All posts in: The Today Show

03 Jul 2017

Perks Competing Against Perks

When it comes to Silicon Valley companies and perks and benefits offered, people don’t mess around. Nearly every company here these days tend to offer standard medical, vision, and dental benefits, along with key man life insurance policies that can help employees during their tough times (those interested in learning more about this can look up keywords like “key man insurance quote” on the Web). Remember, all these perks are given regardless of the size of the business that they run. Many people would expect the bigger companies to be the only places that provide their employees with perks like health insurance, but this is simply untrue. Apparently, 35% of businesses who have a maximum of 15 employees offer such benefits too, so others should definitely follow suit if they are a company of a similar size. Fortunately, there is a lot of guidance that employers of companies, big or small, can refer to when they wish to make this change. For most people though, being gifted with these perks from their employers can definitely be seen as a positive.

When it comes to insurance though, employers can look at things like this relevant life insurance calculator to see how it can mutually benefit both the company and employees. And while that is fantastic for everywhere else around the world, it barely cuts it here. Instead, you have to go beyond that with catered breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day during the work week, onsite massages, Uber/Lyft credits, 4 months+ maternity and paternity leave, gym memberships, etc. The most extravagant perk I’ve heard about in recent months – coverage for women to freeze their eggs. That is a HUGE deal. Now, another company is getting into the mix with a unique set of perks that I’m hearing about for the first time.

The CEO of Boxed, Chieh Huang, is coming forward by announcing that employees will have their weddings paid for up to $20,000 and paying college tuition for his employees’ children. Now, amounts for the tuition weren’t disclosed and I’m still scratching my head at what that amount will be, but it’s still a very generous offering.

The idea behind the generous perks came to Huang when he visited employees in the Boxed warehouses. Some were struggling to make ends meets and to provide for their children’s future, hence the tuition program. The wedding idea came from talking to an employee named Marcel who was taking a second job because he was paying for his mother’s health care and planning a wedding. The payments are meaningful for both Huang and the employees, as you can see in a video of the moment. When asked by NBC News, Marcel explained how important it is, “You’re helping us breathe a little, looking towards the future.”

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06 Jan 2017

Guys, Would You Wear It?

Nobody knows more than me that I love a good choker trend. We’ve been obsessing over them since the summer and we’re not slowing down any time soon. However, ASOS decided to put the trend to a serious test this week by releasing a choker for guys. So male readers of Yow Yow! … I have to know, would you wear it? Is this an accessory that you can get behind? How would you style it?

You can check out the full collection here . And before you scratch your head and say, “Katie, but aren’t these women’s chokers? How can you distinguish them?” Well the link I just included shows that the search results have indeed been filtered down to just “men.” Yep. So this is a real thing that’s happening. Then after I read this news, I came across this:

This is The Today Show’s Matt Lauer also wearing a choker. Except, we’re a little put off that he’s displaying it Superman style. Why not wear an outfit that will already allow it to stand out on its own instead of being hidden? Turns out he was wearing this because of the recent news about ASOS so let’s not expect him to be a regular.

Whatever the case, I think I’m okay with this trend. If a guy would like to wear a choker, they should just go ahead. I’m still going to wear mine. Maybe we can match. Let’s just end this post on a good note though:

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03 Sep 2013

Performances of the Day

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIaAwcSiuq0]

Ariana Grande celebrated the release of her new album today, “Yours Truly” and of course – we’ve been listening to it all morning! She also performed on The Today Show and we made sure to catch those performances as well. However, if you didn’t get a chance to see her being awesome, here are some YouTube clips for you.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW-IcDW04Gs]

15 Jul 2013

Blog Roundup

photo cred | Cake Spy

– Top 10 restaurants and cafes in Seattle. [Source]

– 14 friends everyone has on Facebook. You know who you are. [Source]

– I haven’t posted anything about the Trayvon Martin case, but I will post this piece from The Frisky that I can stand behind. [Source]

– Mayer Hawthorne’s performance of “Her Favorite Song” on The Today Show. [Source]

– Uber now lets you split the fare with a friend. [Source]

– Are your favorite retailers tracking you? [Source]

– A new facial that let’s slugs slime their way all over your face. Are you brave enough to try it? [Source]

– 9 Ways to work out in San Francisco without stepping foot into a gym. Sounds like my kind of workout! [Source]

16 May 2013

Social Media Anxiety: It Exists

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When you say the words, “Social Media Anxiety” out loud, it may sound kind of silly because after all – how can we take social media all that seriously? But it exists. I know because social media anxiety is exactly what happened to me yesterday morning when I was trying to promote a Yow Yow! post on Facebook. First I posted it. Four minutes later I took it down. Then I posted it to a friend’s wall and deleted it. And then I re-posted it to my own Facebook again. It was so ridiculous and I’ll admit I was a little bit embarrassed, but that is in fact what social media anxiety is at its finest. When you know that what you post will be seen by others that you are connected with, it’s hard NOT to feel self conscious. Is the status your posting witty enough? If it doesn’t have enough likes, is that a bad thing? Is my Instagram shot artsy enough? Will my tweet garner any re-tweets or replies?

