Incomia

If it feels like the months are whizzing by, the weeks bleed together and the days feel shorter and shorter, there is actually a little science at play—at least with days. Back in June, scientists reported that Earth had its shortest day since the 1960s, making its full axis turn milliseconds faster than expected. Admittedly, that’s not much of a time difference, but then again, somehow it’s almost time to bring out the 2023 calendars. And with a new year approaching quickly, it can be a good opportunity to take stock of what’s happened in the past year—in your personal life, career and with your finances—and think about what changes you’d like to make in the year ahead. Although a trusty crystal ball may help you avoid any pitfalls, there are bound to be both good and bad surprises that await you in 2023. First, some bad news: Experts are cautioning that the year ahead could bring more uncertainty . Now, for the good news: Although there’s bound to be factors that are beyond your c...

“We, as Americans, believe that our cars are a part of our identity.” But as gas and insurance prices skyrocket, we still continue to buy more and bigger cars, even with record-high loans and monthly payments.  Kiersten and Julien Saunders (@richandregular) have different and complicated histories with cars. Today, they’re providing financial solutions for the car-obsessed, including selling, downsizing, and car share and subscription options. Changing your relationship with your car may be one of the simplest ways to have an immediate impact on your financial wellbeing , so listen in to find out how to take the first steps.  Your reliance on cars may vary depending on where you live and your family situation, among other factors, but there are myriad options for changing your relationship with cars—and an equal number of reasons why you should. Julien and Kiersten discuss how much people are willing to pay for cars and why they stay such a high priority in people’s budgets...

I have always liked the idea of the elevator pitch —that is, the ability to sell yourself and what your company offers in the span of an elevator ride. But the elevator pitch has become too slow for our times. It even sounds slow. Technology has made everything faster, so your pitch has got to be faster too. Today your “ride” lasts no more than two minutes, and sometimes as little as 30 seconds. Your message is key, and knowing how to deliver your company’s message and value quickly is essential. How many sales presentations have you sat through with 100-plus PowerPoint slides and wondered afterward, I don’t get it. What’s in it for me? How is this relevant to me as a client? Forget the slides of the company’s biggest clients, the awards received last year… What is the bottom-line value to me as a consumer? And make it quick! That’s why I created the “118.” That’s the number of seconds you actually have to win over your prospects—eight seconds to hook them and 110 seconds to reel ...

Epictetus the former slave. Marcus Aurelius the emperor. Seneca the statesman and playwright. These three radically different men led radically different lives, but they seemed to have one habit in common: journaling. In one form or another, each of them did it. It was Epictetus who would admonish his students that philosophy was something they should “write down day by day,” and that this writing was how they “should exercise themselves.” Seneca’s favorite time to journal was in the evenings. When darkness had fallen and his wife had gone to sleep, he explained to a friend, “I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself , passing nothing by.” Then he would go to bed, finding that “the sleep which follows this self-examination ” was particularly sweet. And Aurelius was the most prodigious of journal-keepers, and we are lucky enough that his writings survive to us, appropriately titled, Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν, Ta eis heauton , or “to himself.” ...

Sodan Selva was on the fast track early in his career. He went to grad school, studied economic development and landed a job in investment banking. But his dream wasn’t to be an investment banker. His dream, from the time he was 9, was to be a musician. So he saved up his money as an investment banker, then quit his job and struck out on his own. It’s the stuff legends are made of—the young and passionate dreamer turning his back on the cushy and safe but also stuffy and boring desk job to carve his own path , to follow the road less traveled, to chase the muse that had grown in his heart since he was a young boy.   Two decades later, Selva’s analysis of this first bold move of his career is succinct: “That was my first majorly failed entrepreneurial adventure. It was all passion, no product market fit.” The problem was not the music he made; he and his bandmates were talented. The problem was not effort or ignorance. He applied techniques any solopreneur would recognize: H...

Our greatest breakthroughs often lie on the other side of risk. Author and former president of Reebok Brands and HBO Video Frank O’Connell joins Brilliant Thoughts host Tristan Ahumada to share the importance of putting yourself in uncomfortable positions , being bold and taking risks. O’Connell also discusses his own strategic moves throughout his career and how you can maximize yourself to live life to the fullest . Risks are central not just to O’Connell’s career, but those of others as well. The title of his book, Jump First, Think Fast , comes from O’Connell’s belief that you cannot grow in life or in business unless you are willing to take risks . Those same risks—and the agility to make plans and strategic shifts quickly—have propelled him to where he is today. O’Connell and Ahumada continue on to discuss the importance of understanding your consumers , the benefits of college and O’Connell’s process when taking on a new company.  Check out the full episode below or on ...

