millennial – Page 4 – Growing Forward

Are Chatbots Destroying Customer Service?

02/20/201802/13/2018 Scott Asai2 Comments

When’s the last time you visited a site and immediately greeted by a chatbot?

We do the majority of our shopping online and prefer not to be bothered by a salesperson.

Chatbots seem very impersonal, but the last thing you want is to be hounded by customer service while you’re browsing.

This is much different than the retail experience where employees usually greet and ask if you’d like any assistance. Since retail has been dying stores have taken a different approach and tend to let shoppers browse on their own now.

The bottom line is: customers are educated and want the freedom to do things themselves; they’ll initiate support if needed. Between reviews and recommendations online platforms such as Amazon and Walmart are self-service e-commerce sites.

There’s evidence that Millennials spearheaded this movement, but with the convenience of home delivery it’s generation-wide accepted.

As a business owner the shift that needs to happen is creating a sales free process. That doesn’t mean eliminate customer service completely, but make the buying transaction as efficient as possible.

For example, with the online SAT/ACT prep company I own, this student profile form collects the same information an initial phone call would. It offers parents the opportunity to input the information on their own time without having to talk to anyone.

Chatbots aren’t destroying customer service, in fact they are enhancing it by allowing the shopper to reach out when they are ready. Self-service is the wave of the present and companies must adapt or die.

Millennials, Here’s How To Use Your Tax Return

02/15/201802/20/2018 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

It’s that time of the year again where you’re stressing about filing your taxes on time. When you finally receive that refund check in the mail, it might be tempting to treat yourself. But you should think of it as money that should have been on your paychecks to begin with, and not as a bonus. Review your current financial situation and then allocate where your refund should go. Here are some tips and tricks to get the most bang for your buck.

Student loans can be a huge burden, especially with high-interest rates these days. To pay them off quicker, refinancing your student loans can make a huge difference! It’s hard to focus on your future financial growth with debt tying you down and companies like Earnest help you consolidate your debt all in one place. You can find out more information on how to do that here.

Even if you know your stuff, don’t be afraid to get professional advice by talking to a credible financial advisor that can find possible missed deductions and opportunities. With the right amount of organization and planning, tax season will become a breeze!

Career Evaluation: What Are You Chasing?

02/06/201801/30/2018 Scott Asai3 Comments

Stop for a moment.

Whether you love, hate or just accept your job – what does it represent?

Since work consumes such a large part of our lives it should serve a purpose.

Finding the perfect job isn’t going to make you “happy” for long. That’s not saying you can’t stay in one profession for a while and enjoy it, but chances are on bad days your mind wanders to other options.

A career is never meant to define you.

When casually asked, “what do you do?” it results in three reactions: proud, ashamed or blah.

The better question to ask yourself is: what are you chasing?

For me it’s lifestyle. As a father and entrepreneur I want my work to provide the opportunity to control how I spend my time. Sure, I’d like to make more money (who doesn’t), but if the tradeoff is I’m rich, but can never see my family it’s not worth it.

Consider your life stage. Don’t default simply to age.

There are people in their 20’s married with kids and others in their 40’s single.

Values don’t change much over time, but priorities do. Added responsibility like being a parent will do that to you.

Feeling stressed isn’t fun, but tension also promotes growth. Changes whether expected or unexpected will challenge you. Take time to relax, but too much of it can hurt you.

When it comes to evaluating where you are in your career, remember to stop comparing yourself to others and look at it in “chunks.” Each experience prepares you for the next so no matter where you are take what you learned in the past and utilize it to propel you into the future.

Chasing is healthy in moderation.

Ambition leads to drive and motivation.

But what’s most important is to define your career path based on your standards alone.

Those who are focused are trying to win the race, not consumed with beating others.

Millennials Are Investing Physically

01/30/201801/22/2018 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

According to this article, Millennials are spending an insane amount to stay in shape.

Traditional gyms and fitness centers aren’t up in membership; instead there is a demand for more community-based, functional and wellness centered classes.

