Money Matters and More

If you’re already a fan of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, the name Carla Hall is probably very familiar to you.  She’s the Nashville native who owns and operates Alchemy Caterers, and who beat some stiff competition to make it to the finals in Season 5. 

What you may not know is that Carla Hall graduated from Howard University with an accounting degree, but spent a few years as a runway model in Europe–or that she believes in beginning each morning sitting peacefully and moving in a way that enables her to combine passion and love into the food she prepares.

What’s the secret to her success?  That’s what I’ll be asking Carla Hall on this week’s radio broadcast of Money Matters and More (BlogTalkRadio.com/Money-Matters—More.)  Be sure to tune in Thursday, May 28^th at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern).

Want to ask her a question? Email us at moneymattersandmore@yahoo.com or call into the show at (646) 929-1832 tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

Thanks for reading the Money Matters and More blog!

Heather Taylor

At a time when most of us are trying to tighten our belts and are cutting back on expenses, many charitable organizations are having a tough time reaching their goals of meeting needs of the community.  What can individuals do to help meet the challenges of our community, while continuing to keep an eye on our spending?

Answer:  Consider creating or joining a giving circle.  A giving circle is a group made up of individual donors who pool their money, ideas and other resources and jointly decide where these funds should be distributed. 

Over the past decade, the number of giving circles has grown, and it’s estimated that hundreds of them currently operate in the U.S.   The funds benefit a whole range of issues including youth development, women and girls, and human and mental health services.  The size of each donor’s contribution varies from giving circle to giving circle, but often range from $150 to more than $10,000 per year.

Want more information about how to create a giving circle?  Check out the Forum of Regional Association’s Giving Circles Knowledge Center at www.givingforum.org/givingcircles.  Also, free to email us at moneymattersandmore@yahoo.com, or contact us at Facebook (moneymattersandmore) or Twitter (moneyandmore). 

**Check out today’s Money Matters and More interview on CBS Affiliate WUSA Channel 9 at www.dvmourtime.com.

Looking for tips on starting your own giving circle?  Be sure to tune in to this week’s edition of Money Matters and More on blogtalkradio.com, Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Thanks for reading the Money Matters and More blog and have a great week!

Heather Taylor

If you’re having trouble finding a job or making a career change and can’t figure out what to do about it, be sure to tune into Money Matters and More Radio, tomorrow, Thursday, May 14th at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on www.blogtalkradio.com/Money-Matters–More).  Veteran career counselor Katy Piotrowski, the author of several books, including The Career Coward’s Guide to Changing Careers andThe Career Coward’s Guide to Interviewing, joins us to offer practical job and career advice for weathering this tough economic climate.  Piotrowski has written a weekly career advice column in the Ft. Collins Coloradan since 1994, and is quoted regularly in such media outlets as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report. 

Do you have job hunting or career-changing questions to ask Katy Piotrowski?  Send them by 10 a.m. tomorrow, May 14th, and we’ll pose them to her during the interview.

If you’d like to contact us, feel free to email us at moneymattersandmore@yahoo.com, Facebook (moneymattersandmore, or Twitter (moneyandmore).

Have a great day!

Heather Taylor

Feeling guilty about taking that vacation away when your best friend/neighbor/brother-in-law or other friend or family member has just lost theirs? 

If you’re looking for ways to really enjoy that vacation without feeling like you’re overindulging, be sure to tune into Travel Tuesday on CBS WUSA Channel 9 in the Washington, DC area at 12:25 p.m.  on Tuesday, May 12th for some money-saving, life-enhancing tips on taking a vacation without guilt.  

You’ll feel better.  I promise.

Thanks for reading the Money Matters and More blog.  And please tune in to Tuesday’s television broadcast on WUSA Channel 9.  If you’re not in the area, check out www.wusa9.com.  And click onto dvmourtime.com.

Answer:  C-SPAN.  Hart Research estimates that 20% of cable TV households regularly watch the public affairs programming from their households each week.

What makes it so appealing?  Plenty.  From gavel-to-gavel coverage of Congressional hearings to help demystify the budget process (we call this blog, Money Matters and More for a reason…), to hearing any number of great author interviews on a whole host of public affairs topics.

