Secret Service Reform?

Photo: Julia Pierson

A proposal came to the table this week seeking to remove Secret Service from the realm of Homeland Security(DHS). This action was proposed after a terrible week for the Secret Service, which included Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigning amid multiple reports of breaches in White House security. So, what are my thoughts on this proposition?

Well, the Secret Service has 6,500 employees to it- all of which have suffered since it was synced up with the DHS back in 2001. Right now, under the DHS umbrella, these 6,500 employees work as a team to combat counterfeiting and to protect current and former presidents, vice presidents and visiting heads of state. My issue isn't so much with the mission statement or the team work, but the being spread too thin part. For example, why isn't the treasury department handling counterfeiting? Well, because their staff isn't trained to spot certain terrorist patterns, where the DHS is and the secret service can be helpful within this type of associated task. Basically, without one- the other can't work as efficiently.

I do think the secret service should only be focused on protecting the president, but still should remain under the umbrella of the DHS because threats to the terrorist could involve terrorists. They should work hand-in-hand on these types of concerns, but independent ff one another when applicable. To put it in everyday terms, think about a clerk at an office. His or her job is to enter data into a computer system.The data is payroll. So, she enters it in and that is all she is responsible for, right? But what if she spots an error? Should she still enter it in? Or, should she call the supervising manager who turned in the data and point out the error? The two have to work together to solve the problem. If the clerk were to only stick to her job and enter in the error, the billing would be off and someone would be over or under paid. The supervising manager obviously made a mistake. For the benefit of the company- and basically all involved- working together , but in different capacities, was beneficial in the example.

I don't understand why we have to make things so complicated when it comes to common sense security issues. I also don't understand how forcing someone to resign rectifies any errors. Now, a new person can come in and the learning curve to start the security process can be that much more behind... right? Working together without overstepping one another only makes sense.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

The 2014 WILDE Leadership and Service Awards Gala

I love to meet my fans! If you want to support a great group of women, please consider buying tickets to the following event. Oh, and I am the keynote speaker!

he WILDE Leadership and Service Awards Fundraising Gala is an annual event held in the city of Atlanta that seeks to highlight and recognize proven leaders in the community who have shown a commitment to improving individual and community standards. Honorees exude excellence and integrity in their area of expertise, and stand as role models in society.

The event is known to motivate, inspire, educate and entertain while building networks in two incorporated folds:

WILDE The Runway- A Charity Fashion Show: is an extraordinary platform for designers in the fashion industry to showcase their creativity and artistic skills while creating awareness of different cultures through the display of artwork and dynamic designs. It also serves as a platform for highly talented fashion designers seeking more visibility. We have added an interesting twist to the 2014 WILDE The Runway by bringing to you an exclusive kids fashion show. You do not want to miss!

Awards Gala: is an evening of cocktails, entertainment and fine dining during which honorees will be presented with the 2014 WILDE Leadership & Service Awards. Among other amazing activities, there will be an engaging panel discussion involving extraordinary speakers from all over the nation speaking on “Women Embracing Life and Leadership.”

BENEFICIARIES

The 2014 WILDE Leadership and Service Awards Fundraising Gala will benefit WILDE Charities and Beauty4Ashes Foundation.

When: October 11, 2014
( 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm)
Future Vision
1212 Fowler St. NW,
Atlanta, Georgia

Tickets start at $45. You can buy them here: http://wildeawardsgala.org/purchase-tickets/

Defense Spending Cuts Impacting Business!

I read an interesting article this morning by Shobhana Chandra & Michelle Jamrisko. The article suggests that "The economy in the U.S. unexpectedly came to a standstill in the fourth quarter as the biggest plunge in defense spending in 40 years swamped gains for consumers and businesses." As a small business owner, who works in the homeland security industry, the opinions of Chandra and Jamrisko were really interesting.

