Written by Debraj Deb | Agartala | Updated: February 21, 2020 5:12:21 pm The state government honoured three people from the near-extinct Chaimaar ethno-linguistic group, who are the last speakers of the language. (Twitter/Biplab Kumar Deb)

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday urged the people of the state to respect and uphold all the mother languages and said that his government is working to ensure that all the languages are equally honoured and developed in the state.

Speaking at an event organised by the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission and state government to observe the International Mother Language on Saturday, Deb said, It is our responsibility to respect and uphold all mother languages; this is the spirit of this day. Mother language is the most important thing required for personal development apart from riches, good proteinous food, and other things. Our own languages can provide us peace alone.

The event, which was held in Agartala, saw a colourful rally headed with tableaus and resonating stories of Bangladesh Liberation War and the ensuing recognition of International Mother Language Day. Diplomats of the Visa Office and Assistant High Commission paid floral tributes to the martyrs of language movement who lost their lives to the Pakistan Army on the streets of Dhaka of present-day Bangladesh in 1952.

The chief minister also said that Indians had learnt English only after it was imposed on them by the British colonial rulers.

British have ruled the world for long. French, Spanish, English are popular because they have colonized the world. But PM Modi has set a standard by carrying his mother language, the chief minister said.

If the British didnt rule for 200 years, how many Indians could speak English? Didnt we have languages or scripts before that? English and foreign languages were imposed on us due to imperialism and everyone knows that no race can be developed by imposition. British imposed their language to impede our development, he added.

Bangladesh Parliamentarian Md. Abdus Shahid, who joined the event, paid respects to the Language martyrs who laid down their lives protesting the imposition of Urdu on East Pakistan and the millions killed in their struggle for independent Bangladesh nation.

Speaking on Indo-Bangla relations, Shahid said the relationship between the two neighbours have reached its peak and is still growing.

Relations between India and Bangladesh, especially Tripura, is at its peak. Our relations are still growing. We have achieved historic achievements like the Land Border Agreement and many other understandings. We believe problems between us can be solved by discussion and no third party is required in this process, he added.

The state government honoured three people from the near-extinct Chaimaar ethno-linguistic group, who are the last speakers of the language. Chaimaar is a tribal clan in the Halam community and one of Tripuras 19 recognized indigenous communities.

Our governments main target is to make sure not even a single language gets extinct. We have felicitated three persons from the family of Lalrilsem Halam who speak Chaimaar, the last speakers of this language as a sign of our commitment to develop all the languages, said Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath.

We have also recognized Kokborok (lingua franca of Tripura tribals) along with Bengali and are working to develop this language. We are also working to develop Chakma, Reang and other languages. It is birth-right of a child to speak the language learned from mother, he said.

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999. It is observed every year to promote linguistic, cultural diversity and multilingualism since February, 2000.

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It is our responsibility to respect and uphold all mother languages: Biplab Deb - The Indian Express

Gautam Gupta, Partner at M13 Ventures and former CEO/founder of NatureBox

Gautam Gupta has seen both sides of the entrepreneurial landscape.He started his investing career at General Catalyst, investing in companies such as BigCommerce, GoodData, Honest Company and Grammarly.He then went on to be the founder/CEO of NatureBox, a digitally native brand of snacks. Last year, he returned to the investor side as a Partner at M13 Ventures.We sat down to discuss his view on the future of brands and how big companies need to be changing their approach to the future landscape.

Dave Knox:What do you believe to be the defining characteristics of the brands of the future?

Gautam Gupta:I think in terms of brands, some things will change and some things will never change. Starting with what will never change, consumers will always want a value proposition that is clear above all else. The brand and the product have to deliver a great value proposition. I think that's first and foremost. Second, successful brands will always be consumer focused. They will always be trying to figure out what are the problems that this brand can help a consumer solve.

What will change is brands have to become like people. Consumers want a relationship with the brand that extends well beyond the product. They want to understand what the values of that brand are. And that's why I think you're seeing brands become more vocal in the political arena. I think that's only going to continue. The other thing that I think will change is brands are going to be multichannel from day one. It just doesn't make sense to sell a product only in one place. The Internet has been a democratizing force where consumers can buy products online, offline, and from dozens of different retailers and different outlets.

