COVID-19 ensured that there were multiple quarantines throughout the year, which led to inconsistency in businesses, both small and large empires. The former was unable to cope while the latter could afford the setbacks. In any case, however, one thing that became apparent after a year of trial and error is the need for businesses to have a strong online presence.

The business model that is said to work best will involve a good amount of knowledge for online workings. It is vital to become accessible through an online presence, as the future for buying and selling products or services is through online shopping.

Remote Work is the New Normal

Much as we’d like to hope, the virus still has the world by the collar. There are deaths and new strains being discovered. In 2021 and beyond, we need to be ready to continue work from home, and it is likely that most businesses will have to choose that option. Around 42% of the U.S workforce works from home, according to a study done in 2020 at Stanford University.

Financial Focus Will Shift to Profit Building

This year proved to be a test for businesses and a transition phase from traditional business models to something that is versatile enough to work in multiple situations. After the losses have been recovered, and they gain back their footing, 2021 and beyond will see businesses focusing on profitability. You will see them focusing on automating administrative tasks, consolidating software systems, renegotiating vendor contracts, and outsourcing services that might be too tedious.

SEO Changes and UX

The COVID-19 crisis is likely to have long or short-term effects on SEO. You will now be unable to overlook User Experience (UX) as it is key to designing digital experiences and customer journeys from the user’s perspective. According to a Google Webmaster blog, google now factors “UX signals” into its rankings. Thus, keeping your page rankings up in 2021 will mean ensuring that you consider UX just as important.

It would seem smart to start preparing for what the year 2021 brings us. Regardless of how your business fared in 2020, it is essential to set yourself up for success, evaluate what has been working and what needs discarding.

If you’re looking for advice or services to help you become better acquainted with improving your business’s online presence, visit our website City Insight to see what services can best help you. Happy New Year!

As a Hope Catalyst the purpose of this article is to leave an indelible impression on you that helps you carve out your intentions for pursuing your purpose this year. Given the climate of the universe, it is imperative that we all reshift our thinking as we reset and realign our thinking, which will then turn into new habits and behavior patterns for this new year.

How to determine whether you will be mindful and hopeful or mindless and hopeless, has to do with whether you brought those matters from last year into this year. Now we do understand for many there are some shocking, frightening, frustrating, hurtful things that were experienced. We also understand many are still in situations, which may be uncomfortable and are straining to remained focused on the positive after all they have endured.

Please see examples of ways to successfully shift after the reality sinks in for everyone. The main way anyone can start this process is by first accepting the situation. This normally comes after the stages of emotions which is not only dealt with in grief, but with disappointment and setbacks too.

Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross came up with a model which describes how many people experiencing losses go through a series of these five emotions: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

In order to help you go forward we have to clean out mental house. I want to broaden the scope losses in general. The answer to the question above regarding you being hopeless or hopeful has to do with if you have made it to stage five. If you have not accepted the loss and began to adjust you may still hopeless after the pandemic and you are experiencing: 1. intense emotional suffering caused by loss, disaster, misfortune, etc.; acute sorrow; deep sadness.

You see, as a human a loss is a loss whether it is a job, a career change, or position on the job, losing a loved one, and the list goes on for things that cause people shut down and grief over.

Or, that dilemma is defined as 2. a cause or subject of such suffering caused by informal trouble or annoyance. If you still troubled or annoyed you cannot focus, plan or move forward with hope without regressing. Therefore, today if you are reading this article you are destined to take control of the matter and get it all out.

What does that mean. Scream, shout, cry or do what you must then pray and let go and let God. He heard your cry, and the results are written. Cast your cares unto your higher power and then we can move on. Now you can begin to focus and find deep faith. Everyone has their own Super power. Mine is the Word of God. Hebrews 11.1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”

Reevaluate yourself to see have you made it to stage five: if not, heed the message:

Denial – We must stop pretending it didn’t happen and come to realization that it did. Stop reliving the situation and begin to learn to cope with the facts and undeniable truth.

Anger – We must get angry and feel that pain then release it once and for all. We have to find a healthy way to channel the anger, so it becomes a positive and not a negative.

Bargaining – We have to stop bargaining to become proactive steps to resolve personal life and make adjustment with the new normal.

Depression – We must identify the depression and keep the bright lights on. Light and darkness cannot coexist. Identify the empty and numbness and counter it will joyful, hopeful emotions, thoughts and then actions.

Acceptance – Become stabilized with the facts and learn to keep on going. Now you have to find the positive and relent the negative and begin building the legacy and keep only the things that help you progress.

