Be A ‘Female Boss’ In A Male-Dominated Workplace
by Kandia Johnson

February 5, 2024

Be A ‘Female Boss’ In A Male-Dominated Workplace

From feeling isolated and dealing with unfairness in pay to struggling to gain the respect women face an uphill battle to success in male-dominated industries

Originally Published Oct. 20, 2017

From feeling isolated and dealing with unfairness in pay to struggling to gain the respect they deserve at work, some women face an uphill battle when it comes to succeeding in male-dominated industries.

For tips on succeeding as a woman in business and excelling in a male-dominated workplace, we tapped human resources executive and entrepreneur Joan G. Wilmer for advice.

What’s the one thing many women do that may block their success in the workplace?

Taking things personally and managing personally are two things that many women do, which can block their success in the workplace. Remember, business is business. 

When it comes to career advancement for women, what do you think is the most overlooked or undervalued skill?

Women are great strategists. We tend to see things that others easily overlook and know what steps should be taken and when. In other words, women have a natural intellectual meter for carefully calculated movement. We are also great at driving for opportunities. We know how to find an opportunity within, especially in those environments where innovation is a key strategy for organic and future growth. Women have been regarded and stereotyped as emotional leaders by men. However, studies led by The Catalyst organization have found that women are more passionate about their work when compared to men, and our pursuit [of] perfection has positively impacted organizations around the world.

What’s the most important quality a woman needs to succeed in a male industry?

Relationship management and emotional intelligence are two important qualities women need to succeed in industries deemed a “boys’ club.” Men lead and manage according to the genuine relationships they can garner with their fellow leaders. This includes relationships and people they can trust. Emotional intelligence allows a woman to know her[self] and any personal triggers to effectively navigate among her peers and in complex environments.

RELATED CONTENT: How To Build A Successful Business With Your Spouse

Konvict Muzik, T-Pain, grand theft auto, gaming, stream,
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 5, 2024

T-Pain Removes His Name From Country Songs Due To ‘The Racism That Comes After’

When it comes to including his name in the country music he writes, T-Pain opts out to avoid "the racism that comes after."

T-Pain is a lot more than autotune and R&B crooning. The Florida native has been letting the world see his prowess within other music genres during his live shows. However, when it comes to including his name in the country music he writes, T-Pain opts out to avoid “the racism that comes after.”

The “Bartender” singer, born Faheem Rashad Najm, took to Instagram on Tuesday, Jan. 30, to speak candidly about his love for other music genres. Particularly country and gospel, two genres he credits for influencing the “harmonies” within his own style of music.

“Good music is good music. I don’t give a fu*k where it come from or what style it come in,” he says to the camera. “All the people I know feel like it’s not cool to listen to other genres of music.”

In fact, T-Pain loves country music so much that he’s even penned a few country tracks for other artists that he opts out of receiving credit for due to racism.

“I done wrote a lotta country songs. Stopped taking credit for it because as cool as it is to see your name in those credits and sh*t like that, the racism that comes after it is just like…..,” he shares.

“I’ll just take the check,” he added with a laugh.

Fans in the comments showed their support for T-Pain’s country music endeavors and requested to hear some of his country jams.

“Now i want to hear these Tpain country tunes,” one fan wrote.

“I need Chris Stapelton and Tpain to do a song together,” added someone else.

T-Pain performed live at the Sun Rose Room in West Hollywood, California, last year and went viral with his rendition of Chris Stapleton’s country music classic “Tennessee Whiskey.”

Elsewhere, he performed his rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s “War Pigs,” and received praise from the Prince of Darkness himself.

RELATED CONTENT: Grammys ‘Best African Music Performance’ Category Leaves Out Most Of Africa

Target Employees Canned For Buying Special Edition Stanley Cups
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 5, 2024

Target Employees Canned For Buying Special Edition Stanley Cups

Former Target employees are exposing how they were fired for buying special Stanley cups, unaware that they were breaking company guidelines by doing so.

Target is cracking down on employees, beating customers to the punch by buying must-have special edition Stanley cups. Several workers have exposed how they were fired for allegedly breaking policy. The workers were informed they breached a rule prohibiting them from buying products at an “unfair advantage” to shoppers.

According to Business Insider, the cups in question were part of the drink-ware company’s collaboration with Starbucks. Given the exclusive nature of obtaining the premium cups, Target accused its workers of disobeying its formal guidelines, which forbids workers from using their accessibility to obtain coveted items before customers purchase them.

