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Summer 2023 Insider Tips for Hotel Success

6/21/2023

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If you thought 2022 was a busy travel year, summer 2023 is expected to continue the upward trend. In fact, many experts predict 2023 travel volumes will eclipse those of pre-pandemic (2019) levels.

While we’ve all welcomed the return of travel, it has been a challenging year with rising costs and supply chain delays. This is also expected to continue (and potentially be amplified) in 2023. In light of this period of uncertainty, our hotel customers have continued to emphasize importance of having a cost-effective operation. Over the past year, we’ve chatted with industry insiders from Marriott and Hilton properties around the world, outlining tips and products to optimize operations and save — without compromising the guest experience.

Here are 3 of the biggest trends experts are talking about, along with 3 helpful linen tips curated to help your hotel increase its savings, efficiency, and appeal for your incoming guests. We hope these will help you start 2023 off on the right foot.

Trend #1: Luxury Travel is all the Rave – Get the Bed Upgrades your Guests Crave
Luxury travel will be a theme of 2023. According to a Vogue Magazine survey, half (49%) of all travelers plan to spend extra money saved during the pandemic to upgrade their 2023 vacations. As mid-tier properties cut amenities such as breakfast and daily housekeeping, travelers are as thirsty as ever for modern, luxurious accommodations and amenities.

To meet this need, many properties are spending the off season evaluating their rooms and performing maintenance and upgrades. As the centerpiece of any room, the guest bed cannot be ignored. Dated bed skirts just won’t cut it for 2023’s luxury traveler. Luckily, there are budget friendly and fashionable alternatives to make you beds dazzle. For example, check out Standard Textile’s Circa® Bed Wrap. With 8 stocked colors ready to ship today, you don’t have to wait to impress your guests with a clean, modern look.

BONUS: Consider adding the luxurious amenity of a Pillow Menu at your property in 2023. Not only will it wow guests, but it can even help you maintain tighter control over your pillow inventory.

Trend #2: Travelers are Planning Ahead – You Should Too!
Your guests shouldn’t be the only ones planning ahead. Properties should be thinking about the summer travel season now, making plans to ensure a proper stock of necessities, including bedding and towels. Knowing the proper Par Level of linens to maintain can be a challenge. That’s why we created our free Par Level Calculator, a perfect tool for planning your linen needs.

Trend #3: Responsible Travel is a Priority
Eco tourism and responsible travel may seem like buzzwords, travelers are more conscious of their environmental impact than ever. In a recent Marriott Bonvoy survey to its hotel guests, 70% of respondents selected that traveling sustainably enhances their experience.

Many sustainability initiatives are long term projects that require significant investments and aren’t always feasible. However, there are also numerous smaller scale initiatives that can not only make your hotel more sustainable but also help reduce your ongoing, recurring expenses.

Linen Tip #1: When to Replace Used Linen
Whether due to a stubborn stain, a tear, or discoloration, it is important that your laundry and housekeeping staff know when to replace used linen.

Linen Tip #2: Save Time & Money with Pre-Washed Linen
Not only can a new shipment of linen cause a major laundry backlog, but the costs of this initial laundering can really add up. The cost and hassle of this initial wash is what led us to create our innovative Room Ready for You® Laundered with Tide® program. This program delivers pre-washed sheets and towels to your properties, ready for immediate use.

Linen Tip #3: Is 100% Cotton Sheeting Right for your Property?
While it is true that 100% cotton has a luxurious softness, most of these products will not hold up to high use commercial settings and industrial laundering. This will lead to frequent replacing, which is why 100% cotton products are rarely seen in a hotel/commercial environment.

Boutique hotels have followed en suite to these industry trends, and we look forward to hearing about your experiences this summer while traveling in style. 
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MICHELIN INSPECTORS REVEAL 10 NEW STARRED RESTAURANTS IN NEW YORK CITY AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY

10/31/2019

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Atomix and Blue Hill at Stone Barns receive two-star awards in the Guide’s 15th edition

Michelin recently released its star selection in the newest edition of the 2020 MICHELIN Guide New York City and Westchester County. The list features two new restaurants in the two-star category and eight new one-star establishments.

With 32 editions worldwide, the MICHELIN Guide selected New York City as its first U.S. destination 15 years ago. The trusted companion for travelers and foodies now publishes four U.S. editions, including New York City and Westchester County; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; and the newly-released statewide California edition.

“As an international destination for gastronomy and tourism, New York City continues to serve as a global leader, thanks to its rich diversity in cuisine types, wealth of talent and experience among chefs,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guides. “This year’s selection of 76 starred establishments offers diners a range of distinctive experiences, from the contemporary Korean dining at Atomix to the devout farm-to-table ethos at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Inspectors were especially impressed by an extraordinary execution of the Guide’s five criteria including the quality of ingredients, the mastery of cooking technique, the harmony of flavors, consistency over time, both during the meal and throughout the year and the personality of the chef as it is expressed on the plate.”

The complete New York selection will be available immediately online at guide.michelin.com. Diners and food lovers can find free digital access to the full 2020 restaurant selection, and also enjoy exclusive content and stories about the restaurants in New York or other global editions.

