Q&A: Jay Shapiro, CEO, AppMakr

Jay Shapiro runs a global business out of his Glen Rock home. AppMakr is a do-it-yourself app company with some 60 freelance employees based on six continents, all of whom work together through various online tools. Shapiro is a native of Toronto, and he co-founded his business, which was originally named Infinite Monkeys, prior to merging with a major rival in 2013, with an old high school friend who now works out of Canada as the company’s chief technology officer.

But Shapiro, a lifelong entrepreneur, didn’t always head up a mobile workforce: his last company, the Singapore-based marketing firm Blue, had traditional brick-and-mortar offices. He recently shared his thoughts on the virtues of working virtually and explained his surprising ascent in the business world, including how a survival job with “The Phantom of the Opera” changed his life.

Read more at NorthJersey.com.

I’m Auctioning Off the Opportunity to Rename My Children

Are you looking for a way to distinguish your brand in an increasingly crowded media landscape? Hoping to go beyond traditional advertising to pursue something, or rather, someone, with true potential for growth?

Allow me to be of service. I’m thrilled to announce that I am staging an auction for the rights to rename my two adorable children after whichever corporate sponsors ultimately devote the most resources — cough, cold hard cash, cough — to emerge the winners of this exciting event.

Read more at Babble.com.