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Payment systems in 2023: New opportunities, and fundamental changes in the industry

Rachel Knox
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Payment systems in 2023: New opportunities, and fundamental changes in the industry

Over the last ten years, the world of payment systems has changed and developed a lot. Furthermore, it is currently continuing to develop. As of today, such solutions as cashless payments are becoming increasingly important. They include bank cards, Internet banking, and fast payment systems.

According to a recent report by McKinsey & Company, the percentage of consumers using digital payment technologies sharply raised from 51% in 2021 to 62% in 2022. Interestingly, in-app purchases and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments have shown the highest growth rate. The overall growth of the instant payments sector is expected to continue at double-digit rates. In addition, it is expected to grow faster than the payment cards segment which has shown a growth rate of 10% over the past two years. Meanwhile, the open banking service continues to gain popularity, especially in Europe.

“Every single day, we can see that more and more companies switch to digital sales processes while developing the online market. In addition, eCommerce is no longer a new sales channel that B2B companies are experimenting with. It is becoming an integral part of their business,” says Edgars Lasmanis, founder and owner of Walletto UAB. Edgars Lasmanis has extensive experience in the e-commerce and payments industry, and set up his company with the primary aim of making online payments a more cost-effective proposition. Security, quality, and innovation are at the heart of Walletto’s mission.

While witnessing the increased interest from the market, the company pays special attention to the development of payment services. Walletto provides a wide range of services including divided accounts and dedicated IBAN accounts, as well as services allowing to accept payments by using Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and SEPA payments. They also plan to add SEPA Instant in the nearest future. “Our technological and financial solutions allow customers working in various fields to accept payments for goods and services from anywhere in the world by using various types of payments,” adds E. Lasmanis.

Interestingly, the study by McKinsey & Company shows that 65% of B2B companies sold goods and services exclusively online in 2022. Revenues from the global payment market are expected to continue to grow steadily over the next four years. They are driven by the modernization efforts in the industry and new opportunities that have led to fundamental changes in the trading sector, as well as in the behavior of both sellers and customers, not to mention new technologies.

It is worth noting that Walletto offers a high-end payment processing platform that is based on an individual approach to the eCommerce sector. As of today, the company pays the utmost attention to the security of the system, as well as offers PCI DSS certification, which guarantees the security of all transactions of the customers made by using their debit and credit cards issued by various banks as well as by Walletto.

Raffaele Riva Taps His Years of Experience in International Finance to Serve Others

Travon Marner
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Raffaele Riva Taps His Years of Experience in International Finance to Serve Others

Raffaele Riva is a man who never stops learning, despite his long-time record of success in the financial services industry. His career began shortly after he earned an economics degree with honors from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in 1987. He studied numerous financial topics as an undergraduate, including accounting, acquisitions, banking law, bankruptcy law, business law, corporate finance, and mergers.

Throughout his career as a high-level financial services employee and entrepreneur, Riva has returned to the formal education setting many times. He became a qualified accountant in Italy in 1989 and completed several post-graduate business courses in the years that followed. Many of the topics he studied as a post-graduate involved international taxation.

Launch of a Successful Career

Riva created several start-up businesses between the time he graduated from college until 1998. He tapped into his vast experience handling logistical matters on an international scale to create each of the successful companies. Besides serving as the CEO of his start-ups, Raffaele Riva was a board member for subsidiaries located in Canada, Central America, Europe, South Africa, and South America.

While he was busy launching new businesses, Riva accepted his first position in the financial services industry with Price Waterhouse, now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers. He served as an assistant manager and supervisor in the accounting and auditing department in the company’s Manchester and Milan divisions. His superiors saw the potential in Riva and helped to prepare him for a career in international wealth management and investing.

Raffaele Riva’s Most Recent Career Success

Riva launched his most ambitious business to date just a few years ago. He is the founder, partner, and co-owner of AUREA Multi-Family Group, a parent company that oversees a handful of other businesses in the wealth management industry. These include:

  • Aurea Consulenti Associati SA
  • AUREA Family Business Sarl
  • Inter alia Aurea Wealth Management SA
  • Milano Fiduciaria Sarl

These four firms, located in Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, offer customized financial planning for individuals and businesses of high net worth. Here are some of the specific functions of Riva’s subsidiary organizations:

  • Asset and wealth management
  • Corporate finance and restructuring
  • International cross-border financial transactions, which includes management of complex tax and regulatory issues
  • Legal trusts
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Real estate
  • Sports finance
  • Wealth and estate planning

Riva and his business partners also engage in specific wealth management activities while managing the parent company, AUREA Multi-Family Group. Some examples include:

  • Advise clients involved in mergers, acquisitions, and share deals.
  • Manage all the financial details for clients involved in sports finance, corporate finance, or transfer funding.
  • Advise clients on how to market their start-up venture and assist with marketing campaigns.
  • Help to close numerous high-stakes real estate deals.
  • Act as an intermediary and advisor for businesses involved in cross-border deals.
  • Assist with cross-border wealth reorganization plans.

Riva has years of experience working with people who hold multiple roles in the financial services sector. Bankers, mutual fund managers, insurance companies from around the world, asset managers, tax attorneys, international tax specialists, and fund managers are just some examples.

