Browsing Tag

CTV

Treat Yourself And Fly Solo

Movies Alone

How many concerts have you missed because your friends have different music taste? Don’t let that be an excuse anymore. When I was at Western, I flew solo to a Barenaked Ladies concert, which I was reviewing for the Gazette. My intention was to listen, enjoy and take notes. It didn’t matter who sat next to me.

Likewise, when award show season was at its peak in the winter and I needed to watch nominees, I waited for no one. I spent an afternoon at Cineplex Odeon Varsity theatre, treated myself to a Yogen Fruz smoothie (I’m addicted!) and never looked back. Still Alice is an introspective film about aging that I was content to watch alone and I didn’t feel an urgent desire to discuss it with anyone afterwards.

A new study from the University of Maryland found that many individuals don’t spend time alone in public because they fear what observers will think. It’s sad to imagine how people are missing out on opportunities to enjoy themselves simply because they value opinions of strangers.

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Behind The Brand: Best Buy

Elliott Chun

Name: Elliott Chun

Position: Communications Manager

Education: Visual Arts and Sociology, Western University; Public Relations, Humber College

Professional role model: Richard Branson. He’s a tremendous leader, showman and will one day take us up to space.

Favourite Best Buy purchase: My Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone. I never leave home without it and would certainly be lost without it.

In 140 characters or less, what is your favourite part of your job?

Working with an extremely talented group of people, publicizing everything Best Buy, including our vendors, community work and services.

What are your daily responsibilities as a Communications Manager?

I’m constantly discovering creative ways with my teams to promote and story-tell the fantastic things Best Buy is achieving in Canada. I also protect our brand and build campaigns to engage media and customers while identifying and building a community of advocates.

What are the perks of working at Best Buy?

There are too many to list! First off, the biggest perk is working with incredible people. I genuinely enjoy working regularly with a talented group of people. This includes the gifted team at our head offices in Burnaby, our stores, agency and vendor partners and our senior leadership teams. Secondly, as a guy who naturally loves tech and uses it to simplify and enhance my life, the staff discount comes in handy. Additionally, when I’m at the head office, I always appreciate having access to the subsidized, modern gym, as well as the B.C. trails, which are liberating when heading out on an after-work run. Lastly, the food services in our common areas at the head office and regional offices are a nice perk too.

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As Seen On TV: The Social

Hot On The Street - The Social Stage

I don’t need an excuse to apply for tickets for a live taping of The Social. Now that they’re in season two, I decided to go back. On my way to the taping, I stopped at Starbucks across the street from the studio. I was delighted to see Jess Allen in line. I spotted her immediately and she was very friendly.

Chloe Bent, The Social’s audience coordinator was as friendly as I remembered. She ensured that everyone was excited to join the live audience and encouraged us to cheer by telling us that the biggest fans would receive gift bags with makeup products. One fan was visiting from San Francisco, so she took home a special prize. According to Chloe, the easiest way to look good on TV is to simply nod and smile, without looking like a cheerleader.

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Sunday Night TV Highlights

Photo Source: Hollywood Life & E!

Photo Source: Hollywood Life & E!

Aside from the Oscars and Super Bowl, Sunday night doesn’t usually imply appointment viewing. Last night was an exception. I found myself flipping back and forth all night between the American Music Awards on CTV/ABC, Canada’s Smartest Person on CBC and Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons on E! I’m one episode behind on The Good Wife, but I’ll fix that soon with Rogers on Demand.

Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons

I wonder how many other dads leave hundreds of dollars worth of gifts for their kids and partners on their way to rehab. In the last episode, Scott went to rehab for five days, Kourtney’s therapist flew to New York for a surprise counselling session and Khloe celebrated her 30th birthday.

It looked like Khloe had a fun birthday bash and an even better surprise party, where French Montana gave her a Jeep. It’s a shame that Khloe’s anxiety about her age and relationship with Lamar interfered with her having a good time with friends.

Overall, it was a juicy drama-filled episode that was satisfying, yet somewhat difficult to watch given the sensitive subject matter about Scott’s behaviour and Kourtney’s health.

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LinkedIn Profile Changes

Sarah Prince LinkedIn June 2014

We’ve all heard about how a polished profile picture (one that’s not cropped, blurry or too dark) can help users make a strong first impression for profile viewers. Now that LinkedIn unveiled a new look for profiles, it’s time to get creative because the addition of a LinkedIn cover photo will make it easier for premium users to portray their personal brand.

Your cover photo on every platform is an excellent place to showcase your interests, photography skills and personality. Choose an original photo whenever possible. On Twitter, my cover photo shows jeans on a rack from the American Apparel sale. On Facebook, my cover photo has a bathroom sign from Disney World that says Prince and before that it was a shot of me posing with the cast of The Social. For now, I’ve selected an image from LinkedIn’s image gallery that’s available for Premium users to use as a temporary placeholder.

Read on for my advice about how employees, job seekers and recruiters can use the new cover photo feature.

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