Sign Seeing

Signs.1

Over the past couple of weeks three themes have kept popping up everywhere I look! I’ve had lots of time to sit and reflect on where I am in my life, how I got here and what I need to do to move forward . The universe seems to be in agreement with me as the same ideas have popped out at me in scripture, social media posts and even Sunday service. On social media I have commented that the collective unconscious is working overtime right now. I’m not the only one to notice. Having a break from “busy”ness has allowed my mind to rest and me to get more centered and focused. Below are the three ideas that have resonating around me. The first two I touched on in last week’s blog post.

michellemavour_1563075548518271149

Missed Opportunities. There’s nothing worse than a missed opportunity. Hindsight is 20/20 As I look back (which I do very carefully!) I can see many of the opportunities I missed either by not grabbing them when I had the chance or not putting myself in the position to create them. I acknowledge the self-doubt this was rooted in. Looking back is only useful if you gain lesson to apply to future decisions. It is an opportunity to fine-tune one’s intuition, ability to reason, and make better life choices.
Preparation. Last week I wrote that in business an elevator pitch is valuable tool that will allow the business person to be prepared for a chance encounter with someone who could in some way be instrumental in achieving their business goals. The meme above was posted on Instagram by a financial coach; it was a post about being prepared financially for life’s emergencies. This of course ties in to missing opportunities. Some opportunities come with a cost. I saw in my past opportunities I missed out on because I was not ready financially – and I could have been.
FOMO. When I read about the concept of FOMO, a light bulb went off. When I read it a few days later in the intro to the verses assigned for one day’s bible study, it was like my mind was blown after being struck by lightening! It perfectly pinpoints something I have sensed about myself while taking an honest look at the past three years. FOMO is the Fear Of Missing Out. Patrick McGinnis, who coined the term, describes FOMO in the Disrupt Yourself Podcast, Episode 21.

“an inward struggle and it impedes you from disrupting yourself because I think you lack focus. There is a positive side to FOMO in that it can tell you what your hidden dreams and desires are. If you feel FOMO when you see somebody start playing the piano maybe you should go out and take piano lessons….But I find that it is a great way to distract yourself from doing the hard things in your life you need to do. Rather than sitting down…and dealing with that big challenge that you need to deal with, you spend a bunch of time running around doing other things to stay busy.”

I’ve been reading the book The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Mansen and Les Hewitt. In one of the first chapters they write about not being distracted by the next shiny new thing. But the question is ‘why’ do we do that? The answer is FOMO. FOMO will eat up lots of opportunity, ironically, because when you’re chasing all you will catch none. It is futile.

So once the signs are acknowledged the next step is to apply what they teach. These signs have reiterated a nagging feeling that I need to be doing less, not more. Being busy isn’t the same as being productive. I’ve been noticing that the more busy I have become the less satisfied I have been feeling with the results of my efforts. So now, mid-2017, is a good time to assess my priorities, strategies and activities, make sure they are in line with my goals.

Have you noticed any signs instructive this summer?

How To Graduate with Less or No Debt

Keys_29082 It’s quite the conundrum. We are told that a college education is the key to achieving our full potential and the American dream. The story tells us it is the way out of poverty. Access to higher education was a major priority for the last White House administration and affordability was central to that message. President Obama even introduced the America’s College Promise Act 2015 to make the two years of community college free.

Over the past decade or so the number of Americans earning college degrees has skyrocketed. And so has the tuition, and the debt that follows. For many, what was supposed to be a roadmap to the American Dream turned out to be a money pit into a uniquely American nightmare. Graduates now face enormously burdensome debt that many will never be able to pay off in their lifetime. We’ve all heard reports about the student loan default crisis, where the struggle to keep up with unaffordable loan payments becomes so discouraging that people stop paying altogether.

Women are particularly vulnerable. I recently read that women own two-thirds of student loan debt. Yet a female graduate will earn only 79 cents for every dollar that a male graduate will, on average, in a similar position. Hmm…wouldn’t it be nice if that was reflected in the tuition we pay?! Blacks and Latinas tend to take on more debt, and the fact that they tend to make even less than their White counterparts makes it especially harder for them to repay.

