How's things.
Things are good? Finally things are starting to look like, yes, I can see the end, decide it wasn't crazy today. So yeah, like I mean, there's still like a lot to do, but it's like a reasonable lot, not like a girl how a lot.
You know You're over the mountain top.
Yes, definitely, because I'm like, oh god, We've gotten all the super hard stuff out of the way. Now it's just like basic my normal. Like okay, like I was telling my sister, there's always a level of stress, you know how it is when you when you manage people, you run a company or whatever, that there's always a level of stress that you expect and I've learned to deal with it. But then there's times when and it's like, okay, this is not the normal. Like usually five things are broken,
but today ten or fifteen are broken. Okay, that's another level you know. Yeah. Yeah, so that like I knew I was having our new things where I had gotten good when like yesterday literally the Literature Academy site went down and all I could take the class and I was like, okay, I was like it was just some little like you have to switch to, like I don't know there's like this new certificate that websites have to have now and whatever. So I forgot to switch over.
So I suspected that that's what it was. So I just called go Daddy and they were like, oh, yeah, you have to switch over. And it was like an hour and then it was back up. But they were freaking out, like the team was like, oh my god, everybody's emailing us. I was like, I was like, this is nothing. It's only one thing broken today. I can handle that.
That's the worst when you know exactly what's wrong but everyone else doesn't know that you know yet and they're all telling you.
Oh, but I mean I suspected. I didn't know for sure, but I was like, I think that's what it is. So I was like, you know, let's hope. And basically I just to wait hour to see. Let's hope that that, you know, my guess was right, and it was, so I was like oo. But even then, honestly, I said, well, the thing about websites is somebody knows the answer. So I mean, it's just a matter of we have to keep calling it till the right tech person gets on the phone.
Yeah, it's really frustrating if you are running an operation and relying on third party services. Like I think we've all been there when like Gmail goes down, or like two weeks ago Google Docs went down, and I was like, so, I guess we're just not going to be doing any work because this is where I'm like a so reliant
on Google Docs for everything. We just started. So I manage over forty freelance writers as part of freelance writers and like video producers mostly writers as part of my job, and we just got on this news system this like very sleek sort of start up feeling, although I didn't realize it was really a startup when we when we approved it new system for like managing people, and it's supposed to be great because you can pay people all in one place and people get paid faster and fast
paid writers or happy writers and blah blah blah blah blah. And then it was really being pushed by like another person in our company. So when we were acquired in the summer, he was like, yeah, you know, this is a great opportunity. I've been trying to get them to
use this new system. Sounded good to me. I made the dumb assumption that he had done a lot of like testing of it, and we had a couple of like you know, preview calls where you share your screen and you see how it's going to work, and it all looked great. But Jesus, I feel like I have been sold a Lemon car, Like it looks good on
the outside, but there are so many bugs. And I'm realizing that with forty freelancers and one hundred and twenty assignments a month and all these like demands for content that we have, this we're being like guinea pigs for this company. And I am like constantly emailing them for bug issues and like emailing their customer support. It is it is like approaching I mean at first, I was like, okay,
deep breaths. I was really like doing a good job, you know, like you said, handling, like when things don't go wrong. I was trying to like be calm. But I'm really approaching my breaking point. I'm like, I need this ship to work.
No, no, there's nothing work, And You're right, I forgot. We did just start. Hey, it's not an ambition, it's Sidney and Mandy blah blah blah. No. But the worst, my worst, the worst email you can get from customer support. Is it worked for me? Yo? I want to throw my computer, like when you know you have you ever gotten that email?
Cannot replicate the issue, And they're basically like okay, bye, and you're like.
I worked for you, but you're a useless person and you're not doing your job, and can you replicate this middle finger emoji that I'm trying to myself from sending to you.
I remember one it was like, so, so the platform that we use is called for I have an online school, the Literature Academy, and we use this platform called think Gippi. But before that, we used another platform called Kajabi, which was supposed to be like the Raw Royals rolls worths of like online education platform. So basically it's the platform that you build your school on. You can customize it, blah blah blah. So I invested in Kujabi built our school.
We were using it in a unique kind of way because I didn't realize that, like, because there's still not very many platforms where you could build like your online school, and most of those platforms assumed that you were selling a one off course, like here's a six week course, We're done. But that's not how we were using it. We were using it like you pay a monthly access fee and you have access to all courses past, president future,
and so you know. So we were having some issues, but you know, we were trying to work through them, and we were kind of like you know, masking taping solutions together. And then something broke and we emailed them to try to fix it, and emailed and emailed, and at one point a month before, because the Academy was growing so quickly, they had actually done a profile on me for their blog, like hey, here's a shining example of how someone can grow a great business on our
on our website. But then after a while they just stopped responding. It was basically like the thing that you're complaining about, it's fixed. And I'm like, but it's not. I mean, I don't know what I don't it's not fixed.
Sorry thee I was like, it's not fixed.
And so for months and then somehow we hunted down the founders on Facebook and found their personal Facebook page and messaged them like, hey, you profiled me on your site. This is we're having this issue. It's not fixed. So we heard nothing. So finally I just made the switch over to Think if It where we are now, we're very happy. That same day we made the switch, the founder of that website Think If It actually reached out. We actually had a great conversation on the phone, and
the customer support has just been amazing. And then maybe the day that the final switch was being made. It was not cheap because we had to switch over and port over all of our students. Then the Kajabi people finally reached back out and they were like, oh my gosh, Tiffany, we'd love to jump on the phone with you. I'm so sorry what happened. And I was like, girl, it's too late, you know, like and it was so out
of business what I mean, Mandy. They were so embarrassed, like we actually had a video chat and their faces were like, I said, here's the issue. I said, I can't come back even if I wanted to, because we already paid the money to switch over. Like I you know, at that time, we had about three thousand students. I'm like, literally the money has been spent. Today's the last day, Like there's nothing. They're just like cause, you know, please
don't go. I said, here's what disturbed me that I emailed, I emailed, I Facebook, I tried to stay and and nothing. The customer support was non existent. And now that after months of trying, we're making our switch. Now I don't know, maybe you did a Google search. You said, hey, this
is a good, viable business. I just don't like. To me, it's like, well, you should treat people right, to treat people right, And they were so sheepish, and even to this day, they still email me every once in a while like if you ever want to come back, why would I want to come back? You know, like it's
just really bad business. And I just remember thinking like a customer support But it was a good lesson because our customer support, Like I really train my customer support staff that you're not finished unless the person says yes, like you know, everything has been answered, I'm good to go. I said, if you email someone and they email you back that they don't get it or they don't understand, you have one more email before you sugge. I bought
like a special conference call line. Then you say, would you like to jump on a call because sometimes things get lost and you know when you're writing, and so no, like we do. I believe in super serving I never want to feel how could Jabe made me feel? I never want, like the dream builders or dream coctors to feel bad.
