Boxing Day sales are a great way to get more for your money when spending your Christmas pocket money.

So that you can spend more time completing the Festive-500, reading your latest subscription of Procycling magazine, or spending time with your family, we've done you a favour and hand-picked some of the best deals from the January sales and outlined them below.

Looking for USA deals? Head over to our USA after-Christmas sales roundup

Should that not be enough, we've also taken a good gander at the retailers that are getting involved with the January sales, and put together a small roundup of who they are and what they're up to; call it our gift to you this Christmas.

At this time of year, it's not uncommon to feel the pinch of the purse strings, so don't overstretch yourself just because that shiny carbon bike has 50 per cent off, but if you've been on the hunt for a new bike, the latest GoPro, or a posh new pair of cycling shoes anyway, then why pay full whack when you can save a stack?

Scroll down and enjoy a browse of our pick of the best cycling deals in the January sales, and be sure to come back and let us know if we've missed any crackers.

However, we do have a page dedicated to road bike deals, and another on how to get the cheapest Zwift setup. Perfect for if you don't find what you're looking for here.

There are cycling deals to be found at most stores on Boxing Day, but to save you the effort of trawling the internet to find them, we've outlined a number of retailers below. We've also picked out our favourite deals, so head to the bottom to find those. Happy shopping!

Skip to the best deals

Amazon isn't exactly the first retailer you think of when shopping for your bike, but in 2019, there's little the world's largest retailer doesn't sell. As an electronics giant, Amazon is a great place to look if you're shopping for Garmin deals, or simply a new tablet on which to run Zwift.

Cyclestore is an online retailer that predominantly sells Specialized and Giant bikes. It currently has a huge Specialized stock clearance, so go and find a great deal before they all sell out.

Evans Cycles is one of the oldest cycling retailers in the world. This year, the Evans Cycles Boxing Day sales sale started early and more deals are being added daily.

Halfords is discounting all sorts of cycling products. There are half-price Garmin computers, cheap turbo trainers and plenty of tool kits for the at-home bike mechanic.

Leisure Lakes has 11 stores across the country and a huge online presence both in the UK and worldwide. You can pick up a number of deals in their sale, on brands such as Trek, Specialized and more.

Merlin Cycles is one of the UK's largest online cycling retailers. They will deliver worldwide if needed, and this year, you can find up to 80% off shoes, 55% off Castelli, and some hefty discounts on the GP5000 tyres.

ProBikeKit has slashed prices by up to 45% in Boxing Day sales. There are discounts on Castelli clothing, Scicon bike boxes, and an abundance of accessories including power meters and lights.

Ribble Cycles, the UK bike brand that also has its own online store, is using the Boxing Day sales to move on some of its 2019 model bikes to make space as 2020 begins.

Rutland Cycling is another British retailer that operates internationally. Its Boxing Days sales include 40% off bikes and 25% off winter clothing.

Sigma Sports is a London based cycling retailer that supplies a number of big brands such as Specialized, Cervelo and more. With up to 35% off bikes, 55% off clothing and a cool 60% off accessories, you're sure to find a deal.

Tredz isn't ones to shy away from a sale. This year, its Boxing Day sales include up to 70% off parts, clothing and accessories.

Tweeks Cycles launched its Boxing Day sales early, and you can get up to 80% off if you act fast.

Wiggle is one of the world's largest online cycling retailers, supplying over 70 countries with its Boxing Day sales, and this year is no different.It is claiming up to 60% off, but our pick would be the Mobi Bike Pressure Washer at half price.

3 Drawer Toolbox | 32% off at HalfordsWas 37.50 | Now 25.50 with code XMAS15 A great value toolbox, perfect for the home bicycle mechanic. The top compartment makes for easy access to frequently used tools, and the remaining three drawers lock when the lid is closed, making for easy transport.View Deal

Sugoi RS Train Long Sleeve Jersey Mens| 70% off at EvansWas 109.99 | Now 33.00 Lightweight construction with a zip fastening front and elasticated wrist cuffs for a comfortable fit. Available in three colours with plenty of sizes still on offer at this great price.View Deal

X-Tools Home Mechanic bike work stand | 33% off at Wiggle UK Was 89.99 | Now 59.99 This great work stand is perfect for the home mechanic and the 33% discount at Wiggle UK, brings it down from 89.99 down to just 59.99.View Deal

Kask Mojito X - Black/red | 48% off at Evans CyclesWas 119.00 | Now 61.00This well-liked helmet from Kask represents excellent value at full price let alone this offer from Evans - only on the Black/red option for small and medium sizes. It's also discounted to a lesser extent on a full range of colours and sizes so well worth a look regardless.View Deal

Women's Castelli Gabba 2 | 53% off at WiggleWas 160.00 | Now 75.00 The women's Castelli Gabba 2 is available with up to 53% off at Wiggle. It's available 11 different colours and in sizes ranging from XS up to XL.View Deal

Men's Castelli Gabba 3 | 40% off at Wiggle Was 160.00 | Now 96.00 The men's Castelli Gabba 3 short sleeve jersey is available with 40% off at Wiggle in four colours: black, orange, red and yellow; and in sizes ranging from small up to 3XL, depending on colour choice.View Deal

Bont Riot + Road Shoes | 36% off at ProBikeKit Was 149.99| Now 104.99 Available in all the colours of the rainbow, ProBikeKit's discounted Bont Riot + shoes are available in EU sizes 38 to 49.View Deal

