I’m an employee benefits/group insurance rep (7 years in the biz/female/mid career) and most of my peers have connections and friends that go back over 30 years. They’re my connections now too but I’m struggling to make my own way/new connections. Group benefits feels like an older industry (leadership in late 50s, most established brokers similar) but maybe im just seeing one side of it. Any advice on making new connections, meeting new people? In person events are sparse since covid but I did join local professional organizations. Do brokers want to be engaged directly via linked in, emails?

I recently received an invite to an event that showed up in my Calendar. I replied “accept” within the Calendar app itself, not to the email. I can see the event is now listed in my calendar, so there is no problem with accessing the meeting info… but is there a file that is created or some kind of data that I can access that would tell me the date and time that I accepted the event invitation? (also would it matter if I accepted this on my iPhone or the Mac itself?)

tldr; my coworker became my manager and won't stop pointing out my mistakes in front of my colleagues every single day, can't quit my job
I started a job two years ago and at the time my supervisor was just my coworker. Right after training me she went on maternity leave and I was left in charge of several projects. Everything went well, I made a few mistakes but nothing major, products were delivered and we were just smooth sailing. Then after a year, she got back from maternity leave and got promoted to team manager.
She's been back for two months now and she's basically only managing me since the other people in our team are working on a separate project while she manages mine.

1. She changed all of our processes for handling tasks, the same processes that worked just fine while she was gone.
2. She assigns tasks only to me since she's not familiar with my coworkers' projects.
3. Every single day (no exaggeration), she'll find something wrong in the work I did and she will point it out in our team group chat while tagging me, basically humiliating me in front of everyone.
4. We have a shared email address for our team and she will go and read the emails I sent and then also berate me about how I worded things or whatever minor technical mistake I made.
5. When she points out mistakes, she won't let me fix them and insists on doing it herself.
6. She cancelled our morning team meetings where I usually ask questions to my coworkers who have more experience, leading me to make more mistakes. I asked her to bring the meetings back after she would not stop nitpicking at everything I do.
7. She has never said thank you or given constructive criticism for any of the work I do. She reacts with a thumbs up if I do something right, and a long paragraph in front of everyone when I do something wrong.
8. Some of the mistakes she points out aren't even mistakes but merely different interpretations where she deems her opinion is the right one, even if it's not theoretically correct.

I thought about leaving but my current situation doesn't allow me to do that right now, I have a great boss (above my manager) who I have a good relationship with and who lets me study and work at the same time, which would be hard to find in the current climate.
I'm at my wits end right now. I feel like everything I do is a mistake, every single day I get publicly scolded in front of my peers, to the point where I don't want to do any work anymore. Everything I do is apparently wrong anyway. I get nervous now doing tasks that I handled just fine before because I know there's someone scrutinizing every email I send and every minor task I do. While she was gone I had all the autonomy and everything was working fine, now I have absolutely zero autonomy and nothing I do seems to be good enough. I'm this freaking close to telling her to just do the work herself since she's never satisfied.
The only one in our team who seems to have my back is our consultant, she called out my manager when she was wrong about something she was scolding me for, and today when my manager gave me crap about an email I sent, my manager replied to her and said “you're being very controlling”, to which my manager replied “yeah it's almost like that's my job”. I need help on how to handle the situation before I completely break down.

Setting Up Date-Triggered Notifications in Google Sheets

In the era of digital organization, automating workflow processes has become a cornerstone for enhancing productivity and efficiency. Among the various tools available, Google Sheets stands out for its versatility and integration capabilities, especially when it comes to managing schedules and deadlines. The ability to set up email notifications based on specific dates in a Google Sheet can transform how individuals and teams stay informed about critical deadlines, tasks, or events. This functionality not only streamlines communication but also ensures that important milestones are never missed. By leveraging Google Sheets for email alerts, users can create a dynamic system that keeps all stakeholders updated in real-time.
Implementing email notifications based on date triggers in Google Sheets requires a blend of basic scripting and spreadsheet management. This process involves utilizing Google Apps Script, a powerful tool that extends the functionality of Google Sheets through customization and automation. By writing a simple script, users can set conditions that, when met, automatically generate and send emails to specified recipients. This feature is particularly useful for project management, event planning, or any scenario where timely notifications are critical. Through the following guidelines, we will explore how to set up these automated alerts, ensuring that you can make the most out of your Google Sheets for any project or planning need.

Command/Function	Description
new Date()	Creates a new Date object representing the current date and time
getValues()	Retrieves values from a range of cells in a Google Sheet
forEach()	Executes a provided function once for each array element
MailApp.sendEmail()	Sends an email on behalf of the user running the script

Harnessing Google Sheets for Automated Email Notifications

The concept of integrating Google Sheets with email notifications to automate reminders based on specific dates is a powerful tool for personal productivity and organizational management. This integration leverages the Google Apps Script, a cloud-based scripting language for light-weight application development in the Google Workspace. The script acts as a bridge between Google Sheets and Gmail, allowing for the automated sending of emails when certain conditions, such as matching dates, are met. This functionality is particularly beneficial for managing project deadlines, event reminders, or even personal tasks such as bill payments. The ability to customize the script according to specific needs makes this a versatile solution for various scenarios where timely notifications are crucial.
Implementing this solution involves writing a script that scans through a designated Google Sheet for dates that match the current day and triggers an email to the intended recipients with customizable content. The beauty of this approach lies in its simplicity and the immense value it provides in terms of time management and efficiency. For teams working on projects with multiple deadlines, this can serve as an automated project manager that keeps everyone on track without the need for manual reminders. Moreover, for personal use, it can help individuals stay organized with their daily chores, appointments, and commitments. The scalability of this solution from individual tasks to complex project management highlights its potential impact on improving productivity and ensuring that important dates are always acknowledged.