Movies typically follow a three-act structure: the set-up of our hero, the confrontation they face, then the resolution. Novels have a beginning, middle and end. And in life, often your first act is devoted to childhood and education, your second to career and family and your third, following retirement, is how you choose to fill your golden years in service to the legacy you wish to leave. Leslie Jordan was likely familiar with third acts. “There are no small roles, only small actors,” was a phrase tailor-made for the diminutive actor, who left many a scene in his 4’11 wake through memorable guest arcs in television shows including Will & Grace and The American Horror Story franchise. But at an age when many of his peers were in the midst of drawing Social Security, Jordan found the most fame of his entire career in a different medium—Instagram, where he amassed six million followers. Jordan sadly passed away this month at age 67, but among the legacies he leaves is this: It’s...

“The truth is incontrovertible,” as Winston Churchill would say. You cannot be a top producer unless you genuinely believe in the value of your product or service and can enthusiastically convey that to your buyers. Let’s be clear about what I mean by enthusiasm. I don’t mean the mass excitement generated at rock concerts and sales rallies. That kind of frantic jump-up-and-down excitement is short-lived. What good does it do to get all pumped up at one of those rallies if the thought of making a cold call gives you a migraine? No, we’re talking about the genuine enthusiasm that comes from a sincere belief in what you’re selling. To develop enthusiasm, start truly believing in your industry, your company, your product and your ability to serve your customers . If you truly believe in your product, you won’t need superficial excitement to motivate you . You’ll be sitting in front of that phone thinking, I can’t wait to pick up the phone and start telling people how good this is. Her...

This week, Law of Attraction host Natasha Graziano sits down with Megan Pormer, a FOX TV and media host, to talk about the recent Iranian protests. Pormer, who was born and raised in Iran, recalls her painful upbringing under an oppressive government, and how she finally awakened to her purpose and rediscovered her authentic self . After losing her father and helping her mother and brother to flee the country, Pormer’s sense of self became buried under the trauma she had experienced. After 10 years of being disengaged from her life , Pormer—with assistance—began to discuss her trauma and get rid of old habits . At age 30, she experienced a reawakening. Now, she not only hopes to help others do the same, but seeks to become a voice for women in distress. Pormer discusses the importance of asking for and acting as support, the necessity of emotions and how you can begin to reconnect to your purpose . Follow Natasha on Instagram: @natashagraziano Subscribe to Natasha’s YouTube chann...

When people ask me for my best advice, I typically reply, “Stop believing everything you think.” There was a time when I was helping teach social psychology at a local university, and our topic was how the ego works over time to project its filter onto the world. So, at the beginning of class, I placed a little speck of paper on the lens—not the screen—of the projector. As I started class, I pretended to suddenly notice an object up on the screen that was blocking and distorting a clear view. Without pointing to the screen, I asked a couple of students, “Could you go up and make sure we have a better view of the work and make sure that projection is clearly coming through? It looks like there’s something that is blotting out part of the screen.” I did this experiment multiple times with several groups, and each time the students would immediately go to the screen to see what was there, when, in fact, the little piece of paper I had planted was on the lens of the projector. It took a...

If there’s one thing you want to avoid in your work, it’s burnout. Paula Davis, author and founder of the Stress & Resilience Institute , joins On Your Terms host Erin King to share the differences between stress and burnout, how to identify when you’re heading toward burnout and how to manage it instead of falling victim. When we experience burnout, we have a tendency to blame ourselves. There must have been something we missed, something we could have done, something we did to cause it. And to some extent, there is something we could have done—sought help sooner. At its foundation, burnout is not a personal issue, but one related to workplace systems or culture. Davis and King discuss the main drivers of burnout; take a closer look at procrastination, recognition and flexibility; and share their own burnout stories. Check out the full episode below or on Apple podcasts , and never miss another episode by subscribing to SUCCESS podcasts today! The post Are You Stressed or ...

