The True Pilot

Over the past few years, I have spent a lot of time in airplanes traveling within the US and across the globe for my own pleasure. My travels have been fun and for the most part I have never really run into any issues. Until recemtly, I was on a flight that started off really ROCKY, so rocky that I could not get any sleep (which I always get to do on my flights).  This got me thinking, so many times I have put my trust in so many pilots that I don't know. Pilots that you can't see, or touch or hear but yet I trusted them with my life.

Why then is it so hard to trust completely and utterally in God? You can't see Him or touch Him and most times you feel like you can't hear Him but just like a pilot He is there. Leading and directly our lives if we would just stay in our seats (Let Go) with our seat belts on (Let God). We already know He can and He will land us to our destination safely.

Passenger B*B*J*B

Ask the Accountant

Tax season is almost over, have you filed your taxes yet?!?!? Maybe you still have questions for the Auditor.......oh wait, sorry now the Accountant. Have no fear, I am here to help. This year, for all the procrastinators, I will be doing an at the last minute "Ask the Accountant" tax segment. Comment your tax question on my blog or email bbjb22@hotmail.com now through April 15th and I will get you the answer to get your highest tax refund.

God's Purpose

During the course of my childhood, my parents have encouraged my siblings and I to participate in volunteer opportunities. As I have grown and gone through my career path, opportunities to give back to communities and various organizations have presented itself. If you know me really well, you will know that saying "No" for me is very hard to do. Feeling like superwoman can do that to you. But finding a opportunity that embraces my feistiness, extreme organization, and passion of numbers is not easy to do. So what do you to?

I prayed and asked God to lead me to my purpose. And God placed the right people on my path to lead me to a job that was designed just for me. In October of 2013 I began working as the Corporate Accountant for Olympus Foundation Management (OFM). This amazing company serves non-profit charitable organizations with their foundation set-up, growth and development, and fundraising event planning. Just months after obtaining my Masters in Non-Profit Management, this opportunity of a lifetime fell in my lap.

OFM works with professional athletes like:
Mike Peterson http://mikepetersonfoundation.com
Drayton Florence http://draytonflorencefoundation.com
Jason Dufner http://www.jasondufnergolf.com/foundation
Maurice Jones-Drewhttp://www.mauricedrew.com/ssp/foundation
Will Allen http://willallenfoundation.com

And organizations like:
The Vinny Lecavalier Foundation http://vinny40.org/philanthropist/
GodSpeed Sports Elite Services http://www.godspeedelitesports.com
Tenth Avenue North Classic http://www.tenthavegolf.com
Greg Jones' Lead Block Foundation http://leadblockfoundation.com


So what do you do when you have already accomplished your dream job before you turn 30??? Pray and Ask God for a new one and watch Him work to acheive that one too!!!!

***************Stay tuned for the blog on my trip Melbourne, Australia*****************

Purpose Driven B*B*J*B

Are you ready?

One thing I love to do is help people gain financial success. The holidays are here and people are shopping away, believe me I know!!! (I don't even celebrate Christmas but I am surely enjoying the shopping experience). But a lot people always say "Berenice, why didn't you tell me about this or that before?!?". So as this upcoming tax season draws closer, I am going to provide you some tools to help you get the refund you deserve.

First step is to be sure you have kept all of your receipts and records for anything you will be claiming an exemption or deduction for. I usually provide this checklist to my clients:

-W2(s)
-1009-Misc (other income)
-1099-INT (Bank Interest Stmt)
-1098-E (student interest stmt)
-1098-T (tuition stmt)
-Tithe/Offering receipt
-Volunteer expenses log (churches & nonprofit organizations)
-Unreimbursed job expenses (uniforms, etc.)
-Professional Dues and Subscriptions
-Major purchases receipts (car, equipment, home upgrades, etc.)
-Moving expenses receipts

Second step is to research what deductions you may qualify for. For example: most people that I know are involved with a non profit organization in some way shape or form and don't know that their of your out of pocket expenses are deductible. Here are deductible expenses:

• the cost of hosting a party or fundraiser for the organization
• advertising that you buy on behalf of the organization
• supplies you purchase to be used in volunteer work, such as stamps and stationery
• the cost of a required uniform (and the cost of keeping it clean), and
• telephone expenses.

Third step find a qualified tax accountant to do your taxes. It seems cheaper to do them yourself,  I know all about cheap.  But you could be missing out on a higher refund because you don't know tax law and what you could be entitled to. Tax professionals are constantly on top of new tax laws and even after paying them you could still get a higher refund. 

