Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my personal goals, and also my family’s plans for the future. I guess it is normal since we have a little one on the way, but I’ve also been thinking about my career. To be honest, I’ve always been very risk averse and while my husband has completely embraced the entrepreneur route, I’m much more cautious and risk averse (though I’m trying to change that!). I used to think that I liked the security of a steady paycheck but lately I’ve been more and more fascinated by my entrepreneur friends who can do things like work from a Mexican beach in the summer and travel with a lot more ease than when you have a 9-5 job. I used to think that having a 9-5 provided security but now I’m starting to think that it acts like a brake, stopping me from doing what I really wish I could be doing!
So the energy of the #WomenInspired event hosted by Prudential came at the perfect time, since it was the perfect place to be inspired and informed about entrepreneurship, finances and the power of the multicultural community, all things I desperately needed to hear about.
One of the themes of the evening was the importance of girlfriends, of having your tribe to cheer you on… evidenced by the dynamic duo of Dime Media, Cristy Clavijo-Kish and Piery Jolly, who shared the ins and outs of being friends and being partners. I’m so glad that I got to attend this event with my blogging bestie, Lisa Quinones-Fontanez, the creator of Atypical Familia. (Go check out her blog… after you finish reading!)
INSPIRATION
The event was full of inspiration from women who are doing great things in a variety of industries, most notably media. Here are some of their nuggets of wisdom:
Let yourself off the hook…not everyone is going to like you.
“Think about what you DON’T want to be known for.”
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”
“You have something they don’t. You have your uniqueness, your #diversity. Own it.”
The inspiration not only came from the fabulous ladies onstage, Prudential also hared some inspiration.
Which one is your favorite?
THE RIGHT INFORMATION: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING FINANCIALLY EDUCATED
When it comes to finances, you can’t ever have enough information — there is so much to think about, especially when you are, like me, expanding my family and also thinking of making a career change. While at Prudential’s #WomenInspired event I had the opportunity to think about where I was in my finances. I was happy to know that I’m on the right track (I have life insurance, for example, and started saving for retirement).
I realized that there are a few things that I still need to do.
First, I need to be more open to the entrepreneurship road. I need to not be afraid of my own greatness, as one of the panelists said: “Our biggest feat is our greatness.” Prudential has some great tips on becoming an entrenpreneur too.
Second, I also need to take care of the one day inevitable: I need to get a will. It’s something I talk about often but we seem to never get around to doing. I realize the importance of getting all my ducks in a row in this respect, especially because my son is young and because we own a home… having a will, having a plan if something happens to us is of paramount importance!
The entire evening was full of wisdom and inspiration but perhaps my favorite phrase of the night was this one, told to us by Latina powerhouse Lili Gil, who shared some truths about the power of the multicultural community in the United States:
“Asking for help doesn’t make us weaker – it makes us stronger.” Says @liligil PREACH!, in work,in motherhood, en ¡todo! #womeninspired #ad
— Diana aka LadydeeLG (@dianalimongi) October 5, 2016
All the panelists were fabulous but I was particularly struck by Lili Gil because she had the numbers to back up her claims, about the importance of the multicultural market, and the challenges African-American and Hispanic women face when creating a business, despite the rapid growths at which we are being educated and starting businesses.
At the end of the day, a few things were clear to me: In an aspect of life, parenting, business, finance, keeping culture alive… you can’t do it alone! The more help you have the better! The more informatin you have, the smarter choices you will be able to make! Prudential has many tools for possibly every financial question you have, about retirement, insurance, financial planning and more! Click here for check out Prudential’s financial tools.
I left feeling that I have the power to do everything I want to do:
