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How this tech heiress became one of the most powerful movie moguls in Hollywood

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Megan Ellison, the 30-year-old daughter of billionaire Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, has cut a distinctive path in the film industry since she founded Annapurna Pictures, an independent production company, in 2011. 

By financing hit films like "Zero Dark Thirty" and works by lauded directors like David O. Russell, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Spike Jonze, Ellison has earned a reputation as a producer who takes on the potentially great films that major studios won't touch.

Seth Rogen's new animated comedy "Sausage Party" — which critics are loving — would not have been possible without Ellison's financing, and many other successful projects have emanated from Ellison's vision and pocketbook over the past few years. 

Read on to see how Megan Ellison became one of the most influential producers in Hollywood and a savior of great films:

SEE ALSO: Seth Rogen's 'Sausage Party' is vulgar and hilarious, but also about something deep

Megan Ellison was born in Santa Clara County, California in 1986. Her father, Larry Ellison, cofounded the Oracle software corporation in 1977. He is currently the fifth richest man in America.

Source: Forbes



Ellison attended the University of Southern California film school for one year before dropping out in 2005 to pursue low-budget film production for several years.

Source: Vanity Fair



In 2011, on her 25th birthday, Ellison received a check from her father Larry for "what a source says was $200 million, with similar sums soon to come," though some have speculated that it was closer to $2 billion.

Source: Vanity Fair



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The only way to achieve true job security

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Laurie Lewis ran Patagonia’s SoHo shop, the brand’s highest grossing store, for six years. She then built the retail operations for Organic Avenue, described as “the only organic plant-based grab-and-go brand in the U.S,” to 12 retail stores. But then the capital structure of the company changed, they reorganized and she was jobless. Fretting over her sudden unemployment, she gratefully signed onto her first freelancing job, which soon led to multiple jobs. It’s been an exciting and also nerve-racking transition for her.

I hear desire in so many friends’ voices who want to learn how to freelance, and my heart burns for them. Money is freedom, and not feeling in control of how much money we can make on our own, no matter what changes in our lives, keeps us in situations that no longer serve us.
 
“I’m a consultant now, and the freedom that it gives me is priceless,” Lewis told me recently. “I don’t have to settle. I am not in pursuit of just any job.  I [know] what my value is as a retail executive specializing in building happy and profitable employee and customer experiences.” 

I started freelancing in 2002 as a Web developer, and it was both easy and hard at the same time. It was easy in that there was always more work than I could handle. It was hard in that I had to deal with the pay cycles of my clients — do the work in June, for example, but not get paid until September. Cash flow was forever my enemy, followed close behind by the enormous tax bills resulting from how little I knew about self-employed quarterly tax payments.

But over the years I learned how to manage the work and build support teams. I could work when I wanted from wherever I wanted as long as my clients felt cared for. Mostly it gave me the peace of mind to know that I wouldn’t ever worry about getting a job or losing a job because I could always generate projects and make money when I needed to. Shouldn’t every woman be able to have that kind of security? 

We go through so many events and phases in life during which it would be comforting to know that we can still earn a living while also having total control over our schedule. But it’s scary — the idea of not having a guaranteed paycheck.

Ramit Sethi teaches a program called Earn1k, and has helped many men and women transition from full-time employment or unemployment into freelance work. I sat down with him recently to ask: What holds people back from spreading their wings and jumping into the big blue sea of opportunity? And how can we identify and develop our skills as freelancers? Here’s what he shared. 

SEE ALSO: 5 things to consider when you're choosing a side hustle

1. Believing that no one will hire you or not knowing what you can offer.

Feelings of being unwanted or unable to provide anything of value are far more a matter of your own self-confidence, but likely have little to do with whether or not you can provide a service people will pay money for. Yes, finding your first few clients will be hard, but when you find the right product-market fit, you will find them. 

Everyone has a skill that others would pay for. Maybe you're an Excel whiz...or amazing at dog training, or organizing closets, or tutoring math. It’s all about how to find that skill, then "package" it for the market. Finding clients is really about learning the basic art and science of selling. Once you learn that, you’ll succeed.



2. That your job will become all about sales.

This concern is actually true, but the issue isn’t that you have to become a salesperson. It’s that you need to change your relationship to selling. When you sell a product you believe in, that supports you.

Sales simply means sharing authentically about the quality of the services you provide and finding relationships through which money is exchanged for these services. If you want to experience the freedom of freelancing, consider changing your relationship to the idea of selling.

Being a saleswoman doesn’t mean being sleazy or dishonest. It means communicating with potential customers so that the people who need you can find you.



3. Feeling like you’ll lose your work-life balance.

If you have self-employed friends, you probably see them working on nights and weekends and fear you’ll lose “me” time. Ironic when what you’re going for is freedom. Truth is, every decision you make has a cost and benefit.

