HOW TO BECOME A WEALTHY MIDDLE-AGED MAN

✨HOW TO BECOME A WEALTHY MIDDLE-AGED MAN✨

PT.2: Overview to understanding different saving/retirement methods, investments, and forms of income

2.1 Savings and Retirement

Welcome lovelies to (what I hope will be) a helpful series on gaining wealth and becoming financially literate and independent!

*disclaimer: while this advice can generally apply to many it will not apply to all. Everyone is in a different situation and should do their own research before they take what ANYONE says as fact or law. This is also coming from the perspective of a young, biracial, first generation female business student following a hypergamous lifestyle and who does sw so some advice may be specific to my like-minded ladies, but for the most part I just love money and want to help others find joy in their wallets as well. I am also operating in the US so things regarding accounts, stocks, and certain laws will vary by your country. Also, this is just a fun thing I wanted to do because talking about leveling up and learning and growing and money are my favorite past times. None of these pictures are mine, however I am using some links which may compensate me in some way, but I only used links which were mutually beneficial and would help you gain something as well, they are still just actual sources I use for myself.

✨THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND✨

Financial independence is different than financial confidence.

Financial Independence: “The most common sense of the term is that someone has enough wealth to live as they wish for the rest of their life without having to work.” -Investopedia https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0611/declare-your-own-financial-independence-day.aspx

Financial Confidence: “We define financial confidence as having three aspects,” says Miler. “The first is awareness of how money can be a tool for helping you reach your goals and dreams. The second is financial literacy and understanding economic factors. The third is trust and knowing where to turn for financial advice.” -Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleyzalis/2018/06/16/women-money-8-steps-for-growing-your-financial-confidence/?sh=2175b65e2468

While the ultimate goal is financial independence, financial confidence should be the main focus. I’ll give an example why. Imagine there are two people: Rhonda and Jill. Both of them like nice things, love to shop, and participate in the occasional splurge. Rhonda works a regular 9-5 and has a decent salary. She doesn’t have much financial knowledge (translation: financial confidence), but she has a savings account at her local bank and puts a couple hundred into retirement each year and she thinks that’s enough. Suddenly, Rhonda wins the lottery. Overnight she has become a millionaire, so she quits her job, moves to LA, and goes on to live life to the fullest. She would now be considered financially independent. However, Rhonda has no idea how to manage all that money. She puts a small amount into that bank savings account and takes the rest to do what she will. One day she tries her luck at a casino, in less than five hours she has lost all of her money and has to start back at square one with no job, only a few thousand to get her through, and no-good way to explain to employers that she just wasted the last 5 years spending money on handbags she now has to sell at a depreciated value. (BTW you would not last not working with only a million dollars in LA for that long)

Now, let’s look at Jill. Jill is an independent contractor and has a relatively steady income. She knows very little about finances, but she actively learns how to manage what she has and keeps up to date on the latest money news. The day that Rhonda won the lottery was just another Thursday for Jill, the only unique point for her was that she opened a savings accounts with a high APY (we’ll say 1%) and put in $5000.00. A little later she also opened a Roth IRA and puts in the maximum yearly allowance of $6000.00. Along the way she opened a brokerage account of her own and started trading in the stock market along with investing in real estate which has given her some extra income to play with each year. Unfortunately, another housing crash occurs, and all of the money Jill invested into real estate is gone. However, since Jill learned the skills behind her choices early on, she is knowledgeable and understands the ups and downs of the market and how to invest her money in other places in the meantime. And, that High yield savings account accrued around $50 more without her doing anything and she has that to fall back on, or worst case she can take out part of her principal Roth IRA contribution. 10 years from now Jill should start to see a steady increase in her Roth IRA that by retirement will be a little over 1 million and she should be comfortable and invested enough into stocks that she gains around $200-1000 extra each month.

I think you understand why you want to be Jill.

✨HAVING ADEQUATE SAVINGS = BEING YOUR OWN LIFEGUARD✨

As discussed in Pt.1 the first goal you should achieve is securing an emergency fund that could sustain you for a couple of months if things were to ever hit the fan, and starting a retirement fund should be in your top 5 goals to complete. The saying, “the rich get richer” is popular for a reason. Wealthy people know how to make their money work for them instead of them having to work for money. An easy way anyone can do the same is by opening the right accounts for your savings and retirement.