I think the other thing that's going to change is if you think about the way brands were started 10 or 20 years ago, there was a constraint around the business model or the channel. If you were Procter & Gamble, thinking about starting a new product, you had to think about how to bring that product to market given the constraints of the retail environment and the margin requirements that a partner like Walmart might have. I think what has changed is now you can start products and brands that are unconstrained by those factors.That's pretty exciting because you're starting to see entrepreneurs innovate in areas that probably weren't possible 10 years ago.

Knox:In venture capital, you're not investing in the next trend of tomorrow but a much longer time horizon. How do you think about the ripple effects of consumer change and how that will play out over a decade

Gupta:One of the interesting things about technology right now is the pace of consumer change has only increased. If you think about the adoption of new technologies, it's pretty incredible to think about the number of smartphone devices that are out there in the world and just how quick that adoption has happened. Today the reality is technology is just being adopted so much faster. And so we do think a lot about these ripple effects with technology and what happens once a new technology is introduced.When smartphones came out, they came with cameras, with GPS and with other sensors that created the opportunity for things like Uber and Airbnb. If you think about technologies like autonomous driving, it is easy to think about subscription car services.But I think one of the interesting impacts that a technology like that may have is people will start to live further away from where they work because if you don't have to actually think about driving, you can be very productive sitting in the car getting work done.

That might enable you to live two hours away from your office. And that's pretty compelling because that could create interesting investment opportunities around real estate. Also think about voice recognition where voice is a fundamental technology shift. Kids are growing up learning how to interact with Alexa and Google Home long before they learn how to type. When you think about what applications that's going to enable vs a keyboard world, its pretty exciting.

Knox:Where should large brands be prioritizing their focus and resources given these coming shifts?

Gupta:One of the things large brands need to take stock of is where their core capabilities exist. Historically, large brands had incredible consumer insights, incredible R&D capabilities and their ability to get a product onto the shelf is unparalleled. No startup is going to compete with P&G in the ability to get a product onto the shelf. Large brands need to realize that one of the big core competencies that they have is actually around distribution.

If you think about the distribution muscle that a company like P&G or Kraft has, they can start to leverage that capability to jumpstart new brands. Whenever I talk to someone in a large brand, I ask them what if you weren't beholden to the brand portfolio that you had today? What if you viewed your business as test and learn? Get things into the market, see what works and then double down on that. And so that's what I'm personally very excited about in terms of where large brands could start to shift and spend their time and focus. I think in addition to that, the thing that I would tell any large brand is to really start to consider vertical integration opportunities and opportunities to be closer to the consumer.

Over time you're going to see brands move into different areas and different services like what Tide has done around dry cleaning and washing service they have.I feel like that's going to be commonplace in the future. Anything that can give you exposure to the consumer, where you have that direct relationship. And so that's one of the big things I encourage brands to think about is just don't be constrained by the current business model, the current set of distribution options, but just really think about the use cases for the consumer and be willing to do things that maybe don't look like they could scale.

Knox:What categories are you watching the most when it comes to looking for that next big game changing company?

Gupta:As it relates to e-commerce and direct to consumer brands, there are two spaces that I'm looking at.The first is high order value, highly considered purchases.For instance, I'm really interested in what the next generation of home appliances looks like. It's a little bit off the wall, but if you think about it, how much time did you spend thinking about the refrigerator and the dishwasher in your house? These are huge purchases. And so I actually think that there's a lot of that purchasing process today happening offline. There's no reason why it couldn't happen online. A lot of the research is happening online anyway.

The other thing that I'm always looking for is highly recurring, high frequency purchases. Think of that as the next Dollar Shave Club; anything that a consumer is thinking about on a daily basis. I personally like the supplement realm, personal care products and things like that. Consumers are thinking about it every single day because they are interacting with that product every day. That's pretty special.

Knox:Startups and venture capital are fast moving to say the least. How do you approach own personal development to stay ahead of things.

Gupta:I spend a lot of time talking to people who are naturally curious about technology and sort of through osmosis trying to understand what are they thinking about.But beyond that, I try to keep a very open mind. If I feel like I'm being dismissive about a certain idea, I'll try to actively stop myself and take the other side of the approach. The other thing is every year I focus on learning one new area of expertise. This year it's been really learning about Amazon and that entire ecosystem.So I talk to as many smart people as I can to understand what is going on with that company and the platform they have built.I want different perspectives.If you're a brand today, how do you think about Amazon?Are they a friend or foe? Every year I to try to pick one big thing and really spend some dedicated time figuring it out.

