Book Promo ~ Money Does Grow on Trees

Shoe Salesgirl Turned Millionaire
Shares Her Secrets on
How to Find Money Growing on ‘Trees’

Money Does Grow on Trees:
The Myths We Create and Live By

Once there was a hard-working shoe salesgirl who, in her own words, “despised money” and all that it represented. Not exactly the backstory you might expect from someone who became a millionaire and now wants to help you do the same. But Esra Banguoglu Ogut is now convinced that the only things standing in our way are our own self-created limitations. She spells it all out in her new book, Money Does Grow on Trees: The Myths We Create and Live By.

ABUNDANCE AWAITS TO BECOME YOU…

We have been told over and over again:

We have less because others have more…Really?
If we are materialistic, we can’t be spiritual…Really?
The rich are the root of all evil…Really?
If we are not successful, we are not worthy…Really?
Only this way works…Really?
Money doesn’t grow on trees…Really?

“It is kind of ironic that what limited me and what I despised the most, money, ended up being my access point to realizing how powerful each of us are in creating our own realities,” Ogut writes. “We are like mini-gods in action all the time, whether we realize it or not.”

She awakened to her own power to create prosperity when she finally realized that she was unconsciously going out of her way to limit it. At that moment, it dawned on her that abundance is a matter of choice for each of us. People choose it or reject it based on what they have come to believe about money.

Ogut is part of a new generation of prosperity leaders. Her unique approach to manifesting abundance and dismantling self-imposed limitations travels to the core of who we are and why we make the choices we do.

In this book you will find stories — both successes and failures — from her life and many other examples from clients she worked with over a decade.

She encourages us to take responsibility for having created our own limitations, which is the first bridge to finding the true inner power needed to transform them … ultimately giving birth to our sovereignty.

About the Author

As a transformational coach and yoga teacher, Esra B. Ogut has helped people worldwide discover their power to live the life they choose. She shows them how to experience their own abundance through one-on-one coaching and workshops. Along with her husband and business partner, author and transformational coach Aykut “Ike” Ogut, Esra pioneered transformational coaching in Turkey.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Turkey’s Bosphorus University and a film and television certificate from UCLA, and she is also a certified instructor of kundalini yoga. Esra resides with her husband in Los Angeles and Kauai, where they work online to train coaches around the world while continuing to write.

For additional information, please visit www.ikeandesranow.com.

Money Does Grow on Trees: The Myths We Create and Live By

Publisher: Ayra
Release Date: September 6, 2021
ISBN-10: ‎1735593419
ISBN-13: 978-1735593418

Available for pre-order on Amazon.com

New Year’s Resolutions

Want To Make Your New Year’s Resolution Stick?

Choose Your Words Well

Most people are unaware of just how powerful their words are. The words we speak actually create what we experience in life. Powerhouse CEO, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and author May McCarthy can attest to that. In the past 32 years, May has grown six highly profitable companies to as large as 250 employees. She credits her success, financial abundance and happiness to seven steps she practices every morning. One of those steps involves setting goals and resolutions with statements that are carefully worded to help her achieve more of her goals, dreams, and desires by activating her subconscious and intuition.

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”  Oprah Winfrey

“More often than not, we believe we are setting good New Year’s resolutions with statements like: I want to increase my salary this year; I will get a new job; I want to find the love of my life; I want to lose 20 pounds. According to May McCarthy, you are not likely to meet your goals with statements like those. Because they affirm the idea that you do not yet have what you want, they will actually keep you stuck in the lack you believe you are experiencing. Modify those statements, however, with specifics and in gratitude for your goals as though they are already complete, and the world you want is more likely to be yours,” says May, an Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, and Investor .

If you were to say, “I want to increase my salary,” you will forever be wanting, because you are declaring that you don’t have enough and you are not specific enough about your goal. If, on the other hand, you decided exactly how much you would like to net, you could rephrase your goal to something like, “I’m so grateful that I have overflowing amounts of abundance in my life with a minimum of $x that I use for all of my living, giving and entertainment expenses and more.  I am fully supported and provided for at all times in all ways.”

If you were to say, “I don’t like my job. I want to find another one,” you’ll probably be wishing it for quite a while. On the other hand, the assertion, “I am so grateful that I am now using my skills and talents in remarkable, fun, and satisfying ways to support my company’s efforts towards success.  I feel appreciated by my company and easily earn a minimum of $x. I enjoy all of my co-workers and customers and feel that they value me as well,” will more likely land you that plum job, whatever it may be.

