MILLENNIALS ARE REVAMPING THE WORKPLACE

The future of work has become a steady topic with startups, entrepreneurs, co-working spaces and more. Through technological advancement and the demands of millennials, the workplace has adopted many changes that is shifting the way we work, where we work and how we work.

Millennials are the new generation of employees. According to the Pew Research Center by 2025, millennials are expected to make up 75% of the workforce. More than half of the workforce will be comprised of individuals who are social media and digital natives, focused on successful careers while building community and personal well-being.

Here are three driving factors to changes in the workplace, with social media and millennials at the foundation.

BUSINESS ARE FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY.

The future of work talk goes hand in hand with community building. Years ago, businesses and organizations focused primarily on strategy that led to high-yielding results directly affecting the bottom line. Now, community is at the center of that strategy and shared values and culture is driving the bottom line.

The demand of social media has charged startup founders and business managers to focus on their online communities. This focus has become a repeated core aspect of a business, reflecting on consumers’ (especially millennials) need to live and thrive in community.

MOVING BEYOND CUBICLES
With the workplace evolving, employees no longer have to confide to clusters of cubicles. Now, more than ever before, businesses are building remote and virtual teams. Employees are packing up their desks with the option of working from home or anywhere with Wifi accessibility. Co-working spaces are popping up all over the country, providing alternatives to the every day office life.

TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTIVITY
And with productivity in mind, new social media platforms and technology tools are being developed to coincide with this new workplace culture. Social media platforms like Google+ and Skype are keeping remote teams in constant communication. These tools are replacing those 3-hour long meetings, with quicker and more productive ways to brainstorm, communicate and achieve company goals. Together, social media and technology has helped in team collaboration and while much of these collaborations may now happen online, organizations still work to keep human interaction and authenticity alive.

WHO IS A WRITER? - MY FINAL POST... FOR NOW

Who is a writer?

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Those are the words from Toni Morrison, an American novelist, editor and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. However, those were always the words from professor Robert Kalm this semester. Write an essay, write a script, write a wiki, write a pitch, write a social media strategy, write, write, and write.

I was never afraid of writing, but I wasn’t sure if I was really up to the task of writing so much, about so many things.

So who is a writer anyway?

Writers are storytellers. Writers are historians. Writers are filmmakers. Writers are novelists. Writers are disgruntled readers. Writers are journalists. Writers are policy makers. Writers are people who shape the world and experience. Writers are dreamers. Writers are meaning-makers. What they all seem to agree on, however, is that writers are people who have something to say to others. So who is a writer? A writer is anyone who has something to say.

For a long time, I believed that you had to be born a writer, that you should show promise at an early age, be in love with the process of writing all the time and never feel fulfilled unless you were writing. I know better now. Writing, like most things in life, is a skill you work on. I should quote these lines because as I write them, I can actually hear them from my editor, I mean, my professor. Almost everyone isn’t a good writer when they start out, said Prof. Kalm on multiple occasions. Even those who are born with a certain skill at writing aren’t as good as they could be and need to practice their craft to make it better. Writing has less to do with any natural talent than it does with having ideas and perseverance. You write something and that will be your first draft. Then you and your editor will find opportunities to improve that piece and write a second draft. Then the third draft will come, followed by a fourth, and even a fifth. You’ll publish your piece and when you read it, you’ll still think there was room for improvement. In other words, there’s no magic, it’s all about practice. “Writing is a craft, not an art,” said William Zinsser, an ally for the past 13 weeks on this journey.

“Who am I writing for”

That was a question from Zinsser. Right now and following my professor’s instructions, I’m writing for myself. I’m looking back over my work and I see that writing about millennials, is something I really enjoy.

During the past thirteen weeks, I’ve discovered that millennials are an amazing generation, with high potential, and an impressive purchasing power. Those are the ones who transformed the way we communicate; they invented the concept “Social TV”, just because they can’t avoid being multi-tasked. I wrote that in terms of the workforce, millennials no longer value the traditional workplace rules of dress code, reprimands for being late, and the so-called “job-work balance”. They (we) love other intangible benefits such as a friendly work culture, freedom to listen to music. They prefer to work for 12 hours today and only 4 hours tomorrow. Millennials hate monotony. I do too.

When I read my posts, I feel I’m shaping my voice to talk about millennials in a way that is not common in traditional media. I don’t want to talk about them as a weird species controlling the world, but as the biggest age grouping in American history.

