Working as a Regional Marketing Coordinator Remotely

For the past 18 months I have been working as a regional marketing coordinator for my dads family business, Sport Clips Haircuts. Sport Clips Haircuts is a franchise with the concept of TV's playing sports everywhere, while guy-smart stylists give you a haircut that makes you feel like an MVP. One thing that people often miss when I share my job title is the "regional" part. This means that I am in charge of more than one location...33 to be exact. So since many people are interested in marketing, I wanted to touch a little on my job and what it is exactly that I do especially because I do most of it remotely from school.

1. Social media 

The main part of my job since I'm not there most of the time is working with social media. I manage all Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, and Google pages for all 27 stores. This includes responding to reviews, updating the pages as the stores change, increasing brand awareness with pictures, content, and advertisements at scheduled times. Because of the increase in importance in social media, I keep up with the analytics of the stores social media pages and create content to help engagement.

2. Pick of the week signs

At our locations we have small photo frames on each cutting station that shows max 3 infographics that have our offers and discounts of the month. My job is to create those infographics using different resources that Sport Clips Corporate provides, and Adobe softwares like InDesign and Photoshop.

This is an infographic I made for Octobers POW Help a Hero program that aims to help soldiers get money to be able to go back to school.



3. Scheduling community events 

One thing I love most about working for Sport Clips is their love for giving back to the community. It's part of my job to find/help create events that will help out the community around each store. For example, this past summer I helped with a fathers day event at a local church. Sport Clips set up a mini salon and gave away free haircuts for the fathers and their children who came out to mass.

4. Field marketing 

One of the most important things of my job is the field marketing. Field marketing for Sport Clips is a type of B2B marketing/communications. I drive around to neighboring businesses to give them free haircut coupons, establish relationships, talk about community events, and company of the month*. This helps create a good reputation between businesses and customer satisfaction.

*Company of the month is Sport Clips' program that picks a local business to be there Company of the month to receive a free haircut. For example: Planet Fitness was company of the month in the past and each member of the gym that comes to Sport Clips who shows their member key card receives a free haircut.

My job has taught me many things about social media, digital softwares, communication between businesses and how to deal with unsatisfied customers. It's nice to know that my job relates substantially to what I'm learning in school and I look forward to the knowledge I'll learn in the future.

Whistleblowers and Why They're Important

Recently, my class listened to our classmates speak on different topics revolving around corruption in the media and their importance. One specific topic that stood out to me was the idea around Whistleblowers. If you're unaware of the subject, according to Find Law, a whistleblower is "an employee who reports a violation of the law by his or her employer." (Whistleblower Protections, 2019) These infractions, or "violations", could be related to unlawful acts, general violations within a company, or something related to or around sexual harassment. Whistleblowers can technically be any employee within a company that discloses information to a third-party source but, they're typically someone whose supposed to be there for whistleblowing purposes.

One recent pharmaceutical company got into trouble with whistleblowers in late April. Two employees reported that company doctors asked that representatives higher prices for a rare infant seizure medicine to boost their sales (Drash, 2019). The prices for these very helpful drugs increased by $97,000%, starting at a price of $40 in the year 2000 to almost $39,000 a vial (Drash, 2019). As of right now, the Justice Department has interfered with this case and has started an investigation of their own. The government doesn't normally intervene with cases from whistleblowers, with a history of only 25% (Drash, 2019). This is a good and bad sign. A good sign because the government actually believes that fraud is happening and they're willing to stop it. But, the government feels that its real enough that tthey need to intervene which is unfortunate. According to Wayne Drash at CNN, "Under the current administration, there does appear to be a real effort to combat various forms of healthcare fraud, and I do know the DOJ is using data analytics to identify doctors who are defrauding the government," she said. "The data could be used very effectively in a case like this" (Drash, 2019). This has been one of the highest increases in medicine today and hopefully it will be the last.






