January/February 2020~ The Spot Mag Celebrating Women in Business

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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CRYS TA L ’S REA LT Y T I PS : 10 ST EPS TO BU YI N G A HO M E M I ND FULNESS: N E W YE A R, OLD M E W H OL E M E FEAT U RE : L UX U RY LIVING W I T H L ACIE

JA N U A RY/F E B R U A RY 2020

IN THIS

Issue E M OT ION AL F ORE C AS T

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C RYS TAL ’S RE AL E S TAT E T IPS

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C RYS TAL ’S C HAM PION S

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M IN DF U L N E S S

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GU E S T F E AT U RE

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FAS HION

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N AT ION AL F E AT U RE

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PL AN N IN G YOU R L E GAC Y

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Feature: Lacie Lugo See the article on page 20 2

Contributors CO-FO UNDE R & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: CRYSTAL SWEARINGEN

CREATIVE DIRECTORS: CRYSTAL SWEARINGEN

ADRIANNA SWEARINGEN

BRIT TANY SWEARINGEN ANTHONY GONZALEZ ANIKA JACKSON ANGIE WILLIAMS SHIRLEY BRAUNLICH WANDA BOOTH

WRI TE R S:

JA N U A RY/F E B R U A RY 2020

Crystal Clear 2020 Perfect Vision and Moving Straight Ahead!!

I’ve met so many spectacular people on this journey, and I’m inspired by their stories of perseverance, humility, and the overall sprit of giving. Their stories have inspired me to step outside of fear and really go after my dreams!

This past year, I expanded my real estate career to California. As an owner of a boutique brokerage firm, Crystal Clear Realty in Lawrence, KS, and now a Realtor with premier luxury brand Nest Seekers in Beverly Hills, stepping out on faith these past 18 months has been crucial. Whenever I start getting afraid or wondering if I’m taking the right step, I recite a quote near and dear to me: “Miracles start to happen when you give as much energy to your dreams as you do to your fears.” -Richard Wilkins How much energy are you giving your fears and how much energy are you giving your dreams? Choose wisely because they all come from the same source - YOU!!

Let’s go all out and make 2020 the best year ever!

Crystal Swearingen Crystal Swearingen, Co-Founder | Editorial Director

The Spot Mag

@the.spot.mag

crystalsavesthedeal@gmail.com

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EMOTIONAL FORECAST

Welcome to 2020, full of uncharted waters and expansive creativity!

This year is already starting out with a bang in January! You’ve decided the old version of you is so “2019,” and you’re ready to live your completely elevated life.

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Taking charge of your daily schedule and getting mega organized will actually be the most fun part! You’ve got this sudden surge of ambition and it’s up to you to fully utilize its amazing power! January has all this fabulous mojo for achieving what you want, but it also has passion and heat backing it up. If you’re in a relationship, be prepared to have some romantic, heated experiences with your love. If you’re single during January, the planet has a special social awakening for you, as well. It feels overall ike new, vibrant energy, and I cannot wait to step into all that 2020 has to offer.

February rolls in riding the same rails as January. However, you may not notice the shift in the months because they feel so identical. The only difference is you’ll be getting used to the amazing vibes and won’t settle for anything less. Keep the momentum, drive, and focus, and you’ll have your January and February more rewarding than you could’ve ever put on your New Years resolution list!

Take a moment to thank 2019 for all the lessons, and watch 2020 quickly become one of your favorite years! Blessings to you and your family!

Cheers and Happy New Year, The Southern Psychic Angie Campbell

CRYSTAL’S REAL ESTATE TIPS

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Crystal Swearingen Broker/Owner Crystal Clear Realty Realtor NestSeekers Beverly Hills 785-550-3424 www.CrystalSavesTheDeal.com REALTOR®

CRYSTAL’S CHAMPIONS

TAKING A STAND FOR HEALTH:

CHRISTINE GENTRY

Social Media can be a wonderful thing!

I’ve been watching our first Crystal’s Champion, Christine Gentry, over the past year, and the few times we’ve met in real life, I’ve been beyond impressed. From her volunteer work to her passion to educate and serve, she brings her family along to demonstrate to them the power of community.

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She recently was appointed by the Mayor of Lawrence to serve on the Affordable Housing Advisory Board, a cause near and dear to this Realtor’s heart! And, her work with the Douglas County Health Department and the events she’s hosting in the community are sure to be both watched and recognized as sincere and worthwhile.

