Cloiesha Wilson is a poet, and she believes that poetry has the ability to help people transcend hardships and overcome difficult situations in their lives. For her, it was a form of escapism when she was suffering from depression growing up, and it has helped her transition into a career where she is a mentor for young girls.
“Writing poetry gave me the freedom to express those emotions that I had bottled up for years, and it allowed me to become completely comfortable with my imperfections,” says Wilson. “It gave me a voice and it allowed me to be free artistically.”
But how popular is poetry today, and is it possible that verse is a dying technique?
To get an accurate insight into the question, it’s important to take a deeper look. It’s essential to make a quantitative assessment. Most claims that poetry is dead focus on qualitative assessments that are unsolvable.
The truth is that the number of Americans who read poetry per month is less than ever. In 1992, 17 percent of Americans had read a work of poetry in the past year.
Flash forward 20 years later, and that number has fallen by more than half. To be specific, the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts says that number is now at 6.7 percent. The survey is run every few years as part of the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey.
But, that could potentially have damaging effects on people’s ability for expression, exploration and growth.
Back to Cloiesha Wilson, who says she has counted on poetry many times to overcome struggles in her life.
Wilson says that poetry defines more than just personal struggle. It can depict injustices that have occurred over generations and it is a valuable form of history. It documents emotions, feelings and circumstances in a way that other mediums cannot.
One work of poetry that Wilson holds close to her heart is the famous piece by Maya Angelou called “And Still I Rise”. Wilson says that this poem reminded her to be resilient despite the struggles that life may throw her way.
“As a black woman, I feel like Angelou is speaking directly to me,” says Wilson. “I feel resilient because it’s a reminder of how black women must remain strong through whatever life throws at us,” says Wilson.
“It’s a reminder that we can never let outside forces tear us down.”
According to the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, the decline in poetry readership is unique among the arts, and particularly in the literary fields. Unfortunately, over the past 20 years, the downward trend is nearly perfectly linear.
While poetry is now officially less popular than jazz, dancing and knitting, people like Cloiesha Wilson are keeping the art alive, and sharing it with people who can benefit from it the most.
Poetry, according to Wilson, is a method of escape and can help people overcome the most difficult of circumstances.
To learn more about Cloiesha Wilson, you can visit her personal website for more information and poetry recommendations.
Media Contact Company Name: Poet News Distribution Contact Person: Media Relations
DIDWW, a leading global provider of premium quality cloud communication services, has announced that it has become an associate member of the GSMA, an industry organization representing the interests of mobile network operators worldwide.
The association’s member base now boasts more than 750 operators, as well as 400 companies from adjacent industries such as handset, device and equipment vendors, software and Internet service providers. The GSMA actively supports the latest tech innovations and developments in the mobile ecosystem to drive digital transformation and industry growth.
The GSMA membership enables DIDWW to actively participate in technical working groups, establish new business relationships and develop strategies that will greatly contribute to a wider adoption of hosted VoIP services. As a pioneer of VoIP technologies specializing in two-way voice and SMS cloud solutions, DIDWW will also share its expertise and valuable experience to unlock new opportunities for a wide range of business sectors including telecom, financial services, healthcare, media, transportation, and more.
Lina Zaboras, CEO of DIDWW, said, “We’re excited to join the GSMA and be able to seize the opportunity to collaborate in technology innovation projects, join exclusive networking events, and make even more companies aware of the many possibilities VoIP has to offer. Also, we very much look forward to working with other, like-minded members of this organization to address emerging challenges related to globalization, security policies and regulatory compliance.”
In addition, DIDWW has the official status of LIR (Local Internet Registry) and is a member of RIPE (“European IP Networks”), a non-profit association that ensures the administrative and technical coordination necessary to enable the operation of the Internet. DIDWW is also a part of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations that focuses on information and communication technology issues.
About DIDWW
DIDWW is a platform for telecommunication professionals with full self-service access and real-time provisioning, APIs and all the necessary building blocks for achieving the ultimate control over voice and SMS services.
The company offers the largest fully compliant international coverage of local, national, mobile, toll-free voice and SMS-enabled virtual phone numbers, two-way local and global SIP trunks, access to local emergency services, flexible capacity options, free global number portability, a number selection tool, and more.
