Johnson Citys Seasons of Hope is seeking donations to help one of its low income working families through an illness that has thrown them behind on their bills.

Executive Director Katy Hicks said, like most of the families Seasons of Hope assists through its HOPE Family Program, They live paycheck to paycheck. And due to illness, there was no paycheck this week.

They have experienced a loss of income due to an illness in her family, Hicks said, and her immediate need is for $240 to get them through the end of the month.

A small nonprofit organization with limited resources, Seasons of Hopes focus is on working families that earn too much to meet the standard guidelines for assistance from other charitable organizations and too little to meet all of their childrens needs. Its mission is to empower families who are committed to improving their own situations.

Its HOPE Helping (and) Offering Personal Empowerment Program is a two-year course of mentoring, key life skills classes, encouragement and incentives that together help families harvest the rewards of their own hard work.

Space in the program is limited and families selected to participate are those who pledge to apply themselves to its educational courses, to going to work or to college if they are not already there, to meeting monthly with a HOPE Program mentor, and to giving back to their community through volunteering.

Of the HOPE family in emergency need, Hicks said, This family does a lot of volunteer work for Seasons of Hope (and) the community. And this month, they are struggling to make ends meet.

Her request is for donations earmarked for HOPE Family that can be made on the Seasons of Hope website at http://www.seasonsofhopetn.org or by mail to Seasons of Hope, 706 Antioch Rd, Johnson City, TN 37604.

Ways to help the HOPE Family Program include volunteering as family mentor or sponsoring an incentive reward for a family such as a free haircut, manicure, pedicure or massage, or even more helpful, a grocery, gasoline, clothing or restaurant gift card.

HOPE families are also included in Seasons of Hope annual back-to-school distribution and its Secret Santa Christmas outreach that over the next month and a half will be gathering gifts and clothing for children and teens and food boxes, blessing bags and a modest Christmas wish for each of the families.

Seasons of Hope kicked off its holiday drive this week with its Christmas Morning Breakfast Box in the spotlight.

THicks said that Seasons of Hope believes Every child deserves to wake up on Christmas morning to a gift under the tree, a stocking hung with care and food on the table.

And to get the ball rolling, it has put out its call for donations of pancake mix, syrup, cereal, oatmeal, muffin mix, canned fruit, juice, hot chocolate mix and a $5 gift card for milk and eggs to go into a Christmas breakfast box for each of its families.

Those who wish to help may donate items for the boxes, fill a box or multiple boxes to donate, sponsor a breakfast box food drive, or make a $25 donation to sponsor a box for one family.

More information about the Secret Santa project and HOPE Family Program can be found at http://www.seasonsofhopetn.org or may be obtained by contacting Hicks at 423-724-7398.

If there is a need or a project in your neighborhood the Good Neighbor column can assist with, contact Sue Guinn Legg at 423-722-0538, slegg@johnsoncitypress.com or P.O. Box 1717, Johnson City, TN 37605.

Originally posted here:
Seasons of Hope family in need of help during illness - Johnson City Press (subscription)

Big news: Ariana Grandes in love. Shes also really, really in the mood. This intel does not come from an anonymous source close to the singer. Its broadcasted all throughout her sixth studio album, Positions, a record that boasts the happiest music weve heard from Grande in a while and the naughtiest lyrics weve heard her angelic voice sing, well, ever. Two tracks in, on 34+35 (do the maths), she sings, Can you stay up all night? Fuck me til the daylight, setting the tone for more subsequent filth on tracks such as Nasty. Grandes desire is spelled out in explicit, occasionally eye-popping terms in the best way possible putting a popped cherry on top of a very sexy year for women in music.

Its not like the realm of sex is new territory for Grande. Dont pretend you thought Side To Side was a song about riding bikes. But now, shes moved on from the creative euphemisms and is following Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallions lead, singing pussy, dick and fuck like a kinky lullaby. Its not like this is new territory for female artists in 2020 either. Remember when Dua Lipa sang, When youre going down I get so up on Good In Bed at the start of the year? Or when she begged for someone to put their hands on her in Pretty Please? Dont tell me youve already forgotten about WAP and the subsequent debate it sparked as to whether its appropriate for women to talk about what they want from sex in music. If youre still looking for some clarity on that debate, the answer is: yes, it is.

While conservative commentators may feign shock at this development in mainstream music, as one of lifes most basic pleasures, people have made music about sex for much longer than you might expect. Now finding new viral fame on TikTok, blues singer Lucille Bogan was singing lyrics that wouldn't seem out of place as extra verses in WAP in the 1930s. Take this gem from Till The Cows Come Home for example: If you suck my pussy, Baby I'll suck your dick. In 1975, Donna Summer faked 22 orgasms on Love To Love You Baby. In 1981, Grace Jones asked a man to Pull Up To The Bumper" and put a long black limousine in places automobiles have no business being. Then Madonna felt Like A Virgin, before releasing the suitably named Erotica and the even sexier Bedtime Stories. In the midst of Madonnas sexual awakening, Salt-N-Pepa straight up said, Lets Talk About Sex. Two became one with the Spice Girls in 1996. In 2002, Khia gave in depth instructions for oral sex in My Neck, My Back.

