Friday, November 20, 2009

From Rags to Riches to Rags to Riches


Kim's Story:

Twenty years ago, I went to work for a small computer supplies wholesaler. At the time, they were doing about $36 million a year in sales. I was just a few years out of college and started as a clerk in the purchasing department.

Over time, I rose up through the ranks, ultimately reaching the level of senior management. With each promotion came additional responsibilities and pay. Some of that pay came in the form of stock options.

In January 1995 the company went public. By then, they were closing in on $500 million a year in sales and would soon reach a billion. At the moment my employer’s ticker symbol crossed the tape for the very first time, I suddenly had more money than most people dream of having even after a lifetime of work. I was 31 years old.

I knew nothing about investing or taking care of money. In fact, at the time the company went public, I was basically living paycheck to paycheck (albeit a fairly large one) just like everyone else. I had gone to some of the finest schools our country has to offer. I had business law in high school, and I graduated from college with a degree in business. I took several classes in corporate finance. I could do double entry accounting, tell you about supply and demand curves, program a computer, and read a novel in French. But nowhere along the way did anyone ever sit me down and explain the basics of personal finance or investing. Strange, isn’t it?

So, having grown up on television commercials, I did the thing that seemed most reasonable. I went to one of those big brokerage firms and asked them what I should do with the money. They told me they had brokers who would be more than happy to manage that money on my behalf.

Cool! Problem solved. Abdicate responsi—I mean, hire someone else to handle it.

Mind you, I didn’t just pull a name out of a phone book. I got a recommendation from the lead underwriter on our public offering. My broker came highly recommended and worked for the parent company of the investment bank that took our company public. Without naming names, I’ll just say that unless you have lived your whole life under a rock, you know the name of this firm.

In all fairness, I will be the first to admit that I didn’t handle my side very well. I spent a lot of money on really dumb things. In fact, I quit my job and proceeded to have a really good time. That is what you do when you are young and foolish and feeling bulletproof. But you know what? The broker did his fair share of dumb things too.

I didn’t understand what he was doing. Frankly, I didn’t even try to understand what he was doing. After all, he was supposed to be the expert. Whatever he suggested, I agreed to. How could I not? I didn’t have any facts to base a decision on one way or the other. I was like a leaf floating along in the river, going wherever the current might take me. And where it took me was over the falls!

Less than two years later, I was dead broke.

The story might have ended there - except that it didn't.

How did Kim's story end?  Find out at the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference where she'll be sharing her rags to riches to rags to riches story along with her financial strategies to not only help you make money - but grow it and keep it!

Save $50 off the regular conference registration price!
Take advantage of our 2 or 3 payment option if you register by Nov. 30th.

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The "Not One" Challenge

RADICAL Lifestyle Women’s Network Announces the "Not 1" Challenge

The holiday season is upon us and the parties, dinners, work potlucks, and family get togethers will become a staple from now until the end of the year. Well, fitness competitor Tawana Cain (pictured), and a member of the RLWN, has issued a challenge. She has challenged us not to gain one pound between now and January 1st.

Not 1!

While many people view the first of the year as a time to get back on track (or just on track) with their health and fitness goals, this challenge will give you a jumpstart on changing your habits to a healthier lifestyle NOW. And, it will prevent you from starting the New Year with even more weight to lose.

We invite all members of the RLWN to join us with this challenge – especially since you won’t have to do it alone. Each week, I'll be interviewing Tawana and she'll b sharing tips to help you enjoy the holiday season without having to loosen up that belt, as well as taking your questions! Some of her tips will include making holiday dishes healthier, avoiding overeating at the parties, making healthy choices when traveling, and exercise programs that get results.

We also want to support each other. You’ll be able to share your own tips and successes with other members who are participating.

Ready to join us? Members can login to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women’s Network and click on “The Not 1 Challenge”.You can then let us know what your goals are and you can listen to the kickoff interview I did with Tawana where she shared why it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the holidays as well as 3 tips for helping you successfully complete the challenge.

Not a member? No problem. You can still join the challenge with our 30 day FREE membership. For more information, click here.

And don't forget to check out the blog entry from Tawana that started it all!

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Looking For the Easy Way Out


It's Called Work for a Reason

I love this book by Larry Winget. It highlights the best approach people should take to achieve any goal they have set for themselves - WORK. But sadly, in our world of instant gratification, getting by, or getting over, the concept of work has gotten lost.

Dictionary.com defines work as “exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.” But through my years as an HR Director, a college professor, and life coach, I've come to realize one very important, but disappointing, fact:

Most people don’t want to exert, give effort, labor or toil. They just want results. And they begin to spend more time trying to figure out how to get the results they want with the least amount of effort, instead of putting in the "sweat equity" to produce the desired outcome.

People want to go back to school to finish or advance their education. But then they fail to commit the time necessary to study and learn. Instead, they want to do “just enough” to get by. School is not about getting a piece of paper, it’s about learning and challenging your mind. If you’re in it for the piece of paper, you probably aren’t working that hard.

