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volume 2 issue 8
advice
contents
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
CLICHÉ
I
’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, “All that glitters isn’t gold.” The saying is truer than you think. Not just that, but I would argue that all gold doesn’t glimmer. For this reason, we titled this issue “Dollar and a Dream” and gave it the theme of gold because sometimes all we have is a dollar and a dream and that dream, many times, is priceless, it’s golden; and often times we get lost in the glitter of “gold” and forget about our dreams. It was dreams that constructed this country. It was dreams that gave us opportunities. It was dreams that breathed life into the dead and shined light into the darkness, and it was dreams that made gold glitter. So remember that dreams make gold, gold doesn’t always make dreams. Get up and make your dreams a reality and don’t let anyone or anything throw you off your path. Make It Happen,
STAFF
Business Analyst and Event Planning: Perez AnsahMensah, Justin JonesFrazier, Niyankor Ajuaj
Marketing and Advertising: Keenan Bender, Kaiti Taylor
Writers: Danielle McConnell,
Susanne “Zuzu” Wheeler, L.A. Harden, Moonier Said, Raquel Robertson, Valerie Rammes, Niyankor Ajuaj
Editing: Zuzu Wheeler Photography: Perez Ansah-
Mensah, Danielle McConnell, Jasmine Whitaker, Marray Napue, Garrett Hayes
Wanna help with writing, graphics, photos or events? Have art, poetry, or music you want featured? Feel free to e-mail us.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
Garrett Hayes Editor-In-Chief
Submissions/Contact Us:
The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. -Sarah Ban Breathnach
determinednation2311@gmail.com
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More Info:
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opinion
STRANGELY SENSIBLE YET PHILOSOPHICAL REVELATIONS of a BRILLIANTLY SIMPLE MULTIRACIAL MAN vol 2. iss. 8
It would be like if Ghandi had a baby with a creeper mustache, and at the same time, Plato and Socrates had a baby; and then those babies had a baby. -The guy that drums on trash cans downtown
S
ome things in this world are not always as they seem. Common knowledge misleads us to believe many “commonly logical” things are in fact logi-
cal; however, sometimes brilliant epiphany can strike out of nowhere like a perverted streaker in your living room, and prove the contrary.
REVELATION #38: PATIENCE I came to the brilliant conclusion that something and are attempting to divert patience is not, in fact, a virtue. If you are anything like anyone, someone at some point in time has told you that patience is a virtue. This is false; patience is not a virtue at all. Patience is actually the act of enabling and accepting the incompetence of others. Allow me to explain. You see, the only people who say that patience is a virtue are people who are taking or often take forever to do
the blame of their sluggishness on you for not putting up with it. They act as if their incompetence is somehow a result of your lack of patience when, in reality, your lack of patience is a side-effect of constantly putting up with incompetent people and their inability to take responsibility for being an apathetic, incompetent asshole.
REVELATION #42: WHO’S WORLD IS THIS? A moment after realizing this every heterosexual male and are essential
quite simple, yet brilliant, revelation, I was again slapped in the face like a lazy babydaddy with a child support subpoena with yet another epiphany. It became abundantly clear to me that--contrary to common ignorant belief--this is in fact not a man›s world. This world is actually that of a woman’s. Please hold your protests and open your brains while I elaborate. You see, society believes that women do get paid less on average than their male counterparts for doing the same work, that men are the dominant sex and the women are subordinated; however, in their gloating ignorance, men have failed to realize that women may on average make less money but they possess all of the booty. By booty I of course mean the female reproductive organs that are so longed and lusted for by
to the procreation of our species. But the women would have no real use for said booty unless they used it as mind control over the far smaller brains of their egotistical male counter parts. You see, men cannot obtain the booty without spending money whether it’s for a drink at the bar, a nice candlelit dinner, or an overpriced piece of metal and stone society calls jewelry. Although men like to think they make more money, women hold the true power of the booty and control the redistribution of the wealth. If you›re still skeptical, try and think of a female millionaire who married a fairly attractive but otherwise useless, significantly younger man... besides Britney Spears. It›s OK, I›ll wait. Now switch the gender and see how many you can come up with. Sometimes, the simplest things in life seem much more complicated when you look at how simple they really are. Until next month, my misinformed readers.
