Category: General

Horizon Point writes about dozens of leadership, career, workplace, and workforce topics. Sometimes we write whatever we want. Read this category for general blogs from the HPC team.

  • Cicadas, Vision Boards & The Northern Lights

    Cicadas, Vision Boards & The Northern Lights

    On Saturdays, my husband and I often go hiking. On those walks, we talk about the future, both the distant and not so distant. We are quickly approaching being empty nesters which brings on a whole new meaning to what’s next? We talk about our almost grown kids, aging parents, careers, and what 10-years down the road looks like. It seems the years go much quicker with every passing trip around the sun. This past Saturday, as the cicadas sang all around us, I thought about where I was 17 years ago (the last time they visited, when I was a mom of toddlers) and where we’ll be the next time they arrive. One recent work meeting helped me visualize what might be up next!

    The HPC team enjoyed a fun afternoon of creating vision boards during our most recent quarterly planning meeting. We were led by Lana, creator of Money & Merlot. She walked us through creating a vision board & encouraged us to dream big while also making sure our dreams were attainable. We thought through what we’d like to accomplish this year, the next few years & 10 years and beyond. We included fun pictures of successful work, time with family and friends, future homes, pets, travel, and more.

    In all honesty, I do not see myself as super creative, but the process was simple & it was so fun to dream about the future! When you are in the thick of life (raising kids and paying bills), you sometimes forget about why you do all you do & the fact that you are slowly creating the life you’ve always dreamed of. My daughter is home from college for the summer, and we all spent some time searching for the Northern Lights this past weekend. I love having all my ducks home, even if I only have a few more years of having the whole family under my roof.  With all the hustle and bustle of life, I was reminded this Mother’s Day weekend that taking time to create a vision while enjoying the present is so important.

    What are your plans for the future? Check out How to Use a Vision Board to Achieve Your Goals from verywellmind.com to learn more about vision boarding and stay tuned for the HPC team’s vision board reveal, coming June 2024!

  • Open the Door to New Experiences

    Open the Door to New Experiences

    3,098.0 miles away

    Traveling 3,098.0 miles away from my home to live with the Ward family and shadow Mary Ila and HPC surely is a completely new experience for me. Since February and until May, I have been in the United States. This is the longest time I have ever been away from home and family.

    In one of the training sessions I got to shadow Horizon Point, we did an exercise where we selected two things that motivated us at work, and two others that did the complete opposite. The two that least motivated me from the list were “being in charge” and “being in a constantly changing environment.” 

    When I showed Mary Ila my choices she looked at me and laughed, “Well, you sure kinda threw yourself into a constantly changing environment when you came here!” I answered laughing as well, “I kinda had to do it”.

    It’s necessary

    I am a big routine/agenda kind of girl. I like having a constant routine because that way I feel productive, but I have learned over my 17 years of life that many times we have to step out of our comfort zone to learn and remember some lessons, adapt, and also open paths for opportunities. An important and true thing to bear in mind is that most of the time those lessons and opportunities will only come to us once we are willing to take the step and experience new unknown things. 

    I am so glad that I said yes to Mary Ila’s offer to live here and shadow her and her team because I have surely learned a lot. This experience I would have never been able to have if I stayed in Costa Rica waiting for college to start. Was I scared? Yeah. When I woke up after leaving my parents and brother at the airport, did I feel weird? Sure. Did I know what was going to happen next? Oh, a hundred percent no! However, has it been worth the new experience so far? Oh a hundred percent yes!

    Before I came to the United States, Mary Ila gave me the book Dare to Lead by Brené Brown. There is a quote that I think is all about new experiences. It speaks to the importance of opening the door to new things. “The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome.” You just kinda have to do it!

  • Open the Door to Communication, Encouragement & Relationships

    Open the Door to Communication, Encouragement & Relationships

    We have an active group text at HPC. It is rare for a day to go by that I’m not receiving (or sending) a text from (or to) our team. The content varies – a funny meme, a word of encouragement, a link to an innovative podcast or book, or a picture of a new pet. The subject of the messages change daily, but the intent does not. The constant stream of communication conveys how we encourage one another, share ideas and help us become a stronger team.