Hope you enjoy the following Q&A Session, as I most certainly did!

What is your professional title/role?

My work at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department is as Community Liaison to a grant funded by the Kansas Health Foundation.

What inspired you to work in this field?

I believe this opportunity is a manifestation of the love I have for my community. Issues of creating inclusion, exposing patterns that perpetuate the maltreatment of marginalized and minoritized identities, and adding to leadership opportunities for our Black girls are affairs I take a personal interest in. As long as these situations persist as a problem requiring solutions, I will continue to move in a direction to protect those most affected by them.

How do you find the balance between your career & family life?

Hmm, that’s a great question! My children can best answer that because whenever possible I’m bringing them with me to community events. Now that they’re in their teens and are young adults, I can share experiences with them that include social interactions and service to our community.

We’ve been through some difficult years as a family, and I look forward to enjoying every minute I get to spend with them.

What is the One Lesson you want your children to learn from what you are doing, and how does this contribute towards your legacy?

I aspire to break generational traumas affecting my family. I want my children to understand they’re worthy of more. A childhood including sexual abuse will end with me. My children will know what unconditional love means, so they can set conditions and healthy boundaries, as well as walk away from unhealthy relationships.

Do you have any upcoming events in January/February that you’d like to promote?

Come out to an all-Black show on Thursday, January 2nd, at Replay Lounge, and support Black excellence in our community with Bad Alaskan Alex Kimball Williams. BLACK Lawrence also has some upcoming events in February for Black History Month (Shout Out To Crystal’s Spot)), so please be watching out for these, too!

Crystal’s Champions is dedicated to strong and inspirational women and organizations that are making a difference in the community. To nominate a Champion, email Crystal at Crystalsavesthedeal@gmail.com

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MINDFULNESS

NEW YEAR, OLD M E ,

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Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash

WHOLE ME

BY ANTHONY GONZALEZ, LCSW

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can motivate us to action, validate our core values and beliefs, and help communicate our innermost experience to the world around us. How can this be bad?

new year is an incredible motivation to make changes in our lives. We set resolutions to exercise more consistently, eat healthier, and take more time for self-care - all of which are wonderful goals for grow- We will never achieve our potential of auing as a human being. And, for some of us, thenticity if we dismiss or suppress many of this will last for about two or three weeks, our core emotional experiences. and then we may fall back into our old routines of over-prioritizing work, sleeping As you enter this New too little, and losing sight of our grounding center.

Year, give yourself the I hope to address this part of the struggle in next month’s discussion. What I am focusing on this year - and I encourage you to share this journey with me - is challenging ourselves not to solely focus on changing our behaviors, but rather to allow for greater acceptance of our whole emotional self.

opportunity to embrace the full spectrum of emotional experience.

When anger comes into your life, give your-

self the space and compassion to understand it.

Anger, sadness, fear, guilt - so many of the emotions we push away and label as “bad” or “negative.” We set our goals to be happier, and yet we far too often overlook or dismiss our human experience in the absence of joy. Sometimes we label our anger Why is it there? What is the feeling communicating to you? What is the anger trying to as being impatient or short-tempered and help motivate within you? What made you see it as a failure or a lack of wisdom. vulnerable to feeling this right now?

I’m working to challenge this perspective.

This exploration and acceptance of ALL We neglect that what we ‘ve come to see emotional experiences will likely help you as emotional pain cannot be avoided, no matter how intensely we try. Every emotion gain a much deeper understanding of your needs and insecurities, and may help dewe feel serves a purpose. Our feelings all serve as functions for our survival. Emotions velop your openness. Sometimes we try

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too hard to pretend that we’re unaffected by constant and discomfort is temporary, so long experiences in our lives. “We ain’t got time for as we allow it to be. Once we are free from that!” avoiding the pain, we can be free to achieve our fullest potential.

And still, there the emotions are - peeking through and begging to be felt, known, and In this New Year, make it a mindful intention appreciated. Be it frustrations with the deal to welcome, with open arms and compassion, that fell through, fear of your child’s health every emotion you feel. No matter how unissue worsening, or stress of feeling stretched comfortable this may be at times. And then, let too thin, when important emotions are either them go. denied or rejected, you’re essentially judging and neglecting the most authentic aspects of No need to hold on to these emotions, either. your being.

