Carene Kunkler is a Cincinnati, Ohio, professional who has developed compelling brand strategies across a diversity of beauty and cosmetics products through the years. In the late 1980s, Carene Kunkler was part of a team that drove robust sales growth in the recently launched P&G brand Pert Plus.
Introduced in 1980 simply as Pert, the shampoo was reformulated in 1987 into a pioneering 2-in-1 product that combined shampoo and conditioner. This approach proved wildly successful, with a former “problem brand” benefitting from a $20 million advertising campaign introducing the product to a new generation of consumers. The brand successfully appealed to active men and women on the go who wanted clean and conditioned hair with a minimum of time wasted.
By 1989, Pert Plus had moved ahead of its P&G counterpart Head & Shoulders, which held a 9.5 Percent market share to take the top spot at 12 percent of the shampoo market. This rise to the top was attributed to a positive Consumer News article that lauded a new dandruff control version of Pert Plus that promised to expand market share further.
Carene Kunkler is a marketing expert with over two decades of experience. She has an MBA in marketing from Michigan State University, where she was the marketing club’s president. The chairwoman of her church’s finance committee, Carene Kunkler enjoys doing yoga, skiing, and watching women’s professional golf in her free time.
Although more and more women are beginning to participate in golf, it is still a predominantly male sport. In America, only 25 percent of golfers are women, causing women’s professional golf to be significantly less popular than men’s. Here are three facts about women’s golf:
Queen Mary I of Scotland (1542-1567) is regarded as the first woman to play golf. Having learned the game in France, she was sent from a very young age and brought it back to Scotland later in life. The first golf course in Scotland, St. Andrews Links, was commissioned by her. She is also credited with coining the term ‘caddie’ from the French word ‘cadet’ she called her assistants. In golf, a caddie carries the player’s bag and gives support.
Minigolf was initially designed for women. It is a smaller offshoot of golf that focuses on just the putting aspect of the game. Because it was considered inappropriate for women to swing the club past their shoulders, a miniature version of the game was designed by the Ladies’ Putting Club of St. Andrews in 1867. Today it is played by both women and men all over the world.
The first woman to challenge a man in a professional tournament was the American golfer Babe Zaharias. Regarded as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, she helped to found the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1958.
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Carene Kunkler focuses her marketing and brand management efforts on the cosmetics and beauty sphere. Passionate about skiing, Carene Kunkler has been able to take to the slopes since successfully undergoing knee replacement surgery on both knees.
When it comes to minimizing the impact of skiing on the knees, several stretches and workouts can help. Start with squats, sit-ups, and the types of strength-building exercises that help develop the core, as well as leg muscles. Be aware that tight muscles are more prone to being pulled and injured, and try incorporating regular stretching into your routine.
Balance and proprioception (the ability of the body to perceive its location in space) are essential skiing skills. A balance board or one-leg balance exercises can help hone these attributes. Try incorporating other moves, such as lunges, arm circles, and groin stretches, into an integrated pre-ski warm-up.
Also, remember to suit with ski boots and bindings precisely the right size, snug, and yet comfortable. Make sure that poles and skis are proportionate to your height, and always use proper form on the slopes. Key tips include going with the flow instead of trying to arrest a fall and keeping the knees flexed until the motion stops. Also, remember to tuck your body inward whenever sliding downhill, protect the limbs and keep them as close to the core as possible.
Based in Ohio, Carene Kunkler has an extensive background in marketing and brand management in the cosmetics and beauty segment. An avid golfer, Carene Kunkler enjoys watching women’s professional golf events in her free time.
A 2022 Golf Digest article explores ways top athletes have found to consistently win on the PGA and LPGA Tours. For many years, Bobby Locke’s adage “Drive for show and putt for dough” was considered to be common wisdom, with athletes placing an emphasis on close-range games on the greens.
PGA Tour results over the past several years have diverged from this, with the long game now the major differentiator in men’s tournament achievement. As a result, an increasing number of golfers now place an emphasis on lengthening their range. More than half of PGA players attained average drives of 300-plus yards off the tee over the course of the season.
The LPGA doesn’t seem to support this new trend, however, with data revealing that “greens in regulation” (GIR) (and the related putts per GIR metric) is more significantly correlated with tour victory than either driving or putting. This reflects the importance of being able to consistently and accurately place the ball on the green.
Reflecting this, in all but two of the past 10 seasons, the year’s GIR percentage leader also earned one or more victories in that LPGA season. Players who have topped the GIR stat list in recent years include Ally Ewing, Sei Young Kim, Lexi Thompson, and Anna Nordqvist.
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Carene Kunkler possesses experience in marketing and business management. In addition to her work, Carene Kunkler enjoys following professional and amateur women’s golf.
One popular amateur golf tournament is the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) Championship. The tournament debuted in 2019 and is held annually at Augusta National Golf Club and Champions Retreat Golf Course in Evans, Georgia.
