Last week I spent a four days biking across North Carolina with family and friends. It was an incredible chance to challenge the mind and body. We saw the rural areas of the state that are tucked far off our major highways, explored small towns we would otherwise be unlikely to visit and were almost exclusively out of doors for four days and nights — a rare opportunity in this day in age. 

As of this writing, the Federal Reserve has increased the federal funds target rate by 0.75 to curtail inflation. What does this mean? First, we need to understand inflation and the marketplace. 

Do you listen to podcasts? I listen to a variety of podcasts so when a common theme surfaces seemingly serendipitously, I pay attention. A few years back, one podcaster shared the idea of planning for the next year in the current year. The idea was to take time to reflect on the current year (i.e., 2022), create a plan for the next year (i.e., 2023), and deploy that plan early (i.e., before the end of 2022). Then, a couple of different podcasters suggested the same idea on their respective podcasts. When something like that happens to me, I tend to pay attention! 

Whether it’s creating beautiful handmade pottery, developing recipes for her restaurant or curating a vast selection of high-quality olive oils, Cathey Bolton is truly a talented artist, as well as a successful business person.