Savings: 

All of your savings should be in a high yield saving account or split between different high yield accounts. This is an account which will reward you some interest every period for having money in your account with them. This is incredibly easy to do. You can either research/ask your bank about their high yield accounts or do some googling to find some other bank. Then transfer your money and there you go! When looking at banks understand that the highest Annual Percent Yields (APY), or the interest they will reward you, are going to be from online banks because they have less operational costs than a brick and mortar, but they will also come with their own disadvantages, like less ATMs to access or the inability to use when outside of your country so make sure to look into that. IMPORTANT: Make sure that whatever bank you choose is FDIC-insured so if the bank were to ever collapse or lose your money you have insurance up to $250,000.This won’t generate a lot of extra cash, but an extra $20 every year is better than $0.

Retirement:

These accounts usually go by your current situation and what you see for your future.

401K: Probably the most known (I believe it’s only in the States but there might be something close to it in other countries) and that’s just because this is what employers usually offer if they offer anything. It is a retirement fund that your employer will set up and you can predefine how much of your paycheck you want to automatically go into it every time. Sometimes, the employers will also have a match program, and if they do you better max out the money they will contribute because that is FREE money! Most advice that I have seen has said to really only focus on this fund if your employer has that match program, otherwise I would focus on one of the accounts below. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/08/401k-info.asp

IRA: An IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account. There are three kinds…

                         Traditional: This IRA lets you put in pre-tax money and lets it grow tax-free until you make a withdrawal. Once you make the withdrawal that money is taxed at the current rate of your income at the time. Your contributions are tax deductible so you can write them off of your taxable income of that year. There are limits to how much you can contribute depending on your income, status, and whether you have another retirement fund as well.

                          Roth: With this IRA your contributions are taxed, but when you withdrawal money later on it is tax free. For those of you in a lower tax bracket than you believe you will be in the future, this IRA makes the most sense as you will pay less taxes now than you will when you are 59 ½ (The official age of retirement in the States). There are limits to how much you can contribute depending on your income, status, and whether you have another retirement fund as well.

                           SEP: Simplified Employee Pension. This is also an employer-based plan and may also work better for my self-employed gals out there. I don’t really know a lot on this one so I’ll just leave a link you can look into if it interests you: https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/102714/how-does-simplified-employee-pension-sep-ira-work.asp

You can have both a traditional and Roth IRA as long as you are eligible for both. Anyone with earned income (with a job or can prove a steady income) can contribute to a Traditional IRA, however with a Roth IRA, as a single you can earn up to $139,000 and contribute. Personally, if you are just getting started with all of this just set up one IRA and as you learn more you can take steps to get another or switch accounts.

https://www.investopedia.com/retirement/roth-vs-traditional-ira-which-is-right-for-you/

There are a plethora of other accounts, but they are more specialized and the top four should get you started on the right path to saving for retirement. I’m guessing that the majority of the audience reading these are women between the ages of 20-30. Trust me when I say that I love to spend money as much as the next girl, but I also would like to be completely comfortable should anything happen in my older years that screws up my marriage or job, and no one is going to secure that for you.

Also, I’m sorry this is so US-based, but once again it is all I know. I believe IRAs are more widespread than a 401K, but all that takes to find out is a Google search on your part.

Either way, make sure you have a plan going into 2021 for your savings and retirement because this economic whirlwind is far from over and there is always a chance for another recession, depression, or disaster. (Wow O, way to keep the mood light)

This was getting way too long with the investments added so look out for Pt.2.2 on the overview for investments (where the actual fun begins and I can stop being such a stick in the mud)…

VOCAB TO KNOW/RESEARCH:

Financial independence

Financial Confidence

APY

Roth IRA

brokerage account

High yield savings account

principal

401K

Traditional IRA

Once again… if in these posts I ever give bad advice, F- something up, or am just generally ignorant PLEASE call me out! Remember that just like you I am a young woman figuring everything out and while I am confident when talking about money, I am by no means a genius (only in spurts) so any chance to learn I appreciate. I hope you all learned something new today and as always…

With Love,

O

4 Ways to make your money work for you

The path to true wealth isn’t some magical secret or something unobtainable. It’s really simple actually:

Make money, invest that money to make more, and make sure your expenses don’t exceed your income. What does this mean? It means the way to wealth isn’t by how hard you work but how many streams of income you have.