The definition of staying is shape has changed too. Reducing stress, being more productive at work and mental health are the main benefits.

Speciality classes are more expensive than working out by yourself at the gym, but it’s also more engaging, fun and keeps you accountable for progress.

There’s always been a huge push for professional development in your career, but investing in your body may outweigh anything you can learn from a book/online.

Take for instance young moms. Their ability to bounce back to pre-pregnancy form is exceptional. Groups like Stroller Strides, SoulCycle and CrossFit become even more attractive for lifestyle goals.

With more information comes better efficiency. Millennials are realizing taking care of your body early is the best prevention from illness/injury. Being proactive is a mindset that prepares you best for the future and Millennials are embracing it.

Like anything else trends come and go, so this fitness craze can change over time, but for now businesses should be aware of it and adapt to health, wellness and athleisure as a way of life.

Why College Students Don’t Get Enough Sleep + Ways To Improve Sleep Habits

01/22/201801/18/2018 Scott Asai2 Comments

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that college-aged students get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Yet, one in three college students report having trouble sleeping as well as not getting the recommended amount of sleep each night. Although it may be stressful balancing schoolwork, social lives and jobs, the amount of sleep we get each night should not suffer because of this.

Below are some common issues that many college students face that can disrupt our sleep patterns, along with ways to improve these conditions.

Anxiety

Mental health has become a critical issue on college campuses. In fact, a study revealed that anxiety is the leading mental health issue college students face. The National College Health Assessment Survey reported that 15.8 percent of college students have been diagnosed with or treated for anxiety. The same survey found that 21.9 percent of students claimed that anxiety had negatively affected their academic performance whether it was through getting a lower grade on an exam or project, receiving an incomplete, or dropping a course. A college student must balance many things all at once including midterms, friendships, relationships, and careers. For many young adults, this is the first time dealing with significant levels of stress and can be extremely overwhelming, bringing on anxiety.

Anxiety can cause sleep problems or make existing sleep problems worse. However, getting a good night’s rest, especially as a college student, needs to be a priority. In order to reduce your anxiety and get the sleep your body needs try meditating. Focus on your breathing and visualize a serene environment.

Busy Mind

Mental over activity is becoming a major issue for people, especially college students. We’ve all had those nights where it’s impossible to get our brains to slow down long enough for us to fall asleep. For busy college students these nights can happen more frequently. When you’re juggling so many different things at once, it can often feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. This leads to many students working on schoolwork or participating in extracurricular activities up until bedtime. While this may not seem like a big deal, it’s actually a huge issue because sleep isn’t as simple as turning a switch off/on. Our bodies need time to unwind and dim our minds in order to prepare for sleep.

If you’re having trouble slowing your mind down at night, allow at least one hour before bed to wind down. This will not only help create closure for the day, but it also allows your brain to begin the process of shutting off. Developing a pre-bedtime ritual is a great way to help you and your mind wind down. Try reading, journaling, or even sketching and don’t forget to avoid electronics during your wind-down time.

Discomfort

College dorm rooms come with their own set of sleep destroyers. One of the many reasons that college students have trouble sleeping in their dorm rooms is that their beds often have many other uses besides sleeping — including studying, doing school assignments, watching TV, and even hanging out with friends. Remember that although dorm rooms may be small, your bed is not your living room. You want to associate your bed with sleep so that when you see it your body craves sleep. Try to study at your desk or in the library and hang out with your friends in common areas. Another issue in your dorm room that may be causing problems with your sleep patterns is your university-issued mattress. Most of these mattresses have been used for years and may be too hard or lumpy. A poor quality mattress can cause discomfort and even body pains that can be distracting and prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.

While you may not be able to go out and buy a new mattress for your dorm room, a mattress pad, comfortable bedding, and good sleepwear may help make it more comfortable. A soft and supportive pillow will also help add some much needed comfort to your bed.

