Book 6: How Did You Get This Number

I love Twitter for its jokes, its news but, most of all, that it exposes me to so many new things. Whenever Twitter leads me to something new, I never remember how I landed there, who took my hand, what path I chose. However, it really opens my horizons and makes me wonder why I didn't know it before. Like Sloane Crosley.

"How Did You Get This Number" is a great story about growing up, or being of age finally learning. Her command of observational story telling and mastery of adjectives makes me, a former government PR flack, want to write a "power word" list.

There's something about your 20-somethings that make you feel both old and incapable. You should be so much farther along in life than you are. Sloane embraces that while making it feel like more of an adventure than the trip where you lost your map and no one spoke English. Which is what I feel like all the time.

I can't wait for my beach trip in May. This book will be great to re-read in a place where the world seems more stable, where you can breathe.

Then I apologized to the travel gods for thinking I could do this, remembering there's a reason we don't always fulfill the wishes of our younger selves once we're grown.

The Value of Good Advice

You can get really good advice when you ask for it.

Around 2006, I was facing the end of another failed relationship. Something about this one didn't sit right. I suspected it wasn't him, it was that I was a spoiled brat. I decided to ask the experts (my ex-boyfriends) a burning question. "Am I difficult?"

Most of them were polite enough not to give a real answer. One, however, fired right back, "It's not that you're difficult. You're immature and unnecessarily confrontational."

A different time, I was thinking about taking a new job. I called my previous supervisor to get his advice. We talked about the job, the responsibilities, the different politics involved. "Here's something else to think about. You're very opinionated, which is great, but when someone makes a decision different from what you recommended, you can be... stubborn about it."

All of the advice was solicited and came from people I really respected. It was also advice I really needed to hear, even if I didn't completely agree. Years later, I've really worked to accept and act on the advice and it often comes to mind when I find myself lapsing into the old bratty me.

So, ask for advice. People that know you best want to help you. You just need to be ready to accept whatever they say.

Zooey and Personal Finance

We generally don't look to Hollywood for money advice. With paydays that eclipse what most of us make in a year, it's a place of excess. Fancy foreign sports cars, designer clothes, and huge jewelry would sink us pretty easily. Even still, many celebrities end up filing for bankruptcy or losing homes by giving into the hype and spending outside their generous means.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I came up when I formulated this blog post. I found your Hollywood personal finance role model: Zooey Deschanel. 

No, really. Zooey and her husband recently announced they were divorcing and, as part of their court filings, Ms. Deschanel attached her income and expense statement. Zero credit card debt, millions in investments and she only spends about a quarter of her monthly income. 

Yes, she's still spending over $20,000 a month, but she's done what so many of struggle to do: live below our means and invest in our future. And, I might add, she's still fabulous. She's certainly a financial role model to me. 

Do the Hard Thing: Budget

I've worked in Political Communications for about a decade now. For all of those 10 years, I've heard politicians use one line when they discuss unpopular budget cuts:

"The economy is rough. Every family is sitting at their kitchen table right now, making cuts to their family budget. We are called to be financially responsible, too."

I completely agree with the sentiment. Government should spend, at a minimum, what they bring in but should also really only spend what they need and return the rest to taxpayers.

However, how many families are really tightening their budget? How many have a budget?

Many conservatives like to say the debt Washington politicians have accumulated is "passing debt to our grandchildren." Personal debt may be even worse. You're mortgaging your future dreams for your current passing fancy.

Ten years from now, I may decide that my life long dream is to open a restaurant, open a business, or move to Colorado. By then, I may be able to travel to the moon. When I decide what those dreams are, I want to be in the financial situation to make them happen.

If you're struggling with personal finance, now is the time to take control. Remember, spending more than you take in is only spending your future.

Personal Finance Tools:
Mint.com
LearnVest.com (Love their boot camps!)

Is engagement all that matters?

I've worked in social media marketing at Newsblasters for about a year now. Our company focuses on political candidates and non-profits, but we have picked up some traditional business clients as well.

To be on social media, you have to have something to say. After all, your fans and followers won't visit your page often and you have to show up in their timeline. We help our clients produce daily content so they are heard.

If you keep up with social media discussion, you know there's a lot of focus on engagement. Do people "like" what you say? Do people re-tweet it? Are they leaving glowing comments about you? Yes, social media should be a conversation and should encourage familiarity with your brand.

But does that make you successful?

I use social media mainly for information. To keep up with the news or politics, to stay abreast of social media developments, the Braves and a little gossip and jokes, too. However, I don't interact with every post I see, even the ones that I find interesting or compelling.

A recent study found that Twitter accounts with more than 1,000 followers engage less than accounts with fewer followers. They have more followers, which indicates some level of success, but they're not really cultivating relationships with their followers. Their followers are interested in the information, not looking for a friend.

I'm not arguing that we should discount all forms of engagement and ignore the people that follow us. But, there is value in broadcasting your message via social media, even if you're not dedicating resources to engaging. Unfortunately, it's more difficult to measure.

Updated Cookbook

Head on over to my cookbook page for a bunch of updated recipes. Let me know what you make and how it turns out!

Mug Shot Monday for Monday, December 5

Brooke Mueller

A friendly reminder: Going to work on Monday sucks, but at least you're not in jail.