Plantation shutters are widespread with almost every home using this shading system for their doors and windows. But this always wasn’t the case! Before the incredible list of these shades ranging from colour, materials, and styles to pick from, there was only a limited amount of options to use. Coming from the shores of Ancient Greece and paving its way through the world, it has taken time and development for plantation shutters to get to the place it is today. Here we are going to uncover the long awaited history of the plantation shutter and how it has made a difference to your home.

The History Behind Shutters

According to Aaa Plantation Shutters, history of the shutter is first recalled all the way back to Ancient Greece where these shades were initially made with marble by stonemasons. During that time, these shades were invented to block uninvited guests – strangers and poor weather conditions. Whether the sun was blasting, an intense storm hit the home, or wind gushing outdoors, you could promise protection from the poorest of weather conditions with the help of the plantation shutter. This was the perfect way to block the humidity that comes with the Mediterranean heat, keeping a good air flow in the home and allowing the inside to stay cool. This was perfect for a day time nap or protecting the family from the rain, adding comfort to the home. After some time, plantation shutters were developed with wood, giving more ways for the shading to move based on personal preference. As wood was widely accessible, this gave more people of different classes the ability to have shade in their property, not only for the rich to have. In South America, Spainiards brought them overseas, and slowly overtime increased in popularity among homes all across the world. It has now become the widespread phenomenon it is today, allowing each and every home to have the perfect shading and protection to keep everyone safe.

Shutters in Modern Times

Plantation shutters have become popular across homes around the world, being the best form of shading for homeowners to use. There is an impressive range of shade materials, stemming beyond marble and wood to even use PVC and other new forms of materials. Because of this expansion, there are many options for homeowners to choose from, allowing them to find the perfect shading for their home. Just like back in the day, it still holds the same goal, to keep the home away from harsh elements and for privacy away from onlookers. Because of these functional capabilities, this is the reason why plantation shutters are still being used today. These options allow the home to have an appeal as well as increasing property value, perfect for selling your property. Because of the appeal, it does not look like plantation shutters will ever be just a thing of the past. With its incredible history from the islands of Greece to reaching a global scale, it looks like we won’t ever close the curtains on plantation shutters.

It is not a new concept to have an individual coach or mentor for help and guidance. In fact, it has been around in one form or another since the ancient Greeks. However, what makes psychological coaching different from other types of coaching is that it is tailored to the individuals needs based on their personality type and background. There are many benefits that come with this kind of coaching such as improved confidence, better focus and more motivation.

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is fast becoming a more pressing topic in the professional community, with more and more people talking about it and groups like The Psychological Safety Coaches who are championing the method of approach. It is the idea of providing a safe space for employees to discuss any thoughts or feelings that might be stopping them from performing at their best. The safety net being

Psychologists have found that there are two main types of psychological coaching: time-limited and open-ended.

Time limited coaching is when the coach creates a plan with specific goals that are achievable in one, four or ten sessions respectively. Open ended coaching is for people who need more than just help on dealing with certain issues but want to develop their whole personality instead of solving a particular problem.

Benefitting Companies

When it comes to helping employees, companies might benefit from coaching in a number of ways. The first is that the company could see an increase in productivity with less sick days and lower rates of absenteeism.

Secondly, they will experience higher levels of employee engagement which can lead to better problem solving as well as improved decision-making skills. This is found with many people who undergo coaching of some form, especially in the realm of psychological health

Finally, employers may be able to boost their recruitment efforts by attracting more talent if they have had success with developing good work-related mental health programs such as psychological coaching for their staff members.

Benefitting Individuals

In the ever-increasing anxiety-laden state of the world, there is more pressing need to feel a sense of inner peace and well-maintained mental health. Those with a stronger and more ironclad sense of psychological safety will not only be more productive workers in their professional life, but also stronger in their everyday lives too.

A fitting example has been with the pandemic that still ravages much of the world to varying degrees. As offices continue to fragment and take place in a more fractured manner, the skillsets developed with psychological coaching and safety cannot be denied.

There is credence to be found in the realm of Psychological safety and maintenance, especially in todays climate.

In 2021, Carlos and Amanda Campa followed their calling and launched Almacen in the South San Diego community of Barrio Logan. As ARC church plant #966, Almacen had a mission of becoming a “storehouse” for all humanity, as the Campas explained.

Their goal in planting their church with the help of ARC (Association of Related Churches) was to provide a place where God gives people what they need for their souls to be equipped, connected, whole, and empowered to make a true difference in the community.

The Campas have sought to do this by filling a significant need in their community for an ARC church that is multi-cultural — with services available in both Spanish and English — and multi-generational at the same time.

Filling a Major Void

In their South San Diego community, there was a major need for more churches before Almacen was planted in the fall of 2021. At the time, there was only one church for every 2,700 people in the city.

Since the city is half Hispanic by demographics, the Campas knew that if they wanted to reach the maximum number of people, they needed to offer services in both English and Spanish. It’s one way in which the couple worked to create unity in a place that they say often lacks it.

“Even though we’re a very diverse region, something that’s a little unique about San Diego is that it is also very fragmented. There’s not a lot of unity amongst churches,” Carlos said. “So, we see some of those needs and some of the things that break God’s heart. We don’t necessarily think that we have all the solutions, but we’re here to do our part.”