Noise

Living in close quarters can make for a lot of noise. Whether it’s your roommate watching their favorite TV show at a high volume or your neighbors talking loudly in the hallway, noise can be extremely distracting when it comes time for bed. Unfortunately, while most resident halls have designated “quiet hours”, not all residents respect them. If your roommate and neighbors are continuously loud, especially during quiet hours, ask them to quiet down. It may even be helpful to discuss each other’s schedules and set guidelines to make sure everyone can sleep, study, and enjoy their time in the dorms peacefully. If that doesn’t work, try earplugs or white noise to help cover-up noises. Fans and sleep sounds are both great ways to cancel out noise.

Do What All The Millennials Do: Make Your Business A Success

12/29/2017 Scott Asai1 Comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

It seems we can’t go anywhere these days without hearing about some form of success story when it comes to business. Millennials creating smartphone applications that take over the world, becoming digital pioneers in a fast-paced and ever changing business environment, ad literally thriving not just driving under the overwhelming pressure. It certainly seems to be the inspiration for many others to follow suit as more business are being started up each day and with the promise of the a new year in full flow, now is often one of the most popular times to do it. But how do you ensure that your idea becomes a success? I wanted to share with you some of the things to consider to ensure that your business gets off the ground.

Having the right support in place

One thing you have got to consider when going into business or starting up on your own is having the right level of support around you. You may be an expert in your field and industry, know the service you provide inside out or the product you have created like the back of your hand, but you can’t always be the expert in every aspect of running a business. A good entrepreneur knows when they need extra guidance or support. That might mean computer network support where you have a company take care of things like cloud storage or handle your systems if things don’t go to plan. It might mean outsourcing to a digital agency who can come up with striking social media strategies or help your website be seen amongst the sea of other competitors out there. Choosing your support network is vital, as there will be areas that you can control yourself.

Knowing exactly what you want to do and how you want to achieve it

It is also important for you to know exactly what you want to do with your business model and how you plan on achieving it. This is how you can then strategize your business moves to ensure that you get your business to where it needs to be. This is the time to work out a business plan, know exactly how you plan on financing each move and then being open to ideas and change because business can be a very fast-paced environment and it’s important to ensure that you can also be flexible.

Embracing digital services

It’s now more important than ever that any new business embraces the world of digital. More is heading online these days and with consumer behaviors changing, it’s important that a business honors that and makes changes or at least gives customers the option. A decent website, being present on social media and ensuring that you have a decent marketing campaign could be the key to success.

A lot has to do with work ethic and attitude

Finally, while a lot has to do with how you make your business work you can’t forget that the only way it is going to happen is through hard work and dedication. Your attitude to your business and to life itself needs to be proactive and positive. Hard work will get you places.

Top Tips For Investing In Your 20’s

12/08/2017 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Everybody knows that investing your money is sensible if you want to have a healthy retirement pot. But you don’t need to worry about that until you’re getting close to retiring, surely? You could wait, but if you think about it, what real reason do you have to delay? The earlier you get started, the more money you can save up. Starting in your 20’s also means that you don’t have to put as much money into investments each month. When you’re young you probably don’t have much experience with investments so it can be a little daunting. Don’t worry though, just follow these simple steps and you’ll realize that investing doesn’t have to be that hard.

Get Some Help

This is the number one most important thing to remember. You can do all the research you want but you still won’t be an expert. If you make poor investment choices you’ll lose everything so it’s always sensible to get help from a professional. Hire a good broker that can give you advice on the markets and tell you where your money is safest. Check out this tastyworks review to get a better idea of what help they can offer you. It is possible to make investments on your own without the help of a professional but it’s not worth the risk.

Understand The Power Of Compound Interest

When you put money away and it earns interest, the rate at which that money grows will get faster and faster as the interest compounds on itself. If you started investing in your 30’s, you’ll make significantly less money than you would have in your 20’s because of that interest. The earlier you get started, the more money you stand to make and even a few years can make such a huge difference.