But alas, there’s hope! There are several ways to graduate with less or no debt. At the root of decreasing the need to take on debt to advance one’s education are planning, time and diligence. Here are some things to consider:

Take your required courses at a community college. It is not necessary to spend tens of thousands of dollars on coursework that isn’t directly relevant to your major; better yet, if you don’t even know what you want to study or career path you want to take right now, community college is a great place to sort that out. Aside from the money, it can help you to grow in maturity and be more focused at a four-year college. Advantages:
1. Cheaper
2. Potentially pay tuition as you go
3. The 4-year college transcript is what will be seen on your resume and what you will talk about at parties! If you started at Community but ended up at Harvard no one really has to know.
Prepare! There are literally thousands of grants and scholarships. Take the time to do the research necessary to meet all of the deadlines and gather all of the information required to complete each application.
1. Attend events at schools and community organizations of all sorts; read books and articles on free money for college. Get to know people who do this every day and keep in touch.
2. It would be wise to start researching 18 months out from when you will begin school. This way you can target your time and energy towards the most lucrative scholarships and grants that you qualify for and are interested in.
3. Give yourself and your recommenders enough time to craft thoughtful, well-written essays and recommendations.
Consider the potential salary expectations for your desired career. Will your potential future income allow you to afford your student loan debt along with your realistic cost of living? Your grades, location, network and caliber of your school are all factors in the salary level that may be available to you.
1. This is the business of your life. Do a cost/benefit analysis on your educational goals. Does the pay scale for the career you intend to go into justify the cost of the degree required for the field? For example, if you want to be a social worker, would it be worth it to go $60,000 into debt, considering what your salary is likely to be over the long run?
2. Following the example in number 1, there are student loan forgiveness programs for certain careers.
  1. Usually when you go into one of these careers and apply for loan forgiveness there are requirements such as length of time to work in the field.
  2. Careers in public service (ex., The Peace Corps), medicine, the law and military service are all examples.
  3. For more information go here, here, here and here.
3. An often overlooked yet critical advantage of going to college is the alumni network.
  1. I wrote in a previous blog, No Man Is An Island. No one gets to where they want to be in life solely on their own effort. Everyone needs a team to achieve their goals and dreams.
  2. As I asserted in my post about opportunity, connections are key. That is the value of going to a top-tier school. College isn’t just about academics; it’s the people with whom you will build lifetime personal relationships and professional connections. Further, the higher up on that U.S. News & World Report list, the higher your earning potential will be as soon as your graduate.
  3. Going to a top school matters most in the beginning of your career. Afterward your professional record is what will really matter. Of course top school alums will always have bragging rights, whatever it’s worth. 🙂
4. Get a job at a company that offers tuition reimbursement. Consider that there is more than one way to obtain an “education.” Working in your field of interest while saving and investing as much as you can, kills two birds with one stone. Being reimbursed for the tuition you pay is icing on the cake!
  1. I benefited enormously by this incentive when I worked at Ernst & Young. I was able to grow my professional competence through continuing education classes. But they would also have paid for graduate school.
  2. Usually companies will require that you study courses either related to your specific position or the company’s industry. Length of time employed is another typical requirement. Either way if it’s your field of choice, it’s a win.
  3. The bigger the company the more likely that this opportunity will be available and the more generous.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. There are other personal finance possibilities that I will cover in another blog. Have you been working on getting the money together to pay for college? What has or has not worked for you so far? Do you have any ideas you could add to this list? Comment below!

Read more on the advantages of community college here.

Tennessee Makes Community College Free For All Adults

Detroit Is Making First Two Years of College Free

Two Tuition-Free Years in Rhode Island

Should Students Get Grades ’13 and 14′ Free of Charge?

