(NewsUSA) - According to a 2020 study, amid the Covid-19 pandemic an estimated 59 million Americans have freelanced in the past year, which is equivalent to 36% of the country's entire workforce. The number of freelancers in the US is continuously growing and is expected to exceed 90.1 million by 2028, contributing $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy.

Today's independent workers are not only becoming a driving force in the American workforce, they are also busy people, often juggling multiple clients in multiple time zones across a multitude of media platforms. And with comes the operational pains of being a business owner. According to a recent 2021 survey of more than 200 freelancers by Indy - the all-inclusive, online platform for independent business owners, approximately one-quarter of respondents spend 10 or more hours a month on essential work tasks unrelated to their actual business and/or paid projects. These administrative tasks including invoicing, billing, dealing with contracts, expenses and organizing workflow often impede the ongoing management and potential for growth needed to succeed in today's competitive, decentralized marketplace.

Indy's survey also revealed that 30% of respondents use at least five tools and 44% spend more than $50 a month, including a subset of that group who pay $300 or more, on tools used to operate and manage their business each month. When deciding services used to maximize operations productivity and grow their businesses, these self-employed, solopreneurs and small business owners cited ease of use, cost and availability across all devices were the top three criteria for selecting and utilizing the critical resources and productivity tools needed for their daily and ongoing business operations.

Indy, offers a complete productivity suite that simply and easily streamline the key pain points for independent workers. Indy is invested in the success of today's independent workers and it's primary purpose is to help solopreneurs and freelancers streamline the business of running their business. "Ultimately, we believe in fostering community over competition and empowering today's 'indies' - the independent professionals, side hustlers and small business owners, to attain the stability, control and growth required to be more successful, achieve a state of steady income and grow," according to Sebastian Gyr, Indy co-founder and CEO.

Indy's freelancer survey, consisting of mostly independent workers outside of its customer base, also identified: saving time, peace of mind and fostering business relationships as the top three most sought out features when considering productivity tools. Indy's suite of productivity tools tick all the boxes for freelancers, from cost to ease of use. Invoice generator templates help streamline billing and process payments easier and faster. Calendar, Indy's new Calendar tool, syncs with existing calendars including Google Calendars and helps indies organize events and tasks, track time and more, while seamlessly linking project hours to invoices for accuracy and efficiency.

Indy offers effective solutions to the unique, operational challenges facing today's self-employed business owners.

Visit weareindy.com for more information and to create an account.

(NewsUSA)

"Shooting Out The Lights"
by Kim Fairley

Fans of "When Breath Becomes Air," by Paul Kalanithi and the popular 2016 film Manchester by the Sea won't want to miss this memoir. The story unravels like a mystery novel, but Kim Fairley's memoir wrestles with the very real secrets we keep from each other and the roles we play to protect ourselves.

The story explores the taboo of wide age gap love. Twenty-four-year-old Kim and 56-year-old Vern become marry and soon learn Kim is pregnant. But Kim's life flips when the widow of Vern's dear friend convinces Vern to take her 11-year-old son whose behavior challenges Kim's devotion, trust and the underpinnings of her marriage. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3gBH4GB.

"Plymouth Undercover"
by Pamela Kelley

Meet Emma McCarthy, a thirty-year-old failed actress who just moved home to Plymouth, MA. And her mother, Cindy, a yoga instructor in the Pinehills, an exclusive golf community in Plymouth. They've just inherited Court Street Investigations, a private detective agency -- and it's one part-time employee, eighty-year-old Mickey, a retired police detective.

They expect typical cases like cheating spouses or workman's comp, but quickly learn that the agency also has a reputation for solving murders. This is Book 1 of the "Court Street Investigations" series, from the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of The Nantucket Inn and The Restaurant. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3ysUKu6.

"Family Illness"
by Evan Wechman

A realistic fictional work that gives readers a sense of what it is like to grow up with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Steve suffers as a child, has lots of physical and verbal tics while in school, but lives in fear that his secret living with a mental illness in a hostile world will be revealed.

As Steve grows up, his illness plays tricks on him, making him question every moral aspect of his life. His fears intensify as he learns that a family member has OCD as well. This encourages Steve to fight back, but he wonders if he has lost too much of his life to the disease. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2QDcL7Z.

