Business
Aliyah Dastour Builds a Lucrative Business During a Recession

A recession is a major drop in economic activity and can last for months—or years, in the worst case. Authorities announce a recession when a country’s economy struggles, experiences a negative gross domestic product (GDP), a high level of unemployment, manufacturers make fewer sales, and the nation’s inclusive economic productivity goes down. Recessions are an inevitable share of the business cycle and depend on multiple factors, such as an unexpected economic shock, asset bubbles, too much inflation/deflation, high-tech change, and unwarranted debt.
Aliyah Dastour lost her job during the last recession. Unfortunately, she also lost her marriage as she divorced her husband around the same time. With her growing need to make a living and feed and care for her young daughter, she shifted to Virginia and secured a job in an afterschool program, ‘Casa,’ where she would take care of kids whose parents were working and couldn’t pick them up straight after school. She used to earn $17 per hour, which was not even enough to cover her bills, causing her to illegally bring her daughter to work to cut down on babysitter costs.
Aliyah was a supervisor at Casa for four years and loved her job—she enjoyed the work and loved kids. She needed a camera to take photos of her daughter and saved up $500 to purchase it, eventually buying one off Craigslist. Aliyah would take the camera to work, snap pictures of the kids, forward them to their parents, and print out portraits. This aroused the passion she had for portrait photography since she was a teenager. The kids’ parents were fascinated with her work, would pay her for the pics, and even invite her on location to take more of them—and the rest is history.
Aliyah is now a headshot photographer, has been in business for over a decade, and opened up multiple studios in the Northern Virginia area. She is also helping other photographers do the same. What makes Aliyah’s work unique is that she not only focuses on headshots—she makes her money serving clients while teaching/coaching. “We also focus on our numbers without including physical products to sell like most high ticket photographers, and we offer digital images,” Aliyah states.
Aliyah’s entrepreneurship journey, however, has not been a bed of roses. Luckily, she
worked through it and overcame the challenges. She is quoted saying, “At the beginning of my business, we were living month to month while I was trying to support my family. From having my car repoed to not being able to afford a coffee at networking events to hoping, as it was a holiday weekend, they wouldn’t turn off the electricity since the bill was overdue. I overcame this by trusting in the journey and working from 4 am to 8 pm trying to do it all.”
Aliyah has successfully opened two studios in the DMV area and recently launched a
community project called The Loudoun 100 Project. She has also built a successful business as a studio portrait/headshot photographer and donated over $100K to the community through nonprofits. Aliyah envisions over 1,000 other photographers using the system she has built to help them reach the freedom she finally has in life. She also plans to travel the world building hospitals and orphanages, something she has dreamed of doing since she was a little girl.
Business
2023 Top Startup Incubators Globally

Software incubators have become a crucial part of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in recent years, providing startups with the resources, mentorship, and exposure they need to grow and succeed. The concept of software incubators is relatively new, but they have quickly become an essential part of the business landscape, with one of the fastest-growing organizations in this space being ConvrtX.
The Concept of Software Incubators
A software incubator is an organization that offers support to software startups, helping them launch and grow. ConvrtX, a global startup incubator, sets itself apart by offering a wide range of services to startups, including mentorship, access to resources, and networking opportunities. The goal of ConvrtX, like other software incubators, is to help startups succeed by providing them with the resources and support they need to launch their products.
ConvrtX specializes in helping software startups, providing startups with expertise in software development. This can be crucial for the success of a startup, and ConvrtX‘s focus on software startups sets it apart from other types of incubators. As a global incubator, ConvrtX provides startups with access to a diverse pool of resources and expertise from around the world.
There are many software incubators around the world, but only a few are considered the top in the field. These top software incubators provide startups with resources and support, helping them launch and grow. Some of the leading software incubators globally include Y Combinator, 500 Startups, Seedcamp, Techstars, Entrepreneur First, and ConvrtX.
