Mental Health Awareness Month - Can We Talk?

May 7, 2024 | 8:00am CT

We take mental health very seriously at Females and Finance. This was such a taboo subject for decades and I'm glad we are doing a better job of talking about it, but let's be honest. We could all do a better job of showcasing it.

Some examples of things we do at F&F to make sure everyone feels safe in our community:

1. In each video meeting we remind our attendees they do not have to turn on their camera. It can be overwhelming to think people are looking at you all the time and I would rather you - the human soul - be there on the meeting than let this be a deterrence for you to not attend.
2. In every networking meeting we also remind that if you just want to be there and not be called on, to put a note in the comments. As a community, we respect your ask. Some people just need to be there in spirit and others need to be there in sound. We honor both.
3. We encourage our Facebook Group community to use the anonymous post feature if asking a difficult question. This way, our friends and members do not have to worry that someone will know they didn't know something or feel judged.
4. There is a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for aggravated actions toward a member of our community. Period! We've had to remove individuals who felt comfortable attacking a Black member of our network. Nope! Not happening. We've had to remove allies who showed they really weren't. Not gonna happen. I'm not kidding - ZERO TOLERANCE in the F&F Community.
5. I have a Well-Being Notice in my email signature line. It says, "Well Being Notice:?Receiving this email outside of normal working hours? Managing work and life responsibilities is unique for everyone. I have sent this email at a time that works for me. Please respond at a time that works for you." I encourage you to cut-n-paste and add this to yours.

What other things have you found that work for your mental health that we should know about and try to apply? I'm all ears for being better. Because when we know better, we do better.

Stay well, everyone!

Sheryl Hickerson | Founder & CEO

• Juli McNeely of Financial Clarity by Design recently sat with our Founder & CEO Sheryl Hickerson to talk about the need for women in #FinServ, why business coaches help, and more ways to get others involved. You can catch Season 4, Episode 1 here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalesandfinance/episodes/S4E1--Juli-McNeely-with-Financial-Clarity-by-Design-e2iu696
• Liz Faircloth of The Real Estate InvestHER is in the final push for the upcoming InvestHER Con. June 2-4, 2024 in Austin, TX - check out this agenda! https://investhercon.therealestateinvesther.com/speakers-and-agenda
• Natalie Hales of Natalie Hales, Advisor Marketing shared some words on the Idea Decanter blog about The Niche Advantage. You can read it here: https://ideadecanter.com/the-niche-advantage-natalie-hales-on-attracting-perfect-fit-clients/
• Cary Carbonaro, CFP? Professional, MBA was on Lauren Hong 's Out & About Communications podcast recently talking about getting more women to join financial services - woot! Take a listen here: https://www.outandaboutcommunications.com/blog/why-financial-services-needs-more-women-and-how-we-can-support-them
• ?? Rachel Fox ?? and the team at Sunny Day Fund ?? had an article published in Financial Planning recently on Why pushing beyond financial wellness to well-being matters https://www.benefitnews.com/advisers/opinion/how-financial-wellness-supports-employee-happiness
• Sidney Snyder of Three Crowns Copywriting and Marketing LLC was recently promoted to Digital Media Manager (along with Amber Froendt, PMP? to Operations Manager!) Be sure you reach out and congratulate on this amazing news! https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/activity-7191483928984055808-oyH5
• Super proud of Elyse (Adler) Stoner, DES and Angela York of Event Advisors and they were recently on Matt Halloran's ProudMouth podcast. Take a listen and support their work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSXPuO2R1Y8
• Congrats to Lacy Garcia and the entire Willow team for their investment partnership with BlackRock ! You can read the amazing news here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240502567129/en/BlackRock-Invests-in-Willow-to-Support-Growth-of-NextGen-Investors and be sure to reach out and give Lacy your vote of support!
• Stoy Hall, CFP? of Black Mammoth was recently on Misty Lynch, CFP? 's podcast and talked about balancing mental health and wealth. You can listen in here: https://mistylynch.com/podcast/
• Nicholas J. Gertsema, CFP?, ChFC?, RICP?, AIF? and the Gertsema Wealth Advisors team should be proud! Be sure to pop over and congratulate them on RIA Team of the Year Nomination from InvestmentNews Awards! https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/ngertsema_we-are-honored-to-announce-that-the-gertsema-activity-7189667595434745856-_10X
• Mark Friedenthal of Tolerisk recently completed a #FinTech Demo for Females and Finance. You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/kg06LXcBH7o
• Robert Kirk of InterGen Data, Inc. has something coming up soon, but it's a secret? Did you see this?? https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7193323212770889729/

