All of which begs the question: what the hell are Twitter bots?
What the Hell are Twitter Bots Exactly?
So, I looked it up and it turns out that Twitter bots are automated accounts that can do the exact same things as human beings do on Twitter. Except I picture them singing “I can do everything you can do- better,” while doing it.
For Example:
They can send out tweets, follow users, and even like and retweet postings by others. Which on the surface doesn’t sound nefarious, however in practice, that’s exactly what they are.
So What Are Bots Being Used For?
Spam bots can be programmed to drive traffic to a website for a product or service using fake accounts and reviews.
They can be used to spread political lies and promote messages. Or event disperse links to fake giveaways or financial scams.
Why is Twitter Removing Tens of Millions of Accounts?
After announcing his recent plans to acquire Twitter, Elon Musk said one of his priorities was to force the company to crack down on bots that promote scams involving cryptocurrencies.
Musk has asked Twitter’s executives to share more details on the company’s claim that it keeps the number of automated bots under 5%. Unless it can prove that bots represent less than 5% of the accounts being served ads on the platform, the $44 billion deal might… fly away.
Best Seller TV, the only show dedicated to covering today’s best-selling business books on C-Suite TV, is kicking off the new year by announcing a new episode featuring Mark Victor Hansen and Crystal Dwyer Hansen, authors of Ask! The Bridge From Your Dreams To Your Destiny.
The book is a guide to awaken the inate ability of every human being to ask questions. While kids are naturally inquisitive, Crystal says that “Over time, just through basic life rejections, people get shot down. That spirit of asking gets crushed out of them.” They say that asking is truly the only thing that has the ability to reveal what’s hidden in our lives and “that is powerful.”
Learning the magic of asking can be achieved by three equally important channels: ask yourself, ask others, ask God. The book is chock-full of personal anecdotes and tidbits capable of re-instilling our natural curiosity to ask questions. The genesis of the book, which is extremely relevant, is to go back to a time in our lives where we were unafraid to ask for everything we wanted. “It’s important for each of us to become master askers,” the Hansens said. That’s the main reason they wanted to bring this particular message to the world.
Mark Victor Hansen has authored many books, including the world-famous “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. However, this is the first book he’s ever co-authored with his wife, Crystal Dwyer Hansen, a health and wellness author and entrepreneur in her own right. The Hansens were unsure about how their first foray into co-authoring would go, but according to Crystal, “It sort of fell into place kind of magically.” They discussed the framework of the book collectively, then each fell into their respective lanes of expertise, making collaboration a seamless process.
While everyone faces adversity, Mark Victor offers some sage advice, originated in his own hardship, including bankruptcy. He added, “I’ve always taken adversity and turn it into an advantage.” Out of this adversity, everyone can learn how to ask.
During the interview, they also covered the six destinies everyone has, a personal anecdote about their young grandson that directly correlates to the book’s themes, and a reminder that “one question can pivot your entire career.”
All episodes of Best Seller TV air on C-Suite TV and are hosted by TV personality, Taryn Winter Brill.
Best-selling author, speaker, and former Fortune 100 CMO Jeffrey Hayzlett created Best Seller TV to give top-tier business authors a forum for sharing thought-provoking insights, in-depth business analysis, and their compelling personal narratives.
“I’ve known Mark Victor for a number of years, and now his wife Crystal, and I can’t think of better people to kick off the new year with,” Hayzlett said. “They bring incredible insights as a result of their travels, speaking to people from all walks of life, and their life experiences. I’m positive our audience will find much needed inspiration in this interview, especially during these difficult times we’re experiencing.”
Best Seller TV, the only show dedicated to covering today’s best-selling business books on C-Suite TV, is announcing a new episode featuring Randy Gage, author of Radical Rebirth: Kill Off the Old You and Create a New Life.
Gage tells the tale of his troubled youth, which led him to become a keen student of human behavior and psychology, resulting in him writing this, his 14th, book. He sees the book as the culmination of all his work for the last 20 or 30 years and is aimed at those looking for professional and personal rebirth to become the highest possible version of themselves. It also encourages readers to take a look in the mirror, question their own premises and ask difficult questions to experience that radical rebirth.
Gage says he “prosecutes” the process of rebirthing and states that, “Your vision is created by your core foundational beliefs.” He highlights six main categories people form strong foundational beliefs to, stating that each foundational belief determines our vision, the vision determines our daily habits, and those habits determine the kind of life we’re going to create.