The 2020 MICHELIN Guide New York City and Westchester County is available at major book sellers for a suggested retail price of $18.(ISBN 97820672390050).

Here’s the list of new two-star awards, with a short description of each restaurant:

Atomix
Traditional dishes like jeon and banchan are brilliantly reinterpreted with this elegant and contemporary take on Korean dining. The level of detail from chef Junghyun Park and his wife Ellia is astounding at this luxe townhouse dining room.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Chef Dan Barber’s onslaught of clever bites of mostly vegetables are plucked from the property’s greenhouses and working farm. The kitchen serves excellent cuisine with a distinct personality in its stunning dining room that was formerly a dairy barn.

New one-star awards:

Benno
Confident cooking is delivered in this classically inspired and Italian-influenced dining room led by chef Jonathan Benno. Dishes are prepared with skill and utilize top shelf ingredients.

Crown Shy
Chef James Kent is a serious and experienced talent, offering an enticing menu of creative, refined and approachable fare at his wonderful new dining room.

Estela
Estela’s stature as a beloved downtown favorite is well-deserved. Inspectors found the cooking by chef Ignacio Mattos and his team incredibly consistent, unique and utterly enjoyable.

The Four Horsemen
This charming café and wine bar offers a delightful dinner menu by chef Nick Curtola that impressed inspectors with its astute preparation and bold, yet balanced flavors.

Le Jardinier
Chef Alain Verzeroli’s cuisine highlights seasonality and the best quality products. Meals here are further enhanced by off-beat elements like gluten-free bread and plant-based ice cream.

Odo
Chef Hiroki Odo’s personal expression of kaiseki can be enjoyed at his counter secreted away behind a small front bar.

Oxalis
Chef Nico Russell offers a dinner menu that features creative compositions at this pop-up, turned brick-and-mortar this past winter. The “Carte Blanche” menu is priced at $70, offering great value for a starred restaurant.

Ukiyo
This lovely counter run by Chef Marco Prins is a delight for its high-quality ingredients and impeccable seasoning.



MICHELIN Guide New York City 2020
Starred establishments
Three-Star restaurants
Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey


Chef
Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
Manhattan
Midtown West

César Ramirez
Eleven Madison Park
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Daniel Humm
Le Bernardin
Manhattan
Midtown West

Eric Ripert
Masa
Manhattan
Midtown West

Masa Takayama
Per Se
Manhattan
Midtown West

Thomas Keller

Two-Star restaurants
Excellent cuisine, worth a detour


Aquavit
Manhattan
Midtown East

Aska
Brooklyn
Williamsburg

Atera
Manhattan
TriBeCa

Atomix
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
NEW
Blanca
Brooklyn
Fort Greene & Bushwick

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Westchester

NEW
Daniel
Manhattan
Upper East Side

Gabriel Kreuther
Manhattan
Midtown West

Ichimura at Uchū
Manhattan
Lower East Side

Jean-Georges
Manhattan
Upper West Side

Jungsik
Manhattan
TriBeCa

Ko
Manhattan
East Village

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Manhattan
Chelsea

Modern (The)
Manhattan
Midtown West


One-Star restaurants
High end, excellent cuisine


Agern
Manhattan
Midtown East

Ai Fiori
Manhattan
Midtown West

Aldea
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Bar Uchū
Manhattan
Lower East Side
CLOSED
Bâtard
Manhattan
TriBeCa

Benno
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
NEW
Blue Hill
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

Bouley at Home
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Carbone
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

Casa Enríque
Queens


Casa Mono
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Caviar Russe
Manhattan
Midtown East

Claro
Brooklyn
Sunset Park

Clocktower (The)
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Contra
Manhattan
Lower East Side

Cote
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Crown Shy
Manhattan
Financial District
NEW
Del Posto
Manhattan
Chelsea

Estela
Manhattan
SoHo & Nolita
NEW
Finch (The)
Brooklyn
Fort Greene & Bushwick

Four Horsemen (The)
Brooklyn
Williamsburg
NEW
Gotham Bar and Grill
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

Gramercy Tavern
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Hirohisa
Manhattan
SoHo & Nolita

Jeju Noodle Bar
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

Jewel Bako
Manhattan
East Village

Kajitsu
Manhattan
Midtown East

Kanoyama
Manhattan
East Village

Kosaka
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

L’Appart
Manhattan
Financial District

Le Coucou
Manhattan
SoHo & Nolita

Le Jardinier
Manhattan
Midtown East
NEW
Marea
Manhattan
Midtown West

Meadowsweet
Brooklyn
Williamsburg

Musket Room (The)
Manhattan
SoHo & Nolita

Nix
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

Noda
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

NoMad
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Odo
Manhattan
Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
NEW
Okuda
Manhattan
Chelsea

