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This London-based company makes bags and wallets out of decommissioned fire hoses and recycled leather from Burberry

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e and k header

Upcycling plastic to create to products isn't so unusual these days. Adidas is now using recycled ocean trash to make some of its shoes, and brands like Athleta have us swimming in bathing suits made from recycled plastic and fishing nets.

But London-based handbag brand Elvis & Kresse is repurposing an unusual type of waste to construct its ultra-durable bags and accessories: decommissioned fire-hoses — an item that rarely (if ever) crosses the minds of environmentally conscious consumers. 

Nearly fifteen years ago, founders James Henrit and Kresse Wesling had the opportunity to visit the London Fire Brigade and learned that over three tons of fire-hose waste went to the city's landfills each year. The disposal of fire hoses posed a serious issue since the material used to create each one is meant to last for decades — meaning decomposition is a lengthy and difficult process. 

The team behind Elvis & Kresse wanted to completely eliminate the landfill disposal of fire-hose materials by reclaiming and upcycling every damaged or old hose from the London Fire Brigade. Now, they make bags, accessories, and home goods that still smell like the fire hoses that were once used around the city for their Fire-Hose collection. 

In 2017, the brand also partnered with The Burberry Foundation to collect leather scraps that weren't used in the finished Burberry bags and accessories. Each scrap gathered from the factory is used along with the recycled fire hoses to create the items featured in the Fire and Hide collection. 

The Fire-Hose Collection isn't cheap considering how much labor goes into constructing each bag, but they are made to be durable enough to last a lifetime. You'll spend around $200 for a medium cross-body bag, or $370 for a weekend bag. Of the money made from their sales, 50% of profits are donated back to charities — including ones that help firefighters cope with and heal from physical and mental health challenges, and others that work to better the people in poverty in rural areas. 

I gathered some of my team members to test a few products from the Elvis & Kresse, and asked what they thought of the items they received. Find our reviews below.

compact briefcase

Insider Picks reporter Amir Ismael tried theCompact Briefcase ($310.82):

Unlike the typical "premium leather" or "made from recycled plastic" bags that seem to be popping up everywhere, the Elvis & Kresse Compact Briefcase ($310.82) uses old fire hoses — something that you'd never expect to be repurposed. The briefcase is the perfect size to carry a laptop and other day-to-day essentials. Accessories made from fire hoses might not be for everyone, but if you're looking to stand out, this fits the bill well. In addition to the unique look, the material is waterproof, so you won't have to worry about water soaking through to your items inside.

purse

Insider Picks social media associate Victoria Gracie tried thePurse ($136.76):

The quality of the Elvis & Kresse Purse (aka wallet) was great. It's really durable and I can tell it will stand a lot of wear and tear. Using it was easy thanks to the convenience of the zip-around style, and it has plenty of room inside. One downfall was that I found the credit card slots to be stiff, and hard to get cards in and out of. This wasn't ideal when I was trying to purchase my metro card with a long line of people behind me.

But what I appreciate most is the idea behind the brand. I love that the wallet is sustainable and made from a decommissioned red fire hose, saving it from being left at a landfill. I also love that the company donates 50% of the profits to charity! That's a huge donation that I can stand behind.

west end belt

Insider Picks reporter Connie Chen tried theWest End Belt ($50.97):

I don't usually wear belts, but when I do have to, I often find myself woefully unprepared and stuck with a less-than-durable one. The West End Belt ($50.97) is far from my usual reality, made with a textured, reclaimed material that's both eye-catching and strong. Because of its unique rust-red color and antique brass buckle, I've found myself trying to incorporate it into more outfits than I would with any other belt.

tooley tote

Insider Picks intern Megan Foster tried theTooley Tote MK II ($298.39):

I tried the Tooley Tote in the red fire-hose style. I knew from the start that it was going to be durable simply because it's made out of material that's literally meant to withstand intense use, but I didn't realize how helpful it would be until I was caught in a downpour with my bag. Even after ten minutes of torrential rain, my Tooley Tote stayed strong and wiping it off was super easy. 

The main compartment is spacious and I was able to fit my laptop, umbrella, notebook, water bottle, and makeup bag inside with room to spare. It also has an external pocket and a pocket on the inside that helped me keep my loose items (like my keys) in an accessible location. 

Another neat part about receiving one of their bags is that it comes with a reclaimed silk dust bag — the company clearly prioritizes recycled materials from start to finish. 

The bottom line:

Elvis & Kresse definitely stands out. Its Fire-Hose Collection features ultra-durable styles, and each product is unique — meaning no one in the world will have a bag that looks exactly the same. 

If you're looking for a bag that will survive wear and tear for years on end, you'll want to check these out. The overall look probably won't sit well with everyone's style, but the focus on sustainability and the company's commitment to giving back to the community is an added plus if you do like the look of the bags.

Check out all the styles at Elvis & Kresse

Join the conversation about this story »


How it cost me $10,000 in 10 weeks to raise a puppy in NYC, and why it's the best money I ever spent

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rhodesian ridgeback puppy dog

  • Jessica Frisco, a healthcare professional living in Brooklyn, recently bought a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, Lady.
  • In just the first few "magical months" with Lady, she realized she had shelled out more than $10,000 in 10 weeks on the dog's care.
  • Frisco had imagined toys, bedding, and crates would be some of the most significant expenses, but these made up a surprisingly tiny fraction of Lady's overall costs.
  • The biggest splurges were two emergency animal hospital visits, which included tests, ultrasounds, and an unexpected and costly surgery to remove a pair of underwear from the puppy's small intestine.
  • Despite the stress, Frisco says that her puppy provides her with unconditional love — and that she's becoming a more confident dog mom every day. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Everyone knows New York City is an expensive place for a person to live, but it may surprise you to know that my puppy in Brooklyn cost me $1,000 a week — and that's not even that uncommon. Any dog lover will admit that once you love a puppy, there's no end to what you'd do to keep them safe and happy.

The cost of owning a dog in Brooklyn shocked me, despite years of planning, saving, and making compromises to fit a dog into my busy lifestyle. 

To prepare for getting a dog, I picked a pet-friendly apartment on a big park in Williamsburg. I enlisted the support of my boyfriend, family, and friends who lived nearby. I landed a good job at a nonprofit healthcare organization and carefully budgeted for the costs of a puppy.

But everyone thinks their plan is great until something goes wrong.  

Over the first few magical months with Lady, I knew I was spending a lot, but I didn't realize I had shelled out more than $10,000 in 10 weeks until I combed through my credit card statements.

Here's how.

SEE ALSO: I was a waitress at 22, but I switched into a fast-paced career and become a millionaire by 30. This is how I did it.

Meet Lady

After months of searching, submitting adoption applications, and doing tons of research on every possible dog available, I decided on a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I grew up with a dog of this breed — who passed away in December 2018 — and I love their floppy ears, playful energy, and sleek, powerful build.

I ended up purchasing the most adorable 8-week old pup, Lady, from the same breeder who sold my family my childhood dog.



Week 0 Total: $95 (Food, $49; Dog tag, $26; Crate, $20)

The week before Lady came home, I spent $49 on a Chewy order that included food, treats, a collar, and pee pads. I also purchased her a dog tag from Etsy and a used crate on Facebook Marketplace for around $20 each.

My parents still had many items from our old dog which they gave to me, including blankets, toys, a leash, and a few different collars. This helped with upfront costs, as I estimate these items would have totaled at least $100 if I'd purchased them new.



Week 1 Total: $2,302 (Dog, $2,000; License, $9; Toys and treats, $23; Vet for first checkup, $171; Walker, $100)

The biggest expense of the first week was Lady herself.

I spent over a year looking for dogs to adopt from shelters — which typically cost around $400 in fees —  but ultimately realized my heart was set on getting another Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy which are very rarely found in shelters.

Shortly after my childhood dog passed away, her breeder was having another litter and marked one of her puppies for me. It was sentimental that my old dog and new puppy would be related!

Eight weeks after the litter was born, I drove to the breeder's Kentucky farm, handed over a check for $2,000, and returned home to Brooklyn with my new baby, Lady.



Week 2 Total: $380 (Classes, $217; Food, $63; Walker, $100)

The first week with a puppy was rough. Lady had crazy energy and, because she wasn't fully vaccinated, couldn't play at the park or be around other adult dogs.

I quickly enrolled her in classes at Petco, where she could be socialized with other puppies and learn to behave. The cost was $216 for 12 weeks which was extremely affordable compared to the $50-per-hour classes in my Williamsburg neighborhood.



Week 3 Total: $349 (Merchandise, $30; Vet for first vaccinations, $219; Walker, $100)

I took Lady for her second appointment at the vet. For $219, she received a physical exam, vaccinations, heartworm pills, and treatment for a parasitic worm commonly found in puppies.

I did have pet insurance through the American Kennel Club but realized from the fine print of the policy that it did not cover exam fees, preventative treatment, or medication for the worm — which was the entirety of her care.



Week 4 Total: $315 (Merchandise, $10; Vet for follow-up after worm, $199; Walker, $106)

In week four, it hit me just how much I was paying for my dog walker. I work in a coworking space that has a dog-friendly policy, and I had planned on being able to bring Lady to work with me every day.

It turned out that my building was dog-friendly, but my boss was not. I did extensive research to find affordable dog walkers through reputable companies so that Lady could be let out during the day, but the lowest rate anywhere was $20 per walk. I chose to go with Swifto, an awesome app that assigns the same walker to your dog each day.

Lady loves her daily walks, but I was cringing at the thought of paying $5,000 a year for this ongoing service.



Week 5 Total: $435 (Food, $55; Health insurance, $87; Merchandise and treats, $33; Vet for second vaccinations, $159; Walker, $100)

Lady is a growing girl! Her food costs around $55 a month, which is shipped directly to my apartment so I can avoid lugging a 40-pound bag down the street.

Her treats were also surprisingly expensive. As an incredibly picky puppy, she exclusively loved Orijen Tundra Freeze-dried Dog Treats, which cost $20 for a small pack and smell strongly of mackerel (ugh).

Luckily, she's since expanded her appetite to include some less expensive treats, and her food overall is a predictable and steady cost.



Week 6 Total: $4,708 (Animal Hospital, $4,628; Walker, $80)

Anyone with a dog will tell you their horror story of a puppy emergency that cost them hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

I heard about swallowed tennis balls and month-long bouts of leptospirosis (read: extreme vomiting and diarrhea) but I was confident that by puppy-proofing my apartment, liberal use of the crate, and careful attention to Lady at all times, I could avoid any surprise incidents.

Boy, was I wrong!

Just six weeks in, I had to take Lady to the animal hospital, as she was vomiting every few hours. After a very expensive ultrasound, the doctors found a pair of my underwear (gross!) in her small intestine that was deemed impassable and required surgery. The pet insurance I had barely made a dent in Lady's $5,000 emergency room visit, operation, and recovery costs.



Week 7 Total: $362 (Health insurance, $145; Vet for final vaccinations, $217)

Lady recovered from her operation in Connecticut with my parents, who had the flexibility to care for her around the clock.

Although I was sad to be without Lady for a bit, it didn't hurt that I was saving $100 a week by canceling the dog-walker services. I was ashamed that I'd let Lady get hurt and become yet another dog owner with a costly accident, and was still gawking at the bill.

I decided to increase her pet insurance so that it would cover all wellness visits as well as a greater percentage of any future emergencies. Unfortunately, this skyrocketed the premium to $112 a month, nearly what I pay for my own health insurance. The week ended with Lady returning to Brooklyn for a $217 visit to the vet, where she received her final vaccinations — it was finally time to bring her to the dog park!



Week 8 Total: $497 (Food, $52; Merchandise, $16; Vet for abscess on neck $319; Walker, $110)

At 16 weeks old, Lady had far outgrown the crate she started out in. Large crates can be found for around $100, but luckily my parents still had one from our old dog which they gave to me.

My roommate's dog kindly lets Lady play with his old toys, so I've hardly spent anything on those. I do buy her bones and bully sticks (yes, it's a dried bull penis) especially since she is teething and loves to chew at this stage of her puppyhood.

I had imagined toys, bedding, and crates would be some of the most significant expenses before getting a puppy, but these were surprisingly a tiny fraction of Lady's overall costs.



Week 9 Total: $1,226 (Animal Hospital, $975; Vet, $146; Walker, $105)

I woke up one morning to Lady throwing up her food from the night before. Given how much I pay for insurance coverage, I played it safe and brought her to the emergency room. I thought whatever it was, the doctors should catch it as early as possible.