Y Combinator, based in the United States, is a leading software incubator that provides startups with mentorship, resources, and exposure. It has a strong focus on technology startups, providing startups with access to technology resources and expertise.
500 Startups is a global venture capital firm that also operates as a software incubator. Based in the United States, it provides startups with mentorship, resources, and exposure, and has a strong focus on technology startups. 500 Startups has a large network of mentors and investors.
Seedcamp, based in Europe, is a leading software incubator that provides startups with mentorship, resources, and exposure. It has a strong focus on technology startups and provides startups with access to technology resources and expertise.
Techstars, based in the United States, is a leading software incubator that provides startups with mentorship, resources, and exposure. It has a strong focus on technology startups, providing startups with access to technology resources and expertise.
Entrepreneur First is a global software incubator that provides startups with mentorship, resources, and exposure. It has a strong focus on technology startups and has a large network of mentors and investors.
ConvrtX is a global startup incubator that specializes in helping software startups launch SaaS products. They provide startups with mentorship, resources, and exposure, as well as expertise in software development, helping startups succeed in their launch and growth.
Benefits of Joining a Software Incubator
Joining a software incubator can provide startups with many benefits, including access to resources and mentorship, networking opportunities, expertise in software development, and guidance that can lead to a higher chance of success.
Access to Resources: Software incubators provide startups with access to resources that can be crucial for their success. These resources can include funding, technology, and equipment.
Mentorship: Software incubators provide startups with mentorship from experienced professionals in the field. These mentors can provide guidance, support, and advice, helping startups grow and succeed.
Networking Opportunities: Software incubators provide startups with networking opportunities, connecting them with other startups, mentors, and investors. This can help startups build relationships, find new business opportunities, and grow their network.
Expertise in Software Development: Software incubators provide startups with expertise in software development, which can be crucial for the success of a startup. ConvrtX, for example, specializes in helping software startups launch SaaS products, providing startups with guidance and support in software development.
Guidance and Support: Software incubators provide startups with guidance and support, helping them navigate the early stages of their business. This can include mentorship, resources, and exposure, which can help startups grow and succeed.
In conclusion, software incubators play a crucial role in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing startups with the resources, mentorship, and exposure they need to grow and succeed. ConvrtX is one of the top software incubators globally, specializing in helping software startups launch SaaS products. Joining a software incubator can provide startups with many benefits, including access to resources and mentorship, networking opportunities, expertise in software development, and guidance.
Tags: Josh Adler, Joshua Adler, ConvrtX, Seedcamp, 500 startups, entrepreneur first, techstars, Y combinator
Business
Easy Money Does Not Exist Says Influencer, Dark Joseph Ravine

We have we all been in situations where we have come across people online who claim that anyone can earn easy money via apps, social media, lotteries, or casinos. In few instances, these people have been legit, but in most cases, they have been accomplices to some of the biggest scams known.
Dark Joseph Ravine, CEO of online business, media, and movement, Kindness for Success, has been in many different financial situations. His experience has shown that anyone who is claiming to make easy money may be faking their riches. There are no shortcuts to success and anyone claiming to have succeeded in this way may only be lying for self-promotion.
Sometimes we see ads on social media or in the press that instruct people to download an app and win big money. Ravine says, “Those who claim they won big are just being hired to lie for the app in order to get downloads that is why I never believe them or download them. This is part of a publicity stunt. These people are working together with the app. Being tricked and scammed myself has put me in a position where I no longer believe anything I see, hear, or read unless I witness it myself. I don’t even believe celebrities because sometimes, they get paid to lie. As an influencer myself, I only promote something I am genuinely interested in because I will not lie to the world about how I feel about something. The reason being is because anytime you come out to the public, the world trusts you and the second is that if trust is betrayed, you no longer have credibility. As I said many times, easy money does not exist. Even if someone wins the lottery and that seems like easy money, that is nothing but sheer luck, which is rare. When a person wins the lottery, they often may not have the adequate knowledge of how to use the money properly. According to research, 70 percent of lottery winners lose all their money in a short period of time. They think that the money will never end, but even large amounts can end sooner than we think. My best advice to anyone is to invest money into properties to have steady income for the rest of your life and not have to worry about making money. There are smart ways to use money that should be learned to ensure that you have enough as you age.”