Marketing to millennials is both an enlightening look at this generation of consumers and a practical plan for earning their trust and loyalty. I think my blog is a liaison between millennials and companies. On one hand, I understand the marketing industry, and on the other I perfectly know millennials. I know how they feel, what they want and how they want it. I also know what they like, dislike, and hate.

I want my blog to be the key to persuading the customers who will determine the bottom line for decades to come. Millennials are here to stay, and they’re not going anywhere. And I will always be here to write something fair about them.

“The most important sentence in any article is the first one,” said Zinsser and I started with a powerful quote from Toni Morrison, “if there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” I just started the first few chapters of my book about millennials. Who is a writer? I’m a writer.

TRAVEL LIKE A MILLENNIAL

I’m going to Europe in a few weeks and I’m really excited. When I told my co-workers about this whole idea and then shared my itinerary they couldn’t believe it. They thought that vising Prague in the Czech Republic, Munich in Germany, Hallstatt and Salzburg in Austria, and Istanbul in Turkey was a very expensive vacation.

I realized that all my co-workers are baby boomers. Traveling is been in easier for our generation then any other. Getting away to a different state, country or continent has never been simpler. You owe it to yourself to get on Airbnb right now to see what kind of deals going on in the next date over. Often you can stay somewhere for 40 or 50 bucks a night. You’d be amazed at what a change of scenery can do for your mindset. Traveling is not expensive; it’s totally affordable.

Here are some tips from millennials:

Ignore these excuses:

“I have a family!”
Take them with you

“I can’t take off work to travel!”
Go on a weekend

“I don’t have the money to-”
Go camping

“I can’t stay anywhere overnight!”
Take a day trip.

Here’s the thing — your brain is designed to assimilate and ignore as many things as possible. This includes surroundings. How many times have you driven all the way to work without remembering the process?

When you find yourself in a new area, you don’t have time to stress about work or family or personal crises because your mind has SO many things to process.

Step out and get away from the noise. A little headspace goes a long way.

I’ll share lots of photos in Social Media from my trip to Europe. I can’t wait!

#HAPPINESS IS

(Social Media Campaign for Instagram because Millennials prefer Instagram and Snapchat. Also, every post will include a photo featuring millennials.)

Republicans vs. Democrats

Trump vs. Clinton

Police officers vs. Blacks

These are the latest headlines from coast to coast. Nowadays, news is all bout drugs, corruption, hate, crimes, etc.

In a world where hate and crime seem to prevail, we need the "Safety Pin" of love, peace, forgiveness, and hope to keep us together! At the end of the day we all want the same thing: We want to be happy. Even Millennials!

In the hunt for happiness, many have shifted away from material things and toward experiences, trend watchers say. This shift spans the generations, although millennials seem to be further along: Some 76% of millennials, compared with 59% of boomers, said they would rather spend on experiences than on material things, according to new research from Eventbrite, a ticketing company.

So when did our culture shift? When did U.S. consumers start to embrace relationships, music and travel as a substitute for BMWs and big mansions?
In part this is thanks to millennials! Believe it or not they love intangible things such as feeling, emotions, moments and experiences.

Here’s a little taste:

#Happinessis: Spending time with the people you love and creating memories that last a lifetime.

#Happinnessis: Making a new friend while chasing Pokemon creatures.

#Happinessis: Planning a trip to somewhere new.

#Happinessis: Texting with someone who is just a desk away.

#Happinessis: Meeting an old friend after a long time and feeling that nothing has changed.

#Happinessis: An unexpected piece of chocolate.

#Happinessis: Love and being loved.

#Happinessis: Not having to set the alarm for the next day.

#Happinessis: Shopping at an empty store.

#Happinessis: Being motivated to stay fit.

#Happinessis: Spending time with your parents.

#Happinessis: Listening to old songs and sipping a cup of coffee.

#Happinessis: Eating whatever you want and not putting on weight.

#Happinessis: The first sip of coffee in the morning.

#Happinessis: Friday at 4:59pm.

#Happinessis: Discovering a great new song.

#Happinessis: Working from home in your pajamas.

#Happinessis: Doing what you love.

#Happinessis: Texting from under a blanket.

#Happinnessis: Watching movies on #Netflix on a cold and rainy day.

#Happinessis: Having friends who are idiots.

#Happinessis: Talking to a friend who makes you feel that everything’s going to be OK.

#Happinessis: Seeing your mother smile.

#Happinessis: The highest level of success.

#Happinessis: Our safety pin.

INFOGRAPHIC - MILLENNIALS

This is my infographic about millennials.

NIGHTMARES ON THE SIX

SCENE 1

(BEDROOM APARTMENT. NIGHT)

Time on the clock shows 10:06PM. An empty bedroom with a cross hanging on the wall. A branch on top of the bed is seen. The wind is blowing through an open window.

