Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Upwork Reveals the Fastest-growing Freelance Skills for Marketers in the U.S.

A man studying new freelance skills while sitting at a desk

Marketers are continuously asked to do more with less: In addition to mastering traditional marketing duties like customer marketing and demand generation, they’re tasked with juggling changing technology platforms and new marketing channels that emerge. Increasingly, marketing leaders are able to meet these challenges head-on by leveraging freelancers.

Freelancers tend to be the “canaries in the coal mines” when it comes to emerging skills. They are proactively guiding their careers and therefore on the lookout for the most marketable new skills. As a result, when businesses need someone with the latest skills, they can often find freelancers with the expertise they need.

My team at Upwork collaborates with up to 25 freelance marketers at any given time. Freelance experts enable us to tap into specialized skills that are often hard to get in-house, such as illustration, marketing automation or motion graphics. These are just a few examples of the many types of skills businesses are hiring U.S.-based freelancers for though.

To give you an idea of the skills that are most in-demand, here are the top 20 fastest-growing marketing skills freelancers are providing:

Emerging Themes & Trends

Higher-level strategic skills like brand strategy and communications both saw accelerated growth in Q1. The beginning of the year saw companies tap into marketers to help build their annual plans, and they’re also engaging communications specialists who can help execute those plans to raise brand awareness. Instagram marketing in particular experienced high growth last quarter, as marketers increasingly use Instagram Stories to tell more vibrant and detailed stories and also leverage it as a cost-effective ad platform.
As marketers are asked to do more across multiple platforms, a good project manager is critical to improve efficiency and maintain high standards of execution. In Q1, Asana was the project management tool of choice among marketing teams. Not only was Asana work tracking the fastest-growing marketing skill but it was also the fastest-growing skill overall out of more than 3,500 skills on Upwork, crowning itself the first non-tech skill to ever top the list. Professionals also streamline processes by relying on various automation tools and techniques such as Marketo marketing automation and Pardot, which both facilitate engaging the right customers at scale.
Video storytelling is a powerful tool, and the surge in demand for videography last quarter indicates that more companies are investing in new ways to show their brand’s personality to meaningfully connect with customers. Storyboarding—a popular method used to visualize how a video will unfold—also saw an increase in demand, as did sound editing and 3D animation. As Brenton Williamson of BambooHR said, video is a window into culture and lets people see that they’re dealing with real humans who care and are willing to give you their time.
Performance optimization and measurement are integral parts of any marketing plan. A/B testing has become a fundamental methodology for site experimentation with Optimizely as the platform of choice; and Google Analytics also saw a surge in demand in Q1 as marketing teams want to take advantage of its robust reporting capabilities and deep integration with Google AdWords.

To learn more about the hottest skills on Upwork, see the most recent Upwork Skills Index here >>

The post Upwork Reveals the Fastest-growing Freelance Skills for Marketers in the U.S. appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Salon Visual Merchandising 101: 7 Elements of Retail Displays That Drive Sales

How to Start Your Day on the Right Track

A woman sitting at her computer prepares to start her day on the right track

Starting the day on the right track can work wonders for your productivity. We asked the Upwork Facebook community how they do it. From taking “me time” to using the first moments of the day to plan, these freelance business owners have it all figured out.

Check out these tips and maybe give one or two a try to see if there is one that will work for you, too!

“I make sure that my day starts right by:

Eating Right. You cannot perform well if your body (and brain) is deprived of the nutrients and energy it needs. A healthy breakfast with a cup of coffee will do the trick. Setting Goals. Having goals or things you want to accomplish within the day will give you a clearer way on how to utilize your time for that day.
Setting Goals. Having goals or things you want to accomplish within the day will give you a clearer way on how to utilize your time for that day. Getting Motivated. When you are motivated to achieve your goals for the day, then your focus will be geared towards achieving those goals.
Getting Motivated. When you are motivated to achieve your goals for the day, then your focus will be geared towards achieving those goals.Setting a Good Vibe. Positive mind, positive thoughts equates to a positive day!”
Setting a Good Vibe. Positive mind, positive thoughts equates to a positive day!”— Dingyull Delos Santos

— Dingyull Delos Santos

“I start my day by counting my blessings. I believe that remembering the things I am grateful for is the best way to start the day. It helps me sort my priorities. It motivates me to give my 110% efforts. It also keeps my mind on the bigger picture and prevents me from getting caught up in small things.”

— Rico Caminse

“At the start of the day, I put all my tasks that are supposed to be completed that day in Trello. I also specify how much time they will take (it doesn’t matter if the contract is hourly or fixed rate). I keep in mind that I have to complete the tasks in the specified time. In this way I can stay focused and am able to tell if I am on track or not.”