Raffaele Riva Shares His Vision for AUREA Multi-Family Group

When Riva and his business partners launched AUREA Multi-Family Group, he saw his role as an advisor and facilitator for entrepreneurs and investors with substantial personal wealth. He made it his personal mission to tailor his services to client needs in ways that the competition could not match. AUREA Multi-Family Group and its subsidiaries serve both traditional and alternative investors acting on behalf of themselves or a corporation.

Raffaele Riva derives great personal satisfaction from offering his clients valuable services and advice that can transform their lives. One of the first things on his mind after he wakes up each morning is to ask himself how he can serve his clients better that day. His worldview has always been one of serving. Even when clients do not take his advice, it is important to him that he offers them value.

The attitude of giving and not receiving that Riva and his business partners embrace has allowed them to develop a stellar reputation among their peers in the international finance field. The partners are deeply knowledgeable about business topics while maintaining an empathetic, service-oriented position towards everyone with whom they come in contact.

5 HOT Gig Economy Side Hustles To Level Up Your Income in 2023

Travon Marner
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5 HOT Gig Economy Side Hustles To Level Up Your Income in 2023

Have you considered supplementing your regular income with a side hustle? You’re not alone. Last year, 59 million U.S. residents took on some kind of freelance work, many serving in the gig economy. These money-motivated hopefuls have tried nearly every gig opportunity under the sun – whether driving for Uber, delivering food for Seamless, running errands, dog walking, freelance remote work and other side hustles. These brave people put in the time and now you don’t have to, you can get right to flipping without the hassle of playing Russian Roulette with side gig opportunities.

Some of the best parts of these types of jobs are in the flexibility they offer. The gigs are temporary, freelance, and sometimes by contract. This means that if you occasionally have free time, you can pick up work only during those periods.

This still-emerging economy is allowing millennials opportunities they may not have had otherwise. They are generating side income, building wealth, and even becoming business owners using the power of gig work.

A step beyond taking on part-time gig economy work is making that gig your main source of income. Many people are choosing to leave their more-stable jobs to work solely as an independent contractor. While this option presents risks, the rewards are often seen as worth it. These individuals have independence and can live a more fulfilling life than that of their overworked corporate counterparts.

While joining the gig economy may seem great to you, you’ll find the most success if you don’t jump in blind. There are many online resources that will teach you how to find your niche and expand on it, creating a main income source.

Photo and Video Editing

Through sites like Fiverr and Upwork, photo and video editors are in high demand. Whether it’s subcontracting for wedding photographers, editing product photos to make them look perfect, helping out overworked journalists, or creating videos for a family’s special event, it’s a great gig you can do in your spare time at your home computer.

To learn the tricks of the trade, try PiXimperfect, a free, all-in-one resource for anyone looking to learn Photoshop and all the tips and tricks of photo editing.

Some other great resources you can find on YouTube are Film Booth and Jack Cole. Film Booth can teach you everything you need to know about being successful on the YouTube platform and Cole is one of the best online teachers for video editing. His YouTube channel lets you learn everything about Premiere Pro and much more.

His video tutorials make things easy, and never speak in overcomplicated ways — making him a perfect teacher for beginners. Viewers can learn everything from the basics of Adobe Premiere Pro, like how to use tools and shortcuts, to more advanced features, such as creating custom transitions and green screens.

Social Media Marketing

Another hot and in-demand gig is social media marketing. It’s perfect for people that are always online and hip to the internet’s trends and the latest developments.

LOCALiQ is a free digital resource that shows you how to use social media to get the right kind of reach and how to run campaigns that result in sustained business growth — not just likes and follows.

Short-Term Rentals

When it comes to renting out your space to travelers, businesspeople, and vacationers, Airbnb is still your best bet, though alternatives like Vrbo are becoming more popular every day.

Sean Rakidzich, the world’s top-rated short term rental YouTuber and influencer and Airbnb superhost, has made more than $10 million on the platform and went on to found Airbnb Automated to teach others how to automate their Airbnb business and free up more of their time.

Rakidzich and Airbnb Automated are widely considered the top educators in short-term rentals. His YouTube videos are a great place to start learning about how you can get involved in short-term rentals too.

The company has been featured in Financial Insider and The Financial Times, which noted that the rental expert rents over 150 arbitrage properties and teaches others his secrets.

A successful client of Rakidzich, Mike Stone, a former lawyer, quit his job at a law firm because he had grown tired of the long hours and meeting client demand. After COVID-19 hit, he was able to become a highly profitable short-term rental business owner.

“I built this business from the ground up during and immediately after the pandemic,” he said. “Sean and Cracking Superhost are the reasons I was able to find success on Airbnb quickly and avoid brutal mistakes up front. Very grateful to have met Sean.”

Copywriting

If you’ve got a way with words, copywriting for companies and individuals could be the gig for you. Udemy’s Copywriting Quick Start is an online course for beginners designed to boost your copywriting skills and help you become a better writer with the internet’s best free writing tools and hacks.

Another great resource designed to make copywriting easier is chat GBT. Chat GBT is A.I. technology that will answer any questions you ask it or help you complete certain tasks, like rewriting articles or helping you make something sound more professional.

We asked Rakidzich about his thoughts on Chat GPT. He said, “It’s an amazing tool. You could call it a more sophisticated google. If you know how to ask the right questions, you can get immense value from the A.I. I just used it to help build a framework for one of my YouTube videos. It allowed me to do the creative heavy lifting for a video without having to get into a creative mindset.”

With these resources relating to the growing gig economy, you’re sure to find your sweet spot for money-making in no time.

