Edward 'Tiger Mike' Davis, The World's Meanest Boss, Dead At 85

Think your boss is bad? Odds are, he has nothing on Edward “Tiger Mike” Davis ― the meanest boss in the world. 

Davis was so surly even a quick hello would be out of the question. In a memo, he once wrote:

“Do not speak to me when you see me. If I want to to speak to you, I will do so. I want to save my throat. I don’t want to ruin it by saying hello to all of you sons-of-bitches.”

As owner of the Tiger Oil Company, Davis turned nasty interoffice memos into an art form.

It all began in 1959 when he married “one of the earliest cougars ever,” as his obituary states.

At the age of 28, Davis wed 69-year-old Helen Bonfils. He was a high school dropout and her limo driver until her husband, theater and film director George Somnes, died in 1956. She was the owner of the Denver Post newspaper. 

When the two divorced in 1971, Davis received what the book Here Lies Colorado called “a substantial settlement,” which he used to start his oil exploration business. And that’s where his memos entered the picture; these notes developed almost a cult following years later when they began turning up on the website Letters of Note.

For example, he didn’t like guys with hair below the ears:

Anyone who lets their hair grow below their ears to where I can’t see their ears means they don’t wash. If they don’t wash, they stink, and if they stink, I don’t want the son-of-a-bitch around me.

Davis had a potty mouth, but he made it clear he was the only one allowed to cuss in the office:

There is one thing that differentiates me from my employees. I am a known son-of-a-bitch, and I care to remain that way. I have the privilege of swearing publicly, in front of anyone, or doing anything I want to because I pay the bills. When you work for me, you don’t have that privilege.

On the other hand, Davis was open to new ideas:

If you have a suggestion on how we can improve our methods, your suggestions are more than welcome. The best way to submit a suggestion is to put it in writing, sign your name and send it to me by registered mail ― then you can’t say it got lost. I DON’T WANT ANY EXCUSES. 

“There was no one else like him; there was only one Tiger Mike,” spokesman Marcelo Anevcua told the Las Vegas Sun. “Things had to be done his way all of the time. That’s just the way he was. And he spoke the way he felt.”

His way included no “shabby attire” in the workplace. According to his memos, Davis was also opposed to  “birthday celebrations, birthday cakes, levity or celebration of any kind,” in the office. 

While the infamous memoranda were written in the 1970s, Davis remained active in the oil industry. In 2012, he settled a multimillion dollar lawsuit over a finder’s fee he received for a deal that went sour. And he continued to work as recently as this year.

“He was working until about six months ago — still drilling oil wells, mostly in the Wyoming and Nebraska area,” friend and colleague Kevin Trujillo told the Denver Business Journal.

Davis died earlier this month of complications due to prostate cancer, The New York Times reported. He was 85. 

His obituary in the Las Vegas Review-Journal insisted there were two sides to the man, the one in the memos and another Tiger Mike.

“If he loved you, it was Heaven. If he disliked you, it was Hell,” the obit noted. “If you were powerful and arrogant, he would destroy you. If you were down and out, he would pick you up, dust you off and change your life forever.”

Read more of his memos on the Letters of Note website, or in the book “Letters Of Note: Volume 2,” which will be available Oct. 11. 

5 Questions on Applying for a Student Credit Card

By Kevin Cash

For many young adults, the future benefits of establishing good credit may seem impossibly far away, just like turning 30 or attending parent-teacher conferences for kids you haven't even thought of having. But there's a big payoff in the near term for having good credit, too, such as perks-laden credit cards with high points bonuses and reward structures.

A student credit card is a good place to start building your credit, both for now and for later. But there are a few questions you should know the answers to first:

1. Do I have to be a student when applying for a student credit card?
There are a few exceptions to this rule, but most times, you do need to be a student to qualify for a student credit card. Applications for student cards generally include space to fill in school information, and applying for a student-only credit card as a non-student may result in a hard pull on your credit report for nothing. If you're a non-student considering a student card, be sure to check the card's eligibility requirements before applying.

2. Will I need a cosigner?
When you have little to no credit history, it's not uncommon for an issuer to ask for a cosigner before approving you for a credit card. A cosigner is someone with a more established credit history to share responsibility for the card. Usually a family member or close friend, a cosigner is equally liable for any debt the principal cardholder may rack up. This makes using your card responsibly that much more important.

3. Am I making a wise choice for my financial future?
Building credit early means being prepared down the road when having good credit can mean lower rates on auto loans, mortgages and wide variety of credit cards. College is routinely likened to "training for the real world," and student credits cards can be understood in a similar vein. You're probably not going to use a student credit card to make major purchases, but simply using and paying off your card will build your credit.

4. What if I get into trouble with the card?
Applying for a student credit card is often your first step in building a credit history, but where that path leads depends on the choices you make. Negative information can stay on your credit report for seven years in most cases, so acting irresponsibly with credit means limiting and sometimes eliminating many credit options for lengthy periods of time. It's always easier to get things right from the start than have to dig yourself out of a hole later on. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Always pay your bill on time and in full. Paying your credit card bill on time and in full every month will not only build good credit, but also save you money on fees and interest. Doing this depends on using the card responsibly in the first place, so make sure you're always spending within your means.
• Create a budget: It's easier to stay within your means if you have an idea of what you should be spending each month. Having a budget helps limit unnecessary expenses and can prevent you from being burdened with a unexpectedly large balance when your bill comes around.
• Set up account alerts: Having an issuer send payment alerts is the easiest way to avoid a late payment. Whether you receive alerts by text or email, knowing you have a bill coming due will always make it easier to remember to actually pay it, and making payments on time will really help your credit score.

5. Will using a student card lead to better cards?
Often lacking rewards, sign-up bonuses, and other perks, student cards are usually not the most exciting credit cards available, but they're not really supposed to be. The whole point of a student credit card is to ease new borrowers into responsibly using and managing small amounts of credit. Starting simple makes it easier to focus on paying off your bills on time, spending within your means and moving on to cards that offer better points and rewards on spending. Having good credit can often lead to better rates on things like auto loans and mortgages, too.

Student credit cards aren't for everyone, but the mentality behind them is universal. Establishing good credit habits early means carrying those habits later into life, and usually saving money, too.

This article originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Kevin Cash is a staff writer for NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: kcash@nerdwallet.com.

Real Talk From 4 Airline Pilots On How To Beat Jet Lag

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome from the flight deck. Our nonstop service from Los Angeles to London’s Heathrow Airport has a flight time of 10 hours and 35 minutes. So sit back, relax, and accept our sincere apologies in advance for the debilitating case of jet lag during your stay in London, including falling asleep mid-conversation with the executive you needed to impress, and wandering, bleary-eyed, through a vacant Piccadilly Circus at 5:15 a.m. Looks like we’re first in line for departure, so enjoy the flight ― because jet lag’s coming for you, and it’s not going to be pretty. My co-pilot and I will be just fine, though.”

OK, so you’re unlikely to hear this kind of real talk from a pilot. But doesn’t it feel like the captain and her crew ― who seem to hop the International Date Line weekly without complaint ― know something you don’t when it comes to beating jet lag?

In partnership with United Polaris, we checked in with four long-haul commercial pilots to finally clue passengers in on the secrets of the flight deck, sharing their top tips for combating the grogginess and fatigue of traveling to another side of the world. With this guide, you’ll be crossing time zones like a pro before you know it.

Switch Up Your Sleep Schedule Beforehand

BFG Images via Getty Images

If you wake up one to two hours earlier a few days before a flight to Europe, your body will thank you later.

Overcoming jet lag starts before you step into the taxi to the airport. Begin adjusting your sleep routine three days before your flight, says Captain Lisa Mrozek, a commercial pilot for a major domestic carrier who’s logged 18 years of flying to far-flung locales. If you’re departing an American city for Europe, Mrozek recommends waking an hour or two earlier than usual. Conversely, try to stay up one to two hours later if Asian travel is on the itinerary.

Yet even in spite of all the proper prep, you may still nod off into a glass of chardonnay at your Parisian hotel’s bar. Flying east, Mrozek says, is just more of a challenge. “If you’re flying against the sun, it’s a lot harder on your body,” she explains. “If you’re going west, it just seems to be easier. That’s the general gist I get from most airline people.”

An All-Nighter Before Flying Can Only Lead To Sadness

Ryan McVay via Getty Images

Exhausting yourself the night before a long flight can be a recipe for jet lag disaster.

For once, your penchant for procrastination will serve you well! Or so you might think. If you’re up all night barreling through last-minute laundry loads, you’ll be knocked out for the duration of the 14-hour flight from D.C. to Tokyo, thus arriving in the Japanese city feeling fresh as a sakura blossom. Right?

Not a smart move, Mrozek says. “You don’t want to start out your trip tired,” she cautions. “Make sure you’re well-rested before you depart and that you have some sort of a base to start with.” Trying to catch a few Zs on a plane when you’re already exhausted isn’t a sure bet, and the quality of sleep you have may leave you feeling sluggish even when you’re on the ground. If you’re overtired, you might also have to skip that power nap after your 2 p.m. hotel check-in, lest you accidentally snooze until 10 p.m. ― and then stay up all night ― as your body tries to make up the deficit.

Your New In-Flight Cocktail: Water And Electrolyte Powder

Maciej Laska via Getty Images

Tempting, but just say no.

All of the pilots we talked to agreed: Hydration is key in stemming jet lag, especially as you while away hours in a plane’s pressurized cabin. So think of the beverage cart as more water fountain than booze barge ― avoid the dehydrating influence of alcohol or salty drinks like tomato juice and instead simply opt for H20. Captain Suzanne Skeeters, a long-haul commercial pilot with decades of experience ferrying passengers to cities like Mumbai, Bangkok and Frankfurt, recommends boosting the benefits of your water even further by mixing in powdered electrolytes, essential minerals that keep your body in an optimal balance.