Some terminated employees bought cups that were not adequately made available to customers on the sales floor or set aside by another employee. One worker in Maryland shared how she was fired after letting one be purchased before the official release.

The cups were part of a limited edition collection launched on Jan. 3, being sold exclusively through the two brand’s websites and Target. Although their original cost was $49.95, the hype surrounding the specialty items has skyrocketed their prices to over $200 on resale shops such as StockX. The company has since launched new color options to be sold at the retailer.

However, the former employees are shocked by how their entire time with the company could end abruptly all due to the cup; many were unaware of the policy in place that led to the grounds for their removal, and they even bought the items in front of management or with their expressed approval. While some offered to return the cup to keep their positions, all were denied the opportunity.

None stated that they were pursuing legal action or surveying their options. Still, they did share that their store leads noted that Target’s corporate offices led the investigations into forbidden employee purchases. Target has yet to comment on the growing matter.

RELATED CONTENT: Salty Karen Targets Target’s Black History Month Campaign

Killer Mike, New York, Blue Note Jazz Club, Michael Render,
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 5, 2024

Killer Mike Arrested In Los Angeles After Winning 3 Grammys

The Atlanta artist was arrested and booked for Misdemeanor Battery 243(A) PC after being arrested at the Crypto.com Arena

In what may be a first, recording artist Killer Mike was arrested right after winning three Grammy Awards at Sunday’s presentation.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Atlanta rapper was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge at the Grammy Awards after winning two awards, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, for his song “Scientists & Engineers” and one for Best Rap Album, Michael.

Killer Mike was arrested and booked for Misdemeanor Battery 243(A) PC. If he is found guilty of the charge, he will face six months in prison or a potential fine up to $2,000, or both, according to California’s penal code.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the arrest on the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Killer Mike took to X to repost his wins while he was in custody.

“You cannot tell me that you get too old, you can’t tell me it’s too late, you can’t tell me dreams come true! It is a sweep, it is a sweep, it is a sweep!”

Billboard reported that the rapper appeared on The Big Tigger Morning Show early Monday morning, and when questioned by the host, he did not mention the incident and instead stated, “I won a Grammy. We party all night. Shout out to my record label. Ain’t nothing had happened, man. But we winners. That’s it.”

When Tigger doubled down and indirectly asked about his night, Killer Mike responded by saying, “Didn’t I look good? I was fresh. All black, man. Then I went and picked up all the gold. We hit a speed bump, and then we hit a speed bump and then we hit back to the party.”

Although this isn’t Killer Mike’s first Grammy Award, this is the first one he has won in over 20 years. He won one as a featured artist in 2003 when he appeared on OutKast’s “The Whole World.” They won in the category of Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. In 2018, the Atlanta rapper was also nominated for Best Rap Song for “Chase Me” by his group, Run the Jewels.

RELATED CONTENT: As Trevor Noah Gears Up For Grammy Awards Hosting Gig, He Embraces The Challenges Of Comedy: ‘Sometimes People Will Not Laugh’

The Recording Academy, Online Courses, grammy
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 5, 2024

Grammys ‘Best African Music Performance’ Category Leaves Out Most Of Africa

The 2024 Grammy Awards saw the inception of the "Best African Music Performance" category. However, some digging shows how the category leaves out a large scope of the music coming out of the continent.

The 2024 Grammy Awards saw the inception of the “Best African Music Performance” category. However, some digging shows how the category leaves out a large scope of the music coming out of the continent.

Last year, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. announced the new category as a way “to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists” compared to the previous two global Grammy categories, which typically favored African artists as the primary contenders for nominations, NPR reported.

Tyla took home the award on Sunday night for her smash hit single “Water.” While the category sought to amplify music coming out of Africa, the category only included nominees from two countries: Nigeria, which birthed the nominees Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr and Asake & Olamide, and South Africa, the birthplace of Tyla, and producer Musa Keys, who is featured on Davido’s track.

The Academy reportedly shared several genres they aimed to incorporate into the category, which included chimurenga (traditional Zimbabwean thumb-piano music played on electric instruments) to Ethio-jazz (a fusion of Amharic melodies from Ethiopia with 12-note jazz scales). However, in the end, only artists who released Afrobeats and Amapiano, two popular African music styles, made the final list of nominees.