Oxalis
Brooklyn
Fort Greene & Bushwick
NEW
Oxomoco
Brooklyn
Williamsburg

Peter Luger
Brooklyn
Williamsburg

River Café (The)
Brooklyn
Downtown

Satsuki
Manhattan
Midtown West

Sushi Amane
Manhattan
Midtown East

Sushi Ginza Onodera
Manhattan
Midtown East

Sushi Inoue
Manhattan
Harlem, Morningside & Washington Heights

Sushi Nakazawa
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

Sushi Noz
Manhattan
Upper East Side

Sushi Yasuda
Manhattan
Midtown East

Tempura Matsui
Manhattan
Midtown East

Tuome
Manhattan
East Village

Ukiyo
Manhattan
East Village
NEW
Uncle Boons
Manhattan
SoHo & Nolita

Wallsé
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

ZZ's Clam Bar
Manhattan
Greenwich & West Village

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Glam shoes, but no salary: how Giulia Mensitieri exposed the scandal of the French fashion industry

10/17/2018

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By Jessica Chávez
Fashion Contributor

​
A new book by academic Giulia Mensitieri, laying bare the working conditions of stylists and young designers, has sparked controversy. Will it lead to improved conditions for those forced to work for clothes vouchers instead of cash?

Giulia Mensitieri takes little to no personal interest in clothes. So it is likely to have been an ugly surprise to the French fashion industry that her PhD – now a book entitled The Most Beautiful Job in the World – has opened up its secretive profession in such a dramatically public way. In France, the book’s findings – that fashion, the country’s second-biggest industry, exploits most of the creatives who work in it – were quickly picked up by the media when it was published earlier this year. The resulting headlines included: “The ruthless world of fashion”; “Fashion’s dirty underside”; and “An extremely wealthy industry founded on unpaid work”.
The reality of fashion was illustrated by Mensitieri’s chance introduction, eight years ago, to her subject matter. She met “Mia”, a successful Italian stylist who had moved to Paris: “She was wearing Chanel shoes and carrying a Prada handbag, being flown across the world in business class. I never would have imagined that she was in the situation she was in.” Mia couldn’t afford to rent a room, so she was couch surfing at a friend’s house behind a screen in the kitchen. “Sometimes she had no money for her phone bill. She was eating McDonald’s every day. She never knew when she would be paid for a job and how much she would get. For example, for a week’s work, a very big luxury brand gave her a voucher for €5,000 (£4,500) to spend in their boutique.” True, Mia could have sold it (and, among hard-up fashion workers, there is a lively market in reselling luxury goods). But Mensitieri points out that working in fashion means being seen in a constantly updated uniform of beautiful, expensive clothes and accessories – paid for by vouchers such as the one Mia received instead of a salary. “This situation is nothing exceptional. Mia is just a paradigm of what is going on.”

The book is lively from the start. Mensitieri’s analysis and case studies build up a fairly damning picture of her subject matter. One interviewee, a former fashion journalist at a glossy magazine, describes how she was dropped by her coterie of friends and colleagues one day. They just suddenly stopped taking her calls or responding to her emails. There was no explanation. “This is the violence everyone told me about,” says Mensitieri. “Once you’re out, you’re out.” There can be a trauma attached to such sudden ejection. “All your social relationships are in that world. They’re gone.” From being exceptional, now you have transgressed in some unmentionable way. Or, simply, you are not special enough any more. “Finding work in a new sector can be difficult because ‘normal’ people behave so differently from what you’re used to.” Finding a job can be difficult, coming from an industry that those on the outside tend to look down on as fluffy and lightweight.

Mensitieri, an alumnus of École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, one of France’s elite grandes écoles, is in London to talk about her book, although it has not yet been translated into English. “I was a little bit scared when it came out,” she says, “because it’s quite a strong renunciation, even though that was not my goal. I’m an anthropologist, not a journalist.” The book’s salient claim is that, “when we think of exploitation in fashion we think of sweat shops abroad or sexual harassment of models. But that’s not what I was interested in. I was looking at the creative side: stylists, makeup artists, young designers, interns, assistants. What I really want to make clear is that exploitation exists at the very heart of the powerfully symbolic and economic centre of the maisons de couture; the big luxury brands. But it is a different form of exploitation.” In some cases, also barely legal.
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9 Expert Tips for a Successful Personal Training Business

5/3/2018

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From choosing your niche to developing your skills, this guide offers step-by-step instructions to help you create a business that answers the health and fitness needs of your customers. In this edited excerpt, the authors offer nine tips from other, successful personal trainers on how to run a profitable business.

1. Know what your clients know.
Beyond keeping up with your own professional education, pay attention to what your clients are learning. Reading professional journals is important, but it's not enough. You also need to be reading popular publications both online and offline. They're constantly reporting on new trends in fitness, exercise and nutrition, and it’s not uncommon for their credibility to be questionable. When your clients are exposed to misinformation, they'll likely look to you to confirm or refute what they’ve learned.

2.
Stay flexible. We don’t mean physically flexible--although certainly that’s important, too--but flexible in terms of how you operate and relate to your clients. “This is such a personal business and you’re dealing with people one-on-one,” says trainer Jennifer Brilliant. “Things come up and you need to remain flexible.”
Lynne Wells, a personal trainer in New York City, advises that if you're bending a policy, make sure your client knows it. For example, if someone cancels with less than a 24-hour notice because they’re sick and you decide not to charge them, make it clear by saying something like, “You know I have a 24-hour cancellation policy, and technically you should have paid for this session. But I understand that you’re sick, so I’m not going to charge you this time.”