Could job you did us wrong? I know they're like, yikes, not again, you're naming names. I'm not going, I still have to use this system. I'm like, I don't care, but it's frustrating. Yeah, the tools that because we rely on tools and they can be super helpful. But I know people out there nodding their heads like, yes, I had, and it's always you know, my my my issue is like they're in different time zones and anyway, anyway, anyway,
the holidays are right around the corner. She's maybe adding the teens's bit of anxiety to my to my situation just because like I'm leaving. I'm going to spend a couple of days with my mom's family in Minneapolis. So I leave the end of this week, so Thursday Friday, I'll be gone, and I'm just it's just like you know, trying to tick off the stuff on my to do
list before I go. I'll probably end up staying super late at work tomorrow just so I can get stuff done because I'm I don't like working when I'm supposed to be off. It makes me I just not that. I don't mean, of course, no one likes to work when they when they take time off, but you know those some people who are like, oh, it's okay, you know, I'm gonna take time off, but I'll be approachable online
and whatever. Like, I don't like the way I feel when i'm you know, at my mom's house and she's you know, like wanting me to hang out and I'm like at the computer. I don't want it to be that way. So I'd rather just like do the work, work my ass off before. But I did finally do some shopping this weekend, left it really to the last minute. I went to the m word the mall. Does anyone go there anymore?
I went once and I was like, where am I? It's a virtual It was like it was like a different world. Where'd you go when you went to the mall?
So there's a mall near me in Jersey City called Newport Mall. And I looked online Friday night because I'm an old lady and do nothing on Friday nights anymore except for planning my shopping the next day. And I saw that there have special opening hours from eight am for the holiday season, and I was like, yes, I'm going to get up at the crack of dawn, which I ended up not getting up that early, but I got there by nine and I was like, I'm going to beat these crowds. And I just went from like
all I went to Sephora. Man, there is no greater pleasure in life, I think than just being the only person in a Sephora store, no one to fight over samples, for all the people there wanting to help you, Like I felt like a princess. I'm like, yes, I'd like to see this and that, and I'll have this, and sure could have a sample of that. It was great.
I felt no one's really shopping because I had gone to the mall with my sister and it was a sun It wasn't like, oh my goodness, it was a Tuesday at noon. It was last Sunday. And I was actually really surprised, like, huh, there it was. It wasn't it wasn't no one, but it wasn't packed like I expected.
You know, it's not like the old days because everyone shops online now and and people in general, like I've been interested when you know, if you listen to the news reports about retailers. A lot of retailers are projecting lower sales than average for the holiday season, and it's been this way for a while. Like the big department stores, like the Macy's, J C. Pennies, they've been struggling for a long time to get people to come back like they used to. So maybe I was like playing into it.
And just like malls in general are dying, they're they're not. I mean, there's still the big malls and I think they'll always sort of be there, but a lot of smaller malls have been closing. It's just not that part of it's not the kind of I don't know if even kids, like when I was a kid, that's the only thing you could do. It's like you go to wafle house or you can go to the mall, and like it was like a social activity, spend all day there.
I don't know that people do that anymore since they live in their phones now.
Yeah, I agree, I don't think I feel like people don't really. Honestly, I've done a lot of regifting because, like I get sometimes you could have conferenced it.
I know, gifting, Come on, no one wants your day planner.
No, I got some really good stuff. I got like an Amazon Echo.
Oh, what kind of conferences do you go to?
I know, I got a Kate Spade computer KVE it's beautiful leather, and I was like, ooh, and but it's not the size of my computer. And so like, cause I have a what is this the nextbook air? So it's like a regular size one. I was like, someone is getting this Kate Spade uh thing, and it's going to be happy about it. So I gotta like I had maybe like three or four really like nice things, not like you know, like the cheesy conference stuff, but like just nice things. And I was like, let me
put these up. And so I'm like, hmm, somebody's gonna get this.
Even regifting only good stuff though not like you know, only good stuff. I also believe in buying something for yourself while you're also shopping for other people. I say, I believe it. I just really I'm so bad, Like it's like I one for you and one for me and one for you.
Oh my goodness. So I did what I did last year. I got my whole team something for tip from Tiffany's. Hey, that's like my tradition. Now, well two years because.
I have a friend that's panting on your payroll.
No, well that's because like a friend of mine works for Tiffany. So you get like a huge disc.
Oh okay, there we go.
The truth comes out then exactly. So I was like, you know, so I'm always like, I know, I always have the budget per person, but it's like it's double like you know, like so if my budget is fifty bucks per person, then it's like, oh, I could spend a hundred you know what, but like dollars nothing really, but there are things that there are things that are like not too far. We not at fifty, but thinks
that I could get for fifty you see what I mean? Right, So I kind of have like a you know, a buddy like okay, so as long as it's under a certain amount of money, it we're fine. And so I just literally get everyone on the team the same thing. Last year I got them necklaces and they were really cute. Everybody loved them. And this year I got them something
different because I know the team listens. I know they're like, yes, ma'am, it's gonna be late because really, me and post Office it's probably not gonna I'm probably not gonna get their own time. But it's like my way, And honestly, it's super easy because I can just make a really clear budget of this is what I'm gonna spend. I order like, you know, ten of them, and then usually I order like four. I order maybe like five or six more or something different. But for my sister's, my mom and
my two best friends, and that's it. It just makes it so easy, like here you go. But when you start having to buy individual gifts for individual people, it just gets to be too much team too much.
I'm turning into my mother, like I really like to just I don't know. I just overthink it with the gifts sometimes. But at least I got everything except for my husband done. I was thinking about that today. I was like, man, for the last month, I've been saying, oh yeah, I'm going to think about what to get him at work today. I'm gonna do it. It's gonna happen. And then I just I'm like, oh shit, it's five days await and I haven't got my husband anything yet. It's fine, right, Well.
Yeah, because we don't get something, it's like we're not getting each other anything. We just said, well, we're going to get each other is the house?
No, just each other her I wanted, That's what I said, But I'm married to a man who just likes presents. He's like not, He's like, yeah, sounds cute, but he likes kifs.
Ooh. So this is like kind of like a random a side till tomorrow. I'm alone there. So I'm sitting down my mom. She wants to talk about like retirement and stuff, and I was like, ah, She's like, can you sit down with me and help me pull out everything? She's not quite quite ready for retirement as far as age wise, she has a couple of years, but this is the first time she's everyone to sit down. Like I spoken to my dad like about like, you know,
like money. Well, my mom talks talks about money too, but more so in a practical way, like this is how you budget, this is how you say, but this is more so here are my papers here my and I told her. I was like, well, let's pull everything out and organize it. But I really think that we should sit down with a financial planner to really go through because we don't need an advisor like they have to iry, I don't want anyone selling their products and
stuff like that. They have all of those. It's just more so because my dad has like all of these. He's really good, but you know how it is like my my mom is like whatever, I'm not listening to him. Well, not like that, but it's hard. It's just better to have like an individual person that can kind of say, Okay, here are all of your accounts, here are here's the money that's coming in, here's what the house is worth, that kind of thing, and like, here's a plan that
will put you where you want to be. Like I said, I know my dad has a plan already, but I think my mom needs to hear aboute a plan from somebody.
Else that your dad interesting, well.
