I think the Universe is trying to get my attention, and perhaps through me, it’s trying to get yours as well.
Last week, I attended an event sponsored by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. It was part of the firm’s “Open Talk” series and featured Harold Ford, Jr. interviewing Russell Simmons. As I described to a friend soon after, it was a no-hold bars conversation; Russell’s transparency and candor were refreshing, funny, and for some in the audience of approximately 400, I would suspect, shocking.
I am on Marie Forleo’s “Rich, Hot, and Happy” mailing list. This week’s video message about one of her non-negotiables ironically (?) contained the same message as is in Russell’s book, “Super Rich” – which I’ve been reading since the event.
What do Russell Simmons and Marie Forleo have in common? Continue Reading »
Recently, I boarded a cross-country flight with the intent of spending my six hours, sleeping, reading, and writing. Having a lengthy chat with my aisle mate was not part of my agenda. But within ten minutes of boarding the flight and getting settled, I happily let go of my “flight” plan.
As serendipity would have it, I was seated next to a young woman who is the inspiration for this post. A young woman who has spent years planning what is now her dream come true: She was beginning her trip around the world! Continue Reading »
Earlier this week, Andy Bellatti, my Careepreneur colleague, wrote a piece that really resonated with me. In it, he described how uncomfortable he is with people ascribing to him the label of “guru” – as if he possesses, and not his clients, the answer/s his clients are seeking. I share a similar challenge as Andy with the work I do as a financial coach and trainer, despite my many efforts and exhortation to the contrary. Saying, “there isn’t a singular answer that will work equally for everyone,” often falls on deaf ears.
And like Andy (or what I took from Andy’s post), I, too, get frustrated that some people don’t really understand the value I/we bring. Hint: it’s not in providing the answers. Continue Reading »
To kick off the month of December, I’m thrilled to share with you a guest post from one of my favorite CAREERpreneurs–and one of my All-Star Team Cheerleaders–Kelly Lynn Adams.
Kelly Lynn is an iPEC trained empowerment life coach who helps people, particularly women, make changes in order to live the lives they want and deserve. She is also an Independent Consultant with Arbonne International. Kelly Lynn believes in utilizing multiple streams of income to live out your passion!
I absolutely love this time of year when we are all celebrating the holidays! However, over the years I have found that thinking about all of the things that I know I need to get done can easily stress me out. The holidays are meant to be spent with family and friends, having a great time and mostly importantly, they are meant to be stress free. However, for many of us, our stress level can increase during the holiday season. Therefore, I want to share with you four things that I have implemented in my life to reduce the stress around this time of year.
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Before a prospect becomes a client, I take them through a series of questions. This preliminary financial coaching session is thirty-minutes, complimentary and designed to give prospects a sense of my style and what they can expect from our engagement. It also gives them (and me) a picture of their current financial state, revealing what they have, what they tend to do with what they have, and why – rather than what they think they have, tend do, or why. Finally, this in-take call provides immediate feedback regarding the next steps to take, along with a framework for how best to use our coaching time benchmarked to their goals and budget.
Prospects are always amazed at what they discover about themselves from my seventeen (17) deceivingly simple, closed-ended questions and the conversation they spark. Yet, they don’t always choose to move forward. Continue Reading »
The experience I am about to share is about me wanting to have the last word and be right. It is also about acknowledging my ego while simultaneously setting it aside; a hard discipline to practice!
When it comes to two people communicating, there are actually five “parties” involved. It’s you, the other person, what actually took place, and your respective perceptions of what took place. This is true when the communication goes well, and it is true when it doesn’t. The latter really became evident recently when my feathers were rankled with just nine words said to me via email: “…as I was asking to do…we could have.” Continue Reading »
It doesn’t matter if you are a consultant/entrepreneur or an employee in the nonprofit sector…Here’s how to ask for an increase in your contract or salary…Asking for a raise is all up to you. You must ask, plan, be strategic, focus on your performance and never restrict yourself to just money.
It is YOUR responsibility to ask for what you believe you deserve. There is not going to be an invitation or announcement from your client or boss that you will be receiving a raise—so you MUST ask. Do not be timid about it or weak in your request for a meeting to discuss your raise—simply schedule a meeting date and time directly with the person so that he or she can also prepare.
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Admittedly, I am not a football fan. But I, too, will be among the millions tuned into the kick-off of Monday Night Football 2010. It is the season opener for the Baltimore Ravens and NY Jets. And, there’s a lot of hype leading up to this game. As far as I can gather, it is not because each team ended the 2009 season in second place, or because the last time they played each other during the regular season (2007), the Ravens beat the Jets 20-13. No, all eyes – especially those of Jets fans – will be on the Jets’ cornerback, Darrelle Revis.
After a 36-day contract holdout, almost every sports columnist has weighed in on the same question: How long will it take Revis (as he is commonly referred to) to get into football shape? After reading several articles and listening to ESPN’s coverage, the question I have is: What does the strategy of “Team Revis” teach us about managing the intersection of work and money?
You and I may not be cutting 4-year, $46 million deals, but that doesn’t mean we can’t glean valuable lessons from Revis’ experience. Here are three that jump out at me: Continue Reading »