3. Assign homework. Make your sessions last longer than the actual time you’re together by giving your clients things to do between sessions. “I always give them homework,” says Wells. “Usually it’s just a little exercise or two to do on their own. It might even be simpler than that, like the [client] whose homework assignment was to practice standing with her feet underneath her more instead of having them wider than her hips, and to keep her toes straight instead of turned out--because that’s biomechanically better for her body. It might be some basic breathing exercises. I’ve had [clients] do food diaries or workout journals, then we talk through what they wrote down in a future session or by email.”

4. Invest in education. Knowledge builds confidence, so invest in education--even after you’ve obtained your initial certifications. What the professional associations offer and require varies depending on the particular certification you have. The organization that issues your certification will let you know what you need to do to keep it current. Beyond that, you need to be reading and studying to stay up to date on fitness trends and news. Studying current literature, attending classes and going to conventions and conferences are all investments in your business, not expenses.

5. You are not your client. A very minuscule percentage of your clients will think and act like you do. Don’t develop exercise programs that would be effective for you; put together programs that will work for your clients. “The majority of trainers train their clients like they train themselves, and they don’t really listen to the client,” says one trainer we consulted. “They're quite possibly not doing the best for that particular client.”

6. Maintain a client base. One of the most common reasons personal training businesses fail is simply the inability to establish and maintain a steady client base. High client turnover and low client retention rates make it hard to run a profitable business. But be aware that trying to have clients become dependent on you so they’ll stick around actually can produce the opposite result. “It sounds strange, but I noticed that the trainers who try to retain their clients by withholding instruction tend to anger clients and lose them quickly,” says trainer Annette Hudson.
Other causes of losing clients are:
  • Lack of results When clients don’t see the results they want or that they believed they'd get, they lose interest and drop out. If this develops into a pattern, your business won't build the clientele necessary to sustain it.
  • Failing to establish goals. It’s a huge mistake when a trainer doesn’t find out what a client’s goals are and confirm whether they're realistic and achievable. Clients with unrealistic goals are likely to drop out when they realize they aren’t going to accomplish what they want.
  • Failing to maintain a sense of commitment. Certainly clients have more in their lives than their personal fitness goals, but when the trainer allows clients to miss sessions regularly, those clients won't make any progress and will eventually drop out.

7. Don’t throw it away. Make sure to maintain a database of contact information on former clients and prospects who went through an initial consultation and didn’t sign up. In the future, you very well may want to send them a direct-mail piece and let them know about new services or special packages you’re offering, as well as the addition to your staff of new trainers they may be interested in working with.

8. Decide how much you’re willing to work. When you own the company, you can’t bill every hour you work because you need to spend time running the operation, as well as training. To ward off burnout, decide in advance how many hours per week you want to work, then create a schedule and stick to it. You may work 12- to 14-hour days, plus weekends in the beginning, but that will get old fast, so don’t try to do that for an extended period of time.

9. Be your own advertisement. Advertise yourself as a personal trainer whenever you're in public by wearing clothing with your company name or logo, or some other indication of what you do. Turning yourself into a walking billboard is an easy, inexpensive way to identify yourself as a personal trainer to everyone you come in contact with. T-shirts are OK, but a sharp polo-style shirt is better.

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MONEY: Less than 18 Percent of Global Stocks Owned By Index Investors

4/26/2018

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By Trevor Hunnicutt

If you pay attention to the money market, you'll know that less than 18 percent of the global stock market is owned by index-tracking investors, according to a new estimate from BlackRock Inc , as it suggested that passive investing plays only a limited role in setting equity prices.

The estimate in early October 2017 showed that $11.9 trillion in stocks were owned by mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, institutional accounts and private investors that track an index. That accounts for 17.5 percent of the $67.9 trillion in global equity market capitalization, according to the data.

Stocks in actively managed hedge funds, mutual funds and institutional accounts total $17.4 trillion, 25.6 percent of the global equity market cap, according to the report. Yes, plenty of money.

The remaining 57 percent are assets held by governments, pension funds, insurers or corporations. Such holdings are not overseen by an asset manager and do not track an index.

The data comes as debate rages about the rise of funds that attempt to match the market at low cost rather than focus on beating the market.
BlackRock - the world's largest manager of ETFs, most of which are passive - released its data in a report disputing what its vice chairman, Barbara Novick, called "misinterpretations of information."
BlackRock said active managers drive prices in the stock market, with $22 dollars by active stockpickers for every $1 traded by index funds, according to the firm's data.

Bank of America Corp's research unit said earlier this year that the stocks most held by passive investors have seen wider price swings. Their report pegged passive ownership of U.S. equity funds at 37 percent, up from 19 percent in 2009, though that analysis was limited to funds and did not include an estimate of privately held assets.

