Episode 4, Video 4: How much is money wrapped up in our definition of success?
April 1, 2010 Yeah yeah, we know it's April. But we knew we had to give you a few days to calm down from the excitement of the Spring Be Our Co-Host Contest! Is your video ready to go? We hope so - there's only 11 days left to enter. We wanna see your smiling face in our Inbox (yup, I gave you a good hint to get through to Round 2 - smiling!)!
We know you've been waiting patiently for the last installment of Money March (it's not it's official name, but you know how I have a huge crush on alliteration), & this one's amazingly awesome. We're asking, "How much is money wrapped up in our definition of success?" Whether you're a 22 year old in summer stock working for $99/wk (not that I would know what that's like) or a 32 year old who just quit her day job to pursue her dream of being a full-time creative career coach (I have no idea who I'm talking about) or you're somewhere in between, this is sure to spark somethin' for ya!
And if you want to actually read the post that Jess was talking about where some weirdo said that the only thing important in your life is your business (at the expense of love, your family, your sanity, etc), then click here. I couldn't get past the first paragraph myself. Yuck.
Oh, and a big fat disclaimer: We mention in the video to come back next week for our discussion on religion & spirituality. This was taped a while ago, & we don't plan on returning to our regularly scheduled programming until May, with our brand new shiny co-host!
With all the hooplah, you might have forgotten that we're still giving away 3 Bright Side necklaces (designed by Jess LC) one lucky person, so they can spread the sunshine to loved ones/bullies who love the necklace. We know we said earlier that comments have to be posted by 11:59p EST on Sunday Apr 2, but that hardly seems fair. Let's give ya some extra time & close the contest at 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. We'll use random.org to select the recipient, who will be announced on SpringInspiration.com on Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
Don't forget, neither (whew! there's a lot goin' on here!), that our RSS feed is still wonky. To make sure you get all our updates, please sign up or resubscribe. If you're more of a twadict (yes, I made that up) make sure you follow us @SpringInspire! Or you can do all three, like I do. All the cool kids are doing it.
See ya in the comments section! Yay April & co-hosts & jewelry & money & RSS's & Twitter & you!
Carolyn Rubenstein| Jess Constable| Jessica Swift| Michelle Ward in Money, Video
Reader Comments (9)
Another thought-provoking video, ladies. It's so tricky to articulate what role money pays in our lives. We all need it (I kind of hate admitting that!), and yet there's such a fine line between using it for what we need/want and letting it rule our existence. I wonder if this inclination to define success in terms of finances is an American thing, or if this crosses cultures?
I also just have to take a moment to vent about the article you linked to in this post. Honestly? I thought it was an April Fool's joke! I wonder how the author's family feels about his decisions? I can't imagine putting my business or financial success over my family (and yes, my husband and I count as a family!), nor can I imagine that my family would prefer my finances to my actual presence. While I agree that each person must reach their own conclusions when it comes to what role money will play in their stories of success, I absolutely take issue with putting something material over something relational. Relationships are why we're here!
Whew. Venting done.
Great to see you ladies back! I love watching your videos!!
It's important to think about the role that money plays in our business if for no other reason than it's often the currency (no pun intended) by which others value what we offer. This isn't to say that money is the driving factor in what we do, but that we need to be conscious of what it means to others. For example, we need to understand our markets and our audiences well enough to be able to price our products and services fairly and appropriately And we need to know ourselves well enough to ensure that we're not devaluing ourselves and our offerings by regularly cutting rates or offering discounts.
Having the confidence to stand behind our pricing can be tremendously empowering. Making it clear that what we're doing is a business, not a hobby, and that, yes, we expect to be compensated fairly, can make a huge difference in how we're perceived by our clients and customers.
I realize, of course, that this is a somewhat different topic than what you're addressing in your video. It may be good fodder for a future discussion. Thanks for getting the conversation going.
Nice video. I am always looking for inspiration. Lucky I stumbled over here.....Full of inspiration...
The necklaces are gorgeous and the money talk is timely (then again, when is money talk ever NOT timely...?)
~ love ~
Kate
Thanks for another great video!
The thing that stuck with me was Carolyn and Jess LC talking about how they feel their success is that they have made a difference. I couldn't stop thinking about that. For a few years, my husband and I were leaders of a youth group at our church. Not all the kids that came were Christians and certainly not all came from families that were a happy environment. One of the girls even lived with us for a couple of years. Being involved in their lives did feel meaningful and I felt at that time that if I died then, I would have been able to say that I loved as much and as well as I could at the time.
However, that season ended - the kids in the youth group grew up and went their separate ways. The girl that lived with us moved out. And that was good, and my husband and I decided to leave the new group of teens to other people. I did feel a little burnt out at the end of it and it was healthy for my husband and me to have more time to ourselves again.
Yet, now I've come to a point that I miss that sense of purpose and of feeling like I'm giving to something larger than myself. I think of things I want to accomplish, but none of it seems all that meaningful if I'm not feeling like I'm really making a difference somewhere. So I've been thinking about what I can do, and also how to do it so I'm using my strengths. The thing is that I'm more of an introvert than an extrovert and being a youth group leader did take a lot out of me, so that's not necessarily the way I want to go.
All of this is to say thank you for inspiring me! It is so good to see others my age who are making a difference, taking chances, creating lives off the beaten track. So thanks, Jess Constable, Jessica Swift, Michelle and Carolyn - you guys rock!
I realize, of course, that this is a somewhat different topic than what you're addressing in your video. It may be good fodder for a future discussion. Thanks for getting the conversation going.
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