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inspire by Valerie Rammes
RAP-POET
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RALPH LAZO Ralph Lazo is a very talented politically active rap-poet out of Denver, Colorado. He also gives lectures and most of his poetry and lectures have a common goal and purpose; to reach out to people, to make an impact, to represent a productive human being in a clouded society. Ralph has a unique love for people, and his words are used to build community using art as a tool, he states, “arming folks with knowledge surrounding social, political, and economic issues in our communities, and accessing/developing one’s own creative agency.” He speaks out against current racism issues or “scars” that were composed by past racism actions, and promotes peace, self-searching, cultural
awareness, and more. His life goal seems to be an ongoing one, always striving to be a better person himself and to make a difference in a challenged society that we all live in. Through his words he encourages us to grasp and spread the very art of our minds, activating an ongoing, knowledge seeking, creative side in all who are touched by humanity, through his politically poetic influence. He describes himself as a “visionary” and states, “I spend most of my means working towards ends that aren’t promised, that aren’t probable, that many
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inspire would even name impossible.” He started poetry in college and decided a couple years later to use music as his medium to display his art of poetry, deciding that these days more people are listening to music. Ralph mentions, “I chose ‘rap’ as a method of delivery because I am more drawn to it than most genres, and it allows me to communicate the most in a limited amount of time/space.” His goals are to be able to work more in radical art production and community organizing. He states that his future goals are “to improve the values of my offerings indefinitely."
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Reading or listening to his words leaves his audience with a message, and hopefully an internal eternal motivation. Advice: "Is to work hard at committing all of your energy and resources to your vision despite all those who will surely doubt and discourage you. I would encourage you to fill your life and music with knowledge and love despite an industry that will surely pressure you to de-intellectualize your word and de-humanize yourself along with your sisters and brothers of the earth in the pursuit of profit.
“I’ve found out that western expansion wasn’t a mix, a cultural fusion. I was born a parasite attached at the lips of a cultural contusion,” - from the poem Debt by Ralph Lazo
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inspire
“I am always looking for the next ceiling to break through. Sky is the limit with me. Always has been, always will be. I apply this to God, family, business, and friendship.” -Shawn “DJ Sabotage” Turner
DETERMINED M A N SHAWN
Interview by Valerie Rammes
TURNER
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Shawn Turner, aka DJ Sabotage, is one of Colorado’s greatest entertainers when it comes to the music industry. He is Fort Collins’ well known and finest, being a hard working, active, experienced, successful, and most of all talented DJ. Always working, Sab does everything from booking DJ’s for 100 Octane and Drunken Monkey in Old Town Fort Collins, as well as marketing and promotion and graphic design.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OCCUPATION?
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I have worked for myself for the past 15 years. That would put my current occupation as a multiple business owner. Outside my affiliation with Kong, I own Sabolife Media Group, which is the company that manages DJ SABOTAGE partnered with Violator Management. I am also an official DJ for the NFL Game Day Experience, so I tour with the NFL every year. I also had the privilege of being endorsed by NIKE this past year as the official DJ for the Olympic Track and Field Trials hosting and DJing the entire US Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field. I am also a mixer on 96.1 The Beat in Colorado Springs, as well as 99.5 WUSR in Scranton, PA. Last, but certainly not least, I’m a dad!
Now he has become a great part in creating and establishing a new hot spot here in Fort Collins. An exceptional lounge/club/bar, Kong has already had an awesome grand opening on April 13, 2013. With its “feel good, have fun” atmosphere, we look forward to Kong bringing a fresh feel to Fort Collins night life, and behind its success will be our very own DJ Sabotage.
DID YOU ATTEND COLLEGE?
I attended Colorado State University. I was studying biological sciences with the hopes of going to medical school. When I had my daughter I swung into Daddy mode, so I focused on building and advancing my DJ career since that was my most viable source of income at the time. I do plan on going back to finish up.
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inspire
WHAT MAKES KONG DIFFERENT?
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOU
Determined. I’ve been that way since I was thrown from the womb. I feel like I was born, hit the ground running, and never looked back.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
I enjoy what I think is a God-given ability to entertain people with music.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE NEW HOT SPOT, KONG?
It is a full service restaurant/sports bar by day and an ultra lounge/night club concept by night. It’s more like a bar you would find in some of the bigger cities. We went away from the dive bar concept that many of the bars in Fort Collins are known and appreciated for. We wanted to go with a contemporary look.