Paying off debt with 401K

8 Reasons To Never Borrow From Your 401K

First 2 Years of College Free

Pitch & Leap

There’s no bigger regret than a missed opportunity. We miss opportunity mainly through lack of preparedness at the time an opportunity presents itself; this includes the inability to recognize an opportunity for what it is. Always be prepared. Easy solution, right? Well I always say that in anything, it’s not the ‘what’ it’s the ‘how.’ Show me, don’t tell me. Every big idea has to be broken down into smaller, bite-sized, easily-digestible pieces.

So, how do we prepare?

Opportunity mostly lives in the land of the unknown unknowns. But there is a tool we all can and should develop that will build a bridge between us and that most desirable of all destinations – the land of opportunity. That tool is called the elevator pitch. A fine-tuned elevator pitch should articulate your purpose succinctly, passionately and clearly – in up to 90 seconds. And it is not only relevant to business. You can pitch yourself! Use it as a self-inspiring tool that reminds you why you wake up every morning; it can silence negative self-talk. Have a pitch for your job search, business prospects and fundraising.

Preparation for writing your elevator pitch begins with having a clear idea of who you will be pitching to. The questions you have to ask yourself will depend on your needs and the outcome you want. For example, are you looking for an investor or a client? Consider these questions: Who will your audience be? What problem(s) are they trying to solve and how can you provide resolution? What is unique about what you have to offer? What skills and experience qualify you? What are your needs; what is in it for the listener to help you solve your problem?

So, what is an elevator pitch?

The truth is we are all salespeople. Everybody is selling something, but ultimately the thing we’re really selling is ourselves. The elevator pitch is a very brief statement that tells the (hopefully) listener who you are, what you want and how what you have to offer is relevant and valuable to them or in the marketplace. As far as the latter, the person you’re talking to may not be the one you really need to talk to but he or she may be the link between you and that person. It’s not important to have all the answers as to whether or not the person you’re speaking with is the right connection; what is important is to master the things you can control, which in this case is articulating a compelling narrative that allows someone else to see you as a potential connection.

So, how do we create an elevator pitch?

There are of course the mechanics of writing a pitch. But the thing to really keep in mind is the power of storytelling. A good elevator pitch is both informative and engaging. The end of the story is what will make it or break it; it must be memorable and compel the listener to want to tell it to someone else. People like retelling great stories.

Start with who you are: Don’t be afraid to be enthusiastic and friendly. Start with either a question to raise their curiosity, a statement or catch phrase that will prompt the listener to ask a question. “I am a first-generation American continuing my family’s legacy here in the United States. I’m the big-picture person who focuses on developing markets for our textiles company, XYZ International..
Make sure to be clear on your offer, or value proposition. And let the listener know why you’re interested in them. “We help small suppliers in Central America earn a living wage by supplying the finest hand-made organic cotton and wool apparel and home goods in the market, at affordable prices. I understand (your company) is looking for textiles made with organic materials for the price-conscious consumer?”
Summarize the benefits/advantages of working with you; what sets you apart from the competition. “We operate within Free Trade Zones in each country, which significantly lowers our costs to market and enables an efficient supply chain.” Give a brief example.
End with a Call To Action. “We’re currently scheduling appointments to show off our new bedding line. May I bring some samples to show you and your team?”

So, how do I get started?

As I stated in the beginning, your elevator pitch must be fine tuned. And it’s not a one-shot deal. You will have to adjust the original as you progress. Now, get your pen and paper ready. Here are some tips to get your ideas flowing:

Write down everything you can think of to tell your prospective client/boss/investor. What makes your business or idea unique? What have you done? What are you planning too accomplish? What do you have to offer that the listener wants or needs? What problem can you solve for them?
Edit. Eliminate extraneous words and details. Make every word count! No small talk.
Tweak it until it flows smoothly. If any part sounds awkward to you it will to the person you’re talking to.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Anchor your pitch in the key points that you always want to come across clearly. Memorize it and practice saying it out loud, so that it is second nature by the time you need to say it.
Your pitch will fall flat if it doesn’t address the only question your listener wants answered: WIIFM – “What’s in it for me?”

Let Your Body Talk

When you feel good about the elevator pitch you have developed it is time to take the leap to the testing phase. Put yourself in situations where you will meet other people in your industry where you will be asked what you do. Do not underestimate the power of body language. Your body language will speak even more loudly than your voice will. Like preparedness, your body language can imbue you with the confidence you may not feel yet. Stand with shoulders back and be very careful about what your hands communicate. Keep your body open, keep your hands in front of you. Maintain eye contact with a pleasant disposition. Research body language and practice it as you rehearse your pitch.

Industry organizations, networking events, alma mater socials, etc are great places to try out your pitch. When you’re in a group make a connection with each person by looking each person in the eye while expressing a single thought. Try to avoid cutting off the other people around you. Practice with people with whom there is nothing to lose if you fumble a little. Don’t make your first stop the biggest fish in the pond.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

The Paper Chase

ChasingMoney Motivational posts are a big thing on social media. Type in hashtags like “motivation,” “inspiration,” “hustle,” “grind,” “quoteoftheday,” and so on, and a plethora of slick memes will show up with quotes from business leaders and motivational speakers through the ages. You will find many quotes from Jim Rohn, Robert Kiosaki and Tony Robbins, to name a few, extolling the virtues of persistence, focus, planning, how to build wealth, and the like. Entrepreneurship has exploded as the internet has made education more accessible than it has ever been. Technology has lowered barriers to entry for many industries in terms of knowledge as well as start-up capital. In theory the playing field of capitalism is far more level than it has ever been before. My inbox and social media accounts are flooded with offers to take a look at some idea to build wealth using the wonders of modern technology, usually with a rags-to-riches testimony.

Now we can “monetize” just about anything. Industries are growing for motivational speakers, business coaches and trainers, for which clever entrepreneurs will provide instruction on how to tap into the market, for fees small and large. Usually potential clients are lured into listening to the sales pitch with a free webinar or ebook download. Somewhere within the material, usually at the end, there is a sales pitch – an up-sell – to turn the free information into a revenue stream through memberships, subscriptions or further coaching. That sales pitch usually includes at least one quote from a “guru”, such as those mentioned above, to imply that the person shares that winning mentality; they have the thing that you don’t think you have. It is a very effective tactic as it taps into the deep-seeded self-doubt many of us live with; our desire to be perceived as and feel successful; and guilt over not achieving our full potential. When I was in network marketing we were taught to always search for the NEED and posit the product as the solution. The need that motivates many people to pour hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars into these trainings is freedom from the imprisonment of financial struggle.

But even with the abundance of opportunity at our fingertips there is still a pervasive sense of lack in our society. Increasing abundance of opportunity has not resulted in increasing satisfaction or happiness. Why is that?

Ecclesiastes 5:11

As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?

gold-dollar-sign-on-ground I decided to call this blog The Financial Fashionista in part because I recognized that I myself had a conflict between my desire to acquire things and my desire to establish a solid financial foundation. I have an economics degree and experience in high and low finance. (That’s a joke.) In my head I have a very clear understanding of how money works: the concept of compound interest, investing in the financial markets, financial products and services, saving, interest expense, depreciation, the difference between cost and value. In college my focus was mortgage-backed securities, the same product that brought down the world financial markets. But when it comes to personal finance emotion is almost inextricably linked. This is why most people pull their money out of the market during a correction, as happened in 2008, marriages fail, and even cause business owners to make poor management decisions.

I am now looking very closely at the ‘why’ in my spending habits and attitude toward money in general. What lessons from my past must I un-learn? How do I bridge the gap between my rational understanding and my emotions? I have rooms full of “stuff” that I never have to look at or touch for the rest of my life. The older I get the more I realize that it is all meaningless. Whatever satisfaction I receive from purchasing a new dress or some other thing is absolutely fleeting. And as such the process must perpetuate to reach the same high.

What motivates us to do this? I know I’m not alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:4

And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Chasing after the wind.