You’re probably thinking “well that’s much easier said than done”. Girl, trust me I know! But I’m going to give you a few ways you can start the process. These strategies work even if you’re starting with $100 or $1,000. Keep in mind, all of these take work to get started. If you’re not ready to put the work in then this post isn’t for you.

Interest Income - the concept is simple, loan your money to someone else and charge interest for it. No, I don’t mean loan it to your broke cousin who never pays back lol. There’s websites that offer “Peer to Peer Lending.” Peer Lending is when you loan money to a business, another person or even a charity. You’re basically a bank. You can pick the qualifications of the person that receives your money. For instance, you can chose to only loan to those with a good credit history and a $50k+/yr income. It’s completely up to you. But in return for loaning them the money, you can charge a interest rate and start earning money. Yes, there are risks involved which is why you want to qualify the person that receives the money so that you’re minimizing the risk. Want to know why banks are so rich? No, it’s not because your Uncle Joe leaves his retirement fund in there year after year. Most people think banks are in game of HOLDING money, but they’re actually in the game of LENDING money and earning interest. Here’s what I mean, 65% of Americans own their home. The avg home is $200-500k (depending on your state of course). The avg American doesn’t have that much money so how are they affording these homes? The bank gives them the money and in return the homeowner agrees to pay the bank interest plus principal for the next 30 yrs. The current interest rate is 3%. You may be thinking, well 3% for 30 years isn’t so bad when you consider how much money they’re giving you. But baby, do the math! After the 30 years are over you’ll be paying double for the home if not more. Listen, I’m not mad at the banks. I’ve learned to beat them at their own game (we will talk about this anothe post) but if you can’t beat them, join em! Do what they do! The best part of all? You can start with as little as $500 and there’s no work involved after you’ve given the money! You just set up payment dates and start earning interest. So, regardless of if you’re on vacation, sick or creating another stream of income you’re collecting your coins!

Rental Income - this one may sound familiar. Its when you earn money from a property or item that you rent out. If you have a small budget but want to get into real estate rentals, you can start by renting a room in your home. There’s even websites that allow you to rent your car. For example, you can buy a used car for $7k and rent it out for $90/day. You’d be making $32/year without doing much leg work. My husband rents out jet skis (it’s always warm where we live) and makes his other source of income that way. We bought the jet ski for about $8k and rent it out for $500-1k/day. The jet skis mostly gets booked on Thursday-Sundays but it’s still income we earn without doing much. There’s plenty of ways to get started in rental income, just get creative. Ask yourself what is it that people in your area NEED but aren’t willing to purchase themselves? If you want to jump into real estate, be prepared to invest a lot of money. I know a lot of YouTube “gurus” say you can get started with no money down🙄 but I’m going to be honest with you, it takes money to make money. I bought my first property last year when interest rates were at its lowest and it’s already gone up $75k in value! So yes you may have to invest a lot of money up front, but you’ll make it all back! Do your research, save money, be patient and invest when the time is right for YOU!

Stocks, bonds or ETFs - this a good way to start making money work for you if you don’t have much capital. Stock prices range can from $1.00/share to $1,500/share so you’re able to invest with little to a lot of money. Bonds and ETFs are a really good way to increase your money without a lot of risk. But keep in mind that the more risk involved, the more the reward. So yes, stocks may be riskier than bonds or ETFs but there’s a reason for that. I know you’ve heard that stocks are risky, you can lose money, and Wall Street is full of crooked white men. All that is true but so the fuck what! Corporate America is risky! They can fire you at any time, but society still tells us to get these jobs. You can lose money by investing your pay check into a 401k, but society still tells us that’s the right thing to do. Our country is ran by crooked white men so that’s nothing new. The best way to succeed in stocks is simply by doing research and being patient! If you read my previous post about how I saved $24k last year, most of it was because of investments I made. I made some risky choices, lost money and gained even more. But let me tell you, nothing will ever feel better than waking up and realizing I made money in my sleep.