DIDWW delivers premium quality services to thousands of operators worldwide through a private and fully geo-redundant network with mission-critical reliability and guaranteed SLAs. Their customers enjoy advanced solutions coupled with a unique service experience and superior value, all driven by a highly motivated team of professionals.
With economic conditions and key indicators on the rise, B2B marketers are taking stock of their business to take advantage of what should be a very strong 2021. They’re dealing with some new elements of their business compared to one year ago. Both clients and new prospects have continued to transform to online interaction and online research.
As B2B marketers plan where to invest, and where to engage with these two important groups, the signs point to continued data-driven digital. Even in the second half of 2021, when in-person meetings and even some events will come back, foundational marketing tactics from search to display and email will continue to play a bigger role than ever before and will set up marketers for further expansion including advanced analytics, multichannel marketing and to test new channels like video and OTT.
New Customer Acquisition In Digital Performance Channels
Prospects are more wedded to digital channels than ever before. According to McKinsey, between 70-80 percent of B2B buyers prefer remote human interaction and digital channels to in-person meetings, and they don’t plan on going back.
For B2B marketers, this means that the heavy focus on in-person events, direct mail and sales meetings has given way to a focus on search, email and display advertising, not to mention a hefty dose of content marketing. Luckily, that trend is already happening based on a recent survey of B2B marketers in our database. We found that for new customer acquisition, B2B marketers are well along the road to changing their marketing mix.
When we asked B2B marketers how their spending on different channels has changed, we saw big growth in digital channels. Search grew the most, with 20 percent of respondents indicating that they have added this channel since the start of 2020. Next, we saw a surge in display advertising, with 18 percent noting that they added this new channel. Email was third, with 10 percent of B2B marketers using this channel for the first time.
Client Retention In Digital Engagement Channels
What works for lead generation and new prospects is not necessarily what works for keeping current customers engaged. What B2B marketers have added reveals the important differences in marketing strategy.
Email was actually the channel most likely to be added since the start of the pandemic for customer retention, meaning now, nearly 100 percent of B2B marketers rely on this channel for customer communication and marketing. The second was direct mail, which is a costly investment and makes the most sense for customers, who are already valuable to the company. For any B2B marketer with a need for high-touch interaction, direct mail can still provide a tangible touchpoint that goes beyond digital.
Room For Further Growth
Our data was encouraging that B2B marketers are poised to capture the (mainly digital) increases in activity we’re likely to see this summer and fall. While 31 percent added new channels by moving the existing budget, 13 percent actually got a new budget in order to expand into new territory. This paves the way for an increased appetite for the most sophisticated digital marketing based on analytics and automation.
Most encouraging of all is that the investments are already paying off, with more B2B marketers reporting an increase in average order value (36%) than those who saw no change (20%) or those who saw a decrease (31%.)
We don’t expect the story to end here. B2B buyers are showing signals of pent-up demand. About 29% of our respondents noted that they are seeing a higher volume of activity from clients and prospects all day long, while a few saw increased activity just in the morning or the evening. Only a small handful saw decreased activity.
This is an encouraging sign, not only for future sales but also for future expansion of marketing strategies. With higher activity comes more insights, and more touchpoints that B2B marketers can use to further improve their approach to both new customer acquisition and client retention. B2B marketers will learn quickly how new channels like search and display drive behaviors on the site and will fine-tune their content strategies for further optimization. And, the positive momentum from this new investment in growth will encourage more B2B marketers to explore experimental channels like OTT and video, as a change to further differentiate and create new opportunities for engagement.
Analytics will continue to play a key role in these advancements. Not only do B2B marketers need to understand changes to prospect and customer behavior, but they also need to understand the effects of adding new channels to the mix. Investing in analytics is just as important as investing in more media spend or new content. Marketers need insights that consider the entire omnichannel marketing strategy to understand how to drive more leads, how to combine messaging on different channels, how to keep clients engaged, and much more.
The future is extremely bright for B2B marketers who continue to make moves further into data-driven, tech-enabled omnichannel marketing. Our insights show the enormous positive signs of growth and our findings point to a bullish outlook for B2B marketers as they continue their digital transformations and journey forward.
Rob Sanchez, CEO and Founder of MeritB2B provides commentary about the study and how B2B marketers are poised for the next phase of digital growth, including multichannel and analytic improvements to bring these new digital capabilities together.
