Business & Finance

The Secret to a Balanced Life

“This story is tragic!” said the aviator friend who had just completed his updated next level jet pilot training. During their specialized instruction the pilots were studying the importance of constantly giving attention to all the instrumentation, gauges and indicators on the plane’s control panel. They were told the true story of a jet airliner flying at 35,000+ feet at night about 100 miles out from the airport. After receiving instructions from the air traffic controller, they started to slowly make their descent down through a heavy cloud cluster. This particular pilot was quite experienced, having landed jets hundreds of […]

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New Program Helps At-risk Youth Be Fit To Succeed

In the United States this year, 26,000 youth will age out of foster care. They’ll turn 18 years old and — with no family and limited adult guidance — they’ll be left to their own devices to find transportation, finish school, get a job and find a place to live. This can be a daunting enough task for an 18-year old going off to college with a support system in place, but for foster youth nearing emancipation, it can be overwhelming. And the outcome is usually grim. In Florida, more than 50 percent of aging-out youth will experience homelessness, get […]

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BocaLead launches Take the Lead with a Purpose to Inspire and Mentor

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you…for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7). This verse is the foundation for BocaLead, a monthly business luncheon hosted by Bill Mitchell, a former real estate professional and current pastor of Boca Community Church, and John Barber, a successful Boca Raton businessman. Intended as a four-month trial balloon, the mission was simple: bring 25 fellow business leaders together for a monthly lunch with a specific purpose of delivering inspiration and raising the bar of ethical leadership in Boca Raton through mentoring. BocaLead has now grown […]

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Get Your Finances Right in 2017

It is good to have goals and plans financially for the New Year, but it is equally important to do the right things consistently and avoid doing the wrong things. It is critically important to get counsel and wisdom and avoid missing opportunities or blundering financially.  I don’t want “that experience that I can learn from”. Here is a short list of things to do right . . . and things to avoid doing.   Save your increases Our inclination is to get that item we want (not need) with our excess resources or windfalls of extra money. Be disciplined […]

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Five Questions to Ask Your Financial Professional

You know how to tell your doctor where it hurts. You can tell your dentist about your toothache. So why can it be so hard to talk finances with your financial professional? A meeting with financial professionals can admittedly be a source of stress for some. Managing money can seem intimidating, is sometimes confusing and is always very personal. While they’re easy to avoid, missing financial meetings can bring similar issues as skipping a dentist or doctor visit. These meetings provide an important financial check-up for you to ensure your strategy is still on track and can help make sure […]

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Launch Your Leadership in 2017

10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – Liftoff! Have you ever witnessed the launch of a rocket from the Kennedy Space Center on the coast of central Florida? It is a magnificent sight! I spent many years working as an aerospace engineer designing and developing rocket engines. When launch day arrived, there was always some excitement and a tangible anticipation of success. Your leadership launch day is Jan 1, 2017. Please think of yourself perched on the leadership launch pad of 2017. You are now completing the […]

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Critical Skills Needed for a Changing Workforce

It is becoming clear that the skills needed for the 21 Century workforce are different than those that promoted success in the previous century. A recent study by PEW Research found that 55 percent of graduates from four-year colleges say that their education was “very useful in helping them prepare for a job or career.” An American Society for Training and Development study found that just 51 percent of employers surveyed believed that the skills of their current employees did not support changes in their organizations markets, strategies, goals and business models. Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: […]

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Remember Worthy Charities in Your Christmas Giving

Christmas is the season when there is a focus on spreading good will toward men. Many ministries are hoping you will remember to send them a gift as you plan your Christmas giving. In fact, an analysis of the Digital Giving Index found that 31 percent of annual giving occurred in the month of December with 12 percent of annual giving taking place on the last three days of the year, according to Charity Navigator. This is a huge time for many ministries,” said Melodie Stoligrosz, director of client relations for Ministry Ventures, a coaching organization that helps nonprofits develop […]

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Watch Your Holiday Finances

  Christmas is the time of year to have fun while enjoying the holiday with family and friends. However, the magic can also be extinguished by the mad rush of stressful shopping, vacation planning and other obligations. It’s no wonder that the holiday season is actually one of the most stressful times, especially from a financial perspective. Smart spending and creating a Christmas budget can reduce the financial burden and alleviate some of that unwanted stress.  It’s way too easy to get caught up in the shopping mania of this season and find yourself in a freshly dug hole in […]

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Leaders See Things Differently

Leaders are people, like all of us. But there is something different about a real leader. Leaders see things with a clarity that brings life into focus. Leaders see things that other people don’t see. Physical eyesight is one of the five senses. We take special care to preserve our vision. A few years ago the total vision care market in the U.S. generated about 34.5 billion dollars. Eye sight is important. We often use the analogy of sight to express our agreement or disagreement with each other. Sometimes we say that we see eye-to-eye about a certain situation. At […]

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