Step Away From The In-Flight Entertainment

Fran Polito via Getty Images

We know the 14th viewing of “Frozen” is even more special than the first 13, but substituting sleep for binge-watching on the plane means having a better chance of beating jet lag after you land.

International flights have become, for many of us (cough, parents, cough), prime time to catch up on movies. But beware: binge-watching Meg Ryan rom-coms is liable to leave you Sleepless in your destination city. Mrozek remembers a family trip she took to Australia, in which her kids insisted on watching every movie on the plane they could, over her suggestion that they sleep instead. “They didn’t listen,” she recalls. “And we were up at 2 a.m. every night for the next five nights. We had to wait for the local McDonald’s to open up at 5 a.m. because they were starving and there were no restaurants open.” Their fellow patrons at that hour? The sequined, tipsy bar crowd. “It was kind of an eye-opener for them, let’s put it that way,” she laughs.

Test This Pill At Home First Or Face The Sleepwalking Consequences

Digital Vision. via Getty Images

If you’re not used to sleeping pills, taking them could lead to awkward cuddling with your neighbor.

To medicate or not to medicate? So many travelers weigh the question of whether to use sleep aids in-flight to mitigate the effects of jet lag. Of course, pilots aren’t allowed to use sleeping pills, says Kathy McCullough, a retired 747 captain of 17 years whose Tokyo-Singapore-Taipei routes would often take her from home for 13 days at a time. But melatonin, a hormone supplement which helps to reset one’s sleep cycle, is permissible for pilots and proved helpful to McCullough in managing her work-sleep balance. She now recommends it for others. “It kind of just quiets the thoughts in your head long enough so that you can go to sleep,” she says. “But it’s not a sleeping pill, so it won’t knock you out.”

Mrozek is more direct about sleeping pills. Unless you want to star in “The Flying Dead,” your very own mile-high zombie spinoff, she advises against using them on a flight if you’re not already accustomed to taking them. “We’ve had passengers take sleeping pills and then they sleepwalked on the airplane,” she says. “Or they keep sleeping and the flight attendants have trouble waking them up when they land.”

Get In A Workout At The Hotel Gym

Radius Images via Getty Images

Got back-to-back meetings as soon as you land? Squeeze in a quick treadmill session as soon as you hit the hotel and you’ll be in better shape to fight off jet lag.

Flights from the West Coast of the U.S. to Europe tend to touch down in the early afternoon, says Chris Cooke, a pilot with 24 years of experience flying commercial. Listen to your body if you’re tired and take a nap ― no more than two to three hours ― but then get active if you’re looking to keep jet lag at bay. “If I’m staying longer than 30 hours, I have to exercise,” Cooke says. “Even if it’s just getting out and walking for a half hour or going to the gym in the middle of the night, that’s what I do.” Regular exercise, especially after a long bout of travel, will keep your body operating at peak conditions, which allows your internal systems to more nimbly adjust to changes in eating, sleeping and other activities.

Shut Out The World In A Room That’s Cool And Dark

swissmediavision via Getty Images

Not pictured: Restful slumber.

You’ve finally made it. Arrived at your destination well-hydrated, took an afternoon nap, and kept yourself busy and awake with exercise and meetings until the local bedtime. Now all that’s left is to let yourself drift off into a full night of sleep. And with the right hotel arrangements, enjoying a truly restful slumber could be well within reach.

“Go for a really cold room so you can snuggle under the covers and sleep much better,” McCullough advises. A room that fully blocks out light can further ensure you’re maximizing restorative R.E.M. sleep. “They have shoji screens [in Japan] that fit together so tightly, hardly a crack of light comes in the room,” McCullough recalls of her usual base of operations on Asian routes. So go ahead and cocoon yourself in your suite. By the time you emerge, you’ll be more than ready to get the day started ― on local time.

United Polaris is United Airlines’ all-new business class service, featuring a reimagined, built-from-scratch experience that prioritizes sleep and rest with the goal of making jet-lagged business travel a relic of the past.

Wells Fargo CEO Takes Responsibility For 'All Unethical' Practices

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chief executive officer of Wells Fargo & Co on Tuesday apologized for the bank’s opening as many as 2 million bogus customer accounts that could generate fees for the lender.

“I accept full responsibility for all unethical sales practices,” CEO John Stumpf told a congressional panel.

The bank’s board of directors is examining what action it should take against company executives, Stumpf told the Senate Banking Committee.

Earlier this month, the lender agreed to pay $190 million in penalties and customer payouts to settle a case in which bank employees created credit, savings and other accounts without customer knowledge.

Thomas Curry, the Comptroller of the Currency, said in prepared testimony that his agency is considering action against individual Wells Fargo executives.

“The OCC may take formal enforcement actions against institution-affiliated parties, including directors, officers, and employees, who violate any law or regulation, engage in unsafe or unsound practices, or breach fiduciary duty,” Curry told a hearing of the senate committee.

Sherrod Brown, the senior Democrat on the senate panel, blasted Wells Fargo for exploiting customers and the bank’s slow response to control the abuse.

“I was stunned when I learned about the breadth and duration of this fraud,” the Ohio lawmaker said in his opening remarks.

Wells Fargo has acknowledged bank employees abused customers over five years and about 5,000 employees were fired in that time.

Former bank employees have said they were under intense pressure to add accounts for each bank customer.

Brown said employees were caught “forging signatures, and stealing identities, Social Security numbers, and customers’ hard-earned cash, so as to hang on to their low-paying jobs and make money for the high-paying executives at Wells Fargo.”

 

(Reporting by Dan Freed in New York and Patrick Rucker in Washington; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

The Power of Play at Work

Imagine a workplace where people are allowed to play and even better encouraged to play. Believe it or not, that is what is happening in some organizations. Look at Google, all employees have access to and can play during their workday. They have all sorts of activities like bowling, meditation, wall climbing, volleyball and more. Facebook, LinkedIn and Ideo also provide opportunities for play time at work, anything from ping-pong to arcade games and a few take it one step further by instilling a culture of play. These fun activities are not just for lunch, employees can get up and go play when they get tired of working on a project or answering emails.

Most think of play at work as a distraction, -- inappropriate or simply a waste of time. The paradigm of play is that it's seen as taking time away from "real work." Just think, what if what we thought work could benefit from play? What if, the opposite of play isn't work, but rather boredom? We have made assumptions over the years that play doesn't belong during work hours. As a communication and culture consultant, the typical conversation with clients is often about employee engagement and how to create a more positive and energized workforce. I believe play is the vital missing solution at work. Play in my definition is simply having fun, being joyful and energized. Wouldn't it be great if all employees were having fun while at work?

In his book Play, author and psychiatrist Stuart Brown, MD, compares play to oxygen. He writes, "...it's all around us, yet goes mostly unnoticed or unappreciated until it is missing." Think about how play shows up in your life? Play is games, art, books, sports, movies, music, comedy, flirting, talking and even daydreaming. More trainers, and consultants are using games and out-of-the-box activities to bring play into the workplace even if it's within a teambuilding experience or company event. When learning is fun, employees are more inclined to remember what they learned and use it.

Dr. Brown, is also the founder of the National Institute for Play, and he states, "when employees have the opportunity to play, they actually increase their productivity, engagement and morale." It begs the question, why aren't all companies insisting on more playtime at work? Dr. Brown goes on to say, "Not only does having a playful atmosphere attract young talent, but experts say play at work can boost creativity and productivity in people of all ages. There is good evidence that if you allow employees to engage in something they want to do, (which) is playful, there are better outcomes in terms of productivity and motivation."

The good news is that there are a lot of benefits for bringing play into work.

Other research shows that play can decrease absenteeism, stress, and health care costs. When employees take time out to play, it lessens the stress of work, which leads to less sickness, a more positive attitude and more energized work environment.

Allowing play in the workplace is good for business and employees. It's a win-win The opportunity to play on the job shows employees that they are valued, and helps them lead a more balanced life. In turn, employees are more engaged, collaborative, focused when they are working, more creative and ultimately perform better. By encouraging play at work, it increases job satisfaction and general employee happiness, and happier workers have been shown to be more productive and increasing profits. What will you do today to play a little more while at work? I dare you.

Michelle Burke is a Communication and Workplace Strategist, published Author, Consultant, and Speaker. She is Co-founder and President of The Energy Catalyst Group dedicated to creating more positive and engaged workplaces. Her years' experience working with Fortune 100, 500 companies, established her as a leading expert in bridging communication, gender and cultural gaps. Michelle consults with HR and leadership to focus on increasing individual, team and organizational energy. She collaborates with clients using her 3-A Model: Awareness, Accountability and (purposeful) Action. Clients include Stanford University, Visa, Sony, Disney, Receptos and Genentech. Michelle authored, The Valuable Office Professional, and was featured in Business Week's Frontier Magazine, LA Times, SF Chronicle, and Wall Street Journal. Her articles have been in Training, HR, and Chief Learning Officer Magazines. She also co-created Personalogy™ made Amazon's Top 100 Best Selling Card Games of 2015. Please connect with her Michelle@energycatalystgroup.com

The Anniversary Of Lehman And Men Who Don't Work

Last week marked the 8th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the huge Wall Street investment bank. This bankruptcy sent financial markets into a panic with the remaining investment banks, like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, set to soon topple. The largest commercial banks, like Citigroup and Bank of America, were not far behind on the death watch.