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I think a lot of bars tend to get caught up in catering to specific clienteles. Kong is a place built for everyone. Everyone that likes to get dressed up to go out to dance, party, and socialize in a drama-free, fun, spontaneous kind of environment. It’s different in the fact that myself and my GM, Mike Boyle, are both from the East Coast. We definitely give it more of an East Coast feel and vibe.
FUTURE PLANS?
Just continue to compete and conquer. My biggest plan for the future is to learn how to take time and actually enjoy life. Doesn’t make sense to work to become successful and not actually have time to enjoy and share your success.
ADVICE FOR ENTREPRENEURS?
Branding is key! Once you figure that out, go legitimate. Get a lawyer and pay your taxes!
DJ Sabotage is definitely someone to keep an eye out for. His determination no doubt has shown with his many different experiences and accomplishments. With the future endeavors we can see that his motivation is unlimited and his expertise about the business solid. Find Shawn DJ Sabotage Turner at Kong Bar Tuesday through Saturday nights and Drunken Monkey Friday nights. Jump on board with events at www.facebook.com/thekongbar, and tune into 96.1 The Beat Colorado Springs and 99.5 WUSR Scranton, PA on the weekends online. www.facebook.com/DJSABOTAGE. www.twitter.com/DJSABOTAGE Instragram DJSABOTAGE www.djsabotage.podomatic.com for free mix downloads
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F
history
FAIL!
ailure is often associated with negative connotations, and why wouldn’t it be when it’s defined as being unsuccessful, insufficient, or inadequate. Our society has place such an emphasis on being winners and being successful (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), that as a society we often look down in disgrace and disappointment on the people who fail. Students at any academic level who fall below the average or even passing grade, athletes who miss the game winning goal, entrepreneurs who have had businesses drown in a sea financial, economic, or creative hardship, and even the girl on Youtube who slips and falls as we label it an “Epic Fail” and it brings laughter to our otherwise lackluster day; they all have something in common, failure. They all have probably been subject to ridicule and humiliation at the hands of others, and not just others, but more than likely the people closest to them, because what better thoughts to have than having the feeling that your spouse, your parents, your teammates or your best friends think that you are inadequate as a man or woman and you are incapable of being sufficient.
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EPIC
Now while I am not advocating that society begins to turn a blind eye to failure or not hold ourselves to the same standards of success that we currently do; however, I do advocate that, as a society, we view failure in the same breath as we view success. I am advocating that we rejoice in failure and the failures that we endure and that we don’t stand in humiliation when we fail but rather stand with pride with a new understanding of success. With every failure, we get closer to succeeding because we now know what not to do and what we need to do to get better and while standing humiliated and ridiculed because of failure only makes us want to throw in the towel, when we rejoice at our failures, we remain optimistic that success is now closer to use than ever, not only that, but we just gained wisdom that only comes through experience. So as I get off my soap box and close this message, I just want everyone to remember to fail with pride . . . with intent to get back up, with intent to try again, with intent to succeed. Take a look at some of the greatest failures in history on the next page.
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F
history
the G R E AT E S T
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FAILURES in
HISTORY One of these men missed over 9,000 shots in his career, lost almost 300 games and failed to make the winning shot at least 26 times, not to mention being cut from his high school basketball team; while the other man held the record (1,330) for decades for being struck out in baseball.