We hear the noise of somebody running in the forest, then suddenly the voice of a man screaming.

Scene 2
(EXT. THEN INT. BILLIARD/NIGHT)

The full moon. Two guys playing billiard; one of the is Tom, 25. He is telling his best friend Jonathan, 28, about a series of strange dreams he’s been experiencing lately.

TOM
Good shot partner…

JONATHAN

At its best… ME!

TOM
Bro, this is crazy

JONATHAN

Now what? Is Sarah cheating on you?

JONATHAN with a funny face and TOM with an old and weary look.

TOM

Hey, hey – hope not, jerk, I am worried about my dreams… Dude, it’s a fucking crazy dream…

JONATHAN

Here we go again, a ghost believer. Did you see that stupid remake of Ghostbusters? Maybe you fell asleep thinking on that!

TOM

No, I didn’t. I don’t know man, it’s like somebody is trying to tell me something as soon as I fall asleep.

JONATHAN

No, you’re not dreaming man, and it’s me. I want to tell you that I want another beer!

Pufff!

(TOM is lost in thought)

TOM

I see blood… I’m serious Jon. I’m serious about this. I’m not joking.

I also see a number that I can’t fucking remember…

JONATHAN

It’s the number 1. And you have it in front of you…

(JONATHAN laughs)

(TOM takes the black ball – #8 – and look at it closely)

FLASHBACK #1

TOM’S DREAM:

SCENE 3.
(EXT. FOREST/DAY)

TOM’s point of view, blood dripping out of his arm.

END OF FLASHBACK.

SCENE 3A

INT. BILLIARD/NIGHT

A bartender pours a drink into an empty glass. (Bloody Mary cocktail)

The bartender looks at TOM, he sees TOM’s spirit at his side.

SCENE 4
INT. BILLIARD/NIGHT

TOM still remembers it while JONATHAN is staring at him.

TOM puts the black ball (#8) back. (Slowly)

JONATHAN

Enough Tom… You’re overwhelmed with work, you’re stressed. Take some time off man. You need to go on vacation really soon. And… Ooops. I think you just lost…

Woohoo!!!

JONATHAN is making the last shot to win. (In slow motion)

FADE TO BLACK.

SCENE 5

INT. TOM’S APT. BATHROOM/NIGHT

10:06PM. TOM is in the bathroom washing his face getting ready to sleep. He enters his bedroom. He takes his shirt and jeans off and turns the light off.

SCENE 6

INT. TOM’S APT. BEDROOM/NIGHT

2:06AM. TOM is uncomfortable in bed and sweating profusely.

(We see Tom in a high angle and rotating)

FLASHBACK #2

TOM’S DREAM:

SCENE 7

EXT. FOREST/DAY

Somebody runs and suddenly stops; we then see blood dripping out of an arm.

A voice says: No, no, no…

END OF FLASHBACK.

INT. TOM’S APT. BEDROOM/EARLY MORNING.

SCENE 8

5:06AM. TOM wakes up scared and confused.

TOM

No, no, not anymore, please!!!

TOM grabs his cell and calls SARAH, his girlfriend.

Cell phone rings on top of a night table.

(TO BE CONTINUED…)

SLIDESHARE PRESENTATION - NOWTHENEWS.COM

Here's my Power Point presentation in SlideShare:

http://tinyurl.com/nowthenews

NOWTHENEWS.COM – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

NOWTHENEWS.COM – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Table of contents:

1.    Introduction

2.    NowTheNews.com

3.    Audience

4.    Editorial team

5.    Financing

6.    Timeline

INTRODUCTION

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation. Millennials, whom are defined as those ages 17-36 now number 75.4 million. Several studies demonstrate that millennials are defining themselves in social media and seek less commitment to brands. Therefore, brands looking to attract millennials need to adjust their products and services for a generation that wants to share unique, playful, and socially conscious content.

Millennial consumers are described by many companies, including Mindshare North America as empathetic yet irreverent segment averse to commitment, growing up and mass production. On the negative side, they’ve been described as lazy, narcissistic and prone to jump from job to job. They have also been described in positive ways. They are generally regarded as being more open-minded, and more supportive of gay rights and equal rights for minorities. Other positives adjectives to describe them include confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and receptive to new ideas and ways of living.

There is a spirited, if not tiresome, debate about whether Millennials are self-entitled narcissists or open-minded do-gooders. Surely the truth lies somewhere in-between. Generally, however, there does seem to be more of an emphasis on the self than in previous generations, one reason why this group has been called “Generation Me.”