Automating Email Notifications Based on Dates

Google Apps Script

function checkDatesAndSendEmails() { const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet(); const range = sheet.getDataRange(); const values = range.getValues(); const today = new Date(); today.setHours(0, 0, 0, 0); values.forEach(function(row, index) { const dateCell = new Date(row[0]); dateCell.setHours(0, 0, 0, 0); if (dateCell.getTime() === today.getTime()) { const email = row[1]; // Assuming the email address is in the second column const subject = "Reminder for Today's Task"; const message = "This is a reminder that you have a task due today: " + row[2]; // Assuming the task description is in the third column MailApp.sendEmail(email, subject, message); } }); } 

Maximizing Productivity with Google Sheets Email Notifications

Automating email notifications from Google Sheets based on specific dates encapsulates a modern approach to task management and organizational communication. This method harnesses the power of Google Apps Script, enabling users to create custom scripts that trigger email alerts for important deadlines, events, or milestones directly from their spreadsheet data. The practical applications of this functionality extend across various domains, from managing project timelines in a professional setting to keeping track of personal commitments and appointments. It simplifies the process of monitoring critical dates, ensuring that no important task falls through the cracks. Furthermore, this automation fosters a proactive workflow environment, reducing the need for manual checks and follow-ups.
The integration of email notifications within Google Sheets not only enhances productivity but also promotes a collaborative work culture by keeping all team members aligned and informed. By automating reminders and notifications, teams can minimize the risk of overlooking essential tasks and deadlines, leading to more efficient project management. Additionally, this feature is customizable, allowing for personalized email content that can provide recipients with detailed information about the task at hand. Whether it's for individual use or within a team, setting up automated email alerts through Google Sheets is a straightforward process that can lead to significant improvements in managing schedules and deadlines effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Sheets Email Notifications

1. Question: Can Google Sheets send email notifications automatically?
2. Answer: Yes, Google Sheets can send email notifications automatically by using Google Apps Script to write custom functions that trigger emails based on specific conditions, such as dates matching today.
3. Question: Do I need to know how to code to set up these notifications?
4. Answer: Basic knowledge of JavaScript is helpful since Google Apps Script is based on JavaScript. However, there are many tutorials and templates available that can guide users through the setup process without extensive programming knowledge.
5. Question: Can these email notifications be customized?
6. Answer: Yes, the emails sent via Google Apps Script can be fully customized in terms of content, recipients, and even the timing of the email, allowing for a wide range of personalized notifications.
7. Question: Is it possible to send notifications to multiple recipients?
8. Answer: Absolutely, the script can be designed to send emails to multiple recipients, either by specifying each email address in the script or by pulling a list of addresses from the Google Sheet itself.
9. Question: How do I ensure that the script only sends emails for today's date?
10. Answer: The script can be written to compare each date in the specified range with the current date. If the dates match, the script triggers the email notification for that row's corresponding task or event.
11. Question: Will I be charged for using Google Apps Script to send emails?
12. Answer: Google Apps Script is free to use for creating and executing scripts. However, there are daily quotas for sending emails, which should be sufficient for most personal and small business uses.
13. Question: Can the email notifications include attachments?
14. Answer: Yes, the MailApp or GmailApp services within Google Apps Script support sending emails with attachments. You can attach files from Google Drive or other sources.
15. Question: How do I schedule the script to run automatically?
16. Answer: You can use the built-in Google Apps Script triggers to schedule your script to run at specific intervals, such as daily, to check for dates and send emails accordingly.
17. Question: What happens if my Google Sheet has incorrect email addresses?
18. Answer: The script will attempt to send an email to the address provided. If the email address is incorrect, the sending will fail, and you may receive a notification about the failure. It's important to ensure that the email addresses in your Google Sheet are accurate.

Empowering Efficiency with Automated Alerts

Embracing automation through Google Sheets for sending email notifications based on specific dates represents a significant leap towards enhancing personal and organizational productivity. This method not only simplifies task management but also ensures that critical deadlines and events are never overlooked. By leveraging the capabilities of Google Apps Script, users can customize their notification system to fit their unique requirements, making it an invaluable tool for both individuals and teams. The process, which involves scripting and spreadsheet manipulation, is accessible to those with even a basic understanding of programming, thanks to numerous resources and templates available online. Furthermore, this approach promotes a proactive work culture by minimizing the need for manual follow-ups, thus allowing users to focus on more strategic tasks. As we move towards a more connected and automated future, the integration of Google Sheets with email alerts stands out as a testament to the power of leveraging technology to streamline workflows, enhance communication, and ultimately drive success.
https://www.tempmail.us.com/en/google-sheet/automating-email-alerts-from-google-sheets-based-on-specific-dates

Howdy,
If you know of any other sub-reddits this would do better on, please LMK.
I'm working on a project to create a modern dashboard for managing loaner laptops, and I could use some advice on the best approach. Here's a breakdown of what I'm looking to achieve:
Dashboard UI: I want to create a sleek UI displaying a list of laptops with their names and the student they're assigned to. Each row should be color-coded: green for in, red for out, and yellow for not set up for the next semester. I’d like to also have either an info button or click on the row to get more information. I'm looking at material UI for the icons and buttons.
Laptops: I want to be able to add laptops via a button with information, or to the system via asset tag scanning, making the process quick and efficient.
Check In/Out Page: I need a page where I can easily check laptops in and out. At this point I’d like to have it pull from a “contact page”. But Ideally in the future, this would be connected to a database or LDAP for scanning barcodes of student Id’s or manually typing numbers. This would also be able to scan the asset tag.
Automatic Email Notifications: It would be great if the dashboard could automatically send an email with the student ID # and a template to a specified email address. In the future I would like to have the ability to automatically send reminder emails to the students 2 weeks before they are due.
I'm planning to most likely use React for this project due to its flexibility and ease of use. If you have any tips, suggestions, or resources that could help me achieve these goals, I'd greatly appreciate it! Or if you know of any systems that can do this.
Thanks in advance for your help!

