Spring Hollow Financial

Our latest episode features Markey Read, an internationally recognized speaker, coach, and consultant who is committed to helping women get what they want from their lives and businesses. She is the author of several books including Launch, Grow, and Prosper as a Solopreneur, and Leadership Styles.

Tune in to learn more about: How knowing our personality type preferences helps us specialize our services and attract the right clients; How we can approach marketing, sales, networking, finance, operations and even our work environments using Myers Briggs; Markey’s insight into why we need to get really clear on who we are and what we offer in order to thrive and prosper, and how this affects our pricing; Markey’s new book that you won’t want to miss as a solopreneur; The unique opportunities and challenges of building a business in Vermont and so much more….
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What do the Scandinavian concept of hygge and creating your unique money practice have in common?

Come learn at my session this Wednesday at the Women Business Owners Conference in Burlington!

It's an entire day devoted to business finance, marketing, planning and networking along with .scottmarketing and more!

Don't miss Episode 7 with Isora Lithgow Creations; Isora clarifies when (and why) brand photography plays an essential role in your business and she delivers her message the same way she delivers her services: with authenticity, positivity and a clear vision for your success.

Isora Lithgow is a BIPOC, Q***r, woman-owned wedding and branding photographer passionate about capturing the essence of joy, fun, and vibrancy in every moment. Her mission is to create timeless and authentic photos that capture the unique beauty of her clients and their stories. Isora aims to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere where her clients feel confident and safe in front of the camera, resulting in photographs that tell stories.

Tune in to learn more about:
✔️ Why professional photography is essential to your business
✔️ How her proven strategy, combined with her talent for making clients feel seen, creates a successful photo shoot
✔️ Her collaborative method for focusing on the story behind the photo
✔️ How everything gets easier when you know why you do what you do, who you do it for, where your is business going, and what you need to do to get there
✔️ The inner work required to build confidence
✔️ How business ownership has been a journey of transformation and stepping into her potential and her hope is to do that for her clients
✔️ When to use iPhone photos and when to hire and when to mix
✔️ And much more...

✔️ Do the thing you are uniquely suited to do
✔️ Operate in this zone for more success
✔️ Do the thing you love most
✔️ Get out of bed quicker
✔️ It's your practiced AND innate strengths
✔️ You'd spend all day doing it even if you weren't getting paid
✔️ You may be in the zone if you don't want to delegate, delay or ditch this activity
✔️ Do it differently than your competitors
✔️ Also, it's usually where the money is

Have you read The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks? I read it years ago and it was a game changer for me. While the concept of spending time doing the thing at which you are best may seem somewhat intuitive, it was the "upper limit" concept that brought so much new awareness.

Leave a comment if you read the book.

And let me know what books have introduced new concepts that have stuck with you!

Episode 6 features Emily McDonnell from the Vermont Attorney General's Office. Emily describes her role as the Small Business Advocate for the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) as the bridge between the VT Attorney General’s Office and the Vermont business owner community. She assists with mediating complaints, scam reporting, navigating state government and any other consumer-related issues. She explains how business owners can educate themselves as the number one method of prevention. Emily also reviews protocols for dual authentication that you can put in place to avoid losing money to scam activity. She acknowledges that small businesses are what run Vermont and its economy and wants each of our listeners to know she is here for you. Check the link in bio.

My grandma and grandpa moved to Marlboro when my dad was a kid and ran a summer lodge. I loved being around the guests and "helping out" (pretty sure playing cards with the regulars counts) My dad relocated back to his childhood property after he married my mom and they started Spring Hollow Corp, under which they ran an excavating business with a different name. I followed the tradition of returning here after I married Wayne and building on a section of the land. I chose to adopt the place name Spring Hollow because I like the lush hillside it evokes (like the view from my living room, swipe to view). My oldest, now 9, has an entrepreneurial spirit combined with a passion for animals; she earns money from pet-sitting and selling our eggs to neighbors.

Episode 5 of This VERMONTrepreneurial Life features Brittany Winfield, CEO of The Winfield Creative and a social media mentor for women-owned businesses.
🌻Tune in as Brittany shares actionable TIPS to uplevel your Instagram account as well as knowledgeable ADVICE to make steady progress with social media marketing no matter where you start.
🌺On top of that, this unique Instagram tutorial becomes interactive when you follow along with your IG app open; Brittany takes us backstage her own account to teach us how to optimize the many components of an Instagram strategy.
🌷Gain from Brittany’s expertise about:
• Why Instagram is the platform for the small business community in VT
• How and when to choose a handle
• Guidance for your word selection
• A cool update to the “link in bio” feature
• Why Brittany uses 5 highlights
• Planning a beautiful feed to share your identity while calling your audience to action
• A simple photo hack
• What to know about captions and hash tags 
• Why you should pick just ONE of the above strategies to implement at a time
• A reminder that social media is about the people you are trying to connect with and other words of wisdom
Check out the link in bio to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcast.
 

