sam.

So, it took me Monday and Tuesday to eat and return some various non-Whole30 foods.  I still managed to be completely gluten free, but I was eating some rice and dairy products.  I have to admit my stomach was already feeling better without gluten.  

I've been feeling bad for a while now. Stomach problems, constant fatigue, skin issues, weight gain - just general feelbaddery.  I'm convinced a huge part of this is my diet, so I've decided to make some big changes.  

I was thinking of just cutting gluten (one of my main suspects) or lactose, but I think I've decided to be more drastic.  A few friends recommended the Whole30 Program.  At first glance, it seemed way too extreme - no grains, dairy, soy, sugar, legumes, or alcohol for 30 days.  When I asked for help and advice on Facebook, though, I was not only barraged with information, but also many testimonials of friends who have been significantly impacted by the program.  Toss this in with myriad testimonials on the internet, including Jessica at GoodCheapEats (who also logged her progress and posted recipes), and I determined it was worth taking a look.

So I picked up Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders today and am about 50 pages in.  I'm having an experience similar to when I started reading Keith Ferrazzi's recent Who's Got Your Back.  For me, the effort to "humanize" business, along the lines of Sanders and Ferrazzi, seems like common sense.  More than that, it seems like a realignment of real life and a repeat of history. 

Global business quickly went from being huge, impersonal, and profit-driven to a relatively small community with the advent of the internet and social media.  Businesses can rarely, if ever, make decisions that are quietly suffered by their customers.  That can be the restaurant around the corner, or it can be a huge corporation (just look at Gamestop's recent press).

With my own business, I find that, despite the massive technology pulling at us everyday, people still want to be able to sit down and talk.  They want to know that someone cares about them, that someone wants what's best for them, and that this person does, in fact, know what he or she is talking about. 

Don't get me wrong here -- I am not saying I don't need a book like Love or that I know everything.  Far from it.  But I can't understand how things like being compassionate with others, treating people with respect, and giving without expectation of receiving are novel concepts to people in the business world.  Maybe it's growing up in the deep South, where hospitality is not optional, or maybe it's being a part of this social media generation.  Either way, I think these concepts of reciprocity and love, which may have been hidden under the search for profit for a few decades, are quickly resurfacing as keys to success in today's difficult economy. 

I'll throw in a parallel no one is expecting here that will show you my roots.  John Sommerville, who used to be a professor at my alma mater (Go Gators!) wrote a book a few years ago entitled The Decline of the Secular University.  In the book, and through lectures by and conversations with Dr. Sommerville, I've picked up on some nuggets of his research.  His theory is this: modern society has de-humanized some very critical areas of our culture (his focus is on the university), and we are slowly making a return to a more holistic view of humanity. 

This is happening in business, too.  Don't let it pass you by.

The front page of Sunday's Gainesville Sun included an article entitled, "Prepaid college plans: Yes or no?"

I get asked by clients all the time how to deal with saving for college, so I thought I'd make some comments on the article and offer a few bits of hopefully helpful knowledge. 

It's no secret that college tuition rises year after year -- often at a rate double inflation.  The article notes that the University of Florida's tuition has been rising 15 percent annually, which has caused prepaid plans to get a boost, as well. 

When considering college funding, just like any other element of personal finance, there's no one-size-fits-all approach.  Here are a few factors to consider in choosing how to save for college:

Goals for Saving - Questions to Ask Yourself

- Do you want to pay for all or part of college?

- Do you want to pay for just tuition, or also supplies, room, and board?

- How do you feel about student loans?

- Do you want your children to work during college?

Public vs. Private

Your next decision will have a huge impact on the dollar amount you need to save.  Do you want your kids to go anywhere for college -- Ivy League included -- or do you have a die hard Gator legacy to continue?

A year at Harvard will run you about $48k right now, compared to about $12k at UF.  At 6% inflation, that's $137k after 18 years for Harvard and $34k for UF. 

(Tip: Check out CNN Money's College Cost Finder to check out current tuition rates.)

Transferability and Tax Advantages

529s and Prepaid plans have similar tax treatment and transferability, but consider one scenario.  529s have tax-free growth when used for education expenses.  If Sally goes to a less expensive school than Johnny, the balance of her money can be transferred to Johnny's 529.  Prepaid plans have no such luck, because you're paying in advance for college.  You can transfer plans, but you will never overpay into the plan.  Does that make sense?

529s are Investments, Prepaid Plans are Insurance

Here's one way I like to explain this topic.  What's more important to you in discussing your kids' education: the assurance that they will have a paid for education, or flexibility and growth?

Many parents want to know that no matter what happens with state scholarships, financial aid, or private scholarships, their children will have a fully paid-for college education in Florida.  This peace of mind is well worth the risk that they could have gotten a better return in the market and given their children more choice.

On the other hand, for parents who have no particular desire for their kids to go to state schools, a 529 plan will offer more potential for growth and a greater ability to choose where to send the kids.  Keep in mind, though, that someone is going to have to manage those investments -- whether yourself or a financial adviser.  

Warning: Don't Forget About Retirement!

It's important to remember one thing when planning for your kids' education.  There are no scholarships or prepaid plans for retirement.  While we don't know the future, we do know a couple of things: people like to create endowments for scholarships, and 18-22 year-olds can get jobs!  When you're in your 70s and 80s, no one is going to give you a scholarship, and you may be completely unable to work.  Don't neglect your retirement for the sake of your kids' education!

Hopefully this has been helpful to some folks.  Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Cheers,

Today is Sereen Gualtieri's birthday, so I'd like to introduce everyone to her.

Sereen is a kindred spirit.  I only met her a few weeks ago, but we've had about a hundred mutual friends for several years.  She's an artist and photographer, and she's photographed several of my friends' weddings.

The real reason we are kindred spirits, though, is that we are both passionate about fighting human trafficking.  Sereen is founder of Studio 31:8, a coalition of artists against sex trafficking.  Here's a blurb from their web site:

We are busy working in the local community (currently Gainesville, FL) bringing awareness to sex trafficking through art. We showcase and sell our work in local coffee houses, galleries and arts festivals.  We build installations that help people to experience the life of a trafficking victim in order to bring about compassion. By buying our artwork, you are contributing to the support of art as an awareness tool, local organizations that are building safe-houses and doing big awareness events, and you are supporting local artists who are passionate about using their talents to defeat trafficking.

So check out her photography, support Studio 31:8, and follow Sereen on Twitter.  You will be a better person for it.

Cheers,

So I know I haven't been faithfully blogging as I originally planned.  I've been busy building my business in the shaking-hands, making-phone-calls manner.  But since I started reading The Referral Engine, I was reminded that I need to combine both electronic and face-to-face communication.

In my business-building marathon, I've been doing a lot of old-fashioned networking.  You know the type: go to a bar/hotel, shake hands, hand out cards, talk about getting coffee sometime.  But I'm trying an approach that integrates what seems to be the philosophy of the tech age: promote others first.  POF?

Folks like Gary V. do this all the time, as do the guys at LessEverything and other companies I love.  It's a philosophy that goes back a long, long time, but has been made very easy to manage with Twitter and its derivatives/tools (e.g. retweet). 

I'm a firm believer that if you will promote others first, you will invariably be asked what you do and why you do it.  People will want to help you because you are helping them.

Call it karma, call it reaping-what-you-sow.  People want to be loved, cared for, and respected.  When you take a genuine interest in what they're doing, they appreciate it.  (Note: fakers are easy to spot.)

Do you have any experiences you'd like to share?

Cheers,