What’s better than free? Keep extra cash in your pockets with these savvy money saving tips!

When Checkbook went hunting for membership perks, we found that many credit card companies, health insurers, and membership groups often provide their customers with free, often hidden perks…

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GUEST LINKS:
Facebook:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/consumerscheckbook/
Twitter: twitter.com/CheckbookOrg
You Tube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCwjLghdXo_hgdaJe_Scbqzg

GUEST BIO:
Consumers’ Checkbook is published by the Center for the Study of Services, an independent, nonprofit consumer organization founded in 1974. It has for more than 40 years been an innovator in providing information to help consumers make smarter choices. Checkbook surveys consumers and evaluates the quality and prices of local service providers and products, and reports its findings online and in regional magazines in the Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle metro areas—and, for some services, nationally. Checkbook also provides comprehensive advice to help people save time, money, and hassle.

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EPISODE 61 ~ GUEST BLOG: Introducing a New App That Helps You Find and Claim Your Missing Money

Usually it is because you switch houses and you do not fully update your new contact information with the “holder” of the money. If the holder of your money can’t locate you or you do not engage in any activity with your account, the holder sends it to the state government for safekeeping.

Another reason why the state is holding on to money is because the owner of it has passed away. Individuals should be encouraged not only to search their own name but for relatives as well. This money will sit in perpetuity until it is claimed. Please make sure your financial records are kept up to date so this does not happen to you. And leave a list of your accounts somewhere safe so that your heirs will know what you have in case you die.

I have been helping people discover and recover their unclaimed money for years and estimate I have reunited people with more than $25 million of unclaimed money. Now I want to help you help yourself with a new app that makes it quick and easy to find your unclaimed money. My new app is called iRecovery and it will be available in the iTunes store and Google Play store in June of 2018. The iRecovery app is a free download and search tool to see if you or someone you know has money out there that has gone unclaimed.

Once you discover your lost funds, you answer simple questions to prove ownership of the money. Once you have provided this basic information, the app will process the necessary claim documents for your review and e-signature. You will be able to easily identify what documents are necessary to submit your claim and upload them straight into the app. If you are unable to provide certain documentation to prove ownership of the funds, iRecovery will locate them and attach them to your claim at no cost.

iRecovery is the only app that allows you to search, file and track your unclaimed property claims all in one place. Identify unclaimed assets owned by your family and friends and share your findings with them so they can claim what’s theirs. Search deceased relatives to make a claim as their next of kin with the proper death claim documents that are generated by the app.

iRecovery was designed for the individual to get their money back with ease and simplicity all from your mobile device. Just download the app and start your search to see how helpful we can be. iRecovery was made by unclaimed property experts and designed for an easy, user friendly experience. Search as much as you like. There’s no wrong way to use it and nothing to lose to get started.

Check back to your client portal for updates and notifications on when your claim is approved and your money is sent. iRecovery will automatically update you with any new progress on your claim. You will always know where you stand.

Check the app store soon for the iRecovery app and see what money you may be missing out on!

Guest Bio:
Nick Anderson is a genealogist, heir hunter and skip tracer who is the Founder and CEO of Ironwood Asset Recovery. He founded Ironwood Asset Recovery as a response to the billions of dollars in money and other assets that go unclaimed by Americans each year. Nick has dedicated his career to reuniting private citizens and companies with their rightful property. Over the last decade, he has reunited clients with millions of dollars in lost assets and does not plan on stopping any time soon.