Once validated and respected, they can be relinquished, trusting that they’re not all enAvoidance of these emotions gives them con- compassing of you. I’m working each day trol, consciously or subconsciously. Compart- toward being a more whole self....please join mentalizing these reactions can appear effec- me on the journey. tive in the short term, but in the long term we’re subtly teaching ourselves that we ‘shouldn’t’ feel, or that we’re incapable of coping. We Anthony Gonzalez, LCSW may even start to believe the myth of being weak or unworthy.

Do you ever welcome your emotions as genuine expressions of yourself? Sadness embraces loss, real or hoped for. Fears show us how to prepare and muster courage. Insecurity validates hurt from the past. Joy translates the genuine connections we have. They are all yours – in many ways the most essential parts of you.

As you begin to embrace this, you’ll find that happiness is not in a tangible thing or an outcome, but rather truly found in the fundamental acceptance that all things you experience have meaning and purpose. Joyful or painful, certain or unknown - happiness is truly found in the “for now” principle that all change is

Anthony is the Clinical Director at The Delray Center in Delray Beach, FL, which is one of the most clinically and medically advanced mental health treatment centers in the United States. Anthony is a proud alumnus of the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Anthony has advanced therapeutic training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy.

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GUEST FEATURE

Change Maker An Interview With Angelou Ezeilo Interview By: Shirley Braunlich

I’m celebrating my newest Shero - Angelou Ezeilo!

The environmental advocate and author of a new book will be speaking in Lawrence on February 20, 2020.

Everyone concerned about diversity in our community will want to learn from this experienced mind.

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As the Founder and CEO of Greening Youth Foundation, she is creating career pathways for diverse youth into environmental stewardship work. Her new book is entitled Engage, Connect, Protect: Empowering Diverse Youth as Environmental Leaders. linked here.

Angelou took time to answer some of my questions below, and I’m looking forward to learning much more during her visit!

SB: Now that you have been doing this great work with Greening Youth Foundation for more than 13 years, and you began by teaching young children about the environment, are there successful adults now in environmental careers who you influenced as children?

AE: What a great question! The answer is YES! One young lady in particular that comes to mind is Kelly Costello. She was the president of our environmental

club, Eco Force at Brookwood Elementary in Gwinnett County, GA, and this was about 13 years ago. Ms. Costello is now a junior in college and is leading many environmental initiatives at University of Georgia as an environmental studies major. I have no doubt that Kelly will continue to be a change leader in the environmental sector.

There are many more. However, another young lady that stands out came to us a member of our Urban Youth Corps. Although her immediate surroundings were very challenging, she adamantly told me that she would oneday own her own company, like me. I am so proud to share that this young lady is now the owner of a painting company that she runs with two other entrepreneurs - 3 Girls and a Paintbrush. So proud!

SB: Who do you admire?

AE: My all-time favorite Shero is Dr. Wangari Maathai. She is the first African woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in sustainable agriculture in Kenya. The Greenbelt Movement is now led by her daughter, Muta Mathai.

I also admire my parents Helen and Walter Chiles. Sounds cliché and cheesy, but it’s true! They have been married for 61 years and continue to love and support themselves and their grown children. They’ve owned many businesses over the past few decades, while instilling in their children the importance of community, love, and integrity. To know them is to love them.

SB: In your book, you shared an experience with someone yelling at you. It felt like a racist attack against you and a companion, and you needed to travel back home to feel safe. Would you share some of your strategies to ensure the safety of the young people you send to remote or less diverse areas?

AE: The incident you mentioned is why our organization implements a buddy system. As most of the places we send our interns to across the country typically do not have a large constituency of diverse people, we send them in pairs of two, so that they are not alone. As we know, difference often promotes fear, which leads to ignorance and bigotry. As such, when first interviewing young adults for these positions, we determine whether they have a strong character because we know that they’ll be on the front lines at some parks/forests/refuges, and in many cases will be diversifying the site. Our project managers mentor the interns and provide as much support as possible, in addition to multiple site visits.

SB: Who are your favorite authors?

AE: Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Octavia Butler, and Deepak Chopra

SB: What books are you reading now?

AE: I read multiple types of books at one time. I’m currently reading: Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton, The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.

SB: Please tell me about one of your favorite parks?