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How Brands Need To Adapt To A Changing Landscape - Forbes

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Asian Wealth Management and Asian Private Banking - IQ-EQ announces partnership with Blue River Partners - Hubbis

The national unemployment rate remains around 29%, according to Statistics South Africas Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Even more concerning is the the unemployment rate of young people between the ages of 15 and 34 years, at 56%.

However, while South Africa is far from realising the employment goals set out in the National Development Plan 2030, there are pockets of progress being made in creating jobs for young people.

Barriers keeping young people out of work

Education

The primary barrier to employability is education.

Among young people, university graduate qualifications clearly improve the chances of being employed, with 33% of young graduates unemployed. While still shockingly high, this is less than the average 15- to 24-year-old rate of 56%.

For those who make it to tertiary level, access to university education is not only impeded by financial restrictions. Most young people in South Africa do not even have university education as a prospect.

Despite the country spending more than 6% of its GDP on education(more detailed information can be found here), about half of learners drop out before completing high school. Fewer than 5% who start primary school end up with a university qualification, according to the International Monetary Fund 2019 Working Paper, Struggling to Make the Grade: Weak Outcomes of South Africas Education System.

Access to finance

Having access to some form of finance positively impacts future labour market outcomes. According to the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerators November 2018 Breaking Barriers Quarterly Enrolment Report: "Access to any household income improves the probability of long-lasting employment by almost 50% because there is funding for the high costs of work-seeking."

Work-seeking costs include internet access, printing and transport costs that entry-level recruitment company, Lulaway, estimates to start at around R550 per month.

Access to networks

Young work seekers from under-resourced communities also rarely have access to the social networks and contacts that can assist with job leads and provide career advice and professional mentorship.

According to data from Lulaway, 30% of new young employees were likely to leave their jobs within three months if there was no support or mentoring in the workplace. The recruitment company advises companies to provide regular feedback, engagement and a clear indication of career growth.

To assist with the integration of young people who are new to the world of work, some companies are introducing mentorship programmes.

Investec, for example, facilitates mentorship between staff and recipients of the companys bursary programme, while Aurecon pairs young employees who are new to the company with a mentor to help guide professional and personal development.

Harambee advises that companies also offer financial literacy and wellness programmes, particularly to entry-level employees.

Interventions and how they are working

The Public-Private Growth Initiative (PPGI), initially positioned in the Presidency in 2018, is a five-year collaboration between government and the private sector.

Between December 2018 and June 2019, government met with representatives from 21 business sectors to discuss how the two could work together. Forty-three private sector projects were identified as having the potential to create 155 000 jobs and inject R840 billion into the economy over the next five years.

Projects include the expansion of an abattoir, the establishment of automotive parts manufacturers, forestry plantations and paper processing plants, and an agricultural development agency.

In his 2019 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa referred to the success of the PPGI. The initiative has facilitated commitments to 43 private projects in 19 sectors of the economy over the next five years.

The Presidential Jobs Summit, convened by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) in October 2018, engaged government, business, labour and community to discuss how jobs could be retained and created.

A total of 77 commitments were made, ranging from investment in job creation, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, education and skills development, to create at least 275 000 jobs over the next year.

Banks also committed to targeted loans and investments for black-owned enterprises, to the value of R100 billion over five years. Reporting in August 2019 on progress made, minister of employment and labour, Thulas Nxesi, said that the most serious constraints to job creation since the summit have been the issue of electricity supply; bureaucratic government processes, including the difficulty for businesses to obtain water licences; and the visa issues that impacted the tourism industry. Nxesi committed to more robust implementation moving forward and said that stakeholders in the process would meet monthly, rather than quarterly.

The Youth Employment Service (YES), launched in early 2018, aims to create one million work experiences in five years. This business-led collaboration with government and labour aims to stimulate demand-driven job creation through company investment and by leveraging existing government initiatives such as the Employment Tax Incentive and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Codes.

YES aims to place unemployed youth in minimum 12-month work experiences and training opportunities; develop critical skills, particularly in digital, business administration and innovation; and develop SMEs in townships, through YES Community Hubs. Work-seeking youth register for employment opportunities on the YES website and, once selected, are invited to attend interviews.

