Effective sales training isnt to be underestimated. As veteran sales reps, we know from past experience that the success of an organization can be made or unmade through the implementation of successful training programs. However, a surprising 96% of reps and managers we surveyed felt that their companys training programs were not productive. Why is that? Are we not investing enough? Are we investing in the wrong places? The answer lies in why companies spend so much more on training for sales than for other functions.

Every employee should understand their companys product and market. But organizations invest in sales training because top-of mind knowledge is a salespersons currency. Unlike other functions, sales doesnt have the option to lean on reference material to fill knowledge gaps when a question arises. Sales needs to know it all, cold. They need to essentially perform, and be able to fluently articulate their knowledge, live, while fielding questions about it. Would you expect an actor to deliver a great performance without knowing their lines? Of course not. Without deep understanding of the product and market, sellers dont have a chance at effectively handling customer questions and objections in this age of hyper-informed buyers. The most influential factor in todays buying decisions is a sales reps ability to articulate value.

In Defense of Sales TrainingLimits exist when it comes to how much information a person can absorb in a training session. We know new information entering the brain immediately starts disappearing if it is not revisited and reinforced over time. This is a widely studied phenomenon called the forgetting curve. As much as 50 to 80 percent of training material can be lost as soon as the day after, and up to 98 percent within 30 days.

This is why training reinforcement matters so much. Reps and managers feel like their companys sales training program is ineffective because theyve felt the pain of struggling to recall key information during a customer conversation. Its not that sales training and enablement professionals have been doing anything wrong: its just there havent been viable systems to easily reinforce the training.

Reinforcement learning describes the process of driving greater knowledge retention using ongoing exercises, coaching, quizzing and drilling. You need reinforcement learning to really get an entire team of salespeople to absorb key information to a degree where they can articulate it naturally. Without it, reps are left having to make a huge recall effort during their sales pitches, which makes it impossible to listen to the customer. However, companies continue to deliver sales training using intense but infrequent bursts like yearly sales kickoffs, or through corporate learning management systems that feature little to no reinforcement learning. What gives? This crucial components relative absence on the sales training scene isnt due to lack of effort or investment. Its simply a function of how challenging it is to provide quality reinforcement learning for sales.

Genuinely reinforcing sales training requires face-to-face, interactive practice and learning. Salespeople need to practice the right way to deliver responses to a series of questions or objections. Without interactive learning, the richness of in-person communication that is vital to sales success is lost. The problem, however, is that facilitating this with geographically distributed sales forces simply costs too much. Its impossible to schedule consistent in-person coaching for every rep without blowing a hole in the budget and having sales managers on the road 24/7.

A New Kind of InteractionVideo sales training provides reinforcement learning for sales in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Trainers and managers bypass the need for in-person meetings and ride-alongs to facilitate interactive learning for their reps and now have recourse when the forgetting curve rears its ugly head. Studies show ROI on training quadruples when followed up by in-field coaching and reinforcement. Now these results are available without the time and expense needed to get geographically dispersed sales teams in one place.

Video sales training also complements other, traditional forms of reinforcement learning. This kind of learning can be divided in two categories, the reinforcement of scenario-based training as described above with interactive learning, and the reinforcement of fact-based training. Fact-based training teaches salespeople the building blocks to successful customer conversations, like basic product information, competitive intelligence facts, or market data. Using periodic quizzing and drilling repeated over time is a proven way to reinforce such learning. But presently, supplementing this with modern reinforcement learning using interactive video role play and other means of active practice affords much better results. Training and enablement professionals no longer have to settle for low knowledge retention.

The first wave of sales training and enablement professionals did an excellent job with the tools available. But with the advent of mobile devices with video recording capabilities, the sales training and enablement professional of the 21st century can get their organization to revenue goals faster and more profitably using modern reinforcement learning.

See the original post:
Reinforcement Learning: How to Make Your Sales Training Stick - Customer Think

Dr. Lisa Hiscano, Union County Colleges Director of Continuing Education and Professional Development, has been promoted to the position of Executive Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development. She will also continue to serve as Interim Dean of the Elizabeth Campus. In this new role, Dr. Hiscano will be responsible for all non-credit programs at the College.

Dr. Hiscano is extremely qualified for the Executive Director position because of her drive and commitment to seeing projects to completion. She has the ability to plan and manage many projects and people simultaneously stated Union President Margaret M. McMenamin.

Dr. Hiscano joined Union in 2010 originally as the Director of Corporate and Career Programs for the Industry Business Institute. In this role, she was responsible for developing training programs for any size company who wanted to provide their employees with training. Courses include sales training, computer classes, ESL courses, restaurant industry courses, and other opportunities. After a few years, Dr. Hiscano was promoted to the position of Director of Continuing Education and Professional Development. In this position, she continued to oversee the programming for the Industry Business Institute but also was responsible for the continuing education and professional development courses, such as career certificate programs, and other non-credit training. As the Executive Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Dr. Hiscano will continue to oversee the non-credit programs, such as the certificate programs and lifelong learning classes, and will expand her role to include the programming and needs of those community members served through the Center for Workforce Development, such as providing training for those who are unemployed or underemployed.