Guest Contact: Nick Anderson, Ironwood Recovery
Website: IronwoodRecovery.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ironwoodrecovery
Google+: plus.google.com/108171121525414996579
Instagram: www.instagram.com/irecoveryusa/?hl=en
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ironwoodrecovery/
Twitter: twitter.com/iRecoveryUSA

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Episode 60 ~ Guest Post


How To Make Baked Zucchini Wedges, The “Pizza” of Vegetable Dishes
By Jennifer Brule

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon coconut, vegetable, or olive oil
2 large or 3 medium zucchini
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko-style bread crumbs
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Using a paper towel, grease a sheet pan with the oil.
Trim off both ends of each zucchini, then cut each one in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again to form thick wedges. (If you want them long and thin, you could cut them in half lengthwise once more.) Cut each wedge into 3- to 4-inch-long segments.
Place the flour in a pie plate. In a second pie plate, beat the eggs. In a third, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper flakes, salt and Italian seasoning.
Working in batches, toss 4 to 6 wedges at a time into the flour, shake off the excess, dip them in beaten egg to coat (use a fork or your fingers to turn them), then into the breadcrumb mixture. (To keep from gunking your fingers up with large amounts of dough, try to remember to use one hand in the flour and bread crumbs and the other hand with the egg. In restaurant kitchens, it’s called “Standard Breading Procedure.”)
Place each coated wedge on one flat side on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the wedges over to the other flat side and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until brown. Serve hot.

GUEST LINKS:
Jenny’s Restaurant: www.davidsonicehouse.com
Jenny’s Professional Website: www.jenniferbrule.com
Jenny’s First Book: www.25southernclassics.com/#southern-classics
Restaurant on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/davidsonicehouse
Jenny on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jenniferbrule
Jenny on Instagram: @Jenny_Brule
Restaurant on Instagram: @davidsonicehouse
Jenny on Twitter: @Jenny_Brule

GUEST BIO:
My name is Jenny Brulé. I think about food all the time. I’m either shopping for food, cooking it, eating it, talking about it, researching it, writing about it, or day dreaming of it. Thoughts of cooking and food consume me. I met an astrologer once who told me that in a past life I starved to death and have spent every lifetime since then trying to feed people. Fair enough.
I develop recipes for national magazines, like Cooking Light, Shape, Fitness and Draft Magazine. I also write for regional magazines. I am an on-air chef for the Carolina’s largest NBC affiliate, WCNC as well as a regular on ABC Charleston, and the Food Network chose me to be in 5 cooking videos for their website. I am excited right now to be writing my second cookbook for UNC Press due out autumn 2018. And I recently opened my first restaurant, Davidson Ice House, outside of Charlotte.

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Episode 59 ~ Guest Post

An Emergency Bill Can Get Pretty Hefty, These Tips Can Save You Serious Money on Your Medical Bills
By Michelle Katz

When Suzanne came to me after receiving her $8, 000 bill for 30 minutes in the ER almost 1 year later, she could not recall some of the events that occurred in the ER or know why her insurance was not kicking in.  Who would?  On the other hand, what she could recall, was helpful enough to get that bill down to about $1, 500 and this is what we did:

1.  Get an itemized copy of your bill from the hospital:  This is key to helping you recall events and navigate through that horrifying day.  Suzanne called the billing department and made that request via the phone and email… She also told them to put her bill on hold while she was investigating the charges… This ultimately “stops the clock” on any collections, and gets the hospital involved.  By doing this, you are letting them know, you are serious.
2.  Get a copy of your medical chart:  This is legally yours and it will not only help you recall some of the finer details of the event, but it also might help uncover some of the mysterious charges on your bill.   When Suzanne and I compared this with the itemized bill we uncovered the following: wrong dates, wrong times, wrong amounts, double charges, unnecessary tests and even a wrong diagnosis.
3.  Call up the insurance company to double check the information:  In this process, we discovered that one of the main reasons her insurance company did NOT kick in was somewhere in between filing the claim and capturing it, her birthdate was transcribed wrong…
4.  Don’t wait for the billing department to call you:  As soon as you get all of the above information and highlight what seems like an obvious mistake to you and write down your questions, pick up that phone AND contact the billing department in writing and make that appointment to go over your bill…  Any delay on your part may throw your bill back onto the track to collections…
5.  What you don’t understand, be sure to ask:  Remember that many of the people in the billing department do not have a medical background, so they might refer you to the doctor.  Ask them for help if you do not know the doctor…
6.  Document: After the mistakes are found get a reprint of the bill.  Be sure your insurance company has a correct copy and if the balance is correct, pay for it immediately and be sure to get the zero balance in writing and keep this is your file for at LEAST a year…
7.  Negotiate:  If you have a high deductible like Suzanne, there may be a balance even after insurance kicks in that is a tough amount to swallow.  Take the time to sit down with this billing person to talk about your situation and ask for a discount.  If that amount is too high, work out a payment plan that works for YOU and get your final agreement in writing.  You might be surprised what you can work out if you just ask.  Sometimes hospitals will accept a low cash amount to settle out your bill since setting up a payment plan can be time consuming and cost more for the hospital depending on the situation.
8.  Say thank you:  I cannot emphasize this enough.  It is rare the billing department gets a thank you.  So one up your game!  A simple thank you may get you an ally in the billing department that may “have your back” if something goes amiss in the future.
In the end we were able to get Suzanne bill down to about $1, 500 and work out a payment plan that is comfortable to her that she can afford to keep up with her other bills without going into cardiac arrest at the end of every month…

