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Business simplified; 4 ways to help you expand your business

Growing your business is one of the most exciting and rewarding endeavors you can undertake. It requires careful planning, strategy, and implementation to ensure success. By exploring the possibilities of expanding your business, you can open up new opportunities for growth and profitability.

With the right strategies in place, you can increase your customer base, reach new markets, and make more money. In this article, we will discuss some key strategies for expanding your business and how they could help you grow your business even further.

Strategy #1 – Expand Your Reach Through Online Marketing and Social Media

For small businesses, online marketing and social media can be powerful tools to expand their reach and get the word out about their products and services. With the right strategy, small businesses can use these channels to build an engaged audience, increase brand visibility, and drive traffic to their website.

The key is to develop a comprehensive online marketing strategy that includes tactics such as SEO optimization, content creation, email campaigns, paid to advertise, and more. Additionally, it’s important to leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn as part of your overall digital marketing plan. By doing so you can engage with potential customers in real time and create meaningful relationships with them.

Strategy #2 – Focus on Building Relationships with Your Customers

Building relationships with your customers is essential for any business. It helps to create loyalty, increase customer satisfaction, and ultimately leads to increased sales. Customer engagement strategies such as customer loyalty programs and customer relationship management software can help companies achieve this goal.

These strategies can help businesses get to know their customers better, understand their needs and preferences, and provide them with personalized experiences that will keep them coming back for more. With the right tools in place, businesses can build strong relationships with their customers that will last for years to come.

Strategy #3 – Expand Your Business To The United States

Expanding your business to the United States is a great opportunity for growth and success. With an E2 visa, you can live and work in the US while running your business. There are many benefits to expanding your business to the United States, such as access to a larger market, more resources, and new opportunities. Many entrepreneurs are shifting their base to Georgia since it is quite a lucrative business field. Many people are heading to Marietta in order to expand their businesses. You can search for immigration lawyer marietta ga in order to help you find the right lawyer to get an E2 visa. These strategies can help you make an international impact on your business.

Strategy #4 – Invest in Automation To Increase Efficiency and Productivity

Automation is becoming increasingly important for small businesses looking to increase efficiency and productivity. Automation tools can help streamline processes, reduce the time spent on mundane tasks, and free up resources to focus on more important aspects of running a business.

These automated processes can be implemented with a range of automation software, from simple task automation to more complex process automation. By investing in the right automation tools for your business, you can save time and money while improving efficiency and productivity.

It is important to understand the different ways through which you can expand your business. Use this service by Markup to help you boost your business internationally.

Mário Leite da Silva: Assisting Clients in their Specific Business Problems

Mário Leite da Silva began his career in the banking industry and the assurance division of one of the Big 4 corporations. He has twenty-five years of experience, 15 of which were spent in top management positions with numerous industrial companies, business family offices, and financial institutions in several nations, including several listed companies on the stock exchange.

Mário was also an experienced university and post-university planning and management control professor until February 2020 and a member of the General and Supervisory Board of Porto Business School till April 2019. Mário also has extensive experience as a member of risk, audit, finance, and remuneration committees.

In 2020, Mário realized it was the right moment to launch his consulting project with an unequivocal and differentiated market position focused on value creation for his clients and not a mass market consulting company fighting on daily rates and with junior consultants. This led to the launch of PTCG, an independent management consultancy boutique that assists clients in their specific business problems related to planning, management, and control, change management, strategic planning, corporate finance, restructuring, project management, and specific challenges arising from family businesses. PTCG has the skills of a large management consulting company without its cost structure, so the company believes it can offer a highly competitive proposal with total flexibility to its client’s needs.

Rethinking the Way of Doing Business

PTCG operates in a reasonably relaxed work environment, and its team members get along well with each other. As part of its process of rethinking how it does business, the organization also promotes the introduction of fresh ideas and carefully considers each suggestion.

As the organization’s founder, Mário believes diversity and inclusion are essential topics not because they are now on the business leaders’ agenda but because they effectively increase the results of the companies. “It’s one of the topics that today, as members of some HR committees, we work more carefully given the cross-cutting impacts it can have on our organizations,“- he explained.

Creating Value for Clients

Since its inception, PTCG has grown a client base that recognizes the value that the company creates in each assignment independently of the experience of the promoters. “This is something special. To realize that the initial vision was right and that we can have a direct impact on our client’s portfolio, our teams, and our community,“- Mário said.