The list goes on, and thats only covering the women who have sung horny lyrics. Surprise! Those women are vastly outnumbered by men who have done exactly the same thing. There are the obvious tracks such as Marvin Gayes Lets Get It On and Boyz II Mens Ill Make Love To You, but for a more direct comparison to todays eXXXtra explicit lyrics mainstream, N.W.A.s now infamous album Niggaz4Life is a masterclass in misogynistic approaches to sex. It is incredibly vulgar and, at many points, down right offensive to women, who are merely seen as disposable objects for male pleasure, epitomised by the reprehensible interlude To Kill A Hooker. The sex talk on this album isnt fun because it only pleases one party, while the other is degraded and, essentially, abused. MC Ren raps about a 14-year-old girl on She Swallowed It. See, Cardi B asking you to park that big Mack truck right in this little garage isnt so bad after all, is it?

Those are the ghosts of musics raunchy past, but lets circle back to Grandes foray into dirty talk. And Cardi B and Megans. And Dua Lipas. And Doja Cats. There have arguably been more songs from women talking vividly about sex in the charts than ever before in 2020, with the concept evolving from what was once a titillating novelty to a part of everyday discourse. The most obvious explanation for the rise in female pleasure in music, and the increased demand for it, is that recent conversations around equality and sex positivity have simply loosened up taboos. From Lily Allen launching a range of sex toys to Rihannas Savage X Fenty line of underwear, more women are taking ownership of their sexuality, which means more women want to talk about it and listen to other women talk about it. The onus is no longer on performing sexy for the male gaze; its about genuinely feeling sexy for personal empowerment and pleasure.

Who this music is written by and for is also crucial: Like A Virgin was written by two men. While Summer is credited as a songwriter on Love To Love You Baby, it was actually only the title that she came up with Giorgio Moroder wrote the full song and, at first, it was so explicit that she only agreed to record it as a demo for someone else. Even Rihannas recent tracks Birthday Cake and Sex With Me were written by teams comprised practically entirely of men, bar Fenty herself.

Look at the songwriting credits on Grandes Positions and youll see that representation is much more balanced. Grande is credited as the lead songwriter on almost every track and, on the particularly cheeky songs such as 34+35 and Nasty, shes joined by her longtime collaborators Victoria Mont (who also got pretty raunchy on her debut album Jaguar this summer) and, on the former, Tayla Parx. As David Levesley notes, Dua Lipa made a concerted effort to involve as many women as possible in the creation of Future Nostalgia, which gave us Good In Bed and Pretty Please. Were not just hearing women sing about sex more frequently in music, were specifically hearing it from their perspective, rather than that of a horny man ventriloquising the imagined desires of women.

Perhaps thats whats most shocking about this new wave of sexually empowered pop: not the content itself, but rather the fact that the men arent in control of it. Were some men outraged by WAP because they feared it would turn young girls into nymphomaniacs with no self-respect, or were they simply offended to hear that their own sexual desires werent being prioritised? Is it fair to be angry at women using words like pussy in reference to their own bodies, when men have been using it derogatorily for decades? Some food for thought. Listen to Grandes new album while you mull it over. You might even pick up some tips.

In praise of Ariana Grande

Ariana Grandes new album is her most authentic work yet

Nile Rodgers: David Bowie and I were kindred spirits

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Ariana Grandes Positions shows the power of women writing about their own orgasms - British GQ

E! News: You've been hard at work releasing songs during quarantine. However, "My Man" gave fans more insight into your relationship and personal life. What made you want to share that side of yourself?

BG:"Sebastian is with me, he's actually blushing. But I look at that video and it's gonna be something that I always smile at when looking back at it. Obviously, COVID-19 has affected so many people in so many different ways. I've never been one to shy away from speaking about my mental health and times like this can be very triggering. And I shut offI was a daughter first, a sister first, I was a partner first, I was a human being first. It was so overwhelming and Sebas was really that little bit of light."

"It was really hard to think about music, but when I felt I was ready I wanted to share this song that I've had in my music archive and do a vlog-style, fly-on-the-wall day in quarantine with me and my man. Although we are very open about our relationship, we're also still very private at the same time. Fans haven't been able to see that side to our relationship. They see Seb as the professional athlete that he is and they see me as the professional artist that I am, but at the end of the day, we are each other's best friends. We were going through it as well during quarantine, and to share that little bit of light with my fans, I think was really special."