I get asked about strategies for budgeting, tips for effective money tracking or the best tools and apps to manage cash flow. While budgeting can help you focus or make decisions, are you directly motivated by the data?

My answer is no, and here’s why I think that.

1. Spending decisions aren’t as black and white as a spreadsheet. One person might think streaming NFL games is essential in order to function in society. Another person might consider organic produce a cost-saving preventative health measure. Yet another could insist that air-conditioning is necessary for survival in the sweltering humidity of Vermont (each of the above describes someone in my household).

For reasons 2 and 3, check out the latest blog post (link in bio).

Be sure to tune into Episode 4 to hear Kaela from KPC Bookkeeping talk about the 2 financial reports to focus on to measure your business finances, as well as so much more!

It's ok to simplify. It's ok to ask for help. You are not alone.

Tune into Episode 4 with guest Kaela Coble, owner of KPC Bookkeeping. Kaela runs a virtual bookkeeping, advising and coaching business to help women-identified solopreneurs and micro-business owners to charge what they're worth as they build business that are profitable, joyful and emotionally sustainable. You will get SO MUCH out of listening to Kaela's thoughts, including:

✔️ If you don’t have a bookkeeper, tune in to learn how to decide when it’s right for you to outsource to a bookkeeper, whether you use Kaela’s simple formula or go with your gut
✔️ If you have a bookkeeper, perhaps you wonder, now what? Hear Kaela’s tips on evaluating your current relationship to take it to the next level or make the rare decision to say goodbye
✔️ Whether you have a bookkeeper or not, Kaela emphasizes 2 reports to pay attention to in order to measure your basic business finances
✔️ We talk about the widely relatable imposter syndrome and how overcoming it directly affects your bottom line
✔️ Kaela shares one key indicator that you’re not charging enough and a shocking fact about the wage gap
✔️ The importance of paying attention to your money mindset, finding a business bestie and a taking a fresh approach to networking
✔️ Amazing tips on bookkeeping including Kaela’s simplified “Profit First” method

Another great reason to be in business! Create your own company culture and, if you're like me, get more movement in your day. Who do you take to work?

You get to decide. Does that excite or overwhelm you? Lemme know in the comments!

Your formula for success:

Advice + Accountability + Attitude = Results

Maybe she's born with it... maybe it's maple leaves.

We are big believers of the iceberg analogy over here (just using a more Vermonty graphic) that most of our money stuff lies beneath the surface.

You don't need more learning or practicing. You have tons of talent that you can apply to your financial life. You just need to believe it. And surround yourself with others who believe it, too.

Keepin' the tissue box within arms length at all times.

In this context I'm not talking about the team you hire as employees, but those you engage to help you personally and in business from the outside. It's common for a financial planner to serve on this team as well as to aid you in finding other teammates.

This could include a bookkeeper, a realtor, an accountant, a web designer, an attorney, a home renovator, a life coach, a mortgage broker, a travel agent or a health practitioner.

You can expect open communication and a shared vision to help you stay informed, take action, and celebrate your achievements.

You deserve your team to be WORLD-CLASS.

If cows were feminists, they might have something to say about this term. The name comes from cows that have given birth; the farmer can sell the milk for a steady income stream with less effort and cost than other income streams.

For the purpose of THIS discussion, does your business have such an income stream? Or, do you plan to create one?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Tune in to episode 2 of This Vermontrepreneurial Life with guest Mieko Ozeki, co-founder of Vermont Womenpreneurs. She and co-founder Bethany Andrews-Nichols of .design are on a mission to build a networking group that includes virtual and in-person meet-ups, an annual Summit that is NOT to be missed, and workshops targeted at helping your business. You’ll have fun, get the word out about your business, and build skills along the way. It's networking uniquely designed for women in Vermont. Mieko is a storyteller, content creator, business owner, mom, wife, skier, and an extrovert that naturally brings people together. She serves on multiple boards to advocate for agriculture and small businesses. This conversation is full of useful resources for your business and you'll want to put the next Vermont Womenpreneurs gathering on your calendar. Photo of Mieko Ozeki credit Elisabeth Waller Photography.

