Podcast appearances and mentions of karen what

Have you ever heard someone referred to as a Karen and thought: who is Karen? her name isn't Karen? What does this mean? Where did it come from? Well look no further, today we will answer all of these questions!

In case you’ve been living under a rock: Who is Karen? According to Wikipedia: Karen is a pejorative term used in the Western world for a woman perceived to be entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is considered appropriate or necessary. Depictions also include demanding to "speak to the manager", being an anti-vaxxer, or having a particular bob cut hairstyle. The 90’s equivalent was ‘Becky’. That got us thinking, who would you say is the male equivalent of Karen? What is the male equivalent of being called “Karen?” Chad Ken Bruce Randy Ralph Brett Dan Anele: For me it’s Jared & Sibosiso Alex: For me it’s Brad   Anele & Frankie: It has to be ALEX! #947BreakfastClub cc @947BClub @Anele @FrankieFire @ThembiMrototo @AlexCaige @CindyPoluta

In this episode, we talk through the following case study:Karen is 25 years old, engaged, getting her Masters, and involved in a gospel community. During a time of conversation with the group, she expresses frustration over several things: her fiancé and his apathetic demeanor, her fear about a lack of progress on her studies, and her guilt over living a life that is ‘self-centered right now.’ One of the other women in the group begins to encourage her with statements like, “It’s going to be ok. You’re doing the best that you can. Just stay at it and good things will happen.” etc.How would you begin to disciple Karen? What questions would you ask?What truths-about-God/Scripture would you invite her to read w/you?

It’s time to talk on the podcast about work and the role that work plays in our well being.Joining me for this episode is Organisational Psychologist and well being expert Karen Gillespie from the New South Wales-based consulting firm EEK & Sense. Karen is passionate about helping us get the blend right between our work and non-work lives, meeting the daily challenges of being at our best, feeling fulfilled at work, staying physically fit and healthy and being present for the other significant people in our lives. She tries to ‘practice what she preaches’ by not only running a thriving business with her business partner Audrey McGibbon but also spending time with her family, walking her dog, doing yoga and taking good, long holidays.During our conversation I ask Karen:What are the wellbeing challenges for leaders in all organisations?How do you lead and grow a business and still be the best parent, best partner and best person you can be?Why leaders?What is existential wellbeing?Why is intellectual wellbeing important? How do we help leaders ensure they are on the right personal path to fulfilment?And what are the elements of true and complete wellbeing?Karen and I explore the Global Leadership Wellbeing Survey - a holistic assessment of a leader’s sources and status of psychological wellbeing and we have a chat about gender differences - What are men and women getting right when it comes to work and health?Join us as we explore how and why, as Simon Sinek says, ‘The leader sets the tone’ when it come to creating a thriving, flourishing workplace

In Episode #10 – Real Solutions with Real Estate, we talk about the realities of making decisions about real estate during divorce. Whether it’s a shared asset you’d prefer to sell or deciding whether to stay in the family home, this episode has solutions. We’re happy to be joined by Hilton Head Island-based realtor, Karen Ryan. You may view the original We Chat Divorce broadcast here. The Unwanted Asset Catherine shares about a recent experience where we were able to work together with another professional to provide a creative solution to end a client’s ongoing stress. In this case it was with our guest for this episode, realtor Karen Ryan: “We had a client who was getting nowhere with her divorce. She was two years into the process, and they were stumped on this rental property that they owned ‘down on a beach somewhere,’ as she explained it to me. She did not want this rental property. She was the bread winner of the family. Her husband wanted this property. But there was really no way out, the attorneys did not know what to do about it. They were going back and forth, but he clearly could not afford it. She had some emotional issues with having it because of things that went wrong in their marriage. So, I said to her, ‘Where is this rental property?’ She said, ‘Hilton Head, South Carolina.’ And I said, ‘As a matter of fact, I’m going there; I know a realtor, I’m going to talk with her, see if she’ll take me there. And then I can evaluate it financially, see if it would be worth while keeping, and maybe we can financially be creative and come up with a solution finally end your divorce.’ That’s when I called today’s guest, Karen Ryan, and told her the situation. She took me through the property, went through everything, and said, ‘We manage properties, so the stress would not have to be on the client.’ We went through the numbers and she gave me a spreadsheet of possible rental income on this property. I went back to Pennsylvania, met with the wife, we went through the numbers, and our client actually started to cry. She said, ‘I can’t believe you have a solution for me. I can’t believe these two years can come to an end, because this could work.’ And I said, ‘Yes, it could. Go back to your attorney and here’s what you should tell them.’ She did. They got divorced. To this day, she’s still renting that property and she’s very happy about it.” So, know that there are ways to think creatively about a financial situation, to take the emotion out of why you think do not want an asset, when the asset can be positive for you financially. It’s so hard to make decisions in the divorce process at any moment, because you’re just so driven by your emotions and everything’s so new and unknown. That’s why we say we’re going to start with knowns and we’re going to keep going from there. The Devil’s in the Deed Details Another thing to consider is making sure everything is correct on the property deed. Even though it seems like a simple transaction, if it gets messed up it can be a reason for litigation later. So, any time you’re wrapping up things after divorce, and you’re ending up with property, make sure you get that deed reviewed by a real estate attorney. Q&A Today we have a letter from Janet in Milwaukee: “My name is Janet. I never thought I would be in this position, but I’m a new empty-nester and I’m facing divorce. I want to keep the family home, but don’t know how I can afford it. I’m afraid to live on my own, and I