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The Evolution: From Tax Strategy to Ritualized Living

For years, I’ve worked in the world of tax and had incredible experiences. I consulted with a wide variety of clients, mostly international, where I offered feedback on existing systems and proposed policies. I’ve had an amazing time as I mastered my craft, and helped my clients navigate the ever-changing terrain of tax developments.

Me, as a newly married International Tax Auditor

The work was interesting, meaningful, and satisfying. However, there was something in me that whispered gently, “There is MORE“. The only way to clearly hear that whisper – and all that came with it – was to retreat. I had to give myself space to uncover what my soul longed to create. So, that’s what I did. I posted here only when I was inspired, letting alignment dictate the content I shared. But I spent the rest of the time researching . . . experimenting . . . resting . . . meditating . . . and asking myself what the world needed most from me. And now that the vision is clear, I can finally share it with you all.

Wealth isn’t just about what’s in your account and what’s on your tax return. It’s about how you feel. The way you move, the way you build, how safe you feel within yourself, how safe you feel when money enters the equation: all of these factors are reflections of your wealth. When I got clear on the many ways that wealth shows up, I saw the gaps that exist with current financial advice, and I knew what was needed from me.

The Shift: From Function to Fulfillment

I still love taxes, and financial structures and systems will always have their place. But many of us don’t need any more advice on hustles, side gigs, and job hopping for raises, nor do we need more rules and restrictions to follow. We already know how to work well and follow the rules. What we actually need is more ritual, reverence, and room to receive the lives and outcomes we desire. We are starved for pleasure, deprived of comfort, and in desperate need of replenishment.

So I’m shifting the focus on this space, from mostly tax-specific discussions, to a more intuitive yet still structured approach to wealth building and management. As opposed to some of the rigid advice of the past, this space will explore the ways to incorporate soft structure, daily ritual and connection, and elegant execution into the financial frameworks we navigate. I’ve seen firsthand how blending these concepts creates space for wealth, ease, and peace to flourish in my own life.

The goal of this shift is to create and discuss financial patterns, practices, and systems that soften, heal, nurture and refine us while building our wealth.

Hanging out in the office before meeting up for lunch with friends

What You’ll Find Here Now

You will still find lots of substance, unique perspectives and interesting tax news here. But the energy has shifted to something more comprehensive, and more crucial for this time.

The themes that often pop up when talking about finance – urgency, overwhelm, shame, frustration and pressure – have no space here. We’ll be learning to work with money while incorporating the practices that allow us remain regulated, centered, clear minded, confident and magnetic to the outcomes we prefer. We’ll make the hard things easier than ever, and we’ll do it with grace, style and delight.

On this blog, and in some upcoming special events, we’ll explore:

  • Ritual based wealth tools and strategies
  • Sensory and seasonal approaches to financial planning
  • Wealth inspiration that taps into ancient and cultural wisdom
  • Quiet and impactful luxury
  • Soft power, strategic action and sustainable success

Who This Is For

If you’re interested in finance but also . . .

  • Want systems that feel beautiful, nourishing and full of ease, not burdensome and depleting
  • Feel called to step into more restorative approaches to financial management
  • Are ready to create wealth in a smart AND sacred way
  • Value clarity, elegance and rhythm in life and money

. . . Then you’ll love it here.

Welcome To This New Chapter

The framework I’ll be sharing over the upcoming weeks and months is built on a singular belief that has completely changed wealth for me (I hope it does the same for you, too!)

Wealth should feel like home. It should be a sanctuary, where you are welcomed, protected and restored.

I am honored to share this experience and walk the path with you.

We’ll still have lots of the practical gems discussed in this space. But now they’ll be paired with gentle philosophies, invigorating ritual, and restorative practices.

Welcome, or welcome back. I’m happy to have you join me on this journey.

The REAL Reason Why Your Boss Hates Work-From-Home Arrangements (It’s Not What You Think)

A while ago, I came across an article on LinkedIn that quoted former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who blamed Google’s tertiary placement in the AI race on work from home (WFH) arrangements. He did go back and correct his statements, admitting that he “misspoke about Google and their work hours”. Schmidt had previously stated that “Google decided that work-life balance and going home early and working from home was more important than winning”. It’s interesting that Schmidt has always equated work-life balance with an obstacle to business progress; those earlier comments align with his (eventually amended) critique of WFH.