Fortunately, after testing for an obstruction and running some other tests, they did not find anything wrong with her and Lady went home with me a few hours later.

Unfortunately, I paid nearly $1,000 for the emergency room fee, ultrasound test, and supportive treatment. To my horror, my American Kennel Club plan declined to reimburse me a single cent, claiming that it was for a "recurring incident" that is only covered once per period.



Week 10 Total: $212 (Health insurance, $112; Merchandise, $14; Walker, $86)

I've heard from more than a few dog owners that the puppy years are by far the most stressful and most expensive, and three months in, I definitely agree.

Luckily, I'm a more confident dog mom each day, and settling into a regular routine with fewer surprises. Lady's monthly expenses include $60 for food and treats, $450 for dog-walking services, and $20 for miscellaneous items like doggie bags, toys, and bones.

This spending diary also doesn't capture the hours of uncompensated assistance, training, and guidance I've received from my parents, boyfriend, friends, roommate, and all the dog parents I meet around the neighborhood who graciously share advice and support.

Sure, having a puppy can come with lots of unexpected and brutal costs, but it's in exchange for infinite, unconditional love. 



Total costs

Jessica Frisco is a healthcare quality improvement specialist, community activist, and dog mom living in Brooklyn.



Only 13% of millionaires think they're rich

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rich people

Not many millionaires think they're rich.

That's according to a recent study from Ameriprise Financial, which surveyed about 3,000 affluent Americans ages 30 to 69. The respondents had investable assets of at least $100,000, and more than 700 were millionaires.

When asked how they classify their economic status, only 13% of millionaire respondents defined themselves as wealthy. The majority (60%) defined themselves as upper-middle class, while around 25% considered themselves middle class. Slightly more than 3% identified as poor or middle class. Each respondent's exact million-dollar net worth is unknown, but they all selected the $1 million-plus range when asked to describe their household's total investable assets.

"The reality is even people who have accumulated seven figures juggle many financial goals, wants and needs," Marcy Keckler, Vice President of Financial Advice Strategy at Ameriprise said in a press release. "It takes careful planning for investors to reach the financial milestones they've set out for themselves, even for those who've built sizeable nest eggs already."

This is the latest finding demonstrating that in the United States, money — or being moneyed — is relative.

Charles Schwab's 2019 Modern Wealth Survey found that on average, Americans think it takes $2.3 million in the bank to be wealthy.

An earlier, separate survey by INSIDER and Morning Consult found that some Americans earning less than $50,000 feel rich, while others earning more than $100,000 feel poor. According to the survey, nearly half of Americans earning $100,000 or more identify as middle class.

Read more: How much money you have to earn to be considered rich in the biggest city in every state

All these numbers suggest that class in America isn't just about money. Class and wealth aren't the same — and both are relative. Some people can earn less and still feel rich, while others can earn more and feel that they're struggling financially.

Feeling wealthy may come down to location. That Schwab report found that San Francisco residents think it takes an average of $4 million to be wealthy, while New York City residents think it takes $3.2 million.

SEE ALSO: Nearly half of Americans earning $100,000 or more think they're middle class — and it shows that class in America isn't just about money

DON'T MISS: Americans think they need more than $2 million to be considered wealthy, but that's nothing compared to what residents in San Francisco say

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What El Chapo is really like, according to the wife of one his closest henchman

A Los Angeles realtor threw a weed-themed open house for a $3.5 million mansion, and he says this is just the beginning of the crossover between cannabis and luxury real estate

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cannabis open house

  • Weed is teaming up with the $165 billion real-estate industry.
  • A Los Angeles luxury real-estate agent recently held a "cannabis open house" at a $3.5 million home, his publicist told Business Insider. 
  • About 100 guests gathered to enjoy cannabis-infused chocolates, gummies, and other edibles, kombucha cocktails, vape pens, and CBD cream massages in a space artfully staged with hemp plants and marijuana paraphernalia.
  • The agent got an offer on the home three days later, and it went into escrow within two weeks.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

With cannabis and CBD becoming multibillion-dollar industries, it was only a matter of time before they teamed up with another lucrative industry: real estate.

Early this month, Rodeo Realty partnered with Society Group PR and the Mota Group — a members-only club for cannabis creatives — to hold what they say is the first-ever "cannabis open house."

At a $3.5 million home for sale in Los Angeles, 100 guests gathered for an event called "The Greenleaf Cannabis Laboratory." The open-house event featured cannabis-infused chocolates, gummies, and other edibles, kombucha cocktails, vape pens, and CBD cream massages. Hemp plants and marijuana paraphernalia were staged around the home. 

Read more:Here's everything you need to know about CBD, the cannabis compound that's in everything from coffee to ice cream and could soon be a $16 billion business

cannabis open house

The house, listed by Ben Quibrera of Rodeo Realty for $3.495 million, sits on Greenleaf Street in Sherman Oaks, an affluent, family-friendly Los Angeles suburb with upscale shopping malls and manicured parks, where the median price of a home is $1.14 million.

Alexander Ali, founder and CEO of Society Group PR, which helped put on the open house, said that although recreational marijuana has been legal in Los Angeles for over a year, people are still wary of it.

"So I said, let's brand an entire house with cannabis," Ali told Business Insider. "We'll put cannabis plants in the MLS photos, we'll have a trimming open house where brokers can get up close and personal with a cannabis plant and learn how to trim and cure it. And then we'll throw a huge party where we have a bunch of cannabis activations from all these new brands and show people the evolution of cannabis."

cannabis open house

On the Monday following the Friday event, Quibrera said he got an offer on the house, and now it's in escrow. 

"This cannabis and CBD open house is the tip of the iceberg for luxury real estate in Los Angeles," Quibrera said in a press release.

According to Ali, it's high time people see how the world of cannabis has changed in recent years.

"This isn't bongs and tie dye," he said. "Billions of dollars are being poured into this industry."

Cannabis is touching industries from real estate and wellness to Wall Street and tech

Indeed, with cannabis becoming a multibillion-dollar industry, its foray into real estate shouldn't come as a surprise.

"Since Colorado legalized the drug in 2012, the previously illegal plant has birthed multibillion-dollar public companies, minted billionaires, and brewed social change not seen since the end of Prohibition," Jeremy Berke recently wrote for Business Insider.

Read more:Cannabis has gone from a criminalized drug to a multibillion-dollar global boom in just a few years. Here's everything you need to know about the emerging legal cannabis industry.

In California in particular, legalization has bolstered an already thriving wellness scene.

As Dana Goodyear wrote in The New Yorker last year, "among an affluent demographic of Californians — heavily invested in optimizing personal experience, micro-regulating moods and appetites, states of pain and creative flow — cannabis is part of a booming wellness industry."

And Mota Group, for example, is opening a private club for cannabis creatives in Downtown Los Angeles later this year. Think the "SoHo House of cannabis," Ali says. On their website, they sell vape pens for $70 and cartridges for $60, as well as pre-rolls, edibles, and various CBD products like lip balms, bath bombs, and massage oils.

As far as whether cannabis open houses will be a passing trend or become commonplace in real estate, only time will tell.

SEE ALSO: Here's everything you need to know about CBD, the cannabis compound that's in everything from coffee to ice cream and could soon be a $16 billion business

DON'T MISS: Cannabis has gone from a criminalized drug to a multibillion-dollar global boom in just a few years. Here's everything you need to know about the emerging legal cannabis industry.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Nxivm leader Keith Raniere has been convicted. Here's what happened inside his sex-slave ring that recruited actresses and two billionaire heiresses.

The 12 most innovative and beautifully designed buildings in 2019, according to architects

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Georgica Cove 03

The design of a building can tell a story, bring a community together, or simply imitate societal trends.

With over one million new residential homes expected to reach completion in the US this year, there is a sweeping pool of new techniques, designs, and talent in the world of architecture.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), a nationally known organization for industry professionals, dwindled that pool of buildings down to 12 remarkable residential designs and named them the winners of the organization's 2019 Housing Awards. The annual Housing Awards program was established 19 years ago by the AIA. Each year, it recognizes the best residential architecture in new constructions, renovations, and restorations.

Read more: 31 architectural masterpieces everyone should see in their lifetime — from the largest mud-built structure in the world to a Beijing tower shaped like trousers

This year's entries came from homes designed by licensed US architects as well as owners of residential projects that were completed after January 1, 2014.

The winners were recognized across four categories: one- and two-family custom residences; one- and two-family production homes; multifamily housing; and specialized housing. A jury of industry professionals evaluated how successfully each project met individual requirements along with its sustainability, affordability, social impact, innovation, durability, and ability to meet specific client needs.

Presented below, in no particular order, are the 12 winners of this year's 2019 Housing Awards.

SEE ALSO: 7 of the world's most incredible new buildings in 2019, according to architects

DON'T MISS: The ugliest skyscraper in every state

The Bigwin Island Club Cabins are located on an island in Baysville, Ontario.

Source: American Institute of Architects



They were designed by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects and built to blend in with the woodland setting.

Source: American Institute of Architects



Arguably the most prominent part of the design is the Muskoka shingled roofs which, as described by the AIA, "appear to float on the grazing line that the deer have created in the forest."

Source: American Institute of Architects



In San Francisco, California sits the Bill Sorro Community, which houses 67 units for low-income families and developmentally disabled adults.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The building was designed by Kennerly Architecture & Planning.

Source: American Institute of Architects



It incorporates sustainable living strategies that target energy efficiency, air-quality, storm-water management, and grey-water re-use.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The Georgica Cove overlooks the ocean in East Hampton, New York.

Source: American Institute of Architects



Designed by Bates Masi + Architects, this home has a personal, guest, and public area that can be connected and divided by sliding doors.

Source: American Institute of Architects



As described by AIA, the design's soft-colored detailing "unifies the various spaces and responds to the local climate."

Source: American Institute of Architects



Over in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sits the Jefferson Park Apartments, which serves as an affordable housing unit for the local community.

Source: American Institute of Architects



It was designed by Abacus Architects + Planners and features four courtyards ...

Source: American Institute of Architects



... as well as a distinctive set of terraces, natural materials, and bright colors.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The Lofts at Mayo Park are located in Rochester, Minnesota.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The four-story, 29-unit residential project was designed by Snow Kreilich Architects.

Source: American Institute of Architects



It is located on the Zumbro River and is connected, through its details and structure, to the landscape around it.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The Mirror Point cottage is tucked away on a lake in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The 80-foot "fish shed" was designed by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The design, as described by AIA, "demonstrates the frugality of the Nova Scotian vernacular in an elegant manner. "

Source: American Institute of Architects



Oak Park Housing in Sacramento, California, is a cluster of six single-family homes.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The homes were designed on a vacant lot by Johnsen Schmaling Architects.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The south facade of each building is made up of colorful vertical metal louvers.

Source: American Institute of Architects



Pierhouse in Brooklyn, New York sits next to the New York Harbor and Brooklyn Bridge.

Source: American Institute of Architects



Designed by Marvel Architects, it purposefully reinterprets the traditional Brooklyn Brownstone.

Source: American Institute of Architects



Public walkways throughout the building lead residents to the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The San Joaquin Villages house more than 1,000 students at the University of California.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The building was designed by four architects and firms: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects, Kevin Daly Architects, and Kieran Timberlake.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The project consists of a series of neighborhoods that promote architectural diversity and includes plazas, recreational facilities, and courtyard gardens.

Source: American Institute of Architects



Skyline Residence Hall is a 164-bedroom, 54,000-square-foot residence hall at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Source: American Institute of Architects



It was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The design redefines the traditional dorm-room layout by bringing the community together in informal gathering spaces and student kitchens.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The Tiny Tower in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is 38 feet tall.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The purpose of the building, which was designed by Interface Studio Architects LLC, is to promote vertical living ...

Source: American Institute of Architects



... and reveal how smaller spaces can feel large in design and experience.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The Off-Grid Guesthouse sits on one of California's last undeveloped coastal areas.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The home was designed by Anacapa and Willson Design and is powered by a Photovoltaic energy system.

Source: American Institute of Architects



The building also boasts a green roof and sustainable materials like steel, concrete, and glass.