Kask Valegro | 30% off at Hargroves CyclesWas 169.00 | Now 117.99For a top-of-the-range, well-ventilated helmet that is worn by Team Ineos, the Kask Valegro is a relative steal at 117.99 over at Hargroves Cycles.View Deal

GoPro Hero7 Silver | 40% off at CurrysWas 279.99 | Now 169.00 This deal began at Amazon on Black Friday and it remains today. The Amazon deal has since ended, with the price rising back up to 189.99. However, the same great deal is currently available at Currys.View Deal

Wahoo Elemnt | 23% off at Evans CyclesWas 229.99 | Now 174.99 The first computer from Wahoo has really stood the test of time, and it's still a great computer for cyclists today. With Wahoo continually adding features, the Elemnt comes with the majority of the features of the latest Elemnt Roam.View Deal

Specialized S-Works 7 shoes | 17% off at Cycle StoreWas 339.99 | Now 279.99 This is still really really expensive for a pair of shoes, but if you're in the market for the absolute best-of-the-best cycling shoes, they don't come better reviewed than the S-Works 7 from Specialized.View Deal

Garmin Edge 1030 cycling computer bundle | 18% off at Wiggle Was 549.99 | Now 449.00 Wiggle has cut 18 per cent off the price of Garmin's top-of-the-range cycling computer. Grab this great riding companion now before it's too late!View Deal

Elite Drivo Direct Drive Smart Turbo Trainer | 58% off at Halfords Was 1200.00 | Now 499.00 Elite brings everything you need for indoor training into one package with the Elite Drivo Direct Drive Smart Turbo Trainer. Halfords slashed 701 off the price for Black Friday and the great deal remains alive today.View Deal

Cannondale CAAD Optimo Tiagra Road Bike | 40% off at Evans Cycles Was 900.00 | Now 535.00 The Cannondale CAAD Optimo Tiagra is available at a 40% discount from Evans Cycles with Shimano Tiagra and rim brakes. The bike is only available in sizes 54cm or 56cm.View Deal

Specialized Tarmac Disc Comp | 25% off at Hargroves Cycles Was 3,100.00 | Now 2,324.00 Available in sizes 54, 56 and 58cm, this Specialized Tarmac is available in Peter Sagan's signature colour scheme with a handsome discount.View Deal

Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 | 38% off at TredzWas 7,999.99 | Now 4,999.00 At this price, it's still not exactly loose change, but if you've been looking for a world-class race-ready road bike, the TCR Advanced SL 0 is as well-specced as they come and is now 38% off.View Deal

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Boxing Day sales: the best cycling deals available in the UK - Cyclingnews.com

The Last Mile is a common problem among all kinds of logistics providers. If you're delivering 100 packages by truck (or phone connections via wire or cell towers, or schoolkids via bus), there's a constant operational cost per mile. That means the cost of the first miles can be shared among all the deliveries. But for that last one, the proverbial last mile of service, the entire cost is borne by the last stops on the route, making them exponentially more expensive to deliver to than the ones at the beginning.

The Last Mile problem is why, 70 years after commercialization of cable TV, folks who live out in the sticks still have to use satellite dishes for cable and internet and 1920s-era technology twisted-pair cables for their phone connections. Farther back, it took a literal act of Congress, the Rural Free Delivery Act of 1893,to get mail to the rural houses and farms of 19th century America.

With bikes, the Last Mile problem comes not in literal form, but from the self-evident fact that a bicycle needs to be properly assembled and hopefully checked and tuned before it's safe to be ridden by the average consumer.

Just ask the Walmart corporation. A few years after ditching its contract bicycle assemblers in favor of the same retail store employees who put together barbecues and patio furniture, the world's largest retailer found itself on the receiving end of a more than $5 million class action complaint filed in U.S. District Court. The 2017 action alleged improper assembly, lack of training for assemblers, and failure to adopt basic best practices like assembly checklists for its "free in-store bike assembly" program. As best I've been able to determine, the filing was withdrawn at some point. But the principle is clear: lack of professional assembly produces lack of professional results.

Which brings us to the ongoing question of direct-to-consumer sales of bicycles.

One of the toughest things about writing editorials for the bike business is its appalling lack of quality information. Case in point, how many IBD-level bikes get sold consumer-direct each year? Are they really taking over the market, as many dealers and suppliers fear?

Nobody really knows. Because there are no real mechanisms in place to capture this critical information. But there are some things we do know which can help us make educated guesses.

At the end of the day, something like nine out of 10 consumers still prefer to buy their bike-shop quality bikes in bike-shop quality bike shops.

Since 2016, for instance, imports of all bikes with 20-inch wheels and up across all channels are down by not quite 10%. In the same time, units sold-in to retailers by the BPSA (now PeopleForBikes) are down about 13%. The good news, such as it is: due to rising price points, the value of BPSA shipments to retailers are down less than 2% in constant dollars. (The hidden bad news: as retail margins continue their steady march downward, retail profit dollars have necessarily decreased more than that 2%.)

Unless there's some huge increase in consumer demand for IBD-quality bikes unknown to anyone in the industry, and unless that demand is being met entirely through B2C sales, I'm going to go out on a limb and tentatively conclude that direct-to-consumer sales of bike-shop quality bicycles remain a relatively small fraction of the total volume of the specialty retail market. For purposes of conversation, let's put a stake in the ground and say that number probably south of 10%. And are likely to stay that way. And for the record, everything I've been able to learn is that Click & Collect sales by bike brands are a tiny fraction of that sub-10% total.

