Business

Who Does Tori Dunlap Think She Is?

Published

12 months ago

June 22, 2022

If you haven’t heard of Tori Dunlap, you’re probably not seeking financial advice. If you are seeking financial advice, you can do a lot better than Tori Dunlap.

Tori Dunlap is an entrepreneur who claims to have saved $100,000 by the age of 25. After achieving such astonishing success so early in life, she simply had to quit her corporate job so she could devote her energy to helping women learn their financial independence and unassumed dominance in our white cis male-run society.

Her mission? To create the brand HerFirst100K and…

Idk man… seems kinda gimmicky.

Disclaimer: I am a cis white male with no financial expertise to speak of criticizing a cis white female financial pundit. I have zero doubts that Dunlap could balance a checkbook better than I ever could. I am not here to offer any financial advice. Rather, I am criticizing Dunlap’s approach to fiscal responsibility and her overall authenticity.

In short: We’re not buying it and neither should you.

How Did She Really Get $100K by 25?

At 25, I was working as a barback in a local gay bar and on the cusp of starting my first professional writing job. I had maybe $600 to my name and very poor financial instincts – you could call me a ‘spendthrift.’

My peers around the same age were all fairly financially inept or carefree. Sure, we would meet our responsibilities but we sure as hell weren’t saving – and not for lack of trying. We all worked incredibly hard, dirty, thankless jobs for very little money and could be fired on a whim. None of us would have been able to save up to $100K by 25.

By 25, I had been working steady jobs for 10 years. Even if I didn’t spend a single cent over those 10 years I don’t think the number would have ever reached $100K. Pardon my doubts, but how is a 25-year-old, any 25-year-old, able to save up to $100,000 all by themselves? After some digging, it turns out she did it with a lot of discipline and a lot of luck.

She graduated college with zero debt, landed a job in digital marketing with a salary of $55K/year, and put a disciplined percentage of her take-home into saving and an investment fund. These are all great, very privileged ways to save $100,000 in three years.

I’m curious to know how a 22-year-old snagged an investment fund and knew which investments would pay off and how much they earned but… I digress.

I don’t sneeze at this kind of discipline. Many people would benefit from a financial discipline such as that. I do sneeze a little by using this as a marketing tactic. While she qualifies this by admitting her privilege, she makes her achievement the main marketing point of Her First $100K.

“I did this and so can you!” the sentiment screams. Except most people can’t. And I think Ms. Dunlap knows that.

Tori Dunlap Is Not Qualified To Give Anyone Financial Advice

The only thing I trust Tori Dunlap to do is market and brand herself effectively. She’s cool, she’s hip, she can play along with the broader trends, she TikToks with the best of ‘em, and it all feels so desperately empty and deeply phony.

I think Tori Dunlap has a keen eye for self-promotion that masquerades as “woke financial advice.” This would be fine if it wasn’t potentially f*cking with people’s money. There are people out there with some serious financial issues and concerns. If they trust Tori Dunlap, they could be misled because she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

I don’t mean she doesn’t know how to assert her value and practice financial discipline. I mean she doesn’t have the financial authority to be profiting off the advice she gives. It’s like getting medical advice from a sickly friend – they’ve got experience but no expertise.

TikTok Advice Isn’t Real Advice

If you take a look at Dunlap’s TikTok, it looks pretty much like every other TikToker out there. On her page, the financial advice is few and far between. It appears that TikTok is the space where she promotes her brand, podcast, and book – with a whole lot of cookie-cutter trends you will find on any account.

When you finally do get to her financial advice, it’s no different than if you were to ask your fiscally savvy friend. For example, “know your worth and advocate for it” is a great bit of advice, it’s one I tell my peers at work – but it’s not expertise. It’s a good ol’ fashioned, “you can do it!” Which is nice, but it’s not practically helpful. What you’re getting from Dunlap are educated tips from someone who is being nice to you.