Change “I want to find the love of my life,” to “I am so grateful that I am now experiencing a wonderful relationship with my perfect and loving partner, who is also my best friend. We have fun together and have similar values.  All of my friends and family adore him/her and his/her family appreciates me. We build a wonderful life together as we support and love each other fully,” and watch the magic happen.

Choosing the right words to declare your intention is just one of seven steps May suggests for attaining abundance.  To be most effective in activating your subconscious and intuition to help you see more opportunities to achieve your goals, the seven steps should be practiced daily. You can begin this New Year’s by phrasing your resolutions to describe the good you want to have so that you can realize it sooner.

May McCarthy has spent 32 years uncovering the mystery of how to rely on intuition to experience great levels of success, financial abundance, and freedom. She is a successful serial entrepreneur, CEO, angel investor, philanthropist, speaker, and author who has grown six highly profitable companies to as large as 250 employees. She serves on business, philanthropic, arts and university boards and is the author of the best-selling book THE PATH TO WEALTH: Seven Spiritual Steps for Financial Abundance (Hierphant Publishing 2015).

www.MayMcCarthy.com

###

Amazon

Barnes&Noble

Book Review: Conquer Change and Win By Ralph Masengill

Conquer Change And Win:
Learn How To Embrace Change To Live A Happier,
More Fulfilled Life

Learn what 90% of Americans have no clue about.  Be the last person standing in the room by knowing how change affects our emotions and feelings.  Conquer Change and Win will show you how to control your reaction to those emotions and feelings that all change always causes. The result will be a happier and more fulfilled life.  This information will give you a leg up on making more money and having less stress in your life.

Every one of us is constantly affected by change. Change never stops, and no matter if it’s positive change or not, our first reaction is usually fear. The truly successful people of the world have a good understanding of change and how to make it work to their advantage. In his latest book, Conquer Change and Win, best-selling author Ralph Masengill gives readers an easy-to-read, fun book about the serious subject of change.

In forty-plus years as a consultant, coach, advisor and public relations strategist, Masengill has observed that successful people share two characteristics. First, they are willing to take a calculated risk and endorse positive change on a regular basis. Secondly, they have learned how change affects their emotions and how to overcome the fear of change.

“I believe the happiest and most successful people do not necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have,” Masengill says. He urges readers to choose change. “It is the path to true happiness and business success. Understanding how change works can alter your life for the better and give you a solid advantage.”

An advisor, coach, marketing expert, business consultant and public relations strategist, Masengill understands how companies work from within. He has the wisdom of one who has made the journey of sustained success himself, leavened by an ethics-based philosophy of helping others and the community around him. Masengill’s life story is one of personal challenge, tragedy, and triumph. His professional career has been defined by great success in both the private and public sectors. His agency, Masengill Marketing Associates, has won over 850 national and regional advertising and marketing awards.

One of the original change agents in the United States, Masengill and his team have been observing change and showing business leaders that embracing and understanding positive change is the sure route to effective quality improvement and substantial profit enhancement for decades. This extensive experience formed the basis for Conquer Change and Win, his second book.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Masengill’s postgraduate work includes the Dr. W. Edwards Deming course on quality and quality management. He and his wife Dianne live near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. They have four grown children, two dogs and a cat. Masengill enjoys woodworking, oil painting, sailing and helping with his favorite charities in his spare time.

For more information, please visit http://conquerchangeandwin.com

Conquer Change and Win
By Ralph Masengill
Available at fine bookstores everywhere, at the author’s website,
Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble
ISBN:  978-1515191872

###

Reviews:

The Editors of CreateSpace, an Amazon.com company: “…As author Ralph Masengill Jr. observes, death and taxes aren’t the only things certain in life. Change is a given too. Understanding and managing change can help you succeed both at work and in your personal life. People who know how to deal with change are happier and less stressed out, and they make better decisions….In entertaining, jargon-free language…[Conquer Change And Win] demonstrates how to transform the way you think about change, become a better decision maker, and seize every chance for success.”

Richard H. Roberts, Tennessee Commissioner of Revenue, member of the Governor’s Cabinet: “…a valuable roadmap to the one thing in life that we are certain to experience….Change! The points in your book confirm my own experience; I wish I had been as organized in my thinking and understanding. The quotes and anecdotes were especially interesting, and kept the text moving….”