After enduring an abusive childhood and a myriad of setbacks in her career, she was ultimately fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for T.V.” As someone who endured many obstacles, this person also endured failure over 10,000 times . . . on one venture. In 1899 his first company failed because the product was considered to be of low quality and too pricey for average consumers. His second company, founded only a few years later was abandoned because of disagreements with his business partners and his third company failed because of low sales numbers. Ultimately he was left broke five times. After one audition, a casting director told this up-incoming actor “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” Failing 10,000 times seems colossal in comparison to failing only 1,000 times, but at the tender yet seasoned age of 66 different restaurants turned down this person’s business idea over 1,000 times. After major financial issues in the 20s 30s, this person lost the rights to the popular creation that he had a hand in. By the 1930s his company was $4 million in debt. www.determinednationmagazine.com
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history
Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player to ever grace the hardwood as he holds numerous records in the NBA, and during his career, Babe Ruth held the home run record at 714. “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."-Michael Jordan "Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."-Babe Ruth
After enduring an abusive childhood and a myriad of setbacks in her career, she was ultimately fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for T.V.” Oprah Winfrey went on to be one of, if not the, most successful talk show host in the history of television, not to mention that she became one of the most iconic and richest women in the world. “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”-Oprah Winfrey “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”-Oprah Winfrey “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”-Oprah Winfrey
On the 10,000th time, Thomas Edison succeed, in inventing the light bulb, and his company, General Electric, is arguably one of the most powerful companies in the world. “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison
In 1908 the Model T was released by Henry Ford and was considered a great quality for a reasonable price. This led the way to Ford Motor Co. being one of the most popular brands (car or otherwise) in America, and arguably the world. "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't -- you're right."Henry Ford
Sidney Poitier went on to win an Oscar and become one of the most respected actors in the business as he also set new standards and paved a new way for Blacks in film. “To simply wake up every morning a better person than when I went to bed.”-Sidney Poitier
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history
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Harland David Sanders, also known as Colonel Sanders went broke before hitting the road and selling franchises to lead to 190 franchisees and 400 Kentucky Fried Chicken locations within five years. “I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labour, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me. And I have done that ever since, and I win by it. I know.” – Colonel Harland Sanders
After rights to the popular character he had a hand in creating, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit had been taken away from him, and debt consuming his company, Walt Disney, with little cash to fund the project, released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which gave his company new life and got them out of bankruptcy. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”-Walt Disney “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”-Walt Disney “If you can dream it, you can do it.”-Walt Disney http://www.onlinecollege.org, http://www.strategicbusinessteam.com, http://grasshopper.com, http://www.entrepreneur.com
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educate
Perez Ansah-Mensah
P’s ENTREPRENEUR TOOL BOX
They say money is what makes the world go around – I believe entrepreneurships are the big wheel that turns it. Business is incomparably the biggest facet of our world’s society. Without business/innovation we would still be living in the “Flintstone/caveman” years. True entrepreneurship is what starts businesses and keeps it going from generation to generation. Companies who lose their entrepreneurship or innovation touch either go out of business or they buy other companies out who exhibit such characteristics to avoid being obsolete. My name is Perez Ansah-Mensah and I am the Financial Analyst for Determined Nation Magazine (DN), and I want to share with you all the five components that make a successful entrepreneur.
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5. The Entrepreneur Lenses We’ve all heard the saying, “Necessity is the mother of innovation,” and I side with that expression. Entrepreneurs look through a special lens to identify the necessity and innovative solutions for it. Where regular people see a problem, the majority of entrepreneurs see an opportunity. If you are an individual who is always looking for a way to solve a problem instead of finding ways why it won’t work, you’re an entrepreneur.
4.
Passion, Passion, Passion {Drink your own Kool-Aid}
Passion is a key component that will pull you through the hard times whenever you go through one. You should always keep in mind that all businesses go through a cycle known as the business cycle the two main phases in the cycle are recession and expansion (recession hurts small business). When there is a recession small business owners tend to struggle (this is where having an entrepreneur lense comes handy). Furthermore, the passion is what keeps you going. Bigger, established businesses survive the recessions rather than smaller ones; however, drinking your Kool -Aid, or “passion,” will get you through. www.facebook.com/determinednationmagazine
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3.
Finance (The three “F’S” educate Family, Friends and Fools)
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Some entrepreneurs were not rich when they started their business. They had their business plan, the passion and determination to see the business become a reality and successful. Family and friends are the best supporters for entrepreneur. They are also a great resources to raise capital. The “fool” also knows investors come in handy, as well; however, make sure you understand the terms and conditions of their investments. As your company matures, a successful entrepreneur has a definitive understanding of their company’s cash flow. Keep in mind that cash flow gives you a direct indication of what needs to be done to make your company sustainable.
2. Be Agile “Persistent Vs. Flexibility” The world is ever-changing you have to be persistent and flexible to be able to cease opportunities that will come up an entrepreneur. Mastering it is very imperative, you don’t have to sacrifice your core values and mission to be able to be agile. A prime example is Kodak, the camera company. It used to be the biggest camera company in the world (that’s why the term, “It’s a Kodak moment,” stuck over the years). They were the company to invent digital cameras back in 1975, but they failed to capitalize on it. They were not flexible enough to cease the opportunity because they were complacent. Because of this, they lost their competitive advantage when another photography company utilized their resources and made digital cameras more mainstream. As stated in beginning of this article, companies who lose their entrepreneurial mindset could go out of business or lose their competitive advantage; this is the same thing that happened to Kodak.