— Daniyal Ahmad

“[To start my day right I need] a well-lit room, a clutter-free table, well-organized working materials, a cup of coffee, and my daily dose of Upwork.”

— Elena C. Dalla Corte

“When I wake up, I check my emails first for the following 4 reasons:

Is there something pending? Something not taken care of?
Are there any updates or revisions from my clients?
Are there any interview invitations?
What’s due today or maybe tomorrow?

This helps me keep my profile and portfolio right on track.”

— Farooq Shah

“I start with a glass of water and some morning yoga. Always make time for yourself before you jump into your work day.”

— Samantha Kwm

“Start the day right by waking up with the body, mind, and soul full of positivity. Positive thinking will always be a way to attract positive things.”

— Tin Paulo

“I treat my freelance work like I would a traditional job. I make sure I’m at my desk and working by a certain time, I make sure I take a lunch break, and I make sure I end the day by a certain hour so I don’t end up with freelancer burnout. It is easy to become a workaholic when you work from home, so finding balance is key for me—and a schedule is super important for that.”

— Nikki Hansen

How do you do you make sure you start your day on the right foot? Tell us in the comments!

Editor’s note: Responses edited for grammar, spelling, and clarity. The statements above are those of their authors and do not constitute the views or opinions of Upwork.

The post How to Start Your Day on the Right Track appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Monday, May 29, 2017

Upwork Android App Update Helps You Hire Freelancers On the Go

Friday, May 26, 2017

Trending Hair Colors This Week

Time and again, our #HolisticHairTribe has shown us that when it comes to talent, our community always delivers. And so as we inch closer to summer, you can expect to see more lighter hair colors in the coming weeks. But for now, we’re offering a sneak peek of what’s to come.

Check out our favorite hair colors this week:

Flaming Red Hair Color Formula

Hair by Anna Lundeberg

Getting the perfect red is a huge task for many hair stylists, because not all reds are the same. You get it wrong and it can look unnatural. But when you get it right, it can turn people’s heads.

Roots: Oway Hcolor 4.56 Red Mahogany Brown with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Mids: Oway Hcolor 6.66 Deep Red Dark Blonde with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Ends: Oway Hcolor 8.66 Deep Red Light Blonde with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Platinum Ash Hair Color Formula

Hair by Heather Leigh Ford

Tired of your regular blonde hair? This Platinum Ash hair color by Heather is a great color to freshen up your look. We recommend adding some shadow root to give your hair more dimension.

Balayage: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 30 Volume Cream Developer

Pull through (Midshaft + Around Parietal and Crown): Oway Hcolor 6.1 Ash Dark Blonde + Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Toner: Oway Hcolor 11.17 Frosted Platinum + Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Nude Blonde Hair Color Formula

Hair by Danielle of goodhairla

Don’t you just love it when you get your desired balay without having to add any toners? This Nude Blonde by Danielle only used Oway creamy plant butter-based lightener and developer to create this babe hair.

Balayage: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Nude Blonde Hair Color Formula

Hair by Summer Reid

Because one Nude Blonde is not enough. Here’s another perfect blonde balayage Summer did for a client – no toner needed!

Balayage: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 30 Volume Cream Developer

Salted Caramel Hair Color Formula

Hair by Meredith Johnson

When it comes to deliciously blended balayage, we know we can always rely on Meredith to deliver. This one though is a true balayage (meaning she didn’t use any foils), and we’re nothing but impressed.

Painted: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener and Oway Hcatalyst 30 Volume Cream Developer

Toner (10 mins): 2 parts Oway Hcolor 11.17 Frosted Platinum + 1 part Oway Hcolor 7.1 Ash Blonde with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Champagne Peach Hair Color Formula

Hair by Michaela Svanfelt

If you’re not quite into the Rose Gold trend but want something softer, this Champagne Peach hair color by Michaela is a great alternative. It has the charm of pink and gold combined, only more muted.

Lightening: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener with Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Toner: 30 mL Oway Hcolor 11.17 Frosted Platinum + 30 mL Oway Hcolor 10.1 Ash Extra Light Blonde + 3 mL Oway Hcolor 0.6 Red Booster with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Which are your favorites this week?

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Thursday, May 25, 2017

RICE BRAN OIL BENEFITS: The Asian Secret to Beautiful, Healthy Hair

Modernizing Upwork with Micro Frontends

Sep Nasiri leads the UI Infrastructure Team at Upwork. The Infrastructure Team creates and maintains many of the tools and libraries used by the various frontend product teams.

Over the last few years our focus has been on modernizing the Upwork stack to improve performance and reliability. My attention was recently drawn to a note about “Micro Frontends” in the thoughtworks Technology Radar, an approach we have been following as part of our modernization effort. I’d like to share the challenges we have faced and how we have gone about solving them. It might be worth noting that we have not traditionally used the term ‘micro frontends,’ but I have a feeling this may change as a result of the more formal documentation referenced above.