I (f 27) am a young teacher, only 4 years in, and I’ve grown up in a family of teachers. The expectations of this job were never a surprise to me. I understand the amount of work it takes to be a teacher and what it takes to do it well. I am, however, in a district where I feel like I am being targeted because my admin and I have personality differences. To fully understand what I mean last year I was paired with a teacher, who unfortunately was diagnosed cancer. She thankfully has been in remission thank God. this diagnosis came in the middle of the year and everything went crazy. At this time, I was then suddenly supposed to take care of two classes. Again I understand things happen. I’m not mad at this teacher. It just is what it is but the amount of extra workload without any support from admin caused me to start slacking and I was put on an improvement plan later that year. I finish out the year and was released from the improvement plan. This year I start off the year using the things they told me last year, adjusted to fit my style and to make it better long term, in my classroom and planning. My first evaluation comes back and it was good. Admin then were invited into a meeting to evaluate another teacher and end up, ripping me up and down. The other teacher said that was not the purpose of the meeting and I have no reason to not believe them. The new year comes around in this admin sends a huge email with a bunch of concerns to which I spent two days off making response for them so that I have all the data and everything I need to show that I’m doing what they’ve asked and to show that yeah I’ve not met their expectations in some areas. This meeting comes and is an absolute crap show. The admin walks in asking me to explain for other teachers that they’ve already talked to have an answer for, and that other teacher had never come to me and said there wasn’t any issue. There’s very little conversation and 90% of it is her looking at me and saying you are blame, you’re not doing this, you’re not doing that when in reality I have been doing these things. there was one or two things that were legitimate concerns that were fixed the next day or the week before. Threatens me with an improvement plan, but I know that she had already made up her mind as the next day I get an email saying I want to have a meeting and I ask her what she said it’s just discuss your improvement plan. In this plan she wanted me to provide evidence for things that I was already doing to show I was meeting her expectations. She had not seen these things because, because she doesn’t follow me around all day every single day. For example, she claimed I was not working with my coworkers and my colleagues when at least three times a week I’m giving up my planning to work with them. All of this, along with other little things that were made a big deal, but we’re never resolved, which is a whole issue on its own, is to say I got my holistic rating back today, and I think that they’re trying to put me on an improvement plan for next year when admin has not held up their end of the bargain. Am I crazy or does this sound a little bit like it’s being skewed against me? I don’t want to be told that I’m doing every single thing right. I know that there are things I can improve on, but I really do feel a little bit targeted. Our union rep has been informed and is sitting in on these discussions and believes I am.

Howdy,
If you know of any other sub-reddits this would do better on, please LMK.
I'm working on a project to create a modern dashboard for managing loaner laptops, and I could use some advice on the best approach. Here's a breakdown of what I'm looking to achieve:
Dashboard UI: I want to create a sleek UI displaying a list of laptops with their names and the student they're assigned to. Each row should be color-coded: green for in, red for out, and yellow for not set up for the next semester. I’d like to also have either an info button or click on the row to get more information.
Laptops: I want to be able to add laptops via a button with information, or to the system via asset tag scanning, making the process quick and efficient.
Check In/Out Page: I need a page where I can easily check laptops in and out. At this point I’d like to have it pull from a “contact page”. But Ideally in the future, this would be connected to a database or LDAP for scanning barcodes of student Id’s or manually typing numbers. This would also be able to scan the asset tag.
Automatic Email Notifications: It would be great if the dashboard could automatically send an email with the student ID # and a template to a specified email address. In the future I would like to have the ability to automatically send reminder emails to the students 2 weeks before they are due.
I'm planning to most likely use React for this project due to its flexibility and ease of use. If you have any tips, suggestions, or resources that could help me achieve these goals, I'd greatly appreciate it! Or if you know of any systems that can do this.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Whew, this is gonna be a long one. I (19F) got a job at this law office. I basically found the job thru craigslist and emailed the office, got a phone interview and a trial day. I went in with zero knowledge of what the position was, as the ad was very ambiguous. The requirements were to be a spanish and english speaker and have office experience. I initially thought I was going in for a receptionist role and maybe translator.
Long story short, I somehow got the job. Turns out what they were looking for was a paralegal (I have no degree in that. I went to law school in Mexico for 8 months and dropped out, that’s about it). I still got the job and have been working here for 5 months or so.
Since I first started the job, I have been doing every step of the cases that come in. I talk to clients, fill out forms and mail the cases to the respective agencies.
The first 2 weeks of the job were great and I thought I had hit the jackpot with it. My boss seemed amazing and very nice.
Things changed quickly a few weeks in though. He started becoming meaner and more sarcastic with his comments. I also realized he started micromanaging more and more, down to how he wanted me to take notes and getting angry when I did it differently.
Every time we’d review cases, he’d get angry and raise his voice because he did not remember the decisions he took himself on said cases. And when we’d try to remind him, he would not listen.
I recall one time he got so mad at me for “not asking him enough questions”, he claimed I acted like “I know it all” and that I am too ashamed to admit I’m ignorant. He told me my time at the office would not be long if I kept doing that.
I have done exactly what he told me to do that time. I ask as many questions as I can, even when the answers are pretty obvious. This has definitely made the environment less stressful.
However, he still micro manages everything we do. I have also noticed some serious sexist behavior. There is only 1 more paralegal at the office besides me. Every time he refers to us, he will be sarcastic and call us names in diminutive if that makes sense. He does not do this when we have a male assisting us in the office. He only does it to the female workers, and even clients.
One time, he got so angry at my coworker over something he did not remember he said and yelled at us. He even slammed a phone on my desk because he was angry at me for not taking notes. He said we were not producing any work despite having been working in multiple cases for weeks. I decided to say something and said he was being really disrespectful and that I was not going to tolerate him raising his voice at us. I have to admit I was so frustrated I cried at some point but even then I said I was in no condition to keep the conversation going and tried to excuse myself. He said I could go home and he’d give me a check, basically firing me. I said okay. He then said I was just standing up for my coworker because of “sisterhood”. That we were being hysteric. He made me give him a list of instances where he has been mean. After a while, we both calmed down and he told me I could stay if I wanted to. I did.
A day later, he made me write down the definition of hysteria. He said it was when someone doesn’t get what they want and then gets angry or cries to emotionally blackmail and get their way. He mentions hysteria a lot since then.
There has been other minor instances regarding this behavior but I am trying to keep it as short as I can.
I would also like to highlight that this is a law office handling at least 50 active cases right now with 2 paralegals only. My coworker has told me people don’t last long here since they get fired fast and usually it ends up bad.
I want to mention that sometimes he is really nice and we do have good days too. He gives out a lot of bonuses, is very flexible with vacation days and does not get angry when any of us is late.
Am I overreacting by thinking he might be a bad boss?