Vermont Womenpreneurs Center for Whole Communities Ladiesgetpaid Vermont Bethany Andrews-Nichols Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) Mamava Mercy Connections, Inc. Vermont Small Business Development Center CO.STARTERS Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies The Vermont Women's Fund Elisabeth Waller

This belief is at the 🧡 of This Vermontrepreneurial Life podcast. Tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to hear interviews with Vermonters who not only agree, but have dedicated themselves to helping YOU!

Listen to this episode of with guest Faye Longo from the Center for Women and Enterprise. Tune in and then check out the show notes for links to aaalllllll the Vermont resources she referenced. Her enthusiasm for helping is absolutely contagious. Thank you Faye for coming on the show and telling us how you and CWE lift up the women that lift up the world. Link in About section.

If you're tagged here your organization was mentioned in this episode. Please share with your networks! .e.vtcommunityaction

I wish I could take a small, anonymous snippet from each money conversation I've ever participated in (I estimate it's over 2000 discussions in my career). If I could create a word cloud along with an audio recording, you would see and hear that you are actually not special. Sorry, but you're not! And hopefully it would give you a sense of peace, relief, and belonging. You could begin reconditioning your perspective on our human tendencies, for example how we evolved to focus on the negative but it fuels incorrect assumptions and isolated experiences.

Want to challenge my idea that you're not special? I bet I can identify at least 3 exceptional things about you and your finances in a 20-minute conversation.

Check the link in my About for scheduling.

My podcast has launched. Eek! That was literally the sound I made when I successfully connected it to Apple Podcasts and saw my show feed to the app!!!!!!

I'm excited to bring you an interview-style show that delivers resources and inspiration as well as a sense of connection in our state. I host amazing guests who have made it their mission to help YOU! These are conversations for your business success because more money in the hands of Vermonters WILL make the world a better place.

This show is for you if:
✔️ You identify (or want to) as an entrepreneur, business owner, etc.
✔️ You love Vermont
✔️ You are curious what else is out there to help support your business growth
✔️ You would be interested in value-packed, curated-for-Vermonters biz info delivered to your ear twice a month
✔️ Connecting with other ambitious that could result in support, networking, mentorship, funding, aha moments, surrounding yourself with people one step ahead, and much much more... is on your radar for 2023
✔️ You want to understand more about how your business is the most important tool you have to achieve financial success
✔️ You can access Apple Podcast or Spotify

This show is not for you if:
✔️ You want to hear Sara describe the stock market, review a spreadsheet, discuss a ROTH IRA, or any other financial cheerleading (I do that elsewhere)

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: shorturl.at/grvTV
Subscribe on Spotify: shorturl.at/ciHUV
Or click the link in my About section

Why is organization important?

· Save money by avoiding late fees or catching billing errors
· Save time when preparing to file taxes
· Clarity and less stress when it’s time to make decisions
· For couples, transparency and ease of access to information

Why now?

February is a great month to get organized. It aligns with the time of year most of us are gathering documents for our personal tax returns. While a monthly frequency is great to stay on top of filing, knowing that once per year you’ll take a closer look at your system and what needs to be modified or discarded can give you peace of mind during those months that you, as a human, may naturally get off track from routine organization.

Check out the blog and download the checklist for a system you can borrow and adapt to fit your lifestyle.

Our formula for success: Advice + Accountability + Attitude = Results

Our process gives you strategic advice as your circumstances evolve. Kids move out, business grow, life events happen.

When you value making a commitment with outside support, that’s accountability. We work together with the shared purpose of getting the results you want.

Adopting a positive attitude toward your financial situation is a skill, which means you can learn it. Your mindset is responsible for 85% of your success. If your attitude about money isn't as positive as you need it to be, borrow some of ours.

I've goat your back. Financial organization does not need to be a solitary experience. It does not need to be perfect. There is no right way to do it.
Achieving organization is for you to 1) have peace of mind and 2) just in case someone else needs to step in. February is a great month because you're already gathering documents for filing taxes. Join our email list (link in bio) for tips to set up a system that is easy to manage throughout the year.

Our thoughts create our reality.

There are times when waiting seems easier than action, like saving for the future.

There are times when action seems easier than waiting, like selling out of a declining stock market.

Unfortunately, those instincts are reversed.

Check out our blog to read about eight strategies to use during volatile markets when your instinct is to act but the advice is to do nothing.

The question for you to consider is, does it seem probable that hiring a professional investment manager will:
✔️Either cause your lifetime portfolio return to be at least 1% a year higher than it would otherwise have been,
✔️And/or save you the equivalent of 1% a year in time, effort, and worry,
✔️And/or save you more than 1% a year in the cost of mistakes she may be able to help you avoid?

Check out the blog for my expansion on this thought.