The Rise & Grind Blog, From Pure Grind Coffee
Video Conferencing Pro-Tips : Put On Some Freaking Pants
Right now, life is freaking hard. It’s stuck in line at your least favorite coffee chain being served overly-sweetened, burnt coffee hard. But we’ll adapt. It’s what we do. We hustle, we grind, we go with the flow, and we make the most of it. It means learning to work at home, to shut out the noise, the distraction, and get shit done.
It also means learning to navigate how to actually get shit done at home. Meetings don’t stop just because it feels like the world did. Most businesses have chosen Zoom as their video conferencing platform of choice. If you’re new to this whole video conferencing thing, we’ve got your cheat sheet to zooming success.
Put In The Work
Put in the Work First things first — everyone wants to see your dog. Stop pushing Sgt. Fluffers out of the screen, and let them join the meeting. This is your pet’s moment to shine, and who knows, they may have a lot to say on today’s boring assed topic.
Now that you know your dog is more important than you, it’s time to learn how to use the video conferencing platform. Just like everything, there’s a learning curve, and it’s up to you to actually learn how to use the platform.
Scheduling
Learn how to schedule a meeting. We’re all pressed for time, and no one has the twenty minutes to waste while you figure out how to set up the Zoom call in the first place. Quickly schedule a meeting by pressing ⌘Cmd + I on a kickass Mac or Alt + I on a crappy PC.
Angle That Camera
Listen, we know the best part of working from home is that you only have to be business up top. But please, for everyone’s sake, put on some pants — and double-check that the camera only shows you from the waist up. No one wants to see your underwear.
Audio
If you’re not talking, mute your microphone. No one wants to hear the background noise of Sharon’s dishwasher throughout the entire meeting or your screaming parakeet Mikey. Take the time to learn how to quickly mute and unmute your audio. For Macs, just hit ⌘Cmd + Shift + A, and for PC users, hit Alt + A.
Video
We might want to see your cat, but we don’t want to see your cat’s butthole, so learn how to shut off your video without leaving the meeting. To quickly turn off your video, hit ⌘Cmd + Shift + V on a Mac or Alt + V on a PC.
Security
Let’s talk zoom-bombs, the term for when unsavory characters hijack your video conference and use it as an opportunity to share crude and lewd imagery. Most people have been blaming zoom-bombs as a security flaw within the platform, but they’re actually a result of user error. Zoom has plenty of features that prevent strangers from hijacking your meeting, so learn how to use them.
Password
Like most things you want to keep secure, you should set a password for each and every Zoom meeting you create. When you set up a meeting, just check off the box that says “Require a meeting password.” And for the love of God, make it something creative. Every internet troll is going to guess that your password is the company name. At least add a 123 to the end of it.
Unique Meeting ID
Zoom assigns a meeting ID to every conference. If you don’t tell it to generate a random ID, it’s going to use the one associated with your account. This means once someone has your ID, they have access to basically every call you make. Take full control of your meeting by generating a random ID each time.
Waiting Room
You guessed it — Zoom’s waiting room is indeed a waiting room. Attendees wait here for the host to let them in. Someone in the waiting room that you don’t know? Don’t let them in. It’s as simple as that.
We’re living in a different world, but that’s no excuse to stop hustling. Rolling with the punches is what we do. So keep going, keep grinding, and keep making it happen. Now more than ever, it’s your time to kick some ass, and please, put on some damn pants — even if no one can see them.
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A Hustlers Toolkit: Technology Entrepreneurs Should Use
You’re a damn entrepreneur in the 21st century, an era of technology. There is no freaking reason why you should be out there hustling and not using technology. How do you expect to network? How do you expect to take your brand to the next level? Technology is rapidly advancing — like you are, and every day, there are better solutions for modern businesses. Your clientele needs to be aware that you know what the hell you’re talking about. Know what’s out in the world and how you both can benefit from it. Take it from us, Pure Grind Coffee, the purists, the snobs, the no-nonsense, no-bullshit brand of beans. Not only do we have good coffee, but it comes with a side of entrepreneurial wisdom. You need to be keeping up with tech tools if you want to save money, make a living, and be successful. Blow your audience away by incorporating these tech tools in your everyday hustle.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Remember the movie “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” in 2001? Take notes from one of the entertainment industry’s most notable hustlers. Steven Spielberg is truly a God and always ahead of his time. The film gave us an advanced look at the future of robotics. Yes, freaking robots! AI can come in many forms, including Siri, Tesla’s self-driving smart cars, and home assistants by companies like Amazon’s Alexa. AI assists in fraud detection, personalizing your shopping experience, and so much more. Ditch the mindless, time-consuming tasks and hand them off to your digital assistant, make that digital assistant your bitch. Every second is power and money you don’t want to lose or waste. Futuristic technologies like AI have been picked up by tech giants years ago, so what the heck are you waiting for?
Virtual And Augmented Reality (VR/AR)
Virtual and Augmented Reality has been around for some time, but have become widely popular fairly recently. The entertainment industry is being advanced with VR movies and games. Products like Google Lens allow your camera to explore what you see. Translate text, add events to your calendar, call numbers, and do so much more. Are you curious about a business you passed by? Snap a photo of it, then let Google Lens do the work for you. The function will pull up the name of the business, ratings, and other information. Could this be a potential partner? Let Google grab the creds and let you know. It’s magic in the palm of your hands.
Drones
Drones are everywhere now. Do you have one? If you work in transportation, logistics, agriculture, or security, you seriously need to get on it. These industries previously used helicopters, cranes, and more human, expensive labor. The product is growing in the market and if you want to be an expert in your field, you need to be up to date. Even if you’re not in those commercial work, drones can be used for leisurely activities or professional gigs, such as photography. They are affordable, so it’s time for you to capitalize on it. Stop horsing around and go for a serious ride. We’ll be on the other end waiting with the best damn coffee you ever had.
It’s time to get focused and research tech products for your hustler’s toolkit. So, pour a cup of Pure Grind and get going. Don’t forget your coffee grinder and French press, perhaps some of the most important freaking technologies of all!
LOW Tech Essentials
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