The I-Drive area is known for its world famous attractions, non-stop entertainment, great dining and shopping and it is home to the second largest convention center in the U.S. And Orlandos tourist corridor also provides a golf mecca known for its championship courses designed by legends to provide play year-round in this vacation destination.

If you cant leave home without your four-legged family member, there are lots of choices in the International Drive Resort Area that will cater to your pet while you visit!

Leigh Thompson, professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, studies negotiations to understand the path to the "sweet spot" where all sides of the table come away happy. And she says there are more pitfalls on that path when more of us are working remotely and online. She shares how to overcome the common traps of virtual negotiations with trust-enhancing hacks such as E-charisma and language style matching. Thompson is the author of the book “Negotiating the Sweet Spot: The Art of Leaving Nothing on the Table.”

Shannon Huffman Polson, a consultant and former military pilot, experienced early on how to build grit. At 19, she was the youngest woman to summit Denali, North America’s highest peak. Then she overcame many obstacles to fly U.S. Army attack helicopters. Today Polson coaches people on developing grit in their careers and workplaces. Building it like a muscle, the process begins with recognizing your story and understanding your core purpose. And she explains how it’s still possible to strengthen even during a pandemic when you’re extremely stressed and strained. Polson is the author of the new book "The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World."

Roger Martin, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, says that for decades the U.S. corporate system has been obsessed with eliminating inefficiencies. There's a point, his research shows, when these efficiency gains come with even greater social and economic costs. And he believes that the Covid-19 pandemic is increasingly exposing those weaknesses. He argues that leaders and CEOs should reassess and, in some ways, reverse course in their perpetual drive for efficiency. Martin is the author of the new book "When More Is Not Better: Overcoming America's Obsession with Economic Efficiency."

Martin Lindstrom, founder and chairman of Lindstrom Company, says that many companies are still held back by doing things the way they've always done them, or failing to break down bureaucracy. For Lindstrom, it's not just about getting away from bureaucratic norms for the sake of innovation, but because so many things workers do each and every day don't actually make much sense. He suggests workers, leaders, and organizations consider ways in which processes can be improved - and the ways these new processes can improve life for everyone. And he argues that companies should actually devote a team or department to making sure common sense is used throughout the organization. Lindstrom is the author of the book "The Ministry of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS."

Marco Bertini, marketing professor at Esade Business School, says more and more companies are turning to pricing algorithms to maximize profits. But many are unaware of a big downside. The constant price shifts can hurt the perception of the brand and its products. He warns that overreliance on artificial intelligence and machine learning without considering human psychology can cause serious damage to the customer relationship. And he outlines steps managers should take, including implementing guardrails, overrides, and better communication tactics. With London Business School professor Oded Koenigsberg, Bertini wrote the HBR article "The Pitfalls of Pricing Algorithms."

Companies of every size in every industry and part of the world are basing more of their work around projects. And yet research shows that nearly two-thirds of those efforts fail. Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, who has studied projects and project management for decades, explains how we can do better. He offers advice on the right way to frame projects, how to structure organizations around them, and pitfalls to avoid. Nieto-Rodriguez is the author of the Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook and author of the article "The Project Economy Has Arrived."

Companies pay disproportionately high salaries to CEOs and other high-powered professionals willing to live and breathe their jobs, on-call 24/7, ready to pick up and travel. It's a phenomenon Harvard historian and economist Claudia Goldin calls "greedy work" and she says it's a big reason why the pay gap between men and women persists -- because the people typically tasked with caring for kids, the house, or elderly parents simply can't put in as much time and energy at the office. However, she notes, there are signs of change, with younger generations demanding better balance.

Companies around the world are struggling to fill open positions, while millions of unemployed people look for work. What's going on? Zeynep Ton, professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, says that organizations need to start offering better jobs. While old-school management thinking argued for paying workers only as much money as the market dictated and squeezing every last bit of efficiency out of them to maximize profits, the 21st century requires a new approach. This starts with higher wages but also includes more predictability and flexibility. In the wake of the global pandemic that brought essential workers to the forefront, Ton explains what companies have done - and can do - to create more good jobs in society.