When you present yourself as an authority figure you have a responsibility that comes with it. Telling people you are the savior from the patriarchy if you pay for her course doesn’t exactly scream “hero.”

There’s nothing wrong with providing a service and charging for it. There is, however, something really gross about masquerading as a feminist hero when you’re actually an unqualified financial nobody with no serious credentials to speak of.

Tori Dunlap is not qualified to be giving financial advice to anyone. She says so on her site:

“LEGAL STUFF: I am not a licensed financial advisor. I offer education, not prescriptive advice. The information that is found here are my opinions and the opinions of other readers/contributors and should be taken as such.”

“Legal stuff.” Cute, so relatable.

All of Dunlap’s success stories are social media posts, texts, and emails. Hardly a case study.

Dunlap claims to be “leading a movement of financial feminists,” but a quick Google search on female financial advisors yields no results for Ms. Dunlap. What exactly is she leading? You cannot be a leader when you don’t show up on the first 12 pages of Google.

Here’s What An Actual Financial Expert Says

We spoke to Danetha Doe, an economist with over 10 years of experience in the financial industry. She has worked as an accountant and a CFO. She also created Money & Mimosas, a financial education resource for ambitious folks.

In short, Ms. Doe knows her sh*t.

We asked Ms. Doe about how the average person could save up to $100K by the age of 25.

“I don’t think it’s reasonable to believe the average person can save $100K by 25.

“In order to do that, they would either need to be born into wealth, have zero student loans, work for a startup that goes public or gets acquired, or start a business that is financially successful.

“All of those scenarios do not apply to the average person.

“The median salary for an individual is under $40,000. Therefore, the average person earns about $40,000. In order to reach $100K in savings on an average salary could take decades in the United States.”

Ms. Doe has a lot of excellent financial advice without being patronizing or weaponizing oppression for profit. She has a professional and personal background that makes her an effective authority when it comes to fiscal responsibility.

“My two grandmothers [are the financial experts I admire most].

“They came to the United States as immigrants and became real estate investors during a time when Black women were systematically shut out of wealth-building opportunities in this country.

“Their lasting legacy guides my financial decisions.”

If you want to learn finance tips from someone who can relate to or understand your experience fully, Danetha Doe is the way to go.

Besides, who doesn’t love a mimosa?

What In The Hell Is ‘Feminist Financial Advice?’

What is it about financial advice that needs to be tailored specifically for women? Let’s take a super casual and lazy glance at successful women, shall we?

Suze Orman is a trusted financial authority and has been around for a minute.

Madonna has built herself an entertainment empire by being unapologetically female.

Rihanna became a billionaire through her music and some super-savvy business moves.

Laverne Cox bulldozed expectations and helped establish a foundation for trans artists.

Sheryl Sandburg is the most powerful woman in Big Tech – did you see what happened when she resigned from Meta?

There is no shortage of female financial advisors. What kind of niche does Dunlap think she’s tapping into? Dunlap says on her site:

“I watched female friends get paid less than they were worth. I read stories about women being denied career opportunities because they were seen as ‘less.’

“Male colleagues said sexist, negative comments to me at work. I learned that women hold the majority of debt in America and that they invest less of their money than men, yet live for seven years longer.

“So I knew that I had to fight back.”

Sure, Jan.

Fighting Sexism By Leaning Into Sexism

I don’t think anybody disagrees (save for a few members of the Republican Party) that women have a tougher go of it than men. To be honest, it’s a bit of a stretch to connect general sexism with financial education. I learned how to budget from my mother, a woman who has had to fight her own battles with sexism and misogyny as the only female partner at her law firm.

Frankly, I think the assumption that women need help from an unlicensed non-expert in order to learn fiscal responsibility is teetering on sexism. At the very least, it’s grossly condescending and certainly inauthentic.

