She Always Felt Like an Outsider. Now It's This CEO's Superpower.
Cynthia Williams grew up playing make-believe in the woods of North Carolina. She was an outsider dreaming of being part of something bigger.
She took that mindset with her as she started her career and scaled the ranks of Amazon.com and Microsoft. To fight off impostor syndrome Williams came up with her signature Wonder Woman pose: Standing up with her hands on her hips for two minutes.
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Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Traveling or flying with a pet? Here's what you need to know before you go
We Americans love our pets — so much so that in 2024, we spent $150.6 billion on them. About half of us have a dog, and more than a third have a cat. I've had a dog most of my life, but I never considered traveling with one until early 2024 when my husband, Otis, asked whether I wanted to spend the summer in Massachusetts. That was a no-brainer. 'Absolutely!' I replied. I wanted to see where he had spent his summers growing up, meet his best friend, eat 'lobstah' and check New England off my bucket list. Then, reality struck. What would we do with Josie? More from Alessi: Retiring Palm Beach County teacher reflects on cellphones, testing frenzies, tardies and more Josie, a Morkie (Maltese/Yorkshire terrier mix), has lived with me since 2018, when my niece Hillary had her second baby and said, 'Aunt Janet, I can't take care of two kids and a dog. Would you like Josie?' I'd been dogless for six years, so that, too, was a no-brainer. When I drove to Naples to meet Josie, she (Josie, not Hillary) wouldn't stop barking and leaping from one piece of furniture to another. I'm pretty tranquil, so her crazy energy concerned me. Thankfully, I brought her home anyway. After figuring out my doggie door, she burst through it like a bat out of hell to run laps around my fenced-in backyard. She only stopped long enough to dart into my house for water. Then, she bolted out to continue chasing an imaginary mechanical rabbit around what she was claiming to be her personal racetrack. Seven years later, Josie still has that crazy puppy energy, but when she wears herself out, she squeezes between me and the armrest of my couch. When I recline, she sprawls out on top of me and rests her head on my chest while gazing up at me with big, brown eyes that exude love and devotion. If I dare take a break from patting her head or rubbing her tummy, she squirms and whimpers. How could I leave her for two months? Short answer: I couldn't. But, wouldn't traveling with her be complicated? Yes! Yet, after doing so last summer, I can tell you it is so worth it — as long as you're sedated. Here are five lessons I learned: Since Josie would have been stressed without me for the two months we'd be gone, boarding wasn't really an option. Still, I researched it. In Palm Beach County, prices range from $44 to $66 per day, with additional fees for bedtime biscuits, story time, and personal playtime. We would have spent at least $3,000 for Josie's stay! Driving would have been the least expensive way to travel, but a 3,000-mile, 44-hour round trip was out of the question. A previous near head-on collision had given me PTSD. Since driving wasn't an option, we looked into flying. Delta — which charges $95 per pet per flight — was our best choice. But flying with a pet also meant more expenses: a vet fee (for a health certificate and sedatives) and an airline-approved pet carrier (soft-sided, ventilated, leak-proof, and 18 by 11 by 11 inches) — which I purchased from Amazon for $46. I also had to buy a dog bed in Massachusetts. Josie stayed for free at the house we rented, but we took several short trips. One hotel didn't charge for her, one charged $100, and another $125. The hotels had a weight limit (for Josie, not us), barking restrictions (again, for Josie), and legal paperwork with too much small print to read — placing the financial burden on us should one of us leave fleas behind or destroy property. And if anyone complained about barking, we could be asked to leave and would not receive a refund. As we signed on the dotted lines, we begged Josie not to make us regret bringing her. Once we decided on flying, the real fun began. Delta allows 20-pound-or-under pets to fly under the seat in front of their person. Fortunately, Josie had been dieting for a year and weighed 18 pounds. Before purchasing airline tickets, I called Delta to reserve a spot for Josie, as they limit the number of dogs per flight. My greatest fear was that Josie wouldn't let us stuff her into her carrier. So, Otis began Operation-Acclimate-Josie-to-Her-Kennel-by-Putting-Her-Favorite-Treat (Popcorn)-In-It on a daily basis. My second greatest fear was that she wasn't — as stipulated — 'small enough to fit comfortably' in her carrier and didn't have 'the