Having said that, we know that millennials are confident, strong, bursting with ideas, tech savvy, and champion multi-taskers. They influence every aspect of American business. With off-the-charts buying power, their effect on the economy is unprecedented. So, how can corporate America connect with, understand, and communicate with them.

The solution is a news website designed specifically for millennials.

NOWTHENEWS.COM

NowTheNews.com (NTN) will be a Social Content Platform that will discover and share a group of millennial voices, amplified organically through people sharing with their friends. The platform will empower its hundreds of creators to contribute and share what matters to them, and will enable content to find its most relevant audience organically. Through its proprietary technology ecosystem, NTN will be revolutionizing content creation and discovery, enabling compelling, high-quality content to be created and discovered at speed and scale.

Content ideas will come from creators and will be related to any and every topic, going from #BlackLiveMatters to #Decision2016 to #PokemonGo. The sections will not have traditional titles such as Politics, Sports, Health, Music, etc. Instead they will be actual trending topics of interest to millennials. The website will have top sections (in the form of hashtags) and other options on the left side.

NowTheNews – Sections

#BlackLiveMatters

#Decision2016

#PokemonGo

#GameOfThrones

#Summer

Other options on the left side column of the website will be:

#JobInterviews

#CollegeLife

#WhatToWear

#NowTrending

#ViralVideos

#TopMovies.

AUDIENCE

Millennials – Young adults ages 17-36

EDITORIAL TEAM

10 members:

Two editors

Sports reporter

Entertainment reporter

Social media reporter

Fashion reporter

Technology reporter

Pop Culture reporter

Political reporter

Higher Education reporter

Webmaster

While some creators will be seasoned writers, others will be everyday people with relevant ideas or perspectives that otherwise may not be heard.

The layout will be simple and easy to change/update, especially the top sections. Wordpress might be a good option.

FINANCING

Advertising

There will be plenty of opportunities for advertising.

Federal Grant Opportunities

http://reconnectingamerica.org/resource-center/federal-grant-opportunities/

National Endowment for the arts

https://www.arts.gov/grants/apply-grant/grants-organizations

Funding for community projects

http://www.sapdc.org/gov-non-profit/funding-for-community-projects

Garage Technology Ventures

http://www.garage.com/

Kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/

TIMELINE

August – Editorial meeting for brainstorming

September – Meeting with investors

October – Designing of website and reporters start writing evergreen stories

November – Soft launch of NowTheNews.com

THE DO’S AND DON’TS FOR A MILLENNIAL

Don’t fall into the trap of working a job you hate, just because it’s a job and someone told you that you should have one.

Don’t let your optimism fade, no matter how idealistic it might be.

Don’t fall victim to living a life that looks like everybody else’s simply because someone tells you that you should conform

Don’t let another person tell you that you’re lazy, entitled, rude, or ungrateful just because they don’t understand you (unless it’s true, then change).

Do become insanely educated. And that doesn’t have to mean through our formal education system.

Do make an impact with your life even if it’s not the “popular” thing by the people around you.

Do surround yourself with people who align with what you want from life.

Do believe in the promising future of our world and quit letting the news and other people spoon feed you negative garbage.

Let’s make a vow to all future generations.

ELEVATORPITCH: NOWTHENEWS.COM

NowTheNews.com (NTN) will be a Social Content Platform that will discover and share a group of millennial voices, amplified organically through people sharing with their friends. The platform will empower its hundreds of creators to contribute and share what matters to them, and will enable content to find its most relevant audience organically. Through its proprietary technology ecosystem, NTN will be revolutionizing content creation and discovery, enabling compelling, high-quality content to be created and discovered at speed and scale.

Content ideas will come from creators and will be related to any and every topic, going from #BlackLiveMatters to #Decision2016 to #PokemonGo. The sections will not have traditional titles such as Politics, Sports, Health, Music, etc. Instead they will be actual trending topics of interest to millennials. The website will have top sections (in the form of hashtags) and other options on the left side. For example the hashtags mentioned above will be actual sections on the website: #BlackLiveMatters | #Decision2016 | #PokemonGo | #GameOfThrones | #Summer. Other options on the left side column could be: #JobInterviews #CollegeLife #WhatToWear #NowTrending #ViralVideos #TopMovies.

While some creators will be seasoned writers, others will be everyday people with relevant ideas or perspectives that otherwise may not be heard.

The layout will be simple and easy to change, especially the top sections. Wordpress might be a good option. There will be plenty of opportunities for advertising.