Another thing that social media brings to the forefront is the deep desire to be simultaneously approved and envied by others. We lament the unrealistic standards of beauty and lifestyle promoted on the medium but those who do it best gain the most followers, by which they are able to creative highly lucrative businesses. Posts and hashtags about grinding and hustling extol the value of pushing to reach goals and measurable achievements; we respect most the people who seem to be accomplishing big goals and dreams and the wealth that comes with it. But that value system is based on outward signs of a success that can disappear even faster than it came; not character or the virtues of community, humility, patience, temperance and generosity. It is inherently inauthentic. No wonder it cannot bring forth lasting satisfaction and happiness.

Motivation in this day and age is temporary because it tends to be based on comparing ourselves to others and wanting what they have. Inspiration is more authentic and long-lasting because it is based on the vision and purpose that is uniquely suited to the individual. As the saying goes, “chase your passion and the money will follow.”

The 4 Hooks of Motivational Training

Speaker at Business Conference and Presentation. I have attended many educational events – conferences, workshops, online courses and webinars – for several industries over the past few years. I was for a short time an agent for a network marketing company in financial services: I hold a Series 6 license and am life insurance licensed in ten states. Although I have gained eye-opening insight and understanding, attending these events has also been a very valuable lesson in the strengths and weaknesses of the mindset conditioning that the network marketing and real estate industries in particular use to “hook” reps and students, respectively. I have become very familiar with what I will call “motivational training.”

I believe that this style of training sprouted from the self-help movement of the eighties and early nineties. Susan Powter of ‘Stop the Insanity’ fame comes to mind. Her brand of tough love in encouraging people to change their eating habits to gain control of their lives and health earned millions from books, tickets to speaking engagements and exercise videos. During this time Tony Robbins’ star was also on the rise. He too had lengthy infomercials on how to take control of your life, but his approach was far more “gentle,” for lack of a better word, and holistic. Even though their approaches were very different, in my mind they built the framework for the motivational style of training so popular today. Ms. Powter and Mr. Robbins showed how profitable “motivation” can be.

Today, “gurus” are all over the place. They have learned to combine the tough-love and gentle approaches. They are usually people who have achieved demonstrable success at something and have built a following based on their story of how they accomplished their goals. The point and purpose of motivational training is the up-sell. These events follow very familiar layout that will conclude with an “ask” – buy a book, a course or series of courses or mentorship/coaching. Whether the story of the road to success is entirely true or not, clearly the story in and of itself can prove just as profitable, if not more so, than the work itself.

Success on hook

The following are four common “hooks” you may hear when attending educational industry events.

Hook #1: The Warning

The idea is that they will help you avoid the costly and painful mistakes that they made. This idea is reinforced by the altruistic desire help as many people succeed as possible. I am not doubting anyone’s sincerity. I just believe that we have to be our own teachers. When you have your own experience, including failures, then you are in the best position to know what works best for you, given your unique set of skills, talents and interests. And that is what a person will be able to make the most out of an investment in coaching.

The Warning:

You can’t do it by yourself
Mistakes can ruin you

Hook #2: Cost Versus Value

“If you paid $30,000 for coaching that leads you to 3 deals that earn $10,000 each or even 1 deal earning $30,000 and you can build a fortune going forward on the lessons you learned, what did it really cost you?” That would make the service in effect free. However, there is a huge caveat – “if.” If you’re given an action plan; if the coaching is personal; if the coach follows through with what has been promised; if you follow the action plan; if you are able to devote the time and effort necessary. The truth is, only about 5% of the people who attend such workshops will take action and of those few achieve the results they were expecting. For most it will be nothing more than a very large donation to that guru’s bank account.

Cost v. Value

Hand-hold coaching from an industry expert
It pays for itself

Hook #3: Impatience

We want to see results fast. Diet companies make a fortune every year on our desire to see results fast, with little effort. Patience requires discipline. Discipline involves consistent long-term implementation of a plan toward a goal. The gurus know how to tap into this tendency in our culture to want to jump ahead and enjoy the evidence of hard work, without actually doing the hard work. And that very well should be expensive.

