Rural Leader Magazine March 2020

MARCH 2020

"New Beginnings are often disguised as painful endings."— Lao Tzu

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Contents

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication that highlights every day people doing extraordinary things nationally and abroad. www.RuralLeaderMag.com www.GetRuralLeaderMag.com

About Us

Launched in March 2014, Rural Leader

Magazine, LLC is a digital publication with a mission to highlight every day people doing extraordinary things in business, education, music, community, art, sports, and leadership nationally and abroad.

Rural Leader Magazine honors exemplary individuals on a variety of levels, such as the 20 under 20 Honors, 40 under 40 Honors, Best Small Town Restaurant, Small Town America’s 100 Most Influential People, the Scholars of Collegiate Distinction, Fifty under Fifty, and the Eagle Elite Club.— Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, in English, or other languages, is prohibited without written consent.

Send editorial ideas to Kuanita Murphy, PhD, Editor-in-Chief editor@ruralleadermag.com Contact Us info@ruralleadermag.com editor@ruralleadermag.com

8 Three Expert Tips to Succeed with Any Diet Routine

14 Best Cost-Effective Tech Products that Simplify Your Life

9 How to Find Your Inspiration

17 How Small Businesses Can Boost Sales

10 Five Secrets for Landing Your Next Job 11 Turning Gaming Into a Career: How Girls are Taking the Reins 12 Declutter Your Finances This Spring 13 Preserving Analog Photos is Easier Than Ever

18 Four Outdoor Cleaning Tips That Could Help Save You Thousands 20 Teen With Rare Illness Gets Wish to Create Comic Book 22 Save smarter: Tips to get Your 20/20 Financial Vision in 2020

Tell us what you think about our publications, if you have a great idea for a story, or to just share. We may print your comments in Rural Leader Magazine. By sending us your comments, you’re giving permission to call you for an interview. Please be sure to include your name, address, email address, and phone number so we can reach you. Write to us at info@RuralLeaderMag.com— SUPPORT OUR VISION

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Editor’s Note Dear Readers, Inside this issue, there are a number of great articles about leadership best practices, building positive self-esteem and productivity! We hope you enjoy this issue.

As always, I hope you enjoy this issue and continue to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google +, and LinkedIn. Thanks again for your continual support!

Sincerely,

Photo Courtesy of TieFotos

Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

What you do matters.

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Three Expert Tips to Succeed with Any Diet Routine Are you following a gluten-free, keto, paleo, vegetarian, Whole 30 or other special diet? The problem with sticking to a diet is that it can feel restricting, because you’re only allowed to eat certain foods, and that can get boring fast.

Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner has a few expert tips to help you succeed with any diet routine: * Keep it convenient. Focus on foods that are easy to prepare. * Keep it fun. Focus on foods that you actually enjoy eating. * Keep it varied. Focus on foods that are versatile and can be used lots of ways.

There’s one ingredient that food lovers can count on while dieting that is easy to make, versatile and delicious: eggs. Eggs are packed with protein and essential vitamins and nutrients, perfect to keep dieters energized and feeling full throughout the day. For a quick meal that fits most specialty diet plans and can be eaten any time of day, try scrambling peppers, mushrooms and eggs in a pan and top with fresh avocado.

When buying ingredients at the grocery store, remember that not all eggs are created equal. Look for Eggland’s Best eggs with the bright red EB stamp on each egg, as they have superior nutrition compared to ordinary eggs. These eggs provide 10 times more vitamin E than ordinary eggs, which is an important nutrient for maintaining the immune system. Plus, they have 25% less saturated fat, more than double the omega-3s and vitamin B12 and six times more vitamin D. Whether hard-boiled, poached, scrambled or

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mixed into a favorite recipe, Eggland’s Best eggs are easy to use in dishes and customize to your tastes.

If you’re looking for recipe inspiration, try this tasty Garden Frittata recipe: Garden Frittata: Fresh vegetables mixed with eggs and cheese make for the perfect meal. Note: This recipe adheres to the rules of many specialty diets, including vegetarian, keto and gluten-free.

Ingredients: 4 Eggland’s Best Eggs (large), beaten 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped fresh spinach 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes Directions: Melt butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add garlic and onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add spinach, saute 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Whisk eggs and salt together in bowl. Add eggs to vegetable mixture in pan; sprinkle with basil. Cover; continue cooking 4-6 minutes or until center is almost set. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes.

