Balance is everything. Do you find yourself constantly thinking about the next move in your business or financial situation?
Let me Share With You My Most Productive Day Of The Week: GODDESS DAY
I used to have a T-Shirt company called Wear ME Naked. Whenever I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get things crossed off of my list I always remind myself that there was a time I had an entire list of duties for Wear ME Naked when the only thing on that list should have been “GET OUT Of RETAIL.” Unlike a lot of you wonderfully crafty and business minded artists out there I had no idea what I was doing and I was suited for other ventures.
Women by nature have the most amazing ability to take 17 steps back and look at the bigger picture. We are professionals at it and in my opinion it is one of the most important aspects of being an entrepreneur. But it helps in life as well, it helps in relationships and it REALLY helps with your relationship with yourself.
This is why ever Saturday I have a Goddess Day. I am not allowed to work at all. I have to have fun and get present. It’s one of my most productive days because I always come back to my work, my financial situation, my relationships with a refreshing perspective. And a list that is 100% in line with my mission.
So make time for yourself, if you are a man you can have God Day. Whatever it takes to take a few steps back and relax. The irony is you will be way more productive and you will love your life more.
We are always going to have a list. We are always going to want to move forward. You don’t want to look up and realize that too much time has passed and you have not been living your life. This is what being abundant is about. We focus on being the best we can possibly be, and lots of money is just one of the many side effects of that;)
Everyone deserves help, no matter how much money they have, that’s why I’m giving away a ticket to one of the BEST Courses in Investing/Real Estate there is in the WORLD for FREE…
I am not going to be able to make it to Extreme Wealth this year, and I wanted to give you all a chance to get some very much needed information on the market, current economic conditions and real estate. For anyone looking for guidance or have a general curiosity about Investing, THIS is the course.
I was excited to go last year and see so many women up on stage standing in their power and speaking of the stock market with such strength and accuracy.
This course is normally $7995
The first person to respond to me with the BEST REASON WHY they should have my seat at Extreme Wealth gets my ticket. My mother is actually going as well, so you’ll get to meet her!
Here are the details, you have to be in Los Angeles or able to get there by then, and it’s all yours FREE. I want to see everyone do well, so I’ll always share whatever knowledge and resources I have with you all.
From: Thursday Jun 4, 2009 - 9:00 am
To: Sunday Jun 7, 2009 - 6:00 pm
Registration on Thu. Jun 4 2009, 7:00 am - 8:30 am
Universal City, CA
Hilton Los Angeles Universal City 555 Universal Hollywood Drive [Map]
If you want to make the Investment in yourself (and I say Investment, because you should NEVER ask “How much is this going to cost me?” You should be asking “How much is this going to MAKE Me!”) and you are NOT the first person chosen for the FREE ticket, go HERE to register. Hint, hint, I would call them up and see if you can negotiate the price a bit. If it’s still too much, NEVER count yourself out. You can take the money from your Education Jar and Your Long Term Savings Jar once you have enough to go.
Even if you are putting $2 in there to start, if you stick to your guns and never touch that money you will eventually have enough to get the education you need to move forward in your life.
You can respond as a comment or you can email me directly @ lessworkmoreart@gmail.com
Again, I’m looking for THE BEST Reason, and Story behind WHY YOU should be the one to have this $7995 course for FREE. How are you going to use the knowledge? What do you stand for? What is wealth to you? And how would you like to contribute to others in your lifetime?
As most of you know on this site we talk a lot about being abundant as opposed to only focusing on growing our wealth. And as artists, who better to grasp this concept?
The Artist’s Money Management System is a Money Management System that is well suited for creative minded people and artists. It’s a well balanced, interactive system that is more your style. It focuses on Giving, Playing, Expenses, Long Term Savings, Investing and Education. You can read more about “The Artist’s Money Management System” Here.
I don’t tell people who to give or contribute to, I think you should donate 5% of your income at least to a cause that you are really passionate about, but Is it OK if I share with you a cause that I’m passionate about this month with you? Thanks!
UNITE FOR HUNGER AND HOPE: The FIGHT TO End World Hunger!
Did you know that…
• Over 500 million people are living in “absolute poverty” and more than 15 million children die of hunger every year.
• In The U.S. Alone, 46 percent of African-American children and 49 percent of Latino children are considered chronically hungry.
Here is How You Can Help…RIGHT NOW!
• Join this event and add a badge to your blog before April 29.
• Watch for upcoming news releases and topic backgrounders.
• Make a donation or take some other action to end world hunger.
• Post about world hunger on April 29 with links to solutions all over the world.
If you find that you are a person who often really wants to give but never has the money or time to feel free to get in touch with me on any specific questions or issues you may have. You can Ask Me Anything!
Looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks for hearing me out, and way to take action and be a part of the solution to an ongoing problem:)
With each drunken daily dive of the stock market, arguments that the economy remains strong beneath it all grow ominously silent. Even the most resolutely optimistic economic experts are now sitting in an overwhelming cone of silence and self-doubt with tapping fingers and furrowed brows.
Regardless of whether you agree more with the doomsday crowd or with the finger tapping skeptics, it’s easy to agree with one indisputable piece of evidence: something is happening to the financial foundation of our country – and it’s not good.
Trying financial times like these remind me of the classic lifeboat story (no, not the one with the pope and Raquel Welch). The basic premise, no matter how it’s told is that some type of global catastrophe has happened and a number of survivors of various vocations are trapped in the last remaining lifeboat. There are only enough resources remaining for a certain number of people to survive and of course there is one too many survivors. The group is forced to decide who to jettison.In all these stories, doctors seem to fare the best and they can’t dump the lawyer and tax collector overboard fast enough.
Assuming we continue on this turbulent economic course, I can’t help but see the national business marketplace as that lifeboat. The exception, of course, would be the lawyers. When people drown in the ocean they reach for life preservers. When businesses sink, they reach for lawyers (or now, the federal government). Although we can still safely evict the tax collector from the boat, especially in light of the new tax bills they will unfortunately be tasked with delivering door to door next year.
Following this logic, and based on my profession as a writer, I’m thinking I’d better either become Michael Phelps real fast or pull a MacGyver and learn to perform surgery with shoelaces and a pen knife. In economic end times like these, I seem to have found myself in a group perceived as even lower than tax collectors on the lifeboat survival priority list.
As a professional writer, I am disturbingly aware that my position in the corporate food chain is a precarious one. I hate to break any hearts, but here are some others whom I count as my compatriots in this dilemma: painters, dancers, sculptors, singers, actors, website and graphic designers, photographers, and all the other folks not directly related to keeping clients’ and consumers’ lights turned on, kids clothed and food on the table.
During Great Depression Part I in the1930’s, President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration created a slew of government programs devoted to putting artists to work, practicing their respective crafts. The result was a permanent reflection of life during that time (for example, John Steinbeck’s classic novel “The Grapes of Wrath”). This time around we have the free form accessibility of blogging along with endless hordes of artists who don’t feel the need to wait for money or permission to document their perspective for posterity.
That’s all well and good, but what about those of us whose careers depend upon a client company’s need for a creative product? What is the value of creativity in a failing economy?
Creative professionals craft the words, images, colors, sounds and moving images that companies use to connect with the public. How likely would you be to shop at a department store with an empty (or so dull that it might as well be empty) store window? Or if you passed the window day after day month after month and nothing changed – would you predict the store inside to be terribly interesting? You get the point, I’m sure.
As the economy continues to leak and more and more businesses find themselves in danger of going down with the ship, the creativity at the core of those companies may turn out to be their saving grace. Those who stand out from the crowd are apt to be more noticed now than ever. In a thriving economy, it’s easy for a company to get lost among the bright colors and flashing lights of entrepreneurial fever. Creativity in times like these is reserved for companies who dare to keep their image and message fresh, dynamic and the center of attention.
It takes a certain amount of guts to continue acknowledging the existence of the folks who keep the creative heartbeat of your company beating. Sometimes it takes a moment to remember that we’re not in the corner sketching fruit baskets and landscapes (no offense to those who do).Creative professionals are there to see your organization through a fresh set of eyes and make sure that your message is seen and heard by your target audience.
Without creativity, any economy, failing or otherwise, is at risk of becoming extinct under a cloak of invisibility.
As we all wait anxiously for the stock market to somehow sober up and fly right again, let’s not forget the “less essential” occupants of the lifeboats that we’re all piling into.We may seem to be the most expendable at first, but if you ever find yourself in a lifeboat with a writer or any other artist… when it’s time to toss someone overboard, do us a favor and at least give us a pity vote.
This Blog Lives HERE Right Now, But Don’tWorry, It’ll be crawling back;)
Read “Credit Where Credit Is Overdue” HERE on Ezine…
P.S. Hey:) Did someone you know who could REALLY use this information pop into your head just now? Don’t hesitate! Share the wealth. We can’t expect wealthy people to share their money with others if we ourselves are not willing to share what we have Right Now. So please, choose from the following icons below and Redistribute…Thanks
*This Article Is All About Fun and Easy Ways For You To Invest
ETF’s vs. Mutual Funds
Of all of the abbreviations you have stored in your memory up until now, you may want to make room for this one. ETF stands for “Exchange Traded Fund.” Not only is an ETF your Fund Manager’s enemy and your best friend, what it does is track a certain market, industry or sector for you at a fraction of the cost of whatever expense ratio your forking out in your Mutual Funds these days is.
