Business Social Development

Appalachia has played a complex and often contradictory role in the unfolding of American history. Created by urban journalists in the years following the Civil War, the idea of Appalachia provided a counterpoint to emerging definitions of progress. Early 20th-century critics of modernity saw the region as a remnant of frontier life, a reflection of simpler times that should be preserved and protected.

Take your passion for event planning to the next level with in-the-trenches advice and tools you need to start, run, and grow a successful business. From writing a solid contract to finding reliable vendors, our experts help you identify your niche, teach you how to scout potential clients, evaluate the competition, market your business, and more.

Most of what we know about how ideas spread comes from best-selling authors who give us a compelling picture of a world, in which "influencers" are king, "sticky" ideas "go viral", and good behavior is "nudged" forward. The problem is that the world they describe is a world where information spreads, but beliefs and behaviors stay the same. When it comes to lasting change in what we think or the way we live, the dynamics are different: beliefs and behaviors are not transmitted from person to person in the simple way that a virus is.

There is an entrenched relationship between the consulting industry and the way business and government are managed today that must change. Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington show that our economies’ reliance on companies such as McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, and EY stunts innovation, obfuscates corporate and political accountability, and impedes our collective mission of halting climate breakdown. Mazzucato and Collington argue for building a new system in which public and private sectors work innovatively for the common good.

The 25 Minute Meeting goes beyond "cut to the chase" and shows you how to take back your work day with smarter planning and more productive action. Meetings have become a de facto way of working, and as they pile up and stretch to interminable lengths, they eat up our days and sink productivity - if they are poorly planned and run. Done well, meetings are short, sharp, productive affairs that provide critical time and space for the interactions that drive business forward.

The Power of Storytelling: How Personal Narratives Can Open Doors to Connections explores the timeless art of storytelling as a powerful tool to foster relationships, create emotional bonds, and spark meaningful conversations. Whether in business, personal life, or creative endeavours, our stories are the key to building trust, inspiring action, and forging deeper connections with others.

In a nation torn apart by political strife, what if the solution was as simple as three little phrases? "I don't know. Maybe. I love you." When author James Twyman spoke these words during a heated argument with his brother, something extraordinary happened–the conflict melted away, replaced by genuine connection. This discovery launched him on a cross-country journey to test a radical idea: that choosing love over being right could heal our deepest divisions.

Best selling author Po Bronson began work on What Should I Do with My Life? at a time when he was asking himself that very question. For answers, he crossed the landscape of America to find people who have struggled to unearth their true calling - people of all ages, classes, and professions who have found fulfillment: those who fought with the seduction of money, intensity, and novelty and overcame their allure; those who broke away from the chorus to learn the sound of their own voice.

Meeting strangers at a party, alone in the elevator with the CEO, declining a second date because the first was a disaster - social situations apply a lot of pressure to do and say the right thing. 50 Essential Etiquette Lessons shows you the best way to approach these common challenges with confidence and ease. Never mind putting your pinkies up when you drink tea - this guide is packed with modern examples of how to handle any sticky situation.

Are you looking for the competitive edge to take your personal brand to new heights and be in control of your career?The secrets to drive massive amounts of traffic to your content without paying for it and dominate your competitors?... That’s what this audiobook is about. To get consumers to walk across the bridge to your content. The opportunity to provide value and establish yourself as an authority figure. The chance to leave a legacy behind by turning your brand viral so you can automatically turn your followers into customers.

Digital marketers tap into an unprecedented ability to discover and reach motivated customers at scale. Now more than ever digital marketing strategies are the key for emerging brands, new and veteran entrepreneurs, and businesses of all sizes to convert customers in digital spaces. Author and veteran marketer Benjamin Sweeney distills a decade's worth of marketing experience into a crash course that covers everything from marketing fundamentals to sophisticated digital strategies.

We've all encountered them: the bullies, the wet blankets, the yea-sayers that never come through. More often than not, we're left fumbling for words, stumbling toward the door...frustrated, enraged or just plain depressed.

In 2010, award-winning journalist John Bowe learned that his cousin Bill, a longtime extreme recluse living in his parents' basement, had, at the age of 59, overcome a lifetime of shyness and isolation - and gotten happily married. Bill credited his turnaround to Toastmasters, the world's largest organization devoted to teaching the art of public speaking.

Ask for It explains why it's essential to ask (men do it all the time) and teaches you how to ask effectively, in ways that feel comfortable to you as a woman. Whether you currently avoid negotiating like the plague or consider yourself hard-charging and fearless, Babcock and Laschever's compelling stories of real women will help you recognize how much more you deserve.

In this expanded edition of Let Go, best-selling author and successful online entrepreneur Pat Flynn explores what it means to let go of the things that keep us from the journeys we yearn to forge and the achievements we aspire to attain. With eight new chapters, Flynn shares with listeners the wisdom he’s learned during the years since he was let go from his architecture job during the height of the US economic downturn.

If you’re tired of the daily drive to work, not being able to control your own time, or simply want to augment your income, then it’s time to start your own business. Nowadays, it has become easier start a business, and you can even do it from your own home! With everything being online, there are multiple options and a vast array of opportunities you can grab. You can even start earning income passively, meaning you can earn money with minimal active effort.

Here's the truth about fundraising: no one is born a great fundraiser. It's just a skill you can learn, refine, and master. This book is your guide to improving your major donor fundraising. Whether you're new to fundraising or a seasoned nonprofit leader, the principles in this book apply to you. In this book, you'll discover the 3 Levers of Fundraising Growth and how to pull them effectively. You'll learn how to craft a persuasive pitch that moves donors to action, and how to treat your major donors like the valued partners they are.

What matters most to you? Should you focus on earning a living, pursuing your passions, or devoting yourself to the causes that inspire you? The surprising truth is that you don’t have to choose—and that you’ll find more success if you don’t. That’s the breakthrough message of the TOMS One for One movement. You don’t have to be rich to give back and you don’t have to retire to spend every day doing what you love. You can find profit, passion, and meaning all at once—right now.

Your guide to becoming an explanation specialist. You've done the hard work. Your product or service works beautifully - but something is missing. People just don't see the big idea - and it's keeping you from being successful. Your idea has an explanation problem. The Art of Explanation is for business people, educators, and influencers who want to improve their explanation skills and start solving explanation problems.

Take Command offers powerful tools and time-tested methods to help you live an intentional life by transforming how you approach your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and future. Filled with stories of everyday people and based on expert research and interviews with more than a hundred high-performing leaders, Take Command is a “must-read” (Alan Mulally, former CEO of Ford and Boeing) that gives you the strategies you need to unlock your full potential and create the life you want.