You are trading the security of a full-time job to be able to decide when you work and where you go. There will be periods where you’re working day and night to deliver for a client. And, there will be weeks where you have less work and you can do … whatever you feel like. That’s the trade.



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15 celebrities you didn't realize own major business empires

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We fell for Paul Newman's acting talents long before we bought his salad dressing.

And Dr. Dre mapped the future of hip-hop before his Beats headphones made him incredibly rich. 

Actors and musicians often step outside of entertainment and expand their names' power into the retail, restaurant, liquor, and investment industries.

Sometimes, these side businesses rake in enough that it's surprising they aren't what the celebrity is primarily known for.

Check out these 15 celebrities who invested in other areas and hit big:

SEE ALSO: 25 celebrities you didn't realize are really tall

Ashton Kutcher — A-Grade Investments

You have a lot to thank Ashton Kutcher for.

The “That ‘70s Show” actor’s A-Grade Investments put money into Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, Shazam, and Soundcloud. In 2010, Kutcher cofounded the venture-capital firm, which invests in technology startups (problem solvers,” he said), with entertainment manager Guy Oseary.

In 2011, The New York Times reported that the investments likely ranged from $50,000 to $200,000. TechTimes reported that he had $100 million worth of investments in 2014. So it’s not hard to understand why he tried to do some free promotion on “Two and a Half Men.”



Magic Johnson — Magic Johnson Enterprises

The NBA legend founded his investment company in 1987 with a mission to strengthen urban and underserved communities.

Throughout the history of the company, he's had deals with Pepsi-Cola, Sony Retail Entertainment (to create the multiplexes of Magic Johnson Theatres), T.G.I. Friday’s, Founders National Bank, 24 Hour Fitness, Burger King, Best Buy, and more. In 2010, his deals to sell his stake in the Los Angeles Lakers and his 125 Starbucks stores netted him about $100 million. In 2012, he became co-owner of the LA Dodgers, a purchase of $2 billion. MJE is reportedly worth $1 billion.

Magic on the basketball court, and magic in the boardroom.



Jessica Alba — The Honest Company

In 2011, the “Dark Angel” and “Fantastic Four” actress cofounded The Honest Company, which supplies nontoxic household products and has a promise of transparency with its Honestly FREE Guarantee to tell customers the origins of the products. Though its claims have faced scrutiny, the company was valued at $1.7 billion in 2015. That’s a lot of diapers sold.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

27 of the most dramatic stories we've ever heard about quitting a job

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Conventionally, people looking to leave their jobs give two weeks notice and then clear out.

However, sometimes workers are simply pushed to their breaking points.

Earlier this month, we asked readers to tell us the most dramatic way they'd ever quit a job.

From throwing heavy objects to filing lawsuits to simply walking out and never looking back, here are the best stories we heard.

Some answers have been edited for clarity.

SEE ALSO: We asked and you answered — here are 12 of the worst summer job stories we've ever heard

DON'T MISS: Tell us when you realized you needed to quit your job

'So I flipped over a stack of their stinking breadsticks'

"I flipped over a tray of breadsticks on a crowded line in a pizza restaurant during their Friday rush hour. I was told repeatedly to clean the breadstick trays, but they rebuked me in a way entirely incommensurate with my errors. So I flipped over a stack of their stinking breadsticks, removed my gloves, extended both middle fingers, and went home."— Alexander, New York



'I won it'

"I quit by filing a lawsuit against my employer. And I won it. Employer went bankrupt a month later due to it."— Anonymous



'The day I quit was an interesting one'

"I was working at [a sandwich chain] in the food court of our local mall. I was 16 years old with a great work ethic, and I didn't really have anything to lose. My manager started taking advantage of the position by placing all of his duties on me as he walked around the mall socializing for the majority of his shift.

"The day I quit, we were pretty busy. When we finally slowed down that day, I decided to take a break around two hours into my shift. I talked to a friend at the counter. My manager had finally arrived back from doing who knows what.

"He asked about how things were going and about the food prep. I told him we were getting on it soon and that we'd been busy. He then ordered me to cut some onions. Seeing the expression on my face, a newly hired employee jumped in and offered to do this. As she went to the back, I decided to continue the conversation with my classmate at the counter. A minute later, my manager made the same request — this time with more emphasis: 'Didn't I say to cut onions?'

"My aggravated response was, 'Didn't you hear the trainee say she'd do it?' The last thing I remember was his exact response: 'Boy, don't play with me.'

"At this moment I blanked out, said a few choice words I can't quite recall, stormed through the back, threw my apron across the counter, and made it known that the next and last time he'd see me was when I'd return to pick up my check."— Anonymous



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 of the most impressive people to attend Columbia Law School

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One of the oldest law schools in the country, Columbia Law School prepares its students to perform at the highest levels in the legal world. 

The institution holds an impressive share of Supreme Court justices, federal judges, attorneys general, renowned civil rights activists, and even brilliant minds that moved beyond the field of law.