    As with most success stories, our team dynamic starts from the top. Our President/CEO is a servant leader who actively listens, communicates and builds relationships. I’ve often said “she makes me want to be a better person.” She truly has a heart for others and opens her home, her door, her table to everyone. The best example I can think of when reflecting on opening the door to communication, encouragement & relationships is our monthly one-on-one meetings. Those conversations are full of encouragement and enlightenment, and they always leave me feeling ready to conquer the next month along with all the projects & challenges that go along with it.

    How do you improve your communication skills? Check out Lorrie’s tips here:

    Make it Effective … Improve Communication Within Your Organization

    To learn more about building relationships, read insights from Jillian’s blog:

    What’s Relationshipping, & How Do I Do It?

    How do you open the door to communication, encouragement and build relationships? Check out What We Do at HPC, and let us know how we can help!

  • Focus on What You Can Control: Financial Do’s and Don’ts During the Crisis

    Focus on What You Can Control: Financial Do’s and Don’ts During the Crisis

    Our friends at Warren Averett Asset Management shared with us some Do’s and Don’ts for financially weathering the current situation we are all facing:

     

     

    Dear Clients and Friends,

    COVID-19 is not the first crisis we have endured, and it will likely not be the last. While we have not experienced the particular pain points of this virus all at one time before—like schools shutting down and grocery stores running low on items—we do have experience over the past several decades with some other pretty nasty events, including 1970’s energy crisis, 1980’s Black Monday, and 1990’s savings and loan crisis, along with the recession during the early part of that decade. Then we feared Y2K, the 2000-2002 Dot-com bubble, September 11,, 2001 and the Great Recession of 2008.

    We have been through scary times before and have come out stronger on the other side. While past results are not indicative of future performance, we believe this situation will be no different. Of course, we will likely come out on the other side with a new “normal” just as we came out of 9/11 with new airline security rules. We can’t predict what changes will be made as a result of COVID-19, but we can look back together at the financial wisdom we have gained that applied to all of the crises mentioned above and apply them today.

    You can see from the chart below that during previous crises, the market saw large drops in most decades. However, these drops typically lasted seven months, with an average drop of 36% off the S&P 500. Yes, stock prices are currently down, but history shows they should come back up again in time. We don’t pretend to know the future, but the chart below provides some historical wisdom for what returns have looked like after a bear market.

     

    S&P 500 Total Returns from January 1926 – December 2019

     

    We recommend spending time during this season focusing on what you can control. Below we have listed a few items to consider:

    Dos:

    • Do accumulate an emergency fund of cash that equals at least 3 months of living expenses if you do not have these funds set aside already. We recommend keeping these emergency funds in an easily accessible, liquid place. While protecting your emergency funds for as long as you can is ideal, keeping a small amount tucked away can help you sleep better at night. Times like these illustrate why cash is king during emotional uncertainty.
    • Do continue to save towards your financial goals, like making sure you are deferring into your 401k. Your dollars will go further in your retirement fund if you continue to contribute as you normally do.
    • Do evaluate your risk tolerance and decide whether you are taking the appropriate amount of risk (the percentage you invest in stocks vs. percentage you invest in bonds) in your investment accounts.
    • Do keep a long-term investment mindset. Leave your money invested, as this strategy will serve you better in the long-run than storing it under your mattress.
    • Do make sure you have the appropriate amounts and types of medical, life, disability, and long- term care insurance. These policies are a critical foundation of your financial plan.
    • Do have a will, power of attorney, and advance healthcare directive that reflects your current family and financial situation and that accomplish your goals and wishes.
    • Lastly, if you love someone, and I mean anyone (your family, your friends, or a partner of any kind) DO make sure you give intentional thought to the things listed above—and DO them!