am not sure how I can keep up with all of the household responsibilities. Do you have advice for me?” When you’re choosing to stay in your home, along with the responsibility of everything that is now on your shoulders, realize that this is probably one of your biggest assets. So, that asset will go into your column, which means that your spouse is probably getting retirement monies or cash, and you will find that you want when you move on in life. So, don’t decide to just keep this big responsibility and this big asset all wrapped up in this house without going through your financials, going through your post-divorce budget. And really thinking about where you visualize your life moving forward. It could cut into your travel time, time with your grandkids, or you know, a whole host of things that you may want to do. You’re so connected emotionally to your house, but after a year or so, it becomes a burden, and an albatross of sorts. And then you have it, and then you have to spend the money to sell it, which, is not inexpensive either. Or you really realize, as your children are older, how often do your kids come home? Then they start having children, so you’re going to their homes to visit them. So don’t be overly attached to your home.   We recommend that you make two columns - in the first column, write down all of your expenses to own the home. Just go through it line by line. And in the next column, maybe a less expensive home, and things you may want to do and see how that feels. In any event, make the best decisions for yourself and your situation. Real Solutions with Real Estate Karen: We are so happy to have Karen Ryan of Weichert Realtors here from Hilton Head Island with us today. Welcome! Karen Ryan (KR): Thank you! I’m so happy to be here with you. Catherine: Well, we’re so happy to have you. Karen: Absolutely. Karen, why don’t you tell us a little bit about your background and what you do and what makes you get up every day. KR: Sure! I love what I do. I’m Karen Ryan. I’m a broker/ owner of Weichert Realtors Coastal Properties. I’ve lived on the island for 25 years and I manage the residential sales team. I love working with buyers and sellers and I loved working with the client that you referenced, Catherine. Catherine: That was just so wonderful. KR: What you do is so needed, because it’s just such an emotional time. Any real estate transaction is an emotional decision, whether it’s positive and happy or really stressful because you’re going through such a life change. So, that you’re there for people at that time when they are so uncertain of what’s coming next, all these unknowns as you talk about, it’s great to have an advocate. Karen: We have a lot of questions for you. Number 1, we get asked a lot. How does a person’s credit score affect their ability to buy or rent a new home? KR: Greatly. It very greatly can affect your ability to buy. The first thing I would say, is to know your financial condition. Know your finances, where your money is. Find out what your credit score is, your ability to buy. You can go to Equifax, or many services to find out your credit score. You’ll be able to get a greater amount of money and your interest rates will be lower if you have a better credit score. Karen: What if you have no credit score? We run into that. KR: We have seen that with women who are going through a divorce. And they feel like, oh you know it’s going to be fine, we have bought many, many homes over the years. And they come to find out that they have no credit. No credit is actually worse than bad credit. Catherine: That’s so interesting. KR: Yes, the scores are far lower. They have no history. The banks have no idea what kind of risk you are. So, if someone finds themselves in this position and they have no credit, the first thing they should do is get a credit card, and make payments on that credit card. You want to not necessarily get a charge on there and pay it right off, you want to get a charge on there and pay it over time. So they can see that you’re paying the minimum or more on the card. Don’t put yourself in financial risk, but show some history of on time payments. That really will help. Karen: I would not have realized that. So, how long does it take to establish credit? KR: Well, usually it will take about a year to establish credit. You can do it in six months. You can at least start to make a dent in it where it’s not the low 300 credit score because you have no credit. In six months, you’re going to see some established credit. So, it can happen relatively fast, but you have to know your position and where you are to start. Gather all the information you can. Catherine: I’m curious what your thoughts are about renting and buying. So, renting – is it easier for someone to do that first and then transition to buying? Especially if you don’t have credit –it gives you that year to build some credit up. KR: Right, sometimes. You know it really depends, I get a good idea from talking to the client if they really want a place of their own, and they’ve really just gone through an emotionally difficult time, and this is going to be their happy place. You know that’s a whole different scenario than somebody who’s very uncertain, who has a hard time making decisions. If I see somebody in that kind of state, I will say, “I really recommend that you rent for a period of time. Rent, we’ll continue to look, something will feel right.” Catherine: Oh, that’s nice. So, you actually take that on as yourself. You say let me assess this person, and see how emotionally they’re ready for this  – I like that. KR: Yes, and I get a good sense from someone. And I think anybody that’s been in real estate a while can get a good sense from somebody if they are indecisive about what they want to do. One day they want to do one thing, the next they dial it back and say, “You know, I’m not ready for this.” I don’t ever want to push somebody in that position to move forward with buying. You’re right, have them make a list of how much it’s going to cost and they can make an informed decision. But I do recommend if someone is going through a very stressful life change, like divorce, and they’re uncertain with what’s next, it’s probably better to rent. Catherine: When you take someone through to buy a home, and let’s just talk about a woman in transition, because we’ve all been there, when you go through the divorce process, and this is the first time you’re making this grand purchase for yourself now at this time. It’s all your responsibility. I was used to doing it for a spouse or with a spouse. Do you ever have to have the reality talk with them, that they can’t afford the upkeep of the home? Because a lot of people can afford to buy a home, but can they afford to maintain