Work & Money

Welcome to Work & Money.
   
Whether you’re just starting out in the work force, juggling work and motherhood, or getting ready to change jobs, or trying to master your money challenges — we’ve got you covered with our Work & Money section. Here, we discuss college, career prep, finding a job, making a living, and how to manage your money so that it doesn’t manage you.
   
Your Work, Your Passion
   
Certainly, work is about making a paycheck and paying those bills (okay, a little shopping too!), but work is also about your passion. Your life’s work should be something that inspires you, something that gets you out of bed in the morning.
   
Easier said than done, right? Well, it’s all about that soul-searching — and maybe a little trial and error! A great place to start is to check out some of the paths of other working women who have been in your shoes before. Who knows? You might become inspired to find your passion as well!
   
Women and Money: Pros & Woes
   
Fortunately, the pros are the ones helping the rest of us out with our money woes. After all, we’re not born with the ability to earn big, save, and invest. This is the stuff you’ve got to learn, and on The Grit & Grace Project, we want you to have the best information possible. While most of all of us are not pros in finance but we willingly share our real life experience, our stories, solutions, the wisdom we’ve gained along with a little bit of information from the professionals. We’re here to offer what worked for us to help you better handle your money — and your debt.
   
From reducing your high-spending tendencies and saving cash with super apps to what to do when you’ve lost a job and being prepared in the event of a financial loss — we offer our very own financial experience that may help you to make smart decisions for you and your future too.
   
It’s all here on The Grit & Grace Project.

5 Steps for Setting Goals, Changing Dreams into Done

5 Steps for Setting Goals, Changing Dreams into Done

By / Purpose, Work & Money

I absolutely love the start of each new year! A fresh start… a clean slate… wide open horizons… Pick your choice metaphor and embrace the new year’s energy with me for a minute. Fast forward to late January, and my motivation is waning. My guess is the same thing happens to you. In fact, statistics tell us that only 8% of us actually achieve the New Year resolutions we set! Our resolutions break down because we fail to create a plan to achieve them. In fact, rather than creating resolutions, I create goals that are important to me for the coming year. Goals vs. Resolutions It might seem like semantics to set goals versus resolutions, but here is the subtle difference between […]

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5 Ways to Cut Your Monthly Bills

5 Ways to Cut Your Monthly Bills

By / Work & Money, Life & Culture

I recently made the decision to begin searching for a van to purchase. With a growing family, my small SUV wasn’t working so well! However, I knew that in order to get what I wanted I would need to take out a loan. Then I began to consider my budget and exactly what I could afford without being stretched. That’s when I decided it was time to reassess my bills. Maybe it’s time you did the same thing. When evaluating your monthly bills and expenses: 1. Look at the bills that are not utilities. Typically there is car and homeowner insurance, home alarm, cable/internet, and home mortgage. Since we had been loyal with the various companies for several years and always paid on

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This Is How to Use Your Gifts to Build Your Business

This Is How to Use Your Talents to Build Your Business

By / Work & Money, Best Of

Recently, I learned something that absolutely shocked me: the average American spends 90,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime. That’s more than 10 whole years of your one and only life—at work! If you love your job, maybe that doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice. But if you’re among the 70% of Americans who report being unhappy at work, that’s a whole lot of precious time wasted. But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be that way. Imagine what it would be like to work for yourself. To set your own hours, work from home, earn an extra income for your family, and help people by using your gifts! Sound too good to be true? Well,

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5 Quotes That Will Encourage You, Working (Super) Mom

5 Quotes That Will Encourage You, Working (Super) Mom

By / Work & Money, Motherhood

Working moms do it all—but it’s hard! The struggle to find work and life balance is real, but in the end, what really matters is that you tried your best. At least, that’s what I’ve been told from the women who’ve seen it through. One thing I know that all of us working moms could use is a little encouragement. Just a quick note that says, “Hey, I see you. I see all of the obstacles you overcome every day. It’s not always flawless, but you put your heart and soul into it. You are a strong woman, and you’re a good mom.” So, working mom, these 5 quotes that will encourage you: “I think every working mom probably feels the same thing:

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3 Keys to Successful Leadership in the Midst of Chaos

3 Keys to Successful Leadership in the Midst of Chaos

By / Work & Money, Life & Culture

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the answer just wasn’t clear? Maybe it was a decision to take a new job in a different city. Maybe it was a really confusing or inconsistent relationship. Maybe it was taking a risk that didn’t seem to have a clear reward. We face tough decisions every single day. And as a woman, you’re not only facing your own decisions but also navigating the decision making for your family, your team at work, and for some of you, your entire organization. Living Within the Tension Leaders live in a constant state of tension. We live between what is and what could be. We straddle the known and the unknown. We wrestle the probable

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The Thief I Let In: A day In the Life of a Working Mom

The Thief I Let In: A Day in the Life of a Working Mom

By / Work & Money, Best Of, Motherhood

It was a typical morning. The alarm went off at 6:40 a.m. Snooze was hit once. There was a sleepy, teething baby girl that took over the spot of my husband, who had left for work. Our son was already up, sitting on the couch and watching cartoons. His pleading for pre-packaged blueberry muffins woke up his sister. Ready or not, it was time to kick it into high gear and get ready for school and work. Sounds of the blender, breast pump, and electric toothbrushes filled the house. A computer charger, matching sock, and school folder couldn’t be found. Then, the realization that I didn’t have a sitter for my daughter for that afternoon’s work meeting, the lab stealing the last

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5 Tips for a Great Job Interview

5 Job Interview Tips to Help You Land the Position

By / Life & Culture, Work & Money

Through the years I have hired (and fired) a lot of different people for a bunch of different positions. I’ve hired accountants, truck drivers, radio promoters, executive assistants, and even band members. The good news is the firing part didn’t happen often because I quickly learned the qualities I wanted in any employee. Something I frequently noticed while interviewing for a position was the majority of people were not very good at this process. They didn’t interview well! But those that almost always rose to the top had a few of the same job interview approaches. They possessed many of the same character traits. They got my attention and inevitably landed on the top of the pile to pick from. If you’re

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3 Keys to Successful Leadership in the Midst of Chaos

3 Keys to Successful Leadership in the Midst of Chaos

By / Life & Culture, Work & Money

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the answer just wasn’t clear? Maybe it was a decision to take a new job in a different city. Maybe it was a really confusing or inconsistent relationship. Maybe it was taking a risk that didn’t seem to have a clear reward. We face tough decisions every single day. And as a woman, you’re not only facing your own decisions but also navigating the decision making for your family, your team at work, and for some of you, your entire organization. Living Within the Tension Leaders live in a constant state of tension. We live between what is and what could be. We straddle the known and the unknown. We wrestle the probable

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Episode 143 Deb Meyer

This Grit and Grace Life Podcast Preview – Episode 143 with Deb Meyer on Family Wealth

By / Life & Culture, Work & Money

Every family wants to accumulate enough money to feel secure and enjoy a few things here and there. They also want to be rich in love, comfort and happiness, but those are different types of wealth, right? Deb Meyer, author and owner of financial planning and investment advisory firm, WorthyNest, would have to disagree. Deb joins Darlene and Julie in this episode to explain how families can attain their dreams and build lasting financial wealth by identifying their priorities. And she lists them out here for you, so you can get started immediately.  

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Episode 153 Rachel Cruze

This Grit & Grace Life Podcast Preview – Episode 153 with Rachel Cruze

By / Life & Culture, Work & Money

Whether you’re a spender or a saver, it never hurts to have a discussion on finances. In podcast episode 153, New York Times bestselling author and finance specialist Rachel Cruze discusses how our childhood dreams, fears, and goals impacts our current spending habits—and how to curb the bad ones.

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Episode 30 Six qualities that make a leader strong

This Grit and Grace Life Podcast Preview – Episode 30 Six Qualities that Make a Female Strong with Leadership Expert Jenni Catron

By / Purpose, Work & Money

Do you desire to climb the corporate ladder? Or do you prefer to be influential among your peers and at the helm of your household? Regardless of where you are or where you aim to be, you have undeniable impact as a woman. Jenni Catron, leadership expert and CEO of The 4Sight Group, joins Darlene and Julie to talk about the six characteristics of a strong female leader, and how you can channel these traits in every area of your life.