Put another way, the same reasoning tells us that at the end of the day, something like nine out of 10 consumers still prefer to buy their bike-shop quality bikes in bike-shop quality bike shops. Even better, regardless of how they want to place their order or where they want to take delivery or how many of them have an entire Park Tool catalog worth of equipment in their garages, the overwhelming majority of American consumers still want their bikes professionally assembled and prepped before they head out on their first ride.

The accepted industry wisdom that in 10 years some large majority of IBD-quality bikes will be sold consumer-direct just doesn't match up with market reality.

In fact, if they want to grow, consumer-direct bike companies need bike shops a whole lot more than bike shops need consumer-direct bike companies. Which means that just as with mail delivery, phone and internet connection, and getting kids to school in the morning, the ultimate fate of consumer-direct bike and e-bike sales lies in the hands of Last Mile solution providers.

(Much) more about this including a better framework for delivering last-mile service and what it mean for the future of the specialty retail channel in Part Two.

View original post here:
Vosper: The Last Mile is changing the face of bicycle retail, Part One - Bicycle Retailer

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IMI admits The Retail Performance Company to training ranks - Consultancy.uk

Strength training weights include weight plates, dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells. These weights help in strength training in a free range of motions that one controls while lifting the weights. Weights are the most widely used strength training equipment because of their affordable prices and the quick benefits that they offer.

Market share of global Strength Training Equipment industry is dominate by companies like Cybex International, ICON Health and Fitness, Precor, Technogym, BodyCraft, Body Solid, Jerai Fitness, Life Fitness, Powertec, Total Gym and others which are profiled in this report as well in terms of Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2018-2019).

Access Report Details at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/global-strength-training-equipment-market-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast

There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Strength Training Equipment market.

Chapter 1, to describe Strength Training Equipment Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;

Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Strength Training Equipment, with sales, revenue, and price of Strength Training Equipment, in 2017 and 2019;

Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2017 and 2019;

Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Strength Training Equipment, for each region, from 2013 to 2019;

Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;

Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2019;

Chapter 12, Strength Training Equipment market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2019 to 2024;

Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Strength Training Equipment sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source

Purchase this premium research report at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/buy-now/1493850

Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:

Market Segment by Type, covers:

Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into

Ask your report related queries at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/ask-your-query/1493850

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Global Strength Training Equipment Industry: Sales, Revenue, Market Share and Competition by Manufacturer Covered in a Latest Research - Market...

Confidence: Confidence is earned and created by doing hard things. Start somewhere and believe in yourself. When issues arise, face them, make a decision, fix them, learn from them and move on. Continue to challenge yourself in the process and you will earn the faith you need to have inyou.

As a part of my series about the 5 Important Business Lessons I Learned While Being On The Shark Tank I had the pleasure of interviewing Krista Woods. Krista was in the Sales, Training & Management Industry for 27 years. While raising three kids, she was promoted from sales to management quickly. Although being a female in a male dominated field wasnt always easy, she found repeated success in her ability to effectively communicate with her coworkers and customers. Krista wanted to grow as a leader and positive role model, so she invested in herself by taking a course to become a Certified Color Code Instructor and in 2016 she added award winning inventor to her resume with her company GloveStix. Krista and her company GloveStix have been honored to receive over 15 awards the last 3 years including The Today Shows Next Big Thing and this past year her Shark Tank episode aired where she pitched her product to some of Americas toughest Investors and closed a deal with not one, but two of the Sharks, on National Television.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit of the backstory about how you grew up?

I grew up in a very successful family, my father was a business owner and always made sure we knew that you dont get anything in life without hard work. I am the youngest of 4 so when I was in High School my older siblings were already off and gone to college, but I had no clue what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. All I knew at the time, is that I could make people laugh so I usually got into trouble doing a bunch of silly stuff and I had a hard time following the rules. I ended up going to Community College to try and figure things out but during my first year I became a single mom, so I ended up dropping out. Needless to say, when I held my beautiful daughter in my arms, I knew it was time to finally get my act together.

Can you share with us the story of the aha moment that gave you the idea to start your company?

Fast Forward 21 years,a husband and 2 more kids later, as a working mother of 3 I was always very busy especially during their sports seasons. I spent more time in the car running from event to event and I had less time at home. I had spent years trying different products to help with the odor in their gear and wasted so much money, time and effort trying to get the odor out. Especially from those athletic gloves and cleats. It wasnt only my problem, every parent of an athlete I knew also had the same odor issues.

So 5 years ago, on the way home from a Lacrosse Tournament, my youngest sons gear bag was making me want to puke again and I looked at my husband and said, Thats it! I am going to invent something! With absolutely no experience in manufacturing, e-commerce, logistics or marketing, or actually anything I do now, and with the help of my husband and friends I went from idea to prototype then to having an actual product for sale in 1 year.