the home? And what negative effect that would have on them in the long run. KR: Yes, I think, sometimes, if they’ve never owned a home by themselves, there is that unknown. And they don’t realize in some cases, there’s a regime fee and a property owner’s association fee, and there are transfer fees, there are all these different fees that come into effect with certain properties. So, we always lay that out – what it will cost them to get into that home, what it will cost for monthly caring costs for that home. And then they can make a decision, if that’s something they want to move forward with. Karen: And alimony, the receipt of alimony plays in two different ways. One, how long do they need to have alimony in place before they would qualify? But also, alimony is going to end at some point, most of the time, and then, you know, they need to plan beyond that. And so many times, that’s not really taken into consideration. First of all, how many months of alimony do they need to have in place before they would qualify? KR: They need, to have a history of six months of alimony payments or receipt of payments in order for that to count towards qualification for a loan. Catherine: Which is a really good point to bring up. That needs to be negotiated in your agreement. So, if you are in the process and you are thinking of buying a home, make sure that it is recorded somehow that you’re receiving those payments sooner than later, if you are in anticipation of buying. KR: Great point. Yes, because, they come out thinking, “Oh I’m going to get this and this is going to count toward it…” but it can’t. Catherine: Because you actually take the decree and you have to submit that with your application, as proof that you are receiving that alimony. Along with the receipts and the length of time. You have to receive it for three years at least? KR: Yes, to qualify. And then after that point, you have to just show that you can afford the property. Catherine: There’s a lot to think about. KR: There’s a lot to think about. But as long as you know these things, you go in prepared, you just gather that information. Talk to the right professional. I think your service is so awesome for somebody who is “deer in headlights.” They really need an advocate. And talk to a real estate professional, who will place them with a great mortgage lender who can give great advice. You don’t have to move forward either way. You shouldn’t be working with someone who is putting pressure on you to make a decision. Catherine: Absolutely, I agree with that. And I like how you assess how they are feeling about their decision making and you’re willing to go, let’s go to rental right now. Because we say that often, I always say, just rent for a year and then decide. So it’s nice that you do that. And if someone is being aggressive, back off. KR: Right, a real estate professional wants that person in the right home. We love home ownership, we love making someone really happy with a home. Karen: Well, I would like to cover one more question before our time is up, because this really factored into when I was buying a home. What is the typical ratio of the income to housing expense? KR: Well, what’s required by mortgage lenders is 50, no more than 50 percent of your income or your debt to income ratio. That’s a lot though. So, when you’re first getting divorced, you know you want to have a lifestyle, you want to go out. Really more comfortable is 40, 45. Catherine: Twenty percent down? As a down payment in most cases. KR: You can go 15 percent down, twenty percent down is for an income property. But there are other scenarios where you can put 3 percent down. Just depending on the kind of loan and kind of property. We Welcome Your Feedback Thanks for joining our community. We want to hear about the positive steps you are taking for yourself every day. Share them with us on our Facebook Page or via Twitter, and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.  For more information about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.mydivorcesolution.com.   

Karen recently was a presenter at a large industry conference, and it inspired her and Cadie to want to discuss how to get the most out of conferences, trade-shows, expos, and meet-ups. Karen is the "life of a conference" and Cadie tends to be the listener and "wallflower," learn how both of these different types of conference attendees prepares, manages time, retains information, implements new ideas, and networks at these functions. These events can be expensive and usually involves travel costs and time away from work. Are they really worth all the capital and time investment? What makes a good conference? What makes a bad one? What is the value of being a presenter? And, what are the best techniques to make meaningful connections during and after the big event? So relax, sit back, pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine (or coffee, tea, or soda) and enjoy the show. Learn more about Karen Simmons & Cadie Gaut Sponsors: Karen C. Simmons, P.C. Payroll Vault - Mobile & Baldwin Counties About Cheers To Business Cheers To Business is a seriously casual business and entrepreneur podcast that discusses starting, running, refining and growing your company, or excelling at your current job with two or your soon-to-be friends - over a glass of wine. Please subscribe, review and rate Cheers To Business on iTunes, SoundCloud & Overcast. You can contact and stay connected with us by LIKING our Cheers To Business Facebook page. Thanks for listening and as always, CHEERS to you! FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT: Karen: Hey everybody. Welcome to our third episode. Today, we're gonna be talking about conferences. Are they worth going? Are they worth the investment? What do you take away and what can you use? I'm Karen and I'm a CPA, entrepreneur, with big ideas, and I'm the mom. Cadie: I'm Cadie. I'm a payroll specialist, business owner, and detail-oriented person that makes things happen, and I'm the daughter. Welcome to Cheers to Business. There's a ton of knowledge out there that you can find online, so what's the point of really even going to conferences? Karen: The investment that I've seen in the past, and they're not all good, so you have to find the right one, but a lot of what I take away from it is actually talking to my peers. People that are going through the same things that I'm going through, have experienced the same things, or have already worked through things that I'm trying to get through now. By actually talking with someone and building a connection with people from around the country, I think it's easier to me than reading a book where that person may not have even ever experienced what you're going through. Cadie: I think the real-life scenarios, a lot of times books, it can be kinda "Here's how to do something." Whereas when you meet those people at conferences, it's more of a, "Hey, here's how I handled that situation."  