Kenney Myers

Author | Actor | Producer | Kickboxer | Entrepreneur

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How to Keep Your Youngest Child From Becoming Spoiled

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spoiledParents and nannies alike have probably heard these words said at one time or another: “You’d better be careful, or that child will grow up spoiled!” Often these words are said about the youngest children in the family, as it’s a popular belief that the youngest is most prone to becoming spoiled.

Before we discuss strategies for ensuring that the youngest child in your care isn’t spoiled, let’s reflect on what we mean by “spoiled,” and whether or not it’s a special concern when raising your youngest child.

According to WebMD, experts in the field of childhood development aren’t thrilled with the use of the term “spoiled,” and see it as a throwback to an earlier era. Still, most of us understand what old child-rearing manuals, and even well-meaning friends, mean by it. While today’s experts tend to use words like “overprotected” instead, the way to avoid this label is the same: parents and caregivers need to make sure they are setting healthy boundaries for their children.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t respond to your child’s needs appropriately. Worry over spoiling a child should not make you unresponsive to age-appropriate appeals for help. However, overindulgence might be indicated if you find yourself going out of your way to placate children, especially in an effort to avoid tantrums. While tantrums are age-appropriate for toddlers, in older children they should be rare. Giving into children’s desires in an effort to keep the peace is never wise, so start giving consistent and appropriate consequences for outbursts while the children are young.

Youngest children are the ones parents and caregivers tend to worry about most when it comes to overindulgence. This may occur for several reasons. While the jury is out when it comes to knowing how much birth order may help determine a child’s personality, it seems to be a fact that typical family dynamics can encourage certain kinds of behaviors in the youngest children.

The mere fact that a child is the youngest, coming after one or more other children, may mean that they don’t perceive themselves as getting enough attention. Given actual limits to parental time and energy, there might be some truth to that perception. How many times have you heard parents ruefully confess that they don’t have as many pictures of their youngest as they do of their older kids? At any rate, children who are the youngest may go out of their way to get attention. It’s perhaps not a coincidence that a number of successful performers and comedians are the youngest children in their families. But what can turn into positive behavior in adults may start out as negative, attention-seeking behavior in young children.

The fact that older children are available to do things for their younger siblings is another potentially challenging family dynamic. If the youngest children get too dependent, they will have a hard time learning to do things for themselves. Sometimes older siblings go out of their way to do things for a younger child out of kindness, or simply because it’s hard for them to perceive that their kid brother or sister has grown up enough to handle doing things independently.

It’s important to help your youngest child step up to the plate, so childhood experts encourage families to make sure the youngest child has chores and tasks that contribute to the family well-being, just like their older siblings. It will help the youngest learn, and help the older kids realize that the younger ones are ready to take more on.

Lastly, don’t be so worried that you’re spoiling your child that you don’t provide proper attention. Many of the negative behaviors in the youngest children stem from their need to feel that their role in the family, though they came last and may be the smallest, is important. Though your energy may not be what it was when you were caring for your firstborn, think back to the ways you acknowledged that child’s important milestones and achievements, and try to do the same for your youngest. It will go a long way toward helping foster the kind of security that every child needs, no matter when they joined the family.

10 Hairstyles Famous Kens Wear Well

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BaumgartnerYour hairstyle has the ability to completely change and enhance the shape of your face. Once the scissors attack, though, there’s no going back. It can take months to return your hair to its former glory, and it’s just rude to wear a hat indoors. These 10 Kens, on the other hand, definitely know how to rock their fabulous hairstyles.

