quitting – COOPER GENERAL NEWS

White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo holds a sheet of paper with names and headshots of reporters on it during a press conference at the White House in Washington on Feb. 8, 2021.

Carlos Barria | Reuters

TJ Ducklo, the former deputy press secretary for President Joe Biden, joins an influential public relations and crisis communications firm months after he left the White House for allegedly threatening to destroy a reporter’s career.

Ducklo now works for Risa Heller Communications, which is operated by its namesake Risa Heller. She was once the communications director for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., and worked for former New York Governor David Paterson.

She confirmed the attitude towards the political newsletter Punchbowl News.

“Like all of us, he made mistakes, faced the consequences and learned from them,” she told the outlet that published the announcement on Wednesday morning. “We are incredibly excited to have him on our team, where he is already leading high-profile crisis and emissions engagements in NY, LA and around the world and becoming a trusted advisor to corporate leaders.”

Heller didn’t respond to requests for comment Tuesday after CNBC asked if their company had discontinued Ducklo.

According to the company’s website, Ducklo started working there in June.

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According to Buzzfeed, Heller also worked for Ivanka Trump, the daughter of former President Donald Trump.

Ducklo, who has lung cancer, was briefly suspended from his post in the White House before resigning because he reportedly told a reporter, “I will destroy you”. He also reportedly made derogatory and misogynistic comments to the reporter, who is a woman.

He apologized after the reported incident in February.

People who first told CNBC about Ducklo’s new employer prior to the Punchbowl announcement declined to be named to speak freely about an unannounced hiring.

The Heller office specializes in corporate and crisis communication, runs campaigns for non-profit organizations and supports issues such as issue advocacy and regulatory affairs. With its connections to Biden and administration, Ducklo could be of service to Heller’s customers on the regulatory front.

Ducklo and Heller did not return repeated requests for comment, and in particular did not deny anything CNBC asked them about the former White House deputy press secretary.

Many of the company’s other executives come from a variety of backgrounds, including previous roles at Fox News, the New York Post, and Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office.

Few of the employees listed on the Heller website have previous connections with Biden. Crains New York reports that Heller’s company represents marquee clients such as Major League Soccer’s New York City FC, Airbnb and the Metropolitan Opera.

Before Ducklo left the Biden administration, he was known as one of the president’s closest communications advisors. He was previously Biden’s campaign spokesman.

Ducklo also has experience outside of politics, including serving as communications director for NBC News.

SINGAPORE – For Fiona Loh, juggling marketing, accounts, customer service and product development is part of day-to-day business.

The 28-year-old swapped computers for cookies last year when she quit her permanent job as a technology product manager for a bank to run her own whiskdom bakery business.

“Every day I felt something nudge inside me: what if, what if, what if?” Loh told CNBC.

And she is not alone. Loh is among a growing number of people leaving their 9 to 5 jobs to pursue their passion after the pandemic disrupted traditional industries and careers.

Rise of the pandemic entrepreneur

Last year, although job security was hard to achieve for many, more than two in five (41%) employees considered leaving their jobs to start their own business, according to a Singapore survey by the recruitment company Randstad.

For the self-taught baker Loh, the choice was clear.

I worked back to back between my day job and my nighttime rush – a good 20 hours a day.

Fiona Loh |

Founder, Whiskdom

When Singapore’s lockdown fueled the appetite for homemade baked goods last year, she saw an opportunity to end the grind and improve her Instagram page even further.

In July 2020, with the pandemic, Loh left her clerk job to take on Whiskdom full time.

“I worked back to back between my day job and my nightly hustle and bustle – a good 20 hours a day,” she said. “There came that day when I sat there and couldn’t think. My mind was so tired … I just felt like I couldn’t go on.”

28-year-old Singaporean Fiona Loh quit her banking job to run her own bakery business during the pandemic.

CNBC

The young founder moved operations from her parents’ home to a commercial kitchen in central Singapore by October as demand for her melted Levain-style brownies and biscuits and an 18-month waiting list increased.

Stimulus opens the door to new businesses

Loh’s is a success story in a year in which many industries, particularly food and beverage and retail, have been hit by the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns.

However, according to Xiu Ru Lim, lecturer in economics at the Singapore Polytechnic, the economic landscape was suitable for first-time business owners through 2020 and 2021.

The government grants … gave small business owners a chance to look into getting started.

Xiu Ru Lim

Lecturer, Singapore Polytechnic

“This could actually be an opportunity for many companies,” said Lim. “Around the globe we can see many new companies starting up. Quite a number of companies, although the statistics are incomplete, are actually individual companies. “

In fact, business closings actually fell in 2020 while the number of startups remained stable as the Singapore government – like many other developed nations – granted loans, grants and rent waivers to keep small businesses alive.

Digital payments and other technologies have lowered the barriers to entry for many new business owners.

CNBC

Meanwhile, the rapid adoption of technology during the reporting period opened the market for new businesses, Lim said.

“The competition has calmed down a bit,” she said. “With government grants and incentives actually encouraging businesses to go digital, small business owners have been given the opportunity to look into getting started.”

New generation of managers

Business ownership can take a tremendous personal and financial toll – and this remains a significant obstacle preventing many other potential business owners from achieving their goals.

In turn, Loh received a government Grant for her stoves, but she had to spend $ 50,000 Singapore dollars (around $ 37,500) in personal savings to fund the project. That put her dreams of weddings and home buying on hold, she said, adding that she has not yet reached her previous salary.

When you get into business, you have to be everything in the end … But as for myself, I really enjoy doing that.

Fiona Loh |

Founder, Whiskdom

“If I had really wanted the money, I would have stayed in the banking business,” Loh said, noting that she is now drawing “a minimum amount” – enough to pay her daily living expenses and insurance bills. The remainder of the income was reinvested in the company and three full-time employees were hired, including her 62-year-old father.

As a new employer with a growing business, Loh now has to plan its business even more carefully for the future.

It is estimated that 20% of new businesses fail within the first two years and 45% within five years – often due to a lack of market knowledge, rapid expansion and lack of finances.

Even so, the young entrepreneur insisted that she wouldn’t be returning to the office anytime soon.

“When you go into business, you have to be everything in the end and do everything yourself in the end,” said Loh. “It’s very different from being employed. But it’s really fun for me.”