At least not at least a plan, like you know, I think she just needs like a because he's always managed to finance. So I think she just wants like someone to be like, well, here's what I'm thinking and feeling versus caause my dad is like, the plan is set. If it's going good, if she sticks to the plan, we're good. I'm like, yeah, but that's the plan you created. Do you have a joint plan where it's not just like, hey, it's already set in motion because my dad's like, you know,
he's a g with money. But I'm like, you know, maybe the plan, maybe mommy wants to retire here earlier than the plans the plan would suggest, you know, maybe she wants to sell the house sooner, you know what I mean. So it's like, well, let's look at options within the plan. So I'm both nervous and kind of excited and actually surprised that she was like, come sit
with me and let's go over like my money. You know, Like ultimately I'm going to bring someone in, but I want to at least start to get her organized so she can start to think about what is it that you want, so we can have someone help, you know, you and dad, you know, you and Daddy figure out how do we get there with both of you guys kind of like compromising and getting there the way you want to get there.
And what point do you bring your dad into the conversation.
Well, I think this time is just it'll just be me, her and like I think my sister just for me. We're going to be at the house and he'll be there just pulling things out. I think that we bring him into the conversation when when I bring in the financial planner to say.
Yes, you're saying having your mom an opportunity just to speak without the presence of your dad, who probably has like an overwhelming like.
Yes, yeah, because my dad is like you know nickel dime coter twist this knob, the pulley is, you know, like he has a whole and I guess you kind of and I can understand it's feeling like, well, wait, I want to I have something to say, you know, like he's retired and they're you know, and they're honestly, they're good. But it's just, you know, I think that she just is like, well, I know that the plan requires me to stay another year or two, but what if I want to leave next year? Yeah, you know,
or what if I want to you know? And so he's like, that's not part of the plan. I'm like, but daddy, you have to acknowledge that the plans can.
Change into your dad one day. I don't ask any questions, just follow follow the book.
Yes, here's the book. The book has been written has in the books of as well. We put five kids through college and their masters. We have a house. We have, you know, no real debt, like you know, like the plan is working and it's like, don't don't deviate from the plan. So it's like, yeah, just her opportunity to say, well, this is what I think and feel and then bringing someone into Yeah, that is something.
That we worked on. We fought a lot about, like activities that make us happy that we don't have in common, that costs money, like that was our That's something that we sort of were budheads about. Well actually more so like I would just shoot down anything that I did that I didn't think was like, you know, a useful, a useful way to spend resources on gadgets and car
accessories and stuff. Meanwhile, here I am a Lotti dog going to like a million Broadway shows and contents and stuff like this culture it's you know, it's not a thing, it's an experience.
Gosh, that was so me. I look back, I was like, oh my goodness. Do you have any times I'm like, oh, I'm traveling this and that And He's like, oh, you know, I think i'd like to get a speaker, and I'm like, absolutely not.
Yeah. First of all, the speaker thing we talked about it what is it?
But anyway, but you know what I mean, it is kind of messed up, like relativity because you just came back from Jamaica. I'm like, you know the differ. Yeah, No, it is good to have outside, an outside you know, person to kind of come in and look and say, hey, there's actually room for both your plans to work you know, congruently together, you know, like so, and I suspect that it is. I know that there's there's more than enough there.
So I'm actually really curious because it's been a while since, like I've maybe since college, since like I've seen all of their financials like on paper, you know. Yeah, so I'm really curious to see like what I know. So I'll report back as much as I can. I know my mom probably, I'm like, if you know my mom, please say nothing because she'll be like Tiffany, gosh, darn it. Let me tell me.
That was one of the hardest things for me as a reporter when I used to have to interview interview older people who were close to retirement age, and you want, like, if you're going to really write it like a satisfactory story where the reader feels like they're getting the full picture, you need to ask about numbers, like how much have you saved? And you know, how much are you? Are
you getting an income every month? You know, to spend on your lifestyle, and you get you get used to like asking those personal questions and some people will answer. But I found that a lot of parents would tell me, don't you dare print this. I don't want my kids to know. I got that. I got that answer a lot. So it's it's just I mean, I I yeah, it's funny, but it's great that your mom doesn't feel that way about you.
Well about me. But I'm sure she'd be like, you told who what? But she hasn't listened to the podcast, and if you know her, please be quiet. So she's like, yes, tell exactly, you tell the world. So sidebar, I purchased bitcoin?
Did you really? Okay?
Yes? So well here's why, because I said, you know what, I wasn't going to. But then for the Literature Academy, everyone was asking me and you get a big coin instructor. So I interviewed about five or six different people and I was like, yeah, most people weren't fit until I met this woman named Cassandra Cummings. And what I liked about her is that she wasn't a big cooin instructor.
And I realized that's what didn't sit well with me about everybody else that they were quote unquote bigcoin instructors. And Cassandra is an investing instructor. She's a CFP and a CPA. So here's a woman who just had a really strong financial background period. And then in conjunction to teaching about folks, especially women, about investing, she you know, started teaching that here's an alternate, not an alternative, but in addition to what you're already doing. You know, bigcoin
is the thing, let's talk about cryptocurrencies. So I like that that she was really well balanced versus just being this one thing. And what I liked too is that she had already built this really great, robust community called stocks and Stilettos, and so I had her come on to teach a lesson and it was really good. Like even me who had done a little bit of research, it really helped to explain what cryptocurrency was and you know, why bigcoin is this big thing, and what does it
really mean and even how to purchase it? And so I said I always like to do what I what, you know, my dream builders and dream catchers are doing. So I said, you know what, I'm going to sign up for this website coinbase that she was talking about, and let's see how easy it is. Honestly, Maddy. It took me five minutes and I bought ten dollars worth of bit coin just to see. And I was like, wow, she's she's a great teacher because this was super super easy and yeah, so I don't know. I was telling
Superman about it. He was like, let's buy more, and I was like, so we're talking about, like, you know, let's do a little bit more research to see, like, because there are other kind of cryptocurrencies out there. But I'm definitely now that I know how to do it and understand that a little bit more, we should have her on as a guest because she was, like I said, was really great at explaining step by step. I felt like, you know, I was taking like a second grade class
in cryptocurrency. And I was like, oh, I get it, you know, yeah, I know.
Our listeners are like, why don't you have her on the show, Tiffany.
Now, I'm gonna know, I'm sure she would love this. Yes, Cassandra coming, she was really, like I said, really good at explaining it and just really And what I liked is that she was realistic and like, don't be a fool. All your money should not be in bitcoin. It should be a very small percentage of your overall investing strategy, and that it's very very volatile and risky, and that you could be wealthy on paper today and literally broke on paper tomorrow, but broke in real life tomorrow because
you put all your money into that. So I just liked that she was realistic and like I said, the coin base of whatever website she's told used to use, I was like, oh, this is super duper.
Remember when we talked about bitcoin.
Yes, but I had never used it, so I was like, I don't know how it works, you know, Like I was like, this seems hard, or like how do you even get your money? But what we talked about, I don't even know if you get your money back. And now that I've been on I'm like, oh, this is easy. But yeah, I think we sh definitely have somebody just because it's all the rage right now, so we should definitely be.
I did post in the group we just did a whole guide on the bitcoin and how you sell it, how to invest it, can you buy it with a credit card, how to spend it. I posted it in the Facebook group. I'll repost it for everyone listening if you want a guide to if you just want a beginner's guide to bitcoin, it tells you. It gave me
a really good sense to. I had my favorite writer, Bob Sullivan, do an excellent like explainerround the history of cryptocurrency, the other types of cryptocurrency that are out there, what it even is. And the conclusion is the same. It's that if you have play money that you don't mind losing, sure, I go and out buy some bitcoin. But we posted this. We posted a graphic in the story, which is I
think very telling. If you look at the trajectory of the value of bitcoin, you know, a year ago being almost near zero dollars and today being worth over sixteen thousand dollars a coin. Actually, I just I checked that number two days ago, so who knows where it's at now? It changes.