Chet LaFountaine, Retired, BASF Corporation: “…Ralph Masengill has truly captured the collective wisdom about ‘change’….Thinking back over my 35 years of industrial management experience, I quickly realize how this book would have been a tremendous help to me, personally, and to the process of our change efforts.  At whatever stage of life you are in, take time to read, enjoy and learn from this book.”

Raymond Clark, AIA, INCARB, KCP Architects, LLC.: “Human history, if nothing else, is a study in Change….yet we resist it, we fear it, we try to control it, we ignore it, and many times we try to pretend it doesn’t exist. This book, by Ralph Masengill Jr., takes us through all the fears and resistance and shows us how we can ride the waves of Change to the promised land of acceptance, success, peace and happiness.”

Brian Broyles, Director of Development, The University of Tennessee, The Haslam School of Business: “….Ralph is able to mix expertise, fact and even a little humor (some at his own expense) not only to teach, but to also tell a story to the reader. Time and time again I found myself having these ‘aha’ moments of clarity because Ralph was able to mold his principles into simple, constructive lessons. Each chapter builds on the previous ones, which makes for a simple, straightforward approach to implementing change – personally and professionally….[a] delightful read that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in improving their own life and/or their company’s well-being.”

Jeffrey C. Taylor, Lawyer and founder of Taylor Law Firm: “…Conquer Change and Win provides user friendly examples and models that inspire and equip the reader to be a Change Agent to enhance the lives of their families, employees and themselves.  Masengill’s approach to Conquering Change is articulate, well informed and when properly applied could yield enormous victory.”

Lynn Elkins, Retired educator, higher education administrator and former director of Tennessee College of Applied Technology: “….The truth is evident on every page. Anyone who wants to succeed with an organization or managing people would profit by putting into practice Mr. Masengill’s proven experiences and making them one’s own.….The message in this book provides the correct guidance to tremendous achievement at all levels of any organization.”

Earnest Walker, Ed.D, Director of Educational Leadership and Assistant Professor of Education, Carson Newman University: “….Even though change happens with every tick of the clock the vast majority of people still have difficulty understanding why it happens. Conquer Change and Win by Ralph Masengill presents helpful approaches to learning more about change, and provides interesting ways to successfully manage the change process.”

 

Common Sense Answers to Difficult Questions

Illusions Of Wealth Brings Investors Common-Sense Answers To Difficult Questions About Investing

An understanding of how money, economics and investing work in our country is essential for anyone concerned about their future. In Illusions of Wealth by Doug Eberhardt, he provides the framework for making better choices.

“I hope to give my readers the awareness and confidence they need to develop investment strategies on their own,” he says. “To keep your wealth from being an illusion, you must possess the ability to adjust your portfolio as the economic and investment climates change. I want to grant you control of your future and your wealth.”

Because an inadequate education system may have failed to teach us how to invest, we relinquish control to advisors who may or may not have our best interests at heart. This book is written to bring readers the awareness, confidence and insight necessary to overcome the future panics, crashes, and crises that will inevitably arise, and teach them how to profit whether the market is rising or falling.

Investors need to ask themselves these types of questions: What are the economic conditions on the horizon that can affect your wealth? Why do you invest the way you do? Who do you trust for investment advice, and why? How much do they make from their recommendations to you? Did they protect your portfolio during the last financial crisis? Is another financial crisis around the corner? How have you structured your portfolio differently to protect your wealth if we were to experience another economic downturn?

Doug Eberhardt is the author of the precious metals investment book Buy Gold and Silver Safely. Doug has been in the investment management business for over 30 years and is now sharing his years of research and discovery, accurately pinpointing economic and investment conditions for his readers.

For more information, please visit http://illusionsofwealth.com
Illusions of Wealth
Available online everywhere
ISBN: 978-0982586136
###

 

Book Review: Red Kool-Aid, Blue Kool Aid by Leonard A Zwelling, MD, MBA

Red Kool Aid Blue Kool Aid: What Really Happened To The Promise Of Obamacare

For better or worse, the Affordable Care Act will be an important piece of Barack Obama’s legacy. Leonard Zwelling, MD, sheds light on little-known details of perhaps one of the most controversial legislative efforts during Obama’s term in office in Red Kool Aid Blue Kool Aid:  How Partisan Politics and Greed Undermined ObamaCare (Franklin Scribes Publishers).