Looking at the Future

Under Mário’s leadership, PTCG wants to continue on the path of growth with consistency and profitability. PTCG also wants to help its teams to have a positive impact on its clients’ business. It is currently working on launching a new project that combines IT technology with management know-how as it believes that lifelong learning platforms are essential to improve its clients’ performance and to give them the tools that meet the current market volatility and complexity requirements.

Suggestions for Younger Self

Mário believes that when someone aspires to launch a new project, the individual should develop the concept carefully and study the market, competitors, and the client’s needs. He feels it is always better to be present in a context of growth, so it’s essential to tackle the timing for the launch properly. It’s never an easy journey, and young entrepreneurs must stay prepared to make some hard decisions. However, if the individual believes in the project and the vision, he/she should fight for it.

Data-Driven Decision-Making: Factors to Consider for Long-Term Success

Have you ever made a decision for your business based on a hunch or a gut feeling? While intuition can sometimes lead to positive outcomes, it’s not a reliable way to make long-term decisions. That’s where data-driven decision-making (DDDM) comes in.

According to a recent study, companies that prioritize DDDM are 5% more productive and 6% more profitable than those that do not. So, if you want your business to thrive in the long run, it’s crucial to incorporate DDDM into your decision-making processes.

But where do you start? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!

Below we’ll discuss some crucial factors that you should consider to ensure long-term success with data-driven decision-making. So, let’s cut to the chase!

  • Data Quality

When it comes to DDDM, the quality of your data is crucial. Low-quality data can lead to incorrect insights and, ultimately, poor decision-making. On the other hand, high-quality data provides accurate insights and leads to better decisions.

That’s why you must ensure the data collected is reliable, complete, and relevant.

For this purpose, you need to establish clear data collection processes, verify the accuracy of your data, and regularly update and maintain your data.

  • Data Quantity

While making your business decisions, you may be tempted to think that more data is always better. However, the quantity of data is not always the most critical factor to consider. It’s important to focus on collecting the right data rather than simply collecting as much data as possible.

To ensure that you’re collecting the right data, you need to understand the Data Lineage– where it comes from and how it’s processed. It will help you determine which data is relevant to your decision-making processes and prioritize it.

On the other hand, if you stay focused on collecting too much data, it can turn out to be counterproductive. This can lead to analysis paralysis and make it more difficult to identify relevant insights.

  • Right Tools And Technology

When it comes to making data-driven decisions, having the right tools and technology can make all the difference. With the right tools, you can quickly and easily analyze data, gaining valuable insights. Similarly, investing in technology can help you automate data collection and analysis, making it faster and more efficient.

This means you can spend more time focusing on the insights that matter rather than getting bogged down in data processing.

Furthermore, visualizing data through technology makes it easier to understand and communicate insights to others. This can be particularly useful when presenting data to stakeholders or colleagues.

  • Skilled Professionals

Finally, to make the most of DDDM, you need skilled professionals who can interpret and analyze the data effectively. Additionally, they can identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately apparent, giving you a competitive edge in your industry.

Therefore, you should invest in training and development for your team, so they have the necessary skills and knowledge to work with data effectively. This will not only benefit your decision-making processes but also boost morale and job satisfaction among your team.

The Bottom Line,

 Data-driven Decision-making can be a powerful tool for achieving long-term success. By considering the factors discussed, you can ensure that your decisions are based on accurate insights and are optimized for success.

6 Ways To Help You Manage Challenges At Work

In every workplace, employees can face challenges. Organizations are complicated structures and can be influenced by several external pressures and workplace problems.  

So, every employee must learn how to manage their challenges at work. Doing this makes the difference between low productivity and effective high performance.  

Let’s find out ways you can manage challenges at work.  

  1. Speak with your employer 

Employee health is linked to work productivity. So, your employer must create a healthy work environment for the staff. When faced with challenges, start by conversing with your employer. The aim isn’t to complain, but to come up with an effective plan that would help mitigate the problems you have mentioned. 

This will help you to perform at your best. It might be embarrassing or maybe even frightening for instance to report sexual harassment. But, this will allow your employer the chance of correcting the challenge i.e making the harassment stop.  

If it doesn’t, then you know that the employer knows about the issue. When the employer is notified of the problem, they would investigate, find proof, and take the proper actions to address the issue which is usually a lawsuit.  

Not informing your employer about your situation might make the challenge worse. You might wonder what are the effects of sexual harassment in the workplace.  

One such obvious effect is less productivity due to insomnia, anxiety, and emotional distress. So, informing your employer makes the working environment conducive to your health.  

