Thought Leaders

Darin Myers

Coach Darin: Workplace collaboration: A secret to success

Collaboration. It seems like such an easy concept to grasp and embrace, particularly as it pertains to the teamwork required to run and grow a successful company. But then why do so many business owners, leadership teams and organizations struggle to foster a culture of collaboration? Is working together in an orchestrated effort really that hard? Well, it sure can be. And the reasons are many. For instance, organizations with a hybrid working model are particularly vulnerable to poor collaboration, as WFH employees and office workers are partitioned by distance,

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Cyber Security

War brings increase in business cyberattacks

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has begun to draw in Europe and the U.S. as well. Our enemies are savvy to the fact that cyberattacks on our country can be effective. As a result, businesses are facing increasing and ongoing cyberattacks. Due to the increase in attacks, you must have an increased security posture to stay ahead of these attackers. It is imperative for your business to have a plan in place when breaches happen. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) of breaches is the most effective way to keep

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Cyber Security

Expo Preview: Cross Link Consulting

Company: Cross Link Consulting Contact: Patrick Reynolds Phone: 803-279-1100 Website: https://crosslinkconsulting.net/ Address: 619 Edgefield Road, North Augusta, SC If you have spent any amount of time reading ABD articles, you have come across the helpful IT and Cybersecurity tips from loyal ABD supporter, Patrick Reynolds at Cross Link Consulting. Even though you are aware of the brand, we want to go behind-the-scenes to tell the story of what makes Cross Link Consulting such a great company. To best understand any company, one must understand the founder and their reason for

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Shawna Woodward

Real Talk Real Estate: How the New Mortgage Fee Adjustments Could Impact You

Starting May 1, 2023, the Federal Housing Finance Agency will enforce new fee adjustments for federally backed home mortgage companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Loan-Level Price Adjustments (LLPAs) will affect all private banks and mortgage companies across the U.S. The new rule aims to subsidize high-risk borrowers by imposing intentional disruption to traditional risk-based pricing. This policy, however, comes with added costs for homebuyers with credit scores of 680 or higher. These homebuyers may pay approximately $40 more per month on a $400,000 loan. Those who make down

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Darin Myers

Coach Darin: How leaders can boost employee and productivity

These days, business leaders are more focused than ever on finding ways to promote employee engagement and productivity. Although circumstances differ from one business to another, certain key principles apply in most cases. An effective starting point is looking closely at exactly how things get done within your organization. There’s far more complexity than ever before (with respect to innovations in technology, processes, and produces), so it’s increasingly critical that you do all you can to help employees do their jobs. Find time to step back and evaluate how things get done

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B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: Role Models: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Rather often in life, it is helpful to find role models. Both good role models and bad ones can help you make good decisions and avoid making bad ones. I once worked for a boss in the Pentagon who was a micromanager, did not trust his people, and was afraid to make decisions. After working for him for a year, I learned so much. Often, I would ask myself, what would he have done in a certain situation.  Avoiding stupidity is almost as useful as making good decisions. After a year,

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Lessons Learned

Workplace Wednesday: The Future of the Hybrid-Street

Leading workspace provider IWG plc explores the ever-shifting relationship between how and where people work, and its impact on the local communities where they live. Many local communities are juggling the challenges, opportunities, and success factors facing towns and suburbs as they seek to build and protect the thriving communities around their High Streets. As changing work patterns and an increase in working from home and closer to home reduce the dominance of the daily commute, leading workspace provider IWG explores how local communities can create a more dynamic and

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Digital Marketing

5 Types of UGC to Consider for Your Business

User-generated content (UGC) has become a valuable tool for digital marketers looking to boost engagement, build trust, and drive conversions. By leveraging the creativity and enthusiasm of their audience, brands can create more authentic and engaging social media marketing campaigns that drive real results. User-generated content (UGC) is easy to define. It’s any content that is created and shared by consumers rather than brands. UGC can be a powerful tool for growing its online presence. Here are some of the ways that UGC can benefit your marketing campaigns: Authenticity: UGC

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Cyber Security

Secure and reliable is the way to go for business Wi-Fi

Today, I want to provide you with some common solutions to common Wi-Fi issues that business folks may face. One big issue that many may face is with their network setup. If your company has an IT company or if you are the network administrator for your organization, you need to make sure you are NOT using a mesh network. These networks can cause problems. This type of network is one that is not connected directly by a hard line to your router. These networks use an ethernet cord connected

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Shawna Woodward

Real Talk Real Estate: Spring fever market update: Sunny with a side of “oh my”

There is much news to share regarding all things real estate in the AUG this week. First, I want to let you know that I have heard a tale of a VA loan with a 5% interest rate! Will you qualify for 5%? Probably not, but it is a start towards what I hope will encourage the fence riders to hop on down! I come to you today with a quick market update. Take this information as you will, but remember, owning a home will always be a wise step

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