By Rob Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer, MeritB2B
Media Contact Company Name: MeritB2B Contact Person: Media Relations
New book digs deep into the secrets and stories of 16 women of color forging leadership paths
Women and Youth Empowerment Coach Sneha Gandhi White struggled in school. Not because she wasn’t smart: She loved to read and she loved to learn. “For me, it was all about relationships,” she explains. “If I didn’t feel a bond with my instructor, I wouldn’t even do the bare minimum for a class. As a result, my grades would plummet but then I would ace my exams to stay afloat. My parents were so frustrated. Meanwhile, I felt so written off by my peers. My best friend at every school was the librarian.”
Thanks to the support of her best friend, who became her husband, Sneha enrolled in community college. Then she discovered the Transfer Center and started spending all her time there, learning about four-year colleges. She was hooked. But the interesting twist is that she wanted to help other students get hooked, too! “I remember students coming in curious to know more about the college transfer process themselves. I offered to act as their guide. The head of the department at that time, Willie, offered me a job for the work I had already been doing. Willie became like a surrogate parent to me and in his own way set me on the path I am on today. I made $10 an hour, but that job meant everything to me. I would help kids get into school. I would stay as long as necessary to help them get their essays written and help them streamline the college application process. I was there for their ‘aha’ moments. That was when I realized that my calling was to help others find their ‘aha’ moments.”
What has evolved from those earliest experiences guiding others is a full service Youth and Women’s Empowerment practice that encompasses wellness in its fullest definition. “Wellness to me entails academia, nutrition, and relationships,” she says. And, ultimately, going for your dreams.
“Your dream life is waiting for you. You just have to take the risk to get there. In order for someone to pursue their true path, they have to shut the door on all the white noise in life. White noise can be your family, society, or even your job, collectively sending you subtle messages about who you are meant to be. Women for centuries have allowed themselves to be talked out of their dreams or goals when we shared them with the world.” Sneha encourages women and youth not to be talked out of their goals in favor of something more “practical.” For women, especially, she says, “You matter. You’re a priority. We give to the world, but first I ask that you give to yourself. Give yourself the choice of living the life that you deserve. No matter what phase of life you’re in, you can make it work.”
Sneha shares much more of her wisdom in the inspiring new book International Women of Color Who Boss Up, by Tam Luc, the author, educator, and podcaster dedicated to helping women “boss up.” This collection of interviews with female entrepreneurs of color is a rich resource for women already embracing their strengths and capabilities as well as those looking for models and mentors to help guide their journeys to greatness.
Find out how to connect with Sneha at https://bossupbestseller.com/SnehaGandhi, where you can also find a link to International Women of Color Who Boss Up. And don’t miss Sneha and many of the other incredibly dynamic and supportive women from the Women Who Boss Up book series who are scheduled to speak at the upcoming Women Who Boss Up Summit! Details and registration are at www.womenbossupsummit.com
About Women with Vision International Women with Vision International aims to inspire, uplift, and empower women everywhere to never give up their dream of living their life on purpose. We gather dynamic, entrepreneurial women who are making a difference and changing people’s lives to spark conversation around the topics that impact us all such as building their businesses, fundraising, and balancing their work and their families.
About Tam Luc
Tam Luc is an international bestselling author and the founder of Women with Vision International who shares the triumphs, stress, and struggles of balancing her life to help women grow their businesses. After 20 years as an entrepreneur, she is able to help women leverage their messages and create the lifestyle they want through her unique book messaging strategies. Join us at https://womenbossupsummit.com/virtualsummit
New book digs deep into the secrets and stories of 16 women of color forging leadership paths
Sherrie Gilbert-Ramsey has gone out on a lot of limbs. An Army veteran, Certified Hostage Negotiator, Crisis Responder, Corrections Officer, and Ex-Cop, she does not shy away from a challenge. The latest is launching and running several successful businesses, from a private practice that offers therapy and wellness, to self-discovery coaching to crisis management consulting to firearms training and personal protection for women, to a school that offers certification programs for coaches, speakers, counselors, and clergy to a busines that offers educational and babysitting services for moms. Her experiences and her story come together to create something she believes is critical for youth today: a model of what women of color can achieve.