  • The Hockey Mullet – Now retired, Canadian hockey player Ken Baumgartner famously sported a blond-tipped mullet through much of his career. The Mullet may have gained notoriety when it was the coiffure of choice for country star Billy Ray Cyrus, but Mr. Baumgartner made it part of hockey history.
  • The Director’s Cut – Ken Olin often comes across as a middle of the road actor, which is probably why he never seems to deviate from his trademark middle-shade haircut. The parting may shift, on occasion, but Olin’s style seldom errs very far from a Hugh Grant-esque, floppy mop of delightfully messy hair. Behind the scenes, Ken is also an accomplished producer, so perhaps he reserves his more adventurous hairstyles for the big chair.
  • Kenny the Hedgehog – Before his major role in the hit series “Lost” as Miles Straume, Ken Leung played the part of Kid Omega in X-Men: The Last Stand. For some reason, the makers of the movie decided to depict him as the hedgehog version of the character, with long spines protruding from his face and head. Despite the frightening appearance, Leung actually pulls off the look quite well.
  • The Spike– As professional wrestlers go, Ken Anderson was always hard to take seriously. From his habit of snatching the announcer’s mic so that he could provide a long, drawn out introduction for himself to his blonde-tipped, spiky hair, Anderson was a caricature of a wrestling heel. However, his ability in the ring soon put to rest any doubts as to whether or not he was the real deal and the hairstyle went down in history.
  • Teenage Terror-Hawk – When you’re playing a leading role in a show like “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” you’ve got to look the part. It is surprising, then, that Ken Baumann insisted on wearing his hair in a high-top, ‘80s style. What’s even more surprising is that he’s managed to make it look effortlessly cool.
  • Ken Dodd – The only entry on the list who is credited with his actual name, Ken Dodd is instantly recognizable by his crazy hair and zany comedy. Dodd is a much loved television entertainer in the U.K. He is the king of rapid-fire comedy, as he streaks across the stage delivering funny one-liners with his wild, fuzzy locks flowing behind him.
  • Fringe Burns – Ken Burns has made some of the most critically acclaimed documentaries in the 20th and 21st centuries. His haircut, however, looks more like he picked it up in the 15th or 16th century. The director favors the straight fringe and bowl cut, often accompanied by a goatee beard. It does suit him, and if his directing career falls upon hard times, he’s a great candidate for a job at Medieval Times.
  • Killer Hairstyles – As Jason Voorhees in the Friday the Thirteenth films, the audience doesn’t typically get to see the killer’s hair. In some installments of the franchise, he is completely bald, whereas in others he has long, single wisps of hair. Regardless, Ken Kirzinger is one of the few actors to play the character with hair.
  • Curled to Cropped – Kenneth Marshall started out his career in such movies as Krull with a tight mop of curls. As the actor aged, his curls seemed to loosen somewhat. By the time he played Michael Eddington in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Marshall was starting to lose his once luscious locks. The actor is now sans hair, but still looking good in his 60s.
  • The Inside Job – As a famous hairstylist, Ken Pavés has had some interesting haircuts. The thing is, they all seem to take on a variation of the long, straight and feathered look. It doesn’t matter, though, as Pavés is rarely seen without a starlet from the music or movie worlds hanging on his arm.

10 Famous Quotes from Men Named Ken

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Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

In the digital age, no utterance goes unchecked from the mouths of celebrities, sports stars or politicians. Everything is recorded for future generations, giving a level of insight into the minds of generations past. These 10 Kens have all made their mark on this world, and here are some examples of what they had to say.