GUEST LINKS:
Twitter: @michellekatzmsn
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nursemichellekatz/
Website: about.me/michellekatz

GUEST BIO:
Michelle Katz, MSN, LPN is perhaps the most well-known healthcare advocate today. For over 15 years, Michelle has used the Healthcare for Less platform to make healthcare accessible to those who may not have thought they could afford the care they needed, as well as understandable to the general public, by addressing some of the most critical aspects of healthcare in a simpler way. Michelle has used the power of the media to help deliver the message of hope and encourage others to become their own healthcare advocates through compelling stories about real people in a wide range of financial situations effecting their health from a physical to their emotional state. She empowers families and businesses to take control of their situations by introducing the tools they need to get out of medical debt and stay out of medical debt; all steming from her own experiences with near death experiences and singlehandedly avoiding medical debt with and without health insurance. Michelle is well know for her work, helping families across the country get out of medical debt, on the “Real Money” segments of ABC World News Tonight in addition to the “Doc on a Dime” segment on The Doctors Show. She has also been quoted and used as an expert by various media outlets including CBS, FoxNews, NBC, CNN and MSNBC where she simplifies the US healthcare system while bringing facts to the listeners without political bias. In addition to being the lead resource for many media outlets on health and navigating through the healthcare system, Michelle has published three books on saving money in healthcare: Healthcare Made Easy, Healthcare for Less and 101 Health Insurance Tips. These books are all one of a kind resources, helping businesses and families navigate through the healthcare system and avoid medical debt in a way that is understandable to all.

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EPISODE 58~ Guest Post

A lot of people have asked me how in the world I left a lucrative 6-figure engineering career to be a full-time working musician. Well, it was hard and a lot of work, but with the proper planning, I was able to make it happen and eventually make even more money as a musician than I did as an engineer. The main thing is that I had a budget and a plan.
So here I want to share the 5 things you need to do to be ready to leave your day job – follow these steps and you have your exit plan:

1. Get out of debt

If you have ANY debt whatsoever – PAY IT DOWN before you leave your steady gig. Don’t skimp on this. I am ashamed to say that I had over $20k in credit card debt as a 25-year-old but I buckled down and paid it off BEFORE I left engineering – and quite honestly, only a few months before I changed careers was it paid off.

2. Determine your minimum income

I decided that if I left engineering, I wanted to at least keep my townhouse – I refused to be a “starving artist” – so I tracked my expenses for several months and determined which expenditures were necessary and which were extravagant, and I cut the extravagant ones. Thus I began to live on *just* the necessities. THIS is what I had to do – and it worked. And to those who scoff at this truly minor sacrifice, I’ll leave you wiht Zig Zigglar’s Quote:
“The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.” – Zig Ziglar

3. Live on that minimum income (i.e. strict budget)

And back to that note – if you are working in a profession you LOVE then you will be incredibly surprised at how much you DON’T need. Remember that we live in a consumerist economy, and “Happy people don’t spend money” (that’s MY quote).
Determine what you ACTUALLY need to get by, and stick to it!

