Source: Chargers Wire
Originally Posted: January 6, 2018
Written By: Gavino Borquez 

The Chargers are moving on to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs to face the Patriots.

It seemed like Los Angeles was in control after leading 20-3, but the Ravens managed to bounce back after putting up 14 points in less than 10 minutes. The Bolts survived the rally on the last drive when linebacker Uchenna Nwosu stripped the ball from quarterback Lamar Jackson to seal the deal.

Here is our instant analysis of Los Angeles’ 23-17 victory over Baltimore.

Safety Adrian Phillips came up clutch by possessing both of their turnovers. The first one was a fumble recovery, forced by defensive end Melvin Ingram. The second one was an interception, tipped by cornerback Casey Hayward.

Key Stat

• The six sacks today were the most in a playoff game by a Chargers team since the 1992 postseason.

Quick Takes

• The defensive line came to play, sacking Lamar Jackson seven times. Melvin Ingram led the pack with two, along with two tackles for loss. The unit limited the Ravens’ rushing attack to 90 yards total.
• The offensive line looked much improved from the two team’s previous meeting. Quarterback Philip Rivers was only sacked once, and was kept clean for the majority of the game. They struggled in run blocking, allowing Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler to run for 69 yards on 28 carries.
• Adrian Phillips may have been the MVP of this game. Phillips took on the role of the team’s linebacker when they went into their nickel and dime packages. Whether it was against the run or defending the pass, Phillips seemed to always be around the ball.
• Michael Badgley scored 15 of the team’s 23 points after going 5 for 6, including a 53-yard field goal. He surpassed franchise’s single-game postseason record held by Nate Kaeding, who was 4-for-4 in the 2007 AFC Championship Game at the Patriots.
• Philip Rivers didn’t pass 200 yards passing, but his receivers came in at big moments, which include Mike Williams’ 28-yard grab that led to a touchdown by Melvin Gordon.

What’s Next?
​The Chargers travel to New England to take on the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Playoff round. Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is on Sunday, Jan. 13 at 11:05 a.m. PT. The game will be televised on CBS.

People often like to complain about millennials and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't one of them. However, I think it's important to know that there are young and immature, yet hardworking and coach-able individuals out there.

If there's one thing that I have learned by building my business off of unpaid interns and hiring people right out of college, it's that you need to make sure you're willing to invest in them. The more I serve my team, and let them know I truly care (because I would be lost without them), the more that they deliver.

People want to feel like they are a part of something; but, you must give them something to be a part of. Communication will always be the number one tool to this success. Have weekly meetings where you review strengths, areas of opportunities, and areas for growth. Ask your team members about their goals and dreams, and then support those. Even if it means that they eventually leave you, which sometimes is the best thing for both sides, remember that little incentives go a long way. Whether it's coffee and donuts, taking them to a client meeting, or going on a trip. If your people are important to you and the success of your business, then treat them as such. I learned this the hard way a long time ago, and never made that mistake again.

Today I wanted to take the time to share a piece of advice I posted on my personal LinkedIn page. This advice is something I implemented into my habits as the President of LW, and I truly think it is something that should be a core value in any business, at any level. Monetary success is one thing, but when you truly invest in your employees, and they invest back into you, the sky isn't even the limit. 

​-Lauren Walsh

I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago. Simply because I never kept them. You all know it’s the same routine every year. The gym is packed all of January and February and then about halfway through March you can finally get on a machine without having to wait. It’s because behind those resolutions, we never define exactly why it will add value to our life or make us happy. “I want to lose 10 pounds”. Okay great, but what will losing 10 pounds do for you? Because if you have insecurities or emotional pain that you think is going to magically disappear when you weigh less and go down a size in jeans, you’re nuts. Also, in order to lose 10 pounds, you will need to dive into your current habits, and then develop a monthly, weekly, and daily strategy. Yeah, I know. This is why I never kept my resolutions past March either.

I have become a little obsessed with living my best life. Go ahead and roll your eyes, because that’s a term that you probably see on bumper stickers or every other millennial’s Instagram caption. But it’s true. This past year I got a little taste of what it feels like to operate on my highest level which led to insurmountable breakthroughs, accomplishments, and growth. I had to work hard to break habits and implement new ones; ones that I still struggle with and resist on a daily basis. But the one thing that I have figured out that works is setting a goal, defining why it is important, and then making a plan for every single day. So a few months ago I set a goal to start each and every day with a positive mindset. I began studying how others do it. This meant digging into the habits of all of the most “successful” and happy (there are a lot of people out there who reach insurmountable wealth but don’t truly enjoy it) people in the world. As these individuals have proven, I knew that if I was going to achieve my goal, I needed a plan.