These last few days have seen the most extreme price run since, arguably, the "Sneeze" of January 2021. There is a major difference, though, which is regarding the Regulation SHO Threshold List. To remind you, a stock is included in this list if meeting the below critieria:
https://www.sec.gov/investopubs/regsho.htm
"Threshold securities are equity securities that have an aggregate fail to deliver position *for five consecutive settlement days** at a registered clearing agency (e.g., National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC)); totaling 10,000 shares or more; and equal to at least 0.5% of the issuer's total shares outstanding."*
So what happens if a stock makes it onto the Regulation SHO Threshold List?
"If a participant has a failure to deliver that the participant can demonstrate on its books and records resulted from a long sale, or that is attributable to bona fide market making activities, the participant must *close out** the failure to deliver by no later than the beginning of regular trading hours on the third consecutive settlement day following the settlement date."*
What if they are unable to do so, and the FTDs continue for some time without resolution?
"if, for whatever reason, a participant of a registered clearing agency has a fail to deliver position at a registered clearing agency in a threshold security for *13 consecutive settlement days*, the requirement to close-out such position under Rule 203(b)(3) remains in effect."
I still don't think anyone can precisely say what really happened behind the scenes in late 2020 and early 2021. But we do know certain facts:
▪︎ GME was added to the Regulation SHO Threshold List on 8th December 2020
▪︎ It continued to be on that list throughout the rest of December and early January 2021
▪︎ The share price remained relatively stable for more than 20 trading days during this period
▪︎ Only then on 13th January 2021 did the share price blow up to start the "Sneeze"
▪︎ Meaning that although the stock being placed on the list was undoubtedly causing some kind of intense pressure on failing-to-deliver institutions...it did not impact the share price for many weeks
So what is this key difference between those mechanics 3.5 years ago, compared to what may be happening with GME now? In my opinion, it is the continued absence (at least up until yesterday) from the Regulation SHO Threshold List:
https://www.nyse.com/regulation/threshold-securities
Since Monday 13th May, hundreds of millions (now billions?) of shares have been traded of this stock. But even before that, the price did nearly double from Tuesday 23rd April through to last Friday 10th May. This kind of volatility indicates that there has been a battle raging, most likely with nefarious parties continuing to use illicit methods to try and keep the price from exploding more than it already has. With almost all the methods they can employ, we know there is one result is: more FTDs.
My guess is that at some point - perhaps even this evening - GME gets added to the Regulation SHO Threshold List. Despite all the hoodwinking and crime they use to avoid these things, it would be surprising to me if the stock stays off the list indefinitely. Certainly the volume and pattern of trading over these last two weeks, and especially these last two days, would indicate there is a high probability of that happening.
But we know from 2020-21 that even after being added to the list, it still takes some time for that inclusion to have an impact on the share price. That is, until sufficient pressure through market and legal mechanics has built up, such that it "forces" some of these institutions to try and close out these FTDs. (We know that, sadly, nothing really can "force" them...but at least compelling some of them to do so, let us say...)
However this price run that started originally on Tuesday 23rd April has been occurring with the absence of GME from the Regulation SHO Threshold List. So quite possibly the very thing that triggered the massive price run-up in January 2021, has not even happened yet this time around. Hence if we are already on a 500% price run before possibly being added to the list...and that then this triggers additional intense pressure on the Hedge Funds and Market Makers...just imagine what could happens next???
TLDR: GME's recent price surge is unlike the January 2021 "Sneeze" in one key aspect: the Regulation SHO Threshold List. Back then, GME was on the list for weeks before probably causing the eventual price explosion. This time around, GME has not been placed on the list (yet), despite similarly very high trading volumes and likely additional FTDs. So could we then see an even bigger surge if GME gets added to the list? Only time will tell, but all this may just be an aperitif before we even get to the appetiser!

Over the past 3 years, I've been touched and inspired by many of the hardship stories & comments people have shared on the GME subs. Often I've found myself in tears or close-to-tears, while I empathically bump my fist at my laptop screen and proclaim solidarity.
When my father passed a few years back, he had little more "wealth" than several thousand in dogshit-catshit mutual funds. They bounced up and down and all around, for a good 20 years. By the time we liquidated them, the paperwork alone, and transfer processes, made it barely worth it (and not really). He was not a financially smart man, but he tried; he tried as best he could with the limited financial knowledge he was able to glean from our "given choices". He also got blindsided by life numerous times, or maybe his choices could have been clearer. But he believed in his investments, because it was what was pushed on him by "smart" advisors/brokers with duplicitous smiles. (Picture the 2 mortgage broker guys in The Big Short) My disgust and contempt for these people -- even the lower levels dealing with the working class peasants -- deepens by the day. Now to the bigger fish...
These people that run the earth... this.... PARASITE CLASS... what a bunch of sick fucks. Out of touch, uncaring, entitled shits; when greed meets narcissism and psychopathy, and presents them with the gift of fiat-ponzi. Most are generational with their lackadaisical dismissal of the peasants: "To the manor born", as Agent Patrick Denham describes in thinly-veiled-disgust, in Wolf of Wall Street. Douchebags descended from douchebags, with no real desire to make the earth a better place, but only to satisfy their own distorted view of Maslow's Hierarchy, and what they may define as Self-Actualization or Transcendence. Hell, I'd be willing to bet most never make it that far, and are stuck somewhere in the "acceptance by others" part.