The actual design of the Stix just popped in my head. I wanted to create a product that not only was cool looking, so the athlete would actually want to use it, but after several months of research I also knew

-They HAD to work

-They HAD to be affordable

-They HAD to be non-toxic

-They HAD to be easy to use, to help out us moms always on the go

Thats when GloveStix and StankStix were born!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Thankfully I have a lot of stories, it sure has been an incredible few years and I have managed to do so many things I never thought possible. Everyone knows I have been on different TV Shows, but I think one of the most gratifying and interesting things I have done was not publicized. I have been volunteering in my local schools for a few years, speaking to students in the classroom as well as their Marketing and Deca Departments and because of that, I was recommended to VAME (Virginia Association of Marketing Educators) to be a closing speaker for their summer conference last year. I was extremely nervous, here I was going to speak to my state of Virginias Marketing Teachers, yet I had never taken a Marketing class so I wasnt sure how well I would be received. It went awesome, more than awesome actually and because of that I was invited to be part of the Virginia Department of Educations Marketing and Entrepreneurship Curriculum Team. That means, I sat on a board with only 14 others including some Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, College Professors and another Business Owner and we spent the entire day rewriting the curriculum for the State of Virginia and changed what they will teach in our Schools.

I found it so interesting watching all the different perspectives coming together at one table to work together, unify and solve real world teaching strategies. I love how they had a few of us from each category. Teachers shared what they currently taught, the College Professors shared what they currently taught (which was surprisingly different from the Teachers) and us Entrepreneurs, we shared what actually happens. Despite our initial differences in opinion, we learned from each other and came together to create some awesome new curriculum for our young marketing students.

When you have an open mind, and say yes to yourself, you can do and learn some amazing things that will create change for years to come.

Can you share a story about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?

One of the funniest things from the beginning days was when I was trying to find a manufacturer. After months of calling plastic factories within 300 miles of my house, getting hung up on, leaving messages over and over again and never getting any return calls or emails, one day I finally got this guy on the phone to listen to what I wanted to make. I was probably talking 100 miles per hour (I was just so excited I actually got someone to listen to me) and when I was done he said, I am sorry mam, we dont work with Entrepreneurs well I wasnt sure who he was talking to because I responded, Excuse me, I am NOT an Entrepreneur; I am just a mom trying to invent something!

I still laugh at that and share that story. It just goes to show you that I really knew NOTHING. I didnt even know that I was trying to be an Entrepreneur and I definitely did not think I was capable of being one. I learned that Entrepreneurship is one of the hardest but most rewarding professions and any one is capable of it if you have a drive and passion to see it through. There are a lot of ups and downs, its like a roller coaster ride that is never ending so it takes a certain mindset to keep convincing yourself to keep pushing forward.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Prior to GloveStix, I ran Color Code Team Building Workshops for Companies, so I got my people fix doing that and I absolutely loved it. Making the transition over the last few years to full time GloveStix, one of the hardest challenges for me is all the time I now have to spend in my office by myself. However, starting GloveStix has opened up a lot of doors in other areas I wasnt expecting, and I also have been doing a lot of public speaking. Giving my time to help inspire others is actually what fuels me so I have been doing a lot of it on the side. There is nothing better than being inspired, by inspiring someone else. The feedback I get from the audience, and the messages sent to me after I speak are what I carry with me through my hard days and I am so grateful that my story, can make someone else feel like they can do anything. Thats the point I try to make, if I can do it, so can YOU! There will be a lot more of that in my future, the more I speak, the more I get asked to speak and I absolutely love it!

Ok, thank you for all that. Lets now move to the main part of our interview. Many of us have no idea about the backend process of how to apply and get accepted to be on the Shark Tank. Can you tell us the story about how you applied and got accepted. What hoops did you have to go through to get there? How did it feel to be accepted?

I applied for Shark Tank at an open casting call in April 2017 in NYC. The crazy thing was, I actually really did not want to go on Shark Tank, I was way too scared but everywhere I went and everyone I talked to would always ask if I was going to try. I got asked by The Today Show to come back for a one year follow up of The Today Shows Next Big Thing Contest I won and this little birdy in my head kept telling me to check when a Shark Tank Casting Call was so I finally listened to the voice in my head and I hopped on their website. That is when I found out that the open casting call date was the day after I was going on the Today Show and only 2 blocks from where I was going to be in NYC. All I had to do was stay one more night. All the stars were aligning, and I no longer had any excuses, so I decided to go for it! I had about 2 weeks to prepare my pitch and I practiced every day. When I did my pitch I thought it was Ok so I really wasnt sure if I was going to make it past that round or not but it wasnt too long after that I received a call from a Producer telling me that I made it to the next round. Of course, still with no guarantees, I was then assigned another producer who basically interviewed me every week for the next 6 weeks. She would ask me to send in certain paperwork or for me to send my sample pitch or even one time I had to do a 10 min video talking about myself and my business. I did it in 2 takes, I wanted it to be as authentic as possible! Every time I had about 5 days until I had to get them what they were asking for and I dropped everything and got them everything they asked for, even before they needed it. Once I made a decision to go for it, there was no stopping me and I wanted to show them I was reliable, and they could count on me in the process as well. I think that is a very important piece that a lot of people forget about. Will you be easy to work with?

I know that Producers have tons of people to pick from, you have to make sure they know that you will do your part and that they can be confident in their choice if they choose to pick you. I eventually got a call and heard the words I was waiting for, Krista, we would like to offer you an opportunity to pitch your product in the Tank! OMG, I FREAKED OUT! Seriously, I couldnt believe I had done it, I couldnt believe it was happening and I just screamed and cried and screamed some more. Several of my family members came running to my office to check on me and my producer, who I loved, just giggled on the other end of the phone. She said that was one of the best reactions she had ever heard.

Im sure the actual presentation was pretty nerve wracking. What did you do to calm and steel yourself to do such a great job on the show?

