Brenda W. Hargroves

I haven’t addressed my writer’s journey for several months, and lately I’ve been thinking about how this journey has progressed. So here we are. The accomplishments I’ve achieved during my six years as an author/coach include: the honor of having one of my short stories published on a literary journal’s website and an essay included in a published anthology won an expenses-paid scholarship to a writer’s retreat and an award for best first chapter published 87 posts on my #Lit

I read an encouraging article by Gretchen Rubin, happiness researcher and CNBC.com contributor. While I want to touch on a few points she made that align with my adulthood philosophy, I urge you to read the entire article, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/10/i-study-happiness-for-a-living-use-these-short-little-reminders-to-be-happier-more-confident-every-day.html . My blog  focuses on living a ‘lit’ business and life. Needless to say, many disturbing things are happening in the

As inflation reaches further into our pockets, we sometimes find ourselves daydreaming about what we would do if we had a million dollars.  While you may never reach this station in life, you can achieve financial security. The first step is to define what it means to you. My definition - having the ability to pay my bills on time and purchase what I want when I want without going into debt. (I’m shocked my editing program did not suggest adding commas to this sentence.) 😱 B

I recently attended a meeting of small-business owners. The facilitator pointed out that your brand is not your name, logo or any other feature which identifies you or your product. “It’s the way people feel  after working with you.”  With that thought in mind, she then asked the participants to reveal three words that describe their brand in terms of how other folks see them. Interesting, huh? The exercise reminded me of the standard icebreaker I used when I taught financial

You did all the right things to plan for this day. You followed smart financial literacy practices. Determined financial goals Taught...

As I reflect on my writer’s journey, thoughts come to mind that don’t merit an entire article discussion but should be noted in passing....

OK, I’m hooked. Can’t scroll past those Facebook thrifting reels.  In my day, it was known as thrift shopping. What can I say? Today...

I love how something old suddenly becomes new when given a trendy twist.   Budgeting and saving are concepts that have stood the test of...

The difference between thinking about retirement vs. what it actually looks like when the time comes can be startling. I recently had...

My April 2023 blog post  outed corporations for the not-so-subtle ways they are making money at our expense. You know what I’m talking...

I recently read this quote in my favorite daily newsletter, Morning Brew. “File this under records you’d prefer not to see broken: The US...

Most years, I celebrate the Christmas holiday season by myself for three reasons. Most years, I celebrate the Christmas holiday season by...

Laid off in 2011, I quickly became disillusioned with living among those searching for employment. I feared I would start screaming if I...

OK, like it or not, a final check on your 2024 goals is in order. First off, did you set any?  Were they in your head or did you commit...

This is by far the longest article I’ve posted, but I think it’s well worth reading. Recently, I’ve noticed increased attention to the...

OK, so I’ve now broken a cardinal rule for success  – consistency. Since starting this blog, I’ve consistently posted articles on the...

Why 201 and not 101? Because I’ve addressed this topic in these earlier posts. 6 Highly Successful Networking Tips Oh No! I Have To...

This short, but heartfelt post addresses a topic I’ve thought a lot about this year. Do you know folks who believe in celebrating their...

The sagest advice that comes to mind when I think about growing a small business is a statement Albert C Hurston, CPA made when Pamela...