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Author: @luvleensidhu

17 Aug

LuvNote #007 – Changing the Workplace

Whether you like it or not, millennials are taking over the workplace! It is estimated that by 2020, they will make up the majority and take over many leadership positions, so the workplace as we know it will become a thing of the past. If you are reading this, there’s a good chance that you are a millennial, so this is music to your ears.

As an older millennial, I remember the days of working in silos and sitting at a cluttered desk for 10-15 hours a day trying to look busy in an unproductive, hierarchical, “do-as-I-say” environment (sorry for the small rant). One of the reasons I decided to start BankMobile was to create an environment that was the opposite of what I was used to. Now that the changing of the guard is happening, there will be a big shift in what the workplace looks and feels like. The following are five ways that millennials are changing the workplace.

1. Work will be FUN!

In 1985, Cyndi Lauper came out with her smash hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Now, in 2017, it is no longer just girls who want to have fun, but a whole generation. Millennials want their work environment to not feel like a work environment. They know they are going to be spending many hours working on their respective projects, so FUN is a big part of what the workplace needs to be in order to attract and retain millennials.

2. Work will have a social mission.

Having fun is not the only thing that millennials want. They also want to make sure that the work they are doing is having a positive impact on the world in which they live. As a result, we can expect that most businesses will have a social mission attached to them when millennials are officially at the helm. No longer will working be only about making a profit, but rather it will be about profit while doing good and making the world a better place.

3. Work will be more like an entrepreneurial venture.

Gone will be the days that employees look at their work as something they are just doing to make ends meet. Because millennials want to have fun and do meaningful work, they will be fully invested in the work they do. Instead of having an environment where workers just follow orders and do what they are told, employees will be given the leeway to do their work as if they are running an entrepreneurial venture. This will likely cause employees to work for a single employer past the current average of two years. Once a millennial feels like they are in control of their growth, they feel little need to find opportunity elsewhere.

4. The typical workplace will disappear.

As millennials continue to care more about experiences and have a need for work/life balance, we will begin to see the disappearance of the traditional nine-to-five. Instead, you will see many instances where employees are given the option to work from home (or the beach) as long as they are getting their work done. You’ll also see telecommuting become the norm, variable hours that fit employees’ lifestyles, and companies adopting nontraditional workspaces.

5. Hierarchy will disappear.

Lastly, hierarchy as we know it will disappear. Millennials want mentors, not managers, so their bosses will be more like coaches instead of simply someone telling them what to do. They will help guide them and teach them how to maximize their full potential. Millennials want to feel supported and valued, so this new coach-style leadership will do well for employee retention.

All in all, many of the things that some from previous generations predict will happen to the workplace — such as high turnover, less productivity, and a false sense of entitlement — will probably not happen. When you really get to know millennials, you will realize that we are committed and dedicated to the things that meet our ideals.

So, cheers to a more fun, flexible, highly productive, socially driven, and entrepreneurial workplace that will allow employees to grow and maximize their full potential!

Note: Original article posted on Popsugar. Click here for original

17 Jul

LuvNote #006 – Make Work Fun

Traditionally speaking, work is not supposed to be fun; you do your job, get paid, and that is that. If you want to have fun, then you do that during your own time: on the weekends or during your scheduled vacation. But the truth of the matter is that when you are having fun at work, it makes for a more productive environment. In fact, statistics show that fun in the workplace leads to 51 percent lower turnover and 125 percent less burnout. So why aren’t more companies marrying the two? Perhaps it’s the fear that if there’s too much fun going on, not much work will get done. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The following are seven ways to have fun while getting things done at work.

1. Spread the Love and Set the Tone

If you want your work environment to be fun, you will have to set the tone to give others permission to do the same. Most people have a silly side to them, but because they have a fear of what other people might think, they conform to a personality that is safe and conservative. Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying to be unprofessional, but there are ways to have fun while being professional. If the energy in the office is a stuffy one, then productivity will dip. Start your fun work environment by just being you and enjoying life. The energy will begin to rub off on your colleagues.

