Paul Guenther: Offering Consistent Top-tier Business Solutions
“Just believe in yourself. Whether you think you can or think you can’t –you’re going to end up being right, either way.” In certain ways of business, stepping into an industry brings spontaneous challenges. If a business person molds these challenges and utilize them as a ladder to climb up to a particular position, he/she can bring a disruptive change within an innovative approach in their business niche. Following the zeal from studying law to lead a B2B advertising space that turned into a renowned brand is Paul Guenther. An entrepreneur who proved himself time and time with his leadership and commitment. As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Hub Media, Paul harnesses the power of business management from sales to marketing, accounting to website development. His tireless efforts and focused engagement enhance every aspect of the business. Learning & Leading Over the years, B2B customers are being targeted at an exponential pace, in the way that they market to different types of audiences. Currently, in the B2B demand generation space, KHM’s clients have shifted to more niche targeting – promoting their assets to very specific and specialized job roles and functions. Where in the past, companies would target based on more generalized criteria (e.g., IT Decision Makers in large companies), they have shifted to a more qualitative approach. It’s less about lead quantity and more about lead quality, reaching the exact folks who are most likely to buy their software and technology platforms. Previously, a company that might have targeted “HR Directors” now targets “Talent Management Directors” and “VPs of Talent Acquisition.” Again, more specific with the job roles that they are going after. And in most cases, instead of targeting companies by the number of people it employs or goes industry vertical, clients tend to target companies via account-based marketing (i.e., ABM lists). ABM lists are generally created and provided by KHM’s clients, pre-campaign launch. They are made up of companies that fit very specific targeting criteria, and in most cases, fall into one of three categories: current customers; competitor’s customers; companies showing intent to purchase a given software platform or solution. Dive into the exhilarating story of Paul and his experiences. Placing the Wick Mr. Guenther’s journey of career-oriented learning started at Penn State University in the Fall of 2002. At the time, he was unsure about what he exactly wanted to do. After some time, he determined that he wanted to go to law school, and decided to major in Crime, Law & Justice. He got his B.S. in the spring of 2006, which was immediately followed by a (short) stint in Law School. He was doing a part-time night program, and at the time, he was unsure about it too. He started working full time during the day, going out with friends at night, and not at all focused on what he should have been focused on. Whether or not it was a blessing in disguise, he ended up going back to school in 2008 to get his MBA with a concentration in Marketing Management (Wilmington University). In 2009, Paul started working on what would become “IT Knowledge Hub” – which is now known as Knowledge Hub Media. Once gained his MBA in 2010, he was off to the races with the company. Fortunately, over the next couple of years, he was able to bring his first few employees on – Anthony and James running Sales, and Chris, who filled the first Client Services role. He had also gone back to school by that point to get his Doctorate in Business Administration – finishing his dissertation and graduating in January 2020. Mission & Vision Knowledge Hub Media was established in 2009, and ever since its inception, the team has been a prominent player in the B2B advertising space. Their core competency, however, is lead generation – or “demand generation,” as it’s better known across the industry. KHM leverages content syndication via assets like white papers, webinars, case studies, and the like, to generate highly targeted leads for our clients. Most of our clients are in the software and technology industry – and when they’re not, they are usually advertising/media agencies working on behalf of the former. Most of our clients are promoting technology platforms and software solutions that they are looking to find net new customers for. Since the company’s initiation, Paul faced the challenge of not practicing things that traditional businesses do. Things like sales goals – and really anything that causes unnecessary stress, in general – are the things that the team tries to avoid. There has always been a favorable work-life balance, and overall, people continue to motivate themselves to get better. There is not much criticism or disagreement to go around, and that’s a good thing. Inspiring Employees to Meet Needs of the Clients Customers are always the most important aspect of any business. Without customers, no one has a business. Ensuring and enhancing the customer experience is always high up on KHM’s list, and at the end of the day, the team always wants to make sure that everyone is completely satisfied. It usually comes down to a few things: responsiveness, quality of the product, and customizability. Over the 12+ years, the team has evolved its practices and QA/QC measures to ensure only the finest lead quality – in terms of both data integrity and lead scoring mechanisms. It’s very important for the customizations where some clients are happy to stick with more traditional means and delivery methods, and some like the team to use custom API integrations, lead import systems, and form post technologies. The team is always happy to customize a product – with regard to both targeting and delivery – to go above and beyond the customer’s expectations. Being Adaptable to Unprecedented Times Businesses were being asked to keep their premises closed to combat the coronavirus. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was an uncertain time, and it impacted virtually everyone else on the planet. Though KHM
Tonya Winders: Regulating Health, Life and Balance
Albin Kaelin: Demonstrating Leadership With Cradle To Cradle Design For Businesses
Albin is a true pioneer of sustainability in manufacturing and an accredited assessor for the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ registered trademark and Certification Standard. His innovative approach earned Rohner Textiles 19 awards and impacted the textile industry globally. He shared the formula for the Cradle to Cradle processes with the entire textile industry. He helped Wolford to create a biodegradable polyester (PET) that is 100% toxic-free, which is safe for the environment and human health. Industry from the very beginning has treated natural resources as essentially infinite, and the world’s capacity to accommodate waste with the same regard. As the economy becomes global, we now understand this is not true – so the way we make products also should change. EPEA Switzerland has developed ‘Reference Model Cradle-to-Cradle Design Innovations’. Their reference model works for every product in every industry. It can be used to create products in a way that aims to close the loop on the cradle-to-grave economy – whether that’s by using safe chemicals and materials, or designing products so their resources can be used across multiple lifecycles without loss of quality. We at Fortunes Crown got into conversation with Albin Kaelin, Founder and CEO of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) to learn more about his journey and how he is changing the landscape of doing a business. Please tell us about your educational/professional background. Would you like to mention some of the highlights from your journey? “I’m actually left-handed. When I got to school, I was forced to write on the right. Back then I asked why, but I didn’t get an answer. This experience has taught me not to accept anything whose sense I do not understand. I want to shape my life so that it makes sense for me and for the community. In doing it becomes visual how I take responsibility. I work professionally to enable innovations to develop new concepts of production that no longer produce waste, but become ‘nutrients’ for other products. By showing new ways to the old system, I find my track of interface, where I am neither saying yes nor no and I am confident to bear my responsibility.” “Innovation and Leadership are the only surviving strategies” “If you compare, you start to compromise” “This process never ends, if you never get this point, you never go to survive” 1981 to 2004 Albin Kälin was Managing Director of Rohner Textil AG in Switzerland. Since the 90s, under his leadership, the company won 19 international design awards. In 1993, he stimulated the development of the product line Climatex ® (www.climatex.com) and thus the first Cradle to Cradle ® products worldwide. Albin Kälin was awarded in 2001 UBS Key Trophy as the “Rhine Valley Entrepreneur of the Year.” Please brief us in detail about the current scenario of the business. How have the customer preferences changed over the years? “We all have been educated to think linear, all the systems we are living in are based on linear thinking. e.g accounting, GDP, recycling, landfill. There is no future, Cradle to Grave. We are losing resources, and their quality and most of them are even toxic. What we need is Cradle to Cradle. Enabling a positive perspective for future generations and the environment. Legislation is taking this up rapidly within the EU Member States with the “New Green Deal”, forcing companies to transform into circular businesses and products designed for a toxic-free environment. When was Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency established? Please tell us about the services/products your company is offering? EPEA Switzerland was founded in 2009 to support businesses to innovate and become safe and circular. It is a different way of thinking; this is why it is so challenging. We need many lighthouses who can prove the different way of thinking is a success. How can we reach the tipping point soon.” EPEA Switzerland GmbH supports companies in different areas of activities in the development and implementation of Cradle to Cradle ® design concepts. With an experienced, internationally oriented and interdisciplinary