For more nutritious recipes, visit www.egglandsbest.com.—

How to Find Your Inspiration Inspiration is the stimulation to do something and can drive people to do incredible things. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your job is or which hobbies you enjoy - inspiration is at the core of personal and professional growth.

John Paxton, senior designer at Kia, finds his inspiration in looking to the future.

“My inspiration has consistently been fueled by a desire to anticipate what’s next,” says Paxton. “Similar to entertainment such as music and film, there’s a human desire to explore and find newness in sights, sounds and experiences.”

He goes on to explain that it’s part of human nature to always want to expand and grow, to reach farther and explore beyond what has already been accomplished. This desire has driven innovation throughout history.

“A desire to continue to develop newness in the projects and designs I’m tasked with tackling is what drives me,” Paxton says. “I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of seeing the unseen, and finding solutions that consumers can eventually connect with... starting with a blank canvas.”

In his design work, he keeps a keen eye on what people want now while anticipating the future. Why? Because the Kia cars he is designing today may not be in the hands of drivers for several years, like the Kia Soul, Forte and Cadenza models.

“A challenge I face is anticipating what people are going to look for in a design not only today, but years from now when the production vehicle is actually available to them, it’s like having a crystal ball for designers. The most rewarding aspect is when you are able to see the predicted work out in a well-received product on the road,” he says.

Paxton uses the new Kia Soul as an example.

His design work on the Soul focused on a youthful demographic heavily inspired by social media, music and fashion. Using these ideas as inspiration, he worked with his team to create something that didn’t fit the standard vehicle mold. “This was about loudness, boldness, confidence, in a very youthful voice.

Nothing was reserved or timid,” he says.

Inspiration can be collaborative or personal, and sometimes both. It can help you reach an individual goal - such as fundraising, home improvement or health and wellness - or it can, like Paxton, drive GetRuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020 9

innovation in your professional life in a way that can significantly impact others.

If you want to discover your inspiration, consider these simple activities: Create an inspiration board: Sometimes called a mood board, these are great for kicking off creativity and finding purpose. Get a large piece of paper or use a blank wall and create a collage of things that inspire, centering on your goal. These can be pictures, colors, words - whatever strikes a positive chord. This becomes an abstract representation of what drives you and what you want to achieve.

Go for a drive: Few things beat the feeling of the open road, so go for a drive to a local park to take a hike or simply meander and see where destiny takes you. As you drive, open your mind to the sounds and sights around you. You might see a particularly inspiring mural in the city or a calm field in rural areas.

If feeling stuck, turn on some music and drive on.

Explore online: Try visiting websites that provide

inspiring content. For example, the Give It Everything Collective from Kia at www.kia.com is a digital space where people can share their stories of what it means to give everything. In reading about other peoples’ goals and driving factors, you may find inspiration for reaching your goals.

Do something new: Sign up for that class. Make a fresh fashion choice. Check out that indie film. Strike up a conversation with a stranger. Doing something new can put you outside your comfort zone, and that builds confidence. In expanding your world you may find the inspiration you’re looking for while discovering more about who you are personally.

Inspiration can come in many forms. It fuels innovation and ingenuity, whether it’s something massive on the world stage or a modest personal goal. Take time to discover what drives you.—

Five Secrets for Landing Your Next Job We’ve all been there: You embark on the job hunt and you’re full of excitement for what’s ahead - but you sometimes feel like one name in a sea of candidates, trying to figure out the hacks to break through, get noticed, and land that interview (and job offer!).

If this sounds all-too-familiar, you’re not alone - but the good news is LinkedIn is letting us in on the top 5 secrets to getting noticed and snagging that new job opportunity.

Get ahead of the pack: There are 100 million job 10 RuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020

applications on LinkedIn every month. This may sound overwhelming as a job seeker, but remember this: getting a head start can make all the difference.

In fact, LinkedIn research shows that being one of the first to apply to a job can increase your chances of landing a job by 4x. Tip: Sign up for LinkedIn Job Alerts which will send you a notification within minutes of a relevant job posting.