Ghost Kitchens

One of the newer gigs is a ghost kitchen. A ghost kitchen is essentially a physical space where food is made, but there are no hosts to seat you, no waiters to serve you, or even a space for you at all. These operations create their menu items for off-premises enjoyment only.

These gigs became increasingly popular during the pandemic, when many restaurants had to close their doors to customers. Companies, like Grubhub and Doordash, would be great resources to use to get your food out to the public. An additional perk is that your listing would look just like that of a restaurant, allowing anyone with a hold up to reserve their judgment.

What does 2023 have in store for you? Are you ready to jump into the gig economy and take back your finances? We aren’t betting journalists, but if we had to pick, Rakidzich has proven to be an amazing business coach and not just in the area of Airbnb and short-term rentals. Start there and see where the year takes you!

 

Solving the Problem of an Incohesive Brand Narrative

Esperanza Squire
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Solving the Problem of an Incohesive Brand Narrative

“So, tell me about yourself.” It’s a question that as individuals almost all of us have been asked from job interviews, to first dates, dinner parties, and all kinds of social interactions. It’s a simple question, but boy is it a big one. Many of us stumble, offering up an anecdote, or maybe some resume tidbits like where we went to school. Few of us lead with a well-crafted, succinct, and compelling answer off-the-cuff. Because the fact is, while it’s a common question, most people have never thought of the answer. But for brands, answering this question is a high stakes proposition. The very success and failure of their business depends on their ability to not only nail the answer, but making it entertaining.

Ryan Kutscher and his team at Circus Maximus have been pondering this challenge, and have earned an international reputation for helping clients respond to this crucial, fundamental question. And by so doing have helped them create organizational clarity, and clear communications that help win new customers, and grow their business. It begins with the fundamental premise that every brand needs a unique and interesting brand narrative. Award winning and witty Circus Maximus has some tips to help you build yours.

What is a Brand Narrative?

Most simply, a ‘brand narrative’ can be defined as “the story of an organization’s purpose, position and identity”: A vision, carefully articulated in a way that makes it compelling to anyone who hears it. At Circus Maximus, Ryan and his team delve into an Eastern Asian philosophy called “Ikigai”, which incorporates one’s sense of purpose into their brand’s marketing. It’s a thought exercise that yields some surprising results.

“Ikigai is about finding that space that’s unique to you, and it’s the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world finds valuable, and what you could be paid for.” Thinking about your brand through the framework of Ikigai is a humanistic way of creating a clear narrative that makes people want to connect with and buy from your company. Understanding your brand’s Ikigai could also be the key to the perfect response to any of the vague questions that prompt you to introduce yourself; those questions are a lot easier when you know who you are and what you are about.

What are you passionate about?

Now that we understand what a brand narrative even is, it’s time to note important aspects to consider when establishing your own brand narrative.

The first consideration is the obvious: “What is your company passionate about doing?” While the question seems like brand marketing 101, more brands struggle with the basics than you might think. Circus Maximus knows that clearly defining your company’s passion is step one to developing your brand narrative and subsequently reaching more clients. And notice that it’s framed as an emotion rather than simply a question of “what do you do?”

And by the way, you might have to simplify the message considerably and that’s ok. Whether you are offering world class razors for shaving or revitalizing data computation systems, you and your clients need to understand exactly what drives the company to get out of bed.

What are you good at and is it something the world needs?

So you’ve determined what your company loves doing— its purpose, it’s why, if you will. The next step of building your brand narrative is to determine your what. Ask your marketing content “what do you do” and see if it can answer you in an engaging way. What makes your processes better than those of your cheaper competitors? Why does the world need this? It’s a way of thinking about what you offer the world from the world’s perspective. Your answer to this consideration needs to be a part of your company’s brand, and it also needs to be communicated: clearly, and in multiple ways. This is basically, ‘why should anyone care?’

One of Circus Maximus’ values is “If it isn’t interesting, it doesn’t matter,” and they are true to their word. Consider that the average attention span of an adult is now under 8 seconds. Attention spans are getting exponentially shorter, which means the need to capture attention quickly is getting exponentially more important. Think of your favorite commercials. You probably don’t remember them because they describe every step of their process in excruciating detail. Humans remember stories or content that engages their emotions in some way, and how a product is marketed makes a big difference. Circus Maximus works to create content that matters. “We make content that aligns with your brand narrative while engaging the right customers with the right message at the right time.” They understand their how, and they can help you describe yours too.

Is it valuable?

Finally, to build a brand narrative, you need to frame the value of what you’re offering. Are you helping someone move along in their journey? Solving a real problem? Knowing the value you offer helps communicate your story in a way that will resonate with them. Brand narratives must engage their audience in a way that feels connected and understood. Ryan Kutscher and his team know that it’s important to consider “how this adds value to the world,” and work from there. Knowing who your audience is, and what’s important to them is the key to reaching them.

So, tell me about yourself

The next time you are faced with this situation, pause and think of your brand’s purpose. According to the pros at Circus Maximus, “Your brand needs to have a clear understanding of what gets it out of bed every morning, what they do, how they do it, and whom they do it for.” From there, Circus Maximus can create a marketing platform that’s interesting, that matters, and that changes the game for your brand narrative.

Contact Circus Maximus to create a brand narrative that tells your audience everything it needs to know.