2. Gamify Your Task

Monotony has never been good for anyone. Whenever you are doing the same things day in and day out, it doesn’t make for a fun environment. Instead of just getting your work done in a mundane way, spice it up by creating challenges that add spark to the workday. Instead of completing your task the conventional way, maybe add a timer to the task to see if you can get it done before the timer runs out. Writing a report or creating a presentation? Consider initiating a contest in which coworkers compete for the best design or most accurate report. Sky’s the limit, so use this as a way to create friendly competition within the office.

3. Schedule Activity Time With Your Coworkers

This can be going to lunch together, making a coffee run, or trying different spots for snacks. Create a ritual around the office that has nothing to do with actual work so that you can recalibrate your brain and become more productive. As you and your coworkers balance activity time with work, you will notice that you look forward to coming to work based on the scheduled adventures.

4. Take a Few Minutes Every Day to Get Up and Walk Around

What good is a luxury car that doesn’t have any gas? Making sure you are not burnt out is vital to your productivity. Take a few minutes each day to get up and walk around. Here at the BankMobile offices, we’ll randomly do push-ups as a team to get the blood flowing after being seated for so long. Don’t like push-ups? Then how about doing some jumping jacks? The goal is to keep the blood flowing in between your work.

5. Make Your Workspace Enjoyable

What you see visually adds to the enjoyment of your job, so stop allowing your space to look so dull. Decorate your office full of colors and accessories that make you come alive. Put special mementos or pictures on your desk that bring a smile to your face. Keeping your office festive will add to the good vibes that you are looking for.

6. Laugh out Loud

Work doesn’t have to be all business, all of the time. Laughing is a great way to relieve yourself from any work stress while still staying focused on your task. In fact, some believe laughter is the remedy for everything. It is also believed that laughter can be contagious, so as you begin to laugh out loud, those around you will also likely join in. Don’t force the laughter, but make it one of your goals for the day.

7. Do Something Kind For Your Coworker

Lastly, make a habit of creating an environment in which everyone at some point does a random act of kindness for a coworker. Maybe it’s done in a pay-it-forward style, so no one feels obligated to repay the person who did the act of kindness directly but instead keeps the cycle going by having coworkers look forward to something nice happening to them.

Note: Original article posted on Popsugar. Click here for original

17 Jun

LuvNote #005 – Health is Wealth

For many years, researchers have tried to draw the connection between health and wealth. It’s been stated that the healthier a person is, the more wealth they can attain. In fact, according to a Florida State University psychology professor, exhibiting self-control in one area of a person’s life affects others, so if you build up discipline in your eating habits and workout routines, you can gain the discipline needed to manage your money better. Sounds logical, right? But what if you’re looking to go beyond just managing your money better? How can you build wealth by staying healthy? Keep reading for five ways that your health can help to increase your net worth.

1. Keeps Your Brain Sharp

Success is not a matter of chance or luck; it’s based on hard work, dedication, and the ability to execute the right decisions at the right times. Whether you work a corporate job or are an entrepreneur, many of the business decisions you make will require that you have a sharp analytical mind. Feeding your body the right nutrients is vital in providing your brain with the nourishment it needs to function at its full capacity. Conversely, feeding your body the wrong things can make you sluggish and slow down your ability to make the right decisions needed to succeed, survive, and thrive in business.

2. Gives You More Energy

For the most part, building wealth and maintaining a level of success takes more than working 40 hours a week. At the end of it all, you may be feeling fatigue and want to take a power nap to recoup just to find yourself even more tired than when you began. Well, according to WebMD, a walk or light jog may be better than a nap for boosting energy and fighting fatigue. Other studies have also shown that morning workouts are best because they help your body produce more adrenaline at the beginning of the day, which helps you power through your routine to give you more energy throughout the day.

3. Keeps You Out of the Hospital

I may be stating the obvious, but there is no way you can build wealth and increase your net worth if you’re sick. The foods you decide to eat and the amount of exercise you do will have a direct effect on your health. Eating right and exercising will not only keep you out of the hospital, but it will also keep you away from needing to take medications that usually have many side effects, possibly including fatigue (among other things that are counter to what you need to be on top of your game).