A report last year by broker-dealer Sanford C. Bernstein & Co LLC described passive investing as promoting a system of capital allocation worse than both capitalism and Marxism in which shares in the biggest companies are bought blindly.

This year alone, U.S.-based equity ETFs have gathered $214 billion and index mutual funds attracted another $111 billion, while actively managed funds bled $124 billion in withdrawals, according to Thomson Reuters' Lipper research unit. More value is exchanged daily in the top ETFs like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF and iShares Russell 2000 ETF than in most stocks.

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Business Faux Pas: CitiBank and CitiCard Rob Clientele of Funds via Coercive Practices

4/13/2018

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By Sandy Chang

Citibank has gotten hit hard for shady business practices. Here’s a cautionary tale of marketing gone wrong. From 2003 to 2012, perhaps longer, Citibank promoted and signed up customers for several debt-protection add-ons to its credit cards: “AccountCare,” “Balance Protector,” “Credit Protection,” “Credit Protector,” and “Payment Safeguard.” Citibank also sold various credit-monitoring and fraud-protection services. The add-ons were essentially hedges—they’d cancel or postpone a customer’s payment should certain bad things happen, like job loss, disability, or hospitalization. Or, in the case of the credit and fraud-monitoring service, help inform the relevant parties if a card was lost or compromised.

The problem is that while Citibank was offering to monitor your credit card and protect your payments, no one was watching Citibank. And some of its marketing practices were pretty iffy. For one, telemarketers could be misleading about how much these add-on products cost. In some cases, Citibank scripts mentioned a “free” 30-day trial period, even though the bank would still charge consumers during the first 30 days. In others, Citibank said its fraud alerts would, well, alert consumers to fraud, when in reality the alerts weren’t monitoring changes made at the everyday transaction level. On top of all this, Citibank claimed a fee of $14.95 per account was for “processing” (so necessary-sounding!), and not just to expedite payment, as was actually the case.

During the roughly 10-year window that this went on, an estimated 7 million consumers were affected. Eventually, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau noticed all of this, and on Tuesday the bureau ordered Citibank to pay up for “deceptive marketing,” “unfair billing,” and “other unlawful practices.” Citibank will hand over $700 million in relief to qualifying consumers, plus another $35 million in civil money penalties to the CFPB. It’s the 10th time the CFPB has fined a major financial services provider for misleading consumers, with previous targets including American Express, Bank of America, Capital One Financial, and JPMorgan Chase.

Citibank says in a statement that it began remediation for customers in 2013 and fully cooperated with the CFPB and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in resolving billing and marketing problems. Citi “has taken extensive steps to address each issue that affected consumers,” the bank says in a statement.

Reckless and Fraudulent Business Practices

Recently, from January through November 2016, Citibank and Citicard have engaged in several "mishaps". According to research by Consumer Report and several interviews with Citibank clients, Citibank and Citicard have actively coerced clients and manipulated data in 2015 and 2016 to rob executive card holders of funds, claiming a problem with bank routing numbers. Citibank is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has over 49 official complaints brought upon the company in the last six months, in addition to over 250 customer complaint reports in 2015.

According to Vice President Mary Osthus, the company has "done nothing wrong" in manipulating data systems and client data over the past 3 years, specifically in the last 6 months. "We have worked with clients and have done nothing wrong...we are a business and need to act like one."

Like Wells Fargo's business faux pas this past season, the facts are that Citibank created 1 million unauthorized credit accounts and 345,000 unauthorized credit applications. To put it bluntly, bank employees faked applications to open accounts that customers didn't ask for, and then they billed those customers for the bank fees. According to reports, Osthus has received numerous complaints against her persona and against Stacey Moon, a member of the company's executive response unit in South Dakota.

Both Osthus and Moon have manipulated documents against clients in California, Illinois, Florida, and New York to rob customers of funds and crafting documentation stating faulty bank accounts with insufficient funds.

Many commentators have criticized Citibank in the past for for lax internal controls, negligent company promotions of unqualified staff, or its excessively steep incentive system or a bad corporate culture. But all that is to imply that Citibank and Citicard relating specifically to their manipulation of executive card holders somehow messed up and didn't run its operations correctly. In fact, the system worked perfectly from the standpoint of a Citibank senior exec or investor.

Furthermore, documentation exists, provided by clients and internal reps of the company, that puts Citibank and Citicard, with the help of Mary Osthus and Stacey Moon, directly responsible for over 12.9 million dollars in fraudulent activity. Osthus and Moon cooperated in specific cases in Illinois to rob customers of funds and then directly impact clienteles' credit scores and account activity.

To create firewalls of deniability, Citibank, like Wells Fargo, has established an evidence trail that it warned employees repeatedly not to create fake bank accounts. Yet like the Wells Fargo case, many reports are now surfacing which show that while the bank warned employees, it applied such intense performance pressure that many employees had to break the law or risk being fired. At least 90 Citibank employees have reached out to media agencies and the feds to testify against the company for recklessness and coercive business practices deemed as fraud by the legal community.

The complete story can be found in the November issue of Allez Magazine.