If you’re in a position where you need financial advice, you want it from someone who is a serious advisor, not a trending influencer with no qualifications. With inflation at a 40-year high and an underpaid workforce fighting for its value, we cannot afford to take financial advice from someone clearly more interested in self-promotion and branding.

Dunlap appears to be less focused on offering genuine financial advice and far more focused on hitting woke buzzwords in an effort to patronize marginalized communities for profit. If you want to find a female-focused financial authority, try Ellevest instead.

Tori Dunlap’s Communications Lead declined to comment.

Business

6 Companies That Use Chatbots For Marketing and Customer Service

Published

3 days ago

June 1, 2023

Amaya Maravilla

Chatbots have emerged as powerful tools that bridge the gap between humans and machines. These intelligent virtual assistants have transformed how we interact with technology, providing seamless and engaging conversational experiences across the web. We will explore popular chatbots that have made their mark on the web. These chatbots have unique capabilities and applications like customer service, e-commerce, healthcare, and productivity.

What are Chatbots?

Chatbots are computer programs that simulate human-like conversations through text or voice interactions. They use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand and respond to user queries and requests.

Chatbots can be deployed across various platforms, including websites, messaging applications, and voice assistants. Today, chatbots are widely used as a tool for customer service, information retrieval, personal assistants, and more.

How Do Chatbots Work?

images of headphones, cellphone, smartwatch and the name SIri

At the center of chatbot technology lies NLP, the same technology that enables voice recognition systems used by virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana.

Chatbots process the user’s text prompt before responding based on algorithms that interpret and identify what the user said. Then, it infers what they mean or want and determines appropriate responses based on this information.

While chatbot technology differs from NLP technology, the former can only advance as quickly as the latter. With continued developments in NLP, chatbots remain independent of algorithms’ ability to detect the subtle nuances in written and spoken dialogue.

This is where most applications of NLP need help, not just chatbots. Any app that relies upon a machine’s ability to parse human speech will likely struggle with the complexities inherent in elements of speech, such as metaphors and similes. Despite these considerable limitations, chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated and responsive.

To further show chatbots’ benefits, six companies use advanced technology for marketing and customer support.

1. Endurance Robots

Russian technology company Endurance developed its companion chatbot. Some patients with dementia can’t engage in meaningful conversations anymore. But many people with the disease retain much of their conversational abilities as their illness progresses. However, the shame and frustration that many people with dementia experience often make routine, everyday talks with even close family members challenging.

The Endurance chatbot aims to determine differences in conversational models that may indicate immediate recollection problems. Even though this is quite an ambitious technical challenge for an NLP-based system.

Since the chatbot is a cloud-based solution, physicians and family members can review communication logs taken from the bot. The process helps identify potential degradation of memory function and communicative obstacles that could signify deterioration of the patient’s condition.

2. Casper

Enter the fantastic Insomnobot 3000, a conversational agent that aims to give insomniacs someone to talk to while the rest of the world rests easy. It was created by a digital agency called ACNE in partnership with the mattress company Casper.

Insomnobot 3000 is available through text messaging and is designed to keep users company during the late hours when they may be struggling with sleeplessness. The chatbot engages in casual conversations, provides distractions, shares stories, and offers a listening ear to help alleviate feelings of loneliness or anxiety accompanying insomnia.

While Insomnobot 3000 can provide some comfort and distraction, it is essential to note that the chatbot is not a replacement for professional medical advice or treatment. If you are experiencing chronic or severe sleep issues, it is still best to consult a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and guidance.

3. Marvel

Marvel’s cinematic universe is expanding even faster than the boundaries of the observable universe itself. Interestingly, Marvel turned to chatbots to further immerse fans in their favorite comic-book storylines in real life. Marvel’s chatbot that lets comic-book geeks talk to Star-Lord himself is also quite good.

