As the economy keeps generating jobs (even if many aren’t full-time or high-paying), people who stayed put during the recession are more confident that they can move on to greener pastures. That’s not surprising, but here’s what is: 86% of job seekers who are already employed are looking for work outside their current occupations. (Fortune)
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Is income inequality holding back the United States economy? A new report argues that it is, that an unequal distribution in incomes is making it harder for the nation to recover from the recession and achieve the kind of growth that was commonplace in decades past. (The New York Times)
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At the last World Economic Forum, Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer shared that she checks her smartphone more than 150 times a day. It was a proud admission that feeds the myth that multitasking is the new modus operandi for smart, connected leaders. In fact, research has shown we work better when we concentrate on one thing at a time. (Businessweek)
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When business owners go looking for productivity boosters, they're generally thinking of small changesthat can help them squeeze more essential business tasks into their days. In other words, tricks and techniques that will speed up their work. But what if the truth was that in order to reach maximum velocity in completing tasks you first had to slow way, way down? (Inc.)
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You’ve no doubt heard it a million times: Career advancement is as much about who you know as what you know, and that’s exactly why being a powerful networker is so important. But mastering this crucial skill requires more than just schmoozing over cheese platters and exchanging business cards. There’s actually an art to it. (Fast Company)
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When you’re racing 90 miles an hour, the last thing you want to do is slow down. That’s how it feels on those exhilarating days when you’re completely focused, tearing through your to-do list, racking up accomplishments. You just want to keep going. You might also worry that if you take a break, you’ll lose momentum and find it impossible to regain your stride. But the research tells us otherwise. (Harvard Business Review)
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Hiring companies aren't supposed to delve into the personal lives of job candidates. But they could have preformed impressions, because personal details (age, race, sexual orientation and political affiliation) that would be inappropriate to raise in an interview are easy to find online. That's why workplace experts advise job hunters to be proactive about countering stereotypes companies may develop before an interview. (The Wall Street Journal)
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We've all been there: Staring at an email inbox stacked with one irritating message after the next. The damage control can seem too overwhelming to tackle, especially at the end of the day when the only ones remaining are the ones you've worked hardest to avoid. Where to begin responding? And what's with all these tone-deaf emailers? (Fast Company)
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When people talk about cultures, they often paint with a broad brush: He is so American, so French, or so Japanese. But individuals within a culture vary enormously in their behaviors and attitudes, and many societies have distinct subcultures. Even a small country like Switzerland (which has four national languages) is far from homogenous. (Harvard Business Review)
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Russia is imposing a "full embargo" on food imports from the EU, US and some other Western countries, in response to sanctions over Ukraine. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said it would include fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy imports. Australia, Canada and Norway are also affected. (BBC News)
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The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit has brought together scores of African leaders and American businessmen. Billions of dollars of investments have been announced this week. While Africa is becoming attractive to investors, some countries are drawing more attention than others. (NPR)
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At some point in their first semester, some members of the next class of graduate business school students will get a surprise note with a long pedigree. The letter is the work of an MBA they’ve probably never met, who wrote it when he was a student and George Michael had just put out the biggest hit of the year. (Businessweek)
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They've mastered the U.S., saturated Europe and made headway in Asia. Now, business schools are taking on Africa. Financial pressures and fierce competition in more established markets are pushing schools to view the continent as something more than a destination for student volunteer trips. But the recent Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria highlights the unique challenges schools face in expanding their footprints in the region. (The Wall Street Journal)
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If you're registered for the NBMBAA 36th Annual Conference and Exposition but haven't yet secured housing, now is the time to ensure you have your hotel rooms. Rooms are filling quickly, so don't delay! You must have completed your registration to secure housing. Visit registration page and choose "Already Registered' to go back in and add housing. If you haven't completed your registration, rates increase August 15, so finalize your registration today!
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Entrepreneurial Institute (EI), is a "must attend" day long series of business development workshops and breakthrough training sessions. The EI attracts new entrepreneurs, current business owners and small business professionals seeking the knowledge and tools of success. EI provides professional development via workshops, panels, discussions, networking opportunities and insights from local and national entrepreneurs who have achieved success in their businesses.
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The Idea: Russia’s economy is cash based, and its delivery networks are shaky. To drive growth in e-commerce, Ozon had to create a proprietary distribution system, a new logistics and customer service model, and a highly engaged team. (Harvard Business Review)
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If you want to lose weight, improve your memory, even stop using technology so much, as the saying goes: there's an app for that. There are hundreds if not thousands of apps designed to help you change behaviors and drop bad habits. (Fast Company)
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Payday lenders aren't the most scrupulous of operations. Preying on the desperation of people who don't have enough money to make it to their next payday, these lenders dole out short-term loans with exorbitant interest rates, forcing already cash-strapped customers deeper into debt. And while many have tried to reform the payday lending industry, we're still awaiting the right answer. (CNN)
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Securing a bank loan isn’t as difficult for small businesses today as it was during the recession. However, it’s still not as easy it was prior to the collapse – and that appears to be holding back the broader economic recovery. (The Washington Post)
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Businesses with fewer than 50 workers are exempt from the most stringent requirements for larger employers under the federal health-care law. But that doesn't mean they're off the hook entirely. Smaller employers aren't required under the Affordable Care Act to offer coverage for their full-time workers – as larger firms must by 2016 or face penalties, for instance. (The Wall Street Journal)
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The 1 percent is literally rich beyond measure, depriving nations of billions in tax revenue and obscuring shifts in global inequality. Research conducted separately by European Central Bank economist Philip Vermeulen and London School of Economics’ Gabriel Zucman show the wealth of the super-affluent – hidden by tax shelters and nonresponse to questionnaires – is undercounted. (Bloomberg)
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Baltimore is a troubled city, as you know from The Wire. Like many troubled cities, Baltimore has turned to casino gambling as its solution. On August 26, a new Caesar’s casino will open on the site of an old chemical factory, a little more than 2 miles from the famous Inner Harbor and Camden Yards baseball stadium. Yet there’s already reason to expect the casino to disappoint everyone involved: the city looking for tax revenues, the workers hoping for jobs, the investors expecting hefty returns. (The Atlantic)
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Paying off your mortgage before you stop working could help provide you with something every retiree seeks: peace of mind. But there may be better uses for your money, at least in the short term. If you have credit card or other high-interest debt, pay it off first. And don’t neglect your retirement savings. (Kiplinger's)
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According to a survey of 61 major retail credit cards released Thursday by CreditCards.com , a credit-card comparison website, retail credit cards are becoming increasingly bad deals for consumers. They have an average APR of 23.23% (compared with an average of just 15.03% for all credit cards), which is up from 21.22% in 2010. (MarketWatch)
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A recent study indicated that certified employees tend to earn 10-25% more in annual salary than their non-certified peers... and 1.2 million new project management jobs will be created, on a yearly basis, for the next 10 years... If you need to pass the PMP® (Project Management Professional) or CAPM®(Certified Associate in Project Management) certification exam and you want to get the best project management learning experience in just 3 days, then CertifiNOW™ is the right choice for you. This project management learning program provides the best learning experience in a condensed amount of time, while also satisfying most, if not all, of your professional certification, education, and training needs. The CertifiNOW certification course reduces exam preparation time from an average of nine to twelve months, down to 3 days of classroom instruction.