  1. Tackle the challenge piece by piece 

Most people are unable to tackle a challenge they face at work because it looks so big. Every challenge is mainly made up of smaller steps with easy solutions. So, start by finding the best and worst-case scenarios.  

Then try to find the most realistic scenario. Now, divide the issue into more minor problems, and find a solution for each split part. When you go through this motion, you would start focusing on the solutions instead of being blinded by the issue.  

  1. Admit mistakes 

Sometimes, a challenge might be due to a mistake you made. So, admitting to your mistake is the best move you can make. There isn’t a problem with admitting to your mistake, especially if it impedes you from solving a challenge.  

This shows that you want to grow, and are a person of character. Many people view admitting mistakes as a sign of weakness, but ultimately, honesty will always be appreciated by others in the office. 

  1. Seek counsel from experienced colleagues 

While working, you might face problems that you haven’t encountered before. When such a situation occurs, seeking advice from experienced colleagues who might have faced such challenges in the past is best.  

If you have a good relationship with your colleagues, speak with them. Ask them to help you understand your difficulty. Genuinely ask them for help to know what action or decisions to make.  

People love to help, especially when approached positively. Also, you can seek counsel from your community to help you through the difficulty. They can include mentors or trusted peers. Seek out their perspective.  

Seek help from them about the problem and also how you intend to solve it. Ensure they know your thought process and also why you may or may not agree with them. When you have an inquiring mind, it helps you to be perceived as questioning and not negative. 

  1. Take time to understand the challenge  

It can be unnerving when faced with a challenge in your workplace. You would be unable to think straight, start panicking and your face might even turn red. But, you shouldn’t seek to solve the challenge right away as you might even put more stress on yourself.  

Instead, take a break then go for a walk. Take time to think. You can even close your eyes briefly or go to the gym. Irrespective of what you choose, take time to understand the challenge. This helps you get a better view of the problem.  

  1. Use challenges to your advantage 

Sometimes, challenges at work can be a good thing. They can let you grow in your role and better yourself. They are also a good opportunity to build problem-solving skills which you can use as an example of how you overcame a challenge. Challenges also let you learn new things. It could be the right way to interact with others or a new skill.  

Final Words  

One part of the preparation for daily office life is to be prepared for the unexpected. Challenges come unannounced and they can affect the balance of your workflow in the process. But, having the right plans and procedures in place helps in managing the challenges you might face in unpredictable situations

Towerwall: Pioneering Cyber Security Consulting

Established by Michelle Drolet, Towerwall helps its clients by providing them with continuous monitoring and protection against current and evolving cyber threats. As the industry’s leading data security preparedness partner, Towerwall’s end-to-end solutions help to bridge the gap between plan and action to ensure its clients’ security.

Michelle also co-founded the annual Information Security Summit in partnership with Mass Bay Community College, with the purpose of creating an open forum for knowledge sharing between cyber professionals, vendors, and students. Additionally, the summit also serves as a vehicle to raise funds to provide academic scholarships in the field of cybersecurity for MassBay students in their Cyber Program. Till date, more than $55,000 has been raised for scholarships. Michelle also serves on the college’s advisory board to help shape its cybersecurity curriculums.

Recently we got a chance to sit down with Michelle to learn more about Towerwall and how the cyber security company is safeguarding its clients from modern-day cyber threats.

Below are the highlights of the interview.

Please tell us about your professional journey.

Michelle: In college, I studied criminal justice, so from an early age, I’ve been interested in stopping the bad guys. In 1993 I was hired to run the US operations for an IT consulting business that was making inroads into cybersecurity. The company was acquired by a public entity, but I grew disenchanted with its direction and found a way to buy the company back. Since 1999 we’ve been offering customized cybersecurity preparedness and end-to-end solutions that bridge the gap between plan and action to ensure resiliency for organizations of all sizes.

Please throw some light on Towerwall and its services.

Michelle: Regardless of company size, almost every modern organization struggles with cybersecurity. Our clients trust Towerwall to provide them with continuous monitoring and protection against current and evolving threats. We learned early on that there is no single piece of technology or system that will keep any organization completely secure. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. That’s why Towerwall developed an operational security approach that distinguishes our services in the market. A methodology that is not only consistent, repeatable, and measurable but also flexible enough to adapt to the changing threat landscape. We call this customizable approach the “7 Dimensions of Cybersecurity,” which all organizations, regardless of industry or security maturity, should adopt to establish a multi-dimensional, multi-layered, proactive security defense.