Prior to coming to Union, Dr. Hiscano served at Passaic County Community College as the Associate Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development for six years. She gained experience managing programs under the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workplace and Economic Development, a role she maintained at Union as well. She also managed regional workforce development initiatives and developed new programs for Passaic.

See the rest here:
Dr. Hiscano Named Executive Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development - TAPinto.net

NEW YORK (AP) NFL training camps have been open for less than a week and Tom Brady is already on top of the league once again.

The Patriots' superstar quarterback ranks No. 1 in merchandise sales in a list compiled by the NFL players union.

The list is based on total sales of all officially licensed NFL player merchandise tracking year-to-date results from March 1 to May 31.

Brady, who won his record fifth Super Bowl in February, was joined at the top of the list by Dallas Cowboys teammates running back Ezekiel Elliott (No. 2) and quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 3). Two more Cowboys were also in the top 10 in wide receiver Dez Bryant (No. 6) and tight end Jason Witten (No. 10).

Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch, who returned to the league after a one-year absence, was at No. 4 and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson rounded out the top five.

Read the original post:
Patriots' QB Tom Brady ranks 1st for merchandise sales as NFL training camps start - NH1 News

NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Allego, the leading mobile video sales learning platform, today announced record results for the first half of 2017, including both new customer acquisition and growth in business from existing customers that renew and expand their deployments. These strong results reflect Allegos dedication to customer success as well as growing market awareness that a learning platform tailored to the specific needs of sales teams drives higher quality customer conversations and better performance.

During the first half of 2017 Allego added a record number of new blue chip customers including AB (AllianceBernstein), ALKU and Resource Real Estate, Inc. Successful customers renewing and expanding their deployments include SAP and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) among others. Altogether, Allego hits the mid-year mark with more than 50,000 global users across eight different industries.

Click to tweet: Customer success powers 199% yr over yr growth in 1H17 customer business at @AllegoSoftware!

Allego is fortunate to work with some of the worlds best sales and sales learning teams, and we are gratified that our focus on their success produced such strong first half results, said Yuchun Lee, CEO and co-founder of Allego. Q2 was the best performing quarter in Allegos history. We also introduced Allego v 4.3, with great new features for measuring training effectiveness, integrating new learning content, and keeping learning fun and engaging for salespeople.

QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS:

Releases Allego 4.3Allegos latest release strengthens support for sales organizations needs across the full spectrum of learning -- curriculum, reinforcement, and just-in-time learning. Allego 4.3 includes new tools to measure the value of training with greater precision and more accurately target training investments.It allows trainers and L&D professionals to share learning management system (LMS) content through Allego to more effectively reach Sales audiences.Allego 4.3 also strengthens sales rep engagement by showing how their knowledge and mastery stack up against peers with a newly-designed home screen and expanded leaderboards. Better content search now empowers customers to facilitate self-directed learning with even greater effectiveness.

Partnerships with Wilson Learning and Wholesaler MastermindsIn May, Allego announced a partnership with Wilson Learning to offer customers a complete and continuous sales enablement solution. Under the partnership, Wilson Learning will make Allegos platform available to customers and prospects seeking an automated, mobile-first approach to their sales learning capabilities, while Allego will offer its users a gateway to Wilson Learnings extensive portfolio of learning solutions.

Allego also announced a partnership with Wholesaler Masterminds, a provider of professional coaching and content for wholesalers and their leaders, that enables organizations in the financial services distribution community to access Wholesaler Masterminds proven practice management content, coaching techniques and best practices through the Allego platform. Additionally, Allego customers seeking to maximize the effectiveness of their sales learning content can work directly with Wholesaler Masterminds to strategize and create dynamic and relevant videos that successfully address skill gaps.

Sales Success Summit Draws Nearly 100 Allego CustomersIn June, Allego hosted the first annual Allego Sales Success Summit (S3), drawing nearly 100 members of the Allego community to strategize, share best practices and preview the Allego roadmap. At S3, Nuveen won the first annual Trailblazer Award, created to highlight new and innovative ways companies use Allego to transform sales enablement and training. Nuveen was selected based on its innovative use of Allego to quickly communicate breaking news and product updates to its sales team, train reps and onboard new hires faster, more effectively coach reps, and deliver on-demand investment strategy and market commentary to the sales teams so they have the freedom to learn on their own.

Allego Captures Multiple Industry AwardsIn June, Allego was honored with two Customer Sales and Service World awards: a Gold in the Cloud Computing/SaaS Product or Service for Sales for v 3.7.1 and a Bronze in the Customer Service & Contact Center Department of the Year category. In February, Allego received two Silver Stevie Awards in the categories of Customer Service Department of the Year Computer Software Up to 100 Employees and Sales Training Product of the Year at the eleventh annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

About AllegoAllegos sales learning platform boosts sales performance by harnessing the power of mobile to transform enablement and training through video content sharing. With Allegos mobile-first platform, organizations can create and curate the best content from the field and corporate office to better train and collaborate with distributed sales teams, without the time and expense typically associated with in-field coaching or on-site training. Users can easily access relevant, quality content, anytime, anywhere, allowing them to capture their best ideas, master their pitch and accelerate their performance. Tens of thousands of global users across a range of industries have adopted Allego to improve sales success. Explore further at http://www.allego.com.