Red Kool Aid Blue Kool Aid is the dizzying memoir of Dr. Zwelling’s experience on Capitol Hill as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation health policy fellow, struggling to bring some medicine and science to a highly politicized environment of big money and bigger politics. In the process, the details of the city of Washington, DC and its Byzantine operation are revealed. The forces influencing legislation are never discussed on the TV news shows and rarely in the press at all, he points out.

Leonard Zwelling, MD, MBA, is board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. He has cared for patients and done laboratory research for most of his 40+ year medical career. He was also a medical administrator, overseeing the largest infrastructure for cancer research in the world for more than ten years as the Vice President for Research Administration at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Additionally, he was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation health policy fellow serving on the minority staff of the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Dr. Zwelling is currently an author, speaker, teacher and consultant.

Red Kool Aid Blue Kool Aid: How Partisan Politics and Greed Undermined the Value of ObamaCare
By Leonard A. Zwelling, MD, MBA
Published by Franklin Scribes
Available at http://www.amazon.com/RED-KOOL-AID-BLUE-Leonard-Zwelling/dp/1941516106

 ISBN-13:  978-1941516102

###

Reviews

Richard Andrassy, Amazon.com reviewer: “This is the educational experience of an exceptionally well trained and respected physician thrown into the ‘reality’ of Washington politics. As physicians, we try to go from the large differential diagnosis to the most likely cause as fast as possible. Not true in Law or Politics. I learned a lot about the games in Washington by reading this book. I think it will be eye opening to many physicians. We aren’t considered big players in Washington and we are surely not organized within our own ranks. This book is not only educational, but easy to read and keeps your attention. Whether you are Red or Blue or ‘in-between,’ you will enjoy the candid report of a physician’s year on the Hill.  Entertaining, enlightening and exasperating.”

John F. Mills, Amazon.com reviewer: “Finally the truth…Dr. Zwelling uncovers the theme of the forces in play that gave birth to ObamaCare…money and petit politics had more to do with the bill than did improving the state of health care in America. Furthermore, the way legislation is supposed to be passed was subverted and most of the legislators apparently never even read the bill. It’s here. It’s clear. It’s frightening.”

Financial Planning Process

How To Lead The Ideal Life Without
Becoming As Broke As The Joneses
Your Values Should Be A Driving Force Behind
Money Decisions, Financial Planner Says

It’s human to feel envious when a neighbor drives up in an expensive new car or posts photos online of a two-week European vacation.

But when you let that envy drive your decisions about spending money, you could be headed for financial trouble – the same kind of trouble the seemingly affluent neighbor already may be facing.

“Too many people get caught up in accumulating things and projecting an image of success,” says Brad Berger, author of the book “Stop Trying to Keep Up With the Joneses – They’re Broke Anyway” (www.LiveYourIdealLife.com).

“Often they make decisions based on how other people lead their lives and the image those people project. But in many cases, the people you think have money because of the cars they drive, the homes they live in or the vacations they take, may be barely scraping by.”

Such people create an illusion of wealth because they live extravagantly today, but lack any coherent plan for tomorrow, says Berger, who also is a managing partner and owner of Cornerstone Financial Strategies in Tacoma, Wash.

They let someone else’s values, rather than theirs, determine their financial choices.

“The secret to success is determining what you – not someone else – want to achieve and then figuring out what it’s going to take to achieve that,” Berger says. “Living in alignment with your values doesn’t automatically bring on the good life, but it becomes the foundation that guides future decisions about what you want to pursue.”

Berger says people’s needs and concerns are too individual for one-size-fits-all financial advice. Instead, he says, you should strive to live your ideal life through a financial planning process that:

•  Aligns your financial choices with your goals and values. “It is important to understand what drives your decisions,” Berger says. “I regularly double check to make sure any action I am about to take is in alignment with what is important to me. In other words, I ask whether my action is in keeping with my values or takes me further away from them.”

•  Gets your entire financial house in order. Not only do you want that financial house in order, you want to keep it that way forever. That’s easy to say, but more difficult to do. Part of this means focusing on your values and setting goals based on them. But it also involves planning and figuring out what the best investment strategies would be. And then it’s important to regularly monitor what you’ve done to see if adjustments need to be made.

