Meet Our Guest

Corrine Christensen

Senior Partner & Style Advisor at J. Hilburn

Craig Judson

Managing Shareholder – Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson, APC

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 12 of Meet the Expert® with Elliot Kallen!

In this episode, Elliot is bringing on Corrine Christensen and Craig Judson to discuss how to dress for success in today’s video conferencing world and guidelines for estate planning in today’s pandemic era.

Corrine Christensen

„

The current reliance on remote technology amid the coronavirus pandemic has blurred the line between work and home life. Our homes are now our offices, and we all need to find new ways to present well online.

Corrine Christensen

senior partner & style advisor, j. hilburn

6 Tips for a Better Virtual Presentation

step 1

Camera & Eye Contact

• Be sure to look at the camera
• Stay engaged with your colleagues
• Keep your camera viewing angle at 60 to 90 degrees; elevate your laptop if using your built-in webcam
• USB external cameras are ideal; look for 1080p to 4k

step 2

Sound Quality & Acoustics

• Take your video conferencing calls in a smaller room with carpet

• If your built-in mic doesn’t work well, use an external wireless or wired headset with a microphone—bonus points for a pop-filter so your voice comes through crisp and clear

step 3

Lighting

• Natural light in front of your computer is ideal

• Don’t place yourself with the window behind you

• If necessary, use external lighting, such as a ring light

step 4

Background

• Try to keep your background calm and noise-free

• Make sure your background is clean

• Make sure your pets aren’t distracting

• If you have a busy background, consider using a virtual background

step 5

Hair and Makeup

Make sure you are presentable if you’re having a video meeting.

step 6

Watch Your Body Language

We all tend to be more relaxed when working from home. Remember to sit up straight.

Wardrobe needs in this ‘new’ environment

Concentrate on these elements when building your WFH wardrobe:

• Comfortable. Make sure your clothes fit well and allow for breathing room. You don’t want to fidget on camera. Remember that an item of clothing that’s too big is just as distracting as one that’s too small.
• Conservative. You don’t want to distract your audience. Avoid tank tops, strapless tops, and crop tops, as well as anything unbuttoned, low, or sheer. You want your audience to focus on the message, not on what you’re wearing.
• Clean. Let your audience know that you pay attention to the details by avoiding clothes with stains, rips, holes, and wrinkles.
• Color. Wear colors that you feel good in, but avoid wearing clothes that are too bright or too dark. Solid blues, greens, and neutrals look best on camera.
• Confidence. Pick an outfit that makes you look and feel good. Make sure it follows all the Cs, and consider giving it a test run so that you know you’re comfortable.

The better you look, the better you feel, the more confident you are, and the better presentation you can give, even from home.

How to shop for the ‘new’ WFH office

Shopping malls may be closed, but you’ll still find most of your favorite brands online. All major retailers offer a seamless online shopping experience, and the majority also offer mobile apps.

We’re starting to see an uptick in custom-made clothes and personalized shopping services, as well as an increasing awareness for sustainable fashion. You may find it helpful to speak to a personal stylist about your WFH wardrobe wants and needs.

Craig Judson

”

The most important document to draft is not the trust, the will, the deeds to property, or even the financial power of attorney. The most important is the power of attorney for healthcare—the advance directive.

Craig JudsonManaging Shareholder, Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson, APC

As people grow older, we all share the same fears:

• Losing our independence
• Declining physical and mental health
• Running out of money
• Losing our memory
• Not having a permanent housing situation
• Failing to make adequate caretaking arrangements

One of the best protective factors against cognitive decline is social interaction. Seniors who identify as being lonely are 59 percent more likely to experience a decline in their ability to perform activities of daily living. Conversely, it’s those who stay connected and active in their later years that live healthier, longer lives.

No one can predict what functional declines we’ll eventually face. Because of all these uncertainties, it’s important to put an estate plan in place to avoid stress, frustration, and money in times of crisis.

To die without a will means a real loss of control—you do not control who inherits from you, and between court costs, family issues, and taxes, you could lose a significant portion of your estate. And having a trust (or other legal vehicles) will help to keep you out of court, keep your legal expenses down, and keep things simple. If you have a trust, keep all your major assets titled in the trust.

How can we plan during a time of incapacity? And who manages our money if we’re incapacitated?

The most important document to draft is not the trust, the will, the deeds to property, or even the financial power of attorney.

The most important is the power of attorney for healthcare—the advance directive.

This is a document that deals with you as a human being—not with your money. If you were ever incapacitated and could not make your own healthcare decisions, who would you want to be there to talk to your doctors and to work with them to be sure you’re given every possible opportunity to live a wonderful life after you recover? Or if recovery is not possible at what point you say no more treatment or do everything possible?

Your estate plan puts your final wishes into writing. It makes sure all of your major assets are titled properly and funded into a trust. Make sure your estate planning team—your Financial Advisor, Accountant, and Attorneys—agree on a course of action that’s in your best interest as far as handling your investments and minimizing your taxes.

Succession planning and wealth preservation are big issues in any vocation. If you start planning early enough, there are ways to preserve your assets and pay minimal taxes in the process.

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DISCLAIMER: Prosperity Financial Group and Meet the Expert® with Elliot Kallen do not make specific investment recommendations on Meet the Expert® with Elliot Kallen or in any public media. Any specific mentions of funds or investments are strictly for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice or acted upon by individual investors. The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the Meet the Expert® with Elliot Kallen guests, and not necessarily of Elliot Kallen or Prosperity Financial Group.