Flying Solo

I've been thinking about this party I went to last weekend with my husband. My friend, Elizabeth, came with us. She is in the process of getting a divorce so I called to see if she wanted to join us. I think that’s one of the hardest things about flying solo in our society where most social events are catered to couples. I know, from personal experience, that being in the back seat alone isn’t too much fun.

I’ve encouraged Elizabeth to get out there, find a community of other single women. Not sure if she will or not as it can be hard. After all, whom among us needs 1 other thing to do? I hope she does it. I’ll keep you posted.

My "Me-tourage"

I heard the phrase “momtourage” for the first time today. I love it! Whether, you’re a mom or not, it doesn’t really matter. We could call it a “metourage!” I can’t help but think this is a great way to refer to the people around us who make sure we get our “stuff” done. I personally have loads of help and am completely grateful for it. It helps me stay balanced between my work and home priorities.

Some of the folks in my own metourage are paid and others help, as I help them in return. From my friend Susan who helps me pick out my outfits for my speaking engagements, to Anetta who keeps my house running smoothly to Bari whom I use as a sounding board when I’m having a challenge in my relationship. Likewise, I’m there for them filling the role of their go-to for financial concerns or the resident expert on Cuban cooking.

It’s all about the community we create for ourselves..your own metourage!

An Olympic Success

I’ve been watching the Olympics. Wow, I am impressed with the athletes and their unbelievable achievements. They truly exemplify success whether they bring home a medal or not..well, at least to me. Ask the athletes- they may not say the same.

How will you define your success? By counting possessions, focusing on feelings or something else completely? Make a decision, form an intention, then take action. It takes all of these things to have the kind of success you want for your own life- just ask those athletes on the podium stand.

Welcome to my Blog! This is my first post and to be quite honest, before recently publishing my first book, Now That He’s Gone, a Financial Therapist’s Guide to Life After Loss, I didn’t even know what a blog was! To those of you who just stumbled on this post, a brief introduction of myself. I am a registered securities principal and managing partner of JBT Financial LLC, a financial services firm in Bloomfield Hills, MI. I frequently speak on women’s investment issues. Over the years in my work as a financial planner, hundreds of women from 35 to 80 have come to me as an advisor. But as I quickly learned they needed me for more than financial advice. They needed me to listen to their stories, to understand the challenges they faced. That’s how I earned my honorary title, Financial Therapist. I also founded an organization called “just our girls”. Our group gathers together as sisters who have experienced a spousal loss through divorce, death or other life trauma. We emotionally support and encourage each other while learning skills for our new single life.

So, my goal for this Blog is to share stories about myself and the amazing women I meet. My hope is that every woman who suffers a life-altering loss will find comfort and support here. Hope to see you again soon!

Bev