The Today Show recently conducted a study in which they surveyed 7,000 American mothers and have discovered that 42% of them suffer from “Pinterest stress” – the worry that they are not crafty or creative enough. Yeah, that’s a real thing.

People deal with stress in different ways. Some people might go for a walk or a run, others might have a stiff drink or use cannabis from sites such as Area52.com. This can be taken in many different forms, but most people will choose to smoke it from a joint or through a bong. Of course, there are other options and each can produce slightly different results for the user, which is why it is always recommended that you speak to an expert in this field before trying it for yourself. For instance, another option is to try using a dry herb pen and more information about this can be found at https://www.kingspipes.com/blogs/news/yocan-evolve-d-plus-instructions-how-to-use-it. Natural remedies like CBD oil or medicinal marijuana are becoming more commonplace in treating stress and anxiety and may suit your needs. More people are looking into it as it becomes available to them. People are now simply searching online for marijuana seeds and gaining access to the product in order to assist them with their anxiety symtoms. If these kinds of remedies or the dry herb pen are someone you would want to look into why not try some search terms like “Am I allowed to smoke weed in [my area]” or “how to grind weed without a grinder“. If a lot of your stress comes from social media, it could be beneficial to treating your anxiety directly. Though dealing with stress this way can be a different matter. Many people may choose to just avoid it completely. While a little break from social media can be good for you, it can also be very isolating. I find the answer is to simply not care what other people think. Post what makes you feel happy, and don’t worry about how many likes you do or don’t receive. Easier said than done, I know.

Or you can read these articles for some more advice. New York Magazine just wrote up an entertaining piece about the 6 Major Social Media Anxieties and it couldn’t be more spot-on. Check it out here.

06 Apr 2013

Airbnb on the Today Show

airbnb

Readers, have you heard about the home sharing service called Airbnb? Headquartered in San Francisco, friends first and co-founders second Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk created the company back in 2008. I first learned about Airbnb through other bloggers on the web who when visiting other cities through events, for work, or for pleasure were opting for the home sharing service over actual hotels. Growing up, I used to love staying in hotels because it is all I’ve ever known, but I like to think that Seattle University taught me a whole lot about community and that is exactly what this service is molded off of. Give your traveling experience a unique twist by staying in someone’s home. You can choose to rent out a private room or the entire home in cities ALL over the world. Airbnb has been on my radar for the last year and now that sharing services are becoming a billion-dollar industry, it is definitely something to pay attention to. Airbnb focuses on home sharing, but I’m sure you’ve heard of Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar too – all ride-sharing service start-ups located in San Francisco and expanding to other cities.

The look of Airbnb’s website is quite impressive and that might be accredited to the co-founders who were all designers previously. The website allows you to view rooms and homes in cities that you are visiting with prices per night/per week/per month along with reviews from other visitors who have stayed with that host. Cruising their website is an experience in itself. It’s a clean concept that has a great deal of depth and I am very excited to someday try it out myself.

Check out this video of co-founder Brian Chesky explaining more of Airbnb on The Today Show here.

Readers have you used it? If so, please share!

27 Jun 2012

Ann Curry Says Goodbye to “Today”

For the past few months, rumors have been swirling around that Ann Curry would be leaving/be replaced as co-host on the Today show. I had hoped that it would not be true, but unfortunately – the news has been released today that tomorrow morning, Ann Curry will announce her departure.

Now, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I grow very attached to things – especially ones that are a constant in my life. Believe it or not, that would be Ann Curry y’all! I’ve been watching the Today show ever since I was a small child  because it was the kind of programming I liked to watch right before I made it off to school. Ann Curry has been a part of the Today show since 1997 first as a news reporter and then as a co-host this past year. It’s been a long run for Curry, but it doesn’t end here as she has drafted up a new multi-year contract with NBC covering news and stepping in as an anchor on the Nightly News every so often.

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28 Mar 2012

The Buried Life Book Released

I would like to extend a huge congratulations to The Buried Life boys for the release of their new book, What Do You Want To Do Before You Die? – a question heard around the world after being introduced on their MTV series. I watched these guys yesterday on The Today Show and have read a number of articles and countless blog posts about them within the past couple of days. It’s incredibly cool to see them check off yet another list item.

While I was in San Francisco, I also had the chance to catch up on a few of their recent promo videos for the book as well. Here’s one below featuring Ben Nemtin.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTz_gzOTrNI&list=UU70o4hppuxR9zJYDnUBdtXA&index=2&feature=plcp]

Check out the rest of their videos on their channel.

photo cred | US Weekly
07 Dec 2011

Toddlewood Imitates The Today Show Cast

Tricia Messeroux/ToddleWood

Inspired by iconic images in pop culture and celebrities, photographer Tricia Messeroux of Toddlewood casts young kids to reenact these unforgettable moments. After the Today Show did a segment on Toddlewood, Messeroux decided to cast a bunch of kids to portray some of my favorite Today Show anchors including Ann Curry, Matt Lauer and the rest of the gang. How cute are mini Hoda and Kathie Lee above?!

To view the rest of the images click here and for the Today Show segment, click here.