Business Insider recently released its ranking of the 50 best law schools in the country, in which Columbia Law placed in the top 10. 

Many Columbia Law students have gone on to achieve great things and lead the country, whether from the Oval Office or the bench. 

Read on to check out 8 of the most impressive people who attended Columbia Law.

 

SEE ALSO: The 24 smartest law schools in the US

DON'T MISS: The 25 best private law schools in America

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1932 to 1945. Hailing from a very wealthy New York family, he grew up traveling extensively throughout Europe and receiving a top-notch primary education with private tutors.

After attending the elite Groton School and later completing his undergraduate studies at Harvard, Roosevelt attended Columbia Law School from 1904 to 1907, dropping out after preemptively passing the New York bar (he was awarded a posthumous JD in 2008). 

During his presidency, Roosevelt lead the country through the Great Depression with his reform program, the New Deal, that aimed to alleviate unemployment and stimulate economic growth.



Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been pushing the boundaries of the legal world since 1956, when she enrolled in Harvard Law School as one of nine women in a class of 500. She later transferred to Columbia Law School, graduating in 1959.

Ginsburg was the second woman to become a Supreme Court justice, where she still serves today. In 1993, she was officially appointed by President Bill Clinton after a long legal and academic career in which she fought voraciously against gender discrimination in the workplace and society.

Ginsburg taught at Columbia Law for eight years, becoming the first tenured female professor. Her daughter, Jane, currently teaches at Columbia Law School.



Theodore Roosevelt

Characterized by his staunch views and rigid ambition, Teddy Roosevelt served as the 26th and youngest president of the United States after President McKinley was assassinated in 1901.

Roosevelt, like his distant cousin Franklin, attended Harvard for his undergraduate degree and then enrolled in Columbia Law School—and again, like his cousin, dropped out before receiving his degree, in order to run for a local office (he too was awarded a posthumous JD in 2008).

Born with debilitating asthma, Roosevelt pursued intense exercise and health. He later became a prominent naturalist and wrote over 40 published books and hundreds of articles.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What 2,000 calories looks like at every major fast-food chain

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The Food and Drug Administration recommends an average daily intake of 2,000 calories. 

Healthier, more transparent practices are making their way into the fast-food industry, yet simple awareness isn't always effective.

The Upshot took pictures of 2,000 calories' worth of restaurant food in 2014.

We decided to do our own version and visit 13 fast-food chains to discover what ordering 2,000 calories looks like — it's shockingly easy.

While many of these arrangements look like single meals, each one would be all you are recommended to eat in an entire day.

Marina Nazario contributed to this story. 

SEE ALSO: Surprising fast-food items that contain a shocking amount of hidden sug

Starbucks

Venti white-chocolate mocha, sausage and cheddar classic breakfast sandwich, dark cherry Greek yogurtsalted caramel cake pop, coffee cake. Total calories: 2,030.



McDonald's

Bacon clubhouse crispy-chicken sandwich, large fries, mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce, Oreo McFlurry. Total calories: 2,010.



Panera Bread

New England clam-chowder bread bowl, chips, chocolate-chip cookie, bottled lemonade. Total calories: 2,160.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 signs your hobby is benefitting your career

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Today, "get a hobby" is usually a rude thing to say. It's typically meant to signify that you've got too much time on your hands.

But as it turns out, it's pretty good advice.

You should get a hobby. Committing time to an activity that makes you happy can do wonders for your life — not to mention your work performance. Hobbies are good for you.

Here are six signs that your hobby is paying off big time:

SEE ALSO: What Hiring Managers Really Want To Know When They Ask, ‘What Are Your Hobbies?’

Your hobby helps you structure your time

Writing for Psychology Today, Dr. Jaime Kurtz notes that hobbies force you to spend your time wisely.

"... Unscheduled, you might find yourself laboring over that work project or answering emails into the wee hours. Chances are, if you had choir practice or a book club meeting that night, you would get those tasks done much more quickly. So, hobbies can seem to create more time by encouraging efficiency."

Try taking on a hobby to see if it boosts your time management skills. As the Harvard Business Review previously reported, conventional time management solutions have become increasingly less effective. Scheduling time for your hobby might be a surefire way of avoiding distractions both at work and after hours.



Your hobby balances you

We live in a busy world. So many people feel too busy to take on anything other than work and personal relationships. However, it's good to balance your life. Hobbies provide you with pride independent of the ups-and-downs that define your career and your interactions with loved ones.

As early as 1676, English jurist Sir Matthew Hale wrote in "Contemplations Moral and Divine": "Almost every person hath some hobby horse or other wherein he prides himself."

Citing a Bain & Co. study of MBA students, The Boston Globe reported that work-life balance is an increasingly important issue to workers, despite the fact that businesses have been slow to catch on to the trend.