Upwork began to modernize its frontend sometime after we started to modernize our backend. For the backend, we chose to embrace a microservices architecture. The reasons for our choice of microservices (and our modernization effort on the whole) is described in this blog post written by our CTO.

We felt that many of the same reasons for using microservices on the backend could be applied to the frontend: enabling the various frontend teams to iterate at their own pace, then releasing when ready; risk isolation; and, the ability to experiment with new technologies easier.

Many of the requirements for micro frontends are the same for microservices: Monitoring, healthchecks, logging, instrumentation, metrics, etc. However, breaking up the frontend monolith also presented its own challenges. In frontend design, the user must be presented with a UI that looks and feels consistent. There are UI elements that appear on many pages. The separation of concerns isn’t always as clear as it is for backend services.

Navigation

The first issue we encountered when we started experimenting with micro frontends was how to handle our navigation menu. Our navigation menu is not simple static HTML; it can vary from user to user. For example, the items a user sees in the navigation menu is based on a complex permissions logic and changes depending on that user’s context. Much of this logic was embedded within the frontend monolith. Untangling it to create a clean library would be a major refactoring project—something we did not wish to invest in. In addition to this, we wanted to start using a more modern PHP framework for our micro frontends, which further complicated things.

The first method we used to solve this problem was really just a hack. We created an endpoint in our monolith that would serve only the navigation HTML. The new micro frontend would request this endpoint, forwarding the needed authentication information, then just drop the response into its output. We could have done something similar with an AJAX request but we chose not to. (The memory containing the reasoning for that has since been freed by my brain’s garbage collection). This quick hack may have been a suitable solution to start but it was certainly not going to work in the long term. After all, we wanted to replace the monolith, not make it a dependency of our new frontend.

The idea to make the new micro frontends delegate the navigation logic made sense to us. Instead of delegating to the monolith, we decided we needed a Navigation Service. We built an Agora service that would contain all the messy permission logic and return the structure of our navigation. We wanted to remove business logic from the frontend anyway. The service does not return HTML but only a logical (JSON) representation of what items should be displayed. This data is processed by a frontend library that produces HTML. To prevent duplicating logic, we modified our monolith to also use the new service.

Having the monolith act as a service to unblock micro frontends, while we built proper services to replace it, proved to be a useful pattern that we have reused.

UI Components Library

The next challenge we tackled with micro frontends was presenting a consistent look and feel, while also isolating risk. Several factors compounded the difficulty of this. First, we wanted to take the opportunity to modernize our client-side libraries. We planned to utilize Bootstrap for our CSS and HTML, along with AngularJS, moving away from our jQuery-based custom framework. Secondly, we were in the process of changing the look of the site to coincide with the launch of the Upwork brand.

We took our inspiration from the open-source libraries we were incorporating. We built a library of shared components (CSS and JavaScript). We hosted these assets in a location where each micro frontend could reference them in its HTML output. Assets were properly versioned with each release of the components library, with each micro frontend specifying the version of the component library to use. Consequently, the CSS and JavaScript do not unexpectedly change; the developer of each micro frontend must explicitly update dependencies.

Slight variations in the same component from one version to the next are considered an acceptable tradeoff to maintain risk isolation. Other times the variations are too great to be considered acceptable. These situations demonstrate one of the clear downsides of the micro frontends approach. To address this, each frontend is updated to support both the old and new look, and a feature toggle allows us to switch from old to new. How we toggle features is a topic for another post.

Routing

Even prior to our frontend modernization effort, we had some URLs that were served by a different system. For example, our Visitor Site (what you see if you are not logged in as an Upwork user) was served by an application and server cluster separate from the main application. This was handled by our Nginx load balancer. However, the proliferation of micro frontends required constant changes to the Nginx LB to be made manually. The high risk of load balancer updates combined with the fact that these changes were made to the config manually made updates slow and ruled out more advanced deployment patterns (Blue/Green, Canary).

With the fundamental theorem of software engineering as our guide, we introduced a new Nginx load balancing layer (which actually replaced individual AWS ELBs each frontend was using previously). The new Nginx setup differed from our main (previously mentioned) load balancer in that its config is automatically generated. Each instance of a micro frontend registers itself in Consul. Additionally, it adds the paths that it serves in Consul’s key-value store. A tool called Consul Template generates a new Nginx config when there are updates.

Summary

Migrating to a micro frontend architecture presented some challenges but the benefits of modernizing Upwork’s frontend along the way made it worthwhile. Modernization will help future-proof our site and streamline certain services to deliver a better, more consistent user experience for Upwork’s 17 million global registered users.

