• The spread of coronavirus has sent Wall Street banks scrambling to put in place policies to protect workers and clients and make sure business can carry on with as little disruption as possible. 
• The changes come as financial markets are being rocked by worries about the economic impact of supply-chain disruption and containment measures.
• And the first emergency rate cut by the Federal Reserve since the financial crisis has put even more pressure on banks. 
• Here's a look at the latest guidance being given to employees at massive financial institutions that dominate dealmaking, trading, and consumer banking. 
• Visit BI Prime for more Wall Street stories.

With the global spread of coronavirus, Wall Street banks are grappling with how to keep workers and clients safe while keeping their sprawling operations running with as little disruption as possible. 

We've been tracking changes to employee travel policies, disruptions to in-person meetings and conferences, and how banks are deploying contingency plans. We've also talked to top bankers to understand how international travel restrictions and a lack of face-to-face meetings could put a big dent in dealmaking. 

The changes come as global financial markets are being rocked by worries about the economic impact of supply chain disruption and containment measures. And the first emergency rate cut by the Federal Reserve since the financial crisis has meanwhile put even more pressure on banks. 

Here's everything we know right now: 

• March 18: Goldman Sachs and Bank of America just updated their WFH policies — again. Here's what they're telling employees about the latest steps aimed at combating the spread of coronavirus.
• March 13: CME and Cboe are clearing trading floors as coronavirus spreads, and one veteran trader thinks the millions they'll save will be too good to ever reopen the iconic pits
• March 12: Read the full memo Goldman Sachs top brass just sent detailing the firm's coronavirus contingency plans, including separating employees into Blue and White teams to alternate working from the office and home
• March 11:Intercontinental Exchange is closing its London office, home to its European futures business, for the remainder of the week in one of the first signs of a key market-structure player impacted by coronavirus
• March 10: A Barclays employee at the bank's New York City headquarters tested positive for the coronavirus and has been self-quarantined since last week
• March 10: A Wells Fargo employee has coronavirus and Morgan Stanley, UBS, and Merrill Lynch all have offices in the same San Francisco skyscraper — here's what they're telling workers
• March 6: An employee at investment giant TIAA has contracted coronavirus, and the Manhattan WeWork office where they were working has been closed for cleaning
• March 6: Bank of America is splitting its trading force and sending staffers to Stamford amid concern over coronavirus spread, according to an internal memo
• March 6:UBS is divvying up teams in Switzerland and having them switch off who comes into the office as part of its coronavirus response
• March 5: Morgan Stanley is moving about half of its Wall Street traders to its disaster-recovery site outside NYC to prep for the coronavirus spread
• March 4:Goldman Sachs just switched a 400-person conference at the last minute to an audio-only webcast and it shows how Wall Street is scrambling as coronavirus spreads 
• March 4:Bad timing: Hotly-anticipated tech IPOs are dealing with a brutal one-two punch of coronavirus fears and election uncertainty
• March 2: Morgan Stanley just halted employees' international travel and is stocking up on hand sanitizer as coronavirus spreads
• February 6: UBS is restricting employees' travel in China and implementing a work-from-home policy as the coronavirus has spread

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The rise and fall of Pan Am

• Ana Georgescu is a 22-year-old Romanian and a senior at Harvard University, where she studies astrophysics and English and has a nighttime radio show. 
• Last Tuesday, she was prepared to sleep in late — until her roommates woke her up to tell her that they had all been instructed to leave campus by 5 p.m. on Sunday.
• As an international student on financial aid, she said that she's almost fully dependent on Harvard — and that left almost everything up in the air for her.
• Her parents were set to travel to the United States for the first time for her graduation, but that's looking unlikely now.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Tuesday is the one day of the week I get to sleep in. On Tuesday March 10, my first class didn't meet until 1 p.m. I had just turned in a long assignment the night before, and my alarm was set for noon. I had gone to sleep late after deciding to cancel my spring break trip to Peru, worried about the potential of being quarantined in a dorm room upon return. My friends told me I was buying into mass hysteria — at the time, Peru barely had any recorded cases and the university had only been talking about quarantining students returning from CDC Level 3 countries. 

At 9 a.m., my roommates jumped on my bed and told me the news: An email had just announced that we'd have to leave campus by 5 p.m. on Sunday. I didn't fully process the consequences until many hours later.

Fifty five percent of undergraduate students at Harvard are receiving some financial aid — and 20% are fully covered by it. At Harvard College, there are around 800 international students currently enrolled from 103 countries.

As a senior and a Romanian citizen, I am part of both groups. I would have never been able to afford this education, but the university's financial aid office has been incredibly generous every year, covering all my costs, from tuition and room down to a sizable portion of my travel and personal expenses. My health insurance is provided through the university. As a student on an F-1 visa, I am only allowed to work at the university. And although I am immensely grateful for all of it, it also means I am fully dependent on this institution. On Tuesday, I felt like I was drifting through space alone.

Everyone I knew was sending emails and making phone calls to various offices on campus. Most of them told us that they had found out the same way and time we did, and tried to reassure us there would be help and that plans were being made. To all students, this was a major inconvenience. To some, going home seemed almost impossible. For the entire senior class, this was the end of college.

My parents had also gotten the email and had managed to translate enough of it to understand the situation. Our two biggest worries were whether it was safe for me to return home and what we could do to afford it.

Normally, a plane ticket home costs around a thousand dollars, and storage and moving adds several hundred. My family was prepared to incur all these costs in May, but not now — not without notice.

Since last summer, we had been saving money for my graduation festivities, my family's first time visiting me or being in the US. Travel and accommodations for them were already a financial burden, but they insisted I partake in all senior week activities with my classmates. My mom was excited to meet my friends and watch me get my diploma. Nervous to try and speak English with the other parents, she had installed Duolingo on her phone a year ago.

Although nothing has been officially confirmed, graduation will probably be cancelled, too. And even if it isn't, who will still be around or be able to afford to come back? 

Before graduating, I was going to apply for a work permission called Optional Practical Training (OPT), which would allow me to work for 12 months in the United States in a field related to my major. The process takes upward of three months and is supported by the university, requiring a lot of documentation.

I thought I had some time and a choice between working here and somewhere back in Europe. In the current situation, every decision I make could impact my legal status in this country and my future career. I have meetings scheduled with Harvard offices to discuss it, but the future is uncertain.

My generation documents everything, so by noon on Tuesday, my social media feeds were filled with snippets of people's reactions. A lot of them were crying in the dining halls. Everyone was asking each other where they would be going next; most people responded with, "I don't know."

In this state of crisis and anxiety, our natural reaction is to gather as a community, but when dealing with a pandemic, those are exactly the things we shouldn't do. It is dispiriting to walk through campus, recognize a friend, and have to bid your farewell. Are tears considered bodily fluids? We shouldn't cry and hug, should we?

The day after we got the news, there was an ad-hoc gathering of seniors on the steps of Widener Library, where the yearly class photograph is usually taken, to sit for an improvised group picture. Myself and others did not attend, worried about large gatherings.

While most of the university updates fell shy of making promises or answering questions, the Harvard community quickly organized itself. Undergraduates began circulating a spreadsheet in which they would list their contact information and whether they could house anyone who couldn't go home. Over a hundred students offered to host classmates. Boston area residents called the campus radio station saying they could provide storage for those in need. Before the day was over, alumni support from all over the world poured in. A student-organized crowdfunding initiative raised $14,000. 

Harvard is starting to find solutions, to accommodate people in emergency situations, to redesign courses, to offer travel stipends. At the end of the day, I have no doubt they are doing everything they can and that this was a good decision. But it's still hard. And with a chance that some students are carriers, I fear that we are moving the petri dish off campuses and into airports. 

At home, I might not have a viable way to do my coursework and complete my semester. When seminars demand we all video call in, I am seven time zones away. We're unsure how to end such a significant chapter of our lives in a rush. Where are we going and whom will we see again? There are always hard goodbyes and uncertainties with graduations, but no one thought it would be like this. Our community has never been stronger — it is simultaneously heart-warming and heart-breaking.

Anything could happen. We're all still trying to bid our farewells, in between packing boxes and booking tickets. We're trying to figure it out.

Since I first started writing this piece on Thursday morning, campus has been emptied and thousands of new texting groups and emailing lists have been created. Transitioning is hard, but we are learning to navigate uncertainty, to be settled in the unsettled.

I will be staying with a friend in Cambridge for the rest of the semester so I can manage my visa situation and finish the semester in the same time zone. The university has offered housing to those in difficult situations and classes will continue. Most internships I had applied for were cancelled, so my future here is still undecided. My classmates and I will be anxiously watching the pandemic's evolution in the coming months. In the meantime, I'm showing my professor where to find the "share screen" button.

SEE ALSO: An American student living in Italy describes what it was like to watch the country shut down as the coronavirus panic spread

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Pathologists debunk 13 myths about the coronavirus, including why masks won't help

• A Costco employee at the company's Issaquah offices reportedly died after testing positive for the coronavirus.
• The corporate office did not close and employees are still expected to come into work, Buzzfeed reported.
• Costco declined to comment for this story.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Costco's Issaquah, Washington corporate offices stayed open for business after an employee that tested positive for the coronavirus died on Sunday, according to reporting from the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

The employee worked with Costco Travel and a potential coronavirus connection was initially downplayed in the email announcement to the company, KTTH reported.

According to Buzzfeed News, Costco employees were upset with the company's decision to keep the offices open.

"Employees have to choose between a check or their health," an employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told Buzzfeed. 

KUOW reported last week that Costco employees at the offices in Issaquah were still expected to come into work as many major companies were making the shift to working from home. 

In an email obtained by KUOW, Costco CEO W. Craig Jelinek wrote, "This decision may be unpopular with some, but we consider it a matter of equity and fairness."

Costco has experienced a major surge in sales in the last month, as shoppers flock to the warehouse store to panic-buy amid coronavirus fears. CFO Richard Galanti told analysts that the members-only warehouse chain saw an uptick in consumer demand in February.

Costco declined to comment for this story.

If you're a Costco employee working during the coronavirus outbreak, email sciment@businessinsider.com

SEE ALSO: Kroger is giving its employees $25 worth of groceries for their hard work amid the coronavirus — but most of them still don't get paid sick leave

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Camel milk can cost $30 a litre. Why is it so expensive?

• JPMorgan Chase will temporarily close around 20% of its branches amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• The bank will also reduce the number of employees working at the branches that remain open. 
• Branches that remain open will emphasize drive-up or glass partitions to protect employees and customers, the bank said. 
• Employees at the branches will be paid for their regularly-scheduled hours even if they're asked to stay at home, according to a company memo shared with Business Insider.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

JPMorgan Chase, the biggest bank in the United States, will temporarily close around 20% of its branches and reduce the number of employees at the ones that remain open, Business Insider has confirmed.

The bank is the first of the major US banks to announce widespread closures. The temporary measure will close around 1,000 of the bank's locations. CNBC first reported the branch closures.

Chase told employees in a memo shared with Business Insider that the bank will pay branch employees for their regularly-scheduled hours, even if their hours are reduced or if their branch is closed and they're asked to stay home. 

Advisors at the bank's branches will also have the opportunity to work from home starting on Thursday, the bank said, further limiting the number of employees in each branch. 

Around 4,000 branches will remain open, and their hours on weekdays will be cut to 9:30 a.m to 4 p.m.

The bank has also increased cleaning measures at its locations, including putting hand sanitizer at entrances. Chase told employees that it would send "a team of specialized cleaners if a branch has a confirmed or highly likely COVID-19 case within one hour of the report." 

In a statement to Business Insider, Chase said that most of the branches that will remain open have drive-up or partition glass inside the branch to protect employees and customers. Chase said all communities will still be covered through the closures. 

Capital One said it would close 120 locations due to the coronavirus epidemic, according to a report by CNBC.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Business Insider asked nurses to share the hardest parts of their job.
• Many said seeing patients die after doing everything to care for them is the hardest part. 
• Other challenges include long shifts, having to use time-consuming technology, and a lack of respect from other people in the healthcare industry.
• If you're a nurse with a story to share, email aakhtar@businessinsider.com.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Working as a nurse isn't easy.

Nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, and will find themselves on the front lines of treating patients with the new coronavirus.  

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, nurses had some of the most stressful jobs in the US. And yet, nursing is set to be among the fastest-growing professions by 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Business Insider spoke to dozens of nurses on the most challenging parts about their job — and many agreed losing patients hurts the most.

Other problems with the job include dealing with hospital politics, getting insulted by others in the healthcare industry, and working shifts so long there's no time to use the bathroom.

Here are eleven of the hardest parts about being a nurse.

SEE ALSO: THEN AND NOW: Here's how being a nurse has changed in the last 50 years

Seeing the death of their patients.

Most nurses said seeing the death of patients was the hardest part of their job, including Heather, a nurse from North Carolina, and Chelsey Rodgers, a former nurse who now runs an education company called Tribe RN.

"Seeing those patients you took care of die and how devastating it is to the family" is the hardest part of being a nurse, said Melissa, a nurse from Oklahoma city.

Megan, a nurse who works in Ohio, said she struggles to keep from crying during difficult situations: "We do not have the luxury of crying, we have to keep moving. Death... Death is so hard until it's a blessing. Then explaining that ... That is the worst."

Dealing with judgmental opinions about their occupation.

"It is often hard to explain to people what we do," said a nurse from Pennsylvania who wished to stay anonymous. "There is a notion that I'm 'just a nurse' and I struggle to explain to people that this is what I want. No, this is not a step to medical school. No, I never thought about being a [physician assistant]. I am a nurse, and I am proud of that."

Long, arduous shifts.

The hardest part about being a nurse for Beth, a nurse from Wisconsin, is the "total mental, emotional and physical exhaustion by the end of a shift."

"Then getting up to do it all over again 6 hours later," she adds.

A lack of respect from other people in the healthcare industry.

Leslie, a licensed practical nurse from Florida, said the hardest part of her job is the "lack of respect and verbal/physical abuse from families, management, fellow healthcare workers."

Amy, a nurse from Texas, also said nurses "tolerate a lot of verbal and physical abuse from patients and sometimes physicians."

Having to deal with hospital politics.

"Nursing has become more about politics," said Mayte, nurse for a hospital in Iowa. "That it isn't just about helping people but about making a profit. Healthcare should not be for profit."

Teresa, a nurse from Oregon, also said the hardest part of her job was not having a voice "in a system that considers nurses an unfortunate cost, rather than the essential frontline care providers that we are."

Not having time to even pee during shifts.

Chelsea, a nurse from Illinois, said sometimes she doesn't even have time to pee for her entire 12-hour shift.

Amy, a nurse from Texas, also had the same issue. She said the hardest part about her job was "running around and caring for my patients without peeing the entire shift, and then administration having the nerve to ask me why my white board in the patient's room isn't updated."

Having to use outdated (and time-consuming) technology.

Jess, a nurse from Texas, said the hardest part of her job was "having to deal with all the technology that keeps us from actually providing hands-on care with the patient."

"The EMR requires more time in the patient's chart and less time in the patient's room," she added, referring to the electronic medical record, a digital system to store health records. A recent investigation found software glitches and user errors due to electronic health records caused death and serious injury to patients.

When patients and their families think they know more than the nurse.

"When patients and their family members question every move you make or think that their quick Google search makes them just as much of an expert as I am," said a nurse from Pennsylvania who wished to stay anonymous.

Nat, a nurse from Massachusetts, also gets frustrated when her patients rely on the internet to give them medical advice: "I didn't know Google had a nursing license."

Next time you get sick, do yourself a favor and tell your nurse your symptoms — not WebMD.

Working on holidays and weekends.

Working on holidays is the hardest part of the job, according to Betsy, a nurse in Florida. 

The different shifts, holidays, and weekends can also make the job physically draining, according to a nurse from Sweden who wished to stay anonymous. 