I calmed myself the same way I do anything challenging. Before I went in, I first said lots of prayers and then second, I put in headphones and listened to some angry girl power music, then right before I pray again! Mindset matters and nothing gets my mindset in the right place then when I am all jacked up on Pink, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson and Jesus! LOL

Once you are in the Tank though all that was out the window. You dont see cameras; you just see 5 people and an opportunity of a lifetime. After your initial 1 min and 30 second pitch, its a free for all and I am a firm believer that you never rise to the occasion, but you fall back to your preparation. I was confident that I prepared more for this moment, then I had ever prepared for anything in my life and that I could hold my own, that helps with nerves a lot. For 3 months prior I studied every single day. I watched every Shark Tank Episode, wrote down every question asked, then would write them on a 35 index card with the answers that pertained to my business on the back. I added new cards every night to my pile and brought those cards in my purse everywhere I went and those times that I used to pull up Facebook while in the carpool line or a line at the store, or where ever, I brought out my index cards instead. I studied hard and didnt stop until the morning of my taping. Preparation produces confidence and confidence helps you do anything!

So what was the outcome of your Shark Tank pitch. Were you pleased with the outcome?

When my Shark Tank episode first aired, I did more business in the next 2 months then I had done the entire previous year before so financially it was a huge success right away. My episode was very well received by the audience, and I am so thankful for that, and I got hundreds of emails from strangers telling me that I inspired them. It was the most incredible feeling. I will never forget the kind words that were shared with me in those emails and the personal stories of struggle from some. Since then, I have made it a priority to give back, volunteer more, and continue to inspire as many people as I can.

What are your 5 Important Business Lessons I Learned While Being On The Shark Tank? (Please share a story or example for each.)

It just so happens when I speak, I talk about the 5 Cs. These are the 5 things I have learned and by practicing these 5 Cs it has helped me grow as a business owner and leader.

What advice would you give to other leaders to help their team to thrive and avoid burnout?

I like challenge, I need it to keep me going. I have a whats next type of personality. However, in teaching my Team Building Workshops I have learned that although most people need something to look forward to or work towards, they are not always financial goals. I highly recommend if you are working in a team environment to make sure you fully understand who your teammates are and what they need. Everyones needs and wants are different and recognizing what they are, will help them enjoy their jobs. If you are always pushing your own agenda, and your own needs and wants on to your people, burn out is almost inevitable. Proper communication, understanding and acceptance of who your people are, are key.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

If I could inspire a movement it would be a Stop believing everything you see on Social Media movement. Social media is awesome in so many ways but we need to understand it has its downsides too. I know so many people that can go on it and depending on the day it makes them feel really bad about themselves or their life. That makes me sad because on Social Media, people usually only share the good stuff that happens to them, very rarely do you see a I sure sucked today post. Well, even if people dont post about it, we all have sucky days, yes, even the most successful people you know make mistakes and have challenges and struggles both personally and professionally. There is no such thing as perfect and even if there was how boring!

Can you please give us your favorite Life Lesson Quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Be real and be vulnerable. You may not fit in but you were designed to stand out!

Some people follow the yellow brick road to get to their OZ while I have always been one to swing from the trees and branches to get to mine. It has served me well in life to follow my own path, not the path that others set for me. Your path may be different, and it may not be the easy path but as long as you are being true to yourself, you will succeed!

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them

Yes, lots of them but Kevin Plank who owns Under Armour needs to meet me. His headquarters are in Maryland, which is right across the bridge from where I live, and he started his business out of the trunk of his car. His story is amazing, and I think about what an incredible business he has all the time. I think one day there is a possibility we could do business together, I know I am reaching, but I am supposed to reach right?!

More here:
Krista Woods: Here Are 5 Important Business Lessons I Learned While Being On Shark Tank - Thrive Global

Dr. Megan Jones Bell

Can meditation help you become more creative? Will this practice also improve your leadership skills? Dr. Megan Jones Bell says yes. She's chief science officer at Headspace, the company behind the popular meditation app of the same name.

Founded in 2010 by Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson, Headspace claims over 60 million members across 190 countries. The app offers meditation courses in everything from creativity to better sleep, many of which can help creatives, leaders and executives perform more effectively.

Those new to meditation struggle with finding time to practice. I was talking to a friend about meditation, and he complained he couldn't find time to squeeze another 10 minutes into his already overloaded morning. Bell suggested people like my friend layer meditation onto an existing habit or routine instead.

"If you walk for 10 minutes, you could take a mindful walk. It doesn't need to start with eyes-closed meditation," she says. "You could try a wind down exercise that has a short mindfulness-based activity and technique that helps you turn your mind off for the evening. It could be taking a mindful run with one of our audio guided runs that we've made with Nike. There's multiple front doors into this practice."

Meditating by focusing on the breath or a mindful run could help my friend and many others perform more effectively at work. Headspace worked with the College of Policing in the United Kingdom and conducted a study of approximately 1,300 participants in five different police forces. The study found that meditation is associated with improved job performance, increased well-being and resilience.

"We know that when we are stressed, when we have a feeling of being burned out, that's associated with difficulty in productivity or decreased focus," says Jones. "It's really this combination of being in a healthier overall emotional state, which comes from a practice of meditation as well as this training in attention and awareness that is really core to meditation."

Mindful Leadership

Leaders of large teams or within busy companies often juggle competing priorities, frequently without clear-cut solutions. For example, how should a leader react if a key team members quits in the middle of a product launch? While meditating won't provide the immediate answer, it'll help a leader manage challenges with more authenticity.