The post Modernizing Upwork with Micro Frontends appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Balance Work and Play With Help From Freelancers

Travel accessories lined up against a blue background: Wallet, watch, camera, notebook, and a small white plane

Summer is coming up fast, and so are your vacation plans. Taking time off from work doesn’t mean your business has to stall out: With help from freelancers, your business can keep growing while you’re out enjoying the sun.

On the Upwork site, you’ll find freelancers who can:

Update your site, from optimizing images and improving on-page SEO to integrating APIs you keep pushing down the to-do list
Fine-tune your marketing, from updating marketing personas, to running paid advertising campaigns, to helping your brand go visual with videos and animations
Work on new products or improve existing ones, such as migrating your app to a different platform or testing and debugging code.

Check out 51 Ways Freelancers Can Help Your Business Take Off This Summer >>

The post Balance Work and Play With Help From Freelancers appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Tuesday, May 23, 2017

This Potentially Toxic Chemical May Be Lurking in Your Salon Products

Why IBM’s Move to Cut Remote Work Will Backfire

Relocate or find a new job? That’s the ultimatum faced most recently by workers at IBM, a company that’s spent years promoting the benefits of remote work and selling the infrastructure to help make it work. It recently gave its remote employees an ultimatum: Move to one of IBM’s regional offices or leave the company.

In “IBM’s Remote Work Reversal Is a Losing Battle Against the New Normal,” Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel explains why he feels IBM’s move is short-sighted.

“Flexible work isn’t just the future of work—it’s already here. Forcing people back into offices is like handing them all paper time cards and telling them to start punching in and out. It’s not just retrograde and absurd, it’s also a surefire way to lose the best people you’ve got already and to turn away tomorrow’s top hires. Just ask Yahoo.“

While IBM says the change is meant to encourage collaboration and innovation, Kasriel explains three reasons why it won’t work:

The move will diminish the quality of IBM’s team.
IBM’s own research indicates this policy will have the opposite effect of stated intended productivity gains.
For both IBM and the economy, this is the wrong move and the wrong time to make it.

Thanks to the pioneering efforts of many tech companies, including IBM itself, “…companies now have the ability to conceive of themselves as ‘results-only work environments’,” Kasriel said. “IBM will keep selling cloud-based software and services that support an ‘anytime, anywhere workforce’ it’s no longer a part of. Good luck making that sales pitch.”

Read Kasriel’s full commentary on Fast Company >>

The post Why IBM’s Move to Cut Remote Work Will Backfire appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Monday, May 22, 2017

7 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself Every Day

Each and every one of us has those days when we’re just not feeling it. We’re mentally and physically drained and the last thing we want to do is crawl out of bed and tackle the day.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury to stay in bed all day. When this happens, it’s time to use these seven simple techniques to help you overcome that emotional hurdle.

1. Review your goals first thing in the morning and pick one thing

Sometimes life just gets in the way and distracts us from accomplishing goals or tasks. To stay on track, review your goals when you first wake up in the morning; start working on one of your most important goals and put a plan in place to achieve that one goal.

SUCCESS has some excellent tips on setting powerful goals, such as;

Evaluating and reflecting on what’s going on in your life right now.
Defining your dream and goals.
Making your goals S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-sensitive).
Holding yourself accountable.

2. Come on, get happy

Think about all of the times that you procrastinated. I bet a majority of those times were when you weren’t in the best of moods. In Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess, author Daniel Akst writes;

“So procrastination is a mood-management technique, albeit (like eating or taking drugs) a shortsighted one. But we’re most prone to it when we think it will actually help… Well, far and away the most procrastination occurred among the bad-mood students who believed their mood couldn’t be changed and who had access to fun distractions.”

To combat procrastination so that you can stay productive and keep moving forward, make yourself happy by showing gratitude, surrounding yourself with positive people, celebrating small wins, being charitable, doing things that you enjoy, and even just forcing yourself to smile.

Put on some loud music and clean your house for a few minutes, or clean out your desk and surroundings. This technique can usually get you motivated to get onto your important work and to stop procrastinating.

3. Get motivated by others

When you really need an extra motivational push, you can always turn to words or art from others.

With music, you can start by creating a playlist of songs that can you excited and inspired. After all, music can change your mood and lift your spirits. For example, I dare you not to want to hit the gym or get physically active when listening to “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky.

Besides music, there are books, movies, and videos that can assist you in moving forward through inspiration and guidance.

And don’t forget the thousands of motivational quotes from successful or respected individuals that can immediately change your mindset by making you more optimistic.

4. Have fun

We all have those everyday tasks or chores that are boring, mundane, and dull. I mean, who really wants to clean the dishes or write blog post after blog post? The thing is, you can have some fun with these otherwise uneventful tasks.