Elsewhere, the nominees only represented cities in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, or South Africa, the continent’s third-largest economy. This leaves out a big chunk of the continent that serves a population estimated at 1,494,993,924 with 2,000 plus living languages. However, the seven songs nominated in the category contain lyrics that are either entirely in English or largely contain English words.

“These two nations— Nigeria and South Africa— are not the only ones in African music. Africa is diverse in cultures, languages and music. I don’t even know Burna Boy. I’ve never listened to him,” Aziza Brahim, a respected “desert blues” singer from the displaced Sahrawi people in the disputed Western Sahara region says.

Artists like Burna Boy have received some of the biggest success for an African artist. He received four Grammy nominations in 2024 and won one in 2021 for the Best Global Music Album for his album, Twice As Tall. Having reached international superstardom with sold-out shows in the U.S. and U.K., other African artists wonder if his commercial success overshadows other musicians coming out of the continent.

“I feel like there’s some laziness with the Global Grammys,” Emel Mathlouthi, a Tunisian singer says.

“Once the Grammy voters identify an artist that works for them within the global category, then that person is gonna be present over and over and over and over. There’s not a huge effort to really be representative of diverse people globally.”

RELATED CONTENT: As Trevor Noah Gears Up For Grammy Awards Hosting Gig, He Embraces The Challenges Of Comedy: ‘Sometimes People Will Not Laugh’

DoorDash, New York, tips, prices, fees, NYC
by Rafael Pena

February 5, 2024

DoorDash Raises Delivery Fees In NYC In Response To Minimum Wage Demands

DoorDash has implemented the Regulatory Response Fee in New York City as part of its commitment to adjusting fees in response to new minimum wage regulations.

DoorDash has implemented the Regulatory Response Fee in New York City as part of its commitment to adjusting fees in response to new minimum wage regulations. Customers in the city will now bear this fee, introduced to counterbalance the higher hourly wages mandated for app-based delivery drivers in major urban centers like NYC and Seattle. A DoorDash spokesperson confirmed this move, signaling the company’s adherence to its earlier warnings about fee increases due to these regulatory changes.

The Regulatory Response Fee’s specific amount varies by location, ranging from $0.10 to $3.40. In New York City, the fee is set at $1.99, according to DoorDash. Seattle also adopted a new practice recently, highlighting the wider application of this pricing strategy in response to evolving wage rules.

In December, delivery apps, including DoorDash and Uber Eats, removed the option for NYC customers to tip before placing an order. This decision aligned with the city’s mandate that drivers receive a minimum of $17.96 per hour. Instead, these platforms opted to pay drivers $29.93 for each active hour, allowing customers to tip only after the order had been picked up or completed.

Addressing the Regulatory Response Fee in Seattle, DoorDash issued a statement on Jan. 13 emphasizing its role in covering the costs associated with the new regulations. The announcement coincided with the implementation of Seattle’s law. DoorDash also announced a reduction in suggested tip amounts on orders to balance the impact of these additional costs better.

Uber Eats has adopted a similar approach, introducing fees on orders in New York and Seattle in response to the respective cities’ legislative changes. Concurrently, Shipt, a delivery service owned by Target, opted to suspend operations in Seattle preemptively, avoiding the need to comply with the higher wage rate for independent contractors.

Since the early stages of the pandemic, workers in the gig delivery sector have reported declining pay across various apps, from Instacart to Walmart Spark. This development underscores the broader challenges workers face in the gig economy amid evolving labor regulations.

RELATED CONTENT: Gated Vs. Apartments: Spark Delivery Driver Reveals Distinct Tipping Disparities

Washington State Created A Fund For Immigrants During The Pandemic That Upset Conservatives
by Daniel Johnson

February 5, 2024

Washington State Created A Fund For Immigrants During The Pandemic That Upset Conservatives

Winfree’s comments reflect the Republican Party's general panic around immigration, and immigrants themselves.

In 2020, the State of Washington created a fund to assist immigrants who were unable to be assisted via the Federal government’s Covid-19 relief efforts. According to the Washington Covid-19 Immigrant Relief Fund website, the program was intended to address what was seen as an oversight. $400 million was used to assist more than 100,000 immigrants with Covid relief as a result of the efforts of multiple immigrant grassroots groups in Washington state.

The groups began by raising $6 million independently before getting Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to create a state fund. Following those efforts, the Governor’s office and the Department of Social and Health Services created the Immigrant Relief Fund in 2020. Those who were approved after an application process eventually received between $1,000-$3,000 as either a paper check or a prepaid card to be used for their expenses. According to officials who worked on the fund, approximately 223,000 immigrants were approved for the funds. The fund closed in 2023.