working management team, Cradle to Cradle ® projects are implemented in all industries worldwide. EPEA Switzerland is an accredited general assessor for the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Certification. www.c2ccertified.org What are the unique challenges your company is currently facing? How have they affected your company? Building a Network of Trust “To be honest this is a real challenge. Trying to transform linear systems into circular ones is demanding and challenging. Mindset, Management and Integrated Systems need to be transformed into a new way of thinking. This can only be created through innovation and strong and reliable partner networks. Over the years we were able to build a Network of Trust with hundreds of clients and thousands of suppliers on a global scale. Please mention some of your achievements. 2021 • CEO Today Europe Award Albin Kaelin EPEA Switzerland 2022 • 2 Awards: Best CEO of the Year – Albin Kaelin > M&A Today Global Awards and Lawyer International • Most Innovative CEO in the Worldwide Textile Industry > Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards • Business Leadership and Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Manufacturing > Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards • Manufacturing – Leader of the Year Albin Kaelin- CEO- EPEA Switzerland GmbH > CEO Today Europe Award • 2 Awards: Top 10 Most Inspiring CEO in Business in 2022 > CIO Views Magazine, Fortunes Crown • Best Specialist Cradle to Cradle Products & Services Provider – 2022 • Acquisition International 2022 Global Excellence Awards What measures do you incorporate to ensure motivation and productivity within the workspace? How do you respond to criticism and disagreements? “For 25 years I experienced headwind and was considered a rebel. Now the time spirit touches the surface and you are recognized to be innovative. To receive tailwind is making it moving faster with less energy. Remain firm and never give up your principles.” Changing a mindset is challenging and causes many contradictions, discussions and often criticism and disagreements. As Albert Einstein mentioned: “We
Struggling With Insomnia? Then Start Snoozing With Your Pet
The joy of retaining a pet is tremendous for the whole family. Millions of people are happily living with their pets as they live as their family members. People all over the world enjoy the company of pets and look after their pets as their kids. They perform all the regular activities like walking, bathing, playing, etc. Sometimes they just sleep with them on their bed. It’s because dozing with your pet gives you multiple health benefits. Even if they did it because of their fondness but there are hidden health benefits to doing so. The study by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research reveals that more than half of holders (56%) enable their pets to nap with them at night on their beds. Slumbering with your pets can change your lifestyle in these ways – • Cure insomnia • Enhanced intense sleep • Boosted immunity • Intensified relaxation and protection • Enhance trust Cure insomnia: Dozing with your pets curtails stress and anxiety and provides a healthier drowsing atmosphere. Dr. Neha Dutt, a counseling psychologist emphasized the facts spoken above. She explains that pet holders do not need to seek sleep medication. Enhanced intense sleep: Making your pet your bedmate enables you to relieve and stimulates the progression of oxytocin, it has an important influence on how intensely you sleep. Napping with your pets enhances brainwaves and synchronizes your heartbeat, permitting you to attain the intensest phase of your nap. For those looking to further improve relaxation and sleep quality, many people also explore supportive wellness products such as amazon magnesium oil spray, which some find helpful in promoting muscle ease before bedtime. This combination of comfort and routine resists sleeplessness in the system. Boosted immunity: Sleeping with your pet may boost the immune system. Barbara says “Pets encourage the diversity of microorganisms in a home and research shows that your immune system strengthens when exposed to a diversity of microorganisms.” The existence of pets relatively affects the quality of bacteria found in a house, and they influence the immunity of humans. Intense relaxation and safety: Pets empower the feeling of security at night. Georgia says “Pets create a secure and cozy atmosphere with their warmth, steady heartbeat, and protective nature.” Barbara adds “Dogs heighten comfort, especially for people who feel lonely.” The study performed by Taylor & Francis based that napping with a pet enhances sleep integrity for women. Owning a dog or cat can provide pet owners with an understanding of security, and it helps them in battling mental health problems. Enhance trust: The advantages of possessing pets and sharing the bed aren’t just for humans, animals have a higher faith level. The essence of the whole article is to provide you with a wide variety of health benefits of making your pets your sleeping partners. To cure your diverse variety of health issues.
Why Twitter Filed a Lawsuit Against Elon Musk?