Business Income - making money in a business is one that’s most common. The concept is simple - solve a problem and get people smarter than you to run the operations. The common mistake I see with entrepreneurs is that they become a slave to their business. What’s the point of having a business if you’re just going to work FOR it? If you’re doing everything in your business that’s a hustle, not a business. Now before you get mad at me, just listen. I understand that it takes time to transition from a one person show to a team but I just want to say that so you remember, in order to run a business that’s successful, generates a REAL profit, and has your money working for you, you need employees. For those that are new here, I run a virtual bookkeeping and accounting firm that helps women organize, save and grow their money. I’ve seen the backend of over 100 businesses ranging from $5k/year to $1.7m/year in revenue and what I’ve noticed is that the most profitable companies have a team running the business, while the CEO runs the team. The best part about making money with a business is that the income potential is limitless.

These are just 4 ways to start putting your money to work. Let me know if you want more or if you have any questions 🦋

Let’s talk about money & energy!

So many people think you need to work long hours, do more, or over extend yourself to make more money. As women we are paid less for the same job men do and given less venture capital and business loans than male-owned businesses, but expected to compete with them. God forbid we take another route like sugaring or escorting (the only field we can out earn our male counterparts) then we’re looked down upon. The narrative society has created when it comes to women obtaining and keeping wealth is a negative one, and it’s not by accident. It’s why we have unconscious negative beliefs about money that could be holding us back from earning it. With that being said, let’s get into some ways to remove any negative energy and limiting beliefs around money.

Write down every memory you have with money. Every single memory, from a bully taking your lunch money in the 3rd grade to watching your mother get evicted because she didn’t have enough to pay the rent that month. Just get a journal, pen, and write down every memory that comes to mind - no matter how big or small it may seem. You’ll start to notice a pattern with the memories. It could be that people are always TAKING money from you, or that you’re always ASKING people for money, or maybe you just never have ENOUGH. This is the most powerful tool I’ve used to go from being homeless to earning six figures and thats no joke y’all. This tactic brings up sooo many negative experiences I’ve had with money that I forgot even happened.

Once you’ve reconciled with your memories, make a list of the emotions you felt during those memories. It could be feelings of guilt, shame, or pride. But it’s important to identify these emotions because this will help you understand the underlying emotions you carry with you when it comes to money. Go through the list of emotions and memories, and say out loud “I release the feeling of [emotion] when it comes to money. I forgive myself and I forgive money for making me feel this way. These emotions no longer resonate with me.” Say this until you no longer have to. Memories and emotions repeat itself until your fully heal from them. Be prepared to do exercise more than once.

Knowing your beliefs. Now that we know the underlying negative emotions with money & where it came from, let’s get down to the self talk. What do you tell yourself about money? Do you think you can only make money from hard work? Do you think money is too complicated? Are you so scared of taxes that you don’t want to earn a lot of money due to your fear of it being taken away? Determine the negative self talk so you can shift those beliefs.

Affirmations . I swear by affirmations! Yes, they really work. They just require time and consistency. In order to shift those negative beliefs, you need to tell yourself a new story about money. Instead of focusing only on removing the bad beliefs, REPLACE them with positive ones. Affirmations require some realness. Don’t say shit like “money is my friend” if you’d never say that to yourself foreal. Talk about money like you’d talk about a guy you like, “money is perfect for me. Money was meant for me. Abundance and wealth is all mine”. No matter what you tell yourself, make it authentic. If you really want to see results, record your affirmations and listen to them when you first wake up or when you’re going to bed. This is when your subconscious mind is most receptive.

Hypnotherapy. I love a good hypnosis. Hypnotherapy alters the state of the mind and then tells your subconscious mind a series of suggestions and affirmations. I used to have a fear of driving (like you couldn’t pay me to get behind the wheel) until I did hypnotherapy. My practitioner put me in a trance then told my subconscious mind a series of affirmations about driving so that when I woke up I had a new belief. Even after the appointment (which she recorded) I listened to the session every night. Just like affirmations, this takes consistency. And guess what? Ya girl is a licensed driver now! I recommend using a licensed hypnotherapist instead of DIYing this. Your subconscious mind is too precious to just be winging it on yourself.

Just remember that you can change your circumstance at any time! You do not have to settle a life of mediocrity or lack. You have the power within you to change your life at any given time. ✨

Follow me for more money, accounting and finance tips. 🦋

Your network is your networth!

Who you know greatly affects your net worth. You’ve probably heard the saying “you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. This is real! Who we spend our time with is a reflection of who we are and where our life is going. Hang around 4 broke people, you’ll be the 5th one. Or you can hang around 4 wealthy people, and become the 5th one.