Impatience

Huge profits in 30 or less days
Be the envy of suckers slaving away for “the man”

Hook #4: Insecurity

Many of us don’t believe we can do great things. Guilt in knowing that we are not living up to our full potential is an extension of that self-perception. Flashes of motivational quotes and inspirational videos are meant to dig into the sore spot and bring home the point that the program, product or service offers a way out. The gurus know this feeling is fleeting. We are very good at settling back into a comfortable, familiar routine. So it is imperative for the speaker to pull on the string of insecurity to compel as many in attendance as possible to pull out the credit card or take out the HELOC or pull cash out of a retirement account to pay handsomely for the promise of finally attaining the success and feeling of accomplishment that so many lack. They also know that there is at least $3trillion sitting in liquid and a little less than liquid accounts in this country.

Insecurity

Yes, this is great training, but you still won’t make it on your own
Winners recognize opportunity and take decisive action

Konferenz Saal

Now, there is nothing wrong with seeking help and inspiration. I am not at all against doing the weekend-long workshops on real estate investing or conferences by networking marketing and other companies. But I have also become hyper aware of the emotional and psychological hooks that can be very manipulative and often lead to disappointment down the road.

Remember:

Everyone starts at the beginning and there is no substitute for work.
If the gurus could do the work to get where they are, so can you.
Don’t let fear of making a mistake cost you. You can only grow from mistakes.
Don’t worry about “advice” from people who cannot relate to what it’s like to take a chance.
Take advice and get ideas from people who relate to fighting for a vision.
Take advice from people who don’t give up.
Take advice from people who have failed a million times but have the courage to get up and keep going; their failures have provided a treasure trove of wisdom and great ideas!
Don’t take advice from people who talk nonsense.
And please do not believe people who are boastful because they are likely embellishing to create envy and false authority.

The truth is that motivation comes from within. Nobody can give it to you. It requires constant self-evaluation to grow in the confidence that you are doing what truly interests you and for which you have the talent. Just because someone else has done tremendously well at something doesn’t mean that you will too, even when you give it 100%. No one thing is for everybody. We were each created for a specific purpose. If we are pursuing something that is not in line with our purpose it could remain an uphill battle. If we are pursuing things that do not engage our best skills and talents it will likely remain a very difficult journey, no matter whose advice we follow.

How to Turn Your Home Into A Personal ATM

When people think of ways to make passive income on property that they own they usually think of renting. We are not taught personal or creative finance in school so the majority of us follow the same path to try to better ourselves financially. Homeownership is the American dream. For the majority of us our home will be our most valuable possession. But it is almost a secret the extent to which a home can be leveraged – safely and legally – to attain financial freedom. The property can even be vacant.

One of the goal posts for what we have accomplished in this life is the ability to enjoy a long, happy retirement. But as the years go by and the horizon gets closer we look at what we have in cash and assets, and discover that we may not be able to retire comfortably and independently, if at all. If you add up your annual living expenses – including personal care, mortgage, groceries, car notes and insurance, all of your fixed and variable costs – you will likely find that if you retire at 67 years old and live another 20 to 30 years beyond that, you will need over $1million in today’s money to maintain your current lifestyle throughout your retirement.

Most Americans are looking for ways to supplement their income to try to make up for the shortfall. We max out our contributions to retirement plans at work. We hold 401K’s, IRA’s, money markets and other investments, hoping that the market will keep going up (which it won’t) and we don’t lose significant value in our accounts; the closer you are to retirement the less time you will have to make up for any losses. You may even try to adjust your lifestyle downward to conserve cash to save and invest but would you be able to make enough of an adjustment to make a real difference? Many approaching retirement age have to be concerned about which direction the market is headed in the next few years. In the stock market the investor has no control.

Mutual funds have for decades been heralded as the best way to benefit from the financial markets without a lot of knowledge about investing and without taking on too much risk. This investment vehicle is touted as the best way to earn double-digit returns on your money, but OVER THE LONG TERM. If you look at CD rates at bankrate.com you will see that the highest-yielding CD will return 2.3% compounded over a 5-year period. As for money markets, for a deposit of $5,000 one bank will pay a grand total of 1.11% interest for the first year only; then the rate drops to 0.61%. Meanwhile, what are banks doing with your money? They’re lending it back to you and your neighbors at higher interest rates; they’re investing it in multiple ways, including lending to other banks overnight, to earn a higher rate of interest than they’re paying you, and profiting massively from the difference.