As a kid, she was fascinated with female police officers, like the one who came to her elementary school. It was this white female officer who drew to Sherrie’s attention that women could be in law enforcement, so while Sherrie was intrigued, she didn’t imagine putting on that uniform. Then, when she was just 11, her father was shot in the back by a white police officer. He was unarmed, simply walking through someone else’s backyard to get to his own. “He did not die but that really affected me for a long time. That really tore me up as a young girl. And I thought about the woman police officer who I saw growing up. But she was a Caucasian police officer, and I was like, ‘We need some Black people as police officers. We need people who look like us.’ That’s the first time I realized that representation matters. When I was 11.”
Years later when Sherrie became that Black woman on the police force, she faced anger and rejection from friends and family for joining the department that had hurt her dad. “For me, it wasn’t about that,” she says. “It was about other little girls being able to see someone that looks like them doing something to help someone.” While Sherrie was a Police Officer she went back to school for counseling and therapy. A single mother, she brought her son with her to college. “Sometimes people in the cafeteria would watch him or people in the library would watch him. But a lot of times he sat in class next to me. I got my degree while I was a full-time police officer, going to school at night. My days were very long, and it certainly was not easy.”
Now, though, her years of officer training, crisis certifications, and investigative experience are all put to use along with her degree to help clients in their self-discovery, for example in the coaching platform she calls The CSI Experience: www.sherrigcsi.com. One of the important lessons she imparts to women she works with is to use their voices. “I tell all women don’t be ashamed of your story. Don’t be ashamed to use every bit of your experience to be whoever it is you want to be. Don’t mute your voice. Use it for your platform, use it to find out what your passion is, and use it to help other women be inspired by it and be able to tell their story.” Through Sherrie’s school that she co-founded, The Institute of Personal and Professional Development she helps others find their niche and obtain certifications in the area of human services and other helping professions.
Sherrie shares more of her wisdom in the inspiring new book International Women of Color Who Boss Up, by Tam Luc, the author, educator, and podcaster dedicated to helping women “boss up.” This collection of interviews with female entrepreneurs of color is a rich resource for women already embracing their strengths and capabilities as well as those looking for models and mentors to help guide their journeys to greatness.
Find out how to connect with Sherrie at https://bossupbestseller.com/SherrieGilbertRamsay, where you can also find a link to International Women of Color Who Boss Up. And don’t miss Sherrie and many of the other incredibly dynamic and supportive women from the Women Who Boss Up book series who are scheduled to speak at the upcoming Women Who Boss Up Summit! Details and registration are at www.womenbossupsummit.com
About Women with Vision International Women with Vision International aims to inspire, uplift, and empower women everywhere to never give up their dream of living their life on purpose. We gather dynamic, entrepreneurial women who are making a difference and changing people’s lives to spark conversation around the topics that impact us all such as building their businesses, fundraising, and balancing their work and their families.
About Tam Luc
Tam Luc is an international bestselling author and the founder of Women with Vision International who shares the triumphs, stress, and struggles of balancing her life to help women grow their businesses. After 20 years as an entrepreneur, she is able to help women leverage their messages and create the lifestyle they want through her unique book messaging strategies. Join us at https://womenbossupsu
New book digs deep into the secrets and stories of 16 women of color forging leadership paths
Sheena Yap Chan is a keynote speaker, coach, author, and podcaster focused on helping women build self-confidence. One thing she is not, is a meditator. “The best thing about confidence is you get to pick and choose what works for you,” she says. “So, trying to meditate doesn’t work for me. I fall asleep! It’s a hot mess, I’ve done it a million times and I thought something was wrong with me because I didn’t get the same results as so-and-so. But really it’s just not for me.” On the other hand, she explains, “if I go for a jog outside and dump all my thoughts out in nature, wherever I’m jogging, it helps me process my thoughts. I feel recharged. I can start the day properly.”
Sounds simple, but it’s not always easy for women to get in touch with what they actually like, especially women raised in some Asian cultures. “The way we’re brought up, every decision is made for us. We’re told what to do,” she explains. “Because of that, we’re not confident enough to do simple things such as to trust our own gut and make a simple decision. It’s hard for us to pick and choose what works for us because we’ve been programmed to have things decided for us. It’s really a challenge all on its own. We have to figure out, well, what do I like? What don’t I like? What works for me? What doesn’t?”