By taking on a hobby, you can begin to prioritize your own work-life balance and capture this sense of contentment.



It allows you to pursue your passion — realistically

The platitude "follow your dreams" is typically a lot of fluffy nonsense. Most of our "dreams" are pretty impractical. For most people, it's far better to get a decent job doing something you really like and are good at than to set off on a quest to find your "calling." Perfect is the enemy of good, and all that.

However, that doesn't mean you need to give up on your other pursuits entirely. You can make time to sculpt, do stand up, or crochet after hours. If you fiercely guard that hobby time, you'll find that you're able to continue to pursue your passion in life, even if it's not your main career. Who knows — you might eventually get so good at your side hustle that it will eventually become your full-time job!

Rather than becoming disillusioned with your full-time job because it's not quite your one true passion, you'll be able to continue pursuing your dream without going bankrupt and ruining your life.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Incredible color photos show how Americans prepared for World War II on the home front

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US home front World War II parade children

By the early 1940s, World War II was in full swing, with battles raging around the planet. The US, however, was largely spared the effects of the global conflagration.

But that doesn't mean the war didn't affect Americans on the home front.

Nationwide, workers and civilians mobilized for the war effort, getting jobs in factories, raising money through war bonds, and showing their patriotism and support in front yards and main streets all across the country.

The colorized photos below, taken between 1942 and 1943 and compiled by the Library of Congress, depict life in the US during World War II and show how Americans at home contributed to winning one of the largest and most destructive wars in modern history.

SEE ALSO: Gorgeous color photos from the Great Depression show life in one of America's darkest times

A combat crew receives final instructions just before taking off in a YB-17 bomber from a bombardment-squadron base at Langley Field, Virginia, May 1942.



A woman aircraft worker at Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California, shown checking electrical assemblies in June 1942.



A woman working on an airplane motor at a North American Aviation Inc. plant in California, June 1942.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

After 4 years taking advantage of NYC restaurant week, here are my 7 best tips to get more out of it

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I found out about New York City Restaurant Week when I was a sophomore in college. I was living in the city and my roommate and I decided to give it a try. 

NYC Restaurant Week happens twice a year; during the winter and the summer. This year, from July 25-August 19 (not technically a week), over 350 restaurants offer pre-fixe menus — $29 for lunch; $42 for dinner. The promotion allows diners to experience fine dining at a discounted price. 

As a college student and self-proclaimed foodie, I was excited by the prospect of experiencing upscale restaurants while not completely breaking the bank. 

Four years later and I treat restaurant week like it's a holiday. I've become so accustomed that I know exactly when it's happening and make plans in advance so I don't miss it. I went from dining at one or two restaurants to having a total of six reservations for NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2016.

I'd be lying if I said all of my restaurant week experiences were great. There have been instances were I've paid way more than expected or the food was not up to par. But there's a reason I never miss it.

Here are my tips for making the most of NYC Restaurant Week.

SEE ALSO: I've lived in New York City for 22 years, and here are my favorite places to eat for less than $20

Book reservations in advance

While reservations aren't needed, the more popular places book up quick. I suggest booking in advance — reservations open two weeks before it starts. If you sign up for the NYCgo.com newsletter, you will be alerted to the date reservations open. 



Score points on OpenTable

Calling to make a reservation is fine, but if you plan to become a restaurant week regular, I suggest starting an OpenTable account.

Not only do all the restaurants take reservations through the website, but you score 100 points for each restaurant where you dine. Once you hit 5,000 or 10,000 points, you can claim a $50 or $100 gift certificate. 



Watch out for supplement pricing

NYCgo has the majority of the restaurant week menus on the site. Check for supplement pricing — when restaurants tack a few extra dollars on the bill for a certain dish — because you can end up spending a lot more than anticipated.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's what 4 top Olympians eat to fuel up for the games

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To perform at the absolute top of your game, training isn't enough.

Athletes also need to eat in order to get the nutrients they need to be the strongest or fastest they can possibly be.

There's no "one best diet" for athletes either — many eat in a variety of different ways.

Here's what some of the stars of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio have been eating to fuel their training.

MORE: Bristol-Myers shares are bombing after a failed study — and its biggest rival is surging

UP NEXT: A photographer swam with sharks for 10 years to capture these stunning photos







See the rest of the story at Business Insider

20 energizing snacks you can eat at your desk that are better than coffee

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I love a cup of coffee in the morning to start my day. However, a lot of times I feel like I need a second cup of coffee by the afternoon, but I don’t want to have that much coffee in one day. Instead, I love snacking on foods that are not only tasty, but that also give me some energy to survive the day. If you need more energy in the afternoon just like I do but don’t want to reach for another cup of coffee, here are some great snacks that pack a punch to keep you moving.