4. UNICEF

International child advocacy nonprofit United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also uses chatbots to help people living in developing countries discuss the most urgent needs in their communities. The bot, called U-Report, focuses on large-scale data gathering via polls – this isn’t a bot for the talkative. U-Report regularly sends out prepared polls on various urgent social issues. The users, known as “U-Reporters,” can respond with their input. Then, UNICEF uses this feedback as the basis for potential policy recommendations.

5. MedWhat

If you have WebMD bookmarked for similar reasons, visiting our MedWhat site or app might be worth checking out. MedWhat applies data science techniques to healthcare data stored in 2D medical images, 3D medical images, electronic health records, and wearable devices.

This chatbot aims to make medical diagnoses faster, easier, and more transparent for patients and physicians – think of it as an intelligent version of WebMD that you can talk to. MedWhat runs under a sophisticated machine learning system that offers accurate responses to user questions based on behaviors that it “learns” by interacting with human beings. The bot also draws upon vast medical research and peer-reviewed scientific papers to expand its already considerable medical expertise.

6. Roof AI

Roof Ai is a chatbot that helps real-estate marketers to automate interacting with potential leads and lead assignments via social media. The bot identifies potential leads through Facebook, then responds almost instantaneously in a friendly and conversational tone that resembles a real person’s. Based on user input, Roof Ai prompts potential leads to provide more information before automatically assigning the lead to a sales agent.

The chatbot is still under development, though interested users can reserve access to Roof Ai via the company’s website.

Conclusion

Chatbots have emerged as powerful tools in communication and customer service. Their ability to simulate human-like conversations and provide instant assistance has revolutionized how businesses and individuals interact with technology. While chatbots excel in many areas, it’s important to acknowledge their limitations. They often lack the emotional intelligence and empathy of a human counterpart. However, the ongoing development can improve chatbot technology to bridge these gaps and provide even more personalized user experiences.

Business

10 Viral Ad Campaigns and What We Can Learn from Them

Published

4 days ago

May 30, 2023

Carmen Day

On the internet, anything can go viral. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t tried and tested recipes for success. Here, we break down some of the most viral ad campaigns in the last few years.

As you’ll learn, the top viral marketing campaigns use a mix of social media listening, trendspotting, creativity, and sincerity. From video landing page ideas to social media marketing, these campaigns integrated the best elements that took the internet by storm.

1. Apple: Shot on iPhone

One of the best ways to go viral online is to call for user-generated content. And Apple’s annual Shot on iPhone ad campaigns just gets that sweet spot right.

What we can learn from the campaign: No true ads person will just put out a call for content and call it a day. Give the audience something that they want to make content with, and you’re golden. With Apple, their Iphone’s features are enough to make a whole generation of individuals experiment with their creativity.

2. Gillette: #SayPubic Campaign

In 2022, Gillette Venus released The Pube Song to start a conversation and normalize pubic hair in women’s bodies. It’s one of the brand’s more viral ad campaigns because of its playful tone and strong self-love message.

What we can learn from the campaign: It can be a calculated marketing risk to talk about what’s taboo. But their song campaign manages to balance the weighty message with a lighthearted delivery that doesn’t take away from the issues it’s discussing.

3. Airbnb: Ukraine

Airbnb’s Ukraine campaign is also a moment that smashed everyone’s screens. In 2022, the company announced that global users could lend support to Ukrainians by renting out Airbnbs.

What we can learn from the campaign: Sometimes, the best marketing move is to just rise to the occasion, get in touch with your own humanity, and do something nice. In addition, viral ad campaigns like this allowed millions to extend tangible support to Ukrainians.

4. Netflix: Wednesday

Netflix is always goofing around with its marketing campaigns, but they didn’t come to play with their Wednesday promotions. Specifically, their release of ‘The Thing’ upon random New Yorkers really lighted up everyone’s week.

What we can learn from the campaign: It’s okay to be fun and think outside of the box! You don’t have to stick to the same strategies if you want to go viral. In fact, when you do things on a grand scale, the audience does the virality for you.

