7 minute read
FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FOR NON-TRADITIONAL EARNERS
Photos Courtesy of Crown Media
Have you ever been engaged in a conversation and hear something so unexpected and so stunning that you didn’t hear anything else after that moment?
That happened to me twice. The first time was in February, 2010, when a doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville told me that I had a neuromuscular disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). He told me that the condition was “non-treatable, non-curable and progressive.” I don’t remember anything else about the appointment. I was overwhelmed by anxiety and fear.
Fast forward a decade later to July 30, 2020. MacLain Nelson, executive producer of “Little Women (2018),” called me — a person with no acting experience — to say I had been chosen to play the part of Tess in an upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie. I don’t remember anything else either of us said — I was overflowing with excitement and disbelief.
What followed was a whirlwind of activity. Just three days later, I flew to Utah and spent three weeks performing the role of Tess, the mother of the main character, Patrick, played by Michael Rady. In the film, Patrick is a physical therapist. I’m a physical therapist assistant in real life, so an unexpected bonus was providing technical assistance in some of the scenes.
Filming days were long, but the cast and crew were encouraging and helpful. The director, Clare Niederpruem, was patient and kind. Michael Rady, my screen son, who is perhaps best known for his role in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” gave freely of his time and expertise, often role-playing with me and offering suggestions to boost my confidence.
The hair and makeup staff were amazing and made me look beautiful, even after being on set all day.
I was fascinated by the props specialists and lighting staff who transformed sets into those beautifully decorated, magical backgrounds that are signature features of Hallmark holiday movies. Even on days when I was not filming, I would go to the set just to watch and listen to other actors and to learn more about what goes into making a movie.
After a few days, I began to feel more comfortable and allowed my personality to shine through my character. Tess and I really are a lot alike. Both of us have a strong support system of family and friends, and both of us don’t let CMT hold us back.
My family took turns visiting me while I was filming, including my son, Maxwell. During off hours, we explored the Provo area, hiking and biking through the beautiful trails and canyons. I fell in love with the state and hope to return in the fall or spring.
At this point, you may be wondering, “What about CMT and the dire diagnosis you received?”
It is often said that CMT is the most common disease that people have never heard of. CMT affects 1 out of 2,500 people. Since receiving the news in 2010, many things have changed. While CMT is still untreatable and incurable, there has been progress, due in part to the efforts of Allison Moore, founder of the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation (HNF).
The nonprofit foundation’s mission is to increase awareness and accurate diagnosis of CMT, to support patients and families with information that improves their quality of life and to fund research for treatments and cures.
While CMT is still progressive, I have learned to make adjustments. CMT affects the extremities first. Nerves die causing muscles to waste away. My feet and lower legs are the most affected. I don’t have the strength to run anymore, so I walk slowly with an odd gait. My balance is affected since I no longer have full feeling in my feet.
What most observers see, however, is an avid cyclist, logging about 100 miles a week. I love to ride my mountain bike through the Ocala National Forest trails. Despite some weakening in my hands and forearms I am a passionate swimmer and swim regularly with a group of friends and neighbors. We call ourselves “the mermaids.” In July, I completed a 3-mile ocean swim.
I’m grateful that my progression has proven to be slow. Yet, I can’t ignore the growing fatigue, cramping in my legs and hands and increasing loss of balance.
Although my CMT has advanced, so has my resolve to advance in other areas of my life. So, when an email arrived with the Hallmark casting call, I went for it. With the help of my sister, Adria Clark, I rehearsed scenes, practiced with a walker and wheelchair and taped my audition. Two weeks later, I was performing scenes on Zoom for the producer and director. Two days later, I received a call from Hallmark offering me the part.
People have told me they would never have taken the chance and responded to the casting call. They are surprised that I dropped everything and went to Utah for three weeks to film a movie.
I mean, who gets a major role in a movie at 57? With NO previous acting experience? ME—someone who is Growing Bolder!
“The Christmas Bow,” starring Lucia Micarelli and Michael Rady, will air this fall on the Hallmark Channel. Check your local listings.
For more about the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, visit www.hnf-cure.org.
To watch “The Christmas Bow” on the Hallmark Channel, check your local listings.
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– Thomas McClary
MUSICIAN
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Financial Empowerment for 51 Million Non-Traditional Earners
Imagine that you want to learn how to ski. You envision yourself whizzing down mountains, wind whistling in your ears as you pick up speed. When you arrive at your first class, eager to get started, the instructor explains that you’ve signed up for a cross-country skiing program, and dives right into the skills you’ll need to master and enjoy the sport.
Freelancers, artists, and gig-economy workers—basically, independent workers who are outside of the traditional workforce and are looking for financial understanding and growth—may feel like downhill skiers in a crosscountry class. Certainly, there are ideas and skills to be gained from the multitude of financial experts, money books and podcasts. But the truth is that most financial conversations fail to address the realities that come with life as a non-traditional earner.
You are likely to have multiple periods of part-time employment or no employment, or time at a job with no security or benefits. Your income may be sporadic—earning larger amounts for a few months, followed by lengthy periods without income.
Here are three key insights to help navigate the challenges of being an independent worker.
For more financial guidance and information for independent workers, visit protectedincome.org.
Understand your numbers.
Following a non-traditional career path, requires significant clarity with regards to your precise financial starting point.
• Without the inherent stability of a regular paycheck, it will be critical that you maintain an accurate picture of your financial position, including your overall expenses and earnings. Establish your current cost of living by reviewing at least your last six months of bank and credit card statements to determine your specific expense categories and the average monthly amounts being spent in each one.
• Create a balance sheet that reflects your current net worth. Itemize the value of each of your assets, along with a list of each of your liabilities (debts). Focus on the long term. Don’t allow an increased focus on day-to-day survival eliminate attention to your long-term financial stability.
• Estimate what you’ll need to secure your comfort and lifestyle you want in retirement. The Alliance for Lifetime Income provides helpful tools, like the (RISE) Score®, that can tell you whether you’re on track with having enough retirement income and how well it will cover at least your basic living expenses. It’s like a credit score for your retirement plan.
• Make sure you understand powerful retirement vehicles designed for solo entrepreneurs such as SEP IRAs and Solo 401Ks. As someone who will likely experience larger single chunks of income, commit to learning about financial options that can create protected lifetime income, like annuities, that can give you the security and comfort knowing your basic living expenses will always be covered, so you can live the life you want.
Build community. When you’re not a part of the traditional workforce, your community is no longer automatic, so take time to create a network, personally and professionally, that lasts. The decision to be an independent worker does not mean you have to go it alone. Regardless of where in the country (or world) you’re currently living, it’s not difficult to find robust online communities, specifically designed for individuals building their own businesses and streams of income.
As an independent worker, commit to establishing an intentional approach to financial management and to developing a relationship with money that allows you to flourish and live the life you truly want.
