(NNPA)—Grasping the reality of this current hard-hitting full-blown economic downturn, and all-out crisis in your life is not an easy task. How you deal with it will determine your ultimate success.

I am proud of my identity and roots going from food stamps-to-fortune. For me being poor was never a factor that confined the person, rather just a temporary circumstance of sorts.

Each moment can change the rest of your life and the course of your direction. If you are not intentional with your actions, you will plan to fail. Successful people operate from the beat of their own drum, but they are intentional. Successful people don’t become successful by accident—it’s sheer, practical application of their talents and traits.

International business

JUNE 30—TiE Pittsburgh will host “Long Distance Relationships: Growing Your Business in International Markets” from 5:30-8 p.m. at Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Shadyside. Several panelists will share their expertise and experiences about growing businesses internationally. David Iwinski will be the moderator. Reservations are requested and the cost is $30 for non-members and $35 the day of the event. For more information, e-mail Berni Bishop Pirollop at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

You panic when there’s news of a down market. You assume that your investment portfolio is doing well when there’s news of a thriving economy. You may be one of those people who shies away from investing or you invest ultra-conservatively because you’re afraid you’ll lose all your hard-earned money. You may be one of those people who hired an investment adviser and hope that the advisor is leading you in the right direction.

I’m not going to give you a hot stock tip. As a matter of fact, I think that investing in individual stocks is a bad idea for my target readership—hard working, upwardly mobile ordinary people looking to beat debt, save for future goals and retire rich. Instead, I’m going to share some basic fundamentals about investing. In this article you’ll find simple time proven practical information that will help you become a confident investor. This isn’t a complete self-help guide to investing. This advice will help you save time, money and frustration whether you chose to work with an investment broker or if you chose to go at it alone.

Technology is moving faster than the speed of light. Are you keeping up? Eighty-eight year old actress Betty White—whose popularity has gone through the roof lately—was marveling at how “live” TV was such a unbelievably big deal back in the 1940s and ’50s when her 63-year career began. Back then owning a television was a luxury. Today, Black families typically own more televisions per household than any other demographic group. ’Fess up—do you have more televisions in your house than people?