So Much Good News!

Good news is rolling in so fast around here I wanted to hit the pause button and tell you all about it. The last couple years have been a doozie and good news travels fast, it’s errrrr, contagious. I’m confident, when you hear some of this stuff, you’re not going to be able to keep it a secret. I’ll bet you’ve got a friend or two (like I do!) who could use a good pick-me-up story and some sunshine in their lives. So, let’s get started…

I’m going to miss that Boston accent!

First, and it’s not exactly “good” news, ‘cause I’m going to miss her and her Boston accent like crazy but, it’s great news for her family. Kelly’s last day was in the middle of December, her family in southern California needed her help in the biggest way. In addition to being an amazing business partner, she has one other superpower, she’s a Super Sister! Along with being a great friend, Kelly was instrumental in helping me launch Serendipity Securities. I couldn’t have done it without her, she knows it, I know it, and I want all of you to know it. She was my secret sauce and we killed it. While I never ever imagined Serendipity without Kelly, when she said she needed to leave, I put my thinking cap on. I needed someone I could trust, someone to help me out part-time until I figured out exactly what I needed in a full-time replacement. Or so I thought.

Introducing your new BF in the office, Stephanie Smith!

(Drum roll please!) I’d like to introduce you to Serendipity’s new Client Services Manager, Stephanie Smith. There are a lot of things about Stephanie that are remarkable, beginning with the lightning-fast speed she was eligible for hire in my office. Combine a Christmas miracle and Raymond James independent model and it adds up to hands down, the smoothest hire of my entire 20-year career. Zero corporate bs, zero hassle, 100% impressive. I was floored! And happy! Thank you, Raymond James, for working so hard for me!

Now, back to remarkable Stephanie. She stepped right up to the plate with her can-do attitude and her Energizer-Bunny-rivaling energy. She’s my early morning Pilates instructor in real life, bossing my sweaty socks off a few times a week at my favorite hot yoga studio. When she’s not busy being one of the studio’s favorite teachers, she’s managing her family, the ranch, and supporting her family’s flight school business. She and her husband – also Travis! – are both lifelong Santa Cruz locals. She’s a real firecracker and I can’t wait for you to meet her! If you’re local too, stop by and say hello, she’d love to meet you personally. Needless to say, I think I found Kelly’s replacement - it’s Serendipity!

I’m going to Zambia!

I launched Serendipity to Make Sisters Savvy PlanetWide. My dream aligns with my belief that: until women understand our finances, we won’t be equal – and it’s coming true! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I can’t shut up about it. You know, how it’s my mission to direct the first percent of what I earn helping y’all Savvy Sisters and Savvy Misters into a separate account, and then donate that to programs promoting women’s financial literacy?? This organization we’re supporting is the Power of Love Foundation and we’re changing lives, families and communities impacted by HIV in Zambia. I started out with a couple microloans and educational support in the spring and then on 11/11, donated to support 10 microloans with educational support. Then, even though I was sad she was leaving, I wanted to give Kelly her “Best Last Day Eva!” So, at 11:11, we popped some champagne and I had Kelly pull the trigger on 10 more microloan packages! If you’re keeping track, that brings our total to 22!! That’s hugely significant to us, because 22 is a magical number in our sphere here at Serendipity. (Read about my fascination with the number 22.)

The donations led to a phone call which led to a happy-tear-attack-inducing zoom call with the founder and her loan officers – in Zambia! The stoooories! Story after story about woman after woman making a go at being an entrepreneur and supporting their families which are mostly intergenerational and large. The microloan recipients are transforming their own lives, their families, and their communities. The founder was so impressed by what we’re doing at Serendipity and the IMPACT we are having already on women’s lives, she invited me to join her on a trip to Zambia this summer to see firsthand, our impact. We’re doing this together, you and me. Our first milestone goal is 100 microloans, if you’d like to support us in our mission, don’t keep this great story a secret! 😉

If you want to be further inspired by the meaningful work we’re doing together to support economic stability for vulnerable women in Zambia, go to www.poweroflove.org!

Serendipity Swag Saves Lives!

I spend a lot of time picking out swag that I think you’ll really use and appreciate, things that are handy IRL. The fan favorite so far? The BEANIES! I love getting pictures of clients sporting their Serendipity swag, out killing it at life. This week (3 days in a row!) I received shots from clients in their beanies. One of them was living her best life on the ski slopes, sporting her beanie and her beautiful smile on her ski pass. The other was grinning ear to ear, seizing the day out for her daily early morning meditative walk along the stunning, freezing cold, shoreline at her beachfront home in Alaska. #represent

The next was sent in an email titled “Thanks for the hat” and he went on to say: “I wanted to thank you for your LED beanie. I threw it in my pack this weekend on my way to a rock-climbing trip with my son and some of his friends. We ended up miscalculating the time it took to do the climb and ended up doing 8 repels (Going down the rope), in the dark, four hours, finally finishing at the bottom of a cave. Your hat was a life saver. 😊”

Wow! What a great story and it’s even better because this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about our beanies saving lives! A Savvy Sister in WA was on a solo hike in the cold and got disoriented on a new trail with no cell coverage. Her savvy, rechargeable Serendipity beanie saved her from a fate unknown. See, Serendipity swag saves lives! We’re just over here Making Sisters Savvy and Saving Lives - now that’s worth sharing!! Next time you put your beanie on, tell your skiing partner, walking partner, repelling partner or your yoga buddy all about it. And, if YOU have a cool story about your BEANIE, let’s hear it, we love a good story! #beanielove

It sure is a pleasure working with each of my Savvy Sisters and Savvy Misters and their families. I’m so proud to be their financial advisor and so proud of the work we are doing together.

If you’d like to join our Savvy Soirée and dial up your money confidence, connect with us. We can’t keep it a secret, being confident about money is sexy!

Any opinions are those of Serendipity^® Securities and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. The information contained in this report does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Raymond James is not affiliated with any of the referenced independent charitable organizations.