Written by: Shelley Maley, PHR, GCDF, Dreamcatcher Career Coaching LLC
Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and is excited about the new year's many possibilities! As such, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect on your career and envision how you would like your career (and life) to evolve in 2025. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 about 2024: · How did your employer make you feel? · What did you learn about yourself last year? · What was the most enjoyable part of your work? · How did your career trajectory evolve last year? · How much did your employer respect your boundaries? · Which professional goal did you NOT achieve, and why? · What was one hard thing you overcame at work? · What three words would best describe your career in 2024? · Which of your strengths did you get to capitalize on at work? · Which work activities energized you, and which drained you? · Were you fairly compensated for your time and efforts? · In what professional area did you make the most improvement? · What were your 3 biggest workplace accomplishments in 2024? · How well were you able to achieve satisfactory work/life harmony or balance? · What are your top 3 values, and were you able to live by those values at work? · How much did your employer support your ongoing professional development? · Which feelings were most prevalent on Sundays as you were thinking about the new week ahead? 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: · What are the emerging trends in your industry, and how will they impact your position? · What opportunities exist for lateral moves or promotions with your current employer? · What will you do to better manage and/or plan your career in the new year? · What professional development opportunities do you want to experience? · Which workplace relationships do you want to nurture in the new year? · What new skills do you need to acquire to reach your career goals? · Where do you want to be professionally at this time next year? · What is the most important skill you want to develop in 2025? · What steps will you take to ensure a better work/life balance? · What will you do to continue growing your network? · What tasks or activities will you say "no" to? ·Most importantly, are you willing to exchange another year of your life for this employer? It's essential to take the time to reflect on your experiences and aspirations with intention and purpose. The questions posed here serve as a valuable guide to help you assess where you've been and where you want to go in your career. Embrace the possibilities that 2025 holds, and remember that each step you take—whether it’s nurturing relationships, acquiring new skills, or setting boundaries—brings you closer to your professional goals. By aligning your actions with your values and aspirations, you can create a fulfilling career that not only meets your needs but also inspires growth and satisfaction. Here’s to a new year of reflection, growth, and exciting opportunities ahead! Shelley Maley, PHR, GCDF Dreamcatcher Career Coaching, LLC www.dreamcatchercareercoaching.com (610) 663-0585 Communications Chairperson - Pennsylvania Career Development Association (PACDA) Connect with me on Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/shelleymaleycareercoach
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Whether college or a variety of other options, education can be a significant success factor for someone entering the workforce or seeking to advance their career. But it can also bring substantial expenditures. If you need to save money for your child’s or grandchild’s education, you should know about 529 education savings plans. Vestra Financial Partners can help you learn about this great tax advantaged savings plan.
529 plans are designed to make saving for education easier. Under these plans, earnings on the money you save grow tax-free on a national level and in most states, as long as the money is used for qualified tuition and other expenses. It’s a great way to save that can help jump-start your child’s education. Here are some things you should know: 529 savings and earnings can be used for tuition at: · Four-year colleges and universities · Community colleges · Career and technical schools · Registered apprenticeships · Qualified institutions abroad 529s can also be used to pay for such expenses as: · Room and board · Fees · Books · Computers 529 plans can be front loaded with 5 years of gifting, which can help your family achieve your estate planning goals. If the child does incur debt, 529 funds may be used to pay up to $10,000 in qualified student loans per beneficiary. Anyone can contribute to a 529 savings plan account – friends, family members, etc.! A Vestra Financial Partners professional can help you learn more about 529 education savings plans and get you started. It’s the smart thing to do! About Vestra Financial Partners: Vestra Financial Partners is a cohesive, seamlessly integrated team of professionals with an innate commitment to serving at the highest level. Clients benefit from their vast collective experience, knowledge and insights, and multigenerational makeup and perspectives. At Vestra Financial Partners, it’s about more than investing; it’s about connecting your life and your finances. Our greatest goal is to guide you in funding the life you desire – for you, your family, and generations to come. [email protected] | 610.861.8419 | 267.685.4208 | 727.214.2492 www.vestrafinancial.com | Bethlehem, PA | Yardley, PA | St. Petersburg, FL Janney Montgomery Scott LLC | Member: NYSE, FINRA, SIPC For more information about Janney, please see Janney's Relationship Summary (Form CRS) at www.janney.com/crs which details all material facts about the scope and terms of our relationship with you and any potential conflicts of interest. The concepts illustrated here have legal, accounting and tax implications. Neither Janney Montgomery Scott LLC nor its Financial Advisors give tax, legal, or accounting advice. Please consult with the appropriate professional for advice concerning your individual circumstances. Written by: Shelley Maley, PHR, GCDF, Dreamcatcher Career Coaching, LLC
