<br />
Amidst the lingering uncertainty in the world involving the slowdown of China’s massive economy, default by Greece in repayment of its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a steep fall in global oil prices, India’s growth trajectory stays intact.<br />
<br />
Against the backdrop of such a global volatile economy, the Union Budget 2016 is eagerly awaited with a host of expectations both in India and internationally. With the GDP growth projections on the rise and India being viewed as the next growth giant, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley should focus on introducing reforms that can propel economic growth in India.<br />
<br />
Tax, one of the key components of the economic policy needs to be proactively geared towards boosting our economic growth. While the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is still in the pipeline with industry keenly awaiting its enactment, there are several other factors that warrant a closer look.<br />
<br />
<strong>Balancing it out</strong><br />
<br /> The announcement by the FM in the last Budget to reduce the corporate tax rate from 30% to 25% over the next four years was certainly good news. According to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (<keyword id="128665" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBDT">CBDT</keyword>), such a reduction in tax rate will be balanced by discontinuance of various kinds of prevailing deductions and exemptions latest by 31 March 2017. Such phase out of deductions and exemptions may adversely impact various industries/sectors that have long gestation periods or have recently commenced their operations in anticipation of tax benefits.<br />
<br />
<strong>Pushing it for Modi’s grand plans</strong><br />
<br />
Further, it will be worthwhile to watch how the proposed withdrawal of exemptions/deductions shall sync with government initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India, Smart Cities and Start-Up India, Stand-Up India. Given the current economic scenario and the thrust required to achieve the underlying goals behind the aforesaid initiatives, the phasing out of the exemptions/deductions should be effectively planned and applied in a selective manner over the span of a few years considering the sensitivity of various industries.<br />
<br />
Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT), which was introduced to neutralise the impact of tax incentives, should also be reconsidered on such phase out of tax incentives. Abolition of MAT for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) developers has already been on the wish list for long.<br />
<br />
<strong>Clarity in <keyword id="42437" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="poem">POEM</keyword></strong><br />
<br />
The Finance Act, 2015 included the concept of Place of Effective Management (POEM) to determine the residential status of companies. POEM is likely to have far reaching consequences on foreign companies as well as several other stakeholders. While the government has recently issued draft guiding principles for consideration and comments by the public, it is imperative that the final guidelines be carefully calibrated to help ensure that POEM is indeed an anti-avoidance rule and does not trap genuine transactions in its ambit. India is keen to adopt the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) guidelines along with its global players. These have to be implemented cautiously, especially the compliance requirements to determine that they do not add to the administrative burden.<br />
<br />
<strong>Push Ease of Doing of Business</strong><br />
<br /> While the ‘<keyword id="6354423" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ease-of-Doing-Business">Ease of Doing Business</keyword>’ initiative is targeting policy-related bottlenecks, they may soon be replaced by infrastructure bottlenecks. Infrastructure development is critical for success of various policy initiatives and there is an increasing need for investment in the infrastructure sector through investment linked deductions/incentives.<br />
<br />
There has been considerable ambiguity on the taxation of consortiums formed by non-residents to execute infrastructure contracts in India. Revenue Authorities are taxing such non-residents as Association of Persons (AOP) at the withholding tax/assessment procedure stage. Further, there are various tax complexities associated with assessments of AOP, including double taxation of non-residents in India as well as their country of residence. This causes hindrances to the industry and also results in pessimism with regards to the uncertain tax environment in India. A clarity on the tax treatment in this regard is indispensable for encouraging such non-resident contractors to undertake investment in India.<br />
<br />
<strong>Reduce <keyword id="375780" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DDT">DDT</keyword></strong><br />
<br />
Currently, Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) is being levied at the rate of 15% (effective rate of 20%) on the dividend distribution by domestic companies. Such an effective rate is much higher as compared to the tax deduction rate of 10% on dividend in many Indian and international tax treaties. This has significantly reduced the tax distribution capacity of such domestic companies and has adversely impacted non-resident shareholders due to ambiguity with respect to its credit in the overseas jurisdiction. Structural reforms may be expected in the DDT regime to allow availability of credit for such taxes under the Double Tax Avoidance Agreements (DTAA).<br />
<br />
India is considered to have one of the most litigious tax regimes across the world. Though the government has been actively addressing this issue, a lot still needs to be done at the ground level to improve industry sentiment, especially in respect of international transactions.<br />
<br />
<em>The article has been authored by Ravi Shingari, partner, Tax at KPMG India. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of KPMG in India. </em><br />

Direct taxes: That’s a long wishlist for the Modi Govt to fulfill in Budget 2016

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&amp;v=K1R_W6JXKMI">ANN News/YouTube</a></span></p><p class="caption">Miwa Sado died of overwork in 2013.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>The Japanese government recently gave citizens a <a href="https://www.insider.com/japan-gets-10-days-off-for-new-emperor-some-people-really-unhappy-2019-4">ten-day public holiday</a> to celebrate its <a href="https://www.insider.com/japan-emperor-naruhito-everything-to-know-about-him-2019-4">new emperor</a>, but not everyone was happy about it.</strong></li><li>The country is notorious for its non-stop work culture and rigid labor market, and has seen hundreds of people die from overwork - also known as "karoshi."</li><li>This is the story of Miwa Sado, a 31-year-old reporter in Tokyo, who died from karoshi after working more than 150 hours in overtime in one month.</li><li>The government has tried to halt the trend over overwork, but has yet to get very far.</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>Japan recently gave its citizens a <a href="https://www.insider.com/japan-gets-10-days-off-for-new-emperor-some-people-really-unhappy-2019-4">one-off, ten-day-long public holiday</a> to celebrate the enthronement of its new emperor, Naruhito, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/japan-new-emperor-naruhito-ascends-throne-women-excluded-ceremony-2019-5">officially took over from his father</a> last Wednesday.</p><p>The holiday started on started on April 27 and ended on May 6. Many citizens took advantage of the break by going on vacation abroad or crowding Tokyo's streets to celebrate with Naruhito.</p><p>But many others complained about extra childcare costs, lost wages, and the risk of stock market turmoil that the extended break brought.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.insider.com/japan-new-emperor-naruhito-ascends-throne-women-excluded-ceremony-2019-5">Japan's Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne in an elaborate ceremony that his wife and mother weren't allowed to attend</a></em></p><p>Some Japanese people told news outlets ahead of the holiday that they wouldn't know how to spend the time without working.</p><p>Japan is notorious for its non-stop work culture and rigid labor market, which has seen<span> </span>hundreds of people die from - also known as "karoshi" - every year over the past decade.</p><p>This is the story of Miwa Sado, one of Japan's many victims of karoshi. She died in 2013 after working more than 150 hours in overtime in a single month.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Toru Hanai/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A photo of Japanese businessmen. The country is notorious for its non-stop work culture.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Sado was found dead in her Tokyo apartment on July 25, 2013, clutching her mobile phone.</p><p>The reporter for Japan's national broadcaster NHK, had died from <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/heartfailure.html">congestive heart failure</a> - meaning her heart had grown so weak it couldn't pump enough blood round her body. She was 31.</p><p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/japan-nhk-journalist-miwa-sado-died-after-working-159-hours-overtime-2017-10">NHK revealed Sado's death for the first time</a> more than four years after it happened, noting that the journalist's parents initially wanted to keep the death private.</p><p>The Sado parents changed their mind in 2017, and opened up about their daughter's death to warn others about the dangers of overwork, a phenomenon behind hundreds of deaths a year in Japan alone.</p><p>According to labor officials in Tokyo, Sado had clocked up 159 hours and 37 minutes of overtime at work in the month until her death, and 146 hours and 57 minutes in the month before that, <a href="http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201710050045.html">Japan's Asahi newspaper reported</a>.</p><p>But Sado's father, who trawled through the journalist's mobile phone and work computer, <a href="http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASKBF77GQKBFUBQU015.html">told a 2017 press conference</a> that her overwork hours actually came up to 209 hours in the month up to her death. That's almost seven hours of overtime a day, including weekends.</p><p>The labor office told Asahi: "[Sado] was under circumstances that she could not secure enough days off due to responsibilities that required her to stay up very late. It can be inferred that she was in a state of accumulated fatigue and chronic sleep deprivation."</p><h2>"Death from overwork"</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com</span></p><p class="caption">An aerial view of Shibuya, Tokyo, where Sado worked and died.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Sado's death was officially designated as "karoshi," a Japanese term that literally means "death from overwork."