Biproxi Has Commercial Real Estate Investors & Brokers Swiping Right

Rachel Knox
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Biproxi Has Commercial Real Estate Investors & Brokers Swiping Right

As anyone on dating apps will tell you, the process of swiping and liking is not exactly difficult. In fact, given the right circumstances, creating your profile and scrolling through potential connections can even be fun, though the actual dating experience is a different story. Awkward dating stories aside, other business platforms have noticed the sensationalized dating process and are making changes to their own consumer interactions.

As far back as 2012, Tinder and other dating apps have received considerable notoriety from generations young and old. It seems that, regardless of how consumers feel about dating culture, the public enjoys the idea of “swiping right” enough that car retailers, animal shelters, and even commercial real estate companies have adopted similar platforms.

Meet Biproxi

Biproxi is the commercial real estate platform that is taking the idea of dating apps and revolutionizing it, not for singles, but for mid-sized enterprises looking to invest in commercial real estate. Co-founded by Gordon Smith, Ember Erickson, and Tabitha Satterfield, Biproxi hopes to alleviate the tension for companies in the middle market by providing the tools for both investors and brokers to get noticed. Ember Erickson notes that the companies in the middle market tend to be the most fragmented in real estate opportunities, and that they tend to have reduced access to the real estate resources of the massive enterprises. “We bring all the tools that that broker would need, or those investors would need, in that middle market, and create this entire ecosystem for them to transact as efficiently as some of those people on the institutional side.”

With Biproxi’s platform, brokers can gain credibility while investors are immediately connected to what they are looking for. The commercial real estate industry has always been reluctant and slow to change, putting it about ten years behind the residential real estate playing field. Biproxi is ready to bring the commercial real estate industry into the present, and the present takes preferences into account.

Find your match

Create a profile: Like the dating apps, Biproxi investors and brokers begin the process by creating a profile. You know the deal; you need to tell a little about yourself and explain what you are looking for. Ember notes that the investor preferences and qualifications help to populate the broker’s dashboard with credible and interested investors. “We give the investor the chance to paint a picture of who they are and what their experience is, complete with their credentials and their qualifications. Then, we populate that information in the broker’s dashboard.” No more properties $50 million dollars outside of your price range or tire kickers misdirecting a sale. Biproxi turns the “single person seeking _______” on its head to work for the real estate industry. With these preferences in mind, the Biproxi platform can start matchmaking investors and brokers who can satisfy each other’s needs.

Explore your options: Once the investors have been shortlisted for the brokers’ listings, the Biproxi process is similar for both investors and brokers. Both tracks offer a verified Commercial Real Estate marketplace, investor matching, private listings, and a data explorer function. Biproxi’s offerings give middle market brokers the power to stand out and set their listing above the rest with some innovation and matching, just like in the dating apps.

Find your match: Similar to group meetups, Biproxi also provides brokers the opportunity to host live online auctions or events. And unlike Biproxi’s competitors, who function like full service auction houses and charge higher fees, Biproxi’s events can be as exclusive as the brokers wish, allowing them to be private and invite only. No longer can random investors with illegitimate offers and shady backing sneak in and disturb the process of the property auction. Biproxi gives brokers the resources to find credible investors and properties that meet their criteria with “the only broker-controlled live bidding rooms on the market.” And because no one likes overseeing parties to impede on their dates, Biproxi allows the brokers to host the events on their own, without the typical staff necessary to hold a virtual auction. This means that Biproxi also won’t demand a cut of the profit.

Biproxi also offers brokers digital offering memorandums (OMs) to send to their clients to measure marketing success, which saves time and energy for all involved. “Digital OMs are the fast and flexible alternative to traditional PDFs.” Digital OMs offer stats and information that a typical PDF cannot, such as which investors have viewed the document and potentially how interested they are. The Briproxi OMs help brokers “get analytics on who has viewed the OM, where they came from and how long they spent viewing it. They can receive leads right on the OM.” Knowing who is interested instead of who is merely browsing can help brokers target their efforts towards investors in their league, if you will. No more dashed hopes for barking up the wrong tree. Within an industry that clings to its traditions, Biproxi uses technology to make both the investors and the broker’s lives simpler, and perhaps less lonely.

Start swiping

Biproxi is simplifying the commercial real estate relationships by implementing some strategies from our favorite dating websites into their own online platform. With the investor and broker profiles, both parties have legitimate potential partners right on their dashboards that they can peruse or refuse. Biproxi also provides a number of tools to facilitate the partnerships such as live auctions, private listings, and a Verified Commercial Real Estate marketplace. Out with the traditional slow processes of the commercial real estate industry. Biproxi is modernizing the investor and broker communication platforms so that everyone can find their match.

5 Ways You Can Prepare For A Recession

Travon Marner
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5 Ways You Can Prepare For A Recession

During a recession, markets have a tendency of pulling back, and the stock market may proceed into a bear market (this is where stock prices drop 20% or more from their most recent highs). Companies may freeze hiring, lay off workers or cut hours in order to stay afloat. Also, as demand for consumer products decrease, businesses tend to have a difficult time selling their inventory. This results in a situation where goods that were once “out of stock” or in extremely high demand may suddenly become available.

Here are 5 ways you can prepare for a recession:

  1. Ensure your financial plan is up-to-date

Nobody wants to be found in an awkward position when times get tough because you haven’t planned for a recession in advance.