4. Have steady work lined up that follows your passion

HOW many times have I had random people reach out to me and say “hey, I did what you did – I left my lucrative career!” … and then they had NOTHING lined up. NOTHING. They were living off their savings and with NO plan in sight.
Now, ONE of those people who had no debt but only $25k in savings) took my advice – which was to find a steady gig – until he could leave his job with a legitimate income. I’m proud to say that this friend is a successful independent artist to this day – living in LA no doubt and THAT is HARD.

5. Exit gracefully (i.e. burn NO bridges)

I firmly believe that what comes around goes around. When you have your ducks in a row and are ready to leave said lucrative career (or maybe not-so-lucrative, no shame here!), keep in mind that you may leave some of your soon-to-be-former colleagues in a VERY jealous state, so be gracious.

I remember that when I left engineering, most of my former colleagues were dumbfounded because they were actually *meant* to be engineers and couldn’t imagine any other career. But others were what I would call artist/engineers like me, and most were very supportive. But one other senior engineer actually confronted me in an aggressive manner and was asking:
“What are you doing? Don’t you have bills to pay?!? How will you afford your house?!? how can you make your car payment?!?!”
And to that I responded “Yeah, I don’t have a car payment and I live in a small townhouse with only a $600 mortgage”
But I remained calm.

Remember to be kind and gracious. AND encourage others to follow their dreams!
I hope these tips are helpful! Please feel free to contact me anytime at rebecca@topkatstudios.com with any questions – or just comment on this post!
And remember to chase your dreams!

GUEST BIO:
Born and raised in Alabama, Rebecca began learning to read music at the age of four. She performed in local music theatre productions and sang in choir at church, always having a lead role in any music production. Although she began reading music and picking out simple melodies on the piano, the first instrument she studied formally was the trombone, and became an all-state 1st trombonist all through Jr High and High School. She began studying classical voice at 15, and by the end of high school had won a variety of awards for vocal and trombone performance. Being an excellent student adept at computers and math, Rebecca got a scholarship to attend several schools, and ultimately choose Arizona State University and earned a degree in Engineering. She continued to study voice and began to study piano while working an as engineer full-time. She sang and played with local latin and jazz bands, and even sang with the Arizona Opera, but keeping music as a part-time job wasn’t enough. Rebecca eventually left her position as a Senior Engineer with a large defense contractor to become a full-time musician – a decision she considers one of the best of her life.

GUEST LINKS:
Rebecca’s Solo Website: rebeccadelatorre.com
Rebecca’s Band website: insurgence.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RebeccaDeLaTorreMusic
Twitter: twitter.com/topkittykat
Instagram: www.instagram.com/topkittykat/
You Tube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/topkittykat

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EPISODE 57 ~ GUEST BLOG: Glen Zubia Knows How to Get You Out of Debt


Glen’s top ten tips for making money online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMLC1k2qOVY

GUEST BIO:
Glen Zubia, Jr is an e-Commerce Merchant from El Paso, Texas. Glen is best known for his YouTube Channel, Hustler Hacks, which has generated over 40,000 subscribers and 4.6 million views. After graduating from college in 2009, Glen went to work as a full-time graphic designer, but struggled to make minimum payments on his debts. With over $50,000 of combined Student Loan, Car Loan and Credit Card debt, he knew it was time for a big change. Glen began buying items at thrift stores and garage sales to resell on sites like eBay and Amazon.
In about a year, income from his “side hustle” had surpassed his salary. His story has been published in popular websites such as U.S. News & World Report, Clark.com and dontwasteyourmoney.com.
Glen hopes to inspire others who are struggling with money (especially after college) to take advantage of the many money-making opportunities that are available through e-Commerce.