See more here:
Customer Success Powers Allego's 199% Leap in Account Renewal ... - Business Wire (press release)

The Tribune will publish Self-Help, information in the Upper Thumb area on a space-available basis. Each notice should be limited to 30 words. Please mail or bring information, clearly marked, to the Huron Daily Tribune, 211 N. Heisterman St., Bad Axe, 48413, call 989-269-6461 or email hdt_news@hearstnp.com.

Bariatric

Bariatric Support Group meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Birch Room at Scheurer Hospital. Call Jean Phillips at 989-872-2772.

Grief

GriefShare features nationally recognized experts on grief recovery topics. Seminar sessions include "The Journey of Grief," "The Effects of Grief," "Your Family and Grief," "Why?" and "Stuck in Grief." For more information, call Chaplain Londa at 989-545-8357.

Spousal loss grief group meets from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month at the Holiday Inn Express in Bad Axe. For more information contact Pam Christe or Sue Gentle at Heartland Hospice 989-667-3440 or 800-275-4517.

Grief Support meets second Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. at Caro Community Library. Please call Sue or Pam at 800-275-4517 for more details.

Grief Support meets last Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. for dinner at Franklin Inn in Bad Axe. Call 1-800-635-7490 ext. 4134.

Grief Support meets at noon on the first Tuesday of the month at Eddie G's in Marlette. Call United Hospice Service for more information at 800-635-7490.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis support group meets at 11 a.m. on the second Monday of each month at Huron Medical Center in Bad Axe, third floor classroom. Call Marilyn at 989-428-3499 for more information.

Multiple Sclerosis support group meets bi-annually at Scheurer Hospital, and focuses on education and support. Contact 989-453-5222.

Substance abuse

To find Narcotics Anonymous meetings in the area call 800-230-4085.

Family member or friend addicted? Call Families Anonymous. Familes Anonymous is a 12 step program to aid families with substance abuse or behavioral problems. Meetings are every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at 206 Scheurmann St. in Essexville. For inquiries, call 989-553-4962.

Thumb Area Narcotics Anonymous meets Mondays from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the Caseville United Methodist Church. For inquiries call 800-230-4085.

Thumb Area Narcotics Anonymous meets from 7 to 8:15 at the Port Austin Bible Campus on Thursdays.

Suicide support

A support group for those affected by suicide will be provided from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the Huron County Senior Center at 150 Nugent Road in Bad Axe. If you are interested in attending, or for more information, please call Lisa Schoettle, MA, LPC, NCC at 989-975-0190.

Women's

support group

Huron County SafePlace will be offering free support groups to women on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Transportation via Thumb Area Transit and child care for these support groups will be available by calling SafePlace. These meetings take place in Bad Axe, please call for additional information or to make your reservations 989-269-5300.

For information on meetings of the Woman's Christian Temperance (self-control) Union, call Marie at 989-975-2465. It is a support group for people with addictions.

Cancer support

As an affiliate of the American Cancer Society, "I Can Cope" meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Wilson Education Center at Scheurer Hospital. The group focuses on education, camaraderie and compassion. For more information, call 989-453-5222.

Caregiver Support

Harbor Beach Community Hospital and Human Development Commission caregiver and support group meets from 9 to 11 a.m. the third Tuesday of every month. Susan Arthur, LLBSW from Human Development Commission is the facilitator. This is held at the Administration Building Conference Center at the Harbor Beach Community Hospital at 147 South First Street in Harbor Beach. To register please call 1-989-673-4121 or just stop in.

Caregiver Connection provides support for those caring for loved ones. Meetings are the second Thursday of each month from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Wilson Education Room at Scheurer Hospital. Lunch provided.

Huron County Family Caregiver Support Group meets from 10 to noon the second Tuesday of the month at Human Development Commission, 150 Nugent Road in Bad Axe. For more information, contact Merry at (989) 673-4121.

Alzheimer's support

Tuscola County Alzheimer's and Family Caregiver Support Group meets from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at the Human Development Commission Intergenerational Building, 430 Montague Avenue in Caro.

For more information, contact Merry at 989-673-4121.

Parkinson's

support

Living with Parkinson's Support Group meets from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at the Holiday Inn Express in Bad Axe, 55 Rapson Lane West.

For more information, call 989-864-3779.

Community

supports

Community Support 101 will meet at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday of every month at The United Protestant Church in Port Austin. The group is open to anyone in recovery or struggling with relationships and who hopes to increase communication skills, compassion, forgiveness and freedom. For more information, call 989-738-5322.

Weight Loss

support group

TOPS Chapter meets every Wednesday evening at the Huron County Senior Center in Bad Axe. Weigh-in is at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting is at 6:15 p.m. Take off pounds sensibly. Call Rose at 989-551-2711 for more information.