• (May 6 at 3pm CT) Monday Marketing Workshop: Every Monday from 3-4pm CT (barring a major holiday or business travel), our Plus Member and Partner Members will have access to the Monday Marketing Workshops. This workshop is an Introduction to Canva with resources provided and Q&A session. Register on the F&F Community App: https://www.skool.com/females-and-finance/calendar
• (May 7 at 12pm CT) Affinity Roundtable Meeting: Male Ally Network Programship with Jeff Thomas of Swan Global Investments . Our Tuesday weekly programships at Females and Finance (held at 12pm CT) are designed to help all financial professionals learn more about not only themselves and their work and supporting other colleagues, but how this work also helps them reach more business in their respective communities and areas of expertise. This event is free for anyone in #FinServ #FinTech to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuf-mhpjstHtP2JazRpBQ-U8z9Ccjhcjcv
• (May 7 at 3pm CT) Open House with Sheryl Hickerson . The first Tuesday of every month at 3pm CT is an industry-wide networking event sponsored by Females and Finance! This power hour will be dedicated to: - Learning more about YOU - Discussing an industry-related topic in an open format - Networking with new and old colleagues in the profession This event is free and anyone in financial services (or those who serve financial services) are welcome to join the call. This session's Topic will be on Mental Health and Finance. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoc-CprzspHNbW5ozDuJq96bGrAlVI8f0x
• (May 8 at 10am CT) Sip & Savor Networking. Every Wednesday at 10am CT for 55 minutes, Females and Finance paid members come together and chat about a trending topic of interest. Each week is a different discussion and vibe! The topic for this session is Financial Planning Needs for Moms. Register on the F&F Community App: https://www.skool.com/females-and-finance/calendar
• (May 8 at 3pm CT) NEW Coaching Corner. Every Wednesday at 3pm CT, Plus and Partner Members of the Females and Finance Community will have access to Coaching Corner. We will start off with a light coaching reminder for the week and then transition to a Q&A session by the members. This is a great pick-your-brain opportunity, ask detailed questions about your sales, marketing, and social media needs, meet other members, and gain introductions to invested coaches of the Females and Finance Community. The topic for this session is How to Map Your Opportunity Cost Register on the F&F Community App: https://www.skool.com/females-and-finance/calendar
• (May 9 at 3pm CT) Discover F&F. Every Thursday from 3-4pm CT (barring a major holiday or business travel), we host a 45-Minute Discover Females and Finance call with Founder and CEO, Sheryl Hickerson. You can pick a date that works for you. There can be up to 9 people on the call at a time so be camera-ready, we want you to be live on the call. When we say we are a 'community,' we take it very seriously. This event is free for anyone in #FinServ #FinTech to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsdu-hpzsrGtz02b5YH4ZCiKv2OLnxAFES

• Sheryl O'Connor of IncomeConductor has an upcoming webinar on May 7th in her Trailblazer series. This one is on Financial Literacy and will host Tony Steuer, CLU, LA, CPFFE . Register Here: https://wealthconductor.zoom.us/webinar/register/5017144888934/WN_707pIty3QmS5RhJ59zLBEQ#/registration
• Whit Lanier of Amplify Reviews recently held a #FinTech Demo with us on the importance of Reviews and Ratings. You can watch it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43y0k3Vn7V4
• Highly recommend watching this Marie Forleo episode with Mary Claire Haver, MD talk about Menopause & Medical Gaslighting. So good! https://youtu.be/W7f6G-ORNAk?si=x5kHjcUDgjjQnFrJ
• Michael Lecours, CFP? and the fpPathfinder team will be discussing TCJA Sunset Provisions later today at 12pm CT. Be sure you register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bAcdET2LQ82QyT_sFeyYrQ