The ANWA is a 54-hole stroke play tournament comprised of three traditional 18-hole rounds. In traditional tournaments with multiple rounds, stroke play means each player’s strokes accumulate throughout each round for a total score.
The ANWA championship features 72 international players. The final round of play is cut to the top 30 players. The ANWA winner is automatically invited to several other amateur tournaments, including the U.S. Women’s Open, the British Women’s Open, and the PGA of America. The ANWA takes place the week before the prestigious Masters Tournament each year.
Alumni of Michigan State University, Carene Kunkler worked as the Vice President of Product Supply at LensCrafters in Cincinnati, Ohio. She oversaw bringing product innovation to the test market and then national expansion while at the organization. Carene Kunkler also enjoys watching women’s professional golf and cheering on the Michigan State basketball team.
Basketball is a team sport comprising five players, each playing different but vital positions. One of the key positions is the shooting guard position, also known as two or two-guard.
Shooting guards, often the shortest player on the team, are responsible for a myriad of actions while on the field. For instance, the team’s best outside shooter is typically responsible for shooting the ball from beyond the three-point line.
Further, in defensive plays, the shooting guard is expected to effectively guard opposing players while collecting rebounds of opposing shots, especially those that spring toward the outside perimeter. They are often tasked with preventing the opposing team’s best player from getting the ball.
Additionally, shooting guards help set up offensive plays while driving the ball down the court, handling the ball when the point guard cannot. They are required to control the flow of the game by directing the offense, handling the ball, and passing it off to the appropriate player.
Carene Kunkler, chairwoman of the Church Finance Committee, worked as the Vice President of product supply at Lens Crafters in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a time. She increased sales and profits while also developing key branded lens products. In 2003, she was named Optical Woman of the Year. Away from work, Carene Kunkler enjoys watching women’s professional golf, skiing, and practicing yoga.
Yoga is a spiritual practice that emphasizes mental and physical health through breath control, meditation, and body posture. The practice has grown in popularity over the years and is now considered one of the most popular forms of exercise worldwide. In the United States, it is practiced by over 34 million people because of its numerous physical benefits, such as increased flexibility and strength.
Hot Yoga is a popular yoga practice that is effective at increasing flexibility. As the name suggests, hot Yoga is typically practiced in temperatures ranging from 29.5 to 40.5 degrees Celsius. This high temperature increases blood flow to the muscles, making them more elastic and improving physical performance. Hot yoga styles include Bikram, Forrest, and Baptiste.
Additionally, Yin yoga, a slower variation of Yoga, is a yoga practice that enhances flexibility. This type of Yoga requires practitioners to hold poses for three to five minutes to achieve a deep stretch in the connective tissues. These postures loosen the muscles while stretching the body.
An accomplished marketing leader with an MBA from Michigan State University, Carene Kunkler handled brand management for Procter & Gamble from 1979 to 1987. While serving as brand manager for Pert shampoo, Carene Kunkler oversaw branding and marketing for Pert Plus.
Hair care product companies began developing single-bottle shampoo and conditioner combinations in the 1970s. However, these early “2-in-1” formulas did little to condition hair. They may have aided in combing wet hair, but their benefits disappeared as soon as hair dried.
Procter & Gamble solved this problem in 1987 under the brand name Pert Plus. By trading the long-chain cationic polymers of early 2-in-1 products for a silicone conditioning agent that provided lasting moisturizing and detangling properties, it delivered lasting moisturizing and detangling properties.
The widespread success of this silicone-based formula is well-documented. Not only did Pert Plus find remarkable success in the marketplace, but countless other hair care products have used and continue to use silicone agents for conditioning purposes.
Over the course of nine years as vice president of product supply with LensCrafters in Cincinnati, experienced executive leader Carene Kunkler effectively managed a wide range of operations at approximately 600 stores located throughout Canada and the United States. Carene Kunkler is an avid follower of women’s golf, particularly the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Anna Davis, just 16 years of age, won the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). She finished her championship round at Georgia Pines with a 3-under 69, capping off a relatively comfortable victory; the high school sophomore was the only golfer to finish the tournament under par, at -1. The 2022 event was just the third staging of the tournament, but Davis now ranks as the youngest winner of the ANWA.
Davis was two strokes behind leader Latanna Stone entering the final round, having played 36 holes. Davis produced the second-best score of the day, resulting in Stone starting the 18th hole tied with Davis. Stone, a junior at Louisiana State University, had an opportunity to send the event to a playoff, but her final putt missed left.
It was Davis’ first ANWA appearance. Following the victory, she advanced to No. 2 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Davis had previously won the 2021 Girls Junior PGA Championship and competed in the 2021 Junior Solheim Cup.
For a long time, men dominated the game of golf. However, things changed with the establishment of the Women’s Professional Golf Association (WPGA) and later the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Since then, many women have played golf professionally, with many enjoying long and illustrious careers. Two such women are JoAnne Carner and Nancy Lopez.