The brain is an incredibly complex organ, one we must nurture and protect to stave off everything from minor memory loss to medical conditions such as dementia. This week, Marc Milstein, who has a doctorate in biological chemistry, joins Brilliant Thoughts host Tristan Ahumada to reveal the biggest factors that affect memory loss and the small steps we can take now to keep our brains sharp and healthy as we age. Mental health, age and sleep all have an impact on each other, and must be regulated not only for the sake of our physical health, but also for the sake of our brain health. Milstein, author of The Age-Proof Brain , utilizes both his own research and the research of others as he shares tips for protecting against the decline of our brains and bodies. Milstein and Ahumada also discuss ways to improve memory , take care of our mental health and optimize our sleep . Check out the full episode below or on Apple podcasts , and never miss another episode by subscribing to SUCC...

What is better than watching a movie on a cozy sofa with popcorn in your hands? It is the best way to kill your boredom and cheer up your mood. So, if you are a movie fanatic who is always on the lookout for watching great movies but free of charge? Well, you are lucky since you don’t have to pay subscription charges like a streaming giant, like YouTube. There are streaming sites that don’t require you to sign up initially. This means that you can jump right into the fun part of viewing amazing content from the beginning. Now many online streaming website options include vintage films, new releases, and popular TV series. The problem you might face is finding the right streaming site for free movies. Although there are many online website options, not all of them are safe.  However, don’t worry about it . We have got you covered! For your convenience, we have listed down the best four streaming sites with an extensive collection of movies. In addition to that, make sure to have ...

We hear the word mindfulness just about everywhere these days. But what does it really mean to be mindful, and how can you practice mindfulness to improve your personal and professional life? Being more mindful has myriad perks. Studies have shown mindfulness practices and interventions to be useful in reducing stress and anxiety symptoms —an effect potentially comparable to that of established treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy. Mindfulness can relieve our perception of aches and pains , keep us more focused at work and help us become more resilient . It’s also an ideal way to get a grip on emotions , which can affect our attention, memory and motivation. “You almost need a black belt in emotion management in today’s volatile, uncertain and ever-changing organizational landscape,” says Kate Kerr, a mindfulness specialist from Canada. “Mindfulness gives us a space between our emotions and our fight-flight-freeze reactions, however brief, and increases our ability to resp...

In general terms, there is a remarkable level of agreement on the three elements, ingredients or measurements of success. Virtually everyone would include personal development and health, career and achievements, and relationships and family, though each of us may define these three things slightly differently.  Many, for example, would emphasize faith within their personal development, and others would make service and giving prominent among their achievements. But the point is, the majority of people agree that these are the three categories in which we work for success. Like the three sides of a triangle, they are interconnected; each side touches and supports the other two. Success in only one of the three areas is flat and one-dimensional. We have all seen the shallowness of wealth without health and family. Even success in two of the three dimensions can lack depth, as in the case of someone who seems to have everything going for themselves—but no one to really share it wi...

Consumerism reaches an all-time high during the holidays. This week, Julien and Kiersten Saunders (@richandregular) highlight the cultural expectations and seasonal changes that coax us into spending more than we should, as well as their tips for when to snag the best deals. There are a multitude of factors that lure us into spending more during the holidays—familial and societal expectations, self-imposed competition and whether you are buying gifts for children among them. But how we celebrate the holidays aren’t set in stone, and there are a plethora of ways to prevent overspending while still enjoying your holiday celebrations. Julien and Kiersten discuss changing your relationship with traditions and gifts, when and where to find the best deals, and ways to budget in order to save money for the holidays.  Order their book Cashing Out here: https://richandregular.com/cashingout   Check out the full episode below or on Apple podcasts , and never miss another episode b...

In the context of global aid, profit feels like a dirty word. But are they really so incompatible? Not to Evelyn Castle, who spent a decade working in Africa’s health sector—namely Nigeria—before shifting her focus to impact investing. “I think of impact investing as the future of charity work,” Castle says. “Charity is not effective, and people with a lot more credentials than me have written books about why aid is not going to have a sustainable impact.” For those unfamiliar with the concept, impact investing is exactly what it sounds like: an investment strategy that aims to produce social or environmental benefits in addition to financial gains. In contrast to traditional investment strategies, profit is not the primary driver in the decision-making process, but rather one of many considerations. Impact investing should also not be confused with aid, as its ability to generate market-rate returns in a socially responsible way incentivises continued growth. Impact investments t...