See original here:
Self-help groups - Huron Daily Tribune

Posted: Friday, July 28, 2017 2:00 pm

Good Samaritan Replaces Self Help Closets Wagon, Cart By DENISE FLEISCHERLifestyles Editor Journal & Topics Media Group

For years, a little red Radio Flyer wagon and a flat-bed cart were used to transfer donations from vehicles into the Self-Help Closet & Pantry at Wolf and Algonquin roads in Des Plaines. But on Saturday, July 15, before the pantry opened and donors and clients pulled into the parking lot, a pantry volunteer realized both items were missing.

Something old and rusted may not have a valued price tag, but both carts were extremely helpful and appreciated.

An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Need an account? Create one now.

kAm(6 AFE E96> @FED:56 367@C6 H6 @A6?65 2?5 2E D@>6 A@:?E H6 ?@E:465 E96J H6C6 8@?6[ D2:5 s633:6 (2=FD:2<[ E96 $6=7 w6=A r=@D6E U2>Aj !2?ECJ 5:C64E@C] (6 925 E96> 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6] !6@A=6 5C@A@77 962GJ 328D 7:==65 H:E9 5@?2E:@?D 2?5 E96 H28@? 2?5 42CE 96=A65 FD 3C:?8 E96> 😕 2?5 E2<6 E96> @FE] %96J H6C6 >2:?=J FD65 7@C =2C86 BF2?E:E:6D @7 7@@5]k^Am

kAmw@A:?8 E@ 86E E96 H@C5 @FE E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ @?6 @7 E96 G@=F?E66CD A@DE65[ (96C6 😀 @FC H28@?n @? E96 A2?ECJ H63D:E6] $96 >6?E:@?65 H92E H2D E2<6? 2?5 D2:5 E92E E96J D2G65 H62C 2?5 E62C @? E96 G@=F?E66CD 324D H:== 36 C6EFC?65 D@@?] }@ BF6DE:@?D 2D<65[ D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 C6DA@?D6 E@ E96 >6DD286 42>6 😕 2 DA64:2= 56=:G6CJ]k^Am

kAm$@>6@?6 5C@AA65 @77 2 3C2?5 ?6H =:EE=6 7=2E 365 42CE] %92E H2D C62==J ?:46] p v@@5 $2>2C:E2? >256 E96 5@?2E:@? 2?5 H6C6 8C2E67F=[ (2=FD:2< D2:5]k^Am

Thank you for reading 8 free articles on our site. You can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 8 free articles, or you can purchase a subscription and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information. If you need help, please contact our office at 847-299-5511. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Need an account? Create one now.

Posted in Lifestyles, News, Des Plaines on Friday, July 28, 2017 2:00 pm.

Continue reading here:
Good Samaritan Replaces Self Help Closet's Wagon, Cart - Journal ... - Journal & Topics Newspapers Online

The abbot takes his time. Question number 1 on a childhood spent in the shadow of the Korean War is greeted with a smile.

Question number 2 on Zen Buddhism is greeted with silence. Eleven seconds, to be precise its in the recorder.

In that pause suspended by time, the entourage of interpreters, staff and Korean expats surrounding us in a softly-lit room at the InKo Centre sits still in the chairs, the ferns outside the glass window stir in the breeze and Abbot Soobul Sunim peers deep into my eyes.

Can you see your own eyes? he asks me in Korean. The interpreter translates in a hurried staccato. I shake my head. Then how do you know what your eyes see?, he asks again. I mumble an answer. The abbot throws his head back and laughs the kind of laughter that comes from trying to find answers to most of lifes questions and succeeding most of the time.

Sunim has been at it since he was in his teens, exploring religions outside of Chondogyo, a Korean way of life that his family followed when they lived in Daejaeon. In 1973, when he was 20, he decided to become a Buddhist monk, shaved his head and a year later received the novice precepts from Jimyung Sunim at the Beomeosa temple in Busan, the head temple of the Jogye order.

Four years later he graduated as a monk and over the next decade opened the Anguk Zen Center where he has been chief director since. The centre works at popularising Ganwha Seon, a deep earnest questioning and the official practice method of the Jogye order, to both lay and spiritual, young and old audiences across South Korea and the world.

So far Ive guided more than 25,000 people above the age of 18 to experience Ganwha Seon, says Sunim, author of Golden Light Phoenix and the Flying Bird Without Trace: the Dharma Summary of Delivering the Mind from the Seon point of view.

Mastering the art of Zen depends on the master, and Mahayana Buddhism calls for its practice over 24 hours. That is because work and study are not separate, says Sunim who has also helmed posts at Buddhist press organisations, media networks and universities. Interestingly, he has been both abbot of the Beomeosa temple, and the head of Buddhist policemen at Busans regional police headquarters.

Sunim says the US has many practitioners trying to explore the vast realms of consciousness that exist below the seeming calm and chaos of our lives. When you are pricked does your body or mind feel the pain first? he asks. The mind senses it, I reply, but my answer indicates that Im clearly yet to feel a sense of oneness with the truth.