E! News: In the video, you both dressed up in similar styles and were matching in some clips.Do you find that you both influence each other's fashion?

BG:"For sure. I'm always asking him to come into a fitting, asking, 'What do you think about this dress?' He'll be honest with me, too, like, 'Yeah, babe! You look good,' or 'That's not my favorite.' And it's the other way around when he's getting ready for events. We always keep it real with each other. Sometimes, he'll even steal my Secret Deodorant. I'm serious, this is a real thing. He'll be stealing my deodorant, he'll be stealing my skincare. He's like, 'Ooh, you have a face mask on? Can you put it on me, too?' ... Let's teach our men that good, healthy skin maintenance. I'm all about it!"

E! News: Seeing that you've been busy throughout this time,what has been yourfavorite thing to do to relax and de-stress?

BG:"I don't shy away from the mental health conversation. I've been in therapy for about two years now and it changed my life. Even during quarantine, I've been keeping up with FaceTime chats with my therapists. She gives me homework to do sometimes. And I love anything self-care."

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Becky G's Fight for Equal Pay Is Personal: How She's Paving the Way for the Latinx Community - E! Online

Ivanka Trump speaks at a campaign event for her father on October 27, 2020 in Miami. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In an interview published by RealClearPolitics on Thursday, Ivanka Trump revealed that she unapologetically opposes abortion rights. I respect all sides of a very personal and sensitive discussion, she said, while aligning herself with a movement that seeks to ban women from making very personal decisions for themselves. But I am also a mother of three children, and parenthood affected me in a profound way in terms of how I think about these things.

Ivankas anti-abortion stance, which she hadnt yet spoken of during her time in the White House, tracks with much of her previous rhetoric on a womans place in the world. The most important job any woman can have is being a mother, she said in a 2016 campaign ad for her father that was supposed to promote his policies for working women. When Cosmopolitan pressed her on the fact that her parental leave plan, which offered nothing to fathers or mothers who didnt physically give birth, stood to further entrench womens disproportionate share of parenting responsibilities, she lost her usual composure and snapped at the journalist interviewing her. Former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards said Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, tried to bribe the organization into halting its abortion care, by promising to secure more funding for it if it eliminated abortion servicesa deal that would have been a major victory for Donald Trump, who anti-abortion groups have called the most pro-life president ever.

But in other ways, Ivanka Trumps newly vocal commitment to the anti-abortion cause is a departure from the way shes presented herself since her fathers 2015 campaign. Ivanka has consistently sought to portray herself as a moderating force in her dads administration, a poised and culture waraverse influence to balance out the far-right ideologues on staff. She once told the New York Times that she wanted to sand down the edges of her fathers worst policies, especially those on climate policy and immigration. And she never talked about abortion. She seemed to want her presence to soothe voterparticularly women who were a bit turned off by Donald Trumps demeanor and extremism but were looking for reasons to feel OK about supporting him anyway.

Over the course of the Trump administration, it has become ever clearer that Ivankas supposed influence isnt worth a dime. If Ivanka Trump has had any success in her alleged mission to make her dads presidency less catastrophic, its entirely invisible. If kidnapping migrant children from their parents with no plan to reunite them was the Ivanka-moderated policy, what was the original? Ivanka claimed to be an LGBTQ ally, but never uttered a peep when her father barred transgender Americans from serving in the military. Donald Trump has pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, opened up protected lands to fossil-fuel pillagers, and is reversing almost 100 environmental regulations. From where did Ivanka pull him back? This administrations total lack of federal response to the COVID-19 crisis has forced hundreds of thousands of women, many of them mothers, out of the workforce. Where is the author of Women Who Work?

Now, Ivanka has realized that no ones buying her moderating-force act. So like the rest of the Trump campaign, Ivanka is pivoting to riling up the base rather than attempting to win over those in the middle. Aware that women have fled from his side with haste, the president is making his rallies more sexist than ever in an attempt to energize his sexist supporters. Likewise, Ivanka is adjusting her image to better align with Trump fans who support him unconditionally. Theyre the only people left to please: Donald Trump has already revealed himself to be the cruel, wannabe-authoritarian president he promised hed be. Four years in, there are no Americans whose concerns about a Donald Trump presidency could be assuaged by a seemingly intelligent daughter-advisor with a womens empowerment shtick. She seems to have realized that she might as well give up that act and try out a new one.

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October 30, 2020 4:09PM ET

Up Close is Sourcing Journals regular check-in with industry executives to get their take on topics ranging from personal style to their companys latest moves. In this Q&A, Tommy Kelly, CEO of cross-border e-commerce platform EShopWorld, discusses what fashion can learn from the digital innovations happening in food and the benefit of having globally diversified online channels.

