Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: geometry, hyperbolic geometry, mathematics
“The beauty of mathematics only shows itself to more patient followers.” Maryam Mirzakhani
Episode 2021:7
Addition. Subtraction. Multiplication. Division. Algebra. Euclidian Geometry. Trigonometry. Calculus. For the vast majority of us, our formal study of math ends somewhere along this list. But this list doesn’t get us to space. Doesn’t get us mobile phones/tablets/devices. Doesn’t get us the Internet.
It’s not hyperbole to say mathematics can explain virtually the entire universe. That’s astounding if you really think about it. So does that mean mathematicians see the world differently than the rest of us? That’s one of the many questions I pose to Ara Basmajian, professor of hyperbolic geometry at Hunter College (part of the CUNY system), on this episode (2021:7) of Did You Know That?
If you want to dive into a whole new world and language, visit Ara’s links below:
Teaching: https://sites.google.com/view/basmajian/home/teaching
Research: https://sites.google.com/view/basmajian/home/research
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBSnPsGsH6U
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJWk_oAGlxo
Music: “Make Me Mad – instrumental Version” by Ofrin via Artlist
#mathematics #geometry #hyperbolicgeometry #universallanguage #didyouknowthat #indulgeyourcuriosity #youtubechannel
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Lexi Arnold, Sean O'Rourke
“The strongest people are those who win battles we know nothing about.” Unknown
Episode 2021:6
Host: Sean O’Rourke
Health can be a perplexing topic for all of us. Unless afflicted with a condition at birth or in early childhood, we typically grow up believing we control our minds and bodies. We jump when we want, we say what comes to mind, we sleep when we’re tired, we laugh when amused, we… well, you get the picture.
Lexi Arnold started life with that same belief but was disabused of the notion at a young age. Her struggles started early and caused mounting physical and mental challenges that affected her quality of life. Treating the physical issues was the easy part (and I use the term easy in a very loose sense, as you will find out during our conversation); the mental and emotional weight Lexi carried required more understanding, both for Lexi and her family.
In this episode of Did You Know That?, Lexi and I talk about the “shadow” she describes in the essay below. We discuss how she broached the subject with her parents, why she decided to be so open about her struggles, and what she’s doing to help others. This is one of the more inspiring episodes I’ve done thus far.
Lexi’s essay: https://lexismentalhealthmatters.jimdofree.com/2019/10/08/the-shadow
Learn more about Lexi at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexiarnold/
Instagram: @lexiarnold
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Colleen Blum, Rob Pecha, Tenacious Tuesday, Try & Stop Me Podcast
Check out the latest episode of the Try & Stop Me Podcast with host, Colleen Blum.
Lessons In The Redirection
Rob Pecha dreamed about fighting for his country but after 2 years of training he was told he could no longer continue.
Listen along as he sits down to tell us all about the lessons he was able to take from those day and turn them into motivation still to this day in his life and career.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lessons-in-the-redirection/id1525146944?i=1000508125920
Filed under: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Feature Friday, General Combs, Giving Back, Mizzou, Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic, Mizzou Law Veterans Society, Roger E Combs, Sean ORourke, Susan L Combs, University of Missouri
Host: Sean C O’Rourke
Guest: Brent Filbert
“We have to make sure the Hell the veterans come home from is not the Hell they come back to.” Marcus Luttrell
Episode 2021:5
The quote above carries many connotations, but for the purposes of this episode of Did You Know That?, we’re focusing on the relationship between veterans and the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). This is not a hit piece on the VA, but an exploration of how bureaucracy, politics, money, and other factors force many veterans into a pitch battle with the very government they served.
Brent Filbert is the clinical director and a supervising attorney at The Veterans Clinic at the University of Missouri School of Law. This group of dedicated attorneys and law students take up the fight – free of charge – for veterans who aren’t receiving the benefits they earned for their service. It’s a disheartening conversation in some respects and inspiring in many others.
Check out the work of The Veterans Clinic by following the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-missouri-columbia-school-of-law/
NOTE: This episode comes at a special time as we honor my late father-in-law, Maj. Gen. Roger E. Combs, with the #PancakesForRoger campaign on various social media platforms. To check out the story behind the endeavor, Click Here!