"Out of Business: Moran"
by David Citron

"Out of Business: Moran" is the story of Caleb Hanau, a Jewish young man who through his eyes and his own self-actualization in 27 chapters and Reflections (with a business plan) looks for meaning in education, finance, music, and healthcare. The author predicted many subsequent acquisitions and successes for his past relationships and work experiences including the necessity of physical and mental harmony in business and in life.

This unusual work takes an out-of-the-box approach and is written as a business plan. We see the rise and fall of the central protagonist Caleb. Some of it is poetic and some of it is in prose form, all arriving at years of searching for meaning in experience, music, and relationships. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3wVTXRl.

NOTE: BookBites is presented by BookTrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Consumers are swamped with messages about products and services. Effective advertising will cut through the clutter and capture a prospective customer's attention with a targeted message.

To be effective and reach a target audience, the best advertising is credible, unique, and memorable. Using flyers is a relatively simple and inexpensive way for small and mid-sized businesses to make an impact in the local community.

"The goal behind designing a flyer is to capture someone's attention within three seconds of them walking up to their front door," says Stefanie McKinney, founder and owner of The Flyer Guys, a family-owned, Arizona-based company that specializes in creating memorable advertising with flyers.

To make the most of your advertising campaign using flyers, keep these points in mind:

- A picture is worth 1,000 words. Don't underestimate the power of images. People look at pictures before they start reading any text, and a funny picture in particular can make an impression.

- Less text for more impact. Once you have a picture, think about text. Keep your text concise, and use bullet points when possible, in order to allow more white space for quick and easy reading.

- Catchy headlines. Along with a photo, a headline is the first thing to catch a customer's eye. No matter what headline you choose, consider using color for added impact, and keep your font choice easy to read.

- Contact information and call-to-action. This is where the nuts and bolts of your product or service comes in, so give it the proper attention. Even something conventional such as "Call Us" or "Order Now" can have greater impact with fonts and colors. Online businesses, make sure your website address is clearly visible, so your audience is likely to keep the flyer as a reference. For in-person businesses, simple directions and even a small map can help ensure that you are on the customer's radar.

- Enlist happy customers. Sincere testimonials can have a significant impact on attracting new customers. When your customers compliment your product or service, ask whether you can use their comments, either anonymously or with their name, to help promote your business. The more specific the comments, the better.

For more information about the power of flyers, visit theflyerguysaz.com.

(NewsUSA) - Peacock is the ultimate destination to stream the Tokyo Olympics with live coverage of some of the Games' biggest events, new daily live shows, original programming, and more. Almost all Tokyo Olympics is available to stream for free. New viewers can use an email address to sign up at peacocktv.com.

Fans can watch live coverage on Peacock every morning, including major events like?men's and women's gymnastics and?men's and women's?track and field. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila will host Peacock's morning show?"Tokyo LIVE." Two-time Olympic medalist Laurie Hernandez will serve as a studio analyst for gymnastics along with Olympic medalist Bridget Sloan and three-time Olympian John Roethlisberger, calling the action live across all men's and women's gymnastics events. Bill Spaulding will call track and field play-by-play alongside Olympian analysts Tim Hutchings and Alysia Montaño.

Peacock will also stream live coverage of men's basketball throughout the games, beginning with USA vs. France on July?25. Bob Fitzgerald will call basketball play-by-play alongside analysts Fran Fraschilla and Vince Carter, gold medalist and eight-time NBA All-Star. These games are available on Peacock Premium.

New hosts and contributors on Peacock will help fans catch up and keep up on the Tokyo Games. Amber?Ruffin will be on the ground providing her own unique, comedic analyses of the competition. The hilarious commentary series "Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg" will recap the Olympics' most impressive displays of athleticism as well as the moments that don't go as planned. Rich Eisen?will host "Tokyo Gold," a daily, comprehensive look at the most compelling performances of the day. Lindsay Czarniak, Lolo Jones, and MJ Acosta-Ruiz will host "On Her Turf" at the Olympics, the first NBC Olympics show dedicated to covering women's sports at the Games.

Every evening, Cari Champion and Kenny Mayne?will host?"Tokyo Tonight," which will bring fans into the Games with quick turnaround highlights as well as interviews and feature stories -- Jac Collinsworth will serve as on-location contributor.