It's at nineteen thousand left.
My check, okay, and higher. But it just can turn like a dime, like it'll It's so volatile. And it's only picked up in the last couple of months that it's been blowing up like it is now. And I don't know. I just feel like as an investor in like you know, reading things like reading the whole Warren Buffett Philosophy and the Jack Vogel Jack Vogel Philosophy about investing.
For me, it's like when everyone's talking about it and it seems like the hot new thing, that's when I am afraid to put my hat in the ring, like because like the housing crisis, that's when everyone was like, buy a house, buy a house, no money down, like you know, buy three houses. To me, it just feels like, all right, take a step back, the hot new thing maybe isn't the best thing for you and think about it.
Yeah, oh and look it just fail. I'm just on coinbase right now. It just feil twenty five hundred dollars in the past hour. It was nineteen thousand and now it's fifteen in one hour.
Yeah. I think it's fun to like maybe put some but you put tent. You can buy one thing. I didn't know, so you can just buy like ten dollars worth. You don't have to spend like nineteen thousand dollars for one bitcoin, do you.
Yeah, which I like. That's what I liked about it because I was like, oh, and you can automate it. So let's just say you're like, you know what, I'm not gonna eat I eat out out lunch every day during the week, and lunch is ten dollars, and so you say yourself, Okay, on Wednesday, I'm not going to eat out lunch. I'll eat from home, and I'm just gonna buy ten dollars worth of a cryptocurrency a week.
You can actually set it to buy the ten dollars, like, Okay, every Wednesday, my lunch money will go toward buying it. So that's what I would probably probably do is just like, oh, it's money, like you said, kind of play money, and you can literally just set it to let it buy weekly for you or just buy one time and just leave it and say, well, you never know, let's see, you know, so.
What's your ten dollars worth? Now?
Well, it's going down because you know bitcoin fail. Actually it just fell again. Wow, while we were talking right now, it felt it just fell another fifteen dollars while we were just talking, which is fine. No, because I bought ten dollars and I don't even know like what is whatever percentage like of twenty percent, So my ten dollars is now worth eight dollars. I'm it's gone down. Yeah, it's gone down twenty percent, and tomorrow it goes up.
Then it'll go up. But imagine for people who have put one hundred, two hundred, three hundred thousand dollars and now you're what you have in there is worth twenty percent less in an hour, and while we're speaking, it's go ahead. Yeah.
Another thing that people may not realize is this is not regulated. It's not FDIC insured like a savings account. If you lose bitcoin, you can't get it back. And one thing that's been happening that we cover in our guide is that bitcoin there's people out there who like hackers, who are who are obsessively trying to find people to hack their computers and get their bitcoin. And if they successfully take your bitcoin, you you can't get it back.
There's no poop. Yeah, like there's no relation for it. So it's very it's just really risky. So just goes back to the idea that you know, don't don't use money that you're not willing to lose.
Yes, one of the reasons why I said no. To one of the instructors, and she was really nice and she seemed knowledgeable. But then she told me that all of her money was in bitcoin, all of it. And I said, way, I don't understand. She was like no, yeah. So like she's like, you know, I just find different vendors, like my my trainer, because she had like a personal trainer. They take bitcoin, and I order my groceries to be and I'm like, girl, you can't talk to the drink captures because that.
Is unwise, Like I cannot in good conscious Like I only like one of the people who got into bitcoin early on because it was like, yeah, if the system like this is going to be the way we break financial institutions.
I mean, that was the whole reason. That's really the impetus for bitcoin was to be like the anti traditional we're not bitcoin, but like cryptocurrencies. Was to have a way to like create a currency that's not going to be tracked by the government, that's tied to its own
inherent value. And like during the Occupy Wall Street movement, this was the thing they wanted to use Bitcoin and some some like progressive stores would let you use bitcoin to pay for things, and I think even now like Amazon you can use or some like major websites except bitcoin anyway, But those fanatics like, I don't know, that seems like.
It's not why. I mean, first of all, it's literally not wise in any sector. So like they have a one hundred percent of your money in real estate, one hundred percent in bonds, one hundred percent in individual stocks. It's just not wise, you know what I mean. So it's just when she said that, I was like, yeah, I don't think you're a fit. And it was weird because I had a guy that I interviewed and he was like, just so you know, I'm a little firm. I don't believe in that touchy feely stuff. I'm like
a father figure. I'm like, oh, oh yeah, that will be a fit for three hundred thousand women of color to say I'm your daddy. You're gonna listen to me. I was like, I say, you are not a fit.
That's crapy.
Yes it is crazy. Oh but yeah, so we found it so hopefull. Well we'll try to get cut. You're on in the new year.
Okay, words.
That time. Now it's trying to break or boost, break or boost. Even though I'm in a great mood, I'm not gonna boost today.
I wasn't gonna boost either.
Ooh, well, well they're gonna have to get this work.
I mean, maybe I'll find a positive spanbit go ahead.
So yeah, I'm like, huh, so I am going to break from sense of entitlement. So earlier today, I was in a dream Catcher group and a woman let's just call her Mary wrote me and said, hey, you know, I was loving this group until would she say? I was really starting to enjoy this group until I saw the latest post a black woman only wanting black women's opinions? How would that have worked if it was the other
way around. If I would have posted that and said, basically, black women, you have nothing of value that you can tell me? Wow? Is that allowed racist? Much? And so honestly, my knee jerk reaction was like, what that's crazy? So I was like about the type to LORI, Mary, whatever she's going on. I was about to turn to Mary, Oh my goodness, you're right like no one. The way she worded it, I thought she gave advice. And someone said I don't want to hear advice from anyone who's
not black. That's what I thought. That's the way it was worded, because so as I was scrolling through, I found the post, and the post was a meme that said, black women who are thirty five and above in age, what advice do you have for Black women in their twenties? Thoughts? That's what the post said, Black women who are thirty five and above in age, what advice do you have for Black women in their twenties? Yeah?
And so different.
Yes, And I said, Laurie, although I can, I can, I can. I didn't say I can understand if I took it back so I couldn't understand. I said, although I can appreciate your feedback that the post was not racist, that that the post was just someone asking for women who had it. Didn't say that you had to that that she you know, she didn't want non black opinions. She just there's a unique there are unique challenges as
a woman of color faces. And she's saying, as a woman of color who has been through those challenges, can you basically give assistance to your younger self? You know that like that? I didn't, you know, and that's it. Like I didn't find it to be really like you could have. You could have jumped in and gave some advice or whatever. And then of course she did the whole all lives matter, like, you know, I know a lot of black women, and she put black women in quotes, which I thought was weird.
For actually responding to her nonsense.