Some factors to consider when reviewing your investment:

  • What is your reason for investing? Is it a short-term objective such as putting a down payment on a house, or something more long-term like planning for retirement?
  • How long were you planning to sustain your investment? Is it a couple of months, years, or are you dealing with a longer timeframe?
  • Where are your investments? Have you invested all your money in a few assets, or have you diversified your investments?
  • What action will you take if stock market prices drop 10%, 20% or 30%? Hold, sell, or buy?
  • Will you require any of the cash invested in the near future? How shielded from market volatility do you need to be in order to stay afloat?
  1. Review Your Budget

It’s important to ask yourself, “How much income do I need to settle my bills and living expenses?” This is your basic earnings needed to survive, and you should make sure you can continue to earn this amount.

Are You Being Too Cautious in Retirement?

If you are married, plan for how your budget may look like if you or your spouse loses their job. If your budgets are constrained, look for areas where you can reduce spending, loans can be refinanced and some bills can be eliminated. Look for a healthy recovery in portfolio income and make some careful investments.

  1. Fully Fund Your Emergency Savings

As a general rule, you should have at least 3 months’ worth of expenses or $3,000 saved for an emergency, whichever amount is higher. A recession provides an excellent opportunity to become more aggressive and save for at least 6 months’ worth of expenses or $6,000, whichever amount is higher. Make sure your emergency cash is easily accessible and not held up in any investment to avoid potential losses from market instability.

  1. Pay Down Debt

Manage your debt by settling any high interest loans and credit card debts now when you still have a decent wage and the economic times are generally still bearable. You should also put a lot of emphasis on your credit rating in the event you need to borrow during an emergency.

  1. Network and earn extra money

Staying in touch with your professional network may improve your chances of landing a job, which could be useful in the event you need additional income or lose your job during a recession. You can also search for part-time jobs or consider starting a business you want to build now as a means of earning some passive income in the long-term, thereby diversifying your sources of income.

Although a recession may sound scary, it’s an unavoidable occurrence. We’ve experienced in 2001, 2009, and 2020 in this century alone. Educating yourself on the telltale signs of a recession, along with adequate preparation, is the best way to stay ahead of the curve and protect your interests.

Dr. Kim R. Grimes Shares What Young Adults Can Do to Thrive after the Pandemic

Travon Marner
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Dr. Kim R. Grimes Shares What Young Adults Can Do to Thrive after the Pandemic

Dr. Kim R. Grimes’ world fell apart when she was 24 years old. Her husband, Lafayette, was confused for a deer by an illegal hunter who left him to die after shooting him.

It was at that moment that Dr. Grimes’ identity started to crumble and she eventually spiraled into a vicious cycle of depression, low self-esteem, and emotional pain. “I was angry with God and with everybody. I made a lot of bad decisions because I was unconsciously trying to harm myself,” she recalls.

It took her some years of rediscovery to overcome that, but finally, she rose to get her life back and give it a meaning it never had before.

Those hard times taught her how to know and love herself in a way she didn’t think was possible.

“I became a woman full of gratitude, passion for life and a desire to help people that are struggling like I was once.”

Dr. Grimes devoted herself to studying how to help people become the best version of themselves. While working as a computer engineer and serving in the military, she acquired certifications for Emotional, Spiritual, Professional, Leadership, Transformation, and Dream Life Coaching.

Shortly after, Dr. Grimes started using her gifts, talent and skills to support people of all ages in overcoming low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, and many other tribulations. Although she works with people of all ages, her passion and calling is foremost towards teenagers and young adults.

“When I am working with young people, I see myself in their eyes,” she explains, “everybody is telling them they’re not worthy: social media, their schoolmates and sometimes even their families. When they finally understand that they are valuable, it is a priceless experience for me.”

Over the last 25 years, Dr. Kim R. Grimes has organized numerous seminars and training sessions. She founded Living Abundantly, Inc. (LA), Living Abundantly Youth Vision (LAYV), Life Abundant Enrichment Center (LAEC), and co-authored a bestselling book: Unbreakable Spirit: Rising Above the Impossible.

She also hosts a podcast to help people, young and mature, love themselves and be who they are without apologizing to anyone.

COVID hit and left a myriad of effects related to our physical health, but perhaps even more to our emotional well-being.

Isolation, economic problems, and truncated projects have left a pandemic of depression and low self-value which has been particularly hard on teenagers and young adults.

Dr. Kim R. Grimes has the mission of helping as many young women and men as possible. “I need to encourage young people because they’re the future. I go everywhere I believe I can reach them,” she states.

She keeps hosting conferences, training programs, and one-on-one sessions to help people understand their value and to find their true identity in life.

With the same goal, Dr. Grimes shared with us advice to teenagers and young adults to help them get back on track during these difficult years.

Ask yourself LALA

Dr. Grimes rose above her struggles because she learned how to look inwards. She realized that she was desperately looking for answers to the same questions during her youthful years.

Now she helps young people to ask themselves these questions which she has distilled in the acronym LALA:

  • What I LIKE about myself is…
  • What I APPRECIATE about myself is…
  • What I LOVE about myself is…
  • What I ADMIRE about myself is…

Asking yourself the previous questions is a starting point to uncover your personality, gifts, talents, and all the things that make you unique and worthy of love. Start with asking the four questions for seven days. Journal your answers and read the sentences out loud in front of a mirror. The caveat is that you can not repeat any  answers among the questions in the entire week.

