The Debt Crisis and Social Security - Your reality

I am 20 years post graduation from my beloved New England College.   I want to share a couple of things I have done well and those I haven't to plan for my future.  


1)  I have always saved and attempted to max out my 401K annually.  As a result, I think I should be able to retire when I want.   Invest at least 10% of your gross salary into your retirement.
2) I bought a house as soon as I could and have done well with Real Estate.
3)  I have bought and sold too many houses and have paid too much in real estate transactions.  Suggestion, if you are moving every 5 years or less rent or lease unless a company is making attractive to buy.   You may decide to buy a vacation home first to return to for roots.
4) Don't marry too young.  I married within a year of graduation and was divorcing 4 years later.  Honestly, I was a different person at 28 than 22.  Waiting for a couple of years won't kill you and it may save you a ton of heartbreak and legal costs. Heck, Prince William and Princess Kate did! 
5) Buy a car you really want but used or plan to drive it 6 years plus if it is new.   It is used the day you drive it off the lot.   Let some other idiot break it in.  This is a late lesson but I am resolved to live it!
6) It is okay to not have kids ... and it is okay to have them.   Don't judge your friends on their choices.
7) Embrace your family and dear friends.  They will sustain you.  Don't let any partner keep you from them if they are important.   That being said, if you don't get along with your partner's family encourage them to see them without you.  Try like hell to get along with your inlaws... at least respect them for bringing your partner into the world.
8) Properly insure yourself.  Life insurance, renters, auto, home owners, health and even pet.   Be smart protect what is dear and can't be replaced.
9) Make your financial choices prudent.  You don't need the most expensive house, car, or vacation.  Find the happy medium.   It is okay to live in a two bedroom condo and drive a Benz if you spend your day in your car or live frugally if you love to travel.  Don't let others dictate how you choose to enjoy your time and money...  just make sure that you have enough at the end...
10) Find time to exercise.  Weight at 30 and 40 is harder to get off than 20.  It will also give you time to think, smell the roses, and decompress a couple times a week.
11) Volunteer - We all have something we care about or we love.  For me, it is holding a public office(non paid), working on a dog park committee, volunteering for a dog rescue.   For you it may be a health charity, your church, or in a school.   Find your niche.

Finally, balance is important.  Learning to say no... Finding joy in the day or your family..  We have one journey with a ton of day trips... make it your own.

Travel tips from the Girly Road Warrior

Packing is an art.   Traveling is a Marathon.   Career based travel is less than glamor filled excitement.  I do like it ...but just realize that going to Marco Island or San Diego or Vegas for work... probably means I won't see the sun but for more than a tease and that being said... I may be in business casual or a suit hanging out a pool reception wearing a tricked out name tag.   If only Kate Spaid, Coach or DvF could figure out how to glam up the "Lanyard" or worse the stick on "visitor badge"

My biggest problem is typically what to wear?  Packing is so much easier for those of us in the snow belt come April thru well early November but still.  If you are going to four different cities in one week, you need to work out, and have a variety of appropriate attire for each meeting .. what does the fashionista that loves shoes and bags do?  (oh... remember, you have to perform typically at least once the OJ Simpson routine at the airport... and CHECKING BAGGAGE.. is a no no for any road warrior) ... Yes, I try to channel George Clooney in "UP in the Air"..

1) Check the weather forecast for each city.  Plan accordingly.  Do you need a jacket, sweater, umbrella, or boots!
2) Plan ONE Primary color as a Foundation.  Black, brown, blue and perhaps ONE accent color like pale green, red, or pink.  Pick no more than two pairs of shoes (flats if you can stand them & heels).  Think about this when you shop.  I love this dress / suit / skirt but how will I work it into my existing wardrobe.  Pick out jewelry you can wear for the entire trip with perhaps one change up...
3) Speaking of Foundation -  Take a hard look at your makeup bag.   By planning one colour, you can scale down the bag.  Take out your liquids and do a review on the items that are really necessary.  I use zip lock bags to pull hair cream things and if I am hopping every night.  My travel sized shampoo of my brand stays home.   Seriously, you can make it with your foundation (I tried the powder and can't deal with it), toothpaste, and hair spray.  In another bag that fits in my brief case is the following:

• press powder
• ONE lipstick
• mascara
• liner
• tweezers
• bronzer that doubles as shadow
• metal pill box with tums, aleve, gas pills, and a dose of a prescription that I occaisonally need. Others swear by a dose of the sleeping pills like benedryl or Advil PM etc. 