4. Teaches You Perseverance

As stated earlier, maintaining good habits in one area may trickle down to other areas in your life. It’s no secret that on your journey to greatness many obstacles may try to stop you from achieving your goals. However, you must keep going when the going gets tough. This level of perseverance can be taught and trained. Will Smith once said that conquering the treadmill is necessary to conquering life. He explains that the same mind that tells you that you can’t go on while you are running is the same voice that tries to convince you to give up in life. If you learn how to silence that voice on a daily basis, you can build the grit that you need to get through some tough days in business.

5. Relieves Stress

Have you heard of endorphins? If not, endorphins are among the brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters, which serve as natural pain and stress fighters. Endorphins cause what people who run refer to as a “runner’s high.” It’s literally a body chemical that makes you feel happy and less stressed. And do you know how to activate your endorphins? You guessed it: the right food and exercise! Maintaining a good diet and workout regimen will not only keep you strong physically, but mentally as well. We all know what stress can do to our decision-making abilities, and while we continue on our journey to building wealth, we want to make sure that we stay in the right mindset. A stress-free life can literally and figuratively increase your net worth. So next time you need a reason to improve your diet or exercise routine, remember that health is wealth!

Note: Original article posted on Popsugar. Click here for original

17 Apr

LuvNote #004 – Put Passion Over Profit

T

here is a longstanding debate on whether money can buy happiness or not, with mixed results leaning towards both sides. Most would agree that it’s not money itself that makes one happy but rather it’s what can be bought with the money. However, that still begs the question: if you don’t have money, can you still be happy? For the most part, money is needed at a basic level in order to purchase the things we need in life to survive, but at what point does passion become more important than profit?

With a new awakening by many people who are more interested in their quality of life, we have compiled a list of seven reasons why loving what you do is more important than how much you make.

1. You Have a Better Chance of Living Longer

According to WebMD, studies have found that many health issues like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma worsen or increase when put in a stressful environment. When you are working at a job that you hate or a job that you are only at because of the money, you are literally taking years off of your life due to the stress that job may cause. Add to that the fact that not living out your passion adds another level of dissatisfaction, where you are doubly hurting yourself by adding potential regret to the mix.

2. You Will NEVER Fail

Albert Einstein once said, “You never fail until you stop trying.” In other words, you don’t become a failure by failing. You become a failure by giving up. When you are solely working for a paycheck and the going gets tough it becomes easier to just walk away and find something else to do, instead of sticking it out and persevering. Passion allows you to go above and beyond in everything you do. And even if something happens that sets you back, you will continue to put your best foot forward because you are passionate about your work.

3. You Can Provide For Your Family Long Term

When your why is big enough, you can handle just about any how! It is no secret that success takes hard work but when you are motivated, it becomes more difficult for you to fail or not be successful. With that said, following your passion ensures that you have longevity in what you are doing. So if you combine your passion with a paycheck, you will make more over your lifetime then if you simply chased money. Yes, you can probably make a lot of money in the immediate, but the amount of work that it will take to sustain your income on a long-term perspective will burn you out. As a result, this may cause you to quit based on poor work-life balance or get terminated due to performance. Either way, that income disruption may be detrimental to you and your family’s well-being, so going after your passion from the start increases your chance of having a stable financial household.

4. You Only Live Once

Two things guaranteed in life are death and taxes! No matter how you slice it every one of us at some point is going to die! Sorry to sound harsh, but if you only have one life to live, why waste it doing something that you don’t love? Time is the one thing that you can NEVER get back. Think about it: if you lose money, you can always make some more, but time, once wasted, is gone forever. Instead of spending your precious time chasing something that will always be there (money), focus on using what is limited (time) to its fullest.

5. You Have a Reason to Keep Going

Life is full of ups and downs. When the downturns happen, your passion is what is going to get you through even the worst of times. Imagine struggling and going through hardship and the only thing you have to show for it is your bank account or material possessions? The value of those things decreases very quickly, while passion stays with you forever. Passion gives you a reason to wake up with enthusiasm instead of working for the weekends. Passion gives you the extra energy you need to keep going, when the going gets tough.