Sunim, who has been a vegetarian for 43 years and counts among his interests the cultures of the world, says I love Indian food, but laughs when asked to name a favourite. The abbot who wakes up at 3.30 am every day believes that enlightenment isnt the end point. Its an emotion that pushes you towards a place you return to, time and again, a place of bliss. It gives you great hope and can bring world peace.

Sunim who is in the city on a private visit, presses his palms together to indicate the end of the interview. He carefully unwraps the seung-bok, a monastic grey robe made of fibre, wears it and floats out like a cloud into the garden for the photo shoot. I want you to be happy, he tells me as I leave. And, this time I dont need the translator.

Continue reading here:
Zen and the art of soul maintenance - The Hindu

Predictability gets kind of a bad rap. But, in fact, it makes life easy. It's comforting to know what to do and how to do it. It's kind of nice when things are proceeding in an orderly fashion. You become an expert on your routine. If it's Tuesday, it must be time for tacos! And there's nothing wrong with being comfortable, confident and organized.

Except that over time, focusing too closely on only the things we are good at things that are easy and familiar can actually start to weigh on a person, says Spokane psychologist Laura Asbell. "Challenging ourselves with new endeavors and new learning and new exposures adds to who we are."

But being challenged doesn't mean you have to do something rash or even dangerous. Asbell cautions against what she calls the current culture's "over-encouragement of adventure" the feeling that it is very nearly compulsory to have some incredible feats to post on social media or report to a listener who has just innocently inquired, "How was your weekend?"

"There's a cultural expectation that we create adventures, when people have different tastes. But there are benefits to expanding your world, at a pace that fits with who you are."

She notes that novel experiences can help us learn to "push through the status quo."

It turns out that living life only within our comfort zone serves to reinforce our skill at staying in a comfortable rut "Look how successful I am at avoiding stress!"

And we are drawn to repeating things we are good at. But by regularly avoiding things that carry a risk of discomfort or embarrassment, we can end up less skilled at tackling all sorts of challenges; after all, we never get to practice those coping skills. And that, in turn, leads to more avoidance.

"I see that people's circles get smaller," says Asbell. "It's too effortful to go out and do something, and people's lives can get more and more truncated. There's less and less there, over time, and I think they are missing out."

Looking for inspiration on how to change things up this fall? Read on to learn about opportunities for trying something new ways to challenge your mind and body and social skills. It may not be easy. "In the short run, the first step will require effort and maybe a little discomfort," says Asbell. "But there's a long-term benefit that enriches and corrects our expectations, so that we will want to venture out more."

Get Off the Ground

Mica Moon Zip Tours founder and owner Rik Stewart sees people get out of their comfort zones every single day he's at work: "That is probably our theme: elevate yourself up out of your comfort zone. When we zip people, they are all there for different reasons." But no matter why people show up to jump off the nine platforms on a trail through the forest canopy on Mica Peak, Stewart says they have one thing in common: "When they get out of the their comfort zone, they open. They flower. It's so much more than adrenaline."

The story of Mica Moon Zip Tours is in itself a study in moving beyond fears. "I had been fighting cancer for 18 years," says Stewart. "And it went crazy. The tumors all came back. I was in the middle of 12 months of chemo in a 15-month period, and I thought this was going to be the end. I decided if I lived, I was going to do the things I want to do." He survived, and "I quit my job and it was the best decision I've ever made."

He runs Mica Moon with his wife, Heidi, and doesn't deny that it's a big operation and a stressful one. But Stewart says his health is better than ever: "I attribute it to the clean air, the one-on-one contact, and the new friends I have made."

Zip tours last about three-and-a-half hours and are done in groups of 10 to 12. Some people bring a friend; others may be zipping with people they just met. Regardless, Stewart says there are two ways people seem to work through their nervousness. "Some just talk, talk, talk. And then there are some who are very quiet. But everybody in the tour intuitively encourages the others even though they just met this person 20 minutes ago, and by the end of the tour they are high-fiving."

Tours are open to most everyone, and there are often accommodations that can be made for various levels of ability and age. Stewart recently zipped a couple for their 60th anniversary. There is a weight limit of 275 pounds. Everyone gets weighed, with utmost discretion, Stewart says. "I tell them, 'Here's the scariest part of the event.'"

The newest zip line just opened, and at 3,500 feet long, with a 90-second zip, Stewart says it's one of the 10 longest zip lines in the world. It's not unusual to spot wildlife like moose and bear roaming unperturbed as people zip through the trees above them, and visitors also learn a little history of the area's moonshiners and speakeasies during the ride up the mountain.