What makes it a favorite place for you?

AE: My favorite park is Grand Tetons. I literally began to cry the first time I encountered the majestic mountains. I feel a strong spiritual connection - almost cathartic - to the outdoors and nature when I am at this park. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

SB: What question do you wish someone would ask you? And, would you share your answer?

AE: What keeps me up at night? Because I am such an empathetic person, it’s hard for me to turn off concern for individuals. I almost never feel I have done enough to help. I guess I take the verse, ‘To whom much is given, much will be required’ quite literally

SB: Do you plan to visit any natural areas during your visit to our area?

My recommendations: 





Meet author Angelou Ezeilo in Lawrence on We have a large area of restored wetlands February 20, 2020! in town, including wetlands at Haskell Indian Nations University and the adjacent Baker Find out more about the event here: Wetlands that attract a high diversity of wildlife https://lawrence.bibliocommons.com/ and offer plenty of walking trails that make this events/5daf2d3066a9f12300fb3f82 area fairly accessible.

Other habitat options in the area include a 7-acre tallgrass prairie at the Prairie Park Nature Center and even more natural areas are within easy reach.

Also Brown V. Board of Education National Historic Site is nearby in Topeka with the Landon Nature Trail.

AE: I would love to! Your recommendations sound amazing!

Engage, Connect, Protect is Angelou Ezeilo’s debut book. This thought-provoking and practical book has heartfelt personal and professional stories of connecting and advocating for the natural world.

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FASHION

Blessed + Kech: One Woman’s Journey To Turn Pain And Loss Into Living Beyond A Wing And A Prayer

BY ANIK A JACKSON

“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.” - Winston Churchill

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Winston Churchill’s quote happens to be Candice Brooks’ favorite - and an apt one considering the curveballs life has thrown her way. What would you do if you lost one of your closest confidants, best friends, and the person in your life whom you could depend on above all others? And, what would you do if this loss and other daily trials and tribulations caused you to feel out of alignment with your mind, your body, and your soul?

Three years ago, Candice Brooks experienced such a devastating loss, as well as continuing health issues caused by an auto-immune disorder. Rather than wallowing in grief, she and her partner, Jory Watson, founded a creative outlet named Blessed + Kech - an amazing line of custom soy and beeswax candles, organic bath and skincare, and athleisure and lounge wear, turning their pain and loss into a growing business endeavor.

Candi explains, “In August 2016, my dear friend Marrakech passed away from cervical cancer at the young age of 33. I was devastated. We had been friends for almost two decades. She was one of the only people in my life I could talk and commune with that I knew understood me 100% and would not judge me. I isolated myself and cut myself off from negative people. During this time, I was really focused on finding out what makes me happy and joyous. The conversations we’d had for decades kept replaying in my mind about our dreams, goals, and ambitions.”

At the same time as Marrakech’s passing, Ms. Brooks had surgery scheduled for her own auto-immune disorder. For months, she experienced the feeling that her

mind, body, and spirit were disjointed. Still dealing with chronic pain and illness, Candi made a decision that would change her life forever - and Blessed + Kech was born.

“In an effort to build dexterity throughout my body, I decided to focus on crafting and creating custom baby clothing, t-shirts, jewelry, and skincare products,” Candi reflects. “I chose to push myself through the pain, both physically and emotionally. Life takes us all through turns, and the question ultimately becomes, “How do I find the time, effort, and resources it takes to take care of myself and move forward?”

Ms. Brooks continues, “Blessed + Kech came about as a necessity. Our mission is about self-care. For me, selfcare is not a fad, but rather a Lifestyle.

Our motto is “Living Beyond.” For me, “Living Beyond” a wing and a prayer is an affirmation that I tell myself daily. I prayed quite deeply about the issue, and I know Marrakech is an angel watching over me. With that thought in mind, I have no fears. I’m truly blessed, and with Kech watching over me, I know I can take care of myself in order to build and uplift others!”

Today, Brooks and Watson provide inspiration in their local community of Houston, Texas. Blessed + Kech has become a rapidly expanding, environmentally friendly business that also includes collaboration, mentorship, and consultation with other small businesses, as well as educational classes for the public to learn how to make their own scents, candles, and facial and body scrubs.

Learn more at www.blessedandkech.com, and on Instagram @blessed_and_kech.