1. Banana with a Tablespoon of Nut Butter

Banana and nut butter are not only great together, but are also one of my favorite combos, because, well, peanut butter is heavenly in my eyes. Also, the sugar in the banana takes longer to metabolize, which gives you long-lasting energy instead of a sugar rush. The protein in the nut butter will provide you with long-lasting energy as well.



2. Whole Grain Crackers with a Tablespoon of Hummus

The complex carbs in whole grains will provide you with long-lasting energy, while the hummus will help fight off hunger. Thus, this snack is great for fighting that weak, tired feeling you get when you are hungry. You can be creative too and try some international hummus recipes you might never of had before to spice up your snack life.



3. Plain, Non-Fat Yogurt with Granola

This is a protein-packed snack, which will help boost your energy levels for the rest of the day. Just be careful, as some granola brands are high in sugar. I recommend that instead of buying granola to try making this healthy recipe for a great snack.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 interview questions you should never answer directly

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You may think a question about whether or not you have kids is totally innocuous small talk, but it's one of many questions best left unanswered during a job interview.

While very few specific interview questions are by themselves illegal to ask, Laura Davis, an associate professor with the Department of Finance and Legal Studies at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, explains in the Journal of Employment and Labor Law that some questions may be used as evidence of discrimination and, so, are ill-advised for interviewers to ask.

"Since it is reasonable to assume that all questions in an interview are asked for some purpose and that hiring decisions are made on the basis of the answers given, any question asked during the interview can be used as circumstantial evidence of a prohibited discriminatory motive," she says.

In the US, certain personal characteristics are part of a protected class and can't be targeted for discrimination thanks to certain federal or state antidiscrimination laws.

"Even without any intentional ill will, employers who have knowledge concerning the protected class status of applicants may make biased assumptions about their capabilities or work habits," Davis says.

That's why, to protect against claims of discrimination, hiring managers are frequently advised to steer clear of asking certain questions altogether and stick to questions that focus on the specific criteria needed for a candidate to perform the job.

Unfortunately, not all hiring managers are informed about discrimination laws. So a good rule of thumb for job candidates, then, is to sidestep any questions that are blatantly irrelevant to the role you're interviewing for and specifically to avoid answering the following questions directly:

SEE ALSO: A Salesforce exec who hires more than 8,000 people a year shares one question she asks every job candidate

DON'T MISS: Here's what Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and 28 other successful people ask job candidates during interviews

'What does your spouse do?'

This question may seem like harmless small talk, but it's not as innocuous as you might think.

Some states, like New York, explicitly ban employers from discriminating against applicants based on their marital status.

And while Title VII, the portion of the federal Civil Rights Act that prohibits employment discrimination, does not bar employers from asking for information relating to protected-class status, it does ban discriminatory employment decisions made on the basis of this information.

Because of this, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) — which brings lawsuits against employers on behalf of workers — advises employers against asking about marital status because these questions are often used to discriminate against female employees (and discriminating against women is illegal).

Other questions that could be used to discriminate that you should avoid answering include:

"Are you married?"

"Do you plan to get married?"

"What's your spouse's name?"



'Are you pregnant?'

According to the EEOC, questions about the number of kids someone has are also frequently used to discriminate against female employees, which is illegal.

That's why it's inadvisable to answer other questions like:

"How many kids do you have?"

"How old are your kids?"

"Do you plan to have kids?"

"What are your child-care arrangements?"



'Do you have a disability that would interfere with your ability to perform the job?'

While this may seem like a pertinent question, the American Disabilities Act bars employers from asking interview questions that are likely to reveal the existence of a disability before making a job offer.

Other questions along these lines that you should avoid answering before you're offered a job could include:

"Do you have a heart condition?"

"Do you have asthma or any other difficulties breathing?"

"How many days were you sick last year?"

"Have you ever filed for workers' compensation? Have you ever been injured on the job?"

"Have you ever been treated for mental-health problems?"

"What prescription drugs are you currently taking?"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 awesome and weird iPhone accessories you probably need

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Light KeyboardAs smartphones have become more ubiquitous, the number of things they can actually do has expanded.

There's a whole industry devoted to making add-ons for the computer in your pocket, and while a good chunk of them aren't exactly necessary for day-to-day life, they're often fun and creative enough to be worth it for the right niche of people.

No one device gets more of these weird little add-ons than the iPhone, so here are a few accessories for Apple's flagship device that we enjoy, even if they aren't totally practical.

SEE ALSO: Bose’s latest Bluetooth headphones are one of the most well-rounded pairs you can buy

SEE ALSO: Amazon has slashed the prices of its newest Echo smart speaker and Kindle e-readers

External camera flash

If you find the flash of the current iPhone camera to be subpar, Concepter wants to help with the iBlazr 2. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth and integrates right into the default camera app on iOS — all you have to do is point and shoot.