1. Integrity
Nowadays, due to questionable behaviors of some companies in the business world, integrity is more important than ever. A successful entrepreneur has exceptional integrity (while being transparent); this will help you build a great rapport within the community, society and the world you may do business in. It’s extremely hard to restore the public’s view of you if your business show signs of having a lack of integrity. If they see your company as not having any integrity your image is damaged! And image takes a long time to repair, others can’t be fixed.
These five tips are the things a successful entrepreneur ought to have in their toolbox. Keep in mind that the journey of entrepreneurship is ongoing – there is no specific destination. Our world is always evolving, so be willing to change with it and keep adding to your toolbox! www.determinednationmagazine.com
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innovation
BIG
The
EUREKA
E
By Keenan Bender
nergy has always been, and always will be, a vital part of our survival on this planet. It is essential to everything that makes our world go round, from turning on a light bulb to starting your car in the morning. So what if we no longer had to go to war over oil in order to keep the gas prices low? What if we no longer needed huge nuclear power plants to run a city? What if we could find an affordable source of clean energy that could be applied at any scale from small enough to power a car to large enough to power a city, or even the entire planet? The truth is that this “what if� actually became a
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reality over 20 years ago in the garage of a self-educated genius in Mississippi.
At 76 years old, Joseph Newman can still squat 800lbs, 30 times, in 30 seconds. He still reads chemistry, physics and engineering text books on his free time, and he still kept his promise to himself to seek the wisdom to save humanity or die in the process. When Newman was visiting Puerto Rico in his youth, a hurricane swept through and dev-
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astated the poverty-stricken communities, killing countless innocent and struggling people. At that time, Newman was not at all religious. The next night, he climbed to the top of a mountain and looked up at the stars and yelled out, cursing God and asking why he could allow such misfortune upon these innocent people. He then asked God to give him the wisdom to save humanity or to give him death. Since then, Joseph has been reading college textbooks in chemistry, physics, and every teaching of engineering, and he found something very peculiar in our laws of physics. From that discovery, he was able to find a way to convert mass to energy at 100 percent conversion process. If you’re not a physics major, this is impossible by conventional wisdom. Ask any physicist and they will tell you that it is impossible to create a system that produces more energy than you put into it. That’s what they’ll tell you anyway; and it’s not because they’re ignorant, it’s because that’s what we are all taught and that’s what our law of physics state. Joseph Newman created a
generator he called “Big Eureka” that can be hooked up to any motor in the world. It can be manufactured to fit into a car or even to power an entire city and he can start the 7,500 generator with a series of 60 dead nine volt batteries. That’s right, I said DEAD nine volt batteries. After running the generator for a couple minutes, the batteries will be fully charged. This makes absolutely no sense at all by conventional wisdom. This technol-
innovation
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T h e moral of the story is that his technology can change our planet for the better and can also put a couple extremely wealthy companies out of business and those companies with their vested interests don’t want this ogy that he has created in his garage technology to would completely change the world become available to the public. Newas we know it. man is raising $200,000,000—that’s two hundred million dollars just Imagine if you no longer had in case you got lost in all those zeto pay for gas to run your car, or pay roes—in order to mass produce the for energy for your house with no machine so that it can be available to pollution whatsoever. Imagine if the the public and is going to apply to the entire third world no longer had to United Nations for a global patent live in the darkness and sleep in the in the near future. You can see the cold because they could produce all machine at work for yourself at gothe energy they would ever need gyropower.com. If you’re still skepright there on the spot and wouldn’t tical, YouTube: Big Eureka. If you’re have to buy from any energy comstill skeptical, call him for yourself; pany. Well, you could imagine that he posted his number on the “Big this would make certain power, oil, Eureka: Energy Machine of Joseph and gas companies very angry and Newman” video on YouTube. If he possibly very bankrupt. Newman has doesn’t answer, leave him a message been applying for patents in the U.S. and tell him Keenan sent you. I called since the ‘80s and to this day cannot him and he answered and it’s all get his machine patented. The U.S. real. If you believe, then tell a friend patent office has told him everything about this article, tell a friend about from “your machine cannot work and the website, and tell a friend about does not work” to “your machine the videos. The only thing Newman works but there is a hidden energy asked of me when I spoke to was to source” and then to “there is no hidspread the word; he didn’t ask me den energy source but your explanafor money or help, only to spread the tion is incomplete.” word. www.determinednationmagazine.com
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advice
$MART $AVING
A
s soon-to-be graduates, already graduates, or even those still reaching toward their goal, one of the most important things to learn and grasp on to is how to save money. The majority of us have some form of income that hits our bank accounts either monthly or bi-weekly and within a week, a significant portion of that money can’t be accounted for. We spend our money on things in the moment. With the exception of bills, which of course can’t ever wait, there are some things that are just unnecessary. Whether it’s those jeans you have been wanting for the last two weeks, or that chance to get out and have a few drinks, it is money that doesn’t necessarily have to be habitually spent. I am learning the saying, “paying yourself first” doesn’t always have to mean in a material way. People have been saying that to me for years, but of course, I
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pay myself through n e w clothes or new heels. If you take the opportunity when you first get your check to put 10% of your check into your savings account rather than a retailers pocket, you begin to set yourself up for a little bit of financial comfort later. Saving 10% may mean only $20 right now, but it is a progressive step toward good financial discipline. Believe me, though, it gets no easier when you start making more money. For some of us, we like the idea of having a challenge, something that forces us to make a step forward. I personally enjoy being able to check things off that I have accomplished. So if 10% every check isn’t specific enough for you, let me introduce another concept. This is called the “52 week challenge”. I’m sure some of you have seen this on those
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advice
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104 dollars goes into the account. Do not look at this as something that needs to happen at the beginning of 2014 – you can start at any time.