Did you know that Bill Gates reads 50 book a year, Mark Cuban reads three hours per day, and Warren Buffet spends 80% of his day reading? Well, there’s one place to start. I committed to starting the day by reading something positive, journaling what I was grateful for, and then setting my intention. I knew that if I was going to actually stick to this, I needed some accountability, so I pulled my team in on it, and we began doing this together every day. Why am I talking about a goal of a morning routine and not a number of clients or level of income that I want to achieve? Because I know that none of that is worth anything unless I am in a good place. I know that when I reach those numbers (because yes, there are goals for those too), I don’t want to say “that’s it?”. I also know that when I am operating from a place of a positive mindset I put out my best work, operate from a level of abundance, and am able to consistently over deliver on client work. Remember, when you set a goal, you must define why it’s important…

As you look ahead one year from now… Yes, I know 2019 is just about to start, but I really want you to look ahead. What are the things that you want to be able to say that you did, habits that you formed, or goals that you crushed? Write that down. Now you will need to define why in the world those things matter to you, and why they help you to become the best version of yourself. Then make a plan. Monthly, weekly, daily, and maybe even hour by hour.

For those who need a little extra direction, I am sharing what my team, including myself, went through to set our 2019 goals. I truly hope that this next year is one of the most influential, mind blowing, happy, healthy, and successful years of your entire life. Cheers to 2019. 

- Lauren Walsh 

LW BRANDING 2019 GOAL SETTING
1. What are the top 3 things that you personally want to accomplish in 2019?
2. What are the top 3 things that you want to accomplish professionally in 2019?
3. Now break down each of those 6 and jot down 1 action item that you will start to develop as a habit or implement NOW that will start to bring you closer to each goal. 
4. What is 1 thing that you want to accomplish in the next 30 days? 60 days? 90 days?
5. What is 1 thing for each of those 3 that you will start to do or implement now that will help you get closer to achieving each one?
6. What is your intention for the year?
7. What is one healthy habit that you want to conquer in 2019? 
8. Imagine 365 days from now. As you sit down and reflect on your year what are the key takeaways or areas of growth that you are discussing?

Source: Premier Bride 
Originally Posted: December 13, 2018

Sound the trumpets because Wisconsin sports royalty is born anew! The granddaughter of a former Green Bay Packers CEO, herself an accomplished reporter for ESPN, Olivia Harlan has married her rightful partner, Sam Dekker. You may recognize Sam as Wisconsin’s 2012 “Mr. Basketball”, a second team All American for the Wisconsin Badgers team that advanced to the 2015 NCAA National Championship game, and currently a forward in the NBA for the Washington Wizards.

Combined the two make quite a team, and together they planned a wedding of which dreams are made. If Midwestern elegance is a wedding theme, these two showed us how it’s done.

Months before Sam and Olivia pulled off their stunning black tie wedding, Sam proposed to Olivia in his home town of Sheboygan. They were enjoying their summer, moving through an average day she hadn’t expected would result in an engagement. “It was very intimate and random!” Olivia laughs. “That day, we had worked out and gone to Walmart. I was so caught off guard! It was very romantic and simple.”

Romantic and simple might be the couple’s best descriptors, despite their impressive résumés. Their first date happened thanks to the recommendation of a shared friend, a set-up Olivia was skeptical of. They met at a bar and watched the Packers play, and things clicked right away. “Sam was so funny, quick-witted, sincere, humble, and easy to be around,” she says. “We fell in love very fast.” Just one month later, the magic of Green Bay endured. While attending a Packers game in person, Sam and Olivia exchanged those three little words, “I love you.” It wasn’t a leap from there to expect one day they would be planning their wedding.
​
Homage to their shared Midwestern roots was peppered throughout the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception, each held in the incomparable Door County, where Olivia’s parents reside. The rehearsal dinner took place at The Whistling Swan Inn and Restaurant, a favorite of her family’s. “All of the groomsmen stayed there as well, so we had the whole place to ourselves.” The next day, the party moved to Horseshoe Bay Golf Club, for both the ceremony and festivities to follow.