This is a developing story.
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4 Basic Social Media Rules to Live By

3/30/2018

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By Jorge Zavala | Creative Director

Everyone has an opinion about social media. Many think social media is the greatest, most remarkable brand building tool available and you don’t need to have celebrity status, a big bank account or a famous endorser to leverage yourself, or your business, on social.

You simply need to be strategic, consistent and cohesive.

I have seen my clients immediately and meaningfully connect with their core audience, use it as a great asset in building their mailing list (my most favorite marketing tool of all time) and has allowed them to quickly capture new prospects and clients. This translates to mucho verde dolares, aka big bucks, baby.

I have also worked with countless brands and business who use progressive social media software tools, implement time-consuming techniques and spend a pretty penny to maximize their social media efforts.

But before you go renegade with a complex and expensive social strategy, start with these four simple social media principles, tips and tweaks.

1.) Follow people back.

There’s a misconception that in order to establish “social proof,” one must have a gazillion  followers and follow only a handful back. With all due respect, you’re not Kim Kardashian. When you’re trying to build (and sustain) your brand, it’s important that you follow, like and comment back. Find feeds and platforms that resonate with you and connect with them, especially if they are in your own industry. Following people back enables you to truly take part in the social conversation and that convo should always be a dialogue, not a monologue. Dialogues also help raise your visibility, Being an active participant in the social community shows you are a collaborator, a listener and a genuine player in the game of marketing and branding.

2.) Your social media followers are human beings. Treat them as such.

There’s never a dull day, let alone a dull moment as an Entrepreneurial Babe. We are some seriously busy bros and gals. I get that it’s tough to stop, drop and respond to every comment, retweet every mention, and follow back every follow.

But… try?

Behind every @handle is a human, and if they’re taking the time out of their precious day to show you some love, return the favor. Thank them for their feedback, answer their question if they ask one, or just say “hi!” If someone came up to you at a party to tell you how much she liked your shoes, would you just stare back blankly without a word? No way, Jose! You would smile and say “thanks,” right? This principle is about more than just manners. Responding to your “friends” and “followers” can help you create real connections with actual people. It helps you create your own social community contained only on your platforms. This then positions you as someone of aspiration and authority, who actually cares, takes the time and engages with meaning and curiosity. Who wouldn’t want to work with someone like that, right? There is magic in this kind of engagement: when your “followers” start to trust you, they become your clients, your colleagues, your greatest referrals or, brace yourself, your actual friends. So make it a point to get back to the business of being a human next time you’re on social. The possibilities it might lead to for your business are truly endless.

3.) Take your “About” sections seriously.

I’m talking your “About” in Instagram, Twitter and Facebook fan pages. You’d be surprised how many don’t take advantage of this tiny little space. Sure, we all like to be clever here, (and I’m not diminishing the appeal of a cute quip), but if you’re using social to build your brand or business, this portion of your profile is critical. First and foremost, it should include a URL to your website. Secondly, it should define what your business is about, who your core customer is and what you’re providing. Don’t overthink this. It doesn’t need to be too technical, but make it straightforward and informative, and absolutely add some of your personal style into the language. Make it fun, sweet, sarcastic, humorous, inspirational or whatever is authentic to you. But make it enticing. Think of your "about section" as the opening credits to your blog or website. The pre-hook into your mailing list opt-in. If you can quickly establish the value you’ll bring to a prospect, who you are and what you stand for, you’ll have a better chance at hooking them into your website…which is where the heart of your brand or business lives.

4.) Don’t underestimate the power of the hashtag.

The hashtag has become so commonplace in our social and cultural language that it’s practically ironic.

Soooo, say you’re a food photographer looking to build the awareness of your personal website or studio on Instagram. Sure, you could use “#food” and “#foodie” and “#yum”, but when you do, you’re competing with respectively 6.2 million, 1.3 million and 1.7 million other people who are posting as well. But say you post “#ChiFoodie” or “#ChiEats” or “#YumChi”, you then position yourself to a more focused, distilled down list of “searchers” in your niche.

On that note, consider developing a single hashtag for your own brand that becomes your signature. Start with the obvious: your brand name and/or something that is ownable to you. If your brand name is taken or maybe too long, condense it with a catchy acronym or initials that flow. Use that bad-girl like it’s going out of style and encourage your followers and friends to incorporate it their posts when they engage with you.  Oh, and make sure it’s somewhere in your social bios. Mucho importante.

Lastly, #dont #spam #your #own #posts #with #hashtags. Using too many can cheapen and devalue your brand, and makes each additional hashtag more meaningless than the one that came before it. Less can be more. To that end, sometimes, all you need is a compelling picture, an empowering post or a strong call-to-action to a URL, sans hashtag, to convey your messaging, bromos.

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Essential Tips for Creating and Pitching Op-Ed Stories

3/8/2018

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By Jorge Zavala | Creative Director

It's 2016 and, yes, we all have an opinion on every matter. There is much more to writing an op-ed than simply sharing your opinion. In comparison to other non-fiction writing, op-ed pieces demand a structure, length, and voice that are all their own. Knowing how to immerse your opinion with factual information is an important part of writing op-ed pieces, and attracting readers to your story is a skill that takes time and practice to master.