What was the actual deal? In late April, Elon Musk and Twitter approved a plan that Musk will purchase Twitter. The deal was confirmed at $44 billion, and both agreed but a month later the blame game begins on both sides. Why did musk feel the cold feet on Twitter? After finalizing the deal in May, Musk delayed the deal and pressured Twitter will disclose to its users how many of them are bots or spam. Musk sent a message, his lawyers mentioned that if twitter will not publish the required information then Musk will discontinue the deal. Musk claimed on Twitter that the number of bogus accounts could estimate at 20%, quadrupling Twitter’s measure. Musk confessed that he was annulling the contract because Twitter infringed the contract by declining to answer back the requests for data respecting fraud or spam accounts on Twitter, which is essential to its business execution. Musk was instructed to discontinue the contract due to numerous infringements in the deal agreement. Twitter annulled all statements of Musk Twitter furthermore alleged Musk for privately acquiring stakes in the company without publishing his significant investments to controllers. Twitter named the justifications illustrated by Musk as Excuses. Bret Taylor, the chairman of Twitter informed, The Twitter Board said they were devoted to securing the agreement on the expense and conditions decided with Mr. Musk and intends to continue lawful action to carry out the unification agreement. Twitter has pleaded to the Delaware court to order Musk to execute the consolidation at the collective $54.20 per Twitter stake. Twitter charged the chief of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk for terminating the $44 billion deal. The social platforms named it Musk’s withdrawal strategy “a prototype of duplicity”. This case has affected one of the billionaire businessmen and social media giants Twitter. Lawful experts are defending Twitter at this time, it looks like Twitter is nominated to win this battle.
Trump And Musk – The Trampoline Of Punchlines
There are no two rich personalities riper for a public spat than former President Donald Trump and Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, who have been slinging insults in the aftermath of claims that Musk wants to pull out of his purchase agreement with Twitter. Driving the News Trump lashed out at Musk during a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday, July, 9 night, just a day after it was revealed that Musk wanted to pull out of his deal to buy Twitter. Musk was labeled a “bullshit artist” by Trump for claiming he had never voted for a Republican before a recent special election in Texas. In response, the Tesla CEO urged the former President to step down from the national stage to make way for a younger generation of Republicans. Aftermath Several hours later, Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that Musk “came to the White House seeking me for aid on all of his numerous sponsored projects” during his presidency.“Whether it’s electric automobiles that don’t last long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere, without which subsidies he’d be worthless,” he wrote. “Elon should now concentrate on getting himself out of the Twitter situation because he could be owed $44 billion for something that is potentially worthless. There is also a lot of competition for electric vehicles!” In his criticism, Trump also backed Twitter’s efforts to sue Musk for pulling out of the takeover. Flashback The squabbling has been simmering beneath the surface since at least April when the twice-impeached former president could be heard privately insulting Musk — allegedly for being “sloppy” and high on drugs. (Trump appeared to be referring to a viral 2018 video of Musk smoking marijuana on Joe Rogan’s show) Musk stated in June that he is leaning toward supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) if he decides to run for president in 2024, just one month after announcing that he could “no longer support Democrats.” The Past This was not always the case. In reality, their relationship appeared to be on much firmer ground less than two years ago. During an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2020, Trump praised Musk, calling him “one of our great minds.” Trump (and then-Vice President Mike Pence) flew to Florida in May of that year to observe a SpaceX launch. (Musk is the CEO of the private rocket firm) Musk stated in May 2022 at a Financial Times conference that “The decision to bar Donald Trump was incorrect. I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country.” The current phase of the roller coaster The latest sour turn in their relationship underscores a fundamental truth: Musk and Trump may be too similar to ever get along. Both consider themselves to be iconoclasts and rebels. Both thrive on making headlines and upsetting the status quo. And both are contentious figures; you either adore them or despise them. If history is any guide, Musk and Trump will have a bumpy relationship in the next months and years as they both circle each other warily.
