I hope this Wednesday finds you in cheerful spirits. It’s bright and early - time to make your mark on the world. Go on, you have all day to make an impact with your gifts and talents, and potentially finish up those taxes (get to it!). If not today, then when?

I’ve been reflecting on March Madness, or the NCAA’s three-week extravaganza for women and men to compete for a national basketball championship, that is now over. As you know, Baylor University won for the women and the University of Virginia won for the men. More importantly, this year’s tournament (more than any that I can remember in recent years) demonstrated that perseverance, grit, faith, and raw scrappiness are ‘ingredients for hitting a goal.’ Both teams had a commonality - in the beginning of year, they set out to reach their goal of winning an NCAA title.

This year’s NCAA ‘ingredients for hitting the goal’ is powerful inspiration for us in our everyday lives as we pursue the wealth and the life that we want. Also know that other people might not expect you to hit your goals because of myriad of reasons. For instance, in Virginia’s case, the team lost in the first round of the tournament last year as the overall number one seeded team in the tournament. Thus, many people did not see the team as a real contender to even get to the final championship game.  Similarly, others may doubt your ability to hit your mark. As we talked about in the beginning of our year to Embrace Change, you must quiet the noise around you and pounce on opportunity.

You can do it!

And, here are a few articles that will help you to keep striving for what you want and hit the mark:

• 3 Resources to Help Find Small-Business Loans for Women Entrepreneurs. In a recent article that I wrote for American Express, I shared the woes that women-led businesses often face when trying to get debt financing for their business. Did you know that "women-owned firms applied for credit at a similar rate as men; women-owned non-applicants were more often discouraged from applying and less likely to say they had sufficient financing than men-owned firms?" Yikey! But, the story doesn’t end there – I also shared several resources that women can use to overcome these challenges to keep growing their businesses. Please take a look, and share! 

• Add-On Services Emerge as Car Dealers’ Profit Generator. If you’re in the market to buy a car, or know someone else who is, beware of the hard sell that will come to get a warranty and other ‘add-on’ services as you try to close the deal. I experienced this first hand three weeks ago as my husband and I made a certified pre-owned (or used) car purchase to accommodate our growing family [side note: I never buy new cars as they are depreciating assets from day 1; you may have a different perspective, and if you do, share it in the comments section below.]. Make sure you negotiate for what you want and be sure to say “no” if the deal is not for you.

• Why the Brexit 'Mess' Could Be an American Problem as Well. U.S. stocks have been all over the place the last few weeks, and I want to encourage you to have an understanding of what’s happening abroad. This WSJ video from two weeks back succinctly breaks down how we are interconnected with the global economy. Whether it’s Brexit or some other global issue, be mindful of how your global portfolio, including U.S. stocks will be affected.

So, now it’s time to go create that impact on the world. Have a wonderful day!