Source: American Institute of Architects



After 3 years of full-time freelancing, I decided to open a Chase Ink business card. Here's why I'll never look back

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freelancer at laptop

After being in business as a full-time freelancer writer for about three years, I finally got around to opening a credit card to use for all my small business expenses. My former colleagues, who were accountants and CPAs, told me time and time again: You should have a separate credit card for your business. But since I was an army of one and the sole employee of my content creation business, I continued mixing my personal and professional expenses on a personal credit card for quite a while.

After doing some research on the best business credit cards, I decided on the Ink Business Preferred from Chase. Besides enjoying some great perks and rewards, having a credit card just for my work as a "solopreneur" has made managing my business-related finances so much easier.

How a business credit card has simplified my life

It's easier to stay on top of financial housekeeping for my business

Putting all my business-related expenses on the Ink Business Preferred simplifies my record-keeping big-time. Instead of having to sync up multiple accounts to my bookkeeping software, or comb over a ton of transactions and separate my personal and professional expenses (a big no-no, by the way), everything is on a single account.

It saves time during tax season

When it comes time to file taxes for my business, while I've saved all my receipts, I can also pull up my credit card statements to review transactions. No more wading through piles of receipts, or trying to read ones where the numbers are starting to fade. 

Here are some of the purchases I make that count as business expenses:

  • Marketing-related expenses, such as web hosting
  • Business-related travel
  • Meals and entertainment related to business
  • Professional subscriptions and memberships
  • Paying contract workers
  • A percentage of my cell phone bill
  • Accounting and bookkeeping software
  • Office supplies and equipment, such as cloud service to backup files on my computer

Why I chose the Ink Business Preferred

Ease of use

The Ink Business Preferred is on the Visa network, which is pretty much accepted anywhere. Whether I'm at a professional conference, buying computer supplies online, or meeting with a potential client at a restaurant, I never have to worry about whether my card will be accepted.

What's more, there are no foreign transaction fees. So when I go traveling overseas, won't have to fork over the 3% foreign transaction fee that's typical of some other credit cards.

Bonus points

I also chose the Ink Business Preferred because of the rewards points it offers:

  •  There's a generous sign-up bonus offer: 80,000 bonus points if you spend $5,000 in the first three months after you open your account. If you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, that's $1,000 in travel rewards.
  • 20,000 bonus points if you refer fellow business owners to the card. You can refer up to five friends per calendar year, for up to 100,000 points. So far I've referred one colleague this year, which made for an easy boost in points.
  • 3x points on qualified purchases on certain business categories (up to $150,000 in combined spending within a year of your anniversary date as a cardholder, then 1 point per dollar): shipping; phone services, cable, internet, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines; travel

While there's a $95 annual fee, if you spend enough on the card, and earn enough points, I find it to be worth it.

Purchase protection

Besides the points, the Ink Business Preferred offers protection on certain purchases you make with the card. For instance, if you a big-ticket item gets damaged or stolen within 120 days after the purchase date, you can use the purchase protection. You can do this with any purchase up to $10,000, and claim a max amount of $50,000 per calendar year. Plus, it can extend the manufacturer's warranty up to three years.

Travel protection

Besides protection for certain purchases, there's insurance to cover you for snafus during your travels. For instance, should your travel plans delayed, you'll be covered up to $500 to cover meals, overnight stays at a hotel, or transport.

Baggage delay

If your baggage gets delayed while you're in route, you could get reimbursed up to $100 a day up to five days for certain necessities, such as clothing and toiletries.

Trip cancellation and trip interruption

If your trip gets cancelled or interrupted under a covered loss such as sickness or severe weather, you and your immediate family members can be covered, up to $5,000 per occurrence.

And finally, the card also offers cell phone protection to cover damage and theft.

Click here to learn more about the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card from our partner The Points Guy.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Area 51 became the center of alien conspiracy theories

There's one thing guys should always look out for when buying shoes, and it could save you a fortune in the long run

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Crockett and Jones repairs

  • Business Insider recently spoke to Harry Jarman, the founder and Editor-in-chief of men's lifestyle magazine The Gentleman's Journal.
  • Jarman told us that men should always look out for a Goodyear welted shoe.
  • While a Goodyear welt construction carries a price tag, the technique means that the soles can be replaced time and time again, and the shoes will last a lifetime.
  • Therefore, you'll actually be saving money on shoes you would have had to replace, and will be doing good for the environment at the same time.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"It's totally impossible to be well dressed in cheap shoes," Sir Hardy Amies — dressmaker for Queen Elizabeth II — once said.

In today's fast-fashion culture, it can be tempting to go through shoes like disposable items.

When you can get a pair of perfectly good-looking loafers from Asos for $40, it doesn't matter if they don't stand the test of time — when they start falling apart, you can just go and buy another pair, and another, and another.

There are a number of issues with this, though.

Firstly, it's not exactly environmentally friendly to throw out numerous pairs of shoes every year.

Secondly, while that $40 pair of loafers might sound like a bargain at first, that $40 starts adding up when you're replacing your shoes twice a year.

"Shoes are definitely where you spend your money. 100%," Harry Jarman, the founder and Editor-in-chief of men's lifestyle magazine The Gentleman's Journal, told Business Insider recently.

Read more:The 4 biggest mistakes guys make with their clothing and watch choices, according to a men's magazine founder

Jarman admitted that he, too, had fallen victim to fast-fashion footwear in the past — "It's like robbery!"

However, just because something sounds like good value, doesn't mean it necessarily is.

English shoemakers Crockett & Jones, for example, have been making shoes by hand since 1879.

Crockett & Jones shoemaking

"It's a lot of money for a pair of shoes. On anyone's scale," Jarman admitted. A pair of Crockett & Jones shoes start at £355 ($430), and go up to £695 ($843) for their sturdiest pair of boots.

"But, I've had the same pair for 10 years now," Jarman said. "So actually, over time, that becomes more affordable than the [fast fashion] pair that you replace over and over again. And also more sustainable!"

While Crockett & Jones' shoes are undoubtedly high-quality, that's not the only secret to their longevity. The English shoemakers use a Goodyear welt construction, which basically makes the shoes immortal.

A Goodyear welt is a strip of leather that is sewn around the bottom edge of a shoe, attached to both the insole and the upper.

The welt can then be easily unstitched, which thus detaches the sole without damaging the rest of the shoe, meaning it can be replaced time and time again as it is worn down.

This diagram helps explain:

Goodyear Welt Construction

There are, of course, plenty of other manufacturers out there that use a Goodyear welt, but the least you're likely to pay is around £250 ($303), Jarman said.

"Yes, it is expensive but you buy something from there that will last you the whole of your life," Jarman said.

"And there are some really expensive shoes out there that you can't replace that cost £150 [$182] and then after a year, you have to throw them out."

Jarman hopes that as people focus more and more on craft brands with heritage and independence, the trend will lean more towards quality than quantity: "It's just asking people to think before they go and buy something."

SEE ALSO: A master gin distiller says 'there's no such thing as a vodka martini' — and it's not the only thing you're getting wrong

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NOW WATCH: Nxivm leader Keith Raniere has been convicted. Here's what happened inside his sex-slave ring that recruited actresses and two billionaire heiresses.

Followers of the high-fat, low-carb keto diet are shunning 'some of the most healthful foods on the planet,' a kidney doctor says

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bean salad not keto

  • High-fat, low-carb ketogenic diets are an increasingly popular way to lose weight.
  • Because keto diets reduce carbs to around 5% of a person's daily calories, healthy foods like beans, whole grains, and some vegetables are typically banned.
  • Kidney doctor Shivam Joshi says these items are "some of the most healthful foods on the planet" and shouldn't be avoided.
  • Plus, he said, there just isn't enough good evidence about what a keto diet can do to a person's body long-term.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Eat fat, stay trim — that's the premise behind the popular ketogenic diet.

"I eat full fat cream in everything," kinesiologist David Harper, who's been keto for more than six years, recently told Business Insider.

The eating plan is designed to send the body into a state of ketosis, which is the same fat-burning mode triggered when a person is starving. Keto dieters consume very few carbohydrates in order to foster this metabolic state, shifting the body out of its default carb-burning status and forcing it to use fat for fuel instead.

Celebrities like LeBron James and Kourtney Kardashian, as well as some Silicon Valley techies, swear by the diet, saying it helps them lose weight and also lifts mental fog.

Harper, too, said the diet helps him and his wife stay trim and satisfied. He's also studying whether the regimen plays a role in improving cancer treatments; a few other oncologists are looking into this as well.

But not everyone is convinced of the keto diet's merits. 

Dr. Shivam Joshi, who sees patients at NYC Health and Hospitals Bellevue and teaches medicine at NYU, said the keto diet wrongly bans many healthy foods that are linked to long lives, such as beans and whole grains. Joshi recently co-authored an opinion piece in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine in which he argues that "enthusiasm outpaces evidence" for the high-fat eating plan.

"What people are doing is essentially throwing the baby out with the bath water when they label all carbs as being bad," he said. "That's not true."

Joshi believes time will eventually prove the keto plan to be no different from other passing diet fads.

Keto diets shun all carbs, including the ones studies have linked to long lives

"Whether you look at Paleo or Atkins or Dukan or South Beach, each diet has its own variation or twist," Joshi said.

In the case of keto, the "twist" Joshi is worried about centers on ketones, which are chemical compounds created in the liver when people burn fat for energy. We all produce some ketones, especially when exercising or if pregnant, but keto dieters have more of them in their bloodstream because they hardly ingest any carbs. (Keto dieters get about 70-80% of their daily calories from fat, 15% or so from protein, and just 5% from carbs.)

Joshi thinks this strategy gives good carbohydrates a bad rap they don't deserve.

"Many people who buy into the keto diet say that carbs are bad," he said, adding, "I'm not defending refined carbs, which many of my critics think I am. I'm defending your unrefined carbs, your fruits, your vegetables, your whole grains, beans, lentils, things like that. These are some of the most healthful foods on the planet."

Nutrition experts generally agree with this. People who consume more whole grains — like barley, brown rice, oats, and quinoa — tend to live healthier, longer lives. They may even reduce their risk of developing some deadly diseases.

"A higher intake of whole grains is linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality," researchers from the Centers for Disease Control wrote in a recent paper about the US' low intake of whole grains

Diets that are rich in whole grains, like the Mediterranean diet, are also consistently found to be linked with less cognitive decline and fewer symptoms of depression than other eating plans. 

The Mediterranean diet and the keto diet have an important thing in common, though: Both restrict refined carbohydrates, which are the stripped versions of grains found in foods like white bread and donuts. In its natural state, a whole grain of wheat, say, includes an outer shell of bran and germ. But to produce the refined version, that shell gets stripped away, leaving just the wheat's carby endosperm.

Refined carbs, whether they come from cake, cereal, or other convenience foods, don't pause for long on their journeys through our bodies, which means they don't make us feel full. Instead, they're quickly digested and can send blood sugar soaring. Eating a lot of refined carbs regularly can contribute to weight gain and raise the risk of chronic health issues like heart disease and diabetes

"When you look at it, we've been eating a lot of refined carbohydrates, like your white bread, white rice, white flour, things like that. These foods don't have fiber. These foods have never been helpful," Joshi said. 

About two thirds of the US food system consists of ultra-processed food, which is to encourage overeating, so it's easy to see why the average American today consumes 400 more calories each day than they did 50 years ago. 

Gatorade shower

The risks of following the keto diet long-term aren't well known

Joshi's other concern about the keto diet is that there just isn't as much scientific evidence about its long-term effects as there is about eating plans that emphasize whole grains and other plants. 

The keto diet is not new: People have been practicing different versions of high-fat eating plans since at least the 1800s. In the 1920s, the ketogenic strategy was introduced as a way to treat drug-resistant epileptic seizures.

But the scientific literature on keto is slim, partially because there aren't very many people who follow a keto diet.

"If you think of the ketogenic diet as a medical intervention or as a prescription or anything else, you would want to know the risks, benefits, and alternatives," Joshi said. "We don't have long-term studies following a cohort of people for a long period of time documenting the safety."

Joshi noted that there are studies of children who've used the keto diet to lower their rates of epileptic seizures. When those kids go on the diet, their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels can rise up, while their "good" HDL cholesterol go down. At least one child on a keto diet for seizure control died of heart failure. Non-fatal complications can include kidney stones and iron deficiencies. And still, most seizure-prone kids don't stay keto forever: They might follow the diet for a couple of years, then start eating more carbs. 

When it comes to adults, even less is known about the long-term effects.

"We don't know if the ketogenic diet in adults leads to [bone] fractures, you know, 10 years down the road, we don't know that," Joshi said. 

Cardiologist Ethan Weiss (who follows the keto diet himself) agrees that it's not yet clear whether the diet is safe for everyone.

"I think the vast majority of people who go on this diet will have no trouble with their cholesterol," Weiss previously told Business Insider. "But I'm not going to tell the people that do have trouble with their cholesterol that it's not a problem."

Harper, however, argues that people have been following diets that include less fat and more carbs for years, and the results are in: Diabetes and obesity rates are skyrocketing. 

"We've been vilifying fat — especially saturated fat — for the last 30 or 40 years, when in fact we should have been vilifying sugar," he said.

No single diet is right for every body 

biodiet keto produce

Disagreements about the keto diet underscore a larger truth about nutrition science: No single diet can ever be a fit for every person.

"On the personal level, we now know there is no diet or dietary intervention that is right for everyone, or even for an individual throughout their lifespan," a team of cardiologists from Scripps Research wrote in the Lancet medical journal earlier this year. 

As Tim Spector, an epidemiologist and professor at King's College in London, previously told Business Insider, "just because some diet or recommendation is out there doesn't mean that you fit it."

However, nutritionists generally agree that an ideal meal for anyone — keto or not — should be full of fresh, fibrous vegetables and low on processed foods.

SEE ALSO: What a husband and wife who've been on the keto diet for 6 years keep in their kitchen

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The popular keto diet can help you shed weight, but it comes with some serious side effects


Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Sheryl Sandberg and more of Silicon Valley's tech titans reveal their favorite books for summer reading (FB, APPL, SPOT, SNAP)

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Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Facebook, Dan Rose, vice president, partnerships at Facebook, and Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, attend the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 12, 2018 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

For folks seeking an elevated beach read this summer, NBC reporter Dylan Byers asked six tech executives for summer reading recommendations in his newsletter

Read on for book recommendations from Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Tim Cook, and more.

SEE ALSO: Take a tour of Mark Zuckerberg's gigantic $100 million property in Hawaii

Mark Zuckerberg — Facebook, CEO

The Last Days of Nightby Graham Moore.

A novel about who really invented the lightbulb by the screenwriter behind the Oscar-wining film "The Imitation Game." It features the intertwining stories of Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and George Westinghouse.

Zuckerberg, who is under fire for Facebook's dominance, is getting roasted for recommending a book about an inventor who drives his rivals out of business to protect his monopoly.

 



Sheryl Sandberg — Facebook, COO

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

Philanthropist Melinda Gates writes about the importance of empowering women, and how that action can change the world.



Tim Cook — CEO, Apple

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

When a young Stanford neurosurgeon is diagnosed with lung cancer, he sets out to write a memoir about mortality, memory, family, medicine, literature, philosophy, and religion. It's a tear-jerker, with an epilogue written by his wife Dr. Lucy Kalanithi, who survives him, along with their young daughter.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight 

A memoir by the creator of Nike, Phil Knight.



Dawn Ostroff — Spotify, CCO

Educated by Tara Westover

Westover, raised in the mountains of Idaho in a family of survivalists, didn't go to school until she was 17. She would go on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. This memoir chronicles her path towards higher education.



Evan Spiegel — Snap, CEO

Mortal Republic by Edward Watts

A history of how ancient Rome fell into tyranny.



Jeffrey Katzenberg — KndrCo

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

Written in 2018, Harari addresses technological and political challenges that humans will have to tackle in the 21st century.

White Working Class by Joan C. Williams

Williams, a law professor, writes "Class consciousness has has been replaced by class cluelessness — and in some cases, even class callousness."

Read more: A Silicon Valley stylist reveals which fashion labels her elite clientele are obsessed with



6 people reveal what they wish they'd known before moving into a tiny house, from how much money they'd actually save to the downsides of building a luxurious home

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bela tiny house

Living in a tiny house involves major lifestyle changes.

Downsizing to 100 to 400 square feet of space requires both a physical and mental shift, from reducing possessions to getting acclimated to a tighter space.

Business Insider talked to six people who went tiny about what they wish they'd known before taking on a minimalist lifestyle. Many had no idea their life was about to get that much better, from the overall building experience to the ease of transition. Some wish they had been more prepared for a few complications — like parking restrictions and the importance of mobility.

Read more: Some people choose tiny houses to save money, but they might not always be the bargain you'd expect

But ultimately, all six tiny house dwellers were happy with their decision to go tiny — especially when it came to their finances

Here's what these tiny house dwellers said they wish they'd known beforehand.

SEE ALSO: 6 people on how living in a tiny house has changed their finances, from going debt-free to saving six figures

DON'T MISS: Here's what living in a tiny house is really like, according to people who traded their homes for minimalism

Jenna Spesard found the transition to be easier than she expected.

With a bit of trial and error, Jenna Spesard of Tiny House Giant Journey built her 165-square-foot tiny house without many resources. She told Business Insider she had some anxiety about tiny house living before moving in, but found the change to be an easy transition.

"I do wish someone had told me that the transition would be a lot easier than expected," Spesard, whose tiny house is currently parked on Whidbey Island in Washington, said. "I believe people easily adapt to their surroundings. It didn't take long before I had a routine and living in a small space was no big deal ... the truth is, as long as you downsize and design your space well, it's an easy transition."



Laura LaVoie learned that building a tiny house is all about the experience.

While building her 120-square-foot cabin with her partner, Matt, Laura LaVoie of Life in 120 Square Feet learned that building a tiny house isn't about the house itself, she told Business Insider.

"It was about the experience," LaVoie said. "We wanted to prove we could do it. That we could build a home from the foundation up by ourselves. We went into the experience with our eyes wide open knowing that it would be a lot of hard work. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again now, I would buy a finished [tiny house]. Building was an adventure of a much younger couple."

The couple built their tiny house in North Carolina while living in Atlanta and working corporate jobs.

"We spent weekends and vacations working on our tiny house, which was a symbol for the things we wanted to outside of full-time jobs," she said.



Couple Tim and Sam realized it doesn't take a tiny house to live a minimalist lifestyle.

Tim and Sam of Tiffany the Tiny Home bought their 270-square-foot tiny house, which they live in in Florida — but they wish they had transitioned to a minimalist lifestyle sooner.

"You don't have to live in a tiny house to change your life to better reflect your values," Tim told Business Insider. "For example, I love to give and receive experiences rather than items as gifts. Having fewer belongings to keep track of is a mental space saver no matter what space you are in. Buying consciously and looking for multi-use items has changed the way we spend our money."

He added: "Getting outside more is a huge benefit of living tiny, but anyone can do it. Overall, going tiny made us a lot happier, but we didn't have to wait to change our space to feel this way."



Ryan Mitchell had no idea just how much tiny living would improve his life.

Ryan Mitchell of The Tiny Life spent $30,000 on his 150-square-foot tiny house, but didn't realize just how positive the effects of that decision that would be.

"I knew it would have a large impact on my life in a positive way, but I think I underestimated how much of a positive impact it would have," he told Business Insider. "It's hard to put into words how different this life is when your bills are so low; it's life-changing."

He's saved more than $100,000 since going tiny, he said.

Mitchell suggests that those considering a tiny house lifestyle think about serviceability.

"Think about how your water lines and utilities will be placed in a way that they meet code and are protected, but you can access them if you want," he said. "I am working on upgrading my shower and the water lines are difficult to access."



Bekah Taylor wishes she knew how complicated parking restrictions can be.

Bekah Taylor of Tiny Little Life said that tiny living has its complications. Parking restrictions, in particular, can be a problem, she told Business Insider.

Zoning laws for tiny houses can be strict, and some require you to own the land where your tiny house is built or parked. They can even dictate the size of the lot.

"I wish I had known that it would take a lot of work to find a place to park a tiny home," she said. "We live in Portland, Oregon, and the rules for tiny homes are pretty relaxed, but it was still a lot of work to find something that worked for us."



Couple Bela and Spencer overlooked the importance of mobility.

Bela and Spencer of thisxlife in Boulder Creek, California, bought their 300-square-foot tiny house in 2007.

"When we took the dive into buying a tiny house, we focused on minimizing the risk that we would hate it, so we wanted to make sure the house would hold value," they told Business Insider. "To that end, we pushed for the most expensive and thoroughly designed house that we could afford."

But they didn't consider the effects the weight of the house would have. "We overlooked the balance between luxury and mobility: The more luxurious the tiny house, the more it generally weighs, the harder it is to move," they said. "So far, this hasn't been a problem because we've never needed to move our house, but it has limited our ability to even think about changing positions."

Between landscaping and the new deck they built, the couple estimates it would probably cost them between $5,000 and $10,000 to move the tiny house, so it's typically better for them to just keep the house in its current spot.

"This hasn't been a big deal for us, but we wonder sometimes why the house is on wheels if we're not going to move it," they said.



'She expects the best': 4 elite matchmakers on what millionaire women look for when they date

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rich woman.JPG

Millionaire men may be all about beauty when they date, but millionaire women have other priorities.

In Business Insider's monthlong series, "Dating Like a Millionaire," four elite matchmakers divulged what millionaire women look for in a partner. The matchmakers work with clients locally and globally, from royals and celebrities to entrepreneurs and CEOs, who have net worths ranging from the low millions into the billions.

Turns out, wealthy men and women both seek similar qualities in their partners, like attraction and intelligence. But at the end of the day, women want comfort and security most of all. 

Amy Andersen of San Francisco-based Linx Dating told Business Insider that women ideally want a man who is smart, financially successful, and physically fit. But kindness, high integrity, and the desire to start a family matter more to them.

"The younger females can be more obsessed with height but that 'must-have' can dissolve when they are introduced to a kind, good man who is ready for marriage, a non-game player [who] happens to be really smart and with a nice nest egg in place," she said.

Read more: 'With money, your brain thinks differently': 5 elite matchmakers on what millionaire men look for when they date

Females seek out security, which can come in many different forms — physical, emotional, and financial, April Davis of Luma Search in New York City told Business Insider. "That's why the alpha males are so attractive to women," she said. "Of course, humor and charm can go a long way with both sexes as well."

Mairead Molloy of Berkeley International in London agrees. She told Business Insider that sense of humor is always the number one thing women (and men) look for, followed by attractiveness. "Money is 50th on the list," she said.

And for millionaire women seeking women, a hint of familiarity can be a good thing, Davis said.

"If I was to generalize, one thing I see often is [that] they're looking for someone like themselves — professional, has a good career, financially secure, likes to travel ... " she said. "Of course, they're also looking for someone who wants to settle down and be in a committed long term relationship as opposed to partying and dating multiple people."

Ultimately, though, the matchmakers said that millionaire men and women alike want the whole package when they date.

As Patti Stanger of Millionaire's Club in Los Angeles told Business Insider, "She expects the best."

SEE ALSO: Newly minted Silicon Valley millionaires don't know how to handle their money and it's ruining their love lives, says an elite matchmaker known as the 'Cupid of Silicon Valley'

DON'T MISS: The 3 biggest mistakes millionaires make when dating, according to 6 elite matchmakers who help the ultra-wealthy find love

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NOW WATCH: Animated map shows where American accents came from

Goldbelly is a service that lets you send food gifts from iconic restaurants around the country — here's how it works

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philly

  • It's unusual to be able to enjoy regional delicacies if you're not local, but Goldbelly is quickly becoming the middleman between you and famous foods from the rest of the country.
  • You can order gourmet food gifts from iconic eateries all over the United States and have them delivered anywhere nationwide.

We all know the old adage: The way to someone's heart is through their stomach. Most of us would agree it's true. Food is more than sustenance — it's nostalgia, comfort, a common denominator in a world of difference. A bite of a tender lobster roll transports you back to childhood summers spent in Maine. The chewiness of a New York bagel beckons memories of lazy Sunday morning rituals from when you lived in the city. A whiff of a hot, gooey, cheesesteak will always be associated with cheering on the Phillies at baseball games with Dad. 

As we pack up and move on with our lives, we'll continue to crave these nostalgic bites. Whatever the connection, wouldn't it be lovely if you could experience your favorite meals from local, regional eateries no matter where you are?

Enter: Goldbelly.

It's an online marketplace offering up some of the best bites from iconic food establishments all around the United States — and it's the ultimate gift for food lovers. 