It was a very personal situation that led to his radical rebirth. The story, not included in the book, is about him writing his suicide journal two decades ago. He says it took writing this book to discover that in that situation it’s not necessary to kill yourself, but kill off the parts of you that you don’t like. The book serves as a tool to reverse engineer the process of ridding our subconscious with the parts of ourselves we’re not happy with.
He adds that the only “radical rebirth I’m doing these days is not because I have to kill this horrible part of myself that I don’t like but because I’m moving toward the me that I want to become.”
Gage argues that people should experience multiple rebirths through their lifespan. If they don’t, they’re not fully living, but merely existing. He describes multiple rebirths as a “wonderful thing” and these breakthroughs are possible when we are really willing to confront ourselves and call us on our own stuff.
All episodes of Best Seller TV air on C-Suite TV and are hosted by TV personality, Taryn Winter Brill.
Best-selling author, speaker, and former Fortune 100 CMO Jeffrey Hayzlett created Best Seller TV to give top-tier business authors a forum for sharing thought-provoking insights, in-depth business analysis, and their compelling personal narratives.
“I’ve known Randy for a while now and his insightfulness never fails to impress. This is a very candid interview that I think many people will identify with. It has been a very difficult year for me, so this will definitely resonate with many,” Hayzlett said. “Whether you’re a business leader, own a business or are simply looking to become a better version of yourself, this book – and interview, may provide some of those answers you’re looking for.”
Best Seller TV, the only show dedicated to covering today’s best-selling business books on C-Suite TV, is kicking off the new year by announcing a new episode featuring Mark Victor Hansen and Crystal Dwyer Hansen, authors of Ask! The Bridge From Your Dreams To Your Destiny.
The book is a guide to awaken the inate ability of every human being to ask questions. While kids are naturally inquisitive, Crystal says that “Over time, just through basic life rejections, people get shot down. That spirit of asking gets crushed out of them.” They say that asking is truly the only thing that has the ability to reveal what’s hidden in our lives and “that is powerful.”
Learning the magic of asking can be achieved by three equally important channels: ask yourself, ask others, ask God. The book is chock-full of personal anecdotes and tidbits capable of re-instilling our natural curiosity to ask questions. The genesis of the book, which is extremely relevant, is to go back to a time in our lives where we were unafraid to ask for everything we wanted. “It’s important for each of us to become master askers,” the Hansens said. That’s the main reason they wanted to bring this particular message to the world.
Mark Victor Hansen has authored many books, including the world-famous “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. However, this is the first book he’s ever co-authored with his wife, Crystal Dwyer Hansen, a health and wellness author and entrepreneur in her own right. The Hansens were unsure about how their first foray into co-authoring would go, but according to Crystal, “It sort of fell into place kind of magically.” They discussed the framework of the book collectively, then each fell into their respective lanes of expertise, making collaboration a seamless process.
While everyone faces adversity, Mark Victor offers some sage advice, originated in his own hardship, including bankruptcy. He added, “I’ve always taken adversity and turn it into an advantage.” Out of this adversity, everyone can learn how to ask.
During the interview, they also covered the six destinies everyone has, a personal anecdote about their young grandson that directly correlates to the book’s themes, and a reminder that “one question can pivot your entire career.”
All episodes of Best Seller TV air on C-Suite TV and are hosted by TV personality, Taryn Winter Brill.
Best-selling author, speaker, and former Fortune 100 CMO Jeffrey Hayzlett created Best Seller TV to give top-tier business authors a forum for sharing thought-provoking insights, in-depth business analysis, and their compelling personal narratives.
“I’ve known Mark Victor for a number of years, and now his wife Crystal, and I can’t think of better people to kick off the new year with,” Hayzlett said. “They bring incredible insights as a result of their travels, speaking to people from all walks of life, and their life experiences. I’m positive our audience will find much needed inspiration in this interview, especially during these difficult times we’re experiencing.”
Best Seller TV, the only show dedicated to covering today’s best-selling business books on C-Suite TV, is announcing a new episode featuring Randy Gage, author of Radical Rebirth: Kill Off the Old You and Create a New Life.
Gage tells the tale of his troubled youth, which led him to become a keen student of human behavior and psychology, resulting in him writing this, his 14th, book. He sees the book as the culmination of all his work for the last 20 or 30 years and is aimed at those looking for professional and personal rebirth to become the highest possible version of themselves. It also encourages readers to take a look in the mirror, question their own premises and ask difficult questions to experience that radical rebirth.