Now, as Fox News reports, a conservative watchdog group is criticizing the program’s existence, saying that since the funds came from the federal government, the Biden Administration essentially subsidized the fund. Paul Winfree, the president and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, told Fox News, “The Senate is releasing a budget supplemental that includes a bipartisan deal on the border. However, the administration has been actively encouraging illegal immigration by using COVID money from the SLFRF to provide cash assistance, housing, legal aid, and other benefits to undocumented immigrants.” Winfree continued, “Until Congress claws back this money, it will continue to serve as a magnet for illegal immigration.”

Winfree’s comments reflect the Republican Party’s general panic around immigration and immigrants themselves. The report closes by making a rather strange request, tying together border security spending and emergency funds for Israel. “Congress would be wise to stop the waste and abuse in the Bidenomics Slush Fund, turn off the spending spigot subsidizing undocumented immigration, and use the rescinded budget authority to pay for its other priorities like emergency spending for Israel and real border security.”

Republicans seem to be taking their cues from Donald Trump on immigration, who faced criticism for echoing Hitler in December 2023 after saying that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” However, as The Guardian reported, the Republican Party has basically fallen in line with their leader, as not long after that, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a controversial law allowing the police to arrest anyone they suspect of being an immigrant. Meanwhile, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said in a December appearance on NBC’s Meet The Press, “I could care less what language people use as long as we get it right … I think the president has a way of talking sometimes I disagree with. But he actually delivered on the border.”

Activists like Maria Teresa Kumar, president and chief executive of Voto Latino, understand the danger in that kind of rhetoric. Kumar told The Guardian via email: “Trump may say the quiet parts loud, but he’s far from alone…Today, we see elected Republicans use rhetoric and policies for political expediency at the cost of unification. There is no doubt that we are living in a multicultural democracy – the first in history. Instead of embracing this superpower that will serve us well on the world stage, they choose division that hurts millions of fellow citizens.”

Kumar continued, “Right now, extremists have taken the issue hostage, and they are making a commonsense solution impossible. The current immigration debate is way out of step with where Americans are on the issue, and I expect this will drive Latinos and moderates to the polls in 2024.”

career, 50, new career, tips, advantages
by Tana Session

February 5, 2024

Jump-Start Your Career When You’re Over 50

You're over 50 years old and haven't had to interview in years. Now what?

Originally Published Oct. 18, 2017

Your company has recently decided to reduce headcount and lay off people. Unfortunately, you are one of the employees whose names were selected, and this will be the first time in several years, maybe even decades, that you’ve been back on the job market. You’re over 50 and haven’t had an interview in years. Now what?

Stay Up-To-Date

This trend is happening more often than not. The best way to be prepared is to stay ready! What have you done throughout the years to keep up with trends and technology in your industry? Have you joined any professional organizations and expanded your network? Have you had your résumé professionally reviewed and updated? When did you last assess your wardrobe and update your image, including your haircut, hairstyle, makeup, and accessories? Have you considered part-time work, consulting, volunteering, or starting your own business? These simple actions can make re-entering the job market over 50 feel less intimidating and challenging.

The Advantage of Over-50 Applicants

Are companies constantly looking to hire younger and cheaper employees? Yes, and as more and more millennials, and now “Gen Zers,” emerge in the workforce, this will continue to be a preferred pool of applicants for organizations to select from. Depending on the industry, millennials may very well be the top choice for potential new hires. But there is still a sweet spot for applicants over 50. Millennials tend to change jobs quickly in their careers. On average, they may stay with a company for 18-36 months and then move on for new experiences, challenges, or promotions. Employee turnover can cost companies significant money yearly, both in hard and soft dollars (e.g., lost productivity and employee burnout).

During the interview process, experienced applicants must express their desire to find a home, stay with a company, and grow their career internally. Employer loyalty is still relevant, although less practiced now than in days of the past. This is where the over-50-year-old candidate has the advantage. Your years of experience and time spent with three or fewer employers throughout your career are truly beneficial; you must know how to sell it. The right future employer will appreciate your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities and know you’re an asset to the company.