GRADUATION SEASON!! Whether it’s from high school, college, the military, or a trade school, and they’re getting their diploma, bachelor’s degree, masters degree, or PhD, now is a great time to offer our words of advice. What would YOU like to tell our new graduates?? Here are my words of wisdom --- Most folks don’t land in the right spot right out of the gate. In other words, your first job or career (or perhaps your child's) may not be THE ONE. Just like in the fairy tale, you may kiss a lot of frogs until you find your Prince Charming. If the first job offer doesn’t seem like THE DREAM JOB and your phone isn’t otherwise “ringing off the hook” with job offers, consider taking the opportunity and making the most of it. You’ll learn valuable transferable skills that will serve you well into the future. (think teamwork, communication, professionalism, and so much more!) You’ll meet lots of interesting new folks to expand your professional network. (and those folks may see your potential and think of you for future opportunities!) You may identify someone who would love to be your mentor. (you are so very lucky if you do!) You will witness folks working in other roles you may have never considered or had even known about. (that may result in developing an interest in something completely unrelated to your major or intended career) You will develop clarity around what you want your work/life balance to look like. (This is HUGE, folks!!) While it’s okay to take an offer when needed (like when you need to start paying those student loans), just don’t let yourself (or your child) get caught in the trap of underemployment. ![]() By: Wade George, Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster, Authentic Adjustment LLC A Public Adjuster is an expert property claims handler. They are not an employee of the Insurance company; instead, they are hired by the policyholder (homeowner or business owner) to advocate on the policyholder’s behalf. The Public Adjuster assists and negotiates every detail of the claim. Public Adjusters are insured, bonded, and state licensed professionals. They are skilled, experienced, and trained to interpret policies, document and evaluate damages, and negotiate claim settlements. 2. What do Public Adjuster’s do? A Public Adjuster exclusively serves the client, not the insurance company. We negotiate and work tirelessly on your behalf to get you the money you are entitled to for your claim. We inspect the loss site, analyze the damages, assemble claim support data, review the insured’s coverage, and determine current replacement costs. Public Adjuster’s provide services on a full-time and professional basis adjusting first-party property claims for owners of fixed properties (residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional) that are damaged by covered causes. This also includes financial losses involving business interruption, rental income, improvements, and additional expenses. Public Adjusters work for you to itemize the loss, figure out how much money it will take to do the repairs or rebuild, and negotiate the settlement. 3. Why would anyone need a Public Adjuster? Our work is complicated and takes a great deal of talent, experience, and skill. If your property recently suffered damage from a pipe break, a fire, hurricane, or some other situation, now is not the best time to learn on the fly about how to properly present an insurance claim. Public Adjusters take over for you when you’re lost, overwhelmed, or simply don’t have the time to deal with the claims process. The policyholder is responsible for proving the extent of the loss to the insurance company. No matter how organized you and your documentation may be, filing and receiving payment on a claim is a time consuming and tedious process. Our years of experience and the systems we have in place make it a better use of time to have us handle things for you. By: Lane Donatelli, Sales Director, ETA Insurance Group
As open enrollment for group health insurance is fast approaching, there are a few ideas that employers should be considering. This year, as business is getting back to what may feel like the pre-pandemic normal, there have been major shifts that keep the hiring and retention of key employees feeling anything but normal. Benefits play a huge role in how an employee values their job and their employer. Flexible hours and working from home are becoming more the norm than a benefit in many industries, so employers need to look beyond these and consider benefits that will have a financial and even an emotional value to the employee or candidate. This is where worksite benefits play a huge role. By offering worksite or “supplemental” benefits such as Life, Accident, Disability, Critical Illness, and GAP Insurance, coupled with affordable Health Insurance, employers can offer very robust benefit packages for employees and their families while keeping within their budgets. Small employers (2-to-49 employees) have plenty of options to provide, or connect their employees with, robust and meaningful benefits as well so they shouldn’t believe the hype that the standard small group plans are the only option, and they are all too expensive. The Insurance Industry has gotten very creative and will continue to develop ways to meet the needs of the consumer, both in the group and individual settings. Now that you have some ideas of what to offer, it’s time to survey your employees and get their feedback on what your benefit package should consist of to give you the biggest bang for your buck. Whether its insurance products, hybrid work schedules, special pay plans, time off, or retirement investment plans, let your employees tell you what is most important to them. Armed with that information, let your broker build some models for you that will please many of your employees, while protecting your bottom line. I promise… There is a perfect