Sign up at micamoon.com/tours/classic

MORE OPTIONS

ADVENTURE DYNAMICS

Three-hour zipline adventure, vertical obstacle course, giant swing and more

12410 N. Red Fir Ln., Nine Mile Falls, Washington

adventuredynamics.com

TIMBERLINE ADVENTURES

Seven ziplines, three sky bridges, at a beautiful location

210 W. Sherman Ave. #131,

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

ziptimberline.com

SILVER STREAK ZIPLINE TOURS

Two courses, up to 60 mph speeds, 250 scenic acres of mountain land

516 Pine St., Wallace, Idaho

silverstreakziplinetours.com

Lose Your Inhibitions

You should try dancing! Victor can lead anybody," exclaims Elizabeth Szombathy, an instructor at Spokane's Satori Dance Studio.

On a recent visit, and after a generally informative 30-minute interview, things now seem to be headed straight out of my comfort zone. Protests over improper footwear sound hollow, and moments later I find myself standing, with studio owner Victor Smith, preparing to dance. I stare at my feet.

"Don't look at your feet. There's nothing down there," he says. Memorizing steps is not what dancing is all about at Satori. Instead, he encourages freeing the mind to focus on the music. "The term they use in Spanish is 'falling asleep to the music.' There's a conversation to be had! You don't have to break it down mathematically," Smith says.

With just the simple instruction to bend one knee and then the other, and under the influence of Smith's subtle lead, pretty soon I do indeed seem to be dancing twirling even to a merengue. He proudly notes he got a "D" in ballroom dancing. That's because, for him, dancing is something completely different something that is at the very heart of his studio's philosophy. "Satori is a term from Zen Buddhism," he explains. "It doesn't mean I memorized a cool step. It means, 'Oh! I get it!'

"You did a very nice merengue!" Szombathy says as the song ends. She tells her own story of wandering in to Satori Studio out of curiosity after a stressful day at work, just to pick up a flyer, and how she found herself dancing within minutes. An interior designer by day, she now teaches at the studio in the evenings.

"The dance is sublime," she says. "Tango is a dance that just kind of transports you into this different realm of just joy. And there's such a nice crowd of people here who you come to be friends with."

At Satori, dancers can bring a partner, or not, and choose to dance with others at the class, or just with one person. There's no alcohol, and the goal is to make beginners comfortable. After a language lesson Spanish or French depending on the evening, because dance is all about communication, says Smith dancers take the floor. Sometimes there's a live band.

Wear whatever shoes you like, although smooth-soled shoes with some sort of heel counter work best. Or try out one of the many different heel heights from the sample shelves at the studio. Some dancers dress up and make it an evening, others don't. After an hour lesson costing just $10, you will be dancing.

"You spend the rest of your life getting good at it," says Smith, "but that's like anything." He notes a friend was invited to a get-together and was somewhat sad afterward. "It wasn't a party. No one was dancing."

View the schedule at satorispokane.com; for more info call 509-315-7691.

MORE OPTIONS

SPOKANE DANCE COMPANY

Dance lessons for all ages in a fun and inviting atmosphere

2424 North Monroe, Spokane

spokanedance.com

DANCE CENTER OF SPOKANE

Diverse range of styles, all ages are welcome

1407 E. 57th Ave., Spokane

dancecenterofspokane.com

DANCE CLASS SPOKANE

Anyone from beginner to expert is welcome

CenterPlace Event Center2426 N. Discovery Pl., Spokane Valley

Southside Senior Center | 3151 E. 27th Ave. Spokane

danceclassspokane.com

Get Dirty

Some people are most comfortable when they know exactly what to do, how to do it, and the outcome to expect. They like to be in control. Success is clearly defined, and if something doesn't go as planned, well, that's a failure. If that sounds like you, then getting out of your comfort zone might entail doing something unpredictable and, well, messy.

For thousands of years, humans have been unleashing their creativity and individuality to create beautiful and often practical items from clay. Just don't think you're going to be totally in charge of what happens when you get your hands on that inert-looking blob of damp earth.

"The clay is going to talk to you," says JoDee Moody, a teacher and resident artist at Spokane's Urban Art Co-op. "It's gonna become what it wants to become. You think you're gonna make one thing, and it turns out to be something totally different."

There are two main types of clay work: Hand-building, which entails using slabs and coils of clay that are pressed and pinched together to create all kinds of things, and the more familiar art of throwing pottery on the wheel.

People of all ages, from kids and people under 30 to new empty-nesters, are coming to the Co-op to sample both styles in 5- or 8-week class sessions, says Moody. Demand has been strong, and in April the nonprofit moved to a new 3,000-square-foot location on North Monroe a space nearly twice the size of its previous home.

Clay art appeals to people who have worked with it in school when they were younger; some sign up with a friend or family members for something new to do together, or sometimes people sign up after they have "gone through a significant event in their life," says Moody. But regardless of what draws students to working with clay, to creating something with their hands, "what it does is it gives people peace of mind. There's no right and wrong, you can set away all your problems and just have fun."

Because basic clay is a relatively inexpensive natural material, there's plenty of room for experimenting. "With clay, it's just clay. If it breaks, you can make another one. It's very freeing. But I tell people, don't get attached to your piece. There's lots of things that can happen," says Moody, who hand-builds all kinds of things from wall art to birdhouses. Glazes can run and mix in ways you might not have imagined, and not every piece survives firing intact. But that's okay. "That's what's so good about clay. You don't have to make it perfect. If you want a perfect mug, go to Walmart and buy one."