Drash, W. (2019, April 30). Whistleblowers: Drug company bribed doctors to boost sales. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/health/mallinckrodt-whistleblower-lawsuit-acthar/index.html

Whistleblower Protections. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://employment.findlaw.com/whistleblowers/whistleblower-protections.html

False Flag Operations

False Flag operations are covert operations performed by governments, corporations, or other organizations, which are designed to mislead the public in a way that makes it seem like the operations were made by other people. This began in the wooden ship days where one ship would fly the flag of their enemy and attack their own fleet.

The Nazi's often used False Flag operations to encourage foreign invasions. They would attack their own troops and destroy their own resources, posing as Poland to justify an invasion. Russian KGB also did something similar with Chechnya. They bombed apartment complexes in Moscow and Volgodonsk and blamed in on Chechnya because Vladimir Putin believed they had a corrupt new leader. Even the United States has used these operations with the United Kingdom in 1953. They hired Iranian U.S CIA agents to bomb Iran after they were under new leadership in order to help gain control of more oil. There are some people that believe that 9/11 was a false flag operation as well and theres a lot of information online about that. These operations still happen today and are now seen as terrorism. Many can and have been affected by this and it's sad that governments and corporations perform them.

Are You Being Tracked Online? Not With DuckDuckGo

It's been a popular topic in my class this year about privacy and your digital footprint. I bet anyone with an IPhone has said something out loud and then look at their phone to an ad about that same specific topic, because i have many times. its creepy and somehow almost unavoidable. Whatever you search or click on online is tracked somehow whether its through Google, Cookies, or another software, someone knows about it. Maybe that can stop. If you've never heard of the search engine DuckDuckGo, i advise you look into it. DuckDuckGo is like Google or FireFox except it doesn't track what you search. Created by Gabriel Weinberg in a basement, it's designed to allow a better and safer way to use the internet. DuckDuckGo has finally established a way to use the internet without creepily being watched. On May 1st, 2019, DuckDuckGo announced their federal legislation act "Do Not Track", in effort to add a tab on all web browsers that will not track your internet searches (Hetrick, 2019).

So many people nowadays don't even pay attention to the "Do Not Track?" notifications and let the foreign softwares track everything they do. Most of these programs collect your personal information and you're targeted and marketed. From a business perspective, I can kind of understand why they do it because it's not aimed to harm anyone, but to help their virtual awareness. For my job, I use a good amount of social media, Facebook and Google specifically. I just recently learned about Facebook Pixels which targets the audience you want to reach with your ads and tracks who interacts with it within Facebook. I understand why businesses and corporations use these applications, how it doesn't harm people, and how it benefits them.

I think DuckDuckGo is awesome and I think it will be very beneficial in keeping personal information confidential. If you are online shopping and fill in personal addresses and emails, I would advise you use DuckDuckGo. If you use Dropbox or other applications that normally go through Google, I'd use DuckDuckGo for safety reasons. You never know what they're watching and saving. But if you're just browsing news websites or scrolling through Facebook, I don't think it matters what web browser you use. Advertisements online will always be around, even DuckDuckGo has them. They just don't target specific people and take personal information to you. Whatever advertisement you see, many others are as well, because they have taken many donations (Hetrick, 2019). I recently just changed my default browser to DuckDuckGo to ensure I don't forget to use it when I should.





Hetrick, C. (2019, May 02). No means no, says DuckDuckGo as it pushes to make 'Do not track' the law of the land. Retrieved from https://www.philly.com/business/duckduckgo-online-privacy-legislation-do-not-track-browser-setting-20190501.html

Online Footprint

I love my phone and I'm addicted to social media like the rest of my generation, I can't lie. Though that's true, I'm still very careful as to what I put online for the world to see. All of my accounts are extremely private although I have given some my email address, I've never given my phone number. I've searched myself and I'd like to believe I have a positive online footprint. I currently use the applications Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Facebook isn't my favorite because of the privacy issues it's had in the past, so I mainly use it for work reasons. I post pictures of family and friends, share funny videos, and stories I felt were important. My social media shows exactly who I am in person and I have nothing to hide. I've always been careful because of the obvious: future employers and my entire immediate family is very active on all media platforms socially and for business. Proper usage of social media is something parents and educators should teach. I love social media but I like to use it to look at and save memories. Others use it for different reasons and I do believe that social media is linked to depression and loneliness like The Atlantic article stated.