•  Gives you confidence. You want to feel that, no matter what happens in the markets, the economy or the world, you will be on track toward your goals. Financial planning isn’t just about investing in the stock market, Berger says. You also need to manage risks, plan for retirement, develop a comprehensive tax plan and put in place a plan to take care of your family after you are gone.

•  Frees up mental and physical space and time. Ideally, your plan will give you the peace of mind to stop focusing so much on money and what it can buy, and instead home in on the things in your life that are more important. “I have learned that the accumulation of shiny objects does not lead to happiness,” Berger says.

Even when you finish setting up your financial plan, you aren’t finished.

“Financial planning is not a destination; it’s a journey,” Berger says. “I’m constantly monitoring and tweaking my own plan. As I accomplish goals, I regularly add new ones. I adjust to changes in the market and to estate laws and taxes.

“The plan evolves as my family needs change. There is always some way to improve it.”

About Brad Berger

Brad Berger, a managing partner and owner of Cornerstone Financial Strategies LLC (www.LiveYourIdealLife.com) in Tacoma, Wash., is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional with more than two decades of experience. He also is the author of the book “Stop Trying to Keep Up With the Joneses – They’re Broke Anyway: A Financial Planner’s Guide to Living Your Ideal Life.” He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as a Scout Platoon Leader in Berlin, Germany, during the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Financial Planning and Investment Advice offered through Financial Advocates Investment Management, a Registered Investment Advisor, DBA Cornerstone Financial Strategies LLC and a separate entity from LPL Financial.

Talking to Your Family about Money

6 Ways To Talk About Money With Your Family
Finance Cuts To Our Emotional Roots, Money Professional Says

When we think about money, let’s be honest – we’re not talking about just money, but also a host of related consequences and deeply felt emotions, says retirement specialist Lee Stoerzinger.

“Money cuts to the emotional roots of every human issue,” says Stoerzinger, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, head of Lee Stoerzinger, Inc.,(www.leestoerzinger.com) and author of “On The Back Burner.”

“In my years of advising, I’ve come to understand that when we talk about money, we’re layering in fear, spirit and soul. When we strip away the facts and figures, money is all very emotional. We can’t really make progress until we understand those emotions. I have found that most people don’t necessarily want to be rich—they just don’t want to be poor. Isn’t that what we all want – security?”

Stoerzinger, who says he began to see money in a new way after adopting two children from Haiti and who has helped streamline adoption efforts for other Haitian children to American families, offers ways adult children may speak to their retired or retiring family members about money.

• Start by appreciating storytelling. We communicate with one another through storytelling, and if you want to learn more about yourself, then listen to your family stories. Don’t be afraid to get your parents talking – about how they met, their first or worst job, what the economy was like when they were younger, etc. For many, talk about money is tough because families often are not communicative in general. Get to know your folks better. While you have gotten older and developed your own sense of self, you may be shocked to learn how much you have in common. Appreciate the stories and try to make for a comfortable environment, such as dinner.

• Be true to your feelings. Let your parents know how you really feel (the good and the not so good). Your feelings will outlive your parents. Let them out now, while there is time to resolve them. Clear things up and be honest. It’s good to do some spiritual housekeeping.

• Appreciate their plight and express compassion. Let them know you recognize the efforts they have made in this world. It’s very powerful to be able to say to someone, “I understand.” Everyone has sins, mistakes, failures, pain and guilt. Though you were not around to observe, your parents endured broken hearts and tough circumstances, too. They did the best they could. Let them know you “get it.” You may not approve of their actions, but you can certainly understand them.

• Be thankful out loud with gratitude. These are, after all, the people who toilet trained you. Thank them for giving you life. Think of the good times and appreciate the opportunities they provided. Vacations, education, special outings, bicycles, time together, a room of your own—let them know how grateful you are for these things. “I’m willing to bet there were times when you as a child were neither loveable nor available,” Stoerzinger says. “Their love is ultimately unconditional.”

• Apologize and make amends. We’re all capable of being mean. Whatever it is, take responsibility for your actions. A genuine “I’m sorry” allows two people to talk through a situation. This will be hard, but you won’t regret it. Sometimes it’s better to be kind than right.

• Let forgiveness in. Resentment gets us nowhere. Forgiveness is humbling in any relationship, and it helps to say, “I love you so much and I am willing to set aside my pride in order to remain in your company.” Let’s move on to more important things. Forgiveness keeps us together, even when opinions clash. In the case of profound hurts, forgiveness can be a way to heal and move on. The pain may never be resolved, but at least we can gather our dignity.