We’ve mentioned music, but it’s easier to keep yourself happy than to have to bring yourself up when you are down real low. For example, sing and dance when you’re cleaning your office or just hanging out at home. Skip down the grocery store aisle. Challenge yourself to write a 500-word blog post in under 30 minutes. Download an app that can help you make these tasks into a game, such as Epic Win.

5. Cut your to-do list in half

Lengthy lists are roadblocks that prevent us from achieving success. Instead of going forward, these lists hold us back. Cut your to-do lists at least in half, so you can focus on the most important items first. Some studies show that if you have more than seven tasks on a list you will do none of them, but if you only have three items listed, the likelihood you’ll finish all three is high.

6. Find a partner in crime

I remember the reason why I stopped going to the gym: My gym partner had to move several hundred miles away for work. I tried to keep going on my own, but I lost interest very quickly. Since I no longer had someone else to push me, it was acceptable to miss one day, then another, until I finally stopped going altogether.

Having someone else by your side can be a big motivator: This person can be your biggest cheerleader and motivate you whenever you feel like throwing in the towel. Here are a few good tips to finding the best business partner.

7. Take a break

I understand that your life is chaotic. Between work and your family, you’re constantly on the go. This becomes a problem after a while because you can start feeling exhausted and burnt out.

Even if you don’t have the time to take a vacation, the least you can do is take a day or two to decompress. It recharges your batteries and gives you a new outlook on everything that’s going on in your life.

Mikita Mikado from sales enablement platform PandaDoc recommends: “Go for walking breaks. There are days when I can’t get away from the office, but I feel burned out. I go for a quick walk around the block, suit and all, and come back ready to work.” So, whether you are taking a couple days off, or just 15 minutes, take some time to relax. When you return to your work, you’ll be surprised at how refreshed and enthusiastic you are.

Now that you’re feeling motivated, learn how to prioritize tasks like a high achiever >>

The post 7 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself Every Day appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Friday, May 19, 2017

Trending Hair Colors This Week

Our #HolisticHairTribe keeps getting better week after week, disproving the notion that organic hair color is not effective. From ravishing reds to gorgeous colormelts, there’s so many tones and hues you can do with Oway.

Check out the hair colors we loved this week!

Dark Garnet Hair Color Formula

Hair by Yeli’s Organic Salon

If there’s a shade that’s really popular with our Tribe, it’s the Oway Reds. They’re deep and vibrant, and just brings out the hair’s beauty. Case in point: This Dark Garnet hair color by Yeli.

Roots: 1oz Oway Hcolor 7.0 Natural Blonde + 1oz Oway Hcolor 7.66 Deep Red Blonde + Oway Hcolor 0.7 Purple Booster with Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Highlights: Oway Hcolor 8.66 Deep Red Light Blonde + Oway Hcolor 0.6 Red Booster with Oway Hcatalyst 30 Volume Cream Developer

Ends (Refreshed): Oway Hcolor 7.66 Deep Red Blonde with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Purple Sunset Hair Color Formula

Hair by Stephanie Schmidt

Don’t you think it’s amazing how stylists can recreate nature by just using hair dyes? This sunset-inspired hair color by Stephanie is just marvelous to look at!

Base: Oway Hcolor 5.31 Beige Light Brown + Oway Hcolor 6.31 Beige Dark Blonde

Colormelt: Oway Hcolor 0.7 Purple Booster with Oway Hcolor 0.6 Red Booster + Oway Hcolor 90.2 Irisee Super Bleaching Blonde

Sunkissed Bronde Hair Color Formula

Hair by Merissa Luetjen

This darker take on the summer favorite Sunkissed Blonde is giving us some major hair envy. Those varying tones of cool and honey highlights gave the brown base more dimension and character.

Base: Natural Color

Balayage (Foils): Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener with Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Balayaged Ends (No Foil + Saturated): Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener with Oway Hcatalyst 40 Volume Cream Developer for 20 minutes, then Oway Hmilk No Stress Conditioning Treatment

Toner: 30g Oway Hcolor 9.1 Ash Very Light Blonde + 15g Oway Hcolor 8.1 Ash Light Blonde with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Sugar Plum Hair Color Formula

Hair by Abigail Waldrum

This Sugar Plum-inspired hair color by Abigail was the highlight of our week. We adore hues that remind us of our favorite childhood candy.

Roots & Mids (1:1): Oway Hnectar 6.77 Blueberry Dark Blonde with 25 vol 1:1

Ends: Melted Down to Tone for 10 minutes

Raisin Purple Hair Color Formula

Hair by Josie Ragains

A second Tribe favorite is our Violets. Like our Reds, they’re highly pigmented and give the hair that glossy finish when used in conjunction with Oway’s conditioning treatments.