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Crystal's Spot

"Where Friends Become Family" 704 Mass St. Thurs.-Sat. 6-10 PM

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Reviews "This is such a cool place with great staff and excellent desserts!! Live music, tarot readings, specials, and an amazing atmosphere. Will definitely go back and highly recommend for a place to have a good time. "~ Timberly on Google

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NATIONAL FEATURE

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Luxury Living with Lacie

Working as a REALTOR for 12 years, I’ve always sought out agents who have crafted careers I’ve admired and who I’ve wanted to learn from. I happened upon this dynamic lady, Lacie Lugo, making a name for herself in the Houston Luxury Real Estate Market this past year!

What an inspiring story of perseverance and pushing yourself to achieve your goals. Hope you enjoying getting to know her as much as I have! ~ Crystal

How did you get started in Real estate?

knew this to be my specialty.

I ended up having the time of my life working on this development! Stephanie and Kate eventually pushed me to get my Real Estate license. When I passed the exam, I started shopping for brokers. And, when I found my first broker, I failed to launch.

Kate pulled the plug, knowing I would never leave if she didn’t. Funny how I look back on that now and see it as a gesture of love. Kate and Stephanie were always great like that.

I sold my first house at $800K a month and a half later. I was ecstatic. I eventually worked for a home builder, and then Greystar asked me to move to Florida to assist with the Riverstone acquisitions.

I started leasing apartments at 19. I worked as a leasing agent and desperately loved my job. I was I ended up going back to Houston, even through a young mother, so the struggle was real. And, the difficult process of getting a divorce. I had to right from day one, I had a serious love for peotake about two years off from selling real estate, ple. in large part because I found it so hard to focus. I ended up taking a sales job as a furniture rep for Working for several companies, such as Greystar Cort Furniture - a Berkshire Hathaway company. and Asset Plus, I was promoted to an Assistant Manager. This started to set the foundation for my This position covered City Center, The Heights, most of Med Center, and some of the Museum career.

District in Houston.

I became proficient in multiple property manAfter some time and introspection, I came back to agement software applications, as well as trouWinhill, hitting the ground running and fully vested bleshooting front-end and back-end problems. as the Vice President of Multi-family. I oversee one During this period, I worked full-time, went to of the largest rental portfolios in Houston, with a school full-time, and I had three children and a team in place helping me run the rentals, as well husband to take care of. as future developments.

Around 2014, I came back from my 3rd maternity leave and joined Hunington Properties under Kate I have several projects currently underway, and Good and Stephanie Burriss. Stephanie and I had I’m building a team to help me with these, too. I firmly believe you’re only as strong as your team. worked together before at Greystar. There was a I’m also overseeing several builder projects lease they wanted me to work on because they

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townhomes, luxury construction, and hotel development - that are currently in the pipeline, There really never is a balance. It has gotten along with continued selling of luxury residen- to be very challenging and difficult. I have tial, commercial, and multi-family properties. to really co-parent with my ex-husband and his girlfriend. My father has been an amazing I’ve added a consulting business to the mix help. I am so grateful for all of them. I just tell for marketing packages offered to my clients, myself this every day. But, no lie, sometimes I managed by my social media partners at feel exhausted!

Social Behavior. So, here I am in all my glory running around like a crazy person and loving What or who inspires you to keep every minute of it! going when you feel worn down?

How do you find balance in your My children!! I sacrifice so much time with life with being a single mom and them to provide a good life for them. I love working on so many projects such as them so much, and I wish I could give them multi-family, homes for sale, etc.? all of the attention in the whole wide world!

I know that providing for them is crucial, and I feel it’s one of my ways of showing my love. I’m trying to provide the best education and life experience for these amazing little people. Chasing your dreams and being a full-time boss can be very taxing. I also remain very private when it comes to those most important in my life.

Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?

A multi-millionaire by 33!

Are there any trends you are seeing in the Houston area that you think our readers who are considering investing in real estate should know about?

The forecast for housing markets in 2020 is good for home sellers. Listings have not grown, which has pushed prices up 5+% in July, according to NAR’s pre-release report. Demand for affordable homes is very brisk. Sales of homes under $200,000 for sale fell 10% Year-Over-Year. They’re selling 30 days faster than more expensive homes whose sales have dropped.