Tommy Kelly, CEO of EShopWorld

Name: Tommy Kelly

Title: CEO

Company: EShopWorld

Which other industry has the best handle on the supply chain? What can apparel learn?

The food industry has embraced the digital revolution with open arms and some really great innovation has sprung forth. The likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats have used new technologies to improve the customer experience and match service level to demands. If you want to order a hot meal, you can have it at your door in 20 minutes. Of course, on the grocery side, companies have adopted different fulfillment and delivery strategies, but its hard not to be impressed by what Ocado have done with the level of automation and efficiency they have brought to the supply chain. There is learning in all of this for lots of verticals, including apparel.

How would you describe yourself as a consumer?

Im probably similar to most other people, in that what are important to me are transparency and dependability, and predictability. I have expectations around what I want from the brands and channels I like, and if those brands deliver on their promise, then Im happy! I like to shop online, so that comes with certain expectations: Make it easy for me to purchase, dont surprise me with unexpected charges or fees, ensure that something arrives when its supposed to arrive, and make it easy for me to return a purchase if its not right.

As a consumer, what does it take to win your loyalty?

If a brand delivers on its promise, then thats it. If I like the product or service, feel like its good value, and the brand shows that it cares about my experience, Ill come back for more.

Whats your typical uniform?

The shift to remote working this year has had an interesting impact on dress choice. We all still need to dress appropriately for the audiences we are engaging with, so if its an external audience I tend to stick to business casual attire. On days that are taken up by internal meetings, I keep it quite casualsimilarly for the weekends.

Which fashion era is your favorite?

I cant say I would pick one out over another. I like quality clothing that is comfortable, which is one of the reasons I started EShopWorld. It was sometimes difficult to access some of the brands I liked when living in the U.S., so I felt if that was the case for me, others were likely having the same frustrations.

Whats the best decision your company has made in the last year?

2020 has been a bit of a rollercoaster in that it started off strongly, suffered uncertainty in March, but since then has been very positive for us. We recognized an opportunity for the business when we saw the online shopping trends emerge during the early lockdowns, and decided to accelerate investment in some key projects, and expand the organization to support those investments. That decision has worked out very well for us, in that we have been able to help our clients pivot into and prioritize digital channels and non-domestic markets to meet the trading challenges of Covid. We anticipate those trends will continue, which is positive for our clients and our business as we look to the new normal.

How would you describe your corporate culture?

Weve worked hard on the culture part of the business. It really is an important part of who we are, and weve shaped our corporate values around five key concepts, which are: Entrepreneurship, Empowerment, Excellence, Enjoyment, Ethics.

Since we launched in 2010, weve grown to almost 500 people, yet we are still entrepreneurial at heart. I think this is an important contributor to how we get things done. In fact, our internal motto is exactly that: Consider it done.

As the organization has grown and evolved, weve worked to keep it as flat as possible, with everyones doorincluding my ownopen to anyone in the company. This helps to keep a collaborative environment where we support each other and communicate openly. We like to celebrate successes, albeit that has been more challenging in a remote environment. That said, our HR team has worked tirelessly to keep engagement high, with regular online events and meetups.

What can companies learn from COVID-19?

The biggest lesson any company in any industry can learn is that it is more important than ever to be agile and adaptable. This is a competency that needs to be built into every organization, from its technologies to its infrastructure, people and processes. Adaptability, in the truest sense of Darwins theory, is the key to survival.

What should be the apparel industrys top priority now?

If I may, I think there are two. We conducted some research in the months after COVID, and it became quite obvious to us that brands whose online channels were geographically diversified bounced back much faster than those whose werent, in terms of their share price. We live in a global economy, with fast evolving market conditions. Those that had prepared to be in a position to push volume through their digital channels, to diverse geographies, were in a far better position to weather the storm, and even grow. This is not a matter of whether a brand should consider this strategyit should be an existential priority.

Secondly, sustainability needs to be at the forefront of all brands thinking. Consumer sentiment is shifting, and more and more young people are making purchasing decisions based on a set of values that are important to them. Information flows quickly, so brands really need to be out in front of this issue if they want to win the hearts and minds of the younger generations.

What keeps you up at night?

Change has always been the only constant in business. But now, the pace of change is accelerating year after year. Our business is in e-commerce and it is amazing how fast this industry moves. So, the things that keep me thinking are usually related to anticipating change, how to meet demands of both clients and shoppers. Weve all been through many recessions and macro events over the years, but none of us have really ever experienced the world we see around us now before.

What makes you most optimistic?

I am quite inspired by the retail industrys reaction to COVID, and the resiliency that has been shown by lots of brands and retailers. Innovation has gathered pace during this period, as companies examine their business models and seek out new ways of connecting with customers and meeting their needs. Im optimistic about the future, as I think that these kinds of challenges typically bring out the best in people as they adapt and create a new generation of retail.