What Goldbelly does

Every region has its own delicacies — Philly cheesesteaks, New York bagels, Kansas City barbecue — and Goldbelly is on a mission to make these local foods available to everyone, regardless of location. Goldbelly partners with famous food purveyors and eateries all over the country — like Pat's Cheesesteak, Prince Street Pizza, and Pat LaFrieda—and helps them deliver some of their most popular dishes to hungry consumers nationwide. You can find everything from fresh Georgia peaches to saucy pulled pork and ribs

How Goldbelly works

Head over to Goldbelly and you'll be met with a homepage filled with drool-worthy pictures of delicious eats from all over the country. Goldbelly helps you find what you're looking for in a variety of ways. Choose to peruse by category of food, what's popular at the moment, iconic shops, or check out one of Goldbelly's curated gift guides.

goldbelly

Once you find what you're looking for, it's just like ordering anything else online. There is also an option to add a gift message and recipient information, which makes Goldbelly packages extra giftable. Shipping time and price is dependent on the product and where it's coming from. Since Goldbelly works with independent vendors, it's understandable that shipping would be varied. 

My experience

After coming back from a trip visiting a friend in Seattle, I was looking for the perfect thank-you-for-hosting-me gift. Of course, there are always flowers, candles, and edible arrangements, but nothing felt personal enough for a friend who had gone out of her way to plan a wonderful weekend on the West Coast. As coincidence would have it, I came across Goldbelly the day after I returned. While in Seattle, my friend had mentioned her only real complaint about the city was that there are no good bagels (sorry, Seattle), so I figured, why not send them?

essab

I perused Goldbelly's curated guide to "Best Gifts from NYC", knowing there had to be some great bagels inside. I landed on a package from Ess-a-Bagel a New York institution and personal favorite — which included enough bagels and fixings for six. The box cost $85 for six bagels, a 1/2 pound nova lox, and a 1/2 pound of any type of cream cheese. You can also add more cream cheese, lox, and even add more spreads for an added price. I ordered it on Tuesday morning and it was delivered to my friend's doorstep the next day, on Wednesday afternoon.

While I got to try this service for free to review it, when it comes down to it, it's clear that Goldbelly provides a pretty good value. A typical nova bagel sandwich at Ess-a-Bagel costs $13.25, but the Goldbelly price isn't much higher, clocking each bagel and lox combo in at just about $14.20. Of course, there is also a delivery fee to consider, and you may get a heavier helping of lox and schmear at Ess-a-Bagel, but that's besides the point. The point is, this delivery brought serious smiles to an East Coast transplant who had a hankering from some New York bagels, and for that I'd definitely gift it again.

Bottom Line

Nowadays, we're comfortable with buying so many items online. If you can buy a mattress and have it delivered to your door, why shouldn't you be able to do the same with pastrami sandwiches and clam chowder?

Goldbelly has definitely filled a niche for foodies everywhere. While there's nothing like eating the real deal in person, Goldbelly can get you pretty darn close. 

Order gourmet food gifts from Goldbelly, here

Join the conversation about this story »

I've been brushing with Quip's electric toothbrush for over a year, and I still love it — here's why

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quip review

  • When it comes to oral health, we should be investing our attention in the basics. With Quip, you don't have to spend much money to do so. 
  • Quip is an online oral care startup that sells electric toothbrushes (from $25) and refill plans (from $5 every three months) to improve how you brush your teeth. You can find my review of Quip below.
  • These brushes are American Dental Association-accepted. They feature a built-in two-minute timer and one gentle vibration brushing mode to give you a thorough but gentle clean. 
  • They're also really light and slim and powered by a single AAA battery, making it easy to continue a good tooth-brushing habit on the go.  

Though my day looks vastly different from that of my neighbor, my parents, and my fellow subway passengers, I'm willing to bet that we all started it the same way: by brushing our teeth. 

For such a basic, universally recognized habit, tooth brushing is also often not practiced properly. People brush too hard and damage their gums, brush for less than two minutes, forget to brush twice a day, and don't switch brushes or brush heads until they become an exhausted-looking poof of bristles.

There are even more common brushing mistakes, but I'm sure you're not here to get a laborious lecture on your oral health mistakes — you want to learn about what Quip is, and read a review that explains how it can improve the way you brush your teeth. 

Launched in 2015, Quip is a direct-to-consumer oral care startup that has sold over 1 million of its American Dental Association (ADA)-accepted electric toothbrushes. Last year, its brushes became available for purchase at Target, and it also acquired Afora, a startup that offers an alternative to traditional dental insurance. In 2019, it introduced kids electric toothbrushes to motivate children to establish healthy oral care habits. 

The company is continuing to grow, but it has always run on a simple principle: to become your one-store solution for oral health. 

quip review 5

The idea for a better electric toothbrush came about after a visit to the dentist's office.

Cofounder Simon Enever learned from his dentist that current brands were often highlighting distracting gimmicks rather than encouraging basic practices (like brushing for two minutes or switching brush heads). He advised Enever to find the cheapest vibrating brush with a two-minute timer, but Enever couldn't actually find any good ones that were also affordable. 

Enever teamed up with fellow industrial designer Bill May to create a sleek and simple toothbrush that checked off all the boxes:

  • Two-minute timer that buzzes every thirty seconds to tell you when to switch areas 
  • Soft bristles for gentle, non-irritating brushing
  • Starts at just $25 

They also baked healthy habit-building features into the design of Quip: 

  • An opt-in refill plan that automatically sends new batteries, brush heads, and toothpaste 
  • A brush holder that attaches to your wall or mirror — both so your brush can air dry properly and so you'll have an immediate reminder day and night to brush your teeth

I've been using Quip for over a year now, and though I often have to test other toothbrushes in between, Quip's brush is the one I always end up returning to. 

Here's my review of what it's like to use a Quip toothbrush, and why I keep going back to it. 

quip review 3

I own the Copper Metal brush ($40), part of Quip's most popular collection of metal brushes. It also sells plastic options, which are more affordable, and limited-edition colors, which are more expensive, but I personally like the metal ones the best. They're shiny, pretty, and honestly do make me look forward to brushing my teeth. 

The Quip brush has just one mode, which you activate by pushing the button near the top of the handle. The brush head doesn't oscillate; instead it just vibrates in place as you guide it over each quadrant of your mouth. It alerts you every 30 seconds to switch areas, then turns off automatically after two minutes. When I manually brush my teeth, my idea of two minutes tends to be shorter than it actually is, so I appreciate the incorporation of the timer. 

Perhaps because it doesn't oscillate, the vibration intensity isn't as strong as you might be used to. In fact, the brush mode is fairly gentle. I don't think it detracts from the effectiveness of the clean, though. Critics of the brush often say it doesn't feel as thorough as other models, but I've found it does clean plaque well and my dentist has never had any complaints during my checkups. 

quip review 4

The brush feels very light in my hand, and it's noticeably smaller and slimmer than other electric toothbrush models. This size and weight also makes it easy to transport in the included travel case. At home, I slide it into the wall mount, which I attached to the side of my mirror. This storage solution prevents my brush from touching other things in my bathroom while still allowing it to dry and reminding me every time I look in the mirror, "Hey, have you brushed your teeth today yet?" 

Its battery life is impressive, and it uses a AAA battery to reduce the clutter of a charging dock and cords. I'm not sure whether I'm using some type of magical battery or the brush doesn't suck up that much energy, but I've been using my Quip brush on the same battery for an exceptionally long time. 

quip review 2

Though you can buy the toothbrush on its own (you'll have to add $10 to whichever option you choose), it's recommended that you join Quip's refill plan. The purpose of this subscription is to automate the often forgotten practice of replacing brush heads, something that's pretty important if you want your brush to clean effectively. By the time you've lost track of how long you've been using your current brush head, Quip will already have a fresh shipment en route to your house. 

Every three months, as recommended by the ADA, it sends you a new brush head and battery for $5. Your first shipment includes a free toothpaste, but subsequent toothpaste refills are optional and cost an additional $5 on top of the brush head and battery refills. With all subscription orders, you receive free shipping. If you choose to pre-pay for the entire year, you'll receive $5 off the total cost of the refill plan. 

All in all, Quip combines convenience and good design into an effective oral care solution. 

Its electric brushes prove that simple sometimes is better. When it comes to oral health, we should be investing our attention in the basics, and luckily with Quip, you don't have to invest too much money to do so. 

Shop electric toothbrushes and refill plans, starting at $25, at Quip here

Compare Quip to 3 other toothbrush startups here

Join the conversation about this story »

'Everyone thought I had a dream job. Here’s what they didn’t know.'

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interview meeting boss coworkers

  • Everyone has a dream job, the position they constantly aspire to. But what happens when you nail the interview and land the position — and it's not what you thought?
  • For people who have landed that ideal position, it can be particularly difficult to admit it's taking a toll. 
  • These seven women all had their dream jobs and found some major downsides, including everything from ulcers to addiction. Here's how they dealt with it.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

When Megan Hellerer told friends and family that she landed a job at one of the world's top tech companies, they were instantly impressed. "People talked about it like being admitted to a top-tier college — you 'got in,'" she recalls. 

Several years in, though, she knew that what everyone else considered a dream job wasn't the right job for her. She found herself deeply unhappy, struggling just to get to work each day, and increasingly having anxiety attacks and episodes of crippling depression. 

But at the same time, she felt like she couldn't complain. "I assumed that something must just be inherently wrong with me that I couldn't figure out how to make it work, and I was ashamed that I couldn't just be grateful for this incredible job," she says. 

Megan Hellerer

Megan Hellerer

Then: Business Development at a major tech company

Now: Founder and CEO of Megan Hellerer Coaching for Underfulfilled Overachievers and WTF Am I Doing with My Life?

As she eventually realized, though she felt isolated, she wasn't alone. In fact, many people who have what looks like an amazing job from the outside have behind-the-scenes struggles they're afraid to share. 

We wanted to hear their stories, so we sat down with six other women who had "dream jobs" with downsides they tried to hide. Here, they share their experiences and offer their advice to anyone in the same position.

SEE ALSO: I'm a recruiter who's placed hundreds of senior professionals. Here are 5 things hiring managers know that job seekers don’t.

“I had an ulcer from the stress.”

Then: Communications at a global fashion brand

Now: Owner and CEO, Wonder Woman Media

Remember on "Friends," when Rachel scored a job at the NYC headquarters of Ralph Lauren? That was Hope Alcocer's real life — except for that she had no time to see her friends at Central Perk. "It was so many hours in and out of the office, I turned to caffeine pills, coffee, and energy drinks to be able to get it all done," she recalls. "I began having panic attacks every morning en route to work and couldn't keep in my breakfast or lunch because of nerves and anxiety."

Eventually, she was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer from the stress. She also learned that her co-workers were having similar issues. "My boss struggled with such anxiety, depression, and panic because executive leadership was horrendous," she says. From that point on, she realized the job wasn't worth her health, and she came up with Plan B. 

During breaks at work, she started working on a book — which has a scary, then happy, ending. "Word got to management that I was working on personal goals during my break, and I was fired," she explains. "I remember thinking that the world was ending. But I began writing my first novel, finding a new (remote) job that allowed me to build my own client list on the side, and my health immediately improved. My life was no longer as glamorous, but I was so much happier." 

Her advice: "If you find yourself feeling resentful that you're spending 40-80 hours a week building someone else's dream instead of your own, it's time to reassess."



“The travel was draining me.”

Then: Sales for a travel company

Now: CEO and Founder, Brielle Friedman Creative

Brielle Friedman has always been passionate about visiting new places. So when she landed a job doing sales for a travel company, she was thrilled. "The company paid for transportation and accommodation, so it seemed like I was getting paid to travel to some pretty awesome places," she remembers. 

The reality? "I never stayed in one place long enough to explore, and I was living in budget hotels, trying to use the Wi-Fi at random fast food restaurants to send follow-up emails in between long drives from one location to the next," she explains. Worse, she didn't feel fulfilled by the actual work, which made her feel depressed and lethargic.

Luckily, she was able to shift roles within her company, bringing her back to a schedule and work responsibilities that were more aligned with her lifestyle. "Flash forward a few years: I was directing all marketing initiatives, managing an eight-person team, and had developed and implemented a marketing strategy that helped the company grow from $10m to $36m in annual revenue," she explains. Plus, she then had the time and energy to travel for fun, and to pursue her other passion, salsa dancing!