</p><p>It's by no means a new phenomenon - the first karoshi case was recorded in 1969, and the number of such victims has increased since. In 2015, 189 deaths were listed as karoshi, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/do-japanese-really-work-themselves-to-death-in-some-cases-yes/2016/07/31/77b48754-4f48-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html">The Washington Post reported</a>, though analysts think the real toll is higher.</p><p>While Japanese politicians have passed legislation meant to prevent further deaths, experts told Business Insider that the country's toxic work culture is making the problem impossible to combat.</p><p><a href="http://www.hataraku.metro.tokyo.jp/soudan-c/center/all-e2008.pdf">Japanese law says</a> that employees are only supposed to work 40 hours a week. Government guidelines say that workers should only put in 45 hours of overtime per month on top of that, but the recommendation is non-binding.</p><p>But these directives seem to go ignored, with many workers feeling obliged to work overtime to prove their worth.</p><p>"Many companies [and] bosses evaluate performance by face-time," Yoko Ishikura, professor emeritus at Tokyo's Hitotsubashi University, told Business Insider. "They do not know how to evaluate performance other than the time.</p><p>"We even have survey results [showing] that those who are productive (i.e. finish work efficiently) are not evaluated. Some even perceive those who are around long hours to be good or competent."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Toru Hanai</span></p><p class="caption">Working long hours is a way of life in Japan, but some companies are seeking to change that.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Jeff Kingston, an Asian studies professor at Temple University's Tokyo campus, also told Business Insider: "There is a samurai work culture in which employees are expected to be totally dedicated and willing to sacrifice their time and health for their employers."</p><p>"There was [previously] a sense that firms were paternalistic and would take care of their employees, but this perception had changed dramatically over the past 25 years, and values that once supported this sanctioned exploitation have shifted in favor of families and private time."</p><p>Some workers don't even log overtime hours for fear of getting bad evaluations - meaning they work for free, The Washington Post said.</p><h2>"Physically and mentally shattered"</h2><h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Kyodo via Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Yukimi Takahashi with photos of her daughter, Matsuri, another karoshi victim.</p></div><p></p></div></div></h2><p>Sado's death is by no means an isolated one.</p><p>The first karoshi case was recorded in 1969, when an unnamed 29-year-old employee at a Japanese newspaper company died of a stroke, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090214232217/http://workhealth.org/whatsnew/lpkarosh.html">according to a 1997 International Journal of Health Services paper</a>. The victim reportedly experienced ill health and an increased workload before his death.</p><p>In the 1980s, most karoshi victims were middle-aged men in white-collar jobs, Hiroshi Kawahito, a lawyer and secretary-general of the <span style="font-weight: 400;">National Defense Counsel for Victims of Karoshi, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-overwork/death-by-overwork-on-rise-among-japans-vulnerable-workers-idUSKCN0X000F"><span style="font-weight: 400;">told Reuters</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Now, almost one in five karoshi victims is female, he said.</span></span></p><p>Work-related suicides among females and employees under 29 have also risen over the past few years, Reuters reported.</p><p>On Christmas Day 2015, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/japan-womans-death-from-overwork-government-rethinks-work-2017-10">24-year-old ad agency employee Matsuri </a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/japan-womans-death-from-overwork-government-rethinks-work-2017-10">Takahashi jumped to her death</a> from her dormitory after working around 100 hours of overtime the month before. Weeks before her death, she posted on social media, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/06/japanese-firm-fined-token-sum-after-woman-died-from-overwork">according to The Guardian</a>, to say: "I'm physically and mentally shattered" and "I want to die."</p><p>In October 2017, Tokyo labor officials also determined that a 23-year-old construction worker's suicide was karoshi, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/oct/11/tokyo-olympics-2020-stadium-worker-death-190-hours-overtime-one-month">the Associated Press reported</a>. The unnamed man's body was found in the central Japan mountains in April, alongside a note that said he was "physically and mentally pushed to the limit."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Toru Hanai/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A man uses his laptop on the deck of an office building in Tokyo.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Professor Kingston said: "Excessive working hours are nothing new in Japan, and it's only because survivor families have lobbied the government to grant recognition of such deaths that we are now seeing so many cases reported in the media and firms getting sued for compensation.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Number of death by overwork cases in Japan by year from 1999 to 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div>"In the past such problems were swept under the national tatami mat but as norms have become globalized, and Japan's excessive work culture has come under intensified scrutiny, such practices are no longer acceptable."</p><p>Not all workers who die after exhibiting signs of faltering health and overwork are classified as karoshi victims.</p><p>Government officials investigate the particulars of a case, and then decide whether or not it counts.</p><p>Once a death has been classed as karoshi, the worker's family can claim government compensation.</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/07/new-study-reveals-extent-of-japans-worked-to-death-crisis/">According to a Japanese government survey published in 2016</a>, more than one in five of the companies that responded had employees work more than 80 hours of overtime a month.</p><p>That's about four hours of overtime a day, excluding weekends. The paper also claimed that 2,159 people committed suicide in 2015 due to work issues.</p><h2>Japan's labor market problems</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Issei Kato/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Commuters check their phones inside a train in Tokyo.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Japan's rigid labor market likely plays a role in its overwork culture. Despite being the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/03/worlds-biggest-economies-in-2017/">world's third-largest economy</a>, the country has a low productivity rate, a growing labor market shortage, and a shrinking population.</p><p>Job vacancies per applicant in Japan soared to a <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Japan-s-jobs-to-applicants-ratio-soars-to-43-year-high">43-year-high</a> in 2017, and has shown no signs of stopping. There are 1.63 job vacancies per applicant in the country as of March 2019, <a href="https://www.japanmacroadvisors.com/page/category/economic-indicators/labor-markets/job-offers-to-applicant-ratio/">according to government statistics</a>.</p><p>People aged 65 or above make up 28.6% of Japan's total population, the country's statistics bureau <a href="http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/68nenkan/1431-02.html">calculated in its 2019 report</a>, with that figure forecast to hit 48% by the middle of the century.</p><p>Despite this, the working world in Japan remains inflexible.</p><p>"Companies still follow a one-shot recruiting process and promotion is quite fixed and rigid," Ishikura said. "Once you leave a company, it becomes difficult to find another job."</p><h2>"Fundamental change is needed"</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Toru Hanai/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">People walk past a sign advertising the Premium Friday campaign.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>After Sado's death, NHK introduced various workplace reforms that included requiring employees to get managers' permission to work after 10 p.m. or over holidays, <a href="http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201710060046.html">Asahi reported</a>.</p><p>Other offices have devised creative ways to prevent employees from overworking, albeit with limited success.</p><p>Construction company Mitsui Home's headquarters blasts the "Rocky" theme tune at 6 p.m. every day to encourage employees to leave, <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-japan-overwork-reforms/in-japan-rocky-and-premium-friday-join-fight-against-overtime-idUKKBN1630OC">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p>In February 2017, the Japanese government also introduced "Premium Friday," a campaign encouraging firms to let workers leave a few hours early on the last Friday of each month so they can go shopping or eat out - activities that would also boost the economy.</p><p>But less than a year after its launch, "Premium Friday" already proved unpopular, with only a small number of companies putting the plan into action, <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/07/29/business/premium-friday-campaign-danger-running-steam/#.WeczVhNSyi4">the Japan Times reported</a>.</p><p>Ishikura said of the office incentives: "These things may help a bit in that it makes people aware or notice that it is 5 o'clock etc, but these measures seem to be so out of touch with the reality of work, like Premium Friday which really did not make any impact, and [was] short-lived.</p><p>"Fundamental change is needed."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Chris McGrath/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">Commuters line up for one of the last trains of the day at Tokyo's Shinjuku station.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In April 2017, the government also proposed <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/death-overwork-japans-100-hour-overtime-cap-sparks-033634548--finance.html">capping the number of overtime hours to 100 a month</a> in an apparent attempt to curb the country's toxic overwork culture.</p><p>Critics dismissed the plan as futile. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-overwork/death-by-overwork-on-rise-among-japans-vulnerable-workers-idUSKCN0X000F">According to Reuters</a>, a cardiovascular death is typically classified as karoshi if an employee has worked 100 hours of overtime in the month up to their death, or 80 hours of overtime in two or more consecutive months over the previous six.</p><p>Ichiro Natsume, head of the labor Lawyers' Association of Japan, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2088831/death-overwork-japans-100-hour-overtime-cap-sparks-anger">told Agence France-Presse</a> the government's proposal was "tantamount to endorsing a limit that could cause overwork deaths."