Through her podcast, The Tao of Self Confidence, Sheena has listened to hundreds of Asian women entrepreneurs share their stories of gaining confidence. One common theme: It takes time. “Confidence is not something you build overnight,” she explains. “It’s something you build every single day for the rest of your life because it’s not linear. It’s like a rollercoaster. You go up, you go down, you go upside down, you go sideways, you scream, you don’t scream, you cry.” Just as important, she says, is that hearing the stories of so many Asian women made her realize anything is possible. “We can do so much more, the sky’s the limit. Actually, there is no limit! You can do whatever you want, especially as a woman.”
Sheena shares more of her personal journey in the inspiring new book International Women of Color Who Boss Up, by Tam Luc, the author, educator, and podcaster dedicated to helping women “boss up.” This collection of interviews with female entrepreneurs of color is a rich resource for women already embracing their strengths and capabilities as well as those looking for models and mentors to help guide their journeys to greatness.
Learn how to connect with Sheena at https://bossupbestseller.com/SheenaYapChan, where you can also find a link to International Women of Color Who Boss Up. And don’t miss Sheena and many of the other incredibly dynamic and supportive women from the Women Who Boss Up book series who are scheduled to speak at the upcoming Women Who Boss Up Summit! Details and registration are at www.womenbossupsummit.com
About Women with Vision International Women with Vision International aims to inspire, uplift, and empower women everywhere to never give up their dream of living their life on purpose. We gather dynamic, entrepreneurial women who are making a difference and changing people’s lives to spark conversation around the topics that impact us all such as building their businesses, fundraising, and balancing their work and their families.
About Tam Luc
Tam Luc is an international bestselling author and the founder of Women with Vision International who shares the triumphs, stress, and struggles of balancing her life to help women grow their businesses. After 20 years as an entrepreneur, she is able to help women leverage their messages and create the lifestyle they want through her unique book messaging strategies. Join us at https://womenbossupsummit.com/virtualsummit
New book digs deep into the secrets and stories of 16 women of color forging leadership paths
Career coach Ilhiana Rojas of BeLIVE Coaching & Consulting credits great mentors for her early career success. Some of them were informal mentors—people she observed and learned from. Others advocated for her behind the scenes, offering up her name for new opportunities. After a successful 20-year marketing and sales career with Fortune 500 companies in Mexico and US headquarters, Ilhiana now shares her business lessons with other professional women and entrepreneurs, including best practices for finding a mentor when you’re just starting out.
Ilhiana offers three tips. First, she says, “understand who you are and the value you bring to the table, because it’s not just about connecting with others, it’s about being able to tell them who you are. This is a big one, especially for women and women of color. We’ve been told for so long who we need to be to achieve success and those stereotypes aren’t necessarily the ones that are right for us. So we need to embrace who we are and know our worth.”
Next, find a group or an organization that aligns with your beliefs and values. The best mentors are people you have something in common with, so you can build connections authentically and genuinely.
Third, don’t be “the world’s best-kept secret”! For many women, and Ilhiana includes herself, it’s hard to talk about themselves; it’s hard to say, “Hey, I’m good at doing this.” But it’s a must. “Elevate your voice,” she says. “Many of us are just hoping and expecting others to read between the lines.” There’s no guarantee that’ll move you forward.
And for women who feel stuck in their career path and are wondering how to figure out what’s next, Ilhiana suggests setting aside time for self-reflection with a few targeted questions. “Think about what brings you joy and how you help others,” she advises. “What is the unique problem that you usually solve for others? What is your superpower or the special sauce you use when solving those problems? Think about those examples where nobody else can do what you do, and that you could do all day with a smile on your face.” That’s where you’ll thrive and that’s where you’ll find your fuel to boss up.
Hear more about Ilhiana’s journey, including how she saved her business from disappearing after COVID hit, in the inspiring new book International Women of Color Who Boss Up, by Tam Luc, the author, educator, and podcaster dedicated to helping women “boss up.” This collection of interviews with female entrepreneurs of color is a rich resource for women already embracing their strengths and capabilities as well as those looking for models and mentors to help guide their journeys to greatness.