Purchases of homes by foreigners have dropped strongly, while demand from Americans is rising. I’m working on putting affordable housing into some opportunity zones. I hope to have this completed by 2021. If you are financially able, I would invest in lower-priced homes and hold onto them, especially in high-growth areas with up-and-coming future developments.

Any advice on success?

For me, the secret to success is to be the very best you can be and focus on your own shit. EVERYTHING ELSE IS A DISTRACTION! I’ve had to walk away from a lot of people I love because my growth scared them and caused friction.

In your life or career what has been the biggest lesson?

I wasted so much time doing what I thought was expected of me. Now I do what I feel is right and I trust in God. That is where I find my solace.

Are there any specific properties or deals that helped you realize that you could truly achieve what you wanted to?

YES!! I had a very hard lesson to learn in the beginning. I didn’t pick the luxury market. The luxury market picked me. I contracted a $4.5 million home as my 2nd contract, along with a larger, builder portfolio that was made up of million-dollar-plus homes.

I learned that not everyone is your friend. Sometimes the people you choose to trust the most can ‘shark’ you. This happened to me on my 2nd contract, by someone I trusted tremendously. It taught me a major lesson about how I needed and wanted to do business in the future.

I do believe in Karma.

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Planning for Your Legacy Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

Wanda Booth

Happy New Year! Many people take this time of year to begin new habits or stop habits not aligned with a healthy and wealthy lifestyle. I offer you the idea to begin thinking about your legacy. As we enter year 2020, what will be yours?

Like most people, you probably want to leave something behind for your loved ones and possibly to some charitable organizations. In other words, you want to create a legacy. But how?

To leave the legacy you want, you need to construct a comprehensive Estate Plan. There’s not a “one-size-fits-all” model for everyone, but some key elements of most Estate Plans are as follows: Beneficiary designations Beneficiary designations are typically found

on retirement accounts (such as your 401(k) and IRA) and life insurance policies. In many states, beneficiary designations may also be added to banking and brokerage accounts, where they are referred to as Pay on Death or Transfer on Death designations. These designations can supersede the instructions on your will – yet nearly two-thirds of Americans have not designated beneficiaries for any of their accounts, according to the recent Leaving a Legacy survey commissioned by Edward Jones. Even if you have designated beneficiaries for your 401(k) and other accounts, you may need to revise them periodically in response to changes in your life – marriage, divorce, new child, etc.

Will A will, sometimes referred to as a last will and testament, can help ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes. And if you have young children, a will can name a guardian if something happens to you and your spouse.

Trusts A trust provides you with even greater control than a will. You can dictate exactly how and when your beneficiaries receive the trust’s assets, so, for example, if you’d prefer that your grown children not inherit a large sum at once, you can specify that they will get the money over a period of years. And a trust may help your estate avoid the time-consuming, expensive and public process of probate, reducing or eliminating the possibility of intra-family fights over your assets.

An Estate Plan can be a big gift to your loved ones – so consider taking action soon.

Power of attorney A power of attorney lets you name someone to manage your finances should you become incapacitated. This is an especially important document for any individual who doesn’t have a spouse to step in.

Health care directive If you become incapacitated, your health care directive can provide instructions for your health care (a living will) and name a person to make medical decisions on your behalf (a health care proxy). These documents can be valuable if your family disagrees about your care.

Even after you’ve created your Estate Plan, you may need to adjust it to accommodate changes in your financial assets, your family relationships, your associations with charitable groups, and so on. Plus, you’ll need to be aware of changes in tax laws that could affect your status and/or your plans.

In any case, it’s essential that you communicate your wishes to your family. Just 49% of beneficiaries are confident they know how to carry out the Estate Plan of a loved one, according to the Leaving a Legacy survey.

Here’s one more suggestion: Get professional help. Your financial advisor may be able to assist you with the investment-related aspects of your Estate Plan and work with your team of professionals, including an attorney, who can help you create the necessary documents – will, living trust, health care directive, etc. – and a tax advisor, who can provide information on tax aspects of estate assets and the like.

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Wanda Booth Edward Jones Financial Advisor Serving clients in Lawrence and Olathe 23600 College Blvd, STE 202 Olathe, Kansas 66061 Office: 913-764-1779 You may also connect to Wanda via LinkedIn, as well as her Facebook business page.

Edward Jones, its employees, and its financial advisors are not estate planners and cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your estate-planning attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.

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