Latest news with #TOMS
UPI
3 days ago
- Science
- UPI
NASA pioneer Dr. Stanley Sander dies at the age of 80
Image of the largest area of Antarctic ozone thinning ever recorded in 2000. The data was recorded by the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument aboard NASA's Earth Probe satellite. Photo courtesy of NASA June 5 (UPI) -- One of NASA's top ozone depletion and air pollution scientists, credited with enhancing local air pollution measurement tools and dozens of other climate related research advancements, has died at the age of 80. Dr. Stanley Sander was broadly recognized for his work on research on atmospheric chemistry at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he started his career in 1971. "Stan made foundational contributions to our understanding of stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric air pollution, and climate science related greenhouse gases," a statement from NASA about his death said. Sander's work on laboratory measurements was used to help other scientists reach consensus on a host of environmental issues, including developing tools to measure air quality and establish environmental policies. He also studied the chemistry of methane on Mars, halogen gases on Venus and hydrocarbons in Titan's atmosphere. "Stan's scientific output was vast," the NASA statement continued. "He authored over 180 peer-reviewed publications, beginning with his 1976 paper on sulfur dioxide oxidation. His work spans major aspects of atmospheric chemistry -- from chlorine, bromine, and nitrogen oxides to sulfur compounds and peroxides." NASA said Sander's influence went beyond the hard sciences and into mentorship of up-and-coming scientists. He led 40 post-doctoral students, more than two dozen graduate students and undergraduate students in their pursuits of understanding atmospheric chemistry. "Those of us lucky enough to be fostered by Stand in this capacity will also remember his kindness first approach and steadfast resolve in the face of challenges," the release said. Sander was awarded several meritorious achievement awards, including two NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals and a NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 Ways Small Businesses Can Win Big Without Big Budgets: Storytelling
When done right, storytelling doesn't just engage, it scales. It transcends location, culture, and even budgets. In fact, some of the world's most popular and beloved brands started with a clear, consistent story that sparked big movements long before they had marketing teams or international shipping. If you're a small business owner with big dreams, here's how storytelling can be your biggest asset to a more scalable and successful business. 1) Lead With Purpose, Not Product: Too often, small businesses focus their messaging solely on what they sell. But people connect with why you do it. Share the mission behind your business. What problem are you solving? What inspired you to start? Your origin story is more valuable than your latest promo. Don't underestimate the emotional currency it can create with customers who want to support brands that align with their values. Need proof? TOMS shoes didn't grow because they made footwear, they grew because they shared a story of giving, one sale for one shoe, that consumers bought into. 2)Earned Media is The Great Equalizer You don't need a giant ad budget to get noticed. Media coverage, podcasts, newsletters, and even local news can help amplify your brand in ways money can't buy. You need a story, not just a sales pitch. Journalists aren't looking to cover your business, they're looking to cover what makes it relevant right now. Are you solving a growing problem? Riding a cultural wave? Representing an underserved market? Tell that story. 3) Use Your Founder's Voice as a Brand Asset: Big brands have CMOs. Small businesses have founders. And that's a good thing. People want to hear directly from the humans behind the brand, especially now when authenticity is a winning force. Use your voice in your marketing. Whether it's in your Instagram captions, your packaging, or your newsletter. Make it personal. Make it real. 4)Turn Your Customers Into Your Storytellers: Your audience is your best sales force. If your story resonates, they'll tell it for you. But that only happens if you give them something to talk about. Create moments worth sharing, such as behind-the-scenes content, founder reflections, 'why we do this' messages. User-generated content, testimonials, and community shoutouts all build brand equity that scales organically. Don't chase virality, instead cultivate shareability. 5)Consistency Beats Complexity: The biggest mistake small businesses make in storytelling is trying to say too much. Keep it simple. A clear, consistent narrative that's repeated across platforms builds recognition and recall. The goal isn't to be everywhere, it's to be unforgettable wherever you are. You don't need millions of followers or a global footprint to start scaling. What you need is a story that travels, one that reflects who you are, what you stand for, and why someone should care. Storytelling is your ROI engine. It turns browsers into buyers, and buyers into believers. So tell your story, and don't be afraid to tell it often. The world may not know your brand yet, but your story can take you there.