popular social networks, but you should seriously take it into consideration. Look at the money you could save in 52 weeks. I know some that have decided it could work for them to double the amounts each week, instead of two dollars, four dollars goes into the account; instead of 52 dollars,
T h e last words of advice I would give in the arena of saving is for those with credImage courtesy of google.com it cards. If you are in debt, there is no point in creating a savings account that is holding money, while you pay the bare minimum on your credit card. Instead of saving that 10 percent each month, put that extra $20 toward a credit card you need to pay off. If you decide the 52 week challenge is your goal, take the money you put away every four weeks on that challenge and put it toward a credit card bill. Find a way that works best for you, but get rid of your debt before you start a brilliant savings plan. Happy saving!
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advice
6 EASY WAYS TO
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SAvE A World of Change
As a consumer happy society, we all know what it’s like to purchase a product with cash only to have the difference amount to only four cents, four cents that makes us look at the cashier and want beat them with a roll of quarters. If you’re anything like me however, you find yourself walking around with a pocket full of spare change that has accumulated over time that makes you feel like a pirate who just collected a handful of doubloons, and not just any change but mostly nickels and pennies thanks to the Lincoln loving, copper collecting cashier. But never fear, there’s a quick solution to this issue that not only makes use of all that change in your pocket, but also makes you money. . . over time. Get a jar and consistently put your spare change in it just like I’m sure your mother or grandmother did. Overtime your “doubloons” will accumulate and one day it might come in hand one day when a bill needs to be paid off or you need a last minute anniversary gift and you just spent all your money on a new Chia Pet for yourself.
Bills Bills Bills
Yes this is an old Destiny’s Child song, but no If we pay our bills maybe I’m not by any means recommending you save money we’ll end up like Bill. by coercing your boyfriend/girlfriend into paying Wishful thinking. your bills. What I am suggesting is that that you pay off your bills, a no brainer right? Yes it is, but I’m also suggesting that after you pay off your bills, to continue to pay that bill. Yes, I just told you to keep paying a bill that you already paid off. However, don’t pay it to the company; instead, send that check to your savings account. You’re used to being without that certain amount of money anyway, why not have that money give you interest and a beautiful umbrella for a rainy day.
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Entertaining Your Money
Entertainment is a humongous part of our culture and society and a night out on the town could easily cost many of us $100 on a given night. Making simple changes to the things that entertain you could make a world of difference in how much more money you’ll see at the end of the week. Those magazines you bought subscriptions for but you’ve never seen the inside of one of them, yeah, we can cut that subscription (Determined Nation Magazine is free anyway). Picking a choosing what movies to go see so that you’re not out every single weekend, and maybe you wait till a movie you really want to see comes out on video. Being creative as far as what a night on the town means can go a long way as well. Small changes can lead to bigger bucks in your pocket at the end of the month.
Pass the Fast Food
It’s lunch time and you’ve been working hard thus far and definitely need some fuel to get you through the day. The dollar menu sounds like the greatest thing since sliced bread, save money, get your grub on, right? Wrong. You have no idea how much of a difference you make to your money, your body and the environment just by cutting out, or cutting down on buying fast food. If you were to spend $6 every work day on fast food for lunch you’ve just racked up over $100 in a month and probably 100 times that in calories. Don’t even get me started on the environmental effects; because I don’t really have anything on that, I just felt this would boost pathos for anyone who had a love for the environment. But overall, by cutting out fast food, you have more money to take your romantic interest to the good places now and you starting to look fit for them too!
