TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

  Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 47,512.80 USD ▲  +305.68 (+0.65%) today October 27, 9:31 AM EDT  ·  Market Open

  It's old hat in worldclass cities like New York that the address of your building creates your signature brand. Classic was the aura public affairs firm The Dilenschneider Group unleashed with its location in the MetLife Building. It rented half a floor. As a contractor to DGI I found it useful to my own boutique to be spotted on the elevator or lobby.  But in this era of so much economic, technological and political disruption - sometimes called the  "post-American" world order  - that branding function isn't enough to be moving the needle in the directions businesses have to head toward. So, the template for leasing a building has to go way beyond any halo effect.  Among the immediate needs is putting together the unique employee experience. RTO is here to stay. And in the post-American world order, with the ramped-up technical competition from China, most employees will be spending more hours in-person on the company site. That probably will never become as...

 The news is good tonight. At least for our individual nest eggs. CNBC reports: "Stock futures rose Sunday evening as investors looked ahead to a widely expected interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve and a raft of Big Tech earnings reports." At 8:15 PM New York Time, Dow futures are up 290 points.  As The Wall Street Journal observes many of us aging are sitting pretty financially. Not that we are holding on to wealth. But we can pay our bills, along with a trip now and then. It's unlikely we will wind up homeless.  Our portfolios are diversified so that a crash won't wipe us out. We have the reserve not to have to depend entirely on Social Security, with its awful 2.8% COLA for 2026. Some of us are still working, into our late 70s. But, we get it, as WSJ hammers, that the generations which have come after us could be on the brink of losing hope. Especially Gen Z.  That's not only in the US. Worldwide is a "youth movement." They are primarily members ...

Yes, there are certifications for this emerging career path: house cleaners for wealthy.  The best fit could be the one from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). That's because it covers the science of dealing with surfaces such as antique furniture and art which require special handling, along with specialized products. In addition, you would be licensed, insured and bonded.  Bloomberg describes this glam kind of work which can compensate at the rate of $100,000 annually. Essentially, notes Bloomberg, those doing it: " ... reportedly view their job description as having changed from  purely cleaning and upkeep, to maintenance and preservation  – more akin to museum curators." The high compensation of cleaning for deep pockets, though, is nothing new. For years, this line of work has been creating a financially comfortable niche among the blue collar. Usually they're treated well by those contracting their services. After all,...

  Inflation is at 3%. And the Social Security COLA for 2026 is at 2.8%.  On the average that means $56 in the monthly check. $21.50 of that, though, could go each month toward paying the increase of the Part B Medicare premium. For 2026, that could be $206.50 per month.  So, in BoomerVille there isn't a feeling of financial security. Some will enter the new year with the necessity of dipping into savings and/or withdrawing from investment accounts.  Sure, there'll be those who luck out and land paid work, full-time, part-time or gig. But there won't be many of them. Actually, those who can generate income from working will primarily be the self-employed. They found a gap in what people need or want and figured out how to fill it. Probably they'll operate as  solopreneurs . In my coaching, the majority of clients over-50 are becoming solopreneurs. Their focus is on getting business and providing the service/product. Not supervising employees or being responsibl...

That giant of a thought leader who also created practical inventions - Benjamin Franklin - didn't go to Harvard. Oh, how he wanted to. The kid's signature in the community was that from a very young age he was always reading. Few could recall when he wasn't reading. The buzz was that he taught himself.  But, as Kevin Hayes documents in the 2025 biography of Franklin "Undaunted Mind,"  that Harvard dream wasn't going to happen because at the time Harvard graduates had a lousy earning capacity. Franklin's father balked at spending the tuition in something that had such a financially disappointing outcome.  So, there's nothing new about a disconnect between an elite academic education and financial success. Also, there's nothing new about those who didn't receive a sophisticated academic education and  made it big . They include founder of Ford Motor Henry Ford, Ingvar Kamprad who started up IKEA and star actor Quentin Tarantino.  Meantime the ...

  Dow Jones Industrial Average DJI: ^DJI 46,856.37 -68.37  (-0.15%) As of Wed. Oct 22, 2025 10:19 AM EDT · Free Realtime Quote (USD) · Market open

  It used to be labeled the "walled garden." The classic example was how Google programmed the user experience to motivate browsers to stay.  LinkedIn  explains the phenomenon this way:  "In digital terms, a 'walled garden' is a platform that tries to keep users within its own ecosystem. Rather than sending people off to other websites, it gives them answers, tools, and content right there inside the platform." Well the never-leave-here vibe has been broadened and intensified.  For instance, JPMorgan has created that kind of office ecosystem with the  opening of its new tower on Park Avenue . It has all the hospitality features which encourage everyone in the building to hang around. That's before, during and after the professional tasks are done. Those amenities range from a gym to an English-style pub. Instead of rushing to Grand Central for a drink before boarding Metro North back to Greenwich, Connecticut, you relax within the walled garden. Jaw-jaw ...

  Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 46,815.08 USD ▲  +108.50 (+0.23%) today October 21, 10:11 AM EDT  ·  Market Open

  Of course, some artists make it big enough not to have to worry about money. But, in general, most of us struggle to pay our bills and build some financial security. That's why many of us have to take the time away from our art to do commercial work. Eventually, you know what happens: Earning a good living takes precedence. Our art may wither. That's even if we live below our income.  But there could be a solution.  Since 2022, Ireland has been operating a pilot program for artists: Basic Income. Unlike Universal Basic Income, the focus is on individuals, not society. Monthly, artists receive $1,500, without restrictions. The outcomes have been so positive that Ireland is making the program permanent. If our jurisdictions introduced such an income platform we might still have to pick up some commercial work. But not have to fold into it. Lovely recall: In college I became my art. Then, life took over.

In attempting to claw a comeback in the court of public opinion financial mogul Leon Black made plenty of mistakes.  At the top of list, I contend, was getting involved in so much litigation. That was high-profile, keeping him a headliner in the media for questionable activities. So toxic was his reputation at that time that the chair of law firm Paul Weiss which had represented him - Brad Karp - made a point of stating in a BusinessInsider interview that Black was no longer a client. But Black finally did move the needle toward reputation restoration. A sign of that was his conducting engaging interviews with media such as Puck last year. In them he fed journalists juicy snippets of how it was to be a Friend of Jeffrey. Brilliant strategy to neutralize the force field.  Black seemed to be making significant progress. The media even went on to note that he was attending major financial conferences. Now, with the intensifying interest during the Trump administration about Epst...

  Futures are down.   Call it the Cockroach Effect. Yeah, once you see one, there are bound to be more. That's the image from JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon as he sized up the newly uncovered problems in lending by smaller banks. Is there further rot in the system. Please please please don't let this be another 2008. What we boomers are concerned about if this is triggering a sustained downturn in equity markets. Overall, a lot of global economic indicators are not looking too good. UPDATE: Nice surprise. Dow Jones Industrial Average DJI: ^DJI 46,162.37 +210.13  (+0.46%) As of Fri. Oct 17, 2025 12:21 PM EDT · Free Realtime Quote (USD) · Market open Thrown off your game, maybe the first time since you started working? You made all the right moves and then the world moved in another direction. Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, reskilling and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegeno...

  It takes money to attract, hold onto and motivate star talent. Part of the mystique of Harvard is created from having those twinklers embedded in the branding. If the resources, be it research money or compensation, aren't available to sustain that talent they can go elsewhere. The mystique could wither. For fiscal 2025, Harvard suffered a $113 million operating loss . It's been targeted by the Trump administration and that has eaten into funding. Since Harvard continues to "resist," fighting back in court and with a values megaphone, financially things could get worse. Recall there were large law firms which didn't resist. When hit with Executive Orders they cut deals with the administration. Some of them such as Paul, Weiss and Skadden are thriving in their businesses.  Sure, the Harvard endowment has grown. But 80% of its funds are restricted and can't be shaken loose to pay the bills for this and that.  What could also undermine the mystique is the globa...

  More of us are more worried. I had to pony up the funds for another car. With that, insurance went up. In BoomerVille we didn't anticipate our present state of realities: Little convenient public transportation, inflation and the possibility of the global financial depression our parents went through.  Dow Jones Industrial Average DJI: ^DJI 46,360.47 +107.16  (+0.23%) As of Thu. Oct 16, 2025 9:38 AM EDT · Free Realtime Quote (USD) · Market open

  Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 46,637.56 USD ▲  +367.10 (+0.79%) today October 15, 10:13 AM EDT  ·  Market Open

  In a major policy shift Sam Altman announced that ChatGPT will allow access to erotic.  That's possible now that the platform has imposed age guards and addressed what could be mental health issues. The new ethos is to treat adults as adults.  Overall, erotica is a growing category in AI . And some professional and public opinion view it as having a social good. For example, it can be interpreted as a contained environment to experience sexual fantasies which could get humans in trouble in real life. Before you put the knock on this because it involves fantasy, know that, overall, experts in human behavior salute the  positive role of fantasy . It's an alternate form of consciousness. And it can generate everything from clarifying what you want/need to a safe release of anti-social impulses. The business of AI erotica is big and imaginative. A t  fantasy.ai  an option facilitates your building your own erotic companion. Much like the fun of  Build-a-...

  Dow Jones Industrial Average DJI: ^DJI 45,682.88 -384.7  (-0.84%) As of Tue. Oct 14, 2025 9:32 AM EDT · Free Realtime Quote (USD) · Market open

"The client in Kansas owes us $75,000. For eight months we've been trying to collect." That's what a contractor to Big Oil told me during our first coaching session. For the first time since the boom in the oil industry in 2022, they were having to take on blue-collar gigs to pay the bills. To their surprise they liked working with his hands.  This is just one of the reversals of fortune in Big Oil. As crude prices plunge , full-time employees have lost jobs. Investors are scared: There could even be a cut in dividends. Like Big Tech, Big Oil had a high-flyer. Often it generated plum jobs. When I shifted from non-profit to Chevron my annual compensation more than tripled. At that time the financial performance was labeled "windfall profits," and until recently "monster profits." The stock did so well that it was one of those solid investments. Vendors competed hard for assignments and having Big Oil as a client got more prestigious clients. So far,...