Dear Parasite Class,

...We're coming. We're coming for your comforts, your money, your homes, your stable & appreciable assets that you will have to publicly auction or surrender to foreclosure (Schitt's Creek, anyone?). We'll be shopping for your office towers on TenX (vertical-farming ape, right here), and car collections that may not see Pebble Beach Concourse in 2025.
Don't fuck with the internet, don't fuck with Reddit, and don't fuck with poor people, because we have nothing left to lose.
“Remember this. The people you're trying to step on, we're everyone you depend on. We're the people who do your laundry and cook your food and serve your dinner. We make your bed. We guard you while you're asleep. We drive the ambulances. We direct your call. We are cooks and taxi drivers and we know everything about you. We process your insurance claims and credit card charges. We control every part of your life.
We are the middle children of history, raised by television to believe that someday we'll be millionaires and movie stars and rock stars, but we won't. And we're just learning this fact. So don't fuck with us.”
I want any super-wealthy people reading this (and our alphabet agencies too, cause fuck you for not doing anything for 3 years), to ponder the following sampling. And then I'm going to piss-off back to my own livelihood, and convert the fake fiat to more shares of The Precious....
How would your life be if you:

• Woke up every morning with a sense of DREAD, instead of a sense of JOY. What does it do to a human?
• Didn't know how you would pay your upcoming bills, and had to juggle.
• Had your car's AC die in a place like Houston, Texas, and no money to fix it.
• Prayed every day that your car doesn't generally break down at any given moment.
• Knew that if it does break down, it could cost you your job.
• Saw the car repair bill would strain everything else, including that AC bill.
• Dared to introspect that in the lives of working-class people, even "minor" setbacks cause ripples.
• Actually considered that the CPI and inflation numbers are lies, and lived in constant anxiety.
• Needed to contemplate the uncertainty of being 1 emergency medical issue away from catastrophe.
• Were constantly told that "poor people should invest better", and then getting rug-pulled when you do.
• Watched for years, as your parents "give up on life", and accept mediocrity.
• Had aging parents you knew someday you'd have to take care of, but weren't sure you financially could.
• Were to forecast your own retirement, and knew the math didn't work.

There's more, but now I've got myself all riled-up again.
I'm done ranting for the moment. I'm angry as shit. I would have sold my 1-share $300 buy of 2021 for $1,000 (thanks TDAmeritrade for graying the buy-button and not letting me do it). Now I'm selling until I see people going to prison, bankers jumping from buildings (I wanna see cabbage/Chrisanova the savage), and a complete worldwide exposé of the naked-shorting racket, ALONG WITH the multi-generational, debt-based, fiat ponzi scheme that has been structured for everyone.
Cause Fuck 'em, that's why.

Has anyone seen success on Meta for B2B? I’m in the IT vertical and wondering if I should give Meta a test.
If so, what kind of campaigns are you running? Even more helpful if you’ve found success with a BOFU approach that isn’t just content downloads but a direct demo / meeting booked.
Are you doing retargeting? Running custom list uploads? If so, how are you uploading lists when it comes to work email based CRM vs metas personal email match? General interest prospecting? Lead Gen instant forms?
I’m all ears on if and how people are seeing success here.
Thanks!