Tell us about your companys latest product introduction/service:

Our business spans the entire e-commerce value chain, so we continually innovate to bring new features to market that drive value and positive outcomes for our clients.

One area we have recently invested heavily in is the consulting and advisory element of our business, which we call Shopx. Due to our scale and blend of clients, our understanding of the shopper journey in each market offers unique insights into how to build successful online D2C channels. Weve listened to the industrys requests for help in this area, and we believe this blend of knowledge and data is an important differentiator for us.

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Up Close: In Conversation with EShopWorld CEO Tommy Kelly - Sourcing Journal

The first-generation American experience is incredibly unique. As the American-born child of immigrants, you have intimate access to multiple cultures, and the ability to navigate between them and deeply relate to distinct types of people. I for one feel profoundly blessed to be counted among this group and incredibly proud of my parents' sacrifices to help me realize the American dream.

However, I am also acutely aware of many of its challenges. There are significant pressures to be successful; to make your parents' sacrifices "worth it," and to provide various types of assistance to immediate and extended family members. One of the biggest untold burdens of being a "first" is being a lifelong member of the "original sandwich generation" and I don't mean the "sandwich" experience of Gen Xers who find themselves caring for their kids and aging parents at the same time.

For Gen Xers, the "sandwich" experience is usually limited in duration, and not an expectation they've lived with their entire lives (unlike many of their first-generation peers). Ask any first-generation American, regardless of age, and they will likely tell you they directly support not only themselves, but also extended family in the US and/or in their parents' country of origin.

This can be a serious challenge for even the most diligent savers. The unfortunate reality is that BIPOC employees in most professions are statistically underpaid compared to their white peers. Therefore, not only are we earning less, we are also inheriting less and must make our comparatively lower incomes stretch to support multiple generations and/or households. This challenge trifecta means finding a delicate balance between self-preservation, wealth building, and honoring our parents' sacrifices to form a new life in America for our benefit.

With my clients, I see that it is mentally taxing to dream of creating wealth for your nuclear family and future generations while balancing the significant practical or emotional burdens of supporting your family of origin.

If this resonates with you as a situation you are currently facing, I have some basic recommendations to help you build wealth and honor your responsibilities to your family at the same time.

Your dependent family members will not be well served by you giving away all your money only to incur debt or live with extreme financial anxiety. By continuing to build wealth through saving, investing, and paying down debt, you are also building financial stability for your entire family. Therefore, you should endeavor as best you can to release any feelings of guilt associated with aiming higher financially.

If you are currently financially supporting anyone outside your immediate family, I recommend you come up with your exact "family contribution quotient." That is, exactly how much, for whom, and/or to what causes you are willing to support. These clear boundaries allow you to balance your personal financial well-being and goals with the need to support your family.

Some examples:

Perhaps you are not currently supporting family but expect that you will have to do so at some point in the future. This can feel like an ominous cloud lingering on the horizon and feel limiting in terms of your overall financial health.

To temper that anxiety, it is important to fully understand your loved ones' financial picture. That will require a slightly awkward conversation, but knowing exactly how bad (or not) things are is so important. Working with real numbers is one of the most important things you can do to alleviate any financial anxiety. From there, you can create a long-term plan for your future support.

If you have siblings, discuss with them what you can contribute or what the long-term plan is for managing your parents' care.

You can also consider setting up a "family emergency savings account." This involves allocating a certain amount of money monthly to a savings account or an accessible investment account for future family support needs. This will serve as a backstop should a need arise. If the money is never needed, then the funds are still in your name and can be used for any other financial goals you may have.

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3 ways first-generation Americans can build wealth and support family - Business Insider - Business Insider

Who We Are:

A Line Boutique is changing the traditional face of retailby focusing on providing solution-based styling services within the four walls of traditional retail stores. Dubbed "the Elyse Walker of Denver," (Zoe Report) the driving force behind A Line is transparency and authenticity. A Line is not a retail store, but a women's empowerment company. We want all women to simply try less and feel confident, relevant, seen, and powerful through the vehicle of fashion. We know firsthand the power of clothing. Its not just about great product but the power of transformation and empowerment offered in well-styled and well-tailored garments. Its about self-expression and creating a community of support and celebration for women, their lives, and how they evolve.

Job Description:

Account Manager Stylists at A Line Boutique are far from your typical retail employees. Account managers are the vital element in delivering a superior and distinctive customer experience while driving maximum sales results. The personal, mission-driven, and account focused sales approach used by A Line account management stylists offers a unique retail environment that cultivates a culture of community, trust, and empowerment. A Line account manager stylists work to offer expertise and directive sales to their clients on how to make the best choices for their lifestyle and to make shopping a truly effortless experience. They are driven and motivated to achieve outstanding results through a service-centric sales model by constructing a customized sales approach for each customer. This self-motivated sales professional will also constantly clientele to enhance relationships with repeat customers, while continuously providing the highest level of service to every customer.