Source: Los Angeles Times Times
Written By: Mike Digiovanna 
Originally Posted: December 9, 2018 

​

A good 20 minutes had passed since the final gun sounded in StubHub Center, and Darius Philon was still out of breath, the defensive tackle practically panting through his first round of interviews after the Chargers held on for a 26-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
That prompted a question: Was Philon still winded by his sack of Bengals quarterback Jeff Driskel on a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt with 1 minute, 50 seconds left, or by a celebratory sprint/dance that took the 6-foot-1, 300-pounder from the 15-yard line to midfield in about 3.2 seconds?
“Oh man, I’m just super excited that I made a big play in a big-time situation for my team and got us the win,” Philon said. “I knew I had done something big, and I was excited for me and the team. It was definitely one of the biggest sacks of my career, even though it doesn’t count on the stat sheet.”
The Bengals, who have lost seven of eight games, pulled to within 23-21 of the Chargers when Joe Mixon scored from one yard out, capping an 11-play, 79-yard drive that was aided by a pair of third-down penalties, a pass-interference call on cornerback Casey Hayward and a holding call on free safety Jahleel Addae.
Philon lined up opposite Cincinnati left guard Christian Westerman on the two-point attempt. He took an outside route after the snap and beat Westerman with a spin move that turned the guard so thoroughly that Westerman fell to the ground.
While left tackle Clint Boling tried to fend off a bull rush by end Joey Bosa, Philon had a clear path to the elusive Driskel, who backpedaled toward his right in an effort to move the pocket.
Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram closed from the other side, leaving Driskel with no escape route. Philon moved in quickly, wrapped Driskel by the waist and drove him into the ground before sprinting toward the Chargers sideline.
“The guard overset on me, so I spun back inside, and with some pressure by Mel on the backside, it made him step back,” Philon said of Driskel. “That’s when I made hay and made a play. Like our coach always tells us, it’s about keeping your feet moving and finishing.”
The Chargers secondary deserves an assist on the sack for its blanket coverage of the Bengals receivers, tight ends and running back.
Safety Derwin James said Cincinnati tried to run a play similar to the one it scored with in the second quarter, when Driskel dumped a six-yard touchdown pass over the middle to a wide-open John Ross on an underneath route.
The Chargers defended the two-point attempt with man-to-man coverage on the outside and zone coverage in the middle. Driskel had ample time to get a pass off but found no open receivers.
“It’s all of us in it together, so of course they had a lot to do with it,” Philon said of the defensive backs. “If it wasn’t for them plastering and staying on their receivers, I wouldn’t have been able to get to the quarterback.”
Philon’s sack was one of the few highlights of an overall defensive effort that Philon described as “a little bumpy,” and that Bosa said left the team with “a lot of things we have to clean up.”
Mixon rushed 26 times for 111 yards, the most the Chargers have yielded to a running back this season, and caught five passes for 27 yards. Driskel, making his second NFL start, completed 18 of 27 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown. Though the Chargers sacked Driskel three times, they did not force a turnover.
“For me, the game just felt like a pig fight,” Chargers defensive lineman Damion Square said. “It was real grimy on the inside. They were determined to run the football. But we found a way to get it done. We dealt with a few short fields, and we came out victorious, man. I’ll take it.”
The Chargers made just enough big plays on defense to prevent an upset. They stopped the Bengals on a two-point conversion attempt just before halftime when James read a play in which Driskel looked left and fired to running back Giovani Bernard in the right flat. James tackled Bernard short of the end zone to preserve a 14-12 lead.
The Chargers stopped Cincinnati on a fourth-and-one from the Chargers’ 35-yard line early in the third quarter. Mixon took a handoff up the middle and bounced off a pile and to the outside, but he was chased down by cornerback Michael Davis and Addae, and tackled for no gain.
Defensive back Adrian Phillips broke up a third-down pass early in the fourth quarter that forced the Bengals to settle for a field goal. Bosa dropped Driskel for a loss of 10 yards in the second quarter, and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu sacked Driskel for a nine-yard loss on the second-to-last play of the game.
“It wasn’t our best showing — I think we can do better — but we’ll take a win,” Addae said. “It’s hard to get W’s in this league.”