The pressure to know everything.

The pressure to have all the answers makes the job of Nat, a nurse from Massachusetts, much more difficult.

"Nurses have different specialties," she said. "We don't know everything. But what we don't know, we research evidenced based information and educate ourselves."

Taking care of drug-addicted patients.

As the country grapples with its ongoing opioid crisis, hospitalization related to drug addiction skyrocketed from 2002 to 2012, Kaiser Health News reported.

Nurses find dealing with drug-addicted patients challenging. 

Deborah, a nurse from Florida, says the hardest part of her job is "taking care of people who just want drugs."

Amy, a nurse from Texas, also struggles with caring for patients who do not take care of themselves. "Why should I care when they obviously don't?" she said.

• Read more:
• Nurses say they won't get paid time off if they catch coronavirus — and it could force them to choose between paying bills or heading to work while sick
• Thousands of nurses tired of working with too many patients will walk out of hospitals in a 4-state strike
• The 10 worst states to be a nurse practitioner
• 'We're grossly unprepared': Nurses share their frustration as the coronavirus spreads with little direction from the government or hospitals on how to mitigate it

• Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, licensed clinical social worker, mental strength coach, and international bestselling author.
• Many Americans struggle with anxiety, and for many people it's reaching an all-time high in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Whether you're concerned for the safety of older family members or worried about balancing working from home with a partner or children, here are 11 things you can do to prevent your stress from becoming overwhelming.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

If your anxiety is sky high right now, you're not alone. The coronavirus pandemic is affecting our everyday lives in multiple different ways — and things are changing at such a rapid pace that it's impossible to know what to expect next.

Whether your kids are out of school indefinitely, or you're not sure how your small business is going to survive, managing anxiety is key to making the best decisions possible for you and your family. Here are 11 strategies that can help you keep anxiety in check as you deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

SEE ALSO: 7 simple things everyone can cut out of their life right now to reduce anxiety, according to a psychotherapist

READ MORE: 6 habits of mentally strong people you can adopt today

1. Create a schedule

Your daily routine might be disrupted in a number of ways. Whether you're working from home, or can't go to the gym, the lack of structure in the face of uncertainty can cause you to feel even more anxious.

Every night, sit down and create a schedule for the following day. Identify what you can do during each hour of the day — including things like exercise, cooking meals, reaching out to friends and family, cleaning the house, and working. Incorporate healthy activities into your day, and try to keep a similar daily routine in the process.

2. Limit the time you spend consuming media

Don't leave the TV on in the background so you can stay informed, and don't flip through social media randomly. Consuming too much media will keep your anxiety sky high.

Studies show that watching the news causes a spike in anxiety (even during the best of times). Worse than this, your anxiety is likely to stay elevated for a while after you stop watching the news. So can you imagine what it does right now when you're listening to reports of "death tolls" every few minutes? It's likely to keep your anxiety stuck in a perpetual heightened state, which is never good for you.

So while it's important to stay up-to-date, consuming media all day isn't necessary (or healthy). Decide when you want to get the latest news — perhaps in the morning and again in the evening. Then, resist the urge to read articles and watch news throughout the rest of the day.

3. Choose what media you consume carefully

Research shows that the type of media you consume affects your well-being. It may even influence how likely you are to keep yourself safe. A 2009 study that examined how Australian and Swedish media outlets each reported on the H1N1 influenza pandemic found that both outlets reported accurately on the risk of contracting the illness. Swedish outlets, however, focused their reports on how viewers could reduce their risk of getting sick, while Australian media chose to report mostly on public agency missteps during the outbreak.

Prior to the outbreak, both countries had similar vaccination rates. After the outbreak, the vaccination rate was 60% in Sweden and 18% in Australia.

So be proactive about which news programs you choose to watch as well as who you follow on social media. Look for media that reports on concrete, healthy actions you can take — rather than ones that report on all the things going wrong. This may help you feel better, and it could motivate you to take more positive action.

4. Exercise

With so many gyms closed and warnings to practice social distancing, it may be harder to find time and space to work out. But physical activity can greatly reduce anxiety.

And while any type of exercise might help you feel better, some studies have found that strength training is especially effective in reducing anxiety.

If you've got some dumbbells, use them. If not, use your bodyweight or some resistance bands. Doing so can build both your physical and mental muscles.

5. Label your emotions

Putting a name to your emotions can take a lot of the sting out of them. A study conducted by researchers at UCLA found that labeling feelings reduces the intensity of them.

Take a minute to check in with yourself several times each day. How are you feeling? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Sad? Confused? Whatever you're feeling is OK. Acknowledging rather than fighting your feelings can help you move forward.

6. Balance your emotions with logic

It's normal to experience intense feelings right now. And these emotions lead to a lot of unhelpful and even catastrophic thoughts that can fuel your anxiety.

So it's important to balance out emotions with logic. Take a look at the facts. And when you start thinking the world is ending or you can't get through this, remind yourself that pandemics end, economies rebound, and people survive.

7. Argue the opposite

When you find yourself thinking things like, "The coronavirus is going to wipe out my business," or, "I'm never going to get through this," then argue the opposite.

Remind yourself that there's also a chance things will turn out better in the end or that you're going to emerge from this stronger than ever. The goal of arguing the opposite isn't to convince yourself that everything is perfect or that amazing things are definitely going to happen.

Instead, it's about helping you see that your catastrophic predictions aren't destined to happen. There's a chance that things might go well or turn out better than you're imagining. Develop a more realistic middle-ground outlook, rather than a doom and gloom sort of stance, so you can start to feel better.

8. Maintain social support

Fortunately, our electronic devices allow us to stay easily connected even while we're social distancing. And while video chatting doesn't provide all the same emotional benefits of face-to-face contact, electronic means of communication do allow you to maintain social support.

If you don't have close friends or family members to reach out to during this time, find people you can talk to. Look for forums, social media groups, or others who want to connect. Talking to other people about what you're going through can reduce your anxiety. Just make sure you're talking about strategies that help you feel better and not making catastrophic predictions that fuel your anxiety.

9. Focus on the things you can control

The more you focus on things you can't control — like how much the coronavirus is spreading or business closings that will affect your day-to-day life — the more anxious you'll feel.

So focus on things you can control, like steps you can take to keep yourself safe, how you'll spend your time, and how you'll manage your money. Gaining a sense of control over something can help you gain inner peace.

10. Externalize your anxiety

Narrative therapy is a common form of treatment that is a simple but effective way to get some fast relief. It involves externalizing your anxiety so you can recognize how it affects you and how you can fight it.

Rather than say, "I'm feeling awful," remind yourself, "Anxiety tries to make me feel awful." Acknowledge how your anxiety causes you to think things that aren't true like, "Anxiety tries to convince me I can't handle one more thing going wrong!" Recognize how it tries to get you to behave in a way that keeps you stuck in a perpetual state of anxiety such as, "Anxiety tries to make me pace in circles rather than get something productive done."

Viewing anxiety as an external force can help you find ways to combat it. You may decide you can best fight anxiety with sleep and exercise. Or you might decide anxiety doesn't like it when you practice yoga. You can even turn it into a game of sorts where you practice different strategies to learn what helps you best fight off the anxiety.

11. Schedule time to worry

It sounds ridiculous on the surface. If you worry a lot, why on earth would you schedule time to worry? Well, researchers have found that scheduling time to worry is a great way to limit the amount of time you spend ruminating and making catastrophic predictions.

Set aside a certain timeframe to worry, and put it in your schedule. Perhaps you decide to worry from 7:00 to 7:15 p.m. every day. If you catch yourself worrying outside of this time frame, then remind yourself that it's not time to worry right now.

Then, when your worrying time hits, sit down and worry as much as you can during this timeframe. When the time is up, move onto something else. With practice, you'll likely find it's an effective way to keep your worries contained.

• If you find yourself at home with a lot of free time on your hands, consider learning the basics of coding. 
• Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates told Time he loves Khan Academy and Code.org.
• Here are seven free online courses on everything from JavaScript to SQL from the platforms recommended by Bill Gates.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

To help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, millions of people across the globe are practicing social distancing and staying indoors. If you find yourself at home with hours of free time and don't know how to spend it, consider taking up an in-demand skill: coding. The great news is, there are plenty of resources out there to learn. But which class should you choose?

Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, who taught himself how to code, shared with Time a few online learning platforms he personally loves. They include Khan Academy and Code.org, which each have hundreds of videos and classes in computer programming. 

"Their videos are a tremendous resource on topics ranging from basic arithmetic to complicated subjects like electrical engineering," Gates said of Khan Academy. 

Here are seven coding classes from some of his favorite platforms that are perfect for beginners.

SEE ALSO: People trust companies more than the government to handle a crisis — and it shows just how much corporate America is stepping up to tackle the coronavirus pandemic

Intro to JS: Drawing & Animation

On his blog, Gates writes that having a basic understanding of coding helps develop critical thinking. 

"The questions it teaches you to ask — How do you accomplish a task? Can you find a pattern? What data do you need? — are useful no matter where you go in life," Gates wrote on his blog GatesNotes. 

In this particular course, students create animations to understand the basics of JavaScript. 

Intro to HTML/CSS: Making webpages

For the Microsoft cofounder, coding was more than a technical skill. 

"Computer science helped shape the way I think about the world,"Gates wrote on his blog. 

In this course, you'll learn how to make a webpage with text and images. 

Hour of Code

"I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user," Gates said in a 2004 speech at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

This Code.org one-hour introduction to computer science is a perfect starter course. 

Intro to SQL: Querying and managing data

"Learning to write programs stretches your mind, and helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains," Gates wrote on Code.org. 

This class walks you through creating tables and selecting data in different ways. 

Advanced JS: Games & Visualizations

Gates is a lifelong learner, he told Bloomberg News said that he takes college courses just for fun.

This more advanced JavaScript class will teach you to create scored games and menus. 

Advanced JS: Natural Simulations

This course teaches you mathematical concepts to teach you more advanced programming. 

HTML/JS: Making webpages interactive

Using HTML and JavaScript basics, you'll learn how to make an interactive webpage in this course.

"I think everyone can benefit from learning the basics of computer science," Gates wrong on his blog. 

• Tonya Dalton is a nationally recognized productivity expert, best-selling author, and speaker who also serves as a growth strategist for female leaders in the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors.
• With anxiety growing around the COVID-19 pandemic, Dalton recommended siloing your stress to stay productive.
• She said you should limit your news intake and use social distancing to work on personal goals.
• Voicing things your grateful for can also keep you in a happy, productive state of mind.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

It's a scary time right now — you certainly don't need me to tell you that! But with fear and anxiety comes a decrease in productivity and that is something I hope to help you with. Particularly as we embark on these next few weeks, which will not be resembling our normal day-to-day whatsoever. 

Research shows that fear enacts a "fight or flight" response in humans. According to a 2019 article from the Harvard Business Review, fight-or-flight mode is something that occurs when we feel threatened. The primal, more emotional parts of our brain take over and our ability to think long-term, strategize, and innovate decreases.

To lower stress and remain productive, it's more important than ever to actively choose peace over panic. I know it's easier said than done to get out of that negative mindset when we're dragged into it. But we need to stay calm and keep focused if we're going to get through this tough time. Here are a few pieces of advice on how to stay productive during this fearful period.

Silo your stress

We cannot control the spread of COVID-19. We can only do our part as individuals: wash your hands, eat healthy, get enough sleep. The number one thing you can control — which I'm guessing is wreaking havoc on your productivity — is your intake of news. 

Do not spend your entire day sucked into the 24-hour news cycle if you're hoping to get anything substantial done at work. Instead, I recommend devoting a specific time or two of the day to check the news. Whether that means checking a reputable news source in the morning or sitting down in the evening to your preferred nightly news program, let that be your update for the day. Refreshing your Twitter page every 10 minutes to see what the latest development is will not decrease your chances of contracting the virus, but it will negatively affect your productivity.

There's evidence that choosing a "worry time" and isolating your worries to that designated period can be a beneficial thing. By choosing a timeframe to take in the news, you can help control your stress. In fact, I suggest after reading, watching, or listening to your news update for the day, immediately follow it up with something that boosts your endorphins, makes you feel good, and takes your mind off the stress. Take a walk, read a book for a few minutes, or call up a friend. Switching your mindset to a positive place before going back to work will help you focus when you need to return.

Prioritize: Do less, but do it better

A blessing in disguise that comes from this is we have less to do. Literally. With the closings and cancellations of activities, sporting events, and public venues, it limits the list of things we are able to do with our time.

Take this time to tackle something you can do that is tied to your business or career goal. Use the constraint of social distancing to your benefit. Research shows that adding some sort of limitation can really hone your focus so that you can deeply explore a creative thought. Constraints can direct us to make the best out of what we already have. With constraints, we can dedicate our mental energy to acting more resourcefully.

If you're working from home these next few weeks, try using the time away from the office to work on that project you keep putting aside. Whether it's starting that blog you always said you wanted to or catching up with former clients you haven't connected with in a while, you may just find this interruption to our regularly scheduled programming may work to your advantage.

Overcome your negativity bias with gratitude

Our brains are wired to hold on to the negative and quickly forget the positive. 

Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson puts it this way: the brain is like velcro for negative experiences, and teflon for positive ones. This "bias" causes the brain to react strongly to bad news, compared to good news. Research shows that we need a ratio of positive to negative interactions of five to one in order to thrive because those negative interactions affect us so much more strongly. 

What is Hanson's advice to overcome your negativity bias? Take in the good.

A couple weeks ago, when my husband and I realized the bad news wasn't going away anytime soon, we decided to start each morning by voicing five things we're grateful for. I try to include one or two things that have to do with my career. That way, when I sit down and start working, I'm reminded why I'm doing it. If anything, my work is something that keeps me sane amid the madness.

When things seem daunting in this trying time, ask yourself: What is the good that will come of this? To me, it is the reminder that our actions have an impact on the rest of the world. Sometimes we have to sacrifice things for ourselves for the good of our community. As a world, we are actively thinking about other people right now. At the end of the day, that's a nice thought to keep hold of, especially when fear takes hold.

• Black History Month is an appropriate time to reflect on our country's racial past in order to improve its future. 
• For example, the wealth gap between the median black and white families persists, and has even increased $54,000 since 1992, a 2019 McKinsey report found.
• President Barack Obama, who made important civil rights changes during his presidency, has recommended dozens of books since he took office, many of which deal directly with race.  
• Here are several Obama-recommended books, from Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Between the World and Me" to works by Toni Morrison, that will help you better understand race in the US.   
• Click here for more BI Prime content.

Black History Month is an appropriate time to reflect on race in the US. And there's a lot to think about. 

Though 150 years have passed since the abolition of slavery in the US, its effects are far from gone. Years of redlining and unfair housing practices have left many US cities segregated. The wealth gap between middle class black and white families (a product, in part, of years of discriminatory education and employment practices) remains. In fact, as Business Insider previously reported, the wealth gap has increased by $54,000 since 1992, a 2019 McKinsey report found. 

As for where the country is headed, some 58% of Americans say race relations in the US are "bad," and few see them improving, according to 2019 Pew Center research. Just under 50% of white Americans, and 73% of black Americans, said President Trump has made race relations worse, that same survey found. 

How do we begin to unpack and understand the country's history, in order to improve its future? President Barack Obama, who achieved notable progress concerning criminal justice reform, recommended dozens of books throughout, and since, his presidency. 

Business Insider culled through his top picks and found several titles that deal directly with race relations.   

SEE ALSO: What is a microaggression? 14 things people think are fine to say at work — but are actually racist, sexist, or offensive

"Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

In it's most basic form, this intimate, powerful book is a letter from Coates to his 15-year-old son, Samori, on how to live in a black body in the US and how to reckon with the country's past. 

