Posts

Showing posts from March, 2024

The Power of Visualization: How to Visualize Wins According to Sports Psychologists

The power of visualization is a very real thing. Elite athletes use imagery as a powerful tool to help support their success on and off the court, playing field or course. Lisa Widmark, a sports psychology performance coach, recalls one experience with an athlete who would get nervous about being interviewed after a game. They discovered that the anxiety he had about interviews was also impacting his performance. Through their visualization practices, he overcame this trepidation, and his play during the game also improved.  The practice of visualizing environments and successful wins doesn’t just apply to athletes. It can also be used in everyday interactions and business endeavors. Why does it work so well?  “If you look at self-talk , 90% of it is the exact same thing, and most of it is negative,” Widmark says. “It’s trying to keep you from achieving all you can achieve or really, trying something new—it’s usually limiting. Visualizing your wins helps you change the script so th

Investing for Beginners: A Quick and Easy Guide to Investment

Investing is the single most effective way to get rich. Opening an investment account gives you access to the world’s largest money-making vehicle: the stock market. But many of you believe you have to do some complex, fancy work to invest… or that you have to have a lot of money to make the most […] Source from I Will Teach You To Be Rich https://ift.tt/zhUAKdx

Funding Bias: How Female Entrepreneurs Can Win the Battle in Raising Capital

Image
In a world where female-founded companies not only match but often surpass their male counterparts in revenue growth and profitability, the stark reality remains: Women influence a staggering 85% of consumer spending with their annual $20 trillion expenditure, yet the funding landscape starkly contrasts this influence. Women experience a significant funding bias with most estimates indicating that less than 3% of venture capital funds are allocated to women-founded companies. Black and ethnic minority-led female businesses receive even less.  How women can achieve gender parity in raising capital Four years ago, I raised $2 million in funding for my creator community startup Vibely (which I later sold to Kajabi). In the years since my fundraising success, I’ve spoken with many female entrepreneurs about the fundraising process. The general consensus I hear is that raising capital is an uphill battle, where gender and racial prejudices still block great ideas from gaining funding.

From Behind Bars to Business Owners: How 3 Former Inmates Became Entrepreneurs

Image
For many returned citizens who have served prison sentences, entrepreneurship presents a viable route to support themselves and their families. Being able to make a living also helps them avoid the staggering rates of recidivism among returned citizens in the United States. Nonprofit Inmates to Entrepreneurs teaches business basics to incarcerated individuals and to those who have completed their prison sentences.  The following trio of business owners graduated from the program’s eight-week course and have since become both instructors and board members for the nationwide organization based in North Carolina. They are just a sample of the organization’s life after prison success stories. Claudia Shivers Queen Coffee Bean, High Point, North Carolina Claudia Shivers was working three jobs to support family as a single mother when the promise of good money enticed her to accept a fourth job preparing taxes. It quickly turned into a full-time job that supported her five children and

9 Steps to Start a Business as an Ex-Convict Entrepreneur

Image
For people who have been judicially impacted—e.g., anyone who’s been arrested, convicted but not incarcerated, charged but not convicted, or incarcerated—starting a business presents challenges. Even if found innocent, an arrest can affect a customer’s decision to patronize a business. Felon entrepreneurs face additional challenges, including not being able to rent a commercial space for their business and not being able to get start-up financing.  More Americans face these challenges than many expect. The United States incarcerates more people per capita than any other other nation in the world at a rate of 565 per 100,000 residents. The criminal justice system involves thousands of federal, state, local and tribal systems. In total, these systems hold almost 2 million people a year, according to the Prison Policy Initiative .  These statistics include people who were arrested and made bail, remained behind bars until trial or were convicted and sentenced to jail or prison time. Thi

Apprenticeships Are Making a Comeback—Here’s Why

Beyond the trades and more elaborate than internships, apprentices are gaining real work experience. The term “apprentice” might conjure up images of blacksmiths training young teens in the “olden days,” or maybe former President Donald Trump on the 2004 premiere of the show by the same name. But for some industries, much beyond the trades we all think of as using apprentices, these programs are a path to meaningful and lucrative careers. The U.S. Department of Labor reports a 6% growth in year-over-year data in 2023, with 641,044 apprenticeship positions at the beginning of 2024. Of course, these might not even include the wide variety of apprenticeships going on in less official capacities, as the term can mean everything from unofficial mentorship, to a full-blown, multi-year position with pay while someone trains in a field.  The government also reports increases in some industries beyond the trades, such as plumbing, electrical and other common apprentice fields including pub