EXPENSE RATIO- n. a series of fees your fund manager charges you for your Mutual Funds including setting up your account (some charge you for this over and over again every year), their office equipment (no I’m not kidding), loads, etc. LOADS are just one of many, so the whole NO LOAD thing is cute, but doesn’t quite tackle all of these unpleasant fees.
“Ok, Chantelle. So if ETF’S are so great why don’t you marry one?”
I would if I could, and here’s why!
One of the most common indexes is the S & P 500. This index tracks 500 selected American Companies that represent the American Economy. The ETF that tracks this index is called SPY (or the Spiders!) But there are plenty. The XRT tracks the retail industry, GLD tracks gold, and there is even an ETF for corn. Would you believe it?
You can also find “Ultra Short ETF’S” which track the downside of an industry or market. Hmmm…downside…You can make money when the market goes down?…YES! Not to aggravate you but if you would have taken your money and invested in an ETF/index that tracked the economy when it was going well, and then when you saw signs of it not doing so well, switched to an ETF that played the downside, you would not have lost a penny, you wouldn’t have broken even either, You would have come out AHEAD.
“I hear you Chantelle, but that sounds a little complicated to me I think I’ll just stick with my Mutual Funds”
Ugh.
Numbers speak louder than words so here goes…
Say you are getting a charged a “modest” fee of 2.5% to your Fund Manager. Say you have $10,000, and you make an 8% return of $800. Your fund manager does not take a 2.5% cut of $10,000, they take that cut from the $800. WHETHER OR WHETHER NOT THEIR DECISIONS ARE CAUSING YOU TO PERFORM WELL OR UNDER PERFORM THE MARKET.
When money is left alone to accrue interest. A beautiful thing happens. This thing is called compounding. Your interest accrues interest which accrues more interest and when the process is left alone it sets your money to work for you which is what you deserve, end of story!
I promised you numbers so here goes. That same $10,000 fund you have in 10 years with 8% interest left untouched would land you with.
$46,610.
Not bad, for doing nothing eh? Now let’s see what happens after your Fund Manager takes a cut.
…$26,412.
43% of your account is GONE. Se La vie.
I’ll give you some time to process that and make an angry call to your fund manager…
“Chantelle, this is ridiculous, why didn’t we learn this in school?”
Now there’s a FABULOUS question. They were too busy teaching us that Algebra we ended up needing for our daily lives.
Thanks for reading! If you want to learn more about ETF’S you can visit fool.com. If you would like a list of them you can go here… ETF List
Cheers and Love,
Chantelle
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed broker or financial advisor. I cannot legally advise you to do anything with your money. The idea behind this blog is to help encourage you to come into your own financial power. I am not here to manage your retirement fund, nor would I want to. I believe you will do a much better job at that;)
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR VERY OWN BRAND NEW JAR KIT, HAND-MADE ON ETSY!
I’m going to share with you the Money Management System that changed the way I thought about money forever. This system was the very beginning of my 2 year, Day Job FREE, stretch. It’s called “The Jar System.” I learned about “The Jar System” from T. Harv Eker in Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. If you haven’t read this book by the way READ THE BOOK.
Before we start I’d love for you to grab a pen, some paper and pull up your online bank statement. if you don’t bank online then grab your most recent statement. Circle the top 5-10 things you spend money on per month.
Be honest with yourself. How much of it do you REALLY need right now? The things you don’t need, put exes by. The one thing you don’t NEED but really LOVE go ahead and circle it. You can use your PLAY account for this one. {I’ll explain what a “Play Account” is in just a sec.} The rest, severely cut down or cut it out. I’ll give you an example… Cut out eating out, drinking, partying, recreational drugs. Cut down on rent, gas, grocery bill. Use your “Play Account” for Netflix. Make sense?
Let’s begin…
When you get your paycheck you should put it all towards rent and expenses right? WRONG! Yet most people make exactly this mistake. Instead use “The Jar System” and split your money up like so…
10% FINANCIAL FREEDOM JAR
This is the most important jar. You will not touch this money unless you are investing it. This does not mean investing in your friend’s band or your girlfriend’s t-shirt company. You can use your “Play Account” for that. This money is your nest egg. As it builds, ideally you will get to the point where you are living off of the percentage returns on this money. You NEVER TOUCH THIS MONEY! When you die, put it in your will that anyone who comes after you is never to touch this money, only the money it creates. For now, starting off with an IRA, IRA Roth {if you are under 35}, a 401K or any other tax free account.
Never Spend This Money. Only Invest it in opportunities that will make you more money.