People want to advance on their job – be rewarded for their efforts through position and salary. Yet, they are looking to do just enough to meet the minimum requirements – all the while waiting for that big promotion to come through. What would it be like if you showed up on time, gave 100%, became a real team player, shared ideas, paid attention to details, refused to let a customer go unsatisfied, or never allowed your reports, presentations, or any product to leave your desk without your full confidence that it was the absolute best you could do?

People want to lose weight – so they take pills, drink teas, get shots, or try to get through 7 days of the latest celebrity diet. They are looking for that quick fix without exerting, giving effort, laboring or toiling. They don’t want to consistently exercise. They don’t want to focus on nutrition and balanced meals in the correct portion size. They don’t want to do the work.

Finally, people want a successful business. They have big dreams of doing what they enjoy and getting paid for it. They have visions of providing for their family, taking grand vacations and giving to others. They talk to anyone who will listen about their big ideas. Yet, they only give minimum effort to writing their business plan, sticking to a daily work schedule, networking, managing their money, giving good customer service and following up on potential leads.

So, if you are wondering why you aren’t getting the results you really want, maybe you should check you level of exertion, effort, labor and toil.

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Monday, November 9, 2009

S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

Recently, someone asked me: "What does it mean to be successful?"

After sharing my thoughts, I wrote this article using the word "SUCCESS" to highlight how I answered his question.

S - See Your Future
Success is very personal. The definition of success is not the same for every person. It's important that you define and decide what success looks like for you. You do this by taking the time to see your future. What does it look like? Who's in it? What are you doing? How are you spending your time? Answering these questions provides a complete understanding of how you want your life to be.

U - Use Your Gifts and Talents
Becoming successful means that you have found a place where you are living a purposeful and passionate life. That purpose and passion is found in your gifts and talents. Tapping into those gifts and talents provides the tools that you will use to design the life you want. It's the basis upon which you will build. Not sure of your gifts and talents? Ask yourself: What are you good at? What do you love to do? How do you spend your time? What are you curious about? What do you want to learn more about? What are your hobbies? What do other people admire about you?

C - Create a Vision
How will you use your passion and purpose to create your successful future? That is your vision statement. Your vision should connect your gifts and talents with your future. However, you don't just want to create a vision and keep it in your head. You want to write it down, put it where you can see it everyday and share it with others. Having a vision is the foundation from which you make every future decision. If you are not sure whether to do something or not, just ask yourself if it moves you closer to your vision or takes you further away.

C - Constantly Take Action Towards Your Goals
Nothing happens until something happens. What are you doing right now to bring you closer to your future? What skills are you developing, what connections are you making, and how much time are you devoting to your goals? If you are writing a book, how many pages a day? If you are going to school, how much study time a week? If you are starting a business, what marketing and promotion ideas are you working on? If you are seeking help, are you contacting people and networking with them? Action is critical to transforming your vision to reality.

E - Emulate Those Who Reflect Your Values
There are many successful people out there that you can imitate, but the list of successful people who share your values and are successful may be significantly smaller. Once you fully understand your values, seek out those people who use their success in a meaningful way - a way that lines up with what's important to you. Watch and learn from them. Get advice from them. Learn from their experiences - both good and bad.

S - Stand Firm Against Challenges and Adversity
Life will not always go your way. There will be failures, disappointments, setbacks, difficulty, fears, losses, hard times, apprehension, bad decisions, wasted time, wasted money, and wasted effort. But no one who lives a life of purpose and passion gets there without dealing with challenges and adversity. The key is not to focus on what has happened to you, but to decide how you are going to move past it.

S - Share Your Success with Others
Your success is not for you. You get the benefit of it, but success is ultimately designed to be shared with others. Don't be stingy with your money, knowledge, or ideas. Be an example that others will follow. Be that person that someone who is looking for their own success can emulate.

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Friday, November 6, 2009

What If...

1.  What if you were an overweight kid - and am now one of the most recognizable fitness trainers in the country?

2.  What if you had more money than most people dream of at 31 years old - only to be broke 2 years later - and then gain financial freedom again?

3.  What if you lived in fear for decades after watching your father kill your mother and then turn the gun on himself  - and now teach millions how to live a fearless life?

4.  What if people looked at you and only saw beauty - but no brains - and now you're a top entertainment attorney teaching women how to excel in the boardroom?

5.  What if you were so focused on proving yourself and being an overachiever that you pushed yourself to accomplish incredible success, but wasn't enjoying the journey - only to now share with the world how to live a life of balance.

What if you attended an event that would inform, inspire, motivate and educate you to design the life you want - and also help you  become bold and courageous enough to make it happen?

What if you attended the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference and gained success tools, strategies and insight from:

Woman #1:
Jillian Michaels from NBC's The Biggest Loser

Woman #2:
Kim Snider, Owner, Snider Financial

Woman #3:
Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winning Life Coach from the hit TV show Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club

Woman #4:
Marshawn Evans, Miss America Finalist, Entertainment Attorney, author of SKIRTS in the Boardroom, and former contestant on The Apprentice

Woman #5:
Valorie Burton, Life Strategist and bestselling author of How Did I Get So Busy?

What if...
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General and VIP registration is now open with early bird pricing.  Find out more:  Get RADICAL Women's Conference.


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