Finance, Wellness, and Cultural Delights: April 2024 Brain Food
Spring is blooming and at TARRA that means a few things. First, it’s Financial Literacy Month (keep scrolling for more on that), Tax Day (I hope you got those done on time or filed for an extension), and ICYMI (in case you missed it) one powerful total eclipse (shoutout to Bonnie Tyler for singing one of the most played songs of the month).
At TARRA, spring is a vibrant awakening from winter hibernation. There has been an electric feeling within our walls these last few weeks. The work club is ‘buzzing’ with fresh faces (Hello to our 2024 Scholarship Class!), and spring programming like the inaugural TARRA Leadership Retreat coming your way on May 17.
On April 10 we hosted our first Women’s Health & Wellness Summit, with 17 vendors and a panel of 6 experts from various corners of the health & wellness community. My takeaway? Take care of this body, mind, and soul, because it’s the only one you have. Your health is not the result of a one-size-fits-all approach. Rest, recharge, walk, drink water, learn about your body, and don’t be afraid to talk about the things that ail you. Ensuring your health is a fundamental human right, and completely within your control. As I write, I sit on the tarmac at DIA on my way to a much-needed long weekend away to rest and recharge. I hope you will do the same before your summer schedule heats up.
Once Brain Food is written, I’m signing off for a few days, but meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this lineup of ideas, conversations, and thought-provoking ‘snacks’ to keep your curiosity fed till next month’s edition.
Make Your Financial Dreams a Reality?
We all have dreams to dream when it comes to making, saving, and spending money. Unfortunately for many of us, the reality is less rosy than we would like. However, with the right guidance and some discipline, it is possible to hit those ambitious goals. The Cut has some advice for you.
Not Your Dad’s Wine Cellar
Once you have saved all that money, or perhaps because you haven’t saved enough , pour some of it into a well-educated glass. Not into snoozer books about wine? Pick up a copy of Corker: A Deeply Unserious Wine Book by UK-based wine writer Hannah Crosbie. Funny and irreverent, it’s a guide for novices and wine lovers alike.
Get Funding Smart with Femstreet
Yes, funding for women-founded companies is one of my favorite subjects… and yes there is an entire Substack dedicated to this conversation. Femstreet’s weekly digest is a smart and informative roundup of the news and ideas around women in business, entrepreneurship, raising capital, managing a board, and more. In a sea of sameness, this one stands out. Oh, and they have a new job board too!
Vulture Capitalism
Pulling that thread on investment and capitalism further, I recently came across 30-year-old Grace Blakeley, a UK-based economic commentator raised on Marxist theory. After earning a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford, Blakeley wrote two books on 21st-century capitalism. Her third work is Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts & the Death of Freedom (not a lot of levity there). She hopes to shift our consciousness to a more productive, collective mindset and create a sense of power and hope. Tell me what you think if you read it. I’m intrigued!
Singing Scars
Adrienne Lenker released “Bright Future”, her fifth solo record in March 2024 to much acclaim. The Big Thief frontwoman has her own particular and unique sound in the folk-rock genre with a foundation of honesty. The sound is raw and unbridled with an unmistakable tenderness.
Financial Literacy Month
Longtime TARRA friend, facilitator, and member, Jenn Uhen is a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ and Founder of The Pledgettes. Jenn believes you don’t have to figure out your money in isolation. In honor of Financial Literacy Month, we asked her to share 5 personal finance books on her bookshelf. Here’s what she shared.
