Top Stories

Stories in Journal that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.

The Future of Swag is Automated
Swag.com was founded in early 2016 when co-founders Jeremy Parker and Josh Orbach noticed that the current swag market was filled with things that didn’t resonate with its current buyer- often times a twenty-something year old assigned with the task of purchasing branded items for their newly coveted position at a swanky company. Parker and Orbach recognized a few things about these young buyers that other promotional product companies didn’t: these buyers didn’t want to speak to anyone on the phone, they wanted a curated selection of only the best items, and they wanted to feel competent in ordering a product that was exclusive to them. Now, just 4 years after launch, Swag.com has grown to 35 employees and brings in $7m in sales.
By Laura Odegard6 years ago in Journal
Below Average 9 - 5er to $150k+/year Self Employed Boss
Let me guess, you’re considering quitting your 9 to 5? Great! I whole-heartedly support you. I just want you to know it’s not going to be rainbows and butterflies.. Quitting your 9 to 5, FOR REAL, is no easy feat.
By Alex Tooby6 years ago in Journal
My First Week on Vocal
I am not going to lie; I was a little skeptical when the Vocal ad came through my social media feed. Eventually, curiosity got the better of me and I clicked the bait, read the verbiage and decided to give it a try. I had been in on the early days of istockphoto when it was still a tiny Calgary-based disruptor in the stock photography industry before it was bought out by the giant, Getty Images. Because of my experience in this creative arena, I knew the value of both disruptors and micropayments firsthand. Volume is the key.
By Heather Down6 years ago in Journal
6 Podcasts to Listen to Now
If you have a long commute, you know the importance of having either a good book or earphones to block out the world when you just want to relax, close your eyes and enjoy a nice voice talking about something interesting that can take you away from reality for the duration of your travels.
By Amanda6 years ago in Journal
How Millennials Killed the Traditional Mattress Store. Created with: Lull.
Blaming millennials for the world's problems is trendy these days. Apparently we killed cereal, department stores, and even patriotism! But if our disgruntled elders would take a pause from scolding us to remove their nostalgia-colored glasses, they might see we didn’t actually kill their beloved pastimes, we just made them better.
By Nathalia Ramos6 years ago in Journal
The Vocal Challenge 2020: Complete
Well, that's that. The Vocal challenge is complete and I'm left with thirty-four articles that have spanned thirty-four communities. So, was it harder than I thought? Yes. Yes it was. But I sort of knew I'd run in to a few obstacles along the way when encountering categories that I literally have no idea about.
By Jord Tury6 years ago in Journal
Influencers are too predictable
It took 10 years for Lady Gaga to get her feet off the ground, but when it did, she had it all. The charisma, the talent, the branding. Then it took her 10 years to find a near nemesis. In my unpopular opinion, a great example of this is the way Ava Max - a near Gaga copy cat- has followed a fast route to fame. If you just look at the similarities in the music, the blonde hair and “monster” branding. It’s almost as if Ava Max is taking direct inspiration from Gaga’s career and implementing it into her own to gain notoriety. Sadly enough, it’s working.
By jade darmawangsa6 years ago in Journal
EMPATHY MAPPING IN DESIGN THINKING.
Mapping is one of the many visual and graphic ways used to solve problems or challenges and is extensively used by designers, marketers and problem solvers to be able to develop a deeper understanding of a specific area.
By Charles Leon6 years ago in Journal
Cover Letter Writing for Non-Native English Speakers
What is a cover letter? Why is it important for an English learner to know about it and also how to create a good one? Well, a good cover letter can make the difference between landing that dream job or hitting refresh on the search results again to find the next job opportunity. Your experience and your professional background need to be succinct and summed up in a well-written way and the cover letter is your best way of doing that. It is an excellent way in which for you to improve your English writing skills and to prove that you can handle your future job’s writing components which there is likely to be many of them since you are a worker during an age of e-mails, 24 hour communications, and instant messaging services.
By Ben W6 years ago in Journal
Improve Your Writing and Editing With These Nine Steps
Writing can be hard. Yet, many of us wish to share our work, and inspire others with our words. With these nine steps, you will be on your way to improve your creative flow and writing style so that you can reach out to a wider audience, and hook your readers easily.
By M. Therese6 years ago in Journal
How to Make Money from Social Media
Is the nine-to-five office grind not for you? Looking for creative ways to make money? In the new world of social media-obsessed millennials, social platforms offer many creative roles that could mean turning your hobby into a career. Doing what you love could be easier than you think, and you don’t even need to leave the house to do so. Here’s how to make money from social media.
By Sara Robards6 years ago in Journal
Vocal's Voice
I'd like to make it clear that at no point have Vocal asked me to write this. I haven't been asked to promote the site for extra special goodies nor have they gone out of their way to locate me for any specific reason. I am, in fact, just writing directly from the heart, as one creator to another. And if this does result in a cheeky bonus, then cheers, Vocal. Mine's a JD and Coke.
By Jord Tury6 years ago in Journal