    Don’ts:

    • Don’t invest money you will need in the next 1-3 years in the market. Set it aside in a more liquid account.
    • Don’t watch too much of the financial news. Bad news sells, so keep that in mind.
    • Don’t look at your account daily. We recommend monitoring periodically—either once a quarter or even once a year.
    • Don’t make emotional changes. Pick a strategy and stick to it.
    • Don’t stop saving for your goals. When the market goes down, you are buying more shares with your contributions as a result of the drop. This will help once the market recovers.

     

    All of us are spending more time in the house right now. However, consider stepping away from your newsfeed for a while (that means your phone and the television). It will reduce your stress to balance the negative input from social media with positive input like family time, time outside in nice weather, a good book, or a funny movie. Remember, we are here to talk with you if you have questions or concerns. Reach out to us anytime. We’ll all get through this situation together.

     

    Past performance may not be indicative of future results. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific content to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing. A copy of Warren Averett’s current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request.

    Learn more at www.WAasset.com

  • What the Dog Saw During the Crisis

    What the Dog Saw During the Crisis

    It all started at home before it started everywhere, I think. 

    It started to rain and thunder.  I hate rain and thunder, so I settled in my spot under the porch to wait it all out. 

    Then there was a big bang. The rain stopped. Then came a smell, then sirens.  Between the smell and the sirens, my master came home.  He looked concerned as he came through the garage and onto the porch. He didn’t so much as acknowledge me, he just looked up to the sky and then rushed inside. 

    Then the sirens came, and everyone was suddenly here- the grandparents too.  Then everyone left.  And I was left outside to sleep. I really prefer to sleep in my kennel inside.  This went on for two nights. 

    Then they returned, and I continued to be ignored.  Yes, they fed me, and they let me inside to sleep, but the smell inside was still there.  Smoke I think they call it.  And I did not like it. I could tell they did not either. There were constantly people I did not know in and out of our house.  I sat and watched from the backyard. The lights inside came back on, then the TVs worked again.

    And the big kids were home all day, every day which was weird.  Based on the temperature outside, this didn’t seem right.  It was out of cycle. But they played with me in the backyard some, and I liked it.  

    My female master, who isn’t much of a master because I don’t see the need to mind her much given the low level of attention she gives me, seemed concerned about everything going on at home, but I could sense there was something bigger going on.  My male master was gone much more than usual.  Where was he? 

    Then one day she started loading up the car, with lots and lots of things.  Back and forth from inside to the garage she went over and over carrying things. Where were we going?  Was I going? Based on the looks of all she was loading, there was not going to be room for me.  Were they escaping the smell and leaving me in it? 

    One of the grandparents arrived, the ones with the other dog and my kennel went in the back of his truck, and I went too.  

    I began to worry.  Where am I going with him? He drove away with me in his truck. But then the smell changed, and I could tell that we were headed to my favorite place.  The river.  Would my family be coming too? 

    Not long after, they all arrived.  The female and the three kids.   The grandparent unloaded my kennel to the porch and left. 

    After my female owner unloaded everything she had packed up, I could see her visibly begin to relax. She likes it here too, but I could sense that the circumstances in which we were here were different this time. 

    I did what I usually do in my favorite place.  I slept late, even though my male master was still leaving before the sun woke up.  I swam and did my favorite thing, I ran with my masters and the kids.  We went to the park where I supervised their play from the shade.  

    My little girl had gotten noticeably better at the monkey bars since we were here last time. My second male master, the oldest boy, ran some with the adults to the park.  I sensed a fluidness in his stride that suggested he was born to run much like me.  And the bab, well, had he even been here before? He sat and watched in his stroller and giggled when I came to nudge him.    

    We didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave the park.   And we didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave my favorite place at all.   After a couple of days, I began to prepare myself to go back home. We only usually get a couple of days here at a time. Were we going to return to the smell and the distracted nature of everyone always coming and going to something?  In and out of the house they go to the garage to where I’m not sure because they don’t take me with them. 