Her advice: "Traveling for work sounds like a great perk, but in reality, it can be hard to create strong personal relationships when you're moving around so much. If you value deep friendships and take time to make new connections, a travel-heavy role may not be the best fit."



“The entire industry was collapsing.”

Then: Associate publisher of a major media brand

Now: Co-Founder and Coach, The Resting Mind

Jackie Ghedine had a high-powered job at "the holy grail of business to business publishing," she explains. And not only did the gig look great on paper, she loved it: She had inspiring co-workers, she was constantly learning from the media executives she worked with, and she was thrilled by the opportunity to run and build a brand. 

The problem? "The media industry was collapsing on itself," she explains. "We had to find new ways to bring in revenue, so we were continuously creating new business units and opportunities to capture ad dollars." While some organizations have been able to find their footing, Jackie explains, her company wasn't making the investments in technology necessary for keeping up in the digital age.

"I felt like I was pushing a tremendous boulder uphill, and I knew I couldn't get to the top no matter how hard I worked," she explains. "At first it just meant longer hours, more in-market meetings, and being always-on at home — and then I realized it was destroying me." Ultimately, she realized that if the company couldn't pivot, she needed to, and she ultimately left the job. 

Her advice: In larger organizations, there can be a tremendous disconnect between those on the street and their understanding of the needs in the marketplace and executive buy-in and vision. When these two ideas are not in alignment, it is almost impossible to shift corporate perspectives and by trying to do so, you can burn out and get disenchanted or unhappy.



“I was paid less than my male colleagues.”

Then: Columnist at a major tech magazine

Now: Professional Speaker and Author of Her Big Idea

When Haley Hoffman Smith was only 20 years old, she scored her own column at a big tech and entrepreneurship magazine. It was not only her dream job — she was great at it, and the column was quickly started getting both her and the publication a lot of attention. 

But she wasn't being recognized for her efforts — not by a long shot. "Even though my work was bringing unprecedented attention to the company, and my article views were lapping the Editor in Chief's article views, I was blatantly informed that I was paid less than my male counterparts." The company kept pushing off her requests for a raise, so she eventually quit. 

Her advice: "Never sacrifice your worth just because a job looks great to others. I'm proud of the work I did, and I'm proud of the hard decision I made to leave. It caused me great pain at the time, but the self-respect I earned is invaluable."



“My business model wasn’t working.”

Then and Now: CEO and co-founder, Impact Chain Lab

Aishwarya Balaji launched her blockchain innovation lab focused on global development long before the current crypto hype. So when blockchain became mainstream, people thought she had the most amazing job. 

And in some ways, she did: "I was traveling all around the world, meeting fascinating people, speaking at conferences (I even gave a TEDx), and innovating with the most cutting edge technology to solve the world's biggest problems," she recalls.  

But working a still-emerging field brings with it all kinds of ambiguity — a tough environment for a new business. "I was working in an industry with a tremendous amount of uncertainty with a lot of people who didn't have the public's best interests at heart, but rather wanted to make a quick buck," she explains. "The ambiguity surrounding the technology caused the ecosystem to be extremely volatile, which made it harder to build a company in the more traditional way." 

Ultimately, the company decided to pivot away from its original model — consulting and incubating — and instead focus on tackling one specific problem, using emerging technology and data to reduce subjectivity and make wellness navigation easy through their platform, Bystander. It was the right move for the company and for Aishwarya: "I've never been happier," she adds.  

Her advice: "It is really easy to get caught up in doing things just to maintain public perception, but eventually that starts to weigh on you. If you left a stable career to follow your passion and you later find out that your passion has evolved, it's more than okay to shift directions." 



“I struggled with addiction.”

Then: Ad sales at a major tech company

Now: Founder, Brooke Taylor Coaching & Consulting

Brooke Taylor's job was working with big advertising agencies to find brand success on social platforms. And in some ways, she loved working for such a respected company. "Part of my identity was tied up with being an employee there,'" she says. "I secretly enjoyed the positive assumptions people made in their head when I told them I worked there." 

But having her identity tied to work had its downsides, too. "Like many ambitious women, I had a belief that my success was equal to my worthiness," she says. "This created a manic, insatiable ambition to succeed at all costs, which manifested in workaholism, drinking alcohol to cope with the unworthiness, and not reporting a harassment." Brooke says she struggled in silence. "Working seven days a week is accepted and even applauded, and alcoholism is stigmatized and never spoken about in corporate settings."

She finally broke down, asked for help from the onsite therapist at her company, got sober, used her newfound voice to report the harassment, and realized what she really wanted to do: coaching emerging female leaders to help them break into management. "I left the dream job and have found balance, fulfillment and, most importantly, I found myself again." 

Her advice: "Asking for help is a leadership skill and is required for women who want to make an impact on the world. We cannot do it alone — and you don't have to." 

"I'm doing exactly what I'm meant to be doing"

The lesson from all of these women? If an on-paper "dream job" doesn't feel like a dream to you, don't force it. It's not worth your happiness and health.

Megan Hellerer, mentioned earlier, says that leaving her dream job was the most profound and transformational breakthrough of her life. "I'm happy to report that it is, in fact, it is possible to find work that doesn't feel like work, to look forward to Monday as much as Friday, and to wake up every morning (ok, most mornings) and think 'I am doing exactly what I am meant to be doing.'"

Her final words of advice? "A job can be a great job ... and still not be YOUR job. There is simply no one objectively great job, or one objectively great company to work for, that applies to everyone." 

Dreamers // Doers mission is to increase the number of successful ventures launched by women. It consists of Collective, a high-impact community reaching over 25,000 women globally, and Onyx, a highly curated private members' collective for value-driven female founders, trailblazers, and change-makers.

 



Victoria's Secret has reportedly hired its first openly transgender model. Here's everything we know about her. (LB)

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Valentina Sampaio

  • Victoria's Secrethas reportedly hired its first openly transgender model.
  • Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio recently shared an Instagram photo of herself tagging the Victoria's Secret Pink lingerie line alongside the hashtags "campaign," "vspink," and "diversity."
  • If true, this would mark an important shift in direction at Victoria's Secret, which has long been accused of lacking inclusivity and diversity in its ad campaigns.
  • This came to a head last year, after the chief marketing officer of its parent company, L Brands, made controversial commentsabout featuring transgender and plus-size models in its annual runway show.
  • Here's everything we know about Sampaio.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Victoria's Secret has reportedly hired its first openly transgender model, and it could signal that the brand is finally listening to some of its most critical customers.

Earlier this week, Brazilian transgender model Valentina Sampaio, shared a photograph of herself on Instagram and tagged the Victoria's Secret Pink brand along with the hashtags: "campaign," "vspink," and "diversity."A day later, she shared a video of herself with the caption: "Never stop dreaming."

Victoria's Secret has not yet confirmed publically whether it has hired Sampaio and a spokesperson for L Brands did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. But if true, this would mark a significant shift in its strategy.

Read more: People slammed Victoria's Secret after its marketing chief made controversial comments about transgender models, but he didn't resign. This could be why, according to former executives.

The brand has long been accused of lacking inclusivity and diversity in its ad campaigns. This came to a head last year after the chief marketing officer of its parent company, L Brands, said that he didn't think its annual fashion show should feature "transsexuals" because the show is a "fantasy."

Now, the company is reportedly "rethinking" and possibly even canceling its fashion show.

Here's everything we know about 22-year-old Sampaio:

If you're a current or former employee of Victoria's Secret and have a story to share, contact this reporter at mhanbury@businessinsider.com or on Signalat +1 (646) 768-4716 using a non-work phone.

SEE ALSO: The rise and fall of Victoria's Secret, America's most famous lingerie retailer

Sampaio was born in the north of Brazil in a fishing town called Aquiraz.

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Sources: The New York Times and i-D



She was eight years old when a psychologist identified her as transgender, but it wasn't until she was 12 years old that she started calling herself Valentina.

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Source: Diario do Nordeste



Sampaio has said in multiple interviews that she wasn't bullied for this as a child. She said that she didn't struggle as her parents (a fisherman and a teacher) along with her schoolmates were always accepting of her decision. They were "proud" and "supportive," she said.

Source: The New York Times.

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She made her first foray into fashion at the age of 16 when she went to study at a fashion college. It was here that she was discovered by a makeup artist, who signed her up with a São Paulo modeling agency.

Sources: Diario do Nordeste, Vogue. and The New York Times.



In November 2016, she first graced the runway at São Paulo fashion week.



Later that year, L’Oréal produced a short film about her, which was released on International Women’s Day. She then became one of the brand’s ambassadors.

Source: The New York Times.



But it wasn't until the spring of 2017 that she made a name for herself globally after becoming the first transgender model to appear on the cover of French Vogue.

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Source: BBC



The news was widely reported and applauded by many online.

Source: The New York Times.

 



The editor-in-chief of Vogue France, Emmanuelle Alt, introduced Sampaio's cover in the March edition, writing: "When she arrived in the studio wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt, Valentina Sampaio, this issue’s cover girl, had beauty striking enough to stun on the cover of Vogue. She is the absolute equal of Gisele, Daria, Edie or Anna. Apart from one small detail: Valentina, the femme fatale, was born a boy."

Source: Vogue



She continued: "It's a detail one would prefer not to have to mention, a ubiquitous detail in these women's lives that they didn't ask for and a detail one imagines they want to forget. But Valentina is on the cover of Vogue this month, not just for her looks or her sparkling personality, but because despite herself she embodies an age-old, arduous struggle to be recognized and not to be perceived as something Other, a gender exile."

Source: Vogue



Later that year, she was featured on both the covers Vogue Brazil and Vogue Germany.

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Source: Allure



In the summer of 2018, Sampaio was spotted making her way to the casting for the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. But she wasn't hired.



And to its detriment, sales at Victoria's Secret were slowing at the time and the brand was increasingly accused of losing relevance with shoppers and criticized for its lack of diversity and inclusivity.

This came to a height in November 208 after a controversial interview with its chief marketing officer went viral just weeks before its annual fashion show aired on TV.  

L Brands CMO, Ed Razek, said in the interview that he didn't think Victoria's Secret's annual fashion show should feature "transsexuals" because "the show is a fantasy."

His comments sparked an outcry online, and critics called for his resignation



Since then, Victoria's Secrets' shareholders and critics have urged the brand to make changes to keep up with the times.

Read more: An activist shareholder is urging Victoria's Secret parent to update 'tone-deaf' brand image to boost sales



But this may be changing.

Three days ago, Sampaio shared a photograph of herself on Instagram, tagging Victoria's Secret's Pink lingerie line with a series of hashtags that said: "#vspink #diversity." 

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A day later, she shared a video of herself with the caption: "Never stop dreaming."

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Sampaio would be the first openly transgender model to work with Victoria's Secret and it's an indication that Victoria's Secret may finally be listening to its customers.

The news is already being celebrated online.

"First transgender to shoot with VS! This makes me so happy!" Victoria's Secret model Lais Ribeiro tweeted.

"Wow finally!" Orange Is The New Black star Laverne Cox commented on Instagram.




Amex Platinum vs Amex Gold: Which rewards credit card is better for you?

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AmEX Platinum vs. AmEx Gold 4x3

  • Both the Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card offer valuable rewards on purchases, along with large welcome bonuses and useful benefits.
  • Both cards also have a few annual statement credits that can offset their annual fees.
  • Given the similarities, we've laid out the differences to help you pick the best card for you.

American Express refreshed and relaunched its Gold Card in late 2018, giving it new benefits and rewards — many of which are dining-focused — in an effort to make it a stronger competitor in an increasingly crowded credit card market.

That relaunch followed a refresh of the Amex Platinum Card, which also brought improvements and new benefits like 5x point earnings on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex.

What's the difference between the Amex Gold and the Amex Platinum?

Both cards have tangible benefits like annual statement credits that make up for the annual fee, but there are some pretty significant differences between them. The Amex Platinum is the more premium of the two cards — it has a $550 annual fee compared to a $250 annual fee for the Amex Gold. The Platinum Card offers more luxury travel benefits, like airport lounge access and monthly statement credits for Uber, while the Amex Gold's perks and bonus categories are more geared toward dining.

Read on to learn more about the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum and to see which is better for you.

Click here to learn more about the American Express Platinum Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about the American Express Gold Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.

