Off The Clock

When was the last time that you really truly celebrated your own awesomeness? The Planted team did just that this weekend in honor of the International Day of Awesomeness, which falls on March 10th.

Oh, and did we mention that the holiday was actually created by our very own CTO, Kevin Lawver?

According to Kevin, the best way to celebrate IDOA is to perform a feat of awesomeness, which is completely open to interpretation. “You can do something new that you’ve been meaning to try but keep putting off, something that seems scary, something kind, or celebrate someone else’s awesomeness, just to name a few," he says. "The most important thing is that you have fun doing it!”

Here are some of the awesome things we did this past weekend!

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They say an education never goes to waste, but learning can happen both in and out of the classroom. For those pursuing more traditional, familiar paths in banking and consulting, it’s pretty standard to get your Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree after a few years of working in the real world. But where does an MBA fit in if you’re working at a startup, where on-the-job learning can be both unpredictable and pretty darn comprehensive?

Before you drive yourself crazy thinking about what route to go down, consider what you'll get out of more school versus continuing on with a startup career. We’ll go over the most important questions that you should ask yourself before you commit.

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Do you feel like you've mapped out the blueprint of a perfectly fabulous, successful life, only to feel like you’ve fallen flat on your face when your dream company doesn’t hire you? Or maybe you don’t know what the plan is and you need some help getting on the right track? The good news is that there are so many great career development books out there chock full of amazing advice your college career center never gave you—and we’ve rounded up the five best ones of 2018 below.

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Real estate is one of those industries that touches us all, in one way or another, at some point in our lives. Whether you’re buying a house, renting an apartment, or building a business, we all have our experiences with real estate. And so often, we complain about these experiences, citing them as difficult, costly, complicated, and frustrating. But what if real estate didn’t have to be that way? These five NYC startups are trying to revolutionize the industry and better the real estate experience for everyone involved. Check them out.

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April was a pretty big month for startup funding, especially for the health and tech (especially cybersecurity) companies popping up in the good ol’ San Francisco Bay Area. Expect some big things from these startups in the coming months!

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While April was a tough month for weather around the country, it was a great month for startup seed funding. These five NYC startups raised a combined total of $30.8 million, which is a whole lotta cash.

Who are these mover and shakers in the startup world? While all a little different, these five companies have one thing in common (besides their recent seed funding), they’re all driven to change the status quo. Check them out.

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After all the hard work, resume building, outfit-deciding, and interview-practicing, the moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here: you have an official offer! But then you ask yourself, what’s next? Well, you have a pretty big decision to make, and before you take the plunge, there are a few things you can do to make sure that you’ll be happy with whatever decision you make.

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Buying a mattress is tough. There are so many things to take into account when it’s time to make the change! How do you choose between memory foam and traditional springs? What makes a bed “ergonomic?” Why should I drop 1,000 big ones on this particular mattress, and once I buy it, how do I schlep it up my three-story walkup?

Whether it’s online or in-person, mattress shopping is overwhelming. And if you’ve seen the subway and Facebook ads, you know disruptive mattress companies are rising in popularity, changing the way we think about those rectangular things where we spend at least 50% of our lives. We’ve compiled a list of these startups based in NYC who are dedicated to giving us even more reasons to never want to leave our beds, and some tips on how to be a part of these growing industry disruptors.

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In this interview series, we ask companies we love working with to give us some insight into what they’re all about. They’ll share how the company got started, what it's like to work there, and what makes them different. It’s your inside look to some of the coolest startups.

Today we’re featuring Karthik Sridharan, who’s Co-Founder & CEO at one of our partner companies Kinnek.

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South by Southwest 2018 (or SXSW as it’s so lovingly abbreviated) is well underway this year, with companies from all over the world – ranging from film and music to interactive media and brand new startups jumping into the scene. The annual conference, which gets major buzz every year, takes place in the southern state of Texas every March and hosts “SXSW Accelerator Pitch” – the event to be at for startups & emerging tech to showcase their latest to an expert panel of judges.

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With startup attire giving the traditional suit and tie a run for its money, a business casual look at the office can’t hurt. Having such a wide breadth of options for work wear can be incredibly daunting –– while jeans and a tee may pass with your laid-back colleagues, it’s wise to level up your wardrobe and dress for the role you want, not the one you have.

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There are many reasons you might be thinking about a new job. Are you fresh out of college and looking for your first “real” job? Do you wake up in the morning, dreading the commute and whatever bullshit life is gonna feed you that day? Maybe you feel ready for the next step in your career but there’s no room for upward movement at your current company.

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Conventional wisdom says the best time to leave a job is when you already have a new one. Easier said than done, right? Searching for a new job is a time-consuming and frustrating process, made all the more complicated when you still have to be in the office every morning at 9 am.

So how do you look for a job while you’re still employed? Well, there are a few things you can do to navigate through the chaos of working and applying. Check out these five tips:

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We all have that one friend who seems to have done everything right. You know, that so-and-so who landed themselves on the right career path from day one of school and rolled into a fulfilling career afterwards. Not a hint of an existential crisis to be seen within miles of their pristine desk (and leather swivel chair).

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the average American spends 100 hours every year commuting. 100 hours, every year. That’s a whole lot of time. Whether your commute is two hours long or a mere 30 minutes (lucky you), commuting is stressful, frustrating, and a waste of time.

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