You may be thinking “ok girl I know, but how do I meet high networth individuals?” That’s what I’ll be sharing with you today. I was in your shoes years ago. I went from only hanging around my high school friends to having corporate CEOs, financiers, and 6 figure entrepreneurs on speed dial. This was a very slow process and I was intentional with my behavior. I was in the corporate and finance space, and wanted to be around people that helped my career and business grow. If you’re someone like me that had the desire to level up their circle, but wasn’t sure on where to start then take notes of the below:

Determine the type of friend(s) you want to have. Are you like me, in the finance industry? Then you’ll want to associate yourself with financiers, accountants, investors and business owners. Maybe you’re an inspiring real estate agent and want to associate yourself with realtors, brokers, investors and contractors. Maybe you’re in law school, and want to be associated with top notch lawyers, other law students, and potential clients that’ll need a lawyer in the future. Before you start the journey of leveling up your circle, determine who it is you want around you. If not, you could attract all types of people that may not benefit your life. For example, if you focus only on having wealthy friends, you could attract the “New Money” tech guys or spoiled rich heirs that just want to party and drink. Be intentional with who you want around you.

Start small. I know we all want friends that make millions & billions of dollars, own a private jet, and spend $5k just on sleepwear. But if you’re only making $50-60k/year, that just won’t happen (yet). And that’s okay! I don’t know about y’all, but I’d feel uncomfortable having a friend THAT MUCH richer than me lol. You’ll feel left out or worse they may (unconsciously) look down on you and not treat you as their equal. It’s important to start small, and work your way up as you level up. For example, if you make $50-60k/year, look for friends that make $100k-$150k/year. If you’re already making $100k, look for friends that make $300k-$450k/year and so on. Sidenote: This has nothing to do with the men you date or mentors, always go for the wealthiest one😂 but when it comes to friends it’s important that you can relate to your friend group and be treated as an equal, even if you’re not as wealthy as them yet. Imagine going shopping with them, and you can only afford Forever21 while they’re at Gucci and LV. You never want to be in a postion where you’re uncomfortable or looked down upon. Start where you are and work your way up.

Be where they are. Now that you know who you want around you, ask yourself “where would my ideal friend(s) be? Stop going to Walmart and Dollar Tree, and start shopping at Whole Foods, Mariano’s, and the farmers market. If you want to increase the chances of running into a potential high value friend, go where high value people go. This doesn’t only mean 5 star restaurants and hotels, but think about what your ideal wealthy friend would do on a daily basis. Coffee shops, farmers market, high end gyms, luxury nail salons! All these are all places wealthy individuals may spend time during their day. Show up there consistently and be friendly! High end clubs, hotels, and restaurants are good to find men, but when it comes to friends it may be hard because most ladies go to these places WITH their friend group so they aren’t looking to make friends. But when you show up to their yoga class daily, always run into them at the gym, or bump into each other in the aisle at Whole Foods, you’re more likely to spark a conversation that can lead to a friendship.

Join clubs or sport groups. You may not be able to afford the six figure membership at the golf course right now or get invited to join elite social groups, but don’t let that discourage you. You can join paid book clubs and mastermind groups. If you’re good at tennis or badminton, join an adult league in a wealthy part of town. I started by going to business and finance networking groups in my city. Sometimes I met indivuals who were wealthy, sometimes I didn’t. But either way, I increased my chances by being there. Wealthy people tend to do sports like golf, tennis, skiing, horse racing, etc. If you’re good at those or willing to take lessons, then join an adult league. This is the easiest way to be around high value individuals and actually get the chance to build relationships with them. Remember: always stay in your budget, and don’t overspend just to fit into a group. If you can only afford to spend $100/month then find clubs within that budget. I promise you’ll find at least ONE friend that’ll be worth it.

Always look presentable. Unlike a lot of people on here, I won’t tell you that you need to leave the house in a designer purse and silk dress just to attract wealthy friends because that’s not true. Most of my wealthy friends only wear designer when we go out, and if they do I can’t tell because they’re not big on logos. Looking presentable simply means looking clean and polished. You can make a Fabletics outfit look like Lulu Lemon if you know what you’re doing. If you can’t afford an birkin, just buy a nice purse and take good care of it. Keep the colors you wear to a minimum, keep your outfits clean and clear of lint, and keep your hair and nails maintained. Never go out the house wearing PJs, yesterday’s sweat pants, and clothes that are too big/little for your body!