</p><p>Professor Kingston also said of the proposals: "This is a cosmetic change that is unlikely to dramatically change firms' management practices and excessive demands on workers."</p><p>"Karoshi is a manifestation of weak management skills and low productivity, so firms have a great opportunity to improve their performance and take better care of employees," he added. "Alas, there is a lingering faith in perspiration over inspiration, and a belief that total dedication and personal sacrifice are essential."</p><p>Ishikura added that the proposed cap is "one attempt" to protect workers from karoshi, but not an end solution. "The fundamental issue is more of rigid and outdated labor practice[s], and people feel that they are not able to design their own career or lifestyle," she said.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Toru Hanai</span></p><p class="caption">Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2><strong>"My treasure, living hope, and biggest support"</strong></h2><p>NHK was Sado's first job after university. After graduating as a law major from Tokyo's Hitotsubashi University in 2005, she started work at the network's office in Kagoshima, southern Japan, before moving to the Tokyo branch in 2010.</p><p>Sado was the youngest out of her team of five, which was plagued by bad teamwork, according to her mother. She rarely took weekends off and worked until midnight almost every night, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/world/asia/japan-death-overwork.html?_r=0">the New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>Miwa, Sado's first name, means "peace to the future," and was the eldest of three siblings. She was even supposed to get married, according to Asahi: Before her cremation, her fiancé put a wedding ring on her.</p><p>Her mother said: "She was my treasure, living hope, and biggest support. After her passing, my life turned on its head and I am unable to smile and be happy from the bottom of my heart."</p><p>The fear held in Japan by those who have examined the issues closely is that, unless far more drastic reform takes place, there will be more mothers making identical laments for years to come.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/avengers-endgame-end-credits-hidden-meaning-behind-mobius-strip-2019-4">The hidden meaning behind the 'Avengers: Endgame' end credits</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Japan's toxic culture of overwork drove this 31-year-old woman to death - and it looks like there's no end in sight

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Target's latest designer collaboration with the preppy prints label Lilly Pulitzer was a smash hit.&#xa0;<p>Customers swarmed Target's stores and website early Sunday to get their hands on the coveted&#xa0;<span>collection of patterned shift dresses, couch pillows, beach towels and more<span>.</span></span></p><p><span><span> Shoppers began lining up outside Target stores hours before they opened and the sheer amount of web traffic crashed the retailer's website multiple times.&#xa0;</span></span></p><p><span>Within a matter of hours, the</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;entire limited-time collection sold out.</span></p><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The shopping event was so popular that it left many customers empty-handed - and as a result, pretty angry. Hundreds of people have vented their frustrations over the retailer's website failings and apparent lack of inventory on </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/target?fref=ts&amp;ref=br_tf">social media</a>, calling it "ridiculous," "pathetic" and an "epic fail."<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span></p><p class="embed-spacer">"I am INCREDIBLY disappointed in Target," writes Allie Bures on the company's Facebook page. "What a waste of time staying up all night for NOTHING. Why in the world you would make such a hype about this partnership and then not have the site prepared and have so little stock doesn't make any sense to me. Target, SHAME ON YOU."</p><p class="embed-spacer"><span>Facebook user&#xa0;</span><span>Lynne Gendernalik Schrage said she would no longer be shopping at Target after missing out on the sale, which included dresses for $40 by a designer whose clothes typically cost around $300.</span></p><p class="embed-spacer">"I realize I am just one person, but this person walked out of your store at 8:10 this morning, absolutely and thoroughly disgusted, vowing to cancel my Target [card] that I haven't used in a year... and also vowing to never shop in your store again,"&#xa0;Gendernalik Schrage wrote.</p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">But overall, the Pulitzer line was a major victory for Target, which hasn't had such a successful designer partnership since the Missoni collaboration debuted in 2011.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Like the Lilly for Target collection, the Missoni debut caused mass hysteria in stores, crashed the website, and sold out in a matter of hours.&#xa0;</span></p><div><div></div></div><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">But Target's designer collaborations since then haven't generated as much excitement.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">A Neiman Marcus partnership in 2013 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/neiman-marcus-for-target-was-a-flop-2013-1">famously bombed</a>, even though it was launched during the busy holiday shopping season with big-name designers on board including<span>&#xa0;Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, and Diane Von Furstenberg.</span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The collection failed so miserably that Target eventually had to discount some of the merchandise by as much as 70%. The main problem with the collection was that designers offered items like yoga mats and dog bowls instead of clothes.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">With the Lilly Pulitzer collection, Target has proved that it "still rules the roost when it comes to creating buzz with its designer collaborations," writes Phil Wahba in <a href="http://fortune.com/author/phil-wahba/">Fortune</a>.&#xa0;</span></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"Designer collaborations like the Pulitzer line are important to Target, not because they add much to its $73 billion-a-year in sales - they barely make a dent in it - but because they are essential for the discount, mass merchandiser to be able to maintain its 'cheap/chic' cachet, and thereby attract affluent and middle-customers along with lower-income shoppers, and give them a reason to go visit Target instead of Walmart for everyday stuff," Wahba writes "In essence, those collections are what make Target Tar-zhay."</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Target began debuting designer collaborations more than 15 years ago. Since then, the retailer has partnered with more than 150 designers.&#xa0;</span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"People like the idea of designer fashion at an accessible price point," Allison Kaplan, senior editor of shopping and style for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine told <a href="http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/04/17/target-collaborations">MPR News</a>. "It's democratizing something ... that seems out of reach."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-burpee-full-body-workout-2015-3">This simple exercise will work out every muscle in your body</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lyeGY3dDqIOrfWUeyzqcSzvAuvKi9t3n" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Target just infuriated swaths of customers - but it's a great sign for business

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Encryption is creating "dark spaces" that are aiding ISIS and other terrorist organisations, the FBI has warned - even as Apple and Facebook reaffirm their strong support for the technology.</p><p><a href="http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/digital/2015/06/04/ISIS-jihadists-out-of-reach-in-online-dark-space-FBI.html">Speaking at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, the AFP reports</a>, FBI assistant director of counter-terrorism warned lawmakers that strong encryption technology allows terrorists "a free zone by which to recruit, radicalize, plot and plan."</p><p>Steinbach is calling for "legal remedies" that will allow law enforcement access to encrypted communications.</p><p>Strong encryption has become a contentious subject recently. The term refers to messages or data masked in such a way that it is impossible to understand unless you have the correct key to decrypt it - even if you have a warrant. Encryption can help protect people protect their communications online, but authorities fear that it puts the communications of criminals out of their reach.</p><p>Following Edward Snowden's revelations about mass surveillance by the NSA, tech companies have increasingly moved to incorporate strong encryption into their products. WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, for example, meaning it is impossible for the messaging service to know what is being sent on its platform.</p><p>Apple is a particularly outspoken defender of encryption technology. Last year, it introduced encryption on its mobile platform iOS by default, infuriating law enforcement. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/police-apple-will-become-the-phone-of-choice-for-the-pedophile-2014-9">One senior US police officer warned that the iPhone would become</a> "the phone of choice for the pedophile" as a result. But the Cupertino company has stuck to its guns, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-efforts-undermine-encryption-incredibly-dangerous-fbi-obama-epic-dinner-2015-6">and this week CEO Tim Cook made an impassioned defence of encryption at an awards dinner</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Cook slammed attempts by law enforcement to have backdoors introduced as "incredibly dangerous," saying encryption is "a critical feature for our customers who want to keep their data secure... If you put a key under the mat for the cops, a burglar can find it, too. Criminals are using every technology tool at their disposal to hack into people's accounts. If they know there's a key hidden somewhere, they won't stop until they find it ... Removing encryption tools from our products altogether, as some in Washington would like us to do, would only hurt law-abiding citizens who rely on us to protect their data. The bad guys will still encrypt; it's easy to do and readily available."</p><p>Steinbach's comments also come after <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/facebook-adds-public-encryption-key-user-profile-email-pgp-2015-6">Facebook recently introduced support for encryption on its social network</a>. Users can now list their "public key" on their profile that others can use to contact them securely, and Facebook will also send messages to users in an encrypted format if they opt in.