Percentage of Grey: 50%

Roots & Mids: 20g Oway Hcolor 6.0 Natural Dark Blonde + 20g Oway Hcolor 6.77 Deep Purple Dark Blonde with Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Ends (Refreshed): Oway Hcolor 6.77 Deep Purple Dark Blonde + Oway Hmilk No Stress Conditioning Treatment with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Golden Blonde Hair Color Formula

Hair by Kristine Hartman

A little update goes a long way. This blonde babe wanted a fresher look, so Kristine did some lowlights and balayage for dimension and “The Drop” to brighten up the blonde.

Natural Level: 7

Freehand Balayage: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + 6oz Oway Hcatalyst 30 Volume Cream Developer

Color: Pinky Finger Nail Oway Hcolor 0.7 Purple Booster with 4oz Oway Hmilk No Stress Conditioning Treatment + 2oz Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Which are your top picks this week?

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Thursday, May 18, 2017

COTTON PROTEIN BENEFITS: The Nourishing Oil for Strong, Shiny Hair

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Purposeful Beauty: Why It’s Not Too Late to Join the Holistic Hair Movement

8 Ways to Stay Focused When Working Remotely

Freelance business owners are experts at managing distractions when working remotely. We asked the Upwork Facebook community for their tips on staying focused through the work day. From time management techniques to setting up boundaries for friends and family, here is a sample of what they had to say.

“I manage distractions by:

Creating my own space at home — This means having a noise free home office and making it clear to my family when I am working for a living so they know when is the right time to interact with me. By doing so, I am given the space I need to focus on my work.
Practicing time management — This involves scheduling all my activities so I know what my priorities are and what I need to accomplish. Knowing your priorities helps you organize and keep yourself busy working rather than doing unnecessary things.
Avoiding switch-tasking* — I have realized that when I do a lot of things at the same time (e.g. check emails, surf the net, etc.) I am likely to accomplish less, my productivity is diminished and I am out of focus. Most of the time, switch-tasking causes distractions, lost productivity, and lost time. Hence, I try to focus and accomplish my tasks one at a time; finish one and move on to the next. By doing this, I can eliminate distractions (unnecessary tasks/tasks of less priority) and be more productive.”

— Michelle Suarez-Delos Santos

[* Editor’s Note: “Switch-tasking” was a new term for us! While multitasking specifically refers to doing two or more things at the same time, switch-tasking specifically refers to flipping between different tasks.]

“I believe planning and following a schedule helps: Knowing all the things you need to do, focusing on small goals, and having a break between them. However, larger distractions exist and sometimes there are personal problems that need to be solved. So you need to also have the ability to reschedule your tasks to deal with the unexpected. Working remotely gives you a lot of freedom and your productivity will rely on how you use this freedom.”

— Luisa Schetinger

“I do meditation to increase my concentration that helps me avoid distraction.”

— Vinay Gosain

“It is all about choosing a convenient place to work and working within your concentration time limit. Do not over work.”

— Mark Levis

“I live off-grid in the bush of Alaska. Our cabin is small, 12×16, and there are no rooms (unless you count the loft occupied by our 12-year-old son). Along with freelancing, I homeschool and do my part on the homestead. The most important thing to remember is that distractions happen. Once you realize you can’t stop them, you can learn to manage them.

“We have a fairly set routine. Breakfast, assignments given for school, dad works outside while son does school work. They both know that while they’re doing their thing, I work. I occasionally have to stop to answer school related questions, or help my husband find something. But when those distractions pop up, they are addressed and dealt with accordingly. Not all of them are deserving of my time or attention.

“Balance is the key and having your priorities set for others to see helps with that balance. They also know if they ask me something and don’t get a response that’s my way of telling them to figure it out on their own, they don’t really need me. Schedule everything in your day. Routine is your friend!”

— Diana Kennedy

“To avoid distractions use the Pomodoro method while working. It will remind you when to focus and when to

— Hendar Rismanto

“I turn off the Internet and just work offline when I can. With the Internet up, it’s so tempting to check social media and news sites. I also work in 30-minute to 1-hour blocks in which I try not to leave work until the time lapses.”—

— Prospero Ecap Pulma

“To be honest, I work better with distractions—it’s part of having work in the creative field. I take frequent breaks (hourly) to walk and get a drink. If I think of something I need to order on Amazon, I do it; if I need to pay a bill online, I do it. I have 10+ projects going at one time so I rotate based on client deadlines, but also based on my mood. I’m no good to anybody if I’ve been staring at the same screen for 4+ hours.”— Amy Smith

— Amy Smith

How do you manage distractions when working remotely? Tell us in the comments!

Editor’s note: Responses edited for grammar, spelling, and clarity. The statements above are those of their authors and do not constitute the views or opinions of Upwork.