Find out how to connect with Ilhiana at https://bossupbestseller.com/IlhianaRojas, where you can also find a link to International Women of Color Who Boss Up. And don’t miss Ilhiana and many of the other incredibly dynamic and supportive women from the Women Who Boss Up book series who are scheduled to speak at the upcoming Women Who Boss Up Summit! Details and registration are at www.womenbossupsummit.com
About Women with Vision International Women with Vision International aims to inspire, uplift, and empower women everywhere to never give up their dream of living their life on purpose. We gather dynamic, entrepreneurial women who are making a difference and changing people’s lives to spark conversation around the topics that impact us all such as building their businesses, fundraising, and balancing their work and their families.
About Tam Luc
Tam Luc is an international bestselling author and the founder of Women with Vision International who shares the triumphs, stress, and struggles of balancing her life to help women grow their businesses. After 20 years as an entrepreneur, she is able to help women leverage their messages and create the lifestyle they want through her unique book messaging strategies. Join us at https://womenbossupsummit.com/virtualsummit
New book digs deep into the secrets and stories of 16 women of color forging leadership paths
Perfectionists, raise your hands! Nicole Edwards sees you. The speaker, facilitator, and founder of Edwards Authentic lists perfectionism as one of her core struggles. “In starting my own business, I felt like things needed to be perfect before unleashing them,” she says. “That can cause a lot of hesitation and doubt—needing perfection before launching new content or before launching a course. I’ve learned to just move with the process and take the next step. Really, just put one foot in front of the other. That’s a big lesson in starting and running your business.”
With a background in mental health as well as education, Nicole knows that adults learn best when they are actively engaged. That’s why she designs courses not just to deliver information but to deliver transformational experiences. When clients undergo these transformations, they are often able to step into what she calls their authentic power.
“Authentic power is when your personality, your soul, who you are at your core, aligns with what you’re doing in this life,” she explains. “You can get closer and closer to that, and with deep reflection and practice, you feel alive and vibrant.” She points out that it might not be just one thing that lights you up or that gives you purpose. “A lot of times we don’t move because it doesn’t feel right. As soon as you get aligned, it starts moving, it starts flowing. My advice would be to dig deep, read, listen to podcasts, pray, anything that helps you to learn more about yourself. Then find someone who helps you to continue the work, who helps you tap into your authentic power.”
Hear more from Nicole, including her experience parenting a child on the autism spectrum, in the inspiring new book International Women of Color Who Boss Up, by Tam Luc, the author, educator, and podcaster dedicated to helping women “boss up.” This collection of interviews with female entrepreneurs of color is a rich resource for women already embracing their strengths and capabilities as well as those looking for models and mentors to help guide their journeys to greatness.
Find out how to connect with Nicole at https://bossupbestseller.com/NicoleEdwards, where you can also find a link to International Women of Color Who Boss Up. And don’t miss Nicole and many of the other incredibly dynamic and supportive women from the Women Who Boss Up book series who are scheduled to speak at the upcoming Women Who Boss Up Summit! Details and registration are at www.womenbossupsummit.com
About Women with Vision International Women with Vision International aims to inspire, uplift, and empower women everywhere to never give up their dream of living their life on purpose. We gather dynamic, entrepreneurial women who are making a difference and changing people’s lives to spark conversation around the topics that impact us all such as building their businesses, fundraising, and balancing their work and their families.
About Tam Luc
Tam Luc is an international bestselling author and the founder of Women with Vision International who shares the triumphs, stress, and struggles of balancing her life to help women grow their businesses. After 20 years as an entrepreneur, she is able to help women leverage their messages and create the lifestyle they want through her unique book messaging strategies. Join us at https://womenbossupsummit.com/virtualsummit
Since working from home, thousands of employees have seen a drastic worsening of their back pain, neck pain or shoulder pain. By law, employers are responsible for ensuring their health and safety, even at home; but for most of them, this situation was also a struggle! In this article, we look at the different practices that companies have put in place to support (or not) their employees, and describe a way forward to avoid a “musculoskeletal epidemics”.
Olivier Girard is a Switzerland-based engineer in ergonomics, and a posture therapist. He advises the largest multinational companies and insurance companies in the prevention and management of work-related muscle and joint pain. He is also a member of the Logitech Ergo Lab Scientific Advisory Board.
Why do many people feel pain when working from home?
How does your neck feel since you have been working from home?
In Switzerland where I live, March 16th, 2020 was the day when many office workers were asked to stay at home: thousands of people across dozens of professions, most of them without any IT equipment (sometimes not even a laptop, as their company was running on desktops only), nor a desk or a proper chair.