All of Schmidt’s statements fall in line with his opinion that remote work prevents business innovation and effectiveness, and he’s committed to sharing this opinion in various ways, on multiple occasions. His decision to walk back a “misspoken” statement doesn’t change the fact that he speaks the opinions held by many business leaders. The general consensus from some of the most high-powered, visible CEOs is that work completed outside of the office isn’t conducive to business growth and innovation. They have drifted away from the attacks on productivity, after a number of studies confirmed that many employees completed more work while at home. Businesses and their leadership teams abandoned the criticisms against WFH that could be objectively verified via data, in favor of one that is more nebulous and qualitative. In the case of many CEOs, the chosen argument is that remote work is a hindrance to innovation.

Here’s where I offer a more nuanced take on the real reason why businesses have a distaste for WFH arrangements. I think there is a not-so-subtle underlying reason why so many CEOs have taken an anti-remote work stance, and no, it has nothing to do with the fact that a select minority of workers are doing the bare minimum on the clock, or that the lack of innovation or collaboration are causing the business to lose money and opportunities. It also isn’t as closely tied to the expensive unused office leases as many (including myself) originally thought. I think this may have been hinted at before, but I haven’t yet seen it explained in the way that I will.

The truth is, anti-WFH sentiments are heavily rooted in an anti-family, and a uniquely anti-feminine, ideology. It is based on the belief that valuable work – with a paycheck as an end result – can only happen outside of the home. Work that happens in the home is perceived as intrinsically less important and not worthy of financial compensation. The ability to do office tasks effectively within the home is incongruous with what our society has taught, which is, things that happen in the home don’t deserve pay. It is an unwritten rule that work that happens within the confines of one’s personal residence isn’t “real work” and should not be directly compensated.

It’s important to remember that most businesses were thrust into a WFH culture before they were adequately prepared for it. And, funnily enough, most of them would have NEVER prepared for it, had it not been for COVID intervening. Business, in general, is considered something that doesn’t happen at home. For many years, it was something that could only happen in offices, away from the distractions of domestic life. Even with the advent of the internet and the ability to collaborate with teams across time zones, there was still a hesitance to implement remote work arrangements.

The reason is not as simple as what we’ve been told, particularly, the stories that have been pushed heavily since 2020. Yes, there were some underperforming employees that abused WFH provisions: most of these employees were ineffective and doing the bare minimum when they were showing up into the office daily. And absolutely, the cost of leasing spaces that aren’t being used regularly is tremendous. That being said, it is unwise to look at this push against WFH and not see how it is tied to the belief that “work” done in your home isn’t deserving of direct financial compensation. It’s downright malicious to gaslight workers – who have been happy, productive and effective while working from home – into thinking that they will somehow be better performers if they spend time commuting to and from a building, then sitting in a cubicle for eight hours.

I suspect that, as businesses try to revert to the pre-2020 way of work, there will be many employees who simply walk away from these jobs and never look back. These employees will figure out how to monetize their other talents and will be able to support themselves through their own online businesses. With their newfound location freedom, they’ll be able to move to places that are more affordable and offer a better quality of life. And then we will see businesses finally start to realize that the innovation that comes from their remote workers is far better than having no employees at all.

It’s Been Seven Months. Here’s What I’ve Been Doing

Hello friends! It’s been a while since my last post, for good reason. I will occasionally withdraw from blogging, so I have time to implement some theories and to get data to share with you all when I return. It’s been my system for a while, mainly because writing a bunch of fluff – just for the appearance of continuity – never appealed to me. I’d rather offer something substantial a few times out of the year, than to share flimsy articles weekly.

So, here’s what I’ve been doing: I created a few more digital products, and I experimented with a few selling platforms. I didn’t want to recommend certain selling strategies without testing them myself. I always do just enough to see what works, and I only go further if I know it’s worth it. Most of them time, it isn’t worth it! But at least I can speak from a point of experience and not just theory. Of course, it takes time to do gather these experiences so that I can report the results back to you all.

Another thing I’ve done is witness the monetization “arc” of several AI websites. Quite a few of the websites I’ve previously recommended are now behind paywalls, and, while I can understand why the developers did that, eliminating limited freebie versions are why many users are turning away. This is always why I think ChatGPT (and other platforms that offer some access at no cost ) will remain dominant: even if the free version isn’t the best, it’s better than no access at all. Besides, with the proliferation of AI capabilities being built into apps and programs we already use regularly, the accessibility of this technology will continue to grow, many times at no direct out-of-pocket cost to the end user.

