CoachArt, Dropping Comparison, Organizing to Save, Porch Cameras, Being Vulnerable, Building a Budget

CoachArt (0:00:00) Between homework, sports, and extracurricular activities... school is a hustle for every kid. But for those who live with a serious chronic illness, time spent between hospital visits and home checkups usually doesn’t allow them to participate in any of the extracurriculars offered at their schools which can leave them feeling left out. This is what inspired the creation of CoachArt, an online service dedicated to connecting children with chronic illnesses to volunteer coaches and mentors. Today we’re joined by Greg Harrell-Edge, executive director of CoachArt, to discuss the mission of this nonprofit and how thousands of kids have been able to live their dreams beyond the classroom. Dropping Comparison (0:15:16) We’ve all been there: we're having a good day, going about our usual routine, and then BAM... comparison strikes. Maybe we start comparing our clothes to our friend’s, our camping trip to someone’s European vacation, or our job to another’s. We know comparing ourselves to other people will never make us happy. But it’s so hard to snap ourselves out of it. So, we invited friend of the show, Michelle McCullough, to talk us through how to drop comparisons and be happier. Michelle is the author of “The HappyIST” and a seasoned speaker on finding more happiness and success in life. Organizing to Save (0:33:38) Life is messy and disorganized. So, it’s not surprising that often our homes are disorganized as well with forgotten groceries in the fridge and laundry piling up so we’re doing 6 loads in one day. But your disorganization might be costing you more than you think. So, what can we do? Rosemarie Groner went from being chronically disorganized her whole life to saving $23,000 dollars a year by organizing her home and meal planning. She started her blog The Busy Budgeter to help others organize their lives and she’s here to help us today. Porch Cameras (0:50:36) Porch security cameras are becoming more and more popular as people are becoming increasingly concerned about thieves known as “porch pirates.” I know I’ve seen videos on social media of thieves stealing things from porches, but it’s hard to know if the security footage ever ends up helping police actually catch the porch pirates. On top of that, it’s hard to tell if the cameras even prevent people from stealing your packages in the first place. We reached out to Dr. Ben Stickle, a professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Middle Tennessee State University, to help us decide if porch cameras really deliver on their promises to protect our belongings. Click here to find Dr. Stickle’s research on property crime and crime prevention. Being Vulnerable (1:04:46) Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” We’ve all been facing a situation that we cannot change, so how can we take this time to change ourselves? This is a vulnerable thing to do, but it will ultimately improve our lives. Ganel-Lyn Condie has some great ideas on how we can do this. Ganel-Lyn is a friend of the show and motivational speaker and we’re happy to have her on the show today to discuss this important topic. Building a Budget (1:26:17) Due to the Coronavirus, the economy has taken a huge hit leaving many people without jobs or with reduced paychecks. While it may not be easy, one of the best things we can do right now is establish a budget. Doing this will help reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 on our finances. We are talking with Christy Bieber, a full-time financial and legal writer, this morning. She’s going to tell us the best way to go about putting together a budget during this pandemic.