If you had told me I would be doing homework at this point in my life, I would have been either amused or horrified. Given that, had you told me I would find it just as loathsome as I did in high school, I’d have offered no resistance. I can’t help but appreciate the Karmic humor in the fact that currently I am enrolled in a class that compels me to study a text called “Orientation to College.” The curriculum requires that I write weekly essays on topics such as “Why Go To College?” and “The Value of Being Civilized,” when what I’d really like to present are topics like, “Why I Know I Definitely Won’t Need Algebra” and “The Case for Allowing People Over 40 to Earn Credits for Life Experie

There is more to volunteering than you think. I sat down with Mary Lynn Perry, the coordinator for the City of Sacramento’s award winning volunteer program, and author of the free “Get Involved: A How-to Volunteer Guide for Parents, Teachers and Youth”.  She shared the many benefits of volunteering: 1) Gain New Skills: You can acquire professional work experience, whether you have just graduated from high school or college, want to change your career, or transition into retirement. Mary Lynn says: “A lot of people come into a volunteer experience looking to switch a career … they want to try out something for future employment or a part time job”. Molly Lynch, volunteer crewmember at Acce

Does your career or business need a marketing makeover? Executive coach Laura Perez (www.epiphanycoaching.net) shares eight of her marketing makeover “treatments” from her career coaching sessions and seminars: 1) Know Your C.O.B.S. Before you market yourself, be clear on what you want - the Career you want, the Opportunities that are available, the kind of Boss you want to work for, and the Salary you are willing to accept. 2) Be a Problem Solver. Clearly understand and communicate how you can solve problems. Laura says: “Today’s companies want problem solvers, money savers and out of the box thinkers”. Make sure your resume conveys that. 3) Conduct Informational Interviews. Interview ot

Want to go to "Boot Camp" - an intensive one day interview preparation workshop?  "These and other services are FREE", explains Richard Bunch and Bill Grimaldi, Workforce Coordinators from Job Link, offered by the County of Sacramento Department of Human Assistance.  Job Link also provides "Job Talks" at each of the 10 sites throughout Sacramento County.  At "Job Talks" employers come in and talk about their job openings and offer tips to help you stand out in the crowd, which makes the difference in this competitive job market. Employers also benefit as Job Link provides free recruitment and orientation services.  Some Job Link sites hold periodic job fairs.  Richard Bunch emphasizes tha

There were so many events going on this week in Sacramento that I had to break them up into two articles (and still there are so many more!). This is a diverse compilation of things to do under $20 this week. From lectures, concerts & festivals, to health classes and job fairs, you are bound to find something you'll like! Keep an eye out for my next article in which I will feature all of the fundraisers and benefits this week...  Monday 4.20 Lecture: Andrew Sean Greer - Free When: 1pm Where: CSUS- Union Ballroom (Free parking on Lot 10) Why: Andrew Sean Greer is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, a lyrical novel about love and longing, and the political, sexual, and racia

Are you a small business owner or a direct sales representative unable to meet your revenue goals? Are you scared that you won’t have enough money to pay your bills tomorrow? Are you one of the unfortunate thousands who just lost their jobs and fear for their financial future? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then get ready to free your fear and take control of your financial future by attending the free workshop “Managing Your Money” being held March 16th, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Sacramento or on March 19th, 9:00am – 11:00am in Elk Grove. Hosted by Barbara Thompson, certified financial stress reduction coach, the workshop focuses on stress reduction based on the princip

Ever heard the term “mash-potato manipulator?” Or would you ever believe you could learn to love the “F” word, failure? And what exactly does mash potatoes and failure have in common? They are surprising and irreverent ideas expressed in a fun, new workshop developed by the co-authors of the book Second Bloom: 10 Steps to Reinvent, Rejuvenate and Realize a New Life. Along with creative and interesting stories about women who took bold and daring steps to reinvent their lives, the three-hour interactive workshop guides, helps and supports women as they develop a plan for change. “We like to have fun and explore seemingly offbeat but actually common women’s issues during our workshops,” sa

40 IS the New 40 By Michelle Gamble-Risley, co-author, Second Bloom Who started these phrases, "40 is the new 30," or "50 is the new 40?" We have a question, "Why isn't it okay to say, "40 is the new 40?" Our youth-obsessed culture drives so many women to feel anxiety around birthdays and add increased digits to their ages. In fact, dozens of famous women have outright lied about their ages just to avoid the public perception that they're getting e-gads, "older." Oh, the very idea of "older" sends many women to the bar to down a few Margaritas and forget their age sorrow. Getting "older" comes to us all. You can take as many trips to the Botox bar as you like and age will still tick for