 Buy it here>>

"Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom" by David W. Blight

In this historical biography, Blight examines the impact Fredrick Douglass had on the US. Douglass was a slave who escaped from his slave owners in Baltimore, Maryland, to become an influential orator and author after publishing the history-making "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." 

Buy it here>>

"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Obama said:

"From one of the world's great contemporary writers comes the story of two Nigerians making their way in the US and the UK, raising universal questions of race and belonging, the overseas experience for the African diaspora, and the search for identity, and a home."

Buy it here »

"The World As It Is" by Ben Rhodes

Obama said:

"It's true, Ben does not have African blood running through his veins. But few others so closely see the world through my eyes like he can. Ben's one of the few who've been with me since that first presidential campaign. His memoir is one of the smartest reflections I've seen as to how we approached foreign policy, and one of the most compelling stories I've seen about what it's actually like to serve the American people for eight years in the White House."

Buy it here>>

"Lost Children Archive" by Valeria Luiselli

Luiselli's best-selling novel follows a family on a road trip from New York to Arizona that grows increasingly tense as issues between the parents and children emerge. Meanwhile, the immigration crisis on the US-Mexico border unfolds, putting the family's crisis in context of a larger national one.  

Buy it here>>

"The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present" by David Treuer

Academic and author Treuer combines in-depth reporting with storytelling in this best-selling piece on the history of the Native American people. The book covers everything from the rise of different tribal cultures to the seizure of their people's land, forced assimilation, and resistance. 

Buy it here>>

"The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

In "The Woman Warrior," Chinese-American author Kingston weaves together her family's stories, her experience growing up, and ancient Chinese myths in a book that makes powerful statements on American identity. 

Buy it here »

"Lot: Stories" by Bryan Washington

Set in the bustling city of Houston, "Lot: Stories," follows an eclectic group characters on their individual journeys to find a place called home, including a young boy coming to terms with his gay identity, a family in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and a drug dealer who takes a Guatemalan teen under his wing. 

Buy it here>>

"The Yellow House" by Sarah M. Broom

"The Yellow House" isn't just a story about the author's home in a neglected area of New Orleans, but a commentary on race and inequality in the US. 

Buy it here>>

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama

"Obviously my favorite!" Obama wrote in a 2018 Facebook post on his top books, which included his wife's bestselling memoir.

Buy it here>>

"Solitary" by Albert Woodfox

Albert Woodfox shares his story of surviving more than 40 years confined to a cramped cell in solitary confinement at Louisiana's "Angola" prison — for a crime he says he didn't commit. The story is a powerful commentary on the prison and judicial system. 

Buy it here>>

"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead

Whitehead's fiction piece follows a girl named Cora, a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia who faces brutal treatment. One day, she learns about the Underground Railroad from a friend, and the pair makes the life-changing decision to attempt an escape. 

Buy it here »

"Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

Morrison, beloved African American novelist and essayist, won the 1993 Nobel Prize in literature for this work of fiction, which follows the story of the first African-American child to be born in the hospital. 

"You can't go wrong by reading or re-reading the collected works of Toni Morrison. Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, Sula, everything else — they're transcendent, all of them. You'll be glad you read them," Obama writes in his August 2019 book list.

Buy it here »

"Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth" by Sarah Smarsh

Like the popular books "Janesville" and "Hillbilly Elegy,""Heartland" paints a beautiful, but troubling, picture of America's postindustrial decline. 

Buy it here>>

"The Nickel Boys: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Set in the Jim Crow era, and based off of a real school for boys that closed in 2011, Whitehead's novel follows a young black man sent to a school that claims it turns bad boys into good men. Obama calls the book "a necessary read."  

Buy it here>>

"The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author details one of the most important, but little-known stories in US history, the 1915 to 1970 migration of black citizens to the North and West from the South. 

Buy it here>>

"Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson

In this young adult read comprised of seven poems, Woodson shares her story of what it was like growing up African American in an era where Jim Crow's effects could still be felt and the Civil Rights movement was growing. 

Buy here>>

"American Prison" by Shane Bauer

In 2014, journalist Shane Bauer took a job as a prison guard at a private prison in Louisiana for an undercover article that would spark a national conversation on for-profit prisons. In "American Prison," Bauer digs deeper, explaining private prisons and their role in a post-slavery US. 

Buy it here>>

"Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. Du Bois

"The Souls of Black Folk" by Du Bois, a historian, a civil rights activist, and sociologist, is a crucial work of African American literary history and sociology.  

Buy it here>> 

"Finding My Voice" by Valerie Jarrett

In this memoir, the former Obama senior adviser, documents her decades-long relationship with Michelle and Barack Obama, from interviewing a young Michelle for a job in Chicago to becoming the couple's trusted political go-to and confidante. 

Buy it here>>

"In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History" by Mitch Landrieu

The former New Orleans mayor who removed multiple Confederate statues from the city talks about racism in the US and argues for white Americans to confront the country's past. 

Buy it here>>

• Management consultants can make six-figure salaries right after college or business school. 
• Consultants are expert problem-solvers who have mastered negotiation and soft skills.
• Business Insider recently spoke with consulting experts and business school professors who shared 18 of their go-to reads. 
• Titles range from a 90s classic, "The McKinsey Way," by Ethan M. Rasiel to "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss, a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI who shared tips on how to get through to anyone. 
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Management consultants are essentially business doctors because large companies rely on them to help fix complex problems.

Consultants specializes in advising leaders to make smarter money and business decisions. They usually have a knack for diagnosing company strengths and weaknesses on the fly. Apart from the high salaries and prestige, consultants spend their days collaborating with teams, negotiating with high-profile clients, and solving complex problems. Most of their skills are mastered through business school and rigorous training from elite firms but there are some skills management consultants can learn and develop from books.

Business Insider has compiled a list of books recommended by MBA graduates, business school professors, and former consultants. This wide-ranged reading list gives tools for problem solving and persuasion, teaches the impact of different management styles, and informs you on what you're expected to know.

Here are 18 books you should read if you want to pursue a management consulting career. 

SEE ALSO: A temporary staffer at Accenture went unpaid rather than going to work sick. Their story shows how the corporate world still isn't taking coronavirus seriously.

"Quiet" by Susan Cain

"Quiet" is a curriculum requirement in Zoë Chance's lectures at Yale School of Management. 

Chance, a management professor teaching "Mastering Influence and Persuasion,"shared in a Medium post that her students can become better leaders once they figure out how to work well with introverts. 

In this book, author Susan Cain gives a crash course on how extroverts and introverts think differently. She explained their strengths and weaknesses in problem solving, and she emphasized that introverts can make great (if not better) leaders. 

Get it here >> 

"Good to Great: Why Some Companies make the Leap and Others Don't" by Jim Collins

Davis Nguyen, went to Yale and worked at Bain & Company for two years. He also founded careers company My Consulting Offer. He suggested several books that helped him through job transitions and leadership challenges.  

The first is "Good to Great," a leadership book that is applicable to today's changing workplace, and it's also a standard read in business school, Nguyen said.

Author Jim Collins previously published "Built to Last," a six-year research project that  provided a blueprint for building long-lasting companies. In his latest book, Collins takes a closer look at what turns the good companies into great ones. 

"Good to Great" lays out four key management strategies that combine classic business concepts with an entrepreneurial mindset. 

Get it here >> 

"The McKinsey Way" by Ethan M. Rasiel

Landing a job at McKinsey & Company is challenging. One way to prepare for their hiring process is to read about how the "McKinsey-ites" think. 

Author Ethan M. Rasiel is a former consulting associate at the company. The book title, "The McKinsey Way," is as on the nose as it sounds. Rasiel discusses how McKinsey consultants' approach to every aspect of the job — how they brainstorm, how they build a team, and how they navigate through a high-pressure work environment. 

Get it here >> 

"Stories that Stick: How Storytelling can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business" by Kindra Hall

Morgan Bernstein, director of strategic initiatives at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, recommended Kindra Hall's bestseller for management consultants who want to be more effective in their jobs. 

Consultants are also storytellers. They compile data, research competitors, propose a plan, and paint a picture for each client through presentations.

Hall's "Stories that Stick" classifies four types of stories that appear in business: The value story, the founder story, the purpose story, and the customer story.

Hall's book gives concrete examples and templates on how to leverage storytelling as a business skill. 

Get it here >> 

"The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable" by Patrick Lencioni

Nguyen said "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" is one of his favorite leadership books — it's also a standard issue at Bain & Company once you take on a leadership role.  

Author Patrick Lencioni offers practical information to build small and large teams. He pinpoints five main dysfunctions that even the best companies struggle with. These dysfunctions are often identifiable and curable, he wrote. The author gives ways to overcome those issues.  

Get it here >> 

"Linchpin: Are you Indispensable?" by Seth Godin

In this book, bestselling author Seth Godin draws attention to an emerging third team in today's workplace: The linchpins or the people who figure out what to do when there's no rule book. 

Godin refers to real-world narratives of people who refused to conform, carved their own paths, and succeeded. As one of Harvard's recommended books for aspiring consultants,"Linchpin" guides readers to find their own niche and see work through an entrepreneurial lens. 

Get it here >> 

"Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't" by Simon Sinek

In "Leaders Eat Last," bestselling author Simon Sinek puts the spotlight on leadership and management sacrifices. 

Sinek, who's also career and workplace keynote speaker, travelled around the world and came across a variety of team cultures. He wondered what builds trust in a workplace, and why some leaders fail to establish that same trust with their employees. 

After an encounter with a US Marine Corps general, the author finally understood a crucial lesson in management — it's that great leaders sacrifice their own comfort for their teams.

Get it here >> 

"HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials" by Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review editors compiled 10 seminal articles by management's most influential experts.

Some of the big ideas in "The Essentials" include how to understand customer needs, the importance of soft skills in business, and the eight critical stages in leading change.  

Get it here >> 

"Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World" by Bob Goff

"Love Does" is written by Bob Goff, a New York Times bestselling author and a former lawyer. His memoir is another book included in the Yale School of Management's curriculum.

Chance assigns two particular chapters for her MBA courses.

Chapter six, "Go Buy Your Books," is to encourage her students to seize an opportunity when they get one. Chapter 10 in the book, "The Interview," is when Goff finally realized that success is much more about hard work and strategy rather than talent, as he discovered that "ordinary people" can become important. 

Unlike the more practical reads in this list, "Love Does" documents Goff's journey in overcoming challenges with a positive attitude and how he adapts to life's curveballs. 

Get it here >> 

"The Trusted Advisor" by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford

"This book is given to every Bain manager who is on the path to becoming partner," Nguyen wrote in an email to Business Insider. "This is also one of the managing partners of Bain's favorite books. I learned this while working with him." 

The three authors (who are also former management consultants) give readers the essential tools for consulting, negotiating, and advising. They emphasize perfecting soft skills to build trust with clients. 

Get it here >> 

"Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone" by Mark Goulston

Effective people skills are hard to master. For Mark Goulston, the many aspects of connecting with someone, whether they be a client, friend, or spouse, is an art form. 

The author draws from his experience as a psychiatrist, business consultant, and coach to identify techniques for persuasion, negotiation, and sales. 

"I think of this as the modern version of "How to Win Friends" for anyone who loved the classic but want to hear more about how it is applied this decade," Nguyen added. 

Get it here >> 

"Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way we Live, Love, Parent and Lead" by Brené Brown

Bernstein recommends this book for business school students who want to be successful and deliver compelling "stories that inspire an audience to take action," she wrote to Business Insider. 

Social worker Brené Brown, a New York Times bestselling author, dedicates her career to studying shame and vulnerability. In this book, she leverages grounded theory research and offers advice on how to navigate through failures and discomfort.

In business and in life, we often stay away from the unfamiliar, but regaining our footing during hard times make us better, Brown wrote. 

Get it here >> 

"Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People" by Ken Watanabe

"Problem Solving 101" is written by Ken Watanabe, a former McKinsey consultant who later became a school teacher. He originally wrote the book to encourage the Japanese education system to redirect its focus from memorization to critical thinking, and it soon became an international bestseller.

"He wanted to be able to teach McKinsey's way of thinking creatively and structurally to kids at a younger age," Nguyen told Business Insider. "It's one of my favorite books and a gift I give to a lot of my mentees." 

Throughout the book, Watanabe uses logic trees, matrices, and illustrations to simplify complicated concepts. It's essentially a guide for consulting beginners disguised as a teen read.

Get it here >> 

"Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success" by Adam Grant

Adam Grant, an award-winning organizational psychologist  and a Wharton professor, documents in empirical detail how being a "giver"— that is, someone who seeks to help others — is a strategy for career success, as opposed to only "taking" from other people, which often comes back to haunt would-be high achievers. 

"In class, we discuss why so many of the least and the most successful people are givers," Chance wrote of the book in a Medium post. 

Get it here >> 

"Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini

An essential skill for any consultant is persuasion. 

Cialdini's bestseller is a must-read book in business school, Chance said. It teaches six universal principles on persuasion that are based off decades of scientific research and experiments. The liking principle, for example, refers to how we're more likely to agree with people we like and how we're also prone to like people who agree with us. 

 You can use this book as a guide for better negotiations once you understand the behavioral concepts. 

Get it here >> 

"Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your Life Depended on it" by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz

Nguyen recommends "Never Split the Difference" because it teaches readers how to deal with tough conversations. 

"This happens a lot in consulting where you have multiple stakeholders and you need to decide how to best work with them," he wrote in an email. 

Author Chris Voss is a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI, and he simplifies negotiating into nine core principles you can use to become more persuasive. For example, the first big tip in the book encourages readers to be better listeners. Making your clients feel heard is the very first step in any negotiation. 

Some other strategies Voss discusses include mirroring their clients and getting better at saying no. 

Get it here >> 

"Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean" by Karen Berman and Joe Knight

"Financial Intelligence" is the closest reference to a textbook in this list. It's a guide that helps people make sense of the numbers and why it matters. 

"To be a consultant, you need to be able to read financial statements and be comfortable with numbers," Nguyen said. "This is a primer guide to accounting and understanding what the numbers mean." 

Get it here >> 

"The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There are no Easy Answers" by Ben Horowitz

If anyone knows how hard it is to run a successful business, it's Ben Horowitz.

He had previously run Opsware, a software company that was sold for $1.6 billion in 2007. That acquisition led to him cofounding venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. 

In this book, he reflects on his experience as cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and gets candid about the entrepreneurial challenges that he never learned in business school. 

The author shares insights on how to maintain a growth mindset, establish sustainable growth, and outperform business competitors.

Get it here >> 

• Being the boss isn't easy — especially if this is your first rodeo.
• We put together a 30-day guide to effective people management to help you out.
• Each day marks a different step in the process. On Day 8 you'll warn your employees that you'll probably mess up. And on Day 17, you'll ask your team for "feedforward."
• At the bottom of this article, you'll find a video recording of a webinar with Patty McCord, the original HR chief at Netflix. McCord explains how to avoid common management mistakes.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Taking on a management role for the first time can be intimidating.

Suddenly, everyone's looking to you for answers — and now that you've got the power to fire or demote at will, some people may be terrified of you.

But there's a reason you were chosen to lead a team, and likely all you need is a little guidance. To that end, we put together a 30-day plan to becoming the best (and least terrifying) boss you can be. Each day features a different leadership tip, based on research or expert opinion.

At the bottom of this article, we've also included a video recording of a webinar featuring Patty McCord, the original HR chief at Netflix and the co-creator of the company's influential culture deck. McCord explained how to avoid common people-management mistakes using simple strategies and exercises.

Read on and take comfort in the fact that many newbie managers have walked the same path before you. Here's what they've learned:

SEE ALSO: 26 signs you're a great boss — even if it doesn't feel like it

Day 0: Don't take on a leadership role until you've had some management or mentoring experience

Becoming a boss might seem like the natural way to progress in your career. But if you have no interest in managing a team and sitting through meetings every day, you might want to think twice.

If you're not sure yet, that's OK too.

According to Bharath Jayaraman, who has worked in human resources at companies including Facebook and Amazon (he's currently the HR director at JUUL Labs), "Never make anyone a people manager without making them a mentor for a new hire on your team first."

Another option Jayaraman proposed is to organize groups of people who have expressed some desire to be managers and have them go through more formal training. 

"When people go through that and then say, 'Hey, this is not what I thought I would do as a manager; I'm not sure that's for me,' that is a great outcome," Jayaraman said.

Read more.

Day 1: Get to know each person on your team — including who's a 'rockstar' and who's a 'superstar'

There's no one, universal management style that works for everyone. And that's why it's so important to learn about each person on your team.

Sally Boyle, international head of human capital management at Goldman Sachs, has said "the best way to be inclusive is to really know your people." In other words, "to know every single person that works for you and know what makes them tick, what opportunities they might want, what they need to get better at, what feedback they need to have."

That includes knowing who's a "rockstar" and who's a "superstar," terms coined by Kim Scott. Scott is a former Google and Apple executive, a CEO coach, and the founder of Radical Candor. She said most great employees can be divided into two categories: rock stars and superstars.

Rockstars are all about stability (hence the "rock" in their name) — so they're the ones who wouldn't especially benefit from a promotion. Superstars are all about upward growth, and promotions may be exactly what they're looking for.

Read more here and here.

Day 2: Learn which traits and behaviors make leaders at your organization excel

The best way for a new boss to earn the team's (and the company's) respect is to learn what makes leaders there excel — and start replicating those traits and behaviors.

A 2008 study by Cameron Anderson at the University of California, Berkeley, found that employees' personality traits predict their influence in an organization, even beyond factors like job performance.

As Adam Galinsky, a professor of business at the Columbia Business School, put it, you can "speed up" the process of earning respect "if you can match the cues that you're emanating with the [traits] that are valued in that group."

Read more.

Day 3: Communicate your vision for the team's future to your employees

Even some of the best leaders are missing one key quality: vision.

That's according to Suzanne Bates, the CEO of Bates Communications. Vision, her model of effective leadership says, involves "generating an inspiring, enterprise-wide picture of what could be; recognizing emerging trends, and engaging all in strategy."

Leaders who demonstrate vision, Bates said, have the ability to look ahead. Perhaps most importantly, they're able to make employees feel that they're "part of something greater than themselves."

Read more.

Day 4: Have a (loose) agenda for how you want to spend the next few months

As a manager, you'll necessarily have to deal with unexpected fires that pop up — but you still want to have a rough plan for hitting your goals over the next few months.

According to a Harvard Business School study, one of the defining characteristics of the most effective CEOs when it comes to time management is that they're agenda-driven.

"A CEO needs to have their own personal agenda that they determine is where they want to spend their personal time" for the next three to six months, said HBS professor Michael Porter. "They can't just react to all the requests" that come in.

Interestingly, however, the authors write in HBR that the CEOs in their study spent, on average, about 36% of their time "in a reactive mode, handling unfolding issues, both internal and external."

Read more.

Day 5: Dedicate 10% of your work hours to learning new things

Sure, you're busy. In fact, you could probably spend 24 hours a day working and still not get everything done.

But it's important to leave some room in your day for intellectual exploration. Beth Comstock, former vice chair of General Electric, said in an interview with LinkedIn that it's important to "make room for discovery."

She added, "Think about how you manage your own time. Can I spend 10% of my time a week reading, going to sites like Singularity, TED, talking to people, going to industry events, asking people: What trends are you seeing? What are you nervous about? What are you excited about?"

Read more.

Day 6: Stop trying to prove how smart you are and delegate tasks instead

The biggest challenge managers face is not trying to prove how smart and capable they are — even if that's what got them to the leadership role in the first place. Being a boss is about letting other people shine.

As Dennis Perkins, CEO of leadership consultancy The Syncretics Group, said that leaders "need to be able to step back, to delegate, to let others make mistakes, and to coach and mentor without necessarily solving the problems themselves."

Read more.

Day 7: Set a good example for your team by cultivating a narrow 'say-do' gap

The "say-do" gap is "the space between your words and your actions."

And according to Angie Morgan, a former Marine and an author of "Spark," a narrow (or nonexistent) say-do gap is a hallmark of effective leadership.

It's about setting a good example for everyone you work with, the authors write. Even if your coworkers don't always keep their promises, you should.

Read more.

Day 8: Warn your employees that you’ll probably mess up — and encourage them to call you out

You're not a perfect person, and you're hardly a perfect leader. That's OK!

Just don't pretend that you're flawless. According to Gusto COO (and former Google exec) Lexi Reese, the best thing a boss can do is communicate to their reports the type of leader they aspire to be and then say, "But I also am human and I'll probably f—k it up."

Most importantly, the boss should encourage their reports to let them know when they're falling short.

Read more.

Day 9: Admit when you don't know something

Back to that imperfection idea.

A Gartner study suggests that bosses who admit they don't know everything are more successful, as long as they connect their employees with someone who does know the answer.

In fact, according to the study, employees coached by these "connectors" were three times as likely as employees coached by other types of managers to be high performers.

Read more.

Day 10: Encourage your employees to solve problems independently...

You shouldn't be solving your employees' problems. They should be solving their problems, with your guidance.

One of the most popular HBR articles ever published has to do with getting rid of the "monkey on your back," i.e. the burden of finding solutions to employees' issues.

The HBR article encourages managers to tell their frustrated employees something along the lines of: "You may ask my help at any appointed time, and we will make a joint determination of what the next move will be and which of us will make it. In those rare instances where the next move turns out to be mine, you and I will determine it together. I will not make any move alone."

Read more.

Day 11: ... but have their back if they make the wrong decision

To be sure, once you leave employees to solve their own problems, they'll almost assuredly mess something up. Don't get angry with them — instead, lend them your support.

Leadership expert Simon Sinek said the best boss he ever had forced him to answer his own questions. Sinek said, "What he taught me to do was trust myself, and if I made the wrong decision, he always had my back."

Read more.

Day 12: Stay positive so you can inspire your team to do their best work

Happy people tend to make better bosses.

According to a University of Central Florida study, being positive is a key component of effective leadership. As much as 11% of the difference in leadership effectiveness was due to positivity. On the other hand, the less happy someone was, the less likely they were to be a successful leader.

Read more.

Day 13: Practice 'radical candor'

"Radical candor" is a leadership model that involves caring personally and challenging directly.

According to Scott (the CEO coach), radical candor is too rare in today's workplace.

Scott said you can start displaying radical candor by getting feedback from your team — and then giving it. In her book "Radical Candor," she writes: "Be humble, helpful, offer guidance in person and immediately, praise in public, criticize in private, and don't personalize" and "make it clear that the problem is not due to some unfixable personality flaw. Share stories when you've been criticized for something similar."

Read more.

Day 14: Be 'boring,' or predictable, consistent, and reliable

Steve Jobs was an exception to the rule: Leaders who are volatile and unpredictable tend not to fare very well with their teams. Being "boring"— i.e. reliable and trustworthy — is better.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a professor of business psychology, says the term psychologists use is "emotional maturity," which means being emotionally stable, agreeable, and conscientious. He cites a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology which found that effective leaders tend to be extroverted (sociable) and conscientious (hardworking).

Read more.

Day 15: When you give feedback, share your personal reaction to a specific behavior — not a global assessment

In most workplaces today, the feedback process is broken.

Leadership experts Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall say that's because managers try to be objective when they give feedback, sharing an overall assessment of someone's performance. Instead, they should be sharing their personal reaction to a specific behavior.

Buckingham and Goodall write in HBR: "Use phrases such as 'This is how that came across for me,' or 'This is what that made me think,' or even just 'Did you see what you did there?' Those are your reactions — they are your truth — and when you relay them in specific detail, you aren't judging or rating or fixing her; you're simply reflecting to her the unique 'dent' she just made in the world, as seen through your eyes."

Read more.

Day 16: Instead of praising your team for being perfect, encourage them to do even better

At least one former CEO says he rarely lavishes praise on his employees. Instead, he focuses on what they can do even better.

"As long as the feedback you provide is actionable, people will find it to be valuable," Austin McChord, then CEO of Datto, told LinkedIn. Comments such as, "Hey, here's how we could do this a little bit better next time" tend to be appreciated.

On the other hand, McChord said, telling someone, "Great job, everything was perfect" is "not actionable" and is "almost unhelpful."

Read more.

Day 17: Ask your team and your close coworkers to give you some 'feedforward'...

In addition to sharing feedback on your employees' performance, you'll also want to solicit feedback on yours. Or, more specifically, "feedforward."

Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith has written that feedforward — i.e. what you can do better going forward — is a simple process that can be as or more effective as feedback.

Here are the steps Goldsmith outlines in his book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There," co-written with Mark Reider:

1. Pick one behavior you'd like to change.
2. Describe your goal in a one-on-one conversation with anyone — it could be your partner, a friend, a coworker, or even a stranger.
3. Ask the person for two suggestions for the future that could help you achieve your goal.
4. Listen without judgment. The only thing you can say in response is "thank you."

Read more.

Day 18: ... and make it all but impossible for them not to answer

So you've approached your team and asked them for feedback or feedforward, only to be met with blank stares. After all, it can be scary to criticize your boss.

Scott (the CEO coach) has a solution: The next time one of your employees gives the standard "Everything's fine" response? Silently count to six before saying anything else.

The goal isn't to give your employee a heart attack — it's to get them to say what's really on their mind. "Almost nobody can endure that much silence," Scott said. "And they'll tell you something."

Read more.

Day 19: Ask your employees if they think they’ve mastered their current role

It can be tempting to dwell on your team's successes, at the expense of talking about what went wrong.

Sarah Wagener says this can be dangerous. Wagener, who is the chief people officer at DoorDash, a former vice president of human resources at Pandora, and a former recruiting leader at Facebook, said she likes to ask ambitious employees a simple question: "Do you believe you've mastered your current role?"

Typically, the answer is no, and people say they've never been asked this question before. So she encourages managers to make space for discussing failure or weakness, so that they can be on the lookout for potential stumbling blocks.

Read more.

Day 20: Find a ‘leadership buddy’ and compare notes on becoming a better manager

As a manager at any level, it's important to stay down to earth — not to get caught up in the trappings of money or power.

Sinek (the leadership expert) recommends that every boss find a leadership buddy. "I always tell people, if you want to go on a leadership journey, you have to go with someone," Sinek said. "You commit to helping somebody become a great leader, and they commit to helping you."

Your leadership buddy can be a colleague, but doesn't necessarily have to be. A friend or a mentor who aspires to leadership works just as well, as long as it's someone you believe in and you're willing to sacrifice your own interests to help.

Read more.

Day 21: Show humility by listening to other people’s ideas

Yes, you're the one in charge. But an effective leader is open to others' input when making big decisions.

In his book "The Power Paradox," University of California, Berkeley, psychologist Dacher Keltner writes that listening is a key way to practice empathy — and that empathy is the surprising route to power and influence. Keltner cites research suggesting that teams led by empathetic managers are more productive, innovative, and satisfied with their work.

Meanwhile, a 2015 paper from Brigham Young University and the University of Colorado found that a leader's humility facilitates better team performance, and that this happens partly because the leader's humility trickles down to the rest of the team.

Read more here and here.

Day 22: Admit when you’re wrong and need to change your point of view

Admitting when you're wrong goes hand-in-hand with asking for input.

In fact, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said on an episode of The JJ Redick Podcast that, as a leader, "You will get some things right and you will get some things wrong. You've got to be willing to learn, change your view, be open, and you've got to figure out how to listen."

He added, "How you adapt and adjust to the things you get wrong is really important, how you respond to adversity is really important, and so there's no right way. And I'm still learning."

Read more.

Day 23: Stop making excuses for why you can’t take creative risks

Too many managers stick to the status quo, never attempting to shake things up or try something new.

Comstock (the former GE exec) said the most common mistake she saw among GE mangers was "the feeling that people have to get permission to make things happen."

"We look for alibis: 'My boss won't let me.' 'I don't have enough budget.' 'There's not enough time.' 'That's somebody else's job,'" Comstock said. "Many times those are true, but you've got to ask yourself, 'Is that holding me back?'"

Read more.

Day 24: Allow — and even encourage — your employees to fail...

Millennials want to do a faceplant.

An article in Quartz by millennial Jake Poses, former vice president of product at Thumbtack, posits that managing millennials comes down to letting them fail. At some point, he realized many of his millennial reports were "frustrated that they weren't being pushed," and that telling them they can't take on more than they can handle was demotivating.

Now, as CEO of another startup, Jumprope, Poses said, "I often give millennials on my team something that's a real stretch. I put them in charge of a project with a big and ambiguous scope, ask them to build something with a new technology, or even give them the responsibility of managing their first person.

He added, "These are usually stretch opportunities where failure is OK. I save the mission-critical for people who are proven."

Read more.

Day 25: ... by setting stretch goals

Those stretch opportunities Poses mentioned? They're common at Google.

When he was still senior vice president of people operations at Google, Laszlo Bock said, "We spend probably an equal amount of time actually talking about failure" and planning for future success.

Bock cited Jeff Huber, former SVP of Google X: "He spends 50% of his staff meeting on what failed last week and what did we learn from it? So by making conversation about misses normal, you end up actually driving lots of improvement in the organization."

Read more.

Day 26: Be patient with your employees when they make mistakes

If Jack Welch hadn't been forgiven for a mistake he made early in his career, he'd never have become, well, Jack Welch.

As a chemical engineer for GE, Welch nearly blew up a factory. On the Freakomomics podcast, Welch remembered being summoned to meet with his boss' boss' boss. He expected he would get fired.

To Welch's surprise, the senior manager "took me through the Socratic method. You know, 'Why it happened? What would you do differently? Why did you do that? Why didn't you do this?' And he was coaching me, and it was — couldn't be nicer."

The meeting taught Welch an important leadership lesson: "Never kick anybody when they're down. Kick them when they start to swell instead of grow, and whack 'em when that happens."

Read more.

Day 27: Learn strategies to avoid hiring and promoting people because they remind you of yourself

We're all victims of unconscious bias — but if you're a manager in charge of staffing decisions, it's especially important to be aware of those biases.

In their book, "The Class Ceiling," the sociologists Daniel Laurison and Sam Friedman highlight the importance of sponsorship, i.e. having someone senior advocate for you, when trying to get ahead at work. But the authors observe that sponsorship generally isn't based on work performance

Instead, it comes down to "cultural affinity," such as a similar background or shared interests and hobbies. In fact, several of the executives they spoke with explicitly admitted to supporting people who reminded them of themselves.

It doesn't make you a bad person if you're inclined to hire or promote someone like you — but it is important to evaluate those thoughts carefully to see if they're worth acting on.

Read more.

Day 28: Say 'thank you' to people directly

Leadership is about concrete strategy and execution, the thinking goes — not fluffy stuff like gratitude.

Au contraire. In her book "The Gratitude Diaries," Janice Kaplan links a leader's gratitude to successful company performance. She cites the example of Doug Conant, former CEO of the Campbell Soup Company.

Throughout his tenure at the company, Conant sent more than 30,000 handwritten thank-you notes to staffers and clients.

And while gratitude certainly wasn't the only reason for Campbell's turnaround, it's worth mentioning that when Conant took the reins at Campbell Soup, the stock price was falling and it was the worst performer of all the major food companies in the world, according to Fast Company. By 2009, the company was ahead of the S&P Food Group and the S&P 500, Fast Company reported.

Read more.

Day 29: If an employee won’t fit on your dream team six months from now, consider letting them go

You could call it the "six-month exercise."

It's a strategy from Patty McCord, former chief talent officer at Netflix, and here's how it works:

1. "Write down what the team will be accomplishing six months from now that it's not accomplishing now." It could be a product they're building or money they're making.

2. "Think about how things are being done differently from the way they are currently done." Imagine yourself walking around the office; maybe there's more collaboration or fewer meetings.

Now here comes the hard part. Does your current team have the right skills, knowledge, and experience?

If not, you may need to bring in people who do, potentially even replacing some of your current team members.

Read more.

Day 30: Always do the right thing for the organization, and stop worrying about whether your employees like you

Being respected is more important than being liked as a leader.

As Art Markman, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, said, too many new managers are preoccupied with the decision to be liked or feared.

But "when you actually get into a leadership role," he said, "it really does become much more about what you're trying to accomplish with respect to the organization." 

Venture capitalist Mark Suster alluded to something similar in a 2010 post on his blog. "Over time if you make the tough calls with no fudges, if you're fair and don't play favoritism, if you explain your rationale publicly and clearly, if you help soften the blow to the side that doesn't get their way … people will respect you. And it is far better to be respected as a leader than loved."

Read more.

Now watch a webinar featuring Patty McCord, Netflix's original HR chief.

• As the coronavirus outbreak continues, more people may find themselves looking for entertainment or education while staying inside.
• Podcasts are a great option for those hoping for escapism or who just want to use their time inside to learn something new.
• In the past decade, podcasts have become a part of mainstream media, thanks to true-crime shows like "Serial" and interview shows like "WTF With Marc Maron."
• We've compiled 20 podcasts that will teach you a little bit about everything, from politics to history to Hollywood.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

If you're social distancing or quarantining during the coronavirus outbreak, a good podcast can provide some virtual companionship, and perhaps even a chance to learn something new. Fortunately, there's an abundance of pods for you to choose from. In the past decade or so, podcasts have gone from a niche interest to the mainstream.

True-crime podcasts, such as "Serial," which premiered in 2014, became national sensations. Then there was comedian turned podcaster Marc Maron, whose "WTF" became popular enough for President Barack Obama to be a guest in June 2015.

According to the Pew Research Center, 32% of Americans age 12 or older have listened to at least one podcast episode a month as of 2019, up from 15% in 2014. That trend doesn't show any signs of slowing, with the field set to cross the $1 billion annual revenue mark in 2021.

There are lots of great podcasts on nearly any subject you can think of, and we've collected some of our favorites that are perfect for those of us always eager to learn something new, whether it's about the economy, history, or even the inner workings of Hollywood.

Here's some prime listening material for your days of social distancing.

Ivan De Luce contributed to a previous version of this post.

SEE ALSO: All the books you need to read to build wealth, get ahead in work, and live life to its fullest

'This American Life' provides a deep look into American society.

"This American Life" has become a byword for oral storytelling.

Beyond being a place for moving and hilarious stories, "This American Life" does staggering levels of reporting; few outlets made the financial crisis as human and understandable as Ira Glass and the gang.

It lives up to the hype.

Start listening here.

'Fresh Air' will give you an intimate look at your favorite writers, celebrities, and journalists.

NPR's "Fresh Air" host Terry Gross has been on the air for more than four decades, and her interviewing skills have earned her accolades like the Peabody award, the Columbia Journalism Award, and a spot in the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Gross may have a smooth, relaxed speaking style, but the way she digs deep into her interview subjects will keep you engaged throughout the conversation, whether it's about Jake Gyllenhaal's acting process or how filmmaker Lulu Wang made a movie inspired by her terminally ill grandmother or historian David Blight on his new biography of Frederick Douglass.

Start listening here.

'Freakonomics Radio' will show you surprising connections.

Journalist Stephen J. Dubner and economist Steven D. Levitt became sensations when their book "Freakonomics" was published in 2005.

In 2010, Dubner launched a podcast with the same mission as their bestselling books: ferreting out connections between seemingly unrelated things.

Unsurprisingly, the shows tend toward the intellectually provocative, with the biggest hits having titles like "Is College Really Worth It?" and "How Much Does the President of the US Really Matter?"

Start listening here.

'Marketplace' will keep you up to date with the world's top business news.

Every weeknight host Kai Ryssdal guides you through the day's top business news on the podcast version of American Public Radio's "Marketplace."

Besides a rundown of top stories, you'll also be able to hear exclusive interviews with the likes of Twitter cofounder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey and even former President Obama.

You may also hear Business Insider senior finance editor and "Marketplace" contributor Linette Lopez weigh in with some commentary.

Start listening here.

'Planet Money' will simplify some of the most complex and important economic issues in the world today.

NPR's "Planet Money" team describes its show as: "Imagine you could call up a friend and say, 'Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy.' Now imagine that's actually a fun evening. That's what we're going for at 'Planet Money.'"

Twice a week, you'll get an entertaining, well-reported look at issues like the Tijuana tech boom that will leave you satisfied with a foundational understanding of the subject, all in just 15 minutes.

Start listening here.

'Masters in Business' will give you insight into the brightest minds on Wall Street.

Investor and author Barry Ritholtz sits down each week with a power player from the business world for his podcast produced by Bloomberg.

With his unmistakable Long Island accent, Ritholtz discusses his subjects' careers and research, whether it's "Bond King" Jeffrey Gundlach, renowned economist Richard Thaler, or even celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

Start listening here.

'WTF' offers unexpected revelations about success.

Few things can be more instructive than a life story, and comedian turned broadcaster Marc Maron draws the ups and downs of life out of people with a certain raucous grace.

Some especially intellectual episodes include his interviews with comedian Wanda Sykes, actor Vince Vaughn, or the late Robin Williams.

Start listening here.

'Radiolab' will help you appreciate how mysterious science is.

WNYC's "Radiolab"— the brainchild of top reporters Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich — investigates everyday oddities with a blend of science, philosophy, and music.

The duo is able to make high-level science both remarkably accessible, practical, and fun.

You may want to start with the "Colors" episode, where you can learn about a sea creature with so many colors the human eye can't even process all of them.

Start listening here.

'Invisibilia' will lead you on a journey to the frontier of psychology.

Radiolab made a spin-off, "Invisibilia," whose name is Latin for all things invisible.

It's a podcast about the unseen, unconscious forces that guide our lives: biases, dreams, and quirks of perception.

The first episode tells the story of a boy who couldn't communicate for 12 years. His only company was his thoughts — until, one day, it wasn't. 

Start listening here.

'The Tim Ferriss Show' will help you understand the mechanics of success.

Tim Ferriss puts the life into life hacking. His "4-Hour Workweek,""4-Hour Body," and "4-Hour Chef" books have all become bestsellers for the way he combines insight with irreverence.

His podcast carries that rascally inquisitiveness into long-form interviews, with subjects ranging from billionaire investor Peter Thiel to Pixar cofounder Ed Catmull and neuroscientist Sam Harris.

Start listening here.

'Startalk Radio' will open your mind to the cosmos.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is the public face of astronomy, and his voice is just as magnetizing.

Dig into his podcast to learn about space tourism, comets, and the basics of astrophysics, to name a few.

Start listening here.

'The New Yorker: Politics and More' will give you some smart takes on the biggest stories in politics.

Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker, leads a weekly discussion with some of her writers about the week's top stories, from the 2020 presidential race to US border policy.

Each episode only lasts about 16 minutes, but you'll gain some valuable insight and hear smart debate without the inflammatory rhetoric of cable news.

Start listening here.

'StartUp' chronicles the glorious challenge of founding a company.

NPR veteran Alex Blumberg wanted to make a podcast startup. So he made a podcast about it. (Which then turned into a Zach Braff sitcom.)

Since Season 1, Blumberg's company, Gimlet Media, has started two other popular shows (including "Reply All," also on this list) and continues to grow.

Season 2 follows the dating site Dating Ring through all of its trials and tribulations as a young company, setting the template for each new season of "Start Up" being about a new business.

Start listening here.

'Reply All' immerses you in the weird world of the internet.

You probably use the internet every day, but Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt will give you more insight into its effects on our culture than you were ever aware of.

They've covered great stories like the ways ISIS uses social media and how an Orthodox Jew ultimately left his family behind because of the world he discovered online.

And Goldman and Vogt's goofy rapport will keep you hooked from episode to episode.

Start listening here.

'99% Invisible' will give you the lowdown on design.

"99% Invisible" is probably the coolest design podcast on earth.

Roman Mars' show uses design as a lens to look at the thought behind the many structures in our lives, from prehistoric hand axes to airport layouts. After listening you'll have an appreciation for the minds and tastes that these objects sprang from.

Not only that, but the podcasts are snack size, clocking in at about 15 minutes.

Start listening here.

'Hardcore History' teaches you the most fascinating stories in history that you never learned in school.

Dan Carlin always mentions that he's not a historian. Think of him more as an aggregator of history, weaving together various accounts into one engaging story.

If you listen, you'll probably find yourself amazed that you spent over four hours listening to a guy talk about the Mongol khans or World War I, but Carlin has a gift for illuminating some of the most interesting yet least talked about moments in history.

Start listening here.

'Behind the Bastards' investigates the absolute worst people in history.

Much like "Hardcore History,""Behind the Bastards" peers deeper into oft-overlooked history.

Most of us know the basics of why Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin were some of the worst human beings ever, but what about Leopold II, the Belgian king who led a genocide in the Congo for rubber?

Start listening here.

'ArtHoles' is art history in all its paint-splattered glory, with the listener learning along with the host.

If you ever thought art history was boring, you're not the only one.

The host of "ArtHoles," former comedian Michael Anthony, thought so, until he began researching the lives of geniuses like Picasso, Pollock, and Caravaggio. As it turns out, their lives were more interesting than he ever thought possible.

Start listening here.

Similarly, 'Unspooled' follows a comedian's journey into the greatest movies ever made.

Comedian Paul Scheer and film critic Amy Nicholson team up for this greatest hits of film analysis.

Scheer, who was poorly versed in film history when the podcast began, stands (or sits) in for the listener, learning as he goes, from Nicholson's film knowledge and from interviews with the experts. Together, they work their way through the American Film Institute's top 100, including "Citizen Kane,""Taxi Driver," and "Vertigo."

Start listening here.

And finally, 'Philosophize This!' thinks a lot about thinkers.

Join Stephen West as he investigates the greatest personalities and ideas in philosophy, school by school.

This podcast sheds light on classic philosophical ideas and principles, featuring interviews with today's brightest philosophers. Ever wondered what Socrates was all about? "Philosophize this!" makes complex ideas digestible and entertaining.

Start listening here.

• Dreamers // Doers is a networking community of female entrepreneurs, creatives, and change-makers.
• Many of its members are founders of startups and small businesses, ranging from socially conscious fashion brands and international coworking spaces to companies that help other women navigate the startup world.
• Each member overcame challenges on the journey to entrepreneurship — and learned how the things that make them different can actually be their most valuable asset, setting them apart from the crowd.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Christina Blacken grew up as what she describes as an extreme minority. "Growing up in Utah as a black woman — racially, religiously, and politically, I was on the outskirts of the majority," she said.

But she used her differences to propel her forward. "Since I would always stick out in a group or crowd, I started to own it, love it, and become fearless in entering any room with any type of person and stand in confidence of who I am, because there was no hiding," she said.

Now, as the founder and chief story strategist at The New Quo, it's her superpower. "I'm able to make genuine connections with anyone of any background easily because I understand the power of confidence in your own identity regardless of other people's hang-ups or prejudices," she said.

Like Blacken, many women have experienced feeling different, whether because of their racial or ethnic background, ability, less traditional career path, or something else.

Blacken and 14 other female founders and leaders shared that while their differences may have at times felt like a setback, they've ultimately become an incredible advantage, providing them with unique perspectives, experiences, and tools they use in their work and lives.

The following stories beautifully illustrate that it's about what you do with your differences that truly matters.

SEE ALSO: 5 things every founder should know before they even think about raising money

READ MORE: 15 stories of burnout from successful female CEOs, founders, and leaders, and their advice for avoiding the same fate

1. Maiko Sakai

Founder and owner, Airtight Concepts

The ways I've felt different: Being an immigrant and a woman of color in the cutthroat NY market has held me back for some time. "Say what?""Come again?"— these innocent and harmless questions, even in daily conversations, used to shatter my confidence and led me to believe that my accent was getting in the way of conveying my point of view and thus not being taken seriously.

How they've made me more successful: My definition of success is "to be heard exactly how it is intended to be heard so that I can contribute to others' successes."

My advice for someone in my shoes: Stop wasting time shaming yourself, leverage your differences by bringing it all up front, and enjoy the ride. Once you go all in with making the decision that you will own your identity to the fullest, everything will start shifting in your favor.

2. Lorrie King

Cofounder, The Future Happens Every Day

The ways I've felt different: I'm half Chinese American and half African American. My Hawaiian-born mother met my New Jersey-raised father at Columbia University in the 1960s. After being disowned, my mom immersed her children in her new New Jersey black-American community as she believed this community would be the most accepting of her biracial children. This was true, but, as you might imagine, not always, and I experienced extensive bullying as a result. There were still comments around my biracial makeup, what I looked like or didn't, how smart I was or not.

How they've made me more successful: My mother's fearless personality set a great stage for us. As the eldest of three, I wanted to be "seen" as smart and good like her but didn't know what that could mean. In fourth grade, inspiration struck, and I sold homemade sandwiches to the teachers at school every day. I loved being acknowledged as a young entrepreneur. To this day, I still enjoy being "seen" for creating things that others can enjoy in their daily lives. And perhaps it's not a surprise that I'm in beauty, as I have thought about what I "look" like and what beauty looks like my entire life.

My advice for someone in my shoes: You should identify your differences, both internal and external, and celebrate them. I also believe it is important in life to seek out people who will recognize and partner with you in elevating your differences — people that make you hopeful, especially in this time of great change.

3. Jackie Ghedine

Cofounder and coach, The Resting Mind

The ways I've felt different: I'm adopted, and I was teased terribly as a child. I'm sure you can imagine the hurtful things the kids said to me.

How they've made me more successful: Throughout my life and into my career, I would find ways to address difficult situations in the most benign but direct way, keeping other people's feelings top of mind. By mastering my language, it allows me, as a coach, to create safe but productive client/coach environments.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Learn what you can from situations that make you feel lesser than, and then go out into the world and do the complete opposite. You have the power to take your learnings and better people by sharing them.

4. Simmone Taitt

Founder and CEO, Poppy Seed Health

The ways I've felt different: I'm a black woman in tech, and for some people that counts as being "different," but for me, it's just me moving through the world as the person that I am. That doesn't mean that it hasn't come with challenges. Early in my career I would scratch my head trying to figure out if I was given opportunities or not given opportunities because of my gender, race, or both.

Later in my career, it became very clear during an executive morning meeting when our CTO threw a tantrum over my (and my female founder's) laptop stickers having the word "girls" in the hashtag. He couldn't help but to hotly debate that the company, in fact, was not built by women and what if he had a laptop sticker that said "built by white men." I left that company three weeks later.

How they've made me more successful: My "different" view of the world has rewarded me the best tools to make business decisions that have resulted in multimillion-dollar revenue gains, hiring diverse teams, and making tough business decisions. It's also the reason why I've dedicated my next chapter to fixing the deficits as it relates to transforming healthcare for womxn, with a focus on maternal health, because the "differences" are what make us strong but also invisible.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Show up as your most authentic self. Finding the confidence to hold space while being exactly who you are is the key to success. There's nothing more powerful than being unapologetically yourself.

5. Trisha Okubo

Founder and creative director, Maison Miru Jewelry

The ways I've felt different: I'm one-half a creative and one-half a business-tech person: I have dual degrees in management science and engineering and fashion design, and I've had two parallel careers: one in tech, and one as a creative director. I've never felt fully comfortable living wholly in either world — it always felt like I was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

How they've made me more successful: Ultimately, this drove me to start my own company, Maison Miru Jewelry, where I have a role that fits the whole, authentic me. I can combine my natural gravitation towards systems thinking with my love of design, both on the business side as well as on the product side.

