Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
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High School Students Can Start Building their Brand Using these Strategies
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
On the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank, Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso talk to Stacey Ross-Cohen, the president and CEO of Westchester-based Co-Communications, Inc. and the author of “Brand Up: The The Ultimate Playbook for College & Career Success in the Digital World.”
Produced by Carousso Enterprises, LLC.
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Knicks, Rangers Playoffs Elevate Event VIP’s Exclusive Experiences
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso chat with Event VIP Co-Founder Jason Berger on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank.
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Gowzon App Tells You ‘What’s Going On’
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
On this WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank, Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso talk to Gowzon of Connecticut founder Andrea Caldwell about their new location-based app that displays local events and establishments.
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Local Manufacturing Still Strong for Westchester’s Ball Chain 85 Years Later
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — When the COVID-19 pandemic hit three years ago, local manufacturing became a critical need in the national emergency. But, there are few companies manufacturing all of their products in the United States.
Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc. is the only U.S. supplier of ball chains remaining and the largest in the world. That type of chain is used for ceiling fans, hand bags and dog tags. Ball Chain is the exclusive supplier of dog tags to the U.S. military.
The secret to Ball Chain’s longevity: innovation and automation.
“Prior, when people could easily purchase chains overseas, we automated as much as we possibly can,” said president Bill Taubner on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank.
The Mount Vernon-based manufacturer can make more than 100,000 pieces and connect the chain without human labor.
“By adding that automation, that’s enabled us to really stay competitive throughout the industry,” said Taubner.
The company was founded by his great-grandfather Frank and his father Val out of their garage in the Bronx in 1938. Bill Taubner is the fourth-generation leader. Today, Bill works alongside his two brothers on daily operations while his father remains chairman.
Ball Chain Manufacturing has added services through the years, including painting the chains after they acquired a client and hired their employees. They have a product line called Shimmer Screen that are used as curtains and partitions at corporate headquarters such as LinkedIn, Crate & Barrel and Logan Airport in Boston.
It was also one of the manufacturers that stepped up during the pandemic. They created a whole new business by distributing masks for hospital workers.
“We quickly found out that the mask industry was full of nefarious people – a lot of people who were bringing counterfeit masks to markets,” Taubner said. “We never purchased from any middlemen, agents, third parties, intermediaries. And we put people could count on us for authentic masks that met standards.”
Ball Chain’s Bona Fide Masks now has more than a million customers worldwide.
See how Ball Chain Manufacturing continues to grow and spot the right business opportunities on the Small Business Spotlight video above.
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3 Things Your CEO Must Do To Advance Mental Wellness In The Workplace
CEOs are beginning to recognize the importance of advancing mental wellness at work, especially as talent remains a top concern. Here are the things a CEO must do to advance mental wellness according to a top sports psychologist.
By Ana Reed, Founder & CEO of Newmanity, Inc
Produced and edited by Neil A. Carousso, Founder, President & Owner of Carousso Enterprises, LLC.
As seen in
CEOs are beginning to recognize the importance of advancing mental wellness at work, especially as talent remains a top concern over the coming years.
I spoke to Dr Corey Yeager who is the Psychotherapist for the Detroit Pistons and who has worked with different influential organizations including the Oprah Winfrey Company.
Dr Yeager speaks openly about how executives and organizations still have a way to go when it comes to normalizing mental wellness. When it comes to physical wellness, we have seen far greater advancement. Generally people in organizations are free and comfortable to discuss their physical health, however mental wellness still carries a stigma, and we are not quite there yet with appreciating and normalizing the importance of mental wellness.
There are many things organizations can do to advance mental wellness. Here are some of the top tips as discussed with Dr Corey Yeager.
Hire qualified therapeutic practitioners and promote psychoeducation.
Many companies are focused on strategic initiatives that will promote overall well being, but often still miss the mark on mental health. The simple fact is that mental wellness cannot effectively advance without the help of qualified therapeutic practitioners.
Many organizations are set up with external coaches, consultants and Employee Assistance Programs to help their employees, but are not yet focused enough on holistic therapeutic and strategic intervention. As Dr Yeager mentions, “therapeutic staff are needed within corporations, just as they are now used in sports teams”.
By providing psychoeducation through the use of qualified practitioners, CEOs and their companies can really advance the agenda of mental wellness at work, set an example for other companies and inturn, benefit from the results of increased performance and productivity.
Know how the “treatment” and “healing” of mental health can impact culture
For many companies, healing is an essential part of building a healthy culture. A culture of healing will offer people a safe space to improve their mental wellness and hence improve the overall wellbeing and productivity of a workforce.
Dr Yeager makes an important distinction for CEOs and organizations to understand. That there is a difference between the “treatment” and “healing” of mental health. He says that “healing is an inner process and can only occur within the individual, team and organization once the problems have been identified and correctly treated”.
CEOs and organizations that better equip themselves to effectively treat the problems of mental health will in turn facilitate greater healing, which will benefit the culture in the long term.
Empower the next generation as they will demand better equity and care across mental wellness
Dr Yeager speaks about the next generation of leaders, and it is them who will advance the mental wellness space, and demand greater access and transparency when it comes to solutions for mental wellness. Companies will be forced by the next generation to offer more personal and digital intervention, so it is up to them to be prepared for this change. Leaders in companies can start now by better understanding the needs of this generation, and what their likely impact will be.
There is a new normal for mental wellness that is evolving in the workplace. Some organizations are embracing this change, while others are far from normalizing mental wellness. CEOs can start by promoting psycho education, hiring the right therapeutic professionals, focusing on improving their culture through mental wellness and preparing for the next generation of talent.
To learn more about how you can improve your mental wellness as a leader, you can purchase Dr Corey Yeager’s new book How Am I Doing? 40 Conversations To Have With Yourself.
Ana Reed is the CEO and Founder of Newmanity, a global executive coaching and leadership consultancy. Ana is an award winning entrepreneur, thought leader, Forbes Council Member and ICF, PCC Accredited Coach. Using a transformative human-centered methodology, her company Newmanity enables leaders and organizations to realize their full ambition and maximize their human capital. Together with New York City-based production company Carousso Enterprises, LLC., which is owned and operated by award-winning journalist Neil A. Carousso, Ana is engaged in creating content around leadership, human performance and CEO best practice. To receive insider access to Newmanity’s exclusive content, email hello@newmanity.co.