Prior to this day, musculoskeletal disorders (MSD: back pain, neck pain, etc.) were already a huge issue: all in all, almost 85% of the adults feel muscle and joint pain somewhere every year . Among my corporate clients , 53% of the employees felt lower back pain last year, and 70% of the women felt neck pain. Even more interestingly, 43% felt pain above 7 on a scale of 10, and 57% had pain in at least 3 regions!
Pain is a cumulative phenomenon resulting from a combination of biomechanical and psychological factors (incl. stress) over a prolonged period. To cut a long story short, your neck gets painful when the glass overflows: if it’s 99% full, you don’t feel anything; add just a drop and you get a stiff neck.
During the first lockdown, every indicator turned red: ergonomics worsened and workload increased whilst financial and personal stressors went through the roof (homeschooling the children, being 24/7 with the partner, etc.) .
To make things worse, most of those who suffered did not consult, either because their therapist had closed or because they were afraid to be contaminated by the coronavirus. The accumulation just worsened…
What have employers done to help so far?
The employers’ health policies and managerial cultures had a direct effect on the mitigation of these physical and psychological strains. Many line managers were not used to manage at a distance, which was an additional source of stress for them and their colleagues. From an ergonomic perspective, I could observe 4 different policies:
● some employers did not provide any equipment, either because the costs were too high (e.g., if the company had to buy laptops for all its employees) or because they believed that the issue had been created by the government, which was therefore to be held responsible for finding a solution;
● others allowed their colleagues to bring back home their office equipment (usually, PC, peripherals and chair);
● after a few months, a few employers gave a cash cheque (typically $300) to subsidize the purchase of some equipment;
● a minority invested (or leased) complete workstations (sometimes incl. an electric sit-stand desk) for their staff at home.
What are the employers’ obligations?
The legal framework defining the employer’s duties depends on the country. A common base is however provided by international conventions , which specify that the employer is always responsible for the health and safety of its employees. Of course, labor inspectors were often less strict in 2020 than normal, but this will not last.
Employees who took their office stuff will have to bring it back some day. For their companies, the question of how to deal with ergonomics at home will therefore reappear when working from home a few days per week becomes the new norm.
Hence, most companies who want to / have to comply with the law will at some point have to choose between providing equipment or subsidizing it. If they don’t, employees’ backs and necks will suffer. This will generate huge productivity, legal and reputational costs: employers will necessarily have to pay for something, be it equipment, fines or absenteeism.
What are the best working from home practices?
Let’s consider the pros and cons of subsidizing equipment vs. providing it:
● subsidizing avoids the trap of “one size fits all”: if you ever tried to buy 50 chairs of the same model and hoped that all your colleagues would equally appreciate them, you surely see what I mean… However, I have also often observed (both with companies and with individuals) that most people do not choose their ergonomic equipment well: they don’t know what to look for, where to find it, how to test it, etc. As a result, a lot of money is wasted, and the risk is high to mass produce (and therefore mass pollute) without really improving your working conditions at home;
● providing equipment may limit this risk, but it still requires to choose wisely and to accommodate some individual limitations: not every employee has a room dedicated to working from home, and not everybody can fit a large office desk in his house… which may in turn impact your choice of a chair, or force you to use a footrest.
One way or the other, the final workstation should look like what is shown below (left, using a separate screen and a footrest; right, working directly on the laptop without a footrest).
What is the best solution for employers and employees?
Musculoskeletal pain is cumulative: working conditions play a role, but also individual habits and lifestyles. One sure thing is that everyone pays for the consequences: employees suffer as well as their families, employers bear the huge costs of absenteeism and subsequent disorganization. In a perfect world, both parties should therefore feel that they have a joint interest in resolving the issue together.
In my experience, what works best is a combination of training, equipment and assistance. Short term solutions are behavior-based, whilst durable solutions are technical and organizational. Hence,
● employees should be trained in posture, ergonomics and time organization when working from home. You will find many more videos on my YouTube channel, which have already helped hundreds of people worldwide improve their posture and ergonomics or resolve their pain.
