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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Category Archives: Advice from a Life Coach

January 5, 2012 Women and Money: How to Take Control of Your Finances

By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
It’s a commonly-known fact that women make less money on average than men. Woman also still routinely adopt the role of caretaker for aging family members and children. Gone are the days when a woman can think about her future and her finances in terms of reliance on a husband—and thank GOD! However, although women now work in a world that is founded on their financial independence, many women have not fully asserted themselves.

According to an article in Minnesota Monthly, women are often less growth-oriented about their money and tend to focus on maintenance. The article explains that “31.8 percent of women labeled themselves conservative investors, compared to 21.7 percent of men.” This penchant for a more supportive approach means that women are practicing a day-to-day, reactive style of financial planning instead of creating larger, future-oriented strategies.

How to Improve your Financial Future in 7 Steps

1. Think Long-Term: Take the time to set long-term financial goals instead of practicing routine money maintenance. Have you established savings goals for the year, the next five years, the decade?

2. Play a Role: Even if you’re in a committed relationship, make sure that you play a role in every aspect of your household finances. Although it’s an unpleasant reality, all marriages end eventually, whether through death or divorce.

3. Consider Retirement: If you have not begun to stock a retirement fund, do so asap!

4. Invest in Education: If you haven’t already chosen to earn your degree, do so now. People with degrees make significantly more money on average.

5. Expect the Unexpected: Create an emergency fund worth 3-6 months of your living expenses. Financial emergencies are a fact of life, and job loss (as the downturn has illustrated) is a very real possibility.

6. Up Your Financial Literacy: Meet with a professional advisor, seek advice and expertise from the people you trust, or take a course in financial planning or investing.

7. Request What You’re Worth: Womankind’s key to defeating the earning gap lies in our ability to relay our worth and ask for what we deserve. Know what financial compensation your skills deserve and learn to ask for it.

If you act on even one of these pointers you’ll improve your financial future.

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December 22, 2011 The Super-Powered Power Lunch

By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
When organized and executed well, the power lunch can be a perfect mixture of work, play, and hunger-quenching. To improve your power lunch performance, read the easy list of business lunch basics below.

The Basic Rules of the Business Lunch

1. Place the Focus on Lunch: Consider calling it something besides a “power lunch” to avoid making your lunch partner feel like they’re about to endure another interview or staff meeting.

2. Don’t Be Late: If you’re the host, show up early to double-check your reservation and make sure that your table is appropriate.

3. Select the Perfect Restaurant: Choose somewhere convenient for your lunch partner. Going somewhere convenient helps others to feel at ease. A restaurant with which you’re already familiar is a great choice. Inquiring as to your lunch partner’s dietary preferences or limitations is also a great move.

4. Don’t Jump Straight into Business: Let your lunch guest be the first to breech work subjects. This keeps things comfortable and sincere.

5. Know Who Pays: Simply put, if you’ve made the reservation, you should pay. Consider leaving card information with your server ahead of time to avoid snafus or confusion.

6. Show Some Respect: Show wait staff (including your hostess, server, food runner, manager , etc.) the utmost respect. How you treat these people says leagues about how you do business.

7. Avoid Online Reservations: Always make and confirm your reservation over the phone or in person to ensure that your table doesn’t fall through the cracks. Make any requests concerning your seating preferences during this conversation.

Do you have questions about developing your career, business, or landing the job of your dreams? Would your career benefit from informed advice about finding more customers and building a network that gives back? Contact UXL Today to transform the future of your business or career through guided professional coaching.

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December 19, 2011 How to Give a Humiliation-Free Toast

By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
Needless to say, I’m always looking for hints and suggestions on how to avoid humiliating and embarrassing situations. Because I’m a career and life coach, I often help people to deal with difficult or touchy situations with as much finesse, sensitivity, and effectiveness as possible. Being the ‘Toast-Giver’ at your next special event is a perfect time to make an impression and send a message to a group, but this situation requires the utmost tact.

We have all been part of the audience during many an unsuccessful toast. (I can picture the rolling eyes and snickers now as someone who has had a little too much to drink or who’s rambling holds a roomful of people hostage!)

How can you ensure that the toast you give this holiday season (or any other season, for that matter) stays the impressive course and avoids becoming your most humiliating moment? We’ve entered toasting season, folks!

The Toast-Giver’s Survival Guide

What’s Your Subject?
Every toast should have a subject. This should not be difficult to discern—for what reason have you all gathered today? Whether for a holiday party, wedding, graduation, or birthday, the major message of your toast should reflect the event’s specific occasion.

Practice Makes Perfect
There are certain events that you know bring with them the tradition of a toast made by a particular significant figure. If you’re anticipating being called on to make a speech, prepare one ahead of time and practice it on someone close to you who you can trust.

Know Your Audience
Always assess the formality of the group and event. Take a cue from others who made toasts or speeches before you and, when in doubt, always keep your comments as respectful and professional as possible.

Don’t Burn the Toast!
When giving a toast, brevity is always key. Avoid causing the waves of rolling eyes by sticking to your main message and speaking from your heart to avoid rambling.

Be Sober
I don’t think I need to paint a picture for you here—it’s pretty obvious what happens when someone misjudges their level of inebriation and subjects a room to their long, blush-inducing speech. If you hope to make a toast, abstain from the sauce until you’re finished.

Follow these rules and make sure that your toast is remembered for the right reasons!

Happy Holidays!

Margaret

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