Looking for more ways to enjoy the Olympics? Peacock is also rolling out new Original programming to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics, including "For Ball and Country," which follows some of the greatest men's basketball players in America as they set aside their on-court rivalries and form a star-studded team to represent their country, as well as "Golden: The Journey of USA's Elite Gymnasts," which takes fans behind the scenes as Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez, Morgan Hurd, Sunisa Lee, Konnor McClain, and MyKayla Skinner compete for the four coveted Team USA roster spots. Additional Originals available to screen include "The '96 Effect," "The Sisters of '96: The 1996 USA Women's Olympic Soccer Team," "Michael Phelps: Medals, Memories & More," "The Greatest Race," and "My Pursuit: Life, Legacy & Jordan Burroughs."

Following the Tokyo Olympics this summer, fans can look forward to streaming additional sports events on Peacock, including upcoming Sunday Night Football games, Premier League soccer matches, NTT IndyCar Series, and much more.

Sign up for free at https://www.peacocktv.com to watch Peacock's Tokyo Olympics programming -- including curated highlights and playlists, full event replays, and six Olympics channels -- to never miss a moment.

(NewsUSA) - As the threat of COVID-19 continues, doctors and patients are considering the long-term impact of the pandemic on public health, especially heart health.

The American Heart Association's annual publication on Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics for 2021 emphasizes that heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide.

"COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on human life worldwide and is on track to become one of the top three to five causes of death in 2020. But its influence will directly and indirectly impact rates of cardiovascular disease prevalence and deaths for years to come," says Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., ScM, FAHA, president of the American Heart Association and chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Not only does research show that COVID-19 itself can cause heart damage, the indirect effects of the pandemic will likely generate an increase in heart health problems, he says. "Unhealthy eating habits, increased consumption of alcohol, lack of physical activity and the mental toll of quarantine isolation and even fear of contracting the virus all can adversely impact a person's risk for cardiovascular health, he emphasizes. "We'll need to watch and address these trends as the full ramifications will likely be felt for many years to come."

COVID-19 will impact the risk of experiencing or dying from heart disease or stroke for many years for several reasons.

- Unhealthy habits: During extended periods of quarantine or lockdown, many people developed or returned to behaviors related to poor eating, changes in work/sleep habits, lack of regular exercise and the mental stress of social isolation and excessive screen time that could contribute to heart disease and stroke.

- Missed medical visits: Many patients postponed regular doctor visits to manage chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol, resulting in an epidemic of poorly controlled disease that can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

- Fear of hospitals: Data from the American Heart Association show that many individuals experienced a heart attack or stroke during the pandemic and did not seek urgent care out of fear of contracting COVID-19 in a hospital setting. Unfortunately, some people may have experienced medical events with lasting consequences that may have been lessened with prompt treatment.

- Heart-related risks for COVID-19 patients: Although studies of the impact of COVID-19 on pre-existing medical conditions are ongoing, the data show that individuals with cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure are at increased risk for more severe disease - even death - if they become ill with COVID-19. It's important for everyone eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Visit heart.org/statistics to view the complete 2021 Statistical Update and to find fact sheets with information about the impact of COVID-19 on heart health and about cardiovascular disease risk in general.

(NewsUSA)

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(NewsUSA) - Female financial planners, (specifically, CFP® professionals) are in need, and provide a pivotal role to wealth management firms in serving diverse client bases and delivering holistic financial planning services to clients.

Those are the two main findings from an independent study from Aite Group, titled "Building a Diverse Practice: The Value of CFP® Certification to Female Advisors."

In an industry that is majority male (80%), wealth management firms should take note of the unique value that female financial planners offer to clients, when making client-facing hiring decisions.

Meanwhile, women who are exploring a possible career in financial planning, or who already work in the profession but have not yet earned their certification, should consider how CFP® certification can help unlock professional growth and fulfillment.

Holistic Financial Planning

Research has found that female financial planners offer a distinctively valuable approach to clients' financial planning process. According to the survey, female CFP® professionals:

• Provide comprehensive, formal and written financial plans to more of their clients compared to male CFP® professionals and other female financial advisors.
• Feel they've built client trust (74%) vs. just 53% of their male counterparts.
• Are more likely to provide retirement planning, estate planning, and tax and budgeting advice to their clients.