One software I think most people overlook, including myself is Cookies. I didn't realize until after my research that it's part of our active digital footprint. Other examples of an active digital footprint are simply posting on social media like Snapchat and Facebook or filling out applications online. If you've never heard of Cookies, it's a data storing software that saves files about what you search and for advertising purposes. One thing most don't know about Cookies is that when you click the "Remember Me" button, a continuous cookie keeps your login information and stays on that browser. That's why I use the password saving software, LastPass. It's free to download and use and it saves all of your usernames and passwords on a vault on your computer, protected by another master password.Another more common, and less risky use is for advertising. When you click on an ad, Cookies will track which website you found that ad on. (J.P, 2019)


J. P. (2019, February 15). Browser Cookies: What Are They & Why Should You Care? Retrieved from https://www.whoishostingthis.com/resources/cookies-guide/

Youtube

Do you love YouTube? Well, you aren't the only one.
It's a giant video-sharing platform that allows every user to share/watch footage of their choosing whether its how-to videos, DIY's, music, comedy and more.  Its been incredibly popular since it first came out in 2005, with over 300 video postings every day in 2019. Currently, YouTube has 1,300,000,000 users (YouTube Statistics, 2019) Though YouTube is growing in popularity by the day, there are still many people that aren't as familiar with it/ don't know how to use it.
There are a ton of pros to YouTube. I could go on and on about how much i love it. In my opinion and i'm sure many others feel the same, its the best because it's FREE. You can advertise your business, use it for activism, learn & laugh. It's very easy to navigate and share videos, i used it in classes back in high school and it was awesome. You can make it private and only share the link with certain people or make it open to the public.

Though i love it, there are some disadvantages to it like spam and negative comments. If someone posts videos on YouTube, they often come across many rude comments which can be hard to read. This is because of the millions of people on YouTube which is why it's important to be careful what you decide to post. YouTube also has a set of rules and regulations that you have to follow like copyright issues or "sensitive" footage. This is easy to avoid if you're careful what you share with the world on the internet. It's really a great app and website to have and it's so easy to use. It's clear to see why it's become to popular.






37 Mind Blowing YouTube Facts, Figures and Statistics – 2019. (2019, February 19). Retrieved from https://merchdope.com/youtube-stats/

The Eighth Value of Free Expression

The eighth value of Free Expression is Protect and Dissent which means every citizen in the United States has the right to criticize the government. This value protects the First Amendment and is a very important part of Free Expression. Without the right to criticize the government how will we see change? If we didn't have the right to dissent the government then how would they enforce that law? Jail time? The USSR and Hitler just killed the people who spoke out against them which is just crazy to think about. To express further on how important this value is I thought I would show some movements and protests in the United States that wouldn't have been possible without it.

March For Our Lives

March For Our Lives is an organization that helps fight against gun violence in the United States. They often protest to politicians about inaction and for strict regulation over the gun industry. These people want universal background checks for anyone who buys or owns a gun, high-capacity magazine bans, limiting firing power on the streets, extreme risk protection orders, and to disarm all domestic abusers. The link to their website is below if interested in learning more: https://marchforourlives.com/


Equal pay for women

On Equal Pay Day women advocates for equality of pay marched to New York City Hall to protest against the wage gap. Did you know that today, black women only receive 63 cents to every dollar a man gets? They wore t-shirt that were red to symbolize being "in the red" economically. These women planned to focus on the wage gap between men and women today. According to NBC news, "City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who spoke at the City Hall rally Tuesday, compared the wage gap to a sluggish elevator: "Women get in the door on entry level salaries, but then they get on the elevator and the elevator slows down."" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/equal-pay-day-women-rally-against-wage-gap-workplace-discrimination-n742451

These movements are meant to capture the worlds and the governments attention in hopes for change. That is an important part of what this value means and it's our duty as American citizens to criticize the government and demand change.