You can adjust the iBlazr 2's light temperature and power on the device itself, and activate the flash by double tapping its back. Its creators say the light created by the iBlazr 2 is comparable to a "small but powerful flashlight." So while you shouldn't expect the same results you'd get in broad daylight, the iBlazr 2 will provide significantly more light than the standard iPhone camera's flash.

Concepter iBlazr 2 LED Wireless Flash, $59.95, available at Amazon.



Attachable shutter button

If you're looking for a way to protect your phone and bring back memories from your old point-and-shoot camera days, consider the SNAP! PRO by bitplay. The case is made out of shock-absorbing material to help your iPhone from the perils of the laws of physics, and the physical shutter button works with the default camera app. The SNAP! PRO also has a grip, which should help cut down on your number of blurry photos.

bitplay SNAP!Pro, $53.10, available at Amazon.

 

 



Attachable camera lens

Speaking of interchangeable lenses, Loha Life's solution lets you take macro and wide-angle shots on the go with a level of detail that the iPhone's default shooter can't quite match. This is a newer entry in the add-on market, but it's got stellar reviews on Amazon, it comes with a lifetime warranty, and it works with Android phones too. 

LOHA Premium Camera Lens, $26.99, available at Amazon.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 10 Olympic athlete diets all include peanut butter — here's why

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Simone Biles

There's reason to believe that the road to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is paved with peanut butter. Why? Lots of U.S. Olympic athletes say in interviews that they look to America's favorite nut butter when it comes to easy breakfast or snack time. 

Below, check out how 10 Olympic athletes like to enjoy their PB. Whether on the end piece of a bread loaf, on apples, in a smoothie, or mixed into cookie dough, there's no end to these athletes' creativity. 

SEE ALSO: Here's what legendary sprinter Usain Bolt eats every day for the Rio Olympics

Simone Biles

Sport: Gymnastics 
Steal her snack: Peanut butter and banana

Queen of the gymnastics floor routine, Biles is a petite powerhouse who gets her mojo from PB. In interview with Women's Health, she said she snacks on peanut butter and banana before her workouts, because "bananas have potassium, which helps with muscle cramps." She's so serious about PB, she even tweeted about it back in 2014, saying, "if you're allergic to peanut butter I feel sad for you." Preach, girl. 



Ryan Lochte

Sport: Swimming
Steal his snack: Peanut butter KIND bars

So maybe Lochte likes peanut butter in energy bar form. So what? The decorated swimmer consumes seven to 8,000 calories a day and he chooses to peanut butter bars into the temple that is his body, Lochte told Bon Appetit.He said has a full meal before races but always keeps a KIND peanut butter bar in his bag in case hunger strikes.



Aly Raisman

Sport: Gymanstics
Steal her snack: Open-faced whole wheat toast with peanut butter and jam

Raisman is atwo-time Olympic team captain for the U.S. women's gymnastics team, and she gets down with PB on the reg. Give her the end pieces on a loaf of whole wheat bread — she likes the texture, InStyle reported. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

19 signs you're a functioning adult — even if it doesn't feel like it

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If you're waiting for a certificate from the government that says, "Congratulations: You are officially an adult," we are sorry to tell you that you will be waiting forever.

But fear not! There are plenty of ways to know if you're a real, live adult — beyond the fact that you've stopped growing and found a gray hair on your head. 

We've rounded up 19 non-obvious signs that you're no longer a kid, based on the Quora thread "What are some of the most useful skills to know?" as well as scientific research and expert opinion.

We can't promise we've outlined every sign that you've made the Great Transition, but if you've mastered most of these skills, you definitely deserve that certificate.

SEE ALSO: 10 life skills every young professional should have

1. You accept feedback gracefully

Remember when your teacher would comment on your report card, "Dan frequently calls out in class," or "Sally has difficulty sharing with classmates," and you'd read it and have the urge to shout back, "DO NOT"?

If you've managed to curb that impulse, good job! Because if you haven't, and you're in a performance review with your boss, you just might get fired.

"For most of us it is hard to hear how we made a mistake or could have done something better,"writes Quora user Pedram Keyani.

"An amazing skill (which you can learn through practice) is to set aside your emotional response in the moment and focus on the information presented to you. Some of it will be valid and some of it invalid but let your brain decide that, not your ego."

Depending on what kind of feedback you're receiving, there are different strategies for responding with a cool head. For example, if your boss points out what she thinks is an error and you're not sure she's correct, you can say, "I hadn't thought of that, and I'm going to look into it right away."



2. You apologize sincerely

Owning up to your mistakes — without getting defensive — can be a sign of maturity.

The apology you give "needs to be sincere, not qualified, not quantified, and also needs to outline how X will not happen again,"Keyani says.