Because I wasn't going to. But I said, you know what, this could be a teachable moment. She said. She said something like I know a lot of black women, and she needs to be removed, and so asking questions that would never cross my mind. I don't know. She was like, everybody has need to offer black, white, and green or purple, and I just said, you know, and then she went me back. She was like, well, clearly this is a
hate group and I'm gonna report it. And that's when I was like, well, we don't have anything else to say before you get to reporting girl block and band you can't report with you can't find And so my break is from the sense of entitlement that that that that clearly Mary thought because she wasn't the default, meaning no one said hey Mary, you can't give your opinion. But it wasn't Hey, Mary, I want your opinion. You see what I mean that because she because Mary is
not used to being not the default. Like as a woman of color, I'm used to not being the default. I'm used to going to the store knowing that most of the doll babies are gonna be gonna be white. I'm used to getting makeup that says nude and knowing that it's not gonna be brown. I'm used to getting pantyholes, not that I wear panty hose, and knowing that nude is going to be really like, I'm I'm used to it not being the default, and I'm angry about it.
It's just okay, I'm just that's just it. And Mary's not used to not being the default. This woman didn't say hey, no you know, no Asian, no white, no whatever. Women allowed just hey, if you're a black woman, can you give advice to your younger self? And I just you know, And so I just wanted to take a brown, a super brown, break from that sense of entitlement, like girl. First of all, one, I started this group, Not I started a bunch of Anisa and stuff. Not I started
the group for women. But I have a special sensitivity and focus on women of color because we have been left out of the conversation, the financial conversation, more than any other group women of color, And so I always say I welcome everyone. There are men in that group, there are people of all different types of races, but know that I am very conscious and sensitive of making sure that women of color in particular are served because
you can literally get served every place else. This is the one restaurant where we could get served it, like, you know, specifically get served, and so I'm not gonna apologize for that. So I was just like, you know, I mean, I can understand it, especially if you've never been on the other end of not everything not being for you. But oh well, girl, like that's what it is like. This is Dreamcatchers that everybody is welcome, but
I'm talking to everyone, but specifically women of color. Yes, because it's one of the few places where we get spoken to specifically. And if you're mad about that, you know, you could take your mad ass and go someplace stuff, because first of all, that's not even what racism is. I wanted to be like, I need you to google and use a dictionary, because racism is not You're talking
about discrimination. So that's first racism. Someone who does not have financial or political power over you cannot be racist because that's what racism really is, is that you know, based upon the color of someone's skin, you are able to impose financial or political power over that person. So a post like that is not racist because first of all, black people and brown people they don't have the financial political power in this country. So we cannot, by that definition,
really be racist. We might be discriminatory, yes, but no, Mary, that's not what it is. And I was like, girl, black band, I was trying to be nice and teach you or teach you a moment quote unquote, I have quote unquote black women at my job. What is quote unquote either they are or they aren't.
So what then you can speak? You could have contributed to that conversation because like, was she going to say, Okay, so I have five black friends at women black women at work, and here's something that I realized they could be doing better like that? How would you even start to phrase that sort of answer?
It?
Just because it kills me that they feel threatned. I think it's like a sense of being threatened by any conversation that doesn't include you, rather than like being open to it. I just wish some people realize that the best thing you can do if you want to be an ally. This goes toward men and the whole discussions
around me too and sexual harassment. It goes for white women when we're talking about racial inequity between gender black women especially, like sometimes the best way to be an ally is just to be quiet and let someone else do the talking for once. Yeah, not everyone quite has gotten that memo yet exactly.
And that's exactly what it is that sometimes sometimes you just you're right. It's just to say, you know what this is, I don't have a dog in this fright, and it's okay, like you know, like right now, you know, maybe it's it's lesbian women talking about you know, how they feel this is unfair and it's not for me to say, well girl, that's not true. Well how would I know? Now would I know? And or like men
to say, you know, sometimes I feel okay. Sometimes it's just for me to say, you know what, I never thought about it that way. Let me sit back, observe, read, and listen, and honestly, Mandy, the post in the group like under the comments. I get chills reading the comment. It is so beautiful, like the advice that older women are not old or older, but you know, but the grice that the women are giving to their younger selves, basically to the younger women in the group. I mean,
it's the most beautiful post. It's like, you know, you're more than enough, You're worthy. Don't don't be with anyone that would ask you to dim your shine. I mean the advice is it is literally the reason why I created dream Catchers. That kind of post. I mean, it's just, you know, yeah, it's beautiful, and I just thought she was so wrapped up in her own whatever that did you even read the advice like, It's just it was moving, honestly, and so yeah, Mary kicks.
A well, that was kind of like a break you could. You brought it that, you brought the boost at the end, the boost for the women supporting each other. May have you ever sat down to write a letter to yourself at a certain age? Woof? That's some uh yeah, some heavy stuff. My therapist told me to do that one time, and it took me, like I kept putting it off for like a month until I did it. It was it was a moment, what about you?
What is your booth? Your break?
My break? My break was going to be interviews. I've been I feel really really lucky and well not lucky. I feel a real sense of responsibility around hiring the right people for my team, but such a sense of responsibility that I like am over freaking whelmed by the hiring process. So we have three to four open positions, open applications are pouring in, There's hundreds to go through,
there's interviews to set up. You know, every interview that I do, it's like at least a thirty to forty five minute and today to one hour phone conversations with people, you know, kind of discussing the role and what it takes. Like I don't know, I don't know how anybody like does this more efficiently than what I'm trying to do. But and it's almost like I'm casting for like a film or something. I'm like, I just haven't found the
right person, the right fit for this part. And just like the mental strain of the back and forth, people following up up and sending follow up emails and like telling people that they you know, you're not interested. You know, they don't think they'll be a right fit you have. I have to send those emails to people, which which is like I could punt it and have the HR team email them and say, you know, we're no longer interested. But I always just feel like it's better just to
do it, like out of respect. I'll personally tell you because I am the person you've been talking to, you know that it's not a good fit. Like sending those emails is tough. Yeah, And you know, I had someone in an interview be like, well, has anything you know? You know, we'll have like a half hour interview and then they'll be like, well, is there any reason you think I couldn't do this job? I'm like, kind of question is this? I mean, I don't really have an
answer for you. Like I I've only talked to you for half an hour. There could be a lot of reasons why you can't do it, but I need just more than a you know, half hour discussion to decide. Somebody today told me that they didn't want you know, I'm interviewing for a Pacific specific role and I was asking, uh, this person for ideas that they might have if they were to be in this role, this creative role, where you're creating something, you know, tell me what things you
would like to create. That's a pretty fair question. And the response was, I just want to know that we're eventually going to be on track for hiring before I tell you my ideas, because I would just be worried that, you know, they would be taken from me and I wouldn't be you know, hired. And I I was like, maybe if this were if I were a tech firm and I was asking for the patent model or the you know, like the the design of your specific invention
or whatever. But I'm like, you haven't invented the video, Like there's only so many different things you can do, Like this isn't you know, like oh my god too. But also like seriously, so we're just gonna stare at each other like what this is not a productive hour. Oh it's exhausting.
Oh my gosh, I don't even like oh okay.
I was honestly like, oh okay, So this past forty five minutes we've just I mean, I really I looked back on the forty five minutes we had spent talking so far, and I was like, yeah, nothing here is like that spectacular anyway. So what are you holding like.
Anyway, They're like, whatever, you're going to steal my ideas? Girl? Are you going to you're going to start a whole company.