Often, people scam other people on the Internet by pretending to be rich. Ravine says, “I have been in a situation where I saw someone claiming to make 30 million dollars a year and had all kinds of fancy items worth tons of money posted on the Internet. When I reached out to him, he told me it was going to cost five thousand dollars just to continue talking to him. Right away, I knew he was a liar because who would charge that amount of money just to chat with them? In most cases, rich people would never flaunt their money or luxuries because it could lead to dangerous situations. Usually, rich people are very smart and modest.” Ravine points out how important it is to not be tricked by people or appearances because it can lead to unexpected or unpleasant situations.
We learn that anyone who is trying to take a shortcut to success will not achieve success. Claims of riches or easy money are 99.9% of the time fake. Success takes time, hard work, smart thinking, and above all, being yourself and living a truthful life.
Business
Sheila Day on Teamwork, Service, and Community

It’s essential to have insurance coverage, whether it’s for your car, home, life, or health, to protect you and your loved ones if an accident or disaster occurs. Life insurance gives you peace of mind knowing that your family will be financially taken care of after your death. In working with an insurance agent, it’s important to find someone who understands your circumstances. Sheila Day just might be that person. For a lot of the clients she’s served, Sheila is a highly regarded life insurance specialist who has significantly impacted the lives of others by helping them secure their families’ financial futures should the unthinkable happen.
Sheila is a licensed life insurance agency owner who emphasizes that family comes first, no matter the situation. A graduate in social work, Sheila works hard to help change people’s lives and make sure to put a smile on their faces. She leverages her 12 years of experience in social work, where she specialized in working with those individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and 15 years in direct sales and corporate-level sales management in the beauty industry.
Sheila’s passion is helping others achieve their goals and dreams. One can never be sure what the future holds, so Sheila’s ultimate goal is to help her clients insure their lives against whatever may happen. She advises on the best policies to buy, the amount of death benefits, and the premium you pay for your policy.
The most remarkable moment in her life insurance career was when she helped an elderly lady on a fixed income who could not get life insurance but didn’t want to burden her family. Sheila worked to see to it that the elderly lady could find coverage, and the mom and her four daughters split the monthly premium to avoid having a large expense later. Another time was when she helped a homeless man who had lost everything after his wife died. He had been left homeless because his wife had been ill and died without insurance. He helped him acquire insurance as he did not want his children to have the same problem.
However, Sheila’s journey to the top has not been a walk in the park. Before she found her path in insurance, Sheila went through the process of reapplying and being rehired through corporate restructuring several years in a row. Additionally, in the insurance field, she has had to deal with the challenge of learning to embrace and conquer online prospecting and recruiting.
“I prefer a more direct approach but am attempting to have more indirect approach conversations as well,” Sheila adds. She shares that through these challenges, she has discovered her true passion and learned the importance of accountability in her insurance career. Sheila also maintains that consistency and discipline are the key driving forces for growth in the agency.
Sheila wants people to know that nothing comes easy. You have to work hard and not be in a hurry to acquire wealth; trust the process to reach your dreams. She says you have to believe in God and his timing because it is always perfect. Moreover, do not give up on the journey to your dreams, no matter how many challenges you face along the way, as they are stepping stones to your next chapter.
In the future, Sheila sees herself with a hall-of-fame agency doing over one million monthly with an Integrity partnership. She also hopes to continue helping people secure their futures, starting now with whatever they have. She wants to build a legacy for her children and grandchildren and be able to give her time and resources freely to others. According to Sheila, “Always put God first, others second and yourself last and “Together Everyone Achieves More.”
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