Balance Academy

This episode will conclude our content for Balance Academy as we share our takeaways, learning experiences, and next steps going forward! To all those who have watched us on YouTube or listened to our podcast over the past year, we are extremely GRATEFUL for your support! We never could have gotten this far if it weren't for the support and motivation we received from others, so thank you for everything you've done to help support our channel/podcast. While our content may be over, our merch is still hot and ready for sale! Head to our website at balance-academy.net to pick yourself out a new shirt or hoodie. Again thank you to everyone who watched and listened to Balance Academy, and keep working hard on your own journey toward balance, because it's a lifelong process! Peace out! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

On this week's episode, we talk about the major jump in Bitcoin due to Tesla's $1.5 billion purchase earlier this week. Major news: one of our creators, Enrique, tossed a significant amount of his money toward the surging cryptocurrency. We encourage you to get into Bitcoin if you have the money to do so, even if it's just a little bit. Bitcoin can be somewhat risky and volatile, but buying it can also be a great way to diversify your investment portfolio as you try to meet your big financial goals, which is the second part of this episode. We each go through our own financial and career goals in 5 years and discuss our future business goals as well. Check it out! #balance #bitcoin #finance #goals Please like and subscribe to our podcast, and check out our main channel Balance Academy for video content! For more information, be sure to head to our website at balance-academy.net. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

On this week's episode of the podcast, we talk about the most recent financial event that has affected both Wall Street and investors everywhere: the GameStop short. We give a bit of background of what actually happened that made GameStop stock soar for a short period of time, causing others in its industry like AMC or Nokia to suffer dramatically. GameStop's stock price has since gone down significantly. The big question then is: who will come out on top in the stock market: Wall Street or individual investors? For the second part of this episode, we give some preliminary advice for getting into the stock market and investing. We highly recommend you start your investing journey early using index funds or mutual funds from institutions like Charles Schwab or Fidelity. These are primarily aimed at consistent growth with low to medium levels of risk. If you want to get more involved in things like day trading, we really suggest that you first do your research. Figure out and understand on a deep level how the market works, especially for specific stocks. You can use online simulators and invest fake money to kind of see how the process works. Check this one out: https://www.investopedia.com/simulator/. Thanks for tuning in this week, come back every Wednesday afternoon for new episodes! Please like and subscribe to our podcast, and check out our main channel Balance Academy for video content! For more information, be sure to head to our website at balance-academy.net. You can find our merch there as well! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we each go through a personality test created by 16Personalities to find out more about ourselves! Follow along with us in the podcast if you'd like to take the test as well! Here is the link to follow along: https://www.16personalities.com/ This test contains 60 questions, and you can answer along a scale ranging from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." At the end of the test, you will get a 5-letter personality type assigned to you based on your answers. Each letter corresponds to a certain category or personality trait: 1. Mind - this trait is about how you interact with the environment around you. You will either be Extroverted(E) or Introverted(I). 2. Energy - where do you direct your mental energy? You can get either Intuitive(N) or Observant(S). 3. Nature - how do you make decisions? Are you usually Thinking(T) or Feeling(F)? 4. Tactics - how do you approach things? Are you Judging(J) or Perceiving(P)? 5. Identity - how confident are you in yourself and your decisions? Are you Assertive(A) or Turbulent(T)? The 16Personalities site gives a ton of info about which of these traits you have and how much you lean toward each one. It also offers lots of details about possible career paths, romantic relationships, strengths, weaknesses, and workplace habits for your personality type. Now you might be saying, "usually these tests are all fake and aren't accurate at all." While that may be true for some, this test is very reliable from our experience taking it multiple times and can offer some really good ideas for personal growth and improvement (it was actually scary accurate for a couple of us). We highly recommend you check this test out and read your results, they can really be helpful in your journey toward balance! #balance #personality #16personalities #development Please like and subscribe to our podcast on YouTube, and check out our main channel Balance Academy for video content! For more information, be sure to head to our website at balance-academy.net. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Want to budget your money and save for the future? Tune into this week's podcast episode to find easy ways to do that even without a steady income stream! In this episode, Lavran and Andrew talk about different methods of budgeting and saving for long-term financial goals such as a major purchase like a house or even longer off like retirement. It is important to budget your money no matter your job, income level, or age. You might be asking, "how do I get started?" We recommend trying to assign a set percentage of your monthly income to various savings areas (emergency fund, retirement account, etc.). Additionally, you want to budget a percentage of your income toward your common expenses. These include things like rent, food, electric, phone, utilities, and much more depending on your lifestyle choices. It's smart to set realistic percentages for each of these expenses, but try to push yourself to spend less and save more as we enter into this new year. You'll find that it's actually pretty easy to cut down on things like groceries or subscriptions if you budget your money well and stick to it. Now this all sounds pretty daunting, but make sure you keep it fun! Give yourself some space to spend money on things you enjoy doing, whether it's going to see a show (COVID dependent), eating at a restaurant with friends, or other activities. Put fun into your budget, especially if you're trying to go on a family vacation in the near future. You can have the balance between your critical expenses and your fun ones. If you're new to budgeting or haven't done it in a while, it's as simple as making a spreadsheet and playing around with some numbers. Come up with a plan that works for you, stick to it, and see the positive results come through over the course of this year. Thanks for watching, be sure to like and subscribe if you haven't already, and happy budgeting! App to consider: YNAB Find more info at www.balance-academy.net. Check out our merch there! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

2020 is almost over, and it's time to look forward to the new year, 2021! Obviously 2020 was not the year anyone expected, especially due to the COVID pandemic combined with political and social unrest around the world. But, there were still some highlights, and it's important to remember the good things that happened as we transition into a new year. Our advice? Use 2020 as a learning experience so that you can continue to BETTER YOURSELF and GROW into 2021. You have an opportunity to become a better and more balanced individual in the coming year. This can take many forms, which is why it is critical to SET GOALS for yourself to help track your progress throughout the year. Creating goals and sticking to them can help you in all areas of your life, and they are a great personal development method that can bring you fulfillment in your individual accomplishments. So, what do good goals, or RESOLUTIONS, look like? Goals need to be specific, challenging, and realistic. We recommend taking the first few days of 2021 doing a personal inventory of your life. Where are you right now? Physically? Emotionally? In your relationships? Financially? Knowing your starting point helps you create a more specific and realizable ending point. Once you've done that, now you can set some goals for yourself. Make sure to challenge yourself but at the same time recognize your current situation. For example, if you have a goal to workout four times per week, are you currently working out, or has it been a long time? Recognizing your current situation will allow you to see the challenge ahead of you. Now, we are definitely not discouraging setting lofty goals, just make sure they are realistic for what you want for yourself! Goals can be both short term and long term, so you can always set goals with a longer horizon if they are more lofty. Goal setting can be a huge part of your 2021 in your personal growth journey to become more balanced! Remember to like, share, and subscribe to our channel! We really appreciate the support! Find more info at www.balance-academy.net. Click the link to our store to see our fresh merch! #newyears #2021 #resolutions #goalsetting --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The holidays are here, 2020 is almost over! Know what that means? It's time to celebrate! On this week's podcast, we talk about our plans for the holidays and give some tips on how to stay safe and have fun with friends and family during this great time of the year. In case you're still trying to make some last minute plans with your family, here are a couple ideas: - Try to connect with friends and family as much as possible if you're able. Zoom may not feel like the best option, but it can still be an enjoyable way to catch up and reconnect. - Continue your Christmas traditions like a gift exchange or white elephant, just virtually this time around. You can still all have a good time even if you may not get your gift right away. - Create a competition between sides of the family. Who can work a jigsaw puzzle the fastest? Who's the best at trivia? Most of all, please remember to STAY SAFE during this season and look out for those who are at risk with COVID. Just be smart in your decisions and everyone can still have a great holiday celebration! We at Balance Academy wish you all a merry Christmas and happy holidays! Music: O Holy Night (Prog Rock Version) - Surreal Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we discuss our own core values and reasons why values are important in life. Knowing and sticking to your values can help a lot in making tough decisions, handling relationships, building consistent habits, and managing your finances. Tune in to hear more about core values and the critical role they play in life balance. For more info, check out our website at balance-academy.net. Thanks for your support! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this podcast, we dive into the topic of stress management. Managing your stress levels is so key to your overall emotional, mental, and physical well-being, and can help you make better decisions in your relationships or finances. 2020 has been a very stressful year for all of us, so hear some of our easy tips to reduce your stress and increase your emotional balance! Thank you for the support of our podcast! For more info about Balance Academy, check us out at balance-academy.net. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we offer several tips for anyone who is currently or going to be working from home for their job. Developing good habits can be tricky, so give this a listen to learn more about staying consistent and keeping yourself on track while working from home! Thank you for supporting our podcast! Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and share this episode with anyone you think may enjoy it! Check out our website at balance-academy.net for more info. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, each of the four creators touch on their personal business interests and where they want to go in the future from a business standpoint. We also offer different tips and tricks that we've learned over the past couple years from dabbling in different business areas and through Balance Academy. Be sure to check out this conversation if you're interested in starting a business or may be on the fence about whether entrepreneurship is the right path for you! As always, please be sure to follow our podcast on whatever platform you may be listening on, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out our website for news and merch at balance-academy.net. We appreciate all the support! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In the second half of this week's podcast, we shift focus to the topic of investing. We recommend that everyone should start investing EARLY so that you can see your returns grow over a longer period of time. This is theory of compound interest at work, everyone, and it really is true. If you start earlier, you will be much better off than someone who started a few years after you, even if you might put in a bit less money than them per year. For your first investment account, we highly recommend using a Roth IRA. This is a retirement savings account that provides good tax benefits and a lower-risk investment model for younger adults and professionals to amass savings for retirement. The money you put in a Roth is taxed at the beginning once deposited, which means when you withdraw in the future (wait till age 59 1/2 or else there's a penalty!), you won't get taxed on the money already in the account. That is the main advantage of the Roth over a traditional IRA because under a traditional IRA you get taxed upon withdrawal but not deposit. Stay tuned for a tutorial video on how to start your Roth IRA account and what funds to invest in over time! We also briefly discuss the stock market and other potential areas where young people can invest just starting out. Generally speaking, we think it is wise to look at funds and investments that are more stable with lower levels of risk so that you can grow a foundation first. Also, if you really want to learn more about how stocks work, there are cool mock stock portfolio games at websites like Investopedia that help young people learn more about how stocks fluctuate and when to buy/sell based on market conditions. Check out the following link: https://www.investopedia.com/simulator/ Be on the lookout for more Financial Module content coming soon, and thank you for the support! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this podcast episode, we introduce some of the major topics of the Financial Module, such as personal finance, budgeting, financial planning, saving for retirement, and many other topics! So, what is personal finance? In short, personal finance is really about trying to find a "peace of mind" where you do not have to think or stress over making financial decisions. This comes with lots of time and effort, and we'll guide you along some major steps to achieving that peace of mind. First off, we discuss how to budget your money. In the video we offer a couple different approaches on how to manage money and plan for the future. We'll talk about why you need a budget and what a good budget can do for you. Next, we'll turn to investing and retirement planning. A big topic we'll cover is the difference between a Roth and traditional IRA account. We will also discuss basic investing tips, the stock market, and planning out your financial future. The next major topic within the Financial Module is passive income and making money off a side hustle. In this section, Lavran will give more details about his experiences as an entrepreneur, answering questions like "how can I start a business?" or "how can I make money from other sources than my main job?" Lastly, we will talk about probably the most common stream of income for many people: your job. How can you derive both money and value from your job, and how can that lead you into other opportunities through promotions or pay raises? Thanks so much for your support, stay tuned for all the content we have coming out in the next few weeks, and get balanced! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode Nik talks with his roommate, Komlan Sogah who immigrated here when he was 10. Listen in to their discussion on cultural relationships! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Welcome to the first installment of our interview series! To kick things off, we welcome special guest Pete Caruso to the show. Pete is a senior at Marquette University pursuing a psychology major and minors in business and criminology. In this episode, Pete and Andrew talk about comedy and laughter and how they can be critical to your overall emotional well-being and emotional balance. This is especially true whenever you encounter a difficult or stressful situation - comedy and laughter can be great stress relievers! Thanks for tuning in to our podcast, please be sure to continue showing your support by subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Instagram, and checking out all our brand new merchandise on our website at balance-academy.net! Want to be a part of the interview series? Shoot us a DM on Instagram or email us at balanceacademy2020@gmail.com. Get balanced! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this podcast we discuss personal presentation including posture, dress code, and hygiene. Enrique, Lavran, and Andrew give their tips to help you command respect and own your presence in and outside of the business world. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and to subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can head over to our website to keep up with Balance Academy news and to purchase our awesome new merch! --> balance-academy.net --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we cover some good tips to help you develop a healthy sleep routine! We recommend 7-8 hours of sleep each night, really focus on that. Make sure to limit your screen time on phones, computers, TVs, etc. throughout the day and especially right before going to sleep. Be sure to also check out buying bluelight glasses! They're super helpful for limiting the amount of UV radiation from screens, and you can find a pair for cheap! Thanks for tuning in, be sure to follow this podcast and our YouTube channel. Check out our website at balance-academy.net to find our new merchandise. Check us out on Instagram and Facebook too, and spread the word to friends and family! Impact your world! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Discover how to diet properly as Lavran walks you through the nuances of dieting and explains why its actually not as scary as you may think. It's also quite cheap! Remember to like, share and follow us here as well as follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and check out our merch at www.balance-academy.net Enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, Nikulaus and Lavran discuss working out and maintaining yourself physically. Listen to what they have to say! Please show your support by subscribing to our YouTube channel and following us on Instagram! Check out our merchandise at balance-academy.net - get balanced! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Find out what it takes to maintain BALANCE in the physical dimension. In this episode we introduce the core topics for physical health; fitness, diet, sleep and hygiene. Enjoy! Please be sure to follow us on here, Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the YouTube channel. We also have merch you can get only at www.balance-academy.net Thank you all so much for the support! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

What are the important types of communication? The top 3 in order include body language, tone, and your actual spoken words. Why is communication important? In short, communication guides ALL RELATIONSHIPS! In this episode, we discuss the importance of communication for any and all relationships, both personal and professional. Maintaining confident body language and varying your tonality can help you deliver your message effectively and get your audience to pay attention to you! We also talk about cross-cultural relationships, specifically referring to high or low-context cultures and their methods of communicating. As a useful reference moving forward, here are the "7 C's" of Communication: Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, and Courteous. Hope you enjoy the show - be sure to show your support by checking out our merchandise at https://teespring.com/stores/the-balance-cache. Get balanced! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In the first segment of this episode, we discuss the purpose and importance of finding and developing relationships with mentors. Mentors can be found in both your personal and professional life and are super helpful for your overall development. In our second segment, we welcome special guest Rain Liewer as he gives his perspective on life balance! We also discuss business partnerships between friends and how to have a healthy friendship while working on a business together. Be sure to give us a listen and show your support on social media! Questions? Email us at balanceacademy2020@gmail.com. We hope you enjoy the show! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In today's episode, we explore four major relationship stages in a person's life: single, dating, engaged, and married. We look at each of these through the lens of balance, which includes your own growth and development as well as your partner's. Check it out to hear our thoughts on the benefits of singlehood, dating and marriage as an evaluation process, and another very important question: when is the right time to engage in sex? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we discuss family dynamics and different family structures, as well as various parenting techniques that we've experienced. We also talk about some effective ways to manage conflict within the family - check it out! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us as we discuss how to cultivate strong friendships and also maintain them over a long period of time! We will be going through the dynamics of our 12-year friendship as an example, detailing some of the challenges and dynamics in that relationship. Each creator will also go through their most important "dimensions" of life and how those translate into friendships and spousal relationships. Check it out! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We are Balance Academy - four lifelong friends working toward the goal of overall life balance! Join us in our first episode to hear more about the 6 important "dimensions" of life and to meet the creators of Balance Academy. Thank you so much for your support, we look forward to going on the journey to life balance with you all! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app