Karen: Yeah. A lot of times in books I think it's so, to me, Mary Poppins, that this is the way it always works and you do one, two, three. That's not life. Whereas if you get in front of a person making eye contact and sharing experiences, that's when some of the truth comes out of, "Well, yeah, we've kinda really screwed that up, but this is how we learned to do it a different way." Cadie: If you had your pick of a conference, would it be industry-specific or how do you pick a conference? There's so many. Karen: If I'm going to learn, then I want to go to an educational, you know, about my software, about the industry, whether it's tax or employee benefits, mainly tax, especially when you have new tax laws come out, you want to be able to find out what's going on. Not only that, it's other people's interpretations. Cadie: Do you go to conferences to not learn? Because you said if I go to a conference to learn, so that's why I asked that question. Karen: Well, that was a Freudian moment because sometimes conferences can be fun and there's nothing wrong, I think, with taking a business trip to a city you've always wanted to go to but haven't been to yet. But in your question, it was a two-fold question. You said which kinda conference is best and I think it is what's your end goal? What are you trying to take away and you need to have that figured out before you go so you don't waste your money. Because if you're going to learn, that's a different conference than going to sell or be sold, for example, trade shows. Cadie: Expos. Karen: Expos, everyone there is trying to sell, you know it when you walk in the door. Expectations, what do you expect to get out of a conference? What do you expect to give? You can't just take. You know, you gotta be willing to go up and shake people's hands and say, "Hey, my name's so and so. I do what you do." If not, you're not gonna get a lot of feedback. Wallflowers. People can be wallflowers anywhere, but if you're a wallflower at somewhere that you wanna learn, you're not gonna take as much away. Cadie: Well, I think, you know, the stereotypical conference, you imagine this big room, everybody's just sitting there, and there's one presenter or you'll have several presenters throughout the day. That's kinda what I initially thought conferences were. And then you start going and you realize, no, it's more than just gaining the knowledge and listening to someone stand up there and talk for an hour. Karen: I think to me, the presenters, there's a couple different kinds. There's one that's trying to educate you and there's a kind that's trying to sell you. All right. So you have to make a choice when you walk in the door. If you know which kind you're going to, and lot of times you do because you can tell by the company they work for, so you've got to choose to take the high points and know when you go in that I'm not here to buy, but I wanna hear how this person got to this place knowing what they know and what can I take away from it. At that point, it's about you. It's about me. You know, what can I learn to take back. The other kind as far as the educational ones, if it's somebody...say, take a doctor's conference. If you have a surgery conference, you gotta master surgeon up there, somebody is telling them how they did the procedure. That's totally different than what I did at a conference a week ago was presenting to inform the people that I want to buy my product. I was educating them, but it's because I want them to buy my product. Cadie: So you were selling but it wasn't blatantly selling, I guess. Karen: No, it's probably pretty blatant. Cadie: Use my business. Karen: Use my business. Why? Because I know about my business and I can help you do better at something that you don't do. Cadie: And it will benefit you. That's the key. Karen: Value. It's no different than any other show we've done it, and probably any other will do in the future. It's about the value that's given. Now, there's conferences I haven't gone back to. There's one in particular. Now, I take a staff member and we go every year and we've been...this will be the sixth year in a row. Its attacks in software, because they throw it all in there. I know they're trying to sell me. I know how to say no. Cadie: I know which conference you're talking about, it's quite expensive. So what makes it so valuable? Karen: I think sometimes not just the presenters, but the round tables. When you do round tables, and what that is in case anybody's not sure or hasn't been to conferences, is that at night, your peers, you have different tables with different topics on them. Sometimes you fight like a Black Friday sale to sit at the table you want to because that particular item may be so popular. For example, one year, it was converting from one software to another. They were making us convert to a higher software. Everybody wanted in on that because we all wanted to know how to do it. But that's when you have one expert at the table, but you and your peers are sitting around asking questions. There's no way that's feasible that you will ever ask the right questions. Cadie: So I think that's important is when you do go to a conference, specifically one that's over multiple days, it's so easy once the conference is over, the introvert in me, I just wanna go back to my hotel room and decompress because of the mental energy that's taken place that whole entire day. But that's not where business happens. Business happens, you know, if you're there to network and connect, especially if it's industry specific, you need to form connections with those people who are in your industry, you know, especially if they're in a different area because it's someone to brainstorm with. Karen: Why don't you tell them the game we play at conferences when we go together? Do you remember? Cadie: Yes. Karen: Tell it. Cadie: I don't like that game. Karen: I love that game. Cadie: So basically, what we do is she picks out someone, "Hey, go talk to this person." And so then... Karen: And, of course, she does it to me, but we pick out the most unlikely talkable person ever, ever at the conference, the least likely person to be able to have a conversation with. Usually, that person ends up being the most interesting person you've ever met in your whole entire life. But why do it? One, because get out and talk to somebody. Don't follow behind me with your clipboard. Get out there and talk and learn and do it without me necessarily. Cadie: It can be overwhelming. Conferences are huge and there are so many