10% EDUCATION
ie: that new pottery class you heard about
You think education is expensive? Try ignorance. (Who said that by the way? It’s not mine) And I’m not talking about college specifically either. Actually I only went to one semester of college then I got cast in a B film and couldn’t attend my classes. Well, there was no “couldn’t” about it. I “wouldn’t.” Wow, what a trade off! Back to the point. You are going to use this money to expand your core of competence. This is “Mastering Your Craft” money. The better you are at your craft the more your income should reflect that.
*This is not your child’s education, this is YOURS. You really want to be able to pay for your child’s education? Master your craft and start making more money.
10% LONG TERM SAVINGS
ie: that trip to Berlin you and your friends keep saying you’ll go on
If you want to use this money to pay off debt you can. But you can also split it up 5% and 5%. Pay off debt AND use the other 5% to save up for something special. A car, a vacation, a tattoo whatever gets your boat floating.
What is the point of making money if you don’t contribute? This is the point! In fact if you are reading this and you only want to make money so you can sit on it and wait for it to hatch, I’d prefer it if you didn’t make any money at all. The world is a huge place that needs some huge healing. Be a part of that process. Contribute:) And pick a cause that YOU stand for. Don’t let anyone guilt you into anything.
I say 5-10% because as you start making more money you can increase it to 10%. If you are broke and you are very stubborn about giving at least 10% is it OK if we explore something here? Could this be why you’re broke? Are you giving too much of yourself? You can’t pour water from an empty cup. Be patient, fill your glass and you will do the world a greater service in doing so.
Spend this money every month 10% PLAY!
ie: front row tickets to a Prince Concert
YAY for PLAY! That one thing you circled that you know you don’t need but just have to have goes here. For the first month at least. This Jar had me tripping in the beginning. I just didn’t know what to do with myself. This Jar is for pampering yourself! It’s your reward for sticking to your guns and sticking to this system. Massages, first class airfare, pedicures, fancy restaurants, whatever you can think of! The only rule is you have to blow all of this money by the end of the month. How’s that for the most fabulous rule ever?
Spend this money every month
50-55% EXPENSES
This is the meat and potatoes right here. Rent, car payment, groceries, bills, etc. Now as you can see I put 50-55% If you want 55% guess where that extra 5% comes from? That’s right your GIVE Jar! This is for all of you who are still thinking about scraping pennies to give away everything you don’t have! If you can’t live off of 50% only you have to take from the Give Jar. If you have to get creative with your giving, give your time. I am a volunteer for San Francisco Women Against Rape. I was on the hotline for a year. I learned a lot about myself and life in general volunteering there. The training was a very life changing experience for me, so give your time. It’ll give back to you as well I promise.
Note: If you are paying a lot of money per month for health insurance or credit cards you NEED to check this service out.
Now some of you are thinking, “Chantelle, how the hell do you expect me to live off of 55% of my money? have you lost your mind?”
Actually I have and I have no desire to find it either, but that’s another issue. But this is why we went over CUTTING DOWN first. Greg Habstritt says “Do What Others Won’t for 3-5 Years, And Then You Can Do What Others Can’t Do For the Rest of Your Life.” For me this meant turning away from my “friends” at the time. I stopped drinking, I stopped eating out. I was surprised at how much money this saved me. I’m a firm believer that when you take one step outside of your comfort zone the Universe will bend over backwards for you. Show a little discipline and see what comes of it;)
You will most likely use up your Expenses money every month. When you find you are not using it all up then start putting the rest into your FFA and your Give Jar. If you absolutely 100% under no circumstances can afford to do this right now please don’t be discouraged. Start with using 10% of your money for your FFA {money you never touch} and give your time. Definitely cut down. And focus on making more money. The Laid Off Artist’s Survival Guide will help you out with that immediately.
If you have any questions about the jar system you can visit… jarshelp.com
Or shoot me an email at lessworkmoreart@gmail.com
And YES you should actually get JARS and do this. I have eight bank accounts {3 for my FFA} and this is how I do it. Seriously! I put my account balance in my Jars on a piece of paper. I made my Jars with fabric paint, a sharpie and plastic cups. I make a nice fun art project out of it and if you’ll have me as your coach we’ll get DEEP into some fun projects.
This is the beginning of the beginning if you stick to this:) Keep me posted on your results!
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR VERY OWN BRAND NEW JAR KIT, HAND-MADE ON ETSY!
P.S. Hey:) Did someone you know who could REALLY use this information pop into your head just now? Don’t hesitate! Share the wealth. We can’t expect wealthy people to share their money with others if we ourselves are not willing to share what we have Right Now. So please, choose from the following icons below and Redistribute…Thanks