5. Dunkin: Ben Affleck

This recent Dunkin ad is short, but it’s comedy gold. It features the actor in a meta-scene where he talks about acting for a Meta ad. It’s short, snappy, and only 30 seconds, which may be why it quickly made rounds in social media.

What we can learn from the campaign: It’s all about references here. This Dunkin campaign wouldn’t be effective if it weren’t for the well-known fact that Ben Affleck loves his Dunkin Donuts. Instead of brands simply ignoring this fact, it’s the perfect opportunity for them to collaborate and show the audience that they’re listening.

6. Doritos: Jack’s New Angle

This star-studded ad uses the signature Dorito triangle as the star of the story. It combines the elements of music and food together, so the 2023 Doritos Super Bowl ad was truly on brand.

What we can learn from the campaign

The ad works for the sheer spontaneity of it. Jack Harlow, Missy Elliot, and Elton John in one video? Now that’s star power. The narrative is also compact, with a playful and unexpected twist delivered at the end.

7. Milo: Park Seo-joon

The Korean actor paired up with Milo Indonesia for a simple ad campaign. But there’s more. Milo also released a limited edition packaging that had netizens scrambling to get their hands on one.

What we can learn from the campaign: We know that the K-wave is rising high, but that will only get your interactions so far. However, what made this viral marketing strategy work was that it had the actor plastered on the packaging.

8. Rare Beauty: What are you made of?

Meanwhile, Rare Beauty’s ‘What are you made of’ campaign isn’t just about beauty and makeup. It’s about giving the community a safe space to speak about their lives. The curated content from Selena Gomez’ following is touching, but it also pays homage to Rare Beauty’s brand values.

What we can learn from the campaign: Well, you could argue that Rare Beauty content always goes viral. But this specific campaign didn’t just blow up for no reason. For one, they used people with their authentic beauty stories. In fact, the spotlight on the Latino community makes this even sweeter.

9. Dove: #DetoxYourFeed

This lengthy campaign by Dove guides parents on how to talk about complex body image issues for teenage girls. The company also released a short film to show how much social media can harm young girls.

What we can learn from the campaign: Dove’s hard-hitting campaign hits us where it hurts. After doing body positivity campaigns with inclusive models from different backgrounds, they’re now addressing the root of the problem: social media.

10. Mcdo: BTS

Mcdo partnered with global K-pop artists BTS to release limited-edition BTS Meals with their signature purple color.

What we can learn from the campaign: We don’t think this campaign warrants any more explanation. But just so you know, employing artists with a global audience will always pay off when the product collaboration is affordable and accessible.

Also, did we mention that fans were selling the used packaging in online forums? It was a crazy time. To date, we think this is one of Mcdo’s most viral campaigns.

And there you have it, some viral campaign examples to inspire your next marketing strategy. We just wanted to remind you in case this wasn’t clear yet, though. Viral ad campaigns work because the appeal isn’t surface-level.

Business

Top 8 Free AI Stock Trading Bots

Published

4 days ago

May 30, 2023

Margaret Zander

The term artificial intelligence is currently making waves as it has proven to make lives easier. From writing to game development, it has become a massive part of doing business, and many are now discovering its varied uses. Stock trading isn’t exempt as we find many free AI stock trading bots, and we found the ten best just for you. Here they are:

1. SpeedBot

An advanced AI stock trading bot SpeedBot empowers traders with cutting-edge features and algorithms. It boasts speed and accuracy in analyzing market data, identifying patterns, and executing trades rapidly. It features an intuitive user interface that makes it suitable for beginners.

Experienced traders will enjoy its customizable settings that let them adapt the bot to their unique trading preferences. SpeedBot is a comprehensive solution that provides you with automated strategies and real-time market insights.

2. Pluto

If you’re looking to have advanced trading capabilities, Pluto is an excellent AI stock trading bot. It offers highly powerful algorithms and machine learning techniques to help you analyze data to identify potential trading opportunities.