Supreme Court brief that might get Jamal Knox released

If you don't know who Jamal Knox is, or better known for his rapper name Mayhem Mal, he is a young rapper who recently went to jail because of his lyrics from his song "F*** the Police." In this song, he specifically rapped about threatening two police officers, causing him to be in prison for up to 6 years. Recently, Famous rap artists 21 Savage, Killer Mike, Chance the Rapper, Meek Mill, and more, filed a Supreme Court brief in hopes of getting their friend out. These rappers and Jamal Knox's lawyers believe that his first amendment rights are being violated.

21 Savage (left) Jamal Knox (right)

In this brief, the friends and fellow Hip-hop artists of Knox try to explain that there is a difference between a real and blatant threat and lyrics that are common in rap songs. Many artists use music as a form of expression, allowing them to say what they want about how they're feeling emotionally. Other artists, especially hip-hop artists, use their music as a way to take a stand and speak out about politics, which is what these men were trying to say. The brief also stated that this case is "troubled and problematic" because Knox is being sentenced to prison, while other artist who use the same threatening lyrics are walking free. (Supreme Court Brief)

This case reminds me of when the hip-hop/rap group N.W.A came out with their song titled similarly as Knox's, "F*** tha Police." A very similar thing happened where the group was not allowed to perform that song or they would be arrested...so they sang the song. They were later acquitted. Another similar case that this reminds me of is one that was filed in early 1990's about the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew. They released an album titled "As Nasty As They Wanna Be", the first album to be considered "obscene" and illegal to own or sell. After being taken to the Supreme Court, the group was able to prove that their lyrics were a form of expression, making it hard for the court to disprove.

This all happened fairly recently so there is no news on what will happen to Jamal Knox but, considering what happened in the past i believe the end will be positive. It's understandable as to why older folks think these lyrics are "obscene", especially for the youths ears. But there is more to hip-hop than the swear words. Tupac had many against his lyrics as well but if you really read into his poetry and try to comprehend what messages he's relaying, then you have a better appreciation for the music.

If you believe that hip-hop is just swear words and offensive language then you should definitely check out some of Tupac's music and poetry. Heres a link where you can read some of his more popular releases : https://mypoeticside.com/poets/tupac-shakur-poems

Here is the PDF link to the Supreme Court brief for Jamal Knox that was referenced: https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/18/18-949/90947/20190306152355894_11%20AM%20Final%20Knox%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf

The Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is THE topmost court system in the United States of America. On account of this, the United States government trusts this system to lead their Judicial Branch. The Supreme Court defines their mission as, "...ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution." (About the Court) The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices that are as follows : The Chief Justice John Roberts and eight other associate justices, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch. (About the Court)

There are many cases that get to the Supreme Court that they have to review, over one hundred a week. Though these justices receive about 7,000 cases a year, not all of them actually get accepted(SupremeCourtvideo). Not many people my age (from personal experience) understand how a case gets as far as the Supreme Court. After watching videos in class and doing further research I put the most prevalent ways these cases get there.

The first popular way a court case gets to the Supreme Court is because it has been appealed on account of the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals is the court system thats in position directly under the Supreme Court. The next common way is when a state court system and the person(s) involved decide that the case should be appealed. Though under these circumstances, these actions are normally dismissed from the Supreme Court except when these cases are in relation to the United States Constitution. The third and more rare way is when a case is associated with conflict between states or other situations involving ambassadors. This would only happen if the Supreme Court believes that this is under its original jurisdiction.

mkoren. "Describe how cases reach the Supreme Court." eNotes, 12 Nov. 2017, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/describe-three-broad-catagories-law-how-cases-344133. Accessed 5 Mar. 2019.