Music: “Continent” by ANBR via Artlist
Filed under: Combs & Company, General Combs, Giving Back, Mizzou, Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic, Mizzou Law Veterans Society, Purple Foxes, Roger E Combs, University of Missouri | Tags: Air Force, Army, Combs & Company, CombsCrew, Marines, Mizzou Alumni, Mizzou Law, Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic, MizzouMade, PancakesForRoger, Purple Foxes, SupportOurVets
February 1st kicks off Combs & Company’s annual campaign to support the University of Missouri School of Law Veterans Clinic, which helps veterans and their families navigate the VA claims process and secure disability benefits when they are faced with obstacles along the way. Combs & Company will make a donation to the Veterans Clinic for every pancake-loving picture you post on social media and use the hashtag #PancakesForRoger.
Many have asked how this campaign began. It began with a what seemed to be a simple request by my father for some pancakes.
My dad, Major General Roger E. Combs, served our great country for more than 39 years in three branches of the military (Marines, Army, and Air Force). When he was coming to the end of his life, I was fortunate enough to return home to King City, MO from my NYC home to be present and help care for him. Each morning we had a pretty specific routine as the early risers of the family. I would go to the gym at 5am, return home around 6am to get ready for the day, and then help him have breakfast and get him prepped for his day. One morning, as I came downstairs, he was setting the kitchen table for himself and I looked at him rather quizzically and asked what he was doing. He looked at me and said, “I want pancakes for breakfast.” I smiled at him as my heart broke inside.
Such a simple request was by this time impossible for my dad. Ten years prior, my father was diagnosed with Agent Orange-related throat cancer, from exposure during his service as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He’d beaten that cancer and enjoyed a relatively good ten years, but he relapsed twice, and his final treatments required him to have a feeding tube. He was unable to eat solid foods – and my dad loved food – but he never complained. He knew the journey he was on. So his desire for pancakes became a rallying point for me and #PancakesForRoger became my way to honor his greatness. I share this story as often as I can to help remind myself and others to enjoy the simple things in life, because you never know when they could be taken away.
So every February, to show support to many veterans who will come to be in my father’s shoes, I issue a challenge for the month to have some “Pancakes for Roger.” For each picture you post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter, and use the hashtag #PancakesForRoger, Combs & Company will make a donation in Maj. Gen. Combs’ name to the Veterans Clinic at the University of Missouri School of Law to help further their mission to support our veterans and their families.
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If you are looking to support the Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic in a deeper way, feel free to CLICK HERE to make a donation!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Colleen Blum, Petia Abdur-Razzaaq, The Stylista Group
Influencing The Brands with Guest Petia Abdur-Razzaaq
Host: Colleen Blum
How many times have we’ve seen big brands just miss the mark?
Petia Abdur-Razzaaq, Founder of the Stylista Group is a top marketing strategist and tackling just that. She has teamed up with powerful females to flip the script on this problem. Listen how she shares her journey which has lead her to co-creating “Mosaic Mommies”.
Mosaic Mommies is a community of multi-ethnic moms and micro-influencers who share information about their favorite everyday products and services.
Their mission is to become the one-stop destination for mom influencers of all cultural backgrounds to connect, learn and nurture their unique needs.
Influencing the brands by branding through influencers.
Check Petia out at:
LinkedIn or at The Stylista Group
Don’t have time to watch and want to listen on your way to work? Click Here to list at Apple Podcasts!
Filed under: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Sean ORourke | Tags: Did You Know That?, Ellen Williams, Motivation Monday, Sean O'Rourke
“Information is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the combustion engine.” Peter Sondergaard
If you’re reading this, stop for 60 seconds and think about the data you generate on a daily basis. (No rush, I’ll wait.) Now put that data into a number format, like 10GB or 100GB. Want to know a secret? You’ve probably underestimated your daily data footprint by a factor of 10 to 100.
In today’s hyper-digital world, it’s nearly impossible note to generate tremendous amounts of data. That data carries value for businesses, if they can understand and optimize what they have. That’s the problem though; most companies are not doing a good job leveraging all that information to make a better product/service, so they’re wasting a valuable resource.
Ellen Williams doesn’t like wasting data. She knows the value contained in those bits and bytes, and she knows how to extract that value. (You don’t get the moniker, The Data Chick, for nothing.) On episode 2021:3 of Did You Know That?, Ellen and I talk about data, what companies can do with it, and why they do anything with it (most of the time). The conversation is a good reminder that the service/product you produce isn’t the only thing valuable about your business.