Spruce up your online presence: A picture might Continued on page

Turning Gaming Into a Career: How Girls are Taking the Reins Careers in the video game industry are highly desirable, and for good reason. Working for a video game company can be rewarding, and equally important, turns a favorite pastime into an exciting career. However, for tween and teen girl gamers, the prospect of one day working in the video game industry may seem daunting. While 46% of the U.S. gamer population is female, women account for only 22% of video game developers.

Women are taking the reins developing, designing and marketing video games. Lisa Wackenhuth Svanström, a 3D Artist at Star Stable Entertainment, a multiplayer game featuring horses, magic and adventure, offers career advice to young women who may want a career in the video game industry: 1. What inspired you to build a career in the video game industry? “I am a lifelong gamer, artist and digital creator and now, my official title at Star Stable is 3D Artist. Working for a company like this allows me to unite my interests and skills to create magic for girl gamers around the world. The artistic process of designing the 3D horses inspires me the most. It is so rewarding to have an idea in my mind, sketch out a new design and work with all the visuals such as 3D

models, characters, textures, environments, props and ultimately release the final product for horse-loving girls who play our game every day.”

2. What are the types of jobs for women in the development studio?

“To build a game, artists (3D, 2D, VFX and animators), designers and programmers need to work closely together from start to finish. Artists work on the overall creative vision. Designers work with the mechanics and features. Then, programmers use their coding knowledge to bring it all to life. We work with producers to make sure that all tasks associated with the development process are completed on time and tracking with the overall vision of the project.

As the industry continues to grow and evolve, developers focused on mobile and virtual/mixed reality are in high demand, as are tech animators, who use a combination of creative and animation skills to solve issues related to art production.”

3. What other types of jobs do women have in the industry outside the development studio? “It takes dozens of people with specific skillsets for a video game company to succeed. Community managers interact with players daily to ensure they are having GetRuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020 11

a positive experience with the game and make sure fan feedback is implemented. We also have women running the business at the executive level and as product managers and business developers. There are multiple opportunities, inside and out of the development studio, so you must embrace your skills and interests to find which career path you would enjoy most.”

4. What are the most important skills needed to succeed? “Budding video game developers need to network, to get to know different game engines, become familiar with 2D and 3D software, and try new games all the time. Then, become a specialist in the aspect that interests you the most. Developing specific skills is important but developing into a well-rounded person with a broad view of the world is equally important. It is also good to dive into sports, learn the arts, take a computer class or explore theater. Never stop learning and challenging yourself.”

5. What advice do you have for young girls who want a career in video games? “A career in the video game industry, perhaps born out of a hobby or passion, is legitimate and can be profitable too. Today, there are dedicated game developing programs at universities. And, finding a role model is key. Seek opinions from colleagues or bosses who have different work than yours - find a marketer, back-end programmer or member of the executive team and learn from them.

“It’s also important to find a company that embraces women in all roles and embodies a culture of inclusivity and accessibility - the Star Stable team is more than 50% women. Finally, give back. If every woman who is part of the 22% proactively mentors other young women, imagine the next generation who will one day grow up to become our colleagues!”—

Declutter Your Finances This Spring The spring season brings warmer days and a fresh perspective, which is why it’s the ideal time to declutter and get organized. This includes taking stock of what we have, clearing out the unnecessary items in our possession and cleansing our spaces. We feel refreshed and empowered after a good sweeping. In addition to the closet overhaul and pantry refresh, there’s one major area of our everyday lives we tend to overlook during this time: our finances.

According to Amanda Clayman, financial therapist and Prudential’s financial wellness advocate, tidying up our finances is the spring cleaning task that can make us feel more empowered than anything else on our list. Digging into our money is messy and complicated but, just like cleaning our home, it creates a feeling of revitalization and can benefit our mental health in the long run. Beyond this alone, spring cleaning our finances gets our money organized, helps us make better financial choices and improves our financial wellness overall.

Amanda shares the following tips on spring cleaning your finances to start anew this season.

1. Declutter your inbox: Clutter is clutter, no matter where it lives. Take some time to go through your 12

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inbox and unsubscribe from promotional emails that tempt you to spend on things you don’t need. Not only will it help you save, but your inbox will stay satisfyingly clean moving forward!

2. Tidy up your subscriptions: Dive into your bank statements to review recurring subscription charges and reassess which ones you really need. You may be surprised to find subscriptions that you forgot about, which can waste money over time.