RELATED CONTENT: Celebrating 7 Business Moves Oprah Winfrey Made In Her Career

Coach Prime, racial, recruit, reference, Colorado, college, football,, Deion Sanders, Deion Sanders
by Derek Major

February 5, 2024

Colorado Players Say Recruiters Used Racial Stereotypes To Recruit Against Deion Sanders

University of Colorado players say rival coaches used racial stereotypes when trying to recruit players away from coach Deion Sanders

University of Colorado recruits and transfer players said coaches of rival schools negatively recruited against Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, employing racial stereotypes as they did so.

After a season that went off the rails once conference play began, the Colorado Buffaloes have put together one of the school’s best recruiting classes in recent years, with the nation’s 21st-ranked combined class and top transfer class.

Sports Illustrated reports that IMG Academy’s Jordan Seaton, now Colorado’s highest-rated offensive lineman, spoke during the media day for Under Armour’s All-America High School Football Game. According to Seaton, some coaches were negatively recruiting against Sanders, asking Seaton if he was going to Colorado to be a rapper. 

Since Seaton told his story, other Colorado recruits have also gone public about the negative things coaches and recruits said about playing for the NFL Hall of Famer.

“It was crazy stereotypical terms that were pretty alarming,” UTEP transfer Justin Mayers told DNVR last week. “You know, ‘Kool-Aid’… ‘Being a rapper’… or just ‘That gang’ over there. Just all types of negative connotations that shed a bad light on the college football world.”

Linebacker Nikhil Webb Walker, who transferred from New Mexico State, said he’d been deciding between Oregon State University and Colorado but was turned off from Oregon State after a coach spoke negatively of Coach Prime.

In his first season as the Buffaloes’ head coach, Sanders started hot with wins against TCU, Nebraska, and in-state rival Colorado State as celebrities attended games. Colorado received more exposure than it had in decades. However, things turned once Colorado began conference play in the Pac-12 and the team’s inexperienced offensive and defensive lines were exposed. The Buffaloes finished the season 4-8, including 1-8 in conference play.

Colorado will begin its 2024 campaign with its Black and Gold spring game April 27, and its 2024 regular season against North Dakota State on Aug. 31.

RELATED CONTENT: Deion Sanders Confirms Warren Sapp Will Join Colorado Buffaloes Football Staff

Adidas, Yeezy, outlet, discount stores, sell, Yeezy brand, CONFIRMED, app,
by Rafael Pena

February 5, 2024

Adidas Plans To Sell Remaining Yeezys At Cost Amid Severe Profit Decline

Adidas continues to grapple with challenges stemming from its severed partnership with Kanye in October 2022, prompted by the rapper's anti-Semitic remarks.

Adidas faces ongoing hurdles following its separation from Kanye West in October 2022 due to the rapper’s anti-Semitic remarks, according to Fortune. Initially contemplating the disposal of the remaining Yeezy sneakers, the sportswear giant pivoted to selling them and vowed to donate the proceeds to charitable causes. In August 2023, plans surfaced to contribute €110 million ($119 million) from Yeezys sales to charities impacted by West’s statements.

Despite those efforts, by November Adidas found itself considering the possibility of writing off its entire $290 million worth of Yeezy inventory as a precautionary measure.

Now, the sportswear giant has declared its intention to sell the remaining Yeezy sneakers “at least at cost” in an effort to mitigate the financial impact of the terminated partnership. CEO Bjørn Gulden said, “Our consumer, retail, and trade research has shown that we can sell this remaining inventory in 2024 for at least the cost price. This is why we have only written off inventory that was either damaged or very broken in sizes.”

The decision to sell Yeezys at cost raises questions about potential profits and the impact on charitable donations. When questioned about Adidas’ plans for the funds generated from Yeezy sales in 2024, the company declined to comment. The assumption that the sneakers would be sold at cost has been factored into the operating profit estimate for the year, according to Adidas’ press release.

In preliminary results released Wednesday, Adidas reported a 60% decline in operating profit from 2022, reaching €268 million ($290 million) in 2023. Various factors, such as foreign exchange fluctuations and subdued demand for sports apparel, have contributed to the company’s performance struggles. Despite anticipating nearly doubling profits to €500 million for the current year, Adidas’ projection falls short of the average analyst estimate of €1.3 billion.

The Yeezy crisis represents a significant challenge for Adidas, as its collaboration with Kanye West, initially beneficial for the company’s bottom line, turned tumultuous after the rapper’s controversial comments. The fallout from the collaboration has led Adidas to reassess its strategy, with CEO Gulden overseeing changes within the company.

RELATED CONTENT: Kanye West Announces a June Release For ‘Adidas Yeezys’

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