Job Qualifications:

Job Requirements:

Compensation:

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Account Manager/Senior Stylist job with A Line Boutique | 148923 - The Business of Fashion

Subscribe Now Get The Financial Brand Newsletter for FREE - Sign Up Now Using special software to comb through social media discussions, researchers at The Economist find that traditional banks enjoy solid reputations for trustworthiness, safety and being, well boring. By contrast challenger banks and fintechs get cast in a sketchier light, but consumers crave the financial empowerment features that their accounts offer.

By Steve Cocheo, Executive Editor at The Financial Brand

The good news out of the social media world for traditional banks is that people see them as trustworthy providers of many services and substantial perks.

Unfortunately, thats also a great description of a grandparent.

Fintechs, on the other hand, are seen as a concern when it comes to security and privacy, but they are seen as offering financial empowerment, and besides, they are cool.

Thats on the other end of the popularity scale from grandma and grandpa, and kind of like that exciting friend from high school you wouldnt trust with your credit card.

Digital and traditional banks are engaged in a fierce battle for customers, states a white paper from The Economist Intelligence Unit. Key to this battle between old and new is whether innovators can scale up and broaden their appeal faster than incumbents can innovate.

In research sponsored by Temenos, the Economist Intelligence Unit developed a natural language processing model that read and digested over ten million online conversations in English about finance and banking appearing on the social platform Reddit from 2013 to present. (Most were from people in the U.S. and the U.K.)

Reddit was used as a proxy for all social media conversations about personal finance because its structure best matched the way the research units software worked. (The first chart included below shows the 2018-2020 portion of that analysis.) Reddit, symbolized by an stylized icon of an alien with a single antenna and red-orange circles for eyes, is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website founded in 2005. It is organized around communities of interest and members can vote entries up or down, which affects placement in the community as well as potential appearance on the front page. InfluencerMarketingHub.com ranks it #9 of social platforms in its list of 77 social media sites that marketers should know. It has 1.9 billion monthly visitors, versus #1 Facebook, which has 2.6 billion.

The research was conducted to take a reading on consumer attitudes towards the new players versus the traditional ones before more of the challengers develop primary banking relationships with consumers, according to Alexa Guenoun, Temenos President of the Americas, Global Head of Partners and Member of the Executive Committee.

( sponsored content )

Broadly, the research found that the specifics of traditional institutions usual lineup of products and services doesnt get discussed much in the social platform conversations.

They have basically become commodities and people dont talk about commodities, explains Guenoun. They tend to discuss what they can accomplish with the commodities the car they are going to buy with a car loan, rather than the car loan itself. In a sense, predictions that banking products will become embedded in other transactions may already be a reality in many consumers minds.

The most popular topic for consumers discussing the offerings of traditional banks is credit cards, but often it is not the basic card functions themselves but the loyalty programs that the issuers offer. These made up nearly one out of four social conversations concerning banks, far ahead of many more basic matters.

Here traditional banks benefit from their age and experience, having built up significant loyalty with customers (whose perks accumulate over the years), and leveraging the reputation and reliability needed to strike commercial partnerships with companies in sectors like air travel and hospitality, the report states.

During the COVID-19 period some credit card brands pivoted travel and other loyalty perk programs towards more practical and immediate incentives to fit the times. Its conceivable challenger banks could bring much more personalization and adaptation to the efforts. Some have already started offering points programs.

The second-ranking topic that people discussed in regard to traditional banks was safety. Many researchers have found that online safety is a key concern for consumers these days and people discuss it on social when something in the news brings it back to mind.

While customers of traditional banks talk about safety, the study found that theres a degree of confidence in the traditional players that consumers dont yet have in many of the challenger banks.

Concerns about safety, security and privacy occurred twice as often in regard to challengers as about traditional institutions, as shown in the third pair of bars in the chart above. Many prominent challenger banks have slipped up on security and reliability, including through service outages and glitches, the report notes.

Clearly they are going to have to address the security issue soon because consumers are showing that it is a concern, says Guenoun.

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While theres more trust in the traditional players, when it comes to financial empowerment, that is, taking control of ones money life, banks hardly come into the picture, as the second chart shows.

Guenoun says this goes back to the issue of banking services being seen as commodities.

While community banks may bring some of this to consumers through personal contact and confidences, Guenoun says that bigger banks have to learn how to get into their customers lives.

Right now, except for the very wealthy, she suggests, larger traditional banks give an impression of arms-length attitude.