3466307-House-sitting-on-money-with-puzzle-Understanding-mortgages-Stock-Photo

Did you know that you have the power to do the same thing? It’s called Private Lending, and you can use the equity in your property to do it. Private lending a vital lifeline for real estate investors. And as a private lender you can participate in real estate investing without “getting your hands dirty” while earning a much higher rate of return than you ever will with banks or likely will in the stock market.

Since the market crash of 2008 real estate has picked up speed, and certain markets, like Philadelphia, are moving at a feverish pace. If you are in that region I am sure you have noticed and even been inconvenienced by the deluge of construction going on in and around the city. Somebody is getting very rich! Do you ever wonder how they do it? Do you ever wonder how YOU could get in on the action, without having “important’ friends and millions in the bank?

As a homeowner you are potentially sitting in a bank of your very own. If you have significant equity built up from years of paying down your mortgage you can access it through a home equity line of credit (HELOC). You use the proceeds to help real estate investors like fix-and-flippers, for example, fund deals while you earn returns in your sleep, often well into the double digits! It is perfectly legal and perfectly legitimate. Moreover, you will be paid back your investment plus interest in four to six months. It is as simple as agreeing on a contract that explicitly lays out the terms on each side. You hold either the first or second mortgage, and if for any reason the deal goes south the house is your collateral – just like a bank. Private investing can provide virtually limitless financial growth, as you are able to compound your returns by continually lending. Did you ever dream you’d grow up to own your own bank??

Sextant Financial Solutions, LLC (www.sextantfinancials.com) is a company positioned to take advantage of investment opportunities in some of the hottest areas of Greater Philadelphia, including Delaware County and Philadelphia County West and Southwest. If you would like to learn more about ways to earn significant returns using your home’s equity or cash sitting in low interest-earning instruments such as a 401K, IRA and CD’s call 484-461-0114 or send an e-mail to sextantfinancials@yahoo.com.

No Man Is An Island

“No man is an island. No man stands alone.” I will always remember singing that song in a choir competition in high school. It is a valuable message, always relevant. As I examine the things that have kept and are keeping me back in my business goals, it has become even more clear to me that the longer I keep doing everything myself the longer it will take to get where I want to go, no matter how hard I work. No one accomplishes great things all on their own.

I have seen the destructive consequences of a business owner relying solely on their own efforts to run their business. Ego, stubbornness and lack of education will stunt all potential. Everybody needs a team – and not only entrepreneurs. But for people in business for themselves especially, it is important to be willing and able to delegate responsibilities. Nobody is good at everything. Nobody knows all things. It takes humility, wisdom, and even common sense sometimes, to be willing to acknowledge our shortcomings.

For many of us it’s easier to contribute to other people than to allow others to contribute to us. But if you look at the greatest business leaders who are nearly universally admired, they all give credit to some mentor or colleague(s) – other people, whose input helped them to succeed. Working with a good team or partner allows you to leverage everyone’s time and get more accomplished. It also allows other people to fill in for your deficiencies.

Ego can cause a person to resist getting help in their business but so can past experiences. At a recent real estate event an investor warned me profusely about going into partnerships. He insisted on the importance of doing everything yourself. I’ve seen instagram posts regarding the same sentiment. Yes, when we put ourselves out there to trust someone else, with it comes the opportunity to be burned. But clinging to the past just keeps you stuck there. And you, the business owner, will waste time and money doing tasks that don’t generate income and can easily be done by somebody else.

I have spent a lot of time trying to find reliable help from people I know but find it frustrating as I discover that they are either not serious or mistake my offer as a request for advice. But I know I need help if I am ever going to really soar. So I have decided to invest in a virtual assistant. It suits my mobile lifestyle, is economical and there is no previous relationship baggage. It’s very straightforward.

In my corporate life I was able to increase both productivity and profitability of organizations by transforming the environment through team building. I know what can be accomplished with the right talents and the right leadership. I know it is impossible to build something great all alone.