JoAnne Carner was born JoAnne Gunderson in Kirkland, Washington, in 1939. She had a decades-long career and numerous wins, including 43 on the LPGA Tour after becoming a member in 1970. She held the record for the most United States Golf Association (USGA) championship wins by a female, beginning with the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 1956, coming behind only male golfers Tiger Woods and Bob Jones.
Carner began playing golf at a young age and showed great talent, going on to play for Arizona State University. As an amateur, she won five U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships between 1957 and 1968, the 1969 LPGA Tour Burdine’s Invitational, and two U.S. Women’s Open Championships in 1971 and 1976. Her amateur status ended in 1970 when she joined the LPGA.
Even in her later years, Carner continues to compete in tournaments. In 2018 at the age of 79, she played at the maiden U.S. Women’s Senior Open, shooting her age in the tournament. She shot her age again in the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at the age of 82, making her the fifth golfer in USGA championship history to shoot their age more than once.
Fellow former professional golfer Nancy Lopez achieved similarly impressive feats during her career, winning 48 tournaments. Born in 1957 in Torrance, California, Lopez discovered her talent for golf at the age of 8 after being given a set of golf clubs from her father. Lopez won her first tournament, the California State Golf Championships, and the first of three New Mexico Women’s Amateurs at the ages of 9 and 12, respectively.
As an amateur, Lopez won the U.S. Girl’s Junior Championship in 1972 and 1974, came in second at the 1975 U.S. Women’s Open while in high school, and won the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championship in 1976 while at the University of Tulsa. In the same year, the university named her an all-American and the Female Athlete of the Year. In 1977, she joined the LPGA, won five consecutive tournaments the subsequent year and nine tournaments total, including her first LPGA Championship.
Lopez went on to win her second and third LPGA Championships in 1985 and 1989. In 1979, she won eight tournaments. In 1987, the LGPA inducted Lopez into its Hall of Fame, making her its youngest member. Lopez became a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, retiring that same year. Although Lopez no longer plays professionally, she sponsors tournaments, such as the Nancy Lopez Hospice Golf Classic.
Carner and Lopez helped boost the popularity of women’s golf. With their numerous wins and achievements, they have made their mark on the world of professional women’s golf and golf in general.
Many businesses, both small and big, have at one time or other been forced to reposition their brands. Brand repositioning means changing how a customer understands a product or company. Usually, this involves changes in the brand’s personality and promise. As part of the repositioning, changes are often made to the company’s marketing strategy in areas like product, place, price, and promotion.
An example of brand repositioning could be a brick-and-mortar bakery now extending its services to include catering and delivery. A hotel expanding by opening a motel chain or a video production company venturing into remote video production services are other examples of brand repositioning.
A number of factors may necessitate brand repositioning. It could, for instance, be due to unforeseen or external factors, such as changes in the market environment or changes in competition. For example, if you suddenly experience slow sales, you might want to consider brand repositioning. Similarly, if your industry has been disrupted by new technology or if you see a window to boost demand for your products, repositioning your brand may be a good option.
Spotify is a good example of a brand that repositioned itself. The company had to act fast in 2020 when its advertising revenue took a nosedive. In addition, Spotify had discovered that consumers were more interested in a personal experience. In response, the Swedish music company moved to a subscription service without ads and brought in customizable features based on customer feedback.
In the life of a brand, repositioning is common and should even be encouraged. However, having noted that, as you consider your pivot strategy, avoid veering too far from your original brand or product offerings. If you shift too quickly or are very radical, it could hurt you in the long run. It’s better to focus on the offerings you are good at or venture into closely related products. Make sure you continue to focus on your strongest products or offerings during the repositioning process.
Although repositioning can be instrumental to the long-term success of your brand, it can also be risky and nerve-racking. A good rule of thumb is to learn everything you possibly can. For example, know both your competition and audience and perhaps more significantly, know your own brand or offerings inside and out. Use the knowledge to identify what issues you want to address, chart where you want to go, and project how far you can go with the reposition efforts.
In a brand repositioning strategy, public perception is crucial, and here social listening is key. Track public mentions and conversations about your product, as this can give you insights into consumers’ views about your company. Are they consistent with your brand as you want it to be seen? If not, you can then seek to reposition your brand to direct the public perception.
It’s useful to share what inspired you to undertake the brand repositioning. Tell your story in a way that helps people relate to your product or brand to create the ground for success. Flood your social media channels, blogs, and website with your story, as well as the thought process that triggered your repositioning initiative. People may appreciate your transparency and possibly develop a stronger emotional bond with your company.
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed numerous industries, with many registering a drop in demand and sales. Others show promising growth opportunities. For example, from 2020 to 2024, the product-based sales training market is poised to expand by $4.21 billion. The sector is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 12 percent during that period. The marketing world is not any different and is changing fast. Below are several trends that are likely to continue shaping the brand and product marketing sector.