The cascade of collapses was halted when the Fed and Treasury went into full-scale bailout mode. They lent trillions of dollars to failing banks at below market interest rates. They also promised the markets that there would be "no more Lehmans" to use former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's term.

This promise was incredibly valuable in a time of crisis. It meant that investors could lend freely to Goldman and Citigroup without fear that their loans would not be repaid - they had the Treasury and the Fed standing behind them.

The public has every right to be furious about this set of events eight years ago, as well what has happened subsequently. First, everything about the crisis caught the country's leading economists by surprise. Somehow, the country's leading economists both could not see an $8 trillion housing bubble, nor could they understand how its collapse would seriously damage the economy. This bubble was clearly driving the economy prior to the crash, it is difficult to envision what these economists thought would replace the demand lost when the bubble burst.

The immediate fallout from the collapse of Lehman also caught the Fed and Treasury by surprise. Having made the decision to allow the market to work its magic on a major bank, they apparently did not anticipate the consequences. The Fed and the Treasury later cooked up the excuse that they lacked the legal authority to save Lehman, as though someone would have brought a lawsuit to stop them if they had tried.

Having failed to recognize both the risks of the bubble and the consequences of the Lehman collapse, the Fed and Treasury then pulled out all the stops to keep the big Wall Street banks in business. They said this was necessary to prevent another Great Depression.

It is difficult to see how letting the market work on Wall Street would have condemned us to a decade of double digit unemployment. Would fiscal and monetary stimulus no longer work?

To support the Second Great Depression myth, a paper from Alan Blinder and Mark Zandi, two of the country's most prominent economists, tried to show how we would have had a decade of double-digit unemployment without the Wall Street bailout.

In fact, the paper shows nothing of the sort. It shows that if we never took any steps to boost the economy we would have faced a decade of double-digit unemployment. That distinction may be too subtle for people who write on economics for a living, but most of the public understands the difference.

The record of failure continued into the recovery. Most economists believed that we would see a quick bounce back from the crash, even without any exceptional amounts of government stimulus. This was the excuse for the austerity that was imposed across the world in 2011. As a result, we have seen an incredibly slow recovery in the United States, and an even slower one in Europe.

Workers in the United States are just now getting back to their pre-recession levels of income.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, potential GDP is now 10 percent less ($1.9 trillion) than the amount projected for 2016 before the downturn. This is a recurring loss of GDP that amounts to almost $6,000 a year for every person in the country. This is an incredible burden that the austerity crew has imposed on our children and grandchildren.

This brings us to the story of men who don't work. There are many economists who argue that the economy is now fully employed and it is time for Federal Reserve Board to raise interest rates to slow the economy and the rate of job growth.

While the unemployment rate is relatively low, those of us who are opposed to Fed rate hikes point out that millions of prime age workers (ages 25-54) have dropped out of the labor force and are not counted as unemployed. These people likely would be working if the economy created the jobs.

But the rate hike crew decided the problem is that millions of men are no longer suited for the labor market. One economist even argued that these men have opted for Internet porn and video games over work.

It's touching to see economists talking about the problems of men without jobs. However economists who pay attention to economic data know that there has been a sharp drop in employment rates among prime age women also. In fact, the drop in employment among less-educated prime age women has actually been larger than the drop among less-educated prime age men.

In other words, our leading economists had no clue about what was going on in the economy at the time of the crash, they got the recovery completely wrong, and they still don't seem to have a clue today. But they are good at making up stories about the lack of marketable skills of less-educated workers.

13 Signs Your Mall Is Dying

Does your town have a mall? Do you have a sneaking suspicion that it’s on a downhill slide? We have a handy little list here to help you know for sure:

13. It’s the weekend. The mall is open. And this is the parking lot.

Elford Alley

12. The entrance appears foreboding, a yawning abyss awaiting you and anyone else who dare visit the Sears within.

Elford Alley

11. There’s a guy selling swords and laser pointers in the same store.

Elford Alley

Other stores will come and go. But swords and laser pointers are forever. Like the diamonds in the jewelry stores that are no longer here.

10. You see signs of the world that once was. Pac… Sun?

Elford Alley

9. You can navigate a third of the mall without seeing an open store.

Elford Alley

Also: If you hear children’s laughter emanating from the dark corners of the mall ― which you will.

8. You see an abandoned store that was converted to a church… that has also been abandoned.

Elford Alley

The power of Christ compelled them... to new digs! Boom! Take that, struggling businesses.

7. Some stores escape. Others are not so lucky...

Elford Alley

6. They still have a place for kids… to disappear without a trace.

Elford Alley

5. Hey, where did you go to college? By the Dillard’s? Me too!

Elford Alley

4. All that remains of the food court are the bygone signs of the long extinct maintenance crew.

Elford Alley

3. The fabulous ‘90s carpeting mysteriously vanishes.

Elford Alley

2. Hey, look guys, a teen hotspot! For teens!

Elford Alley

Hey, look guys! The teen hot spot has... German military paraphernalia…?

Elford Alley

1. It looks like someone is living in one of the stores…

Elford Alley

Oh shit...

Elford Alley

I think I found him. But seriously, if you disturb his final resting place, you’ll suffer the same curse that brought down the Sbarro.

Elford Alley

How did your mall do?!

One to two things apply: Not looking good.

Three to four things apply: Someone is going to try and stab you in the parking lot.

Five or more things apply: Seriously, was that a Halloween costume or did I photograph a dead guy?

Wells Fargo CEO Blames Multimillion-Dollar Fraud On The Lowest-Level Employees

Less than a week after Wells Fargo was slapped with a historic $185 million fine to settle customer fraud allegations, CEO John Stumpf is starting to open up about the scandal.

But instead of taking responsibility for what’s been described as a “pressure-cooker sales culture,” Stumpf seems to be blaming low-level Wells Fargo employees for opening up millions of fake bank and credit card accounts and billing customers for services and products they didn’t request.

Richard Drew/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wells Fargo chairman and CEO John Stumpf, seen here in 2015, is putting most of the blame for his company's recent customer fraud scandal on some of its low-level employees.

In a Tuesday interview with The Wall Street Journal, Stumpf refused to say who was responsible for the corporate culture that regulators say led to the creation of more than 2 million deposit and credit card accounts that customers didn’t necessarily authorize.

Stumpf insisted there was nothing in Wells Fargo’s atmosphere that encouraged these practices. “There was no incentive to do bad things,” he told the Journal. 

Instead, he appeared to lay blame at the feet of what he characterized as a minority of bad employees who didn’t “honor” the bank’s culture. Wells Fargo has said that at least 5,300 employees were fired over a five-year period for “inappropriate sales conduct.”

Not everyone in the financial industry accepts Stumpf’s assertion that Wells management knew nothing of the shady practices. 

“Stumpf has clearly forgotten Harry Truman’s maxim that ‘the buck stops here.’ He’s responsible for how the org runs,” said Helaine Olen, a financial columnist at Slate and the author of the personal finance industry exposé Pound Foolish.

“It takes a particular level of what my grandmother called ‘chutzpah’ to ― when you are earning millions of dollars annually ― to turn and dump the blame on what are fairly low-paid employees,” Olen told The Huffington Post.  

Shifting the blame to employees is “an astonishing indictment of how people in power think,” she said.

“Come on...this went on for years and they didn’t smell anything in the air about fake accounts?”Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is set to grill Stumpf next week when the Senate Banking Committee holds a hearing on Wells Fargo’s fake customer accounts, has been equally dubious that the company’s higher-ups were in the dark about the sales practices. 

“Come on...this went on for years and they didn’t smell anything in the air about fake accounts?” Warren told CNN last week.

In a later appearance on CNBC’s “Mad Money,” Stumpf modified his stance somewhat, telling host Jim Cramer that “the buck stops with all of us” and “especially me.” 

Stumpf also pushed back on the idea that he should resign in the wake of the scandal, telling Cramer the best thing he can do right now is to lead the company. 

Olen and Cramer both pointed to E. Scott Reckard’s bombshell 2013 story in the Los Angeles Times that exposed the very culture Stumpf denied knowing about ― even as the practices raised in the report prompted employee dismissals. 

“From that day forward, Wells had to know it had a problem,” Olen said. “But the settlement last week did not take on any of the higher-ups, and that is concerning.”

Olen said Stumpf’s denials “could come back to bite him” if the Securities and Exchange Commission decides to investigate Wells Fargo and finds evidence that contradicts his claims.

On Wednesday, federal prosecutors said they plan to investigate the bank. No civil or criminal charges against anyone with Wells Fargo have been announced, but prosecutors have issued a subpoena for documents.

A spokeswoman for Wells Fargo declined to comment to HuffPost.

“We’ve seen that very few in the financial services sector are held to account for anything right now,” Olen said. “I find it hard to believe that if there’s already this [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau] settlement, when there’s a fairly decent body of evidence saying Wells had to know about this. It defies reason that they were unaware of this.”

How To Win Friends And Influence People In The 21st Century

Do you want to win favor?

• Do not flatter with insincerity.
• Do not ask for a favor immediately.
• Do not approach every relationship with a sense of entitlement.

Every day, many busy people have dozens of unread emails, LinkedIn requests, and Facebook messages.

In this era, many employees and entrepreneurs have decided to reach more people through social media.

Liking a social media update, posting a comment, or sharing an article is fine. Although, it should not be done to yield a favor. Please do not approach business relationships as you do with dating.

If you take a girl out to a dinner and movie, you might feel that she owes you something.

Conversely, if you spend an hour trying to put on a "diva" look, you might feel that he needs to show you his appreciation with his wallet.

Abandon the "What Can You Do For Me?" mentality!

There has to be at least an equal exchange of value.

It does not matter what you deem to be equal. The person who is granting the favor has to find it to be equal. Otherwise, it is not a good use of their time.

