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AUGUST 2020
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DOCTORS, POLITICIANS, AND PHILANTHROPISTS Some of My Favorite Facebook Live Interviews
another round of questions. Find our first interview at Bit.ly/DrJonSchaafPt1 and the second interview at Bit.ly/DrJonSchaafPt2 . Would you ever want to be president? — My InterviewWith Chris Saxman In April, I interviewed politician Chris Saxman. Chris is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, who represented the 20th District from 2002 until his retirement in 2010.We covered many topics, ranging from the pandemic and wearing masks at the bank to whether he would ever want to be president. I challenged Chris on several topics, and to his credit, he didn’t dodge any of them.
I sat down with Dr. Schaaf on April 9, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was really ramping up. There was still a lot of confusion and questions about the virus and how it is spread. A lot of folks with knowledge about the virus also had some political agenda. People wanted straight answers, which is why I asked Dr. Schaaf to do a video with me. He answered my questions in plain language, without medical jargon or an agenda. Just the facts. We talked about everything, including different kinds of testing, how the virus spreads on surfaces, and contact tracing. In that very first video, we also talked about whether or not everyone should be wearing masks, which is still a hot topic all these months later. Once Dr. Schaaf clarified that wearing an N95 mask outside the hospital setting was “overkill,” he addressed the role of surgical and homemade cloth masks. “These masks don’t necessarily filter out the viral particles,” Dr. Schaaf explained. “People get caught up on that and think that wearing any mask will magically keep them from inhaling the virus. The main reason people should be wearing masks at this point is to help contain their respiratory secretions. That’s the goal.When you go out and wear a mask, the mask is not meant to protect you. It’s meant to protect others.When you cough or sneeze, that’s when the respiratory droplets are coming out.” Basically, if we see someone wearing a mask in public, we should thank them because they’re protecting everyone else around them.
You never know when a new project will become a passion. I started doing Facebook Live videos as a way to stay connected to people during the shelter- in-place order. This quickly evolved into a series of fun, insightful, and informative conversations with people in our community. I was even able to turn these videos into a fundraiser for ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation, which I covered in last month’s newsletter. Thank you again to everyone who donated to ASK during the fundraiser. Your support helped make a difference to families in our community. Though things are starting to open up again, I plan to continue my Facebook Live interviews. They’re fun to do, and they’re a great way to highlight cool people in our community. If you haven’t checked out these videos yet, here are some highlights from a few of my favorites. Do we all need to be wearing masks? — Doctor Jon Tells the Truth One of my earliest interviews was with Dr. Jonathan Schaaf. This is also my most viewed interview to date. Dr. Schaaf is an internal medicine specialist here in Richmond. He’s worn many different hats, working in hospital medicine, family medicine, and concierge practice. For the last four years, Dr. Schaaf has been focused on battling the opioid epidemic by working in medication-assisted therapy for the treatment of opioid addicts. More recently, Dr. Schaaf has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the questions we tackled included: •
How will the pandemic affect future elections? How did politicians come up with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) amount? (And why it wasn’t enough.) Why was the whole state shut down when there were counties with no cases? How long will changes to the alcohol laws remain? How will contact-tracing data be managed? Who will control it?
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We covered a lot of ground during our interview, but one thing Chris said really stuck out to me when we were discussing the possibility of “pandemic laws.” I asked if restaurants could require diners to prove they had been tested for COVID-19 before they would allow them to come into the building.