</p><p>The senior FBI official didn't single out companies that use encryption by name, but said that "some of these [social media] companies build their business model around end-to-end encryption," <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/us-officials-warn-encrypted-communications-extremists-152632323.html">the AP reports</a>. As a result, "the companies have built a product that doesn't allow them to help."</p><p><a href="http://docs.house.gov/meetings/HM/HM00/20150603/103513/HHRG-114-HM00-Wstate-SteinbachM-20150603.pdf">In his prepared remarks</a>, he warned that "changing forms of internet communication are quickly outpacing laws and technology designed to allow for the lawful intercept of communication content," and that terrorist groups like ISIS and their communications are "going dark" as a result.</p><p>Chairman of the Committee Michael McCaul says this is a "tremendous threat to our homeland."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>However, this position has been criticised by another US congressman - Rep. Ted Lieu from California. With a background in computer science, Lieu has been an outspoken advocate of encryption technology, <a href="https://lieu.house.gov/sites/lieu.house.gov/files/documents/0521_001.pdf">writing a 3-point letter this week outlining its alleged merits</a>.</p><p><a href="https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/06/03/one-congressman-warns-encrypted-dark-spaces-another-says-ooooh-sounds-really-scary/">Lieu told The Intercept that</a> "the notion that encryption is somehow different than other forms of destroying and hiding things is simply not true," Lieu told The Intercept. "Forty years ago, you could make the statement that paper shredders are one of the most damaging things to national security because they destroy documents that law enforcement might want to see."</p><p>Furthermore, "dark spaces" already exist, the politician argues, and we visit them every day. "you have a dark place in your home you can talk, you can meet in a park -- there are a zillion dark places the FBI will never get to and they shouldn't because we don't want to be monitored in our home."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>FBI director James Comey <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/16/fbi-director-attacks-tech-companies-encryption">has previously slammed companies like Apple for using the tech</a>, contending that they are aiding "bad guys" by doing so. And while Obama hasn't called for an outright ban, he wants to be able to track communications when possible. "When we have the ability to track [online communication] in a way that is legal, conforms with due process, rule of law, and presents oversight, then that's a capability we have to preserve," he said in January.</p><p><keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> Prime Minister David Cameron has also suggested he may <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/david-cameron-encryption-apple-pgp-2015-1">outlaw the tech entirely</a> - something critics have said is <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/britains-proposed-encryption-ban-is-totally-unworkable-2015-1">totally unfeasible</a>.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jerusalem-israel-police-surveillance-balloons-2014-11">These Surveillance Balloons Are The Hot New Way To Spy On People</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="pycTl4cTp5qwJ58ZCPdAB893z0V9eyP6" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The FBI claims technology promoted by Apple and WhatsApp is helping ISIS

<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>Rather than splurging on a new gym membership in 2015, try out a fitness app that gives you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride and a trip to the weight room in 7 minutes.</p>
<p>Originally <a href="http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/HIGH_INTENSITY_CIRCUIT_TRAINING_USING_BODY_WEIGHT_.5.aspx">envisioned by</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/HIGH_INTENSITY_CIRCUIT_TRAINING_USING_BODY_WEIGHT_.5.aspx">&#xa0;a personal trainer and an exercise physiologist</a>, the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/7-minute-workout/id650762525?mt=8">7-minute workout app</a>&#xa0;builds on <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165%2F00007256-200232010-00003">new research</a> suggesting&#xa0;that short spurts of intense exercise can provide long lasting benefits comparable to longer, more grueling regimens.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Anyone can use the app - all it takes is a smartphone, a spare wall, and a chair.</span></p>
<h3>The Workout</h3>
<p>The 7-minute session (which&#xa0;<span>was so successful it inspired the New York Times to release&#xa0;</span><span></span><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/for-a-7-minute-workout-download-our-new-app/">their own version of the app</a><span>&#xa0;a few months after the original came out)&#xa0;</span>consists of 12 relatively standard exercises like jumping jacks, sit-ups, and push-ups. Ten of them require nothing but your own body (you'll need a chair that can support your weight for the other two).</p>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image"></span><p></p></span></span></p>
<p>Here's the full set of exercises, which I tried out myself:</p>
<blockquote class="blockquote">
<p>1. Jumping Jacks</p>
<p>2. Wall sits</p>
<p>3. Push-ups</p>
<p>4. Crunches</p>
<p>5. Step-up (on chair)</p>
<p>6. Squats</p>
<p>7. Triceps dips (on chair)</p>
<p>8. Planks</p>
<p>9. High knees/running in place</p>
<p>10. Lunges</p>
<p>11. Push-ups and rotations</p>
<p>12. Side planks</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Between each exercise, you rest for 10 seconds.</p>
<h3>Worth The Hype?</h3>
<p>The workout is quick, unpleasant (in the way only a good workout can be), and came with some pretty quick results - I was slightly sore in two areas of my body that my 5-day-a-week yoga regimen hasn't seemed to have reached. I also noticed a little bit of extra mental clarity and decreased anxiety (which is why I do yoga) immediately after the workout.</p>
<p>Another plus to the 7-minute-regimen: I live in a New York apartment with very little extra space, but I was nevertheless able to do the whole workout in a corner of my living room using just my phone, a yoga mat, and a fold-up chair.</p>
<h3>A Few Caveats</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image"></span><p></p></span></span></p>
<p>As expected, the physical benefits didn't seem to last quite as long as my 1.5-hour yoga sessions. While my heart raced and my mind cleared for a few minutes immediately after the workout, those side effects wore off within a few hours. I only did it twice, though, so perhaps if I committed to a daily 7-minute workout the benefits would persist.</p>
<p>Also, since this specific workout is so new, there are no long-term studies comparing its results to those of longer cardio and weight-training workouts. In general, though, the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22100179">evidence</a> researchers <em>do</em> have <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21448086">supports</a> the benefits of high-intensity intervals, both in terms of building muscle mass and improving heart health.</p>
<p>Even for patients with coronary artery disease, short bouts of intense interval training <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25306500">were found to be more beneficial</a> in helping them regain heart function than traditional, continuous workouts - though anyone with a heart condition should consult a doctor before trying a new exercise routine.</p>
<h3>The <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">Science</keyword></h3>
<p>The workout is based on the idea of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22100179">interval training</a>, an exercise style of short, intense periods of exercise broken up by brief periods of rest. Despite being far less time consuming, an interval workout <a href="http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/HIGH_INTENSITY_CIRCUIT_TRAINING_USING_BODY_WEIGHT_.5.aspx">may actually be more beneficial</a> than a comprehensive, hours-long bout of exercise, according to <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165%2F00007256-200232010-00003">some research done in the past decade</a>.</p>
<p>So instead of a grueling one-hour run followed by weight-lifting, for example, you can do several minutes' worth of intense push-ups, squats, and jumping jacks for similar results.</p>
<p>That's pretty significant considering that many of us skip working out because we feel we don't have enough time, because the weather is bad, or because a gym membership is too expensive.</p>
<p>The Mayo Clinic <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/interval-training/art-20044588">endorses interval training</a>, as does <a href="http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-fact-article/87/interval-training/">the American Council on Exercise</a>. A 2012 study comparing two groups of runners - one who trained by doing traditional, continuous runs and another which did interval training - <a href="http://www.jssm.org/vol11/n3/17/v11n3-17pdf.pdf">found both groups achieved nearly the same results</a> (the only difference being that the interval trainers had better peak oxygen uptake, an important measure of endurance). And a <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00125-014-3334-5">recent study in the journal Diabetologia</a> found that doing walking interval training - walking briskly for three minutes and resting for three minutes for an hour - helped people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels far better than simply walking at the same pace continuously.</p>
<p>The most important thing when doing interval training is committing as much effort as possible throughout the whole workout, making sure to push yourself. After all, each exercise only lasts 30 seconds.</p>
<p>Seven hellish minutes later, you're done.</p>
<p><em>You can download the <a href="http://www.bytesizeapps.net/7-minute-workout">7-Minute Workout App</a> for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/7-minute-workout/id650762525?mt=8&amp;at=11l4LZ&amp;ct=bsa">iPhone</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bytesize-7-Minute-Workout/dp/B00IXFEF9Q?tag=stuartkhall-20">Android</a>, or try the Times version <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/projects/workouts/">online</a>.</em></p>

