Emily Kitazawa

Emily found her love of reading and writing at a young age, learning to enjoy these activities thanks to being taught them by her mom—Goodnight Moon will forever be a favorite. As a young adult, Emily graduated with her English degree, specializing in Creative Writing and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), from the University of Central Florida. She later earned her master’s degree in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University. Emily loves reading fiction, especially modern Japanese, historical, crime, and philosophical fiction. Her personal writing is inspired by observations of people and nature.

Why Critics Say Ranked-Choice Voting Is a Bad Idea

Why is ranked-choice voting (RCV) a bad idea? What drawbacks have critics identified? How successful has RCV been in elections so far? Ranked-choice voting is a system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots, and it’s gaining popularity across the United States. However, critics say ranked-choice voting is a bad idea due to its complexity and potential to waste votes. Keep reading to learn why critics say ranked-choice voting is a bad idea for the U.S.

How to Promote Core Values in the Workplace: Full Guide

Want to know how to promote core values in the workplace? How can you build and communicate a system of values in your organization? Considering the benefits of well-defined core values, it can be tempting to simply dictate values to your staff, says Patrick Lencioni. However, employees struggle to embrace assigned values. Lencioni advises you to instead identify the values that employees already strive for and turn them into official policy. Keep reading to learn how to promote core values in the workplace, according to Lencioni’s advice.

How to Develop a Business Plan That’s Simple Yet Useful

Want to know how to develop a business plan that’s simple yet actionable? What do business experts recommend? Anything You Want author Derek Sivers takes a non-traditional approach to business ownership by centering on honesty, creativity, and humanity. By following his concept of developing a business plan, you can learn how to take small steps toward turning your business dream into a reality. Read on to learn how to develop a business plan, according to Derek Sivers’s advice.

The 3 Parenting Research Challenges New Parents Face

What parenting research should new parents know about? What challenges do new parents encounter when seeking advice? Health economist Emily Oster offers parenting advice in Cribsheet—her bestselling book about making data-based parenting decisions. In Cribsheet, she also explains how new parents face three difficult challenges when researching parenting advice for common concerns, like when to start potty training. Read on to find out the three parenting research challenges Oster identifies in her book.

How to Improve Team Culture: The 3 Steps to Take

Want to know how to improve team culture? How can you use company values in team building? Patrick Lencioni is the author of many books on leadership, including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Ideal Team Player. In The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, he explains how to improve team culture in a series of actionable steps. Read on to learn how to improve team culture in three steps, according to Lencioni.

How to Keep Employees Happy: 4 Free & Effective Ways

Wondering how to keep employees happy? Which methods are free, yet most effective? Author and entrepreneur Derek Sivers wrote Anything You Want to show business owners how to pursue their dreams successfully while maintaining humanity and empowering their employees. In his book, he explains how to keep employees happy using four management methods that create lasting results. Read on to learn how to keep employees happy, according to Sivers’s advice.

Threats to Election Workers Might Make Voting Harder

What’s causing the recent election threats? Why are poll workers being impacted? How could voting be affected? Heading into the midterm elections, threats and political pressures have left the U.S. with a potential shortage of election workers to staff polling locations. A sufficient number of election workers is crucial to the democratic process and to running elections smoothly. Keep reading for an overview of the poll worker shortage and election threats facing the 2022 midterm elections.

Data-Driven Decisions in Parenting: A How-To Guide

How do you make data-driven decisions as a parent? What is actionable data? How do you apply data to your situation? Health economist Emily Oster claims that decisions around parenting are often overwhelming because you must navigate moral judgments, contradictory advice, and confusing data. In Cribsheet, she explains how to make data-driven decisions in parenting by gathering actionable data. Read on for Oster’s guide to making data-driven parenting decisions, including each step involved.

Could the Protests in Iran Lead to Government Reform?

Why are there protests in Iran? Could the recent protests lead to lasting reforms? Violent protests are sweeping Iran as citizens condemn a woman’s death in police custody and, more broadly, the government’s oppressive theocratic rule. However, Iranians have protested the regime before and failed. Read on to learn more about the protests in Iran and if they have the potential to cause government reform.

3 Rules for Building Good Relationships With Customers

How can you build good relationships with customers? How do you prioritize customer needs without losing sight of your own? In Anything You Want, Derek Sivers gives recommendations for building a business that meets customers’ needs while still fulfilling your passions. To stay connected to your customer base, he advises business owners to focus on the needs of many small customers rather than one or two large ones. Read on to learn Sivers’s three essential rules for building good relationships with customers.