Its user-friendly interface makes it an excellent option for newbies and experienced traders alike. It also lets them customize their trading strategies and risk preferences. It also gives you real-time market insights and automated trade executions.

3. Zorro

Offering a wide range of features, Zorro helps you develop and deploy trading strategies based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its key features include backtesting, optimization, and execution of trade algorithms. It has an extensive library of indicators and plugins that enable users to customize and fine-tune their strategies according to their specific needs.

Zorro is a robust and versatile platform that leverages the power of AI to optimize your stock trading performance.

4. Composer

A free stock trading bot, Composer offers a wide array of advanced features for traders. It has an easy-to-use interface that allows users to create and deploy automated trading strategies powered by AI and machine learning. It lets you backtest your strategy with the use of historical data.

Composer also helps you with analyzing real-time market insights and executing your trades more effectively. Its algorithms help you identify potential trading opportunities, manage risks, and optimize your investment decisions.

5. EA Builder

A popular online platform, EA Builder allows you to build your own custom Expert Advisors (EAs) for automated stock trading. While its main focus is on forex trading, you can also use it for stock trading. The software lets you create EAs even without any knowledge of programming.

With it, you can define trading rules, indicators, and conditions. EA Builders offers a free account, but you can avail yourself of all its best features when you pay a one-time fee of $97.

6. Options Road Backtester

A powerful tool, Options Road Backtester is designed for traders to backtest and analyze their trading strategies. Primarily for options trading, you can also use it for stock trading using options as part of your investment approach. It lets you input your trading strategy parameters and historical market data.

This allows for simulating and evaluating the performance of your options strategies. It also gives you valuable insights into risk management, profitability, and potential outcomes that help you make informed decisions.

7. Capitalise.ai

Primarily a trading bot platform, Capitalise.ai may not fit the traditional definition of a standalone bot, but it has automated trading capabilities. It also offers the ability to create and deploy custom trading strategies without any knowledge of coding. You can set up rules, triggers, and conditions within the platform to automate your trading activities.

Capitalise has automation features that allow for executing trades based on predetermined criteria that make it comparable to a trading bot when speaking of functionality.

8. Equbot

Another AI-driven investment platform, Equbot blends AI technology with human expertise to analyze and select investment opportunities. It leverages machine learning and natural language processing to analyze vast amounts of data and identify potential investment opportunities in the stock market.

Equbot focuses on providing intelligent insights and actionable recommendations for your investment decisions. It takes into account financial statements, market trends, news sentiment, and other relevant data points to help you make decisions.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Free AI Stock Trading Bot

Now that you’ve seen a list of free AI stock trading bots to choose from, how do you find the best one suited to your needs? While most of these bots offer similar features, some have tools that others don’t. Finding out which ones will suit you depends on your personal preferences and trading strategies and techniques. Below are a few considerations before getting one:

Features and Functionality – learn about the bot’s available tools and capabilities
Accuracy and Performance – assess its track record for reliable performance and predictions.
Ease of Use – check for the bot’s user-friendliness
Privacy and Security – make sure that it has proper safeguards in place and that your privacy and data are protected
Flexibility and Customization – know the extent to which the bot can be personalized to suit your trading preferences
Reviews and Reputation – check the feedback and reviews of other users
Terms and Conditions – review the bot’s terms and conditions and any potential limitations on its use

When you assess these factors, you can be sure to choose a free AI stock trading bot that will meet all your trading needs. It will also provide you with a seamless and user-friendly experience with reliable performance.

Final Thoughts

The availability of free AI stock trading bots gives traders an exciting opportunity to harness the power of AI in their investment endeavors. Exploring the list we made above gives you access to a wide range of functionalities. However, artificial intelligence isn’t as dependable as we want it to be.

To find the best AI stock trading bot, you’ll still need careful consideration. This is to ensure that your strategies, with the help of these bots, will result in more informed investment decisions in the ever-dynamic world of the stock market.