Fall classes start in September, and after taking one class, the co-op offers memberships for $30 a month. Members get a locker to store their clay in and access to the studio, where resident artists offer tips and inspiration.

Sign up for classes at http://www.urbanartcoop.org or call (509) 327-9000.

MORE OPTIONS

SPOKANE POTTERS' GUILD

A non-profit studio that promotes knowledge of pottery

1404 N. Fiske, Spokane

spokanepottersguild.org

THE CLAY CONNECTION

Friendly atmosphere that encourages new opportunities for everyone

714 E. Sprague Ave, Spokane

clayconnection.net

HANDS TO ART STUDIO

Helpful staff ready to help with design, colors, and painting techniques

3115 N. Government Way Ste., 4 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

handstoart.com

Make A Connection

Face-to-face meetings with strangers can be awkward. Talking to someone next to you, while you're both facing in the same direction, is often a lot more comfortable. It's probably why parents learn that kids tend to say the most interesting, often surprising, things from the back seat of the car while they're are driving them around.

But how are adults to achieve that form of easy, no-eye-contact-necessary conversation? Perhaps by striding next to someone.

"We started [the Lantern Running Club] when we first purchased the Lantern about five years ago, because we wanted to have something that brought the community together," says Lantern co-owner Melinda Dolmage. "We started with about 15 people in the neighborhood, and now we average about 93."

"Running club" may be a bit of a misnomer, however. "The nice thing about it is there is no pressure, it's more just get out and come... We have people who come with strollers, people with baby carriers, people with dogs, people who run, people who walk," says Dolmage.

Check out the group's Facebook page on Mondays to see the map for the upcoming Tuesday run/walk. Newbies are always welcome, and there are 3- and 5-mile routes to make the event accessible to most folks. After all that exercise, join other urban trekkers for a glass of one of the special $2.50 beers at the Lantern. Who knows? You might even enjoy a deeper conversation with a new friend face to face.

Meet on Tuesdays at 6 pm at The Lantern Taphouse 1004 South Perry.

MORE OPTIONS

MANITO RUNNING CLUB

Saturdays, 8 am, 5-6 mile run

Meet at 18th & Grand Parking lot

manitorun.net

FLIGHTLESS BIRDS

Tuesdays from April to November, 6 pm, all skill levels

Zentropa Pizzeria & Pub, Cheney

facebook.com/flightlessbirds-runningclub

FLEET FEET SPORTS

A variety of training groups, 12 week programs

511 Sherman Ave., CDA, Idaho1303 N. Washington St., Spokane

fleetfeetspokane.com

See the rest here:
Bye-Bye Comfort Zone - Pacific Northwest Inlander

Dive Brief:

Despite the heftier price tag, sales of organic food items continue to rise. USA Today reports sales of organic food is up 8.4% over the previous year, hitting a record 43 billion in sales in 2016.

Consumers are most concerned with purchasing organic fruits and vegetables. According to the Organic Trade Associations 2017 Organic Industry Survey, roughly 40% of all organic food sales were produce. That translates to about 15% of all the fruits and vegetables Americans eat.

Organic food is steadily making its way into the shopping carts of more consumers. Organic foods are in 82.3% of the countrys 117 million households. While thats reason for organic producers to cheer, it still only represents 5.3% of total retail food sales in the U.S.

Consumers are clearly willing to pay more for organic food, but do they really know what theyre getting? There remains confusion between the labels "organic"and "natural"on food packaging. Organic certification is a process and means the product has no antibiotics, no artificial colors, no GMOs and no synthetic pesticides. Despite its popularity with consumers, "natural" has not been officially defined by the Food and Drug Administration, and the term has no consistent meaning.

Food manufacturers are wasting no time in jumping on the organic bandwagon. Coca-Cola has organic Honest Tea, Campbell Soup has the Plum Organics baby food line, and Hormel sells organic meat under the label Applegate Farms. Food giant General Mills is also expanding its organic products, which saw 350% growth over the last 5 years, according to the USA Today report.Amazon's $13.7 billion pending purchase of Whole Foods Marketsalso pushes this trend forward.

One group thats having a harder time keeping up with increased demand for organic produce is the American farmer. The process of transitioning to organic is both expensive and lengthy, taking roughly three years. This often holds farmers back from making the change, though a new U.S. Department of Agriculture transitional certification may help those efforts.

Shoppers are willing to pay more for that bag of organic carrots, too. The Hartman Group, a food and beverage research firm, found that consumers are comfortable being charged more for organic food, especially when it comes to vegetables, fruit and poultry. Specifically, they found roughly 44% of shoppers are willing to pay up to 20% more for fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. Thirty-seven percent are inclined to fork over that much more for organic poultry, too. However, that number drastically drops off when it comes to pre-packaged goods like crackers and soy sauce.