4) Volume - Pants suits liberated business women.   However, they take up more room in your suitcase.  Especially from April to October, pack skirts ... especially if you like your legs.  Also look at the fabrics.  Do they wrinkle easy?  Think about this.
5) Make your non work clothes double.  Can you sleep in your workout clothes? Can you use a slip for that dress for a nightgown?  Can you wear that suit more days if you take it off in the airport and change into jeans?  Pack your socks and underwear into your sneakers .. Does the hotel have a pool.. swim suits are the most space effective exercise gear... I do advise bringing the swim goggles to avoid looking like you were on a bender the night before with chlorine eyes.
6) Electronics -  I remember my Dad packing to to back to his ship for 6 months.   Granted, he had most of what he needed on board..  uniforms etc.   His suitcase was always full of the latest gagdets and plugs.   Think about your electronics.   Lately, I have been leaving my laptop at home and focusing on bringing my iPad with the apps for presentations, pdfs, excel, and word.   The last time I opted to go the traditional way...  It was a flop because we couldn't connect the laptop to the internet to get the webex going .. my iPad with 3G worked.   I also include in my briefcase a multi plug to make friends at the airport when I need to charge things.
7) Change in the airport.   Get comfy or get professional even if it is just slipping into flats, sneakers, or flip flops.
8) Staying healthy...  take multi vitamins, use hand sanitizer all the time, go to the gym, download a treadmill app to count the miles you walk in airports, pack single serving packs of nuts or I love the Kashi bars.   Always stop in the airport and get a huge bottle of water for your hotel room.   Hotel rooms are dry ... Flying also dehydrates you... staying hydrated is the first step in great travel.
9) Make your wallet double as a small purse for dinners ..  something that holds your cash, room key, credit cards, lipstick and cell phone.. and that is it
10) Sweater or wrap -  they sell the wraps for $10 in many airports.  It keeps you warm on the plane and serves as a bib!

I haven't packed in more than a carry-on since a vacation for more than a week in years... and that was because I afforded myself the luxury of wanting space to bring back stuff...   BTW.. Delta lost my luggage on this trip!   Murphy loves the airlines.

Be Authentic

I read a tweet from @Scrappinmichele today that put into words clearly what I had been struggling with for a comment on the State of the Union Address last night.  I have never met this tweeter.   However, her tweet hit home.

"Your mission statement should be in your own voice, make it authentic" 


My impression of the State of the Union was it was a well written and delivered oration by our President.  However, it wasn't in his own voice or authentic.   This President sounded like what the right wants to hear not what he believes in.   I guess I wondered if someone handed him the Republican response by mistake.   I just can't wrap my head around this President being for a five year spending freeze, vetoing any bill with ear marks or pork spending, and simplifying the federal tax code.   By the way the new euphimism for spending or tax dollars is "INVESTMENT".   Watch for this to be the overused word in 2011.

Sure, I would love to see a higher focus on math and science education in this country.  I believe in investing in technology.   I have to wonder if the public education system in this country is up to the challenge.   Clearly we need longer school days, virtual classrooms, and computers WAIT- tablets in the hands every student.   However, is this something that the teacher's unions are going to allow?   Things I could see perhaps making a difference would be longer school days, virtual classrooms, paying teachers with Math and Science degrees more etc.   I am guessing these will all be a no go in finding middle ground between School boards, administrator/teachers unions, and the individual tax payer.

In the end, I would have rather had President Obama get up and give a speech from his heart and his beliefs.   I just don't think this is the case.    Wondering in the heart of hearts of most liberals what did they think?   I mean... was this the type of program of what they voted for in 2008?