About Lee Stoerzinger

Since 1993, Lee Stoerzinger, CFP®, has dedicated his professional life to the study of finance, and to helping people become financially independent. His perspective on “true wealth” involves celebrating what we already have, honoring our commitments and helping those who need it most. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1992 with a bachelor of arts in cumulative finance, Lee began his career as an independent financial representative at his firm, Lee Stoerzinger, Inc., (www.leestoerzinger.com). Lee is a registered rep with SII Investments, Inc. A self-proclaimed “student of the world,” especially faith, history and politics, he spends much of his time trying to figure out “what it all means.” He savors his time with his wife, two children and a wonderful community of genuine friends.

About Lisa Quast

5 Tips For Reducing Stress
The Day Of Your Job Interview
Little Things Can Easily Derail Your Big Moment
If You Don’t Prepare, Says Career Coach

After months of responding to job postings, you finally land an interview.

This could be a pivotal moment in your life and career so it’s natural to feel nervous. But there’s no reason to let stress rule the day, says Lisa Quast, author of the book “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want Every Time” (www.careerwomaninc.com).

“Life routinely throws us curves, and that’s just as likely to happen on your job-interview day as any other day,” Quast says. “Traffic could be bad. You might spill something on the blouse you planned to wear. Any number of things could go wrong that aren’t directly related to the interview, but can knock you off your game.”

While it’s not possible to anticipate every scenario, Quast says a little preparation can help you keep the anxiety level manageable.

She offers these tips for navigating your interview day as stress free as possible:

•  Know where you need to go. Don’t wait until right before an interview to make sure you have the correct address and phone number. Verify these online by checking the company website a few days ahead of time. You also should download driving directions or program the address into your smart phone or GPS to find potential routes and estimated drive times. “When in doubt, do a trial run,” Quast says. “You can drive there the weekend before to get the lay of the land and see where to park.” Don’t rely on technology alone. Always have a hard copy with the address and driving directions, just in case GPS or the smartphone fails you.

•  Obtain the correctly spelled name of the interviewer. And remember, bring a printout of the job posting. “It always surprises me how many people show up for a job interview and can’t remember the name of the hiring manager or even the job title of the position they’re interviewing for,” Quast says. “Don’t be one of those people.”

•  Schedule enough time for the interview. Block your calendar so you won’t need to rush from one job interview to the next, or go straight to another appointment or back to work. “The interview could take much longer than you think going in,” Quast says. For example, if things are going well, you might be asked to interview with others in the organization. Be sure to schedule ample time in case you need to stay longer. “You don’t want to be stealing quick glances at your watch when you should be listening to what the hiring manager is saying,” Quast says.

•  Turn off your cell phone. “When I say off, I mean off,” Quast says. “Don’t put it on vibrate.” The reason, she says, is that almost everyone can hear a cell phone vibrating in a purse, briefcase or pocket. You will be aware that a call is coming in for you. The people interviewing you will be aware. And you will be aware that they are aware.

•  Take a bathroom break before the interview. Use the restroom before you leave your house and avoid too much coffee or other liquids shortly before your interview. If you need to use the bathroom when you arrive at the company, ask the receptionist to point you to them before he or she informs the hiring manager that you have arrived.

“One additional thing you can do is give yourself a pep talk before the interview,” Quast says. “Mentally remind yourself of all the things you plan to do during the interview, the points you want to make about your experience and the questions you have about the company.

“You may not be able to eliminate all the butterflies, but your preparation should help reduce the stress and let you concentrate on making the most of the opportunity.”

About Lisa Quast

Lisa Quast is a career coach, a business consultant and author of the book  “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want Every Time” (www.careerwomaninc.com). 

As a former Fortune 500 executive who climbed from the lowest rung of the career ladder, Lisa has a unique, comprehensive perspective on what it takes to achieve professional success. Lisa shares her insight and expertise on all areas of job searching, hiring and navigating the workplace in regular columns for Forbes.com and The Seattle Times and frequently contributes to nationally published articles.

Her female-focused career blog won the 2012 and 2010 Stevie Awards for “Blog of the Year” and her first book “Your Career, Your Way” has received several accolades. In 2014, Lisa released her second book “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach,” which shares all of her inside knowledge on how to conduct a successful job search. In it, she divulges the secrets she shares with her coaching clients to help them find and get a job they love with a 100% success rate.