To date, over 32 000 work experiences have been facilitated. In his recent State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa announced that YES would be expanded, and would work with TVET colleges and the private sector to give more students practical workplace experience.

The CEO Initiative, launched in 2016 as a collaboration between business, labour and government, received an initial R1.5 billion investment from corporates for the development of SMEs, with the ultimate goal of creating new jobs. In 2019 the SA SME Fund, established by members of the CEO Initiative, received R1.4 billion from the Public Investment Corporation (R500 million) and 50 local companies.

According to the SA SME Fund 2020 Review, the goal over the next five years is to invest in and help scale 200 sustainable black SMEs, five world-class black entrepreneurs and 10 significant black-owned businesses. "To this end, the Funds capital will be fully deployed by the end of the 2020 financial year, divided between venture and growth (equity and debt) capital," says Fund Chairman Adrian Gore. The Review states that the Fund "has made significant progress in its investment strategy and deployment of funds", and that to date it has committed R925 million to growth and venture capital investments, R400 million to growth investments and R525 million to venture capital.

The Employment Tax Incentive (ETI), previously known as the Youth Wage Subsidy, was introduced in 2014 to incentivise the employment of inexperienced and untested young workers. A tax subsidy is paid to eligible employers for the first two years that a new and qualifying candidate below 30 years is employed, with the size of the subsidy dependent on the workers earnings. In 2015, Treasury stated that 270 000 young people had been employed by 29 000 companies under the scheme in its first year. However, an ETI report also found that companies were underclaiming significantly. The ETI was originally planned to run until December 2016 but was extended until February 2019 and then again until February 2029.

The Jobs Fund, an initiative of the National Treasury, was launched in 2011 with the target of creating 150 000 permanent jobs. Initially, an amount of R9 billion was set aside by the South African government to co-finance projects through a combination of grant and match funding by public, private and non-governmental organisations that significantly contribute to job creation.

The Jobs Fund offers funding in four categories: enterprise development, infrastructure, support for work seekers, and institutional capacity building.

By December 2018, 170 000 permanent jobs, 55 000 short-term jobs and 20 000 internships had been created, and 220 000 beneficiaries had been trained. The Fund supported 126 projects and allocated R6.7 billion in grant funding, which leveraged co-financing of R9.5 billion towards job creation.

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator works with employers from various sectors to promote inclusive hiring practices that focus on young people.

The organisation sources, trains and places unemployed young people from under-resourced backgrounds into first-time jobs.

Harambee identifies candidates where existing corporate recruitment networks do not reach, and assesses and trains the youth through bridging programmes. Newly trained youth are then placed in jobs that match their skills.

To date, Harambee has supported over 700 000 work seekers, placed young people in 160 000 jobs and work experiences and partnered with 500 companies.

Bonds4Jobs is an innovative impact bond incubated by Yellowwoods and Harambee, together with the Gauteng Provincial Government and the private sector, including The Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation.

Impact or pay-for-performance bonds are a funding model in which investors provide working capital that is returned with interest when results are delivered.

In this instance, funding is provided to organisations that upskill excluded youth and place them into jobs in growth sectors.

The Gauteng Provincial Government has committed to repaying investors when results are delivered, using the Tshepo 1 Million youth skills empowerment initiative. Tshepo 1 Million targets unemployed residents from Gauteng, aged between 18 and 34 years old, with at least a grade ten education. Furthermore, the individuals must be first-time work seekers with no more than 12 months work experience. Bonds4Jobs aimed to achieve 600 youth job placements in its first year of the four-year pilot study. This was achieved after nine months and all the investors had their money paid back with interest.

The National Business Initiative (NBI) is a membership-based organisation of companies from different sectors.

One of its focus areas is skills development, particularly supporting company partnerships with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges.

For example, the Construction Industry Partnership, launched by the NBI in 2006, facilitated partnerships between TVET colleges and construction companies to improve the colleges responsiveness to the industrys skills needs, with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a strategic partner.

This is the first of a 2-part series on youth unemployment by Zyaan Davids Anter, content manager at Trialogue and editor of the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook. Views expressed are the author's .

The full version of this article was first published in the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2019, available for download from https://trialogue.co.za/

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ANALYSIS | Young and unemployed in SA: What's being done, what's working, and what's still a barrier - Fin24

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Youth development and activities : What is youth development?