"[Mindful leadership means] our stress doesn't spill out on those around us, on our team. We can reduce it and manage it more effectively. We can be more intentional in every kind of micro-interaction that we have with our teams throughout the day," Jones says.

"If you're in a company where you believe in the mission, or you're working towards a big goal together, being able to hold that in your present moment awareness is really helpful for navigating challenges."

In the case of an entrepreneur, a key client quitting at short notice might cause him or her to react negatively and even lash out at other team members. Instead, practicing meditation for just three weeks could help this entrepreneur learn how to step back rather than react to business setbacks emotionally.

"You can more easily toggle between putting out the fire of the moment and the bigger picture," says Jones. "That dual focus is really important for a leader, and to guide the team, help people through the day-to-day challenges while anchoring to that bigger goal."

The teams at Headspace regularly meditate together at the start of the day and before meetings. That culture is understandable considering Headspace's product.

When a writer, musician or artist turns up in front of the blank page, canvas or in a studio, they're under pressure to perform. It's no wonder many complain about feeling blocked or uninspired. That pressure is hardly conducive to open-minded expansive thinking.

"When you are better able to distance yourself or set aside those pressures, those expectations, the stress that might come along with needing to produce something for a deadline, you're better able to create the right conditions for creativity to occur," says Jones. "When we're better able to notice our thoughts to kind of quiet the mind, we can create the right conditions for creativity to happen."

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Why Meditation Will Help You Become A Better Leader - Forbes

Posted on Dec 22, 2019

By Teddy Robertson

It all began with a New York City police officer.

Michigan-native Gloria Kramer was an accomplished 5K, 10K, and half-marathon runner when she realized she wanted something more than what she got from a good run. Living in Florida where she worked as a registered dietitian, running had been her avocation.

I was in my thirties, Kramer says. Meditation was becoming popular and I was interested, but I had a heck of a time just sitting still and clearing my mind.

Thats where the policeman came in.

Kramer saw an ad for a tai chi class, and the instructor turned out to be a police officer from New York whod given up his career to teach tai chi. Gloria learned Yang 24, a form, or set of traditional tai chi movements created in China in 1956 to bring the benefits of tai chi to the masses.

Tai chi is moving meditation, she says, It gives your body and mind a chance to connect. I liked the physicality of it, plus the mental aspect.

Kramer continued her tai chi instruction with Hilmar Fuchs, a renowned German martial arts master headquartered in Florida. Gloria describes Fuchs as phenomenal teacher; tai chi really resonated with me, she says.

She was hooked.

But life happens. Kramer and her family (now including an infant daughter) returned to Michigan. She searched for a teacher, but never found someone equal to Fuchs.

Gloria Kramer (Photo by Teddy Robertson)

Fast forward several years and life intervened once again. Kramers daughter turned six and wanted to learn karate. The karate studio offered parents the option of watching their kids classes or participating themselves for the same cost. Guess what?

Kramer learned along with her daughter and eventually obtained a second degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, Korean-style karate.

But as I grew older, she says, those takedowns and throws are harder on your body. She returned to tai chi.

At first Kramer practiced qi gong (or chi gong) warm up exercises and tai chi in the evening to help a cousin relieve anxiety during a stressful time in her life. Kramer remembered her cousins comment: You know, you should teach this; youre really good at it.

Qi gong involves repetitive exercises to stimulate the flow of qi or energy throughout the body, whereas tai chi involves a form or sequence of movements that flow from one to the next that complete an entire set movements.

A registered dietitian with a masters degree in nutrition, Kramer had always enjoyed the teaching shed done in hospital settings. Maybe her cousin was right? She should become a teacher herself.

Kramer sought out tai chi instruction online that would prepare her to teach. She began with the program of Vancouver specialist, Dr. Keith Jeffrey, originator of Easy Tai Chi. At a weekend session for certification, people told her about Dr. Paul Lam.

A physician and world leader in tai chi for health for over forty years, Dr. Lam has promoted tai chi for health improvement from his home in Australia. https://taichiforhealthinstitute.org/about-dr-paul-lam/ Dr. Lam and his master trainers also teach in the US, annually offering workshops in different states.

Kramer attended a regional workshop in Cincinnati held by Lams Tai Chi for Health Institute, and today she is certified in all the Institutes tai chi forms adapted for different needs: tai chi for health, energy, arthritis, rehab, and diabetes. In week-long intensive courses with Lams master trainers, Kramer learned other long forms of tai chi: Sun 73 and Chen 36.

Kramers journey toward official teaching began when she offered a class at her karate studio. She went on to teach evening classes for Flushings Community Education. Today Kramer teaches a total of 13 tai chi classes a week in four different locations: YMCA Pierson Road, Grand Blanc Senior Center, Woodhaven Assisted Living, and the McLaren Hospitality House Conference Center (cancer patients take these classes for free). Today 80 adults are learning tai chi in these classes.

Tai chi instruction is challenging. For successful learning, beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners must be grouped to accommodate their skill levels. At Grand Blanc and Hospitality House Gloria teaches the three levels back to back.

Kramer emphasizes that you have to experience tai chi to appreciate its value for health and well-being. People who manage to complete one month or longer are more likely to stay with the practice than those who take a single class. For example, most of Kramers regular students at McLaren Hospitality House have been attending twice a week for three or four years.

To accommodate people who drop in at the Pierson Road Y, Kramer usually teaches one tai chi form twice a week and then chi gong exercises the third day of the week. People often begin with the qi gong exercises and then jump into the tai chi class.