*Management style:
Not democratic/participative. Not transformational. Not Coaching. Very much Autocratic/Authoritative/Coercive. Sometimes Laissez-faire. Style depends on the department.
*Chain of command:
The ministry is seen as a church by top management. Top management are the “elders” and the CEO is the Senior Pastor. Then there is everybody else. So, confidence is put on their positions of authority. They are, in all sense and purposes, the “spiritual leaders”. They present themselves as having spiritual authority and, therefore, as being entitled to receive immediate agreement and unquestioned compliance.
Also, there are multiple management layers or chains which this quote sums up as well:
"When you become an admiral, you never have bad meals and you never hear the truth. there are all these layers of management and buffer layers and each one is afraid to tell unpleasant truth to the top levels.... “
Not a culture of authenticity where everyone on the team, including management, is encouraged, and expected to be who they are. There is a sense that top management puts up a false front, they seem to want to appear perfect. Illusions of invulnerability exist. They always lead well, they always make the right decisions, they never admit mistakes, etc. Want people to think they got it all together- all rainbows and lollipops. Do not exhibit vulnerability. Toxic positivity is also very much present: Everything is seen as “awesome”. So, there is judgment if you have a bad (not "everything is awesome") day.
The vertical chain of command, results in less collaboration, slow communication, lack of career growth, feelings of subordination, and decreased employee empowerment. Top management sets the rules and standards without any input from the “bottom” employees. Employee questions, concerns or ideas have to go up several steps of the chain of command so that upper management can address or approve. The bottom employees do not have the ability to make decisions related to their work or a particular situation. So, not everyone feels equal.
So, if you are not a spiritual leader, you are just basically told to submit and listen to those who are in authority over you because they are the people that “hear from God” and you are not and so whatever they say goes. And they set up a scenario where they basically kept those of us who were not spiritual leaders dependent upon them.
Many in management are overconfident and overestimate their abilities. They have a simple idea of how things are and how things work. Unfortunately, they make decisions that impact entire departments without gaining the needed knowledge.
The chain of command and lack of ongoing training also results in many employees being promoted so much that they max out their competence and will remain there until they leave or are let go. So, you end up with many in the role of management that lack the training and competence of the respective department. So, employees with the most authority are often not the most experienced and not adept in the particular field leading team members. And employees with the most experience and skills and knowledge and wisdom have the least (or no) authority.
Good leaders don’t always claim the “leader” title. Oftentimes, good leaders are those with more understated temperaments. Leadership is as much about listening as it is about telling. However, people with the most open and receptive personalities often do not have much authority.
Also, how the chain of command should operate when there is a unit that acted without proper authorization, it is not a junior authority who’s going to bear a responsibility for that, but somewhat of more senior status. And that’s true in any military or business or ministry operating by a code of ethics. So, if someone at the bottom of the chain is struggling, failing, or making mistakes, those at the top of the chain bear full responsibility. Everything stands or falls on leadership. Unfortunately, the chain at FCBH is not two directional.
There is also a sense that top management promotes employees who are least-competent but pose no risk to their own position (in-group bias) to management.
*Feedback:
Work environment or culture is not set up for employees to give honest feedback/opinions or to deliver bad news or to question or disagree with management.
Sample bias is also common. Management will send an email asking for feedback but they won't consider how only the people who are open to talking and sharing their opinions will participate while others won’t. Bias arises because employees with specific characteristics (e.g., extroverts) might be more likely to agree to participate than others, making the participants a non-representative sample. People with strong opinions or substantial knowledge about a specific topic may be more willing to give feedback than those without. Management does not follow up to determine why they are unresponsive or follow up frequently to reduce attrition.
Management claims they want to hear from employees, but they only want opinions and ideas on matters that are superficial or trivial. So, few employees give candid feedback on important and significant matters.
Top management does not involve employees in the change process when changes occur.
Management does not ask for honest feedback on their leadership or on decisions that are made that affect employees. Management will not ask how they are doing as leaders, what employees need from them. No regular check-ins or 1:1 on employees’ professional and personal well-being. Are employees stressed, disappointed or feeling burdened physically, emotionally or spiritually? No growth and career discussions.
Management will ignore most feedback, comments, suggestions even when it's common knowledge but will adamantly listen to employees who preface with "God told me to tell you..." Or “I felt God say …” or “God spoke to me and said…”
For example, management started focusing on Gen Z only after a few people claimed that “God told us that Gen Z are important for our future business growth.” In another instance, someone said “God gave us this word: we as a ministry need to really consider how everyone is wired, how each person is different. How people have different personalities.” Then, management affirmed this “word from God.”
If one employee brings something up to management it is often ignored and the employee is gaslighted. If two or more employees bring the same thing to management, then God is communicating something and they take it seriously (per Matt 18). Even if it is just coincidence or frequency bias.
*Groupthink/Conformity:
Groupthink, confirmation bias, in-group bias, illusions of unanimity, and self-censorship is very prevalent in the culture and especially in their meetings. There is a lot of direct pressure to not question, to conform, to agree with the views and personal convictions of the top management. Employees condemn those who disagree or question top management and they accept those who agree, creating immense pressure for conformity.
So, many employees frequently remain quiet, preferring to “keep the peace” rather than disrupt the uniformity. Employees are pressured to hide problematic information (especially from top management).
*Disagreements/Different perspectives:
Top management will also point out the working and living conditions of international employees to “encourage” local employees to not “complain” or give critical feedback or bring up legitimate problems (e.g., fumes or loud noises from construction in the building).
Management also often commits the "ends (or goals or vision) justify the means" fallacy: the work, the production and distribution of bibles (the ends) being done is more important, so employees shouldn't complain at all about the means or their working conditions (broken chairs, broken or inadequate equipment, poor work-life balance, bad management).
And, if management disagrees with you, with your observations, feedback, suggestions, or theology, they will often try to trump you with spirituality or vague meaningless spiritual terminology instead of using Scripture (properly interpreted), facts and reasoning.
In addition, top managers will take great offense when employees question or disagree with the directions and decisions they make. Dissent is not welcomed. Respectful debates/disagreement is not encouraged. Open discussion and alternative perspectives are not encouraged. Management does not value, support, or respect diverse opinions and ideas. They do not actively seek out different viewpoints. Do not allow people to speak their perspective, their thought of mind. So, there is no psychological safety. Employees do not feel comfortable expressing dissenting opinions without fear of retribution or judgment. Afraid of breaking the little glass image. People do not feel comfortable sharing setbacks, mistakes, failures. Management does not encourage open communication. Management often seeks agreement, instead of posing honest questions that challenge the status quo and provoke critical thinking and discussion. They do not encourage employees to challenge them. In fact, they are seen as a type of complaining or critical feedback and so are viewed as sin. This makes top management seem self-centered.
*Appeals to emotion: Guilt and Shame:
Top management often shares their personal opinions and convictions (e.g., spending money only when absolutely necessary, not accepting large gifts, not buying fancy items) as something everyone should do. It’s never direct. It's always through stories. Management loves stories. The personal convictions of management are presented as more than preferences.
For instance, top management encourages extreme frugality and poverty through their personal anecdotes #loudbudgeting and stories from international cultures. Think along the lines of: “we, here in America, have no right to be sad or to complain about things or to request better things or ask for accommodations or for more employee engagement because others (internationals) have it much worse.” Even wanting better equipment and supplies or asking for better working conditions is frowned upon (in some cases seen as a sin), even if your request helps you to do your job more effectively and makes the work better (a new whiteboard, a new office chair, better computers, etc.)
Example: “You should really try to come in to work even if you feel bad, even if you are snowed in and the roads are hazardous because people need to get our bibles. And our international employees work in much harsher conditions.”
You also get this feeling from the way they communicate that top management would rather not pay their employees. They would prefer it if everyone just worked for free because “we are on a mission from God. We are doing the Lord's work.” There is also a sense that employees should be more than willing to sacrifice their well-being, career goals, financial goals, personal goals for reaching people with their Bibles.
Leadership sets the example and expectations, so this all ends up making employees confused and feeling guilty and ashamed. Guilty and shameful about asks, spending money (even their own). Guilty and shameful about having nice things (new car, new phone, new tv), about making needs known, about sharing concerns regarding work, about asking for raises to keep up with cost of living, etc.
Example: An employee has continued to use an old whiteboard. It is so old it is hard to read and difficult to erase. Management likes to tell donors: “We don't spend money on everyday things like whiteboards…. Instead, we use that money for more bible recordings, for people to hear about Jesus.”
This also causes confusion. Every few months there is a meeting where management discusses how sitting on stores of money is bad, but spending it is also bad, but also not spending it is bad... "Being rich is bad. Money is bad. let's not accumulate money, that's bad. We must think about how people will see what we have. So we should look poor and not appear too frivolous." But top management is okay with receiving gifts from donors and other ministries. Management personally does not like to have nice “fancy” things, and as a ministry, they say FCBH should also not have nice fancy things, they should use the money for other more important things. They don't like when other ministries use their money for nice fancy things, but it's okay if other ministries give FCBH nice fancy things like tote bags, key chains, mugs, phone holders, lunch bags. Another example, it took them years to repaint the parking lot. It was at the point where people did not know where to park. Before repainting, management decided to remodel the hallways and install posters and multiple monitors with language stats.
There is also a subtle sense that producing audio and video bibles is the highest calling one can have. And it's implied that FCBH is the main means God uses to fulfill the great commission: “God needs FCBH to do these bible recordings or people (specifically unreached internationals) will go to hell.” So, top management hints that working anywhere else isn't really serving God (or at least, not serving God as well as one could if they worked somewhere else). They imply that working at this ministry is the only way to truly serve God and fulfill your calling. They also use this framing to guilt and shame employees into not quitting. Management implies that employees should not take opportunities to leave or take other jobs because getting the Bible to people is God’s highest calling for us as Christians:
“If anyone leaves FCBH, then they must not really understand the vision/calling. They are not committed to saving people. We should be willing to give up things to fulfill the calling. The apostles did not pursue better jobs and so God will provide if we need better pay, benefits, career. For those of us who join the ministry to hold true to get God's word to every person, it takes discipline because we have opportunities to do other things. I'm sure that Noah had problems with Builders because he probably had hundreds of people not thousands working on the ark. They started their own businesses and started side things going on. pretty soon they'll have no time to work with him on the ark. and you can have all kinds of diversionary things happen. and so we want to understand they focused in the ministry. and that's been one of the things that I've really tried to do is what did God tell me at the time this ministry began because I was not interested in this ministry. I was interested in living by faith and experiencing God through people and seeing people experience God. and when I was praying about that here in Albuquerque the Lord said bring my church together and make disciples. and then he also told me that when his people think the same they are one. so it's not a matter of getting rid of the buildings or the leaders but it's a matter of people thinking the same. They can go to different denominations, different buildings, have different teachers, and different preachers and leaders but once they think the same, they're one and that's what his objective was. and so that's when I felt like the Lord said get God's word to every person. So I'm challenging us to stay true to what God has called us to do. and every time somebody leaves the ministry there are reasons for leaving. but it startles me a little bit, because I think well we haven't, we haven't communicated the vision very well somehow because they didn't get it. like Noah building the arc. it it's a long project it's not a month or a year two years or three years. our immediate goal is 2033 and it means that we're committed to a cause. and that means some of us we give up something. I we've given up stuff we live in a small apartment and that's what we saw that God had us do and that's our lifestyle we we tone down our lifestyle to get the cause committed to the cause. and and I know that's difficult for some, in some cases maybe there's financial needs because of family growth and stuff there they just can't afford to work in the ministry. but sometimes it's a choice and every time somebody leaves it where it's actually a choice. I think we haven't communicated the mission very good the vision very good. I've been looking at is that could you imagine read reading the New Testament. and finding out that Peter about halfway through or Paul halfway through the ministry all of a sudden got a better job offer. and stopped their portion of the ministry they held the course no matter what happened. whether it was good or whether it was bad. Paul talks about this and sometimes we want to follow the Lord. but we don't impart on ourselves the same responsibilities that those disciples did. so when God Empower them is he empowering you in the same way. and you're making choices that maybe you shouldn't make that you will impart and say the Lord is leading me someplace else when in fact maybe it isn't. it's just a better offer. if the Bible in the New Testament was reading a little bit different than Stephen left the ministry at this point or James left the ministry at this point because of something I think we need to be very very careful and why I say that is that as we work internationally.”
SO, there is a lot of guilt and shame about leaving to pursue other interests or meet needs. Guilt and shame about wanting to leave to advance and develop professionally. For this reason, many remain “loyal” and stay at the ministry.
So there is lots of control and manipulation in the work culture.
*Weekly worship meetings:
These are mandatory and there are some legitimate concerns:
Top management seems to have misconceptions about true worship and worship experiences. They often reduce worship to singing by their communication, the way “worship” is used. Worship is seen as something we do on occasion - once a week, when we gather at work for the mandatory worship time. Top management, by ignoring other styles, seems to believe that there is a single style of worship which is correct for Christians.
And it seems like just about anyone can lead worship or be on the team: anyone that can play an instrument. Top management does not require a worship class or agreement to biblical principles concerning worship as a prerequisite for employees who desire to plan and lead worship experiences. So you end up with people who have different views/philosophies on the worship team. Unfortunately, many who lead do not take the time/effort to plan and lead worship experiences, to discern from songs that are better suited for individual or private worship from songs that are corporate or public worship, to discern songs that are controversial/questionable (have bad theology, weak theology), songs that are theologically ambiguous or songs that lean more towards “feminine” attributes. Most, if not all, of our modern “Christian” worship music is written at a simplistic level of understanding and comprehension. Most music tends to appeal to our emotions. Many songs appeal mostly to women. So there is a great need for teaching on the biblical principles concerning worship. Also a need to choose theologically balanced songs with music appropriate for the people. Unfortunately, many of the songs chosen are theologically incorrect (e.g., having elements from the Word Of Faith movement, New Apostolic Church, New Age). Songs are often not theologically balanced. Songs seem to be chosen for their emotional impact, to make employees feel good; many focus on just one aspect of God (e.g., love). Many promote self-centered worship.
Most of the worship leaders just sing the songs: They do not actually “lead” people into worship. They do not help people connect the lyrics of the song to where they are at in their personal life, to teach them something about God or help the people understand what this song means and what God wants them to get out of it, so they're not just singing songs and just doing, going through the motions or help them understand the depth and the richness of what lyrics mean and how it applies to their life. What matters to them seems to be whether songs are impactful, moving, and beautiful. (Whatever that means.) Whether songs make employees feel good. They don't seem to care whether the songs actually reflect truth: Do the lyrics line up with Scripture? Do the songs glorify self or God? How would new Christians or nonChristians interpret the song?
Theology is the study of God and it's very important doxology is an expression of praise to God so the point here is that all theologies should ultimately lead to doxology if theology doesn't lead to doxology then we've actually missed the point of theology so if you have theology without doxology you just have dead hold orthodoxy which is horrible. On the other side you have the people who say “forget about theology I just want to praise.” But if you have doxology without theology you actually have idolatry because it's just a random expression of praise but it's not actually informed by the truth of who God is so God is
concerned with both he's concerned with an accurate understanding of him and that accurate understanding of him leading to a response of praise adoration and worship towards him.
*Leadership quality:
Top management has more respect for donors and guests than their employees.
Management lacks basic core leadership principles/values:
Unfortunately, many employees are not given power or resources: Management just gives them the responsibility to get things done. Before responsibility is given, employees should be equipped: be empowered, have the authority, be given resources and have the experience. Employees are not empowered as individuals to solve their own problems using their own solutions. Micromanagement is often required every time the situation changes or problems arise. Employees are not inspired to act as leaders for themselves, delivering amazing performance without guidance. They have coaching sessions but only when there’s a problem. True coaching occurs regardless of whether the individual is crushing their goals or falling behind. Management does not seem to care about unlocking a person’s potential and getting the most of their performance. They seem only interested in producing more followers, not more leaders.
No method to hold management accountable to core values listed in their own Employee handbook. Employees are expected to abide by the procedures and rules described in the handbook but top management can choose to ignore it when it is convenient for them.
-Top management are NOT learners: No desire to develop and improve their skills.
-They do not ask employees: What’s one thing you see me doing—or failing to do—that you think I should change?
-They do not ask how they are doing as leaders. Or ask employees how they’re doing.
-They do not ask what employees need from management that they are not giving them.
-No performance evaluations for both management or non-managment.
-They often fail to emotionally connect with employees.
-They do not speak to employees' needs first.
-They do not focus on what they can put into people rather than what they can get out of them.
-They do not understand basic psychology, how people think and behave.
-They are often resistant to (and even hate) change: Perhaps because they fear losing control. In fact, new information, objective facts, research, stats, and even new ideas are often ignored in favor of what's easiest to do or because of tradition. If something has been done and “works”, top management does not see a reason to question it or to improve on it. If something was tried 5, 10, 20, even 50yrs before and failed, top management does not see a reason to try it again even if the exact circumstances have changed.
-They do not empower or give the means, the power or opportunity to do to employees.
-They do not trust others to follow through managing processes and performing tasks.
-They do not lead by example.
-They do not know when to move forward and when to back off, what to improve and how radical those improvements should be.
-They often fail to see options, and plan and prioritize.
-They fail to develop leaders around them.
-Their communication is often poor.
-Their listening is also poor: do not listen for more than facts, but also the feelings, meanings and undercurrents.
-They do not take the time to get to know the people they lead: no weekly check-ins which top organizations have to discuss how employees are doing professionally and personally. Management doesn't ask “what was good this week? What was not good this week? How is your well-being? How is your family?”
Competence in leadership skills is also poor.
-They are not teachable: not willing to keep learning, growing, improving in leadership and management practices: FCBH has a yearly “leadership” summit. But, the way it is set up, it reinforces weaknesses instead of challenging leadership growth.
The summit is also just for a select few in top management. Not every employee is seen as a leader so most employees are excluded.
Top managers attend the summit but there is no followup, no post accountability by other managers and especially by the employees that are under the managers. No discussion on how management will apply what was learned.
Some of the past speakers have had questionable characters and even questionable teachings (Judah Smith). Leadership qualifications and theological background seems to be ignored in favor of charismatics, dynamics, popularity.
-Top management does not take responsibility for their part of a disagreement or failure and apologize.
-They often embrace a victim mentality.
-They often limit yourself by your job title.
-They do not invest in better tools or processes.
-They are content with the status quo.
-They allow their past achievements to stagnate their desire to keep learning.
-There is a lack of discernment, finding the main cause of problems/issues.
-They do not anticipate problems.
-They do not accept the truth of the problem: Do not face up to the reality of the situation;
-They get bogged down in the details.
-They often avoid problems.
-They don’t deal well with problems.
-They do not have their team study all angles.
-They often do not value nontraditional thinking: Don’t embrace change, ambiguity and uncertainty well.
-They do not work well with differences.
-They do not have their own mentors or provide mentorship to others.
-They do not invest to improve their own professional or leadership skills.
-They are often insecure, constantly seek validation, acknowledgement and love.
-They limit employee's success and recognition:
-They do not seem interested in making people successful: Don’t attempt to remove barriers that prevent employees from being successful.