My advice for someone in my shoes: You create your own luck; if life doesn't give you what you need, don't be afraid to create your own opportunity. When you start your own company, one of the things that investors look for is what gives you an unfair advantage over the competition. Your unique gifts — your point of view, what you're drawn to, your personal expertise — that's your unfair advantage.

6. Madelin Woods

Founder and CEO, Hello Walden

The ways I've felt different: I spent the majority of my career working as a female engineer on mostly male teams. I never thought twice about this until one day someone asked me, "How does it feel to be a female engineer?" They probably had the best intentions, but I internalized it as being called out, like I was made to feel different.

How they've made me more successful: Instead of trying to conform to the social rules around me, I chose to stand out, which gave me more confidence, helped me land more interesting projects, and led to becoming an internal thought leader for building a more inclusive workplace.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Work with people who celebrate your differences, and establish trust by finding common ground.

7. Priya Virmani

Founder and chief stylist, Privée By Priya

The ways I've felt different: When I first thought of starting my personal-styling business, I thought no one would want a minority immigrant to style them.

How they've made me more successful: I realized I am a minority who is Indian having grown up in Oman, a Francophone who has lived in France, and in my 40s. I have conviction, and I have impeccable style. My internationalism has given me strength.

My advice for someone in my shoes: You can find your passion and pursue it at any age. Get out of your own way.

8. Chedva Kleinhandler

Cofounder and CEO, Emerj

The ways I've felt different: I grew up between Brooklyn and Bnei Brak, a small religious town in Israel. I've experienced being different in a few ways: being an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman in the tech industry, where my community usually doesn't participate — especially not women, and especially not as startup founders — growing up with alopecia, and of course, just being a female founder.

How they've made me more successful: One example of many is that I was the only female founder in an accelerator for entrepreneurs from my community. The fact that I was the only person in a dress and that my communication style was different cemented my access to their attention spans. I managed to get to meet the GM of a world-leading internet company, and that shortly led to landing out first client — one we didn't think we'd get in years — which led to our next clients, and to us being fundable.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Practice diversity. As a diverse founder, I've found that I'm lucky to have access to amazing talent. Women, people from the LGBTQ+ community, and other underrepresented people who already have incredible experience and skills have reached out to us from day one because they believe not only in our business and tech vision, but also in the way we do things. One thing I keep in mind is to also make sure our own team has diversity of thought, backgrounds, and other factors, because I truly believe that's the path to success.

9. Amy Kalokerinos

Chief operator, AKalaid

The ways I've felt different: Starting my career selling software on Wall Street at 21, I was one of the only women. I was certainly the youngest. I realized very quickly I didn't fit in with the male executives to which I was selling. Due to my age and gender, I wasn't taken seriously.

How they've made me more successful: Because I wasn't taken seriously, I also wasn't a threat. I now had an executive at every firm who wanted me to listen to them speak about their challenges and strategies. Mentally collecting all this data meant I had a particular view of the marketplace that others didn't have. When some of those executives started to catch on to my "difference," they realized I was an asset. A few years into selling, not only was I taken seriously — I started to get job proposals.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Being different means you have an edge — you just have to discover it. Sometimes your difference turns out to be your biggest asset and your best friend. Once you realize it, your edge will be your best source of confidence.

10. Kirsten Baumberger

Founder, Minisocial.io

The ways I've felt different: As a senior in high school, I decided to not pursue college. Traditional education is a fit for some people, but I personally didn't thrive in a classroom setting.

How they've made me more successful: Now, at 22, I can honestly say it was the best decision I have ever made. While my peers were on campus and beginning their professional journeys, I spent the past five years getting real-world experience by working hands-on in my industry, first working as a social-media/digital consultant and now as the founder of a company.

I now feel light years ahead of where I would have been otherwise — living in New York, running a company with my fiancé, with an amazing team and an incredibly supportive network of professionals and friends. I ultimately spent my time building relationships rather than reading textbooks, and I couldn't be more proud of where I am now.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Don't feel bad about not following the same path as your peers. If you have a dream, chase it. As long as you give it your all, it will lead you to success.

11. Deborah Nall

Founder and CEO, Cultivate+

The ways I've felt different: For most of my career, I looked (and sometimes acted) a lot younger than I was. Part of this was my approach to life, and later I realized was also affected by my later-in-life-diagnosed ADD.

How they've made me more successful: I started my own company and made more money in 2019 than I ever did in my career working at a very full-time corporate job. Being my own boss also allowed me to prioritize my health while traveling around the world and working a fraction of the time.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Focus on your career. Then read "The 4-Hour Work Week," get honest about what you really enjoy, and be resourceful. 

12. Jennifer Yousem

Owner, Supporting Strategies

The ways I've felt different: I am very direct, honest to a fault, the friend that tells you your jeans don't look good on you when you ask for my opinion. In business, however, my tendency was to conform, try not to show emotions, put my head down, do great work, and wait to be recognized.

How they've made me more successful: The truth is, I have found my greatest successes come when I am true to myself and raise my voice to state my opinion, even if it's not the most popular view in the room.

My advice for someone in my shoes: It's a cliché for a reason, but be yourself. It takes so much time and energy to pretend to be what you think people want, that you barely have anything left to do the actual work.

13. Jena Booher

Independent consultant

The ways I've felt different: My career background includes a decade of Wall Street front-office trading, a five-year Ph.D. in mental-health counseling, and doctoral research focused on employee innovation and the role of employee accountability.

How they've made me more successful: My professional history is eclectic but is a strong point of differentiation. Because of my nonlinear career path, I am able to provide more creative solutions to my clients that yield better outcomes.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Career changes can set you apart from others in the field. However, you have to make sure your story makes sense and isn't disjointed. Working with a business coach can help with that.

14. Cynthia Okimoto

CEO, New York Dog Nanny

The ways I've felt different: I was one of the trailblazers in bringing pet reiki to the mainstream in NY.

How they've made me more successful: Since this is an "off-beat" service, it has gotten us write-ups and features in Time Out NY, Huffington Post, and AM New York, which not only helped normalize alternative treatments but also helped get us new clients.

My advice for someone in my shoes: Don't be afraid to be yourself. Your differentiator could be the thing that launches your business to the front line.

• Following the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to 0.25%. 
• That cut, while not beneficial for those looking to maximize gains on savings, could push interest rates on student loans to record lows, saving money for people taking out student loans in the future. 
• The rate cut could even help people with existing student loans if they're able to refinance them at a lower rate, though refinancing comes with some drawbacks. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Interest rates on federal student loans could fall to record lows because of the coronavirus pandemic as soon as the upcoming academic year. 

In an effort to curb the economic fallout from the epidemic, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to 0.25%, which is bad news for savers but potentially good news for borrowers.

For those taking out federal student loans in the future, interest rates could be dramatically lower than current rates, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. 

Mark Kantrowitz, vice president of research at Savingforcollege.com, told The Wall Street Journal that interest rates on federal student loans could fall under 2% for the upcoming school year. 

The current interest rate on federal student loans for undergraduates is 4.53%. For graduate students, it's 6.08% and for PLUS loans it's 7.08%. 

Kantrowitz said he would expect the rates for the upcoming academic year, which will be announced this spring, to fall to 1.9% for undergraduates, and to 3.5% and 4.5% for graduate students and PLUS loans, respectively. 

President Donald Trump has already said he would suspend interest on some federal student loans"until further notice" because of the coronavirus, but the lower rates in the future could provide an extra boost to students as the economy seeks to recover from the coronavirus. 

The dip in interest rates would mostly impact those taking out new student loans, but people with existing student loans could also stand to benefit by refinancing, as interest rates from private borrowers are likely to fall as well. 

People currently paying off federal student loans could take advantage of lower interest rates from private borrowers by refinancing, dependent on having good credit and a few other factors. Kantrowitz estimated that fixed rates on private loans could fall to 2.8% for those with excellent credit.

SEE ALSO: 3 times you should consider refinancing your student loans, according to a financial planner

Join the conversation about this story »

• There's no harm in asking for a second chance at a job interview if you think you performed poorly.
• Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert, told Business Insider that asking for another shot may actually improve your odds of landing the job.
• Taylor advises candidates to send an email to the hiring manager explaining why a second interview makes sense. The note should clarify why the person performed poorly and what they'd like to clarify, and offer to come in at a time that's convenient for the hiring manager. 
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It can be a good idea to arrange a second date — even if the first one didn't go so well.

Maybe the person was having a bad day, or maybe they were nervous, and maybe — just maybe — their true, wonderful self will shine through the second time around.

Some hiring managers apply the same logic, and are willing to forgive an unimpressive first performance.

According to Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert, the CEO of accessory brand BehindtheBuckle, and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," most people don't think about requesting a second chance if they feel they've bombed a job interview. But they should.

"People beat themselves up so much after interviews," Taylor said. "I don't think job seekers realize that there's a human on the other side of the desk."

In general, she said, you have nothing to lose when you ask for another shot. In fact, she added, many interviewers will admire your tenacity.

There's no guarantee the interviewer will grant your request. But sometimes, Taylor said, they'll be empathetic to the fact that you seemed flustered or for some reason weren't on your game.

The best way to make your case for a second interview is to send the hiring manager a brief email. You'll want to wait two to three days after the interview to send it (you can send a standard thank-you note in the meantime), so that you don't seem desperate.

Email the hiring manager explaining what you'd like to clarify about your candidacy

Here are the key points you should cover in the email:

• Thank the interviewer for their time. Reiterate how interested you are in the position.
• Let them know briefly what happened that hurt your performance in the interview. You can use general language like, "Something unexpected happened this morning that was somewhat of an emergency. The timing of course was unfortunate, and for that I apologize because I believe it affected my concentration." (Just don't lie or exaggerate.)
• If you know exactly where you messed up, you can say, "I would love to clarify the area of [X]."
• Explain why a second interview makes sense for both of you. For example: "My background [in X] is a good match for your vision [for X]." Emphasize the aspect of your background that the interviewer seemed most interested in when you met.
• Offer to come in for a second interview whenever is convenient for them. You may also want to share some professional references, because you'll need some more credibility.
• Thank them again and show how grateful you'd be for a second opportunity to speak with them.

Remember to keep this email short, Taylor said. The interviewer shouldn't have to scroll down to keep reading.

Above all, Taylor said, be honest with yourself about whether you really want the job — or whether you're just trying to "save face."

SEE ALSO: 21 psychological tricks that will help you ace a job interview

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NOW WATCH: The 2 biggest job interview mistakes young people make

• Freelance copywriters make about $81,000 a year on average, but that can vary greatly and stretch well into six figures if you play your cards right.
• Two six-figure freelance copywriters told Business Insider the key to making more is to explore what niches suit you, then stick to them.
• They recommended bolstering your image online, using lead generation services, and continually raising your rates.
• To raise rates and keep existing clients, include a solid reason for why your services are worth the extra cash in an email.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Freelance copywriters make, on average, around $81,000 a year, according to job search and review site Glassdoor. But the income range can vary widely for this hardworking sector of freelancers, and knowing how to stand out can help you make more money. 

Business Insider tapped two freelance copywriters who currently bill their clients enough to make over $100,000 a year to find out what they're doing right, and how you can do it, too.

Brand yourself online

Dayana Mayfield started freelancing in 2015 and hit six figures her second year as a full-time freelancer. She's sustained that level of income for the past three years, making $126,000 in revenue in 2018 and $155,000 in revenue in 2019. She told Business Insider that last year, she made six figures not only after expenses, which average about $2,000 a month and include health coverage for her family of four, but after taxes as well.

Mayfield — who started her career in the field with a paid internship as an editorial assistant, which led to her first freelance client — explained that while it may feel like a tall order to worry about personal branding on top of your freelance work, a minimalist approach can be effective.

"Your brand doesn't have to be fancy, complicated, or expensive in terms of design, but it does need to be consistent on your website, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms you use to attract clients." Mayfield said. "For me, my brand is very simple and effective. I use the title 'B2B SaaS Copywriter' on my LinkedIn and website, and the style of my LinkedIn header image and site both feature bold black font, plenty of white space, and the color green." 

She added that it's best to keep it simple to start, meaning you don't need to invest a lot in design. What's more important, according to Mayfield, is backing up whatever tagline you use or whatever you say about yourself and your services. To do this, she recommended getting testimonials, creating case studies, and building a portfolio that reflects the brand and niche you're carving out for yourself. 

"The best clients want to work with copywriters who are trained, experienced, and are proven to deliver," Mayfield said. "Keep sharing what you've worked on and seek to build a brand over time that can vouch for you. Your website has the power to pre-sell clients so when they come to you, they're already decided you're their top choice."

Mayfield believes that her income shooting up to six figures corresponded not only with her growing expertise, but with her owning her unique tone of voice. She leveraged her expertise about software as a service (SaaS) to help create her brand in an impactful way, speaking to clients in their language through her branding materials. 

"If you want to be a six-figure copywriter, know what your ideal client wants to hear and don't be shy," Mayfield said. 

Mayfield also suggested announcing your most important successes publicly. For example, when she hooks a big-name client, she lists them on her LinkedIn profile as a job — just as one would do with a staff position — noting "independent contractor" next to the position. She also includes logos of key clients on her website, and creates case studies and before-and-after videos to showcase the value of her work. 

"This shows leads who are looking at my profile that I have worked with established businesses," Mayfield explained. "I have heard from many entrepreneurs that they were interested in working with me in part because I have collaborated with successful businesses they recognize." 

Try out different niches before picking the ones that you enjoy and are profitable

Another early step that Mayfield took was to "niche down," selecting to focus her copywriting services on SaaS and marketing technology — both for financial and personal reasons. 

"Working with more profitable businesses allows me to charge professional rates for my services," Mayfield said. "This would have been hard working with small businesses. Plus, I truly love the B2B tech industry." 

To home in on her niche, Mayfield followed her talents as well as market demand. 

"The best niche isn't just about what you want; it's also about who wants you," she said. "Follow where the demand is, as long as you also enjoy the work." 

Through her work with software testing and QA services company Testlio, she discovered that she had a knack for writing engaging copy for the tech industry. Although she also test-drove beauty and home renovation as niches, she recognized that there was a huge demand for writers who could understand technology and software and then effectively communicate their value to customers. 

"To find your niche, the only way forward is to try different things," Mayfield said. "Start out with two or four niches. Pick things you enjoy or things that are relevant to your previous job experience. Then work with different companies and see how it goes." 

Dan Gower was an IT business analyst at the marketing firm Ansira for six years before setting his sights on a more independent career choice in 2017.

"A friend's agency needed a freelance writer, and I jumped at the opportunity to do some more creative work than what I was used to at the day job," Gower said. 

While the newbie copywriter didn't make much at this initial gig (about 3.5 cents per word) he enjoyed it, so he initially took low-paying copywriting jobs (in the $20 to $30 an hour range) to build experience, always going above and beyond to deliver exceptional work. 

From there, referrals started rolling in, and today Gower can boast being a low-six-figure freelance copywriter at the age of 29, as well as owner of his own business that offers an array of copywriting services through Buddy Gardner Advertising. 

Like Mayfield, Gower also found specializing in niche industries to be key to his financial success. His chosen industries were automotive, web development, and cannabis — an eclectic mix, but chosen based on his professional experience and interests. 

"I know a lot about the automotive industry and web development from previous work experience, and I've also been following the cannabis industry because the legal and social implications fascinate me," Gower said, confirming that he has been able to rake in a steady stream of work writing about all three topics. 

To help identify your own lucrative niche, Gower recommended paying attention to which assignments come naturally to you as you gain more experience as a freelance copywriter. 