CertifiNOW is being offered September 14-16 on-site at the NBMBAA 36th Annual Conference and Expo. NBMBAA members receive even deeper discounts on this amazing course, so register today!
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The Leadership Institute® (LI) offers a full day of executive-level education designed to take your career to the next level and to give you the training you need to succeed in today's dynamic, changing environment. Centered on this year's Conference theme, The Art of Leadership: Inspiration. Innovation. Collaboration, the LI tackles the importance of being a courageous leader and tools for having meaningful conversations when stakes are high, to finding your strengths and the importance of play. Featuring renowned faculty and innovative format, the LI is a unique, creative experience that will challenge, enrich and leave you stronger than before.

PLENARY: New this year, Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts headlines our closing session.

Space is limited, so register today! Make sure to select NBMBAA Leadership Institute® when registering.
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Job interview preparation has changed. Mastering a confident smile and memorizing a few pat responses might once have been all a qualified candidate needed to score a competitive corporate position. Increasingly, however, companies recruit through intensive, job-specific tests that are nearly impossible to wing. (Businessweek)
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Entry-level work isn't what it used to be. Companies bruised by the recession have stayed lean by automating and outsourcing core functions while slashing training budgets and payrolls. But in an effort to cut costs, some companies also have cut entry-level jobs that serve as a crucial first step on the path to a professional career. (The Wall Street Journal)
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Brazil may have never wanted for places to play soccer, but that didn’t stop the country from spending billions of dollars on stadiums for last month’s World Cup. The Arena Amazonia, a $300 million edifice designed to look like a woven basket, was built in a rain-forest city where the professional team regularly draws fewer than 2,000 fans per game. And Brazil is only getting started. (The New York Times)
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A CEO resigns to spend more time with his kids. Is he just admitting a truth no one likes to talk about – being a successful executive and a good parent at once is impossible? (Inc.)
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As a rapidly growing private social network for 38,000 U.S. neighborhoods and counting, Nextdoor is designed to help people feel more connected and at home in their communities. But as a leader and entrepreneur, Nextdoor cofounder and VP of marketing Sarah Leary believes that the best things happen when people leave their comfort zone. Fast Company)
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Joseph Campbell noticed them whenever he hunted for work on the streets of Manhattan: the purposeful men wearing pinstripes or herringbone, seersucker or linen. He admired the sleek suits, the starched shirts, the gleaming cuff links. They all signaled success and prosperity. Or, as Mr. Campbell put it: "Somebody who wants to take care of some serious business." (The New York Times)
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