Romancing the Home
I started writing a serious post, but it just wasn’t happening. I took a break to find something amusing on TV and settled on Zombie House Flippers. I have thoughts.
For starters, their math doesn’t “math” for me, and I’ll explain that in a minute. But it made me think about how our DIY economy has grown beyond all measure, courtesy of these types of programs, customer workshops at Home Depot/Lowe’s, and social media. I applaud the industriousness, talent, and personal ambition of these creators.
But ….
The Kids are Alright
Recently, I went a couple of rounds (respectfully) with some readers on Facebook about my statement that I don’t think it’s productive for parents to tell their children that buying real estate is the “correct” path to wealth. I get that the real estate market sucks right now in lack of inventory, inflated prices, and that mortgage interest rates have adjusted upward. (My first mortgage was 11.85%. Either you can afford a mortgage, or you can’t. Rock bottom interest rates were never guaranteed. A decade of people got lucky, and that’s no longer the case. Get over it.)
The Feminization of Wealth
We’re going to hear more and more about the “feminization of wealth” as the great wealth transfer—$80 to $90 trillion from Boomers to Millennials—takes place. By the end of the decade, we expect that women will control $30 trillion, and, eventually, about 60% of all wealth in the U.S. For perspective, U.S. gross domestic product for 2023 was just under $28 trillion.
The Role Of Allies (Part II)
I few weeks ago, I posted What is the Role of Allies? (Part I), wherein I proposed that Allies who are only mentors are coming up short. Continued economic expansion requires that Allies actively identify and recruit more women into senior leadership because, in a world that is increasingly older and female, women’s wisdom and identification with the consumer population is essential for growth.
What Is The Role Of Allies? (Part I)
It seems to me that we (still) live in a world where misogyny is the last acceptable bias. It’s crazy to me, growing up being told I could do anything I wanted to, if I wanted it badly enough, to know that my success is a threat to anyone.
Childless By Choice
I am childless by choice. And that’s probably an important area for Madrina Molly™ to explore, as women without children need to consider how they will spend their later years. For a couple of decades, people told me I’d change my mind one day; that my biological clock would start ticking. It never happened.
I'm So Excited!
Recently, a pundit referred to the “generativity” of President Biden. That immediately sent me to the nearest search engine. Turns out “Generativity vs. Stagnation” is the seventh stage of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. (I did not take Psychology in college, so this is all new to me. But say “psychosocial development theory” three times fast and Erikson may appear.)
We Didn't Expect To Be Tested This Soon
Many of you have been kind enough to ask how you can provide financial support to Madrina Molly™ as this effort launches, and we are grateful. For now, the best gift you can give is to subscribe (for free) to the newsletter on this platform, Substack. We have made the decision that we will build our mailing list and use Substack’s free features, of which there are many. But when it comes time to monetize our offerings, we will migrate elsewhere.
My Favorite New Year Coaching Exercise
I got excited when I realized I’d be able to share my favorite coaching exercise with a large audience this year. I don’t claim originality for this exercise; I just know it works. It’s an amalgamation of multiple list-making exercises I’ve borrowed from people like Barbara Sher and Jack Canfield.
Here's To Our Holiday Rituals
Merry Christmakwanzukkah! That is to say, I wish you a wonderful day of cultural rituals. And it is my sincere hope that if you have no Christmas rituals yet, you use this day to go ahead and make some.
The Priceless Value of Experiences
I recently did a podcast with a local mental health service on how to survive money stress during the holidays. We forget that gifts of time, experience, and expertise are as valuable -- or more valuable -- than store-bought purchases. So, the show’s host and I instead discussed ways to avoid overspending, including some tips for planning.