• They often feel threatened by accomplishments by employees who are not management:

If an employee who is not management has a great idea to improve the work, management often does not support it and may secretly try to shut it down.
When a team succeeds, management will not give other people credit and instead take the credit themselves.
It seems like some of the people working there were given the title of management, the position, and that alone made them qualified. Management or leaders assume that their position alone qualifies them to make critical decisions where they may not have the best data, insight, wisdom, skill, experience. Just because one may have the word “manger” in the job title, does not automatically make them a great leader. Leadership is about dealing with people, and the dynamics between those people, and influencing people.
*Dead end career path:
For the most part, top management assumes that team members are fine and "settled", rather than taking the time to understand their true feelings and needs. They do not ask employees where they are struggling, where they are having trouble, what frustrates them the most?
Management does not seem interested in making employees better both personally or professionally. They do not have a growth plan or professional development plan for employees. No job related training. They do not provide what is needed to help employees to grow and improve. They don't provide opportunities for employees to apply their talents and expertise. They don’t ask how they can better support employees. Employees don’t check on each other.
One is expected to work until health deteriorates and skills become obsolete so you leave in a worse place than you started. For most employees, there is no long term future with the organization. Management does not let employees know how they are doing and what the future looks like for them. What the opportunities are. They do not take the time to learn from employees what they want to be. No honest conversations to understand employees goals and ambitions. So, because there is no growth or development plan, no career path, once your skills are outdated, they will probably let you go or they will keep you in the same position and your salary will max out.
Management does not coach employees on how to manage their time, priorities, and energy; no teaching on how to problem solve, or make better decisions, or how to set boundaries or how to minimize context switching and zoom fatigue.

For context, part 1 is here. Thanks to everyone who provided their insight! I followed your advice and stopped responding in email.
And it happened again…
Got a call Friday from the home care admin which I didn’t answer as I’m busy with household chores. I am also scheduled to call my family that noon and go to town to buy provisions. Needless to say, it was a busy day.
Got the call around 11am and it was followed by an email which I read because I’m also waiting for an email that is personal to me. Their email states “please come to name of workplace NOW it is urgent and you need to take the training”.
1) training wasn’t scheduled ahead of time. 2) the now means all of the things Im planned to do with my 1-day off will be set aside.
So nope. I ignored it.
Then today a staff meeting was done and I was highlighted for (1) not answering my phone (2) for having to be emailed.
So I said that I keep my phone in silent all the time, which is really the truth. manager said I have “duty of care” and should always be available to answer calls from workplace. I responded and said that I’m fine to go to a training but they cannot expect me to be available last minute.
Anyway, what is this duty of care and how can I best answer when this phrase is brought up in this situation?
I hate that this even happened and I blocked my workplace’ phone number now out of frustration. It is easy to be on airplane mode at home since there is wifi (in case they use a different number to call me) but outside, I have no choice but use the cellular network which gives them opportunity to call me with whatever mobile number they want to use.