This would have been a tune to President Bush getting up there and saying he was going to federally fund abortion and abandon the Homeland Security plans.    It wasn't his own voice....

In social networking, one of the cornerstones of success is to sound human, real, and authentic.   Find your voice and use it...   people will respect you more for it.

2011 Aspirations - Part One.

Some might balk that this post is late given that the date on the calendar is January 17^th.   However, I take goal setting very seriously.   I don’t think it is necessarily the beginning of a New Year that makes it the only time that goals need to be set.   New jobs, epiphanies and birthdays are all optimum times for looking hard in the mirror and finding ways to strive to be a better person. 

That being said, I do typically establish goals for the New Year.  I don’t call them Resolutions.   They are goals with measurement and steps.   I gave lip service to my goals in 2010 until June 16^th.   This date is now on my calendar as a day of a personal epiphany.   I looked into my soul and found the root of why so many goals on my annual list made them appear year after year.   I am delighted to be able to put together a list that is an evolution of what I can only say is a step forward.

1) Complete a Triathlon and learn how to spell it!   Last year, I really tackled the need to exercise more with developing a relationship with my road bike.  It drove a lot of other goals to completion as well.  Let’s face it, when you are working your tail off literally, you begin to care about what you put in to fuel the activity.   I also ran my first official 5K Road race on Thanksgiving morning with my rescue Brittany, Brodie.   I have no idea what my time was but it was a great high.   The next step is to train to complete a Triathlon this summer.  My weakness is getting into the pool for workouts.   Some subsets of this is to master the monkey of climbing hills on my bike and getting under a 10 minute mile over 3.2 miles.   See, I am not just interested in finishing but not being last! 

2) Tackle the clutter monster:  I hate clutter.  I hate the clutter especially caused by the clutter mail causes.   The inability dealing with it has resulted in bills being lost.   Missing a charge on a credit card that took a long time to clean up and spats with my husband.   Now, I am going to need some help from him to really tackle this one.  But I am ready.  This also moves into the idea of putting stuff away.   I am famous of leaving the vacuum out, not folding the laundry or leaving it in the basket (as a load is currently sitting).   I have a new mission statement.   “Put it away”.   Part of this goal is to work through a cleaning out process.  In reality, we have now been in the house for almost four years.  Time to clean out the clutter.  Closets, the basement, desk drawers, and bookshelves are all going to be under attack.   One small problem is that I am also going to try to use coupons and savings a lot more.  This is going to be a balance issue. 

3) Take my vitamins.   This one sounds weak.  I have tackled getting soda out of my diet for the most part.   I have been able to find a yogurt I like.  I am eating a least one piece of fruit a day.   Water is a staple in my day.   However, I can seem to choke down the pills daily.   I am seeing it as training for my old age. 

4) Coupons and grocery bill:  I am going to work on saving more at the cash register.   I have always been something of a brand whore and snob.    This means using coupons and paying attention to the grocery flyers.  It also means planning meals.   I am kicking and screaming not wanting to get the Sunday paper.  (more clutter)   I just never find coupons for items I use.   However, I do use coupons.  I need to get better about leveraging the free money out there for dinner out, dry cleaning, and not buying anything at a retail store like a Loft or otherwise without a sale or an offer.   I am going to try to track the savings and see how I do.   In reality, I would like to get the grocery bill under $100 a week.  There are two of us.   We do eat breakfast. lunch, and dinner, for the most part, at home.   It will take work.  I am close.  

I have a couple of other ones that are more personal and need to work on the professional goals as well.   However, I have also found that when the list of goals, aspirations or resolutions is too long.   It never happens.   By training for the race, I will continue with my healthy goals.  By working on the clutter and the grocery bill, the house will naturally be cleaner and it will also help me to focus on some financial goals.   I have also been able to identify what was holding me back from achieving these goals.   Wish me diligence, as it is not luck, but hard work that allows each of us to turn a milestone in our lives.