solution out there. It just needs to be constructed. Finally, we always recommend continuous training for your employees on the benefits they have available. It is very disheartening to see an employer offering a fantastic benefit package only to learn that the employees were never properly advised on all the benefits and therefore are not taking advantage of all the bells and whistles afforded by their plan. Educating your employees and then providing a “total compensation” report at the end of the year showing the total amount of compensation they received (or the total amount of money you spent on them) will go a long way in making your employees feel appreciated and “fairly” compensated. By: David Anderson, Financial Advisor at Edward Jones Investments (83. W Broad St.Bethlehem, PA 18018. Office: 610-865-7959) ![]() Throughout my life, helping others has been an integral part of who I am. I chose a career in financial services because I believe I can make a difference in the lives of families in my community. At Edward Jones, we strive to make sure clients feel heard, and that we understand their unique story. We also work to help clients understand the investment world in terms they can relate to. For nearly two decades, I served as a retail leader with a substantial portion of my career coupled with distribution experience. Within my storied career, I prided myself in engaging team members and advising growing leaders with behavior-based best practices that directly tie to their business leads. This required perpetual learning and teaching of intra-personal skills to connect to people quickly and in turn, meet needs. I have spent much of my entire life globetrotting. Born in Germany, I learned to talk in Texas, went to school in Indiana, spent quite a few years in Chicago, and now live in Pennsylvania with my wonderful fiancé and stepdaughter. While my favorite hobby is collecting passport stamps and pins for my travel board, I love the Lehigh Valley and am excited about raising my family in Bethlehem. In my free time, I enjoy marathon training and volunteering for St Jude as a marathon Hero. My lifetime goal is to run over 50 races and raise over $100,000 for St Jude in an effort to battle childhood diseases. If not running, you can find me at community and chamber events supporting local businesses. Are you a business leader, a growing manager or a retiree looking for a partner for not just your financial needs but a partner who truly understands the work it takes to drive you career, lets connect! Don't let physical distances to my office stop you. Technology has made the world smaller and I would love to hear your story. By: Thomas Jordan, Central Pennsylvania Market President, Univest Bank and Trust Co Inflation is top-of-mind for many Americans, including business owners. Small or privately-held businesses currently make up more than 99% of companies in the U.S. and inflation can have a large impact on these organizations if not properly planned for and addressed. Getting ahead of inflation is even more challenging for smaller businesses because they don’t usually have a dedicated, in-house finance and accounting team constantly reviewing financial statements, monitoring expenses and calculating profitability.
When inflation occurs, each dollar spent doesn’t go as far as it did before which ultimately decreases buying power. For example, consider a construction business. We’ve seen lumber, steel and copper all skyrocket in price during the last 18 months. As the business is forced to pay more for materials, its margins are decreased, and profitability is negatively impacted. With many small businesses only “closing the books” quarterly, they could be three to four months behind needing to increase pricing to account for inflation. Unknowingly, a business could be selling at a loss. Business could be booming, but if prices are not adjusted accordingly, financial hardships could still be on the horizon. Small business owners must be vigilant about working with a team of professionals including their accountant and banker to ensure they are aware of inflation’s impact on their margins. Another reason inflation can be especially challenging for small businesses is because they operate on lower margins than their big-box counterparts. Many times, these businesses are financed by the owner’s savings. This puts small businesses owners at a significant financial risk. Small business owners often have a majority of their financial security riding on the success of their company so it’s imperative they take steps to ride out periods of higher inflation. Some of the inflation we are currently facing is expected to be transitory. We have an imbalance of supply and demand largely due to supply chain complications caused by the pandemic. This should temper over time. While the Federal Reserve (Fed) expects increased inflation for the remainder of 2021, it sees inflation diminishing into 2022. While some inflation will dissipate, businesses need to consider what increased expenses are going to stick. One that stands out is wage inflation. As businesses struggle to fill open positions, many are offering increased compensation and improved benefits to attract and retain talent. As inflation settles and some pricing returns to normal, the increased payroll and benefits costs will not. Businesses need to consider how they will carry these increased expenses for the long term. Inflation poses significant challenges, especially to smaller businesses. It is vital to work with a team of professionals to help your business navigate inflation and create a plan for long-term success and stability. To learn more about how the Univest Commercial Banking team can assist, contact us at 877-723-5571. Univest Bank and Trust Co. is Member FDIC, SBA Preferred and an Equal Opportunity Lender. By: Mike Keim, President, Univest Bank and Trust Co ![]() Earlier this year, many of the largest banks in the U.S. reported a “lending slump.” With lending at the core of any bank’s business, this notable