SEE ALSO: The best credit card rewards, bonuses, and benefits of 2019

DON'T MISS: The best American Express cards

Amex Platinum vs Amex Gold: Bonus categories

The Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum Card earns a massive 5 points per dollar spent on airfare, as long as you book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, and on prepaid hotel stays booked through Amex Travel. It earns 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Travel website (and Business Insider e-commerce partner) The Points Guy subjectively values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2¢ each, so that means a whopping 10% of value back on the bonus categories.

While other credit cards offer a wider array of bonus categories, 5x points is a fantastic earning rate, and if you book your own travel frequently, the points will add up quickly.

The Gold Card

The Amex Gold Card offers 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, 4x points back at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year — 1 point per dollar for anything beyond that), and 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex travel. It earns 1x point on everything else.

The Amex Gold Card's restaurant category is broad — I've gotten the category bonus at restaurants, bars, pubs, and cafes. The supermarket category excludes big-box stores where you might buy groceries, like Target or Walmart, but includes most dedicated US supermarkets.

Using The Points Guy's valuations, you get a huge 8% of value back on those two top bonus categories from the Gold Card. This makes it one of the best available cards for dining



Both cards have annual fees, but thanks to a few statement credit benefits, the effective fees are lower than you might think.

The Platinum Card

The Platinum Card has one of the highest annual fees you'll find in a mainstream charge or credit card — $550. However, the various annual statement credits the card offers bring the effective fee down to just $50.

The first is up to a $200 airline fee credit each calendar year. Every January, you pick one airline for that credit to apply toward. While the credit doesn't cover tickets, it covers incidental fees like checked bags, seat assignments on basic economy tickets, change fees, and more. 

Second, you can get up to $200 in Uber credits each cardmember year, which is broken down into monthly chunks. Each month, cardholders receive $15 of credits to use on Uber rides or for Uber Eats. In December, that's boosted to $35.

Finally, you can get up to $100 in shopping credits each year at Saks stores, broken into two chunks: You'll get up to $50 during the first six months of the year, and another $50 during the second.

Since the airline fee credit is given each calendar year, you can actually collect it twice if you open your card mid-year and maximize the credit before and after January of that first cardmember year.

That would mean you're not just making up for the annual fee, you're actually getting more value than the fee in the first place. That's without even considering the other benefits and rewards.

The Gold Card

The Amex Gold Card's $250 annual fee puts it squarely in the mid-tier category, although one could make an argument that it's really a premium card with a lower-than-premium fee.

Thanks to two annual statement credits, the effective fee is just $30 — as long as you maximize them.

The first is up to $120 each year in dining credits, broken into monthly $10 portions. These credits only apply to a few participating chain restaurants — specifically Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and some Shake Shack locations — but they also apply to popular food ordering services GrubHub and Seamless. The credits apply automatically to any qualifying purchase.

The Amex Gold also offers up to $100 in airline fee credits each calendar year. This works just like the Platinum Card's credit, meaning it's possible to earn it more than once each cardmember year.



Both cards have a new member bonus, although the Platinum Card's is higher.

Since both cards are part of the Amex Membership Rewards program, it's easy to compare the welcome bonuses directly.

Platinum Card

The Platinum Card has a welcome offer of 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards points when you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months. Using The Points Guy's subjective valuations, that's worth about $1,200.

Before you apply for the card, though, you should use the CardMatch tool to see if you're eligible for a higher 100,000-point Amex Platinum offer with the same minimum spending requirement. This offer is subject to change at any time without notice, but it gets you an extra 40,000 points (worth $800 based on The Points Guy's valuations), so its worth taking the two minutes or so to see if you can get it. 

The Gold Card

The Gold Card's welcome bonus is 35,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. That's worth about $700, based on The Points Guy's valuations.

However, like the Amex Platinum, the Amex Gold may be available with a higher welcome bonus through CardMatch. Some users have reported seeing a 50,000-point offer through the CardMatch tool, though again note that this could change at any time, and it's only available to select targeted users.

Click here to visit CardMatch to see if you're targeted for a higher Amex Platinum or Amex Gold offer.

Click here to learn more about, or apply for, the American Express Platinum Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about, or apply for, the American Express Gold Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.



Both cards earn Membership Rewards points, which you can pool between your Amex cards.

Amex offers a few ways to use Membership Rewards points.

However, redeeming for anything aside from travel offers a poor value, usually 0.5-0.8¢ each, and is generally a poor use of points.

You can get a slightly better value by booking flights through Amex Travel, either online or by phone. Points are worth 1¢ each toward flights, but if you book a hotel or anything else, you'll only get 0.7¢ per point.

Another option is to use points to bid for upgrades on a flight. You'll only get 1¢ per point, but it can be a decent redemption if you want to try for an upgrade but don't want to pay cash.

The best use and value — potentially — is to transfer points to airline frequent flyer partners and book flights that way. You might be able to get a dramatically higher value for points this way.

That's because booking frequent flyer "award tickets" is different than buying reservations outright — you can read more about how it works here. In most cases, the cash price and the miles price of a ticket aren't linked, so it's possible to get exponentially increased value from your points by transferring them and booking an award ticket instead.

That means potentially being able to fly long-haul in first or business class with points, among other things.

For example, my wife and I recently flew first class to Japan and back by transferring credit card points to Virgin Atlantic, then booking flights on Virgin's partner airline All Nippon Airways. You can read about exactly how we booked the flights here.

The only catch is that you may need to search for saver availability — which are lower-priced award tickets. This can be tricky, but there are a ton of helpful guides online. Once you have a flight in mind, if you're having trouble figuring out how best to use your points, just do a Google search for that specific trip.

Amex's partners include: Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, ANA, Cathay Pacific, Avianca, British Airways, Delta, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, Iberia, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic, as well as Choice Hotels, Hilton, and Marriott.

Click here to learn more about, or apply for, the American Express Platinum Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about, or apply for, the American Express Gold Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.



The cards come with a few other benefits and perks, too, although the Platinum Card's are more substantial

The Platinum Card

Added benefits is where the Platinum Card really shines.

One of the flagship perks is access to more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world.

The Platinum Card's lounge access is more extensive than anything offered by any other card. When you have the card, you can use Delta Sky Clubs whenever you fly the airline, Amex's own proprietary Centurion Lounges, and any airport lounge that participates in the Priority Pass network. You can also use any of 11 international Amex-branded lounges, and a handful of other random lounges, including ones that fall under the Plaza Premium, Air Space, and Escapes brands — these number more than 50.

The Gold Card

While the Gold Card doesn't have nearly as many flashy perks as the Platinum Card, it still has a few benefits worth keeping in mind.

  • Secondary rental car insurance
  • Roadside assistance
  • Various purchase and shopping protections
  • Baggage loss and damage coverage
  • Complimentary ShopRunner membership (it works like Amazon Prime in a lot of ways, at other retailers).


Bottom line

No matter which card you choose, both the American Express Platinum Card and the American Express Gold Card offer valuable rewards. Plus, both cards have benefits and rewards that significantly offset their annual fees, as long as you make the most of them.

However, if you're interested in a larger welcome bonus, or benefits on top of the rewards, the Platinum Card might be the best choice.

Click here to visit CardMatch to see if you're targeted for a higher Amex Platinum or Amex Gold offer.

Click here to learn more about, or apply for, the American Express Platinum Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about, or apply for, the American Express Gold Card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.



Coding through play: How Lego is evolving to address the educational needs of young STEM learners today

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  • Lego building blocks are firmly entrenched in our culture as a versatile toy that can keep kids busy for hours. They help develop motor skills, analytical thinking, and creative expression. 
  • Now, Lego is betting on its coding and STEM toys to stay relevant in a tech-centric world, capitalizing on the growing urgency to develop and nurture STEM skills at a young age.
  • These toys combine the familiar blocks with digital coding elements as a natural extension of Lego's story of analytical and imaginative play. 

It's the secret weapon of every tired parent and babysitter looking for respite. No, it's not a coloring book, an iPad, or a TV. To keep a child (or an adult for that matter) busy and entertained for a couple hours, all you need to do is present them with a set of colorful Lego building blocks

The tried-and-true toy has been delighting kids and families for nearly 90 years, but not without going through some major improvements and changes over the course of its history. While the Danish company was founded in 1932, it was only during the late 1950s that its current and most famous toy iteration — a brick with interlocking tubes — was created and patented. 

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The simple design, when manipulated in various ways and built upon itself, lends itself to endlessly creative results, making it a hands-on, "analog" toy that multiple generations have enjoyed equally. Despite the timeless, universal appeal of the original building blocks, Lego isn't relying on the versatile toy alone to coast along to success. 

In its portfolio that includes classic sets, pop culture plays ("Jurassic World," "Star Wars," etc.), and up to 1,000-piece architectural sculptures, Lego is betting on its coding and STEM toys to stay relevant in a tech-centric world, capitalize on the growing urgency to develop and nurture STEM skills at a young age, and continue its legacy of creating imaginative and useful toys for kids. 

lego coding evolution

Original Lego blocks are here to stay 

Anyone worried that Lego has sold out to Big Coding can lower their hackles — the majority of Lego's products are still as analog as can be. While some of the pre-designed sets may be more involved and include multiple layers of construction, they all help develop motor skills, analytical thinking, and creative expression. 

James Brains, a father and Insider Picks contributor who has reviewed some of Lego's newer sets, loves that Legos get his two kids away from screens.

"There's so much passive content out there, where kids just kind of tune out and don't use their imaginations or creativity," he says. "With Legos, my 5-year-old is constantly creating. He's planning out designs in his head, carrying them out, and once he finishes his creation, he engages in imaginative play." 

lego coding evolution 5

"My 16-year-old has ADHD, but when he's putting together the more difficult Lego sets for his younger brother, he can sit still and focus for long periods of time. And, he's able to follow the directions closely," he continues.  

Insider Picks guides editor Les Shu credits playing with Legos as a child for his current ability to assemble furniture, repair computers, and read maps with ease. 

"Legos are fun, but these are more than toys. The instructions are purposely minimal, challenging the brain to figure it out or to backtrack and problem solve, yet it teaches patience as you complete each step-by-step direction. The parts aren't sorted, so you are forced to be organized and methodical," says the lifelong Lego fan. "Even for the adult in me, I find building Lego sets to be my moment in zen, while keeping my brain sharp." 

Lego can't ignore the STEM-learning trend 

Still, Lego is paying attention to the current climate. The claims that technology is the future aren't overstated. Since 1990, employment in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs has increased 79%. Today, 34% of Americans would advise high school students to obtain a job in a STEM-related field, and job growth in mathematical sciences specifically (e.g. statistician) is projected to grow the fastest: 28.2%, compared to 6.5% average growth for all other occupations. 

As demand for these skillsets shows no signs of decreasing, parents are looking for ways to spark interest and introduce the relevant skills to their children early on. STEM toys represent a tiny part of the billion-dollar global toy market, but it's a fast-growing niche that appeals to parents looking to supplement traditional schooling or compete in cutthroat learning environments. Companies like KiwiCo, a kids educational toy subscription box, are just one of many cropping up to ensure that time at home is also spent learning. 

lego coding evolution 7

In an interview for Retail Dive, Richard Gottlieb, CEO of consulting firm Global Toy Experts, said that STEM toys for kids are like gummy vitamins in the vitamin industry: "[STEM toys] make something good for them that they might otherwise associate with school or work go down easier."

The hope is that the gamification of STEM will get kids more interested in the subjects without them consciously realizing it. Lego, a familiar toy that was already playing around with fundamental skills related to STEM — building, problem-solving, pattern recognition — was perfectly poised to move in on the increasing interest in STEM. 

Lego's approach to coding 

Lego created its Education division 40 years ago to develop Lego products and creative learning experiences specific to the classroom. Lego Education President Esben Jørgensen says, "At the time, many saw [STEM] skills as a niche interest. Today, we hear an urgency from parents, policy makers and teachers to empower the next generation with the creativity, resilience, confidence, and coding skills that the jobs of tomorrow will require."

Lego Education is focused on classroom products, but you can also buy many coding and STEM-related Lego toys for your own home. 

Products like the Lego Mindstorms EV3 combine bricks, digital elements, and coding "to teach engineering concepts while also providing children the ability to learn in a hands-on and collaborative way. The result is higher overall confidence in STEM subjects," says Jørgensen. 

lego coding evolution 6

The EV3 is a 601-piece robot kit that allows kids to build and code the robot to walk, talk, play games, and complete tasks. Once they've built their robot (there are five possible types, ranging from a snake-like robot to a fighting robot), they can download the free EV3 Programmer App and use its drag-and-drop interface to program various commands.