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<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Entrepreneurs Awakening</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Psychedelics and tech entrepreneurship have long gone hand in hand. Steve Jobs experimented with LSD. Bill Gates dropped acid on occasion.</p><p>Ayahuasca, a psychedelic drug that induces mind-boggling hallucinations, is Silicon Valley's latest infatuation. Tim Ferriss, a well-know angel investor, recently <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/09/12/the-ayahuasca-boom-in-the-u-s">described it to The New Yorker</a> as being as ubiquitous as "having a cup of coffee."</p><p>While you won't find people sipping on ayahuasca in Starbucks, an increasing number of entrepreneurs swear by the plant - which contains DMT, an ingredient designated Schedule I by the Drug Enforcement Administration - as a method of professional and personal development. Businesses have sprouted to facilitate demand.</p><p>One outgrowth of the trend is <a href="http://www.entrepreneursawakening.com/">Entrepreneurs Awakening</a>, an executive-coaching startup founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco.</p><p>Each year, a small group of entrepreneurs from around the world joins Entrepreneurs Awakening in Peru, where ayahuasca is legal, to partake in a traditional ayahuasca tea ceremony. About 50 people from hardware, software, and financial tech startups have passed through the program so far. A significant number come from the Bay Area.</p><p>Ayahuasca grows in the Amazon and has been used by indigenous tribes for spiritual healing for thousands of years. The hallucinations induced by the plant are said to be so life-altering that some users compare it to having a near-death experience. The body breaks it down in such a way that it leaves users high for hours, according to the <a href="https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonly-abused-drugs-charts#hallucinogens">National Institute on Drug Abuse</a>.</p><p>Entrepreneurs Awakening uses the jungle vine to help clients come to terms with their weaknesses and find shortcuts to success in the ultracompetitive tech scene.</p><p>"This is a total hack. You can sit in therapy for six years, or you can come to Machu Picchu for a week," Michael Costuros, founder of Entrepreneurs Awakening, told Business Insider. "You choose: red pill, or the sugar pill?"</p><p>Over 10 days, participants see the sights in the Andes mountains, try local food, and get high on sacred plant-medicine. Costuros guides them through their spiritual journey, and provides executive coaching for a month before and a month after the excursion.</p><p>The cost of enlightenment: $11,000.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>One of the earliest reports of Europeans stumbling upon ayahuasca comes from a group of Jesuits traveling through the Amazon in the 18th century. They <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=A_TIBAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT47&amp;lpg=PT47&amp;dq=diabolical+potion+1737+ayahuasca&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=6suHIJBd4Y&amp;sig=CLJPPLp3h2d3NMxZ6YnQsWmaOL0&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj3r-TQqanQAhVL6WMKHVbmCSYQ6AEIMzAD#v=onepage&amp;q=diabolical%20potion&amp;f=false">called the tea</a> a "diabolical potion" responsible for depriving a member of "one of his senses and, at times, of his life."</p><p>Research on the effects of the ayahuasca brew, which is made from mashing or boiling the pulp of the <em>Banisteriopsis caapi</em> vine, has trickled outside scientific circles in recent years. It caught on among open-minded adventurers.</p><p>By the mid-2000s, social-media-savvy retreat centers in Peru spread word of the plant's magic. This gave birth to ayahuasca tourism, in which people such as those on the Entrepreneurs Awakening trips visit the Amazon to experience ayahuasca.</p><p>These days, Costuros - a tech entrepreneur-turned-mentor who joined an executive-coaching firm in 2015 - receives hundreds of applications annually to fill 20 spots over two trips. Most come from tech entrepreneurs. The clientele is part of the draw for many participants. Their fellow travelers face similar pressures and share the same passions.</p><p>The first few days of the journey are filled with hiking and exploring the nearby markets. Participants eat artisanal breads, alpaca, guinea pig roasted over a fire spit, fruit, and chocolate.</p><p>On day four, they prepare for a nighttime ayahuasca ceremony. They fast, exercise, and ponder their anxieties, fears, hopes, and aspirations in individual consultations, Costuros says.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Entrepreneurs Awakening</span></p><p class="caption">Entrepreneurs Awakening spares no expense when it comes to making entrepreneurs feel comfortable.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The adobe temple that Entrepreneurs Awakening rents out for the retreat is in the Sacred Valley of Peru, located between Cusco and Machu Picchu. It overlooks the Andean highlands and includes two washrooms for the inevitable pukefest. (Ayahuasca causes intense vomiting - or as <a href="https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/america-is-getting-its-first-legal-ayahuasca-church">fans of the plant prefer to call it</a>, "purging.")</p><p>Participants take their places on mats and wait for the shaman, whom Costuros has worked with for years, to give them their tea. They focus on their intentions while they wait up to an hour for the hallucinogen to kick in.</p><p>Under the influence of ayahuasca, the everyday world becomes extraordinary. Costuros compares the experience to entering a lucid dream. One attendee tells me she left her body and saw herself as a girl in her childhood bedroom. Another past participant describes wandering around inside his intestines, much like an episode of "The Magic School Bus."</p><p>Passersby would see nothing but a group of sleepy tourists curled into balls.</p><p>Four to five hours later, the group fizzles. Some gather in clusters outside the temple, where they excitedly swap stories. Others retreat to their beds in silence.</p><p>Then the cycle repeats. Talk. Hike. Eat. Relax. Question your humanity. Fast. Get high.</p><p>While the NIDA has no findings on the addictive quality of ayahuasca, few people are one-and-done users, according to Costuros.</p><p>"I'd say what's driving them to it is FOMO" - fear of missing out - "to be totally f---ing honest," Costuros said.</p><p>"But what they're getting out of it and maybe why they do it a second time - after they've already gotten the notch in their belt, why would they do it again? - is the results."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Entrepreneurs Awakening</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Sebastian, who asked we not include his full name for fear of repercussions for his business, came to Silicon Valley in 2009 because he wanted to run his own company.</p><p>In three years, his venture-backed startup grew from four employees to 120. He was inundated with feedback on how best to structure the company and consumed by the typical founder questions. <em>Are we spending too fast? Do we need more structure? Am I a good leader?</em></p><p>Sebastian brought Costuros and one other executive coach on board to help him sort through these questions. In 2013, he signed up for a trip to Peru.</p><p>Costuros says these stories are not uncommon. Most entrepreneurs arrive in Peru slightly unhinged from the pressure they're under from investors, employees, peers, and customers.</p><p>There, among trained facilitators and fellow entrepreneurs, they're free to air their insecurities in a judgment-free zone.</p><p>Jordan Baker, the founder of a productivity app called <a href="http://www.focuster.com/">Focuster</a> and a past Entrepreneurs Awakening participant, hesitated for some time before enrolling. The $10,000 he paid in 2012 was a lot of money for someone in need of funding for his year-old startup. But he eventually saw the program as a business expense. Baker had shelled out for Tony Robbins' seminars before, and this was as much a networking opportunity as a spiritual retreat.</p><p>Every attendee Business Insider spoke with said the same thing: What makes the program worth it is the integration, which is Costuros' term for taking the insights gleaned from ayahuasca ceremonies and putting them into practice. It's harder than it sounds.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>During a ceremony on his retreat, Sebastian says he remembers (virtually) sitting at the base of a tree in the Amazon. A voice called out, "This is the day of your initiation into manhood."</p><p>That's when a cluster of spiders arrived and a great white shark flung itself from the ocean.</p><p>For hours, Sebastian witnessed his greatest fears come to fruition. He saw himself as a boy in class, lying in a pool of his own urine while his classmates and teacher stood and laughed.</p><p>"I had that moment where I was like, 'What the f---, really? Every kid pees in his pants once in a while. It's not a f---ing catastrophe. Let it go,'" Sebastian said. "I re-became an adult."</p><p>In the months after the retreat, Sebastian talked through his vision with his fellow participants and Costuros in video chats. He returned to the office with a clearer sense of purpose, ready to "do what I'm meant to do in this life," he said.</p><p>Sebastian says he became more attuned to, or at least invested in, his employee's needs. He transferred employees to other departments - or other companies, when he saw fit - where they might reach their potential. His interviewing process changed. Applicants were asked what they wanted to achieve and were placed accordingly, rather than boxed into an open position.</p><p>Another past participant, who asked to remain anonymous, attended the retreat toward the end of her tenure as a manager at Amazon. She wanted to make a bigger impact on a smaller team, preferably one that connected her to more meaning in her professional life. But she couldn't find the courage to leave.</p><p>Ayahuasca fixed that.</p><p>"It's not fun," she said. "There's a part of it that's very satisfying, but you have to be up for where it takes you."</p><p>Upon her return, she quit her cushy gig and accepted a job at a startup in San Francisco.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Not every entrepreneur has the means to disappear into the rainforest for 10 days.</p><p>People without the time or money to travel for a traditional ayahuasca ceremony often settle for local gatherings. A Bay Area group of ayahuasca enthusiasts on <a href="https://www.meetup.com/PSYCHONAUT-SF-BAY-AREA/">Meetup.com</a>, for example, has over 650 members. California leads all states in web searches for ayahuasca ceremonies and retreats, <a href="https://www.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&amp;geo=US&amp;q=ayahuasca%20ceremony">according to Google Trends</a>, and interest has steadily risen.</p><p>But Costuros says that not all of these retreats put high-quality ayahuasca in their tea or use experienced shamans. There's a nickname for these sham productions: "yogahuascas."</p><p>A shaman in the Amazon often comes from a long line of spiritual healers. But as ayahuasca becomes more popular, the "yogahuasca" trend has worsened. The problem extends from the Bay Area to Peru, as newly minted shamans target foreigners for sham ceremonies.</p><p>" It used to be that it took about at least 20 years to apprentice as a shaman, and now there are people claiming they are shamans within two or three years. There's no quality control," Robert Tindall, a professor of literature and author of two books on shamanism, <a href="http://www.vice.com/read/a-beginners-guide-to-ayahuasca">told Vice in 2014</a>.