Find out more about the network by tuning in during today’s interview with C-SPAN CEO and Founder Brian Lamb on today’s edition of Money Matters and More Radio at 1 p.m. Eastern.  To check it out, go to www.blogtalkradio.com/Money-Matters–More.

Have a great day!

Heather Taylor

Last week, I had the experience of serving as a juror, or rather would-be juror, since about seven hours after my arrival, the judge determined that there were enough jurors and that my services wouldn’t be needed after all. 

That huge block of time waiting made me wonder what the notion of waiting might meant for Brian Lamb,  founder, CEO and Chairman of C-SPAN.  Brian was the guy with the vision to create the first of its kind cable station 30 years ago this past March.  Given C-SPAN’s broad success and reach in providing coverage of Congress and public affairs concerns generally, you have to wonder:  how could such a good idea have taken so long?

Be sure to check out this week’s interview with Brian Lamb on Thursday, May 7th at 1:00 p.m. on BlogTalkRadio.com/Money-Matters–More.

Thanks for reading the Money Matters and More blog!

Heather Taylor

Wall Street Journal’s Dana Mattioli is a reporter based in New York. Her main beat is covering careers and management for the Journal.  Recently, she’s written a number of stories about what’s happening to workers and businesses during the current downturn, including, “The Laid Off Do Well Doing Good,” and “It Can Be Done–a Raise in a Recession.”   She joins me at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) tomorrow, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 on BlogTalkRadio.com/Money-Matters–More to talk about tips for navigating the current economic climate.  

Instead of throwing in the towel, and accepting a lower level of comfort on your next trip, check out the following tips.  Today’s posting offers some solutions than can help you feel more pampered after you’ve snagged that discounted airline ticket.  [Our thanks go out to Wendy Perrin, Conde Nast Traveler's consumer news editor, and author of the travel column, "The Perrin Report ." (perrinpost.com).] Here are her suggestions:

I’ll be talking about these and other tips on CBS Affiliate Channel WUSA9 in Washington, DC tomorrow on the noon broadcast.  Be sure to tune in!

CAREER HELP

Worried About Job Security?…

…or just wondering what the market might look like if you wanted to, (or had to!) start looking for work?  Dana Mattioli of the Wall Street Journal may be able to help.  She chronicles current job market and career trends through the true stories and experiences of successful workers and business leaders. I’ll be interviewing her this Wednesday, April 22nd at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) on the Money Matters & More radio show (on BlogTalkRadio.com/Money-Matters–More).  Have a question about career trends?  Call the Money Matters & More listener line at (646) 929-1832, beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22nd.  Can’t tune in to the show or would rather send questions via email, Facebook or Twitter, contact us at moneymattersandmore@yahoo.com, Facebook (moneymattersandmore) or Twitter (moneyandmore) by 5 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21st).

Thanks for reading the Money Matters and More blog.  Hope you have a great week!

Heather Taylor

Confused, overwhelmed or otherwise rattled by what’s happening in the economy these days and would like to hear it spelled out with humor and clarity?  Tune in this Thursday, April 16th to hear Paul Solman, Business and Economics Correspondent for the award-winning PBS program, The NewsHour w/Jim Lehrer.  (To hear him on the Money Matters & More radio show tomorrow, tune in at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio.  (To stream it live, click onto www.blogtalkradio.com/Money-Matters–More).

At a time when unfamiliar terms like clawback, toxic assets and the paradox of thrift seem to make their way into so many discussions about the current economy, it can be tough to follow without feeling as though we’re the only ones who don’t understand.  Fortunately, some in the media have a way of breaking down the complexities of economics and finance.  Paul Solman’s one of those people.  

Business Desk website for The NewsHour w/Jim Lehrer: (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/)

Wondering how your economic situation can weather this current downturn?  Call the listener line at (646) 929-1832 tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.  Or leave us an email, Twitter, or Facebook message. (moneymattersandmore@yahoo.com; moneyandmore; moneymattersandmore)

We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for reading the Money Matters and More blog.

Heather Taylor