3. Minimize stress with automation: Alleviate some of the constant worry of paying monthly bills by automating payments for rent, credit cards, utilities, or any other recurring charge on your plate. This will also help to avoid late fee charges.

While most of our homes can use a deep clean in the springtime, focusing on doing the same with our finances is vital to improve our overall well-being.

Give your financial self a refresh for greater peace of mind throughout the seasons.

For more information, advice and tools for investing in your financial wellness and establishing healthy financial habits, visit Prudential Financial.—

Preserving Analog Photos is Easier Than Ever When it comes to passing down family memories, there’s nothing like the visual impact of a photograph.

Photo frames, custom ornaments and similar memorabilia make some of the most popular gifts.

Family photos can remind us where we came from, preserve valuable information and bring up warm, fun and often comforting thoughts of times and people gone by. Sometimes, they just make us smile.

“Capturing a moment in time isn’t just about securing a memory - it can help you appreciate your life more every day,” advises Gretchen Rubin in Good Housekeeping. “Photos tilt your memories toward the good experiences you’ve had, simply because you’re more likely to take photos of joyful times.”

These days, Americans enjoy capturing photographic images more than ever; in fact, they took some 1.2 trillion digital photos in 2017 alone. While most of those are safely stored in digital files, we often aren’t as efficient when it comes to preserving the analog photos and negatives taken before the advent of digital cameras and smartphones. For many, that can mean those irreplaceable memories are at risk of fading into obscurity as they’re stored away in some damp basement or dusty attic.

Fortunately, preserving your old analog photos without professional assistance need not be difficult,

especially with some of the user-friendly tools now on the market. Consider these tips for making sure your personal history is saved for future generations.

Handle them with care. You may be used to carelessly flipping through your older photos, but the truth is the dirt and oil on your hands can easily accumulate and cause damage to old images. Experts recommend wearing non-scratching, microfiber or nitrile gloves as you sort and process them. Don’t write on them at all (even the backs), and avoid grouping or attaching them with paper clips, rubber bands, tape, glue or other fasteners.

Store them protectively. Store loose analog photos and negatives separately from each other in acid-free boxes or in archival-quality photo albums (avoid albums with color pages and/or those labelled “magnetic” or “no stick”). Keep the boxes or albums in rooms that are stable, dry (with only 30% to 40% relative humidity) and clean. Minimal exposure to light, radiators, vents and atmospheric pollutants is ideal, and color photos and film negatives are best stored at temps of 40 degrees F or below.

Convert analog to digital. Of course, the safest way of keeping your photos safe is to make them digital, so they can be safely stored in the cloud. For example, Kodak lists several scanners on Amazon that can help you make that switch efficiently and effectively, GetRuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020 13

including the self-contained Kodak Scanza, which can almost instantly process shots taken on analog film (in sizes of 35mm, 126, 110, Super 8 and 8mm) and convert them to a digital JPG format without need of a flatbed scanner, processing lab or even a computer.

Make sure your new images last a lifetime. Photo printer docks allow you to print out special shots to place in a handmade or other decorative frame or give as gifts. When you wish to go from digital to analog, simply connect your smartphone, iPad, digital camera or USB Memory Stick to the Kodak Printer

Dock to edit and print colorful, detailed 4x6 photos.

The photos won’t bleed or fade - and they will be waterproof - because photos printed from the Dock feature a special laminated protection layer.

Your analog photos are irreplaceable and well worth keeping safe, for your enjoyment and the enjoyment of future generations. Consider investing in the materials and tools that can make the preservation process easy and efficient for all.—

Best Cost-Effective Tech Products That Simplify Your Life One of the best things about technology today is that there’s a huge variety of items to choose from that can add convenience and fun to your life, for a surprising range of prices.

From the practical to the just-for-fun, shopping for the latest in tech does not have to be complicated.

Here are some items to look for this year that can help simplify your everyday life.

For music lovers. Who wouldn’t want to listen to their favorite music not only anywhere in the house, but also while in the yard, hiking or camping? The 14

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latest wireless speakers offer lots of choices in terms of size and portability, at a variety of price points.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are standard for most devices to connect to your phone, tablet, laptop or TV. Wireless speakers are great for boosting music for a party or listening while taking a bath or cooking. Some can clip on a backpack or be worn on your arm. That way you can listen to music on-the-go safely.

