Youve probably heard stories about fortunate investors who get in the ground floor of a new, hot company and quickly make a fortune. But while these things may happen, they are exceedingly rare and often depend on hard-to-duplicate circumstances and they really dont represent a viable way of investing for ones goals. A far more tried-and-true approach is the slow-and-steady method.To follow this strategy, consider these suggestions: Start small and add more when you can. When youre first starting out in the working world, you may not have a lot of extra money with which to invest, especially if youre carrying student loan debt. But one of the key advantages of the slow-and-steady method is that it does not require large investment sums to get going. If you can afford to put away even $50 or $100 a month into individual stocks or mutual funds, month after month, you may be surprised and pleased at how your account can grow. And when your salary goes up, you can put away more money each month. Take advantage of an employers retirement plan. If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar tax-advantaged retirement plan, try to take full advantage of it. Again, if youre just beginning your career, you may not be able to put away much in this type of plan, but even a small amount is better than nothing. And as soon as you can possibly afford it, try to put in enough to earn your employers matching contribution, if one is offered. These types of plans can offer some key benefits and perhaps the biggest one is that investing is automatic, in that the money is moved directly from your paycheck into the investments youve chosen within your 401(k) or other plan. Be prepared for downturns. The financial markets will always experience ups and downs. So, you need to be prepared for those times when your investment statements may show negative results. By understanding that these downturns are a normal part of the investment environment, you can avoid overreactions, such as selling quality investments with good fundamentals just because their price has temporarily dropped. Chart your progress regularly. A key element of a slow-and-steady investment approach is knowing how well its working. But its important to measure your progress in a way that makes sense for you. So, for example, instead of measuring your portfolios performance against that of an external stock market index, such as the S&P 500, you may want to assess where you are today versus one year ago, or whether the overall progress youre making is sufficient to help you meet the financial goals youve set for yourself well into the future. Another reason not to use a market index as a measuring tool is that the index only looks at a certain pool of investments, which, in the case of the S&P 500, is simply the largest companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. But long-term investors try to own a range of assets U.S. and foreign stocks, bonds, government securities, certificates of deposit, and so on. Slow and steady may not sound like an exciting approach to investing. But its often the case that a little less excitement, and a lot more diligence, can prove to be quite effective.  Chad Choate III, AAMS 828 3rd Avenue West Bradenton, FL 34205 941-462-2445 chad.chaote@edwardjones.com This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones, Member SIPC

epending on where you live, winter can be tough. Colder weather, an increase in decadent foods, and a tendency towards less activity can leave us feeling a little bland. But with winter in the rearview mirror and the weather warming up, there are many fun activities to look forward to!Here are some ideas for spring activities designed to get you up and about and engaged with your loved ones. GardeningGardening is a great way to spend time outdoors, either with friends or family members or by yourself. Its meditative, therapeutic, reduces stress, and is the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors. Theres a sense of fulfillment and responsibility in caring for plants and watching them grow and if youre growing fruits or vegetables, you can enjoy the results on your dining table, sharing them with the people you care about. You can also include a social aspect, by creating a club with your friends or starting a garden with grandkids or other family members. If you have difficulties with mobility, you can use potted plants and still get great benefits. A lot of herbs love to be planted in pots. VolunteeringVolunteering is a great way to give back to your community, socialize, and experience new things. It can get you outdoors, it can help you exercise, and it can even introduce you to new friends. Volunteering can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience that does good for the world and the people around you. There are a variety of different ways you can volunteer: picking up litter, sharing your skills and talents with others, bake sales, food drives, soup kitchens, pet shelters, and more. Outdoor Exercise With the weather improving and plants blooming, theres no better time to get outdoors than during the spring. Take your exercise routine outdoors, go for walks, bike rides, jogs, play golf, pickleball, badminton, or whatever it is you enjoy. You can practice tai chi in the park, meditate under a tree, or do yoga with a group of friends. Need some ideas? Call your family up and schedule a picnic, or plan a reunion barbeque with some old friends you havent seen in a while. There are so many activities and sports you can engage in outside that will heighten your mood and wellbeing.Crafts and BakingAfter spending several days outside, maybe youre ready for a relaxing indoor spring activity. With the return of natures bounty, spring is a great time for crafts. You can make a birdhouse, spring-themed wreaths, or crochet a spring shawl for a friend or family member. Baking is also a popular springtime activity. If youre not sure where to begin, consider taking a class or setting up a craft hour with some friends. Its a great way to socialize and spend an afternoon. Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. It brings with it warmer weather and new opportunities. Make it a point to take advantage of this time. Your mind and body will thank you.

It is crucial to know the signs that your parents need help at home.by: Nicci Kobritz, R.N., Founder, Youthful Aging Home CareToday, ninety percent over the age of sixty-five want to age-in-place, yet few know how to take the necessary steps. For individuals entering the time of life when long-term support becomes increasingly important, the goal is to facilitate greater independence at home. Many individuals have multiple chronic conditions and complex health needs preventing success. A Guided Care nurse and coach can design a program to address existing health issues and set a course for helping to prevent the many challenges that develop with aging.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has stated that: The first step is to find a health Guide who becomes the nurse in the family functioning in partnership with your primary physician to reduce preventable adverse health events while coaching you in lifestyle interventions such as nutrition; physical activity; sleep hygiene; stress reduction and opportunities for socialization. proving cognitive function and brain health becomes important.To remain at home, access to basic support services may be necessary. Meal preparation, handyman, personal assistant, caregivers, home modifications to name a few..all customized to your needs and readily accessible.Service providers who are bonded, insured, and can produce references. Finally, installing the latest in-home monitoring devices and telehealth to pick up early on potential health events twenty-four hours a day in real time. Such devices, for example, allow providers to monitor patient progress remotely and receive alerts if there is an issue in real time. The emergence of new technologies and capabilities are making aging-in place possible for many people while also reducing the need for caregiver support.Successful aging-in-place strategies require a plan to meet the immediate needs while adapting with you as you age-in-place.

Tammy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, wed love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standardOur company is a hybrid of the worlds of theater and tourism. Generally these worlds do not collide but at Discover Sarasota Tours they come together by providing entertaining and informative daytime tours and nighttime original musicals on wheels!Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readersWhen I moved to Sarasota from Minneapolis in 2015, I wondered why there were no trolley tours in a tourist town with such a storied past. As an arts consultant (part of my past 20-year career), I was asked to take on the role of leading the Center for Architecture Sarasota as part of a Gulf Coast Community Foundation consulting assignment. For them, I developed the Architectural Trolley Tours which led to me realizing the potential for other types of tours. In 2018, I started my own tour company Discover Sarasota Tours (DST) to showcase all the wonderful and hidden aspects of Sarasotas rich history and culture. DST offered three trolley tours when we started (Circus Tour, City Tour, and the Haunted Tour) but now have 15 different tour themes running all year long. During COVID to keep the business open, I operated The ChillMobile vintage ice cream truck which became so popular it was featured in a FB movie and in AARP Magazine as the ultimate pivot business. My career in the arts as a theater performer, director, and producer taught me how to bring stories to life in an informative and entertaining way which remains the hallmark aspect of all DST tours.Prior to my role with DST, I spent 23 years as the Founder & CEO of a consulting firm for arts organizations called Blue Sky Thinking LLC, and before that worked as an Arts Administrator for state grant makers, museums, theater and dance companies, Broadway Theater, and live radio shows for 15 years. I am also the creator of The Ultimate Pajama Party, a grown-up girls slumber party extravaganza and commercial theater enterprise.When I started DST, I was ready to leave my world of arts consulting for nonprofits and be able to make my own decisions rather than enacting Board decisions. Running a company that sold goods and services instead of time and expertise seemed like a whole new exciting challenge. I saw a unique need to offer tours that no one else was offering and thought they would be successful because this area is filled with smart, curious people who love to learn and have fun while doing that.I am so proud of what we do, of my tour guides and of our resilience to just keep going. Its so important to help new residents learn about their new homes so that they may cherish some of our remaining historical buildings. Its also important for residents to keep falling in love with our area as they learn new things about where they live.Like a professional theater company with a new season each year, we are we are continually adding new tours. In the works are a Naturalist tour for nature lovers and a Sunset Cabaret Craft Beer & Music tour for younger residents and visitors. Our night time theatrical shows on wheels will be adding new Murder storylines during 2024 and really, there are just so many new things happening that we could offer 20 tours and not cover it all!Have you ever had to pivot?Our business was shut down March 20, 2020 a day I will never forget. Fortunately, I had purchased a 1979 vintage ice cream truck two months prior and because I had to work, had bills to pay and operating costs to cover, I learned the ice cream business in a week and was off selling ice cream with my dog Max. For two years, The ChillMobile ice cream truck paid the bills while we waited for the world to return to normal. We were so successful that Facebook Marketplace came to make a movie about us now seen by more than 2 million viewers. We were also featured in AARP Magazine as an example of a mid-life pivot and in several other national and local magazines. I was most pleased that we won BEST NEW BUSINESS Award in 2020 during a very challenging year.Lets talk about resilience next do you have a story you can share with us?See above! I would also say that in the past four years, we have never had a normal year. We started during a bad bout of Red Tide which drastically cut tourism. Then we had 2 years of COVID and this past year has been filled with staffing challenges, hurricane Ian, inflation, political divisiveness and trauma with the loss of Max and Michael two beloved staff members. We have weathered all these storms as a strong team and look forward to easier times ahead!Contact Info:Website: www.DiscoverSarasotaTours.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverSarasotaTours