Author: NY Weekly Staff

One of the most frustrating things about winter is having to scrape ice and snow off your car, sidewalk, or driveway before you can get anywhere. It’s also important for roads and pavements to be de-iced because not doing so can lead to serious accidents. But lots of people worry about the negative effects that de-icers can have on the soil and roads in the long run. The good news is that ECO-ST de-icers are designed with nature in mind without sacrificing human convenience.

How do de-icers affect the ground?

Conventional deicers are made up of salts and chemicals, which means they can cause serious damage to the soil. What’s more, de-icing chemicals like chloride ions often flow into rivers and streams when it rains or when the ice thaws, killing fish and other aquatic life.

ECO-ST de-icers are different

De-icing chemicals can also have serious effects on animal habitats, but STAR’S TECH ECO-ST deicers are safer for people, pets, and plants. So you can enjoy the convenience of melting ice and snow without having to worry about the long-term effects on your ground. They’re partly made from starfish extract, a natural biowaste product that minimizes the damage on the soil or ground.

How it protects the ground

The starfish extract is a porous substance, and like a sponge, it adsorbs toxic chemicals like chloride ions. This stops them from accumulating on the earth and causing problems down the line. Chloride can have an extremely corrosive effect, and if you’re using deicers every winter, the chloride ions will build up over time. When that happens, plants get damaged due to chloride ions during the snow melting process. An accumulation of chloride ions also corrode infrastructure and can damage your sidewalks, driveways, and roads.

ECO-ST de-icer saves you from having to repair corroded driveways and pavements because its porous structure adsorbs chloride ions that can cause damage to the ground.

STAR’S TECH de-icer inhibits corrosion

This de-icer contains some corrosion inhibitors which combine with the starfish extract to create a storage and release mechanism. Even though it only uses a third of the number of corrosion inhibitors other deicers use, ECO-ST is up to 29 times more effective at stopping and preventing corrosion. Despite the ice and snow, you can rest easy knowing that your grounds are truly protected.

Through the inventive use of starfish and other technology, ECO-ST maintains conservation of nature and our environment, as well as protecting the safety of pets and animals more than traditional de-icers. They do all this without compromising human convenience and still provide high-quality de-icing services.

All in all, the ECO-ST deicers are less harmful than traditional brands so they’re healthier for humans and pets, they’re also more environmentally friendly and they adsorb chloride ions which prevent corrosion on surfaces. So when the snow comes, you don’t have to worry about the state of your ground – ECO-ST has the solution.

Do you manage your own business from home? If so, you likely love all of the many benefits of the work-from-home lifestyle: not having a long and inconvenient commute to and from an office, lower overhead costs from not having to pay for a workspace, the ability to wear pajamas every single day if you wanted to… the list goes on. However, there is one big issue that plagues many home-based business owners at some point or another: dealing with burnout.

In my journey of managing both the Live Lingua online language school and Podcast Hawk (a SaaS product that helps people get booked on podcasts) from home, I’ve seen firsthand how vital it is for home business owners to take preventative measures to keep themselves from getting burned out. I, myself, have experienced a huge bout of burnout in the past and know how much it can negatively impact a business owner’s motivation, inspiration, and entrepreneurial fire, ultimately posing a threat to their company’s growth and progression.

That all said, here are my tried-and-true tips on ways to prevent burnout while managing your business from home each day.

Stick to a Daily Work Schedule

Understand that there will always be more emails to respond to and a mountain of tasks to complete. However, this doesn’t mean you should work 10-12 hours a day or late into the night to try to get more things done — overextending yourself is a recipe for burnout! In order to keep your morale, motivation, and entrepreneurial spirit high, it is vital that you set a schedule of your daily working hours and make it a priority to stick to it. Shut down your computer at a certain time each day so that you can recharge and maintain a healthy life balance. 

Take Breaks — You Deserve It!

In an in-office environment, coworkers will want to take lunch breaks with you or meet you in the break room for coffee and a quick chat. You will also sometimes leave your cubicle or office for in-person meetings with colleagues. However, while working from home, it is so easy to spend hours staring at your computer screen without getting up to take any breaks. There is also a high probability that you don’t even take a real hour-long lunch break to relax and regroup — you just eat a quick meal at your desk while sending emails to your team members.

To get a productivity boost in the middle of the work day, take a much-needed break! Go into the kitchen to make a healthy and delicious lunch that you will really enjoy and then go for an invigorating walk around your neighborhood. You can also go grocery shopping or run another quick errand to give your brain a break from staring at your computer screen. Or, simply take half an hour to sit outside in your backyard, meditate, and breathe in the fresh air! Breaking up the day will help re-energize you and prevent an afternoon slump in productivity. 

Work in New Environments

Every morning, do you usually just wake up, make a cup of coffee, and then start answering emails right away? This can definitely get monotonous and lead to burnout — consider switching up your environment once or several times a week by taking your laptop to work elsewhere! You can work in your favorite local coffee shop, in your city’s library, or even in a park if you have a portable wifi hotspot. Getting a change of scenery each week can help spark new ideas for client strategies — on top of this, you may end up connecting with other home-based business owners that you can partner with on future projects!

Make Time for Your Hobbies

The last thing you want to do is be a workaholic that constantly stresses over business tasks. To recharge and recuperate throughout the workweek, engage in your favorite hobbies on a regular basis. For example, make time for that weekly pottery class you’ve always wanted to do or plan to meet up with your friends at a hot yoga session every Wednesday morning. Or, if you love to read, take the time to relax on the couch with a fantastic book each day. Taking part in your favorite activities is a surefire way to prevent burnout and stay balanced.

Take a 1-Week-Long “Rest Vacation” At Least Once a Year

This has been absolutely pivotal in keeping me balanced and preventing burnout. Way earlier in my entrepreneurial journey, I was incredibly burned out and filled with stress from not taking a day off for years. My wife saw that I was struggling and then surprised me with a 1-week vacation at an all-inclusive resort — it completely changed my life and reignited my entrepreneurial passion! By the end of the trip, I was completely rested, happy, and excited to get back to work. This vacation was a total game changer for me. 

I recommend all business leaders to take a “rest vacation” for one week at least once a year. During a “rest vacation”, it is vital to disconnect from work entirely — let your employees and associates know that you won’t be available for calls and that you will have extremely limited time on the internet and for answering emails. Keep in mind, however, that this shouldn’t be a trip where each day’s schedule is packed with sightseeing tours! The goal is to relax and recharge by lounging by the pool, getting beachside massages, and simply resting.

After a few days, you should feel de-stressed, re-energized, and at ease. Also, by the 6th or 7th day, you will likely be excited to get back to working on your business! You may even realize that your productivity and work output is much higher than usual for months after your trip! 

Summing It All Up

Burnout can be drastic for home-based entrepreneurs, as it can cause them to lose motivation and forget why they started their companies in the first place. If you manage your own enterprise from home, prevent burnout by sticking to a daily work schedule, taking much-needed breaks, and working in new environments. Also, make time for your favorite hobbies and take “rest vacations” every year! These preventative measures will help you keep burnout at bay and always stay motivated and excited about your entrepreneurial pursuits. 

Ray Blakney is the CEO and co-founder of Live Lingua, a renowned online language school. Live Lingua offers a unique and immersive approach to mastering a new language, as it pairs users who want to learn Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and more with their own hand-picked, certified, native-speaking tutor for online teaching sessions. An award-winning, Filipino-American entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster, Ray builds and helps others build 6- and 7-figure businesses on a bootstrap budget using SEO. www.livelingua.com

Every moment in life is unique and cannot be repeated or replicated, but a photograph is something you can remember it by. ConneryFilm, a film developer firm specializing in wedding photography, videography, cinematography, and video editing, is dedicated to providing clients with a lasting memory of their significant life moments.

The California-based company is founded by award-winning professional photographer and cinematographer Connery Davoodian. He has always taken an interest in taking photos, but it wasn’t until he established his own company that he truly found his passion for photography. Now, he is an in-demand wedding photographer covering ceremonies in Los Angeles and Orange County.

ConneryFilm has gradually become one of California’s leading photography and videography developers by consistently providing high-quality, effective, and affordable visual communication solutions and services. Backed by years of experience in the industry, the company efficiently oversees all aspects of an event, making it the first choice for many clients looking for a meaningful way to remember their special events.

Services are available in a variety of options that suit the specific needs of each client. Aside from extending their expert advice on wedding videography, ConneryFilm caters to those who need to shoot at faraway locations, including the need for a director to manipulate traffic for a commercial.

ConneryFilm provides unrivaled customer service in the industry by leveraging cutting-edge technology and equipment to ensure clients receive quick response time, exceptional service, and effective results at a reasonable price.

In addition to ConneryFilm’s customer-focused services, photographers are thoroughly briefed in advance to ensure that the clients’ demands and expectations are met. Each one of them understands the importance of getting ample lighting, evocative camera angles, and artistic focus for the shots. 

“At ConneryFilm, our job is to take professional, high-quality portraits. The photographer we will assign to you will make sure to perform exceptional wedding photography, event photography, and product photography,” said Connery.

Furthermore, the company emphasizes its inclination to stay away from staged and posed photographs during events and instead capture the natural aesthetic of the client’s special day.

“At ConneryFilm, we give you more breathing room so you can experience a stress-free encounter with us. By producing and reproducing memories, we’ll highlight what makes the subject stand out from the rest,” explained Connery.

ConneryFilm retains its position at the forefront of an ever-changing and rapidly growing industry by constantly being as innovative and creative as possible. By combining technique and state-of-the-art tools and continuing to push the staff’s abilities to the maximum, it’s on its way to becoming one of the best photography firms in the world.

ConneryFilm holds itself and the people under it to high standards, searching for new ways to improve and grow. “Our success and continuous growth have led us to expand our horizons and search for new challenges. We do music videos and produce both media seamlessly and effectively. Venturing on new challenges is not a big deal for us because we have the tech and skills to perform them,” shared Connery.

Connery Film continues to be the industry leader known in photography, videography, and short wedding videography. Moving forward, Connery Davoodian sees himself managing hundreds of photographers and videographers as Connery Film rises up the ranks and becomes one of the biggest brand names in the wedding industry. 

The knowledge that everyone has their own definition of success comes with the understanding that there are certain steps that individuals may take in order to make life more meaningful. Steps that Jafar “Master Jeff” Jafari is out to share with the world, to help people as they walk the path towards success and high-quality living.

Master Jeff is an entrepreneur and educator whose reputation and influence have reached over forty countries and counting as a result of his mission of motivating people to make positive life changes by relinquishing negative mindsets.

“We all have the potential to achieve more in this world,” explained Master Jeff. “Sadly, not everyone knows how to harness that power, even when it’s right there already. My goal is to be able to teach people to unleash the champion within them.”

The inspirational speaker is the founder and CEO of PSC Academy Inc. and Buildgoal Inc., two powerhouse companies that provide international training seminars to educate individuals on realizing their true potential and adopting more healthy habits.

Bringing to the table twenty years of experience in the training industry, Master Jeff has managed to grow his brand into companies housing over 100,000 students and 5,000 trained coaches within their programs and network. 

Master Jeff has spent decades teaching people how to enter what he calls “The Zone,” which refers to the idea that everyone has access to a version of themselves that is free from fear, anxiety, and limitations.

In addition, he imparts that to improve one’s circumstances, one must first improve the self and teaches people how self-reflection is an essential part of the roadmap for self-development.

“Your Zone is unique to you and contains everything you need to lead the life you truly want. You can’t take concrete actions until you know which way your inner compass is pointing,” said Master Jeff. 

According to the guru, the key to achieving great success is to protect the positive mantra that one currently has by saying it repeatedly to oneself every day. Like how he likens happiness and success to water–where once tarnished by ink, it clouds the whole batch– Master Jeff teaches about the importance of not allowing negative thoughts and messages to poison one’s positive mantra.

Despite this practice proving challenging, especially in times filled with toxicity, hate crimes, and bad news, Master Jeff believes it worthwhile because it helps ground a person in a place where they can achieve more by letting go of the negative beliefs that hold them back.

Through his programs, specifically the Philosophy of Success, he teaches people how to block out the negative noise brought by the mind and instead focus on the affirmations that will build the self up.

Master Jeff remains steadfast in his commitment to sharing his insights and knowledge with more people who dream of chasing self-betterment and success. He continues to cater to people from all walks of life so that they can reach the best versions of themselves personally and professionally. Moving forward, he aims to expand his programs that cover face-to-face and virtual sessions to include a hybrid seminar set to happen in August 2022. He shows no signs of slowing down soon and aspires to reach and teach more people from all nations around the world.