Services include establishing a program and developing policies, conducting security audits and risk assessments, threat detection and response, guidance on abiding by compliance and regulations, penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, vendor questionnaires, employee awareness training, and many other security services. Our customer engagements last for several years, and these include Foundation Medicine, Middlesex Savings Bank, Dean College, Milford Regional Medical Center, Perkin Elmer, and local SMBs.

What are the primary challenges of the industry?

Michelle: The primary challenge facing our cybersecurity industry has really been about the glaring shortage of professionals who are well-versed in security, risk management, and compliance. To meet this high demand for skilled talent, Towerwall launched an innovative service called virtual CISO — a personal service to take on the responsibilities and duties associated with the Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO), the virtual Data Protection Officer (vDPO), and the virtual Chief Privacy Officer (vCPO). These roles are brought in-house for client engagements on a fractional or interim basis. These fractional services roles also act as a huge competitive differentiator and advantage.

How is Towerwall disrupting the entire industry for the better?

Michelle: Cybersecurity is multi-dimensional. Organizations need a partner who can deliver a coordinated end-to-end solution response. We like to guide our clients through all the phases of cybersecurity. That’s why we developed a unique security approach (the “7 Dimensions of Cybersecurity”) that is not only consistent, repeatable, and measurable but flexible enough to adapt to the changing threat landscape. As a market leader, our content marketing focuses on sharing the latest in active threats, vulnerabilities, and tactical steps our clients can take. Each month we hold webinars and in-person events to keep our clients and prospects informed and engaged.

Please explain the effect of the pandemic on Towerwall. How did you overcome it?

Michelle: Because we are a security tech company, most of our staff were already working remotely, having been set up with secure VPN connections long ago, ensuring business continuity in the face of the pandemic. We were fortunate to have hired people who are truly self-motivated. Also fortunate to have had 70% of our staff working remotely before Covid hit. We didn’t miss a beat. Today we support a hybrid work week with limited staff who do come into the office. This is what we believe creates a proactive, positive corporate culture that make our team deliver to the fullest.

What are your priorities for 2023?

Michelle: Towerwall plans to continue to grow and expand both our customer base and consultants globally. Our business model is all about partnerships. Recently we forged new vendor partnerships with Pentera and CyberSaint (adding them to our stable of 50-plus cyber-tech partners) to help our customers manage their cybersecurity programs as well as assist our consultants when conducting risk assessments. Other partners include Alert Logic, Varonis, LogRhythm, KnowBe4, Tenable, Sophos, and many other recognized brands.

Give us a piece of advice that you would share with entrepreneurs just starting out.

Michelle: For young entrepreneurs just starting out, it’s important to state your values clearly and upfront.  We believe in finding the right balance between work and family. Our values are about having focus, determination, and compassion. We all face challenges in our personal and business life, but the ability to persevere is the difference between success and failure. Particularly in business, nothing is more important than solving your customer’s needs. We often compete and win against larger players because our team has a ‘run through the wall’ attitude. Make teamwork a priority.

Mehul Mahicha: An Illustrious Film Director Personality creating Engaging Creative Content for Brands

Mehul Mahicha is an Animation Film Director, Producer, and Co-founder at Vivi5 Studios. He is an exceptional film designer in the business of storytelling. Along with his partner, Co-Director Rita Dhankani, the duo aims to help growing brands reach their true potential by connecting them with their audiences, through engaging-impactful film communications!

The Initial Journey

Animation is something that interested Mehul since childhood. It was magnified after his post-graduation in Animation Film Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in 2002. He started working in the industry as an Animation Director and worked as a Content Creator for Kids’ Channels in India. During this period, he also worked under some illustrious mentors like Sir. Rammohan at Graffiti Multimedia, Prakash Moorthy at Miditech, and Eeks Suresh at Famous Studios.

In 2009, he started his journey as an entrepreneur Co-Founding “Vivi5 Studios” with fellow NIDian & partner, Rita Dhankani. And in the past 14 years, they have partnered with some of the renowned Advertising Agencies, Corporate houses, Startups, and NGOs; in the country and across four continents.

Unicef India, UNDP, Ashok Leyland, Dentsu Webchutney, McCann, Leo Burnett, DDB Mudra, Tata Sky, Tata Elxsi, SBI Card, Amazon India, DataShurbs, Razorpay, are some of their esteemed clients over these years.

Mentoring is Mehul’s second love after filmmaking and he is ever ready to guide his team at Vivi5 Studios, film students, and aspiring designers in this domain. He is also an External Advisory Board Member for MIT Design Institute, Pune, and a frequent External Jury member at Srishti School of Design.

