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Do you know where your money is?

10/30/2014

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A recent survey by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America found that millennial women ages 25 – 34 have the highest interest among all age groups in learning about financial planning and financial concepts. These same women often do not put this interest into action because they feel as if they are not at the proper stage to worry about financial planning, or they let their significant others handle it. 


In fact, 39% of millennial respondents who are in a relationship say they let their partner focus on the investing. To these women: A) It’s never too early to start planning for your fiscal future, and B) Be an active part of your finances. If your partner handles the bills gain a basic understanding of where your hard earned money is going, and make sure you agree with the plan. Here are a few easy first steps that can help you get on the right track:

1. Write down everything that you owe- mortgage/rent, student loans, car payments, etc. Write down your payment schedules for each, what you’re paying in interest, how much you make, and what you spend weekly on things like gas, groceries, utilities, and other necessities. 

2. Make goals to plan for better financial success in the future. What is important to you? It could be saving up for your child’s tuition, travel, or a house. Take note because these are goals you want to start putting money away for. 

3. Budget. I know it’s hard. Life is full of temptations, but those little spur-of-the-moment purchases add up. Make a plan and stick to it. 

4. Emergency Stash. This goes along with budgeting, but get into the habit of saving 10% of your monthly income to have something to fall back on. A good rule of thumb is to have three months of expenses saved up in case of an emergency. 

5. Get the most out of your employee benefits. That’s what they’re there for, right?? For example, if your company matches what you put into your 401(k) plan, make sure you’re putting a significant amount into it.  

6. Never be afraid to ask! Planning for financial success can be incredibly stressful, and is not always taught- recent graduates often feel overwhelmed by the thought. Don’t be afraid to ask for help whether it be from parents or from a financial planner, use your resources. I know some young women feel they aren’t in a financial position to get a planner, but it can really help. Do some research to find a consultant that fits your budget and your needs.

Don’t put planning your financial future off. It can be really difficult budgeting, saving up money, and paying off debt, so mapping out a strategy is crucial. Take the time to write down what you want and put it into action, it’s your future at stake.  

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/millennial-women-show-strong-interest-143000658.html

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What's the big idea?

10/23/2014

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What’s the big idea?” Do you remember hearing that phrase when you were growing up? It was usually asked by someone in authority who was questioning what you were thinking when you got into trouble. It’s such a simple and powerful phrase — people ask that question of themselves well into adulthood. It haunts us when we are considering taking a risk and doing something we have never tried before. It’s there when we have a great idea but we don’t tell anyone for fear they will say we’re crazy or foolish.

How many dreams do we put aside because we are afraid of what people might think if they saw us trying and it didn’t work out? No one ever wants people to witness them fail. I remember my friend, Chris, never learned to jump rope as a kid because she was so embarrassed every time she fell in front of her friends. That kind of hesitation doesn’t end in childhood — especially for women. Thanks to the fear of stumbling, women are less likely to negotiate for the promotion they want and the salary they need.

I recently talked with a very successful woman who said she had an idea for starting her own company but she couldn’t get up the courage to tell anyone about it. She didn’t want people to know that she had absolutely no knowledge of how to start a business. She works at a senior level in a large corporation but doesn’t have exposure to actually operating the financial end of things. She felt she should already have the information and that people would think less of her if she asked anyone for help. I know people who want to write a book, run for public office, change careers, learn to dance, but they don’t. Why? Because the voice in their head tells them it’s not ok to even try. Because after all — Who do you think you are? What’s the big idea?

Here are a few thoughts on how to make the voice of doubt go away:

1. Write down what everything will look and feel like once you have successfully achieved your goal. Describe in as much detail as possible where you will be living, who you will be surrounded by, how much money you will have in the bank, etc. Often the reason people feel foolish when they talk about something they want to do is that they haven’t really thought through what getting to the end goal really looks like. I’ve noticed that the greatest successes in life happen when someone can actually envision and describe what it is they want.