Thats not stopping food manufacturers from cranking up production on organic and non-GMO sauces and condiments, though. A recent report lists demand for organic sauces and condiments as a trend that is building steam. It just may be a little while before demand for organic ketchup catches up with demand for organic blueberries.

But does consuming produce thats never been exposed to pesticides truly have a lasting impact on health? Consumers think so, as theyre paying more to put organic spinach in their cart. When it comes to the experts, though, opinions are mixed.

See the rest here:

Hunger for organic food continues to grow | Food Dive - Food Dive

iStock/Rafal Olkis

When you talk to folks who havent yet switched to organic, one of their most oft-stated reasons is the price. I just cant afford to buy organic food, theyll say. Its too expensive.

And we get it we really do. When youre feeding a large family or even just yourself switching from conventional to organic food can be a real adjustment. Sometimes, choosing organic over conventional can be the difference between going on vacation, buying a new pair of shoes, or even going to the movies in a given month.

But a new study from sustainability consultant Soil & More might change that perception: this company worked with accounting firm EY and organic fruit specialist Eosta to take a look at the true cost of food, and the results show that while the price tag of conventional may make it look cheaper in stores, the actual price of organics is far less not just when it comes to agriculture and the environment, but also with regard to consumer health.

Intensive farming from monoculture to the large-scale use of pesticides has led to a depletion of natural capital, explains a news release from Eosta, while current production methods continue to damage social capital, i.e. the welfare of communities.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the hidden negative impact of food production on natural and social capital amounts to over $5 trillion every year.

The study, entitled True Cost Accounting in Food, Farming, and Finance, looked at nine different products from all over the world, including apples and pears from Argentina, citrus from South America and Africa, and pineapple from Costa Rica. Accountants calculated the true cost of the food, including the cost of water pollution, pesticide exposure, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil erosion, with data provided by the European Food and Safety Authority, Danish scientist Peter Fantke, and the EcoInvent database as well as the World Health Organization.

We have developed a practical dashboard for small and medium-sized enterprises in the food, farming, and finance sectors that monetizes the hidden impacts of food production on people and plants, explains Volkert Engelsman, CEO of Eosta.

While conventional often seems cheaper in stores, once these other factors were introduced, organic producewas the less pricey option in every single comparison made. Specific results were often astounding, with a Argentinian apples demonstrating the largest true price difference: organic apples had a 19 Euro cents/kilo advantage over conventional.

This is, of course, an interesting social experiment, but the folks at Soil & More and Eosta hope to take it further.

We need True Cost Accounting to put a conscience in our economy, says Alexis van Erp, Web and Sustainability Coordinator at Eosta. In our current economy, companies are rewarded if they keep the cost of negative impacts on natural and social capital out of the books and out of sight of the consumer and deflect it to other places and future generations.

On the other hand, companies who have a more positive impact are not rewarded by banks, but rather punished, because they seem to have higher costs, thoughthey actually dont; they just dont externalize them.

This new way of looking at things brings the negative impacts of conventional agriculture into the limelight, presenting it more clearly to consumers.

Natural capital and social capital arebasically invisible to accountants, says van Erp. True Cost Accounting is a way to make the impacts on natural and social capital visible, a way to take the hidden costs of production into account.

Industry experts and European governments haveapplauded these new methods, with HRH Prince Charles congratulating Eosta on the groundbreaking new report at the Harmony in Food and Farming Conference held in mid-July. The Prince has long supported such a tack, noting thatthe current obsession with the bottom line is not the most advantageous way to approach the cost of food production. The Prince first called for the inclusion of the true cost of products in profit calculations in December 2013.

The financial market needs to adopt True Cost Accounting and reward producers who have a positive effect on planet and people and create a level playing field, says van Erp. Otherwise it will continue forcing us to slide down on a path of ugly exploitation, and think about ridiculous escapes such as fleeing off to Mars; while in fact we areperfectly capable of creating a more beautiful earth, enhancing nature, and creating an environment we love to live in. Its possible, as many organic and biodynamic farms are showing us.

Nature & More has already put True Cost information about specific products on its customer website, and some supermarkets began displaying information cards showing the true price of food in the UK last year.

Engelsman notes that the next step will be to take this pilot program and apply it more broadly: an ambitious task, but one that seems unlikely to pose too much of a challenge, as companies are already lining up to apply this method to their own businesses.

True Cost Accounting changes the definition of profit and tackles perverse incentives, saidPeter Bakker, President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, in a press release. I predict that it will seriously affect the valuation of companies and their access to capital within a few years.

Related on Organic AuthorityAmericans Buying More Organic Products than Ever BeforeUSDA Aims to Help Small Farmers Fund Organic Certification CostsResearch that Claims Non-GMO Foods Are More Expensive Relied on Biased Data, EWG Reports

Emily Monaco is an American food and culture writer based in Paris. She loves uncovering the stories behind ingredients and exposing the face of our food system, so that consumers can make educated choices. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Vice Munchies, and Serious Eats.

Read more here:

Organic Food is Actually Cheaper than Conventional (Yes, Really!) - Organic Authority