I did not build my success on begging or equal exchanges of value. I built my success on delaying gratification, offering immense value, and then accepting offers from people who wanted to help me.

Did you know some people will go great lengths to give you almost anything? You can only win such favor when you become immensely helpful by delaying your self-interest for a while.

You may wonder how you could help someone who has more connections and resources than yourself.

"What could I really do to help that person?"

Unfortunately, that is the wrong question. The right question starts by discovering the causes that are important to them.

For example, take a look at their philanthropic efforts or intentions. Perhaps, you may be connected to that cause in some way. If so, now you can be helpful to that person.

Choose to be selfless. Do not ask the person to donate to your charity or buy things from you. Success is not for beggars.

Instead, offer a selfless proposition.

This is the first step to win friends and influence people in the 21st century.

You can choose to invest time in building relationships that will blossom organically. Alternatively, you can choose to go on a cold pitching marathon.

However, people are more likely to work with people that they like, know, or trust. This is only possible when you invest the time to build these relationships.

Fast Company Magazine discovered a study that showed sending 700 cold emails will only yield 12 replies. Do you still want to go on that cold pitching marathon?

If you ask me, I would focus on serving three to five people with the hopes that two or three of those relationships will blossom organically.

Remember, if you can be immensely helpful by delaying your self-interest for a while, people will go great lengths to do almost anything for you.

This is an abbreviated version of the article. You can read the full version at Reaching The Finish Line.

12 Ways Successful People Stay Productive And In Control

TalentSmart has tested more than a million people and found that the upper echelons of top performance are filled with people who are high in emotional intelligence (90% of top performers, to be exact). The hallmark of emotional intelligence is self-control -- a skill that unleashes massive productivity by keeping you focused and on track.

Unfortunately, self-control is a difficult skill to rely on. Self-control is so fleeting for most people that when Martin Seligman and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania surveyed two million people and asked them to rank order their strengths in 24 different skills, self-control ended up in the very bottom slot.

And when your self-control leaves something to be desired, so does your productivity.

When it comes to self-control, it is so easy to focus on your failures that your successes tend to pale in comparison. And why shouldn't they? Self-control is an effort that's intended to help achieve a goal. Failing to control yourself is just that -- a failure. If you're trying to avoid digging into that bag of chips after dinner because you want to lose a few pounds and you succeed Monday and Tuesday nights only to succumb to temptation on Wednesday by eating four servings' worth of the empty calories, your failure outweighs your success. You've taken two steps forward and four steps back.

Since self-control is something we could all use a little help with, I went back to the data to uncover the kinds of things that people high in emotional intelligence do to keep themselves productive and in control. They consciously apply these twelve behaviors because they know they work. Some are obvious, others counter-intuitive, but all will help you minimize those pesky failures to boost your productivity.

1. They Forgive Themselves

A vicious cycle of failing to control oneself followed by feeling intense self-hatred and disgust is common in attempts at self-control. These emotions typically lead to over-indulging in the offending behavior. When you slip up, it is critical that you forgive yourself and move on. Don't ignore how the mistake makes you feel; just don't wallow in it. Instead, shift your attention to what you're going to do to improve yourself in the future.

Failure can erode your self-confidence and make it hard to believe you'll achieve a better outcome in the future. Most of the time, failure results from taking risks and trying to achieve something that isn't easy. Emotionally intelligent people know that success lies in their ability to rise in the face of failure, and they can't do this when they're living in the past. Anything worth achieving is going to require you to take some risks, and you can't allow failure to stop you from believing in your ability to succeed. When you live in the past, that is exactly what happens, and your past becomes your present, preventing you from moving forward.

2. They Don't Say Yes Unless They Really Want To

The more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression, all of which erode self-control. Saying no is indeed a major self-control challenge for many people. "No" is a powerful word that you should not be afraid to wield. When it's time to say no, emotionally intelligent people avoid phrases like "I don't think I can" or "I'm not certain." Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the opportunity to successfully fulfill them. Just remind yourself that saying no is an act of self-control now that will increase your future self-control by preventing the negative effects of over commitment.

3. They Don't Seek Perfection

Emotionally intelligent people won't set perfection as their target because they know it doesn't exist. Human beings, by our very nature, are fallible. When perfection is your goal, you're always left with a nagging sense of failure that makes you want to give up or reduce your effort. You end up spending your time lamenting what you failed to accomplish and what you should have done differently instead of moving forward excited about what you've achieved and what you will accomplish in the future.

4. They Focus On Solutions

Where you focus your attention determines your emotional state. When you fixate on the problems that you're facing, you create and prolong negative emotions which hinder self-control. When you focus on the actions you'll take to better yourself and your circumstances, you create a sense of personal efficacy that produces positive emotions and improves performance. Emotionally intelligent people won't dwell on problems because they know they're most effective when they focus on solutions.

5. They Avoid Asking "What If?"

"What if?" statements throw fuel on the fire of stress and worry, which are detrimental to self-control. Things can go in a million different directions, and the more time you spend worrying about the possibilities, the less time you'll spend taking action and staying productive (staying productive also happens to calm you down and keep you focused). Productive people know that asking "what if? will only take them to a place they don't want -- or need -- to go. Of course, scenario planning is a necessary and effective strategic planning technique. The key distinction here is to recognize the difference between worry and strategic thinking.

6. They Stay Positive

Positive thoughts help you exercise self-control by focusing your brain's attention onto the rewards you will receive for your effort. You have to give your wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Any positive thought will do to refocus your attention. When things are going well, and your mood is good, self-control is relatively easy. When things are going poorly, and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, self-control is a challenge. In these moments, think about your day and identify one positive thing that happened, or will happen, no matter how small. If you can't think of something from the current day, reflect on the past and look to the future. The point here is that you must have something positive that you're ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn negative, so that you don't lose focus.

7. They Eat

File this one in the counter-intuitive category, especially if you're having trouble controlling your eating. Your brain burns heavily into your stores of glucose when attempting to exert self-control. If your blood sugar is low, you are far more likely to succumb to destructive impulses. Sugary foods spike your sugar levels quickly and leave you drained and vulnerable to impulsive behavior shortly thereafter. Eating something that provides a slow burn for your body, such as whole grain rice or meat, will give you a longer window of self-control. So, if you're having trouble keeping yourself out of the company candy bin when you're hungry, make sure you eat something else if you want to have a fighting chance.

8. They Sleep

I've beaten this one to death over the years and can't say enough about the importance of sleep to increasing your emotional intelligence and maintaining your focus and self-control. When you sleep, your brain literally recharges, shuffling through the day's memories and storing or discarding them (which causes dreams), so that you wake up alert and clear-headed. Your self-control, attention, and memory are all reduced when you don't get enough -- or the right kind -- of sleep. Sleep deprivation raises stress hormone levels on its own, even without a stressor present, which are a major productivity killer. Being busy often makes you feel as if you must sacrifice sleep to stay productive, but sleep deprivation diminishes your productivity so much throughout the day that you're better off sleeping.

When you're tired, your brain's ability to absorb glucose is greatly diminished. This makes it difficult to control the impulses that derail your focus. What's more, without enough sleep you are more likely to crave sugary snacks to compensate for low glucose levels. So, if you're trying to exert self-control over your eating, getting a good night's sleep--every night--is one of the best moves you can make.

9. They Exercise

Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses. If you're having trouble resisting the impulse to walk over to the office next door to let somebody have it, just keep on walking. You should have the impulse under control by the time you get back.

10. They Meditate

Meditation actually trains your brain to become a self-control machine. Even simple techniques like mindfulness, which involves taking as little as five minutes a day to focus on nothing more than your breathing and your senses, improves your self-awareness and your brain's ability to resist destructive impulses. Buddhist monks appear calm and in control for a reason. Give it a try.

11. They Ride the Wave

Desire and distraction have the tendency to ebb and flow like the tide. When the impulse you need to control is strong, waiting out this wave of desire is usually enough to keep yourself in control. When you feel as if you must give in, the rule of thumb here is to wait at least 10 minutes before succumbing to temptation. You'll often find that the great wave of desire is now little more than a ripple that you have the power to step right over.

12. They Squash Negative Self-Talk

A big final step in exercising self-control involves stopping negative self-talk in its tracks. The more you ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power you give them. Most of our negative thoughts are just that -- thoughts, not facts. When you find yourself believing the negative and pessimistic things your inner voice says, it's time to stop and write them down. Literally stop what you're doing and write down what you're thinking. Once you've taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your thoughts, you will be more rational and clear-headed in evaluating their veracity.

You can bet that your statements aren't true any time you use words like "never," "worst," "ever," etc. If your statements still look like facts once they're on paper, take them to a friend or colleague you trust and see if he or she agrees with you. Then the truth will surely come out. When it feels like something always or never happens, this is just your brain's natural threat tendency inflating the perceived frequency or severity of an event. Identifying and labeling your thoughts as thoughts by separating them from the facts will help you escape the cycle of negativity and move toward a positive new outlook.

Putting These Strategies to Work

The important thing to remember is you have to give these strategies the opportunity to work. This means recognizing the moments where you are struggling with self-control and, rather than giving in to impulse, taking a look at these strategies and giving them a go before you give in.

What tricks do you use to exercise self-control? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

Lyft, Budweiser Announce New Program To Give Drinkers Free, Safe Rides Home

If you lift too many beers to your mouth, Lyft and a beer company might soon pay for you to get home safely.

Beginning Friday, the ride-hailing service in partnership with Budweiser will offer free (or at least substantially discounted) late-night rides to revelers in four states, distributing 5,000 $10 coupons every weekend for rides taken between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

The anti-drunk driving campaign will run through the end of the year in Colorado, Florida, Illinois and New York, all of which are both key markets for Lyft and Budweiser, a Lyft spokesperson told The Huffington Post, and among the top states for drunk driving-related deaths.