I joined a business mentorship group, and I found a tribe of entrepreneurs that are regularly structuring and executing 7- and 8- figure projects. It’s been exciting to be in this hub, and I’m thrilled to offer some incredible products, programs and tips to you all in the future, based on the millionaire habits that I’m picking up from my peers.

I’ve taken a LOT of tax training, mainly for the purpose of learning new ways to interact with wealth. It’s fine to learn the basics, but once you’ve mastered those, you have to dive into deeper material. One of the subjects that I’ve spent more time exploring is estate and trust law (and how the tax law applies to these areas). Learning about estates and trusts has been exhilarating, and I’m excited to start practicing some new things with what I’ve learned.

Finally, the past seven months have been focused on synthesizing and integrating what I’ve taken in so far. One of the biggest traps that snare aspiring wealth builders is staying stuck in “learning” mode. Yes, learn as much as you can, but also begin implementing what you’ve learned. The inability to implement what has been learned is often rooted in insecurity: many of us learn what we can then we get afraid of doing something with it. “What will people say about me if they see me doing ABC?” “What happens if I fail at XYZ?” These questions come from feeling uneasy about doing new things and breaking away from the crowd. I’ll explore this idea more in a future post, but please know that, along with learning new stuff, work on your mindset and start integrating what you’re learning, so you can get the results you desire. Affirm your abilities, take a small step every day, and watch your life start changing in no time.

So, that’s what I’ve been doing the past seven months: learning, testing, observing, practicing, and succeeding. But since I’m a woman of my word – I believe in ACTION alongside learning – it’s time for me to share more about what’s happening behind the scenes, as well as what I want to create in my world. I’ll be posting my August – December goals soon, and sharing with you all how I plan to reach them. Please take some time to think about what you can do during the latter part of the year, and what goals you want to achieve. Let’s make this your best year ever, together!

A Simple Way To Get Ideas For Your Business

It’s so good to be back! I will be catching you all up on the events I’ve attended in future posts. For today, I just want to share an easy way to get a little business inspiration.

One thing that I’ve heard from aspiring entrepreneurs is that they feel “stuck” when it comes to their businesses. They either are unclear about what kind of business they should start, or they have a fledgling (or sometimes thriving!) business that they are looking to expand but are unsure which direction they should pursue. If this describes your situation, here’s a little tip for you.

Figure out the industry you want to serve (even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do in that industry). Then, find the think tanks that focus on that industry, and attend as many of their virtual events that you can. One think tank that has lots of seminars in a variety of industries is Brookings Institute, so that’s a good place to start. Most of the big think tanks are based in Washington, DC, so you may want to filter your search down to the online events hosted by those organizations. I attended a think tank event years ago, and within 15 minutes, I had several ideas that could have been easily monetized.

Here’s a way to do this: let’s say you aspire to own a business related to finance (like me!). You can start at Brookings Institute, and sign up for all of their banking & finance events, then sign up for the events being hosted by other think tanks that host finance-related discussions, like Cato Institute and Center for American Progress. If there are no upcoming events to watch, then check out the past recorded discussions. Listen carefully for opportunities: they’re always there, no matter what level of business you feel that you’re on. Make a list of the ideas that come to you as you’re listening, then go back and listen again, this time paying more attention to the flow of the conversation and other details you may have missed while taking notes.

If you’ve come up with business ideas from listening to think tank discussions, I’d love to hear more about it! I’m currently working on one idea that I got while listening in at a think tank event, and I’m so excited to share that with you all once it’s completed!

That’s all for today: take care and I’ll talk to you all soon!

3 Easy Things You Can Do In October To Invite More Money Into Your Life

Happy October! Can you believe we’re in the last quarter of the year? (I’m still in denial: how is summer over already?) This year is moving quickly but, fortunately, we still have time to set ourselves up for success before we welcome 2024.

While I don’t believe in waiting until tomorrow (or in this case, waiting until 2024) to make drastic changes, I do think that it’s wise to build momentum before committing to major uplevels. And this last quarter of 2023 is perfect for building momentum that will help you start 2024 on a strong note!

Here are three little things you can do now, to build momentum for a prosperous 2024. These changes may not turn your whole world upside down, but little steps can absolutely put you on the path to financial security and abundant living. I’m doing each thing mentioned in this post, and I’d love for you to join me on this journey.