I will say some things that I've learned having to because I come. I usually do it at work, I mean, sorry, at home. I wait till I get home and I'll read through resumes and cover letters and stuff. I really I used to be anti cover letter, like I thought it was stupid. They're never going to read this? Why
write one? I really read them, And when I have hundreds to go through, I skip over ones that don't give me a cover letter, like unless the resume is spectacular, I really do because for me, they're an opportunity to see one. Did you even look at the site and what we're doing too? Do you even care what we do?
Do you have an interest in it? And some people have convinced me to call them even because of their cover letter if their resume doesn't really you know, if their resume doesn't show me such like a natural job history, you know, if they haven't had bam bam band personal finance or financial experience at different businesses and media or whatever, but they wrote a killer cover letter, telling me things I didn't know about them that would make them a
good fit for the job. And I've I've marked, you know, I've I've pushed them through the process. Because of that, I think, I don't know, I think it gives you an edge. I say, don't sleep on the cover letter, don't make it long, but write a cover letter.
No, that's smart. I never thought about that. I never. I haven't. I don't even know that have I ever written a cover letter because my first job was a teacher, preschool teacher, and I don't think I had to write a cover letter for that, I mean because there was more so like come in play with the kids, let's see you in action. You know. I think I did commit a resume and then after that, honestly I didn't.
My next job was basically the budget eista. Yeah, you know, but definitely like when like when I hire now, I'm a little bit more informal, but I have more of an informal kind of cover letter. So, yes, you send your resume and typically instead of a cover letter, I do ask for a statement because I kind of bigger to me than specific skill sets, unless I'm hiring for like the CFO or that kind of thing, like if we're doing like customer support or project management or whatever,
those are things I can kind of teach. So I'm really just your cover letter or the statement that I ask for speaks to more of your your state of mind. It's really important to me that you're going to fit into the company culture. M yeah, but.
That's another thing much like sorry, I was just going to say, it's another thing to think about too. It's the people, Like it really is, like with each person I'm hiring, I'm thinking about how they're going to interact with each other. But I'm building a new team, so you don't know if someone three, like the person you hired right now is like Okay, I'm really working from
this personality moving forward. Like you, if you keep like, if you keep sort of trying to hire people who will fit in with the people you've already hired, you can kind of like back yourself into a corner of a certain type of person if that makes sense. So I'm like, I'm looking for age diversity. I want people from different backgrounds, and I think I'm doing an okay job.
But one thing I realized is when you're when you have a lot of new people on a team, there is a lack of collaboration, like a lack of chemistry because you really, like imagine everybody on their first day of school when no one knows each other yet, you know, like there's a little bit of awkwardness, like it takes a while to get to know people and warm up. So I'm I'm seeing that in the office and I'm
just I'm giving it time. I'm giving people time to get accustomed, like they're not only getting to know their job like a new job, but it's a new company and there's new coworkers coming in all the time, and I think it's just like another layer of challenge is giving like waiting for that that vibe to happen. That like that you know the office space where everyone sort of knows each other and chats and like gets along and stuff you can't like you can't force it, and
I think it takes time. And that's something I wasn't thinking about, being like the the And it's also what happens if you don't hire people that you know that are already your friends, you know, anyone who knows each other. Some startups are like, oh, it's or four roommates from college, and then we just hired our three friends and it's all one big, happy family.
Yeah.
But because I'm intentionally not doing that, it's it's it's I think it's positive. But it also comes to a set of challenges too.
Questions not favorite part questions what do they want to know? Or question question?
We have a question? Yes again. You can email us at broad Ambition podcast dot com if you have a career or finance question, or you can go to brown Ambition Did I do that again? Where I say you did?
You did? It's okay?
Well, you can also send us an email by going to broad Ambition pot dot com and having to ask us anything tab or you can just email us at brand Ambission podcast at gmail dot com to send us an email directly. Yeah. Today we have a good question from a writer named Brittany, who says I'm a huge fan of the podcast, love listening to and wait on my way to work in the morning. Thank you, thank you both for creating. Okay, just prise, prise Prise, Thanks Brittany.
My question is about moving to New York City while trying to be financially responsible. I'm a recent graduate of San Francisco State University, and I plan on moving to New York this coming spring. I currently work in finance full time as a loan representative, but I have always had the dream of living in New York and pursuing a career in writing. I don't have very much debt under five thousand dollars, but I also don't have a
lot saved less than two thousand dollars. Can you give me some tips on how to prepare myself financially for such a big move. I was very fortunate that I got a job right out of college that pays around fifty five thousand dollars per year, but I'm a bit scared that I may not be able to find something comparable to this in salary in New York. Da Da, Da, da da. What's oh? She asked, specifically, what's a realistic amount to have staved before relocating to New York City?
And Mandy, can you give some tips on how you were able to find a job in the writing field.
I was gonna say, Mandy, this is all you girl. I was like, Mandy, did your younger self just pop in and write this?
It could have been me. It could have been me. Although I didn't ask any questions. I was like, see a New York I'll be there, sixteen dollars in the bank. Hey Brittany, Yeah, this is a great question. I think it's really brave. But I think there's no better time to do it, Like if you're going to take a risk,
if you graduated college recently. I am you know, this may not be everyone's advice, but I am the kind of person who says, man, when you're twenty two and you have an ambition and you have an idea and you want to try it out, like do it because in ten years you're not going to have the same kind of freedom that you have now. You know, after college, I split and I was like by job world and by recession and I went to South America and it was the best thing I ever did. And you know,
same thing with New York City. When I got the opportunity I had. I had a decent job too when I was in Georgia and I got an opportunity to go to New York for a job, and I was like by Georgia and I and it sort of works out. But I think you just got to take the plunge. One thing, that one thing, this is a question. I feel like we've gotten before. Do you move before you have a job in place. I moved here when I
had a job offer. I didn't come here. You know, I sound pretty brave, but I didn't come here with that without a plan or at least like a paycheck. But I learned that even if you do have a plan, you never know what's going to happen. When I moved here, I lost my job two months later. Like I thought, I was making the right decision, and then they were like, girl, by, we're cutting ten percent of our staff. So at that
point I was, I was. I was in a worse position than newyorkcause I didn't have any savings saved up. Like I think I had gotten a total of two paychecks, or maybe I don't know how many paychecks. I had gotten a few, but they were all gone, like on rent. And I bought a bed and I bought an iPhone, and that's like it.
I love that story than iPhone because why not, I mean, iPhone is essential.
I just wanted a good phone.
Man.
I was like, I got a job, I need the phone to match. I got a mattress, no bed frame, just a mattress on the floor. Sad, sad story. But so she's got five she's got a little under five thousand dollars worth of debt. That's not that much, especially she went to a state school that's smart, and she's got about two thousand dollars saved. Like, I think you're probably in better shape than a lot of young graduates
who are moving to New York City. If I can just be so bold, but I would say starting your job search before you get here is a good idea. How to get jobs, how to get well. You're pivoting from working in finance. That's the real that's the challenge. I think is like your experience. It's like I was saying earlier about the cover letter. Your experience so far tells me that you work for a financial firm as a loan representative. So what is it about you that
tells me you could be a writer? I think that you're going to have to really work on a good not just a good cover letter, but embellish You're not embellish, but add additional things to your resume or cover letter that show your skills as a writer, Like you should be writing in your spare time. You should if it's not blogging, you should be trying to get freelance writing assignments. You can freelance. Shoot, you can freelance or magnify money.