China Reports A Massive Data Breach: 1 Billion Citizens Data Hack
Recently, China has recorded a massive data hack and 1 billion citizens alleged that they got trapped by hackers. As yet there is no official confirmation of this data leak from Chinese authorities. The cyber security experts and other web forums have confirmed the leak. Data squeezed from the Shanghai police database It is reported that a hacker has acknowledged that he has stolen the data of 1 billion Chinese citizens from the Shanghai police database. If it is found authentic then this will be the biggest data theft in the history. Shanghai Police has not instantly reacted to the issue, as per reports. What’s in that database? Reports said that the database which leaked comprises all the necessary information like names, addresses, mobile numbers, case details, and national identification numbers, all leaked from the Shanghai police database as claimed by hackers. As per the news reports the size of data leaked is around 24TB it includes information about 1 billion citizens and their cases. Originally the news rolled out from Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, but after some time Chinese censors blocked the searches for keywords related to the news. China’s government was smart to compress online discussions on the issue. “When you’re talking about a billion people’s information and it’s static information, it’s not about where they travelled, who they communicated with or what they were doing, then it becomes very much less interesting,” said the expert Chester Wisniewski he adds on that “The information, once it’s unleashed, is forever out there,” Wisniewski said. “Everyone, please be careful in case there are more phone scams in the future!,” mentioned an individual in a Weibo post. About the Hackers The identity of the hackers is not evident yet as per current posts on the online hacking forums, breach forum an unknown user recognized with the user name of “ChinaDan“. He has proposed to sell all the data for 10 bitcoins which is the same as $200,000.
China’s First Solar-Powered Car, a Zero-Emission Level 4 Autonomous Vehicle
As other businesses across the world get closer to providing scaled manufacturing of solar EVs, a multi-organizational collaborative effort in China has advanced sustainable mobility by developing a solar car that is powered by solar energy. The Tianjin solar vehicle is now available. At the sixth World Intelligence Conference, the Tianjin Solar vehicle was introduced in China and has since begun a tour of mainland China. The vehicle was collaboratively created by 42 enterprises and three colleges, following the local press in China. There are several limitations because it took five months to create, such as the 47-mile maximum tested range. Solar-powered automobiles of the World Gaining range from the enormous, flaming ball of gas that descends on us every day seems like a no-brainer and many of the EV firms attempting to accomplish the same feel the same way. The second effort by Aptera to commercialize a solar electric vehicle (EV) in California is still scheduled for later this year. Light year recently debuted the production model of the Light year 0 SEV abroad; manufacturing will also start later this year. For its flagship Sion EV, scheduled for production in 2023, Sono Motors is in the process of developing a validation prototype in Germany. Tianjin’s portrayal The sixth World Intelligence Conference served as the Tianjin solar vehicle’s premiere, and it has since begun a fresh tour of mainland China. • Specifications For instance, it is claimed that the Tianjin solar car can “Level 4 and above” of autonomous driving. This vehicle’s solar module size is 8.1 square meters, much larger than that of a SEV like the Light-year, and it has 5 square meters worth of cells, which is a lot. The first 100% solar car from China has the following additional details: The car in the video is more than 13 feet (4 meters) in length, over six feet (1.7 meters) in width, and six feet (1.8 meters) in height. It weighs 2,250 pounds (1,020 kg). The driver’s compartment is located upfront and minimally comprised of three controls underneath a large touchscreen display. Since the vehicle is purportedly equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving, which is well seen in the brief video, a steering wheel is conspicuously absent from the scene. • Speed According to reports, the automobile can go at a top speed of 49 mph (79.2 kph), which is respectable for a vehicle that will probably be utilized in urban settings. Although not very exciting specifications compared to a solar EV or any other EV, these figures are nonetheless fairly good given that they are fully powered by solar energy. To put it mildly, that is thrilling. The Sun is the Engine The solar module on the automobile has a far larger surface area than any prior solar vehicle, measuring 87 square feet (8.1 square meters). It has a maximum energy production of 7.6 kWh on sunny days. Also included in the vehicle’s setup is a battery with a 330 WH/kg energy storage density. For every 62 miles (100 km) traveled, using this vehicle is predicted to minimize carbon emissions by 55 pounds (100 lb). However, this has a 47-mile maximum tested range (74.8 km). With the solar-powered automobile presently on tour in China, we hope to hear more about it shortly.