  Maybe we students of global economic history don't have to worry, at least not yet, about Smoot-Hawley 2.0. On Truth Social, US President Trump indicated he's backing off from the proposed high tariffs imposed on China. And, futures rose 400 points. For many of us in BoomerVille, though, our hearts dropped last Friday with the almost 900-point plunge to the Dow. During the weekend we wondered if more shoes would drop - and quickly. I often coach lawyers and posted on the possible implications of intensifying protectionism and a trade war on their firms. Thrown off your game, maybe the first time since you started working? You made all the right moves and then the world moved in another direction. Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, reskilling and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com ). Yes, test out the chemistry. Zero risk.

  In May 2025 Ian Carter was laid off from Microsoft. Since then he's been doing what more job searchers are embracing: Sharing their hunt for work on platforms such as LinkedIn and BusinessInsder. The LinkedIn share generated more than 100,000 impressions. Yes, interviews came as well as interest from recruiters. But, as yet no job offer. He's considering not renewing his lease in Redmond, Washington and moving back with family. The BusinessInsider outreach is very recent. Therefore, there's no telling what they could yield. Will Carter land a job before the October 20th end of his lease. And stay put in that lifestyle? Sharing about the now-very challening process of finding what is thought of as a "job" is commonplace. That's obvious in the proliferation of the LinkedIn banner "Open to Work." But much of that is feeling-based: Here I am sad, in this pickle.  Very little constitutes a strategic pitch about how you can create value for an employer...

  October 10, 2025, a very bad Friday.  Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that that China was getting very "hostile." The administration was considering a massive boost in tariffs applied to China. Investors, including we in BoomerVille, lost $2 trillion in the stock market. How we dread the opening of the market tomorrow. Will there be many more "bad days?" Or. all bad days, for a long time? Sure, we all know the market eventually recovers. It certainly did after the Crash on Monday October 19, 1987. But we Boomers were young enough to absorb that, not panic and see our investments resume growth.  Now, we don't have the time to wait it out. Meanwhile, if our nest egg is depleted how will we fund our lives into our 90s? It's a shock that Diane Keaton died "so young." That is, age 79.  In coaching I am observing more over-65 becoming solopreneurs . That is a strategy to defer dipping into their investments. Income from working self-employed is com...

 In public relations, ranging from looking for a job or pitching to a prospect, there was an old saying: Sure, provide ideas. That's necessary to demonstrate everything from that you know your stuff to being innovative. But, don't give away the store. Along the way we learned how to steer the conversation from the prospect's determination to pick our brains to moving the needle to their hiring us. Currently in the iffy economy with fewer good jobs that's not so easy. Typical is this post on Reddit - Public Relations :  " ... in my third interview ... and the company just asked me to develop a 6-month integrated strategy covering executive thought leadership, media relations, and social presence. This isn’t a hypothetical case study — they want a real, detailed plan with slides, a sample editorial calendar, content concepts, and media strategy. It feels like the kind of work a team would spend weeks on." Of course, the feedback on this professional anonymous pl...

  It shouldn't be a newsflash that the trades, including plumbers, are using AI. That extends from administrative work and marketing to research and hands-on problem solving. Housecalls Pro found that 40% of those coming to service our hot water heaters and air conditioners and clean our houses rely on some form of AI. That includes ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro. The time saved and the improvement of results such as in marketing are boosting revenue. Sometimes that's to the point that business owners can expand their enterprise. The formal coverage of this in Yahoo Finance i ndicates no jobs look like they'll be eliminated, though. At least not yet. But there is a red flag in the comments:  " ChatGPT will fuel DIYers ..." The  average cost per hour  for a plumber ranges from $45 to $150. The average service call is between $125 and $450. Isn't it in our financial self-interest to learn our way around the plumbing and more. Maybe ...

  It's in the public interest. That could be how the plaintiff bar, lawmakers and activists move the needle in activating or threatening to leverage public nuisance law against much of social media.  That had been a homerun against tobacco. The 1998 settlement was for $206 billion for the first 25 years of the agreement. In addition, consciousness was raised about the dangers of smoking. The lead paint state class actions didn't pan out so well. The one win was in California.  Oxycodone did better. In the process the marketing manipulation tactics had been exposed.  Now, political publication The Hill  says it: Social media can be the "Next Tobacco." As with tobacco, what's being contended is that social media is addictive. It's alleged that the algorithms are structured to unleash intense anger.  "Like nicotine, rage triggers something we can’t resist: dopamine. We are dopes for dopamine."  Usually in America action happens in response to. That is,...

  UDATE: Heartburn in BoomerVille Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 45,596.64 USD ▼  -761.78 (-1.64%) today October 10, 3:28 PM EDT  ·  Market Open Dow Jones Industrial Average DJI: ^DJI 45,861.70 -496.72  (-1.07%) As of Fri. Oct 10, 2025 12:15 PM EDT · Free Realtime Quote (USD) · Market open Full chart