Lyft and Budweiser will give the ride credits to customers of legal drinking age via the companies’ Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Despite the apparent shift in tactics to a more hands-on approach, Budweiser says their responsibility to curb drunk-driving remains unchanged.

“While the approaches have evolved, the mission remains the same,” Katja Zastrow, Anheuser-Busch vice president of corporate social responsibility, told HuffPost in an email. “This ongoing Lyft partnership is the next step in spreading Budweiser’s ‘Give a damn. Don’t drive drunk.’ message.”

Zastrow said Budweiser teamed up with Lyft after success with similar pilot programs at music festivals earlier this year.

It’s interesting timing for the campaign.

Earlier this summer, a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found, counterintuitively, that Uber, a competing ride-hailing service, had very little impact on drunk driving rates.

A possible explanation: Those who drink responsibly were already finding safe ways to get home before ride-hailing apps exploded on the scene, either in a traditional cab or via public transportation. Meanwhile, people who decide to drive drunk ― already susceptible to making bad decisions due to their impaired judgment ― opt to endanger others rather than pay for a ride.

If that too-cheap-to-pay-for-a-ride theory holds water, we may see a drastic reduction in drunk driving rates in the four states targeted by Budweiser and Lyft.

“There have been conflicting reports on the impact that ride-sharing has had on drunk driving,” a Lyft spokesperson told HuffPost, “but we’re focused on our primary goal of this partnership, which is to reduce the 10,000 drunk driving-related deaths per year.

“Lyft can be a solution to the problem,” the spokesperson added, “and we are committed to making rides as accessible as possible to everyone who needs them.”

Women in Business Q&A: Alex Friedman and Jordana Kier, Co-Founders, LOLA

LOLA

Alex Friedman led analytics at Flurry Analytics (acquired by Yahoo in Aug 2014) and was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group in New York. She previously attended Wharton for business school and Dartmouth College for undergrad, and has over the years been actively involved in the Young Women's Leadership Network. Before co-founding LOLA, Jordana Kier received her MBA from Columbia Business School, during which she worked at Rent the Runway and Quidsi. Jordana was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2016. She graduated from Dartmouth College and is on the board of Drive Change, a 501(c)(3) food truck that employs and teaches transferable skills to youth in the NYC criminal justice system.

How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
Jordana: I grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs: my grandfather, Ralph Kier, who came to the U.S. from Cuba with his wife and four kids (the oldest being my dad) when he was 34. He had nothing then. He moved his family to North Carolina and slowly built a small textile factory into a large company that my dad ended up running. They are the living, breathing embodiment of what hard work, integrity, and grit can earn you. I grew up listening to their stories about escaping Communism, learning to live and grow in a new country and what it was like as a first- generation entrepreneur, and those lessons are truly invaluable.

Alex: I grew up in New York City with two full-time working parents who gave me the best childhood imaginable - full of quirky family activities, strong role models and freedom to experiment without fear of failure - but who also made it very clear that one day soon I would be expected to support myself. I have always admired my parents for creating a safe space where I could grow and learn, but then demanding I take advantage of these benefits to succeed on my own. When I lead, I want my team to know they have support - I'm there for them whenever they need it - but to also realize that I expect them to be individually empowered to drive success of an outcome.

I've also worked for a lot of different types of leaders, and from each experience have gleaned valuable information of what to do and what not to do in certain situations. Even some of the most difficult people I've encountered in my career have taught me lessons about what it means to be a good leader. I once worked for a guy who gave me feedback after every single meeting -- what went well and what didn't. Made me nuts at first, but by the end I was better at my job and had learned not to take feedback personally. I take great care to be transparent, communicative and constructive with my team, whenever possible.

How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at LOLA?
Jordana: I spent my entire second year at Columbia Business School interning at Rent the Runway. Experiencing real-time the fun and fast-paced challenges of acquiring customers, building a brand, pivoting when necessary, and proving out a business model helped confirm my desire to build something myself and work hard to see it succeed.

Alex: Almost every job I've had has come with a script for half the work, and the rest I've had to come up with on my own. When I invested in venture capital managers, I had a clear framework to evaluate their investment capabilities. But there was also a more subjective determination - based on things like judgment and character. When making decisions at LOLA, we always do the strategic analysis. Be we also know that there are all these other things at play that are harder to screen and control. Thanks to my previous investing experience, I'm more comfortable knowing that when unforeseen variables come into play, you just have to roll with it.

What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at LOLA?
Jordana: Launching LOLA and seeing the market embrace our brand and mission. We saw women spending in line with their beliefs - recognizing that they deserved to know what was in their product - which was something they'd never had a chance to do in this category prior to LOLA. Also, when LOLA made it into Us Weekly's Buzzzz-o-meter!

Alex: Taking an idea from concept to reality. The fact that Jordana and I were sitting on a couch 18 months ago, just the two of us, lamenting the fact that we couldn't figure out what was in tampons to now, having a team and large community of passionate women talking tampons and changing purchase behavior to support their beliefs, is one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced. The hardest challenge has really just been taking this one day at a time; the momentum is so huge right now, and we've been presented with a ton of opportunities (extensions, partnerships, etc.) so we have this feeling of "let's do it all!." But we know that's not the right way to evaluate decisions. We just need to be flattered when some of these things come up, but stay focused on the best path for the company.

What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?
Jordana: Embrace the fact that you're tackling intimate, stigmatized topics and own the conversation.

Alex: Call us. We're hiring!

What is the most important lesson you've learned in your career to date?
Jordana: Nothing is ever as scary as you think it is. And, if not now, when?

Alex: Don't be afraid to ask for help. That goes the other way too, for more seasoned employees: support your team when they need it. Two years into my first job out of college, I was given the opportunity to run a full-scale consulting project for the first time. The key final output was a complex market model. On the due date, I subjected my model to a final audit and to my overwhelming dismay, I discovered a substantial error. Panic set in. Mortified, I told my manager. Pat lent a hand in every way possible; he stayed (extremely) late, working alongside me, cranking through hours of analyst work next to me, to ensure that the project could ship on time. That night, Pat taught me the value of being a supportive manager. He showed me that he was accountable for our team's output, for better or worse. His example is one I have kept in mind for the last 10 years.

How do you maintain a work/life balance?
Jordana: We work hard and we make sure to set aside time for things that are important to us, whether they be family, workout, friends, hobbies, or alone time. We are personally at our best when we lead balanced lives, so we make that a priority for ourselves and look for that quality in people that we may include on our team.

Alex: It's definitely a challenge, but for me, it all comes down to proactively managing my time for the life I want to have. Put things in the calendar - work, play, dinner, exercise - and then stick to the calendar as much as you possibly can. It will also remove any other feelings (e.g., guilt) if you're just like: every morning I go to the gym at 7:30am and that's just the way it is. And, your team will come to expect this of you, and will learn not to expect you to be available during that time.

What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
Jordana: Not an easy question to answer! But the tension between family and career is something that we are extremely conscious of, for both genders. A highly professionally successful friend once told us - "you have to pick 3 things and focus on them. That's all you can really manage." Our values are very aligned and for us, work, family/friends, and staying fit are those three things. We try to find balance, make time for our passions (e.g., travel) and fit in other things we care about, too (e.g., hobbies, community service) but the so-called "myth of work/life balance" is something we know has to be actively managed. And we see that for new parents - particularly women - it's commonly one of the greatest struggles of a career.

Alex: Women need sponsors. For many, career success is in large part dependent on developing the right personal relationships and having advocates in the right places. Those relationships can be challenging to for women to develop across gender lines, and employers need to work hard to counteract the tendency of powerful people to support only those who are junior versions of themselves. For us, as two female founders of a venture-backed feminine hygiene business, we've experienced the importance of sponsorship in many ways, specifically during the fundraising process. Raising venture capital in a world where men control 90%+ of the capital put to work is an on-going (but admittedly fun) challenge. We are lucky to have a strong team and attractive business fundamentals. But we also have champions within the investment community who are our cheerleaders and supporters. We recognize the need to both push our way into what we need, and also be pulled from the right set of people.

How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
Jordana: It's crucial to have people to look up to as well as lean on, whether they're in a similar industry or something totally different. We've been incredibly fortunate to have cultivated a network of amazingly accomplished advisors and are equally (if not more so) grateful to have friends who have dealt with our period talk over the last two years -- and who have happily bled into anything we give them.

Alex: I'm a mentor junkie - I will ask for advice from anyone who will lend an ear! Every decision I make is part gut-based and part experience-based, and when I don't have the experience, I ask someone. As Jordana mentioned, we have a great network of other founders who have encountered or will encounter a lot of the same stuff we face, so it's nice to have that group to go to for gut checks and advice. And we're happy to pay it forward!

Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
Jordana: We're big fans of Diane von Furstenberg. She's a trailblazer, not only as a fashion designer but also a female business owner in an industry initially dominated by men. Her bold and feminine brand identity also really resonates with the ethos we're building at LOLA.

Alex: Every woman I've ever worked for has founded and run her own business. I admire Mindy Berman (founder of IGS) for her scrappiness, ability to attract talent to her team, and raw horsepower; Diana Frazier (founder of FLAG Capital) for her ability to access anything she puts her mind to; Alexis Juneja (founder of Curbed) for her on-going investment in herself as a leader; and Jarah Euston (founder of FresnoFamous) for her passion for growth and data-driven mindset. I also admire my mother, Elaine Friedman (founder of CFAL), who serves as my lifelong daily example if I didn't see what I wanted out there in the world, I should build it myself.