Pakyong , 19 Feb : Youth development is a procedure which prepares a young mind to meet the hurdles of adolescence and adulthood and reach his/her full potential. Youth development is encouragement through activities and experiences that help youth develop social, emotional, physical, and cognitive capabilities. There are different areas where youth development can be focused and probable outcomes can be generated.

In workingrelated area where intended outcomes can be demonstrated when there is skill in work readiness and awareness of options for future employment, Looking for a good career option, and completion of educational requirements basic involvement in training that climaxes in a specific opportunity for career advancement, involvement in meaningful work that offers satisfaction, and self-sufficiency, Positive attitude about ones ability and future in working in a particular place and to learn and grow.

Suggested activities could include a good internship, work experience including summer jobs or projects, network forming activities, mock interviews, visits from representatives of specific industries to speak to youth participants about the employment opportunities A career goal can be set and planned, various workshops pertaining to job coaching or mentoring, learning activities using computers and other new workplace technologies.

In learningrelated area one should observe basic aptitude in math and reading, problem solving, ability to think analytically toward a positive outcome, logical reasoning, ability to regulate ones own skills and areas of weakness or need for further education and training, should process sense of creativity.

Suggested activities could include initial and ongoing career/ vocational assessment, formal and informal, Identification of ones learning styles, strengths, and challenges, Creation of a personal development plan, learning activities such as service-learning projects in which youth apply academic skills to community needs, Showcasing of work that highlights a youths learning experience an essay, painting, an exam, etc, forming of a learning plan that includes long and short term goals and action steps, group problem-solving activities, preparation classes for various competitive exams, teaching activities that enhance the skills of the tutor as well as the student.

In succeedingrelated area one should understand growth and development as both an objective and a personal sign of physical and emotional maturation. He/she should possess practice of good nutrition and hygiene and exercise. Ability to independently assess situations and environments capacity to identify and avoid risky situations and activities at all cost, ability to learn from various situations and avoid them in the future, and being confident and knowing ones self worth.

Suggested activities can include workshops on benefits and consequences of various health, hygiene, and human development issues, including physical, emotional and cognitive development training in conflict management, life skills and resolution touching family, peer, work life balance, workplace relationships, community researching to create a resources related to physical and mental health, food planning and preparation activities and other social activities that offer opportunities to practice skills in communication, negotiation, and personality presentation, also sports and other recreational activities.

In Connectingrelated area one could ensure quality relationships with adults and colleagues, interpersonal skills such as ability to build trust, handle conflict, value differences, could be an active listener, and efficient communication, sense of belonging, valuing and being valued by others, being a part of a group, could possess the ability to empathize with others, have ones own identity apart from and in relation to others, knowledge of and ability to seek out resources in the community, ability to develop personal and professional relationships, to motivate others, to share power and distribute tasks, ability to work as with a team, to resolve conflicts to create and communicate a vision.

Suggested activities could include workshops in public speaking, research on historical or current leaders, contact with local leaders, planning to change something in the community or within the youth program.

In leadingrelated area could include ability to motivate others could have the ability to share power and distribute tasks, to work with a team, to resolve conflicts, to create and communicate a vision, to manage change and value continuous improvement.

Suggested activities could include mediation resolution training, workshops in team dynamicsand in project management.

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Youth development and activities : What is youth development? - Sikkim News

DENVER, Colorado

A top Denver building official may face more sanctions after the Denver Board of Ethics found he broke the rules on multiple fronts.

The board found Scott Prisco, the engineer, architect director and building official for the City and County of Denver, used his position to lean on inspectors, as well as used city resources to work on his wifes private business.

Laura Swartz, communications director for Community Planning and Development, said the division has a great deal of respect for the Board of Ethics and would look into following their recommendation.

Prohibiting Mr. Prisco from engaging in private business with Hip Homes was not enough of a consequence," Swartz said. "Community Planning and Development intends to follow their recommendation to consider additional disciplinary steps consistent with those outlined in the career service rules."

Jane Feldman, a member of the Denver Ethics Board, said she was disappointed by the initial actions of the Community Planning and Development in response to their findings.

I think that I was somewhat disappointed, Feldman said. We dont know what will happen, if anything will happen, and the initial response from the city was to say that it was just a lapse in judgement and I think that the board of ethics thinks that it was...much more serious than his supervisor at least immediately seemed to have.