Utilitarian Utilities
Vocab lesson, not to make anyone feel demeaned, but just as a clarification for the use of my alliteration; utilitarian refers having regards for usefulness over beauty. With that being said there are many expenses, especially house utilities that could be cut from your budget that would save you bundles. For instance, you could probably do without cable or satellite, especially in this day and age where television is streamed on the internet anyway. You cell phone plan might not be being used to its full potential, if you know you don’t use a lot of data, text and/or minutes, reduce your plan, there’s no sense in paying for that amount. Another expense is medicine. The FDA has to approve ALL drugs that are sold, which means the generic brands are just as effective as the name brands. Name brands cost more typically because of marketing.
Make the Money Work for You
My typical rule of thumb, when making many purchases, is how this product will return my investment. When you purchase something, that is exactly what you are doing, making an investment and correct me if I’m wrong, but usually people who invest want to see something in return. Don’t just buy things frivolously, purchase when the end in mind or the mindset of “What will I get from this.” Don’t get me wrong, treat yourself every now and then, but it may be just my opinion when I say nobody in the world does enough to treat themselves every week, save that cash and later on you’ll be happy that you didn’t buy those shoes when your car suddenly breaks down. www.facebook.com/determinednationmagazine
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motivate
vol 2. iss. 8
CITY SPOTLIGHT: FORT “FORBE” COLLINS by Valerie Rammes “ For Everything you have missed you have gained something else. ” — Ralph Waldo Emerson In the small college town of Fort Collins, CO it is interesting to find out the big things that we support and what puts us 3rd after Provo, Utah and Raleigh, North Carolina for “Best Places for Business and Careers” according to Forbes.com. With a population of 306,200 and an Education Rank of 6 we definitely have a few things to be proud of. From the availability of Colorado State University’s research facilities creating an ideal place for fueling high-tech companies, to the microbreweries, to the Downtown Business Association hosting events and festivities that support all the locals including music and small businesses, Fort Collins earns its right to place in the top 3. A simple walk through old town you have an outstanding view of stable support of our local entrepreneurs. Statistics from Forbes.com “At a Glance” At a Glance Metro Population: 306,200 Major Industries: Clean energy, Bio-science Gross Metro Product: $13.9 B Median Household Income: $55,398 Median Home Price: $151,000 Unemployment: 6.3% Job Growth (2011): % Cost of Living: 5.9% below nat'l avg College Attainment: 45.8% Net Migration (2011): 3,660
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vol 2. iss. 8
business
AN
ENTREPRENEUR’S JOURNEY
I
by Annie Sorensen
remember the day it happened. I had arrived at 7:00am, worked like crazy all day, been forced to skip lunch, and as the clock approached 6:30pm I realized that I wasn’t anywhere close to being able to call it quits for the day. I made up my mind then and there, sitting in that cloth-lined cubicle, that this was not the direction I wanted my life to go. I had a great job (or so everyone told me), but I hated it. I wanted out. I needed out. I had always known in my heart that someday, somehow, I would work for myself. After all, if I was working for someone else’s dream, who was working for my own? I had caught the “working for myself ” bug in college. A friend had handed me a personal development book about business and money, and the power of residual income. The book shocked and fascinated me. As a Type-A, 4.0 student, I had always assumed I would follow the traditional path of getting good grades, graduating college, and landing a good job. It floored me that there might be other options out there. I became addicted to the idea of defining my own life, instead of having someone else define it for me. From then on I was a personal development junkie. I read books on topics ranging from health and finance
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to global business and marketing. I listened to audios in my car and motivational videos on YouTube. Regardless, I still graduated college and followed the traditional path of getting a job. A “good” one, even. But I kept my self-education going on the side. I knew I would figure out how to accomplish my dream someday, and I figured the more prepared I was when that opportunity came along, the better. At 26 years-old, almost 7 years after I was handed that first personal development book, I was introduced to the opportunity I was waiting for. It was a nutrition company that paid individuals to refer and market their product instead of going through traditional advertising channels. I caught the vision of where the company was going and jumped into the business with gusto. Excitingly, but shockingly, my busi-
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business
ness exploded. Before I knew it I had a “side” income that matched my fulltime salary and was expected to lead a team of several thousand people. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. And it showed. I offended people by contacting them too often. I offended people by not reaching out to them enough. I was expected to speak in front of huge crowds, and had no experience doing so. I would get up on stage and drop the microphone, stutter my words, and forget everything I was supposed to say. I was a mess. I finally had the business I had always dreamed of, but the reality of it was nothing like what I expected, and I began to worry. What if I lose all of this? Do I even deserve it? What if everyone thinks I’m a terrible leader? How am I supposed to learn how to motivate people?