"You may be surprised to find that companies need freelancers to write about a broad variety of topics you already know about," he said. "I even have friends who have been paid handsomely to write about their hobbies like cooking or traveling."

Raise your rates to account for freelance expenses — and keep raising them

With a long list of happy clients and the ability to pitch himself as an expert in his three niche industries, Gower's pay rate started to rise. He now averages $50 to $60 per hour, occasionally netting work that pays upward of $100 per hour.

But the income bump didn't come without considerable effort on his part to intentionally raise his rates. He shared that a company has never offered him more than what he has asked for (which means it's important to ask for enough from the get-go), and emphasized that clients will definitely chime in if they feel your rate is too high. 

Gower explained that asking for higher rates can be easiest when you first begin working with a new client, because you have a fresh slate when it comes to establishing your fees. When thinking about how much to ask for, the freelancer offered that it's always best to go into any negotiation with a rock-bottom price in mind that you'll accept — but that it's smart to start by shooting for a higher rate that gets you really excited. 

"Make this price something that you can live with, then don't budge," Gower said. "If they won't get up to the minimum rate you have in mind, walk away. In my experience, the cheapest clients are also the hardest to work with because they don't really respect what you do."

Sometimes, though, you'll want to raise your rates on an existing client, and Gower suggested using something like the email below to communicate your request: 

Hi [client's name],

I've been meaning to reach out to you about my rate. I know we agreed on [current rate] some time ago, but I'm requesting that you raise that to [new rate].

I believe this new rate is fair because of [your experience, past work, industry knowledge, etc.]. Most of my newer clients are paying me at least [new rate], and it would be easier to continue prioritizing your projects if you would match this rate.

Please let me know.

Thank you,

[Your name]

Over the past four years since Mayfield launched her freelance business, she too continually raised her rates to match the demand for her services and her increasing skill and experience. She pointed out that the combination of her proven expertise in her niche, along with leveraging her successes through her branding, helps justify her rates as a "no brainer."

When first starting out, Mayfield sold copyediting services on Upwork for $14 per hour, before transitioning her Upwork profile to copywriting services and slowly raising her rates to $23 an hour as the gigs multiplied. But even at that rate, a friend with industry experience convinced her that she was undercharging and needed to charge double or triple the amount that an employee would make per hour in order to make the same. 

"By doubling or tripling the typical hourly rate, you account for expenses, time off, health insurance, and the time you must devote to your own administrative and marketing tasks [as a freelancer]," Mayfield said. 

This tip helped her eventually boost her rate on Upwork to $175 per hour. But even with that sum, Mayfield realized that she was becoming too reliant on the platform, and that the types of companies and entrepreneurs that hired there weren't the best fit for her. 

"They tended to be smaller, less experienced, and less organized than clients that came to me via LinkedIn or referral," she said.

So Mayfield decided to stop submitting Upwork applications and commit to systematizing her email outreach process (described below) so she could get off of Upwork once and for all. As a result, she was able to up her rates with better targeted, higher-paying clients. 

Identify a lead-generation system that works for you and outsource it 

Early on in Mayfield's freelance copywriting journey, she hired a virtual assistant and tasked her with running her Twitter and Instagram accounts for lead generation. But she wasn't getting the results that she wanted. 

"I would get maybe one lead a quarter, and it was always random and not in my SaaS niche," she shared. "I even got a lead for writing a bong website!" 

So she ultimately shifted gears to email outreach for lead generation, and switched her assistant's priorities to this instead, which allowed for emailing about 10 to 25 prospects a week consistently. Her assistant handled prospect research and email finding, and sent emails using Mayfield's templates. 

It was a smart move. "My leads skyrocketed!" Mayfield said.  

She explained that while it's possible to get leads from social media (especially LinkedIn), she believes that most freelance copywriters can benefit from email outreach. Mayfield offered the following tips to fellow freelancers, to whom she now teaches these strategies:

1. Create a system for finding profitable companies in your niche, and discovering which ones are most likely to need your services.
2. Use email-finding tools like Clearbit and Hunter.io to quickly find email addresses; you can also find the right companies for your specialty using a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account and search filters that match your niche.
3. Find the right person to contact (the person who, based on their job title, is most likely to manage the kind of work you do), and send them a friendly email. 

"Contrary to popular belief, people don't hate receiving cold email," Mayfield concluded. "Many entrepreneurs and executives are too busy to create freelance job postings and sort through applications. By emailing the right companies at the right time, you can get clients before they go looking for a freelancer."

SEE ALSO: How 3 people who freelance while working a full-time job bring in thousands a month on the side

NOW READ: 5 work-from-home freelancers who earn over $100,000 a year from their sofas share how they stay productive while making bank

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• There's a wide variety of business podcasts out there, making it hard to figure out which ones are worth a listen.
• A recent 2019 report by Edison Research and Triton Digital found that around 90 million US consumers listen to podcasts each month, up 17 million from 2018. The age of the podcast is clearly not over.
• Business Insider asked professors, successful MBA grads, CEOs, and other thought leaders what their favorite podcasts are, and compiled a list of 24 picks.
• From hard-hitting interviews to thought experiments, here's what top leaders are listening to regularly. 
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

While many people have opinions about the best business podcasts to listen to, Business Insider searched far and wide to assemble a group of select industry thought leaders — CEOs, business school professors, authors, notable career experts, exceptionally successful MBA grads, and other movers and shakers — to chime in with their favorites. 

These individuals argue that these 24 podcast picks are almost as instructive as getting an MBA degree. So if you're looking for a quick and free education that doesn't require going back to school for two full years, you'll want to add these to your playlist.

1. HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

Thibaud Clément is the CEO and cofounder of Loomly, a brand success platform with more than 130,000 users that raised a seed round of more than $3 million and experienced around 600% revenue growth in 2018.

Clément, who has an MBA from the University of Ottawa, stated that as the CEO of a fast-growing startup, he finds HBR IdeaCast to be "a reliable business resource that comes with the quality stamp of [HBR], meaning high editorial standards, sharp guests, and a well-rounded show."

He said that the popular podcast helps him reflect on different aspects of his role, with "practical insights and advice" that he can actually leverage on the job. 

"In one episode, you learn about how to better manage personal challenges such as how to thrive as a working parent or how to be less distracted at work," explained Clément. "In another episode, you may be provided with insights on how to grow as a professional, like how to find and keep your company's soul or what great coaching looks like. Yet in another episode, you will be led to think about the societal impact of business on society and vice versa, including what dematerialization impacts the economy or how African-Americans [advance] at work."

He added that he frequently finds himself recommending it to other professionals. "[T]here is always — at least — one of their 700+ episodes that comes to mind when discussing a specific topic," Clément said. "You simply cannot go wrong with this podcast."

2. Behind The Numbersby eMarketer

Clément said that this podcast is "one of the best podcasts for all things digital," noting that it's "particularly helpful to understand how digital media and marketing are evolving today — and what this means for the business world tomorrow." 

The eMarketer podcast also offers flexible options to tune in: "[T]he show is available in a daily format (offering deep dives on specific topics) or in a weekly roundup (gathering key industry insights), so that you can easily fit it in your agenda," said Clément.

3. Safe For Work by Wondery

Lauren Miller, leadership coach for MBA students at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business and adjunct faculty at the Integrated Innovation Institute, stated that workplace-oriented podcast options "tend to be overwhelmingly saturated in technology and entrepreneurship topics, and are often based on either pop trends or very specific research in management science." 

But she identified Safe For Work as one of the few podcasts that she "listen[s] to, scribble[s] notes about, and re-listen[s] to whenever [she] feel[s] a little unfocused." 

"Liz Dolan, former CMO at Nike, leads this podcast about real-life workplace issues such as navigating networking events for introverts, resume solutions for gaps in employment, how to create better work meetings, and bouncing back from a work failure," Miller explained. "[It's] very conversational in nature and an easy listen. They take a cheeky approach and aren't afraid to 'call a spade a spade' when it comes to workplace frustrations." 

She added that since the Safe For Work podcasts are about 20 to 25 minutes in length, they're "perfect for a morning commute." 

4. Coaching For Leaders by Dave Stachowiak

"Dave Stachowiak is a master at interviewing business leaders and getting to their kernels of truth," said Miller. She said that episodes such as "The Way to Get Alignment With Your Boss,""Performance Measurement That Gets Results," and "How to Make Your Work More Visible" are some of her favorites.

Miller advised that since these interview-style podcasts "are richer and a bit denser," you should make sure you carve a good block of "focus time"— 30 to 40 minutes — to tune in to them. 

5. The Unmistakable Creative by Srini Rao 

"Srini Rao [founder of Unmistakable Creative] has raw, intense, and personal conversations with business and creative leaders in a wide variety of positions and industries," said Miller. "The focus of this podcast is looking within to push ourselves to achieve more meaningful success." 

Miller points to "How to Go From Idea to Done,""Why a Tolerance for Discomfort Is Essential to Peak Performance," and "The Psychology of Visionaries" as favorite episodes.   

6. The Tim Ferriss Showby Tim Ferriss

Jan-Christopher Nugent, CEO and cofounder of ecommerce solution provider Branded Online, which offers ecommerce solutions that have helped companies achieve 100% growth, said that "[p]odcasts are a great way to get a wealth of content in an easy to consume format. And the willingness of people who are the top of their game to give a roadmap as to how they got there, truly can't be found anywhere else."

For Nugent, "a podcast has to be not only insightful but also entertaining." 

In describing why The Tim Ferris Show fits this bill, Nugent said that "sometimes the best new idea comes from someone outside of your field. [Ferris'] guests include CEOs, athletes, and entertainers, and [he] not only gives business acumens but also daily routines, books, and other habits that contributed to their success."

7. Perpetual Traffic by DigitalMarketer

Nugent also gave a plug for Perpetual Traffic as another podcast that he listens to regularly.

"The hosts are enthusiastic, and I can compare what they are seeing in the broader marketplace … against what my company's clients are experiencing to create actionable tactics," he said.

8. How I Built This with Guy Raz by NPR

Debika Sihi, associate professor of economics and business at Southwestern University, recommends this podcast by NPR "to almost everyone pursuing a degree in business or just interested in business."

"This phenomenal podcast navigates the journeys of different entrepreneurs that have built some of the world's most well-known brands or innovations," she said. "This podcast is wonderful because rather than focus only on the outcomes or drivers of a successful venture, it focuses on the entire process, including how individuals learn from early challenges." 

She added that as you listen to different episodes, "common themes" emerge about ideation and product or service development. "These themes offer cautionary lessons listeners can consider, or at least be aware of, in their own business careers," said Sihi. 

Sarah Welch — the chief marketing officer at CarGurus, an automotive research and shopping website that, based on monthly unique visitors, has become the largest online automotive marketplace in the US in just over a decade — seconded Sihi's recommendation of How I Built This for its "[a]mazing entrepreneurial journeys with incredible lessons learned that could be applied to any business."

9. Hidden Brain by NPR

Welch — who earned an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2002 — caveated that while NPR's Hidden Brain is not technically a business podcast, it's highly relevant to business as host Shankar Vedantam "uses science and storytelling to reveal fascinating and unconscious patterns that drive human behavior." 

She added that as a marketer and a leader she finds "a lot of the insights highly relevant in thinking about how to effectively influence people, as well as how to control for unconscious biases of [her] own that might lead to sub-optional decisions."

10. upside by upside

This podcast is dedicated to highlighting interesting startups outside of Silicon Valley, and one of Welch's top recommendations. 

"As a leader of several Boston-based companies that people always assumed must have been Bay Area (TripAdvisor, CarGurus), this one really speaks to me," explained Welch.

11. WorkLife with Adam Grant by TED

In this TED original podcast, organizational psychologist Adam Grant "explore[s] the science of making work not suck," according to the podcast's website. Grant is a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of many bestselling business books including "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World" and "Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success."

Adam Medros is the president and COO of online learning platform edX, which was founded by Harvard and MIT and, according to the company's website, is home to more than 23 million learners. Medros, who earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, explained that WorkLife is on his "always listen list" because it always makes him think about organizational challenges and opportunities from a different perspective. WorkLife was among Apple Podcasts' most downloaded new shows of 2018, and spent two weeks in the number-one spot on the entire podcast chart.

12. Exponentby Ben Thompson and James Allwortha 

Exponent is about tech and society. The podcast offers "tech strategy that goes with Ben's awesome [blog] Stratechery," explained Medros.

13. Build by Maggie Crowley 

Build's host Maggie Crowley is a former Olympian turned Harvard MBA student turned director of product management.

"[Crowley] at Drift is doing a great job talking about product management and building great products," said Medros of this podcast.

14. The Knowledge Project by Farnam Street

Jarie Bolander is the founder and COO of healthcare systems company Lab Sensor Solutions, Inc., which has been part of two accelerator 500 startups and has raised $1.1 million to date.

Bolander, who has an MBA from the University of Phoenix, describes The Knowledge Project, hosted by Shane Parrish, as "a masters class in mental models and optimum performance." 

The podcast has had more than 10 million downloads and features interviews with a wide range of business thought leaders, from Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman to Stanford University's Greg Walton. "The topics are wide ranging and foster the most important thing missing from MBA school — internal mindset," said Bolander.

15. My First Million by The Hustle and Shaan Puri

Bolander also likes My First Million, which he explained as "[i]nsightful interviews with founders who went from zero to hero, or rather $0 to $1 million," noting that the conversations presented by The Hustle and Shaan Puri are "engaging and personal with a lot of nuggets of wisdom." 

16. Trill MBA Show by Felicia Ann Rose Enuha

Marin Heiskell, a manager at Deloitte Consulting and industry leader in Deloitte's Diversity and Inclusion Practice, as well as a 2010 graduate of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, recommends Trill MBA Show as the "top podcast for MBAs — especially MBAs of color." 

Hosted by Felicia Ann Rose Enuha, who has an MBA from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business (and dubs herself "The Trillest MBA You Will Ever Know" on the podcast's website), The Trill MBA Show "is one of the realest career advice podcasts out there, as it provides candid advice and experiences for MBAs on preparing to succeed in corporate America," according to Heiskell.

"Felicia has guests from various industries share their lessons learned — including lessons from failed attempts at following the cookie-cutter advice given in business school or in business books like 'find a sponsor!,' 'gain an advocate!,' and 'lean in!'," she said.

She added that what makes this podcast "real" is that it offers a "safe space to talk about what advice has worked and what hasn't — and why."  

"It is clear that Felicia's goal is to create Trill MBA graduates: educated people of color equipped with advice from those who look like them who didn't get it right all the time," shared Heiskell.

17. TED Podcasts by TED 

Todd Markson, the chief strategy officer at education and technology company Cengage— the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher education — graduated from the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business in 2004 and worked as a principal at Boston Consulting Group and a partner at Wolverine Ventures before joining Cengage. 

"One of the key components to being a master of business is to always challenge yourself to explore and embrace new ideas," said Markson. "This is what I love about the TED Podcasts. You are constantly exposed to some of the world's greatest thinkers — coming from every industry, on every topic." 

He added that it "challenges you to question what you know, and think about things in a new way. I've found this to be more important than any lesson learned in a classroom, is to listen and learn from others. You'd be surprised what you can apply to your life and business." 

18. Freakonomics Radio by Stitcher

"Freakonomics is a great listen for any individual in business or with strategy ambitions," said Markson. "It's a good reminder of the wild and often unthinkable connections there can be between seemingly unrelated things. It challenges our conventions on a wide span of topics, and does so in a fun, compelling, and impactful way."

He added that it's forced him to "push to always explore things beyond face value and look for new ways to approach things and new ways to solve old problems." 

19. The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast by Darren Joe

William Taylor is a career development manager at MintResume, which offers resume templates and other career resources for job search candidates and employers.