Brand and product marketing strategies are quickly evolving. Technology has not only changed the way people live, but how products are promoted and sold. Through advances in technology, audiences are constantly bombarded with promotional messages, ads, distractions, and much more. If a brand cannot stay abreast of the latest trends, it stands at risk of being left behind by the competition, or at the worst stagnating.
Today, consumers are extremely knowledgeable and they hold brands to high standards. This has made it increasingly difficult to grab consumer attention, and even more challenging to maintain that attention during the entire buyer journey. This makes it imperative for marketers to focus more on their brand than on product initiatives.
More than any time before, consumers are choosing brands whose marketing, values, and messaging go beyond the product. They are looking for brands that speak straight to the heart of the user. According to Marketing Evolution, brand identity and trustworthiness are considered to be major factors in buying decisions by 71 percent of consumers. This is a significant shift that has prompted marketers to reconsider their marketing priorities and focus more on brand equity strengthening.
Consumers are no longer just interested in competitive pricing and quality products, they want a genuine connection between the brand and their unique interests, needs, and lifestyle. What sets winning brands from the crowd is the ability to craft advertising that cuts through the clutter and truly resonates with and grabs the attention of the consumer. Today, given the complexity of the customer omnichannel journey, to hold or keep consumers engaged throughout their buying cycle it’s key to understand how customers develop an emotional association with a brand.
One way of engaging customers is through well-designed marketing videos. Today, this mode of marketing is recognized as one of the most effective. This is because the human brain is wired to prefer videos over text content. People are attracted to color and movement. By 2022, it is projected that over 82 percent of all online consumer traffic will be video content, 15 times higher than in 2017.
According to Forbes, 91 percent of consumers prefer watching visual and interactive content to reading product information in written form. Additionally, 85 percent are more likely to make a purchase after watching a video on a given product or service. Live videos on leading social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are known to attract many viewers who also interact with products and brands through comments and questions.
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in product and brand marketing is growing. AI can help track user behavior trends, run automated ads, predict sales, and provide superior and timely customer support through chatbots. AI-based chatbots bridge the gap between marketing and customer support to make a brand more interactive, accessible, and personalized.
Brands must take note of the growing role of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in marketing. In 2021, according to Hubspot, 35 percent of marketers were leveraging VR and AR in their strategies, with 42 percent signaling their intention to increase investments in the sector in 2022. Virtual reality involves viewing a lifelike computer-generated scenario, while AR is viewing the real world enhanced with visual additions.
Skiing is a popular activity in the United States. Some of the most common types of skiing are freestyle skiing, alpine touring, backcountry skiing, and ski mountaineering.
As a subdivision of backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering or skimo is an endurance-oriented competition that entails reaching a mountain’s peak and going down on skis. However, competitors typically encounter several challenges. For instance, they pass through several transitions, ascend the frosty faces of rocks using crampons, traverse terrain close to 2,000 meters in height and map out the fastest route to the finish line. To have an edge in the competition, one must be proficient in backcountry skiing and mountaineering techniques.
Ski mountaineering dates back to 1897, when German Wilhelm Paulcke completed the earliest alpine traverse, The Bernese Oberland, a region in southern Bern. He crossed it on skis. Over time, the activity gained global recognition as France hosted the first international ski mountaineering competition in 2002.
Presently, the competition takes place bi-yearly. International Ski Mountaineering Federation was established to regulate competitions concerning ski mountaineering. The body comprises 40 national mountaineering federations in America, Asia, and Europe. Ski mountaineering attracts athletes and sports enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Skiers need several pieces of equipment for smooth sailing in the competition. One of them is a ski crampon. It allows skiers to climb hard easily or on icy surfaces and provides safety. At some point in the competition, one may need to downclimb a terrain. Boot crampons enable the person to do so efficiently. These pieces of equipment also help one ski safely to a mountain’s summit.
While competing, one may desire to reduce weight for comfort where possible. So, it would be best to use light skis in ski mountaineering. These pieces of gear are 65 mm or 2.559 inches wide, making them easy for skiers to carry along. In addition to light skis, competitors can use light ice axes. This equipment allows them to climb a snow slope or steep region. However, it would help to learn how to use them properly for self-arresting, particularly when the balance is lost. So, one can keep the ice ax within reach when descending for emergency purposes.
In the past, skiers attached animal skins to their skis to prevent them from sliding backward, enabling forward glides. However, they now use equivalent – rubber strips with fibers, also known as skins, and skiers remove or attach them to their skis as they traverse the course. So, skins are pretty valuable pieces of equipment for ski mountaineering.