About Vivi5 Studios

Think, design, create, and connect to bring impact!

Vivi5 Studios is an award-winning one-stop Film Content and Design Agency building stellar Brand Stories for growing businesses.

“When I say stellar brand video content, I mean we do what it takes to grab your audience’s attention, make them pause and hear what you have to say, and ultimately take action to bring you results. How do we do that? By blending storytelling mediums, and design thinking,” states Mehul.

Both Mehul and Rita, come from multidisciplinary backgrounds such as animation, film, art, design, advertising & film-making. And as avid design thinkers and mentors, they make sure they cultivate the same in their teams and help them develop as design thinkers first and then as designers or animators. They nurture a creative team to cater to varied sectors but also multiply the studio’s expertise as a multidisciplinary film and design agency.

Apart from a good quality product/service, every growing business needs a good story to communicate its ‘brand’ value to the customers. Vivi5 Studios help them to do so by designing and developing unique custom-made engaging stories to build up this brand awareness amongst their users for greater returns.

Their USP is a varied story-telling palette such as 2D & 3D Animation, Stop Motion, Motion Graphics, and live action. In short, they do what it takes to help their clients sell better when it comes to creating promotional and awareness films in the most effective ways across varied platforms and geographies.

Their main offers include Content creation from Concept to Screen, Brand Identity, Advertising Films, Brand Films, Corporate Videos, Promotional Films, Explainer videos, Education Films, and Brand Design Consultancy; for both Broadcast, Digital Platforms and at times for print media, as well.

As brand communication experts, their job is to get an in-depth understanding of the brand/client, their requirements, and their target audiences; and bring them the right kind of film and design solutions.

Mehul is proud to share that his partnerships with clients are for the longer run, and his client’s success is his success “What helps us create unique solutions is our design thinking process. It is the magic mantra to building success stories for our clients,” adds Mehul.

Wall of Achievement

  • FOXGLOVE Awards 2022 – Best use of Animation for PSA ‘BHOOK’ The Hunger
  • ANN Awards 2022 – Best use of Animation for PSA ‘BHOOK’ The Hunger
  • FOXGLOVE Awards 2020 – Best CSR Film for ‘HAPPY EARTH DAY
  • FICCI Award 2017 – Best Animation Ad for Y K ORGANICS MYNTRA, INDIA
  • FICCI Awards 2016 – Best Animation Film (nomination) For ‘Wahga Time’ I Khalifa University, UAE
  • TASI Awards 2015 – Best Animation Film (nomination) for Right to Education I UNICEF, India

Cherishing a Collective Growth-Driven Environment

One thing that keeps team Vivi5 going is their common love for storytelling for brands. The company works for diversified industry verticals such as Automobile, Fintech, Healthtech, Lifestyle, E-Commerce, Fashion, FMCG, Health, E-learning, Telecom, Electronics, Consumer Products, Banking, etc. Their primary aim is to create content that touches the hearts and ignites the minds, of all their stakeholders.

Vivi5 Studio’s vision is to empower collective growth for all its Stakeholders: Clients, Teams, and companies. That’s their 3-win formula.

The Studio believes in collective growth and that’s what keeps Mehul motivated. His studio provides consistent in-depth design knowledge, why-s & how-s, and practical experience while unparallel scope on upgrading creative skills for its employees through day-to-day learning and knowledge sharing that is at par with any international design institute.

Current Market Trends

Today’s content has become more user-specific. It’s not simply limited to one celebrity using a product that influences many buyers. Rather it’s the buyer, who is now a celebrity influencing the sales. Personalised content has taken over center stage as there has been a remarkable sales increase of 20% when brands nurture individual customer relationships. Nearly 92% of the buyers trust individual recommendations.

  • Influencer marketing is the most evident trend and has grown multifold, especially during the lockdown. B2C and D2C communications seem to have a great scope when it comes to content creation and business generation. It is in fact, responsible for the fast-growing technology solutions that are equally influencing marketing and advertising strategies. When one sees nearly 4000+ apps being created every day globally, one knows it’s an internet swaraj.
  • Reels are on fire. It’s one trend that every brand is leveraging. Unscripted or scripted, polished or crude; these reels are welcomed by audiences who are content creators or are aspiring to be one. Live videos are helping brands attract leads, get rich customer data, and generate new businesses, and most stay future-ready.
  • Interactive storytelling content is yet another promising format that works well for the current shorter-attention-span criteria for effective communication. More and more brands are building interactive and immersive storytelling content, as they don’t want to lose their audiences amidst many brand promotions, where each is working on bringing more impressions with every post. Brands are moving to bring an immersive storytelling experience.