• Lawsuit Against Citi Details ‘Pervasive’ Sexual Harassment via Rethinking65 https://rethinking65.com/2024/04/29/lawsuit-against-citi-details-pervasive-sexual-harassment
• A Gold Medal for America’s Rosies, the Women on the Home Front via Rethinking65 https://rethinking65.com/2024/04/13/a-gold-medal-for-americas-rosies-the-women-on-the-home-front/
• With women set to control Baby Boomers' wealth, how will RIAs respond? via Citywire RIA https://citywire.com/ria/news/with-women-set-to-control-baby-boomers-wealth-how-will-rias-respond/a2441357
• Only 26% Of Americans Have Created An Estate Plan, Survey Finds via FA Magazine https://www.fa-mag.com/news/too-many-americans-believe-estate-planning-is-only-for-the-wealthy-77934.html
• Over 70% of Low-Income Women Have No Confidence in Their Ability To Plan for Retirement — 8 Solutions That Would Help Them via Yahoo Finance https://finance.yahoo.com/news/over-70-low-income-women-230915746.html
• Financial Freedom and the Shifting Expectations of Women via Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-state-of-our-unions/202404/financial-freedom-and-the-shifting-expectations-of-women

• Form 8826 (via Peggy Haslach, CFP?,CLU? ) Eligible small businesses use Form 8826 to claim the disabled access credit. This credit is part of the general business credit. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8826
• Overlay Fact Sheet (also via Peggy Haslach, CFP?,CLU? ) Overlays are a broad term for technologies that aim to improve the accessibility of a website. They apply third-party source code (typically JavaScript) to make improvements to the front-end code of the website. https://overlayfactsheet.com/en/
• Accessible Content checklist (also via Peggy Haslach, CFP?,CLU? ) Content creators ask us all the time how to make their content more accessible. From blog posts or product pages to Word documents, rules for accessible content are almost entirely universal. Using this content checklist, you can improve the accessibility of your content and make it more available to everyone. https://accessicart.com/accessible-content-checklist/
• WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools (you guessed it - submitted by Peggy Haslach, CFP?,CLU? ) WAVE? is a suite of evaluation tools that helps authors make their web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. WAVE can identify many accessibility and Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors, but also facilitates human evaluation of web content. Our philosophy is to focus on issues that we know impact end users, facilitate human evaluation, and to educate about web accessibility. https://wave.webaim.org/
• BreezeDoc - Get e-signatures more easily. Create, manage, and send contracts, agreements, and other digital signature documents to one or multiple parties. https://breezedoc.com/
• Wizad.ai is your go-to app for effortlessly creating stunning social media posters that perfectly match your brand's identity. Say goodbye to the hassle of hiring designers or spending hours tweaking templates. https://www.wizad.ai/
• Summie.ai creates accurate summaries, key takeaways, action items and transcripts for your in-person meetings, coaching sessions, workshops and more. In addition, ask Summie anything about your meeting. Unmatched accuracy in 90+ languages, fully GDPR compliant. https://www.summie.ai/

Many thanks to our partners who make our F&F Community possible. (And if you'd like to learn more about our Partnership Program, feel free to learn more here: https://femalesandfinance.com/partnership

? GOLD PARTNERS

• Asset-Map
• Docupace
• Ficomm Partners
• InterGen Data, Inc.
• Limitless Advisor Coaching
• Nitrogen
• Optimized Insurance Planning
• Swan Global Investments

? Silver Partners

• Bold.org
• ExamFX

?? Bronze Partners

• Clarity Insurance Marketing
• Financial Advisor Magazine

??Standard Partners

• Advintro
• Advisor2X
• The Advisor Authority?
• Alpha Architect
• Amplify Reviews
• Behave Technologies (formerly Syntoniq, Inc.)
• Bonnie Noble
• Cathy Sikorski, Esq.
• Clarity Insurance Marketing
• Debra Ohstrom, CFA
• Elements
• Expressive Wealth
• Forms Logic
• fpPathfinder
• Gertsema Wealth Advisors
• Green Century Funds
• Intention.ly
• Marstone, Inc.
• Mobile Assistant
• myFloc
• Niki Clark Marketing
• OnboardXi
• Out & About Communications
• Premier Wealth Management?
• The Real Estate InvestHER
• Rethinking65
• SammyRabbit.com
• Sheryl O'Connor with IncomeConductor
• Sunny Day Fund ??
• Three Crowns Copywriting and Marketing LLC
• Tolerisk
• Top Line Focus, LLC
• WayPoint Consulting Partners
• Willow

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