Nick Zamucen: Helping People Restore Properties to Pre-Loss Condition
There is nothing closer than your own home, it is a gift you earn and give yourself. It becomes a box of memories of precious moments. Unfortunately, sometimes due to some inevitable disasters people lose their houses beyond restoration. But there are state-of-the-art ways to restore the house environment to its prime historical period. Nick Zamucen, CEO of Best Option Restoration, is committed to helping those in need after a disaster and returning their homes to their original condition. Recently, Mr. Zamucen is being interviewed to share his experience of restoring happiness in society. Let’s have a look! Please tell us about your professional background. Would you like to mention some of the highlights from your journey? I have created four nationally recognized franchised brands. Three of which have been previously sold to private equity companies and now my focus is to build and sell the last one, Best Option Restoration, over the course of the next decade. I live my life with the want and need to help others. Adding massive value to those around me is my passion. I live to be a good leader, a great friend, and an outstanding business mentor for my franchisees. Please brief us in detail about the current scenario of the business. How have the customer preferences changed over the years? The franchised restoration industry has never been in a hotter market. With Billions of dollars in claims being paid monthly from insurance companies, prospective franchise owners want in. Who could blame them? Best Option Restoration is in a fantastic position with its low cost of entry, state-of-the-art thermal drying systems and a management team second to none. We win and will continue to win in this crowded field. This is the industry to be in to build a life-changing business and a substantial income for years to come. What are the unique challenges your company is currently facing? How have they affected your company? The challenges we’ve had are actually rather opportunities. We continue to have a ton of new franchisee interest in our company. The hardest thing for us at a corporate level is keeping up with demand. We can only take on many units a month and having to put people on a waiting list isn’t fun for anyone. Most stay on the list and wait their turn, a few we lose to competition because they make a side deal and get in for a lesser price somewhere else. I find in business and life, you get what you pay for. Be very careful making deals with companies and devaluing your position. When was Best Option Restoration established? What are the prominent services/solutions offered by the company? Best Option Restoration was established in 2016. We offer Water mitigation, Fire rebuilds, Mold termination, Storm Damage, and Content Cleaning solutions for home and business owners. We’re escalating at our best, hence our name, Best Option Restoration. What measures do you incorporate to ensure motivation and productivity within the workspace? How do you respond to criticism and disagreements? We treat everyone like family. Sometimes you’re all on the same page and everyone is happy, sometimes you’re not. The important thing is, not that everyone always gets what they want, but they feel heard, understood, and respected. There will always be criticisms around and negative feedback. All you can do is try to mitigate that as much as possible but always do the best things for the clients. In our case, the clients are our franchisees. Put them first and always do what is right, you can’t go wrong. Everything takes more time than you think it will and problems are going to happen. People tend to think working for yourself is the ultimate freedom, and it can be after it’s earned. Working for yourself is not normally harder and longer hours than you’ve ever had before. You have to stay disciplined, driven, and self-started… every day, not just when you feel like it. What measures do you undertake to ensure optimum customer satisfaction? How much impact does the customer feedback have on the company’s strategies? With our clients being our franchisees, it’s pretty simple to ensure satisfaction because we are in communication with them weekly if not daily. Again, we are a family, we’re a close group. There are many times a franchise will reach out to me just to say hi, ask how I’m doing, and how is my family. This means the world to me because I know they care and in turn, they feel comfortable enough with me to be personal. I know I’m doing my job when my franchises are friends, like family, not just unit numbers. Please tell us about the services/products your company is offering? How are they different from your competitors’ offerings? With our propriety thermal technology drying systems, we are state of the art. We aren’t just another, “man with a fan in a van” like our competition. Best Option Restoration franchises dry structures in literally half the time of anyone else out there. There is truly no comparison to what we do. There are some copycats in the field we noticed lately. I look at that as once again I’m doing my job, I’m changing an old tired industry and bringing it into the new century. A century of technology and focused strategy. We are better because we practice being so. We’re just the “Best Option” in a mitigation and restoration situation. Tips for aspirants Problems are going to arise, just out of nowhere, so you must learn to deal with them effectively and quickly. You can’t just ignore problems and think someone else will handle them, not when you’re a business owner, it’s on you…success and failure. The choice is yours.
How the Age of the Second Brain Can Destroy the First?