What do you want LOLA to accomplish in the next year?
Jordana: We want LOLA to provide a better feminine care experience in a relatable, straightforward, and transparent way. Our grand vision is to provide every product for all women throughout their entire reproductive cycle. We want to empower women to make proactive and informed decisions about everything they put in their bodies.

Alex: Everything! Haha just kidding. We couldn't be more excited for 2016! We want to build the brand and get millions of women talking about transparency and natural tampons. They're already talking about natural in all other product categories, so the time for tampons is now.

WordPress Is Great, But It's Not Always The Best Solution

Before I dive into this slightly controversial topic, I want to make something readily clear:

This post is not an attack against WordPress. I use it. I know it. It's great!

With that being said, even though WordPress is one of the most beloved website building systems out there and powers 25% of the internet, that doesn't mean it's the best choice for everyone in the world who wants to build one.

Why not? Here are some reasons why.

Four Reasons WordPress May Not Be For You

It's Free, and That Get's Costly

Say what? How can something free get costly?

Well, think about it. Let's say you're planning to start a blog for your business.

There are many things that you need for a WordPress blog to work for your marketing purposes. Aside from spending time creating content, there is a lot of other expenses that you will incur:

• Hosting
• An SSL certificate
• WordPress Themes
• WordPress Plugins
• Paying for Support when things go wrong (and they do go wrong)

It may not seem like this stuff adds up, but over time and depending on what you need, it can get very expensive.

The Elegant Themes blog, an authority blog on all things WordPress, had this to say about it costs:

"After everything is added together, it can cost as little as $72.99 per year and as much as $33,162.18 per year to run a WordPress site."

That's a big price range. Now, chances are you're not going to be that person who is dropping $33K a year on a website. But realistically, you should expect to spend around $800 a year on it.

Need a visual? Here's the how that adds up.

The WordPress.org CMS software (that's the one we're talking about here) is free, but you need to pay for hosting.

To be clear, prices and features of some of the top WordPress hosting providers all vary, but let's just say you choose a hosting platform like Siteground.

Using them will run you an initial cost at $59.40 for that first year including the domain and domain privacy.

Keep in mind that this is only for the first year. Next year, the price will go up.

And now that you have hosting and WordPress installed, you need a theme. You could go the cheap route and only use a free theme. But eventually, you're going to want a new theme with more features that suit you.

You could find a popular theme like the ones on FancyThemes or CreativeMarket which will run you a cost between $35-$100+ or you may decide to choose a popular framework like Genesis which will cost you around $129 for both the Genesis Theme and a Child Theme.

After this, you need to spend time setting up the theme. And if you've never done this before and have no idea how to use WordPress, then you can count on a weekend full of troubleshooting. (More on this in a bit.)

But even after you have that done, you still need premium plugins like SumoMe to do things like collect emails, and you'll want a good email marketing platform like MailChimp or ConvertKit that allows for easier email automation.

And let's not forget the SSL Certificate.

Google has recently released that HTTPS (using an SSL Certificate which gives that little green security as seen above) would be a new ranking signal and if you're thinking that it's something you'll ignore for now, don't.

Google has stated that "over time, we may decide to strengthen it because we'd like to encourage all website owners to switch from HTTP to HTTPS to keep everyone safe on the web."

WordPress.org sites and most hosting don't come with SSL, but you have a few options when adding it to your site:

• Try to add a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt to your site.
• Buy an SSL certificate through your host provider and have them install it.

The first option will save you money since it's free, but it's an absolute nightmare to try and do it yourself so I wouldn't advise it.

The best option is to have you host provider install it, but that also means that you'll be out a bit more money. Most hosts sell SSL certificates from anywhere between $80 to $150 depending on your needs -- and that's an annual rate.

While it can be costly, it's something that Google is pushing, so you should really consider this move now before they push it harder.

Now, let's add that up the cost:

• $59.40 for hosting (first year's price)
• $82 SSL Certificate (annual cost)
• $129 for Genesis Framework (one-time fee)
• $240 for SumoMe (annual cost)
• $348 for ConvertKit (annual cost)

Rough total = $858.40 for first-year costs

Obviously, you could shop this down, but these aren't the sort of things to scrimp on when you're trying to run an online business.

WordPress Is Free, And That Means Support Is Hard To Come By

Like anything tech related, WordPress is going to have its glitches. Something as simple as updating WordPress, or themes and plugins, can wipe an entire site or end in what we in the WP community call "The White Screen of Death."

When that happens, you're going to want help fixing it 'cause that ain't easy to do alone.

But since WordPress is free, you won't find much support for fixing these issues except via the online forum. For real help, you'll need either really good hosting support or to go in search of someone who can fix the issue for you, and those people are even harder to find if you don't know where to look.

It's frustrating and has left many people with no choice but to start from scratch again.

Comes With A Learning Curve

While those who are considered more tech savvy can pick up WordPress rather quickly, there are some of us out there who just don't get it right away. If you've hit a little snag when trying to learn how to use it, don't feel bad.

There is a lot to learn when you've never touched it before. And I'm not just talking about how to create a new page or blog post, but the other things that go into it like:

• How to care and maintain a site that runs on WordPress
• If and when to update Plugins and Themes so that you don't break something
• Learning and using features within a Theme, and so on

Whether we like it or not, WordPress does come with a learning curve and it may take you quite a bit longer to learn how to use it than you previously thought.

Designing A Website Is Not That Easy

Learning curve aside, the biggest issue that most people gripe about with WordPress is that designing a site with it is tough.

And while there are page builders out there that make this easier, if you're not a web designer, adding those little touches that take a website to the next level is not going to be easy.

If you do decide to go the route of using a page-builder, just know that these also come with a learning curve. So no matter what, you'll have to learn a lot before you can design anything.

Wrapping It Up

These are just four of the main reasons why WordPress may not be the right choice for you. There are a lot of other choices out there that could be an even better fit. And if you're worried that WordPress is the only platform you can build a business on, don't fret.

There are a ton of people out there who have million dollar businesses on platforms other than WordPress and reaped the benefits.

For example, rockstar blogger Mariah Coz runs a $100K a month blog and has done six figure course launches with her SquareSpace powered site. Millionaire blogger Chris Ducker runs his blog on the RainMaker Platform as it offers a lot of marketing tools that suit him.

And the digital agency, WebAct uses the responsive website builder by Duda to create small business sites and high converting landing pages all the time. This list is obviously not exhaustive, but the point I want to drive home is this:

You don't need WordPress to run a profitable website or business.

There are a lot of great choices out there for building a website. And while many decide that WordPress is the way to go, others may want and need something else, and that's okay.

WordPress is just a tool for your business, and sometimes, it's the wrong tool for the job at hand.

Now it's just up to your own due diligence in figuring out if you should hop on the WordPress wagon or not. Either way, you know your business and goals best so whatever choice you make is the one you can rest easy with.

Apple's iPhone 7 Is Officially Ditching The Headphone Jack

Bye-bye, headphone jack. 

Apple on Wednesday announced it has ditched the headphone jack in the latest iPhone model, the iPhone 7 ― a move tech industry watchers had widely predicted.

The iPhone updates, along with a new Apple Watch and new App Store games, were among the big reveals at the company’s Wednesday press event in San Francisco.

The controversial move to eliminate the 3.5 mm headphone jack is aimed at speeding the adoption of high-end Bluetooth technology but could instead turn off many existing or potential Apple customers. 

iPhone 7 phones will be connectible to either Bluetooth headphones or wired headphones that fit Apple’s proprietary Lightning port (the latter will come packaged with the new phones).

Apple announced that a Lighting jack to traditional 3.5mm adapter would be included with every new iPhone 7. The company also announced AirPods, a wireless version of its popular white ear buds, that connect via Apple’s new W1 chip, a proprietary wireless technology, rather than Bluetooth. 

During the Wednesday announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook described iPhone 7 as “the best iPhone we’ve ever created,” in what has become customary language for every new iPhone iteration. 

While explaining the wireless enhancements to the iPhone 7, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller chalked up the elimination of the approximately 138-year-old technology to “courage.” 

Consumers and tech reporters quickly noted that Apple’s “courage” doubles as a selling point for the company’s proprietary AirPods ― which are priced at $159 a pair and do not come standard with the new phone. 

Apple was somewhat inadvertently scooped on its big design change just hours before announcing it. 

Shortly before the event started at 10 a.m. Pacific time, an Amazon landing page for iPhone 7-compatible accessories revealed some of the gadget’s specifications. The products listed indicated that the new phone would have a dual camera and included only wireless headphone options for sale. Amazon quickly deactivated links to iPhone 7 cases, which would have revealed more details of the new design.

As iPhones have become some of the most popular cameras in the world, Apple devoted a considerable amount of time to the new dual camera, more powerful lenses, photo filters and software on the iPhone 7.  

Apple hasn’t launched a significant new product since the debut of the Apple Watch in 2015 ― and with a high price tag and slow adoption, it has yet to become a blockbuster item like the iPod or iPhone. 

The newest edition of the watch, called Apple Watch Series 2, features a waterproof design with built-in GPS and improved fitness tracking and navigation capabilities. 

Mobile games, which in December 2015 alone netted $1 billion for the company, are likely to attract even more players: Apple announced a new Nintendo game, Super Mario Run, which can be played one-handed. Pokemon Go creator Niantic announced an Apple Watch-compatible version of the game. 