people and it can be overwhelming. I have been a wallflower so many times where I just, "Let me stand back, just wait for the conference to begin. I don't wanna talk to anyone. I'm just here to learn." But to kinda help bypass that, I just usually pick out one person. Let me just get to know this one person really well and then that's my priority for the day and that kinda helps me, makes me feel better. Karen: That's a great practice. That is a fantastic practice. You know, and then it depends on personalities. I'll probably go up to 10 people and say, "Hey, my name's Karen and I'm from Alabama." Cadie: You're drawing enough attention that people are coming up to you, which is not a bad thing. We have two different approaches. Karen: Yeah, and at that last conference when you were sitting in the audience, when you were doing the signal for "wrap it up" while I was presenting, why did that lady come up to me afterwards and say, "Your daughter said you're crazy?" Cadie: I have no comment. Karen: Yeah, I heard it, but that's okay. I'm okay being the way I am and that's why you and the listeners should be okay the way that you are. It doesn't matter. It's just different personality. But what do you wanna get out of it? Sometimes you just gotta suck it up to do it a little different way to get what you want. Cadie, do you think you could ever be a presenter at a conference? Cadie: If you weren't there. Karen: That's an honest answer. Cadie: Just because you make me nervous. You're intimidating. It's like taking your driver's test. Karen: But I'm just trying to help you. Cadie: I would love to present, if it's a topic that I feel comfortable with. Karen: But say you have presented, you've been a speaker at the University of South Alabama, you're with the Junior League program with... Cadie: I'm not with Junior League. Karen: Junior Junior league. What is it? Cadie: No. Karen: Didn't you do something at Davidson High School. Cadie: Yeah. Karen: What was it? Cadie: Junior Achievement. Karen: See, Junior...all right. But you got up in front of people. You do it all the time. You do it at Southwest Mobile Chamber of Commerce. Cadie: Two people came to that one. Karen: You've done it at others with the supporting star student. You've done it with different things. Cadie: No, in the moment, I'm fine. The anxiety leading up to it, I feel like I'm having a heart attack. But once I'm up there, I'm fine. Karen: Right. See, I fall apart afterwards. Cadie: Okay. Well, to each their own. Cheers. Karen: Cheers. Cadie: So I would want to be a presenter, and you've been a presenter many times before. What do you get out of it, being a presenter? Karen: It depends on the message I'm trying to get across. If I'm trying to inform, like talking at a Chamber of Commerce, then it cannot be articulate enough to be able to get my point across more slowly, informative, where they understand what I'm saying. Versus if I'm trying to sell something and talk somebody into something, it takes on a little different facet. I think I do, because I am the big dreamer, big ideas type that I sometimes squirrel and I go off a little bit because I cannot go by a script. It drives me insane. I get so nervous. I can't even talk. Cadie: With new businesses trying to grow that brand, be involved in the community, it is a lot of who knows who. So how do you go about doing that? Karen: You know, it depends on if you're in your community or if you're at a conference. You know, at a conference, if it's a Payroll Vault conference, for example, then everybody knows what you do. Then you're talking about processes. How do you make this happen? Cadie: The nitty-gritty. Karen: The nitty-gritty. If you're at a general, you know, the tax and accounting software conference that I go to, there are 1,600 CPAs and their staff at one of the Gaylord Hotels. That's a lot of people. Then it's different. You have to search out the right fit for you and your peers. If you're doing something at your community, then they know who you are. They know what you're supposed to know. And a lot of times, they expect you to know more than you do know. So it's finding the right target locally of what they need to hear and wanna hear because sometimes they're not the same thing. Cadie: So when I travel to these fancy Gaylord Hotels, is that a business expense that I can write off, CPA? Karen: I'm getting a CPE. I've gotta have continuing education. Yes, it is a business expense. I'm learning for my business. Now, let's say you go to the Gaylord in Orlando and you go to Disney World or Walt Disney, the tickets to that are not deductible. Cadie: Okay. Karen: Balance. Cadie: You know, a lot of networking happens at the bar afterwards. And what about those drinks? Can I write those off, meals and entertainment? Karen: Well, meals and entertainment, only half deductible. But, you know, if you're talking about your kids and grandkids, just be reasonable with it. But just remember that if you take a friend or spouse or a non-spouse that their airplane ride is not deductible, but if you're staying in the same hotel room, you can write off your hotel room. Cadie, you've been going with me to conferences and then it seemed kinda weird when you started going out to conferences without me. I think you even texted me from an airport. It feels weird to be without you in an airport. It wasn't that? Cadie: You texted me, "I miss you." Karen: Oh, well, whatever which way it started. But anyway, what do you take away from them now? Why do you keep going? Cadie: I think it's easy to get caught up in the online world. You know, I've got people that I follow on Instagram that I look up to and I feel like I'm friends with them but I've never actually met them and it's easy to just keep doing that. I can find webinars online all day long. However, going to a conference, you're able to really sit and connect with people. You cannot be a genuine connection and I'm a big believer in energy and vibes and sitting with someone after the conference talking about what we just learned over drinks, and then later connecting with them online to stay connected. I think that's just so much more valuable. Karen: Well, everybody looks perfect on social media except the ones who want to make money from not being perfect. So, you know, I take a lot away, what you said, from that, but also what do you learn about how to put these things in place once you get back? Cadie: Oh, that's a good point because it's so easy to just go to a conference and you're taking all these notes page after page and you're so motivated. And let's say you get home on a Saturday, well, by the time Monday rolls around and the team asks you, "How was your trip?" You're just, "Oh, it was good." You know, and it's almost like