Clear Debts First

Thinking that investing is the solution to all of your problems is naive. It can help you to build wealth from a young age but you need to think about your overall financial health as well. If you’ve got a load of student loan debts or credit card debts, all of that money you build up is just going to go into clearing them when you’re older. Before you start thinking about putting money into an investment pot, get all of your other financial business in order as well.

It’s also important that you get a handle on your spending habits as well. If you’re reckless with your money then you won’t have enough spare cash to put aside each month.

Increase The Amount Gradually

When you’re younger, you’re likely to be earning a fairly low wage. If you put too much away for investment you won’t be able to save for a car or a house or anything like that. When you first get going, start off with a small amount. Then you can increase the amount gradually, in line with your income as you start to earn more. That way, investing isn’t going to make life difficult for you.

Investing isn’t just for people in their 40’s that are earning a good wage. The earlier you start, the better.

Stop Waiting Until You’re Ready

12/05/201711/27/2017 Scott Asai1 Comment

If you’re waiting until you’re ready to start a project, stop.

Technically you’re never “ready.”

There’s always more research to do…

There’s always more testing to do…

There’s always more planning to do…

Problem is, that’s what’s stopping you…the failure to act.

Take advice from someone whose started a number of projects that haven’t turned out successful: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Just like hurt is inevitable in relationships, failure is bound to happen at some point in business/your career. Deal with it.

What’s helpful to know is by NOT doing anything you’re making a choice:

Every action or inaction you take has a cost. Most of the time the cost of doing NOTHING is more painful.

Use the analogy of going to the gym. The hardest part is getting there, but once you arrive rarely do you regret it. The feeling of accomplishment after completing a workout should overpower not feeling like going.

Today monetizing a passion doesn’t mean quitting your job to start a business. It includes creating a side hustle. If you think of your career as a financial investment, doesn’t it make more sense to diversify than go all-in on one role?

Freelancing will soon pass up full-time employment in the job market. That means multiple streams of income is the future of survival. If you currently don’t love selling, get used to it.

You and I value mentors because of their experience. Without starting something you lack it. Trial and error is still the best teacher, so in order to grow stop thinking and start doing.

That’s how every successful company got to where they are now: they started.

Dreaming is overrated.

Execution is what counts.

3 Reasons Why Millennials Invented Friendsgiving

11/28/201711/20/2017 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Friendsgiving officially became a “thing” on November 26, 2009 (according to the Urban Dictionary).

Scoffed at by older generations, the origins behind this growing annual event make sense. Here’s 3 to start:

1. Extra Feast

Any reason to gather around food is a good one. Traditionally celebrated on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, it means at least back-to-back feasts before the weekend’s leftovers binge. Food is a trend that isn’t going anywhere. Potlucks means more people, more choices and more food. We live in a society that lauds gluttons and this just adds to the once a year madness. On top of that Instagram worthy shots are taken and shared with friends alike. Hard to not support it.

2. The New Definition Of Family

Thanksgiving does include foods we love, but it can also invite relatives we don’t. Besides some people who are forced to work on Thanksgiving, holidays can bring family conflict and uncomfortable encounters to a home. Friendsgiving is the alternative to extended family gathering by replacing it with people you actually want to be around. In defense, Friendsgiving isn’t meant to take the place of Thanksgiving, rather add a new event for those who may not have family close by, can’t make it home in time or just plain love events. The reality is nuclear families are disappearing so Friendsgiving is an adaptation to the changing times.

3. Lifestyle Fit

Millennials are getting married and having kids later in life. That means Friendsgiving is a more “adult” gathering than most. Insert alcohol and rowdiness to enhance pleasure, not numb it and problem solved. Millennials do live at home longer, so it’s not an escape from family rather a social feasting of sorts. Young professionals can and should take credit for creating this festivity. Plus since it appears on social media clearly it exists.

All jokes aside there’s definitely a method to the madness. Friendsgiving is about friends and food. Two of anyone’s favorite past times rolled into one annual event. Let’s give thanks.