The major updates from the Apple event include: 

• No more 3.5mm headphone jack
• Stereo sound speakers for iPhone 
• Two new colors for iPhone 7: “glossy black” and “black” 
• More powerful iPhone camera lenses, dual lens camera on back
• Longer battery life than any previous iPhone 
• iPhone 7 is dust- and water-resistant
• The new Apple Watch Series 2 (now waterproof and with built-in GPS)
• New App store games with Nintendo and Niantic 

CORRECTION: This article previously said the iPhone 7 has surround sound speakers; in fact, it has stereo speakers.

Here's How America Can Solve Its Steel Crisis

China is gorging itself on steelmaking. It is forging so much steel that the entire world doesn’t need that much steel.

Companies in the United States and Europe, and unions like mine, the United Steelworkers, have spent untold millions of dollars to secure tariffs on imports of this improperly government-subsidized steel. Still China won’t stop. Diplomats have elicited promises from Chinese officials that no new mills will be constructed. Still they are. Chinese federal officials have written repeated five-year plans in which new mills are banned. Yet they are built.

All of the dog-eared methods for dealing with this global crisis in steel have failed. So American steel executives and steelworkers and hundreds of thousands of other workers whose jobs depend on steel must hope that President Barack Obama used his private meeting with China’s President XI Jinping Saturday to press for a novel solution. Because on this Labor Day, 14,500 American steelworkers and approximately 91,000 workers whose jobs depend on steel are out of work because China won’t stop making too much steel. 

A new report on the crisis, titled “Overcapacity in Steel, China’s Role in a Global Problem,” by the Duke University Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness flatly concludes that existing policies to stop China from building excessive steel capacity have failed.

Since 2007, China has added 552 million metric tons of steel capacity – an amount that is equivalent to seven times the total U.S. steel production in 2015. China did this while repeatedly promising to cut production. China did this while the United States actually did cut production, partly because China exported to the United States illegitimately subsidized, and therefore underpriced, steel.

That forced the closure or partial closure of U.S. mills, the layoffs of thousands of skilled American workers, the destruction of communities’ tax bases and the threat to national security as U.S. steelmaking capacity contracted.

Although China, the world’s largest net exporter of steel, knows it makes too much steel and has repeatedly pledged to cut back, it plans to add another 41 million metric tons of capacity by 2017, with mills that will provide 28 million metric tons already under construction.

None of this would make sense in a capitalist, market-driven system. But that’s not the system Chinese steel companies operate in. Chinese mills don’t have to make a profit. Many are small, inefficient and highly polluting. They receive massive subsidies from the federal and local governments in the form of low or no-interest loans, free land, cash grants, tax reductions and exemptions and preferential access to raw materials including below market prices.

That’s all fine if the steel is sold within China. But those subsidies violate international trade rules when the steel is exported. 

These are the kinds of improper subsidies that enable American and European companies to get tariffs imposed. But securing those penalties requires companies and unions to pay millions to trade law experts and to provide proof that companies have lost profits and workers have lost jobs. So Americans must bleed both red and green before they might see limited relief.

The Duke report suggests that part of the problem is that market economies like those in the United States and Europe are dealing with a massive non-market economy like China and expecting the rules to be the same. They just aren’t.

Simply declaring that China is a market economy, which is what China wants, would weaken America’s and Europe’s ability to combat the problems of overcapacity.  For example, the declaration would complicate securing tariffs, the tool American steel companies need to continue to compete when Chinese companies receive improper subsidies.

The Duke report authors recommend instead delaying action on China’s request for market economy status until China’s economic behavior is demonstrably consistent with market principles.

The authors of the Duke report also suggest international trade officials consider new tools for dealing with trade disputes because the old ones have proved futile in resolving the global conflict with China over its unrelenting overcapacity in steel, aluminum and other commodities.

For example, under the current regime, steel companies or unions must prove serious injury to receive relief. The report suggests: “changing the burden of proof upon a finding by the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel of a prohibited trade-related practice, or non-compliance with previous rulings by the WTO.”

It also proposes multilateral environmental agreements with strict pollution limits. Under these deals, companies in places like the United States and Europe that must comply with strong pollution standards would not be placed at an international disadvantage as a result, and the environment would benefit as well. 

In addition to the family-supporting steelworker jobs across this country that would be saved by innovative intervention to solve this crisis, at stake as well are many other jobs and the quality of jobs.

The Congressional Steel Caucus wrote President Obama before he left last week on his trip to Hangzhou for the G-20 Summit asking that he secure the cooperation of China and pointing out the large number of downstream jobs that are dependent on steel.

Also last week, the Economic Policy Institute issued a report titled “Union Decline Lowers Wages of Nonunion Workers.” It explained that the ability of union workers to boost nonunion workers’ pay weakened as the percentage of private-sector workers in unions fell from about 33 percent in the 1950s to about 5 percent today.

The EPI researchers found that nonunion private sector men with a high school diploma or less education would receive weekly wages approximately 9 percent higher if union density had remained at 1979 levels. That’s an extra $3,172 a year.

Many steelworkers are union workers. If those jobs disappear, that would mean fewer family-supporting private sector union jobs. And that would mean an even weaker lift to everyone else’s wages.

America has always been innovative. Now it must innovate on trade rules to save its steel industry, its steel jobs and all those jobs that are dependent on steel jobs. 

Some Career Advice For President Obama

Dear Mr. President:

In just a few months, your career will undergo a dramatic transformation. You will leave the office of chief executive of the free world and once again become a civilian — at an age when the average American still has a decade or more left in his or her working life. Like millions of baby boomers, you will have to navigate the final big chapter of your career.

I know you’re quite busy, but as you plan for this next phase, here are five pieces of unsolicited, but heart-felt, career advice:

1. You don’t need a two-year plan, you need a 20-year plan

Most people underestimate how long a career journey is in total and how many miles are still ahead. If you work well into your 70s, as many Americans do, you could easily have more than 30,000 hours of work life still in your future. How will you shape a post-presidential career that is rewarding, purposeful and sustainable?

You have already written three bestselling books, and a number of retired presidents have successfully turned their attention to speaking, writing and philanthropic work. While those who have come before can serve as models, you will have to chart your own course. How many speeches and books do you really want to write? Will that be sufficient to sustain you over another two decades?

As you ponder your options, ask yourself how each one stacks up on the four big career questions:

Will I learn?
Will I have impact?
Will I have fun?
Will I be fairly rewarded?

2. Build on your sweet spot

You will find your sweet spot at the intersection of three things: what you love, what you’re good at, and what the world values. Again, you can look to the paths that other leaders have taken once they’ve passed the peak of their careers. Al Gore built his later stage as a champion for combatting climate change. Mike Bloomberg is backing gun control, and Bill Gates has become a leading philanthropist, with a particular focus on infectious diseases. Judging by the moments where you have shown the most resolve and passion, it feels like your sweet spot can be found somewhere in the vicinity of healthcare and education.

3. It’s time to prune and cultivate your career ecosystem

One of the great things about being president is that you have almost unlimited access to resources and contacts. Everyone takes your calls. As a private citizen, you will need to edit down your contacts. Ask yourself which colleagues, experts and mentors will be important to your next chapter, not just your last one. Which are the relationships that bring you energy and joy, and amplify your expertise and impact? A career ecosystem is a powerful fuel that propels us forward to do even greater things. Which exciting new skills and connections will you need post-POTUS?

4. Keep playing basketball every week

In our work lives, it is often the non-work activities that act as vitamin shots to keep us fresh and energized. Your weekly hoop games have become legendary in Washington and they have probably helped keep you sane during the White House years. Find a way to keep up the tradition. Golf is okay, but basketball seems to hold a special place in your heart. It brings out your trash-talking competitive streak. It lets you bump into people and push them around. So find a way to keep up the ritual of Sunday basketball at Barack’s place. Just don’t be surprised if the competition seems to beat you a lot more now that you’re not president.

5. Stay healthy. If you have the urge to smoke again, take up the harmonica instead

You’ll get to enjoy these next decades and thousands of working hours in top health. By all accounts, you’ve done a great job cutting out the smoking. And you are certainly someone who understands the benefits of moderation — the seven-almond nightly snack makes good sense. But as a former 60- cigarette-a-day smoker, I know that the tobacco demon is an immensely powerful and seductive force. You cannot just wish it away or ignore it. You need to channel it. If the urge comes back, take up the harmonica. It is cheap, highly portable and remarkably satisfying for the orally fixated among us. Keep resisting the Marlboros and get your Mojo Working. Stevie Wonder and I will come over to give you lessons. 

Your career to date has been remarkable and unusual, but the stage you’re moving into now is one that all of us will navigate in our working lives. Build on your strengths, invest your time wisely and with purpose, and you will thrive for years to come.

Brian Fetherstonhaugh is author of the new book, The Long View: Career Strategies to Start Strong, Reach High, and Go Far, and Chairman and CEO of OgilvyOne Worldwide.

Highest Paying Jobs for High School Graduates

The typical college graduate in the United States makes roughly $23,000 more a year than the typical high school graduate. While a college degree generally qualifies workers for higher-paying jobs, there are a number of lucrative positions that require no more than a high school diploma.

To identify the highest-paying jobs for high school graduates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the 150 jobs reviewed that require just a high school education, 13 have median annual salaries higher than $60,000.

Some of the highest paying jobs that do not require a college degree still often require some training beyond high school. For example, before elevator installers and repairers can earn their ample salary ― the median is more than $80,000 ― nearly all must complete an apprenticeship program that typically lasts four years.

Click here to see the highest paying jobs for high school graduates.

In place of a college education, other high-paying jobs require related work experience. Of the 13 jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree and have a median pay of more than $60,000, only three are truly entry-level positions that require no experience or apprenticeships. For example, gaming managers often work for years as a dealer or slot supervisor before they are promoted to run the casino floor. The typical dealer earns $19,000 a year, less than one-third the median salary of a gaming manager.