“Sure,” Chris said, matter-of-factly. “In Virginia we have open carry laws. But if you’re carrying a
That first interview with Dr. Schaaf was so well- received, I brought him back a few weeks later for
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3 Habits Entrepreneurs Use to Excel During COVID-19 Battling Mental Hurdles
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses were forced to adapt to remote work in order to continue operating while adhering to shelter-in- place orders. While some businesses are eager to return their staff to the office, others are considering adopting remote work as a long-term measure. Twitter and Facebook are two of the most prominent organizations that have announced plans to allow employees to work from home permanently. Before your company jumps on the remote-work bandwagon, there are some important details you need to be aware of. While the pandemic made telecommuting the norm, remote work has been on the rise for many years. From 2005 to 2015, the number of U.S. employees who telecommute increased by 115%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is because there are clear benefits to remote work. A study from Stanford found that remote employees tend to be more productive. Employees also report enjoying a better work-life balance, and companies who offer work-from-home options report less employee turnover. There is also a great deal of cost savings, both for employees who no longer have to commute and for businesses that find themselves paying less in office costs. None of this is to say that remote work is the silver bullet to solve all of your company’s problems. There are also major drawbacks to telecommuting. While some businesses report an increase in productivity after switching to remote work, others have seen productivity wane. The home environment, with kids, pets, and chores, can be more distracting than the office. When not following a strict schedule, some employees struggle with being self-motivated. Remote work can also threaten company culture. Isolation is a big challenge for workers. While technologies like Zoom and Slack can make communicating about work-related matters easier, it’s no replacement for in-person communication. It’s harder to read body language over video conferences and nearly impossible to relay tone over text messages. Digital communication is a real barrier for team bonding. Your employees may be able to discuss work-related matters, but if they are not connected on a personal level, you will see your company culture suffer. Is working remotely the right move for your business? Only you can make that call. Take a serious look at the needs of your business, your employees, and your clients and ask if working remotely is really a smart move for you. TIME TO INVEST IN A HOME OFFICE? The Pros and Cons of Working Remotely
Why did some companies thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic while others had to shut their doors forever? The answer is simple: Successful companies embraced creative solutions to overcome the obstacles of the shelter-in-place orders. Creativity is key to a profitable business. Innovative problem-solving is how business leaders come up with new ideas, address unexpected issues, and inspire their teams during difficult times. Here are a few habits that resourceful entrepreneurs share.
They make a schedule.
Though it may sound counterintuitive, structuring your day actually improves your ability to be creative. Establishing a schedule in advance allows you to avoid having to make small, inconsequential decisions. You won’t be distracted by wondering when you’ll get lunch or if you’re missing a big meeting. It’s all already on the calendar. Reducing daily decisions gives you more time to think about what matters and helps you dedicate more of your mental energy to solving problems or refining big ideas.
They take time to recharge.
This doesn’t mean spending all day watching Netflix. Recharging your imagination is an active process. If you’re feeling creatively drained, go to a place that inspires you. This could mean taking a walk around a park, going on a hike in the woods, or visiting your local library. Immersing yourself in others’ ideas can also help recharge your creative batteries. Swing by an art museum, pick up a new book, or treat yourself to a solo movie date. Ask yourself why a particular piece of art inspires you, what makes it worthwhile, and if you would have done anything differently.
They practice creating.
You don’t have to wait for inspiration to strike. Cultivate creativity by making something every day, even if it has nothing to do with your projects at work. Doodle during lunch, sing along to the radio during your drive home, or write a few sentences of a short story each night. Don’t worry about whether these personal projects are “good,” just focus on bringing them into the world. Practice makes perfect. If you believe that creativity is something that only a select few are born with, then you might find yourself struggling to be imaginative during difficult times. However, when you view it as a skill that can be strengthened, you’ll develop habits to see you through what might otherwise be a creative drought.
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THE 4-1-1 ON MICRONUTRIENTS The Best Way to Get Your Vitamins and Minerals
When it comes to micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, your body only needs small amounts of these nutrients to enjoy the health benefits. There’s a fine line between getting a healthy amount and getting too much. The best source of vitamins and minerals is through food. If you’re getting vitamins and minerals from foods, then you’re probably eating a safe amount. However, if you take supplements, it’s important to make sure you’re not getting too much of a good thing. When taking supplements, it’s very easy for fat- soluble vitamins, like vitamin A or vitamin D, to build up to toxic levels. Likewise, taking too much of certain minerals can cause an imbalance due to the way minerals interact with one another. For example, even a minor overload of manganese can magnify an iron deficiency. Before you start taking vitamin or mineral supplements, talk to your doctor about the potential risks. If you are worried that you may have vitamin or mineral deficiencies, look into getting a blood test before making changes to your diet. about money that comes out of your bottom line. Every year my CPA and I negotiate a number for the giveaway column. I ask for a lot, he pushes back, and we negotiate until we reach a number. Once that number is settled on, I go over it. That’s the game we play. There’s some thought that goes into it, but not a lot of rigorous planning. At this point, we’ve done it long enough to know where we’re going to land.” Mark’s a genuine world-class guy, and our community is lucky to have him. I encourage everyone to check out his interview at Bit.ly/MarkSmithInterview . It’s a great reminder of how one person really can make a difference. Thank you again to everyone who donated during our fundraiser for ASK and to all of my guests who have been part of these videos. It’s been a great experience, and I look forward to doing more interviews in the future. –Randy Sklar
vitamins are organic compounds and minerals are inorganic compounds. While vitamins can be broken down, minerals will retain their chemical structure regardless of what they are exposed to. There are 13 vitamins. They fall under two categories: water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and are easily dissolved in your bloodstream. All of the B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins don’t dissolve in water and are best absorbed by the body through fatty or high-fat foods. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat-soluble vitamins. For the human diet, there are 16 essential minerals. They’re classified as macrominerals, like calcium and potassium, which you need quite a bit of, and microminerals, like iron and fluoride, which you need very little of. While your body needs larger amounts of certain minerals than others, all essential minerals are necessary to maintain good health.