According to one CEO, there's a six-step strategy for successfully saying you're sorry:

1. Act quickly.

2. Apologize in person.

3. Explain what happened.

4. Show how you are going to avoid the problem in the future.

5. Apologize.

6. Make restitution.

Keyani gives an example of what you might say if you were tardy for an appointment:

I'm sorry I was late for the meeting. It must have been frustrating because you spent a lot of time preparing and got up early. I did a poor job accounting for traffic and didn't give myself enough buffer. That is my bad and I'm going to give myself an extra 10 minutes instead of five moving forward.



3. You manage your time wisely

There will probably never be a time in your life when you aren't juggling multiple personal and professional priorities. Adulthood is about accepting that, and learning to cope with the burden through prioritization.

Perhaps the most important time-management lesson is that you should stick with one task at a time. Research suggests that multitasking is generally counterproductive because the brain expends energy as it readjusts its focus from one activity to another.

You'd be wise, too, to limit the hours you spend working. Decades ago, Henry Ford discovered that productivity started to decline after employees logged more than 40 hours per week. Other research suggests that, after three weeks, 60-hour workweeks become less productive.



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13 skills that are hard to learn but will pay off forever

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The best things in life may be free, but that doesn't mean they won't take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire.

That's especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills.

To ascertain which talents are worth the investment, one Quora reader posed the question: "What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn?"

We've highlighted our favorite takeaways, as well as a few other skills we thought were important.

SEE ALSO: 15 things successful 20-somethings do in their spare time

DON'T MISS: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

Mastering your sleep

There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it's often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights.

Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.



Empathy

"You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don't care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath," writes Kamia Taylor.

Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business.

"Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit — esprit d'corps — motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck," she writes.



Time management

Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it's important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains. 

"The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan," she writes. "Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I'm really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date."



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7 mental tricks US Olympic athletes use to perform under pressure

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When you're competing against the best athletes in the world, everyone's in great shape, having spent years crafting the perfect physique to perform at the top of their game.

But physical prowess will only get you so far. Many Olympians will tell you that success is also a product of their mindset and of their ability to not get intimidated by their opponents and crumble under pressure.

Everyone uses a different strategy. Business Insider combed through recent interviews with members of Team USA and highlighted the psychological tactics they find most effective.

The best part? Anyone can use modified versions of these tricks, whether they're trying to stay calm during a tough meeting or pumping themselves up before giving a presentation.

Read on for insight into the minds of legends.

SEE ALSO: 13 things mentally strong people don't do

Allyson Felix tunes out distractions.

The 30-year-old track-and-field star told Sports Illustrated:

"When I am walking out to the blocks, I'm just extremely focused. I'll see all the cameras flashing and I'll just be, like, unaware of it all. I don't hear any noise around me. I'm completely just dialed in to what I have to do."



Michael Phelps visualizes a plan for every scenario.

2016 marks Phelps' fifth Olympics. In 2012, he and his longtime coach, Bob Bowman, spoke to The Washington Post about Phelps' mental preparation.

"He will see exactly the perfect race. And he will see it like he's sitting in the stands, and he'll see it like he's in the water," Bowman said. "And then he will go through scenarios: What if things don't go well?"

"If my suit ripped or if my goggles broke, you know, what would I do?" Phelps said.

"So he has all of this in his database, so that when he swims the race he's already programmed his nervous system to do one of those," Bowman said. "And he'll just pick the one that happens to come up."



Lexi Thompson calms herself with happy thoughts.

Thompson, 21, was the youngest golfer to play in the US Women's Open at age 12. In an interview with ESPN, she said she's been working with a life coach who has helped her boost her mental game while performing:

"When [my life coach and I] get together, he'll hook me up to a monitor to measure my relaxation. If I think about something that gets me hyped, my heartbeat shoots up. When it starts to spike, he has me take a deep breath and think about something that makes me happy.

"I'll think positive thoughts like 'You're blessed' or 'You're talented,' and instantly see changes in my heartbeat.

"I put this breathing technique into my routine out on the golf course. Before I hit a shot, I'll visualize the shot I want to hit to get rid of all negative thoughts. I have to maintain a positive mindset because golf is 80 percent mental."



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A beginner's guide to being a rabble-rousing, corporate-raiding, CEO's-worst-nightmare hedge fund manager

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Bud Fox Wall Street Trader

Imagine walking into a boardroom, introducing yourself to the chairman — perhaps opening with an insult or a threat to make things very uncomfortable for the entire board — and then saying "time to do things my way."

Oh, but while you're doing this, you're neither a controlling shareholder, founder, or even an executive at the business.

You're an activist — that breed of investor that doesn't sit quietly while things go their way, or don't.

Activist investors usually build up stakes in companies they think are undervalued and then demand changes that they think will work in their favor.

They call it "maximizing shareholder value," but this is another way of telling a company to do its darnedest to make investors wealthier: fire employees, break off businesses, sell the entire thing to a rival, or just spend more money buying back shares.

If you're any good as an activist, you'll become very wealthy. Hedge fund investors will flock to you. And when you're really good, you'll be able to just manage your own money, meaning you're not accountable to anyone. And the media will obsess over your every utterance.