Dr. Grimes considers this exercise so effective that she keeps practicing it herself.

Practice loving yourself unapologetically

The flood of information in today’s life makes it easy to lose ourselves. Our social and family circles set rigid expectations and create in all of us the need to conform.

It might seem like a common place, but the truth is you are unique in your personality, talents, personal history, and purpose, and that is something amazing in itself.

Being able to see and experience life in a way no one else can is one of the things that makes life so interesting and enjoyable. It also puts you in an ideal position to find a unique purpose that will give you fulfillment.

Dr. Grimes explains: “Our life has meaning because of how we were created, so thinking about our greatness is something we should exercise all the time.”

Your greatness resides in the things that you can do; what you have gone through and endured; the work you have put into becoming a better version of yourself, and your perseverance in living your best life and learning from it.

Identify what you love about life and your purpose will be revealed. Once you know your purpose, follow it unapologetically.

No matter what you do, people are gonna talk about you. You do not have time to worry about that, instead, keep going after your dreams.

Dr. Grimes says: “Stop playing small! Start by giving yourself permission to be you, unapologetically! Because no one is better at being you than you.”

Reach out to your family, loved ones, and people that can help you

As a young person, sometimes it is difficult to open up about what we feel, the questions we have, or what we need, emotionally.

The pandemic has also brought a sense of loneliness and instilled into us an isolation mindset that manifests in many areas of our lives.

We should push against that. We should reach out to people who love us, especially if we are not feeling right. Talk to your family or your close friends about the way you feel, and look for a space where your emotions and concerns are validated, and where you can be helped.

Dr. Kim R. Grimes has devoted her life to supporting people, especially teenagers, and young and mature adults struggling with these concerns. She is an accomplished and recognized Emotional Literacy Coach and mentor who has helped hundreds of people overcome insecurity, depression, and many other struggles.

If you feel like you need help, don’t hesitate to contact her through her Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. She is eager to get to know you and walk with you toward a life full of unapologetic self-love and purpose.

Christopher Terry, IM Mastery Academy CEO, Launches New MMX Academy

Travon Marner
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Christopher Terry, IM Mastery Academy CEO, Launches New MMX Academy

For Christopher Terry, IM Mastery Academy co-founder and CEO, a positive mindset is the foundation of education. Terry founded the Academy to provide students from around the world with the opportunity to learn about financial markets with the help of online resources.

Since its establishment in 2013, the Academy has grown to encompass topics beyond financial markets, but through it all, the focus on helping students develop a self-confident, positive mindset has never wavered. This focus underlies each of the Academy’s eight distinct services, which range in content from financial markets to social media branding.

But with the establishment of the new Mindset Mastery (MMX) Academy, Christopher Terry’s IM Mastery Academy mindset is front and center. Launched in November 2022, MMX Academy is dedicated to helping students develop strategies to build a psychological outlook that can help lead to deeper learning and connections.

The goal is to encourage students to grasp the connection between one’s cultivation of an internal approach and the way in which that approach translates to the external world.

“Understand, you need to change your thoughts and words if you want to create a better reality,” explained Terry in a recent Instagram post. “Get rid of negative words like ‘I can’t, I shouldn’t do that, I need this, I’m not good enough, I don’t deserve that,’ and replace those with ‘I am’ affirmations: ‘I am powerful, I am creating my own world, I am in control, I am loved, I am healthy.’ Attract results into your life by affirming your future reality.”

Christopher Terry’s IM Mastery Academy Mindset

The mindset that serves as the foundation of the Academy’s approach to education is one of positivity, hard work, and an openness to mentorship.

When Christopher Terry founded IM Mastery Academy, he set out to establish tools to help cultivate this mindset in the context of financial education.

The Academy initially focused on studying strategies that applied to markets such as the foreign exchange (forex) market. However, as IM Mastery Academy grew, Christopher Terry realized that the mindset guiding its approach to educating students on financial markets could apply to other areas.

The idea was that a focus on hard work, positive self-talk, and building relationships through live mentorship sessions could provide students with a flexible alternative to traditional educational systems. Terry thought this could help self-motivated individuals build a supportive community of members focused on pursuing education on their own terms.

“We are a living, breathing, creative magnet. It’s imperative to demand the best and operate with the highest standards. It’s not ego, it’s confidence. Know you’re special, know you’re made special, and have a gift inside to share with the world,” said Terry in another post.

For Christopher Terry, IM Mastery Academy is designed to draw on both the power of self-motivation and the support of a community, and cultivating a mindset that strikes the right balance of these two features is a cornerstone of what he sees as the way to approach education in any area.

With this approach in mind, IM Mastery Academy has continued to expand its offerings of educational resources and other services. In addition to MMX, in 2022, the Academy launched the TBX Academy on time-based intraday exchange strategies, the SFX Academy on the stock and futures markets, and the SMX Academy on developing a social media presence. It also launched the TLX travel and lifestyle service, which enables members to book hotels and resorts at discounted rates and sign up for themed trips with other members and educators.

These new offerings round out a lineup of services that also includes the FRX Academy on the foreign exchange market, the DCX Academy on digital currencies, and the ECX Academy on e-commerce.

While these academies and services cover disparate territory, they share a foundation in Christopher Terry’s IM Mastery Academy mindset that positivity, commitment, and community can help take an educational pursuit as far as an individual is willing to go.

How Does the MMX Academy Work?