  • Ken Kesey – The author of the highly acclaimed book One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey was, in all things, a lover of nature. Not quite a beatnik, but not a hippie either, Kesey’s quotes, like this one, often reflected a sentiment that was of the two generations. “You’ve got to get out and pray to the sky to appreciate the sunshine; otherwise you’re just a lizard standing there with the sun shining on you.”
  • Ken Adam – The famous set designer, who worked with greats such as Stanley Kubrick, had this to say about his ground breaking set design on the James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice: “The challenge appealed to me also, the shape of the volcano. I knew if it didn’t work I’d never work in movies again. [Producer] Cubby Broccoli asked me how much it would cost. I quoted him a million dollars, which at that time was a huge amount of money. He said if I could do it for a million, then do it. That’s when I really began to worry.”
  • Ken Auletta – Auletta is a well-respected journalist and, currently, media critic for the New Yorker. With such high credentials behind his words, media students can take this quote to the bank: “Always point your finger at the chest of the person with whom you are being photographed. You will appear dynamic. And no photo editor can crop you from the picture.”
  • Ken Baumann – This young actor, writer of novels and owner of a non-profit publishing business wasn’t lying when he said, “I love art and I think I was destined to end up in some aspect of the arts.” At the tender age of 24, Ken Baumann has already garnered plenty of acclaim and respect. Baumann is definitely one to watch as he grows to even greater heights in the future.
  • Ken Blanchard – He is best known as the author of the bestselling book The One Minute Manager. Blanchard’s book changed the dynamics of how many managers view the employer/employee relationship. His way of thinking is summed up perfectly in this quote: “In the past, a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people… they no longer can lead solely based on positional power.”
  • Ken Buck – Currently serving as the District Attorney for Weld County, Colorado, Buck lost out to Michael Bennet in a bid for the Senate in 2010, when he challenged him as the Republican candidate. Despite Ken’s passion for reducing the budget, it would appear that the following quote fell on deaf ears: “I’m coming to Washington, D.C., to do the people’s work. And the people’s work has to do with reducing spending and cutting budgets and, and trying to get a grip on the size of government.”
  • Ken Burns – “I grew up certain for a while that I was going to be an anthropologist, until film turned my head.” While he may not have become an anthropologist, there is a degree of people study involved in Ken Burns work as a documentary filmmaker. In particular, he is often credited with using photographs and archival footage, effectively building a detailed study of his subjects.
  • Ken Curtis – Better known as Festus Haggen from the long running show Gunsmoke, Ken Curtis was truly married to the role, as revealed in this quote: “I really miss Gunsmoke. It was like losing my whole family.”
  • Kenneth Harrelson – One of baseball’s legends, the “Hawk” was never short of a great sporting observation. While debating the finer details of baseball, he had this comparison to make with golf: “In baseball, you hit your home run over the right-field fence, the left-field fence, the center-field fence. Nobody cares. In golf everything has got to be right over second base.”
  • Ken Macleod – As well as being an award winning author, Macleod is known for being a bit of a comedian and an all-around happy man. So it’s no surprise that this quote is attributed to him: “I’m a long-term optimist, and I don’t think the problems with our society are from being overly optimistic.”

10 Reasons People Fail to Get Their Black Belt

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nobeltTypically seen as the pinnacle of achievement in martial arts, a black belt is ostensibly the end goal of every student who enters a gym. Why, then, do so many fail to earn their black belt? The answer to that question is different for every student, but there are some reasons which are more common than others. Here are ten of the primary reasons why students end their training before reaching black belt status.

  1. Unrealistic Expectations – More than almost any other reason out there, martial arts students fail to get their black belt because they begin the journey with unrealistic expectations. Someone who expects to gain their black belt in two years is more likely to quit when, three years into training, they haven’t progressed through the ranks as quickly as they feel is warranted.
  2. Lack of Dedication – There are more students who want to say they have a black belt in a particular discipline than there are students who actually want to reach the requisite skill level to be classified as such. A black belt is very difficult to earn, and someone who’s not dedicated to continuing to learn and grow will eventually lose interest.
  3. They’re Training at a Legitimate Gym – There’s an unfortunate trend among unscrupulous instructors of offering “fast-track” black belt programs designed not to instill a love of martial arts and a dedication to learning, but to keep class fees rolling in and student retention numbers high. In a legitimate gym, a black belt is exponentially more difficult to earn, and as such, fewer of the students will earn their black belt.
  4. The Timeline is Unclear – There is a cultural expectation for defined timelines; people want to know they’re expected to dedicate a specific amount of time to achieving a goal, and then are guaranteed to reach that goal. There is no real timeline for earning a black belt; gifted students may earn one several years earlier than those of average skill level. Not being able to refer to a definitive timeline can be discouraging, causing some students to simply give up.
  5. The Belt is Their Only Objective – For too many students, a black belt is seen as the primary objective, not learning and training in the martial arts. Without a love of martial arts and a dedication to expanding knowledge, students aren’t likely to have the drive to reach black belt status.
  6. Their Own List of Priorities – There’s nothing wrong with having your own set of priorities. For most people, family, work and academic pursuits will rank far higher on a list of priorities than martial arts training. While training can still be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for these students, a black belt is a less realistic goal.
  7. Sustaining Injuries – While martial arts training in a high-quality gym does come with a host of safety considerations, it’s still a sport. As with any physical activity, there is a risk of injury. When a more serious one derails training for an extended period of time, it’s not uncommon for more casual students to simply stop training, rather than trying to get back on track.
  8. Fear of Injury – Far more common than an actual injury, the fear of sustaining an injury keeps people from reaching elite martial arts status. Students who are genuinely scared of being injured may feel more pressure to stop training as difficulty progresses, thereby failing to earn a black belt.
  9. Lifestyle Changes – When a child or young teenager begins training for instance, they have a particular type of lifestyle which may be well suited to the type of training required to reach black belt. As they grow older, enter college or encounter other lifestyle changes, training often falls to the wayside and martial arts is abandoned in order to make room for these new alterations in routine.  Other lifestyle changes include a new job that takes you to a new town, you have a child, you lose your job, etc.  All of these can factor into people giving up on becoming a black belt.
  10. They Simply Give Up – “You want to be training your whole life. One percent of people that train Jiu-Jitsu will get their black belt,” according to Ryron Gracie, of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gracie family fame. With such a small percentage of those who begin training actually earning a black belt, it’s easy to see why some people simply give up before reaching their goal.