GUEST CONTACT:
Website: www.hustlerhacks.com/
YouTube: Hustler Hacks
Instagram: @hustlerhacks

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EPISODE 54 ~ GUEST BLOG: The Art of Profitable Dumpster Diving

M.A.C. (Moves Adds and Changes)
Change is good. If a store is moving then more than likely they will be disposing of any unwanted items, such as shelving, storage, old equipment, etc. anything that may be easier to replace than transport. These items can be useful in your own construction and storage products or resold.

Retail stores are constantly updating and adding space. Construction on these stores can also mean demolition and clearing out of unwanted items.
When a store is making changes to the items they stock they may be shedding some of the older, outdated stock. This is especially true with computers and electronics. People don’t want to pay full price for outdated cameras, laptops and such but will pay decent prices for them on the secondary market. Retail stores love to make changes and some of those changes can be very beneficial to the trained dumpster diver.
Let’s not overlook damaged items either. Some of those items may be an easy fix or can be sold for parts. Keep the spare parts and hardware as these can be used to repair similar items from other dumpster dives.
One last tip is to find out when your city has bulk pick up days. Most towns have at least 2 or 3 days a year when residents can discard their large, bulky items such as furniture, construction materials and so on. You can usually call the city sanitation department to find out when they pick up these items.

The easy part is over, you have found your discarded treasures and now you need to figure out what to do with them. The chart below shows the typical flow of the items. The first thing you want to do is to make sure you have a place to process the items. A shed, garage, or even a storage unit are good places. You want to have plenty of room to sort and store your treasures. Keep in mind that some items may need repaired or cleaned up. Don’t automatically throw it away just because it is broken. You might just be able to fix it. If you can’t fix it the item just might become part of an art project ore serve another purpose. Whatever you choose not to keep for resale make sure you dispose of it properly, after all one of the reasons to dumpster dive is to keep things out of the landfills.

OK, so you have your stuff, it’s fixed, cleaned, and ready to go, but who’s going to buy this stuff? The answer is there are plenty of people out there looking for bargains. The trick is knowing how to reach those potential customers. The most popular places are Craigslist, eBay and Amazon, but let’s not forget the old fashioned yard sale. There is plenty of money to be made by having a yard sale and there is almost no out of pocket cash.

Guest Contact:

Website: AsseroSecurity.com

Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC_bPpFJd80xgjtMYX4S3auw

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matt-malone-41a70b10/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/matt.malonetx?fref=search

Guest Bio:

Security specialist by day, professional dumpster diver by night. It’s hard to imagine that Matt Malone makes more money “digging through trash” than working at Slait Consulting, cashing in six-figures a year. It all started 12 years ago when Matt was hired by an Austin based company to hack into their system. Part of this required going through the clients’ trash to find information. Upon discovering many valuable items, Matt began to take the valuables home for his own crafts, shortly realizing that dumpsters don’t hold as much trash as they do treasure; treasure that he could resell and make a hefty amount of money off of. Thus, adding professional dumpster diver to his resume!

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EPISODE 53 ~ GUEST BLOG: Stockpiling: The Easiest Way to Cut Your Grocery Bill

Guest Contact: Founder of BeCentsable.net, a free savings website with tips and tricks.
Find @BeCentsAble on…
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Guest Bio: Chrissy is a stay-at-home mom with two girls from Missouri. Chrissy has helped thousands of subscribers save money without giving up “extras” like travel and entertainment. She shows how anyone can save thousands of dollars on cleaning supplies, toys, travel, groceries and more.

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EPISODE 51 ~ GUEST BLOG: Introducing a New App That Helps You Find and Claim Your Missing Money

By Nick Anderson, Ironwood Recovery

Unclaimed property has many different names and likewise has many different meanings. The most common way to understand unclaimed property is to simply think of it as “lost or forgotten money”. This can happen a number of different ways. Usually it is because you switch houses and you do not fully update your new contact information with the “holder” of the money. If the holder of your money can’t locate you or you do not engage in any activity with your account, the holder sends it to the state government for safekeeping.