Before signing up to be among the ski mountaineering competitors, improving endurance levels, climbing rocks, learning how to use the designated equipment, and taking a course on avalanches would be best. For safety, one needs to pinpoint possible regions where avalanches can occur before engaging in ski mountaineering. An avalanche is a swift flow of snow, ice, or rocks crashing down a mountainside or slope. Statista states that in 2022, 37 people in America died from an avalanche. So, this disaster can happen to anyone. Hence, observing safety precautions and becoming knowledgeable is vital to averting the threats an avalanche poses.
Karma yoga originated from the Vedas, a collection of sacred Hindu texts. The concept, which was atheistic and materialistic, initially revolved around the law of karma and yajna (sacrificial rites); over time, the Upanishads (now known as Vedanta), a subclass of the Vedas, resolved to a different perspective of karma yoga. According to that philosophy, there is an impurity in the human mind known as Mala.
Mala is the likelihood of performing an activity for personal interest or selfish reasons. Mala pushes humans to strive for material success, fame, and respect. As a result, they do not transcend the confines and limitations of their bodies, minds, and emotions. In other words, Mala exists to make one’s conscience impure.
The Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu text, suggests that people who condone Mala and keep acting in self-interest will confine themselves to the law of karma (cause-and-effect). To avoid such bondage, Vedanta encourages one to practice karma yoga, which means to bury any form of attachment when performing activities. In other words, karma yoga is a discipline that involves acting selflessly without expecting anything in return.
Instead of selfish actions, karma yoga suggests that people should act solely because of their ability to do so and contribute meaningfully to society. So, they should derive joy in helping other people. When people adopt karma yoga, they gradually eliminate Mala and embrace purity. For instance, giving someone something without expecting anything in return is karma yoga. Over time, a karma yogi’s intentions and service attitude align with the principles of yoga; the person gradually breaks free from karma and the identity their minds give them.
Since karma yoga is a spiritual practice that liberates people, the Bhagavad Gita encourages one to perform specific actions to succeed. So, before practicing karma yoga, a person must have faith in God and the effectiveness of karma yoga, particularly its liberating abilities. Faith comes from studying the scriptures and keeping the company of religious people. Having done so, one should maintain faith even while practicing karma yoga. To become a master at it, the Bhagavad Gita teaches one to meet knowledgeable men and learn good habits from them respectfully.
Further, one needs the right knowledge to become a successful karma yogi. Without having the right knowledge, one may keep acting selfishly, remaining under the bondage of sinful karma. The right knowledge means fully understanding what catalyzes eternal freedom and liberation. It also means when people recognize themselves as Gods in human form (immortal).
In addition to possessing the right knowledge, being an embodiment of purity is a vital factor that karma yogis need to succeed. One cannot profitably practice karma yoga with impure intentions, actions, or thoughts. A person can attain purity when they have supreme authority over their sattva.
Traditional yoga teachings believe in three sides of nature known as gunas, which are responsible for influencing one to act based on desires. These gunas are rajas (activity), sattva (consciousness), and tamas (stability). So, when a person’s sattva has predominance, the other gunas become repressed, leading to performing activities without desire. Consequently, one’s body and mind become liberated from evil intentions, selfish interests, and impure thoughts.
A karma yogi should also practice self-absorption to become successful. Though having faith is a step in the right direction, it cannot carry one through their journey. At some point, one needs to corroborate faith to evaluate progress. In other words, karma yoga goes beyond developing comfort in the scriptures. So, one needs to advance their practice through self-absorption. This means that a person should engage in samyama (concentrated meditation), which combines Samadhi (union), Dhyana(meditation), and Dharana (concentration). Doing so helps one reach their inner self and practice karma yoga with composure and no emotions.
Due to the peculiarity of karma yoga, many people develop misconceptions about it. For instance, some regard it as an exchange. But It is not. Instead, karma yoga encourages people to perform activities without expecting anything. Some also think karma yoga is pro bono and cheap labor. However, it is not. Karma yoga is simply going about your daily activities without attachment or ego (self-thought
The Sami people, Scandinavia’s only indigenous population during the Middle Ages, are widely credited as the inventors of skis. The primary use for skiing was a mode of transportation during the winter.
In Asia, the Han dynasty documented the first references to skiing, describing it in Northern China between 206 BCE and 220 CE. Vikings also used skis for transportation and had a god and goddess called Ullr and Skade dedicated to skiing in the ninth through the 11th centuries.
Skiing was the primary form of scouting snow-covered areas in Norway by the Norwegian army in 1200 CE. The army also tested soldiers by holding tournaments in which soldiers skied down slopes, navigated forests, and negotiated snowfields. In the 1700s, the military influenced the evolution of skiing in other areas such as Russia, Poland, and Finland, while Norway had gotten way ahead by 1760. In 1868, skiing took a new turn with the telemark ski design by Sondre Norheim that allowed skiers to choose a course lane with more precision. This paved the way for two different ski techniques named after the Norwegian mountains, where they were invented: Telemark and Christiana.