The MMX Academy foregrounds mindset and mentorship, but it applies similar techniques to those that IM Academy uses to educate students on topics such as financial markets, e-commerce, and social media.

IM Mastery Academy’s model involves combining asynchronous learning materials, such as readings and videos, with the opportunity to engage in discussion with Academy educators via GoLive sessions. These live online discussions give students the opportunity to ask questions about the material they are studying and learn directly from educators about their approach to mindset and learning strategies.

The focus on live mentorship opportunities distinguishes IM Mastery Academy from many other online academies. This focus stems from Christopher Terry’s belief that mentorship is essential, even for online education.

With MMX, IM Mastery Academy hopes to foster this educational mentorship and help students develop the positive approach Christopher Terry espouses.

“Whatever you feed your mind today will affect you tomorrow. If your thoughts and intentions are pure, so will your actions [be]. If you’re feeding your mind with negativity, it will show up in your activity,” said Terry in another post. “We have a choice of how we are going to respond. We have a choice if we are going to consciously protect our mind. Always be positive, think positive, and act positive.”

Note: IM Mastery Academy is an educational platform and does not provide personalized financial or investment recommendations or access to trading platforms or broker services.

Amy Sinton: Self-Awareness & Knowing Your Strengths

Esperanza Squire
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Amy Sinton: Self-Awareness & Knowing Your Strengths

Self-awareness is the awareness of one’s own mental and emotional states. Research has shown that leaders who are also self-aware are more effective in their roles. Self-awareness may be cultivated in several ways, including establishing limits and exercising self-control.

Self-Awareness

Successful people have a deep understanding of the concept of self-awareness. Knowing how your thoughts, feelings, and abilities fit together shows self-awareness. Self-awareness helps you realize that how you view yourself may vary from how others do. It gives you the knowledge to make good choices that will enhance your life.

Understanding your weaknesses and talents might help you identify the necessary resources to succeed in a challenging professional setting. This inventory takes a comprehensive look at your current situation. You may already know that your lunchtime is prime time for mobile gaming, but self-awareness may shed light on the precise motivations behind this habit. One approach to relieve stress or get some time away from work is to play a game. Self-awareness frees you to invest more time and energy into getting to know your inner workings.

What Role Does Knowing Oneself Have In Leadership And The Corporate World?

Leaders might come across as arrogant if they lack self-awareness. How can you run a firm if you have no interpersonal skills or sense of when you’ve gone too far? Awareness of one’s shortcomings is essential in any professional setting. Consider self-awareness’s importance in situations such as making sales presentations or responding to criticism. If you are unaware of your reactions or do not know how to avoid a negative one, you may be in a sticky situation.

The ability to reflect on one’s performance may be very useful in public speaking. Whether it’s a pitch, a speech, or just a letter read out loud at a meeting, many individuals experience anxiety. Gaining insight into oneself is useful. You may rehearse your presentation without using filler words by having an audience member applaud whenever you use one. If you have trouble staying still during presentations, sitting at a table with your customer or utilizing a podium will help.

Positive Outcomes From Consciously Recognizing And Appreciating One’s Strengths And Weaknesses Having an understanding of oneself has the following advantages:

  • Promotes caring for one’s fellow man: Being in tune with one’s feelings allows for more compassion. In the long run, this may aid in connecting with others.
  • Strengthens the ability to think critically. Self-awareness may be achieved via introspection. Doing so may sharpen your capacity for critical thought via introspection.
  • Leadership capacity is enhanced. As a leader, self-awareness means realizing how your unique blend of characteristics influences your relationships with others. Gaining insight into yourself may help you take charge of your development and empower you to become a more effective leader.
  • Gives you greater self-control: The ability to recognize and comprehend one’s feelings without giving in to them is a hallmark of self-awareness. You may show greater self-control and less anger in response to professional problems.
  • It Improves your ability to think outside the box and come up with original answers to difficulties on the job.

Developing A Deeper Understanding Of Who You Are And Why You Exist

To learn more about yourself, try doing the following.

Find Those Who Can Aid You

Find somebody willing to mentor and guide you toward greater self-awareness from your social circle, professional network, or family and friends. Try to find someone who will give you honest, insightful criticism of your ideas and conduct.

A mentor’s Insight might give you a new perspective on your strengths and weaknesses. Your mentors are in the best position to assist you in developing a healthy self-awareness since they know you well and have direct access to your inner workings. Maintain regular contact with your mentor so that you may evaluate your development together.

Be Receptive To Criticism And Comments

One of the best ways to learn about oneself is to listen to others and take criticism in your stride. You should listen to the advice of your elders and incorporate it into your everyday life. When you listen attentively to another person’s viewpoint, you might get valuable insight into your strengths and areas for growth.

Being receptive to criticism allows you to examine your virtues and vices thoroughly. Additionally, if you want to grow in self-awareness, you should resist feeling defensive when your mentor’s perspective differs from yours.

Conclusion

Opportunities to grow in self-awareness may be found in formal processes like performance reviews, employment evaluations, and appraisals. Your sense of self will improve due to the insights gained throughout the review of your progress and performance.

To learn more about Amy Sinton, visit

Abdullatif Al Shelash Talks Past and Present Challenges of Home Loans in Saudi Arabia

Travon Marner
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Abdullatif Al Shelash Talks Past and Present Challenges of Home Loans in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Home Loans board member Sheikh Abdullatif Al Shelash shares that his company has long been a benefactor in helping Saudis obtain home financing options. With a meticulous focus on increasing homeownership throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the business whiz emphasizes how far mortgages have come in such a short span of time.