Cancel one subscription or membership – Look carefully at your last 3-6 months of banking and credit card statements, and figure out which subscription, membership, or recurring payment is least important or minimally impactful. That’s the one to cancel, and even better if you can cancel a few of them. It’s always easiest to start with the ones that you’ve been meaning to eliminate but just keep forgetting. Even if it’s a small amount (perhaps $2-3 a month spent on an electronic game, or a few dollars for food delivery), try canceling it, then immediately designating that amount to go to a high yield savings account (HYSA) each month. If it’s a small amount, you probably won’t notice the savings as they build up, but believe me, those savings will grow over time, and you’ll be very glad you stopped spending your money on something that you really didn’t want or need.

A couple of months ago, I canceled a Patreon membership to a content creator who hadn’t generated any Patreon-specific content in more than 4 months. I earmarked that $6 to go to my HYSA. This savings will yield a whopping $72 annually, but it’s not about the amount, per se: the important part of this exercise is the ENERGY I embody when I direct my resources exclusively to things that bring value to me. At the beginning of this month, I canceled a subscription that cost me roughly $80 per month. Yes, the items I received from that subscription had value, but it was one of the least impactful investments I make during any given month. I’ll be canceling a bimonthly service by the middle of this month. Between these two cancellations, I estimate I will save about $135 a month. I will have to pay a cancellation fee for the service I’m eliminating mid-month ($161) but the savings I will enjoy over the next two months will more than make up for the upfront elimination costs.

Vow to go one week (or more!) without takeout or nights out – As a person that adores GrubHub, UberEats, and any other service that takes the thought process out of dinner preparation, this isn’t my favorite way to save money. However, I have a freezer full of food that I can prepare, and there’s no good reason for me to order takeout when I have downtime, adequate supplies, and some energy. So, right before I wrote this post, I started doing some prep: outlining some of the frozen, fresh and canned food I had, and using ChatGPT to whip up some recipes (AI is your friend!)

Perhaps you have someone in your home that handles all of the food decisions, or maybe you don’t order takeout. Look at anything you purchase weekly or monthly, and see if you can skip it. Think of beauty products, junk/snack food, alcoholic beverages when you go out, etc.,. I have some travel planned for the end of the month, so avoiding takeout for the entire month isn’t realistic. That’s why I’m doing my prep now, and committing to one week (maybe two weeks, if I can be disciplined) without food delivery.

Read 1 book that will increase your financial knowledge – This is such a simple thing, but learning more about how to handle your money can do wonders for bringing more money into your world. If you’re not used to reading financial books, don’t go for complicated texts. Try a book that isn’t too long, and serves as a good introduction to basic financial concepts. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Saving on a Shoestring by Barbara O’Neill, or Earn What You Deserve by Jerrold Mundis are all great places to start. You get bonus points if you choose to borrow the book from the library instead of purchasing it!

But, perhaps you already read these kinds of books (I know I do!). In that case, an unorthodox self improvement book is a good choice. It will indirectly support your financial mindset, because how you do anything is how you do everything. I’m re-reading “How To Really Be Rich” (a 4-part workshop transcribed into a set of booklets) by Jeannette Maw, as well as reading, for the first time, Filthy Rich Woman by Dr. Portia Fulford (I’ll be reviewing it in an upcoming post). Both of these are basically workbooks that have exercises to improve your money mentality, but since I know I’ll have some additional downtime, I’ll also be reading A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives by Lisa Congdon. I figure those inspirational stories will feed my soul in innumerable ways.

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These three simple tips can help you build momentum as you invite more money into your life right now, and in the future! What are some things you’re doing to welcome the wealth? I’d love to hear your comments below!

What I’ve Learned From Ten Years As An Enrolled Agent

This year, I celebrate TEN years of being an enrolled agent! I don’t discuss my previous IRS career often, so this seemed like a good time to talk to you all about it, as well as to reflect on what I learned over this past decade.

I started working at the IRS in the call site, then I became a correspondence auditor on a whim (I put in one application in Washington, DC, and I got selected for the role). I eventually got promoted to an international tax specialist role, where I completed hundreds of audits of foreign nationals living in DC, as well as audits of US citizens living abroad. I loved the work, but I disliked many of the managers (this was most pronounced at the beginning of my IRS career as well as the end of my time there: the in-between years were better). The managerial abuse was insane, and I knew I needed to leave for my mental health. Once I started my family, I left IRS and applied for my enrolled agent license (I had the requisite experience to apply without having to take the exam).