</p><p>In 2012, Baker, the productivity app founder, found himself in a retreat center outside the Oakland hills. The ayahuasca ceremony fell on the same day he broke things off with his girlfriend of seven years.</p><p>"I ended up staying a second night because it was so amazing," Baker said. "By the end, I remember my heart was open. It wasn't just a metaphysical feeling. ... Things felt very fragile and beautiful."</p><p>The experience ended with a buzzkill. A friend dropped him off at the nearest subway station. He became paranoid that people were staring, and he fell right back into his pre-ayahuasca rut.</p><p>While there is no known lethal dose of ayahuasca (<a href="https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonly-abused-drugs-charts">few research centers in the US track the exotic drug</a>), ceremonies can be dangerous under certain conditions. Fatalities are generally a result of suicide, accidents, or erratic behavior. In 2012, an 18-year-old Californian <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/09/14/u-s-teen-dies-after-taking-hallucinogenic-drug-ayahuasca-in-peru/">was found buried outside a retreat center</a> in Peru; he was said to have overdosed.</p><p>Antidepressants <a href="http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/advice/a14193/ayahuasca-drug/">can also be deadly</a> when mixed with ayahuasca, which is why Costuros conducts medical screenings before enrolling applicants in the program.</p><p>In spite of the risks, most Entrepreneurs Awakening participants who spoke with Business Insider say they first tried ayahuasca in the Bay Area. Their experiences were pleasant overall.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Entrepreneurs Awakening</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>While Costuros says he's wary of scaling his business, for fear that it would strain his ability to provide quality experiences, he's still gearing up for expansion. Next year, he plans to hold two retreats in Peru and possibly another in Tulum, Mexico.</p><p>He says he's also in talks with the founder of a startup incubator, whom Costuros declined to name, to create an ayahuasca-friendly accelerator in Costa Rica. Entrepreneurs would build their companies and participate in weekly ayahuasca ceremonies for a dose of inspiration.</p><p>"The intention is to expand our capacity to help innovators, leaders wake up and evolve their psychological garbage," Costuros said, "so they can get on with being awesome."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drinking-hallucinogenic-amazonian-brew-ayahuasca-chris-kilham-2016-4">Here's what it feels like to drink the hallucinogenic Amazonian brew ayahuasca</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Zibnd1cDrwVBkGMJePUTJlr4SVRUUP6P" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Silicon Valley's new craze is flying to Peru to take a psychedelic you can't legally get in America

<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/undividing"></a></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Elise Amendola</span></p><p class="caption">Chris Louras outside an exhibit of Syrian art in Rutland, Vermont.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Chris Louras, the former mayor of Rutland, Vermont, had a plan to bring 25 Syrian refugee families to town.</strong></li><li><strong>Many residents criticized Louras over what they saw as the 'secrecy' in which the plan was carried out.</strong></li><li><strong>The issue divided the town into two camps, with both sides furious with the other. A recent town meeting devolved into insults and shouting.</strong></li><li><strong>Louras lost his reelection bid, and only three of the 25 families made it to Rutland.</strong></li></ul><p>The plan was supposed to revitalize the economy of a sleepy Vermont town, and give its small workforce a much-needed boost. It seemed like a win-win. But when Rutland's five-term mayor Chris Louras announced in April 2016 that 25 refugee families would be coming to the struggling postindustrial town, he awoke fear and vitriol that eventually cost him his job.</p><p>This was around the time Donald Trump, then a candidate for the Republican nomination, proposed national bans on refugees and immigrants from certain majority-Muslim countries. Rutland became a referendum on the nation's willingness to welcome displaced people from around the world.</p><p>Some in the town formed a group called "Rutland Welcomes," a volunteer group that planned to find housing, transportation, and jobs for prospective refugees, and even gave the few who arrived baskets of fruit and vegetables.</p><p>Those against the plan formed "Rutland First," a loose-knit coalition of residents whose opinions ranged from skepticism at whether Rutland could bear the costs of resettling the refugees to outright hostility and fear-mongering.</p><p>Then, on March 6, came the mayoral election.</p><p>Louras, an Army veteran who had been a popular and uncontroversial mayor for a decade, was ousted by alderman David Allaire, who had lost to Louras in two previous elections. Allaire clobbered Louras, centering his campaign on opposition to the plan, which he criticized for freezing out the board of aldermen and Rutland residents.</p><p>The election was "absolutely" a referendum on refugees, Jennie Gartner, a local high-school history teacher and a representative of Rutland Welcomes, told Business Insider.</p><p>Allaire's election win, combined with Trump's travel ban barring refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iraq and Syria, all but decided the issue.</p><p>Only three refugee families - two Syrian and one Iraqi - have been resettled so far.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Elise Amendola</span></p><p class="caption">Downtown Rutland.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2><strong>An American town like any other</strong></h2><p>In 2015, Louras had an idea to fix the town's "unhealthily low unemployment rate."</p><p>Rutland was shedding population. Since the 1970s, <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/rutlandcityvermont/PST045216">16%</a> of its people have moved away, leaving homes empty and nearby businesses looking for workers.</p><p>"That's the story of many small postindustrial cities that have a declining population and a graying population," Louras told Business Insider.</p><p>Louras spotted an opportunity to get Rutland involved in the US's newly announced plan to resettle thousands of refugees from the Middle East. Rutland's businesses have tons of open, entry-level jobs, and the town has cheap, vacant housing stock for 3,000 additional residents, according to Louras, who thought refugees would be perfect candidates to solve some of the town's problems.</p><p>While only a few refugees made it to town before Louras was ousted, those who did confirmed Louras' intuition, he says. One refugee, who arrived in January, secured a full-time job at The Bakery, <a href="http://rootsrutland.com/thebakery/">a popular local café</a>, within weeks. He now splits his time between an early-morning baking shift and English-language classes, Louras said.</p><p>What Louras didn't count on was that Rutland's debate would get sucked into a larger divide stretching across the country.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Elise Amendola</span></p><p class="caption">Rutland's treasurer, Wendy Wilton.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2><strong>Rolling out the unwelcome mat </strong></h2><p>A month after Louras presented his plan, the town, much of it divided between Rutland Welcomes and Rutland First, began to unravel.</p><p>Some accused Louras of hatching the plan in secret.</p><p>Tim Cook, one of the founders of Rutland First and an Iraq War veteran, alleged that Louras submitted a State Department application for refugees six months before the April announcement. Breitbart, the far-right website, picked up the <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/06/09/emails-reveal-mayor-conspired-secret-resettle-syrians-town/">story</a>. Small Rutland was becoming big <keyword id="6355005" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="News">news</keyword>.</p><p>"The national story out there is that we're hateful and biased, and that's bulls---," Wendy Wilton, a member of Rutland First, said. "We just wanted to know what was in that application."</p><p>Like other critics, she accused Louras of lying about the plan, saying that he told the town he intended to resettle only 100 refugees but that his actual plans were to bring 100 a year. According to Wilton, when the town aldermen requested a copy of the refugee application from the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, the nonprofit was uncooperative.</p><p>"If this was the most wonderful thing in the world, why wouldn't you want to cooperate with the local governing body?" said Wilton, who, like Cook, added that she wasn't opposed to resettling a few refugees, just not 100.</p><p>Meanwhile, on the other side, Rutland Welcomes was holding regular meetings at a Unitarian Church with hundreds of residents forming committees to push the resettlement process along, arrange English tutors, and gather donations of household goods and clothing.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Lisa Rathke</span></p><p class="caption">Kerry Coarse, coordinator for support services for the Northwest Primary School, shows a newly arrived refugee family the school playground.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Then criticism of Rutland Welcomes spread across the town.</p><p>Gartner, the high-school history teacher and a member of Rutland Welcomes, says she and others were criticized online by people associated with Rutland First for teaching her class about Islam, which is part of the state curriculum.</p><p>Gartner, Louras, and others in favor of resettlement have said that very few of those against the resettlement actually care about the secrecy of "the process," seeing it as a cover for fear. The vast majority of Rutland First, she says, is people who "were afraid of Muslims, afraid of people from other countries," she said. If Louras was planning on bringing a new tech firm to Rutland, people wouldn't criticize the way the decision came about, she added.</p><p>Many Rutlanders have said that much of the criticism falls on Louras, who they say did little to allay the concerns and anger of those against the plan. Christopher Ettori, a pro-refugee town alderman, told Business Insider that Louras didn't have "a real dialogue with people" and failed to arrange speakers or panels to educate residents why the plan would benefit the town and not sacrifice security.</p><p>Instead, Meg Hansen, a columnist for the Rutland Herald, <a href="http://www.rutlandherald.com/articles/an-end-to-liberal-moralizing/">wrote in March</a>, Louras "chose to malign his critics as racist."</p><p>For his part, Louras seemed to have little patience for Rutland First's objections.