2. Make a list of what is in the way of your dream and consider all the actions you can take to overcome them. You have to change what you are spending time on if you want a different outcome. Too often the excuse, “I don’t have time,” becomes a barrier. If this is the case, make a list of five things you will stop putting energy into right now to free up your time to pursue your dream. If you can’t stop all five at once, commit to stopping one item each week and replacing it with tasks related to getting what you want.

3. Your idea, passion and desire to try something different need to be let out of your head. Isolation kills dreams. Dreams not shared are seldom realized. Seek out someone who successfully did what you are thinking of doing. It won’t be surprising to learn that they wrestled with the same doubts and fears. Since they are successful, they will most likely be enthusiastic. To make the leap from “Who do you think you are” to “ I can do anything” you need encouragement and affirmation. You need to change the conversation in your head.

4. List the worst things that can happen if you try what you want to do and it doesn’t work out. Then ask yourself if you think you can live through it.

5. Eliminate the following phrases from your vocabulary: I’ll try, I wish, I can’t, I should. Instead use more of these: I will, I can, I did.

Here’s the big idea: Live a life that you love — you deserve it.

Anne Saile is an award-winning CEO, entrepreneur, executive coach, author and owner of the Saile Group LLC, a leadership and business consulting company. For more information, visit sailegroup.com.





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Be Significant

10/20/2014

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Every year KeyBank hosts a Key4Women Forum focusing on issues of interest to women. This year’s speaker was Rebecca “Becky” Halstead, a retired Brigadier General who founded her own leadership consultancy company, STEADFAST Leadership. She spoke about how we must be able to lead ourselves before we can lead others by being clear and confident about our own leadership behavior and principles. 

One principle she spoke about was, “going beyond success, and being significant.” This important point made me pause and consider how easy it is to fall into the trap of focusing so much on success, work-life balance, breaking the glass ceiling, etc., that it’s easy to lose focus of finding ways to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

There are always opportunities to help those around you, but we often miss them because we are too focused on the next task. I was at a conference for five days last week, almost 3000 miles from home, and as I was walking to the first meeting of the day, I got a message that a friend of mine had died. I hardly knew anyone at the meeting. No one knew me let alone my friend. A woman I had just met approached me and instead of hurrying to her seat, she asked me if I was having a good morning – she surprised me by waiting for the answer. 

Without realizing how much I needed her empathy, I looked up at her with tears in my eyes. Through her taking the time to listen, I felt the heaviness of my news lighten a little. How many times do we ask people how they are only to be out of sight before they even get to answer us? The act of kindness she displayed by stopping to ask, and caring about my answer, made a world of difference to me. What she did was significant. 

She became significant to me because she will forever be a memory of someone showing compassion when I needed it most. Everyday we have the opportunity to make some small gesture that can positively alter someone else’s day. It can be as easy as smiling, or asking someone how they are and actually listening to the answer. Halstead says, “You’ll never regret smiling at someone on the street. Something so small can make someone feel so good, so why not do it?” With striving to improve our careers and reach the top, it’s good to take the retired Brigadier General’s advice and remember to work towards being significant, too.

Significance is so much better than just success. Halstead covers this poignant topic in her book, 24/7 The First Person You Must Lead Is You.

Categories: General, Leadership, Success

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5 Ways to Make Public Speaking Easier

10/16/2014

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The fall season seems to be loaded with events where people are asked to go to the podium and say a few words or give an acceptance speech for an award. Public speaking is not always the easiest thing to master, but there are hundreds of tips and tricks to help you become an effective speaker. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. First, promise yourself that you will be amazing, that the talk you will give will be your best, and then get to work on preparing to make that a reality. Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for it. Ask for help in creating your remarks if you feel at a loss for what to say.

2. Write down what you want your audience to take away from your presentation. If you could hear them sum up your speech in two sentences, what would they say? Chances are if you have done enough public speaking, you have delivered at least one talk that had no point at all … and it didn’t feel good.

