Worldly: Know What You Need to Know

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Built by industry experts and relied on by market-leading brands and manufacturers, Worldly provides your business with the insights needed for impact improvement, compliance, and disclosure.

Spot trends, learn about compliance, and find more sustainable materials.

There is always room for improvement.  Know what you need to know.

Today in Global Small Business: Emerging Markets Are Exercising Greater Global Sway

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Emerging markets are exercising greater global sway.
• Here are some cool inventions in 2024.
• AI translation and captioning.
• Worldwide B2B ecommerce size and sales forecast. 
• Quote of the week:  "It is usually people in the money business, finance, and international trade that are really rich." – Robin Leach
• Freight forwarder guidance and best practices.

The Arc of a Perfect Circle

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"The earth together with its surrounding waters must in fact have such a shape as its shadow reveals, for it eclipses the moon with the arc of a perfect circle." – Nicolaus Copernicus

CPGs Need to Rewrite Their Growth Playbooks in 2024

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Bain & Company’s first annual Consumer Products Report, which hopes to assist the industry in formulating a new playbook for the months ahead. Bain surveyed more than 120 senior consumer products executives around the world on their experience in 2023 and their strategic priorities this year.

In this report, we [Bain] first examine how 2023 has left the industry at a crossroads, then explore the connection between profitable growth and positive stakeholder impact. We [Bain] conclude by looking ahead to the most pressing issues that will shape CPGs’ strategic agendas in 2024 and beyond.

The consumer products sector has enjoyed another year of tremendous growth, but there are telling signs that CPGs need to rewrite their growth playbooks in 2024.

Artists, Activists, Scholars and Others Call for Funding for Ukraine

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In this appeal to Congress, more than 35 artists, activists, scholars and others call for funding for Ukraine. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the signatories. 

Key statement:

"If Russia breaks through, this will be our fault. And then we will understand what we have lost."

They go on to say, "Time is short and new dangers can arrive very quickly. Together we call upon Congress to do the right thing – right now. Support Ukraine."

AI Will Have a Huge Impact On Global Business This Year

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According to CEO of JPMorgan Chase Jamie Dimon, he believes artificial intelligence will have a huge impact on global business this year.  He knows its influence will be significant.

“We are completely convinced the consequences will be extraordinary and possibly as transformational as some of the major technological inventions of the past several hundred years: Think the printing press, the steam engine, electricity, computing and the Internet, among others,” the JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO wrote in the [annual shareholder] letter.

Dimon goes on to say, "Over time ... we anticipate that our use of AI has the potential to augment virtually every job, as well as impact our workforce composition. It may reduce certain job categories or roles, but it may create others as well.”

Full shareholder letter can be found here.

Top Global Executive Search Firms

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From Korn Ferry International to Russell Reynolds to DHR International, here's a list of the top global executive search firms that assist clients in acquiring leadership talent through outstanding research capabilities, through assessment technology, reference checking and access to a global talent pool.

Today in Global Small Business: Surprising Facts About the Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Surprising facts about the solar eclipse.
• On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States and Canada.
• Best places to see the solar eclipse in Illinois.
• Quote of the week:  "An eclipse is one phenomenon that is actually more impressive from the ground." – Leroy Chiao
• Protect your eyes during the solar eclipse!
• Does the solar eclipse have an effect on your brain?

Only Love Can Truly Save the World

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Now I know, that only love can truly save the world.  So I stay, I fight, and I give, for the world I know can be.” – Diana, Wonder Woman movie 

The Never Ending Job Interview

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No matter where you are located in the world, the pace of the job interview process can feel glacial now, especially compared to the hiring crisis of 2021. 

Amid the labor shortage during the Great Resignation that left managers scrambling for talent, many employers made job offers via video interviews, sometimes even on an initial screening call.

Yet as the job market has tightened, companies can now afford to take their time. Not only are many leaving candidates on the hook, but the interview process is also becoming more drawn-out, especially further up the corporate hierarchy. 

Learn more about the structural reasons for the recruitment slowdown.

Is Tesla Still the Most Valuable Car Company in the World?

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Metallurgy graduate Wang Chuanfu founded BYD in 1995.  BYD is a small Chinese company focused on producing rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries more cheaply than Japanese competitors. Nearly 30 years later, the Shenzhen-based firm has become the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs), even surpassing American giant Tesla (TSLA) in global sales of pure-play electric cars in the last quarter of 2023. 

But the two companies are still running neck and neck, with Tesla regaining its crown in the first quarter of 2024. 

Here’s how they compare, in four charts.

A Strong Earthquake Strikes SSW of Hualien, Taiwan, Sparking Tsunami Warnings

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A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast Wednesday at 8 AM local time, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings for the island and southern Japan.

The quake’s epicenter is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien. Tremors were felt across the island, including by CNN staff in Taipei.

Officials in Hualien county said that work and school were suspended following the earthquake. On social media, users posted images of tilted and half-collapsed buildings and landslides in the area. Authorities sent an alert to residents that they should seek cover nearby, crouch down and “stay calm.”

The quake had a depth of around 21 miles, according to the USGS. It was located about 11 miles south-southwest of Hualien City.

Earthquake hazards program.