Bringing the Community Together

One thing that Amanda said has been heartwarming about their ARC church is the benefit of dual language services for families. Elderly Hispanic people in the region often speak Spanish as their primary language, yet the children in their families attend schools that speak English primarily.

“We’ve been able to see the kids come to English service, where their great grandparents get to come to Spanish service and experience the same culture, the same identity, the same mission from our church,” Amanda said.

It’s that unifying theme that has resonated among members of this congregation, which is a member of ARC (Association of Related Churches). With support from ARC, churches such as Almacen are able to unite the community in their mission.

Called to Ministry Early On

Carlos and Amanda Campa both attended Portland Bible College together. Carlos says that they both felt called into ministry during their time there.

Sometime during 2020, he explained that the couple felt it was time to take that next step and start a community congregation of their own. So, through the support of ARC (Association of Related Churches), the Campas took the chance to, as Carlos put it, “see what green lights we were getting from the Holy Spirit.”

Thanks to the support this ARC church received from the organization as a whole, it’s been able to show love to many people in the South San Diego region while pointing them toward Jesus.

About ARC (Association of Related Churches)

ARC (Association of Related Churches) is a cooperative of independent churches from different denominations, networks, and backgrounds who strategically resource church planters and pastors to help them reach people with the message of Jesus. ARC exists to see a thriving church in every community, reaching people with the message of Jesus. Since its beginning in 2000, ARC has grown into a global organization and has helped plant more than 1,000 churches.

Almost all companies today have at least dabbled into digital marketing at some point. Yet, according to marketing guru Robert Arloro, not all of them are taking full advantage of the benefits that digital marketing offers.

There are vast benefits that digital marketing can provide companies, but you have to understand how to fully harness the power of it if you want to get the most out of it.

Below are some of the key benefits of digital marketing today, and how you can use them to your advantage.

Cost Effective

Traditional marketing channels are very expensive, even today when they are used on a much less frequent basis than digital marketing. What digital marketing does is provide a chance for businesses to reach a wide audience at a much less expensive rate than traditional marketing, making it extremely cost effective.

With digital marketing, you aren’t limited to who you will reach and where you will reach them. With billboards, for example, you’re limited to a specific area — and have to hope that people see your ad when they drive by. With newspaper advertisements, you are again limited in regional scope, and have to hope someone actually picks up the paper and turns to the page where your ad is located.

Digital marketing allows you to reach customers while they’re using their mobile devices at any time of day, and wherever they are, for a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing.

Measurable

Digital activities generate a ton of data, and all that data can be fed into a platform to clearly tell you how your marketing campaign is performing. Unlike traditional marketing, you don’t have to guess whether people saw or heard about your company through an ad you ran.

You’ll be able to see in plain view how many people saw your message, when and where they saw it, if they engaged with it, and so on and so on. Not only does this allow you to see how your marketing messages are performing, it allows you to adjust on the fly if something’s not working or resonating with customers.

Legitimate

Nowadays, consumers trust companies that build up their online presence. Robert Arloro says this adds legitimacy to the company, which ultimately leads to customers feeling more comfortable purchasing from you — even if they’ve never heard of you before.

Your online presence should, at the very least, include a well-designed website and accounts on social media platforms. You can expand that to include other digital sources such as a YouTube channel or testimonials on third-party review sites.

The important thing to do is to figure out where your customers are and what they do online, and then make sure that you’re also on those places and active. It’s not enough to simply have an Instagram account if your prospective customers spend a lot of time there. You need to ensure that you are active on Instagram so that people can trust you.

About Robert Arloro

Robert Arloro is a digital marketer and marketing consultant with years of experience in the field. He currently works with businesses of all sizes to help them reach their digital marketing goals. Robert’s expertise includes SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and website optimization. When he’s not working, Mr. Arloro enjoys spending time with his family, playing soccer, and traveling.

Giving money as a gift may sound like a simple exercise, but it can be interpreted in different ways and maybe more or less appropriate in certain contexts. For example, you wouldn’t give your romantic partner money as a gift if you know they were expecting something personal picked out by you.

There is a certain etiquette to giving and receiving money as a gift. Let’s look at some of it now.

Don’t ask for money as a gift

If someone is asking you what you want as a gift, don’t ask for money. It should be up to them if they want to give you money, as asking for it yourself will make you seem kind of greedy. A gift is as much about gratifying the person giving it as it is for you.

Don’t discuss the amount with others

It’s impolite to discuss the amount of money given to you as a gift, as it can make others feel worse when they get a gift that is not worth as much. You don’t want people to be in an unspoken contest with one another to spend the most money.

Only protest once

If someone wants to give you money as a gift to be spontaneous or pay for dinner, then you should only try to refuse them once. If they really insist on you taking it than accept it and be gracious about it.

Don’t go broke giving money as a gift

If you are giving money as a gift, don’t give more than is appropriate. You need to be able to part with the money, so don’t sacrifice a significant amount just because you think you need to.

Don’t give money in place of a meaningful gift

A romantic partner or a family member is not the best recipient for a cash gift.