decline from bigger players calls attention to the differences between banks and how the pandemic impacted customers. The pandemic caused many banks, including Univest, to tighten lending guidelines and adopt a more cautious approach. That said, our size and approach allowed us to be nimble in our decision making compared to larger banks and we were able to continue lending, albeit with more conservative underwriting, and maintain our loan growth momentum. While national players took a broader approach to tighten lending standards to address the business environment, we were able to take a more personalized approach to how and where we could lend. Evidence for this is in the numbers: outside of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans that we facilitated over the last year, we increased our annualized lending 5.3% from December 31, 2020 and loans and leases increased 9.8% from March 31, 2020. During last year’s unusually difficult economic environment, our team’s dedication to our customers and commitment to the community allowed us to continue supporting our local businesses. Our customers were able to trust us to keep the financing spigot on despite tough times and were able to rely on us to maintain our support while bigger banks chose to cut back. Our teams were focused on serving customers unique needs whether through PPP or other financing options. We actually saw customers in certain industries that were able to continue to grow despite the pandemic. For example, we work closely with many agricultural and commercial real estate entities in the region. People still need to eat and most businesses still require a physical location, so these were good credit risks over the last year. While larger lenders may have created “hard and fast” rules to cut lending based on certain criteria, we were able to create unique and tailored solutions. This was especially important for agriculture and commercial real estate customers disenfranchised by large institutions’ broad-brush approach who were in a position to grow despite the pandemic. Additionally, our lending team’s drive to create and maintain quality relationships drove our ability to continue to work with customers and fill the needs to allow their businesses to grow over the last year. We have strong industry and community connections, knowledge of the markets we serve and trusted partnerships, which have allowed us to create unique solutions to support our customers. Building trust with our customers is paramount to the work we do as the businesses we work with know we will do everything we can to assist them. Mitigation efforts have been effective in slowing the spread of the virus and vaccinations have increased, meaning the risk of further shutdowns for businesses is low. It appears we have made it through the end of the tunnel of the past year, and industries and economies will continue to recover. With this, I see lending continuing to trend upward as businesses get closer to returning to pre-pandemic function and industries impacted most by shutdowns are able to restart. The team at Univest looks forward to serving businesses and helping our communities return to a sense of normalcy. To learn more about how we can help, visit www.univest.net or call 877-723-5571. Gina Loiacono, Community Engagement & Grants Manager
Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley [email protected] “Re” is such an interesting little prefix, isn’t it? Just two little letters completely alter the meaning of words. Throw that prefix on a word, and you can instantly start reading, writing, and talking about doing things again, or going back to a previous state of being, or arranging something in a different way. At the Habitat Lehigh Valley ReStore, those two letters are incredibly impactful. Yes, it is a retail store location, but it is so much more thanks to an R and an E. The Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley ReStore, located at 1053 Grape Street in Whitehall, is a treasure trove contained within the walls of the old Circuit City space. Once a shopper enters the storefront, they can be transported back in time surrounded by antique pieces and bric-a-brac of years gone by. Other shoppers, knowing it’s time to retire their outdated interior design and renovate their living space, may enter the storefront and be thrilled to find brand new, unopened, top-of-the-line, trending furniture, homegoods, and decor. Contractors, landlords, and home repair specialists alike can enter and find materials, supplies, reusable furnishings, new shipments of tile, flooring, and so much more! There’s lumber, windows, doors, cabinets, and plumbing supplies to be had. See, no day is the same as the day before or the day after at the ReStore...it is an ever-changing retail space of gently used and brand new items. Opened in 2013, the ReStore is a hidden gem perfect for the DIYer and home decorator on a budget. With products sold at a fraction of the regular retail price, shoppers will leave the ReStore with the knowledge that not only did they score a great deal, but they also supported the mission of Habitat Lehigh Valley- building strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter in a world where everyone deserves a decent place to live. All revenue generated at the ReStore funnels directly back into the Habitat Lehigh Valley homeownership program and its endeavors. When you shop at the ReStore, you are helping low-income, hardworking families in the Lehigh Valley achieve their dream of homeownership. You are helping a young child have access to a secure and stable living environment. You are helping mothers and fathers establish financial success and develop goals for themselves and their children. You are helping families in need invest in healthcare and education. You are supporting something bigger than yourself...you are a member of the local community that may be shopping small, but impacting something huge. The ReStore’s services don’t begin and end at retail operations. Donations to the