“If you observe any of the content today, it’s within the first 2 to 3 secs of the video you see the CTA appear to hold the viewer’s attention from clicking the ‘skip ad’ option. Hence, businesses are moving towards more engaging and immersive storytelling narratives now more than ever,” states Mehul.

All in all, it’s a chain effect. With a focus on personalised advertising, there’s a change in the way content is being designed, optimized, and showcased. Storytelling for brands is changing to a concise format to engage the audiences of today, in the quickest way possible.

Getting Future Ready

Vivi5 Studios aspires to assist more and more businesses on their potential growth path through its expertise. “Storytelling has always been as immersive but translating it into a physical space experience is something we are aiming to do,”– explains Mehul. The company is currently in talks with brands to collaborate where its designers, animators, and visualizers can work with programmers, engineers, and data specialists to come up with immersive storytelling solutions for its clients and audiences. With a symbiotic association as such in the upcoming times, Vivi5 Studios aims to expand its horizons and reach a wider audience base.

“As a creative content agency, we will always face new challenges while keeping up with the latest trends in the marketing and advertising industry. We also need to bring more awareness of the importance of capitalising on immersive storytelling video content to growing businesses. And how can they make the most in their social media and the digital marketing campaigns to enhance their brand positioning and generate more value.”– says Mehul.

To bring this awareness, Vivi5 Studios is actively talking about creative storytelling and its need for the hour, through its publications on LinkedIn Vivi5 posts.

They are also developing IPs to help create effective yet affordable video content for brands, who want to engage with their users on regular bases but find it tough to test the waters at a cost that is way beyond their marketing budgets.

A Promising Time

“As we move from the Internet of Things (IOT) to the Internet of Place (IOP)and the Internet of Ownership (IOO), we foresee a paradigm shift in all sectors. Metaverse and Web3 will transform every aspect of the business narratives. Challenge it that it’s going to change how you interact with customers, how we work, products and services we offer, how we make and distribute them, how we run and operate our business/es, everything in-between and beyond.”

Vivi5 Studios is excited to take up this new challenge as it is working towards building content that will be easily adaptable to this versatile, evolving, expanding continuum. Being a multidisciplinary creative agency that is known for creating excellent content in the past amongst its partners, and where information can seamlessly be transformed from 2D to 3D to Live action, Mehul is sure that Vivi5 Studios is ready as it already has the expertise and tools to hone the upcoming new trends of communication of the future.

As an executive director of the studio that offers creative content, design, direction, and production, Mehul aims to explore new ways to ‘immersive storytelling’ in the Metaverse that will shape the future of content in the coming years.

Words of Wisdom

“These are exciting times for all of us as we see 5G on a rollout in India, leading Metaverse & Web3 to come into play. There will certainly be more competition and more challenges, and we all will be part of it. But in the end, a good-story will always be at the core of it all. And it will be our focus, all the time.” – Mehul.

Melanie Kossan: Cultivating Happier and Healthier Souls through Natural Remedies

A lifelong entrepreneur, natural wellness Aadvocate, leader, mother, and innovator, Melanie Kossan is a woman of many virtues.

Professing the significance of self-care, she knew a little about CBD and dove into research further to benefit the community in that area. “If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself”, Mindy Kaling said, and Melanie Kossan perfectly fit in this picture.

The aspiring woman leader has always loved learning, but she has never been able to focus long enough to attend college or acquire a degree beyond high school. She asked questions, read, and listened to podcasts and audiobooks.

Her Initial Journey to Start Mtn Mama, LLC

With a supportive family and her zeal to make an impact, Melanie took to building the foundation of Mtn Mama.

The company manufactures all the products they market, and they are now manufacturing for other companies. Their B2B offerings range widely and include White Label, Private Label, and Wholesale. Essentially, they can create anything you want, label it with your name, and support you in marketing it.

To ensure maximum safety, I tried all the products extensively on my family, my dogs, and myself during the product research. I had a good feeling about the outcome. I’ve since developed all of my own formulations. Product creation is still one of my favourite areas of my job, and I still do it now. She added, “We develop topical and ingestible products for people and their dogs.

With Mtn Mama, Melanie’s mission is to: “Cultivate happier, healthier souls through the production and sale of natural remedies that relieve pain, anxiety, and other ailments which interfere with the lifestyle you DESERVE!”