Check out the latest wireless headphones, which many find more comfortable and with a superior sound quality than earbuds. Recent models have

come down in price, and there are brands for kids.

For gamers. Avid online gamers love quality wireless gaming headsets. Players competing against others can communicate and experience good quality sound - hearing the game and players clearly without bothering everyone in the house.

Other great options are top-notch wireless controllers for gaming consoles, or a specialized gaming mouse.

For everyone. What if there were a high-quality smartphone that also offered helpful life services, like access to telemedicine, pharmacy savings, roadside assistance and more?

ROKiT Phones offers five models, available with a variety of life services, a package providing essential basic necessities free for three months (with the option to continue the desired benefits after that time for a fee). Options include Telemedicine, offering access 24 hours a day, seven days a week to doctors, pharmacy savings up to 70%, free calling, roadside assistance, family legal services, ID theft protection, accidental death insurance, burial and cremation insurance.

While the ROKiT One and F-One phones provide 3G service at affordable prices, the iO 3D and iO Pro

3D models offer even more - including glasses-free 3D technology that plays stereoscopic side-by-side videos, so the movies jump out of the screen for immersive enjoyment. For more information about the innovative new technology, visit RokitPhones.com/ us/phones/iopro3d.

With all their smartphones, ROKiT Talk ensures users can connect with loved ones worldwide. The international and domestic calling platform enables unlimited outbound domestic and international calls to 60 countries.

When looking for tech-related devices that can help simplify life situations, consider all the possibilities this year. The latest high-tech devices not only make life more fun and interesting, but some can even help people stay connected, as well as offering vital services everybody needs.—

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How Small Businesses Can Boost Sales With over 30 million small businesses in the U.S., it’s tough to stand out from the crowd. Successful small businesses turn first-time customers into repeat business, building momentum and growing sales.

How can you achieve this? Marketing. Finding effective, easy-to-execute marketing strategies can boost your business by helping you engage your customers while attracting new ones. Here are some proven ideas to help your business thrive: Engage first-time customers. Show new shoppers that they matter. Send welcome emails and recommend products to complement what they bought.

Offer special deals to keep them coming back.

Utilize positive customer reviews. Did you know over 60% of consumers read reviews before buying?

Reviews can include ratings, testimonials, photos, videos and more.

Treat reviews as marketing gold, sharing them with customers and prospects to build trust and increase sales. You can generate and integrate them into your website, on social media and other marketing efforts.

Turn shopping carts into opportunities. Let’s face it, plenty of potential customers add items to their online shopping carts and never check out. While these “abandoned carts” seem challenging, they’re an opportunity.

An effective way to convert abandoned carts into sales is by drawing on the power of customer reviews. Adii Pienaar, vice president of commerce product strategy for the email marketing platform CM Commerce, says small businesses can change their fortunes with this approach.

“Our most successful small business customers don’t just send a reminder email to shoppers about items left in their carts,” said Pienaar. “They take it a step further and include positive reviews and ratings about that product with the follow-up, knowing how much importance buyers place on others’ experiences. By featuring personalized product reviews for abandoned cart items, there can be a recovery rate of 5-10%.”

Spark interest with special offers. Entice new and returning business by offering discounts, encouraging shoppers to give your business a try.

Also, if you don’t have one already, create a loyalty program for frequent shoppers, or a referral special for those inviting friends to your website or social media.

Personalization matters. Shoppers don’t want mass emails treating them like just another number. Small businesses that tailor emails based on each customer’s shopping experiences and interests are far more successful in driving sales.

Creating customized content may sound complex, but it all comes down to how you organize your customer list. For example, segment your customers by which products they’ve purchased, then use this information to inform them how to best use their products or remind them when it’s time to re-order.

Personalization really pays off when you incorporate dynamic content - information that changes based on a person’s interests - in promotional emails.

Use a customer’s previous purchases and shopping interests to generate ideas on products to complement items they already bought. For example, recommend a similar flavor of cupcakes to ones they ordered before.

Get started. These proven marketing approaches can springboard your business to success. But, how do you get started?

Marketing has greatly evolved, with many new, easy-to-use tools. You don’t need to be a marketing expert, technical whiz or creative designer to use them.

For example, CM Commerce is an email marketing platform designed for small ecommerce businesses. It can easily create professional email campaigns to enhance and grow your business.