You’ve heard it for years: If you want to be healthy, you need to get enough vitamins and minerals. The words “vitamins” and “minerals” are paired together so often that people assume they’re the same things. In reality, vitamins and minerals are very different. This month, let’s revisit your freshman health class to get a refresher on the difference between vitamins and minerals — and the best way to make sure your body is getting enough of both.
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that support your overall health. The difference is that
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about half an hour to work out the technology kinks before the interview, but it was worth it. I touched on this interview briefly in my last newsletter, but I wanted to elaborate on why I enjoyed this conversation so much. Mark is a well-respected member of the community. He runs four Midas locations in the Richmond area, but he’s more than just a car guy who changes oil and aligns tires. His business is more like a company that finds ways to give while fixing cars on the side. Mark continuously hosts blood drives (even during the pandemic) to help keep the blood bank full. Recently, he has given free car maintenance to local health care workers and grocery store employees. A lot of people want to give back. Over these last few difficult months, we’ve seen so many people step up to give back to others. I asked Mark how businesses and entrepreneurs can give back and make a positive impact in their communities. “Learn the ropes first,” Mark advises. “Understand the impact you want to make and understand what the economics of that impact are. You’re talking
sidearm and you walk into someone’s restaurant, that restaurant can say, ‘No thank you. We don’t want that in here.’ If you walk into a restaurant and you’re barefoot, they don’t let you in, right? I think what you’re going to see is an absolute sea change in the manner in which we go out in public to assure others that we are relatively safe.” As a business owner, I really enjoyed getting to talk to Chris. He had great insights into the decisions made around the pandemic. If you’re a business owner — and especially if you’re a business owner who took out a PPP loan — then you’re going to want to hear what Chris had to say. You can find the full interview at Bit.ly/ ChrisSaxmanInterview or head over to my Facebook page.
What’s your opinion on competition? — Live Interview With Mark Smith
Of all the Facebook Live interviews I’ve done, this was by far my favorite. I was really glad that Mark Smith took the time to sit down with me. It took us
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Inside This Issue
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My Guest Today … Cultivating Creativity to
Optimize Efficiency in 3 Steps Is Working Remotely Sustainable? Are You Getting Enough Vitamins and Minerals? The Best Genre of Music to Combat Depression
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Depressed, Anxious, or Angry? Try Listening to Rock ‘n’ Roll!
THE POWER OF MUSIC TO SHIFT YOUR MOOD
2020 has been a difficult year. If you’re feeling frustrated, angry, or depressed right now, you’re not alone! All over the world, people have been trying different strategies to cope with their feelings, including yoga, meditation, exercise, binge-watching their favorite TV shows, and even baking banana bread. But perhaps the most universal outlet and cure for pent-up emotions is music. Do you remember the clip that went viral in March of Italians in quarantine, singing together from their balconies? If you do, that’s probably because it made you smile. TIME heralded it as proof that “the country’s spirits are still strong,” and it’s just one small example of how music uplifts people. This isn’t just an anecdotal effect, either. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, music can help us process emotions and fight mental health conditions like anxiety, dysregulation, depression, trauma, sleep disorders, schizophrenia, and more. So, how can you take advantage of music’s power to turn your mood around? One option is to create music of your own, but another is simply to listen. When it comes to flipping a bad mood on its head, a survey conducted by the Family Center for Recovery (FCR) suggests that rock is the genre of choice.
“During any given year, depression affects approximately 5%–8% of Americans,” FCR reports. “According to our survey participants, the vast majority — around 89% — turn to music in order to feel better. The top genre for depressed listeners is rock, followed closely by alternative, pop, and hip-hop/rap.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the blues came in last on the list.
To put the power of music to work, create playlists for each mood that you want to turn around, like “Anger,” “Frustration,” “Sadness,” “Anxiety,” or “Grief,” and fill them with songs from genres associated with fighting that feeling. According to FCR, rock is the most popular antidote to sadness and anxiety, and it’s also high on the list for anger, along with pop and country. Frustrated people opt for variations of rock, pop, punk, and heavy metal, and those stricken by grief turn to soft rock or soul. The artists are up to you, so fill up your lists, press play, and let the music do its work.
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