Stillwater Hemp – The Renowned Montana-based CBD company

Incorporated in 2017, Mtn Mama produces, distributes, and retails all-natural CBD, CBG, and CBN topicals and tinctures for people and animals. Stillwater Hemp is a renowned CBD firm with headquarters in Montana. Here, products are prepared with only natural, organic, and premium cannabinoid extracts from hemp farming in the United States.

Additionally, they are providing business opportunities, Private Labeling Services, CBD School and CBD School 2.0, and training individuals on how to start their own CBD businesses. They also accept speaking engagements and have established the first CBD Distributors Association.

Melanie’s Definition of Success

Melanie believes deeply that when her clients are successful, she is too!

“When my clients and consumers share their success stories with me, I can see that I am doing something right. I enjoy listening to people’s tales since they are unique, and everyone has one. When someone tells me a story about how working with my company has impacted their life for the better, to me, that is success”, she further apprised.

Achievements Along the Way

Sharing accomplishments has never been easy for Melanie. Because it isn’t about her, it’s about her customers. Some of her clients have fur, but others don’t. In any case, she does this so she may watch them accomplish things they previously couldn’t.

The Enigmatic Future of Mtn Mama

Mtn Mama has grown from being a one-woman show in a home office to now having a skilled workforce, a manufacturing and retail facility in Columbus, Montana, and other locations. Their future plan is to accelerate their growth and boost sales.

“My aims are never time-bound because they can turn out to be just that. I’ll be ready to sell much sooner than I anticipate”, shared the inspiring leading lady.

Words of wisdom

I have learned a lot in this business. I’ve learned a lot of lessons the hard way, and I promise you – that is expensive! Always have a mentor or advisor—someone who has done this before. Don’t choose someone who is too encouraging. A mentor who will tell you when you are wrong, your new idea is garbage, or you are wasting your time on a particular project will be far more valuable than someone who only speaks in rainbows. Get a mentor.

From the CEO’s Desk – A Recent Case Study at Mtn Mama

I’ll close by sharing one of my favourite tales about a furry friend or client. Kota is a 12-year-old German Sheppard-Bull Mastiff mix. He is handsome and debonaire and dumb as a box of rocks. He has all heart and no brain. He will bring you a gift as soon as you walk in the door. You can admire it and express gratitude to him for it, but you cannot take it. He enjoys snuggling and being the “small spoon” as well. He was somewhat limping one day. He wouldn’t put any weight on that leg the following day. His ACL tore, according to Dr Vet. Kota would probably require both legs to be operated on, which would be incredibly expensive. He then started using the CBD/CBG/CBN supplement that Mtn Mama, LLC produces. He had previously taken it, but only sometimes. Now he took it in the morning and at night. Within days he was able to run around with his BFF Bea almost as well as he used to! His ACL will heal a little each day, and the pain will be minimal. But as long as he can play with Bea and bring me gifts, everything is right as rain.

Ms. Lubna Naeem: Director of Operations – Gargash Hospital

Ms. Lubna Naeem got her degree in Pharmacy from Jamia Hamdard University. Topped In both years and awarded for the same on state level by Delhi Pharmacy Council and has training from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A.I.I.M.S); one of the biggest semi-government hospitals in India.

She is skilled in hospital operations, strategic planning, partnerships, business development, customer/patient care management, facilities management, crisis management, team development & leadership, and cost reduction management.

Ms. Lubna is a highly motivated individual with a positive and goal-oriented outlook. She has an analytical approach and is quite experienced in conceptualization. She has a proven ability to build and lead effective teams.

She is known with her excellent communication and presentation skills. Proficiency in listening and counselling ability as well. She also has the capability to prioritize and plan effectively within a hospital/clinical setting.

A true leader and recognized for her own merits by the management and patients for her sincerity in work and services provided (google reviews, emails, written and verbal feedbacks).

She has a demonstrated capability to bring out the best in others while creating a healthy and friendly work environment. Thus, enhancing operational efficiency and optimizing resource utilization and in-depth exposure across Hospital Management, Sales & Marketing Management, Projects Management, Customer Relationship Management, and General Management.

Moreover, she is known as a hands-on results-oriented professional who can identify problems, formulate tactical plans, and initiate change.

