Emergency Medicine for a Toxic Workplace

Stressed businesswoman covering her ears with hands

The Monday-morning heart attack is more than a myth. Studies published across the globe in the European Heart Journal, the American Journal of Hypertension, the British Medical Journal and others confirm the heightened incidence of heart attacks on Monday morning.

The rise in heart-attack incidence coincides with the return to work after the weekend. According to the American Institute of Stress, “Increased levels of job stress as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension and other disorders.”

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Old Town Fight Club: A Wealth of Training, Conditioning and Strength

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By MJ Plaster

When you first enter Old Town Fight Club, the creation of owner Alek Loarca, you’re struck by the fact that this is no ordinary gym. The eclectic atmosphere belies its purpose: to train and condition people to champion the fight of life. Don’t let the modern ambiance fool you; the training is classic and combines self-defense with discipline.

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Logo Creation for the Hopelessly Artistically Challenged

Businessman stressed with the brain in smoke

By MJ Plaster

What if, like me, you’re beyond artistically challenged, and you need a logo for your business? Where do you start, and how do you go about getting the perfect logo for your company? Logos look simple and easy to design, but they’re anything but. We’ll walk you through the steps to finding and working with a designer after we set the stage by exploring current logo trends.

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Yours, Mine, and Ours : Joint Accounts

Cheerful mature couple embracing by the beach

By Jurissa Ayala

According to Kansas State University researcher, Sonya Britt, arguments over money are top predictors of divorce in relationships – by far. Those small disagreements over how money is spent in the beginning of the relationship become major bones of contention as the relationship progresses.

It’s also why it’s so important to get a handle on money management early in the relationship – before the fighting begins. There are many ways couples can go about this.

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Shopping Like It’s Your Job: Finding The RIght Wholesale Buyer

wholesale buyer imageLast week, we talked about what it takes to get your first fashion business off of the ground. But what happens next?

One of the most important employees at any fashion business, especially at retail outlets, is their wholesale buyer. Their job is critical: Figure out what products you need, and how much to order.

Sounds simple enough, but how well your buyer performs will make all the difference in the success of your business.

So what does a buyer do?

Buyers are doing their job well if they can consistently find and purchase products that your customer base likes and considers to be a good value. Continue reading →

Arte De Mexico : Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo

Checkworks-Blog-Post-Frida imgBy Jurissa Ayala

Arguably two of the most important artists of the twentieth century, Mexico’s Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo have left a rich and colorful legacy to inspire generations to come.  Choosing art over a medical career when she began painting at age 18, Frida Kahlo remains a world renowned artist. Though her work is attributed to the surrealist genre, she never considered herself as such.

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The Fashion Industry: Turning Your Passion Into A Business

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Many people dream of having a career in an industry that they’re passionate about, but there are a lot of steps between having a dream and making it a reality. And in an industry as cut-throat and competitive as the fashion industry, that passion must be paired with some

Research the Market

It’s easy to think that just because you’re knowledgeable about fashion, that you know everything about the industry. This is a dangerous misconception.

Learn everything you can about the clothing industry before entering it. Look at comparable clothing businesses. Are they doing okay? Who are they targeting? What are their numbers? Which time of the year is it busiest and which time is the least active? Continue reading →

Armed Exterminators: Putting People First

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By MJ PLaster

On a beautiful California afternoon, you might find Dale Rodgers, owner of Armed Exterminators (www.armedexterminators.com), taking an occasional walk along the beach in Malibu. Those who rise with the chickens can catch him swimming laps at the YMCA most mornings. If you were to connect the dots between these two data points, you might conclude he lives a life of leisure. But things are not always as they seem.

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