They are essentially saying, Im giving you a card, Im giving you a checking account, Im giving you a mortgage and now youre on your own, Guenoun explains. And thats why people are disengaging. They want something more interesting and they want their provider to be more involved they want guidance. Thats why they are turning to challenger banks and fintechs.

What the social monitoring indicates is that the providers that offer the tools and then help people use them to achieve their financial goals are the ones that get discussed.

While traditional banks both large and small have been introducing financial management apps at an increasing pace many of them described in articles appearing on The Financial Brand, the fact that the fintechs and challenger banks seem to resonate more with consumers on social suggests that more aggressive marketing may be in order.

Guenoun notes, too, that as more fintechs and challenger banks obtain charters Varo Money becoming Varo Bank is one example, and in late October 2020 SoFi received approval from the Comptrollers Office for a full-service national bank charter the line between the two industries will blur. (Varo is a Temenos customer.)

She points out that Varo Bank straddles both worlds. Through the new charter and federal deposit insurance it has taken on the trustworthiness of traditional banks. And yet it continues to retain the appeal of financial empowerment that was the hallmark of Varo Money, its predecessor.

They are certainly trying to mix both, says Guenoun, and they are clearly targeting a younger population. And I think these are the ones who are going to thrive in the next few years.

This article was originally published on October 29, 2020. All content 2020 by The Financial Brand and may not be reproduced by any means without permission.

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Fintechs Draw Increasing Attention in Social Media Banking Chats - The Financial Brand

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK Thought leaders from across the Triangle and beyond are gathering virtually to discuss issues confronting women in these days of COVID-19 and beyond at the second Triangle Tech X conference.

Maureen McQueen, senior vice president, Global Services & Operations of MetLife, which is helping put on the event, talked with WRAL TechWire about the event and the issues being discussed. More than 50 speakers are participating.

World Economic Forum graphic

Its clear that while progress has been made in some areas like people, culture and content production, women still face challenges with advancing in technical areas like cloud computing, data and artificial intelligence. Theres a combination of challenges to work through, ranging from higher education in STEM fields, management practices that may not be as inclusive, and recruitment strategies that need to be evaluated. MetLife employs more than 2,500 employees in North Carolina itself, and weve seen first-hand the impact women in STEM roles have.

The challenges are where the opportunities lie, to bridge the gap in tomorrows workforce. Todays leaders have the chance to develop a more focused agenda, that will not only increase the current talent pool but also the pipeline, from what women can access and pursue in terms of their education, to holding more C-suite and Board positions around the world.

Maureen McQueen

Earlier this year, MetLife became the first US-based insurer to sign the United Nations Womens Empowerment Principles, a series of commitments created by U.N. Women and the U.N. Global Compact to promote gender equity in the workplace and society. While progress has been made, we know that theres still more work to do. Im exciting to be a part of MetLife and its journey to create change that will truly have an impact on society and the economy at large.

MetLifes second annual Triangle Tech X event is important because its an opportunity to bring together top executives and thought leaders to focus on commitment to bring equity to all and diversify the workforce. It is a call to action to bridge a critical gap in the workforce and our economy. Its exciting to be a part of this event and I look forward to the ideas and actions being shared over the three days.

We want to come away from this event with solutions and concrete actions to break down the barriers and obstacles women face in their careers, particularly those in STEM roles. Creating and strengthening the support systems and tools for women to advance their participation and leadership in tomorrows jobs is imperative. Acting on this with purpose, transparency and measurable objectives is a key objective of the event.

In the insurance sector, technology is critical enabler of the business, presenting us with an opportunity to break down barriers for current and future female talent. As Michel Khalaf, CEO & president of MetLife, has stated, empowering women is a key element of our business strategy.

As we want Triangle Tech X to be a premier technology conference, we were thoughtful in inviting speakers and companies from areas that have a voice in this important journey. Our speakers are from the technology sector, academia, charitable organizations & community service, with the majority based in the Triangle Park region.

As the host of the event, MetLifes leaders made a huge commitment to join Triangle Tech X to not only share our companys commitments to gender equity but collaborate with other leaders to hold each other and ourselves accountable to this commitment and progress. We are thrilled to have MetLifes female executive group and Board of Directors sharing their experiences and insights during the sessions.

Our event speakers are living this cause daily, be it through creating jobs, building awareness or providing the necessary support to women already in or entering the workforce.

It is a bitter-sweet moment. Having the event take place in-person would have increased the chance for those personal connections, which are important. However, that approach would have limited us to hosting 200-300 people. Through the virtual format, we were able to expand our outreach to many more participants and attendees, with virtual chats, online Q&A, and social media discussions.