Kramer views America as a vast, potential market for tai chi. The variations designed by Dr. Lam and his team show how the practice is adapted for all ages and conditions. Still, so many people just dont have access, she says. One approach is working though hospitals . . . a wonderful way to get in touch with people who could benefit. Kramer would like to get doctors interested; she has experimented with teaching tai chi to staff in medical offices. The market is untapped in many different places, she says.

An adept practitioner of three tai chi stylesYang, Sun, and ChenKramer describes the benefits of each one. When asked if she has a favorite, she replies: The Chen 36 is mentally challenging but also athletic, Sun 73 is good for relaxing and breathing, and Yang 24 has a pleasant flow.

Tai chi is rooted in the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang oppositions. Reflecting on this duality, Kramer notes, yin is water and yang is fire. Tai chi belongs to the spirit of yin in life. Americans tend to embrace yang-type or active principle movement like aerobic exercise or weightlifting. Everything is so hard and fast. But our minds are very overactive; our life is over stimulated.

Kramer repeats, tai chi really needs to be experienced. While its practice may be hard to explain, the benefits of tai chi are recognized and promoted by the Center for Disease Control, the National Council on Aging, and the Arthritis Foundation.

US medical and healthcare systems, however, are not geared to offer tai chi or qi gong exercises as a prescriptionin contrast to countries like Australia and China. We may eventually embrace tai chi for health, Kramer says, but we are a long way away from it.

Meantime, interest in tai chi grows slowly and Gloria Kramer continues to teach. Asked about her future plans, Kramer muses, Ive been thinking that maybe next spring Ill offer an evening class for working peoplejust the audience that might appreciate a bit more yin in their overactive lives.

More information on the practice of tai chi is available at Chi Force Tai Chi @ 810-348-6530.

Banner photo of one of Gloria Kramers tai chi classes by Teddy Robertson.

EVM Staff Writer and columnist Teddy Robertson can be reached at teddyrob@umich.edu.

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A tai chi chronicle: From marathon to moving meditation and 13 classes - East Village Magazine

An Overview of Meditation

Meditation is characterized by a crossed-legged seated posture, called the lotus pose, accompanied by deep, slowed breathing. Similar to yoga, meditation can help reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, and emotional triggers, while changing brainwaves. There are also several methods that offer slightly different benefits.

With many of meditations benefits, it is clear it can be ideal for substance abuse relief to combat symptoms of withdrawal, triggers, and cravings. The benefits of meditation include:

Other benefits of meditation therapy include the ability to alter brainwaves, which contribute to improved psychological function and cortisol reduction. Mindfulness practice can enhance the performance of the frontal cortex, the area of the brain that regulates planning and thinking. Meditation also impacts the amygdala, which reduces fear, and increases the activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, governing motivation and motor control.

In cases of withdrawal-related symptoms such an anxiety, insomnia, or depression, meditation can assist in grounding the individual and calming the nervous system. A calm nervous system enhances the overall quality of sleep, and during times of wakefulness, it enables better moods. Furthermore, those suffering emotionally imbalanced thoughts from disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can learn to observe thoughts without attachment. Meditation therapy also allows someone to actively regain control over impulses. For example, transcendental meditation has been used to reduce drug, alcohol, and nicotine abuse.

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Another element of meditation for substance abuse treatment is the release of dopamine or feel good chemicals sought out by those struggling with addiction. A study by Molecular Psychiatry indicated the low levels of dopamine once someone abusing drugs experience when crashing, contrasting it with a John F. Kennedy study. The John F. Kennedy revealed a 65% boost in the minds of participants during meditation. Any co-occurring or undiscovered motivations for substance abuse, such as filling a void, thinking the worst-case scenario, or feeling anxious can improve with meditation.

A John F. Kennedy revealed a 65% boost in the minds of participants during meditation.

Meditation therapy allows practitioners to feel at peace in the moment. With this, someone with trouble focusing on daily activities and craving substance instead can learn present moment awareness through the breath. If someone includes yoga in their practice, he or she has a better method to achieve wellness and control over ones mental activity. Meditation can aid Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by reinforcing focusing on ones behavior similar to a mindful practice. Lastly, meditation can teach individuals to accept what is, put the past in perspective, or create intentions which are beneficial for someone in treatment.

Meditation is becoming more available as a holistic treatment for substance abuse. Individuals seeking a life of transformation can begin so by contacting a treatment specialist who can place them in a facility offering yoga and meditation. Prospective patients can discover the different types of treatments that can help him or her thrive in wellness. Make the first step, and learn how meditation treatment and medications can set you free from addiction.

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Meditation Therapy for Substance Abuse - Addiction Center

See it before it closes in late January.

"Stages of Dying 5/6: Depression" by Judy Chicago, 2015

Judy Chicago has had a busy year. In addition to opening The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the artist turned 80, opened an art space in New Mexico for her nonprofit Through the Flower, and launched the Judy Chicago Research Portal, which collects the archives of her writing, educational materials, and visual works. The website for that project states that Chicago started the initiative as part of her efforts to overcome the erasure that has eclipsed the achievements of too many women, displaying her desire to create an enduring legacy. Thinking about her own departure from this world and what shell leave behind has prompted three fascinating series of work, and her continued evolution proves why she remains on the cutting edge after decades.