Women & Their Financial Future

5 Steps Women Should Consider Making to Take Control of their Financial Future

When it comes to women and money, there is some good news, says Lance Drucker, ChFC, CLU, a veteran financial professional.

On average, women are more independent and financially literate than ever before, he says. On the other hand, Prudential’s eighth biennial study titled Financial Experience & Behavior Among Women recently revealed that women are no more likely to make sound financial decisions today than two years ago – or even when the study began 10 years ago.

“When women are more involved with their own finances, they feel more in control of their independence and are generally happier, but many seem to suffer a disconnect between what they want in their financial future and their spending habits,” says Drucker, CEO and president of the New York City-based Drucker Wealth Management, (www.DruckerWealth.com), a firm that specializes in empowering women to make sound financial decisions.

“While most American women say having enough money to maintain their lifestyle throughout retirement was very important, only 14 percent of those polled said they were very confident that they’d achieve that goal.”

Drucker, author of “How to Avoid Bag Lady Syndrome (BLS): A Strong Woman’s Guide to Financial Peace of Mind,” offers some guidance on the steps women can take to help them not only feel empowered about their money, but actually take control of their financial future:

•  Figuring out the cause of your Pain: Too many women really don’t want to look too deep as to why finances cause them so much stress – kind of like not getting on a scale because we really don’t want to see how much we weigh.  Before we can come up with a solution to your financial problem, we need to figure out what the problem actually is: lack of income, growth, financial illiteracy…

•  Budgeting vs. Louis Vuitton handbags.  We all need to do or buy things that make us feel good, but we need to factor our indulgences into our overall life plan. Establishing a necessary budget (what we need just to get up in the morning) as well as an Aspirational budget (more of a wish list) will help guide your decision-making process as to what you can or can’t afford to do (including buying that “to die for” item).

•  “I don’t know what I have;” Why a Balance Sheet is essential: Too many times our women clients have no idea what they have as far as financial resources, how their assets have performed, and how much they are paying for someone’s help.  Creating a balance sheet, collecting all of your statements, and taking an accounting of your life gives you the data to start making smart decisions.  

•  Developing a Plan vs. the Wine and Dark Chocolate approach: Hoping things will just get better, or the chocolate-and-wine approach to life, does have its benefits (as my wife has explained to me on numerous occasions).  Developing a written plan that lays out what you want financially and when you want it goes a long way toward peace of mind.  The wine wouldn’t hurt while writing the plan though.

•  The Gym Commandoes: There are two types of people who succeed at the gym: those do-it-your self folks who walk around with a little notebook like Rainman tracking their progress, or those who hire a coach/trainer.  Both work.  People who show up at the gym with a vague sense of “I’m gonna ride the bike, hit some weights, then take a really long steam,” typically don’t last.  By now, you have done the work. You’ve figured out your pain, budget, balance sheet, and a plan … Now you have to implement the strategy, and this is where the fun begins!

About Lance Drucker ChFC, CLU

Lance Drucker is CEO and president of NYC-based Drucker Wealth Management, a wealth management firm specializing in financial issues that affect women. He’s the author of “How to Avoid Bag Lady Syndrome (BLS): A Strong Woman’s Guide to Financial Peace of Mind” and offers resources at www.DruckerWealth.com to empower women to make smart financial decisions. He graduated from SUNY Binghamton with degrees in Accounting & Finance, and soon after joined the firm Drucker Wealth Management, founded by his father in 1959. He earned his Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) & his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) degree in 1993, and in 2012, he received a Certificate in Retirement Income Planning from the Wharton School of Business. He is a multiyear winner of the 5 Star Wealth Manager Award, as well as a recipient of the Women’s Choice Award for Financial Advisors.  As a proud sponsor of the Wounded Warrior Project, Drucker organizes the Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser for the WWP every January and has participated in the Tough Mudder challenge, and Spartan Race, which has helped to fund more than $2 million for wounded warriors.

All proceeds from the sale of his book
will go toward the Wounded Warrior Project.

Fear-Free Money Plan

7 Steps To A Fear-Free Money Plan
Women Overwhelmed By Financial Worries Can Ease
Their Anxieties, Planner Says

Money worries can lead to sleepless nights for just about everyone, but surveys routinely reveal that women more than men feel the anxiety from a rocky financial situation.