Sound good? Well, to help any burgeoning activists out there, we've put together a primer to become a successful activist. If you're willing to accept the time sink, cost, and possibility of massive, public failure, then scroll down and find out what it takes to be a rabble-rousing, nightmare-inducing, shareholder-rallying activist investor.

Before you get started, here are a few terms you need to know.

The world of activism is one of the most colorful in investing. It’s full of not only big names and even bigger money, but also some of the most colorful language in the market lexicon.

Here are a few of the essential terms you need to know, and some of the most out-of-the-box:

Proxy fight: The ultimate endgame of an activist campaign. This is the fight for shareholder votes at the company's annual meeting, and a chance to make a big change in one fell swoop.

Bear hug: An offer to acquire a company, meant to force the company to either put itself on the auction block or respond to your private approaches. These are usually leaked with the effect of adding pressure on a company's board.

Poison pill: A way for a company to make it impossible for an activist to acquire enough of a stake to get anything done. The poison pill lets the company issue new stock to shareholders to keep the activist's stake small.

Bedbug letter: Basically the equivalent of taking a schoolyard fight to the teacher. A letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission during a proxy fight that complains the other side is using misleading information — which breaks the rules and can lead to disqualification of the proposal.

Wolf-pack: Piling into another activist's campaign on the investor's side but without coordinating with the other fund.

Greenmail: Basically paying the activist to go away, usually by buying up the fund's stake at a nice premium. It was once more common, but isn't considered very kosher these days.



Start by toughening up.

In theory: Activist investing is a very public exercise. If you're going to pressure a board of directors into making big changes, you need to be able to get its attention. Of course, with that publicity comes the public's scorn.

Get something wrong or lose some money, and you'll hear about it in the press for years.

In practice: One great way to know what you'll face is to learn the ropes from another activist. Almost every notable activist has come off the tree of a former great. Keith Meister of Corvex Management learned from Carl Icahn; Scott Ferguson of Sachem Head learned from Bill Ackman; Rehan Jaffer of H Partners learned from Dan Loeb.



Find an idea ...

In theory: Activist investors are actually just very noisy value investors. They start by finding a company that they think is worth more than the stock market is giving it credit for — and then they take matters into their own hands by pressuring a company to shake things up with a breakup or sale or change of leadership.

Activists usually look for a few things — efficient and productive use of capital, proper management incentives, and a strong focus on the business, measures such as return on invested capital, and use of capital for shareholder-friendly practices such as buybacks — to determine where there's room for improvement.

In practice: Ideas can even come from other activists. After Ackman announced a short of Herbalife, calling it a pyramid scheme, Icahn decided to go long on the company, leading to one of the most intense exchanges in investing history.

As investors have poured into the activist game, it is getting harder for fund managers to find unique targets. Often, fund managers wind up in the same investment as other funds, and sometimes they don't agree on a prescription.



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12 celebrities who are showing off their lavishly awesome summer vacations

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olivia munn

It's that time of year when people fly as far away as they can and snap photos to make their friends jealous.

But celebrities do this a little better than everyone else. And the ones who are active on Instagram are not shy about documenting their experiences.

Here are the top celebrities on Instagram right now who are giving followers a glimpse into how they're living their best lives on vacation in summer 2016, from Jessica Alba and Britney Spears in Hawaii to Lupita Nyong'o in Bali:

It's hard to forget when Taylor Swift threw a July 4 bash at her seaside Rhode Island mansion, since her famous friends — such as Karlie Kloss, here with Swift — saturated social media with photos documenting it.

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It was a big group with Blake Lively.

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Of course, Beyoncé couldn't be left out of the action.

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Every character in 'Suicide Squad,' ranked

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It’s time to finally see “Suicide Squad,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. But we have to warn you, there are a lot of characters to digest.

From some that show up for what seems like seconds, to others that are on-screen for way too long, and one we wish we could have seen more (we’re talking to you, Panda Man), the latest DC Comics movie throws a lot at you in two hours (don't get us started with all the music queues).

Here we break down all the characters and rank them from worst to best.

Mild spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: Here's the biggest problem with "Suicide Squad," and how it could've been fixed

21. Slipknot (Adam Beach)

With one of the most distasteful introductions in movie history as he walks out of an SUV and immediately decks a female guard with a right hook, there's really nothing else memorable from the guy who can climb anything. Might have been best to leave him on the cutting-room floor.



20. Enchantress (Cara Delevingne)

The evil witch who likes to shake her hips is the cause of all the trouble in the movie. But played by an actress who is still learning her craft, the character feels forced.



19. The Flash (Ezra Miller)

One of the last-second additions to the movie, The Flash literally says one line and, like his power, is gone. Just teasing us for Erza Miller coming in "Justice League." 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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