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Jen Aly, Money Coach for Creatives

A brand of Happily Ever Now, Inc.

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Got money issues or is it really something else?

October 28, 2020 by Jen Leave a Comment

Money issues run deep. They are so multifaceted and multilayered.
The thing is, money issues are not always about money.
self-esteem money coach business coach prosperity
Money issues and financial stress are rampant, and part of that is because money is still the most taboo subject in our culture.
Have you ever noticed that people will talk about sex much quicker than money?
Those of us who have had a challenging relationship with money are not alone.  Basic financial literacy is rarely taught in schools.

Here are some financial stats on how rampant money issues are:

  • According to studies by the American Psychological Association, money issues have topped the charts as the most common stressor among Americans. 72% of Americans say they have felt money-related stress.*
  • Did you know that with the average interest rate for credit cards of 17%, it only takes around 4 years for the amount to double?
  • 44% of Americans do not have enough cash for a $400 emergency.**
  • 33% of American adults have zero retirement savings.**
  • The average American lacks the basic financial knowledge he or she needs to change behaviors and make qualified financial decisions.***
  • Around 50% of businesses make it to the 5-year mark and only 33% are in business for 10 years.****

When you’re making money as an entrepreneur, it’s a different kind of game than if you have a job. There’s no limit to what you can make, and yet it’s all up to you.
Even if you’re making a decent living and you’ve had business training, money mindset may be the missing link for you to go to the next level in your business.
It’s normal to grow for a while and then hit a plateau or ceiling. Things stop flowing as much.
Emotional and mental blocks start showing up and even patterns that you didn’t know you had.
If you want to get to the next level, you must own your worth at a whole new level.
wealth money prosperity hard work
You have to grow your relationship and confidence with money.
It’s not about what you do. It’s about the energy you do it with. Where are you coming from?
If you come from fear or scarcity, then you get more of that.
If you come from prosperity and confidence, then you create more of that.

Money issues are about self-worth.

The truth is, you have to do the work if you really want to get somewhere.
The importance of self-worth has inspired me to create a new version of my money boot camp program. I’ve included some practices, new worksheets, and content that support you to own and live your value. And I’ve added priceless resources.

Are you ready to feel confident in your capacity to own your value and make more money?

If so, check out this powerful program to see if it is right for you: “Money Mastery Intensive Program.”

You’ll get double the content from previous versions of my money program, but the price is the same!
If you are ready to transform your relationship with money, check it out.
If you want to get started on transforming your money issues now, get the Money Makeover Tool Kit or if you already have it, check out this list of amazing books to inspire you toward more prosperity.
Sources:
*“Money Stress Weighs on Americans’ Health,” America Psychological Association.
**”4 Stats That Reveal How Badly America Is Failing At Financial Literacy,” Forbes, Apr 1018.
***Financial Educators Council National Literacy Test Results
****”What Percentage Of Small Businesses Fail — And How Can You Avoid Being One Of Them?,” Forbes, Oct 2018.

Filed Under: Articles, Events, Prosperity and Money Tagged With: business owner, business training, creative business, entrepreneur, financial literacy, holistic business, money issues, money mindset, money training

Doing a TEDx Talk: The Truth About My Experience

October 7, 2020 by Jen Leave a Comment

Doing a TEDx talk took way more than I could have imagined. When I first applied, I had no idea what I was in for.

I didn’t know there would be so much to learn about what to do and what not to do during a TED talk.  And so much to learn about myself, my message, and the creative process.

tedx talk ted talk Photo by Erica Mueller Photography.

It was just over a year ago that I stood up on a big red dot on a stage in front of 500 people and gave a TEDx talk in Asheville, North Carolina. It was the first year Asheville could have an audience of 500 instead of just 100.

I had worked tirelessly for months applying, interviewing, preparing, writing, and researching. The process also included lots of rewriting, editing, freaking out, getting and giving support, practicing, resisting, and planning more details than I ever expected. I even had a custom shirt made for my stage time.

But, it didn’t go as planned. Usually, I would get a burst of exhilaration and energy from connecting with an audience. Instead, as soon as I looked out from the stage, I felt like a deer in headlights and could barely breathe.

All I saw was black in front of me due to the stage lights shining on me and the completely dark lights in the audience.

This was the closest I’ve ever come to a panic attack in public. I did my best to hide it because of the 500 people, a live stream running, and 3 other cameras filming me for TED.

Even though I didn’t normally have a fear of public speaking, the pressure of it being a TED talk and having to remember 17 minutes of my talk was a lot. Then, looking into the darkness with no connection to the audience and months of stress pushed me further than my capacity could handle.

I don’t know how I made it through that talk because my brain didn’t seem to be getting enough oxygen. One miracle was that I had someone off stage queuing my lines to me. I didn’t know that was an option until I asked not long before the talk. (I doubt this is always the case.)

But because I had never practiced with support, waiting for my lines contributed to my stress level. At times I couldn’t hear her because the audience was laughing. I also knew she was skipping some content that I felt attached to. But I kept talking somehow.

