Desert summers start to drag in July. There are fewer reasons to get out of the house, and it’s harder to spend time in nature. But this year, the weeks are flying by and I can’t seem to figure out how to slow them down. Balancing a new full-time job, freelance projects, buying a house (!!!) and just general life management has me feeling like there’s not enough time in the day to get done the tasks that I seek to accomplish.
In times like this, it’s even more important to slow down. For me, meditation comes in handy — a 15-minute sit with Headspace, or even a beautiful hour-long guided session like the one I joined Untamed Yoga for yesterday, really do leave me feeling refreshed.
But yeah, buying a house!! The photo above is a view from the sideyard of a gorgeous little mid-century ranch in Yucca Valley that, if all goes well, is going to be ours. I’ve dreamed of homeownership for a solid six years now, never really quite believing I could pull it off in Southern California. I’ve just wanted a place to call my own, to be able to know that I have roots in a community and a space where I can do whatever I want to the walls. No threat of eviction or rent increases. Room to grow. A home in my mind has always been equated to a level of stability that I’ve never really known, having spent my late teens into my early 30s chasing one opportunity to the next regardless of location in the name of keeping my career alive.
But somehow, with months of planning, a modicum of hard-fought savings and first-time homebuyer programs — plus a rockstar lender and efficient realtor — we are making it happen. There’s a part of me that is apprehensive about homeownership, knowing it will just add to the to-do list, but I’m reminded of the stoic philosophy: it’s not that you have to do something, it’s that you get to.
Onto the links.
Retail beat = hella fun
I’ve long loved reporting on money — how we earn it, how we spend it, how our government invests or squanders it. So joining Modern Retail and getting to report on the retail sector — which is the largest sector by employment in the U.S. — and dive into consumerist habits has been a fascinating journey. I’m filing stories almost every day — which, for the journalists reading this — is quite a clip! But it’s fun and challenging and those are my two main requirements in a job beyond, ya know, compensation.
I love interviewing passionate people, and founders are nothing but — and I love talking money, so getting to learn from analysts and investors is equally engaging.
Here are some of my recent highlights:
I interviewed skateboard star and VC investor Rob Dyrdek about how he partners with start-ups — he’s not your typical celebrity investor.
I took a look at the activity in the BNLP sector, which is a new type of financing that some people are concerned is going to balloon consumer debt in a bad way. The companies, of course, don’t see it that way, and even though they are losing steam in the market, they’re likely here to stay. Call it fintech, call it late capitalism, we are in the Wild West of how to spend your money.
Did you know that companies aren’t supposed to void your warranty if you do any third-party repairs? I didn’t until I reported this story about the FTC cracking down on such policies which were in use by likes of Harley-Davidson and Weber grills.
Getting ready to get down
I’m off to report on a fishing store — seriously! — so will be cutting this short. But my soundtrack today is likely going to be this funk playlist from Spotify. When I need energy, when I need to lock in on a deadline, I need a beat and a groove to keep me going. Funk always delivers. I’m also really digging the new Lizzo album; the title track “Special” is as powerful of an anthem as anyone needs right now to keep themselves going.
And we must keep ourselves going.
Til next time,