About the Supreme Court. https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/about.aspx

Thumbtack app

Every time i come home from school my dad always mentions a new, cool app that he found and is trying. (My dad has so many apps on his phone its crazy) While speaking to him earlier this week he told me about this app he found called "Thumbtack". 

This app is awesome. The Thumbtack app connects you with local professionals to help you with anything on your to-do list. what you do is type in your list of things that need done like: music lessons, construction work, repairs, photographer, cleaning services, and so much more. Then, the app finds professionals that have the best ratings and exchange your info. The professionals contact you and gives you an estimate for your requested service. Now you choose your preferred business and book the appointment right through the app! 

This app is awesome if you're busy-bees like my family. My brother has been working on foreclosed houses so finding plumbers, and electricians through this app would be very helpful. Heres the full list of what they offer on their website:

*Home Improvement: Cleaning Crews to Builders to Plumbing Professionals

• Wedding: Officiants to Photographers

• Events: Caterers to Makeup Artists

• Photography: Commercial to Wedding Photographers

• Business: Data Entry to Logo Design Specialists

• Design & Web: Engineering to Animation

• Pets: Dog Walkers to Pet Care

• Lessons: Yoga Instructors to Math Tutors

• Crafts: Custom Jewelry Artists to Songwriters

• Legal: Mediation to Estate Planning

• Personal: Life Coaches to Wardrobe Consultants

• Repair & Tech Support: Equipment Repair to Data Recovery Specialists

• Writing, Translation & Transcription: Editors to Content Copywriters

Shear da Beard & Heyward House

We've all heard of the "good-luck" beard during playoffs but Brett Keisel takes it to another level.

If you've never heard of Brett Kiesel, he's worth the google search. He's a 6 foot 5, 285lb former defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Keisel decided to retire in 2015, but he's still very active in the Pittsburgh community. 

It all started in 2010 when Keisel started growing out his "good-luck" beard to help out his teams superstitions. He also encouraged his teammates to do the same. After the playoffs in 2011, Keisel held a fundraiser event called "Shear Da Beard" where he'd have his teammates, friends, and family each cut off a piece of his beard then have a barber clean it up. This fundraiser raised over $40,000 for the Children's hospital cancer program in Pittsburgh. Keisel has held this event every year following 2011 raising millions, and even visits the children at the hospital frequently to help lift their spirits.

On Saturday, February 16th, Keisel held his 9th annual Shear Da Beard at a local Pittsburgh venue, but this year had a little twist. He invited his former teammate Cameron Heyward, a current defensive end for the Steelers, to grow out his beard and participate with him. It meant a lot to Keisel that Heyward grew out his beard, “This year having Cam, who I have just been so proud of, offer to grow his beard and do this weird thing we have going here, it’s something that means a lot not only to me but kids that are fighting cancer and families that have children going through the things they are going through. It gives them hope and that is what this is all about.” (Varley, 2019) 

Its amazing that Heyward and Keisel decided to join forces because they both have so much in common. Cam Heyward has started a foundation with his mother and wife called The Heyward House. This foundation is based on helping children in need whether it's taking them winter clothes shopping, or helping kids with illnesses. Recently, The Heyward House started a program called Craigs Closet where they take donated mens dress clothes and help the local high schools in need. Whether its for a job interview, college interview, or an internship, Craigs Closet has you covered. 

These are wonderful causes that really help the Pittsburgh community. It's comforting to see that these athletes are using their platform to make a change. Hopefully others will see this as their goal as well. 

“Saying Goodbye to the Beards.” Steelers Home, www.steelers.com/news/saying-goodbye-to-the-beards.