you lose that momentum. Or you've taken so much back that you don't even know where to start. It's like when you go to the grocery store and you buy $200 worth of groceries and then you stop at Taco Bell on the way home you. So when you go to a conference, it's so important to have that idea of what am I going to take out of this? And even if it's just three tactical items to implement when you get home. Karen: Can I tell you a trick I do? Cadie: Of course. Karen: Thank you. I like 10 things. Cadie: Ten? Karen: Ten, yes. Cadie: No, too many. I disagree. Karen: No, minor. Not all of them are major. But, for example, you know, alphabetize something like this or change the routing sheet up like that or whatever. But if you take 10, but you have one piece of paper, if you have that notebook that you have, leave that one sheet clean and every time you run across something that...and go ahead and put 1, 2, 3, 4 through 10, and every time you're in one of those classes or talking with somebody and you go, "Oh, that's a take home." Go to that front page and write about...and don't worry about what's the number one. Number one is just your starting point. Number 10 is not the worst, it's just where you ended up. So take those ideas. When you have those aha moments, write that moment down. You've got the rest of the notes to follow back up later. You have the information to follow up. Cadie: I will agree with you to take notes, like, actually physically, old school write. When you have your laptop taking notes, one, you're almost limited to writing vertically. Whereas when you are having those aha moments, there's nothing better than a piece of notepaper to really just kinda go crazy with your notes. Karen: You know, when I take my pencil and I underline it three times because I mean it's really important to me, that's a lot different than going and finding the underline thing in Word. You know, I can't make that happen, but I'm older. Cadie: I mean the computer is the distraction. That's a big thing. It's just when you're at a conference, stay focused on why you were there. You're investing your money. Karen: You know, and sometimes when you're taking notes, I have my own system of how big an explanation point is. Something's really important to me, it's a big explanation. So thing's just eh, okay, just a little one. It's the little things. Cadie: Tidbit for the day. Karen: One of them. So today, we've talked about conferences, good, bad, educational, trade shows, why do it, where do you go? We've also talked about some tax deductions and, you know, how this can work in your favor, but whatever you do, and whatever you decide, please save your receipts. Y'all, thank you so much for listening and being here with us today. I'm Karen. Cadie: I'm Cadie. Please be sure to subscribe to "Cheers to Business" podcast on iTunes or anywhere else that you get your podcast. Visit our Facebook and be sure to give us a like. And if you have any questions or topics you'd like us to discuss, shoot us an email from the website cheerstobusiness.com.    

Divorce is complex. That’s the reality. The good news is, with sound counsel from your professional team, you can still navigate the process with clarity and confidence. In Episode #9 – Complex Divorce, we go behind the scenes with a recent client, answer a question from our audience and learn how to proceed in a complex divorce with our guest, attorney Mary Fran Quindlen of Beaufort, South Carolina-based Quindlen Law Firm, P.A.. You may view the original We Chat Divorce broadcast here. Karen: Welcome, Mary Fran. Thank you for joining us. Mary: Thank you Karen: Why don’t we start out with you giving us a little bit of background about how you got into family law and where you started and how you got to where are now. Mary: I'm originally from New Jersey, where it's very cold and snows. I graduated from Rutgers and knew that I wanted to move to the Beaufort area. I have been coming here since I was a child, and I knew this was where I wanted to be. I went to the University of South Carolina for law school, but first I joined the Marine Corps. Then I went to the University of South Carolina for law school and after I graduated from the University of South Carolina, I went to training for the Marine Corps. The basic school, naval justice school, and then I was stationed to Parris Island which is, for anybody who's not from here, right across from Beaufort, within Beaufort. When I was on active duty, I did about two years of defense work and about two years of legal assistance, which is basically family law. That's when I learned that I really, really understand and like doing family law. Karen: We're glad that you do that, and we love working with you. We're going to circle back to a question that was asked a little bit ago that we wanted to ask directly to you. The question is, "Do you tell your clients what to do, or do you help them make the best decisions for themselves?" Mary: Well, I was wondering if I was the “pitbull” attorney that your audience member was asking about in the previous segment. I say, you know, when we walk out of these doors, whatever you want ultimately, you're paying me to advocate for you. As long as it's not unethical, illegal, or damaging to my professional reputation, I will go out and let you spend $3,000 to fight over a $20 end table because it means that much to you. But I'm going to tell you why you're wasting your money and why you're wasting your resources. I never tell a client what decision to make. I always present them with as many options as possible. Particularly when it’s a strategic question for trial, so, you know, "He isn't paying the credit card bill on time. I want to rule him in, I want a contempt action. Will you do that?" And I'll say "Okay, well let's talk about it. Why isn't he paying the payment on time?" "Well, he just got laid off." Okay, well, we could still do a contempt action rule to show cause if you want, but a defense is the inability to pay. Then I flesh it all out and I'll write down, "here are your options.” You know, option A is the “pitbull” attack, and this is what I think the likelihood of success for that is and why you should do that and so on. Catherine: One thing that I love about you from personal experience with joint clients is that you really do want the individual to move forward in a positive direction. You really do want them to transition through this process in the best possible way and you're really open to them making decisions outside of your room. But, if that goes awry, you are so ready to be that aggressive attorney, and that's such a great mix. It's very good. Mary: I appreciate that. I will say though that what I frequently say to clients is that in family law, if