How many of you are harry potter fans? In the story, Dumbledore had a magical vessel he used to store and review memories. It was called the pencil. This is obviously a fictional story set in a school of magic. But today we have something like this in the real world, it’s called the second brain. The second brain is a digital brain that can be used to document every piece of information, every experience, every thought, and every learning. You can access all of this whenever and wherever you want. What does a second brain look like? Nothing too sci-fi or magical, a second brain looks like a word document backed up in the cloud. How much does it cost? Most second brains are free and some cost as little as $8 a month. The second brain has been developed on the hypothesis that a human brain is meant to have ideas not to store those ideas. So the second brain can do the job of storing. It will store everything from your thoughts to your screenshots, your grocery list, your notes, photos, passwords, reminders, and all other things you can think of. How does this work? The second brain works through apps like Notion, Evernote, One Note, Obsidian, and Mem, all of them work in the same way. They expect every bit of information you come across, everything that you think your brain cannot hold. Shopping lists, quotes, or reminders, you don’t even have to type them down, you can simply voice record and send. If you are reading something interesting online for instance you can email the relevant paragraphs to your second brain. If you have a fleeting thought you can make a quick note of it. Basically, every time you come across something that grabs your attention you log, in whatever form. Screenshots, photos, excel sheets, slides from a PowerPoint presentation, lines from an e-book, excerpts from online articles, and then you can access all this information whenever you want. Say years later you want to write an essay or prepare an address on federalism. All you need to do is go to your second brain and type in the keywords, everything that you uploaded on the topic will be in front of you. If you’ve uploaded a grocery list you can retrieve it the next time you go shopping. Advocates of the second brain say the system helps in knowledge management, it increases creativity and the theory is pretty interesting. It’s almost like having your own little library in the cloud. So is this the future? Well more like the present, believe it or not, all of us already have a second brain. All the apps that we use double up as a second brain. You know the ones that remind you to drink water or to stretch at home. Even breathe, apps tell you to stand up and breathe. They remind you to buy bread on the way back home. Apps remind you what you are doing 10 years back in the month of June. Gigabyte after gigabyte of content from your life is spread across these apps. Do you remember what was the storage capacity of the first iPhone? 16 gigabytes (GB)! Today, an iPhone’s memory can be expanded up to 1TB, that’s one terabyte full of information from your day-to-day life. What second brain apps do is replace all these apps with one, a notepad that doubles up as your library, your gallery, your reminder, your password keeper, your bookmark, your logbook, basically everything. It’s all cataloged! Some apps take it a step up they use time and location data to remind you of information/memories that you may have uploaded but forgotten. For instance, you go to a restaurant, the app will tell you that you came here 3 years back and this is what you ordered, this is who you came with and this is what you thought of the experience back then, obviously provided you’ve logged all of that. But who does that, who documents so much information from their daily life? Actually, most of us do! We are continuously uploading stories, we are tweeting every fleeting thought, and blogging experience. Second brain app stores this content. Quick question. Can’t we store the same information offline? Of course, we can. We can keep notes, we can keep files. Previously, we had a filing cabinet. Once upon a time, every office would have such cabinets but filing and then searching for that file takes a lot of time. A digital brain is more convenient. But do we really need one? Some of us can barely handle one brain. Jokes apart, science disagrees with the very high hypothesis of the second brain. It says our brain can store information, in fact, it can store 2.5 petabytes of information. It’s enough to store 3 million hours of TV shows. You have to leave the TV running for 300 years to use up all that brain space. In other words, we don’t have to worry about running out of brain space in our lifetime. So why do we need a second brain at all? These apps handicap us. They make us unnecessarily dependent on technology. Today, at least 20 million people are using a second brain. Some are leaning on them for making life decisions. There is a very interesting story in an article. Annie, a 27-year-old in New York City began taking notes on her dating life. For Annie, the notion love tracker functions almost like an alternate memory which, once or twice, helped her clarify the amorphous gut feeling she was experiencing. “Once, after a first date I remember thinking this guy is so much fun but he seems really immature,” Annie says. Then on the third date with him, she was enjoying herself but began to feel a bit uneasy like “something was eating at me that I could not put a finger on,” she said. So she went home