Gage says he “prosecutes” the process of rebirthing and states that, “Your vision is created by your core foundational beliefs.” He highlights six main categories people form strong foundational beliefs to, stating that each foundational belief determines our vision, the vision determines our daily habits, and those habits determine the kind of life we’re going to create.
It was a very personal situation that led to his radical rebirth. The story, not included in the book, is about him writing his suicide journal two decades ago. He says it took writing this book to discover that in that situation it’s not necessary to kill yourself, but kill off the parts of you that you don’t like. The book serves as a tool to reverse engineer the process of ridding our subconscious with the parts of ourselves we’re not happy with.
He adds that the only “radical rebirth I’m doing these days is not because I have to kill this horrible part of myself that I don’t like but because I’m moving toward the me that I want to become.”
Gage argues that people should experience multiple rebirths through their lifespan. If they don’t, they’re not fully living, but merely existing. He describes multiple rebirths as a “wonderful thing” and these breakthroughs are possible when we are really willing to confront ourselves and call us on our own stuff.
All episodes of Best Seller TV air on C-Suite TV and are hosted by TV personality, Taryn Winter Brill.
Best-selling author, speaker, and former Fortune 100 CMO Jeffrey Hayzlett created Best Seller TV to give top-tier business authors a forum for sharing thought-provoking insights, in-depth business analysis, and their compelling personal narratives.
“I’ve known Randy for a while now and his insightfulness never fails to impress. This is a very candid interview that I think many people will identify with. It has been a very difficult year for me, so this will definitely resonate with many,” Hayzlett said. “Whether you’re a business leader, own a business or are simply looking to become a better version of yourself, this book – and interview, may provide some of those answers you’re looking for.”
Dave Thomas was an orphan. Growing up, eating hamburgers in restaurants was the only thing that gave him a sense of belonging and purpose. When he was 8-years-old, he set out a plan to open the best restaurant in the world and later founded Wendy’s.
But even at an early age Dave knew that in order to grow a successful business, he was prepared to learn everything about the business from the ground up.
WATCH:
15 year old Dave started as a busboy at a Hobby House Restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana where a guy named Cornel Sanders was touring the country, trying to convince restaurant owners into converting their buildings into Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises.
Thomas’ boss, Hobby House owner Phil Clauss, was one of those restaurant owners. Hobby House became Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Thomas became one of KFC’s first cooks.
A new waitress, Lorraine Buskirk, caught his eye and they were soon married in 1954.
Dave and his wife Lorraine grew their family to include five children – Pam, Ken, Lori, Molly and Melinda (Wendy was her nickname and who Dave named the business after). All the while, Dave worked toward his goal of owning his own restaurant.
He was pivotal in helping grow KFC. He simplified the menu and came up with the classic rotating red bucket sign. Thomas also convinced the colonel to appear in TV ads for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Thomas’ success eventually enabled him to sell his stake in the four franchises back to the colonel, for $1.5 million. He used the money to open his first Wendy’s and became multimillionaire by the age of 35.
Today there are 6,900 restaurants worldwide.
Dave Thomas passed away in 2002 with a net worth of $4.2 billion. Dave wins.
Holy S@#$ LEGO Has Sold Over 400 Billion Plastic Bricks?
Having sold over 400 billion plastic bricks worldwide (75 billion annually), LEGO is easily the most popular and best-selling toys on the planet. It also holds the title one of the most painful things you can step on in bare feet…
But few people today know just how insanely unlikely the founder was to succeed against the series of tragedies that plagued his pursuit to success.
As successful as they are today, LEGO’s history is one of unexpected misfortune. Here’s why…
WATCH:
The Tragic Beginning of the World’s Most Successful Toy
In 1916, Ole Kirk Christiansen was an independent carpenter who primarily built wood furniture and home goods. He purchased a workshop in Billund, Denmark, that would ultimately become the birthplace of LEGO. He immediately faced a number of setbacks and tragedies during his first years in business:
His workshop burned down in 1924 after his sons accidentally set fire to it (losing all the inventory)
He (and the world) was hit hard during the Great Depression from 1929-1939
Effectively erasing any demand for furniture and toys for an entire decade. It wouldn’t see consumer discretionary spending increase until after ww2 ended in 1945.
But Wait, There’s More…
His wife passed away in 1932 leaving him alone to fend for himself and his kids
With the economy in shambles, he was forced to lay off half of his employees.
To stay afloat, Christiansen began carving cheap wooden trinkets, eventually landing a wheeled duck that became the company’s first popular toy.