I was awarded my license in 2013, and I’ve been in good standing ever since. Here is some of what I’ve learned from being an enrolled agent.

  • Maintaining my license is pretty straightforward and fairly inexpensive. I complete the majority of my 24 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) on CPA Academy, one of the few websites that offers a lot of free classes that count toward CPE. There was a brief, shining moment during the Trump administration, when renewing my tax preparer ID number was free (there is no law that requires IRS to charge fees for these numbers), but that ended with Biden’s administration. There is a $30 annual fee to renew the tax preparer ID number, and I also pay an enrolled agent fee once every three years ($140). So, my average annual costs for maintaining my license is around $80.
  • Tax preparation is my least favorite part of taxes. I liked it when I initially began as an enrolled agent, but now I don’t do it at all. I prefer resolving tax discrepancies, or providing tax advice. Being an enrolled agent helped me learn what I really enjoyed about taxes, and which parts are better left to others. I learned that there are some people that love preparing taxes, and I don’t cross over into their territory.
  • Most tax work is underpaid, so it’s a good idea to work for yourself. You may not get the volume of customers you’d expect by working through a major tax company, but you earn more. With my expertise, I got an offer for a part-time senior tax consultant earning (drumroll please) $25 per hour. Not bad for part time work, and the ease of being an employee (no 1099-MISC payments, so less bookkeeping work for me). But, as someone that doesn’t need immediate income, AND as someone that has a client roster that pays $30+ for a half hour of my time, it wasn’t worth it.
  • Being an enrolled agent is a fiduciary-level role. You have to put your client’s interests first, and you are bound to the same ethical standards as most financial advisor/consultant roles. Just because you haven’t completed any of FINRA’s exams doesn’t mean that you’re able to bypass those standards. You are required to operate ethically at all times (both when working with clients and during your off-time).
  • You’re one of the few roles that can adequately represent people at the US Tax Court. I didn’t learn about this until I had been an EA for a while, but US Tax Court allows non-attorneys to represent clients in court, so long as the non-attorney has passed the Tax Court’s admission process. Being an EA offers a lot of credibility to your application to represent people in tax court. If you’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to work in a legal capacity, being an EA can position you to have this experience.
  • This job is what you make of it. You can do so much with this license: tax preparation, tax consulting, tax resolution, digital product creation, webinars & other instructional sessions, keynote speaking, tax research, and so much more. I have seen people pivot their EA license into all sorts of fascinating careers that go beyond the typical things we think of when talking about tax licenses. Your career is limited to your imagination.

Those are just some of the things I’ve learned from 10 years as an enrolled agent. So tell me: are you familiar with EAs? Would you be interested in getting this license? Let me know your thoughts below!

Harvesting Financial Wisdom: What Autumn Teaches Us

The autumn season is full of wonder and magic. Just think of how our senses are engaged during this time of year: the air gets cooler, the leaves change color, apples and pumpkins are at peak tastiness, and the environment is infused with the cozy energy that complements and prepares us for the chillier months to come.

As a financial consultant and part-time herbalist, I am struck by how much nature reflects her wisdom to us at all times. As I always say, how you do anything is how you do everything, and nature is no exception to this. We are surrounded by clues and hints from the natural world at all times. And in this season, there are many lessons to be learned that can be applied to many areas of our life, including our finances. Some of the autumn-themed financial lessons I’ve observed are:

  • Balance is key to everything. The first day of fall is an equinox, meaning that there is the exactly same amount of daytime and nighttime. It’s this perfect balance between light and dark that I like to keep in mind when looking at financial strategies. Yes, make sure to save, but also make sure to spend. Invest in boring things that grow slowly and steadily (like bonds) but also invest in things that excite you (like plucky startups or fine art, if that’s your thing). Do work that you enjoy, but also remember to make time for restoration and rejuvenation. Duality in all things is required to create a satisfying, balanced lifestyle.
  • Use your energy wisely. There are some plants that thrive in the colder months, and that’s because they don’t waste their energy during unfavorable seasons: you won’t see those plants struggling to adapt and grow in the spring or summer. Likewise, we need to use our energy wisely. Instead of trying to bloom in every season, we should look for the time that is most favorable, and do our best work then. Consider what times of day, month, and year we are most energized (this is particularly relevant to women, who have to consider our monthly cycles and energy levels) and plan around that. When it comes to money, use your energy to develop income sources that won’t constantly deplete your energetic reserves: you want to focus on developing some sources that are passive, and will allow you to use less energy during the times when it’s required. Wisely using your energy is key to living comfortably throughout your years.
  • Slowing down doesn’t mean ceasing to exist. The plants that come back to life every spring appear to be dead during the winter. At first glance, these plants appear to be a hopeless case, going from lush green to dry, brown and brittle in the fall. But then, when the necessary amount of time has passed, you’ll see little green shoots and proof of life on these very plants that looked like they’d expired. Likewise, you may find that you’ve been going hard – too hard – to create the things that you dream of. This is easy to do, especially in your wealth-building stages: it can be exhausting to take in a lot of information, experiment with different strategies, go back to the drawing board to modify your approach, then start all over (psst – You don’t have to do this alone). . . After doing all of that, you may one day feel like you can’t take another step. Or, maybe you feel yourself declining, and, before you collapse from the stress, you realize you have to change the pace to preserve yourself. If you ever get to these points . . . Slow down. You can come back stronger and more resilient if you give yourself a chance to rest and regroup. Opportunities are infinite, and you’re better able to take advantage if you aren’t depleted and at your wits end. SLOW DOWN, and get back to your plan when you’re feeling better.
  • Embrace change. In autumn, the air goes from warm to cool, bringing in the crispness we’ve come to expect from the season. The leaves go from green to red, orange, yellow and finally brown, and the days have less and less sunshine. Nature shows us that the only constant is change, and embracing it is good for us. Instead of arguing against the cooler air, we wear clothing that makes us feel more comfortable. We enjoy the sunshine while we have it, and appreciate the variety of color the leaves offer us. If we’re wise, we embrace the change and adapt accordingly. When you see that your financial plan has gaps or doesn’t meet your needs, you may need to make some changes. There is wisdom in making adjustments with confidence and calm, instead of agonizing over the “could haves/should haves”. Making changes when appropriate and with an accepting spirit can mean the difference between the life of your dreams and lingering in “someday land”.
  • Release anything that isn’t serving you. Speaking of leaves . . . The gorgeous color changes we enjoy in the autumn reminds us that release can be beautiful. Letting go of leaves allows trees to conserve precious energy, with the promise that these leaves will return when the resources and energy are more plentiful. When we release the things that are draining us, or that aren’t serving us, we can use the energy we preserve on things that will support and nurture us. When it comes to money, I checked my investments regularly to make sure that the accounts are growing at a reasonable rate. Anything that is performing poorly over a period of time is released, and I’ll only reconsider when performance improves. Having a healthy level of detachment (which is different from denial or delusion) from our finances allows us to make rational decisions that serve us now and in the future.

Do you have any lessons that you’ve learned from the changing of the seasons? I’d love to hear more about it below!

3 Reasons Why Your Money May Be Stagnant (And How To Change It)

Recently, I had a great chat with a few friends, and we were all excited about a number of things, including our finances. One of my friends is transitioning to a new career and has been weighing different compensation scenarios. Her main concern is whether she’ll be able to continue growing her personal wealth once she takes the new position. She fears becoming stagnant in her financial gains, and doesn’t want to lose time or regress during the transition. I assured her that she wouldn’t experience this, because she didn’t have the most common stagnancy factors working against her. I told her some factors off of the top of my head, but as I sat down and thought about it further, I realized there are a few top reasons why someone may experience financial stagnancy. I figured you all may like to know what those reasons are, and some possible solutions for them. So, here you go: financial stagnancy reasons and solutions!

Reason 1 – Your money may be stagnant because you’ve stopped growing your knowledge or skills. I’ve noticed that many people complaining about their income have either stopped learning about money, or they stopped developing their skills related to their earning potential. This is very common with employees that have “comfortable” jobs (adequate salaries, good benefits, pleasant work conditions). The comfort within these jobs can make it easy to get satisfied with “good enough”, and that complacency often translates over to financial decisions that they make.

Solution: Start learning again. You can start by committing to reading one brief financial article daily, or listen to podcasts or YouTube videos about financial matters. Or, decide to learn something else. The fun thing is, you don’t have to limit your learning to financial topics: pick up any new (or abandoned) hobby or activity and start practicing again. Remember, how you do anything is how you do everything. The expansion that comes from developing one area of your life will flow over to other areas.