Be friendly! Stop walking around with a resting BITCH face all the time. This doesn’t mean you have to walk around smiling🤣 but just relax your face. If you need help with this, practice your resting “nice” face in the mirror. When you’re standing or walking around, get off your phone. You can’t expect to be open and friendly, if you’re always strolling on your phone. This gives off a vibe that you’re not in the mood to talk to those around you. When you’re in public places like the airport, grocery store or gym, spark a conversation! Compliment a girl’s outfit (only if you’re genuine) or chat about the weather with the guy behind you line. You’ll notice that some people are friendly, some are not. But the important thing is that you practice being friendly and you’ll open yourself up to new opportunities for friendships. I used to be shy, and NEVER did this. However, my brother was always the outgoing type and always spoke to people and made friends when we’d go out. I asked him how he was so good at sparking conversation he said “don’t over think it. Just talk!” I started to look up conversation starters on the internet and practiced his technique with everyone I came across. And eventually my shyness went away. This will take time and consistency. You can’t just be friendly one time and say “well I didn’t make friends today so this is pointless” because that’s not how it works. You’ll see results when you make it a HABIT of being friendly and of course being genuine. Trust me, people can tell when you’re fake.

Be a good friend. This is a no brainer, but most posts that talk about gaining high value friends sometimes miss this. It’s nice to want friends who are wealthy, but you also have to be an asset to them. They don’t need another person who just wants to use them because rich people get used all the time. They know when someone is only in their life for superficial reasons so add value. Be a good friend that’s always there when they need you, be a good listener, be compassionate, remember their birthday. It’s not enough to just want to be friends with someone because of what they have. Luckily, I’m a funny person and love hosting gatherings/parties. I know how to make my friends laugh so they always want to be around me because of the positive energy I bring. Ask yourself, why would someone want to be friends with me? How am I an asset to someone’s life? Weather it’s your loyalty, trustworthiness, or you just know how to make a friend laugh when they’re down, understand your assets. You can be honest with yourself and say “I don’t have any of those traits”. That’s okay! Some of us weren’t raised to be a good friend. Maybe your mom didnt have many friends or you grew up a loner so you’re not sure what it means to be a good friend. If that’s the case, do something about it. Read books on what it means to be a good person, a great friend, and how to care about people. Once you have these traits, you’ll attract people with similar qualities into your life. ❤️

Ways to Instantly Feel Sexier

Whenever I find myself looking to drastically improve my appearance, I like to consider all things possible from head to toe. SO, let’s begin…

HAIR

Regardless of your personal hair ritual, you can always add some spice to it by introducing a hair fragrance. Anointing yourself with oils and perfumes can instantly improve your mood and self-lust. You may have found that you prefer using a certain conditioner because of the fragrance and how good it makes your hair smell. Well, for those moments that you just need a little boost, create your own hair potion for stirring up your senses. Of course, you will naturally radiate an intensely attractive scent—especially around your cycle—but why not increase its potency? Oh, and if you sleep next to someone at night, be mindful of how much you use, but I promise unless they have the most sensitive nose ever, they will love your ‘natural’ aroma.

I like to use anointing oils that I prepare myself, but here are some good hair fragrances:

Dior Miss Dior Parfum Hair Mist, $57

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Parfum Fresh Hair Mist, $65

Honey Infused Hair Perfume Pocket, $44

FACE

There’s just something about a face that illuminates. Whether or not you use makeup to achieve this look, you want to be sure that you have a great moisturizer and serum that will give you a natural radiant glow. Achieving this kind of glow will not only make you feel and look more attractive, but you will feel great about nourishing your skin. You want to invest in good skincare in general. I use a polypeptide cream on days that I don’t wan to apply makeup, and the difference is incredible. My skin not only looks healthier, but it feels so smooth and soft.

Here are a few of my favorite face moisturizers and serums:

Protini™ Polypeptide Cream, $68

Treatment Softener Enriched, $50

OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright™ Vitamin C Serum, $65

TRULY, GLASS SKIN FACIAL SERUM, $28

My favorite hydrating face mask (I honestly have like 10 of these stocked)

DIAMOND WHITE GLOWING MASK, $97

LIPS

This is pretty simple. We all know that putting on a red lip can make you feel like one of the most powerful women alive. But, if that’s not your thing, or if it doesn’t fit the environment, perhaps invest in a great lip tint and lip gloss. Visibly healthy and hydrated lips will enhance your overall look, and will make you feel more confident as you speak.