There is no one-size-fits-all reason for failure to obtain a black belt, just as a black belt has different meanings and connotations in different martial arts disciplines. Entering the upper echelon of training comes with steep requirements and demands great dedication, but this is not to say a black belt is out of reach. It simply means the vast majority of students will need to adjust their expectations and priorities accordingly, understanding the difficulty of earning a black belt is part of the journey and a solid life lesson.

10 Ways to Bootstrap Your First Startup

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bootstrapSeeking investors can be a reliable way of building startup capital, but it can also leave you under the control of outsiders and forced to surrender some control over your business model in order to keep those investors happy. Bootstrapping your startup, or financing the venture with your own money, leaves you in control and completely independent. It can also be a struggle if you’re not sure where to begin. Here are ten ways to bootstrap your first startup and get your business off the ground yourself.

  1. Do It Yourself – Just as you are your own source of funding, you’ll need to be your own source of labor. Because your finances are limited, you should avoid hiring until you’ve reached the point of profitability. This means you’ll have to do a lot of work yourself, but you won’t be shelling out a salary and cutting into your limited capital.
  2. Expand Your Skill Set – It’s tempting to say that you don’t have a particular skill set, then shell out money to have someone do something for you. Learning new skills makes you more valuable in the long term, though, and helps you avoid costs associated with outsourcing. You will end up having to hire some people/services anyway (very few people can do everything themselves and do it well), but it’s better to try to save money where you can.
  3. Separate Your Finances – If the capital you’re using to fund your startup comes from a personal savings account, move it into a dedicated business account. You’ll have a more difficult time tracking expenses if your business expenditures are on the same statement as your personal purchases and it will save you a lot of grief when it comes time to prepare your taxes.
  4. Strive for Quick Profitability – Everyone wants to start earning a profit quickly, but it’s vital for boostrapped startups. Optimizing for a quick turnaround on cash flow may mean changing some aspects of your business model, but it can mean the difference between success and failure.
  5. Consider Partners Carefully – A like-minded partner who brings a bit of capital to the table means more money, more labor and more attention. A well-matched partner can help you put off the first hire until your joint venture is profitable, stretch capital a bit farther and get more done than one person can accomplish alone. A poorly-matched partner, however, can mess up more than they fix and derail all of your efforts. Don’t be hasty about going into business, especially a boostrapped venture, with a partner.
  6. Start With the Free Version – Crucial tools like Dropbox and QuickBooks can be expensive, but they can also be free. Choosing the free version may mean missing out on a few functions, but a small venture isn’t likely to require the high-powered capability of premium offerings. Don’t leap into paid relationships before exploring free options; sometimes, free is exactly what you need.
  7. Negotiate Trade Credit – If your startup specializes in non-tangible goods, trade credit may not be an issue. For retail operations, though, being able to obtain trade credit can make a world of difference. In most cases, trade credit will only be extended by suppliers after you’ve established a payment history, but you may be able to negotiate a better deal if you go directly to the CFO or a small business owner. Bring your business plan and financial forecasts to the table, and see what you can work out. You may be able to get the crucial first rounds of supplies in your hands, then pay for them when you’ve made some sales.
  8. Test, Test, Test – You know it’s important to wireframe your entire concept before getting started, but are you factoring in time for consumer testing? Get feedback from your potential customers, and actually listen to what they have to say. You can build a better mousetrap after going live, but it will slow your momentum. Get the kinks out before launch through rigorous testing, even if that just means grilling your friends and family members.
  9. Build a Marketing Concept – Too often, entrepreneurs focus all of their energy on product optimization and financial forecasts, leaving their marketing campaign conceptualization on the back burner. Because your startup capital will be limited to what you’re able to raise on your own, you probably won’t be able to afford a high-powered brand strategist to handle marketing at launch. Make sure you test your marketing plan just as thoroughly as you do product roll-out and infrastructure. When it’s time to go live, you’ll be able to hit the ground running with a promo campaign to grab customers’ attention.
  10. Build a Buzz with Competitions/Contests – Want to get hundreds of people talking about your new venture while limiting the amount of product you discount or give away? Hold a crowd-sourced contest. For every entry, retweet or Facebook share of your competition, you’ll get more exposure, and you only have to shell out rewards for a single winner.