Reason 2 – Your money may be stagnant because you’re emotionally stuck. Perhaps you feel angry because you’ve been passed over for promotions. Or, you’re sad because you made an investment (emotionally or financially) that didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Maybe you experienced the death of a loved one, a traumatic accident, or some other devastating experience, and now you’ve been moving through life on autopilot. You may have seen someone close to you lose all of their money in a scam, and now you’re afraid to do anything that may result in a loss. Whatever the emotion is, you know that you’re stuck there, and you feel that emotion every time you start to think or talk about money.

Solution: Identify the emotion, then work through it. One of the simplest ways to identify the core emotion is to start with the scenario that created the emotion, and ask ourselves, “How does this make me feel?” Don’t stop asking the question until you get to at least one of three possible culprits: anger, sadness, and/or fear. Generally, every uncomfortable emotion will boil down to one of these three, at the most fundamental level. After identifying the emotions, seek resources to help you with processing it (FYI the professional that can help you most with these feelings is probably a therapist, not a financial advisor). You can start journaling about the emotion, expressing it in a way that gets the energy “moving” (crying, screaming, boxing class: whatever works), or whatever else helps you to process the feeling. Then, when the emotion has decreased, start venturing beyond your comfort zone. Start with small risks, and rack up a few wins before you go bigger and bolder with your financial decisions.

Reason 3 – Your money may be stagnant because you don’t have a clear goal. Money (like people) enjoys direction. If your money goals are vague, you probably won’t see your money growing or accomplishing the things you want it to. You need clarity to guide your financial efforts; without it, you’ll hop from idea to idea, making very little progress along the way. After reflecting on your experiences, you may find that you’ve taken no actions, because you thought you’d be young and healthy forever. Perhaps you didn’t hop through ideas, and maybe you took actions, but the progress is nowhere near what you wanted at this point in your journey. There are many things that can happen when there isn’t a clear goal, and your money generally suffers when this happens. In any case, a lack of goals and a lack of clarity will often mean a compromised financial path and delayed/denied financial growth.

Solution: Get clear goals and take actions that align with them. Instead of getting exasperated and throwing up your hands in frustration, sit down and ask yourself what you really want. There is no dream that is unreasonable or impossible, so remove those limitations and allow yourself to dream about what an ideal life would look like. Then, determine how your money figures into that: do you need a little more, a lot more, or none at all? After you have the dream life envisioned, and you know how money will serve you in that life, start the process of asking yourself how can you get there (if you want to devise a plan for that, I can help you!)

Stagnant money doesn’t have to be a permanent condition: you are one decision away from ushering fresh energy into your finances! So tell me: do you have stagnant money energy? Are you committed to changing that, or have you already taken actions to change it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Habits Worth Incorporating: Tzedakah

For those that are unaware, tonight is the first night of Rosh HaShanah, or the Jewish New Year Festival. I enjoy learning about different cultures and what practices have served those groups, so when I saw Rosh HaShanah on my calendar, I was inspired to learn more about Jewish practices related to finance. There are many principles that Jewish individuals incorporate into their spiritual and secular lives, but the one that caught my eye was tzedakah.

Tzedakah (or Sedaqah) is the Jewish principle related to obligatory charity. This goes beyond general philanthropic efforts: the word “tzedakah” means “righteousness”, and so this type of giving is a moral and spiritual obligation. It is considered a cornerstone for obtaining spiritual favor, and it expected regardless of an adherent’s financial means.

While I’m not new to the concept of tithing, I found tzedakah to be interesting, because Jewish philosopher Maimonides expanded on this idea and determined that there were levels (eight, to be specific) to this sort of giving. Here are the eight levels of tzedakah according to Maimonides, in order from most favorable to least favorable:

  • Giving an interest-free loan to a person in need; forming a partnership with a person in need; giving a grant to a person in need; finding a job for a person in need, so long as that loan, grant, partnership, or job results in the person no longer living by relying upon others.
  • Giving tzedakah anonymously to an unknown recipient via a person or public fund that is trustworthy, wise, and can perform acts of tzedakah with your money in a most impeccable fashion.
  • Giving tzedakah anonymously to a known recipient.
  • Giving tzedakah publicly to an unknown recipient.
  • Giving tzedakah before being asked.
  • Giving adequately after being asked.
  • Giving willingly, but inadequately.
  • Giving “in sadness” (giving out of pity) or “giving unwillingly”.