To help small business owners, CM Commerce features pre-built email marketing recipes for everything from welcome emails and newsletters to abandoned cart reminders and more. Business owners can follow these guidelines and put their email marketing plans in place with a single click.

“I always recommend small business owners invest in email marketing,” said Pienaar. “It’s a cost-effective way to establish your brand and regularly reach your customers and prospects. Most importantly, email marketing has the potential for huge returns and can truly make your business stand out.”

For more tips and ideas to grow your business, visit The Marketing Resources Hub.—

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Four Outdoor Cleaning Tips That Could Help Save You Thousands 18

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The sounds of birds chirping, longer daylight hours, and budding trees and flowers are early signs that warmer weather and spring are on the way. That means more time outside to enjoy nature, but it’s also a sign it might be time for a little spring cleaning.

“Cold temperatures, snowfall and winter rains can have a big effect on houses and landscaping, so now’s the time to check for potential home repairs and maintenance,” said Christopher O’Rourke, Mercury Insurance vice president of property claims. “Spring cleaning isn’t just about getting rid of belongings you no longer want or need - it’s also a time to get your home in tip-top shape so you can enjoy it throughout the rest of the year.”

Here are four tips O’Rourke recommends to welcome the new season and save some money down the road.

1. Clean your gutters. Gutters collect debris over time, especially when rain, snow and wind causes twigs, pine needles and leaves to settle on your roof and in your rain gutters. Accumulated debris can create blockages that direct water into the home or, in areas without much precipitation, can act as kindling in the event of a fire. Buildup also allows mildew and mold to develop, which can slowly decay a home’s exterior and roof.

“Preventable damage like mold or mildew that develops and rots a home’s exterior isn’t covered by homeowners insurance,” said O’Rourke. “It’s important to routinely clean out gutters - even if you have gutter guards installed, they don’t completely protect against debris building up eventually. An hour or two spent cleaning or checking your gutters is time well spent compared to the alternative.”

2. Trim branches and remove dangerous trees.

Thunderstorm frequency picks up in summer months, and high winds can occur year round, so it’s best to get a jump on tree maintenance in early spring. Regularly trimming tree branches reduces their chance of breaking during a storm, which could cause power outages or property damage.

“Properly trimmed branches present a lower risk of falling onto your home, power lines or possibly injuring someone on your property,” said O’Rourke.

“Also, in areas that are prone to wildfires, trimmed trees create a buffer zone to help lower the chances of flames easily jumping onto your roof.”

Consider having the trees on your property inspected by an arborist to determine their health and have diseased trees removed before they topple over unexpectedly. Removal costs vary depending on height and difficulty, but range from $100 to around $1,800. These preventative costs are not covered by

your homeowners policy, but can be a wise investment that saves you time, money and anxiety.

3. Watch out for service lines. Homeowners who want to plant gardens, trees or install additional landscape features to enhance their outdoor living space should be aware of potential underground utility lines. Most service lines - a network of exterior, underground utility lines or pipes that supply a home with electricity, gas, water and sewer functions - are only buried a few inches beneath the ground. Accidentally hitting one when digging can result in loss of service, expensive repairs or a serious injury.

If a break to a service line happens on a homeowner’s property, special machinery may be needed to excavate pipes from beneath the ground, which may require digging under your home, garden or driveway. The homeowner is responsible for repair or replacement costs, and this damage can be inconvenient, expensive and isn’t covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy.

“The average cost to repair a break to a service line is about $5,000 and most Americans wouldn’t welcome such a large surprise bill,” said O’Rourke.

“Homeowners should definitely consider purchasing an endorsement to their insurance policy to protect against losses of this nature. Mercury offers this coverage as an addition to our home insurance policy and it costs as little as $8 a year, depending on the home’s age.”

To be safe, homeowners should call 811 before digging so the utility companies can send a locator to mark the approximate locations of underground service lines.

4. Service your air conditioning unit. Regular maintenance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems is essential to ensure the equipment is in proper working order, which can save money on energy bills, as well as protect against expensive repair and replacement costs.

“No one wants to unexpectedly find themselves living in a sauna during the dog days of summer, so the start of spring is a great time to have your air conditioner inspected,” said O’Rourke. “You should also change your air filter to make sure it’s operating at its highest efficiency, so when that heat wave hits you’ll be nice and cool inside your home.”