Malaysian Reserve
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
TOMS ANNOUNCES LA LA LAND KIND CAFÉ TAKEOVER AND FIRST-EVER FAMILY CASTING CALL
LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Iconic footwear brand TOMS is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with La La Land Kind Café as a continuation of its Moments of Joy campaign. Launching May 8, 2025, TOMS will host a limited-time cafe takeover at two of the top La La Land Kind Cafés in Los Angeles at Santa Monica and The Grove locations. In addition to the pop-up, TOMS will launch its first-ever Family Casting Call, inviting families across the U.S. and Canada to share their stories for a chance to be featured in the company's next marketing campaign. TOMS' cafe takeover will bring moments of joy in more ways than one. To start, customers can sip on the exclusive TOMS' 'Cup of Joy' drink: an iced vanilla latte or matcha topped with a signature blue spirulina foam, exclusively served at select La La Kind Café locations. The space will also encourage customers to share their experience on social media, with cute TOMS-branded decor, photo-worthy moments, and a peek at some of their most popular shoes from the Spring 2025 collection. To kick things off, the first 100 customers to visit each location on May 8 for the grand opening will receive a free pair of TOMS sunglasses with their TOMS Cup of Joy purchase. TOMS has made a name for itself with its cool, laid-back LA roots, combining versatility, comfort, and on-trend style. TOMS has also woven giving back and community empowerment into its mission since the beginning. Today, TOMS purchases help support children's education, health and well-being, giving kids everywhere the gift of better tomorrows. The partnership with La La Land Kind Café reflects this brand ethos, aligning with their own mission of spreading kindness and making a lasting impact. To celebrate the collaboration, TOMS is donating to the La La Land Foundation to help benefit foster youth in our communities. 'At La La Kind Café, our mission has always been to spread kindness and uplift youth aging out of foster care. Partnering with TOMS—another brand deeply rooted in purpose—amplifies that mission in such a meaningful way,' said Francois Reihani, CEO and founder of La La Kind Café. 'Together, we're not just raising awareness this month; we're creating real opportunities and lasting change.' In tandem with the pop-up, TOMS is introducing its first-ever Family Casting Call, running May 8 through May 30. The brand believes every family has a story worth celebrating – one filled with joy, confidence, and purpose. TOMS is searching for real families who embody these values to feature in its next marketing campaign. Families can participate in two ways: Enter Online: Submit up to three family photos and answer a few short questions about how your family embodies TOMS' core values by visiting between Thursday, May 8 – Friday, May 30 , 2025 Submit up to three family photos and answer a few short questions about how your family embodies TOMS' core values by visiting between , 2025 Enter in Person ( Los Angeles only): On Saturday, May 17 at La La Land Kind Café The Grove and Sunday, May 18 at La La Land Kind Café Santa Monica , families can stop by to snap a free professional family photo, receive a printed and digital copy, and enjoy a complimentary TOMS Cup of Joy latte with contest entry. 100 families will be selected for a public voting round. The top 10 will move into a final round, with one grand prize winner receiving a professional LA-based photo shoot experience, a spot in TOMS' next marketing campaign and a $1,000 TOMS gift card. Two runners-up will take home TOMS gift cards. TOMS X LA LA LAND KIND CAFÉ TAKEOVER LOCATIONS La La Land Kind Café The Grove – 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles La La Land Kind Café Santa Monica – 1426 Montana Ave, Santa Monica 'Everything we're doing, from the café takeover to the casting call, is about bringing joy to real people in real moments,' said Amber Tarshis, Chief Brand and Impact Officer at TOMS. 'Whether it's through a joyful latte or meaningful family story, we want to celebrate the everyday ways our brand shows up in people's lives. And we couldn't think of a better partner to help us do this than La La Land Kind Café.' TOMS has deep roots in the LA community and is excited to extend that even further with the La La Land Kind Café collaboration. TOMS' newest collection – which will be highlighted at the pop-up – is available to shop now at . Media Contact: TOMS – Sarah Lundgren – slundgren@ La La Land Kind Café – jamie.w@ ABOUT TOMS SHOES, LLC We bring effortless style and endless comfort to your everyday life. From little moments to big adventures, our shoes empower you and yours to take on each day with confidence, joy, and purpose. TOMS makes the in-between moments matter as much as the destination – every step is one worth celebrating. Born in the heart of Venice Beach in 2006, our laid-back, easygoing spirit is woven into every pair. It all began with the Alpargata – our iconic slip-on that became synonymous with simplicity, comfort, and community. Today, we offer styles for everyone, with a variety of designs for wherever your day takes you. But TOMS is more than shoes – we're in business to improve lives. Your TOMS purchase helps support children's education, health, and well-being. Together, we've positively impacted over 105 million lives. As a Certified B Corp, doing good is literally in our soles. About La La Land Kind Café La La Land Kind Café is a mission-driven coffee shop founded by social entrepreneur Francois Reihani to 'normalize kindness' through hospitality and purpose. Launched in 2019 in Dallas, Texas, the café is known for its sunny yellow branding, organic ingredients, and feel-good energy—but it's more than just great coffee. La La Land Kind Café is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting foster youth aging out of the system, providing paid internships, mentorship, and real-world job training through its nonprofit, the We Are One Project. With a growing footprint of locations across Texas and California, the café's motto—'Kindness first, coffee second'—is at the heart of everything it does. Learn more at . About La La Foundation The La La Foundation is the nonprofit arm of La La Land Kind Café, created to empower and uplift foster youth aging out of the system. Founded by Francois Reihani, the Foundation provides critical life skills, paid job training, mentorship, and long-term support to help young adults transition successfully into independent living. At the heart of the La La Foundation is a belief that everyone deserves to be seen, supported, and given a fair chance. Through its holistic programming and community-driven approach, the Foundation works to rewrite the narrative for former foster youth—one act of kindness at a time. To learn more or get involved, visit La La Land Foundation . View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TOMS
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TOMS ANNOUNCES LA LA LAND KIND CAFÉ TAKEOVER AND FIRST-EVER FAMILY CASTING CALL
LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconic footwear brand TOMS is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with La La Land Kind Café as a continuation of its Moments of Joy campaign. Launching May 8, 2025, TOMS will host a limited-time cafe takeover at two of the top La La Land Kind Cafés in Los Angeles at Santa Monica and The Grove locations. In addition to the pop-up, TOMS will launch its first-ever Family Casting Call, inviting families across the U.S. and Canada to share their stories for a chance to be featured in the company's next marketing campaign. TOMS ANNOUNCES LA LA LAND KIND CAFE TAKEOVER AND FIRST-EVER FAMILY CASTING CALL TOMS' cafe takeover will bring moments of joy in more ways than one. To start, customers can sip on the exclusive TOMS' "Cup of Joy" drink: an iced vanilla latte or matcha topped with a signature blue spirulina foam, exclusively served at select La La Kind Café locations. The space will also encourage customers to share their experience on social media, with cute TOMS-branded decor, photo-worthy moments, and a peek at some of their most popular shoes from the Spring 2025 collection. To kick things off, the first 100 customers to visit each location on May 8 for the grand opening will receive a free pair of TOMS sunglasses with their TOMS Cup of Joy purchase. TOMS has made a name for itself with its cool, laid-back LA roots, combining versatility, comfort, and on-trend style. TOMS has also woven giving back and community empowerment into its mission since the beginning. Today, TOMS purchases help support children's education, health and well-being, giving kids everywhere the gift of better tomorrows. The partnership with La La Land Kind Café reflects this brand ethos, aligning with their own mission of spreading kindness and making a lasting impact. To celebrate the collaboration, TOMS is donating to the La La Land Foundation to help benefit foster youth in our communities. "At La La Kind Café, our mission has always been to spread kindness and uplift youth aging out of foster care. Partnering with TOMS—another brand deeply rooted in purpose—amplifies that mission in such a meaningful way," said Francois Reihani, CEO and founder of La La Kind Café. "Together, we're not just raising awareness this month; we're creating real opportunities and lasting change." In tandem with the pop-up, TOMS is introducing its first-ever Family Casting Call, running May 8 through May 30. The brand believes every family has a story worth celebrating – one filled with joy, confidence, and purpose. TOMS is searching for real families who embody these values to feature in its next marketing campaign.