5 Ways to Make Friends When You Move to a New City

Moving to a new city is often both an exciting and stressful experience and requires a lot of energy, from finding a comfortable place to live to lining up a job. Whatever the reason you might be moving, be it for employment, housing, school or health-related reasons—all of which are among the most common reasons Americans moved from 2021 to 2022 —one thing is true: you’re going to want to make friends in whatever new city you wind up in!  Whether you already have a friend or two or are starting with a completely blank slate, figuring out how to make friends in a new city can feel a little overwhelming. And while making new friends might not be as simple as you’d like, especially after a big move, there are some ways to start meeting new people with similar interests. Here are some helpful tips on how to make new friends in a city you’re brand new to. 1. Attend events at your local library to make friends in a new city When thinking of how to make new friends in a city, your local p

Inmates to Entrepreneurs Offers Resources to Help Returned Citizens Start Businesses

Lawrence Carpenter says he grew up poor and dreaming of a better life. By age 12, he was following the only example he saw in his North Carolina neighborhood of how to achieve this dream: selling drugs. By age 17, he was incarcerated. After serving six years in prison, he was back on the streets inspired to be an even better dealer.  He eventually attained the life he had hoped for, complete with a house and a car—albeit through illegal means. “I had a taste of how it could be,” he says. However, seven years later, his dream came crashing down around him, and he went back to prison. “I realized I’m an entrepreneur. I was just trying to do it the wrong way,” he recalls.  Determined to take control of his own destiny Upon his second release, Carpenter decided to use his skills within the bounds of the law. Given his record, he was unlikely to find high-paying work. “I knew I was probably going to have some low-end job. But my mentality was that just because I made mistakes doesn’t mea

Want to Reduce Digital Distractions? Brain Coach Jim Kwik Shares Strategies for Better Focus

For most, living in this day and age requires a level of digital immersion, inundating us with notifications and constant connectivity. While most people understand that constant digital distractions may not be great for us, the damage is hard to measure. Jim Kwik, brain coach and New York Times bestselling author of Limitless , says these digital distractions can also be a massive hindrance to our productivity and success.  “How are you supposed to get through your to-do list, much less design your life and achievements when you can’t focus?” Kwik asks. “The art of success is really the art of attention .” Thankfully, there are ways to increase our focus and reduce digital distractions. According to Kwik, focus isn’t binary, where we either have it or we don’t. Learning how to deal with digital distractions is really more about training and strengthening that muscle over time. How to reduce digital distractions: Understand the power of focus Kwik believes the ability to focus is

How Much Money Do YouTubers Make? (real numbers + HOW it’s done)

It seems like everyone wants to be a YouTuber these days. And honestly, I can’t blame you. When you look at what some creators are making to tell people to “smash that like button,” it definitely can look like a promising path.  But as someone who actually makes an income from YouTube (my channel has […] Source from I Will Teach You To Be Rich https://ift.tt/VmkbANi

Why You Need to Completely Unplug From Work When You Take Time Off

Image
This excerpt is shared with permission from Shine: How Looking Inward Is the Key to Unlocking True Entrepreneurial Freedom by Dr Gino Wickman and Rob Dube (BenBella Books, 2024). Here are a few of the activities that past clients proudly share with us when they return from vacation. “I cleared out all of my emails!” “I read the latest business book!” “I finally caught up on all the industry and business news!” That’s not a vacation. That’s not time off. We intuitively know we should take time off from our work lives, but in our connected world, it rarely happens. You can’t go, go, go all the time. You have to turn your brain off. As Stephen Covey said, “You have to ‘sharpen the saw.’” Put another way, you have to stop and refill your tank. Recently, [ Shine ’s co-author] Rob was having a conversation with a driven entrepreneur. She eagerly shared with him that she had not taken a vacation in more than three years, saying, “I love my work, and there is nothing else I would r

How to Budget Your Money as a Teen

Looking to take control of your money and make it work for you? Whether you’ve just started your first part-time job or want to make better use of an allowance, learning how to budget your money as a teen can help you get more out of your money. Budgeting doesn’t just help you save money or buy the things you want, either. Getting into good financial habits now will set you up for long-term financial success as an adult. Check out our best tips on budgeting for teens to learn how to make your money work for you. 5 steps to create a budget as a teen A budget is a financial tool that helps you track your income and spending. The good news is, creating a budget doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow these five steps to create your first budget as a teen: Calculate your income. List out all of the money you make during a set time frame, such as a month. This could be from any regular source of income: a part-time job, babysitting or an allowance, for example. List your expenses. Tr

The 7 Best Books to Help Improve Your Relationships

All types of relationships, from romantic to platonic and everything in between , are complicated. We all approach them differently, especially since each is so unique. But one thing we know to be true is that relationships often require work, whether it be communicating more effectively, learning to set boundaries, or just generally trying to show up more in your friendships, romantic partnerships and professional connections. From memoirs about friendships to self-care “bibles” written by relationship experts, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best books on relationships to get you started on improving yours.  Books to improve communication in relationships Communication is key to keeping any relationship healthy and strong —from professional relationships at work to family and loved ones. Without it, a relationship can easily break down, and everyone involved can feel confused and unfulfilled. Luckily, there are some fantastic relationship books on improving your communication