RELATED: Denver Ethics Board disappointed by citys punishment for unethical official

RELATED: Denver Ethics Board rules city building official used position to help personal business

The board registered their displeasure with the punishment earlier this month. Prisco kept his job, but will not be allowed to be involved with Hip Homes or have an outside business.

Prisco also runs Hip Homes LLC with his wife, Jeanne Prisco. The company builds sustainable homes in Denver.

In January, the Denver Ethics Board said Scott Prisco used public office for private gain. Data obtained by 9Wants to Know shows his project moved through the permitting process within his purview only slightly faster than the median for residential homes.

Concerns about Scott Priscos unethical actions highlighted gaps in the Denver Ethics Boards ability to assure the the city and countys employees are acting properly. The board cant punish employees they find to be unethical. Its up to their boss to choose the punishment.

Denver Auditor Tim O'Brien released a report Thursday outlining numerous areas where he said the Denver Ethics Board needs improvement.

If the Ethics Board had the kind of authority that were talking about this morning, then they could have taken some action, OBrien said.

Three of the prominent changes the auditor called for included:

The Board of Ethics has until Oct. 30, 2020 to implement the recommendations. OBrien said some of the asks mirror improvements previously covered in a 2010 audit. The auditor said the City Council did not put those into law then, but hopes it will gain momentum now.

If nothing was done, that would worry me, OBrien said. That would be troubling to me that we would put this kind of effort forth and nothing happened. Well, I think the ethics board and the executive director was clear about their commitment to at least do something about it.

The Board of Ethics agreed with almost every recommendation made by the audit. Feldman said installing these improvements would be beneficial, especially because its frustrating to not be able to pursue anonymous complaints.

It may be someone that just has a personal dispute with the boss, but we dont know and we would like the ability to be able to investigate that, and see if there is any basis for those complaints, she said.

> Read the full audit of the Denver Board of Ethicshere.

SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS

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Denver official to face further disciplinary action after board ruled he used position for personal gain - 9News.com KUSA

This is the third consecutive judgement of good for the school, with the latest under a different framework.

The school on Ewood Lane was praised for its quick response to improvements following the previous Ofsted inspection, with the report stating: leaders have improved the curriculum so that there is a greater range of subjects and pupils achieve more.

Todmorden High pupils celebrate their good rating.

Inspectors said that pupils have a lot of confidence to ask questions but that they would like more opportunity to debate and discuss ideas more in some of their subjects.

The report stated that the school could improve by creating a consistent approach to assessment across the school and complete curriculum changes.

The inspectors noted that Todmorden High School is a welcoming and friendly school. Pupils enjoy coming to school because they feel safe and they learn a lot. Pupils get on well with their teachers and enjoy good relationships.

Pupils know that there is always someone who will help them if they have any concerns.

We are delighted with the report, said Head teacher Gill Shirt. The inspection team judged the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all to be good.

I am extremely proud of our pupils, colleagues, Governors and all our external partners who have worked together so incredibly hard to ensure that Todmorden High School continues to raise the bar.

The judgement of good in all areas of inspection brings welcome recognition and validation of all the hard work that has taken place over recent years and is in line with our own self-evaluation of our current strengths and areas for further development.

Thank you to parents and carers for their unwavering support, belief and trust in both myself and the school as a whole.

This positive outcome is without doubt the result of a huge team effort of which we all feel incredibly proud.

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Calderdale head teacher extremely proud of Ofsted result - Halifax Courier

Life Mastery Consultant Amy Walston is shown presenting a Vision Workshop last November at The Pickwick Place in Bucyrus. Walston trained to become a certified life mastery consultant through the Life Mastery Institute. She offers life-coaching services for individuals and groups in the central Ohio area.(Photo: Amy Walston-Empowering You LLC)

MARION If you can dream it, you can become it.

That's the message Life Mastery Consultant Amy Walston wants people to understand and embrace in order to make their lives better.

Walston, a native of Marion, is the owner of Empowering You LLC, a life-coaching service she recently started. Her office is located at 1199 Delaware Avenue, Suite 102C in the Corporate Center in Marion. She is also a licensed massage therapist, a profession she has worked in for the past decade. Sheoperates that business out of the same office.