Telemark skiing involves using binders that leave the skier’s heel free to ride uphill and downhill while incorporating a turning style to move in a squatting motion. In comparison, Christiana is a type of ski turning where skiers move the skis parallel to each other.
During the later parts of the 19th century, skiing in Norway was a luxury for only those who could afford to travel to remote mountains with alpine ski courses. The sport had begun to gain popularity in North America, reaching villages high in the mountains. North Americans embraced leisurely skiing, and by the early 20th century, skiers flocked to the east coast mountains in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
In 1843, Tromso, Norway, held the first cross-country skiing tournaments. Downhill skiing championships had debuted in California by the 1860s, and participants used 12-foot skis with only the front of the boot connected. In 1868, Christiania (Oslo), Norway’s capital city, held the first Norwegian national skiing contests. The city added ski-jumping competitions in 1879.
In 1908 in Germany, Robert Winkelhalder invented mechanical ski tows powered by a water mill. However, it was not until 1933 that another inventor, Alec Foster, installed the first ski tow in Canada. The United States followed in Woodstock, Vermont, the location of the first rope tow powered by motor vehicles. The tows eradicated the necessity of climbing the mountain before skiing down.
Skiing debuted as a sport in the Olympics for both men and women in 1936. The events included both downhill and slalom skiing. Still, by 1948, the events were divided into two distinct groups, and the super giant slalom became the fourth alpine skiing event in 1988 after the addition of the giant slalom in 1952. The slalom skiing event involves skiers weaving in and out of closely spaced gates while finishing high-speed turns and changing directions. Supergiant slalom skiing is similar to slalom skiing, with quicker turns and closer spaced gates.
The International Ski Federation certified freestyle skiing as a sport in 1979. It debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
In conclusion, present-day skiing is a popular sport and pastime, with many ski disciplines and styles. Advances in technology have also made the sport more accessible and more enjoyable, unlike earlier years when equipment and ski courses were too expensive to access.
For those that are newcomers to golf or even those who may be apathetic to the sport, golf may seem like a simple sport where you hit the ball as hard as possible towards a hole. However, simply hitting the ball as hard as possible won’t get you the desired results, and this is where having the right equipment comes in. Being aware of this equipment and its uses will further improve your knowledge of the sport and improve your game.
The first piece of equipment you should be familiar with is a golf club. These aren’t just ordinary sticks with which you hit the ball; different clubs are used in different scenarios to attain different degrees of distances and trajectories. There are four categories of clubs: Woods, Irons, Hybrids, Wedges, and Putters.
The first category, woods, are clubs used for very long shots and to hit the ball the hardest. Originally made out of wood, these clubs are now made of steel, with a hollow shaft that enables them to be lightweight and easy to swing.
Second in this group is Irons. Divided into short, middle, and long irons, these clubs are used for shots less than 200 yards away. Their clubheads are usually much smaller and thinner than woods, and because they don’t have much loft (angled faces etched with grooves usually help with the ball’s spin), they could make the ball bounce too much.
Third, there are the Hybrids. These are a cross between woods and irons. They are also the newest category of clubs and are considered the replacement for irons because they are easier to hit. This makes them preferred by beginners as well.
Next in this category are Wedges. While they are their category of clubs, they may also be considered a sub-category of irons. This is because they have the same clubheads as irons but angled for more loft. They are divided into four, the first of which is the pitch wedge, which can make a 50-120 yard shot. The sand wedge comes second, and it is best for about 90-yard shots and getting the ball out of sand traps and rough patches. In tight situations, the gap wedge bridges the gap between the sand and pitch wedges. Finally, the lob wedge is predominantly used for getting the ball out of rough patches and back onto the green.
Last in the clubs category are the Putters. These are the clubs used at the end of the game when you need to get the ball into the hole without having to overhit it. It is also the club you will use for most of the game, so it is best to use one that you are extremely comfortable with.
Getting yourself familiarized with the different kinds of clubs, as well as their purposes and the situations they can be used in, could potentially make the difference between being a golf novice and a good golfer. Also, make sure to get clubs you can easily hit with, as those would make your swings and shots better, as opposed to struggling to hit with heavier clubs.
With about 5,000 students and more than 140 faculty, Michigan State University Broad College of Business (Broad) is recognized as among the top 25 undergraduate business programs globally by U.S. News & World Report. It has a mission to develop transformational leaders who will positively impact organizations and the society. It does this by disseminating knowledge collaboratively, and fostering a culture of excellence and integrity.
Broad is currently pursuing a strategic plan, Broad 2030, to guide it in achieving its vision of becoming a top-tier business school. The plan is made up of five key initiatives: empowering lives through undergraduate education, promoting lifelong learning through graduate education, nurturing a culture of belonging and success, strengthening impactful scholarship and research, and enhancing outreach and engagement. Each of these builds on the success of Broad 2020, which the college implemented from 2015 to 2020.