With over 12 years of experience in career advising, coaching, and recruitment, Taylor "strongly recommend[s]" The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast.

"[F]ormer MBA admissions director Darren Joe gives MBA applicants the inside scoop on how to craft a successful application for top-ranked schools," said Taylor. "He interviews admissions directors and students from around the world who offer their opinions and advice on how to get accepted to programs like Wharton, MIT Sloan, INSEAD, London Business School, and more."

20. Cold Call by Harvard Business School

Pratibha Vuppuluri is the chief blogger at She Started It!, an online resource guide for working moms, and has more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry — including as a consultant at UBS and an assistant vice president at Deutsche Bank. She was also part of a team selected to represent Columbia University in the Global Social Venture Competition from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business — before she launched her own venture.

Cold Call, Vuppuluri said, "gives you a taste of what it's like to study at Harvard's legendary MBA program. In every episode, a [HBS] faculty member discusses a case study that they've written and taught. They also provide insights into the program." 

21. Planet Money by NPR

When Lauren Beitelspacher — the division co-chair and associate professor of marketing at Babson College — teaches graduate classes, in addition to using How I Built This to help students "realize that the founders can't do it alone and have to surround themselves with trusted people who have complementary skill sets," she also likes to use NPR's Planet Money.

"Planet Money is great because it gives relevant examples of economic concepts," explained Beitelspacher. "My favorite episode is 'The Starbury.' In this episode, Stephon Marbury tries to create a shoe to compete with the Air Jordan on affordability, and it just couldn't sell in the United States. This creates great conversations around marketing, branding, and distribution."

22. Reply All by Gimlet Media

Beitelspacher less frequently also recommends Reply All to students.

"It focuses on how the Internet has changed the way we communicate and shop," said Beitelspacher. "It's fascinating for discussions around go-to-market strategies and word of mouth."

23. Masters in Business by Bloomberg

Roland Polzin is the chief marketing officer at Wing, a startup launched in 2016 that offers a 24/7 mobile virtual assistant app powered by a hybrid of human and artificial intelligence. 

In addition to his C-level position, Polzin is also in his last year at the full-time MBA program at UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, specializing in business strategy. "Although there is no perfect substitute for the overall MBA experience, I listen to Masters in Business," said Polzin. "It's an excellent addition to MBA classwork and gives me insights to many topics from different angles. They present current and highly relevant information to me as an entrepreneur and allow me to expand on my personal experience beyond my immediate network and environment." 

24. The #AskGaryVee Show Podcast by Gary Vaynerchuk

Matt Erickson is the marketing director at National Positions, a Los Angeles-based digital marketing agency that has served thousands of clients across multiple industries, media channels, and target markets.

Erickson, who has an MBA from California State University at Sacramento, said the #AskGaryVee Show is a favorite of his.

"Gary is one of the few who is not afraid to speak his truth, break down problems to the core, and go beyond the spreadsheets."

Erickson also appreciates that the podcast helps listeners gain a "deep-seated sense of thinking on your feet and about practical solutions to business problems."

"Most of Gary's content includes discussions with other business entrepreneurs — the information being offered is much more real-time than what you get from most textbooks," Erickson concluded.

This article was originally published on Business Insider October 26, 2019.

SEE ALSO: An MBA admissions expert who's helped students get into Stanford, Wharton, and London Business School explains exactly how to nail the personal essay

READ MORE: Required reading: These are the books top professors at the best business schools in the country are having their MBA students read

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• Uber has seen its rides business shrink up to 80% as the spreading coronavirus forces people to stay home. 
• The company is modeling up to an $7 billion hit in its worst-case scenario model, it said Thursday. 
• Executives said on a conference call that Uber Eats could help ease some of the pain as people order take out and delivery.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Uber is preparing for a worst-case scenario as the spreading coronavirus eats into its rides business and cripple larges swaths of the global economy.

"This is most definitely an unprecedented time," Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's chief executive, told analysts on a conference call Thursday morning as markets yet again plunged into the red. "We are well positioned to weather this."

In a worst-case scenario, Uber is expecting its total rides to decline 80% for the entire year. That would result in its total unrestricted cash decreasing from $10 billion in its most recent financial reports to $3 billion not including a $2 billion credit revolver.

"We don't see that happening, but feel the responsibility to model it," Khosrowshahi said.

What's most likely to happen is that the coronavirus peaks in the second quarter, which ends in June. In that case, Uber says it will finish the year with $6 billion in unrestricted cash and still not have to touch its credit lines.

"The situation remains highly fluid," Khosrowshahi said, explaining why the company was not yet updating its financial guidance. Most recently, it said it expects to turn a form of profit by the end of 2020. For now, that's still the plan.

Uber Eats could make up some of the losses felt in ride-hailing.

The segment has been rapidly growing even before the dropoff in Uber's core taxi business, and executives said Thursday they expect to siphon more riders into the delivery unit as people are forced to stay home.

"Our Eats Business has become an important resource right now, especially by restaurants hit by containment policies," Khosrowshahi said. "Even in Seattle it's still growing. Our SMB sales team closing 2.5-times the new restaurants normally do. Eats has become all the more important."

But until the virus peaks and begins to wane, which some predict could take over a month, it's mostly a waiting game. Uber previously vowed to pay drivers and couriers hit by quarantine policies or who get sick, and said it's actively lobbying to have them included in any government financial aid packages.

Shares of Uber have been walloped alongside the broader market selloff in March. The stock is down some 38% since the beginning of the year, but gained 28% in early trading Thursday following the call.

"Our balance sheet incredibly strong," Khosrowshahi said, "We have plenty of liquidity on the books which positions us to come out of this crisis strong and capable."

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• Doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers are on the front lines facing the novel coronavirus.
• Hospital staff are at risk of catching the virus themselves as they come into daily contact with patients.
• Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bloomberg found that four out of the top five highest-paying jobs in the US are in the medical field.
• Because physicians and surgeons topped the list (along with general practitioners) with salaries over $200,000, Business Insider looked into the earnings of employees at a typical hospital to see how their coworkers compared. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The novel coronavirus has spread to over 160 countries and territories. The United States alone has over 9,400 cases and 152 deaths from the new disease.

The outbreak has had an effect on almost everyone's daily life in some way, as schools and businesses shutter to stem the spread. Hospital staff in particular are confronting the virus every day and putting their own health at risk to help test or treat those infected by coronavirus.  

Staff shortages could occur as a result of health workers being told to self-quarantine after being exposed to the coronavirus, according to a recent Business Insider article.

According to a Bloomberg report citing data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, four out of the top five highest-paid jobs in the US are in the medical field, with physicians, surgeons, and general practitioners reporting salaries over $200,000.

We decided to look at how their coworkers fare.

Business Insider took a look at typical salaries in hospitals, which are a major part of the giant US healthcare industry, with spending on the sector as a whole set to reach nearly 20% of the US economy.

Hospitals have long been a big employer. BLS figures indicate that hospitals employ around 5.2 million Americans, according to the most recent data.

People who work in hospitals perform a wide range of jobs, including nurses who take care of patients, lab technologists who run complicated tests to detect disease, and radiology technicians who manage the scans that can help diagnose patients.

Those skilled occupations could explain why hospital workers tend to make more than the average healthcare worker. The average hospital worker made about $34 an hour and worked just over 37 hours a week on average, according to preliminary government data from January 2019.

There are about 6,146 hospitals across the US today, according to industry group the American Hospital Association, ranging from nonprofit community ones to for-profit hospitals and hospitals run by state and local governments or the federal government.

Here are some of the more prominent occupations at hospitals, and how much they make:

SEE ALSO: Here's how much flight attendants in 10 airlines say they make

30. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners, earn a median of $29,820 a year, and there are 73,250 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Keep buildings in clean and orderly condition. Perform heavy cleaning duties, such as cleaning floors, shampooing rugs, washing walls and glass, and removing rubbish. Duties may include tending furnace and boiler, performing routine maintenance activities, notifying management of need for repairs, and cleaning snow or debris from sidewalk.

29. Orderlies earn a median of $30,200 a year, and there are 39,880 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Transport patients to areas such as operating rooms or X-ray rooms using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. May maintain stocks of supplies or clean and transport equipment.

28. Nursing assistants earn a median of $31,530 a year, and there are 405,340 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. Perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, or move patients, or change linens. May transfer or transport patients. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.

27. Cooks (institution and cafeteria) earn a median of $31,930 a year, and there are 35,050 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias; clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.

26. Phlebotomists earn a median of $34,750 a year, and there are 47,240 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.

25. Security guards earn a median of $36,680 a year, and there are 43,130 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate X-ray and metal detector equipment.

24. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics earn a median of $38,710 a year, and there are 47,790 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Assess injuries, administer emergency medical care, and extricate trapped individuals. Transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

23. Pharmacy technicians earn a median of $38,940 a year, and there are 68,730 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. May measure, mix, count out, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders.

22. Medical records and health information technicians earn a median of $46,520 a year, and there are 71,660 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the health care system. Process, maintain, compile, and report patient information for health requirements and standards in a manner consistent with the healthcare industry's numerical coding system.

21. Surgical technologists earn a median of $48,670 a year, and there are 79,080 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

20. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians earn a median of $55,890 a year, and there are 160,510 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Perform complex medical laboratory tests for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May train or supervise staff. Operate, calibrate, or maintain equipment used in quantitative or qualitative analysis, such as spectrophotometers, calorimeters, flame photometers, or computer-controlled analyzers.

19. Public relations specialists earn a median of $62,460 a year, and there are 4,720 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Engage in promoting or creating an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media.

18. Dietitians and nutritionists earn a median of $62,720 a year, and there are 20,780 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease. May supervise activities of a department providing quantity food services, counsel individuals, or conduct nutritional research.

17. Radiologic technologists earn a median of $62,760 a year, and there are 123,820 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Take X-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's blood stream for diagnostic purposes. Includes technologists who specialize in other scanning modalities.

16. Healthcare social workers earn a median of $64,510 a year, and there are 49,280 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making referrals for other services. May also provide care and case management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.

15. Registered nurses earn a median of $77,670 a year, and there are 1,800,850 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.

14. Nuclear medicine technologists earn a median of $78,610 a year, and there are 13,890 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Prepare stock solutions of radioactive materials and calculate doses to be administered by radiologists. Subject patients to radiation. Execute blood volume, red cell survival, and fat absorption studies following standard laboratory techniques.

13. Physical therapists earn a median of $89,750 a year, and there are 62,630 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

12. Physician assistants earn a median of $109,000 a year, and there are 29,710 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.

11. Nurse practitioners earn a median of $113,820 a year, and there are 47,560 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and X-rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.

10. Medical and health-services managers earn a median of $122,330 a year, and there are 131,220 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.

9. Pharmacists earn a median of $125,430 a year, and there are 80,010 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.

8. Financial managers earn a median of $146,540 a year, and there are 9,670 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.

7. Internists (general) earn a median of $164,410 a year, and there are 10,780 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Physicians who diagnose and provide non-surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults who have a wide range of problems associated with the internal organs.

6. Nurse anesthetists earn a median of $186,840 a year, and there are 13,700 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Administer anesthesia, monitor patients' vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.

5. Family and general practitioners earn a median of $206,430 a year, and there are 21,260 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Physicians who diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries that commonly occur in the general population. May refer patients to specialists when needed for further diagnosis or treatment.

4. Anesthesiologists earn a median of $211,540 a year, and there are 3,950 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Physicians who administer anesthetics prior to, during, or after surgery or other medical procedures.

3. Obstetricians and gynecologists earn a median of $215,710 a year, and there are 3,350 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Physicians who provide medical care related to pregnancy or childbirth and those who diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases of women, particularly those affecting the reproductive system. May also provide general medical care to women.

2. Surgeons earn a median of $226,080 a year, and there are 7,220 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Physicians who treat diseases, injuries, and deformities by invasive, minimally invasive, or noninvasive surgical methods, such as using instruments, appliances, or by manual manipulation.

1. Chief executives earn a median of $242,550 a year, and there are 4,440 employed in hospitals.

What they do, according to O*NET: Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

• People around the world are social distancing and isolating in the wake of the coronavirus, and that's bound to lead to disagreements.
• Meg Zukin, a social media editor at Variety, jokingly put out a call on Twitter for people to send her quarantine drama and gossip — and ended up creating a site called The Social Distancing Project that's raised over $6,000.
• The project started as a Google Doc that Zukin would share with anyone who sent her $1 over Venmo or Paypal.
• After the Google Doc was shared with over 2,000 gossipers, Zukin created the site — and hired someone to help her run it.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Meg Zukin, a social media editor at Variety, loves gossip. And that's something that's harder to find when everyone is stuck indoors.

So, like any good quarantined millennial, she took to Twitter and asked the Internet for gossip. But what began as "a thoughtless tweet" has now raised over $6,000 to help those impacted by coronavirus, Zukin told Business Insider.

As her tweet went viral, Zukin began to receive emails from those who were having quarantine trouble in paradise. She asked her audience if she could compile the emails into some sort of anonymous document. Around 20 or 30 said yes, inspiring her to suggest making the project public in some way — and using it to raise funds for those impacted by coronavirus economic losses.

That turned into a Google Doc, which she would share with interested voyeurs (including me) for the admission price of $1 via Venmo or Paypal. After the Google Doc was shared with about 2,000 people, Zukin turned it into a website — The Social Distancing Project. 

"Even when it was going viral, I didn't think, 'Oh, how can I parlay this into some full fledged project?' I was just like, 'Cool, I guess,'" Zukin said. 

The Social Distancing Project now even has its own employee. Sarah Nixon, a recent graduate, reached out to Zukin so many times about potential charities and people to route donations to that Zukin asked her to help run the website. It's only a few hours a week of work, but Zukin is paying for it completely out of pocket; the two of them agreed all donations should go to the causes they've chosen.

So far, the money has gone to a wide variety of organizations— everything from sex worker mutual aid funds to theaters to food banks. Zukin said they've also been sending out $20 microdonations to individuals.

Right now, Zukin is still running all donations through her personal accounts — and trying to send out money as it comes in.

"I was originally going to wait and collect all the money on Venmo and PayPal, but then realized people need help now, especially smaller businesses and individual people. So I wanted to get ahead of it," Zukin said. "And my credit card was actually frauded because they were like, 'Why are you sending a hundred pounds to some charity in the UK?'"

The gossip doesn't disappoint either. Zukin said her current favorite is a post titled: "If you happened to be at a Best Buy in CA, I was the mother who had her daughter scream loudly 'F--- you mom! I hate you.'" Another notable one was the couple squabbling over lime usage— the poster was using up all of the fresh limes on work-from-home lunches.

One of my favorites is "Divorce," which is a short story in its own right: "I told my husband of almost 5 years I wanted to get divorced on his birthday a week ago. My work is going on 10 day rotations to limit interactions. I'm on the first rotation and then home with him for 20 days. It's... something."

Zukin said the lime story "was just two sentences long, but it's those little fights or little squabbles that you maybe don't tell your friends about." Now that the parameters of life have changed, "when you're forced to remain indoors with someone basically 24/7, and if you both have jobs that are typically done in an office, and they're now both suddenly being done at home, you're gonna run into a lot of problems that you never encounter in like normal life or life before coronavirus."

And while many of us probably enjoy gossiping every now and then, Zukin said she thinks the site is resonating with people who are wondering how others are contending with lives behind (newly closed) doors.

"I think people are just so curious about how other couples and roommates and families are dealing with this. I received a story from a mother who was just venting about her hormonal 12-year-old daughter and ended it with like, 'Thank God she has her iPad, so she can talk to her boyfriend and I can have a few hours of peace today,'" Zukin said. "It's not just kids being annoyed with their parents — it's everyone adjusting their lives to this new normal. And who doesn't love gossip and drama and something kind of lighthearted in a time that's really bleak?"

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