Write a clear headline, but don’t expect it to make the final cut.
Writers almost never choose their own headlines. In fact, the editor won’t even consult you about the headline most of the time. This is an ancient writer/editor practice. Headlines are chosen based on space as much as anything else, and positioning.  Still, you need to have a headline on your piece when you submit it. That helps the editor know what you’re up to, especially if your piece is a “click-bait” piece.

Hook the reader in right away with an anecdote.
Humorous ones work best. Then try to “show” how the story connects to an issue in the news, or of note. Wrap up it up by circling back to the joke in a new way. In my experience within the industry, the ideal length for op-eds is 800-900 words. If I’m pitching an original piece, I go as long as 1,200 words with a note to the editor saying, “This is long; I can cut.” Having a relationship with the editor is an advantage because I know she will read my work. Sunday columns are a bit longer as well because there is more space in the Sunday Review.

Tell a story that also advocates a position backed up by fact and research. 
Op-ed pieces differ from other nonfiction in that it really is about opinion – you can’t just tell the story and leave it at that. The story generally comes first, along with your own charming voice, then the research.

Be aware that your opinions will be public and associated with you. 
I’m the on the board of the National Autism Association, and I have to be careful. People will think that my opinions are NAA’s opinions if I write about issues pertaining to special needs' children.
As a writer, I don’t draw lines — I want to write about everything! As a public figure, I have to be careful not to damage the brand of the organization. Bottom line is, I try to be very careful, and don’t write when I’ll jeopardize the organization or my work life.

Be true to your personal writing style. 
Each writer has his or her own style, of course. It might be cliché, but your best bet is to be yourself.
People can tell if you’re faking it. I bet you could read a “typical” column by one of the Times’ dozen or so regulars and know within a graph who wrote it.

Target pitches to the most relevant publications for your story. 
If your story has a strong connection to a place, go to the paper in that town. You can also build a portfolio of clips starting small and going more national. If it’s your first story, it’s good way to establish your credentials.

Pitch stories tied to seasonal events a month ahead of time.
Timing is everything in pitching, as is a hook. Editors aren’t interested in your random genius.
So know that the Monday before Father’s Day, editors will be flooded with pieces about daddies. If you’re going to write a Father’s Day piece, write it in May and send it in early.

Be considerate to your editor and continue to build upon your relationship. 
Be respectful and don’t be too annoying. If they encourage you, keep conversing. Be pleasant on email, but brief; keep in mind that editors are usually overworked. If they say no, accept that no means no. But if they pass on your story in a nice way, send them something else, although not right away.

The moral of the story is: you never know when the publication of your dreams will need you, so don’t lose heart. If your time is not today, it may very well be tomorrow, so keep trying. Always be polite, confident, but humble: nobody likes a know-it-all. Remember, keep things fresh and fun. Most importantly, be yourself.


About Jorge
Jorge is a Chicago-based public relations and brand management guru with 7 years of experience in the realms of branding, public relations, cross-cultural communication and advertising, and media relations. A lover of food, business, and travel, this young entrepreneur has lived in over 19 countries and visited more than 47 for both work and pleasure. Jorge spent a significant amount of time living and working in Southeast Asia where he helped victims of human trafficking establish 1 and 5 year plans to empower themselves and their communities.

In addition to his work in human rights and business development, this young man is also the lead creative director and editorial photographer for #PdMModels, a Chicago-based global scouting and fashion model management agency.

Connect with him on Instagram and Twitter.

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12 Bible Rules for StartUps

4/11/2016

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By Jorge Zavala | Creative Director

Let's face it, we love to work.

Just kidding.

But seriously, I love my job. Not to brag, but I think I've developed a pretty darn cool niche in my life, during my late 20s. Granted, I'm not rolling in a Rolls-Royce quite yet or have a penthouse overlooking the ocean in Arroyo Drive (if you know where this is, then you're so LA, baby), but I have a very strong outlook on business and how my business experience with start-ups has shaped the way I work and make magic happen.

Now, for someone in my industry, it is a mortal sin to give out the kinds of tips I am going to share with you just now. However, I believe in all of you this much that I am going to sacrifice a few consulting sessions (look at it as a PdM Media gift to you for spring) so that you can do wonders for your business, and hire one of my interns as your top consultant in 5 years. For those of you with start-ups, the following are bible rules for making ish happen over the next few years. Tread lightly, or very heavily, entrepreneur.

1) Don't start a business unless you eat, breath, and sleep this aforementioned wonder.
You need to LOVE what you're about to get into, and if it's something like opening up a restaurant, it's going to require a pretty penny and you'll be working over 75 hours per week, so listen to me when I tell you that you have to LOVE what you do.

2) No exit strategies, please.
If you need one this early on in the game, then honey: you're just not that into...you, or your business in-fact.

3) Hire people who will ADORE working there.
If you are hiring, make sure to hire people who will love what you love.

4) Sales cure all.
'nuff said.