ability to move around without touching or sticking out from the sides.' I wondered whether they cared that at 6-foot-2, I don't fit comfortably in my seat, can't move around, and stick my legs out when I can. In case Josie didn't cooperate, or Delta said she was too smooshed and wouldn't let her fly, we came up with Plan B. After dropping us off at the airport, my stepson would circle around waiting for a thumbs-up text. If need be, he'd take custody of Josie until he could hand her off to my daughter, who — with a baby and two dogs of her own — would be less than thrilled. At the airport, we took Josie to the Special Service Counter, where an agent made sure she and her kennel met Delta's requirements, and I paid the fee. This was also where Josie demonstrated her best problem-solving skills by nudging the zipper open in a thankfully-thwarted attempted escape. With Zipper Security in place, we passed inspection. We were so thrilled and relieved that we forgot to send a thumbs-up text. My stepson is still circling the airport. At home, I walk Josie a few times a week for exercise, but she mostly takes care of her business in my backyard. With no doggie door and fenced-in yard at our place in Massachusetts, I was in charge of her potty breaks. I made a shocking discovery. Josie goes. A lot. Translation: I needed a lot more poop bags than I packed. For future trips with Josie, before booking a hotel, I'll check out its surrounding area. When we stayed in Boston for a few days, we had to walk three blocks to get to a grassy area. Three blocks probably seemed like 3 miles to poor Josie, who'd been holding it for hours in our hotel room. Something else we didn't anticipate? Finding ticks on all three of us after a hike. We responded the only way we could. We researched Lyme disease, freaked out, and bought tick spray. Oh, and removed the ticks. On the first leg of our journey, Otis carried Josie in her carrier. But, for our return flight, Josie and I were on our own. I soon learned that carrying 18 pounds of a squirming fur baby while pulling a suitcase isn't easy, so I now have wheels for her carrier for future trips. At security, I felt like a single mom with a squirming infant — except my 'baby' had four legs and a tail, and the rules seemed to change every five minutes. 'Take her out of the kennel. Don't take her out. Put her on a leash but hold her. Put her down. Don't take her through the scanner with you.' Oy vey. Josie may be a Florida girl, but I'd never taken her to the beach. Her reaction to her first ocean encounter in Brant Rock was priceless: Barked at the waves. Sampled the salt water. Swore off salt water. For life. We often went on long walks along the ocean, and others almost always stopped to talk to us because of Josie. She also befriended our next door neighbors' dog Bentley, even though he was four times her size. Josie never had any idea where we were going in our rental car, but she always wanted to go. If begging didn't work, she tried reverse psychology. To try to trick us into taking her, she'd lie in bed and pretend she didn't care if we left without her. But, when we tried double reverse psychology and feigned that we didn't care that she didn't care, she let us know there would be consequences to pay if we left her behind. This was her vacation, too, darn it! In the evenings, most of our neighbors sat in rockers on their front porch. We were happy to adopt this lifestyle and enjoyed watching Josie go nuts because we wouldn't let her out of our screened-in porch to chase the bunnies hopping around our front yard. My husband's BFF offered to keep Josie when we went on overnighters, but the truth is we would've missed her. We'd learned that we enjoyed traveling with her. Because our kids were grown when Otis and I married in 2020, his kids don't think of me as their stepmom, and mine don't think of him as their stepdad. This trip was the first time he and I felt as if we were co-parents. At the end of our trip, my husband — who had only owned big dogs — said, 'For a small dog, Josie's not bad. She's not yappy, and when I talk to her, she looks me in the eye.' In March, he stayed with her for a week while I visited my son in Georgia. When I returned, Josie made sure I noticed that she was snuggling next to him, not me. A couple of days later, Traitor Josie — as I started calling her — must have forgiven me because, once again, she's a mama's girl. Despite the challenges, traveling with Josie made our trip unforgettable. And she was so good that on both flights, the person whose seat she was under didn't even know she was there. She will definitely be coming with us on our next adventure. After all, she's part of our family. Janet Meckstroth Alessi is a frequent contributor to Accent. She can be reached at jlmalessi@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Traveling with a pet? Here's what you need to know before you go