So far in 2022, Broad has executed two major projects that align with the last two key strategic initiatives, strengthening both scholarship and research and enhancing engagement. For the former, Broad’s objective is to leverage the expertise of its faculty to build upon its knowledge base, address complex societal problems, and nurture the next generation of leaders. Toward this aim, in February 2022, Broad opened the Behavioral Lab at Eppley Center. This is the college’s first behavioral research lab, and it is exclusively available to Broad faculty and doctoral students for their study of consumer behavior, decision making, and teams research, among other topics that combine human interaction and business.
Built for flexibility, the lab has an open design that allows researchers to configure it to suit their research needs. It also has individual computer stations, spaces for group study, and private rooms for interviews. All these facilitate different kinds of research. For example, marketing researchers may bring study participants into the lab and perform tests on them as a unit or split them into groups and simultaneously test each group independently. The lab even has a reception area where study participants can check in and wait as the rooms are set up for their study.
Before Broad built the lab, faculty and doctoral students had to reserve other rooms such as computer labs and breakout rooms to conduct their studies. Now, with the Behavioral Lab, they have their own dedicated research space to study consumer behavior and its broad implications in business. In the future, the college plans to add equipment for specialized research such as virtual reality goggles and devices that track physiological changes such as skin conductance and blood pressure.
For enhancing outreach and engagement, Broad’s objective is to create and deepen relationships with external organizations to realize additional value for its clients and stakeholders. For example, in January 2022, Broad announced a partnership with DECA to help high school students in their transition to college and to positively influence their business careers. DECA is a global nonprofit with over 160,000 members. Broad partnered with Michigan DECA, a local chapter with members for local high schools.
To launch the partnership, Broad hosted a two-day DECA Leadership Conference that brought together over 330 students from 35 high schools to interact with corporate leaders as well as Michigan State University faculty and students. The engagements were spread out over the course of several sessions. These covered various topics including admissions at Michigan State University, college preparation, and higher education opportunities abroad. During the conference’s breakout session, Michigan State University’s admissions officer Terrene Brown even announced that students in attendance who eventually gained admission into the university would get a $500 scholarship.
Inventory management is an elaborate process that involves tracking, reporting, and organizing a business’ inventory throughout its supply chain. For some businesses such as manufacturers, it includes managing incoming raw materials from suppliers, work-in-progress goods moving along the value-adding process, and finished goods for sale to customers. For other businesses such as retailers, inventory management involves organizing ready-to-sell stock as it comes in from suppliers and goes out to customers.
Done well, inventory management minimizes a business’ inventory costs while optimizing its operations. Some of the costs associated with inventory include warehouse rent, utilities, capital expenses for storage infrastructure (shelves and boxes), and employees’ salaries. There are also insurance costs and handling costs such as paperwork. Good inventory management minimizes these costs while optimizing operations. It enables the latter by ensuring the business always has the inventory it needs, in the right amount, and at the right time. This smooths internal operations and ensures customers have access to the products they need, when they need them. It also improves cash flow as the business balances between supply costs and incoming sales receipts.
There are many types of inventory management strategies. Examples are Six Sigma, par-level inventory systems, FIFO (first in, first out), and LIFO (last in, first out). There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for businesses. In fact, many blend a number of strategies to achieve an ideal inventory management process.
Business owners who want to set up their own inventory management systems should work with supply chain professionals. These individuals possess the knowledge and experience to help business owners come up with a system that properly aligns with their unique business needs. They help business owners answer critical questions that will guide them toward realizing a suitable inventory management system. For example, at the internal business level, they will ask the business owner questions such as what are the primary and secondary items the business needs? Are they perishable? Where will the business source these items? Where will it store them and how will it organize them? Further, how will the business track its inventory and inventory holding costs?
Sales side factors will also come into play. For example, will the business be selling its products online, through a store front, or both? How will it manage its inventory levels across these channels? How will it forecast customer demand? Answering these questions will provide a firm understanding of the business’ inventory management needs, allowing the supply chain professional to prescribe an appropriate strategy.
Even after developing and implementing an inventory management system, a business will still need to monitor its success and make changes where the system needs improving. Examples of issues that point to a failure in a business’ inventory management system include excess inventory, increased inventory holding costs, inventory shortages (especially for fast-selling items), inaccurate records of inventory, and lost inventory. A business that experiences any of these too often should re-examine its inventory management system for efficiency, making changes where necessary.
External factors may also necessitate modifications to a business’ inventory management system. For example, a competitive business environment where a business’ competitors reduce their prices or launch new versions of products may require a business to re-evaluate its supply contracts to realize cost savings or upgrade its suite of products. Changing consumer preferences may also prompt modifications in the inventory management system.
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) began in 1950 when 13 women banded together to establish the women’s tour for professional golfers. Since that time, five women have won at least 10 major championships.