The types of giving are ranked preferentially, because Maimonides recognized that giving with the right intention, coupled with the most positive, lasting impact, is always best. As we descend down the list, the generous actions become more ego-serving and have more short-term impacts. And, while the lower ranked types of giving are still “good”, there is a great chance of deeper satisfaction by participating in giving in the higher ranked ways.

I find this scale to be an excellent way to gauge our own generosity. While I love to talk about making money and spending it marvelously on ourselves and our dream lives, I also believe that generosity is part of spending well. Supporting the causes that are meaningful is good for us, and our generous actions are always returned to us in delightful and unexpected ways. I love that

Are you familiar with the concept of tzedakah? Have you considered how generosity shows up in your daily life? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

Is Your Telework Arrangement Coming To An End?

I’ve followed a few articles discussing the future of telework/remote work, and I am not surprised that many businesses no longer want their employees working from the comfort of their homes. Assuming that the tasks for a job are primarily digital, it doesn’t seem like there would be a rush to return employees to the office. However, many that have enjoyed working from home are now being told that their remote work agreements are revoked and they are required to do hybrid or fully in-person work.

This can be frustrating for employees, especially if you have adjusted your lifestyle to a 0 minute commute. It’s also frustrating for employees that saw an increase in productivity and a decrease in their stress levels (shout out to the introverted workforce!) So when a job tells you that you need to start coming back to the office, what should you do?

First, ask yourself if you want this job, or if you’re there because you need it. If you want the job (you love pretty much everything about it except the return to the office), then it may be worthwhile to wait it out and see, at a later date, if you can strike an agreement to restore some of your telework days. Over time, you may be able to increase your telework back to 100% based on exceptional performance. Waiting a while, then trying to slowly integrate remote work back into your routine, could work, especially if you demonstrate upfront that you are willing to follow the new rules (for a time).

But, if you’re only at that job because you need it (i.e., the only reason why you’re there is because they pay the amount you desire, or you’ve stayed there has been because you can do the work from home) it may be time to come up with some alternate plans (I’d actually argue that you should come up with alternate plans even before a job you dislike changes their remote work policies, but I digress). You have less incentive to negotiate with a job that you fundamentally dislike, so there’s no need to prolong the inevitable: plan your exit as soon as you get the “return to office” news.

As soon as your job announces that they may want to start bringing people back to the office, start applying for other jobs. FlexJobs is one of the biggest job posting sites that specializes in remote work. Go ahead and build your profile and start applying to new roles, so you will have options before the company decides what they want to do. AI tools are fantastic for upgrading your resume and quickly creating beautiful cover letters (if the application should require them). Try ChatGPT or Claude to get a rewritten resume that gets results. Set a goal for a certain number of applications per day (I personally aimed for 5 a day back when I was looking for jobs, but if you really need to leave, aim for more).

ExodUS Summit will have a workshop taught by Libryia Jones, a remote work expert and advocate that specializes in getting women into telework roles that allows them to live the lives of their dreams. Check out Libryia’s website, Quit Commuting, for more information on how she can get you a remote job. As someone that has attended the ExodUS Summit in previous years, I can confirm that Libryia gets results for clients, and investing with her is well worth it.

Another name that you should check out is Sheila K. Brown, whose “Find a Dope Remote Job” course was my introduction to the strategies needed for fully remote work. I purchased the course several years ago and found that it was full of valuable information that can help you transition to a full-time telework position. Sheila is a wealth of knowledge, and she has many ideas for helping anyone that wants to make money remotely.

While you apply to jobs or consult with a telework expert, I also advocate that you continue building your alternative streams of income and exploring options beyond the 9 to 5. Work is great for making sure that your immediate needs are covered, and that you have some capital for your bigger dreams. But if you want considerably more freedom, it will require you to release yourself from standard employment and earn your income through other means. If you want to explore some options with this, use the form on my Contact page, and just say “options” in the description box. Also, I encourage you to check out ExodUS Summit this year, as the theme is Location Freedom, Financial Freedom and Time Freedom.

No matter what you decide, please know that your company’s decision to return employees to the office doesn’t mean that your remote work days are over. You can find work that is lucrative and location independent, so long as you know where to look, and seek help from others that can help you with your search.

Do you have any other tips for finding remote work or handling the change from fully remote to hybrid work? I’d love to hear all about it!