ReStore not only contribute to Habitat Lehigh Valley’s mission, but they also support and maintain a better, eco-friendly environment for everyone. As one of the most environmentally sound shopping and donation options in the Lehigh Valley, the ReStore has diverted over 8.2 million pounds of reusable goods from local landfills since opening in 2013. Additionally, the Habitat Lehigh Valley ReStore has recycled over 10,000 gallons of latex paint due to the remarkable efforts of staff, volunteers, and community support at monthly latex paint recycling drives held at the ReStore. Paints are recycled, remixed, and resold in a plethora of new colors, including exterior, interior, and chalk finishes. At the ReStore, staff, volunteers, and shoppers are part of the Habitat Lehigh Valley family. Their efforts are part of the blueprint for a thriving community which supports its homeowners and small business owners. There, reducing, reusing, and recycling are all actions taking place to make sure that no one goes without a safe, affordable place to live. The Habitat Lehigh Valley ReStore experience is a pivotal cog in the revitalization of a local community. Now is the time to reimagine how you shop, donate, and volunteer...reinforce your personal commitment to giving back to others, and rekindle a family’s dream of owning a home in the Lehigh Valley. Twelve years ago, Bryan Shumway faced a major life change. He was losing his sight, his career as a welding inspector, and his way of life as he knew it. A routine eye exam revealed a serious problem. He underwent a lens transplant, and the diagnosis came later: retinitis pigmentosa. He now uses a cane to walk, relies on friends and family for rides, enrolled in online courses, and embarked on a whole new career in energy healing, public speaking, and life coaching.
But, the 55-year-old Whitehall, Pa., man did not get there alone. He did so with the sage counsel and support of others facing life-altering vision changes at Sights for Hope in Lehigh Valley and Monroe County. “It’s scary when you are losing your sight. You feel like your life is ending. I would highly encourage anyone to help seek the proper support. You’re not going to do this alone especially if you are losing your vision. You are going to need help and guidance,” Shumway said. That is why we are raising the alarm about so many people putting off routine eye exams – as well as preventive overall health checkups – during the pandemic. It’s time to make those appointments – especially for young children whose healthy vision is critical to learning success. With in-person kindergarten registrations canceled for the second straight spring and fewer people pursuing routine and preventative care, at least 15,000 children in the Lehigh Valley and Monroe County started school without receiving a vision screening or eye exam. Through data collected from our screenings, we know that approximately 10 percent of children have an undetected vision problem. So, with pandemic-related cancellations, we expect about 1,500 children in the Lehigh Valley and Monroe County to have unidentified vision problems. By starting these important years of early education without eye screenings, they are at a great disadvantage. About 80 percent of learning happens with vision. To make matters worse, a recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology shows an apparent link between extra at-home screen time during the pandemic with increases of myopia in children. That is why it is more important than ever for parents of children ages 3-5 to schedule an eye exam and for schools and daycare centers to offer them. According a 2019 brief from the CDC, on average of only 6 out of 10 preschoolers had their vision checked before the pandemic. Adults should also pay attention to their eyesight and use the 20-20-20 rule to minimize eye strain given the increased amount of screen time during the pandemic. The 20-20-20 vision rule is a great tool to combat eye strain when looking at screens too much. The rule entails looking at something 20 feet away from your screen every 20 mins for a total of 20 seconds. With less time commuting to the office, adults are spending more time working and looking at screens for longer periods of time. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, in March of 2020, the first month of the pandemic, it is estimated that screen time per person 18 and up increased to about 13 hours a day. Our health is paramount, and vision is part of that. There are several resources to help people maintain healthy eyesight. In the Lehigh Valley and Monroe County area, Sights for Hope, formerly Center for Vision Loss, empowers people with visual impairments to seize their independence and opportunity, and champions healthy eyesight throughout its communities. We combine a service of tradition motivated by Helen Keller in 1928 with contemporary practices and advanced technologies to offer vocational training, rehabilitation services, transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores, and social programs that enhance the quality of life for clients who face life with visual impairments. For children, we offer free vision screenings that could potentially flag issues now that might impede learning later. In a typical year, we screen 8,000 or more children, most of whom are of preschool age. Our trained professionals use advanced hand-held screening devices that are highly accurate and especially effective with kids who are autistic, have other physical challenges, or have language problems. While we are in a time in history when we are singularly focused on our health, we must remember that caring for ourselves also means we need to prevent illness. One major way to do that is to keep our regular medical checkup appointments and ensure that our eyes are every bit as important as other parts of our health. Dennis Zehner is Executive Director and CEO of Sights for Hope serving the Lehigh Valley and Monroe County PA. |
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