#TheGameFinale – What’s your plan B?

#TheGameBET

by DeKesha C. Williams 

I’ve been watching the TV series “The Game” for years now but this episode really had us on our toes.  What really stands out to me about this finale is the lesson behind all of the drama. Today marked the end of Malik’s football career, “Mr. 80 million” but he spent this entire season focused on investing in new income streams.  When we watch television shows of this magnitude we have a tendency to focus on the surface.  We get so caught up in the relationships like Blu and Keira or Jason Pitts and Chardonnay!  We never look beyond the characters and the plot to identify an opportunity for a life lesson.  

The plot for The Game thickened as Malik was severely beaten leaving a movie premiere party. It sets the stage for a long anxious week of knowing whether he will survive.  Malik has spent years with this series and has established a prominent and key role. I realized that no matter how important your role or how much your paycheck is that everything in life lasts for a season. Malik’s football career has clearly reached the capacity of his season.  

Malik has attempted at burger businesses and bikini opportunities. He’s tried convincing business consultants that he’s ready to transition into a business owner.  It was evident to Malik that football will not last forever. So many of us are caught up in the NOW and fail to realize that we’ve “put our eggs in one basket!”  That means that we become complacent and solely rely on one source or means for providing for our families.  We choose not to see beyond the present and are in denial that it could diminish tomorrow.

I personally lost the same job twice in 2010 & 2012 when our company immediately ceased operations.  It was then that I realized that I needed to invest my time in multiple streams of income.  You need to understand that our JOBS are replaceable and so are we.

Robert Kiyosaki stated 3 advantageous tax-saving strategies for business owners and they are as follows: start a business, purchase a franchise, or invest in a network marketing company.   Have you ever dreamed of owning a small boutique? It’s time to make this your moment to make it happen and stop putting it off. For those of you that have an entrepreneurial spirit but no creativity then look at franchising opportunities. Lastly, companies like Mary Kay, 5 Linx, and Amway have been around for years. They are network marketing companies that build residual income, bonus opportunities, and stock options.

With the economy and jobs at an all time low and gradually increasing.  It’s critical for families to create a financial shelter that doesn’t solely rely on linear income.

What’s your thoughts? Have you created a financial back up plan for your family?  

Share your success below.

DeKesha C. Williams: I have over 17  years of experience in retail management working for organizations such as Hecht’s, Ann Taylor Loft, and FootAction USA.  I received a B.A. degree in Fashion Merchandising in 1999 and recently received an M.B.A. in Finance in 2010.  For the last 4.5 years, I’ve operated 13 private photography studios from Atlanta, GA to Columbia, MD, and have been responsible for managing 60+ employees as a District Manager. During this time I was given the opportunity to open 6 of the 13 stores within my first two years with the company, which included hiring, staffing, and training all employees.

My skills included but were not limited to fashion merchandising with companies such as Macy’s and Ann Taylor Loft. Participating in floor sets and marketing responsibilities as both manager and District Manager as well as creating sales projections and action plans for stores across 5 states for more than 3 years.

It was approximately 7 years ago that I participated in a “Spiritual Gifts” class at church and it was there that I realized that God had given me specific talents regarding administration, and leadership with a “knack for motivating individuals through faith and wisdom. Although God had revealed my talents to me, I was not prepared to embrace them. Thus I was the servant who dug a hole and buried his treasure/talent. Matt 25:14