Source: Roto Baller
Written By: Billy Stonick
Originally Posted: December 10, 2018

Los Angeles Chargers rookie linebacker Uchenna Nwosu came up big in Sunday’s game against Cincy to help seal the win. With 30 seconds left to go in the game and the Chargers up by five, Nwosu made an incredible speed rush to bring Bengals quarterback Jeff Driskel to the ground and end the Bengals final drive before it had the chance to get rolling. Nwosu and the rest of the defense really picked it up against Cincinnati to bail out an offense that surprisingly struggled. The Chargers defense has held opponents to less than 24 points in eight of their last nine games, and they’re a solid play in most weeks. They should probably be avoided this Thursday when they face the Chiefs though.

When it comes to using social media for brand building, we find the  two biggest mistakes brands make are using platforms that don't align with their brand and posting the same content across all platforms. Brands are only as strong as the reach their messages get, so knowing what platforms your audience uses will help accomplish this goal more efficiently. 

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn are the most popular social platforms; however, each of them consists of a different type of audience and is useful for portraying different types of messages. Knowing who your brand's audience is will help you decide which platforms to use. Twitter does not hold a lot of older users, so if your brand is not aimed at that older generation, putting effort into gaining a Twitter following may not be the most useful strategy. Knowing the platforms and their audiences and knowing your brand's audience will help you determine which platforms are best to use for your brand.

Once you have determined which platforms are best for your brand, it is important to create different content for each platform. If you post the same content to your Facebook as your do Instagram, it won't make sense for your audience to follow you on both platforms. Each platform has a different aesthetic for posting content, and your content should align with the feeling of each platform. This is not to say you cannot talk about the same things on your platforms, but the content itself should never be word for word on multiple platforms. 

Additionally, shaping the voice of your message to match the tone of the platform will also attract a stronger following. For example, Twitter is often used as a humorous medium, so posting content with a serious or business tone may not read as well as adding humor to the content. There a million different ways to say the same thing, so shifting the tone of your message for different platforms is an easy way to use the medium effectively. 

Social media is a great way to build brand awareness and create a space for your audience to engage with your brand. In order to do this effectively, however, you must know which platforms work best with your brand's image and message. Building a strong brand involves putting out content daily, so spending your time efficiently on the platforms that attract your audience will be more useful than trying to have a voice on all platforms. 

One of the newest ways we are seeing people and companies tell their stories and share their messages is through video content. With tools like Instagram TV and the ability to post video stories on multiple platforms, video is an easy and effective way for brands to communicate what they are all about.

Video is easy because it allows brands to communicate a message in a more informal setting and format. When you write out content for social platforms or blogs, it takes time to make sure the content is written grammatically correct, along with portraying your message in a clear and concise way. Creating video content allows a brand to say what they are thinking without having to worry about a lot of editing. It provides a brand the chance to speak informally and portray their message better than a writing medium would allow, as people's attention stays with videos longer than written content.

Creating video content is also an effective way of sharing a message because while you are providing your audience with a chance to hear your message and what defines your brand, you are also allowing them to also interact with your brand on a more personal level. Video content adds the humanization factor to your brand, as your audience is connecting and interacting with a real person, not someone behind a screen or text. 

Overall, video is becoming the best way for brands to deliver a clear, genuine and humanized message to their audience; all of which create brand engagement and loyalty.  

One of the biggest misconceptions we are told when building a brand is that followers equals exposure. It is easy to get caught up in trying to get as many followers as you can on your social accounts, but having thousands of followers doesn't mean you're brand is gaining real exposure to an audience. Real exposure occurs when people engage with your brand, which means more than just following it.

Engagement comes in the form of likes, comments and shares on any social media platform. While having thousands of followers allows for greater potential in engagement, the follow alone does not equate to someone engaging with your brand. You need your followers to respond and interact with the content you are putting out. 

The best way to create engagement with your content is by asking for it. You can try all the tricks in the world, but asking your followers to share their opinions, to share a post, to comment their answer to your question, is the best way to create engagement. Being straight forward and asking your audience for what you want, allows your audience to know how to interact with your post and gives you the result you are looking for. More often than not, people need a little encouragement to engage with brands. 

By creating content that encourages people to interact with your brand, you are allowing your audience the chance to build a relationship with your brand. If the content you are putting out is interactive and worth engaging, your audience will feel connected to your brand, instilling a lasting impression and relationship. Brand loyalty and engagement is when genuine exposure for your brand occurs.