“Taking Stock” – Book Review and Discussion with the Author
This book got on my radar when it was added to my book club’s meeting list for April 2024. Given the financial planner theme in a professional development book club, I assumed it would be about stocks (ownership of companies), and investing. Until I saw that the author is a…
Listening, librarians, and … empathy?
What do listening, being a librarian, and empathy have to do with each other? They’re all related to communication. Listening This week I had a first mentoring meeting with a new staff member, and one of the activities was an overview of communication. Since doctors and statisticians naturally speak different…
Silence is not the same as consensus
One of the people I work with on a non-profit board has a day job in the leadership development space. The last time we were running an event together, she gave an impromptu mentoring session to 5 women, including myself, about being a leader. It centered around her new favorite…
December is the new October – FAFSA timelines 2023
Typically, October 1st is the first day you can complete the FAFSA each fall, for your student who will be in college the following August. In 2023, because of the transition from the Expected Family Contribution to the Student Aid Index, and the changes to the FAFSA form, the government…
Deciphering your spending is like deciphering your child
I’ve learned so much about personal, professional and financial psychology from trying to learn more about parenting. Today I was watching a presentation by Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhardt, pediatric psychologist and parent coach, as a part of The Executive Function Online Summit (TEFOS). While I was watching, I was struck over…
“The Brave Art of Motherhood”, and Moms make great financiers
I know a lot of amazing women. Women who are professionals, daughters, moms, and occasionally self-care takers. In the right environment, we feel comfortable asking questions to learn more, and getting advice from those who have already walked in their footsteps. But in the wrong environment, we put up our…
“Rainwater Harvesting” as a parallel to building your life
One of the many books I was reading this month was “Essential Rainwater Harvesting”, a book in the Sustainable Building Essentials series, available from the Rochester Public Library. While I was reading this book in support of my desire to be more efficient with rainwater (especially important in the drought…
April is Financial Literacy month
Welcome to April! It was a beautiful frosting-snow day in south eastern Minnesota today, an April Fools joke on everyone who was hoping for spring. I actually wasn’t hoping for spring yet, as if the temperatures were going to hover around freezing and the air was going to be damp,…
Finding those right resources
One of my kids is taking a pre-algebra class, and didn’t understand what was allowed for cancelling in algebraic expressions (eg in the numerator and denominator). I’ve found that I get less arguments if I find an educational video that presents the necessary material, vs if I try to present…
Trying a gratitude journal – the report 2 weeks in
Like many, COVID-19 news and the stress of 2020 have been getting me down. Two weeks ago Given the season is one of thanksgiving, two weeks ago I tried something completely new to me. I never expected to be someone to start journaling – I just don’t have the time…