Email me, well see if you're if you if you have what it takes to be a you know, a financial freelance writer. But like show some clips, you know, show some experience outside of your nine to five that that tells a job, like a hiring manager, that you have the skills that we need because you're not going to get it, probably from looking at your resume. Yeah, that's how I got my job in personal finance, Like I had never been or as a writer for Business Insider.
So after I lost my job, I got a job at a legal news site called All three sixty, which is like a big company now as a startup back then, and I was miserable there. I wasn't writing. I was an assistant. I was basically like the person who found ideas for the actual reporters to write, which was like super demoralizing. But I wasn't writing for like fifteen months. But I started my blog, the Bike rid So I was blogging about biking in New York City and life
in New York City. And I was doing listicles and posts and covering what I loved and when the opening my business Insider came up, they read my blog and they were like, Oh, you can write totally. This is a style that we want. This is the voice that we need, even though I hadn't been doing it full
time and I didn't realize it. I mean, it wasn't like my big strategy, but it definitely it helped me get through the door by having done some work outside of my nine to five that showed I could have the skills to be good in that job.
And two like just in preparation just I mean, I mean, I don't you sound like you know you've got your finances pretty tight, but just tighten even more so because when you're making like any sort of big switch, especially if it's gonna affect your finances, you're gonna want to, like, I would, you know, really buckle down, like as far as being like really frugal it's not forever, and just making sure that your budget is super tight and that you you know that you have like a clear system
for paying down that debt even though it's not much, but because you want to have as much space and leeway to make financial missteps when you first get here, because New York is a whole different beasts and animal, you know, And so yeah, just do as much prep work as you can. I mean, it's almost like having a baby, you know. You can take Lama's classes and do all these other things and make sure you have the crib and whatever, but there's nothing like actually moving here.
But it doesn't mean that you can't prepare as much as possible.
Yeah, she doesn't say what kind of debt it is, and that would really that would really influence what I was going to say next, because she's got five thousand dollars less than five thousand dollars in debt and a little under two thousand dollars in savings, and she asked, what's the realistic amount to have saved before relocating to
New York City. I think realistically you could easily spend two thousand dollars on security deposit in first month's rent and kiss that money goodbye as soon as you move here. It depends on where you live, but I know my first apartment in a Story of Queens, which is like half an hour outside of Manhattan eight years ago, was eight hundred and fifty dollars a month, so you double that. That was like seventeen hundred dollars off the bat that
I had to come up with to move in. And it wasn't the greatest apartment in the greatest neighborhood either. Just to give you an idea part of me and to what Tiffany was saying too about buckling down before you get here. If you have until the spring, could you pay off that debt by the springtime? Five thousand dollars? You got two thousand saved up?
Are you?
If you're living at home right now, you don't have any overhead expenses. You know, maybe it's worth the risk a little bit to take the savings that you have and pay off that debt. It depends on I mean again, I'll say, like that's a caveat, Like what kind of debt is it. If it's credit card debt, it probably does make more sense to take that two thousand dollars and pay it off as much as you can and
then just really attack it. If it's student loan debt at a low interest rate, okay, maybe you have a bit of a case for keeping some money in savings and not you know, attacking it with the savings that you have so far and just instead steadily chip chiseling away at it over time. But I think I think you could pay off that five thousand dollars debt. But you're making good money fifty five thousand dollars a year.
I think make that your goal, Like why not come here debt free, and while you're paying it down, be looking at jobs, be working on your freelance writing, be looking at looking at what types of companies you want to apply for and seeing if they have any openings. I don't think you should move here. Don't move here like I know earlier it was like, oh, follow your dream,
which is true, but don't come here blind. Like know if people are hiring, get a sense of like what types of jobs are out there, Try and get some interview calls, Try and talk to you know you can, I'm not even you can email me. We can talk about what a starting salary for you know, a journalist or a reporter is, you know, in the city, to
see what's realistic and then maybe make the move. But uh, I know people who have gotten jobs before they I know people who have gotten jobs, moved here without a job and just gotten one, you know, a couple months later. I I'm a little risk averse. I don't know that I would do that. I don't know that I would do that without more savings than what you have now, Like I would say six month savings, three to six month savings, and then you're in a position to move
here and take your time. But with two thousand dollars savings, like I said, you can that could blow up. You could easily blow that the first month. Maybe once you have six thousand, then you're ready to come here and like, you know, hang out and see what's what. Have a bit of a cushion just in case you don't make it right away. But I think in the position you are now, give yourself more time, save up maybe five six thousand dollars cash, pay off that debt, and then you're in really good shape.
Yeah, don't I agree with Mandy. Like in New York it's a crazy wild beast, and you want to have more money saved if you can't, because see a month that could be gone. I mean, who, Yeah, do your Shay New York.
Just a living? I mean she lives in San Francisco. I think I don't know if she doesn't say, but just living expenses alone. She graduated from San Francisco State University. Okay, sounds like she's on the West coast. But man, just rent alone. I mean, and people in some places want first and last months and security like that's it's easy startup money. Like in New York, it's not even yeah,
or come to Jersey. But with Tiffany, I'm sure apartments are a lot more affordable in Newark than probably Queen's or Brooklyn.
Mm hmm, exactly think about that too, Like there are some neighboring like cities that you can get to New York really quickly without necessarily having to live there right away.
Yeah.
Even Kanye lived in Newark for a little while before he blew up.
Oh he did.
I just found that out, like the other daysone was like yeah that, like when he was still like you know, first album producing and like trying to like, you know, really solidify his career. He lived in Newark for a little bit.
Who'd have known? All Right, Miss Brittany, good luck, I'm not kidding. Email me, email us again. I'll email you back if you have any more specific tips about starting your writing career in New York City. Yeah, and that's it.
That's it.
Thanks, great question.
Yeah, yeah, spend more. We like answering questions. Love it. Now. All I do is win, win, win, no matter what. What wins do you have? I have one.
I had one win exactly. Is that enough?
Yes? I think I think that's enough.
I'm gonna win the cover of Time magazine this week. Yes, have you seen it, the totem Pole of Magic.
No, yes, I didn't see it.
Oh, it's amazing, it's amazing.
I saw that. I was like, ooh, yike's my bad. My husband just walked in the room. He gave me a look like so I was supposed to put Alissa's Supergirl's Christmas presents up and I forgot he walked in the room, like she just saw them. I'm like, oh, I'm a powerful Why are you you have one job? One job? So of course she came in, was like act I heard screaming down theirs. I guess she got excited because they're unwrapped, and I was supposed to hide them in the room and I did it.
Oh no, you're gonna have some fun stuff to deal with after this show's over.
She just looked through me he gave me. You know, people give you the eye squint like and just shook his head like, honestly, Typy, you had one job to do, put the presence up. It's like, I looked at Hi. I'm like, what's the big Ooh? Is that what the squealing was? Uh, it's only one. It was just a couple because she has more than one. It was. It wasn't like a big you know. Yeah, I'm telling myself that as I'm like, yeake, preparing a big deal. It's fine now, So what was your way to get up? Sorry?