Last step is to try and save your refund. One of my new goals is to encourage saving to everyone I come in contact with more info can be found on my Money Challenge blog . Don't depend on your tax refund to pay your monthly bills but watch your savings grow each year by putting your refund away. This can allow for that vacation you can never afford or that new car you've been dying to drive.

I hope this has helped you to get ready for tax season and should you have any questions please let me know. Stayed tuned this tax season for Ask the Auditor segment.

Ready B*B*J*B

My 29th!!!

Today I enter the last year of my twenties, I wondered how I wanted to spend it. Usually, all the details of my life is planned and organized in every way. But this year and for this birthday, I decided to be spontaneous. And who better to do that with than my (twin) cousin Tequisha.

Ever since we were kids we have been close and she has faithfully been the first to wish me a Happy Birthday. On our 5th birthday we decided when we got older we would build our houses next to each other, with connecting doors. Then life happens and you end up living far apart. But this birthday, we were privileged enough to live out our childhood dream even if it was only for a short while. Not only was she the first to wish me a Happy Birthday this year, but she was able to spend it with me first! Here a sneak peak to our Key West getaway!! For the first time, I took an unplanned trip with no prior reservations, or planned activities, and no regrets. 

Right before our full body massages & facials from Best Key West Massage!!

Lunch at the dock while watching dolphins!

 

All while being only 90 miles from CUBA!!!!

Relaxing at Smathers Beach 

 A trip to always remember!!! Thanks Tequisha I can't wait for the big one next year!!!!

Birthday B*B*J*B
12/06

Bold and Beautiful

It's important for me to talk about what its like Being BBJB (yeah I came up with this blog before Being Mary Jane came out on BET). Anyway, apart of Being BBJB are talking about some of the not so good things about me. There are two things I've always battled with and that's having short hair and biting my nails. Seems so minor when you write it down but boy have these things had a major impact on my self-confidence.

Having a mother with lovely long hair and a sister with thick voluminous hair, I wondered why I was born with short brittle hair. I would have loved to just have at least one good quality, why did I have to get stuck with hair 2 bad, hair that couldn't grow and then to lose the ones that did!! On top of that I have a terrible habit of biting my nails. Even down to the skin (yeah its a serious habit). For 28 years I have been trying to break this habit. At some points I actually did until I looked down and saw all my nails gone (not cute).  It got so bad that I didn't even know when or where I was doing it. I had gotten out of control.

This all had to stop!! I had to look for ways to believe that I am Bold and Beautiful just the way God made me. Regardless of what I had and the bad habits I had formed. So one by one I found ways to embrace my downfalls and control my own beauty. So how did I start? First I decided that if i was gonna be stuck with short hair that I would rock it out!!!

I got it cut and styled just like I've wanted to but have't had the guts to do. Since the cut a I have gotten nothing but compliments (which is an immediate boost of self-confidence.) This trickled into the way I dressed and developed into the confidence I thought I didn't have.

But I couldn't stop there, I had to come up with a plan for my nails. It certainly wouldn't be cute if you looked good  but had jacked up hands, would it? So I decided it was time to invest (which I never do). I invested in pampering my nails every two weeks. And if I make it two weeks without biting my nails I get to choose a nice color (red, pink, orange or aqua). For those of you that know me, I never have any nails to paint in the first place so this is truly a treat. Here's my progress:

It sometimes can be the simple things in life that can make a person feel Bold & Beautiful. These are just some of mines.

B&B

Starting a non profit

Since I got my Master's in Non Profit Management (MNM) I am getting requests from friends and family members who want help on starting a non profit. So I decided to write this blog to give some tips on how to start one. 

The IRS has a lot of information on this especially starting with this video: Starting Out

But if you don't have a lot of spare time here are some quick tips to get you started.

First, create a non-profit organization under state law for the state you live in. Do some research and find out the necessary requirements your state suggest. 

Second, acquire an Employer Identification Number by clicking here.

Third, you need to prepare your organizing documents. This for most organizations will be your Articles for Incorporation. Here is a sample form to use as a guide. 

The next step is Applying for Exemption 501(c)(3) with the IRS by completing Form 1023.

After you receive your exemption certificate from the IRS you need to be sure to comply with the necessary filing requirements. These requirements are the annual exempt organization returns (return info), unrelated business tax returns, and other returns and reports that an organization may have to file. In addition to the required filings, a charity may have other ongoing compliance obligations.

Significant Events  include but are not limited to audits by the IRS, private letter rulings, and termination proceedings.

I hope I have provided you with some quick tips to starting a non-profit organization. Be sure to visit  this website in order to Stay Exempt.

MNM, B*B*J*B