Have a professional inspect your HVAC unit to make sure its exterior condenser coil and compressor are clean and free from blockages - the average cost for an inspection is about $300.

Your home will bring you security and joy for many years to come. Taking the time to maintain it is well worth the investment.— GetRuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020 19

Teen With Rare Illness Gets Wish to Create Comic Book Teenagers love to read comic books, and many even have the desire to write stories, draw comics and create their own books someday. Nineteenyear-old Bo is one of those teens. He loves everything about comic books and drawing - but juvenile Huntington’s disease (jHD) has made it increasingly difficult for him to express his creativity the way he wants. There was a point he didn’t think he would ever see his comic book ideas become reality.

To help Bo create a comic book of his own, Make-A-Wish Oregon and sponsor Genentech partnered with Portland-based Dark Horse Comics, the third-largest comics publisher in the U.S. After working together with Bo on his ideas through many drafts and extensive creative collaboration, the team of artists and writers from Dark Horse Comics helped bring to life Bo’s creation, “The Adventures of Backpack Boy,” and grant his one true wish.

The celebration of Bo’s creative venture was also a team effort, bringing together Bo’s family and friends, Make-A-Wish volunteers, the creative team from Dark Horse Comics and a group of Genentech employees who all helped plan the special event.

Bo and his family were picked up in a limo to be taken to his book-signing event, where Dark Horse Comics presented Bo with special copies of the original art cells used in creating his comic book.

The party featured a spread of Bo’s favorite foods - including pizza, cheese puffs, cheese crackers, Skittles and M&M’s - for 75 guests. Every attendee received a signed copy of Bo’s comic book, and they could also write Bo messages of good will around a special framed copy of his comic book’s cover art. Bo was able to sit and chat with guests at the event, who came to admire his work and support his family. He 20 RuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020

even had his picture taken with many of them.

“Bodean has a difficult time communicating and showing emotion,” said Bo’s mother, Cara Jacobsen.

“It was very sweet to see him make a big effort to tell people about his comic book, and his face lights up.

There are so many people very excited for Bo, who love asking him about the progress of his comic. The process is such a positive aspect of his life right now and helps him connect to people who care about him and reach out to him.”

Unfortunately, Bo’s father passed away from Huntington’s disease a couple of years ago, and Bo has both a younger brother and older sister who are also living with the disease. Huntington’s disease is a hereditary, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that makes it increasingly difficult for a person to think, behave and move. Juvenile Huntington’s disease is a less common, early onset form of Huntington’s disease.

There is no cure today, but there are disease management strategies that can help provide some symptom relief. Biotechnology corporation Genentech is currently investigating a number of approaches to help people with rare diseases.

Support from corporate partners such as Genentech is crucial to making wishes come true for children like Bo. “Make-A-Wish could not grant wishes without the generous support of our partners. Working together to positively impact wish kids and their families through the science of good has created a strong win-win partnership,” said Laila Cook, CEO of Make-A-Wish Oregon.

Learn more about how you can help grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses at wish. org.—

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Save Smarter: Tips to Get Your 20/20 Financial Vision in 2020 When you made your resolutions at the start of the year, was saving money one of them? How’s that going?

According to the third annual “State of Savings in America” survey by PurePoint Financial, a digital bank and division of MUFG Union Bank, half of Americans believe creating a savings plan is an important goal - but nearly a third think it’s more likely they’ll achieve their “dream body” in 2020 than reach an annual savings goal. And 51 percent think they’re more likely to travel to an exciting new place than achieve their savings goal this year.

While 84 percent of Americans said they were saving for something, only two in five felt confident about their money-saving habits - regardless of their age.

What are the most effective strategies when it comes to saving money? Here are some tips: Establish a goal. Saving money is always easier with a concrete goal in mind. From there, you can devise a plan to reach that goal. You may want to create a vision board or other visual tool to help keep you inspired and motivated to stick to your plan.

Savings goals could include: * Creating an emergency fund - aim for three to six months’ worth of expenses * Paying down a debt * Saving for an important purchase or investment, such as a household appliance or down payment on a car or house * A special vacation. Set it and forget it. If you’re going to save your hard-earned money, you’ll want an account that works hard for you, too. Begin saving immediately by setting up monthly automatic transfers into a savings account that offers a competitive rate.