Boostrapping your startup will require a serious commitment, but can also give you a very real incentive to get things right the very first time. Launching without a safety net can be daunting, but you’ll be positioned to reap maximum reward when your independent venture launches and begins to thrive.

10 Reasons Why MMA Has Grown So Rapidly in Popularity

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mmaMMA has been called “the world’s fastest-growing sport,” which makes sense given it hasn’t been around that long. For instance, among 18-34 year-old fans in the United States, MMA is more popular than either the NHL or even NASCAR. While there’s no doubt about the rise in popularity of MMA, there is some confusion about what’s driving the success. Here are a few possible reasons in no specific order:

  1. Regulations – In the earliest days of MMA as an organized sport, it wasn’t allowed on pay-per-view and Republican politician John McCain lobbied heavily for the FCC to keep mixed martial arts off PPV. In response, mixed martial arts leagues began to organize their fighters into weight classes and institute regulations to make the sport more palatable for the masses. With these changes, MMA began to move out of the underground circuits and into the mainstream.
  2. Gambling & Fantasy MMA – Where boxing was once the go-to combat sport for Vegas odds-makers, mixed martial arts is now taking its own piece of the action. Betting on MMA fights is a booming business and fantasy MMA sites like http://www.kountermove.com  are making it easier than ever to bet on MMA fights.
  3. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – Mixed martial arts promotions like PRIDE and StrikeForce generated lots of buzz, but there is no doubt that the UFC put mixed martial arts on the professional sports map in the United States. The UFC entered the scene in 1993 and after a series of buyouts have positioned themselves as the top MMA promotion in the World.
  4. Social Media – In the earliest days of MMA as a mainstream sport, the Internet was just getting going and social media had yet to become an integral part of our lives. Now, athletes from all sports, including MMA leverage Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, & others to create a stronger bond with their growing fan bases.
  5. Training Availability – It used to be hard to find gyms that specialized in MMA training with tae kwon do & karate being much more popular martial art forms.  That has significantly changed now with the emergence of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu gyms, UFC gyms, and many others that combine traditional combative arts like jiu jitsu, kickboxing, and other styles to train MMA fighters.
  6. Diversity – MMA has always had cross-cultural but with the emergence of professional WMMA promotions like Invicta and introducing many more weight classes, MMA has opened up to more athletes offering female and male fighters of all sizes the opportunity to fight for a living (the number of weight classes for men and women  is more likely to increase than decrease).
  7. Increased Understanding of the Sport – As MMA becomes a mainstream sport and expanded its rules and regulations it also has become easier for fans to understand. What was once seen as a blood sport by some politicians and some fans has become more appreciated for the technical skill required to become a pro fighter.
  8. Increased Promotion – Organizations like UFC and Bellator are working overtime to get MMA out there for public consumption. From reality shows that showcase up-and-coming fighters to aggressive multi-channel marketing campaigns that promote their Pay Per View (PPV) fights these promotions are marketing machines.
  9. Sponsorship Deals for Fighters – While athletes in any sport have sponsorship deals, MMA fighters take it to another level. From paid public appearances to walk–out shirts to the shorts they wear for fights, MMA fighters proudly represent brands like no other individual sport.  It’s more like NASCAR than the NFL from this perspective.
  10. Accessibility – With networks like AXSTV, Spike, and FoxSports1 frequently running fights on the weekends it is far easier to watch high level MMA fights.

MMA is a rapidly innovating and evolving sport which will continue to fuel it’s increase in popularity.  As the UFC and other promotions cut deals like the massive uniform deal with Reebok in December 2014, we will see more and more merchandise and marketing of MMA athletes and promotions.  This will continue to bring more fans to the sport for years to come.  No matter how quickly it grows though it is clear that MMA is mainstream and it is here to stay.