</p><p>Cook, the local doctor, maintained that he wanted to see the refugees succeed - and has even offered his services as a physician - but says he wants them to succeed by "Americanizing" themselves.</p><p>"Getting them a baseball bat, and Keystone beer by the suitcase, whatever it takes," Cook said. "You succeed in this country by accepting the fact that there is such a thing as American culture, and by practicing it."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reutesr/Andrew Kelly</span></p><p class="caption">A protest against President Trump's travel ban outside John F. Kennedy International Airport in January 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>The national conversation</h2><p>Things came to a head in the run-up to this year's election in March. Days after Trump was sworn into office in January, he signed <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/its-not-a-muslim-ban-trump-defends-controversial-executive-order-on-refugees-2017-1">the executive order temporarily barring refugees and immigrants</a> from seven majority-Muslim countries. While his base loved it, protests broke out in cities and at airports across the country.</p><p>Rutland's mayoral election soon became a microcosm of the national debate about immigration and refugees, according to Louras, who said residents used language that echoed the rhetoric of the Trump campaign.</p><p>Trump "definitely influenced what happened here," said Gartner, who added that the administration's position on refugees gave Rutland First cover to "feel pretty safe in their fear."</p><p>As a result, Louras says, the Rutland First side wasn't willing to listen to the pro-resettlement side's explanations for why the refugees would be a boost to the town's economy.</p><p>"The noise around the irrational concerns didn't allow a lot of those rational people to listen to the facts," Louras said.</p><p>At the same time, David Allaire, Louras' opponent, ran his campaign on a message criticizing the mayor's handling of the refugee issue and called for "healing the divide" in the community. The refugee issue, combined with fury over Louras' unrelated attempt to reform the fire department, led to a landslide victory for Allaire.</p><p>"This is what sunk him, from my perspective," Gartner said of the refugee issue. "This is what Louras had to fall on his sword for."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Lisa Rathke</span></p><p class="caption">Newly arrived refugees tour a classroom at the Northwest Primary School in Rutland.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Allaire declined requests for an interview.</p><p>In the months that followed, Allaire has done little publicly to bring the town together, alderman Ettori said. He added that he doesn't expect the new mayor to lead "some sort of reconciliation."</p><p>In some ways, Allaire is repeating Louras' mistakes. While no new refugees are expected in 2017, Allaire has met with the <span>US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) </span>and the State Department to discuss bringing 100 more refugees to the city in 2018, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting. Publicly, Allaire has said that he is deferring to the federal government on the refugee issue, according to Ettori.</p><p>And the issue, in some ways, is still raw. </p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At a board of aldermen meeting at the end of May, a number of anti-refugee aldermen publicly lashed out at representatives from the USCRI, who were present. Members of the public, some of whom had threatened violence against the USCRI representatives, were permitted to l</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ob personal attacks from the microphone. Policemen in the room had to step in to maintain order. Ettori called the meeting a "debacle."</span></p><p>Those that championed the resettlement, like Hunter Berryhill, a high-school English teacher in town, say that as the refugees who did make it are successful (there were three families total). He and others hope the "false stereotypes start to crumble."</p><p>Sana Mustafa, a Syrian student who arrived in the US in 2013 and visited Rutland in June, said that she too thinks that refugees suffer from stereotypes.</p><p>"There's no name. There are no faces. There are only numbers, and we're always associated with guns and terrorists," said Mustafa. "When people see me, they see me as a civilized, normal person … and that's how we all look."</p><p>Business Insider made several attempts to speak with the refugees who have settled in Rutland but was told by USCRI officials that interviews weren't a good idea for the refugees' safety, given the tense situation.</p><p>Louras, who is in regular contact with the families, said they are "faring very well."</p><p>Still, he still struggles, he says, with what went wrong with the plan.</p><p>"If I had the silver bullet, I'd still be in office," Louras said.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Lisa Rathke</span></p><p class="caption">A newly arrived Syrian refugee family in the home of their sponsoring family in Rutland.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2><strong>Unemployed</strong></h2><p>Rutland is the kind of place where people can't escape one another. Even now, Louras sees his replacement, Allaire, regularly when he goes to maintain his garden, which is a few hundred feet from the new mayor's home. The two even have the same nieces and nephews through marriage.</p><p>Louras said it's not his responsibility to help the new mayor or give him advice.</p><p>"I'm an unemployed former army helicopter test pilot. And now, I'm an unemployed former small-town mayor. I'm just looking for a job that I can be successful at," Louras said.</p><p>He doesn't think Allaire has done much to fix the issues that Louras was once criticized for.</p><p>"I'm not sure anyone can communicate the value of refugee resettlement in a way where an entire community will accept it. It's the families themselves who provide the best argument."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/venezuela-was-latin-americas-richest-country-heres-how-it-fell-apart-2017-7">Venezuela was Latin America's richest country and now it is in complete crisis - here's how it fell apart</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="poZXYzYzE6mrlGtTm6Sn1IIHfESSKA9P" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

How a plan to resettle 100 Syrian refugees ripped apart a small Vermont town

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Heath Padgett" title_caption="Heath Padgett, 23, will work 50 jobs in 50 states." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54628b846bb3f74f05bc743f-960/heath-padgett-6.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Heath Padgett</span></p><p class="caption">Heath Padgett, 23, will work 50 jobs in 50 states.</p></div><p></p></div>Hourly workers make up almost three-fourths of the US workforce - yet certain stigmas associated with these workers still exist, and they don't always get the recognition they deserve, says Heath Padgett, a 23-year-old recent college graduate.</p>
<p>To explore the world of hourly work, break those stigmas, and shed light on the importance of these under-appreciated employees, Padgett and his wife, Alyssa, decided to embark on a seven-month, cross-country journey in their RV. On the trip, he's trying out 50 jobs in 50 states for his upcoming documentary, "<a href="http://www.hourlyamerica.com/">Hourly America</a>."</p>
<p><span>The newlyweds, who are on what's been called an "</span><a href="https://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/watch/25411418/epic-honeymoon/">epic honeymoon</a>,<span>" <span>left their hometown of Austin, Texas, on June 1 - just a week after their wedding. So far, they'</span></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">ve visited 38 states.</span></p>
<p>Padgett and Alyssa, his videographer, have found<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> most of the 38 hourly gigs he's worked through </span><a href="http://www.snagajob.com/">Snagajob.com</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">, America's largest network for hourly employment.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p>Padgett, who graduated from Concordia University Texas with a major in business and entrepreneurship in 2013, recently spoke to Business Insider about his favorite moments, his biggest challenges, and the best and worst jobs he's worked throughout his "Hourly America" journey.</p>
<p><em>This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.</em> </p>
<p><strong>Business Insider:</strong><strong> Can you tell me what inspired you to embark on this "50 jobs in 50 states" journey?</strong><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>Heath Padgett: After college I took a sales job with a software company and quickly realized that I wasn't built for sitting in an office all day. I wanted to do more meaningful, creative work and figure out what kind of work made me happy. I've always had a desire to travel and the idea of pursuing a mission along with traveling intrigued me. I decided to make this more of a quest and work a job in all 50 states so I could learn more about different kinds of work and meet a lot of people along the way.</p>
<p><strong>BI: Can you walk us through how this all works?</strong></p>
<p>HP: On average I work two to three different jobs per week. I show up and work for one day in each different place. I obviously don't become a pro at these jobs - I'm more concerned with getting to know my coworkers, interviewing them about their job and their overall philosophy on work. Why do they do what they do? What do they love most about being a bartender, cook, electrician, etc.?</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Heath Padgett" title_caption="Padgett in front of Bob's Clam Hut in Maine, where he worked as a fish fryer." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/546288ba6bb3f75a78bc743f-960/bobs-2.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Heath Padgett</span></p><p class="caption">Padgett in front of Bob's Clam Hut in Maine, where he worked as a fish fryer.</p></div><p></p></div>I've worked everything from a martial arts assistant to a pizza delivery guy, and even had short stints on a couple different farms.</p>
<p>A lot of my jobs have been in the service industry, as I'm particularly interested in learning more about how to fill the void between employees and customers. I want to find more ways for customers to acknowledge and recognize service industry workers outside of purely tipping them. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>I've found most of my jobs through Snagajob.com. I reached out to them before my trip begun with a crazy idea of working a different job in every state, and I asked if they would help me find jobs along the way. They've opened the doors to a lot of the bigger companies for me, where as it might have been a lot more difficult for some random guy to come in for the day. </p>
<p><strong>BI: Where are you now, and and how many jobs have you done so far?</strong></p>