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why You Should Empower Your Employees If You Want To Succeed
Empower your employees to make decisions. Easy to say, tough to do. But it's especially important during uncertain times like these. With so much happening that's impossible to predict, it's natural for employees to be afraid to make decisions, fearing that they will be blamed if things don't work out. It's important to let them know that you trust them and you won't blame them if their idea doesn't succeed. TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie with his sister Aviator Nation founder Paige Mycoskie Pam Mycoskie TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie told me that he viewed his role as helping others do their jobs better, and he did that by telling his top people to serve everyone in their groups. He calls this approach 'servant leadership.' By that he means that he told his leadership team to help their employees develop and perform as highly as possible. He tried to influence his staff through showing them that he trusted them to make good decisions. One way he did that was by admitting his own mistakes. Blake views mistakes as a net positive to help the company learn and grow. When people know they won't be punished if their approach doesn't succeed, they are more willing to own their decisions. Blake said he showed his employees that mistakes can become opportunities because he didn't cover up his own errors. He didn't hide them or blame them on others. In his book 'Start Something That Matters" Blake says, 'If you extend more trust than you might normally be comfortable with -- and more than most business books tell you to do -- even though those mistakes will come with a cost, over the long term you'll be paid back with interest.' Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings at the New York Times DealBook Summit Held In New York City (Photo by ... More Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Getty Images Netflix is famous for empowering employees to make decisions. They strive to give employees complete information about what's going on, and complete freedom and responsibility to make decisions. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings explains how that leads to better decision making and a more agile company. In his book 'No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention' he says, 'When you tell people exactly what to do, you remove their sense of ownership. But when they make decisions themselves, they feel more responsible for the outcome - and they're more motivated to get it right….If employees are empowered with context and trust, they can act quickly and smartly. That's how you build a culture of innovation and accountability.' As at TOMS, when Netflix staff made thoughtful, responsible decisions that were aligned with the company's goals, they weren't punished if the idea wasn't successful -- even if it cost the company millions. If they made a tough call that failed, the message was that it was a learning experience. This is a core belief at Netflix: Empowering employees to make decisions results in thoughtful risk taking, which results in innovation, which is essential for growth. Empowering Employees Isn't Affected By Political Views Chris Ruddy, chief executive officer of Newsmax. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg © 2023 Bloomberg Finance LP Political leanings of the organizations don't affect how employees are treated. Successful companies on the left and the right all learn that they thrive when they empower their employees. Newsmax was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in April. Its CEO Chris Ruddy says "The key is to hire good people and leave them alone. Everyone needs direction, and once they have the mission and the goals, a smart, experienced person figures out the plan. It's important to build a collaborative process where no one alone makes all the decisions nor tries to control. Keep lines of communication open, be flexible and let the job get done!' Strelmark CEO Hilary Fordwich in the studio Kevin Allen Strelmark CEO Hilary Fordwich explained that empowering his employees made working with them a pleasant experience: 'I can speak first hand as to how different the experience is with each and every employee. They really are so empowered. The entire team end to end is like a large family, totally and utterly supportive of each other. Media is a unique industry, so attracting talent isn't the toughest issue, it's how to retain the very best.' It's Even More Important Now Ethan Penner, Chairman of Hill Street Realty As Hill Street Realty Chairman and Greatness is a Choice author Ethan Penner says, "With a recession seemingly likely and AI threatening many jobs, financial insecurity is running high. This is the time for visionary and compassionate leadership to help people navigate to a better future." Productivity improves when people feel that they are empowered to make decisions, that their contributions are valued, and that they won't get in trouble if their ideas don't succeed. Treating your employees well is always key to a successful company. That is even more important now.