The LPGA recognized five major tournaments ahead of the 2022 season: the Chevron Championship, the United States Women’s Open, the Women’s PGA Championship, the Evian Championship, and the Women’s British Open. Other tournaments have held and lost the major status over time. The Evian Championship, for example, became the tour’s fifth major in 2013. Before that, the LPGA closely mirrored the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) with four major championships.
Patty Berg, an LPGA co-founder, won 15 major titles over two decades, more than any other athlete in the history of the LPGA. She won the US Open only once but excelled at the Western Open and Titleholders Championship, winning seven titles at each event. Berg won both titles in the same year in 1955 and 1957. Her 1946 US Open victory was her only major title that season. She never won the Women’s PGA Championship but enjoyed runner-up appearances in 1956 and 1959.
Mickey Wright won her first major title in 1958, the same year Berg captured her last major championship. Wright’s time as a major winner was notably shorter than Berg’s, with her final title coming in 1966, yet she amassed 13 majors, second only to Berg’s 15. She captured a pair of Titleholders victories and three consecutive victories at the Western Open, but unlike Berg, won the Women’s PGA Championship on four occasions. She also took home four trophies at the US Open. She owns the second-most LPGA titles of all time.
A third American, Louise Suggs, is credited with 11 major titles, good for third all-time among LPGA players. Another co-founding member of the LPGA, Suggs, started playing in 1940 but did not win her first major until 1946. At that point, she won three majors in two years. She won multiple majors in 1949. After one major win in four years, she then added five more championships. Her last win was at the 1959 Titleholders Championship, 13 years after her first major championship.
Rounding out the five most winning LPGA players of all time are Annika Sörenstam and Babe Zaharias, both with 10 major titles. Sörenstam, a Swedish golfer, is the highest-ranked non-American major winner in LPGA history and the most recent player on the list. She won her first major at the 1995 US Women’s Open and defended her title the following year. She did not win another major until 2001 but went on to claim eight majors over five years.
Zaharias, on the other hand, won her 10 titles between 1940 and 1954. Before her golfing days, she earned Olympic medals in hurdles, high jump, and javelin throw.
With seven major titles, Inbee Park of South Korea is another modern golfer that ranks high on the list of all-time major winners. Her victories came between 2008 and 2015 and included wins at four different events. Anna Nordqvist of Sweden owns three majors, her first in 2009 and most recent in 2021, leaving her as the active LPGA player with the most major titles.
With a history dating back to the mid-19th century, the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University offers programs that consistently rank among the top 20 public business schools in the US. Some of the college’s top-ranking undergraduate programs include supply chain management and logistics and production and operations management. These programs are led by award-winning teachers and researchers, many of whom are also former business executives who bring valuable, real-world experience into the classroom. In addition to undergraduate programs, MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business offers several graduate-level options for those interested in advancing their careers and business acumen.
MBA students at Broad have the option of completing a full-time program lasting 21 months or a part-time executive MBA program that can be completed in as few as 20 months. The full-time program combines a theory-based curriculum with experiential learning opportunities to prepare students for real-world business challenges. Broad also offers a career services team to help full-time MBA students map out the path of courses and co-curricular activities that will help them achieve their career goals.
Broad’s executive MBA program is available in two formats. The traditional format requires that students meet in person every other weekend in East Lansing or Troy, Michigan. In contrast, the flex format combines online learning with in-person learning only one weekend a month in East Lansing. Regardless of the structure, executive MBA students receive the same collaboration-focused education that provides them with the knowledge, tools, and networking opportunities needed to get ahead in their chosen fields.
In addition to the MBA programs, Broad offers specialty master’s degrees in several areas. The college’s master of science in marketing research has been ranked the top marketing research program in the country. Master’s programs are also available in accounting, health care management, business data science and analytics, finance, and financial planning and wealth management. Programs in supply chain management and management, strategy, and leadership round out Broad’s master of science offerings. Alongside these programs, the school offers graduate certificates in accounting analytics and strategic management.
Business leaders looking to become business scholars can further their education with Broad’s doctoral program offerings. In addition to receiving excellent in-class education, doctoral students work alongside faculty members on various research projects. Students also benefit from advanced facilities at the Edward J. Minskoff Pavilion. This 100,000-square-foot complex houses several research labs, including the Supply Chain/Logistics Lab and the Financial Analysis Lab. All doctoral programs at Broad are offered tuition-free and position postgraduate candidates for careers as business researchers or university educators.
The solid corporate partnerships that the Broad College of Business has created over the years have also led to the development of various executive education programs. These programs include everything from 2-hour leadership sessions to online certificate programs covering topics specific to various industries. Broad also collaborates with businesses to create customized executive education and corporate learning programs. These programs are designed to help companies develop and retain talent and achieve strategic learning objectives. They are all taught by the same best-in-class faculty members and executive education professionals that lead other undergraduate and graduate programs at the Broad College of Business.