For example, if you begin setting aside just $20 each week, you’ll have $1,040 (plus interest) saved within one year. Automatic savings deposits help create positive habits for your future success - and if it’s automatic, you won’t have to think about it.

Talk it out. According to the new survey, over 20 percent of Americans would rather talk to their best friends about an embarrassing health issue than the 22 RuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020

status of their savings account. Nearly three in 10 who considered themselves bad at saving reported they hide the fact that they have little to no savings from friends because they feel ashamed.

While it can be hard to talk about your finances, chances are your friends and/or family may be in a similar situation. By opening up a dialogue about financial goals and challenges with others, you may learn new tips and tricks to spend less and save more - which will help you stick to your plan. Having a buddy to keep you on track can also be very motivating.

Compare rates and shop around. Make sure that you’re comparing available savings rates and getting the best possible rate for you. If you’re not getting at least 1 percent on your account, you’re leaving money on the table - so it’s time to start shopping around.

Save what you can. Just getting in the regular habit of saving is key to improving your financial confidence. Try to save at least 10 percent of your income if you can. However, any amount is a good place to start. What’s important is that you build the habit of saving now.

Eliminate money drains. Just as older generations used to pay for magazine and newspaper subscriptions they never read, paying for today’s streaming services and other online subscriptions you don’t use can drain money you could be putting into savings instead.

According to the survey, one in three Americans do not regularly review their subscription services to keep track of how much they’re spending - and it’s very easy to lose track. Take a good look at your monthly bills, reviewing automatic payments to find subscriptions you may not be using. Once you’ve cancelled any subscriptions you’re not enjoying, total up what you were paying and set up monthly automatic withdrawals for that amount into your savings account instead.

Celebrate America Saves Week by coming up with your own financial goal. To start saving today, begin by looking for the best rate for your account. Visit PurePoint.com to learn more about your options.—

Landing Your Next Job, continued from page 10 say 1,000 words, but a strong LinkedIn profile can say a million. Refresh your profile photo, relevant skills, experience and summary section so that you show up in hiring managers’ searches. It’s a good idea to put in this work ahead of time because once you capture a recruiter’s interest, you want your profile to showcase why you’re the best for the job. Tip: Check out LinkedIn’s new “Featured” section, which allows you to showcase samples of your work on your profile.

Brush up on your skills - and let the world know: Showcasing your skills can make all the difference when it comes to being considered for a job. Everything you’ve learned from your past experience, education, courses and more make up who you are and how you shine as a professional - including hard skills, soft skills and transferable skills that round out everything you bring to the table. Tip: LinkedIn Learning offers 15,000 courses to help you brush up on or learn new skills, and taking a Skill Assessment validates your skills and displays them on your profile (according to LinkedIn, people who complete Skill Assessments are up to 30% more likely to get hired).

Use your secret weapon (people you know): You never know where reaching out to a connection on LinkedIn might lead. Getting introduced to someone through people you know and are connected to on LinkedIn can increase your chances of getting hired by 9x. And the best part is, you have this invaluable

tool right at your fingertips! Tip: Start with your family and friends first (you never know who they’re connected to online) and consider joining LinkedIn Groups, where professionals in the same industry or with similar interests can share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance and build valuable connections.

Put in the practice: According to LinkedIn, 54% of job seekers say the interview phase is “moderately to extremely challenging” due to two reasons: uncertainty and lack of confidence. The trick? It’s all about preparation. Get ahead of the interview jitters by putting in the time, research and practice sessions to be sure you’re on your A-game when you walk through the door. Tip: Sign up for LinkedIn’s Premium Career Subscription and get the most out of it by using Interview Prep tools which offer videos and tips from experts and hiring managers to answer the most common interview questions. And, if you’re interviewing for a sales or finance-related job, LinkedIn has interview preparation tools that you can use for the nearly 2 million jobs in sales and finance on LinkedIn*.

LinkedIn has millions of jobs and the right one for you. And remember all the tools you have right at your fingertips to land the opportunity of your dreams! *Methodology: research was conducted using LinkedIn Talent Insights that found 1.8 million open jobs on LinkedIn in sales and finance functions as of January 2020.—

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RuralLeaderMag.com | March 2020