Here are some of Ms. Lubna Naeem’s honors, awards, and acclamations to name a few:

WOMAN AWARD WTF (Wellness, Technology, Fashion)

Awarded for Excellence and being Champion in corporate Non – Clinical Leadership role

MEDGATE TODAY

Received Certificate of appreciation and featured as one of the “Top Influential & Inspiring Women Leaders” in healthcare

HEALTH AWARDS

Nominated twice 2018 & 2019 in the category of “Distinguish women in healthcare” for health award supported by Dubai Health Authority

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Invited as a keynote speaker in Global women empowernment summit 2020 UAE. Topic- Journey of a courageous women leader

SHE AWARDS U.A.E

Theme: “The Made Woman” awarded in the category of “Top ladies in business category”

THE CHANGEMAKERS

Featured in The Changemaker magzine’s first edition under inspirational story- magzine is about those indians who are making their mark and achieveing success in different industries outside India.

WEHEIS AWARDS

Awarded for the unwavering commitment to outstanding leadership 2021

HEALTH Magazine Interview

Interviewed by HEALTH magazine- ranked among top 10 health magazine worldwide by feedspot’s survey and was Asia’s first health magazine to enter the league

WeTel Corporate Leadership Award

Awarded for excellent leadership and outstanding force in the corporate and healthcare landscape of the region.

EXPO 2022 Pakistan Pavillion Guest Speaker Panel Discussion

Guest speaker about the growth and progress of sustainability and business for a greener future.

Growth and Abundance Mentality in The Current World

Are we competing or collaborating? This a question that has been lingering on my mind a lot lately. What do you think? Look at yourselves on a personal and professional level. It came to my attention that we are faced with so many opportunities, that pass under our noses simply because we are looking in the wrong direction. Life is abundant as it is. Look at the grass, trees, forests, flowers, or anything surrendering to nature. They are all abundant. So, maybe we need to learn something here and stop interfering in the natural process of being.

As a leader in the business world for over 25 years, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. I’ve always been a corporate person, with a secure job and secure income every month; moving across the hierarchy quickly and from one job to the other creating achievements. Or that’s what I thought at the time! I never moved jobs until I secured another one of course. Me being jobless!! No way. Till the day came in March 2014, when my stress level was at its peak. I was always on a plane flying somewhere to take care of the marketing function I was heading in a regional role. Then it hit me on one of those trips that I was not really living. I was just passing by, creating checkmarks of performance, but was I happy, fulfilled, or content? Actually no, on the contrary. I felt I was adding no value at all. So, I quit my job overnight! Here I am not advising people to do that especially, if they don’t have an abundance mentality, thinking that life will end after this job they have, or that the world is tough now with a bad economic situation, or that the job market is full of people. When I took that move something inside of me told me, life is OK. Everything will be fine and doors will open for me. Guess what? They did. The following day, I got contacted by the competition. I got several calls from friends wanting me to partner with them in business, and I settled down to launch my book “Life Outside Your Comfort Zone.”. So, I realized the author in me too. It was as if there was a magical force behind me. The magic was simply inside my own heart, brain, and gut, which all told me life is abundant.

So, what lessons here can we apply in business? Through work with several business people, I came to admire those that collaborate. In fact, in one of the mastermind discussions that I ran, I came across a business owner who has been running kid’s theme parks, a family business for years. She has been short of cash during covid when her business had to pause its operation. When we brought to the table 12 other business people from different industries, she instantly got over 30 solutions to implement to be able to still run her business and generate cash. She has survived that tough time and has a profitable running business now. Therefore, the power of belief mixed with collaboration and support has played a huge role here. So, simply the way we look at business in today’s world needs to change into a more holistic model.

In my capacity as CEO and Founder of Presence Business Coaching, and has been in the human development field for over 15 years now, I always come across friends/competitors (as some may call them). When we get together as trainers and share notes or coach each other, not only do we elevate our performance, but that of the people we train as well, creating a ripple effect. It doesn’t stop here. I can simply refer you to clients, even though you might be providing similar services as mine. I will continue to do that. In fact, just passed a referral a while ago. I do sound weird to some business partners. I totally understand where they are coming from. Yet, I believe in Karma and what goes around. If I support you, then by default someone or some entity will provide the same for me. A growth mentality allows us to see beyond ourselves creating a much bigger impact.

I think, what’s needed especially these days in tough economic situations, is to start seeing areas of collaboration rather than points of competition. We can all add value and complete one single picture; the one that is meant to be created, without us interfering in the process or resisting it. Flow and let others flow. We will all be able to grow and thrive

– By Marwa Saleh, Founder and CEO of Presence Business Coaching

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