Social technology moving past hype into a business process

Social networking is all the hype.  Count in an hour how many times you see the Facebook logo.   It seems if you aren't there ... you are square!   I have really noticed the uptick in major brands, charities,and mom & pop retail that are figuring out the secret sauce to social marketing.   It is beginning to be a bit overload.   In scanning my wall, I have 12 wall posts from a variety of companies including Sassy Shoe, LiveStrong, National Brittany Rescue, Citibank, LL Bean and more.   Sure, I opted in to all of these.  I chose to engage with these commercial and charitable organizations.  However, it is beginning to drown out my personal conversations with my friends.

There is a revolution coming. Social is about people collaborating on products, solutions, and innovation. If you check the reviews on a product, movie, or person (LinkedIn recommendations) or have written one, you have participated in the social revolution.   However, Social isn't just about the ability to sell additional items it is about the connections and how to leverage them, access information, and move business processes along faster.   Today, companies like Microsoft (client) are using crowdsourcing solutions to obtain feedback on the industries they serve and the products they produce.   Who better to set your roadmap than your customers?   Because, if they want it and you don't have it.. your customers can easily use Bing or Google to find your replacement. 

The new frontier is looking at social technology as a business process.  How can you leverage a comprehensive platform and strategy to target a number of business goals in 2011?   Obviously, there are case studies on improving sales, customer retention, and cross selling opportunities.   But what about non structured learning, shared resources with commenting and ratings on usefulness, global collaboration..  innovation, leveraging subject matter experts, company information, transparency, and more.   If you are an executive tasked with daunting goals for 2011, how might social technology drive results?

Postive Impact of Social Networking

Today, I have been thinking about all the positive things that social networking has impacted because of the people that are involved.   This past week... I was alerted to a dog that was in peril.   This was a Brittany Spaniel, named Dexter.   Once rescued from a hoarder, that had 13 dogs stacked up in cargo crates in a car port open to the elements in Pennsylvania, now needed a life saving surgery.  Again, the online community came to his rescue.  In less than 24 hours, the $2500 was raised to pay for his surgery.   The same organization filled 15 different transports for rescue dogs to be transport to fur-ever homes and to foster families out of kill shelters this weekend alone.   Home for the holidays is whole new thing when you have been living in a cage on death row because someone that was suppose to love and cherish you didn't.  (if you are interested in helping any of these dogs visit www.nbran.org or "LIKE" National Brittany Rescue on Facebook)

I have witnessed the power of social networking... but so has the recently deceased Elizabeth Edwards.  Although, we don't agree on politics.  I strongly admire how she lived, met life's challenges, and continued to see the good in people.   She put family first.  She never let the horrific actions of a loved one define her.   When I saw this link to message from Lance Armstrong to her family and video's on her speech to a LIVESTRONG event.  I had to watch them.   After thanking Lance, she thanked Steve Case from AOL for the start of Online Communities.   They were very helpful support to her.   Peer to Peer support ... it matters.   Reaching out to others for collaboration, support, information, and encouragement is human... now it is powered by technology.

Some days it is just good to remind yourself about the good in humanity and how Social Networking is part of making the world a smaller and better place to be. Get well soon little Dexter!   God Speed, Elizabeth.   The world will miss but not forget your message on living and dying with grace.

Goodwill and Good-bye

Over the years, I have written more than my fair share about goal setting, goal achievement, and have bemoaned not hitting the milestones I have set for myself.   This is typically with the personal slate of goals although the economy hasn't been so nice to the professional ones over the past couple of years either.    With 2010 slipping away into the record books, it hit me that next year that looming personal goal of weights to hit by the end of March, June, and September and a final weight on New Year's Eve wasn't going to be on the list for 2011.   It isn't that I don't still have an objective to shed a stone more or so.   It is that I am well formed in my habits at this point.   I think I need to be determined not to backslide but I have kicked the devil in the seat and have found my own personal salvation.  The best feeling I had today was sitting in the Goodwill donation drop-off line and realizing I had the back of the SUV filled with success.   I had about 5 garbage bags of my "fat" clothes ready for new owners.   Good bye fat clothes.  Good bye.....