It feels like a moment of panic for many. While there were some success stories in how public and private sector leaders managed the global pandemic, it isn't over, and many more crises -- from political polarization to climate change to new technological threats -- loom. But one leading political scientist is hopeful that countries and corporations can find ways to overcome their divisions and better collaborate on our most pressing issues over next ten years. He points to historic precedents and makes specific recommendations for the future, noting that in areas where political divisions cause roadblocks, it will be up to corporate leaders to ensure progress. Ian Bremmer is the president and founder of the Eurasia Group and author of the book “The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World.”

Underperforming state agencies, a natural disaster, and a pandemic are among the many challenges that faced Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and his former Chief of Staff Steve Kadish. Looking back during the final year of the Baker Administration, they say running a government is very different and often much harder than leading a private-sector company. And they share their four-part framework for breaking down complicated problems with many stakeholders to get results. It’s valuable for anyone in public service, as well as for leaders and managers in large organizations hamstrung by bureaucracy and politics. Baker and Kadish wrote the new book "Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done."

From politics to sports to business, we tend to glorify those who persevere, show grit, never give up. But former professional poker player and consultant Annie Duke argues that there is also great value in quitting — whether it’s a project, job, career, or company. She walks us through the biases that keep us stuck in the status quo even when other paths would be more fruitful and explains how to make better decisions. Duke is the author of "Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away.”

From corporate social responsibility to ESG to “doing well by doing good,” an increasing number of organizations are pursuing positive social impact, and it’s not just nonprofits and government agencies. But incorporating social impact into a for-profit business raises all kinds of system dilemmas, says Jacob Harold, a cofounder of the philanthropy data platform Candid and the former CEO of GuideStar. He explains a bundle of tools that can be used together to create meaningful change. Harold wrote the new book “The Toolbox: Strategies for Crafting Social Impact.”

What seemed like science fiction for decades is now a reality: companies are selling wearable tech and monitoring devices that can sense people’s brain activity. Neurotechnology opens incredible opportunities for new products and safer workplaces. It also raises huge red flags for privacy and ethics. And managers and organizational leaders are on the front lines of these dilemmas, says Duke University School of Law professor Nita Farahany. She explains the commercial products based on neurotechnology, the impact on workers and organizations, and the need for regulations and corporate policies. Farahany wrote the book The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology.

After decades of industrial policy that favored globalization and free trade, we are entering a new era. Prompted by the pandemic, climate change, rising geopolitical tensions and economic concerns, countries and groups of countries are once again using the power they have to intervene in the private sector, whether it's investing in drug development, offering clean energy tax breaks, or incentivizing domestic manufacturing. Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih wants to help corporate leaders navigate these changes in a way that protects their businesses, workers, and customers. He explains the new challenges - as well as opportunities. Shih wrote the HBR article, "The New Era of Industrial Policy is Here."

After the summer of 2020 in the United States, many organizations made a big push to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in their ranks and operations. But now, many fear that that momentum is slipping, especially in the face of economic headwinds. Laura Morgan Roberts, organizational psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, says it is time to recommit to these efforts by creating the conditions for all workers to flourish. She explains four freedoms that organizations can foster to allow employees to become their best selves — and even be able to fade into the background when they choose. Roberts wrote the HBR Big Idea article “Where Does DEI Go From Here?”

The coauthor of the classic book Getting to Yes has new advice on how to negotiate, designed for a world that feels more conflicted than ever. William Ury, cofounder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, has come to learn that the biggest obstacle in a negotiation is often yourself—not your opponent. Ury, who also coined the term BATNA, explains the latest thinking from his research and consulting. He shares his tried-and-true methods for overcoming yourself to negotiate better outcomes at work and in life. Ury wrote the new book Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict.

The amount of work we need to get done seems to grow daily. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, we have to become more productive than ever. Laura Mae Martin has advice on what has worked well at one of the biggest organizations in the world. She's the Executive Productivity Advisor at Google and shares the practical ways she helps her colleagues and company executives manage their time, calendars, email inboxes, and more. Martin is the author of the new book Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing.

EDANA’s Sustainability Forum, themed 'Building a Sustainable Future Together,' convened leaders in Brussels to discuss clean energy, corporate sustainability, circular economy, and EU policies. Highlights included sessions on renewable investments, sustainable practices, and regulatory impacts, emphasising industry-wide collaboration for environmental progress.

