strategies to help you steer conversations towards the positive this Thanksgiving.


    Rawpixel Ltd | Getty Images

    1. Be a listener.

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    Sherrie Campbell

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  • Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission Impossible’ Helicopter Disrupts Filming of PBS Show ‘Call the Midwife’

    Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission Impossible’ Helicopter Disrupts Filming of PBS Show ‘Call the Midwife’

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Mission Impossible movies involve lots of gunfire and explosions. But while filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two in the United Kingdom, Tom Cruise is reportedly causing a different kind of problem — his choppers are so loud they’re disrupting other productions shooting nearby.


    NurPhoto | Getty Images

    Stalwart PBS series Call the Midwife — which stars Jenny Agutter as a nun named Sister Julienne and is set in the 1950s — is filming in the same area as Cruise’s movie, and the actress and her costars have been forced into reshooting scenes due to the decidedly anachronistic sound of modern helicopters.

    Joking to the Mirror, Agutter reportedly said, “Tom Cruise keeps on ruining our filming by landing his helicopter right outside where we’re shooting.”

    When asked if she’d tell the action star off, Agutter said, “In my habit! Imagine. ‘Excuse me Tom, but look, we’re trying to film. I don’t know about you, but just get your helicopter out of here quickly!’”

    As the title implies, there’s a Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which is set to hit theaters on July 14, 2023. Part Two will premiere just under a year later, on June 28, 2024. As long as there are no angry fake nuns to slow filming down with noise complaints.

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    Steve Huff

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