But he still wasn’t generating enough sales to pay the mounting bills he owed. Christinasen’s brothers had to bail him out to save him from bankruptcy.
He Had to Beg His Family For Cash to Avoid Bankruptcy
Ole’s brothers agreed to bail him out on the condition that he stop making toys and turn his skills to a more practical profession.
But Ole refused to give up his passion of making innovative toys. So he changed the name of his workshop to LEGO (derived the Danish phrase leg godt, or “play well”).
Plot twist, his shop burned down for the second time…
Still unwilling to give up on his dream of breaking into the toy market, it was in this moment where Ole said: “Fuck wood! I’m moving to plastics!”…That’s not a real quote but you know he thought it.
Is This Why LEGO Went From Making Wood Toys to Plastics?
Because when Ole rebuilt his factory for the 3rd time, he turned his attention to making plastic toys (which was a brand new thing at the time).
During the 40s, plastic injection molding machines were introduced into the toy market to mass produce toys. But they were hella expensive. Buying one with the lack of much if any funds, would be a major risk.
He did it anyways…
The early toys included the Ferguson tractor, a plastic vehicle available as either a finished model or a buildable set that could be taken apart and put back together, (which later became the core feature of LEGO products).
How Lego Was Invented. After a 39 Year Struggle!
It wasn’t long before the idea of bricks to assemble a small house in the form of building blocks was invented. They designed literal plastic bricks that clipped together.
He patented the design and they released its first set, the LEGO System of Play – in 1955. 39 years after starting his toy business.
In the beginning of LEGO’s growth, they were still selling both wood and plastic LEGO toys (even though LEGO sales were much higher by this time).
But Then His Factory Burned Down Again…
Then, a lightning strike to the workshop caused a fire to burn down the entire workshop for the 3rd time. He rebuilt it again but decided this time, to switch the operations entirely to plastics.
Which turned out to be a good call…
Fast forward to today, the LEGO brand as of 2021 was up 27% (that’s a whopping $8B in sales) compared to the previous two years with $55.3 billion in revenue. The company saw massive gains during the pandemic as consumers of all ages looked for new ways to entertain themselves at home.
Which is pretty impressive growth for a company that for the most part, shouldn’t still be standing.
According to the Wallstreeet Journal reported today, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke says company made wrong bet on pandemic-fueled boom in e-commerce growth.
The main reason for the layoffs was rapid hiring to accommodate increased ecommerce shopping trends.
Basically, Shopify was betting on that the rapid Covid-era lock downs would increase in ecommerce shopping would continue as a trend, hastening a greater adoption of online shopping.
That didn’t happen…At least not for Shopify.
What is Shopify?
Based in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify is an e-commerce service that allows merchants to quickly build and customize websites for selling products online. In addition to plan fees, Shopify makes its money in part by taking a percentage of customer transactions. In short, they are a platform that enables users to create drop shipping sites.
Did you know that the $14 billion Nordstrom chain stores were started by a sixteen year old who fled to America with only $5.00 (roughly $119.00 in today’s currency) in his pocket?
His name was John W. Nordstrom, who’s dad died when he was eight. In need of money John fled his home at 16 and emigrated to New York City in 1887.
WATCH:
Nordstom Did a Series of Back Breaking Jobs Just to Get By….
John labored in mines and logging camps for years as he crossed the country to California and Washington. In 1897, he headed north to Alaska and the Klondike in search of gold. Two years later, he returned to Seattle with a $13,000 in Alaskan gold ready to make his next move.
Nordstrom partnered up with business partner Carl F. Wallin, a Seattle shoemaker Nordstrom had met in Alaska. Wallin offered him a partnership in a shoe store with zero retail experience. In 1901, the gold rush veterans had opened their first store, Wallin & Nordstrom, on Fourth and Pike in Seattle.
Then Nordstrom’s Son Scaled the Family Business into an Empire…
Nordstrom’s sons took over in 1928. By 1960, two stores had grown into eight. The Seattle flagship was the largest shoe store in the country, and Wallin & Nordstrom became the nation’s largest independent shoe chain.
Under a third generation of Nordstrom sons, Nordstrom, Inc. entered into new markets well beyond Seattle. Clothing was added to the shelves in the 1960s and the company was renamed Nordstrom Best in 1969. In 1971, the company went public with its first stock offering and by 1973, Nordstrom Best formally changed its name to Nordstrom
Today, Nordstrom is doing $14.79 billion in revenue. The family still runs the chain of 247 rack stores across 40 states from their headquarters in Seattle.