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Women talking, addressing toughest issues they face at Triangle Tech X conference - WRAL Tech Wire

PayCaptain launches to radically improve the payroll process It helps employees understand and control their earnings via an app Employers can support employees to take control of their finances to achieve greater financial resilience It supports employer brand and value proposition enabling new and innovative pay and reward strategies Yapster, the workplace messaging app, goes live this month

London, 27 October 2020. A new payroll app called PayCaptain has been launched to put employees in control of their pay including tools and guidance for financial wellness.

PayCaptain, which has been piloted since the summer, also helps employers innovate with the latest technology and banking. It combines payroll, banking and wellness tools, allowing employers to support and empower their employees to take control of their finances to achieve greater financial wellbeing. It enables companies to be more strategic and creative in rewarding and paying their employees.

Yapster, the workplace messaging app, goes live this month with PayCaptain. Rob Liddiard, CEO of Yapster, said: "We're excited by PayCaptain's vision to turn pay from a functional, routine process into a driver of empowerment and engagement. PayCaptain will run as a Yapplication within our own app, so that soon all Yapster users will be able to plan income and spending, work with PayCaptains banking services and get financial guidance easily".

PayCaptain supports employees in a unique way. It has a personalised education feature to build financial resilience as well as smart AI chatbots to guide employees about their payslip. Any queries that cant be helped by AI are seamlessly transferred to a company-branded payroll team. An employees earnings can be split between multiple bank accounts, perhaps to cover savings, bills and day to day living. PayCaptain Personal and Savings Accounts can also be opened from the app and company-branded Visa debit cards can be issued. It has a Money Planning Tool to plan income and spending in one place, plus employees can access accrued earnings for free with a pre-planned automatic weekly advance of up to 200 a week.

For employers, PayCaptain has compliance and resilience at its core. It combines payroll, banking capabilities and wellness tools, allowing employers to support and empower their employees to take control of their finances. It embraces open banking, modern messaging and faster payments removing the need for BACS. PayCaptain is an automated payroll process and outsourced payroll bureau service which can replace or enhance legacy payroll and payment processing systems. It allows the complete payroll process to be on brand and aligned with company values.

Simon Bocca, CEO and Founder of PayCaptain, explained:

PayCaptain has been developed with the latest technologies to radically improve the payroll process for employers and employees. It puts employees in control of their pay which supports financial wellbeing and reduces the negative effects of financial stress in the workplace. Almost eight in ten UK employees take their money worries to work, affecting their performance, according to the Close Brothers Financial Wellbeing Index so its no surprise that the negative effects of financial stress can impact the employer too.

Payroll is such an important part of peoples lives, yet employers and employees have been using the same payroll mechanics for years. Legacy technology isnt good enough for todays needs. We want to give people control over the money they earn, creating a way for payroll to be on-company brand and in line with their values, just like so many other elements of the employee experience.

Stuart Hall, non-executive director of both PayCaptain and The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals, said:

PayCaptain is breaking the payroll trend, introducing new ideas and ways forward that havent been seen before. It not only means employers can simply keep up with legislative changes, it will elevate the payroll process. Indeed, it means payroll people can help the financial wellbeing of employees too. Payroll professionals have been looking for new processes for years and PayCaptain is ready to challenge the market.

PayCaptain means the experience of paying people and getting paid has dramatically improved.

For more information, go to http://www.paycaptain.com or email hello@paycaptain.com. Follow PayCaptain on Twitter @PayCaptain, or LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/paycaptain

Ends

For media enquiries, please contact Kay Phelps, kay@paycaptain.com or call 07710 043244.

About PayCaptain

PayCaptain has been created to make payroll better. It combines payroll, banking and wellness tools, allowing employers to support and empower their employees to take control of their finances to achieve greater financial wellbeing.

Payroll with PayCaptain: Transforms the experience of being paid for employees Helps payroll professionals to add greater value to their company with smart and intuitive technology Enables employers to ensure payroll is on brand and aligned with company values.

PayCaptains aim is to improve the financial resilience of the nation and reduce the negative effects of financial stress in the workplace. It is setup to be a B Corporation and everything it does aims to deliver positive outcomes for customers and their employees.

PayCaptain works with some of the UKs best financial advisory services to provide support alongside PayCaptain generated personal finance guidance.

PayCaptain is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as an EMD Agent of PayrNet. We provide payment services, facilitate business transactions and currency exchanges. Money held in PayCaptain accounts are safeguarded with regulated credit institutions in the UK in accordance with e-money regulations and all card transactions are processed by the Visa network and are protected by Visa Scheme rules.

Simon Bocca former COO and founding team member of global Hospitality HR & Payroll Technology company, Fourth.

Stuart Hall is a company director with 45 years experience in Payroll and HR. He joined the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals board of directors in 2017.

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First payroll system with financial wellbeing and banking capabilities launches today - ResponseSource