Jobs with low educational barriers to entry can still yield high salaries if they are dangerous and stressful. Dangers associated with boilermaking and elevator repair include risk of severe burns and other injuries such as bruises and broken bones associated with falls. Other jobs can be especially stressful and emotionally taxing. Detectives can spend much of their working lives around death and suffering. A majority of workers in other high-paying fields, including subway and streetcar operators, report dealing with angry and unpleasant people on a daily basis.

To determine the highest-paying jobs for high school graduates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed occupational data from the BLS. Occupations were considered if the job required a high school diploma or equivalent, as listed by the BLS. The highest-paying jobs were identified as the 13 jobs with a median annual wage greater than $60,000. Total employment, projected employment change, the share of workers in a given occupation that are self-employed, the typical work experience required by an occupation, and the typical on-the-job training needed for an occupation also came from the BLS.

These are the highest-paying jobs for high school graduates.

13. Boilermakers
> Median annual wage: $60,120
> Typical training: Apprenticeship
> 2014 jobs: 17,400
> Projected change 2014-2024: 8.7%

Boilermakers are usually high school graduates who have completed an apprenticeship. Despite the relatively low educational requirements, boilermakers earn relatively high salaries at more than $60,000 a year. This is likely because the job is not that appealing to many. Building boilers, or large closed vats that hold hot liquids and gases, can be both physically demanding and dangerous. Common injuries on-the-job include burns, cuts, and broken bones due to falls. Additionally, boiler construction and repair jobs are often contractual and could require extended travel and long stays at worksites far from home.

Demand for boilermakers is projected to increase by 9% by 2024, slightly faster than demand for all occupations.

12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
> Median annual wage: $62,070
> Typical training: None
> 2014 jobs: 578,400
> Projected change 2014-2024: 10.0%

A high school diploma is often the highest formal degree needed for jobs such as construction foreman, field supervisor, and site superintendent. Such jobs regularly pay more than $62,000 a year. It may be difficult to find work as a construction or material extraction supervisor directly out of high school, however. Workers in these occupations typically have years of on-the-job experience or have completed an apprenticeship program.

Employment growth for construction and extraction supervisors is projected to outpace overall job growth between 2014 and 2024. The BLS projects a 10.0% increase in employment across the field, a faster rate than the 6.5% total labor force projected growth.

11. Subway and streetcar operators
> Median annual wage: $62,360
> Typical training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
> 2014 jobs: 12,000
> Projected change 2014-2024: 4.7%

Public transportation is a popular and practical option for many people living in major urban centers. Cities such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. have extensive public transit networks that each serve tens of millions of riders a year. Operating those public transit systems requires little more than a high school diploma and typically pays more than $62,000 a year.

While such jobs are often routine in nature, they can also be stressful. Subway and streetcar operators may be responsible for directing emergency evacuations, and a majority of workers in the field report dealing with unpleasant or angry people on a daily basis.

10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
> Median annual wage: $63,010
> Typical training: None
> 2014 jobs: 447,100
> Projected change 2014-2024: 5.4%

Supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers need to be able to manage, coordinate, and think critically. Job titles in the field include facilities manager, electrical foreman, and maintenance supervisor. While it takes a certain skill set to be effective in these jobs, it does not necessarily require formal education beyond high school. Despite the low educational barrier to entry, the typical worker in the field earns $63,010 a year, far more than than the $27,809 a year the typical worker with no more than a high school diploma earns.

9. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
> Median annual wage: $64,170
> Typical training: None
> 2014 jobs: 929,800
> Projected change 2014-2024: -1.9%

The typical farmer, rancher, and agricultural manager earns $64,170 a year. The different job titles often indicate different work places. While farmers and ranchers tend to own their own small family farms, agricultural managers mostly supervise work at larger agricultural establishments for companies or farmers. Similarly, while farmers are involved in all aspects of crop and livestock production, managers hire workers to carry out most of the physical labor tasks. Farm revenues can be unpredictable and dependent on a number of factors, such as the weather, and often times the government may subsidize income to ensure farmers earn a fair wage.

Most farmers and ranchers have some experience as a farmhand before coming into the position. While the job tends to require just a high school diploma, many universities offer postsecondary degrees in farm and land management.

8. Gaming managers
> Median annual wage: $68,380
> Typical training: None
> 2014 jobs: 3,800
> Projected change 2014-2024: -0.6%

The typical gaming manager earns $68,380 a year, more than any other worker in gaming services such as dealers or slot supervisors. Gaming managers are responsible for ensuring that the casino floor runs smoothly, walking table to table and addressing any complaints from customers that may arise. They also keep an eye out for potential cheaters and make sure that all customers and employees are following the establishment’s rules.

Gaming managers are typically promoted from lower positions in the casino after gaining a few years of experience. Las Vegas has the highest concentration of gaming managers of any metro area and offers them the highest salaries in the country.

7. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
> Median annual wage: $70,590
> Typical training: Short-term on-the-job training
> 2014 jobs: 19,400
> Projected change 2014-2024: -3.3%

Media and communication equipment workers mostly work in the motion picture and video industry. More than one-fourth of such workers live in the Los Angeles metro area, where the large film industry likely provides the most jobs. Film work can be inconsistent, which is one reason for the high minimum pay many entertainment-related workers unions require for their members. Many media and communication equipment jobs require workers to be in such unions, like the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Jobs may include crew positions such as boom operator, grip, gaffer, with the more specialized positions paying higher salaries. The typical media and communication equipment worker earns $70,590 a year, one of the highest salaries of any occupation that requires just a high school diploma.

6. Postmasters and mail superintendents
> Median annual wage: $70,640
> Typical training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
> 2014 jobs: 17,300
> Projected change 2014-2024: -26.2%

A majority of postmasters and mail superintendents have no more than a high school diploma in the way of formal education. While there is a low educational barrier to entry, postmasters need to have some on-the-job experience as well as management skills, organizational skills, and a knowledge of business administration. Those in such positions are relatively well compensated. A typical postmaster or mail superintendent makes more than $70,000 a year, more than all but five other jobs with similarly low formal education requirements.

However, the job may not be a viable option for high school graduates in the near future. The BLS projects a 26.2% decline in demand for postmasters and mail superintendents between 2014 and 2024.

5. Transportation inspectors
> Median annual wage: $70,820
> Typical training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
> 2014 jobs: 26,400
> Projected change 2014-2024: 1.2%

Transportation inspectors are responsible for conducting safety inspections for all modes of transportation, including flight and rail. The typical transportation inspector earns $70,820, more than all but just four other positions that require only a high school education. Nearly half of all transportation inspectors work for the government, and about a third work in the private transportation and warehousing industry.

Job outlook for the profession is somewhat less promising than the job market as a whole. Despite expectations that the trucking industry will grow in the coming years, the BLS projects that the number of transportation inspectors will grow by just 1.2% in the decade ending in 2024, far slower than the overall projected labor market growth.

4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
> Median annual wage: $72,300
> Typical training: None
> 2014 jobs: 430,700
> Projected change 2014-2024: 4.7%

The typical first-line supervisor of non-retail sales workers, which includes positions such as sales manager, branch manager, and sales supervisor, earns $72,300 a year. Such managers are responsible for supervising sales employees, and may also carry out budgeting, accounting, and personnel duties. While the job tends to require just a high school diploma, sales managers often work their way up from lower positions. Some first-line sales supervising jobs require up to five years of experience in a related position.

Many first-line supervisors may run their own businesses. More than 40% of such workers are self employed, one of the largest shares of any profession.

3. Detectives and criminal investigators
> Median annual wage: $77,210
> Typical training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
> 2014 jobs: 116,700
> Projected change 2014-2024: -1.2%

While police officers actively fight crime and enforce the law, detectives or criminal investigators are responsible for investigating crime scenes, gathering evidence, and compiling facts. While it is not necessary for a detective to have formal schooling past high school, the job is often contingent on successful completion of a training academy. Detective salaries tend to be far higher than nearly every other job with similar educational requirements. The typical detective earns more than $77,000 a year.

High salaries in the profession are due largely to the stresses and dangers associated with the job. Working in crime scenes often means working in close proximity to death and suffering.

2. Elevator installers and repairers
> Median annual wage: $80,870
> Typical training: Apprenticeship
> 2014 jobs: 20,700
> Projected change 2014-2024: 13.0%

While a college education is not a prerequisite to working as an elevator installer and repairer, most who work in the field have completed an apprenticeship. The job is one of only two in the United States where the typical person with no more than a high school diploma can earn more than $80,000 a year.

Like many high-paying jobs with a low minimum educational attainment threshold, working as an elevator installer can be especially difficult and dangerous. Workers often spend long hours in tightly enclosed areas such as elevator shafts and are susceptible to electrical burns, falls, and muscle strain. Because of the possibility of emergency repairs, elevator installers can be on call 24 hours a day.

1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
> Median annual wage: $86,630
> Typical training: None
> 2014 jobs: 111,600
> Projected change 2014-2024: 2.2%

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers can reasonably expect to earn more than $86,500 a year, the highest annual salary of any job that does not require formal education past high school. There are a range of job titles in the field, including distribution manager, shipping supervisor, warehouse manager, and transportation director. Job responsibilities typically include adhering to budgets, supervising workers, and directing dispatching and routing operations.

Demand for these workers is projected to grow at a slower rate than demand across all fields. Consequently, those with only a high school diploma may find it increasingly difficult to find work in the field.

Want more? Click here to see the lowest paying jobs for college graduates.

Click here to see the 18 jobs being replaced by robots.

Click here to see the 12 jobs being lost to China.

Click here to see the 25 fastest growing jobs.