Big sure to stay current with Ellen by visiting her at:
Company Website: https://www.orion-gs.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/
Twitter: @Ellen_NY_B2B
Music: “Night Search” by Russo via Artlist
Check out the latest episode of “Did You Know That?” with host Sean O’Rourke
“In 10 years the electronic medical record will be the minor player, in terms of where a person’s health history lives.” Leslie Saxon
For better or worse, your health information is moving or has already moved into a digital format. Best known as electronic medical records (EMR’s), these digital footprints can be accessed by doctors, nurses, dentists, caregivers, employers; basically any entity that requires even a small bit about your medical condition. Like all things digital, there are regulations that look to protect that information from being stolen or misused.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has been around since the mid-1990’s, but in the last six to seven years, it has roared into the consciousness of all who hold EMR’s due to the increased threat to these records by hackers. Understanding the obligations under HIPAA is where my next guest on Did You Know That? comes into play.
Stephanie Rodin is an attorney specializing in the medical/healthcare world, and you can’t play in this sandbox without understanding HIPAA. What makes our conversation well worth your time is her knowledge of how HIPAA is starting to impact even businesses that don’t have anything to do with medicine. It’s a tricky topic.
To learn more about Stephanie and her practice, visit:
Website: http://www.rodinlegal.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/
Twitter: @Rodinlegal
Music: “Ghost” by Sunny Fruit via Artlist
#hipaa #healthcare #electronicmedicalrecords #didyouknowthat #indulgeyourcuriosity #youtubechannel
Filed under: Colleen Blum, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Motivational, Tenacious Tuesday, Try and Stop Me Podcast | Tags: Colleen Blum, Michael Shein, Tenacious Tuesday, The Hype Handbook, Try and Stop Me Podcast
Try & Stop Me Podcast with Host: Colleen Blum
Cult Leaders, Mischief Maker and Boundary Breakers– what do they all have in common whether we like to admit it or not? They understand what attracts like minded individuals and tap into those strengths to get HYPE from humans.
Michael Schein has been studying individuals for years gathering some interesting facts. As he says, “never in history have people been so susceptible to propaganda and persuasion as they are now. Hype truly runs our world.”
Now what if we could tap into the hype and use the strategies for good in the world and impactful business success? Well he has done just that, Mike is going to share with us his journey, which lead him to the creation of his new book “The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers”.
Buckle up for a truly interesting conversation.
You can grab The Hype Handbook on Amazon!
CLICK HERE to listen to the Podcast, or watch it below!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Combs & Company, PPP Loan, Second Round PPP Loan, The Art of Money Matters, Tricia Taitt
Author: Tricia M. Taitt
Congress just passed a new COVID-19 “survival”stimulus package. Changes include the reopening of the $10,000 EIDL grant program and updates to the PPP loan program.
As a reminder, those eligible for the PPP include:
- New borrowers
- Businesses that exhausted their first PPP loans
- with less than 300 employees and;
- that suffered a 25% or more reduction in gross revenue in one quarter in 2020 versus the same quarter in 2019
The second draw PPP loan program works similarly to the first round. Newly added policies include:
- The max loan amount for most businesses at 2.5x the average monthly payroll cost for 2019 or over a trailing 12-month period
- The max loan amount for hospitality and food-service businesses at 3.5 x that average monthly payroll costs for 2019 over the past 12 months
- The list of expenses that qualify for loan forgiveness has expanded to include: operational expenses, supplier costs, PPE and worker protection costs and eligible payroll costs, including group insurance payments
The bottom line:
- Move fast. Get your documents and calculations ready for when lenders make applications available.
- Stay informed. But take some things with a grain of salt. There is a lot of false information out there. Rely on experts and your lender for updates.
- Keep an eye out. As of now expenses paid with PPP loan funds are tax-deductible and the PPP monies are nontaxable income. The IRS may push back against that.
Click here to get some guidance on loan forgiveness for the 1st round borrowers!
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About Tricia & The Art of Money Matters:
The Art of Money Matters is led by its President and Chief Financial Officer, Tricia Taitt, who has a strong track record of managing and improving the financial operations of growth-oriented, small to mid sized companies in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. Ms. Taitt is adept at helping senior leaders decode the numbers so that they can better understand their business and make strategic decisions more confidently.
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