6. You Can Build a Strong Network

When you are motivated and passionate about your work, you attract other people who have the same passion for their work. Conversely, when you are passionate and love what you do, it also becomes easier to spot those who are not as passionate. If you are in a leadership position, this allows you to build a strong team that will help you achieve your goals faster. If you are not in a leadership position, it allows you to shine and move up the corporate ladder faster because you will stand out from the crowd. And if you are an entrepreneur, it will allow you to be surrounded by those who have the same values and work ethic that you do. Very simply, the more you surround yourself with high achievers, the further you’ll go.

7. You’ll Increase Your Happiness

As the famous John Lennon quote says, “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” Be like John! Understand that life is about being happy and happiness comes from doing what sets your soul on fire! Follow your passion and be happy.

Note: Original article posted on Popsugar. Click here for original

10 Mar

LuvNote #003 – Make Your Internships Last

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: experience is the best teacher! And what better way to learn than when there are people willing to teach you? That’s why Summer internships are a win-win. Not only can you get some valuable experience while the company gets an extra hand and someone to add to their potential talent pipeline, but you also may even get paid. More importantly, if you play your cards right, an internship can turn into a full-time job. So take some initiative and make the most of your Summer internship!

1. Dress to Impress

How you present yourself is important. Unlike being a permanent employee, as an intern you have limited time to show who you really are, so how you are perceived during your internship carries weight. As you get ready for your workday every day, remember that you are not going to the beach or a pool party. You are in a professional environment, so be sure to dress appropriately. Even if you see others dressed unprofessionally, make sure you maintain your level of professionalism. If you are not certain about the dress code, ask your immediate supervisor or someone in HR.

2. Always Stay Positive

No one wants to be around a negative Nancy or Danny downer all day. If you are normally the person who complains about everything, make sure you readjust that attitude and put on a smiling face. If you want to make the most of your Summer internship, it is important that you have a can-do attitude, stay positive, and bring good energy with you to the workplace. When you make people feel good with your presence, it makes them want to be around you more and look at you favorably. A lasting positive impression can do wonders for your career, especially early on. It is often said that people do business with those they like, and while this isn’t a popularity contest, remaining positive will help shine a light on what matters, which is how awesome you really are.

3. Keep Company Business Off of Social Media

I know it’s customary to tweet about everything you are doing or use Snapchat or Instagram to highlight the fun parts of your day, but it is imperative to realize that while you are an intern you should keep your company’s business off of your social media accounts. Talking about your supervisor’s fashion sense or how bored you are in the office will not help you make the most of your Summer internship. Even if your page is private, reserve your opinion for you and you only. Remember: anything you post on social media can and will be use against you in the court of public opinion.

4. Work Hard and Take Initiative

As an intern, there are basic things you have to do in order to guarantee your success. Those things include being on time, dressing and being professional, and taking on assignments without complaining. But who wants to be basic? If the goal is to stand out and make the most of your internship, then working hard and taking initiative is a must. That means not just doing what is asked, but going above and beyond to do the things you haven’t been asked to do but that you know need to be done. Taking on an additional task that wasn’t assigned to you shows that you are willing to do what it takes to help your team reach the next level and puts you on top of the “I like this intern” list. This also allows you to gain more experience than you would normally attain as an intern.

5. Make Key Connections

It is often said that “your net worth equals your network,” which means that who you know can be equally important as what you know. With that said, while you are at your internship, it is important that you informally network with different departments to connect with those in senior positions who may have the power to employ you at a later date. Most people love to speak about themselves, so use this as an opportunity to learn more about them and what they do. Ultimately, these connections will be beneficial as your internship comes to a close.

6. Show Your Gratitude

Lastly, a verbal “thank you” can go a long way, but a “thank you” that someone remembers goes even further. When you are wrapping up your Summer internship, make sure to show your gratitude for the opportunity. A handwritten card, flowers, and/or small gift to your boss, mentors, and other coworkers who helped you will go a long way in them remembering you. It is usually the small things that people remember best.

Note: Original article posted on Popsugar. Click here for original

15 Aug

#GALiveBankLikeUber

Technology has become a great equalizer, allowing many people to live a life that used to only be available to those who had the financial means. Now anyone can have their own private car service via Uber and Lyft, be their own private chef via Blue Apron, and even vacation in their own exclusive villa via AirBNB. But how can technology help us increase our wealth? Ash Exantus and I discuss how technology can help you properly manage your finances.