Here is my favorite red and brown lip tint and lip gloss:

Benetint Lip & Cheek Stain, $18

Brownie Batter Lip Gloss Tube, $4

TEETH

Now be honest, do you brush your teeth as often as you should? Are you flossing?? Okay, well I know that flossing doesn’t sound sexy, but it is a necessity. You will feel considerably more confident about yourself when your smile is as radiant as your personality. You’ll want to invest in a teeth cleaning kit and a teeth whitening tool. You want to feel like you just came from the dentist, but without the discomfort. Deep clean your mouth (brush your tongue, floss your teeth, remove plaque, etc). After deep cleaning, apply a whitening tool of your choice. Depending on how white your teeth look now will help you determine the most effective method for you. I like to use hydrogen peroxide, but I also invest in having my teeth whitened professionally, so I don’t need much strength. You may want to look into whitening strips, gels, etc. I’d also like to add that mouthwash is not optional. This way, if you are planning to be around people, you will have no reason to feel self-conscious about your smile, or your breathe (you may also want to keep gum with you). People will want to lean in more as you speak, and you will definitely feel more confident. Now, obviously healthy gums are important for your overall dental hygiene, but it can also influence the way that you are perceived by others. As a woman, the whiter your teeth, the more you are seen as healthy, successful, well-off, attractive and trustworthy.

Here are a few of my favorite teeth whitening and cleaning tools:

Philips Sonicare - DiamondClean Classic Rechargeable Toothbrush, $179.99

Crest 3D Original Whitening Kit, $69.99

Oral Care Dental Scaler,High-Frequency Vibration&Three Modes, Teeth Cleaning Tools Use to Tartar/Plaque/Tooth Stains/Dental Calculus Remover, $23.99

HAND, FEET & NAILS

Soft hands are just pleasant to experience. If you’ve ever shaken the hand of someone with dry and rough skin, you know what I mean. It’s just like with the rest of your body, you want your hands and feet to feel soft and delicate. Invest in a good hand and foot cream. While we’re at it, be sure that this is a part of your moisturizing routine. Care for your skin with intention, love and adoration. As for your nails, invest in a good nail care kit with cuticle oil to give yourself a proper pedicure.

I like to use natural shea butter, coconut butter, coconut oil, etc., but here’s a good hand and foot cream:

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream, $50

Also, I love this oil for my natural nails (people always mistake them for acrylic):

The Body Shop Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil, Paraben-Free Hand/Nail Treatment, $12

BODY

We all know that feeling that we have after we’ve just buffed our dead skin away, shaved our legs and moisturized the hell out of our body. That is the feeling that you are trying to create. Invest in a good, hydrating body exfoliant and dry brush. I love Trader Joe’s Lavender Scrub and have purchased almost all of them on the shelves. It leaves your skin extremely soft (softer than you could even imagine) and you have natural glow. Speaking of which, you’ll also want to invest in a lovely body shimmer oil or bronzer to achieve a captivating glow with each move that you make.

Here are a few of my favorite body buffing tools:

Dry Brush With Cellulite Massager, $12.99

Trader Joe's Lavender Salt Scrub, $5.99

SELF-ADORNMENT

Invest in timeless lingerie and start collecting articles that remind just how sexy you are. If you just have a basic color-coordinated bra and panty set, that’s a start. But I want you to invest in a set that accentuates your body in all ways possible. Do your research and figure out what styles will best present your beauty. While you’re at it, start looking into other ways to adorn your body. You can invest in jewels, temporary tattoos, glitter, etc.

Obviously savagex.com, agentprovocateur.com and Dita Von Teese are great places to start! One of my absolutely favorite brands is Honey Birdette

CONFIDENCE

Like Dita said, a women who knows what she likes has confidence in her skin. Confidence is the most beauty and sexy aspect of any woman. As we all know, people are naturally more attracted to confident people. Remind yourself of just how beautiful you are on the inside and let that energy exude from every pore.

7 Steps to Creating Your Higher Self Persona.

Whether you want to create a sugar baby persona, a more confident version of yourself, or are just bored and want to revamp your life, these are the essential steps to doing so. I would recommend being as detailed as I was in my “ideal high-value man” list.

IG @glo.guidance

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