It was the Majestic Totem poll on the cover of Time magazine. Yes, with uh, Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey, Reese, Witherspoon, and Storm read from Ava du Verne's upcoming film A Wrinkle in Time, which I ConFlat to see.
Yeah. No, honestly, it does look super super super often.
The future is female.
Yeah, somebody said. Somebody was like that. It looked like the death ro cover from Vibe magazine or the source. Do you remember, You're like google death Row cover. It's Tupac. It's what is his name? The Biggest Sugar Night? No, Tupac Suge Night. And I think I think stoop Dogg is on it, but they're wearing all black like that. When you see it, you're gonna laugh hysterically. Night.
Didn't he guilt tupac or something? What am I am? I wrong?
Well, you know, well that's the that's they didn't post for it.
Oh I see, I see, Yeah, you're right. This is a photoshop. They didn't post the side by side Okay, got it.
Yeah, but it's just funny because it's all black and stuff. People are just like, huh, this looks like a source magazine cover. No, but that definitely is a huge win. My win is gonna go to my baby sister because she found a job that she really likes. So she's been working two jobs for like I don't know, like a year or so now, one job on the weekend.
This is so like millennial. One job on the weekend for for insurance, and then the other job because she was really interested in that job, but it was a lot, you know, working seven days a week. It's crazy. And so we were talking about it and she wasn't happy at one of the jobs anymore, and she just was like, I don't you know, I don't want to be here. I came here. It's kind of a startup, but it
just wasn't what she expected. And you know, and you know, she just was Now that she's like getting older, she's in her late twenties, she's not as I guess, I don't know. I was surprised that she just didn't quit, because like that's the old her, Like I'm out, I hate it, you know, But she was like, no, I'm older now, I have bills and things, you know, I don't feel comfortable. Yeah. I was actually really surprised, but
I told her. I was like, you know what, you have choices, and she's like, I feel like I don't. And I said, you do that, you know, apply for different places and ask yourself what you really want. And I put some feelers out there, and I'm always till she signed her papers to say where, because we actually
know her. Woman that ended up hiring her, she's like she basically was gonna be a baby bedg atie stuff for another company, which I thought was awesome because it'll help her like reinforce the lessons that she's learned from me and my dad. And so she's super excited because it pays really well. It pays more than her two jobs combined. And there's health insurance, And I said, look
at you. So this to me, this is like her first like not first real job, but you know, like woohoo, like I'll get insurance and good pay, look at life. So I'm just really proud of her. It's for like, you know, like sticking with it and taking the leap and doing what she needed to do. Her cover letter was bombed, her resume was bombed. She did a great interview, like I made the introduction, but there was no guarantee. And there's something that this job did that I thought
was really interesting and most jobs should do that. This position had her do not an internship or an apprenticeship where they said, okay, we know you have a regular job. What days two days a week, are you free after work or before work or whatever to come and basically work with us. We'll pay you, but basically, like you know,
work with us, and it's an apprenticeship. So if you can decide whether you like us, and we can decide if we like you, and now if it doesn't work, then you don't have to quit where you are and we just move on. But isn't that so genius?
Yeah, we do something like that with some people. We do like a test run, so like producers, we would have a producer come in and do a freelance project, pay them. But it's like a good it's and some some people think it's frustrating because it's like, oh, I just want a full time job. But I think, get smart. It's much painful to get rid of a contract, like a contractor than a full time person exactly.
So during ther apprenticeship, you know that you're just basically it was literally just a few weeks, like three weeks, two days a week, and she went in and she was like, oh, I really do like it because you know, you never know what you're actually going to be doing it to, you know what you're actually going to be doing to do it. And so she enjoyed it, and
they enjoyed her, so they made her an offer. So I was like, yay, what a great way to start the new year with a new job that you're excited about. So yeah, congratulations baby Lisa. Not to be her former boss is listening, Oh wow, you lost a good one.
I just I just saw a headline and I'm like, dang, this will have been a good win. Too, but I have to say, so I just read that you know me too. The movement that was so the movement has just sort of caught on this past spring. But the founder of it is an African American woman named Tarana Burke. She's going to be leading the New York City ball drop from New Year's Eve. Yeah, it's usually likes Ryan Seacrest and bad Maria carry lips thinking this is like
it's never really been political till now. But that's awesome.
Yeah, No, that is awesome. Wow, Okay, I love that she's getting her shine on.
Yeah, because there was a lot of controversy because she wasn't on the cover of Time magazines People of the Year issue, which I totally I don't know what the hell they were thinking not putting her on the cover. So it's nice that she gets her shine, like you said, Yeah, yeah, Tonta.
Someone was like somebody said Time Woman of the Year or Time one of the Time Persons of the Year. Her name is Swanna Atlanta Mayor. Her name is Keisha. Yes black girl magic hell.
Yeah that we had some first black female mayors get elected in this past or is it not marriage? Maybe I forget now One in Charlotte, North Carolina. I think she's the first African American black Uh yeah, black female mayor in Carolina. I'm gonna tell real quick learning tree is based.
Yes, well, while you're while you're checking, everybody, say a little put some good energy out there, pray or whatever that. So remember that budget needs to law that I was working on with a friend of mine who's a councilwoman in Jersey City. Yes, and so the budget needs Yeah. So it hasn't passed yet because there's you know, it's a really good civics lesson about it has to go to the committee and then the House, and so it just got voted on to be voted on by the Senate,
so the whole Senate floor in New Jersey centate. I didn't realize that they were like senators, like fat federal senators, and I didn't realize there were state senators. So all, I guess it's like forty I think New Jersey state senators are going to be voting on the bill soon. And then after they vote, if they vote yes, so
I think I need twenty one votes. If they vote yes, then it literally goes to Governor Christie's desk, So there's only two more steps for this bill that would make it mandatory for kids to learn financial education in elementary and middle school, not just high school, but literally for the entirety of your academic career while you're in public school. This bill would make that mandatory.
So I know, two more steps, singers crossed.
Yes, Budget East the bill. It's really like Bill A two three, four, five sets, but we call it the budgetiest the bill. They wouldn't call it that officially, which I'm like, whatever, haters, But it's fine.
Man, Okay, Yes, it is Charlotte, just Charlotte, North Carolina. Like I said, its first female African American mayor, which is awesome by Lyles.
Yes, all this brown sugar everywhere.
Yeah, let's think about the positive things of the year moving forward. How Yeah, this is our last show before Christmas, So Merry Christmas, yes, Mary Christen and I guess we'll be back the week after New Year's Yep.
By then the literature Challenge will have started and people will be raising their net worth. Woo woo woo.
Exciting. This is an exciting time of year. I tried to get cynical. I'm like, why not start fresh? It's nothing, nothing, you know, wrong with trying to start fresh and put your best foot forward in the new year, even if you might you know, break your you know your your plans. A few months later, it's fine. You tried, yeah, try.
Two weeks later they're like, yeah, I'm over it all right. Well, Happy New Year, and Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone listening. We truly appreciate you allowing us to enter into your earbuds another year.
So well said, I hate that way.
It just came from nowhere. I don't know where it came.
F I'm not even gonna say anything else. I don't want to ruin the moment. Merry Christmas. I'm grateful for you, Miss Tiffany, and I go I'll see you next year.
Yes, I'm grateful for you as well.
Good luck with that whole situation downstairs. Bye bye,