<p>HP: As of today I've worked 38 jobs in 38 states. I'm in Kentucky, and today I worked at a KOA campsite. My wife and I made this trip in our 1994 Coachmen Class C motorhome, and we've attracted a lot of attention from fellow RVers who find these 23-year-old newlyweds pretty fascinating. So today we took their advice and spent a day working at a KOA, cleaning bathrooms and all that good stuff.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><strong>BI: Did you plan ahead of time which jobs you'd have in each state? Or do you figure it out as you go?</strong><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>HP: We fly by the seat of our pants. For instance, I called KOA yesterday along with several other companies. I give them my pitch, tell them why I'm doing what I'm doing, and if they understand or believe in my mission then they let me come in and work for the day alongside their employees.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><strong>BI: What's been your favorite job, and why?</strong></p>
<p>HP: One of my favorite jobs was working for the Inland Empire 66ers. They are a minor league baseball team in Los Angeles. I spent all day outside working in the bleachers and cleaning the locker room. I played college baseball at Concordia University Texas, and spending a day outside working on a field was the dream. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Heath Padgett" title_caption="Padgett working for the Inland Empire 66ers." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54628998ecad04e016049b4a-960/heath-padgett.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Heath Padgett</span></p><p class="caption">Padgett working for the Inland Empire 66ers.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p><strong>BI: What's been the worst, or hardest job, and why?</strong></p>
<p>HP: Well two days ago I was "fired" from a job. I wasn't really fired, but there was a miscommunication between the manager who I spoke with on the phone and the other manager working the day I came in. Apparently, she had no idea I was going to actually work there and wasn't the kind of person who was flexible to curveballs being thrown at her. </p>
<p>Two hours into my shift I received a call from the owner saying that she also didn't know I was going to be working there that day. They thought I was going to get in the way, and I honestly don't think they had done any research on our "Hourly America" project, nor did they know our mission.</p>
<p>It was a little bit embarrassing having to leave halfway through a shift. But on the other side of things it was a valuable lesson - a lot of people aren't going to believe in what you're doing, especially when it breaks the norm. Leaving that job and still having a firm faith in this project to make a difference in the world was affirming to say the least because it showed me how strongly I believe in our mission of sharing stories from everyday workers.</p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Heath Padgett" title_caption="Padgett and his wife/videographer, Alyssa." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/546289f669bedd1c77c57849-960/heath-padgett-1.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Heath Padgett</span></p><p class="caption">Padgett and his wife/videographer, Alyssa.</p></div><p></p></div></div>BI: What's been the best moment of this experience so far?</strong></p>
<p>HP: There have been a few different moments along our trip where someone I'm working with looks at me and just says, "Thank you." Maybe these are the people who understand that we are here because we want to show the people from the other side of the counter's point of view. It feels really good to know your mission has inspired someone in some way.</p>
<p><strong>BI: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced?</strong></p>
<p>HP: Traveling the country in a 20-year-old motorhome in the first year of marriage while working a job in every single state is a huge undertaking. We've broken down, had fights when the GPS gets us lost, and experienced so much of the world at a rapid pace. But I would say the biggest challenges are sticking to this project when our RV keeps breaking down.</p>
<p>We don't have a ton of money, and early on, there was no telling if anything positive was going to come from "Hourly America." Would anyone ever care what we are doing? Does this work matter? It was the internal battle, which was the hardest. I've never been a full-time RVer, writer, or filmmaker. All these things are new to me, but going from the unknown to a place of feeling confident in my skills was a huge undertaking.</p>
<p>It helps to realize that most people aren't entirely sure of themselves no matter what it is they are doing, we are all learning. If you meet a person who "has it all together," then they're the smartest person I've ever met or a really good actor. Life is about practice, not perfection.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Heath Padgett" title_caption="The newlyweds." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/546292486bb3f7a81cdc66e0-960/heath-padgett-7.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Heath Padgett</span></p><p class="caption">The newlyweds.</p></div><p></p></div>BI: What has surprised you most?</strong></p>
<p>HP: People's openness. It's been incredibly easy to find businesses that are willing to let me come in for the day. A lot of businesses have said yes before even taking a look at our website or media coverage. Some places think we are just crazy kids who are trying to do something meaningful with their lives, and they would be right.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>However, it just proves there are a lot of people out in the world who will accept you if you're willing to take a few blows in the process. A good friend of mine always says, "Once you open yourself up to the world, the world opens itself up to you." I now know that statement to be very true.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><strong>BI: What's the biggest lesson you've learned??</strong></p>
<p>HP: Being able to effectively communicate a simple idea is a learned and valuable skill set. It's one that I am still working on. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Heath Padgett" title_caption="Padgett, right, working in a kitchen." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5462930469bedd3623dc66db-960/heath-padgett-8.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Heath Padgett</span></p><p class="caption">Padgett, right, working in a kitchen.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p><strong>BI: What do you plan to do when this journey concludes?</strong></p>
<p>HP: We will release the film in August 2015, and until then I'm going to be working part time consulting with Jia Jiang, who is an author with an upcoming book launch in April 2015. Jia is a mentor who first gave me the idea to work a different job in every state. He looked me up several months after we talked about it over coffee and realized I had taken his advice and pursued this quest. He then offered me a job because he said that he had received hundreds of inquiries of people asking for guidance, but only a few people had actually taken action from those meetings. I was one of them.</p>
<p><strong>BI: Anything else you want to share about your experience?</strong><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>HP: Don't let people tell you there is a set way to go about your career. I've found that the safe and normal way rarely yields the results of stepping outside of the box. I had so many people tell me I was crazy for pursuing this 50-state-50-job quest, however, I've had more opportunities open up because of it then I would have ever had if I'd stayed in my office job back in Texas.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Heath Padgett" title_caption="Padgett and the RV." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54628942eab8ea8d54af342c-960/heath-padget.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Heath Padgett</span></p><p class="caption">Padgett and the RV.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Here are all the jobs Padgett has worked so far:<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><strong>Job #1</strong>: Project Dojo, <em>Martial Arts Instructor</em>  <br> <strong>Job #2:</strong> Buffalo Wild Wings, <em>Server</em> <br> <strong>Job #3:</strong> Habitat ReStore, <em>Paint Mixer</em> <br> <strong>Job #4:</strong> American Red Cross, <em>Lifeguard</em> <br> <strong>Job #5:</strong> Inland Empire 66ers Baseball Stadium, <em>Cleaning Crew Member</em> <br> <strong>Job #6:</strong> Domino's Pizza, <em>Delivery guy and Pizza Maker</em> <br> <strong>Job #7:</strong> Portland Art Museum, <em>Security Guard</em> <br> <strong>Job #8: </strong>Downtown Missoula Association, <em>City Ambassador</em> <br> <strong>Job #9:</strong> Mike's Music Shop, <em>Sales Associate</em> <br> <strong>Job #10: </strong>Persephone Bakery, <em>Bread Baker</em> <br> <strong>Job #11:</strong> La Vita Bella, <em>Barista</em><br> <strong>Job #12:</strong> Oh My Cupcakes! &amp; Shop Dog Boutique, <em>Cupcake Ninja &amp; Cashier</em> <br> <strong>Job #13:</strong> Würst Bier Hall, <em>Line Cook</em> <br> <strong>Job #14:</strong> Carlos Creek Winery, <em>Wine Pourer</em> <br> <strong>Job #15:</strong> Hinchley's Dairy Farm Tours, <em>Dairy Farmer</em> <br> <strong>Job #16:</strong> Pizza Rustica Chicago, <em>Busboy</em> <br> <strong>Job #17:</strong> Hog Stop BBQ, <em>Meat Handler</em> <br> <strong>Job #18:</strong> Lucky Bucket Brewing Company, <em>Vodka Bottler</em> <br> <strong>Job #19:</strong> Schlegel's Bicycles, <em>Bicycle Mechanic</em><br> <strong>Job #20:</strong> Kansas Humane Society, <em>Poop Scooper</em> <br> <strong>Job #21:</strong> The Fountain on Locust, <em>Waiter</em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FountainOnLocust"><br> </br></a><strong>Job #22: </strong>The Fountain Square Brewing, <em>Keg Filler</em> <br> <strong>Job #23:</strong> Ann Arbor Tees, <em>T-Shirt Printer</em><strong><br> Job #24: </br></strong>Society Lounge, <em>Bar Back</em><strong><br> Job #25: </br></strong>Shelburne Orchards, <em>Apple Picker</em><strong><br> Job #26: </br></strong>The Juicery, <em>Juice Master</em><strong><br> Job #27: </br></strong>Bob's Clam Hut, <em>Fish Fryer</em><strong><br> Job #28: </br></strong>The General Store, <em>Event Staff</em><strong><br> Job #29: </br></strong>TEN31 Productions,<em> Costumer</em><strong><br> Job #30: </br></strong>Downtown Yoga Studio<em>, Mat Cleaner<br> </br></em><strong>Job #31: </strong>The Vitamin Shoppe,<em> Health Enthusiast<br> </br></em><strong>Job #32:</strong> White Castle, <em>Grill Master</em><br> <strong>Job #33:</strong> Fuel After School, <em>After School Counselor</em><br> <strong>Job #34: </strong>Hagley Museum and Library, <em>Electrician<br> </br></em><strong>Job #35:</strong> Six Flags America, <em>Zombie</em><br> <strong>Job #36:</strong> Lumber Liquidators, <em>Warehouse Assistant<br> </br></em><strong>Job #37: </strong>Stardust Cafe,<em> Dishwasher<br /></em><strong>Job #38:</strong> KOA, <em>Janitor</em></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></p>

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