Goldman Sachs has lowered its forecast for 2025 eurozone GDP growth to 0.8 per cent from 1.1 per cent. Europe’s economy will be hit by the return of Donald Trump as president, due to the likelihood of new trade tensions with the US, pressure to raise defense spending and a blow to business confidence due to higher geopolitical risks, its experts believe. European companies may also face tariffs.

Maria shows you how to create a gothic candy bowl project for Halloween with dollar store supplies!

Tariff policy under the new government will indeed be a challenge and will trigger new inflationary cycles if campaign proposals are fully enacted, making apparel expensive for Americans, trade body AAFA recently said. AAFA will continue to push Congress and the Administration to renew expired and expiring programmes like the AGOA, the GSP and the Haiti HELP/HOPE preference programme.

The 2024 Laureus Sport for Good Index honours brands advancing the 17 SDGs through sport, highlighting impactful initiatives that address key social and ecological issues. Head of Partnerships Astin Ewington emphasises the Index’s role in showcasing sport's power to drive positive change, inspiring more brands to use sport as a platform for meaningful, sustainable impact.

Goldman Sachs has lowered its forecast for 2025 eurozone GDP growth to 0.8 per cent from 1.1 per cent. Europe’s economy will be hit by the return of Donald Trump as president, due to the likelihood of new trade tensions with the US, pressure to raise defense spending and a blow to business confidence due to higher geopolitical risks, its experts believe. European companies may also face tariffs.

Google's new Learn About tool offers an interactive approach to learning about topics, including heady questions like whether money buys happiness.

A strong AI governance program is essential to ensuring compliance and reducing risk. An equally important benefit is that by developing the governance program at the same time the AI application is being developed, issues can be identified early, thus avoiding system redesign or rework on the tail end.

The goal of the collaboration is to develop advanced algorithms that yield more efficient and user-friendly visual representations of application structures

Since migrating to MongoDB Atlas, Toyota Connected has increased efficiencies in everything from its infrastructure to its call center

KnowledgeLake's solutions are designed to improve data accuracy, reduce operational costs, and enable faster decision-making, particularly within industries that handle large volumes of content, such as financial services, government, and healthcare.

An Enterprise CSP offers enterprise-grade custom AI models for driving growth

Hotelier Harris Rosen, who grew up poor in New York City, is using his self-made success for good, providing free day care in a low-income neighborhood in Orlando, and offering free tuition to state colleges when the kids grow up. NBCs Gabe Gutierrez reports.

The International Drive Improvement District was able to bring some holiday joy to 790 area disadvantaged children when it partnered with the Salvation Army, along with WKMG Local 6, for its 13th annual Angel Tree program for the 2014 holiday season.

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I have finally solved the great mystery of making healthful choices outside of the house.  As with many great mysteries, the solution was right in front of me the whole time.  It’s advice I’ve given to others over the years but never applied it to this degree before.  Prepare your own food as much as […]

Aug 21-23 2020 will bring you an exciting live online photography workshop weekend with 35+ advanced, exciting sessions from world-class photographers (and I still can’t believe that I got accepted to teach with them! Yey! o/) For each session, two photographers will team up to deep-dive into a topic from multiple angles. And I couldn’t … Continue reading "Join me at Out of Chicago IN-DEPTH and GET $50 OFF"

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A look at exponential growth (it’s the smartphones), an update about the state of satellite streak mitigation to keep the astro photographers happy, two history lessons (hello Lytro, hello Magnum) and a ground-breaking photo of a planet. Topics: [PHOTO] Have the Smartphones Won? : Here’s an interesting animation that shows various cameras since the 1950s … Continue reading "917 Are Starlink the Good Ones?"

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This is cranky linguist Bob. The lack of count markers is starting to bug me. To wit… Usage of “fewer” vs. “less” The prescriptive rule in English is that “fewer” applies to groups of countable objects whereas “less” applies to … Continue reading →

As forwarded to us by Max Shepsi: I’m starting to see a pattern here!

From the team that brought you “good-looking parents are 36% more likely to have a baby daughter as their first child than a baby son” and “The PDO cool mode has replaced the warm mode in the Pacific Ocean, virtually … Continue reading →

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I heard on the news years ago that the Hubble telescope discovered a powerful megastar that is not only one hundred million times brighter than...