The post 8 Ways to Stay Focused When Working Remotely appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Monday, May 15, 2017

Upwork Newswire: How on Point Are Your Remote Management Skills?

A sharpened pencil surrounded by shavings

This biweekly column features the latest future of work trends and Upwork’s role within them.

Entrepreneur | The Key Management Skill for the 21st Century: Leading Remote Teams

The future of work was a hot topic at this year’s SXSW in Austin, TX, with discussions about workplace considerations including innovation, tools, and design.

Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel participated in a panel about the future of work, which led to an interesting post-session conversation when an attendee asked: How can someone become a better manager of remote teams?

Our understanding of work has changed; changes to business culture and better technology are removing barriers to remote work. However, while business schools have kept pace with this evolution, many companies have not. Kasriel says they lag behind at their peril.

“Companies that learn how to use remote teams productively will gain access to a far broader and deeper talent pool than those who limit themselves to one geographic area. And for managers, organizing and coordinating the work of a distributed team is a crucial key to winning recognition and advancement in the coming years.”
— Stephane Kasriel, Upwork CEO

For people who want to sharpen their ability to lead remote teams, Kasriel outlines some of the fundamental principles:

Update your expectations to encompass a remote-first approach. “Assume that everyone is or may be remote at any time,” Kasriel said.
Focus on results rather than how, when, or where people get things done.
Embrace technology, so the right communication tools are readily accessible.
Create a “virtual water cooler” where people can socialize more easily online.
Keep tabs on questions, so you know what’s top-of-mind and can address concerns and misconceptions right away.
Meet in person when necessary, to help build and maintain relationships.

Kasriel says these principles won’t just help you navigate the future workplace—they’ll help you leverage the best talent, be a stronger leader, and ultimately get better results.

Read Kasriel’s full comments here >>

The post Upwork Newswire: How on Point Are Your Remote Management Skills? appeared first on Upwork Blog.

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Friday, May 12, 2017

Trending Hair Colors This Week

If you think you’ve seen every hair color our #HolisticHairTribe can offer, feast your eyes on these stunning hues they shared with us this week. From fashion colors to balayage, these will surely leave you wanting to try the formulas yourself.

Check out our top picks below!

Red Currant Hair Color Formula

Hair by Marcus Sederstrom

Nothing else makes us happier than seeing rich and vibrant hair colors, like this Red Currant beauty. Marcus used color blocking technique to achieve this gorgeous tone, and we must say we’re impressed.

Level: 3

Grey Percentage: 40%

Color Blocking 1: Oway Hcolor 5.0 Natural Light Brown + Oway Hcolor 6.31 Beige Dark Blonde with Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Color Blocking 2: Oway Hcolor 6.0 Natural Dark Blonde + Oway Hcolor 6.4 Coppery Dark Blonde with Oway Hcatalyst 30 Volume Cream Developer

Cosmic Fusion Hair Color Formula

Hair by Maren McKenna

Pastel hair is cute, but there’s something mesmerizing about galaxy hair. The luscious blend of blue and purple tones makes us feel as though we’re staring at the Milky Way.

Pre-lightened Ends: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 40 Volume Cream Developer

Toner: Oway Hcolor 8.1 Ash Light Blonde + .03 oz of Oway Hcolor 0.7 Purple Booster + a dot of Oway Hcolor 0.8 Blue Booster with Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Espresso & Cream Hair Color Formula

Hair by Nicole Daly

Like a shot of espresso in the morning, this hair color by Nicole got us bolting from our seats. The addition of highlights gave this wavy hair style more texture and dimension.

Balayage: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Base Toner: Oway Hcolor 6.0 Natural Dark Blonde

Pull Through: Oway Hcolor 8.0 Natural Light Blonde + Oway Hcolor 8.31 Beige Light Blonde with a pinch of Oway Hcolor 9.43 Copper Golden Very Light Blonde

Cherry Cola Hair Color Formula

Hair by Deb Pedraza

To achieve this stunning color, carefully blend from the roots to the midshaft, and then blend again from the midshaft to the roots. This creates a seamless transition of colors and erases demarcation lines.

Balayage: O&M Ammonia Free Keratin Powder Lightener + O&M Mineral.CCT 20 Volume COVERAGE Cream Activator (40 min)

Refresh Balayage: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer + Oway Hmilk No Stress Conditioning Treatment

Roots (1.5 cm): 35g O&M Mineral.CCT 5/0 Light Brown + 35g O&M Mineral.CCT 20 Volume COVERAGE Cream Activator

Mids: 25g O&M Mineral.CCT 5/0 Light Brown + 25g O&M Mineral.CCT 10 Volume DEPOSIT Cream Activator

Ends: 20g Oway Hcolor 90.1 Ash Super Bleaching Blonde + 10g Oway Hcolor 0.6 Red Booster + 4g Oway Hcolor 0.7 Purple Booster + 34g Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Ash Blonde Hair Color Formula

Hair by Carolanne

One-dimensional hair colors are nice, but there’s no denying adding more contrast to the hair makes it more interesting. Doing some shadow root and balayage gives the hair more oomph, making the hair look great from every angle.

