Why can’t you tickle yourself? | Live Science

March 3, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For many of us, the tickling response is paradoxical — the playfulness it inspires is typically enjoyable, but the overstimulated nerves and loss of control can feel distressing. Whether you find it enjoyable, uncomfortable or somewhere in between, you can’t tickle yourself. But why?

The answer has to do with the brain already knowing about and downplaying the expected, predictable sensation of the self-tickle, experts told Live Science.

“It’s because the brain is always predicting into the future,” David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Stanford University, told Live Science. “Brains are not just reactive; they are trying to guess ahead at what’s going to come next.”

10 Leadership Goals You Should Set | Business News Daily

February 28, 2025February 27, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Being a leader is not just a position in a hierarchy, a higher pay grade or additional responsibilities – it is a skill set that you should be continually developing. Every leader at every level of experience and skill has room for growth, but the thought of setting and achieving leadership goals may leave you wondering where to begin. There are 10 basic leadership development goals that, depending on your position and skill level, you should strive toward. Once you have identified the goal(s) you want to strive for, the next step is to develop an action plan to help you achieve them and track your progress. Following this process will help you become the leader your organization deserves.

What Lead Qualification Is and How It Works | Business News Daily

February 28, 2025February 27, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Successful business owners know how to focus on providing great products and services and finding new customers at the same time. Generating new leads is the first step to driving new business, but it’s important to determine which leads are more likely to pay off.

Qualifying your leads can increase the number you convert to customers. Doing so is no small feat; only 1 in 5 leads ultimately becomes a customer. This means that for every new customer you get, there are four who were not persuaded to use your products or services. That’s a lot of time and money lost but smart lead qualification can minimize this concern.

What is lead qualification?

Lead qualification is the process of predicting the likelihood that a sales prospect will become a customer. To inform this prediction, you’ll need to gather data about your prospects through lead capture forms and other processes conducted in the lead generation process. While lead qualification begins at the top of the sales funnel, it doesn’t end there ― it continues up until your prospect becomes a paying customer.

How To Manage A Multigenerational Workforce (11 Tips) – LifeHack

February 27, 2025February 26, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s no secret that the workforce is changing. And with that change comes new challenges and frustrations. However, with change, also comes new opportunities to learn, grow and innovate.

But, in many cases, it’s easier said than done especially when managing a multigenerational workforce.

After all, it’s not simply about adopting new forms of modern technology; it’s about understanding and accommodating your team’s different motivations, expectations, and working styles.

Delegating Leadership Style: What Is It and; When To Use It? | LifeHack

February 27, 2025February 26, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In the bustling command center of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, Flight Director Gene Kranz was a portrait of calm in a storm of complex tasks and critical decisions. As the person ultimately responsible for the success of this historic mission, he could have chosen to keep a tight grip on every detail. Instead, he led with trust, respect, and strategic delegation.

When a critical alarm signal, known as “1202”, flashed on the astronauts’ screens just moments before landing on the moon, the atmosphere in Mission Control became tense. Time was of the essence, and Kranz had a decision to make. Instead of jumping in to solve the problem himself, he turned to Jack Garman, a 24-year-old guidance officer on his team. Garman quickly identified the issue as a radar switch conflict and confidently recommended proceeding with the descent. Kranz trusted Garman’s judgment and gave the order to continue.

Why United Airlines is investing in crushed rocks | Fast Company

February 26, 2025February 25, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The airline industry is notoriously hard to decarbonize: large jets traveling long distances can’t feasibly use batteries, and sustainable aviation fuel is still only produced in tiny volumes.

As airlines explore a range of options, United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund just invested in one possible solution—a system that uses crushed rocks to capture CO2 for use in fuel or to store underground.

The fund announced today that it invested an unspecified amount in Heirloom, a company that uses a powder made from limestone to pull CO2 from the air, relying on the material’s natural ability to absorb the greenhouse gas. At a facility in California’s Central Valley, robots stack trays of the limestone powder into tall stacks exposed to outdoor air. Then the powder is heated in furnaces to release the CO2 so it can be used or stored.

Bold red lipstick gets its color from crushed bugs. This biotech startup made a version that’s insect-free | Fast Company

February 26, 2025February 25, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The intense red color of classic lipstick traditionally comes from an unlikely source: crushed bugs that live on cactus plants in South America. It takes tens of thousands of the ground-up insects to make just a pound of the vivid red dye.

The red coloring, called carmine, also shows up in food—from red velvet cupcakes to sausages, gummy candies, and some versions of strawberry yogurt. In the cosmetics industry, major brands started moving away from carmine in the 2010s because of ethical concerns. A growing number of consumers wanted vegan makeup. (Crushing bugs also creates an allergen because of other bug parts that end up in the dye.) But because synthetic dyes don’t perform as well, carmine is still found in some high-end products, from shades of MAC lipstick and NARS blush to Chanel nail polish.

How to Increase Prices Without Losing Customers | AllBusiness.com

February 25, 2025February 24, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Amazon made news when the e-commerce giant announced plans to raise the price of its annual Prime membership to $119, up from $99 at the time (it has since been raised to $139). A $20 annual increase works out to less than $2 a month, which certainly isn’t much, especially when you consider that it entitles members to free two-day shipping and streaming access to lots of TV shows, movies, music, and even sports. Still, the internet was filled with outrage and complaints from angry Prime members (and non-members).

That kind of backlash is enough to scare a small business away from raising prices—even though that’s something that you may be considering. The rising costs of labor, energy, and borrowing have forced many small business owners to cut corners in order to make ends meet.

But you don’t have to go on that way. Here are five tactics for raising your prices:

AI and Hospitality: How AI Is Creating Smart Hotels | AllBusiness.com

February 25, 2025February 24, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The hospitality industry is undergoing a significant transformation, making it increasingly dynamic. As guest preferences evolve and the demand for personalized experiences grows, hoteliers need to become more tech-savvy by integrating technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Tools that integrate these technologies, from smart thermostats to robots that guide guests throughout the day, allow hotel staff to become more efficient by streamlining their routine tasks.

In this article, we’ll dive into the future of AI in the hospitality industry, the role of AI in smart hotels, and the challenges faced during implementation.

How to Conduct Effective Market Research | Business.com

February 20, 2025February 19, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Market research provides businesses with valuable insights into their competitors, customers and industry trends. Do it well and you can spot new opportunities before your competitors. You’ll also be better able to anticipate future trends and improve profitability. However, knowing how to get started can be challenging. We’ll outline essential steps for creating your market research plan and share five simple strategies to ensure timely, actionable and effective market research.

How to conduct effective market research

If your business is new to market research, Tyler York, CEO of AdLeg, recommends taking the following steps to get started:

Set clear market research goals: Before starting, establish what you want to achieve with your market research efforts. Are you trying to understand your target audience and its needs better, identify competitors, or test a new product or service idea? Clear goals will guide your process and ensure you collect relevant data.