"Women are natural nurturers and working on someone's financial plan can help people with some of the most important and vulnerable parts of their life, which makes that strength in women so key," says Erin Voisin, CFP®, the managing director for wealth management services at EP Wealth Advisors in California. "We need more women in this profession to help put together those comprehensive plans to equip more people with financial security and encourage a more financially literate society."

More Female Financial Planners = Better for Business

A focus on holistic financial planning does not detract from female CFP® professionals' responsibilities to their firms. According to Aite Group, female CFP® professionals are as likely as male CFP® professionals to derive a majority of their practice revenue from assets under management and financial planning service fees.

Leaders in the financial planning profession say these unique strengths and distinctive characteristics underscore the need and opportunity for firms to bolster their client services by recruiting more female advisors.

"We already knew that there has been a business case to have more women in the financial services industry, and now we know that having female CFP® professionals adds even more value to their firm and the clients they serve," says Angela Ribuffo, CFP®, president of Raion Financial Strategies LLC in Alaska. "Female financial planners are invested in holistic planning, and to effectively achieve this, they excel in building strong relationships with their clients."

Initiatives To Get Behind

The CFP Board Center for Financial Planning is one organization seeking to foster greater diversity within the financial planning profession, including by growing the number of female CFP® professionals.

"We are seeing an increasing trend that prospective clients --both men and women -- specifically request to work with a female advisor. The work the Center for Financial Planning is doing to promote and cultivate diversity within the profession is imperative to serving a broader array of clients that so deeply need holistic financial planning," says Sabrina Lowell, CFP®, Advisor and Managing Partner at Private Ocean in San Francisco.

The Center's Women's Initiative (WIN) -- which is guided by the WIN Council on which Voisin, Ribuffo and Lowell sit -- is specifically focused on addressing the issue of women's under-representation in the financial planner workforce. WIN programs strive to attract more women into the profession and make the profession itself more attractive to women.

For more information about the Center for Financial Planning and its diversity-focused programs, such as the 2021 Virtual Diversity Summit and Career Fair, visit cfp.net/the-center-for-financial-planning.

(NewsUSA) -Parenting is hard, and the past year was especially challenging for parents of school-aged kids, as they struggled to juggle their children's virtual school and the loss of many activities and in-person contact with friends.

The goal of MASK (Mothers Awareness on School Age Kids) is to provide resources for parents, children, schools, and communities that address the challenges facing families and empower children to make safe and healthy choices. MASK is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007, and has evolved into a multimedia format that includes a website, a print magazine, an app, a digital learning platform, and a series of YouTube videos.

MASK tackles topics that include managing peer pressure, coping with trauma, and negotiating the peaks and valleys of social media, which can be especially challenging as families restore their networks and return to in-person school and activities.

"MASK programs teach children and their families how to handle the ever-changing landscape that our children are living in," says Kimberly Cabral, CEO, founder, and publisher of MASK.

Parents and their kids can engage with the MASK tools to build life skills and promote self-esteem through any or all of these options:

- MASKMatters app. Download the app on Apple or Google Play (also available in Spanish) for easy access to age-appropriate life skills resources that can be used by students, parents, and teachers.

- MASK Magazine. For those who like their information in print, MASK Magazine is a quarterly parenting manual and is also available through Zinio digital. Each issue focuses on a specific topic, such as Internet safety, with details on how it impacts children from preschool to college.

- MASK E3 Institute: The digital platform for MASK can be used by schools, community organizations, or families at home. The Institute is designed as a series of year-long comprehensive programs for different age groups: MASK Storytime for pre-K children, MASK Academy for kindergarten through sixth grade, MASK Prep for middle and high school students, and MASK Leadership for colleges students. Each of the age-appropriate programs teach kids social skills and educate them about topics such as bullying, drug and alcohol use, and staying safe online.

- MASK + Live: MASK offers a series of YouTube videos featuring feature medical doctors, clinical psychologists, professors, and other child health professionals who share their expertise on parenting and offer advice on physical health, mental health, and enhancing your relationship with your child.

Visit maskmatters.org for more information about the full range of MASK materials and programs.