    But then two days passed, then a week. And then another. And we are still here.  I get to come inside some.  And I get petted a lot. I love to be petted. I humor the little girl as she “walks” me on my leash.  There is no need for the leash down here, but I sense this ritual is part of her play.  So, I play along.

    And I am brushed.  My masters bought this expense brush a while back to get rid of my constant shedding this time of year, but they rarely seemed to have the time to use it.  It feels good to be brushed.  I feel cooler, lighter. 

    And I think I am lighter.  I eat my usual two meals a day and anything I can scrounge up that someone has dropped.  But I’m outside more and I run more, play more, and it makes me feel lighter. 

    The baby even sits with me some and examines my paws with his fat hands.  I give him a kiss often and he grins at me. 

    From the tone of my master’s conversations, I can tell something serious is going on.  I think it may have something to do with people’s health and I think it is part of what is causing our extended stay here in addition to the bang, smell, and sirens.  I also think it is why, even when my male master has not left early in the morning, he is on the phone a lot.   Work I think they call it. But he seems happy. He gets to mow the grass, and I know he loves to see that completed.  A lot of what he does for what they call work never seems to ever reach completion. 

    And her work. She seems to be working.  I hear her on the phone talking to other people about work and issues. She puts it on speaker while we are walking so I can hear too.  But she doesn’t seem to work at the same pace as before.  I don’t see her looking at the screen as much. She’s not constantly rushing to and from the house to the garage, off in her car, back again, and then off again.   It’s as if this is the only place we need to be. Here, now. And she likes it. 

    And I’m minding her more.  Because she pays attention to me more.  And to the kids.  They play Beauty shop and lava monsters.  They draw and paint and read. They bake Cupcakes  I did get in trouble for taking one off the counter, but it was worth it.  It was good.   

    The big kids walk down the lane to take the neighbor some cupcakes.  I supervise this trip. 

    They examine waterfalls on their bike rides and try to find what is making the pecking noise in the trees.  They watch some TV, but I can tell that when my female master is watching what she wants to and not some kids show, it isn’t really what she wants to do.  She gets that look on her face, that look of concern.  But she turns it off. It is being turned on less and less. They play in the sand and on the swing.  I supervise this too. 

    I know that something has gone terribly wrong to have brought us to my favorite place for so long but maybe, something has also gone horribly right.   

    I hope we stay at this pace and place more. 

     

    Author’s Note:

     Just as COVID-19 was beginning to take shape here, our house was struck by lightning and caught the attic on fire.  My husband was literally on the phone with 911 as he was getting an incoming call from the hospital where he works as an administrator to decide how to proceed with what would become the first case of COVID-19 in our area.  

    We have been fortunate that no one was hurt in the fire, and the property damage while inconvenient and costly, is all fixable and covered by insurance.  As they repair our home, we are lucky to have a place to stay that happens to be out of town, away from the chaos, and with a lovely view of the Tennessee River.  

    We are fortunate too, that as of this writing, none of our friends or family members have contracted the virus. 

    During “normal” days, but especially during uncertain times, there is a flood of emotion.  In the midst of crisis, there is still good, and sometimes good that can only truly be seen when there is bad.  

    I sent a picture to my family members of the kids playing at the park a day or two after we settled here.  Our black lab, Lou, was laying under the monkey bars watching the kids.  Almost immediately the responses came in from grandparents and they were all, not about the kids, but about how happy the dog must be. 

    This gave me pause.  The dog is happy? I rarely care if the dog is anything, let alone happy.  I have too much going on to care about the dog most days.  But, it gave me pause to see this all through the lens of Lou. 

    Happy she is.  And despite this uncertainty and tragedy, we are too.  And I wonder, why do we not live like this more?  Things will eventually return to “normal” but I’m not sure I will position my family’s life back just the way it was.  I pray I won’t and the dog does too.