Congratulations if you made it to stage five! You are ready to define your God Given talents and you can go be great. Look ahead and keep the faith. All things are possible for them that believe. Honor your loved ones and begin to live your life to the fullest and reclaim your rightful place. Many blessing to all and keep your mind over your matter and always. What didn’t break you will make you stronger. You are more than a conqueror. You got this so begin one stage at a time.

For those of you who have been fortunate and have not had any losses or have been grieving from the pandemic in 2020. Perhaps you have not been personally affected with any situations, and you just want a fresh start in business.
Be sure to implement time management , prioritizing and balancing into the equation.

One of the first things I learned when becoming an entrepreneur is the importance of all three of these components.

If you are a working class individual always remember to utilize organizational tools and prioritize your health and fitness and all else will come easy.

I did not want to only insinuate that everyone hit a low or bleak point in 2020. For many it was a resetting in a positive way and the year of your personal evolution. So remain hopeful and prayerful and continue to find more ways to prosper and be in good health.

Last but not least, do not be consumed by the media and the things happening in the world. It can trigger anxiety and cause you to lose focus. Limit your access to negativity and you are guaranteed to think positive with the right mindset. Otherwise you will be looking at the matters of the world and be cluttered emotionally.

Regardless of which category you fall in, we must realize we are all blessed to still be living. Please be reminded that we must find a way to accent the positive and relent the negative while learning to find the good and dwell in those things and remain hopeful. I feels so much better overall and affects your mind, body and spirit.

May you have a Happy New Year’s. I wish you peace, love, joy, hope and happiness.

~cbs~
Crystal Bodie Smith
#keephopealive
“Stirring Up The Gifts, Instilling Hope, and Saving Lives

After I graduated from college, I left my consistent training days behind me. Not necessarily because I wanted to, but because I thought that was what grownups do, unless you were and Olympic Athlete or in the pros. I got married and my four children kept me moving.

I was determined to keep them moving and learning as they grew, but that was it, until we found karate. I put my daughter in a class to give her some socialization, because I homeschooled my children. It was a challenge to sit on the side and draw stick people to help her when we go home, so I decided I would start taking karate class with my daughter just so I could help her when she was home at the start of the new year.

As time went by, I began to love martial arts, and stretched out my wings. I competed and won three state championships, I became a sensei, so did my children. Every day we went to class, practiced, trained, and taught children and women how to protect themselves, together. Little did I know that making that decision would create a major dynamic in our household that would define a large part of our life as a family.

My entire family learned and taught karate together. I cannot tell you what it meant to spend that time learning and teaching alongside my children. A decision I made to just be there for my daughter started me on a journey that changed and enriched my life. Never did I imagine the result would be that I would participate in kumite’s, become a 3rd degree blackbelt and help so many people, while having so many years of joy doing it!!

When we set goals, we are often so focused on the result that we do not realize the journey is a major part and is just as important as the goal itself. As you can see my goal was simple, but it kept changing as I moved forward to reaching a new goal. The everyday progress was as small as just attending class, practicing 10mins every day, learning a new Japanese term daily.

The key to not focusing on the result is creating a roadmap or a compass that will serve as directions to get to our destination. When we went on a trip, we planned the route, we used to look at maps, now technology has given us GPS to help get us there. It is through the journey that we gradually make changes to get our result. On the way to a destination, we make stops at self-confidence, knowledge of our strengths/weaknesses, determination, resilience, and enjoyment.

I like to use these categories as a guide for goal making. You can use anything for your New Year’s Resolution. These are in no order, but all things in our life need balance. An example is a table, when our legs are well balanced, we can stack more responsibility onto the table without it falling. Let us imagine each category is a leg on a table and if one or more legs is lacking you will not have a stable table!

• Self-Care
• Spiritual
• Health
• Wealth
• Love
• Knowledge
• Travel
• Community

To summarize, our goals should be SMART, but broken down into small pitstops to show us how we can get to the destination. Who you become while on the way to your destination is just as important as the end. Using a roadmap or compass will give you so many little accomplishments that motivate you to continue your path. Choosing where you start is not as important as STARTING!!! Come join me on our journey to health and wellness. Embrace, Excel and Defy!!! While you Give Life Your ALL!! (Appreciate, Love and Live Life!!). You can also find me on FB @stephaniewhittenfitness

Oh, the holidays. They are filled with love, joy, smiles, laughter, and an endless amount of memories that you will carry with you until the end of time. Of course, we cannot forget the stress, worry, and exhaustion of it all. It can be hard to find the motivation to get ready for it too; between the parties, the running around, and pictures, you have to make sure your makeup is still perfect after a long day.