you do complex cases -- and complex doesn't always mean a lot of money -- sometimes it can be custody battles, sometimes there might be international components, there can be lots of things that can make a case complex. But if you do complex work, it means you love to litigate because you’re going to court a lot and I tell clients all the time that I love to litigate and I've got lots of children to put through college. So if you want me to litigate, I am happy to do it and I like to litigate but my happiest clients control their own destiny, settle their cases quickly, and have minimal contact with me. Karen: What do you do if a client sits in front of you and says, "I don’t know what to do. Just tell me.” Mary: I'd send them to you guys! You know, it depends on what it is they're confused about. Obviously, I don’t send people to you if their question is, “Should I separate the twins?” If it’s money, I tell people all the time there are two things that save clients thousands of legal fees: private investigators and divorce financial planners. I say, "I'm happy to sit here and my hourly rate and go over how much you have for cell phone bill and how we can reduce your cell phone plan to make it more effective for you but that doesn’t seem like a good use of your money.” But I will do it. And I have. I always say to the clients, “What’s your endgame? What’s your wish list?” And then I say, “What do I need to get you there?” You can’t ask me about financials, I’m not a CPA, I’m not a forensic accountant, I’m not a financial planner, I don’t know how to get you an eight or six or a four percent return or how much you need based on that. If you can bring me a plan that’s been put in place with a clean financial declaration and, preferably, a marital asset addendum, that shows how were getting there, then it’s my job to take that and work toward the client’s desired outcomes. Catherine: I love that approach. It really gives the client the real feeling that you are looking at everything in the best interest and you are looking to save them time and money and stress by using other professionals to help with the whole team and the whole process. It really is so much better for anyone going through this process Mary: When I do consults, I say to them all the time that in my years of experience, I try to be holistic because I only do family law. I say, “I know what I don’t know and I know what you don’t need to pay me to do.” Sometimes people think, “Well, we can work this out so I’m not going to go get these experts because I’m already paying much to the attorney,” sometimes we'll get into the case period of time and I’ll say I'm not saying I told you so, but what I'm saying is now I have to have someone who can give me this information. Karen: We tell our clients that as well. You know so many people think when they’re going through a divorce, the first call is to their attorney, but if they do some homework ahead of time, it gets them so much farther down the road and more swiftly. And that actually goes with my next question. What can a client do in preparation for working with you? Mary: I do a very detailed initial consult. It's just my style. Every attorney has a different style. My style isn't the most lucrative for me, but allows me to make informed decisions and allows them to make informed decisions. I always give people the names of other attorneys that I think might be a good fit for them. And they’re usually people that I practice with that I like that I respect. And I genuinely gauge the person and say, “You know, if you leave here and you say that crazy redhead was fast talking, I didn’t understand half the stuff she said, she made my head hurt and my dad hated her,” go see someone else, because a lot of it's about style. We’ll all ultimately come to the same thing but one of the other things I say to them before they come in is to bring five years' worth of tax returns with you. It depends if it's an emergency, protective or a complex custody matter, it might be different but I always need five years worth of tax returns. Get me any kind of documents that you have related to retirement accounts. Show us what you own and what you don't own. Complete this financial declaration. And a lot of times I also have clients come in 30 minutes beforehand and I intentionally ask them to fill out the paperwork while they're sitting there because it gets their head in the game. So many people do come in crying and upset and they want to spend the first hour getting therapy and I say I'm a great therapist, but I am not really licensed to do it. And so, you can stay focused if you've met with a financial planner ahead of time. If you can't afford a divorce financial planner, do you have someone in your family who's good with numbers? When people come and say, “I don’t know what I need, and I don't know what I have,” it's very expensive. I'm happy to help them, but subpoenas are not the least expensive way to get your information. Karen: Absolutely. So, can you go over with us what exactly is complex litigation? Mary: In my opinion, because we don't have a family law specialty in this state (South Carolina) which would define something like that. Complex litigation is anything that I think is very likely to end up at trial. And even if it doesn't end up in trial, and the majority of them don't, anything that's a high net value case often times will be considered complex. But sometimes you having a lot of money doesn't make it complex because they are easily divided, but if you add debt into the mix, particularly during a recession, or if you make $60,000 a month, but you spend $62,000 a month – that's a complex litigation case because of alimony. Those sorts of issues make it very complex. Anything that would be subjective to a judge, makes it complex. Catherine: How many cases do you think actually go to court to litigation? Percentage wise? Mary: Well, I think it depends on the attorney, honestly. Different lawyers have different ways they manage. Not everyone only does family law. That might just be a very small portion of their practice. For me, I would say that at least 8-15% of my cases get to the brink of trial and I say probably 10% of my cases go to actual trial. Catherine: That's what I was thinking Karen: Thank you so much for being here. We so enjoy working with you. Catherine: Yes, we do. Mary: Thank you for having me.   We Welcome Your Feedback Thanks for joining our community. We want to hear about the positive steps you are taking for yourself every day. Share them with us on our Facebook Page or via Twitter, and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.  For more information about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.mydivorcesolution.com.   