New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
Thomas Bryant emerges as unlikely hero to help Pacers into NBA Finals
INDIANAPOLIS – Myles Turner was on the mic, speaking to a euphoric crowd that if it were allowed, would've stayed there all night. The Pacers had just knocked off the New York Knicks, 125-108, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to the NBA finals for the first time in 25 years. And Turner, the longest-tenured Pacer, was spilling his heart to the city. Advertisement He spoke about embracing adversity, being the underdog and fighting for respect. 'People don't watch us,' Turner said on Saturday. All the while, his teammate, Thomas Bryant, could barely watch him. The Pacers backup center, donning an Eastern Conference champ T-shirt and hat, was doubled over on the scorer's table at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as Turner gave his speech. Tears ran down Bryant's face while he pounded his fist on the table in celebration, but his personal precipitation wasn't just birthed from joy. Those tears? They came from pain and pride. Trials and triumphs. Doubt and deliverance. 'There's a lot of times when you have to believe when nobody else even believes,' Bryant said in the locker room afterward. 'Even sometimes you have to believe it when you don't even believe it. You have to make yourself believe it and just stay the course. 'There were times I never thought I'd see the court again.' Nearly six months ago, Bryant was an afterthought, receiving 13 DNPs on a middling Miami Heat team. But in light of Indiana's backup centers, James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson, both tearing their Achilles early in the season, Indiana acquired Bryant in December for a 2031 second-round pick swap. The hope was for Bryant to bolster the Pacers frontcourt and keep the team humming whenever its starting center, Turner, needed a breather. On Saturday night, however, Bryant was an unlikely hero, totaling a playoff career-high 11 points, three rebounds and one block in in 13 high-energy minutes to help the Pacers return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. 'It's a lot of emotions, man, just going through the past year of just the ups and downs of the NBA,' Bryant said, choking up again. 'Playing, not playing, being totally out of the lineup, getting spare minutes here and there. And then, getting traded and not really knowing what the future might hold, but you just know you wanted to come contribute to a team and try to help them win in any way possible.' Advertisement Bryant got the biggest opportunity of his career to do just that in Game 6, and he delivered in catalytic fashion. After Turner picked up his fourth foul at the 10:14 mark of the third quarter, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle was forced to rely on his bench and his only other healthy center: Bryant. Four seconds after subbing in for Turner, Bryant blocked a layup attempt by Knicks forward OG Anunoby, which sparked a fast break. On the other end, Pascal Siakam, who scored a game-high 31 points, converted an and-1 layup while falling to the floor. Bryant was the first player to help him up, but before eagerly pulling Siakam to his feet, Bryant screamed and flexed in his face to celebrate the acrobatic finish. 'You don't gotta worry about T.B.; T.B. is always gonna bring that energy,' said teammate Aaron Nesmith, who was trailing the play. 'I've never met somebody whether it be up, down, rainy, sunny – he's always bringing that energy and that's a skill. That's a skill for real.' Bryant continued making timely plays by drilling a corner 3 with about eight minutes left in the third quarter, his second of the night, to push Indiana's lead up to 11 points. He high-fived a few courtside fans as he ran back on defense and repeated the celebration a few plays later when he drilled his third corner 3-pointer that put Indiana ahead by 15 points. This time, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau called a timeout for his team to regroup, and Bryant probably needed the stoppage, as well. As the 6-foot-10 center ran back to the huddle, he jumped to chest bump teammate Quenton Jackson and roared to the crowd while his emotions bubbled over. Pacers assistant Lloyd Pierce pulled Bryant aside, reminding him that he should view his energy like money and he can't spend it all in one place. Bryant heeded Pierce's advice, though it was not an easy request after seeing his role change drastically through the series. The 27-year-old began the Eastern Conference finals as the backup center, but poor showings in Games 1 and 2 led to him being benched in Games 3 and 4 in favor of Tony Bradley, who initially joined the Pacers on a 10-day contract in March. It wasn't until Bradley strained his hip in Game 5 that Bryant regained his spot in the rotation and gave the Pacers a jolt in Game 6. Siakam called Bryant's resurgent performance a reward from 'the basketball Gods;' Carlisle credited Bryant's 'indomitable spirit;' and Turner simply thanked his teammate for his professionalism. Advertisement 'Man, I've been playing against Thomas since high school,' Turner said. 