There are a few go-to makeup looks for the holidays, but there is one that is my favorite that will help you during New Year’s Eve parties.

Important Tips

My first tip, do not wear eyeliner. After a long day of running around or partying, eyeliner doesn’t always hold up. It might crease on your lid or smudge on your lower lash line. It isn’t a risk I take, but hey, if you like a little risk, maybe you’ll get a reward! Go get’em, Tiger.

You want your makeup to last? You have to make sure you cover your bases. Follow these steps to have a flawless look all day. All makeup products will have links attached at the bottom of the article. I have included best drugstore makeup options if you are on a budget and I have included my favorites to use.

Breaking Down The Process

• Moisturize − I know what you’re going to say, “Oh, but I have oily skin, and it makes it worse.” It makes it worse because 1.) don’t moisturize your face enough or 2.) do not have the right moisturizer. My favorite moisturizer is by Origins. When it comes to moisturizers, it’s a hit and miss. Your best bet is getting free samples from Sephora and trying them out to see how they do on your skin. Some won’t like the moisturizer I use. You have to test the waters.
• Makeup Primer − For me, this is an essential part of my makeup routine. If you want your makeup to last all day, you have to prime your face. I recommend a silicone−based primer for those with oily skin. I use Tarte Poreless Makeup Primer, and it is fantastic for those who have acne prone skin. My makeup does not move, crease, or cake!
• Eye Primer − You can use concealer, or there is one by E.L.F cosmetics that I love. Don’t forget this step. It’s how your eye makeup will stay on all day.
• Eyeshadow − The end all. You can do this first or last. Most of the time, artists do first just in case there is any fallout, they can sweep it away without ruining the foundation because they haven’t applied it yet. Let’s make this easy! Get a golden shimmer eyeshadow and a matte brown base to swipe in the crease and BLEND with an eyeshadow brush. Use the gold shimmer on your entire lid and apply with your finger. It makes it more pigmented. My favorite eyeshadows in that color are from a brand named Juvia’s Place. They are PHENOMENAL.
• Foundation − Fenty by Rihanna. It is by far one of the best foundations I have used. It leaves my skin with a powder finish, and it is lightweight. But for an affordable foundation, E.L.F has an amazing one too. Apply with a damp beauty blender for a beautiful airbrush finish and apply down your neck.
• Concealer − Colourpop Cosmetics has a fantastic, inexpensive concealer or age rewind by Maybelline. Remember to blend! – This brand has amazing shadows, highlighters, lipsticks, everything! And they are so affordable. The perfect solution for a holiday budget!
• Brows − Fill them in with a brown shadow, or whatever matches your hair color (or not, whatever you prefer) with an angled brush. Eyebrows are the frame of the face. Fill them in; you won’t regret it.
• A little shine − Who doesn’t like a touch of glitter? Now, glitter is messy, but before you say no, I’m not suggesting loose glitter. It can be messy and impossible to get off. I use Heavy Metal glitter by Urban Decay Cosmetics. You swipe it on with their brush and boom, no fallout.
• Contour − get a matte bronzer from the drugstore or use the Kat Von D contour palette. If you don’t know how to contour, take an angled face brush, suck your cheeks together to make a fish face and follow the lines of your cheeks. BLEND. Hard lines aren’t cute!
• Mascara − I love when mascara is pitch black. It gives a more dramatic look. I use Tarte’s Maneater mascara. It is by far my favorite. Use the ‘jiggle’ method when applying. It gets the bristles of the brush between your lashes helping separate and lift.
• Highlighter – You have to glow on New Year’s Day. You can either use a finger to apply it on the top of your cheekbones or a highlighting brush. I’ll link the brush I use. My favorite highlighter for an amazing glow would be Jeffree Star’s Peach Goddess. BLEND.
• Lipstick − The classic red lipstick. Make sure to get a red lip liner. It helps the lipstick not feather out onto your skin. If you want a more, long lasting, I suggest a liquid lip. Jeffree Star’s RedRum is terrific.
• Setting powder − It helps everything stay in place. KAT VON D Lock-It is my favorite.
• Setting spray − use this last. It helps to give your face another shield. I like Colourpop’s setting spray. It’s affordable and amazing.

I know it seems like a lot of steps, but your makeup will look amazing throughout the entire day. Throw your setting powder in your purse and dab it on the oily spots throughout the day – if you see yourself getting shiny.

Don’t forget to throw your lipstick in your purse too.

Maybe you’ll enjoy the look so much; you’ll have a makeup−resolution!

Happy Holidays!