The End is broken up into three distinct rooms for each of its series, like a guided journey into the underworld, and its guards helpfully recommend that viewers absorb the exhibit in its intended order. The first examines death as an abstract concept, the second finds Chicagos personal musings on her own demise, and the third considers the death of the natural world. There is a strictly enforced no photography rule throughout, in contrast to the wall text encouraging hashtagging around the rest of the museum, which prods viewers to stay in the moment and engage with the material.

Despite Chicagos wide-reaching body of work and frequent focus on political and historical issues, her art has often approached those ideas through a lens that points inward. The first room, titled Stages of Dying, repurposes Elisabeth Kbler-Ross five stages of grief to portray a figure who bears a resemblance to Chicago grappling with the concept of death across several panels. Chicago is unabashed in showing the full humanity and raw emotions of a woman who is elderly, nude, and bald, all rarities in artistic depictions. Her distinctive cursive handwriting is a fixture in these porcelain paintings, and in an interview with Artnet, Chicago says, because the subject matter was so personal and intimate, I wanted it to be in my own hand. I wanted it to go from my hand into other peoples hearts.

Next, in the Mortality room, the artist takes a hard look at her own oblivion without flinching, and has gone so far as to preemptively cast her own face and hands in a bronze death mask, a tradition typically reserved for after a person dies. Her likeness appears serene, with her head lying on a pillow, a smile on her lips, and her hands clasping lilies. The hyperrealistic heavy bronze serves as a foil to the surreal, stylized collection of black glass paintings that follow. Chicago is a multi-talented craftswoman, adept at choosing the right material for a given work, and her typical technical mastery and ability to move easily between mediums is on display. Glass painting is a painstaking process, requiring the colors to be built up layer by meticulous layer, and going into the kiln for firing multiple times.

One series of these glass paintings titled In the Shadow of Death considers the views of various philosophers and writers, etching out choice passages like crib notes. Most of these thinkers have a pretty positive spin on death, and some of the accompanying imagery is a bit more lighthearted than the rest of the exhibit, particularly a gleeful skull-faced character.

The next of the glass paintings form How Will I Die, which plays out as a choose-your-own-adventure of possible fatal outcomes that Chicago has contemplated. Will I die screaming in pain? the artist wonders in one particularly visceral panel depicting her writhing figure. Will I die in bed with my cat Petie by my side? asks another. These scenes are illustrated with another Judy Chicago avatar, this time with her famous red hair. One panel shows Chicago laid out, an outline of her head rising upward with the text everyone wants to die peacefully. Her body rests on a reflective swath of iridescent paint that acts almost as a mirror to place the viewer in the scene. The reveries are deeply personal, but they evoke fears and worries that are shared by all.

In the first two rooms, Chicago leaves space for ambiguity and interpretation, but the Extinction segment of the gallery, the finale, conveys an utter clarity of message and purpose. This room features another bronze casting, this one an assemblage of animals that looks over the room, their detailed, lifelike appearances undercut by the inclusion of an incongruous alligator purse. Chicagos work has never shied away from uncomfortable truths, and here she has black glass paintings, each displaying a different ecological atrocity wrought by humans using vivid and sometimes violent imagery. Jarring illustrative elements, like the jagged zigzag edges of fins chopped off of sharks and a cross section of a beluga whale being sliced open for its caviar, along with a tin of the stuff, mark the otherwise delicate rendering of nature scenes. The handwritten captions relay upsetting facts and figures, which frantic crossouts sometimes interrupt.

As the year and the decade draw to a close, its a fitting time to contemplate endings, and an apt opportunity to see The End before it closes in late January. The End is not light fare for an afternoon at the museum, which is precisely what makes it such a vital experience. By the end of this terminal journey, a viewer may be unsettled and emotionally spent, and its rare that art can provoke such a vigorous reaction. Its enough to make a person feel alive.

At the National Museum of Women in the Arts to Jan. 20, 2020.1250 New York Ave. NW. $8$10. (202) 783-5000. nmwa.org.

To Do This Week is your twice-weekly email roundup of arts and cultural events. It's the perfect way to know what's going on, and subscribing is a great way to support us.

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Judy ChicagoThe End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction, Reviewed - Washington City Paper

If you're interested in a more stable, peaceful, or calm life, meditation and mindfulness may be a way to improve your sense of well being. WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Michigan Medicine OB/GYN Dr. Frank Anderson, who also co-founded "Ann Arbor Open Meditation," about how a sense of awareness and being in the present moment can help you feel more balanced and choose to respond versus react in stressfulsituations.

Listen to the full interview.

About Ann Arbor Open Meditation

Drop-in mindfulness meditation session, open to all, every Thursday 7:30-8:30 pm, atThe Lotus Center, 2711 Carpenter Road, Ann Arbor, MI.

Appropriate for beginners or experienced meditators.This a secular meditation group with no religious affiliation.The leaders vary from week to week and are experienced meditators from a variety of traditions, primarily Buddhist.

We predominantly teach mindfulness techniques with some concentration and loving kindness meditation. There are two 20-minute sittings the first is guided and the second is silent with time for short discussion and questions.

Guided Body Scan Meditation by Dr. Frank Anderson

Click below to hear a "Guided Body Scan Meditation" with Frank Anderson.

If you wish to contact Dr. Anderson, send him an e-mail here.

Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support.Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.

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Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter@LisaWEMU, or email her atlbarryma@emich.edu

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Art & Soul: The Art Of Well Being - The Merits Of Meditation And Mindfulness - WEMU