In a 2014 Money Magazine survey, for example, two-thirds of women said they were worried about their financial outlook, compared with 54 percent of men.

Recent studies also found that women tend to be overwhelmed by debt more frequently than men, says financial strategist Donna M. Phelan, author of “Women, Money and Prosperity: A Sister’s Perspective on How to Retire Well” (www.donnamphelan.com).

They are more likely to carry over a credit card debt from one month to the next, as well as pay only the minimum required by their lender.

“That can lead to the misconception that women are bad with money, but that’s not necessarily the case,” Phelan says. “Emergencies arise. Children need school supplies. Elderly parents can need medication. The list can go on and on.”

Women don’t need to remain in perpetual state of anxiety, Phelan says. She offers seven tips for developing a fear-free plan of action:

•  Learn financial basics. Go online or to the library and read financial articles, books and newspapers. Also, Phelan says, seek the help of a financial advisor who can assess your situation, suggest ways to improve and create a financial plan that could get you on track for retirement.

“Many women avoid going to see a financial advisor because they don’t have any money or are deep in debt and believe they can’t afford it, but that’s precisely when you should see a financial advisor,” Phelan says.

•  Get organized. Rid yourself of clutter and set up systems to keep track of paperwork. If the task seems overwhelming, take it a step at a time, such as cleaning out just one desk drawer a week, Phelan says.

Balance your checkbook regularly, too. Do it weekly or bi-weekly if possible, Phelan suggests, but never go more than a month. “This isn’t a chore most people enjoy, but it’s necessary for a healthy budget,” she says.

•  Use cash instead of credit. Credit cards distance us from the effect purchases have on our bank accounts, at least until the bill arrives. “Cash, on the other hand, is an immediate reminder of the financial consequences of that purchase,” Phelan says. “Sometimes a reminder is a good thing.”

One away to wean yourself off credit is to carry and use your checkbook and leave the credit cards at home, Phelan says.

•  Track your spending. Write down everything you spend money on for one week, Phelan says. Then look in your checkbook and credit-card statements and write down everything you spend money on for one month. “You will be amazed at how much you spend and where the money goes,” she says.

The next step is to create a spending plan. Write down how much income you have each month and decide how you want to spend it. Pay yourself first, Phelan suggests, by saving a certain percentage each month. After that, list all your mandatory bills and find ways to cut non-essentials.

•  Look for ways to increase your income. When you can’t pay your bills each month, you have two options. Increase your income or reduce expenses. “It’s likely some combination of the two will be necessary,” Phelan says. “No matter how you view it, you need to start looking for ways to open up new income streams.”

•  Develop new retirement strategies. Women should create what Phelan refers to as Stackable Income Streams to Empower Retirement Security, or SISTERS. Essentially, they need to “stack” enough dependable income streams to meet their monthly spending needs in retirement. Women should consider non-traditional residence sharing, such as renting out empty rooms, getting a roommate or downsizing, she says. They could create profitable home-based businesses from their hobbies. Women should consider delaying their retirement start date and working part-time in retirement, Phelan says.

•  Talk with other women. What are your friends doing to better manage money and prepare for retirement? Phelan suggests women form a SISTERS club that meets regularly to discuss retirement planning. They might discover that they have ideas, talents and resources to share with other women, which might enhance the retirement planning experience and success of a larger scope of women.

About Donna M. Phelan

Donna M. Phelan is the author of “Women, Money and Prosperity: A Sister’s Perspective on How to Retire Well” (www.donnamphelan.com). Donna has spent 19 years at some of Wall Street’s largest and most prestigious investment firms. She holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Connecticut, and provides personal finance advice to clients in 20 states coast to coast. She has been featured in USA Today, Yahoo Finance.Com, CNBC.Com and The Houston Chronicle, among others. Donna has lectured at conferences nationwide on a broad range of financial topics and is the author of numerous articles on investments, retirement and financial planning. Donna was formerly President of the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Connecticut state chapter and was active in the Financial Women’s Association (FWA) in New York. She is currently a member of the South Bay Estate Planning Council in Los Angeles. Prior to working on Wall Street, Donna was Principal of a jewelry design and manufacturing company whose customers included Tiffany & Co, C. D. Peacock, and Cartier, for whom she did freelance design.