vol 2. iss. 8
ing in a 6-figure income. By the time I was 28, I had left my corporate cubicle for good and was finally living the dream of self-employment and time freedom I had worked towards for so long. But I still struggled inside my own head with my business. I felt scared at times at the leadership expectations thrust upon me and worried that someday everyone would find out that I didn’t deserve any of it. Not surprisingly, I finally found my answer in a book. It was a memoirslash-business-advice book from a high-level, female Silicon Valley executive. Her message: Own what you have, and be confident about it. Be okay with learning as you go. It was just the reminder I needed. I stopped worrying, started accepting that I didn’t have to know it all in order to try, stepped up to the leadership plate, and stopped feeling like I didn’t deserve what I had. Immediately, I started seeing changes in my business. I was more confident and comfortable in my own skin, I was more real, and my team was too. Business increased, and we were all communicating and working together better. With consistent effort over time, my business grew stronger and I grew
Surely this wasn’t all meant for me. There had to have been a mistake! My business remained successful in every outward sense – it was growing in numbers and bringwww.determinednationmagazine.com
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business
stronger. I incorporated it into the nooks and crannies of my busy life, actively focused on income-producing activities and kept it as simple as possible. And I never stopped learning. Now almost 6 years into my business, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it. Financially it has made a huge impact on my life and the lives of my family, of course. But from a personal growth perspective, I am a mere shadow of the leader I was when I started. I had “prepared” for a long time by developing myself into the person I thought I needed to be in order to own my own business. Surprise, surprise, it was the willingness to learn as I went that truly made the difference.
It was the guts to jump into the deep end, trusting that I would learn how to swim once I got into the water, that contributed most to my success. I am still a work-in-progress, as is any successful business owner, but I embrace the constant learning opportunities, and have a confidence in my strengths as well as my weaknesses that I most definitely did not possess when I first started my journey. Before my business, I was an unhappy 26 year-old corporate cubicle dweller who read a lot of books but had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. Today, I am free and flexible. I am a proud business owner. I am also a writer, volunteer, wife, and mother – four things I would never have been able to dedicate the amount of time and energy to that I am able to today if it weren’t for the lifestyle afforded to my by my business. If I was still working for someone else’s dream, I most definitely would
last words
vol 2. iss. 8
TRIUMPH FROM TRAGEDY by Valerie Rammes
W
ith recent tragedies such as the Aurora theatre shooting, the school shooting in Connecticut, the record death tolls in Chicago, and the most recent, the Boston Marathon bombing, we as America, are left a little disheartened in “our” America being the united country we pledge to. We once again were questioning our safety on our homeland. No doubt before finding out who had committed yet another inhumane act, it was inevitable that the thought of “was it one of our own?” Or, “was this a terrorists attack?” ran through our minds. President Barack Obama comes through for us in our reassurance that we will find those who committed “terror attacks” against us. When Americans attack Americans our stability goes down. Our trust, love, pride, and dedication to one another decreases, because at that moment we don’t know whom to trust. Anyone who harms or tries to put fear into someone by violent means could be committing a terror attack. Although this was a scary term to use and by definition possibly an incorrect term, in a way this type of fear of terrorism that we are burdened with as Americans inevitably creates a bond between us. We all went through an experience and whenever a tragedy like this happens we are in this together. We hear the “t” word and subconsciously we turn that into team, a team of “we the good” and anyone causing harm to “us” is just as bad as someone terrorizing us. Obama gave us a calm, firm, and strong reassurance
that we would find those who committed these violent acts and through investigations and so forth we accomplished that. We seem to prove every time that we can come together, help together, rebuild, and support one another during hard times. Obama’s encouraging and confident words with the results of finding the villains, recharged our hope as a team, and from all this we grow even more stalwart and unyeilding. “Storms make trees take deeper roots” - Dolly Parton