I'm note sure if, like the article and research suggests, one item directly impacts the other. The average business owner normally doesn't start or stop spending money because of defense spending. My personal business could be harmed- but not the average business owner. I'm surprised to read that businesses are starting to move slightly. With the 'Obamacare' insurance costs adding stress to business owners, a sign (even if a little one) in the positive direction - is a great sign!

Look, the truth be told is that you and I can go over the chicken and the egg of what budget cuts and budget spending led to what business cuts and business spending. There is no real proof! Each business owner has his or her own set of concerns and limits. There is no black and white reasoning that stretches across the board! I want to open this up to a discussion so I can better form an opinion as to if you, the reader, cares how the government spends money and if it directly impacts you as a business owner.

Send me a DM on Twitter or write a note here!

Twyla http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-30/economy-in-u-s-unexpectedly-shrinks-as-defense-spending-plunges.html

The Transition of Employee to Entrepreneur

            Are you tired of working for someone else? Do you think that you would be happier as a boss of your own business? Before you take the plunge, consider looking into the business opportunities available to you at your current job. Your job could potentially help set up the foundation for you to be a successful solopreneur. In the off chance you decide to go your own way from your job and own your own business, here are some tips to help transition you from employee to entrepreneur.

            The first thing to consider is deciding between your professional and industry skills. You may be knowledgeable on certain topics, but passionate about others. Which one will make you happier? This is something to consider when making the transition. You want to take into account the most profitable business move, but also keep in mind that this is YOUR business and it should be interesting and fun for you as well.

            Secondly, you should find the trends that are driving your industry. Within every industry are strengths and weaknesses. It is important for you as the potential business owner to be educated in such topics. Being able to indentify the trends in the market will help your business in finding success.

            Third, you need to find your sweet spot. Once you figure out what the industry trends are, it is important to react and figure out what clients want. If a client needs something new and you are first to react upon it you have a really good shot at turning that into winning sales. You also need to keep in mind what YOU want. If you are merely leaving your job because you are fed up with it, that is not a long-term success factor. You will need to figure out what you would like to do and turn that into an ambition or goal.

            Lastly, work your network. When you are about to launch your business, use your connections that you have made to give it a jump-start. It is beneficial to talk with people already within the industry to get some pointers and success tips. Since they have previous experience and have started up their own business, they would be the most useful people to be in contact with.

“Fighting the fiscal cliff.”

As a business owner, I have great concerns about the looming fiscal cliff. Last week I was invited to The White House to discuss this specific issue with other business owners and the President’s staff. The greatest concern for me is a real fear of a double-dip recession. It seems that who I did or didn’t vote for no longer matters. Why? Well, simply put, the gridlock in congress is preventing this country, and businesses like mine, from moving forward. A week marketplace, a conflicted nation, and a failure to formulate a basic pay-as-you-go system all are contributing to this culture of “fighting the cliff” vs. “fighting each other.” Let’s put aside our differences as to what approach is “right” and make finding common ground our priority as a nation.

To be more specific, I believe the only deal that will truly bring down our national debt must include both spending cuts AND revenue. It is just common sense! Business owners know this, people who run a household (on any budget) know this, so why can’t congress understand this? Furthermore, I’m frustrated because if we, as a nation, go over this “cliff,” consumer spending is predicted to drop, impacting businesses by $200 billion less in revenue for the incoming year! And, it just ins’t a drop in revenue that will result in layoffs. The loss in revenue will force small businesses, such as mine, that support the so-called big businesses to close!

Businesses small and large are guaranteed to suffer if this country goes off the “cliff.” As of December 13th, House Speaker John Boehner met with the President in what seemed to be a half-hearted attempt, between both parties, to find common ground on raising taxes and cutting entitlement spending on programs like Medicare and Social Security. After an hour, we weren’t any closer to moving towards a deal.

Business owners have to fight the cliff. Voices have to be prominently heard in order to hurry congress along and have them really invest in a deal that would restore both confidence in our political system followed by confidence in our marketplace.

Twyla Garrett
Business Owner