Prior to becoming a massage therapist, Walston worked in the financial services field, but decided to leave that business because she didn't believe she was fulfilling her purpose in life.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Marion Star today to access all of our content online at offers.marionstar.com.

"I got into (massage therapy) because I wanted to do something to help people," Walston said. "I was a finance manager and really was not happy with it because I couldn't answer the question, 'Who have I helped.' So, I got into massage therapy and, yes,I help everyone that I work on with my hands, but after all this time, and working on enough people, I realized that a lot of their physical problems come from what's going on inside them.

"You start working on someone and the emotions come out, whether they're stressed out, grieving, or whatever."

Amy Walston is a certified life mastery consultant and owner of Empowering You LLC in Marion.(Photo: Amy Walston-Empowering You LLC)

It was those types of experiences with her massage therapy clients that led Walston to the next phase of her journey, becoming a life coach.

"I realized that I could help them on another level," she said. "I was just helping physically. Basically, I was just scratching the surface of what a real problem is, but there could be more help, but I didn't know what it was."

Walston's search for answers led her to theLife Mastery Institute (LMI) founded by Mary Morrissey in 2009. Morrissey, according to the LMI website, "is widely considered the worlds foremost expert on dream-building, which is the art and science of transforming your dreams into reality."

According to the LMI website, Morrissey has spent40 years "studying transformational principles, and is the author of two bestselling books, 'No Less Than Greatness'and 'Building Your Field of Dreams,'which became a PBS special."

Walston completed a six-week training course last year to become a certified life mastery consultant. She will complete advanced training in April of this year, she said.

"It's a whole transformational process," Walston said. "The power lies within us because we're spiritual beings, and we're so much more than we even realize we are. We're more than our condition. It's about raising your awareness and bringing out everything that's within you, and help you realize your dreams. It's about helping you design a life that you'd really love to live."

Walston offers life coaching programs and services for individuals and groups. She will conduct workshops and seminars forlarge and small groups, in-house corporate training, and executive and personal retreats. She said she will tailor her presentations to fit the needs of the individuals or groups.

Walston also offers speaking services, ranging from "10-minute talks" and"Lunch and Learn training" to motivational and keynote speeches. She also offers what she calls Vision Workshops.

"The Vision Workshop is a three-hour, motivational workshop," she said. "I have people start dreaming their dream, writing down what they'd love to see for their lives, and teaching some of the principles of the DreamBuilder program. It's fun, interactive, motivational."

For information about the programs and services Walston offers through Empowering You LLC, call 740-360-2218, or email AmyWalston@LifeMasteryConsultant.com.

Information is also available on her website, AmyWalston.LifeMasteryConsultant.com.

Email: eacarter@marionstar.com

Office: 740-375-5154

Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

Aces of Trades is a planned weekly seriesfrom the Marion Star focusing on people and their jobs whether they're unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at news@marionstar.com.

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Aces of Trades: Walston helping people through life coaching - Marion Star

OWINGS MILLS, Md. With a guiding hand and a booming voice head coach Mike Savage commands an off-season weightlifting session for his New Town High School football team.

But before too long his powerful grip and encouraging dialogue will be gone.

My right arm is weak. My right hand is not as active as my left, he said. Its challenging at times.

He is feeling the symptoms of ALS.

Not me. Not Mike Savage. No, you have it misdiagnosed, the 47-year-old recalled thinking when he was diagnosed last summer.

Savage told his four sons first.

I was shocked. Definitely. It hit me instantly. I actually broke down and cried, said his 30-year-old son Joshua.

Mike kept it secret until an exchange with his brother and cousin during practice in the fall. Both are assistants on his staff.

I was in practice and I was kind of zoned out. Like am I going to see this field again next year? Thats when I was kind of down, he said. The practice was kind of wild that day. They looked at me like, When are you going to fix it? I just said I dont got it in me. I dont have it no more. They was like, Whats wrong with you? As we was walking up the steps I told my cousin and my brother, Man, Im dying'.

ALS is a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Theres no cure.

My brother immediately started crying and my cousin just put his head down and said, Hey man, what do you mean? I told them I got diagnosed with ALS.

The disease eventually paralyzes its victims, who lose the ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe.