Bear in mind that training is one thing, but what truly matters is implementation: employees should take an active role in improving their habits;
● employers should budget equipment for their employees working from home. To foster wise choices, a catalogue should be created with an ergonomics professional and include
o 2-3 different chair models
o different height-adjustable desk sizes (120 cm, 140 cm, 160 cm). These desks can be electric sit-stand desks if the budget is available;
o a compact keyboard (i.e. without numeric keypad), a standard keyboard, a standard mouse (and why not, a vertical mouse for people with upper limb pain);
o a separate webcam;
o a screen
● employees should be offered professional assistance as soon as they start feeling pain. Even at a distance, workplace assessments and consultations can be offered by Zoom or by Whatsapp. Taking quick action is key to preventing exponential consequences, potentially leading to permanent invalidity…
All in all, I truly believe
● that employees and employers have to face these new risks together, hand in hand;
● that working from home will become common practice where it wasn’t already.
For employers, this will mean spending some cash on equipment, but saving on infrastructure costs and gaining on employees’ satisfaction and engagement . In return, I believe that employee’s best interest is to develop their understanding of how the body works, how to sit, when to take breaks and how to create new pathways to combine physical health and long-term productivity.
In the field of occupational health, the cursor of responsibility is always somewhere in the middle…
New book digs deep into the secrets and stories of 16 women of color forging leadership paths
Career coach Ilhiana Rojas of BeLIVE Coaching & Consulting credits great mentors for her early career success. Some of them were informal mentors—people she observed and learned from. Others advocated for her behind the scenes, offering up her name for new opportunities. After a successful 20-year marketing and sales career with Fortune 500 companies in Mexico and US headquarters, Ilhiana now shares her business lessons with other professional women and entrepreneurs, including best practices for finding a mentor when you’re just starting out.
Ilhiana offers three tips. First, she says, “understand who you are and the value you bring to the table, because it’s not just about connecting with others, it’s about being able to tell them who you are. This is a big one, especially for women and women of color. We’ve been told for so long who we need to be to achieve success and those stereotypes aren’t necessarily the ones that are right for us. So we need to embrace who we are and know our worth.”
Next, find a group or an organization that aligns with your beliefs and values. The best mentors are people you have something in common with, so you can build connections authentically and genuinely.
Third, don’t be “the world’s best-kept secret”! For many women, and Ilhiana includes herself, it’s hard to talk about themselves; it’s hard to say, “Hey, I’m good at doing this.” But it’s a must. “Elevate your voice,” she says. “Many of us are just hoping and expecting others to read between the lines.” There’s no guarantee that’ll move you forward.
And for women who feel stuck in their career path and are wondering how to figure out what’s next, Ilhiana suggests setting aside time for self-reflection with a few targeted questions. “Think about what brings you joy and how you help others,” she advises. “What is the unique problem that you usually solve for others? What is your superpower or the special sauce you use when solving those problems? Think about those examples where nobody else can do what you do, and that you could do all day with a smile on your face.” That’s where you’ll thrive and that’s where you’ll find your fuel to boss up.
Hear more about Ilhiana’s journey, including how she saved her business from disappearing after COVID hit, in the inspiring new book International Women of Color Who Boss Up, by Tam Luc, the author, educator, and podcaster dedicated to helping women “boss up.” This collection of interviews with female entrepreneurs of color is a rich resource for women already embracing their strengths and capabilities as well as those looking for models and mentors to help guide their journeys to greatness.
Find out how to connect with Ilhiana at https://bossupbestseller.com/IlhianaRojas, where you can also find a link to International Women of Color Who Boss Up. And don’t miss Ilhiana and many of the other incredibly dynamic and supportive women from the Women Who Boss Up book series who are scheduled to speak at the upcoming Women Who Boss Up Summit! Details and registration are at www.womenbossupsummit.com
About Women with Vision International Women with Vision International aims to inspire, uplift, and empower women everywhere to never give up their dream of living their life on purpose. We gather dynamic, entrepreneurial women who are making a difference and changing people’s lives to spark conversation around the topics that impact us all such as building their businesses, fundraising, and balancing their work and their families.
About Tam Luc
Tam Luc is an international bestselling author and the founder of Women with Vision International who shares the triumphs, stress, and struggles of balancing her life to help women grow their businesses. After 20 years as an entrepreneur, she is able to help women leverage their messages and create the lifestyle they want through her unique book messaging strategies. Join us at https://womenbossupsummit.com/virtualsummit