Another reason why the state is holding on to money is because the owner of it has passed away. Individuals should be encouraged not only to search their own name but for relatives as well. This money will sit in perpetuity until it is claimed. Please make sure your financial records are kept up to date so this does not happen to you. And leave a list of your accounts somewhere safe so that your heirs will know what you have in case you die.

I have been helping people discover and recover their unclaimed money for years and estimate I have reunited people with more than $25 million of unclaimed money. Now I want to help you help yourself with a new app that makes it quick and easy to find your unclaimed money. My new app is called iRecovery and it will be available in the iTunes store and Google Play store in June of 2018. The iRecovery app is a free download and search tool to see if you or someone you know has money out there that has gone unclaimed.

Once you discover your lost funds, you answer simple questions to prove ownership of the money. Once you have provided this basic information, the app will process the necessary claim documents for your review and e-signature. You will be able to easily identify what documents are necessary to submit your claim and upload them straight into the app. If you are unable to provide certain documentation to prove ownership of the funds, iRecovery will locate them and attach them to your claim at no cost.

iRecovery is the only app that allows you to search, file and track your unclaimed property claims all in one place. Identify unclaimed assets owned by your family and friends and share your findings with them so they can claim what’s theirs. Search deceased relatives to make a claim as their next of kin with the proper death claim documents that are generated by the app.

iRecovery was designed for the individual to get their money back with ease and simplicity all from your mobile device. Just download the app and start your search to see how helpful we can be. iRecovery was made by unclaimed property experts and designed for an easy, user friendly experience. Search as much as you like. There’s no wrong way to use it and nothing to lose to get started.

Check back to your client portal for updates and notifications on when your claim is approved and your money is sent. iRecovery will automatically update you with any new progress on your claim. You will always know where you stand.

Check the app store soon for the iRecovery app and see what money you may be missing out on!

Guest Bio:
Nick Anderson is a genealogist, heir hunter and skip tracer who is the Founder and CEO of Ironwood Asset Recovery. He founded Ironwood Asset Recovery as a response to the billions of dollars in money and other assets that go unclaimed by Americans each year. Nick has dedicated his career to reuniting private citizens and companies with their rightful property. Over the last decade, he has reunited clients with millions of dollars in lost assets and does not plan on stopping any time soon.

Guest Contact: Nick Anderson, Ironwood Recovery
Website: IronwoodRecovery.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ironwoodrecovery
Google+: plus.google.com/108171121525414996579
Instagram: www.instagram.com/irecoveryusa/?hl=en
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ironwoodrecovery/
Twitter: twitter.com/iRecoveryUSA

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EPISODE 50 ~ GUEST BLOG: Creative Careers: You Don’t Have to Choose One Thing To Succeed

I’ve mentioned before that I wear a lot of creative hats, which I feel helped me hone in on what I am most passionate about–writing and plant-powered skin care. No matter what else I took on creatively, I always found myself back in the heart of written expression and mixing and making things with my hands. I knew that working a 9-5 was temporary. Leaving my job was all a matter of timing, savings, and fearlessness. 
When talking about entrepreneurship, I like to lead people away from the typical notion that we must do ONE THING, and one thing only.
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Guest Contact: (List websites, social media handles, etc here. )
Website: AlexElle.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/alex_elle/
Blog: AnotherSunday.me
Podcast: districtproductive.com/hey-girl/

Guest Bio:
Alexandra Elle is an author, wellness consultant, and creative living in the Washington, DC metro area with her husband and two daughters. In her pre-teen years, writing came into her life by way of therapy and the exploration of healing. Many years later, Alex’s voice and words are being shared poetically in the form of self-love. Her passion for storytelling, poetry, and narrative writing are infused with life lessons, self-celebration, and building community through literature & language. In addition, Alex also hosts the hey, girl. podcast, publishes photography & essays on her online journal Another Sunday, and teaches workshops centered around self-care across the United States.

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