Base (45 mins): 7.1 + 0.8 with Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Mids: Oway Hnectar 8.3 Wheat Light Blonde + Oway Hnectar 9.3 Wheat Very Light Blonde with Oway Htone 9 Volume Cream Developer

Balayage: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 20 Volume Cream Developer

Processing Time: 35 mins (No Heat)

Toner: Oway Hcolor 11.17 Frosted Platinum

Coffee Caramel Hair Color Formula

Hair by Summer Reid

We love everything that reminds us of a good cup of coffee, and this is no exception. Soft, creamy highlights not only help define the layers but they are also one of the go-to face-framing techniques.

Roots: Oway Hcolor 5.0 Natural Light Brown

Highlights: Oway Hbleach Butter Cream Lightener + Oway Hcatalyst 40 Volume Cream Developer

Toner: Oway Hcolor 90.11 Intense Ash Super Bleaching Blonde + Oway Hcolor 11.17 Frosted Platinum

Which are your favorites this week?

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How Entrepreneurship Helps Military Spouses Find Balance

Freelancer and military spouse Shari Cruz, pictured on a beach with her family

Shari Cruz is a military spouse and freelance learning and development leader, instructional designer.

The second Friday of May is Military Spouse Appreciation Day in the U.S., which celebrates the pivotal role spouses fill as the foundation for soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines, and coast guardsmen whether they’re at home or abroad.

As a military spouse, I am the first and loudest to proclaim that we do not make the same sacrifices as service members. But this is a day to recognize what we do give up, and what we gain, when we follow our spouse wherever they are called to go.

Life when you bleed red, white, and blue

When people think of military families, one moment frequently comes to mind: Coming home. What they don’t see are the months—even years—of relentless anxiety, anticipation, heartache, and unyielding faith that fuel that joy.

Behind every spouse is a string of homes, beloved relatives, and so many friends—the result of frequent relocations for the whole family. But uprooting yourself isn’t enough; each life-changing event is chased by time apart as military members jet off to trainings that last weeks at a time, or deployments that go for months on end.

Then there are homecomings, with waves of relief and disorientation as we both struggle to re-establish what “normal” looks like—just in time to reset the whole cycle. Again.

It’s far too easy to lose sight of your own identity

Military spouses share this unique lifestyle. Even the most flexible and well-adjusted of us will tell you it takes more than a deep breath to get through it—but we do. We do because we love our country and, more importantly, we love our service member.

What’s too easy to forget is that we are so much more: More than the pomp and circumstance, the wedding band on our finger, the service flag on our porch.

Military spouses come from all walks of life, all different backgrounds, all levels of education, and so many areas of expertise. We are stay-at-home parents, former service members, administrative assistants, teachers, lawyers, nurses, students, web developers, and photographers.

We weren’t born into this life to be a service member’s spouse. We’re here to create, to lead, to think, to help, to teach, and to fulfill our dreams in the way that we all deserve to do.

How do you do that when you live a transient lifestyle that’s constantly overshadowed by someone else’s calling

Learn to grow where you are

In the same way technology has eased the sting of distance by enabling us to “see” family across the country and our loved ones abroad, it has given us the opportunity to create a business that can flex around all the unknowns.

Through Upwork, I’ve combined my education, experience, and passion to work with clients in a way that helps me thrive while embracing the unique demands of military life. By providing a two-way marketplace, where clients and freelancers from all industries can connect, as well as a safe and easy place to pay and get paid, our world of possibilities is unlocked.

Frequent relocations can leave significant gaps on a resume and make a military spouse less than appealing to a traditional employer who knows the timer is already ticking for the next move.

Upwork enables military spouses to take a chance on themselves; you can put your education and experience to work wherever you may go. The ability to find clients online, in nearly any field, allows us to leverage our professional experience, use our talents, grow our passions, and even contribute substantially to our family’s economic well-being.

Finally, it adds some continuity: You don’t have to pack up everything and start at square one—you can hold onto your business and keep going. It’s the home-life balance we crave and we need as spouses. As professionals. As individuals.

So happy Military Spouse Appreciation day, fellow spouses! Thank you for everything you do to support your loved one in their service. And thank you to Upwork for giving me—and other spouses like me—a chance to support my Marine by providing a path to a business that fits into the puzzle that is this crazy life without sacrificing my family or myself.