Another fun and popular STEM toy is the Lego Boost Creative Toolbox, a robotics toy designed for kids ages 7 through 12 that won a Toy of the Year Award in 2018. It gets them experimenting with distance, color, and tilt sensor technologies through five different robot configurations, which get progressively more challenging. 

The "Star Wars" Boost Droid Commander, meanwhile, connects kids to a cult-favorite franchise through play and code. It contains more than 1,000 pieces and 40 interactive missions for users to entertain themselves and learn from. 

lego coding evolution 8

Because these toys still feature original Lego blocks and the same fundamental building concepts, they're less intimidating for kids and parents to accept into their play routine. 

In the grand scheme of Lego's strategy and business, which topped $5 billion in revenue in 2018, coding toys remain a small piece of the equation. Their potential and importance for kids education, however, are not insignificant.

Even as Lego focuses on growing markets at the international scale, its STEM and coding products are one of the most exciting reasons to pay attention to the toy company. 

Shop the coding toys mentioned above: 

Lego Mindstorms EV3, $343.27, available at Amazon and The Lego Store

Lego Boost Creative Toolbox. $159.95, available at Amazon and The Lego Store

Lego Star Wars Boost Droid Commander, $199.99, available at Amazon and The Lego Store

Shop all Lego toys here:

Lego at Amazon

Lego at Target

Lego at Walmart

Lego at The Lego Store

Join the conversation about this story »

An LA broker who has sold over $5 billion of real estate says wealthy homebuyers are focused on comfort and wellness, and it's influencing what amenities they're looking for

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Home gym

Los Angeles' luxury market is currently flooded with outrageous amenities like sky parks and massive bowling alleys.

The number of multimillion-dollar homes in the city just keeps growing, and developers are looking to amenities to help them stand out. 

Read more:The top real-estate agent in Beverly Hills says the main factor driving buyers away from luxury homes right now is a need for renovations

California-based real-estate agent Jade Mills, who was ranked No. 6 on Real Trends' 2019 list of top US real estate professionals by sales volume, finds that her buyers are less interested in tech-savvy amenities and more interested in those that promote comfort and good health.

She revealed to Business Insider the two amenities her buyers want the most in multimillion-dollar homes: home theaters and home gyms.

A home theater 

Buyers aren't just looking for traditional theater-style rooms, Mills told Busines Insider.

Instead of traditional features like leather seats, her buyers are looking for comfortable screening rooms with large sofas and overstuffed pillows.

"Instead of the old leather seats that were very popular, people want something that's fluffy and comfortable and that feels like their living room." Mills told Business Insider. "So that can be a family room with a big screen, or that can be a true screening room."

Theaters are a popular amenity in the luxury market and, as Mills explained, can often deviate from the traditional movie-theater decor. Just consider the Wallich Residence in Singapore, home to the country's most expensive penthouse, which advertises a theater with bean-bag style chairs as one of the building's lavish amenities.

A home gym

People want their own gyms so that they don't have to leave their homes to work out, Mills told Business Insider.

And while Mills said that some of her buyers prefer to attend local gyms, others are eager to find a home with one that's included.

"People will say to me, 'I want my own home gym so I can leave my bedroom, work out, shower, and leave for work,'" Mills said.

Home gyms are just one of the many wellness amenities that are currently flooding the luxury market. Business Insider's Hillary Hoffower previously reported that wealthy people are spending money on investments like health and wellness over materialistic goods. Buildings across the country are dedicating thousands of square feet, sometimes even whole floors, to wellness amenities like yoga studios, spas, pools, and gyms.

SEE ALSO: Step inside the tallest building in Singapore, where the country's most expensive penthouse just sold for $54.2 million and a 39th-floor infinity pool looks out over the city

DON'T MISS: Luxury apartment buildings in NYC are locked in an 'amenities war,' and it's highlighting a major problem in the housing market

Join the conversation about this story »

How to fix red eye in any photo using an iPhone's built-in editing tool

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  • Many iPhones have a built-in tool to fix red eye in photos, for whenever you take a photo of people in low-light and the flash gives their eyes an eerie red glow.
  • Newer iPhone models feature a built-in red eye correction function, which you can use to manually remove red eye just by tapping the affected eyes.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In general, newer iPhone cameras are advanced enough that they rarely cause red eye effects, even in incredibly low light. Just now, I snapped eight or nine pictures of myself in a dark closet, trying to capture an image with red eye, and my iPhone 8 Plus captured crisp, red eye-free pictures every time.

To avoid red eye in the first place, try to avoid using your camera's flash when you're taking pictures of people's faces, and don't look directly at the camera. 

But just in case you're dealing with red eye images on an iPhone, there is a way to fix them, using the iPhone's built-in red eye correction tool. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)

How to fix red eye in photos on an iPhone

1. Open the photo with the red eye issue in your Photos app and tap "Edit" at the top right corner.

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2. Tap the icon of the eye with a slash through it in the top-left corner. If you don't see that icon, your iPhone doesn't have the red eye correction tool.

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3. Tap each red eye you want to fix. Make sure to be precise, as your phone might recognize something you tap accidentally as red eye and try to fix it — say, a red button on your shirt.

4. Hit "Done" in the bottom right corner once you've fixed all the red eyes.

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And that's it, red eye fixed!

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

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NOW WATCH: How Area 51 became the center of alien conspiracy theories

Trump was spotted at his New Jersey golf course hours after the El Paso mass shooting claimed 20 lives. Here's a look inside all 16 golf courses he owns around the world.

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Just hours after a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas claimed 20 lives on August 3, President Trump was spotted greeting guests at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Trump denounced the El Paso attack, saying, in a tweet, that it "was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice." But, as Business Insider's Ellen Cranley reported, the tweets appeared to be his only response as he stayed at the club.

The New Jersey golf course is just one of president's extensive collection of golf courses.

Since acquiring its first club in 1999, the Trump Organization has, to date, collected 16 clubs with locations in the US, Europe, and the Middle East.

According to the Trump Organization, there are also three new sites currently under development: Trump World Golf Club in Dubai, Trump International Hotel in Lido City, Indonesia, and Trump International Golf Club and Resort in Bali, Indonesia.

Read more:What it's like to play Trump's $269 million golf course in New York City

The president has been seen golfing with top players like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as well as celebrities like Kid Rock and Peyton Manning.

He's also received criticism for the frequency with which he's gone golfing during his presidency. Since his inauguration, he's gone golfing at least 93 times across 2o2 golf course visits, according to an online tracker.

Business Insider compiled a list of President Trump's 16 operating golf courses, along with their amenities from the Trump Organization. Keep reading for a look inside each.

SEE ALSO: Here's how Trump reportedly spent $3.6 million on his 'convenient' two-day visit to Ireland

DON'T MISS: A Florida strip club is throwing a golf event at Trump's resort. The president's organization said it's for a 'worthwhile cause.'

Westchester, New York: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Westchester, New York includes an 18-hole course, tennis courts, and a pool complex.

This site is about 30 minutes from New York City and home to a 101-foot waterfall. The 7,291-yard, 18-hole course was designed by architect Tom Fazio



Bronx, New York: Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in the Bronx includes an 18-hole links-style golf course, a 20,000-square-foot club house, and a waterfront restaurant.

This golf course took 14 years to develop and was built on a landfill. According to Bloomberg, the course cost $269 million to build.

Before the course opened in 2015, Business Insider reporters Jay Yarow and Tony Manfred tested the course out. They described the course as fun and not too difficult. They also applauded the nice views of the city's skyline, and the Whitestone Bridge.



Hudson Valley, New York: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Hudson Valley, New York includes an 18-hole golf course, a pool complex, and a fitness center.

In early 2019, this site made headlines when President Trump was accused of hiring undocumented workers, one of whom is believed to have worked at the Hudson Valley site for 18 years.



Bedminster, New Jersey: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey spans over 600 acres and includes two 18-hole golf courses, tennis courts, a pool, and a fitness center.

Hours after a gunman opened fire on August 3 in an El Past Walmart, killing 20 people and injuring 26, Trump was pictured greeting wedding guests at the Bedminster golf club.

This golf course has been the host of many important games. In 2017, it hosted the US Women's Open and in 2022 will host the PGA Championship.



Colts Neck, New Jersey: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's private golf club in Colts Neck, New Jersey includes an 18-hole golf course, 9-hole short course, fitness complex, clubhouse, pool complex, and tennis courts.

This New Jersey golf course has 40 acres of hay production and trees. According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2016, President Trump was able to avoid thousands of dollars in property taxes on his two New Jersey golf courses because they have a goat herd, hay farming, and woodcutting.



Pine Hill, New Jersey: Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Pine Hill, New Jersey includes an 18-hole golf course, a 43,000-square-foot club house, and a pool complex.

This 18-hole golf course was designed by architect Tom Fazio. The site spans 36 acres and according to the website, is the highest point in Southern New Jersey.



Washington, D.C.: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Washington, D.C. includes two 18-hole golf courses, an aquatics facility, a fitness center, and tennis courts.

This golf club boasts two 18-hole golf courses: The 7,693-yard Championship Course and the 7,234-yard Riverview Course. Both courses boast views of the Potomac River.

 



Charlotte, North Carolina: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Charlotte, North Carolina includes an 18-hole golf course, a pool complex, a spa, and tennis courts.

This 18-hole golf course spans 7,495 yards and was designed by Australian golf professional George Norman.

Located on the site is Trump Bakery, which is open seven days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.



West Palm Beach, Florida: Trump International Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida includes a par-72 course and a 9-hole course.

This was the first golf property the Trump Organization bought and opened in 1999.

President Trump has played many games at this course and was recently spotted there with singer Kid Rock.



Miami, Florida: Trump National Doral

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Miami, Florida includes four golf courses, tennis courts, a spa, and a luxury hotel.

This 800-acre site is home to the Rick Smith Golf Performance Center and the famous Blue Monster course. The 7,608-yard Blue Monster course is famous because it was home to PGA Tour events for 55 years.

Rick Smithis well known for his success as a PGA Tour golf instructor.



Jupiter, Florida: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Jupiter, Florida includes an 18-hole golf course, a pool complex, a spa and salon, tennis courts, and villas.

This 7,531-yard, 18-hole golf course was designed by famous golfer Jack Nicklaus. In 2019, President Trump was seen golfing at the course with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.



Los Angeles, California: Trump National Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Los Angeles, California includes an 18-hole course, a 45,000-square-foot clubhouse, and a ballroom that can host up to 300 guests.

This course is home to the Rick Smith Golf Academy and an annual wine and beer festival that showcases wineries, breweries, food trucks, and live music. In August 2019, the site will host its 11th annual festival.

Rick Smithis well known for his success as a PGA Tour golf instructor.



Aberdeen, Scotland: Trump International Golf Links

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Aberdeen, Scotland includes an 18-hole links-style golf course, a 22-acre driving range, a whiskey bar, and a five-star hotel.

This golf course was designed by golf-course architect Dr. Martin Hawtree

In June 2019, Business Insider reported that the sand dunes on the course are at risk of losing their protected status because they were damaged during the development process. The course opened in 2012, despite concerns that it would damage the unique habitat.



Ayrshire, Scotland: Trump Turnberry

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Ayrshire, Scotland includes two 18-hole courses, a 9-hole course, horse riding, and a spa.

This historical site was originally built in 1906. It is home to two historic golf courses: the Ailsa course and the King Robert the Bruce course.

The Ailsa course has hosted four Open Championships, while the King Robert the Bruce course made its debut in 2017.



Doonbeg, Ireland: Trump International Golf Links

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Doonbeg, Ireland includes an 18-hole links-style golf course and a five-star hotel.

President Trump's most recent visit to the course was in June 2019. In 2017, he won permission to build two seawalls around his course to prevent it from eroding. 

The tiny village where the club is located has a population of 200, according to the New York Post. It is said to employ over 300 workers



Dubai: Trump International Golf Club

Source: Trump.com



President Trump's golf club in Dubai includes an 18-hole course, a par-3 course, a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse, a pool, a fitness complex, a luxury hotel, and indoor swing studios.

Last year, the company that manages the Dubai golf course more than doubled its income, according to The Daily Beast.

President Trump is also in the process of building another golf club in Dubai, which has been designed by PGA champion Tiger Woods



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