After I finished giving my talk, I thought it had been a disgrace. The critical voices in my head were screaming nasty judgments at me. From my panicked perspective, there had been long, eternal, gaping pauses.

I had forgotten a bunch of ideas that I had planned to say, and I couldn’t catch my breath more than once. To imagine that it was coherent at all felt delusional.

Luckily, my speaker coach assured me it wasn’t as bad as I thought. But those who know me could see it. In the theater lobby afterward, a stranger even said, “You did a good job of pulling it together there.” She saw my stress too.

tedx talk jen aly creative process business doing a ted talk

Later when I watched the video, there were a few times, especially one that was edited out, where you could see I was having a hard time catching my breath.

And yet miraculously, somehow the ideas and points I wanted to make came through. The only explanation for it coming together is grace….and the support of a great team of colleagues and friends.

The video you see on TED.com was edited from a 3 camera shoot. Luckily I had a say in the edits (not always the case apparently).

Later in the year, I found out that my talk was among the 10% of TEDx talks chosen to be on TED.com(instead of just TED’s YouTube channel). My mind was blown. The process felt more worth it because more people would see it and I felt a level of satisfaction.

The talk, “Harness Creativity as your Greatest Business Asset” is all about being in the creative process and trusting it no matter what you are creating. Even though it’s simple, it’s not always easy to see it through whether it’s a painting, a project, or a business venture.

Getting through the creative process of applying for, preparing, and completing a TEDx talk was one of the most intense creative processes of my life.

In the talk, I share that harnessing the creative process is an asset in creating a business. It is focused on growth instead of a more traditional or linear idea of building a business. 

As more of a holistic and creative-minded person, I had tried to ignore aspects of business in the earlier years before filing bankruptcy. Later, I re-framed and embraced business concepts that I had previously resisted to create new businesses that thrive.

components of business tedx talk creative processPhoto by Erica Mueller Photography.

Creating my TEDx talk was a major creative process for me. It had a life of its own and morphed more times than I can remember. My living room was TEDx talk central for the last two months of the process with a rigged-up practice space with piles of papers and Post-Its.

When you speak out against the grain, old emotional gunk rises to the surface. When you stretch and grow, old stuff you didn’t even know you had in you comes up. Needless to say, I cleared a lot of emotional energy through the process.

And I became stronger through it all. I was able to more fully embody the lessons I was teaching in my TED talk and to trust my voice because no one could really edit my talk except me. I eventually sought less external validation because I survived through a public speaking nightmare.

Even though it wasn’t perfect, I’ve received feedback that the talk has had a positive impact. It has helped people honor their creativity, heal from challenges they experienced in the education system, and inspired them to face their fear of not getting it “right.”

As one of my mentors used to say, “Done is better than perfect.”

What are you afraid of not getting right?

What are you wanting to do but you’re waiting until the conditions are perfect?

How can you show up in your messiness?

TED.com TEDx Talk Jen Aly

Preview in new tab(opens in a new tab)

Filed Under: Business, Events, Inspiration Tagged With: doing a ted talk, doing a tedx talk, how to do a ted talk, ted talk, tedx asheville, tedx talk, tedx talks, tips for doing a ted talk

Your 2020 Vision: The Year Your Rock Your Business- New Year Workshop for Creatives

December 10, 2019 by Jen Leave a Comment

2020 is here!
Step into the next decade
with a clear vision
and plan to make it happen.

Don’t be that person who has vague ideas of what you want to do in your business or sets “resolutions” that have no scaffolding underneath them.

It’s easy to be “too busy” to plan when you are running a business. There’s working “in” your business (the day-to-day stuff) and then there’s working “on” your business. When you forego working on it, stepping back and getting the larger picture, planning, and strategizing, you are limiting your potential and sabotaging yourself.

Get clear on what you are creating and how you’re going to do it as you enter into 2020.

In this workshop you will:

  • Clarify your vision like you never have
  • Ignite your next level motivation & confidence
  • Learn new mindset strategies to break old patterns
  • Connect with like-hearted business owners
  • Create achievable goals & action plans

This one-day interactive workshop is an opportunity to MAKE IT HAPPEN! Give it to yourself, your business and your customers to make this your BEST BUSINESS YEAR YET.

You deserve to take time out to vision and create your life and business your way.

Sunday, January 19, 1-6pm, Virtual Interactive Retreat
Register 1/12 Virtual
Sunday, January 26, 10am-5pm, Center for Craft, Asheville, NC
Register 1/26 Asheville

Jen Aly is a business and money coach for creatives. She supports creatives to express themselves more fully, make more money doing what they love, and to make more impact in the world.

Watch her TEDx Talk to hear here story and be inspired with a whole new perspective on business.

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: asheville, asheville events, business coach, business plan 2020, business strategy, business workshop, center for craft, january 2020 events, new year business workshop, new year workshop, virtual business workshop, virtual retreat, visioning workshop

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