Mortgages only became law in Saudi Arabia 11 years ago, and ever since, Sheikh Abdullatif Al Shelash explains Saudi Home Loans has been trailblazing in shaping the mortgage market there, where a two-decades-long mortgage was once considered a huge risk.

He attributes a dip in interest rates over the past 10 years to allowing Saudi Home Loans to better infiltrate the Saudi market. “[It has] also promoted the mortgage industry in a much, much better way,” Al Shelash adds.

As one of the first mortgage lenders to spearhead the Saudi market, Abdullatif Al Shelash says providing financial solutions through Shariah-compliant services has been at the forefront of Saudi Home Loans’ mission since it began in 2007.

And Saudi Home Loans hasn’t slowed its momentum in 16 years of operation. The firm announced last month that it had received a license to practice the financing of small and medium establishment and consumer financing activity as part of the business’s strategy to expand its menu of financing to accommodate the long-term goals of homeownership in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Sheikh Abdullatif Al Shelash Reveals What Sets Saudi Home Loans Apart

Customer care and satisfaction coupled with a hardworking team are some of the cornerstones of Saudi Home Loans’ success. And SHL’s contribution to Saudi society hasn’t gone unnoticed. The brand has been awarded multiple accolades, including Best Real Estate Finance Company in Saudi Arabia in 2017 by Arabian Enterprise Awards, and Best New Investment Product 2017 by the Banker Middle East KSA Awards. That same year it also won the KSA Product Award. Continuing the corporate culture of offering the best in service, on its website, Saudi Home Loans offers clients easy access tools such as a quick quote calculator, an affordability calculator, and a convenient online application process. In addition to residential financing solutions, there are commercial and retail financing options, too.

While securing home loans in previous years was a struggle, Sheikh Abdullatif Al Shelash says it’s gotten easier. “Banks are becoming right now more understanding of the real estate markets,” Abdullatif Al Shelash observes.

In another positive move to bolster mortgages in Saudi Arabia, the loan term has been lengthened from 25 years to 30 years to give borrowers more flexibility.

“Previously, if you want[ed] to get a mortgage on a home, they [would] take the assets or the home of no value when considering the mortgage applications,” Al Shelash says.

Abdullatif Al Shelash recalls working with investors in 2005 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital city.

“They wanted to purchase a home, 400 square meters, for 800,000 Saudi riyals [approximately $213,333], and they’re coming up with cash on that,” Abdullatif Al Shelash says. “And I tell them, well, why buy cash? Just put 80,000 and mortgage the rest for 20 years, and whatever cash you have, just go and buy another land adjacent to it. That’s a much better use for your cash.”

Mortgages Matter Now More Than Ever, According to Abdullatif Al Shelash

As a financial expert, Sheikh Abdullatif Al Shelash says he’s no stranger to taking his own advice, especially when it comes to mortgages. He says he holds mortgages on his real estate purchases and it’s done with purpose. While he admits some Saudis still fear being tethered to a 20-plus year mortgage debt, it’s still a better use for one’s funds.

“There’s going to be more appreciation,” Sheikh Abdullatif Al Shelash points out. “The houses that you have purchased in 2005 for 800,000 Saudi riyals right now are valued at 3 million Saudi riyals.”

Despite only serving a fraction of the market, Al Shelash says Saudi Home Loans was one of the first companies that actually received a license from the Central Bank in Saudi and continues to be an industry leader.

“[The] mortgage business is a viable business in Saudi,” he adds.

As Saudi Arabia’s housing demands continue to increase, Abdullatif Al Shelash says it only makes sense for Saudi’s mortgage market to grow. PwC Middle East reports that in 2021, Saudi Arabia’s housing demands reached 99,600 homes — and that number is slated to double within the next seven years.

The private sector is also playing a pivotal role in Saudi’s real estate development, and Abdullatif Al Shelash says Saudi construction regulations are adjusting in a positive way. Only within the past 15 years, he says, has a crackdown on code standardizations taken place.

“Right now, we’re seeing the building codes coming out,” Al Shelash observes. “We’re seeing more regulation coming to the construction sector to really organize it for individual buildings.”

He says this is contributing to the overall value of Saudi real estate and the Kingdom’s economy.

More than $1 trillion has been invested in Saudi real estate and infrastructure with eight new cities in the works set to pop up along the coast of the Red Sea, reports S&P Global Ratings agency.

As a board member of Saudi Home Loans, Sheikh Abdullatif Al Shelash is optimistic that even more Saudis will continue to fulfill their dream of homeownership in years to come. As one of the first people to take the reins in drafting mortgage laws in Saudi Arabia, it has become a process that Al Shelash is happy to be involved in — and he’s been working toward this goal for a long time. “There was a hope for the mortgage laws to come out in 2008,” he recalls.

However, things did not change in Saudi until 2012. Now, Al Shelash says the potential for mortgage growth in Saudi Arabia has only one way to go — and that is up. Saudi Home Loans is the largest real estate finance company in the Saudi market and shows an annual growth rate of 40% in net profit over the past few years.

“We’re also seeing many innovative ideas. We’re seeing more materials are coming out, much more, better, efficient lighting that will really save energy,” he says. “Initiatives are really taking place right now to really do that kind of improvement.”

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