I was broke at that point. I was at my lowest. I just couldnt believe what was happening to me. I felt like what I had always worked hard to do was to become a head coach and become a powerful head coach in the county and in state. My dream finally came true. I got an opportunity to help kids and get kids to college and now its going to be cut short. I just couldnt understand it. I was like, Why me?, said Savage.

Those kids he has helped, hundreds of them over the years, have his back.

I look at him as a father figure more than a coach, said Titans senior Elijah Lawrence. Hes probably a better damn father than my own father. I aint gonna lie to ya.

Coach Savages illness hits hard for Lawrence. Savage has been at his side while Lawrences mother battles stage 3 brain cancer.

Like he always says, Be strong, said Lawrence. "If Im going to be strong for my mother, I know damn sure well I can be strong for my coach.

Be strong.

Thats Mike Savage.

Hes a former college linebacker, a former military man, a current head coach and mentor living with one of the worlds most devastating illnesses.

I always tell them no matter what, in life you got to find a way to win. No matter what the circumstance is just find a way to win, he said. Theres going to be ups and downs. Theres going to be triumphs and disappointments and things like that. You just got to keep going.

Thats just what he intends to do. With a guiding hand, a booming voice and an inspiring determination.

Im going to walk on that field or Im going to wheel on it. One way or the other. Ill die a football coach, said Savage.

How long do you plan on coaching and working?

Until the Lord calls me home. Until my job is done. When my task is done here on earth and the Lord calls me home then Ill go. But until then Im going to be around.

Savage is learning how to balance his time between his three jobs and his three-to-four doctors appointments per week.

In his two years as New Town head coach he has led the Titans to back-to-back state semifinal appearances. Hell have another good shot at that state title in 2020.

Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook

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Determination after diagnosis, New Town head coach in the fight of his life - wmar2news.com

Have you ever had a great coach, whether in or out of school? One who not only helped you to master a skill or a sport, but who also helped shape you as a person?

LOS ANGELES For the past three years, Henrique Hicu Motta, a rowing coach, has created unlikely success stories in a sport long associated with the privileged. He has taken his team of high school girls from working-class families to the national championships and sent several of them to Division I colleges on athletic scholarships.

Im Latina, little and had never been on a sports team, said Isabella Soto, 17, the daughter of a nanny and a machinist who hopes to row at an elite college next fall.

Isabella, who was accepted onto the RowLA team despite being only 5 feet 2 inches tall on a good day, is a first-generation American whose parents are undocumented Mexicans. Kassie Kim is the child of Korean immigrants, a cashier and a fire-alarm installer. Samadhi Dissanayake, a Sri Lankan-American raised by a single mother in subsidized housing, rides two buses to practice.

I hated sports before coming here, said Samadhi, who is also considering rowing in college. Now I love rowing and the sense of community.

But Mr. Motta, 39, a Brazilian who is in the country on a work visa, has been notified that his petition to remain in the United States has been denied. In order to stay, U.S. immigration authorities said, he must prove that he has extraordinary ability to do a job that might otherwise go to an American.

In a sport dominated by athletes who are white and wealthy, RowLA under Mr. Mottas leadership has long made a point of enlisting those who normally would not have access to rowing. Neither build nor athletic acumen determine who gets to compete and succeed. He can take a girl, regardless of size and ability, and turn her into a serious rower. Thats rare among coaches, said Liz Greenberger, a retired international security analyst who founded the team a decade ago and brought Mr. Motta in as their second coach in 2017. Its Hicus philosophy that is perfect for our program, she said.

Mr. Mottas philosophy is simple: I try to make something special out of any girl who wants to give rowing a shot, he said.

The question is, does that amount to extraordinary ability?

In the three years since receiving a work visa, Mr. Motta has crafted a program of dedicated rowers who have competed in the U.S. Rowing Youth Nationals, the highest level for high school rowers, and won college scholarships. But Mr. Motta does not just coach.

A nutritionist by training, he instructs his athletes to maintain a balanced diet. (No processed food before races. Stick to fruit for energy and coconut water for hydration.) Mr. Motta urges his rowers to spend time on their studies and think about futures that can be full of possibilities.

We dont just focus on rowing performance; were developing student athletes, said Mr. Motta, standing in Parking Lot 77 at Marina del Rey in West Los Angeles, where the team assembles six days a week to train, rain or shine.

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

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What Role Have Coaches Played in Your Life? - The New York Times