3. Insert a quote or tell a relevant story (it makes everything more interesting).

4. Write out what you want to say. It’s best to speak without reading anything; but if you must read, do these three things:
  • Have a friend read aloud to you what you have written so that you can hear what your talk sounds like. This will prompt you to come up with edits to make certain points clearer.
  • Type your remarks using 19-point font, and type no more than two-thirds down the page. This way you will be keeping your chin up and not looking down to the bottom of the page while up at the podium. It also makes it appear that you aren’t totally reading from your remarks.
  • Record your remarks into your phone (assuming you have the app). Play your remarks in the car, or use your ear buds to listen whenever you can as a quick and easy way to get what you want to say imprinted in your mind. Memorizing your presentation helps you feel more confident when you’re speaking. No one wants to be nervous about public speaking AND forget what he or she is trying to say…
5. When you are on stage speak naturally, speak slowly, and remember that people don’t really rememberwhat you say as much as they remember how you say it. Everyone in the audience wants you to do well. Look out into the crowd and know that they are rooting for you to do a great job. Breathe, smile, and take charge of the room. Remember to keep your remarks within the time frame you were given- people don’t mind if your comments are too brief, but they never forget if you go on for too long.

Categories: Business Development , Client Relations , General , Leadership , Presentations | More

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National Coming Out Day

10/9/2014

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National Coming Out Day was founded on October 11, 1988, in celebration of the second gay march on Washington D.C. a year earlier. The purpose of the march and of National Coming Out Day is to promote awareness of gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender issues and to celebrate being LGBT. Although National Coming Out Day is a time to celebrate gay pride, many choose this day to come out to their parents, friends, co-workers, and themselves. I plan to celebrate this day as an ally; I am the parent of a gay child, and a friend of countless LGBT individuals. 

Why does National Coming Out Day matter? One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is one in ten. An astounding 92% of LGBT individuals hear negative messages about their sexual orientation (HRC Youth Survey Report). Because every person deserves to live and work in a safe and accepting environment, I am encouraging my friends and colleagues to support the effort, to not be a bystander when someone uses language like “oh that’s so gay,” and to step in and say something if someone is being bullied in the workplace or at school.

When an LGBT person or their parent wants to talk to you about an issue, don’t shy away because you are afraid you might say the wrong thing. Silence and isolation are far worse than having a conversation or showing that you care, even if you don’t feel like you have the right words. I have friends who have admitted they don’t know how to talk to me about having a gay child because they fear they will say the wrong thing. To that I say, have the conversation and ask me questions. By being more open, we become more informed, our society becomes more accepting, and more active allies are born. According to the HRC Youth Survey Report, 42% of LGBT youth feel that the communities in which they live are not accepting, and 33% feel that their families are not accepting. National Coming Out Day isn’t about setting aside a day to “come out,” it’s about raising awareness and supporting the LGBT community – they are our family, neighbors, and our coworkers. 

Almost everyone has a story about coming out, or about the day a family member or co-worker came out. What’s yours? Share it with us. Chances are we will all be stronger allies because of it.

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Make your resume count

10/2/2014

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We’ve all been there - spending hours looking over our resume trying to decide what verb to use, what should go where, and adjusting the margins to make it all fit. It can be really difficult creating a one-page document that reflects your working career to-date. Trust me, I get it, but a solid resume can really help you standout from the rest of the applicant pool.

Some people opt for having their resumes done professionally, which can be helpful, but you have to reread it after to ensure that it really reflects your work history. I had someone apply for a job in my company several years ago, and noticed a section on the second page stating that he had been an airline pilot. I thought this was interesting given he didn’t do it for very long, had no training in that field, and the job he was applying for was more of a customer relations position. It turned out that the company he had hired to do his resume made a mistake and cut and pasted his experience into a template, inadvertently leaving in the pilot experience from the previous client’s resume. He didn’t realize this mistake had occurred until I asked him about it during the interview. If he couldn’t pay attention to the details on his own resume, how much attention would he give to his work?

Resumes are the first impression a future employer gets of you, so really make it count. Make sure your resume directly reflects yourself and your work history as best as you can. Yes, you want to make it interesting, but you don’t want to get caught in a false claim. Proofreading is key!


Categories: General, Public Image, Success, Work Environment

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    Anne Saile

    Management Expert, Executive Coach, Columnist, Strategic Networker

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