5) Know your strengths.
You need to be an awesome leader and worker. By knowing your strengths in business, you will save yourself tons of time figuring things out and you can outsource the skills you're not so hot in.

6) Eat.
Sometimes, we love what we do so much we forget to eat. Doesn't happen to me, but I know plenty of folks who skip lunch. Make sure you do you, and grab a bowl of soup at least.

7) Hire a public relations agency.
I'm saying this as someone who is coming from both the inside and out: you need someone to handle your image. Whether you're a food truck vendor or the next Korean pop star, you are going to need someone to make sure your image is business-ready but also ready to make a splash in the marketplace.

8) Technology is relative.
Go with what you know.

9) Respect the golden rule.
Recess during kindergarten, lunchtime in high school, networking during a fashion event: life does not change. No matter what your parents or teachers told you: people will never change and most will never grow up. However, I've always felt the golden rule to be true: treat others the way you'd want to be treated. If one of your co-workers is being a butt-head smile the first time, be direct the second time, and say adios the 3rd time. Simple.

10) Be professional.
This is relative by industry, but make sure you always do your work and over-deliver.

11) Travel as often as possible.
Going to new cities or making new friends in favorite places always bring new perspectives to your work. Sometimes, you'll find yourself networking without even trying: that's how awesome you are.

12) Have fun!
Yes, it's a cliche, but a good one. When you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. Granted, the money is always going to be an issue when you're a start-up, but don't make life or work expensive. Know yourself and your spending habits and make changes accordingly. Downsize if you must, or get smaller office-space. Travel economy versus business class, or even walk when you can instead of taking the bus.

It's always the little things that make a difference, but you're an awesome entrepreneur, so you'll develop your own nook in this game called business.
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5 Successful Habits that Make Entrepreneurs Badasses

11/30/2015

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By Jorge Zavala | Creative Director

Habits form our lives and they provide a framework on which we build professional success and personal happiness. In life, there isn't a formula that fits everyone's lifestyle or career choice, but there are certain skills that make or break a new entrepreneur. In my experience as an entrepreneur, there are certain life habits that are not only perfect for day-to-day decision making, but also for business on small and large scales.

1) "NO" is not an option, dude.
Most start-ups and entrepreneurs will fail (yes, with full certainty) if they allow the nay-sayers to take control of his/her idea. Bringing a new, exciting idea to the world often means listening to plenty of friends, family, and co-workers smile, maybe even laugh, at the idea of changing something so pragmatic, so commonplace. However, be a badass and smile back knowing that you're queen bee and have the recipe for a successful business venture, even if nobody else knows it yet. Successful individuals, such as Steve Jobs, were known to have never accepted "no" for an answer: they simply found a route, strategically planned the journey, and made it work for them.

2) Run the extra mile (literally if you can)
As someone who ran track and field, cross country, and the like, I can assure you that there is no better time for clarity then when you're smelling freshly-cut grass in the summer during a jog, or focusing on taking in that cold Chicago wind-chill in the winter during your final 1/4 mile. As entrepreneurs, we have to mentally and physically go that extra mile and prep for whatever happens. Yes, I am a firm believer in providing a relaxed and comfortable approach to life whenever possible, but the business world requires a certain ferocity that makes former competitors, athletes, and the like successful in this field. Why? Because we're goal-driven. Start jogging in the mornings/evenings/nighttime and plan to run a certain amount: that'll be your first goal. Your next goal will be to slowly but surely think about how you're going to create that next billion dollar idea (and how you've planned for today, tomorrow, and the next day).

3) Your client is numero uno.
Whether you're in finance, model management, or health administration, you have to prioritize the people you were hired to help. As the creative director for one of the most exciting lifestyle platforms, I multitask quite regularly and wear multiple hats (fashionable ones, of course). However, you must always remember to treat your clients with respect and deliver what you promised (in writing preferably) in a timely fashion. Communication is key and honestly is truly one of the make-or-break traits that challenges entrepreneurs. Yes, in Chicago we're all beautiful A-listers but that doesn't mean we don't work. Treat your client(s) to coffee, a cocktail at one of your favorite whiskey bars, or to a trip to the coast to network. After all, they are supporting your business endeavors.

4) Learn to play with your life
Many companies and individuals fail: that’s a reality. However, persistent entrepreneurs who are willing to try something different end up being the ones that ultimately succeed. Many incredible businesses and services are the second, third or even fourth attempt of an entrepreneur who just flat out refused to give up and instead decided to try something different. When I lived in Bangkok, I worked with the children of some of that nation's start-up trailblazers. These were the offspring of Thailand, and Southeast Asia's, nouveau riche: stock brokers, financiers, media gurus, business insiders, etc. In addition to having some of Asia's best noodle dishes, Thailand also has some of the best start-up stories ever. Many of these super rich, such as the the founders of TRUE Corporation, started off selling noodles on the street, working their way up to running their mom and pop's noodle and rice shop, to selling 120 noodle stalls in the course of 6 years to fund the first media conglomerate in the nation's history. It's possible, people: sometimes you just need to play around with your industry and have big dreams.



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