'He's always had that enthusiasm, that energy and that skill. … And he didn't complain. He didn't pout. If you watch any film, bro, he's the first one up on the bench (cheering), first one gassing us up, talking to us and getting us right. Me going down in foul trouble, he got his opportunity (Saturday) and he didn't look back.' Bryant, a New York native and former Indiana University star, acknowledged that it was serendipitous to send the Knicks home with a notable performance off the bench as a Pacer. He never dreamed of that moment because, candidly, there were days even recently when he prayed for 'just one minute' to prove himself. Bryant validated his worth Saturday, and he's hungry to solidify it even more against Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. He's been on this stage before, winning a championship with the Nuggets in 2022-23, but Bryant played just 29 seconds during that 20-game playoff run and only appeared at the very end of Game 3 of the finals. He hopes to play a lot more in his second go round, though he vowed to be prepared regardless. 'A lot of people – when things go left or they don't get their way or they don't get the playing time they want – they say they got 'screwed over,'' Bryant said. 'But that's not always true. You still gotta stay resilient through it. I hope that people realize that I stayed resilient, and because of that I was able to contribute and accomplish things that other people never thought I'd do.'
Forbes
14 minutes ago
- Forbes
Z Grills CEO Unveils Radical ‘Reward Crowdfunding' Strategy
Z Grills unveils bold, new business shift. In a marketplace cluttered with promotional noise and fleeting brand loyalty, Z Grills is taking a radically different path—one that redefines what it means to do business with consumers. The company, best known for its high-performance wood pellet grills, is moving beyond the conventional sales model and launching what it calls a "Reward Crowdfunding" strategy. In this exclusive interview, Mr. Zhou, CEO of Z Grills shares why this long-term vision may just be the future of customer-brand relationships. Z Grills first grabbed attention with a campaign titled "Buy One, Get Ten," which sounded like a classic sales promotion. But as Zhou explains, 'It was often mistaken for a discount deal. In reality, it was the beginning of something much bigger.' That "something" is the Reward Crowdfunding model—a fresh take on customer engagement that aims to transform a single transaction into a decades-long partnership. 'You support us today, and we reward you for the next 50 years,' Zhou says. 'It's a completely different way of thinking about business.' So how does it work? In traditional models, profit margins remain with the company. Z Grills flips that script. 'We treat that margin as your investment in us,' Zhou explains. For customers, that investment pays off over time: Every five years, for up to 50 years, participants receive a brand-new wood pellet grill of equal value. It's a bold commitment, rooted in growth and loyalty. 'As Z Grills grows—through product innovation, market expansion, and brand building—we share that growth with you,' he adds. One of the central goals of the new initiative is to deepen customer trust—and keep it. The CEO lays out several key components of this trust-building framework: The company also draws confidence from its long manufacturing legacy. With over 30 years in grill manufacturing—and the last decade spent pushing innovation in the pellet grill sector—Z Grills has built products for major industry players. 'Now we're building something even bigger under our own brand,' he says. The CEO also views this model as a strategic defense against global uncertainties, including tariffs. 'By building a mutually beneficial relationship, we create a more resilient business,' he notes. The company has also taken proactive steps to optimize its supply chain, reducing the direct impact of tariffs on both the business and its customers. Z Grills' Reward Crowdfunding initiative isn't just about customer retention—it's a complete rethinking of how value is created and shared. In a time when customer loyalty is increasingly elusive, the company is betting on long-term commitment and shared success as the ultimate differentiators. 'Our vision isn't about the next quarter,' the Zhou says. 'It's about the next half-century.' If you'd like to learn how data and AI come together to deliver exceptional business value and help your business stay ready for what's next, click here.