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Grit and Grace for the Working Woman

Grit and Grace for the Working Woman

By / Work & Money

Can women be moms, wives, sisters, friends, and successful business people? Can we seemingly do it all? Whether you work from home, are growing a side biz, or commute to work in the corporate world every day, our resounding answer is Y-E-S. Will it take balance? Well, of course. But that doesn’t mean you can’t chase your dreams or provide for your family. Find encouragement for the journey in these articles written for working women, by working women. The 6 Qualities That Make a Female Leader Strong To the Mom Who Feels Guilty for Loving Her Work 5 Steps When You Want to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business 4 Tips for Working in a Man’s World Do I Have to Act

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5-Steps-to-Turn-Your-Hobby-Into-a-Business Christy Wright

5 Steps to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business

By / Work & Money

One thing I love about the culture we live in is that it’s never been easier to make extra money on the side, or work from home entirely! Over the past decade I’ve coached thousands of women who run their own successful businesses, and as a result, they don’t have to sacrifice their dreams and passions to make money for their families. We live in a side-gig economy where over thirty million Americans are working as freelancers or contract workers. In the last decade alone, women-owned businesses have grown more than 60%—and that number is growing fast. With the growing popularity of websites like Etsy and Pinterest, women are turning their passions into profits now more than ever before. Maybe you’ve been enduring

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What Going Back to School After 40 Taught Me

What Going Back to School After 40 Taught Me

By / Purpose, Work & Money

At 48 years old, I was earnestly trying to put myself through school. Keyword: trying. My initial gung-ho spirit was suddenly cut short during my third semester when my English professor returned one of my writing assignments. The piece was smeared in red ink and included a note at the very end which read, “You should not be pursuing your undergraduate degree until you learn how to read and write.” I sat, sobbing, as I read and reread the comments and examined my hard work in utter disbelief. The old fears that I had hoped to extinguish years ago came back to haunt me again. An all-too-familiar voice resumed its daunting post within my heart, battling my conscience over whether or not I

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How to Make Your Coworkers Like You in 60 Seconds

How to Make Your Coworkers Like You in 60 Seconds

By / Work & Money

Most of us work outside the home and interact with our co-workers often times more than with our own family members. Whether it’s people we supervise, those who supervise us, lateral colleagues, or those on a lower pay scale, it’s important to have a cordial, if not friendly, relationship with them. Enjoying your co-workers adds to your overall satisfaction at work, which helps you to be more productive, creates stronger teamwork, and reduces stress. Perhaps you’re an extrovert and have no difficulty making friends or at least being friendly with your colleagues. Maybe, like me, you’re more introverted and cautious in approaching people and perhaps even shy about befriending others. Regardless of which personality type you are, you may find yourself in

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A Girls Guide to Smart Spending

A Girl’s Guide to Smart Spending

By / Work & Money

Several years ago, I was 24 years old and four months pregnant with my little girl. I was working part-time in sales and had no clue how to make an adult-ish life out of my hourly, teenager-ish salary. Seven months later, my newborn was in daycare and I was working 19 hours a week, earning $11.52 an hour, as an English Language Development Aide for the high school from which I graduated. I went to work every day grateful for the opportunity to connect with students on what used to be my campus, but I kept questioning how I graduated from college and worked hard in the first few years of my post-baccalaureate life for the summation of this position. Living Paycheck

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This Is How to Use Your Gifts to Build Your Business

This Is How to Use Your Gifts to Build Your Business

By / Work & Money, Purpose

Recently, I learned something that absolutely shocked me: the average American spends 90,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime. That’s more than 10 whole years of your one and only life—at work! If you love your job, maybe that doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice. But if you’re among the 70% of Americans who report being unhappy at work, that’s a whole lot of precious time wasted. But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be that way. Imagine what it would be like to work for yourself. To set your own hours, work from home, earn an extra income for your family, and help people by using your gifts! Sound too good to be true? Well,

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