Episode 94 - You don't need to lose anymore weight! BLUF:  How do you respond when someone says, “You don’t need to lose anymore weight!”?   - We will all hear this as we get close to goal and it’s important to let your Goal weight be YOUR feeling!   ​You can Support the Show!   Listen on the Free WhysAdvice App! Apple | Android   FatDag Accountability: Weight: Visit FatDag.com   #OperationFatDag 4000 W. 106th St. Ste 125-347 Carmel, IN 46043   Listener Email: BigJoeLuke, Toms River, NJ - “You look great don't lose anymore weight” Karen - What % of Weight loss is Exercise? Cheryl @joyfyllycheryl, Sparks, NV - I’ve set a new Goal! Susan - No More Medications!   Send in your email to OnAir@FatDag.com   Connect with the Show: Instagram/Facebook/Twitter - WhysAdvice Website - FatDag.com Email: OnAir@FatDag.com Voicemail: 317-662-4214

Click here for downloadable pdf file of SBBP12 Putting It All Together Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc and bestselling author. Renaissance Works, Inc. Creating a synergy between people, process and technology to help business owners create the perfect recipe for operational efficiency for their business.   Re-Cap:   Setting Up The Dilemma/Problem & Part 1 & 2 of Solution Getting structured for success is easier when you break your business, as a whole, into logical functional chunks; yielding a more ‘bite-size’ and less daunting approach to organizing your business. We have identified three main areas in any business. Three main areas of business Sell-it (Marketing & Sales) Do-it (Business Operations & Production) Care-for-it (Paperwork & Finances) The three ways business gets done People - Your Team (an expanded view) Processes - The story of how business gets done Technology - The ‘tools’ of how to get business done   Now To Part 3:   Putting It All Together How to implement what you’ve learned in Parts 1 & 2 to really get results for YOUR business. Our 9-Point System has the three main areas of business: Sell it, Do it, and Care for it, EACH having the three segments of the way business gets done (People, Processes and Technology). Each of the 3 main areas of business has 3 ways in which that segment of business gets done, resulting in a 3 by 3, or 9-Point System. To further illustrate: the “Sell-it” main area of business (Sales & Marketing) has it’s own 1. People, 2. Processes and 3. Technology pieces. Also the “Do-it” main area of business (Business Operations & Production) has its own 1. People, 2. Processes and 3. Technology pieces. And, finally, the “Care-for-it” main area of business (Paperwork & Finances) has its own 1. People, 2. Processes and 3. Technology pieces. This 3 by 3 System breaks your business down into manageable ‘chunks’, providing a foundational structure from which to structure your business. Doing this elevates you from the day-by-day function OF your business to taking a more administrative and strategic look AT the function, planning for improvement and growth of your business: thinking about your business developing how you can better lay out a structure for your business identifying which types of technology (hi-tech AND/or low-tech) makes sense to have a as part of your business to leverage, say, sales and marketing what are the instructions; those processes for how business gets done predictably and efficiently which need to be developed to have stellar results every time does each job, currently, have the right person/right personality assigned to it? Or has growth in the business created a need for some shifting, to achieve a better overall result for business success as well as employee satisfaction identifying whether you may need to hire another person or should cross-train an existing employee continue with examining EACH of the quadrants for your business operations and needs until you have completed all 9 quadrants This system provides the framework for a business owner to evaluate his business and decide “what do I need and what is right for my business now?” This is not a one-size-fits-all plan. It is a framework to build a fully customized structure “for YOUR specific business!”   Question to Karen: What are some of the problems a business owner could face by NOT engaging in properly structuring their business? Karen’s Answer:  To name a few: you may lose a team member who did had an excellent process in place for the job they did but without knowing exactly how they did their job. Leaving the business owner having to re-create how to do that job and then teach someone new how to do that job, from ‘scratch’. you may end up buying technology that isn’t right for your business and costs you more than it saves. inconsistent customer experiences.